Category Archives: Events

Conference Agenda: SWE’s Virtual Mini-Conference—A Deep Dive into Pinot Noir!

  By admin | September 25, 2024 - 11:53 am | ,
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SWE Mini Conference - Pinot NoirComing on Saturday, October 19: SWE’s Virtual Mini-Conference—A Deep Dive into Pinot Noir!

This event is offered free-of-charge for members of SWE. Space is limited, however, and pre-registration is required. If you have any questions about this event (or to request a spot), please contact Jane Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

The Conference Website (including speaker information, handouts, and a link to the webinar platform) will be emailed to registered attendees on October 14. We hope to see you there!

CONFERENCE AGENDA (all times central)

  • Saturday, October 19—10:00 am: Pinot Noir in South Africa with Jim Clarke. Pinot Noir first came to South Africa in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until intrepid growers began exploring the Cape South Coast in the 1970s that the grape began to find its home and show off what it’s capable of in the Rainbow Nation. Today it’s still only found in small quantities, but punches far beyond its weight when it comes to reputation and critical regard. Wines of South Africa Country Manager Jim Clarke, author of the Classic Wine Library’s Wines of South Africa, will lead viewers through the story of Pinot Noir in South Africa, exploring its history, taking apart prominent regions where the grape excels, and highlighting the grape’s leading producers.
  • Saturday, October 19—12:00 noon: Exploring Chile and the Future of World-Class Pinot Noir with Elijah B. Smith. While Chile gets a lot of attention for its Cabernet Sauvignon and brawny red blends, the country also contains a plethora of cooler-climate wine regions—including the well-known Casablanca Valley and the up-and-coming southern reaches—where Pinot Noir can shine. In this session, join Elijah B. Smith CWE on a tour of the many producers and regions of Chile that are primed to produce world-class Pinot Noir.
  • Saturday, October 19—2:00 pm: Oregon—The Future of Premium Pinot Noir with Carrie Kalscheuer. Discover all the reasons—including the climate, location, soils, and resources—why Oregon enjoys its well-deserved reputation as a leading producer of premium Pinot Noir. We’ll look at the state’s viticultural history—including the rise of Oregon Pinot Noir—as well as its well-documented diversity in terms of terroir. Join In this session, join Carrie Kalscheuer (Chief Brand Officer of Ponzi Vineyards) for an in-depth look at Oregon’s commitment to sustainability, quality, and affordability. 
  • Saturday, October 19—4:00 pm: Pinot Noir Across Terroir with Tanya Morning Star. Discover the rich diversity of Bourgogne’s red wines with Tanya Morning Star, CWE. Pinot Noir is one of the most ancient and captivating grape varieties on the planet! Native to the famed region of Bourgogne in Eastern France, Pinot Noir is a true chameleon of the wine world, effortlessly adapting to its surroundings and crafting wines that sing with the unique essence of each terroir, from village to village, plot to plot. This grape has been beloved since Roman times, and for good reason – its ability to translate the land into a bottle of wine, from humble table wines to the world’s most prized bottles, is nothing short of magical. Join Tanya Morning Star for a deep dive into the heart and soul of one of the world’s most expressive grapes, uncovering Pinot Noir’s remarkable ability to shape-shift and tell the stories of its origins.

Save the Date: Road Trip through Galicia!

  By admin | August 12, 2022 - 10:58 am | ,
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Road Trip through Galicia COVER GRAPHIC

Save the Date!

Saturday, September 10—10:00 am central time

Road Trip through Galicia

Join us on a tour of Galicia as we drive through the beautiful wine regions of the area—including Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, Monterrei, and Valdeorras—as well as some of the iconic spirit producers of the region. Of course, a trip to Galicia would not be complete without a visit to the city of Santiago de Compostela (and its amazing Cathedral), and a few bites of Pulpo a la Gallega, a slice of Tarta de Santiago, and a burning bowl of Queimada. Grab your favorite bottle of Rías Baixas Albariño if you’d like to taste-along!

This is a members-only webinar sponsored by the Society of Wine Educators. This event is offered free-of-charge to SWE members, but don’t forget to save your spot! Advance registration is required.

To secure your spot, please contact Jane Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

For those that can’t attend the live event, a recorded version will be available on the SWE website/member portal by September 15.

A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco by Alan Tardi, CSW

  By admin | May 27, 2022 - 9:48 am | ,
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Today we have a guest post from Alan Tardi, CSW. Alan gives us a deep dive in the real Lambrusco as well as a preview of his upcoming session—A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco—to be presented at the 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators. The conference is scheduled for August 10-11 in Coachella Valley (Indian Wells, CA).  

If you think Lambrusco is nothing more than a banal, reddish, cloyingly sweet bubbly, it’s time to taste again.                                             

It happened over and over again: The first wines of a given appellation to be exported to America from post-World War II Italy were the most commercial, inexpensive, readily accessible ones possible. Some of them became quite popular, though it was often more about an appealing name or jingle or the color or shape of the bottle than it was about the wine.

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In the 1960s and ‘70s, Americans started to become more familiar with and attracted to wine. At about the same time, a handful or two of visionary Italian wine producers began focusing on attaining a high-quality level of production and capturing the essence of their particular grape varieties and growing areas.

There are numerous examples of this but one of the best is Tuscany, specifically Chianti.

Prior to this time, the majority of consumers looked (often fondly) upon Chianti as a cheap, rustic wine in a straw-covered flask sitting on a checkered tablecloth next to a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Then it got a makeover, shed its straw, slimmed down into a Bordeaux-like cylinder and became super, sexy and more expensive. Many other wines underwent a similar transformation (think Barolo, Valpolicella, Friuli whites, Southern reds) and subsequently garnered respect and appreciation in the marketplace.

This has not happened to Lambrusco. But it should and I have no doubt that it will. Here’s why:

  • Unique Terroir:
    • Lambrusco is a terroir-driven wine. It grows in a very limited part of North-Central Italy, specifically a small area in the center of Emilia with a tiny adjacent zone just across the Lombardy border.
    • The area where Lambrusco grows is quite unusual. While most grapevines perform best at higher altitudes up on steep slopes, Lambrusco prefers the flat plains or low hills of the Po River valley.
  • Ancient Origin:
    • Lambrusco is considered to be one of (if not the) oldest native Italian grape varieties, with its origin dating back to sometime around the Middle Bronze Age (c 1700 BC).
    • It is thought to have originated as a wild vine that was domesticated by a mysterious group of people who inhabited the western part of the Po valley around what is now the city of Modena.
  • Family of Grapes:
    • In fact, Lambrusco is not a grape variety but a family of grapevines that are closely related to one another but genetically distinct.
    • Thus, while they do have some basic characteristics in common, each one has its own distinct personality, and each has its own home within the larger perimeter of the defined growing area.
  • Variations on a Theme: In addition to the numerus subvarieties, there are many different production options:
    • Lambrusco may be made from one type of Lambrusco grape or blended with others, depending on appellation regulations.
    • There are a number of specific Lambrusco appellations as well as other generic regional appellations that include a Lambrusco-based wine.
    • Lambrusco runs the full gambit of sugar, from brut nature (no added sugar) to sweet.
    • It can be made frizzante (lightly fizzy) or full bubbly (spumante), using the Traditional Method (in bottle with disgorgement), Ancestral Method (in bottle without disgorgement) or Martinotti Method (tank).
    • Time on lees can range anywhere from days to years. And color ranges from pale pink to deep purple.
  • Food Friendly:
    • Emilia is considered to have one of the finest regional cuisines in Italy. The food is rich and full-flavored, and Lambrusco — whether fizzy or foamy, delicately pale and tart or dark, earthy, and tannic — provides the perfect accompaniment.
    • These same basic characteristics also make it an ideal partner for many other types of food, from pizza to barbeque, burgers, spicy Asian or Indian.
  • User Friendly: Lambrusco is
    • versatile
    • bubbly
    • relatively low in alcohol
    • very affordable
    • fun and enjoyable; sometimes simple and rustic, other times elegant or ethereal
    • undervalued and misunderstood (except by those in the know)
  • Decidedly Distinctive:
    • There is nothing quite like Lambrusco. It has its own unique flavor profile — earthy yet elegant, with a slightly wild streak — regardless of which guise it is wearing.
    • It is red (in various hues) and bubbly (in different levels of intensity) and has tannin. It is, one could say, something of an appealing anomaly.
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Alan’s session—A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco—is scheduled for Wednesday, August 10th at 8:45 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). Click here to read about the extraordinary wines—as well as a few other treats that will be tasted as part of Alan’s session.

About the speaker: Alan Tardi first got interested in wine while working as a cook and chef in some of New York City’s finest restaurants and this interest blossomed into a passion when he opened his own restaurant in Manhattan in 2001. While still working long hours in his restaurant, Alan became a frequent panel taster at Wine and Spirits Magazine’s New York office and began writing for the magazine. Over time he went on to write for numerous other publications including The New York Times, Sommelier Journal, Food Arts and Wine Spectator. In 2003 Alan moved to the village of Castiglione Falletto in Piemonte, Italy where he worked extensively in the surrounding vineyards and wineries and managed the town’s Cantina Comunale. His first book “Romancing the Vine: Life, Love and Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo” won a James Beard Award for Best Wine Book of 2006. His second book “Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and Timeless Allure of the World’s Most Celebrated Drink” (2016) received a Gourmand Best in the World Award. Alan holds a CSW from the Society of Wine Educators, IWS and Champagne Master certificates from the Wine Scholar Guild and is currently pursuing the WSET level 4 Diploma.

 

SWE Virtual Conference: that’s a wrap!

  By admin | August 21, 2020 - 8:43 am | ,
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Thats a wrap

Looks like we made it! SWE’s first-ever virtual conference (held August 12–14, 2020) was a success!

We welcomed nine speakers and covered a diversity of topics ranging from the Pyramid Schemes of Germany and Austria to climate change and the best of rosé. We even tackled Tuscany vs. Piedmont under the guidance of Sharron McCarthy! Check out the conference agenda here.

The conference sessions have all been archived and are now available for viewing. Session handouts and review quizzes are also available on the Conference Attendee Portal.

If you are a current member of SWE and would like to access our archived 2020 Virtual Conference, please contact Danielle LaRosa, SWE’s Meetings and Events Coordinator at dlarosa@societyofwineeducators.org.

Note: the conference archive will remain available indefinitely and is available free-of-charge to current members of SWE.

 

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

 

A Few of my Favorite Scarps

  By admin | January 16, 2015 - 2:12 pm | ,
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Devil's Tower

Devil’s Tower

To look at it, a scarp seems like the edge of the world – and, in a manner of speaking, it is. The term “scarp” technically refers to the wall of bare rock that makes up the cliff-face of an area of land that stands much higher than the land that surrounds it. For an extreme example, think of the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. Quebec City’s Cap Diamant – those gorgeous sheer cliffs just in front of the Château Frontenac dividing the upper section of the town from the Saint Lawrence lowlands below – is a more typical example.
The uplifted area of land sitting above a scarp is known as an escarpment, although the two terms tend to be used interchangeably, except perhaps by geologists. A good way to describe an escarpment is basically as an area of the earth where the elevation changes suddenly. Escarpments are often found along the ocean shore, such as the Devil’s Slide area of California’s Highway One.

Escarpments are also found on dry land. Inland escarpments, where the ground is separated into two level land surfaces divided by a sheer cliff wall, may be formed by erosion, the action of rivers or streams, via seismic activity, or a combination of these forces. And – which makes it interesting for us – many of the world’s wine regions are built around escarpments.

Escarpments created by erosion are generally composed of different types of rock or rocks from different geologic eras.  Erosion creates the two levels of land as one of the types of rock erodes much faster than the other. One well-known example of an escarpment formed by erosion is the Niagara Escarpment.

The Niagara Escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment

The capstone of the Niagara Escarpment is a type of limestone (dolomite rock, or dolostone), while the underlying rock is a more easily erodible shale.  The Niagara escarpment is famous for the Niagara Falls, which is the part of the escarpment where the Niagara River plunges over the side. We wine lovers also appreciate the region as the home of the Niagara Escarpment AVA – located along the edge of the ridge, and home to 17  wineries.

Escarpments formed by seismic action are created when a fault displaces the ground surface so that one side is higher than the other. Examples include Africa’s Great Rift Valley and Australia’s Darling Scarp. The Darling Scarp cuts through the wine-growing regions of Western Australia and forms a distinct dividing line between the Perth Hills region, which sits atop the escarpment, and the Swan District, which resides below. The difference in climate between the two next-door neighbor regions due to the resulting change in elevation is striking. The Swan District, resting on the plains below, has a warm-to-hot Mediterranean climate.  The Perth Hills, perched above, is characterized by cooler nights, lower temperatures overall, and a harvest that typically begins 10 days to 2 weeks later than its warmer neighbor.

Other escarpments can be found along ancient river valleys, where a river, over the centuries, carved the landscape into a terrace. The Huangarua Scarp, found in New Zealand’s Martinborough wine region, is one example. The Huangarua Scarp is home to several wineries, including Craggy Range and the appropriately named Escarpment Vineyard. The highest uprise of the Huangarua Scarp, at about 150 feet higher than the surrounding area, is believed to have been formed over 250,000 years ago.

"Caprock Escarpment Garza County Texas 2010" by Leaflet - via Wikimedia Commons

“Caprock Escarpment Garza County Texas 2010” by Leaflet – via Wikimedia Commons

The Caprock Escarpment, found in west Texas and eastern New Mexico, was formed via a combination of erosion and water. The top layer of the area is composed of caliche, a type of calcium carbonate that resists erosion. The erosion of the softer underlying stone was aided over the millennium by the action of rivers and streams. The Caprock Escarpment is an abrupt, 200-mile long ridge that divides the high plains area known as the Llano Estacado from the surrounding rolling terrain of the Great Plains below. In some places, the Caprock Escarpment rises more than 1,000 feet above the surrounding plains. The Texas High Plains AVA, covering almost 8 million acres of land, sits atop this huge plateau. The outline of the AVA follows the contour of the ridge at an elevation of 2,800 feet, and extends north and west. At its highest point, the elevation of the Texas High Plains AVA reaches 4,100 feet. The AVA currently has about 4,000 acres of vines and is home to over 75 mostly family-owned vineyards and at least 8 wineries.

Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, Sancerre in the Loire Valley, and Australia’s Murray Darling region are a few of the many other wine regions affected by scarps and escarpments.

For more information please contact Jane Nickles, our Director of Education and Certification at: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org