Eve's Wine 101

Rtveli Grape Harvest in Kakheti, Georgia, September 2022

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Known as the birthplace of winemaking, Georgia’s oenophilic history dates back more than 8,000 years, all the way to the Stone Age. Kakheti has emerged as one of the most exciting and surprising wine destinations in the world with more than 200 indigenous wine varieties linked to this region, and producing locavore Georgian grape types, including Rkatsiteli, Kakhetian Mtsvane, Khikhvi, Kisi, and Saperavi.


For wine seekers, September is perhaps the most exciting time of year to travel across the country and walk the mineral-rich land to visit wineries during Rtveli, the local term for the grape harvest season. Georgian vineyards and wineries have retained the original, natural-wine making methods that were banned under Soviet rule but revived over the past decades, which involves fermenting the wine in clay vessels called “qvevri” that are buried into the ground.


The Qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, aging and storing wine. Knowledge and experience of Qvevri manufacture and wine-making is passed down through families, neighbours, friends and relatives, all of whom join in communal harvesting and wine-making activities. Children learn how to tend the vines, press grapes, ferment wine, collect clay and make and fire through observing their elders. The wine-making process involves pressing the grapes and then pouring the juice, grape skins, stalks and pips into the Qvevri, which is sealed and submerged into the ground so that the wine can ferment for five to six months before being consumed.


The most enticing property for guests to stay while exploring Kakheti and the Rtveli grape harvest is the newly revamped Lopota Lake Resort & Spa. Surrounded by beautiful Caucasus mountains, Lopota Lake & Spa Resort is located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, and is an ideal destination not only for those seeking a peaceful place to rest, but for active holidaymakers looking for adventures. With its own winery​ named “Château Buera”​, vineyards, a number of exceptional restaurants, two spas (featuring treatments such as vinotherapy wine bath), horse stable yard​, farm ​and a lake, where guests can fish or venture out onto the water in a catamaran, Lopota Lake & Spa Resort is the perfect place to stay for adventurous travellers. 


Château Buera at Lopota Lake Resort & Spa is a hub for wine-lovers, and preserves the ancient traditions of Georgian wine production. Guests can enjoy breathtaking views of the Caucasus Mountains while sipping authentic Georgian wine, tour the wine cellar where the wine is produced according to traditional Georgian methods, and taste the delicious Georgian-European fusion cuisine in the restaurant and terrace. In addition to its on-site winery, Lopota Lake Resort & Spa offers wine tours throughout the region in local wineries, family wine cellars and chateaus where centuries-old unique Georgian traditions of wine-making are being prolonged in modern times.

Reviewing the book, Malbec Mon Amour, by Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil

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Recently offered a book written by a vintner I’ve met and admired for a long time, from a country I haven’t visited, and I jumped on it. Filling in the blanks, I’m sharing details from the publisher, my review of the book and their latest vintage below.

From the Publisher

I wanted to introduce you to a whimsical, yet informative book that has been in the works for over ten years, written by Laura Catena and Bodega Catena Zapata’s oenologist Alejandro Vigil.

Malbec mon amour tells the story of Malbec, a story of near extinction, rebirth and in a joyful end, the story of how a plant has elevated the lives of millions of people for over 2,000 years. Laura and Alejandro had the vision of a book that would reflect the fun and inspiration that Alejandro and Laura experienced in their daily rides throughout the vineyards of Mendoza.  Why “mon amour”? Well, Alejandro Vigil has Malbec tattooed on his arm, and Laura’s family’s journey from Italy to Argentina began 120 years ago with a plant of Malbec.

Alejandro and Laura see the world of wine, its ancient history, its terroir, its people, its soils and climate in very romantic and artistic terms. But at the same time, they are both scientists. This illustrated book combines the art and science of wine in a way that has never been done before. It tells the story of how the Malbec variety went from fame to near-extinction and back, and why Malbec is so much more than a wine variety. It is a wine that tells the history of humanity and the journey of immigrants and plants across continents.

The book is currently available on Amazon in North America, Central America, Latin America, and Europe.

Book Review

What a gorgeous book, from the front cover through to the pages, inviting me to really want to get into it and into it I did! As well as the sample of their 2019 Malbec! Get your own book to see the pages and what’s inside, these are my takeaways:

  • “According to oral tradition, the Malbec grape expanded from its native Cahors to Bordeaux in the 18th century, introduced by a Hungarian winemaker called Malbeck or Malbek. In Bordeaux, producers used it to lend more color to their claret.”
  • Malbec may have been known as “the black wine” due to harvesting at night or the color that stained people’s teeth and tongue.
  • At one time England’s Henry III personally protected Cahors Malbec so that Bordeaux officials could not limit any sales or its transportation. And King Francis I of France liked Malbec so much that it was known as the King’s Plant, Plante du Roi.
  • One of our authors, Laura Catena, visited Cahors as a “pilgrimage to the original home of Malbec” studying the history and meeting with experts.
  • Malbec was just behind Cabernet Sauvignon, as the second most important variety, during the 1855 classification in Bordeaux. The grape was first planted in Argentina in 1853, from vines from Bordeaux, and resulted in a low yield and high quality wine.
  • When Phylloxera “wiped Malbec off the map” in Bordeaux it was replaced with Merlot. However, at the same time, Malbec was still doing well in Argentina.
  • Manual wine presses were used until the 1950s, some wineries still use this method for “uva francesca” aka the French grape known as Malbec.
  • Mendoza, Argentina, is the fifth largest wine producer in the world with 345,000 acres under vine, from hundreds of wineries. Many export their wines worldwide.
  • By the end of the 1970s there had been a financial crisis that changed grape production, Malbec was removed for higher-yielding varietals and “most Argentine wines were characterized by somewhat oxidized aromas, a soft mouthfeel, low aromatic intensity and little varietal typicity.”
  • In 1984 winemaker Nicolas Catena Zapata had just returned from a tour of Napa, and felt that if Napa could compete with the French (Judgement of Paris) so could Argentina. He planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, updated his winemaking practices and hired Paul Hobbs, a well-known and respected consultant from California.
  • “Catena Zapata has the largest selection of Malbec plants in the world.” The Catena Institute, where Alejandro Vigil works as a soil specialist, evaluates the soil’s “behavior with every vintage.” There is a lot of information on how soil effects terroir – and aromas in the finished product.
  • Mendoza is a desert, with an average of eight inches of rain per year, and water is 260 to 660 underground. The area requires drip irrigation, and this is generally used prior to bud break.
  • The book includes the Winkler Scale of the micro-climates of Mendoza, the Winkler Index charting temperature, the history of the Catena Institute, detailed descriptions of the Malbec vineyards in Mendoza, Uco Valley and other regions, as well as dozens of illustrations, photographs and maps.

Tasting 2019 Catena Malbec

A regal dark purple color, and a nose full of fresh lush fruit – juicy blackberry, crushed plums, blueberry – followed by hints of tri-color peppercorns, bark, moss and very dark sweetened chocolate. The taste reminded me of a bowl of fresh cut fruit – the same as on the nose – as well as layers of dark spices and drying tannins for a lingering finish. I didn’t have my sample with any food, and I didn’t need to. Well done.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Italian PDO’s and PGI’s Embrace Pink Wines To Conquer New Palates

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – While many think Rosé is largely a French invention that started in Provence, Italian “Vini Rosa” (Pink Wines) have a long tradition behind them. They are among the most diverse rosé wines in the world in terms of color and grape varieties. One can find wines with a pale pink onion skin color, going through to salmon color, and then onto the darker tones of rosé.

The wines come from a host of indigenous or native grapes and can be made using a few different methods. Some are done only using direct press, others with what is known as the saignee method – the bleeding off of the juice after a shorter maceration than used in red winemaking.

While there is a lot of variation, what they tend to have in common is that these are food friendly wines, like most other Italian wines. They almost always have pronounced acidity and freshness. They are usually paired with local fare but can be enjoyed on their own, and they are perfect year long.

Some areas in Italy that have always been known for their “Vini Rosa” include Puglia and Calabria, where the rosé is called Rosato; Veneto and Lombardy, where the name for the rosé is Chiaretto; and Abruzzo, where Cerasuolo is produced. In Northern Italy, in the Lake Garda Region, the Chiaretto tradition dates back to Roman times, while Rosatos from Southern Italy have ancient Greek traditions. Trentino-Alto Adige and Tuscany also have Rosato traditions on a smaller scale.

In March 2019, Rosautoctono – the Italian Institute for the Indigenous Vini Rosa – was created and it includes: Consorzio di tutela del Chiaretto e del Bardolino, Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Castel del Monte, Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo, Consorzio di Tutela vini DOC Salice Salentino, Consorzio Vini Cirò e Melissa, and Consorzio Valtènesi. Castel del Monte today has the only Italian DOCG dedicated solely to a Rosato, Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG. All the rosé wines of these Italian Consortia and appellations are made with indigeonous grape varietes: Corvina Veronese and Rondinella for Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC, Groppello for Valtènesi Chiaretto DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Bombino Nero for the Castel del Monte DOC and DOCG rosé wines, Negroamaro for Salice Salentino DOC and Gaglioppo for Cirò Rosato DOC.

No discussion would be complete without mentioning the world of bubbles in Italy and the new Prosecco DOC Rose style that entered the market last year. What’s old is new because Pinot Noir has grown on the hills of the province of Treviso for decades. Sparkling rosé can also be found in Franciacorta DOCGs, Oltrepò Pavese DOCG, and Trento DOC, three areas renowned for their sparkling wines.

Delightful wines made from indigenous grapes throughout Italy are ready for discovery.

The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe.

The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory. Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and part of the “Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia”. It supports the agri-food sector and its companies with the knowledge, tools and experience to increase their products in Catalunya and worldwide.

GOfermentor Disrupts Wine Industry No Press = No Mess!

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FAR HILLS, N.J. /PRNewswire/ — There’s a reason why winemaking is sometimes referred to as “mud pies for grown-ups.” Pressing musts, particularly on a small scale, is tedious, messy and labor-intensive. It requires careful attention to balancing yields against harsh tannin extraction.

The ideal pressing system creates a thin, well-drained static cake to which low pressure is gently applied.
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Thick press cakes require high pressures and/or mechanical redistribution of the cake either by hand or by motorized equipment.

Conventional small batch presses are poorly designed. Most vertical basket presses have steel bottoms and force juice through a foot or more of pomace through side slats at great pressure, resulting in harsh tannins and poor yields. Some use water bladders which spread the pomace to a thinner cake. This is an improvement, but when 50 psi water pressure is employed, once again harsh tannins result.

Horizontal basket presses aren’t much better. They tumble the cake repeatedly while beating it with chains, repeatedly pressing at higher and higher pressures.
The GOfermentor single-use system not only eliminates punch-down labor and water consumption during fermentation, but also presses the wine for you at the press of a button. The system’s innately gentle pressure and well-engineered filtration system ensure that excellent yields, 150 gallons/ton, are obtained with the richest, softest tannins possible.
This pressing action is performed in a single, steady motion. Since the cake is static, it acts as a filter, so this action also results in good clarity and low lees and other solids, thus minimizing sulfide production in the receiving vessel and optimizing settled yields. This happens automatically, so that it is literally impossible to obtain harsh tannins from a GOfermentor.

The best part is once you finish pressing, you just remove the bag containing the spent pomace and throw it out. No cleaning. Put in a new bag and you are ready for the next fermentation.

Perlis Picks: From Abe Schoener — Wine Study in the Loire: Lessons in the Foundation of Winemaking – Part Two

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A Continuation of Abe Schoener’s [The Scholium Project]…

A NEW LESSON IN THE MORAL NATURE OF WINEMAKING: LES JARDINS DES ESMÉRALDINS

Questions of Technique: the Beginning of Thinking

abe schoener you tubeThe first bottle is a white wine from 2004. He makes only two wines, one red, one white. The white, 100% Chenin. Six years in barrel before bottling, then, in the case of this wine, four more years before release. Robert asks about skin contact (Xavier speaks no English, I translate as best as I can). No skin contact. We discuss the press regime and fermentation for 30 minutes.
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In great detail. He uses an old champagne press with a capacity of about 500 liters– very small, and exactly the same capacity as our presses at Tenbrink. A typical day during the white harvest has the following rhythm: wake up, harvest as much fruit as the press will hold, bring it back to the winery (“where do you do the work?” I ask, pointing to the overgrown yard and the complete absence of what we would call a crush pad. “Where you can,” he says with a smile). Load the press. Begin pressing. Go past midnight. Adjust the pressure. Assess. If all seems good, go home. Sleep, wake, return to the winery, release the pressure, break up the grapes (“Whole cluster?” “Yes. We do not crush or destem anything”), re-apply pressure, go harvest fruit, return, unload the press, begin the cycle again. They work with about 3 vineyards typically but make 3-4 passes in each vineyard. There could be a dozen days of pressing; sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. They break up the cake of compressed grapes only once and gently. He wants as little friction and trituration as possible. There is no breaking up of the fruit on the way into the press or in the press as we do (“makes the fermentation too fast,” he explains. “Oh yes, how fast? What counts as a rapid fermentation for you?” “Three weeks.” Ah, that is rapid. What is the optimal time for you?” “A few months . . . . A year.” “Ah yes, we call those ‘French Fermentations.'” He smiles.)

They do not protect the juice at any stage from oxygen; they do not settle. They do not make press fractions. In general, they consolidate fermentations; there is no multiplication of differences. At the beginning of his winemaking, he used a little SO2. Now, no sulfur is used at any point.

Xavier has the aim of extracting what he calls “matière” from the grapes. He means something like a complex of tannins, phenolics, and aromatic compounds. More on this below. But he does not want sensible tannins, or roughness, or what he calls “rusticité.”

The wine ferments and ages in neutral oak vessels of various sizes. Originally all 220 liter, now many 400 liter. There is no stirring ever, no racking until bottling, topping only every few months if at all. I get the impression that he tops from other lots of younger wines, but I am not sure. Nothing is ever inoculated; the winery in which he has made most of his wine was originally created in the 11th century. As far as he knows, commercial yeasts have never been used in it; nonetheless he has no illusions about the source of his microbiology.
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He does everything he can to cultivate the microbiology of his vineyard, and to translate as much of it as possible to the winery– but, if I understand him correctly, he thinks that this comes in in the composition of the grapes, not as microbial passengers on the skin of the grapes. There is no hot water or soap or other disinfectants in the winery. Originally, he burnt sulfur mined from the earth in the barrels but he does this no longer.

This discussion, as I said, took about 30 minutes and was easy and casual. It was much more a discussion than an interview. Xavier listened carefully to my account of how we work at Scholium and I took pains to draw precise distinctions between his methods and ours. None of this meant anything to him. He clearly has his own paths (“The wine must reflect the ‘mentalité’ — the thinking– of the winemaker”; but more on this too) and, as far I could tell, was only interested to hear how we worked because he likes other human beings, not because he cares how anyone else makes wine. When I quoted him above on the “thinking of the winemaker,” he clearly did not mean something like it was his job to impose his thinking on the grapes– rather, there is no way for the thinking– the whole thinking, metaphysical, physical, religious, sentimental– no way for this NOT to affect the wine– so better to be clear and conscious about it.

To be continued…

Tasting with Emilien Boutillat, Winemaker of Champagne Armand de Brignac and the “Best Blanc de Noirs in the World”

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What a rare treat it was for me to sample the current releases from Champagne Armand de Brignac, aka “Ace of Spades”, that I had to admit I have never sampled before. This is how it went:

The Stage

The boardroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel was the perfect size for a small group of wine writers, wine store buyers, restauranteurs and sommeliers. The table was set with five engraved tasting glasses, courtesy Armand de Brignac. Winemaker Emilien Boutillat sat in the center. Five metallic bottles, each its own unique glistening color, sat icing in a golden bowl. The lighting was brought up so that we could examine our samples. French bottled water was poured to cleanse our palates. A brunch was set up on the side bar to enjoy after the tasting. Sparkling silver wine buckets would soon be – only slightly – filled with leftovers. But there weren’t many leftovers…

IMG_9648Tasting With Emilien Boutillat

Winemaker Emilien Boutillat grew up in Champagne and worked with some very prestigious wineries in Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile and California before settling back down in France. He works now with the lead winemaking team: Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier.

Boutillat said that Armand de Brignac produces “just a drop” of Champagne compared to others; only producing about 100,000 cases of all of their cuvees combined per year. Everything, including the riddling, is done by hand. What matters most is the soil, climate, the right time for harvest, blending and – only using the first press of juice. They have purchased from the same growers – who are now friends – every year for many years. “There are no tricks,” Boutillat commented, “we let the fruit talk.” All of the cuvees are multi-vintages and blends.

 

Brut Gold

40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier

Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012

The color of pale hay with aromas of green apple, pineapple, cheddar cheese and wet pebbles. On the mouth I got the same flavors, very bright fruit, with the additions of lemon and toast. 99 Eve pts.

 

Rosé

50% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay

Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012

A beautiful color or rose gold with notes of strawberry, Luxardo cherry and a hint of licorice on the nose followed by flavors of strawberry, limeade, orange zest and a nice long finish. (This was made as a blend, not in the saignée method.) 99 Eve pts.

 

Blanc de Blancs

100% Chardonnay

Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012

A very pale yellow in color, then a nose of ripe red delicious apple, roasted nuts, lemon-lime and white pepper. On the mouth I got pineapple, white peach, white tea and roasted nuts again. 100 Eve pts.

 

Blanc De Noirs Assemblage Two

100% Pinot Noir

Multi-vintage: 2008, 2009 and 2010

Pale gold in color and aromas of apricots, cream and yes…what everyone noted: peppermint. On the palate that same peppermint was apparent as well as apricot and peach. Also another incredibly long finish. Welcome to the U.S. my pretty friend! 100 Eve pts. (How could I disagree with Fine Champagne Magazine, and TastingBook.com, that named this the best Blanc De Noirs of the year in 2016?)

 

Demi Sec

40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier

Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012

Straw in color, and a nose of fruit cocktail, cheese corn and Jasmine! In the mouth I was reminded of candied apple and cinnamon toast, and the fruit lingers for another long finish. 98 Eve pts.

 

About Armand de Brignac

“10th and 11th generation champagne growers, Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son, Alexandre, craft the prestige cuvées of Armand de Brignac. Their dream was to create a champagne of the most exceptional quality, that would represent the best of the best from the region, where their family have grown vines for more than 250 years. A group of just 14 highly skilled people touch a bottle of Champagne Armand de Brignac, from pressing the fruit, to the moment the bottles leave the cellars. Each step of the process is led by the human touch, from handpicking the grapes to polishing each bottle and hand-applying French pewter labels. Without the pressures of volume, the team behind Champagne Armand de Brignac focuses on each small detail, to ensure ultimate quality at every step.”

http://armanddebrignac.com/home

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Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine and Livestock Make for a Perfect Pairing, by Barbara Barrielle

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I first saw a video of how Shannon Ridge Wines raise sheep to sustainably manage their vineyards, rotating the sheep from vineyard to vineyard to control cover crop growth and naturally fertilize the land. I was intrigued.

Image from Facebook.

Image from Facebook.

Visiting the Lake County winery and meeting vintner/rancher Clay Shannon underscored the responsibility he feels to protect and maintain the historical vineyard hills of Shannon Ranch planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.

On the main Shannon Ranch, where Eastern European immigrants planted grapes over 100 years ago, Clay was prepping for harvest so the sheep grazed on a recently picked vineyard a few miles away. The sheep love grapes, you see, so they can’t graze near ripe fruit because they’d simply eat the crop. But, bring them in while grapes are ripening and they’ll happily eat grape leaves and thin the canopy for better sun exposure.

Clay Shannon has trademarked his approach as the Ovis Cycle, The Ultimate Sustainable Farming System. After harvest, the sheep clean up the fallen grapes and other MOG (material other than grapes) and fertilize away as they roam, all naturally. They leave the vineyards spotless and the sheep are fat and woolly.

In winter, vines may be dormant but the sheep are lambing and kept warm and protected by the vigilant sheep dogs. In Spring, the wines are budding, the sheep are sheared and the lambs are weaning. They continue weeding and fertilizing. These sheep graze well, live freely, enjoy life and, eventually are consumed as the cycle of life completes.

Shannon Ranch is known for its spectacular naturally-raised lamb, which pairs beautifully with many of the Shannon Ridge wines like the ever popular and well-priced High Elevation Wrangler Red. Grown at 1200-1400 feet it is a staple on many restaurant lists. Also in the High Elevation Brand family is a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Restaurants in the know serve the Shannon Ranch lamb right along with the wines for a perfect farm to table experience.

As Clay Shannon was discovering the ranch he now calls Shannon Ridge, he found a lot of history both in the winegrowing and in the ranch structures. He unearthed the old winery, complete with old crusher and press, an unknown and still-producing well, a skinning shack and a hand-built stone fence that runs for over a mile.

In the process of unveiling all the ranch’s secrets, Shannon’s greatest discovery was a century-old “Mother Vine” that is still strong today. The many offshoots of this old vine Carignane, probably brought from the old country, are the base of the oldest part of the dry-farmed ranch.

The old skinning shed is now preserved as the Buck Shack Bar for entertaining customers and trade. “Buck Shack” also happens to be the name of Shannon Ridge’s small batch red blend that reflects the finest fruit from Shannon Ranch.

Shannon Ridge farms over 991 planted acres Lake County AVA and the smaller Lake County AVAs of Red Hills, High Valley and Big Valley. Clay Shannon discovered early the beauty of Lake County wines and their potential quality and affordability and steadily acquired vineyards to become the prominent Lake County winery they are today.  Nationally distributed, all estate-grown and sustainably farmed by a true caretaker of the land, Shannon Ridge and its family of wines represent excellent value in the market today.

A DVD Review for Wine 101ers: A Year in Champagne

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A film by David Kennard 82 minutes, documentary, color, 2014. In English & French w/ English subtitles (optional English SDH).

From the start – a hot air balloon ride to celebrate a winemaker’s birthday – you see people smiling while working together to get a balloon upright and ready for a journey. This film, encapsulating the working lives of several winemakers, winery owners and families, is meant to entice you into a world filled with “magic and seduction” that is impossible to resist. Here are a few interesting things I’d like to share with wine 101ers and aficionados:

225_yearinchampagneChampagne is the most northerly wine region in continental Europe, so think cold and wet for some of the growing season. The year we viewed was a very wet one and the winery owners were all concerned with how the vintage would turn out.

The soil is pure white chalk (sea shell remnants) with a thin topsoil. At first glance it looks like a dusting of snow to me.

Big names dominate the industry that you’re probably familiar with: Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon, Mumm, Nicolas Feuillatte and Bollinger.

During the film we tour Bollinger. Royal warrants adorn their walls. They have their own barrel maker and have barrels between 5 and 100 years old.

Every harvest comes from hundreds of years of winemaking.

Champagne was a warzone during the War of 1914; they lost one and a half million men. If you visit there are monuments you may visit erected in their honor.

There are over 1 billion Champagne bottles cellared under each city. When you include the cellars of the winemakers it comes to 600 miles of cellars. I can’t even imagine this, but I can certainly appreciate it!

There are several rules set by the CIVC (Le Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) dictating things like cellaring, the start and end dates of harvest, how much juice from first press and how high a vine can be from the ground and how long the shoots can be. If a winemaker chooses not to follow the rules he stands to lose his appellation.

Some fields may be sprayed to abate mildew and rot after heavy rains. Then every vine will be hand checked as caterpillars can make holes and rot can get in.

When it’s time for harvest, workers as well as family members take on the task. Champagne flavors are made consistent by blending and “continuous tasting.”

Bottles will be gently turned for one year and aged for another year before sold and eventually getting into the hands of Champagne-thirsty consumers.

Order your copy here: http://firstrunfeatures.com/yearinchampagne.html

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Perlis Picks: Free Run Juice

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“Free run juice” is the initial juice that drains from the grapes when they are crushed but before they are pressed.  My limited understanding is that this juice can theoretically produce wines of higher quality than from grapes that have been pressed, due to reduced exposure to the skins and the chemicals released by the skins when pressed.

Free Run Juice LLC [www.freerunjuice.com] is a wine consulting company dedicated to offering wines of high quality and small production to select restaurants and wine bars. With a line-up that includes wineries such as Robert Foley and Pride, they distribute wines that are of great interest to me, as I am also very focused on small artisan producers.

And when I heard that Mike Fraschilla, friend of (and occasional contributor to) Eve’s Wine 101 had become associated with Free Run Juice, I jumped at the chance to taste through some of his portfolio with the owners of one of our local wine bars.

We tasted though several wines that day and these were my favorites. The tasting notes are provided by Mike F. unless otherwise indicated.

2011 Ca Del Sarto Friuli (Pinot Grigio) — Wonderful aromatics and great body for value Pinot Grigio.

2011 Mariposa “Paso Robles” Albarino — Super aromatics, lime and gooseberry, clean minerality, good acid and great finish.

2011 Robert Foley “Napa Valley” Pinot Blanc – [see my comment below]

2010 Cur Montage “Monterey County” Chardonnay — Well liked by all, great balance, good finish.

2009 Frostwatch “Bennett Valley Sonoma Co” Chardonnay — Loved by all – best Chard of night!

2010 Sextant Zinfandel Central Coast — Really well liked Zin. Super big red berry fruit without being a “dessert or port-like” wine!

2009 Dancing Lady “Old Vine Alexander Valley” Zinfandel — Big surprise winner. An Old Vine Zin with fruit depth & power!

2010 Robert Foley Griffin Napa Valley — The blend everyone liked.

2010 Andrew Lane “Napa Valley” Cabernet — Well liked as great value Cab from Napa.

My own comments:

I thought the Frostwatch was one of the best Chardonnays that I’d had in a while. Very classic style, but not overpowering with oak.

The Sextant Zin was a surprise to me. Definitely in the everyday wine category but with lots and lots of tasty fruit.

The Dancing Lady Zinfandel was excellent, from a winery I was not previously familiar with.

Saving the best for last…

Robert Foley Vineyards makes outstanding wines. Many know him as the original winemaker at Pride Mountain, as well as Paloma and Switchback Ridge.  I’ve been a fan of their Petite Sirahs for some time, and the Griffin is a more approachable and affordable red blend, but definitely in that rich Foley style. And the Pinot Blanc really surprised me, being one of the more interesting and complex PB’s that I’ve had to date.

Keep an eye open for these wines, or anything in the Free Run portfolio. But remember, you won’t find them on retail shelves.  Check with your favorite restaurants and wine bars, and if they don’t have them, tell them to call or text our friend Mike at (805) 217-4518.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years.  He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who puts up with him. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting tasting rooms and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, Michael had the amazing good fortune to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. At the same time, in his day job he provides outsourced controller services to companies that do not need a full-time controller. One day, he hopes to be able to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com  or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.  (2013 Update: Eve and Michael announced Eve Wine 101 Consulting.  Info is here: http://evewine101.com/press-releases/)

Gregory Alonzo: We Owe it All to the Greeks

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From our patio view from the Cafe Akrotiri, we gazed at the endless blue of sea mile. The Aegean is always breathtaking, especially when viewed from the many islands that dot this beautiful part of Greece. This is my first visit to the volcanic island of Santorini. In classical times, the island was known as Thira. If that still does not ring a bell, the island’s  literary name is Atlantis …

I am joined by friend and fellow sommelier, Alessia Karolides. We have been exploring the islands of Crete, Rhodes, and Santorini. The wines from these islands date back to antiquity, and have been popular throughout the Mediterranean world some 6,500 years.

“Well Gregory,” Alessia paused as she motioned our server to set our table. “I know you have been to Athens many times. You are also quite familiar with our wines from the Sterea Ellada, Euboea, Macerdonia, and the Peloponnese regions,” she paused for effect. “What do you think of Greece’s Aegean region?”

I flashed Alessia a wide beaming smile. “I am more than pleasantly surprised.” Peering about our table there was a vast assortment of fruits, olives, roasted peppers, feta cheese, breads, and hummus. “Dionysus himself would be pleased with our table,” as I broke into laughter. “What is our first wine?

Alessia smiled demurely. “I generally prefer to begin with a sparkling wine. Today we will be enjoying a wine from the grape varietal, Athiri. We call this bubby, Cair and it hails  from the island of Rhodes.”

Athiri is among the most ancient of the Greek varietals. The name indicates that the grape originated on the island of Thira. Athiri grapes can also be found in other regions  in Greece. These include Macedonia, Attica, and Rhodes. Athiri grapes are thin skinned and give sweet and fruity juice. These grapes produce wines slightly aromatic, having medium alcohol content and low acidity.

“Yiamas,” We toasted in the Greek fashion.

Our Cair Blanc Demi Sec is a semi-dry wine with continuous medium bubbles. There is a hint of apricot and vanilla, along with a honey-like taste. There is a nice balance of acidity and bubbles in the mouth, and the finish is long and pleasant.

“This is a very nice wine, especially for parties and informal celebrations,” I remarked flatly.

“But,” Alessia queried. “I sense a bit of hesitation.”

“The wine is a trifle scented for my palate.”

“That is because you are not Greek,” Alessia erupted euphorically. “We Greeks love an aromatic wine. It makes us want to dance.”

Flashing Alessia a playful smile, I poured us both another glass of wine. “Yasou.”

Alessia then went on to explain that wine cultivation on Rhodes actually began when the Phoenicians controlled the island. However, the wines that were eventually produced and popularized were uniquely Greek. By the end of the 7th century BCE, Rhodes had become an important exporter to the rest of the Mediterranean world.

“Gregory, wouldn’t that be something to discover the wines the Phoenician vintners were producing,” she said excitedly.

“Considering the the wines of Lebanon are now primarily along French lines, I would not know where to begin.”

Alessia thought for a moment. “Your next visit, we should explore the mountain villages. We just may get lucky and stumble upon a family making home wines from some very old  recipes. Wines from a time and a civilization long since gone.”

“My friend Anthony Bourdain, is quick to point out that quite often he finds that the best meals are those prepared at home by someone’s mother,” I gave Alessia a reassuring smile.

“Our next wine hails from the island of Crete.” Alessia presented me with a bottle of 2002 Boutari Fantaxometocho.

Ancient Wine Press at Lyraraki Winery-Crete

The wine making tradition of Crete goes back some 4,000 years to the celebrated Minoans. in fact it was on Crete that the world’s oldest wine press was discovered. The exceptional Cretan climate and close proximity to the sea combines to bring out the finest quality of the varietals cultivated on the island.

Not far from the archaeological site of Knossos, lies the the renown Fantaxometocho Estate. Locals from the village of Skalani, and surrounding areas, refer to the estate as the “haunted cottage.” Are these famed vineyards truly haunted by the ghosts of the  Minoans? Skeptics believe it was just the owner scaring off the young men who were raiding his farm. Today the estate’s new cutting-edge winery is one of the most modern in Europe and produces wine’s worthy of Crete’s ancient tradition.

“In support of the legend, the vineyards do not seem to be haunted at all. Only the 300 year old cottage,” Alessia flashed a wry smile.

Our 2002 Boutari Fantaxometochko is an intriguingly blended wine. 60% barrel fermented Chardonnay, 25% steel fermented Malvasia Aromatica, and 15% steel fermented Vilana. The Chardonnay provides toasty, nutty, and peachy nuances, while  the Vilana gives fine acidity and bright green apple flavors. To add to the wine’s complexity, the Malvasia’s rich aroma is of citrus fruits and dried nuts. The wine is full-bodied, rich, well balanced, and has a long finish. At 13% alcohol, this Boutari is most alluring.

“Alessia, what is our next wine?”

“A 2010 Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini,” her tone was jubilant.

Stefanas

Santorini Vineyard

The ancient civilization of Santorini was completely destroyed by a catastrophic volcanic  explosion roughly 5,000 years ago. However, the porous volcanic soil allows the earth to retain water, giving the vineyards the ability to stay nourished during the high summer temperatures. In fact during these hot months, the island is enveloped in a dense fog that comes in from the sea.
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This then enables the vines to retain the needed water. Due to strong winds and direct sun, wine growers began weaving their hard vines into small circular baskets. “Stefanas,” named after a woman’s marriage crown, dot Santorini’s landscape. The grapes hide perfectly within the leaves and the vines by which they that are surrounded.

“Don’t forget to mention to our readers that Assyrtiko is an ancient white grape. It is indigenous to Santorini and planted in it’s own roots. Due to grafting, this is something which is seldom seen,” Alessia added.

“Yes, the high content of sand in the volcanic soil protects the vines from phylloxera.”

Our 2010 Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini showed well. The wine was juicy and rich, with just  the right amount of concentrated pear and apple. Fresh acidity abounds, and the intense finish features an interesting mineral quality. This big burley wine comes in at 14.2% alcohol. Typically Sigalas wines are around 13.5% in their alcohol content.

“I would also recommend decanting this wine,” Alessia added. “This really brought out the fruit flavors.”

In ancient times, Greece played a crucial role in the development of wine culture of Europe. Nearly 2000 years of foreign occupation took a toll on Greece’s fortunes. However, many of Greece’s rich viticultural resources remain intact. Over the past two decades, Greece has undergone a wine revolution in which high quality, individuality, and history are the hallmarks of a new generation of Greek vintners. These producers are more than determined to make their mark on the international wine arena. With over 300 indigenous varietals, Greek wine is experiencing a revival. We challenge you to experience that Renaissance.

“Gregory,” Alessia called for my attention. “Over the past 10 days we enjoyed a lot of wine together and explored several ancient ruins.” She once again paused to collect her thoughts. “I can’t decide if you are more like James Bond or Indiana Jones.”

A wide beaming smile filled my face. “Ah senorita, I am Zorro.” But that my friends is another story …