Laube on Franzia

[Innkeeper]

I'm am far from being a James Laube fan, but have to admit that he has an entertaining and somewhat balanced piece on Fred Franzia in the 7/31/06 edition of WS.

Some excepts: "He says bluntly that no wine is worth more than $10 a bottle. Ouch."

"It's that kind of loose cannon candor that has solidified his reputation as the enfant terrible of California wine. Since building a gigantic wine factory in Napa, his stature among vinters has been elevated to that of holy terror. As one vinter told me years ago, Franzia can be the playgroung bully who ruins recess by kincking the ball over the fence. I'm hard-pressed to recall anyone with anything flattering to say about him, except that he pays his bill."

"Still, the winemakers need him, or someone like him, to get rid of their problems. namely excess juice. And Bronco (Franzia's operation) is often the last stop for unwanted wines, of which there seems to be an endless supply these days."



[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-23-2006).]