My Life in Wine Episode 15

 In Episode 14,  I made the long  drive in late 1979 from San Diego to Pomona , to judge wines at the Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition.  After assaulting my palate for three days, it was back to San Diego to prepare for the first Wine Spectator Wine Experience in New York City. 

Staging a gathering of wine enthusiasts, with informative and educational seminars on topics of interest to wine fans, and tastings of iconic wines, was not a new concept, but holding the event at the world famous World Trade Center in New York City, set a new standard for wine events.

Yet, Marvin Shanken, owner and publisher of the Wine Spectator, believed the first Wine Experience needed a unique draw, something that would set the Wine Experience apart from other wine gatherings.  So, he reached out to noted New York Times humor columnist, Art Buchwald and Dick and Tom Smothers, creators and stars of the popular television show, "The Smothers Brothers" and owners of Smothers Brothers Wines.

Art Buchwald

Daytime seminars, covering a range of wine topics, were held in the meeting room, with commanding views of lower Manhattan and New Jersey.  The panorama was clear, with little to no haze, permitting some spectacular views of the East River, Liberty Island and nearby Ellis Island.  The outside attractions created n unanticipated competition for the attention of the seminar attendees. 

One of the big draws was a presentation by Dr. Maynard Amerine, then an emeritus professor at UC-Davis and a highly respected consultant to the California wine industry.  The large number of wine trade attendees leaned in as Dr. Amerine talked about the state of California wine production and how it compared with wine making he had encountered on trips to Europe. 

Maynard Amerine

At one point, Dr. Amerine described a fact-finding trip he and some colleagues took to Spain and their visit to Vega Sicilia, one of Spain's most valued wine estates, in Ribera del Duero.  In answer to a question from the audience about the quality of the wine, Dr. Amerine paused then described Vega Sicilia wine as "a dog's lunch."

You could have heard a pin drop, then nervous applause as Dr. Amerine returned to his seat.  The learned man's low opinion of such a revered wine got the crowd buzzing.

That evening at the grand tasting in Window's spacious ballroom, Buchwald and the Smothers Brothers mingled and kibitzed and sipped wine and kibitzed, to the delight of anyone within earshot. Tom Smothers, aka "The Yo-Yo Man," attracted a small crowd of admirers, wowing everyone with tricks on a yo-yo he just happened to have in his jacket pocket. 

Tom Smothers, aka the "Yo-Yo Man" and brother Dick

As folks became more comfortable with each other, there was a change in the crowd that I hadn't noticed.  But Marvin did.  "Have you seen our guests?" he asked me, nervously scanning the crowd.  "Not lately, but I'll look around," I replied. 

Walking past the entrance to the restrooms, I heard loud laughter coming from the men's room.  The place was packed with laughing men, jostling to move closer to the stalls and sinks, while trying not to spill their wine.  Art Buchwald was standing by the sinks, glass of wine in one hand, gesturing and bantering back and forth with Tom and Dick Smothers, who were in different stalls.  It was a spontaneous performance, in an unusual place, that regaled the crowd with gags and humorous asides that are better left unsaid here. 

With one successful Wine Experience behind us, plans were soon underway for the next one, in San Francisco.  But for me, it  was back to San Diego and the routine of putting out a newspaper every two weeks.  

First, we had to move the office to an industrial area on the other side of the city.  Turns out, that move was temporary.  Marvin Shanken had been negotiating for office space in the newly constructed Opera Plaza, a few blocks from City Hall in San Francisco.  He was a strong believer in "location, location, location" and this move put the "Wine Spectator" one step closer to what Marvin felt was the newspaper's logical place in California wine country.   

Next blog:  "There's wine in them there hills!

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.com

Summer Rose

Following a few days in the hospital and a week in rehabilitation, I'm now at home recovering from back surgery.  While I was away from the computer, a renewed interest in pink wines once again has captured the attention of wine consumers.  So, with summer now officially here, let's take a fresh look at the pleasures of rose wine.

In the 1980's and early 1990's, few spots in the wine world were spending much time on rose wines, except for Provence Rose, Tavel Rose and Rose d'Anjou, all three from France.  The other pink wine that was popular then with Americans was Lancers rose from Portugal and it's main competitor, Mateus.

If Americans were drinking pink wine at all then, it was likely a bottle of Lancers or one of the French roses they had chilling in the fridge.  And there was the odd heavier darker "pink" wine from California that looked more like a light red than a rose.

Large California wineries like Almaden and Paul Masson were selling tanks of pink wines in jugs, but there was only a handful of small wineries bottling serious roses in 750ml bottles.  Small wineries making making notable roses then included Napa's Mayacamas , Pedroncelli in Sonoma and Fetzer and Navarro in Mendocino. 

Beaujolais, both the real McCoy from France and a sporadic California homage, was big then and, of course, Chardonnay was just beginning its dominance of the white wine market.

The evolution of pink wine popularity likely started as a personal favorite of the owner or winemaker, that made its way to the public through the winery tasting room, or as a special wine for wine club members, until finally, through word of mouth, rose wines began to show up in wine stores and on restaurant wine lists. 

Today, rose is on the up-tick again and according to industry reports, sales are booming.  "Shanken News Daily" reports there is strong competition in a crowded rose field, with vigorous growth at the $20 price point.

So what is rose wine all about and is it just another red wine?  Let's take a look.

Rose winemaking

There are a number of ways for making a pink wine, including blending a little red wine with white wine, but for the best rose, the preferred method is a short maceration of the juice with the skins of dark grapes, to get the desired color. The tinted juice is then fermented like a white wine.

Saignee is French for "bled."  The name is applied to a technique where a small amount of free-run juice is run (or bled) off until the desired color is achieved.

An alternative method is direct pressing of the dark grapes to arrive at a pink color that can range from almost colorless to a light red. 

There also is Vin Gris, a pale pink wine, usually made from Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Alsace.

The idea is to  get a light fruity wine with a sweet-fruit impression, not oaked, that compliments light summer meals.

Worldwide roses

What follows is not a comprehensive list, but it does include the most commonly seen roses, with the majority coming from France, Spain and Portugal.

Cote de Provence -- A light dry pink wine made from Grenache and Cinsault, sometimes with a little Syrah and/or Mourvedre.  Brands to look for include La Vielle Ferme, Miraval, Chateau d'Esclans, Gerard Bertrand. 

Rose de Loire -- A collection of pink wines from the Loire Valley of France, the most popular being Rose d'Anjou.  Grenache and Cinsault are the most common grapes used, although heavier, darker Loire pinks are made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.   Brands: Domaine des Nouelles, Marquis de Goulaine, Louis Laurent, Sauvion.

Rhone Valley -- The best known pink wine is Tavel Rose, from the southern Rhone. Tavel is a substantial pink wine, made manly from Grenache and Cinsault that sometimes resembles a light red.  Try these Tavels: Cave de Tavel, Chateau d'Aquerm, E. Guigal, Domaine Lafond.

Spain -- Various varieties, such as Garnacha (Grenache) are used for a rosado (light pink) or clarete (darker pink).  Look for Chivite from Navarra and Torres from Catalonia, Bodegas Muga, Lopez d'Heredia, 

Portugal -  Lightly sparkling and sweet, the most popular brands in the U.S. market are Lancers, the leader, and Mateus in its distinctive flask-shaped bottle that resembles the German bocksbeutel.

California and Washington -- Remember the "White Zinfandel" craze  in the late 1980's?  Well, the wine, popularized by Sutter Home, was not "white," but it sold like free money.  The market has moved on and now there is a slew of very good dry roses, many made from Grenache, in the market.  Look for these West Coast roses: Angels & Cowboys, Sean Thackrey, Ch. Ste Michelle and Charles Smith.

Of course, it need not be summer to enjoy a glass of rose, but for some unexplained reason, the heat and casualness of a sultry summer day, calls for a lightly chilled pink wine.

                                                 -o0o-

Next blog: My Life in Wine Episode 15

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.com

Hiatis

May 23, 2021 

 

Dear Readers, 

I may be stepping away from writing "Gerald D Boyd On Wine," for a short time, while recuperating from an operation. 

If possible, I'll keep the weekly publishing schedule, but it all depends on how I feel. 

I'll be back in touch as soon as I can.  Meanwhile, keep drinking wine. 

Cheers, 

Gerald D. Boyd

Savoring Soave

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) is the regulated system of Italian wine laws.

Roberto Anselmi has long had two great passions: driving in a fast car as though his hair was on fire and changing the face of Soave wine.

That was my impression of Anselmo back in the day when I first visited him at his winery in the Veneto village of Monteforte d'Alpone.  It was a time when Soave was undergoing a quiet revolution about quality and image. Traditionalists, represented by large wine companies, like Bolla and the Soave Consortium, wanted Soave to be made the way it always had.  Modernists, led by Anselmi, were arguing for change. 

The way Anselmi saw it, Soave, the popular white Veneto wine, was average and boring and in need of updating.  Anselmi claimed there was too much average Soave in the market, due to over production of the primary grape, Garganega, especially on the valley floor.  In the 1990s, Soave produced 6 million cases annually, mainly from large wine companies and cooperatives.

Garganega vines in San Vincenzo vineyard

Anselmi also was pushing to update vineyard trellising from the traditional pergola to more modern systems.  And he would tell anyone who would listen that the Soave Consortium may be satisfied with wine's status quo, but he wasn't.

So, starting with the 1999 vintage, Roberto Anselmi left DOC Soave, declassifying his wines.  That meant he could no longer call Anselmi wines by the Soave name and he must use the more general IGT designation.  In the highly regulated world of Italian wine, such a move could prove fatal.

Digression -- By law, DOC Soave is 70% Garganega, with 30% Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay,  Pinot Bianco and/or Sauvignon Blanc.  IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) was created by law in 1992 and is the Italian equivalent of the French Vin de Pays, or a wine typical of its geographic area.

"Pazzo!" cried some Soave producers who thought Anselmi was crazy for leaving the consortium. The criticism just made Anselmi more determined to prove his point that Garganega showed more character when grown in the hills instead of the valley floor. 

Rather than make nondescript white wine called Soave, quality oriented producers, such as Anselmi, Pieropan and Gini, concentrated on grapes from hillside vineyards, in the eastern part of the classico zone where the soils are composed of volcanic rock.  These wines are flowery and herbal supported by bracing acidity and a honeyed texture with age. 

But official Soave still had the problem of excessive yields pulling the reputation of Soave down, so something had to be done.  A DOCG was added to Soave In 2002, in hopes that it would solve the problem, but instead the DOCG was not limited to hillside vineyards. So a general Superiore category was added, further confusing the situation.  

Today, wine consumers scanning Soave labels have to sort through four official denominations: Soave Classico DOC; Soave Colli Scaligeri, for hillside vineyards outside the Classico zone; Soave DOC, mainly the plains; and Soave Superiore  DOCG. 

Thus, it's important to know what you are buying with Soave. Bolla Soave sells for $12, Pieropan Classico goes for $17.  Anselmi's IGT Veneto wines include San Vicenzo, $20, Capitel Foscarino, $25 and Capitel Croce, $28.   

Garganega grapes in a Soave drying room

If sweet wines suit your palate, look Recioto di Soave, made from dried Garganega grapes by the appassimento process.  Many years ago, grapes would be dried outdoors on straw mats.  Today, recioto is carried out in drying rooms hanging on racks or on shallow trays.  The drying process reduces the water in the grapes, concentrating the sugars.  Thus, fermentations are longer, raising alcohol. The minimum required alcohol for recioto is 14%. 

True Soave is one of Italy's best white wines. So, don't let the label mumble-jumble stop you from trying DOC Soave or Anselmi IGT Veneto wines.

Next blog: Sierra Foothills

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.com

My Life in Wine Episode 14

 "Experience is the name men give to their follies or their sorrows." Alfred de Musset, French romantic dramatist and poet

In episode 13, Marvin Shanken, owner and publisher of the Wine Spectator and I met a little unexpected antagonism in London and then spent a couple of days in Barbaresco and Barolo enjoying northern Italian food accompanied by the wines of Angelo Gaja.  Once back in the states, we continued to move the Spectator forward.

                                     

Newspaper publishing is non-stop and it doesn't recognize business trips. Take a week off to visit Europe and stories are waiting for you when you return.  Such was the case when I got back to my desk, plus I knew we were planning for the first Wine Experience in New York and before then, I had a wine judging. 

Unlike today, where it seems like there is a wine competition every other week, in the early 1980s, there was only the Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition.  It was a big event, held over three days at the fairgrounds in Pomona.  

The LA competition attracted judges from across the country and occasionally, from Europe.  There wasn't anything like it in the United States and European wine people were not yet interested in the concept of wine competitions.

Nathan Chroman, a Los Angeles attorney and part time wine consultant, ran the competition.  It was considered an honor to get a phone call from Nathan inviting you to come to Los Angeles to judge wine.  As a writer, it was a rare opportunity to taste and learn about hundreds of wines in a controlled setting, without having to buy the wines yourself.  

The roster of wine judges then included many recognizable members of the California wine community or folks associated with wine: Robert Lawrence Balzer (Los Angeles Times wine writer), Belle and Barney Rhodes (original owners of Martha's Vineyard in the Napa Valley), Dimitri Tchelistcheff (winemaker son of Beaulieu Vineyard's famous winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff), Peter Sichel (New York based head of the German wine family), Phil Posson ("father" of California sherry), Bob Thompson (noted wine book author), Darrell Corti (wine buyer for Corti Brothers and noted wine authority), Steve Mirassou (member of the Mirassou wine family), and many others, plus a collection of "friends of Nathan," aka wealthy wine savvy Southern California consumers, including a few members of the so-called "Wine Mafia."  

Bleary-eyed and hungry, for at least a cup of coffee, we filed into the tasting room at the fairgrounds in Pomona to face our assignments for the day.  Chroman announced the panel assignments and admonished the judges to be fair to the wines.  There were four judges to a panel and each judge had a tasting table, surrounded on three sides by curtains. A large can with a couple of inches of saw dust served as the spit bucket. 

Every year, Chroman invited a "guest" judge, someone prominent in the wine, food or hospitality industries that would add a little class while, hopefully, drum up publicity for the competition.  The wine boom of the seventies was past and newspapers and magazines were cooling to the idea of promoting wine competitions. 

In 1979, my second year as a judge at Los Angeles, Chroman invited a young New York restaurateur who just happened to have the hottest restaurant in Manhattan at that time.  It turns out the hapless guy didn't know much about about wine and even less about the workings of wine competitions.  

About midday, his panel mates were waiting at the caucus table to discuss a flight of wines and they looked over at their missing judge's cubicle and were surprised to see the errant judge with his head on the table and a bone dry spit bucket on the floor beside his chair.  No one had told the poor guy to spit not sip so after about six flights of 10 wines each, he was blitzed! 

Since this was my second year, I felt a little more at ease, even though I had never goten any feedback on my performance as a judge on Darrell Corti's panel the previous year.  Corti always tasted with Phil Posson, the recognized expert in California on fortified wines.  On the first morning, I arrived at my panel to see an array of California "dry" Sherries and thought, this must be a test for the new guy.  

                         

Corti quickly got introductions out of the way and we adjourned to our tasting cubicles, where I discovered how variable a line of fortified wines can be. 

But it was at the caucus table where I learned a lot about how fortified wine is made and in particular what makes a good California Sherry.  It was soon clear to me that Spanish Sherry is unique and as pleasant as California Sherry may be, it is not the real thing. And I also found out that I wasn't being tested.

I have judged at Los Angeles for a number of years and noticed that every year one or more odd wines would be entered.  Every year, a Southern California winery entered a green mint-flavored wine that became known by the judges as "Scope," since it looked and tasted like the popular mouthwash.  

"Scope" was always awarded an Honorable Mention, even though most of the judges did not like it as a wine.  Honorable Mention was an award unique to the Los Angeles competition.  But by awarding a wine an Honorable Mention, judges could identify the wine, since only the names of winning wines were released.

I could write a book about my experiences as a wine judge, but it's time to move on. In the next episode of "My Life in Wine," I recount the entertaining happens of the first Wine Spectator Wine Experience, held at Windows on the World in New York. 

 

Next Blog: Savoring Soave

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.net

 

Cote de Beaune

"Wine is the intellectual part of the meal."  Alexander Dumas

 In the last edition of this blog I wrote about comprehending Chablis, a Chardonnay made in a part of Burgundy separated by 60 miles from the main part of Burgundy in the Cote de Beaune, which is also known for Chardonnay. 

At the heart of Burgundy is the Cote d'Or, a narrow band of celebrated vineyards, running roughly from Dijon in the north to Chagny in the south, a distance of about 35 miles.  The Cote d'Or (Golden Slope) is divided into the Cote d'Nuits, known for red wines made from Pinot Noir and the Cote de Beaune, famous both for Pinot Noirs and white wines made from Chardonnay. 

The city of Beaune is the capital of Burgundy, although the political capital is in Dijon.  It has been that way since the area was settled as a Roman camp. A Beaune landmark is the Hospice de Beaune, a Middle Age charity hospital that serves today as the site for the famous auction of Burgundy wines, held annually at vintage.

The first merchant houses were founded in the 18th century.  Today, the names Bouchard, Jadot, Drouhin and Latour are synonymous with great Burgundy.

Hospice de Beaune

South of the city of Beaune, is where the Cote de Beaune really starts.  First is Pommard, then Volnay and Monthelie.  Three of the most vaunted names for white Burgundy -- Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet -- follow.  Santaney is the most major southern wine town.

Digression -- Burgundians would think it strange to mention the grape in the region's wines.  Unlike California where it is common for wines to be labeled by the grape name, most French wines (Alsace is an exemption) are identified by a place name, such as the Cote de Beaune. 

The nature of French wine making is to discuss the various component parts of a wine, of which the grape is but one component part of a specific terroir.

Puligny and Chassagne are two communes that wisely added the name of the most famous Chardonnay vineyard in the world, Le Montrachet, to the commune name: Puligny-Montrachet.  The reputation of the coveted Le Montrachet is far greater  than the size (20 acres) of the vineyard.  Some observers maintain the Chardonnay rooted in limestone is key to the depth and complexity of Montrachet. 

There are four other top-end Chardonnays with Montrachet attached to their names: Batard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet and the rarely seen Criots-Batard-Montrachet.

Soil is an important factor in distinguishing the red wines of the Cote de Nuits and those of the Cote de Beaune.  In general, soils in the north are richer, redder and with more iron, while those further south are lighter and with more sand than iron. This difference means that Cote de Beaune reds are medium in body and more likely to be at their peak in less than 10 years, while Cote de Nuits reds are richer, with more body, structure and aging potential. 

There is a great deal of variation in the fermentation and aging of Cote de Beaune reds.  Some producers prefer a long maceration with added stems, while others go for a shorter maceration with a little or no stems. 

Resting the fermented wines in barrel for one year is the general rule, but the time in wood can be up to 18 months. There's also the type of oak to consider, plus the cooper and how much to toast the barrels.  Finally, the question is to fine and filter or not. The main reason not to fine and filter is the belief that the practice reduces the flavor and aging potential of the wine.

A typical Burgundy barrel cellar

Digression -- Prior to bottling, a winemaker ponders whether or not to fine and filter the wine.  Fining is a process aimed at clarifying the wine by using an agent such as egg whites or bentonite clay as a coagulant, causing microscopic particles to fall out of the wine, thus keeping it from turning hazy.  Filtering is a process for removing solid particles, such as yeast cells, from a wine.  Generally speaking, fining is gentler on a wine than filtering, making filtering a more controversial practice in the cellar.

Why am I going into wine making detail?  Because when you're  staring at a shelf lined with red Burgundies, it's important to know that stylistically, there are differences between a Clos de Vougeot  (Cote de Nuits) and a Volnay Callerets (Cote de Beaune).   Vougeot is dense and robust when young, but with bottle age, develops a refined earthiness.  On the other hand, Volnay is lighter with less finesse, becoming fruitier and more robust with age.

Prices for Cote de Beaune wines vary widely.  At the low end there's a standard Santaney, $30, while a Clos de Cortons Grand Cru will cost you $230.  Other prices: Beaune 1er Cru, $38 to $50; Pommard 1er Cru, $190; Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru, $40 to $60, Clos Vougeot, $480.

What foods to serve with Cote de Beaune Burgundy is always a matter of personal taste. The classic match with red Burgundy is game birds.  A more practical choice might be a lightly seasoned beef stew made with the same wine.  With white Burgundy, the classic match is fish or a lightly sauced chicken.  Whatever your choice, save your best bottle for the table and use a lesser wine for the recipe, such as a Volnay or Cote de Beaune, rather than the Volnay Callerets. 

Sante!

Next blog:  My Life in Wine Episode 14

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.com