Search Results for: New Zealand

The “New” New Zealand

Queenstown, Otago

Queenstown, Otago

If you’ve been following the wine news (or even some of our posts here at Wine, Wit, and Wisdom), you know that New Zealand is in the process of formalizing its geographical indications for wine and spirits. It is a long and interesting tale, but here is the gist:

New Zealand’s Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act of 2006 created a registration system for wine and spirit geographical indications and allowed for the scheme of regions and subregions currently in use; however, the act was never brought into force. Fast forward ten years to November of 2016, and a revised law, the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Act, was passed. As a result, the 2006 Act entered into force in July of 2017. Soon thereafter, applications for geographical indications began to be filed with the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.

Mount Maunganui (suburb of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty)

Mount Maunganui (suburb of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty)

Three geographical indications—New Zealand, South Island, and North Island—were immediately approved as “enduring indications.” Several other applications for wine regions (geographical indications) and subregions (known as “local geographical indications”) have been submitted—many of these have been accepted and should become “official” in a few months—and some are still pending. Geographical indications (excluding enduring indications) will need to be renewed after the first five years, and every ten years thereafter.

One of the newly-accepted applications for geographical indications is Marlborough. Here’s an update on the area:

Accounting for over 59,000 acres (24,100 ha), the Marlborough region on the South Island is home to over two-thirds of all of New Zealand’s vines and grape production. The region is heavily planted to Sauvignon Blanc (47,000 acres/19,000 ha) and in many ways has shaped the explosive growth in New Zealand wine overall. Marlborough is also the largest producer of Pinot Noir in the country, with much of the region’s 6,400 acres (2,600 ha) of Pinot Noir is made into sparkling wine. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Viognier are grown here as well.

Blenheim, Marlborough

Blenheim, Marlborough

Cloudy Bay, which gave its name to a now-famous Sauvignon Blanc producer, and Clifford Bay are both situated along the coast of Marlborough.  The Marlborough Region can be considered to have three separate areas (unofficial subregions), from the Wairau Valley in the north, to the Awatere Valley further south, and the Southern Valleys on the inland side.

  • Wairau Valley: The Wairau Valley (known by the Maori as Kei puta te Wairau—the place with the hole in the cloud) is one of New Zealand’s sunniest places. The region is known for stony, alluvial soils and a cool climate that tends to become drier as one heads inland.
  • Awatere Valley: The Awatere Valley is located to the south of the Wairau Valley, stretching inland from the coast into the Kaikoura Ranges. This is one of the coolest, driest, and windiest areas of Marlborough—and many of the vineyards have some elevation.
  • The Southern Valleys: Located inland, the vineyards of the Southern Valleys—consisting of the Omaka, Fairhall, Brancott, Ben Morvan and Waihopai Valleys—wind and wrap around the surrounding hills. The area has a great diversity in terms of mesoclimates and soils, but does tend to heavier, more clay-based soils than the areas closer to the coast.
Auckland

Auckland

Other geographical indications of the “New” New Zealand that have been accepted (as of November 15, 2017) include Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Matakana (a subregion of Auckland), Waiheke Island (also a subregion of Auckland), Northland, Wairarapa, and Canterbury. More are sure to come, and we’ll be posting them as they are announced here.

References/for more information:

  • https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/geographical-indications/register/
  • https://www.nzwine.com/en
  • https://www.nzwine.com/en/our-regions/marlborough/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator

New Zealand Wine Regions: It’s (almost) Official!

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If you are a fan of crisp, clean, cool-climate wines, you no doubt adore New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. You might even be able to tell the story of Cloudy Bay Vineyards, founded as recently as 1985, as one of a small group of wineries to venture into Marlborough and quickly establish one of the leading wine-producing areas in the New World while practically “inventing”  a new style of Sauvignon Blanc along the way.

As a true New Zealand wine aficionado, you can probably tell the story of the establishment of vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawke’s Bay, where the combination of the soil, the geography, and the climate create one of the few areas in this small, maritime nation where thick-skinned, heat-loving red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can ripen consistently.

If you are really into New Zealand wine, you can probably tell the story of “sunny” Nelson (located on the western side of the Southern Alps), Gisborne (the “Chardonnay capitol of New Zealand”), and Central Otago Pinot Noir, produced in the southernmost commercial wine-producing region in the world.

But did you know…all of the wine regions of New Zealand are “unofficial”? Winemakers certainly use them, and serious students of wine study them, and in 2006 the New Zealand Parliament, via the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act of 2006, created a registration system and scheme for wine and spirit geographical indications. However, the act was never brought into force and the geographical indications remained “unofficial.”

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That began to change last night—November 16, 2016—when the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Act was passed by the New Zealand Parliament. This new law will enter into force during 2017, allowing for the registration of a set of internationally recognized and protected geographical indications in New Zealand.

According to Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers, “the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act will be a significant advance for the New Zealand wine industry. Our Geographical Indications—the names and places where our wines come from— are at the very heart of the New Zealand wine story and this new law provides an additional level of protection for them.”

New Zealand wine regions—it’s almost official!

For more information, see the website of the New Zealand Winegrowers

post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator

News Flash! Format Update regarding the CWE Exam (Tasting Portion)

News Flash CWE Tasting UpdateIn today’s world, identifying a wine in a blind tasting—or, in the context of SWE’s Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam, a semi-blind tasting—seems to be losing relevance as an accurate gauge of the skillset involved in the sensory evaluation of wine.

As such, we have decided to revise the format of the varietal/appellation identification portion of the CWE exam and rename it as simply the CWE Tasting Exam.

The reality is this: we are seeing definitive changes in what was once considered to be the benchmark or typical style in many iconic wines. Good examples of this shift-in-progress include Rioja, Oregon Pinot Noir, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, and even Bordeaux. Soon, the wine world may need to accept that many regions are seeing such changes due to regulatory revisions, advances in wine making technology, adaptations in viticulture, stylistic development, and/or climate change.

  • Effective immediately, the new format of the CWE Tasting Exam will be as follows:
    • Candidates will be presented with a flight of four unidentified wines. Using the SWE Wine Tasting Grid—CWE—which will be provided and available for use during the exam—candidates will be asked to provide a written analysis and tasting note of each wine. The total time allotted will be one hour.
    • Each wine assessment will be worth up to 30 points, as detailed on the tasting grid. In addition to providing descriptions of the appearance, aroma, taste components, and quality of the wine, candidates will be asked to match the identity of each wine using a provided list of possible answers. Only one point (out of the 30 possible for each wine) will be dependent upon the accurate identification of the wine.
    • The minimum passing score—combining the responses for all four wines—will be 90 points (out of a possible 120).

SWE acknowledges the diversity of human sensory perception and will accept a range of descriptive vocabulary in candidate answers. We are looking for responses that are demonstrative, logical, consistent, and appropriate for each specific wine.

Note: The format of this exam may be modified for use in a virtual setting, which may involve verbal assessments in place of—or in addition to—the written exercises.

If you have any questions, please contact Jane Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org.

 

Guest Post: The Wine Industry of Uruguay Today

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Today we have a guest post from Elizabeth Yabrudy, CSS, CSW, CWE. Elizabeth is a member of SWE’s Board of Directors and a wine professional who recently move to Uruguay. In this informative post, she brings us up to date on the dynamic world of Uruguayan wine.

“A glass of Albariño, please!”

I just asked for it when I sat down in the hall of Iberhouse, the new concept of Iberpark, one of the most important liquor stores in Montevideo. And yes, I am in Uruguay’s capital city, wishing to drink a glass of Uruguayan Albariño. If you are surprised, you haven’t been paying attention to what the wine world has said lately about this small but amazing wine country.

I have been following the wines of Uruguay since 2000. Over the years I have tasted some good— and some not so good—wines, but also some incredible jewels. For quite a while, the wines of Uruguay were all about Tannat (varietals and blends), always powerful wines, full of tannins and flavor. At the beginning, I would say until 2010 or maybe a little later, this industry was talking solely about this French grape that turned to be the iconic grape of Uruguay.

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But the Uruguayan wine industry is now so much more than just Tannat. It has evolved in a beautiful way. Now you find a country that offers different profiles of Tannat (talking not only about vinification, but also about a sense of place), excellent whites which have made Albariño the superstar, and a great portfolio which includes other varieties like the less known Arinarnoa and Marselan, but also excellent Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and so many others.

According to the official data from Inavi (National Institute of Viticulture), there are around 6,000 hectares of cultivated area, more than 1,180 vineyards located in 17 of the 19 departments of Uruguay, and plus 860 producers. This year (2023) Uruguay produced around 70.000.000 kilograms, as indicated by Eduardo Felix, Inavi’s Technical Advisor. This is less than the last official data published (2022) when it was registered a production of 102.616.440 kilograms, and this is mainly due to the drought that the country has been experiencing. Felix appointed during our phone interview, that 30% goes to the export market (Brazil and the United States are the most important markets, followed by England, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and Finland), and the rest is consumed locally. They are expecting this percentage to increase.

As an interesting fact, Marcos Carrau -Production Manager at Bodegas Carrau and a member of the 10th generation of Carrau’s Family- tells that when his grandfather started his export project in the 70s, it was considered of national interest because he wanted to produce fine wines in a 750ml bottle, with the goal of exporting part of his production. By that time, the entire production was just for the local market, and neither bottle packaging nor quality wine was the rule.

Vineyards at Bodega Casa Grande

Vineyards at Bodega Casa Grande

For a long time, when people used to talk about Uruguayan fine wine, they were mainly talking about wines made in the departments of Canelones and Montevideo, which accounts for 78% of the total planted area (66% and 12%, respectively). But things have changed. Even when the major production is still located in these areas, other regions are making excellent and recognized labels. As a side note, a high percentage of wineries are now part of Uruguay Sustainable Viticulture Program, a program committed to produce wines which come from traceable, environmentally friendly systems.

ATLANTIC WINES: Uruguay is located in the same parallels of some of the vineyard lands of Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand (30° to 35° of south latitude); however, for many reasons Uruguay tends to be comparable to European wine regions, particularly because it has a huge Atlantic influence on its wine regions.

As previously said, you can find vineyards almost everywhere in the country but the southern part, closest to the coast, is by far the most important zone in terms of fine wine production. Canelones and Montevideo take the lead, followed by Maldonado (where the famous Punta del Este is located), Colonia and San José.

Map via: https://uruguay.wine/es/regiones/

Map via: https://uruguay.wine/es/regiones/

Uruguay is relatively flat, with some areas with gentle slopes, so altitude does not play a big role in terms of viticulture. What is more important is the proximity to the water, as Tim Atkin -Wine Writer and Master of Wine- explained when I asked him about the expression of the different Uruguayan wine regions. This is not only about the ocean, Uruguay has also a marked influence from the Río de la Plata, an estuary formed by the union of Paraná River and Uruguay River, and the vineyards closer to these rivers are warmer than those more to the east, with major influence of the Atlantic.

There are different types of soils, the majority generated from a sedimentary basin in Montevideo/Canelones. The area around Melilla (Montevideo) contains more clay, while Las Violetas (Canelones) is characterized by silt/clay sediments. Other areas in this department contain pink granite as well, like where Bodega H. Stagnary is located. The so called Oceánica/Atlántica region, where Maldonado is located, is the zone with the most Atlantic influence, higher altitude than the rest of the wine regions, and also a bigger geological diversity: crystalline rocks with some quartz incrustations, alluvial and gravel soils in the valley, and weathered granite. All of them have formed, throughout millennia, the ballast of the region, a soil full of minerals which gives rise to one of the greatest wines of Bodega Garzon: Balasto. To the west, in Carmelo, located in Colonia’s department, climate is influenced by the estuary of the Río de la Plata. Daniel Cis, oenologist of Bodega Campotinto and wine consultant of many wineries in the area, explains that “for our location, we typically are one or two degrees Celsius warmer than other wine regions and, as a result, it gives us around one week of ripeness ahead”. About the soils, he says, “in general the area has deep soils, with a low level of clay. Very permeable soils with good drainage, which is essential to prevent fungal attack”.

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Uruguay is a four-season country, but not extremely marked. During summer, temperatures are mild to hot, and drop at night giving a considerable diurnal swing, which is great for the grapes; in winter, the weather is not excessively cold. Uruguay used to have an abundance of good quality water thanks to the proximity of numerous rivers; however, due to climate change, things are different today and, unlikely before, Uruguayans are now worried about drought. This is one of the challenges the industry is facing. Eduardo Felix from Inavi explains that vintages in Uruguay are not stable. Last year and this year were very atypical. “We had a 30% harvest loss, but quality has improved according to producers”, Felix said. This is related to the quote of Tim Atkin in his 2021 Uruguay Special Report, where he says that “climate change is, by and large, a boon for its wine industry”. I had the chance to ask Tim if he was still thinking the same way, and he said yes. “Maybe in summer slightly warmer regions are having problems with the absence of rain and the heat; but generally speaking, these early vintages have been a very good thing”. I also had the opportunity to visit in February/March Bodegas Carrau and Bodega Casa Grande. Marcos Carrau and Florencia de Maio coincide, saying that due to the dry season, the harvest was brought forward, giving as a result a very healthy bunches, grapes with lots of sugar, good acidity, and right phenolic ripeness. Less quantity, more quality.

Daniel Cis also commented that “the vines are responding very well, especially because Uruguay tended to have very high humidity levels and now it is all the way around. We are thinking of irrigating vineyards for new plantings and, for the older vineyards, have irrigation as an option to not compromise the grape quality, in case the drought continues.

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In January, Leo Guerrero, Sommelier and Iberpark Brand Ambassador, prepared for me a sensational wine tasting. “I want you to taste different varieties, but also different zones from Uruguay”, he said. We had the chance to taste a delicate Rosato di Sangiovese from Bodega Sierra Oriental (Maldonado), a vibrant Albariño from Bodega Casa Grande (Canelones), a natural Barbera wine made by Pablo Fallabrino (Canelones), a lovely Tannat del Litoral from Bodega Campotinto (Carmelo), and a splendid and elegant Salto Chico Tannat Reserva Especial (Salto). It was a great opportunity to taste the expression of different Uruguayans regions: the minerality from Maldonado, which come from the soil but also from the ocean breezes (saltiness!); the roundness of the wines from Canelones (great balance!), the “stone minerality” and the intense nose from Carmelo (warmer zone, river influenced!), and the sweet ripeness from Salto (northern and warmer climate).

Having said that, it looks like today the Uruguayan wine industry is not only about Tannat…we are talking about a wine country that is capable of producing great wines, with an impressive diversity in terms of grape varieties, regions, and styles. A wine scene which is increasingly diverse, according to Tim Atkin, who also told me: “I think the potential is definitely huge, and what we are seeing now is just the beginning of a fine wine culture”.

 THE WINE SCENE AND ITS ACTORS: The industry had experienced some important changes since 1990, when the Vineyard Conversion Pilot Program (Programa Piloto de Reconversión del Viñedo) began. The area planted with low quality vines was reduced and the different varieties of Vinifera grapes have been cultivated in areas where they show their best potential. The industry has been focused since then on making more fine wines than common wines. New oenologists, younger generations taking important roles in the family wine business, and old “new” grapes listed in many wineries’ portfolios are some of the latest changes in the industry. According to Daniel Cis, “we are now studying soils and climate, thinking what to plant and where to plant the vines. Precision viticulture, looking for which variety is going to give better results in which site.”

The author, Elizabeth Yabrudy with Marcos Carrau

The author, Elizabeth Yabrudy with Marcos Carrau

I personally feel that Tannat-based wines have experienced a great evolution. I remember drinking -some twenty years ago- red wines from Uruguay that were very oaky, too powerful (and not in a positive way), full of immature tannins. But today, things are very different, although some people still think that the use of oak is still not well managed. For Tim Atkin “the local market is still a little too dependent on oak, and many people are making wines with oak to sell it in the local market, and that excess of oak is necessarily not something that people is looking for on export markets”. But it is important to mention that the way Uruguayan oenologists are utilizing oak is different now.

Daniel Cis agreed with Atkin. “To improve our winemaking, we have decreased the oak level, even if a part of the market asks for it. We have to keep looking for place and fruit expression, especially if we want something more than a wine from Uruguay, but a wine from a specific zone of Uruguay.”

According to Eduardo Felix, “we went from producing ´frenchified wines´ (15%to 16% abv., with overripe berries, hard and heavy wines, full of oak…) to produce more ´italianized wines´ (fresher and fruiter, micro-oxigenated, aged in botti grandi instead of regular barrels…)”. And that is basically the same message I received from Marcos Carrau, who commented “today we have a kinder and friendlier Tannat, with lower alcohol content, better balanced […]. We use French and American oak, and Tannat seems to like the last one very well”. Daniel Cis says: “we changed for good. Our Tannat is now drinkable, concentrated and expressive, but not rough”.

The great thing about Tannat, the icon red grape of Uruguay with 27% of vineyard acreage, if that it is a very versatile grape: you can get carbonic maceration wines (e.g. Pizzorno Mayúsculas Tannat Maceración Carbónica), passing through wines without or with just a bit of oak (e.g. Campotinto Tannat del Litoral, Cerro del Toro Tannat Línea Clásica or Familia Deicas Atlántico Sur), and to find wines with medium to long aging like Gran Tanaccito from Bodega Casa Grande or Bouza Tannat B28, among many others. Besides, there are beautiful rosés like Artesana Tannat Rosé, as well as some sparkling wines (e.g. Río de los Pájaros Brut Nature Tannat, from Bodegas Pisano), many blends (e.g. Artesana Tannat/Zinfandel, Juan Carrau Tannat/Cabernet Sauvignon, Bouza Monte Vide Eu from Tannat/Merlot/Tempranillo), and last but not less, the sweets Tannat liquors.

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A great wine exercise is to taste a flight of Tannat with similar winemaking techniques, from different Uruguayans wine regions. If you do so, and you are not a Tannat lover yet, here is a comment from Florencia de Maio, the young oenologist of Bodega Casa Grande, that could inspire you: “usually people do not fall in love with Tannat at first sight. Tannat wine is shy… usually it does not say too much in the nose, but when you learn to know it, you know that the best will come when you feel all the flavors in your mouth”.

Uruguay’s wine regions have been compared many times with Bordeaux, France, mostly because of the maritime climate, even when Uruguay used to have more rainfall than Bordeaux (things have changed the last few years!). In any case, it is not a coincidence that some of the new grapes approved in Bordeaux (2021) have been cultivated in Uruguay for some years now, giving excellent results.

Talking about the whites, there is Albariño, that has become the spoiled girl. It is no longer a fashion grape, it has, as Tim Atkin mentioned, “a massive potential”. There is a fact that Tim also commented on, and it is that many wineries are planting it, producing good examples with this grape. “There is something about Albariño, particularly when the wines come from Maldonado, where you can get closer to the ocean, the ocean breezes, the volcanic soils on the slopes… Again, I think there is a lot of potential for Albariño and, for me, it is Uruguay´s best white grape”, affirmed Tim. Of course, when we talk about Maldonado, it is impossible not to think about Alto de la Ballena that was the first winery in the area (2001) and, of course, about Bodega Garzon, probably the biggest winery in Uruguay, main wine exporter, responsible in a great way for putting the name of Uruguay in the map as a wine country producing high quality wines.

The Winery at Bodegas Carrau

The Winery at Bodegas Carrau

However, the history of the Albariño in Uruguay began with Bodegas Bouza. As Cristina Santoro—Exports & Marketing Manager—told me that the Bouza family is from Spanish origin, specifically Galician. “When they started the project and thought about the varieties they wanted to have, of course Albariño came right away […]. It was planted in 2000, and the first harvest was in 2004”.

The French Viognier has also registered an increase in both, vineyard area and production, of course, not as significant as Albariño. It is not very well known yet, and is not an easy grape to cultivate but its defenders told me that if you control the Viognier in the vineyard and recognize its versatility, it is so great. Viognier is becoming the white grape of Carmelo, and it is one of the favorite grapes of Daniel Cis.

When I asked Eduardo Felix -who by the way was responsible for the first Albariño´s harvest in Bouza and Garzón- about the future of the Uruguayan wine industry, he told me that “the issue of water deficit and climate change leads to wonder what viticulture we are going to aim for. The focus is on the following grapes in terms of the reds: we will stick with Tannat, but we will pay attention to Merlot, Marselan and Arinarnoa”, he said.

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Marselan and Arinarnoa have registered a recent increase in Uruguay, not only in area, but also in production. Both red grapes are also now on the list of the varieties allowed to be in Bordeaux blends.

Uruguay has planted more than 185 hectares of Marselan (3% of the total of the total vineyard hectares). It is a French cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, created by professor Paul Truel more than sixty years ago (1961). Marselan is very well adapted to Uruguay, where it has been planted for around 20 years. It is a variety highly resistant to fungi and other common diseases of the vines, which is perfect for the country climate. There are many wineries producing 100% Marselan in Uruguay. Some of them are Establecimiento Juanicó, Bodegas Carrau, Bertolini & Broglio, Dardanelli, and Chiapella, among others. You can find diverse styles, young/fresh to bold/intense, but generally purple in color, fruity aromas, with medium to high acidity, and medium tannins.

Talking about Arinarnoa, there are only about 63 hectares planted, which is around 1% of the total area planted with vines. However, this aromatic and fruity grape has conquered many winemakers in the country. It is also a French grape, a cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, created in Bordeaux, in 1956, by the French Basque researcher Pierre Marcel Durquety from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. It found a home in Uruguay since 1980, and from there has been showing a significant growth, especially in the last twelve years (it grew from around 10 hectares in 2011 to more than 60 in 2021); it also behaves greatly in the vineyard when its production is controlled, and also is great in oenological terms. It matures late in the harvest season, usually after Tannat but before Cabernet Sauvignon.

I would say that one of the main promoters of the cultivation and growth of Arinarnoa is Florencia De Maio, who also happened to be the fourth generation of viticulturists and winemakers in her family. She says that Arinarnoa is the future of Uruguay. During my visit to Bodega Casa Grande, she told me “no one got much out of it for varietals, it was used for blends because it has a lot of aromas and a lot of color. We launched our first 100% Arinarnoa in 2013. We have been testing and changing the style, including passing it through oak, because we understood that it has potential to evolve”.

The author, Elizabeth Yabrudy in the vineyards at Bodegas Bouza

The author, Elizabeth Yabrudy in the vineyards at Bodegas Bouza

Bodegas Carrau also has a very expressive and elegant Arinarnoa. I had the chance to taste it with Marcos Carrau. The winery has around one hectare of Arinarnoa, planted in Las Violetas, Canelones, since 1996. However, the first varietal showed up in the market in 2018, as a part of the Colección de Barricas line.

Other producers of Arinarnoa are Giménez Méndez, Bresesti, Cantera Montes de Oca and Cerro Chapeu. Do you know what to expect? In case you have not tasted it yet, it has a deep red color, shows fruits and spices in the nose, has a great tannic structure and good acidity. Excellent when young, but also capable of interacting with oak without losing its varietal expression. The trend of Uruguayan winemakers is to apply second-use barrels or Hungarian oak to avoid overshadowing the fruity expression of the variety.

SURPRISE! MORE WINES TO TASTE: Now you know that Uruguay produces excellent Tannat, Marselan and Arinarnoa, and if you like white grapes, you have to try their Albariño and Viognier. But this is not all! If you come to Uruguay, make good friends because you will have to uncork so many bottles of wine.

In the red field, you must try their wonderful Merlot, but also buy some of their Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Nebbiolo wines. According to Tim Atkin, “Cabernet Franc has a good future, although I would look over some other varieties like Sauvignon Blanc which I think has a good potential”. So for whites, taste their Sauvignon Blanc and look for the few Petit Manseng they have, including the one from Bodegas Carrau.

If you like Spanish varieties, also check out the Tempranillo wines, especially Bouza! If you are an Italian grape lover -and also curious about Natural wine-, Pablo Fallabrino has a lot to offer: from Arneis to Nebbiolo, passing through Barbera and Dolcetto, and some other grapes. Bouza has an enchanting Riesling that is a must, Artesana is the only winery with a portfolio where Zinfandel is one of the main varieties, and Florencia from Bodegas Casa Grande is probably releasing this year another grape that make her eyes spark when she talks about it: Caladoc, another French grape, a cross between Garnacha and Malbec. If you like sparkling wines, they have excellent ones too!

Not in Uruguay? You will probably only find in the stores some Tannat, a few bottles of Albariño, and perhaps Merlot, Cabernet and Tannat-based blends. If you go to Brazil, you will have a better chance to get some Marselan or Arinarnoa, as well as other great bottles made in Uruguay.

But if you visit this beautiful country, do not hesitate to allocate part of your travel budget to buy Uruguayan wines and to visit some wineries in the different wine regions, taking Los Caminos del Vino and some other paths. The portfolio is huge, and wines and wineries are both worth it!

Elizabeth Yabrudy

I would like to thank to the following people who took the time to talk with me about the Uruguayan Wine Industry:

  • Eduado Felix, Inavi’s Technical Advisor (January 19, 2023)
  • Leo Guerrero, Sommelier and Iberpark Brand Ambassador (January 23, 2023)
  • Cristina Santoro, Bodegas Bouza Exports & Marketing Manager (January 25, 2023)
  • Marcos Carrau, Production Manager at Bodegas Carrau (February 10, 2023)
  • Tim Atkin, Wine Writer and Master of Wine (February 13, 2023)
  • Daniel Cis, Oenologist of Bodega Campotinto (February 20, 2023)
  • Florencia de Maio, Oenologist of Bodega Casa Grande (Febrero 22, 2023)

References/For more information:

About the author: Elizabeth Yabrudy, CSS, CSW, CWE is a sommelier and journalist currently residing in Uruguay. To date, she is the only South American to have achieved the Certified Wine Educator designation from the Society of Wine Educators. In addition, Elizabeth is the winner of the 2018 Banfi Award, having received the highest combined total score of any candidate sitting the CWE in 2018. She stays busy teaching and writing about wine and spirits, as well as leading tastings and service training. In addition to her wine and spirits credentials, Elizabeth has a Master’s Degree in Electronic Publishing from City University in London. You can find her on Instagram: @eyabrudyi

Photo credits: Elizabeth Yabrudy

It’s Official: Bannockburn GI

Pinot Noir vineyards along the Kawarau River

Pinot Noir vineyards along the Kawarau River

On February 1 (2022), the New Zealand Office of Intellectual Property registered Bannockburn as an official geographical indication (GI) for wine production. Bannockburn is now a registered sub-region of the Central Otago GI (as well as a GI in its own right).

In New Zealand—as is done in most of the world of wine beyond Europe—geographical indications do not assign restrictions as to grape varieties or wine styles grown and produced, but rather define just the physical boundaries of a region.

Here are some of the defining characteristics of the newly minted Bannockburn GI:

  • The Bannockburn GI is located within the larger Cromwell Basin and defined by the Kawarau River and Lake Dunstan to the north and the high mountains of the Southern Alps—specifically the Cairnmuir and Carrick Ranges—to the east, south and west.
  • The southern edge of the area is drawn along a contour measured at 400 meters/1,320 feet above sea level. From this line, the area slopes gently down to an elevation of 195 meters/650 feet, with generally north-facing slopes and terraces.
  • Soil types include decomposed greywacke, schist, ancient lakebed sediment (alluvium), quartz (gravel), sand, and loess.
  • The location—within the Cromwell Basin and surrounded by mountains—means that rainfall is low and the climate is classified as “truly continental.”’
  • Bannockburn GI is the warmest part of Central Otago and further from the sea than most other points in New Zealand.
www.iponz.govt.nz

www.iponz.govt.nz

The leading grape varieties of the Bannockburn GI include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Minor plantings include Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Grūner Veltliner. As of 2019, the area had total of 145 acres/350 hectares planted to commercial vines.

The first vinifera vines in the area were planted by John Olssen and Heather MacPherson in 1991. The term “Bannockburn” was first used on a wine label to indicate place-of-orign for grapes in 2009. At last count, there were six wineries operating in the area (and several others making wine from Bannockburn fruit). Current producers include Terra Sancta Winery, Felton Road Winery, Mount Difficulty, Carrick Winery, and Akura Winery.

Welcome to the world, Bannockburn GI!

Note: the Central Otago GI is considered to contain five other sub-regions. However, we have not (yet) found any evidence of an effort to declare these areas as geographical indications and as such, these other five sub-regions remain unofficial. For the record, they are: Gibbston; Cromwell, Lowburn and Pisa; Bendigo; Wanaka; and Alexandra.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Guest Blogger: Why visit Central Otago? Let me give you a few reasons…

View from Bendigo over Lake Dunstan towards Lowburn

View from Bendigo over Lake Dunstan towards Lowburn

Today we have a guest post from Lucia Volk, CWE. Lucia tells us about her recent trip to Central Otago where she found a range of world-class Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc behind the local cellar doors!

If you ever have an opportunity to go visit the southernmost wine region in the world, jump on it!  The first reason is that it happens to be on New Zealand’s South Island, where it is impossible to put the camera down, with all the snow-capped mountains, azure-colored glacial lakes, as-wide-as-the-eye-can-see flocks of sheep feeding on fresh grass and wildflowers, and wild, rugged coastlines populated with seals, penguins, and a fantastic array of birds. Rippon on Lake Wanaka in Otago is alleged to be the most photographed winery on earth. No matter where you look, you are likely to utter some version of OMG!

Rudi Bauer pointing out different subregions around Lake Dunstan

Rudi Bauer pointing out different subregions around Lake Dunstan

Central Otago is the only wine region in New Zealand with a (semi)continental climate, benefitting from the rain shadow of the Southern Alps and the dry Maniototo Plain, an extension of the Mackenzie Region, to the east. Of course, New Zealand is a relatively narrow island surrounded by ocean, which keeps the climate overall cool. Since Jancis Robinson famously wrote in the 2001 edition of the World Atlas of Wine that “many believe this is where the Pinot grail is to be found,” Central Otago has generated a significant amount of buzz. This brings me to the second reason for going: it is a worthy quest!

Otago is one of sixteen administrative regions of New Zealand, with a population of roughly 230,000. Central Otago is home to Queenstown and Wanaka, picture-perfect lake towns that draw increasing numbers of tourists. Their bustle and noise, as well as steadily rising home prices, have sent old-time Otago residents to calmer places such as Cromwell and Bannockburn.  These two towns are at the heart of the Central Otago’s wine region, which is most usefully imagined as a triangle containing nine non-contiguous subregions of various sizes within.  The triangle begins east of Queenstown/Lake Wakatipu with the oldest and highest subregion Gibbston (first commercial release of wine in 1987). The imaginary line goes northeast to the town of Wanaka with the subregion Wanaka by the eponymous lake, and the lesser-known area of Queensberry to the east. Continuing the imaginary line to the southeast to the towns of Clyde and Alexandra, the subregion called Alexandra boasts both the hottest and coldest temperatures of the entire region. If you complete the triangle by connecting Alexandra to Queenstown, and then look for the triangle’s center, you find Lake Dunstan, bordered by the subregions of Bannockburn, Cromwell and Lowburn at the southern shores, Pisa to the east, and Bendigo, with its own subregion Tarras, to the west. (Tarras obtained world fame when Shrek, The Hermit Sheep was discovered nearby!)

Sign at the entrance of Rippon winery, whose vineyards remain phylloxera-free

Sign at the entrance of Rippon winery, whose vineyards remain phylloxera-free

Each of these subregions features different altitudes, soil types, sun exposure, and rainfall. The wine map for Central Otago is, in other words, a quilt with many patches of different fabrics and colors. As my diligent tasting efforts revealed, the star grape Pinot Noir—75% of Central Otago plantings–can develop a wide array of aromas and flavors on different sites, and so can Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner or Gewürztraminer. Once you drive yourself from one (side of the) lake to the next, you are able to appreciate the many differences that affect what ends up in the bottle.  It is much more fun to do it on site than to read about it online.

Most of the region’s 175 vineyards are family-owned, with an average size of about 10 ha [24 acres]. But big money in the form of foreign investment is beginning to reach Central Otago.  Foley Family Wines recently bought one of the flagship wineries, Mt. Difficulty, in Bannockburn for NZ$55 million (about US$38 million).  While it is too early to tell what impact this sale will have on the region—it certainly sent a jolt through the wine community—winemakers I spoke to hope that it will bring new ideas that can benefit everyone in this tight-knit community.

Bottles waiting to be riddled at Quartz Reef

Bottles waiting to be riddled at Quartz Reef

For instance, Rudi Bauer of Quartz Reef—please try his unbelievably affordable and delicious hand-crafted Méthode Traditionelle Brut—believes that Central Otago has yet to reach its fullest potential. Standing in his vineyard in Bendigo situated on NZ’s largest quartz deposit, he proudly pointed out the region’s significant accomplishments in producing premium wines in only 30 short years. In the 1980s, nobody expected vineyards to survive the annual frosts. Dr. Stuart Elms decided to plant Pinot Noir near the Kawarau River on Felton Road in Bannockburn in 1992, when nobody else believed his grapes would ripen. At that time, it was difficult to obtain vines to plant, and nobody understood the soils well enough to know what should go where. Currently, as older vineyards come up for replanting on Felton Road, new varieties replace the old in light of new soil insights. Felton Road produces award-winning Pinot Noir, which you should definitely try, as well as their bracing Riesling and intense Chardonnay.

Bauer started his Bendigo vineyard venture four years after Dr. Elms started his, in 1996. He was one of the first to plant on a hillside rather than alluvial flats near the lake, helping him keep frost damage under control (colder air seeks lower elevation). Much of the accumulating vineyard knowledge is shared among the region’s winemakers. One lovely example of winery collaboration is the 4 Barrels Walking Wine trail of four Cromwell-based wineries, the Wooing TreeMisha’sAurum, and Scott Base.

Wine Tasting at Felton Road

Wine Tasting at Rippon

As is true of the rest of the country, the vast majority of Central Otago wineries operate under independently audited sustainability programs; Felton Road, Rippon, and Quartz Reef are Demeter certified Biodynamic. Winemakers in Central Otago are hardworking visionaries, committed to careful winemaking under challenging conditions. You want to meet them in person, which is why you need to book your ticket and go.

I recommend going to New Zealand in January, because it is summer there—basking in balmy temperatures beats unpacking your woolens every time! Daytime temperatures of 85°F and days that start at 6am and extend well after 9pm are great for foreign visitors, as they are for maturing grape clusters. Diurnal temperature changes ensure the acid remains high in the grapes. Sun exposure is intense, something Jancis Robinson in the most recent World Atlas of Wine credits to a hole in the ozone layer, leading to thick-skinned grapes and bright fruit flavors. Careful canopy management requires that grape clusters are exposed enough to ripen yet still covered up, so they do not suffer sunburn. Visitors must bring hats and sunscreen!

The lakes near Central Otago’s vineyards are plentiful sources of irrigation–needed for most of the fast-draining, sandy soils–and they are also perfect for water sports. In the cold Otago winters and early spring, when temperatures plummet, some of that lake water is also used via secondary sprinkler systems, to provide protection against frost, esp. at or after bud break. Someone figured out that vines encased in frozen water retain enough heat to survive freezing ambient temperatures! Other frost-fighting options available to wine-makers are helicopters (expensive!), wind machines, and frost pots. Gusty winds can be another challenge of nature, and can be met with careful trellis support.  Unlike Marlborough, where nearly all vineyard labor is done by machines, you regularly find vineyard crews—hired seasonally from Vanuatu and Fiji—in Central Otago.

Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door near Queenstown

Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door near Queenstown

Visitors can enjoy easy access to tasting rooms, or “cellar doors” as they are locally called, during the main tourist season. Many wineries offer tasty lunch options in addition to flights of their wines. Amisfield, which owns an estate in the Pisa subregion, had the brilliant idea of building a tasting facility and high-end bistro in Gibbston, right next to tourism mecca Queenstown, where they now serve over 50,000 visitors a year.

This brings me to a last point, which is the availability of restaurants and accommodation in Central Otago, where visitors might want to linger:  Queenstown and Wanaka are filled to the brim with options, while Cromwell and Bannockburn still lack a similar infrastructure.  The latter results in mostly day-trip-tourism from Queenstown or Wanaka—and only during the warm summer months.

But back to Rudi Bauer’s earlier point: Central Otago is still a young wine region. It is also super-dynamic, and there is no telling what it will look like in five or ten years. Based on the talent and passion already at work, it is reasonable to expect more and greater things.

Suggested further reading:

LuciaLucia Volk, CWE, runs MindfulVine, a Wine Education business in the Bay Area that specializes in tailored, at-home tastings to promote a greater enjoyment of wine. She grew up in Germany, where her grandfather started a Riesling winery. She knows what it takes to work those steep slate slopes by hand, and decided to start promoting Riesling and other European wines after obtaining a PhD in Anthropology in the United States, and working briefly in wine sales.

She now gets to have the best of two worlds and teach about global politics and cultures, as well as the many wonderful wine regions across Europe. She is also working–slowly–on a book about the lesser known German Anbaugebiete.

 

Guest Author: Discovering Montsant

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Today we have a post from guest blogger Kryss Speegle. Kryss tells us about a recent trip to the Montstant DO. Read on for some insight into the history, the wines, and the region…but be warned this article is going to make you want to run and book a ticket to Spain!

 Marta Carbonell of Josep Grau Viticultor speaks with a quiet and engaging matter-of-factness: “We like high acidity. We love fruit. We hate oak.” Speaking for her own wines, she could easily be describing the Montsant style, and after a three-day visit, sponsored by Wines of Montsant, I’m ready to make this my mantra as well.

Unlike its flashy neighbor Priorat, where the famous llicorella slate dominates the landscape, Montsant is a patchwork of limestone, chalk and sand as well as slate, and elevations ranging from 50 to 700 meters; the wines are fresh and powerful with ferrous minerality and a core of intense fruit.

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Wine has been a significant product of Catalonia since at least the 6th to 8th centuries BCE, though vine plantings increased significantly after the establishment of the monastery of Poblet. Italian and Middle Eastern varieties were eventually replaced by primarily with Carinyena (Carignan, also known by its Catalan name Samsó) and Garnatxa (Grenache); a treasury of old vines remains today and red grapes account for 95% of production. Though Garnatxa has slightly higher production, Carinyena is also a star player alone or in blends and a firm rebuke to those who view it primarily as a high-yielding blender. The 100% Carinenya from Cellers Sant Rafel is fresh and even elegant. The minute plantings of white grapes are mostly Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeo, which make wines with a perfumed lift and flavors of baked apple, lemon curd and hawthorn.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah exist in small plantings but are silent partners at best. A happy exception to this is the use of Syrah for rosé wines; in a single sitting, two lovely examples, one from Coca i Fito (fresh and restrained) and another from Celler Rondanelles (intensely fruity) remind me that rosé complements grilled octopus, braised artichokes, potato chips and just about everything else.

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Previously dominated by workhorse co-operatives, Montsant became a Denominación de Origin (DO) distinct from Tarragona in 2001 and within three years had 26 members across its 1,800 hectares, a testament to producers’ commitment to the region. Some are Priorat vintners looking for a bargain while others are locals who bucked the historical exodus to Barcelona. It’s an uplifting narrative for anyone accustomed to hearing that the world’s great wine regions are all supersaturated with vines or prohibitively expensive.

As the driver in front of us repeatedly stops to point at various vines, our guide from the DO claims that nearly everyone in the area has a few inherited plots — “Once poor farmers, now proud viticulturalists.” The region is also home to a thriving polyculture; marcona almonds, hazelnuts, cherries, and peaches are commercially grown and the slopes are dotted with wildflowers and resinous herbs.

Co-ops are still in the game but, as elsewhere in Europe, are redefining the old label with exciting and pleasurable wines. At Celler de Capçanes, a traditional co-operative found a successful niche in kosher wine production; the Peraj Ha’abib is the mainstay of this line and is lovely. The real excitement, though, is their “La Nit de les garnatxes” collection exploring the diversity of Montsant’s terroirs. Four wines of 100% Garnatxa, each representing one of the region’s four soil types, are presented in some of the  cleverest  packaging I’ve seen yet, wrapped in color-coded comics explaining the soil’s effect on the wine. The wines themselves do an amazing job telling the story of Montsant by drawing out its shades of difference—by turns refined and sinewy, generously fruited and earthy.

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Nearly half of Montsant’s wines are exported with many available in U.S. retailers. For those who want a closer look, the DO’s commercial center is Falset, a self-sufficient town of 2,800 and a good base for exploring. To discover from a distance, see these sites:

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About the Author: Kryss Speegle works in bulk sales, supplying wines and spirits to customers throughout the United States and around the world. Previously she was O’Neill’s Director of Winemaking, where she managed the company’s extensive varietal wine programs and led a talented team of winemakers.

Prior to O’Neill, Kryss held winemaking and enologist roles at Kenwood and Ravenswood. She has also worked for wineries in Napa, Mendocino, Germany and New Zealand. Kryss has served as a past judge for the San Francisco Chronicle and West Coast wine competitions and has taught wine courses at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley Wine Academy.

Kryss received a Bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia and a graduate degree in Food Science/Enology from University of California at Davis. While at Davis, Kryss conducted sensory research for Dr. Ann Noble, creator of the Wine Aroma Wheel.

When she’s not in the vineyard or in the production facility, Kryss enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with her family.

Photo credits: Kryss Speegle

Conference Preview 2018: NZ SB

SB and Aucktalnd, NZ

SB and Auckland, NZ

Today we have a preview of a session to be presented during SWE’s 42nd Annual Conference, to be held on August 15–17, 2018 in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Our guest author is Christine Dalton, CSW, who tells us about her upcoming session entitled Cat Pee By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet: Understanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Pick a wine-world underdog, wine that has found success under seemingly insurmountable odds. Perhaps you think of Ribiera Sacra’s delicate Mencías, made from vineyards that were left for dead during the country’s political turmoil and resurrected, only to be re-planted on vertigo-inducing slopes. Maybe your mind goes to the Canary Islands, where vines huddle for shelter amongst powerful winds and Sharpie-colored volcanic earth. Or perhaps you give a nod to the vineyards of Salta, sitting closer to the heavens than us oenophiles on Earth. Though all feats of viticultural wizardry, my choice is perhaps less obvious, purely because it is so obvious. This wine takes up large plots of real estate on grocery store shelves and has earned a reserved parking space on most by the glass lists. Yet even with this success, I consider Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, in all its turquoise- and green-labeled glory, as a most fascinating, yet unlikely champion of the hearts and taste buds of wine lovers the world over.

New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula

New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula

Consider its origin story. New Zealand is very much a New World wine country. Vines were first planted in the early 1800s, even before it was founded as a British colony in 1853, but New Zealand didn’t find its wine footing for over a century. If we zero in on Marlborough specifically, the first Sauvignon Blanc vines that brought the region oenological fame were not planted until 1975. (To put that in context, California, another infant in the long history of winemaking, was already winning international recognition at the Judgment of Paris around the same time.) Before Montana (now Brancott Estate) planted these original vines, the consensus was that grapes could not ripen on the chilly South Island. How wrong that wisdom was, as we’ve all seen in the expeditious rise of this little experiment.

We must also consider the terroir. New Zealand sits alone in an isolated corner of the Pacific Ocean. Its closest neighbor is Australia, which lies approximately 2,000 miles away, and it is consistently pummeled by the maritime breezes bounding off the icy Tasman sea. The islands receive intense bouts of sun laced with some of the highest ultraviolet rays in the world. To intensify the extreme natural circumstances further, the country rests squarely on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which creates both geologically diverse soils and up to fifteen thousand earthquakes per year.

Vineyards in Marlborough

Vineyards in Marlborough

Then we arrive at the wine itself. Let us jump in our time machines, travel back a few hundred years and pour a goblet of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to the most esteemed winemakers of the Loire Valley. Would they recognize it as the grape born of their region? Or would they cast it off as a bastardized version of their time-tested style? The wine’s unique aroma and flavor profile is another enigma of its success. The novice wine drinker may not clamor for flavors of grass and bell pepper, though I doubt she would be horrified by reading these notes on the back of a label. But sweaty, stalky and punctuated by cat pee? It is difficult to imagine the success of a wine marked by these traits, yet here we are, transfixed by this wine from the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is an oxymoron. It transfixes me in its unconventional conventionality. It is born of a grape known across continents, climates and time, yet is entirely idiosyncratic. It is a 20th century “invention” nudged on by a risk-taking winery, but primarily by Mother Nature herself. There were no crossings, no hybrids, no labs; there was just a revelatory eruption of pure New Zealand flavor.

What gives our lovable underdog its edge? What allows the Sauvignon Blanc grape to thrive at the end of the earth? What creates the complexity and concentration of its unique feline flavors? Scientists have a few ideas.

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand

Winemakers and researchers have been working to unwrap its riddles since the early 2000s. The aptly titled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Programme is a collaboration between The Universities of Auckland and Lincoln, NZ Winegrowers and local winery partners. They have delved into the science of Sauvignon Blanc and have gained a better understanding of the chemical compounds that make up the sensory attributes of this wine. They have looked at how the unique Marlborough terroir—the cool breezes, the intense sunlight, the native yeasts and soils—creates a Sauvignon Blanc expression different than anywhere else in the world.

Their research has also revealed how much more Marlborough has to offer. To those who peg the region and its wines as one-trick-ponies, taste the differences within. Marlborough’s diversity lies in the baseball-sized river rocks of the northern Wairau Valley. These rocks absorb the sun’s powerful rays and ripen grapes that are rife with ruby red grapefruit and exotic passionfruit. Or try an intensely herbaceous expression from the windblown Awatere, which yields wines with crunchy capsicum and tomato leaves. For a revelatory treat, try an age-worthy example, like Brancott Estate’s Chosen Rows. It would be hard to imagine the Sauvignon Blanc experts of the Old World turning up their noses at a wine vibrating with so much energy and finesse.

Punakaiki,New Zealand

Punakaiki,New Zealand

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is an underdog that has already proven its success in its few decades of existence, though the region is just beginning to reveal all it has to offer. At this years’ Society of Wine Educators Conference, my mission is to inject a renewed fascination in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc into the palates and imaginations of all who attend my seminar, Cat Pee By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet: Understanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. We will explore the findings of the research program to better understand the wine’s unique aromas and flavors, delve into the differences between its varying subregions and taste the fine examples that have resulted from this heightened understanding of Marlborough and its beloved Sauvignon Blanc.

Christine Dalton, CSW

Christine Dalton, CSW

Christine Dalton is a member of Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ International Graduate Wine Ambassador Program, based in Southern California. As representative of the Pernod Ricard wine portfolio, she has spent time learning and working vintage in Rioja, Spain, Sonoma, California, the Barossa Valley, Australia and Marlborough, New Zealand. Originally from the Washington D.C. metro area, she previously wrote for Wine Spectator magazine as an Assistant Editor, and volunteered at the Astor Center at Astor Wines & Spirits in New York City.

She began formal wine training with an introductory wine course at Cornell University while working toward a dual degree in Government and American Studies. She is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the SWE and also holds a WSET Advanced with Distinction certification.

Christine’s session, Cat Pee By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet: Understanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, will be offered on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 10:30 am as part of the 42nd Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators to be held in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

The 2018 CSW Study Guide and Workbook are here!

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What do all of these items have in common: The Petaluma Gap AVA…the Delle Venezie DOC…the Vézelay AOC…and the “New” New Zealand geographical indications? Answer: they are newly-changed or updated topics in the world of wine—launched in 2017! You’ll find all of these updates (and more) in the just-released, 2018 version of the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) Study Guide and Workbook.

We’ve also made a change in how the books are distributed, and the 2018 CSW Study Guide and Workbook are now in stock and shipping from Amazon.com. 

Click here to find the 2018 CSW Study Guide on Amazon. The cost is $49.

Click here to find the CSW Workbook 2018 on Amazon. The cost is $39.

CSW Exam Availability: CSW Exams based on the 2018 edition of the Study Guide will be available at Pearson Vue Testing Centers starting on February 1, 2018. Exams based on the 2017 book are also still available (for those that have a 2017 exam attendance credit) and will continue to be available until July of 2020.

Online Prep Course: Our next instructor-led CSW Online Prep Course is scheduled to begin in May 2018. This class will use the 2018 version of the CSW Study Guide and Workbook. The aim of the prep course is to get attendees “as prepared as humanly possible” for a successful sitting of the CSW Exam. Online prep courses are available, free-of-charge, to Professional members of SWE who have a valid CSW Exam attendance credit.

The CSW Exam may be purchased via the SWE website: Click here to purchase the CSW Exam.

Click here for an addendum listing the substantive changes between the 2017 and 2018 versions of the CSW Study Guide: Addendum for the CSW 2018 Study Guide

Flashcards and Practice Quizzes: Our popular online flashcards and practice quizzes have also been updated for 2018 (and the 2017 versions remain available). The cost for these products is $19 each. Click here for the flashcards and practice quizzes.

If you have any questions regarding the CSW Study Guides or Exams, please contact our Director of Education at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

Conference Highlights 2017: Focus on Pinot Noir

We had a wonderful time at the 41st Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators, held August 10-12, 2016 at the lovely Red Lion Hotel on the River, located on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon. Below you will find some pictures, presentations, and handouts provided by our wonderful speakers – the next best thing to being there!

Eric Hemer, CWE, MS. MW

Eric Hemer, CWE, MS. MW

International Pinot Noir Styles, a Comparative Blind Tasting—presented by Eric Hemer, CWE, MS, MW: This session started off with a brief history of Pinot Noir—since its earliest written mention in 1375 by Duc Philippe le Hardi of Burgundy to its current status as the world’s tenth most planted variety (at 290,000 acres worldwide). Next, its physical characteristics were discussed—small, tight, bunches and thin-skinned berries with lower levels of phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins and tannin.

Next, the lesion included a lesson on the primary growing regions of Pinot Noir—France (76,000 acres (32,000 acres in Champagne, 26,000 in Burgundy, 16,000 in Côte d’Or), the United States (74,000 acres (38,000 in California, 14,500 in Willamette Valley), Germany (29,000 acres), New Zealand: (11,000 acres), Italy (10,000 acres), and Australia (8,700 acres).

A blind tasting of paired wines followed. The wines included world-class Pinot Noir from Savoie (France), New York’s Finger Lakes, Alto Adige (Italy), Marlborough (New Zealand), Alsace (France), Santa Maria Valley (California), Gevry-Chambertin (Burgundy, France), and the Dundee Hills or Oregon. For more information on the session and the wines, download Eric’s presentation: International Pinot Noir Styles, a Comparative Blind Tasting—presented by Eric Hemer

John Reilly, CSS, CE

John Reilly, CSS, CE

Oregon Pinot Noir via Burgundy, California, and back again—presented by John Rielly CSW, CSS: On Thursday afternoon, John Reilly offered a blind tasting of Pinot Noir concentrating on wines with a sense of place from Burgundy, California, and Oregon.

Wines from France included Château de Marsannay Gevrey-Chambertin and Château du Marsannay “Grand Vin de Bourgogne” Marsannay. California wines included Rochioli Vineyards Pinot Noir—Russian River Vineyard and Sanford Winery “La Rinconada” Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Oregon was represented by Maison Roy & Files “Petite Incline” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Westrey Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. For more information on the wines, the wineries, and the growing regions, see John’s presentation: Oregon Pinot Noir via Burgundy, California, and back again—presented by John Rielly

Click here to see more session recaps from SWE’s 2017 Conference.