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

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

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

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 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

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:

• http://www.winesofnz.com/new-zealand-wine-regions/central-otago-wine-region/
• https://www.centralotagopinot.co.nz/winemap.html
• http://palatepress.com/2014/03/wine/biodynamics-central-otago-pseudoscience-still-good/

Lucia 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.

Photo of Chester Osborne and the Cube via: http://www.theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/

Just when you think you’ve been everywhere and seen everything, someone comes up with something new! In case you are looking to travel to the newest (and some might say weirdest, or to use a kinder term, most unique) tasting room in the wine world, book your tickets to South Australia and stop by the d’Arenberg Winery in McLaren Vale.

At the winery, you’ll find a plethora of creative wines, ranging from “Lucky Lizard Chardonnay,” the “Feral Fox Pinot Noir” and their range of “Stump Jump” wines, named after a plow that can plow through tree stumps.

If your visit is timed right (sometime in early part of 2017), you’ll also be able to visit their new tasting room—or, as they might prefer we call it, their new tasting cube. What’s a tasting cube, you ask? Well, at d’Arenberg it is a five-story, glass-encased steel and concrete structure inspired by the Rubik’s Cube.

Rendition of the completed Cube via: http://www.theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/

The d’Arenberg Cube is the brainchild of Chester Osborn, the chief winemaker for d’Arenberg and the great-great grandson of founder Joseph Osborn. Chester describes the new cube/tasting room as “an architectural puzzle four modules wide, four high and four deep, is already soaring above the Mourvèdre vineyards in the heart of McLaren Vale.”  In addition of offering wines sales and tasting, the cube will host curated art exhibits as a permanent art installation room designed to give the impression of being inside a wine fermenter and featuring the work of Australian artist Jane Skeer to include hundreds of dangling VHS video tapes combined with projections of people treading grapes.

The cube will also feature a restaurant and a rooftop balcony. However, the most interesting feature just might the glass-surrounded “wine fog room,” set to feature a series of large aroma-filled containers attached to bicycle horns designed to “beep” the aromas of wine out to the room.

Some people are referring to the new construction as “Chester’s folly,” and Osborne himself admits that he has given d’Arry, his father, more than a few sleepless nights. But in my humble opinion, he’s going to have folks lining up for a look, a sniff, and a taste of the new d’Arenberg tasting room.

References/for more information:

• http://www.darenberg.com.au/

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

Spending New Year’s Eve in Rome, I was able to observe and enjoy Italy’s dual personality in sparkling wine.  Prosecco was sold by street vendors and enjoyed alfresco; sitting on the Spanish Steps, watching fireworks in Piazza del Popolo or enjoying the concert at Circus Maximus.  Franciacorta was pouring inside Rome’s many Enotecas and Ristorantes.

While both Prosecco and Franciacorta are sparkling wines, there are more differences than just where they are enjoyed.

In the Piazza – Prosecco!

Prosecco is often considered fun, easy to drink, perfect during happy hour and inexpensive – generally a wine for every occasion. Prosecco has been produced in northeastern Italy going back as far as Roman times using the Glera grape variety, which grew near the village of Prosecco.  Cultivation spread to the hills of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the 18^th century and there is early documentation that due to Prosecco’s aromatic quality it is suitable for producing wine with a fine sensory profile.

Production continued to spread to the lower lying areas of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia and this is where the Prosecco we know today was first produced in the beginning of the 20^th century, thanks to the introduction of a new secondary fermentation technique. Scientific knowledge has come leaps and bounds later in the 20^th century, which perfected the Prosecco production method.

Map of Prosecco via http://www.discoverproseccowine.it/en/

Prosecco first received Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1969 for sparkling wines produced in the hills near the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. In 2009 major changes to the Prosecco disciplinare were implemented:

• Prosecco is now strictly defined as a wine-producing region.  Therefore, the grape used should no longer be referred to as “Prosecco” and is now correctly identified as Glera.
• The Prosecco DOC was expanded to replace the previous Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) region in northeastern Italy.  The Prosecco DOC now encompasses nine provinces in the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.  This introduced stricter controls and greater guarantees for the consumer.
• Prosecco Superiore was elevated to Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status.  DOCG wines include Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG and Colli Asolani (Asolo) Prosecco DOCG.
• The “crus” Rive and Cartizze are new introductions. Il Rive is reserved for sparkling wines which highlight individual communes or hamlets in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area enabling individual expression.  “Rive” in local dialect translates as “vineyards planted on steep land.” Superiore di Cartizze is the peak of DOCG quality and is considered the “grand cru” of Prosecco.  Cartizze is comprised of 107 hectares of remarkably steep vineyards of San Petro di Barbozza, Santo Stefano, and Saccol in the commune of Valdobbiadene.  This micro area is a perfect combination of mild climate, aspect and soils.  The vineyards here produce a sparkling wine of particular elegance which represents the maximum expression of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area.

Prosecco must be made with a minimum of 85% Glera while the remaining 15% can be of any combination of Verdiso, Perera, Bianchetta, Glera Lugna, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Pinot Nero (only if produced as a white wine).

Who can resist a Bellini?

Prosecco is generally made in the Charmat or “Italian Method,” defined as the second fermentation taking place in large pressurized stainless steel tanks with the addition of sugar and yeast.  This second fermentation lasts a minimum of 30 days.  Once finished, the sparkling wine is bottled and ready to be released into the market.  This method allows the preservation of the grapes’ varietal aromas, giving a fruity and floral wine.

Prosecco can either be produced as full sparkling (Spumante) or lightly sparkling (Frizzante or gentile).  Then the specific style is designated by the residual sugar content.

• Brut – maximum of 12 grams per liter of residual sugar
• Extra Dry – between 12-17 grams per liter
• Dry – between 17-32 grams per liter

Prosecco is low in alcohol with only 11 to 12% alcohol by volume and low in pressure with 3 atmospheres of pressure for the Spumante and 1 to 2 ½ atmospheres of pressure for the Frizzante.

Prosecco is usually enjoyed “straight,” but also appears in some popular cocktails, such as the Bellini (Peach and Prosecco), the Spritz (Aperol, Compari, Cynar), or the Sgroppino (Lemon sorbet, Prosecco and vodka).

In the Enoteca – Franciacorta!

If the French will forgive me for saying this, Franciacorta is the Italians’ response to Champagne. The wines of Franciacorta have been around a long time – mention of the area’s wines appeared in one of the first published works about the technique of production of natural fermentation wines in the bottle and their beneficial and therapeutic action on the human body – printed in 1570.

Franciacorta vineyard in Paderno

The Franciacorta DOCG is located in Lombardy’s province of Bescia, within the territory of Franciacorta.  Lake Iseo moderates the climate while the hills to the east and west protect the region from winds.  Soils are mostly morainic, laid down by the glaciers that formed the lakes and valleys.

Franciacorta was the first Italian sparkling wine produced by the Classic Method (second fermentation in the bottle) awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) in 1995.  Today, the wine reads simply “Franciacorta”: this defines the growing area, the production method, and the wine.  There are only ten such wines in all of Europe and only three of them are sparkling: Champagne, Cava and Franciacorta.

Franciacorta today is still a relatively small region with 2,700 hectares under vine and around 100 producers. The Franciacorta DOCG limits the varieties to Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Blanco.  It also regulates yields, harvesting times, conditions and many other aspects of winemaking.  Fanciacorta enjoys a long secondary fermentation in the bottle and is aged for many years before release.  While universally known as sparkling wine made in the traditional method, locally this process is referred to as the “Franciacorta method”.

The categories of Franciacorta are:

• Non-vintage – Aged on its lees for 18 months and not released until at least 25 months after harvest.   Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, with up to 50% Pinot Bianco.  Produced in a range of styles:  Pas dosé, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, or Demi-Sec.
• Satèn – Aged on its lees for 24 months.   Satèn is always blanc de blancs made predominantly of Chardonnay with up to 50% Pinot Bianco allowed.  Satèn is bottled at a slightly lower pressure (less than 5 atmospheres of pressure instead of the standard 6 atmospheres) giving it a softer mouthfeel.  Produced in only the Brut style.
• 

  “Bottiglia e calice di franciacorta” by Nautinut – Own work, via Wikimedia Commons

  Rosé – Aged on its lees for 24 months.  Rosé is often made from just Pinot Noir grapes, but may also be made by blending a minimum of 25% Pinot Noir with base wines of Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco.  Produced in a range of styles:  Pas dosé, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Dry, Sec, or Demi-Sec.

• Millesimato (Vintage) – Aged on its lees for 30 months and not released until at least 37 months after harvest.  At least 85% of the base wine must come from one single growing year.  Both Satèn and Rose can include Millesimato.  Produced in a range of styles: Pas dosé, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry (Satèn only Brut)
• Riserva – Is a Millesimato (can include Satèn and Rose) which is aged on its lees at least 60 months and not released until at least 67 months (5 ½ years) after harvest.  Since many Franciacorta Millesimatos rest sur lie far longer than the required minimum of 30 months, this designation was created to highlight this unique type of wine.  Produced in a range of styles: Pas dosé, Extra Brut, Brut (Satèn only Brut)

The dosato of Franciacorta are defined in the same way as Champagne’s dosage levels.

• Pas dosé (No dosage, dosage zero, pas opéré or nature) – maximum 3 grams per liter residual sugar
• Extra Brut – maximum 6 grams per liter
• Brut – maximum 12 grams per liter
• Extra Dry – between 12-17 grams per liter
• Sec (Dry) – between 17-32 grams per liter
• Demi Sec – between 32-50 grams per liter

So…now that you know the details – how would you rather spend New Year’s Eve in Roma? Would you like to welcome the stroke of midnight with Prosecco on the piazza, or Franciacorta in the enoteca?

Post authored by Brenda Audino, CWE. After a long career as a wine buyer with Twin Liquors in Austin, Texas, Brenda has recently moved to Napa, California (lucky!)where she runs the Spirited Grape wine consultancy business. Brenda is a long-time member of SWE and has attended many conferences – be sure to say “hi” at this year’s conference in NOLA!