Age International Winery

• October 2009

  Carmignano   I will devote this column to the small appellation of Carmignano. Carmignano is the Tuscan appellation closest to where we are living in Prato. It is small and had to fight for its inclusion in the DOCG scheme of things, a fight that was won in 1975. Before that... Read moreCarmignano   I will devote this column to the small appellation of Carmignano. Carmignano is the Tuscan appellation closest to where we are living in Prato. It is small and had to fight for its inclusion in the DOCG scheme of things, a fight that was won in 1975. Before that Carmignano was subsumed under the Chianti Montalbano region.   The wines in the Carmignano area had a reputation for depth and longevity dating back 7 centuries (at that time, 100% Sangiovese). Carmignano is unique in that its wines are now a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon. The French varietals have been used in Carmignano blends long before the advent of the so-called “Super Tuscans” (which probably began with Tignanello, of the Antinori stable, in 1971). Legend has it that, as the power of the ruling Medici Dukes was waning in the late 17th Century, they married into the French royal family. The French naturally brought their own grape varieties along with them to Italy - these have now been shown to be Cabernet Franc in the main, and Cabernet Sauvignon - and planted them alongside Sangiovese in the Tuscan countryside, most especially around the Carmignano area. The power that the Medici family wielded, and the length of time they were in power, is truly amazing. The Tuscan countryside around Florence is dotted with large Medici villas, some of which have been restored to reflect their former glory.   Every year there is a festival of Carmignano wine in Prato - I Vini Profumi - The Perfumed Wines, and naturally I attended. Most of the 20 odd producers of the Carmignano district exhibited their wines, with a separate guided tasting by an Italian Association of Sommeliers representative. I include my tasting notes on the pick of the bunch. You will see that Cabernet Franc has given way to Cabernet Sauvignon, and its old stable-mate Merlot, in the wines below.   Two final words. Firstly, just like in the coastal region of Bolgheri (home of Sassicaia and Ornellaia), some of Carmignano’s Bordeaux blends are gaining a better reputation in the international wine media than their Sangiovese-Cabernet counterparts. Whether this relates to greater palate familiarity I am unsure. Finally, in the Carmignano region, most producers produce a Barco Reale. This is usually their basic ‘house’ wine. (Barco Reale literally means the wall or fence around the Medici property.) Whilst at one time these wines were generally unoaked, these days most spend about 6 months in oak. I find these wines amongst the best bargains in Tuscany. In Italy, unlike Australia, wine is considerably cheaper when bought directly from the cantina or winery. The blends are similar to other wines from Carmignano, and I have picked up Barco Reale bargains from 5 Euro and less. These wines, when the weather starts to cool, will be my quaffers. I am unsure if you can track any down in Australia, and what they might cost, but f you see a bottle, it might be worth a try - for curiosity’s sake! On to the tasting… Colline San Biagio Carmignano DOCG 2005 This is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. Oak dominated this wine, whose fruit was a touch muted. There was good tannic structure and adequate acidity (16) Mauro Vannucci ‘Il Sasso’ IGT 2006 This is an IGT wine but with the same varieties and proportions of the DOCG above - they are from different producers I should stress. This was a big wine. Toasty bacon (probably an oak influence) with slight vegetal characters (from Cabernet?) led to a somewhat hot finish (Its label says it is only 13% alc). (16) Villa Medicea Carmignano Riserva DOCG 2004 Made from 75% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Canaiolo, this wine displayed the classical perfumed nose, with stewed dark fruit on the palate, a nice mouthfeel with good supporting acid and tannins. (17.25) Pratesi Carmignano Riserva DOCG 2006 Another big wine but in which all elements are well balanced. It a 70%/20%/10% mix of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Had some savoury elements within its ample fruit flavours, which I enjoyed. (17.5) Tenuta Pierazzuoli Le Farnete Carmignano DOCG 2005 The 20% Cabernet Sauvignon component was immediately discernible by the presence of cassis and herbal notes on the nose, but on the palate, Sangiovese dominated with cherries and plums. There was a touch of elegance to the wine. (18) Ambra Carmignano Riserva Elzana DOCG 2004 This blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet was most impressive for its length, not to mentioned its structure and elegance. A thoroughly well made wine with dark fruit elements in perfect balance with oak, tannins and acid. Will age well for 7+ years. (18.25)    (hide)

  From the article A Boot-full of Wine : Carmignano

  
  

• August 2009

  The Decanter blurb may have been truncated but it said that the producers wanted to show that Australia could produce "fine wine", and to join the clique you had to have a winery of some age and vineyards of some age, etc. That is what missed the point entirely. I have never once... Read moreThe Decanter blurb may have been truncated but it said that the producers wanted to show that Australia could produce "fine wine", and to join the clique you had to have a winery of some age and vineyards of some age, etc. That is what missed the point entirely. I have never once heard or read any critic say that Australia's vines or wineries aren't old enough. The issue is how you define "fine wine" and that has nothing at all to do with the age of your winery or vineyards. Take Sparky Marquis for example. When you talk to him he talks of vine nutrition, plant biology, soil, sunlight, terroir. He is as knowledgeable and as studious as any winemaker anywhere. You hear the same things when you talk to winemakers in Austria and France and Spain and Italy and California or anywhere else in the world. Sparky isn't making plonk. He's making incredibly passionate wine. The difference between him and a winemaker in the Loire Valley or Bordeaux is where their visions finally take them. There is no way on God's green earth that Bordeaux is going to have the sunlight and heat that Sparky has, and no way that they're going to get the ripeness levels that he gets. People who favor their wines call his overoaked fruit bombs. Does he produce "fine wine"? Absolutely IMHO. But it's of a type that is stereotypical for Australia. If all the wineries in the clique get together and produce that, they will have absolutely no effect on the criticism leveled against Australia. The Caillard interview was much better and I think it hit the points perfectly. He understands that the issue is wine style and he points out that many styles can be produced. And I loved this quote: " '...marketing bullshit...' Australia has badged its commercial wines as Brand Champions or Generation Next. These so called 'personalities' actually have no personality at all. They are generally just boring international styles that compete on price and slug it out with marketing bullshit and stupid critter names. " I met with some of the people who are responsible for coming up with that whole idea of "brand champions" etc., and i asked them what the point was. They have selected certain areas to be known for certain grapes. Barossa obviously for shiraz, but then they assigned chardonnay, cab sauv, riesling, etc. So I asked whether they could just as easily have stuck chardonnay in region X instead of region Y, or some other gape in region A instead of region B. The answer was yes. It was simply a way of creating some kind of regional consciousness in the market. Personally I found it kind of dumb and I'm glad that Caillard reacted the way he did. If there are regional characteristics that favor one grape over another, let that speak. Coonawara and cab for example. But don't just do some matchup and market that just so you have something to say. It's really bad marketing, totally concocted and obvious. Domino's Pizza once had something called "avoid the Noid". They created this mythical gremlin so they had something to rhyme with "avoid". Insulting and lame.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What's wrong with Australian... by GregT

  
  

• April 2009

  Suntory still has a close connection with the current owners, since they are the sole distributor for Japan (don't know about China), and I've been told Japan makes up nearly half of Macallan's business. When Edrington bought the Highland Group in '99 they also bought at least part... Read moreSuntory still has a close connection with the current owners, since they are the sole distributor for Japan (don't know about China), and I've been told Japan makes up nearly half of Macallan's business. When Edrington bought the Highland Group in '99 they also bought at least part of their special relationship with Suntory. I mention elsewhere about the laxity of Japanese laws regarding whisky age, etc. (only 51% of a bottling need be of the age presented on the label--the rest can be of any age whatsoever). And since Macallan's current owners place upfront PR importance on being a major player in the international scotch marketplace while having only some five labels in their portfolio (Macallan, Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark, Highland Park and Brugal), of which one is a rum, we can assume they make many 'special' bottlings for their foreign markets...    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Wild Turkey goes Italian? by dmcker

  
  

• April 2009

  On the subject of the new Bond, QoS, I agree that it is very modern, action-packed and Jason Bourne-esque. The frenetic cuts in the action sequences were hard to follow and annoying. Can you tell what was going on in that car chase in the Alps at the beginning? This really... Read moreOn the subject of the new Bond, QoS, I agree that it is very modern, action-packed and Jason Bourne-esque. The frenetic cuts in the action sequences were hard to follow and annoying. Can you tell what was going on in that car chase in the Alps at the beginning? This really disappointed me. The movie was enjoyable, but it lacks the wit, exoticism and uniqueness that were present in Craig's Casino Royale. Without these elements, the line that separates a Bond film from an action film starring Daniel Craig gets blurred. What is odd is that Martin Campbell (director of CR) is much more of an action director having done 2 Zorro films and Vertical limit after his bond directorial debut in Goldeneye. Whereas, Marc Forster who did QoS is not really an action film director at all having done films like Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland before Bond. So, the action orientation of QoS must have come from the writing and production staff. I think Eon Productions/Danjaq must be careful in future films because the new Casino Royale brought people back to the franchise - I remember many people my parents' age raving about how smart it was. Everyone to whom I've spoken about QoS had more of an "it was entertaining" kind of opinion. As an aside, I thought the first Timothy Dalton movie, The Living Daylights, was brilliant with Dalton playing a very cold, hard-edged Bond. It was a welcome antidote to the long in the tooth Roger Moore (although A View to A Kill is so bad it's good). However, the 2nd Dalton film in 1989, License to Kill was very violent - it might be the bloodiest of the Bonds and was the first to graduate from the PG to PG-13 rating. Maybe they were trying to suit the times (Terminator, Rambo, etc), but it didn't work. It was, in relative terms, the biggest box office flop in Bond history and set the franchise back 6 whole years while they retooled with Brosnan (who, incidentally, they wanted to replace Moore with anyway, but he couldn't get out of his Remington Steele contract in 1984/1985). I believe that License to Kill and Quantum of Solace are the only Bonds to not gross more in the US than it cost to make them (yes, QoS had an absurd budget north of $200 million). Fortunately, Bond is a global franchise, so they more than covered there costs with the international receipts. However, gr is correct that Bond is pretty dark and one-sided in the books. Hats off to the Albert Broccoli and Connery for developing the fun, campy style of Bond. Without this, I don't think the movie franchise would have taken off. Ironically, if Fleming had conceived of Bond as such a fun and campy spy, I don't think anyone would have bothered to read the books. Such is life. Ian Fleming wasn't really involved in the movies much anyway. Bond had a long, tortured history getting to the big screen. By the time he did, Fleming only lived to see 2 movies released (Dr. No & From Russia with Love). Way too much has been written about Bond Chronology, but the movies do not follow the books at all (http://books.google.com/books?id=uariyzldrJwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0). The movie order is familiar to most, but the novels started with CR, Live & Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds, etc. Only later did they get to SPECTRE with Goldfinger, Dr. No, Thunderball and OHMSS. So Casino Royale is a good a place as any to start... and it has Vesper Lynd (a terrible pun on West Berlin that is totally lost on most of us), the Vesper and Baccarat. However, its not really a great book and is pretty short. I must strongly recommend On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This is my favorite of the novels... and, you know what, despite all the flack that George Lazenby gets, the movie might be #2 (to From Russia with Love, of course) for me. At long last, cutting to the chase, the Vesper, while a worthy cocktail, always struck me as an anachronistic 50s cocktail. Vodka was almost totally unheard of in 1954 so it is used as a complement to gin? How many other famous cocktails contain 2 white base spirits? If you are thinking Brass Monkey then go home, please. So Bond's order of a pretentious Lillet Martini with a dab of Vodka and prepared by shaking is a bit of an inside joke. By the way, although Bond is portrayed on film as Mr. Martini, he is imbibing Scotch and Sodas all over the place in the books. At some point (maybe this summer?) I hope to reread all the books and short stories with an eye towards the wines and cocktails mentioned therein.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Vesper Martini by RBoulanger

  
  

• April 2009

  “Lots of Interest” Morrell Wine Auctions Live Internet Auction http://auction.morrellwineauctions.com/248/index.jsp?auctionId=248 Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 Auction starts at 11:00 a.m. (EST) ~~~ Editor’s note: First off I humbly apologize for any (and all) grammatical... Read more “Lots of Interest” Morrell Wine Auctions Live Internet Auction http://auction.morrellwineauctions.com/248/index.jsp?auctionId=248 Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 Auction starts at 11:00 a.m. (EST) ~~~ Editor’s note: First off I humbly apologize for any (and all) grammatical and/or spelling errors- had to bang this one out in quick-time and whilst drinking copious amounts of Folgers (of the de-decaffeinated kind). Don't let my sloppy writing style disuade you in any way from heading over to Morrell's website to check out the catalog for yourself. There’s some interesting stuff in this sale, the second of the year from Morrell, including some lowered prices for some of the typically higher (and thereby “out of my reach”) end items from Bordeaux, California, and Italy. Bit of white Burgundy too at the end there that has me thinking summer. So head over if any of these sound interesting to you, and browse around. As Wall Street begins to recover, the prices for wine are at a buying point as I type. Go get something to share & imbibe, and have fun with it. That's where I'm headed. Sincerely, Christopher ~~~ Lot 15 10 bottles, early & mid-80’s Cali cabs... Burgess Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage Selection - Vintage 1981 Napa Valley, Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle Diamond Creek Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Rock Terrace - Vintage 1982 Napa Valley, Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle Diamond Creek Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Volcanic Hill - Vintage 1984 Napa Valley, Level is neck-shoulder. 1 Bottle "The 1984s appear to be the last of the big, bold, full-bodied, super-concentrated Diamond Creek. The wines produced after 1984 have been more polite and oenologically correct. What a shame! The enormous 1984 displays no signs of age in its dark, saturated ruby/purple color. The nose exhibits some evolution, with cedar, leather, and jammy fruit scents beginning to emerge. Still frightfully tannic, full-bodied, and highly extracted, this backward, chewy wine is one of the slowest evolving 1984s." 94 points, RMP. Fisher Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coach Insignia - Vintage 1985 Sonoma County, Two levels are neck-shoulder. Labels: one is wet stained, one is bin soiled. 2 Bottles Navarro Correas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coleccion Privada - Vintage 1985 Mendoza, Level is high shoulder. 1 Bottle Quivira, Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley - Vintage 1990 Dry Creek Valley, Two levels are high-mid shoulder. 2 Bottles Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon - Vintage 1985 Napa Valley, Level is neck-shoulder. 1 Bottle Sterling Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve - Vintage 1983 Napa Valley, Level is neck-shoulder. Capsule is corroded. 1 Bottle Above 10 bottles $320 - 500 Opening at $260 Lot #18 Château Chasse-Spleen - Vintage 1989 Moulis-en-Médoc, Six levels are neck-shoulder or better. 6 Bottles "Make no mistake about it, the 1989 Chasse-Spleen is the finest wine this property has produced since their great 1949. This is a spectacularly rich, powerful, authoritative example of the vintage that can compete with and even surpass many of the most famous names. Layer upon layer of concentrated, sweet, expansive, blackcurrant fruit is wrapped in a frame of toasty new oak and decent acidity. An awesome wine!" 91 points, RMP. Above 6 bottles Opening at $240 Lot #39 Château Léoville-Barton - Vintage 1989 St.-Julien, Deuxième Cru Classé Excellent Appearance. (*92 pts, Wine Spectator) 6 Bottles $380 - $700 Lot #117 Far Niente, Cabernet Sauvignon - Vintage 1990 Napa Valley, Two capsules are slightly corroded. 2 Magnums $160 - $300 Lot # 160 Silver Oak Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander - Vintage 1992 Alexander Valley, Two labels are scuffed. 5 Bottles "It possesses that tell-tale Silver Oak, lavishly oaky, Provencal herb, sweet, smoky, jammy black-cherry and cassis-scented nose. Full-bodied, opulent, and succulent..." 92 points, RMP. Above 5 Bottles $200 - $400 Lot # 200 Chassagne-Montrachet, L. Latour - Vintage 1989 Côte de Beaune, Seven levels are 1" below cork or better. Five labels are lightly bin soiled. 7 Bottles $110 - $220 Lot # 221 Behrens & Hitchcock, Syrah, Homage to Ed Oliveira, Alder Springs Vineyard - Vintage 2002 Mendocino County, Excellent Appearance. 5 Bottles Behrens & Hitchcock, Syrah, Homage to Ed Olivera, Alder Springs Vineyard - Vintage 2003 Napa Valley, Excellent Appearance. 3 Bottles Above 8 bottles $190 - $300 Lot # 268 Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Insignia - Vintage 2005 Napa Valley, (92 points, WS, even higher from Parker) Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles $180 - $280 Lot # 388 Château Meyney - Vintage 1979 St.-Estèphe, Level is high shoulder. Label is lightly bin soiled. 1 Magnum Dominus Estate - Vintage 1989 Napa Valley, Label is badly torn, wet stained, bin soiled. Capsule is slightly corroded. 1 Magnum Above 2 magnums $120 - $240 Lot # 478 Hourglass, Cabernet Sauvignon - Vintage 2003 Napa Valley, Excellent Appearance. 6 Bottles $220 - $400 Lot # 562 Château Léoville-Barton - Vintage 1996 St.-Julien, Deuxième Cru Classé Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle "This impressive wine is a classic. Although backward, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to abundant black currant fruit intertwined with spicy oak and truffle-like scents. The wine is brilliantly made, full-bodied, and tightly-structured with plenty of muscle and outstanding concentration and purity." 92 points, RMP. Château Léoville-Poyferré - Vintage 1995 St.-Julien, Deuxième Cru Classé Two labels are lightly bin soiled. 2 Bottles Clos du Marquis - Vintage 1990 St.-Julien, Three levels are very high shoulder or better. Three labels are bin soiled. 3 Bottles Above 6 bottles $280 - $520 Lot # 567 Bonny Doon Vineyard, Le Cigare Volant - Vintage 1999 Santa Cruz, Label is bin soiled. 1 Bottle Miner, Cabernet Sauvignon - Vintage 1998 Napa Valley, One capsule is nicked. 3 Bottles Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Vineyard Reserve, Proprietary Red - Vintage 1999 Napa Valley, Four labels are scuffed. 4 Bottles Steele Wines, Syrah, Stymie - Vintage 2000 Lake County, Excellent Appearance. 4 Bottles Above 12 bottles $160 - $320 Lot # 610 Château St. Jean, Cinq Cépages - Vintage 1994 Sonoma County, Three labels are lightly bin soiled. 7 Bottles Paradigm, Cabernet Sauvignon - Vintage 2000 Napa Valley, Label is lightly bin soiled. 1 Bottle Above 8 bottles $260 - $500 Lot # 618 Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Pesenti Vineyard - Vintage 2001 Paso Robles, Excellent Appearance. 4 Bottles Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Pesenti Vineyard - Vintage 2002 Paso Robles, Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Pesenti Vineyard - Vintage 2003 Paso Robles, Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Pesenti Vineyard - Vintage 2004 Paso Robles, Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles Above 10 bottles $220 - $420 Lot # 655 J. Rochioli Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Estate - Vintage 1996 Russian River Valley, Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle J. Rochioli Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Estate - Vintage 1997 Russian River Valley, Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle J. Rochioli Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Estate - Vintage 2000 Russian River Valley, Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles J. Rochioli Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Estate - Vintage 2001 Russian River Valley, Excellent Appearance. 1 Bottle J. Rochioli Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Estate - Vintage 2002 Russian River Valley, Excellent Appearance. 3 Bottles (89, Steven Tanzer: As reviewed by International Wine Cellar in Issue 114, May/June 2004 ($41) Dark, bright red. Very ripe but sappy aromas of strawberry, raspberry and tangy baking spices. Dense but juicy and firm-edged, with refreshing flavors of red berries, cherry pit, chocolate, spices and earth complicated by a note of underbrush. Not especially pliant, but nuanced, persistent and firmly built.) Above 8 bottles $260 - $450 Lot # 669 Lokoya, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - Vintage 1999 Napa Valley, One label is nicked. 3 Bottles Lokoya, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - Vintage 2000 Napa Valley, Excellent Appearance. 2 Bottles Above 5 bottles $280 - $480 Lot # 730 Carillon de l'Angélus - Vintage 2000 St.-Emilion, Excellent Appearance. (***Editor’s note: This is the second label of Chateau Angelus- which received a whopping 96 point rating (RMP) for their first label, 2000 Chateau Angelus. Think about it.) Above 10 Bottles $160 - $300 Lot # 737 Château Gruaud-Larose - Vintage 1986 St.-Julien, Deuxième Cru Classé Level is neck-shoulder. Label is lightly bin soiled. Capsule is slightly corroded, has evidence of slight past seepage. 1 Bottle "From the first time I tasted this wine in cask, I have thought it to be among the blockbusters of the vintage. It has a black/purple color, mammoth structure, a fabulous wealth of fruit, and a finish that seems to last several minutes. This is indeed first-growth quality, but then, when, in the last decade, has a Gruaud-Larose not matched the quality of the first-growths?" 94 points, RMP. Château Talbot - Vintage 1985 St.-Julien, Quatrième Cru Classé Two levels are neck-shoulder. Two labels are lightly bin soiled. 2 Bottles Château Talbot - Vintage 1986 St.-Julien, Quatrième Cru Classé Level is high-mid shoulder. Label is lightly bin soiled. Capsule is slightly corroded, has evidence of slight past seepage. 1 Bottle "It's my gut feeling that the 1986 is, along with the 1982, the finest Talbot made at this estate since the legendary 1945. The fact that there are 40,000 cases of this wine is good news for the consumer, as there will be plenty to go around. The wine, which has been so special since the first taste from cask, is classically structured, with a penetrating fragrance of peppery, spicy, weedy black currants and tar, an enormous concentration of flavor on the palate, and staggering length." 96 points, RMP. La Croix du Casse - Vintage 1995 Pomerol, Excellent Appearance. 4 Bottles Above 8 bottles $280 - $520 Lot # 772 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos des Papes - Vintage 2000 Rhône, Excellent Appearance, owc. 12 Bottles $380 - $700 Lot # 828 Bahans-Haut-Brion - Vintage 2000 Pessac-Léognan, (Ed. Note: Second label of Chateau Haut-Brion, which received a 96 pt. review from Tanzer for the 2000 vintage. Food for thought). Excellent Appearance, owc. 12 Bottles $480 - $850 Lot # 864 Puligny-Montrachet, L. Latour - Vintage 2005 Côte de Beaune, Excellent Appearance. 12 Bottles $190 - $350 And those are just a few Lots of Interest. ~~~ Disclaimer: “Lots of Interest” should only be used as an introduction, or guide to buying wine at auction. I would encourage anyone interested in purchasing wine at auction - ANY AUCTION- to fully read the rules and regulations posed by each auction house respectively.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic "Lots of Interest", Morrell... by ChipDWood

  
  

• March 2009

  About this time in 1999, I took an unknowing, impassioned first step into what has now turned into a ten-year love affair with wine.  Today I find myself back in my old stomping grounds of New York City pouring wines at a trade tasting.  Not as a volunteer, but as a vintner. ... Read more About this time in 1999, I took an unknowing, impassioned first step into what has now turned into a ten-year love affair with wine.  Today I find myself back in my old stomping grounds of New York City pouring wines at a trade tasting.  Not as a volunteer, but as a vintner.  From a career in magazine publishing to wine production, it is amazing how quickly one’s life can change. While I was living and pursuing my passion in Italy, fresh out of Business School, I wrote these thoughts about the wine industry.  I will admit the statistics (culled back in 2005) are somewhat dated, but from recent reports I have read, the wine industry has seen a continued trend in the direction I report.  Although, just as fast as one’s like can change, so can the world around us - we are all living with a (global) economic recession of galactic proportions that has already impacted some sectors of the industry.  Knowing what I wrote then, and what is happening now, I am reluctant to make any predictions on the future of the wine industry, because as I have learned with winemaking, it is good to be patient and make decisions when the sediment has settled. On a lighter note, I was prepared to cringe while reading my youthful idealism for wine.  Expecting my words to sound like a post-Sideways Hallmark card; I actually found that my initial feelings have only been strengthened over the recent years.  So, please indulge me, read on and let me know if anyone has any thoughts about the future of wine. - [Ten] years ago, a friend from Hollywood, who traveled regularly to the sets and soundstages of New York, introduced me to fine wine.  When his day was done, over dinner at haute restaurants in midtown Manhattan, he would wax poetic about the Californian wines on leather bound lists that were larger than the scripts he would read.  He talked about buying a piece of land in wine soaked Napa Valley and retiring.  We drank Pahlmeyer, Caymus and Thackery.  Names I knew only by the corks I saved from his dissertations. I left each dinner with self-imposed homework.  I began reading more about wine, then drinking it.  I felt I was gaining an intelligence that allowed me to appreciate the wine we would drink on his next visit.  Inevitably our friendship waned, but I continued my studies and began to refine my taste.  Through the years since, I was considered an expert amongst my friends.  However, in my mind I was far from an expert; I was an amateur connoisseur.  Like most amateurs, I can confess to having hit or miss moments while drinking.  Some nights, I will open a bottle of wine and capture the orchestration in the glass; I am able to identify with the wine's origins and create a memory the moment the grape juice touches my tongue.  Other times, I fail in achieving such oenological delight and proceed to swill the wine, while throwing sobriety to the wind. In September 2004, I took wings to an easterly wind and visited Sicily and the family of one of my fellow business school class mates.  During the weeklong journey, we spent a day visiting vineyards on the southeast side of the island.  When I returned to the States, it was not the Sicilian wine's fruitful finish that stuck with me, but the culture of the wine making process.  I pondered the essence of this culture. The Business of Grape Growing Wine, in all its forms, is a packaged good.  Wine is an industry that is ultra-competitive.   Worldwide it tallies $225 Billion in sales, but the top 10 producers control just 15% of the market, in comparison, the top 10 brewers and spirit distillers account for 54% of all sales. Wine prices range from $2 a bottle to north of $2,000 for a taste of first-growth Bordeaux.  Ask the MBA educated Brand Managers at Procter and Gamble if they would be interested in overcoming the barriers to entry in this market and they would certainly dazzle you with a "five forces" analysis of the question's stupidity. But what I learned on the vineyard is how these winemakers produce a product of quality. The philosophy of wine is delicate.  Wine is human.  On the farm, the grapes are given a heart.  During the growing season, the vines are like a mother during pregnancy.  At harvest, the grapes are reared to produce the best quality juice.  Then aged until they are uncorked. When uncorked, the wine will blossom in the glass throughout the drinking process. Far from any classroom or boardroom, the values put into every vintage are textbook classic.  The vines are cultivated by generations of family members with consistency of purpose.  1) The grapes are the product of your self.  2) Guide them down a path, but allow them to flourish on their own - with autonomy the product will ripen.  3) Polish the product and prepare it for market. 4) While in market, the product will reflect the company's care. However you translate this philosophy, it remains a poetic, although, a process that struggles with the speed of the developing consumption patterns in the beverage alcohol market. Old vs. New World Today, the wine industry continues to outpace its competitors. Some will argue that wine's growing popularity amongst consumers was bolstered by a medical report released in the 1980's that stated a glass of wine a day is actually better than the old "apple" adage.  Twenty-odd years later, in 2001, wine sales in Germany overtook beer consumption and has a penetration rate of 70% of all households. In Australia, a new winery opens every three days.  In the United States, the Yellow Tail brand (from Australia) is the #1 sold import - a couple of years prior, it did not exist.  By 2010, the United States will be the largest consumer of wine in the world. France and Italy are considered "old world" producers.  There are 230,000 producers in France alone; many cultivating the 'wine is human' process where "wine is consumed, not sold." There is no marketing strategy.  The best grapes from the best "terroir" are the best value no matter what the price.  Terroir, or soil, is of utmost importance.  Without it, you can't identify with the wine.  You can't feel the wine.  Consumers in the old world appreciate wine like a work of art - they will stand in front of a painting and make an emotional connection, without such a connection a memory will not exist.  In the "new world," such opinions about wine are still developing.  Wine appreciation is still inaccessible to the masses. In America, 15% of drinking age adults consume 85% of the wine sold, and new world producers (American, Australia, Chilean) are taking advantage of this trend, and wine production is becoming industrial. The new world is consuming the P&G model, the product approach, where the value proposition is different - low price points for high volume sales. An international marketing machine has been created that produces "standardized" wines.  This model caters to consumers where wine is made through mass media.  Dominate holding companies, like Diageo and Pernod are returning 15-20% of sales revenue into their marketing expenses for budget wines that command a price point in the $7 range. These producers are exploiting opportunities where there are obstacles for appreciation - inexperienced consumers, language barriers and limited imports.  Retail outlets are recognizing these obstacles and consolidating shelf space to support sales that produce optimal returns. Wines with simple packaging categorized by red or white and grape name, i.e. Cabernet, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc, are delivering volume sales and the right balance of profit. To Sell or Not to Sell The new world is no longer new, it is established.  Consumer attitudes and consumption habits are gaining traction, and the Darwinian philosophy of pushing sales will only continue the precipitous demise of the fragmented, old world producers. For example, in the United Kingdom, over last 15 years, wine consumption per person has doubled to 23 liters (or 2.5 cases) per year per person; however, old world - French, German, Italian and Spanish - wine sales have plummeted from 87% market share to 42%, while new world (American, Australian and Chilean) share has soared from 4% to 47%. Larger producers are succeeding in turning farms into factories and limiting the distribution opportunities of artisan (old world) wine makers.  A global philosophy is dominating, a philosophy that takes cue from Coca-Cola brand management, where regional not central decision-making is helping profit margins. Brands of scale are being produced to identify with the market and not the product source. If wine continues to be sold in this fashion, the low volume-high quality producers of the old world will have a few questions to answer.  Is there a healthy balance between artisan wine making and commercialism?  Is it possible to subsist on appreciation alone?  How can you increase brand awareness, therefore sales, without the marketing expertise or dollars to do so? For many of these producers it is impossible.  The investment for innovation, distribution and education through marketing looms large. - I have extracted my thoughts about the future, which were written in 2005, based on the notion that I am not in the game of predictions; even if, as I re-read them, some of them have come true.  But when I look at the way I have predicted the outcome(s) of this year’s NCAA March Madness, I don’t want to put the cart before the horse.  That being said - feel free to predict away.  Would love to hear your thoughts on the future of wine drinking and selling. Dan Petroski is Assistant Winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Napa Valley. Dan has an MBA from New York University and worked as an Ad Exec in New York for several years, before switching it up and trading his suit for a move out west.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Ten Years Back (and Forward?) by danpetroski

  
  

• September 2008

  Today, I'm dedicating my blog to one of New York Wine Company's favorite Tuscan red wines, Chianti Classico Riserva. To understand the pedigree of these wines, you need to understand a little bit of their background and history.  It is hard to distill three centuries of Chianti... Read moreToday, I'm dedicating my blog to one of New York Wine Company's favorite Tuscan red wines, Chianti Classico Riserva. To understand the pedigree of these wines, you need to understand a little bit of their background and history.  It is hard to distill three centuries of Chianti history into one quick blog, but it's worth a try. The first documentation of a wine region named Chianti dates all the way back to 1716. This region was quite large and by 1932, had to be re-drawn because of the large variations in quality and style of the wines that had been produced there.  The region was divided into seven sub-zones bason on the nearest "city": Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rufina. Chianti Classico encompassed most of what was the original zone, and has been recognized as the leading appellation in terms of quality. The introductions of the DOC in 1967, and DOCG in 1984 meant a set of; highly enforced rules that governed everything from what grapes could be blended to how long the wine must age prior to release. These standards were monumental in the transformation of generic fiasco Chianti (large squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket), into wines that are now seen as rivals to the great reds of Montalcino and Montepulciano. Today, Chianti Classico must contain at minimum 80% Sangiovese, allowing for the blending of other international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and even Syrah. It was only in 1995 that producers were permitted to make Chianti Classico with 100% Sangiovese grapes. Basic Chianti Classico can be released fairly immediately after bottling, however, producers have begun to select the best grapes for their Riserva bottling, which at minimum must age for 24 months after harvest before release into the market. These extra two years, which the wine; typically spends maturing in wood vats or French barrels, creates a tremendous amount of structure, color, and tannin. The end result are some of the most age-worthy, deep, and satisfying wines one will ever encounter, and as often is the case, some of the best value premium wines in the world. Callie Exas has just launched her wine career at New York Wine Co. in Manhattan. So far so good!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Chianti Classico Riserva -... by CallieNYC

  
  

• June 2008

  In an Octopuses' wine cellar, you see. My rhyming skills aside; wine producers have been conducting ongoing experiments into the undersea ageing of wine in bottle. A glimpse into the rationale of one such recent experiment: "This week one of France's oldest champagne houses, Louis... Read moreIn an Octopuses' wine cellar, you see. My rhyming skills aside; wine producers have been conducting ongoing experiments into the undersea ageing of wine in bottle. A glimpse into the rationale of one such recent experiment: "This week one of France's oldest champagne houses, Louis Roederer, sent divers to place several dozen bottles of its Brut Premier on the seabed of Saint-Malo bay. In a year's time experts will assess if it has matured with a different or better taste than in the traditional cellars of the Champagne region. In order to prevent the bottles being stolen by underwater thieves, the divers have hidden them. The cellarmaster who thought up the idea has argued that the seabed off the Normandy coast makes an ideal wine cellar, the temperature is a constant 10 degrees, the movement of the current gently rocks the bottles and there is no danger of damage from UV light." - June 4, 2008, The Guardian, UK What really struck me about the article was the image of Champagne thieves strapping on scuba gear to plunder the treasure buried beneath. I imagine it might be easier to drop in at the local market, but that would deprive future generations a good story. It also highlights the lengths that producers are willing to go through to protect their considerable investment and ensure that their wines are in top condition (if not at their peak for drinking) when released to the market. Wines like Champagne may age 3, 5 or more years prior to release and you really can't have those bottles just sitting on the kitchen counter. While it will be interesting to see the results of this experiment - cut to image of a school of fish sabering open bubbly and riding the stream of bubbles to the surface - it really does drive home a divide in the quality of preparation in wine for sale on the producer side and how that regard for the wine’s health deteriorates at each step in the distribution chain. From non-climate controlled container ships or trucks to warm distribution warehouses and retail shops to, well, your kitchen counter. I was reminded of this as I frantically searched the house for all of those wines I had been saving for some occasion or another and piled them in the refrigerator. If you are reading this in the Northeast you know why, record heat and humidity which drove the internal temperature in my apartment to 120 degrees and had very much the same effect on most non-subterranean dwellings. Every step a wine takes away from its place of origin is an opportunity for disaster. The better importers and retailers go through great pains to protect their wines and make sure the bottles make it to you in as close to the intended condition as possible. But even with the climate control shippers and retail shops chilled down to cellar temperatures you will always lose a step or two. That is why travelers who try to recreate a wine experience (say a bottle of Chianti at the Tuscan vineyard where the grapes were grown) are almost always disappointed - and not just by the fact that they are no longer at a Tuscan Villa, but by the fact that the wine - even though identically made - is just not quite the same. What to do? Not much I am afraid, try to store your wine away from light and heat and enjoy it for what it is and not what it was. The best bottle of Barbaresco I have ever had was at the winery in Piedmont. It was twenty years old and tasted and smelled as fresh as a trellis of roses. I was partially humbled by the fact that the wine had traveled probably 20 feet in its 20 years and existed in the perfect conditions of the producer's cellar for that entire time. I can never have that bottle again but that is alright, that is what wine is at its best as fluid as the tides in the sea. Robert Scibelli is a lecturer and administrator at New York’s premier wine school, International Wine Center.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic I’d like to be, under the... by Scibelli

  
  

• April 2008

  I am often asked, usually by skeptical non-wine people, what it is that drew me to make wine a career. It is a two day answer, of course, but I usually resort to the tried and true "the endless learning opportunity as wine is very enjoyable with no knowledge and mind-blowing exciting... Read moreI am often asked, usually by skeptical non-wine people, what it is that drew me to make wine a career. It is a two day answer, of course, but I usually resort to the tried and true "the endless learning opportunity as wine is very enjoyable with no knowledge and mind-blowing exciting the more you know." Trite, to be sure, but like most clichés based in truth. I was thinking of this during a recent tasting I was privileged to take part in on the recently released 2003 vintage of . It is just one of the benefits of placing yourself squarely in the business of wine, you find yourself sitting in front of 80 pre-release Brunellos (I don’t care if Brunelli is correct or not, I won’t use it) with a pen, paper and your palate and your off. The 2003 vintage in Montalcino was weak at best and the wines showed this clearly across the board. (As an aside, this is a wine recommendation site but I won't swear off the whole vintage, if you have a trusted retailer who claims a particular producer had it right in '03 then go for it, but if you are just perusing a wine list you probably want to fish elsewhere). A failure as a tasting, not even close, I was able to cement pre-conceived notions of what the differences in vineyard sites might bring to the wines and drive home what exactly the off conditions in the weather might do to the wines. This is exactly what we mean by more knowledge opening more and more fascinating little boxes. So imagine my surprise when I started to read the reports of possible fraud in the wines of Montalcino. My first thought was "Jesus, how much worse would these wines have been if they were unadulterated" but ultimately I was actually shocked that these things are (allegedly) still happening in today's day and age. I realize this is big business and when you establish a wine like Brunello as a major player on the world wine stage you really can't afford a truly bad vintage and the lure of blending in some non-Sangiovese and/or muscular southern Italian wine to balance your offering has to be strong. And then I thought does it even make a difference? I mean, I tasted through the wines thinking they were all Brunellos and the knowledge that some may have been adulterated really doesn't change my opinion of the wines. Circling back to where we started, the uninitiated surely could care less about such things simply asking that when you plunk down $50 on a bottle of wine it lives up to that expectation. But it does make a difference. Producers of terroir driven wines need to plan for the inevitable bad vintage and ensure that their "brand" is not damaged by one, two or even three bad vintages in a row. Doctoring the wines may not mean much for every taster but - even undetected - it strips the wine of its true allure, its credibility and ultimately its uniqueness. You are not just saying that you were too weak to face a bleak financial projection you are also saying that your wine can be "assembled" from parts not necessarily from the same grape or location as your wine purportedly comes from. So, I hope it turns out that this scandal is untrue. But if it turns out to be true I want to be among the first to say, shame. Robert Scibelli is a lecturer and administrator at New York’s premier wine school, International Wine Center.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic A Rosso By Any Other Name by Robert

  
  

• March 2008

  What is design? Is it an amalgam of form and function? A compromise? Probably. The process of design is the act of combining the aesthetic with the pragmatic. It isn’t always easy, but one hopes that a successful balance is struck in the end. When considering wine closures,... Read moreWhat is design? Is it an amalgam of form and function? A compromise? Probably. The process of design is the act of combining the aesthetic with the pragmatic. It isn’t always easy, but one hopes that a successful balance is struck in the end. When considering wine closures, natural cork is near perfect. It performs its function: by not letting the wine out, while allowing it to age. On the aesthetic side, it looks and feels good. Of course, it's only near perfect; it is a relative (compared to, say, a screwcap) pain to open and it has that nasty association with that dreaded wine fault, corkiness. Now wines can be tainted by TCA, the technical shorthand for corkiness, without being corked, though instances of corked wines are fewer in those bottles stoppered by screwcaps. For an overview of the whole debate, start here. This post is not about me weighing in on the merits of cork or screwcap, however; its about me complaining about a very specific closure: the One+One. Beside from having a silly name, the One+One cork is a miserable failure, in my not-so-humble opinion, of design. First off, meet the culprit: The One+One cork consists of two discs (of natural or synthetic cork) with an agglomerate center. Why does the One+One irk me so? The One+One combines all the physical hassle of removing a cork with none of the aesthetic romanticism of a natural cork. Worse yet, unlike a wholly synthetic cork which makes no attempt at disguising itself, the One+One mocks those who pull it by unsuccessfully trying to hide its Frankensteinian self by incorporating cork in design. Maybe I’m just paranoid; not too many people think wine closures are capable of taunting. So how did this happen? Who thought it would be a good idea to offer some function (it still keeps wine in the bottle) and none of the form? Well the fact of the matter is that the One+One cork actually does serve some purpose. You see, agglomerate corks are held together by resin-based glue. Over time, contact with wine breaks down the resin and the cork falls to pieces. The One+One solved this problem by placing natural or synthetic cork between the wine and agglomerate cork. Where things went wrong is that in trying to solve one problem, agglomerate cork deterioration, designers ignored the larger problem, how to make a better stopper. Why must we be torn between cork and screwcap? It is this division that has people creating monsters like the One+One cork in the hopes of placating a public who they think wants a cork-like closure at the cost of good design. In the words of Jancis Robinson, I plead, "Won't someone design us an effective but more aesthetically pleasing stopper?" Scott Rosenbaum is director of operations for the International Wine Center and wine buyer for the retailer DrinkUpNY.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic One+One = Stupid by CuriousWine

  
  

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