My Valentine’s Day-inspired article on sparkling wines has just been "published" on Wine Sediments. This article provides an overview of the different production methods used to create sparkling wines and notes some of the more affordable options for those who love bubbly.
I have received a number of inquiries from fellow WSET Diploma candidates about their studies. As I suspect that these students are not alone in their questions, I am sharing the following advice.
Unit 2 (Viticulture and Vinification) is the first unit presented and a prerequisite for moving ahead with the other units. Your knowledge on this unit is evaluated by a multiple-choice exam that is very challenging. You really need to study and prepare to recognize and understand detailed information to pass this exam as the answer choices provided do not lend themselves to easy guessing.
If possible, I would suggest that you take Unit 3 (Light Wines of the World) before Units 4, 5, and 6 so that you can complete this most challenging unit before moving on. Do NOT study for Unit 3 at the same time as you study for Units 4, 5 & 6 unless you are masochistic, unemployed or are just plain crazy : )
Units 4, 5 and 6 can be taken concurrently, although you may find it a little easier to balance your study load if you take only two of the three at the same time. Unit 4 (Spirits) is generally more challenging than Unit 5 (Sparkling) or Unit 6 (Fortified), but everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. I think that it is helpful to keep in mind that these units differ from Unit 3 in that they focus heavily on differing production methods. If you take these exams in November, start studying in the summer to provide yourself with a lengthier study period.
The format for Unit 1 (Coursework Assignments) is being revised. If you are working under the previous format, I would suggest that you submit only one paper at first so that you can use the feedback provided from that paper to guide you in completing the other assignments.
As for hints, study aids, etc. , I suggest the following:
1) Review questions from all of the past exams (see WSET website – DWS student section) – this will familiarize you with the types of questions you will find on the exams and you can use them as practice questions while you study. These are essay exams, so you should also practice writing out answers under simulated exam conditions (closed book and timed).
2) Review the annual Examiner’s Report from past exams (see WSET website – DWS student section) – This will provide you with some idea as to what kind of an answer they are looking for, along with information on how to answer the tasting portion as well. This also helps you identify what traps to avoid as the Report comments on mistakes made by students, many of which are repeated time and again, much to the chagrin of the examiners.
3) Comparative taste as much as possible, preferrably under blind conditions. For example, I was a self-study student for Unit 6, so I purchased 8 different fortified wines and tasted them all blind in a single tasting session. The study guides have suggested wines with which you should become familiar.
4) Participate in the DAPS program if it is available to you (they will send you practice questions, which you answer under exam conditions and send back for feedback).
5) Review the questions and answers in the study guide – they just might show up on an exam.
6) If possible, find a study group and meet weekly to taste flights of wine as well as to review information, clarify points of confusion and keep you focused.
7) Commit the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting to memory, so you make sure you comment on all aspects of the wine and don’t lose points on the exam. I would suggest that you take all of your wine notes in this fashion between now and then to practice, especially since you need to get this down to 5-10 minutes per wine.
8) Organize your notes on index cards and carry them with you whenever possible. You can then review your notes while waiting for elevators, commuting on public transportation, standing on line, etc.
9) Do not wait to the last minute to study. There is too much information, especially for Unit 3, so you really need to be studying and reviewing the material over several months.
10) When in doubt, always return to the 6 factors (climate, soil, annual weather, grape variety, viticulture and vinification) + legal & trade structures and market issues.
Like many football fans, you are probably gearing up for a great grid iron contest on Super Bowl Sunday. Whether you are hosting the whole gang or heading out to a friend’s, as a wine enthusiast, you may be wondering what wines to serve with typical, game-day fare. While several wines might be up to the challenge, a few seem especially suited for the big day.
This is obviously not the time to break out your vintage Bordeaux or other fine wines, but inexpensive wines with straightforward, simple flavors that lend themselves to casual food will work well. One choice might be the nutty aromas and flavors of a Fino Sherry. These wines are a perfect counterpart to the salty olives, almonds and tapas enjoyed in Spain’s tapas bars and can be an equally fine match for your salty snacks and chips and dips.
To complement more substantial fare, throwing in a fruit bomb wine may be just the ticket for drinking with heros, wings and barbecue. For example, the bold, explosive fruit-forward cherry and berry flavors of nearly any Australian Shiraz would work wonderfully as would a Zinfandel. With pizza and other Italian fare, the quintessential match is a nice Chianti, but if Asian or spicy foods are on the menu, the aromatic floral, citrus and peach notes of Rieslings are a natural choice to pair with them. However, heavily tannic wines should be avoided as the tannin will intensify the effect of the heat in your mouth.
Finally, the freshness and slight effervescence of a Portugese Vino Verde could also serve as an excellent foil for most of these food choices. These lower alcohol wines are terrific for quaffing, especially if the game goes into overtime. Whichever wine you choose, gather together with good friends, cheer on your favorite team and enjoy the game.
I returned home from vacation this weekend and found an evelope from the Interantional Wine Center waiting for me among all of the snail mail. It contained the results from my Unit 6 exam taken in November 2007 and revealed that I had Passed with Merit. This was my final exam for the WSET Diploma of Wine and Spirits credential.
However, before I can be completely done, I need to submit two more research papers for Unit 1. The papers, known as Coursework Assignments, are written on given topics and specifications and can be submitted in November or April. In May, the new set of topics is posted to the WSET website.
I spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s working on these two remaining papers, finishing one on Champagne Supply and Demand and the other on the Cooperatives in the Wine Industry. As they are not officially due until April, I will wait until March to see if they need any additional revisions based on current events and will then send them to the International Wine Center. I anticipate receipt of those scores in June or July, which, presuming that I successfully Pass both assignments, will be accompanied by notification of my achievement of the DWS credential.
In the meantime, I need to spend time studying my varietal identification in anticipation of an April test date for my re-take of that section of the CWE exam.
I submitted an entry for the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Wine Professional Competition in October, which consisted of a wine and food pairing suggestion, along with an essay. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but as I was proud of my essay entry, I am posting it here.
Today, there are more than 60 countries producing wine worldwide, most of which export their wines globally. With this increased globalization, current wine consumers have access to wines from around the corner to those from across the globe and have greater diversity in that selection. Included among this diversity is the emergence of South Africa as a growing wine producing country. While South Africa has only recently entered the global wine market after decades of isolation during apartheid, it has taken the market by storm, presently ranking 9th in overall production, by volume.
In this proliferation of wine production, wines are frequently assigned to one of two categories – Old World (generally those produced in Europe) or New World (namely the U.S, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia). Yet, South Africa defies this simple categorization, instead straddling the wine world with both Old World sentimentality and a New World sensibility in the creation of its wines. With this blended approach, South African wines possess a unique character that differentiates them from other wines in the worldwide market.
In fact, despite its recent arrival on the wine scene, its roots, literally those of its vines, go back to the Dutch East India Company, which, sought to establish a water route to India in search of spices and other exotic merchandise. For the Dutch, South Africa proved to be a good way station for ships en route to India, which necessitated the cultivation of grapes to make the requisite beverage of the day, wine. Accordingly, South Africa has a long history and tradition of viticulture. This history and tradition has been both a starting point and a point of departure, serving to guide winemakers in their quest for quality. Steeped in history, the first vines were cultivated in Constantia, just outside of Cape Town. This area was the birthplace of the famed Vin de Constance, which was coveted by Napolean during his exile and has recently been revived by producer Groot Constantia. With such historic origins, the Dutch influence can be seen throughout the regions with many of the wineries featuring classic Dutch architecture and Dutch names abound.
Additionally, given its European heritage, the wines of South Africa make extensive use of classic grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. In this regard, many of the South African wines are balanced in structure with vibrant fruit, but marked by a more restrained use of fruit and an overall elegance, similar to "Old World" wines hailing from Europe (notably Italy, France, Spain and Germany).
However, the South African tradition of vititculture is not as restrictive as it is for their European counterparts. For example, one of South Africa’s signature wines is the Cape Blend. The Cape Blend is a true merging of tradition and modernity. Modeled after the time-honored Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and/or Petit Verdot, South African winemakers substitute their indigenous grape, Pinotage, for one of these grapes to produce their own distinctive interpretation of these multi-varietal wines.
Further, South African winemakers are not bound by the rules and regulations that often tie the hands of their French, Italian and Spanish colleagues. Accordingly, South African producers have the freedom and flexibility to grow what they want, how they want to and where they want to. For some, this means producing a Syrah similar in style to those produced in France’s Rhone Valley, while for others, it means a bolder Australian-style, which will likely be labeled as Shiraz to connote this stylistic difference to the consumer.
Similarly, South Africa’s Wine of Origin scheme puts strong emphasis on place of grape origin, as does Europe’s appellation system, but unlike this system, also permits varietal labeling, making the wines familiar and easily recognizable on the wine shop’s shelf. These wines are also accessible to consumers in that they are ready to be consumed upon purchase rather than requiring several years of maturity to be enjoyed.
Some of this hybrid approach to wine production can be attributed to the South African climate, which provides sufficient sun and warmth to fully ripen the grapes, which differs from many areas of Europe. This means that wines can be full in their fruit flavors, particularly those from warmer, more inland regions such as the Breede River Valley. However, for the coastal regions, the cool Benguela current, which blows off the ocean, tempers the heat and prevents the grapes from becoming too baked, ensuring elegance and complexity in the wines.
Consequently, the wines of South Africa represent significant diversity in permitting consumers to find wines in a multitude of styles from the fruit-forward New World style to more restrained Old World renditions. They also represent tremendous value in the marketplace; with many high quality South African wines available at the $20.00 and under price point, they are affordable options for everyday drinking. Overall, while South Africa’s Old World heritage serves as an important influence, this point of view is also informed by New World wine production, conspiring to produce wines that are well balanced and perfect for today’s wine consumer.
I arrived home one evening last week to find an envelope from the Society of Wine Educators waiting for me, a little earlier than expected. I opened it up for my results from the Certified Wine Educator exam taken in early November.
I fared well on the multiple-choice, correctly answering 75 of the 85 questions and aced the essay, scoring 14 of the 15 points. Consequently, I earned an 89% on the theory portion of the exam. I passed the faults identification, missing only two of the eight samples. However, as I had feared, I failed the blind tasting, which has never been my strength.
While I have obviously not earned the CWE credential, the two passes will remain and I only have to successfully re-take the blind tasting to complete it. I have not yet identified a test date as it is not being given in NYC and most of the scheduled cities aren’t particularly easy to get to and/or get around in. The most likely option is Providence, RI in April as Amtrak goes to Providence and the test site appears to be only 4 miles from the train station. According to the the current Amtrak schedule, I might even be able to go up and back on the same day, saving the expense of a hotel room.
In the meantime, of course, I have a lot of studying to do. But, fortunately, studying for the blind tasting is a lot more fun than studying for the theory portion.
While visiting my parents in Ashland, OR, my sister came across an interesting wine label in their supermarket and was tempted to buy it. However, my mother admonished her that choosing a wine by its label was not the right thing to do (although market research indicates that many people do). Whether or not this is an appropriate way to choose wine, when she told me the tale, I tracked down the wine and proceeded to do just that.
The wine in question is Three Legged Red from Dunham Cellars, which prominently pictures their three-legged border collie, named Port, on the label. This discovery was both timely and of particular interest to my husband and me because our border collie/black lab, Sabrina, had her front, left leg amputated in late October due to bone cancer. Although we were initially devastated by the diagnosis and proposed treatment, we have been amazed at her miraculous recovery as she bounds up the stairs and romps through our mini-vineyard (99 vines).
Consequently, we purchased a full case of Three Legged Red sight unseen (or rather, palate untasted) to give as gifts this holiday season, especially for our beloved dog walkers as well as other friends and family. We feel that it is a fitting tribute and happy coincidence.
Upon taking delivery of the case of wine, we took one bottle for ourselves to taste and enjoy. We were pleased with the wine and look forward to sharing it with friends and family. Of course, we took a bit of a chance in buying a full case, but as the wine is reasonably priced (~$15-20/bottle retail), it wasn’t such a big gamble.
The wine has been well received by friends and family alike and was a bit hit at our co-op’s holiday party, to which we brought the wine as our contribution. Our neighborhood were quite delighted and actually thought it was Sabrina on the label, until we advised them otherwise.
Wishing you and your family (of all leg counts) all the best for the holiday season and beyond!
This is a (lengthy) review of my participation with Bottlenotes, a new wine club service.
I received an e-mail in September regarding a new wine club service called Bottlenotes. I was asked to consider participating in their Bloggernotes program, which provides select Bloggers an opportunity to try the Bottlenotes service in exchange for providing feedback that will be used to improve the service. While it was hoped that participants would love the service so much that we would write about Bottlenotes, it was not a requirement of the program. In the full interest of disclosure, I was provided with a free one-month subscription to try out the service. My participation with the program is still ongoing, but I thought I would begin with some preliminary feedback.
Bottlenotes prides itself on being a different kind of wine club, with several club options available to meet a wide variety of interests. These include the "Little Black Dress Club" aimed at female consumers, Explorers Club, Dinner Party Club, and the Kosher Wine Club, among others. They also tout the ability to match user preferences with wines, custom-selecting one’s wines to meet their tastes. They also sell wines separately from the clubs.
As another component of its service, club members’ wines are automatically listed in their online cellars, which permit them to track their wines and keep notes. They can also manually enter other wines not purchased through Bottlenotes. The service also permits you to view other members’ cellars. We use the stand-alone Cellar Tracker to accomplish this task, so this was less useful to me than it might be for others.
I choose to join their Limited Addictions Club, which offers limited production wines and is limited to 500 members. There was a long delay between signing up and receiving the wine, but club members finally received the just released Diamond Creek Diamond Valley 2005, which retails for $175.00. Accordingly, the two bottle/month shipment was reduced to the single bottle as this club costs $200.00/2-bottle shipment.
I haven’t spent a considerable time browsing through their selection, but in general, it looked to be quite good. However, I have been a little disappointed in their service, which is a change from my initial interactions with the company. When I first signed up for the Club, I was supposed to enter an access code, which somehow didn’t go through. Consequently, my credit card was charged, but before I could follow up with the company for a credit, they reached out to me letting me know that the credit had already been issued. I was quite impressed. Unfortunately, I have had uneven service since then.
The first issue has to do with my account, which somehow became co-mingled with my husband’s order, who is also participating in this market research project. We now have one account in my name, with his name listed in the "ship to" and "bill to" fields. We will accept some responsibility for this as he may have inadvertently logged into my account when submitting his own order. We honestly don’t know how this happened.
The next issue was the considerable delay from sign-up to order fulfillment. The sign-up occured in September, but the wine was not received until late October and there was limited, if any, correspondence from Bottlenotes regarding the order. In fact, I began to think that an error had occured with my account and followed up with them to inquire. At that point, the reason for the delay was explained. This bottle never showed up in my online cellar and had to be entered manually.
The following month, both my husband and I noticed charges on our credit card from Bottlenotes, in the amounts of each of our clubs (he joined the Explorers’ Club) depsite the fact that we had each signed up for a single shipment, not multiple shipments or ongoing memberships. We immediately logged into our account and suspended our memberships, not having seen this option previously. In addition, we sent an e-mail to Bottlenotes requesting that the orders be cancelled and charges refunded to our credit card. While we received two e-mails from Bottlenotes (clearly computer generated): 1) confirming our request to suspend our memberships and 2) asking us to please share our reasons for suspending membership with the company, we never received any response to our request to cancel the orders or receive a refund.
We chose not to pursue it and waited for our orders to arrive. My husband’s arrived a few weeks later. Mine never arrived, nor had I received a credit for the order until last week. On Friday, I sent a follow up request through the Customer Service page on their website. I received a response via e-mail the same day with apologies and the immediate issue of a credit. This has since shown up on my statement.
All in all, I have a mixed review for Bottlenotes. Their customer service was initially wonderful and then suffered a few gaps, returning to good service, so I would recommend them on that count. If you are interested in a wine of the month type club, this may be of interest as they do have a wide selection of choices. I buy too much wine already, plus I am generally shopping for something particular, so the club concept isn’t really for me. I did like the "exclusive" aspect of Limited Addictions, but in reality, these aren’t the wines I drink with much frequency. Finally, the online cellar tracking is useful, but as I already have a system in place, it duplicates those efforts. However, I would recommend them overall if these features are of interest.
When not immersed in the wine world, I serve as Director of Professional Development and Special Projects at NYU College of Dentistry and was recently appointed as an adjunct faculty member in our Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care.
Generally, the world of wine and the world of dentistry would seem to be two different worlds, but somehow in my life, the two seem to collide quite frequently. Most recently, I was asked to participate in a research project with two colleagues concerning the effect of wine acidity on tooth enamel. No, I am not a dentist (nor do I play one on TV); however, my wine expertise has been sought out in identifying wines for use in the project.
I have also been asked to conduct a literature review and an initial cursory glance has been quite interesting. A study published in June 2007 indicates that wine may fight the bacteria that causes caries (also known as cavities). Another study has linked the polyphenols in wine with a reduced incidence of periodontitis (gum disease).
But despite this good news, a report on a doctoral student’s thesis from the University of Stellenbosch suggests that the acidity in wine may do significant damage to the enamel. This view was also proffered by my colleague and fellow SWE member, Herbert F. Spasser, DDS, CWE (yet another instance of wine meeting dentistry).
While I still have a more rigorous scrutiny of the literature ahead, these reports provide opposing views on the effect of wine on teeth, which call for additional research to be done. More specifically, research weighing the benefits and risks of wine consumption should be explored. Not that I will stop drinking wine, mind you, but I would like to know the potential consequences of my actions. In any case, it will be an exciting project on which to work and I look forward to the continued convergence of my two worlds.
It was the most exhausting of times. In an act of discipline (or mere gluttony for punishment), I succeeded in completing two exams in two cities over the course of two days.
As alluded to previously, I have been preparing for the Unit 6/Fortified Wines exam for the WSET Diploma of Wine & Spirits, this fall. While I still have two papers to write, this was the last of my exams for that credential.
A very busy season (and personal issues) kept me from the study schedule I had envisioned. However, I managed to really buckle down in the last week. Consequently, I arrived at the International Wine Center feeling confident. This confidence remained throughout the one-hour exam, which included a blind tasting of three wines and a short-answer essay on Montilla-Moriles, Port grape varieties and oxidation. While I will not receive my score until around January, I felt reasonably sure that I had passed the exam.
Pausing only for a few minutes to reunite with a classmate who has since moved to Napa, I headed to Penn Station to wait for my train. The two-hour wait did not go wasted as I used the time to review all of the material I had studied in preparation for the previous units (Light Wines of the World, Viticulture and Vinification). This review continued for the better part of my trip, resulting in five hours of study in total. I arrived in Norwood, MA weary and ready for bed.
Thursday morning, I hastily showered and dressed, heading voer to Martignetti Companies’ offices in plenty of time for the 9:00 AM exam start. I was ready for the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam (having successfully completed the Certified Specialist of Wine credential in June 2005). This exam entailed 85 mutiple-choice questions, which were to be completed within an hour. This was followed by an essay (30 minute time limit) with a choice of four topics of which we were to select one. With the information from Wednesday’s exam still fresh in my mind, I was very lucky to find one of the topics involved Port. Afterward, candidates had to identify 8 wines from a list of ten and then match 8 faulted wines with their respective faults.
I left feeling that I had achieved a sufficient score on all parts of the exam, with the exception of the wine identification. Blind tasting has never been my strong suit, so I was not surprised. It will be 8-10 weeks before I receive my results on the CWE, but I suspect that I will be headed to re-take the blind tasting part of the exam sometime in 2008. In the meantime, I have two papers to write and lots of wine to drink. Perhaps, it is the best of times.