SWE Member Benefits: The SWE Webinar Library

Online library, education in internet conceptDid you know…that as a member of SWE you have access to our library of wine maps, blank maps, and wine world updates as well as a library of close to 50 recorded webinars?

All of these resources may be found on the membership portal of SWE’s main website. Just click here to log in.

  • Our most-accessed webinar recordings include the following:
    • Break out the Books! How to Study for a Wine or Spirits Theory Exam, led by Jane Nickles, CWE, CSE
    • Piedmont and Tuscany, Comparison and Contrast, led by Sharron McCarthy, CSW
    • Spotlight on Central Otago: People, Grapes, and Terroir, led by Lucia Volk, CWE
    • Nectar of the Gods—A History of Wine, led by Ed Korry CSE, CWE
    • Wine and a Changing Climate—Will the Terroir Model of Today Survive?” Presented by Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
    • Piedmont and Tuscany, Comparison and Contrast, led by Sharron McCarthy, CSW
    • How to Train your Nose, led by Jane A. Nickles, CWE, CSE
    • The Water of Life—the History and Future of Irish Whiskey, led by Ben Coffelt, CSS, CSW

Click here to download a list of webinar recordings available on SWE’s Webinar Library: SWE Webinar Library

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

Conference Preview—The Postmodern View: Reconsidering Modern Winemaking Dogma

Post ModernToday we have a guest post from maverick winemaker and author Clark Smith. In this article, Clark gives us a glimpse inside his upcoming presentation, “The Postmodern View: Reconsidering Modern Winemaking Dogma.” This session will be presented at the 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators, scheduled for August 10-11 in Coachella Valley (Indian Wells, CA).

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”

-often attributed to Mark Twain

My talk at Indian Wells will explode a string of Just Ain’t So stories taken as received wisdom by most wine professionals, often illustrated in wines I’ll pour. I prepare you here to appreciate surprising shifts underway in style trends in the marketplace.

In 1983, I completed Enology studies at UC Davis and embarked on a winemaking career which culminated 30 years later in the publication of Postmodern Winemaking, Rethinking the Modern Science of an Ancient Craft.

My book explores what I learned over three decades that altered my notion of what wine is and how it ought to be made.

I just finished reading Hugh Johnson’s “The Story of Wine.” I highly recommend it to anyone. It’s a playful and thorough trek through the history of wine from the ancients to the present day.  As you probably know, this man does his homework.  And Lord, he can write. Every sentence is a delight.

Grapes in a barrel after harvestingRight at the start of the book, Hugh says “the polite definition of wine is ‘the naturally fermented juice of fresh grapes.’”  He goes on to say, “a more clinical one is ‘an aqueous solution of ethanol with greater or lesser traces of sugars, acids, esters, acetates, lactates, and other substances occurring in grape juice or derived from it by fermentation.’”

Well, right the first time Hugh.

The basis of my new understanding derives from the discovery that wine is not a chemical solution.  The unhappy belief that it is leads us into error, not least because it holds back winemakers from making great wine.

The Gospel According to Modern Enology

With ideal solution behavior, wine is just as Hugh Johnson says, a bunch of chemicals dissolved in an aqueous solution containing ethanol.

Wine mixing during fermentation process in barrel, Bordeaux VineyardVarious aromatic compounds dissolved in that wine will have a range of volatilities according to Henry’s Law, each with a concentration in the headspace where we smell it in proportion to the concentration in the liquid wine.

The implications for winemaking are that we manage aromatics by controlling the composition of the wine.

For example, if we want more fruit and less veg, we have to take some action to manage the composition. We farm for flavors, working the canopy, crop load, irrigation, nutrients and harvest date to minimize pyrazines and maximize fruity aromatics.

Vinification concentrates on selective extraction.  Let’s maximize the good stuff such as desirable flavors and minimize the bad stuff such as harsh tannins.  Techniques include very gentle crushing, gentle cap management, gentle pressing and delicate handling. Increase the extraction of color by using high alcohol as a solvent.

We prevent oxidation by keeping air away from the wine at every stage to preserve its freshness and fruit.  We control sulfides with copper treatments.

We’ll use protein fining agents to remove harsh tannins. These also strip the wine, so we take special care to minimize the hit to aroma and color by doing extensive trials with numerous combinations of fining agents.  Selective extraction.

grape processing on the machineBecause we regard unmanaged microbiology as an existential threat in the bottle and a clear and present danger in the cellar, we employ draconian sanitation procedures in the cellar and sterile filter into bottle.

Our goal is to lock in clean varietal fruit, suspended in development so the wine will preserve itself over its intended shelf life.

That’s No Solution

Postmodern methodology considers every one of these practices as misguided.  It turns out that the deviation from Hugh’s ideal solution behavior is actually a good working definition of quality.

We recognize that well-made red wine is a two-phase system: the polar aqueous phase where acids, sugars and other polar compounds are dissolved, and the tiny apolar tannin-color colloids that naturally aggregate.

Since they contain stacks of phenolic ring structures, aromatic ring compounds will want to hang out (intercalate) inside the structure. Pyrazines (bell pepper) and volatile phenols (Brett), and oak compounds like guaiacol (smoke), vanillin, and cinnamates (spice) that will be pulled down into the structure of the wine.

23559055 - glasses of wine at the barThe wine will no longer obey Henry’s Law.

Note: When I talk about structure, I’m discussing a physical macromolecular architecture present in the wine.  This has nothing to do with what MWs talk about the balance sucrosity, acidity, and astringency, a cognitive structure in your perceptive brain. Colloidal structure is really THERE, not just in your head.

What does that mean for wine? Well, properly structured wines display varietal fruit in the center of the aroma, supported by all of these aromatically integrated phenols, pyrazines, and so forth that are taking a back seat, acting in support to add richness and complexity to the aroma.

The properties of the well-structured wine include refined textures so we don’t have a harsh wine.

The finer the colloids, the more they support flavors rather than masking them. This understanding is captured in the French word finesse, which means “grace” (as it does in English), but also “fineness of texture.”

Many Wine fermentation tanksIf we have a proper structure, tannins won’t precipitate, so these characteristics will persist for decades, resulting in graceful longevity.

We are not managing aromatics simply by controlling composition.  We’re controlling the structure.  Don’t just farm for flavors, farm for building blocks: anthocyanins, co-factors, and tannin precursors.

No selective extraction. We want all the tannin we can get — guts, feathers and everything — because we know how to put that together into a refined architecture.

I love the mantra I learned from Randall Grahm, “I will fear no tannin.”

The co-pigmentation colloids that we want are more stable at low alcohol. Who knew? We avoid over-ripeness.

Healthy anti-oxidative power controls AcetobacterBrett can be outcompeted by a healthy microbiome such as you might foster in your garden or your body.

Instead of copper, an oxidation catalyst, we use enological oxygen to incorporate sulfides into the structures, transforming stink into silk. Miraculous!

33450874 - making wine with red grapesA sterile filtered wine can never be great. A beneficial microbiome will develop profound soulful bottle bouquet.

Our goal is not to make a clean wine, frozen in its development, but rather a wine that’s set up to have a natural development of aromatic greatness.

While Natural Wine’s blundering explorations help map location of land mines in the terrain of a Postmodernist revolution, they scarcely lead the way. In determining best élevage practices, their dogmatic extremist is about as useful as Christian Science research on effective medical protocols.

We’ll talk more about the politics of this paradigm shift in Indian Wells. See you there.

Clark’s session—The Postmodern View: Reconsidering Modern Winemaking Dogma—is scheduled for Wednesday, August 10th at 10:30 am as part the 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators, to be held August 10-11 in Coachella Valley (Indian Wells, CA).

 

 

Cracking the Crémant Code

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It’s such a great question for a wine exam…it might be worded something like this: “Which of the following regions all produce sparkling wine under a Crémant AOC?” The answer could include the following names: Alsace, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Jura, Limoux, Die, and the Loire.

As wine lovers, we all acknowledge there is (and will always be) only one Champagne, but we also know that many sparkling wines are produced in France—and some of these sparkling wines are entitled to use the term “Crémant” in the context of their AOC pedigree.

These crémants have a lot in common— the most important principle being that they must be produced using the Traditional (bottle-fermented) Method of sparkling wine production. In addition, they must all be aged for a minimum of 12 months post-tirage—including at least 9 months on the lees—and hand-harvesting is mandatory.  Beyond these basics, however, there is quite a bit of diversity in the crafting of crémant. Read on to find a few of these differences…you may find a new favorite wine, and you may glean some information that could prove to be useful on your next wine exam!

Christmas time at the Place Kléber in Strasbourg

Christmas time at the Place Kléber in Strasbourg

Crémant d’Alsace: Among students of wine, the Crémant d’Alsace AOC is remembered for being the only AOC in the region to allow the use of the Chardonnay grape (although Pinot Blanc is more likely to be found in your flute). Bubbly from Alsace is unique in that it allows for the use of an interesting array of grapes: white sparklers may be made using Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and/or Chardonnay; rosé (more typically) must be 100% Pinot Noir.

Crémant d’Alsace makes up a good proportion of the total output of wines from Alsace and typically accounts for anywhere from 20% to 25% of the total output of the region. These wines are widely distributed and relatively inexpensive. I often pick up a bottle of Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut N/V at my local “fancy” grocery store ($21.99 the last time I checked); this is a lovely, delicate wine with floral notes and fruity (apple, peach, pear, apricot) flavors made from 50% Pinot Blanc, 25% Pinot Gris, and 25% Riesling.

The Pont de Pierre ("stone bridge") over the Garonne River in Bordeaux

The Pont de Pierre (“stone bridge”) over the Garonne River in Bordeaux

Crémant de Bordeaux: Just a tiny bit of Crémant de Bordeaux is produced, particularly when you compare the 250 acres (110 ha) dedicated to producing Bordeaux bubbles—as compared to 300,000 acres (110,000 ha) for the whole region. However, the bubbly version is allowed to be produced anywhere within the confines of the larger Bordeaux AOC, so larger quantities are possible.

Crémant de Bordeaux is allowed to be produced using the standard grapes of the area—with a required minimum of 70% of the blend dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenère, Muscadelle, Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sauvignon Gris. The other 30% may also contain Colombard, Merlot Blanc, and/or Ugni Blanc. Crémant de Bordeaux may be white (blanc) or rosé.

Some of these wines make it to the US, and I’ve recently enjoyed Jaillance Cuvée “L’Abbaye” Crément de Bordeaux Sparkling Brut—a crisp, clean, fruity blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Cabernet Franc, purchased for around $17.00

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Crémant de Bourgogne: Crémant de Bourgogne may be produced anywhere within the Bourgogne wine region, and is often noted as a “replacement” wine for Champagne—for a few very good reasons. First, a good deal of the grapes used in Crémant de Bourgogne are grown in the Châtillonnais, in a group of vineyards clustered around the town of Châtillon-sur-Seine, located very close to the Aube department (and the southern boundary of the Champagne region).

In addition, the list of grapes allowed are similar (although not identical, as nothing in the world of wine is ever that simple) to those used in Champagne—including Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne, Sacy (a white grape also known as Tressallier), Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gamay. The final blend is required to contain a minimum of 30% (combined) Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and/or Pinot Noir; and Gamay is topped at a maximum allowance of 20%.  Crémant de Bourgogne may be either white or rosé.

These wines are usually easy to find in the larger US Markets; I often pick up Simonnet-Febvre Brut N/V Crémant de Bourgogne at my local “big box” wine and spirits store. This sparkler, produced from a traditional-sounding blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, is aged for 24 months on the lees. The result is an elegant wine with aromas and flavors of citrus, apple blossoms, green apples and brioche.

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Crémant de Die: Crémant de Die AOC is one of a group of AOCs—also including Châtillon-en-Diois, Coteaux de Die, and the slightly-sweet-and-slightly-bubbly Clairette de Die—located in the Drôme Département to the east of the Rhône River (and, latitudinally speaking, somewhat in-between the Northern and Southern Rhône).

Crémant de Die is only produced in a white (blanc) version, and must have no more than 1.5% residual sugar. Crémant de Die is typically based on the Clairette grape, with allowed inclusions of Aligoté as well as a maximum of 10% Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

Crémant du Jura: The Jura—known to most wine lovers as that obscure region between Burgundy and Switzerland—is recognized in particular for its biologically-aged VinJaune and its fortified MacVin du Jura. However, Traditional Method sparkling wines—both white and rosé—have been produced under the Crémant du Jura AOC since 1995. Still wines produced in the same area are labeled under the Côtes du Jura AOC.

The grapes allowed in Crémant du Jura include Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Poulsard (a dark-skinned red grape), Trousseau (a red grape also known as Bastardo), Chardonnay, and Savagnin.

The Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley

The Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley

Crémant de Loire: The Crémant de Loire AOC is considered to be a regional appellation of the Loire Valley, and while it is (along with Rosé de Loire) about as close as the area gets to a regional appellation, the bubbly wine is only allowed to be produced in the center part of the long and winding Loire Valley (equating to those areas covered by Anjou, Saumur, and Touraine).

Crémant de Loire may be produced in white and rosé versions. The list of approved grapes reads like the greatest hits of the Central Loire, and includes Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Orbois, Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc. Of these varieties, Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon are restricted to a maximum of 20% of the final blend.

Crémant de Limoux: Sparkling wines produced in the Languedoc have been bottled under the Crémant de Limoux AOC since 1990. These wines are probably going to remain less popular and less well-known than their cousins bottled under the terms Blanquette de Limoux or Vin Mousseux Blanc Méthode Ancestrale (part of the Limoux AOC). Crémant de Limoux wines have their own style, and are typically produced drier, aged longer, and always produced using the Traditional Method—as opposed to their more famous cousins.  Crémant de Limoux, which may be white or rosé, is produced using 50% to 90% Chardonnay, 10% to 40% Chenin Blanc, and allows for limited use of Mauzac and Pinot Noir.

A note on Savoie: As of the 2014 harvest, sparkling wines produced in the Savoie region can use the label term “Crémant de Savoie” – however, for now, the appellation is known as the Vin de Savoie AOC.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CSE, CWE…SWE’s Director of Education and Certification

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. 

Conference Highlights 2017: Piedmont History and Valpolicella Ripasso  

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!

Suzanne Hoffman

Suzanne Hoffman

A Taste of History: Piemonte Wines, Families, and the Historic Women behind them—presented by Valerie Caruso, CWE, FWS, and Suzanne Hoffman: This session was based, in part, on the stories and photography of the historic wine making families of Piedmont, as documented by Suzanne Hoffman in her book “Labor of Love: Wine Family Women of Piedmont.” Throughout the session attendees were delighted to hear Suzanne read some of the stories from her book, accompanied by delicious wines—as well as wine information and commentary from Valerie Caruso.

The families and wine estates discussed included Deltetto (and their Spumante Brut Reserve produced using Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir), Matteo Correggia (and their Roero Arneis), and Marenco (and their 100% Albarossa produced under the Piemonte DOC). For more information on the wines presented click here: Wines and Producers – A Taste of Piedmont History – Suzanne Hoffman and Valerie Caruso

Nora Favelukes

Nora Favelukes

Valpolicella Ripasso: A Fresh Look at this Unique Style—This session, presented by Nora Favelukes on Saturday afternoon, began with an overview of the Valpolicella Region. The area contains three distinct zones: Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Valpantena, and Valpolicella Orientali (sometimes referred to simply as “Valpolicella”). The area has 18,770 acres of vineyards and 2,347 grape growers.

The distinct “ripasso” style of Valpolicella is produced using a second fermentation (a “ripasso” or “re-pass”) of a newly-fermented Valpolicella wine on a bed of pomace left over from the fermentation of a Valpolicella wine that will become Recioto or Amarone. This unique style of wine received DOC (PDO) designation in 2010.

Further information on the grapes, terroir, and wine styles of the region was interspersed with tastings of Valpolicella Ripasso, which included such diverse wines as Cesari “Mara” 2015, Corte Figaretto “Acini Ameni” 2015, and Remo Fari “Montecornoa” 2014. For more information, see Nora’s presentation: Valpolicella Ripasso A Fresh Look at this Unique Style – presented by Nora Favelukes

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.

Conference Highlights 2017: Focus on New York State

Kathy Falbo

Kathy Falbo

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!

You had me at Merlot—presented by Kathy Falbo, CSW: This session began with an overview of both the Merlot grape variety (its name is French for “little black bird” and it is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux) and the Long Island Wine Region. Key facts about Long Island include its maritime climate, impressive size (118 miles long by 23 miles wide), diverse soils, and prime location at 43°N latitude.

All of this information was interspersed with comparative tastings the placed Merlot-based wines from Long Island against wines from of the world’s most impressive Merlot, including wines from Saint-Émilion, Columbia Valley, Sonoma County, and Green Valley (Solano County).  For more information, see Kathy’s presentation: You had me at Merlot – presented by Kathy Falbo

Bob Madill

Bob Madill, CS

The Finger Lakes on the Wild Side—presented by Lorraine Hems, CS, CWE, and Bob Madill, CS: On Friday morning, Lorraine and Bob began their session by describing the location, history, and terroir of the Finger Lakes wine region of New York. Many attendees were interested to learn that there are actually 11 Finger Lakes and that they vary quite a bit in depth, topography, and the soils that surround them.

One interesting factor in the climate—particularly around the deeper lakes such as Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake—is the influence of the “lake effect.” The lake effect (which can be “calculated” based on the distance from a Great Lake [Lake Ontario], the distance from a Finger Lake and the rise in elevation) helps moderate the potential extremes of the area’s mostly continent climate.

The Finger Lakes AVA currently has 9,500 acres of vines and more than 130 wineries. Only about 23% of the vines are planted to vinifera grapes—but of those, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir are among the leaders.  The session concluded with a tasting of some of the Finger Lakes finest wines, including a dry rosé from Billsboro Winery, a sparkling wine from Dr. Konstantin Frank, Bellangelo barrel-fermented Bench Riesling, and Red Newt Cellars “Limited Engagement” Gewürztraminer, among others. For more information, see Lorraine and Bob’s presentation: The Finger Lakes on the Wild Side—presented by Lorraine Hems and Bob Madill

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.

 

 

Conference Highlights 2017: Focus on Bordeaux

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!

Linda Lawry and Mary Gorman

Linda Lawry, DWS, CWE and Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW

Understanding and Comparing Recent Bordeaux Vintages—presented by Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW and Linda Lawry, DWS, CWE: Friday morning’s class on the recent Bordeaux vintages gave attendees the rare opportunity to compare and contrast wines from three Châteaux— Château Brown (Pessac-Léognan), Château Lafon-Rochet (4th Growth Saint-Estèphe), and Clos de l’Oratoire (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé)—across three vintages (2010, 2012, and 2014).

Mary and Linda led the class through the details of each vintage as pertains to the character of the growing season (rain, temperatures, vegetative cycle) and how those characteristics may have impacted with vines (large bunches vs. small bunches, degree of concentration, ripeness). Finally, it was revealed how the vintage conditions (along with winemaking, of course) could impact the wines, and the class was invited to “taste along” and see if they could detect the vintage character in the wines.  For more information on the vintages and the wines, see the session presentation: Understanding and Comparing Recent Bordeaux Vintages—presented by Mary Gorman-McAdams and Linda Lawry

Navigating the Changeable Bordeaux Classifications—presented by Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW and Linda Lawry, DWS, CWE: Thursday afternoon’s class on the classifications of Bordeaux began with an overview of the main versions—including the 1855 Classification of Médoc & Sauternes, the 1953 Graves Classification (updated in 1955), Saint Émilion Classification (1955), the Crus Bourgeois de Médoc, and the Crus Artisans du Médoc. Of these lofty groupings, the Saint Émilion Classification and the Crus Bourgeois de Médoc have the requirement to be updated at regular intervals. To a serious wine student, this sounds suspiciously like “it changes all the time!”

There is certainly some truth to that, but Mary and Linda spent the next hour or so discussing the history and philosophy behind these ever-changing classifications. The most recent changes were discussed in detail, and a tasting of representative wines accompanied the class. For all of the latest information on these ever-evolving classifications, as well as a list of the wines tasted, please see the presentation slides: Navigating the Changeable Bordeaux Classifications—presented by Mary Gorman-McAdams and Linda Lawry

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.

Conference Highlights 2017: All about Lodi

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!

Stuart Spencer

Stuart Spencer

100 Varieties of Lodi and Growing—presented by Stuart Spencer: This session began with an overview of Lodi grape growers, which today include over 85 wineries and 750 growers farming over 100 varieties of vinifera grapes on more than 110,000 acres of vineyards. The reasons that Lodi is able to grow so many difference grape varieties successfully include its Mediterranean Climate, its diverse soils, support for polyculture (diversity of agriculture),  and the innovative spirit of the growers.  The session next turned to a study and tasting of some of the more unique grapes of Lodi, including Vermentino, Picpoul Blanc, Kerner, Albariño, Cinsaut, Graciano, and Toreldego (among others). For more information, see Stuart’s presentation here: 100 Varieties of Lodi and Counting-presented by Stuart Spencer and the Lodi Winegrape Commission

Lodi Native—presented by Stuart Spencer: The Lodi Native project is a collaborative project of six winegrowers of like mind, living and working in the Lodi AVA—particularly Lodi’s historic Mokelumne River sub-AVA.  Their mission is to turn the spotlight on the region’s heritage plantings—many of them dating back to the late 1800s—through sensible viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices. The focus is on Zinfandel, but on the taste of vineyards rather than varietal character or brand.

The detailed list of winemaking protocols is intended to keep the focus on sensible viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices, and include the following: native yeast fermentation, no acidification or de-acidification, no use of oak amendments (such as dust, chips, or staves), no new oak, no use of Mega-purple, and no tannin additions (among many others). For more information, see Stuart’s presentation here: Lodi Native-presented by Stuart Spencer and the Lodi Winegrape Commission

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.

Conference Highlights 2017: Rosé, Sparklers, and the Nectar of the Gods!

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!

Rosé, Brosé, Frosé class

Rosé, Brosé, Frosé class

Rosé, Brosé, Frosé!!! New to rosé? Get Familiar with some of the Basics—presented by Sharron McCarthy, CSW: On Saturday morning, Sharron McCarthy, CSW presented a session highlighting high-quality rosé wines from around the world. The session started with the facts and stats that prove that rosé is clearly positioned as a segment leader and a growing market. For instance, as concerns rosé, according to Nielsen, rosé outpaces the overall wine category for the summer of 2017, and the trend is predicted to extend well beyond the summer.

As for brosé, according to columnist Richard Whitman, “Despite rumors to the contrary, manly men drink rosé!” And who can resist frozen rosé—frosé—the hottest new drink of the season!

The discussion moved to the many ways rosé is produced, including maceration, vin gris, saignée, and blending; as well as a discussion of some of the many leading rosé-producing regions of the world. The tasting included a variety of rosé wines produced using a range of grape varieties and production methods, and included rosés from all over the world. For a list of the wines and more information, see Sharron’s presentation: Rose, Brose, Frose – presented by Sharron McCarthy, CSW

The line-up of New Wave California Boutique Sparkling Wines

The line-up of New Wave California Boutique Sparkling Wines

The New Wave of Boutique California Sparkling Wines—presented by David Glancy, MS: Friday afternoon, David Glancy, MS gave a fascinating session on the “new wave” of boutique sparkling wines being produced in California. The session started with a history of sparkling wine in California, which began (amazingly enough) with Agostin Haraszthy, who built California’s first ʺChampagne Cavesʺ in Sonoma County 1862, and Paul Masson, who was known as the “Champagne King of California” beginning in 1905.

The discussion then turned to the wave of French investment in California sparkling wines with such examples of Moët & Chandon (Chandon based in California), G.H. Mumm & Co (Mumm Napa), Louis Roederer (Roederer Estate), and Taittinger (Domaine Carneros). Historic California “born and bred” sparkling wine producers—still producing outstanding wines—include Schramsberg, Iron Horse, and Scharffenberger.

The tasting portion of the class included some unique wines—a sparkling Tempranillo from  Capay Valley Vineyards (located in Yolo County’s Capay Valley AVA) and Flying Goat Crémant 2014 Brut (known as “Goat Bubbles) from Santa Maria Valley in San Luis Obispo County. Other outstanding wines included   Riverbench Blanc de Blancs Brut (Santa Maria Valley) 2014 produced using 100% Chardonnay, and Sea Smoke Blanc de Noirs Brut (Sta. Rita Hills) 2013 produced using 100% Pinot Noir. For more details on the session and the wines, see David’s presentation: The New Wave of California Boutique Sparkling Wines – presented by David Glancy

Ed Korry, CHE, CWE, CSS

Ed Korry, CHE, CWE, CSS

Dessert Wines: Nectar of the Gods—presented by Ed Korry, CHE, CWE, CSS:  On Saturday afternoon, Ed Korry, CHE, CWE, CSS presented a fascinating session on dessert wines. Starting with a discussion of the various production styles that produce dessert wines—including late harvest, dosage, arresting fermentation, ice wine, botrytis, and others—the session then moved on to a tasting and discussion of nine dessert wines. The first wine, Czar de José Duarte DOP Pico Vinho Licoroso 2009 Superior Meio Doce, was introduced by a discussion on the Pico DOP and the definition of vihho licoroso (as produced in the Pico DOP).

The next wine, Domaine Monemvassia PDO Malvasia Monemvassia-Malvasia 2010 (Greece) was preceded by a discussion on the history and progreny of the Malvasia grape variety. With just over 9,000 total bottles of the wine produced, this was a special tasting indeed.

The session continued on with the tasting of several Malvasia-based wines, including examples from Lipari (Italy) and Sitges (Spain). Other tastings and areas of discussion included Madeira and the sweet wines of the Roussillon. For more information, see Ed’s presentation: Nectar of the Gods-presented by Ed Korry

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.

Conference Highlights 2017: Sicily, Alsace, and the Côte d’Or

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!

Paul Poux, CSW

Paul Poux, CSW

Sicily: Past, Present, and Future—presented by Paul Poux, CSW: Paul’s Saturday morning session began with the history of Sicily, from the Romans through the Byzantines and the Bourbons and all the way up to the Kingdom of Italy. Wine production, of course, was a part of all of this history, and this has resulted in Sicily as a leader in Italian wine production—the fourth-largest producer of wine in all of Italy’s twenty regions.

After this introduction, the wine tasting portion of the session began, starting with a selection of delightful white wines made from mostly local white grapes, including Catarratto, Grillo, Zibibbo, and Carricante. Geographical indications included the Sicily (Sicilia) DOC and Contea di Sclafani DOC as well as several IGTs.  The next wines, mostly reds, included those made from the following interesting grapes: Frappato, Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Perricone. The red tasting included wines from the Sicily (Sicilia), Noto, and Etna Rosso DOCs.

For more details on the presentation and the wines, see Paul’s presentation here: Sicily-Past Present and Future-presented by Paul Poux

Michael Schafer, CSW

Michael Schafer, CSW

Amazing Alsace—presented by Michael Schafer, CSW: Bright and early Friday morning, Michael Schafer, CSW presented a session on the Amazing wines of Alsace. The session began with the story of the history of the Alsace area, from the “golden age” of 1600s, through the tumultuous times surrounding the World Wars, to liberation and the present day. The story of the wines of Alsace—the vineyards, the wine route, the terroir, and the AOCs—followed. Next, the specific styles of wine produced in Alsace—from Alsace AOC, Crémant d’Alsace, Vendage Tardive,  and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) to Alsace Grand Cru. For more information, as well as a listing of the spectacular wines, see Michael’s presentation: Amazing Alsace-presented by Michael Schafer, CSW

Don Kinnan, CSS, CWE

Don Kinnan, CSS, CWE

Exploring the Backroads of the Côte d’Or (part 2)—presented by Don Kinnan, CSS, CWE: Back by popular demand, Don Kinnan, CSS, CWE brought us another installment of his journey along the “backroads” of the wine and regions of the Côte d’Or. Don led the class on a tour that began in the village of Monthélie, located somewhat between Meursault and Volnay. The next stops included Auxey-Duresses (often described as a “junior Meursault”), Saint-Aubin (bordering both Puligny- and Chassagne-Montrachet), and Santenay (one of the Côte d’Or’s southernmost wine villages).

For more details, including information on the wines and producers featured in this session, see Don’s presentation: The Backroads of la Cote d’Or – presented by Don Kinnan

We will be posting many more conference recaps in the days to come, and will create a permanent record of them here.