Disclosure: Wine tasting is a highly individual experience and, scientifically, none of us perceive wine in exactly the same way. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone and although the wines sampled were supplied by the designated wineries for review I describe them as I see them. The connection between the grapevine and Greece is almost as old as wine itself. The ancient Greeks spread viticulture throughout the Ancient World and, for them, wine was not just a commodity but life and culture as well. So with this long history in mind, it was with great excitement that I joined with other members of the Temecula Wine Council to sample five wines kindly supplied by the “New Wines of Greece”. For many of us, when we here “Greek wine” we immediately think of ‘Retsina’, perhaps crafted in rustic old wineries from grapes we can’t pronounce! I am glad to report that nothing could be further from the truth. There has been a mammoth revival in the Greek wine industry, beginning in the late 20th century. Many local winemakers, who ventured to wine producing areas throughout the world, have returned to their roots, building shiny new production facilities that rival those of the ‘New World’. While embracing many new winemaking techniques there is desire to blend them with time-honored philosophies such as biodynamic and organic viticulture and the use of indigenous grape varieties. And so, we gathered at the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, just outside Temecula, CA. The fresh air and solitude made for the perfect venue. Each of the six members attending the tasting were assigned one of the wines and asked to prepare a compatible dish for everyone to share. As you will discover, much of the fare paired well with many of the wines, showing just how food friendly and versatile these vintages turned out to be! First up was “Thema 2012” from Pavlidis Estate near the Macadonian town of Drama in northern Greece. A 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Assyrtiko, (ah-SEER-tea-ko) the wine is a prime example of old meets new. The region of Macadonia has been a prime grape growing area for millennia and founder Christoforos Pavlidis has been cultivating both native and international varieties since 1998. The winery embraces modern viticulural practices on its 148 acres planted on a variety of soils in two vineyard sites. The winery itself is state of the art and visitors are welcome in their modern tasting room located on the “Wine Road of Dionysus”. The wine was delightful, with a subtle, elegant nose of lemon cream enchanced with touches of fresh green herbs. The zippy acidity and lime zest flavor accentuated the saltiness of the smoked salmon brought to pair with it. Our second vintage came to us from the home of the famous Greek varietal, Assyrtiko – the Aegean island of Santorini. Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko-Athiri 2011 is another example of traditional grape varietals truly showing their ‘terroir’ through more modern production. Domaine Sigalas was founded in 1991 and by 1998 had constructed a brand new winery/production center near Ola, in the northern part of the island. Their 47 acres of vineyards are planted on volcanic soils comprised of cinders, lava and pumice. They specialize in indigenous grape varieties grown in the traditional manner unique to Santorini. Vines are trained low to the ground, woven around itself like a round basket. This format, called a Kouloura meaning wreath or basket, protects the vines from strong winds and also shields the grape clusters from the intense, direct sunlight. The wine was a prime example of how the local white grapes of Greece have evolved to withstand the heat and sun of the Mediterranean without losing any of their distinctive, refreshing acidity. The clean, citrusy aromas were a true indication of what was found in the glass! Amazing, racy, mouth-watering acidity combined with a slight hint of sea air minerality and touches of lime blossoms. It was a terrific compliment to the steamed artichokes in olive oil, herbs and seasonings; the wine acting like a spritz of brightness, bringing out the flavor of the vegetable and freshness of the herbs. The last white of the evening also hailed from Macadonia - Ovilos Estate Biblia Chora 2010 a blend of a traditional native grape (50% Assyrtiko) and an international variety (50% Semillon). Vineyards here were first planted by the Phoenicians who found this “Golden Mountain” while in search of precious metals. Alexander the Great mined gold here to finance his expeditions and the Cult of Dionysus (or Bacchaus to the Romans) made their wines from Macadonian fruit. But enough history! The winery’s founders both studied in Bordeaux and returned to their homeland to make wine. The original 70 acres were planted in 1998 and now there are close to 350, all of which are farmed organically. A modern winery, built to resemble a grand Bordelais Chateau, was built in 2001 and their efforts have paid off; the wines have won numerous awards throughout the world. This blend had a beautiful brilliant gold appearance, reflecting the 8 months the wine spent in oak. The aromas were clean and fresh with notes of golden apple, soft fruit blossom florals and a suggestion of dried apricot. The palate was supple and honeyed showing touches of mango and toasted pine nuts. It went very nicely with the food I had paired – grilled chicken Breast with herbed zucchini stuffing. The wine lifted the herbaceous notes in the dish and surprisingly, also complimented the artichokes and another traditional dish – Moussaka. Next up was the first red,“Xinomavro 2008 Urano” from Thumiopoulos Vineyards in Naoussa, also located in Macadonia. This winery is owned by Apostolos Thumiopoulos who, at the tender age of 31, is acknowledged as the ‘rising star’ in this famous wine growing region, Naoussa. His vineyards, all biodynamic, are planted on complex soils – a mixture of marl, schist and granite - in the southern part of the appellation. The winemaker embraces a minimally invasive philosophy when it comes to making wine, letting the grapes express themselves and showing their unique character, vintage to vintage. He uses naturally occurring yeast and little, if any, filtration to produce terroir driven results. This wine, made from the native Xinomavro (ksee-NO-mah-vro) varietal, showed aromas of dark strawberry jam laced with white pepper and soft touches of toasty rye bread. Dried tomato and a slightly spicy note lingered on the finish. The tannins and acidity were nicely balanced, which made it a wonderful compliment to the tasty ‘Boubaria’ – a traditional meat sausage of the area, bringing out spicy notes of cumin. It also paired beautifully with the Moussaka and some decadent spiced fig cakes! Our final wine of the evening kept us in the appellation of Naoussa and was also an expression of Xinomavro –“2007 Boutari Grande Reserve Naoussa.” The name Boutari is a familiar one around the world. It is the regions oldest winery – its history goes back 130 years – and has been an ambassador for Naoussa, the Xinomavro grape and Greek wine for almost as long. The vineyards are on the south-east slopes of Mount Vermio where the grapes enjoy lots of sunshine, generous rainfall and are shielded from the cold northerly winds. The marl soils, a mixture of limestone and clay, give the wines their rich body and ageing potential. The Grande Reserve is one of Boutari’s most collectable red wines and this vintage still has room to mature. Prune, plum and baking spices abound on the nose and palate with ripe dark berries and vanilla hanging on through the finish. The tannins are still firm and the acidity bright. Definitely a wine you would want to cellar or use a decanter or aerator to enjoy now. Also on hand was a fantastic Greek dip – feta, oregano, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes – served with pita chips that went with a variety of the evening’s wines. And lest we forget to mention the sinful chocolate brownies – frosted no less! As expected, they were a treat with both red wines and made a suitable ending to our feast. It was a terrific and enlightening group of wines that made me want to go out and find other “New Wines of Greece” to explore and enjoy. As they say in Greece “Yia Mas” - Here’s to Health!
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Time to Talk Tasting Room, Wine Club and Customer ServiceDuring these hot days of summer, I’m always on the prowl for crisp, refreshing whites and rosés. As I perused the shelves the other day, I came across a distinctively shaped bottle: tall and slender with the cross of Languedoc embossed on the neck.
This special bottle is indicative of the largest white producing area in the Languedoc region of Southern France – Picpoul de Pinet. A ‘Crus’ of the Coteaux de Languedoc, the area is named after the varietal Picpoul Blanc (aka Piquepoul Blanc or “Lip Stinger”) which has grown in these vineyards since at least the 17th century. The 3000 acres of vines are divided into two areas by a famous ancient Roman road called the “Via Domitienne” which, during that era connected the capital of Rome to Spain. Vineyards to the north are limestone, giving the grapes terrific acidity while those to the south lie on more flat, sandy deposits where the heat is tempered by Mediterranean breezes. 2011 La Domitienne Pique Poul, Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc Bright and lively with aromas of ripe peaches, softly scented white blossoms and sea-spray, the palate shows deep lemon peel and touches of blanched almond all wrapped up with a refreshing saline minerality and bracing acidity. Naturally, the wine would be perfect with seafood and shellfish or perhaps a crisp salad but at our house the wine was paired with music – in vinyl form; Boomtown Rats “A Tonic for the Troops” and Audience “Lunch”. 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 individual needs of your 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! 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.
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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