Despite past accolades, Forest Glen makes changes to its products

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following story has been edited and reprinted with permission from Quarterly Review of Wines.

If it ain't broke, fix it. It's the new wine thinking at Forest Glen, one of the country's leading value wines. The tasting teams at Quarterly Review of Wines have tasted the wines since 1995 and have never been unsatisfied with what has to be some of the best sourced value wines ($10 or under) in California.

Forest Glen varietals have made the "Best" list of Quarterly Review's annual California "Best of The Best" -- and in some cases "Best of Show" -- since 1996. Further, all the wine periodicals that rate by the numbers regularly give Forest Glen a rating in the 90s. So what was there to fix?

Fred Franzia, head honcho of Bronco Wines and producer of Forest Glen, said the "trade suggested it ... We're very sensitive about change, yet we want to be responsive to the wine market, which recognizes what our buyers want."

Franzia and Forest Glen General Manager Gary Ramona consequently changed the label, which has more white background, a better looking print font and a greater shelf visibility. It's simple and good-looking.

The staff at Quarterly Review understands label changing, which happens frequently at many wine houses. However, their changing the wine's style gave us an initial pause: We have always respected the cliché, "if it ain't broke ...".

When asked why, Ramona said it was to reflect "today's changing lifestyles." Our pause, however, was not long-lasting, and at our recent tasting, there was near unanimous agreement that Forest Glen has changed for the better. Dicey, but it worked.

The old Forest Glen style was consistent and predictable, exactly what any good value wine must be. Further, how winemaker Ed Moody could get as much upfront fruit, texture and finish for the price was something that wine tasters respected -- even those who didn't care for disputatious Fred Franzia.

Moody's old Forest Glen Chardonnay, for example, had oak barrel fermentation; it was buttery, generous with tropical fruit and satisfying finish. The old Cabernet Sauvignon was also oak-barreled and had spice and cedar/oak, rounded fruit, with concentrated body and finish.

The Merlot never disappointed: It was minty, with a hint of sweetness, and cherry and blueberry notes. They were always generous wines for the money.

The new Forest Glen is only slightly stylistically different, but nonetheless noticeable. Restraint, refinement and elegance are perhaps the operative words, especially for the reds, which used to be fairly assertive creations. What Forest Glen has done is to upscale.

It's not exactly the spin they put on the new wines; nonetheless, the best part is that the price has hardly changed. As consumers gain more wine savvy and maturity, they tend to want more approachability and elegance -- a less assertive wine with softer tannins.

Also, it's no secret that consumers are conscious of pairing wine with food, and that the new menus of today tend to work better with elegance and accessibility. All of which seems to apply to Forest Glen.

Depending upon location, all Forest Glen varietals retail for $10 to $12 a bottle.

If you're a value wine fan, you should be on the look-out for the soon to be released Forest Glen Sonoma Series.

They are also releasing wines from their "Reserve" program, with prices expected to be in the $15 to $20 category, super values any way you look at it.