Category Archives: News of The Wine World

Photo via: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries

Nearly five years after its approval by Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture and its original application to the EU, the Nizza DOCG is signed, sealed, and delivered…and has received its final approval and registration as an EU-protected designation of origin (PDO) product for its Barbera-based red wines.

Click here to view the announcement in the June 12, 2019 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union.

We’ve been enjoying the deep red wines of the Nizza DOCG (produced in Piedmont, Italy) for several years now, but as a reminder, here are the rules and regulations for Nizza DOCG wines:

• The place: All grapes must be grown within a delineated geographic zone, which was an already-established subzone of the Barbera d’Asti DOCG. The allowed communes of production include Agliano Terme, Belveglio, Calamandrana, Castel Boglione, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castelnuovo Calcea, Castel Rocchero, Cortiglione, Incisa Scapaccino, Mombaruzzo, Mombercelli, Nizza Monferrato, Vaglio Serra, Vinchio, Bruno, Rocchetta Palafea, Moasca, and San Marzano Oliveto.
• The vines: Every vineyard destined for the Nizza DOCG must be registered with the Consortium and tout particular soils and exposures.  Vines must be entirely estate, planted on the slopes of hills facing south-east to south-west.
• The harvest: Harvest must be done entirely by hand.
• The grapes: 100% Barbera
• Alcohol: Minimum 13% abv
• Aging: Total minimum aging is 18 months from January 1 of the year following harvest. Total aging time must include at least 6 months in oak.

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In addition, all wine bearing the “Nizza DOCG” designation must meet the standards set forth by the consortium for organoleptic properties and laboratory analysis. If a wine does not meet with the consortium’s approval, it may be de-classified and bear the title of Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Monferrato Rosso DOC, Piemonte Barbera DOC, or Piemonte Rosso DOC (assuming, of course, that the wine meets the standards of the individual appellation). Interestingly enough, one facet of the consortium’s laboratory analysis is a  minimum requirement of 26 g/L “dry extract.”

Welcome to the world, Nizza DOCG—or perhaps we should say “Congratulations on your promotion, Nizza DOCG!” Either way, it’s great to see Nizza get the respect it deserves!

P.S. The EU must have had a busy week, as the June 12, 2019 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union noted the official registration of three other wine appellations—we’ll have more information on this tomorrow!

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

References/for more information:

• https://www.ilnizza.net/
• https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2019:154:TOC
• Disciplinare di Produzione Nizza DOCG

Deep Roots Winery – photo via the Naramata Bench Wineries Association

On May 13, 2019, the British Columbia Vintners Quality Alliance announced the approval and registration of two new geographical indications—Naramata Bench and Skaha Bench. Both of these areas are contained within and considered to be sub-appellations of the larger Okanagan Valley GI—itself located in the Canadian province of British Columbia just north of the US border.

The new appellations were approved by the British Columbia Wine Authority in January 2019; at that time the proposals (recommendations) were sent to the Minister of Agriculture as required under British Columbia’s “Wines of Marked Quality” regulations. On May 13 the registrations were complete.

Here are some details concerning these new GIs:

Naramata Bench: The Naramata Bench GI occupies the bench lands located along the south and east side of Lake Okanagan, extending north from Penticton Creek to the edge of Okanagan Mountain Park.  The area consists of rolling hills and a diversity of soils that make for a range of microclimates; however, the area tends to be slightly warmer—and enjoys a longer growing period and more frost free days—than the surrounding areas.

There are more than 30 wineries located within the Naramata Bench GI, including Bella Wines (specializing in sparkling wines), D’Angelo Estate Winery, Deep Roots Winery, and Serendipity Winery. See the website of the Naramata Bench Winery Association for a complete list. The entirety of the Naramata Bench GI covers just under 3,650 hectares; of these, 250 hectares (620 acres) are currently planted to vine.  The leading grapes of the region include Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

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Skaha Bench: The Skaha Bench GI is located entirely atop of—and named for—a geological terrace that runs alongside the eastern edge of Lake Skaha. The area, located to the east and south of the city of Penticton, consists mainly of west-facing slopes that allow for cool air to drain downward toward the lake shore. This makes the land atop the 10-kilometer-long (6.2-mile-long) Skaha Bench slightly warmer than most of the surrounding area.

Wineries located within the Skaha Bench GI include Black Dog Cellars, Blasted Church Vineyards, Crescent Hill  Winery, Painted Rock Estate Winery, and Pentâge Winery. The entirety of the Skaha Bench GI covers just under 365 hectares; of these, 75 hectares (185 acres) are currently planted to vine.

With the approval of the Naramata Bench and Skaha Bench GIs, the Okanagan Valley now contains four total sub-appellations, including the previously-approved Okanagan Falls (established in 2018) and Golden Mile (established in 2014) areas.

References/for further information:

• https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019AGRI0038-000945
• https://winebc.com/
• http://naramatabench.com/ (includes a map of the Naramata Bench GI)
• Recommendation-Naramata Bench GI (includes a map)
• Recommendation-Skaha-Bench GI includes a map)

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles – your blog administrator

The Erdre River at Nantes

There are some people that consider Muscadet to be a rather uninteresting wine. After all (they may argue), it’s old-fashioned, it is a mono-cépage (wine produced from a single grape variety), and the grape itself—Melon de Bourgogne—is rather neutral in aromas and flavors. 

Others would argue that Muscadet—the leading wine of the Loire Valley’s Pays Nantais and produced in four separate appellations including Muscadet AOC, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOC, and Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC—is complex, delicious, and fascinating. After all, the Pays Nantais is itself somewhat complicated, with a great diversity in its topography, soils, and micro-climates. Combine that with the fact that the wine is often put through sur lie aging, and you have a region that can produce a wine that may show up in a variety of styles from light, citrus, and mineral-scented to rich, yeasty, and full of tropical fruit flavors.

While we’re on the subject of Muscadet, here are a few more fascinating facts about the grape, the wine, and the region:

The Year was 1937: The Muscadet AOC was originally approved on September 23, 1937—making it one of the oldest AOCs for wine in France. The very first wine-specific AOCs were approved on May 15, 1936.

Photo of Lake Grand-Lieu via www.france-voyage.com

La Lac de Grand-Lieu: Lake Grand Lieu (La Lac de Grand-Lieu) is located about 8 miles (14 km) south of the city of Nantes. The lake stretches across 6,000 hectares in winter, when it is considered the largest natural lake in France. Lake Grand Lieu was ceded to the country of France in the early 1980s under the condition that it be declared a national nature reserve. The lake contains four distinct habitats—including open water, a water lily bed, a reed bed and several meadows that flood for six to eight months a year. More than 500 species of plants make their home on the lake, and over 270 species of birds fly through the region each year along their migratory route towards the Atlantic Coast. The area is also home to ducks, geese, otters, and frogs. As the lake is 100% a nature preserve, access is limited and most forms of boating and fishing are not allowed. However, there are 7 members of the traditional fishing community that have been assigned a special authorization to fish during certain times of the year.

Le Muscadet Nouveau est arrivé: Muscadet AOC is allowed to be bottled using the term “Nouveau” or “Primeur.” Muscadet Nouveau AOC may be released on the third Thursday of November (which is, it seems, a very good day to host a wine party).

Map of the Muscadet AOC via the INAO

The Muscadet AOC: The Muscadet AOC is large area, starting just east of the place where the Loire River meets the Atlantic Coast and extending inland for almost 55 miles (90 km) to the western edge of the Anjou District. The majority of the area is located within the Loire-Atlantique Département, but small portions extend into the Maine-et-Loire and Vendée Département as well. Many of the vineyards are located to the south and east of the city of Nantes; others are concentrated along the Loire River (and its famous tributaries, including the Sèvre, the Erdre, and the Maine) as well as the area surrounding Grand Lieu Lake.

Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet: The Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC, tucked between the Sèvre and the Maine Rivers close to where they flow northwest in the Loire River, contains three (smallish) sub-regions: Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet. These three sub-regions are delineated based on soil types—Clisson is granite-based, Gorges rests on clay and gabbro, and Le Pallet is known for gneiss and quartz. Wines labeled with these sub-regions—often referred to as crus—must be produced from grapes grown on these soils. The three sub-regions also have varying requirements for sur lie aging and total aging before release, and wine are often aged on the lees for two years or more. Click here for a map of the sub-regions of the Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC, via the INAO.

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Le Grand Hiver:  On January 5, 1709, much of Northern Europe woke up to a deep freeze. The freezing temperatures—which spread from England (where they called it “The Great Frost”) across France (where they called it Le Grand Hiver) and Northern Italy, through Scandinavia and parts of Russia—lasted almost three months. This was considered to be the coldest winter in Europe in over 500 years. During this time, Elizabeth Charlotte, the Duchess of Orléans wrote a letter from her Loire Valley home exclaiming, “Never in my life have I seen a winter such as this one; the wine freezes in bottles.” Not long after The Great Frost, red grapes were outlawed in Nantes and the area became (for a time) a white wine-only region. It was during this time that the cold-hardy Melon de Bourgogne grape came to dominate the vineyards of the Pays Nantais.

References/for more information:

• https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/saint-philbert-de-grand-lieu-15684/lake-grand-lieu-32854.htm
• https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/saint-philbert-de-grand-lieu-15684/lake-grand-lieu-32854.htm
• More on the letters of Liselotte (Elizabeth Charlotte, the Duchess of Orléans): http://rodama1789.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-winter-of-1709-letters-of-liselotte.html
• https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126942-100-1709-the-year-that-europe-froze/
• https://www.guildsomm.com/learn/study/w/study-wiki/154/loire-valley#02
• https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/outings/nature-strolls/wealth-flourishing-natural-spaces/grand-lieu-lake-vast-bird-reserve
• https://www.winemag.com/2018/06/25/loire-valley-muscadet/

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