CHILE; Center of the Universe

A shelf-talker placed in front of the wine display case would have been overlooked if not for the hand-written accolade from the wine retailer posted next to it. "Great value from a cutting edge producer", it said. "Lot's of generous black fruit", and "organic", also caught my eye. I knew that the wines from Chile that were currently in our marketplace had grown into becoming a world standard for value.  Yet, in the back of my mind was the image of a dusty basket of South American wines sitting on the floor of my first retail wine shop, with a $2 or $3 national flags erected proudly above.  But that was the 1980's, and so much has changed since then.  Intrigued, I decided to purchase a bottle of Chono Syrah from the Elqui region of Chile, in part because I was unfamiliar with the growing region. As I revisited my wine books on Chile, I was delighted to find out that the remote northern valley of the Elqui River is considered by many to be the magnetic center of our universe!

Most of Chile's wines are produced in the vast Central Valley DO, surrounding Santiago, its capital. These West to East valleys uniquely benefit from the cold air pushed off the Pacific Ocean's northerly flowing Humbolt Current, as well as the descending cool night air from the dominant Andes to the East. From its cool valleys North of the capital in the regional Aconcagua DO, world class Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnays are grown in the regions of San Antonio and Casablanca. To the west of Santiago, lies the large Maipo region, known for its red Merlot's and Carmenere's, but mostly it's distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon. Here in the sandy foothills of the Andes, above 1800 feet in elevation, is where the organically farmed Chapo co-op is headquartered. But my wine did not originate here in the Central Valleys. Nor was it grown in the Curico, or the widely planted Maule' regions that fan to the South towards the Patagonia, producing volumes of serviceable red wines. The international variety Moscatel de Alexandra, mostly used for grape distillation(Pisco), is also voluminously abundant here. I would have to look elsewhere for the center of the universe.

Elqui River

 In its northernmost wine region, 300 miles north of Santiago in Coquimbo DO, is where Elqui is to be found.  North of the Choapa region, and north of Limari, situated on the southern edge of the Atacama, the world's driest desert, is where the Syrah for my bottle was grown. This region is formerly known for sourcing Pisco, Chile's popular grape brandy, but of late has gained international attention with cool climate Syrah. This region is the Northern extreme, in a country of new world diversity.

For almost 500 years, Chile has been a wine culture.  It was the Spanish who introduced the Pais grape, or Mission grape, to this perfect climate. Free of the vineyard louse, phyloxera, vines continue to be planted here on their own rootstock. Once Pais was the most widely planted winegrape varietal in Chile; even representing a full third of all grape plantings as late as 1994.  In the decade and a half that has followed, Chile has more than doubled its total vineyard acreage dedicated to other international varieties, while the workhorse Pais has lost significant acreage. It is Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc that is today fed into the thirsty export markets, not Pais.


In this perfect wine place, with its diversity in soils and climates, abundant water for irrigation and mostly free of deadly old world vineyard maladies, wine growing seems easy and natural.  With international investments, modern techniques and an eye for the global market, the wines of Chile today are made better than ever before.My Chono Syrah was bright, clean and racy in its dark berry flavors, with a hint of tar and eucalyptus, nicely framed by sweet oak. It proved to be a perfect partner for our beef dish.  And, Chile today is becoming so much more.

Lead by value brands like Concha y Toro,  Santa Rita, Gato Negro, and Los Vascos, Chilean winesales continue to grow annually in the sub-$15 categories. Higher priced brands, such as Casa Lapostolle and Almaviva, regularily build the increasing up-scale image of these terrific, value oriented wines from that perfect place. Larry Challacombe, general manager of Berkeley's, Global Vineyard Wine Importers, has said that, "even at $49.99, put head to head with wines from other areas, it's a great value!" Year after year, these quality exports of Chilean wine continue to grow, according to the Chilean Office of Agricultural Research and Policy, up more than 7% in volume when compared to the first quarter of 2010.

El Tololo Observatory

My glass of Alicanto Sauvignon Blanc from the San Antonio region north of Santiago is now shining in the diffused window light as I write this.  An easy to enjoy dry wine, it has a yellow-green tint to it in the glass, with gooseberry - citrus aromas and flavors that seem focused and bright through a generous finish.  Acid driven, it will be perfect with almost anything that I'd like to squeeze lemon on.  Or perhaps I'll finish it while looking at the stars in the night sky.  After all, it did originate from the center of the universe!

To Your Health!

LESSONS LEARNED; Wine Educators Exam Update

"Do you know that my Mom paid for everything?", my wife offered. The bar had been set. With a Family Easter Brunch, followed by an even larger Easter Supper planned, consumption was to be the order of the day. And I knew that 'everything' did not include wine. "Can we bring the wine?", I replied modestly. She may have suspected that one of my favorite things to do was to value wine shop, and with her approval I made plans to go wine exploring later that week.  And, I was determined not to spend as much as my mother-in-law, bless her. My mixed case(12 bottles) totaled around $104, before taxes, and included the selection of best buys listed here:

• Cristalino Extra Dry Cava NV

• Domaine Laurier Los Carneros Pinot Noir 2007

• Borsao Campo de Borja Garnacha 2009

• Castano Yecla Monastrell 2009

An almost creamy texture followed its aromas of caramel baked apples and baked bread in the Cava.  This traditional method sparkling wine is the blended product of Spain's widely planted Macabeo grapes, having its bright character and streaming small beads the obvious benefits from the second fermentation in its bottle. The world of Spanish sparkling wine is centered around the region of Penede's in Catalonia, southwest of Barcelona.  Good quality traditional method sparkling wines blended from native grapes, and some Chardonnay, always representing a good value has become its hallmark.  It was perfect for Easter Brunch.

A consistent value producer, Bodegas Borsao in the Zaragoza region, north of Barcelona, specializes in local Grenache, or Garancha.  With its dark cherry color and rich aromas of berries, plums and coffee, its bright character is accented by a kiss of spice. Located in the autonomous state of Aragon, this world class wine growing region along the banks of the Ebro River has been an important crossroads of trade throughout the millennium. Today, Zaragoza produces quality wines from native grapes that pair nicely with roasted meats, rich cheeses, and even Spring lawn games!

Known by synonyms Mourvedere and Mataro, Spain's late ripening Monastrell grapes produce earthy and jammy fruit charismatics as a regional workhorse grape. With its wine history going back to the Phoencians,  Yecla in southeastern Spain, is one of the countries smallest wine growing regions. With is rich, opaque color, this varietal offers dark fruit flavors with a hint of herbal character.  Lamb or game dishes, and especially meats off of the grill have an affinity for the rich character of this impressive value wine. Perhaps even more impressive is the established quality track record of value from this distinguished, sustainably farmed Spanish producer.


California's North Coast Pinot Noir producers over the last decade have firmly etched their strong price points into the marketplace.  Appellation specific fruit sources, such as Los Carneros, the cool region that straddles San Pablo Bay across Sonoma and Napa counties, even more so. Domaine Laurier is an award-winning producer in the Bronco Wine Company family(i.e. Charles Shaw) with quality and value reflected in just about every vintage.  Their 2007 Merlot was an exceptional example. The Los Carneros Pinot Noir offered bright garnet color, with aromas of rhubarb and cherries, and had a weighted body echoing glorious red fruits.  If this quality wine were the North Coast barometer, then others may be simply charging too much!

On Easter Sunday my wife spent the day in the Kitchen.  First it was Brunch, then afternoon appetizers, and finally an early Supper for 25 guests.  I enjoyed the good weather, the catch-me-up conversations, and watching my value wine contribution to the day's events being savored. In retrospect, the satisfaction I enjoyed from the annual 'renewal' event celebration confirmed that this aspiring Wine Educator was learning something.  In spite of recently receiving disappointing results from my latest attempt to become Certified, I could still contribute to any celebration as one of the benefits of my growing world wine knowledge. It is, after all, that knowledge is power, especially in the world of wine!

"In Vino Veritas!"

WINE STUDY: A Taste at a Time

As a course of dedicated study goes, this is not too bad. One day it's sampling a Waipara, New Zealand Riesling with lunch, then a Sicilian Nero d'Avola with supper, and in between there were tastes of a high end Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.  For our lunch the next day we enjoyed a widely distributed Central Coast high acid Chardonnay with a deliciously egg-gooey Fettuccine alla Carbonara.  Our dinner of Grilled Ground Sirloin and mushrooms, tomato salad and sauteed winter squash was complemented by an expressive, but inexpensive Spanish Mouvedre. Such a dedication to the world of wine you might think is rewarded with some recognition.  Sampling international varieties is serious business for an aspiring Wine Educator, but for now, the reward is in the joy of tasting what the world of wine has to offer.  That's five(5) wines in two(2) days, and the quality wines beckoning in our future are sure to be almost endless. From here we go forward, one taste at a time.

North of the South Island's major city of Christchurch lies New Zealand's Waipara Valley. This fast growing, cool-climate wine region is promoting itself as the greenest of wine regions and becoming known for it's crisp Rieslings, its spicy Pinot Noirs, and the widely planted Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. Rieslings from this part of New Zealand benefit from their situation; grown in cool vineyards, made in dry styles with bracing acidity and wonderful balance to any sweetness.  Our fresh selection offered a convenient screw-cap and a was a refreshingly great value, too.  As the respected International Riesling Foundation writer Dan Berger has announced, "New Zealand Riesling is a category to watch".

Often compared to contemporary Syrah, Sicily's full-bodied Nero d'Avola is among its most popular Greek-introduced grape varieties. Grown mostly in the broad viticultural region that predominates the West of Sicily, recent government subsidies, combined with improved growing and cellar practices have today given modern Nero d'Avola new life. This indigenous 'Black Grape of Avola' is more than ever perfectly suited to the dry and arid conditions of this large Mediterranean island and the grilled or roasted foods that make up a staple part of its native cuisine.

The Anderson Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) immediately North of Sonoma, covering a cool, sparsely populated region of California's western Mendocino County. Alsatian varieties, like Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are popular in this area, which also has a deserved reputation for its world-class sparkling wines.  As a result, distinctive Pinot Noirs have also found a home here, as have Roederer Estates and Scharffenberger Cellars.. Although it has a cool coastal climate that will offer challenges of ripeness or frost, the Valley's upper ridge-lands here are typically above the fog, dressed in sunlight where dry summer temperatures can be roasting. It is here, in cool pockets of this environment, Pinot Noir can shine, offering identifiably  bright fruit flavors and buoyant acidity. With its grape growing history of more than a hundred years, the Anderson Valley is today home to some of California's very best Pinot Noirs.

It is Mouvedre in France, known as Mataro in Portugal and goes by Monastrell in Spain, but in my glass it is dark and delicious. A bit wild, a bit gamey, Mouvedre proves to be a fine food wine of structure, fruit and balance. It's history stretches from the southern Rhone to Portugal, and has a legacy of being a rustic workhorse.  But, when produced with modern sensibility for the larger marketplace, it can be a perfect partner for lamb, grilled foods or provincial stews.  Speaking of Provence, one of Mouvedre's most celebrated homes is that of Bandol on the Mediterranean coast. Perhaps that bottle will be opened tomorrow.

BRAMBLES: Items from a Vines Spring

Discovery. That's what this journey is all about.  As I anxiously await Certified Wine Educator exam results, there has been a recent realization that this path of wine education is all about discovery. In the months before the test I felt the weighted pressure to study day after day, and the peaking anxiety as the test drew near was all about feeling the need to do so much more to be prepared.  What a relief it was to accept that I have already been teaching about wine in my chosen career, and that the challenge of the exam was simply a measure of my growing & summary wine knowledge.  That epiphany was a rebirth and offers a chance to grow forward.

A look outside and we are beginning to see the new growth of Spring bud break on our pruned grape vines. Perhaps this new seasonal vine growth is also reflected by our domestic retail wine sales. Based on numbers accumulated from 2010, the Nielsen Company has reported that wine consumers are beginning to trade up, with the largest growth in the +$10 market segments.

On the other end of the wine scale, Reuters reports that so far in 2011, leading wine auctions have sold over $46 million in ultra-premium collectibles. "I don't see prices going anywhere significantly except up", said John Kapon, head of auctions for New York's Acker, Merrall & Condit.

• Three hundred and thirty million cases of wine, with a value estimated at over $30 billion, were consumed by Americans last year.  This benchmark makes the United States the worlds number one volume consumers of wine, surpassing the French for the first time in history! More than 105 million cases of that total(almost 1/3rd)  were produced in foreign lands and imported, according to newly released figures.  That volume makes the U.S. the biggest foreign wine marketplace in the world!

 The Wine Economist reports that the next big thing (TNBT?) in white grape varietals is going to be domestic Muscat and imported Torronte's from Argentina. Does that mean that imported and domestic Pinot Grigio/Gris has arched and is no longer the growth segment it once was? 

• In the U.S Congress, an important new wine bill is currently making its way thru the legislative process.  HR1161 is the current version of last sessions HR5034, sponsored by the WSWA and  the National Beer Wholesalers Association, and takes aim to protect an individual states right to regulate alcohol under the 21st Amendment. If passed, this measure could reverse existing statutes and close many out of state markets to small wine and craft beer producers.

• An appeal of the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Texas on the issue of direct interstate wine shipments was recently refused to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The outcome appears to be a victory for controlling Texas distributors, and spokespersons for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America have applauded the high court's decision.

• As a rite of Spring, Maryland state politicos this week overwhelming approved bills in two legislative committees that would allow as many as 18 cases of wine shipped to the states consumers directly from wineries!  If passed into law, direct shipments of out of state wines here would align with approved statutes in neighboring Virginia and Washington, DC.  In summary, that's two(2) pending victories for large, monopolistic beverage distributors, and just one(1) for the little guys who need open markets to survive.  These and many more legal updates are always available at www.freethegrapes.org!

Heavy rains during the current harvest season in South Australia's Barossa and Clare Valleys are reported producing rampant fungus on the regions grape vines. What may be the worst rain-affected vintage ever is being fought by almost constant spraying in the vineyards, but the forecast is for more of the same. Australia's winegrape yields are as a result expected to be down by more than 20%.

• More than 1000 miles to the East, New Zealand winegrowers anticipate a near record grape harvest, as much as 50,000 tons greater than last year. With a continued growth in its wine exports, at about 10% each year, grape oversupply may not become a pressing issue and consumers should still find value from Down Under.

With a reduced California grape crop yield reported for 2011 and fruit prices generally lower than last year, it has been reported that our states grape supply is in balance. Average per ton grape prices were down across the state, including the Napa Valley, with the notable exception being the Lodi Viticultural Area, where growers enjoyed a marginal per ton price increase in 2010.

As consumers we're drinking more domestic and imported wines than ever before, but there continues to be formidable clouds on the horizon that would limit our beverage selections. And, it appears that the rich keep getting richer in a sustained market and drinking richer top end wines. It may be an old song, but vineyard management is not for the meek As this market gradually appears to be moving into 'balance', for all of those who are passionate about farming, winegrape-growing continues to remain a voyage of discovery!


Five(5) wines for $40.!

• Castano Monastrell 2009Yecla, Spain

• Figaro Tinto (Red Wine) 2009, Calatayud, Spain

• Chono Reserva Syrah 2008 Elqui Valley, Chile

• la MaiaLina 2008 Chianti, Italy

• Domaine Laurier Merlot, 2007 Sonoma County Reserve, CA

Enjoy!!

JUST TESTING: Power in Wine Trivia

A few days removed from the important Wine Educator's Certification exam, I thought it would be good to explore a few trivial items that I should have known more about.  This is a long process after all, and continued research after a benchmark exam is not unlikely or unrewarded. With the inescapable image of Atlas holding up the World, I realize now more than ever that there is a mountain of wine information, facts and details that must be commanded if I am to be successful in this quest.  It is the factual Power in Wine Trivia which I must command. To that end, here are a few odds and, well, ends.

Grown around the world, and produced in a spectrum of wine styles, the Muscat family may be the worlds oldest domesticated grape variety. It sparkles as Italy's Moscato d'Asti, and as a multi-functional still wine, Muscat Canelli.  Across the continent, it becomes a deliriously ethereal syrup in Portugal's Moscatel de Setubal, and produces a number of sweet, fortified French Vins Doux Naturels(VDN's) in celebrated examples like Muscat de Rivesaltes. As one of the Alsace regions Noble grape varieties,  Muscat is produced in an AOC regulated dry style, or even patiently made as a late harvest treat, Vendenges Tardives.  In Hungary, where it can be in the Furmint dominated grape blend of the noble Tokay Aszu dessert wines, it is known by the varietal Muscat synonym, Sárgamuskotály or Muscat Lunel.

Across two oceans, it is the pride of Australia's Rutherglen district 'stickies', possibly amoung the world's greatest fortified wines. As a grape brandy, this grape is the base for the aromatic Pisco's of Chile and Peru. South Africa too, long a fortified and late harvest wine producer, grows the same grape as Muscadel or Hanepoot.  Regardless of its synonyms, its unique property among all white grapes is its high concentration of 'flavonoids', as much as some red varieties. Perhaps it was these beneficial effects that were recognized by Muscat loving Kind Midas back in the 8th century BC! With its almost unmistakable fruity character, and in each of these manifestations, this noble, time honored grape is Muscat Blanc a'Petits Grains.

Among the oldest wine regions in the world, Greece, is a much publicized member state of the EU.  Its standardized agricultural regulations meet the Unions requirements, allowing for inter-European trade in commodities like wine. From the Ionian Island region of Kefalonia, across to Nemea of the Peloponnesus, and stretching South to the Agean Islands of Santorini and Rhodes, this wine country is more than Retsina. A mirror of the French model(again), Greece has two designations of controlled appellation of origins for its best wines. Qualified traditional sweet wines are labeled OPE, with a separate Appellation of Controlled Status for its awarded dry table wines, OPAP. Noble indigenous grape varieties, such as red Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro, and white Vilana vines create some of the countries best wines.  Muscat Blanc a'Petits Grains, known as Muscat Aspro, here too is a time tested workhorse, producing sparkling, fortified and still wines.

With archaeological evidence going back to the Stone Age, the Eastern Mediterranean has a rich, far reaching wine history.  East of the Lebanon Mountains there lies a fertile valley long ago discovered by the grape-loving Phoenicians. Among the few dozen wineries concentrated in Lebanon's Bekka Valley, it's 150 year old Chateau Ksara, Chateau de Kefraya, and Chateau Musar are the most prominent producers of world-class wines. With many decades of colonial influence, France today remains Lebanon's principal trading partner.  Grape varieties here are mostly southern French in origin, with the exception of indigenous white grapes, Obaideh and Merwah.

 How can you taste a Sherry barrel sample through that veil of flor that lies across the top of the wine?  Artisans of Andalusia, the veneciadors, use a venezia, a specifically designed cylindrical cup at the end of a long wand to taste the fractional blending of the solera.  Like Champagne, each Sherry is a blend of grapes and vintages that define a house style. Dry Sherry typically is produced from the neutral Palomino grapes grown in chalky albariza soils. Barros and arenas soils of the Jerez usually produce the sweet style Sherries from the white grapes Pedro Ximinez and Moscatel. There's that Muscat grape again!

It has been said that great wines, including Muscats, are made in the vineyards. Every viticulturist knows that healthy vines are balanced vines with a managed canopy and controlled fruit yields that optimize the vineyards productivity.  One of the decisions that will be made in pursuit of balance will be which trellising or pruning system to use. A Vertical Trellis system directs the new growth of fruiting canes upward and offers a number of variations. A cane trained Guyot, Cordon de Royat(Cordon training), and the Goblet are variations of Old World spur and cane pruned trained trellising systems.The opposite of VSP, vertical shoot positioning, the Geneva Double Curtain, is a 4-arm trellising system developed in New York, where canes trail down. A Lyre system is similar, but with canes positioned up, and another French innovation.

It is certainly not trivial to know and understand your subject. Consumers, too, can benefit from more wine knowledge.  True, that insightful bit of wine information can contribute to a parties parlor conversations, but has far more reaching impact for us when choosing a wine from our well-stocked retailers. With a greater command of these and a few other wine details, the power found in trivia will continue to make us better consumers.  And, hopefully, better Wine Educators!