We’ve done a short introduction video on Austria and Austrian wines to show you a bit of the landscape on tell you about the wines and about the grape varieties (gruner veltliner, pinot noire,…). The video takes you around some of the Austrian wine regions, to Wachau, Rust, Neusiedlersee etc. Watch it on BKWine TV.
A bit upstream from Angers/Savennières you find Vouvray, using the same fabulous grape variety (chenin blanc) but on different soil. Here too you can find some outstanding white wines, both crisp and dry and very sweet – it all depends on the weather, says Noel Pinguet, co-owner and winemaker at Domaine Huet. The Domaine Huet winery is one of the best producers, is biodynamic since long and is run with panache by noel Pinguet, that we have interviewed in this video (in French) on BKWine TV.
Chateau la Conseillante is a family owned (Nicolas) property in Pomerol. Jean-Michel Laporte is responsible for the running and for the winemaking since a handful of years. The 12 ha vineyard is planted with mainly merlot (80-85% in the wine) and some cabernet franc. In 2007 they launched a “second wine” called Duo de Conseillante, which now accounts for 10-20% of production.
- 2008 Duo (barrel sample): powerful, cocoa and chocolate, elegant, “aérienne”, good structure
- 2008 La Conseillante (barrel sample): powerful, lots of warm fruit, round, cassis (black currants), warm barrel aging style without being exaggerated, long, hot
- 2007 Duo (first year of production): compact, warm, lots of cassis, more substance than the ’08, good structure, balanced oak, classic and elegant.
- 2007 La Conseillante: small nose, elegant, discrete toasted oak, quite a lot of tannin, restrained but very elegant
- 2006 la Conseillante: softer and rounder, lots of cassis and fruit, high acidity, elegant tannins. “great potential, longer life than 2005, unfortunately overshadowed by 05” (Laporte)
- 2005 La Conseillante: open, developed nose with cedar wood, warm fruit and truffles. Powerful, lots of tanning, elegant, warm, young (of course). Long finish.
- 2001 La Conseillante: lighter, more delicate, very elegant. More young fruity berries in style. High acidity, more “red fruit” style. A bit angular. Needs time? “Very good” (Laporte)
- 2000 La Conseillante: warm, powerful but rounded, leather, maturity. Classic, cedar wood. Drinking very nicely now. “Excellent and delicious but perhaps less long-lived than 01”
- 1999 La Conseillante: lighter, more elegant, tobacco, cedar, classic, warm, herbs. Quite light but with lots of elegance, red fruit, good maturity. Very drinkable…
Savennières is a small and little known region not far from Anger in the Loire valley. The main grape variety is chenin blanc (one of the world’s most underrated grape variety) and it is used to make both dry and sweet white wines. It is a small appellation with not many growers. One of the top wineries in the area is Domaine des Baumard. They also make Quart de Chaume and Anjou wines. Watch our interview with the winemaker Florent Baumard at the winery in Savennières on BKWine TV.
Graves is located a short drive south of the city of Bordeaux. The majority of the production is red but they also make excellent white wines. The total area planted with vines is just under 4000 ha, only a quarter of which produces white wines. Twenty years back it was closer to half-and-half. The fall in popularity for the whites is really a shame, since they can be excellent. The grapes are the usual white varieties in Bordeaux: sémillon (which dominates here), sauvignon blanc, and muscadelle. There are two types of whites, Graves, and Graves Supérieures, this latter designating the rather rare sweet variant (contrary to how that word is used for AC Bordeaux). Here are a few recommendations for particularly successful whites in 2007:
Chateau d’Yquem is the biggest vineyard in Sauternes with its 100 ha. Since a few years back the winemaking is under the responsibility of Sandrine Garbay. When BKWine was there recently we took the occasion to make an interview with Sandrine and we have now published the two short videos on BKWine TV. Watch them here: On the first clip Sandrine Garbay talks about Yquem, the vineyard and her role as winemaker, and on the second Sandrine Garbay talks about the taste of Yquem and how the wine evolves with aging. Watch it on BKWine TV.
In 2008 Italy’s biggest export markets were:
- USA: 789 M euro
- Germany: 743 ME
- Great Britain: 478 ME
- Switzerland: 220 ME
- Canada: 200 ME
- Japan: 101 ME
- The Netherlands: 88 ME
- Denmark: 83 ME
- France: 80 ME
- Sweden: 73 ME
(Source ICE)
Emmerich Knoll is a family owned winery in Austria, run of course by the Knoll family. The winemaker is the young generation version of Emmerich. The family also runs a lively restaurant next to the winery where you can enjoy typical Austrian food and the wines from their vineyards. BKWine TV was there and made a short video interview with Emmerich just before the harvest. Watch the winemaker interview on BKWine TV here.
For the 12 months to March 2009 South African wine exports reached 4.1 million hl. That is about two thirds of the total production in Bordeaux. The biggest export markets were:
Radoux is one of France’s leading coopers. It is part of the Oeneo Group that dominates the industry. On July 6 they launched their new invention called Radoux OakScan at a presentation in Paris. This is a technique that makes it possible to rapidly and with precision measure the tannin contents of the oak staves that goes into the making of the barrel. Radoux calls it simply “revolutionary”. “There are already some methods that allows you to measure the tannin with chemical analysis in laboratories. But that takes time, is costly and is not necessarily very precise” they say. The technology used for OakScan is called SPIR, which stands for Spectrométrie proche infrarouge, near-infrared spectronomy (“near” meaning that it is close to visible light). It’s a technology that is already used in food production, for example to measure the protein contents in milk and the acid level in wine, and also in the pharmaceutical and medical industry to measure e.g. haemoglobin levels in blood.
Radoux has already since some time been selling their barrels with a “porosity” specification (medium grain, fine grain, super-fine grain…) instead of the more traditional provenance specification (Allier, Vosges,…) used by most other tonnelleries. The thinking is that the finer the grain, the more intense are the aromas. But even within each category the tannin levels can vary substantially. Starting last week, when the system was put into production, all staves going into a Radoux barrel will be measured with SPIR which will allow Radoux to make a more precise classification of the staves. The barrique buyer (the winemaker or oenologist) will have more reliable information of the tannin contents and character of the barrel and can make more informed choices when deciding on what barrels to use for aging his wines. www.radoux.fr
Les Citadelles du Vin (www.citadellesduvin.com) is a wine competition that takes its name from the Citadelle in Bourg and it is in Côte de Bourg that it takes place during three days every year. The latest edition was in June 2009. This year they had decided to launch a Grand Prix to be awarded to wines from a specific wine region. “Danube / Balkans” was the region of choice this time. The Grand Prix was to be awarded by a “super jury” made up of wine journalists who had the tough task to taste the gold medal winners in the first round of the competition and pick the one for the Grand Prix. BKWine being part of the Grand Prix jury we can attest to that it was not an easy task. There were many very good wines. Our final scores added up, the Grand Prix Danube-Balkans winner was declared and it was the Trockenbeerenauslese 2007 Huxelrebe from Anselmann (www.weingut-anselmann.de) in Pfalz. We also tasted several Greek wines, one very good white Ovilos 2008 from Biblia Chora in Macedonia (www.bibliachora.gr) and a comples and fruity Alpha 2007 made from xinomavro, syrah and merlot by Alpha Estate, also in Macedonia. (www.alpha-estate.com)
Many people are sceptical to red sparkling wines and to lambrusco in particular. If you are, you should try this wine made by Alberto Salvadori in the Emilia Romagna region. La Battagliola Grasparossa Lambrusco can make the most ardent critic change his mind. The wine is deep blood red with a hint of purple and it froths charmingly when poured. The taste is full of red berries – strawberries, currants. There’s not a lot of alcohol, only 5%. The wine is traditionally served with prosciutto ham and mortadella sausage, also coming from Emilia Romagna. Expect some 8 euros for a bottle. www.labattagliola.it
- Åsa
Panic! It’s in the middle of the summer, mother-in-law celebrates 70, you're far away in the country and you have to find something decent and appropriately festive to serve in the cottage. Calm down. Go looking for a Pol Roger Brut Réserve (some 25-35 euro). It’s widely distributed and fits the bill – full-bodied, dense and toasty champagne that you can enjoy all by itself (but preferably not by yourself) or with some nice summery fish dish. Not cheap but a good choice for the big day or for some other festive occasion. Good bubble value.
- Jack
Bistro de Serine, Bar à Vin – Caviste – Restaurant, Ampuis, Rhone
Ampuis, the ”capital” of the northern Rhône Côte Rôtie district, is not big so you will not miss Le Bistro de Serine on the main street in the middle of the town. It is a wine bar and restaurant and they also have a wine shop. The exclusive focus is of course the wines from northern Rhône, and there are many of them, not least from some of the top growers, Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron, Jean-Michel Gerin and François Villard, who is a well known northern Rhône “bande de copains” who also happens to own the bistro. Good food, well prepared, clearly a notch up since the change of ownership some time ago, a lunch menu for 19 euro.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Restaurantes El Donjuán, Martínez Cubells, 8, Valencia
In a nice and calm narrow alley you find this two-storey restaurant hidden behind a small street terrasse. Tapas is the natural choice of course and if you stay long enough and sample enough of the different small tapas dishes it will be a meal in itself. Everything we tasted was very good! And ‘la dolorosa’ will not be more painful than some 15-20 euro per person, including wine or beer. Nice.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Les Vignes de Bacchus, Trèbes
If you happen to be boating in a barge along the Canal du Midi we recommend a pit stop at the wine bar / wine shop les Vignes de Bacchus in Trèbes, just east of Carcassonne. They have a good selection of producers, focused on the nearby appellations of Minervois and Corbières. The owner of the shop/bar is also a winemaker and makes, for example, a very decent Tempranillo (3.50 euro), an unusual grape in France! From April 1 to October 30 they are open every day from 9 in the morning to 2 at night (well, as long as there is someone still there…).
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Château Ricardelle, Languedoc-La Clape
After having worked for Cinzano in Swizerland and as a wine buyer sourcing wine for German sekt producers, Bruno Pellegrini decided to study oenology to be able to start his own winery. In 1990 he arrived in La Clape and discovered Château Ricardelle, with 45 ha of vineyards, for sale. The deal was done. His favourite grapes are carignan and grenache. “They can take the heat and the dry climate much better than the syrah” he says. The “visiting card” of the chateau is the wine called Château Ricardelle La Clape, a grenache-carignan blend that costs some 7 euro at the winery. It is well structured without “make-up”, with character from the wild herbs growing around the vineyard. Pellegrini also makes a very good white from bourboulenc, roussanne and grenache blanc – complex, chewy (“gras”) and flowery. “Pellegrini” is an easy-to-like mix of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and the new grape variety marselan. The Closablières (9.50 euro) has been very well received by the market and is an oak-aged syrah-based wine with dark fruit, cocoa and wood in the character. A wine for the winter in front of the oak fire, says Bruno. He also makes several other cuvées well worth tasting.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Domaine Pierre Frick, Pfaffenheim, Alsace
Domaine Pierre Frick was one of the first biodynamic producers that we got to know. Their wines are full-bodied and full of flavour. Some are made entirely without sulphur (which is very unusual). It is not easy to make wine completely without sulphur but Jean-Pierre and Chantal Frick know how to do it. Making wine without sulphur gives the wines a different character that may not appeal to everyone – more subtle and soft character, less young, fresh fruit (only some of the Frick wines are without sulphur). They have 12 hectares and make some 30 different cuvees. All wines are closed with a crown cap (beer bottle style). They tried various closures and decided that the crown cap was the ideal (“millions of champagne bottles can’t be wrong”). The wines are over-all very well balanced, some have a little residual sugar but it is matched by a high acidity. Try the Riesling Bihl, Riesling Grand Cru Vorburg, Riesling Cuvée Précieuses and the excellent Pinot Noir Les Terrasses and Pinot Noir Strangenberg
Click here for address and more recommendations.
A few days ago I posted a long description of a situation where a site (Gibbston Gables http://www.gibbstongables.com/) is stealing my contents and reposting it on their site.
Here's the description of the inappropriate use of contents (scraping / splogging).
I had a quick response the my DMCA notification: I received today a notification from The Planet that the offending site has removed my contents.
Well, they have. But they have also made a new post that scrapes my contents.
I have also had some response from other people which have been the subject of scraping by this site, with varying result: some say thanks and will take action (good!), others say that their happy that anyone uses their material in any way at all (bad!).
So I will just have to
a) follow up with the hoster and complain again
b) watch the http://www.gibbstongables.com/ and see if they continue to steal my contents
It is curious how different markets work differently. Sweden and Denmark are basically rather similar countries, especially when seen from a distance (for instance from Paris as in our case, although we’re of Swedish origin).
Sweden is the 23rd biggest (biggest?) market for Bordeaux wine. One could almost say that we seem to buy not much Bordeaux at all in Sweden. (The UK, USA and Switzerland are the biggest markets – see more below.) Demark, that is a much smaller country (in terms of population) is the 11th (10th in volume).
The situation is different for South African wine. Sweden is the third biggest importer of South African wine, and Denmark is seventh.
Why is that?
Difficult to know, but it has no doubt a lot to do with the structure of the market. Sweden is a monopoly market and that means e.g. that they like suppliers who can supply big volumes. South Africa can. There are about as many wine producers in the whole of South Africa as there is in Saint Emilion, one of the smallest sub-districts in Bordeaux. Big buyer wants a big seller and it’s hard to find in Bordeaux (and in the rest of France).
Then there is the question of range: The Swedish monopoly carries some 2000 different wines. In Denmark you can find, according to estimates, 20,000 wines. The monopolist is “obliged” to carry at least a few wines from every wine region (for impartiality reasons) which means that there is less scope to have a good selection of Bordeaux wines.
In Sweden more than half of all wine that is consumed is sold in bag-in-box! Yes, more than half. Have you seen any Bordeaux in bib? You can find them but you will have to look hard (and this goes for the rest of France too). The South Africans, though, don’t seem to have any qualms “bottling” in plastic bags (the interior of a bib is a plastic bag).
There are many other factors to this, e.g. that Sweden is extremely trend-drive when it comes to wine. One year it is Primitivo in every second bottle (well, BiB actually), the next it is Australian shiraz etc. And Bordeaux is not really very trendy. The situation is quite different in Denmark where the retail sector (for wine) is much more fragmented.
And there is of course the fact that Danes drink more wine than Swedes. But I guess that doesn’t really account for the difference between South Africa and Bordeaux.
Since South Africa is now so immensely popular in Sweden we are launching our first wine tour to South Africa. The first one (in March 2010) will be in Swedish, but if you’re interested in going wine touring in South Africa do let us know. As you know we do do custom tours and perhaps we’ll put an English language SA tour on the program if there’s demand.
And don’t miss this month all the new wine videos we’ve put up on BKWine TV. We have, for example, and interview with the chief winemaker at Château d’Yquem, Sandrine Garbay, an interview with a Finnish winemaker in Tuscany, and much more. More info further down.
Britt & Per
PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !
More on wine:
- Guest writers on BKWine.com
- Wine videos: BKWine TV
- Wine photography
Read all of the new BKWine Brief here!
Thiefs and scoundrels
It's happened to us a few times. Our blog entries show up on some other blog in their entirety. Someone is simply copying all the posts and publishing them on their blog.
Nice, you think. someone thinks what we/I write/produce is so good that they want to copy it.
Wrong!
What they are doing is stealing your work.
Why is this bad? I'm sure there are many more reasons but here are a few:
DomainsByProxy.comSo at least now we know who is stealing our contents and who we're fighting. Sort of.
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: GIBBSTONGABLES.COM
Created on: 21-Apr-04
Expires on: 21-Apr-10
Last Updated on: 11-Jun-09
Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration GIBBSTONGABLES.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598
Technical Contact:
Private, Registration GIBBSTONGABLES.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598
To: ThePlanet.com Internet Services, Inc. and all subsidiariesI will also include pdf prints of the pages, just in case they would have been removed. (Which would be good, of course, but may cause confusion with the DMCA).
Name of Agent Designated to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement – Andrea Z. Almeida
1333 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 110, Dallas, TX 75207
Telephone Number of Designated Agent (214) 782-7800
Facsimile Number of Designated Agent - (214) 782-7756
E-Mail Address of Designated Agent copyright@thep....
Notification to the Designated Agent, Andrea Z Almeida
Subject: Notification of copyright infringement by site supposedly hosted by The Planet.com
Date: XXXXX
Dear Sir,
I am the owner of the copyright of material published on the YouTube “channel” bkwine: http://www.youtube.com/bkwine.
Identification of infringed copyrighted work
As example, I own the copyright of the following video and, equally, to the accompanying text:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ch4C3BH2U
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ7cq-5nPhQ
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75gpOInRtY
You will find a more extensive list at the end of this notification.
Identification of infringing material
The website http://www.gibbstongables.com/ , that according to my information is hosted by you, in your facilities, is infringing on my copyright of this material. They practice what is generally known as “scraping” or "splogging", in this case scraping contents from YouTube, thereby using the original material in its entirety without permission. (This is different form simply “embedding” a video which would not in itself constitute copyright infringement.)
As example, the above mentioned material is being used without my permission on the following pages:
1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview
I request that you remove the infringing material or disable access to it.
I hereby affirm, as the complaining party, that I believe in good faith that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright holder, its agent or the law. In fact, I am the copyright owner and I have not authorized such use.
I hereby affirm, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained in this notification is accurate, and that I am authorized to act on behalf of the holder of the exclusive right that I claim to be infringed.
In addition to the above mentioned, it seems that several other copyright owners have their material used in an inappropriate manner by the said site.
Sincerely yours,
signed, with contact details
Annex 1:
List of pages found on http://www.gibbstongables.com/ with infringing material to which I own the copyright. The list may be incomplete. The list does not include material from other copyright owners:
1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview
4. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-visual-vist-to-candialle-az-agr-in-chianti
5. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-domaine-boucabeille-interview
6. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-domaine-de-nizas-languedoc
7. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-visual-visit-to-tenute-nardi-winery-in-tuscany
8. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-mount-athos-wine-tsantali
9. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-interview-at-h-do-peso-vineyard-on-grape-varieties-etc
10. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/visual-visit-to-malhadinha-nova-winery-in-alentejo
Annex 2:
I attach pdf printouts of the pages referenced above.
Domains by Proxy, Inc.With that I think I've done a reasonably good effort to stop the thieving.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598
Date:
Dear Domains by Proxy, Inc,
It has come to my attention that you have made unauthorised use of my work.
The site owned and/or managed by you, according to current WhoIs lookup information, http://www.gibbstongables.com, practices what is generally called “scraping” or “splogging”, thereby copying contents from other sites without the permission of the copyright holder.
As example, I own the copyright to the following videos and, equally, to the accompanying text:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ch4C3BH2U
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ7cq-5nPhQ
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75gpOInRtY
The above mentioned material is being used in an inappropriate manner without my permission on the following pages:
1. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-kir-yianni-estate-with-stellios-boutaris-in-greece
2. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/a-short-visual-visit-to-v-innocenti-winery-in-montepulciano
3. http://www.gibbstongables.com/uncategorized/e-herdade-do-esporao-interview
This is just a few examples. There are many other occurrences of such inappropriate use of material, mine as well as that from other sources, on your site.
I request that you remove the infringing material or disable access to it within five days and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future.
For information, this copyright infringement is also the subject of a DMCA notification as well as an abuse notification to Google.
Sincerely
Did you know that for each domain name you register, anyone - anywhere, anytime - can find out your name, home address, phone number and email address?Sounds completely above-the-board, doesn't it?
On may 28 INAO approved two new appellations: Saint Pourçain, and Bugey with Roussette de Bugey. Saint Pourçain is made from gamay or pinot noir grapes and covers some 600 ha. Bugey extends over 500 ha a little east of Burgundy. AOC/AOP Bugey can be red, white or rosé, or even sparkling. Roussette du Bugey is a white wine made only from the altesse grape (locally known as roussette).
Read more... 
A new court ruling (will it be the last in a dozen or so?) has established that both the classification from 1996 and the one from 2006 will be valid. In other words, the chateaux that were classified in 1996 will all retain their honorific label and those that were upgraded in 2006 will keep it too. However, no downgrades will be done. Of course. Depressing. One wonders if the main purpose of classifications (in general, and this in particular) is to blow smoke in the eyes of the consumers. Read more: www.decanter.com and www.winealley.com
(BTW, I quite like the illustration. Try and figure out the relevance!)
France has decided to lower the VAT on restaurant meals from 19.6% (the standard VAT) to 5.5% in an effort to stimulate the sector that is suffering from the difficult economic times (and since many years from the French 35 hour working week). The new VAT should take effect already on July 1. The VAT on wine will unfortunately not change but remain on 19.6%.
Read more... 
Syrah du Monde is the competition for wines made from the syrah grape. It is of course held in the Rhône valley. This year’s top ten wines included syrahs from South Africa, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Switzerland (!), USA and Italy. Not bad. You can find the full list of winners here: www.syrah-du-monde.com
On May 29 La Clape was approved as an AOC/AOP. the wines used to be sold as “Coteaux du Languedoc – La Clape” but now they will be, simply, “AOC La Clape”. The district is close to the coast in the Languedoc, mostly on a small mountain that used to be an island but is now connected to the mainland. Many interesting wine producers and certainly wines that merit to become better known. If they will achieve that by removing ‘Languedoc’ from the label remains to be seen.
Some time back the EU countries agreed to a big reform of the wine sector. One thing that was agreed was to allow rosé wine to be made by blending white and red wine. This is already permitted, but only in Champagne. The idea was to make it a generally allowed practice. When time approached to reconfirm the agreement some wine producer woke up and started protesting, especially in France, and then also in Italy and Spain. They claimed that it would mean a catastrophe for rosé wines. Why it would be so horrible was difficult to understand. But due to these protests it has been decided to withdraw this proposal so it will not be allowed to make blended rosé. Except in Champagne of course. Now we are waiting for the producers to start campaigning for a change in the rules in Champagne. Or was it simply a way to try and protect one’s position against evil new competitors? Read more www.independent.co.uk
If you want to practice your French, and read about wine, you can subscribe to the newsletter Les Echos de Bordeaux. Les Echos is published by Agence Fleuri, which is a marketing agency focussing on wine. More info here: agence-fleurie.com (to subscribe to their newsletter you need to go to ‘Nous contacter’)
Read more...On 23 May, 2009 Piedmont’s grand Albergo dell'Agenzia, home of Slow Food's Wine Bank, hosted the 7th annual wine & art auction 'Sorsi di Pace' to benefit the charity Emergency. Each of the 24 magnums of Barolo, Gattinara, Ghemme, and IGT wines were adorned with work from a different contemporary artist. The auction raised 16,000 euro, all of which goes to assist those in need in Sudan and other African countries.
Read more... 
At Vinexpo Château du Breuil will launch two new products: First a calvados “Chocolate Blend”, which, if we understand it correctly, is not a chocolate flavoured calvados but one that has been specifically blended to go well together with dark chocolate. And then we have a Calvados-Vanille, which is not really a calvados but an aperitif (only 16% alcohol), with a base of calvados and flavoured with vanilla. Tempted? (We neither, we admit. Why would you, when plain old ‘normal’ calvados is maybe the best digestif you can get!) But we have tasted neither of the new products so we’re not in the right position to judge. More info: www.chateau-breuil.fr
The American Association of Wine Economists has chosen “The World’s wine markets by 2030” as the theme for next year’s AAWE conference. They are calling for papers on the subject. Potential speakers should contact Kym Anderson. The conference will take place in Adelaide on February 7-9, 2010. More info http://www.wine-economics.org
Read more...The latest export numbers we found was from 2006: a total of 14 million litres were exported (excluding sparkling wines). 58% were red or rosé and 42% white. The main export destinations:
… due to a proposal from the local wine authorities (consorzio) for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to increase from 20% to 30% the allowed contents of “international” grape varieties. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is almost synonymous with sangiovese. At least for most people. The grape is locally known as prugnolo gentile and is closely linked to the regions soil and history. Today a Vino Nobile must contain at least 70% of prugnolo gentile, and can also have up to 20% of canaiolo nero, and 20% other red grapes, such as cabernet, merlot or syrah. The proposal is to increase the allowance of “foreign” grapes to 30%. Why transform this historic wine into a copy of the recently invented “super Tuscans”?, ask the Italian wine bloggers, as well as the well known wine journalist Franco Ziliani. Is a wine not unique because of its heritage and its traditions, which in this case is closely linked to sangiovese? Who would gain from changing VNdM to a more international style? These are the questions that the bloggers and journalists ask Federico Carletti, owner of the big winery Poliziano and also president of the Consorzio. They have not yet had any answer. We will continue to follow the issue. www.sommelier.it, www.vinoalvino.org, www.winesurf.it
« The Italian women arrive in Paris »… that’s what they did a few days ago. 12 female winemakers from all over Italy came to Paris t present their wines. They come from all over Italy and the common denominator is that they’re all organic. They call it “natural wines”. Here was Helena Dante from the biodynamic Azienda la Colombaia (se more under this month’s producer picks) and Isabella Pelizzati-Perego from Azienda AR.PE.PE in Valtellina in northern Italy. She grows 10 ha of nebbiolo. ”I like to follow the old traditions”, she says, ”with long skin maceration (30-40 days) and long barrel aging”. The wines are light in colour but very complex and with depths of flavour.
Daniela de Gruttola at Azienda Cantina Giardino in Campania in the south also makes very interesting wines from the white greco variety. The wines get long skin maceration, 7 days, which is unusual for whites. The result is a deep golden colour with lots of body (“gras”/fat they would say in France) and a touch of caramel (albeit dry). From Sicily we have Arianna Occhipinto from the winery carrying her own name. Her reds are full of character, made from nero d’avola and frappato. We particularly liked her Siccagno, a pure nero d’avola cuvée, with good fruit and excellent balance. Her’s the list of all 12, worth looking out for:
Coup de Coeur des Femmes Journalistes is the name of another competition where we recently were part of the judging panel. The competition is run by the wine cooperatives in four of the départements in southern France: l’Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales and Gard. In other words, it covers Roussillon, Languedoc and parts of the southern Rhône valley. We were a group of 20 female journalists from all over France and we tasted the wines that had been awarded gold medals in the annual ”Concours Régional des vins de la coopération”. Our task was to select and agree on a “coup de coeur”, our favourite, for each colour. Discussions were animated (you can imagine) but an agreement was finally reached. The selected wines will be the representatives and “standard bearers” for the cooperatives for the coming year.
Our Coup de Coeurs:
At the end of April Valencia was host to the 16th edition of the annual wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. CMB has grown from a modest start in 1994 to become one of the world’s biggest wine competitions. The first edition had 861 wines. This year they had over 6000 wines and spirits from 54 countries. There were 250 judges from 41 countries (BKWine representing Sweden). Italy, Spain, France and Portugal were the winners of the “Best Wine of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2009”. The top scores went to:
At the end of April I was in Valencia to taste wines, lots of wines. I was there for the big wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles which this year, inn spite of its name, was held in Valencia, the third biggest city of Spain. I didn’t know much about Valencia before going there, but I did know one thing. Valencia is known for its paella. And I love paella so what a wonderful occasion to taste the real thing, I though. But it turned out to be a difficult “fish” to catch. Sadly, I never actually managed to get a real paella during my days in Valencia and it wasn’t for lack of trying or for lack of rice. Valencia has the biggest rice paddies outside of south eastern Asia. A bit south of the city, close to a sweet water lagoon called Albufera, they have huge plantations of rice that end up in the paellas, and many other rice dishes. The Valencianas eat rice at least three or four time a week and all self respecting cooks claim, of course, to make the original paella valenciana. And come to think of it, it’s an excellent party dish for summer if the barbecue (cook) goes on strike.
But is there any wine in Valencia? There certainly is – plenty of wine in all colours, both around Valencia and the neighbouring city of Alicante, where thirsty tourists down much of it. If you want to go up a notch in quality you might want to make a trip to Utile-Requena, a few tens of kilometres inland at 900 meters altitude. The climate is hard, very warm summers and very cold winters. The dominant grape is bobal, a local variety. It is sometimes blended with tempranillo and garnacha. They make a lot of rosé, rosada, and some good, powerful and fruity reds. The big and modern Bodega Murviedo is a good source. Try for example their Corolilla Crinaza, a 100% bobal. Most of Spanish cava (sparkling) come from Penedes but Utile-Requena also produces some. Coto d’Arcis Cava Brut nature, without dosage, dry and delicious, and Hoya de Cadenas Cava Brut made from 100% macabeo, appley with a fresh acidity, are two that stuck in my memory.
Another name to remember in DO Valencia is Bodegas Enguera. Started in 1999, they are an organic vineyard. The label design is modern and so are their wines. Easy to drink, soft but with a good backbone structure. Cañada Negra 2008 is a blend of tempranillo and syrah that has been given a short aging in Hungarian oak. Benali 2007 is a monastrell/syrah mix with 16 months in French oak barrels.
Spain is not always sunshine. Taking a walk in the old city centre, the rain starts pouring and I take refuge in a small bar. I ask for a fino sherry and I get a glass of not unknown Tio Pepe. Nothing wrong with old Tio of course and it was delicious together with a few olives. So even if this was really about Valencia I’ll finish with a call to all of you to drink more dry sherry (as well as Valencia wine!). Dry sherry is the perfect aperitif now in summer time – and any other time. You can’t find dryer than fino and it is the perfect aperitif to get your appetite going for dinner. And that’s what aperitif is for, isn’t it?
-Britt
Sopexa, the French marketing agency for wine and other agricultural products, has conducted a big survey called the Wine Trade Monitor. The study is based on 1400 respondents in 16 countries. The survey will be repeated annually. It will be presented at Vinexpo in Bordeaux later in June but already today BKWine Brief can reveal some of the most interesting conclusions from the study (NB: it only covers still wine, no sparkling, no spirits):
Price: low and mid-range dominate (71% and 67%) by far over premium and super premium (in terms of perceived demand), but with big country differences:This month I have a recommendation in the ’budget’ range: 2001 Copertino Rosso (6-7 euro). Too cheap for the fine cuisine for the nice dinner you might think. But give it a try to the cheese, and do try it with a not too strong parmesan. It is made from the negro amaro grape, ripe, leathery aromas, some cherries, a touch of burnt charcoal, well balanced with some dried fruits and nuts. Perfect to drink today rather than to age further. It is made by a cooperative in Puglia in Italy.
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Time for bubbly. The beginning of summers gives of lots of excuses to open a bottle of sparkling wine. It may be end-of-school celebrations, barbecue with colleagues, or simply an evening with friends and family. In any case, the sparkling, or spumante, Cartizze from Desiderio Bristol & Figli is a good choice. Cartizze is made in eastern Veneto, in the Valdobbidene valley, 100% from the prosecco grape variety. It’s a “cru” wine with a fine delicate mousse, wonderful freshness and aromas of pears and apples. It has a touch of bitterness that adds balance and elegance. Serve it at around 9 degrees for aperitif. Around 20 euro. www.bisol.it
Cave Saint-Marc, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
If you want to discover the vineyards of southern Rhône the small town of Villeneuve-les-Avignon is a good base. It’s almost like a suburb of Avignon, just across the river, but actually an old town in it’s own right. When the Pope was residing in Avignon in the 14th century the cardinals lived in Villeneuve and many of the impressive old buildings date from that period. A good place to taste the local wines, Tavel, Lirac, Côtes du Rhône etc, is in the wine bar cum wine shop cum restaurant Cave Saint-Marc in the centre of the town. It seems to be THE meeting point for locals. Try for example the delicious ‘petits farcis’, spicy stuffed vegetables. The cuisine is, as one would expect, decidedly Mediterranean – aubergines, tomatoes, spices and herbs dominate.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Chai Pascal Bar à Vins, Saint Emilion
This charming wine bar opened in the old town of St Emilion a year ago by Pascal Fauvel, who runs the place, and Catherine Papon-Nouvel, the owner of three St Emilion chateaux: Château Gaillard, Château Petit Gravet Ainé and Clos Saint Julien (see our video with Catherine here). Catherine’s wines are of course on offer but also many of her colleagues’ wines, both in St Emilion and from other districts. It’s a very relaxed place and if you want something to eat with your wine they offer platters with Basque charcuteries, cheese and smoked salmon. Open every day 11AM to 11PM in season, closed on Sundays the rest of the year.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Château Moulin du Cadet, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
Another small biodynamic recommendation this month. Classic, quite tannic and structured Bordeaux wines is the hall mark of Pierre Blois at Château Moulin du Cadet in Saint Emilion, just a short walk from the village. He has 5 ha, biodynamic since 2004. “Farming biodynamic means that you really have to be present in the vineyard all the time”, says Pierre. “You spend more hours in the field compared to conventional farming. And you also have to have staff that believe in the methods!” He’s very happy with the results. His vines are healthier and his wines have become more “lively” and with more minerality, he says. Very good wines, of a classic Saint Emilion cut.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Colombaia, DOCG Chianti Colli Senesi
It’s a small property of only 4 hectares that has recently converted to biodynamic farming. They will have completed their Demeter certification next year. The production is artisan, they avoid adding any substances and in the vineyard they have a horse instead of a tractor. The wines are very interesting and expressive. Colobaia Bianco Toscano IGT is made from malvasia and trebbiano and has a good body. The reds are mostly from sangiovese and are typical Chianti wines with good structure, some tobacco and solid acidity and some fruit. Definitely food wines rather than parlour wines.
Click here for address and more recommendations.
Is there anyone who has not seen Susan Boyle singing on Britain’s Got Talent? Or Diversity, the dance group who practiced in front of the bus station since there was a ‘free’ mirror wall? Incredible achievements. (If you haven’t seen it, first watch Susan Boyle’s initial performance. Watch how everyone reacts. Unbelievable. 25 million views on YouTube. Watch it here. You can see many more here.) I can’t help it, I find Britain’s Got Talent captivating. Wonderful to see all these talented people. The other night it struck me that it’s almost the same thing with wine.
Let me explain. To listen to Placido Domingo, or watch Rudolf Nureyev dance, well, of course it is amazing performances, but you wouldn’t expect anything else would you? And to get a ticket you have to mortgage the house, sort of. To listen to Susan Boyle (and watch all the others on BGT) is entirely different. It’s a discovery and it’s an experience in another dimension. To drink a Romanée Conti, a Petrus, a Grange, or a Screaming Eagle is outstanding and delicious but, (dare I say?) so what? What else did you expect? You pay thousands of euros so getting a bit of bang is only to be expected, isn’t it? But to find a small grower, in the back of beyond, that you have never heard of, and then think “wow! This is exceptional!”, that’s different. And then if the wine only costs a fraction, perhaps some tens of euros, it only makes things better.
In other words, drinking, tasting and appreciating great and famous (and expensive) wines is rather easy. It is certainly delicious wines and great experiences, but it is easy. But to find something different, the undiscovered, something that merits more attention and that surprises you, that requires a bit more effort. But it is also much more fun. And in the end perhaps you have contributed to giving some very talented but unknown wine maker a bit more of the attention and appreciation that he/she deserves. Just like those fabulous talents on Britain’s Got Talent.
So there you have a little bit of our wine drinking philosophy.
This issue of the BKWine Brief is a little different from what it usually is. We have some texts that are a little bit longer about some of the things we’ve discovered recently and fewer short stories about various wine news items. It wasn’t really intended that way. It just happened, since we had so much we wanted to share with you. But it would be interesting to hear what your reactions are! Do you prefer the longer text we write about tastings and such things? Or is it better with the short news items, like it was before? Do let us know – with praise (yes please!) or with comments and suggestions on how to make things better (yes please, that too!). We’d love to hear from you. We have some 16,000 subscribers today and we want to continue making the Brief better.
One evolution is that we are trying things in the “Web 2.0” of wine. We hope you are already familiar with our videos on BKWine TV on YouTube. (Not to mention our wine blogs.) And since some time back we’re also trying out Twitter and Facebook. At the moment it’s an experiment to try and figure out what you can do with it. But if you’re interested in that kind of things do “follow” us on Twitter and “friend” us on Facebook. Might be an opportunity for you too to see what it’s all about. You can find our links to Twitter and Facebook at the end of this intro.
It should soon be summer, even though it’s not really something you notice in Paris these days (we’ve had terrible weather this past week). That means that you should be planning for your autumn wine trip! Take a look at our autumn wine tours to Bordeaux. Or get in touch with us if you are interested in organising a custom wine tour. Last year we organised some 30 wine tours to destinations in France (of course, living in Paris), and to Portugal, Spain, Italy (Tuscany, Veneto, Piedmont), Germany, Austria… And it would be a great occasion to meet you.
Enjoy reading this month’s Brief!
Britt & Per
PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !
More on wine:
One part of the new EU wine reform is that from the first of August it will be possible to put the grape variety (e.g. riesling) on the label for wines “without geographic denomination”. Typically, this refers to wines that fall outside the traditional AOC (AOP) rules for a region. Say you make a riesling wine in Languedoc. Riesling is not a permitted variety in AOC (AOP) Languedoc so instead the wine will have to be made “without geographic denomination”, what used to be called Vin de Table, but on a VdT it was forbidden to specify the grape variety. But with the reform it will now be possible to put the variety on the label. But the Alsace producers are not happy with this. They think that putting e.g. riesling or gewürztraminer on a wine that does not come from Alsace will confuse customers and devalue Alsatian wines. Therefore they want to forbid growers in other regions to mention the “Alsatian” varieties. The French have now launched a committee that will try and find a compromise. Another example of counterproductive and narrow self-interests that hinders a progression towards a better functioning wine market? After all, there are plenty of wines out there that say riesling, gewürztraminer etc on the label from e.g. Germany, Spain, not to mention the New World. So again, we have some French producers hindering other French producers to compete better against wine producers from other countries. vitisphere.com
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If the moon is not in the right moon phase the wine may taste much worse, that is at least what Tesco and Marks & Spencer, two of Britain’s biggest wine retailers think. They only invite to tastings on days when the moon is in an appropriate position for tasting. This is inspired by the so called biodynamic sowing and planting calendar where days are categorised as appropriate for different activities. Some days are good for planting, other for harvesting etc. And apparently, some days are better for tasting than others. Jo Ahearne at M&S was doubtful but after having made comparative tastings he was convinced that it made a big difference. Time to reschedule your tastings? (Note: The calendar, established every year by Maria Thun, is not strictly speaking part of the biodynamic principles, but many biodynamic growers use it. Many growers who are not biodynamic also look at the moon phase to decide the appropriate days for e.g. bottling or racking.) More on news.scotsman.com
Some wine producers in Australia have turned out some very decent wines from albariño grapes (some 150 ha planted). Albarino is a grape variety well known from e.g. northern Portugal. At least, so they thought. Two French researchers, Jean-Michel Boursiquot and Laurent Audeguin at the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, have made DNA analysis of the vine. It turns out that it’s not albariño at all but a variety called savagnin. Savagning is a little known grape that is primarily used in the Jura district in eastern France. More vitisphere.com. Australian researchers have subsequently done their own tests and made the same conclusion… decanter.com
Read more...Perhaps not a method to take after but a quite enjoyable clip about wine tasting with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. “This one is cat and the other one is dog, right?”
Do the winemakers make wines they like, or wines the consumers like, or wines to please the most influential wine critics (Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate, James Laube of Wine Spectator and perhaps some more)? That’s the question that Tina Caputa, editor-in-chief of Vineyard and winery Management Magazine, asked herself when preparing a presentation for the American Wine Society. But she also put the question to the winemakers. The result is a video reportage looking at how the heavyweight wine critics influence the type of wines we can buy today. Watch the reportage here: downunderwines.net
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We’ve previously written about filtering of wine (us being wine tech geeks!?). Does it matter? Is it good or bad? Is there any substance in the fashion of making unfiltered wines? Here’s an interesting article by Tim Patterson in Vines & Wines: ”If filtration ’strips’ wine, what’s getting stripped?”
As part of the EU wine reform that has been agreed by the countries’ agricultural representatives it is planned that it will become legal to make rosé wine by blending red and white wine. Today, in most EU countries, you have to make rosé from red grapes with a short skin maceration (except, we’ve heard, in Spain). But that might not be something that you’re average rosé wine consumer knows. Or cares about. Now, in the eleventh hour, there has come a lot of protests from primarily French and Italian wine producers who say that it would destroy the quality of rosé wines (if it ever was there to start with). But, one might ask, did then the countries agree to it in the first place? Well, one comment we heard was that the Italians did not want to raise their voice in the previous discussions since they had been cheating with the milk quotas and did therefore not want to attract any attention. And the French? Perhaps they were sleeping? We don’t know. But does it really matter? Would it be such a catastrophe if you could make rosé wines by blending red and white? (And would the consumer suffer?) Or is it the “traditional” rosé wine producers who do not want to get more competition? We’re not convinced. And then you should keep in mind that virtually all rosé champagne is made by blending red and white wine. And we have not heard anyone protesting against that. Have you? See e.g. Reuters and vitisphere.com
More rough times for Robert Parker. Not only is he in trouble with the wine blogging community but he also seems to have difficulties with his own ethical rules. He has laid down very strict ethical rules for how the Robert Parker tasting and writing team operates. For example, they always pay their own hotels, they do not accept trips paid for by wineries or promotional organisations, they always pay their own restaurant bills etc. In reality, rules that virtually no other professional wine writer can live by. But now it turns out that his collaborators in the Robert Parker publications apparently do not follow those rules. DrVino, an interesting wine blogger, wrote a letter to Parker and asked for clarifications. Parker is, after all, a very dominant entity in the wine world, so it is reasonable to know what goes. Tyler Colman (=DrVino) did receive an answer but Parker simply dismissed the question without at all addressing the key questions. Another thing that has made the wine bloggosphere buzz. With reason, we’d say. Read all of DrVinos story here
Read more...That is at least what many wine bloggers think. Parker does exist on the internet, as eRobertParker.com, but he’s certainly not a dedicated Web 2.0 adept. More importantly, he has written several denigrating comments about wine blogging, wine bloggers, and the Open Wine Consortium (organising the American Wine Bloggers Conference), implying that what wine bloggers write is of no value and that many wine bloggers are ‘bought’ by the wine industry. Not good Mr Parker. Read a detailed commentary here: WineLifeToday.com and SansDosage.blogspot.com and winecase.wordpress.com
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CrushPad started a few years ago in California. It’s a (relatively) inexpensive way to make your own wine. They collaborate with wine producers and as a member / customer you get the possibility to (almost) make your own wine. Grapes are supplied by selected vineyard partners and you get expert advice and assistance to make your own microcuvée at a winery. In California the model seems to have reaped some success and now the Crushpad model comes to Europe. They have started a cooperation with Chateau Teyssier in Bordeaux, run by Jonathan Malthus, where the wines will be made. And then you only need to bring the bottles home to your bursting cellar. “Our clients can live the dream of owning a vineyard at a fraction of the cost” says Stephen Bolger, president of Crushpad France. www.crushpadwine.fr or www.crushpadwine.com
France will lower the VAT on restaurants to 5.5%. Currently restaurant bills are subject to “normal” VAT at 19.6%. The change will happen in January 2010, or possibly already in July this year. The intention is to dampen the downward trend that restaurants have seen in recent months. Restaurant visits have gone down with between 10% and 50%percent. restho-news.com
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If anyone doubted the importance of Parker Points (ratings from the wine guru Robert Parker) the story of this year’s primeurs should dispel any doubt. Liv-ex has made a graph illustrating the price evolution of Chateau Lafite 2008. On April 29 Parker published his comments on the 2008 vintage and his rating of Lafite was very positive. The Liv-ex graph is very illustrative. Read more on the Liv-ex post here: Liv-ex
E&J Gallo is one of the world’s largest producers of wine, based in California. The Spanish table is a small grocery store chain in Seattle with four shops, specialised in Spanish food. Gallo is about to take the food store to court because they sell a Spanish brand of pasta, made in Spain, called, you guessed, Gallo. EJ Gallo had given The Spanish Table until April 16 to comply with their demand to remove the pasta but already on April 14 they filed in court. Are there not better things to do for a wine producer? Read more: Modesto Bee or watch the video king5.com
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Vine Growing and Wine Making
The original Swedish title is "Ett vin blir till" meaning A Wine is Born. It is a unique description of the work in the vineyard and in the wine cellar. Published in 2009. More info on the web site for A Wine is Born.
Languedoc
Wines, vineyards and winemakers in Languedoc in the south of France, one of the most dynamic wine regions in France, and in the world. Published in 2007. More info on the site of the Languedoc book.
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