Basking in the Vineyards of the Loire

Ever since I stepped into France to conduct my studies in Burgundy I had dreamt about visiting the Loire region and taste its great wines. Loire is one of the most interesting regions in France and is renowned mostly for its beautiful castles as well as for the vast portfolio of wines it offers. So, after browsing through the cascading vineyards of the Rhone I drove for 6 hours to taste Loire.

From bone dry Muscadet to sweet Bonnezeaux to sparkling Vouvray, Loire is truly a treasure to discover for any wine lover. I had the luck to stay in a refurbished 14th century house in Vouvray during my 4 day stay. I chose Vouvray because it logistically makes sense; close to Tours and in the centre between the great wines of Sancerre and Menetou-Selon to the East and the Anjou and Nantais to the West. Yet little did I know that to taste all these wines and visit all these sub regions I would need at least 15 days. So with my 3 days and a half I travelled and discovered as much as possible.

Loire is one of the most important sparkling wine regions in France production mostly around the villages of Saumur, Vouvray and Montlouis, particularly due to the tuffeau caves which are ideal for sparkling wine second fermentation in the bottle.

Travelling upriver towards the west of Loire reaching the village of Anjou, the well-known Rosé wines take the top place on wine lists in restaurants around the village. Of course most Rosé wines are not as sweet and unbalanced as many Rosé d’Anjou examples found on commercial markets, yet they are refreshing with some striking acidity which makes them perfect summer wines. Grolleau and Groslot varieties are used for the cheap, medium dry rosés whilst lately more Cabernet Franc and Gamay are used for the better quality wines.

Some of the best sweet wines in the world also come from this diverse region. The grape used for such heavenly wines is the Chenin Blanc, also known as Pineau de la Loire yet has no connections with the Pinot varieties of Burgundy. Giving a wide range of ripeness levels, this grape variety can produce more than 190 to 260 grams of sugar per litre. Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume, the grand crus of Coteaux de Layon have the most favourable microclimates for botrytised Chenin Blanc grapes giving lusciously sweet wines. As these wines age they offer a rich bouquet with overtones of honey and apricot.

In between the towns of Tours and Anjou one can also admire the reds of this region coming from the village of Chinon. Here Cabernet Franc can also offer a variety of red wines depending from the soil composition the vineyards are planted on. The most important wines are endowed with a good portion of tannins which ensure a long life in the bottle and more complexities with age. I find it very hard to find good examples of Cabernet Franc yet with it green pepper nose its one of the most recognisable red wines of France.

Well, Loire has delivered all it promised; lovely castles reflecting their beauty along the Loire river and great long lived wines well-known for freshness and finesse.

Geographical neighbours; poles apart in style

The Rhone Valley has always been on my top list wine regions to visit whilst studying in Burgundy, yet with all the travels in the past 8 months I didn’t have the time or the budget to travel to this wine region. As soon as my studies were over both the regions of Rhone and Loire pop in my mind and after having a quick look at my bank account, it always needs to be a quick look or else my heart stops beating, I decided to rent a car, drive down to Beaujolais, further down to Tain-l'Hermitage and then up to the Loire Valley.


Within a few hours’ drive south of the Cote d’Or the landscape changes from the soft hills protecting fertile valleys nourishing short vines of Chardonnay and Gamay to the steep garrigues of the Rhone covered in tall Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne vines. I had the luck to visit the picturesque towns of Solutré, Pouilly and Fuissé on previous occasions but this time I took the time to book a tasting at one of the Domaines which struck my interest during a tasting at L’Atrium, a hub which brings the 5 different terriors of Pouilly- Fuissé under one roof. http://www.burgundyeye.com/wine/latrium-du-pouilly-fuisse

Greeted by the Madame Desroches who put my French language to test, my visit to Domaine Grand Pre Philippe Desroches was exactly what I was looking for. Their prestige cuvee wine coming for their vineyards in Solutré, the town shadowed by the Solutré Rock, has citric nose with undertones of exotic fruit yet on the palate the refreshing acidity and minerality give it a lovely balance. A wine as dainty as the land it grows in.

After a surprise thunderstorm at night which brought with it a very welcome cool breeze yet which skimmed off parts of the top soils of the vineyards of the Beaujolais I drove off towards the land of Syrah. With no GPS and relying only on google maps indications and my own instinct, I punctually made it to immersed village of Tain-l'Hermitage. Bathed by the Saone River on one side and the vineyards blessed by the Chapel dedicated to Saint Christophe, patron saint of drivers, this town is all about wine. The haunting domination of the vineyards on the right bank clearly portraying the Jaboulet and Chapoutier families evoked in me a desire to start my Masters once over this time in Tain-l'Hermitage. The wines? Powerful, intense and impressive, a perfect expression of the land grows their vines.

A distance of just over 159 km gave me an experience ranging from the charming delicate flavours of the Mâconnais and the Beaujolais to the structured untamed character of the Northern Rhone. Such is the beauty of diversity in French wine. As I drive away I know one thing for certain; I will be back sooner other than later! :)

On the Quest for the Perfect Tuscan

For a wine lover like myself, visiting a region like Tuscany always presents a great challenge; finding the wine which really captures me during my stay there. Last year during my visit in March, I visited a number of wineries with my friend Franco Traversi, a true Tuscan wine connoisseur. He took me to some incredible producers which till now represent my favourite in this diverse wine region. Rave wines from last year’s visit include San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo, Monteraponi’s Chianti Classico, Stella di Campalto’s Rosso di Montalcino, Pian del Orino’s Brunello di Montalcino and other great producers from Bolgheri area like Tua Rita and Le Macchiole.

So last week, apart for my main reason to visit Tuscany which for now I leave secretly undisclosed, :) I again took the opportunity to visit some wineries. The total number of visits by Saturday was up to 5, the total of number wine tasted throughout the week was enough to make me crave for some cool refreshing beer by Saturday evening. :) On this note I must say that for wine lovers like myself beer is a beverage that is truly appreciated especially during a week of great wine tastings.

First winery visited during the week was the very well-known winery of Dievole in Vagliagli. This winery is one of the few in Tuscany which really pushed its way through the modern marketing tools like Facebook and Twitter; tools that are yet undiscovered by many Tuscan and even Italian wineries, and we may also include the French producers here. The first reason for my visit to Dievole, was hunger followed by wine. The Chianti Classico is dotted with small osterias and trattorias where one can enjoy a lovely lunch yet that day I had enough time to make my way to a winery and taste both their food and wine. I must admit that the hospitality at Dievole was remarkable and very well-prepared. The food was mainly a nice carpaccio followed by a massive and tasty plate of pici al ragu. Wines to match were their white wine Bianco di Malvagia from Malvasia and Trebbiano; even though white wines from Tuscany are in my opinion of limited quality and only a few blow away my senses, this wine was an easy drinking aromatic wine enjoyable during a hot summer’s day. The second wine served with my pasta was the Certosa Chianti Classico which is a joint venture wine produced with the University of Siena; this wine is easy drinking with no complexities or aromas you fall in love with yet good quality and matching very well the juicy pici . After my lunch I had the opportunity to visit their cellars and taste their Chianti Classico Broccato, Chianti Classico Riserva Novecento and their Vin Santo. Both Chiantis in my opinion have strong tannins coming from barrique ageing which is not what I really look for in a Chianti. Will these tannins integrate better with age leaving the palate softer and more balanced? Guess I need to taste these same wines in a couple of years to make my judgement, all rise!

Another dynamic and evolving winery I visited last week was the Tolaini Estate which is found on the gentle rolling hills of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Diego Donato, the young talented oenologist over seeing the estate gave me a really good tour of the vineyards which are planted with both international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and also with the indigenous grape Sangiovese. A tour which yes ended up with a tasting yet which was brought to a halt by a punctured tyre in our car in the middle of the vineyards; not so bad given the sun, vines and company. The wines of this estate are atypical for the region of the Chianti Classico. My favourite was Al Passo made of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot, whose aromas are very compelling with cherry notes, prunes and spice. The Picconero and the Valdisanti are mostly composed of international grape varieties and have a French twist to them; oh did I mention that the consultant oenologist is Michel Rolland?! His fingerprints are all over. :)

Next on my list was Isola e Olena, a winery which was suggested by a friend who recently tasted their wines at the Decanter Italian Wine Tasting in London. What makes me fall in love with this region over and over again are the magnificent sceneries you discover after making your way through an endless curvy road, praying you won’t have car problems here since you know that even your GPS signal is weak let alone your mobile phone reception. When you arrive at the winery of Isola e Olena, you think to yourself, wow... I am so lucky to have a passion for wine.. it brings me to this.. a tapestry of greenery... undulating vineyards; olive trees and cypress trees dancing with the light wind, then the darker green forest on the background against the bluest of skies.. To top it all I was greeted by this lovely woman, owner of the winery, Martha de Marchi. Her husband’s family originally cultivating vineyards in Piedmont, bought this winery and surrounding vineyards in the 1950s and through research and hard work is now producing some stunning wines. The Ceparello 2004 was truly a gem; the aromas of ripe cherries and prunes intermingling with earthy and forest floor nuances make you wish to stop time and just keep sniffing. The palate was very balanced, with tannins which were very broad on the mouth yet not dusty; just right for a long finish. The other wines tasted including the Isola e Olena Chianti Classico and their Vin Santo, both show really great quality and wine making skills yet difficult to beat their brother Ceparello.

Bbbbbrrrrr Brancaia was the next winery I visited. A winery introduced to me by another wine friend a number of years back. Another Italian winery owned by non-Italians, once again giving a modernist approach to a traditional region like Tuscany. Work both in the cellar and vineyards is very meticulous with high density plantings and lutte raisonnée viticulture put into practise. As expected, given their modernist approach, the recipe for their wines mainly includes international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. By now you would ask, but what’s wrong with such grape varieties? Why is Berenice so hard to please? Surely there is nothing wrong with Cab and Merlot wines and surely yes I am hard to please. :) In my opinion wines should represent the region, area, piece of dirt they are coming from and to do this I believe that only indigenous grape varieties can reflect this. By all means I cannot deny that the Ilatraia and the Blu tasted at Brancaia are awesome wines which I am willing to drink and taste on a frequent basis yet it’s totally different from when you are discovering a true Sangiovese, a distinctive Nebbiolo or even a pleasing Gamay. Back to this tasting, Blu will always be amongst my favourite Bordeaux blends in the area. The grapes for this wine are mainly grown in the Maremma area which gives lovely ripe fruit notes on nose and palate; tannins are also ripe with dusty hints that support very well the alcohol and broadness of this wine.

Last but not least and from a completely different area altogether I visited Cantina Dei in Montepulciano. When the going gets rough I like to trace some imprints stored at the back of my mind and one of my favourites is the view one can admire from the belvedere hidden on the edge of the tiny village of Montepulciano; it makes anyone’s frown turn into a smile! :) At Cantina Dei I was welcomed by Catherina Dei herself who is currently running the winery with the help of her omnipresent father. The tour in the cantina followed the usual trail until she introduced me to their new project; a new cellar in an oyster shell form cut into the ground. Still under construction, using my “creative” brain I could imagine this future realm; a mix between old and new; the smell of wine filling up the empty spaces and yes the beautiful music by Catherina herself accompanying wine through its maturing journey. My favourite wine her was the typical Vino Nobile di Montepulciano made from the Sangiovese clone, Prugnolo, enticing both on the nose and palate. I don’t really like to describe wines according to gender but this wine genuinely has a female touch; silky tannins, nice acidity and succulent fruit all branching to a long persistence.

Have I found the perfect Tuscan? Who am I really to judge perfect or imperfect? Each wine, each wine maker has a story of its own to tell, discovering each and every one of them is what keeps me going on, what keeps my thirst and dreams alive!

Unwinding through the Winding Roads of Tuscany!

After 10 hours of night train sleeping in on a hard sofa bed, then complications to rent a car without GPS, and getting lost in Florence in search of my apartment I finally made it to Greve in Chianti were I attended a tasting for 2007 Chianti Classico wines from different areas in Chianti showing different terroir characteristics. For many the word terroir doesn’t really mean anything, others understand it but its not the sole factor behind a label, for others it makes a really big difference. Terroir as many books might define it makes up a blend of different aspects around wine. Terroir is mainly the soil, grape variety, aspect of vineryard, climatic conditions and the different appellations of the region. It is ultimately the skill of the winemaker to interpret the different aspects of terroir in the wine he produces. Some winemakers might consider this unrelevant and just produce a style of wine the consumer ultimately demands.

But now back to Tuscany. For me Tucany represents the epitome of beauty. I admit that Burgundy has a mystical richness that no other region has yet Tuscany is a wine lovers dream. The winding roads of the beautiful Strada del Chianti unwind you as you drive through them. The wines of this region vary according to grape variety and ohhh yes terroir. You can taste Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello, Rosso di Montepulciano and Supertuscans all in one day, not mentioning any whites.

Well, surely what Tuscany has in common with Burgundy is the characterisitics of their red grape varieties; Pinot Noir and Sangiovese. Both light in colour due to low anthocynins; both with good acidity and sapidity; both with lovely cherry, cassis fruit with floral aromas when young which can age really well; both difficult to tame. Most Chianti Classico wines which have a minimum of 80% of Sangiovese need time to develop in the bottle so that all the components in the wine integrate better. This is the same for most red Burgundy wines.

My favourite 3 picks from todays tastings have to be Fontodi, Castello di Ama e Felsina. The Fontondi coming from the.... area had beautiful lavender notes on the nose with undertones of sweet almond liqueur; on the mouth tannins still a bit austere showing that the wine needs time to integrate better. Castello di Ama had the most vibrant colour from all and fruit was more concentrated; cherries and prunes. Mint was very present too on the nose. Tannins covered all the mouth very nicely giving the wine length and persisitance. The Felsina was the most intense in colour and its nose had enticing fruit with noce moscato very present. Even if wine had high alcohol level of 13.5% it was still very elegant and balanced, with a long silky finish.

How did the day end? With a lovely dinner at a friend who was orignally a friend of a friend who I met during the Benvenuto event last February. Well I had some burro di lardo, some pasta with collante di alici and some lovely sfogliate di ricotta da Napoli. Wines of the evening included Les Clos Laherte and Billecart Salmon Rose Champagne, Chardonnay from Valle d’Aosta, a Ribolla Gialla from Gravner and a lovely Recioto di Soave to finish up the dessert.

Well a day which started off not so well surely end with a big bang!! :)

Hidden Messages in a Bottle

Most of us have discussed endlessly the issue of cork versus screw cap and other closures. What does cork give that screw cap doesn’t? How to avoid cork taint? How to avoid reduction when choosing the screw cap closure? The story is endless and many producers decided to adopt to change and put all their wines under screw cap whilst others have remained faithful to cork.

Last week at the London International Wine Fair, I attended a seminar on the use of oxygen in wine. This was a very technical seminar with most of the panel being oenologists, yet it took a different perspective towards oxygen in wine and hence ultimately touched on the closure issue. The main debate was how to manage oxygen in wine since ultimately this phenomenon is needed to produce wines and to age them well. One of the speakers, Stephane Vidal, a post bottling oenology specialist described the use of oxygen in wine on three different levels:


1. Macro Oxygenation – the use of oxygen needed for the yeast to kick off fermentation and to keep the yeast population at an optimum level.

2. Micro Oxygenation – this is the exposure of wine to limited quantities of oxygen which can happen either through barrel maturation or through the process of micro oxygenation developed by Patrick DuCournau in 1991. This method is used widely in Bordeaux and consists mainly in the polymerization of tannin into larger molecules, which are then perceived softer on the palate.

3. Nano Oxygenation – this is the oxygen needed for wine to be stored and aged well. Around 1/2mg per year is the ideal amount of oxygen intake to mature wine at its best.


As wine undergoes the various stages of production, less and less oxygen intake is needed by the wine to maintain a balance between the proper use of oxygen and oxygenation which can create faults in wine. So is the oxygen intake from cork closure important for wine? Can the head space used in screw cap closure introduce wine to more oxygen than needed? How does the quality of the cork influence oxygen intake?

Another important and interesting point raised during the presentation by Clemancy Yates, another oenologist, was the issue of bottling. After conducting her studies on bottling lines she concluded that fast paced lines used for the production of bulk wines introduce the wines to much less oxygen intake than slow paced bottling lines used for higher quality and less quantity wines. In her opinion, the advances being made on controlling oxygen intake at the various levels of wine production can lead to wine labels to include a best by date like all products found on supermarket shelves.

Oxygen transmission rate, optical technology, jet systems are all an innovative options given to the winemaker to take control of this phenomenon. Together with closure debates oxygen management is now one of the hottest topics in the wine industry. Poor oxygen management can lead to wine faults; too little oxygen can lead to reduction, it’s up to the puppeteer to manage the best show.

Oxygen & wine: research gets specific about oxygen, closures, bottling and aging.(COVER STORY): An article from: Wines & Vines 

Celebrating the World Cup in Style

Everyone is eager to get in front of the telly to watch their favourite team on the battlefield. The World Cup always has a significant impact even on the lesser zealous football fans. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final just around the corner, South Africans have been pulling up their sleeves to prepare for this great event. Cape town Airport has been given a face lift, new stadiums are nearing completion, hotels are being refurbished and roads have been revamped. Yet what is happening within the wine industry? Most would say that it is going through a Tweeting effect. Most wineries are using the most innovative social media tools to market their wine and take advantage of this great event.


Apart from marketing their wines well, South Africans have gone a long way to improve quality in their wine making and to compete even on export markets. Recently, it has been shown that South African wines have overcome French wines on export in the UK. So which wines should one choose to drink in front of the telly whilst supporting your team? South Africa like most New World countries hosts a variety of grape varieties from the well-known Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to more interesting and expressive Pinotage. This latter grape variety is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (Hermitage), which more recently has been cultivated successfully in South Africa. Apart from the wide range of grape varieties planted, terroir is a concept South Africans are very sensitive too. At a recent seminar in Prowein, a South African producer explained how the Atlantic and Indian oceans give maritime influences and a cooling effect which result in a Mediterranean climate in regions like Stellenbosch, whilst a continental climate prevails in the inner regions of South Arica like in Worchester Region.

So which wines to enjoy easily this summer whilst supporting your squad? I would go for the following 3 easy drinking wines enjoyable any time of the day.

Chenin Blanc – Chenin Blanc also referred to as Steen in South Africa can produce very refreshing and light wines. This grape shows strong guava, tropical, herbaceous aromas which are nicely complimented with a long clean, crisp aftertaste.

Pinotage Rose – Rose wines are both trendy and very easy drinking wines. This style of wine can have an attractive pale strawberry appearance and the nose shows exuberant fresh candy with hints of flower blossoms. Off-dry, best enjoyed with chicken salads, paella and sweet and sour dishes.

Shiraz/Pinotage – A blend of the well known Shiraz grape and the interesting Pinotage grape described earlier. Smooth, medium bodied with vibrant black fruit, spice and red cherry flavors. Grilled, smoked and spicy foods are traditional favorites with this style.

http://www.thefoodie.com.mt/

The Glacial Saints bring the Winds of Change

As I clicked on my automatic blinds this morning at 7am, I was hoping for some sun to surprise my still peeping eyes yet to my dismay all that welcomed me was grey skies and ghastly cold winds; the trees in the garden opposite where possessed by Wagners’ Ride of the Valkyries. Out of time as usual for the early class on viticulture I just put on a few layers of clothes and my leather jacket. As soon as I stepped out of my 15 square metre cosy, warm studio flat I realised I had put toofew layers but it was too late now.

During our viticulture class whilst covering the various seasons and viticultural practices on the vine, our proficient professor Claude Chapuis pointed out that in the middle of May, just after a few days of sunshine when you finally start putting your short sleeves on and getting hints of tan, the Glacial saints make a visit to France. You might ask? What kind of saints are these? Or better was Berenice struck by brain freeze? Maybe not as yet. :) Well, for those Christians out there, this is easier to understand. In the quest to eliminate superstition around the 1960s, the Vatican introduced saints to all the days of the calendar and guess what! The Glacial Saints of Saints Mamert, Pancrace and Servais fall on the 11th, 12th and 13th of May respectively. This year it seems that they paid their visit earlier than usual, around a week in advance.

By now you should be asking, but why did Claude Chapuis bring up all this during viticulture class? Well, during this period winemakers would be praying all the other Saints on the calendar to limit frost damage on their yearly crop. Spring frosts are a problem in all the major wine producing regions of France from Champagne to Loire to Burgundy because they can cause severe damage to the buds which burst only a few weeks ago. The vines on the plains and the lower foothills are the most prone to spring frost, whilst the hill slopes, having the surface-chilled air, will drain more easily.

Apart from high trellis systems there are a number of ways to combat this mishap of nature. Smudge pots are fairly popular especially in Champagne. Whilst visiting a few weeks ago some wise winemakers were already spreading these pots across their vineyards in preparation for the blessed Saints. Smudge pots create warm blankets of air which protect the buds from frost. Other forms of protection against frost are wind machines which help circulate the warm air from above, keeping ground level above freezing point. Another efficient and widely used method is the aspersion system where sprinklers are used to spray the vineyards with water insulating the shoots, therefore protecting them from frost.


Well let’s hope these Saints don’t curse the Burgundian vines but bless them instead! We are all looking forward to more sun, less layers of clothes and hopefully some more skin tan which I surely miss after so many months away from the Rock!