Obama considers huge shakeup in alcohol law, eliminating TTB

US alcohol law could be on the verge of a huge shakeup. The Obama administration is considering eliminating the TTB, the agency currently in charge, and divvying up its duties between the IRS and the FDA.

The implications are huge, and the wine industry is afraid -- although it might be a good move for consumers. But I might be wrong, as the FDA doesn't do a good job of regulating food. And one wine industry spokesman described the move as a "power grab" by the FDA. The IRS would collect taxes; the FDA would be in charge of everything else.

A few things that might result: Ingredient listings on wine labels ("Honey, this wine has fish bladders in it.") Calorie counts. Wilder wine label designs with no-holds-barred graphic images (I'd give "Living Dead Red" a shot.)

And here's one I'd like to see: More accurate labeling of alcohol percentage.

The nix-the-TTB suggestion was in a memo last year from the Office of Management and Budget to the Treasury Department. Next week, when the new federal budget proposal is delivered, we'll see if the White House is planning to go forward.

To discuss what the move might mean, I called Michael Kaiser, director of communications for Wine America, which represents wineries in dealing with Congress.

Kendall-Jackson's "Undercover Boss:" Thoughts on a great show

Rick Tigner goes undercover in the vineyard

I hadn't watched "Undercover Boss" before Kendall-Jackson's Rick Tigner appeared, so I don't know how unusual it is for the show to be so weepy.

Tigner tears up in the very beginning, and when his identity was revealed, every featured employee save one -- the one he almost fires -- tears up also. I guess that's reality TV.

Wiping the tears aside, I liked the show, a lot, because of its unusual focus on the business side of wine.

Most TV shows about wine are insufferable. Insipid music is usually the worst part. A view of pristine vineyards, never a mechanical harvester in sight. A dramatic recitation of the challenging climate. A grizzled vintner saying the work is done in the vineyard. and the magic is found in the glass. And finally the host ooohs and aahs over the wine. With the exception of "Mondovino," I've never before seen a TV show examine an issue in wine or even say anything really interesting; they all seem like they're made by PR firms to run in airport waiting rooms.

"Undercover Boss" broke all those rules.

Former NFL quarterback Rick Mirer now leads a winery

Courtesy Sports Illustrated. Photographed by John Blever

Rick Mirer was a star quarterback at Notre Dame and the number 2 pick in the entire NFL draft in 1993. Despite never being effective as a pro, he lasted 11 years in the league.

Now he's one of many celebrities involved in the wine business, as head of Mirror Wine Company in St. Helena.

I sampled Mirror's two wines recently but decided to blog about Mirer and the winery anyway, mainly for football fans wondering what he's up to now.

Mirer said he got into wine during his four seasons in the Bay Area, as a backup QB for the 49ers in 2000 and '01 and a backup for the Raiders in '02 and '03. The 2002 Raiders made it to the Super Bowl, but Mirer never took a snap that season.

The Raiders trained in Napa, which gave Mirer the opportunity to make friends with people like Jeff Smith, the owner of Hourglass and a huge Raiders fan. Smith and winemaker Rob Lawson were looking for a man to run the offense for a wine project they had in mind, taking Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from three vineyards in St. Helena and Oakville and turning them into a new brand. "Mirror" was already on Smith's mind, and the connection with Mirer was perfect. There's also a Mirror Sauvignon Blanc.

I do not recommend either. There's nothing wrong with the '08 Cab: it's one-dimensional, ripe red fruit that could be anything from anywhere, but there's no reason to spend $75 for such a wine. The '10 Sauv Blanc ($24) is lacking in acidity and fruit flavors.

Nonetheless, I spoke with Mirer by phone about his wine project and his football career. Here are the highlights (and lowlights):

Expect wine prices to rise this year

California had its second small vintage in a row in 2011. Italy had its smallest wine grape crop in 60 years. Australia is still battling drought; yields are way down. The crop in Spain is smaller than normal.

So forget about vintage ratings: the way to characterize 2011 wines from most of the world is going to be "expensive."

This was the main thing I learned at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium this week, where I was a panel moderator. Ironically, my panel was about how to sell wine from any kind of vintage, but in tight times like we're about to experience, selling might be easier than ever.

Steve Fredricks, president of Turrentine Brokerage, said stocks of bulk wine are at the lowest levels in 11 years, and that includes just about every type of grape. A bulk wine shortage will raise prices for wines you aren't currently thinking would be affected.

Here's why.

You are not allergic to sulfites

"Red wine gives me a headache. I must be allergic to sulfites."

No, you're not.

Some people are allergic to sulfites; it can be a life-threatening condition. They can go into anaphylactic shock and die. Sulfite allergy can cause "labored breathing, wheezing, gas, diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, skin hives and a severe drop in blood pressure." (Here's a link.)

But sulfites do not cause red wine headaches. And you know what? On average, white wines have more sulfites than red wines. So does dried fruit.

If you can eat raisins, you are not allergic to sulfites. If you can drink white wine, you are not allergic to sulfites.

So what causes your red wine headaches?

I'm sorry, but I don't know. Even if you do weeks of expensive allergy testing, you might not find out. Red wine is a fermented product of grapes and grape skins that's a soup of (mostly) naturally occurring chemicals. You might be intolerant -- not truly allergic -- of any of them. Headaches are not caused by true food allergies. Your symptoms are real; I don't doubt that for a moment, because I'm intolerant of tomatoes, and I get pissed off at the occasional person who suggests it's all in my head. Tomatoes give me gastrointestinal symptoms and, in high doses I'm smart enough to not eat anymore, hives -- but not headaches.

You might be intolerant of sulfites; that's possible. But let's get back to that white wine/red wine comparison. White wines on average contain more sulfites than red wines.

So you are not allergic to sulfites.

I've heard this story dozens of times: "But I was in Europe and I could drink red wines there without a problem. And they don't say 'Contains sulfites' on the label."

That's true, but the reason is that US law requires the sulfite disclosure on wine, and EU law doesn't. More than 99% of European wines contain added sulfites, just like US wines, and the levels aren't different on average.

I'm sorry, I don't know why you can drink wine in Europe and not here. Maybe you're not stressed over there. Don't ignore the alcohol percentage, which is generally lower over there. If you can drink some wines but others make you feel ill, then don't drink the wines that make you feel ill.

But you are not allergic to sulfites.

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Dewazakura makes limited edition sake like in 1981

Tasty -- and the bottle is pretty

Sake may be ancient, but its quality revolution is recent. The first daiginjos were made in the 20th century to win competitions and weren't sold to the public. When Dewazakura introduced its affordable Oka ginjo sake in 1981, it was a huge leap. At the time, sake was associated with cheap, high-volume drinking, and the drink of Japanese connoisseurs was whiskey.

To understand the impact of a consumer-friendly ginjo* in 1981, imagine if whisky makers had upgraded from blends to 18-year single-malt overnight. Or imagine if Burgundy growers had suddenly gone from offering only village wines to selling single-vineyard wines that consumers had only heard about royalty drinking at special events.

*(Quick vocabulary: ginjo and daiginjo ["big ginjo"] are premium sakes defined by how much of the rice is polished away, making them more delicious but also more expensive.)

Dewazakura Oka, for my palate, has since been surpassed in the company's lineup by Dewasansan, a ginjo sake named after the special rice developed for it. And ginjo sakes are now commonplace; almost every brewery makes them. But Dewazakura Oka continues to sell well, and the Yamagata prefecture brewery is proud of its place in history.

Right now, the company is selling a special 30th anniversary Oka that is made by the same methods used in 1981. This includes using Haenuki, a local eating rice, instead of bred-for-sake Miyamanishiki, which would seem to be a disadvantage.

In fact, though, Dewazakura Oka 30th anniversary is delicious and more flavorful than the regular Oka. It's fruity, with nice melon notes, and a creamy mouthfeel.

I first encountered it at San Francisco's Ichi Sushi, where the colorful pink bottles take up a lot of the wall behind the sushi bar because the sake buyers loaded up on it, knowing it's not going to be available long.

If you're reading this thinking, "where can I try this fine product?" I've got an answer. True Sake in San Francisco has it at $30 a bottle and ships throughout California. For other states, you'll have to ask them. You can't find the sake on the shop's difficult-to-navigate website, but you can order it by phone at 415-355-9555.

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Would you buy a "bad vintage"?

This week I have the honor of moderating a panel at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, California's biggest annual wine industry get-together. I'd like to tap your brain beforehand.

The panel is called "How to Successfully Market Each Vintage, Despite the Weather." That's a polite way of saying, "How to sell wines from a vintage that certain publications have already trashed."

If you're wondering why they chose me, beyond my obvious physical charms, look no further than this post from last October titled "Hurray for California's 'bad' 2011 vintage!" My definition of a great wine is different from James Laube's (too soon to tell about Antonio Galloni).

As the only media member of the panel, that will be my main point: that while Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate are influential, there's an entirely separate market today of sommeliers and consumers who disagree with the notion that bigger is better. I know they're out there. But how does a winery reach them? And is it more important to divide the market, or to counter the mainstream impression?

Here's where you come in. The Gray Report has a great variety of readers, from inside the wine industry and out. I'd like to hear your take on this topic -- from any direction, whether you're a winemaker, sommelier, consumer or fellow wine writer. I will share your comments with the audience at the symposium.

Feel free to add Sacramento dining tips. I get a per diem.

Follow me on Twitter: @wblakegray and like The Gray Report on Facebook.