Tag Archives: Wine Education

A Bitter Battle over Sweet Wine in the Loire

  By admin | October 18, 2013 - 2:12 pm | ,
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Quarts-de-Chaume is just one of the famous sweet wine appellations in the Loire.  A slightly larger region, surrounding Quarts-de-Chaume and somewaht less prestigious, is known as the Coteaux du Layon. The Coteaux du Layon includes the area of Quarts-de-Chaume as well as the equally famous AOC of Bonnezeaux. A third, larger area, encompassing the entire commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire, is known as the Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire AOC.

Quarts-de-Chaume, with its long history stretching back to the Middle Ages, was expected to be the wine that led the wines of the Loire into the future. Despite the fact that the Loire is one of the largest quality wine producing areas of France, the fame and fortune of the Loire lags far behind the other large wine producing areas in France.  One possible reason for this was determined to be that the vineyards of the Loire do not have an official ranking system such as those in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne, and a plan for ranking the vineyards was created.

Photo Credit: Jim Budd of the "Jim's Loire" Blog

Photo Credit: Jim Budd of the “Jim’s Loire” Blog

The ranking of the Loire’s vineyards got off to a rocky start in 2003, when the Coteaux du Layon AOC was granted the Loire’s first Premier Cru designation, to be known as Chaume Premier Cru des Coteaux du Layon.  The designation did not last for long, however, as the committee for the Quarts de Chaume appellation felt that this title caused confusion with their own name and created an unfair advantage for the new designation. Thus, the Premier Cru title was suspended.

The Premier Cru title for Coteaux du Layon-Chaume was ultimately reinstated in November 2011, after the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation was awarded the first Grand Cru title in the Loire.  Even this has not been without controversy, as one of the largest producers of Quarts-de-Chaume, Domaine des Baumard, has filed a lawsuit with the Conseil d’État challenging the new law.

According to many sources, the Baumards’ main issue with the new AOC is the revised, more stringent regulations that accompany the “Grand Cru” ranking, which would prohibit certain vine-growing and winemaking practices long employed by the estate. One such practice, for example, is cryoextraction (freezing the grapes before they are pressed). Under the new laws, cryoextraction would be banned in the Quarts-de-Chaume Grand Cru as of 2020.

Other producers in the Loire are upset that the Grand Cru and Premier Cru status applies only to sweet wines and excludes the dry wines of the region.

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It seems vineyards classification in France, with so much prestige and money on the line, is a tricky business. I seem to recall reading that the same sort of bickering plagued the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux—and more recently, the 2012 classification of St. Émilion.

As of now, the Quarts-de-Chaume Grand Cru along with Coteaux du Layon Premier Cru Chaume AOCs still stand…and we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.

References/for more information:

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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

 

 

 

A New AVA for Santa Barbara

  By admin | October 14, 2013 - 3:33 am | ,
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14956727_lThere’s a new AVA in Santa Barbara County! Officially approved on October 1, 2013, the new Ballard Canyon AVA is located within the existing Santa Ynez AVA.  With this new addition, there are now a total of five AVAs located within Santa Barbara County:  Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria Valley, and the newest member, Ballard Canyon.

Santa Barbara County, located a 90-minute drive north of Los Angeles, sits on the Southern California coast between San Luis Obispo County to the north and Ventura County to the south. The area is geologically unique in that it is one of the few places on the California Coast where both the coastline and the mountain ranges – including the Santa Ynez Mountain Range (located near the coast) and the San Rafael Mountain Range (further inland) run east-west as opposed to north-south.

The transverse nature of the region creates an east-west flow of ocean breezes off of the Pacific Ocean, as well as a diversity of soils from diatomaceous earth near the shore and chert and limestone further inland.  With such diverse terroir, it makes sense for the region to host five AVAs.

santa barbara vineyardsSanta Maria Valley – The Santa Maria Valley, 35 miles north of Santa Ynez, is the northernmost of Santa Barbara’s five AVAs, and was the first area to be officially recognized as an AVA.  The often foggy and windswept region has complex soil conditions and is known for cool weather grapes including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The oldest commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County, the Nielson Vineyard, was planted in 1964 in Santa Maria Valley.

Santa Ynez Valley – The region’s largest AVA, Santa Ynez Valley, is a long, east-west corridor with a diversity of climates; the cool temperatures near the coast become progressively warmer inland. Many types of grapes and wine are produced in this region, from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and botrytis-affected wines in the west to Bordeaux and Rhône varieties in the west.

Sta. Rita Hills – The Sta. Rita Hills AVA sits mostly within the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA, on its western border, and therefore much cooler than the inland areas. Located just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, the area generally sits under marine layer clouds and fogs in the morning.  By 10 am, the fogs burns off and gives way to a few hours of calm sunshine.  In the afternoon, the on-shore breezes pick up, giving this region an overall maritime climate well-suited to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Located between the towns of Buellton and Lompoc, the area is intersected by the Santa Ynez River.

Ballard-Canyon-IdentityBallard Canyon – Located in the center of Santa Ynez Valley, with Sta. Rita Hills to the west and Happy Canyon to the east, the area’s newest AVA enjoys the hot, sunny days of its relatively inland position, and the cool nights brought in by post-sunset ocean breezes.  At 7,800 acres (560 of which are planted), Ballard Canyon is by far the smallest AVA in Santa Barbara County.  (By comparison, Sta. Rita Hills is 64,000 acres.) Ballard Canyon is planted heavily towards the Rhône varieties of Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, and Viognier, as well as Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, and other international varieties.

Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara – First recognized as an AVA in 2009, Happy Canyon is located to the east of the Santa Ynez Valley, making this one of the warmest areas in Santa Barbara County.  Summertime temperatures often reach the low to mid-nineties.  The region specializes in Bordeaux and Rhône varietals.  Local lore suggests that the name of the region comes from the time of Prohibition when bootleg alcohol was produced in the region, prompting folks to “take a trip to Happy Canyon.”

Some beautiful maps of the AVAs of Santa Barbara can be found on the website of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association: http://sbcountywines.com/vineyards/map.html.

Click here to return to the SWE Website.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

Libraries and Lectures: Professor Maynard Amerine

  By admin | October 7, 2013 - 12:04 pm |
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Professor Amerines BookWhen I was a 21-year-old student at UC Berkley I began to be obsessed with wine, cooking, and food. This was the 80’s in Northern California; the perfect time and place for such a passion to bloom.  California wines were taking the world by storm and chefs that seemed to us like “local hippies” would soon be world-famous for a new style of cooking dubbed “California Cuisine.” All of this would set the nation on a course that would lead to…well, our nation’s current obsession with wine, cooking, and food.

As most people do when they first “discover” the culinary arts, I spent all my spare cash  on cookbooks.  Lucky for me I could wander down to Cody’s Books, the legendary Berkley Bookstore that unfortunately shuttered in 2008. One day I happened to pick up – for 99 cents – a tattered, used copy of a book called “Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation” written by Maynard Amerine and Edward B. Roessler. Even though it would be years, or perhaps even decades before I would be able to really understand what I was reading, I was fascinated by that little book.  I still have my tattered copy and get a kick out of seeing the underlines and scribbled notes I put in that book 30 years ago.

amerine_maynard_aOne of the authors of that book, Maynard Amerine (1911-1998), was, in 1935, the first faculty member hired in the new Viticulture and Enology Department at the University of California at Davis. He became full professor in 1952, was deemed All-University Lecturer in 1962. He continued his research and teaching at Davis until his retirement in 1974, and remained a Professor Emeritus until his death in 1998.

His many contributions to the world of wine include 16 books and over 400 articles on the subjects of viticulture, enology, and the sensory evaluation of wine.  In the early 1940s, along with his colleague Albert Winkler, he developed the Winkler scale, a technique for classifying wine growing regions based on temperature now known to most wine students as “heat summation regions.”

Among his many awards are the Andre Simon Prize, the Croix d’Officier du Order National du Mérite, the Chevalier de Mérite Agricole, Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award 1985 and Wine Man of the Year – Wines & Vines Magazine” 1989.

Today, through an amazing combination of luck, technology, and the UC Davis Library, you can view a series of videos of Professor Amerine’s  class lectures, recorded in 1973 during his class for “Viticulture and Enology 125: Sensory Analysis of Wine.” Just click here: http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/specol/collections/media/index.php?media=viticulture

Professor Amerine donated many of his writings, awards, and references to UC Davis.  You can learn about his archives, now housed in The Maynard Amerine Room at the UC Davis Library here:  http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/collections/vitic/amerine-room.php

Click here to return to the SWE Website.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, SWE Blog Administrator:  jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

1855: It was a Very Good Year…

  By admin | September 28, 2013 - 12:21 am | ,
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Bordeaux 1Its a familiar story to wine enthusiasts…in 1855, Napoleon III, the Emperor of France, decided that France would host an event to rival the Great Exhibition held in London four years earlier.  That event, the Exposition Universelle de Paris, would showcase all the glory that was France – including its finest wines.

One of the exhibitors was the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, which decided to feature a list of the region’s best wines. However, knowing better than to draw up the list themselves, they asked the Syndicat of Courtiers (Bordeaux’s Union of Wine Brokers) to draw one up.

It did not take the Syndicat long to think through the list; two weeks later, they were finished.  Their original list included 58 of the finest Châteaux of the Gironde department – four first growths, 12 seconds, 14 thirds, 11 fourths, and 17 fifths.   Apparently, the brokers did what brokers do:  they assigned the rankings based on price, reasoning that the market, in its infinite wisdom, had already ranked the wines based on who was commanding the highest price.  This move makes more sense if you know that in the 1850’s; the wine trade in Bordeaux was still largely controlled by the British.

bordeaux 2The Syndicat’s original list ranked the Châteaux by quality within each class. Mouton-Rothschild, quite famously, was at the head of the seconds.  However, the controversy concerning the entire list was such that by the time the Exposition rolled around, a few months after the list was first released, they had rescinded the quality listing within the categories, quickly claimed that no such hierarchy had ever been intended, and took to listing the Châteaux alphabetically.

As every good wine student knows, the only formal revision to the original list came in 1973, when, following a half-century of unceasing effort by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Mouton was elevated from second-growth to first growth, and the winery’s motto became “Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change.”  (“First, I am. Second, I used to be. Mouton does not change.”)

9.8-The-Haut-Medoc-4-color-[Converted]Since 1855, many changes have occurred in the names and ownership of the properties. However, as long as an estate can trace its lineage to an estate in the original classification, it can retain is cru classé status. Due to divisions of the estates, the 58 original estates now number 61.

And now for the rest of the story…

As any good CSW Student knows, Bill Lembeck, CWE, has designed the maps for the last few editions of the CSW Study Guide.

Next month, (Spoiler Alert) SWE will launch its 2014 version of the CSW Study Guide, and Bill has once again designed and updated the maps for us – this time in color! As a special bonus, Bill has created this map of the Häut-Médoc which gorgeously lists the Châteaux of the 1855 Classification.  A larger image and pdf of the map is available here.

Enjoy, and many thanks to Bill!

 

 

 

The Rheingau Falls in Line

  By admin | September 23, 2013 - 11:55 am |
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Rheingau 1Here’s some good news:  as of September 1, 2013, the wine classification system in Germany just got a little bit easier.

With the release of the 2012 vintage, the Rheingau is now using the term “Grosses Gewächs” to indicate dry wines produced in their top-tier (Grosse Lage) vineyard sites.  Until recently, the Rheingau was the only region in the country to use the term “Erstes Gewächs” to represent their top-tier dry wines, but as of now, the Rheingau will use the same term as the rest of Germany.

Now, there is still quite a bit of complication to be sure, with the country’s gU’s, QbA’s and Prädikats, but at least for now there is one less piece of the VDP puzzle to figure out.

To explain the VDP – Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweinguter – classifications quite simply, they are the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates – and their goal is to create a terroir-based classification of German vineyard sites, based on the system of vineyard classification used in Burgundy as their model. The idea is to use the quality of the vineyard site in addition to the ripeness of the grape (Prädikat) to define a top-tier German wine.

The levels of quality that an estate can apply for are as follows.   (Note: the method of comparing the VDP classificaton to the vineyard hierarchy of Burgundy is used on the VDP website and can be accessed here):

  • Grosse Lage, or “Great Site” – The highest classification, equal to a “Grand Cru” in Burgundy.  A dry wine from a Grosse Lage is termed a “Grosses Gewächs.”  (As noted above, until September 1, 2013, there was an exception for the top-tier dry wines of the Rheingau, which used the term Ertes Gewächs.  However, the Rheingau estates are now using the term “Grosses Gewächs” along with the rest of Germany – hooray!)
  • Rhengau 2Erste Lage, “First Site” or “Very Good Site”  – Comparable to a “Premier Cru” in Burgundy.
  • Ortswein, or “Classified Site Wine” –  Comparable to a “Village” level wine in Burgundy.
  • Gutswein, or “Estate Wine” – “Comparable to a “Regional” wine in Burgundy.

The 2012 vintage in the Rheingau was notortiously botrytis-free, showcasing grapes that have exceptional ripeness and excellent acidity – a perfect year to highlight the increasingly popular dry style.  We can’t wait to give them a try!

For more information, see the website of the VDP.

Please note:  SWE is trying to keep up with the ever-changing wine and spirits industry, whether it be changes in EU regulations, new AVAs, or newly approved wine regions in  the southern hemisphere.  To access the “quck version” of these updates, see our “Study Guide Updates” pages.  We suggest checking back regularly!

Click here to return to the SWE Website.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles. CWE – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

 

The AVA Shuffle

  By admin | September 22, 2013 - 6:32 pm |
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New AVA 1The bureaucrats down at the TTB must have been hard at work lately processing the applications for more than 18 new AVAs.

Read on to learn the details of some of the more interesting proposals!

Big Valley District and Kelsey Bench – Lake County – Two new AVAs have been proposed for Lake County, CA; to be named Big Valley District – Lake County and Kelsy Bench – Lake County.

The Big Valley region is located on the south shore of Clear Lake and has a long history of agriculture (pears and walnuts) and viticulture.  The Kendall-Jackson winery is said to have had its beginnings in the area in 1974, when Jess Jackson and his wife purchased a Lake County farm and soon after planted their first vineyards.

The Kelsey Bench is located between Mt. Konocti, Lake County’s resident dormant volcano, and the alluvial flood plain on the lower elevations.  The proposed Kelsey Bench AVA understandably has primarily volcanic soils, higher elevations than the adjacent (proposed) Big Valley District, and northeastern exposures. The proposal for both new Lake County AVAs has reached the final ruling stage. To read all the documents related to these proposed AVAs, click here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=TTB-2013-0003

Cabernet TopEagle Peak Mendocino County – A proposal to establish a new AVA to be known as Eagle Peak Mendocino County is in the final ruling stage.  Eagle Peak Mendocino County is proposed in an area of moderately sloping, hilly terrain at elevations from 800 feet to 3,320 feet up the slope of Eagle Summit.  Along with the new AVA, the proposal calls for the modification of the boundaries of the adjacent Redwood Valley AVA in order to avoid splitting two vineyard properties, Golden Vineyards and Masut Vineyards, between the Eagle Peak and Redwood Valley AVAs.  If the proposal passes, both properties would be within the Eagle Peak Mendocino County AVA. To read more about this proposal, click here:  http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=TTB-2013-0004

New AVA 3Paso Robles – After years of debate about the possible division of the Paso Robles AVA into North Paso Robles/South Paso Robles or even East Paso Robles/West Paso Robles sub-appellations, a proposal to establish eleven new AVAs within the existing Paso Robles AVA has made it to the “proposed rulemaking stage” of the AVA approval process.  If you have an opinion, now is the time to speak up! Public comments are welcome through January 21, 2014.  If all goes as planned, the new AVAs will be as follows:  Adelaida District,  Creston District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita Ranch, and Templeton Gap District. For all the details, click here:  http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=TTB-2013-0009

If you would like to see all of the current AVA proposals on record with the TTB, just click here:  http://www.ttb.gov/wine/wine-rulemaking.shtml

 

The Romance of Saint Amour

  By admin | September 16, 2013 - 4:46 pm |
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Saint-AmourSaint Amour claims to be the most romantic of the Beaujolais Crus. It’s tough to argue with the “romance angle” when a wine’s name translates – literally- to “Saint Love” and loosely to “holy love,” “pure love,” or a variety of other equally delicious and romantic terms. Duboeuf describes their Saint Amour as “the wine of poets and lovers.”

According to the “Discover Beaujolais” website, more than 25% of the wine’s sales occur in February, around Valentine’s Day – most likely helped by the Smiling Cupids or hearts that adorn many of the labels.  Suffice it to say that, with both the cheery name and the reasonable price (about one-quarter of the cost of Pink Champagne) going for it, this wine is ready for romance.

Saint Amour is the northernmost Cru of the region, located where the granite soils of Beaujolais – so prized for the growing of Gamay – give way to the limestone soils of the Mâconnais to the north, better suited for the cultivation of Chardonnay.  Saint Amour actually borders the Saint-Véran AOC in the Mâcon, and many vignerons in the region own land and produce wine in both regions.

duboeuf sainat amourNot to quell the rumors of romance, but local lore actually suggests that the region was named after a Roman soldier rather than an angel of love. St. Amateur, the story goes, was a soldier of war who converted to Christianity after narrowly escaping death, and established a monastery overlooking the Saône River.

The wines of Saint Amour can be enjoyed while young, and while youthful often show aromas and flavors of cherry, berry, peach, apricot and spice. Most producers say the wines need at least a year to open up, and are at their supple best with two or three years of aging, when floral aromas start to shine. Some producers claim their Saint Amour is capable of producing vin de garde, wines suitable for aging, and can reveal their complex side anytime between four and 8 years after bottling.

Designated as a Cru in 1946, perhaps the wines of Saint Amour can remind us that love is grand in all its forms – through youth, middle age, and maturity – and that a good wine is always an excellent accompaniment to romance!

Discover Beaujolais:  http://www.discoverbeaujolais.com/

Duboeuf/Saint Amour:  http://www.duboeuf.com/en/page/Selection/Beaujolais-Fleurs-Saint-Amour#/en/page/Selection/Beaujolais-Fleurs-Saint-Amour

 

 

Chinato: Cocchi, or Cappellano?

  By admin | September 15, 2013 - 1:07 pm | ,
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cappellanoIf you love Italian wine, you can most likely discuss the intricacies of Brunello, Barbaresco, and Bardolino.  If you love Italian food, you probably crave Bolognese, Balsamic, and Burrata on a daily basis. But what can you tell us about Barolo Chinato?

Don’t worry – you don’t have to give up your Italophile badge just yet.  Barolo Chinato is rare – it’s not exactly easy to find in America, despite it being more widely available than ever these days, thanks to the longevity of the craft cocktail craze and an ever-growing American fondness for all things Italian.

Barolo Chinato is digestive (equally qualified to serve as aperitif) produced in Piedmont, Italy created from a base of Barolo wine.  The word “china” (pronounced “key-na”) in Italian refers to “cinchona bark,” known to Americans as quinine. This, if we want to stay literal, Barolo Chinato (pronounced “key-not-o”) is Barolo wine that has been  infused with quinine bark and other herbs and spices.

Technically, Barolo Chinato is considered a quinquina (an aperitif that contains cinchona bark) as well as an aromatized (flavored) wine.  With alcohol levels of 16.5 – 18%, some versions of Barolo Chinato may also be considered a fortified wine, as some of the flavorings may be added in the form of extracts produced using alcohol.

Cocchi ChinatoWhile the actual recipe of Chinato varies by producer and is a closely guarded secret, the flavorings are rumored to include sugar, rhubarb root, cinnamon, mint, vanilla, star anise, citrus peel, fennel, juniper, gentian root, and cardamom in addition to quinine. Don’t forget that all those layers of flavors are added to a base wine of Barolo – undisputedly one of Italy’s most complex wines to begin with. This is a smooth, spicy, flavorful sip with a hit of bitterness on the end – enough to wake up any appetite, or help smooth out an over-indulged one.

Barolo Chinato was first produced in the area around the city of Turin sometime in the 19th century.  By this time, companies like Martini & Rossi and Cinzano were already producing Vermouth and other aperitifs in the region.

A Tuscan pastry chef named Giulio Cocchi is often cited as the inventor of Barolo Chinato.  After moving to Asti, he was inspired by the region’s vermouth industry and founded his winery in 1891. Soon after, he invented a formula for Barolo Chinato. Dr. Giuseppe Cappellano is also believed by many to the Barolo Chinato’s creator.  Dr. Cappellano was a pharmacist in Turin and the second son of the owner of the Cappellano Winery, which was founded in 1890.

Luckily, both companies are still around, and Barolo Chinato from both the Cappellano and Cocchi wineries are available in the United States. We may never decide who was first, you can decide for yourself who you think is best.

While the debate rages on, there are a few things that fans of Barolo Chinato can agree on:  Barolo Chinato can help calm down a rumbly tummy after a hearty meal; it be used like an Amaro or Vermouth in a creative cocktail recipe, and it pairs very well with chocolate cake.

Cappellano Barolo Chinato:  http://madrose.com/index.php/italy/piedmont/cappellano#barolo-chinato

Cocchi Barolo Chinato:  http://www.cocchi.it/eng/barolo_chinato.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farewell, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France…

  By admin | September 8, 2013 - 9:22 pm | ,
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Château de Villandry, in the lovely Loire

Château de Villandry, in the lovely Loire

Farewell, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France…hello IGP/Vin de Pays Val de Loire!

French wine laws, along with the wine laws of many members of the European Union, continue to evolve.  While consumers are still apt to find their favorite place-names and AOC terms on their favorite wine labels, many “behind the scenes” revisions took place in 2009.

The entry level of French basic wine, formerly referred to as vin de table, is now known simply as vin. Basic French “Vin” can come from anywhere in France and has few specific regulations apart from those required for health, safety, and commercial trade. Vin is not a particularly important category in France, as it accounts for only about one-eighth of all French wine produced, and most French vin is consumed locally.

The next tier of French wine was formerly known as country wine (vin de pays), and it accounts for more than one-third of French wine. In the new EU system, these are considered table wines with geographical indication (PGI). The wines may be varietally labeled, and may use the term Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), the traditional “Vin de Pays,” or a combination, as in “IGP–Vin de Pays.”

There are few restrictions on these wines, except that at least 85 percent of the grapes must come entirely from within the boundaries of one of the 152 delimited Vin de Pays regions. At this level, French wine seems more focused on grape variety than on region of origin – and, in many cases, this allows these wines to compete directly with the consumer-friendly varietally labeled wines of the New World.

 

The Kitchen Garden at Château de Villandry

The Kitchen Garden at Château de Villandry

There are five large regional IGPs:

  • IGP/Vin de Pays d’Oc, perhaps the best known of the regions, covering the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
  • IGP/Vin de Pays Val de Loire, covering the entire Loire Valley, was formerly known by the lovely title Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France.
  • IGP/Vin de Pays Comtés Rhodaniens includes portions of the Northern Rhône Valley, Jura, and Savoie.
  • IGP/Vin de Pays de Méditerranée, covering southeast France.
  • IGP/Vin de Pays  Comté Tolosan, covering southwest France.

Two other regional Vin de Pays designations, Vin de Pays de l’Atlantique, covering Bordeaux and Charentes (Cognac), and Vin de Pays de Gaules for the Beaujolais region, were also approved in 2007, but have been disputed, and remained unpublished in the Official Journal of the European Union.

There are fifty-two departmental IGPs whose boundaries match the political boundaries of a French département (“county”), located within the larger regional IGP areas. Another  ninety-plus IGPs, known as vin de pays de zone, are smaller, locally specific areas, often named after a historic or geographical feature.

Thankfully, the terminology and titles of most of your favorite French AOCs remain the same…but you might be seeing the term “AOP” replace “AOC” as time goes by.

The changes in the status of the Vin de Pays are some of the many wine-world updates you can find in SWE’s new, improved, and updated CSW Study Guide, to be released in September 2013.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator bevspecialist@societyofwineeducators.org

 

Hugel’s Law

  By admin | August 30, 2013 - 12:09 pm | ,
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Alsace SceneAlsace, with its strategic location tucked between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, has passed between French and German rule for hundreds of years. As a matter of fact, in the period between 1844 and 1919, Alsace was passed back and forth between the two regions four times! However, with the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Alsace became officially French.

Alsace has a long history of wine production…viticulture and wine making in the region has been traced to the fourth century BC!  However, due to the fact that even after Alsace’s return to France in 1919, German wine laws remained in effect for quite some time, Alsace was not granted an Appellation d´Origine Controllê until 1962.

Currently, 119 communes are allowed to produce Alsace AOC using the following ten grape varieties: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Muscat, Chasselas, Auxerrois, or Klevener de Heilgenstein.  (Klevener de Heilgenstein, aka Savignin Rose, may only be grown in a few areas.)

The AOC for Traditional Method Sparkling Wines – Crémant d’Alsace – was approved in 1976. Crémant d’Alsace may be produced using any of the 10 approved grapes of the region, and may include Chardonnay as well.

Johnny Hugel in 2004

Johnny Hugel in 2004

Despite the fact that most Alsatian wines are dry, in 1983 two new designations were introduced – Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest) and Sélections de Grains Nobles (Botrytis-affected) – which may be used for sweet wines. These changes, now known affectionately as “Hugel’s Law,” came about as a result of an effort by Jean “Johnny” Hugel, who first described a wine as a “vendage tardive” after the long, hot summer of 1976.  Interestingly enough, up to this point the laws of the Alsace AOC stated explicitly that the wines be dry, despite the region’s Germanic influences and the long history of dessert wine production just across the border.

Johnny Hugel recognized that despite the laws, warm vintages had produced wines with residual sugar and the accompanying lushness and longevity.  He also knew that shortcuts could be taken in the cellar to produce sweet wines, so he drafted a set of strict rules and regulations for Vendage Tardive* and Sélections de Grains Nobles, which were eventually accepted by the INAO in 1984 (with the minimum sugar levels increased in 2001).  The Hugel & Fils website has a very nice summary of the regulations, and an homage to Johnny and his dedication in getting Hugel’s Law passed…click here and follow the link to “Vendage Tardive and SGN.”

Alsace ViewIn 1975, the laws were revised once again to designate some of the outstanding vineyards of Alsace as “Alsace Grand Cru.” Beginning with the 1983 harvest, 25 vineyards were allowed to use the “Grand Cru” designation on their labels.  The law was revised in 1992 when another 25 vineyards were added to the list.  The 51st Grand Cru, Kaefferkopf, was awarded in 2007. As of 2011, each of the Alsace Grands Crus was awarded its own AOC.

With very few exceptions, all of the Alsace Grands Crus wines are 100% varietal white wines and must be exclusively produced with one of the four “approved” varieties of the Alsace Grand Cru:  Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer.  The few exceptions include:

  • Zotzenberg, which may be produced from 100% Sylvaner; blends are also allowed.
  • Altenberg de Bergheim, which may produce blends containing 50-70% Riesling, 10-25% Pinot Gris, and 10-25% Gewurztraminer; as well as up to 10% (total) of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Muscat, or Chasselas – but only if the grapes were planted before 26 March 2005.
  • Kaefferkopf, which may produce blends containing 60-80% Gewurztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, up to 30% Pinot Gris, and up to 10% Muscat.

The website Alsace-Wine.net has a sortable list of Alsace Grand Cru linking to a great deal of information about each of these fascinating vineyards!

*Interesting Factoid:  The name “Vendage Tardive” is sometimes written in the plural form, “Vendages Tardives,” to indicate that several actual “sweeps” of the vineyard might be used during harvest. Both versions are correct.

 

 Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administraor bevspecialist@societyofwineeducators.org