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Stories of Passion and Pinot: Looking Back and Looking Forward 2023
What started from the little idea “yea, I don’t know, I don’t believe in it, but maybe I will try anyway” now became one of my favorite ongoing series in this blog – Stories of Passion and Pinot. Stories of Passion and Pinot are exactly what the title says – these are the stories of the winemakers passionate about one of the most finicky grapes there is – Pinot Noir.
It is a fun exercise to take a retrospective in the ongoing series and see how far I have gone from time to time. So here is the latest update – for me, and for you if you care to read it.
First, last year I created a new landing page for the whole series. This page is kept current, all new interviews are now added to this page and you always know when the page was updated last.
Four new stories were added since the last update: David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard, Shane Moore of Gran Moraine, Erik Kramer of Willakenzie Estate, and Bill Sanchez of Potter’s Vineyard. All of these are excellent, in-depth interviews – if you have not had a chance to read them yet, you really should do it now.
Interviews in the series have questions tailored to the individual wineries and winemakers with a little overlap between them. However, sometimes it is fun to ask people the same question and enjoy the diversity of the replies. I asked the same two questions to some of the winemakers who had been already profiled in this series – and now I want to share our short Q&A with you.
Sara Specter of Bells Up Winery, Bill Sanchez of Potter’s Vineyard, and Wayne Bailey of Youngberg Hill have graciously agreed to answer my questions, so below you can see my questions – and their answers:
[TaV]: How was the year 2022 for you? New grapes, new plantings, new wines, vineyard discoveries (a new plot/block, for example), new winemaking styles, new wine club, new tasting room, new markets, growing season and the vintage – please share anything and everything you are willing to with our readers.
[Bells Up Winery]: Harvest 2022 was our 10th under the Bells Up label, having moved to Newberg, Oregon in 2012 and making our first vintage in 2013. Harvest 2022 was also what we’ve been calling “the end of the beginning.” It was the first year we were “100% Pinot Independent,” meaning we didn’t source Pinot Noir from any other grower for the first time. It was a wonderful experience working with other micro-site growers who were very much like us. But our goal has always been to be as close to 100% estate as possible, and now we are… at least for the Pinot Noir. We were also delighted to see that the Pinot Blanc we planted in Fall 2021 and the Schioppettino we planted in Fall 2020 continued to do well, despite some initial concern from the late frost we had in April.
[Potter’s Vineyard]: 2022 was good but tough. It was tough due to the spring frost that wiped out 80% of the primary buds in our vineyard. The cool, wet spring led to a late start to bloom and fruit set. We literally did not know if we would have only a tiny harvest or something close to normal until late in the season, which led to a lot of turmoil. We decided to stay the course and farm it normally assuming that we would have something and of course take care of the vines for the following year. Amazingly, the vines rebounded and we ended up with about 70% of our normal yield. And because we farmed and sprayed diligently we did not suffer from the very high amount of powdery mildew that descended upon the Northern Willamette Valley that year. It was also a year where we added some new effective organic compounds to our organic farming spray program that probably helped fend off powdery mildew. The Pinot noir fruit was beautiful but we had much less of it. 2022 was also a pivotal year for us in our business. We bottled our 10th vintage and pondered all year what we would do for the next 10 years. We’ve made good wine but we decided to try to make better wine as our goal. We hired a Burgundy trained winery consultant with 35+ years experience. Combined with our 15+ years we now had over 50 years of combined experience to gain from. We fine tuned every protocol we had in place and added a lot of additional analyses to our tool box. We also added a new barrel-side wine analysis device to help us get more analyses done more efficiently and timely. This helped us get through a tough set of late fermentations of our other varietals that ripened later than normal due to cool spring throughout the NW. So for us it was a long, tough, and educational year but successful due to our added help and resources.
[Youngberg Hill]: Great growing season. Great balance and complexity in the fruit. A more typical season for the Willamette Valley, later wet spring, cool September and October harvest.
[TaV]: What are your plans for 2023? What do you think the future holds?
[Bells Up Winery]: In 2023 we hope to get enough fruit from the Schioppettino to make a proof-of-concept batch. We will also be releasing our very first bottling of bubbles. The 2022 crop of Seyval Blanc from our estate (first planting in the Willamette Valley of this French hybrid and only the second in the state of Oregon) will be released in a brut style under a new label, “Joy.” In keeping with our practice of naming wines after pieces of music that have terrific French Horn parts, this one is named for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, “Ode to Joy.”
[Potter’s Vineyard]: We plan to continue with this new approach to taste the ‘fruits of our labor’ and continue improving as much as we can. We know the future will be tough with another global recession looming, however, we will continue to work hard to provide wine lovers a small vineyard & clay art gallery experience and premium wine.
[Youngberg Hill]: We will get our first fruit from the new Wayne’s World block this year, clones 667 and 115. Regarding what the future holds – who knows?
It is so interesting to see different takes on the vintage, the conditions, etc – and of course the future plans. It will also make it fun to ask the exact same questions next year.
There is a number of new interview ideas in the works, so as they like to say it – watch this space…
Uruguay Wines – Coming Of Age
Do you know the problem many wine lovers share? We are creatures of habit.
Once we develop our inner “favorite wine” profile, we don’t let any changes happen to it. We like what we like. Never heard of this region? Thank you, I’ll pass. God forbid we fall in love with the particular producer – this is even worse than the region – nothing is ever good enough outside of the circle of our favorites.
And this is generally okay. Except we are putting ourselves in danger of losing on new, enlightening, delicious experiences.
When I was invited to the Uruguay wine webinar, my first reaction was “nah”. I mean, Uruguay, really? Between Chile and Argentina, my South American world-class wine circle is already full – do I need to bother with the wines from a totally unknown region?
On second thought – this is a webinar. Wine is coming to me, not like I need to travel somewhere to taste the wines I can potentially be disappointed by. Why not?
I’m glad I accepted the invitation. Both the information and the wines were lots of fun. We learned that while Uruguay has a population of 3.5M people, 2nd smallest size-wise country in Latin America, the country has a 98.7% level of literacy, the highest in Latin America. People in Uruguay are mainly descendants of Italians and Spaniards so they literally have wine embedded in their DNA.
Winemaking in Uruguay started in the 13th century. Today, there are 164 active wineries, producing 70M bottles of wine annually. Uruguay is currently in the process of implementing its own sustainability program. And by the way, the oldest winery in Uruguay dates back to 1854 and is called Los Cerros de San Juan (still open today!).
Uruguay has primarily a maritime climate with strong Atlantic influence, with the majority of low-lying coastal vineyards. Uruguay’s climate is closer to Bordeaux than the rest of South America, and it is significantly wetter if compared with Chile, where it rains only during the winter. Soils are clay based with lots of river deposits. Uruguay has six main winemaking areas, boasting 5 different terroirs. Warm and cold ocean currents collide right around Uruguay, creating significant influence. Interestingly enough, Uruguay is the only winemaking country in South America whose terroir is affected by the Atlantic Ocean.
When it comes to grapes, there are 14,804 acres under vine (a little smaller than Alexander Valley in California). Tannat is unquestionably a star, accounting for 27% of vineyard plantings., but it is not the only grape, obviously – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc are all quite popular as well.
And before we talk about wines, few more interesting tidbits: cows outnumber humans in Uruguay 4 to 1 and Uruguayans consume more meat per capita than any other country in the world!
Okay, now you know all that I learned in the webinar, and we can talk about the wines.
We had 2 whites, 6 reds, and one Vermouth wine in the tasting. Spoiler alert: I literally liked them all. In the blind tasting, these wines would be surely regarded as world-class, placing them in California, France, maybe Chile – Uruguayan origin of these wines would be a total surprise for many – for sure for me. And yet, here they are – world-class wines from Uruguay.
2022 Marichal Sauvignon Blanc Canelones Uruguay (12.5% ABV, $14)
C: light golden
N: plump, round, Whitestone fruit, a hint of gunflint
P: crisp acidity, fresh, bright. More resembling Muscadelle than anything else. Good balance.
V: 8, very refreshing.
2022 Bracco Bosca Ombú Moscatel Atlantida East Costal Region of Uruguay (13% ABV, $16)
C: light golden
N: very interesting. Muscat’s spicy, nutmeg profile comes as a distant hint. A touch of perfume
P: restrained tropical fruit with an acidic finish.
V: 7, not balanced enough for me; On the second and third days the wine showed much better, more coherent and more elegant – Drinkability: 8-.
2020 Familia Deicas Bodegones del Sur Vineyards Select Cabernet Franc Juanico Region Uruguay (13.5% ABV, $20, 30% aged in American and French oak)
C: Beautiful bright ruby
N: round vanilla, new world style
P: interestingly restrained on the palate, with noticeable tannins. The palate shows the absolutely old world (Saumur, Chinon). Interesting cranberry notes after an hour and a half in the open bottle.
V: 7+/8-, a bit unexpected, but not bad
Improved on the second day, became more round. Final: 8-
2020 Giménez Méndez Alta Reserva Tannat Las Brujas Canelonés Uruguay (14% ABV, $18, aged for 9 months)
C: Dark Garnet
N: Open, inviting, dark fruit, blackberries
P: Dark fruit, firm structure, smokey undertones, herbs, very good balance.
V: 8, well drinkable now
2019 Montes Toscanini Gran Tannat Premium Uruguay (14% ABV, $59, 18 months aged in oak, BAB with a huge punt)
C: dark garnet, practically black
N: wow. Cassis, sweet oak, eucalyptus, open, inviting, invigorating. In a blind tasting, I would bet my life on Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
P: the palate is leaner than the nose suggests. Red and black fruit weave around a firm structure, tannins showed up a while after opening.
V: 8-/8, very impressive
2018 Pisano RPF Reserva de la Familia Tannat Region Progreso Uruguay (% ABV, $24, 10–12 months in French oak)
C: dark garnet
N: dark fruit, coffee, smoke
P: a hint of smoke, sapidity, dark, concentrated but not overpowering. Good balance, medium-long finish
V: 8-/8, very nice. Will be great with the steak.
2018 Alto de la Ballena Tannat – Viognier Uruguay (14% ABV, $24, 85% Tannat, 15% Viognier)
C: Dark garnet, almost black
N: herbs-forward nose, sage, a hint of cherries
P: fresh fruit, salivating acidity, sage, firm structure, and perfectly lingering cherries and cherries pit finish.
V: 8, great by itself, and will be great with beef roast
2019 Bouza Monte Vide Eu Montevideo Uruguay (13.5% ABV, $67, 20% Tempranillo, 30% Merlot, 50% Tannat, vinified separately, 16 months in French and American oak barrels)
C: dark garnet with a beautiful ruby hue
N: very complex, cherries, rosemary
P: roasted notes, dark fruit, elegant package, firm structure with a perfectly balanced mouthfeel.
V: 8, excellent, a world-class wine.
Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rosé Uruguay (16% ABV, $16, Tannat, 27 botanicals)
C: beautiful salmon pink
N: Herbaceous, but a bit strange, stewed strawberries
P: a bit too sweet for my palate.
V: I’m very particular about the vermouth, so this is probably not the one for me.
Here you are, my friends. Next time you see an Uruguayan wine on the shelf, obey your thirst and grab it – and you don’t even have to thank me later.
A Few Days In Florida
Time flies.
Just a month ago It’s already been a month since we visited our close friends in Naples, Florida. We spent a week at our friends’ house, sometimes enjoying the sun and sometimes not (on the morning we were flying back to New York, the temperature was balmy 40°F). However, this is not a post about the weather – this is primarily a post about the wine, and some flowers – in pictures, that is. Possibly, quite a few pictures.
My friends enjoy an occasional glass of wine, but it doesn’t have to be absolutely anything in particular – the price should be right (low), that’s the main criteria. Therefore I enjoyed exploring the random collection – but of course, I couldn’t also resist an opportunity to visit some of the local wine stores.
First, there was an early morning flight – always an opportunity to enjoy the sunrise.
Talking about the wines, we started our first day in Florida with a few tasty whites. 2018 Grgich Hills Estate Sauvignon Blanc Fumé Blanc Napa Valley was outstanding – bright, succulent, bristling with acidity, and supporting core of the whitestone fruit. I love Sauvignon Blanc in all of its renditions, and this was the quintessential Napa Valley version. I also had the 2019 Whipstitch Barrel-Fermented Chenin Blanc Clarksburg which was restrained and interestingly elegant, with good acidity and a plump, fuller body mouth feel.
Our dinner plan for the evening was very simple – steak, a nice porterhouse from Pat LaFrieda. Ever since I made Bistecca alla Fiorentina a few years back, I got hooked on this specific way of cooking the steak every time I come across a good porterhouse. And then, of course, my preferred wine for such a dish is Montalcino, either Rosso or Brunello. There was no Montalcino on hand, so I went to the nearby Total Wine to pick up the bottle. After a long deliberation with myself in front of the Montalcino section (not very large), I settled for the familiar – 2020 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino. This was kind of a safe choice remembering a great experience I had with the 2016 Il Poggione Rosso and the steak.
The steak portion of our dinner was excellent – after all, Pat LaFreida provides top-quality meat, so my job was only not to overcook it. The wine, however, didn’t deliver. The 2016 Rosso was superb in its perfect balance of cherries and earthy flavors. The 2020 Rosso, which I also had a few months back, was simply too tight and rather void of any pleasure. The same two years of age (I had 2016 in 2018, and 2020 at the beginning of 2023), but the difference was profound. Oh well, at least we enjoyed the steak.
The next day we visited the supermarket store called Seed to Table, one of the local hallmarks in Naples. If you are familiar with Stew Leonard’s stores in Connecticut and New York, that will give you an idea of what Seed to Table is – only 10 times better. Seed to Table would deserve a special post of its own, which I might do after our next visit to Naples. But for now, I have to mention the wine section at the store – it was mind-boggling. The American wines were extremely well represented – California, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and other states – very solid choices, not inexpensive, but still all the reasonable stuff, in the $30 – $80 range for the majority of the wines. I regret not taking the pictures to share with you – I will correct it the next time.
I picked up two bottles of wine there. The first one was the 2020 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, the wine which is rumored to be made from the same fruit as Harlan. I had Textbook Cab many times before and enjoyed it. This wine was not bad, but it was definitely opened too early. It was bold, tight, and “in-your-face” concentrated, nicely hiding a beautiful cassis core that was trying to present itself but was unable to. Give this wine 8-10 years, and you will be able to start enjoying it.
My second pick was 2020 We The People Cabernet Sauvignon California. This wine was a lot more approachable than the Textbook and was showing the telltale signature of Cabernet from Lodi – a hint of warm cinnamon notes, just enough to be noticed but not enough to get in the way of enjoying the wine. This wine was perfectly drinkable and enjoyable from the get-go.
A few days later my sister-in-law and her husband were planning to visit, so I decided to go to the Seed to Table again. This time, I came across the Spanish wine section and decided to pick up a few of the perennial favorites.
2016 Coto de Imaz Reserva Rioja DOC was spot on. Coto de Imaz is lesser known than Lopez de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, or CVNE. Nevertheless, Coto de Imaz Rioja is well worth seeking, as I had never been disappointed by their wines. This wine offered beautiful round dark fruit, a cigar box, and a touch of eucalyptus, all velvety and polished.
2019 Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero DO didn’t fare as well as the previous wine. It was too tight, and the fruit was not showing even a few hours after the bottle was opened. It is possible that this wine needs good 10-15 years in the cellar to mellow out, but at this point, this is probably not something you want to open.
Time for flowers! We visited Naples Botanical Garden, and so here are some flowers I picked there, especially for you:
I would like to mention a few more wines in passing here. 2020 Chateau Roudier Montagne-Saint-Emilion AOC is a budget Bordeaux from Trader Joe’s. While not mind-boggling, it comes from an outstanding 2020 vintage and is easy to drink, mellow, and round. 2016 Ferrari Carano Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley was a solid California Cabernet Sauvignon rendition, with a good amount of power, good structure, and underpinning of cassis. I picked up the 2017 Torbeck Cuvée Juveniles Barossa Valley Australia for a friend who swears by Chateauneuf-du-Pape – I wanted him to compare the CdP with a similarly made GSM (61% Grenache, 28% Mataro, 11% Syrah). The wine had cherries and plums with a hint of some spicy notes – quite delicious all in all.
When visiting Florida, taking pictures of the palm trees is unavoidable:
Before we part, last but not least – delicious scotch. Alexander Murray Benrinnes Distillery 19 years old (distilled in 1995). It had beautiful complexity, not heavy, without any noticeable peat, very elegant, and perfect with a cigar. Alexander Murray is an independent bottler I was not aware of before – but definitely will be now.
That’s all, my friends – that concludes my Florida story in wines and flowers. Cheers!
Low Calories, Low Alcohol Wines – First Encounter
Low calories, low alcohol.
In my book, these are trigger words.
Don’t get me wrong – watching your caloric intake is definitely a first-world problem, and I generally pay attention to it when it comes to daily food. However, wine is an indulgence. I drink wine for pleasure. Wine is not a necessity. Yes, it is possible to live perfectly happily without drinking wine – however, this is a choice. And you already know what choice I made.
As I drink wine for pleasure, the number of calories is not a criterion I would ever use when selecting a wine to drink. The company, food, mood, ambiance, grape, region, winery, winemaker – there are lots of factors influencing the decision, but the number of calories in a glass of wine is definitely not one of them. If one selects wine by the number of calories, what is the point of drinking the wine? May I suggest water as a better choice?
Now, let’s scrap all of this. Let’s pretend I didn’t say yet anything in this post.
Apparently, knowing the calorie count in the glass of wine is important, especially if you are a part of Gen Z (not my opinion – this is what I read). Apparently, there is a demand for wines to have the same labels as any food product, listing all the ingredients and providing the breakdown of nutrients, calories, etc. ( I hope this will never materialize as a law – but oops, I’m not supposed to be expressing my opinion). And apparently, there is enough demand for low-calorie, low-alcohol, and alcohol-free wines that my friend Zak even allocated specific shelf space for such wines at his wine store in Stamford, as there are enough people asking for them.
As I visited the store and chatted with Zak about wine trends, he showed me these shelves with low-alcohol wines, and I surprised both him and myself by grabbing a bottle to taste.
There are a few reasons to be surprised. The first one, of course, is the fact that I decided to try a type of wine that I consider simply a gimmick. A bigger surprise was that I grabbed the bottle of Meiomi Pinot Noir – the wine I normally can’t stand. I don’t like pretty much any wine the Wagner family produces, including the flagship Caymus – and my dislike for Meiomi Pinot is very strong as I can’t get through the sweet and burning mouthfeel this wine delivers. And yet here I am – getting a low-calorie version of the wine I normally don’t drink. Talk about surprises.
Let’s continue on the subject of surprises. To my yet another surprise, I didn’t dislike this 2021 Meiomi Bright Pinot Noir California (8% ABV, $19.99, 90 calories, 9.7g of carbs per 5 oz glass). I guess the reduced alcohol was good for this wine as it was showing a nice dark berry medley with blueberries and blackberries taking the leading role, supported by sweet oak and a nice silky mouthfeel. If it would not be for the cloyingly sweet finish, this would be a good wine experience overall – but again, the wine was quite palatable, even during re-tasting over the next 4 days.
This encounter with the low-alcohol, low-calorie wine made me do something which I had never done before – trying to understand the calories in wine.
I don’t pretend to be a scientist here, so below is my layman’s understanding of what we are dealing with when counting the number of calories in a glass of wine. I’m fully open to criticism, and if someone thinks this is all baloney and the calculations are all wrong, I will be delighted to correct this text to set things straight.
First, some basics. Calories in a glass of wine come from 2 sources – alcohol and sugar. There are 7 calories in one gram of alcohol (there are multiple sources of info on this, I used this one), which by the way makes alcohol the second highest source of calories after fat, which delivers 9 calories per gram. There are 4 calories in a gram of sugar (you can verify via google search). One more important point – a standard wine pour is considered 5 ounces glass, and there are 5 standard pours in a bottle of wine, which contains approximately 25 oz of wine. As we measure calories per gram, we need to convert between ounces and grams. One ounce is equal to 28.3495 grams – however, as I don’t want to deal with a calculator all the time, we will assume that 1 oz is equal to 30 grams, for the simplicity of this exercise.
Alcohol is always presented on the label in the form of ABV – Alcohol By Volume. Thus the percentage shown with the ABV letters simply identifies what percentage of the bottle content is pure alcohol, the one which clocks 7 calories per gram. To provide a simple example, a 1 liter of 10% ABV wine will contain 100 grams of alcohol. By the same token, a standard pour of such 10% ABV wine which amounts to 5 oz, will contain 0.5 oz of pure alcohol. If you want to do it in grams, with our previous assumptions, 5 oz is equal to 150 grams, which will translate into 15 g of pure alcohol – which in turn will deliver 15*7 = 105 calories per glass just for the alcohol portion of the content.
Now, let’s analyze our Meiomi wine based on what we just learned (yes, I know it says on the bottle “90 calories” front and center, but let’s see if we can come up with the same number). This Meiomi Pinot Noir has 8% ABV, which means that the standard pour/serving of 5 oz (150g) contains 12g of pure alcohol. 12*7 = 84, which brings us to the perfect proximity of the 90 calories. However, according to the information on the back label, the same 5 oz of wine contains 9.7g of carbs, and the only source of carbs in wine is residual sugar – this is the sugar left in the wine after fermentation was finished. We can safely round our 9.7g to 10g, and when multiplied by 4 (calories per gram of sugar) we will get 40 calories. Adding 84 and 40 brings us to 124 calories in that glass of Meiomi Pinot.
I wanted to compare this caloric count with any regular wine. As an example, I took information from the technical note of the 2020 Barra Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino. This wine has 14.5% ABV and 3.2 g/l of residual sugar. At 14.5% ABV, our 150g of Barra Cab (5 oz, standard pour) will contain 21.75g of pure alcohol, which will give us 152 calories from alcohol. 3.2 grams of sugar per liter will translate into approximately 0.5g of sugar per same standard pour which in turn will only add 2 calories, for the grand total of 154 calories. That also means that there is only 30 calories difference between low-calorie, low-alcohol, manipulated wine and normal wine. You can make your own conclusion, but I’m sure you can figure out mine.
There is one more thought I would like to share. I’m afraid that a low-alcohol wine can give people a false impression that they can simply drink more of it because each glass supposedly contains less. So it is not impossible to presume that someone can drink 3 glasses instead of two, based on the premise of “light wine”. Using our calculations above, there will be 372 calories in these 3 glasses – 2 glasses of Barra Cabernet Sauvignon will set you back 308. Again, you can (and should) make your own conclusions.
I clearly understand that my personal viewpoint and perception are not important at the scale of the market – when there is a demand, the product will appear. Low-calories, low-alcohol wines are here to stay, no matter what I think of them. But I’m glad this Meiomi Bright Pinot prompted me to do some research and acquire some understanding of the calories in wine.
I guess when they say “liquid diet”, they are not really kidding. Cheers!
Wednesday Meritage #162
Meritage Time!
Here is your [extremely irregular] update on the interesting wine (and food) happenings that recently grabbed my attention. Let’s start with some local updates first.
New stories of Passion and Pinot
Last week I published a new interview in the Stories of Passion and Pinot series – this time with David Adelsheim, one of the early pioneers of the Oregon Pinot revolution. This is one of the very best interviews in the series and will be well worth a few minutes of your time – if you will crave a glass of Pinot after reading it, I’m not responsible for it. There are 15 interviews plus multiple updates in the series, and more interviews and updates are up and coming in the series – my conversations with Erik Kramer of WillaKenzie and Bill Sanchez of Potter’s Vineyard will be published soon.
Yelp 100 Top Restaurants
Yes, I’m mostly writing about wine in this blog, but I love food and I’m actually a “yelper”, both as a user of and as a contributor to the popular Yelp website. I rely on Yelp’s recommendations when I travel, and I go out of my way to write a review after visiting a restaurant (I rarely review other businesses or attractions). Yelp recently released a list of the 100 most popular restaurants around the US – it is a fun reading to see what the others like, so you might want to spend a few minutes browsing through. Who knows, maybe you will see your favorite eatery among the top 5…
This Day In Wine History
I love data. It doesn’t have to be anything useful. Just data, information, facts – especially if it concerns subjects that are near and dear to my heart – like wine. As a data collector, do you want to know what happened in the history of wine on a specific day of the month – let’s say, February 1st? Now you can, with the help of the website called This Day in Wine History. For example, I just learned what happened on February 1st. According to the website, “February 1, 1141: On this day, the foundation of Barone Ricasoli, Italy, was laid. The Tuscan winery is the oldest one still in business in Italy”. Or here is another February 1st event: “February 1, 1801: On this day, John June Lewis, Sr was born. He is known as the first African-American winemaker in the United States”. The information on the website is not limited to the singular date events – you can find in-depth articles about the history of the wine decanters or all you wanted to know about widow Clicquot, one of the key figures in the history of Champagne. Check it out, I have a suspicion that you might find it useful and entertaining.
OTBN – Open That Bottle Night
It is never too early to talk about one of my favorite wine holidays – Open That Bottle Night, or OTBN for short. This year, OTBN, which is celebrated on the last Saturday in February, will fall on February 25th. I wrote about OTBN numerous times so if you are not familiar with the concept please click on the link. For the rest of us, the game is on, and it is not too early to start thinking about those special bottle(s) that are waiting and begging to be opened. Yep, start looking in that cellar… If you are anything like me, that special bottle decision will not come with ease…
That’s all I have for you for today. The glass is empty, but the refill is on the way. Cheers!
Top Two Dozens of 2022
Year started. The year ended. What happened in between? Lots of things, many of them… well, you know. You live here too.
As it has been a tradition since this blog started, it is time to sum up the year in wines (well, the time was at least a week ago… I know…). The quintessential exercise in pain and pleasure. It gives me great pleasure to relive the great moments enabled and enhanced by all the wonderful wines. It gives me great pain having to decide on what wines should be on this list, and what should be the wine of the year. Lots of great moments, lots of uneasy decisions.
The original thought behind my very first Top Wines list was to come up with the 10 best wines. Even on the first try, I realized that I can’t stay within this limit of 10, and the limit was changed to 12 (hence a Dozen). Next came the realization that even 12 is not enough, and thus for most of the years my lists consist of 2 dozen wines, but even that often is not enough, so the final count can be 25, 26, and even more.
The criteria for inclusion into the Talk-a-Vino top list is simple – the wine has to be memorable. It should be easy to recall when, where, why, and even with whom I shared that wine, and what emotions did the wine solicit.
Oh yes, as I love analyzing the other Top Wine lists, let me give you the stats for the Top Talk-a-Vino wines of 2022. Total of 26 wines, 19 reds, 3 whites, 2 fortified, 1 sparkling, and 1 pink (it is not a Rosé, it is skin contact white). 6 wines are from California, 5 from Spain, 5 from France (interestingly enough, all from Bordeaux), 4 from Italy, 2 from Portugal, 2 from Washington, 1 from Australia, and 1 from New York.
That’s all there is to it. Without much further ado, let’s get to our list:
25. 2020 Field Recordings Domo Arigato Skin Contact Pinot Grigio Central Coast – a stunning concoction, almost magical. 2 of us finished the bottle and said “what just happened? where did this wine go? “. It is elegant, balanced, complex, and magical. Oh yes, I already said that.
24. 2012 Bodegas Excelencia Los Frontones Crianza Sierras de Málaga DO – one of the memorable surprises of the trip to Malaga. I had no idea that Bordeaux varieties can be the main grapes in the winemaking region in Spain – and then there was this beautiful 10-year-old fresh and delicious Bordeaux blend. If you are in Malaga, please ignore the dismissive comments “ahh, it is just local” – this is what you want to drink.
23. 2020 Rosina’s Barbera Hudson River Region New York – I have the good fortune of being invited as a wine judge for the annual Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits competition. This Barbera from New York was dark, smokey, and powerful – and a totally unexpected surprise.
22. 2017 Quinta do Vale Dao DOP Portugal – No matter what Portugal continues to be the spelling for the wine values. This $6.99 red was simply stunning – round, generous, impeccably balanced. In a blind tasting, this wine would easily put to shame many of the $100 bottles. Don’t take my word for it – I dare you to check it for yourself…
21. Bodega Callejuela Oloroso Origen Callejuela Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO – this wine was simply singing from the glass. Sherry might be the most complex wine in the world, and when it is done right, like this fine specimen… Oh boy, that’s lots of pleasure. But then put it next to the charcuterie… And you might think you accidentally made it to heaven…
20. 2018 Turley Tecolote Red Wine Paso Robles – of course everyone knows Turley Zinfandels, but Turley’s prowess extends way beyond that variety. Turley wines are notoriously hard to get, and Tecolote, a Spain-inspired blend of Grenache and Cariñena might be one of the most difficult ones to procure. If you will be lucky enough to come across it, get as many as you can – the lip-smacking voluptuous goodness of this wine is something to be experienced.
19. 2018 Double Lucky #8 Walla Walla Valley – one of the latest Cayuse projects, created under the No Girls line and crafted by Elizabeth Bourcier, was introduced to wine lovers in 2021, in a midst of covid. I found the introductory 2017 to be too powerful and too concentrated, the absolute “liquid rock” rendition. 2018 was surprisingly approachable, definitely powerful but balanced enough to be enjoyable even at this young age.
18. 2017 San Felice Bell’Aja Bolgheri Superiore – A beautiful example of super-Tuscan, with my notes (overdue to be published) saying “beautifully elegant, perfectly layered and scrumptious”. A pure pleasure.
17. 1997 Chateau Montelena Saint Vincent Red Wine Napa Valley – Sangiovese from Napa Valley is always a surprise. The Sangiovese-based blend from Chateau Montelena should count as a double surprise, as this is not the grape the winery is known for. The wine was well-structured and delicious, didn’t disappoint at all.
16. 2016 Hacienda Calavia Reserva Rioja DOC – When you drink good Spanish Rioja while in Spain this shouldn’t be surprising, right? And nevertheless, I was surprised at how unquestionably perfect, unquestionably Riojan this wine was, offering a beauty of the dark berries and cigar box. Clean, assertive, classic, delicious.
15. 2013 Campochiarenti Passione Divina Vini Storiche Toscana IGT – Sunningly beautiful pure Sangiovese from Campochiarenti. If you like Italian wines, especially the Brunello level, I’m sure you experienced that moment when you take a sip of the wine and it literally sends jitters all over your body. The wine that almost affects you on a physical level (no, I’m not talking about being drunk). I don’t know how to properly express it, but again, if you are an Italian wine aficionado, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. And if you are not, then consider becoming one.
14. 2019 Chateau L’Annonciation Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – if you find a classic Bordeaux in a bottle of Bordeaux – should that be surprising? A delicious pop’n’pour classic Bordeaux – should I say more?
13. 2018 Alto Moncayo Veraton Campo de Borja – your palate knows delicious, isn’t it? This wine is as stunning as it is delicious from the moment you pull the cork. Layers of goodness, succulent fruit, perfect amount of tannins to support the structure. If you looking for instant pleasure, this is the wine to open.
12. 2006 Trabucchi d’Illasi Amarone della Valpolicella – Everyone here knows that I love Amarone. But – it doesn’t mean that I love any bottle which says “Amarone” on it. I’m very particular about the balance in Amarone, and this wine delivers everything – dried fruit, fresh fruit, perfect power and perfect acidity. If I could only procure a case (or 5) of this wine…
11. 2019 BARRA of Mendocino Petite Sirah Mendocino – surprise is always a good way to create lasting memories. Petite Sirah is one of my all-time favorites grapes, but more often than not it requires time to be enjoyable, lots and lots of time. This wine was just perfectly ready the moment the cork was pulled out. dark concentrated, layered, well structured, perfectly balanced, and ready to deliver the pleasure on the moment’s notice.
all great wines, but only Petroni made the cut
10. 2010 Petroni Rosso di Sonoma Sonoma Valley – what happens when the Italian makes wine in California out of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon? A super-Californian! This was my last bottle, luckily snatched from WTSO. Beautiful, layered, delicious wine.
9. 2008 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli – well-aged Brunello should be on every wine lover’s “try before you die” list. This was simply an experience, the experience you want to go on and on and on, sip after sip. Pure, unadulterated pleasure.
8. 2007 François Cazin Le Petit Chambord Cour-Cheverny AOC – another case of the “last bottle”. I was slowly depleting my stash of this Loire white, made from the rare grape called Romorantin. Every bottle showed differently over the years, but this one was the ultimate reward. Honey, flowers, and perfectly fresh acidity. Ahhh…
7. 1998 d’Arenberg Cabernet Sauvignon High Trellis McLaren Vale – spectacular. Still young, fresh, and loaded with gobs of cassis and cherries. An absolute beauty with much more time left.
6. 1969 Oliveras Cercial Madeira – I now think that Madeira might be the most interesting wine in the world. Think about it – the wine had everything done to it – heat, oxidation, everything. And then when you open it, it is ageless, it is vibrant, it is alive, and it can last forever. If I need one New Year resolution here, it might be “drink more Madeira!”
5. 1998 Château Tournefeuille Lalande-de-Pomerol – what a beauty! This might be a year of the classic Bordeaux for me. Cassis, cassis, more cassis. Layered, round, seductive, and luscious. I’m ready to meet with it again at any time.
4. NV Lanson Le Green Label Organic Champagne – this was my first encounter with Champagne Lanson, and I was duly impressed with precision and finesse. This Green label organic was my favorite, offering a perfect balance of yeast, toasted bread and cleansing acidity – every sip encouraging you to take another. An absolute beauty.
3. 2013 Alban Roussanne Edna Valley – Roussanne might be my favorite white grape (pssst… don’t tell that to Chardonnay and Riesling). Well-made Roussanne offers this round, beautiful, present, silky mouthfeel that no other white grape can. And when this Roussanne is made by the California Rhone Rangers pioneer such as Alban, it becomes an absolute pleasure trip. If you can find this wine – don’t miss it.
2. 1997 Château Haut-Piquat Lussac Saint-Émilion – more stunning Bordeaux. This is the fifth bottle of Bordeaux on this top list, but it is only reminiscent of the year, this was not by intent, but rather a surprising realization. Still perfectly fresh, balanced, firmly structured, and precise. I wish humans would age like this.
Cue in “yes, I did it again”. Because I’m guilty as charged. I didn’t want to take upon myself the burden of decision regarding the top wine, and tossing the coin would be simply not fair to either of the wines. But this is my blog, my rules. hence two #1 wines of 2022. Here we go:
1. 2018 Revelry Vintners Reveler Columbia Valley – I was blown away with my first sip. I think if I will count repetitive words in this post, “precision” would come out on top. And so this was yet another precise, delicious, spot-on, love-at-first-sight Bordeaux blend, powered by Washington’s rocky, lava-laden soil. The word “superb” doesn’t describe this wine.
1. 2020 Abadia Retuerta L’Domaine Ribera Del Duero – I know Abadia Retuerta Ribera del Duero reds, but I never heard of their white wines. My trip to Spain brought this revelation on the last day – this Sauvignon Blanc-based blend was absolutely spectacular – it would well compete with Chablis with its clean acidity, gunflint, firm structure, and pure, refreshing mouthfeel. This wine is absolutely world-class, ready to compete with the best of the best white wines can offer.
Now we are done, my friends. The presentation of Talk-a-Vino Top Wines of 2022 is complete. What were your most memorable wines of 2022? Cheers!
Daily Glass: Unexpectedly Stunning
Expect the unexpected.
When people hear that beaten up “expect the unexpected”, I’m sure in at least 80% of the cases, the expectations are negative. “Expect the unexpected” generally implies that one should always be prepared to deal with seemingly unexpected and often hostile circumstances.
In the wine world, we might want to adjust the “expect the unexpected” ever so slightly. By its nature, wine is always unexpected. Bottle variations, spoiled wine (think corked, for example), serving temperature, ambiance, food, company – everything affects the taste of wine – and I’m not even talking about root and flower days. Every bottle is a mystery – even if you had that same wine from the same producer and the same vintage 100 times before, when you are looking for pleasure you should open the bottle with trepidation. Every bottle is a mystery, and you never know what you will find inside.
I already had this exact wine before. 1998 d’Arenberg Cabernet Sauvignon High Trellis McLaren Vale was number 16 on my top 20 wines of 2020 list. 1998 is one of the special years in my book, so I’m always on the lookout for affordable 1998 wines. I came across this specific wine at the Benchmark Wine Group wine store, and at $19 per bottle, it was well worth the risk. Of course, d’Arenberg is an excellent producer and I trust their wines – but aging the wine changes a lot of things and nobody can truly predict what would happen with wine as the result of the aging.
When it comes to aged wines, when everything works well, the expectations are resembling the bell curve. In the optimal case, we expect the wine to gradually improve, then stay at its peak, and then gradually decline. But every bottle has its own bell curve associated with it – how long will it take for the wine to reach the top of the peak, for how long the wine will stay at the peak, when the wine will start declining – every bottle has its own story, and nobody can predict how a particular bottle of wine would behave. This makes drinking aged wines great fun – you never know what you will find behind the cork. This also makes drinking the aged wines a source of frustration – until you successfully pull the cork out, take a sip, and smile happily, the frustration lingers.
You are unquestionably doubling this frustration when you are opening the aged wine you already enjoyed before. In general, before you open the wine, you base your expectations on the reputation of the producer, the region, the winery, and maybe on the vintage. Once you tasted the wine, you acquire the frame of reference, so when you will be opening the bottle of the same wine as you already had, your expectations are based on your prior experience – “ahh, I liked it before, I hope the wine will be as good as it was the last time”.
The last Sunday, we had a good reason to open a bottle from the 1998 vintage, so this was the bottle I decided on – for no particular reason, the decision formed in the head by itself. I used the ah-so to gently extract the cork, only to find out that I had no reason to worry, and the regular corkscrew would do just fine – the cork was in very good shape.
Once in the glass, the color increased the hopes for the enjoyable experience – dark ruby, not a hint of brickish color which old reds might acquire. And the first whiff from the glass put absolutely all the worries away. Ripe cassis, eucalyptus, a touch of sweet oak – the aroma was beautifully enticing, seducing you only as the Cabernet Sauvignon can. And the palate… The palate completed this mesmerizing experience, offering ripe dark fruit, cassis, still fresh and firm structure, a beautiful herbal bouquet, and a perfect balance. Not to try to take anything from the Australian wines, this was a Napa Cab-like experience. (Drinkability: 8+/9-).
I pumped the air out and couldn’t get to the wine for the next two days. On the third day, I poured a glass, this time expecting that the wine is gone. To my total surprise, the wine closed up, now more resembling the young Brunello, perfectly firm, dense, and cherry-forward. The fact that the wine was perfectly fine 3 days after being opened gives me hope that the wine will be good at least for another 15 years – and this time around yes, I have another bottle.
Here is my story of the sudden pleasure. Do you like aged wines? Are you intimidated by aged wines? Do you also expect the unexpected? Let me know what you think.
Until the next time – cheers!
Beaujolais Nouveau 2022 Edition
I would typically start this post with Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé! and go out of my way to have the post out on the third Thursday in November when Beaujolais Nouveau is officially released. As this is posted a few days after the third Thursday in November, it is a bit late to announce its arrival.
As luck would have it, I was in France on that third Thursday. While at the hotel restaurant in Toulouse, I asked the waitress if they had Beaujolais Nouveau available – and the answer was a short “no”. When I mentioned that we were supposed to celebrate the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau, I got a shoulder shrug back, clearly stating “I have no idea what you are talking about”.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a multifaceted phenomenon. Firstly, it is the wine of a new harvest. Secondly, it should be an indicator of the quality of the vintage. Thirdly, it is a celebration of the new harvest, universally supported throughout the world in the past years. And fourthly, many consider Beaujolais Nouveau a marketing gimmick and simply refuse to get anywhere near that bottle.
I like traditions. As such, I’m happy to celebrate the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau on the regular basis, simply celebrating the wine of the new harvest. How far back this tradition goes and whether it was really created as a marketing ploy to sell mediocre wine is not something that concerns me. We always need more things to celebrate in our lives, and Beaujolais Nouveau offers this perfect celebration opportunity.
2022 Beaujolais Nouveau seems to stand out in a few different ways. On the positive side, I like the label – it is different from the previous years and I find it very elegant. On the negative side, we have price and availability.
I just went through all of the Beaujolais Nouveau notes from the past years – practically every year I had 2, 3, or sometimes 4 wines to taste. From 2010 until 2020, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau was priced from $8.99 to $10.99. In 2021, it cost $12.99. In 2022 it became $15.99. I always buy my Beaujolais Nouveau wines at the same store, so the pricing is consistent. I understand the inflation, but a 30% increase from the last year? That is a little obnoxious. And there was only one Beaujolais Nouveau available this year. If this wine is a harbinger of the things to come, it doesn’t make me feel very good.
So how was the wine, you ask?
2022 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau AOP (13% ABV, $15.99) had a dark garnet color, very concentrated. Bright and inviting nose of the freshly crushed fruit. The palate was exuding fresh raspberries and blackberries, all tightly packaged with a good amount of energy and supported by crisp acidity. Unlike some of the previous years, I didn’t experiment with the temperature, and the wine was perfectly drinkable at room temperature over the 3 days after it was first opened.
I checked my notes from the previous years, and almost every year I see in my notes “this might be the best Beaujolais Nouveau ever”. This year will not be an exception – once again, this might be the best Beaujolais Nouveau I ever tasted. Drinkability: 8.
Here you can compare the 2022 label with the labels from the previous years. While least colorful, this might be the most elegant label ever – but you be the judge of it. If you care to share your impressions, I would love to hear what you think.
Beaujolais Nouveau 2022 has arrived, It might be a precursor of the harvest of the century. It might be the most interesting Beaujolais Nouveau ever. Let’s wait until Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 to find out. Cheers!
Study in Sustainability: Lugana DOC
If you like wine and read about it from time to time, I’m sure you can easily identify all the buzzwords – organic, biodynamic, sustainable, clean, natural, and there are probably a few more I’m missing. Some of these terms are well defined and well understood, such as organic (even though the meaning of “organic wine” differs in Europe and the USA). Some of those terms are unquestionably controversial, such as “natural”, and don’t even think about discussing “clean” wines. And while I like the “organic” concept, and “biodynamic” sounds whimsical, I believe sustainability is the most important word here.
If we will check the Oxford Languages definition, sustainability is defined as “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level”. The second definition is a bit closer to our subject of farming (growing grapes is just one of the farming applications, of course) – “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance” – I’m stressing the word “balance” here, Balance is the name of the game. We get what we want (grapes and wine) without destroying the source, so those who will come after us will have enough left for them, and once they are gone, there will be enough left for yet the others. Primitive drawing skills I have, no doubt, but I’m sure you got the picture I’m trying to paint.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Lugana is one of the oldest designated wine-growing areas in Italy, after obtaining its DOC status in 1967, the first in Lombardy, with about 1,000 acres under the vines. Lugana is also one of the few unique DOCs in Italy, spanning two regions and two provinces – the province of Brescia in Lombardy and the province of Verona in Veneto. Most of Lugana’s 5,500 acres of vineyards are adjacent to Lake Garda, which creates a unique, mild microclimate, atypical for Northern Italy. Most of the wine produced in Lugana is white, made out of a local indigenous grape called Turbiana. For a long time, Turbiana was erroneously considered to be Trebbiano di Lugana, until DNA analyses had shown that Turbiana is its own, unique variety.
As in most of Italy, the history of winemaking in Lugana goes back to Roman times, with the wines from the area praised on multiple occasions throughout the times. Lugana managed to stay a best-kept secret for a long time in the 20th century, with its wines being best known to the tourists flocking to the picturesque villages surrounding the lake. Slowly, the quality of the wines prevailed and the wines became thought after around the world, in part due to their excellent aging ability. In 2018, there were 17.5 million bottles produced in Lugana, 70% of which were exported around the world, with the US being Lugana’s 4th largest market.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Sustainability is definitely a trend among the wineries in Lugana. The winemakers want to preserve their land, their farms, and their vineyards for many generations to come and do everything in their power to make this happen. I wanted to give you a first-hand account of sustainability and virtually sat down with the kind folks at 6 wineries, who answered the same group of questions. Grab a glass of wine (or two), and hear it for yourself.
Source: CITARI
Source: CITARI
CITARI:
CITARI winery was founded in 1975, and today is farming about 90 acres of vineyards, producing about 300,000 bottles of wine annually. CITARI takes advantage of the close proximity of the winery to the vineyards, ensuring that the grapes are processed in the shortest time after the harvest, preserving aromatics and minimizing oxidative processes. CITARI had been recognized as a “Low Environmental Impact Farm” and won the “Verallia Ecofriendly Company” award over a number of years.
Here is our conversation:
– Why sustainability is important to you?
Wine producers, as farmers, are the guardians and keepers of a territory. Sustainability is necessary.
It also helps to obtain a superior quality product, and to maintain this high quality over time.
– How do you define sustainability for your winery, vineyards, and business?
Sustainability helps us to preserve the soil, the area, the quality.
– When did you start the conversion to sustainable viticulture and operations?
About 6 years ago
– How long did it take to achieve your goals?
We are still working on improving the best practices
– Was it worth it?
Of course!
– Would you do it again?
Yes, but better planning first all the costs, even in terms of time spent and bureaucracy.
– When did you achieve sustainability? Do you see a difference in the wines before you used sustainable viticulture and after?
The sustainable agricultural method we use (reductions of treatments and products used, regular controls on soil and plants) respects the soil, the plants and give us a healthier product. We do not have direct feedback from customers about it, but customers are increasing and they like our wines very much!
– What is next – organic, biodynamic, or are you happy with where you are right now?
We are thinking about adding green manure to preserve bees and other “good” insects.
– What advice would you offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now?
It is not easy, but it is necessary, be prepared!
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Le Morette:
Azienda Agricola Valerio Zenato Le Morette was founded in 1955, and today farms about 75 acres of vineyards. Sustainability is at the core of operations at Le Morette, and here is how the winery describes this work: “In the vineyard, Le Morette Agricultural Company has chosen precise working methods aimed at a sustainable agriculture, favoring those natural processes that allow to preserve the “environmental resource”, with great attention to the use of water, favoring blooms and proliferation of numerous species of insects useful for the vineyard ecosystem, maintaining the biodiversity of flora and fauna.”
Here is what transpired in our conversation:
– Why sustainability is important to you?
To respect the environment is the key factor for us and means to deeply know every single aspect of it: sustainability, habitat and knowledge represents the focus to carry on a conscious development in the vineyard and in the winery. For us to produce “healthier wine” is a choice, not a constriction.
– How do you define sustainability for your winery, vineyards, and business?
To be Sustainable we follow the “Three E” rules:
1. ECONOMICS: Sustainable means to salvaguard the Companies’ income via the use of techniques with a low environmental impact and measures to avoid wasting water and other natural resources. Costs have to be affordable to be sustainable on a long term basis. Only when the winemaker is earning properly, he’s able to think and develop a proper Environmental and Social Sustainability.
2. ENVIRONMENT: Sustainable winegrowing conserves natural resources, improves air and water quality, and protects ecosystems and wildlife habitat. Sustainability is good for grapes and wine, as well: winegrowing requires in-depth attention to detail and continuous improvement resulting in high quality wine grapes and wine.
3. EQUITY (SOCIAL): Sustainable winegrowing promotes stewardship of natural and human resources, as per eg. supporting internships and education programs for young employees or carrying on healthcare classes and social charity events, contributing to our community culturally and socially.
– When did you start the conversion to sustainable viticulture and operations? How long did it take to achieve your goals?
We’ve always been following sustainable principles since 1960, when our business started with the first few hectares along the Frassino Lake bank in San Benedetto di Lugana, a natural protected site recognized by the European Community. We began as vinenursers and still we are after three generations. Our roots and knowledge of the indigenous variety Turbiana design our path.
– Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
Sure, when you have an inner green soul you have to stay stuck with it. It’s a heritage we’ve received from our grandfather Gino Zenato and is part of our identity. It’s inevitable to be in tune with Nature for us and we are proud to respect our environment every day with a set of concrete approaches and practices to preserve and improve this legacy.
– When did you achieve sustainability? Do you see a difference in the wines before you used sustainable viticulture and after? Do you think your regular customers can also tell the difference?
We received the official Biodiversity Certificate in 2020 from the WBA (World Biodiversity Association) but we’ve always applied sustainable principles since the beginning. We don’t have any difference, then: it belongs to our philosophy.
– What is next – organic, biodynamic, or are you happy with where you are right now?
Our next step is to improve and protect biodiversity in our ecosystem. We already do it but we want to do more, with the belief that a Biodiversity is the key choice for a healthier process whole based on sustainable principles.
– What advice would you offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now?
To set up some virtuous practices, essential to advocate biodiversity in the vineyard. Biodiversity is the first pillar for sustainability and whoever wants to start this journey, has to be conscious that being sustainable is not only an ideal choice, but a set of concrete actions that you have to put into practice on a daily basis.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Famiglia Olivini
Famiglia Olivini was founded in 1970, and today is farming 80 acres of vineyards. With the utmost focus on sustainability, Famiglia Olivini registered a brand called Agricoultura Regionata. In the words of the winery, “Agricoltura Ragionata identifies our working method during the entire vinification process: starting from the seed, soil, vine ending with bottled product. Our main goal is to act in a reasonable (ragionata) and thoughtful way, starting from the work we do in our fields, into the winery and then reflected with how our staff treats the product. We take all these actions in order to insure we avoid any invasive and harmful practices to agriculture (agricoltura).”
Here is what transpired in our conversation:
– Why sustainability is important to you?
Sustainability for us is not just a philosophy, a way of thinking and talk about our daily taking care of the land but is truly a way of working passed down for generations by our founder it is an approach that preserves the territory, the lands, and ultimately shows in all of our products
– How do you define sustainability for your winery, vineyards, and business?
Being sustainable is our working method starting from the seed, soil, vine ending with the bottled product and in every process of the business. The essence of sustainability for us on each of this aspect is ‘keep everything in balance’.
– When did you start the conversion to sustainable viticulture and operations? How long did it take to achieve your goals?
We have conceived our sustainable viticulture in our own registered brand which is Agricoltura Ragionata (Reasonable Agriculture). Before that, our vineyard were already sustainable certified. It did not take much because since ever our ‘best practices’ were naturally considered sustainable.
– Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
Even after the certification, we did not ‘spent’ any logo on the label. Talking about sustainability and Agricoltura Ragionata brand is part of our storytelling. But we have noticed that more and more people are interested to this and like to know that the wines they are drinking are coming from a sustainable viticulture
– When did you achieve sustainability? Do you see a difference in the wines before you used sustainable viticulture and after? Do you think your regular customers can also tell the difference?
Once again, for us the sustainable certification was not a ‘conversion’ but just a certification of our everyday practice in the field. So, we did not see any impact in the quality of the wine. We think people likes to know and be informed about sustainability but not really interested in looking for a difference in the products.
– What is next – organic, biodynamic, or are you happy with where you are right now?
For us it will be nice to make Agricoltura Ragionata a shared brand about sustainability, involving other producers in the use of this brand and practices
– What advice would you offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now?
Find your real way before finding a protocol. Sustainability can’t be just a set of rules, must be your way of thinking your land, winery, wines.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Marangona
Maragonia was founded in 1970, and today farming about 75 acres of land. Some of the vines are 50 years old. Today Marangona is an Organic Farm and uses cement tanks and amphorae in production.
Here is what transpired during our conversation:
– Why sustainability is important to you?
None of us have zero impact on the environment. We all have to do our best to minimize that impact. A careful farm has a big difference compared to a not careful one.
– How do you define sustainability for your winery, vineyards, and business?
Commit day by day to try to make the best decisions to make environment and profit coexist
– When did you start the conversion to sustainable viticulture and operations? How long did it take to achieve your goals?
My sister and I are the new management of the family business, since 2007. Initially in low environmental impact, since 2012 in organic conversion, since 2017 fully certified, both vineyards and cellar.
– Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
Of course,
– When did you achieve sustainability? Do you see a difference in the wines before you used sustainable viticulture and after? Do you think your regular customers can also tell the difference?
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that true sustainability can be achieved.
I believe more about limiting the impact to the minimum possible.
For me the difference is a lot.
For some customers too, for others nothing changes.
So there are no contraindications
– What is next – organic, biodynamic, or are you happy with where you are right now?
At the moment we are certified organic and from a bureaucratic point of view it suits us well, We don’t think we want to increase the amount of paper and documents.
I find the next step of the Biodynamics to be a very remote possibility in our production area. Not all areas and varieties are predisposed to such a strict philosophy.
So for now the goal is to continue learning new things about our vineyards to reduce the environmental impact to a minimum while keeping the qualitative objective we want to have very clear.
– What advice would you offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now?
Advice none.
Comparisons on how to deal with different problems certainly as often as possible.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C
Montonale
Motonale is the oldest winery we are discussing today, founded in 1911. The winery went through a turbulent history, starting from cleaning 3+ acres of land only with a shovel. In the 60s, the winery expanded to more than 150 acres, only to shrink to harvesting 10 rows in 1998. Two years later, a great-uncle got involved and that became a second birth for the winery. which is now solely focused on sustainability, using manual harvest and local indigenous yeast among many other things.
Here is our conversation:
– Why sustainability is important to you?
Sustainability is important to us because our wines are Mother Earth’s products. We owe her respect, because we do not have to think only about us, but also about the future generations.
– How do you define sustainability for your winery, vineyards, and business?
At Montonale, sustainability is understood as an all-round attitude, all aspects of the production chain are involved. I bring a very topical practical example, considering the critical issues we are experiencing in Europe in terms of energy: the roof of our cellar is entirely covered with photovoltaic panels and to make the most of them we concentrate consumption during the day. A winning choice, because once again this year we will close the winery’s energy consumption balance.
– When did you start the conversion to sustainable viticulture and operations? How long did it take to achieve your goals?
The conversion began 10 years ago with the fourth generation. Our main goal for the next 10 years is to reach a zero-carbon footprint.
– Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
It was obviously worth it and we would do it again. We must preserve our heritage which is connected to the Earth, to the weather and to the environment.
– When did you achieve sustainability? Do you see a difference in the wines before you used sustainable viticulture and after? Do you think your regular customers can also tell the difference?
We have seen and also perceived the difference in tasting our wines, since the process of their production was respectful to the environment where they were born.
– What is next – organic, biodynamic, or are you happy with where you are right now?
As previously mentioned, our main goal is to reach zero CO2 emissions.
– What advice would you offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now?
Do it before it is too late, there is no planet B.
Sguardi di Terra
Societa Agricola Sguardi di Terra is the youngest and smallest in our group, founded in 2015 and having around 17 acres under vine. From the moment the winery was formed, the focus was on sustainability and organic viticulture.
In lieu of Q&A, Sguardi di Terra offered the following sustainability information:
Our winery is organically certificated since we bought the vineyards in 2016. This also means that every year deducted audit bodies check that we respect the rules for organic viticulture and every year renew our certificate.
Our company does not have a cellar, we cooperate with Giovanni Pasini winery which is organic too and reflects our values. So we bring them our grapes and then we follow each step of vinification in their cellar.
The decision to buy organic vineyards wasn’t accidental. We truly believe in respect for the environment, by limiting the exploitation of natural resources and contributing to the preservation of biodiversity. Moreover, drinking organic wines is a way to prevent the accumulation of harmful residues in the body. Drinking organic wines = respecting nature + your body.
The advice that we would offer to those who are starting a sustainability journey right now is:
Believe in an ethical approach at every stage of the wine production chain. This is something you must feel inside, not because of the trend. Organic farming is not regarding only the present. It’s about the future too. We should choose organic farming to leave better soil for posterity than we have found.
Are you still here? This is definitely the longest post ever at Talk-a-Vino, and we didn’t even get yet to the wines.
I had an opportunity to try the wines from these 6 wineries (provided as samples), so here are my notes:
2021 Marangona Lugana DOC (12.5% ABV, organic grapes)
Brilliant straw pale
Beautiful, inviting, a touch of lemon, very fresh
Clean, crips, mellow and round. Mayer lemon, perfect acidity, delicious.
8, outstanding
2021 Famiglia Olivini Lugana DOC (13% ABV)
Straw pale, almost clear
A touch of honey, tropical fruit, lemon undertones
Clean, crisp, a hint of honey presence without the sweetness, round, delicious
8-
2021 Citari Conchiglia Lugana DOC (12.5% ABV)
Light straw pale, practically clear
Herbaceous nose, restrained
A hint of tropical fruit, good acidity, clean, refreshing, short to medium finish
8-
2021 Valerio Zenato Le Morette Mandolara Lugana DOC (12.5% ABV)
Straw pale
Hint of Whitestone fruit, very restrained
Peach, herbal undertones, round, plump. Short finish.
8-
2021 Sguardi di Terra Scapüscia Lugana DOC (13% ABV)
Very light golden
Complex nose, honey, spices, open and inviting
A touch of honey, herbs, freshly cut grass.
8-
2021 Montonale Montunal Lugana DOC (13.5% ABV)
Straw pale
Complex, Whitestone fruit, precise
white stone fruit, a touch of honey, good acidity, round, fresh, plump
8, excellent
Here you are, my friends – the story of sustainable viticulture in Lugana.
Hey, and there is more!
Starting on November 7th, Destination Lugana will be celebrated in New York City:
Destination Lugana is a full week of celebration of Lugana DOC wines, during which 28 producers will offer their latest vintages to 13 restaurants in Manhattan. Each location will create a special menu to enhance the qualities and main characteristics of these wines. The project is made possible by the Consorzio Tutela Lugana D.O.C, which has been monitoring, defending, and promoting Lugana D.O.C. wines since 1990.
You will find more information at the official website: https://www.destinationlugana.com/, Here you will also find the list of 13 restaurants in Manhattan that will create special menus.
And we are done. Now it is your chance to discover the beautiful wines of Lugana. Cheers!
A Refreshing Trip Around The World
Have wine, will travel.
I love saying that.
Have wine, will travel.
While we might be dreaming about all those ways to instantly travel from our living room to Mount Everest, Bora Bora, or Singapore, wine has this magical ability to transpose, to let us be where we want to be in a blink of an eye. It works best with the bottle of wine you are familiar with, especially if you have had a chance to visit the winery and acquired some great memories. But even if you have never visited the winery, a bottle of wine is quite a unique product – every bottle of wine proudly advertises where it was made, right on the front label – when you see “Italy”, it is not difficult to picture Rome or Bologna. France probably would solicit the image of the Eiffel tower. Does Australia bring up an image of a boxing kangaroo? Oops, this can be just me. Anyway, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
So today, let’s take advantage of the instantaneous travel only wine can offer, and let’s go on that trip around the world.
The weather is hot in the Northern hemisphere, so today we will hop onboard of the white wine express.
Our first stop will be in Spain. Thinking about Spanish white wines, what grapes come to mind? To ease up on this question – boy, it is hot outside – what is the first Spanish white wine you can think of? While you are pondering that question, I can give you my answer – Albariño. Of course, you have Viura, Verdejo, Godello, and others, but to me the first association for the Spanish white wine is Albariño.
As you might have suspected already, our first stop is in Rias Baixas, roughly a 3,000 square kilometers region located along the Atlantic ocean’s coast in Galicia, in northwest Spain, where Albariño is the king. Pazos de Lusco winery is farming 12.5 acres of Albariño grapes in the south of the region, 40 km away from the coast. The name of the winery comprises two typical Galician words – “pazo”, which stands for home, usually in the countryside, and “lusco” which defines the beautiful moment between dusk and nightfall.
2021 Pazo de Lusco Albariño Rias Baixas DO (13% ABV, $24.95, Vegan)
Straw pale
Intense aromatics, ripe white fruit, peach, tropical fruit
Nicely restrained palate, crisp, tart, lemon, the wine makes you salivate and want food even if you are not hungry.
8, excellent. Should be great with oysters.
For our next stop, we are staying in Spain but traveling east almost to the French border, to the region called Somontano, where the wine had been produced for more than 2,000 years. In Somontano, there lies the Secastillo Valley (the valley of 7 castles), boasting 100 years old Garnacha vines at 2,100+ feet of elevation and a special Mediterranean microclimate defined by close proximity to Pyrenees mountains. This is where our next wine is coming from, Garnacha Blanca produced at the Pagos de Secastilla:
2020 La Miranda Secastilla Garnacha Blanca Somontano DO (13.5% ABV, $18, 4 months in French oak)
Straw pale
Minerality, a touch of gunflint, underripe white fruit
Beautifully playful, fresh white fruit and berries medley, crisp and clean acidity, excellent balance, delicious.
8
As I was deciding when I will taste these wines, the overarching thought came in – oysters. I want fresh oysters. Luckily, we have a new fish monger opened nearby, so procuring a few dozens of oysters was really simple. I tried Albariño and Garnacha Blanca with the fresh oysters, and while the pairing with Garnacha Blanca was not bad, the Albariño and oysters were simply a match made in heaven. Albariño was a perfect chaser, amplifying the delicious salinity of the oyster juice and if you would close your eyes, it was very easy to imagine yourself standing right next to the ocean waves and smelling the salty, fishy water. If you will have an opportunity – spoil yourself, oysters and Albariño are really tasty together.
Now that we are not hungry, we can continue our journey. We are now traveling northeast to the heart of Europe – we are going to Austria. Let me ask you the same question as before – what grape would you associate with Austria first and foremost? I hope your answer will be the same as mine, as mine is rather obvious – Grüner Veltliner.
Grüner Veltliner is unquestionably the most famous Austrian grape, with more than 37,000 acres planted. It appears to originate in Austria and as it was recently established, it is a natural cross between Traminer and St. Georgen (an almost lost grape, only recently rediscovered). Gruner is capable of a wide variety of expressions, depending on the soil types and the yield. But what sets the grape apart in the world of white grapes is rotundone, which is present in the skin of Grüner Veltliner. I only recently mentioned rotundone in the post about Syrah – rotundone is a chemical compound found in the skin of the grape that is responsible for the peppery flavors in the wine. Such peppery flavors are usually attributed to red wines – but Grüner Veltliner can happily join the “peppery family”.
The first mentions of Domäne Wachau go back to the 12th century. Today, this is one of the leading wine cooperatives in the world – 250 vintners sustainably farm about 1,000 acres of vines, and the wines are exported to 40 countries. Talk about Grüner Veltliner – Domäne Wachau produces more than 3 dozens of different Grüner Veltliner wines. As a fun historical fact, I want also to mention that in the 1930s Domäne Wachau was already producing single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner wines. And if you are a wine nerd like me, Domäne Wachau has assembled a wonderful collection of the Nerd Notes on their website, offering in-depth coverage on the terroir, soils, sustainability, cork stoppers, and lots more.
I had an opportunity to taste two of the Domäne Wachau wines – both delicious:
2020 Domäne Wachau Loess Grüner Veltliner Austria (12.5% ABV, $14 1L bottle)
Straw pale
Whitestone fruit, apple, fresh lemon – inviting and bright
Crisp, grassy notes, cut through acidity, fresh, delicious.
8, delicious and outstanding QPR
2021 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen Wachau Austria (12.5% ABV, $18.99)
Straw pale
Tropical fruit, candied lemon, herbal undertones, generous, inviting
Crisp, fresh, lemon, a hint of grass, cleansing and vibrant, perfectly balanced.
8, I should’ve tried it with oysters too – the acidity is pronounced, it could’ve worked well.
Now we will have to travel to the Southern hemisphere for our last stop – Chile.
Chilean wines need no introduction to wine lovers. All classic grape varieties are doing extremely well in Chile, producing world-class wines. But as we are taking the white wine express, that reduces the number of available options. The spotlight today is on the Sauvignon Blanc, produced by one of my favorite, all-organic Chilean wineries – Ritual. I extensively wrote about Ritual before, so instead of regurgitating the information here, I would like to ask you to read that post. Ritual Sauvignon Blanc was exactly as one could expect – delicious:
2019 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley (13.5% ABV, $20.99, organic grapes)
Straw pale
Open, inviting, clean, intense, a hint of freshly cut grass and currant leaf
Clean, round, full of energy, uplifting, lemon, freshly cut grass, delicious.
8, outstanding.
This concludes our wine journey around the world. Well, of course, you can continue it on your own. And if you will find something tasty, please share it with the rest of us.
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