Ports of Call

As noted previously, I am in the midst of preparing for the WSET DWS Unit 6 – (fortified wines) exam. Fortified wines are those to which a neutral grape spirit has been added either during fermentation, generally rendering the wine sweet, or after fermentation, usually leaving a dry wine. The former process is indicative of Port and similarly-styled wines, while the latter pertains to Sherry and other dry fortified wines.

Among my study activities, I will be doing a number of tastings, particularly as I will miss the actual class and will need to do everything via "home study." Accordingly, I have identified my wine line up and placed my order. The list includes:

SHERRIES
Domecq, ‘La Ina’ Fino Sherry

Widsom & Warter Amontillado Sherry
Osborne Cream Sherry
Osborne Dry Oloroso Sherry

PORTS
Sandeman Ruby Port
Dow 10-Year Aged Tawny Port
Warre’s Vintage Port 1985

OTHER FORTIFIED
Domaine Coyeux, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2003

I considered purchasing a vintage port from my birth year (which shall remain nameless 😉 ), but I am old enough for it to have been beyond my budget, especially given that this is a tasting exercise, not a special event.

Metacogscription?

If metacognition is thinking about the process of thinking — consciously understanding the way we process existing and new information, then my newly-coined term "metacogscription" should suffice for my latest activity — writing about thinking about writing.

I began to write an article on the proposed Paso Robles Westside AVA for Wine Sediments, but somehow the article has taken on a life of its own and become something more than a blog post. In fact, it is quite long and doesn’t seem appropriate for the blog medium/format.

Now, I am wondering what to do with it given that I spent several days researching and writing the piece. I will probably end up posting it to Wine Sediments in an amended version and perhaps find somewhere else to post/publish it in its entirety.

No excuses

Given that my excuse for not posting more frequently prior to July was that I was preparing for the WSET DWS Unit 3 exam and the presentation on Long Island wines that I made at the Society of Wine Educators’ conference, what is my excuse now that both events are behind me?

Well, I’ve actually been busier than expected throughout July and now into August. I am slowly studying for the Unit 6 exam on Fortified wines, so that is keeping me a bit diverted. Also, I am working on the two remaining papers that I have for the Diploma. Both the exam and paper due date are in mid-November. I also hope to take the CWE exam around that time. I think the date is November 9 in Boston. These passive academic pursuits are filling up a lot of time as has a tax audit (but that’s a whole other story).

I am also focused on developing our business (Grand Cru Classes) through the creation of new or improved course materials, expanding to provide staff training and designing promotional materials.  There always seems to be something to do with regard to sheparding GCC or keeping my skills sharp and my knowledge current. To that end, I will participate in the International Bordeaux Educator Program later this month.

All of these activities should keep me quite occupied through the Fall. No wonder I am looking forward to the cruise we booked for January!

Real World: Vineyard

Last weekend we were priviledged to host Louisa Hargrave, founder of the Long Island wine region, at our property. We have become acquaintances over the past year or so and had invited her to our Open House back in April. Unfortunately, at the time, Louisa was under the weather and had to decline the invitation. We were very interested in showing her the new classroom and vineyard, so we were delighted when she agreed to stop by on Saturday morning.

Upon her arrival, we escorted her out back to see the vines. Her trained eye quickly noted that a few of our vines were afflicted with Downy Mildew. While it wasn’t surprising for us to have mildew problems — they are very common in our humid climate — I was surprised that, after having studied various vine pests and diseases extensively, I wasn’t able to identify it myself. In fact, after examining the leaf in question, I still wasn’t sure what it was I was looking at that was indicative of the mildew. It just further illustrates to me the importance of hands-on education beyond book knowledge (as well as the importance of providing clear, color photographs in educational books).

Louisa also commented on the crab grass growing beneath our vines and explained that as an invasive weed with deep roots, the crab grass was in danger of hurting our vines. Accordingly, she suggested Round Up as a safe option for eradicating the weed and preventing any additional damage to the vines. Finally, having identified a problem with Japanese beetles ourselves, Louisa mentioned that there were traps we could purchase to lure them away from the vine’s tender leaves.

Going forward, Jared has recently subscribed to the Cornell University Co-operative Extension’s weekly alert, so we will be more informed about the perils and pitfalls of vineyard management that await us each week. We are reminded once again, that while wine is more glamorous than cauliflower au gratin, farming is farming.

Feed me, Seymour

Among the requirements for the WSET Diploma is Unit 1, the business of wine. Unlike the others, this unit is evaluated by the candidate’s completion of four brief (1,500-2,000 words) research papers on topics selected from a list. I submitted one of these papers for the April deadline and just received my results last week.

I opened the envelope and found the official WSET grade report along with a copy of the paper’s cover sheet. The cover sheet includes items such as title selected, candidate’s name, etc. and then includes two generous spaces below for the grader’s comments designated "Strengths" and "Areas for Improvement." These latter two appear under the heading, "Examiner Feedback."

My grade was a Pass, which is, of course, better than Fail, but not as successful as a Pass with Merit or, even better, a Pass with Distinction. In fact, this is the lowest grade to date that I have received for any exam or assignment associated with my WSET pursuits. However, the actual grade wasn’t what upset me as much as the fact that other than the grade itself, nothing was written under "Examiner’s Feedback."

As an educator, particularly one who trains faculty to become better teachers, I always stress the importance of providing feedback to students. Feedback is essential to improvement, giving the learner the opportunity to understand what elements are successful and which require revision. Moreover, it is critical that the student is advised as to how to make such revisions. Without all of which, the student is simply shooting in the dark with future assignments and/or behaviors.

Accordingly, I felt at a loss as to how to complete the remaining two papers. I reached out to the International Wine Center, where I take my classes to advise them of the issue. I am pleased to report that my request for feedback was forwarded to London with a prompt reply received today. The constructive critique was very helpful and will certainly permit me to write betters papers going forward.

I strongly encourage all educators, regardless of the subject matter they teach, to provide their students with clear and instructive information with regard to their performance. Only through effective feedback can the learner advance in their knowledge and understanding. Of note, it is equally of value to provide both praise and criticism to reinforce the positive and change or correct the other. Such feedback is nourishment for the educational endeavor.

Missouri loves company?

I was in Kansas City, MO this past weekend for a business trip and visited the hotel’s rooftop, revolving restaurant for a glass of wine before heading off to bed. My wine of choice was a Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, South Africa, which was a nice refreshing drink to counter the heat of the day. However, in perusing the wine list, I couldn’t help, but notice the offering from Missouri.

While MO doesn’t spring to mind as a world wine capital, the novelty was appealing and I couldn’t resist ordering a taste from my server. (When in Rome?) I am advised that it is a red, dessert wine, so I wait until I finish the dry, Chenin Blanc before taking the plunge.

The aromas are clean and youthful, but somewhat confected with notes of candied raspberry and cherry. On the palate, the wine is off-dry to medium-sweet (actually a lot less sweet than I had expected), with medium body, medium alcohol and low acidity. The medium intense flavors are of cherry with a medicinal or cough syrup character, followed by a bitter almond finish. The medium+ length is not as welcome as it might be due to the cloying and syrupy nature of the wine, lacking in overall structure, particularly acidity.

The wine was Harvest Red from Mount Pleasant Winery of Augusta, MO. This was actually the very first American Viticultural Area (AVA) enacted in the U.S. (1980). According to the winery’s website, the wine is a blend of St. Vincent and Couderc grapes. It was $6.00/glass on the Hyatt’s menu, but, thankfully, the server didn’t charge me for the taste-sized portion; it retails for $7.99 on the winery’s website.

For more information about Missouri wines, see: Missouri Wine Country.

Parlour Games

We had a lovely dinner with our friends, Dave and Monique, on Tuesday evening. We headed to Smith Street in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, near their apartment and the restaurant of choice was Chestnut, which we enjoyed very much.

Having dined there previously, Dave and Monique were familiar with the owner. When he came over to our table, Monique introduced me to him, noting my current academic study of wine. We chatted for a few moments, at which point he asked if I would like to play a game of blind tasting. While I don’t usually prefer to engage in such parlour tricks, he stressed that it was all in good fun. His low key attitude, coupled with the opportunity for everyone at our table to taste a gratis glass of wine, prompted me to consent.

A few minutes later, our server brought over four glasses of the mystery wine and we all began to taste. I did not easily recognize the wine, so I began to try and narrow it down. I had the Old World in mind and then my husband suggested it might be Italy due to its high acidity. I concurred and considered it might be Sangiovese or Barbera, both of which I had noticed earlier on the wine list.

When the owner expectantly returned to our table, I proferred the Sangiovese choice, while my husband guessed the Barbera. Both of us were wrong. In fact, the wine turned out to be a Chinon, which is produced from the Cabernet Franc grape. The two of us were a little surprised because we are big fans of the Cabernet Franc grape and hadn’t picked up on any of the classic indications of this grape such as herbal or earthy notes. We certainly didn’t expect to guess correctly, but attributed some of our error to the wine being somewhat atypical in its style. The online wine menu doesn’t seem to completely match what I recall from the restaurant, but the mystery wine might have been: Chinon – Domaine du Raifault 2004 France.

This atypicity in wine is becoming more common with the internationalization of wine trending toward the "international style." So much so, that a Master Sommelier recently revealed that the panel of examiners for the MS exam has to taste through a dozen or more wines to come to consensus in finding a single wine that is deemed to be a typical example and thus, included in the blind tasting exam.

However, whether or not it was a typical Chinon, it is clear that I still need to work on my deductive skills in identifying wines in blind tastings. I did attend two sessions at the SWE Conference on this topic, both of which provided good advice. Of course, in the end, the only way to truly excel at this skill is the same way one gets to Carnegie Hall…practice, practice, practice!

More Monterey

We arrived in Monterey on Wednesday morning (June 13) and had a few hours available before we needed to check in to the hotel and get ready for the aforementioned International Tasting.

It was a beautiful day as we drove down the coast in our convertible rental car (what a treat!). The car’s thermometer was quite interesting as it swiftly changed from a high of 89 degrees Farenheit to a much cooler 65 degrees, all within the span of an hour.

The temperature change was illustrative of the unique climatic conditions that influence the area. Inland, on the western side of the mountain ranges, there is no direct connection to the coast and the temperature is hot. Moving to the eastern side of the mountains, and thus, along the coast, the cold current of the Pacific Ocean pushes fog and cool air across the area.

Accordingly, much of the area is under fog for part of the day and the temperatures reflect the cooling influence. Moreover, a break in the mountain range permits the cool air to penetrate the valley. As a result, this area can grow grapes that prefer cooler climates such as Pinot Noir and Riesling. This explains why the Central Coast can be cooler than the Northern Coast despite its more southern location.

While I had read extensively about climatic influence when studying for my exams, it wasn’t until I experienced it so dramatically firsthand that I truly understood the power of ocean breezes, mountains and other geography. It was truly amazing to see it all in action.

M is for Monterey

At 3:30 AM on the day after my exam, I was rudely awoken by my alarm clock. No, it wasn’t malfunctioning. We were scheduled on a 5:50 flight out of LaGuardia on route to San Jose, CA (with a connection in Houston). The purpose of our trip was to attend the annual Society of Wine Educators’ conference, which was held in Monterey, CA this year.

Unfortunately, the conference actually began on the day we flew out, so we missed the first day, arriving just in time for the International Wine Tasting, but too late to attend the earlier education sessions. The tasting provides participants with an opportunity to taste wines from all over the world. However, it is frequently dominated by local wineries and there is often a chance to speak with the winemaker him/herself. Accordingly, we tasted a number of wines from within Monterey County making the pleasant acquaintance of many wineries which were new to us.

Unfortunately, between the extremely early rise and the change in time zones, we were soon quite tired, heading out with friends for a quick dinner before completely collapsing into dreamland. Not to worry, we still had two full conference days ahead.

Where’s the Wine?

I was solicited several months ago by a media agent who wished to send me one of her client’s books to promote on my blog, along with a Q&A from the author. She was enthusiastic about its fit for my blog, claiming that the book discussed the wine industry.

As I prohibit myself from readying any books or materials other than those related to my exam during my study period (January -June), I asked her to send me the book, which I would review after my test. My plan was to read it on the plane the morning after the exam.

The book was written by Meg Cabot, who built much of her writing fame on The Princess Diaries series. However, this book was written for a slightly more mature audience, with most of the characters having just recently graduated from college. Since my own 15th year college reunion has just come and gone, I felt a little weird reading about such a young cohort, but I pressed on.

By page 75 or so, there was no indication that this book had anything to do with wine, but I gave Meg the benefit of the doubt and continued reading. In fact, I read the entire book, and having done so, for one to say that this is a  book about the wine industry is a real stretch. The latter half of the book does take place at a chateau in Sarlat, France, where the owner has a vineyard and makes both still and sparkling wines, but this is merely a backdrop to the real story. Other than our heroine’s brief visit to the cellar for a tour and barrel sampling and a second visit (spoiler alert) to have sex on top of one of those said barrels, wine does not figure prominently in this book other than to be served at the weddings hosted at the chateau.

I will attribute the error to an overzealous press agent, but she should really be more careful about the claims she makes regarding her authors’ books. As for our author herself, setting the castle and its vineyard in Sarlat is an odd choice. Sarlat is located within the Dordogne region of France, which is known for its Armagnac (type of brandy), truffles and foie gras, not for still wines. While I don’t doubt that you can find several non-Armagnac vineyards in the area, they are limited at best. The proprietor’s focus on sparkling wine, however, is not that far-fetched given that the high acidity prized in grapes destined for Champagne is also a hallmark of the grapes prized for Armagnac and both regions have similarly chalky soils, which promote the retention of high acidity. Finally, I will note that having visited the town of Sarlat some years ago, it is quite picturesque and, vineyards or no vineyards, I would highly recommend a trip if you get the chance.