WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE E7
AVALINE
Avaline was founded in 2018 by actress Cameron Diaz and
entrepreneur Katherine Power. In 2020, they launched a line of
wines with labels on every bottle that include a full ingredient list.
A full complement of whites for
warm-weather sipping fill out our list
this week, featuring two offbeat but
fun, unpretentious wines from the
Finger Lakes. A racy Loire Valley
sauvignon blanc, a low-calorie
chardonnay from California and an
organic viognier from Australia
complete the package.
— D.M.Lakewood Vineyards Long S tem
White 2020
Finger Lakes, N.Y., $14
This zippy blend of vidal blanc and
cayuga white, with a splash of
riesling, delivers a lot of delicious fun
for the price. Alcohol by volume: 11.7
percent. BW: 450 grams (Light).
Distributed in the District and Maryland by
Artisans & Vines, in Virginia by LK Wine Tours
& Sales: Available in the District at Cleveland
Park Wine and Spirits, Rodman’s. Available in
Maryland at Beer & Wine Co., Bradley Food &
Beverage, Capital Beer & Wine in Bethesda;
Bethesda Co-Op in Cabin John; Canton
Crossing Wine + Spirits, Off the Rox Wine &
Beer in Baltimore; District East Beer & Wine,
Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Downtown
Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg;
Maryland Discount Beverage Center in
Cumberland; Greenbelt Co-Op, New Deal
Cafe in Greenbelt; JJ Liquors, Wine Bin in
Ellicott City; McHenry Beverage Shoppe in
McHenry; Old Town Market in Kensington;
the Perfect Pour in Elkridge; Snider’s Super
Foods in Silver Spring; Sterling Liquors in
Dundalk; Town Center Market in Riverdale
Park. Available in Virginia at Aldie Peddler in
Aldie; Murphy Beverage, Union Jack’s in
Winchester; PaveMint Smokin’ Taphouse in
Front Royal; Rio Hill Wine & Beer in
Charlottesville.GREAT VALUE
Domaine Bellevue Touraine
Sauvignon 2 021
Loire Valley, France, $15
This is a perennial favorite of mine —
minerally Loire Valley sauvignon
blanc, tight and focused, with just a
hint of peppery spice. ABV: 12.5
percent. BW: 450 grams (Light).
Imported and distributed by Elite Wines:
Available at nearly 100 outlets in the District,
Maryland and Virginia.Kendall-Jackson Low C alorie
Chardonnay 2021
California, $16
Think of this as a slimmed-downRECOMMENDATIONS
cousin of Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s
Reserve, one of the country’s
favorite chardonnays. It’s got the
same pineapple and peach flavors,
but only 85 calories per 5-ounce
serving. Compared to what? Well,
we don’t have that on the label, but
most wines tend to be around 110 to
120 calories, depending on the
alcohol level. By reducing the
alcohol to 9 percent, the
winemakers have lowered the
calories without a dramatic loss of
flavor. Some stores may still have
the 2020 vintage, labeled with the
proprietary name Avant. ABV: 9
percent. BW: 450 grams (Light).
Distributed by RNDC: Available in the District
at AB Liquors, Argyle Market & Deli, Classy
Corks Wine & Spirits, Daily 14, McReynold’s
Liquors, Palisades Deli, Riggs Liquor,
Safeway (Fourth Street SW), Target (Columbia
Heights), Washington Wine & Liquor.
Available in Maryland at Angels Cut Wine &
Spirits, Pine Orchard Liquors in Ellicott City;
Bel Air Liquors in Bel Air; Cranberry Liquors in
Westminster; Eastport Liquors in Annapolis;
Faze 4 Liquors in Dundalk; Montgomery
County Wine & Liquor Stores (various
locations); Total Wine & More (Laurel,
Towson); Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick.Lakewood Vineyards Bubbly
Candeo 2021
Finger Lakes, N.Y., $18
When you want to turn a simple
weekday into a celebration without
busting out an expensive sparklingwine, reach for this. It’s made of
cayuga white, a hybrid variety
developed in the Finger Lakes.
Slightly off-dry, it’s crisp and
refreshing, with fruity flavors that
pair well with sunshine and a smile.
ABV: 10.1 percent. BW: 485 grams
(Light).
Distributed in the District and Maryland by
Artisans & Vines, in Virginia by LK Wine Tours
& Sales: Available in the District at Chevy
Chase Wine & Spirits, King Street Oyster Bar,
Old City Market & Oven, Rodman’s, Streets
Market (14th Street), Vitis. Available in
Maryland at All Set, Snider’s Super Foods in
Silver Spring; Beer Wine & Co., Bradley Food
& Beverage in Bethesda; Blue Wind Gourmet
in Lexington Park; the Bottle Shop in
Potomac; Canton Crossing Wine + Spirits in
Baltimore; Chestnut Ridge Gas & Liquors in
Grantsville; Crescent Wine & Spirits in Bowie;
Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in
Gaithersburg; Faze4 Liquors, Sterling Liquors
in Dundalk; Firestone’s, Lakefront Fine Wine
& Spirits, Old Farm Liquors, Viniferous in
Frederick; Friendsville Discount Liquors in
Friendsville; Greenbelt Co-Op in Greenbelt;
Grosvenor Market in Rockville; JJ Liquors,
Wine Bin in Ellicott City; Market at the Charles
in La Plata; Maryland Discount Beverage
Center in Cumberland; McHenry Beverage
Shoppe in McHenry; No Thyme to Cook in
Solomons; Shortcake Bakery in Hyattsville;
Town Center Market in Riverdale Park.
Available in Virginia at Aldie Peddler in Aldie;
Murphy Beverage, Union Jack’s in
Winchester; PaveMint Smokin’ Taphouse in
Front Royal.Yalumba Viognier Made With
Organic Grapes 2021
South Australia, Australia, $20
Yalumba is a prolific producer ofviognier, from its introductory Y
Series up through the top-of-the-line
Virgilius, meant to echo the
benchmark wines of Condrieu in
France’s Rhône Valley. They are all
good. This organic bottling is
redolent with aromas of jasmine
and honeysuckle, backed up by
flavors of peaches, apricots and
ginger. Australian Certified Organic.
Vegan. ABV: 13.5 percent. BW: 545
grams (Average).
Imported and distributed by Winebow:
Available in the District at Rodman’s,
Schneider’s of Capitol Hill; Sherry’s Fine Wine
& Spirits. Available in Maryland at Green
Valley Wine & Spirits in Monrovia; Harbour
Wine & Spirits in Severna Park; Harvest
Thyme Tavern in Davidsonville; Jason’s Wine
& Spirits in Ellicott City; Maryland Discount
Beverage Center in Cumberland; Mills Fine
Wine and Spirits in Annapolis; Patuxent Wine
& Spirits in Lusby; Ye Old Spirit Shop in
Frederick. Available in Virginia at Arrowine
and Cheese in Arlington; Cheesetique
(Alexandria, Shirlington); Dominion Wine and
Beer in Falls Church.Availability information is based on
distributor records. Wines might not
be in stock at every listed store and
might be sold at additional stores.
Prices are approximate. Check wine-
searcher.com to verify availability, or
ask a favorite wine store to order
through a distributor.SCOTT SUCHMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
From left, Lakewood Vineyards Long Stem White 2020, Domaine Bellevue Touraine Sauvignon 2021,
Kendall-Jackson Low Calorie Chardonnay 2021, Lakewood Vineyards Bubbly Candeo 2021, Yalumba
Viognier Made With Organic Grapes 2021The controversy
over “clean wine”
is back. In early
April, the federal
agency that
regulates wine
and other
alcoholic
beverages issued a
mild warning to
producers — and
a caveat emptor to consumers —
about potentially misleading
health claims in advertising. In
its newsletter, the U.S. Treasury
Department’s Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,
or TTB, focused on the word
“clean,” which is not defined in
TTB regulations.
“We’ve received inquiries
about the meaning of the word
‘clean’ when used in the labeling
and advertising of alcohol
beverages,” the agency said,
hinting at resentment among
producers and consumers over
use of the word.
“Consumers should not
interpret the term as meaning
that the beverage is organic or
has met other production
standards set by TTB,” the
agency said.
The TTB approves labels and
has been known to be strict
about its regulatory standards. It
does not approve advertising,
though it will review ads at a
company’s request and can issue
fines if advertisements violate
standards, such as making “false
or misleading health claims or
health-related statements.” And
you’re not supposed to disparage
a competitor’s product.
So the use of “clean” depends
on whether it creates a
misleading impression. For
example, a wine’s flavor can be
described as clean, as in “a clean,
crisp wine.” This, the agency
said, “is considered puffery.”
(Hey! I resemble that remark!)
But there’s a problem when
“clean” is used with other
verbiage to imply that the
alcoholic beverage has health
benefits, “or that the health risks
otherwise associated with
alcohol consumption will be
mitigated,” the TTB said. “For
example, ‘X malt beverage is
clean and healthy’ or ‘Y vodka’s
clean production methods mean
no headaches for you.’ ”
“We would consider those
claims to be misleading health-
related statements,” the agency
said.
Some in the wine world hailed
the TTB’s message. Wine writer
Alder Yarrow, in his popular
Vinography blog, said the feds
“gave a big thumbs down to
those wineries who have been
marketing their wares under the
banner of ‘Clean Wine.’ ” Esther
Mobley in the San Francisco
Chronicle called it “a major
victory for truth in wine
advertising.” Winemaker Adam
Lee, of Clarice wines, had one
company’s wines lab tested and
found they were not in fact
“sugar-free,” as the winery
claimed.
So what does this mean for us
consumers? We should always be
alert for dubious health claims in
wine advertising. This goes
beyond the word “clean.”
Let’s look at the website for
Avaline, the brand created by
actress Cameron Diaz and
entrepreneur Katherine Power
that has been at the center of the
clean controversy. Clean appears
prominently, though always with
the word “delicious,” as in “clean,
delicious wine.” Puffery. A
transparency tab lists
ingredients — organic grapes,
sulfites, cream of tartar, tartaric
acid, yeast, yeast nutrients and
organic cane sugar for sparkling
wine. There is also a list of
producers in Spain and
California who make Avaline
wines. Labels include nutrition
information.
So far, so good. More wineries
should put that information
online, if not on the label. We’d
have fewer issues about
marketing such as this: Diaz and
Power describe Avaline as “clean,
delicious wines full of natural
goodness and free from
unwanted and undisclosed
extras.” Such broad intimations
that all other wines are
unnatural or unclean are unfair,
even if more transparency by the
industry would show that. Yes,
the TTB allows “more than 70
additives,” but that doesn’t mean
every wine is loaded with stuff
other than grapes. Many of those
additives are natural and
harmless, such as the cream of
tartar used in Avaline and many,
many other wines. But additives
sound scary.
A company called FitVine lists
nutrition information for its
wines on its website to bolster
claims that it offers low-sugar,
low-calorie and healthy,
“natural” wines. How healthy?
The company’s logo is a
silhouette of a buff runner
holding a wine glass in one hand
and a bunch of grapes in the
other. Winemakers I spoke to
said most wines would have the
same or similar nutritional
information. So why aren’t more
wineries providing it?
A quick Google search for
clean wine turns up various
names that make similar health
claims that the TTB may have
had in mind. If you get
headaches and your eyes get
puffy and your skin mottled after
drinking wine, it’s probably not
your choice of wine but the
amount you’re drinking. These
brands seem to say drink as
much as you want because you
won’t feel sick. That’s not
responsible marketing.
Most of these companies
advertise primarily on social
media. They target a younger,
health-conscious, keto-crazed
audience that doesn’t want to
spend time researching how
their wines are made. They are
marketing wines to fit into a
healthy, socially active lifestyle,
while the critics shape their
lifestyles and professions around
wine. So to them it’s personal.
Caveat emptor, to be sure. But
if wineries would adopt similar
transparency, they would show
these health claims for what they
are: mere puffery.‘Clean’ wine marketing
draws warnings from
regulatory agency
Wine
DAVE
MCINTYRE
“Consumers should notinterpret [‘clean’] asmeaning that thebeverage is organic orhas met otherproduction standards.”Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau, in a newsletter
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