By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By Joseph Temple

For anyone who thinks that a famous French monk invented sparkling wine–well, here’s some news for you! More than a century before Dom Pierre Pérignon began experimenting with bubbles on the chalky soil of Champagne, a small commune in the foothills of the French Pyrenees named Limoux was already producing its very own fizz. Back when Épernay and Reims were best known for their wool exports and the surrounding vineyards grew mostly red wine grapes, this small community on the river Aude became the birthplace for French bubbly.

Today, Limoux is largely seen as sparkling wine’s redheaded stepchild when compared to the names Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger and Krug. However, with some experts predicting that the market for high-end Prosecco is about to chill, Limoux may experience a renaissance for those seeking out a competitively priced alternative to Champagne. So here are ten facts to get you up to speed on this French wine region.

By Sieurd’arques (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1.  According to the Limouxins, sparkling wine has been produced there since at least 1531. However, some historians believe it was first invented during the Middle Ages.

By jmt-29 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmt-29/2400948787/) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

2.  A mix between Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, Limoux is situated on a high altitude. The limestone slopes make it an ideal spot to grow Chardonnay.

By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

3. The two main styles of sparkling wine are Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux.

By syvwlch [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

4. Blanquette de Limoux must be made with 90% Mauzac grapes – a local variety also known as Blanquette and tastes similar to apple skins. The rest is made up of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

By Tomas er (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

5. The more popular Crémant de Limoux only needs 10% Mauzac and/or pinot noir with the remaining 90% being Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, resulting in a more refreshing taste.

6. Crémant means French sparkling wine that is made outside the district of Champagne using the traditional method of secondary fermentation occurring inside the bottle.

By Pinpin (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Whereas Crémant de Limoux must spend at least fifteen months aging on the yeast lees, Blanquette de Limoux is aged only nine months on the lees.

By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

8. In 1938, an AOC was given to Blanquette de Limoux. But in 1975 and 1989 respectively, the rules were loosened to allow less Mauzac grapes and more international varieties such as Chardonnay.

By Sieurd’arques (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

9.  Limoux sparkling wine is known to have pear, peach and apricot aromas and a round, creamy taste with lemony acidity.

By Tomas er (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. Most sparkling wine from Limoux is dry and sold as a non-vintage.

Sources:

Coates, Clive. An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
Gasnier, Vincent. A Taste For Wine: 20 key tastings to unlock your personal wine style. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Hammond, Carolyn. 1000 Best Wine Secrets. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc., 2006.
Joseph, Robert. Eyewitness Companions: French Wines. New York: Penguin, 2005.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.

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Question: More of my recent wine purchases have a screw-top closure. Should I be storing these in my cellar on their sides just like for my cork closure wines?

Answer: Cork closure wines should be stored horizontally in order to keep the natural cork moist so it doesn’t dry out and allow air to get in oxidizing the wine. With screw-top bottles you can follow the same procedure but you have other choices open to you because of their tightly fit closure. This is really a bonus because it provides you with versatility to not just put them lying down in racks but to utilize in any position every nook and cranny of open space available in your cellar or even upright on the cellar floor. Your choice.

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By Joseph Temple

For those who want to learn more about wine, finding the right book can be a bit tricky. Of course, there’s always the latest edition of Wine for Dummies from which you can try to memorize all the interesting facts and figures. Or, if you want a more academic perspective, there are plenty of studies and peer-reviewed journal articles dealing with how the changing climate is affecting terroir from Bordeaux to Napa. But perhaps the best way to soak in winemaking’s rich and colorful past is through the lens of narrative nonfiction.

Back in 2008, author Benjamin Wallace received widespread critical acclaim for writing about a series of fraudulent bottles supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson in The Billionaire’s Vinegar. Detailing one of the greatest scandals in the history of wine, Wallace’s thrilling story, which reads more like a detective novel, is now the subject of an upcoming motion picture starring actor Matthew McConaughey. And carrying on this irresistible blend of viticulture mixed with true crime is Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World’s Greatest Wine by Maximillian Potter.

Published in 2014, the story begins in Burgundy where the holy grail for wine collectors exists on just 4.46 acres of land in the sub region of Côte de Nuits. Romanée-Conti, a grand cru known around the world for its pinot noir is consistently ranked as one of the top wines in the world—just one bottle of a recent vintage sells for approximately $10,000. Headed by Aubert de Villaine, the stoic patriarch of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate, he is known by his employees simply as the Grand Monsieur. As a fellow vigneron from a nearby vineyard tells the author, “Learning wine from him, you must realize, this is like learning physics from Einstein.”

La Romanée-Conti
By Arnaud 25 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

However, by owning one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on earth, de Villaine became a prime target for extortion. Receiving a threatening note in the mail, he is informed that certain vines at Romanée-Conti have been booby-trapped with poisonous substances drilled into the soil by the culprit over a period of several nights. If a ransom is not paid, the poison will be released as the sap rises and his vineyard will be destroyed, ruining the reputation that DRC has built for centuries.

Unfortunately for the extortionist, he fails to realize that an attack on such a prestigious vineyard is viewed as an attack on French culture as a whole. Detectives working on the case make sure that no stone is left unturned until the suspect is brought to justice and faces the full extent of the law. Fans of the true crime genre will simply devour this game of cat and mouse as police set a trap that hopefully catches what they believe is a criminal mastermind.

In between details of the investigation, we learn all about DRC, Burgundy and the history of wine as Potter describes de Villaine’s personal journey back to his family-owned vineyard. Being part of some of the industry’s biggest moments, including the Judgment of Paris, we read not only about these major events but also why the Grand Monsieur is so respected by oenophiles worldwide. Through a rich history full of fascinating anecdotes, you quickly see why this crime was seen as an attack against French heritage, of which wine is deeply embedded into their collective DNA.

Sign outside Romanée-Conti
By Tomas er (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Of course, this is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Using this 2010 crime as the hook, both seasoned aficionados and newbies to the world of wine will actually learn so much about the subject. Whether it’s the négociant system once used by French wine merchants (that resulted in enormous fraud long before any Jefferson bottles were put on the auction block), or Burgundy’s current classification system being based in part by the writings of Cistercian monks who cultivated the land for centuries, there is a treasure trove of useful information in Potter’s book. And by weaving it into the story of what took place just a few years ago, casual wine drinkers eager to learn more about the topic will absorb the content quicker than reading fact books that feel more like dry encyclopedias.

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By …trialsanderrors [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Question: What are some of the main features of Sherry production that define it from other fortified wines?

Answer: Really 4 main unique characteristics:

1. Grapes are usually sun-dried to avoid any moisture before pressing
2. Juice is fermented a long time (usually 1-3 months) to dryness. Contrast Port where the spirit is added to stop the fermentation with natural sugar remaining.
3. Appearance of Flor (wine yeast) as a white film on the surface of some of the wines – that give Fino that distinctive flavour.
4. Their interesting Solera blending system.

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By Joseph Temple

Happy New Year!

As we get ready for a decisive 2016 that includes the election of our 45^th president, a Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and NASA launching a spacecraft to the planet Jupiter, we can only guess what will happen this year in the ever-changing world of wine. What fashionable grape variety will oenophiles drink as they cast their ballots in November? What wine region will become uber-trendy as people from around the world watch the games in Brazil? Well, let’s break out our crystal balls as we try to predict five wine trends for 2016.

Back in November, we wrote about the meteoric rise of English sparkling wine, which has gone from an oxymoron to a smash hit in a relatively short amount of time. “It is an industry which has huge potential and is proving to be one of the new faces of modern British agriculture,” according to Miles Beale of the UK’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association. With some producers showing a staggering 300% increase in annual sales, French Champagne maker Tattinger decided to get in on the act when it bought land in the bubbly-making hotspot of Kent. So expect British fizz to have a landmark year in 2016 with it appearing more frequently on wine lists and being more readily available at your local shop.

Last year, this blog discussed the growing impact of the millennial generation in terms of wine consumption as ten thousand of them turn 21 every single day. And one crucial difference between this group and their baby boomer parents is that 85% of millennials said they like to purchase unfamiliar brands from less traditional wine growing regions (at an affordable price, of course). So be prepared to see a greater democratization of wine in 2016 as millennials plant their flag as the dominant demographic.

In a previous era, if you ever decided to purchase wine by the glass, it was always a good idea to ask the waiter how long the bottle had been sitting around uncorked. But with more restaurants adopting the groundbreaking Coravin system, allowing you to pour a glass without uncorking the bottle, get ready to see a greater variety of wines to choose from when ordering by the glass at your favorite restaurant!

Ever since the market crashed in 2008, Prosecco has grown by leaps and bounds as a cost-friendly alternative to Champagne. Peaking in 2013 when it outsold its French competitors for the first time ever, many now believe that this sparkling wine is about to experience some unpleasant growing pains. With demand topping supply for premium bottles usually labeled DOCG, consumers seeking finer fizz may start to move away from this Italian bubbly towards Limoux or premium Cava.

Once considered a niche product for hipsters, natural wine – which is defined by one importer as wine “made with the least possible use of chemicals, additives and overly technological procedures” – is about to enter the mainstream in 2016. With improving quality and a greater interest in artisanal products, more sommeliers, according to Bloomberg, are expected to add these wines to their lists in 2016.

Sources:

Bernhardt, Anastasia. (2015, December). Wine Trends To Look Out For in 2016. Country and Town House. Retrieved from http://countryandtownhouse.co.uk.
Holland, Laura. (2015, December 30). English sparkling wine’s corker year. Express. Retrieved from http://www.express.co.uk.
McCoy, Elin. (2015, December 30). Eight Ways the Wine World Will Change in 2016. SwissInfo. Retrieved from http://swissinfo.ch.
What is Natural Wine?. Jenny & François Selections. Retrieved from http://jennyandfrancois.com.

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