Af-Fordism

No, affordism isn't a word. Fordism is the mass production of a product, and therein a certain decline in personality as a result. Affordism is what I call Napa Valley Cabernets these days. In an effort to make a buck, the boutique has become bulk chic, and we lost our bond with minisculism. Minisculism isn't a word, but it's what I call low allocation as a byproduct of low production and a hand-picked attention to detail.
Napa Cabernets have just become over done, and I don't mean all of them, but for argument sake I'd say that encompasses a good 75% of the main stream market. I love Krupp Brothers, I love Alpha Omega and I love Burly. With that said, they're probably wines you wouldn't really know. You know the Caymus' and you know the Silver Oaks', and they're not bad wines, they're just staples. Staples is a word that means dependability, and the real staple definition of these wines is that you can find them everywhere. Don't think because its readily available that makes it better than its small scale competitors, it generally means the opposite. If you have less juice, and more personal attention, you tend to get a more cultured wine.
I know I harp about Napa a lot, but that's the area I see so much potential in. I love love love the personality and environment of Northern California, and though there are literally dozens of other great areas, I feel a certain magentism to Napa/Sonoma and try to herald a certain return to heroism that it was elevated to in the 1970's.
Try something new, you may in fact be surprised, and if you want to spend less money, go ahead and gamble on the less expensive wines that you've never spotted in your local grocery store...
Cam