Local Wines

If one were to enter a wine store or a restaurant and look at the offerings for sale, how many different chardonnays, cabernets, merlots, syrahs, etc. would one find? LOTS! Not that there is anything wrong with that. But how much is enough?

One of the most interesting aspects of the wine trade at the moment is the “discovery” of indigenous grape varieties that can produce excellent wines at their best; and well made and flavorful wines at the least. These are grape varieties that have previously not made the leap into the august realm of international celebrity status, but have remained on the more or less local level. Why are some of these grapes becoming more well known?

One of the reasons is that many of these “new” grapes are from southern Italy, Spain, the south of France; others are less well known Rhone Valley varietals, and so on. Some, such as Gruener Veltliner, are virtual specialties of a single country, in this case Austria. In the south of Europe, with a Mediterranean climate, days are very hot in summer. Without modern wine technology, white wines can often start to oxidize before they are pressed, with the result that the must is slightly brown and tastes bitter. Not exactly a great flavor profile to start with. Reds that ripen too quickly lose balance by being overly alcoholic and have a super ripe taste; that is because the balance of acid crucial to quality wines is not present in the grape must.

Modern wine technology can alleviate many of these problems. Night picking and temperature control fermentation tanks, refrigerated transport from vineyard to pressing facility, alcohol extraction, and advanced scientific knowledge have all made immense contributions to the quality improvement of less well know grapes; and often these grapes have come from regions that historically were not wealthy areas, think Puglia. The EU made money available for improving wine technology; we are seeing the results of these efforts now.

What is also happening is that producers in Spain, Italy, Greece, etc. are getting into international varieties, sometimes at the expense of local varieties. Albarino produces a wonderful white from Rias Baixas. But this terroir is also good for sauvignon blanc. Puglia has a wealth of black grapes, including Negroamaro, that produce earthy, tannic, rustic wines that marry with the intense flavors of the regional food. But classic red Bordeaux varietals also do well here. In Spain, we have Mencia, a very old native Spanish grape that produces a spicy, dark fruity wine and is just being discovered after about 2,000 years of hiding out! But this land also does well by syrah.

What I am getting at, is that we should relish the chances we have to sample all of these wonderful local wine varieties, as we do regional cuisines. Why would anyone go to Spain or Italy or Greece and eat at American style restaurants? Or watch American television shows at night? We have a wonderful opportunity not available to people ever before: to experience, appreciate, and cherish our regional differences in foods and wines from around the world. If I want a chardonnay I can select a Burgundy, a million labels from the US and Australia; if I want a cab, well you get the idea.

And remember, in addition to grape varieties, “local wines” reflect where they are produced. They reflect the Terroir where they live, the soul of the people who live there, and the foods that grew up on the same block as the wines.

Let’s just hope that winemakers do not give up the dynamic variety of local wines to offer yet another international flavor.

Terroir=Name

There was an interesting article in the Napa Valley Register on May 25, 2007 by John Waters, Jr. It concerns the application of winemakers and growers in Calistoga, Napa Valley, to have an American Viticultural Area designated for Calistoga. This would be complimentary to areas such as Oakville, Rutherford, and, further down the valley, Carneros. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is the unlikely name of the federal agency considering the application. The Agency, ATTB, is the one that decides on the naming and geographical definitions of an AVA.

What’s the big deal? If a vintner or grower in Calistoga wants the name “Calistoga” indicated on the label as a designated region of origin, think Medoc or Oakville, at the present time, the label may indicate that the product was produced in Napa Valley. As in Old World wine producing areas, the idea behind AVAs is to indicate a smaller growing area as an indicator of increased quality. This is so because if the idea of terroir has validity, as growing areas become more specific, the quality of the wine is likely to improve; think Burgundy, Chianti Classico, Stag's Leap.

So, if I am a winemaker located in Calistoga and I want to say on my label, Calistoga Bordeaux Meritage, 85% of the grapes used for the wine in the bottle MUST come from Calistoga. As it is now, if I make wine in Calistoga, the most specific region I can designate is NAPA VALLEY. That is why this is a big deal. Families, and wineries in Calistoga for generations, argue that their specific region, Calistoga, has sufficient distinction as a growing area to indicate a specific quality and distinction on the label.

So what is the problem? After all, there are many AVAs in the United States, from California to New Jersey. (I swear, I am not making that up.) The problem is a couple of large volume producers say they will be adversely affected by the Calistoga AVA designation.

Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estate wineries source grapes from Napa County and elsewhere; neither company makes wine in Calistoga. Their argument is that they have made money using their trade names and should not be prohibited or limited in where they buy their grapes. If Calistoga were a designated AVA, 85% of these wineries’ grapes would need to come from the Calistoga AVA. And this, of course, the entire reason for having an AVA.

If this sounds familiar, rewind your mind to the dispute between Fred Franzia with his Napa Valley designation on his wines when the grapes did not come from Napa. Caslistoga Estates Managing Director Marvin Stirman says that this is not the same as the Franzia cases as it is an intra-county dispute. But really, it IS the same. These two “Calistoga “ wineries selected their name because the name, in and of itself, has consumer recognition. That is why they chose the names of their iwnes to include Calistoga. The entire idea of Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estates is to make money on the name Calistoga. What the local folks are attempting to do is to further define what Calistoga means as a distinct growing area. The fact that this may affect the business of the two established wineries whose names were meant to mislead consumers by suggesting that their wines are somehow associated with the actual geographical area of Calistoga should have no bearing on the issue’s resolution. Also, there is a “grandfather date” for labels with misleading information: 1986. What Calistoga Cellars is proposing is to create another “grandfather date’ to accommodate their individual operation. Imagine if all business regulations were crafted to accommodate each individual business within a category.

If you have an opinion on this let me hear form you. Better yet, tell ATTB.

Some Warm Weather Suggestions

Now that the warm weather has arrived, let’s talk a little about some beverages that can help you stay cool during the warmest of summers’ days, not to mention mid summers’ night dream. (Sorry. I like bad puns.)

#1-Look for a Vinho Verde from Portugal. These wines are low in alcohol, under 10%, posses a wonderful nose and palette of fresh summer fruits; and for no additional charge you also get bubbles. This wine is fermented then refrigerated at 32°F/0°C until needed. It is bottled and a little “spritz” is added to make this light wine even more refreshing. Serve well chilled, forget about food with it, do not cellar it, the wine should have a “bottle date” rather than a vintage date on it and it should cost about $10.

#2-Try a Riesling from Chateau St. Michelle located in Washington State. They offer a range of sweetness and price that goes from off dry to dry, $7 to around $25. All have vibrant riesling fruit and acid that create a harmonious blend. The dry wines hover around 12%ABV, the off dry wines less. This winery is in the forefront of returning the wines made from the noble RIESLING grape to its rightful status in the world of wines. Riesling is the world’s greatest white grape. If you want to see why I say that try the following: taste a traditional Auslese from the Mosel; a traditional Spaetlese from the Rhine; a modern Auslese and Spaetlese from the above areas. Then find a “modern winemaker” who identifies their wines by the vineyard, or domaine, as in Burgundy. Then try a Beerenauslese from Germany or Austria. Then try a real Eiswein from Germany or Austria. No other grape can produce so many styles of wine and do it in such a superb fashion.

All of your homework assignments should have been this hard!

CAHORS

I've added some pictures a little ways down the column. You can see some places that, each in their own way, are beautiful.

The traditional, ancient town of Cahors speaks of the "Old World" of wines. Tucked away in SW France, south of Bordeaux, the region was historically well known in world commerce; there are references to wines from Cahors being on the market in London almost 1,000 years ago. There are native grapes, the most famous of which is the Malbec, whose traditional name is Cot. In Cahors, the wine from this variety is dense, tannic and all but opaque. In the past, English consumers referred to the wines of Cahors as black wine and the area produces red wines exclusively.

As a measure of how terroir influences wine production, Malbec is a blending grape in Bordeaux, although sparingly used. It comes into play in the Loire, a region not noted for ful bodied reds. And in its most famous incarnation, in Argentina, the export wine is typically fruit forward, chewy and redolent with ripe tannins.

The black wines of Cahors are made with varying maceration times as well as varying barrel aging times. There are producers who aim for the traditional big, long lasting wines that can require a decade or more of bottle aging before they are ready to drink. But in response to public demand for wines that are drinkable at an earlier age, some producers are searching for a way to retain the character of the region while having product for sale in a timely manner.

Prices for Cahors wines are premium to super premium with a name recognition issue: many consumers are OK with spending $40 0r $50 for a Bordeaux or Burgundy as they are familiar names and regions. For a good wine from Cahors to fetch the same price can be more difficult.

It remains to be seen if the area can "make it" internationally. Or will achieve a specialty status for unique and wonderful wines that take no prisoners.

The Sound of Music and The Happy Grapes

Over the last several year there were reports of kids doing better in school when exposed to the music of Mozart. I remember about 10 years ago a British hop grower played different types of music to different rows of plants and found that the vines exposed to heavy metal did not fare so well as the vines who "listened" to Mozart, Bach and Beethoven.

Now word comes from Tuscany that, in one experiment at least, the Sangiovese vines seem to like Vivaldi!

As reported on www.Wired.com on June 28, 2007, Italian grower Carlo Cignozzi had some of his vines listen to classical music composed by Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi and Mahler. Of course, because he is a "with it" kind of guy, the tunes were recorded and played back on an iPod!

Researchers were able to determine that the music had a positive impact on shoot growth and measurements indicate a larger vine area in the rows serenaded by the music.

It also seems that the overall volume can be low, suggesting that it is sound frequencies that stimulate enzymatic activity and also, according to some Chinese researchers, increases cell membrane fluidity.

The Tuscan experiments are continuing with more tunes and more vines. And while the final results may take some time to authenticate and replicate, those dedicated Italians are doing lab and field work. And the best way to verify your results? Taste the wine, of course.

Such professional dedication brings a tear to the eye!

But something almost serious to consider, is that playing music, even softly, seems to act as a type of non-polluting pest control. The music can ward off certain vine pests without the use of chemical poisons. And with increasing attention paid to renewable agricultural practices, it seems there may well be a place for some good tunes in world of wines.

Ratatouille

OK, this is a picture of the real deal. This is a classic vegetable dish of Southern France, served hot or chilled. It is made of onions, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini. squash, eggplant and assorted herbs and spices according to the tradition of the person making the dish. It can be flavorful or spicy, should never be bland or under-seasoned.

The reason I chose this topic is simply I just saw the PIXAR movie of the same name. There has been lots of publicity about this little movie and deservedly so. As with all first rate creative works there are a couple of levels to which one can respond.

First is the story, sort of a Grimm's fairy tale for rats with a dose of Horatio Alger. Second is the psycho/social sub text which I hope you can figure out for yourself.

But one of its main appeals for me is it is a story about becoming a chef with lots of stereotypical situations. But there is also an attention to detail that was fun to watch. The copper pots, the near psychotic French chef, the Teutonic kitchen Nazi, the supercilious patrons. All were quite real when I graduated from the CIA and they do seem to linger in certain instances. It was a fun movie, more for adults than kids. For anyone involved in the restaurant business lots will seem familiar but with a humorous bent. Of course, check out the wine bottles and what the imperious critic orders for dinner.

Humor is too often missing in restaurant kitchens; this is a real treat.