Not in my wine, thanks - burnt rubber

It was several years ago now that I first noticed this not always repulsive, but a characteristic in some wines that really got my attention.  Back then the world of wine was in its relative infancy to where it is today.  American consumers were not as adventurous as they are today in trying new wines.  Even I was at the beginning my career in the industry and stumbling on details of the industry as I went along. 

The first time I noticed it I had to do a double take.  I was like smelling a rubber hose or old tires in the nose of the wine in hand.  I also remember it being a Pinotage, which in itself has unique characteristics, so I wrote the aroma off as being a characteristic of this particular wine.  But then as I continued sampling through the new portfolio I was representing I ran across another wine, this time a red from Argentina.  “Okay… so it’s not a ‘Pinotage’ thing. What is it?”   I thought to myself, could it be from something in the production of the wine? The use of rubber hoses? What? 

While it’s not a terribly off putting smell (well it kind of is), it’s something that when tasting with a buyer, or sharing a bottle with friends, it’s one of those things you have to put your best fake smile on for. 

So enter marcaptans, an organosulfure compound that blah, blah, blah.  In short… the cause, sulphur.  I ran across this aroma in a wine last week, and it brought me right back to the Pinotage I had over 10 years ago.  So the culprit?

Even as farmers today are trying to be as eco-conscious as possible, there are still processes that can cause this little problem.  One cause is the spraying of sulfur on the vineyard too close to harvest, or simply over spraying.  Spraying reduces the chances of mildew or fungus. Another cause can be a treatment used on oak barrels used to age wines. Whew… those are a lot easier to understand.  The others, gets a little more complicated.

While some winemakers use a grapes natural yeasts to ferment wines, others inoculate their wines with strains of yeasts that testing has shown cause higher levels of hydrogen sulfide.  Rather than going into more technical information that I normally will paraphrase as “blah, blah, blah” let’s just say yeast doesn’t like to be stressed out any more than the rest of us.  Insufficient nitrogen levels, too high of temperature during fermentation, too low, too fast all cause our little yeast friends to get frazzled.  And when that happens… burnt rubber. 

Like I said, it’s not really an overwhelming aroma, but it’s still not something I think of when I go to pair a wine with a prepared dinner.  What goes with burnt rubber?

Grape Explorations: Mouvedre

With its history dating back to around 500 B.C., Mouvedre is definitely not a new kid on the block. With it's origins in north eastern Spain the grape migrated into France, once the main varietal used in Provence and eventually made it's way east to the Rhone Valley. Later introduced to California as one of the eight original varieties introduced in the 1800's, the grape has also found a home in Southern Australia. While phylloxera once devastated the crop in multiple countries, it's seen a resurgence in recent years. 


The thick skinned (making it less vulnerable to spring frosts and autumn rain), medium sized berries produce deep rich wines; notes of ripe fruits, hints of chocolate and cocoa powder and dried herbs and game. Used primarily these days as a blending varietal in  Châteauneuf-du-Pape (notably in Chateau du Beaucastel), the grape has seen some great success in Red and Rose wines of Bandol (Domaine Tempier) and the Jumilla region of Spain (Bodegas Juan Gil &  Bodegas Luzon ). 


Other aliases include; Balzac (France), Monastrell (Spain) & Mataró (Portugal, California & Australia)

Grape Explorations: Grüner Veltliner

Okay, so first off let’s tackle the name. I know a lot of European grapes are some what of a tongue twister, but this one isn’t so bad. Grüner, the nickname used by most folks, is simply ‘groo-ner;’ and the second part is pronounced either ‘vehlt-ly-ner’ or ‘felt-lih-ner;’ we’re going to go casual and call him Grüner. Even though the grape shares the second part of its name with Roter Veltliner and Frühroter Veltliner there is no relation. Up until the 1930’s the grape also went by the name Grüner Muskateller, but again the ‘Muskateller’ has no relation to Muscat. So where did it come from? Thanks to modern day science and DNA testing of grapes the primary parent of the grape is actually Traminer, seen a lot in Alsace, France and parts of German, as well as Austria. The second parent of this grape has only been recently discovered as Grüner was believed to have also descended from grapes that were only grown in small vineyards throughout the region that were disappearing as other varieties have taken over. Today though, that grape is known as St. Georgener-Rebe. Studies are being done on this grape to see where and how the grape can be cultivated.


Grüner is believed to have been first planted in Roman times, and the first documentation of the wine was in 1855. Most Grüners we see today are from Austria, where it is the most widely planted grape in Austria accounting for 37% of the countries total wine production; it is also seen in Hungary, Slovenia and Czechoslovakia. Vineyards in California, Maryland, New York, Oregon and even New Zealand are also giving Grüner a try. Most of the Austrian Grüner vines are in the largest wine growing region known as Niederösterreich… eh, let’s not go there… how about lower Austria in a region along the Danube River north of Vienna. It’s much easier to explain than pronounce.

The grape is very adaptable to various soils and is grown in regions with terrain so steep it barely retains any soil, to the richer soils of the Austrian plains (and this is where the fruit flavors of the wine differ). In general the wine is very pale and crisp with a light to medium body. The wine from higher elevations usually takes on more citrus like flavors (lemon, lime, green apple) whereas those grown in the lower regions take on a more peach like or melon flavor. The wine in general though is known for being a tad bit ‘spicy.’ While most Grüners are meant to be drunk young as a “Heurige,” (Austria’s answer to Beaujolais Nouveau) others do see some aging where they may take on either a petrol (not my favorite) or honeycomb characteristic. Our boy Grüner is also used in Austria’s answer to sparkling wine… Sekt, and also seen in some late harvest wines.

As the weather warms up this is a perfect what we call “porch pounder” and is great with food. Seafood is a great pairing for Grüner, Asian dishes, lighter meats (pork & chicken) and one of my all time favorite wine pairing… cheese! You may have to ask your favorite retailer about the wines but this time of year you should see them starting to make their way onto the shelves. One of my favorites is Hopler Grüner Veltliner, Domaine Wachau being another. But there are an array of other brands out there today that range from about $10/bottle up into the $30 price point.

Slainte!

Wine & Chocolate? Yes! Please!!

There’s a lot of people out there that will tell you that chocolate simply does not pair with wine.  Well bah hum bug to them.  Even though there are a lot of pairing rules out there for food I’ve always told people to drink what they like.  Chocolates and wine can be tricky, but one simple rule is to try and pair like things together.  With over a billion dollars in sales for Valentine’s Day chocolate is bound to make it into your hands.  And another popular gift item for this holiday is wine, sparkling and champagne being at the forefront. 

One of my favorite pairings that was served to me years ago at a wine dinner was a simple piece of dark chocolate with a few granules of sea salt paired with a dark Spanish red wine.  I’ve replicated this pairing over the years several times with Ghiradelli’s Dark 60% cacao squares with just a few sprinkles of sea salt and red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Mouvedre or Zinfandel. Another favorite of mine with darker chocolates and desserts is the Elysium Black Muscat from Quady Winery in California or LBV Port Wine.   

The more mellow white chocolates with their buttery flavor tend to go better with an aged Pedro Ximenez Sherry or say a Verdejo (or other medium to full bodied) Madiera.  Other wines that would pair better with this lighter chocolate would be a Moscato (including the Moscato d’Asti’s) or Muscat.  Their natural flavor profiles and sweetness tend to compliment the chocolate quite well.

Milk Chocolates tend to go better with wines like a sweeter style Rielsing or Chenin Blanc, lighter reds like Pinot Noir or Grenache (Garnacha), Tawny Ports (especially if the chocolate is caramel filled), and dessert wines like Sauturnes (Bordeaux France), Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (Rhone Valley France) or say Volpaia’s Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (Italy). 

While many of you for this holiday will most likely receive a big red heart filled with various types of chocolates and fillings one thing to remember is it’s about the day, so don’t fret over whether or not the wine you have on hand will pair perfectly (hey, I’ll let it slide this once).  Rose Champagne’s due tend to pair better than their white counterparts, and those ports (both ruby and tawny) are an easy match.  Happy Valentine’s Day and try not to over do it on those chocolates.

Slainte!

Grape Explorations: Malbec

As the American consumer leads the pack worldwide in consumption people are again looking (the economy drove people back to the basics for a while) to branch out and try new varietals.  While Malbec has been on the rise for sometime I still encounter people who have never tried it.  


There is a legend that the grape got its name from a Hungarian peasant, who first spread the grape throughout Europe, but modern day researches have linked Malbec's roots to Northern Burgundy and a grape named Cot.  The name Cot is still used in the region of Cahors (southwestern France east of Bordeaux), where the grape is usually blended with Merlot or Tannat (AOC requires their wines be 70% Cot though), and the regions limestone soils produce dark berries full of rich fruit flavors.  Malbec was also one of the originally blending varietals of Bordeaux, usually blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon… a few estates still use the grape for blending to this day.  The Loire Valley also grew the grape and blended it with its better known varietals Cabernet Franc and Gamay.  While Malbec is more prominently seen today, amongst the various other names the grape also sometimes goes by Pressac or Auxerrois (not to be confused with Auxerrois Blanc).


The grape though is very susceptible to a variety of issues in the vineyards including various diseases and rot.  And while it was widely planted early on, with around 1000 different synonyms region to region, the grape and its usage started to decline.   Malbec saw an extremely sharp drop in 1956 when Bordeaux fell victim to a heavy frost killing off 75% of the grapes crops.  



The recent popularity of the grape can be attributed to Argentina, where the grape was first introduced in 1868, where it thrives in the sun and heat and it’s even become Argentina’s most widely planted red grape.  With modern day science and clone “breeding” (think dog breeding here for a second and how mankind has bred certain dogs) the grape is now more resilient to the things that were once its Achilles’ heel.  Today the grape is grown all over the world, even in the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and as it flourishes in South America it’s starting to gain more traction in its country of its origin.  


The grape is naturally thick skinned, although size varies from region to region.  Malbecs of Argentina do have smaller berries and clusters than their French counterparts and it’s believed this is due to slightly different clones that were brought over and their ability to survive over the years.  The grape produces dark inky violet-ruby red colored wine with usually some rather robust (but not overwhelming) tannins.   Depending on the producer the wines normally have rather intense juicy fruit flavors (when not over irrigated) and a plush/velvety texture.  Though it is a red wine, it’s perfect for this time of year with grilled steaks and BBQ.  


A few of my favorite Malbes right now are: 
Clos La Coutale, Cahors (all time favorite)
Catena Alta Malbec, Argentina -  from the legendary Nicolas Catena
Dona Paula Estate Malbec, Argentina


So grab a bottle and enjoy… Slainte!

Banking on Bordeaux: The first step.

photo compliments of Megan Mallen

Most people think of Bordeaux and think expensive wine and labels they don’t understand.   They see the bottles on the top shelf at their local retailer, or in rooms of their own, with labels depicting castle like Chateaus with prices that make your wallet cringe.  Restaurants will carry the wines and place them in the back of wine lists with prices that make you contemplate your children’s future education.  In social settings those that know a little are dangerous and when speaking about the region you can see their nose lift up into the air as they begin to use terminology that isolates them from most consumers. 

It’s true, Bordeaux is known for being one of the most prestigious regions of wine real estate globally and its wines are highly sought after, the wine is even sold through investment futures each release.  Today Chateau Petrus remains one of the most highly regarded and highly priced wines on the market.  But the wines aren’t snooty or arrogant (just some of the people that drink them), there’s heritage involved and a great deal of pride.  Families in the region have been cultivating crops and making wines on the same land for generation after generation, handing down vineyards to successors with some properties staying in the same family for hundreds of years.  Yes, there is a lot of hype when it comes to Bordeaux, but most wine articles, most bloggers only give you a glimpse of why this is.   They review the wines, tell you how good they are, drop names and tell you how much they spent on the bottle.  But there has been very little in the effort to get people to truly understand the wines.

photo compliments of Megan Mallen

Even though the American wine consumer is becoming more versed in wine by the day there still seems to be this stigma with Bordeaux wines, especially here in Colorado.  But having spent over a decade in Atlanta’s high end wine market Bordeaux was part of my daily repertoire; there rarely was a day that I didn’t have at least one wine from the region in my sample bag while out calling on accounts.  But there is reluctance to picking out a bottle of Bordeaux for many consumers and many wine shops here in Colorado carry very little of it (boo hiss) if any.  Most of the wines are collecting dust on those top shelves and out of reach financially for most consumers.  At first I was told wine drinkers here were more apt to buy a west coast wine from California or Oregon, due to the proximity of those regions to our own.  But you take a look in stores and on wine lists and you see Italian this, Italian that.  Sure ‘Pinot Grigio’ is right there smack-dab front and center on the label, it’s a varietal we’ve come to know, and so is Dolcetto… so is Barbera.   But guess what Chianti is not a grape, it’s a region that grows and allows, several grapes (not just Sangiovese) into the production of their wines.  So this whole excuse of saying you don’t understand Bordeaux because it’s labeled for regions rather than what’s in the bottle is a bunch of horse you know what.  Crap, and now there’s probably a few of you that I’ve totally thrown off with that whole Chianti thing.    But Bordeaux is no different from many of these other regions.  If you can go into a store and set out to find a Russian River Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir from Willamette, or a Zinfandel from Paso Robles then there’s really no difference in picking out a wine from Bordeaux.  You can blame the French for not making wines so we understand them, but they’ve devised a classification system to ensure that you do, so that you know what’s in the bottle.  It all comes down to a little understanding of what the wines are, their producers and their styles. 

Full bodied red wines have always been my favorites and Bordeaux as a region quickly became a favorite as well for the varietals of grapes grown there and their quality.  Does it take some time and understanding? Yes it does, but no different than getting to know wine of any other region and whether you like them or not.  There actually are a lot of Bordeaux wines that are at very attainable price points, but retailers and restaurants are reluctant to carry them until people open their minds to this region.  And many of their less expensive wines are no different from buying a moderately priced California Cabernet.   True there is a lot of swill out there, but there’s a lot of value to be found as well.  Some producers are even going as far as to Americanize their wines to get us to understand and drink more of them.  It’s been my goal since moving back west to get Coloradoans to drink more French wines, so I’m taking on the challenge (again) and hope that these subsequent blog entries will get you to step out side your comfort zone and give the wines of Bordeaux a swirl.  

Slainte!

Wine Wednesday: 2009 Bender Weisser Bergunder

Born in 1980 Andreas Bender may be young, but having grown up in his family's vineyards in the Mosel region of German, he is definitely no stranger to wine.   In recent years his cutting edge style has propelled him to be the managing director and winemaker for a coop winery in Germany and Austria.  But today he is the proud owner of his own winery near his hometown of Moselle producing wines from both the Mosel and Pfalz wine regions.

The 2009 Weisser Bergunder (or White Burgundy) is a 100% Pinot Blanc from the Pfalz region.  The wine has very elegant floral notes on the nose accompanied by apple, lime zest and mandarin orange.  There is an ever so slight petrol characteristic to the wine (not my favorite, but hey) and the acidity is pretty lively.  Just a slight note of minerality and flintiness from the soils the grapes were grown in, but over all the wine is very well balanced.  This is the perfect type of wine for the adventurous wine drinker for spring time outdoor entertaining!  Seafood, salads, grilled chicken... or even a perfect what we call 'porch pounder.'  The price point on this wine came in right around the $20 mark.   Definitely looking forward to more wines from this producer.

Slainte!