Author Archives: Tracy

Maritime Wines Explored

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With the first vitis vinifera vines planted on Long Island in 1973, this year marks the 35th year of viticulture on the East End and the birth of the Long Island wine industry. When Louisa Hargrave and then husband, Alex Hargrave, initially sought to make wine in the area, there was a lot that they admittedly didn’t know. As others followed, many were also without much, if any, experience in growing grapes and/or making wine.

At the time, most of the wine books and literature weren’t available in English and what was available was focused on California. The Long Island vignerons clearly recognized that their terroir and climate were vastly different from those of California and thus, these books weren’t particularly helpful. However, they did see the similarity between the East End and Bordeaux.

Not surprisingly, in 1988, Larry Perrine, presently of Channing Daughters winery, organized the Long Island Bordeaux Symposium (Maritime Climate Wine Growing: Bringing Bordeaux to Long Island), which brought the Bordelais to Long Island to see the wine region and provide advice. For many, this was a turning point for the wines produced on Long Island, with the quality increasing rapidly post-Symposium.

Fast forward 20 years and Long Island is now a well-respected, albeit still less well-known, wine region. No longer in need of specific advice from their colleagues, a new Symposium will be held this year, which expands the query to the world wine industry, once again spearheaded by Larry Perrine, this time joined by Louisa Hargrave. Titled, The Art of Balance: Cool Climate/Maritime Wines in a Global Context, the Symposium will be held on August 5 & 6, hosted by the Stony Brook Center for Wine, Food and Culture in partnership with the New York Wine and Grape Foundation ane the Long Island Wine Council.

The full agenda for this two-day Symposium is available online: (http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/winecenter/symposium2008.shtml).

While the daytime programs of the Symposium may be of more interest to those in trade (although non-trade members are more than welcome), there is a Grand Tasting on Tuesday evening, featuring more than 200 wines, paired with wonderful food from area restaurants.

Spain is the new France

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While Spain has always been the country with the largest number of hectares planted to grape vines, it has stood in third place with regard to wine production (much of the grapes it grows find their way into brandy). However, it looks like this ranking is about to change, with Spain earning the #2 spot currently held by France.

At the moment, Italy is the biggest producer of wine in the world, with annual production at 60m hectoliters. France produces approximately 53m hectoliters and is expected to drop to ~44m over the next several years, giving Spain, which averages 45m hectoliters, the opportunity to take the lead over France.

Of course, production volume is not correlated to production quality, so it is not necessarily a win for Spain or a loss to France if these expected rankings come to pass. However, it is somewhat interesting in that France has long been the gold standard in wine, with French imports attaining the top spot in many markets. But, as evidence of this shift in power, in the UK, US imports now outnumber French imports in terms of sales. Further, as production levels change, it is likely that many new wines from Spain will find their way onto our shelves. This may prompt more consumers to learn about Spanish wines.

In fact, Wines from Spain and other affiliated organizations have been actively promoting a variety of Spanish wines to both consumers and the trade. In particular, events on Navarra, Rioja and Murcia were held earlier in 2008, as was a special presentation and tasting of wines from the up and coming region of Castilla y Leon.

Modern wine practices have taken hold in Spain with many wineries having renovated and revamped in the past several year. Yet, although top Riojas can be quite pricey, most of the wines coming out of Spain represent a good quality to value relationship. Moreover, it is exciting to watch many of these emerging regions come into their own as they find their footing in the marketplace. Overall, consumers will benefit as the diversity of Spanish wines are made available to them.

Cookies & Wine

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Yes, usually one enjoys cookies with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. However, last week I had occasion to pour wines, alongside a collection of cookies. I assure you that these cookies deserved to be paired with wines instead.

The culinary creation of Lior Lev Sercarz, these cookies are truly works of art themselves. Under the banner of La Boite a Biscuits, Lior uses unusual flavors in his cookies such as fig, elderflower, ouzo and lavendar. Inspired by the season and a chosen artist’s interpretation, the cookies, or rather biscuits, combine confection and culture into one. The accompanying tins feature the artist’s work and are collectible.

Last week, I had the opportunity to pour wines for a new importer, Sherbrooke Cellars, at a gallery opening. I poured three wines to gallery guests while they enjoyed not only a wonderful art show, but also an assortment of luxury cookies.

So what does one serve with such a grand selection of sweets? I had three wines to offer the attendees: a small grower Champagne (Champagne Charles Ellner Cuvee De Reserve NV), a Bourgogne Blanc (Jacques Bavard Bourgogne Blanc 2006) and a Pouilly-Fuisse (Challet Pouilly Pouilly Fuisse 2005). As it was hot summer’s evening, most guests were drawn to the Champagne, but as Lior is French, there were several other French people in attendance, who seemed more drawn to try the white Burgundies. While I did not personally taste the wines in concert with the cookies, I am confident that all, especially the Champagne, were an excellent match given their high acidity to counter the sweetness of the biscuits.

I did have a chance to taste a few of the cookies (the servers came around with the tins when things were slow) and they were quite lovely. However, at $65.00/box, you certainly don’t want to dunk them in milk.

Wine Goes to the Movies – Part II

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In a recent posting on the Spirit World, I wrote about the prominent attention that wine is receiving on the big screen. In that article, I mentioned the movie Bottle Shock, which retells the tale of the 1976 Judgement of Paris. At the time I wrote the article, I had not yet had the opportunity to see the movie, but that oversight has been rectified thanks to a screening several weeks ago (Thanks, Vicky!).

I went to see this movie thinking that I wasn’t going to like it since I was not only familiar with the true story that inspired the movie, but also had attended one of the re-creations held by Acker, Merral & Condit in 2006. The Acker event was wonderful, with Steven Spurrier (creator of the original event) in attendance along with George Tabor (author and the only journalist present at the original event) and Christian Vanneque (one of the original judges and, at the time, sommelier at La Tour d’Argent).

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the screening. The plot line was relatively true to reality with only a few, minor inventions. At a Q&A with the writers after the screening, they explained the need to focus on only a few characters. In this case, they chose to feature Jim Barrett and Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena and in doing so, provided the audience with a rich portrayal of this father and son duo. The scenery, filmed from a helicopter, is quite stunning, showing off the vineyards in all their true spendor.

As a testament to the writers’ abilities, I found myself caught up in the excitement upon the Paris pronouncement that Chateau Montelena had won, despite being aware of this eventual conclusion. Overall, I was glad that I had decided to see the movie over my initial prejudice.

DWS — Done, with success

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As I have chronicled previously, I have been pursuing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s rigorous course of study leading to the Diploma of Wine & Spirits (DWS). This two-year program comprises 6 units, which essentially covers all aspects of the wine and spirit industry from production to sales and marketing.

In April, I submitted my final two papers — one on the history and current outlook on wine co-operatives and the other on the supply and demand issues regarding Champagne. Since the papers are submitted for a specific deadline and are then sent to London to be graded with submissions from students from all around the world, the turn-around time is a bit long.

Finally, I received notification last week that I had earned a Pass with Distinction on my co-opertives paper, which included a case study on Nicolas Feuillatte, and a Pass with Merit on my Champagne paper. Then, earlier this week, I received a second letter acknowledging my successful completion of the full credential and my right to use the post-nominal, DWS, after my name. I am one of 6 to have completed the Diploma this cycle and one of 20 for the year (within the U.S.).

I am proud of my accomplishments and, while I will not rest on my laurels — the world of wine is always changing and thus requires continuous study — I am looking forward to taking a break from formal study. However, I do anticipate a return to pursue the Master of Wine credential at some point in the future.

~Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

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OK, yes, to a certain extent, every day is the first day of the rest of one’s life. So why is today different? Today is my first day as a full-time wine professional. Up until yesterday, I had been holding onto that "pesky" day job while I launched Grand Cru Classes, working in the evenings and on weekends.

However, as I am continually reminded, life is fleeting. We may live to be 100 (in my case, I hope not — 85 is fine with me) or depart life much earlier, regardless of our best intentions. Consequently, it was time to take a leap of faith and turn my full attention to my career in the wine world.

It is all at once scary and exciting, but already I am seeing the benefits of my decision. First, it was a pleasure to have slept in this morning; well, I admit that 8:00 AM isn’t all that late, but it was nice not to have to be anywhere by 9:00 AM. Next, I am confident that I will not miss my hour-long commute to the office.

And, speaking of the office, now everyday is "Take Your Dog to Work" Day. I love having Annabelle around as my muse. Other perks include wine with lunch — somehow my previous employer it didn’t seem apprpropriate to bring a bottle of wine with my sandwich (can’t imagine why :-] ). And, it will be much easier to attend trade tastings and events — no more rushing out of the office in the middle of the day.

Finally, I am looking forward to having more time — more time to build the business, more time to write (not least of which to post more frequently than once a quarter) and more to read. Just in time, too, as the August issue of Decanter has just arrived and I haven’t quite finished with June.

Of course, this rosy glow may fade a bit come August 1 when my usual monthly paycheck isn’t directly deposited into my account. But, for now I’ll just enjoy the ride.

Grapes: The Forbidden Fruit?

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The tenor of recent news items regarding wine seems to signal a growing shift back toward the temperance movement. Costco’s loss in their legal battle to purchase direct from wine producers continues to send the message that retailers (and consumers) need to be protected from purchasing alcohol by our three-tier system. Related issues with wineries and retailers still remain in the courts.

Even more appalling, the French newspaper, Le Figaro, was issued a fine for printing an editorial article on Champagne without the corresponding disclaimer about the potential harmful effects of alcohol usually reserved for advertisements. These and other stories continually place wine (and other alcoholic beverages) in the position of being inherently evil. Similarly, articles published in the UK press are admonishing Britain’s middle-class for drinking too many alcohol units and characterizing them, with a single broad brush, as problem drinkers.

In his article, "The Wine Industry of Australia 1788-1979," Gerald Walsh provides a historical account of the total abstinence and temperance movements of the 1880s and 1890s in Australia  and notes that, in 1875, the Dean of Melbourne, "even went so far as to say that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden must have been the grape!"

Historically in America, efforts to control drinking have gone to the extreme, with Prohibition, which banned all alcohol, as a prime example. With a seeming resurgence of this mindset, it will be interesting (and perhaps troubling) to watch the tide as it continues to shift in this regard.

Investment Analysis

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Depending upon your en primeur agent, you should be receiving your 2005 Bordeaux futures sometime this summer. As noted previously, we purchased several wines for this much hyped vintage back in July 2006. The current (March 08) issue of Decanter has two articles from its tasting panels featuring this vintage — one on St.-Emilion and the other on the Cru Bourgeois (the classification of which, by the way, will be reinstated in 2009).

The panel was generally pleased with the wines and I noted that one of my Futures picks was listed among the Recommended wines with 16.4 points (of 20), just shy of their cut-off (16.5?) for Highly Recommended. The wine in question, Chateau Beaumont of the Haut-Medoc, received a very nice tasting note, noting that it should be held for 5-10 years and that there was more to come from this wine. The entry heralded the wine as a good value and listed the price at 8-9.5 British Pounds per bottle.

I was delighted to read the news and was compelled to look up our pending inventory to compare. We had purchased a full case, which we have listed at $12.50/bottle. A quick currency conversion indicated that the price in Decanter was $16.00-$18.85. But, what was it going for in the U.S.? I did a quick search on Wine Searcher and found the wine listed at $19.99/bottle at Star Liquors. Wine Library had it listed as out of stock, but their website also showed a sale price at $19.95 from $26.95/bottle.

Consequently, at an average price of $19.00, my investment has increased by ~50%, which I must admit, is much better than I have done in the stock market lately. So, I’m feeling good about the purchase. Of course, I didn’t buy the wine as an investment, but as Sherry-Lehmann has had my money since July 2006 (and the Bordelais have had Sherry-Lehmann’s money), I’m pleased to see that I wouldn’t have been any better off in investing my money elsewhere and buying the wine upon release instead.

Decanter did not include Chateau de Fonbel, of which we also bought a case, among its St.-Emilion tastings, but Wine Searcher and other internet searches yielded similar price increases for this and the other handful of bottles we purchased. I am looking forward to taking delivery of the wines in July, but will have to continue to wait to try them, or at least the Beaumont, for another few years, by which time the wines should have continued to increase in complexity, if not value. A wise investment indeed!

Booze on a Cruise

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I recently took my first cruise vacation, which had some interesting experiences when it came to wine.

The wine list was an adequate mix of Old World and New World wine regions, with no particular strengths. However, we were a little surprised that there were no vintages listed with any of the wines. For some of the wines, we didn’t really care, but for others, we asked our server to confirm the vintage before placing our wine order. We surmised that this omission might be due to a need for flexibility in the ship’s inventory, but while it was annoying to have to ask, the information was correctly provided and there did not appear to be any deception going on.

Another surprise, but quite pleasant, was the fact that the ship used quality crystal stemware (Schott Zwiesel) for its wine service.

The mark-up appeared to be reasonable (we estimated it to be about double the retail price), especially considering that you are a captive audience; you can’t go elsewhere to buy wine. In fact, you can’t bring wine on-board. Your luggage is screened upon boarding and any alcoholic beverages will be seized until the cruise ends. I think that you might be able to pay a $25.00/bottle corkage fee to release your wine, but the policy does explicitly state that no alcoholic beverages may be brought onboard. 

On the second night of the cruise, we ordered two bottles of wine with dinner — one white and one red. At the end of dinner, neither bottle had been finished, but we were able to have the restaurant store our wine for us, with the ability to retrieve it at lunch or dinner, in any of the ship’s restaurants. This was a nice feature since there weren’t any half-bottles on the wine list.

We generally ordered wines in the $30-$50 range, but our one big splurge was a bottle of semi-mature Bordeaux, 1996 — our anniversary year– which we enjoyed on our night in the French cuisine specialty restaurant. It was probably not the wisest idea, but we got caught up in the sentimental moment. After our sixth bottle purchase, the seventh bottle, priced at or below the average price paid for the initial six wines, was free.

We had requested to see the ship’s wine cellar, but upon making an appointment to meet the beverage manager, were informed that the cruise line’s policy did not permit guests to visit the back-of-the-house areas. Consequently, we were unable to get information on turnover rates or on how the wine is stored with respect to countering the ship’s vibrations. However, I did find an interesting wine rack accessory product on the web — bottle retention straps — which the manufacturer touts as useful on cruise ships and in earthquake-prone areas.