Not tonight, dear…I'm Having Chardonnay

Just catching up to an article in the National Post last week about a strain of yeast, developed at UBC's Wine Research Centre, that can reduce headaches from wines.

According to the scientist that developed the yeast, about 30% of the world’s population are so sensitive to histamines and other biogenic amines that they develop headaches. These amines are often formed during Malolactic fermentation. (Malolactic fermentation is the conversion of harsh malic acid to smoother lactic acid.) This recently developed strain of yeast – ML01 – produces fewer amines by allowing Malolactic fermentation to occur simultaneously with alcoholic fermentation. (More often, Malolactic fermentation occurs after alcoholic fermentation.)

Governments in Canada, the US, and South Africa have approved the yeast in winemaking. The European Union is next on the approval list.

If you suffer from these headaches, how do you know if a winemaker used ML01?  As the article points out, winemakers are loath to disclose that they are using the yeast since it is genetically modified. But the use of GM, or artificial, yeasts is quite common in winemaking. Me, I prefer wines made with indigenous, or natural, yeasts but I’m fortunate that I don’t suffer from wine headaches. I’m sure my attitude would be different if a headache was waiting for me whenever I drank a wine.

Of course, another way to avoid those headaches is to drink wines that avoid Malolactic fermentation. Which ones are those? At the risk of over-generalization, look for:

• light red wines that are meant to be drunk young (Beaujolais, Dolcetto),
• many warm climate wines (which may lack acidity to begin with)
• most white wines (except Chardonnay), and
• most inexpensive wines, as Malolactic fermentation adds to the cost of production.

Cheers to the scientists at UBC!

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

My Picks: Vintages Release -- February 19 2011

This week’s release is about Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the big boys in the wine world. Now, I focus on wines that are “off the beaten track”. But nothing says “beaten track” like Cabernet Sauvignon. Maybe there are some Cabernet Sauvignons from lesser-known regions? Let’s see. Bordeaux…California…Chile…Italy…Spain…Australia… uh no. There’s one from Washington, so if you really, really have to buy a Cabernet Sauvignon, that’s the one. Well, except for my bonus pick at the bottom of this post.

But sorting through everything else in this release, there are wines that are not as over-famous as Cabernet Sauvignon but certainly merit a try.

Organic

EMILIANA ADOBE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010, Casablanca Valley (Chile); #211912; Price: $12.95; 13.5% ABV
100% Sauvignon Blanc from the maritime climate of Casablanca, just a bit west of Santiago. Yes, it’s that Humboldt Current again. Aged 3 months in stainless steel. Certified Organic by IMO (Switzerland). I’m thinking pasta with clams.

BONTERRA SYRAH 2007, Mendocino County (California); #573709; Price: $19.95; 14.4% ABV

Organic since 1987. A Southern Rhone-ish blend of Syrah (83%), Petit Sirah (11%), Grenache (4%), and Mourvèdre (2%), partially sourced from Biodynamic vineyards. After Malolactic fermentation, aged 24 months in French Oak, then aged several months in bottle before release.

CHÂTEAU PECH-LATT TRADITION 2009, AC Corbières (Languedoc); #76513; Price: $16.95; 13.0% ABV

A traditional Languedoc blend of Carignan (60%), Grenache (15%), Syrah (15%), and Mourvèdre (10%) – I love that the Carignan is the dominant Varietal. Handpicked. Fermented for 20 to 25 days, depending on the Varietal. Aged in cement vats for 8 months. No oak, drink now. Certified organic by ECOCERT.

Off the Beaten Track

Whites

DOMAINE JAEGER-DEFAIX RABOURCÉ 1ER CRU 2007, AC Rully (Burgundy); #200139; Price: $27.95; 13.5% ABV

100% Chardonnay. Rully is part of the Cote Chalonnaise, south of Beaune, the much, much less-known part of Burgundy. It’s affordable Burgundy premier cru, if such a thing exists. Barrel-fermented, followed by Malolactic fermentation, then aged on its lees for 12 months in oak barrels. Filtered.

BÜRGERSPITAL SILVANER KABINETT TROCKEN 2009, QmP Wuerzburger Innere Leiste (Franken, Germany); #197194; Price: $18.95; 13.0% ABV

Silvaner is a white Varietal, very popular in Franken. You can buy it just for the unique classic stubby boecksbeutel! But the wine is worth it as well. The 2007 surpassed my expectations.  I'm looking for more of the same.

Reds

13TH STREET GAMAY NOIR 2008, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #177824; Price: $17.95; 12.0% ABV

13th Street Winery is one of the all-too-many Ontario wineries that, inexplicably, tell you almost nothing about their vinification techniques, something that drives me crazy. Makes me suspect they’re hiding something. But 13th Street tells me that they’re launching a new website next month that will have those “technical sheets”. I think that Niagara is made for Gamay (or vice versa) and I’m a fan of 13th Street’s other efforts, so they get a pass this time on the promise of more disclosure to come.

JACKSON-TRIGGS ESTATE PROPRIETORS' GRAND RESERVE SHIRAZ 2006, VQA Okanagan Valley; #33241; Price: $24.95; 14.3% ABV

There’s been a slow but steady trickle of BC wines flowing through Vintages for the last few months. I hope that you’re buying some, ‘cause that’s another way to keep breaking down those silly provincial trade barriers and keep them coming. This one is 100 % Shiraz. Handpicked. Malolactic fermentation, followed by aging for twelve months in 50% French and 50% American Oak.

ANNE BOECKLIN RÉSERVE PINOT NOIR 2008, AC Alsace (France); #196949; Price: $17.95; 12.5% ABV

The only red Varietal of cool climate Alsace, it doesn’t show up that often in Vintages but it’s certainly worth trying. Another trip down memory lane from my days in the Black Forest, just across the Rhine from Alsace. Typically fresh and not made for extended aging.

ABBONA PAPÀ CELSO 2008, DOCG Dogliani (Piedmont, Italy); #193730; Price: $19.95; 13.5% ABV

100% Dolcetto. Fermented for 5 days at the temperature of 28-30°C in stainless steel, then bottled. No oak. Drink this year.

CALLABRIGA 2008, DOC Dao (Portugal); #43638; Price: $18.95; 14.0% ABV

A blend of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro Preto, the latter adding colour and acidity. Fermented separately. After Malolactic fermentation, aging for one year in 225 litre oak barrels. After aging in oak, the wines are blended and aged 6 months in bottle before release. Dao is in northern Portugal, just south of Douro.

PALACIO GLORIOSO RESERVA 2005, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #930164; Price: $19.95; 12.5% ABV

100% Tempranillo. Grapes from old vines in the Rioja Alavesa, which (not surprisingly) is between Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja. Fermentation and maceration for 25 days, followed by Malolactic fermentation, clarification and fining. Aged in 225L French oak barrels for 18 months, then aged in the bottle for another 18 months before release.

Sparkling

GLORIA FERRER BLANC DE BLANCS 2005, Carneros (California); #223792; Price: $24.95; 12.5% ABV

100% Chardonnay (that’s what Blanc de Blancs means for a sparkling wine). Made by the Methode Champenoise. They fermented 8 different base wines in stainless steel tanks. Aged three years on the spent yeasts. We drank the Brut NV from Gloria Ferrer on New Years Eve and if that’s any indication, this is a bargain.

Bonus Pick:

HAUTS DE PONTET-CANET 2007, AC Pauillac (Bordeaux); #100719; Price: $36.00; 13.0% ABV

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (4%), and Petit-Verdot (1%). I wrote about Pontet-Canet last month, when Agence Bio granted organic status to this winery. 2007 is the vintage with the conditions – rain and cold in late spring and early summer, resulting in mildew – that pulled them off the Biodynamic track, which they are now pursuing again. Pontet-Canet is one of the best turnaround stories of a winery that you can find. It had fallen on hard times (and scandal) in the ‘70s, then new owners took it over. The Tesseron family have slowly brought it closer to the stature of its neighbours in Pauillac. The mark of an excellent producer is what it can do in a difficult year. Let’s see.

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

Lovers’ Steak with Dante Rivetti Bricco de Neueis Riserva 1996

When the Globe and Mail published Lucy Waverman’s recipe for Lovers’ Steak last week, Michèle and I independently had the same reaction: here’s our Valentine’s Dinner. Lucy has become one of our favourite food writers; her recipes are straightforward and we haven’t been disappointed in any one of them.

Lovers’ Steak is a New York Sirloin – your butcher may know it better as a strip loin steak – that’s marinated for one hour in olive oil, chopped garlic, grainy Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sambal oelek, and chopped fresh rosemary. The steak is pan seared and then oven roasted. It’s accompanied by a sauce made with cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, thinly sliced garlic, slivered King mushrooms, and beef stock.

Lucy’s recipe included Potato Confit, so we made that as well. The recipe is simple and quick, so something perfect for a Monday night and an unproven chef (that's him over there on the right).

Michèle assumed the role of both prep chef and executive chef, making sure that the meat wasn’t overdone. She has an uncanny sense of when meat is done. For us, 5 minutes in the oven (instead of the 8 to 12 minutes in the recipe) was enough for medium rare.

Our Lovers’ Steak turned out beautifully (you have to go elsewhere today for modesty) with wonderfully integrated flavours where each ingredient plays a role in the ensemble, but nobody hogs the stage. The sambal oelek adds just the right bite.

For the wine, I chose Dante Rivetti Bricco de Neueis Riserva 1996, DOCG Barbaresco, 14% ABV. We’re becoming bigger fans of the Nebbiolo grape and this bottle shows us why. The appearance of the wine is identical to an aged Burgundy, ruby with notable brick tones. Aromas of red cherry and other red fruits, plum, dried herbs, floral (violet, I think…maybe roses), liquorice, and tar. The high acidity is tart at first; surprisingly austere but softens a bit as the wine has time to open up. Cherry and minerality dominate on the taste. Good drying tannic structure as well. Impressive length. Definitely a food wine. Where the wine seemed austere on its own, the flavours, tannins and acidity all matched up perfectly with the steak and its accompanying sauce. Nebbiolo often demands cellaring and patience. Boy, does it pay off. And yes, 1996 is the year we got married.  ♥☺

For dessert, Michèle made another one of Lucy’s recipes: Chocolate Soufflé with Orange Cream. Another winner!

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

I’m a Blogger, Trust Me

About a fortnight ago, an English market research company, Wine Intelligence, released a study on “who uses the Internet and social media to search for wine information and share recommendations online”. The accompanying media release was headlined, “Wine consumers wary of blogger recommendations, according to research”. The study unfavourably compares the trustworthiness of bloggers to the person at the liquor store, newspapers and magazines, wine producers, etc.

As you might imagine, this set the wine blogging world aflame, which might have been the point.

Although it’s difficult to glean much else in the way of specifics from the media release (and at over $5,000 for the entire report, I’m not likely to learn much more), I wonder what the fuss is about.

There’s such a difference between these different types of media – mass media, live interaction, social media – that to compare them to each other is like comparing Sauvignon Blanc to Zinfandel.

The point of blogging is to share an idiosyncratic point of view, free of editorial control. To me, that’s why most independent bloggers blog: to share personal experiences and opinions. In all likelihood, any blogger will appeal to a limited audience. For example, this blog has a regular feature called “My Picks”, where I list the wines that I intend to buy…and why. The point of this feature is to encourage readers, whether regular or first-time, to try something different, something that I consider out of the ordinary. I know that approach is not for everyone; in fact, it will probably only appeal to those who are as crazy as I am about wine. (Hi there, glad to meet you.) I’m always gratified when readers let me know that they tried a wine; I'm even happier when they like it. But I’ll never expect my readers to take me for the next Robert Parker. One of my goals is to encourage readers to move beyond reliance on any one wine taster.

In fact, I think that the days of a single critic like Parker having such an overwhelming influence on the wine industry are over. The Internet encourages 2 ways of getting information that are at opposite ends of the spectrum. At one end are sites like CellarTracker or WineAlign that collate many different ratings of the same wine. You gain confidence through the blending of what may be hundreds of individual ratings. But individual opinions are lost in the aggregation. At the other end are individual bloggers who offer a personal take on a wine. You go back to these bloggers because their tastes match yours, or you like what they have to say, or how they say it. (For example, I love reading Roger Ebert’s movie reviews, not because our tastes are the same – they’re not – but I do love the way he writes about movies.) But bloggers are, with rare exceptions, writing for a small audience. I’m not surprised that canvassing wine drinkers about wine bloggers in general would elicit lower levels of trust. How about asking them about the bloggers they like?

Trust me, don’t trust me, it’s your choice.

Alder Yarrow has an interesting view on all this, here.

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

What Makes Napa Valley Cool

At the end of last week, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV – the trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation) released a climate study: Climate and Phenology in Napa Valley: A Compilation and Analysis of Historical Data.

Why this study in Napa? Back in 2006, a French researcher predicted that Napa Valley would soon become too warm to grow grapes for fine wine. We can imagine the concern (panic?) that this prediction caused in Napa. But many of the Napa growers didn’t believe the prediction. Their intuition was that Napa Valley wasn’t getting appreciably warmer.

NVV did what any trade association would do with such a damning prediction: it commissioned its own research. The researchers are done and the report is in. The key findings?

• Napa Valley has gotten warmer, about 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, over several decades.
• Warming has occurred mainly in winter, spring, and summer, and more during nighttime than during daytime.
• Napa Valley benefits from a great moderating effect on higher temperatures: the Humboldt Current from the Pacific Ocean. Warmer air from the interior of the Valley acts as a vacuum, pulling the cool air from the Humboldt Current into the Napa Valley; in fact, the study says that the warmer the interior Valley is, the further into the Valley the cooling air from the Pacific is drawn.  (Hmmm...global warming really does suck.)
• The Humboldt Current is so effective at moderating higher temperatures that, “Globally, the years 1998, 2005, 2006 and now 2010 were the warmest years on record, but they were some of the coolest for the Napa Valley.”
• There is little evidence that the growing season for grapevines has changed substantially.

But what I find interesting as well is that,

Analysis of comprehensive countywide crush reports from 1990 onward demonstrated that there is a strong trend of increasing Brix at harvest over time. [Brix is a measure of the amount of sugar in the grape. The higher the Brix, the more the sugar. Sugar converts to alcohol during fermentation. More sugar, higher alcohol.] The most dramatic increase was for Zinfandel, from close to 20 to above 26 over the 18-year record. Sauvignon Blanc has seen the least change, an increase of about 1 degree Brix. Cabernet has increased from about 23 to 26 degrees. There is also a trend across all varieties except Sauvignon Blanc for decreased yields over time, most dramatically for Zinfandel (from close to 6 to about 2.5 tons/acre) and Merlot. Chardonnay yields have declined only slightly, holding steady near 4 tons/acre. Sauvignon Blanc has the highest yields of all varieties studied, and has been increasing over time…

As a general pattern, Brix increases with later harvest dates. However, recent harvests (last 8 years) have been very high in Brix, and not anomalously late. Generally, the trend has been toward later harvest dates, though it varies by variety (Pinot earlier; Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon and Merlot about 2-3 weeks later over 30+ year period). Recent Brix increase is believed to be due to stylistic and winemaking preferences, but needs further investigation [emphasis added].

I've read elsewhere that global warming is to blame for higher alcohol levels in wine.  As I understand this, these researchers say that higher alcohol levels in Napa Valley wines are not due to global warming. Rather, higher alcohol levels are due to what the winemakers are doing, deliberately, in the vineyard to get riper grapes.

Fully ripe grapes give winemakers the means to make high-alcohol, highly extracted, fruit bomb wines. For many years, that’s what got the high ratings. Oh, Parker!

Winemakers followed that fashion. The good news is that they can reverse it too...if that's what consumers want.

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

How Sweet It Is…or Isn’t

There’s a certain rhythm to the year for us winos.

Sure, there’s the viticultural year…dormancy, budbreak, flowering, green harvest, veraison, harvest, pruning.

There are the familiar labels that show up in the Vintages release at the same time every year.

Even some issues seem to pop up at the same time, one year to the next. Here’s one of my favourites.

Decanter reports that Olivier Humbrecht, the boss of Zind-Humbrecht, one of the top producers in Alsace and Biodynamic to boot, is calling for a “sweetness code” on the labels of Alsatian wines.

Certainly one of the biggest challenges that both Alsatian and German wines (particularly Rieslings) have is that consumers are never quite sure how sweet a particular wine is. Vinification styles vary widely.

My strong preference is for bone-dry white wines, and I’ve been disappointed with some wines (including from Zind-Humbrecht) that are sweeter (perceived or actual) than I prefer. I know that many other Riesling fans out there have the opposite preference, and have been equally disappointed when an Alsatian or German white wine doesn’t meet their expectations.

Sure, in Ontario, we have the sweetness ratings provided by Vintages/LCBO, but I’ve found that system has its drawbacks, largely because there are other factors (pH levels, acidity) that affect the perception of sweetness in a wine.

So, when I posted about the International Riesling Foundation’s Taste Profile at this time last year, I said that I liked the solution of having the winemaker put a Taste Profile right on the label. Still do. Good for the consumer, good of the producer. An idea whose time has come?













Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

My Picks: Vintages Release -- February 5 2011 Addendum

I can't believe I forgot to mention a white wine from Baden (Germany); specifically from Königschaffhausen, which is just a half-hour drive down the A5 from my old home in Lahr, where I lived and worked for 8 years!  Of course, I have a nostalgic fondness for wines from Baden, and we rarely see them pass through Vintages/LCBO.  Here it is:

KÖNIGSCHAFFHAUSER PINOT GRIS TROCKEN 2009, QbA Baden (Germany); #597500; Price: $13.95; 12.5% ABV
Known as Grauburgunder in German, it's a specialty of Baden, which is just across the Rhine River from Alsace.  Zum Wohl!

(My full list of picks are here.)

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←

My Picks: Vintages Release -- February 5 2011

This week's release is all about Tuscany, with some goodies from Washington thrown in as well.  I found 3 Tuscan wines, using indigenous grapes, that are worth your consideration and one wine from Washington, where price is the drawback among the selections on offer.  As always, there are other wines worth looking at.  Prices have inched back up after the bargains of the January releases.

Let's start with something that I can't wait to try:

Organic

OUR DAILY RED 2009, California; #203851; Price: $14.95; 12.5% ABV
A blend of Syrah and Carignan from Fresno with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino. The winemakers have been organic for the past 20 years. For a US wine to carry the Organic Wine designation, the wine must have no sulphites added and have less than 10 parts per million naturally occurring. This wine goes further; it has zero sulphites detectable at the parts per million level and carries the “Sulphite Free” label. Highly unusual and worth a go!

Off the Beaten Track

Whites

CONO SUR VISIÓN SINGLE VINEYARD GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2010, Casablanca Valley (Chile); #912949; Price: $14.95; 13.5% ABV
Gewürztraminer from the Las Colmenas vineyard in the maritime climate of the Casablanca Valley (fog in the mornings, sunny in the afternoon, cool at night). Handpicked. Aged for 5 months in stainless steel. Match it to a dish with ginger.

JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE C.M. BLANC 2008, AC SANCERRE; #196667; Price: $24.95; 12.5% ABV
100% Sauvignon Blanc. C. M. stands for the 2 type of soils where the grapes are grown: Caillottes (pebbles) and Kimmeridgean Marls. They press the grapes immediately, then cold settle for 48 hours. Fermented using indigenous yeasts for several weeks. Aged on its lees (spent yeast). Fined using bentonite, then filtered.

FERRATON PÈRE & FILS SAMORËNS BLANC 2009, AC Cotes du Rhone (France); #73916; Price: $13.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of White Grenache (60%) and Clairette (40%). Cold fermented. Aged about 6 months in stainless steel. A rare treat and good value.

Reds

Here's my pick of the wines from Washington:

COEUR D'ALENE CELLARS SYRAH 2007, Washington; #177162; Price: $32.95; 14.4% ABV
Coeur d’Alene? Isn’t that in Idaho? Well, yes. The grapes are from 4 different parcels in Washington, but they make the wine in Idaho. 100% Syrah. Barrel fermented, followed by Malolactic fermentation and aging in oak (23% new) for 19 months.

RINGBOLT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008, Margaret River (Australia); #606624; Price: $19.95; 14.0% ABV
Unlike much of Australia, Margaret River has a cool maritime climate and so the style can be surprisingly different. The wineries do amazing things with CS, and we don’t see them often enough here. This one is fermented at elevated temperatures in stainless steel, followed by Malolactic fermentation. Matured for 13 months in 80% American oak (25% new) and 20% French oak (1% new).

Three good choices from Tuscany, followed by another good choice from Veneto.  If you haven't tried Rosso di Montalcino, there's one at a reasonable price.

ABBADIA ARDENGA 2007, DOC Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany); #184945; Price: $19.95; 14.0% ABV
Fed up with all that expensive Chianti? Try this. 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Rosso is the little brother to Brunello. Drink while young (the wine, not you). Not a problem.

CECCHI 2007, DOCG Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano (Tuscany); #123588; Price: $24.95; 12.7% ABV
A blend of Prugnolo Gentile (aka Sangiovese – 90%) and other undisclosed red grapes. Fermented on its skins in stainless steel for 21 days. Aged 24 months in oak barrels.

TESTAMATTA GRILLI DI TESTAMATTA 2007, IGT Toscana (Italy); #115659; Price: $32.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of 3 indigenous grapes: Sangiovese (80%), Colorino (10%) and Canaiolo (10%), all from vines less than 10 years old. Separately fermented for 3 weeks, aged for 18 months, then blended.

MASI BROLO DI CAMPOFIORIN 2006, IGT Rosso del Veronese (Veneto); #976092; Price: $24.95; 13.5% ABV
A typical Veneto blend of Corvina (70%), Rondinella (25%), Molinara (5%). Fermented twice over 15 days: once with fresh grapes, fermented again with 25% of grapes of the same varieties that are dried for six weeks (similar to Amarone), then Malolactic fermentation. Aged 18 months in 2/3 Slovenian oak and 1/3 in larger new Allier and Slovenian barrels, followed by 3 months aging in the bottle before release.

BODEGAS LAN VIÑA LANCIANO RESERVA 2004, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #955096; Price: $28.95; 13.4% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo (80%) and Mazuelo (20%) from a single vineyard. LAN aged this Reserva for 6 months in Russian oak, then 12 months in French oak, then 18 months in the bottle before release. I love Rioja!

Sparkling

You should always have some sparkling on hand...and Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  Even better, it's from BC:

BLUE MOUNTAIN BRUT, Okanagan Valley; #206326; Price: $32.95; 12.5% ABV
A blend Pinot Noir (47%), Chardonnay (47%) and (!) Pinot Gris (6%). Made in the Method Traditionelle (as they do in Champagne). Aged on its lees for 24 months, then an additional 6 months in bottle after disgorging. No mention of VQA, but the grapes are estate-grown.

Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←