Category Archives: Wine World

Make Mine a Malbec

Posted on by
1

The Wine Media Guild hosted Jean-Lous Carbonnier, representative of the International Malbec Association and Ricardo Giadorou of Argentina’s Dolium Winery at its November lunch. Featuring a tasting of Argentine and Cahors Malbecs, attendees had the opportunity to taste and compare these wines.

The Malbec grape originated in France and is currently grown in Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Cahors. Wines from France’s Cahors region must be produced from a minimum of 70% Malbec, but Merlot and Tannat may also be a part of the blend. Most domains are modest in size, averaging 37 acres. The AOC was established in 1971, which helped to stimulate a rebirth of the area’s vineyards.

Despite Malbec’s association with France, it is planted in much greater numbers in Argentina, having arrives in the 1880s. The Dolium Winery is based in the cru of Lucan de Cuyo and is a gravity flow winery having been built underground. Fifteen percent of the winery’s 200,000 hectares are devoted to Malbec. Ricardo explained that in Argentina’s climate, Malbec was an extremely versatile grape, capable of producing concentrated wines. Compared to their Cahors counterparts, the Argentine Malbecs possess softer and sweeter tannins.

During the tasting, most people agreed that the Argentine Malbecs were much more fruit forward with black fruit and ripe tannins. Conversely, the Cahors wines were denser with tighter tannins and less fruit. A number of the Cahors showed notes of wet leaves and tar. A last minute addition to the tasting were three wines from Viu Manent’s Chilean properties. These wines seemed to be a cross between the Argentine and Cahors styles, with a certain elegance to their meaty and black and red fruit notes. The lone rose, which was from Dolium, was dry, yet fruity, with floral, berries and slight grapefruit pith note in the undercurrent, was a refreshing change to what was otherwise a line up of all red wines.

In addition, I had occasion to blind taste two Argentine Malbecs at home.

Redwood Creek Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina
The wine had aromas of spice, black and bramble fruit and vanilla, with blackberry, blueberry, spice and oak on the palate. It had good acidity, with medium+ body, medium tannins, medium alcohol and medium+ length.

Layer Cake Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina
This wine displayed smoke, oak, blackfruits, and faint notes of meat and mint on the nose, which persisted on the palate with a slightly jammy character to the fruit. A full-bodied wine, it had soft tannins. The length was medium+ in duration, but the high alcohol left a burn at the back of the palate in the finish.

The Redwood Creek wine showed brighter fruit and a more balanced alcohol, while the Layer Cake was more concentrated with riper, jammy bramble fruit.

 

Can California wine age?

Posted on by
1

Can California wine age? The answer was a resounding “Yes!” when members of the Wine Media Guild had the luxury of tasting through several older vintages of wine from a number of California’s centenary wineries.

The wineries represented at the tasting included Charles Krug, Simi, Schramsberg Vineyards, Wente Vineyards, Buena Vista, Beaulieu and Gundlach Bundschu, with both newer vintages and library wines on hand to taste.

Most surprising was a 1935 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon, which, while not fresh, was still quite drinkable. A second treasure unearthed from Simi’s cellars was a 1935 Tokay dessert wine. Tasters seemed equally pleased with the 1966 Charles Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.

Guest speaker, Peter Mondavi, whose grandparents purchased the winery in 1943, was on hand to provide some history and answer questions.

But, as the event wore on, many wondered if the recent vintages would fare as well as those of yesteryear, with a particular focus on alcohol levels. The Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 1966 had only 12% abv compared to the 15% abv of the 2008 vintage of the same wine.

Peter explained that pre-1980, many of the vines were virused, which effected the plants’ ability to conduct photosynthesis. As a result, sugar accumulation was slow, but physiological ripeness (tannins and other phenolic compounds) was sound. Accordingly, these wines were produced at an average of 12% alcohol by volume.

In contrast, current California vines are extremely healthy and very efficient at producing sugars and at a fast rate. Consequently, these vines have high alcohol levels (14% and upwards). Moreover, with the rapid sugar development, the natural acidity levels are lower than in the past. With their high alcohol, coupled with lower acidity, it was surmised that today’s wines will not be as longlived. Of course, only time will tell.

Notes from Napa

Posted on by
Reply

A venture from the folks at Folie à Deux, Napa Cellars produces a full range of the usual suspects and prides itself on producing consistent wines from vintage to vintage, by sourcing fruit from quality vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The winemaker is Joe Shirley.

Napa Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $26.00
Winemaking: 18 months of aging, predominantly in French oak, 55% of which was new.
Aromas: Red and black fruit, pepper, oak and mint
Flavors: Juicy fruit notes of blackberry, oak and eucalyptus
Structure: Medium acidity; medium, ripe tannins; medium+ length

Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $18.00
Aromas: Pronounced herbal and citrus
Flavors: Lemon, lemon meringue, slight herbal
Structure: High acidity, medium+ length
A very nice wine.

Napa Cellars Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $22.00
Aromas: Apple, toast, smoke, slight melon
Flavors: Toast, apple, melon, smoke, caramel in finish
Structure: Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, medium+ alchohol, medium length

Napa Cellars Mount Veeder Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $32.00
Aromas: Oak, nuts, bruised apple
Flavors: Oak, apple, nuts
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, medium- alcohol, long length

The Mt. Veeder wine was tasted with the regular Chardonnay. It was deeper in color and I found it to be more balanced in its use of oak. It also had a longer length.

Napa Cellars Dyer Vineyard Syrah 2007, Napa Valley, CA, $28.00
Aromas: Smokey, blackcherry, vanilla, hint of leather
Flavors: Blackcherry, vanilla, smoke and leather
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, high alcohol, medium length
Powerful wine with concentrated fruit and nice acidity, but a bit hot.

Napa Cellars Zinfandel 2007, Napa Valley, CA, $22.00
Winemaking: 88% Zinfandel, 12% Petite Sirah; Aged 18 months in French & American oak (40% new)
Formal notes not taken, but the wine was very balanced and concentrated with bramble fruit and spice. It paired well with an Ecuadorian chocolate with banana and cayenne pepper.

Grand Cru Grapevine: Talking Turkey (November 2010)

Posted on by
Reply

We don’t know about you, but we find it hard to believe that November has arrived with Thanksgiving just around the corner (wasn’t it just July?).

Fortunately, we had a wonderful October, which included a fabulous trip to Italy’s Campania region, with visits to Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio. We’ll share additional details in a future newsletter.

This month finds Tracy presenting two sessions (Italian Sparklers and South African Wines) at the American Wine Society’s annual conference, while Jared finished up our public North Fork schedule this weekend with our From Mystery to Mastery class. But don’t despair; you can contact us for private classes and events year round at your place or ours.

As you prepare for the holiday, we hope you have a lot to be thankful for and wish you a very Happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Drink wisely and well,

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer 

       and 

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer 

 

Talking Turkey

While turkey (the poultry) may grace your table soon enough, you may not have thought about setting your table with wines from Turkey (the country). Yet, there are some wonderful wines being produced there that are worth checking out.

Kavaklidere was Turkey’s first privately-owned, wine producer when it was established in 1929 in Ankara. Today, Kavaklidere is Turkey’s largest producer and the only one to import its wines to the U.S. (at least for now). Despite its size, Kavaklidere is considered to be the best producer in Turkey. Some of this can be attributed to a decision that the company made in 1993, a watershed moment that winemaker, Ali Basman, points to when Kavaklidere “decided to increase the quality” of its wines through improved technology and viticulture. As a result, the company has made significant investments to plant new vineyards and build new winery facilities, planting 170 ha at their Côtes d’Avanos Vineyard in central Anatoila that year. In 2005, an additional 200 ha site was identified in Pendore due to its tufa and volcanic soil, good diurnal variation and 3,000′ plateau.

Since 2008, Kavaklidere has partnered with famed enologist Stéphane Derenoncourt to focus on creating quality wines with Turkish grape varieties. Current plantings include 550 ha, which consist of indigenous varieties along with international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Carignan. The company also maintains three winery facilities located throughout the country. Kavaklidere produces two grape juices as well as 43 wines, which range from still to sparkling and fortified and dry to sweet, with 20% of its products exported to foreign markets. With such a diversity of wines (although admittedly not all are imported to the U.S.), you are sure to find one that you’d happily serve with this year’s turkey. 

Wine Tasting Notes


Egeo Rose 2009, Aegean/Denizli and Pendore, Turkey
A blend of Cal Karasi (60%), Syrah (25%) and Grenache (15%), this wine was macerated for a brief period, producing a bright, pink hue and aromas of strawberry and floral notes. It is dry on the palate with vibrant acidity, showing strawberry with an herbal undercurrent.Cote d’Avanos Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Cappodocia, Turkey
This wine has a pronounced nose of lemon, lemon pepper and minerality. On the palate, it is dry with medium+ acidity and notes of lemon, stone and slight yeastiness, the latter a result of the15 months the wine spent aging on the lees (spent yeast cells). 

Pendore Okuzgozu 2008, Elazig, Turkey
Produced from 100% of the indigenous Okozgoku, this wine spends 12 months in French oak barrels. It is floral with red fruits such as raspberry, with moderate tannins, medium body and an undercurrent of bitter chocolate. 

Prestige Kalecik Karasi 2005, Ankara, Turkey
With its herbaceous and vegetal aromas, medium+ acidity and notes of bright red fruit, this wine, produced from 100% Kalecki Karasi, seemed to be most similar to Pinot Noir, but its full body pointed to its true identity. 

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 arrives with Molly Sims, Franck Duboeuf and Peter Deutsch

Posted on by
Reply

Molly Sims, Franck Duboeuf and Peter Deutsch welcome the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2010...cirque style.

Like clockwork, the Beuajolais Nouveau arrived on the third Thursday of November, attended by a circus-style celebration for the 2010 harvest. Actress, model and jewelry designer, Molly Sims, was on hand to toast the first glass from Georges Duboeuf, with George’s son, Franck, serving as Master of Ceremonies under the big top at District 36. The luncheon, prepared by chef Marc Murphy (of Landmarc and now also Benchmarc catering), was accompanied by the Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 and the Morgon Jean Descombes 2009. Other Beaujolais crus were available at the self-pour bar during the initial reception. Overhead, attendees were treated to aerialists dangling from silks, while jugglers, magicians and contortionists dazzled at eye-level.

Beaujolais, whether Nouveau or not, is a wine made in the southernmost part of Burgundy from the Gamay grape. While Gamay is not most people’s favorite grape variety — often associated with prejorative aromas of bubble gum and banana, this year’s wine showed none of these characteristics and was simply pleasing with its ripe cherry fruit and soft tannins. And, it went nicely with the meal.

As a wine, Beaujolais Nouveau has both its share of proponents and detractors, but for me, it is more about the symbolism than the wine itself. Here we are in November, only a few weeks after the harvest and we have much to be thankful for and much to celebrate. Along comes Beaujolais Nouveau, ready to honor the year’s work. Most wines are still preparing for the party (and may take years to do so as they dress in layers of oak, vanilla and toast), but Beaujolais Nouveau and other wines produced in a nouveau-style are not only fully dressed, they are prepared to dance until dawn.

No, it is not a wine on which to meditate, but sometimes all you need is a simple glass of wine, good food and good friends in order to sit back and enjoy the good life. Salut!

Juggler at Beaujolais Nouveau celebration.

Grand Cru Grapevine: Bubbles Born in the USA: American Sparklers (October 2010)

Posted on by
Reply

We have had a busy, but productive, fall season thus far. Our wine salon, From Mystery to Mastery, conducted as part of the East End’s first HARVEST Wine Auction & Celebration was met with great success as was Tracy’s Sex, Wine & Chocolate event with certified sexuality educator, Amy Levine, held at the beautiful Coco de Mer erotica and lingerie store.

Tracy will be teaching at the International Wine Center later this month and at NYU for three classes in November. Her session on Italian Sparkling wines, to be presented at the American Wine Society’s (AWS) annual conference is sold out with 90 registrants and only a few seats remain for her session on South African Wines.

In honor of the AWS’ conference location in Cincinnati, OH – what we’ve dubbed, “the other Cin city” and birthplace of America’s first sparkling wine – we bring you the history of Nicholas Longworth this month.

Drink wisely and well,

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer 

       and 

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer 

Bubbles Born in the USA: America Sparkles

America has long had a love affair with sparkling wine, yet, while many Americans would be quick to identify Dom Perignon as an iconic figure of the Champagne region, few would know that they owe a debt of sparkling gratitude to Nicholas Longworth who created the first American sparkling wine – a Sparkling Catawba, in 1842.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1783, this “crazy Jerseyman” stood somewhere between 5′-1″ and 5′-3″ and arrived in Cincinnati in 1804 (one year after Ohio had attained statehood), at the age of 21. After studying law for six months (there were apparently a lot fewer laws back then), he established a law practice.
 

Concurrent with his legal work, Longworth made shrewd investments in land, beginning in 1820. These real estate investments permitted Longworth to indulge in a new passion for horticulture and viticulture, pursuing the latter as a hobby as he began to plant vines along the Ohio River. 

His first attempts were with vitis vinifera, which, having been planted prior to the discovery of phylloxera, not surprisingly died shortly thereafter. Longworth then tried his hand at the American species, vitis labrusca. Specifically, he became interested in the Catawba grape (native to North Carolina), which was hearty enough to withstand the harsh winters of Ohio, planting these vines in 1825. He produced his first wine three years later, declared himself satisfied and subsequently quit his law practice, eventually crafting a sparkling version of his beloved Catawba.

But fortunately, Nicholas wasn’t the only one who admired his slightly sweet, sparkling wines. His wine was enjoyed not only throughout the United States, but also abroad in England and France. It was further lauded by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who immortalized Longworth’s wine in his, “Ode to Catawba” published during the 1850s.

Longworth’s success eventually established him as the “wealthiest man in Ohio.” In fact, “…in 1850 his taxes rated higher than any other man in the United States except William B. Astor…” at an annual bill of $17,000 and, at his death, his wealth was estimated to be $15 million. (Harper’s Weekly)

In addition to being an accomplished wine producer, Longworth was a generous person and used his wealth to help others in his community. He provided work for those in need; built housing above his wine cellars for indigent laborers; and distributed bread to the hungry from his home every Monday morning.

Longworth’s efforts also helped to cement Ohio as a key winegrowing area in the United States. By 1860, Longworth had 3,000 acres of vines and was producing 570,000 gallons of wine, annually bottling 150,000 bottles. During this period, Ohio led the nation in the production of wine, supplying one-third of the nation’s wine and out-producing California by two to one. However, this boom was short-lived as Ohio wine production declined in both the wake of viticultural disease and a loss of labor as Ohioans left to fight in the Civil War.

Yet Ohio was not alone in its pursuit of bubbles. In 1855, Benjamin Davis Wilson, who was to become the first mayor of Los Angeles, was the first to produce a sparkling wine in California. And, across the country, a “champagne” industry was started in Hammondsport in New York’s Finger Lakes region in 1860. Crafting sparklers from Delaware, Iona, Elvira and Catawba grapes, the Pleasant Valley and Taylor Wine Companies set about to establish “American champagne [as] the leading wine of the region.” (Reichl, 14) 

While most of this early success with sparkling wine was brought to an end in the 1920s as America pursued Prohibition, by 1933, “[t]he few surviving Eastern wineries, principally sparkling-wine producers of New York State [namely Great Western and Gold Seal], soon found their bearings again.” (Wagner, 61)

And, only a few decades later, a renaissance would take place, with Jack and Jamie Davies re-establishing a winery at the old Schramsburg estate in Napa Valley, CA. With a focus on quality, not quantity, the Davies’ produced a Blanc de Blancs, which they released in 1967, becoming “America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine.” (Sawyer) Schramsburg’s reputation was assured when, in 1972, their sparkling wine was poured at the “Toast to Peace” dinner with President Nixon and Premier Chou En-lai in Bejing, China. Their wines have been poured in the White House ever since.

Today, sparkling wine is produced in all fifty states, and, while many of these producers are local in scope, leading American sparklers are found in California, Oregon, New York, Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Massachusetts, and are often national and even international in their reach. Here, many serious winemakers are crafting world-class wines utilizing the Traditional Method of production, with ultra-premium producers focused on estate-grown grapes and the production of vintage-dated wines.

Harper’s Weekly Journal of Civilization, Nicholas Longworth Obituary, published 3/7/1863.

Reichel, Ruth ed., History in a Glass: Sixty Years of Wine Writing from Gourmet. Random House: New York, 2006 [Frank Schoonmaker, Return to the Native, p. 14]

Sawyer, Christopher. “The Best of Both Worlds.” The tasting panel, December 2009.

Wagner, Philip M.  Grapes Into Wine, Knopf Press, 1976

  
  

Producer Profiles

Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is “the most visited winery in the United States,” seeing one million visitors annually. The 125,000 acre estate is the site of George Vanderbilt (grandson of Cornelius)’s dream home designed by noted architect Richard Morris Hunt. The Château Reserve Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay from fruit sourced throughout North Carolina and is aged 24-30 months before disgorging.

Chateau Frank
In 1962, Dr. Konstantin Frank established Vinifera Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, New York and earned a reputation for his Rieslings and “champagnes.” The 1999 Prestige Cuvee is made with 100% estate-grown fruit, a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier and then aged for more than five years. 

Gruet Winery
The Gruet family of Champagne, France established their Albuquerque, NM winery in 1984. The 2004 Blanc de Blancs remained en tirage for a minimum of four years with the last bottles reaching anywhere up to five years.

Iron Horse Vineyards
When Iron Horse’s founding partners, Audrey and Barry Sterling, first saw the 300 acre property in 1976, it was the most westerly vineyard in Sonoma, but the Sterlings knew they wanted to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and that this was the perfect climate in which to do so. The 2005 Classic Vintage Brut is among the most traditional of their sparklers, made from 25% Chardonnay and 75% Pinot Noir and aged for three years. 

Kluge Estate
Kluge Estate was established in 1999 in Carter’s Mountain on the edge of Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, VA by Patricia Kluge whose dream was to build a wine region. The 2007 SP Rosé, made from 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir, was aged for 21-24 months and won at the Monticello Cup in 2010 and took home Silver medals at both the San Diego Wine & Spirits National Women’s Wine Competitions.
 

L. Mawby
Larry Mawby planted vines on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula in 1973, with his first harvest in 1978. His Talismon is made from estate grown fruit picked as a field blend of Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.

Soter Vineyards
Although he is more known for his Pinot Noirs, Tony Soter chose to make a sparkler because he is a “sucker for a winegrowing challenge.” Produced from 100% estate grown fruit, the Soter Rosé is a 50-50% blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and spent at least three years on the lees.
 


Troutman Vineyards
Building on Ohio’s wine legacy, Deanna and Andy Troutman established Troutman Vineyards in 1997. Their Cuveé D, a brut style sparkler made from hybrid variety, Vidal Blanc, won a Bronze Medal at the 2009 Ohio Wine Competition in the Hybrid Sparkling Wine category. 

Chenin Shines Brightly

Posted on by
Reply

AWS Tasting at Grand Cru Classes ~ October 2010

The tasting featured a collection of Chenin Blancs from South Africa and ranged in price from $5.00/bottle to $55.00/bottle. The majority of the wines were dry, but the final wine was a noble late harvest Chenin Blanc

The crowd favorites, based on the AWS evaluation and scoring (20 point scale) were as follows:

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa – coming in with an average score of 15.5; I had it at 16
At $13.00, this was a lot of wine for the money – complex aromas of tropical fruit, botrytis and lanolin, richness on the palate, medium+ length

At 16.2, Ken Forrester’s FMC 2007, Stellenbosch, South Africa neared the top of the list, but, at $55.00, the group was less inclined to purchase it. Aromas of nuts, yeast, botrytis and spice; lush tropical fruit, oak, spice, with a caramelized note in the long length.

The highest scoring wine of the night was the Darling Cellars Onyx (Noble Late Harvest) 2008, with an average 16.4. $20.00 for a 375 ml bottle – not too bad for a dessert wine, especially one with the complexity and balance that this one showed. Aromas of honey, licorice, spice and apricot; medium sweet on the palate with honey and tangerine; long length.

When in doubt, drink Tequila

Posted on by
Reply

The view from the balcony was breathtaking – the sand, the sea and the sun all conspired to produce an amazing tableau. Sitting on the balcony every day, we never grew bored with the sight.

Situated in the heart of Cancun, Mexico, we settled into a rhythm for our vacation, foreswearing our usual wine for a week filled with Margaritas. Our visit to the downtown Walmart had yielded an inexpensive, but reasonably nice quality, bottle of Tequila, along with the ubiquitous Jose Cuervo Margarita mix. It wasn’t fancy, but the duo did the trick and kept us awash in cocktails for the week.

Admittedly, a true Margarita should be made with Triple Sec and lime juice (instead of the mix), but we took the lazy journey to Margaritaville.

During our trip, we had the pleasure of visiting the Hacienda Tequila where we were given a brief tutorial on how tequila is made and were reminded on just what it is that makes tequila, well, tequila.

Tequila is part of the larger class of spirits called Mezcal, which are produced from the agave plant. Tequila hails from a delimited area within Mexico, centered around the state of Jalisco, but with differences in aromas and flavors stemming from the various terroirs. In addition, it must be made with 100% blue agave, which is considered to be a superior variety of agave. While these plants resemble cacti, they are actually related to the Amaryllis family.

Jimadors (field workers) harvest the core of the blue agave when the plant is between 6 and 8 years of age. The cores are cooked with direct heat for 36-48 hours and then left in the ovens with residual heat for an additional 24-36 hours. This cooking process is necessary in order to convert the starchy core into a fermentatble sugar. After cooking, the cores are milled to extract the  sugary liquid and remove the extensive fiber. This liquid is fermented into an alcoholic liquid, which is then distilled in pot stills, generally with two distillations.

Depending upon the maturation and ageing, tequilas are labeled as follows:
*Gold or Joven – unaged, with the addition of coloring agents (mostly caramel)
*White or Blanco – unaged or rested a maximum of two months
*Reposado – minimum of two months aging in wood
*Anejo – minimum of one year aging in wood
*Extra Anejo – minimum of three years aging in wood

We tasted through a number of tequilas at Hacienda Tequila, most of which were sipping tequilas — too good to be adultered with margarita mix. One of our favorites was the Casa Azul Reposado, which we purchased in the airport’s duty free shop on the way home. We also loved the Casa Azul Anejo, but it was pricier than we preferred to spend. Now, all we need to do is pour some tequila, close our eyes and be transported back to our Cancun balcony.

Captain, My Captain

Posted on by
Reply

Each year, the American Wine Society (AWS) sponsors two wine competitions recognizing both amateur and commercial winemaking. The wines are judged in Pittsburgh with extra bottles of wine sent to be informally evaluated at the annual conference in a mock competition. At conference, tables are staffed by volunteers who are wine judges, graduates of the Wine Judging Training Program (WJTP) and/or those currently in the program. These table captains are to lead their table members in an evaluation of the wines. Since I had just began the WJTP, I volunteered to be a table captain.

Called up to the front of the room, each table captain had to grab an unmarked box of wine and returned to his/her table. Mine was a flight of Chardonnays. After carefully reading the instructions, and opening the wines, I waited until the participants entered the room and my table was filled. In all, there were five of us at my table, representing one of about 20 tables altogether.

I welcomed the group and explained how a wine competition was run and what they should do this afternoon. Once everyone was fully briefed, we began to pour samples of the first five wines into our glasses, passing each bottle onto the next person. The next step was to begin tasting/evaluating and scoring using the AWS 20-point format. After everyone had completed this process, I asked each person for the total score on each wine, before we discussed each wine on its own. The first wine’s scores ranged from 10 to 16. One person continued to be an outlier at the low end throughout the scoring process. The following bottle seemed to be flawed and our scores reflected it. We continued to taste through bottles 3, 4 and 5 in the same manner. Dumping out wines 1 through 5 (we only had 5 glasses each), we then poured and tasted wines 6 and 7, following the same procedures. We agreed that our bottle of wine 6 was faulted and chose not to score it. At the end, the official scores were unearthed from the envelope and we compared our average scores with the judges.

Here is how our scores compared:
Wine 1 – 13.7 (Us) vs. 14.0 (official judges)
Wine 2 – 10.3 vs. 14.17
Wine 3 – 11.7 vs.12.0
Wine 4 – 12.3 vs.11.83
Wine 5 – 14.2 vs.12.67
Wine 6 – Not scored vs. 8.67
Wine 7 – 14.7 vs.16.0

As evidenced from the above comparison, while our scores didn’t fully match the official judging, we were relatively close with the exception of Wine 2, for which there may have been a problem with our bottle since we felt it was flawed. 

All in all, I thought it was a very interesting and instructive exercise and look forward to volunteering again in November 2010.

Building my strengths in the American Wine Society Wine Judging Training Program

Posted on by
Reply

As an educator, it is important to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. While strong on wine knowledge, my blind tasting skills are my weakest area. Therefore, I enrolled in the American Wine Society (AWS)’s Wine Judging Training Program (WJTP) as a way to discipline myself to keep my skills sharp. Presently, this three- year program is only offered in conjunction with the society’s annual conference, held in various locales. I began the program in November 2009, with the conference held at the Grand Sandestin Resort in Destin, Florida.

In advance of the conference, program participants are provided with a required reading list, syllabus and learning objectives and are instructed to arrive prepared for an exam – written and practical. As to be expected, all instructors in the program are graduates of it themselves.

We spent the morning reviewing important aspects of a wine’s appearance, paying attention to clarity, color and depth, led by Ken Brewer. Ken also spent considerable time discussing wine judging in general and the characteristics of being a good wine judge. Above all is the need to be objective in your evaluation, regardless of whether you absolutely adore a wine or positively hate it. 

Next, Richard Ulsh, a chemistry professor at the University of Pittsburgh, spent considerable time explaining the nuts and bolts of our sense of smell. Given that evaluation of a wine is heavily focused on its nose for both aromas and flavors, understanding this process was especially helpful. Rich then shifted from how to what by explaining all of the various faults one might find in a given wine and the reason for their presence. Participants also had an opportunity to smell through a line up of wine glasses, each of which contained one of the aroma faults we had just reviewed.

For the last presentation of the morning, Betty Nettles led us through an insightful set of tasting exercises where we experienced various components both separate and then in tandem to see how they interacted with one another. More specifically, we tasted through multiple component flights — ethanol on its own in varying proportions; synergy of alcohol and sugar; synergy of alcohol and acidity; synergy of sugar and acidity; and the eynergy of sugar and tannin. The final flight illustrated how alcohol, acid, sugar and tannin can come together to create a balanced wine.

At the conclusion of the day, we were presented with five samples wines for which we were to write an evaluative note and assign a score based on the AWS 20-point scoring system. Our last assignment was to identify which, if any, faults or imbalances were present in 10 samples. After which, we were done with Year 1. The results were posted the next day (5 Passes, 1 Conditional and 6 Fails — this is not an easy program) and I was pleased to find that I had passed, ensuring my promotion to the second year.

I am now preparing for Year 2 of the program, which will be offered in Cincinnati this November. I will also present two sessions at the conference — one on Italian sparkling wines and another on South African wines.