Category Archives: News of The Wine World

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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!

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If you are a fan of crisp, clean, cool-climate wines, you no doubt adore New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. You might even be able to tell the story of Cloudy Bay Vineyards, founded as recently as 1985, as one of a small group of wineries to venture into Marlborough and quickly establish one of the leading wine-producing areas in the New World while practically “inventing”  a new style of Sauvignon Blanc along the way.

As a true New Zealand wine aficionado, you can probably tell the story of the establishment of vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawke’s Bay, where the combination of the soil, the geography, and the climate create one of the few areas in this small, maritime nation where thick-skinned, heat-loving red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can ripen consistently.

If you are really into New Zealand wine, you can probably tell the story of “sunny” Nelson (located on the western side of the Southern Alps), Gisborne (the “Chardonnay capitol of New Zealand”), and Central Otago Pinot Noir, produced in the southernmost commercial wine-producing region in the world.

But did you know…all of the wine regions of New Zealand are “unofficial”? Winemakers certainly use them, and serious students of wine study them, and in 2006 the New Zealand Parliament, via the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act of 2006, created a registration system and scheme for wine and spirit geographical indications. However, the act was never brought into force and the geographical indications remained “unofficial.”

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That began to change last night—November 16, 2016—when the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Act was passed by the New Zealand Parliament. This new law will enter into force during 2017, allowing for the registration of a set of internationally recognized and protected geographical indications in New Zealand.

According to Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers, “the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act will be a significant advance for the New Zealand wine industry. Our Geographical Indications—the names and places where our wines come from— are at the very heart of the New Zealand wine story and this new law provides an additional level of protection for them.”

New Zealand wine regions—it’s almost official!

For more information, see the website of the New Zealand Winegrowers

post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator

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On October 27, 2016, the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) of the United States government approved the country’s 239^th American Viticultural Area (AVA): The Appalachian High Country AVA. The new AVA, which encompasses some segments of the famed Appalachian Trail, includes portions of northeastern Tennessee, northwestern North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia; encompassing eight counties across the corners of the three states. The AVA will be effective as of November 28, 2016.

The new AVA covers a 2,400-square-mile area and currently contains 71 acres of planted and producing vines, 21 commercial vineyards, and 10 wineries, including the New River Winery, Spencer Mountain Winery, and Watauga Lake Winery. The new AVA is not located within any established viticultural area, but it shares a portion of its eastern border with the Yadkin Valley AVA of North Carolina.

According to the petition, the Appalachian High Country AVA is a unique wine growing area based on the following characteristics:

map via: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=TTB-2016-0003-0003

Elevation: Elevation in the new area falls between 1,338 and 6,260 feet above sea level, with the majority of the planted areas in the 3,000–6,000 foot range, with an with an average vineyard elevation of 3,206 feet.

Climate and weather:  The area within the new AVA is significantly cooler; the average annual temperature of the proposed Appalachian High Country AVA is, on average, between 2 degrees and 8 degrees (F) cooler than the surrounding areas.  The proposed AVA is classified as a Winkler Climate Region I/II; the Yadkin Valley AVA to the west is classified as a Winkler Region III/IV.

Soil: There are 26 different soil types found within the new AVA; of these, two (Watauga-Clifton-Chandler and Clifton-Chester) are found only within the proposed viticultural area. In layman’s terms, these soils feature a deep, loamy, well-drained sub-soil over granite and gneiss bedrock.

Over 24 different grape varieties are currently grown in the area which include vinifera varieties (led by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Viognier); and hybrids (led by Marquette, Marechal Foch, and Seyval Blanc).

Welcome to the World, Appalachian High Country AVA!

To read the original petition, as well as all amendments and comments regarding the establishment of the Appalachian High Country AVA, click here.

post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator