Monday, January 9, 2017

Belgian Wine: a brief introduction to its history

Sparkling wine made in Belgium
When one thinks of Belgian drinks, it is beer that come to mind. It is, without any shadow of a doubt, among the best in the world. One also think of fried potatoes and chocolate. Or perhaps Flemish lace and jazz, after all Adolphe Sax was Walloon. Few among those who will to read this post probably heard of, let alone tasted, Belgian wine. And yet, wine production in Belgium goes back a long time, and has recently made a remarkable comeback.

Ancient origins

When the Romans colonized a new land, they paid attention to two details: thermal baths and wine. Vital pleasures to reward the legions after their battles. In Belgium, the town of Spa (in Latin it means Salus per Aquam, health through water) has become synonym with thermal baths all over the world. And how about wine?

When I moved to Belgium in 1994 I could not find any local wine, for a good reason: there wasn’t any. And yet, wine in Belgium has ancient roots. It was part of that cultural heritage that Rome had inherited from Greece and would have left to the rest of Europe. In the Gallia Belgica, besides Spa, one finds the footprint of Roman wine. The Gallia Belgica was larger than today’s Belgium, and we know for sure there were Roman vineyards along the river Moselle, in today’s Luxembourg and Germany, and one find traces of Roman vines along the Meuse and the Schelde rivers, in today’s Belgium.

Unfortunately it often happened that Roman works were neglected after the departure of the legions, either for lack of interest by local populations or because of their technical incompetence: the thermal baths of Bath, in England, which were clogged up with mud until the nineteenth century, are a case in point. Likewise, the vineyards of Gallia Belgica grew wild and no more wine was produced for a long time.

The middle ages

It was in Amay, around 634 AD, that someone once again planted vines. Around the eighth century, in the late Merovingian period, we have once again reports of vineyards around Liège and Huy, along the banks of the river Meuse. By the ninth century various historical sources tell us that viticulture had spread widely, with small family vineyards in many villages, not only along the Meuse. However, we do not have detailed information on the quantities of wine produced, let alone on its quality. The main wine centers were Brussels, Malines (Mechelen), Briolet (near Charleroi), Tournai, and especially Torgny, in the extreme south of the country, which produced wine almost without interruption until the end of the twentieth century.

From the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, there is more documentation on Belgian winemakers and vineyards, though not much about the wine they produced. A certain Monsieur Schayes wrote two articles on the subject: "Sur la culture de la vigne en Belgique" 1833, and "Sur l'ancienne culture de la vigne en Belgique", in 1843. The scholar mentioned that vineyards appeared around Tournai, Leuven and even within the walls of Antwerp. Belgian wine survived, just, hanging by a thin thread.

In the seventeenth century northern Europe was hit by the so-called "Little Ice Age", with many very cold vintages, which yielded sour and acid wine. Many vineyards were destroyed by the weather or had to be extirpated.

But a more threatening enemy, worse than the fiercest storm, appeared on the horizon of the North Sea: the potato. With its arrival from America and its rapid spread in the north European cuisine, many local farmers found it more profitable to cultivate tubers than grapes. Potatoes supplied more nourishment and the harvest was rich immediately (with a vineyard it is necessary to wait at least four years). Still today, Belgium is famous around the world for its fried potatoes!

Independence and the re-birth of Belgian wine

A further blow to viticulture came between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the protectionist policy of Napoleon imposed heavy taxes on all non-French wines. New hopes arose with the independence of the Kingdom of Belgium, in 1830. The new state was trying to support its wines with a Royal decree of 8 February 1833 on the development of “model vineyards”. But the tricolor wine, black, yellow and red, found it hard to take off.

The agricultural census of 1846 tells us that across the country there were only 66 hectares of vineyards. The next one, of 1866, refers to 290 hectares, a significant increase, even if a part of the harvest was intended for the production of table grapes and not wine. The first greenhouses were built around Brussels (Hoeilaart, Overijse), to try and fight off the weather. Different grape varieties were tried: Frankenthal, Royal, Colman and Chasselas. It looked like the foundations had been laid for a sustainable recovery, but it was not to be. From the seventies phylloxera hit Belgium, like the rest of Europe, clipping the wings to the budding production. Belgian growers tried again, against all odds, towards the end of the nineteenth century.

Joseph Halkin, in his little book Culture de la Vigne en Belgique, published in 1895, listed dozens of places across the country where, according to land registry archives, there were notable vineyards. The long list includes Brussels and many surrounding areas, such as Wavre, Overijse, Auderghem, Schaerbeek, Villers-la-ville and others. Very small family productions, varying quality, and virtually no regulation.

In the first half of the twentieth century viticulture developed largely in greenhouses. During the world wars, wine was not a priority for the small country, once again ravaged by highly destructive battles fought on its soil by foreign armies, and vineyards disappeared almost completely.

Belgian wine today

Clos de la Zolette, near Tragny, in the far south of the country, was responsible for the post-war revival of wine in Belgium. In 1955 Auguste Lajoux tried to cross Riesling and Sylvaner, but the newly planted vines were destroyed by the following terrible winter. Undaunted, Auguste tried again in 1959, an exceptionally warm year, and he managed a first harvest of 800 kg of grapes.

In 1961 Lajoux was succeeded by René Waty and subsequent years yielded mixed results. In 1964, and then in 1970, 3500kg. In 1968, nothing, everything was lost to spring frosts. During these years wine was initially made in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where there was availability of facilities, but in the sixties Jean Muneaut bought the necessary equipment and vinification took place in Belgium. In 1973 Georges Petit took the reins, and remained at his post for over thirty years, maybe too many, he was not able to upgrade and innovate at the Clos.

The Clos de la Zolette enjoyed a promising period. From 1980 there was also an attempt to start commercial production. But in 1987 a new tremendous frost made it necessary to uproot the vines, which were doggedly replanted the following year. With highs and lows, production continued until 2005, when this pioneering and noble attempt was abandoned. Today, Clos de la Zolette is a nature reserve.

At the same time, other growers, both Flemish and Walloons, continued to challenge the elements to make wine. The qualitative leap occurred in the nineties of the last century. A series of warm years, the acquisition of new technologies, more methodical scientific research to find the most suitable areas and grape varieties, and the training of young agronomists and oenologists abroad, all contributed to the first significant achievements.

In 2015 wine production exceeded for the first time the one million liters mark, a significant increase compared to previous years. Nearly eighty percent was white (including sparkling wines): Chardonnay was the preferred variety. Twenty percent are red, among which the Pinot Noir is the star. Sparkling wines are playing a growing role and in some years have come to exceed forty percent of production. Rosé wines amount to under five percent.

In general, small vineyards prevail, two or three hectares on average, although recently there has been a considerable expansion of some companies. Some were born as a family pastime and then grew to reach over ten hectares.

Today about seventy varieties of grapes are grown by over 250 professional growers in Belgium, of which thirty-four are authorized in controlled designation areas. The main ones are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, regent, Auxerrois, Sieger, Dornfelder, different varieties of Muscat, Riesling, Sirius, Léon Millot, Solaris and Gewürztraminer.

For a discussion of Belgian controlled designation of origin and protected geographical indications, as well as some tasting notes, see other posts in this blog.

For a description of Belgian controlled denominations of wine see another post in this blog.

NOTE: This post is part of an article which appeared in Italian in the issue n. 12 of the magazine Vitae, published by the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS).

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Canadian icewine, by Marco Carnovale

Introduction

Good wine is not what first comes to mind when talking about the many qualities that make Canada one of the countries with the highest standard of living in the world. That is because world class viticulture is a new phenomenon. Until the mid-1980s, it is fair to say, there was hardly any good wine made in Canada at all.

Let’s go back in history a little: as in the United States, until 1927 a strict prohibition was enshrined in law. Later, until the mid1970s, it was very difficult to obtain a license to produce wine, or to sell it. The government could never be accused of wanting to make life too easy for wine lovers. Even today the sale of wine is strictly regulated, especially in Ontario, where the provincial government has a monopoly of distribution through the network of 850 shops knows as the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The only exception is that producers are allowed to sell their own wine at the vineyard.

Not much in terms of tradition then, but, as we shall see, a lot of determination and imagination. The climate does not help. As is well known, vitis vinifera, the species of vine that produces the best berries for winemaking, grows at its best between 30 and 50 degrees of latitude, north or south of the equator. The territory of Canada is almost completely outside of this range, except for a few regions along the border with the States, and it is here that some excellent wine is now being produced. The southern parts of the provinces of Ontario in the East and British Columbia in the West are now well established as homes of award winning wines. Something is happening also in Québec e Nova Scotia and we may soon hear more.

During some recent trips to Canada I set myself the goal of trying the best local wines I could get a hold of ...or afford: some of the top bottles are very expensive! I have been surprised by several excellent dry whites. Some full bodied chardonnays I found well to be complex and balanced, with an intriguing but not invasive acidity, reminiscent of some of the best Burgundy. But the real surprise was icewine (which in Canada is written in one word, to distinguish it from American ice wine).

Icewine is made with grapes that have been left to dry on the vines until winter, when they are literally frozen. By tackling climate, and transforming it from an obstacle into an opportunity, Canada has become the main icewine producer in the world, overtaking Austria and Germany, the traditional leaders in this technique. In the vineyards of Niagara, in Ontario, they now produce 90% of all Canadian icewine, which in turn represents 85% of total world production. Therefore Niagara-on-the-Lake, a picturesque village of 15,000, dotted with flower gardens and colonial houses, can now credibly claim the title of world capital of icewine.

The land

The soil here is predominantly clay with a chalky and limestone component. It is mostly flat, apart from a slight slope to the North, on the shore of Lake Ontario, which allows for better drainage.

The proximity of the huge lake, which never freezes even in the harshest winters, is vitally important for the moderation of the microclimate. The warm breeze coming from the great mass of water lengthens the fall season and allows the vine to express itself despite the difficult latitude of the region.

The people

The first to believe in icewine in Canada was Walter Hainle, a German who had immigrated in 1970. By 1978 his vines in British Columbia were ready for the production of the first Canadian commercial icewine, on the Pacific Coast. Going far beyond expectations, he began to receive attention and awards. But if Canadian icewine was born on the Pacific coast, it grew to its world renown on the banks of Lake Ontario.

Hainle had … well, broken the ice, but it was Inniskillin, founded in 1974 in Niagara, Ontario, by Karl Kaiser and Donald Ziraldo, which soon became the best known producer, at home and abroad. Today it is a giant business of over 700 hectares, and it is here that I started my tour of Ontario vineyards. The curious name comes from that of an Irish Rifle Regiment, in which the first owner of this farm had served in the XIX century. After winning an important international prize, the Prix d'Honneur at Bordeaux's Vinexpo in 1991 with its Riesling icewine, Inniskillin was the first to present this special Canadian product to the world market.

With Gary Pillitteri in his cellar
The largest icewine producer in the world today is Gary Pillitteri, an energetic Sicilian who emigrated to Canada in 1948. I met him by chance during a guided tour of the winery while he was showing around some personal friends of his. I was photographing some barrels in their cellar when Lifang, my wife, called me and said the man over there seemed to be the owner. I approached him and introduced myself. He was glad to meet a representative of the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. He was very helpful and willing to answer some questions about his origins. After decades of selling the fruits he produced in a small plot bought by his father, in 1988 Gary decided to experiment with a small Vidal vineyard, and produced his first icewine. The result was great, so much so that he won some prizes. Over twenty years have passed, and Pillitteri is at the top of the world. The origins, however, are not forgotten, and the fresh fruit counter is still open at a corner of the estate. Also the Sicilian carretto (horse drawn cart) he received as a gift from his father is still proudly displayed at the entrance of the farmhouse.

After two giants I visited a small producer, Rancourt. Only 10 hectares, it is a boutique production with an attached B&B. Eric Pearson wanted to make wine as a child and so he studied biochemistry, the subject he thought would be closest to his passion. Today Rancourt is more than just a promising upstart among young Niagara winemakers.

Also PondView, another small producer, boasts Italian origins. The Puglisi family emigrated to Canada in 1965. Luciano, the founder, had already been producing wine in Sicily, but found very different conditions here. Adapting to the climate, he has reinvented the company and managed to create a niche product that holds its own against the most prestigious neighbors.

Less famous than Hainle, Ewald Reif also emigrated from Germany to Canada, and bought his first plot of land in 1977. The family had been making wine in the Rhine Valley for at least four centuries, and here they found familiar conditions. In 1983, the vineyard was ready to produce, and icewine was the most logical choice. Reif Winery is known to be among the first companies in the region to try to minimize the use sulfites, but without blindly following an extreme organic trend.

His nickname is JL, he comes from the Loire valley and studied in Bordeaux and Burgundy. Jean-Laurent Groux has created an avant-garde company. Already on arrival the eye is struck by the ultramodern architecture and equipment of the Stratus winery. Clean and straightforward in the flavors of his wines as the buildings are in their architectural lines, JL’s products try to minimize human, chemical and physical intervention in the work of nature. It is called Stratus because JL tries to make wine by overlaying successive “layers” of flavors and aromas that come from individual varieties: in fact, he is a pioneer of a relatively new concept that is only gradually taking on in Niagara: assembled icewines instead of the more traditional single variety products.

The grapes

Icewine is mainly made with white grapes (chardonnay, gewurtztraminer and riesling). These are the most suitable for the rigid climate and the type of extreme ripening that is required. Cabernet franc stands out among the red berries, and recently the production of Cabernet sauvignon has increased somewhat.

The most typical variety of icewine is however Vidal. This is a hybrid that Jean-Louis Vidal obtained in 1930 by coupling trebbiano grapes of vitis viniferae with another hybrid grape, the “rayon d'or”. This, in turn, was obtained by Albert Seibel, a French physician who, from the late XIX to the early XX century, was passionate about viticulture and in particular enjoyed creating new kinds of grapes. Apparently he produced and catalogued several hundred! Seibel obtained the rayon d'or (aka Seibel 4986) by coupling “aramon du gard” (of the species vitae rupestris) to another hybrid that Seibel had previously crossed. It is important to note that the vidal has proven its toughness in the rigid climates, in part thanks to its thick skin. Its high content of potential alcohol and its acidity make it particularly suitable for the difficult fermentation required to produce a good icewine, sweet and balanced.

The harvest takes place in winter, usually in December, but sometimes even as late as January. It happens almost always at night, because by law at the time of picking the temperature must not be higher than 8 degrees Celsius below zero. Additionally, at night the temperature is more stable than during the day, and this is useful because higher temperature fluctuations might cause the ice crystals inside the berries to melt, with consequent dilution of the must. If 8 degrees below zero is the maximum allowed temperature, it is often down to 15 below when the harvest takes place. This makes the work more difficult and further reduces the yield, but rewards the wine maker with a higher concentration and therefore a higher quality.

The grapes must be pressed immediately, so that the icicles in the berries keep as much water as possible from ending up the must. The latter needs the highest possible concentration of sugar and other substances. The intense cold also prevents the formation of botrytis cinerea, (the fungus one finds on the grapes of semillon and sauvignon blanc which are used to make Sauternes) and for this reason icewine maintains a higher acidity and a lower alcohol content than the Sauternes (ad other wines, like Hungarian Tokaji) affected by the “noble rot”.

Because of this high concentration and purity from fungi, the sugars are of extreme quality but quantities are just as extremely limited. Each berry yields, on average, only one drop of must. This is necessary because the law requires, at a minimum, 35 percent of sugar in the must, higher than that of the German or Austrian Eiswein or Luxembourgish vin de glace.

Harvesting is hard work for men and equipment. It is not uncommon for fingers to be frozen or presses to break down, as both are subjected to enormous stress. Therefore it is not surprising that icewine is very expensive. To make it more accessible to the market, manufacturers always use small bottles, usually 200 ml.

Often the berries are so hardened by the cold that a considerable amount of sugar and other substances remains trapped in them along with the ice crystals. To make full use of it, wineries often leave the pressed grapes to warm up a little and then, after a few days, proceed to a second press. The product of the latter may not be labeled icewine but is classified as “select late harvest”.

The wine

Another key requirement of the icewine is to have at least 125 grams of residual sugar. The yeasts have a hard time doing their work in the presence of so much sugar, the fermentation starts with difficulty, and is very slow. For this reason they nicknamed icewine “dessert in a glass”!

If you do not meet the temperature requirements of the grape and sugar grade above, the producer is not allowed to market the wine as icewine, but only as a select late harvest. This is, however, not really a fall back position, but a great wine on its own merits. It is less intense and therefore easier to appreciate for the less experienced drinker, also because it is more easily paired to a wider variety of foods. And, last but not least, it is much less expensive.

It is recommended to serve icewine at 10-12 ° Celsius. The best pairings for icewine, apart from the Asian cuisine mentioned earlier, are the sweet desserts such as tart, apple pie or baked fruit in general, chocolate, foie gras. But manufacturers also recommend trying it as an ingredient in seasonings for fatty or stuffed fish. There is a wider choice to match select late harvest: paste or risotto with mildly spicy or sweet tendency sauces, white meats with jam (the gravy that Canadians often accompany to turkey), soft cheese.

Two small curiosities: there also exists a grappa of icewine, produced by the Magnotta estate. And on the market one can buy ice cider (written in two words) made with very mature apples which are picked, left to freeze outside in December and then squeezed to temperatures down to -15 °C.

Prospects

Canadian icewine is young, just a little more than twenty years old. Producers, largely emigrated from Europe (Italy, Germany, Austria, France) have brought with them knowledge and traditions but the Canadian conditions, the terroirs one could say, are unique. Therefore there is great unexplored potential, the farmers and the wine makers continue to experiment, they have not yet found their limits.

Wine is an important novelty in the economy of some Canadian provinces, and most of the icewine production is exported. In fact, most Canadian wine exports consist of icewine. The global wine economy today is changing rapidly. The main oenological news of the last ten years, of which we still see only the tip of the iceberg, is China, both as wine producer (already the 6th in the world) and as a large consumer market.

Canadian icewine is appreciated in East Asia because it can be paired very successfully with moderately spicy and sweet and sour dishes of Chinese (but also Thai and Vietnamese) cuisine. Its smoothness contrasts well with the spices, and the high residual sugar is a perfect match, especially for Cantonese cuisine. In 2013, China bought more than 40% of Canadian icewine production, and another 30% in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. So three quarters of the production (over one million liters) goes to East Asia. Unfortunately, as for other famous wines, icewine is often counterfeited.

The market changes and so does the prevailing taste for wines. Walter Haine, the pioneer I mentioned earlier, announced in 2015 that he wanted to abandon the production of icewine and switch to Pinot Noir. He hopes to earn more. It is difficult to understand how, given the current sky-high prices of icewine, which are among the most expensive wines in the world. It's hard to buy anything under 30-40 Canadian dollars (€ 25) for a bottle of 200 cl of good quality. Royal Demaira sold the 2006 vintage of its Chardonnay icewine for C$ 30,000 for half a bottle, a 2002 today goes over 200,000 dollars (yes, two hundred thousand), the most expensive ever. But old Walter certainly knows what he is doing.

We cannot yet say what the potential of icewine for aging is. Even the best icewines have been aging in the bottle for too little time for a tasting to provide an informed opinion. But there is sugar and there is acidity, so the conditions are there to hope for a long and successful evolution. Below are my impressions about icewines I tasted in 2015 which were kindly offered to me by the relevant Ontario wineries.

Tastings

Inniskillin icewine 2013, vidal, 9.5%
Straw yellow, consistent. Ripe apricot in the nose, buttery sensation prevails in the mouth. Score: 86

Inniskillin sparkling icewine 2012, cabernet franc, 9%
Light cherry color, delicate effervescence. Prune aroma. Moderately fresh. Score: 84

Inniskillin icewine 1990, vidal, 12%
Dark orange color. Overripe apricot in the nose, sugar cane. In the mojth one feels clearly the excessive oxidation, it was probably a great wine a few years ago. Score: 80

-

Pillitteri icewine 2011, cabernet sauvignon, 11.5%
Still young, it invites the taster with tenuous aromas of dried flowers. In the mouth it’s the turn of caramel and very ripe apricot. Surprisingly, freshness prevails over smoothness in this moderately balanced wine. Long finish. Should wait 2-3 years. Score: 88.

Pillitteri icewine 2012, cabernet franc, 11%
Ripe cherries, its smoothness is slightly invasive and completely envelopes the mouth. Soft tannins, sweetness prevails. Score: 85.

Pillitteri icewine 2013, Gewürztraminer/Riesling, 11%
Darkish straw yellow and exuberant flowers in the nose. Freshness prevails over smoothness, a rare occurrence in icewines. It will certainly improve and find its perfect balance in the bottle. Score: 90.

-

Rancourt icewine 2013, Gewürztraminer, 9.0%
Intense gold yellow, ripe papaya aroma. A smooth wine which keeps enough freshness to guarantee a good balance. Long. Score: 88.

Rancourt icewine 2013 cabernet franc 10.5%
Unique color, copper orange rather than any hue of yellow, resembles caramel. In the nose it’s strawberries and raspberries. Well balanced and long. Score: 90.

-

Try Pondview icewine in a chocolate cup
PondView icewine “Harmony”, Chardonnay/Gewürztraminer/Riesling,11%
White flowers, green almonds. Very fresh for an icewine and prominent minerality. Must wait in the cellar. Score: 86.

PondView icewine, Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot, 11%
Melenge bordelais for this intense ruby red icewine. Ripe fruits in the nose and predominant black cherries in the mouth. Twelve months in new French oak provided a pleasant smoothness to the tannins. Good evolution potential in the bottle. Score: 90.

PondView select late harvest, Vidal 2012, 10%
Dark straw yellow, figs and apricots. Well balanced. Easier drink than icewines but lighter on the palate and on the wallet. Easier to pair with a wider range of foods. Score: 88.

-

Tasting at Reif
Reif icewine, Riesling 2013, 11,5%
Light straw yellow. Flowers in the nose, and immediately freshness and minerality emerge with vigor. Yet, the finish is surprisingly smooth, which makes for good balance. Score: 90.

Reif icewine Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, 13%
Dark ruby red, cherries in the nose. Surprisingly strong tannins for an icewine. Hard sensations prevail, but great potential for evolving to a more balanced wine in the bottle. Score: 88.

Reif select late harvest, Vidal 2012, 11,5%
Intense gold yellow. Honey and ripe peaches, apricots. Very complex, well balanced and long. Score: 90.

-

Stratus icewine, Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Mourvedre/Syrah, 2013, 13,8%
Delicate garnet color, unusual for an icewine. Gentle aromas of fresh fruits in the nose. Wild red berries and rhubarb, cherries in the mouth. A perfectly balanced result that merits the qualification of a harmonious wine. Score: 94.

Stratus icewine Semillon 2008, 13%
Deep golden yellow, very consistent. Apricot prevails in the nose, round and very long in the mouth. Probably not far from its peak. Score: 93.

Stratus icewine Viognier/Semillon, 2013, 14,3%
Deep straw yellow. Exotic fruits and flowers in the nose. Excellent match of these two varieties, with a slight prevalence (59%) of Viognier. Rich and round in the mouth. Long. Score: 90

A previous version of this article was published in Italian in the magazine Vitae by Associazione Italiana Sommelier in 2016.

Last updated in November 2017

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Notes from Hungarian wine tasting in London


Talks by organized by WINES OF HUNGARY with various experts. These are my notes from two talks, any error is my responsibility only.

Wine industry in Hungary was mainly built to supply the USSR, quality did not matter, only quantity and alcohol content.

Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign produced a shift toward more quality and less quantity. This made it possible to develop exports to other, more competitive, markets.

At the same time there was a move from collective farming to private vineyards.

Four main wine regions: Danube, Balaton, North Transdanube and Upper Hungary. 22 specific regions. About 60-70k hectares devoted to vines. Continental climate.

Tokaj 5500 Ha, 13,000 growers. Mostly volcanic soil, contributes mineral backbone to wine.

Grand Tokaj biggest firm, still state owned. Was put up for sale but on condition that it preserved jobs and social commitments, no one bought it.

6 main varieties: Furmint is the main, mentioned in 1611.

First mention Aszu in 1571.

First mention of wine classification in 1720, first in the WORLD!

UNESCO WHS 2002

Producers:

Csenyi: was a communist cooperative, still has strong stigma of communist era. Massive scale, quantity over quality, used to "fulfill the plan".

Gere: Attila origin of the name, sprang from XIX century nationalism, larger than life character. It was never a communist coop, always independent producer. Diametrically opposite approach. Aims at max concentration.

San Andrea: Traditional producer, intellectual, looks for quality.

Kovacs Nimrod: Producer migrated to US in 1970s, came back to Hungary after 1989. Opposite to San Andrea, uses modern methods and criteria.

see more on www.carolinegilby.wordpress.com

Friday, May 6, 2016

Memories from a Master class on the wine from Tejo, Portugal


Master class on Portuguese wines from Tejo:

"Warm days, cool nights " by Jamie Goode and Martta Simoes.

at the London Wine Fair 2016


Région west of Lisbon.

China  is the first export market!

Touriga nacional main indigenous variety also Tricadeira and Castelao all mixed with international varieties.


Whites: alvarinho arinto, fernao pires.


1. Casal Monteiro 15, 13abv

Fernao pires, arinto 50/50

Citrus, flowers fresh

Moderate and smooth length

Score 88


2. Fiuza alvarinho 15, 12.5abv

Alvarinho 100pc

Moderate fresh well balanced.

Stony fruity but smooth end.

Score 88


3. Quinta da Alorna arinto 15, 13.5abv

Arinto 60 and chardonnay 40

Chardonnay on oak 5 months

Perfect balance. Vanilla and honey from chardonnay, freshness enough from arinto. Moderate length.

Score 90

Retail price in Portugal is 6euro!


4. Adega do Cartaxo plexus 15, 10abv

Alicante bouschet 100pc

Deep violet color

Cherries, intense aroma.

Slight effervescence.

Cheap and cheerful.

Some sweetness prevail overall, some freshness resists.

Score 83


5. Quinta da Ribeirinha 12, 13,5abv

Touriga nacional 100pc

Flowers cherries

Tannins strong, maybe 5 months in oak nit enough.

Score 85


6. Pinhal da Torre two worlds 13, 13.5abv

Touriga nacional,  tinta roriz, sousao,  Touriga francesa,  Touriga franca.

Spicy and fruity

Unbalanced too hard.

Score 83


7. Quinta da Alorna reserva 12,

Touriga nacional 65pc, and cab.s. 35pc. 12 month in oak.

Fresh red berries.

Spicy. Unbalanced too harsh.

Score 84.


Overall better whites, balanced and pleasant. And a steal at their prices.

Better than reds, generally too harsh.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Sake master class by Natsuki Kikuya

Sake master class. Let's go. "journey in the sake glass" by Natsuki Kikuya, director of sake museum in London. Great event learned a lot.


In Japan sake is a declining industry, not considered cool by young people. In Europe opposite, even non Japanese restaurants now propose it.


Interesting that sake producers don't grow own rice. Can buy from anywhere in Japan.
 
No "terroir" but different climates change taste of sake from prefecture to another.

Tasting notes:


1. Azure Ginjo. Yamanadishi, 15%. Green apple. Add distilled alcohol for sharp finish.  Good with raw fish. Score 86.


2. Takashimizu junmai daiginjo. From Akita prefecture. Smooth, structure. Good with salmon. Score 90.


3. Urakasumi Junmai. From miyagi prefecture. Fruit almond slightly bitter . Smoother, bananas milkshake. Score 88.


4. Shirakabegura kimoto jumai. From Hyogo prefecture. Beef country. Bananas figs. Richer nose.fuller palate. Score 94.


5. Shichida junmai ginjo. Saga prefecture on Kyushu. Sweet food lots of soy sauces. Fresh and smooth, balanced. Long. Score 96.


6. Daruma masamune. 5yo. 17%. Exception, sake usually doesn't age. From Gifu prefecture, only landlocked prefecture in Japan. River fish. Preserved foods. Sweet. Amber color! Smooth structure. A bit oxidized, reminds of Sherry. For after meal or fatty food. Score 95. 

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Sake Master Class, Londra


I confess that I signed up for the Sake Master Class organized by the Italian Sommelier Association in London with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. Like most of my fellow sommeliers in attendance, I had drank sake on numerous occasions. But this had happened exclusively in Japanese restaurants, satisfyingly combining it with sushi or tempura, but without a systematic criterion. As if the pairing parameters - concordance and contrast - that we have learned to apply when we marry a wine with a Western dish do not apply to sake. Sake sweet or dry, aromatic or fruity, cooler or softer, served at what temperature? We lacked the tools to make the best decisions.

With colleagues during the master class
Upon our arrival we were greeted by Andrea, Federica and Armando, the organizers of the AIS Club in London, as well as by a hundred bottles of sake perfectly aligned in progressive order of service behind the screen set up for the projection of Jonathan Beagle, a friendly Englishman with long Japanese experience and sake expert. All under the vigilant coordination of Akimitsu Takata, head of Japan@UK, a company that aims to promote the products of the rising sun in the United Kingdom.



Jonathan's lively presentation was interspersed with samples of sake, which were gradually poured into our glasses. Tasting is very different from tasting wine. Firstly, there is no visual analysis: sake is transparent. If it isn't, it means that time has darkened it slightly during refinement in a bottle that may not have been perfectly preserved. But sake never has to wait, it is designed to be drunk as soon as it is bottled, a few months after production. In fact, the date indicated on the bottles is that of bottling and not of the harvest.


The olfactory analysis is more simplified than the cosmology of scents that we can receive from a complex glass of wine. Finally, the olfactory-gustatory analysis, the only one truly relevant for sake. Here the parameters at play are more numerous, and the AIS categorization on the balance between soft sensations (sweetness, pseudo-alcoholicity and softness) and hard sensations (only acidity and flavor, there are no tannins) can be applied, with some adaptations. The range of flavors and aromas that emerges upon careful tasting is surprising, even if not as diversified as that of wine. Less complex than wine from an organoleptic point of view, sake however has a greater range of temperatures to be enjoyed, which can vary from 5 degrees centigrade up to 60!

It should be noted that the result of a good sake is mainly the work of the producer and less of mother nature. In fact, there are different types of rice (the "vine varieties" of sake) and terroir, but in both cases sake producers cannot have the panoply of tools available to the winemaker and oenologist. The fundamental elements here are koji, a mold used to produce sugar from rice starches, and then yeasts for transforming sugar into alcohol. The manufacturer's mastery is asserted on these.

Like wine, sake has a thousand-year history behind it and a bright future ahead, and for both their respective producers tend to favor quality over quantity. Unknown in the West until recently, today it is discovered by sommeliers all over the world for its great flexibility in pairing with international cuisine. During the London event we were even amazed by the happy pairing of sake with the bête noire of wine: the artichoke!


Federica e Andrea della UKSA

Grazie ad Armando Pereira per le fotografie.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Film review: Sideways (2004) by Alexander Payne, *****

Synopsis

Comedy drama which follows Miles (Paul Giamatti), an unsuccessful novelist, and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), an equally unsuccessful actor who is about to get married. They decide to take a trip to California in an attempt to sow their wild oats. 

There they explore the nature of their failures and question their relationships. Jack has an affair with Stephanie (Sandra Oh)  and wonders whether he should call off the marriage. Miles, recently divorced himself, questions whether or not he made the right decision while Maya (Virginia Madsen) plays a few games with him.


Review

An excellent movie that is only marginally about wine. Yes we go through California's wine country and learn a lot about many different kinds of wine, and especially Pinot Noir.

But the movie by Alexander Payne is more about what we can do with ourselves and our lives with the hand we are dealt at birth and by chance. I identify very much with Miles, a not-so-good-looking but deep thinking fellow who is deeply passionate about what he loves, be it his lost ex-wife or Pinot Noir. But it is the Jacks of the world who have more fun: not so deep, not so careful, just happy go lucky types. 

The last scene of the movie leaves a door open to hope however: while Jack sinks unenthusiastically into his boring marriage, Miles finds the true love of his life.