Category Archives: News of The Wine World

Map via: http://petalumagap.com

Welcome to the World, Petaluma Gap AVA!

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the United States has—just today—approved the first new American Viticultural Area (AVA) in over a year, and it is…the Petaluma Gap AVA!

Along with the approval of the new AVA—located in California’s Sonoma and Marin Counties—the southern boundary of the North Coast AVA is being expanded to include the northern portions of Marin County. The Petaluma Gap AVA overlaps a portion of the Sonoma Coast AVA and will be considered a sub-appellation of the newly re-outlined North Coast AVA.

The petition for the Petaluma Gap AVA was submitted by the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance in February of 2015. According to the petition, the unique factors of the area include the following:

• The Petaluma Gap itself: A geological feature known as a “wind gap,” the Petaluma gap is actually a 15-mile-wide area of low-lying hills that create something of an opening in the otherwise much taller Coast Mountains. This area stretches from the Pacific Ocean, eastward to the bucolic Sonoma town of Petaluma, and then straight on through to San Pablo Bay. The effect on the area is as follows: as the inland areas heat up during the day, the heat causes the warm air to rise, and the cool air off the Pacific Ocean is pulled up into the gap. The wind gains speed as it travels, and eventually empties into the bay.
• The Wind: Late afternoon wind speed within the Petaluma Gap is typically 8 miles per hour, and it is often clocked in at over 20 mph. In contrast, winds in the surrounding areas rarely get above 2 or 3 miles per hour.
• The Climate: Mornings are cool and typically foggy. Late mornings and early afternoons are increasingly warm after the fog burns off. However, the breezes typically begin by mid-afternoon, cooling things down and bringing in the evening fog. The diurnal temperature range can be forty to fifty degrees (F).
• The Grapes: The almost-daily winds tend to help reduce yield in the vines, creating late-ripening, small-berried fruit with intense flavors and good acidity.

Map via: http://petalumagap.com

An announcement regarding the establishment of the Petaluma Gap AVA was published in the Federal Register on December, 7, 2017; this final rule will be effective on January 8, 2018. The area within the new AVA totals 202,476 acres. There are currently over 80 winegrowers, 4,000 acres of vines, and 9 wineries located within the boundaries of the new region. The area is planted mainly to Pinot Noir along with Chardonnay and Syrah. Click here for a list of wineries located within the region, as well as those that produce wine using Petaluma Gap fruit.

We look forward to tasting these wines—and welcome to the world, Petaluma Gap AVA!

Note: Before today, the last AVA to be approved in the United States was the Appalachian High Country AVA (encompassing parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee) in October of 2016. With the change in the Executive Branch that occurred earlier this year, several key posts at the Department of the Treasury were left vacant, including several whose signatures are required for new AVA rulings. However, in recent weeks these positions have been filled (including Brent James McIntosh, General Counsel and David Kautte, Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy). It seems that the business of approving AVAs is back on!

References/for more information:

• http://petalumagap.com/
• https://www.ttb.gov/press/press-release-fy-18-02-petaluma-gap.shtml
• https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=TTB-2016-0009
• http://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/A-year-overdue-Petaluma-Gap-wine-region-gains-12411460.php

Map via: http://wijngoed-thorn.nl/nl/3/nieuws

The Maas River (known in France as the Meuse) runs for over 575 miles (925 km) from its source in France’s Grand Est Region. From there, it flows north through Belgium, then forms a portion of the border between Belgium and the Netherlands before turning slightly to the east and wandering a bit before joining the Hollands Diep and flowing into the North Sea.

A portion of the area where the Maas forms the border between Belgium and the Netherlands (about 60 square miles) is known as the Maasvallei Limburg. Maasvallei Limburg has (believe it or not) recently been designated as a PDO wine region by the European Union. This is noteworthy for several reasons, including the area’s northerly location (between 50° and 51ºN) and the fact that this will be the first PDO wine region that crosses the border and includes area within two separate EU countries.

According to the EU petition, “Grapes for wine were cultivated in the abbeys along the Maas in the early Middle Ages. Historical texts refer to modest wine production within the abbey walls. A number of place names also refer to vineyards—including “Wingerd” (vine)—which indicate a history of wine cultivation in the area. Wine was one of the reasons that the convent of noble Benedictine nuns in Thorn acquired its status as an abbey-principality.”

In modern times, winemaking is fairly new to the area, and still somewhat obscure with just 10 producers on the Belgian side of the area (including Wijnomein Aldeneyck) and only one on the Dutch side (Wijngoed Thorn).

The Sint Servaasbrug Bridge over the River Maas (Maastricht, the Netherlands)

The Maasvallei Limburg PDO is approved for varietally-labeled red and white wines—however, according to the EU documentation, “blending is allowed, but something of an exception.”  Grapes approved for the region include the following:

• Red Grapes: Acolon (a Blauer Lemberger  X Dornfelder cross), Dornfelder, and Pinot Noir
• White Grapes: Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Siegerrebe (a Madeleine Angevine X Gewürztraminer cross)

Welcome to the world, Maasvallei Limburg PDO!

References/for more information:

• https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/11/netherlands-poised-to-gain-first-pdo-wine-region/
• http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32017D0822(01)
• https://www.expatica.com/nl/news/country-news/Lifestyle-wine-EU-Netherlands-Belgium_1560107.html
• http://www.wijndomein-aldeneyck.be/
• http://wijngoed-thorn.nl/nl/3/nieuws
• http://wijngoed-thorn.nl/site/home.php

Queenstown, Otago

If you’ve been following the wine news (or even some of our posts here at Wine, Wit, and Wisdom), you know that New Zealand is in the process of formalizing its geographical indications for wine and spirits. It is a long and interesting tale, but here is the gist:

New Zealand’s Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act of 2006 created a registration system for wine and spirit geographical indications and allowed for the scheme of regions and subregions currently in use; however, the act was never brought into force. Fast forward ten years to November of 2016, and a revised law, the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Act, was passed. As a result, the 2006 Act entered into force in July of 2017. Soon thereafter, applications for geographical indications began to be filed with the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.

Mount Maunganui (suburb of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty)

Three geographical indications—New Zealand, South Island, and North Island—were immediately approved as “enduring indications.” Several other applications for wine regions (geographical indications) and subregions (known as “local geographical indications”) have been submitted—many of these have been accepted and should become “official” in a few months—and some are still pending. Geographical indications (excluding enduring indications) will need to be renewed after the first five years, and every ten years thereafter.

One of the newly-accepted applications for geographical indications is Marlborough. Here’s an update on the area:

Accounting for over 59,000 acres (24,100 ha), the Marlborough region on the South Island is home to over two-thirds of all of New Zealand’s vines and grape production. The region is heavily planted to Sauvignon Blanc (47,000 acres/19,000 ha) and in many ways has shaped the explosive growth in New Zealand wine overall. Marlborough is also the largest producer of Pinot Noir in the country, with much of the region’s 6,400 acres (2,600 ha) of Pinot Noir is made into sparkling wine. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Viognier are grown here as well.

Blenheim, Marlborough

Cloudy Bay, which gave its name to a now-famous Sauvignon Blanc producer, and Clifford Bay are both situated along the coast of Marlborough.  The Marlborough Region can be considered to have three separate areas (unofficial subregions), from the Wairau Valley in the north, to the Awatere Valley further south, and the Southern Valleys on the inland side.

• Wairau Valley: The Wairau Valley (known by the Maori as Kei puta te Wairau—the place with the hole in the cloud) is one of New Zealand’s sunniest places. The region is known for stony, alluvial soils and a cool climate that tends to become drier as one heads inland.
• Awatere Valley: The Awatere Valley is located to the south of the Wairau Valley, stretching inland from the coast into the Kaikoura Ranges. This is one of the coolest, driest, and windiest areas of Marlborough—and many of the vineyards have some elevation.
• The Southern Valleys: Located inland, the vineyards of the Southern Valleys—consisting of the Omaka, Fairhall, Brancott, Ben Morvan and Waihopai Valleys—wind and wrap around the surrounding hills. The area has a great diversity in terms of mesoclimates and soils, but does tend to heavier, more clay-based soils than the areas closer to the coast.

Auckland

Other geographical indications of the “New” New Zealand that have been accepted (as of November 15, 2017) include Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Matakana (a subregion of Auckland), Waiheke Island (also a subregion of Auckland), Northland, Wairarapa, and Canterbury. More are sure to come, and we’ll be posting them as they are announced here.

References/for more information:

• https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/geographical-indications/register/
• https://www.nzwine.com/en
• https://www.nzwine.com/en/our-regions/marlborough/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator

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The Rioja DOCa has taken another step in its process of modernizing its wine regulations as well as allowing for more information, particularly involving geographical indications, on the labels of its finest wines. This process came to light last June when the Consejo Regulador  de la Denominación de Origen Rioja approved wines of  Viñedos Singulares, effectively allowing the wines of the region to be labeled with the name of a specific (“singular”) vineyard.

As of August 11 (2017), another change has been confirmed with the approval of the use of specific pueblo (village) names as well. Wines produced from the grapes of a specific village will be known as Vinos de Pueblo. Vinos de Pueblo will be required to be labeled under a unique brand name to differentiate them from a producer’s standard Rioja DOCa wines. According to the Drinks Business website, the first three villages to be approved for use as Vinos de Pueblo are Samaniego, San Vicente, and Haro.

In addition, the sub-zones of the Rioja DOCa, well-known to wine students as the Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja, will now be known as simply “zones” (zonas). The standards for the use of a  zone-indication on a wine label have also been loosened a bit—a minimum of 85% of the grapes are now required to be grown in the specified zone.

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In summary, the wines of the Rioja DOCa are now allowed to labeled with the following geographic  information:

• Specific zone (Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Baja)
• Approved single estate/vineyard (Viñedo Singular)
• Specific village (Vinos de Pueblo)— Samaniego, San Vicente, or Haro

Click here for a nice infographic representing the hierarchy of these new categories: La Nueva Clasificacion de Vinos de Rioja

As of the August changes, Quality Sparkling Wines are now approved for production under the Rioja DOCa, with details on production requirements to follow. And…the changes are still coming, as a revision in the definition for the use of the aging terms Reserva and Gran Reserva is scheduled to come into effect in early 2019.

References/for more information:

• http://es.riojawine.com/es/20-noticias/4997-los-vinos-de-pueblo-y-los-de-zona-completan-la-renovacion-del-actual-sistema-de-rioja.html
• https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/08/rioja-finally-allows-village-labelling-on-bottles/
• http://www.wineindustryadvisor.com/2017/08/11/vinos-de-pueblo-de-zona-rioja-renovation

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CSE, CWE – your blog administrator

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Photo via: http://www.docava.es/en/gallery/ii-excellence-cava-awards/

Update—November 22, 2017: Of the 12 estates originally listed, only 9 passed the final quality control process and will be producing Cava de Paraja Calificado this year. The 9 estates are: Argicola Casa Sala, Alta Alella, Cordoníu, Gramona, Juvé Y Camps, Recardo, Sabaté i Coca, Torelló, and Vins el Cep. 

Last week, on July 13, 2017, Isabel García Tejerina —the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fishing, Food and the Environment—announced the first 12 zones to have earned the designation of Cava de Paraje Calificado (Qualified Estate [Zone] of Cava).

The first 12 designated zones and the anticipated wines are as follows. It is a bit confusing as the name of the zone is sometimes/sometimes not the same as the proposed name of the wine, but we’ve tried to make it clear. In any case, the name of the zone is listed first (and highlighted in bold), followed by the name(s) of the wines, and then the producer.  Links are provided for all the producers.

• Torelló Zone, the name of the wines are Gran Torelló and 225—produced by Can Martí de Baix
• Turó d’en Mota Zone, the name of the wine is Turó d’en Mota—produced by Recardo
• Serrall del Vell Zone, the name of the wine is Serral del Vell— produced by Recardo  
• Vallcierera Zone, the name of the wine is Mirgin—produced by Alta Alella  
• La Capella Zone, the name of the wine is La Capella—produced by Juvé & Camps
• Can Sala Zone, the name of the wine is Casa Sala—produced by Agrícola Casa Sala/Freixenet
• La Pleta Zone, the name of the wine is La Pleta—produced by Codorníu
• El Tros Nou Zone, the name of the wine is El Tros Nou—produced Codorníu
• La Fideuera Zone, the name of the wine is La Fideuera—produced by Codorníu
• Claror Zone, the name of the wine is Can Prats—produced by Vins el Cep
• Font de Jui Zone, the name of the wines are Enoteca, Cellar Batlle, and Ill Lustros—produced by Gramona
• Terroja Zone, the name of the wine is Sabaté i Coca Reserva Familiar—produced by Sabaté i Coca/Castellroig

The newly-designated wines are scheduled to hit the market towards the end of 2017; it seems the last step in the process is the design and approval of new labels to designate the Cavas de Paraje Calificado status of the wines.

The application process for Cavas de Paraje Calificado is still open, and more estates may be designated in the near future.

References/for more information:

• http://www.docava.es/el-cava-de-paraje-calificado-es-ya-una-realidad/

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It’s quite possible you have never heard of the Erbamat grape variety. Before last month, I’d never heard of it either. However…starting with the 2017 vintage, Erbamat (a white variety) will be allowed for use in the wines of the Franciacorta DOCG.

Franciacorta, as all serious wine students know, is a super-serious (read: Traditional Method) sparkling wine produced in Lombardy. The normale version requires a minimum of 18 months of lees aging; this goes up to 60 months minimum for the riserva. And the grapes are totally no-nonsense: up until now, the only grapes allowed for use in Franciacorta DOCG are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus Pinot Bianco (but only up to 50%).

This will change soon, as the Italian ministry of Agriculture and the Franciacorta DOCG consortium have announced a change to the Disciplinare di Produzione that will allow the use of the Erbamat grape variety. This change should become effective with the wines of the 2017 vintage, assuming the amendment’s publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale (Official Journal).

When the new regulation goes into effect, the Erbamat grape variety will be allowed to comprise up to 10% of a Franciacorta DOCG wine produced with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and up to 50% of the blend if used alongside Pinot Bianco. The grape is appreciated for its late ripening characteristic and neutral flavors, but primarily for its ability to retain high levels of malic acid, even in warm temperatures and despite its tendency to ripen late.

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The Erbamat grape has been grown in the areas in and around Lombardy since at least the sixteenth century, however, it seems it has always been a minor grape variety and was in danger of becoming extinct about a generation ago. Before its recognition in the wines of Franciscorta, it was not allowed for use in any of the DOC or DOCG wines of Italy. However, it been used in some interesting blends bottled at the “vin” (table wine) level of categorization, such as the Erbamat/Trebbiano blend known as Perlì produced by the Comincioli Winery in Brescia.

Following a 1982 study in which the grape was described by Professor Attilio Scienza as”capable of producing wines of extraordinary acidity and freshness,” several producers in Franciacorta began some experimental plantings of Erbamat. The experiment, it seems, turned out well.

References/for more information:

• Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz: Wine Grapes. New York, 2012: Harper Collins Publishers
• http://www.franciacorta.net/en/viticulture/vines/
• http://www.cronachedigusto.it/archiviodal-05042011/325-scenari/21746-2017-03-31-14-29-35.html (in Italian)
•  http://www.cronachedigusto.it/archiviodal-05042011/325-scenari/20630-consorzio-franciacorta-sesta-modifica-al-disciplinare-un-nuovo-vitigno-per-la-produzione.html (in Italian)
• http://www.comincioli.it/en/prodotto/perli-2/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CSE, CWE – your blog administrator

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As of February 17 of this year, Pic-Saint-Loup is France’s newest official appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) wine region! If the name sounds familiar, the area (found within the Hérault and Gard departments in Southwest France) has been an approved subzone of the Languedoc AOC and somewhat known for its blended-variety red and rosé wines.

According to the website of the INAO, Pic-Saint-Loup (sometimes written as Pic-St-Loup or Pic St-Loup) is now a stand-alone AOC, approved for both red and rosé wines. The first Pic-Saint-Loup AOC designations will show up on wines from the 2017 vintage.

The red wines of the Pic-Saint-Loup must be at least 12% alcohol by volume and be comprised of a minimum of 50% Syrah. A measure of either Grenache Noir or Mourvèdre is required, and small amounts of Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, and Morrastel (known elsewhere as Graciano) are also permitted.

The requirements of the Pic-Saint-Loup rosé AOC are similar, but the required amount of Syrah is set at a minimum of 30%. A proportion of Grenache Noir or Mourvèdre is still required (as many of the wines of the Languedoc are traditionally blends); Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, and Morrastel are allowed in the mix as well.

So, what is next for the Languedoc? No one can say for sure…place your bets! But for now, welcome to the world Pic-Saint-Loup AOC!

References/for further information:

• http://www.inao.gouv.fr/eng/Official-texts
• http://www.pic-saint-loup.com/
• http://offlicencenews.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/16404/Southern_belles.html
• http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/herault/montpellier-metropole/montpellier/vignoble-du-pic-saint-loup-obtient-label-aoc-part-entiere-1084713.html
• https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/02/pic-saint-loup-awaits-final-aoc-nod/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CSE, CWE – your blog administrator

Are you interested in being a guest blogger or a guest SWEbinar presenter for SWE?  Click here for more information!