Putting A Cork In It!

    One of my readers enjoyed The Wine Guy’s departure from the norm when I recently chose to blog about wine barrels (see: “Wine Guy Over A Barrel!” 2/12/11) and suggested I do something on wine corks.  There’s a whole Pandora’s box full of issues on that topic ranging from TCA to the ongoing debate over the merits or demerits of alternative closures.  Most of those issues are probably beyond my experience and expertise in the wine trade and many others are addressing them well,  so please forgive me if I just stick to some basic background information in attempting to fulfill that request.

    Let me say first of all, that strictly as a wine drinker and aficionado and without regard to the technical debates, I love the romance and ambiance of “uncorking” a bottle of my favorite wine with a conventional cork.  It may date back to my first days as a sommelier, serving restaurant customers and my efforts to make having wine with food a special event.  It may relate to the special pleasure in successfully opening a bottle and pouring that first taste.  I just enjoy the ritual afforded with opening a bottle sealed with the conventional cork stopper.  In much the same manner, I enjoy the ritual of formally decanting a bottle in order to aerate the wine more than I do using a good mechanical aerator.

   I don’t find fault with the usage of screw caps on some wines (in fact, at times, I relish the comfort and convenience).  I also appreciate the convenience and the ease of a good aerator.  It’s just that, for me, the traditional rituals do bring something pleasurable and sensual to the occasion.  I can't help it, I'm a hopeless old romantic!

   Having said that, let’s share some background on the use of traditional wine corks.  Wine corks work well because of a combination of some key properties: impermeability, elasticity and semi-porosity.  Being nearly impermeable allows for secure containment of the precious liquid.  Elasticity allows for secure fitting into a glass bottle and also allows for relative ease in removal (that might be debated by some wine drinkers!).  Cork’s ability to contain liquid while allowing the bottle to “breathe” or exchange air with the outside allows for controlled ageing and development of the wine inside (desirable in many but not all wines).  Despite these properties, cork was not the stopper of choice for wine for hundreds of years.  It’s wide commercial usage didn't begin until the late 1600’s in France. It probably first began with Champagne, then with still wines.  Up to that point, oil soaked rags or hemp wrapped wood bungs soaked in paraffin were more commonly utilized in securing wine.  The Greeks sealed their early earthenware amphora with pine resin (today’s Greek Retsina pays homage to the flavoring that process imparted to early Greek wines).

   While it functions beautifully, the usage of cork does present some logistical challenges:   Cork comes from the peeled bark of the tree which must attain about twenty-five years of age before it can be first harvested.  The first and often the second harvest are usually not of the quality required for wine corks and these are generally utilized in construction as insulation or soundproofing.  Nine years transpires between each harvest from an individual tree and then the cork is allowed to oxidize for several months before being boiled twice over several weeks to kill organisms, dissolve tannins and generally prepare the material for punching out the subsequent wine cork.  Waste material is gathered and used in making composite pressed corks.  In short, there's a lot of time and labor involved in producing that tiny little old wine cork that seals your bottle of wine.

  The Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the world's cork production. An additional 10 to 16 percent comes from Italy, Morocco and southern France.  This narrow geography of this production (unsuccessful attempts to introduce cork trees to Australia probably account for the overwhelming popularity of screw caps from that country’s wineries) have combined with the rapid expansion of wineries and wine production to create a challenge. Demand is quickly outstripping availability and this has resulted in a steadily increasing usage and spread of alternative closures.

   These are among the many economic reasons for the diversity of closures on your favorite bottle of wine.  Don’t assume that it’s an inferior wine just because it has a synthetic or screw cap enclosure.  However, if you’re planning to cellar and age a particular wine for much later use, that bottle should probably be one that has a conventional wine cork closure for best results.  (Some winemakers are currently attempting long term taste testing on aging wine under different closures).

  Lack of a cork enclosure won’t deter The Wine Guy from trying and enjoying a bottle of wine but I’ll certainly reach for a traditionally corked bottle of wine when I want the occasion to be full of the romance and ambiance I associate with serving wine.  I also have gone “green” by saving and collecting my used wine corks for recycling.  Many retailers will now accept wine corks for recycling (often into other cork products but that keeps more of the current year’s harvest available for wine corks).  Check for the places that accept corks in your area (Trader Joe’s is among the nationwide chains currently accepting wine corks for recycling).  I also recommend the saving of wine corks as an easy remembrance of your favorite wines.  The Wine Guy also keeps a collection jar close by the location of my car keys in the kitchen.  With the winery and sometimes the wine name stamped on the cork, it’s easy to drop a cork into my pocket as a quick reminder of the wine I want to look for or repurchase on my next wine-buying trip.

As always, look forward to your next bottle of wine (with or without the traditional cork stopper).  It’s always an adventure and event worth savoring.  Salute!

A Very Brief Look At Kosher Wine!

   Kosher wine is a complicated and tricky subject even for the very knowledgeable.   Any readers of this blog are advised to consult much more authoritative sources than The Wine Guy before utilizing the information here as a guideline for wine usage in any special observance.  My purpose here is to present a brief informative primer for wine aficionados and fellow wine stewards who often come into contact with people with questions on Kosher wine.

  Generally speaking, kosher wine must not contain or utilize any dietary ingredient prohibited under kosher law, must not come into contact with utensils or machinery that have formerly come into contact with those ingredients and both the product and all its associated utensils and ingredients must not have been in contact with idolatrous persons or utilized for idolatrous purposes.

  The fairly liberal Conservative Union has resolved that wine does not to be certified and labeled Kosher to, in fact, be considered kosher wine.  That however leads to considerable difficulty (and some controversy, as well) in determining if a particular wine, in fact meets the requirement of being kosher.  Typically organically grown and produced wines that are not hand made are generally considered kosher but care must be taken to research details.  For example a certified organic, sustainable wine may meet all dietary and additive restrictions. It may, however, have been made from manually crushed grapes, which makes it uncertain in meeting the kosher requirements for handling.  Similarly, a certified organic and sustainable wine could have been fined with agents from dairy and meat by-products thus negating the ability of the wine to be kosher.

   For that reason, those wishing to observe kosher in both the religious and dietary sense are best advised to select a wine that has been certified kosher by an appropriate rabbinical council or body.  In the U.S. these will either bear a “K” or “OU” symbol depending upon which governing body the certification comes under.   Wines bearing these symbols will have been certified to have meant all the condition above plus they will have the further requirement that the grapes and their juice, from the time of harvest through bottling, were only handled by Sabbath-observant Jewish males.  Additional caution is still required, however, in that bottled wines, certified as Kosher, can become un-kosher, in certain cases, if opened and handled by non-Jewish persons.  To overcome that possibility most rabbinical authorities add the proviso that the wine should be labeled “mevushal”  (cooked or pasteurized).  This process reduces the flavorings of many wines as well as its ability to age and is the reason that most of the early kosher wines were extremely fruity and sweet.  Recent technical developments, including “flash pasteurization have reduced this impact and have resulted in many fine kosher wines that ate drier and more full-bodied.

   The final complication comes into play in the observance of Pesach or Passover.  Many wines, certified as Kosher, and suitable for most other kosher occasions, may not be suitable for this Jewish religious observance because of its additional prohibitions and regulations governing “Chametz” and “Kitniyot”.  Chametz involves five grains (wheat, barley, spelt oats and rye) that have come into contact with water for more than 18 minutes.  It also involves any utensil or cooking item that has been utilized in preparing foods item considered chametz as well as any item that has come into contact with chametz that has not been cleansed.  During the days of Passover (and the number of days varies from Israel to other countries) observant Jews are prohibited not only from ingesting but also from possessing Chametz.  The other category, Kitniyot, includes maize, rice, peas, beans and lentils. The regulations covering exposure to Kitniyot vary from a complete prohibition for Ashkenazi Jews to limitations on usage (mainly non-food purposes) to allowance in some sects (Sephardic Jews).  In the case of aforementioned sweeter wines, some certified kosher wines were sweetened with corn syrups and therefore, would fall under the prohibition of using Kitniyot for food purposes and would therefore, be unsuitable for Passover.    Another example of a kosher wine unsuitable for Passover would be one in the yeast utilized to ferment the wine was grown on bread.  Not prohibited normally, this would violate the stricter provisions of the holiday.  Certified kosher wines that are also certified for Passover will be clearly labeled with an additional “P” symbol in addition to the normal "K" or "OU" if they are certified Kosher for Passover.  It is these only these wines that should be on-hand or utilized at Passover.

I hope you find the above information useful.  It’s important for us who work in wine to determine from our customers the degree and nature of the kosher wine they are seeking.  If the concern is just simply dietary in nature, many organic or sustainable wines that meet conditions set forth by the Conservative Union may satisfy their need.  If the desire for a kosher wine involves any form of religious observance or ritual, or if the customer is keeping kosher as a practice of his faith, care should definately be taken to insure the product offered has been properly certified by a rabbinical authority.  Finally, if the customer is seeking a kosher wine for Passover, extra care and verification is needed to insure the product meets the very special conditions for that holiday.

  Again, I caution readers that this is an area of very limited knowledge and expertise on my part.  For further information and guidance, consultation with a rabbi or with a governing authority such as the Orthodox Union is highly recommended.

   As a side note, I would also encourage readers who are lovers of wine history to also explore the impact of the Jewish culture on viniculture and winemaking.  References such as the description in the Old Testament of Noah planting a vineyard after the flood abound in Jewish history.  Wine has occupied a special place in their observances and rituals throughout their recorded history. The Jewish people were also probably the pioneers of ripasso style wine, having to resort to utilizing raisins in winemaking after being conquered by the Babylonians and forced to leave Jerusalem.  I am currently enjoying an exploration of this history and my discoveries will probably become something to share in future blogs.

   Until then, do take time to enjoy a glass of wine.  Le chayim!

  

Valpolicella: Veneto's Red Darling

The Veneto wine region:
This image by www.cellartours.com
and was utilized with permission.

 The northeastern crown of Italy is a great area for wine, both in terms of variety and in terms of quality. It is there you will find Veneto, a region that produces about 20% of Italian wines and whose history in viniculture dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks.  Nearly four-dozen grape varietals are agriculturally productive in the wine industry here.  It is also is home to at least twenty Italian D.O.C.'s.  Among its award winning IGT’s, is one of The Wine Guy’s favorite Italian wines (see 2 previous blogs:  “Italian IGT’s are Worth Exploring, 7/6/10 and Palazzo della Torre: An Old Friend Comes To Dinner, 8/4/09).  Veneto is also the home to a vino de tabla that, at times, has been one of the most sought after wines in the world:  Giuseppe Quintarella’s Cabernet Franc Alzero.

One of The Wine Guy's
Favorite Wine Posters

  Today’s blog is about Valpolicella, a D.O.C. wine from Veneto that has been sometimes called the Italian Beaujolais.  Like Beaujolais, Valpolicella can be made as a young, ready-to-drink harvest wine or made fuller and in some cases, aged to a great refined and complex red.  Unlike Beaujolais which is a single varietal based on the Gamay grape, Valpolicella is the product of a blend of grapes.  There are mainly three:  Corvina, (which can make up to 70% of the wine), Rodinella and Molinara.  The winemaker can add up to 15% of what are defined as “complementary” grapes.  Barbera, Sangiovese, Rossignola and Negrana are among those that are regularly utilized for this purpose.  Up to 5% of the wine can include other red varietals of the winemaker's choosing.

   These myriad combinations along with a plethora of winemaking styles result in a wide diversity of wines.  Valpolicella can range from a light and sparkling spumante to a richly aged and sweet Recioto.  In the D.O.C.'s beginning, the classifications included Valpolicella Nouveau (bottled a few weeks after harvest), Valpolicella Classico (not unlike Chianti Classico, this is primarily a geographical classification), Valpolicella Superiore (requiring alcohol content of at least 12% and a minimum of one year of aging) and Valpolicella Ripasso (utilizing the leftover pomace from the production of Amarone or Recioto to induce a second fermentation).    Desiccating, or partially drying grapes, before wine production is a practice utilized in the making of Recioto della Valpolicella and Amarone della Valpolicella.  It is a practice that was probably borrowed from the Greeks and can be traced back to the 6^th Century A.D.  The name “Valpolicella” itself may be partially Greek in origin.  It is thought to have derived from a combination of Greek and Latin words that roughly translated to “Valley of Many Cellars”.  Cherry is the signature fruit taste you'll find in Valpolicella.   It ranges from light and sometimes sour in the younger styles to deep, full and laced with accents of figs in the more rich and aged styles. 

  Valpolicella largely escaped the scourges of the late 1800’s including the epidemics of phylloxera and downy mildew and the production of wines there mushroomed in the 1950’s. In 1968, it was granted D.O.C. status but a relaxation of geographic, yield and varietal requirements led to production of wines with variable quality.  A refocus on the better quality varietals, sources and the growing popularity of the Amarone and Recioto styles from the late 60’s through the 90’s saw a corresponding increase in higher end wines.  By 2000, the volume of sales of Amarone had doubled twice over to nearly four million gallons and in 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella were granted D.O.C.G. status.  Late in 2009 Ripasso della Valpolicella became a separate unique D.O.C. of its own.

    Today, whether you’re seeking the lighter exuberance of a younger harvest-style or the deep, aromatic richness of the more handcrafted styles, ( including Ripassas, Amarones and Reciotos or some of truly artisanal IGT’s and Vino de Tablas)  Valpolicella wines from Vento are well worth exploring.   Don't forget to try one of the Wine Guy's favorites:  Allegrini's Pallazzo della Torre.  Seek out and enjoy a glass soon.  Salute!

   The Wine Guy is in appreciation to Cellar Tours, a fully bonded and registered tour operator and travel agent, for permission to reproduce the Veneto region map contained on their website.  For information on the services they offer, please visit http://www.cellartours.com/italy/wine-tours/"

     

Sicilian History and One of Its Signature Wines

   Sicily is without a doubt the melting pot of the Mediterranean.   This island’s earliest inhabitants included tribes from the Iberian peninsula, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean as well as the islands and mainland of the nearby Italian peninsula.  Cultural influences were felt by settlement from and intermixing with Egyptians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and the Greeks.  The island was the first non-Italian mainland addition to the Roman Empire.  Subsequently, the island was ruled by the Byzantines, Normans, Austrians and Spanish.  It wasn’t until the 1800’s that it became reunited with Italy, a union that was fought for decades by many of its inhabitants.  Today it is an autonomous region within the nation of Italy.

 With its consistent climate and its uniquely rocky but rich soil, Sicily is one of the world’s ideal spots for growing grapes.  Most historians speculate that viniculture could have begun there as early as 4,000 years ago.  Certainly it was already active in trading wine throughout the Mediterranean when it became a part of greater Greece in 750 AD.  Many of the unique native varietals found in Sicily today can be traced to vines brought to the island by either Arabs or Greeks.  Homer in his epic, “The Odyssey “, tells of Ulysses pacifying the One-Eyed Cyclops by offering wine from Mt. Etna.

 Today, one of the signature grapes of Sicily that is gaining in recognition and popularity is Nero d’Avola (Black of Avola).  It is the most widely planted red wine grape on the island.  Nero d’Avola can produce heavy, concentrated (sometimes almost syrupy) intensely fruity wine with high alcohol content.  Until the 1980’s, its usage was mostly confined to being used as a blending grape by Italian and French winemakers.  Its intensity helped to fortify weaker red wines.  The development of newer techniques in viniculture and oenology has helped to tame some of the harsher tendencies of this bold grape.  They include night harvesting and usage of cooled storage vats to mitigate tendencies toward rapid over ripening and early fermentation.

 Nero d’Avola produces a deep red wine with full red and black fruit flavors and a touch of spice.  Some have referred to it as the Sicilian “Shiraz”.  It certainly has some comparable characteristics:  it reacts well with oak. It blends well with both cabernet sauvignon and merlot but makes an interesting single varietal.  It is capable of improving with age but also produces a wine that can be drunk young.  When done well, it offers a great value for the red wine aficionado.

  Here are some of the Sicilian brands that The Wine Guy has tried and would recommend if you’re interested in exploring Nero d’Avola:  Cusumano, Feudo, Donnafugata, and Colosi.

Enjoy a glass of “the black one” from Avola soon.  You’ll probably be pleased you did.  Salute!

A Wine Quiz on Signature Grapes!

Your quizmaster: The Wine Guy

    Back in March of 2010, The Wine Guy did a blog on Wine Trivia.  It has turned out to be one of the most popular blogs I’ve ever posted (2,000+ visits to date and my tracking metrics was off for six months during the past year!).  Several readers have either written or asked if I would do another “wine quiz” usable for the entertainment of their wine-drinking friends.  It will also give astute readers a chance to correct and qualify my responses (no matter, how much you think you know about wine, you always find that there’s something new to learn or even unlearn). 

A vineyard on Canada's Vancouver Island

    Today’s offering is a wine quiz that deals with some well known and some lesser know grape varietals.  The objective of the quiz is to identify the country or region most identified with that varietal.  For the lack of a better term, these are “signature varietals", ones who have come to be closely identified with a particular wine region even though they probably are not limited to that area.  In my answer section, I’ve tried to fill in some the gaps with information I’ve gleaned in my reading and studying about wine.  Please recognize that my comments are probably well short of being the definitive information on these varietals…they reflect only what I’ve learned thus far.   Do feel free to ask, to add info, to comment and do some learning on your own.  Sharing the background and stories associated with wine, as well as the taste, is, after all, is one of the pleasures of sharing wine with good friends.

 O.K. fans, here goes: Match each wine listed below with the country, locale or region with which it is most commonly associated:

1)Zinfandel:

            A: Mexico   B: Croatia  C: California  D: Australia

2) Tannat:

            A: Austria  B: Uruguay  C: Australia  D: South Africa

3) Bonarda:

            A: Argentina  B: Romania  C: Sicily  D: Greece

4) Podkum:

            A: India  B: Israel  C: Malta  D: Thailand

5) Carmenere:

            A: Burgogne  B: Tuscany  C: Portugal  D: Chile

6) Torrontes:

            A: Spain  B: Santorini  C: Argentina  D: Corsica

7) Pinotage:

            A: California  B: Serbia  C: Burgogne  D: South Africa

8)  Norton:

            A: Missouri  B: Virginia  C: Texas   D: All Three

9)  Nero d’Avola:

            A: Provence  B: Sicily  C: Puglia  D: Languedoc-Roussillon

10) Dornfelder:

            A: Hungary  B: Slovakia  C: Alsace  D: Germany

11) Vidal:

             A: Loire Valley  B: Otago, New Zealand C: Canada D: Piedmonte

12)  Furmit:

             A: Hungary   B: Naousa  C: Malta  D: Portugal

13) Brunello:

             A: Tuscany  B: Abruzzo  C: Alto-Adige  D: Barossa Valley

14) Mencia:

             A: Spain  B: Portugal  C: Greece  D: Italy

15) Nebbiolo:

                     A: Cote d’Azur   B: Paso Robles  C: Umbria  D: Piedmonte

 Here are your answers:

  1. Correct answer is “C”.   Although found in some form in all the areas listed, Zinfandel is considered most closely associated with California.   The Californian Zinfandel is directly descended from the Croatian Crljenak Kastelaski and has been found to be genetically identical to Italian Primitivo.

  2. Correct answer is “B”.  Tannat originated and is still utilized in southwest France, mostly as a blending grape, but is considered the national grape of Uruguay where it is the dominant red wine grape after being bought there by Basque settlers.  It can also be found in small amounts in Australia, Brazil, Peru and Italy.

  3. Correct answer is “A”.  Bonarda is Argentina’s number two red grape behind Malbec. It can be found there as a single varietal or as a major player in red blends.  It can also be found in Italy and France where it plays a small role as a blending grape.

  4. Correct answer is “D”.   Podkum was developed in Thailand specifically to grow in their climate.  It is often found there blended with Shiraz.

  5. Correct answer is “D”.  One of the original seven Bordeaux varietals, Carmenere was, for a number of years mis-identified in Chile as Merlot because of its similarity on the wine.  It is much more suitable to the Chilean climate than it ever was to the French Bordeaux region.  It can also be found in Italy and is gaining some usage in Washington and California.

  6. Correct answer is “C”.  Three types of Torrontes are utilized in making Argentina’s number one white wine.  All are considered to be distant relatives of the Mission grape and Muscat Alexandria.  It is believed their usage dates back to Spanish missionaries.  There is a grape called Torrontes in Galicia, Spain that has been found to be unrelated to the Argentine varietals so Torrontes is considered to be virtually unique to Argentina.

  7. Correct answer is “D”.   It has long been considered that this grape was first developed in 1925 at South Africa’s University of Stellenbosch and it is “the” red wine of South Africa.  (A previous comment in this section was in error and deleted.  Thanks to Peter May of The Pinotage Club for his email correcting my error)

  8. Correct answer is “D”.  You may want to give your participants credit if they answered “A”.  Norton is, after all,  the official “State Grape” of Missouri and prior to prohibition Missouri was the number one wine producing state in the U.S. and back then the Norton wine from Missouri won gold in international wine competition.  Today more acreage of Norton is planted in Virginia and the grape is also popular in Texas.

  9.  Correct answer is “B”.   The “black one from Avola” refers to a region in Southern Sicily and this wine has come into its own in its Sicilian bottlings of recent years.  It may be of either Greek or Arab origin.  Sicily has an interesting and varied wine history that dates back to the earliest days of wine trading in the Mediterranean.

  10.  Correct answer is “D”.  A relative latecomer to the German wine scene (it was given varietal protection and released for production by authorities in 1979), this red wine grape has become Germany’s second most planted varietal.  It produces fruity, somewhat sweet red wines and, much as skinless Pinot Noir is utilized in Champagne, Dornfelder is utilized in the German sparkling equivalent “Sekt”.

  11. Correct answer is “C”.  Vidal comes from a cross of Ugni Blanc and Rajon d’Or. It was developed in northern France for utilization in the production of Cognac but it found a home in the cold climate of southern Canada (and also the U.S. Northeast).  It is utilized in producing some fruity floral and crisp dry whites but is most renowned for its role in Canadian Ice Wines.

  12. Correct answer is “A”    Furmit is the key grape varietal utilized in Hungarian Tokaji, considered by many to one of the finest dessert wines produced in the world.  The grape can also be found in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, and Russia.

  13.  Correct answer is “A”.   Brunello is the name applied to Tuscany’s famous Sangiovese Grosso and to the wine, which became Italy’s very first D.O.C.G.

  14.  Correct answer is “A”   Consider giving partial credit, as well to those of your quiz takers who answered “B” since the Portuguese grape known as Jaen has been found to be identical to Mencia.  Mencia can be found in three to four regions in Spain but reaches its best expression in the wines from Bierzo.

  15.  Correct answer is “D”    This noble grape from Italy’s Piedmont region finds its home in  Barolo and Barbaresco wines.  These are considered by some to be Italy’s most prestigious wines.  They are certainly among the most difficult to produce well.  The largest usage of Nebbiolo outside Italy is in northern Baja, Mexico and the wine produced there has garnered some acclaim.  There are also small plantings of this hard to grow grape in Australia and Argentina.

   There’s your quiz, have fun with it.  Hopefully you can find many of these wines and offer them to your quiz takers as part of your fun.  Try having them taste the wines “blind” and then match with the varietals on the quiz.    As always, enjoy your wine!

Jurancon: Great White Wines with a great history!

image from winery website
 www.chateau-jolys.com

Located in the southwest corner of France near the Spanish border and close to the Pyrenees Mountains is a French wine appellation with a storied history. Jurancon is home to some of France’s best tasting white wines and is also rich in wine history.  The first written references to organized viniculture in the area date back to 998 AD.

image from winery website
www.chamarre.com

While Jurancon became a French A.O.C. (Appellation d’Origine Controlee’) officially in 1936, it’s first government recognition as a designated wine growing and production region occurred in the 14^th century under the reign of the Princes of Bern and Navarre.  It was in this area of France that the French term “cru” (“growth place”) was first applied on wine labels to designate wines reflecting a specific terroir.  This easily makes Jurancon the oldest of the French wine appellations.  Adding to that history is the established legend that Jurancon wine was used for the baptism of the renowned French king Henri IV.

The three principal grapes utilized in the wines of Jurancon are Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and sometimes Courbu. These grapes, in varying combinations, offer the fruit tastes of apricot, mango, pear, pineapple and quince, often laced with honey, particularly in the sweet versions.  While it was the silky elegance of the sweet dessert wine produced there that first brought international attention to Jurancon, the region also produces superb dry white wines.  In fact the drier style of Jurancon account today for about three-quarters of the regions wine production.  The Wine Guy’s first exposure was to the sweet style in a wine from Chamarre, a modern day consortium founded in 2005.  This group gave great exposure to the region before entering into receivership in early 2010.  Fortunately they were bailed out in the fall of last year by the noted designer and entrepreneur Alain Dominique Perrin.

Here are two recommendations from The Wine Guy if you want to experience the unique quality and palatability of this region’s wonderful white wines:

Dry:   Chateau Jolys Jurancon Sec

Sweet:   Chamarre Jurancon Tradition

Try a Jurancon soon.  As you savor the aroma and taste, reflect upon the storied history of this wonderful wine region in south-west France.  Enjoy!

Kudo's to Kabuki

My wife and some of her former co-workers occasionally get together for lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Kabuki located here in Arizona.  Having enjoyed the food at their Tempe Marketplace location, it was she who first suggested I try this establishment. Always up for an “eating-out-date” with the fetching Mrs. Wine Guy, I, of course, took her up on the suggestion.

Kabuki is a regional chain with locations in California, Nevada and Arizona.  It derives its name from a form of traveling Japanese theater that developed during the 17^th century Edo period (Edo was the name then of the Japanese capitol).  Kabuki was performed essentially for villagers and commoners as opposed to the ruling class.  Given the restaurant’s goal of providing quality food in a family-friendly and value-oriented atmosphere, I can understand and applaud the choice of name.

Kabuki Drink Menu

Worthy of applause, as well, is the manner in which they handled their selections of Sake and Shochu on their drink menu.  It is one of the better list presentations I’ve seen and goes a long way to ease the trepidation that I’m sure many feel when trying to order these beverages at a restaurant.

A quick recap of these two beverages for readers who may not be familiar with them:

 Sake is a double fermented rice beverage where the starch in the rice is fermented into sugar and the sugar is fermented into alcohol.  It is often referred to as “rice-wine” but it is not a wine despite the fact that sake, not unlike wine, can present many subtle nuances of flavor. Its alcohol content approximates that of wine and that may further contribute to the misnomer.   Shochu is a distilled beverage common to both Korea and Japan.  It is most often made from grain, including rice, buckwheat and barley. It can also be made with sweet potatoes and even chestnuts.  As a distilled beverage, it’s alcoholic content can run from 25 to 40%.  If Sake can be mis-characterized as the “wine” of Japan, then Shochu would be mis-characterized as the “scotch” of Japan. It is sometimes even aged in wood similar to Scotch.

The impressive part of the Kabuki listing is neither the length nor the depth of the listing.  Although a nice selection, there are just 18 Sake and only 2 Shochu available.   What IS impressive is the well written profile descriptions and pairing suggestions that even the most neophyte sake drinker can follow appreciate.  For the better-informed aficionado, the listing also appropriately includes the grade of the sake as well as its prefecture of origin. 

The final piece of information is applicable to all.  It is the Nihonshu-Do number assigned to each Sake.   The menu describes the Nihonshu-Do as a Sweet-Dry scale and although, that is the most practical application of that number, it is not entirely an accurate description of the number’s meaning.  The Nihonshu-Do number is derived from the hygrometer reading of the specific gravity of the beverage.  For those of you who remember high school physics, this compares the viscosity of the beverage to water with a 0 reading meaning the beverage’s density is on a par with pure water.

The practical side of the information, however, does highly relate to sweetness and dryness.  The negative numbers do tend to reflect increasing sweetness as they go higher.  The positive numbers tend to reflect increasing dryness as they go higher.  Some manufacturers have taken to placing these numbers on the bottles and refer to them as Sake-Meter-Value (SMV).  The SMV can serve you well in helping to determine if particular Sake will fit your palate.

More sophisticated Sake drinkers will also understand that acidity, alcohol content and even serving temperature will impact the sweet-dry perception of individual sake but the SMV is certainly a measurable standard reference that serves well as a good taste guideline.

 If you want to learn more about Sake and Shochu, I heartily recommend logging on to John Gauntner’s excellent educational website www.sake-world.com.  I also recommend subscribing to his newsletter. It’s an excellent and informative on-going resource.

Kudos to Kabuki for utilizing these numbers and for making a drink menu that makes it easier to enjoy great sake with your Japanese dinner.  The next time you’re dining oriental, take time to try Sake.

Kambai!

The Wine Guy Over A Barrel!

Most of my blogs are about wines, places to drink wine or wineries.  Today, a slight departure is in order as we discuss wine barrels. 

The function of large containers of wine in its early history was principally for storage and transportation.  There was little thought to the utilizing these containers to help age or enhance the flavor of the wine.  It didn’t take long, however, for the effects of containers to be noted on the taste of the wine it carried.  Early Greek earthenware amphorae were sealed with pine tar, which imparted a distinct flavor to the wine.  That flavoring is noted today in Greek Retsina made with a little pine resin added for flavoring.

It’s difficult to fully trace the usage of wooden barrels given wood’s tendency to decay and perish.  However some early historians have noted the usage of palm wood barrels for wine in early Mesopotamia. The first mentioned use of oak barrels was noted about 2,000 years ago and they became widely used during the Roman Empire.  Given the Roman tendency to compare and transport different grapes for their taste characteristics, it’s probable they also noted the tendency of oak barrels to impart flavors and enhance the flavor and ageing ability of wine and made oak barrels their large wine vessel of choice.

Oak works well for wine barrels because it’s a tightly grained wood.  When split along the grain it seals well in holding liquids.  There is some breathability in the wood and this allows a small portion of oxygen into the container as evaporation of some of the liquid to the outside  (In a standard size 56-gallon wine barrel, the wine may evaporate 3 to 10% of its volume for each year spent in the barrel).  This enables the natural tannins in the wine to soften.  Additionally, the wine interacts chemically with the wood in producing other tannins as well as flavor compounds.  Oak produces some of the most compatible flavors and odors for wine of any wood and that is the principal reason for its popularity and widespread usage.

French Oak, because of its extremely tight grain and characteristics is considered today’s most preferable wood to use for wine barrels, but that was not always so.  In fact, early French winemakers much preferred Russian oak.  The bulk of the French oak utilized today comes from five major forests. These were initially planted by Napoleon to insure an adequate supply of wood for shipbuilding for the French Navy.   Italian winemakers rely heavily on Slovenian oak.  

American and recently, Canadian White Oak, are also widely utilized in the world of wine.  This oak has a slightly looser grain and Americans had a tendency to saw the wood across the grain in the early stages of American winemaking.  That and a common failure to “season” or age the wood before use initially made American made wines aged in American oak almost overpowering in the wood influenced flavors.  Adaption of European cooperage methods and careful attention to the importance of either ageing or toasting the wood to achieve proper seasoning has improved the results from using American oak considerably.

An 80 to 100 year old oak tree will typically produce enough wood to create two standard sized barrels. The harvested oak for wine barrel making is typically seasoned at least two years before the barrels are made although charring or toasting the inside of the barrel wood can shorten that process.  After a wine barrel is utilized for five to seven years, it typical becomes “neutral” in its ability to impart flavoring to wine.  This is often why you see tasting notations that refer to the percentage of “new” or “old” oak utilized to age certain wines.  The wine maker is simply adjusting the impact of the wood flavors on his wine.

While it is the most common and most preferable wood for wine barrels, oak is not exclusively used.

Chestnut, pine, acacia and in South America, rauli wood can be found in some winery barrels.  Many of these woods, however, can impart much higher tannin levels, shaper and often off-flavors and odors to the wine.  It is not uncommon to find that these types of wood barrels are often lined with paraffin to reduce this impact.

Being one whose wine preferences trend toward the well-aged, bold, red wines, The Wine Guy fully appreciates the role of wine barrels in the winemaking process.  However, I can also enjoy the wonderfulness of an un-oaked Chardonnay or a Montepulciano that has never seen the inside of an oak barrel.  That’s the wonderful part about the world of wine, there’s a new world of flavor to explore in virtually every new glass you enjoy.

Enjoy a good glass of wine, soon!  Salute!

A Brief Look at Chenin Blanc

Enjoying a Vouvray at Petit Valentin in Santa Barbara

Chenin Blanc, when done well, is a delightful white wine that often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.  This wine has the ability to be an excellent aperitif, a great summertime sipper and makes an excellent and adaptable food pairing wine, especially with lighter fare.

The history of this grape traces back to the Anjou region of France where its usage was noted as early as the Ninth Century.  It rose to its greatest prominence in nearby Vouvray where some of the best examples of this grape’s diversity are seen.  Chenin Blanc produces a sweet juice with high acidity that lends itself to making wines that range from great sparkling to botryrized dessert wines.  It migrated to South Africa in the mid 1600’s and today is the most widely planted varietal in that country.  In that country, it was commonly known then as “Steen” and that reference is still utilized in many of the wines bottled there today.

Though some consider it fairly neutral to the influence of terroir, different soil conditions do play a very great factor in highlighting its characteristics.  Clay based soil produce grapes with sweeter juice and will enhance the development of noble rot and wines more capable of ageing.  Sandy soils produce lighter wines that mature quickly.  Grapes grown in limestone soils produce wines with accented acidity and stony or rocky soils have enhanced minerality.  Full ripening and controlled yields are generally necessary to get the best expression of flavors from this grape and, as a consequence, the utilization of high volume yields and under ripe grapes can produce some very marginal wines.  Hence the production of good wines from Chenin Blanc has as greater dependency on proper viniculture than many other white varietals.  

Chenin Blanc can be found in many wine growing regions but it is France and South Africa where it is most commonly utilized as a principal varietal in wines.  It was highly popular in California in the 1980’s when it’s plantings there exceeded those in France but it usage has since slipped in favor of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  British Columbia and the American Northwest produces some appreciable Chenin Blanc but in very limited quantity.  Australia’s usage of the varietal is principally in white blends and the single varietal wines from there tend to be very, very fruity.  Mexico also grows a fair amount of the grape but it is utilized mostly in cheaper, mass-produced white blends.

The best sources tend to be the French and South African producers and a few lingering good producers from California.  Here are a few recommendations from The Wine Guy if you’re considering exploration of Chenin Blanc:

B&G Vouvray Gold Label:

This is an affordable entry into to trying the Loire Valley style of Chenin Blanc.  The French style places an emphasis on a floral nose with delivery of a mixture of white fruit and citrus flavors.  This wine has nice, light hints of melon, peach and pear.

Sebeka Chenin Blanc Steen:

This South African wine has a distinct minerality some pineapple citrus notes and a wonderfully crisp light acidity.  It’s a great pairing with shrimp stir-fry!

Man Vintners Chenin Blanc Steen:

A small portion (15%) is fermented in small oak and the remainder is allowed to develop on the lees which adds some subtle differences to this wine.  It has a nice blend of citrus and melon fruit flavors and the light use of oak adds an interesting hint of butterscotch.

Dry Creek Vineyards Clarksburg Chenin Blanc:

Delta grown grapes from this Sonoma County producer offers a nice delicate orange blossom nose accented with mostly citrus fruit, particularly lemon.  This has been California’s most awarded Chenin Blanc over the years, having earned over 30 gold medals.  It was The Wine Guy’s first Chenin Blanc to make a highly favorable impression.  I found it to be a great pairing with baked whitefish.

The dry styles of Chenin Blanc make great pairings with a variety of appetizers, seafood and salads.  A sparkling Cremant d’Loire is a great alternative to Champagne.  Demi-sec and sweeter versions are great sippers and aperitifs.  All lend themselves well to enjoyment in hotter climates.  Go ahead and explore and try a Chenin Blanc soon!

A visit to The Wine Guy's Favorite Mexican Uncle!

Regular readers are aware of The Wine Guy’s fondness for visiting Mexico, the colonial cities of central Mexico in particular. I have often written about the popularity of Italian food and the influence of Italian wine varietals and the Italian style of wine making in Mexico (indeed, through Latin America, as well).  It may come as a surprise, therefore, that my most frequently visited wine and dine restaurant in central Mexico is NOT Italian.

The restaurant is called Tio Lucas (Uncle Luke’s in English) and it’s located just a couple blocks off the main Jardin in San Miguel Allende in central Mexico.  Each and every time I’ve visited this charming World Heritage city in the central highlands, Mrs. Wine Guy and I have dined at least once in this restaurant.  It’s not the most elegant restaurant in town, neither is it the most affordable but we’ve always have a memorable experience there.  

It is among the better places to have good beef in a land where tasty beef often will just mean tasty strips of arrachera, a good tasting cut of beef in its own right. However, it’s usually more well done than our mid-western palates prefer and better suited for a hearty lunch with soup and nopales.  Once in a while we long for thick, juicy, tender beef, done no more than medium-rare accompanied by a good full-bodied red wine.  The fare at Tio Lucas has always fulfilled that need for us.  The service, for some might be a tad slow, but is always adequate and very attentive to our needs.  None of our visits has been without a visit to the table by the owner to check on our enjoyment of the meal.  Incidentally his name isn’t Lucas, it’s Max (see photo).  I haven’t figured out who Lucas is yet. I will have to ask on a future visit!

At our favorite Mexican uncle: Restaurante Tio Lucas with the owner Max

Some of the wine selection

Our favorite meals have included a soup starter (most are excellent including a nice French onion), a rich, creamy, calorie-laded Roquefort salad who dressing is made at the table from freshly cut cheese.  Our beef dish is usually a round and full, almost rare chateaubriand for two carved at the table.  There’s a fairly nice wine selection, all affordably priced.   Good Chilean reds heavily dominate the list.  Wines from Chile are the most popular in Mexico and a mainstay on restaurant wine lists partially because of the long standing trade agreements between Chile and Mexico that make Chilean wines among the most affordably price imports.   Concha y Toro is Mexico’s most popular Chilean brand but having that readily (and affordably) available stateside means our choice at Tio Lucas is typically a Baron Philippe de Rothschild. 

The Rothschild Chilean estate was begun by Philippe’s daughter, Philippine in the late 1900’s to produce a premium red wine AlmaViva in partnership with Concha y Toro (much in the manner her father had partnered with Robert Mondavi on Opus One in California years earlier.  By the early 2000’s, this estate had begun to also produce some brands of its own.  The reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Carmenere under the Baron Philippe de Rothschild label are excellent and both available at Tio Lucas at about $30 per bottle.

Mr. & Mrs. Wine Guy @ Tio Lucas

If you’re in to Mexican crafts and pottery, you’ll see some great pieces utilized in the restaurant’s décor.  Some of the Michoacán pottery above the alcove mantle is exquisite!  Also, if you dine later in the week or on the weekend, prepare to enjoy some good jazz, as live music always abounds after 9:00pm.

As I said, by local standards, Tio Lucas is not the most affordable restaurant but you can dine very well, wine included, for under $40 per setting including propina (tip).  That affordability, proximity to the activity of the historico centro, and the memories of former evenings there has made Tio Lucas The Wine Guy’s favorite Mexican uncle!  If you ever get to San Miguel Allende, check it out for yourself.   Salud!

Carmenere: Chile's Signature Wine

Average American consumers have shown a definite increase in their willingness to explore new wines and broaden their taste experiences over the past few years.  While Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and White Zinfandel remain the mainstays of U.S. wine consumption, this trend has fueled measurable spikes in recent years in two other varietals.  These are Pinot Noir (due in some part to the movie “Sideways”) and Malbec (from Argentina in particular).  Argentinean Malbecs were the “hot” new wines to try in 2009 and 2010 and most retail establishments increased both their regular shelf inventory as well as their promotional offerings of these wines. Another varietal that has been slowly rising in popularity for the past few years that has a potential to become the next big South American wine for average consumers to explore is Carmenere.  Today, The Wine Guy would like to cover the basics about this almost uniquely Chilean wine.

Carmenere is believed to have originated in France where it was once commonly utilized as one of the blending grapes in Bordeaux.  Producers there prized Carmenere for its rich depth of color, however it was not ideally suited to the climate.  Carmenere requires more than average sun and heat to ripen, is susceptible to cloture (poor setting of fruit) and can often yield a very herbal and vegetative wine.  Following the phyloxera epidemic of the late 1800’s and a subsequent hard freeze, many producers abandoned the varietal and as a consequence, it is almost absent from French soil. The usage of Grand Vidure (what the varietal was better known as in the Bordeaux region) is still permitted today under the governing laws of Bordeaux but less than six chateaus still produce a few acres of the grape and blend it into their wine.

The 1800’s were also a time when many Europeans turned to South America for their opportunity to start their own wineries.  Most took rootstock with them and that marks the beginnings of Carmenere in Chile.  The bright Andes sun in the high valleys was much more suitable to cultivation than the damp often-chilly climes of semi-coastal Bordeaux and the vines came to be the dominant varietal in Chile.  However, the plant and the grapes were outwardly highly similar in appearance to Merlot (a mainstay grape in Bordeaux) and many of the Chilean winemakers assumed that was the grape and wine they were producing.  Many of the original vineyards planted by European immigrants were planted with a side by side mixture of both Merlot and Carmenere vines. Consequently, when Chilean wines first began to be imported, their greatest amount of offerings to U.S. consumers were labeled Merlot, a popular varietal for the U.S.  Not being the “Merlot” our palates were accustomed to and also suffering from some inconsistencies in the quality of production, these Chilean imports achieved neither great financial nor critical success.  It’s no small wonder that great Carmeneres from Chile had to wait until winemakers discovered that they weren’t able to produce a great Merlot because they simply weren't using Merlot grapes!  It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the true identity of what had become one of South America’s major volume red wines was discovered.  Since then, there’s been a gradual yet steady improvement in the wine and in the marketing efforts associated with its distribution. An enterprising importer even teamed up with one of the older immigrant wine estates (Vina Undurraga) and began offering some Carmenere wines with the tongue in cheek label of Oops (as in “Oops, my bad!”).

When fully ripened and produced well, Carmenere offers dark plum fruit flavors with light floral notes on the nose.  There’s very little astringency and the tannins are usually round and smooth, much as the merlot it was once mistaken for.  Good Carmeneres usually offer some light hints of spice, either mild black pepper or a taste similar to red chili peppers that have been slow roasted to appoint where they hint of sweetness.  If the wine is produced from under-ripened grapes, however, the spice and floral notes often disappear and the fruitiness can be overpowered by a very veggie taste that is akin to bad tasting green bell peppers. In short, when it’s good, Carmenere is very, very good but when it’s not, it can be awful!

The good news is that there are a number of well made Carmeneres reaching the U.S. and like many other good red wines coming out of South American, they can be quite affordable.  Here are some good, very affordable Carmeneres that The Wine Guy has had the pleasure of enjoying recently:

Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserva:

 The 2008 vintage was rated 89 points and the 2009 came in at 90 points.  This winery was the Chilean Winery of the Year two years ago and consistently makes good wines, often retailing in the U.S. for under $10!

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere Reserva from Concha y Toro:

These wines have been consistently rated in the upper 80’s for nearly a decade and generally retail under $15.  Concha y Toro is one of Chile’s major wine producers and exporters and if you travel to Latin America, you will find this brand is the top seller in most of the countries you’ll visit.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Carmenere Reserva:

From the Rothschild vineyards and winery in Chile that was founded by Baroness Philippa de Rothschild (Phillipe’s daughter) in the early 2000’s.  This Carmenere is particularly smooth and noted for its judicious usage of oak ageing which can sometimes be unkind to Carmenere wine when not properly applied.  In the U.S. it generally retails under $20 but is also highly popular in fine Mexican restaurants where it costs about the same as retail here.

One tip to readers who know The Wine Guy’s love and penchant for decanting his red wines:  Carmenere is a red wine that doesn’t require lengthy decanting.  Keep your airing brief on this red,

It’s glass ready with pouring and a little sloshing (how I love using that kind of technical wine term!) in your carafe.

Go ahead and do some exploration.  Enjoy a Carmenere, Chile’s signature red wine.

2011 Wine Predictions

      A recent email newsletter from the International Wine Guild contained some welcome news.  According to Nielsen surveys of off premise wine sales in the U.S. for the fourth quarter of 2010, Italy has regained the top spot as the number one country for U.S. wine imports.  Italy had occupied that spot for over 20 years but was edged out in 2004 by the tsunami of very affordable Australia imports.

      Regular readers know well that The Wine Guy has a definite preference for Italian wines and for wines of other countries that utilize Italian varietals and follow the Italian style.  While there are plenty of wines that I cherish and enjoy and sing the praises of from down under. It’s good to see my favorite source of wine return to his spot of dominance in the U.S. consumer’s preference for imported wines. 

     There were few surprises in the 4^th quarter data:  Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot remain the top three U.S. varietals purchased, followed by Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and White Zinfandel.   The greatest growth rate in the purchase of U.S. grown varietals were Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc.

  The top five most popular import countries accounted for over 84% of the wine imported into the U.S. in the 4^th quarter of 2010.  They were Italy, Australia, Chile, France and Argentina.   New Zealand was a close 6^th on the list at almost 5% of imports while all other remaining import counties combined accounted for about 11% of import sales.

   Using the sales figures rankings as an outline, here are a few speculative predictions from The Wine Guy for 2011:

The top domestic varietals:

Chardonnay:

   Still number one but look for broadening diversity in the available styles of Chardonnays on your wine market’s shelves/racks.   Improvements in unoaked chardonnays are occurring with a trend their increasing popularity and you will see an increase in the number of oaked/unoaked blends being offered as well. 

Cabernet Sauvignon:

   Napa is the traditional bastion of quality Cabernet Sauvignon with some challenging by neighboring Sonoma (particularly the Alexander Valley).  However, there appears to be an explosion of great cabernets from other locales in California and from the northwest.  Look for some exception cabs and red blends from the relatively new appellation of Horse Heaven Hills as well as other great growing areas in Washington and Oregon.

Merlot:

  Still a strong number three in popularity, this varietal is getting over the verbal bruising given it in the movie “Sideways”.   (I still love the irony in Miles’s most prized wine, which he drank by himself toward the end of the movie, being a merlot-dominated Bordeaux!)  It’s also growing in the variety of expression being given it from US and South American wine makers.  The northwest US and Chile are some great areas to explore.

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris:

   If you love traditionally crisp Pinot Grigio, you can’t beat the better Italian producers, but the round mellow fruit tones of the recent Pinot Gris from the better Oregon producers display how subtlety great tasting good quality white wine can be.

Pinot Noir:

   Some European producers have acquired wineries in the US and are now producing some wines that combine the best characteristics of the US and European styles of Pinot Noir.  With improvement, as well, with the more affordable imported Pinot Noirs from South American and New Zealand, look for continued growth in this varietal.

White Zinfandel:

   Look for the American consumer to ever so slowly begin transitioning to drier rose.  It will take a long, long time but eventually you might even see a drier style of White Zinfandel come on the market.  In the meantime look for and import and do a comparison of your own.

The top import countries:

Italy:   

   Chianti and Pinot Grigio have long been the mainstays of Italian imports but look for their share of the Italian import pie to slip (in volume but not quality) as consumers discover there is a great plethora of Italian wines they can enjoy.  Look for growth in popularity of wines from the Italian regions of Albruzzo, Pulgia and Sicily in 2012.  As usual, reds will dominate the Italian imports but some US producers may begin to tickle the consumer’s interest on some new (to them) Italian white varietals.

Australia:

   Continuing popularity of Shiraz is a given but look for Australia to begin increasing efforts to export some of its better reds and whites.  Some cabs will begin to make their mark and a few more American consumers will discover the good things Australians can do with Grenache on its own as well as in red blends. Total volume will slip but be partially offset by slightly higher cost.  The trend will be to the better quality yet still affordable wines from down under.

Chile and Argentina:

    South American has made inroads the past few years simply by offering bang for the buck…nicely and highly rated wines at affordable prices.  Look for continuing interest in Malbec.  Also Carmenere will continue ascendency as the next South varietal to be “discovered” by Americans.  Argentina’s Torrontes will make some slow inroads as a white varietal.  While it is potentially a great wine for the U.S. market, I don’t think its time is quite here.

France:

    Look for a comeback in French Champagne and some exploration of French Whites.  The diversity in domestic Chardonnays may lead to US consumers returning to a previous love of French whites.

As with the South American Torrontes, French Viognier and Vouvray both have the potential to storm the white wine market in the U.S. although it’s not likely to happen yet.    Bordeaux remains soft as an import mostly due to cost but look for some moderate exploratory growth in the red blends.   Southern French rose remains a bubble waiting to burst. 

New Zealand:

    This country’s long dominant reputation in Sauvignon Blanc will likely continue.  However, if the diversity in Chardonnay leads to an exploration of taste alternatives by the U.S. white wine drinker, that could impact the volume of their exports in this area.  Look for some potential growth and discovery of New Zealand Pinot Noirs, although that will be highly dependent upon the ability to get a good volume of that product to the U.S. market profitably at a competitive price.    

Potential Surprises:

1.     Cabernet Franc has never quite made the grade in the U.S. but with some good ones are coming out of the Mid-Atlantic state, it’s a long shot waiting to happen.   Also, the north Georgia winemakers are turning to varietals such as Touriga in their blends and may eventually shed their reputation as being producers of redneck reds.

2.     Greek wines continue to improve in quality and reputation.  Aegean whites as well as mainland Nemea have great potential but the inertia of poor exposure and economic stagnation may be impossible to overcome.
      

S    Spain and Portugal remain just under the radar in imports.  The Douro valley in Portugal (home of the oldest wine production appellation in the world) has more than just great Port to offer but lacks the powerful marketing of the great wine families of Spain.  They may fare better in recapturing the interest of the American consumer in some red alternatives but will certainly grow their share of the sparkling market as the quality and reputation of Cava continues.

4.    
      California producers will continue their expansion of Italian varietals but will continue to suffer comparison with the dominant Italian imports.  What success they have could potentially be mitigated by the side effect of stirring interest in some good established Italian alternatives available from Latin America.

5.     
      The major growth for American consumers has previously been in red wine selections.   Mid 2011 may see that trend switch to other styles as more American wine sippers step out of the box.  Beneficiaries will be whites and rose from South America, France Italy, and South Africa.

This overview is just one wine buff’s speculation.  The trades, as well as many other bloggers, will be doing their own predictions this time of year.  It might be worthwhile to read many of these and use them as a chart to decide now what wines you would like to explore in the coming year. 

Enjoy!