Boutique Wines
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A common standard for defining boutique wines is: if the winery produces less than 2,000 wine cases in a year, the producer is a Boutique winery. However, the American Wine Institute has not set a standard for Boutique wines, making the term more loosely defined than most wine jargon. Predominantly, the Institute defines wineries as “small,” “medium,” or “big commercial.” Small wineries, which Boutiques are categorized under, produce fewer than 5,000 cases of wine in a year. Currently, there are about 450 small and Boutique wineries in California. However, there are also several big commercial wineries that produce small lots of wine that are considered Boutique wines because of their limited production, but the Boutique term is primarily used to describe wine that is both made in limited quantities and expresses the winemaker’s selective passion.
Boutique wines can come from anywhere in the world, but the best are often from small-production, family-owned vineyards. It is important to note that not all Boutique wines are equal in quality, and limited production does not always mean superior. The key to finding a superb Boutique wine is to look beyond the production size and discover why the winemaker chose to make a slightly different and more selective variety. Wine connoisseurs regard Boutique wines as an opportunity for the winemaker to express his passion for a certain grape or blend of grapes, and Boutiques are considered excellent if a single glass explains the winemaker’s decision to highlight the particular grape’s expression and quality.
There are several well-known Boutique wineries throughout the world that have produced their world renown labels for generations, but some of the most charming and scintillating varieties are the lesser known varietals that are treasured by the locals. Boutiques that are only locally known are harder to find, and wine connoisseurs often go through wine negociants, or brokers, to find these exclusive wines. Although a wine negociant service can be an expense, it is well worth it if you are looking for fine, rare Boutique wines that are guaranteed to make the wine lover in you swoon. Negociants have special wine tasting panelists that scour the word for the finest Boutique wines, and then imports the limited cases for American wine enthusiasts to enjoy. Negoicants are often the best and only way to familiarize oneself with some of the world’s best kept secrets. Without negociants’ exclusive importing services, some of the world’s finest Boutique wines would still be undiscovered.
Boutique wines are often more expensive than mass-produced, commercialized wines, but the extra cost is often counter balanced by the fine quality and rarity of an excellent wine that matches your tastes. What makes Boutique wines worth the price is their ability to express the passion of the winemaker like no other production style. Choose a wine-growing region you know you like and explore the lesser-known Boutique varieties from there. You will not be disappointed.