Uruguayan Wines: It’s Time to Get to Know U

Already know your South American ABC’s? Now it’s time to get to know U!

You are likely very familiar with wines from Argentina, Brazil and Chile, but if you are not aware of the wines from Uruguay, you are not alone. Yet, this oversight is worth correcting, especially given the country’s emphasis on further improving quality and care in crafting their wines. Moreover, its winemakers have learned to tame the tannins in its home-spun grape, Tannat, producing a plethora of styles to meet a range of palate preferences.

Although Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America, nestled between Argentina and Brazil, it has a lot of claims to fame. Most notably, Uruguay was the first country to host the World Cup. In addition to sharing a wine heritage with its neighbors, Uruguay also gives them a run for their money rivaling Argentina in tango and steak and Brazil with the longest carnival in the world at 50 days long. Perhaps most impressive, Uruguay boasts a 99% literacy rate and the country has given every school child a laptop since 2009.

Despite a less obvious presence on the world wine stage, Uruguay has been making wine since 1720s, and saw significant growth in the 1800s. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the country began to focus on premium wines, with the planting of the more noble, European grape varieties.

Climatically, Uruguay is home to a maritime climate, such as that of Bordeaux and Galicia. Within this climatic condition, the country comprises 1200 vineyards and 160 wineries. Today’s plantings total 12,000 acres and the land is composed of 99 different varieties of soil. The majority of production (75%) centers in two main regions along the coast: Canelones and Montevideo (shaded in yellow in the map below). Here, the vines are planted on gently sloping hillsides and, tend to be older, due to the lengthier history of viticulture in the region.

Similarly, the industry is seeking out new areas for planting such as Maldonado (shaded in blue), which is also coastal, but with granite soils. Another frontier area is Rivera (shared in gray), in the north, near the border of Brazil, with a distinctly more continental climate thanks to its location further inland.

For what little reputation Uruguay does have, it is perhaps most well-known and regarded for Tannat. This highly tannic variety of French origin was first planted in Uruguay in the 1860s, with 3,950 acres currently planted. With its thick skin, Tannat is less susceptible to disease, which makes it a good option to combat the country’s humid climate.

Yet, beyond the climate-conducive nature of Tannat, the Uruguayans are quick to note that with the preponderance of cows in the country, they make wine to eat with meat. In fact, one producer proclaimed, “We eat the cows or we will be eaten by them.” NB: Cows outnumber people 4 to 1. For this reason, they like to think that, “Tannat chose us,” rather than the other way around. Thus, Tannat’s high tannin content, which reacts favorably with the protein in steak, provides another reason for Tannat to be such an important grape for the country.

Regardless of the reason for Tannat’s initial take-off, it is clear that Uruguayan winemakers have become very adept at handling Tannat and, in particular, have learned to expertly manage those high tannins. The tannins are still generally intense and structural, yet they are more balanced. Plus, today’s Tannat wines offer a variety of styles from which the consumer can choose.

In fact, in a recent tasting at City Winery, members of the press and trade had a unique opportunity to taste through nine different Tannat wines (including a Tannat-based vermouth), which clearly illustrated the diversity being produced right now. Moreover, tasting through an assortment of varietal wines as well as blends revealed how the current crop of winemakers has implemented their experience and expertise to produce
high-end wines and provided a showcase of what Tannat can truly do.

Aside from Tannat, Uruguay is home to other French varieties, including: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, as well as Marselan, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Although whites comprise a much smaller percentage of total plantings, Sauvignon Blanc is the 8th most planted variety, Chardonnay is ninth and Albarino comes in at number 10.

Today’s producers run the gamut from historic family properties to experimental newcomers and everything in between, all of whom are embracing this latest chapter of Uruguay’s vinous history. There are some very interesting and exciting wines being exported to the U.S. and most of them are well priced. If you don’t know Uruguayan wines, now is the time to get to know them.

The Uruguayan masterclass at City Winery was led by award-winning wine journalist, Amanda Barnes, author of the The South America Wine Guide, joined above by a representative from Cerro Chapeu winery.

TASTING NOTES

Cerro Chapeu Castel Pujol Folklore Petillant Naturel 2022, Rivera, Uruguay
Planted in the early 1970s, there are only two wineries in this tiny region, bordering Brazil. Produced in the Ancestral Method, this sparkling wine is a blend of 80% Trebbiano and 20% Malvasia. It is lightly sparkling, with nice citrus fruit, minerality, and long length.

Familia Traversa Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Montevideo, Uruguay
The Traversa family hails from the Veneto in Italy, emigrating to Uruguay in 1904. In 1937, they purchased land in Montevideo and established the winery in 1956. This Sauvignon Blanc is treated to some barrel fermentation, giving it more weight and presence on the plate. It is very fresh, with a slight wood note, medium bodied, with mineral and citrus on the palate.

Marichal Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Canelones, Uruguay
Founded in 1916, the Marichal brothers are members of the 4th generation to run the family business. They shifted their focus to fine wine in 2002 and have been improving quality ever wine. Compared to the Traversa Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is more herbal, with more tropical fruit.

Cerro del Toro Albarino Sobre Lias 2021, Maldonado, Uruguay
This wine project is run by a Japanese businessman, who bought the land in the late 1980s. The winery itself was started in 2015 and comprises 70 acres. The wine spends some time sur lie. Aromas of apple and citrus greet the nose and persist on the palate, with high acidity, medium body and long length.

Los Cerros de San Juan Lahusen Riesling 2020, Colonia, Uruguay
Established in 1854 by the Lahusen family from Germany, this is the oldest winery in Uruguay. The vines are planted on rocky soils and the wine was fermented in clay amphora. This Riesling shows lots of freshness with lime and minerality along with long length.

Antigua Bodega Bella Donna Tannat 2020, Canelones, Uruguay
Since 1928, this Canelones-based winery has been family owned and female led, with the 6th generation currently at the helm. This Tannat is produced in a fresh, unoaked style with berries, black fruits, medium body, good acidity and long length.

Vina Progreso overground (revolution) Tannat 2020, Canelones, Uruguay
Well respected winemaker, Gabriel Pisano has been exploring numerous projects since 2009 and established Vina Progreso as his “Experimental Winery” upon his return home to Uruguay. Fresh, with lively acidity, this Tannat is slightly reminiscent of Beaujolais, with light tannins and bright, red fruit aromas and flavors.

Artesana Devocion 2020, Canelones, Uruguay
This boutique winery in Las Brujas was co-founded by Californian and Uruguayan winemakers, which explains why they grow Zinfandel in addition to Cabernet Franc, Tannat and Merlot and use a combination of both French and American oak. This blend of Cabernet Franc, Tannat and Merlot shows juicy red and black fruit. It is weighty, complex, and nicely balanced with ripe, firm tannins, good acidity, full body and long length.

Bracco Bosca Gran Ombu Cabernet Franc 2021, Atlantida, Uruguay
Situated in Atlantida, a coastal area located just 8km from the sea, this winery was started in 2005, A member of the 5th generation of her Italian-heritage family (they are originally from Piedmont), Fabiana came back to the winery six years ago to take the lead. One of their top wines, the Gran Ombu Cabernet Franc spends ten months in New French oak and displays aromas and flavors of dried and fresh herbs, mulberry and cranberry, with good acidity and length.

Alto de la Ballena Tannat Viognier 2018, Maldonado, Uruguay
The husband-and-wife owners of Alto de la Ballena have no family background in the wine industry, but simply wanted to seek out new areas (Maldonado) and pioneer new wines, getting their start in 2001. This wine takes its cue from the Northern Rhone, where the white variety, Viognier, is added to the red grape, Syrah. In this case, Tannat stands in for Syrah. With dark red fruit, dried herbs and vanilla on the nose and palate, the fruit is ripe yet restrained, culminating in long length.

Montes Toscanini Gran Tannat Premium 2019, Canelones, Uruguay
In 1894, the family arrived from Geneva, eventually establishing the winery in 1979 in Canelones. Today, the 4th generation of the family is actively involved in the business. They only produce this specific wine in the best years, and from the best parcels. Offering up intense, firm, yet ripe tannins, this wine is well structured with long length, showing black fruit, oak, vanilla.

Familia Deicas Preludio Tinto 2016, Canelones, Uruguay
This historic winery was purchased in 1979 and most recently established in 2000. This is a barrel select wine, which is a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Marselan. The selection is made by a large committee of family members after the wine has been aged for 24 months in oak barrels. It is redolent of red and black fruits and oak, with ripe tannins, good acidity, full body and long length.

Bouza Monte vide eu 2020, Montevideo, Uruguay
Founded in 1999, the owners have been pioneers in new regions and with Albarino and are classic car enthusiasts. Bringing together 55% Tannat, 27% Merlot, and 18% Tempranillo, this wine takes its name from a Portuguese phrase, and has a sweet attack, with fresh, ripe fruit, violets, and oak. The full-bodied wine has firm tannins and long length.

Bodega Garzon Balasto 2018, Maldonado, Uruguay
Bodega Garzon was established in 2009 in Maldonado by Argentine oil billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni, in conjunction with an Italian wine consultant, Alberto Antonini. With a tribute to the terroir of decomposed granite soil and a strong emphasis on sustainability, the owners are more excited about their Silver LEED certification than any wine awards they may have won, which says a lot considering that the winery won Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Award for Best New World Winery in 2018. A blend of 45% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot, and 12% Marselan, this wine is aged in untoasted botti, and offers up black fruit, berries and coffee, with full body and firm tannins. It is quite powerful, yet balanced and complex.

Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rose NV, Uruguay
An artisanal vermouth collaboration produced from Canelones-sourced grapes, this project started in 2019. With a tradition from Italy and Spain, interest in vermouth has been growing among consumers in Uruguay. There are four different flowers included in the 27-ingredient, botanical recipe. It starts with a base of Tannat rose. It is very fresh and lively.

Giving Thanks for the Magic of Merry Edwards Wines

Happy November! Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means that you are likely busy planning holiday menus and wondering what wines should grace your table.

For the past several years, I have had the great pleasure of having at least one bottle of Merry Edwards wines paired with my Thanksgiving meal (see especially this post). In fact, I am very grateful to have been able to sample these wines since 2020. They have been a bright spot in what has been a challenging period for us all.

This year (thankfully) is no exception. Yet, rather than wait to taste my final bottle to share my tasting notes with you, I wanted to post this now to encourage you to take advantage of this special offering to ensure that you, too, can enjoy a bottle (or more) of Merry Edwards as part of your festivities.

SPECIAL THANKSGIVING SET

The folks at Merry Edwards have curated a special Thanksgiving set of wines featuring one bottle each of:
–  2020 Olivet Lane Chardonnay*
–  2020 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir*
–  2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir*

The wines also include a wooden etched logo box, making it a very gift-worthy option. 

Note: There are a limited number of Thanksgiving Sets available, so don’t delay if you feel the pull. Plus, the shipping deadline for guaranteed Thanksgiving delivery is: Friday, November 11th.  
–>To purchase, visit their website or call the winery at: 888-388-9050.

Of course, any of the Merry Edward wines would be a great addition to your table now and throughout the year and are perfect gifting wines as well.

*Tasting notes for the Pinot Noirs are included below as is my tasting note for a previous vintage of the Olivet Lane Chardonnay.

TASTING NOTES

Merry Edwards 2019 Olivet Lane Chardonnay, Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $68.00
Aromas of butter and smoke greet the nose and persist on the elegant palate, with apple and citrus flavors, good acidity, medium+ body and very long length.
NB: The offer above includes the 2020 vintage; this note is for the 2019 vintage.

Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $45.00
This continues to be a favorite Sauvignon Blanc of mine. The wine is fresh, with a pronounced nose of ripe citrus and tropical fruit aromas. The palate is dry, with ripe citrus fruit on the attack, bright acidity, medium+ body, and long length. Overall, it is mouth filling and delicious.

Merry Edwards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2020, Sonoma County (CA), USA, $48.00
From the larger Sonoma Coast AVA, this wine is sourced from grapes that are grown in the cool, coastal climate. The nose and palate are redolent of fresh and dried herbs, with dark cherry aromas and flavors. It is dry, with medium+ acidity, medium body, soft, ripe tannins, culminating in long length.

Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020, Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $58.00
From Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, which is situated further inland, these vineyards are warmer than the coast, but still influenced by the fog, maintaining good acidity levels and freshness in the grapes. Concentrated, with ripe, dark cherry fruit, and notes of earth, pomegranate, and a hint of coffee. The wine is layered and complex, with bright acidity and nice length on the palate.

Merry Edwards Meredith Estate Pinot Noir 2020, Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $80.00
Selfishly, I am going to save this to enjoy for Thanksgiving 2022 and will include my tasting note after the holiday.

However, here is my note from the 2018 vintage of this same wine:

Merry Edwards MEREDITH ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2018, Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $72.00
With 20 planted acres, the Meredith Estate vineyard is one of the larger single-vineyard productions from Merry Edwards. This abandoned apple orchard in the Sebastopol Hills was purchased by Merry in 1996 and planted to Pinot in 1998. They practice sustainable agriculture, with the use of cover crops and other earth-friendly farming approaches.
Red and black cherries feature prominently on the nose, with cherry and berry fruit, along with notes of wet leaves and an herbal undercurrent. The dry palate provides a decidedly savory note, with medium+ body, high acidity and very long length.

The Diversity and Delight of Languedoc Wines

Nestled in the south of France between the French Riviera and the region of Roussillon, the wines of Languedoc are impressive as well as both food and wallet friendly. If these are not on your radar, they should be given their diversity and sheer delight!

I recently had the pleasure of tasting through a selection of Languedoc wines in a guided tasting with Master Sommelier and owner of Corkbuzz, Laura Maniac. Each wine was beautifully (and deliciously) paired with a small bite, underscoring the ease with which these wines pair with a wide range of cuisine. After our time with Laura, we were led on a brief culinary tour of the Chelsea Market, becoming familiar with other vendors in the venue and the opportunity to sample a few more glasses of Languedoc.



Languedoc’s sunny, Mediterranean climate is tempered with cooling breezes and warm winds, which results in ripe fruit that retains its bright acidity. Thanks to the area’s dry nature, the region has one of the largest organic productions in France with over 30% of producers practicing organic viticulture; another 27% are in progress of converting from conventional practices. In fact, Languedoc launched the world’s first all organic expo — Millesime Bio — in 1993. Additionally, many producers are embracing biodynamics as well. And, with a strong research emphasis on viticulture, centered at L’INRA in Montpellier, the region is well equipped to handle climate change. Moreover, today, the area is home to a quiet revolution as winemakers from elsewhere in France are feeling the pull to make high quality wine within its borders.

Yet, Languedoc is not part of some passing fad. The region boasts 2500 years of wine making history and also lays claim to the discovery of fortification (thanks to Arnaud de Villeneuve in 1285) and sparkling wine production (in 1544 with the creation of Blanquette de Limoux).

The 90,000+ acres of vineyards are planted to 26 different grape varieties, with the majority (59%) of wine production given over to red wine. The balance is equally split among rosé and white wines. Within the vast acreage, there are 20 different appellations within Languedoc, but producers can also choose to bottle their wine under the broader Languedoc AOP. Regardless of the appellation, the wines coming from the region include everyday, inexpensive options, but also collectibles that are showing that this is a region capable of producing at the very top levels.

During the Languedoc event, the wines were custom paired by Chef Yovet Calvario of Corkbuzz; David Seigal, Culinary Director of Lobster Place; and Pablo Lopez, Chef Charcutier of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats.

We started off the tasting with a lusciously aged white wine served with lemon butter shrimp, matching the decadent and rich nature of both the wine and the food. The next bite was arancini with mushrooms, which paired well with a fresh, fruity red. Ricotta crostini (using Laura’s grandmother’s recipe for homemade ricotta) showed spectacularly with a more robust red. The next set of reds went well with an eggplant caponata dish, meatballs in a tomato sauce and chimichurri steak.

At Lobster Place, which has been in business for 45 years, we enjoyed raw oysters and
grilled shrimp, coupled with a fresh white and a fruit-forward rosé, respectively. Then, at Dickson’s, we had the pleasure of seeing how the range of charcuterie brought out the flavors of the wine — a pale rosé and an intense red.

TASTING NOTES

CORKBUZZ
Domaine Les Aurelles, Aurel Blanc 2013, Languedoc, France, $80.00
There are two ex-Bordeaux winemakers behind this wine, which is produced from 100% Roussanne and provides a perfect example of an age-worthy white from this region. Aromas of hazelnut, beeswax and pineapple greet the nose and persist on the dry palate. It is ripe and rich, with good acidity and notes of honey in the long finish.

Cave de Roquebrun, Chemin des Olivettes 2020, Languedoc, France, $13.00
Established in 1967, the Cave de Roquebrun co-op represents 70 winegrowers. This wine brings together 45% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault and displays lots of fresh, red fruit with garrigue/dried herbs, with lavender and pepper especially in finish.

Domaine d’Aupilhac, Lou Maset 2019, Languedoc, France, $23.00
Named for an old, stone hut found in the vineyards of this biodynamic producer, the Lou Maset is intense and angular with fresh, lifted black fruit. A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 5% Syrah, and 5% Alicante Bouchet, it is quite tannic, with lingering notes of dried orange peel, pepper and herbs.

Jeff Carrel, Les Darons 2019, Languedoc, $15.00
Named “Les Darons” which is an affectionate term used in Parisian suburbs for one’s parents, this is a blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% Carignan. It is lush with red and black fruit, woody notes, good, ripe tannins, lots of spice and full body, culminating in long length.

Devois de Perret, Cellier du Pic 2020, Languedoc, France, $14.00
Primarily Syrah, with 25% Grenache, this wine offers up complex aromas of smoke, leather, and dark red cherry. The medium+-bodied palate is fresh with good fruit character and long length.

Château La Negly, Clos des Truffiers 2018, Languedoc, France, $200.00
Originally called Ancely, Château La Negly dates to 1781. Consequently, this wine is produced from some of oldest vines in the region. Bringing together 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, this is a stunning wine with layers of aromas and flavors. It is very oak dominant, with spice, dill, earth, leather, blackberry, cherries, floral and minerality as well as being rich in texture and tannin, culminating in long length.

LOBSTER PLACE
Château de Lascaux, Garrigue 2021, Languedoc, France, $20.00

This white blend (35% Vermentino, 20% Roussanne, 15% White Grenache, 15% Clairette, 10% Marsanne, and 5% Viognier) offers up fresh fruit and lively acidity with aromas and flavors of unsweetened limeade and tropical fruit with a lovely texture. It paired extremely well with Avelon oysters from Maine.

Gerard Bertrand, Source of Joy 2020, Languedoc, France, $20.00
This organic rosé had a portion of its wine matured in oak barrels, giving it depth and structure on the palate. It shows lots of fresh floral and strawberry notes, with long length.

DICKSON’s FARMSTAND MEATS
Domaine du Pas de l’Escalette, Ze Rozé 2020, Languedoc, France, $13.00

This is a much paler, lighter-bodied rosé, which is the result of a direct press and gentle extraction. With barely any color, it resembles a white more than a rosé, especially with its high acidity, but its berry aromas and flavors belie its true identity as a rosé. 

Domaine de Nizas, Le Clos 2018, Languedoc Pézenas, France, $21.00
Half of this Syrah blend (60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% Carignan) spent time in three-year-old French oak barrels. Displaying lots of character and finesse, it is fresh yet tannic, with red fruit and spice, with long length.




Getting to Know Gavi

Looking for a new (to you) white wine? While certainly not new – grapes have been grown in the region since 972 CE and specific mention of it dates to 1782 – Gavi is perhaps less well known, but definitely worth getting to know. In fact, at a recent seminar, “The Hidden Depths of Gavi:  Ageing Potential of Piemonte’s Great White “, moderator Walter Speller suggested that Gavi can “play at the level of Chablis.”

Produced from 100% Cortese grapes, the wine hails from southeast Piedmont, Italy (the same region known for Barolo and Barbaresco as well as Moscato d’Asti). This high-quality wine benefits from the continental climate where it can fully ripen in the hot, sunny summers, yet maintain bright acidity thanks to the coastal marin wind.

This great grape can be produced in several different styles, all while keeping within the rules and regulations of the Gavi Consorzio: Still (which represents 99% of all production); Semi-Sparkling (Metodo Classico, with six months aging on the lees); Fully Sparkling; and Riserva. In addition to adhering to lower yields, these latter wines must be aged for one year, with at least six months of that spent in the bottle.

Established as an official denomination in 1974, Gavi was promoted to DOCG in 1998. Yet, more historically, Gavi played an important role in trade. First firmly rooted in the Roman empire, the area was home to Libarna, which was founded in 2nd century BCE as an agricultural and viticultural city. Later, it became crucial to the Republic of Genoa, which served as a defense post and was instrumental in the salt route. The Genovese needed a wine that could be shipped from place to place and being due north of Genoa in the Alessandria province, Gavi became that wine.

More critical than its geographical proximity, Gavi was an especially good choice thanks to its stability. As a white wine with far less polyphenols – especially catechins – than others, it could be shipped to other areas without fear of damage to the wine.

Today, there are 1600 hectares cultivated within the Gavi borders, accounting for 60% of all Cortese planted within Italy. The vines are dispersed among 11 municipalities in the foothills of the Po Valley, some of which are designated as crus. There has also been an increasing focus on single vineyards as the producers seek to better understand their terroir. In this regard, they recently completed a comprehensive map of the territory.

Additionally, sustainable practices have been embraced by the Consorzio with an aim toward promoting organic viticulture and preventing erosion. This commitment has been further reinforced by its 2018 initiative, which monitors bee pollen to measure whether sustainable viticulture is actually being practiced in the region.

Within the area, Cortese thrives on the combination of red clays, white soils, with marl and sandstone, which display as minerality in the wines. In general, these are fresh, elegant white wines, known less for fruit and more for their floral, nut (almond) and mineral characteristics. Most of the wines are fermented in stainless steel, but a few producers do use wood and there has been an emphasis on indigenous yeasts since 2015.

Although the majority of white wines are meant to be enjoyed in their youth, Cortese is a grape that can sustain the test of time. In particular, thanks to the same chemical components that make them stable for shipment, these are wines that can develop beautifully with eight to ten years of age, yet still retain vibrant acidity. As evidence, the wines tasted at the above referenced seminar hailed from vintages 2013-2019 and all showed quite well.

VINTAGE CHART

2021 – 5.0 stars

2020 – 4.5 stars

2019 – 4.5 stars

2018 – 4.5 stars

2017 – 4.0 stars

2016 – 5.0 stars

2015 – 5.0 stars

TASTING NOTES

La Raia Vigna della Madonnina 2019 Gavi DOCG Riserva
Acquired by Giorgio Rossi Cairo and his family in 2003, La Raia is an organic and biodynamic property, with Demeter certification. Aged in stainless steel, with one year lees aging, this fresh wine displays apple, slight citrus and mineral notes, with high acidity, medium to full body and long length.

Tenuta La Giustiana Montessora 2018 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi
Founded in 1250, Tenuta La Giustiana is one of the oldest and historic estates. Montessora is a single vineyard. This is beautiful wine with wet stone, lanolin, orange peel aromas. It is dry, with medium+ acidity, medium+ body, along with depth and richness and a hint of chalk in the finish, with long length.

Morgassi Superiore Volo 2018 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi
Established in 1993, this small estate is family run, currently under the direction of sisters Marina and Cecilia Piacitelli. The wine is very tart, with lemon and mineral aromas and flavors, along with medium+ body, high acidity and good length.

La Mesma Vigna della Rovere Verde 2016 Gavi DOCG Riserva
Also a family affair, La Mesma is run by the Rosina sisters: Paola, Francesca and Anna. Notes of pear and apple greet the nose. The palate is dry, with full body, slight tidal pool notes and minerality, culminating in long length.

Tenuta San Pietro in Tassarolo Il Mnadorlo 2015 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Tassarolo
Named for the Benedictine convent that was located on the property in the 11th century, Tenuta San Pietro, the estate was purchased in 2002 by Corrado Alota, a Milanese entrepreneur. Hailing from a warmer vintage and with seven years of age on it, this wine displayed beautiful development with almond and caramel aromas. On the palate, it is rich and concentrated, with medium acidity, full body, and notes of peaches, beeswax, petrol and hazelnuts.

Villa Sparina Monterotondo 2014 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi
Winner of Wine Enthusiast’s European Winery of the Year for 2021, Villa Sparina has been producing Gavi since 1970. With grapes sourced from their cru, Monterotondo, this wine is intense, with a rich nose redolent of pear and showing some development. It is full bodied, with slight hints of woodiness, peaches and long length.

Bergaglio Nicola Minaia 2014 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi
This estate has been making wine since 1945 and is run by the son and grandson of founder: Jean-Luigi and Diego Bergalo. Sourced from grapes grown on the hilly Minaia site, situated directly behind the family cellar, the wine offers up honey, floral and lemon aromas and flavors with medium acidity, medium body and long length.

Broglia Bruno Broglia 2013 Gavi DOCG del Comune di Gavi
The Bruno Broglia acquired his historic estate – La Meirana – in 1972, which is now managed by his sons, Gian Piero and Paolo. With a commitment to modern technology, it was the first estate to collaborate on clonal research related to the Cortese grape and it continues to conduct other studies in concert with local universities.  Despite being nearly a decade old, this wine is surprisingly fresh. It provides notes of citrus and mineral, with an undercurrent of anise, with good acidity, medium body and long length.


Where in the world is Washington wine?

While many people are familiar with California wine, Washington wine might be a new discovery. Moreover, for those that do know that Washington State makes wine, they are likely thinking of damp, rainy Seattle. But, that’s not the real story. Rather, the majority of Washington grapes are grown east of the Cascade Mountains. What that means is that the cold, wet weather we associate with Seattle stays on the West Coast while the state’s interior provides desert-like conditions. In many cases, grape growing is made possible here due to irrigation. There is also a blend of wide, open land, mountains and hence, altitude, all of which impact the climate and growing conditions of these grapes.

Thanks to this climate, this is Cabernet and Syrah country, not Pinot Noir territory, which is a grape more appropriately correlated with Oregon. Consequently, while only three hours away from Seattle, Washington wine is truly a world away from one’s initial conception. Yet, as I recently discovered, there are many opportunities to become acquainted with these wines without having to travel too far.

Moreover, this is an exciting time for the state and its wines as it stands on a precipice for even further greatness. These are well made, balanced wines, representing good value, diversity and innovation. As I spent three days immersed in Washington wine, I grew more and more bullish about what is to come and treasured the interactions with the passionate people who are behind these amazing wines.

The Washington wine industry is definitely one to watch and I strongly recommend seeking these wines out if and when you have the opportunity. Admittedly, many of these wines never make it beyond the confines of the state, but if you find them at a retailer or restaurant near you, I highly encourage you to check them out.

Further, you can create an exciting, wine-oriented weekend (or longer) with visits to Woodinville or even Seattle, without the lengthier drive to the Columbia Valley and beyond.

Where to weekend:  The Wonders of Woodinville

Situated 25 miles northeast of Seattle, Woodinville, WA was initially home to a logging industry which was then replaced by agriculture. Yet, today, none of that remains and, instead, the area has been thoroughly converted into the epicenter of Washington wine.

With its tagline, “Where Washington pours,” Woodinville is home to 120 wine tasting rooms representing 19 of 20 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), 10 breweries and five distilleries. Sixty of those wineries actually produce wine in the Woodinville area while the remainder have their winemaking facilities elsewhere.

What makes Woodinville particularly unique is that it makes the wineries accessible to tourists who might be visiting Seattle for a short period of time such as on a business trip or before or after a cruise. This is a perfect foray into Washington wine with a plethora of tasting rooms and restaurants from which to choose.  There is an incredible focus on hospitality and each tasting room has its own unique approach to serving guests, but all are excited to welcome you to taste their wines and enjoy the experience.

Woodinville got its start as a wine-centric town in 1976, when Chateau Ste Michelle established it’s beautiful French-style chateau winery building, vineyards and winemaking facilities there. It took some time for the area to catch on, but it is now in the midst of significant growth and expansion, yielding even more opportunities for people to learn about Washington wine and other state-centric products.

Within the town borders there are four main districts, each with its own personality and focus. Established about 15 years ago, the Warehouse District has become an incubator for up-and-coming producers and small batch productions. This is often a place for hobbyists to get their start. In contrast, the West Valley District has become more industrial and is home to the majority of distilleries and breweries.

Named for an old schoolhouse, which presently serves as the tasting room for Maryhill Winery, the Hollywood Hills District caters to tourism and will soon be home to a 22-acre project in development which will include a 128-room hotel called Somm, under Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The property will also include event space, dining facilities and a custom blending operation. This accommodation will join the existing boutique Willows Lodge, with its Barking Frog restaurant and luxury spa.

Hollywood Hills is also home to Patterson Cellars*, Gorman Winery*, Sparkman Cellars* and DeLillle Winery*, the latter of which launched a full-service, wine-centric restaurant, The Lounge, in 2021.

Most notably, the Downtown District has seen incredible investment in retail and residential real estate. In particular, the area has seen the building of 1,599 new housing units, including high-end apartments and single-family residences, which appeal to both retirees and young, tech folks. With close proximity to Redmond, Bellevue, Tacoma and Seattle (and thus the headquarters for Microsoft, Space X, Amazon, Costco and more), as well as skiing and other activities, there are many people interested in moving in. There are number of new tasting rooms here, too, such as the brand-new outpost for Rocky Pond Estate Winery.*

The job of shepherding and spearheading promotion of the area falls to Woodinville
Wine Country
and during my visit, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Adam Acampora, who joined the organization earlier this year as Executive Director. His background is both on target and unusual coming from Tennessee where he ran the state wine program there, not a place most frequently associated with wine. But he is well versed in wine, marketing and hospitality and is well poised to lead the renaissance well underway.

As new restaurants (such as the newly opened Walla Walla Steak Co.*), wineries (L’Ecole 41* coming soon) and hotels continue to make the move to Woodinville, the town will become an even bigger draw for residents and tourists alike. This is truly a wonderful, weekend getaway to immerse yourself in Washington wine.

Where to weekend: Seattle Sips

If you are more pressed for time or simply don’t want to leave the confines of Seattle proper, you still have tasting options. First and foremost, most Seattle-area restaurants feature Washington wines on their menus, both by the glass and bottle. In particular, check out Purple Café, with locations in both downtown Seattle and Woodinville.

The historic Pioneer Square area counts itself as Seattle’s first neighborhood, incorporated in 1869. The area is currently home to two tasting rooms: Four Eleven Wine and Browne Family Vineyards.

The Four Eleven Wine lounge is collaboration between Bledsoe Family Winery* and Gramercy Cellars*, both of the Walla Walla Valley, who looked to find a shared tasting room on the West side of Washington State. The result is Four Eleven Wine.   Open daily, the space offers a traditional tasting room experience until 5:00pm and wine seminars on Tuesday evenings, along with a wine bar and full retail selection of local and international wine selections.

Two doors down, situated in the 1906 Sellar Building, designed by architect A. Warren Gould, Brown Family Vineyards* opened their Seattle tasting room in 2017. The winery was inspired and named for William Bitner Browne, the late grandfather of proprietor Andrew Browne. The tasting room offers various tasting flights and is also available for private parties and events.

Just steps from Pike Place Market, The Tasting Room offers a selection of wines from winemaker owned wineries in the state. On any given day, over 60 different wines are available to taste in flights (four one-ounce pours) or by the glass. Open daily, with live music on Friday nights.

And, if you didn’t get enough wine while in Woodinville or in town, there’s always a final hurrah at the airport. Located in the Central Terminal and open daily 12pm – 9pm, Vyne Washington Tasting Room exclusively serves Washington state wines and was awarded “Best New Food and Beverage” full-service concept by the Airports Council International – North America.

Where in the world is Washington wine? It’s at the top of its game and hopefully in your glass. Now you just have to start planning your weekends away!

*NB: More to come in a future story or stories on these wineries and restaurants.

A Toast to Washington Wine

Auction of Washington Wines returned this year for its 35th auction offering up three spectacular events all in support of a great cause. The non-profit organization works in close cooperation with the Washington Wine Commission and brings together the Seattle-area’s philanthropic community along with the Washington wine community, benefiting both. All told, at the end of the weekend, this year’s event secured $4 million dollars in support of Seattle Children’s Hospital, Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program, and Vital Wines.

Coming after two years of the pandemic, people were especially keen to mix and mingle, sip and savor and truly celebrate. In this regard, a brand new event was added: Toast!. Emceed by Linda Chauncey who joked that the evening’s high turn-out was due to a rumor that Bob Betz would be speaking, the night was a veritable list of “Who’s Who in Washington Wine” equally dedicated to recognizing long-time leaders as well as members of the next generation.

Guests were greeted with video welcomes from Honorary Chairs Marvin R Shanken, Editor & Publisher, Wine Spectator and Marchese Piero Antinori, Honorary President of Marchesi Antinori, each representing early outside recognition of the region. On hand in person was Honorary Chair Renzo Cotarella, CEO Marchesi Antinori SpA. Antinori’s Col Solare, produced in partnership with Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington’s Columbia Valley, has become synonymous with high quality wine since the 1990s.

Then, as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Bob Betz, MW did indeed take the stage and was eager to relate the history of the state, noting how much progress has been made. In particular, the founder of Betz Family Winery pointed out that Washington State is presently the second largest wine producer in the US and now has a strong position on the global stage.

Betz further shared that, “Today we toss around 98-point Parker scores and AVA names as if it’s nothing, but that was simply unheard of 30 years ago.” In 1934, the area was known for Concord grapes (which are not particularly good for making wine). However, in that year, Dr Walter Clore, now known as the Father of Washington Wine, showed the potential of the Columbia Valley for vinifera grapevines (those most associated with the production of quality wine). While there were only 1200 acres of vinifera vines planted by the 1970s, today this figure stands at 60,000 acres, reflecting significant growth over the past 50 years.


The hero of our story is the Columbia Valley ~ Bob Betz, MW


Further attention was given to the area in 1967 when the well-regarded winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff came to Chateau Ste. Michelle to do proper site selection and also assist with better sanitation techniques, ultimately having an enormous influence on the quality and focus of their wines and the industry as a whole. Additional milestones included the opening of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s property in Woodinville in 1976; pioneers planting grapes in Walla Walla; the establishment of the Washington Wine Commission in 1987; international ventures such as that with the Antinori family; and reaching a count of 1,000 wineries in 2019. Together, these underscore the importance of Washington wine today.

In his closing remarks, Betz said, “The hero of our story is the Columbia Valley,” adding that, “There are no bounds on you,” admonishing his colleagues to do the work and tell our story through wine and the growers.

Coming to the stage a short while later, Honorary Grower, Kevin Corliss, of Ste. Michelle Estates was quick to share that he loves Concord grapes since they put him through college (his dad was a horticulturist at Welches), among his humorous remarks.

Other honorees from the evening included:
– Honorary Vintner – John R. Bookwalter, J. Bookwalter Winery
– Award of Distinction – Dick Boushey, Boushey Vineyards

and Emerging Leaders:

All in all, it was a celebratory and festive evening, making it clear that Washington wine is truly deserving of such a toast.

Chilean Wines Come of Age

Chile is no longer just about cheap and cheerful wines. As my experiences at recent dinners with Chilean winemakers and their wines can attest, Chile as a wine producing country is all grown up and has become quite precocious. While there is still a wealth of options under $20 retail, Chile is starting to craft and export higher end wines, building on its historic vinous legacy.

European grape vines have been grown in Chile since the mid-16th century, when the Spanish conquistadores brought them over with the intention of making Communion wine for their settlers. The vines flourished in the country and continued to be cultivated widely, earning Chile a reputation for quantity over quality in the 18th century.

Yet, an interesting development came in 1830 when the Chilean government created an experimental nursery for botanical selections, which became known as the Quinta Normal. The nursery included vine cuttings of the European species, which would ultimately help combat phylloxera, providing European nations with clean root stock from which to propagate new vines. Moreover, due to its isolation from the rest of the world, along with favorable climatic conditions, phylloxera never became an issue in Chile.

Additionally, while the initial plantings were predominantly Pais and Moscatel, in the 1850s, wealthy Chileans began to plant more classic, world-renowned grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and others. Concurrently, many French winemakers emigrated to Chile to escape the phylloxera crisis, bringing their winemaking knowledge and experience to the Chilean wine industry.


With this boon of clean vines and qualified winemakers, Chile soon emerged as “the world’s only healthy wine industry, both viticulturally and financially…” (Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th edition, Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, Oxford University Press, 2015). That success continued throughout the 20th century, but the tides began to turn in the 1970s and 80s as domestic consumption waned considerably and vines were ripped out since the industry was no longer the profitable enterprise it once was.

However, this downturn was short-lived and by the late 1980s through the mid-90s, significant plantings and investment were being made. Concurrently, the Chileans began to look externally for markets and soon found success as an exporter, firmly establishing itself in the world wine market.

Today, Chile is the sixth-largest wine producer in the world* and, in 2021, it became the third largest source of imported wines (bulk and bottled) shipped to the U.S.#. And, while much of that success was initially predicated on the low end of the market, things have taken a dramatic shift as of late, as more Chilean wines are competing in the super-premium and luxury categories.

More specifically, as Julio Alonso, Executive Director USA for Wines of Chile, recently stated, “…one of the most significant long-term trends has been the entry of Chilean wines at the luxury level,” which is backed up by the numbers: Chilean wines registered an increase of 56% in the $50-$100 segment (aka luxury category) and 62% in the $100-plus category (Nielsen IQ, 52 weeks through Nov. 6, 2021) super luxury and icon categories. [For a detailed look at U.S. wine pricing segments, see this page.]

Appetizers at Cuba Restaurant

So, what’s happening on the ground to drive these changes? A lot. The industry has come of age both vinously and viticulturally. The current crop of Chilean winemakers have the skills, experience and world view, while Chilean wine brands now have proven histories and sufficient resources. Equally important, the vineyards have been carefully cultivated with newfound knowledge as to what does and doesn’t work.

Felipe Tosso and Sofia Araya

By way of example, both Veramonte and Ventisquero have been actively engaged in establishing high quality vines in new terroirs, experimenting with classic and modern winemaking and finding their stride with Carménère.

Ventisquero, founded in 1998 by business man Gonzalo Vial, has always been at the forefront of the Chilean wine industry. The brand encourages its winemakers to pursue an innovative spirit that combines curiosity, creative freedom, a willingness to take risks, and an intense exploration of the senses. Accordingly, its winemakers are given the latitude to experiment and challenge the established way of doing things.

At the helm is Head winemaker Felipe Tosso who was recently chosen as Winemaker of the Year 2022 by Tim Atkin. This year, Felipe celebrated his 22nd harvest with Ventisquero and has an extensive and varied background with stints in Napa, Sonoma, Barossa and Bordeaux, among others. Adding to his expertise, in 2003, Felipe began to collaborate with John Duval, former winemaker of Penfold’s Grange, which has been a beneficial and rewarding partnership for both of them.

Further, as the son of researchers, Felipe approaches winemaking with a scientific view. In this regard, he asked: How do you make wine in the simplest way? Building on this question, he looked to natural winemaking as the answer. He notes that the concept wasn’t as popular when they started, but even though he may not have used that term to describe what they were doing at the time, they’ve always been natural winemakers in practice.

With his depth and breadth of knowledge, Felipe knows how to make wine, but of perhaps greater importance, it is a true passion for him. As he shared, “We make wine for the fun of making wine. When you have confidence, you can create the wines you love.” It is this confidence that shows through in the wines he has been pursuing, which are decidedly at the higher end of the market.

Similarly, Sofia Araya, head winemaker for Veramonte, has been an important force in Chilean wine, most notably as a huge driver in organic viticulture. After graduating from la Universidad de Chile, the Chilean-born winemaker spent her early career working for big name brands, using conventional agriculture. When she arrived at Veramonte, the company began to make investments in the Casablanca Valley. They quickly realized that it didn’t make sense to work these vineyards conventionally, so they switched to organic practices.

Ultimately, it was her strong conviction in the resulting quality that sold her on implementing such practices elsewhere. As she reminded us, “Wine is made in the vineyards.” The transition to organics began in 2012, with full certification received in 2016. Since then, she has been involved with transitioning over 1,235 acres to 100% ECOCERT certified organic vineyards, which accounts for 15% of all organic vineyards in Chile.

Beyond general viticulture practices, Sofia has focused on matching different locations with different grapes and implementing various strategies to ultimately produce the best wines. Her essential aim is to create wines that transmit a sense of place in the glass. While this is true of her entry level wines, it takes on a deeper meaning as she turns her attention to regional expressions, which display more complexity and require more technical applications such as the intricacies of barrel fermentation.

To this end, her Ritual wines are sourced from vineyards in the Casablanca Valley, relying on the cold influences from the Pacific ocean to maintain bright acidity and freshness in the grapes. Here, she sought to overcome preconceived ideas about Sauvignon Blanc in crafting her wine. Additionally, the grapes are hand-picked and kept on their stems to impart structure, develop mouthfeel and be able to take (old) oak during the aging process.

In approaching her Ritual Pinot Noir, she selects grapes from the better blocks and treats them to a native fermentation, yielding a totally different, more elegant wine than previous iterations.  Interestingly, she notes that it was the Pinot that showed the most significant changes with the shift to organic.

Like Veramonte, Ventisquero is also taking viticultural innovation to heart. It has vast vineyard holdings and has implemented sustainability practices throughout the entire process and is also exploring the intricacies of climate and soils. In particular, its vineyards run nearly the full length of Chile from the Atacama Desert up north to Patagonia in the south. With plantings situated within six different regions, they are able to explore the unique terroir of each vineyard through precision soil mapping and terroir-focused replanting.

Case in point is their Tara Chardonnay which is produced from grapes grown in the Atacama Desert. While a true desert in its lack of moisture, this is a cool climate region, with significant exposure to the Pacific Ocean due to the lack of coastal range in this area. Consequently, the fog rolls in each morning, keeping the vineyards in the 50-75o F range. The result is a Chardonnay that is not very “Chardonnay-like”. In fact, it tastes more like a Sauvignon Blanc and was originally labeled as White Wine #1. The hand-harvested grapes are pressed by feet, and then matured in stainless steel for 15 months, with sur lie aging. Previously made without sulfites, with the 4th vintage, they are using a small amount to prevent oxidation.

Ventisquero’s Las Terrazas vineyard in the Leyda Valley sits only four miles from the cold Pacific Ocean, serving as the perfect climate for cultivating Pinot Noir. In speaking about his Grey Pinot Noir, Felipe admits that sometimes the decisions you make are not technical in nature, but rather are made by trial and error. With the 2017 vintage, the Pinot Noir was whole bunch pressed and fermented in small vessels with no filtration.

Both wineries have also been at the forefront of establishing the newly minted (as of May 2018) DO Apalta and are two of only six wineries permitted to cultivate on the hillsides here, capturing the sunlight. Located in Colchagua, which is part of the Rapel region, the 1,007 hectares are farmed both organically and biodynamically and reflect the country’s growing focus on defined terroirs.

In addition to the increased emphasis on regional identity, another important shift in the Chilean wine landscape has been the recognition of what grapes are actually being grown in the vineyards. Prior to 1994, Carménère vines were confused with those of Merlot, but now that it has been correctly identified, it is being embraced as a singularly Chilean variety, gaining respect and an understanding for how to grow and produce this grape. Along these lines, Felipe has been an early proponent of the variety, gaining significant experience working with Carménère from its initial discovery and has become the go-to guy for this grape ever since. As Felipe explained, “My soul is Chilean… we have a variety that is unique to Chile and we need to make it work.”


Specifically, at Ventisquero, Carménère is cultivated in the Trinidad Vineyard in Maipo Valley region as well as in the La Robleria vineyard in Apalta. Felipe started making the Grey Carménère from this single block (which is known as #5 and adjacent to the winery), 20 years ago. With its history as a co-planted vineyard, at the moment, the vineyard is 50% Carménère and 50% Merlot, with the vines painted to distinguish each variety since there are only two times a year that the difference is distinctly visible.

Sofia also believes in the value of Carménère and adds that it is a variety that needs time and heat to truly thrive. Older vines, previously mixed in with Merlot, are now being revered for their longevity and quality. In addition, she shared that, “Over time, we have learned to work with Carménère. We really understand it now,” and the resulting wines are not so green  and herbal in character as they once were.

Beyond crafting varietally labeled Carménère, both wineries also use it in blends, which was a significant departure from status quo. At Veramonte, the Primus The Blend brings together Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah and was initially created at a time when blending wine was unthinkable. Named Primus, which means “first” in Latin, it was the first “Meritage” wine in Chile. 

Ventisquero’s entry in this category is known as Vertice and it’s a special project bringing the Carménère Guy (Felipe) together with the Syrah expertise of John Duval. Named for the vertex of the slope, the vineyard sits at the top of a hillside, surrounded by Chilean oak trees. Felipe and John pursue classical winemaking with whole bunch maceration, a long fermentation, and one month on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in the barrel and two years of oak aging. In analyzing the final blend, Felipe focuses on texture while John evaluates the tannin.

Building on these innovative successes, Felipe and Sofia continue to push the envelope in high end Chilean wine. In this regard, Ventisquero’s flagship wine, Pangea, was the first collaboration with John Duval.  As they reviewed the La Robleria Vineyard site in Apalta, the two winemakers decided that the vineyard was best for Syrah, not Cabernet Sauvignon, mapping the vineyards and analyzing soil selection. The wine represents the spirit of Syrah and the union of the world in that Syrah has traveled around the world. Moreover, the finished wine is a product of various soil types, more than 20 different fermentations and 20 different coopers, all of which must be agreed upon 100% by both John and Felipe. Curiously, Felipe agrees with John more often than John’s wife agrees with him.

Meanwhile, it took ten years before they finally found the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes they desired and could create the Enclave Cabernet Sauvignon, which they describe as a Chilean Bordeaux-style blend. With their commitment to quality, the wine is aged for two years in barrel and then another four years in bottle before release to give the tannins time to soften.

At its zenith, Veramonte’s Neyen wines are crafted from very old vines on their original, pre-phylloxera root stocks in Apalta. The limited production wine (only 12,000 bottles) features a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère, the proportions of which vary from vintage to vintage. Most recently, they also launched a 100% Malbec produced from similarly aged vines.

As is evident with these wineries and winemakers, Chile has come a long way since it first entered the world wide wine market. Chilean wines are turning heads and palates with high end, high quality wines. Chilean winemakers are returning to their roots and traditional practices, trusting their instincts and are focused on sustainability, all of which has resulted in beautifully, well-made wines that have definitely come of age.

REFERENCES
*https://www.amfori.org/sites/default/files/amfori-2020-01-29-Brochure-Chilean-Wine-Programme_0.pdf

#https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2022/03/07/chilean-wines-register-impressive-performance-in-2021

Dishes at One White Street


TASTING NOTES

Ritual Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $21.00
Fresh citrus with a woody, herbal hint, this wine has medium+ body, good acidity, with more citrus than herbal notes, culminating in long length.

Tara Chardonnay 2017, Huasco Valley, Atacama Desert, Chile, $34.00
Displaying lots of minerality and citrus, this wine is very fresh, with medium body and
long length.

Ritual Pinot Noir 2017, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $21.00
Herbs and red fruit on the nose. Dry palate with medium acidity and medium body. The wine is lean and elegant with long length.

Gray Pinot Noir 2017, Las Terrazas Vineyard, Leyda Valley, Chile $25.00
Very earthy on the palate, this is a beautiful, elegant wine with good acidity and
long length.

Primus Carménère 2018, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile. $21.00
Very herbal, with red fruit aromas and flavors, good tannins, full body, a rich, generous wine, with mocha, cinnamon and a silky texture.

Grey Carménère 2018, Trinidad Vineyard, Maipo Valley, Chile, $25.00
Long aging of 18months, with only 20% new oak, the 2018 is the freshest vintage. Redolent of ripe black fruits and earthiness, with long length.

Primus The Blend, Apalta, Colchagua Valley. Chile, $21.00
Aromas of black fruit and floral notes, with full body, medium acidity, ripe tannins, and long length, the wine is lush and generous.

Ventisquero Vertice 2019, La Robleria Vineyard, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, $34.00
A blend of 52% Carménère and 48% Syrah, this wine displays depth, power and finesse.

Ventisquero Pangea 2014, La Robleria Vineyard, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, $59.00
This 100% Syrah is intense and still tannic, but was a lovely expression of Syrah with earth, red fruit and complexity.

Ventisquero Enclave Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Pirque, Maipo Valley, Chile, $69.00
A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Carménère and 3% Cabernet Franc, this wine spends two years in barrel and 4 years in bottle before release and is well balanced and well structured.

Neyen,Espiritu de Apalta, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, $65.00
Bringing together 130 year old Cabernet Sauvignon and and 80 year old
Carménère, which are blended before aging, this wine offers up red fruit, with complexity, ripe tannins, oak, power, elegance and long length.

Neyen Malbec 2019, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, $150.00
Spicy and elegant with aromas and flavors of black fruits, violet and lavender, with good complexity and very long length.

Summer Sips 2022, What Wines to Drink Now

Happy Summer! It’s that time of the year when I finally venture outdoors and partake in my favorite pastime – picnics! While I got off to a good start, it’s been a bit quiet lately, but I am looking forward to the holiday weekend to make up for lost time. Regardless, I am super excited about some of my newfound picnic discoveries.

We kicked off the summer season in late April (yes, it is a stretch and it was especially windy on the date in question, but anyway …) with Bisol’s anniversary celebration. This historic Prosecco Superiore producer (see previous stories on Prosecco Superiore here) dates from 1542 and has a member of the 21st generation, Gianluca Bisol, at its helm. The event was held at the Lemon Rooftop in NYC’s Hudson Yards, with its spectacular views of the Hudson River. With free-flowing sparkling wine, guests were provided with the wonderful opportunity to taste through a selection of their Proseccos including:
*Bisol Crede, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
*Jeio Brut, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
*Jeio Prosecco Rosé DOC
NB: Rosé has only recently been approved to be included in the Prosecco DOC and is not permitted for the DOCG.

While you can enjoy these wines anytime of year, the effervescent nature of the wines and celebratory nature of the event, with its great music, good food and delicious wines, were a festive reminder that summer and lighter times were just around the corner.

I am also a bit in love with wines in can from Domaine Bousquet (which I’ve written about previously), which are perfect for their portion control and portability. These lightweight, aluminum cans of 100% certified organic wine are a great option for picnics, beaches that permit alcohol and any other outdoor activities where food and wine are welcome. Plus, they cool quickly and add a lovely flair to your al fresco meals with their food friendly nature and freshness.

A blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Pinot Gris and Viognier, Le Petit Verre Bubbly Rosé is slightly effervescent, and offers up lovely citrus and berry notes, with bright acidity on the dry and balanced palate, with long length.

The Le Petit Verre Malbec delivers ripe black fruit aromas and flavors, with good acidity and some complexity, culminating in long length. It was a perfect foil for my BBQ burger craving over Memorial Day Weekend.

These Argentine wines hail from Tupungato,vineyards in the Mendoza region. At an SRP of $13.00 for a four-pack, each 250-ml can provides approximately a glass and a half of wine, at roughly $3.50 per can.

And finally, it was a pleasure to taste two wines from Monte Velho, which provided yet another reminder that Portuguese wines provide great value and great taste. These wines are produced in the Alentejo region and are wonderful examples of indigenous Portuguese varieties. Here, blending has a long history, but today’s wineries are bringing a more modern approach with the deliberate planting of varieties in specific vineyards, rather than relying on the field blends of yesteryear.

A blend of Antão Vaz, Perrum, and Roupeiro, the Monte Velho White 2021 is clean and fresh with medium to full body, with good concentration of ripe white fruits and citrus on the dry palate, with briny minerality and long length.

The Monte Velho Rosé 2021 brings together Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Syrah, Trincadeira and Tinta Caiada, and Arinto, yielding a wine with fresh strawberry and raspberry notes, and a hint of herbaceousness. With medium acidity, medium body and long length, this dry wine was both refreshing and food friendly.

Both wines retail at $12.00/bottle and are certified vegan by the European Vegetarian Union. Moreover, they are shipped in eco-friendly packaging with lighter-weight bottles and 100% varnish-free, recycled cardboard.

I hope these wines inspire your own al fresco dining this summer season!

Washington Wine Takes Manhatta

The desert-like landscape of Eastern Washington state is a far cry from the cityscape view from the 60th floor of Manhatta restaurant in New York City. Yet, the two came together beautifully at a recent dinner welcoming the Washington wine industry and members of the press for a long overdue visit.

Assembled in the room, we were introduced to Sadie Drury, vineyard manager/ viticulturist of Seven Hills Vineyard; Alex Stewart and Hal Iverson, two of the three winemakers at Matthews Winery; and Matt and Kelly Austin, owners/winemakers at Grosgrain Vineyards.

While the focus was decidedly on Washington wine, it was clear that everyone was ready to reconnect after the lengthy absence due to the pandemic. It was a pleasure to linger over conversations, foster new friendships and simply enjoy time together over a glass of wine… things we had all missed over the past several years.

And it was a special opportunity to renew my acquaintance with this wine region and expand my knowledge. While I have been aware of Washington wine for some time and understand the basics from a big picture perspective, it is a region with which I am less familiar. With over 1,000 wineries in the state, 90% of them producing less than 5,000 cases annually, our local wine shop shelves predominantly feature wines from the larger estates, thereby telling only a fraction of the story.

Thus, despite being the second largest wine producer in the U.S., this jewel in America’s wine crown is perhaps less recognizable to many wine consumers than California, Oregon or even New York. Yet, this is indeed a region worth knowing and is definitely one to watch. While Hal jokingly referred to Washington’s past as having once been the “wild, wild west”, it was clear that the state is distinguishing itself as a high quality, innovative wine region.

Still in its nascent phase (the majority of wineries didn’t get started until after 2001), the state’s grape growers and winemakers are embracing their innovative spirit. Taking advantage of a blank slate, there are no rules as to what can be grown or what can be produced; there is no signature to follow. Moreover, there is still a lot of trial and error, as newcomers investigate novel (to the region) grapes and winemaking production methods. Given this bent toward experimentation, not surprisingly, folks are reluctant to hang their hat on a single grape. Consequently, Washington holds lots of potential, with its current influx of energy, enthusiasm and outside investment.

Equally important, they recognize the need for flexibility and adaptation. As one of the winemakers said during our dinner, “If you are stuck in your ways, it won’t work.” This is especially true given the recent climatic shifts that they have endured over the past several vintages. In particular, in 2021 they experienced a heat dome event, forcing them to pick very late, based on taste instead of Brix levels or other numerical values. Plus, they found unusual situations with potassium due to the excessive heat, which had an interesting impact on the grapes and wines with regard to their pH, resulting in more alkaline, savory wines. They anticipate the need to pivot on a regular basis going forward. Case in point, the 2022 vintage is expected to be much cooler.

This desire for innovation and enterprise was immediately evident upon arrival, when we were welcomed with a pour of Grosgrain Les Collines Vineyard Sémillon Pétillant Naturel 2020. This sparkling wine offered up beautiful effervescence with a dry palate and was a great introduction to this winery with its unusual treatment of this variety. With a relatively romantic origin story, Matthew Austin and his wide Kelly saw the movie Sideways on their first date, inspiring a joint dream to open their own winery. They eventually left their previous careers, bought property in Walla Walla at a bankruptcy auction and launched Grosgrain Vineyards in 2018, adding a second vineyard on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla valley shortly after.

As further evidence of the pair’s love of trying new things such as unique grape varieties and techniques, we tasted their Grosgrain Philips Vineyard Albariño. Additionally, a Traditional Method sparkling wine produced from Cava grapes is planned. With a focus on sustainability measures in the winery, they use light weight bottles, which purposely don’t sport a capsule on the neck.

With a much lengthier tenure in the state, Matthews Winery was established in 1993. While the winery is situated on the west side of Cascade Mountains, they source grapes from sustainably farmed vineyards in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley and have established long-term contracts with their growers, nurturing relationships as part of their sustainability practices. Matthews is primarily known for its Bordeaux varieties and Bordeaux-style blends. Harvesting at high ripeness, they describe their style as one pushing extraction. They do use new oak but Alex clarified that there are a wide variety of options available to them ranging from grain texture, vessel capacity, and toast strength and aim to use oak sparingly and thoughtfully.

Equally important to these stories are the farmers who grow the grapes, which is why it was such a treat to meet Sadie. Although she comes from a farming family, she is the first to grow grapes in her lineage. She talked about the vaunted Seven Hills Vineyard under her jurisdiction and we were given the opportunity to taste the literal fruits of her labor.

First planted in 1980 and later expanded, Seven Hills was one of the first commercial vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley and now encompasses over 200 acres. Jointly owned among three wineries who produce wines from 50% of the annual harvest, the remainder is sold to more than 25 other premium wineries. Sadie has overseen the vineyard for ten years and explained that it provides every orientation, high elevations, and is generally self-regulating.

Overall, it was a perfect evening, full of great conversations, delicious cuisine and fabulous wines. In many ways, Washington state wines are still figuring things out, but they are certainly not a diamond in the rough. These vinous gems are definitely worth seeking out!

TASTING NOTES

The Grosgrain Philips Vineyard Albariño Albariño 2021 is farmed organically and then fermented in a combination of concrete eggs, neutral oak and stainless steel. It displayed good acidity with medium body, green apple aromas, lovely minerality and long length.

In describing their Grosgrain Los Rocosos Vineyard Grenache 2018, Matthew finds Grenache to be similar to Pinot in that it reflects the place it is grown. Theirs is fresh, with savory and gamey characteristics, low alcohol and long length.

Matthews Winery 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Sample 
Fermented in oak (85% of which was new), this wine is dry, rich, round, with medium acidity, medium to full body, with ripe citrus, and depth and complexity, culminating in long length.

We also tasted 2021 barrel samples of Matthews Winery’s Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blends from the Columbia Valley. Both were well balanced, with lush fruit, herbaceous notes and good acidity.

The Grosgrain Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah 2019 was produced in a cool, delicate, Rhone style, with no new oak and the intention of being a very food friendly wine. It was stunning, with ripe tannins, good fruit character, bright acidity and long length.

I had previously tasted the L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee 2018  (albeit a different vintage) and it was a pleasure to become reacquainted with this wine as well as taste the Pepper Bridge Seven Hills Vineyard Bordeaux blend 2019. Both are Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blends with fruit from the Seven Hills Vineyard, with structure, power and intensity, yet still retaining elegance.

For more on Washington wine, see this previous post.



Building and sustaining relationships at Loveblock Wine

Erica Crawford Loveblock Wine

“Everything is based on relationships.” ~ Erica Crawford

As Erica Crawford of Loveblock Wine stated early on in the evening, “Everything is based on relationships…” which is how a South African medical researcher ended up in New Zealand and ultimately became part of the New Zealand wine industry. In sharing her back story, Erica talked about that first, vital relationship when she met “a Kiwi bloke” at a wine fair in Cape Town, a theme that resonated throughout our time together.

After emigrating to New Zealand and marrying Kim Crawford (the aforementioned “Kiwi bloke”), Erica pursued pharmaceutical sales while her husband established his winemaking career. The two eventually started the eponymously named Kim Crawford winery, building a successful business and brand and selling it in 2003. As a condition of the sale, they had to wait several years before they could resume their life in the industry.

The following year, Erica fell in love with the view of a vineyard situated within the Awatere Valley of New Zealand’s Marlborough region, making the purchase with proceeds from the sale. She appropriately named it Loveblock, which gave name to their next venture, Loveblock Wine, which they launched once the embargo was lifted.

I first met Erica in May 2016, when she was in town to share her Loveblock wines with members of the NYC wine press (see previous post). Back in New York City in May 2022 after a lengthy hiatus, Erica once again met with wine journalists, this time at the newly opened Vinyl Steakhouse.

Over dinner, we talked about the relationship between wine and food. Perusing the menu, Erica recommended the potato croquettes, chosen for having been fried, as a perfect foil for her Pinot Gris. She also suggested that we try the shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and the crispy sushi roll. Not surprisingly, her selections were spot on and we all enjoyed the appetizers with the wine.



We next talked about the relationship between farming and the environment. Upon purchase of the Loveblock land, Erica and Kim decided to plant the vineyard utilizing organic farming practices, which they had already begun to embrace in their diet. Today, their Anchor Estate Vineyard is certified organic by BioGro New Zealand. Moreover, as grape growers and winemakers, they are deeply rooted in sustainability and have inculcated this approach into all that they do. They refer to their philosophy as the “’triple bottom line’ concept: (Profit People Place)”.

As we moved on to our main courses, we talked about music, having fun with Vinyl Steakhouse’s collection of… vinyl. Choosing records from Lou Reed, Stevie Nicks and others, we reminisced about our teenage years and the music that accompanied them.

And eventually we talked about wine. In fact, Erica has to be prompted several times to talk about the individual wines because we have become so engrossed in other conversations.

As noted, we kicked off the meal with the Pinot Gris 2020 from Marlborough. Erica advised us that there has been increased interest in New Zealand Pinot Gris, which made me very happy since I had really enjoyed the Pinot Gris wines I had tasted in New Zealand during my visit in 2011. She clarified that they are crafting wines that provide an alternate option to Pinot Grigio, since theirs is more similar in style to Oregon Pinot Gris. For her, the wine is great as an aperitif and walks the tightrope of sugar and alcohol, while providing good fruit flavor. As I taste it, it is lush on the palate, with good acidity, medium body and notes of almond, pear and citrus, with long length.

We then turned our attention to the two Sauvignon Blancs Erica had brought. The first was the Sauvignon Blanc 2020, which is a relatively typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with fresh herbal characteristics joined by fresh citrus fruit, but with less pronounced notes than other NZ SBs. Erica describes it as being broader on the palate with pineapple, peach and cilantro notes, highlighting this latter aroma as making it a great option to pair with greens, especially kale, which can be a tricky wine partner.

Next up is their newest creation: Tee Sauvignon Blanc 2021. As its origin story, the intent was to keep sulfur levels low, but prevent oxidation. As a solution, they discovered a green tea additive in powder form that blocks the enzymes that cause oxidation in wine. In this way, they are able to produce not just a wine made with organic grapes, but actually a certified organic wine that is stable. This latter point is particularly important.

As a result, they have created a completely different iteration of Sauvignon Blanc. Depicted by Erica as having more mandarin, starfruit and spice aromas, the wine is also lower in acidity, yet richer than the first Sauvignon Blanc. It was really intriguing and exciting to taste this wine with its depth and structure, thanks to the tannins from the green tea as well as the six hours of skin contact that the wine received. It culminated in very long length and was my favorite wine of the night.

Our final wine of the evening was the Pinot Noir 2020 produced from fruit grown in Central Otago. This was really lovely with smoke, herbs, cherry and lots of earthiness on the medium bodied palate, along with nice, ripe tannins and good length.

Even though we were at a steakhouse, I opted to forgo the filet mignon and went with the scallops, accompanied by cauliflower purée and crispy prosciutto. It paired beautifully with both the Tee Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir.

At the end of the night, we were all reluctant to leave having renewed our relationships among Erica and ourselves. And that is everything.