By Michal Osmenda (Flickr: Planeta winery) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

My wife Joan and myself last month enjoyed leading @alumniUBC wine and food tour of Sicily well organized by Worldwide Quest. Recommend the inspiring insights you receive on these tours by using local experts like the knowledgeable tourist guide from Palermo corinnascaletta@gmail.com, Valeria Carastro of the Etna Wine Lab, and Danilo Cavallaro a PhD Volcanologist & Geologist a world expert on Mt. Etna. I previously posted here on the 6 wine estates of Planeta (April 18) and some memorable food experiences (April 24). However I also feel a need to alert you to some winery updates there and the exciting potential for their wines. Among the many highlights that deserve spotlighting were these 5:

1. Tenuta Regaleali Estate (www.tascadalmerita.it) – This wine estate is part of the eight generation family Tasca d’Almerita and now is an international brand producing 3 million bottles a year from 421.65 hectares of vineyard diversified over 30 different labels showing 50 grape varieties. They also produce a smaller batch of artisan level Natura in Tasca (naturaintasca.it). Like how they are tracking the annual weather conditions at their 5 estates around Sicily benefiting all growers. Regaleali always has less rainfall (only 585 mm. in 2012 and less in 2014 of 572 while their other 4 estates are higher and all increased in 2014); lower average temperature around 15.7 in 2012 and 15.8 in 2014 while Capofaro (on island of Salina-heartland of Malvasia) is 17.9/17.8; and most importantly the July/August range of temperature is 17 while less at others including only 10 at Capofaro.

2. Cantine Florio (www.duca.it) – Part of Duca Di Salaparuta group with Corvo. Historic Marsala Florio now exporting to 155 countries and on the comeback trail as it has been under the radar compared with other fortified wines like sherry and port. Though first one produced in 1833 their old stocks were destroyed in World War II bombing and 1939 is the oldest one left. Check out sweet Targa Riserva 1840 Marsala Superiore DOC Riserva Semisecco selling there for 13.90 euros from Grillo grapes aged minimum of 7 years in Slavonian oak. Tasted the “soft as velvet” 2003 bottled in 2014 versatile at cooler 10C for aperitif with gorgonzola cheese or 16-18C with dessert of crunchy nut brittle or dried fruits.

3. Occhipinti (www.agricolaocchipinti.it) – Exciting hot winery in Vittoria started by natural wine woman Arianna Occhipinti in 2004 first renting 1 hectare of land and now with about 125,000 bottles of top Frappato & Nero d’Avola. Built a modern gravity flow winery there at 280 metres elevation in 2013 with all cool concrete fermentation and stainless steel only for storage. Soil is red sands for first 30-60 cm then limestone subsoil. Like to use old time tradition of grafting their vines in the field from choice older vines and not from a nursery. They are organic certified but don’t put it on the label and don’t water the vines so they “go deeper and become independent” according to Damiano Buscema. Export market presently shows USA first, Norway second, and Canada third.

Some wines to investigate:

2014 SP 68 Bianco with 60% fragrant Moscato Di Alessandria & floral 40% Albanello expecting sweetness but dry fresh minerals with 12 days on the skin giving structure almost tannin with green notes of thyme and rosemary from Albanello. Used Diam on 2014 but switching to natural cork for 2015. Delightful.

2014 SP 68 Rosso of 70% Frappato & 30% Nero d’Avola from youngest vines spent 6 months in concrete and smells of spicy red fruits with fresh acidity for value drinking during the first 5 years.

2014 Il Frappato shows dramatic herbal earthy complex nose from older 40 year old vines spending 14 months in large oak vats and shows elegant tannins with a capacity to age well.

2012 Siccagno of 100% older vines Nero d’Avola 22 months in older big Slavonian wood with 30 day maceration is dark big bold full ripe and will age a long time. Again lower 13 alcohol with a lovely freshness and acidity tension is here that shows so well in all their wines. Impressive.

2012 Grotte Alte is the special unfiltered Cerasuolo Di Vittoria only DOCG in Sicily so complex integrated and elegant with a 50:50 blend of both the previous grapes almost 4 years in 25 hl Slavonian. This is on the market now with 6,200 bottles and 2010 only 4300 bottles. No 2009 or 2011 were made. 2013 probable. One to watch for and collect!

4. Feudo Maccari (www.feudomaccari.it) – This 150 hectare estate with 50 separate plots combining new plantings and some already 60 years old on the southerly hills near Noto was established in 2000 as part of the Antonio Moretti’s Tenuta Sette Ponti stable. All vines are vertical bush “alberello” special trellis system on one stake with no horizontal wires. Leave lots of canopy cover “never enough” and no spraying for bugs who can’t survive the hot over 30C temperatures. Calcium, clay, sandy dry soils retain moisture well and there is a persistent whippy wind.  Refreshing vibrant 2015 grillo with excellent minerality and the easy forward great value 2014 nero d’avola using no wood expressing the easy forwardly fresh fruit. My fav the 2013 Saia (named after irrigation canals built by Arabs to collect rain water) of their older best vines 12 months in wood is exotic spicy cacao and so elegant with quality showing through. 2014 will be very special while 2015 is a hotter year. Special treat tasted was a fantastic 2010 magnum of Saia on a magnificent drinking plateau! Also look for their international grape variety blend in the Maharis label.

5. Frank Cornelissen (www.frankcornelissen.it) – Mount Etna is a magical region and presently most fashionable – for good reason! This unique terroir from volcanic lava and dust is really amazing. Hard to describe the wines except for a special elegant earthiness from Nerello Mascalese grapes with a Burgundy cru distinctiveness. Frank Cornelissen came to his Northern Valley vineyards at 600-1000 metres on Mt Etna in 2000 with his first harvest 2001 and his latest one 2015 is his 15th. He says he has learned a lot about man and nature working together but modestly states he still has a lot to learn. He strongly believes he has a point of view and a vision in his search for specific vineyard expression in the bottle. Uses no barrels or wood but only neutral containers to showcase the fruit and the terroir. Working hard to improve the quality and reduce the variables. He would like to put the empty wine bottle right over the vine grapes to make the wine but as that is not possible he wants as little intervention as possible. Doesn’t believe in chemicals or spraying. When I asked him about wind blowing same from neighbouring properties he told a story of his accepted offer for free care of 2 adjoining hectares which he later purchased. His wines are so special including a tasty vibrant earthy mineral laden 2014 Feudo Di Mezzo Soltana single vineyard from the lower valley. Can’t help but admire his intense drive to release as small lots all his 2015 at the same price as 10 different Single Cru vineyards a la Burgundy. Some vines are from 1910 and the youngest 1960. When questioned by this scribe whether some were not showing Grand Cru quality and others only Premier Cru he replied he preferred Magma and Barbabecchi but Chiusa Spagnola, Pontale Palino, and others also have merit. Soltana he says may only be 1er cru but there are outstanding underrated ones in Burgundy too like Les Amoureuses. Frank will let the market decide which are his best cru vineyards. Talk about future new vineyard excitement. What a leader he is for both Mt. Etna & for all of Sicily! Congrats.

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By Joseph Temple

This Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris—a blind tasting that proved to be a decisive turning point in the history of wine. Organized by British merchant Steven Spurrier in honor of America’s Bicentennial, it was perceived to be a lopsided contest between France—the undisputed champion of winemaking—and California, considered by many to be a backwater region known mostly for jug wines and the infamous Thunderbird libation. With most experts predicting that the French would easily steamroll over their competition, every single journalist decided to pass on this event—except for one lucky American in Paris!

Writing for Time magazine, George Taber ended up getting the scoop of a lifetime when two American wineries, Chateau Montelena and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, won for best Chardonnay and red wine respectively. By defeating France and its iconic terroir, the historic tasting marked a seismic shift for wine drinkers. By putting the Golden State on the map, suddenly all the lesser-known regions were given a fighting chance against the French juggernaut. “If the soils of the Napa Valley could produce wines that bested the best of Burgundy and Bordeaux, what could be done in Australia, South Africa, or Chile?” writes the author.

Documenting this Cinderella story in rich detail, Taber proves to be the ultimate primary source when learning all about this game-changing event. In his 2005 book, Judgment of Paris: California Vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine, readers will not only learn about what happened that day at the InterContinental Hotel, but also the unique history surrounding the region that knocked France off its pedestal.

Nearly wiped out after the end of Prohibition, California vintners had faced hard times in the decades leading up the Paris tasting. With lackluster grapes like Alicante Bouschet and fortified wines dominating the marketplace, a complete and total overhaul was necessary in order to compete for global recognition. Like a last-place team rebuilding in hopes of someday becoming a dynasty, California benefitted greatly by drafting a group of eager and determined winemakers. One such individual was Mike Grgich, a Croatian immigrant who battled tooth and nail in getting to America; he eventually became the brains behind Chateau Montelena’s award-winning 1973 vintage. Another was Warren Winiarksi, a Polish-American from Chicago who set up shop in Napa and risked his financial livelihood to create Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

Backing up these winemakers was the groundbreaking research being done at the University of California, Davis. Studying the terroir at length, UC Davis decided to divide the state into five climate zones with recommendations for the best grapes to grow in each zone. “They determined, for example, that the Yountville area in the Napa Valley was similar in temperature to the Bordeaux region of France and would be a good area for growing Cabernet Sauvignon,” writes Taber. “While the cooler Russian River Valley region of Sonoma County was more like the Cote d’Or section of Burgundy and would be well suited for cultivating Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.”

Using this information to their advantage, California experienced a colossal transformation in the decade leading up to the Judgment of Paris. For example, according to Taber, from 1961 to 1973, the amount of acres dedicated to growing Cabernet Sauvignon went from 387 to 2,432 and Chardonnay during the same time went from 60 to 785 acres. Reading through the book, you can’t help but root for the underdog while taking in all of these facts, complimented by several uplifting stories of competing winemakers working together for the greater good of the region. Realizing that a rising tide lifts all boats, the author quotes Robert Mondavi who sums it up by stating, “We all understood that the more the whole valley succeeded, the better it would be for each of us in it.”

Leading up to the tasting, readers are given a detailed look at each wine scored by an assortment of mostly French judges. Unlike the film Bottle Shock, which uses a healthy dose of artistic license and focuses exclusively on Chateau Montelena and its owner Jim Barrett, this book takes the time to walk us through all the marvelous wineries featured in this contest, from Château Mouton Rothschild to Freemark Abbey. This is followed up with a brief biographical sketch of the eleven judges, which included Aubert de Villaine and Odette Kahn—who demanded her scorecard back after finding out that California had won.

But arguably the most important chapter of Judgment of Paris comes from the insight Taber offers us in the aftermath of the “buzz heard round the world.” With a readership of 20 million, his Time article was the spark that caused other newspapers to cover this fascinating story, causing wine drinkers across America to rush over to their local shop in search of these hidden California gems. However, if he didn’t show up or the magazine declined to run his piece, could the red-faced French have manipulated the narrative? Taber certainly believes so, writing, “If no one from the press had been present, it would have also been much easier for the French and others simply to deny or distort what had happened.”

Above: The first event of  the IW&FS Austin, Texas Branch –
“A comparison of French & California red wines” – 05/05/1977

Backing up this claim are many in France who, four decades later, still continue to downplay the results, citing numerous inconsistencies that are discussed and debated in the book. While some point to the fact that California had six wines in each category as opposed to only four French wines, others believe that the vintages from France were too young or that Spurrier didn’t select the best ones. Clearly, it is still a sore spot for many French citizens who take enormous pride in being the number one winemaking country in the world.

By interviewing key players along with his firsthand knowledge, Taber has undoubtedly written the definitive account on this legendary tasting. With a narrative that appeals to both seasoned oenophiles and casual wine drinkers, readers are given an important history lesson that impacts the way they purchase and drink wine to this day.

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By jenny downing [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Question: I know you like the top vineyards in Chablis Sid so what is your favorite recent vintage there?

Answer: Yes I continue to admire that distinct terroir shown by some top Premier Cru & most Grand Cru Chablis vineyards. The body of Valmur on clay soils, more delicate floral notes of Vaudesir on limestone and the amazing overall structure with mineral complexity of Les Clos are all Chablis to be respected. There have been increasing frost and hail issues there with variable weather conditions impacting the harvested grapes but some excellent vintages have been produced. My favourite is still 2010 which magically combines a ripe smaller crop of rare intensity combined with a wonderful balanced acidity perfect for longer aging. My next choice as a close runner-up would be 2012. The 2011s are more open forwardly and softer in style for earlier drinking as are the opulent 2009s. 2013 is a less consistent year but some very good wines were produced while 2014 are looking even more promising. Still recommend cellaring some 2010 and 2012.

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La Paulee de Meursault started back in the 1920s and now is a well established annual lunch event ending Les Trois Glorieuses including the Hospices de Beaune Auction & Clos de Vougeot formal dinner on the 3rd weekend of November where winemakers and guests bring choice bottles to share. Sommelier Daniel Johnnes alternates yearly a similarly focused La Paulee de New York & La Paulee de San Francisco (www.lapaulee.com).

The Sous-Commanderie de Vancouver of Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin hosted May 5-7, 2016 the Grand Conseil North America of over 200 members so well organized by Chairman Doug Loughran & Grand Senechal Vancouver Ritch Younger and their hard working committees. So many highlights including UBC Wine Library Tour and Lecture, Lunches, Dinners, 24 at home hosted dinners with the same choice wines including a 5 vintage vertical of Pommard Grand Epenots (97, 98, 99, 01, 02) from Michel Gaunoux, and of course La Paulee.

So many generous Tastevin members bringing a remarkable selection of top Burgundy to sample at this Paulee. Among the top whites I tried were a fresh young lemony austere magnum of 2013 Meursault Les Narvaux from Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, full forwardly 2009 Chevalier-Montrachet Demoiselles Louis Latour, a complex rich 2006 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru from Raveneau, a surprisingly vibrant mineral loaded 2001 Meursault-Perrieres Domaine Lafon, and a superbly maturing hazelnut 1999 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive. Reds were a diverse lot with prime interest for me in an excellent 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Peuillets Pavelot (almost that similar aged vines depth of La Dominode) much better than lighter 2005 Les Guettes bottle, more classy 2005 Clos de la Roche Nicolas Potel, surprising big fruit of 2002 Mazis-Chambertin Hospices de Beaune Cuvee Madeleine Collignon Bouchard Pere, and mature gamey 1985 Latricieres-Chambertin Louis Trapet. What a tasting opportunity!

Some other Burgundy insights confirmed this weekend:

-Extensive comparison of 2006 & 2007 white Burgundies from different terroirs Corton Charlemagne, Batard, Chevalier, Montrachet and producers like Bouchard Pere, Remoissenet, and Lucien Le Moine generally favoured the fresher more vibrant 2007 vintage (and 2008) over the sometimes pre-moxed 2006s.

-Various vintages of Musigny Comte de Vogue showed early promising 1990 somewhat bottle variable while 1991 is on a splendid elegant consistent plateau now and 1988 with still higher acidity and tannins.

-Older Red Burgundy out of often hard to find Grand Format sizes can be delightfully fresh – magnums & jeroboams of Clos Vougeot Remossenet 1962 & 1964.

-Both white & red Burgundy does not always develop in a linear progression and there are always surprise bottles to experience.

Recommend you plan your own BYOB Paulee!

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By Joseph Temple

With Tokyo being home to an unprecedented 226 Michelin-starred restaurants, it’s safe to say that Japan is, as wine writer Karen MacNeil states, “one of the most gastronomically sophisticated countries in the world.” Whether it’s a traditional kaiseki meal or European inspired dishes, the Japanese have without question turned their country into a culinary mecca. And when it comes to wine, the Land of the Rising Sun continues to be Asia’s most important market for exporters.

Helping to spark this interest was Shinya Tasaki who, in 1995, became the first Japanese winner of the Sommelier World Championship.  Since then, a plethora of wine schools combined with a taste for the finer things in life has caused wine consumption to more than double from 1990 to 2012. But in addition to importing Bordeaux and Burgundy, domestic labels represented nearly a third of all Japanese wine sales in 2010.

Given the volcanoes, monsoons and its high population density, it’s amazing that Japan even has a domestic wine industry beyond rice-based saké. Experiencing intense humidity during the summer months along with torrential downpours and Siberian winds, the 6,852 islands of this archipelago nation make it one of the least hospitable places in the world for practicing viticulture. Despite this, local vintners have continued to defy the odds, carving out a niche market for oenophiles. So have a look below at ten quick facts that will get you up to speed on this proud nation’s wine heritage.

1. It is believed that Jesuit missionaries from Portugal gave Japan its first wines in the 16th century as gifts to the feudal lords of Kyushu.

2. Japan’s modern wine industry began in the 1860s during the Meiji Restoration where the country opened itself up to western influences.

3. The first plantings in the late 19th century were mostly Vitis labrusca varieties brought over from the United States that included Delaware and Niagara grapes.

 

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

4. Today, Japan ranks 47th in the world for vineyard land with approximately 45,000 acres of vines.

5. Humid weather makes it very difficult to grow vinifera grapes in Japan.

 

By genta_hgr (Grape) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

6. However, one of Japan’s most successful varieties is koshu, a humidity tolerant Vitis vinifera white grape with a pinkish hue.

 

By jetalone [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Another popular grape is “Muscat Bailey A” – a red wine hybrid created by Zenbai Kawakami by combining Bailey and Muscat Hamburg grapes together.

8. Most vines in Japan are planted on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.

9. Small and independent growers own most of Japans’ vineyards with the average vineyard size being less than 1.2 acres.

 

By Aw1805 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. To achieve maximum sun exposure, vintners will use various techniques like planting their vines on steep mountain terraces or constructing trellises to keep the grapes as high as 10 feet.

Sources:

Bunting, Chris. Drinking Japan: A Guide to Japan’s Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments. North Clarendon: Tuttle Publishing, 2014.
Brostrom, Geralyn G. & Brostrom, Jack. The Business of Wine: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2008.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.
Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

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