 I came upon an interesting article today “Rosé wine, you’ve come a long way” from the Telegraph of London. The writer, Victoria Moore discusses, among other things, how this style of wine generally considered a “swimming pool wine” but has suddenly risen into the strata of “chic”, partly due to the release of Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitts new vintage, “Chateau Miraval". One reason I read the article was because I have been studying for my Master Level Provence Instructor accreditation, so I am obsessive about these things; I dream of the soil types of Provence and the various production methods. Sad, I know, but I do get to sample some fabulous wines as part of my ongoing research and education! The other reason I found this piece from the British media of interest is because the fashion for ‘drinking pink’ is really nothing new at all- in fact, when the area of Provence was first settled, viticulturally speaking, red wines were not really ‘red’ as we think of them. Grapes were processed very quickly after harvest and, as archeologists are verifying, most of the wines of the ancient world had just a little color. As for being ‘chic’, rosé was always the choice of the elite and the well-healed. These pale wines were the favorites of the Russian Imperial Courts and no self respecting aristocrat would drink a deeply hued wine, at least not until near the end of the 19th century. The lighter wines were drunk for pleasure while the poor soldiers and peasants were given “Piquette” made from adding water to the pomace or pressed skins and seeds of the rich-man’s wine. So get ready for the new 2012 vintage and sip some rosé. You’ll be chic, just like the citizens of Provence have been for, oh, about 2600 years! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9971135/Rose-wine-youve-come-a-long-way.html?fb Illustration courtesy of the Chrysler Museum of Art"detail from Hendrick van Schoel's 1590 engraving Autumn from The Four Seasons, showing the ancient process of wine-making which made this region so famous.
 Today is the one month anniversary of my becoming a CSW and the response of: “Well, that’s great. Congratulations and what the heck is a CSW?” is the most frequent comment I’ve encountered and rightfully so. It seems that we all get so wrapped up in our own professions that we forget that, what we think is common knowledge is really ‘Greek’ to everyone else. This is especially true in the wine world. To clarify, CSW stands for “Certified Specialist of Wine” and is a post-nominal earned through the Society of Wine Educators. Based in Washington DC, the SWE is “a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to advance wine education through professional development and certification” and the “Society's goal is to foster and promote the professional education and development of the individual in particular, and the professional education and development of the wine industry as a whole.”* The test is multiple choice, 100 questions and based on the 250 page CSW Study Guide. Sounds simple enough. That was until I booked my exam date, December 6th. Let’s just say that this little project consumed my life for about 9 weeks. Besides the official book there were online quizzes, courtesy of the wonderful Jane Nickles ( www.bubblyprofessor.com) and lots of flashcards! My IPhone voice memo app still has my dulcet tones reading the regions of Burgundy from north to south plus other tidbits of sleep depriving wine trivia. And did I mention the flashcards? And maps- maps from the Guild of Sommelier, maps from Google, maps from - well, I’m sure you get the picture. A few days before the exam I took some time off to attend a Guild of Sommelier Bordeaux tasting. I was speaking to one of the attendees (a “Somm” in a rather upscale San Diego restaurant) and noticed her CSW pin proudly displayed on her lapel. I mentioned that I was taking the test in two days. “You’ll be fine” she said then proceeded to tell me that she had to take the test twice as the first attempt yielded her a grade of 73, two points shy of the needed 75. Wow, great, thanks a lot! Less than fourtyeight hours later, the deed was done. And a week after that, on December 14th, my test results were online. Was it worth the angst and time? Most definitely. Would I do it again? In a heart beat. I ordered the workbook for the CWE the very next day! * courtesy of the Society of Wine Educators website: www.societyofwineeducators.org
For me, one of the best things I do as a Wine Educator, is to work with Tasting room staff.
Often referred to as “servers” or ”pourers”, these important members of a winery’s front line are so much more.
Yes, one of the main parts of the job is to pour wine samples for visitors and be pleasant and hospitable, but when a team member loves and excels in their position they are part Host/Ambassador/Educator/Entertainer/Phycologist and Salesperson.
Welcoming every person who comes through the door and making them feel at home is common sense. Unfortunately, some establishments go only this far and then drop the ball.
An ‘Ambassador’ can tell you what’s going on in the area; where to eat; who has the best picnic spots; talk about other things to do while you visit their part of the world. Yes, there is apparently more to do out there besides visit wineries!
Wine ‘education’ is so important, and I know I’m biased in this department, but how can you expect your team to sell your product if they don’t know anything about it? The person who takes your order at Starbuck’s is well versed in coffee and your staff should be schooled in the basics of wine so they can be confident to answer any and all questions that come their way.
And with that confidence will come the freedom to ‘entertain’ your guests with stories and humor making each visitor feel special.
The ‘phycologist’ will know just the right questions to ask as well as have the patience to listen to your customers in order to ‘feel out’ their preferences and experience with wine. By doing so, the tasting can be tailored to their needs and your staff can suggest the right products. This makes them better ‘salespeople’ without having to badger customers with endless suggestions that don’t interest or appeal to them. Finding the right service, like a Wine Club membership or free shipping, shows that you listened to the guest
So next time you’re swirling your sample at the tasting room bar, don’t forget to take a moment and smile at your ‘server’.
 Three weeks from now, beginning July 25th, I will be sitting in a hotel conference room, surrounded by like minded wine geeks (and I use the term lovingly because I am one myself) absorbing knowledge like a giddy schoolgirl. Hopefully, this euphoria will not come just from the fantastic wines that I’ll be privileged to taste, but from the amazing symposiums I will attend.
I will take “A Fast & Deep Dive Deep into California’s Appellations”, taste “The Great Wines of Spain”, travel through “Provence: Ancient Roman Roads to Modern Biodynamics” and “Island Wines: Off the Beaten Path”.
Other session will aid me in transferring all this information to my students with “A Revolutionary Way of Teaching the Wines of France” and rev-up my seminars by going “Beyond Classes with Glasses: The Wine Educator’s Tool Belt”.
As you can tell, this is an event that I am looking forward to immensely and I can’t wait to meet all the other 381 attendees, spend three un-interrupted days sitting at those tables with a row of glasses before me and a world of wine to explore.
“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
John Cotton Dana
 There are times in this life when an opportunity presents itself and one would be a fool to look the other way.
Such an opportunity appeared in my inbox recently - an invitation from the French Wine Society to attend a tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape and Tavel, to be held in Los Angeles.
My first reaction was "yes, oui, where do I RSVP' Although I realized would spend more time in my car than at the seminar, I knew that every mile would be worth the experience.
It was described as a "Master Class" to be conducted by Kelly McAuliffe, one of the few, if not only, American Sommelier living and working in France. Yes, his credentials and experience are impressive, but his complete and total passion for the soil, the grapes, the winemakers and the wines of this illustrious region is awe-inspiring.
In my years spent talking about wine, I know how challenging it can be to keep it fresh and exciting when answering the same question for the zillionth time.
Yes, the wines were magical and I will write about them soon, but I would be remiss in not thanking the Society for this terrific day.
Merci, Monsieur McAuliffe for reminding me why I love what I do!
http://www.frenchentree.com/france-provence-real-lives/displayarticle.asp?id=18084
It's time for another "wine day" and tomorrow, September 24th, will be the 2nd annual Grenache Day. The joy of having a blog is that it gives one a forum, so in order to promote my belief that to know a grape is to love it, here are some fun and fascinating things you may or may not know about this terrific varietal. - It is the most planted "red" varietal in the world
- Although most of us think of France, particularly the Rhone Valley, when we ponder Grenache, it's place of birth is Spain, where it's known as "Garnacha". The Spanish grow much more of it than the French - 3 times more - mostly in Rioja and Catalonia.
- It has many aliases - Alicante, Carignane Rousse, Canonau just to name a few
- It is often blended as in the famous "Chateauneuf De Pape!
- Grenache has also taken up new homes in California & Australia
- The vines enjoy a hot dry climate, but it can 'sunburn' easily
Typical Flavor Characteristics may include: Deep Strawberry Cherry Cranberry Black Pepper Licorice (Anise) Soft Floral So now that you know a bit more about this famous, hard working grape, go ahead an find something "Grenache" for tomorrow. Perhaps a Gigondas (a terrific area) or something New World - but whatever your tipple, relax, enjoy and don'f forget some tunes to go with it!
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