Very bad wine grape harvest forecasted in France and Italy in 2012: support small wine makers!

No good news in fact.
In line with discussions we have had this summer in the Loire Valley wineyards.
My message today is quite straighforward, more than ever, support the wine industry especially the small wineyards which will quickly face cash flow hard times. Thank you guys!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/drought-cold-slam-european-vineyards-2012-10-17?link=MW_latest_news

Vines DNA : latest discoveries on vines origins

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a9c6ef26-cc33-11e1-839a-00144feabdc0.html

2012 summer : Wineyard visits - Loire Valley Jewels Organic Wines

 
Aside of tasting great wines this summer, I also had the chance to join Thomas Meunier (http://www.authentiquevin.com/) and his wife (http://caffedriade.com/) in their quest for the best organic Loire Valley wines. We met amazing winemakers and made wonderful wines tastings which definitely challenged my 6 senses!

Winemakers are among the few people on earth dedicating their whole life for the sake of sharing with us the fruit of their passion: their wines.


I would like to deeply thanks all the winemakers who gently opened their domain for us.


Here below are the winemakers we visited:

Domaine Clos Saint Fiacre (check pictures below)
Production classification : Orléans and Orléans-Cléry
http://www.clossaintfiacre.fr/
Wines : red, rosé, white
Grapes - White : Chardonnay
Grapes (either blended or alone) - Red : Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc
Josh Adler (wine importer) on Clos Saint Fiacre
My pick (white) : Clos Saint-Fiacre, L'Excellence Blanc

Domaine de la Charmoise (check pictures below)

Geopraphic classification : Touraine, Romorantin

http://www.henry-marionnet.com/
Wines : red, white
Grapes - white : Sauvignon, Chenin, Romorantin
Grapes - red : Gamay, Cot (also known as Malbec), Gamay de Bouze
Chris Kissack (thewinedoctor.com) on Domaine de la Charmoise
My pick (white) : Provignage
Wine searcher on Provignage
Important facts : Domaine de la Charmoise and more especially, Mr. Henry Marionnet has become a reference within the wine industry by introducing new vinification technics and by taking high risks growing ungrafted vines (99% of all vines in France are grafted on american vines as most of them were killed because of phylloxera in the mid-19th century). Awarded best Sauvignon in the world (Cuvée M); ungrafted vines (Vinifera Chenin, Vinifera Sauvignon, Vinifera Gamay, Vinifera Cot). Some of the vines are even dated pre phylloxera (Provignage made of Romorantin vines dating from 1850!).

Domaine Grosbois

Geographic classification : Chinon

http://www.domainegrosbois.fr/fr/editorial/1/un-lieu-une-histoire.html
Wines : red
Grapes : Cabernet Franc
Paul M. Young on Domaine Grosbois
My pick (red) : La Cuisine de ma Mère
Wine searcher on La Cuisine de ma Mère
Nicolas Grosbois who led us through his wines and domaine took over the domaine from his father in 2005.
I would like to thank Nicolas and his family for gently hosting us in their wonderful domaine.
I have had a great time listening to Nicolas passion for his domaine, tasting his "babies" and sharing a wonderful diner with his friends and family. Big-up Nicolas!

Château de Villeneuve

Geographic classification : Saumur Champigny, Saumur Blanc

http://www.chateau-de-villeneuve.com/

Wines : red, white, sweet

Grapes : Cabernet Franc, Chenin

Chris Kissack on Château de Villeneuve

My pick (white) : Château de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc

Wine searcher on Château de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc

Château Yvonne (check pictures below)

Geographic classification : Saumur Champigny, Saumur Blanc

http://chateau-yvonne.ardoneo.com/

Wines : red, white
Grapes : Cabernet Franc, Chenin
NorthBerkelyWineImports.com on Château Yvonne

Clos Saint Fiacre - Visit and tasting by Hubert Piel

 

 

Domaine de la Charmoise - Visit and tasting by Jean-Sébastien Marionnet

Château Yvonne - Visit and tasting by Mathieu Vallée

2012 Summer (1/2): Tasted Wines

I have had the chance to taste lot's of wines, here are my pick below :


Bulgaria
2*(max. 5 stars, my own ranking), 57: Sakar Mountan Vineyard, Terra Tangra, 
Grapes : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mavrud
Organic wines
Sakar Mountan Vineyard
Cellar Tracker : tasting notes
Wine Searcher : 6,69€

Sakar Mountan Vineyard, Terra Tangra

3* 56 : Domaine FL, Les Bergères, Anjou, 2009

Grapes : Chenin Blanc

Organic wines
Domaine FL
Vinpedia : 18€

Domaine FL, Les Bergères, Anjou, 2009

4* 55 :Domaine de la Croix des Vainqueurs, Cuvée Lubin (sweet wine), Vouvray, 2009

Grape : Chenin Blanc

Organic wines

Domaine de la Croix des Vainqueurs

Jim's Loire blog

Wineauthorities : 38,99$

Domaine de la Croix des Vainqueurs, Cuvée Lubin (sweet wine), Vouvray, 2009

3* 54.Domaine Les Loges de la Folie, Montlouis Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Nature (extra dry)

Grape : Chenin Blanc

Organic wines

Domaine Les Loges de la Folie

Wine searcher : 10€

Domaine Les Loges de la Folie, Montlouis Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Nature (extra dry)

4* 53.Domaine la Roche aux Moines, Savennières, 2007

Grape : Chenin Blanc

Domaine la Roche aux Moines

Wine Searcher : 44€

Domaine la Roche aux Moines, Savennières, 2007

3* 52. Domaine Clément Chatenoy, Menetou-Salon, 2010

Grape : Sauvignon

Domaine Clément Chatenoy

Wine searcher : 14€

Domaine Clément Chatenoy, Menetou-Salon, 2010

Life is about moment! - Koeberlé Kreyer, Grand Cru Gloeckelberg, Vendance Tardive Sélection de grains nobles 2000, Pinot Gris, Alsace

4* (max. 5 stars, my own ranking)


I am lucky enough to have had a chance to taste Grand Cru Gloeckelberg from Koeberlé Kreyer estate. What I wonderful moment, what a wine!


First of all, I'd like to thank my colleague and friend Robert, a real wine lover always ready to share his experience and wine tasting, who gently offered me the possibility to experience this wine. Let me give you some insights.
Preparation of the tasting : the bottle had been put in the fridge for about 3 hours as well as the glass.
The tasting : the nose is expressful, the color looks like gold.

In the mouth, the tasting is a full time experience during which feelings are following each other. First stage, the wine is gently but surely wrapping the entire mouth with a thin layer of sweetness. Few wine could actually achieve this result in quality and length. As this wine is perfectly balanced in terms of sweetness and acidity, the experience repeat itself. After the "sweet", here comes the acidity. As explained in the below video (refer to the last 20s), Vendange Tardives with Sélection de Grains Nobles wines tend to provide rather long finish. Typically the case here, what a length my dear reader!


I have to drop some words about the context of this wine. Let's study each element :
- Koeberlé Kreyer : independant wine makers since 1760!

Koeberlé Kreyer : Alsace independant wine makers

- Gloeckelberg : place where the wineyard are located



View Larger Map


- Grape : Pinot gris also know as Tokay.
- Vendance Tardive with Sélection de Grains Nobles (source : Alsace Regional Wine Body):

Grains nobles grapes (noble rot), hand-picked one by one in the vineyard!

Important to remember is that grains nobles grapes are not harvested every year as a combination of very specific conditions is required. “Sélection de Grains Nobles” indicated on the label may apply to the appellations of Alsace or Alsace Grand Cru. This classification designates exceptional wines produced according to criteria that are among the strictest of all of the French AOC wines. “Sélections de Grains Nobles” can be obtained through the successive hand-picking, in several passes, of grapes with Noble Rot (Botrytis Cinerea). Hand-picking usually happen in October. The concentration renders the identity of the specific grape varietal more subtle, creating greater overall intensity, complexity and exceptional length. These wines are true masterpieces.




Very very interesting easy going self-learning video : "Discovering Alsace wines with Joanna Simon : Vendanges Tardives/late harvest (grains nobles/noble rot)"

- 2000 : as 2005, 2000 is also an exceptional vintage.

Wine promotion - street smarts - Sweden : bag in box is trendy!

Just back from Sweden where I noticed interesting wine localized marketing actions:

.Bag in Box: could you imagine a TV ad in France promoting bag in box? No!. But it's the case in Sweden and it's in even trendy (look at below creative packaging). Furthermore, bag in box sales represent 50 to 60% of the total wine sales. I guess the price is also weighting in the decision process as all alcohol are only being distributed through state own stores. In Sweden as well as in some others Nordic countries, states have a monopoly on alcohol distribution.
More about bag in box in Sweden: http://packagingsense.com/?p=1316; http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/business/yourmoney/14goods.html

Bag-in-Box creative packagings offering in Sweden

.Branding: another interesting promotion. A tv show starting with the sponsor's commercial (a Chile wine producer). A bottle of red wine is shown with a voice only mentioning the brand and in the mean time a close focus on the brand on the label.
.Restaurant wine menu: country of origin and grapes are the only infos available.

Conclusion: think out of the box, forget about your own domestic market specific aspects and develop format and value proposition that fit with local demand. Basic marketing you might say, true, but is it clearly understood by most of French wine makers? Few do and gain market shares, while others try to roll-up same French approach. 

Bag-in-Box dispenser, Swedish deisgn

My personal advice: as the Japanese says when there is a problem to be fixed on the production line: "genchi genbutsu". Which literally means, see for yourself and not rely only on messages brought by others. Extrapolated to wine: visit yourself with an open mind market(s) you are targeting BEFORE promoting your wine. It could save you a lot of money!

Last tasted and enjoyed wine : German dry Rielsing

50. 3stars (max. 5stars, own ranking):
Charta Riesling (dry), Weingut Johannishof (Estate), Rheingau (Region), Germany

A very nice tasting. I think this is the first Rielsing from Germany I have ever tasted. This wine was served over Salmon Pastrami with Horseradish Mayonnaise and Watercress Salad.


Conclusion : very good wine. I definitely need to change my mind about Rielsing (there are not only sweet wines!). And, also start to make some room in my wine cellar for German Riesling.  


Below dedicated info about this wine, you'll also find key points to remember about German Riesling.

Charta Riesling (dry), Weingut Johannishof (Estate), Rheingau (Region), Germany

View Larger Map

As I am myself not that much knowledgeable about German wines, I thought I could share my findings with you. 

You'll find below key points to remember about German Riesling.

Video : Wines of Germany and the WSET have produced a video (presented by Jancis Robinson, Master in Wine)

Introduction
Historically, Riesling has roots in Germany’s Rheingau region that date back to at least the 15th century. There are 13 designated German wine regions, with the top 4 or 5 worth committing to memory

13 wine regions : focus on Rheingau (region where this wine is coming from)

Rheingau - Situated along the Rhine river, Rheingau is home to one of Germany's most famous Riesling Estates, Schloss Johannisberg. It's believed that Charlemagne helped promote viticulture in this region back in about 750 AD. The Rieslings from Rheingau have a reputation for being richer and more full-bodied than those hailing from the Mosel region. Rheingau villages to look for on the label: Johannisberg, Oestrich, Hochheim, Erbach and Rauenthal.

Here is a classification of German white wines
To keep in mind is level sweetness and related quality level (extreme right column).
Especially : Eiswein (sweet), Aulese (Semi-sweet), Charta (dry).

German wine classification - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%A4dikat
http://wine.about.com/od/historyandculture/a/Rieslingwinesgermany.htm
http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-118126-0001-weingut-johannishof-eser-riesling-charta-qba-white-rheingau-germany
http://www.weingut-johannishof.de/englisch/estate.htm

Stanford Study: Wine's pricetag does affect its Taste

Interesting study, though I am not that much surprised by the result. I often feel better when purchasing a high pricetag goods.


To take home :
"What we document is that price is not just about inferences of quality, but it can actually affect real quality," said Baba Shiv, Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing who co-authored the paper. "So, in essence, [price] is changing people's experiences with a product and, therefore, the outcomes from consuming this product."


Source : Standford Graduate School of Business, 2012

Wine reading list : comic strip "Les ignorants" by Etienne Davodeau & Richard Leroy

Comic strip cover page : les Ignorants (The Ignorants) by Etienne Davodeau

As explained by the author (Etienne D.), it's about a cross initiation where a Loire Valley winemaker (Richard Leroy) and Etienne D. share it's other passion. I have been informed by the author that the english version will be available in 2013 (in the US to start with). Still, the comic strips alone do help you to grab most of their adventures.


I had a very good time reading this comic strip that I have been offered by my very good friend Lore G.

+ : you do learn a lot the easy and funny away about comic strip and wine making!
+ : shows you once again that the more you know the better you understand other's culture and actually find a lot of common grounds!
- : should embedd a glass of wine (see below for wines portfolio) from Richard Leroy to get the full experience!


Richard Leroy, video extract from "La Clef des Terroirs", movie dedicated to winemakers only using natural processes to raise their wines

By the way, Richard Leroy wine portfolio (Video in french, sorry):
As I did not know wines from Richard D. before writing this reading review I happen to learn that he is recognized as a guru in the Loire Valley for it's Chenin Blanc dry white wines :Le Clos des Rouliers et Les Noel de Montbenault.


I did not find his website but here is infos about his wines on wine-searcher.com


Richard D. is "in love" with his terroir and do only rely on natural processes to raise his wine. The domaine is relatively small also allowing him to make what it seems (according my readings) one of the best expression of Chenin Blanc from Loire Valley.


Can't wait to test his wines and write you a more detailed tasting review!

Sicilian wines tastings, buonissimo vini!

Below are wines we enjoyed with my wife while spending a week touring Sicily from east (Catania) to west (Trapani) + places where we enjoyed them

Red - Sicily - Passo Delle Mule - Nero d'Avola - Duca Di Salaparuta (Winery) - 2008
Place : La Battigia, Trattoria (Acireale)

White - Sicily - Adenzia - Chardonnay - Baglio Del Cristo di Campobello (Winery) - 2008
Place : Hotel Metropole (Taormina)

Red - Sicily - Lareco - Nero d'Avola - Firriato (Winery) - 2009
Place : Palazzio Giovanni, B&B (Stazzo, next to Catania)

Sparkling (white) - Sicily - Murgo Brut - Murgo - (Winery)
Place : Versi di Rosso, Wine bar (Trapani)

Wines
Red :
2* 49 : Lareco, Firriato (Winery), 2009.
Grape : Nero d'Avola
Firriato Winery :this website is beautiful, maybe one of the best winery website I have ever seen!
Wine Searcher : 5,10€


3* 48 : Passo Delle Mule, Duca di Salaparuta (Winery), 2008
Grape : Nero d'Avola 
Duca di Salaparuta 
Wine Searcher : average price 7€


Tasting notes : 3*. I found out that Nero d'Avola (main red grape in Sicily) has a wide range of taste. It could be fruity and rather short in mouth or fullbodied (expressive). I prefered Passo Delle Mule has this wine is evenly well done (from nose to mouth). Each step is an experience that allows you to have a true representative tasting of a very good Nero d'Avola. 


White :
3* 47 : Adenzia, Baglio Del Cristo di Campobello (Winery), 2008
Grape : Chardonnay, Grillo
Duca di Campobello
Wine Searcher : average price 11€


Tasting notes : My wife actually ordered a prosecco (sparkling) but got this wine poored. Lucky us as this wine was wonderfull. The color is estonishing (almost transparent with sparks of yellow/green). The acidity is wonderfull and the butterness exceptional. This wine is a must drink on a well prepared fish meal (some vegetables and a bit of cream)!

Sparkling :
3*46 : Murgo Brut, Scammacca del Murgo (Winery)

Grape : Nerello MascaleseMurgo Winery
Wine Searcher : average price 11€


Tasting notes : My wife is a Champagne lover, so when she tells me that this prosecco is a killer, I tend to believe her. In fact, it could largely beat some well ranked Champagne. The bubbles are very thin and crispy in mouth. Well done Burgo!


Places where we enjoyed some of these wines :
.Palazzo Giovanni (website): Bed & Breakfirst, Acireale (Catania)
TripAdvisor

Palazzo Giovanni, having breakfirst with our host (the cat and the turtles)!

Palazzo Giovanni, amazing Etna view from sunbath rooftop of B&B

.Versi di Rosso (TripAdvisor) :Wine Bar + restaurant, Trapani

Versi di Rosso, amazing selection of italian wine with super friendly managers!

Versi di rosso, will be missing these antipasti!

Chateau d'Aiguilhe 2007, Côtes de Castillon

3* 45. Chateau d'Aiguilhe 2007, Côtes de Castillon

Chateau d'Aiguilhe Label

What a nose and a palet my dear readers!
If you encounter this wine, ask for a glass, you'll not regret it!


Blend : 80% merlot, 20% cabernet franc


wine-searcher.com : Chateau d'aiguilhe


D'Aiguilhe estate corporate website

Sebwinelist interviewed by TheWineAgency.be!

Thierry Durand TheWineAgency

TheWineAgency.be is a rather new yet very innovative player selling wines on the net targeting the Belgium market.


What I do like about TheWineAgency:
- The website itself: colourful nice design
- It's easy to chose a wine : many search parameters are proposed. I especialy like the "typicité" (taste) search tool. For amateur, it's an easy way to find wine based on one's tasting expectation.
- The food & wine match-making advices : again, another tool to select the right wine for your diners!
- The reasonable delivery cost (Belgium)!


It's true that you may feel a bit overwhelmed with all the information available on TheWineAgency. I am quite sure that the layout will continue to evolve giving the relative youth of the store.


I advise you check TheWineAgency as you'll find a certain number of wines I have already tasted and enjoyed at competitive price : chateau d'aiguilhe, Clos des fées (Hervé Bizeul), Touraine Sauvignon (François Chidaine)...


By the way...
I happened to meet with the management (Thierry Durand) of TheWineAgency to exchange about wine and share a nice rosé (M de Minuty). You'll find below link the last newsletter in which I have been interviewed. Feel free to subscribe.
1-15 April newsletter seb interviewed