A Wine Story

Tasting Chateau Faugeres

If you’ve seen the film A Good Year, you might recall that the Russell Crowe character, a financial wizard, inherits a winery in France and promptly sets off to sell it until he falls in love with the region.

In real life, Silvio Denz, a dynamic individual who developed Switzerland’s largest chain of perfume stores, purposefully set out to buy a vineyard, Chateau Faugeres, which he acquired in March of 2005. The vineyards cover 80 hectares and are divided between two appellations: Saint-Emilion (the Bordeaux region famed for Grand Cru Classe wines of Chateau Figeac and Cheval Blanc) and Cotes de Castillion. Before its acquisition, the chateau had been owned by the Pierre-Bernard (Peby) Guisez family since 1823.

Silvio Denz’s goal is to create wine with the “taste of the terroir” with freshness and fruit. Robert Parker must believe he has achieved his mission, for he gave Chateau Faugeres “Cuvee Peby” in the top 50 Bordeaux wines of the 2005 vintage (awarding it 93 – 96 points out of 100). Of course, Denz isn’t stopping there; he has purchased new plots, is planning a new winery designed by world-famous Swiss architect Mario Botta (if you have been to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art you will recognize his work), and the chateau’s consulting enologist is world-famous Michel Rolland and equally well known Stephan von Neipperg.

At a recent press event in Manhattan to showcase the wines of Chateau Faugeres, I met Alain Dourthe, the estate’s technical manager, and discussed all the seemingly small details that make for a good wine, including how to decide the best time to pick, the weather conditions that can ruin a vintage, and how long the wines are left to macerate after fermentation. The grapes are hand-picked and twice sorted so that only the ripest, healthiest grapes are used for the wine. The cellar contains stainless steel vats designed so that the tannins, anthocyans, and constituents of the grape are extracted from the grape skins slowly. Temperature can be controlled with coils that encircle each tank, through which warm and cold water can be sent. The Cuvee Speciale Peby is fermented in wood, which allows for a slower fermentation and controlled oxygenation of the must and the wine. The wines are then aged in French oak and bottled on the estate.

In addition to giving Cuvee Speciale Peby 2005 exalted status, Parker described the 2005 Chateau Faugeres as rich and full bodied, with black raspberries, cassis, and minerals and the 2005 Cap de Faugeres was pronounced full-bodied, opulent, and rich with sweet scents of black tea, licorice, and subtle oak. Since this particular wine is available at my local wine shop – and represents such a delicious bargain – it is the wine I purchase most often.

In terms of food pairing, these deep, dark, and delicious wines, with their richly extracted flavors of ripe fruit and chewy tannins, are great with steak or even a selection of creamy cheese. With the state-of-the-art improvements Mr. Denz has planned for the winery, I’m curious to see what new delights the future holds.

Tasting Hall Wines

“Would you care for some Sauvignon Blanc?” a young waitress asks, offering a selection of wines from a silver tray. Sauvignon Blanc is a curious but refreshing choice for a tutored tasting and presentation of Bordeaux style wines. Yet it is the newest addition to the Hall Wines portfolio and is remarkably bright and charming, much like co-owner Kathryn Hall herself, who greets our group in a sherbet-orange blazer, bringing some of California’s sun and warmth to a dreary Manhattan grey day.

It is the first time I am meeting Ms. Hall, and the more I discover about her amazing life and the wines she and her businessman husband Craig Hall produce, the more I am impressed. Kathryn grew up the daughter of a grape grower in California’s Mendocino County. After becoming an attorney, mother of four children, and community activist, President Clinton chose her to become the ambassador to Austria.

Throughout it all, Kathryn and Craig dreamed of crafting the finest small vine, organic wine possible. Their vision became a reality in 1995, when they purchased the legendary Sarcrashe vineyard in the hills of Rutherford. Since then, the Halls acquired more vineyards and produce plush, extracted-fruit character wine from grapes grown in Rutherford, Atlas Peak, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, and Mount Veeder along with Sonoma’s Alexander County.

During the presentation that followed the reception, Kathryn explained the winery’s philosophy and key developments. Like many winery owners, the Halls have a passion for the fruit of the vine. They are fortunate in that they have the resources to activate that passion and turn it into reality.

One of their key passions is producing wine from single vineyards, which flavor reflects the terroir in which it was grown. Towards that end, each Hall estate vineyard was strategically chosen for its elevation, micro-climates, and soil types. Another objective is to create organic wines, which in Kathryn’s words is “the right thing to do.” So far, they are in the first year of the three year organic wine certification process. And in keeping with the above-two objectives, the winery is also now relying on native yeast fermentation (most wineries used packaged yeast).

In the course of the presentation I tasted through the wines which with one exception are richly concentrated, luxurious, and quite delicious with notes of cedar, ripe fig, lush plum, and accents of chocolate and leather. The exception – which I really enjoyed – was the wine from St. Helen’s Bergfeld vineyard, which was leaner by comparison yet at the same time quite complex, refreshing with a lighter texture and flavors of blackberry jam.

St. Helena will also be the site of a state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery and Visitor’s Center designed by famed architect Frank Gehry. In 2003, Craig Hall found the site, which had been a dilapidated, 19th century coop with fourteen acres of vineyard and saw its potential. Until the project is finished in 2009, visitors can taste wine in the modern, farmhouse-style tasting room and see Gehry’s project models. Visitors can also visit Hall Wines in Rutherford, which opened in March of 2005 and can host a limited number of guests by appointment. The winery is designed to make Hall’s small-lot wines, including their signature “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon. Once on the property guests will find hand-built, art-filled caves, a hidden tasting room, sommelier hosts, and a gorgeous hilltop vista.

Hall Wines are available in select markets nationally and can also be purchased through the Halls’ Wine Club.

http://www.hallwines.com

Gallo Celebrates Gold Medal Winners

Are you a foodie? Are you the first on your block to find the hot new restaurant or identify a trend? If so, when you dine out – or even visit the gourmet shop – you look for not just a given food (i.e. honey, lamb, bread) but a specific purveyor of that food. Gina Gallo of Gallo Family Wines recognizes that small, quality producers deserve recognition, and has created the Gallo Family Gold Medal Awards to honor these purveyors.

The third annual Gold Medal Awards was recently held at Park Avenue restaurant in New York City, an interesting choice as this restaurant changes its menu four times a year (and changes its name accordingly) to fit with the seasons. As you can imagine, many of the big names in the food world were there — many of whom I interviewed when I hosted the A Taste of Luxury TV show in Boston.

Tall, slim, and sporting shiny red hair, Gina Gallo hopped tables looking dapper in a dark suit and vibrant scarf. Nearly a decade ago in Boston, I had interviewed Ms. Gallo at the Ritz Carlton hotel for the local newspaper, and am pleased to see that her family’s commitment to wine has now expanded to food. After all, we are what we eat. In the big cities, many of us have lost touch with “real food.” Driving from San Francisco to Napa, for example, city dwellers will see black and white cows, brown horses, and farm stands selling fresh sweet yellow corn and tangy red cherries. Award ceremonies like this remind us to support artisanal producers.

Gallo Family Vineyards created the Gold Medal Awards program in 2006 to recognize excellence and the highest standards in quality and craftsmanship among artisanal food producers in the United States. This year, entries flooded in from every inch of the country, with more than 300 applications submitted and over 270 food products sampled for the panel of culinary expert judges to taste. In the end only one entry from each of the seven categories were chosen.

Sprinkled throughout the room were many faces familiar from television, many of them program judges including Ed Doyle, Malachy Duffy, Max McCalman, Ferdinand Metz, Sara Moulton, Joanne Weir, and Clark Wolf. The menu included Smoked Tasmanian Sea Trout with Lemon, Ricotta, and Wasabi Tobiki (served with Gallo Family Vineyard Sonoma 2006 Chardonnay), Rocky Mountain Trade Enterprises Duck Breast Prosciuttinni with Mozzarella, Mango, and Qual Eggs (Gallo Family Vineyard Sonoma 2006 Pinot Noir), and Grilled Lamb Chops Encrusted with Anjoy Bakery’s Fruit (Gallo Family Vineyard Estate 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon).

Craig Koketscu, Executive Chef, and Richard Leach, Executive Pastry chef, did a fantastic job of orchestrating the food. You can read more about the awards at
the Gallo website.

• Outstanding Bread/Baked Good - Fruit Nut Crostini from Anjou Bakery
• Outstanding Dairy - Blomma Cheese from Lake Erie Creamery
• Outstanding Meat and Charcuterie - Duck Prosciuttinni from Rocky Mountain Trade Enterprises, LLC
• Outstanding Confectionary Good - Purist Salty Caramel + Cacao Nibs from Vere
• Outstanding Condiment, Oil or Vinegar - Sourwood Honeycomb from Savannah Bee Company
• Outstanding Fruit or Vegetable - Sour Cherry Lambic Sorbet from Jeni's Splended Ice Creams
• Outstanding Fish or Seafood - Natural Smoked Tasmanian Trout from Sugartown Smoked Specialties

Eager to impress clients and friends with your wine savvy? Click right now on A Wine Story where Marisa D'Vari, CSW, also a Certified Sommelier, reveals fun stories about wine that will turn you into an overnight expert. For a limited time, new subscribers

Book Review: Penin's Guide to Spanish Wine

Do you like Spanish wine? If you are like most wine aficionados, the answer is a resounding ‘yes.” Why do so many people around the world prefer Spanish wine? Well, for one thing, in today’s challenging economic climate, Spanish wine is a delicious bargain. And there isn’t anything remotely close to “generic” Spanish wine because each region has its own grape varietal and vinification technique.

Making Spanish wine easy to understand is Jose Penin and his Penin Guide to Spanish Wine. The 2008 guide has just come out, and many producers from Spain came to celebrate and showcase their wine at New York’s W Hotel. The wines exhibited were rated 87 to 93 points, and reflect the “New Values” of Spanish Wine.

Jose Pennin is Spain’s version of Robert Parker. His guide rates wines and provides very vivid descriptions, and also educates the reader about the various regions, terroir, and soils. Even if you know nothing of wine or Spain, by the time you finish reading this book you will be an expert.

The book begins with a discussion of Spanish varietals. White grapes include Airen (Spain’s most widely planted grape), Albarino, Garnacha Blanca, Malvasia, Palomino, and dozens of other white grapes you probably have not heard of. You probably are already familiar with Spain’s reds, which include the famous Tempranillo, Garnacha, and the very trendy Mencia from Bierzo. Scanning the other red grape varieties in Penin’s book will alert you to know many other dozens of grapes you can find in Spain.

In the next chapter, Penin introduces you to the best terroirs in Spain, which includes stony soils, clay-calcareous soils, sandy soils, and volcanic soils. The influence of the soil on the aroma of wine is tremendous. Granite and sandy soils, for example, provide a certain bluntness to the wine and give it clean aromas. Gravel soils produce wine with earthy aromas. Simply scan the information about the soil’s effect on aroma and you will surprise and amaze your friends with your knowledge.

Next, you will learn about climates and microclimates. The Atlantic, as you may well imagine, is humid and wet with rain all year round. Wines struggle to mature and are high in malic acid (which is why some of the best wines from Galacia are so acidic and mineral-driven). In contrasts, wines from a Mediterranean climate like Jumilla produce fuller-bodied wines with a higher alcohol content. If you want to go to Spain to experience the wines first hand, Penin also includes a list of local wine fairs in Spain, along with his personal comments and contact numbers.

However, the “meat” of the book is the reviews and ratings of the wines themselves, organized by Denomination of Origin (DO), which is the Spanish ranking system of quality wines. You will find illustrative maps of the DO region and main concentration of vineyards, a general view of the area with a brief commentary on its current situation and foreseeable future, general characteristics of the regions wines, and a fantastic index. This book is really a must for the casual wine drinker as well as the connoisseur. Cheers!

Wines of Cinque Terre

... now you might be wondering why this blog has been so quiet ... and the reason is I just got back from a trip to Italy. 

In any event, one of the towns I visited was Cinque Terre. The only reason I'm mentioning it, out of the blue like this, is because it was one of the most remote and smallest towns I have ever seeen. And while scanning the Internet came upon a woman writing a blog (you can read her excerpt and see her picture).

I took some pictures of this dramatic landscape too, on my blackberry, but my blackberry is no longer so I just have the memory of that long, jagged seascape.

Now I'm sure you're wondering about the local wine. It is a white wine made from three grapes: Albarola, Bosco, and Buzzetto. It tastes a bit like Vermentino, called Pigato here. When my friend asked for a taste, prior to ordering by the bottle, he received a very small taste and was charged seven Euros for it. Here's another link from the NY Times ... and yet another blog ...

I'll be writing up posts about the wine and some experiences. Right now, I'm studying for a test for the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust in which I'll be expected to know everything possible about every wine in the world, possibly even the wines of Cinque Terre, along with the terroir, the climate, key producers, current developments, trade issues, and so forth. Stay tuned!

Oh, and meanwhile, visit my main site at http://www.awinestory.com

Marketing Wine Seminars

Of course, most of you are aware of the power of email marketing for wine store seminars or sales. Either you are a "victim" of wine store spamming or are a marketer and have hopped onto this "proven" method of mass emailing people who have signed up (double opted in!) for your newsletter.

If you are like many recipients of email newsletters, though, it's possible that after a few newsletters or sales alerts, you lowered your subscription to "junk mail status" or unsubscribed.

Here is some interesting news ... as I was rsvp'ing for a seminar, the woman answering the phone at a large wine shop in New York asked how I found out. When I told her, she asked if I'd like to subscribe to their newsletter. "Actually," I said, "I'm probably on it, but I never open them."

"Oh, well that's why I developed two lists. One for sales and seminars, and one for seminars only. This way, you never get blasted with emails about our sales."

This approach makes sense. If you are a wine marketer, it's more importatant than ever to know your customer and what specific information they want from you. Thoughts? Comment with the tool below. Oh, and be sure to see my main site at htpp://www.AWineStory.com

AVineStory.com Featured on Typepad

So pardon me for a moment blowing my own horn! Typepad has featured http://www.AVineStory.com as its blog of the month! Here is what they say:

Marisa D’Vari knows her wine – an expertise due in part to her having hosted the cable TV show, A Taste of Luxury, which featured celebrity chefs and wine makers from around the world. Today, Marisa’s views, opinions, and talents can be observed in her blog, A Wine Story. In these pages, you’ll experience culinary delights and sample some of the world’s best wines, as her journeys through Bordeaux and Languedoc will attest (don't despair Americans, there's a positive review of an American wine from an unexpected source too). In a unique post, Marisa has the chance to sample the “same” wines and views that were likely enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson over 200 years ago. Naturally, the grape is the featured subject here and in addition to reviews on the complexities and nuances of both popular and little known wines, Marisa’s knowledge and experience powers her observations on such diverse topics as Wine Etiquette and Psychology. Related blogs, restaurant reviews, video, and a fun “wine Tarot reading” round out what is one of the more robust, full-bodied sites we’ve sampled in a while.

also see http://www.AWineStory.com

Experiencing Artesa Wines

Consider the year 1551. Michelangelo is in Italy, chiseling the finishing touches on his last work, the Rondanini Pietà. In merry old England, Edward VI succeeds Henry VIII as king. And in the Spanish town of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, just west of Barcelona, Jaume Codorníu bequeathes his wine cellars, presses, barrels and vats to his heirs.

You’ve heard of Codorniu. It’s the popular sparkling wine with the artistic image. Today the Codorniu family has moved forward into the international still wine scene with the birth of the aptly named Artesa Winery, which owns 400 acres of planted vineyards on both sides of the Mayacamas Mountains (including Napa’s Carneros and Atlas Peak appellations, and in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley).

Recently I’ve had a chance to try some of their wine. Artesa (more about the story behind the name in a minute) has what they call a “multi-appellation strategy” meaning that they obtain grapes from the best appellations for growing each variety. For example, in the northern Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, the vineyard location is best for Bordeaux varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot in addition to Spanish Tempranillo. On the Sonoma Coast, they have 300 acres of land to producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Albarino.

The master alchemist at Artesa is winemaker David Dobson, who earned many accolades during his time at Rutherford Hill. At a recent press lunch to showcase the new vintage, Dobson walked journalists through the steps of creating a Bordeaux-style blend by giving participants a pipette (a straw-like utensil used in chemistry classes) and samples of their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

The Codorniu family made a considerable investment in both making great wine and contributing to the arts. Over a century ago, the Raventos family (Codorniu’s owners) commissioned a renowned architect to construct Codorníu Cellars, now a Spanish national artistic and historical monument. Codorníu also sponsored a turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau poster competition for leading 19th century artists.

Today the tradition continues with the work of Napa Valley based resident artist, Gordon Huether. For Artesa, Gordon creates works in a variety of media including glass, metal and canvas. But these words can not even begin to describe the awesome power of Gordon’s art, especially as it relates to the geometric shape of the winery’s architecture, and the way the art is viewed against the backdrop of the big, blue, open sky.

You will find Artesa wines available in wine stores, but also visit Artesa online and check out their wine club. Artesa favors its members with access and discounts on new releases, yet also offers a very active calendar of events. Members can prune vines and have lunch afterwards, attend Spanish dinners, luxuriate on Mexican cruises, and more. And if you are visiting the Napa Valley, visit the tasting room and enjoy wine and cheese on the sun-swept patio overlooking the vineyards, the gorgeous winery, and Gordon’s fabulous art.

Oh, and if you liked this article, see many features on different wine regions at http://www.AWineStory.com

Mercer Estates of Washington State

Quick! How can a region that was covered in sagebrush in 1996 create spectacular wine in 2008? If you're like most folks, you probably think of Washington State as a chilly and rainy place, but the Eastern part of the state is a virtual desert, with just three to five inches of rain a year.

Though it defies logic, the special microclimate of the relatively new AVA (American Viticultural Area) of Horse Heaven Hills is the reason behind its fantastic Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The area is just below the Yakima Valley, in the South Central part of the state.

Recently, the entourage from the newly created Mercer Estates came to New York to showcase and explain their wines. Mercer Estates is a venture between Mike Hogue, of award-winning Hogue Cellars, and Bud Mercer, a longtime Prosser farmer whose family planted Mercer Ranch Vineyards in the early 1970s and started a winery in the Horse Heaven Hills in the mid-'80s, now owned by Paul Champoux and some partners.

During the press lunch, which was held at Blue Hill restaurant in Manhattan, I met winemaker David Forsyth and learned how much the curiously unique climate contributes to the grapes. For example, in Horse Heaven Hills (where Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is grown) wind comes up from the Columbia River and stresses the vines, producing more flavorful fruit. The wind also blows away any kind of rot or pest. In addition, Horse Heaven Hills has fine, sandy silt soils left by the ancient Lake Missoula floods.

Mercer Estate Merlot is sourced entirely from Horse Heaven Hills (which allegedly got its name after so many horses vanished when charging up the signature hill and falling to their own private heaven). The area's cool nights help preserve the grapes natural acidity to create wine with great balance. Wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks and pumped over, pressed off, then aged in French oak barrels. Five percent of Syrah is added (in the 2005 release) for roundness in the mid-palate. As you can imagine with this desert terrain, irrigation of the vines is necessary.

Valued at $24, Mercer Estate Merlot 2005 is about half of what its California equivalent would be. For the price, I found it velvety smooth with ripe mature blueberry aromas and a complex palate with black and blue fruit, along with notes of chocolate and coffee bean. Perhaps in the past, Washington State wasn't the first region that popped into your mind when you thought of a wine to bring for a dinner party, but from this tasting event, Washington State — especially Mercer Estate — is giving California a run for its money.

Adventuers in Burgundy

Hello everyone -- just now got back from an incredible tour of the key regions in Burgundy. Please see my web site, http://www.AWineStory.com, for stories that will be posted daily! And as always, feel free to contact me with any questions.