Much to my regret, only a handful of British wine importers really take American wine seriously. Back in 1980, when the dollar was – not coincidentally – weak, British wine drinkers were introduced to a wide range of California wine, from Almaden basics to a raft of top names from Napa Valley. Indeed it was California wine that was the first non-European wine to make any real impact on the British palate. Back then I was secretary of something called the Zinfandel Club, designed to showcase the best of the west coast. And it was in that capacity, at a...