From my POV, that of a barrel pimp, was that 2004 was a year like many. Sideways made Pinot Noir even more popular. But this popularization of Pinot began in the '80s.
The Chalone group was bought by Diageo with a nice profit for the stockholders. Little did we know that Acacia would be run into the ground and that it would take years for Chalone to recover. Mondavi was bought by Constellation, which built a fine wine empire that included Simi, Franciscan, Estancia along with Mondavi.
The restaurant scene was really hurt by 9/11 and the crash of 2008 but nothing that exceptional really happened in 2004. Of course, I am talking about the wonderful world of food and wine, not actually anything of national importance like elections, wars, etc.
I feel that local wine writers judge the world through a series of parties they go to. If ‘everyone’ is drinking petnat, or lowalc, or gris de teroldego, then that’s what is happening.
If nobody brings a bottle of Colgin to the party then Colgin must be hurting…I have no proof of this because I don’t go to parties!
Thanks for posting, really fun article.