There is no doubt that the world loves Italian food. I suspect though that other than Italians the world is less passionate about Italian wine. The problem has been partly one of image whereby most Italian wines with notable exceptions have tended to be associated with terms such as rustic, robust and old fashioned. While the rest of the wine producing world, particularly New World countries such as Australia, USA and latterly Chile and Argentina, were upping the quality to value for money ratio, Italy continued to produce an ocean of mediocrity, or, and let us be honest, plonk. The good news for wine drinkers is that things have changed for the better. Italy has undergone its own wine modernization revolution. What is particularly exciting for we wine geeks is that the improvement in the general quality has not been at the expense of jettisoning tradition and most importantly maintaining Italy’s grape diversity. While it is true the plantings of French grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay have over the last two decades increased, the most interesting Italian wines are still based on Italy’s unique stock of around 1,000 indigenous grape varieties.
Italy vies with France as the world’s largest producer of wine and the Italians still consume most of that wine themselves: about 50 to 60 litres per capita per year. While this still puts Italy near the top of the world’s league table of consumers the figure has halved over the last fifty years. The key to understanding Italian wine is first and foremost to understand the critical link with the country’s food. In the past Italians like much of the rest of Europe drank wine primarily as a safe alternative to water. Fermented grape juice has the advantage of killing many of the harmful bacteria associated with poor quality water and is certainly more interesting, not to mention the pleasant effectsdue to alcohol. Among foodies and wine lovers there isa somewhat esoteric debate that goes along the following lines. Did the different styles of wines to be found throughout Italy’s regions develop to match the food, or, did the regional foods of Italy develop to match the wines?
The answer is of course probably a bit of both, but what is striking, if you ever have the good fortune to travel in Italy, is the superb match between local foods and local wines. In Sicily in the hot south of Italy the white wines made from the grape variety Catarratto Blanco and the red wines made from the grape variety Nero d’Avola go fantastically with the seafood and predominantly vegetarian cuisine. From the Piedmont region in the north west of Italy can be found Barbaresco, Barbera, and Barolo wines. These red wines are a match made in heaven for dishes such as tairin, narrow tagliatelle enriched with aromatic truffles, or, Brasato al Barolo, braised beef with Barolo. Italian cuisine is all about the quality of the ingredients epitomized by the humble tomato, of which there are over three-hundred varieties grown in Italy. It is no accident that the wines of Italy and above all the famous Sangiovese grape variety indigenous to the Tuscany region in central Italy, match exquisitely the tomato based foods. Whether it is beautiful ripe red tomatoes on a plate of antipasti, or, a rich tomato pasta sauce, Italians reach for theirTuscan Sangiovese based wine such as Chianti and Brunello diMontalcino.
In terms of wine production Tuscany is not the largest producing region in Italy; in fact it is third behind Piedmont and Vento regions, but it is perhaps the most exciting. Tuscany has achieved a double trick whereby it has managed to maintain tradition while at the same time pioneered new methods of production that put it at the forefront of innovation in Italian wine making. The most concrete example of innovation was in the 1960’s and 1970’s with the introduction of the so called “Super Tuscans”. Super Tuscans are based on a "Bordeaux-blend", meaning a combination of grapes typical for the Bordeaux region in South West France (especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). These grapes are not originally from the region, but imported and planted later. The climate in Tuscany has proven to be very good for these grapes. One of the first successful Super Tuscan based a "Bordeaux-blend" was Sassicaia, by Tenuta San Guido a wine tasted for this article and reported on below.
The success of Super Tuscan wine particularly outside of Italy has had the effect of encouraging innovation and improved quality of wine production in Chianti, other Tuscan areas of wine production and to a certain extent throughout the rest of Italy. Chianti produced in the central part of Tuscany used to be bottled in a distinctive dumpy-shaped bottle enclosed in a straw basket that spurned a world wide craze in home table lamp production. The wine itself was unexciting, but with the introduction of a new classification of Chianti Classico, Chianti production has improved in quality dramatically. These Chianti and Chianti Classico wines are still predominantly based on the Tuscans’ beloved Sangiovese grape, but the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in varying amounts, combined with modern wine making, has made them some of Italy’s most sought after red wines.
Before we move to the Tuscan wine tasting, let me turn to a wonderful quirk, which is Kenya’s own Italian wine. Meru Wine based not far from the town of Meru close to Mount Kenya, produce Barbera a Red Table Wine as well as a White Table Wine and a Communion Wine. The text on the back label of the Barbera wine is wonderfully romantic describing how in 1904 Monsignor Perlo and Father Carliero planted the first vines around Muran’ga and Nyeri. Following the success achieved from wines made from the grapes of these first vines, vines were also planted on the Ruiri plains in Meru. It was on thisunknown root stock variety that Monsignor Perlo’s brother grafted Barbera vines brought from the Piedmont region in the north west of Italy. Barbera next to Sangiovese is Italy’s most planted red grape known for its high level of natural acidity a desirable attribute in hot climates; perhaps this is why the brother chose the Barbera grape for Meru? How does it taste? Well the label describes it as, “A mature, full-bodied and honest wine”, and for me that is pretty good description of what it tastes like.
As with the last wine column in the last edition of the Kenya Kitchen, I and a select group of wine tasters (the Winettes) recently enjoyed a sample of Tuscan wines which are all available in Kenya. Here are the results of our dedication to seeking out Tuscan excellence.
Castello Di Ama 2007 Chianti Classico
A great example of the improvement in quality of Chianti wines this wine is made from 100% Sangiovese. The wine is bright medium red in colour with plenty of tomato and red fruits on the nose. On the palate it has a rich and ripe style that has a strong black cherry and tobacco flavours.
Brunello Di Montalcino 2002 DOCG
Brunello is the name of the local Sangiovese variety that is grown around the village of Montalcino. Located south of the Chianti Classico zone, the Montalcino range is drier and warmer than Chianti. The Brunello variety of Sangiovese seems to flourish in this terroir, ripening easily and producing consistently wines of deep color, extract, richness with full bodies and good balance of tannins.
Sangiovento De Toscana 2007 IGT
Another Tuscan wine based predominantly on the Sangiovese grape with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon another grape originally from the Bordeaux region of France. The wine is deep red in colour with an expressive bouquet of dark red fruits such as blackcurrants and blackberries. On the palate the tannins are well integrated even though the wine is relatively young. The fruit is well represented on the taste with a satisfying long finish. This was the favourite wine of our tastings.
Sassicaia 2007 Bolgheri Sassicaia
The original “Super Tuscan” a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc this wines reputation goes before it and indeed lives up to the high praise. Sassicaia is known for aging well, meaning it can develop and improve in the bottle for up to 20 years. On the nose the typical Sangiovese dark fruit and tomato is apparent. The palate is smooth although the tannins indicate the wine still needs some bottle age to integrate fully. A fabulous and world class wine capable of rubbing shoulders with the finest wines of France or anywhere for that matter.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
There is nothing wrong with a little maturity
The general consensus among wine aficionados is that except for the most prestigious of the world’s cuvées the need to lay-down bottles of wine is no longer required. The vast majority of wine is produced ready to drink at the time of purchase. Wine consumers want to pull the cork, or, crack the screw cap immediately, drink their wine, and enjoy. After all in a world of instant gratification, who has the time and finance let alone the interest to lay-down wines for drinking some time in the distant future? Sure bottles of wine benefit from a little time and care before opening, but the need for damp and dark cellars has disappeared. Are then those fashionable and expensive wine cabinets that adorn hi-tech kitchens really just for show?
The reason I am thinking about wine ageing is that recently I enjoyed pulling the corks on some old and venerated northern Rhône Valley wines. Of course there is absolutely no fun in drinking old wines and for that matter any wine by oneself and as usual I was grateful to family and friends for indulging my interest. The wines, (as I will describe in a little more detail later and some are in the picture below), I thought were fabulous, although I do recognise some personal bias here.
The empty bottles are the ones already tasted at the time of taking the photograph
What I have noticed over the years when drinking older wines is that they are not to everyone’s taste even if they are in perfect condition let alone if they are oxidised, tired, and dried out. I accept that tasting old vintages is somewhat of an acquired taste and probably only for wine enthusiasts like me. Most wine drinkers it is true are more than happy with the good value for money and fruity modern wines that adorn any supermarket shelf. Why go to the expense of drinking an older vintage when you can get a perfectly good modern wine in tip-top condition and not for very much money? There is however, much pleasure and interest to be had in the whole process of ageing wines. There is first the search for wines that benefit from ageing that are not necessarily the tried and trusted cuvées, i.e. are affordable. It is interesting to follow the progress and development of a treasured bottle of wine. There is also the fun of matching a well aged bottle of wine with food; and when the combination is right it adds even more pleasure.
When I started to buy wine to lay-down I could not afford the grand cuvées of Europe. Premier Cru Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy’s were even 30 years ago well out of my price bracket. The fact that they have become even more out of my price bracket as the years have passed by is disappointing and a whole subject in itself. Blockbuster California reds and the iconic Penfolds Grange from Australia, which by the 1980’s were well established as “world class” were also too expensive. I perhaps could have gone for an Italian wine based on the Nebbiolo or Sangiovese red grapes, although the so called ‘Super Tuscan’s” were also commanding stratospheric prices by the 1980’s, but at the time I was not familiar with what I later appreciated to be fantastic wines. Instead I turned to wines that both benefited from bottle maturation, I could afford (just about), and last but not least I actually liked. What I liked at the time and still do were wines based on the Syrah grape variety.
The home of Syrah grape variety is the Rhône Valley in south eastern France. Syrah is usually said to have originated from Shiraz, the capital of Fars in Iran and brought to the Rhône Valley possibly by the Greeks of Phocaea some 2,500 years ago. Another opposing theory as to the origins of Syrah comes from Carole Meredith professor of viticulture at University of California, Davis. From an analysis of Syrah DNA, Dr. Meredith’s research points to Syrah being derived from two varieties: Dureza, which originates from Ardèche and Moneuse from Savoie both in France and relatively close to the northern Rhône Valley. Whatever the origins of Syrah there is no doubting that the best Syrah based wines are still to be found in the northern Rhône Valley although fantastic Syrah, (Shiraz as the grape is called in many parts of the world), wines come from Australia and increasingly Chile.
The great northern Rhône tastings took place at the Isle of Eriska on Scotland’s west coast. The wines were stored in Scotland since they were purchased by me more than 20 years ago. My modest collection of northern Rhône wines provides added enjoyment to visiting the old country from time to time.
Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, E. Guigal 1988
I bought this wine from Cockburns Wine Merchants (no longer operating) in Edinburgh and it cost in 1990 £11.50 a bottle. Guigal is the most famous of the Rhône Valley’s merchants established in 1946 and often credited with catalysing the so called ‘Rhône Renaissance’. Although the label has the name Ėtienne Guigal, the son Marcel was very much in charge of the business by 1988. Côte Rôtie, (“roasted slope”), is the most northerly of the northern Rhône appellations. The Brune et Blonde refers to hillside vineyards within the appellation and the names derive from an ancient legend relating the two daughters of the Seigneur de Maugiron, one brunette and the other blonde. The Brune et Blonde is the ‘every-day’ Côte Rôtie, in comparison to the famous three cru wines produced by Guigal: La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque. Guigal is associated with modernising the style of Côte Rôtie towards a riper, mouth-filling, rich and oaky style much admired by the USA wine critic Robert Parker. By 1990 when I bought this wine the wines of Guigal had become popular not least because of Parker’s praise although it was still possible to buy the Brune et Blonde at a relatively modest price. The difference between Côte Rôtie and other northern Rhône appellations such as Cornas and Hermitage is that many producers include a small amount of the white grape Viognier with the Syrah. The Viognier provides a perfume to the wine often described as the scent of violets.
If you look at the photograph above you will see that this wine, third from the left, has a slightly lower collar level than the other wines in the photograph indicating a little seepage. Seepage can indicate that the wine is getting too much exposure to oxygen, which can both increase the speed of the ageing process and ultimately lead to what is called an oxidized wine. When this happens, the wine loses its fresh, fruity aroma and becomes vapid and flat smelling. When I opened the wine however the cork and wine were in good condition. The Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, 1988 is a blend of 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier. The bouquet is sweet with smoky raspberry fruit, with still (amazingly?) some oak on the nose. Although the Viognier is really just a splash it makes a difference with the smell of violets. Soft and luscious on the plate there is fruit of plums and raspberries. The wine was definitely a little tired and past its best and should have been drunk a while ago, but I still enjoyed the wine and indeed it was probably the favourite amongst the group that tasted the flight of northern Rhône’s at the Isle of Eriska.
Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, E. Guigal 1989
This wine was also from Cockburns and in 1991 was £12.50 a bottle. A dark ruby colour with a thick brick coloured rim. Still lots of fruit on the nose and I thought the perfume of the Viognier was also apparent as with the 1988 on this wine. Raspberries on the palate and very smooth and the tannins well integrated. As with the 1988 past its best, but again I am surprised just how good the wine still is, at least to me.
Cornas, Noël Verset 1989
I bought this wine from my favourite wine merchant, Raeburn Fine Wines based opposite the cricket pitch in Stockbridge Edinburgh and in 1991 it cost £9.50 a bottle. Cornas is the next appellation north from St. Pére in the southern part of the northern Rhône. In 1989 Noël Verset was already 70 years old and had been making wine since he was 12 when he joined his father in the family owned domaine. His last official vintage was in 2003 although apparently he still tinkered in his cellar until 2006. Noël Verset owned in total fewer than 2 hectres in Cornas and production was always miniscule. I cannot stress how rare this wine is and I admit it was the fact that I liked the artisanal nature of the production as much as the wine when I started collecting (the first vintage I bought was 1983) Noël Verset’s remarkable Cornas.
A thick brick coloured rim, browning, but with still an intense centre red colour. The bouquet was deep with lots of forest floor aromas overlain by dark plumb fruit. Remarkably I could still taste/feel a wee bit of tannin and dare I suggest for a 23 years old wine this still had the structure to possibly improve with further ageing. Maybe that it is pushing it a bit, but a well integrated wine and as smooth as silk. Possibly the best Noël Verset I have tasted (I have tasted 1982 through to 1988 and 1990 to 1995).
Cornas, Noël Verset 1991
This wine was also purchased at Raeburn Fine Wines in 1993 at £10.50 a bottle. 1991 was an under rated vintage in the northern Rhône Valley partly because of the late rains, which effected ripening of the grapes. This wine though had a deep purple colour with a graduating brown rim. The distinctive earthiness of Cornas with the addition of sweet cassis (blackcurrant) was apparent on the bouquet of the wine. In the mouth the wine had low acidity with still plenty of fruit of raspberries and plums. Definitely not past it and although unlikely to improve in the bottle will likely hold together for a few years ahead.
Côte Rôtie Cuvée Réservée, Gentaz-Dervieux, 1991
I bought this wine in 1993 from Raeburn Fine Wines and it cost £15.40. Marius Gentaz-Dervieux held approximately 1.2 hectres of vineyards on very steep slopes as with most of Côte Rôtie. The vineyards are only 50 metres from the famous Guigal’s La Turque vineyard. Carrying the sobriquet Côte Brune, these wines with great expression of terroir are earthy and are a true expression of their origins.
The wine had a deep ruby purple colour with a graduated brick rim. On the nose there was roasted raspberry fruit, horse saddles, and damp earth. Full bodied on the mouth feel with a smooth texture. Probably past it’s best although not necessarily tired. I will just have to keep drinking the remaining bottles!
Côte Rôtie Cuvée Réservée, Gentaz-Dervieux, 1993
I bought this wine in 1995 from Raeburn Fine Wines and it cost £16.50. This was Marius Gentaz-Dervieux final vintage. 1993 is often described as one of the most difficult vintages in the northern Rhône Valley. Although this has the name Gentaz-Dervieux on the label from the 1993 vintage the vineyards were leased to René Rostaing another famous family based Rhône Valley wine producer.
A strong purple colour with a thick brick coloured rim to the wine in the glass. As with the 1991, this vintage has the tell-tale Gentaz-Dervieux earthiness on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate with tannins completely integrated and smooth. Smooth is indeed the description for this wine and is just great with foods of surprisingly a wide variety. Probably past its best and needs drinking, hey-ho and here we go!
Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, 1995
I bought this wine in 1997 from Yapp Brothers based in Mere Wiltshire and it cost me £32.50 a bottle, at the time the most I had spent on a bottle of wine. Hermitage is to the south of the famous white grape appellation of Condrieu in the northern part of the northern Rhône. Much of the 131 hectres of the Hermitage appellation are owned by the négociants Chapoutier and Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave dates back to 1481 and retains an important and many would argue vital part in the image and quality of Rhône Valley perhaps even French wines. Jean-Louis, born in 1935, has been the driving force followed by his son and other family members who have succeeded in elevating the quality and reputation of Hermitage wines. At Hermitage, the Chaves work 9.3 hectres of Syrah vineyards and 4.6 hectres of Marsanne (80 per cent) and Roussanne (20 per cent), both white grapes that produce the Hermitage blanc as famous as the rouge wines.
Dark red, thin brick line at top. Dark red plums and mushrooms on the nose. The palate had remarkable complexity with fruit flavours of plums and blackberries still strong. To me this is a good example of how easy it is with older wines to mix up the grape varieties. I know this wine is 100% Syrah, but I am sure if I was doing the tasting blind I could possibly mistake this wine for a top quality Burgundy not least because of the finesse. There are also Pinot connotations of raspberry fruit, but the spicy flavours of the Syrah probably takes one back to the northern Rhône Valley. The wine has great smoothness with a long finish. I have a case of the Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, 1990, which I am still resisting opening, but it is going to be tough for it to match up this 1991. This is Syrah heaven?
The reason I am thinking about wine ageing is that recently I enjoyed pulling the corks on some old and venerated northern Rhône Valley wines. Of course there is absolutely no fun in drinking old wines and for that matter any wine by oneself and as usual I was grateful to family and friends for indulging my interest. The wines, (as I will describe in a little more detail later and some are in the picture below), I thought were fabulous, although I do recognise some personal bias here.
The empty bottles are the ones already tasted at the time of taking the photograph
What I have noticed over the years when drinking older wines is that they are not to everyone’s taste even if they are in perfect condition let alone if they are oxidised, tired, and dried out. I accept that tasting old vintages is somewhat of an acquired taste and probably only for wine enthusiasts like me. Most wine drinkers it is true are more than happy with the good value for money and fruity modern wines that adorn any supermarket shelf. Why go to the expense of drinking an older vintage when you can get a perfectly good modern wine in tip-top condition and not for very much money? There is however, much pleasure and interest to be had in the whole process of ageing wines. There is first the search for wines that benefit from ageing that are not necessarily the tried and trusted cuvées, i.e. are affordable. It is interesting to follow the progress and development of a treasured bottle of wine. There is also the fun of matching a well aged bottle of wine with food; and when the combination is right it adds even more pleasure.
When I started to buy wine to lay-down I could not afford the grand cuvées of Europe. Premier Cru Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy’s were even 30 years ago well out of my price bracket. The fact that they have become even more out of my price bracket as the years have passed by is disappointing and a whole subject in itself. Blockbuster California reds and the iconic Penfolds Grange from Australia, which by the 1980’s were well established as “world class” were also too expensive. I perhaps could have gone for an Italian wine based on the Nebbiolo or Sangiovese red grapes, although the so called ‘Super Tuscan’s” were also commanding stratospheric prices by the 1980’s, but at the time I was not familiar with what I later appreciated to be fantastic wines. Instead I turned to wines that both benefited from bottle maturation, I could afford (just about), and last but not least I actually liked. What I liked at the time and still do were wines based on the Syrah grape variety.
The home of Syrah grape variety is the Rhône Valley in south eastern France. Syrah is usually said to have originated from Shiraz, the capital of Fars in Iran and brought to the Rhône Valley possibly by the Greeks of Phocaea some 2,500 years ago. Another opposing theory as to the origins of Syrah comes from Carole Meredith professor of viticulture at University of California, Davis. From an analysis of Syrah DNA, Dr. Meredith’s research points to Syrah being derived from two varieties: Dureza, which originates from Ardèche and Moneuse from Savoie both in France and relatively close to the northern Rhône Valley. Whatever the origins of Syrah there is no doubting that the best Syrah based wines are still to be found in the northern Rhône Valley although fantastic Syrah, (Shiraz as the grape is called in many parts of the world), wines come from Australia and increasingly Chile.
The great northern Rhône tastings took place at the Isle of Eriska on Scotland’s west coast. The wines were stored in Scotland since they were purchased by me more than 20 years ago. My modest collection of northern Rhône wines provides added enjoyment to visiting the old country from time to time.
Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, E. Guigal 1988
I bought this wine from Cockburns Wine Merchants (no longer operating) in Edinburgh and it cost in 1990 £11.50 a bottle. Guigal is the most famous of the Rhône Valley’s merchants established in 1946 and often credited with catalysing the so called ‘Rhône Renaissance’. Although the label has the name Ėtienne Guigal, the son Marcel was very much in charge of the business by 1988. Côte Rôtie, (“roasted slope”), is the most northerly of the northern Rhône appellations. The Brune et Blonde refers to hillside vineyards within the appellation and the names derive from an ancient legend relating the two daughters of the Seigneur de Maugiron, one brunette and the other blonde. The Brune et Blonde is the ‘every-day’ Côte Rôtie, in comparison to the famous three cru wines produced by Guigal: La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque. Guigal is associated with modernising the style of Côte Rôtie towards a riper, mouth-filling, rich and oaky style much admired by the USA wine critic Robert Parker. By 1990 when I bought this wine the wines of Guigal had become popular not least because of Parker’s praise although it was still possible to buy the Brune et Blonde at a relatively modest price. The difference between Côte Rôtie and other northern Rhône appellations such as Cornas and Hermitage is that many producers include a small amount of the white grape Viognier with the Syrah. The Viognier provides a perfume to the wine often described as the scent of violets.
If you look at the photograph above you will see that this wine, third from the left, has a slightly lower collar level than the other wines in the photograph indicating a little seepage. Seepage can indicate that the wine is getting too much exposure to oxygen, which can both increase the speed of the ageing process and ultimately lead to what is called an oxidized wine. When this happens, the wine loses its fresh, fruity aroma and becomes vapid and flat smelling. When I opened the wine however the cork and wine were in good condition. The Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, 1988 is a blend of 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier. The bouquet is sweet with smoky raspberry fruit, with still (amazingly?) some oak on the nose. Although the Viognier is really just a splash it makes a difference with the smell of violets. Soft and luscious on the plate there is fruit of plums and raspberries. The wine was definitely a little tired and past its best and should have been drunk a while ago, but I still enjoyed the wine and indeed it was probably the favourite amongst the group that tasted the flight of northern Rhône’s at the Isle of Eriska.
Côte Rôtie Côtes Brune et Blond, E. Guigal 1989
This wine was also from Cockburns and in 1991 was £12.50 a bottle. A dark ruby colour with a thick brick coloured rim. Still lots of fruit on the nose and I thought the perfume of the Viognier was also apparent as with the 1988 on this wine. Raspberries on the palate and very smooth and the tannins well integrated. As with the 1988 past its best, but again I am surprised just how good the wine still is, at least to me.
Cornas, Noël Verset 1989
I bought this wine from my favourite wine merchant, Raeburn Fine Wines based opposite the cricket pitch in Stockbridge Edinburgh and in 1991 it cost £9.50 a bottle. Cornas is the next appellation north from St. Pére in the southern part of the northern Rhône. In 1989 Noël Verset was already 70 years old and had been making wine since he was 12 when he joined his father in the family owned domaine. His last official vintage was in 2003 although apparently he still tinkered in his cellar until 2006. Noël Verset owned in total fewer than 2 hectres in Cornas and production was always miniscule. I cannot stress how rare this wine is and I admit it was the fact that I liked the artisanal nature of the production as much as the wine when I started collecting (the first vintage I bought was 1983) Noël Verset’s remarkable Cornas.
A thick brick coloured rim, browning, but with still an intense centre red colour. The bouquet was deep with lots of forest floor aromas overlain by dark plumb fruit. Remarkably I could still taste/feel a wee bit of tannin and dare I suggest for a 23 years old wine this still had the structure to possibly improve with further ageing. Maybe that it is pushing it a bit, but a well integrated wine and as smooth as silk. Possibly the best Noël Verset I have tasted (I have tasted 1982 through to 1988 and 1990 to 1995).
Cornas, Noël Verset 1991
This wine was also purchased at Raeburn Fine Wines in 1993 at £10.50 a bottle. 1991 was an under rated vintage in the northern Rhône Valley partly because of the late rains, which effected ripening of the grapes. This wine though had a deep purple colour with a graduating brown rim. The distinctive earthiness of Cornas with the addition of sweet cassis (blackcurrant) was apparent on the bouquet of the wine. In the mouth the wine had low acidity with still plenty of fruit of raspberries and plums. Definitely not past it and although unlikely to improve in the bottle will likely hold together for a few years ahead.
Côte Rôtie Cuvée Réservée, Gentaz-Dervieux, 1991
I bought this wine in 1993 from Raeburn Fine Wines and it cost £15.40. Marius Gentaz-Dervieux held approximately 1.2 hectres of vineyards on very steep slopes as with most of Côte Rôtie. The vineyards are only 50 metres from the famous Guigal’s La Turque vineyard. Carrying the sobriquet Côte Brune, these wines with great expression of terroir are earthy and are a true expression of their origins.
The wine had a deep ruby purple colour with a graduated brick rim. On the nose there was roasted raspberry fruit, horse saddles, and damp earth. Full bodied on the mouth feel with a smooth texture. Probably past it’s best although not necessarily tired. I will just have to keep drinking the remaining bottles!
Côte Rôtie Cuvée Réservée, Gentaz-Dervieux, 1993
I bought this wine in 1995 from Raeburn Fine Wines and it cost £16.50. This was Marius Gentaz-Dervieux final vintage. 1993 is often described as one of the most difficult vintages in the northern Rhône Valley. Although this has the name Gentaz-Dervieux on the label from the 1993 vintage the vineyards were leased to René Rostaing another famous family based Rhône Valley wine producer.
A strong purple colour with a thick brick coloured rim to the wine in the glass. As with the 1991, this vintage has the tell-tale Gentaz-Dervieux earthiness on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate with tannins completely integrated and smooth. Smooth is indeed the description for this wine and is just great with foods of surprisingly a wide variety. Probably past its best and needs drinking, hey-ho and here we go!
Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, 1995
I bought this wine in 1997 from Yapp Brothers based in Mere Wiltshire and it cost me £32.50 a bottle, at the time the most I had spent on a bottle of wine. Hermitage is to the south of the famous white grape appellation of Condrieu in the northern part of the northern Rhône. Much of the 131 hectres of the Hermitage appellation are owned by the négociants Chapoutier and Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave dates back to 1481 and retains an important and many would argue vital part in the image and quality of Rhône Valley perhaps even French wines. Jean-Louis, born in 1935, has been the driving force followed by his son and other family members who have succeeded in elevating the quality and reputation of Hermitage wines. At Hermitage, the Chaves work 9.3 hectres of Syrah vineyards and 4.6 hectres of Marsanne (80 per cent) and Roussanne (20 per cent), both white grapes that produce the Hermitage blanc as famous as the rouge wines.
Dark red, thin brick line at top. Dark red plums and mushrooms on the nose. The palate had remarkable complexity with fruit flavours of plums and blackberries still strong. To me this is a good example of how easy it is with older wines to mix up the grape varieties. I know this wine is 100% Syrah, but I am sure if I was doing the tasting blind I could possibly mistake this wine for a top quality Burgundy not least because of the finesse. There are also Pinot connotations of raspberry fruit, but the spicy flavours of the Syrah probably takes one back to the northern Rhône Valley. The wine has great smoothness with a long finish. I have a case of the Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, 1990, which I am still resisting opening, but it is going to be tough for it to match up this 1991. This is Syrah heaven?
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A Rosé by any other name
On a hot summer’s days something soft and refreshing is required to quench the thirst. Red wines can be too heavy and some white wines too tart and acidic for hot weather. This is where Rosé wines can come to the rescue and above all offer fun. A well chilled bottle of Rosé wine, shared with friends and family is the perfect way to relax and enjoy a special weekend afternoon. Rosé wines can either be drunk alone as an aperitif or with food. Rosé wines can compliment almost any dish for example: crisp salads, spicy foods, seafood, or, grilled meats straight from the barbeque. Rosé wines come in a variety of styles from dry, semi-sweet to very sweet. There are also sparkling Rosés such as a luxurious pink Champagne, or, a recent addition to the market, a pink Port (which is a fortified wine) from Portugal.
Rosé wines are said to originate from the south of France where the hot Mediterranean summers are conducive to alfresco living. By volume, the region of Provence with its long coastline produces half of all the wine made in France, and more than eighty percent of this is Rosé. The main grape variety for making Rosé in Provence is Mourvèdre, which is actually a red grape. There are three methods for producing Rosé wines. The first is by blending red and white wine, a method usually used for cheaper wines. Then there is the method favoured in France and Provence called saignée, whereby some juice is immediately “bled” off the crushed red grapes. The remaining grape juice then has a higher grape skin to juice ratio. However, because the fruit has been harvested at optimal ripeness for red wine, there is a tendency for this style of Rosé to be high in alcohol. Most serious Rosé producers prefer the third method, whereby grapes are purpose grown to produce Rosé wines in specially selected vineyards. The grapes are harvested early to ensure higher acid and lower alcohol levels. The clear juice is left in contact with the skins after crushing to acquire the desired degree of pinkness. The longer the juices contact with the skins, the deeper the colour of the Rosé.
In Kenya a range of Rosé wines are available in good supermarkets and from wine suppliers. As with red and white wines, when choosing a Rosé wine decide whether you prefer a dry or sweet style. Rosé wines available in Kenya are mainly from the New World: South Africa, Australia, Chile and the USA. They are made with grape varieties such as Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. They are increasingly available in what is called an off-dry style, which is described as semi-sweet on the label. “Semi-sweet” is a technical term and means that the wine has a residual sugar content above five to twenty milligrams per litre. Rosé wines are best drunk young, so look out for 2011 or 2010 vintages and be wary of any Rosé still on the shelves older than 2008. The exception to the rule is the wines from Tavel in the Southern Rhône in France, where some Rosé wines can mature nicely in the bottle for a decade or more. For a special occasion try a bottle fermented sparkling Rosé from the Champagne region in France, or from South Africa, Chile and Australia.
Here are some examples of Rosé wines available in Kenya, which were tasted with friends recently.
Rosé wines are said to originate from the south of France where the hot Mediterranean summers are conducive to alfresco living. By volume, the region of Provence with its long coastline produces half of all the wine made in France, and more than eighty percent of this is Rosé. The main grape variety for making Rosé in Provence is Mourvèdre, which is actually a red grape. There are three methods for producing Rosé wines. The first is by blending red and white wine, a method usually used for cheaper wines. Then there is the method favoured in France and Provence called saignée, whereby some juice is immediately “bled” off the crushed red grapes. The remaining grape juice then has a higher grape skin to juice ratio. However, because the fruit has been harvested at optimal ripeness for red wine, there is a tendency for this style of Rosé to be high in alcohol. Most serious Rosé producers prefer the third method, whereby grapes are purpose grown to produce Rosé wines in specially selected vineyards. The grapes are harvested early to ensure higher acid and lower alcohol levels. The clear juice is left in contact with the skins after crushing to acquire the desired degree of pinkness. The longer the juices contact with the skins, the deeper the colour of the Rosé.
In Kenya a range of Rosé wines are available in good supermarkets and from wine suppliers. As with red and white wines, when choosing a Rosé wine decide whether you prefer a dry or sweet style. Rosé wines available in Kenya are mainly from the New World: South Africa, Australia, Chile and the USA. They are made with grape varieties such as Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. They are increasingly available in what is called an off-dry style, which is described as semi-sweet on the label. “Semi-sweet” is a technical term and means that the wine has a residual sugar content above five to twenty milligrams per litre. Rosé wines are best drunk young, so look out for 2011 or 2010 vintages and be wary of any Rosé still on the shelves older than 2008. The exception to the rule is the wines from Tavel in the Southern Rhône in France, where some Rosé wines can mature nicely in the bottle for a decade or more. For a special occasion try a bottle fermented sparkling Rosé from the Champagne region in France, or from South Africa, Chile and Australia.
Here are some examples of Rosé wines available in Kenya, which were tasted with friends recently.
- Villiera Brut Rosé, Method Cap Classique, South Africa, non-vintage, KSH2,600 available from MIA Wines and Spirits International (email: Kafrawines@nbi.ispkenya.com). A classy bottle fermented sparkling wine known as Méthode Cap Classique in South Africa. Interesting in that this Brut Rosé is unusual in that it is made with a majority of the red grape Pinotage, South Africa’s only indigenous grape.
- Cinzano Rosé Vino Spumante Gran Cuvée, Italy, non-vintage, about KSH1,000 to 1,500, available in many supermarkets in Kenya. A sparkling sweet wine not to be taken too seriously.
- Juno Cape Maidens Rosé, South Africa, 2010, KSH850, available from MIA Wines and Spirits International (email: Kafrawines@nbi.ispkenya.com). Cranberry cherry colour, dry, light and lively.
- Goats do Roam Rosé, South Africa, 2010, KSH930, available from Mia Wines and Spirits International (email: Kafrawines@nbi.ispkenya.com). This is a Shiraz led Rosé, fresh, and zesty berry flavours.
- Kleinfontein Rosé, South Africa, 2010, KSH850, available from Jos. Hasen (email: info@hansenkenya.com). Salmon pink, dry and bright fruit.
- Frontera Cabernet Blush, Chile, 2010, KSH900 to KSH950, available from most good supermarkets. Dark Rosé, relatively high alcohol at 13.5%, ripe fruit and smooth tannins.
- Nabygelegen House Wine Rosé, South Africa, non-vintage, KSH850, available from Jos. Hasen (email: info@hansenkenya.com). Merlot base Rosé, medium body, fresh acidity and good finish. This was one of the favourites amongst my friends.
- Carlo Rossi California Rosé, USA, non-vintage, KSH1,200, available in supermarkets. I think this has some Zinfandel a grape very much associated with California.
- Angove Nine Vines Rosé, Australia, 2010, KSH1,200, available from in supermarkets. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Shiraz. A bright pink wine bursting with Australian sunshine.
- Bellingham Rosé, South Africa, 2011, KSH766, available from Wines of the World (Telephone 020 264 6020). Light pink, tangy and semi-sweet.
- Caliterra Reserva Rosé, Chile, 2010, KSH1,200, available in supermarkets. Another Shiraz based Rosé from the Colchagua Valley in the Central region of Chile.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wine and Restaurants in Kenya
More and more Kenyans are enjoying wine, either at home, nights out and in restaurants. Average wine consumption in Kenya is still very low and much less than 1 litre per person per year – this is higher than most African countries but less than South Africa which has an average consumption of around 7 litres per person per year. The growth in wine sales in Kenya has risen dramatically over the last decade in line with a prospering economy. Restaurants have responded to customer demands for wine and most now maintain a selection of wines. However, selecting a wine in a restaurant may be intimidating with many of us for what ever reason feeling self conscious and worried that we will make a mistake. This is not helped by the fact that the cost of wine in Kenyan restaurants although not expensive in comparison to most Africa countries with the notable exception of South Africa, can nevertheless set you back more than the cost of the food. It is also fair to say that when ordering wine in a Kenyan restaurant, staff may not be able to provide advice, as, through no fault of their own they have received limited training and experience in guiding the guest in their choice of wine. To help in navigating your way around a restaurant’s wine list here are a few tips.
1) Be confident in what you like. While it may be true that so called wine connoisseurs may know a lot about wine, they do not know your preferences and they certainly do not necessarily have a better taste than you do. In other words, if you like sweet and fruity, or, dry and crisp wines then tell the waiter this is what you would like.
2) Read the winelist and note the prices. Do not be worried to tell your waiter that you are looking for value for money, or, that you do not want to spend more than a specified amount. Remember you are paying the bill, not the restaurant.
3) Ordering wine by the glass is relatively expensive. By all means if only one person on your table wants to drink wine then ordering by the glass is the way to go. However, remember once there are two and certainly three people drinking wine it is more economical to order a bottle.
4) Do not necessarily order the house wine. While it is usually true that the house wine will be the cheapest wine on the list it will not necessarily be the best value. Restaurants are more than happy to sell you the house wine as usually this is the wine where they can put the largest mark up on.
5) Remember the mark up. Most restaurants mark up the price of a bottle of wine from 100% to 300% on the wholesale price. Since you’re paying so much I recommend something you can’t get at the local supermarket or shops which sell wine. What is the point of spending twice or three times as much on a bottle of wine you can get at the supermarket next door?
6) Check the wine when it is brought to your table. You would be surprised how often a wine brought to your table is different to the one you ordered on the wine list. More often the vintage (year) is different and at least for European wines the variations in quality from one vintage to the next can be significant.
7) Do not smell the cork. By all means check that the cork is not crumbling and that the cork bottom is moist; but smelling the cork is no indication that the wine is good, bad, or, indifferent. Be wary if the waiter has brought the wine to the table with the cork already extracted or the screw-cap ‘cracked’ it may be that some one is filling the bottles with something different to what is on the label.
8) First step is to smell the wine. When the waiter pours a small amount in your glass the first thing to do and more often the only thing you need to do is to smell the wine. The smell or bouquet of a wine is more than enough to tell you if the wine is corked or off. If it smells musty or of bad-eggs then the wine is off and you are perfectly entitled to return the bottle and request a replacement. However, if you do not like the taste of the wine, this is not sufficient reason to send it back and try a different one. You have already made you choice of wine before the bottle is opened. However, I have noticed in Kenya that some restaurants will sometimes let you taste a small amount of the house wine and by all means avail yourself of this service if it is available.
9) My advice is to pour your own wine. Some waiters try and pour out the whole bottle before you have buttered your bread roll. Others believe they are doing the right thing by keeping your glass permanently full. However, wine is best enjoyed with the glass a little more than half full. This allows the “nose” or bouquet and flavours to be fully appreciated. But note –too much “swirling in the glass” - can lead to an embarrassing spillage. Whether or not the waiter has been told to keep-the-glasses-full or not, pouring your own means you are in control of the amount in your glass, and your total intake and not somebody else.
10) Cheap wine doesn’t mean it is bad and expensive wine doesn’t mean it’s good. But expensive wine is usually expensive because it’s good and in demand. Simple economics really.
From a restaurant’s perspective in the Kenyan context, it requires some effort to keep a good winelist as I found out when speaking with Kiran Jethwa the Manager and Executive Chef at the restaurant Seven Sea Food and Grill located in the ABC shopping centre in Nairobi. Kiran has gone to a lot of trouble in assembling and keeping a varied and extensive winelist. Kiran’s preference is for wines of the New World, (South Africa, USA, Australia, Chile and the Antipodeans), partly because he prefers the taste and partly because from his patron’s perspective they offer good value for money. New World, unlike Old World (mostly European) wines, are certainly easier to understand because the practice is to state the grape variety or varieties on the label. This makes it easier for the consumer to know what she or he is getting. As Kiran pointed out though, most restaurants in Kenya keep more or less the same selection of wines. The reason for this is the limited number of wine wholesalers and therefore that all restaurants are buying from only five or six companies. For a Kenyan restaurant to source its own supply of wines directly from the maker is at best extremely difficult and at worst impossible as there are strict rules and regulations with regard to obtaining a license to import wines and spirits to Kenya.
The other challenge which Kenyan restaurants face is consistency of supply. Keeping a winelist up to date is a difficult as wines quickly become unavailable particularly if they are good and represent value for money. To partly get around this problem Kiran keeps a ‘Wines of the Month” list at Seven, which if you are a regular patron is a good way of trying different styles of wine rather than sticking with the same wine every visit. While being cautious of recommending a particular wine with a particular dish, Kiran personally likes the Goose Chase wine with the Mambrui Clam Chowder; this is an Australian blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and is currently available at Seven. Seven does indeed keep a good and extensive wine list and Kiran will only be delighted if you ask for some help on your first or next visit.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sweet Tooth
Wine tasting can at times be exasperating. There you are waxing lyrically about the asparagus nose and zingy acidity of what you know is a Sauvignon Blanc, only to be told that the wine is actually a Riesling. Such a nightmare moment all fellow wine tasters will recognise. So too the situation where as soon as you profess to have a passing interest in wine, a glass is thrust into your hand and the inevitable question is asked, “Well, what is it”? A tip here for such occasions is to describe what the wine is not rather than what it is. This elimination technique may seem somewhat evasive, but it has the advantage of equally wowing friends and more likely prevent the falling-flat-on-your-face moment.
Party tricks aside, wine tasting is a skill, which just like any other skill can with practice be acquired with the only prerequisite being having a sense of smell. It does help to acquire a modicum of understanding of human physiology, essentially the basics of how we smell and taste. For example, the sensation of sweetness is mostly picked up on the tip of the tongue. Next time you taste wine or pretty well any liquid for that matter, concentrate on the tip of the tongue. You should be able to pick up the fact that the liquid either appears sweet or not. How sweet or not the liquid appears will be different for different people based upon an individual’s tolerance. In other words, one person’s sweetness can be another person’s sour and vice versa.
I use the term sweetness, but what is being identified and categorised is the amount of sugar, expressed in wine tasting parlance as grams per litre. In general terms and in most countries, a wine with a residual sugar content of below 4 or 5 grams per litre is usually categorised as dry. Above 9 or 10 grams a litre then the wine is categorised as sweet with the intermediary category of between 5 to 9 grams per litre as off-dry.
For the everyday wine drinker these categorisations of the relative sweetness of a wine are somewhat academic. The buyer usually wants simply to know is the wine sweet or dry. New World wine producers are usually more helpful to the consumer often providing some form of symbol on the label to categorise degrees of sweetness, or, are more likely simply to have on the label sweet, semi-sweet, or, dry. Old World wine producers particularly the French are less likely to offer the consumer such help. The logic being, I think, that that if you do not know that Sauternes, for example, is a sweet wine then it is your lookout.
The popularity of sweet wines historically has waxed and waned. In Europe in the 18th and 19th Century’s sweet wines was all the rage, at least within the courts of the aristocracy and among the elites. Part of the explanation relates to the then scarcity of sugar and natural sweetness in any food was much prized. After the Second World War wine consumption began to move away from only the drink of two extremes; either a drink of the peasants or the tipple of the rich. Prosperity and the rise of the urban middle classes provided new and much larger markets for wine. By the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s sophisticated urbanites were moving towards a preference for dry wines. Why this preference away from sweet wines happened is open to much speculation and interpretation, but perhaps was noting more than fashion.
Humans have a penchant, if not a physical craving for all things sweet. The positive response babies’ display to sweet food is dramatic and early exposure to high levels of sugar in the diet can create cravings, if not an addiction, that many find difficult in later life to kick. This human preference for sugar as well as fat forms the basis of one of the world’s most successful industries, being fast food in all its guises. It is then no coincidence that the most successful brand of wine in the world, the Australian Yellow Tail labels, (annual sales of around 400 million litres), has relatively high levels of residual sugar. Again, this is no coincidence as cleaver marketing folk know full well that consumers, particularly those new to wine drinking, respond favourably in blind tastings to a degree of residual sugar in their wines.
There are several ways to produce a sweet wine. Natural sweetness is a function of the ripeness of a grape when picked. In northern Europe producing grapes which are fully ripe, meaning with sufficient sugar content, has historically been somewhat hit-and-miss due to the vagaries of the climate. Many European wine producers are in some ways happy that global warming may be changing this situation to produce far less inconsistent vintages than historically has been the case. European wine makers are still allowed to add sugar, or, more precisely grape must, prior to the fermentation process not to increase sweetness, but to provide the food for the yeast for the wine to ferment to a sufficient alcoholic strength. This addition of grape must is known as Chapilization named after a French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal in the mid-18th Century.
A “natural” way to produce a sweet wine is through desertification of the grape. This can be achieved either through using raisins, dried grapes, which by reducing the water content of the grape increases the relative sugar content. Another way is through a fungal infection called botrytis cinerea. This bacterial infection on the skin of the grape has the effect of educing rot, the process is commonly called noble rot, and reducing the water content in the grape and therefore again increasing the relative sugar content. The other natural way of increasing the sugar content of the grape is through picking the grapes when they are frozen. Ice wine as it is called is based on the principle that water freezes at a higher temperature than the phenolics properties of the grape, including the sugar content.
The other way to produce a sweet wine is to stop the fermentation process before all the sugars in the wine have been converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The good folk of the Douro valley in Portugal do this to their Port wines adding a grape spirit to the wine before fermentation has been completed. This has the effect of retaining the residual sugar content of the wine and importantly bumping the alcoholic strength to around 18% volume.
In Kenya the shelves of the supermarkets have plenty of off-dry or sweet wines. From Chile there are the products of the Frontera label part of the Concha Y Toro Company with their sweet wine offerings. At about 15 grams per litre and alcohol of 15% by volume and a price tag of KSH700 (US$9.00) it has proved a popular seller. Interestingly the wine has no vintage on the label indicating that it may well be a blend of wines from a variety of vintages and areas of Chile. How the sweetness is achieved is also not indicated on the label, but it maybe as simple as adding grape must to the final product prior to bottling.
From South Africa there are a variety of products that fall into the sweet wine category. The wine company Douglas Green have a label called St. Celine, marketed as a Natural Sweet Red, at around 15% alcohol and like its Chilean counterpart also a non-vintage. Douglas Green in my opinion has a sophisticated marketing strategy and quick off the mark when it comes to recognising the consumer preferences for slightly sweet wine. They have their labels St. Anna, Natural Sweet, 8% alcohol, (KSH499) and St Claire, Natural Sweet Red, 8% alcohol, which again cleverly recognise consumer moves to sweeter and less alcohol in their wines. For the Old World the French through the J.P Chenet company offer a Medium Sweet white, as well as a Medium Sweet Red 2008 at around KSH779 a bottle. Not to be left out the Italians are promoting the label Mama Mia Naturally Sweet, White, Vaglie at 12% alcohol at about KSH439, (US$6.00), a bottle. The label unashamedly leans on the Italian expression and the hit of the pop group ABBA. I have tasted this wine and the expression, “Mama Mia”, seems particularly appropriate.
Party tricks aside, wine tasting is a skill, which just like any other skill can with practice be acquired with the only prerequisite being having a sense of smell. It does help to acquire a modicum of understanding of human physiology, essentially the basics of how we smell and taste. For example, the sensation of sweetness is mostly picked up on the tip of the tongue. Next time you taste wine or pretty well any liquid for that matter, concentrate on the tip of the tongue. You should be able to pick up the fact that the liquid either appears sweet or not. How sweet or not the liquid appears will be different for different people based upon an individual’s tolerance. In other words, one person’s sweetness can be another person’s sour and vice versa.
I use the term sweetness, but what is being identified and categorised is the amount of sugar, expressed in wine tasting parlance as grams per litre. In general terms and in most countries, a wine with a residual sugar content of below 4 or 5 grams per litre is usually categorised as dry. Above 9 or 10 grams a litre then the wine is categorised as sweet with the intermediary category of between 5 to 9 grams per litre as off-dry.
For the everyday wine drinker these categorisations of the relative sweetness of a wine are somewhat academic. The buyer usually wants simply to know is the wine sweet or dry. New World wine producers are usually more helpful to the consumer often providing some form of symbol on the label to categorise degrees of sweetness, or, are more likely simply to have on the label sweet, semi-sweet, or, dry. Old World wine producers particularly the French are less likely to offer the consumer such help. The logic being, I think, that that if you do not know that Sauternes, for example, is a sweet wine then it is your lookout.
The popularity of sweet wines historically has waxed and waned. In Europe in the 18th and 19th Century’s sweet wines was all the rage, at least within the courts of the aristocracy and among the elites. Part of the explanation relates to the then scarcity of sugar and natural sweetness in any food was much prized. After the Second World War wine consumption began to move away from only the drink of two extremes; either a drink of the peasants or the tipple of the rich. Prosperity and the rise of the urban middle classes provided new and much larger markets for wine. By the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s sophisticated urbanites were moving towards a preference for dry wines. Why this preference away from sweet wines happened is open to much speculation and interpretation, but perhaps was noting more than fashion.
Humans have a penchant, if not a physical craving for all things sweet. The positive response babies’ display to sweet food is dramatic and early exposure to high levels of sugar in the diet can create cravings, if not an addiction, that many find difficult in later life to kick. This human preference for sugar as well as fat forms the basis of one of the world’s most successful industries, being fast food in all its guises. It is then no coincidence that the most successful brand of wine in the world, the Australian Yellow Tail labels, (annual sales of around 400 million litres), has relatively high levels of residual sugar. Again, this is no coincidence as cleaver marketing folk know full well that consumers, particularly those new to wine drinking, respond favourably in blind tastings to a degree of residual sugar in their wines.
There are several ways to produce a sweet wine. Natural sweetness is a function of the ripeness of a grape when picked. In northern Europe producing grapes which are fully ripe, meaning with sufficient sugar content, has historically been somewhat hit-and-miss due to the vagaries of the climate. Many European wine producers are in some ways happy that global warming may be changing this situation to produce far less inconsistent vintages than historically has been the case. European wine makers are still allowed to add sugar, or, more precisely grape must, prior to the fermentation process not to increase sweetness, but to provide the food for the yeast for the wine to ferment to a sufficient alcoholic strength. This addition of grape must is known as Chapilization named after a French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal in the mid-18th Century.
A “natural” way to produce a sweet wine is through desertification of the grape. This can be achieved either through using raisins, dried grapes, which by reducing the water content of the grape increases the relative sugar content. Another way is through a fungal infection called botrytis cinerea. This bacterial infection on the skin of the grape has the effect of educing rot, the process is commonly called noble rot, and reducing the water content in the grape and therefore again increasing the relative sugar content. The other natural way of increasing the sugar content of the grape is through picking the grapes when they are frozen. Ice wine as it is called is based on the principle that water freezes at a higher temperature than the phenolics properties of the grape, including the sugar content.
The other way to produce a sweet wine is to stop the fermentation process before all the sugars in the wine have been converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The good folk of the Douro valley in Portugal do this to their Port wines adding a grape spirit to the wine before fermentation has been completed. This has the effect of retaining the residual sugar content of the wine and importantly bumping the alcoholic strength to around 18% volume.
In Kenya the shelves of the supermarkets have plenty of off-dry or sweet wines. From Chile there are the products of the Frontera label part of the Concha Y Toro Company with their sweet wine offerings. At about 15 grams per litre and alcohol of 15% by volume and a price tag of KSH700 (US$9.00) it has proved a popular seller. Interestingly the wine has no vintage on the label indicating that it may well be a blend of wines from a variety of vintages and areas of Chile. How the sweetness is achieved is also not indicated on the label, but it maybe as simple as adding grape must to the final product prior to bottling.
From South Africa there are a variety of products that fall into the sweet wine category. The wine company Douglas Green have a label called St. Celine, marketed as a Natural Sweet Red, at around 15% alcohol and like its Chilean counterpart also a non-vintage. Douglas Green in my opinion has a sophisticated marketing strategy and quick off the mark when it comes to recognising the consumer preferences for slightly sweet wine. They have their labels St. Anna, Natural Sweet, 8% alcohol, (KSH499) and St Claire, Natural Sweet Red, 8% alcohol, which again cleverly recognise consumer moves to sweeter and less alcohol in their wines. For the Old World the French through the J.P Chenet company offer a Medium Sweet white, as well as a Medium Sweet Red 2008 at around KSH779 a bottle. Not to be left out the Italians are promoting the label Mama Mia Naturally Sweet, White, Vaglie at 12% alcohol at about KSH439, (US$6.00), a bottle. The label unashamedly leans on the Italian expression and the hit of the pop group ABBA. I have tasted this wine and the expression, “Mama Mia”, seems particularly appropriate.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Yoddle-lay-hee-tee
I am in Genève, Switzerland for work, but of course there is wine to explore. Over the last couple of years I have been back and forth several times to Genève and each time I have tried to taste as many of the wines as possible. There are around 19,900 hectres of vineyards in Switzerland divided between thousands of full and part time growers. Production of wine is not huge in world terms and according to data from the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture, production in 2009 was just over 1.1 million hectoliters, divided into 527,000 hl of white wine and 587,000 hl of red wine.
The Swiss tend to drink all their wine themselves with less than 2% being exported and that mainly goes to neighbouring Germany. The Swiss are the 6th highest per capita consumers of wine in the world at around 45 litres per person per year. Not surprising then given the Swiss’s love of wine and the sky high value of their Franc, that we do not see any Swiss wine on the shelves in Kenyan supermarkets or anywhere else for that matter.
You do not have to go far in Genève to find vineyards as there are dozens within 10 kilometres of the city centre. Crossing the Rhône River and heading west in the direction of the French border, there are lots of attractive villages such as Peissy, Satigny, Bourdigny, Choully and Russin. I am told that within the Genève canton there has been a significant revival of small family runs vineyards over the last ten years or so. This is surprising as the price of land is astronomical, which makes me wonder about the economic viability of these small, normally less than 4 hectres, vineyards. There are though very strict building regulations that prohibit the urban sprawl from swallowing the patchwork of vineyards, thank goodness.
Once a year about twenty-five vineyards in and around the village of Peissy open their doors to the public for a goûter (taste). The taste of Swiss wines is likened to the Alpine air fresh and clean. The famous grape varietal of Switzerland is Chasselas which produces a light, dry, spritzy, and delicate wine. Chasselas goes particularly well with fondue, a sort of gooey cheesy mixture that various bits of bread, fish, or meat are dipped into. Chasselas constitutes 40% of all vine plantings in Switzerland and like most grapes is known by different names in different places including Dorin in the Vaud region and Fendant in the Valais. Switzerland also has a long list of historic vine specialties such as Petite Arvine, Amigne, and Humagne Blanc for the whites. For reds, the Swiss love affair with Pinot Noir has seen a significant increase in plantings this vine often at the expense of Chasselas.
In general Genève winegrowers are in the process of downsizing Chasselas, formerly the most widely grown grape in the canton. The wines I found interesting and liked were made from the Gamaret grape. A red grape it is a cross between Gamay, (the famous grape of Beaujolais in France), and the white grape varietal Reichensteiner. Gamaret was developed for cultivation in French Switzerland, and is a sibling of Garanoir, which was intended for the German part of the country and was created by André Jaquinet at Station Fédérale de Recheres en Production Végétale de Changins in 1970. Total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 are small at 380 hectares (940 acres) and about 100 hectres are found in the Genève vineyards. Gamaret has good resistance to rot and ripens early. It gives dark purple wine with aromas of blackberries and spices and subtle tannin. In many ways the style is much more New World with up-front fruit, light tannins, and subtle (French) oaking that can be drunk a year or so after bottling.
The Swiss tend to drink all their wine themselves with less than 2% being exported and that mainly goes to neighbouring Germany. The Swiss are the 6th highest per capita consumers of wine in the world at around 45 litres per person per year. Not surprising then given the Swiss’s love of wine and the sky high value of their Franc, that we do not see any Swiss wine on the shelves in Kenyan supermarkets or anywhere else for that matter.
You do not have to go far in Genève to find vineyards as there are dozens within 10 kilometres of the city centre. Crossing the Rhône River and heading west in the direction of the French border, there are lots of attractive villages such as Peissy, Satigny, Bourdigny, Choully and Russin. I am told that within the Genève canton there has been a significant revival of small family runs vineyards over the last ten years or so. This is surprising as the price of land is astronomical, which makes me wonder about the economic viability of these small, normally less than 4 hectres, vineyards. There are though very strict building regulations that prohibit the urban sprawl from swallowing the patchwork of vineyards, thank goodness.
Once a year about twenty-five vineyards in and around the village of Peissy open their doors to the public for a goûter (taste). The taste of Swiss wines is likened to the Alpine air fresh and clean. The famous grape varietal of Switzerland is Chasselas which produces a light, dry, spritzy, and delicate wine. Chasselas goes particularly well with fondue, a sort of gooey cheesy mixture that various bits of bread, fish, or meat are dipped into. Chasselas constitutes 40% of all vine plantings in Switzerland and like most grapes is known by different names in different places including Dorin in the Vaud region and Fendant in the Valais. Switzerland also has a long list of historic vine specialties such as Petite Arvine, Amigne, and Humagne Blanc for the whites. For reds, the Swiss love affair with Pinot Noir has seen a significant increase in plantings this vine often at the expense of Chasselas.
In general Genève winegrowers are in the process of downsizing Chasselas, formerly the most widely grown grape in the canton. The wines I found interesting and liked were made from the Gamaret grape. A red grape it is a cross between Gamay, (the famous grape of Beaujolais in France), and the white grape varietal Reichensteiner. Gamaret was developed for cultivation in French Switzerland, and is a sibling of Garanoir, which was intended for the German part of the country and was created by André Jaquinet at Station Fédérale de Recheres en Production Végétale de Changins in 1970. Total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 are small at 380 hectares (940 acres) and about 100 hectres are found in the Genève vineyards. Gamaret has good resistance to rot and ripens early. It gives dark purple wine with aromas of blackberries and spices and subtle tannin. In many ways the style is much more New World with up-front fruit, light tannins, and subtle (French) oaking that can be drunk a year or so after bottling.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Extreme Winemaking: Leleshwa Naivasha
Unsurprisingly I tend to love vineyards and over the years I have been fortunate to have visited a number of what could be called unusual vineyards. In the Karoo in South Africa it is not unusual to find a combination of a vineyard with Ostrich rearing. In the Douro Valley in Portugal the steepness of the vineyards, which rise almost vertically from the river, send anyone with a vertiginous sensitivity into apoplexy. This last weekend it was to another vineyard right here in Kenya that could be categorised as being at the extreme end of the winemaking scale.
The Great Rift Valley Winery is located in Naivasha about 90 kilometres west of Nairobi. The vineyard lies at about an altitude of 1,900 metres with about 35 to 40 hectres of vines and the farm is framed by hills all around that rise to over 2,500 metres. The brand of the vineyard is Leleshwa, which refers to the Masai name of trees with a distinctive white flower that are common to the area. The vineyard has been in existence since 1994 when the previous owner of the farm planted about 3 to 4 hectres of vines suitable for wine making.
The vineyard changed hands in the late 1990’s and now falls under the portfolio of the Kenya Nut Company owned by a prominent Kenyan businessman. For the last two-and-a-half years the viticulturalists, winemaker, and pretty well everything else, has been James Farquharson. James born in Kenya of Scottish ancestry spent time in the South Africa’s Cape first completing a BSc in Viticulture at Stellenbosch University before practicing his craft at a number of estates, including becoming the red winemaker at the prestigious Boschendal Estate not far from Franschhoek.
The biggest problem James has confronted is the low yields of the vines when he inherited the vineyard. Crop yields were as low as 1.5 tonnes per hectre, which makes commercial wine making economically unviable. For grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc for a commercial vineyard a minimum of 5 tonnes per hectre and hopefully more around the 8 to 9 tonnes per hectre is desirable. James is getting there in terms of increasing yields by applying techniques such as particular types of pruning. James has for example introduced a pruning system of 6 to 8 bud canes instead of the 2 bud spurs that was being used at the vineyard. This encourages fruit production although other problems include loss of grapes to birds and animals such as antelope and monkeys.
As mentioned in a previous blog, there are a number of challenges growing grapes and making wine bang on the equator. Vines perform best within a band of latitudes approximately between 30oN 50oN and the mirror image for the southern hemisphere, 30oS 50oS. Look at a map of the world and all the famous wine producing areas fall into these latitudes. The reason is partly climate as to produce grapes suitable for quality wine making it is generally agreed that vines require a period of dormancy. In the appropriate latitudes and the on-set of winter, cooler temperatures encourage the vine to shut down and the sap falls from the plant above ground to the roots. Vines perform best when they have long daylight periods particularly during the summer ripening period. In Europe the 14 to 18 hours of daylight in the summer enable the vine to produce quality fruit; the right balance between sugar and acid as well as other phenolics properties.
In Naivasha James cannot do much about the length of days as they are what they are about 12 hours a day all year around. To encourage dormancy James tries to starve the vines of water. Naivasha receives on average around 550mm of rainfall annually. This year rainfall patterns have been far from normal with to date over 750 mm. The other technique often used by grape growers in the tropics is to waken the vine from an induced dormancy period by applying hydrogen cyamide (Prussic acid) the commercial brand name in Kenya is Dormex. An advantage of this application is that as well as wakening the vine it also encourages the uniform setting of fruit.
Despite the challenges of growing vines on the equator James has in a very short period of time achieved considerable success. The Leleshwa brand currently produces a very good Sauvignon Blanc with bright fruit and a definite varietal character. A rosé wine is also produced and the next venture is to add a Shiraz to the brand line. Marketing wine is a major industry in itself and in Kenya there are additional challenges. James hopes that the country’s tourist industry will want to serve Leleshwa highlighting the fact that it is a unique Kenyan product and all things considered it should be a winner. James is philosophical when it comes to accepting that the specific challenges of Naivasha mean that his wines are not necessarily going to be challenging Burgundy Gran Cru’s or Bordeaux First Growths and that is in any case certainly not the objective. Good quality, technically sound wine at an affordable price (Leleshwa Sauvignon Blanc retails at about KSH550 (about $6.80) a bottle in Nairobi) and a unique Kenyan product makes more than enough sense.
The Great Rift Valley Winery is located in Naivasha about 90 kilometres west of Nairobi. The vineyard lies at about an altitude of 1,900 metres with about 35 to 40 hectres of vines and the farm is framed by hills all around that rise to over 2,500 metres. The brand of the vineyard is Leleshwa, which refers to the Masai name of trees with a distinctive white flower that are common to the area. The vineyard has been in existence since 1994 when the previous owner of the farm planted about 3 to 4 hectres of vines suitable for wine making.
The vineyard changed hands in the late 1990’s and now falls under the portfolio of the Kenya Nut Company owned by a prominent Kenyan businessman. For the last two-and-a-half years the viticulturalists, winemaker, and pretty well everything else, has been James Farquharson. James born in Kenya of Scottish ancestry spent time in the South Africa’s Cape first completing a BSc in Viticulture at Stellenbosch University before practicing his craft at a number of estates, including becoming the red winemaker at the prestigious Boschendal Estate not far from Franschhoek.
The biggest problem James has confronted is the low yields of the vines when he inherited the vineyard. Crop yields were as low as 1.5 tonnes per hectre, which makes commercial wine making economically unviable. For grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc for a commercial vineyard a minimum of 5 tonnes per hectre and hopefully more around the 8 to 9 tonnes per hectre is desirable. James is getting there in terms of increasing yields by applying techniques such as particular types of pruning. James has for example introduced a pruning system of 6 to 8 bud canes instead of the 2 bud spurs that was being used at the vineyard. This encourages fruit production although other problems include loss of grapes to birds and animals such as antelope and monkeys.
As mentioned in a previous blog, there are a number of challenges growing grapes and making wine bang on the equator. Vines perform best within a band of latitudes approximately between 30oN 50oN and the mirror image for the southern hemisphere, 30oS 50oS. Look at a map of the world and all the famous wine producing areas fall into these latitudes. The reason is partly climate as to produce grapes suitable for quality wine making it is generally agreed that vines require a period of dormancy. In the appropriate latitudes and the on-set of winter, cooler temperatures encourage the vine to shut down and the sap falls from the plant above ground to the roots. Vines perform best when they have long daylight periods particularly during the summer ripening period. In Europe the 14 to 18 hours of daylight in the summer enable the vine to produce quality fruit; the right balance between sugar and acid as well as other phenolics properties.
In Naivasha James cannot do much about the length of days as they are what they are about 12 hours a day all year around. To encourage dormancy James tries to starve the vines of water. Naivasha receives on average around 550mm of rainfall annually. This year rainfall patterns have been far from normal with to date over 750 mm. The other technique often used by grape growers in the tropics is to waken the vine from an induced dormancy period by applying hydrogen cyamide (Prussic acid) the commercial brand name in Kenya is Dormex. An advantage of this application is that as well as wakening the vine it also encourages the uniform setting of fruit.
Despite the challenges of growing vines on the equator James has in a very short period of time achieved considerable success. The Leleshwa brand currently produces a very good Sauvignon Blanc with bright fruit and a definite varietal character. A rosé wine is also produced and the next venture is to add a Shiraz to the brand line. Marketing wine is a major industry in itself and in Kenya there are additional challenges. James hopes that the country’s tourist industry will want to serve Leleshwa highlighting the fact that it is a unique Kenyan product and all things considered it should be a winner. James is philosophical when it comes to accepting that the specific challenges of Naivasha mean that his wines are not necessarily going to be challenging Burgundy Gran Cru’s or Bordeaux First Growths and that is in any case certainly not the objective. Good quality, technically sound wine at an affordable price (Leleshwa Sauvignon Blanc retails at about KSH550 (about $6.80) a bottle in Nairobi) and a unique Kenyan product makes more than enough sense.
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