Pretending to be a oenologist. The false sommelier.
Juan Luis Colaiacovo
Juan Luis Colaiacovo
A pesar de numerosas degustaciones en el Club del Vino dos paises de America Latina nunca aparecieron en la programacion y mi opinion deberian considerarse para un futuro cercano ya que los mismos han evolucionado y pueden ofrecer cosas interesantes. Me refiero especificamente a Mexico y Brasil.
Si bien ambos paises no aparecen en el “mapa” del vino que todos conocemos hay algunos cambios de interes. Vamos a analizar alguna informacion sobre la industria del vino en Mexico y creo que nos interesara a todos.
1. Mexico produce aproximadamente 1.5 millones de cajas de vinos (12 botellas). No es mucho pero tampoco es poco y esta aumentando.
2. 90% de los vinos de calidad provienen de la parte norte de Baja California alrededor de la ciudad de Ensenada.
3. La mitad de las hectareas sembradas con uvas se encuentran en Sonora siendo que solamente el 25% se destina a vinos, el resto en igual proporcion va para destilados y uvas frescas.
4. Las regiones mexicanas productoras de vinos son las siguientes:
a. Sonora y Baja California (Region Vitivinicola Norte)
b. Coahuila y Durango (La Laguna)
c. Aguascalientes, Queretaro, y Zacatecas (Region Vivinicola Central)
En el caso de Sonora la produccion se concentra en torno de Hermosillo y Caborca.
En el caso de Baja California la produccion se encuentra en los valles de Guadalupe, Calafia, San Vicente, y Santo Tomas.
En el caso de la region identificada como la Laguna la produccion esta limitada al Valle de Parras.
Finalmente en la Region Central la produccion se localiza en los valles de San Juan del Rio y Tequisquiayan.
Es interesante mencionar que el Valle de Parras es la primera region que cuenta con una apelacion aprobada oficialmente por el gobierno.
Desde el punto de vista del Club del Vino es interesante saber que los “buenos” vinos se encuentran en Baja California principalmente en el Valle de Guadalupe.
Hay una empresa comercializadora de vinos de esa region localizada en San Diego y que hace envios a domicilio a diferentes puntos de USA. Se denomina Baja Wines LLC. Su website es winesfrombaja.com
Hace unos 20 anos tuve oportunidad de ir a algunas de las zonas mencionadas y la produccion era incipiente destacandose en esa epoca la presencia de la bodega espanola Pedro Domec. Los vinos que sobresalian era los Calafia, Domec, e Hidalgo. Hoy el numero de bodegas es muy grande.
En una recepcion que hubo en la Embajada de Mexico en Washington tuve oportunidad de probar los vinos Monte Xanic que resultaron ser excelentes. La gente de la embajada opinaba que eran los mejores del pais.
Las principales bodegas en Baja California son:
1. Casa de Piedra
2. Cava Aragon 126
3. Dubacano
4. Emeve
5. El Sombrero
6. Gazika
7. La Escuelita
8. La Trinidad
9. Mariatinto
10. Monte Xanic
11. Rincon de Guadalupe
12. Tres Valles
13. Vinicola Fraternidad
14. Vinas de Garza
15. Vinos Moebius
16. Vinas Pijoan
17. Vinicola Relieve
18. Vinisterra
19. XiKBal Baja
Algunos de los vinos disponibles se detallan a continuacion aunque la lista completa puede verse en el site indicado. Me sorprende que la mayoria de los vinos tienen un precio elevado y son principalmente “blends”. Hay uvas europeas de las mas variadas.
1. El Sombrero 08. Cab, Sauv.,Tempranillo, Melot $ 94. Considerado como “Mexico’s finest premium wine”.
2. Pedregal 07. Syrah, Monstrel. $ 44.99
3. Ovis 07. Tempranillo, Cab. Sauv. $ 49.50
4. Cascabel 05. Tempranillo, Grenache. $ 44.99
5. Boceto 2010. Cab. Franc, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo. $ 35.99
8. Rincon de Guadalupe 07. Tempranillo. $ 35.99
9. Trazo 09. Tempranillo, Cab, Sauv., Merlot, Petit Verdot. $ 59.99
10. Ensamble Arenal BA II 08. Cab. Sauv., Barbera, Merlot, Petit Syrah, Zinfandel. $ 37
11. Colina Norte 07. Tempranillo, Carignan, Grenache. $ 54
12. Amado IV 07. Cab, Sauv., Merlot, Zinfandel, Tempranillo $ 54
13. Soma 06. Cab. Sauv. $ 86
14. Gran Ricardo 09. Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Petit Verdot. $ 52 (pertenece a la familia de Ricardo Zavaleta)
15. Fauno 09. Cab. Sauv., Nebbiolo, Zinfandel. $ 38
16. 1810. 15 Vintner’s blend. $ 59.99
17. Viceversa 09. Carignan, Duriff, Syrah, $ 30
18. Contraste 08. Tempranillo, Cab. Sauv., Merlot. $ 47.50
19. Mariatinto 09. Carignan, Grenache, Syrah. $ 28.50
20. Vino de Piedra 08. Tempranillo, Cab. Sauv. $ 58
Como pueden apreciar los buenos vinos tienen un precio elevado. Es sumamente interesante ver los blends exoticos que estan haciendo. Me sospecho que estando esta region tan cerca de la Universidad de California, Davis la mejor escuela de enologia de USA la mayoria de los enologos son formados en esa universidad, la cual a su vez le debe proporcionar asistencia tecnica. En la lista completa hay muchos vinos de $ 20.
Bueno por cuestiones de curiosidad en algun momento deberiamos hacer un tasting de Mexico y Brasil.
por Miguel Segovia
Miguel Segovia
Si bien es cierto que casi todos nosotros hemos oído o leído que las primeras plantaciones de uva en el este de los estados unidos las hizo Thomas Jefferson, la realidad es que la industria del vino en Virginia es relativamente reciente. El primer reconocimiento a un vino de calidad se da en1993, cuando el Dr. Dennis Horton gana el primer premio, en un certamen nacional en California sobre variedades blancas, con un Viognier.
Posteriormente y durante la década de los noventa, principalmente for el turismo, se produce un auge en la produción, la gente concurre a los viñedos, como parte de un estilo de vida, a disfrutar de la belleza natural de los lugares y pasar un día en el campo degustando un vino agradable.
La industria responde a la demanda produciendo vinos de moda para atraer los visitantes, con muy poca consideración a que tipo de uva es el más adecuado al viñedo.
En los anos 2000, empieza a surgir el mercado de vinos de calidad, ya las personas no van solo a degustar un vino agradable sino que al ir adquiriendo nuevos conocimientos empiezan a diferenciar la oferta de los distintos viñedos, y se pasa de vinos simples, rústicos, con mucha madera, a vinos refinados, integrados, balanceados y de calidad constante. No obstante todavía se producen muchos vinos malos y se hace un esfuerzo por la industria en que todos los viñedos produzcan vinos de calidad y de manera constante. Surge así la identificación del ” terroir ” adecuado a cada variedad, y a la necesidad de garantizar una mínima calidad, a lo menos sin fallas químicas en la producción.
Este dilema entre la comercialización (eventos, bodas, fiestas, conciertos) y el alto costo de producción de vinos de calidad, es motivo de discusión. Aun hoy día no es extrañar en un fin de semana que en un evento en un viñedo participen más de mil personas. Así como en determinados viñedos se limita el número de participantes a grupos de menos de seis personas y con cita previa.
Talvez la mejor forma de caracterizar la evolución del vino en Virginia, es calificarla como en transición reconociendo que no se trata de buscar comparaciones en cuanto a los varietales con los del nuevo mundo, con los blends del viejo mundo. Los vinos de Virginia son diferentes, son de Virginia, que buscan consistencia y calidad, y van adquiriendo la expresión de su terroir y su estilo propio.
Hace 10 anos se dio el primer paso de vinos varietales principalmente, a vinos tipo bordeaux (blend o Meritage) dominados inicialmente por el cabernet Sauvignon y actualmente por el
Merlot 0 cabernet franco, acompañados por el Petit Verdot. Para muchos de los expertos, este tipo de vinos bordeaux, puede a llegar a representar el estilo que tipifique los vinos tintos de Virginia en el futuro, o sea vinos que se asemejen por su delicadeza y finura a
Los de Francia y se distancien de los de la costa oeste.
El Cabernet Franc y el Merlot se siguen produciendo como varietales, así como el Norton que los productores identifican mucho como el tinto de Virginia. En general a pesar de los diferentes estilos, hay una tendencia a favorecer su paso 
madera de roble neutral (americano o francés) que aseguren un vino de cuerpo medio y una fruta limpia, poco efecto del roble y bajo contenido de alcohol.
El clima de Virginia, su topografía sus suelos, las técnicas de producción han permitido que sus vinos blancos evolucionen mas rápidamente de vinos rústicos, inclusive en ocasiones pasados de azúcar, a vinos de calidad, sus estilos son principalmente varietales, Chardonnay, Petit Manseeng, Sauvignon Blanc y Viognier que es la uva bandera de Virginia. En ocasiones inclusive producen blends para responder a la demanda en los viñedos.
Posteriormente les entregaremos información que resume la historia del vino en Virginia, las características de su suelo, clima y una síntesis mui breve de sus vinos.
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Book Review by Carlos Paldao
Carlos Paldao
En esta época, donde el verano se aleja de a poco para dar cabida al otoño, es corriente encontrar en las mesas de saldos de las distintas librerías del área libros de interés a más que razonables. Esta situación me permitió rencontrarme con Thomas Jefferson on Wine por John Hailman, (Missisippy University Press: Jackson, 2006, xv+457 p., notas, cuadros, mapas, ilustraciones, bibliografía, índice, ISBN: 978-1-60473-370-9), autor conocido por sus frecuentes notas y comentarios en sus columnas periodísticas sobre vinos.
La obra que nos ocupa está concebida tanto para el público general como para los interesados en conocer distintos aspectos del interés de Jefferson en su cruzada para promover y difundir los aspectos sobre la identificación, producción y degustación de distintos vinos.
A partir de su introducción, el libro se organiza en ocho capítulos que, de manera cronológica, van recorriendo el trayecto de Jefferson sobre el tema. El primero. “Early Wines” presente a nuestro personaje en sus primeros años en Williamsburg al igual que sus pasos iniciales hasta organizar su primera bodega. Los capítulos dos a cuatro nos llevan a su período formativo en París en donde —adicionalmente a conocer distintos vinos en eventos sociales propios de su entonces cargo ministerial— resultan relevantes dos visitas que realiza de incógnitos a distintos viñedos y bodegas. Sus minuciosos diarios relatan el recorrido del primer viaje por las zonas de Borgoña, Burdeos, el sur de Francia y el norte de Italia. El segundo viaje abarca las regiones vitivinícolas de los ríos Rin y Mosela al igual que la de Champaña. El capítulo quinto nos lo muestra ya de regreso en América con sus estadías en New York y Philadelphia, como secretario de estado, en sus esfuerzos para obtener los vinos que conociese en Europa al igual que los muchos intentos en sus propiedades en Monticello para adaptar diferentes viñas. El capítulo seis refleja su período de ocho años como presidente al igual que en el séptimo capítulo abarca sus diecisiete años de retiro activo en su finca de Monticello donde despliega una amplia y variada gama de actividades vinculadas con diversas actividades enológicas.
De manera pormenorizada el capítulo octavo se concentra en el cultivo adaptación de distintas variedades y los resultados de esta aventura. El volumen se cierra con un epílogo sobre el misterioso caso de la aparición en 1985 de un cajón de viejos vinos de Burdeos.
El volumen está enriquecido con citas, extractos de carta, notas y diarios de nuestro personaje, al igual que mapas e ilustraciones que juntamente con una bibliografía selecta deja abierta las puertas para quienes deseen ahondar temas complementarios.
De lectura (o re-lectura) obligada para quienes se interesan en el tema, esta obra por su estilo claro, preciso y ameno deparará sin duda gratos momentos en el próximo otoño para disfrutarlo frente a la chimenea y degustando un vino acorde!
Carlos E. Paldao
Tasting #137 September 27, 2012 Blend Wines Da Domenico Ristorant Italiano Tysons CornerContents of this post:
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1. Wine presenters: Wilson Moreira and Cecílio-Augusto Berndsen
2. Participants and Birthdays of September:
This month confirmed participants are: Jaime Estupinan, Alfonso Sanchez, Alfonso Caycedo, Orlando Mason, Alvaro Lopez, Italo Mirkow, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Cecilio Augusto Berndsen, Ruth Connolly, Hugo Benito, Marcello Averbug, Jairo Sanchez, Leonor Barreto, Ricardo Zavaleta, Ginger Smart, Clara Estrada, Miguel Segovia. As of September 25, 2012.
Anniversaries of the month of September: Orlando Mason 20, Ezio Vermiglio 20, 
Rolando Castaneda 21, Italo Mirkov 24, Marcello Averbug 25, and Jaime Estupinán 26. Congratulations and many returns!
Subject to change
Apperitif: 2011 Anakena Ona White
Appetizer: 2009 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles
Calamari frite
Pasta: 2009 Bodega Norton Privada
Sedani con Pollo
Entree: 2009 Estancia Meritage
Frutti di Mare or Piccata di Vitello
Dessert and Coffee: to be announced
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35% Viognier, Rielising 35% & 30% Chardonnay, A. F. Arco Iris, Requinoa, Chile. APV 13.5%, $15 Total Wine
Winemaker description: www.anakenawines.cl A beautiful straw-yellow color for an elegant and complex assembly of Viognier, Riesling and Chardonnay. With an 
extraordinary aromatic intensity, the flower and peach aromas of Viognier, with the mineral notes of Riesling, and the tropical fragrance of Chardonnay create a wonderful harmony in the final taste. A refreshing and balanced wine, with crisp acidity and a persistent finish.
From http://www.chilean-wine.com: Rating: 
Color: Goldish yellow Nose: Tropical, floral with scents of apple and mango Taste: Medium bodied but with a full mouth feel. Nice acidity. Tangy with clear mineral notes. Smooth finish.
From Toni: http://www.winewithtoni.com: It is Chilean so you know you are in for a slight kick in the long finish but it doesn’t put you off. It lingers delightfully. And although it is paired well with , marinated king crab claws, oysters, sea food ceviche, grouper with parsley sauce, lobster and your favorite salmon and poultry dishes, it made my Trinidadian Curry Chicken, Rice and Peas and Cabbage sing.
60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz & 20% Mataro. Barossa Valley, Australia, APV: 14.9%, $ 23 Total Wine of McLean
From the Winemaker website www.torbreck.com: Bold and seductive, this youthful, unoaked blend encapsulates all that is great in natural, pure, unseasoned wine. Its 
fragrance, intensity and energy are all reminiscent of freshly fermenting must, with ripe juicy flavours of blackberry, spiced cherries, minerals and Asian spices wrapped around a skeleton of fresh acidity and fine mineral laden tannins. Soft and sensuous, this wine is frightfully drinkable already, but as with its predecessors will greatly recompense those who choose to give it a few years in the cellar.
‘The owner of Juveniles wine bar in Paris, Tim Johnston, suggested that I make a wine for him. I decided that it should be a blend of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz from our ancient vines. I asked Tim’s daughter Carolyn, to design a separate label for this cuvee, as her paintings adorn the walls of her father’s wine bar” David Powell, Torbreck Winemaker.
Acclaim: Stephen Tanzer: 90, Wine Spectator: 88, Robert Parker: 91
Robert Parker notes: “A blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz and 20% Mataro, the 2009 Cuvee Juveniles came from vines averaging 90 years old and yielding around 22 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple, it has a profoundly fruity nose, giving fragrant notes of warm raspberries, strawberries, some funk and earth plus a little tar and black pepper. Full-bodied, it offers a medium level of silky tannins, crisp acid to balance the concentrated fruit and a long finish. Delicious now, it should remain fresh and vibrant through 2015+.” December 2010
40% Malbec, 30% Merlot & 30% Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza, Argentina. APV: 14.8%, $ 21.99 Total Wine – sold out, Costco may have 2007 vintage.
Tasting Notes from the Winemaker site http://www.norton.com.ar: Ruby red color of 
remarkable intensity. Excellent aromatic complexity with notes of ripe fruit and a fine touch of smoke and coffee. Rich on the palate with an excellent concentration. Pairing suggested: Rib eye, cheese and conserve. Drink before 2019.
Robert Parker: 91. CellarTracker: 88 from 13 notes.
Wine Enthusiast 93: Solid and brimming with more potential than it’s displaying, this Bordeaux-style blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon starts with aromas of graham cracker, lush berry and pastry. It feels perfectly framed by acidity and tannins, with spicy, complex blackberry and cassis flavors. Toasty and a mile long on the finish. Drink from 2013 to 2020.
Wine Advocate 91: In addition to the varietal wines, Norton also produces several blends. The 2009 Privada is made up of 40% Malbec, 30% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vines ranging in age from 50 to 80 years old, fermented with native yeasts, and raised for 16 months in new French oak. It is a complex offering with an elegant personality, layers of succulent fruit, ample structure, and 2-3 years of aging potential. This outstanding value will be at its best from 2013 to 2024. The information above came from http://www.napacabs.com
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot & 10% Petit Verdot. Estancia Winery, Oakville Paso Robles, California. APV 14.1% $ 22 Total Wine (range $ 16 to $39 depending on the vendor)
Wine Maker notes http://www.estanciaestates.com: Appearance is deep crimson. Aromas of vibrant blackberries and cherries, with nuances of anise and sage, accents of chocolate and sweet oak. Flavor Intense flavors of black cherries and currants, framed by dusty tannins providing an elegant and lingering finish. Aged in French and American oak 14 months.
from http://www.totalwine.com: Intense, Black Cherry, Blackberry, Full-bodied. Complex aromatics lead to plush black cherry and dark fruits, which mingle with spicy and chocolate notes. Mostly Cabernet, there is some Merlot and Petit Verdot in the blend to add complexity.
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by Hugo Benito
Se repartieron 16 formularios (uno por cada asistente)y se recibieron 11. Como es norma no se incluyeron los valores extremos.
Vino Numero 1 – Anakena Ona White 2011.-Viognier 35%-Riesling 35%- chardonnay 30#–AF Arco Iris-Requinoa-Chile. Alchol 13.5 %- Costo $15 Total Wine.Contestaron 10 pesonas con un promedio de 87.7 puntos.Hubo una concentracion (6 pers.) entre 88 y 89 puntos con un promedio de 88.5.Comentarios:color amarillo palido (light gold), transparente, aroma a vainilla, , manzana,frutas tropicales,citrus. Algo acidico. Hubo discrepancias en cuanto al final(corto o largo), predominacia de alguno de los componentes ,Voignier o Chardonais, segun el paladar delas personas.
Vino Numero 2 – Torbreck Cuvee Juvenilles 2009– Grenache 60%-Shiraz 20%-Mataro 20$- Barrosa Valley – Australia. Alcohol 14.9%- Precio $23 TW.Contestaron 11 personas de las cuales 5 le dieron entre 70 y82 puntos y seis entre 86 y 89 puntos.Considero que esta ultima serie es mas realista,con un promedio de 87.5 puntos.Comentarios:Color rojo granate intenso(profundo), aroma a cherry fuerte y extranio, especias, lavanda.final corto.
Vino Numero 3 – Bodega Norton Privada 2009-Malbec 40%-Merlot30%-Cabernet Sauvignon 30%.Mendoza Argentina -TW – Alcohol 14.8 %- Precio$22 -TW.
contestaron 10 personas con un promeio de 88.7 puntos .Hay una concentracion entre 88 y 90 puntos con un promedio de 89.1.Comentarios:Color rubi intenso,aroma excelente a frutas rojas y negras (caramelo?),cuerpo medio, final largo,balanceado.
Vino Numero 4 -Estancia Meritage 2009– Cabernet Sauvignon 62 %-Merlot 28% -Petit Verdot 10%.Estancia Winery Oakville Paso Robles-Alcohol 14.1%-Precio $22.TW.-Ccontestaron 11 personas con un promedio entre 87 y 91 puntos de 89.4 .Cuaro personas le dieron 90 puntos. Comentarios:Color Rojo intenso, aroma agradable a frutas rojas y negras, muy bien balanceado, madera ,frutas acidez y taninos, final largo.
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Wilson Moreira, Agosto de 2012
1. Por definição, “blending wines” simplesmente significa combinar dois ou mais vinhos para criar um outro vinho.
Wilson Moreira
2. Há várias razões pelas quais um enólogo decide fazer um “blend”:
3. “Blends” oferecem mais complexidade do que vinhos “varietais.” De fato, alguns dos melhores vinhos do mundo são feitos de um “blend” de castas. Fazendo “blend” de “varietais,” os enólogos podem mudar efetivamente as qualidades e características de um vinho.
4. De um modo geral, os produtores misturam vinhos de diferentes castas a fim de acrescentar mais complexidade aos aromas, sabores e textura de um vinho.
Blending Tools
5. Tanto vinhos tintos, quanto os brancos, podem ser obtidos através de “blend” de “varietais.” Em alguns casos, se faz “blend” de casta tinta com branca no sentido de criar a melhor combinação possível de aromas e sabores. Um excelente exemplo de um vinho resultante deste tipo de “blend” é o “Côte-Rotie” da Região do Rhône, na França, obtido da mistura das castas “Syrah” e “Viognier.”
6. A expressão “varietal” define um vinho feito prioritariamente de uma determinada uva, cujo nome é, em decorrência, inscrito no seu rótulo. Vinhos que apresentem o nome de duas ou mais variedades de uva em seus rótulos são classificados como “blend wines” e não como “varietais.”
7. Na União Européia, um vinho que use um rótulo “varietal” deve conter, pelo menos, 85% da variedade da uva citada. O limite de 85% é uma referência mínima, pois certos países da União podem aumentá-lo, mas nunca diminuí-lo. Nos anos mais recentes, rótulos de vinhos “varietais” têm se tornado mais comuns nos vinhos franceses (a maioria deles classificados como “Vin de Pays”), com o objetivo de melhorar, junto aos mercados importadores, a competitividade com os vinhos “varietais” feitos nos países produtores do Novo Mundo.
8. Alguns “blends” são feitos a partir de fórmulas clássicas transmitidas de geração a geração. No entanto, vários produtores criam novos “blends”, às vezes até bastante exóticos, tentando, sempre, gerar diferentes e excitantes vinhos, cujas características de aromas e sabores sejam distintas, e quiçá melhores, de tudo o que já foi colocado no mercado.
9. Vinhos “blend” são feitos de várias maneiras. Enólogos normalmente fazem “blends” a partir de vinhos “varietais”. Contudo, eles podem criar outros “blends”:
a. “Vintage Blends”:
. Consiste na produção de vinhos a partir de diferentes uvas colhidas na mesma safra. Um vinho desses pode ser algo tão simples como, por exemplo, o resultado da mistura de Cabernet Sauvignon e Merlot de uma mesma safra, como algo mais complexo como a mistura de 13 diferentes tipos de uva para produzir um vinho Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
b. “Non-Vintage Blends:
. Alguns vinhos, como o “Porto” e o “Champagne”, entre outros, podem ser resultado da mistura de uvas produzidas em safras diferentes, com o objetivo de equilbrar aromas, sabores, taninos e outras características do vinho. Esses vinhos são rotulados como “NV” ou “Non-Vintage” e não têm safra inscrita no rótulo. Embora esta prática seja mais comum em vinhos espumantes e do tipo “Porto”, ela pode ser também adotada por produtores de outros tipos de vinho.
10. Quanto ao “blend” de vinhos tintos, pode-se destacar:
a. “Bordeaux Blends”:
. Na França, as únicas castas permitidas na elaboração de vinhos tintos que sejam rotulados como “Bordeaux” são:
sendo estas duas últimas castas muito pouco utilizadas nos “Bordeaux wines”.
. Se o produtor utilizar qualquer outra casta, o vinho não pode ser rotulado como um “Bordeaux”. Os produtores escolhem duas ou três (mais comumente três) uvas da lista aprovada para Bordeaux e raramente usam cinco ou seis tipos de uva num “blend”.
. A uva Cabernet Sauvignon predomina nos “blends” de vinhos tintos produzidos na Região de Médoc e no resto das regiões à margem esquerda do Estuário do Rio Gironde. Grande parte dos melhores “blends” dessas regiões é elaborada numa proporção próxima a 70% de Cabernet Sauvignon + 15% de Merlot + 15% de Cabernet Franc.
. Nas regiões de Saint-Émilion, Pomerol e outras do lado direito do Estuário, predomina a uva Merlot e grande parte dos seus melhores “blends” é composta de cerca de 70% de Merlot + 15% de Cabernet Sauvignon + 15% de Cabernet Franc.
. Da mesma forma que os vinhos tintos, os vinhos brancos de Bordeaux são predominantemente “blends”. Elaborados principalmente com as uvas Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc e Muscadelle, a maior parte deles é resultante da mistura das duas primeiras castas, geralmente numa proporção próxima a 80% de Sémillon + 20% de Sauvignon Blanc.
. Além das castas citadas, a Sauvignon Gris, a Ugni Blanc, a Colombard e a Mauzac podem ser utilizadas nos “blends” brancos de Bordeaux.
b. “Rhône-Style Blend:”
. A Região de Rhône, na França, combina até 15 diferentes tipos de uva para fazer vinhos tipo “blend”. Prioritariamente, utiliza as castas Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault e Viognier. Esta Região é subdividida em subregiões, todas com seus característicos “blends”, com destaque para:
. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, com predominância da uva Grenache, combinada com muitas outras uvas (até 13);
. Côtes du Rhône, cujos vinhos tintos são geralmente feitos de “picantes” e, às vezes rústicos, “blends” de uvas tintas;
. Côte-Rotie, que produz elegantes “blends” tintos feitos com a “picante” uva “Syrah” e com a aromática uva branca “Viognier”.
c. “Super Tuscan Blends”:
. Os “Super Tuscan” (Super Toscanos) começaram a ser feitos na década de 1970, quando enólogos italianos decidiram criar um novo e estimulante vinho tinto. Na época, a Itália adotava rigorosas normas sobre o “blend” de vinhos, as quais eram diretamente vinculadas às “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)”.
. Para isso, produtores da Região da Toscana decidiram quebrar essas normas e fazer um novo vinho tinto a partir do “blend” de uvas de sua escolha, como por exemplo:
. Petit Verdot.
. A partir daí, o termo “Super Tuscan” passou, na prática, a designar qualquer vinho tinto da Toscana que não observasse as tradicionais normas de “blend” da Região.
. Como resultado desta postura de enfrentamento, os vinhos “Super Tuscan” passaram a ser oficialmente classificados na mais baixa classe, como “vinhos de mesa”, porque não observavam as normas da “DOCG”.
. Mas, ao final estes vinhos acabaram obtendo uma designação própria, a de “Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)”, indicando, não obrigatoriamente na prática, mas para efeitos oficiais, um nível de qualidade entre os “vinhos de mesa” e os das” DOCGs”. Em verdade, alguns vinhos “Super Tuscan” primam pelo seu alto padrão de qualidade.
d. Meritage:
. Vinícolas de todo o mundo almejam fazer vinhos no estilo de Bordeaux. Em 1988, pequeno grupo de produtores da Califórnia, frustrados com as normas americanas que definiam como “varietal” todo vinho que tivesse 75% ou mais de uma determinada uva em sua composição, criou a “The Meritage Association”.
. Como era crescente o interesse em criar vinhos no estilo de Bordeaux, que, pela sua natureza é um “blend”, os membros dessa Associação procuraram criar uma denominação específica e de destaque para os vinhos dessa espécie que eles produzissem.
. Assim, surgiu a expressão “Meritage”, como combinação das palavras “merit (mérito, merecimento)” e “heritage (herança)”.
. Para usar a denominação “Meritage” em seus rótulos, os produtores devem satisfazer às seguintes condições:
. Em 2009, a Associação passou a ser denominada “The Meritage Alliance” e já congregava, naquela época, mais de 250 produtores.
. A maioria dos vinhos “Meritage” é originária da Califórnia, mas existem membros da Associação localizados em outros estados americanos e na Argentina, Austrália, Canadá, Israel e México.
Para uma lista completa das vinícolas associadas a Meritage Association visite o site: http://www.meritagealliance.com/meritage-alliance-member-wineries.html
Yoga for Wine Lovers
…
by Miguel Segovia Agosto 2012
Es el vino que mas refleja la vina y no la bodega.
Miguel Segovia
Tan arraigada es esta percepcion, que es la que da origen al concepto de terroir. Fueron los monjes que desde tiempos mediovales en la region de Burgundy observaron, caracterizaron y catalogaron los distintos vinedos para identificar la procedencia de vinos que consistentemente presentaban caracteristicas similares. De ahi que en esta region distinto de Bordeaux no se hace referencia a la bodega.. Chateaux.. sino al..domaines…
La uva es pequena, de cascara delgada, de moderado color, taninos suaves y sutiles.y su acidez es fina, pero es la que le da su delicadeza y frescura.
Uva dificil de cultivar, requiere un periodo largo de maduracion, y un clima frio que favorezca muy buenos niveles de acidez y el adecuado balance de alcohol
Cuando todo esto se da surge un Pinot Noir excepcional, de medio cuerpo, aromatico y de extraordinario buquet y sabor
Se le considera una de las variedades mas selectas a nivel mundial para la produccion de vinos varietale, y en Burgundy da algunos de los vinos mas exclusivos y caros del mundo.
Vino delicado, fresco y ligero, con intensa presencia frutal , estructura agradable baja en 
taninos, sensaciones refinadas y sutil en boca con sabor y aromas de la propia fruta y persistente en el paladar.
Debido a estas caracteristicas su elaboracion no permite la manipulacion en bodega, o mezclas con otras uvas. La uva, la tierra y el clima hacen el vino.
Inclusive, esta tendencia hace que hoy dia muchos de los paises de nuevo mundo busquen en su elaboracion fineza en lugar de esa sensacion de fruta dulce.
A la vista:
El color varia entre rojo rubi, violeta claro o escarlata, brillantes.
Lo mas importante es que se aprecie una buena transparencia, vivacidad intensa y luminosa.
Los colores no son profundos o oscuros. Se sugiere que los franceses son mas brillantes y luminosos. Los del nuevo mundo mas opacos.
Idealmente al sostener la copa, tendria que ver mis dedos al otro lado de la misma..
Al olfato:
Excelencia aromatica..aromas definidos y agradables, a frutas como la cereza, la fresa,frambuesa y en particular aromas florales como de rosa, canela y hongos frescos.Excelente bouquet.
En boca:
Sensaciones refinadas y sutiles, al tener bajos taninos su estructura es firme y sedosa, la adecuada acidez le proporciona delicadeza y frecura, suave fresco y permite apreciar con mayor nitidez sabores a frutilla, cereza y frambuesa. Sabe a lo que huele. Si se extrema su delicadeza el vino se presenta como muy ligero, la fruta no se siente y la acidez se hace presente.
Jairo Sanchez has selected this relevant article on Wine Tasting. Enjoy!
FIVE KEY WINE COMPONENTS AND HOW TO DETECT THEM
August, 2012 By Nancy Hawks Miller
How often have you run across these phrases when you’re reading a wine review: “highly structured,” “crisp,” “bright,” “firm tannins,” “fine-grained tannins.”
How do they translate into your flavor experiences?
It’s nothing too mysterious. “Structure” is most often used in reference to relative levels of acid (especially whites) and/or tannin (reds). But there are other things that come into play such as alcohol, sweetness and body.
Isolated, none of these components are tasty or interesting. Think of them as the framework of the wine, just waiting to be fleshed out by delicious things like fruitiness, fermentation character, oak, floral character, herbaceousness, minerality, etc.
Fortunately, Mother Nature has made it remarkably easy to detect the relative levels of the main wine components. Grab a glass of red wine and taste as we go and you’ll see what I mean.
Alcohol is the only one of the main components that has an aroma, so you’ll have to rely on your palate to differentiate between the rest. Using the slurping technique will really help.
For the uninitiated: Take a little sip of your wine. Taste good? Now, all you have to do is take another small sip and hold it in your mouth. Purse your lips and pull some air in through your teeth and over the top of the wine (kind of like whistling in reverse). Swish it all around your mouth, like mouthwash, and chew on it a little. Wow – flavor explosion in your head, right? Now, we’re ready to get started.
Important: All of us have different sensitivities, so you might detect alcohol more readily than I do – I’m a cheap date. And, I might notice acid more easily than someone else.
Let’s start with acid: Of course, acid has a tart flavor. Incidentally, if you refer to high-acid wine as sour you’re going to get a very sour look from the winemaker. In wine parlance, sour means spoiled, as in gone to vinegar!
If you want to become acquainted with the tart flavor of relatively high-acid wine, some common white examples are sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Northern Italy turns out a lot of lean, zippy reds.
Some wines, especially reds, are so flavorful that it’s difficult to taste the acid. Usually, you can still gauge it. As you taste the wine, notice the way your mouth begins to water, especially along the sides of your tongue and under it. Thus, the birth of the phrase “mouth-watering acidity.” Now that you’ve noticed it, you’ll begin to differentiate the levels as you taste different styles of wine. Generally, white wines are higher in acid than reds. Well-made dessert wines can really turn on the water works in your mouth because the sweetness needs to be balanced by a high level of acidity.
Why do you care? Acid is important because it keeps the wine fresh and lively on the palate. It has a cleansing effect and makes the wine easy to pair with food. Acid is a great, natural preservative! Wines that are high in acid (but balanced) will have fairly long lives and a better chance of retaining their fruitiness and freshness as time goes by.
The source: The grapes, although acid additions are permitted in many wine regions. As the grapes ripen, the sugar increases and the acid decreases. At harvest time, timing is everything!
Descriptions: Crisp, lively, bright, racy, nervy, vitality
Antonyms: Flat, flabby, soft, dull, insipid
Do you have a sudden urge to brush your teeth after tasting red wine? Then you recognize tannin – it’s that simple. It runs around your mouth seeking out protein and then clings to it, which explains the drying sense of grip on your gums – all over your mouth, really – and 
the furry teeth. The flavor of tannin is extremely bitter, so winemakers try to craft the wine in such a way that you feel it, rather than taste it. As you taste your wine now, you will probably remember other wines you’ve tasted that were more tannic or less tannic, so you’ll begin to recognize relative levels.
Acid accentuates the hardness of tannin, so high-acid wine that’s also tannic can be hard to enjoy when it’s young. As the wine ages, the tannin enlarges with oxidation and gradually falls out of the wine as part of the sediment. So, the wine gradually softens and the texture becomes more velvety over time.
Why do you care? Tannin is an important part of the texture of red wine – when managed properly it gives it a nice chewiness. Like acid, tannin is a natural preservative. It’s part of a group called polyphenols, which are anti-oxidants that prolong the wine’s life. The more tannic the wine, provided it’s well made and well-balanced, the longer its life in the bottle when stored properly.
The source: The biggest source of tannin in wine is the grape skins. Other sources are the seeds, stems and oak (wine barrels contribute wood tannin if they’re relatively new). Red wines are almost always higher in tannin than white because the winemaker must ferment the juice and skins together to get the purple color. Whites receive little or no juice to skin contact.
Descriptions: Astringent, drying, grippy, chalky, chewy, hard, coarse
Antonyms: Soft, smooth, silky, round, velvety, mellow
Isolated, alcohol smells sweet. Give the wine a good swirl for a few seconds and pop your nose in the glass. If you actually smell something sweet that reminds you of rubbing alcohol or feel what seems like a heat-driven tickle in your nose, the alcohol is too high for the style of the wine – it’s not balanced. You’re not supposed to notice the alcohol, it’s just supposed to be there.
The mouth-feel: Do you notice that your mouth feels warmer than it did before you sipped the wine? That’s the alcohol talking and in a very pleasant way. If it’s quite warm, or almost hot, the alcohol content is on the high side. If you actually taste the alcohol or feel like a fire-breathing dragon, it’s too high, not balanced. It seems to be most noticeable in the back of your throat. The alcohol also adds an oily, viscous sensation.
Why do you care? Alcohol gives the wine a great deal of its body or “heft.” A wine that’s meant to be robust in style feels thin and unsatisfying on the palate if the alcohol is too low. Alcohol is yet another preservative, which explains why Port-style wine can live so long in the bottle and actually keeps better than table wine once it’s opened (sugar also helps in that regard).
The source: The sugar in the grapes at harvest. In many parts of the world adding sugar is permitted. It’s called Chaptalization. During the fermentation the sugar is converted to alcohol.
Descriptions: Warm, hot, weighty, sweet
Well, this one’s easy – we all know sweetness, right? And that “dry” is the opposite of sweet? Sweetness also has a pleasant, slippery sort of mouth-feel.
Since sugar is so familiar, this is a good time to talk about perception vs. reality. The level 
of acidity can really play games with your head in gauging sweetness. It makes the wine seem less sweet than it is. Sparkling wines called “brut,” for instance, are considered dry, but they may actually have as much as 1.5 percent sugar (our threshold for noticing sweetness in wine is most often at about .5 percent). They taste dry because they are so high in acid.
Try making some overly-tart lemonade and give it a taste. Then add a little sugar. Keep tasting and adding sugar until you reach a pleasant balance. Notice how the sugar has softened and rounded out the acid sensation? The acid level hasn’t changed, but your perception of it has.
Fruity flavors can also trick your palate into detecting sugar that isn’t actually there. The phenomenon is called auto-association.
If dry is .5 percent or less, off-dry can be up to about 4 percent sugar, medium sweet up to 10 percent sugar and anything over that is very sweet, indeed. But our perception? That’s another matter.
Why do you care? Who doesn’t love something a little sweet from time to time? Plus, besides its rounding effect on overly tart wine, a bit of sugar can cover a lot of sins in the production of inexpensive wine, and it’s another of Mother Nature’s natural preservatives.
The source: The grapes. In most cases the sugar in wine is residual, unfermented sugar because the fermentation was stopped before the yeast converted all of the sugar to alcohol. In some cases, the winemaker ferments to dryness and adds back grape juice or grape-juice concentrate to sweeten the wine.
Descriptions: Sweet, syrupy, off-dry, cloying, doux, Extra-Dry (sparkling wine), demi-sec (sparkling wine)
Antonyms: Dry, austere, Brut (sparkling wine), Extra Brut (sparkling wine), Brut Nature (sparkling wine), Zero Dosage (sparkling wine)
It’s all about mouth-feel and weight. Milk products make a good analogy:
•Light = skim milk
*Descriptions: Light, hollow, thin, lean, watery
•Medium = whole milk
•Full-bodied = heavy cream
*Descriptions: Heavy, full, fat, fleshy, lush, unctuous, concentrated, substantial
When the wine is balanced, the flavors, body and the relative level of the components interact harmoniously. Since alcohol gives wine body, a glass of red Bordeaux from a poor vintage that’s only 10.5 percent alcohol may feel thin and unsatisfying on the palate. Conversely, a Napa Cab from a hot vintage better have plenty of flavor and body to stand up to 15 percent alcohol. Otherwise, you will have spent a lot of money on something that makes you feel like a fire-breathing dragon.
The source: Mainly the alcohol and grape extracts (red); barrel-aging can increase the body due to evaporation.
For more wine tasting information from Nancy, check out her blog: thetastinggroup.com.
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Tasting 136 August 30, 2012 12:00 PM Da Domenico Ristorant ItalianoPresenters: German Zincke and Leonor Barreto
Leonor Barreto
German Zincke
Aniversariantes del mes de Agosto: Alfonso Caycedo, dia 3, Ginger Smart, dia 6, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, dia 9 y Jorge Beruff, dia 11. Congratulaciones y muchos años de vida!
Participantes confirmados– hasta 26 de agosto: Mario Aguilar, Italo Mirkow, Orlando Mason, Cecilio-Augusto Berndsen, Alfonso Sanchez, Jorge O. Rodriguez, German Zincke, Leonor Barreto, Hugo Benito, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Miguel Segovia, Alfonso Caycedo, Ricardo Zavaleta, Rene Meza, Jairo Sanchez, Emilio Labrada, Ginger Smart, Ruth Connolly, Raul Sanguinetti, Edwin Armendaris(invitado de Raul Sanguinetti), Clara Estrada, Luis Carlos Danin Lobo (Lula), Marcello Averbug.
1. Aperitif: 2011 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, APV: 13% with
2. Red One: 2010 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Merlot (blend), Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, APV 13.5% with:
Cozze Ligurian Style Mussel with garlic, Italian parsley and lemon white wine sauce
3. Red Two: 2009 Jim Barry The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, Australia, APV 14.1% with:
Gnocchi Pomodoro Potato Dumpling with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil sauce)
4. Red Three: 2007 Penfolds Bin 138 GSM Grenache – Shiraz – Mourvedre, Barossa Valley, Australia, APV % 14.5 with:
Scaloppine di Vitello Porcini Veal scaloppe with porcini mushrooms brandy cream sauce
or
Petto di Pollo Toscana Breast of chicken with fresh herbs, balsamic demiglaza sauce
Dessert: Cream Brulee or Cheese Cake
______________________________________
– Michael Cooper’s NZ Guide to Wine 2012, Blue-Gold Medal and Top 100 Wine – Sydney International Wine Show 2011, Gold Medal – Selections Mondiales Des Vins – Canada 2012, Gold Medal – International Aromatic Wine Competition 2011. TASTING NOTE: Colour/Appearance: Mid-straw, with a bright clarity. Aroma/Bouquet: Vibrant white-currant, nettle, and gooseberry aromas, with a grapefruit core, underpinned by some pungent herbaceous and jalapeño flavours. Palate: The palate is full and vibrant. Fresh nettle, gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours abound and linger on the long, clean acid finish. Cellaring: We recommend drinking while young and fresh, but the wine is capable of developing nicely over the next three to five years. Food Match: Summer salads, poultry and shellfish, such as Marlborough’s famous green lipped mussels, lobster and white fish. Serve: Lightly chilled.Cellar Tracker: 88.3 from 52 evaluators.
Winemaker notes http://www.craiggrange.com: The warm, gravelly soils are perfect for the production of Merlot and the moderate heat allows the wine to retain freshness and structure without showing over-ripe characters. The result is a rich, ripe wine with ample ‘dusty’ tannins and a lush, warm texture similar to other wines made in the area. Tasting Notes: Very dark colour. A brooding bouquet of dark plums and blackberry. Wild thyme, rose-like florals and nutmeg nuances contribute to a lifted complexity. The silken texture unveils an intense fruit core with characters of cocoa and fresh tobacco. This wine is very rich, yet tempered by balanced tannins and fresh acidity.
The Wine Advocate www.erobertparker.com , November 2011: 90 Points
“Deep garnet-purple colored, it offers aromas of warm plums and blueberries with some spice cake, figs and kirsch in the background. Medium-full bodied and generously fruited in the mouth, it presents firm grainy tannins, invigorating acid and a long finish.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW.
Wine Enthusiast 90: “For a wine that’s akin to a Pomerol in varietal composition, with 80% Merlot and most of the rest Cabernet Franc, this is surprisingly muscular in style, with dusty tannins framing dark fruit and hints of vanilla, mocha and cinnamon. Drink 2013–2018.”
Winemaking notes jimbarry.com: This wine is bright plum in colour with purple 
tints. The nose shows intensely complex characters of blackcurrant and cedar spice. This is followed on the palate by an eruption of fruit flavours -primarily dark cherry and blackberry, with a distinctive Coonawarra cassis character. The tannins are fine grained and supple and the wine has a long, integrated finish. As with previous releases of ‘The Cover Drive’, the wine displays harmonious balance and can be enjoyed now or will reward cellaring for 2-3 years.
The Wine Advocate: 90 Points “Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2009 The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon presents intense cassis and blackberries aromas with hints of pencil shavings, cloves and bay leaf. Medium-full bodied, it has a medium level of grainy tannins, lively acidity and mouth-filling, very pure berry flavors, finishing long. Drink it now through 2016. ”
Winemaking notes http://www.penfolds.com: Unusually for Penfolds, all three varieties are matured independently, owing to their tendency to mature at different times on the vine and the need to mature under different conditions in the barrel.
Mourvèdre will often contribute a unique combination of violet-like floral notes and a range of earthy, savoury complexities. Structurally it can be lean and sinewy, providing a worthy frame upon which shiraz and grenache can sit. Grenache is typically lighter in colour and body, presenting the perfume of the wine and is often the first component noticed when the wine is poured. Shiraz provides the body and shape of the wine. Bin 138 is more of a fruit-driven style than the other Bin wines and displays a chalkier tannin texture. Its rich, earthy nature becomes more nuanced with age.
Ripe, generous and focused, with a veil of fine tannins around a pulsing core of cherry, blackberry and roasted meat flavors that linger easily on the open finish. Drink now through 2015.
90, Wine Spectator (Jun 2010) 88, Jeb Dunnuck, The Rhone Report (Issue # 4 – May 2010) 90, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (Dec 2009) that writes this review: Penfold’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape look alike, the 2007 Penfolds Bin 138 is a blend of 66% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre and 13% Shiraz. It offers up kirsch and blackberry fruit, garrigue, licorice and earthy aromas on the nose. These carry into a medium bodied palate where the wine showcases a soft, flesh style, impressive fruit and a clean, long and surprisingly tannic finish. A touch soft, this is still very enjoyable and a solid bottle of wine.
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By Hugo Benito
Se repatieron 21 formularios de evaluacion ,uno por cada persona presente, y se recibieron 17.
Como es norma para los calculos no se consideraron valores muy extremos.
Vino Numero 1- White Haven Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Malborough – Nueva Zelandia.Alcohol 13% – Precio $31 -Ch.Chase Wine & Spirits-Calificaron este vino 16 personas con un promedio de 89.6 puntos..Hubo una concentracion ( 11 pers.)entre 89 y 90 con un promedio de 89.4.Los valores oscilaron entre 88 y 92 puntos , hubo poca dispersion. Comentarios: Color amarillo verdoso brillante, aromas herbaceos y flores, acidez balanceada,buen final, agradable aftertaste, alcohol suave. Elegante .Facil de tomar.
Vino Numero 2- Craggy Range – Hawkes Bay-Nueva Zelandia 2010-Merlot 80%-Cabernet Franc 8%-Cabernet Sauvignon 8%-Malbec 4%-CW . Alcohol 13.5%-Precio $20.Evaluaron este vino 15 personas con un promedio de 87.9. Cuatro personas le diero 90 puntos. Comentarios: Color dark burgundi,aroma afrutas,vainilla,sabor suave sedoso al paladar (glicerina ?),taninos suaves, buen cuerpo,sobresale el merlot.No hubo uniformidad en la evaluacio con extremos enre 82 y 92 puntos.
Vino Numero 3- The Cover Drive 2009-Cabernet Sauvignon – Conawara-Australia.Alcohol 14.1%- Precio $19- CW. Evaluaron este vino 16 personas con un promedio de 88.2 puntos.Hubo una concentracion (10 per.) ente 88 y 89 puntos con un promedio de 88.6 Comentarios: Color rojo vivo a purpura,buen aroma , pero no muy marcado, a fruta,franbuesa,menta, sabor frutal, madera chocolate, azucar, poco cuerpo,final corto.
Vino Numero 4- Penfolds Bin 138– Grenache 66%- Mourvedre 21%,Shirah 13%. Alcohol 14.5 – Precio $27 -CW. Evaluaron este vino 16 personas.Hubo una concentracion bien manifiesta ( 12 per.)entre los 89 y 91 puntos con un promedio de 89.8 .Dos socios le dieron 94 y 95 puntos y uno 85. Si consideramos todos los valores se tiene un promedio de 90 puntos.Comentarios: color rojo brillante, atractivo, aroma mediano a frutos rojos, buen sabor y texura, poco cuerpo, taninos suaves, balanceado, long finish , excelente.Baja relacion calidad-precio.
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by German Zincke and Leonor Barreto
De acuerdo a la programación anual, en esta oportunidad se degustarán vinos del Australia y de Nueva Zelandia (o Zelanda) de zonas preseleccionadas. Las regiones de Australia son: Coonawarra y Barrosa Valley. De Nueva Zelandia las regiones son: Marlborough y Hawkes Bay. Leonor Barreto y Germán Zincke son los encargados de la selección y de la presentación de los vinos.
|
N° |
Nombre del vino |
Año |
Alcohol % |
Precio $ |
Lugar de compra |
|
1 |
Marlborough, Nueva Zelandia White Haven Sauvignon Blanc |
2011 |
13.0 |
21.00 |
Chevy Chase Wine & SpiritsDC |
|
2 |
Hawkes Bay, Nueva Zelandia Craggy Range (Merlot 80 %, Cabernet Franc 8 %, Cabernet Saugvinon 8%, Malbec 4%) |
2010 |
13.5 |
19.99 |
Calvert & Woodley DC |
|
3 |
Coonawarra, Australia The Cover Drive (Cabernet Saugvinon) |
2009 |
14.1 |
18.99 |
Calvert & Woodley DC |
|
4 |
Barossa Valley, Australia Penfolds BIN 138(Grenache 66 %, Mourveère 21%, Shiraz 13%) |
2007 |
14.5 |
26.99 |
Calvert & Woodley DC |
The Australian Wine export market was worth 2.9 billion US dollars a year in June 2007, and was growing at 9% pa. Of this about US$2.1 billion is accounted for by North America and the UK, and in this key latter market Australia is now the largest supplier of still wines. 
2007 statistics for the North American market show that Australian wine accounted for a 17% share of the total value of U.S. imported wine, behind France with 31% and Italy with 28%.
New marketing strategies developed for the key UK market encouraged customers to explore premium Australian brands, while maintaining sales of the lower-margin high-volume brands, following research that indicated a celebratory dinner was more likely to be accompanied by an inferior French wine than a premium Australian wine. This is partly due to exchange rate fluctuations, making Australian wines appear much cheaper than French wines in the UK and hence perceived as being of poorer quality. While this situation may be somewhat mitigated by the continued rise in the Australian dollar during 2010.
Australian Wine Regions
The Australian wine industry is the world’s fourth largest exporter of wine with approximately 750 million liters a year to the international export market with only about 40% of production consumed domestically. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export and tourism. There is a US$2.93 billion domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming over 530 million liters annually with a per capita consumption of about 30 liters – 50% white table wine, 35% red table wine. Norfolk Islanders are the second biggest per capita wine consumers in the world with 54 liters. Only 16.6% of wine sold domestically is imported. Wine is produced in every state, with more than 60 designated wine regions totaling approximately 160,000 hectares; however Australia’s wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country, with vineyards located in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. The wine regions in each of these states produce different wine varieties and styles that take advantage of the particular terroir such as: climatic differences, topography and soil types. With the major varieties being predominantly Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.
New Zealand Wine Regions
Wine making and vine growing go back to colonial times in New Zealand. In 1851 New Zealand’s oldest existing vineyard was established by French Roman Catholic missionaries at Mission Estate in Hawke’s Bay. Due to economic (the importance of animal agriculture and the protein export industry), legislative (prohibition and the temperance) and cultural
factors (the overwhelming predominance of beer and spirit drinking British immigrants), wine was for many years a marginal activity in terms of economic importance. Dalmatian immigrants arriving in New Zealand at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century brought with them viticultural knowledge and planted vineyards in West and North Auckland. Typically, their vineyards produced sherry and port for the palates of New Zealanders of the time, and table wine for their own community.
The three factors that held back the development of the industry simultaneously underwent subtle but historic changes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1973, Britain entered the European Economic Community, which required the ending of historic trade 
terms for New Zealand meat and dairy products. This led ultimately to a dramatic restructuring of the agricultural economy. Before this restructuring was fully implemented, diversification away from traditional protein products to products with potentially higher economic returns was explored. Vines, which produce best in low moisture and low soil fertility environments, were seen as suitable for areas that had previously been marginal pasture. The end of the 1960s saw the end of the New Zealand institution of the “six o’clock swill”, where pubs were open for only an hour after the end of the working day and closed all Sunday. The same legislative reform saw the introduction of BYO (bring your own) licences for restaurants. This had a profound and unexpected effect on New Zealanders’ cultural approach to wine. Finally the late 1960s and early 1970s noted the rise of the “overseas experience,” where young New Zealanders traveled and lived and worked overseas, predominantly in Europe. As a cultural phenomenon, the overseas experience predates the rise of New Zealand’s premium wine industry, but by the 1960s a distinctly Kiwi (New Zealand) identity had developed and the passenger jet made the overseas experience possible for a large numbers of New Zealanders who experienced first-hand the premium wine cultures of Europe.
The wine regions in New Zealand stretch from latitudes 36°S (comparable in latitude to Jerez, Spain), to 45°S (comparable in latitude to Bordeaux, France). The climate in New Zealand is maritime, meaning that the sea moderates the weather producing cooler summers and milder winters than would be expected at similar latitudes in Europe and North America.
New Zealand wine production by grape variety (hectares)
Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Sauvignon Blanc 4,516 5,897 7,043 8,860 10,491 13,988
Chardonnay 3,515 3,617 3,731 3,779 3,918 3,881
Pinot Noir 2,624 3,239 3,623 4,063 4,441 4,650
Merlot 1,249 1,487 1,492 1,420 1,447 1,363
Riesling 653 666 806 853 868 917
Cabernet Sauvignon 741 687 678 531 524 516
1.1. Marlborough, New Zealand
Located on the east coast with mountains to the west, Marlborough is one of New Zealand’s sunniest and driest areas. In these bright, but relatively ‘cool’ climate conditions, the grapes have the advantage of a long slow, flavour-intensifying ripening period. The average daily temperature during summer is nearly 24 degrees C but clear cool nights keep acid levels high in the grapes.
Within the region, viticulture has been developed primarily on sites with moderate low fertility and a noticeably stony, sandy loam top soil overlying deep layers of free-draining shingle, as found in the viticulturally developed areas of the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. These shallow, fast draining, low fertility soils help to produce a lush, aromatic ripe wine because they reduce the vines vigour.
Sauvignon Blanc is a white-wine grape variety from western France which is now successfully grown in emerging and established wine regions all over the world. While the grape may be more readily associated with the Loire Valley it is more likely to have originated from Bordeaux.
Marlborough produced roughly 65% of New Zealand’s total wine output, 75% of which was Sauvignon Blanc.
In the 1970s, Montana in Marlborough started producing wines which were labelled by year of production (vintage) and grape variety (in the style of wine producers in Australia). The first production of a Sauvignon Blanc of great note appears to have occurred in 1977. Also produced in that year were superior quality wines of Muller Thurgau, Riesling and Pinotage.
In the 1980s, wineries in New Zealand, especially in the Marlborough region, began producing outstanding, some critics said unforgettable, Sauvignon Blanc. “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is like a child who inherits the best of both parents—exotic aromas found in certain Sauvignon Blancs from the New World and the pungency and limy acidity of an Old World Sauvignon Blanc like Sancerre from the Loire Valley. “No other region in the world can match Marlborough, the northeastern corner of New Zealand’s South Island, which seems to be the best place in the world to grow Sauvignon Blanc grapes”
1. 2. Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Gannets at Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay, N. Zealand
Hawke’s Bay, along with Marlborough, is the center of gravity for the New Zealand wine industry; it is New Zealand’s oldest wine producing area and is the country’s second largest wine production region. The premiere area for Bordeaux blend reds in New Zealand and the region is rapidly developing a reputation for quality Syrah. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are produced and lately Viognier. Specialist high quality small producers include Bilancia and Bridge Pa. Other well-known producers include Brookfields Estate, Clearview Estate, Esk Valley, Villa Maria, Vidal, Trinity Hill, Craggy Range, Newton Forrest Estate, Te Mata Estate, Moana Park Estate, Mission Estate, Sileni, Sacred Hill, CJ Pask, and Babich.
Early success in Hawkes Bay in the 1960s by McWilliams, and in the 1980s by Te Mata Estate, led to red wine grape planting and production concentrating on Cabernet Sauvignon by Corbans, McWilliams, and Mission Estate, among many others. As viticultural techniques were improved and tailored to New Zealand’s maritime climate, more Merlot and other Bordeaux-style grapes were planted, with quality and quantity increasing. This trend continues and can be seen in the New Zealand Wine Institute statistics indicating that plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah now account for 2,496 hectares
1.3. Coonawarra, Australia
Coonawarra is a wine region, on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, that is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced on its “terra rossa” soil. Coonawarra is an Aboriginal word meaning “Honeysuckle”. It is about 380 km southeast of Adelaide, close to the border with Victoria.
Tasting wine in Coonawarra
The first vines were planted by John Riddoch at Yallum, South Australia in 1890. Only the Redman family of Rouge Homme continued to produce table wine during this period, during which Shiraz was the main grape variety grown.
Fortunes changed when Samuel Wynn recognized the potential of the strip of terra rossa soil, and bought the original Riddoch cellars in 1951. Led by Wynns and Penfolds, Coonawarra was to play a leading role in the transformation of the Australian wine industry as it changed from making fortified wines to conventional table wines.
Coonawarra’s terra rossa soil is one of the most famous terroirs in the New World, covering an area of just 15 km x 2 km north of Penola. This special bright red soil is clearly visible on an aerial photo.
Being just 60 km from the sea, Coonawarra has a somewhat maritime climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux. During the growing season, there is just 219mm rainfall (Oct-Apr), out of 585mm annually. Extensive cloud cover keeps the temperature down to 19.1°C in January.
Coonawarra is synonymous with classy Cabernet Sauvignon, full of plum and blackcurrant fruit.
1.4. Barossa Valley, Australia
The Barossa Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions. Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is about 56km (35 miles) northeast of the city of Adelaide. Unlike most of Australia whose wine industry was heavily influenced by the British, the wine industry of the Barossa Valley was founded by German settlers fleeing persecution from the Prussian province of Silesia (in what is now modern day Poland). The hot continental climate of the region promoted the production of very ripe grapes that was the linchpin of the early
Barossa Valley
Australian fortified wine industry. As the modern Australian wine industry shifted towards red table wines (particularly those made by the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon) in the mid-20th century, the Barossa Valley fell out of favor due to its reputation for being largely a Shiraz producers whose grapes were destined for blending. During this period the name “Barossa Valley” rarely appeared on wine labels. In the 1980s, the emergence of several boutique family specializing in old vine Shiraz wines began to capture international attention for the distinctive style of Barossa Shiraz, a full bodied red wine with rich chocolate and spice notes. This led to a renaissance in the Barossa which catapulted the region to the forefront of the Australian wine industry.
Many of Australia’s largest and most notable wineries are either headquartered or own extensive holdings in the Barossa Valley. These include such wineries as Penfolds, Peter Lehmann, Orlando Wines, Seppeltsfield, Wolf Blass and Yalumba. Many Shiraz vines in the Barossa Valley are several decades old, with some vineyards planted with old vines that are 100-150 years old. Other grape varieties grown in the Barossa include Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Semillon.
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