Archive for the 'Regions' Category

One of my favorite things to come out of the rise and proliferation of social media is the online or synchronized tasting. Whether it’s for wine, beer or spirits, online tastings have become one of the best ways to share the same bottle and informative experience with hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously all over the world. Through the use of networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as personal blogs and organizational sites, people can share comments and opinions about a beverage and learn from participating representatives or producers all from the comfort of their home. Aside from being there one on one with the respective producer, what could be better than that?

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When writing their bios for WineMag.com, many of the editors here answered the question: What was you first “Aha” moment in wine?

The question—probably designed to elicit a more interesting response than “how did you get into wine”—refers to those climactic, cathartic drinking experiences after which you realize you really love wine and, for some, decide you want to make it an integral part of your life. The first time you sipped something truly spectacular, were exposed to a dynamite food and wine pairing or witnessed the rustic beauty of wine country. (See our Meet the Editors page for our editors’ responses to the question.)

I opted not to answer. I could think of no singular, magical moment that officially turned me onto the world of wine. Sure, I had plenty of fond early drinking memories, but nothing stood out as a watershed.

After mulling through my early wine experiences, though, I began to see that the most memorable were converging on a particular place—the North Fork of Long Island. And, during a particular time period—the summer in the immediate wake of my college graduation. It was a time for serious self-reflection and, perhaps more relevant to this discussion, for finding some diversions from all that serious reflection. Here’s a brief rundown of some of that summer’s standout wine experiences:

Pondering potential careers and Picpoul with a good friend at Vine, a wine bar-restaurant in the maritime town of Greenport whose selection, handpicked by owner and Manhattan transplant Joe Watson, spans the world (somewhat of a rarity out there);

Sipping Cabernet Franc with that same friend one early evening at Osprey’s Dominion, while listening to local bands perform beside the vines—a popular North Fork summertime pastime that makes you realize how beautiful a vineyard can be;

Discovering unoaked Chardonnay. My mother like so many other enophile locals works part-time in the tasting room of a local winery (Borghese), and she brought a bottle home to have with dinner. This was also one of the last home-cooked meals I would have (and not appreciate enough) before moving to Manhattan. 

These moments were not immediately life-transforming—that winter I took a job in travel publishing and would only enter the wine industry years later. And, since arriving in Manhattan, some of them might fall from the list of “most spectacular life wine moments.” But they are the experiences to which I always return when someone asks how I got into wine. Family, friends, food and wine. Perhaps it’s a pretty classic combination?

This summer, like almost every other native North Forker currently living in NYC, I plan on spending several weekends out east. I intend to do a considerable amount of wine tasting—this time with a more strategic approach—and will hopefully be able to add a few more Aha moments to my ever-growing list.

What about you? Do you have any singular moments that turned you onto the world of wine? Or any memorable experiences you’d simply like to share?

I’ve always had a soft spot for Cabernet Franc. To me, it’s one of the more seductively refined yet pronounced grapes used to make great wine. It speaks of its terroir like few others, painting a landscape of its origins through varying characteristics and intensity. It is a significant component to some of the world’s greatest and most sought-after wines, particulary Bordeaux blends, like Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. It can also be used to produce a single-varietal wine, of which there are stunning examples made throughout the world including California, Washington, New York, Italy and Canada, among others. Given its prominence and permeation, why does the grape get such little respect?

It’s time for us all to Franc-ify ourselves. But where to begin?

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Man o' War's vineyards on Waiheke Island

Something like 90% of the New Zealand wine imported to the U.S. is Sauvignon Blanc, which makes it easy for American wine drinkers to completely disregard the other 10%. Sure, some folks go on about Pinot Noir–the latest flavor du jour in the U.S. and New Zealand’s most prominent red wine grape–but what’s remarkable is the diversity of grape varieties now being grown in this remote corner of the world.

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As a wine lover, there are certain region/varietal combinations that I hang my hat on. Dry Creek Valley is good for Zinfandel, Russian River Valley is good for Pinot, Malbec in Argentina, Chardonnay in Burgundy, the list goes on. It serves as a blueprint for making wine selections. But sometimes I can get so bogged down by these preconceptions that I fail to see the larger picture. It has led me to be unfairly judgmental at times, something that I’m not proud of. These are the moments when wine lovers can get that bed reputation. It’s the moment when wine “lover” turns to wine “snob” because these concepts turn from points of guidance to points of judgment. So I love when some of my deep-rooted dogmas are challenged.

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Of all the experiences I had on my recent trip to Seattle and Oregon, one theme rang true: the importance of slowing down. Being a New Yorker, I tend to rush from here to there, focusing more on the schedule and less on the moment. I think this transcends a lot of Metropolitan area East Coasters. The truth is, great things can happen when you pause, think, and let the juices flow.

One of the most eye-opening (and hilarious) experiences was on a morning when my friend and I were leaving Portland for an appointment at Scott Paul Wines. We were already running late, but had to taste some real Portland coffee before departing. Locals highly recommended the Portland chain, Stumptown,  so we decided to check it out.

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When an esteemed colleague of mine writes about Chenin Blanc, he can’t resist anthropomorphizing: The Chenin, she is changeable, she is flirty. She requires patience. She reveals her secrets in her own time, and just when you think you know her….

I think we can all agree, that’s quite enough of that. But I see what he means. He views Chenin in a feminine light because it’s a lovely name to pronounce (shuh-NAN or SHEH-nen); because certain women will always befuddle certain men with their unpredictability, their inscrutablility, their je ne sais quoi. (It’s true: Chenin Blanc is a befuddling grape.) But mostly, he just loves a well-made Chenin Blanc. I do too. And if you enjoy white wine with good acidity along the lines of Sauvignon Blanc, you should seek out Chenin Blancs.

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Traveling to emerging wine regions such as South Africa, Greece and Cyprus and tasting wines in New York from everywhere from Hungary to Long Island, I’ve thought a lot about how an under-the-radar region can make its mark in a market flooded with wine choices. Consumers are already accustomed to finding good wines at reasonable prices, and from places they recognize. So how can a country or region perceived as exotic or “foreign” to Americans find a place on domestic tables?

To start, by perfecting and promoting their own unique varieties, and marketing them realistically. This sounds easy enough, but it’s quite a challenge on many levels. The first is financial: it’s tempting for wineries to plant familiar varieties like Cabernet or Chardonnay—wines they know sell in other markets—instead of upholding the indigenous tradition of a Pinotage or Furmint , no matter how noble or worthwhile an endeavor. In their minds, they know there’s a real chance those indigenous varieties won’t ever gain serious, bankable traction in the highly competitive international markets.

I would never fault a smaller winery for trying to make solid business decisions—money is a real issue for these producers and a few missteps could put them out of business quickly. But in general, I think it’s dangerous for emerging regions to jump into the huge pool that is international-style winemaking. I’m not denying that sometimes great mainstream wines come from unlikely places (just try a South African Chenin or Cypriot Syrah sometime) but the real strength of a rising star region lies in its native varieties.

These are the wines that are best suited to the soil and the climate of the region, that in many cases have been made for decades, even centuries, by local winemakers. Found nowhere else, they embody the essence of the place in which they are grown, offering a truly unique experience to wine drinkers often lost in a sea of commercial, homogenous-tasting wines.

Despite this cultural allure of the wines, how do wineries get the message out to the American public? That requires a difficult balance of “unique, but not too foreign.” Blending native wines with mainstream varieties is one way to introduce wine drinkers to an emerging region and its local grapes. Consumers are more likely to grab a bottle of Xinomavro and Merlot because at least one of those words is familiar to them and it feels less like a risk. Eventually, one hopes they will graduate to exploring single varietal Xinomavro and all of the diversity expert producers can offer, but let’s take it one step at a time.

Labeling is important too—the bottle should have character but be readable and distinguishable. And then of course there’s education—tastings at wine stores, articles in wine magazines like Wine Enthusiast, getting the wines on restaurant lists and inspiring servers to learn about them and promote them—all will help wine lovers embrace the unfamiliar. It’s not easy maintaining one’s cultural identity in a market so flooded with familiar, and in some ways easier, wine choices. But thinking strategically, producers can uphold the character and tradition of their own native wines, while at the same time staying in business. What do you think?

Growing up in northern Michigan, I was certainly no stranger to the concept of outdoor sports. Fishing, hunting, waterskiing, hiking, skiing—it was all around me. I’ll admit though, I was more of an indoor creature—more likely to have my face stuck in a book than chopping wood or ice fishing. So when I traveled to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York last weekend on a wine tasting trip and was told that we’d also be dropping some lines in Cayuga Lake, I was somewhat wary.

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For centuries, Bordeaux wines have stood among the world’s best. Such historic figures as Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Pepys applauded them, and even today, top Bordeaux wines are regularly featured in international wine publications.

But only a tiny proportion of Bordeaux’s wines live up to these exalted standards. Today, Bordeaux is in crisis. Growers are giving up, unable to make a living selling their grapes to the local cooperative and without the resources to improve quality and change over to estate production.
Even at the top of Bordeaux’s quality pyramid, there are cracks in the foundation. There’s a popular perception that Bordeaux is full of fat-cat chateau owners charging exorbitant sums for their wines and completely out of touch with reality. Rumors persist that first-growth Château Latour is for sale. And there’s talk that the 2008 en primeur campaign may be eliminated or at best abbreviated.

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