[We’ll be running our contributors’ picks for the best wine performances for 2009 on a dialy basis through the end of the year, so stay tuned. Michael Franz]
Producer of the Year — Concha y Toro: This large Chilean company excels at all levels. From its bargain-priced Casillero del Diablo line to
its top-level estate wines, including the iconic Don Melchor, it consistently over-delivers, offering more quality for less money than the vast majority of its commercial competitors. (Perhaps the best examples are the wines under the Marques de Casa Concha label. They sell for roughly $20, and taste like they should cost $40.) During economic hard times, what more can a wine-loving consumer ask for?
Wine of the Year – American Pinot Gris: Looking back over 2009, I 
find that I was most impressed not by a single bottle but by a category — American (primarily West Coast) Pinot Gris. Whether coming from California, Oregon, or Washington, these wines consistently offered vivid fruit flavors and a refreshing but full-fleshed profile. In my tastings they regularly outperformed other types of American white wines, notably better-selling but frequently unsatisfying Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. I encountered a few disappointing examples, but on the whole the quality was remarkably high. Prices tend to reasonable, with few wines crossing the $20 threshold, and the combination of weight on the palate and bright acidity makes them wonderfully food-friendly. Few consumers as yet have gotten on the Pinot Gris bandwagon. I hope WRO readers will hop aboard.
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