Haves and Haves-nots

The obvious story of Mondovino would seem to be the haves vs. the have-nots. The rich and powerful Mondavi, Antinori, Frescobaldi and the Bordeaux aristocracy against the small passionate producer. In fact, we have the roles reversed in this case, the "have-nots" are really the "haves".

The story of Mondovino is that the "haves" of the wine world are not those with money and titles, but those with passion and, most of all, great vineyards. The "have-nots" in this case are the big money folks are more concerned with manipulations, marketing and consultants. Let's face it, these are things you can control and buy, but great vineyards are hard to come by and almost impossible to buy in the great old-world regions.

Since they lack great vineyards and true passion they create brands not wines. Industrial producers like Bossiet build their success on being the exact opposite of the vineyard based Burgundian tradition, a patchwork of small plots and diverse owners that are a marketing executive's nightmare.

I suppose you could ultimately blame the consumer, who is more interested in consistency and fame than real complexity. That is why the greatest winemakers are not press or marketing driven, but driven by an inner vision and love for their land. These are people who want to lead the consumer, while the Boissets and Mondavis of the world are led by the consumer.