BACCHUS FOR YOU

Wine Prevents Food Poisoning!

2010-10-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

Wine, then Dine!

Drinking wine with your meal, in addition to being good for your heart, may help ward off food poisoning before it happens. Scientists at Oregon State University recently found that wine can put the kibosh on three common food pathogens: E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. In lab studies, the wine's combination of ethanol, organic acids, and low pH appeared to scramble the bugs' genetic material. All wines have some effect, say researchers, but reds are the most potent.

Walgreens to sell beer and wine

2009-10-02T22:00:00.001-04:00

Walgreen Co. plans to add beer and wine to its stores, marking a return to a business it exited more than a decade ago.

The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain expects to roll out the liquor category to stores nationwide in the next 12 to 18 months as part of a broader attempt to drive traffic and boost sales, Chief Executive Gregory Wasson said. The return to the liquor business comes as the nation's largest drugstore looks for ways to return to profit growth. The company is starting to reap the benefits of making over stores, cutting costs and expanding its healthcare businesses, Wasson said.

Walgreen's fiscal fourth-quarter net income fell 1.5%, beating Wall Street expectations.

"We've adjusted our retail model to respond to what we believe will be lasting changes in consumer behavior," Wasson said. The 108-year-old company is in the midst of what Wasson described as "one of the most important strategic and operational transformations in our company's history."

Wasson, who began his career at Walgreens drugstores as a pharmacist, was named CEO in January after leading the company's healthcare business. The retailer already had begun to shake up its insular culture before Wasson took the helm, hiring outsiders for top jobs in marketing, technology, finance and merchandising. The pace of change has accelerated under his watch.

Walgreens slowed the rapid-fire pace of building new stores this year and instead poured money into remodeling existing stores. The program, called "customer-centric retailing," is aimed at creating stores that are less cluttered, more tightly edited and easier to shop.

The drugstore chain opened 35 test stores this spring that have shown positive results, Wasson said, without providing specific details. The format is on its way to 400 stores in Texas and will arrive at stores nationwide next year. The new Walgreens also will have fewer impulse items, such as Chia Pets, and more consumer staples, such as toilet paper and toothpaste.

The store makeover was needed to compete with CVS Caremark Corp. and to battle the growing pharmacy businesses at Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said Brendan Langan, director of retail insight at Management Ventures Inc., a Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm.

"The Walgreens of yesterday was designed for a shopper with more time than money," Langan said. "It was too hard to find things. They had too many products and too many promotions." As for the liquor business, it signifies a break from the past, Langan said.

"There are no sacred cows in Deerfield," he said. "Everything is up for evaluation." Walgreens had been selling liquor since the end of Prohibition, with an array of beer, wine and spirits. The retailer got out of the business in the early 1990s, citing the complexity and cost of operating the department. There also was some question as to whether it fit with the company's health-and-wellness image.

The new liquor departments will be scaled back, selling only beer and wine. Walgreens disclosed in June that it was applying for the local government licenses needed to reintroduce beer and wine to its national chain of more than 7,000 stores. Rival CVS said it sells liquor in about 4,100 of its 7,000 stores and has been doing so for at least the past 20 years.

By Sandra M. Jones

Wine Tycoon computer game launched

2009-10-01T23:33:00.001-04:00

Ever fancied yourself as the next Bernard Magrez or Michel Rolland?

You might not have the capital to buy a Bordeaux super second but you can put your winemaking skills to the test in a new computer game where players fight it out to become wealthy wine barons.

Wine Tycoon, which goes on sale in the US next month, allows players to create vineyards in 10 of France's most prestigious wine regions including Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.

Commanding operations form their 'Château', players have to build their winery, plant and tend to their vines throughout the year, hire staff to harvest the grapes and produce up to 50 wines from more than 40 grape varieties.

Players are in charge of all vineyard operations, from grape planting and pest control through to winemaking and the bottling plant.

In order to succeed in becoming a wine baron, equipment must be meticulously maintained and crops carefully tended.

The game has two levels – Career and Free Play, and comes with a Wine Encyclopedia with a glossary of wine terms, grape varieties and wine regions.

'For many, wine is much more than a drink with dinner, it's an all consuming passion', said Howard Horowitz, president of the game's publisher, Got Game Limited.

Wine Tycoon will retail at US$19.99

Lucy Shaw

Resveratrol Shows Anti-Viral Abilities

2009-10-01T23:13:00.001-04:00

Italian study finds that the red-wine compound prevents viruses from replicating inside cells

Resveratrol, the polyphenolic compound found in red wine and the prominent focus of medical researchers, may be able to fight off viruses, according to a new Italian study. While the chemical has shown hints of anti-viral properties in previous studies, the new work shows that it appears to prevent virus replication at the cellular level. More research is needed to see how widespread the effect is.

Viruses, from the common cold to polio and the H1N1 "swine flu," are infectious agents that can only reproduce inside the cells of a host, inserting their genetic material into the cells. The new study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, finds that the polyomavirus is unable to hijack a cell for this purpose if resveratrol is around.

"The continuous presence of resveratrol in the culture medium is necessary to exert its antiviral action," said Gianfranco Risuleo, a genetic and molecular biologist at Sapienza University in Rome and a co-author of the study. "[The chemical] shows effects on the synthesis of viral DNA; the action is not at cell entry level but rather at the nuclear level."

Polyomavirus, a family of viruses that can trigger tumor growth, is often chosen for research because its reproduction is totally dependent on the metabolism of the infected cell and therefore can be measured during several stages of its proliferation.

For the current study, the researchers exposed two different lines of mouse tissue, one with tumors and one without, to polyomavirus and then to either 20 or 40 micromoles of resveratrol. (The average glass of red wine has 10 times less resveratrol.) Control groups were not given any resveratrol.

The researchers found that in the tissue without tumors, after 24 hours, 20 micromoles of resveratrol reduced the number of viable infected cells to 80 percent. By 48 hours, that number dipped to 60 percent. With 40 micromoles, only 60 percent of the infected cells were viable after 24 hours, with only 42 percent still healthy after 48 hours.

While the exact process requires further study, the research indicates that resveratrol somehow blocks the ability of a virus to use the nucleus of a cell to replicate its own DNA. In cases where resveratrol was removed from the experiment after only four hours, the virus was soon reproducing freely.

Risuleo added that the results show a definite clinical, if curious, potential for the red-wine compound. "Resveratrol shows a paradoxical effect on cultured cells: i.e. it is likely innocuous at low concentrations while it becomes significantly toxic at higher concentrations, in the range of 40 to 50 micromoles." Risuleo said similar results can be expected in similar viral lines, such as chicken pox (Varicella zoster), herpes simplex and even influenza A.

The resveratrol also prevented viral reproduction in tumor cells. "Interestingly, tumor cells seem slightly more sensitive to the drug," Risuleo said. Recent studies suggest some viruses may play a role in triggering some types of cancer. For example, according to a new study published online on Sept. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, polyomavirus is now believed to be associated with a rare skin cancer, known as Merkel cell carcinoma.

Jacob Gaffney

France allows regions to do away with traditional 'ban des vendanges'

2008-09-30T21:38:00.000-04:00

The Graves region of Bordeaux and Bourgeuil in the Loire have become some of the first appellations to do away with the traditional harvest start date, or 'ban des vendanges'.

As part of wine sector reforms initiated by the national appellations office (INAO), wine regions throughout France have been given the freedom to decide whether or not they wish to abolish the ban.

Allowing areas to abolish the harvest date can, in some cases, put an end to early harvesting and increase quality.

'Winegrowers went harvesting as soon as the ban was proclaimed without even looking at the maturity of their grapes,' one Loire winemaker told French wine site Viti-net.com.

The head of the Bourgeuil winemakers' union, Philippe Pitault said that his organisation would continue testing maturity and issue a 'correct' harvest date.

'That will reassure some winemakers who are not too sure of themselves,' he said.

In Bordeaux, and other wine regions in France, the ban des vendanges is a big part of winemaking folklore. Regions such as St-Emilion have maintained the tradition, as have Alsace and Beaujolais. The Graves appellation south of Bordeaux, however, confirmed it had put an end to the ban.

Some regions, including Saone et Loire in Burgundy, have deliberately issued very early harvest dates, maintaining the tradition and putting an end to early harvesting. The ban for the Saone et Loire was issued on 3 September.

Oliver Styles

New Wine For Seniors

2008-09-18T21:38:00.004-04:00

I kid you not... New Wine for Seniors

California vinters in the Napa Valley area, which primarily produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic.
It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to make to the bathroom during the night.

The new wine will be marketed as:

PINO MORE

Polo
Para, USA

A winery in name only

2008-09-09T20:18:00.002-04:00

Couple sets up shop in Houston to import, sell French wines
Tim and Phyllis Smith own a "winery"near Rice Village where they import and sell French wines. In order to operate their business, they had to obtain a winery license.

In 1973, Tim Smith bought a grand-cru Beaujolais in Paris for 80 centimes. That bottle of Morgon, for an outlay of about 20 cents, proved a life-changing experience.

"I thought I'd died and gone to heaven," he recalls wistfully.

Now 35 years later, Smith owns a winery in what was once a photographer's studio near Rice Village. Make that a "winery," since what Smith and his wife Phyllis really do with their French Country Wines is import and sell. In order to do both legally in Texas, they had to obtain a winery license.

If he's not yet a superstar in the cellar, he's got a refined taste for wines made by other people, especially those who are making it in small, reasonably priced quantities far off the beaten path, mostly in the South of France. One of Smith's Châteauneuf-du-Papes, the Domaine du Banneret, comes from a well-situated producer who isn't known even to the local tourist office, probably because he produces at most 400 cases each year.

It sells for $34, right at the top of Smith's price ladder. Fresh and harmonious in the glass, with a nice long finish, the 2004 Banneret drinks like it should cost at least twice that much.

"This wine is a perfect example of what we're trying to do," Smith said. "We wanted to expose people to the kinds of wines we like, wines you just couldn't find here. (The big importers) are looking to buy five pallets at a time. Some of our producers don't make five pallets in a year."

A retired litigator, Smith ultimately found his way into the wine trade to "keep me off the streets." His passion is finally close to profitable — despite the weak dollar, the numbing bureaucratic minefield one must traverse to become an importer-retailer and the fact that his portfolio consists of boutique producers that almost nobody in Houston had heard of.

"The label-approval process took six months," Smith said. "I never realized they'd be so nitpicky about it."

Smith acknowledges his naiveté as a fledgling wine merchant, admitting he might never have moved forward with his venture without the support of a certain Frenchman.

Francophiles Tim and Phyllis knew of Jean-Marc Espinasse only through his Web site, which featured a wine every day, and that of his wife Kristen, who's behind french-word-a-day.com. But when Smith e-mailed him, Espinasse replied within 24 hours. It seemed he had a small wine brokerage and was looking to expand in the U.S. market. They agreed to meet in Phoenix, where Kristen is from, and forged a partnership. About 60 percent of the wines Smith sells are acquired through Espinasse, including Espinasse's own Rouge-Bleu.

"As it turned out, we have very similar palates," Smith said. "But he has encouraged me to explore and find other wines. I want to keep our portfolio vibrant."

Smith's Web site is excellent, informative and easy to navigate. Through the Internet and word of mouth, augmented with well-attended biweekly tastings — there's one tonight at 6 p.m., featuring cheese from the Houston Dairy Maids — his customer base is expanding, and he's gaining restaurant placements, including Café Rabelais, Brasserie Max and Julie and, most recently, Aura.

If you're inclined to visit the shop, it's best to call first: 713-993-9500. As Smith says, "It's just me, and sometimes I've got to run errands." (Phyllis has a "day job" as director of projects for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.)

A more pleasant, less pretentious couple you will never find in the wine world. They know they're just the messengers; in the end, it's all about the wine they sell.

DALE ROBERTSON
Houston Chronicle

Legal row over French wine classification

2008-09-09T20:12:00.002-04:00

The wine classification system in France can make or break a vineyard Photo: EPA

A row over the highly competitive wine classification system that can make or break a vineyard is threatening the reputation of the Saint-Emilion chateaux, producers of some of the world's most famous wines.

The disagreement, which has led to a series of law suits, concerns the rating of 'les vins de Saint Emilion' by a jury run by the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Under the system, only a handful of the 800 vineyards are classified as le classement. The successful candidates are then divided into three categories; premier grand cru classe A, premier grand cru classe B and grand cru classe.

The row originates when the league table was revised two years ago. Then the le classement featured 61 chateaux including six new ones. Two others were promoted from grand cru classe to premier grand cru classe B.

But 11 vineyards lost their place, a relegation that can have a huge impact on a wine producer's income. Seven of the 11 vineyards that lost out went to court to challenge the decision.

After two years, Bordeaux's Administrative Tribunal upheld their claim this summer and ruled that the jury had failed to taste all the wines in the same conditions.

The 2006 classement was quashed and the eight promoted vineyards were relegated and the 11 vineyards were reinstated..

"This is a great moment for us," said Philippe Genevey of Chateau La Marzelle, which regained its grand cru classe status.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the losers take a different view and are looking to appeal the decision. Xavier Pariente, the owner of Chateau Troplong-Mondot said he had spent "dozens of millions of euros" to win a place in the grand cru classe B category.

"That's almost 20 years of hard work and investment by all the personnel here wiped out at the stroke of a pen. It frightens me and revolts me," he said.

Consumers are cutting back

2008-09-09T20:07:00.003-04:00

Restaurants take the hardest hit in terms of wine sales

The pinch of higher gasoline prices on American wallets is adding to the reluctance of consumers to go out for a drink or dinner and drinks--all of which is hurting on-premises sales.

History suggests people don't necessarily drink less during difficult economic times, but a survey done earlier this month indicates more folks are enjoying a glass of wine at home rather than dining and drinking out.

"Wine is more likely to be consumed in dining establishments, which have been more heavily affected by the downturn in the economy than bars or nightclubs," confirmed Danny Brager, vice president of client service for beverage alcohol at The Nielsen Company specializing in marketing and media information.

More than 40 percent of the bar managers, bar owners and bartenders surveyed by Nielsen and data services provider Bevinco noted a decrease in consumer traffic while 25 percent have observed a decrease in the number of drinks ordered, and 22 percent say customers are ordering less expensive drinks. Wine drinkers are choosing house varieties more often, according to 9 percent of operators.

Consumers also said they're cutting back. "During a survey we did in May, about 50 percent of consumers told us they were going out less often; and when it came to fine dining, that number went up to 66 percent," said Brager. "Considering on-premises sales usually account for half of all wine dollars spent, these declines are huge."

Restaurants have also been hit by cutbacks in business travel and entertainment budgets, added Jon Frederickson, president of wine industry analysts Gomberg Frederickson & Associates.

"With restaurateurs ordering less, distributors are being very conservative in their buying," Frederickson added. "So the shipments from wineries are soft from some regions."

Off-premises sales of wine in the U.S. remained healthy through June with increases in both the number of sales and volume. "Over the past few months, cheaper wines have started to make a comeback in terms of their sales growth while the sale of more expensive wines has slowed down," Brager noted.

The double-digit increases for $15 wines over the past few years have also disappeared. "Some consumers who were spending $15 are now thinking how they can save a couple of dollars and still get some very good wines at little bit lower price-points," Brager explained. "We see a trend towards buying wine at stores that offer deep discounts or promotions or the convenience of one-stop shopping." In fact, higher fuel prices have contributed to a 4 percent decline in shopping trips.

Although wine purchases still account for a small percentage of online shopping, these sales are increasing rapidly as people look for ways to avoid using their own cars, Brager added.

Frederickson said his firm has noticed that wine clubs are experiencing a membership decline and lower participation at events and on wine trips as people rethink how much they want to spend on wine and related outings that involve driving.

"Many wealthier individuals have seen their stock market portfolios drop about 20 percent in value over the past year, so they're less likely to spring for expensive wine," he added.

Frederickson doesn't see the higher input costs being faced by grape growers and wine producers as significantly driving up prices for consumers. "Your favorite bottle might go up 25 to 50 cents, and that might influence your decision to buy something else, but there's such an array of products at so many different price-points, and prices can vary by a dollar every week with discounts and so forth.

"Obviously if you're looking at a brand like Two Buck Chuck which costs $1.99 in California, even a 20-cent increase will put some pressure," he added. "But the people putting out that wine are enjoying some enormous sales growth because the category seems to be growing very rapidly this year as people seek bargains. During hard times, people still like their wine but some do trade down."

Higher fuel costs are having less of an impact in areas such as British Columbia where more than 80 percent of B.C. wine is sold within the province and more than 25 percent at local winery gates.

"Another 28 percent is sold through B.C.'s liquor stores but not a lot of this business is done in the most northern areas of the province," said Lisa Cameron, the British Columbia Wine Institute's communications manager. "I think the problem will be for volume exporters facing steeper transportation costs."

Brager said there's no question people are eating and drinking more at home, but they still appear to want affordable luxuries. "So I think the wine category will fare relatively well, but markets need to adjust because there will still be consumers shifting product choices to stretch their dollar."

Frederickson agreed. "Yes, higher fuel prices and the economic slump are affecting on-premises sales, but people are still drinking their wine," he said. "They might be trading down, but we might also see them springing for a $12 or $20 bottle as a luxury item that's still affordable even during hard times."

Julie Gedeon

Bad news for French wine harvest

2008-09-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

Bins of grapes are pictured in the St Emilion region in 2000

PARIS (AFP) — French wine authorities predicted Tuesday that this year's harvest will be smaller than the previous one due to poor weather and fewer vineyards.

Production is expected to reach 43.6 million hectolitres, close to five percent less than last year's 46.54 million hectolitres, which was already considered lower than average, according to the national agricultural body Viniflhor.

Harvesting of grapes began in southern France in late August after several months of rain, wind, hail and a spring cold snap that left Viniflhor officials pessimistic.

Table wines -- the lowest quality produced -- are expected to drop by 8.5 percent compared to last year while the prestigious AOC-labeled wines will be down 6.8 percent, according to Viniflhor.

"The cold snap in late March had a direct impact on some vineyards," Viniflhor said.

"From the Bordelais region to Provence, there was frost on April 6 and 7, at a critical period when the grapes are very vulnerable," it added.

Uprooting of vineyards has also caused a dent in production.

Under an European Union plan to combat overproduction, wine producers are offered compensation in exchange for curbing their vineyard capacity.

Vineyard properties remain a hot buy

2008-09-01T16:32:00.002-04:00

Vineyard real estate prices remain strong in Napa County, especially for “lifestyle” homes with vineyard views. J.L. Sousa

The price of a residential piece of real estate may be falling. But you’d never know it out among the vines.

The demand for Napa County vineyard land is strong, and the future looks even brighter, according to industry observers.
David Freed is chairman of UCC Vineyards Group, a firm that specializes in vineyard property sales and owns vineyards from the Sacramento Delta to Santa Barbara. He said that he can look back at the past 10 to 15 years of transactions and count the number of vineyard foreclosures on one hand.

“Because of the scarcity of property in Napa, the sellers are in control,” Freed said. “I know of a property on Zinfandel Lane that was on the market for two years because the seller wouldn’t budge on his price. He recently got his price.”
Umpqua Bank’s Steve Kattner, senior vice president of the wine specialty group, said he is not seeing any crossover from the housing market. “I don’t see things slowing down ... barring some sort of agricultural disaster,” Kattner said.

Tom Jordan makes his living assessing vineyard properties in Napa. The principal of Associated Services Appraisal said that when he started here in 1974, no one paid $10,000 for an acre of vines. Now prices start at about $100,000 per acre, and in some cases reach more than three times that high.
‘Adult Disneyland’

In many ways it’s economics 101: Demand is outstripping supply.

But the economics are also driven by forces beyond the composition of the soil and the quality of the sunlight that strikes the land.

Large numbers of investors and wealthy individuals have long looked to own a piece of the wine country dream. Tony Correia, president of Correia-Xavier Inc., an appraisal service in Sonoma, said Napa Valley’s global reputation keeps the market vigorous.

“For many of us in my industry, this is an adult Disneyland,” he said. “It is a unique market with extraordinary capital and very savvy players for a limited supply of property.”

Jordan said some of the really big players actually don’t want the vineyards — they’re in it for the brand.

They sometimes acquire large pieces of property that come with a wine brand; they sell off the land and then buy grapes for their wines.

“Big companies want to build brand,” Jordan said. “It is not necessarily the land that they want. They can build the brand, not the land ... they are about selling image. They don’t really care about the real estate so much.”

While residential brokers take out listings in newspapers and plant signs on lawns, and commercial property brokers post billboards on available sites, vineyard deals are often done quietly.

“If we want to buy, we often hear about it over the fence,” Freed said. “Many vineyard properties don’t come to the marketplace. You have to get right on it. It’s a very tight market here.”

Just as corporations sometimes are in it for the brand, so-called “lifestyle” buyers are in it for something other than the grapes. They are looking for a dream home — commonly a second home — with grapes on the side. They pay a premium for it.

“These (buyers) pay more than the large-scale commercial grower” per acre, said Correia. “The lifestyle buyers are less concerned about the economics, and that has been the case for quite some time.”

Jordan said he has heard of 10- to 15-acre “lifestyle” parcels fetching up to $300,000 per acre.

Julie Nord of Nord Coast Vineyard Services estimated that developed cabernet sauvignon vineyards in the mountains can fetch $300,000 per acre, while on the valley floor prices are in the $175,000 to $200,000 range.

In the areas of Rutherford Bench, Howell Mountain and Oakville Bench, vineyard real estate can hit $400,000 to $500,000 per acre. Property transactions on those sites often include a wine label, inventory, mailing list or a crush facility.

It is a diverse group putting money in vineyards, ranging from individuals to investment groups and insurance companies — and even pension funds looking for long-term investments.

“There are a lot of foreign (investors) right now,” Jordan said. “Wine real estate is attractive because of the weak U.S. dollar. In the 1980s it was the Japanese, and now it is the Europeans. And there is a lot of wealth in emerging China.”

He said there have been major buys recently, including three big sales of chardonnay acreage in Carneros.

“We’re talking a couple of hundred acres, and that is a bit unusual.”

Pritchard Hill, in the hills east of St. Helena, is a hot property right now because of the reputation of the red wine being produced in the area by Chappellet Vineyard, Colgin Cellars and others.

“People follow wines and look for opportunities,” Jordan said.

Said Correia, “There is a lot of capital looking for some place to invest and right now winegrapes are attractive,” he said. “There is a lot of capital going into ag properties all over the world. (Investors) perceive strength in agriculture right now.”

MIKE TRELEVEN

Massive Bordeaux 2000 collection at Christie's

2008-09-01T16:27:00.002-04:00

A major collection of 2000 Bordeaux comes under the hammer next month at Christie's London.

More than 3000 cases from some 70 chateaux will be auctioned on 15 and 18 September.

Christie's claims this is the first auction of a 'single bottled vintage', ie not en primeur. The wine belongs to a 'private European collector' and has been kept in bond since it was shipped from the chateaux.

The upper and lower estimates for the entire auction are from £1.27m to £1.6m.

Estimates for individual chateaux range from £7000-£9000 for a case of Lafite, £6000-£8000 for Latour, £3500-£4000 for Mouton and £3000-£4000 for Haut-Brion.

Chateau Margaux is not included. All lots are 12-bottle cases.

Christie's said in a statement that the wines on offer range from 'ready-to-drink wines, through a gamut of classed growths, to exceptional premier cru classe chateaux promising a long life ahead…'

decanter.com staff

Rosé consumption in the pink

2008-09-01T16:21:00.002-04:00

The popularity of rosé has been confirmed as new figures show the number of regular wine drinkers who drink rosé has risen by over 60% in the last three years.

According to research commissioned by the WSTA, six out of ten wine drinkers now drink rosé compared to less than four out of ten in 2005.

The figures, contained in the latest Wine Intelligence survey, suggest the growth in popularity of rosé has come in part at the expense of red, with consumption of red wine falling by 10% over the past three years.

Although white wine retains its position as the most popular style, rosé was shown to be the most appealing to newcomers to wine.

WSTA Chief Executive Jeremy Beadles said, 'Even without a good summer it seems the taste for rosé continues to spread. Interestingly, the figures show women have increased their rosé consumption the most'.

The findings of the survey back up the results of a recent Decanter.com poll, in which 70% of Decanter readers considered rosé a serious wine.

Sales in rosé also appear to be on the up, with Sainsbury's reporting a 50% increase in sales the last three years, up 25% on last year.

'We have added 12 rosé's to our stock in the last year alone and now sell 40 different rosé varietals', a spokesperson from Sainsbury's said. 'There is a definite move towards fresher, less syrupy styles. Italian varietals such as Sangiovese are becoming very popular.'

Lucy Shaw

Remarks concerning this on Decanter.com

As a British wine writer living in Spain I'm not surprised to read about the increase in rosé wine consumption as detailed in Decanter. One only has to look at the bodega (wine merchants) and supermarket shelves to see the large range of rosados on offer to realise that here consumption of rosado is well established. For further proof look at the diners in restaurants eating their wonderful paellas - their wine of choice, almost exclusively rosado!

However I suspect, though I have no statistics as yet, that rosado consumption here will level out and remain essentially constant rather than rise like it is doing in the UK. I believe that the reason for this is as follows: in previous years white wine in Spain has been largely disappointing, with some notable exceptions of course, such as the Albariños of Galicia. This has meant that historically wine drinkers who have not wanted a full red to sip or to accompany paella etc have taken to drinking rosado.

However for me Spain is now right in the vanguard of super white wine production where areas like Rueda, Somontano, Penedés and others are now turning out lovely white wines in many different styles. Indeed the best white wine I have tasted this year and now one of my favourite wines is in fact from that bastion of red wine excellence Clos Mogador, DO Priorat! ('Nelin' is a blend pf Garnacha Blanca, Viognier, Marsanne, Macabeo and Pinot Noir and is a superb mouthful of fruit with a wonderful nose, a complexity and depth that one can only gain from the very best white wines, and a long, lingering, gorgeous finish - incidentally!).

Therefore I believe that the increase in rosé wine consumption in UK will be mirrored here, but with white wine as more and more Spaniards and ex-pats realise that Spain is no longer home to just red wine. Rosé wine will however hold its own (paella and mariscos without it is almost unthinkable!) so it will be, as in the UK, red wine that loses some of its market share.
Colin Harkness

As a french rosé drinker and Loire wine exporter I am happy to read that"...70% of Decanter readers considered rosé a serious wine". This is the way we do in Anjou area with our semi-sweet rosé (Rosé d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou). I could also talk about the dry Rosé de Loire but I prefer to emphasize on the exceptionnal particularity of the semi-sweets. Who knows that these 2 wines could lay down for many years? Not many people I guess ! Well, I have tasted several time some old vintages of rosés d'Anjou from different Domaines: most of them were fantastic!! The last one I tasted was a 1956: wonderful. Same color as a cognac; lot of dry fruits aromas; lot of freshness; and a bit of acidity. Delightful!

But even whe these wines are young they are gorgeous: elegant, fruity, with freshness and a delicate sweetness.

I had recently a stand in a wine fair in UK and I remember the immense amazement of all the people who tasted these wines for the first time: they almost all wondered why they didn't find these kind of wines more on the shelves !! What else (as will say George Clooney)
Mr. Lionel Lafitte, Loire Links, Louerre, France

Thank you so much for the article on rosé by Lucy Shaw. We've been making rosé for four years now up in Washington and the overall work being done vis-"-vis quality, style and public awareness has dramatically increased in the last decade. And now we are truly seeing an increased visibility in rosé consumption. It is so gratifying, especially reading articles like yours. As I travel around the country tasting with consumers there are still corners that don't “get” rosé. But that's alright. We only need a handful of friends in every city to spread the word. Keep up the good work.

California grape growers wary of proposal on Chile exports

2008-09-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

Grape lovers could have an easier time finding Chilean bunches untouched by the potent chemical methyl bromide, under new rules proposed Wednesday by the Agriculture Department.

At Chile's request, and after at least six years of study, the Agriculture Department wants to lift the long-standing requirement that Chilean table grape producers eradicate mites with methyl bromide.

Instead, Chilean producers would follow a new system of registration and inspections.

California table grape growers need not fear either infestation or competition, Bush administration officials insist.

"Most grape production in Chile takes place during U.S. winter months, when there is little or no fresh grape production within the United States with which to compete," the Agriculture Department noted Wednesday.

But the idea is being greeted cautiously in the San Joaquin and Coachella valleys of California, where 99 percent of all U.S. table grapes are grown.

"We still have to learn more," said Barry Bedwell, president of the Fresno-based California Grape and Tree Fruit League. "We know there's going to be overarching concern over the possible introduction of pests."

Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission, agreed that U.S. technical experts must still dig into the details in a five-page Federal Register notice.

"Once we do the analysis, we'll be advocating our position accordingly," Nave said.

Chilean producers currently fumigate their U.S.-bound table grapes with methyl bromide to protect against Brevipalpus chilensis, also known as the false grape mite. Barely 1 millimeter across, the tiny mites nonetheless can be big-time trouble.

The mites feed on leaves and can seriously damage vineyards in the spring. U.S. growers want to do everything they can to avoid them.

Chilean clementine, mandarin and tangerine producers have already been permitted to replace methyl bromide fumigation with a system that includes inspection.

Chile's plant protection agency began testing whether that system could work with table grapes and found that it did, Agriculture Department officials reported Wednesday.

The proposed system would require Chilean producers to register with the country's agriculture officials. Random fruit samples would be tested, and if a single mite were discovered, methyl bromide fumigation would be required for export.

California produces about 703,000 metric tons of table grapes annually. The domestic grapes are primarily shipped to the U.S. market between May and November. Imported grapes take over between December and April. Chile leads the way, accounting for about 75 percent of total U.S. imports.

The issue could further expose divisions among U.S. growers. Coachella Valley growers, whose crop comes in earlier than the San Joaquin Valley's, have in the past been more resistant to measures that would increase Chilean shipments.

Michael Doyle

Soil moisture monitoring saves water, improves wine grape quality

2008-09-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

Those who have invested in water saving technologies are breathing a little easier than those who have not as California water supplies get even more scarce.

Victor Hugo Roberts, owner of Victor Hugo Vineyards and Winery in Templeton, Calif., is one of those who invested in high tech soil moisture monitors to manage his irrigation. This is his third year using the technology.

“We are probably reducing our water usage 50 percent to 60 percent of what we used to put out before we went to the monitoring system,” Roberts says. “We may start sooner and irrigate more often, but we’re not using as much water. Instead of one long irrigation cycle during the week in the warmest part of the season, we might go with two lighter irrigation cycles and still use less water.”

Applying more water than the soil will hold in the root zone only moves water out of the area where the vines can utilize it and reduce water efficiency.

Victor Hugo Vineyards and Winery specializes in a wide selection of hand-crafted lots of wine. The vineyards consist of 78 acres planted to Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Viognier and five Bordeaux reds — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

Drought management strategies are implemented from the time the vineyards are planted. Vines are grafted on four different phyllexora and nematode resistant rootstocks also specifically selected for drought tolerance. This enables Roberts to use mild deficit irrigation to concentrate flavors and further improve wine quality. The use of soil moisture monitoring allows him to tweak the irrigation input even more. Roberts contracts the soil moisture monitoring service through Precision Ag, Inc. in Paso Robles, Calif.

“This technology is much more sophisticated than the neutron probe,” Roberts says. “We have constant access to soil moisture conditions which allows us to deliver water only when we need it. The ability to record temperature data along with soil moisture is just another bonus.”

The neutron probe is almost antiquated technology, according to Lowell Zelinski, independent PCA and owner of Precision Ag Inc. “Soil-based monitoring systems that use capacitance sensors provide much better data than the neutron probe,” he says.

Zelinski believes that capacitance-based soil moisture monitoring is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to schedule irrigation in vines, trees and many other permanent and semi-permanent crops.

“Many methods of soil moisture monitoring are effective for telling you how much to water but don’t tell you when,” Zelinski says. “To optimize plant health and the plant’s use of water and nutrients, knowing when to water is just as critical as knowing how much. With the capacitance sensors you receive accurate, reliable, visual data that can answer both questions.”

The system can track temperatures, rainfall, leaf moisture, soil water, and a number of other factors and is so precise that water can be applied within a few minutes of when the system alerts the need for moisture.

“It gives you much more than just a snapshot of the situation,” Roberts says. “Our soils have a very high shale content, so they don’t hold moisture very long. It’s critical that we irrigate when the vines need the moisture, but at the same time, we don’t want to waste water.”

There are six wells on the property, but five are relatively shallow wells which makes water conservation even more important for Roberts. “Soil moisture monitoring gives us the capability of 24/7 analysis,” he says. “We put just enough water on without going beyond the permanent wilting point so we never put our vines into severe stress.”

Soil moisture monitoring systems vary in features. However, it is now reasonable to expect systems to come with sensors that measure multiple factors such as air temperature, relatively humidity, rainfall and irrigation events, and leaf wetness. Zelinski uses Decagon ECH20 soil moisture monitoring equipment.

“I’ve been amazed at what I’ve seen this season,” Zelinski says. “You can walk out in a vineyard and look at the vines, but you can never tell exactly what’s happening with soil moisture at any given point unless you have this capability.”

Although the name Victor Hugo is famous in 1800’s literature, Victor was supposedly named after a great uncle and a great grandfather (the man who anglicized the family name from the French name Robert to Roberts). There is no attribution to any literary connection, although the name certainly invokes a “bootstraps” type of ideology. Roberts has definitely pulled himself up into the respected echelon of the Paso Robles wine industry with that work ethic.

Roberts graduated from U.C. Davis in 1979 with a degree in enology. After three years of winery experience, he saw an advertisement in a wine industry publication for a winemaker at a new winery in the Paso Robles area. He took the position where he remained for 15 years as winemaker and general manager until leaving in 1997 to establish Victor Hugo Vineyards and Winery. Roberts was on the founding board for the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association and served three years as its first president. He was chairman of the Paso Robles Wine Festival for eight years.

In 1985, he and his wife Leslie, planted 15 acres on the Templeton property which today encompasses the family home, vineyards and a “laid back” tasting room.

Brenda Carol

Grgich celebrates 50 years of making wine - and history - the Napa Valley

2008-09-01T16:05:00.002-04:00

Mike Grgich celebrated 50 years of winemaking in the Napa Valley Saturday. Guest of honor at the gathering was George Taber, author of “Judgment of Paris.” Grgich made the chardonnay that bested French wines in the dramatic tasting that put Napa Valley on the map. Lianne Milton Photo

Taber, 'Judgment of Paris' author, blasts 'Bottle Shock'
for leaving out man who made the winning white wine

Wearing his trademark beret, Mike Grgich surveyed the sold-out, wait-listed party at Grgich Hills Estate winery last Saturday and said, “I cannot describe how happy I am tonight. It is a gratitude that comes not one fold but many fold.”

The occasion was the 50th anniversary celebration of Grgich’s arrival in the Napa Valley. The young man escaped from Communist-ruled Croatia with a suitcase and $30 American dollars in his shoe and, a little more than a dozen years later, made a Napa Valley chardonnay that set the wine world on its head when it bested the French wines in a blind tasting that’s come to be known as “the judgment of Paris.”
Warren Winiarski’s Stags Leap Wine Cellars Napa Valley cab took high honors for a red wine at the same event, which catapulted the Napa Valley onto the world-wide wine map.

George Taber, author of “The Judgment of Paris,” which describes the historic tasting, was among the guests paying tribute to Grgich at the dinner.
Grgich, sprightly at 85, shared anecdotes of his early years in the valley when, following his father’s advice, he tried “to be better every day.” Grgich said, “He taught me do your best every day to learn something new, and if you can’t do something important in a day, make a friend.”

Grgich’s career in wine began when he was 3, he explained, because in his family “everyone worked in the harvest,” including his mother — who would put him in a vat with grapes for safekeeping while she worked. However novel a method of childcare it was, it worked, he observed: He had plenty to eat and a way to pass the time, squashing grapes.
From the time at university when a professor whispered to him that California was “paradise,” Grgich was determined to find his way there “because who wants to wait to die to go to Paradise?”

When he finally got to the Napa Valley in 1958 he set about learning to make wine from everyone he could, including the men who have since acquired the status of legends: André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards, Brother Timothy at the Christian Brothers Winery and Robert Mondavi, who launched his own winery in 1966.

The triumph at Paris, Grgich said, was, in a sense, everyone’s achievement. It was no coincidence, he noted, that both he and Winiarski had worked for Mondavi. “It showed that the U.S. could make wine as good as the French, which is what Robert Mondavi always wanted,” Grgich said.

Blasting ‘Bottle Shock’

Grgich, who made the winning wine for Chateau Montelena in Calistoga, only made a passing reference to the recently released film “Bottle Shock,” a film based on the Paris tasting, which, rather bizarrely, omits Grgich as well as Winiarski.

“If you have seen it,” Grgich remarked mildly, “you will notice I am not in it.”

In a private conversation, Grgich said he had been sent a copy of the “Bottles Shock” script but he could not sign off on it, he said, “because I couldn’t find anything honest in it.”

He also noted it was not the first time a controversy had arisen over credit for the winning chardonnay. In 2006, he said, when Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa, hosted a 30-year re-enactment of the Paris tasting, he was invited and then “uninvited.” He was given to understand that the owner of Chateau Montelena, lawyer turned vintner Jim Barrett, objected to his participation.

Taber, the only journalist who attended the 1976 tasting, was considerably more scathing in his remarks about “Bottle Shock.” Taber spoke during the dinner. At his first mention of the film another guest booed and Taber said, “I agree.”

Like many, the author questioned the judgment that left Grgich out of “Bottle Shock.”

“It’s unfortunate,” he said, “because it’s a version of reality that’s not true. The movie, unfortunately, does not tell the truth about what happened at the Paris tasting.”

He had recently seen the film, he said, “and I think I saw Mike’s beret twice.”

“The film, he said, “committed two sins against the truth, the sin of commission and the sin of omission … I can’t think of any other word that describes what went on in that movie.”

Taber said the characterization of Steven Spurrier, the British wine merchant who organized the tasting, was entirely off the mark and reduced the man to a stereotype. As for Grgich, Taber said, “the movie doesn’t talk about the guy who made the wine. The man who made the wine that put Napa on the map is not in the movie.

“I know it’s Hollywood,” he said, “but a true artist doesn’t rape reality.

“Mike’s is a wonderful story,” Taber said. “It really is the American dream and there aren’t many as rich as Mike’s. The Paris tasting was important and Mike played a major role, and it wouldn’t have happened if Mike hadn’t got off that Greyhound bus.”

In response to criticism of the film, a spokesman at Chateau Montelena said he was unfamiliar with the circumstances of the 2006 tasting, and that Jim Barrett was traveling and unavailable for comment. He referred questions about the film to its Sonoma producers, Marc and Brenda Lhormer.

Marc Lhormer said the original script, written by Los Angeles attorney Ross Schwartz, did include Grgich as a major character. But after “Mike said he didn’t like it” and the script was criticized for having too many characters, the decision was made to rewrite it, reduce Grgich’s role, eliminate mention of Winiarski and focus on “the drama of Jim Barrett as a lawyer struggling against the odds to realize a dream of making a go of owning a winery.”

Lhormer, who added that neither he nor his wife Brenda had ever spoken about the project to Grgich, said the script had also been sent to Barrett, who did not object to it.

Calls from the Register to Ross Schwartz were not returned as of press time.

Ironically, Chateau Montelena has also been in the news recently because of its pending sale to French vintner Michel Reybier.

Looking to the future

However it may be portrayed on film, the reality of his big win in Paris was that it allowed Grgich to realize his dream of opening his own winery, which he and Austin Hills founded in 1977.

“I think this is my best success,” Grgich said, noting that his family-owned winery is not only on sound financial footing and producing estate wines from organic and sustainably farmed grapes, but it’s in good hands for a second — and possibly third — generation to come. His daughter Violet and nephew Ivo Jeramaz are dividing responsibilities for running the winery and making the wines.

Plus, Grgich noted, “Ivo has six children and my daughter has her son.”

Violet Grgich, a gifted musician, provided a grace note at the evening’s end. Performing on the harpsichord with her husband, Colin Shipman, playing the viola da gamba, she told the audience. “In honor of the Paris tasting and my father’s winning wine, and of George Taber being here, we thought we would play some French music.”

Correction: An erlier version of this article misstated information about Austin Hills

SASHA PAULSEN

French wine sales plummet in credit crunch

2008-09-01T16:00:00.003-04:00

French wine is now focused towards the higher end of the market Photo: STEPHEN LOCK

Sales of cheap French wines are falling sharply worldwide as cash-strapped British and American consumers feel the pinch of the credit crunch.

Producers of cheap French plonk exported less wine in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2007.

A report released by the French export development agency showed that export volumes fell by 8.7 per cent in the six months to June as consumers say no to the much loved dinner time glass of red.

However, the value of French wine sent overseas increased by 8.2 per cent showing that consumer demand for French wine is now focused towards the higher end of the market as lower-quality European wines struggle to compete against exports from Australia, Chile and the United States.

The strong euro, which makes European wines more expensive for British and American consumers, is also affecting the lower end of the market.

"Contrary to popular belief, it is no longer the highest quality wines that are responsible for the bitter aftertaste of our exports," said the report by UbiFrance.

Continuing to sell well is the popular Bordeaux of 2005 while the biggest wines to suffer were France's vins de table and vins de pays, and bottles from the famous Champagne region which endured a drop in volume of 4.2 per cent.

How To Create Your Very Own Magnificent Red Wine Experience

2008-09-01T15:09:00.000-04:00

Is there a better time to enjoy red wine than on a special occasion? I think
not. Make it a special experience with your woman or man. Even if you don’t
have a date you can still make it special by integrating red wine into this
special day, the colour alone makes it suitable! I want to offer some
suggestions as to how you can accomplish just that. In my opinion, there’s more
to accomplishing this task than simply picking up a good bottle of wine. Read
on to learn more.

I remember my first great red wine experience. The amazing thing: it really
wasn’t just the wine that made the experience a great one, but all of the
elements. Do this right and you can really make things impressive.

But you need to do these 6 things:

1. Find and enjoy the right wine.

2. Ensure the ambience is special.

3. Have a really good meal.

4. Successfully pair the right food and wine.

5. Make it intimate.

6. Document the wine.

So the secret to creating the great experience with red wine is in successfully
addressing each of the above elements and integrate them into the entire
experience.

I’ll now tell you exactly how to do that.
Firstly let’s address how to find and enjoy the right red wine.

There are really two major parts contained in this first element: finding a good
wine and how to sample and enjoy the wine. To begin, let’s discuss finding a
wine that both you and your significant other will likely enjoy (or just you
that’s fine too). I would suggest the guide to selecting great tasting wines
for less than $10. So once you’ve found the right wine you need to know how to
really enjoy the wine.

Let’s now discuss the second imperative element: ensuring the ambience is
special. To accomplish this you’ll need a dimly lit room to allow for a
soothing surrounding. Get your self some nice quality candles. I would
recommend unscented so that you can enjoy the smells of the food and wine
without interference. I recommend either beeswax or soy candles as they have
far less soot and release negative ions which purify the air.

You’ll also really want some nice easy listening music in the background. Of
course everyone's tastes in music differ, but it’s very important to get
something good and not something too generic, for example, don't play the kind
of music you’d expect to hear in an elevator. I’d recommend some nice classy
jazz piano music from a fellow Canadian I like: Diana Krall.

The third element is having a really good meal. You can certainly search the
net and get tonnes of recipes but it’s sometimes hard to judge the bad recipes
from the good ones. You can also dig out any cookbooks you have and give it a
try. However you can instantly access high quality recipes from a master chef
which are laid out in a step-by-step fashion by How To Cook Like A Pro. This
book comes in the form of an E-Book and is accompanied by free cooking videos
and guides on how to pair wine and food and how to enjoy wine. So this really
helps us with element # 1 and element # 4 (both of these elements were mentioned
above). I would definitely recommend checking it out. I think you’ll be really
impressed with the quality of this guy. Just think about how many special
experiences you’ll be able to create!

This leads into the fourth element: pairing the right wine and food. Obviously
the above mentioned bonuses (included with the above book) will help you with
this one. At this point, you’ll either need to decide what food dish you’re
preparing before you get your wine or vice versa. However you do need to make a
decision in this regard.

Last but not least, it’s essential to include an element of intimacy. This can
mean different things. That is, if you don’t have a date then now is the time
to really sit back and relax after your meal and continue enjoying your wine and
savouring the moment. If you have a date, then get intimate with him or her.
This really doesn’t need explaining.

Most important of all: make sure you document your wines. I keep a little
coiled book in which I rate the wine using my own scaling system (Use your own
simple with a rating of 1 to 4 or whatever). I also write down the name of the
wine and producer, the country and region (if available), percentage of alcohol
and most importantly my impressions of the wine. Don’t worry so much about
using the right terminology. Start by using your own descriptors and as you
learn more about red wine you’ll learn the correct terminology. This will
ensure you have a sincere winespeak and are not using pretentious words without
understanding them. You’ll also naturally remember the correct terminology and
the whole process will be meaningful for you (in my opinion).

In closing, following all of the elements I've discussed, will make any special
occasion even better. In future, you’ll associate certain foods and wines to
the music, the person you spent time with, etc. and vice versa (in other words,
you'll remember all the special things and be reminded of them from time to
time). It’s also a nice way to form memories that inspire you to create more
great red wine experiences in your life. You can continually use your
creativity to enhance things even more; for example, finding the perfect wine
glasses, silverware, dishes, etc. Putting your own personal touch on things and
using your own creativity makes your experiences very special and feels
wonderful.

Matthew Wagner
Red Wine Academy

Bottle Shock

2008-08-31T16:00:00.000-04:00

By some coincidence, the movie Bottle Shock was released on the day I went to California’s Napa Valley. Bottle Shock, a small but generally well-reviewed film starring such dependable B-listers as Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman, tells the story of one of the wine world’s most famous events: the so-called Judgement of Paris. In 1976, a young British wine dealer called Steven Spurrier who had failed to make much headway in cracking the French wine establishment had a bright idea.

The wines of California were growing in popularity across the Atlantic. But they were still derided by the French. Supposing he organised a blind tasting at which French wine experts judged French and Californian wines? The experts would not be told which wines they were trying. But if their dismissal of California wines was based on a genuine inferiority of taste, then that should not matter. The wines would come out bottom at the tasting anyway.

Spurrier managed to persuade the French experts to agree. And predictably, not only did California wines come out on top in many cases but it was also clear that the French really could not tell the difference. In one celebrated case, a French expert declared “what a relief it is to drink a good French wine” while drinking one from California. A journalist from an American newsmagazine was present at the tasting and his story made waves in the US. Other papers picked up the news and though the French stuck to their view, the Paris tasting gave California wine-makers the confidence to go ahead and compete forcefully on the world stage.

It is an unlikely subject for a Hollywood movie though given the recent success of Sideways and Mondovino perhaps wine is such a hot subject that people will want to see the movie anyway. And if the film makes him famous among a wider audience, Spurrier may not mind that Alan Rickman plays him with what the New York Times critic describes as a “parched low voice and an air of beleaguered pomposity.”

I thought of Bottle Shock because the French have not really changed their minds about California wine. They may be polite about it in public and may even have invested in California vineyards but the private disdain persists. The French criticism of California wines are based around the following points: n French wine is an agricultural product. Its quality depends largely on the soil on which the grapes are grown. The great Bordeaux vineyards, for instance, such names as Mouton, Lafitte or Haut Brion, have been renowned for producing excellent wine for centuries. This is because the vineyards themselves have such perfect soil that the grapes that grow there will yield amazing wine.

California wine, the French say, is an industrial product. There are few historically revered vineyards. Many famous wines are grown on land that its owners have purchased over the last ten or twenty years. In Napa, the producers don’t even grow all their own grapes but buy them from local farmers. So where is the sense of an agricultural product emerging from special soil? These wines are not based on the vineyard but on the brand name. Wine makers use science and tricks to create ‘special’ wines from ordinary grapes. n French wines are about elegance. California wines are about power. Ever since the influential wine writer Robert Parker began laying down the law, California wines have become more and more intense and full of fruit. Such wines, say the French, lack the subtlety of truly great wines. Speaking for myself, I have little time for old world snobbery and the French claim to historical prominence. If a wine is good, how does it matter how old the vineyard is?

On the other hand, I do tend to prefer the elegance of French wines over many of the fruit bombs that come out of California. Also, I don’t think that the French tendency to treat wine as an agricultural product is mere hype. Visiting the Burgundy vineyards, I saw myself how seriously the wine-makers took the soil. Often they would argue that the wine from the first row of grapes would be better than the wine from the second and third because the soil was better in the front. It is hard for the Californians to take that line because they don’t treat their vineyards as being that special. California wine makers dispute some of this. Besides, they argue, if French wine is so much better, then why did Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the owner of Mouton Rothschild, one of the great wines of Bordeaux, rush to make wine in California?

There are trendier, more expensive and better wines in California but few have the historical importance of Opus One. In 1978, Robert Mondavi, the leading California wine figure (he died a few months ago) was invited to Mouton by Philippe de Rothschild. Baron Philippe proposed a joint venture in California. Mondavi agreed and the two men set up a 50-50 partnership.

In 1981 Mondavi sold 35 acres of one of his vineyards in the Napa Valley to the venture. In 1983, another 50 acres were purchased. And in 1984, they acquired a 49-acre vineyard. Altogether, the venture had 134 acres. But there was no sense of designated vineyards with great soil like Mouton. Philippe de Rothschild called the wine Opus One and it quickly went on to get the highest prices ever for a California wine. The wine was subtler than many of its California contemporaries but the prices were a consequence of the brand values of Mondavi and Rothschild.

These days, Opus One is rarely talked of in the same breath as such great California names as Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate but it remains one of the big boys. Its wines seem to me to be too intensely fruit-flavoured to bear comparison with Mouton itself but such is Robert Parker’s influence that even Bordeaux wine makers are making more intense wines so some of the old California-Bordeaux distinctions have broken down.

The winery itself is beautiful and they gave me both the 2001 and the 2004 vintages to drink. I thought both wines were very good but nobody I spoke to at the winery had any answer to the question about the importance of soil. If the Rothschilds believe they can produce great wine by buying parcels of land all over California, then what makes Mouton so great? In France, the Rothschilds make a different claim. They say that their wine is exceptional because Mouton is one of the best vineyards on earth. Both positions cannot simultaneously be valid.

Among the other wineries I visited was the spectacularly beautiful and hilly Spring Mountain vineyard. Spring Mountain is owned by a Swiss banker who has lavished funds on it, buying two other adjacent vineyards to create a huge estate. I spoke to Jac Cole, the wine-maker and was intrigued to find that his position was closer to the French wine-makers I had met. Cole reckons that good wine is a creation of ‘terroir,’ of the soil and the temperature mainly. He grows his grapes all over the vineyards and then harvests them in lots. He made me taste the wine from four different lots to demonstrate how the same grapes could yield such different wines in the same year only because they were cultivated a few hundred yards apart from each other. Of course he was right. There were huge variations in taste between each lot which he attributed to the soil, to altitude and temperature (parts of the vineyard are cooler than the rest).

His job as wine-maker, he said, was to take the different lots and to create a blend that reflected the best of each batch of grapes. “You could say that I am a flower arranger,” he said. “I arrange flowers that have already been grown.” Later, he expanded that to include the image of himself as a conductor of an orchestra. But even then, he conceded, the score is already written. The top Spring Mountain wine was – to my untutored palate at least – the equal of Opus One. So clearly the traditional, French-style approach to wine-making works in California as well.

But even after I had finished touring the vineyards, I was left with no answers to the big questions. Is California now better than France? (My instinct is to say no.) Does the vineyard not matter as much as the French say it does? In the end, it boils down to taste. If we drink it and we like it then it’s good. If we don’t like it, then no matter what anybody says, it is not good. Wine is about taste. And taste is personal and subjective.

Vir Sanghvi, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, India

Hong Kong, France sign memo on cooperation in wine-related businesses

2008-08-31T15:55:00.001-04:00

HONG KONG,(Xinhua) -- Hong Kong and France signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in wine-related businesses on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong-France Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Wine-related Businesses was signed by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of HKSAR government Rita Lau and French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Michel Barnier.

This first MOU that Hong Kong had signed on the subject, demonstrated the commitment of both sides to encourage wine- related businesses, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Tsang said at the signing ceremony.

Tsang said under the memorandum, Hong Kong and France would facilitate and promote trade in wine. The two sides would strengthen co-operation, exchanges and the sharing of experience in areas including the stimulation of wine-related trading and investment activities, wine education and manpower training, promotion of wine-related tourism and wine culture, as well as customs cooperation against counterfeit wine.

He said France is the largest supplier of wine imports into Hong Kong, accounting for about 30 percent of Hong Kong's imported wines in 2007. In terms of value, French wine represented about 57percent of all wine imports to Hong Kong last year, with a growth rate of 108 percent compared with 2006.

Also speaking at the signing ceremony, the French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Michel Barnier, said the MOU would produce a win-win solution for Hong Kong and France.

He believed France's "unique expertise and large diversity in production" made it the reference partner for wine trade and promotion, Barnier said.

He also noted that with its logistical and financial expertise, its unique knowledge of the Chinese mainland's market as well as the strength of its hospitality and retail sectors, Hong Kong is "the natural wine hub for Asia and is well positioned to catch the emerging business opportunities of the fastest growing international wine market."

Hong Kong became the first free wine port among major economies with the abolition of wine duty earlier this year. Since then, there has been solid growth in wine imports, wine auctions with record-breaking sales and announcements by renowned companies to expand their wine trading, distribution and storage business in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's first International Wine Fair organized by the Trade Development Council of Hong Kong from Aug. 14 to 16, attracted more than 240 exhibitors from more than 25countries and regions as well as 8,800 buyers from 55 countries and regions.

Bi Mingxin

French wine export volumes fall, but values rise

2008-08-31T15:50:00.001-04:00

French wine producers exported less wine in the first half of this year but got more for it than a year earlier as overseas markets opted for more expensive wines, a report said.

Ubifrance, the French export development agency, said export volumes fell 8.7 percent in the six months through June. However, the value of French wine sent overseas increased by 8.2 percent to 3.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion).

The author of the report, Herve Henrotte, warned against celebrating the rich returns, which "concerns only a small category of products, hiding a less euphoric reality."

While fine Bordeaux and other vintage wines are popular exports, lower-quality wines and lesser-known wine regions struggle against competitors from countries such as Australia, Chile and the United States.

And the strong euro, which makes European wines more expensive for U.S. consumers, combined with global economic woes to depress overseas sales at the lower end of the market.

Another worry came from the star product of the French wine industry, Champagne, which produced less than sparkling results with a drop in both volume and value by 4.2 percent and 1.3 percent respectively.

In contrast, exports of sparkling wines from the Loire valley, Alsace and Saumur "were very dynamic," the agency said in a report released Monday.

Vin de Pays, or country wines, lost favor in the U.K., U.S. and Germany -- markets that saw an increase in upmarket wines belonging to the expensive AOC, or Appellation d'Origine Controlee, category.

Exports of table wines were hit by Russia's switch to Moldovan wines.

By EMMA VANDORE
PARIS,FRANCE

River cruise with a carbon-free conscience

2008-08-31T15:33:00.009-04:00

The route passes through some of France's most picturesque rivers and canals Photo: Getty

The Rhone, like all great rivers, has banks lined with great towns Photo: Getty

The route takes in Camargue, famous for its beautiful horses Photo: Getty

Fine French wines and cheeses keep the passengers thoroughly content

On a luxury barge holiday in the South of France Max Davidson finds that fun can coexist with planetary survival.

What goes at 200mph, then 2mph, is fuelled by fine French wine and leaves no footprint? Answer: a “carbon-neutral France” holiday devised by a tour operator with an eye for the eco-conscious 21st-century zeitgeist.

No cars or planes for the passengers gathered on L’Impressionniste, a luxury barge that plies the canals and rivers of the South of France, between Agde and Avignon. We may have arrived by high-speed train – Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV to Montpellier – but from now on we will be progressing at the speed of a well-fed French snail.

You can almost see the stress dropping from the faces of the passengers as the barge looses its moorings and the sunlight dapples the water and the first champagne cork pops on the sun-deck.

The 168-mile Canal du Midi, overhung with plane trees, is one of the glories of southern France: it was originally built as a trade route, a short cut from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, but now has the verdant languor of a rural backwater. Contented ducks snooze in the shadow of the branches. Swallows swoop overhead. There is a smell of new-mown hay from the fields.

“Look!” I say, as something stirs on the bank. “A rabbit!”

“Don’t say that word,” yelps the captain, Nicholas, putting his hands to his ears. “Not on ship. It’s unlucky.”

“What? You mean French sailors are superstitious about rab-”

“Stop it. You may only refer to 'small fluffy animals with long ears’.” At which the poor man starts hopping about like a ham actor at the mention of the Scottish play. All very odd.

But what sybaritic pleasures lie in wait for us once the unmentionability of rabbits has been made clear. Our cabin, the Cézanne, is not quite as luxurious as the Renoir next door, but it is light and airy and appropriately decorated, with a still life of Provençal apples to whet our appetites for dinner.

Ah yes, dinner. They take dinner seriously on L’Impressionniste – the only thing taken more seriously is lunch. While the chef, James, works his wizardry in the galley, two jolly women from Shropshire provide the running commentary.

“Our white wine today will be a Côtes du Luberon from the Domaine Chasson,” announces Sarah. “The red wine will be a Saint Chignian.” Two bottles of each have already been uncorked; with only eight passengers to drink them, they are setting a cracking pace.

“And the cheeses…” Bonnie squints at her crib-sheet. “We have a Saint-Nectaire, which comes from the Auvergne, and has a grey rind, and a Bresse Bleu, which is a pasteurised blue cheese produced in the South of France.”

The basic idea, consistent with the carbon-neutral theme, is to consume as much local produce as possible. On the Etang Thau, a salt-water lagoon, we tuck into the local oysters, followed by thielles, Cornish-pastie type pies stuffed with octopus and tomatoes. In the Camargue, it is riz de Camargue and steaks from the famous local bulls.

On shore, we visit the Noilly-Prat factory in Marseillan and, later, a vineyard at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, near Avignon, where a master wine-taster, one of those Cyrano-nosed Frenchmen who could find the spittoon from 20 yards, puts us through our paces.

But this is not, by and large, a foodie holiday. Always reassuring to know that you will be well fed and watered, of course, but it is the lazy pleasures of a canal cruise that etch themselves in the memory.

After leaving the Canal du Midi, we head east, along another canal, towards the Camargue and the Rhône. The plane trees give way to marshlands, and the sea is only a few miles away. A solitary flamingo flaps towards the setting sun. A catamaran glides past, with a woman doing aerobics on deck. An old man slumbers over his fishing-rod.

One afternoon, we take a detour into the picturesque village of Pezenas, where Molière wrote many of his plays. Another afternoon, we cycle through the sand dunes towards the Mediterranean and take a pre-dinner swim. The boat goes so slowly that at times it seems to be standing still. But every day brings something different.

The white horses of the Camargue are famous the world over, but to see a pair of them shoot out of the tall grass and gallop along the bank, manes fanned by the wind, is a magical experience. On the opposite bank, in a timeless vignette of rural life, a thatcher in dungarees bundles up the sheaves of hay, watched by his dog.

The Rhône itself is a great beast of river, far wider than I had expected. At times, it is lily-pond still; at others, whipped up by the famous mistral, the north wind that blows down the Rhône valley, it is so choppy that Nicholas, at the helm, looks like Captain Ahab battling the waves.

Like all great rivers, its banks are lined by great towns, which have grown with the centuries. The second half of the week turns into a kind of A-Z – or rather A-A – of French walled cities: starting with Aigues-Mortes, fortified by the Crusaders; Arles, where Van Gogh shared a house with Gauguin; and Avignon, with its famous bridge, overlooked by the craggy Palais des Papes.

The human landscape is equally beguiling, with our fellow passengers proving a glorious mixture of the clubbable and the eccentric. The young couple from Brisbane are visiting Europe for the first time. The banker from Toronto keeps surreptitiously checking the Dow Jones on his BlackBerry. Lily, who divides her time between Canada and Barbados, is a shopaholic.

On the last night, we have a captain’s dinner, dressed in our glad rags, then dance the night away on deck, under a starry sky, with the lights of Avignon glowing in the distance and the dark, silent river gliding past.

“We shall miss L’Impressionniste,” I tell Nicholas, putting a drunken arm around his shoulder. I was feeling no pain – and, having opted for a carbon-neutral holiday, no eco guilt either.

Getting there
A six-night cruise on L’Impressionniste between Agde and Avignon costs from £2,471 per person with Abercrombie & Kent (0845 618 2213; www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) for Sunday departures until November 4. Price includes Eurostar and TGV tickets, transfers, tours and full board in a junior suite.

Trimbach to produce a Grand Cru

2008-08-24T03:21:00.000-04:00

Top Alsace producer Maison Trimbach has revealed that it will produce a Grand Cru wine after years of strongly resisting the idea.

Pierre Trimbach told decanter.com that, as part of an 18-year agreement with the Couvent de Ribeauville, Trimbach would label wines made from the convent's vineyards as Grand Cru, where applicable. The convent's name will also appear on all wines made exclusively from its grapes.

For around 20 years, the Trimbach estate has purchased between one and 1.5ha of Riesling from the convent's Grand Cru Geisberg vineyard to go in the flagship Cuvee Frederic Emile.

The new deal gives the producer access to all the convent's vineyards – a total of 7.6ha – and complete control over how they are farmed.

The convent's vineyards are composed of 2.7ha Grand Cru Geisberg (primarily Riesling, with a tiny amount of Muscat), 0.5ha of Grand Cru Kirchberg (Pinot Gris) and 4.4ha spread over the Rotenberg, Ellenweiher, Lutzelbach and Rittloch vineyards (planted with Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir).

Along with other acclaimed Alsace producers Hugel and Beyer, the Trimbachs have long criticised the boundaries of Grand Cru vineyards, which they claim have been expanded for political reasons to include parcels not worthy of the designation.

Tom Stevenson

Winery wins fight to stop trees

2008-08-24T03:18:00.000-04:00

A South-West winery has won a two-year battle to stop a blue gum plantation being grown next to its vineyard, with Great Southern Plantations dropping the plan amid wrangling over whether the trees’ oily mist would contaminate grapes.

The company walked away from its proposal after owners of the property it was leasing asked the company to end its project so they could “live in harmony with their neighbours”.

It ends the sometimes heated dispute between Great Southern and Yanmah Ridge winery over whether the trees’ oily mist, which famously gives the Blue Mountains its blue tinge, would settle on its grapes and contaminate its red wine.

Manjimup Shire Council twice rejected the plans, a first for the heavily wooded region, after growing evidence showed that “wine taint” could occur but buffer zones to solve the issue could not be agreed upon.

An appeal was due to be heard before the State Administrative Tribunal this month.

Part-owner and Yanmah Ridge winemaker Peter Nicholas said he was relieved but disappointed that the matter was not settled in the appeals tribunal.

“It’s disappointing because it leaves other vineyards hanging,” he said yesterday.

“I think the proof is incontrovertible because the Australian Wine Research Institute has put forward compelling evidence that blue gums do contaminate wines. We would have won.”

Great Southern refused to concede the debate.

“It is important to point out that we have not withdrawn the appeal because we consider that reasons behind the neighbour’s objections have been proved,” a spokesman said. It did not believe there was conclusive proof eucalypts could ‘taint’ grapes on adjoining properties.

PETER KERR

Wine Spectator Gives ‘Award of Excellence’ to Fake Restaurant

2008-08-24T03:15:00.001-04:00

Yes, Wine Spectator magazine, which urges readers to “Learn More, Drink Better,” unwittingly gave an “Award of Excellence” to a non-existent restaurant in Milan. Wine writer Robin Goldstein is behind the hoax. Goldstein entered Osteria L’Intrepido and its fake menu in the magazine’s restaurant awards competition, paying the $250 entry fee, “[a]s part of the research for an academic paper I’m currently working on about standards for wine awards.”

Needless to say, the magazine’s editor was none too happy to learn the publication had been duped, writing:

This act of malicious duplicity reminds us that no one is completely immune to fraud. It is sad that an unscrupulous person can attack a publication that has earned its reputation for integrity over the past 32 years. Wine Spectator will clearly have to be more vigilant in the future.

No, the magazine’s editors didn’t try to visit the restaurant. But the editor wrote that phone calls were made that reached an apparently bogus answering machine message, a Google search turned up an address for the restaurant on a map, and the restaurant’s merits were even debated by (phony) Chowhound users.

It would seem that the magazine’s editors are grousing all the way to the bank. As The New York Times points out, “More than 4,000 awards were granted this year, so Wine Spectator made more than $1 million in fees.”

A note about the restaurant’s award has been removed from Wine Spectatator’s website, Goldstein writes, adding that a mention of the award appears in the magazine’s August print edition.

Photo by conskeptical via Flickr, (Creative Commons).

Posted by Jim Benning

The Wine Industry's Best Green Shipper Available Immediately

2008-08-24T03:11:00.002-04:00

WTN Services(TM) Announces TemperEco-Pak(TM)

NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WTN Services(TM), recognized as the "best in class leader" for providing direct-to-consumer solutions to the wine industry, has introduced TemperEco-Pak(TM), their green shipping option for wine delivery nationwide. TemperEco-Pak(TM) is the industry gold standard in green shipping packaging, and is the most affordable and efficient product currently on the market. WTN Services(TM) is offering shipping containers at $7.50 for a two-pack, $9.00 per three-pack, $18.00 per six-pack and $24.00 for the 12-pack shipper.

Custom made for WTN Services(TM) by Fagerdala USA, Inc., TemperEco-Pak(TM) is a curbside recyclable shipper utilizing green technologies that provide guaranteed climate-controlled wine shipping from point to point. Only WTN Services(TM) offers bi-coastal wine shipping by maintaining warehouses in both California and New York, allowing for shorter transit times, increased delivery options, and better quality control. In addition, by offering bi-coastal shipping options, transportation costs are often a fraction of what other companies can offer, and localized shipping is a more eco-friendly way to ship.

For increased security and peace of mind, WTN Services(TM) also offers a state-of-the-art, ultra contact temperature monitoring option called PakSense(TM). For an additional fee, PakSense(TM) can be placed in each TemperEco-Pak(TM) shipping container. When the recipient opens the TemperEco-Pak(TM), the monitor should be blinking green. Should the monitor be blinking red, the monitor can be sent back to WTN, where data on the monitor can be downloaded and transferred to graph the temperature fluctuations that occurred throughout the entire shipping process, allowing the user and provider to assess any potential threat to the quality of the wine before opening the bottle. For super-premium wines, the PakSense(TM) option is another level of quality control that can protect both the winery and the consumer.

For more information on the TemperEco-Pak(TM), please contact Jen Sims, WTN Services(TM) at 707-265-1514, or visit www.wtnservices.com.

About WTN Services:

WTN Services(TM) provides winery clients with timely and reliable solutions through proactive account management, leading-edge technology, key strategic partnerships and a bi-coastal warehousing network to enhance delivery.

Ambrosia and WTN Services(TM) operate under the umbrella of The Winetasting Network(TM) a division of 1-800Flowers.com(R) as the resource to provide direct retail access of exceptional California wines to passionate wine lovers throughout the United States. Those one-on-one relationships with wine enthusiasts across the country have provided impetus for creating unique collections, gifts, and clubs with highly sought-after world-class wines.

ReCORK America gains recycling partner

2008-08-24T03:08:00.000-04:00

ReCORK America, a natural wine cork recycling program sponsored by Amorim Irmãos of Portugal and their U.S. sales affiliates, Portocork America and Amorim Cork America, announce the addition of Flora Springs Winery in St. Helena, as their newest recycling partner.

John Komes, proprietor and president of Flora Springs, is enthusiastic about teaming up with ReCORK America as an extension of his winery’s ongoing commitment to environmentally sound business practices.
“We have the responsibility to fulfill our roles as stewards of the earth,” said Komes. “We have already made huge strides in organic farming, the addition of solar power to our operations, and the use of recyclable shipping materials. ReCORK is a natural addition to our efforts.”

“Flora Springs is an ideal partner,” said Roger Archey, ReCORK’s program manager. “Their sustainability program dubbed ‘Flora Power,’ fits nicely with our goal to find ways to extend the lifecycle of natural cork wine closures through recycling and reuse. We can add from 20 to 50 years to a wine cork’s usefulness, while retaining the cork’s original CO2 absorption as a forest product.”
Flora Springs is offering cork collection during normal business hours at its tasting room (“The Room”) at 677 St. Helena Highway in St. Helena.

ReCORK America recycling program includes Whole Foods, Plump Jack, Calistoga Ranch and Honig Vineyards as part of a growing list of recycling partners.

Bargain Barrels for '08 Vintage?

2008-08-24T03:03:00.003-04:00

A Bordeaux-style barrel from Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage

Small crop, high prices, barrel alternatives and uncertain economy may mean discounts

Napa, Calif. -- It could be a good year to buy barrels. With a short crop expected, some cooperages may have extra inventory on hand that they don't want to store for a year.

The stated reason is the expected smaller than average harvest--the second in a row-- but the unfavorable exchange rate and rising acceptance of barrel alternatives seem to be factors, too.

The 2007 harvest in California was 3.2 million tons, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts 3.4 million tons this year, up 3% from a year ago, but most industry observers are skeptical, predicting 3.2 million tons or less, some even below 3 million tons.

"Customers don't know if this will be a small crop, and they obviously don't want to order barrels that they don't need," says François Peltereau-Villeneuve, president of Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage. "This year, lots of coopers brought in more barrels than they may need."

Michael Peters of Barrel Builders in St. Helena, Calif., agrees. "The frost and other problems are creating a lower crop. Last year was also small, and some wineries still have barrels left from then, too. Many are waiting to see how many they really need."

Chris Dearden, winemaker and general manager at Benessere Winery in St. Helena, says he's personally run into a surplus of barrels. "Some coopers have stock in inventory now, when in the past they were sold out at this time," he says.

François Peltereau-Villenueve, president, Seguin Moreau Napa CooperageDearden, who formerly worked for Seguin Moreau, notes that the big cooperages must plan well in advance, starting to produce barrels for inventory and shipping them to the U.S. from June to September. "They couldn't make and ship all the barrels they need at once. Many offer early-delivery discounts to encourage ordering early," he says.

Dearden also imports wine barrels for Gamba USA. His barrel company only deals with custom orders, so shouldn't suffer, but he notes, "It really hit us in 2005, which was a huge year. We could have sold many more barrels." The wine grape crush in 2005 was 3.74 million tons, an increase of 35% over 2004.

Doug Fletcher, vice president/director of winemaking for the Terlato group, oversees activities at Chimney Rock, Rutherford Hill, Alderbrook, Sanford and Terlato wines. He says, "Most wineries bought their barrels this spring before anyone knew what the harvest size would be. So in general, I think you will just see an increase in the percentage of new oak in the '08 wines."

Peters, like many others, feels that the cost of barrels is a big issue, however, and Scott Harrop of United Barrels in Napa says, "The exchange rate is a big factor in how many barrels we sell."

According to Peltereau-Villeneuve, barrel pricing in Euros went up about 15% in the last 12 months because of the exchange rate. Chris Phelps, the winemaker at Swanson Vineyards & Winery, Rutherford, Calif., says his average barrel price rose from $924 last year to $1093, an 18% increase.

Harrop at United Barrels is now importing less expensive Ukrainian barrels for the first time this year to help compensate.

Chris Phelps, winemaker, Swanson Vineyards & WineryFletcher agrees that the problem is the cost of barrels. "The real problem is the exchange rate. The massive increase in barrel costs parallels the exchange rate."

Another big factor is alternatives to barrel. "The biggest wineries are going to adjuncts in a huge way," says Barrel Builder's Peters.

Harrop also reports big growth in barrel alternatives. "They won't be in $100 bottles of wine, but they're even being used in expensive wines. There's less feeling of embarrassment about it, too," he notes. "The southern hemisphere wineries use them, and they're even legal now in France."

Harrop admits his selling season is usually over by now, but he's still expecting 20 to 30% of his orders to come in. "The winemakers are waiting for the go-ahead from the accountants in this uncertain economy," he explains.

Fletcher says," I don't know how flexible the discount will be for coopers who have excess barrels. If coopers produced more barrels on speculation they are surely stuck with them."

Still, some coopers may not be willing to sit on the expensive barrels. "For those who don't want to finance that inventory for a year, they may decide to sell at a discount," Peltereau-Villeneuve says. "It's likely that some wineries will make good deals on barrels during the harvest."

Paul Franson

Tasting Notes

2008-08-24T02:58:00.001-04:00

Chers Amis,

To shed some light on a father and son team who have spent the last 70 years toiling the earth and ending each day with good food and wine. Why can’t we extend the same luxury to ourselves? Thoreau famously wrote that most men lead lives of quiet desperation, but seemingly not so much here in France where I’ve fallen into the pace (peace) of life, which means that work is secondary to life, and yes, I'm broke.

Paul Jacqueson Rully 1er Cru Pucelles 06 is in keeping with the TWS theme of grace and not a 'putassier' wine, which would be rude to translate. We had a bottle of this demure loveliness at Bissoh, my favorite Beaune restaurant, with sushi and a gang of les Francaises who only eat their legumes from the garden and prefer very precise aromatics, minerality and detail - here the unique quality lays within its burst of white flowers and subtle fondue, length, and charm, a light kiss of oak - I would think it was a Ramonet Boudriottes if tasted blind.

For those out there that don’t need to be schooled, I shouldn’t have to mention that Jacqueson is of the finest estates in the Cote Chalonnaise, having established this reputation early on with insistence on hand harvesting and natural vinification. Uncle Clive says they are the best source for White Burgundy in the lower Cote.

From the Burghound:

Moderate wood frames notes of acacia blossom and citrus hints that can also be found on the detailed and vibrant medium weight flavors that are delicious, round and complex, culminating in a linear, mineral-infused finish that delivers excellent length. I very much like the balance here. 89-91 points

Mary

Cool climate wines

2008-08-24T02:48:00.001-04:00

Grapes grow in different ways depending on what soils and climates they grow in. And in the last few years, a number of California winery owners have expressed irritation that their growing regions’ wines aren’t as highly rated as are wines of other, warmer areas.
Many of the growers who seek a better public image say they are in cooler climates, and their wines are not as full-bodied and as rich, and thus not as acclaimed, as are wines from warmer areas.

This is a generalization, of course, that ignores the fact that great rieslings, pinot noirs and chardonnays usually are made in areas that are cool. But for most other grapes, such as syrah, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese and petite syrah, warmer climes produce flavors that seem to be more respected and in demand these days, especially with those who rank wines by putting scores on them.
When grapes grow in a hot climate in which the nighttime temperatures stay pretty warm as well, sugar develops in the fruit faster than the ripe-fruit flavor does. So, for instance, in the hot central San Joaquin Valley, it’s pretty hard to make a “great” wine because flavors tend to be rather simple.

Some grapes are simply in need of warm, but not hot, areas. For instance, you find very little cabernet sauvignon planted in truly cold climates, such as in the western Russian River of Sonoma County. There, pinot noir is the lead grape.
Cabernet can make an elegant wine near the Russian River, but big and bold is what’s in vogue, and you simply can’t make that sort of cabernet in such a cold area. Napa Valley is warm enough to grow cabernet to perfection, but cool enough to keep the balance of the wine appropriate.

And in France’s Burgundy district, where cool-loving pinot noir flourishes, cabernet is outlawed.

So it was fascinating for me recently when I traveled two hours from Melbourne to the verdant Yarra Valley to visit De Bortoli winery and to ask how a winery can survive with cabernet and syrah (shiraz) in a world in which warm climates seem to be in the driver’s seat.

De Bortoli is one of the Yarra’s largest producers. It has 480 acres of prime land, having just acquired 80 acres from a neighbor that was planted largely to cabernet. Yet Yarra is chardonnay and pinot noir country.

And tasting through the latest De Bortoli wines, including the stylish 2007 chardonnay ($25) and 2007 pinot noir ($30), both of which won’t be released until October, I found that these are clearly made to reflect the cooler nature of the region.

Both wines are more delicate and refined than are warmer-climate brethren. And a 2005 cabernet sauvignon ($30) is also delicate and restrained.

Winemakers David Slingsby-Smith and Sarah Fagan revel in the delicacy derby. They say the winery operated by head winemaker Steve Webber is favored by those who love the more European, structured style of wines.

Then I tasted an as-yet unreleased 2007 shiraz ($30), and found it to be distinctively flavored with black pepper and herbs, racy black cherry fruit. It is a wine to serve with food. It demands food.

Fagan then noted that Yarra Valley shiraz will hardly ever make a fat, unctuous shiraz. This is almost exactly what writer Max Allen wrote in his 1999 Yarra Valley wine guide book:

“Yarra Valley shiraz will probably never be able to match McLaren Vale or the Barossa in the oomph stakes — but the argument for it is stronger than that against.”

I love cooler-climate red wines when they are made with balance, and I always find pleasure in the modest yet still distinctive De Bortoli wines.

Fortunately, such wines have other followers too, few though they may be. As much as I like full-flavored red wines, I see the absolute need for the wines of restraint and delicacy that De Bortoli does so well.

Wine of the Week: 2007 Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, Te Muna Road ($25). This dramatic white wine has the lime/lemon/grapefruit aroma we associate with New Zealand sauvignon blanc. But this wine is from the North Island and has a lot more restraint that do most of the Marlborough SBs from the northern tip of the South Island. This wine has great structure for aging, but it’s superb now with seafood and Thai dishes.

Dan Berger

Australia becomes New Zealand's biggest market

2008-08-24T02:46:00.000-04:00

Australia has overtaken the UK as the biggest export market for New Zealand wines, according to the country's winegrowers' association.

Although exports to the UK increased by 8% last year, the Australian market grew by 37%. The increased consumption of New Zealand wines in Australia means the country's market is now worth NZ$247m (£94m), overtaking Britain, which consumed marginally less – NZ$240m (£92m).

However, according to Stuart Smith, chairman of national wine body New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW), the attempt to persuade UK consumers to pay more for New Zealand wines has been successful.

'The average bottle of New Zealand wine sold in the United Kingdom [is] now £6.47, which is £2.09 ahead of the nearest competitor,' he said.

In total, New Zealand's wine exports increased 14% year-on-year and are now worth NZ$797m (£305m). The NZW expects export sales to hit NZ$1bn (£380m) by 2010.

Erica Loi

The Sipping News

2008-08-24T02:41:00.004-04:00

If you had just one bottle of wine to enjoy your last day on earth, what would it be? A helpful resource for any preplanning is "1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die." Joining other books in the "1001... Before You Die" series is this 960-page tome, which compiles contributions from 44 notable wine professionals, including Clive Coates, Hugh Johnson, Tom Stevenson and Terry Theise.
Four major sections - sparkling, white, red and fortified - include a wide selection of international wines - from Burgundy grand crus to California Cabernet Sauvignon - listed alphabetically by producer. Price range and drink-by dates of each wine are given; along with history about the vineyards and owners, along with tasting notes. Color photos of vineyards, wineries and wine labels help visually connect a specific wine to its specific place.

One quibble: It would be nice to know when the contributors tasted wines, though part of the book's beauty is that the recommendations are as much about the producer as they are about a particular vintage.

"The producer is almost always more important than the vintage," general editor Neil Beckett writes in the book's introduction. With "1001 Wines," you'll learn about, and hope for, a taste of some of the world's most sought-after wines.

"1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die," edited by Neil Beckett

Lynne Char Bennett

Carmen Wines Go Green with Lighter Wine Bottles

2008-08-24T02:37:00.000-04:00

There are worldwide concerns for the environment, and everyone is doing their part to decrease the carbon footprint, especially consumers and industries. Consumers are demanding less packaging and the use of recyclable materials in their goods -- and wineries are a perfect example of adopting these ecological measures. Carmen is the first winery in Chile and in South America to follow environmental initiatives which began with the WRAP Wine Institute (Waste and Resources Action Programme) in the UK to create lighter glass wine bottles.

Carmen -- the premium winery from Chile -- has reduced the weight of its Classic tier wines. This initiative has resulted in scaling down the average bottle weight from 17.28 ounces to 14.81 ounces, a 15% reduction that will result in savings of more than 343 tons of glass per year. By using lighter weight wine bottles Carmen's carbon footprint is dramatically reduced, which in turn has a positive environmental effect across the entire supply chain. The decrease in bottle weight lowers the output for energy consumption, manufacturing materials, waste management and also facilitates resource handling.

For Carmen, the lightweight bottle is one more step toward reaching even greater constructive impact on the environment. "The search has just begun to establish the right weight in all of our wine packaging," commented Juan Pablo Ruiz, Carmen Export Director for the USA market. "According to extensive market research, the lighter wine bottles retain the essential packaging functionality and do not affect brand integrity, which makes for a winning situation. When it comes to environmental concerns and wine packaging, less is definitely more."

Ecological concerns have led many countries, such as Ireland, one of Chile's largest wine markets, to adopt strict environmental measures to care for the planet, including reducing packaging and recycling glass waste. As an example, the UK market -- the world's largest wine importer -- consumes approximately one billion 750ml bottles of wine each year, which in turn results in approximately 2.8 million tons of glass packaging entering the country's waste stream each year. Glass bottles represent almost 40% of all household beverage packaging, and reducing the weight of wine bottles will have a major impact on the environment. Decreasing bottle weight in Carmen wines is expected to result in savings of more than 1,875 tons of CO2 emissions each year - which is roughly the equivalent of the emissions from 500 cars!

About Carmen Winery
Carmen--founded in 1850 as the first Chilean winery--has a history of innovation and success. In 1987, the Claro Group acquired the brand to focus in the international premium wine segment. A new winery was built in 1992 and new vineyards were planted to produce the best quality wines from Chile and export them worldwide. Today, with exports of over 500,000 cases to more than 60 countries, Carmen is one of the most important Chilean wineries. Carmen owns 1,626 acres in the most prestigious Chilean growing areas such as Alto Maipo -- famous for its superb Cabernet Sauvignon -- Casablanca and Limarí.

Olympics may help Dragon's Hollow, but importer says it's no gimmick wine

2008-08-24T02:29:00.002-04:00

Bartholomew Broadbent hopes Americans will be so fired up over Chinese culture they'll clamor for his wines.

Marketed under the Dragon's Hollow label, the wines are coming from China, the world's fifth-largest wine- producing country, though few of the nation's wines are exported. Broadbent understands why.

"Much of it is very poor quality – thin, green, insipid, lacking elegance and any sort of depth," says Broadbent, owner of the San Francisco wine-importing company Broadbent Selections Inc., speaking by phone from London.

But the potential for the Chinese to make wine more palatable to Westerners is there, Broadbent is convinced.

As a consequence, he joined longtime China wine distributor David Henderson three years ago to create Dragon's Hollow, which draws grapes from a 9-year-old, 1,600-acre vineyard in the auto- nomous north-central region of Ningxia Hui.

The officially recognized Chinese appellation for the area is He Lan Mountain, a desert plateau "very, very hot" during the summer but so cold during the winter that vines have to be bent over and buried with 10 inches of sand to keep them from freezing, Broadbent says.

Broadbent and Henderson conceived the brand to appeal largely to Chinese restaurateurs in the United States, but they've been surprised by early corporate buyers, including American Airlines, which bought 2,000 cases.

Making wine in China has had its frustrations, says Broadbent. They include persuading growers to wait until grapes are mature before harvesting and to cultivate more for quality than quantity.

"The biggest challenge is getting people who don't have the first clue about Western food to make wine to go with Western food," Broadbent says.

Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui, has 1.8 million residents, but not a single McDonald's, he found. "It's so remote they've never tasted Western food, and they hadn't tasted Western wine until last year," he says.

The population of Ningxia Hui is one-third Muslim, and many of Dragon Hollow's workers are Muslim, but Islamic strictures against the consumption of alcohol are taken lightly in the area, Broadbent has found.

"I've been at banquets with some vineyard workers who are Muslim and seen them drinking. They don't have hang-ups about alcohol."

With many Americans questioning the propriety and safety of various "Made in China" products, Broadbent concedes his timing to introduce Chinese wines to the United States could have been better.

But he's convinced the wines are wholesome, noting that the vineyards are free of chemical additives and that the wines are subjected to minimal manipulation in the cellar.

"We can improve quality, but for purity, they're great," Broadbent says of the wines.

And he does have the Olympics to help spur potential consumer interest in the wines. He makes it clear, however, that Dragon's Hollow isn't a short-term novelty meant to capitalize on these Summer Games.

"It's not an Olympic gimmick. For us, it's a very serious brand we plan to grow quite strongly."

Medal count

So where do Dragon's Hollow wines – all dry, all with 12.5 percent alcohol, each $13 – stand on the podium?

• Bronze: The 2006 unoaked chardonnay has a betwixting biscuity smell and a hint of pear in flavor, but it's soft, more fitting as aperitif than with food.

• Silver: The 2006 riesling is an understated but clean introduction, with refreshing peach and apple attributes, and gripping structure.

• Gold: The 2005 cabernet sauvignon is fresh, young and simple, speaking trippingly of the herbal and minty side of the varietal.

Taylors Market carries Dragon's Hollow riesling and chardonnay. Nugget Markets may soon stock some of the wines.

Reconsidering sulfites

2008-08-24T02:23:00.002-04:00

Progressive vintners weigh the pros and cons of the controversial winemaking tool

On almost every wine label, a challenging subject is concealed behind an opaque, almost nonchalant warning: "contains sulfites."

The term encompasses sulfur dioxide as well as many derivative forms of sulfur. Sulfites are present in all wines both as an additive and as a natural by-product of fermentation, and many countries require that their presence be indicated on the label.

Long viewed as a necessary, if unromantic, tool by winemakers, and either ignored or completely misunderstood by consumers, the role of sulfur in wine has become a hot topic. From health issues (see "Debunking myths," Page F4) to sulfur as a winemaking tool at a time when there's a push within the industry for wines made with minimal intervention, sulfur dioxide is in the spotlight like never before.

Sulfur dioxide has been used in the production of wine for centuries - primarily as a buffer to keep wine from reacting with too much oxygen, but also to inhibit microbial spoilage (from bacteria or rogue yeasts) that could lead to off flavors and aromas, and as a winemaking technique to partly control fermentation.

It's is one of the most useful and powerful tools available to a winemaker. "You have to think of it as something that will keep a wine clean and help its ageability," says Mike Dashe of Dashe Cellars.

Contemporary attitudes toward the use of SO{-2} are changing, most notably in Europe, but also increasingly in the United States. Indeed, working with little to almost zero SO{-2} is one of the rallying points of the natural wine movement, a blanket term used to describe wines made according to a philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and cellar.

In recent years in both France and Italy, winemakers such as Marcel Lapierre in Morgon and Stanislao Radikon in Friuli have pushed the envelope on SO{-2} use, simultaneously embracing a traditional approach - no additions of sulfur - while at the same time eagerly cultivating the market for such wines in Europe and the United States with a modernist fervor. As with organics and biodynamics before it, wine made without SO{-2} may be the next trend in the current green craze.

The interest in such wines has extended to California. Though a few organic vintners have long tried making unsulfured wines with little real success, a handful of more mainstream winemakers have begun experimenting with using as little sulfur as possible.

Dashe's daring experiment
Dashe, who makes wine out of a cavernous warehouse in Oakland, recently began his own sulfur dioxide experiment in a new Zinfandel he calls L'Enfant Terrible.

The genesis of this particular wine came about almost by accident while Dashe was visiting Guinness McFadden's organic farm in Potter Valley (Mendocino County) just before last year's harvest. McFadden grows mostly white grapes (including fruit for Dashe's Riesling), but Dashe noticed a small Zinfandel vineyard on a hillside. "It was a light-colored clone and reasonably cropped," he recalls. After tasting the grapes, which he found to be low in sugar for Zinfandel, he filed the vineyard away in his memory and headed back to Oakland.

The next day, Dashe spoke with Mark Ellenbogen, wine director at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. According to Dashe, the two had talked about what kind of California wines might complement the restaurant's food and work with Ellenbogen's Euro- and Riesling-centric list. Ellenbogen said any potential new wine needed to be made from grapes farmed organically or biodynamically, picked early, then processed in a way that avoided high fruit extraction or the heavy flavors of new oak. "We didn't really talk about sulfur, but that's certainly part of it," Ellenbogen says.

After their conversation, Dashe called McFadden and bought all 8 tons of Zin. The grapes were harvested relatively early at about 23.5 Brix, a measure of sugar.

Organic, check; early picked, check. So far, everything met Ellenbogen's qualifications. At this point, Dashe took the first of two gambles, and decided on native yeast fermentation. Then he took minimal intervention a step further and decided to back off on his sulfur additions. "I added SO{-2} at crushing to keep bacteria down, but that was it," he says. "It was so clean to begin with, so I didn't think the wine needed it."

That the wine was "clean" was an important factor in his decision. Dashe felt he could minimize his SO{-2} use because the wine was going into new, clean barrels. The wine's naturally high acidity offered a certain level of protection as well. "L'Enfant Terrible was the first wine that I had ever added SO{-2} once and never again," Dashe said later in an e-mail.

The result is an aromatic and fresh wine that clocks in at 13.8 percent alcohol - a relatively low percentage for any California wine, let alone typically high-octane Zinfandel. "The clarity and precision of flavor really expresses the site," says Ellenbogen, who ended up buying a sizable portion of L'Enfant Terrible's total production of 550 cases. The wine is currently featured by the glass at the Slanted Door. "We've already sold about 20 cases," Ellenbogen says.

Parr goes low sulfur
Styling a wine in the manner of L'Enfant Terrible could be catching on. Rajat Parr, wine director for the Mina Group, has made his own low-sulfur wine called Cuvee Anika.

Parr says the idea for Cuvee Anika came from the site-driven, minimally handled expression of Syrah that Thierry Allemand achieves in the Rhone appellation of Cornas. "I wanted to see if we could do something like that here."

Parr's first vintage of Cuvee Anika, which he made with Sashi Moorman of Stolpman and Piedrasassi, was in 2006. The wine is all Syrah, sourced from a vineyard near Cambria (San Luis Obispo County), one of the most marginal growing areas along the Central Coast. As a result, Parr says, the wine is high in acid and low in pH, with enough structure and tannin to keep it fresh. "It was fairly hearty wine," he recalls.

The numbers seemed to stack up in favor of making a wine with minimal handling or additives. Like Mike Dashe with L'Enfant Terrible, Parr and Moorman added a bit of sulfur when they crushed the grapes, but left it at that.

The duo took things further in 2007. One Syrah, made from the biodynamically farmed Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County), was harvested at 23.5 Brix. A small amount of SO{-2} - about 7 grams per ton of grapes - was added at the crusher, and then the grapes were left to undergo a whole-cluster fermentation relying entirely on native yeasts.

Another Syrah, which Parr gleefully refers to as his flagship "wine geek wine," was sourced from the Rim Rock vineyard near Nipomo in Arroyo Grande (San Luis Obispo County). With Brix levels of around 21 and a finished alcohol around 12 percent, Parr and Moorman added even less SO{-2} to the wine - 1 or 2 grams per ton. Both wines are fresh expressions of Syrah, with bright, vibrant fruit and mineral character. If anything, the Rim Rock feels more brisk, playing its pure expression off an inherent coolness.

Moorman says that although the two sites are completely different - Rim Rock is extremely cool, while Purisima Mountain is warmer but with high amounts of limestone in the soil - they both yield wines with high natural acidity, which eased concerns.

Parr is quick to acknowledge the risks involved with making a wine with little to no added SO{-2}: Stability and oxidation become major factors. "The wines can mature much quicker," he points out. It seems, however, that a wine from a well-farmed vineyard handled correctly and attentively is stable enough to take the risk.

As Parr sees it, his goal isn't to make a non-sulfured wine, but rather a wine that shows purity and clarity: "Exuberance," Parr says. "The wine just shows more."

For Moorman, the greater satisfaction lies somewhere else. "It shows that you can pick grapes at low sugar."

A magic combination
Decisions to reduce sulfur use are complicated. Sometimes they're made not based on numbers but simply personal conviction and the desire to take a risk. Phillip Hart, who grows grapes at Ambyth Estate in Paso Robles (San Luis Obispo County), combines low sulfur use with such practices as biodynamics and dry farming. Hart cites Frey Vineyards, the Mendocino pioneer of unsulfured wine in California, as one of his main inspirations for making unsulfured wine.

"I really like Frey wine, and I love the fact that a lot of people say you can't do it," he says.

Hart, who grew up on a sheep farm in Wales, makes a Grenache blend at Ambyth. As an experiment, he used minimal amounts of SO{-2} for most of the wine (regulations by Demeter, the Biodynamic certification agency, allow up to 100 parts per million in SO{-2} additions), but reserved a portion of it to keep sulfur-free.

While he is pleased with both wines, the wine made without any sulfur addition tastes "even fresher, more pure." The only problem he reports between the two wines is that after bottling, the wine made without SO{-2} suffered from bottle shock, whereas the wine made with a sulfur addition did not.

That problem, however, eventually sorted itself out. As Hart explains it, one of the advantages of making wines without SO{-2} in the modern era is that wineries themselves are cleaner and much more sanitary than in the past.

Like Hart at Ambyth, Abe Schoener at the Scholium Project is another California winemaker with a strong desire to challenge his understanding of how wine is made and where additions like SO{-2} fit in to the bigger picture.

For the most part, Schoener makes his wines without any added SO{-2}, save for a minuscule amount at bottling. Another technique he employs is to allow evaporation to occur during fermentation, with oxidation stopping on its own. In other words, he views oxygen both as a preservative and a component of his wine. Schoener, though, wouldn't be content to stop there. As if to hold a mirror to himself, he also makes a Verdelho with almost no exposure to oxygen. It's dosed with SO{-2} at the crusher, and then again every time the wine is racked or moved between tanks, in what is often called a reductive winemaking style. In contrast to maverick winemakers of northeastern Italy like Josko Gravner, whose wines also eschew sulfur, Schoener credits the inspiration for this method to the clean, crisp Gruner Veltliners from Austria - where such practices are highly common.

"I don't feel dogmatic about SO{-2}," Schoener says. "In fact, I love it - it's so powerful, so predictable. It's a really friendly tool and I know what it's going to do."

Perhaps recognizing sulfur's versatility, and risks, is the key to understanding how best to apply it. That goes for both winemakers and the rest of us.

How and why sulfites are used in wine
1. At the crusher: Sulfur dioxide in the form of a diluted liquid solution is added to just-harvested grapes at the crusher to protect against oxidation. Much of the sulfur added at this stage is effectively used up during the subsequent fermentation, converting into what is referred to as "bound" form, which has almost no flavor.

2. Barrel cleaning and maintenance: Sulfur dioxide was once the primary agent used to clean barrels and larger wooden vessels like puncheons or upright fermentation tanks; in the 19th century, this was accomplished by burning a sulfur wick, which released SO{-2} gas. Today, while other techniques are used in the cleaning process, winemakers often use a gas form of sulfur dioxide to maintain a sterile environment inside of wooden containers after cleaning.

3. In the winery: Sulfur dioxide is often used when topping up barrels that have lost some volume of wine through evaporation. There is a chance that microbial spoilage can occur at this point, so sulfur dioxide (as a diluted liquid solution) may be added as a preventative measure. Additionally, low levels of sulfur dioxide will protect against oxidation in the barrel.

4. During bottling: The bottling process can be rough on a wine, and there is the chance of overexposure to oxygen. Winemakers will often dose a wine with sulfur dioxide solution just prior to bottling in order to keep it in a reductive state, protected against oxidation. This SO{-2} should dissipate over time, although traces can remain present for longer periods in wines bottled under less breathable enclosures, like screwcaps.
Sulfites, sulfides and sulfur: What's in a name?
Sulfite: Applied to a class of compounds that includes sulfur dioxide among several derivatives of sulfur.

Sulfides: Volatile compounds of sulfur that can occur during fermentation. The smell of hydrogen sulfide closely resembles that of bad eggs and is therefore easily detectable.

Sulfur: An element and the parent of several useful compounds in winemaking; in its various forms, it is applied at every stage from the vineyard to the winery.

Debunking myths
There are several widespread myths about sulfur dioxide - and sulfites in general. Here are some explanations that should help you to finally avoid that headache in the morning:

Sulfites in red wine cause headaches. While it's true that exposure to high levels of SO{-2} is an unpleasant experience, there's no hard evidence that proves sulfites and SO{-2} cause migraines in red wine drinkers. A phenomenon often called "red wine headache" is a combination of several things, with histamines considered one likely major factor. High levels of alcohol and residual sugar are also far more likely culprits than sulfites. When it comes to the negative effects of sulfites, asthmatics are the most vulnerable and need to closely monitor their intake of sulfites - or avoid them altogether. It's worth noting though, that many foods - dried fruit, for instance - contain higher levels of sulfites than wine. Allergic reactions to sulfites include far more severe symptoms than headaches, like hives and anaphylactic shock.

Red wines contain more sulfites than white wines. The higher levels of tannin in red wines mean winemakers use less total SO{-2} in red wines than in whites. Sulfur dioxide is sometimes used to halt fermentation for wines that will be sweet, including many German Rieslings. Dessert wines, because of their high levels of residual sugar, have even greater levels of added sulfur.

Organic wines don't contain sulfites. It is impossible to produce a wine without any sulfites, as sulfur dioxide is a naturally occurring by-product of fermentation. Therefore, even wines with zero added SO{-2}, such as natural and organic wines from the United States and Europe, contain small amounts of the compound.

How does sulfur dioxide work?
The exact chemistry is rather complicated, but when sulfur dioxide is added to a wine, particularly at the crusher, it dissolves into two forms, bound and free.

Bound SO{-2} is basically locked up with the various chemical compounds that form during fermentation, and has been thought to have little affect on the flavor of the wine, while the free portion is available to react with harmful microbes and guard against the introduction of too much oxygen. Free sulfur dioxide that remains unabsorbed by the wine can create the smells - burnt matchsticks, rotten eggs - that some associate with sulfur.

Wolfgang M. Weber

More California farmworkers dying from heat

2008-08-24T02:18:00.001-04:00

California, the nation's leader in heat-related deaths among farmworkers, sought to turn that trend around three years ago with new laws aimed at ensuring people toiling in sweltering fields had such basics as a water break and an umbrella for shade. But if anything, the problem has gotten worse.

Since then, 12 farmworkers have died in suspected heatstroke deaths, six this year alone. That's twice the number of such deaths in the nearly three years before the laws were passed.

An Associated Press investigation found that an understaffed labor agency fails to consistently hold farms and labor contractors accountable for heat deaths or ensure they pay for violations and improve conditions in one of the most brutal jobs in America.

One recent high-profile death of a pregnant, teenage vineyard worker led the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health to issue a record fine of more than $262,000. But the fines often drop when appealed and have averaged less than $10,000 in other heat-related deaths. In one case, it ended up at just $250.

Currently, 210 state inspectors look for heat-related violations and other safety hazards at farms and all other kinds of work sites. But with just 1 inspector for every roughly 90,000 workers in California, the gaps are evident.

Foul water to drink
One day last month in Raisin City, about 20 miles southwest of Fresno, the owner of a cherry-tomato farm was fined $3,365 for violations that included offering no first aid and nothing to drink except a jug of foul, undrinkable water. But about 20 miles away in Kingsburg that same day, Ramiro Carrillo died after hand-picking nectarines in the 112-degree sun; he had gone home after apparently telling co-workers he felt sick.

"Why did no one run over to help him in an emergency? Maybe his life could have been saved," asked his grieving sister Natividad, who said she also fainted from heatstroke this year after pruning bushes at a San Joaquin Valley nursery. "People's lives are being lost, but sometimes I wonder if anyone cares if another Mexican immigrant dies."

Only firefighters suffer from heatstroke at a higher rate than farmworkers, and no occupation sees more deaths from it.

Cal/OSHA Chief Len Welsh said inspectors have stepped up sweeps through the fields this summer in anticipation of a deadly string of heat waves, and set each penalty according to strict formulas.

"You see people crouching underneath tractors when you go out in the fields. We think workers should be able to rest with dignity," Welsh said. "If somebody doesn't have shade up and available for workers this summer, they're going to get a whooping."

Laws violated
Violations are common: The agency conducted 1,018 heat inspections last year and found that 490 companies had violated heat illness laws.

The AP review, however, found that authorities have yet to collect fines in several heat death cases. In four of the cases, the agency's appeals board cut the fines by around half, or sometimes more.

One Central California farm paid the state just $250 after a 38-year-old man died harvesting lettuce seeds, after the farm's appeal of a $13,500 penalty, according to records.

Welsh said his office has no authority over the appeals process, and said the department that collects fines from employers has been slow to respond.

"Collections has been a problem historically and we need to fix it. I can't sugarcoat it," he said. "People have been dying all along every year for decades, and now that we're finally focusing on it we're finding all these heat fatalities. We're doing all we can with the very limited resources we have."

The highest-profile heat death in the fields has been that of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, a pregnant 17-year-old who died May 14. Authorities believe she collapsed because her supervisors denied her access to shade and water as she pruned white wine grapes for more than nine hours in nearly triple-digit heat.

Record fine
Cal/OSHA recently hit the contractor in that case, Merced Farm Labor, with a $262,700 fine, the highest penalty the agency has ever issued to an agricultural firm, and state authorities now want to revoke the company's license. Merced has appealed the fine.

Outside of that incident, however, companies were fined an average of just $9,945 for farmworkers who died from 2005 to 2008, even in the case of "serious" violations. Merced's fine was higher because state officials concluded that its violations were deliberate.

State Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, an Alameda Democrat who sponsored a failed bill to give Cal/OSHA stronger enforcement powers, said the system is broken because employers don't have to fix hazards while the state's citations are being challenged.

"Unscrupulous employers can game the system by filing frivolous appeals," Swanson said. "We cannot expect our workers to endure a lengthy series of appeals, especially when people have actually died from these conditions."

Bryan Little, director of labor affairs with the California Farm Bureau Federation, said most growers strictly follow the rules and make a conscious effort to teach foremen how to watch for the signs of heatstroke.

Heat deaths are a nationwide problem at work places including farms, construction sites and oil derricks. At least 34 farmworkers in the United States have died of suspected heatstroke between 2003 and 2008; 18 of those were in California.

California is one of 21 states that has its own worker safety program.

10 deaths
Before the current law took effect, there were no specific employer rules regarding heat illness although they were required to have an injury and illness prevention program. A string of 10 deaths - four of them farmworkers - in a two-month period in 2005 prompted regulators to toughen the rules.

California Farm Bureau's Little said giving the agency still more oversight won't keep people from dying.

"Is the purpose of Cal/OSHA to induce compliance and protect workers, or is the purpose to collect fine money from employers?" Little said. "Encouraging employers to settle gets the hazards abated more quickly, and gets employees protected more quickly."

Advocates argue that lowering penalties - even when a worker has died - renders the regulations toothless.

Garance Burke
Associated Press

Intelligent Wine Lover

2008-08-03T22:06:00.000-04:00

Restaurant Wine Prices Are Too High

A few months ago I sat as a seminar panelist at the 2008 Miami setting (Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables) of the Vinitaly Italian wines promotion tour. The panel's theme was NEW TRENDS IN MIAMI RESTAURANTS AND THE WINE BUSINESS. The event organizers selected my topic; the job called for me to present something like the perspective of the online wine consumer community.

After explaining that my connection to the industry is strictly as a judicious consumer, I attempted to enlighten the professionals, particularly restaurateurs, about some of the concerns we wine consumers have. I spoke about Miami not really having a "wine culture", even though there is a great deal of interest about wine and people willing to pay for it. I complained about restaurants generally not having servers who know anything about the wines for which they take orders. I tried to tell them that my biggest gripe, and I suspect that of restaurant wine consumers in general, is offensively high prices.

The message was that high prices hurt the Italian wine industry (and the wine industry in general) because they make it less likely that patrons will buy any wine at all or will buy less of whatever they order. Perhaps even equally important, high prices deter experimentation, to the detriment of wine producers, regions and grapes that lie off the known path.

It's one thing to pay $30 for a bottle of an unknown label of Pinot Grigio, where at least you will have a general idea of what it will taste like. It's another to put down good money for a bottle of Nero d'Avola, a name you saw for the first time on the wine list, particularly when the most the server can do to educate you about it is show you or read to you the sophistry on the back of the bottle.

Similarly, it's one thing to buy a $20 bottle at a restaurant, not like it, set it aside, and get another one. It's another to by a $90 bottle and walk away from it. I issued a call to restaurateurs to align table prices more closely with street prices.

After the seminar, I got some direct and indirect feedback from some of the restaurant owners. One protested that I was preaching against her ability to make a living. Another mentioned that at his place he only charged twice his cost (100% gross margin), so, using our benchmark $10 bottle, he would only ask his patrons to pay $14 (rounding up to the next dollar).

I take my hat off to anyone who owns a restaurant. Theirs is a high risk and arduous business. Yet, I don't buy the party line that to "make a living" restaurant owners need to charge offensively high wine prices.

This complaint begs the question: OK, Leo, how should restaurateurs price their wines? That will be the subject of the next entry in this blog--which I have already written, but need to edit it some more to make sure I don't say the kinds of things that make the wife roll her eyes, as she does whenever I do or say the kinds of things refined folk don't.

Leo Bueno
Miami, Florida

GLOSSARY of Wine-Tasting Terminology

2008-07-28T22:46:00.000-04:00

New readers of this glossary will need to know that experienced tasters notes have a four-part sequence of events. When analysed, the remarks break down, in order, into perceptions about:

a) Colour/clarity of the wine when the wineglass is tilted and its contents viewed against a light source.

b) Smell - (known in the general sense as the "nose").

c) Taste - (first in the "mouth" or "palate", followed by the "finish").

Using these perceptions, the tasters attempt to communicate their feelings about the wine under review to others by descriptive words or phrases. The following glossary is an attempt to categorize those words/phrases.

GLOSSARY OF WINETASTING TERMS.

ACETIC (see also ASCESCENCE).
All wines contain acetic acid - (ie: vinegar). Normally the amount is insignificant and may even enhance flavor. At a little less than 0.10% content, the flavor becomes noticable and the wine is termed acetic. Above 0.10% content is considered a strong fault. A related substance, ethyl acetate, contributes the smell associated with acetic acid content.

ACID/ACIDITY
Acid ... term used to describe a tart or sour taste in the mouth when total acidity of the wine is high. Acidity ... term used on labels to express the total acid content of the wine. The acids referred to are citric, lactic, malic and tartaric. Desirable acid content on dry wines falls between 0.6% and 0.75% of the wines volume. For sweet wines it should not be less than 0.70% of the volume.

AFTERTASTE (see also FINISH, LENGTH) - a.k.a Farewell, Fairwell.
Term used to describe the taste left in the mouth after swallowing the wine. Both character and length of the aftertaste are part of the total evaluation. May be harsh, hot, soft and lingering, short, smooth, tannic, or nonexistent.

AGE/AGED (see also MADERIZED, RIM).
White wines tend to turn from a greenish hue in young wines to a yellowish caste/tone to a gold/amber color as they age. Reds usually possess a purple tone when young, turning to a deep red - (Bordeaux wines) - or a brick red color - (Burgundy wines) - detectable at the surface edge in a wineglass as they age. Rose's should be pink with no tinge of yellow or orange.

Cellar aged red wines at their peak will show a deep golden-orange color as it thins at the surface edge. If the wine color has deepened into a distinctly brown-orange tint at the edge it usually indicates a wine past its peak and declining.

ALCOHOL (see also LEGS, TEARS).
This constituent of wine is a natural by-product of fermentation. It is one of the main pillars of perceived flavor, the others being "Acid", "residual Sugar" (and/or "Glycerin") and "Tannin". The presence of these components define a wine that has "good balance". For tablewines the wine label must, by law, state the alcohol content of the wine within the bottle, usually expressed as a percentage of the volume. Table wines do not usually exceed 14% alcohol content - (11% to 12.5% is generally considered the optimum amount) - although a few, such as the "jaune vin" of the Jura region of France are fermented in a special manner to attain consistently higher levels in the 14.5 to 15.5% range. Sweet dessert wines fall in the same range. Fortified wines - (eg: Sherry, Port etc) - range from 17% to 21% alcohol content.

ANGULAR (see also AUSTERE, CRISP, FRESH below).
The total effect of dominant, tart-edged flavors and taste impressions in many young dry wines. Has opposite meaning to round, soft or supple.

APPLEY
Refers to smell or aroma of a wine, usually carrying additional modifiers. "Ripe apples" describes a full, fruity, clean smell associated with some styles of Chardonnay wine. "Fresh apples" does the same for some types types of Riesling. "Green apple", however, is almost always reserved for wines made from barely ripe or underripe grapes. "Stale apples" applies almost exclusively to flawed wine exhibiting first stage oxidation.

AROMA (see also BOUQUET, NOSE below).
The intensity and character of the aroma can be assessed with nearly any descriptive adjective. (eg: from "appley" to "raisiny", "fresh" to "tired", etc.). Usually refers to the particular smell of the grape variety. The word "bouquet" is usually restricted to describing the aroma of a cellar-aged bottled wine.

ASCESCENCE
"Ascescence" is the term used to mark the presence of acetic acid and ethyl acetate. Detected by sweet and sour, sometimes vinegary smell and taste along with a sharp feeling in the mouth.

ASTRINGENT
Descriptive of wines that have a rough, puckery taste. Usually can be attributed to high tannin content. Tannic astringency will normally decrease with age. However, sometimes the wine fails to outlive the tannin.

ATTACK (see also LIGHT, THIN below).
The initial impact of a wine. If not strong or flavorful, the wine is considered "feeble". "Feeble" wines are sometimes encountered among those vinified in a year where late rain just before harvest diluted desirable grape content.

ATTRACTIVE
The winetaster liked it anyway; a slight put down for expensive wines, a compliment for others.

AUSTERE
Usually used in description of dry, relatively hard and acidic wines that seem to lack depth and roundness. Such wines may soften a bit with age. Term often applied to wines made from noble grape varieties grown in cool climates or harvested too early in the season.

BACKBONE (see also BODY).
Refers to big, full-bodied red wines with evident tannin and/or acidity.

BACKWARD
Describes a wine that retains youthful characteristics despite considerable aging. This usually indicates that it will take longer to reach maturity and requires even more aging in the bottle or barrel. Opposite of forward.

BALANCE
Denotes harmonious balance of wine elements - (ie: no individual part is dominant). Acid balances the sweetness; fruit balances against oak and tannin content; alcohol is balanced against acidity and flavor. Wine not in balance may be acidic, cloying, flat or harsh etc.

BERRYLIKE (see also HERBACEOUS).
Equates with the ripe, sweet, fruity quality of blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and cherries. The aroma and taste of red wines, particularly Zinfandel, are often partly described with this adjective.

BIG
The overall flavor of a wine, white or red, that has full, rich flavors. "Big" red wines are often tannic. "Big" white wines are generally high in alcohol and glycerin. Sometimes implies clumsiness, the opposite of elegance. Generally positive, but context is essential - (eg: A Bordeaux red wine shouldn't be as "big" as a California Cabernet Sauvignon).

BITTER (see also SALTY, SOUR and SWEET).
One of the four basic tastes. A major source of bitterness is the tannin content of a wine. Some grapes - (Gewurztraminer, Muscat) - have a distinct bitter edge to their flavor. If the bitter component dominates in the aroma or taste of a wine it is considered a fault. Sweet dessert wines may have an enhanced bitter component that complements the other flavors making for a successful overall taste balance.

BODY
The effect on the taster's palate usually experienced from a combination of alcohol, glycerin and sugar content. Often described as "full", "meaty" or "weighty".

BOTRYTIS
"Botrytis Cinerea", a mold or fungus that attacks grapes in humid climate conditions, causing the concentration of sugar and acid content by making grapes at a certain level of maturity shrivel. On the Riesling grape it allows a uniquely aromatic and flavorful wine to be made, resulting in the extraordinary "Beerenauslese" style of wine.

BOUQUET (see NOSE).
Near synonym for "aroma". Term generally restricted to description of odors from poured bottled wines.

BRAWNY
Term used mainly to describe young red wines with high alcohol and tannin levels. Certain red wines from Amador County, California, can be examples. The mild epithet "tooth-stainers" is sometimes applied to this style of wine, denoting respect for strength.

BREATHE/BREATHING (see also OPEN-UP).
Denotes the act of allowing the wine to "breathe"; ie: when wine is poured into another container, such as a wineglass, the admixture of air seems to release pent-up aromas which then become more pronounced, in many cases, as minutes/hours pass.

BREED (see also COMPLEX, ELEGANT).
Term reserved for wines from the best grape varieties, the so-called "noble grapes". Denotes wines judged to have reached classical expectations of aroma, balance, structure and varietal character.

BRIARY
Denotes a wine having an aggressive, prickly taste best described as "peppery". Sometimes combined with the adjective "brawny" to characterize a young red wine with high alcohol and tannin content.

BRILLIANT (see also CLOUDY, HAZY, UNFILTERED elsewhere).
Very clear (and transparent in white wines) appearance with no visible particulates or suspensions. May be sign of flavor deficiency in heavily filtered wines.

BRIX
Measurement system used for sugar content of grapes, wine and related products. A reading of 20 to 25 deg. Brix is the optimum degree of grape ripeness at harvest for the majority of table wines. A quick conversion method for users requiring Specific Gravity units of measurement is to take the Brix reading, deg. Brix (as Sucrose, for which most refractometers are calibrated), and multiply by 0.00425 and then add 0.9988 to the resulting number. This will give a close aproximation to the equivalent figure for the S.G of Sucrose at 20 deg. C. Ex: A Brix reading of 18 equals S.G. 1.074. Using the conversion technique above gives a figure of 1.075 which is close enough for most users.

BROWNING (see also MADERIZED, OXIDIZED, RIM).
Denotes ageing in a wine. Young wine color tints show no sign of such "browning". If possessed of good character and depth, a wine can still be very enjoyable even with a pronounced "brown" tint. In average wines this tint, seen along the wine surface edge in a tilted glass goblet, normally signals a wine is "past its peak", although still very drinkable.

BUTTERY (see also CREAMY, MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION).
Describes taste sensation found in better white wines, particularly Chardonnay.

CANDYLIKE
Refers to the perfumed fresh fruit aromas and flavors of the grape which can be attractive in wines made for early consumption. These include pink Rose style, "nouveau" Beaujolais etc. Many consider it a less desirable characteristic in longer-aging reds and better whites.

CEDAR/CEDARWOOD (see also CIGARBOX).
Aroma component often found in fine red wines.

CHARMING
A patronizing comment applied to wines that don't quite fulfil the first expectations. Implies lightness, an expression of "attitude". Sometimes used to describe certain wines made from the Chenin Blanc grape and styled after a type of wine originating from the Loire region of France.

CHEWY
Refers to a high total tannic component of a wine. Figuratively, one cannot swallow this wine without chewing first.

CIGARBOX
Near synonym for "tobacco" aroma detected in the nose, especially if a "cedarwood" component is present. Spanish cedarwood is the traditional material for making cigar boxes.

CITRUSY
Describes aroma and flavor reminiscent of citrus fruits. Most common is a perception of "grapefruit" content. Most often detected in white wines made from grapes grown in cooler regions of California or other countries.

CLOSED-IN (see also DUMB, OPEN-UP).
Term descriptive of currently poor character definition but with all the correct characteristics. Usually expected to develop with age. Applies mainly to young, intense wines vinified for long life expectancy.

CLOUDY (see also BRILLIANT, HAZY).
Opposite of clear. Noticable cloudiness is undesirable except in cellar aged wines that have not been decanted properly. A characteristic of some unfiltered wines showing the result of winemaking mistakes and often possessing an unpleasant taste.

CLOYING (see also SWEET below).
Excessive sugar component annoys with dominating flavor and aftertaste. The wine is then demonstrably unbalanced relative to the other components.

COMPLEX (see also ELEGANT).
Almost a synonym for "breed". Possesses that elusive quality where many layers of flavor separate a great wine from a very good one. Balance combines all flavor and taste components in almost miraculous harmony.

CORKED
Wine has unpleasant taste/smell. Reason is thought to be chemical changes in the wine due to insufficiently sterilized cork stopper inserted at bottling source.

CREAMY
Refers to "silk-like" taste component of wines subjected to malolactic fermention as opposed to the "tart/crisp" taste component of the same wine lacking the treatment. Almost a synonym for "buttery". Opposite of "crisp".

CRISP
Wine has pronounced but pleasing tartness, acidity. Fresh, young and eager, begs to be drunk. Generally used to describe white wines only, especially those of Muscadet de Sevres et Maine from the Loire region of France.

DECANTING
A method by which cellar-aged bottled wine is poured slowly and carefully into a second vessel, usually a glass decanter, in order to leave any sediment in the original bottle before serving. Almost always a treatment confined to red wines. The traditional method uses a candle flame as the light for illuminating the neck of the bottle while the wine is passing by. The low intensity of the light is ideal for viewing since it does not strain the eyes. Care must be taken NOT to allow the flame to heat the wine while performing this ritual.

DELICATE
Any wine demonstrating somewhat mild, but attractive characteristics. Occasionally used to describe well-made wines from the so-called "lesser grape" varieties.

DEPTH, DEEP (see also LINGERING).
Refers to a premium wine that demands more attention, it fills the mouth with a developing flavor, there are subtle layers of flavor that go "deep."

DESSERT WINE
Has two meanings:
Fortified wine - eg: Sherry - where alcohol is added in the form of Brandy or neutral spirits.
Sweet or very sweet wines of any alcohol level customarily drunk with dessert or by themselves and usually in small amounts.

DIRECT (see also EASY, SIMPLE).
Everything present in this wine is immediately obvious.

DIRTY (see also YEASTY/YEASTLIKE below).
Describes any of the undesirable odours that can be present in a wine that that was poorly vinified. A characteristic imparted by improperly cleaned barrels or various other processes performed incorrectly. Usually detected first in a wine by the smell of the cork stopper or from a barrel sample. Not to be confused with corked wines where the stopper is thought to be responsible.

DRY
Description of a wine made deliberately to possess little or no sweetness. Commonly defined as containing less than about 0.5% residual sugar.

DUMB
Characteristic description of a young wine with yet-to-develop aromas and flavours. A synonym for "closed-in". Named so because it seems "unable to speak".

EARTHY (see also NOSE, STONEY, VEGETAL, YEASTY/YEASTLIKE).
Covers situations where a "mother-earth" component is present. Earth is soil-dirt, but an earthy wine is not dirty as in "DIRTY" above. The term appears to be applicable to wine thought, by some, to be made from grapes grown on vines planted in land previously used for growing certain vegetables containing components which "marked" the soil in some way. European tasters use the term in a broader sense to describe "terroir" characteristics.

EASY (see also DIRECT, SIMPLE).
Undemanding but pleasant, doesn't require good taste, just tastes good.

ELEGANT (see also COMPLEX).
What to say when there is great balance and grace in the wine, but you can't quite find apt words of description. Almost a synonym for "breed".

ESSENCE (see also NOSE below).
Two meanings:
Refers to "odor kits" containing vials of representative flavor essence.
Used occasionally by wineries to describe a late harvest, sweet red wine. Most frequently appears on bottle labels for Zinfandel red wine made from grapes picked at 35 deg. Brix or higher sugar content.

ETHYL ACETATE
A substance which contributes the smell associated with acetic acid content.

EXTRACTED
Refers to the coloring imparted to wines during the fermentation process by the skins of the grapes used. Can also occur in the further step known as "maceration" where new wine is allowed to steep with the skins again. This second step usually results in a "highly extracted" style of wine, deeply colored with strong flavors and tannin. Rose's, (aka "blush" wines), are normally made by limiting contact with the skins, the opposite of "extraction".

FAT
Fills the mouth without aggression. The wine "feels" and tastes a little obvious and often lacks elegance but is prized by connoisseurs of sweet dessert wines. Not quite right even for a late harvest Moselle Riesling, but just right for a classic Sauternes. Fatness/oiliness is determined by the naturally occurring glycerol - (a.k.a glycerin) - content in the wine.

FILTERED
Wines that have had suspended particulates resulting from the fermentation process removed. Important for future clarity and stability of a wine.

FINED
Use of various materials for clarifying wines. These materials precipitate to the bottom of the fermentation process vessel carrying any suspended particulate matter with them.

FINISH (see AFTERTASTE).
As in "this wine has a (whatever) finish".

FIRM (see AUSTERE).
Attacks the palate with acid or tannic astringency. Suggests that the wine is young and will age. Nearly always a positive comment and very desirable with highly flavored foods.

FLAT (see also MEAGER, THIN).
Opposite of "firm". Usually indicates very low acidity, so tasting insipid and lacking flavor.

FLESHY
Refers to both body and texture. A fleshy wine tastes fatter than a meaty wine, exhibiting some excess oiliness if too pronounced. Often suggests great smoothness and richness.

FLINT/FLINTY
Synonym for "stoney". Derived from French phrase "gout de pierre a fusil", literally a smoky, whiff of gunflint, almost acrid taste. These terms are presumably metaphorical approximations based on the flavor sensations allegedly present in wines made from grapes grown on a limestone/silica rich terroir. "Flinty" describes an initial evaluation indicating a young white wine made from cool region grapes under cold fermentation conditions. Characterized by high acidity, a tactile "mouthfeel" that is filling and yet has a flavor sensation that is cleanly "earthy".

FLORAL/FLOWERY (see also NOSE).
Suggests the aroma or taste, usually aroma, of flowers in wine. "Floral" usually employed as an adjective without modifier to describe attributes of white wine aromas. Few red wines have floral aromas.

FORWARD
Opposite of "closed-in" or, as used by some, backward. Means presence of "fruitiness" is immediately apparent. Usually employed as a term denoting that the wine is in peak condition and on its plateau of maturity.

FOXY (see also GRAPEY, VITIS LABRUSCA below).
Common descriptive word used to note the presence of the unique musky and grapey character attached to native american Vitis. labrusca grapes such as the Concord or Catawba varieties. Derived from the french phrase "gout de renard" which literally translates as "odor" or "taste" of fox, but means something more like "presence of fox" in the intangible sense. The aroma and flavors defy verbal description. The best way to imprint "foxiness" in the memory is to mentally compare the flavors of fresh Concord grapes and any fresh California table grape. Most people find the juice or jelly from the Concord grape quite sprightly and delicious. In dry table wines that same flavor is considered obtrusive and even quite disagreeable.

FRESH
Implies the lively fruity acidity, maybe a little bite of acid, found in youthful light reds, rose's and most whites. All young whites should be fresh. The opposite is flatness, staleness.

FRUITY
Used for any quality that refers to the body and richness of a wine made from good, ripe grapes. A fruity wine has an "appley", "berrylike" or herbaceous character. "Fruitiness" usually implies a little extra sweetness.

FULL-BODIED
As opposed to "thin" or "thin-bodied". Fills the mouth, has a winey taste, alcohol is present, the wine has "weight on the tongue".

FUNKY
1970's jargon word. Defies precise definition. Used by some Canadian tasters when reviewing provincial Liquor Control Board offerings.

GAMEY/GAMELIKE (see also NOSE).
Descriptive term for one of the flavors/aromas considered particular to Burgundian style Pinot Noir red wines. Reminiscent of taste and flavor associated with cooked wild duck and other "gamey" meats. Thought to to be caused by contamination with "brett" - (brettanomyces strain of yeast). Sometimes referred to as "animale" by french winemakers or "sweaty saddle" by Australians. Considered a major flaw when flavour is overly-pronounced.

GLYCERIN/GLYCEROL
Gives a sweet taste on the tongue tip. Higher concentrations are found in high-alcohol and late-harvest wines, leading to sensations of smooth slipperiness giving a sense of fullness to the wine body. Is a natural by-product of the fermentation process.

GRAPEFRUITY
Grapefruit flavours are characteristic of cool-climate Chardonnays. See citrusy above.

GRAPEY (see also VITIS LABRUSCA elsewhere).
Content has simple flavors and aromas reminiscent of a certain type of fresh wine or table grape. Used by some as adjective alternate for "foxy".

GRASSY
Slightly vegetal-tasting undertone often part of the overall character of Sauvignon Blanc and certain other grape varietals. European tasters sometimes use the word "gooseberry" to describe this flavor. In minute presence it can enhance flavors. As it becomes more dominant the more it loses appeal leading to unattractiveness.

GREEN (see also ANGULAR).
Strictly applied refers to the taste of wines made with underripe fruit. More loosely used it refers to some white wines, especially Riesling, possessing the greenish colour tint indicating youth; does not necessarily mean the sour and/or grassy taste of unripe fruit content as well.

HARD
High acidity and/or tannin content leading to a sensation of dryness in the mouth, a degree of puckery-ness. Useful for detecting young red wines suitable for aging. Characteristic preferred in dry white wines that will accompany shellfish.

HARSH
Very astringent wines, usually with high alcohol component, often have this rough, rustic taste characteristic. May become more tolerable with ageing but also may not be worth the wait.

HAZY (see also BRILLIANT, CLOUDY, FILTERED).
Refers to wines with slight particulate content when viewed against the light. Occurs most often in unfiltered or unfined wines where there is no need to worry. If the haziness is intense enough to cause loss of clarity however it may indicate a flawed wine.

HEARTY (see also STURDY).
Most often applied in description of full, warm qualities found in red wines with high alcohol component. Examples are found in the sturdier so-called "jug wines", some California Zinfandels, lesser French Rhone or Algerian red wines and in the occasional lesser Australian Shiraz.

HERBACEOUS (see also GRASSY).
Adjective used in description of wine with taste and aroma of herbs, (usually undefined). Considered to be a varietal characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon, and to less extent, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

HOLLOW (see also AFTERTASTE).
Missing middle between "attack" and "finish". Caused by too many grapes on insufficiently pruned vines. If very noticeable, called "empty".

HOT (see also AFTERTASTE).
Defines a wine high in alcohol and giving a prickly or burning sensation on the palate. Accepted in fortified wines, but not considered as a particularly desirable attribute in Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. Positively undesirable in light, fruity wines, (eg: Moselle Rieslings).

JAMLIKE/JAMMY.
Word most often encountered in descriptions of California Zinfandel wines made with Amador County grapes. Refers to the natural berrylike taste of this grape.

LEAFY (see YEASTY/YEASTLIKE).
Somewhat analogous to "vegetal". Desirable in minute detectable amounts, if adding to notes of complexity in the wine.

LEAN (see also BODY, THIN elsewhere).
More body would be good, sort of thin in the mouth, often too much astringency, sometimes a compliment for certain styles.

LEES (see also NUTTY).
Refers to residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of the fermentation vessel. US winemakers use the term "mud". Imparts distinctive flavors to the wine depending on type. Derived from French term "lies" as in "sur lies".

LEGS (see also FIRM, TEARS).
Two interpretations.
Term used when referring to the liquid rivulets that form on the inside of a wineglass bowl after the wine is swirled in order to evaluate the alcohol concentration present. Usually the higher the alcohol content, the more impressive the rivulets appear because of reduced surface tension effects. (Some still cling to the erroneous belief that glycerin content causes these rivulets). Valuable technique when used in "blind" tasting competitions.
Alternatively, is used by some as a near synonym for "balance" as in "This wine has _legs_", ie: underpinnings. Indicates the wine has all the basic characteristics looked for in when making an initial assessment.

LEMONY
Descriptive of a somewhat acidic white wine. These wines contain flavors reminiscent of that fruit. Apart from that, may be well balanced in all other respects, sometimes with a touch of extra sweetness.

LENGTH (see also AFTERTASTE).
How long the total flavor lasts in the back of the throat after swallowing. Counted in time-seconds. Ten seconds is good, fifteen is great, twenty is superb. Almost a synonym for "finish", as in "this is a wine with an long, extraordinary finish".

LIGHT
Low alcohol and/or sugar. Since about 1981 a wine containing fewer calories per comparable serving than a regular glass of wine has been legally designated as such. Used as a tasting term, "light" is usually a polite expression meaning "watery".

LINGERING (see AFTERTASTE, LENGTH).

LIVELY
Almost a synonym for fresh. Implies detection of barely discernible spritzyness. Applies most often to white wines, but some reds also qualify.

LUSH (see also SWEET below).
Describes impression of wines with high amounts of residual sugar. Adjective almost entirely reserved for sweet dessert wines.

MADERIZED
Distinctive brown color in wine due usually to period of air exposure. Regarded as synonym for "oxidized". Originates from the taste/appearance of Madeira wines. "Sherrified" is commonly used synonym.

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Secondary fermentation occasionally detected in bottled wines. Its action converts the naturally occurring Malic acid into Lactic acid plus Carbon Dioxide gas. Reduces total acidity by this action. Since the gas is contaminated with undesirable odors, if it remains trapped in the bottle it becomes a minor fault unless allowed to dissipate. Malolactic fermentation is a commonly used technique for reducing the sharpness of cool climate Chardonnays and the Lactic acid component gives an admired "creamy" or "buttery" texture.

MATCHSTICK
Describes the odor of Sulphur Dioxide gas, described by some as similar to the smell of "burnt matches", found in minute amounts very occasionally trapped in bottled white wines. Dissipates with airing or decanting.

MEAGER (see also THIN, WATERY).
Lacks "body" and "depth". Has definite feeling of flavor dilution. Seems to occur in some select varietal wines vinified from grapes subjected to late season rain, although there are other explanations as well.

MEATY (see also FAT, OILY).
With much body as though you could chew it. The reference is to lean meat, so indicates less body present than "fleshy".

MOUTH-FILLING
Wines possessing intense flavors which seem to affect every sensory nerve in the mouth. Usually slightly high glycerin component, slightly low acid.

MUSTY (also see DIRTY, CORKED).
A wine that displays unpleasant "mildew" or "moldy" aromas. Results from improperly cleaned storage vessels, moldy grapes or cork.

NOSE
Not the fleshy sense-organ/projection on the human face. Is near synonym word for "aroma" and includes "bouquet". Strictly applied it refers to the totality of the detectable odor, (grape variety, vinous character, fermentation smells), whether desirable or defective, found in a wine. One would speak of a mature wine as having, for example, "varietal aromas, flowery bouquet and hint of vanilla oak combining to give balanced nose".

The sense organs of the human nose can be educated by the use of purchased odor comparison kits known by such names as "Le Nez du Vin", "Component Collection" or "Winealyser". These can sometimes be obtained at the various Home Wine Makers mail suppliers (etc.) around the country.

NOUVEAU (a.k.a. "Nuevo").
Indicates young, immediately drinkable wine - (eg: "nouveau Beaujolais").

NUTTY (see also MADERIZED, OXIDIZED).
Table wines that have been exposed to air display this aroma which resembles that of certain sherry wines. Considered a flaw by some in red wines, but a desired flavor component in certain white wines by others. (eg: Chardonnays with extended "lees" contact in the fermentation vessel).

OAKY
The taste or aroma of freshly sawn oak. When a wine, especially a red, is "oaked" just right, the "nose" will carry a bare whiff of vanilla aroma. Sometimes, oak flavors overpower other component wine flavors, in which case it is considered overoaked. Oak flavor is introduced from contact with storage barrels made from that wood. New oak barrels contribute stronger flavor to a wine than older storage barrels. The "oaky" components encountered include "vanillin", and so-called "toasty" "charred" or "roasted" elements. "Vanillin" comes from the character of the hardwood. The three others derive from the "charring" of the barrel which occurs from heating the iron stave-rings which hold the barrel staves in place after contraction and the flaming of the interior.

OILY (see also FAT, GLYCERIN/GLYCEROL elsewhere)
Describes the vaguely fat, slippery sensation on the palate in contact with the combination of high glycerin and slightly low acid content. Mostly encountered in high quality Chardonnays and late harvest sweet wines.

OPEN-UP/OPENING-UP (see also CLOSED-IN).
Some bottled cellar-aged red wines possess the peculiarity that, when the cork is first pulled and the wine poured, the full flavors do not immediately make an appearance. However, after the passage of several minutes in an open glass goblet, the wine develops unsuspected flavor characteristics that can verge on the sublime. This phenomenon is referred to as "opening-up". Conversely, these flavors can disappear just as fast in just 30 minutes, leaving a subsequent impression of a flat, stale, "over-the-hill" and/or mediocre wine.

OVERIPE
A grape precondition necessary for making certain styles of Californian Zinfandel wines. Left on the vine to dry in the sun, certain grape varietals will develop the desirable "raisiny" character and concentrated sugar necessary for making specialty wines such as the famous Hungarian Tokay.

OXIDIZED (see MADERIZED, NUTTY).

PEPPERY
Term almost solely applied to "spicy" wines, such as Gewurztraminer among the whites, or the red Rhone Syrah and Australian Shiraz wines. Component which can almost be described as pungent in quality, being reminiscent of anise, cinnamon etc.

PERFUMED (see CANDYLIKE, FLOWERY)
Synonym for "floral". Implies also a degree of extra residual sugar.

PLUMP
The diminutive of "fat", also implying a degree of "charm" as well.

PONDEROUS
Even less balanced than a "hearty" or "sturdy" wine. The sole impact is one of high alcohol and "body" character. Little or no acid/tannin content. An everyday red wine, similar to a french "vin ordinaire" country wine sold by alcohol content, can be an example.

POWERFUL
Close to being a synonym for BRAWNY.

PRUNEY
Overripe, sun-dried grapes can induce an undesirable pungent quality into table wines; sometimes compared to "the taste of dried prunes".

PUCKERY (see also HARD, TANNIC)
Synonym for ASTRINGENT.

RACKING (see also FILTERED, FINED).
Traditional method of wine clarification. Sequential transfer of wine to several containers, each transfer leaving behind some particulate matter.

RAISINY
Mildly rich flavor due to excessive heat in the growing area which dries out grapes still on the vine. Considered a fault in most dry table wines.

REFINED
Term for well-balanced wines. Mostly refers to reds, such as Zinfandel, which normally turn "powerful" in the barrel. Almost a synonym for "elegant".

RESIDUAL SUGAR (see also SWEET).
Percentage, by weight or volume, of the unfermented grape sugar in a bottled wine.

RICH
Giving a full, opulent flavor impression without necessarily being sweet. Richness supplied by alcohol, glycerin and oak vanilla nuances in dry wine. The sweeter wines qualify for this adjective if also characterized by ripe, fruity flavors.

RIM (see also AGE/AGING, BROWNING, LEGS).
Refers to edge of wine surface as seen through a "ballon" (goblet) style wineglass held at an angle of about 30-40 deg. from the vertical and viewed against white piece of paper or cloth using natural light. Used in evaluation of wine age. In "blind" tasting is about the only way to get an informed perception about the probable life and/or condition of the wine from that date on.

RIPE
Favorable adjective bestowed when the varietal characteristics of the grape are optimally present in a well balanced wine. Ripe-tasting wines tend toward being slightly more fruity and sweet than otherwise normal wines.

ROBUST (see also BRAWNY).
Vigorous, full with a lot of heart, a big scaled wine.

ROTTEN EGG
Smell of Hydrogen Sulphide gas in wine. Thought to be a characteristic imparted by certain yeast strains. A decided flaw.

ROUGH (see also ASTRINGENT).
Flavor or texture give no pleasure. Acidity and/or tannin are predominant and coarse.

ROUND (see also REFINED).
Describes flavors and tactile sensations giving a feeling of completeness with no dominating characteristic. Almost the same as fat, but with more approval. Tannin, acid and glycerin are sufficiently present but appear as nuances rather than distinct flavors.

RUSTIC
Synonym for "rough".

SALTY
One of the four basic taste sensations detected by the human tongue. Sensed by the taste buds that lie close to the tip of the tongue and just behind.

SHARP (see also CRISP, HARD).
Excess acid predominates, disturbing the otherwise balanced flavors.

SIMPLE
Normal, everyday, well-vinified table wine of straightforward character.

SMOKE/SMOKY (see also OAKY, TOASTY, VANILLIN).
Apparently has two meanings:
Some use the word in the same sense as the smell/flavor that separates smoked (anything) from ordinary (anything).
Refers to aroma contributed by the charred oakwood in barrels. It can have a variety of impressions - (eg: such as the remains of a burnt-out fire). Needs a variant, such as "wood-smoke" or "barbeque smoke" or "sooty" to fully convey the meaning.

SOFT (see also LIGHT).
Generally has low acid/tannin content. Also describes wines with low alcohol content. Consequently has little impact on the palate.

SOUR (see also CRISP, SHARP).
Almost a synonym for ACIDIC. Implies presence of acetic acid plus excess acid component. (Is also one of the four basic taste sensations detected by the human tongue).

SPICY
Almost a synonym for "peppery". Implies a softer, more rounded flavor nuance however.

SPRITZY (see also LIVELY).
Considered a fairly minor fault stemming sometimes from the onset of a brief secondary malolactic fermentation in the bottle. Consists of pinpoint carbonation typically released when the bottle cork is pulled. Frowned on more if occurring in white wines vinified to be dry.

STALE (see also TANKY).
Wine with lifeless, stagnant qualities. Usually found in wines that were kept in large vessel storage for an excessive length of time.

STONEY/STONELIKE (see also FLINT/FLINTY).
Describes a _set_ of perceptions that seem to indicate a relatively young white wine fermented from ripe, but not overly so, grapes under cold fermentation conditions. Classic examples are made from Chardonnay grapes in the Chablis region of France. Wines from the Carneros region of the Napa Valley in California are sometimes so described as well. High acidity coupled with a tactile, mouth-filling sensation that has a cleanly "earthy" flavor characterize this type of wine. Term is commonly used to describe initial impact, as in "Ah, _thats_ a flinty", (or stoney), "wine".

STRUCTURE
The flavor plan, so to speak. Suggests completeness of the wine, all parts there. Term needs a modifier in order to mean something - (eg: "brawny" etc).

STURDY (see also HEARTY)

STYLISH (see also LIVELY).
The style is bold and definite, jaunty and a little pesky.

SUPPLE
Term often used for young reds which should be more aggressive. More lively than an easy wine with suggestions of good quality. The near synonym "amiable" is also sometimes employed but does not quite emphasise the extra connotation of "leanness" implied.

SWEET (see also CLOYING, RICH, RIPE).
Refers to one of the four basic tastes detected by the sensory nerves of the human tongue. In the description of wine taste-flavor the term "sweet" is almost always used as an identifier denoting the presence of residual sugar and/or glycerin. Wine aromas require a descriptive term to identify the source of the perceived sensation - (eg: "ripe", "lush").

TANKY
Synonym for "stale".

TANNIN (see also ASTRINGENT, PUCKERY).
A naturally occurring substance in grapeskins, seeds and stems. Is primarily responsible for the basic "bitter" component in wines. Acts as a natural preservative, helping the development and, in the right proportion, balance of the wine. It is considered a fault when present in excess.

TARRY/TARLIKE
Descriptive term used when comparing odor detected in the "nose" of a wine with similar odor retained in a memory trained by the use of a comparison kit of scent essences. Such kits include tar, mercaptan, apricots, mushrooms and other flavoring essences isolated from wines.

TART (see also SHARP, SOUR).
Synonym for "acidic".

TASTE
The four basic sensations detectable by the human tongue. The tip of the tongue contains the taste receptors registering "sweetness". Just a little further back, at the sides, taste will appear "salty". Behind that, flavour will have a "sour" taste at the sides, finally dissolving into "bitterness" at the near center-rear of the tongue.

TEARS (see also ALCOHOL).
Synonym for "legs".

TERROIR (see also EARTHY, FLINTY above).
French language term for all the characteristics of the vineyard site thought to be imparted to a particular wine. It is a term that includes geographic, geological, climatic and other attributes that can affect an area of growth as small as a few square metres.

THIN/THIN-BODIED (see also LIGHT, MEAGER).
Opposite of "full-bodied".

TIGHT (see also ANGULAR, CLOSED-IN, HARD).
A term for young wines. Almost an synonym for "dumb".

TOASTY (see also OAKY, SMOKE/SMOKY, VANILLIN).
Other, similar descriptors are "caramel" and "toffee". Some also add spicy flavours, such as "cinnamon" or "cloves".

TOBACCO
Descriptive term, used by some, to describe a flavor component resembling the taste of raw tobacco leaf in the finish of certain red wines. Seems to mainly apply to Cabernet Sauvignons from Bordeaux, France or the Napa region of California. "Cigarbox" is a common term often used as a near synonym especially if a cedar-wood note in the aroma is detected. (Non-smokers may have trouble with this word and its implication).

UNDERIPE (see also ACIDIC, GREEN).
Resulting flavor when grapes that failed to reach optimum maturity on the vine are used in the vinification process.

UNFILTERED
Opposite of "filtered". However, does not exclude other clarifying processes such as "fining" etc.

UNFINED
Opposite of "fined". However, does not exclude other clarifying processes such as "filtering" etc.

VANILLA (see also SWEET, TARLIKE).
Component detectable in the "nose" of a wine. The novice taster can compare odors with the vials of artificial ones provided in kit form.

VANILLIN
Component contributed by oakwood barrel staves. Considered to add a degree of "sweetness" to red wines when present in barely detectable amounts, so adding to a desirably complex style prized by connoisseurs.

VARIETAL CHARACTER (see also BREED, HERBACEOUS, GRAPEY).
The particular flavor characteristics associated with a grape picked at optimum maturity - (eg: distinctive "berrylike" taste of California Zinfandels, "blackcurrants" of Cabernet Sauvignon etc).

VEGETAL (see also EARTHY, LEAFY, YEASTY/YEASTLIKE).
Considered a flavor flaw when present in distinctive amounts over and above that occurring naturally in the grape. "Grassy" has somewhat the same connotation.

VINOUS (see also SIMPLE).
Akin to "amiable". Nothing basically wrong with the wine, just has no impact on the taster. Implies good "character" in that characteristics of a certain grape fruitiness are detectable but apparent lack of other flavor nuances amount to a dull experience.

VITIS LABRUSCA (see also GRAPEY).
The grape species believed to be an impure, cross-pollinated version of the wild grape native to North America. Makes tasty juice, jelly but has wine flavor often termed as "foxy".

VITIS VINIFERA (see also BREED, ELEGANT).
The premier grape species used for the world's most admired wines. Also referred to as the "European vine".

VOLATILE (see also HARSH).
Powerful, attack aroma. Usually denotes high level of acidity, alcohol and/or other flavor faults.

WARM
Possesses high alcohol flavor offset by counterbalancing flavors and other desirable qualities. Unlike "hot", is a positive attribute.

WATERY
Synonym for MEAGER or THIN.

WEIGHTY (see also BODY).
Well-structured/balanced wines with an implication of mildly excessive flavor or "heaviness".

WELL-BALANCED
Contains all of the essential elements - (ie: alcohol, flavors, acid or astringency etc) - in good proportions.

WOODY
Almost a synonym for OAKY. However, implies an overstay in a wooden container which resulted in the absorption of other wood flavors besides "oak".

YEASTY/YEASTLIKE (see also DIRTY, EARTHY, NUTTY, VEGETAL).
Term describing odors deriving from varietal yeasts carried on grapeskins, molds etc. Includes both desirable and undesirable characteristics. Examples would be the presence of "brett" - (brettanomeyces) - a strain of yeast that produces "gamey/smokey" odors that are considered to add to the character of the wine when barely detectable. Considered a flaw when presence is pronounced. Another, similar example is the "dekkera" wild yeast strain which gives a "fresh dirt/cement-y" flavor component.

Anthony Hawkins and Tom Beard

Ruling Turns a Village of Winemakers on Itself

2008-07-28T19:46:00.003-04:00

A view of the wine production area of Château Figeac in St.-Émilion, where wines are re-classified every 10 years.

ST.-ÉMILION, France — For François Despagne, it was the challenge of his lifetime.

His family owned the same vineyard in this southwestern part of France for seven generations. But in 1996, in the reclassification of St.-Émilion wines that occurs roughly every 10 years, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne was downgraded from grand cru classé, one of the highest ratings.

The family disagreed but did not challenge the ruling in court.

“When you’re declassified, you’re the ugly little duckling,” Mr. Despagne said. “People lose faith in you.” The blow is also financial.

One Bordeaux broker called him then and said: “You’re in trouble, you’re declassified. I’ll buy your stock for half price,” Mr. Despagne recalled, still disgusted. “It was hard, morally.”

Mr. Despagne, trained as a biologist and oenologist, went to work. He persuaded his family and the banks to invest some $2 million to modernize the business. More important, he dug 150 holes to analyze the soil on his 66 acres and identified 53 parcels. Where the soil was richest, he grew grass between the rows of vines to force the roots to dig deeper. He put in 27 new vats to make smaller batches, and reduced yield by 25 percent to get a more concentrated wine.

In September 2006, his labor and his family’s faith were rewarded. Although the new classification downgraded 11 other chateaus, it restored Grand Corbin-Despagne to grand cru classé, and Mr. Despagne printed new labels, brochures, corks, capsules and wooden cases. The family celebrated; the workers had a huge party.

But then the bomb went off this year. On July 1, an administrative court, hearing an extended appeal from seven of the newly declassified chateaus, threw out the entire 2006 classification — and threw Mr. Despagne and others who had been promoted into fury and confusion.

The ruling has set families against one another in this beautiful medieval village of 2,500 souls who know one another, marry one another and go to Mass together. Declared a protected site by Unesco in 1999, St.-Émilion, where the Romans cultivated wine grapes, is dominated by a church and a prison tower built in the 13th century.

Now this little area, which contains 770 winegrowers on 13,800 acres classified as St.-Émilion and St.-Émilion grand cru, produces some 32.1 million bottles a year of some of Bordeaux’s finest and most expensive wines. It represents an enormous collective business, with built-in rivalries, that combines science, farming, public relations, fantasy, taste and tough tactics.

And now, judicial and commercial confusion.

The court agreed with the plaintiffs that, because the already classified wines were tasted at a different time than the candidate wines, and because some domains were visited and some not, the classification was “arbitrary” — even though the same procedure had been followed in 1996.

Faced with no classification for the 2006 vintage, which was just being bottled, the French Legislature restored the 1996 classification for three years, or until all court appeals are finished or a new classification is made. That is fine for most, and especially for those just demoted — but it means agony for Mr. Despagne and the others promoted in 2006 who had their reward ripped away.

Mr. Despagne spits out the words, like a bad vintage: “It’s not good for the image of St.-Émilion, it’s not good for justice and it’s not good for the community of St.-Émilion.”

The ruling also punished two other chateaus, Pavie Macquin and Troplong Mondot. They were elevated in 2006 to the rarefied air of premier grand cru classé B, which brings even more rarefied prices.

Xavier Pariente, who owns Troplong Mondot with his spouse, is beside himself.

“We are the laughingstock of everyone; everyone feels this injustice that we are living,” Mr. Pariente said. “If we wanted to damage St.-Émilion, there would be no better way.” Jean-Pierre Taleyson, the cellar master, said, “When I heard about the judgment, I nearly started to cry.”

For Nicolas Thienpont, director of Pavie Macquin, the court ruling is like “a donkey on the roof.” It is absurd, he said, “to promote the troublemakers while the good students get demoted.” He has already bottled and labeled his 2006 vintage under the new, higher classification, expecting a final ruling to confirm the promotions. “It’s a risk, but I feel morally premier grand cru classé,” he said. “We worked 10 years for this!”

Even the patriarch of St.-Émilion, Thierry Manoncourt, 90, who owns the magnificent Château Figeac, has his grievances. His wine was not affected by the 2006 classification, but his application to be promoted from premier grand cru classé B to A — to join the two most elevated names in the region, Ausone and Cheval Blanc — was denied again.

Not because of the quality of the wine, the reviews, the elegance of the chateau or any other obvious reason, he fumed. “But because they said my prices were not as high! It’s a circle — you can’t sell at the same price because you’re not premier grand cru classé A!”

Mr. Manoncourt has the standing to reject some of the slavish following of the preferences of wine raters like Robert M. Parker Jr., whose influence over the American market remains extraordinary. Mr. Parker likes deeply colored Bordeaux, so many here alter the temperature of their first maceration to extract the most color, even if it slightly affects the taste. Mr. Manoncourt, offering a glass of a 2001 Château Figeac that Mr. Parker did not like at a first tasting, recalled saying, “Cher Bob, I don’t manufacture ink.”

As to the current uproar, Mr. Manoncourt said gently, “It’s always unpleasant when there’s a controversy — especially when it’s not very transparent.” And when, he implied, there is so much money and pride at stake.

Pierre Lurton, who runs Château Cheval Blanc for the multinational LVMH, said he approved of the regular reclassification of St.-Émilion wines, which he called “courageous” because it kept winemakers on their toes.

But the court ruling, Mr. Lurton said, “puts everything into disequilibrium. It’s confusing, and it gives the sense there’s something wrong in the system.” For Mr. Despagne, he said, “it’s totally unjust — it’s like he regained heaven, and now he’s thrown back into purgatory.”

5 Tips For A Memorable Wine Tasting Party

2008-07-24T21:47:00.000-04:00

A wine tasting party is a great way to get friends and family together to learn wine and experiment with different varieties of wine and appetizers. Wine appreciation is a great hobby to share with friends and family and if you decide to host a wine tasting party, you can range from a formal gathering to an informal, fun party. The friends and family wine tasting party should be based on the type of people that will be invited. Wine enthusiasts and hobbyists in the friends and family gathering would be the best resource for selecting wines. If friends and family are not big wine enthusiasts, then a nice informal occasion can be used to learn and experiment with wine and foods. Preferably, a wine tasting party should have a light, fun and informal atmosphere.

Preparation and Invitations for the Wine Tasting Party
In order to prepare for the wine tasting party, you will want to purchase plastic or glass wine glasses in two varieties. The tall, slender glasses are best for sparkling and white wines while round, wide-rimmed glasses are best for red wines. You will also want water glasses for rinsing the mouth and foam cups for spitting in if necessary.

Include dump buckets for pouring out left over wine and don’t forget the paper napkins and plates. You may also want to purchase a large plastic appetizer platter. Also, print off a wine tasting party tally sheet for family and friends to record what they like and dislike about each wine while they experiment.

Rita Fae

Removing Red Wine Stains on Carpets

2008-07-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

Red wine stains on carpets can ruin an evening if you are not prepared. A light colored carpet, a bottle of Merlot and a frisky cat or toddler or some overly zealous adults can add up to a wine stain disaster. There are many tried and true remedies for removing wine stains on carpets, but there are some remover’s that simply do not work as well. Prepare for red wine stains on carpets by knowing what works and what does not.

Never ‘rub’ or ‘scrub’ red wine stain on carpets. This does two things, first it rubs the stain into the carpet instead of blotting the red wine stain out of the carpet and secondly it frays the natural and synthetic fibers of the carpet.

The longer a stain sits, the more it will set and removing wine stains becomes hard. If there is not enough time to use a home remedy mixture to remove the red wine stains on carpets, pour salt or club soda on the stain to prevent the red wine stain from setting into the carpet.

Salt is a classic remedy for red wine stains on carpets. Salt can be used for removing wine stains when the stain is still fresh. When the red wine stain is still fresh, cover with regular iodinated table salt until the salt is no longer absorbing the stain. The salt will change color. Allow the salt to dry and vacuum the stain away. However, this method does not work with all red wine stains on carpets all of the time.

Rita Fae

Wine Basics

2008-07-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Understanding wine basics might seem like a complicated process, but in reality, it’s rather easy to understand. Viticulture, or the growing of grapes for wine, has been a time-honored tradition for literally thousands of years. The practice is so old that it is even mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. But wine basics have remained traditionally the same, with just a few additional practices, thanks to the onset of modern technology.

Wine comes from a variety of grapes, but don’t confuse grapes used for viticulture with those you find at your local grocer. Unlike the grapes you eat, wine grapes are usually tart and bitter in taste. Understanding wine basics means knowing the grapes available to winemakers. Wine grapes are numerous in varietals, but many vineyards all over the world rely on a few basic types. The main variety of red grapes used in winemaking are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah (Shiraz in Australia), Zinfandel and Gamay. There are several white grape varieties used in winemaking. They are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.

The color of wine is derived from how the juices of grapes are processed. A quick note before delving into the “pulp” of wine basics; the color of wine is not always a result of the color of the grape. Wines get their color from the skins of the grape, not from the juice. To make red wine, the red grape skins are infused with the juices while it is going through the fermentation process. White wine, on the other hand, is devoid of the skins during the fermentation process. The sugars from the juice mix with yeast to release the color from the skins during fermentation. This is why there are a few red grape varietals that can be used in making white wine, so long as the skins are removed completely from the juices before it is fermented.

Samantha Rhodes

Wine Quotes 101

2008-07-19T20:38:00.001-04:00

The famous German poet once was asked which three things he would take to an island. He stated: "Poetry, a beautiful woman and enough bottles of the world's finest wines to survive this dry period!" Then he was asked what he would leave back first, if it was allowed to take only two things to the island. And he briefly replied: "The poetry!" Slightly surprised, the man asked the next question: "And Sir, what would you leave back if only one was allowed?" And Goethe thought for a couple of minutes and answered: "It depends on the vintage!"

Wine Drinking Dog

2008-07-19T20:16:00.001-04:00

"Hey, pour some wine in MY bowl! I'll take a little of that fine blend of the Maggie Merlot and the Pooch Pinot...the one with the great tail-wagging finish."

WINE QUOTES

2008-07-19T20:07:00.002-04:00

An anonymously penned 17th century haiku has this to say about sake:
Sake nakuta
Nan no onore ga
Sakura kana

Without flowing wine
What good to me are lovely
Cherry trees in bloom?

Filmmaker/winemaker Francis Ford Coppola says the two professions are almost the same and that each depends on source material and takes a lot of time to perfect. The big difference: "Today's winemakers still worry about quality."

"It sloweth age, it strengtheneth youth, it helpeth digestion, it abandoneth melancholie, it relisheth the heart, it lighteneth the mind, it quickenth the spirits, it keepeth and preserveth the head from whirling, the eyes from dazzling, the tongue from lisping, the mouth from snaffling, the teeth from chattering and the throat from rattling; it keepeth the stomach from wambling, the heart from swelling, the hands from shivering, the sinews from shrinking, the veins from crumbling, the bones from aching, and the marrow from soaking." --copied from a 16th Century manuscript

Port is not for the very young, the vain and the active. It is the comfort of age and the companion of the scholar and the philosopher. - Evelyn Waugh

"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world." - Ernest Hemingway

"And water is on the Bishop's board and the Higher Thinker's shrine,
But I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine." - G.K. Chesterton

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne." - John Maynard Keynes

"Gentlemen, in the little moment that remains to us between the crisis and the catastrophe, we may as well drink a glass of Champagne." - Paul Claudel

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food!!" - Anonymous

"Champagne for our real friends and real pain for our sham friends!"

“Wine had such ill effects on Noah’s health that it was all he could do to live 950 years. Show me a total abstainer that ever lived that long.” - Will Rogers

In victory, you deserve champagne, in defeat, you need it. - Napoleon

There are two reasons for drinking wine...when you are thirsty, to cure it; the other, when you are not thirsty, to prevent it... prevention is better than cure. - Thomas Love Peacock

Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it. - Anonymous

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance. - Benjamin Franklin

Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved. - Medieval German saying

"The First Duty of wine is to be Red...the second is to be a Burgundy" -- Harry Waugh

"In wine one beholds the heart of another" -- Anonymous

"Never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine…and he always had some mighty fine wine." -- 3 Dog Night

"If all be true that I do think, there are five reasons we should drink. Good friends, good times, or being dry, or lest we should be by and by, or any other reason why"

Thomas Jefferson on wine:

"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens."

"Good wine is a necessity of life for me."

"I rejoice as a moralist at the prospect of a reduction of the duties on wine by our national legislature.... Its extended use will carry health and comfort to a much enlarged circle."

"Wine ... the true old man's milk and restorative cordial."

"I wonder what the vintners buy one half so precious as the stuff they sell." - Omar Khayyam

"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile." - Homer, "Odyssey (9th c. B.C.)

"When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing." - Ovid, "The Art of Love" (c. A.D. 8)

"If penicillin can cure those that are ill, Spanish sherry can bring the dead back to life." - Sir Alexander Fleming

"From wine what sudden friendship springs!" - John Gay "The Squire and the Cur," 'Fables'

"Come quickly! I am tasting stars!" - Dom Perignon (1638-1714) at his first sip of champagne

"I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles." -A Bishop of Seville Baron

James Rothschild sent Rossini [composer of 'The Barber of Seville', 'William Tell', etc.] some splendid grapes from his hothouse. Rossini, in thanking him, wrote, "although your grapes are superb, I don't like my wine in capsules." Rothschild read this as an invitation to send him some of his celebrated Chateau-Lafite, which he proceeded to do. - Lillie de Hergermann-Lindencrone, "In the Courts of Memory"

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary." - Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast"

"Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die." - Julia Child

"Writing in my sixty-fourth year, I can truthfully say that since I reached the age of discretion I have consistently drunk more than most people would say is good for me. Nor did I regret it. Wine has been for me a firm friend and a wise counsellor. Often...wine has shown me matters in their true perspective, and has, as though by the touch of a magic wand, reduced great disasters to small inconveniences. Wine has lit up for me the pages of literature, and revealed in life romance lurking in the commonplace. Wine has made me bold but not foolish; has induced me to say silly things but not to do them." - Duff Cooper, "Old Men Forget"

"[Wine is] poetry in a bottle." - Clifton Fadiman

"To take wine into your mouth is to savor a droplet of the river of human history." - Clifton Fadiman, N. Y. Times, 8 Mar '87

"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover." - Clifton Fadiman, N. Y. Times, 8 Mar '87

"In wine there is truth." - Pliny The Elder [A.D.23-79] "Natural History," Book XIV, Sect. 141

"When [wines] were good they pleased my sense, cheered my spirits, improved my moral and intellectual powers, besides enabling me to confer the same benefits on other people." - George Saintsbury [1845-1913] "Notes on a Cellar Book"

"There can be no bargain without wine." - Latin saying

"I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn't have to wait for it to age." - Steven Wright

"Compromises are for relationships, not wine." - Sir Robert Scott Caywood

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch" W. C. Fields

Johann Wolfgang Goethe, a famous German poet, once was asked which three things he would take to an island. He stated: "Poetry, a beautiful woman and enough bottles of the world's finest wines to survive this dry period!" Then he was asked what he would leave back first, if it was allowed to take only two things to the island. And he briefly replied: "The poetry!" Slightly surprised, the man asked the next question: "And Sir, what would you leave back if only one was allowed?" And Goethe thought for a couple of minutes and answered: "It depends on the vintage!"

To me there is no better gift
Than a fine old bottle of wine;
Like a trusted friend, it speaks for me,
But in a voice uniquely mine.
I'll spread this cheer to all my friends,
And send them the gift of the vine;
And they in turn will share the joy--
It's simple...at 800wine. - Anonymous

Three be the things I shall never attain: Envy, content, and sufficient champagne."
Dorothy Parker

"I am drinking the stars!"
Dom Perignon, on his first sip of bubbly Champagne

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
W.C. Fields

"Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of good wine."
St. Thomas Aquinas

"Wine in itself is an excellent thing."
Pope Pius XII Airen

"One of the disadvantages of wine is that it makes a man mistake words for thoughts."
Samuel Johnson

"It had the taste of an apple peeled with a steel knife."
- Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
Sebastian Barnack, in Time Must Have a Stop, ch 12 (1944)
Assessing a Roederer 1916 champagne.

"By making this wine vine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt."
Thomas Jefferson

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."
Benjamin Franklin

"He who loves not wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long "
Johann Heinrich Voss

"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."
Ernest Hemingway.

"I drink champagne when I win, to celebrate
... and I drink champagne when I lose to console myself."
Napoleon

"If penicillin can cure those that are ill, Spanish sherry can bring the dead back to life."
Sir Alexander Fleming

"Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized."
Andre Simon, Commonsense of Wine

"Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!"
Winston S. Churchill, 1918

"Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living."
Robert Mondavi, "Harvests Of Joy," Autobiography

"Drink a glass of wine after your soup and you steal a ruble from your doctor."
Russian proverb

"A mind of the caliber of mine cannot derive its nutrient from cows."
George Bernard Shaw

"You have only so many bottles in your life, never drink a bad one."
Len Evans

"The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars."
Benjamin Franklin

"Wine ...moderately drunken
It doth quicken a man's wits,
It doth comfort the heart."
Andrew Boorde, 1562, "Dyetary of Helth"

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary."
Ernest Hemingway

"Wine has been a part of civilized life for some seven thousand years. It is the only beverage that feeds the body, soul and spirit of man and at the same time stimulates the mind."
Robert Mondavi, "Harvests Of Joy," Autobiography

"Making good wine is a skill. Fine wine is an art."
Robert Mondavi, "Harvests Of Joy," Autobiography

"A hard drinker, being at the table, was offered grapes for dessert. 'Thank you,' said he, pushing the dish away from him, 'but I am not in the habit of taking my wine in pills.'"
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, "The Physiology of Taste"

"Fermented beverages have been preferred over water throughout the ages: they are safer, provide psychotropic effects, and are more nutritious. Some have even said alcohol was the primary agent for the development of Western civilization, since more healthy individuals (even if inebriated much of the time) lived longer and had greater reproductive success. "
Dr. Patrick McGovern, et al., The Origin & Ancient History of Wine

"It had the taste of an apple peeled with a steel knife."
Aldous Huxley (1894–1963),Sebastian Barnack, in Time Must Have a Stop, ch 12 (1944), assessing a Roederer 1916 champagne.

When Lily Bollinger was asked "When do you drink champagne?", she replied:
"I only drink champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am.
Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."

"The cheapness of wine seems to be a cause, not of drunkenness, but of sobriety. ...People are seldom guilty of excess in what is their daily fare...On the contrary, in the countries which, either from excessive heat or cold, produce no grapes, and where wine consequently is dear and a rarity, drunkenness is a common vice."
Adam Smith, "The Wealth of Nations"

"So far as drinking is concerned, you have my hearty approval; for wine does of a truth moisten the soul and lull our griefs to sleep....[and with small cups] we shall ...be brought by its gentle persuasion to a more sportive mood."
Xenophon, quoting Socrates

"Burgundy makes you think of silly things, Bordeaux makes you talk of them and Champagne makes you do them."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

"I drank a bottle of wine for company. It was Chateau Margaux. It was pleasant to be drinking slowly and to be tasting the wine and to be drinking alone. A bottle of wine was good company."
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

"The good talk that is inseparable from a wine dinner is even more important than the wines that are being served. Never bring up your better bottles if you are entertaining a man who cannot talk. Keep your treasures for a night when those few who are nearest to your heart can gather round your table, free from care, with latchkeys in their pockets and no last train to catch."
Maurice Healy, Claret

"After-dinner talk
Across the walnuts and the wine."
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), The Miller's Daughter, 31

"Pour out the wine without restraint or stay,
Pour not by cups, but by the bellyful,
Pour out to all that will."
Edmund Spenser, Epithalamion, 250

"And they drank the red wine through the helmet barr'd."
Sir Walter Scott

"By comparing what we know today with what the ancients appear to have known we can guess at the kinds of wine they drank."
Alec Waugh

"What though youth gave love and roses, age still leaves us friends and wine."
Thomas Moore

"Burgundy for Kings, Champagne for Duchesses, and claret for Gentlemen."
French Proverb

"May our love be like good wine, grow stronger as it grows older."
Old English Toast

"Age appears to be best in four things - old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read."
L. Bacon

"Fill every beaker up, my men, pour forth the cheering wine: there's life and strength in every drop, thanksgiving to the vine!"
Albert Gorton Greene

"Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge with mine; or leave a kiss but in the cup, and I'll not look for wine."
Ben Johnson

"I drank at every vine, the last was like the first. I came upon no wine so wonderful as thirst."
Edna St. Vincent Millay

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used."
William Shakespeare, ( Othello)

"Good wine needs no bush."
William Shakespeare, ( As You Like It, Epilogue)

"Give me a bowl of wine,
In this I bury all unkindness."
William Shakespeare, (Julius Caesar)

"Give me a bowl of wine:
have not that alacrity of spirit,
Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have."
William Shakespeare, (Richard III).

"Wine is a good familiar creature if it be will used, exclaim no more against it."
William Shakespeare, (Othello)

"Wine is wont to show the mind of man."
Theogenis

"With years a richer life begins, the spirit mellow: ripe age gives tones to violins, wine, and good fellows."
John Townsend Trowbridge

"Burgundy was the winiest wine, the central, essential, and typical wine, the soul and greatest common measure of all the kindly wines of the earth."
Charles Edward Montague

"Claret is the liquor for boys, port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy."
Samuel Johnson

"I like Champagne, because it always tastes as though my foot's asleep."
Art Buchwald

"Wine is a food."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Wine can be considered with good reason as the most healthful and the most hygienic of all beverages."
Louis Pasteur

"The flavor of wine is like delicate poetry."
Louis Pasteur

"One not only drinks the wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and--one talks about it."
King Edward VII

"When a man drinks wine at dinner, he begins to be better pleased with himself."
Plato

"Wine fills the heart with courage."
Plato

"Wine improves with age - I like it the older I get."
Anonymous

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water!"
Galileo Gallilei

"Away with you, water, destruction of wine!"
Catullus

"Drink wine in winter for cold, and in summer for heat."
Anonymous

"Where there is no wine there is no love."
Euripides

"Wine is at the head of all medicines; where wine is lacking, drugs are necessary."
The Talmud

"A full cup of wine at the right time is worth more than all the kingdoms of this earth!"
Gustav Mahler, Das Lied Von Der Erde

"Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance."
Epicurus

"How is Champagne made? By sheer genius, sir, sheer genius!"
Anonymous, Conversation At White's Club, London

"Nothing equals the joy of the drinker except the joy of the wine being drunk."
Anonymous

"Description of a corkscrew:...the wine lover's best friend and the rarest of tools."
Anonymous

Bacchus in Decline

2008-07-19T08:54:00.002-04:00

The plan is to make less wine: drink it while you can

Every now and then in journalism, a metaphor pops up that is almost too perfect to use.

I had that feeling last night, writing up a report for the print edition about the European Commission's plans to drain a growing "wine lake" of unwanted plonk from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal (though other countries are also offenders).

On every level, this wine crisis is the perfect metaphor for Europe's current economic woes.

The central problem is that European winemakers do not want to live in a free market world. They are addicted to subsidies, with hundreds of millions of pounds spent every year propping up prices which duly frees them from the pesky requirement of making wine that paying customers might want to buy.

In contrast, sales of easy-going wine from the New World are exploding with Australian wine exports increasing 19-fold in the past 15 years. In Britain, Australian wines have captured a quarter of the British market and it is easy to forget that not so long ago they were nowhere (remember the Monty Python Australian wine sketch, with its Nuits-Saint-Wagga-Wagga et al?).

In recent years, one in six bottles of EU wine has ended up being distilled into petrol or industrial disinfectant, at vast cost to the taxpayer. The no-nonsense Mariann Fischer Boel, a Dane who is EU agricultural commissioner, has had enough, and unveiled plans for a "root and branch" reform (her pun).

The Commission plan is to grub up nearly a million acres (400,000 hectares) of wines, pay farmers to leave the business, allow modern production techniques (like "oaking" cheaper wines with string bags of wood chips) and simplify labeling rules. (Under current French law, for example, you cannot market cheap and cheerful Chardonnay 2006, if it is made with grapes from more than one region of France it is actually illegal to mention the grape variety on wines that are not from a specific geographical area).

Above all, the plan is to make less wine, and better wine, that people might want to buy. Being realistic sorts, who know their plan has to get past subsidy-addicted national governments, the Commission hastened to add that they would not be cutting one centime from the pounds 900 million a year EU subsidy budget for wine just trying to shift it away from boiling away unwanted stuff.

And what was the reaction in France, the world's largest wine producer, and subsidy junkie par excellence? A flat Non from the agriculture ministry, and protests from farmers, throwing around accusations of "ultra-liberalism", and the destruction of their sacred cultural traditions (which apparently include making bad wine, for sale to the taxpayer).

So, what does all this tell us? Well, yes it tells us that too many Europeans have a problem with the free market.

French wine is losing market share in Britain, in part, because too much of the stuff they make is expensive, and not as pleasant to drink as New World stuff. The labels are complicated, and unless you recognise an individual chateau, it is almost impossible to know whether one random Bordeaux is better than another and it is no good judging by whether something is a grand cru or premier cru, because the designations have not been updated for years, and may bear no resemblance to reality.

The parallels with other sectors of European trade are obvious the red tape, the lack of transparency, the cosy archaisms that are hostile to outsiders but reward existing players, you name it.

And still the French resist all change and get away with it, because public money is spent insulating them from the effects of their stubbornness.

Local chauvinism also plays a role here. German winemakers get away with churning out so much horrid stuff (as well as some great wine), because German consumers loyally buy German wines, and would not think of doing anything else. The same thing happens all over Europe just go to Greece or Portugal, and watch people paying nine euros a bottle for grim local reds, when they could have something much nicer from somewhere else, for half that (yes, there is some great Greek and Portuguese wine too, but I have had much more luck with white than red, on the whole).

Britain, on the other hand, is in the happy state of being a non wine-making nation (yes, yes I know there is English and Welsh wine now, but I have never tasted a decent one yet). So as with so much else, globalisation is the way in our wine stores, and supermarket shelves. Value for money is king, as supermarket buyers scour the world for Uruguayan gems, or the best new growths from South Africa.

It is hard not to see a parallel with continental protectionism in so many other fields. In Britain, we have been through the painful process of losing national champions to foreign buyers, whether car makers or breweries or whatever. And now British consumers are able to choose from a far wider variety of foreign-owned products than their continental cousins just look at the multinational mix of cars on UK roads, or the astonishing number of foreign beers on sale in London bars. Choice is king, and value for money should logically follow.

And yet, and yet.

Just when it all looks so very simple, ha-ha bye bye sleepy old Europe, hello New World hard work we're your British chums, some awkward facts intrude.

I have a hunch that the fact that Britons buy so much New World wine is not entirely the fault of European wine-makers. The truth is, a lot of New World wine is beginners' wine sweet, gloopy jam in a glass, with the labels helpfully in English.

No surprise that it does so well in Britain, where wine-drinking is a new phenomenon for many buyers, and people cannot be bothered with foreign languages. There is nothing wrong with easy drinking wine I have no time for wine snobs who want to make a mystery of what is basically squashed grapes. I just mean that some great European wine is an acquired taste, which more British drinkers may acquire, as wine-drinking beds in as a tradition. It's like British beer you start as a teenager with cold, tasteless lager, and only slowly learn to enjoy real ale.

One final awkward fact, which fits the metaphor exactly, too. The French wine-makers who get all the media attention are the bone-in-the-nose militants, resisting all talk of the marketplace, or changing their ways. But quietly, and without attracting nearly as much attention, French and other European wine makers are already making lots of great, cheap wine designed to compete directly with the New World (some of it with the help of New World winemakers). It is the same with French and European capitalism in general. The French are the biggest obstacles to reform, time and again but they are also fantastically good at business, and globalisation.

French wine makes up a fair amount of the wine drunk in the Rennie household, and makes it into my cellar on the basis of solid value for money. My philosophy of wine-buying is simple: buy the best possible wine for under five euros a bottle. I buy single bottles of likely-looking reds and whites, and if a given wine is good twice or three times in a row, I buy it in big quantities.

To end this long end-of-the-week post, I humbly offer my fellow Belgian residents the fruits of this painstaking research. I welcome your recommendations in return. A warning, as the parent of two small children, my shopping is done in the local discount supermarket, Colruyt, so if that is not your style, stop reading here. Top red of the week: Château Mauleon Côtes du Roussillon-Villages 2004 (France). Cheap but chirpy. Top white of the week is from Argentina: Michel Torrino Torrontes. It tastes like flowers.

David Rennie

ShipCompliant's Free Temperature Forecasting Tool Enables Wine Shippers to Comply with Mother Nature's Rules

2008-07-15T19:36:00.000-04:00

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ShipCompliant announced today that it has launched a custom temperature forecasting tool for protecting wine shipments. The latest addition to an innovative free tool suite from ShipCompliant is now available for any winery or wine retailer to use on the ShipCompliant website at http://www.shipcompliant.com/free-tools/.
Source: Six88 Solutions

Temperature forecasting has long been a problem for wineries and wine shippers. Hot temperatures during the delivery process can negatively impact the quality of the wine upon delivery and, more importantly, for cellaring. Visibly damaged bottles cost wineries in returned shipments and replacement shipment, and customer satisfaction. However, a greater threat comes from the reputation hit that occurs when wine that is not initially recognized as damaged by the recipient, is cellared, and when finally consumed, is below customer expectations.

ShipCompliant’s temperature tool allows a winery to set thresholds on temperatures at which they want their shipments out for delivery, to see resulting destinations to which they should and shouldn’t ship, and ultimately to filter shipment files for zip codes with forecasted temperatures within the thresholds, prior to sending to fulfillment. This process that has previously been completely manual and extremely time consuming can now be completed in a few easy steps.

"We gave a sneak-preview to about 350 people, including over 150 ShipCompliant customers at our third annual direct shipping seminar and users conference on Friday," said ShipCompliant CEO Jason Eckenroth. "The reception of the temperature forecasting tool was remarkable. Our fulfillment partners and winery and wine retailer partners can't wait to get their hands on this technology. The free tool is a great proof of concept and will be extremely valuable to all wine shippers, but we'll really be able to leverage this technology within the ShipCompliant application, where our 1,800 users can take advantage of automated weather holds and releases and exercise unprecedented control over their shipping."

About ShipCompliant:

ShipCompliant is the leading compliance and fulfillment management software solution for wineries and wine retailers, providing 100% accurate compliance checks on orders, auto-populated state direct shipping and tax reports, and many other efficiencies associated with address validation, carrier integration, and accurate tax collection. ShipCompliant's technological infrastructure allows it to easily integrate with other software systems across all steps of the chain between winery and end consumer resulting in easy workflows and time savings for winery staff. To view a demo of the system and see how wineries and retailers are saving time and money, please go to http://www.shipcompliant.com/demo or call toll free at 888-449-5285.

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5731235
Contact:
ShipCompliant
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Hause, 303-996-2344

New Line Of Red Bordeaux

2008-07-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

COOKWARE CO. INTRODUCES "STEPHANIE" NAPA WINES

Stanley Cheng, ceo of Meyer Corporation has announced the launch of "Stephanie," a new line of red Bordeaux varietal wines from his family's Hestan Vineyards in Napa Valley. Meyer Corp manufactures Circulon, Anolon, Farberware and KitchenAid cookware.

The debut release includes the 2005 Stephanie Red Bordeaux Blend (940 cases $65), 2005 Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon (930 cases $50) and 2005 Stephanie Merlot (475 cases $40). Named for Stanley and Helen Cheng's only daughter, whose concert harp is etched in gold on the bottle, Stephanie wines are made by consulting winemaker Jeff Gaffner (Saxon Brown, Black Kite, Xtant) using all five of the red Bordeaux varietals planted to Hestan Vineyards.

Wine & Spirits Daily

TESCO TO SELL £3 WINE BOTTLES

2008-07-15T19:23:00.000-04:00

UK retailers have made things rather difficult for the likes of Diageo, Constellation and other alcohol companies by imposing huge discounts on alcoholic beverages in their stores and launching private label brands that cost next to nothing. Things were starting to look better once the government got involved over binge drinking concerns, but now Tesco plans to sell a bottle of wine at the same price as a glass in some pubs and restaurants. The chain says it is considering adding wine to its "Value" range, which means it could cost as little as £2.99 a bottle.

In recent years wine companies were forced to sell their brands much cheaper than normal to compete against private labels in UK retail shops. Constellation chief Rob Sands commented in the company's last conference call that the situation in the UK had improved. But are things about to get bad again? The Scottish government has already claimed such a move by Tesco "strengthens the case for government action to stamp out irresponsible promotions and pricing."

The Value wine also comes five months after Tesco said it wanted to work with the UK government on new laws to ensure the responsible pricing of alcohol following widespread concern that cheap alcohol is fueling binge drinking and crime.

Tesco's Dan Jago, director of the beer, wine and spirits division, says the chain's plans are a reaction to the credit crunch rather than any attempt to create a new alcohol price war with its rivals. Tesco already as Value brand beers and spirits and believes wines are a natural extension.

Tesco's Dan Jago said: "In the current climate it would be mad if we weren't exploring the value end as part of our ongoing review. We are inventing what our entry-level wines look like to offer the best quality and tastes that are great for the price.

"If customers say they want less expensive wines, we'll make sure we have them. Just because a customer is not paying £6 does not mean they don't deserve a quality wine."

Wine & Spirits Daily

Cazes: Bordeaux wine tourism is the future

2008-07-15T19:18:00.000-04:00

The city of Bordeaux should become a cultural centre of wine, Sylvie Cazes, the new president of the UGCB, has said.

Cazes has just become the 7th president – and the first female head – of the Union des Grands Crus Classes de Bordeaux.

She is also president of the board at Chateau Lynch-Bages and the Cazes family wine holdings, and also sits on the Bordeaux City Council.

In a wide-ranging interview in the September issue of Decanter magazine Cazes says she is keen to increase promotional activities by taking wine events direct to the consumer.

To this end she will explore how wine tourism concepts such as the Relais & Châteaux Cordeillan-Bages hotel, the restored village of Bages with its bistro, bakery, wine store and art workshops, tour companies and wine schools can be extended.

On the city council she will be working alongside mayor Alain Juppé to raise the profile of wine, promoting wine wine tourism projects and promoting economic links between wine and the city of Bordeaux.

'It is absolutely essential to take consumers into our world, to show how for us wine is part of a wider lifestyle, and to create loyalty. Our customers need to be confident that they can rely on us.'

But she admits the Bordelais can sometimes be difficult to persuade to take part in promotional activities.

'The producer should get involved… but the difficulty is in finding the time. Many don't want to work weekends. But if you do things with the consumer, you have to do them when the consumer wants.'

Above all, Cazes says she is looking forward with relish to her immersion in the politics of the UGCB.

'My father was mayor of Pauillac for 40 years so it has been part of my background to be surrounded by politics.'

Adam Lechmere

Branding is everything in China's expanding wine market

2008-07-14T22:05:00.000-04:00

Those of us who read articles about wine probably believe that wine sells on the basis of its quality. A few wine lovers believe that price is at least as important. (I strongly reject any direct correlation between price and quality myself, believing there is an army of overpriced expensive wines and a noble cohort of underpriced gems.)

But my trip to China in March reminded me just how significant branding can be, even in the hugely fragmented wine market, which is blissfully unlike, say, that for beer, spirits or sodas, dominated as they are by a handful of big names and huge marketing budgets.

In China, the name Lafite has the most extraordinary and unexpected resonance. Such resonance that Carruades de Lafite, the Bordeaux first growth's second wine and often a thin little thing, can command a higher price than super-second Chateau Cos d'Estournel. And the owners of Lafite's range of basic Bordeaux generic wines called Legende sell for quite extraordinary prices in China simply because they have the magic word Lafite on the label. I saw the basic 2005 Bordeaux, with the name Lafite tucked snugly under the Lafite Rothschilds' famous five arrows symbol, listed at 950 RMB (about $135) a bottle on the wine list at the super-trendy Made in China restaurant in the Grand Hyatt, Beijing. It's worth pointing out that on exactly the same wine list the counterpart from the other Rothschild clan, the Mouton lot, was just 350 RMB. What explains the disparity between these wines that were put together from near-identical ingredients bought on Bordeaux's bulk wine market?

While in China I resolved to get to the bottom of this conundrum. Why should one first growth tower over the others - Mouton Rothschild, Margaux, the highly performing Latour and Haut-Brion - in this particular market?

I suppose we have to begin by acknowledging that China is an intensely image-conscious market. For the Chinese, wine purchases, in restaurants or for gifts, are all about status and "face" on the part of the purchaser. So China is presumably perfectly placed as a target for any sophisticated branding operation. If you go in to China and tell the Chinese that your product is the best effectively enough, those 1.3 billion potential consumers are presumably yours.

Except that my inquiries did not manage to elicit anything so cold-blooded. I went to China via Hong Kong so began by inquiring there why Lafite enjoyed this reclame. Those I asked were all a bit vague. The best explanation I could get was from the first Asian to pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine exams, Jeannie Cho Lee, herself Korean born and American educated. Her best explanation was that Lafite is somehow easier to pronounce in Mandarin than the names of the other first growths. But since she is not a native Mandarin speaker, I felt her testimony was not rock solid.

Once I got to China I asked everyone I could think of. Marcus Ford, the inventive manager of Shanghai's pioneering M on the Bund restaurant, also thought it might have something to do with pronunciation but wasn't sure - even though he has been buying, serving and selling fine wine in China for many years. He did point out to me that Lafite had been awfully clever at capitalizing on its fame in China and that the Legende range of overpriced (my word, not his) appellations-series wines is known colloquially as "Little Lafite." Genius! They should have called it that in the first place.

In China the market is dominated by three main distributors, who are at one another's throats. The biggest and best established is ASC, run by a father-son team, both of whom are called Don St. Pierre. I sat next to Don Sr. at a charity dinner and pursued him relentlessly for his explanation as to why his great rival Summergate's Lafite was so much more popular than his own Bordeaux first growths - Chateaus Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion - which was rather impolite, I now realize. He raised his shoulders and eyebrows, clasped his hands and admitted he hadn't a clue. Though as a Westerner selling wine to the Chinese for possibly longer than anyone else, he did point out how helpful the 1855 classification was to the Chinese. Not generally being fluent English speakers, few of them have yet come to grips with the tyranny of scores and ratings, but there is great respect (an important quality in China) for the longevity of the 1855 classification of Bordeaux. With its mere five divisions it is easy to understand, and since Chateau Lafite was historically the very first of the first growths to appear on the list, much of that glamour, he admitted somewhat reluctantly, seems to have stuck.

I then tracked down Ian Ford, the American head of Summergate of Shanghai, the blessed importers of a few hundred cases of Chateau Lafite, an impressive lake of Carruades and an ocean of Little Lafite every year. So how come, I asked, does Lafite stand head and shoulders above its peers in the biggest potential wine market in the world?

"I don't know," he said disarmingly. "It's a branding exercise but I certainly don't take the credit for it. It's not because of the taste."

I would certainly agree. I almost certainly love the taste of Lafite more than the average Chinese. Its very dry, almost austere, racy, elegant style must be particularly difficult for newcomers to wine, and torture to drink with most of the food served in China - whether it be the sweet, sour, spicy foods of the various Chinese provinces, or the rich, truffle and foie gras-laden cuisine of the fancy hotels and restaurants at which most bottles of Lafite must be opened by China's mushrooming millionaire class.

"But," he continued, "they were in at the beginning. Lafite president Christophe Salin's first trip here was in 1992. The word Lafite translates phonetically especially well," - so there's one thing that he agrees with archrivals ASC on - "and the Lafite Rothschilds have been very attentive to the Chinese market. Baron Eric de Rothschild's son is studying Mandarin. They also have a very good Chinese Web site."

So there you have it folks. To develop a new market, get there first, have an easy name - and don't forget the Web site.

Jancis Robinson is a London wine journalist. Visit her Web site at jancisrobinson.com and e-mail comments to wine@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Study: France set to cede top spot in world wine production to Spain by 2015

2008-07-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

PARIS: France is set to cede its spot as the world's largest wine producer to Spain unless it unshackles from centuries-old traditions, according to the country's independent wine producers.

Under the current trend France will fall behind Spain in 2015 as wine production drops to 43.9 million hectoliters (1.16 billion gallons) from the 2000-2004 annual average of 52.8 million hectoliters (1.39 billion), according to a study by Credoc, a research group, for the Vignerons Independants winemakers association.

The expected drop follows decades of decline due to falling consumption at home and France's failure to adapt to new consumption habits and to new competitors.

Innovative wines from places such as the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand, are bidding to dominate emerging markets, and the Credoc study shows France's traditional competitor, Spain, is adapting where it has failed.

But Eric Rosaz, director of France's independent wine producers association, vowed to prevent France losing its crown.

"I am convinced that France has the arms to fight and keep her place as leader, but for this we need to get away from weight of history, the weight of our culture, and enter a new dynamic," he told The Associated Press.

Rosaz says French producers have been making progress to make their wine more accessible and hold off New World winemakers — although more needs to be done. Screw tops, boxed wines, colorful easy-to-understand labels and sophisticated marketing — innovations pioneered by countries like Australia and South Africa — have been making inroads.

"We have the best 'terroir,' we have the best wine, and we have the best image of wine in the world, but we have problems at the company level and in terms of dynamism."

Independent producers should band together to promote their wines abroad and gain better access to supermarkets and other outlets, and also reduce costs, the survey said.

Wine makers also need to adapt to the tastes of new types of consumer — women, young people and people overseas — paying attention to flavors, packaging, and marketing, it said.

In 2015, the U.S. will be the world's largest wine consumer with 33 million (871 million gallons) hectoliters, ahead of France's 26 million (686 million gallons) and Italy's 23 million (607 million gallons), according to the study. Britain is moving up the chart with an expected consumption of 13.5 million hectoliters (356 million gallons) in 2015.

But France is failing to adapt to American and British taste-buds, the study also showed.

Last year, France's wine and spirit industry exported nearly $15 billion (€9.4 billion) worth abroad, a record and an increase of nearly 7 percent year-on-year, according to the French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters.

But the good overall export performance masks a broader crisis. While Champagne and fine Bordeaux find overseas markets, lower-quality wines and lesser-known wine regions have struggled against competitors from New World countries, such as Australia and Chile.

Chronic overproduction has also hurt, forcing European producers who can't sell their wine at decent prices to distill billions of bottles of perfectly drinkable wine into pure alcohol for use in disinfectants, cleaning products or gasoline additives.

The European Union agreed in December on a massive overhaul of the industry, including tearing up swaths of vineyards, doing away with overly intricate labeling and reaching out to consumers around the world instead of relying on age-old reputations.

The Associated Press

Resveratrol Fights Fat

2008-07-14T21:55:00.001-04:00

Resveratrol, the chemical compound found in red wine and an increasing target of medical research, can limit obesity by preventing the development of fat cells, according to a study presented Monday at the Endocrine Society's 90th-annual meeting in San Francisco. A team of scientists from the University of Ulm, located in southwest Germany, report that resveratrol shows potential as a fat-fighting supplement, by both preventing weight gain and stopping some of the health problems caused by obesity.

The findings echo previous research where resveratrol supplements helped keep obese mice healthy.

"Resveratrol has anti-obesity properties by exerting its effects directly on the fat cells," said Pamela Fischer-Posovszky, a pediatric endocrinology research fellow at the university's diabetes and obesity unit. "Resveratrol might help to prevent development of obesity or might be suited to treating obesity."

During their research, Fischer-Posovszky and her team isolated human stem-cell lines, called preadipocytes. These fibrous tissues eventually mature into adipocytes, which store energy and insulate the body in the form of fat.

The scientists exposed the preadipocytes to various doses of resveratrol and observed that the chemical hindered the maturation of the cells into adipocytes. The resveratrol also reduced the cells' production of certain proteins linked to the development of obesity-related disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and clogged arteries. Furthermore, the resveratrol stimulated the production of a metabolism-regulating protein, called adiponectin, which decreases the risk of heart attack. People who are obese are typically adiponectin deficient.

The dosage of resveratrol used in the study is equivalent to consuming several bottles of wine, suggesting that supplements would be more effective than wine consumption in fighting fat. And the effects of the resveratol were dose-dependent, meaning the more resveratrol used, the better the results.

Fischer-Posovszky is pleased with the results but warns that "you have to keep in mind that there might be adverse effects," she said. "So far, there are no reliable studies on resveratrol in humans."

Jacob Gaffney

Winesecrets Acquires Vinovation Operations

2008-07-14T21:45:00.003-04:00

Firm will expand reverse osmosis/alcohol adjustment services

Napa, Calif. American Winesecrets of Napa acquired the reverse osmosis-based technologies and alcohol-adjustment services of Sebastopol, Calif-based Vinovation Inc.

Winesecrets, which acquired the mobile filtration division of Vinovation in January, will acquire the assets and assume and expand operation at the Sebastopol facility and throughout California and most of North America, says Eric Dahlberg, founder and president of Winesecrets. The transition began this week, and some of Vinovation's employees will join Winesecrets.

American Winesecrets initially provided STARS, a mobile filtration operations service that removes tartrates electronically rather than by cold stabilization, which requires high levels of energy.

Acquiring Vinovation's mobile service allowed Winesecrets to offer taint removal as well. Winesecrets has since developed a fleet of trucks, trailers and trained wine technicians to deliver the tartrate and taint removal services to wineries across the United States and Canada.

With the acquisition of Vinovation's reverse osmosis-based technologies and alcohol adjustment services, Winesecrets will offer more filtration services, including reduction of volatile acidity, alcohol adjustment, Brettanomyces taint removal via reverse osmosis, tartaric stabilization and pH reduction using STARS, cross-flow filtration and ultra-filtration.

During the last few years, Winesecrets has added the technology to remove smoky flavors from wines affected by forest fires. "They can make your wine smell like an ashtray," Dahlberg says. The company first offered the service in Ontario, where extensive fires affected vineyards in 2003.

Unlike the other filtration services, alcohol adjustment involves distillation, so it can only be done at a facility with a distilled spirits permit (DSP), including the plant in Sebastopol. Winesecrets also offers alcohol adjustment as a mobile service in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Canada. It has sites in Sebastopol and Napa, Calif., Dundee, Ore., Penticton, British Columbia, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Though not often discussed by winemakers, the filtration technologies are widely used. "Almost everyone who is anyone in the wine business has used Vinovation's services," Dahlberg says. He says that between his existing business and the new services, 300 to 400 companies now use Winesecrets' capabilities.

Dahlberg says he plans to bring the technology to Napa next year, augmenting the facility in Sonoma County's Sebastopol.

Clark and Brian Smith, owners of Vinovation, will continue to hold the U.S. and international patents on their reverse-osmosis method for reduction of volatile acidity and alcohol adjustment. They plan to continue their research and development, as well as legal efforts to protect the technologies.

Clark Smith told Wines & Vines, "We like to develop the technology, then turn it over to someone who can focus on it. This is another baby we've kicked out."

Smith expects to expand his varied Winesmith consulting operations and continue to make a small amount of wine. Among his activities are matching wine with music, effluent-free wine production and neutraceuticals made from wine.
Winesecrets Acquires Vinovation Operations
Firm will expand reverse osmosis/alcohol adjustment services

by Paul Franson

Hart Davis Hart to Auction Monumental Single-Owner Wine Collection Valued at $6.9-$10.2 Million

2008-07-14T21:36:00.002-04:00

Hart Davis Hart to Auction Monumental Single-Owner Wine Collection Valued at $6.9-$10.2 Million Featuring Over 700 Cases First Growth Bordeaux and 1000 Bottles From Domaine de la Romanee-Conti on September 19th & 20th in Chicago

Hart Davis Hart Wine Co., one of the world's leading fine wine retailers and auction houses, will hold a monumental single-owner sale on September 19th and 20th at Tru restaurant in Chicago. The Fox Cellar is comprised of over 1700 lots and is poised to electrify the wine collecting world with its encyclopedic offering of full-case lots, most purchased by the current owner as futures or on release and still nestled in their original wooden cases. The firm anticipates that wine collectors around the world will clamor to own a piece of this historic cellar.

Foremost among the group are 166 lots of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild worth an estimated $1,067,400 - $1,589,900 including 7 cases of the 1982 and 21 cases of the 1996 vintages (all in their original wooden cases). Also staggering is a 100 lot offering of Chateau Petrus worth an estimated $980,000 - $1.5 million; more than 1,000 bottles from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, and well over a thousand bottles each of Chateaux Latour, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion. Other featured offerings include large selections of Italian wines from Angelo Gaja along with Super Tuscans, Guigal's Single-Vineyard Cote Roties, and top California producers.

Collectors and restaurateurs will descend on Chicago to raise their paddles in the auction room and compete with bidders on the phone, online bidders utilizing Hart Davis Hart's proprietary online real-time bidding portal, http://www.hdhlive.com, and others who submit their bids before the sale using HDH's intuitive online absentee bidding system. The live auction will take place at Chicago's award-winning restaurant Tru, beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) on Friday, September 19th, 2008 and Saturday, September 20th, 2008. Tru is located at 676 N. St. Clair Street in Chicago. Attendance is open to the public and free of charge. Reservations for lunch at Tru during the auction ($75) should be made by calling Hart Davis Hart at 312.482.9996 or by emailing Maria Elgass, melgass@hdhwine.com.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Dinner at Charlie Trotter's

On Thursday, September 18th Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. will host a 20 vintage Chateau Lafite-Rothschild wine dinner at Chicago's famous Charlie Trotter's. For centuries, the mention of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild has conjured evocative images of grandeur and decadence, having been so favored in the Court of Versailles that it was widely hailed as "the King's Wine." To launch the remarkable auction weekend, we have chosen 20 celebrated vintages reflective of the Fox Cellar, spanning the past four decades of the estate, including such luminary vintages as 1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, and 2003. Chef Trotter will create an exciting five-course dinner to complement the wines. Seating is very limited. For more information please contact Marc Smoler at 312-482-9766 or msmoler@hdhwine.com.

About Hart Davis Hart Wine Co.

Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. is both a dynamic retailer and an internationally prominent wine auction house, occupying a unique position in the rare wine market. We offer collectors and restaurateurs a broad range of options for buying and selling wines, providing unrivaled expertise and personalized service.

For more information on Hart Davis Hart Wine Co., please contact Hart Davis Hart at visit http://www.hdhwine.com.

Canada Sparkles

2008-07-14T21:30:00.002-04:00

If you think Canada = Icewine, you'd be right.
If you think of Canada for world-class sparkling wines, you'd be right again. Really.

ot since New Zealand hijacked the Sauvignon Blanc grape has one country so successfully dominated the international market with a wine style. That’s what Canada has managed to accomplish in a mere decade or so with Icewine.

Eiswein is a German invention that dates back to the late eighteen century when a freak drop in temperature froze the Late Harvest grapes in Franconia before they could be picked. Today true vine-frozen Icewine (Eiswein) is made in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland; but it is Canada that has co-opted Icewine and made it its own.

Icewine comprises a good 80 per cent of Canadian wine exports. It was originally made from Vidal or Riesling, but today you can get it in virtually every variety that’s planted. You want Semillon Icewine? Pillitteri has it. Chenin Blanc? Inniskillin Okanagan. Shiraz? Konzelmann. Meritage? Royal de Maria.

But you cannot sustain an industry in the long term on a single wine, especially one that has its major market in the Far East. China will soon be making Icewine in its own vineyards. And when that happens, they’ll be undercutting the price mightily for the rest of the world.

A Sparkling Alternative to Ice

I have always believed that Canada should be a major producer of sparkling wines.
In many vintages growers cannot get optimum ripeness to produce balanced table wines; but the grapes for sparkling wines are picked with lower sugars and higher acids than table wines.

Even in poor years Canadian growers can achieve the requisite sugar and acid levels for sparkling wines. So why don’t we play to our strengths? The sparkling wine category is growing internationally - the Champenois can't keep up with demand and are not only planting new vineyards but are looking north to Sussex and Kent in England to buy vineyard land.

Peter GambleThe move to sparkling is already beginning to happen in Nova Scotia. A key player is French winemaker Rafael Brisbois, whose resumé includes making Champagne for Piper Hiedsieck, starting up the Omar Khayyam sparkling house in India, consulting to Iron Horse and Piper Sonoma in California and Blue Mountain in BC. Brisebois is now working with Benjamin Bridge Vineyards, a new winery in Nova Scotia's Gaspereau Valley. Ontario’s Peter Gamble, who is also consulting on the project, believes that Nova Scotia could soon be making sparkling wine in the classic Champenois style. “You’re getting minerality as opposed to fruit here. It has tremendous potential. We’re planning to leave (our) wine six or seven years on the lees. The objective is to make something on the level of Grande Marque champagne. We haven’t even disgorged the 2002 Brut Reserve. We’re still tasting off the lees.”

Planted in Benjamin Bridge’s 27-acre vineyard are the grapes the Champenois use - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, each on three or four different root stocks and three or four different clones. Brisbois and Gamble have also done sparkling wine experiments using Vidal and L'Acadie Blanc (a variety unique to Nova Scotia). The wines I tasted from 2002 and 2004 are stunning and could stand up proudly in a blind tasting of Champagnes.

Bruce EwartBruce Ewart, former winemaker at BC’s Hawthorne Mountain and Summerhill, now has his own totally organic winery, L’Acadie Vineyards, located five minutes outside of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. True to the name, Bruce makes bottle-fermented sparkling wine from this winter-hardy varietal.

Perhaps Nova Scotia will ultimately rival and surpass Ontario and British Columbia whose winemakers are doing a great job with sparklers made by the Champagne method. If you haven’t tried Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine (both white and rosé), Château des Charmes Brut, 13th Street Blanc de Noir or Hillebrand Trius Brut from Ontario, you’re in for a treat.

The Speck brothers at Henry of Pelham made their first bubbly in 1992. “We spent some years perfecting the art and the vineyards,” recalls Paul Speck, “and produced Cuvée Catharine Brut and Brut Rosé in 1999. It was released in 2002 after 30 plus months in the bottle.”

Paul SpeckHenry of Pelham currently produces around 50,000 bottles of both sparklers. “Our belief in sparkling grew from the viticulture fact that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two strengths for Niagara. Both are very consistent from year to year for table wines. They winter well and can be relied on to produce great wines every year. Despite what many people think, I believe Chardonnay is our best white.

“Since we pick sparkling wines slightly immature, they not only make sense for the region but most importantly make sense for the wines. Great acidity with lots of ripeness. We also can thin vineyards that then make our Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Pinot Noir and Speck Family Reserve wines.”

Out in western Canada, the best sparklers you’ll find are Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay Brut, Hawthorne Mountain See Ya Later Ranch Brut, Cipes Brut from Summerhill, Venturi-Schulze Brut Naturelle and Blue Mountain Brut, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs Brut.

Steller’s Jay, named for BC’s official bird, was originally made from Riesling as an experiment in 1984. What was released five years later was the current blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Today, Sumac Ridge has 250,000 bottles ageing in its cellars at any one time.

Ian MavetyWhen Ian Mavety started Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars in 1991, he began by making sparkling wine as well as table wine. “The basic rationale was the climate and its ability to maintain good levels of natural acid, fundamental to sparkling wine production,” says Mavety. “The fall back position was if we weren’t successful, be it quality or marketability, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir could be used to produce table wine. Our sales have doubled in the last five years and production has increased in step. We think the interest in BC sparkling wine is a result of consumer awareness, promoted by wine-by-the-glass programs and price versus other still white wines. It’s a bargain.”

There’s no question that given the variability of Canada’s wine growing regions, sparkling wine is the way to go. And given the rising price of Champagne, a $30 price tag certainly looks like a bargain.

Tony Aspler

Rosé passes white wine as France's favourite

2008-07-14T19:51:00.005-04:00

Pink wine is in vogue among French youth as a festive drink
Rosé, long dismissed by purists as uncultured plonk, has overtaken white wine in volume of sales in France, buoyed by a fashion for pink.

While much of France's wine growers battle lower consumption and persistent overproduction, pink wine - which comes into its own in the summer heat - is enjoying la vie en rose as never before.

It is estimated that more than one in five bottles of wine sold in France is a rosé, with the gains coming from falling red sales. A hot summer could push the amount of rosé drunk to more than half of all bottles consumed this year.

Pink wine is in vogue among French youth as a light-hearted, festive drink to be enjoyed with scant regard for labels, vintages, grape varietals and origin.

A study conducted this year found that red wine is favoured by richer, older French men, while rosé is drunk by both sexes, young and old from different social groups. Red is drunk mainly during meals, while rosé is also popular as an aperitif or in soirees.

Last month, angry growers of red wines in the southwestern Languedoc Roussillon region rioted against rival low-cost wine. But in the searing July heat of Provence - France's main rosé-producing region and which began making it 2,600 years ago – growers like Alain Combard are in the pink.

Surveying the vineyards surrounding his domain of Saint André de Figuière, Mr Combard, 64, raised a glass of chilled, dry home-grown rosé. In the dazzling light, the salmon-coloured liquid synonymous with Provence exuded a subtle perfume of grapefruit and lychee.

Sales from his domain, which produces 700,000 bottles annually, have increased by 10 per cent this year.

"We are extraordinary lucky as the world has truly discovered rosé. We have the wind in our sails," he said, to the sound of screeching cicadas.

"Before, rosé was just a summer wine to be drunk at barbecues. Today, it has acquired its letters of nobility, and can hold its own with red and white," said Mr Combard.

"A good rosé, for me, is above all very floral, with a hint of orange or grapefruit and must be as light as lace."

Producers in the Anjou in the Loire – France's other main rosé area - are enjoying a similar boom, amid signs that the pink craze is spilling over into Britain and the US. Given its success, the two top traditional red and white wine-growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy no longer blush at the prospect of rosé.

Bordeaux is reviving its production of clairet, a darker pink wine, while Burgundy now produces 2 million bottles of rose (NB acute accent on e) per year. In a sign of the times, Burgundy last month sent a delegation to a conference in Provence at the world's only rosé research centre, which Mr Combard runs.

The centre looks into every aspect of the rosé, from how to produce the right shade of pale pink to ways to cut rising alcohol levels in wine believed to be caused by global warming. Although it has white-wine qualities, rosé is made from red grapes.

It long suffered from being seen as little more than a by-product of red wine, being made from juice siphoned or 'bled' from the top of a vat of fermenting red grapes as a way of improving the red's intensity.

But Mr Combard, like many in Provence, uses a technique focusing solely on rosé called direct pressing. Red grape-skin, pips and pulp are lightly pressed and left to macerate for up to eight hours before extracting the rose-tinted liquid.

"I apply just the same techniques for making white wine to rosé, except that I use red grapes," said Mr Cambord, who spent 22 years making Chablis before coming to Provence.

Rosé, however, cannot be kept for long periods due to the lack of tannins, as the grape juice is only briefly in contact with skins and seeds. As he prepares to leave the daily running of his domain to his children, Mr Cambord insists the current rosé boom is here to stay.

Quality had improved considerably in the past decade. Doses of headache-inducing sulphur have been cut fourfold, while fermenting vats are now cooled to prevent grapes overheating, which used to produce heavy, coarse wine.

Exports to the US are booming, but UK sales of French rosé are still low compared to sweet New World "blush".

Mr Cambord believes that Britain is now ready to branch out from what he calls cheaper "drink" to pricier "real wine". Although still low, sales of Provence rosé in Britain were up 40 per cent in the first three months of this year.

"It goes perfectly with spicy food," he said. "Try it with curry."

French winemakers abandon the cork

2008-07-14T19:41:00.004-04:00

'We are convinced that screw tops are perfect for fine wines that need to age, as they protect them better than cork from oxidation'

The familiar sound of corks popping may soon be consigned to history as French wines start dropping the traditional cork for the New World screw top, whose use is rocketing worldwide.

While New World wines have adopted the screw top for years - with up to 90 per cent of New Zealand wines and 60 per cent of Australian bottles using them – giving up the time-honoured cork has met with much stiffer resistance in France beyond the cheaper end of the market.

But according to one wine expert, two of the world's top names - Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, whose bottles can sell for tens of thousands of pounds, and Bordeaux's legendary Chateau Margaux – are now looking into screw tops.

Romanée-Conti would not comment on the sensitive issue, with tops still viewed as heresy by many purists. But the director general of Chateau Margaux, Paul Pontallier, confirmed that the Bordeaux domaine was trying them out.

Henry Samuel
Paris, France

CLICK WINE GROUP INTRODUCES NEW MALBEC

2008-07-14T19:37:00.000-04:00

Click Wine Group is launching High Note, an Argentinean Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza. The wine was created by Peter Click, CEO of Click Wine Group, with the idea that Malbec will be the next "sought-after varietal," according to the company. High Note is available nationwide for the suggested retail price of $12.99.

Dollar sales of Argentinean wine in the U.S. grew 28% in 2007, while Malbec dollar sales were up 87% in the 52 weeks ending May 3, 2008, according to Nielsen.

Recall that Winebow, a New Jersey-based importer, recently bought Click Wine Group for an undisclosed price earlier this summer. Founder Peter Click will remain as president of Click Wine Group and will also become executive vice president of Winebow.

Wine & Spirits Daily

A DAILY GLASS OF RED WINE COULD HELP PREVENT BREAST CANCER

2008-07-14T19:36:00.001-04:00

Laboratory tests have shown that a chemical found in the skin of grapes could halt the development of most cases of the disease.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women, and almost 45,000 cases are diagnosed in the UK every year.

Now scientists have found that a chemical called resveratrol, which is also found in blueberries, bilberries, cranberries and peanuts, can suppress the creation of tumour cells.

The chemical works by blocking the way that oestrogen combines with DNA in a woman's bodies to create the cancer.

Researchers found that even low levels of resveratrol, the equivalent to that found in a typical glass of red wine, was enough to create the effect.

"We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road," said Eleanor Rogan, from the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, who led the study.

The scientists now plan to test the findings, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, in larger human trials.

Resveratrol has previously been linked to anti-aging properties.

The chemical is just one of a number of so called "healthy chemicals" found in red wine, called polyphenols.

Kate Devlin

FRENCH WINEMAKERS CONSIDER SCREWCAPS

2008-07-14T19:33:00.000-04:00

Several of France's top winemakers are considering screw caps for their wines, according to an article in The Telegraph. The article cites a wine expert that claims two of the world's top names, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy and Bordeaux's Chateau Margaux, are looking into screw caps.

Romanée-Conti would not comment on the issue, but the director general of Chateau Margaux confirmed the domaine was trying out screw caps although it was too early to say if they would use them.

Burgundy's Jean-Claude Boisset is already using screw caps on top wines, including a Chambertin grand cru 2005 that sells for almost £100 a bottle.

"We're not staying that corks are bad, it's just that screw tops are better," said Gregory Patriat, in charge of bottling at Boisset, to The Telegraph.

Plastic corks are also a possibility, but growers say they can only be used on bottles not meant to age past three years.

The number of wines using screw tops has grown from 300 million in 2003 to 2.5 billion in 2008. Famed wine critic Robert Parker also predicts that wines with corks will be in the minority by 2015.

Wine & Spirits Daily

ITALIAN GOVERNMENT CERTIFIES BRUNELLO EXPORTS

2008-07-14T19:31:00.001-04:00

The Italian government has created a certification process for Brunello producers exporting to the United States, which has effectively ended the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's (TTB) embargo to ban all Brunello. The threats were made after the Italian government was unable to guarantee that exported Brunello was made with 100% Sangiovese grapes.

Since November 2007, the Italian police have been investigating whether Montalcino producers are using grapes other than Sangiovese in their Brunellos, in violation of DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) rules. Although investigations continue in Italy, Brunello producers that pass an inspection are clear to export to the United States, reports Wine Spectator.

The Florence office of the ICQ (Central Inspectorate for the Control of Quality of Agri-food) is now responsible for authenticating Brunello wines with lab tests. Successful producers should receive a certificate within 15 days allowing them to export to the U.S. The TTB confirmed the certification process satisfies the agency's requirement.

Wine & Spirits Daily

Economy Hurts On-Premise Drinking

2008-07-14T19:28:00.000-04:00

Research from the Nielsen company and Bevinco indicates that fewer consumers are drinking at bars, restaurants and nightclubs and that on-premise sales of alcoholic beverages have been "considerably impacted" by the declining economy.

LESS CONSUMER TRAFFIC. More than 40% of bar managers, bar owners, and bartenders surveyed say they have seen a decrease in consumer traffic, while 25% note a decrease in the number of drinks ordered and 22% say that customers are ordering less expensive drinks. The casual dining sector appears to be the hardest hit, with 46% of respondents in this area reporting a decline.

Consumers say they are cutting back too. About 66% of fine dining patrons admit they are going out less often compared to a year ago, while 65% of nightclub patrons, 55% of bar patrons, 59% of casino and resort patrons and 52% of casual dining visitors said the same thing.

On-premise venues on the East and West coasts report the greatest declines, with owners and operators in California and Florida citing significant decreases in consumer traffic: 55% and 52% respectively. Slightly more than half of Texas operators report a decrease in consumer traffic, while nearly one-third see patrons ordering less expensive drinks. In addition, 43% of Florida operators say they've experienced a decrease in the number of drinks ordered. Just one-third of establishments in Florida and California claim no impact overall.

Wine & Spirits Daily

A Turtle With Great Taste!

2008-07-14T19:10:00.003-04:00

"Lucky" the Turtle is lucky in more ways than one! He was found last week crossing a street close to a main road during rush hour! He was taken to a wine drinking home as a temporary escape from the rat race. When he was taken out of his provisional turtle pen, he immediately headed for the wine as you can see! This turtle is "lucky" to be blessed with good taste and maybe he was a Wino in another place and time! Don't worry, he has only been looking and not tasting. Lucky?

Wino

Vinos Argentinos Argentinian Wines

2008-07-09T23:23:00.002-04:00

Los conquistadores también introdujeron viñas en Argentina en el siglo XVI. Los vinos resultantes fueron empleados por los jesuitas españoles con propósitos religiosos y medicinales. La industria sólo adquirió su forma presente en el siglo XIX como resultado de una oleada de inmigrantes europeos que trajeron consigo sus mejores variedades Cabernet Sauvignon, Barberá, Malbec y Sangiovese en el caso de los tintos, y Chenín Blanc, Riesling y Torrontés en el caso de los blancos.

Los inmigrantes alemanes, italianos españoles y franceses establecieron las primeras empresas vinícolas independientes. Los viñedos argentinos se encuentran al pie de los Andes , alejados de la polución de las ciudades industriales. El clima es continental, muy seco y muy caluroso, y tiende a la aridez. El riego con agua pura de los arroyos de las montañas ha creado las condiciones ideales para la viticultura.

AREAS VINICOLAS

La viticultura es posible a lo largo de casi la mitad de la longitud de los Andes(entre los paralelos 25 y 40) Los viñedos se elevan como oasis frescos en un terreno de otro modo desértico.

En Argentina es posible cultivar una amplia gama de varietales debido la gran diferencia entre las temperaturas diurnas y nocturnas.

Argentina tiene cinco grandes áreas vinícolas. De norte a sur son :

Salta/Cayafate que queda justo por debajo de la latitud 25 al sur, a lo largo de las orillas del rio Sali, entre las ciudades de estos nombres. Los vinos como Cafayate y los de la famosa bodega Etchart proceden de aquí.

La Rioja/Chilecito, que queda justo por debajo de los 30 sur. Esta región es conocida por sus vinos de bodega La Riojana.

Mendoza es sin duda la zona vinícola más conocida y de mayor prestigio de Argentina. Queda por encima de la latitud 35 sur, en las orillas de los rios Mendoza y Tunuyan y es conocida por numerosas buenas bodegas como Etchart , Nieto y Senetiner, Trapiche, Norton Catena y Flichman.

Hay un área dentro de Mendoza considerada por los entendidos como el área con el mayor potencial para el siglo XXI. Se trata de Luján de Cuyo, al suroeste de la ciudad de Mendoza que produce vinos de la variedad Malbec extraordinarios con su propia Denominación de Origen Luján de Cuyo ; sin duda esta zona puede asegurar un futuro espectacular.

San Rafael , queda a una altitud de 35 sur, entre los rios Diamante y Atuel. Sólo los vinos de la Bodega Goyenechea son conocidos hasta cierto punto fuera de Argentina.

Rio Negro, el area más meridional, queda justo al norte de los 40 sur en las orillas del Rio Negro. Estos vinos son apenas conocidos fuera de la Argentina.

LOS VINOS

Argentina ha alcanzado a un ritmo constante un puesto entre los cinco primeros paises productores de vino y en términos de producción total ha desafiado la tercera posición de España. Ha sido sólo en la última década más o menos cuando se ha descubierto en Europa el vino argentino y no podemos dejar de mencionar que muchos de estos vinos no merecen ciertamente la descripción de vino de calidad y como mucho pueden calificarse como vinos baratos y agradables. La bodega Trapiche es la que ha marcado la pauta y mostrado el camino a otros vinos argentinos de alta gama.

Los varietales más destacados de Argentina son :

Tintos : Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah y Barberá.

Blancos : Torrotés, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay y Viogner.

VINOS ORGANICOS

Los vinos orgánicos son un claro ejemplo de los vinos ecológicos, utilizando técnicas de cultivo orgánicas donde los pesticidas, herbicidas, fertilizantes y cualquier otro producto tóxico se encuentran prohibidos.

Se emplean productos permitidos para la prevención de enfermedades. El laboreo en los viñedos es de forma manual. Para la fertilización se recurre a productos naturales como el estiercol o el compost y el suelo se protege con coberturas vegetales.

Ahora bien, la elaboración del vino orgánico no presenta grandes diferencias con las técnicas tradicionales de vinificación.

Para la producción de vinos orgánicos se autoriza el uso de levaduras indígenas o seleccionadas, sin modificaciones genéticas, el empleo de frio, la clarificación mediante proteínas naturales o bentonitas, la filtración con tierras filtrantes y el empleo restringido de dióxido de azufre, siendo ésta proporción prácticamente la misma que para la vinificación tradicional

El sabor de los vinos orgánicos es exáctamente el mismo que el de los vinos tradicionales : difieren en el proceso productivo que resulta más limpio y privilegia el cuidado del medioambiente.

Para que los vinos tengan la denominación de vinos orgánicos , la producción de las uvas como el proceso de vinificacion deben estar certificadas mediante organismos privados, estos organismos garantizan la trazabilidad y la condición de orgánicos de los vinos. La legislación Europea obliga al productor que limpie sus tierras de contaminantes durante cinco años para propiciar una perfecta y orgánica armonia, tierra fruto.

VINOS BIODINAMICOS

Los vinos biodinámicos están comprendidos dentro de los llamados vinos ecológicos ya que para la producción de sus uvas se utilizan prácticas de cultivo ecológicas, en este caso el método de cultivo se le denomina agricultura biodinámica y más específicamente vitivinicultura biodinámica. Mediante estos procedimientos las vides están libres de químicos, sus frutos tienen mucho mas sabor y, en consecuencia, protegen igualmente la salud del consumidor y a nuestro medio ambiente.

La agricultura biodinámica, cuyos principios fueron establecidos por el investigador Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) quien llamó a su filosofía « antroposofía », se explica como la «.sabiduría del ser humano » Rudolf Steiner realizó sugerencias para la renovación de muchas actividades, incluidas la agricultura, medicina, economia, arquitectura, ciencia filosofia, religión y las artes.

El objetivo de la agricultura biodinámica es lograr el conocimiento y control de los ciclos biológicos de cultivo. Esto permite un empleo eficiente de los recursos de cada agro-ecosistema local y de los nutrientes disponibles. Se implementa un sistema de fertilización orgánico-biodinámico en el cual se utiliza materia orgánica, abono orgánico, estiercol, fertilizantes « verdes » y preparados biodinámicos que no sólo proporcionan elementos nutricionales sino también fuerza para obtener una producción de mejor calidad y protección contra las plagas y enfermedades.

Estas técnicas aplicadas a la vitivinicultura dan como resultado las uvas utilizadas como materia prima para realizar los vinos biodinámicos. Los cuales invitamos a que prueben y descubran esa íntima conexión entre la tierra, los ciclos biológicos y las vides con su paladar. En definitiva se estará cuidando usted mismo y ayudando a la conservación de nuestro medioambiente.

Félix C. López

Drought will turn up the heat on Australian wine

2008-07-07T23:22:00.000-04:00

Double the droughts and up to 10 times more heatwaves will threaten the survival of one of Australia’s key grape growing regions, says a government report.

The study, completed by top Australian scientists for the agriculture ministry, says the country’s Murray-Darling Basin – a key pillar in Australian wine and food production – faces destruction because of climate change.

It predicts droughts will double across the country and exceptionally hot years may increase by up to 10 times over the next 40 years.

Murray-Darling, which straddles parts of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, has already seen the most dramatic fall in grape production in the country’s recent record-breaking drought.

Researchers for Wine Australia are working on future scenarios for the Basin, according to Lawrie Stanford, Wine Australia's manager of information and analysis.

Water reserves in the Murray-Darling this May were lower than in 2007, he said in an interview with Drinks International. “Even if we get average winter rainfall for the next three or four years, we will only just get back to previous levels”.

He said predicting future water resources was difficult because of the “extraordinary conditions”, however.

Analysts were caught out this year when water from the Snowy Mountains unexpectedly made up for some of the Murray-Darling shortfall. Grape growers were also able to buy water in from other regions.

Stanford said these were the main reasons why Australia’s grape harvest significantly beat expectations in 2008, up to around 1.7-8m tonnes.

A stark prediction from leading UK wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd said recently that climate change would reduce Australia to a “niche producer” by 2058.

Chris Mercer

RED WINE IMPROVES HEALTH, NOT LIFE SPAN

2008-07-07T23:16:00.000-04:00

Researchers have found that resveratrol (a compound found in red wine grapes) will help slow the signs of aging although it will not necessarily prolong your lifespan. Previous studies suggested red wine could help people live longer, but new evidence says that's not the case. Instead, it will improve quality of life by providing heart benefits, stronger bones and help prevent cataracts.

"We found that while quality of life improved with resveratrol, the compound did not significantly affect overall survival or maximum lifespan," Rafael de Cabo of the US National Institute of Ageing said.

In the study, some mice were fed a standard diet, some a high-calorie diet and some got food only every other day. The researchers then began giving some of the mice resveratrol in either low or high doses when they were 12 months old, roughly the same as 35 years old in a person. The mice given resveratrol experienced broad health benefits compared to mice not given the compound, reports Reuters. De Cabo told the publication that Resveratrol "wiped out the negatives effect of the high fat."

However, De Cabo said it would be too early for people to start taking resveratrol supplements to improve health until more research is done.

Wine & Spirits Daily

French government unveils sweeping changes to wine sector

2008-07-07T23:09:00.000-04:00

The French government unveiled its five-year wine industry modernisation plan last night, hoping to improve the country's competitiveness.

The 16-page plan, which aims to reduce complex regulations preventing French winemakers from competing with New World producers, was widely accepted by the sector. The plan also falls in line with recent EU reforms.

French wines will now fall into one of three categories, with the first being the new Vignobles de France, or Wines of France, label, replacing vin de table wines.

These will carry both the grape variety and the year on the label, and be made using many cheaper winemaking techniques already adopted by the New World, including the use of oak chips, the addition of tannins and sorbic acid as a preservative, and sweetening using concentrated grape juice must.

The two other new categories are IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée, or Protected Geographical Region) which will replace vin de pays, and the AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) which corresponds to the existing AOC category.

Georges Malpel, head of the French governmental body responsible for fruit, vegetables, wine and hoticulture (Viniflhor), told decanter.com the plan was to, 'keep tradition in place and at the same time gear the sector towards mass production'.

However, the plans were overshadowed by the French government's failure to address the issue of legalising wine sales on the internet. The only mention of the internet in the plan was the proposal to establish a working group to study the issue, a move deemed next to useless by wine professionals.

'It is impossible to talk of conquering markets or being competitive if at the same time we no longer have access to modern means of communication,' said Pierre Menez, president of the French wine merchants association (AGEV).

Others organisations including the French producers union, the Comité des Interprofessions des Vins " Appellation d'Origine (CNIV), and the Vin et Société association, currently battling to have the internet officially approved as a medium for alcohol publicity, have also condemned the failure of the plan to address the issue.

'It is not worth modernising the wine sector if nothing is done about this problem,' said CNIV president Jean-Louis Salies.

However Malpel said Viniflhor, as a government body, could not oppose the government's plans.

'Unfortunately, this is going to become a judgement between the public health lobby and the wine sector itself,' he said.

The question over the legality of wine on the web in France dates back to a court case taken last February against beer giant Heineken, widely understood to have outlawed the internet as a means of communication for all alcoholic drinks in France.

Sophie Kevany & Oliver Styles

'New evidence' in Jefferson bottles case

2008-07-07T23:04:00.001-04:00

'Newly discovered facts' in the ongoing 'Jefferson bottles' case have come to light, according to billionaire collector William I Koch.

Koch has asked a New York federal court to let him update his fraud lawsuit against German dealer Hardy Rodenstock, because of this new evidence relating to Rodenstock's business activities which surfaced last month.

The latest filing by Koch, a Florida resident, seeks to persuade the court that it has 'personal jurisdiction' over his suit alleging that his so-called Thomas Jefferson bottles are forgeries.

Rodenstock had asked the court to dismiss Koch's suit because it had no jurisdiction over it.

Though agreeing with Rodenstock, the court let Koch refile his complaint, and he did so first in February. In his latest move, Koch asks permission to file a 'second amended complaint.'

Originally Koch charged that four 'Jefferson' bottles he bought – three through Farr Vintners in London, one from the Chicago Wine Company – are counterfeits.

He says he has now obtained evidence – including documents from and to Rodenstock and eyewitness testimony – that makes clear that at least nine additional bottles in his collection obtained from Farr that 'are either fake or highly suspect, originated with Rodenstock.'

He lists them as follows: 1737 Lafite, 1737 Mouton, 1771 Lafite, 1848 Mouton,1864 Lafite, 1858 Mouton, 1893 Lafite, 1936 Pétrus, 1791 Latour.

Koch says that on May 14 and May 23 he received 'documents and information' from Farr 'about its relationship with Rodenstock during the late 1980s.'

In his latest filing, Koch says his sources enabled him to learn that 'Rodenstock arranged for and participated in wine tastings in New York and other locations in the United States in order to further his counterfeit wines business.'

Alluding to his 'Jefferson' bottles, Koch says, 'Documentary evidence shows that Rodenstock wrote a letter to Farr in the late 1980s and mentioned Koch by name, proving he knew who Farr's customer was.' Koch says his 'money was paid or credited to Rodenstock.'

Koch also declares 'Rodenstock arranged on multiple occasions for Farr to deliver his counterfeit wines to customers in the United States, including New York.'

He alleges that Rodenstock had provided Royal Wine Merchants, a Manhattan dealer, with 'rare vintages,' which were 'often counterfeits, for distribution to Royal Wine customers in the United States, including New York.'

Reached by decanter.com, Daniel Olivares, a Royal Wine principal, said that Royal had sold wines provided by Rodenstock, that Royal had no awareness of the presence of frauds and that the wines 'had been tasted in Europe by some of the finest tasters on the planet.'

Farr Vintners director Stephen Browett declined to comment on the latest Koch filing except to say 'our lawyers are in contact with Koch's lawyers.'

Howard G Goldberg
New York, USA

Castel moves into Ethiopia

2008-07-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

The Castel Group, France's largest wine producer, is starting wine production in Ethiopia.

The group is planting grapes on 125ha of farmland in Zewey, 200km south of the capital Addis Ababa. A further 175ha is available for further planting in the future.

The land has been acquired from the Ethiopian state which, as Castel communications director Franck Crouset told decanter.com, 'invited us to produce locally-grown, quality wines, to help revitalise their wine industry.'

Castel expects to invest around US$4.2m in planting the vines this year, and the same amount again in constructing a winery and vinification facilities in 2009.

The trading name will be Castel Winery Private Ltd Company.

The grapes are all international varieties: 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 10% Chardonnay. Over 750,000 vines will be planted.

The first of Castel's Ethiopian wines are expected to be released by 2011, and will target the local market as well as neighbouring African states such as Uganda, Sudan and Kenya, with expected exports of around 50% of production.

Castel's decision to open in Ethiopia came about following president Pierre Castel's meeting with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi during a visit to the country in January 2007.

The project should create permanent employment for several hundred local people. There is a history of wine production in Ethiopia, but the industry entered a period of decline after wineries were nationalised by the military regime and production facilities not upgraded.

Crouzet added, 'We hope to revitalise the local wine production, as well as cementing our own presence in the highly important African market.'

Currently, the Castel Group owns 1500ha of vineyards across Africa, with 240ha in Tunisia and 1,500ha in Morocco.

Jane Anson
Bordeaux, France

Screwcaps are best: Decanter verdict

2008-07-07T22:53:00.001-04:00

It's official: screwcap is the best closure for the vast majority of wines, both red and white.

This is the opinion of Decanter magazine's most senior contributors, from Steven Spurrier to Linda Murphy in California and Huon Hooke in Australia, tastings director Christelle Guibert and restaurant critic Brian St Pierre.

In an article entitled '50 Reasons to Love Screwcaps' in the August issue of the magazine, our wine experts are unequivocal.

'Given the choice of the same wine with screwcap or cork, I'd choose the screwcap every time,' Sunday Times wine writer Joanna Simon writes.

And her sentiments are echoed by Spurrier – 'the Stelvin is one of the best things to have happened to wine in my lifetime'; Hooke – 'for delicate young white wines…the screwcap is the best closure we have'; Charles Metcalfe – 'in short, they deliver your wine from the bottle in the state that the producer intended.'

Each critic lists their top five wines under screwcap – and they are by no means all white.

Spurrier's list includes a Marchand-Burch Pinot Noir from Western Australia, Murphy the Rhone blend Bonny Doon Cigare Volant Red, Guibert the Summerhouse 2005 Pinot from Marlborough and a south of France Carignan, while Anthony Rose chose the St Hallett Gamekeeper's Reserve Shiraz-Grenache from Barossa.

Rose, wine critic for the Independent newspaper as well as a veteran Decanter contributor is one of the most outspoken exponents of screwcap: 'the time for alternative closures is overdue…the screwcap is not a cheap alternative to cork but a genuine quality closure in its own right.'

But there is a caveat: Decanter may champion screwcap even for many robust reds, but on the subject of ageing wines, the jury is still out.

Huon Hooke says, 'Many believe full-bodied reds aged long-term under cork build better character than under any other other closure…' and Decanter tastings manager Mark O'Halleron agrees, saying he's a 'huge fan of corks' and recognising 'their proven ability to age fine wines.'

But the overwhelming tide of opinion is in favour of screwcap - and Brian St Pierre even introduces a political note.

Railing against the need for 'hardware' and pompous sommeliers sniffing corks ('a redundant stunt no-one can pull off without looking silly') he concludes, 'Best of all, screwcaps are a nicely democratic reminder that wine should be a pleasure, not a performance.'

50 Reasons to Love Screwcaps is published in Decanter magazine August issue, out on 2 July.

Have your say...
To post your comment on this story, email us at news@decanter.com, making sure the relevant headline is in the subject field

The experts may well agree that aluminium screw caps preserve the best qualities of wine better than alternative closures. I trust their opinions as experts. I have given my expert opinon upon why we need to be sure that such closures do not contaminate our wine with aluminium. It is a crime that neither manufacturers nor proponents of the screw cap have had to demonstrate its safety before it is used widely. If Decanter is so confident in promoting aluminium closures then put some money into supporting research which can demonstrate the safety of screw cap closures for wine. The head in the sand attititude adopted to-date is music to the ears of the aluminium industry but does not address the safety issues associated with screw cap closures.
Chris Exley

There is a point that many are missing about screwcaps and it is that of the health risk of the dioxines present on the plastic of the screwcaps (google for plastics and dioxines to learn more about it)

Now that there is so much talk about ecological wines, does it make sense to move to screwcaps that are a derivative from petrol and that can potentially can create health issues?

Furthermore, the political "democratic reminder" comment from Brian St Pierre looks just like another excuse. Is it democratic to force people into using a product from petrol which contaminates our earth and generate war conflicts? Opening a cork is very simple and no one looks silly opening one.

What I see here is the industry trying to force the public into screwcaps, which for them are much cheaper and easier to produce and use than corks. Please remember that corks are ecological and proven for centuries to be safe for health and screwcaps not.
Manuel Hernandez

Goodness gracious! Screwcaps lead to war? I'd thought all along it was politicians and generals with time

on their hands that got us to that point. And dioxins? My admiration is unbounded - this is demonizing on an operatic scale. Can't wait to see what voodoo is next. . .
Brian St Pierre, London, UK

"It's official: screwcap is the best closure for the vast majority of wines, both red and white," says Decanter.

There's nothing "official" about this verdict on screwcaps. Four wine writers and a foodie have an equivocal preference for screwcaps over cork. So what would they know? I have spoken to a lot of wine writers - Huon Hooke is among them - and by and large they understand next to nothing about how wine closures work. Worst of all, they don't care. Screwcapped wine is an experiment being conducted on the wine drinking public at their expense.
Brett Wright

Maybe it would have been more accurate to title your short report "Screwcaps are better (than cork)"? While I'm sympathetic to the environmental questions involved (what about using recycled aluminium?), I'm completely fed up with corked wines, especially EXPENSIVE corked wines, and far from convinced that there is a definitive solution to the problem in sight. However, there is an alternative "alternative" closure that almost no-one in the English-speaking world seems to be aware of, or at least mentions, namely glass "corks", which are now being used by an increasing number of German producers of fine wines (for example, the V.D.P. producer Schloss Vollrads, in the Rheingau). Like the screwcap, glass "corks" do require a specially-manufactured bottle, but, also like the screwcap, they require no "hardware" in order to open the wine and are very easily re-sealable. They also happen to look pretty good, although, to my eyes, some additional work needs to be done on making the capsule more "presentable". The downside, I believe, is that they are more expensive than either corks or screwcaps, but that shouldn't pose a problem for higher-priced, premium and super-premium wines. On the other hand, perhaps there are technical problems with the glass closure that I'm not aware of?
Gregory Sims, Berlin, Germany

Haven't we known it for years... And not only for the cheap stuff!
Mikko

Mr St. Pierre reveals the intellectual level of his arguments against, and thereby for, the use of screw caps.
Chris Exley

I have long been convinced of the benefits of screwcaps, even for ageing. And I agree with others who say we have had enough of corked wines. But we cannot today ignore the environmental issues concerning wine closures: screwcaps have a bigger ecological footprint, as well as potential health issues, whereas corks can be part of a sustainable development scheme. I do not want my wines to be tainted by TCA, or simply lacking freshness, but I also want to be an environmentally responsible citizen. I am torn...
Veronique Rivest, Quebec, Canada

I would encourage everyone to read George Tabor's book on the subject (To Cork or Not To Cork) before jumping to conclusions that Stelvin is the undisputed king of closures when it comes to all wines. While I highly encourage all winemakers to use a Stelvin type closure for wines that are produced to be consumed young, the relatively thin data that has been researched in the last ten years points to too many unknowns to be 100% definitive that Stelvin is the only way too go. High quality cork closures definitely still have a place and the research is far, far from conclusive that an inert environment that a screwcap creates is favorable at all to wines that require aging (read: MOST Old World wines). There is more than just tradition at play when it comes to cork closures but unfortunately very little scientific research has been done. Wineries like Bonnie Doon should be applauded for leading the charge to find solutions to cork related taint but even they have reverted back to cork for some of their products. It is true that inferior cork closures will harm wine but many other cost saving techniques will also damage wine that is meant to be aged. We are creating a “baby-with-the-bath-water” issue if we just say “cork is dead”. This issue will not and cannot be solved by a few (although highly respected) journalists pounding their collective fists and saying they know best. Scientific lab work needs to be further explored that fully explains the virtues and pitfalls of cork, synthetics, hybrids or screwcaps. Winemakers will have to adapt their winemaking styles to the new closures just as cork producers have to raise their quality if they wish to remain in the game. This issue is far from black & white and will not be solved anytime soon without serious financial influx from the industry to establish some true base data.
Jimmy Kawalek, Divino Wine Broker, CA, USA

Decanter descends to new lows in wine journalism, gainsaying my own frequent contention that wine writing is better in the UK than in the United States. Pompous sommeliers sniffing corks? Would the conclusion have been different if the sommeliers were humble? Or the corks were looked at rather than sniffed? Whatever do pompous cork-sniffing sommeliers have to do with this issue? Perhaps we should go ga-ga about Stelvin-snorting wine waiters?
John Trombley

Some of your readers seem to think that screw tops have only been around for about 10 years. I remember in 1981, working crush at Yalumba, I was staying with the Hill-Smith family who served me a Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling with a screw top. Rather naively at the age of 19, I stated that I hoped that they would never use screw tops themselves. They very kindly explained that a] it was one of their own wines and b] that there had already been 20 years of research on the Stelvin closure including tests on how the wines age. Back in 1981, in Australia, the verdict was that the Stelvin was the better closure. I have since become totally converted to Stelvin, though, alas, the technology is not practical for my Broadbent Vinho Verde, unless I change the shape of the bottle.
Bartholomew Broadbent, San Francisco, USA

We would not even be having this discussion were it not for significant breakdown in marketplace mechanisms. Simply put, if every corked bottle that reaches the market was intercepted and returned to the producer, and the producer forced therefore to refund the money spent in full, this problem would have been addressed far more aggressively and a long time ago as well. The questions about the merits of Stelvin and equivalents remain, but I am still waiting, both personally and professionally, for wineries to show the sense of urgency in addressing the failure rate of corks their customers deserve.
Peter Granoff

Two years ago whilst cleaning out my wife's late parents cellar we came across 2 'vin-ordinare' wines, an 1970 HARDYS SIEGESDORF Riesling and a 1971 KAISER STUHL 'Black Forest', probably Mosel/Riesling or similar. Both were screw capped with the earliest 'Stelvin' and were taken off the market shortly thereafter because consumers were not ready for screwcaps. Both of these wines, 35 years after bottling were perfect, in fact, spectacular. Now, at the time although relatively cheap wines, they were nevertheless well made, dry grown, and most likely still hand picked. No oxidation, strawey and golden with a touch of kero and perfectly balanced. I doubt anything but a very lucky, consistent and hard grained cork with a lead seal would have gone the distance.
John Struik, Bendbrook Wines, South Australia

Oh My God - aluminium contamination, dioxins, war, carbon footprints, no history, no scientific tests - all humbug!

Aluminium contamination?
The screwcap has a saran (PVDC) liner between the wine and the tin, then the polyethylene wad, then the aluminium. Saran is a food grade plastic - in use for decades and on millions of food items daily - you may even wrap your sandwiches in it! Look in your pantry - you will see an assortment of jars and bottles, all sealed with a saran liner. Spirits, soft drinks, tomato sauce, etc etc. Even your favourite french mustard!

Dioxins?
See above. Also, consider that many in the wine industry now regard “composite” corks as being the most effective cork closures (but not the most effective closure), but what is the composition of the adhesive which binds the cork granules together? Conspiracy theorists should have a look at this one! One cork manufacturer even boasts that they have a plastic disc on each end of their cork as a prophylactic - cork condoms anyone?

War?
No idea where this is came from? Is the screwcap religious? Religions seem to start a lot of wars.

Ecological/Carbon footprint?
Plenty of dodgy environmental accounting going on here! The cork companies are mounting a massive PR campaign and with few positive product characters to highlight have latched onto the environment. Perhaps consider the ecological cost of the estimated 3-8% of faulty wines under cork, and have a harder look at the cork PR. Also remember that very little of the cork forest production ends up as wine corks, so there is no threat to the unique habitats of these forests in Portugal and Spain, despite what the Cork PR may have you believe. And screwcaps are recyclable, just like cork. It's a pity that so few of both are.

Lack of history with screwcaps?
Is 1959 early enough? The screwcap was developed in 1959 by respected French closure manufacturer Le Bouchage Macanique, and has been in use worldwide since then. You may not have seen it on your bottle shop shelves, but it has been. We may be “Down Under,” but here in Australia we have museum wines in screwcap dating to the early 1970,s. All in perfect condition.

Sorry guys, but there is no debate about this point - screwcaps were proven performers before afros and flares were first in fashion.

No scientific testing of screwcaps?
First, see above - extensive trials were conducted in the 1960's and again in the 1970's. Second, Google “AWRI closure trial” to find details on one of the most extensive closure trials publicly released. This trial commenced in 2001 (and still on-going), by the world renowned Australian Wine Institute is one of he landmark studies into wine closures. Essential reading for anyone wanting to knowledgably comment on screwcaps.

A few other comments.

Cork quality?
Corks are graded buy visual appearance alone. There is no effective grading by physical properties. So the most expensive natural corks are only slightly less likely to taint or allow oxidation than the cheapest. And in aged white wines under cork there is up to a 30% failure rate due to oxidation when the wine is over 5 years old. All due to cork variability.

Cork character?
Winemakers in Australia who now have over 10 years of commercial experience with screwcaps can now detect 'cork character' in fault free wines bottled under cork. The wine smells like a fresh cork! They comment that when all wines were sealed under cork they couldn't see this, but now that screwcaps are delivering wines with only wine character, the cork character is apparent.

Sulphides under screwcaps? Another debate founded on misinformation and prejudice. Another storm in a teacup. Screwcaps may not be perfect, but they are not the work of the devil either. Enjoy your wine, screw capped or otherwise!
Neil Larson, Winemaker, Tahbilk

I would not question Neil Larson's winemaking credentials nor would I consider his views on such to be 'humbug'. For his information, there are many instances where manufacturers and users of aluminium-based packaging claim without any scientific proof (for example, Tetra Pak, longlife packaging) that their product does not contaminate the stored product with aluminium. He has to concede that we do not know if aluminium screw caps contaminate wine with aluminium or not. This is not 'humbug'.
Chris Exley

I A flickering suspicion crossed my mind when bought a 1787 Lafite with the incised initials Th.J. that carried wax-covered screwcaps.

I phoned Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia home, to learn if Jefferson's extensive records made any mention of Stelvins. Guess what? The Jefferson archive had only recently received an old receipt, sent anonymously from Germany, showing that Stelvins had surfaced in Bordeaux during Jefferson's visit there.

To learn whether the cork-finished Lafite I had purchased for $1.25 million or the Stelvin version, which at supermarket discount cost $8, was better preserved, I opened both simultaneously. But I was not alone. There was only one trained claret palate I could trust - that of the venerable British critic André Simon (1877–1970) - so I channeled him, and, promptly at 11am, he showed up at my club. We
were joined in the tasting by W. Somerset Maugham.

I am happy to report that André and I agreed that the Stelvin Lafite was far superior and bound to be longer-lived. "It has gobs of fruit," André said. "I am not surprised. If you taste carefully, you can detect the Algerian base wine."
Howard G. Goldberg, New York City, USA

Firstly let me state that my business interests are both in Screwcap And Synthetic Corks,so my comments are totally non-affilated.I have over 27 Years experience in the Aluminium closure industry. Various comments and concerns have been raised under this topic;namely health risks of the Aluminium screwcap and that not enough research been done in this area: I TOTAL AGREE.

Firstly if one looks at the manufacturing/coating/printing .Pressing, side printing, rolling and lining process of these and all Aluminium closures plus materials being use, you will start to understand the need for such research. Firstly it is impossible to avoid Aluminium dust from entering the inside of these closures.I see it daily. It is not easy to spot as it is a whitish powder on the inside of the closure. But it is there; If the tooling is blunt it contributes,to mention just one cause of many. Another issue is liner dust when wad liners are utilized. This is almost impossible to see. Inks and coatings: vinyl coatings,colour pigments are essentially lead based. Polyester coating have organic pigments. Wineries are using Screwcap closures with perhaps no knowledge of which is being used (lead or organic) More importantly is the internal coating on the closure lead free?. We need to establish a set of standards,conformances,international standards of material requirements(call it what you will). Even FDA or EU standards are not enough,we need to be Screwcap specific. There is a lot at stake! One bad incident could blow the whole Screwcap and aluminium closure industry out of the water. Is this an overreaction? Not at all. Our time has been taken up with debate upon debate of which is the best Cork, Screwcap or Synthetic,with a total disregard to the consumers safety and well-being. Maybe we need to tell them again. Screwcaps are the best, i promise they will believe you. Drop them with a health issue or any related incidents they will come down hard on us all.
Jeff

The environmental issues are worthy of serious discussion in relation to both aluminium and cork closures. However, screw caps are great for the 'anywhere, anytime' approach to consuming wine. After all, with all the wine available for consumption who wants to wait around for the corkscrew that someone forgot to bring ?

Additionally, screw caps are certainly helping to demistify the whole business of wine consumption for many people around the world and this is really a great sales advantage.

While we wait on the verdict concerning those wines with aging potential, let us un-screw a few bottles of our favourites or new discoveries aand continue the debate.
Marilyn Bennett, Kingston, Jamaica

It is staggering how much ignorance, or perhaps deliberate malice, has been spread about the evils of screwcaps: one of your correspondents comments that "screwcaps have never had to have their safety independently validated": utterly false: all the materials used in screwcaps have been licenced by every major food health authority in the world. Another refers to the "dioxines" (sic) present in the plastics in screwcaps. This is nothing less than slanderous: there are no plastics in screwcaps which have any dioxins, pthalates or any other harmful material in them. Again this is independently confirmed by over 50 food safety authorities.

The number of times these lies are repeated you have to wonder whether the slanders are deliberately propagated by those with a vested interest to do so.
Nigel Greening, Bannockburn, New Zealand

While proponents of screwcaps seem to be an amiable and convivial bunch, with their egalitarian ethos and their wine-drinking spontenaity, there are to my mind some very real issues in terms of the appropriateness of stelvin closures for fine wine that go unremarked upon in this light and breezy piece in Decanter. First and foremost, the ability for wine to evolve and improve in the bottle with the same reliability as it has done for centuries under cork (which has an enviable track record above and beyond the percentage of TCA-contaminated bottles) is certainly no given with stelvin closures, and the longer one moves out from bottling to the point of drinking the wine, the more questions arise about how wines evolve under screwcap. While losing an expensive bottle to TCA taint is always painful, or losing an not so expensive bottle to corkiness when it is the only one in the flat, is never a pleasant experience (and happens with enough frequency for many winedrinkers and trade folk to latch onto any potential alternative), it seems clear to me that there have been no rigorous testing of long-term aging of wine under screwcaps. The few comments that I have seen regarding long-term aging of wines under screwcaps are invariably anecdotal (the discovered bottles in the in-laws cellar that have aged brilliantly under stelvin are a perfect example), as the reality is that most stelvin-closed wines are drunk within a couple of years after bottling. As I prefer to drink virtually all of the wines in my cellar with significantly more bottle age than a couple of years, I am extremely reluctant to lay down any wines closed under screwcaps, as I have simply not seen any research that confirms stelvin's ability to match the performance of natural cork for long-term cellaring.

The second issue that is even more troubling to me when it comes to utlizing screwcaps for wine closures has to do with the apparently strong tendency of wines sealed under stelvin to develop sulphide reduction after a few years in bottle. This is a complicated issue that has rather strident proponents on both sides of the debate, but both camps agree that nearly all wines have a tendency towards sulphide reduction, and the question is ultimately which closure is the best at minimizing the incidence of sulphide reduction in the wines over time. For those unfamiliar with the chemistry involved, very simply put, virtually all wines are possessed of sulfur-based molecules that can have a tendency towards sulphide reduction, which if allowed to develop in an unfavorable way can lead to off-putting aromatics and flavors. These sulfur compounds that have a tendency towards sulphide reduction are the byproducts of any yeast fermentation beverage, and there is simply no way to avoid them completely, though as we shall see there are some rather questionable intervention techniques that can be utilized prior to bottling of the wine to try and minimize the likelihood of these sulfur compounds developing into sulphide reduction and ruining the wine.

From the data that I have seen, sulphide reduction in wine tends to be inhibited by the presence of oxygen, and this has been one of the historic advantages that corks have enjoyed over screwcaps, in that they allow a small degree of oxygen egress over time which apparently keeps sulphide reduction at bay. In fact, screwcap manufacturers are busily trying to develop stelvin closures that can replicate cork's oxygen permeability, and in the future this may well be the development that puts stelvin over the top and makes it clearly appropriate for use as a wine closure. However, that is still in the research phase, and the vast, vast majority of screwcaps used today form perfect anaerobic seals which do not allow any oxygen egress, so it seems self-evident to me that claims that screwcaps are the way to go (even based on the ability to get away from all those cork-sniffing sommeliers) are a bit premature. Screwcap proponents behind the scenes have recognized this tendency towards sulphide reduction over time in wines sealed under stelvin, and now energetically encourage winemakers to intervene prior to bottling to try and reduce the likelihood of this reduction occuring in the wines in bottle. However, in my opinion, the intervention advocated is the biggest Achille's Heel for the entire project, as winemakers are urged to fine their wines with copper sulphate, which chemically bonds with the sulfur molecules in the wine, and hence diminishes the potential for sulphide reduction down the road. The problem with copper sulphate fining is twofold- first, copper bonds with all sulfur molecules in the wine, some of which are not prone to reduction and just happen to be responsible for much of the aromatic and flavor complexity that develops in time in a wine with bottle age. Secondly, and most importantly in my view, copper is a heavy metal that does not leave the wine after the fining, and is not safe above a certain threshold for human consumption.

Given the apparent options of a certain percentage of wines lost to TCA-taint versus screwcap-sealed wines that may or may not evolve positively with extended bottle age, and seemingly need to be fined with a heavy metal to improve their potential to survive under their closure, it seems very clear to me which is the preferred direction to take at this time. Therefore, ever wine in my cellar and every bottle I drink is sealed under cork, and if I lose a small percentage to TCA, it seems to me highly preferable to the alternatives as they stand today. It is entirely conceivable that down the road stelvin or another alternative closure system to natural cork will prove to be the most attractive option for fine wine, but in my opinion it is specious and unresponsible to suggest that screwcaps are the best option currently available today.
John Gilman, New York, USA

I am not sure who or which organisation Nigel Greening represents but he is wrong about aluminium and screw caps. There has not been any independent research demonstrating that aluminium screw caps do not contaminate the product with aluminium. If there has been any in-house research by the industry then they are not telling anyone about it.
I am not scare-mongering. My only interest is understanding the bioinorganic chemistry of aluminium and the myraid ways in which it might impact upon human health. I am keen to find out that screw caps do not contaminate the product as this will allow me to drink the many first class wines which are stored under screw cap. Until I have this information I will, with some regret, avoid such wines.
Chris Exley

Having followed the recent cork versus screwcap debate very closely since it began around a decade ago, I'd make the following points.

Screwcaps are almost certainly not THE answer for wine. But nor are corks. And for the moment at least, as the Decanter panel found, they are decidedly the better option - until other better options (possibly including some of the glass stoppers currently under development) come along.

It is too often forgotten that great wines were enjoyed and developed reputations for themselves long before corks began to be used three and a half centuries ago. And that the introduction of corks was initially as contested (because of the flavour they gave wine) by proponents of the glass stoppers then in use as Screwcaps are today.

The cork industry has been almost unique in its laxity over quality control (laxity that is compounded by - mostly Old World - producers who do not test their corks before using them) and the dishonesty with which it has tried to fight competition from alternative closures. Erroneous claims that synthetic corks cause cancer are just one example of the dirty tricks that have been employed.

The wine industry is also hugely at fault in its lack of research into the effectiveness of closures. Significant tests were launched in Bordeaux in the late 1960s, but not continued. I have carried out a number of my own tests, including most usefully a blind tasting at Vinexpo five years ago when a set of alternatively sealed wines were blind tasted against wines from the same producers vineyards and vintages sealed with corks. The results - published in Wine International magazine - supported the alternative cause very effectively, but it was notable that almost all of the older alternatively-sealed bottles - such as 1996 Penfolds reds - came from the New World. There were no Old World examples to be found. The jury may indeed still be out on the way wines age under screwcap but that's largely because we've taken so long to ask the question.

50 years ago it was still common for Bordeaux chateaux to bottle directly barrel by barrel and to sell wine to merchants who bottled overseas. Today, the levels of variability this inevitaby caused would be totally unacceptable. And that, stated simply, beyond any issues of TCA cork taint, is the problem with corks. There is no way to be sure that two corks will behave identically.

There are of course people who think that bottle variation is part of the "romance" of wine. I beg to differ. There IS romance in the errors in Persian rugs and medieval cathedrals because they were deliberately included by the weavers and church builders as a mark of respect to their respective almighties. The only deity involved in disappointing bottles of wine is the one whose name gets taken in vain by the disappointed wielder of the corkscrew.
Robert Joseph

Decanter Verdict? Then why are only 38% of your readers in favour of screwcaps? Surely that says it all. Experts? An ex is a has been and a 'spurt' is a drip under pressure! The New World use screw caps because they are cheaper. I'll stick to corks and enjoy the 'snobbery' (?) of sniffing one!
Brandy O'Sullivan (a cork aficionado)

Note to Chris Exley: It appears that Mr. St. Pierre's satirical remarks speak in defense of the screw cap, or at least against the hysteria surrounding them. All things considered, Mr. St. Pierre's intellectual level actually is quite sound.
Gary Tonucci

Adam Lechmere

Italy 'guarantees' Brunello

2008-07-07T22:50:00.001-04:00

The Italian government will guarantee the authenticity and grape composition of all exported Brunello.

'The Ministry will guarantee the 7m bottles of Brunello di Montalcino that are sold around the world,' agriculture minister Luca Zaia said.

The minister announced inspections to ensure 100% Sangiovese grapes are used in all Brunello. This was in response to US threats to block imports following allegations that non-permitted varieties had been added to the wines.

In April this year hundreds of thousands of bottles of top Brunello were impounded by the Italian government – and the sale of the 2003 vintage suspended.

Of the 7m Brunello di Montalcino bottles sold around the world, the US imports about one quarter, valued at US$47m.

Sophie McLean

Lafragette arrested

2008-07-07T22:47:00.000-04:00

Jean-Paul Lafragette, director of L&L and owner of three Bordeaux chateaux, has been taken into police custody and is being held in prison

The 58-year-old Lafragette, who was suspended in June last year as the director of L&L – producer of a popular cognac based cocktail called Alizé – has been under investigation for misappropriation of company funds.

He was taken by police from his Bordeaux home in Château de Rouillac on Tuesday 24 June.

He was held for 48 hours and, after a hearing last week (Thursday 26 June), he was moved to prison in the nearby city of Angouleme.

The original charges against Lafragette, taken last year by the New York based Kobrand Corporation, which owns 51% of the Cognac based L&L, related to the misappropriation of monies totaling about €1m.

The current investigation however is now understood to relate to a network of business dealings and a sum of up to €10m.

Local newspaper SudOuest suggested that Lafragette could be forced to sell his shares in L&L to Kobrand, and some of his Bordeaux properties, which along with his Château de Rouillac home in Pessac Leognan, are Château Loudenne, in the Medoc and Château de l'Hopital in Graves.

Neither the chateaux nor the company could be reached for comment.

Sophie Kevany
Bordeaux, France

Arnault loses battle against small Bordeaux producer

2008-07-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

In the same week Bernard Arnault won €40m from internet auction giant eBay, he lost a case against a small Bordeaux wine producer.

In 2005 the head of luxury group LVMH and co-owner of Chateau Cheval Blanc took a fraud action against Bordeaux AOC producer Alain Signé of Domaine de Cheval-Blanc Signé.

Arnault was trying to stop Signé using the name Cheval Blanc on his wine.

Signé, whose 11.5ha vineyard is located in the small hamlet of Cheval-Blanc, in Bordeaux's Entre deux Mers region, decided to fight the case and won on appeal.

'I am not surprised I won,' he said. As well as establishing the right to use the name on his bottle, was also awarded €8,000 in costs.

'It was a real David and Goliath battle but I never worried. I know where I am from and I registered the name before them,' he said. 'On my mother's side we have been making wine in the area since the 1600s.'

the judge in the appeals case took into account the fact that Signé had registered the name, and the place name of the vineyard, before Arnault.

He also ruled that Cheval-Blanc, with a dash, was part of a name, rather than a name in itself.

This week EBay was ordered to pay €40m (£31.5m) in damages to LVMH for selling fake handbags, perfumes and haute couture.

Sophie Kevany

English wine world fumes at Charles comments

2008-07-07T22:40:00.000-04:00

The English wine industry is up in arms about comments made by the Prince of Wales's private secretary.

Referring to the biofuel distilled from wine used to power the Prince's Aston Martin DB6, Sir Michael Peat said, 'I think our wine is surplus English wine.'

But English wine producers are furious that the royal family should suggest there is a surplus of English wine.

'The story is rubbish' consultant Stephen Skelton MW said. 'There is no surplus of English wine and we don't belong to the European distillation regime.'

Replying to bulletin board jibes that English wine 'must taste like petrol', Skelton said, 'We are as good as anywhere else in the world'.

The English wine industry, he said, has come a long way in the past 30 to 40 years, winning a huge array of awards and trophies. In results from the most recent competition where over 200 wines were entered only 30 failed to receive official recognition.

'English producers spend great time and money investing into production methods, pushing our sparkling wines into an altogether different league.'

He added, 'I can guarantee that nobody has sold wine for distillation.'

Prince Charles's office at Clarence House yesterday sent out a retraction: 'the wine used was a waste product which was unfit for human consumption as it had been in storage for too long.'

Sophie McLean

Relegate Mouton, promote Las Cases: Cornell study

2008-07-07T22:17:00.000-04:00

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild should be demoted to Second Growth, with Leoville-Las-Cases taking its place in the first division, a Cornell University study argues.

In 'An Analysis of Bordeaux Wine Ratings 1970-2005', the New York State university's School of Hotel Administration calls for revision of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

'It is widely accepted today that in any given year there are châteaux that do not produce at the level of their ranking,' the report observes.

The study would change the categories of more than half the 61 classified estates. Inclusion of top Pomerol and St. Emilion properties 'would broaden the usefulness of an updated classification,' it said.

In 1855, the five-tier classification was based on wines' reputations and market prices. Cornell's recommendations are based on an analysis of common ratings of 1970-2005 wines by critics Robert Parker and Steven Tanzer and by Wine Spectator.

This approach limited the researchers' database to 399 wines from 44 of the 61 châteaux. Seventeen estates – including Haut-Brion and Margaux – were omitted because common ratings could not be obtained.

In Cornell's imagined 2008 classification, Leoville-Las-Cases would move to First Growth from Second; Palmer and Calon-Segur go to Second from Third; Lynch-Bages and Pontet-Canet move to Second from Fifth; Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Clerc-Milon and d'Armailhac move to Third from Fifth; Branaire-Ducru shifts to Third from Fourth; Haut-Batailley and Batailley go to Fourth from Fifth.

Although 'a major shakeup of the 1855 Classification is unlikely to occur, in reality the market is already considering these changes, as indicated by the relative prices of wine from the various châteaux,' the report says.

As evidence for this conclusion it cites Leoville-Las-Cases 'which sells at over three times the average price of the other 1855 second growths'.

Given its rating in the data set, Cornell suggests, 'Leoville-Las-Cases must be viewed as a relative bargain.'

Howard G Goldberg
New York, USA

Wine News Briefs

2008-07-07T22:13:00.002-04:00

DANCING BULL UNVEILED NEW PACKAGING following its success as the second best selling premium Zinfandel in the world, according to the company. It has redesigned its label, establishing an independent identity as the brand that is "serious about wine so you don't have to be." The label will be red for red wines and white for white wines.

CORKTEC PLANS TO OPEN A NEW CORK PLANT IN Kennewick, Washington this fall. The 3,000square foot facility will be able to produce up to 20 million natural and NDT agglomerate corks a year (based on a single shift), CorkTec owner Alan Gnann told Wines & Vines. It will employ about six people.

MOUNTAIN VIEW VINTNERS RELEASED NEW PACKAGING THIS WEEK for its flagship brand, creating a more contemporary label. Mountain View was one of the first negociants in California and has remained a family-owned and operated institution.

Wine & Spirits Daily

JOSEPH PHELPS VINEYARDS SELLS LE MISTRAL

2008-07-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

Joseph Phelps Vineyards has sold its Le Mistral wine brand, along with its 40 acres of Syrah and Grenache in California's Monterey County, to Randy Pura and Ventana Vineyards for an undisclosed amount, according to an article in Wine Spectator. The change in ownership becomes official with the 2007 vintage, currently in barrel.

The winery, however, denies it is for sale despite rumors. Instead, Joseph Phelps Vineyards claims it is selling Le Mistral as a part of a plan to re-associate the Phelps brand with Napa Valley Cabernet and Bordeaux-style blends.

"The company is very firmly under family control. Anytime there is change in a company, rumors will pop up. They are not true and the family has every intention of remaining in control," chairman Bill Phelps said.

Wine & Spirits Daily

Hong Kong may import Bordeaux Fête le Vin

2008-07-07T22:03:00.001-04:00

Hong Kong wine officials want to bring the Bordeaux Wine Festival to the island.

The three-day Bordeaux Fête le Vin attracted 450,000 visitors last week, and trade representatives in Hong Kong see it as a good way of developing the region's burgeoning interest in wine.

'We want to facilitate exchange between institutions, clubs, restaurants, hotels and we want to fill in the gaps in terms of the wine education courses that already exist in Hong Kong,' said Yvonne Choi, Hong Kong secretary for economic development.

'We need wine education for frontline staff, as well as for business people,' said Choi, who was in Bordeaux last week for talks with the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce. She also visited the Fête le Vin.

'We would need to adapt it a bit, add more of a gourmet food element, and make it a joint Hong Kong Bordeaux festival, maybe along the harbour, but the target would be visitors from mainland China and the rest of Asia,' Choi told decanter.com.

There are 7m people in Hong Kong, which earlier this year dropped tax on imported wines to zero, boosting imports by about 150% to date.

The island was ranked the 13th largest importer of Bordeaux by volume in 2007, and it is keen to become the wine trade hub of Asia. Trade representatives are also eyeing China and its population of 1.3bn people who, they say, are starting to open up to wine imports.

Sophie Kevany
Bordeaux, France

Interesting Situation

2008-07-07T21:54:00.001-04:00

Q: I have a collection of 200 to 300 California and Bordeaux reds from the 1970s thru mid-1980s, including first- and second-growths, Heitz Martha's, Mondavi, BV, Diamond Creek, etc., and would like to sell most of it. I have been away from collecting for well over a decade and do not know who the reputable auction houses and retailers are. How do I assemble such a list? -- Mike Dolan

A: Wine Spectator covers sales results from the country's seven leading auction houses. Print subscribers can find a list of the major auction firms in the calendar within the Collecting section, and online subscribers can access WineSpectator.com's Auction Calendar. Subscribers also receive the benefits of expert analysis and comprehensive coverage of the wine auction market, essential to making good decisions about buying and selling.

Giscours case: court hands down judgement

2008-07-07T21:48:00.001-04:00

A Bordeaux court has handed down its judgement concerning a Dutch businessman accused of overseeing the blending of wines from two different appellations at Chateau Giscours in 1995.

However the ruling, pronounced yesterday, falls under the judicial amnesty clause in French law which prohibits details of the decision from being made public.

The amnesty is a French legal mechanism which protects the accused from public reporting of the sentence once the accused has complied with the judge's orders.

Eric Albada Jelgersma, a Dutch food entrepreneur who still denies the charges against him, is part-owner of the 140ha (hectare) chateau in Bordeaux's renowned Margaux region.
Jelgersma was accused of ordering the mixing together of AOC Margaux and AOC Haut Medoc in the chateau's second wine, La Sirene de Giscours, which should be made only with grapes from the Margaux appellation.

He now has ten days to decide whether to appeal, or pay €25,000 to have the judgement revoked.

The director of Giscours, Alexander van Beek, told decanter.com Jelgersma now had a dilemma.

'Eric Jelgersma is pretty disappointed by this decision which gives the impression, on one hand, that he is not guilty [by potentially silencing any reporting of the sentence], but still asks him to pay to have the amnesty,' said Alexander van Beek, the current director of Giscours.

'He [Jelgersma] came to Giscours will the best possible intent and he has invested over 15 million euro in the chateau,' he added. 'He would never do anything to alter the quality of a wine.'

Sophie Kevany
Bordeaux, France

Zachys goes to Hong Kong

2008-07-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

Zachys will hold its first auction in Hong Kong on 25 October.

Announcing this debut sale recently, the New York auction house said, 'The recent elimination of import duties has made Hong Kong unquestionably the trading hub for wine in Asia, and Zachys has already spent several months building its Far Eastern infrastructure.'

This internationalisation of Zachys' auctioning of fine and rare wines will translate into 'an elegant catalog distributed to wealthy wine enthusiasts in Asia and the rest of the world,' the house said.

Zachys is a major retailer in Scarsdale, New York, a blue-chip suburb in affluent Westchester County, north of New York City.

Since Zachys formed its auction arm in 2002, it has held 50 sales grossing US$195,232,250 in New York City, in Los Angeles with Wally's, a major retailer, and, recently, in Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Bonhams & Butterfields, based in San Francisco, was the first American auction house to hold a Hong Kong auction this year. Acker Merrall and Condit was the second. Zachys' sale will be held in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Howard G Goldberg
New York, USA

The Chronicle Wine Selections: Paso Robles Zinfandel

2008-07-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

California's red wine king, Cabernet Sauvignon, has a contender for its throne. Last year, Zinfandel was second in tonnage to - and not far behind - Cabernet Sauvignon in amount of red grapes crushed in the Golden State. While Cabernet Sauvignon's 2007 crush tonnage remained about the same compared to 2006, Zinfandel's increased by 16 percent. The combined total of these two popular red wine varietals was more than 44 percent of California's total 2007 red grape crush.

I wouldn't bet that Zinfandel will ever overtake Cabernet in California, but according to the "Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine," only three counties - Amador, San Joaquin and San Luis Obispo - had modest increases in Zinfandel acreage planted during the past five years. Despite this increase, some wine regions, such as San Luis Obispo County's Paso Robles, have not experienced a huge Zinfandel boom, though about 50 percent of the appellation's wineries produce it.

Paso Robles is known for its riper, full-bodied Zinfandels with sweet, extra-ripe fruit and alcoholic warmth. This hedonistic style, though not unique to Paso, has many fans, who can usually be found at the annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers tasting in San Francisco every January.

Many California wine regions known for Zinfandel, including Paso Robles, have hot climates that can quickly overripen grapes if the weather remains too warm for too long. Cooler night breezes help moderate Paso Robles' average daily temperature. Zinfandel's oft-high ripeness level can translate to alcohol levels approaching or exceeding 15 percent - lower alcohol can be accompanied by some residual sugar.

We tasted 27 Paso Robles Zinfandels. More than half were 2006s. Many of the wines we've liked in the past weren't submitted for tasting. But even with this modest sampling, Paso Robles seems to be staying its course, continuing to make dark-fruited, full-bodied, riper-style Zinfandel.

Rating: TWO STARS 2005 Calcareous Vineyard Twisted Sisters Paso Robles Zinfandel ($26) Paso Robles has areas of calcareous soil, after which this winery was named. Assertive American oak announces itself on the nose of blackberry and sweet plum, which is driven by dusty pencil lead and oaky spice with smoky char and tobacco overtones. The more rustic palate is brightly fruited and herby but shows some heat on the finish. Winery only.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Christian Lazo Paso Robles Zinfandel ($20) This winery - purchased in 2002 - is named after owners Steve Christian and Lupe Lazo. Twenty percent Missouri wood is used for 19 months of aging. There is slight bricking (a brownish-garnet color) on the edge of the wine's rim. Nose of coconut, smashed huckleberry, milk chocolate, stewed cherry and earthy spice with potpourri undertones. Tannins seem softer amid the ripe fruit and 15.5 percent alcohol.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Eberle Paso Robles Zinfandel ($24) Founded in 1982 by Gary Eberle, who is of German descent, this winery's wild boar logo reflects the Germanic meaning of the name "Eberle." Steinbeck Vineyards and Wine-Bush Vineyard each contributed half the grapes in this wine, which shows rich vanilla, toast and cinnamon stick aromas that bolster the sultry mix of red and black fruit. There is lovely tart acidity and less opulent fruit on the palate, with rather fine tannins and a dry earth note on the finish. A more restrained, elegant style.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Eos Paso Robles Zinfandel Port ($30, 375 ml) Eos was the name of a Greek goddess of the dawn, which seemed an appropriate moniker for a winery that harvests its estate grapes justbefore or right after sunrise. This wine includes 20.5 percent Petite Sirah. It is fortified to retain residual sugar, which accounts for its 19 percent alcohol. Toasted blueberry, prune/raisin, jammy dark-fruit aromas with carob and hints of wet earth and English breakfast tea. Not over the top and retains focus.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Rosenblum Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel ($18) Now part of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Rosenblum Cellars specializes in Zinfandel. This Appellation Series wine includes 12 percent Petite Sirah and was aged in both French and American oak barrels. Blackberry, dry spice and a slightly waxy nose, which has underlying robustly rich fruit despite the big hit oak. Plum, blackberry/huckleberry tart and chewy tannins, with some dry leaf on the palate.

Rating: TWO STARS 2004 Rotta Giubbini Vineyard Paso Robles Zinfandel ($27) Founded in 1908 and claiming to be the only remaining family-owned "original" winery in San Luis Obispo County, Rotta was one of the first established in Paso Robles. A nose of spiced plum, chocolate, a bit of sachet, walnut skin and dry oak char. Bright, mouthwatering acidity and moderate raspberry and prune notes help balance the palate.

Rating: TWO STARS 2005 Stacked Stone Cellars Zin Stone Paso Robles Zinfandel ($28) Named after the elaborate stone stacks that are a part of its landscaping, the winery was started in 1998 by owner-winemaker Donald Thiessen. A slight dill pickle note on the nose punctuates the very ripe fruit on the aromas and flavors that include currant, plum and red fruit. Dusty, subtle finish with increased alcoholic heat. Winery only.

Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon Bonné, Chronicle wine editor; Zach Pace, manager and wine buyer, Foreign Cinema. For additional recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine.

Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARS Excellent Rating: TWO STARS Good

Lynne Char Bennett

New brands

2008-07-07T21:26:00.001-04:00

Most of the wine names we see regularly on store shelves and wine lists are well known to the vast majority of Americans.

Robert Mondavi, Beringer, Sutter Home, Fetzer, Kendall-Jackson, Gallo, Beaulieu, and a dozen more are more widely marketed than literally thousands of foreign and domestic brands, some of them so small that they get scant attention in magazines, newspapers and from wine shop operators.
A key marketing goal is to have a wine at eye level and easily visible, and that’s the way the top brands as positioned. But many smaller wineries enter the marketplace with almost no visibility.

But that may have nothing to do with the high quality of their wines. Some of the best wines I have ever tasted were from obscure producers who lack the funds to market their wares widely.
Here are just a few new ones:

Milbrandt Vineyards: Butch Milbrandt saw the soils of Washington’s Columbia Valley as a jewel, so in 1997 he began planting acreage. Today he farms 13 distinct estate vineyard sites on nearly 1,600 acres of land and is making a wide range of superb wines priced between $13 and $40.
Wine maker Gordon Hill has done a brilliant job crafting these wines into food-friendly stars. The lineup includes merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon and the wines are now being nationally marketed.

Example: The 2007 Milbrandt Pinot Gris, Washington, “Traditions” ($13) has a stylish pear/spice aroma and dramatic richness in a wine that’s dry but succulent because of phenomenal fruit. It is a wonderful wine for rich seafood dishes or fruit salads.

Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate: This is an older project owned by Kendall-Jackson’s Jess Jackson, but one recently relaunched. This handsome property is on the valley floor and gets all its fruit from a huge, dramatic hillside planting of grapes that makes concentrated wines.

The project has long been under the radar. Only recently, when the wines of Graham Weerts began to gain acclaim, did the property take a jump in image. Weerts, from South Africa, now makes some of the top wines in California, though still lacking in public recognition.

Example: Their 2005 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($45) is a dense rich wine of black currant aroma and flavor, with complex nuances of olive, forest floor and spices. It needs a few years to develop, but is a superb aging wine.

Wine Guerrilla: After decades as a wine marketer, Sonoma County resident Bruce Patch decided to make his own wine, so he contracted with longtime wine maker David Coffaro to use Coffaro’s Dry Creek winery to make Zinfandel.

The Wine Guerilla label, with creative designs by Los Angeles designer Sean Colgin, will be entirely Zinfandel from older vines for more concentration.

Example: The 2006 Wine Guerrilla Zinfandel, Sonoma County ($18) consists of bright fruit of raspberry, violet and strawberry jam. Lots of fruit in the finish. Excellent with pasta or pizza.

Robert Oatley Vineyards: Oatley founded the wildly successful Rosemount Winery in Australia that, at its peak, sold 1.5 million cases of wine in the United States. Oatley, a successful tea and cattle entrepreneur and world-class yachtsman, sold Rosemount to Fosters Brewing in a complex deal, then ran Fosters for a time.

When he left the giant wine company, he founded a small operation based on 1,200 acres of superb vineyards in Mudgee and now is re-entering the U.S. wine market with a line of wines under his own name.

All wines are made by a brilliant team of wine makers and will be reasonably priced. The first wine in the U.S. market is a pink wine of remarkable quality.

Wine of the Week: 2008 Robert Oatley Rosé of Sangiovese, Mudgee ($18) — A dramatic re-entrance to the U.S. market for Oatley. This wine delivers delightful strawberry and pomegranate aromas, a dry mid-palate, but such succulence in the aftertaste you’d swear the wine has some sweetness.

Dan Berger

New brands

2008-07-07T21:26:00.000-04:00

Bocce, the perfect complement to wine tasting

2008-07-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

Here's the down side of the Northern California Wine Country: There are just too many wineries. Without expending any real effort, a semi-dedicated wine enthusiast could in a day or two consume enough wine to drive even Bacchus into rehab. Especially if that enthusiast is morally opposed to spitting out a nice, well-rounded Chardonnay.

This means that if you want to come back from your weekend in the Wine Country not looking like you stepped from the pages of the National Enquirer, you've got to pace yourself. You've got to find something to do between tastings.

This is where bocce comes in.

The backstory: According to the United States Bocce Federation, back in the time of the Punic Wars, Roman soldiers played bocce to unwind between confrontations with the Carthaginians. (Their version of the game largely involved throwing big rocks at a smaller rock.) Two thousand years later, the modern adaptation of this rock-throwing turns out to be just as therapeutic between confrontations with Cabernets.

Why now? In the last few years, winery owners have caught up with the Romans. Every week, a truck arrives at yet another tasting room and dumps a load of limestone and crushed oyster shells into a newly constructed bocce court. I consider this an excellent trend (preferable to the one that persuaded wineries to sell yoga pants) as it combines two of my favorite things: 1. a sport that requires no actual skill, and 2. wine. Better yet for those of us who live in the Bay Area, the Sonoma town of Healdsburg, only about an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge, has five bocce courts, all within a 10-mile radius of the town center.

Spend your day: Here's how all five courts - and their accompanying vintages - stack up:

-- Seghesio Family Vineyards, just outside the town square. Playing bocce at Seghesio is like playing bocce in the backyard of your Italian uncle - if your uncle owned a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen and beehive-shaped wood-burning pizza oven. The grounds here aren't manicured. You'll even find a couple of over-watered lemon trees, a staple in the gardens of Italian uncles everywhere.

Seghesio's two courts are among the few in the area that fall within the official 76-feet-to-90-feet length (87.6 feet is exact tournament length). There's no view to speak of - the courts sit right up against a residential street - but the big shade trees and perfectly packed playing surface make for excellent bocce.

And Seghesio's wine makes for excellent tasting. Its Sangiovese, from the oldest plantings in North America, made me regret ever maligning the varietal as the Merlot of Italy. And its Pinot Grigio, sipped while spocking (the term for an underhand throw), will seriously improve your score.

-- At Davis Family, the court is shorter (about 60 feet), but the setting goes a long way toward making up for it. The single court at Davis Family is located next to the Russian River, near enough for passing kayakers to check out whether you've mastered the four-step run and throw. There's an unfussy warehouse tasting room, six picnic tables and a three-story wine goddess. This last is the winery's homage to recycling. Her skirt is made from an enormous steel wine vat trimmed with hubcaps, her left eye was once a wall clock, and her nose started life as a bundt cake pan.

Davis Family's signature wine is its Pinot, but I was knocked out by the Old Vine Zin Port. Completely different from most Ports I've tasted, which tend to be sweet and syrupy, this one was light and peppery. The perfect libation to celebrate a win.

-- The collection of buildings at 4791 Dry Creek Road, just north of downtown Healdsburg, is a treacherous place for anyone attempting to practice moderation. Five tasting rooms perch on this hill (Amphora, Family Wineries, Kokomo, Papapietro Perry and Peterson), a situation rendered even more perilous by the fact that one of them alone, Family, pours wine from six wineries.

While deciding where to taste here takes some mental energy, deciding where to play bocce doesn't. There's one court, a bit shorter than regulation, with a spectacular view of vineyards and cypress trees. Rather than the usual oyster-shell surface, this court is topped with fine pebbles, which if necessary makes a handy excuse for a less-than-stunning bocce performance.

-- Farther north in Geyserville, Pedroncelli claims to be owned by the oldest continuous winemaking family in the Dry Creek Valley. Its bocce court, at 20, is probably the oldest as well. It certainly has one of the prettiest settings, pressed into a trellised hillside covered with grapevines, rosemary bushes and olive trees.

Twenty years worth of bocce-playing feet have stamped down the Pedroncelli court into an uncommon hardness, which makes it fast. Put any force behind your throw and you'll wind up with a dead ball (one that's hit the backboard and is out of play). This can be embarrassing, especially when the courtside wrought-iron tables are filled with picnickers enjoying a glass of Pedroncelli's continuously produced wine and watching you fling bocce balls like the Bionic Woman.

Pedroncelli has some of the most reasonably priced wine of all three valleys. Downing a glass of its deliciously dry and spicy Zinfandel Rose ($10 a bottle) is an excellent way to put some drag on your ball.

-- Hands down, the bocce court at Armida Winery has the best view. Up a steep, winding driveway and away from the road, it's all vineyard-covered hills and cypress trees. As long as you don't turn around and catch sight of the very Californian geodesic dome-shaped tasting room, you'd swear you were playing bocce in Tuscany. Armida also has one of the best picnic areas, cantilevered into the hillside on a wooden deck and surrounded by giant oak trees.

The court at Armida, decorated with a snarling Venetian-style stone lion at either end, falls into regulation length. The winery supplies players with a printout of the rules of bocce, with one quirk. According to the Armida rules, the game is played to 16 points, not the 13 dictated by the U.S. Bocce Federation. Be warned: Unless you are bocce maven enough to score more than 1 or 2 points per round, a game played to 16 could conceivably last as long as the Punic Wars.

Armida also makes some of my favorite wines. Its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are always fabulous. And the Pinot Gris, followed by a lengthy game of bocce, can render you relaxed enough to face a whole hillside of Carthaginians.

Janis Cooke Newman

St Emilion classification finally ruled invalid

2008-07-07T20:53:00.001-04:00

A Bordeaux court has recently ruled that the 2006 St Emilion classification is invalid and can no longer be used.

Chateaux must now remove the classifications of Premier Grand Cru Classé A or B, or Grand Cru Classé - which should have applied from the 2006 vintage up to 2016 - from labels on wines dating from the 2006 vintage.

'The commission decided that the wine tasting mechanism was not an impartial system,' said Philippe Thévenin, the lawyer who acted for the châteaux that fought the new classification.

At the heart of the ruling is the interpretation that by tasting one group of already classified wines, and then another group of wines that were hoping to be classified, a taster could not remain impartial. 'The judge did not say the tasters were at fault, rather the mechanism,' Thévenin said.

A spokesperson for the St Emilion Wine Union (Conseil des Vins de St Emilion) described the situation as 'grave'.

The Union is currently awaiting a decision from INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine), the body that manages French wine classifications, and the French Agriculture Minister, as to whether an appeal will be launched within the next two months.

Legal sources say an appeal would take about two years.

Wine producers have described the ruling as a catastrophe. 'We are in shock,' said Christine Valette of Château Troplong-Mondot, which was awarded Premier Grand Cru Classé status in 2006

Valette said the chateau had spent 20 years working to achieve the classification. 'And now, just as we are about to start the 2006 bottling, we have to cancel all the labels and all the cases and redo them.'

Valette said she didn't know what clients would think, but hoped they would be understanding. 'The wine in the bottle is still Troplong-Mondot,' she said.

Chateaux Cheval Blanc and Ausone were the only two Premiers Grands Crus Classés A.

Chateau Figeac's application to be promoted from Premier Grand Cru Classé
B to Premier Grand Cru Classé A was rejected on the specific grounds 'that Figeac does not sell at the same level of price as Cheval Blanc or Ausone'.

Sophie Kevany
Bordeaux, France

Wine Lovers Say Ooh La La! to French Maid

2008-07-07T20:46:00.002-04:00

French Maid Wines From France's Languedoc Region Blend Old World Tradition with New World Sophistication

Who better than a French Maid to entice wine lovers with a marriage of Old World sophistication and New World style? White Rocket Wine Company, whose mission is to launch creative new brands targeted to Millennial Generation consumers, is introducing French Maid – five classic varietal wines from the renowned Languedoc region of southern France. Pampered by the Languedoc’s warm sunny days, cool Mediterranean breezes and rich, dark soils, French Maid Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are coddled from vine to bottle, creating a stunning expression of what the French call terroir and wine lovers worldwide call Ooh La La!

With over $1.4 billion in sales in 2007, France is the #1 wine exporter to the United States, with a 31% share of total imported wine value. A new generation of high-quality, moderately priced and varietally labeled wines is helping France solidify that dominance and fuel the spectacular growth of the import wine market in the U.S.

“Imported wines now account for nearly one-third of the U.S. wine business, an all-time high,” says White Rocket Vice President of Marketing Mark Feinberg. “In 2007, dollar sales of imports rose 9%, outpacing the growth of the total U.S. wine market. As a quintessential high-quality, high-value French wine brand, French Maid is destined to charm the sophisticated Millennial Generation consumers who are fast embracing super-premium wines, especially imports, as their beverages of choice. In addition, French Maid carves a new niche for the French Category by providing an exciting high quality value brand in the fastest growing $12 premium price point.”

French Maid wines are crafted by Melissa Bates and the Bonfils family of Languedoc, France The Bonfils family-owned winery has extensive vineyard acreage in the Languedoc-Roussillon district of southwestern France, an enchanting region of ancient castles, cathedrals and cobblestones that was colonized over 2,000 years ago by the Greeks and Romans, who planted its first vines. Occupying the heart of a larger appellation known as Vin de Pays d’Oc, which was created in the 1970s to encourage the production of superior, regionally distinctive wines, Languedoc has enjoyed a renaissance in quality over the past 20 years.

White Rocket winemaker Melissa Bates says the wines seductively marry Old World winemaking traditions with the New World style of lush fruit, smooth tannins and savory oak.

“French Maid truly is a marriage of old and new, tradition and innovation, sophistication and sass,” says Bates. “It’s a thrill working with our French partners to create a collection of stylish wines appealing to both Old and New World palates.”

About White Rocket Wine Company

Launched in 2006, White Rocket Wine Company focuses on developing new brands that appeal especially to Millennial-generation wine consumers, who comprise a large and ever-growing segment of the premium wine market. In addition to French Maid, White Rocket markets Geode, Horse Play, AutoMoto, Pepi, Silver Palm, Camelot, Dog House, Ray’s Station, Tiz Red and Tin Roof Cellars. The company is located in Napa, CA.

Napa, California

Testimonials From Very Healthy Wino Friends

2008-07-03T19:11:00.001-04:00

"I drink wine every night (red)along with lifting 4 days a week and cardio 2-3 times during the week.At 66 I teach skiing and snowboarding full time during the Winter months and this regimen keeps my resting heart beat in the 40`s and I feel that red wine is a major component of fitness. Here in California you can buy Charles Shaw wine for less than $2.00 bucks at Trader Joe`s so we call the wines "Two Buck Chuck" and they are on par with wines that are 5-10 times pricier. So put me down as going along with JimmyC32 on his evaluation of wines in general."

George

"I drink wine every day, but then again, I'm 1/2 Greek and 1/2 Italian. That said, I think it's important to educate you guys even more about wine: The wine that comes in a box. I know, there's a stigma associated with it, but that is really unfair, especially when you consider the fact that one particular boxed brand, Peter Vella, has fooled MANY a "wine snob" at several cocktail parties I've hosted in recent years. Boxed wine (especially this brand)is delicious, fairly inexpensive, and has been very well-liked by everyone I've served it to. By the way, it will also stay fresher far longer, due to its packaging, which prevents excessive oxidation once opened."

Jimmy

Lightning in a Bottle

2008-07-03T19:02:00.002-04:00

Health Benefits of Wine

Ordering the right wine can impress your bosses, your dates, and even your cardiologist. Here's how:
Wine has so many health benefits you'd think doctors would be prescribing the stuff by now. Drink a few glasses a week -- particularly red, but white has benefits, too -- and you'll lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and even cancer.

Wine's magic ingredients come from the skin of the grape. Resveratrol protects the body's cells, keeping them young and strong. Saponins bind to bad cholesterol and usher it out of the body. And flavonoids interfere with the multiplication of cancer cells.

Problem is, buying wine can feel like an Olympic event -- as if you're being judged. And don't get me started on the wine culture, which is steeped in pointless snobbery. As if not knowing the difference between chianti and chardonnay makes you a lesser man.

Understanding wine is easy. It comes down to a few basic principles, which I've laid out here. So read on, drink up, and live long.

3 Moves Every Guy Must Master

1.Serving: Serve both red and white at room temperature. A chill can mask a wine's flaws and strengthen the astringent taste of the tannins. At room temperature, the wine's unique flavors -- fruit, oak, whatever -- are more obvious.

2. Decanting: Let wine breathe for 2 to 3 hours. Aeration speeds up the oxidation process that takes years to occur in a sealed bottle. This smooths out the taste and brings out complex flavors and aromas.

3. Tasting: First, give it a sniff, which primes your palate. Take a sip and let the wine hit every part of your mouth. You'll taste several flavors at once. The wine will evolve as you eat, as certain foods bring out different flavors.

How to Navigate a Wine Store

Treat it like a barbershop. Stay loyal to one store, and befriend a clerk who knows about the wines you like. Once he or she understands your tastes, your options will become endless. Here are a few other dos and don'ts.

Don't . . . Buy The label

There's a saying in the wine industry: "Put critters on the label, sell cases." Labels are designed by marketing companies who know how to trick you into buying juice that doesn't pack the thunder. Playful labels and cartoons are major warning signs. Be wary of red or yellow labels, which are designed to stand out.

Do . . . Double-check the ratings card

Often, wine shops post ratings for the wrong year. How much can the quality of wine vary from year to year? A ton. Most 2000 California cabernets are just average wines, for example, but the 2001 vintage is exceptional.

Don't . . . Choose from a display near the counter

Chances are, they're trying to unload wines that didn't sell as well as expected or are aging quickly. Either way, these won't be among the best bottles in the store.

Do . . . Pick up four new wines for every one of your old favorites

This is the key to expanding your palate--and be sure to keep good notes.

Gary Vaynerchuk, Photograph by: Jonathan Kantor

Red wine beneficial for red meat eaters

2008-07-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

The red meat and red wine combination may have more to do with health benefits than a taste sensation, scientists say.

Research on rats using red wine with red meat has shown the drink cancels out some of the harmful substances produced by the meat.

Chemicals released during the digestion of fat have been linked to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's.

Rats were fed either only red meat or red meat with red wine concentrate. The wine mixture was found to reduce two toxic chemicals, the scientists report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The Israeli research is not the first to extol the health benefits of red wine previous studies credit it with a reduction in the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Redcliffs butcher Brian Jennings said he was feeling fit and healthy with a diet that included red wine with meat.

"But I always eat broccoli and things like that that are supposed to be anti-cancer stuff," he said.

"When I started butchering 25 years ago, red meat had a bad name because of the fat but it's only in the last 10 years it's been promoted as a health food.

"We trim it a lot harder these days."

Butcher Brian Jennings said he occasionally checked whether a customer had a nice red.

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said historically New Zealanders were a white wine-drinking bunch.

"Red wine is something that is more challenging for consumers to get into as a wine stock," he said.

"When people are beginning to drink wine, they drink white wine first and I think New Zealand is still in that phase.

"Historically, people have always said `drink red wine with red meat' from a taste perspective and it's really interesting that this research has shown there may be something to it from a chemical perspective. It's a nice linkage."

BECK ELEVEN

RAZOR'S EDGE

2008-07-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

RAZOR'S EDGE

Shiraz-Grenache McLaren Vale 2006 (91 points, $13)

Polished, round and expressive. A gorgeous mouthful of ripe blackberry, plum, cherry and exotic spices, with hints of leather and brown sugar nibbling at the edge. The finish rolls on and on against superfine tannins. Drink now through 2016. 5,000 cases imported. From Australia.

Wine Spectator's editors have selected this wine as the best buy of the week.

In Argentina's grape-growing region, hail-control efforts raise doubts

2008-07-01T21:53:00.002-04:00

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

As a threatening cloud looms on the horizon, Pedro Marchevsky lingers among the dense rows of ripening vines and prays it won't bring hail.
Luckily for him, Mother Nature is not the only one controlling weather anymore. Humans have intervened here also to reduce the damage caused by hail.

Hail, a major threat to grapes during growing season, has long been a part of weather history in Mendoza, heart of Argentina's wine country.
Despite being shaded and sheltered by the eastern slope of the Andes mountains, the province of Mendoza, which produces 70 percent of all Argentine wine, still needs stronger protection from intense storms. As the fifth-largest wine producer in the world, Argentina is willing to do almost anything to save its crops.

The anti-hail movement, founded in 1974, is Mendoza's response to the severe weather patterns that constantly endanger wine varieties like Malbec.
Before, says Eduardo Martín, director of Argentina's Agriculture and Climate Contingency Control Group, "Mendoza lost 10 percent of its annual cultivation each year as a result of hailstorms. Now it only loses 3 to 5 percent maximum."
It's an impressive achievement — and the way it's been accomplished is equally remarkable.

"Hailstorms used to be very localized and the hail itself was large," explains Marchevsky, co-owner of Mendoza's family-owned Dominio del Plata Winery. His blond hair blows in the relentless wind before settling on his forehead, his uneasiness at the thought of hail wrinkling his youthful face.
As he pops a Malbec grape into his mouth, his expression relaxes. "Luckily," he adds, sighing with relief, "the hail is now much smaller in size."

As a result, in Argentina this natural phenomenon no longer poses such a threat to the delicate vines. This transformation, often mistakenly attributed to climate change, is in fact a result of human intervention.
Cloud seeding, a project funded by the Mendoza province government, is the process of injecting chemicals into clouds to alter precipitation. This practice has been common in Mendoza for 30 years.

By dropping silver iodide particles, which have a similar crystalline structure to ice particles, into a cloud, says Martín, "we are able to modify its precipitation." The majority of the moisture within the cloud condenses to water droplets. For whatever does become solid, the result will be hail that is smaller, he says.
Although silver iodide is the main chemical in the fight against hail today in Mendoza, up until 1981 it was lead iodide. Upon realizing the contaminant effects of lead, silver became the new choice.

From 1978 to 1993 in Mendoza, firework-sized rockets were launched into the clouds containing the chemicals. In 1998 the effort switched to aircraft that fire a silver-iodide flare while passing through the cloud.
According to Martín, the silver iodide does not produce "one trace of contamination." Precipitation samples tested at a local university for silver never reached the minimum level of contamination, Martín assures.
Other scientists are not so sure. While many worry about the consequences of the silver on water and soil quality because it, like lead, is a heavy metal, others criticize the operational part of the program.

"The cloud seeding should be much more localized," says Manuel Pulido, physics lecturer at the Argentine National University of the Northeast. He criticizes the fight against hail for its lack of future weather projections, indicating that its proponents are blindly going into the fight.

"It's hard to believe that such a program doesn't have the essential tools for determining probable places and time of hail formation," adds Pulido. He claims that the cloud seeding is done without proper diagnostics, including a local predictive storm system. Without these figures, says Pulido, cloud seeding is done in areas that may not have even resulted in hail formation in the first place.
Despite such disapproval, the process of seeding clouds continues. However, there are new weapons in the fight against hail. Over the last decade, protective nets have been sprouting all across Argentine vineyards.

"Hail-protective nets are the most efficient way to combat the damage that in just minutes can destroy an entire harvest and a vineyard," says José Alberto Zuccardi, owner of Zuccardi Family Vineyard in Mendoza.
"Each year we invest in renovating and increasing the quantity of plots with the metallic screens," he explains.

But metallic nets, which are surprisingly similar to window screens, are not the only option. In Mendoza, plastic nets are much more common due to their more reasonable price. The plastic netting, which varies in color, is flexible and sheer to the touch but still provides the same benefit of protection against hail.
The nets hang loosely over the maturing vines and clusters of ripe, indigo grapes. The mesh patterns are so fine that they can obstruct sunlight, an initially worrisome side effect because sunlight is key for fruit-bearing vines.

Nonetheless, according to most wine industry experts, the amount of sunlight blocked by the nets, about 10 to 30 percent, is not enough to affect the grape-growing process.
For some, a little extra shade is even considered beneficial, especially in wine-producing regions with excess solar radiation — comparable to that found in the deserts of Southern Arizona.

As hailstorms have begun to have serious impacts on the Arizona wine industry in recent years, wine producers in the region are considering making a similar netting investment.
"The last three years have been half crops," says Kent Callaghan, owner of Elgin's Callaghan Vineyard. "We're seeing much more violent weather; (it's) been bizarre."
Just last year, Elgin experienced three hailstorms while the grapes were ripening. Callaghan, who can recall to the day when hailstorms have hit his vineyard explains, "Believe me, when you get hail, it's a major problem."

The increase in extreme weather patterns in Arizona is causing Callaghan to consider the installation of protective netting systems.
The experts he's consulted, he says, laughing, tell him to "get in contact with the Argentines."

Mia Mitchell

Voga wine launches in UK

2008-07-01T21:50:00.001-04:00

UK wine agency Guy Anderson Wines has teamed up with Italian producer Enoitalia to launch what it describes as “a radical and stylish new brand with one of the most distinctive bottles on the market”.

Voga is being launched in the UK in a tall, cylindrical bottle that looks more like the packaging found in the perfume market than the traditional wine bottle.

Simon Bradbury, sales director for Italy at Guy Anderson Wines, said. “We believe bold innovation is key in order to attract new consumers and trade others up through the wine category. Voga has proved a massive hit across the world, so we are confident it will also excite plenty of interest in the UK.”

Voga was conceived to appeal to “style-conscious younger wine drinker”, between 21-35 years of age. It was first introduced into the USA in 2005, and more than 300,000 cases have been sold to date.

Voga is well established as a major brand in the competitive Pinot Grigio market where it is the fastest growing according to AC.

It is now present in around 40 markets worldwide and total sales have passed seven million bottles.

The range has recently been extended from the original Pinot Grigio IGT Delle Venezie and the Quattro red, featuring an unusual IGT Sicilia blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.

New for 2008 are Voga “Rosa” pink and a distinctive Pinot Grigio sparkling.

The unique, tall cylindrical bottle has a cork closure complemented by a large, airtight twist cap, so the wine can be easily resealed after opening.

Mike Dennis