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Today we have a preview of a session to be presented during SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, which will take place on August 14-16, 2019 in Washington, DC. Our guest author is Susannah Gold, who tells us about an upcoming session entitled “Discover the Liquid Gold from Lugana.” Susannah Gold, CSW, CSS, DipWSET, is the founder of Vigneto Communications and East Coast Brand Ambassador for Lugana.

Lugana, the topic of one of the seminars at this year’s Society of Wine Educators conference is a white wine from Lake Garda that is making waves throughout the US and other countries in addition to having a strong showing at home in Italy. A smallish region with over 200 producers, on the Southern shore of Lake Garda, Lugana has seen incredible growth in the last years increasing by 8.6% in 2018 and now producing about 17.5 million bottles a year.  This level of growth is thanks to the quality and versatility of the wines but also to the strength of the promotional activities that Lugana has undertaken in the past years. The consortium, which was formed in 1990, has set its’ sights on the US market and is frequently present both on the East and West coast.

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The Lugana DOC is one of a handful of denominations that are part of two regions. Lugana has territory both in Lombardy and in the Veneto.  All Lugana comes from the area on the Southern shore of Lake Garda and grows between 50 to 150 meters above sea level. The soils vary slightly depending on proximity to the lake but the whole area is a moraine or the remains of a glacier. Different sections have more clay and others more sand. Desenzano, Sirmione, Pozzolengo and Lonato are all main cities around the vineyards of Lugana and all fall within the province of Brescia. Peschiera del Garda is the only principal town in the region in the Veneto. However, 60% of Lugana is produced in the Veneto even though more vineysrds are located in Lombardy. This is because much Lugana is bottled and sold by Veneto based producers.

The wines are all made with the Turbiana grape, also known as Trebbiano di Lugana. After much back and forth, Turbiana is generally accepted to be a biotype of Verdicchio from Le Marche and Trebbiano di Soave, one of the grapes used to make Soave. According to the rules for making Lugana, the wine must be 90% made from the Turbiana grape. Some 10% of the wine can be made from other local white grapes, as long as they are not aromatic whites, although the tendency is to make the wines using 100% Turbiana. Lugana is made in five styles – sparkling, standard, superiore (one year of aging), riserva,(two years of aging, at least six months in the bottle) and late harvest. Most of what is seen in the United States is the standard fresh version. Much Lugana is vinified in stainless steel although some do use oak for aging for the superior and riserva versions.

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Lugana often finishes all of the wines it has to offer by July during the harvest year.  Make no mistake though, Lugana like its sister wine Verdicchio, is a white wine that can age.  Many producers have started to hold back some of the wines to see how it evolves in the cellar. Thanks to its salinity and acidity as well as its residual sugar component, Lugana can pair well with a host of dishes and cuisines. This year alone has seen Lugana in Japan, Eastern Europe, the USA, Paris, London and Germany—it’s most important export market. Lugana exports up to 70% of its wines a year.

2019 has been a great year for wines from Lake Garda in general and Lugana in particular. Lago di Garda was nominated to be one of the ten top destinations by Wine Enthusiast magazine.  Don’t miss an occasion to try wines from the Lugana DOC and/or to visit the region. You will surely be wonderfully surprised by its beauty and these great wines.

“Discover the Liquid Gold from Lugana” will be presented at 2:45 on Wednesday, August 14^th as part of SWE’s 43^rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington, DC.

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About the speaker: Luca Formentini, is the 4th generation in the wine sector of a family who had their 100th grape harvest in 2017. He started working in the industry at 19 and was the youngest president of a consortium in Italy. He has been the President of the Consortium of San Martino della Battaglia, the Vice President of the Consortium of Garda Classico and has been the President of the Lugana Consortium for the last seven years. He has also been the President and was a founder of the Strade dei Vini del Garda. Luca has always devoted time to associations and volunteering with groups that aim to product the environment, the landscape and the area of Garda. He is also an active musician and composer of contemporary music. Luca is the proud father of an 11-year-old girl.

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Today we have a preview of a session to be presented during SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, which will take place on August 14-16, 2019 in Washington, DC. Our guest author is Allison Jordan, who—along with Mollie Battenhouse, MW—is co-leading a conference session entitled “The California Table – Wine Leads the Way in Sustainable Agriculture.”

Consumers, retailers and restaurants are increasingly interested in how their food and wine is grown and made. In fact, 2019 consumer research by Wine Intelligence – commissioned by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and partner organizations from New York, Oregon and Washington – indicates high interest in purchasing sustainably produced wine in the future, a favorable perception of sustainable certification programs and certification logos, and a willingness to pay more for sustainably produced wine, particularly by Millennials and Gen Z. For instance, Millennials lead the way in purchasing from sustainably and environmentally produced wine, and nine in 10 indicated that they are “willing to pay” more for sustainably produced wine. U.S wine consumers indicated they would be “willing to pay” an average of $3 extra value for a sustainably produced wine. In addition, younger consumers (Millennials and Gen Z of legal drinking age) are significantly more engaged with sustainability, viewed as increasingly important to protect the future, and indicate that sustainable wine certifications have a strong appeal.

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But do consumers even understand what sustainable winegrowing is? How do sustainable practices impact wine quality? What role does certification play? And can wine educators and trade explain it in less than 30 seconds?

For nearly two decades, California vineyards and wineries have been leaders in the sustainable agriculture movement, with 85% of California wine now made in a Certified California Sustainable Winery. Other specialty crops in the state are also embracing sustainability. Join Allison Jordan and Mollie Battenhouse as they share insights about the sustainable wine and food movement in California and beyond; explore the link between sustainable practices and wine quality; reveal new domestic and international consumer research findings; and convey trade tips for communicating sustainability to consumers.

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California food and wine’s commitment to environmentally and socially responsible agriculture is documented in a new book, Wine Country Table – Recipes Celebrating California’s Sustainable Harvest, which provides a culinary tour of California by region highlighting the state’s vintners and farmers, their amazing stories, commitment to land stewardship and sustainable practices, along and 50 recipes paired with wine. Mollie and Allison will also lead a tasting of wines from a half dozen wineries featured in Wine Country Table:*

1. Handley Cellars │ 2016 Brut Rose Estate Vineyard
2. Tablas Creek │ 2017 Cotes de Tablas Blanc
3. Cambria Estate Winery │ 2017 Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay
4. Chamisal Vineyards │ 2017 Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir
5. Ridge Vineyards │ 2017 East Bench Zinfandel
6. Turley Wine Cellars │ 2016 Turley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

*Each member of the audience will receive a complimentary copy of Wine Country Table – Recipes Celebrating California’s Sustainable Harvest, written by Janet Fletcher with photography by Robert Holmes and Sara Remington and published by Rizzoli New York in 2019.

Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

About the speaker: Allison Jordan:  Allison Jordan is Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and Vice President, Environmental Affairs for Wine Institute, where she is responsible for oversight of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program and Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE). Jordan represents Wine Institute on the National Grape Research Alliance board of directors and the California Environmental Dialogue Plenary. Previously, she was a Senior Associate at SureHarvest and Vice President and Acting Executive Director of Resource Renewal Institute. Jordan holds a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School at UC Berkeley and a Psychology B.A. from Allegheny College, and is a fellow in the German Marshall Fund’s American Marshall Memorial Fellowship program. Jordan and her husband are founding partners of Giordano Bros., a San Francisco restaurant group.

Mollie Battenhouse, MW, Jackson Family Wines

About the speaker: Mollie Battenhouse, MW:  Mollie Battenhouse graduated cum laude from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, but the pace and energy of restaurants beckoned, and she made it her mission to assemble a stellar resume. She enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America and graduated at the top of her class. She would go on to work at acclaimed restaurants like Payard Patisserie and Bistro and Pondicherry in New York City. Battenhouse’s move into wine began with a part-time job at Joshua Wesson’s Best Cellars wine shop in Manhattan. Battenhouse found her home in wine at the store; what started as a part-time gig turned into an eight-year tenure. She returned to the restaurant world to work as head sommelier at Tribeca Grill, where she was responsible for maintaining a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine list.

Following Tribeca Grill, Mollie moved to the distribution side of the business, and became the Director of Sales and Business Development for V.O.S. Selections in New York and New Jersey. The Education side of the business came calling, and Mollie went to work for Jackson Family Wines in 2016, where she is currently the National Director of Wine Education.

“Sustainable Winegrowing in California” will be presented on Friday, August 16, 2019, at 3:00 pm as part of SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, which will take place on August 14-16, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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Today we have a preview of a session to be presented by Dr. Lucia Volk as part of  SWE’s 43^rdAnnual Conference, to be held on August 14^th through 16^th in Washington, DC. Lucia is one of SWE’s most experienced and beloved online presenters, as well as a full-time teaching professor! Read on as Lucia tells us about her upcoming session… 

If you have been reading wine journals and blogs lately you may have noticed that everybody is talking about Uruguay.  The second smallest Latin American country, sandwiched between the two giants Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay has made enormous strides in the past two decades, producing internationally competitive, fresh and delicious wines, both as blends and single variety wines.

Lighthouse near Punta del Este, Uruguay

Uruguay has caused a stir in the premium wine segment with its signature grape, Tannat, vinified in a dizzying array of styles.  It is also stepping forward with crisp, aromatic whites—from Albariño to Viognier, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc, and more.  The vast majority of wineries are family-owned, looking back on multiple generations of talent and tradition. If you are lucky and can visit the properties in person, you will find each winemaker ready to tell you their story.  Each has their own passion and drive, and as a result, each Uruguayan wine has a unique personality.

Uruguay is a stunning country. Not only is the air clean and the water pure, 95% of its energy comes from renewable sources. The beef Uruguay produces and exports to the rest of the world is pasture-raised, hormone-free, and traceable by chip to the piece of land on which it grazed. Uruguay has some of the best BBQ in the world.

The national drink is mate tea, which requires that everyone carries around with them a mug with mate leaves and a thermos with hot water to keep refilling the mug. Uruguayans drink mate all day, ideally in good company.  Some speculate that there is a link between the bitter tea leaves and the tannic wines Uruguayans imbibe.

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Tannat is one of the most tannic grape varieties we know, which has some proclaim that Tannat is the healthiest wine you can drink!

There is no other wine that delivers more anti-oxidants per ounce, thanks to an incredibly thick skin and extra pips inside each grape. Tannat’s original home is in the Pyrenees and Southwest France, where French vignerons produced very tight, grippy, structured wines of bracing acidity.  The bottles required extended aging before they could be enjoyed.

With new wine-making technologies—such as shorter maceration at cooler temperatures or fermentation without skins—modern Tannats have a softer feel and taste to them.

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Not everyone approves of the innovations: Uruguayan winemaker Daniel Pisano recently said in an interview that Tannat has the strength and personality of a thoroughbred, and “If you don’t like the nerve of that kind of horse, buy yourself a pony.”

The Wines of Uruguay seminar will give you an excellent opportunity to see what kind of horse you like.  We will taste single variety Tannat as well as Tannat blends.  And we will go beyond Tannat to showcase some other wines you might want to pour at your next dinner. Lucia Volk, PhD and CWE, was able to travel to Uruguay and meet many of the winemakers whose wines we will be tasting. She reported about her trip in this blog post a year ago.  You do not want to miss this first-ever SWE Conference seminar about Uruguay!

Lucia’s session—The Wines of Uruguay: Tannat and Beyond—will be presented on Wednesday, August 14 2019, as part of as part of the Society of Wine Educators’ 43^rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to provide a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

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Today we have a conference preview from Alan Tardi. In this post, Alan tells us about his upcoming session entitled “Meunier: The Black Sheep of Champagne.” Alan’s session is offered as part SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held August 14 – 16 in Washington DC.

Meunier Steps Into the Spotlight

It happens with grapevines much as it happens with people: a handful of well-known celebrities attract all the attention and steal the show wherever they go while many others languish in the shadows. There is usually a good explanation for this: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are rock stars; everyone loves them, and they have a propensity to make superlative wines most everywhere grapevines are grown. More power to them (as if they needed it)!

Photo via http://champagnemoussefils.com/en/

But sometimes the quirky, less effusive, less generic, less esteemed, sadly overlooked varieties actually have something genuinely worthwhile and thoroughly unique to bring to the table. And getting to know them can be quite enjoyable.

The very large category of overlooked grapes can be divided into two basic groups: truly obscure varieties of uncertain parentage that play a minor—though, some would say, still significant—role even in their primary areas of origin (Petit Meslier and Arbanne in Champagne, for example), and those that are well-established members of their vinous communities and play a notable role in their region’s wine production, but are nevertheless marginalized and treated as second-class citizens.

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Malbec, a historically important but largely anonymous player in Bordeaux and Cahors, was a good example of this subgroup before it gained international prestige as the red grape of Argentina. And Meunier is another.

Pinot Meunier is, as its name suggests, an offspring mutation of Pinot Noir, as is Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, which are also approved varieties in Champagne. But unlike the other members of this well-endowed, genetically close-knit but extremely mutable family, Pinot Meunier has not expanded very far outside its area of origin, much less achieved anything close to the star-status of its close relatives.

Though this might be looked upon as a flaw from a commercial standpoint or a major shortcoming for one with international superstar aspirations, it does suggest a special and extremely close affinity with the winegrowing region of Champagne.

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It is difficult to determine exactly why, how, when, or where a grape mutation takes place, but it seems likely that the “floury” mutation of Pinot took place on Champagne soil, specifically in the Vallée de la Marne. If true, this would make Meunier the true native son of Champagne (or rather native daughter, since in French the vine is feminine).

Long overshadowed by and openly derided as inferior to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier—or simply Meunier, as the Champenois prefer to call it—has played an important, perhaps even critical, role in Champagne for nearly four centuries. Today it occupies a full third of plantings in the region, and in the 1950s made up nearly 50%!

The Meunier vine buds later and ripens earlier than the other two, making is less prone to devastating frosts which have long been the scourge of this extreme northern growing area, and it is also more resistant to harmful maladies like powdery mildew, downy mildew, coulure and millerandage. To put it bluntly, Meunier has saved Champagne producers’ butts over and over again.

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Up until fairly recently, the vast majority of champagne was a harmonious blend of grape varieties and here too, Meunier played an essential but largely unacknowledged role part by contributing fleshy body, fresh ripe fruit, and a pleasant down-to-earthiness to complement Pinot Noir’s firm structure and Chardonnay’s finesse and dazzle. But Meunier can also stand all on its own and, if taken seriously and given the chance, demonstrate facets of Champagne that the others simply can’t.

All this means nothing more (or less) than the fact that the Meunier grape can provide a different, deeper insight into one of the most illustrious wines and winegrowing regions of the world. But how can you get to know what it might offer, whether on its own or in a classic cuvée blend, if you can’t taste it?

Thanks to a small group of winegrowers who have long nurtured the Meunier vine and believed in its potential notwithstanding its second-class status, and a growing number of consumers who are open to and looking for something a bit different, Meunier is finally getting its turn in the spotlight. And here is the chance to get to know it for yourself.

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My session, Meunier: The Black Sheep of Champagne will be offered at the Society of Wine Educators 43^rd annual conference on August 15, and will include the extraordinary opportunity of tasting nine 100% Meunier wines of Champagne side by side, from four different producers and terroirs in a variety of styles and typologies: red, white and rosé; still (Coteaux Champenois) and sparkling; single-vineyard, perpetual reserve and fortified (ratafia).

This experience will give participants a better understanding of a long underrated grape variety and an entirely different perspective on a wine and a wine-growing region we hold so dearly—Champagne.

A very special thanks to the wineries, and their US importer-distributors, whose generous collaboration has made this presentation possible:

• Geoffroy
• Laherte Frères
• Moussé Fils
• Champagne Salmon
• Skurnik Wines
• Williams Corner Wine
• Polaner Selections

About the speaker: Alan Tardi, former NYC chef and restaurateur, has long worked as a freelance journalist authoring articles about wine and food for numerous publications including The New York Times, Wine & Spirits Magazine, The Wine Spectator, Decanter, Sommelier Journal, and Food Arts. His new book, “Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and the Timeless Allure of the World’s Most Celebrated Drink” (Hachette/PublicAffairs 2016) recently won a Gourmand Best in the World Award in the French Wine category.

Alan’s session, “Meunier: The Black Sheep of Champagne ” will be held on Thursday, August 15 at 8:45 am as part of the Society of Wine Educator’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to share a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

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Today we have a preview of a session to be presented at SWE’s 43^rd Annual Conference, to be held on August 14^th through 16^th in Washington, DC. Read on as Chef Yvette Bonanno Tharp and Ms. Pam Kindel Connors tell us about their upcoming session…

Join us at our upcoming conference session “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!  From Cane to Glass to Table”.  We look forward to taking you on an exciting journey through the only single estate award winning rum distillery in the United States, Cane Land Distilling’s Three Roll Estate.

The idea was sparked when Yvette and her husband attended a wedding in Guatemala for the daughter of Ron Zacapa Rum.  The Zacapa’s were intrigued as to why they were not producing rum as the Tharp family of Louisiana owns the 3^rd largest sugar mill producer in the country, “Alma Sugar Plantation”.  Since 1859, the family stems from a long line of sugar cane farmers and Alma is 1 of only 11 sugar mills in south Louisiana today that has remained in production.  You will learn a little history on south Louisiana’s unique climate and terroir which has led them to be so successful in the sugar industry, producing the highest quality sugar that goes into making exceptional rum!

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Chef Yvette and Pam are going to delight your palate with a tasting of the Master Distillers unique line up of “Three Roll Estate” rums.   There we will reveal the secret ingredient within the production process which makes the rum so special and how the name “Three Roll” came about.  Then put your mixology skills into play with some of the distilleries famous rum cocktail recipes while sampling these creations and of course discussing fun food pairing ideas.  Since Cane Land Distilling opened 2 years ago in March of 2017, the rums have received much press and numerous awards.  Among them include the 2018 Rum Renaissance Festival XP Gold Award for both their Rum Agricole and their White Rum.  Cane Lands Red Stick Rum also earned the 2018 Double Gold Award at the San Diego Spirits Festival International Spirits Competition while their cachaca-inspired Brazilian-style Rum took home the Bronze.

Not long after the distillery opened, Yvette put her culinary expertise to work on creating ancillary food products to include her now famous Praline Rum Cakes and Spiced Rum Pecans utilizing their signature rums.  As Louisiana is also known for their “Bergeron Pecans” it was only natural to partner up with them and they are conveniently located not far from the Alma sugar plantation where the distillery also sources all of its sugar, molasses and cane juice.  It is important to Yvette to support local farmers and the economy.  Thus, everything about Cane Land Distilling and their food products is all about Louisiana making them certified “Louisiana Farm to Table.”

In the festive style of which Louisiana is known, do not be surprised if we should also partake in some good old-fashioned Cajun music during this spirited session.  Come join us for a true “Cane to Glass to Table” experience and Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

About the session: Chef Yvette Bonanno Tharp and Ms. Pam Kindel Connors will present “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler—From Cane to Glass to Table” on Friday, August 16 (2019) as part of the Society of Wine Educators’ 43^rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to provide a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

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Today we have a conference preview from David Glancy, MS, CWE, FWS, CSS. In this post, David tells us about his upcoming session—entitled “New and Pending California AVAs and Trends”—covering the latest news (and there is a lot) of the wines of California. David’s session will be offered as part SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held August 14 – 16 in Washington DC.

California wine is easy, the grape’s on the label, right? Wrong! The only constant is change and California wine country is more diverse and complex than most realize. Many of you studying for CWE, WSET, MS, MW and WSG programs spend far more time dissecting the minutiae of European wine regions than those in your own backyard.

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The basics of AOs versus AVAs is lost on many people and in fact I almost never hear anyone discussing AOs. I have heard very advanced wine industry people talking about counties that are AVAs. Well, there are none, they are separate things. A county, state or country can be an Appellation of Origin and an American Viticultural Area is a more specific type of AO with more strict labeling requirements. Some confusion has been created by the approval of the Mendocino AVA inside Mendocino County, Monterey AVA in Monterey County and San Benito AVA in San Benito County. But to be clear, these AVAs are all significantly smaller than the county lines (the AOs).

There have been a tremendous number of new AVAs approved in recent years. California has 139 AVAs and 26 of them were approved 2011-2018, a 23 percent increase. 5 regions have also mandated Conjunctive Labeling. Are all of these AVAs meaningful? What are the climates, soils, predominant grapes and most important wineries? Chances are most people have not seen a label with the AVA names Los Olivos District or Petaluma Gap on it.

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Is this AVA expansion slowing down? I don’t think so. There are also 9 pending AVAs in California alone. Who knows how many are being discussed but not yet submitted to the Tax & Trade Bureau? West Sonoma Coast is expected to be finalized any day, while San Luis Obispo Coast is in the back of the line. It will be interesting to conjecture about where the next AVAs might or should be.

At least AVAs are much simpler to understand than AOCs, DOCGs, DOs, DACs, etc.. Well, there are now a few California regions with Old World style rules with trademarked label terms that include strict regulations. We will discuss and taste selections from Coro Mendocino, Lodi Native and the Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah bottle mold.

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The launch of the CSWA Sustainable Wine logo is also new. We will see and taste an example of this, also. Well, we won’t actually taste the label. There are also perhaps a dozen new grape varieties in the ground over the last 20 years. This CA update will cover those and discuss where these and other new grapes are best suited. Climate change has to be part of the agenda and if there are any grapes that will likely decline. There have also been excise tax changes that might end up impacting labeling laws. Competition has also changed with commercial wineries in all 50 United States and a handful of them expanding at a faster rate than California. China has had a meteoric rise in its acreage and production and Trade wars have also impacted California’s foreign markets. This conference session is only 75 minutes long so register for conference, sign up for my session, and buckle up for a ride through what’s new and pending in California wine!

About the speaker: David Glancy, MS, CWE, FWS, CSS founded the San Francisco Wine School in 2011 to create the ideal educational setting from the ground up. He is one of only twelve people in the world to hold both the revered Master Sommelier diploma and Certified Wine Educator credential. A certified French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Professional, and Certified Specialist of Spirits, Glancy has earned the credential for every program he teaches, and more. In 2012 he created the California Wine Appellation Specialist program and credential to fill a glaring void in the educational market. David’s session, “New and Pending California AVAs and Trends ” will be held on Friday, August 16 at 1:15 pm as part of the Society of Wine Educator’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to share a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Autumn in Franschhoek— Photo Credit: Eddie Wilson/WOSA

Today we have a conference preview from Jim Clarke, Marketing Manager with Wines of South Africa (WOSA). In this post, Jim tells us about his upcoming session on the history of South African wine production, entitled “South Africa: Wine from before America’s Birth.” Jim’s session is offered as part SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held August 14 – 16 in Washington DC.

One reductive—but nonetheless useful—cliché about South African wine is that it is “a little bit Old World, a little bit New.” This reflects two realities. One is that in character, as much as one can still speak of Old World and New World traits in wine, South Africa’s wines often fall somewhere in between. A typical South African Sauvignon Blanc, for example, would not be likely to mistaken for a Marlborough sample of the same variety, nor would one think it was a Sancerre; instead, its character would have aspects of both. The other reality reflected in this commonplace is South Africa’s lengthy history with growing winegrapes. The nation celebrated its 360^th vintage this year.

In fact, by the time our own country was struggling for its independence, South African wines were being celebrated in the courts of Europe, or at least one of them—Constantia—was. It owes its existence to Simon van der Stel, the son of a Dutch East India Company official and an Indian woman whose mother had been a slave. Van der Stel would follow in his father’s footsteps as a Company administrator. In 1679 the Company made him the tenth commander of the Cape Colony, and later promoted him to the newly created position of governor.

Groot Constantia Old Cellar—Photo Credit: Groot Constantia/WOSA

In 1685 the Commissioner of the Company, Hendrik Adriaan Van Rheede, visited the Cape. Impressed by Van der Stel’s work, he granted the Commander title to a piece of land; typically this was forbidden, to prevent conflicts between the Commander’s own interests and those of the Company. Van der Stel named the 763 hectare estate Constantia, apparently after the Commissioner’s daughter; a savvy “thank you” for a large and well-situated piece of property.

Van der Stel planted approximately 100,000 vines on the property. His interest in wine was not new; he had owned two vineyards in Holland, and he apparently brought cuttings with him from Europe when he took his post. Upon his arrival, he had been unimpressed with the wines he found at the Cape. While the Colony had been making wine for twenty years and vineyard plantings had expanded, there were few people with any real winemaking experience. Van der Stel cited unripe grapes and unsanitary barrels as the main offenders to wine quality in the Cape, and imposed fines on those who harvested too early or used inadequate vessels. He applied these sensibilities to his own property, and his wines were well-regarded. In 1699 he retired to live at Constantia full-time, and passed away there in 1712.

Groot Constantia vineyards looking over Cape Town—Photo Credit: Groot Constantia/WOSA/Graeme Robinson

The Constantia estate was sold at auction upon his death, and broken into three parts. A gentleman named Johannes Colijn eventually took ownership of Klein Constantia (a different portion of the original than today’s Klein Constantia, actually) and established an export market. By the 1730s he was finding it difficult to meet demand; fortunately, the larger Groot Constantia property was available for purchase, and he arranged for his brother-in-law to do so. For the next several decades the properties would operate more-or-less as one. By the 1740s Constantia’s sweet wines, made from red and white Muscat, were valuable enough for counterfeits were becoming a problem.

Constantia survives today as a region, but several estates include portion of the original property: Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, and Constantia Uitsig. Other vineyards around the base of Table Mountain, closer to Table Bay, have not survived. For the most part they have been swallowed up by Cape Town’s suburbs, one of which, Wynberg, or “Wine Mountain” at least acknowledges that history. The Company Gardens, where grapes were first planted in 1655, are a public park.  A girl’s school and the University of Cape Town occupy the grounds where Rustenberg, as the second Company farm was called, and Bosheuvel, made wine. But many properties further inland have survived.

Estates further from the city in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek still thrive. One of the oldest estates actually shares the Rustenberg name. On the slopes of Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch (both maned for Simon Van Der Stel), the property has been home to vineyards since 1682. On the far side of the Simonsberg, Jean Le Long, a French Huguenot, founded Boschendal in 1685, and began growing grapes there six years later. Le Long predates the arrival of 200 French Huguenots that began in 1688 – refugees fleeing persecution after Louis the XVI revoked the Edict of Nantes.

Rust en Vrede Cape Dutch Building—Photo Credit: Charmaine Greiger/WOSA

These Huguenots provided an influx of winemaking talent. The extent of their influence may be exaggerated—not all were from the wine-growing regions of France—but at least a few seem to have succeeded and even surpassed their Dutch-descent neighbors in winegrowing. Bellingham (originally “Bellinchamp” or “pretty fields”), La Motte, and several other farms are rooted in this immigration. The Dutch had their own successes at the end of the 17^th century; Vergelegen and Rust En Vrede owe their starts to Simon Van Der Stel’s son, Willem Adriaan, though he eventually left the Cape under a cloud. Greedier than his father, he fell prey to the conflict between personal enrichment and the good of the Colony, the very conflict his father had avoided.

Each of these classic properties has their own story, contributing to the history of South African wine as a whole. Meerlust, Vergelegen’s neighbor, dates to 1693, but what we remember now is the 1980 creation of Rubicon, the Bordeaux blend that helped crack a preference for varietal wines and showed these sorts of blends could be among South Africa’s best. Bellingham created South Africa’s first varietal Shiraz, well before it became the Cape’s second most-planted red variety and the dominant variety of cutting edge regions like the Swartland. Rustenberg’s red blend was a gold standard for much of the twentieth century; today, young winemakers are embracing its unusual blend, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, with renewed interest. With all the interest South Africa’s “young gun” producers are generating today, few of with them would deny they’re part of a long history of intrepid winemakers.

Jim’s session, “South Africa: Wine from before America’s Birth” will be held on Wednesday, August 14 at 1:00 pm as part of the Society of Wine Educator’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to share a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

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Today we have a conference preview from Alan Tardi. In this post, Alan tells us about his upcoming session on Nebbiolo-based wines entitled “Noble Nebbiolo.” He even gives us a sneak peak at the amazing wines that will be served. Alan’s session is offered as part SWE’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held August 14 –  16 in Washington DC.

In Vino Nobils?

While it is often challenging to articulate wine in words, the term ‘noble’ is a particularly loaded one, partly because it is used in so many different contexts.

To begin with, there are categoric uses of the word. “Noble Grapes” refers to a group of varieties that have achieved prominence throughout the world, but membership in this elite group is somewhat subjective, ranging from six—Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot—to 18 or more. What’s more, it is unclear who first created this group or why the most popular, most adaptable, most widely dispersed, commercially viable and therefore most common grape varieties of all should qualify them as noble.

In Alsace, noble status has been officially conferred on four specific varieties: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat. Only these grapes can be used for Grand Cru or Sélections de Grains Nobles categories, while a wine labeled Gentil must be made up of at least 50% of them.

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There are also literal associations. The phrase “King of wines and wine of Kings” has been applied to a number of wines throughout history (Barolo and Champagne, for example) both because members of the nobility took a particular liking to them and because they were produced on estates belonging to members of the noble class. At the end of his dithyrambic poem “Bacco in Toscana” published in 1685, author Francesco Rambi declares “Montepulciano is the King of all wines!” after which it became known as Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. And Louis the XV, King of France, is said to have offered his official chief mistress Madame Pompadour a glass of Tokaji calling it “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” (Wine of Kings and King of Wines).

Finally, the term is often used in a descriptive sense. Wine writers and tasters sometimes use noble as an adjective to describe the character of a grape variety or a wine made from it, as I am doing by calling my session at the 43^rd annual conference of the Society of Wine Educators “Noble Nebbiolo.”

But what does it actually mean? Or, to put it another way, what are the characteristics of a grape variety or the wine made from it that could justifiably be described as noble?

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Before going any further, let me clarify that my session will focus on one grape variety, Nebbiolo, and feature wines in a range of typologies from the principal appellations and diverse terroirs of the three regions of northern Italy—Piemonte, Lombardia and Valle d’Aosta—that constitute its traditional home.

Just as noble people, actions or sentiments are not all the same, it is perfectly reasonable to expect that a given grape variety would express its inherent noble qualities in different ways, and that even members of the same clan or dynasty (or grape variety, in this case) would over time develop different characteristics based on the location of their domain.

So, what basic “noble” characteristics can be attributed to the Nebbiolo grapevine itself? It is a late-ripening grape which means that it often reaches maturity in mid- to late fall, long after most others have been harvested, when the days get short, the nights get cold and fog (‘nebbia’ in Italian) covers the vineyards, all of which one might say contributes austerity, restraint and a haughty aloofness to its regal character. Winegrowers must often wait with patient deference for the grapes to ripen and for a slow fermentation to run its course, and consumers must often wait for Nebbiolo-based wines to open up and show what they really have to offer.

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Nebbiolo-based wines generally have pronounced natural tannin, notable acidity, a pale transparent color, and a surprising capacity to age and develop over time, acquiring layers of complexity as it matures.

Sometimes (as participants will see during the class) grapes from young vines or less favorable sites can be harvested a bit early to retain their crisp acidity and tart fruit and be made into a rosato or sparkling wine. In such cases the ‘noble’ lineage of the grape takes the shape of a frolicking prince or princess. But the most noble expressions of Nebbiolo tend to come from older vines harvested at peak maturity in exceptional vineyard sites with low yields, slow long fermentation and extended aging.

Finally, and contrary to membership requirements of the Noble Grapes Club, Nebbiolo is extremely selective about where it will sink its roots and reign. With the exception of some sporadic New World experiments and one isolated southern outpost, Nebbiolo grows only in specific areas of northern Italy. And this high degree of selectivity about where it will (and will not) grow seems to suggest a sort of noble birthright. But wherever it does grow, Nebbiolo demonstrates an astounding ability to express nuances of the particular environment and a particular growing season, and then transfer these factors into the wines it produces, which most always occupies top billing on the roster of wines in that area. In this sense, Nebbiolo wines are truly a noble representative of the place that they come from.

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Of course, when it comes to wine, we can talk about it all we like, but the best spokesperson for a grape variety are the wines that are made from it. In order to ‘hear’ what they have to say you need to taste them. And that is precisely what we will do in this “Noble Nebbiolo” session.

We have a stellar lineup of 100% Nebbiolo wines in a variety of typologies (traditional method sparkling, rosato, appassimento) from all of the principal growing areas and appellations including Lombardia (Valtellina), Valle d’Aosta (Donnas), Alto Piemonte (Ghemme, Gattinara, Carema), Langhe (Barolo) and Roero.

While exploring these extremely diverse expressions of Nebbiolo based on growing area, vintage and winemaking practice, we will also look for common threads—for the fundamental inherent character of the grapevine—that run between them. And at the end we may even try to determine whether, in fact, the descriptor “noble” is an appropriate one.

You can’t have a wine tasting without wines, so here’s a big shout out of gratitude to the great producers and importers that made these exceptional examples of Nebbiolo available for my presentation at the Society of Wine Educators conference 2019:

Wineries:

• Antoniolo
• ArPePe
• Erpacrife
• Mamete Prevostini
• Cantalupo
• Cantina dei Produttori di Carema
• Caves de Donnas
• Tenuta Carretta

Importers:

• Skurnik Wines
• Free Run Wine Merchants
• Artisanal Cellars
• Massanois
• Polaner Selections

Alan’s session, “Noble Nebbiolo” will be held on Friday, August 16 at 1:15 pm as part of the Society of Wine Educator’s 43rd Annual Conference, to be held in Washington DC.

Are you a conference speaker that would like to share a preview of your session? Contact Jane A. Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org