I’m heading to South Africa next week to learn a bit about Fairtrade in wine production and how it is impacting the workers and communities near Bosman Family Vineyards, one of The Co-Operative’s leading Fairtrade producers in the New World.
Here’s the video for a sneak preview of what I’m looking forward to doing…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l48_60rrv5k]
Written for Grape Collective
If there’s one dish that you’ll find in every country in South America, it’s the mighty empanada. It may be fluffy and moist, or crisp and crunchy, bite sized or head sized, baked or fried… whatever texture and filling variation comes your way, these pockets of pastry are a perfect, unpretentious appetizer that pair wonderfully with the region’s wines.
One of my favorite dinner parties to throw is an empanada party – you only need to make one batch of empanada dough (a basic pie pastry) and you can let your imagination run wild with playful pairings, and you almost always find they work with South American wines. Here are some typical, and not-so-typical, South American empanadas to try pairing with the region’s wines.
Chile & Peru: Seafood Empanadas, Pisco and Sauvignon Blanc
These neighboring countries have a lot in common: stunning Pacific coastlines, high altitude winemaking and both claim to be the creator of Pisco! It’s not strictly a wine, but Pisco is grape-derived and, besides, a punchy Pisco Sour cocktail is a perfect way to kick off a South America tasting. Pisco (you can side with Peru or Chile) combined with lime juice, egg whites, powdered sugar (or syrup) and a dash of bitters makes a light and frothy, sweet and sour cocktail predestined to get everyone in the mood.
The best pair for Pisco Sour is traditional ceviche for a tongue twisting lime-citrus punch, fresh seafood flavors and aromatic cilantro. While I am the first to say that nothing beats a traditional ceviche, my unorthodox suggestion is an empanada twist on the national dish (let’s hope no Chilean or Peruvian great-grandmothers are turning in their graves at the thought!)
Leave the mixed seafood (cooked) and fish (raw, in cubes — try sea bass, grouper, sole, snapper or salmon) marinating with lime juice, finely chopped onion (salad onions or regular), red chilies, yellow pepper and cilantro for between 10 and 20 minutes, then stuff a couple spoonfuls of ceviche into your empanada skins, seal them well and deep fry until golden. The result is an empanada with warm, crispy pastry that contrasts wonderfully with the cool Pisco Sour but both harmonize in citrus, spice, sweetness and freshness. That should get everyone’s tongue tingling for the next course.
Another unmissable South American seafood empanada combo is the Chilean-inspired scallop and cheese empanada. Chile has a beautiful coastline and all along the seafront (especially towards the north) you’ll find empanada kiosks serving these freshly fried or baked empanadas that are just impeccable with coastal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend wines from Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda and Limari regions, and look for wineries like Amaral, Casas del Bosque, Leyda, Matetic and Tabali. The crisp, herbaceous and zesty Sauvignon Blanc pairs wonderfully with the sweet scallops and warm, saline melted cheese for a salty freshness and salivating snack that gives you a little taste of the ocean. Prawn and cheese empanadas also work well with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, and if you really want to impress your friends try and get hold of some Chilean King Crab which goes a bit better with the rounder and creamier Chilean coastal Chardonnay.
Argentina & Uruguay: Meat Empanadas, Malbec, Torrontes, and Tannat
In Argentina and Uruguay, carne is king. Every dinner plate is dominated by steak, street corners are evocatively fragranced with a waft of asado (BBQ) in the air, and empanadas are almost always stuffed with their beloved cow.
Written for the Drinks Business, February 2015
Argentina has long been known for its lush, ripe Malbec, and there’s no doubt that those wines are still in full swing. However there is a tide of change in the style of not just Malbec, and the new generation of winemakers are at the helm of this emerging direction. Moving away from the continental climate of the flat lands, winemakers and agronomists are seeking higher altitude micro climates in the Andes and new varieties are surfacing (including a new wave of whites). Here are some of the winemakers that are blazing a new trail in Argentina:
Matias Michelini (Passionate Wines, Super Uco)
Perhaps the most radical of Argentina’s winemakers, Matias Michelini was fondly known as ‘the green Michelini’ for many years and his colourful winemaking still makes him the compelling anti-hero of the Argentine wine scene. Pioneering a lean style of wine with often electric acidity, Michelini has been at the forefront of Uco Valley winemaking and in particular Gualtallary’s development over the last decade.
Although still consulting to larger projects including Sophenia and Zorzal, it is in his own experimental passion project – Passionate Wines – where he is making waves. A firm believer in biodynamic viticulture, Passionate Wines very much start in the vineyard and almost invariably end in concrete. The ever-growing collection includes an exuberantly aromatic, bone-dry orange wine (Torrontes Brutal), a 40-day co-ferment of Malbec and Cabernet Franc from 8 harvests (Demente), and a Pinot Noir fermented in a large, refurbished oak vat that in a previous life was a dog house. “I take lots of risks when I make wine, and I lose all the time, but it is all part of the game – it is an exquisite exercise. I want to make wines without rules, and without limits.”
Perhaps the only winemaker in the country that has a problem with Argentina’s regulatory board for having too little alcohol in his wines (whereas his neighbours struggle to keep below 15%), Michelini’s belief is that the best balance and expression of the Uco Valley’s mountain wines is through earlier harvests and zero correction in the winery. With minimal intervention and non-mechanised, artisan techniques (his young children are often deployed to crush grapes), Michelini strips away all the smoke from the winemaking process and shows us that the true magic is in the vineyard. Rule-breaking, opinion-splitting and making some of the most original wines to come out of Argentina, Michelini is one to keep your eye on.
Sebastian Zuccardi (Zuccardi)
A leading winemaker of the new generation, Sebastian Zuccardi is the tireless Head Winemaker for his winery Bodega Zuccardi and sister winery Santa Julia. Despite managing a team of 7 winemakers and producing over 16 million litres between brands, Zuccardi Jnr has his eye firmly on the details. As one of the forerunners of the micro terroir studies in the Uco Valley and pushing through the GI regions, the new family winery in Altamira has been specially designed to vinify small vineyard lots with 17 amphorae and 62 concrete vats custom designed for the purpose.
One of the most important features in the winery for Zuccardi is the experimentation and research lab where his young team of winemakers and international interns test out new concepts. “It is the kindergarten of the winery,” says Zuccardi, who started the lab over 7 years ago. “It is here where we came up with all of the ideas for the new winery.” Zuccardi’s experiments have led to a sparkling red Bonarda (a variety he champions for Argentina), and unusual varieties such as Ancellota and Caladoc. While he dabbles in different varieties, Zuccardi’s vision for the future is not about variety, but place. “The challenge of my generation is to work in geographic identification. To talk about the Uco Valley is too big, the future of Argentina is in the villages… Malbec is not the important thing, the most important thing is the place, and Malbec is the vehicle to express our region. Burgundy took 800 years, but maybe we will take less.”
Zuccardi is indeed well on his way, and his top wines show an elegant and stylish interpretation of Mendoza’s future. With Zuccardi’s visionary winery opening in less than 6 months, and a new Finca range about to be launched, there is plenty more to see from Sebastian Zuccardi yet. At only 34 years old, he is at the top of his game and not slowing down.
You grew up in the city projects in the Bronx. How did you end up as a California winemaker?
I sold my first screenplay to Warner for $135,000 in 1979. I called my friend to celebrate and came down to Sonoma to meet him. We bought some wine, rolled some joints and came up here [to the vineyard]. There was no road or anything – we hiked for an hour and a half. I was an urban rat, I moaned the whole way until I got up here and saw that view. I sat here and said I could sit here forever, and he said: “You can, it’s for sale.”
The property’s stunning, but why vineyards?
I wanted to find the guy who grew the pot we smoked that day – it was the best in California – and so I found him, hiked up here with him, and he told me that his dream was to grow organic wine on hillsides. Nobody planted organic in 1979, especially in the mountains. In the last 30 years he [Phil Coturri] has become one of the best viticulturists in the world. He single-handedly brought organic viticulture to the mountains.
Your vineyards are biodynamic, why?
I was a child of the ’60s – lots of acid and flowers in my hair. I don’t care what anyone says, you can’t say using chemicals doesn’t go into the wine, or into [San Francisco] bay! I’m a firm believer in organic. Also my vegetables taste better. There’s great satisfaction in knowing that there’s no shit in what I eat.
Do you remember your first real taste of wine?
I spent a year in Afghanistan in 1971 with nomads doing research, and I wrote a novel, which got bought as a screenplay. I came home from Afghanistan, had some money and went to a wine store in New York. This man had changed his cigarette and food rations in World War II for Bordeaux wine and opened a wine shop [no longer in existence]. I gave him $1000 dollars and asked him to give me wine for a year. He gave me a case and told me to come back and tell him about it.
And what did you think?
At first I thought I was wasting my money – [it] was bitter and sour! I didn’t know what the fuss was about. Six months later I started appreciating what I was tasting; after a year I was hooked.
Is wine worth the fuss now?
It is now that I spent all that money in a vineyard! I’m enamored of wine … It’s still the thing that I look forward to at the end of the day. My cellar [more than 5000 bottles] is just for consumption.
What do you drink when you are not drinking your own Kamen Estate wines?
I don’t drink my own wines!
Why not?
…
Read the full interview on Wine-Searcher.com
This weekend is February 14th. A date which men see as another date in another month, and most women see as the date of the month. Score some extra points this Valentine’s Day by gifting your lady a beautiful bottle of Argentine wine. Here are five for five very different type of women.
Written for The Vines of Mendoza
For the butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth type: Deseado Dulce Natural, Familia Schroeder
You’ve already made her swoon by bringing her a bottle with ‘desired’ written on it, now pop the cork and let this sweet-talking, sparkling late harvest Torrontes do the work. A fruity, floral, peachy explosion with a moscato-style sweetness, this bubbly is sugar and spice and all things nice for most ladies. If conversation dries out, you can tell her the story about the dinosaur fossil found in the winery’s cellar.
What it says to her: You are my heart’s desire, sweetie pie.
For the down-payment in diamonds type: Boheme, Brut Nature
For the slightly higher maintenance lady in your life try Boheme by Luigi Bosca, one of the most expensive fizzes in South America. Partially fermented in barrel and using traditional Champagne grapes in the champenoise method, this sparkling wine is old world class in a sexy new world bottle. And who knows? You might manage to bring out the boheme in her…
What it says to her: There’s not a peso I wouldn’t spare on you darling.
For the intellectual type: Finca La Anita, Tocai
If you want to get her a white wine which is totally unique, try this Tocai from Finca La Anita. Tocai Friulano (aka Sauvignon Vert) isn’t planted much in Argentina, and so this uber small production is indeed a rarity: round and structured, this is a deep wine with a crisp finish. Bonus points if your true love’s name is Ana, or Anita.
If you want to say: You are unique, and I know it.
As we settle into a New Year and we get ready for the 2015 harvest over the coming months, there are many wines from last harvest or harvests previous only just coming to light. Here’s a rundown of five beautiful wines just making their way to the market…
Super Uco, Fratello 2012
The Michelini brothers are a tour-de-force in the Uco Valley, and this is their latest creation. Fratello – Italian for brothers – won’t be the same every year, but this sublime first year is anything to go by it will soon be a cult favourite. A super small production of Syrah with a touch of Malbec, this comes from a very special spot in Tupungato where the vines have been left to grow freely without any chemical treatment and the wine is a glorious success: texture, dark fruit, wonderful spice, and finesse. This will be one of the year’s most collectable wines – stock up now!
Nieto Senetiner, Semillon DOC 2014
Since young winemaker Santiago Mayorga joined the team at Nieto Senetiner there has been a slight shift in the direction of this traditional wine producer focusing on more single-vineyard concepts. One of the results is this excellent value Semillon. Recently launched, this is the only DOC white wine in Argentina and uses a variety that used to be more widespread than Malbec. Although Semillon is still in decline in Argentina, this wine might make some change their mind about the overlooked variety: a floral, orchard-fruit nose with a rich mouth and good body. Super value at $100pesos.
Cara Sur, Criolla 2014
Criolla was the first grape that Spanish settlers brought with them over 500 years ago, without any set classifications it is seen as table grape and completely underrated. While Criolla gets a lot of bad press here, this wine will certainly shake things up. Coming form a very unique vineyard in high altitude Calingasta Valley (in the San Juan district next to Mendoza), this is fabulously easy-to-drink that will change your ideas about Criolla. Fresh, fruity, and rather pretty – drink this chilled and make sure to order two bottles before the limited stock runs out!
Written for the Grape Collective, January 2015
Where else in the world can you find glaciers, jungles, extreme deserts, and high altitude mountains all within one continent? South America is a land of extremes and even though the Spanish introduced wine over 500 years ago, it is still a new discovery to many wine drinkers worldwide.
Although you might more readily associate the continent with daring bikinis, football madness and the ability to throw a good fiesta, South America is increasingly putting itself on the wine radar for high quality wines at pocket friendly prices with a bold trend towards extreme climates producing exciting wines.
Visiting the wine regions can combine exotic highlands, stunning beaches, mountain plantations at dizzying heights and gentle sloping hillsides in between. Whether you are going to discover South America’s wines first hand by traveling there, or from behind a bar at home, as the New World continent with the biggest wine production, South America is one to watch!
Argentina: Where Malbec Runs Faster than Gauchos
It may be the biggest wine producer on the continent (and has international swagger as the 6th producer worldwide) but there really is just one variety that everyone associates with Argentina… and accounting for over 30% of the county’s red wine production, it is a correct assumption that Argentina’s lifeblood is Malbec.
The variety boomed in this dry and dusty cowboy country over a decade ago and is still going strong as the most important variety for the country. Contrary to popular belief though, there is more to Argentina than gauchos, steak and Malbec… You’ll now find a wide range of red, white and sparkling wines in the cosmopolitan bars of Argentina’s cities, and increasingly in cities worldwide.
Argentina’s vineyards are mostly located along the Western spine of the country where the high altitudes offered by the Andes mountains balance out with the abundant sunlight and warm continental climate on the flat plains below. Most of the vineyards are in a rain shadow allowing vines to thrive up and down the country: in the mid west lays Mendoza where you’ll find the juiciest and most generous Malbec as well as ripe and rich Cabernet (both Sauvignon and Franc), jammy Merlot, attractive oaked Chardonnay and soft fruit Sauvignon Blanc; in the north towards Salta and La Rioja you can expect Argentina’s native white grape, Torrontes, to steal the show with its captivating and exuberant jasmine and tropical nose, or try some of the intense high altitude reds; and furthest south is Patagonia, the heartland of Argentine Pinot Noir and cooler varieties.
Budget around $20 to get good value and occasionally spend upwards where you’ll find excellent quality in reds and blends. Don’t miss out on the sparkling wines either – they are another delicious benefit of Argentina’s 500 year-long love affair with vino.
Biggest Surprise – Argentina’s cool Cabernet Franc blends.
Most Comparable To – South Africa or the USA.
If You’re in the Mood For – Wild West and juicy reds.
Phrase You’ll Walk Away Saying – Che, ese Malbec es una joya! (Dude, this Malbec is a gem!)
Chile: The Skinny Country That Is Fat With Diversity
Hot on the heels of Argentina as the second biggest producer, Chile is commercially strong but is geographically isolated from the rest of South America, buffered by its extremities of the Atacama Desert, the freezing cold Pacific Ocean, the high Andes mountains, and a frozen tail of fjords and glaciers. The unique long and thin shape of Chile means that you get a great mélange of climates and landscapes within one country, and certainly within one case of wine.
The famous Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with rich cassis and ripe fruits usually comes from the warmer Central Valleys where sunshine and lolling hillsides characterize the zone and produce intense, fruit-bomb wines. This is also where you’ll find some of the country’s best Carmenere: the obscure French grape that became a Chilean champion for its smoked pepper, sweet red fruit and food friendly nature.
If you head to the Pacific coast, you’ll find refreshing and zesty Sauvignon Blanc, dark and spicy Syrah, elegant Chardonnay and excellent value Pinot Noir from Chile’s cool, coastal regions. There are more cool climates to explore further south in Bio Bio and Maule where you find the country’s oldest vines producing unique Carignan, Pais (or Mission), Malbec and field blends.
Last but not least, up at the far north of Chile, the star-bright Atacama and Elqui regions – with some of the clearest skies in the world – are producing racy whites and intensely aromatic Syrah.
With Christmas and New Year right around the corner, it can be a bit bewildering picking the right bottle for the right time. Help is at hand though, and Chile can be your answer for the whole festive season! Here are five top tips for picking the right bottle of Chilean wine for the holidays:
A bit of Chilean Sparkle
Popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly is essential! There’s nothing quite like the click of glasses and the excited flow of sparkling wine to celebrate the end of a year, and ring in the new year. You don’t have to stick with Champagne or Prosecco though, Chile has perfect sparkling alternatives for both.
If you fancy a fruitier, lighter bubbly (the style of Prosecco or perhaps Cava) there are many sparkling wines in Chile made with the charmat method which offer a bit of fizz, a lot of fruit and a lighter finish making them a perfect party popper. If you want a more structured and richer Champagne-style sparkling, try one of the traditional method sparkling wines that have rested on the lees for a long time.
If you want to try some fizz that is uniquely Chilean though, try the pretty pink sparkling Pais. This variety was almost abandoned in the south of Chile up until the last few years when winemakers brought it back into fashion by making lighter, easy drinking red wines. The experiments with sparking rose have resulted in a delicate sparkling rosé with lots fruit and a dry finish, ideal for pairing with canapes.
50 shades of Pinot
When it comes to Christmas and New Year food, whether you are celebrating in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer or you are trying to keep warm in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, there’s always a myriad of dishes on the table to pair with a wine. If you want to pick one wine that will pair with most dishes, pick Pinot Noir.
A classic choice, Pinot Noir works well with fish dishes like fatty salmon or festive-favourite gravlax; poultry dishes like a roast chicken or turkey; lighter meat dishes; and even nut and mushroom roasts for vegetarians. Chilean Pinot Noir has lots of red and dark fruit on the nose and a good acidity making it a flavourful but fresh wine that combines excellently with many dishes.
Chile is naturally blessed with cool climates and marine influences, making conditions ideal for this variety. Try the expressive and intense wines from coastal regions like Limari, Casablanca, San Antonio and Aconcagua Coast; the juicier wines from cooler southern regions like Bio Bio and Malleco; or try a Pinot Noir from the Elqui Valley for something a bit different. There are so many excellent Chilean Pinot Noirs to explore this festive season!
Dare to be different
If you want to surprise your guests at the dinner table this season, give some of Chile’s more unusual wines a whirl.
In the south there are many old vines that are being rediscovered and brought back to the limelight. Pais is making a comeback across the country, and there are some great Cinsault and Mouvedre to discover too. Fruit forward and often made with lighter vinification techniques like carbonic maceration or without oak, these are expressive and juicy wines that are easy-drinking for festive lunch times too. Try producers from Maule, Bio Bio, Curico and Itata.
(more…)
Picking a wine for Thanksgiving is no easy feat. One of the most anticipated events of the year, you’ve got a long day of drinking and eating ahead, a large family to please, and the inevitable competition coming from beer drinkers — this is a tough holiday for the noble bottle of wine! Hit it right though, and you’ll get everyone in the wine mood for the holiday season.
Don’t just pick one wine, get a mixed case and work through them as everyone else works through firsts, seconds, and thirds of the feast.
Before sitting down to eat, the obvious pour is one that will get everyone in the festive mood — otherwise known as fizz. Try a fruity and fanciful Prosecco like Adami Vigneto Giardino Brut Prosecco for something light; or go a little richer and more complex (especially if you want to impress the in-laws) with a Champagne, and you can get some of that Old World richness with the more affordable option of a Vouvray, such as Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut, which offers complexity and creaminess at a price point easier to keep flowing. If you want bubbles but have a few relatives who won’t easily switch out from beer, perhaps get a good bottle-fermented cider such as Angry Orchard’s Strawman.
Sparkling wine is a pretty great option for the sit-down lunch, too — bubbles go with almost anything. And if you are attempting the death-defying deep fried turkey this year, a sparkling wine will be your best friend (and probably offer cold relief from the fire hazard pot flaming outside). A little bit more structure and the defined red fruit notes you find in a sparkling rosé like Graham Beck Brut Rosé give you a good balance with the richness of a fried turkey.
Pink (even without the bubbles) is a great all-rounder for Thanksgiving. You’ll want to keep with dry rosé with a high acidity that offer a bit of palate cleansing to wash down the gravy and mash. A light and crisp rosé with delicate red fruit like JCB Cotes de Provence No5 is the perfect accompaniment with light and juicy turkey served with traditional Cranberry sauce, which echoes the tart red fruit in the bouquet and fresh mouth, and would also work beautifully with any seasonal crab starters; or try a more intense rosé like a Grenache from Spain such as Las Rocas de San Alejandro which pairs well with fuller flavoured stuffing or the darker turkey meat.
While pink is the safe mid-point between white and red, there are, however, many whites that will stand up to the job. Think dry, high-acid German Rieslings like Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Spatese Anrecht to cut beautifully through the dulcet sweet potato mash; or a more citrus-based and less conventional New York Riesling like Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling for an affordable imbibe to highlight the aromatics of zesty turkey stuffing; or try Smith Madrone Riesling 2010 Napa Riesling for more peachy aromatics to pair with a warmer, fruit-based stuffing. Other great peachy white varieties include Albariño and Viognier.
Read the full article on Grape Collective
