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The New DACs: Südsteiermark, Vulkanland Steiermark, and Weststeiermark

  By admin | March 9, 2019 - 12:02 pm | ,
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Riegersburg Castle Steiermark

Riegersburg Castle Steiermark

Late last year, the wine world began to hear rumblings of three new Districtus Austriae Controllatus- (DAC-) designated wine-growing regions to be confirmed in the Austrian state of Styria (Steiermark). As of March 3, 2019, we can confirm that these three new DACs— Südsteiermark DAC, Vulkanland Steiermark DAC, and Weststeirmark DAC—have published their Verordnungen (regulations) and are officially in force..

The wines of all three new DAC regions may be produced under the following classifications:

  • Gebietswein: Regional wine
  • Ortswein:  “Village wine” from certain designated villages
  • Riedenwein: Single-vineyard wines from classified estates

Read on for a summary of the new regulations concerning these wine regions.

Vineyards surrounding Riegersburg Castle

Vineyards surrounding Riegersburg Castle

Südsteiermark DAC: Sauvignon Blanc, the leading grape of the Südsteiermark, is planted in nearly 20% of the region’s vineyards. However, this is a large growing area—currently there are 6,234 acres/2,563 hectares planted to vine; and Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay are well-represented as well. The area makes for a stunning landscape, with rolling hills punctuated by staggering slopes—some with an incline as steep as 45°. The soils in the flatter regions are primarily marine sediment, while the hills and slopes contain marl and conglomerate soils. The climate during the growing season tends to warm and humid days combined with cool nights, allowing for a long vegetative cycle and complex, concentrated grapes. 

Other details of the Südsteiermark DAC include the following:

  • Grapes allowed: Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Traminer (Savignin); wine may be single-variety or blends. Grapes must be hand-harvested.
  • Required aging: Wines made from Welschriesling grapes may be sold at any time; for all other varieties, the wine may not be sold before March 1 of the year following harvest. Wines designated by a village or single vineyard (Riedenwein) designation may have longer required minimum aging times.
  • Wine Styles: Wines are required to be vinified dry and have a stated maximum of 0.4% RS. Wines produced from Riesling or Traminer (Savignin) must display the word “Trocken” (dry) on the label.
  • Ortswein: Designated “villages” approved for the production of Ortswein include Kitzeck-Sausal, Eichberg, Leutschach, Gamlitz, and Ehrenhausen.
Uhrtum Clock Tower

Uhrtum Clock Tower

Vulkanland Steiermark DAC: As its name implies, Vulkanland Steiermark is rich in volcanic soils often said to help imbue the wines of the region with a distinct character that has been described as “mineral-spice.” The area has 3,765 acres/1,524 ha planted to vines, many of them planted on the slopes of the area’s long-dormant volcanoes, some reaching elevations as high as 1,968 feet/600 meters. The area has a particular affinity for rich, medium-to-full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc, assisted by the warm, dry days and cool, crisp nights typical of the growing season. Klöcher Traminer, known for a rich floral aroma redolent of roses, is sometimes made as a semi-sweet (halbtrocken) wine, and is one of the few wines of the region that may be produced in fully sweet style (labeled as a Prädikatswein).

Other details of the Vulkanland Steiermark DAC include the following:

  • Grapes allowed: Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer (Savignin); wine may be single-variety or blends. Grapes must be hand-harvested.
  • Required aging: Wines made from Welschriesling grapes may be sold at any time; for all other varieties, the wine may not be sold before March 1 of the year following harvest. Wines designated by a village or a single vineyard (Riedenwein) designation may have longer required minimum aging times.
  • Wine Styles: With a few exceptions (as detailed below), wines are required to be vinified dry and have a stated maximum of 0.4% RS. Wines produced from Riesling or Traminer (Savignin Blanc) must display the word “Trocken” (dry) on the label.
  • Ortswein: Designated “villages” approved for the production of Ortswein include Klöch, Straden, St. Peter, Tieschen, St. Anna, Kapfenstein, Riegersburg and Oststeiermark.
  • Unique Sweets: Klöcher Traminer, which may be produced in a semi-dry style, or—if labeled as a Prädikatswein—as a sweet wine, may not be sold until April 1 of the year following the harvest.
The Municipality of Puch bei Weiz

The Municipality of Puch bei Weiz

Weststeirmark (West Styria) DAC: There are currently about 1,350 acres/546 ha planted to vine and 127 wineries located in Weststeiermark. The terroir of Weststeiermark is described as rolling hills punctuated by steep inclines, many of which house vines at elevations of up to 1,970 feet/600 m. The climate during the growing period is warm and quite humid. The soil of Westeiermark is based on a combination of gneiss and mica-rich schist.

As of the publication of the new Westeiermark DAC, the “Schilcherland DAC” for Schilcher Rosé (approved in October of 2017) is no longer in force—however, the wine continues to be produced as a specialty of the area, labeled as “Schilcher Klassik Westeiermark DAC.” A range of styles of Schilcher Rosé are permitted, include still, frizzante, and fully sparkling.

Other details of the Weststeiermark DAC include the following:

  • Grapes allowed: Blauer Wildbacher (Schilcher), Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Traminer (Savignin); wine may be single-variety or blends. Grapes must be hand-harvested.
  • Required aging: Wines produced from Welschriesling and Blauer Wildbacher (Schilcher) grapes may be sold at any time; for all other varieties, the wine may not be sold before March 1 of the year following harvest. Wines designated by a village or single vineyard (Riedenwein) designation may have longer required minimum aging times.
  • Wine Styles: Wines are required to be vinified dry and have a stated maximum of 0.4% RS. Wines produced from Riesling or Traminer (Savignin Blanc) must display the word “Trocken” (dry) on the label.
  • Ortswein: Designated “villages” approved for the production of Ortswein include Ligist, Stainz, Deutschlandsberg, and Eibiswald.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator…

Guest Post: The (R)evolution of the Basque Country’s Txakolina

  By admin | February 26, 2019 - 9:44 am | , ,
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Celebrating Txakolina with dance in the town of Bakio

Celebrating Txakolina with dance in the town of Bakio

Today we have a guest post from Kerri Lesh, CSW and and Ph.d candidate. Kerri tells us about her search for Txakolina and other adventures in wine and the Basque Country of Spain. Kerri will be presenting a webinar on Txakolina and Basque wine on Saturday, March 9th at 10:00 am central time. 

Now advertised as a “Culinary Nation,” the Basque Country of Spain (Hegoalde) has changed quite a bit over the last few decades. Known in the native language Euskara as Euskadi, this part of Basque Country has evolved from a nation associated with terrorism, to one of gastronomic fame. Touting more Michelin-star restaurants per capita than anywhere in the world, cities like San Sebastián/Donostia have become increasingly attractive to foreigners searching for sandy beaches as well as great food and wine. This city is located in the province of Gipuzkoa, which extends to what we know as the French border and the rest of the Basque Country (Iparralde). To the west of this city is Bilbao—located in the province of Biscay/Bizkaia—and joining the southern borders of these two provinces is Álava/Araba, with Vitoria-Gasteiz as its capital. These three provinces not only make up the Basque Autonomous Community, but each contains a Denominación de Origen (DO) for Txakolina: Getariako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina, and Arabako Txakolina.

My first walk among the vineyards around Getaria

My first walk among the vineyards around Getaria

Just as the Basque Country is transforming, so is Txakolina. This wine—known as either Txakoli or Txakolina—has changed considerably over the last few hundred years. Its debated etymological roots, stemming from “etxeko ain,” meaning “enough for the home,” link this wine to the Basque language and local production for the home. As I interviewed people while living in the Basque Country, I found this iconic wine had not always had such a positive reputation. Older generations had a much different perspective on it than the younger generations of Basques and the tourists who have only had access to Txakoli for the last decade or so.

Production methods have changed the taste of Txakoli both abroad and closer to home. Today, there are three different styles of the wine—white, rosé, and red. However, well before designations of origin protected Txakolina, an advertisement for “Chacoli de Ezcaba” (the Castilian spelling) indicates that a wine with the same name was once produced in the province of Navarra with Garnacha. This would have been much different from the Txakolina produced today in the three DOs.

A vineyard of Hondarribi Zuri near where I lived outside of Elorrio withi Udalaitz Mountain in the background

A vineyard of Hondarribi Zuri near where I lived outside of Elorrio withi Udalaitz Mountain in the background

Cultural tastes play a role in the Txakolina available to consumers. While a rosé version of the wine made by producers such as Ameztoi and Txomin Etxaniz can commonly be found in the United States, drinking the rosé version is not part of local Basque culture. Most producers depend largely on the white grape Hondaribbi Zuri to make white wine, exporting rosé, which typically incorporates the red grape Hondaribbi Beltza, to countries such as the United States. Over time, producers such as Doniene Gorrondona have even created a version of Txakolina using the Traditional Method as well as red.

In addition to helping with a 2017 harvest in the Basque Country, I also had the opportunity to work a harvest in Casablanca, Chile. One weekend after the harvest was complete, a few colleagues from the winery and I got in a car in search of the Chilean Chacoli. I had read that Chacoli could be found near the Chilean city of Doñihue.

Discovering Chacoli in Chile

Discovering Chacoli in Chile

It took some digging around to find this wine, which included asking locals traveling on horseback and knocking on doors. After hours of driving around, we found one bodega and a couple of people who claimed to make it, mostly for local consumption. It tasted nothing like the Txakolina made in the Basque Country, which made sense considering the use of different grape varietals and production methods. Most of the producers also referred to their chacoli as chicha, a beverage typically from Latin America that is fermented from fruits or grains. While living in the Basque Country in 2017, I received news that a group of Chilean producers were revitalizing the production of Chacoli as a local artisanal wine that would typically be sold at local festivals and celebrations. Unlike its Basque ancestor, this version does not have a geographical or designation of origin.

It will be interesting to see how this wine will continue to change across the Basque DOs. and in Chilean artisanal production. Today in the Basque Country, the scale of Txakolina has evolved from being just “enough for the home,” to now being sold across the globe. It is also no longer solely advertised as a young white wine to be drunk soon after it is bottled, and can be enjoyed in its many forms over time whether it is white, rosé, or red; slightly effervescent, still, or sparkling; young or aged. As tourism continues to increase in the Basque Country, in turn opening up these winegrowing regions to globalized tastes, what will Txakolina look like in another 20 years?

Kerri Lesh, CSW and Ph.d candidate, will present a webinar on Txakolina and the Basque Country on Saturday, March 6th at 10:00 am central time. Click here f or more information on the March 9th webinar.

For more posts and interviews from Kerri Lesh, please visit http://www.kerrilesh.com/

Photo credits: Kerri Lesh, Cameron Watson

 

On the Docket: XXO Cognac

  By admin | February 17, 2019 - 11:43 am | ,
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photo via: https://www.hennessy.com/fr-fr

photo via: https://www.hennessy.com/fr-fr

According to France’s Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), as of December 6, 2018, Cognac has a new “official” aging classification!

Here is the new law, straight from the update of the Cahier des Charges: “Les mentions ‘XXO’ et ‘Extra Extra Old’ sont des mentions spécifiques dont les eaux-de-vie présentent un vieillissement égal ou supérieur à 14 ans.”

Translation: According to the INAO, the initialism “XXO” or the term “Extra Extra Old” is a newly-approved aging designation for use on bottles of Cognac where the youngest spirit in the bottle is 14 years old.

For now, while we’re talking about cognac, here are a few other fascinating facts about Cognac:

A corner of paradise: In some cellars, the oldest cognacs are put into demi-johns (large glass containers designed to allow the aging process to continue without air contact and the annual evaporative loss experienced via wooden barrels). These oldest-of-the-old spirits are often kept in a separate, dark corner of the cellar sometimes referred to as un coin de paradis (“a corner of paradise”).

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What a history: According to archaeological records, the area around Charente was planted with vineyards, and well-known for wine production as early as the first century CE. The wines of the area—particularly those from the port of Poitou—were first sold to Dutch interests (along with salt from the Atlantic Coast). By the 15th century, the Dutch had begun to distill the wines of Charente in order to preserve them during the long ocean voyages.

The trade takes off: Many cognac firms are more than 200 years old. For example, Martell was founded in 1715, Rémy Martin in 1724, Delamain in 1759, Hennessy in 1765, Godet in 1782, and Courvoisier in 1843. On January 23, 1860, a landmark trade treaty was signed between England and France (under the auspices of Napoleon III), and soon thereafter the trading of Cognac expanded exponentially.

The legislation: Cognac was among the first “batch” of six wine-and-spirit AOCs approved by the INAO on May 15, 1936. The geographical boundaries of the defined Cognac region had been legally defined a few decades earlier, in 1909. In 1938, the six geographical designations  (crus) – Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires – were added to the Cahier des Charges.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator…

On the Radar: Pamela Wood, CWE, CSW, CS

  By admin | February 10, 2019 - 12:03 pm |
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Pamela Wood teaching to the crowds

Pamela Wood teaching to the crowds

Pamela Wood, CWE, CSW, CS, did not initially intend to find a place in the world of wine.  She was introduced to wine in a Wine Appreciation class at the University of Santa Cruz in the 80s, but took a different career path in real estate finance; she spent a decade at this in the Silicon Valley–Bay area and became the youngest woman to become the regional President of the California Mortgage Brokers Association.

However, she had a passion beyond real estate:  skiing.  She had skied in many places in the United States and Europe, but knowing of its reputation for the best snow around, she moved to Utah in 1998 and pursued a career in the ski industry.  Travelling became a larger part of her life, and she often found herself near a wine region:  Hunter Valley, Champagne, Burgundy, Provence, Tuscany, Piedmont. She realized she had an interest and passion for wine—what goes in the bottle, where it comes from, how its made, the history and culture behind it.  And this was the passion she made her own.

Pamela Wood in Oregon's Willamette Valley

Pamela Wood in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

She also found that her adopted state of Utah did not have the wine education resources that California has.  So she began to study on her own, reading, learning, tasting.  She organized friends and had monthly tastings on a specific topic.  She kept studying, and realized it was time to get serious.  The closest certifying body she could find that seemed to fit into her life was the International Wine Guild in Denver, Colorado; she registered for and passed her Level 1 Sommelier exam.  On the flight back from Denver, she had a voice message from the Park City’s Fox School of Wine asking if she was interested in teaching.

She accepted, and has been teaching there since 2011.  In 2012, she opened the Park City Wine Club, a thriving social members organization, through which she leads wine events, food and wine pairings, wine dinners and private events throughout the Park City area and indeed the state.  She expanded the Club in 2015 to include wine tours, and she has taken people to California, Oregon, Washington, and even to Hawaii for the Kapalua Wine Festival.  In 2019, she will offer a tour to Spain and Southwest France.

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Still, Pamela was eager to learn more, and that’s when she found the Society of Wine Educators.  She sat for and passed the CSW in 2015.   Still yearning for more, she decided to study for the CWE designation.  At the time, she was working for world class resorts, running her own business, and to add still more into the mix was asked to become the wine educator for the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control for the State of Utah, which involves teaching wine classes to employees of state liquor and wine stores.  So, study time was limited at best.   However, she utilized all the resources she could lay her hands on:  the new CSW workbook, flashcards, quizzes, and other tools offered by the SWE.

She made her way to her first SWE conference this past August in New York, attended the CWE Boot Camp, and took the exam.  She was hoping to pass maybe three areas, but she passed the exam in its entirety on her first attempt, did her presentation in October, and was awarded her CWE on 1 November 2018.

Pamela continues to run the Park City Wine Club.  She has also signed on as the Director of Education for the Culinary Wine Institute, and develops training for resorts and restaurants nationwide to educate servers, increase wine sales, and improve overall customer satisfaction.  And, she continues in her other venues to teach and travel.  She has ended up far from where she thought she would be back at the beginning.  But, as Pamela herself says:  “I am so lucky to have developed my passion into a career, its hard to call this work when you love what you do!”

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey

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

  By admin | January 31, 2019 - 9:45 am |
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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 Tree, Misha’s, Aurum, 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.

 

On the Radar: Trudy Thomas, CSE

  By admin | December 29, 2018 - 9:42 am |
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Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson once dubbed her “The Queen of Bourbon,” and in her stellar career Trudy Thomas has truly lived into that title, having recently become one of the few to achieve the Certified Spirits Educator designation from the SWE.

Trudy has a fascinating history.  She grew up in rural Kentucky, where she was introduced into the rich tradition of moonshine by her grandfather, who distilled his own spirits, flavored with fresh fruit and peppermint.  He even made copper coils for other distillers, one of which remains on display at the county courthouse.  She would watch him as he worked, sneaking tastes, learning from him—and become inspired by the passion and fire he had for what he did.

Despite this beginning, Trudy never intended to enter into the spirits industry.  She was a percussionist while at the University of Kentucky and dreamed of being a musician. Later, she graduated with a degree in speech therapy after an injury prompted a change in direction.

However, the past has a way of circling back around, though, and the fire and passion instilled by her grandfather found an outlet for Trudy first in bartending, then in the food and beverage industry as a whole.  Following this passion, she joined Spago Beverly Hills, where she was under the tutelage of Chef Wolfgang Puck for a period of four years.

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In 2008 she joined the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, to raise the bar on their beverage program.  In 2014 she joined the Gaylord Opryland property (managed by Marriott), where she is currently Director of Beverage, overseeing beverage for more than 20 outlets and banquets.

Trudy had been a judge of spirits and wine at BTI in Chicago, and also at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, and honed her skills in the evaluation of spirits.  While in Arizona, she decided to study for the CSW and the CSS, and was the first person to take and pass both examinations on the same day.  When the Society of Wine Educators introduced the CSE designation, she knew it was something that she wanted for herself both personally and professionally.  Preparing for the exam while working at Gaylord Opryland proved a challenge, with stops and starts along the way, requiring discipline to set aside the time to study.  With preparation help from fellow bartenders on evaluations and blind tastings, she passed the tasting portions of the exam; and returned later to take the multiple choice and essays.  Her presentation was on bourbon heritage in the America.

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To listen to Trudy reflect on her career, though, is to hear a story about the value of mentors and teachers, and of her appreciation for the many people along the way who mentored her in her own work, the likes of Lincoln Henderson, Parker Beam, Dave Pickerel, Bill Samuels, and Jimmy Russell, and other giants in the spirits industry.  She writes of the gentlemen who were so influential in her life:  “These legends are/were like fathers, kicking me in the behind when I needed it, most of the time they tried to restrain my fire and encourage my passion but they always believed in me and pushed me to the next level for success; they helped me to test my limits while remembering to never sacrifice loyalty; they gave me wings to fly while keeping my roots always planted in Kentucky soil. These mentors were both my heritage and my future.”

What’s next for Trudy?  First, she wants to continue to grow and improve the beverage programs for Marriott, and specifically at the Gaylord Opryland.  But most inspiring is her desire to instill in others the passion she feels for her craft, as those who came before had done for her.  “My biggest goal is to mentor others as I have been mentored, I truly want to give back to an industry which believed in me, a bartender with roots in rural Kentucky, and which has given me so many amazing opportunities and experiences, an industry with lifelong friends.  I had great mentors, I hope to be the same and pay it forward while making my mentors proud.”

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey

There’s a new IGP in town: Ratafia Catalana

  By admin | December 20, 2018 - 7:01 pm | , ,
3 Comments
Photo via: http://ratafiabosch.cat

Photo via: http://ratafiabosch.cat

Now, I know that’s a confusing opening line. So let’s break it down…Ratafia Catalana—a traditional spirit drink produced in Catalonia—has recently been awarded Indicación Geográfica Protegida (IGP) status by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture (known officially as the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación). This occurred on October 22, 2018.

Ratafia Catalonia is technically a green walnut-flavored liqueur with a bitter flavor profile, often served as an aperitif, digestive, or even a nightcap.

But before we get into the details…let’s clarify one more thing: the term ratafia is used in several different countries to refer to several different things. Most wine lovers are familiar with Ratafia de Champagne, a PGI-designated, fortified wine (vin de liqueur) from the Champagne region produced via the fortification of unfermented (or just-barely fermenting) grape must (juice). This style of ratafia is also produced in Burgundy (Ratafia de Bourgogne); and other wine regions produce similar style wines (such as Pineau de Charentes)—although they do not always use the term ratafia.

Photo via: http://www.russet.cat

Photo via: http://www.russet.cat

In Catalonia (as is many other parts of the Mediterranean), ratafia is something quite different. In this case, Ratafia Catalana—which has been produced in the area for over 1,000 years—is a richly flavored, sweetened, aged, and oxidized liqueur.

The newly-codified regulations define Ratafia Catalana PGI as a brown-or-amber colored, sweetened liqueur flavored with green walnuts and other botanicals. Standard production requirements include the following:

  • Alcohol content between 24% and 30% abv
  • Sugar content between 100 g/L and 400 g/L
  • Flavored with green walnuts (the dominant flavor) as well as lemon verbena, cinnamon, and cloves (other botanicals are allowed as well)
  • Aged for at least three months in wooden containers—although many are aged for much longer, and often in oxidizing conditions (such as partially-filled demijohns)
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Ratafia Catalana PGI may be produced anywhere within the Autonomous Region of Catalonia (Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña). Some of the best-known and longest-produced commercial version of Ratafia Catalonia include Ratafia Bosch, produced since 1892 at Destilería Bosch (located in a suburb of Barcelona); and Ratafia Russet, produced in the La Garrotxa region since 1903.

If you are lucky enough to find a bottle, serve it neat (as an aperitif) before a meal, or pour it over ice and serve it alongside a dessert such as Crema Catalana, the cake-like Coca de Sant Joan, or with some of the local Catalan cheeses drizzled with honey (as in the dish known as Mel i Mató). Of course, it also works a digestive or a nightcap…or just about any time you need a break.

References/for more information:

PGI documents: IGP Ratafia Catalana

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles – SWE’s Director of Education and Certification –  jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Van Duzer Corridor AVA!

  By admin | December 14, 2018 - 12:57 pm |
2 Comments
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The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) of the United States has approved a new American Viticultural Area (AVA), to be known as the Van Duzer Corridor AVA. The new AVA—covering approximately 59,871 acres in portions of Polk and Yamhill Counties in Oregon—lies directly to the west of (and along the western border of) the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, and is entirely within the boundaries of established Willamette Valley AVA. This brings the total number of AVAs in the US to 244, and a total of 19 in Oregon.

The Van Duzer Corridor AVA will be in effect as of January 14, 2019.  According to the TTB’s statement, there are 18 commercially-producing vineyards covering a total of approximately 1,000 acres of vines and 6 wineries—including Van Duzer Vineyards, Firesteed Winery, and Left Coast Cellars—located within the boundaries of the new AVA.

Map of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, via the original petition (TTB website)

Map of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, via the original petition (TTB website)

The AVA petition acknowledges that the area within the Van Duzer Corridor shares many features with the surrounding areas; however, the region is sufficiently unique to have been established as a separate AVA…particularly due to its winds. The distinguishing features of the area include the following:

  • The elevation: The Van Duzer Corridor itself is a narrow tunnel-like “wind gap” (area of low elevation) tucked into the Coastal Ranges. Commercial vineyards in the area are planted at an elevations ranging from 150 feet to 650 feet above sea level.  The areas located to the north, south, and west of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA are far more mountainous, with elevations ranging from 600 feet to 2,000 feet above sea level.
  • The winds: The new AVA is located at the eastern edge of this wind gap where the tunnel-like area of low elevation expands into a wide  region of rolling hills that allow the cool, eastward-flowing marine air to flow relatively unimpeded. According to the petition, the average daily wine speed in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA is approximately 10 miles per hour—nearly twice the average speed of the surrounding areas.
  • The climate: The average temperature of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA is consistently cooler than the surrounding areas. The Van Duzer Corridor area averages several hundred cumulative degree days fewer than the surrounding areas during the growing season. For instance, in 2014, the McMinnville AVA had a total of 2819 growing degree days (GDD), while the Van Duzer Corridor had 2624 GGD. This lower overall temperature leads to a longer growing season, longer “hangtime,” and—combined with the effects of the wind—thicker-skinned grapes.

Fun Fact: the original petition, filed by Jeff Havlin—chairman of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA Committee and owner of Havlin Vineyard—in 2011, listed the AVA’s name as “Perrydale Hills.” However, the TTB determined that the suggested name did not have sufficient national recognition (“viticultural significance”) and the name was eventually changed to Van Duzer Corridor.

Welcome to the world, Van Duzer Corridor AVA!

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles – SWE’s Director of Education and Certification –  jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Upper Hudson AVA!

  By admin | December 10, 2018 - 1:52 pm | ,
1 Comment
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The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) of the United States has approved a new American Viticultural Area (AVA), to be known as the Upper Hudson AVA. The new AVA will be in effect as of January 7, 2019.

The new AVA covers approximately 1,500 square miles in upstate New York, mainly located to the north and northeast of the city of Albany.  This brings the total number of AVAs in the US to 243.

The petition for the Upper Hudson AVA was originally submitted in July of 2015 by Kathleen and Andrew Weber of Northern Cross Vineyard. The new AVA lies to the north of the Hudson River Region AVA (established in 1982), but it does not overlap the boundaries of any existing AVAs.

The vineyards in the area are currently heavily planted to cold-hardy hybrids including Marquette, Frontenac, La Crescent, La Crosse, Itasca, Prairie Star, and Melody. Many of these grapes were developed at New York’s Cornell University or by Elmer Swenson at University of Minnesota specifically for cold climates. Some vinifera varieties (such as Muscat, Tai, and Cabernet Franc) are planted as well.

Boundary of the Upper Hudson AVA - from the AVA Petition (second boundary amendment) via the TTB

Boundary of the Upper Hudson AVA – from the AVA Petition (second boundary amendment) via the TTB

According to the original petition, the Upper Hudson AVA has a distinctly colder climate and shorter growing season than the surrounding areas. This is in large part due to the fact that many of the surrounding areas experience the temperature modifications of a nearby body of water (such as the Great Lakes to the north, and the Hudson River to the south). There is no such moderating influence on much of the area of the Upper Hudson AVA.

The Upper Hudson AVA is currently home to just over a dozen 20 wineries and vineyards—including Northern Cross Vineyard, Altamont Winery, and Hummingbird Hills Winery—and more than 60 acres (24 ha) of vines.

Welcome to the world, Upper Hudson AVA!

References/for more information

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles – SWE’s Director of Education and Certification –  jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

On the Radar: Elizabeth Yabrudy, CWE

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  By admin | December 5, 2018 - 3:42 pm |
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Meet Elizabeth Yabrudy: the only Venezuelan, and the only South American, to have achieved the Certified Wine Educator designation from the Society of Wine Educators.

A journalist with a M.Sc. in Electronic Publishing from City University London, Elizabeth’s interest in wine began in 2007, when she took an introductory class in wine at Bodegas Pomar, the only winery in Venezuela.  The class inspired her to explore the wine world on an informal basis, which ended up leading her to attend the Academia de Sommelier de Venezuela.  During her preparation, she did internships with Pernod Ricard and Diageo and invested herself in study.  She became a sommelier in 2009, and later that year traveled to Bordeaux and took an intensive course in the wines of France.  Then, about the year 2010, she was asked by an aunt to teach an introductory wine class in the aunt’s hometown of Carupano, and that experience was all it took.  Having been introduced to both teaching and serving as a sommelier in a restaurant, it became clear to her that she did not want to be a floor sommelier, but rather a wine educator.

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Around 2012, she began to explore more formal study options, and chose the Society of Wine Educators specifically because of the emphasis upon wine education.  She passed her CSW in December 2014, having had to travel to Montevideo, Uruguay, for the exam because there was no testing center in Venezuela. That’s dedication!  Along the way, she became involved in a project called the Diageo Bar Academy; she already had some knowledge of spirits but wanted to go deeper, so she took the CSS test in 2016.  While preparing with the CSS Study Guide, she reached the section on rum, and was delighted that at last she would be reading about something with which she was familiar, as Venezuela is an important rum producing country.  As such, she reached out to Jane Nickles, SWE’s Director of Education, and agreed to write an updated  segment on Venezuelan rum  just in time for the annual update of the CSS Study Guide. (See page 113 in the 2018 version of the CSS Study Guide for a sample of Elizabeth’s work!)

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During her preparation time for the CWE, she was working as an independent professional, teaching about wine to beginners and non-professionals, and offering formal courses like: Wine for Amateurs, Wine Aromas Recognition Workshop, Wine Varietals Recognition Workshop, and Oratory for Sommeliers Workshop.  Focused preparation is essential for the CWE, and Elizabeth took advantage of the many study tools the SWE offers, such as the CWE Study Site and the Facebook Group. In addition, she attended the CWE Boot Camp in 2017 and 2018, and as a result was part of only 12% of the people who pass the CWE on their first try.

Wine is now a part of who Elizabeth is.  She writes:  “I enjoy and respect working with wine.  I feel I am very fortunate because I managed to combine my passion for wine with my professional title as Journalist and Electronic Publisher.  For me, working with wine is a pleasure and a continual learning process.  It is a nonstop career.  It is not only about tasting, it is about learning history, culture, geography, agriculture, chemistry, enology, and gastronomy.  Being a wine educator also gives you the advantage of meeting people, people who can learn from you, and people whose curiosity you can awaken to learn more about and–as I did—fall in love with wine.”

Elizabeth is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Specialist of Wine, Certified Specialist of Spirits, and a Sommelier from the Academia de Sommeliers de Venezuela.  She lives in Caracas and manages the tasting room of a store called Celicor Boutique, where, among other things, she plans and leads events.  She is looking forward to continuing her studies in wine and plans to keep her full focus on wine education.  Thank you for your work, Elizabeth!

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey