Brand Australia Revisited

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May 032013
 

Next Chapter

After a notable absence, the folks from Wine Australia have returned to promote the wines from Down Under.  Members of New York’s wine media and trade were invited for an “in-depth look at the ‘Next Chapter,’” which included a walk-around tasting and a seminar titled “Australia: Classic, Contemporary & Curious.” Moderated by Wine Australia’s Education Director, Mark Davidson, the seminar panel also included Suzanne Barros, East Coast Market Development Manager for Wine Australia; Jeff Taylor, Head Sommelier for Elen Madison Park; and Tyler Colman, Founder/Author of Dr. Vino. Unfortunately, although scheduled to be on hand, Matt Fowles, Owner of Fowles Wine, was unable to attend due to problems with New Jersey Transit.

So, if the first chapter of Australian wine was all about critters and value, what is this next chapter all about?

Davidson opened up the session with the admission that the image of Australian wine has suffered a bit and further added that people had become bored with Australian wine. He then discussed the emergence of Australian wine from its earliest beginnings referencing a Monty Python skit in which such wines were described thusly: “This is not a wine for drinking; this is a wine for laying down and avoiding.” Davidson suggested that, from there, Australian wines entered a Parker-style era and that now, it was time to revisit Australian wines as they had re-emerged in a new era.

Picking up on this thread, Suzanne explained that many Australian producers were now planting southern European varieties due to their own personal experiences in working in these regions. More specifically, she discussed the similarities in climate such as that between McLaren Vale and Sardinia. Consequently, we are now seeing grapes such as Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Assyrtiko being grown in Australia. She also explained that, with climate change, producers are looking at varieties that hold their acidity.

As evidence of both the newer side of Australian wine and the more usual suspects, the first flight included Vermentino, Riesling, Semillon and Viognier, with Tyler commenting on the stylistic variations being seen among Riesling. He discussed that on his trip to Australia in 2009, he hadn’t seen much off-dry Riesling, but that it was nice to see one today (Grosset Alea Riesling 2012, Clare Valley, $20.00). Mark suggested that reaction to the high, searing acidity found in young Australian Riesling made such styles welcome, joking that, “Drinking Polish Hill Riesling young is akin to being electrocuted.” However, he indicated that off-dry styles wouldn’t be the dominant style found in the country.

The conversation then shifted to that of Hunter Valley Semillon, given its very unique style in the world. The Semillon in the seminar line-up was actually from the Barossa Valley (Peter Lehmman Margaret Semillon 2005, Barossa Valley, $23.00). While many of these are produced with some oak influence, some Barossa producers are moving away from the oaky approach and focusing on wines that show some development with age. When audience member, Mary Gorman, MW, wondered why Australians were looking to new varieties rather than on exploiting their existing strengths – namely Hunter Valley Semillon, Mark offered that Hunter Valley Semillon was difficult to sell to the average consumer.

The next flight was led by the Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2010, Margaret River, $75.00, which was indicative of the changing style of Australian Chardonnay. While power and richness still resonate, there is evidence of more elegance and less oak influence today than in the past. This was followed by the Mac Forbes Worri Yallock Pinot Noir 2010, Yarra Valley, $42.00, which suggested that Pinot Noir is being produced in a leaner style than previously.

The next two wines – a varietally-labeled Grenache (Ochota Barrels Fugazi Grenache 2012, McLaren Vale, $44.00) and Mourvèdre (Turkey Flat Mourvèdre 2010, Barossa Valley, $32.00), respectively – displayed not only beautiful complexity and restraint, but also a shift away from blends and toward single-variety wines.

The third and final flight was meant to showcase the diversity of Syrah/Shiraz, with wines from both cool climate (Victoria) and warm climate (McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley) represented.  Mark advised that the producers were intentionally making a statement by their choice of name on the label (Shiraz vs. Syrah).

Interestingly, while Mark spoke of the need to emphasize regionality as part of Wine Australia’s rebranding, this seemed to be less of a theme of the seminar. Additionally, the price of the wines shown in the seminar provided another clue about this new chapter of Australian wine – only two of the wines were under $15.00 and more than half were over $30.00.

After tasting through the wines in the seminar, it was clear that Australian wines have much more than fruit-forward characteristics; these are wines with depth and diversity. However, it is not clear whether these wines will be widely accepted in the market given their heftier price tags. While the seminar participants could recognize the quality of the wines, even they balked at some of the price points when compared to more widely recognized performers such as Burgundy or Hermitage. Only time will tell how this next chapter will end.

On the Road with the Grands Crus de Bordeaux

 Posted by  International, Trade, Wine Tasting  No Responses »
Mar 262013
 
UGC Tasting San Francisco

Photo Credit: Richard Jennings – Huffington Post

The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco began life nearly 140 years ago as an open-air courtyard where well-to-do guests could alight from their horse-drawn carriages. Modeled on the architecture of the Paris Opera House, the Palace enclosed the courtyard in 1904 and covered it with a glorious expanse of Belle Epoque stained glass. Today the Garden Court is a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch to hotel guests. But on January 18, 2013 the Garden Court is closed for a private event.

Twenty-four hours earlier, more than one hundred and ten owners and winemakers of the top chateaux in Bordeaux left their homes to drive to the airport, where they would catch a plane for London Heathrow. In all, between flights, connection times, and airport shuttles, they would be eighteen hours in transit before reaching the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, just in time for dinner on January 17th.

By eight o’clock the next morning the Garden Court is a flurry of activity. Fifty-five tables are draped with white linen and arranged throughout the room, each to be shared by two of the chateaux. The sequence must be matched exactly to the catalog, with each sub-region of Bordeaux in alphabetical order. The regions themselves follow a pattern: from Graves and Pessac-Leognan to St. Emilion and Pomerol, through the Médoc, and finally Sauternes. It’s a grand tour of France’s greatest wine region.

A team of sommeliers and wine students works its way around the room, carefully setting each place with a table sign for the chateau, a burgundy napkin, two wine glasses, a bottle of water, the name tag for the chateau owner, and a list of the trade and media who are planning to attend. Another team is breaking down three pallets of Bordeaux from the now-famous 2010 vintage, delivering the cases to the appropriate tables, and placing three bottles of red wine next to each winery sign. For those chateaux with white wine, only one bottle of it is put on the table; the rest are placed in ice in the bus tubs behind. Corks are pulled on two of the red bottles at each chateau, to allow the wine to breathe. Each table setting is exactly the same.

The tasting will begin at 1:00 p.m., and by 12:30 the room is perfect. A few chateau owners stop in briefly on their way to get a quick bite of lunch before the crowds arrive. A frantic text message arrives from Bordeaux:  one chateau owner’s flight was delayed, and she won’t arrive until after the tasting has started. She promises a couple of bottles of her Margaux to the sommelier who volunteers to pour for her until she arrives. There is no shortage of volunteers.

At 12:50 the chateau owners begin to arrive at the Garden Court. Outside, a crowd of more than 200 importers, distributors, restaurateurs, retailers and media have already registered and are anxiously waiting to get in. The last few chateau owners push their way through the crowd and take their positions at their tables.

At one o’clock, the members of the crowd walk briskly into the Garden Court, glasses in hand, and work their way around the tables. It’s a constant stream of traffic that won’t slow down for the four hours of the tasting. In all, more than 600 wine trade members attend the tasting, and there is rarely more than a minute or two when a chateau owner is not pouring a wine or talking to someone. Larger crowds gather at some of the more famous wines, but every chateau has its fans. During the last hour of the tasting, the crowd slowly lays siege to the Sauternes producers. At five o’clock, when the tasting ends, they are standing five or six deep at each of the five tables there.

By five-fifteen, the room is empty of both chateau owners and tasters. The hotel staff hurries in, clearing the tables of empty bottles, and replacing any stained linens. The chateau owners race to the bar, where they hope to get a quick bite to eat. A new set of wines arrives and is delivered to the tables.

At six o’clock, the consumer portion of the tasting begins, with another 300 people—top customers of a local retailer. Each chateau owner is back at his or her station for another two hours. Many follow that with a winemaker dinner at a local restaurant, and don’t fall into bed until midnight.

The next day they leave early for Los Angeles, where they pour at a consumer tasting for more than 2,000 people that afternoon. January 20th is a travel day to New York, followed by a trade tasting in the ballroom at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Monday, with more than 900 top trade in attendance. One hour later, the consumer tasting brings another 300 wine lovers into the hotel. Winemaker dinners fill more than twenty restaurants in Manhattan that night.

In Chicago, the legendary Drake Hotel has their staff set up the Gold Room the night before to make sure that everything goes smoothly. A malfunction in the fire sprinkler system soaks one end of the room in the middle of the night. The staff works through the night, and by 11:00 a.m., when a few Bordelais arrive to inspect, the room is flawless. The trade tasting packs the room to its limits for four hours, and an hour later the largest retailer in Chicago has 350 more customers march through the doors. There are winemaker dinners in Chicago as well.

The group leaves early the next morning to fly to Washington, DC, for a consumer and trade tasting in the nation’s capital, followed by Toronto and Montreal in the next two days. The following day they fly home, via Heathrow, into the winter weather of France.

The trip lasts ten days and visits seven cities, with two of the days dedicated to transatlantic flights. More than 2,500 people attend the trade tastings, as well as another 3,000 at the consumer events, not including the more than fifty winemaker dinners.

Sixteen days later, one hundred and five chateau owners fly to China.

The Battle of the Bubbles Goes Bad

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Mar 182013
 

FacepalmIf you’re going to stage a blind tasting (or any other type of event, for that matter), you should do it right or not at all. Veuve Ambal’s Battle of the Bubbles left a bad taste in my mouth and it had nothing to do with the wine.

Members of the press were invited to “an exceptional and unique blind tasting of sparkling wines from Bugundy…” It turned out to be quite exceptional – exceptionally poorly run. Unfortunately, an event that held such promise became a lesson in too much and too few at all the wrong times.

After explaining that the wine was produced in the same manner as that of Champagne (Méthode Traditionnelle), the invitation posed the question, “Are you ready to challenge your expectations about Champagne and be amazed by a sparkling wine from Burgundy?” I was suitably intrigued and looked forward to the challenge. Would I be able to spot the Burgundian sparkler among its Champagne colleagues? I wasn’t sure, but I was curious to find out.

When I arrived I found only a few colleagues assembled, but, over the next 20 minutes it became extremely crowded. Relegated to the bar area in the front of the restaurant (the remainder of the restaurant was off-limits as the staff prepared for that night’s dinner service), there was insufficient room to move.  And, quite a few folks were obliged to stand. [Maybe they thought it was a Battle of the Bands?] So, we kicked off the event with too little space and too many people. Not an auspicious start, but I continued to keep an open mind.

After sitting around waiting for the masses, we were eventually formally welcomed and the event’s format was clarified. Each participant would receive a single flute, go up to the bar and have the first sample poured for them, at which point, they would taste the wine, before asking for the second blind sample. Everyone had been given a card on which to rank their preferences from 1 to 5 (with 1 being one’s favorite and 5 the least favorite).

Attendees were further advised that their rankings would be tabulated, with the results and all of the wines’ identities to be revealed via e-mail a few days later. [Another pet peeve was the misspelling of Nicolas Feuillatte in that e-mail, but I digress.]

The format itself posed its own problems; chief among them was too few glasses. Allocating each person with a single glass meant that we didn’t have the opportunity to truly comparison taste. Even when taking careful tasting notes, it is always preferable to be able to taste all of the wines together to be able to fully evaluate the nuances among them. [A point which is presumably important if the event is intended for people to rank the wines against one another!]

Even more egregious was the choice of stemware. The flutes were not at all conducive to evaluative tasting. Their hollow stems potentially caused people to warm the wine unintentionally simply by holding the glass. Moreover, the pours were quite small, which while not a complaint on its own, meant that most of the wine sat in the narrow stem instead of the glass’ bowl, making it extremely challenging to adequately assess the wines’ aromas. [Again, an important point unless I am I missing something here?]

Additionally, getting out from my table was simply impossible and even my colleague, who graciously schlepped from the bar to the table and back again, had difficulty getting past people without bumping into them or spilling wine. On occasion, we did luck out when the proprietor of the winery walked around with the next sample and poured at the tables, saving us from having to negotiate the crowds, but this was haphazard at best.

Equally haphazard was the passing of hors d’oeuvres. The event was held at Petrossian, a high-end New York restaurant known for caviar. While I know there is significant debate in some circles about whether Champagne (or similar sparkling wines) and caviar really are a match made in heaven, I was more than prepared to do some field research. But while servers were seen with trays of smoked salmon, caviar blinis and caviar mousse, after visiting our table once or twice, were never heard from again. Consequently, we each had a single taste of the three different canapés and I think we were the lucky ones. As veteran journalists, we didn’t expect a full meal (and certainly not one of caviar), but thought it was really strange to host the event at this particular venue if too little food would be served. [Perhaps we could at least have had some neutral crackers or bread on the table to cleanse our palates in between tasting?]

A few days later the e-mail arrived and I was quite surprised by the results, which placed Veuve Cliquot first, followed by the Veuve Ambal. While my table may not have been a representation of the total group, none of us had spoken favorably about the (then unknown) sample of Veuve Ambal. In fact, I had it dead last in my line-up. But, frankly, the results weren’t really a concern.

At the end of it all, I did discover that I have a preference for Moet & Chandon’s Imperial Brut, but would be nearly as pleased with Taittinger Brut. And, I’m still waiting to conduct that caviar-Champagne tasting research should anyone need a volunteer! I might even be willing to re-taste the Veuve Ambal under more conducive circumstances, but I will definitely think twice about attending any future battles.

Thinking outside the Pairing Box

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Nov 122012
 
Ochoa sisters

Adriana Ochoa (left) and Beatriz Ochoa (right)
Photo Credit: Tracy Ellen Kamens

As head of marketing for her family’s winery, my friend Beatriz of Bodegas Ochoa in Navarra, Spain was visiting the New York area this week. We had arranged to meet up for dinner on Friday and, when I asked her what type of restaurant she would prefer, she merely stipulated that it be trendy and fun. I admit that I am a bit out of the loop when it comes to trendy, so I reached out to a friend who is more knowledgeable about the hot new restaurants and received a list of places to consider. The only problem is that, because they are hot and trendy, these restaurants were already booked, so the list was abandoned. As an alternative, I reserved a table at a slightly faded star, but in a trendy neighborhood.

Friday arrived wet and windy, with the requisite weekend traffic, further compounded by the President’s visit to town, all of which meant that it took Beatriz a full hour to travel the 10 blocks from the train station to her hotel. The reservation came and went, so we switched to Plan B.

The wonderful thing about New York City is that we have a ton of restaurants of every conceivable type (and even some inconceivable ones). Although she indicated that she was up for anything, Beatriz mentioned an interest in Mexican food, so we walked down Ninth Avenue in search of whatever caught our fancy. We paused to peruse the menu at a French bistro, but the fact that one of the items was called “Tuscan lemon chicken” made it difficult for us to take it seriously and we continued on our journey. Less than a block away, we found a lively Mexican restaurant and were seated immediately.

So, what else had Beatriz been eating since her arrival in the U.S.? Spanish food. Or, probably more appropriately erzatz Spanish food. And lots of it. It seems that no matter where a winemaker or other ambassador of a winery travels to, the conventional wisdom is to pair their wines with hometown cuisine – in this case, Spain.

As Beatriz and I continued to talk, it was clear she would have preferred that her distributors had been more creative when scheduling some of her dinner events. I’m all for the adage, “What grows together, goes together,” but this is a very limited view for the industry to take. Is this truly the message that we should be sending – that wines from Spain (or Italy or France or wherever) taste best when paired with food from Spain (or Italy or France or wherever)? Shouldn’t we, instead, send the message that wine can be paired with a wide range of cuisines? Especially in a place like New York, where we have such diversity.

And, the more I thought about it, it was a missed opportunity. Perhaps, it could be argued by some that some Spanish wines may seem a little out of place on certain wine lists, but wines from Navarra are primarily varietally-labeled wines – Chardonnay, Merlot and Tempranillo among others. These are wines that can easily transition to nearly any restaurant’s wine list, regardless of the cuisine’s origin. Moreover, as good quality wines at reasonable price points, Navarran wines seem to be a natural fit in this regard.

Yes, if I go to a Spanish restaurant, I would be more than surprised not to find the list heavily weighted with Spanish wines, but I’d love to see other options available to me as well. I might be in the mood for an Italian Vermentino to pair with my Gambas al Ajillo. Similarly, why not include Spanish wines on the list at a French restaurant (Rioja with escargots) or a Japanese sushi place (Rias Baixas with a tuna roll)? We have been trying to expand consumer’s palates and their pairings – getting them to explore such matches as red wines with fish. Let’s take this permissive attitude to the next level and think outside the cuisine box when hosting lunches and dinners with winery personnel.

The Glamour of Wine

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Nov 072012
 

ExhaustedI can’t tell you how many people have told me that they want my job.   And two weeks ago, I was open to offers.  I started by flying to NY for the Simply Italian tastings.  That meant that I got up at 4:30 PDT to catch a flight to NY.  The next day I was up at 5:00 PDT to  race over to the NY Public Library to start getting the tastings organized.  Among other things, I introduced the first speaker, my old friend Riccardo Riccicurbastro from Franciacorta, and also give the last seminar, on the wines of the Veneto.  In between I was running upstairs (seminars) and down (grand tastings) as needed.  Did I mention that we were also organizing a film shoot for the wines of Friuli there?  That night, I was at A Voce for a magnificent dinner with the Grandi Marchi wineries—and back to the hotel around 11 p.m..

So far, so good, right?

Next day, up at the crack of dawn to catch an early flight back to California, so that I could get some work done and teach my class at Napa Valley College that evening.  The class ended at 9:30.  That was a long day.  And it was made even longer by the fact that I raced back to the airport after class to catch a red-eye leaving SFO at 11:45 pm for Chicago, so that we could do the whole Simply Italian event all over again in the Windy City.   I arrived at the Hotel Sax in Chicago at 6:30 a.m. and had a breakfast meeting.  And yes, we also did the video shoot in Chicago.  By the time I wrapped up the Veneto session, I was pretty darn tired.  And that’s when the Grand Tasting began.  Four hours later, all of it on my feet, and I was ready to clean up the ballroom, and take the film crew to dinner.  Steak, of course.  It was Chicago.

In bed by 10 p.m., and the next morning I was back at O’Hare to catch a flight to SFO and drive home.

Four days.  Four flights.  Almost 10,000 miles. Three cities, two seminars, two introductions, one night class, two Grand Tastings, three business dinners (and a breakfast), two video projects (including two interviews with me) and one red-eye.

I slept pretty well on Thursday night.

Days (and Days) of Wine and Roses

 Posted by  Italy, Trade, Wine Tasting  No Responses »
Jul 192012
 

Wine JudgingThe world of wine can seem quite glamorous – jaunting off to Italy or France to taste wines with some of the world’s most highly respected winemakers, enjoying dinners at top-rated restaurants and just generally basking in the glow of vaunted vineyards and scenic countryside. What’s not to like?

But, it can also be hard work. No, I’m not asking for sympathy (you can dismiss the violins); I know I live a “winederful” life. Yet, it’s not all truffles, roses and cherries.

Well, actually, that’s not entirely true either. In mid-May, I found myself tasting through hundreds of samples of Nebbiolo, a grape variety which is generally characterized by its aromas and flavors of truffles, roses and cherries. But, even with such a well regarded grape in my glass, it wasn’t as thrilling as you might expect.

On Monday morning, I was perched at a white-clothed table, fully set with five Riedel stems, a water glass, a bottle each of still and sparkling water and a bundle of breadsticks nestled in a napkin. This being my first visit to Alba in Piedmont, Italy for Nebbiolo Prima, I wasn’t sure what to expect next.

My fellow journalists were similarly seated while members of the Italian Sommelier Society, in crisp black uniforms, prepared bottles of wine on a central table. Each bottle was equally clothed in black with a bag pulled to the neck to hide the wine’s identity, designated only by a single number written in white.

After being given a small amount of wine with which to prepare (rinse) our glasses, the spectacle began. Tasting the wines poured in flights of five, we proceeded to taste a total of 67 wines. And, this wasn’t any ordinary tasting. These were the newest releases of Nebbiolo hailing from the DOCGs of Roero, Barbaresco and Barolo. In other words, VERY YOUNG, VERY TIGHT, VERY TANNIC, TEETH-STAINING Nebbiolo.

Taste, spit, taste, spit, taste, spit (with some notes scribbled in between each taste and spit session) continued for nearly three hours, punctuated only by the occasional gulp of water, bite of breadstick or enforced pause while you waited for someone to bring you an empty spit bucket. Very glamorous, no? After the 67th wine, we were excused for lunch and other activities, but the same procedure was repeated the next day.

Whereas Monday focused on Roero 2009, Roero Riserva 2008 and Barbaresco 2009, Tuesday concluded the 2009 Barbarescos and introduced the Barbaresco Riserva 2007s and Barolo 2008s. By Wednesday, it was all Barolo 2008, all the time, which continued into Thursday. Thursday also offered up a “pleasant” surprise with an additional 10 wines, bringing that day’s tally to 80 samples. Those last ten were a struggle, but I trudged through knowing that the producers of those ten wines weren’t to blame (and, thus, shouldn’t be penalized) for their placement in the tasting lineup. To say I had palate fatigue would be the understatement of the year – I had palate coma.

About a third of the way through the tasting on Friday, we shifted to Barolo Riserva 2006, concluding with a final count of 350 samples tasted over the five days (excluding those tasted outside of the formal proceedings). At this point, I was strongly considering moving my semi-annual dental appointment up a few weeks to be certain that I hadn’t sustained any permanent damage to my teeth.

For me, the experience and exercise of tasting the wines at this early stage in their development was a challenge. I did find wines I preferred more than others (and a few I outright disliked) and saw some patterns emerge among samples from the various vintages and communes. However, it was not nearly as instructive as the tastings that took place during our visits to the wineries or while dining at local restaurants with the winemakers themselves. Admittedly, these latter activities are more relaxing, but, more importantly, they bring the people and the place to life, which is what truly makes all of the days and days of wine and roses worthwhile.

The Quest for Wine in the Land of Jefferson

 Posted by  Local Wine, Trade, Wine Tasting  No Responses »
Jun 152012
 
Virginia Vineyards

View from the top of Tranquility Vineyards, operated by 8 Chains North.

California is the de facto king (or queen) of U.S. wine regions, if by no other measurement than the sheer volume of wine the state produces and the quantity of wineries producing it. It is not, however, the nations only, nor is it the oldest wine region (commercially speaking). Long before the Mondavis, Beringers, and Sebastianis made California wine famous on the West Coast, there had been may attempts (and a few successes) at making wine on the East Coast.

The history of winemaking east of the Mississippi finds it’s origin in early colonial times. Thomas Jefferson was an acknowledged francophile and loved French wines. It’s well documented that he tried to plant his own vineyards at Monticello, but ultimately proved unsuccessful at the attempt. There were several reason, not least of which was the then unknown presence of Phylloxera in that particular part of the country.  Jefferson was not the only one to experiment with growing wine grapes in Virginia. As author Todd Kliman points out in his book The Wild Vine, Dr. Daniel Norton was ultimately successful at hybridizing grapes that could produce commercially viable wines. Since then, as a wine producing area, Virginia has proven to be an area where a little bit of luck and hard work can really pay off. Richard Leahy, in his recent book Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, documents the successes (and failures) of Virginia wine producers quite extensively.

Boxwood Winery

Boxwood Winery is one of the better producers of quality wines in Virginia.

So it was, this spring I found myself in the company of several dozen wine writers and bloggers at the 2012 edition of Taste Camp East in Northern Virginia, experiencing the region for myself. This had not been my first adventure to the area on a wine visit, but I was impressed none-the-less. They are making some really fine wine in Virginia. Like any region, there are hits and misses (Don’t let anyone try to tell you that all California wine producers are good). But, as a group, the quality of Virginia wines is good and continues to improve. My personal observation is that the area excels in producing distinctive wines from Viognier and Cabernet Franc, but they also make good wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, and Petit Manseng.

I was fortunate enough to have tasted over 100 different wines from Virginia. Of those, below are examples (in alphabetical order by winery) I felt were worth sharing. I’ve included very brief tasting notes with each, which definitely would not pass a WSET exam, but accurately reflect my thoughts at the time.

  • 8 Chains North 2008 Furnace Mountain Red – coffee, blackberry, smoke, balanced acid, med+ tannin, long, good
  • 8 Chains North 2009 Furnace Mountain Red – red fruit, talc, oak, chocolate, med body, elevated acid, very good
  • Ankida Ridge 2010 Chardonnay – Fresh, barrel aged, some vanilla but mostly apple, full body, finishes flat, good
  • Ankida Ridge 2010 Pinot Noir – classic, underbrush, cherry cola, ripe tannins, long, very good
  • Annefield Vineyards 2010 Viognier – sweet-tart candy, off-dry, good
  • Barboursville Vineyards 2010 Viognier – perfume, phenolic, sweet mouth, full body, but great acid, very good
  • Barboursville Vineyards 2002 Viognier – caramel, oxidized, fish sauce, lively, long finish, good
  • Barboursville Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc – bell pepper, leather, brett(horse), good fruit concentration, firm tannin, good
  • Barboursville Vineyards 2009 Octagon – blakberry, cola, sassafras, good fruit concentration, good acid, long, very good
  • Boxwood Winery 2011 Rose – bright, fresh, great salmon color, a bit lean, but refreshing, good
  • Boxwood Winery 2007 Topiary – nice savory age character, chocolate, black olive, shiitake, black plum, nice depth, long finish, very good+
  • Boxwood Winery 2007 Boxwood- blackberry, earth, chocolate, dark cherry, decent mid-plate, dusty tannins, good length, very good
  • Boxwood Winery 2010 Trellis – deep berry, intense fruit character, a bit warm, long finish, very good
  • Boxwood Winery 2010 Topiary – earth, savory, smoky, good body, very good
  • Boxwood Winery 2010 Boxwood – fruit, firm, blackberry, spice, firm tannin, long, very good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2010 Viognier – honey, smoke, sweet entry, some RS, a bit bitter on finish, fresh, good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2010 Jennifer’s Jambalaya – floral, fruit salad, fresh, lively, very good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2002 Reserve Merlot – cigar box, soy, savory, tobacco, great body, balanced acidity, long, outstanding
  • Breaux Vineyards 2011 Rose – strawberry, cherry, some sweetness, finishes dry, good acid, good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve – deep color, black cherry, green bean, pencil lead, high extraction, a bit sweet, good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – cola, black cherry, cocoa, artichoke, hay, full body, high alc, better balanced than Franc, long, very good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2001 Nebbiolo – tar, roses, pencil shavings, crisp acid, soft tannins, cherry cola, long, very good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2002 Nebbilo – chocolate, cherries, cola, soy, leather, pepper, fuller body, soft tannins, balanced acid, medium, very good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2005 Nebbiolo – black pepper!, cola, cherry, leather, firm tannins, crisp acid, medium-long, good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2007 Nebbiolo (barrel sample) – wood shavings, cherries, cola, spicy, full body, high tannin, high acid, good
  • Breaux Vineyards 2006 Soleil – apricot, lanolin, honey, beeswax, sweet, nutty, good acid, long, outstanding
  • Corcoran Vineyards 2010 Apple Wine – apples, cinnamon, off dry, unique, very good
  • Corcoran Vineyards 2010 Amber Creek Chamborcin – cherry, leather, tart, good
  • Corcoran Vineyards 2009 Hunters Run Red – earthy, plum, good acid, firm tannins, good
  • Corcoran Vineyards 2008 Cello – lemonade, full body, sweet, very good
  • Gadino Cellars 2011 Pinot Grigio – fresh, slight floral, apple, crisp, dry, good
  • Gadino Cellars 2010 Cabernet Franc – boysenberry, blackberry, cola, nice structure, great acid, very good
  • Gadino Cellars 2009 Petit Verdot – dark berry, granite, good fruit conc, good acid, very good
  • Glass House Winery 2010 Viongier – tropical, strong phenolics, good acid, full body, good
  • Glass House Winery 2011 Pinot Gris – fruity, refreshing, great acid, long length, very good
  • Glass House Winery 2010 Barbera – Brett, dried berry, earth, savory, cherry, good
  • Glass House Twenty-first NV red wine – soil, nice fruit and acid, raisin on finish, good
  • Hume Vineyards 2011 Seyval Blanc – refreshing, grassy, gooseberry, good acid, dry, good
  • Hume Vineyards 2011 Viognier – fruit, refreshing, good acid, very good
  • Pearmund Cellars 2011 Petit Manseng – baked bread, vinous, sweet mouth, good acid, some phenolic, good
  • Pearmund Cellars 2009 Ameritage – savory, red berry, leather, good
  • Philip Carter Winery 2010 Chardonnay – fresh, citrus, refreshing, bright, very good
  • Philip Carter Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc – red cherry, cola, tart cherry, needs time, good
  • Philip Carter Winery 2010 Meritage – plum, mint, cola, full body, good acid, med tannins, med finish, good+
  • Rappahannock Cellars 2011 Viognier – peach, sweet mouth, good acid, very good
  • Rappahannock Cellars 2009 Meritage – Red berry, pronounced, great concentration, great acid, long, very good
  • Rappahannock Cellars 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve – big, bold, rich, red berry, warm, dark berry on finish, long, very good
  • Stinson Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc – fresh, lively, lemon, lime, ice acid, fresh finish, very good
  • Stinson Vineyards 2010 Rose – earthy, smokey, strawberry, good avid, lacking some fruit on palate, good
  • Stinson Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc – chocolate, cherry, tobacco, sweet entry, vanilla, bell pepper, pepper, very good
  • Stinson Vineyards 2010 Meritage – black cherry, tobacco, cola, root beer, firm tannin, good acid, long, very good
  • Tarara Winery 2011 Petit Mansang – pineapple, lime, phenolic extrat, some RS, good
  • Tarara Winery 2011 Boneyard White – green, lean, lemon, lime, off dry, good
  • Tarara Winery 2010 Leap XII – chocolate, cola, spice, pepper, tobacco, leather, full body, ripe tannin, long, very good
  • Tarara Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc – sassafras, blackberry, bell pepper, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, med-plus body, very good
  • Tarara Winery 2010 Boneyard Red- cherry, leather, dry, firm tannin, good
  • Veritas Vineyard & Winery 2011 Sauvignon Blanc – gooseberry, lime, great fruit conc, some sweetness, very good+
  • Veritas Vineyard & Winery 2011 Viognier – tropical, apple, full body, good acid, especially on finish, refreshing, very good
  • Veritas Vineyard & Winery 2010 Vintners Reserve Meritage – bell pepper, red berry, spice, good avid, ripe tannin, long, very good
  • Veritas Vineyard & Winery 2010 Petit Verdot – earth, blackberry, plum, good acid, long, very good
  • Vint Hill Craft Winery 2010 Rose – chambercin, light, refreshing, sweet mouth, great acid, lovely, very good+
  • Vint Hill 2009 Chambourone – Amarone from Chambercin – raisin, full body, deep flavor, firm tannin, long, interesting
  • White Hall Vineyards 2011 Viognier – fresh, lively, floral, good phenolics, good body, decent acid, good
  • White Hall Vineyards 2010 Petite Verdot – smoky, dark berry, good fruit concentration, good acid, and long finish, very good

I suppose the true measurement of any wine region is whether or not one would go out of their way to seek out these wines. Would I? Definitely! Being that I live in California wine country, it’s unlikely that I will be able to find these wines on a local store shelf just yet, but many are available for purchase online. So, next time you are thinking of trying something new, reach for a bottle of wine from Virginia.

Is bigger better or bad? Lunch with George Fistonich solves the mystery

 Posted by  International, People, Trade, Viticulture  No Responses »
Jun 042012
 

As most guys will tell you (or at least those less well endowed), bigger isn’t always better. This is true. Take, for example, Danish potatoes. These pint-sized spuds are much more flavorful than their super-sized Idaho cousins. But, the converse shouldn’t be that big is necessarily evil. In coordinating wine selections for a New Zealand-themed event, my client wanted to shy away from the Villa Maria option I proposed feeling that it, “…seems like a large operation that gets grapes from wherever available.” I quickly assured him that, while yes, Villa Maria is a large company; it is at the forefront of pushing sustainable viticulture in the region.

In fact, having spent more than three hours with their head viticulturist driving from vineyard to vineyard to vineyard, many of which they do own, but also many they don’t, the message was loud and clear. They are getting the growers with whom they contract to implement better, more sustainable, practices in the vineyard.  And, closer to home, they are implementing organic practices in nearly a third of their owned sites.

Even before this visit, I have always liked Villa Maria. I’m not sure what first drew me to the brand, but (aside from the obvious observation that I liked the wines), they won my heart with their reliability, providing wines that are consistently good value and both varietally and regionally correct. If you’re looking for a Sancerre look-alike you’re out of luck, but if you want a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – they deliver. This latter point is especially important to a wine educator often sourcing class wines sight unseen (or rather, more worrisome, untasted). Consequently, I often feature the aforementioned wine in my Savvy about Sauvignon Blanc class.

With this favorable brand experience, I was thrilled to be introduced to Villa Maria’s owner, George Fistonich, at a trade tasting in September 2010. Meeting Sir George (he was knighted in 2009) for the first time, he was full of grace and warmth. Not only did he seem equally pleased to meet me, but, upon learning that we would be visiting his home country a few months later, invited us to come stay at his place (admittedly he knew that I was a wine educator and not just a general wine consumer, but still, I was both touched and impressed).

In this circumstance, his “place” was the company’s Marlborough-based winery, which includes a lovely guest apartment located atop the tasting room, complete with a combination washer-dryer (which we somehow managed to overflow our first night) and a cook’s kitchen outfitted with nearly everything we might want. Arriving on a Sunday night as the only guests in the multi-roomed unit, we chose the largest room for ourselves and enjoyed having space in which to spread out. (Sometimes, bigger actually can be better.)

I haven’t asked George Fistonich his opinion on whether size matters, but I can tell you that he probably never expected his venture to grow to such proportions when he first leased two hectares back in 1961. Now, with vineyards located throughout New Zealand’s numerous regions and three wineries (the two others are in Auckland and Hawkes Bay) one might say he is at the head of a full-fledged empire.

Although George was not present at his Marlborough estate during our sojourn, our paths crossed again the following year. This time I had the pleasure of sitting next to him during a lunch held in celebration of his 50th vintage. We talked about a lot of things, including wine, of course, but, he was not as one-dimensional as that. And, we obviously discussed my trip to New Zealand and my impressions of his country.

About half-way through lunch, George made a few remarks. Among other statements, George was keen to announce to all assembled that the flight to New Zealand was quite easy – suggesting that one board a plane on the west coast, have dinner, and then go to sleep, awakening in time for breakfast and an early arrival in the capital city of Auckland. [I think he may have also suggested the use of sleeping pills, but having just had an extremely negative experience in that regard —inclusive of fainting onto a fellow passenger while attempting to access the loo— I’ll suggest that you simply rely on a glass of New Zealand wine (presuming you’re flying Air New Zealand) and a pair of eyeshades.]

Returning to my side, George resumed our conversation, which now turned to travel. Adding to his aerial advice, George admitted that flying first class was relatively new to him and that he had previously helped to ease the discomfort of sitting in coach by using the meditative techniques he had studied years ago. Of course, he didn’t seem to have any complaints about the much roomier seats he now enjoys, proving once again that bigger may not always be better, but it certainly isn’t bad.

Which Wineries are Most Engaging?

 Posted by  Marketing, Trade  No Responses »
Apr 112012
 

VinTank WISMIThis week VinTank released their Wine Industry Social Media Index. For those of you unfamiliar with VinTank, they are a software company that provides social intelligence for the wine industry. In laymen’s terms, they help wineries see who is talking about them and why, and gives them the tools to make it easier for them to engage with wine drinkers. The Social Media Index is their foray into helping wineries judge how well they are communicating through social channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

So what?

Well, the wine industry generally lags behind the rest of the business world in connecting with the people who actually drink the wine they are selling. There are several factors why this is, but mostly it has to do with the fact that most wineries are still family owned and they just don’t have the resources (time or money) to spend on social platforms. The Social Media Index gives a glimpse into which wineries are doing it best and which have room to improve. This is great for the consumer because I believe that this will encourage more wineries to invest more in their social media marketing programs, providing a richer online experience and helping consumers connect with their brands.

Time will tell whether wineries actually take advantage of this potentially valuable resource.

 

The sky is falling!

 Posted by  Trade, Viticulture  No Responses »
Mar 202012
 
Source: Disney-Clipart.com

Source: Disney-Clipart.com

Give us more grapes, more wine!  That seems to be the new M.O. for the wine industry this year. The “sky is falling” types even talk about grape shortages to the point where wine brokers and wine shops could replace the Black Friday Walmart stampedes in the news. That seems a little dramatic to us.

There certainly is increased demand for grapes and wine though.  Brokers are reporting in on it; The Wine Market Council says people are drinking more wine: over 291 million cases were consumed in 2011. Winery cellars are finally emptying of the stock built up over the last three tough years.  (And grape prices, by the way,  are subsequently going up to boot, says the 2011 California Grape Crush Report. )

Could a larger 2012 harvest help supplies at all?  To some extent, sure.  Just how is the 2012 growing season looking in its infancy?  TTB took a look around Napa Valley to see ….

John Williams at Frog’s Leap weighed in regarding their fruit in the Rutherford region:  “We have not yet had sauvignon blanc bud break (as of March 15th) although it looks like it’s just around the corner.  We are scurrying to get all the canes tied. Our observation is that we will be just about normal on timing. At one point given the dry fairly cold winter we thought we were going to be late but with recent warm rains the schedule appears to have advanced to normal. It should be pointed out that the decision to break bud is determined by the hormonal system of the grapevines roots which are less likely to be fooled by the variable temperature above the ground where we humans make our observations!”

In the Spring Mountain District appellation, up in the western hills of the Mayacamas mountain range in St. Helena, Francois Bugue of Cain Vineyard & Winery states that there is no sign of bud break. This is typical, though, for the sub-region, sitting at 2,000 feet above sea level.

Remi Cohen, the Viticulturist for Saintsbury Winery provided an in-depth look at the growing season in Carneros  (as of March 14th):   “With buds swelling all over Carneros, and some Chardonnay vines just beginning to grow, vineyard managers prepare themselves for another growing season. ….

Most of Saintsbury’s vineyards have not quite experienced budbreak yet, but will experience budbreak within the next week or so.  I have seen a little bit of Chardonnay that has started to grow in some of the earliest blocks.  This season is starting out a little bit early compared to ‘average,’ and significantly earlier than the two prior late years of 2011 and 2010…”

Time will certainly tell. We hope all the Chicken Littles of the industry will settle down until we can really tell how things will play out.

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