Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of dining with the Wine Diva. No, this was not a fellow diner who insisted that we order the Petrus. Rather, the Wine Diva, aka Christine Ansbacher, is a wine educator and entertainer.

Christine had presented a session at the Society of Wine Educators’ conference in New Orleans, LA. But, as I did not attend conference this year, I missed her presentation. She graciously consented to meet with me and share some of the advice she provided.

It was lovely to meet Christine. Despite her moniker, she is a true professional and does not come across in any way as a diva, although she does have a certain regal presence.  Christine earned her DWS a few years back and, since then, has been providing corporate clients with her unique approach to wine events with her "theatrical flair." She is a self-taught Champagne-saberer, which she urged me to learn. I admit that I find it quite intimidating and have yet to practice such skills in my yard.

Above all, Christine advises wine educators to bring humor to their craft. Additionally, she is a big believer in getting away from what she calls "vino babble" and thus keeps esoteric wine tasting terms out of her presentations. With a sense of humor and down-to-earth language, Christine provides her clients with an entertaining evening suitable for all.

NB: Divas who Dine is a social networking group for women primarily in the public relations and media industries. I attended one of their events in June, held at Kathlin Argiro’s studio.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Wine Media Guild’s luncheon, featuring the Chenin Blanc grape. Prior to sitting down to lunch, attendees were invited to taste through the multitude of Chenin Blanc wines, which ranged from sparkling to still and dry to sweet. Chenin Blanc truly is a versatile varietal.

Once the tasting was over, we sat down at the beautifully-appointed table and proceeded to enjoy a delicious meal paired with the wines we had just tasted. The luncheon was held at Felidia restaurant and we were treated to a visit from Lidia Bastianich herself, part-way through the meal. Three additional wines were brought out with the dessert — a Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume and Vouvray demi-sec — which were medium-sweet and matched nicely with the meal’s concluding course.

A presentation at lunch was given by Roger Dagorn, MS, of Chanterelle Restaurant. Roger reminded us that Chenin Blanc needs the right climate, soil and winemaking to produce a great wine. Without these elements in the proper balance, the wines do not do justice to the grape.

Named for Mount Chenin, which is located in Anjou, within France’s Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc’s origins date back to the 7th century. Given this birthplace, the grape prefers a cool climate and soils with mineral and/or chalky/tuffeau characteristics. Differences in the soil can sometimes be detected distinctly in the different wines. Roger noted that more schistous soils produce wines with richer flavor/earthiness.

The wines are very aromatic and have a fatness on the palate. The winemaker must carefully balance the sugar and acidity to ensure that the wines are not flabby. The use of oak must be gentle, with older oak preferred, giving the wines a roundness and softness.

Great Chenin Blancs are extremely food friendly and can also be ageworthy. When young, the wines express tart fruit qualities with notes of citrus, earthiness and honey or honeysuckle. With age, the wines develop deep complexity with quince, more pronounced honey and a certain musty quality to them. The sweet wines, with their preservative combination of sugar, acidity and oak, can nearly age forever.

Within the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc is primarily produced in Anjou, Saumur and Vouvray. These are classic Chenin Blanc wines, with the full range offered from bone dry to bottrytized, dessert wines. Worldwide, Chenin Blanc can be found in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne (New Zealand), cooler areas of California and the Okanagan Valley in Canada. It is also widely grown in South Africa, accounting for 31% of all plantings, serving as a surogate home for the grape.

Chenin Blanc may not be the grape on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but it certainly is worthy of grabbing the spotlight from time to time. And, with such versatility, it should be relatively easy to find a wine style you enjoy.

According to Heston Blumenthal (as reported on Decanter.com), chef at the Fat Luck in London, it is time to toss the outdated approach to taste sensations. Currently expressed as five basic tastes — sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami, Blumenthal proposes that there are many more than just these. He cites his discovery that Sherry contains a "taste booster" composed of a group of DKP compounds as initial evidence.

The discussion that follows this news piece includes a post from chef Michael Pataran, who notes that the older, Eastern culture has long believed that there are 17 taste sensations. Another poster, Peter Klosse, has written a disseration on the subject and agrees with Heston, as well.

Pataran does make the point that it is difficult to separate flavor from taste sensations as flavors are actually aromas that are sensed in the mouth through one’s retronasal passages. This is why wine (and food) doesn’t "taste" nearly as flavorful and good when we have a stuffy nose.

Klosse suggests that the new theory has been useful in understanding food and wine pairing, which echoes Blumenthal’s study into Sherry and it’s food versatility. However, what they don’t discuss is that each person’s taste buds are unique to them. Thus, while general food and wine pairing principles work, different combinations may appeal to one and not another, despite these principles.

It should be interesting to see how this research develops as we learn more about how we taste.

Those in attendance at Morrell & Company’s 2nd annual Western Australia Wine Tasting event last week were entreated to "Go West Young Man – Go West…all the way to Western Australia!"

I had the pleasure and privilage to attend this event, which was organized and hosted by Thomas Dare-Bryan, Australian wine buyer for the store. The event served as a great opportunity to show consumers that not all Australian wines are full of brawn. Rather, the cooler climate of Western Australia lends itself to producing wines of more elegance and finesse. As such, they can sit side by side the dinner plate with much more ease than many of their Southeastern Australia counterparts.

Encompassing roughly a third of the Australian continent, Western Australia is home to the famed Australian Outback. Perth (Australia’s fourth largest city) serves as its capital (Carmen Sandiego fans may recall that this is where she pick-pocketed Down Under).

However, despite its vast size, the wine regions are confined to the south-western part of the state. Among the more well-known wine regions are Great Southern (with its sub-regions: Frankland River and Mount Barker), Margaret River, Pemberton and the newer, Blackwood Valley, which is further inland than the other three.

While winemaking in the area dates back to the 1820s, it is only more recently that Western Australia has begun to really grow as a wine producing area, gaining initial momentum in the 1970s. As entrepreneurs heeded the call, the area developed more of a boutique winery culture as opposed to many of the large, commercial wineries found in Southeastern Australia.

Most of the wines featured at the event were very good, with a few that truly stood out, including the Ferngrove Cossack Riesling 2007 from Frankland River, with its precision acidity, bright fruit and exceptionally long finish. Ferngrove was established in 1999 by Murray Burton, who leveraged his 90-year, family-farming history to do so. Their Shiraz-Viognier blend (2006) and single-varietal Shiraz (2005) were also fabulous.

Producer Howling Wolves from Margaret River was showing its new releases from its new Small Batch line. True to its name, there were only 750 cases produced of its 2006 Cabernet/Merlot blend, which despite its rarity is reasonably priced at $29.95. From husband and wife team Jane and Peter Thompson, Thompson Estate’s 2004 Chardonnay showed a restrained use of oak, which provides subtle depth and flavor to the wine.

One of the founding wineries in Margaret River, Leeuwin Estate produces internationally acclaimed wines, which feature beautiful artwork commissioned from contemporary artists on its labels. The winery further demonstrates its commitment to art, both in the bottle and without, by maintaining an art gallery on its estate. All of Leeuwin wines shown that evening were wonderful: 2006 Riesling, 2005 Chardonnay and 2003 Prelude Cabernet/Merlot; all from the Leeuwin Estate Art Series.

A final standout was producer Barwick Estates, which sources fruit from Margaret River, Pemberton and the Blackwood Valley. Their wines are produced in three ranges — the White Label range with fruit blended from all three regions; Black Label Regional range; and the Collectables range, crafted from small parcels of estate grown fruit. I was particularly impressed with its White Label Semillion/Sauvignon 2007, but the real star was their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Collectables range.

Overall, it was wonderful to see this "softer" side of Australian wines and I would second the plea; when looking for great Australian wines, don’t be afraid to Go West!

While I wasn’t smart enough as a college freshman to think about majoring in wine (really, who knew you could do such a thing? :-), there are some high school students who heed the call to wine at that tender age.

For those that are lucky to know that they want to pursue a career in the wine industry so early, there are several world-renowned programs in which they might matriculate. These include the U.S.’s UC Davis (and as an alumna, I have to add, the newly launched program at Cornell), France’s Faculte d’Oenologie de Bordeaux and Germany’s Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute.

Joining the list of universities providing formal wine education, Central Washington University (CWU) has recently added a program in Global Wine Studies, with its first cohort of students graduating in Fall 2009, B.S. degree in hand. The program’s global emphasis makes it unique among any U.S. program and has an interdisciplinary nature combining business, marketing, economics, viticulture, winemaking and pricing. A certificate in wine trade is also offered.

Obviously, citizenship/location plays a big part of which institution a student chooses to attend. However, the location of these programs is not so accidental. Rather, they are located near or within great wine growing regions. As such, they serve as a valuable resource for the region and its wineries, providing research and a supply of well-qualified graduates.

While you may not have heard of Ellensburg, WA, it sits at the center of the Columbia Valley, making it easily accessible to all of Washington’s wine regions, with particular proximity to the Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills and the Wahluke Slope. Please see the Washington Wine Commission’s site for an AVA map.

The establishment of the CWU program marks an important step for Washington’s wineries, signaling continued commitment and advancement in the state’s role as a wine producer. Moreover, as the U.S.’s second largest producer (California tops the list by far), the new program is definitely due.

With wine becoming more a part of the American culture, perhaps more students will begin to consider careers in wine when applying to colleges. But, of course, it is never too late to go back to school. Why not apply for next Fall?

Now that I am self-employed, I must wear multiple hats, including marketer, office manager and strategic planner, in addition to my role as wine educator. Of course, it is the former set of roles that will permit me to enjoy the latter one, even though teaching about wine is more fun.

In this regard, I have been attending seminars and lectures that will help me stay focused on building our business. The most recent of these was a program on self promotion held at the NYPL’s Business & Science library that I attended last night.

Among the concepts discussed, the facilitator noted that it is important for companies to use the language of your market when promoting your business as opposed to industry jargon or words that aren’t as intuitive for them. Along these lines, I have been noting that people (aka potential clients) seem to use the terms "wine tasting" or "tasting event," rather than "wine education" or "wine class." I understand why consumers would use these terms, but am concerned that the education will get lost somewhere unless it is expressly stated.

While I am committed to making my classes fun and entertaining, I am equally committed to making sure that the participants have an opportunity to increase their knowledge of wine. I want people to feel that I have helped them along in their wine journey. As I work to create a new website and to develop marketing materials to promote Grand Cru Classes, I find that it is difficult to convey this balance to my audience. I don’t want people to think that I am a wine snob or a boring, technical speaker, but as an educator, learning is important to me. I feel that I do a good job in presenting wine in a manner that is both enjoyable and informative. But, I wonder if "wine education" is such a dirty word. Are people so turned off by the thought of having to learn? Just something for me to ponder.

In any case, I will be working diligently on my marketing plan and hope that I can entice people to want to learn more about wine.

Last fall, I took the Society of Wine Educators’ Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam. I was successful on the theory (multiple choice and essay) and fault identification portions, but did not pass the varietal identification. This section of the exam presents the participant with eight glasses of wine (4 white and 4 red) along with a list of 10 wines. The participant must correctly match the 8 wines from the listing.

In order to complete the exam and earn the CWE credential, I must re-take the varietal identification and achieving a passing score, correctly matching a minimum of 6 wines. I had planned to re-take the exam when it was offered in Providence, RI last spring, but did not feel confident about passing. In the two months leading up to the April exam date, I began to blindly taste wines in flights, trying to guess the identity of each wine.

Now, I have my sights set on the October 16 administration of the exam in Washington, DC. As the date quickly approaches, I am once again tasting blind in flights. Last week I opened four reds — CA Cabernet Sauvignon, Navarra DO, Beaujolais and a Bordeaux. I successfully identified each wine.

Last night, I opened five whites — German Riesling, CA Viognier, WA Gewurztraminer, SA Chenin Blanc and a Vouvray (off-dry). I did well, but managed to confuse the Gewurztraminer with the Viognier as I did not expect the Gewurztraminer to be off-dry. Apparently, I didn’t do a great job with wine selection for my flights.

Over the next several weeks, I have several other flights to blind taste. I also plan to break out the Le Nez du Vin to strengthen my aroma identification skills. Time is running out, so I need to stay focused in the weeks ahead if I want to be successful at the exam. If nothing else, it can get expensive to continually re-take it.

So, you are going to visit one or more wineries, but do you know the proper etiquette about tasting rooms? No, I am not suggesting that one needs to raise one’s pinky up in the air while holding the wine glass. However, I do think that some common courtesy should be followed to enhance the enjoyment of the wine by oneself and by their fellow tasters.

Scent of a Woman (or Man) — As a blind man, Al Pacino relished the fragrance worn by the female lead, but wearing perfume or cologne can ruin the tasting experience as it interferes with one’s ability to smell and taste the wine.

Lipstick on the Collar — Just as lipstick on one’s collar might be a tell-tale sign of an unfaithful spouse, lipstick will leave a mark behind at the tasting room. As lipstick is oil-based, it can kill the mousse (bubbles) of a sparkling wine and is extremely difficult to remove from stemware, despite the high heat used in commercial dishwashers.

Punctuality — If you have made an appointment to visit a winery, it should go without saying, but arrive when you said you would and with the same number of people in your party as you promised.

Spit or Swallow — If you are tasting at several wineries, it is advisable to spit to ensure that you can appreciate the last taste as much as you did the first. Moreover, this will signal to the staff that you are serious about tasting and enjoying and are not there solely to get drunk.

Have fun! If you keep these points in mind, you will not only ingratiate yourself with the tasting room staff, but will enhance your overall experience as your ability to taste the wines is improved.

Last night I attended a Kosher wine tasting at Bacchus wine store on the Upper West Side. There were 15 wines to taste, hailing from a myriad of countries. While the majority of wines were produced, not surprisingly, in Israel, there were wines from Italy, France, Spain, California, Chile, Argentina and Australia.

Most people associate Kosher wines with Manischewitz’ Concord grape wine, which has been traditionally used for Jewish holidays and Shabbat celebrations. Consequently, this overly grapey, sweet wine was my first taste of wine as I was growing up.

However, today’s range of Kosher wines is much wider as evidenced by the breadth of countries represented. Moreover, these wines are produced from vitis vinifera (European) grape varieties as opposed to the native American (vitis labrusca) Concord grape. Thus, the foxy, grapiness doesn’t exist in these wines.

Kosher wines are Kosher because they come from wineries where Kosher practices are observed. This means that all of the winemaking processes are carried out by Sabbath-observing Jews and that attention to Jewish dietary laws is observed. For example, some wineries might use geletin as a fining agent, but as geletin is derived from pigs, which are not dietarily Kosher, geletin is not used in the making of Kosher wines. Instead, a fining agent such as Bentonite, which is a type of earthen clay, might be used. A final process of pasteurization may also be followed, thus rendering the wines Meshuval, which permits them to be handled by non-Jews without compromising their Kosher status. Wines that are Kosher for Passover must be produced from special strains of yeast given this holiday’s restriction on bread products.

Vineyards in Israel also abide by Jewish laws such as waiting until the fourth year to use the grapes for wine, tithing a certain volume of the grapes and refraining from cultivating the vineyard every seventh (sabbatical) year. In practice, this generally results in a smaller volume of grape production for these years.

Overall, I was impressed with the presentation of wines. Prices ranged from $7.99 – $36.99 (Bacchus’ prices) and much value existed in the lower-mid priced wines. I was particularly pleased with Five Stone’s Becketts Flat from Margaret River, Australia, which was a Bordeaux blanc-style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The wine had vibrant fruit and herbal characteristics both on the nose and palate, with long length. At $17.99, it had a great price to quality ratio. The only other white wine I liked was an Arbanel Riesling from France, but at $21.99, I was less impressed.

There were quite a few red wines that delivered good quality and value, including the Layla Malbec from Argentina ($13.99), Joseph River Cabernet/Merlot/Shiraz blend from Australia ($11.99) and the Efrat Israeli Series Merlot from Israel (11.99). More expensive options included the Tzora Vineyard Judean HIlls Merlot/Cabernet ($17.99) and Yatir Cabernet/Merlot/Shiraz blend ($36.99), both from Israel, the latter of which was extremely nice with blackberry, oak, spice and currant leaf notes.

The other pricey wine, also at $36.99, was the Taltalim Cabernet/Merlot blend, but I detected too much brett on both the nose and palate, so I may need to re-taste another bottle of this wine someday. I also didn’t care for the sparkling entry, a Rashi Pinot Brut Spumante from Israel ($17.99), but my husband thought I was overly critical (I felt the wine lacked aroma and was neither autolytic or fruit-driven on the palate – simply bland).

While I knew that Kosher wines had come a long way in the wine world, I hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect before the tasting. My experience was generally a positive one and thus, I am happy to report that Kosher wine need not be synonymous with poor quality any longer. In fact, I would recommend a number of these wines, particularly those noted above that retail under $15.00, regardless of whether you require a Kosher wine or not. They are simply good wines of great value. L’Chaim (to life)!

This October, my husband and I will both be attending the first Wine Bloggers’ Conference, which will be held in Sonoma, CA. While I have waxed and waned in my blogging frequency, the chance to visit the Sonoma Valley wine region was too good to pass up. Thus, we registered for the conference, booked our plane tickets and reserved our rooms almost immediately. For most people, I would imagine that they would consider themselves to be done with their travel planning, but for me, this was not the case. I’m not good at just winging it.

Instead, over the past several weeks, I have been researching restaurants, evaluating which wineries to visit and mapping out the best routes. We now have reservations at El Dorado Kitchen, at which we will dine with friends, and Madrona Manor, which will be our romantic splurge of the visit.

As I am less familiar with Sonoma wineries as compared with those in Napa, putting together a list was more challenging. I reviewed lists on the official Sonoma wine sites, asked for recommendations from Cornellians on the Cornell Wine Interest Group and read a number of wine publications. The list grew and then swelled to nearly 40, which I have since pared to 20. I have now begun to slot the wineries into our schedule and anticipate that we will actually visit 15-17 of them. Two appointments have already been secured and as the remainder do not require appointments, we’ll drop in as our schedule permits.

Overall, it should be a great trip and I am very much looking forward to spending time in Sonoma and getting to know this wine region.