Author Archives: Tracy

Conference Reflections

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It is Friday morning and I’m sitting in a hotel conference center staring down eight imposing wine glasses. Despite the early hour and my jetlag, I am eager to learn about the wines in front of me. Yes, I know, for most people, drinking wine at 8:00 AM would indicate a problem, but I assure you, I am a trained professional.

As a member of the Society of Wine Educators, I have traveled to Eugene, Oregon to attend the annual conference and update my wine knowledge. Over the course of three days, I see much more of the hotel than the city itself, attending eleven educational seminars, an International Wine Tasting and the awards dinner. While a few of the seminars do not provide a tasting component, most do, averaging six to eight glasses each. One or two presenters even break the ten wine limit that had been mandated.

The session starts and the presenter regales us with stories on how the grapes in our glasses got their names. We are also provided with information on the twenty wine regions within Italy and the laws that govern the production of wine there. Her PowerPoint display is filled with breathtaking views of the various vineyards from which these wines come. Thirty minutes later, we commence with tasting. Concurrently, we are given specific details on the wines such as grape varieties, fermentation vessels and ageing length, among others.

With one’s palate at its peak in the morning, drinking this early is actually beneficial to the learning process. I pull the first glass toward me and tilt it over the white placemat to view the wine’s color and intensity. Next, I swirl the glass on the table to release its aromas and take a big sniff, carefully noting the scents I identify on my tasting sheet. I then take a sip of wine and swish it around my mouth, paying close attention to the sensations the wine produces in terms of its sweetness, acidity, structure and flavors. These, too, are noted on my sheet and then I pull a paper cup to my mouth and spit. Yes, it sounds, at best, un-ladylike and at worst, quite disgusting, but, with three more sessions, a lunch sponsored by Wines of Spain and tonight’s dinner all still ahead, I need to stay clearheaded and keep my palate sharp in order to give the eighth wine, and even the twenty-eighth wine, my full attention.

We finish tasting through all of the wines as the presenter wraps up her discussion. The last wine is a favorite of mine and though I am reluctant, this too is spat into the cup. On the way out, I pause to reconnect with a woman I met at last year’s conference and then meet up with another colleague who has attended a session on the globalization of wine. We briefly compare notes and head off to learn more. By the end of the weekend, I am exhausted, but, I hope, all the wiser.

SWE’onderful

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We are back from our trip to Eugene, Oregon where we attended the 30th annual conference of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE). We were unable to take the time to participate in any of the pre-conference visits to the local wineries, so we will have to make another trip. But, with my parents moving to Ashland, OR in the next few days, I’m sure that won’t be a problem.

Getting to the conference was a bit of a challenge, as you may recall the torrential storms we had last Wednesday. As a result, our flight was significantly delayed, pushing our arrival into SEA-TAC ahead five hours. Landing at 2:00 AM, we had missed our connection to Eugene and thus spent the night at the Marriott’s airport hotel.

We were safely at the conference by 10:00 AM on Thursday morning, having only missed the plenary session, although we did hear it was a great presentation. Back on track, we proceeded to our first session, for which I chose a presentation on the Russian River AVA. From there, it was a whirlwind of activity. Eleven educational sessions, three sponsored lunches, an international tasting and a gala dinner later, I was beginning to develop palate fatigue by the last day, but nonetheless, it was a wonderful conference.

Future Picks

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Well, we finally placed our futures order for the 2005 Bordeaux. We spent a Sunday afternoon flipping back and forth between the Sherry-Lehmann website, Jancis Robinson’s website and the Decanter magazine article that rated the 2005 futures. Much of the decision was made on price, with a wide number of wines priced well-beyond our range. We set a budget of $500, with the intent of purchasing several wines in the $20-$50 bracket, as opposed to a single bottle at $500.

In selecting the individual wines, we tried to find wines that not only scored well, but also had tasting notes, which appealed to our general taste in Bordeaux wines. We also looked to balance high scores with lower prices, in addition to the wine’s pedigree, i.e. third growth vs. cru bourgeois. Ideally, our selected wines have great tasting profiles, reasonably good pedigrees (most of the classified growths were outrageously expensive), high scores across critics and reasonable prices. 

While we don’t generally give considerable weight to critic scores in our buying decisions, in the interest of at least maintaining our investment value in the wines, we felt that such consideration was necessary. We are not expecting to make money on our futures purchase, but we don’t want to buy something now, only to find that it is available much cheaper later on. Of course, despite the machinations we went through to select our wines, it is still somewhat of a gamble. Only time will tell. Check back with me in 2008…

Wine Pairing Dilemma

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Many people wonder about pairing the right wine with the right food. Fortunately, we have moved well beyond the simple mantra of white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. I am willing to try new combinations of wine and food and have attended several educational sessions, which challenged the participants to think outside the box when pairing.

However, I often have a more basic dilemma. We have several bottles in our cellar, which I consider to be very nice bottles. These are bottles that are generally more expensive than our standard house wines and are often somewhat special in their limited production, my sentimental attachment to them or both. The problem is that I am not comfortable in opening these wines to pair with simple food.

Yes, that bottle of Pride Mountain Merlot (purchased at their Napa vineyard) might go well with Italian food, but, if I make spaghetti and open a jar of sauce, am I being disrespectful to the wine? What if I am too lazy to even boil water and microwave a Weight Watchers pizza instead? I wonder how the winemaker might feel knowing that I had squandered their lovely wine by drinking it with a frozen dinner. Would s/he be insulted? Or, perhaps they don’t care, as long as I enjoyed the wine? 

I know I feel guilty to "share" these wines with such base food. Rather, I hoard them until I am ready to make a fancy dinner. But, unfortunately, among work, school and launching a business, I rarely have the time or the energy for grand cooking endeavors anymore. Hence, my nice wines remain in the cellar. Perhaps I am overthinking the whole thing and should simply consider that wine goes with food, period. Is it time for dinner yet?

Fresh & Fabulous

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Due to recent illness, I’ve regretably had to miss two wines events in the last week, but, restored to health, I can happily report on the Prosecco event I attended yesterday.

For those unfamiliar with Prosecco, it is a sparkling wine, generally from Italy. Keeping things simple, the grape variety is Prosecco, the region is Prosecco and the wine itself is called Prosecco. In a word, Prosecco.

The highest quality Proseccos are those with the Prosecco DOC designation, which means that the viticulture and vinification all conform to the appellation laws and are regulated by the local consortium. The appellation is primarily demarcated by two main towns — Conegliano and Valdobbiadene — located within the province of Treviso, which lies approximately 30 miles from Venice. Within this area, there are 3,500 growers and 135 producers.

The Prosecco grape is indigenous to this area and thus thrives in the region’s hilly vineyards, at the foothills of the pre-Alps. The days are warm, with cooler nights, allowing for aromatics to develop in the grape. The most superior vineyards are located in the village of Cartizze in which there are 267 acres planted. Here, the vineyards have a southernly exposure, better soils and yields are kept lower. Consequently, these wines are highly prized.

Upon harvest, the grapes are crushed and pressed as with any white wine, and fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days at at temperature of ~65°F. It is then racked, clarified and filtered before being placed in large stainless steel vats.

Utilizing the Charmat method of producing a sparkling wine, concentrated grape must and yeast are added to the vat, whereby a secondary fermentation begins and is held for 45 days. During this period, the CO2 produced by the fermentation is trapped in the vat and adds sparkle to the wine. The sediment from the spent yeast is then removed and the wine itself bottled. Unlike the traditional method (the method used in Champagne), the process is conducted en masse in the vat, rather than in the individual bottles. Accordingly, the fresh and fruity aromas and flavors of the wine are retained and yeasty/bready notes are less prominent than in Champagne and Champagne-style sparklers.

With the quick production method, Prosecco makes its way to the market within the same year as it is harvested. It is expected to be drunk in its infancy to best enjoy its freshness. Prosecco pairs well with many foods from seafood and fish to vegetables, cream cheeses and Asian foods. It can also be a nice match with slightly fried foods as the acid in the wine washes away the oil from the palate. Sweeter styles can also go well with lighter desserts.

Pale lemon in color and with a medium bead, Proseccos tend toward a floral bouquet, with notes of white fruits (apple, pear and citrus) on the palate. It is lower in alcohol than many wines, averaging about 11% abv. Wines labeled as Brut will be drier than those labeled as Extra Dry, which is true of all sparkling wines. Wines from Cartizze will be labeled as such and generally are slightly sweeter than the Extra Dry.

Their crisp acidity, fresh fruit flavors and sparkle make Proseccos a great wine for the summer. Perhaps even more refreshing is their price. The generic Proseccos (those from outside the delimited area) start as low as $9.00/bottle, with the better Prosecco DOCs running $15-$20 and the Cartizzes ranging from $25-30, placing these wines well within reach for every day drinking. Why not open one today?

Exam Update

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After three days home in bed with the flu, I received a welcome post in the mail. My Unit 2 exam scores arrived and I was quite pleased with the results. While they do not provide participants with their specific numerical score, I do know that I achieved at least a 75, as I not only passed, but passed with distinction. I had been told that no one scores above 80 on this exam, so while a 75 seems like a C in comparison with other grading systems, it is rather a successful grade in this case. Needless to say, I am both relieved and proud of my achievement. Of course, I still have 5 additional units to go, but it is a nice start to this journey.

Crystal Ball

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If you follow the wine trade at all, you probably noticed that the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is headlining nearly every wine publication.  This vintage is being heralded as the best vintage since…ever. Accordingly, there is significant hype surrounding the launch of these much-vaunted wines. This means that we should all be in for a real treat if we are lucky to get to taste these wines either upon release or later on in their lives. It also means that their initial price offerings are staggering; wines that had previously sold in the double-digits are now offered at triple-digits.

These wines, made from the grapes harvested in 2005, still have to mature before they are bottled and released in 2008. However, they are now available as futures, which entails placing your order today for receipt of the wines later. This provides the chateaux with much needed cash flow while the "merchandise" sits in their cellars. Purchasing futures can be a good way to acquire Bordeaux wines, but similarly to investment in other futures (i.e. stocks, hogs, gold) it is not without risk.

First and foremost, make sure that you are dealing with a reputable wine merchant. You are giving someone your money upfront and won’t take delivery until several years later, so you want to be certain that the someone will still be around to deliver on their promise. I have always trusted Sherry-Lehmann in this regard. They have been in the futures game for over 50 years, so they have both longevity and experience. But, they are certainly not the only trustworthy merchant around.

Another important point to consider is the price paid. When buying futures, you are betting that the initial price will be less expensive than the price offered upon release. Yet, there is no guarantee that this will be true. A wine might rate an impressive score today (all of the wines were tasted as barrel samples by the trade several months ago), but the same critic may feel differently about the wine when they taste it a few years hence, which could cause the price to fall.

The advantage to buying futures is that you can ensure that you will have access to the wines you want before they are sold out. Presumably, with the high regard for these wines, they will be difficult to procure in 2008 if you didn’t purchase them as futures. Again, there is no guarantee that this will be true either.

Personally, as a Bordeaux lover, I can’t help, but get caught up in all of the hoopla. My first forray into futures was with the 2000 vintage, which was another successful year for Bordeaux, now overshadowed by 2005. I haven’t finalized my selection yet, but I know that I’ll need to make room in my cellar for the new lot. Fortunately, I have a few years in which to drink through all those bottles in the way.

Corked, Capped or Screwed?

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Yesterday, I attended a seminar and luncheon presented by MHUSA on alternate closures. For those unfamilar with non-alternate closures, they are in a word — cork. As alternatives, the wine industry hs turned to screw caps and crown caps among other products. NB: Crown caps are used for sparkling wines, while screw caps are found on still wines.

Cork has been the method of choice for wine closures for centuries, but recent failure rates (reports of which range from 2-12%) are no longer acceptable. The primary failure in question is that of cork taint, caused by a reaction of the Tri-ChloroAnisole (TCA) bacteria with chlorine/chlorinated-compounds. This negative reaction begins on the surface of the cork and then spreads to the wine itself, rendering it undrinkable and smelling like my wet, moldy basement (or anyone’s wet, moldy basement for that matter).

The discussion took place among a distinguished panel of winemakers hailing from Domaine Chandon (CA) and Greenpoint (Aus) as well as the off-premise (Acker Merrall) and on-premise (Mark Hotel) trade and centered on the changing use of alternate closures in the industry.  While many people historically associate screw caps with less expensive wines, their use in fine wines is becoming more prevalent. Notably, 90% of all wine made in New Zealand from the 2006 vintage will be bottled under a screw cap or crown cap. Australia lags behind with a figure of 45%. Of further interest, market figures show a positive acceptance of the alternate closures in Japan, which is among the most traditional markets.

The U.S. consumer has been somewhat slower to demand alternate closures than their Southern hemisphere counterparts, but none of the panel members indicated any real resistance. The technology has evolved dramatically, especially over the last two years, making these closure choices near perfect. They seem to overcome issues of cork taint, oxidation (spoilage by contact with O2) and reduction (off-flavors from a lack of O2). However, they are not without their critics and APCOR (the trade organization representing the cork industry) has recently launched its own campaign to laud the advances made in cork technology to address its (former) failures. The U.S. campaign is fronted by an MS (whose name escapes me at the moment) and Lisa Airey of the Society of Wine Educators. I am confident that this debate will continue throughout this decade.

At the conclusion of the seminar, we had the opportunity to taste through two samples each of five wines (one under cork and the other under screw or crown cap). Since these were young wines (the oldest was 2003), the comparison was less evident, but it did appear that the caps retained the freshness and fruit slightly better than the corks. However, only time will tell.

In the meantime, it is clear that both traditional and alternate closures have their place in the market. The merits of one or the other aside, nothing can substitute for proper storage of your wine in order to preserve their quality. Expose your wine to light, heat and/or vibrations and you will be screwed, regardless of the closure on the bottle!

Launched!

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This weekend has arrived and brought positive results all around. Yesterday was the big day. We launched our first class with 14 students and, despite the artic weather (it was cold for June), I think it went well. We presented our From Vine to Wine class, which covers the full gamut from grape growing to wine making and then provides a guided tasting of five wines. The group seemed to have a good time and the course evaluations were predominently positive. There was one guy who yawned throughout, but perhaps he partied too much the night before?

It was a great first experience and bodes well for the rest of the summer. We did have to cancel today’s class (Sunday) due to a lack of sign-ups, but we’ll be experimenting with different time slots in July. Our guess is that people don’t want to commit to a morning activity on Sundays.

Later on in the day, we were delighted to learn that the private class we donated to a silent auction to benefit a son’s school brought in the most money of the evening. We are looking forward to presenting the class to the lucky group later this year.

We also had the pleasant opportunity to share dinner with Harvey Passes and his wife Marji, enjoying several wonderful bottles of wine, along with great food and great company.

Our next class will be June 17 at Castello di Borghese, Long Island’s first vineyard — it is an exciting opportunity to teach at such an historic property.  If June is too busy for you, stay tuned for our July schedule — to be posted very soon.

A Sigh of Relief

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Well, the exam is behind me now. At least the current one, that is. I’m confident that I passed, but I’m sure I could have performed better, as well. For a multiple-choice exam, it was incredibly difficult. You really had to know your stuff; there was no bluffing that could help as the choices differed from one another often by only a single word. I expect that it will be about two months before I get my score since the scan-tron sheets are sent to London (home of the WSET) for grading. Regardless, the studying really cemented the information in my head so I’m ready to teach this week.

My next challenge is tackling the Certified Wine Educator exam, to be held in late August. This exam is a combination of multiple-choice, essay and blind tasting exercises. No rest for the weary…