BRAMBLES: Simply Summer Quenching

It's warm outside and these bright days are long.  Summer has arrived to the vineyard, and in its heat you can almost see the vines grow, the berries develop every day.  I've noticed that my beer consumption increases these days, mostly because it is refreshing to have something cool in a chilled bottle.  It quenches a thirst, it hydrates, and it goes with the foods that we enjoy eating outdoors.  Grillin' and chillin' are for many of us the way to get thru these long, lazy days.

Inspiring, insightful contributing wine editor, Matt Kramer, noted in a recent Wine Spectator issue that the wines of summer typically are for our simple drinking pleasure.  It certainly helps if they are chilled, and perhaps even if they are uncomplicated.  For me it is the season of Rose' from the Mediterranean and cru Beaujolais, these are the months of aromatic Torrantes and lusciously tart Albarinos, as well as chillingly dry Rieslings from Alsace and the Rhine.  They sit in the cooler, quite patiently, next to the bottles of beer.

Rhone vineyard with gallet(stones)

In recent years, Rose' wines have begun to shed their consumer image of being too sweet, or too feminine. Supporting this wave, contemporary marketing strategies continue to billow the sales, with programs such as the successful  'Real Men Drink Pink'.   Consistent market indicators showing sustained volume growth across all sales categories, reflects pink wines to be on the coat tails of this very positive trend which is aided by new packaging, such as the improved wine box or pouches. With sunny Spain and the Mediterranean producers leading the Rose' way, there are many great pink values, such as Falesco's Vitiano Rosato from Umbria. And most of them are aromatic, vibrant and refreshingly dry.

Domestic producers, too, are catching the Rose' wave.  Many of these bottles efficiently give producers another wine product from the same fruit source as their more costly premium label. In practice, you can produce a Grenache and a Grenache-rose' all grown in the same vineyard. I have found the James Family Cellars Rose' of Pinot Noir, as well as the Robert Hall Rose de Robles to be consistent, excellent values, filled with bright red fruits and dancing with acidity.

These, and many more, make simple summer sipping easy.  They pair cheerfully with many of our favorite summer foods and many of these bottlings have easy to access screw-caps.  Plus, if your cooler is tall enough, they fit nicely chilled right next to those bottles of beer.

For me, a ball game on the radio, a fresh taco in my hand, and a glass of Rose' nearby easily echo the best of the summer.  Cheers!

BRAMBLES: Grape A to Z

Alexander Valley Zinfandel

As with old vine Zinfandel, long-in-the-tooth persistence can pay off.  I've been on a long quest for a prized certification, and have been frustrated with my results as of late.  With age comes perspective, they say, and so I have come to recognize that this coveted prize is just as much about how you get there as the goal.  As a result, I've decided to pull back, to go back to the basics to begin anew an understanding of the composition of wine and why we taste it the way we do.  For me that means going back to wines origin: the grape.

ACID:  important in the production and life of wine, acids can make a wine taste flat or it can make it taste tart, even sour. Acids are also responsible for a wines freshness, its crisp mouthfeel, and are  building blocks for the longevity of the wine.

• Tartaric is the principal organic acid in all wines, and naturally, largely comes from the outer layers of the grape as this chemical factory in edible skin develops.

• Malic acid is common and widely fixed in many fruits; in winegrapes it is sharp and tart(think green apples), concentrated in the flesh of the berry.

• Citric is in all wines, but relatively minor compared to other fixed acids. Cool climate grapes are generally high in fixed acids(as in Riesling or Marlborough(NZ) Sauvignon Blanc), where warm climate grapes offer fixed acids at more moderate levels.

• Volatile acids, like Acetic acid, which has a hard, vinegar-like taste, is produced by the process of fermentation. The other fermentation acids: Lactic acid, which is not a 'sharp' acid(think dairy, please)  and Succinic acids(bitter-sour), are fixed in fermentation.

AIRE'N: Native to Spain, Aire'n is the most widely planted white grape variety in the viticultural world. A late ripening, trailing variety, it is quite drought tolerant, and also harvested as an eating grape.

Grenache

GRENACHE: Among the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world, if not the most widely planted.  It is a world traveler, likely native to Spain(Aragon), it has spread globally from southern France to Australia, and as a result, known by many synonyms(Garnacha, Alicante. Connonau, etc.).  Its nature is to be high in sugar, light in acid, tannin and color; it buds early and ripen late, making it adaptable to warmer climates where it is principal in many blended wines and rose'.

GRAPE: Vitis, by genus, and for most of the world's winemaking, vinifera by species.  A wines character and personality is defined mostly by the outer layers of each grape. As a bio-chemical factory, dark berries are typically richer sources of poly-phenols, anthocyanins,  and other nutrients.  Traces of minerals, vitamins and pectic substances are also composed within the grape, but the grape berry is mostly water by volume.

IMBALANCES:  Opposite of  balance in wine, where these identifiable characteristics, traits or measures stand out and prevent harmony in any wine.


OFF AROMAS: Smells that are perceived as being out of balance, as is stale, un-fresh or fowl, dominantly sherry-like( and its not a sherry), dirty or alcoholic.


PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS: Contributing color, flavor and texture to wine, they are naturally found in the seeds and skins of winegrapes. Tannin is a phenolic compound that provides structure and texture to a wine, and anthocyanin compounds provide color.
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SUGAR: Carbohydrates Fructose and Glucose comprise about 20 - 25% of the fruits volume at harvest, and are the grapes ferment-able six carbon sugars.

TANNIN: found on the grape stalks(pedicel), skins and seeds, is a structural building block for the wine, providing flavor and aroma. Tannin, an organic phenol compound, is part of our natural world.  It exists in the bark of trees and in the pits/seeds of fruit.  In wine, tannins, will produce an astringent or drying effect in the mouth, just like black tea(which also is tannic), and are largely responsible for the color stability of red wines.

 VITIS LAMBRUSCA: Native to North America, the most widely know variety is the Concord grape.  This species of grapevine is generally characterized by its pronounced musky or earthy(foxy) aromatic compounds. Delaware and Niagara are other popular cultivars.

The pulp of the matter is that there is so much more to the fruiting berry known as grapes.  But, history to production has been covered, in part, by other entries in this journal, and the chemistry may be over my head.  As I have been given a unique opportunity by the Society of Wine Educators to fulfill my ambitions in wine education, this survey was about being reminded of wine's foundations.   I continue to gather and store more wine information, so it is necessary on occasion to step back and gain(hopefully) perspective.  After all, the long and storied history of wine has been part of our human culture for thousands of years...just like Zinfandel.

Cheers - A Glass full of Life!




 

BRAMBLES: Retrospective Reminders

An annual rebirth in Spring!

It is Spring and a surprise was in the bottle.  Surrounded by long-valued good friends, we carefully untombed an old, dusty bottle of Beringer 1973 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Centennial Cask Selection.  Its stiff leaded foil exposed a grey mold ring and a slight seepage to the top of the intact cork; its bottle fill had fallen just to the top of its shoulders.  Carefully the aged stopper was extracted, piece by piece, and the contents gingerly poured through a fine wire mesh on its way to our decanter.  How often do we get to experience a 40 year old wine, I thought?  As much of the grand moment as it was, it was certainly an even better one to share with cherished friends.

Good soldiers of a Good Weekend

Each of us approached the poured glass with varied anticipation. I was guarded, yet excited about what may have been released. Aromas of dried dark fruits with a shadow of freshness met my nose, and then a cascade of dehydrated red and black fruit memories followed; one impression falling into another and another.  The tastes lingered and disappeared, only to be replaced by something else I thought that I recognized.  And in a moment it was gone, giving in to cellar notes, wet earth, tobacco, cedar and tea, and an escape of wispy vanilla. It remained shadowed on the tongue, escaped through the nostrils for what seemed like minutes, and my head was spinning.  A unique wine experience and rich memory was being created at that moment, and it lingered, and then escaped.

Zinfandel in bud

Sublime. That's the word for it. Or perhaps inspiring.  A descriptor like 'impressive' seems too weak, like a washed out, faded watercolor landscape.  But it was a special moment creating a special living memory.  And, once again I was reminded of the value of life-long friendships, the nutrition of rich companionship,  and the living joy of a mature wine.  It does not happen every day.  Outside here in wine country I see the promise that is yet another vintage almost everywhere I look, where new memories are being nurtured to fulfill their possible destiny of creating something memorable. 

A few sunny days following, we sat on the garden deck with a bottle of chilled Loire chenin blanc over a mixed green salad of poached ginger chicken decorated with fruits and nuts.  Bright, youthful  acidity carried melon and stone fruit notes across the palate in a viscous, round stream, and finished tart, but dry.  The acid from our salad then shrouded the wines body, offering a different personality that was dominated by citrus and mineral characteristics, yet still round and lengthy on the palate. Loire Valley chenin blanc can be among the world's most age-worthy white wines I remembered. And, at that moment I was reminded that we create rich, important memories all the time.  Some last a lifetime.

Once again disappointing results of my recent exam with the Society of Wine Educators were announced, and I had an extended self-deprecating moment, that moral malaise of attempting to assess the value in what I am attempting to do.  Candidly, it has been years of wine study, working low paying hospitality jobs, and receiving the unconditional support of those closest to me, all fueled by my passion for making wine memories. Stepping back, it was necessary to examine what I do and what the eventual professional pay off might be for an independent educator.

In truth, I teach about wine almost everyday, and my wine passion has not diminished.  In this Spring, surrounded by the promise of a renewed cycle, there is a great opportunity for a new commitment.  Here was another chance to invest in the creation of new memories that can be recounted and shared in the not too distant future. It is a chance to produce something impressive, but I may just have to be more creative and renew my dedication, I reasoned.  Perhaps the Spring is the season of reminders as well as promise!

Raise a glass to our futures!  Cheers!!

BRAMBLES; My New Faults

Graphically illustrated, a recent chart displayed in Wine Enthusiast magazine, showed a steady decline over the last decade of global wine production. Think about it; nothing is getting cheaper, availability of wine imports seems to grow every year in this marketplace, and the quality standards adopted by wine producing countries, as well as consumers, continues to improve. With a short supply, the handwriting's on the wall: your favorite new wine should only be getting more expensive, including even the generic, lower tiered wines in the foreseeable future.
However, U.S. wine exports continue their growth for now the third year in a row.  That's new market growth, even as consumption per capita grows here.  Although exported volume was down compared to prior years, wines value grew by over 1.43 million dollars, according to the Drinks Business.  As expected, Asia continues to be the big growth market for domestic vintners, and more than 90% of those wine exports hail from our quality California producers.  Finally, there is someone willing to pay for it!

Recommended by the Society of Wine Educators, The Bubbly Professor, Dr. Jane Nickles, in a September, 2012 post,  has offered some insights into and strategies for success for my upcoming Wine Faults & Imbalances exam.  Prominent among these are to learn to describe what you are looking for in the control as well as the fault samples. I really have not fully done this in the past. She further recommends having several pre-test Faults study sessions, using the Faults kit sold by the Society of Wine Educators.  This part I have prepared for past exams, but it is obvious that I need to do more to be successful in this endeavor. What new strategies, if any, should I adopt?

Taste the control sample and analyze it. What is its hue, how do you describe its 'tears', its color intensity?  What about the aromas and it's taste components? Where exactly on the tongue(top/sides/tip) do you detect its acidity, and for how long? How would you describe the sensation of bitterness that follows?  Once completed, address the faulted samples so that you can find seven(7) imbalances and the glass that is matching the control sample.Using sight, smell and finally, a taste, detect the following:

Alcohol: it's heat driven, a nose tickle, a warmer mouth-feel, adds an oily, viscous sensation
Sugar: pleasant, slippery mouth-feel that contrasts to the control sample(less acidic?).
Acid(tartaric): as in cranberries, cherries, grapefruit or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, having the zing of tartaric acid.
Acescence: Acetic Acid combined with Ethyl Acetate offer vinegary off-aroma and flavors, reminiscent of a sweet-sour tang, like vinegar.
Oxidation: in white wines, a loss of fresh, fruity aromas, becoming flat. A color loss, turning slightly brown, adopting the apple-cider aromas of acetaldehyde.  It may remind us of a fino sherry.
Sulfur Dioxide: a matchstick, burnt rubber, or mothballs aromas, producing a harsh, bitter or even a metallic sensation on the palate.
Tannin: Grape tannin with its usually darker hue as used by the Society, produces a bitterness to the wine.

A gift of Sight;
After a swirl, the faults of sugar, tannin and alcohol should all have thicker, slower 'tears'.  One or two of the samples should have a darker hue due to added grape tannin or the effects of oxidation.  It would help to remember or isolate these visual clues.

Notable Nose:
Does the sample smelling 'less-fruity' offer a slight stinging sensation to the nose. It may be Alcohol. If the aroma in the glass is distinctively 'vinegary' then this should be Acescence. What if the sample in the glass had a noticeablly different aroma reminding you of a fino sherry or apple-cider?  Most likely, this is the result of Oxidation. That mild nasal stinging sensation from another sample having the faint aroma of burnt matchstick is probably the result of the taint of Sulfur Dioxide. Faults of tannin or acid will more than likely not have aromas detectably different than the control sample. But, we have already identified tannin as a darker sample, and it now should be easy to isolate.

Open up & Taste:
Slightly bitter, with a warmth on the palate and a lingering bitterness on the finish would identify Alcohol. With a contrasting mouth-feel, the sample with added Sugar, is richer, smoother and less acidic across the palate. I've usually thought of it as cloying compared to the others, but as yet have had difficulty in consistently identifying it.  Acid, it is said, feels different in the mouth. It should be a sharper feel, with a tingle over the top and sides of the tongue, a feeling of acidity lingering long after the comparative control sample. This finish may be distinctively dry and astringent.  If the sample has a sweet-and-sour tang and its feel of sour acidity hits across the top, not the side of the tongue, it is probably Acescence. Oxidation has a sharp, woodsy 'bitterness' that is felt on the top of the palate and middle of the tongue, while Tannin has a drying effect and astringency.  Sulfur Dioxide should taste harsh, and almost metallic.

Sampling in Bellagio, Italy

On a cloudless last day of February, I addressed the white wine samples bordering a white placemat, along with a dozen other hope-full tasters. As much as I attempted to follow my adopted strategy, recalling the unique characteristics of faults in my head, it was proving to be daunting.  All but one sample offered the same hue, and only one or two really displayed unique aromatics.  These new faults of mine were going to be challenging, but I approached this Wine Educator exam being better prepared than ever before.

Results will be offered by the Society in about six(6) weeks.   Until then, did I mention that according to market analyst John Fredrikson, the U.S. is now the largest wine market in the world!  Hopefully, there must be more opportunity here in this marketplace for someone with a wine recognition of their new faults.

Cheers!

MALLORCA: February Calms

In the middle of a blue sea it appears almost magically, this sparkling jewel. As seen from the air, the imposingly rugged Serra de Tramuntana mountains would seem to present a formidable barrier to the Iberian mainland to the north.  However, circling at 10,000 feet you notice how vulnerable this saddle-shaped island is on its western and eastern shores.  Here there have been prehistoric settlements, the Romans and the Byzantines, the Moors and Berbers, the Counts of Catalonia and the Kings of Aragon, all of which had influence and claim to this land.  Now I've arrived at the largest island in Spain's autonomous Balearic Island archipelago, anxious to taste and explore.

Along the Ma-13A Wine Road

It is the food and of course, the wine which are my beacon in mid-winter Catalonia. This islands beautifully rugged landscape is dotted with lamb, filled with aromas of roast suckling pig (lechona asada), and stewed in the mild flavors of turbot. Mallorca produces most of its wines within its two D.O. regions (Denominacion de Origen) of Consell-Binissalem, a corridor running from Santa Maria del Cami to industrial Inca along the Ma-13a wine road, and in the east of the island among the remote rural villages of the Pla i Llevant DO. Lower tiered wine production falls under the 'Mallorca Regional Wine' designation, most of which is produced in the western foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana's and Costa Nord region. What is produced here tends to be enjoyed here.

This crumbling limestone landscape in February is a sea of white almond tree blossoms, grey-green olive groves sprinkled with orange trees and scored with rock walls and terraces.  In its abundant sunlight we enjoyed the freshest sea foods, rich traditional dishes and bowls of the most delicious olives while in awe of the landscape/seascape that graced our views.  One day it was a glorious picnic lunch at the islands exposed northern tip of Cap de Formentor, followed on another by a pilgrimage to blustery Valldemossa(the island's highest village), where composer Chopin spent a notable monastic winter in 1838. Our quest was rewarded here with savory dishes of rabbit stew and roast lamb, paired with full bodied wines of the local Manto Negro grape.

Hanging on to the edge of the terraced north face along the Tramuntana's, we drove to Soller passing the most picturesque coastal hill towns.  Another sunny day, and we were dining on charcuterie at a prominent olive producers in Caimari, deliciously contrasted with a bright Premsal Blanc and Chardonnay blend from a local quality producer. With another brilliant sunrise, we were driving southeast towards Manacor, visiting ancient hilltop towns of Arta and Petra, both villages of the Pla i Llevant DO, and then on to enjoy the days fresh catch in sparkling Portocristo.

Another Alcudia sunrise and it's a quick drive across the island, recharged by an upbeat day in cosmopolitan Palma.  After a morning exploring the Palace(Palau) and the Cathedral(Le Seu), we dined across from the harbor at the superb Caballito Del Mar on Black Pallea and Turbot of two textures.  We chose a beautiful Verdejo from the mainland's Rueda DO to complement our dishes and make us thirsty for more.  But, that is how it is in Mallorca.  A little is never enough, so you want more.  Back on the east coast in picturesque Port d'Alcudia with its sprawling resorts and long white beach, I asked a local if our good fortune with winter weather is typical.  He replied, "in Mallorca we say, 'February calms'."

And so it was.  Our off-season visit to sunny Mallorca calmed our spirit as we walked along its beaches, wading in the cool Mediterranean. It slowed our pace, but not our absorption rate as compared to our Barcelona visit the week before. At the end of our visit we agreed that our time in Mallorca was not long enough and made plans to return.  Not when the northern Europeans invade, but when the island calms as it has this time fur us in off-season Mallorca. 

'Exciting' petanque along Bay of Alcudia

Registration for my next certification exam for Wine Educator has been confirmed for the end of February.  Results will be shared here as soon as available, but until then, I'll be inquisitive about the wines of the world and I'll try to stay Mallorcan  'calm'.

Salute'!