Introducing the Wine Ombudsman and Four Wines Under $15 3

In a technical, legal sense, an ombudsman is often a corporate or government official whose task it is to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against members of their organization. In a broader sense, however, an ombudsman functions as a trouble shooter and a problem solver, a go-between that seeks to address the needs of the public.

That more general meaning was what I had in mind when I first conceived of the name “Wine Ombudsman.” It began simply as a way to help a friend who was organizing a fundraising event for the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio. After the inaugural event my friend asked what I thought of the wines that were served and I told her, frankly, that they were terrible. She protested that they have to be inexpensive because the event is, after all, a fundraiser. I told her that there were many good wines within her budget, and she asked me to help.

Since then, I have coordinated with a distributor and for several years we have had wine tastings in her price range, and we have been able to select good, drinkable wines for the event. Thus was born the idea for the Wine Ombudsman.

The Wine Ombudsman is a trained and experienced wine expert for hire. I can help select good wines within budget for corporate or charitable events. I can assist event planners, caterers and hosts in the same way, identifying and sourcing good wines within virtually any budget. I can assist restaurants, especially those that are smaller or just starting, to compose and manage a wine list that will drive customer satisfaction and sales, as I have begun to do for my friends at the Wildflower Cafe. In short, if you find yourself in need of any type of assistance with wine, I can help.

I have just started to build the Wine Ombudsman website. If you want to reach the Wine Ombudsman, or find out more about the services offered, click here.

Selection Process and Pricing

As I said, I recently arranged a tasting to select wines for my friend’s charity event. I started by finding out in a general sense what types and styles of wines my friend was considering. Then, working with a sales rep from one of the distributors, I reviewed their book, which is the list of wines and the wholesale and retail prices of each. I made some suggestions to the sales rep, but the sales rep, who should know more about his or her wines than anyone, made the final selections. Our budget was between $6 and $8 per bottle.

Wine pricing varies by state. What does not vary is that the United States, and so all the states, operate what is known as a three-tiered system for the distribution and sale of wine. The first tier is the producer/importer, that is, whoever is responsible for making the wine in, or bringing it to, the United States. The second tier is the wholesale distributor and the third is the retailer, the entity that sells the wine to the end consumer, like a retail wine shop, restaurant or wine bar.

Pricing requirements also vary by state. In Louisiana, for example, wholesalers and retailers have a good deal of latitude regarding pricing. In Ohio, there is very little flexibility. Ohio’s statutes grant the authority to fix minimum pricing and markups for wine to the Liquor Control Commission (LCC). The LCC promulgates rules, which are then given force of law by the legislature, to establish those minimums.

The tier one producer or importer is relatively unfettered in determining the price of its product and sells to the wholesalers at what is called in the law the “wholesale invoice cost.”

‘The law (Section 4301: 1-1-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code) requires that the wholesale distributor charge a minimum of 33.3 percent above the wholesale invoice cost to sell the product to the retailer. The retailer is then required to charge a minimum of 50 percent more than it paid to sell the wine to the consumer. At each step, they are permitted to charge more, but not less than the state minimum.

The argument in favor of this system is that it protects the small business. Larger wholesalers or retailers cannot take advantage of volume pricing to drive smaller competitors out of the market. The negative is that wines tend to be higher priced in Ohio than in many other states for the same wine, and Ohio wine consumers have fewer choices than in other states.

Ohio does allow non-profit organizations to qualify for a special (F-2) permit, allowing them to purchase wine at the wholesale price, that is, without the 50 percent minimum markup charged to retailers. My friend secured an F-2 permit, and we began the search for the good $6 (wholesale) bottle of wine.

Recommendations from the Wine Ombudsman Under $15

And now for something completely different. In the last several editions of this blog I have featured wines that are priced beyond what the average wine drinker would be willing to pay or are simply unavailable. From 35-year-old Conneaut, Ohio Cabernet Sauvignon to an Oregon Pinot Noir produced in such small quantities it is nearly impossible to find, those articles were, I hope, interesting and educational, but they did little to help those of you who are looking for assistance with everyday wines.

When writing about less expensive wines, I previously made the point that what you are looking for is a wine that drinks better than it costs, and that is the case with all four of these wines. They are not only inexpensive, but complex and well made, and they are readily available in the Columbus wine market.

2013 Cordivae Wine Company Mirth Chardonnay

Cordivae is a part of the much more widely known Owen Roe Winery, but focused on Washington and Oregon wines.  The Mirth Chardonnay is from the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington and currently retails for $10.99 per bottle. Not at all oaky, this wine expressed apples and pears on the nose and palate, with a little extra citrus flavor. It is mildly acidic and has a decent, mid-length finish. It is crisp and refreshing, perfect for a warm summer evening.

2011 Dosio Vigneti Roero Arneis

Arneis is a white grape native to northern Italy. Roero is one of the wine communes in the Langhe, a subregion of Italy’s Piedmont. This is a little bit of a cheat to make the under $15 threshold. This wine is normally $19.99, but the distributor is closing out the 2011 vintage, so it is available for $9.99 a bottle, and this is easily a $25 to $30 wine. It has a powerful mineral component on the nose, along with some yellow flowers, green apple and banana peel. The palate has a lot of lime to go along with the green apple. It is lightly acidic and also has a medium finish. This is a wine of significant complexity and is also refreshing. If your local wine shop does not have this on the shelf, tell them it is carried by a local distributor and they should be able to have it for you within a couple days.

2012 Chateau de Campuget Tradition de Campuget Rouge

From the Costiéres de Nȋmes region straddling France’s Southern Rhone and the Western Languedoc, this is a classic red blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre selling for $11.99 per bottle. It features black fruits on the nose, like blackberry and currants, along with some spice. The fruit is a little more blue on the palate, like a blue plum, but ripe, and nicely balanced by the acids and soft, pretty tannins. The finish is medium, but long enough to entice you to the next drink. Again, this easily drinks like a $20 to $25 wine, with great balance and complexity.

2013 Domaines Barons de Rothschild Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon

By way of full disclosure, I should point out that Cabernet Sauvignon is not my favorite grape. It lends itself to a style that is over-ripe, jammy and very fruit forward. I have found that for my palate, Cabernets in that style need many years of bottle aging to achieve a balance that I find pleasing. Nonetheless, this example from the Colchagua region of Chile is a steal at $8.99 per bottle. I checked my local Giant Eagle, and it was on the shelf, so I know you can easily get this wine.

This is a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon from the house of Barons de Rothschild, long a powerhouse producer in France’s Bordeaux region. Rothschild has owned vineyards and produced here for over 30 years, bringing its experience and know-how to this Chilean region.

This Cabernet is what wine people would call varietally correct, that is, it tastes exactly like you would expect Cabernet Sauvignon to taste. The nose and palate explode with dark red cherries and plums, and there is spice like thyme and mint. This wine has a luxurious feel in the mouth, and a good acid backbone to balance all of that fruit and refresh the palate. The tannins are soft, but assert themselves, and the wine has a pretty good finish.

The Judgment

I would not want to rank order these wines. They are four very different wines providing vastly different taste experiences. But they are so inexpensive, I say grab a couple friends and get one of each, and spend a long evening enjoying good company, good food and these low-priced marvels.