Outwines

Viticulture: Crossings

11 Oct 2017ViticultureLeave a Comment

My best friend sometimes calls me Tracy Flick. Coming from her, it’s meant as a term of endearment (I hope) due to my “go getter” attitude when it comes to wine studies. But anyone who has seen the movie Election knows that Tracy Flick was not a very likable gal – she had an annoying and incessant ambition that rubbed people the wrong way.

While her persistence (nevertheless) 😉 got her ultimately where she wanted to be, Tracy’s know-it-all attitude and hyper-preparedness bugged the crap out of almost everyone along the way.

Admittedly, I can see a hint of Tracy Flick-ness in me. Case in point: I’m registering for the WSET Diploma next year. I’m just waiting for the schedule to come out at the Neptune School of Wine and then I’ll decide if I want to head down there for classes, or do the first units online. In the meantime though, I’ve already started in on the “recommended reading” from the school’s website.

Right now, I can FEEL your eyes rolling at me. And I totally get it.

Am I prematurely popping the cork on this? Perhaps. But I’ve never taken a viticulture class, so a lot of this material is relatively new for me. By doing advanced reading (and outlining, of course!) I’m hoping all this information will sink in my brain better. Then, when it comes time for the actual Diploma classes, I won’t be cramming all this in because a lot of it will already BE there. 🙂

One of the first topics tackled in the textbook (Viticulture by Stephen Skelton) is vine crossings. Something that intrigues me, and baffles me (the latter usually is the case with anything remotely science related). Recently in the wine community, there seems to be a renewed interest in exploring vine crossings (also called vine breeding) due to climate change and an increased focus on organic and biodynamic farming methods. The primary goal of most vine crossings is to produce vines that are disease resistant, can be grown with little to no chemical intervention, and that are capable of thriving in more marginal climates.

But just because we CAN create new varieties with these traits – should we? I have such limited exposure to crossings (although I have yet to meet a Zweigelt I didn’t like!), that I’m not going to opine on this. Very un-Tracy Flick like, I know.

However, I did find this piece on Jancis Robinson’s website quite interesting . . . it was written by an MW after sampling several wines produced from newer vine crossings:

“But my real conclusion was that I didn’t really want to drink any of them that much, whatever level of scientific knowledge and endeavour had gone into the breeding of them. Maybe I should be more concerned about the environment and less hedonic but it seems like an awful lot of work to produce not very exciting wines. If a site is not suited to the production of existing varieties with high quality potential – because of climate restrictions or disease pressure or both – perhaps it is better not to try to grow wine grapes there? They may make it possible to produce wine, or different styles of wine, in marginal climates, but that doesn’t seem sufficient reason to go to all that effort to produce wines that are drinkable but not exciting.”

I think it will be interesting to follow the development of vine crossings and hybrids and see whether they gain acceptance in an ever-changing wine world. I’d be more on board with giving these a chance since they have valid and compelling reasons for their creation as compared to something utterly ridiculous like, say, blue wine. Now I’M rolling my eyes.

Here’s the outline on Crossings for a little more information.

Margaret River

4 Oct 2017AustraliaLeave a Comment

I know very little about Australian wines. I’ve never visited the country, I don’t drink their wines with much regularity, and this area is often at the bottom of my “what I should study” list. This is partly because I know that there won’t be many questions about Australia on my exam, but also because it’s a region that just confuses the hell out of me with all its Zones and GIs. Sounds very military.

A few weeks ago, I ended up sitting next to a very (!!) talkative couple from Perth on my flight home from Napa. After he noticed I was reading about wine (I was studying for my Rhône exam), we started chatting about it and he mentioned where they were from and the area’s rather booming wine industry.

I had dig back into the recesses of my brain to recall much about Western Australia, and all I could come up with was “yeah, Margaret River makes some good Cabs.” I thought to myself – they’ve GOT to be about more than just that. And, no surprise, they are. 🙂

Margaret netting — Without impressive amounts of netting, the majority of Margaret River grapes would be eaten by birds

Margaret River Cabernets and Sauv Blanc/Semillon blends sound right up my alley – but unfortunately I’m struggling to get my hands on any . . . they don’t seem to be readily available in my market. 😦 I’ll continue with my treasure hunt, but until I can add my own tasting notes and thoughts on some of this region’s wines – here’s the outline on Margaret River.

As a final thought, I couldn’t get the name of the couple because their Australian accents were SO thick, but I do remember that their anniversary is October 6^th. So happy early anniversary to you two! 🙂 I hope you enjoyed your Alaskan cruise and visit to the Pacific Ocean and PNW. I usually don’t chat with my seatmates on flights, but you left me no option! 😉

Marsanne

1 Oct 2017GrapesLeave a Comment

I’ve loved white Rhône blends since well before I learned that’s what these wines were actually called. For those of you in that camp now, white Rhône blends (or “Rhône-style” blends if from somewhere other than the actual Rhône Valley) are primarily blends of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Sometimes lesser known grapes like Clairette or Grenache Blanc are added – particularly in the Southern Rhône.

White Rhône wines range from zesty with flavors of bright citrus to full bodied with floral and honey notes. The higher the percentages of Viognier and Marsanne in the blend, the more likely the wine falls into the latter category.

I first discovered Viognier around 2005 and remember being thrilled to find an alternative to my usual Chardonnay. (I can’t be the only one who started out pronouncing it Vie-og-knee-er, can I?) 😉 And while this remains a favorite varietal of mine, I’ve recently become more intrigued by its blending partner – Marsanne.

I’ve sipped on a couple of white Rhône-style blends lately, and got to thinking how perfect these wines are for this time of year. While I love my zippy summer porch pounders, I’m wanting something with a little more weight and texture right now. And these hit the spot:

Rôtie Cellars 2016 ‘Southern White’, Walla Walla Valley. 12.5% abv. Blend of 50% Viognier, 35% Roussanne and 15% Marsanne. Tons of fruits going on here – ripe peach and apricot on the nose, baked lemon square and peach nectar on the palate. Crisp acidity, maybe from the cooler Walla Walla climate or the nice percentage of Roussanne in the blend.

Cornerstone Cellars 2016, El Dorado Marsanne/Roussanne, David Girard Vineyard, California. 14.1% abv. Blend of 47% Marsanne, 47% Roussanne and 6% Viognier. Beautiful floral, peach and honeydew melon aromas. Rich and weighty mouthfeel. Slight bitter note on the finish. Not a shy wine. This would definitely be a go-to winter white for me.

Unfortunately, it’s rather challenging to find single varietal Marsanne wines – the grape is usually a supporting player to the more well-known Viognier. Nonetheless, it does make for a delicious blending partner, or solo artist, if you can find it (Rôtie Cellars often puts out a good one)! Here’s more about Marsanne.

Vougeot AOC

28 Sep 2017FranceLeave a Comment

Exactly one year ago, my hubs and I were in France for two weeks trying to cram in as many of my favorite wine regions as we possibly could. We did amazingly well – visiting Champagne, Burgundy, Beaujolais and both the Northern and Southern Rhône. And while I loved each of these places, I would honestly put Burgundy at the bottom of my list.

It certainly wasn’t the wines of the region – in fact one of my favorite bottles of the trip was a Pernot Belicard Puligny-Montrachet (and a Bouvier Gevrey Chambertin was up there as well). Rather, it was the overarching pretentious attitude that seemed to permeate the region. Granted, we were staying at a 5 star hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant just outside of Beaune. But while I can swing 5 stars America style – the French take it to a whole new level that’s just way outside my comfort zone.

That being said, there were definitely moments when I felt like I was experiencing the real Burgundy . . . like when we pulled off the side of RN74 to watch some workers busy at harvest, or wolfed down Beef Bourguignon at a small, crowded little bistro in Beaune. These experiences were much more memorable than the fancy schmancy hotel or restaurant with a menu full of items I couldn’t pronounce or identify WTF they were when they were served.

Vineyards in Fixin

Classic Beef Bourguignon

So perhaps it’s rather ironic that I recently joined the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin – a group described as “an exclusive bacchanalian fraternity of Burgundy wine enthusiasts.” Just typing that makes my eyes roll it sounds so incredibly pretentious.

Historically, the Confrérie has consisted of older, wealthy, white men (shocking, I know). My “liberal and casual” local chapter was looking to add more women and younger people. Since I can’t remember the last time my 44 year old self was included in the classification “younger people” – I was intrigued. And having access to a cellar full of Burgundy wines doesn’t hurt either. 😉

The Château du Clos de Vougeot is the headquarters of the Confrérie, so I figured I should know something about this area prior to my official “knighting” ceremony – fascinating history of this place, here’s the Vougeot outline.

And P.S. – so far, what I’ve seen of my fellow Chevaliers is a bunch of wine loving individuals who don’t take themselves too seriously. And I’m at least a decade younger than most of them. 🙂

Stags Leap District

24 Sep 2017United StatesLeave a Comment

As one of the many perks of my industry, I toured Napa Valley last month on a whirlwind business trip. Admittedly (and somewhat embarrassingly – since it’s less than a 2 hour flight away), I hadn’t visited this area in several years . . . back when I could barely afford to drink these wines or Napa’s hefty tasting fees.

SL new vines — New vines being planted at Stags’ Leap

To be honest, with most Napa Valley wines, I tend to write them off as too big and boldly fruity, too alcoholic and tannic, overpriced and overhyped. (Should I tell you how I really feel?) And although this trip didn’t dispel all these generalizations, I did find myself enjoying the wines more than I thought I would – particularly those from Stags Leap District. One of the 16 (and counting!) different sub-AVAs of the Napa Valley.

Wines from this area tend to be softer and more elegant than other Napa wines, plus it has a pretty colorful history – here’s the outline on the Stags Leap District AVA.

Vacqueyras AOC

21 Sep 2017FranceLeave a Comment

I’ve been taking the Rhône Valley “Master Level” program through the Wine Scholar Guild for the past few months, so lately I’ve been completely immersed in all things Rhône related. Which is not a bad place to be!

Although I’m confident in my knowledge of the Northern Rhône, the South hasn’t come quite as easily.

Maybe it’s because there are about 27 permitted grape varieties in the South compared to only four in the North. Or because the Southern Rhône represents a whopping 95% of the area’s total production. But it’s likely due to the fact that one of my best wine days ever occurred last Fall when my hubby & I did a private all day tour of Côte Rôtie and Condrieu. Places I’ve visited in person tend to stick better in my brain.

Site of our guide, Vincent’s, future tasting room in Condrieu

Sampling Syrah in Côte Rôtie (with permission of course!)

Whatever the reason, I decided to pick a Southern Rhône Cru at random (congrats Vacqueyras!) and do a more detailed outline on that region. At least then I’m guaranteed to nail exam questions on this area. 😉 Here’s the Vacqueyras outline.

[Note: There was some conflicting information among sources while I was putting together this outline. Since I’m taking the exam through the WSG, I went with their materials – even if they differed from GuildSomm. As a general rule though, I prefer and trust GuildSomm as a resource pretty much above everything else.]

Discrepancy between WSG and GS:

Rosé required blend

Per WSG: Grenache – minimum 60%, Mourvédre & Cinsault – minimum 15%

Per GS: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (but no single variety may account for more than 80%), maximum 10% other varietals allowed for rouge wines