By Joseph Temple

Last month, a shocking upset in the world of sparkling wine took place at a blind tasting organized by the London-based magazine Noble Rot. Marking what might end up being a major shift in the bubbly balance of power, prominent champagne houses Veuve Clicquot and Tattinger were outscored by two English upstarts from Sussex and Hampshire. “This is a truly exciting time for English wine,” declared Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss. “Not only are we beating the French with international awards but our vineyards are expanding with more people than ever before enjoying our finest British bubbly.”

But across the pond, many of us are wondering how UK wine—once considered an oxymoron—got to be so big?

While viticulture has existed on English soil since the Roman occupation, it wasn’t until the 1960s that vines were first grown commercially using mostly German methods (80% of England’s wine grapes are white wine grapes). And beyond a few eccentric vintners, Britain has usually been seen as a place to buy wine, not harvest it. That’s because quality aside, it becomes very difficult to grow a sufficient quantity of grapes anywhere north of the 50th parallel in order to stay financially viable. So how could an industry, with so many deterrents expand at such a rapid pace in such a short period of time?

The most obvious answer is the terroir of England’s southern counties, which now produce approximately two million bottles annually. Only eighty miles north of Champagne, the white, chalky limestone soils share numerous similarities with the most prominent makers of bubbly in the entire world. But even more important are the effects of climate change which now make southern England an ideal spot for sparkling wine production, turning historically thin and acidic wines into one’s that have become award winning.

With around four hundred vineyards spanning throughout every county, nearly 40% of all UK vineyards are dedicated to growing sparkling wine’s three main grapes—Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.  Harvesting these grapes, the hobbyists and amateurs of the 60s have evolved into a group of well-trained winemakers who abide by EU regulations. Author Karen MacNeil writes, “The English of course, have always loved bubbles. The country continues to be, as it has been for decades, the leading export market for Champagne. But sometimes in the 1990s, the English began to think big. Why merely bubbly? Why not try to make it?

And make it they have, with some stellar results! By adding more awards to its trophy case, English sparkling wine is primed to have its very own equivalent of 1976’s Judgment of Paris. Just as California’s wine exports took off after a whirlwind of publicity, expect to see some English bubbly on wine lists from New York to Tokyo.

Sources:

Andrews, Robert. The Rough Guide to England. New York: Penguin, 2011.
Denny, Valerie (2015, Oct. 31). English Sparkling Wine Beats Veuve Clicquot and Tattinger in Blind Taste Test. Forbes. Retrieved from Forbes.com.
Harding, Julia. The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Johnson, Hugh. Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2011. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2010.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.
Williams, David. Get Started: Wine Appreciation. New York: Penguin, 2013.

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Question: In a blind tasting can you learn anything from just looking at the appearance of a wine?

Answer: Good question. I rely mainly on my nose but of course also the taste. On score cards they often list lots of marks for colour and appearance but generally they are not as important as other factors.

However a few good tips to remember include:

Age – white wines get darker & red wines get lighter.
Clarity – Bright or dull, clarity, un-fined or unfiltered, throwing a deposit or sediment.
Region – usually younger yellow coloured whites (though there could be oxidation issues) and deep very dark reds are indicative from a warmer climate & a lighter colour from cooler regions (eg. Chablis).
Glycerol – The so called legs or tears are indicative of the amount of glycerol in the wine with more alcohol giving you more legs (though this can vary depending on the glass and the cleanliness of it).

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In full disclosure I have been a big collector of Château Gruaud-Larose (GL) over many vintages since the sixties and know their wines quite well. After all it is a second growth Saint Julien in the 1855 Classification and generally has been very good value for the quality delivered. I liked the fact that it usually delivered a big powerful cabernet sauvignon fruit statement that developed complexity with aging. A major influencing factor for me later on was how well the harder 1870 & especially the riper superb 1865 showed against the very best wines in the world on September 23, 1985 during the historic German-American wine connoisseurs and collectors events held in San Francisco. More recently their connection with the Bordeaux styled Osoyoos Larose in the Okanagan BC was a further inducement to follow it closely. Last week our Commanderie de Bordeaux Chapitre in Vancouver held a vertical of 9 vintages of GL back to 1961 & 1966 (both in those old style shaped bottles). Some impressions:

1961: An outstanding concentrated vintage across the board in Bordeaux and GL usually among the very best if properly stored. Can rival  the stupendous 1945 & 1928. However these bottles were recently purchased at $350 US/bottle and not consistent with only 1 bottle showing that brilliant fabulous cedar cigar-box experience you expect while others were tired and oxidized with only some fading tobacco left.

1962 & 1964: Not in this vertical but recently tasted and both are still excellent.

1966: Always have enjoyed the acidity balance and long distance runner profile of this vintage. Here bottles just purchased for a bargain $100 US and showed again that providence can be everything with old wines. Still dark colour with some black currants but acidity was too high for the drying fruit and needing food to show best. I bought more bottles in January 1978 at $10.55 US and they still show better.

After 1966 GL went through a less successful period until the underrated 1981 arrived as a major surprise that is still a lovely elegant delight.  Also the underrated is 1983 certainly one of the best from the northern Medoc from a vintage that had summer rain/rot issues and favoured the Margaux & Graves regions.

1982: As I anticipated this was the wine of the tasting again this time. Buckets of ripe fruit with cassis, licorice. forest floor, cedar, complexity and no rush to open. Classy & impressive to say the least! Possibly another 1865? Pleased to have bought some in July 1986 for $115/case or $9.58 a bottle. Those were the days for the Bordeaux buyers. Sister property Château Talbot also a winner in 1982.

1985: Lighter and more of a merlot vintage for drinking now with more olives & delicacy for this property. A success.

1986: Very dark deep concentration. Lots of massive strength and potential but still needs more cellar time. Hope for another 1870?

1988: Medium colour but herbal, simpler and a bit greener.

1989: Also in this similar 1988 style of herbs and neither up to the more classic 1990. Same with Talbot.

1990: Darker with better ripe fruit and concentration. Clearly best of the last grouping from 1988 on. Will improve.

1995: Shows much younger more rustic but structured and solid. Maybe a dumb period even though at 20 years of age.

Excellent 2000 but the change in ownerships since 1997 seemed to have produced a somewhat lighter less typical from the old style that had been so successful in the very best older vintages.

My revised update assessment on the terroir of this property (located some distance away from the Gironde) is that it continues today to be a solid and reliable Saint Julien but perhaps slightly gamey with less elegant complexity and finesse so doesn’t always reach the peak of complexity shown by the First Growths or so-called Super Seconds except in the very best riper vintages like 1982 and some others.

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By Joseph Temple

Dating back to the Celts who planted the first vines approximately 3000 years ago, Austria has a wine growing history that is rich in tradition.  During the Middle Ages, monasteries situated along the Danube River played an invaluable role by introducing pinot noir and riesling grapes to the terroir.  In fact, vineyards back then covered ten times the amount of soil that they do now.  And just like the land of Austria, its wine industry has seen many peaks and valleys, overcoming plenty of obstacles to become one of the most prestigious producers of premium wine.  Below are ten facts to keep in mind the next time you spot a bottle at your local store.

1. With an average annual yield that is less than half of Germany’s, Austria makes less than one percent of all the wine in the world – around 28 million cases per year. 75% of it is consumed locally.
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By Roberto Verzo [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

2. Austrian wine law has 35 regulated grape varieties – 22 of them fall within the white wine category.
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3. All commercial Austrian vineyards are located in the eastern part of the country, away from the Alps. Unlike most of Western Europe, the climate is known for colder winters and hotter summers.
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By No machine-readable author provided. Golbez assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

4. The four main wine-growing regions in Austria are: Lower Austria, Burgenland, Vienna and Styria.
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By Rosenzweig (Own work (own picture)) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

5. After suffering from phylloxera and numerous harsh winters in the 19^th century, an emphasis was placed on hardier grapes such as Grüner Veltliner, one of the most important varietals in Austria today – representing nearly a third of all the nation’s plantings. It produces a full-bodied and crisp wine with herbal and spicy/vegetable flavors such as green peppers, which can be excellent for food pairings.
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6. While Riesling is grown mainly in the region of Lower Austria, Red wines come mostly from Burgenland, bordering on Hungary.
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7. One of the most famous wine growing valleys in Austria is Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located west of Vienna on the Danube River. Consisting of just 3,500 acres of vines, the Danube helps to moderate the climate, resulting in some excellent Riesling.
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8. Austria’s best sweet wines come from near the Neusiedlersee area of Burgenland. The Neusiedlersee is a large shallow lake separating Austria from Hungary and benefits from outbreaks of noble rot, an essential component for the production of complex sweet wines.
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9. Austria produces only a fifth as much wine as Australia – but has three times more bottling estates (6,000). The average estate covers less than seven acres.
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By Véronique PAGNIER (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. In 1985, it was discovered that numerous Austrian wineries were adulterating their wines with diethylene glycol, giving them more body and sweetness. This resulted in a huge scandal and severely damaged the reputation of the country’s wine industry. In response, the country turned the corner by enacting vigorous quality standards.
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Sources:

Brostrom, Geralyn G. & Brostrom, Jack. The Business of Wine: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2008.
McCarthy, Ed & Ewing-Mulligan, Mary. Exploring Wine For Dummies. West Sussex: Wiley, 2011.
Parker, Robert M. & Rovani, Pierre Antoine. Parker’s Wine Buying Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002.
Rapp, Alyssa. Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips. Avon: Adams Media, 2008.
Slinkard, Stacy. Idiot’s Guides: Wine. New York: Penguin Books, 2013.

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Question: I have two bottles of Cognac Grande Fine Champagne, 1811 Reserve, Imperatrice Josephine. Bottled in France 11/4/1934. Both bottles have leakage, one 1/2 way down the bottle, the other 1’’ from the neck. Both have damaged corks. I believe that they had been stored properly. Do you think they are still drinkable and do they have any value?

Answer: Lucky you! These are quite valuable despite the leakage issues. Once bottled Cognac won’t improve further but the high alcohol spirit will protect it against oxidation or deterioration. Josephine is named after Napoleon’s first wife and the bottles have a unique shape. One bottle of this 1811 sold at Christie’s New York about 5 years ago for over $7000. Check it out for a possible resale at auction or indulge by opening it enjoying an amazing example of the very best in Cognac.

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