We started our champagne voyage with visits to both Veuve Cliquot and Lanson in Reims. Whilst they are both big houses, the visits could not have been more different. While Veuve Cliquot was all about the magic and mystique of the effervescence, Lanson was forthright and open regarding its large-scale production operation. The Veuve Cliquot visit took place in the crayères or old Roman chalk quarries that have been used to cellar champagne since the early 20th century and the visit was worthwhile even if just to explore these imposing chalk tunnels deep beneath Reims. Lanson was the much more educational of the two visits with a detailed tour of the production facility; from row upon row of stainless vats, to numerous gyropalettes that auto-riddle pallets of bottles in a week, to the disgorging and labeling production lines. This was the realistic view of large-scale champagne production – the size of the facility was truly impressive.

After these visits to the big houses of Reims, the real excitement began exploring villages and discovering some champagne gems.

Pierre Moncuit is a grower-producer in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-oger on the Côte des Blancs. It focuses primarily on Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay) Champagne that is all the rage these days. We found the vintage 2005 non-dosage to be the most balanced of the champagnes we tasted.  The purity & ripeness of the fruit helped to neutralize the bracing acidity of the Blanc de Blanc style. Our verdict after a lot of Blanc de Blanc tasting was that this style is best served with food rather than as an aperitif. The acidity, whilst quite refreshing, can becoming gum numbing if not balanced with food. Seafood is the perfect pairing.

Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart is a grower-producer in the premier cru village of Ludes in the Montagne de Reims. They grow predominately Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in both Ludes and the Grand Cru village of Mailly. Unlike most Champagne producers, Ployez-Jacquemart does not aim to maintain a house style from year to year. Instead they let the vintage direct their style each year, even with their non-vintage champagne. Our favourite was the Extra Brut Rosé – perfect for sipping in the sunshine on the terrace overlooking the garden. The house is also a wonderful B&B where you can sleep atop the impressive cellars filled with ageing champagne. The deep cellars were the most impressive of all of the small houses we visited with all bottles stacked by hand. Some of which were stacked sur pointe (upside down) for the last years of ageing to reduce the lees contact with the wine.

Arguably our favourite small producer of the trip, Paul Bara was established in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims in 1833. With such history and experience, they have perfected the balance of their dominant Pinot Noir house style. We could not decide between the Brut Reserve at a bargain price of €17.50, the Brut Millesime 2004 at €22.50 and the Special Club 2004 at €31, so we bought them all. This is one label that you will be able to find in Vancouver at Marquis Wine Cellars – they have very good taste!

Last but not least, we literally stumbled across a new comer to the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. Paul-Etienne Saint Germain is the creation of Jean-Michel and Agnès Lagneau who left their careers with large champagne brands like LVMH to start their own label. The beautiful house also serves as their home so they literally welcome you into their own champagne wonderland. Our favourite was the Divine Grand Cru Brut, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, rich and balanced, the name says it all. They are the full package, with sophisticated labeling and the story to go with it.

Travel Details

Train from London:

• Eurostar to Paris or Lille; change for TGV to Reims or Champagne Ardenne (4 – 4 1/2 hours depending on connection).

Accommodation:

• Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart Bed & Breakfast – highly recommended with well appointed rooms and a serene garden. They have a large “Maxi-Bar” fridge for guest use so that you can quench your thirst at any time of the day.

Restaurants:

• Le Foch – One Michelin star providing complete decadence of all the French classics. The set menu was too much for the stomach to survive trauma free.
• L’Assiette Champenoise – Two Michelin stars with a beautiful dining room and terrace overlooking the hotel gardens. The weekday set lunch ‘Menu Saison’ is great value at €65 for 4 courses (not including the h’orderves and petit four). The food and setting was second to none. This was our favourite meal of 2012.

Bollinger was founded in 1829 in the village of Ay. However, it was Lily Bollinger who led the house into the global luxury brand that it is today when she took over after her husband’s untimely passing in 1941.

Excellence was instilled in the Bollinger culture by Madame Bollinger, who was known to be quite the perfectionist. Today this has translated into Bollinger’s position as a premium producer amongst the big champagne houses. It has always been one of our favourite Champagnes, but it wasn’t until this visit that we understood why.

So what is it that makes their wines so special?

Firstly, in terms of raw materials, over 85% of the grapes come from either grand cru or premier cru vineyards. For production, they only use the first press (cuvee) and barrel fermentation is widely practiced at the house. In all but their special cuvee, the base wine spends 6 months in oak, a practice that is now uncommon in the region. Even the Special Cuvee uses a mixture of both barrel and stainless steel fermentation. They have their own cooperage on site to support this and we were lucky enough to see them at work on the barrels. However, it wasn’t until we ventured down into the cellars beneath Ay that the true madness of Bollinger was unveiled. The majority of their reserve wines lay resting in magnums under cork. This enables the reserve wines to continue to develop on the lees (dead yeast cells). In contrast, most houses store reserve wines in large pressurized stainless vats. This practice at Bollinger is labour intensive to say the least. Finally, the non-vintage champagnes are aged for over 3 years in bottle before they are released, which is double the minimum requirements for the region. It seems that nothing is too much when it comes to quality at Bollinger.

The house style is driven by Pinot Noir that provides both power and structure to the wine. The complexity and depth comes from both the barrel fermentation and the reserve wine ageing process which impart aromas and flavours of toast and brioche. It is truly evident when you taste a glass of their Special Cuvee along side another big house non-vintage champagne.

Our tasting line up included the Special Cuvee NV, the Rose NV and La Grande Annee 2002. Whilst we enjoyed the NV and loved La Grande Annee, it was the Rose style that stood out for us the most. Unlike a lot of Rose Champagnes that these days err on the side of fruity (with extra dosage), the Bollinger Rose is dry and elegant with subtle red fruit that mingles but does not overtake the toast and yeast. It is a unique Rose that has easily become our number one.

So this New Year’s Eve, when you are looking for a bottle of bubbly to share with your loved ones, spend the couple of extra bucks and get a bottle of Bolly… you won’t be disappointed!

The height of Cava’s brand image?

The vast majority of people don’t know what Cava is. Wine geeks regard it as a bargain sparkling wine and a pocket-friendly alternative to Champagne. A telling marketing study is to contrast Cava against the market leader for sparkling wine. Over decades, the Champenoise have spent millions (perhaps, billions) of marketing dollars building their brand by associating their product with luxury, success, and celebration.

Conversely, Cava is seen as a commodity wine, filling the price band between $10-$25 (CAD), battling for bargain sparkling supremacy with California, Italy & Australia. Over $25, the cheaper Champagne brands appear, and dominate all higher price points.

In order to be called Cava, the sparkling wine must be made in the Traditional Method (like Champagne), must meet minimum ageing requirements, and must come from one of eight allowed regions through Spain. While the majority is made in its spiritual home of Cataluña, Cava can come from regions as climactically diverse as Castilla y León or Rioja. However, 95% of Cava is produced in the Penedes region of Cataluña, so these lax origin rules do not seem detrimental on the surface.

A tale of two producers

It was with great interest that we ventured into this oft-neglected region. A quick 40 minute train ride from Plaça de  Catalunya in Barcelona and we were in the heart of Cava country, in the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. After hopping off the train, we were immediately confronted by the Freixenet campus with its numerous buildings and factories. However, we would return to visit here later in the day as our first visit was a brisk jaunt from the station.

Cava Recaredo was founded in 1878, and is still family-owned and operated with the third generation at the helm. They have one of the most intensely manual processes I’ve seen in the industry, and value their traditions for the quality produced. They practice minimal intervention in the vineyard, strictly avoiding herbicides and insecticides. After grubbing up old vines and before replanting with new vines, the soils are revitalized by years of chick pea farming (which they also sell locally). All labour and harvesting is done by hand.

In the cellar, there is a mixture of barrel and stainless steel usage for the first fermentation. For the second fermentation, a real cork stopper is used to seal the bottle (as done at Bollinger). The bottles are riddled (remuaged) by hand. Finally, and this was such a treat to witness first hand, the disgorgement is done by hand (disgorgement a la volée).

The winemaking also follows a minimalist approach. There is no dosage; they let the grapes speak for themselves. This is a bold move, because if the base material is not top quality, there is no sugar to mask it with. There is also no multi-vintage blending; all bottlings are single-vintage. Another bold move but perhaps detrimental to the development of a signature house style?

Paradoxically, after tasting through several of the wines, a house style became evident. In several blends where Xarel·lo was dominant, there was a purity of fruit, supported by intense earthiness, complex nuttiness, minerality, and a backbone of lively acidity. A purity of the classic Spanish Cava varieties and a purity of the Penedes region. A house style of minimalism.

After an amazing lunch at the local La Cava d’en Sergi, with a bottle of Cava Recaredo to wash it down, we set off to see the other side of Cava. Freixenet are the largest exporter of Cava in the world. Their famous Christmas TV spots have featured celebrities such as Shakira, Antonio Banderas, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, and Kim Basinger. We set off on a large group tour of about 50 people, rushed through a multimedia presentation on production, complete with an in-house vanity film short. This was a stark contrast to our previous tour which was about 2 hours of one-on-one time with Cava Recaredo’s visit co-ordinator. We were shown impressive factory floors full of fermentation vats, holding vats, racks of filled bottles, endless amounts of gyropalletes (mechanical riddlers), and more bottle stock then you can imagine. This is a serious operation.

Now, there’s something to be said for size, scale, and volume. In fact, I’m sure the people of Penedes care more for Freixenet’s success (and the jobs and economic activity they bring to the region) than Cava Recaredo. However, I will say this: Freixenet’s Cava was pretty dire after what we’d tasted at Cava Recaredo. Sugary, and simple. To be fair, the tour sampling was tastings of their entry-level Cava and there was several bottles of expensive stuff that we could have paid for. However, it’s clear that’s not what Freixenet cared for us to taste. They are happy to sell heaps of Cordon Negro (at $15/bottle), and leave the higher price points to the Champenoise.

Closing remarks

Decanter.com recently published an article about Penedes sparkling producers deserting the Cava DO for its detrimental image. Two weeks later, another article was published stating Raventos i Blanc had quit the Cava appellation. Their reasoning is fairly simple: the “Cava” brand image adds nothing to the product value. There is a crisis amongst Cava producers who have a unique story to tell, in a sector dominated by the marketing giants of Freixenet and Cordoniu who thrive on €2/bottle supermarket volume.

Can you blame them? This is much like the image crisis that Australia as a whole is seeking to reverse through its A+ initiative. They are changing the conversation away from cheap plonk and onto the unique and diverse regions, styles and wineries throughout Oz. Rebuild the brand image, rebuild the price points.

In the meantime, we’re going to open a bottle of Cava Recaredo, invite over some friends, and introduce them to the wonders of proper Cava.

He says: One of the most bizarre wine bottles I’ve ever seen, with an equally bizarre full-form name. However, this is beautifully aged German Riesling, with an expressive ripeness on the nose that reminds me intensely of sweet tangerine oranges. On the palate, this wine is much less expressive, and perhaps even starting to fade as the fruit lacks intensity. What is there is a lively acidity. Perhaps it’s reaching end of days?

She says: A very enjoyable wine especially for the price. It is not often you find a 10 year old bottle of German Riesling for under £20. The bottle shape makes a great talking point and the wine itself teases you with its rich sweet nose and lush mouth feel ending in a dry finish. An interesting wine, both inside and out.

Tasting note

Looks like: Clear, bright, deep lemon with wide watery rim
Smells like: Clean, pronounced intensity, developing, sweet tangerine orange, honey, hint of guava
Tastes like: Dry, med+ acidity, med body, medium intensity, flavours as on nose, med alcohol, long finish
Summary: Very Good, Drink now, will not improve

He says: This is an amazing Sherry, and not a lot of it is produced very year. If you see it, grab it. It’s aged for an average of 8 years, much longer than a typical Fino sherry at 3 years, and it’s very evident in the wine’s concentration, alcohol level, gycerol-rich mouthfeel, and flavour. What stands out most for me is how much character this Fino has. It’s not at all frail or gentle like most Fino’s, but shows a lot of guts, and richness, and is almost entering Brandy territory. Stunning wine.

She says: ”Rich” is not normally a word that comes to mind when drinking Fino sherry. This wine is just that with a depth of flavour that lingers with you long after your glass is empty. The finish of salted nuts with a hint of caramel makes it savoury with the most subtle trace of sweetness. Truly extraordinary.

Tasting note

Looks like: Clear, bright, deep gold with a wide watery rim, legs
Smells like: Clean, pronounced intensity, fully developed, intensely salty, nutty (peanut), hint of caramel, bready, like peanut brittle
Tastes like: Dry, low acidity, med+ body, pronounced intensity, flavours as on nose, fortified to a med level, long finish
Summary: Outstanding, Ready to drink – not meant for additional ageing

He says: The sub-$50 Pinot Noir category can be a bit of a minefield, with often more misses than hits, especially when buying French. Thus, this has become the domain of the New World, with consistency being delivered by the USA, New Zealand, Australia, and others. With these regions, the emphasis is on fruity, clean, focused, linear wines, often lacking the complexity, weight and earthiness of fine Burgundy. So, it’s with interest that we opened this Central Otago offering hoping to find a New World gem. Unfortunately, it garnered mixed reviews. I found it simple, but hedonistic in that the alcohol was quite evident on the finish. It also added to the mouthfeel, and was kept in check on the palate by the acidity. This is a solid Pinot Noir, but would it be worth the $40-50 CAD it’d be priced at in BC? Probably not.

She says: Pinot Noir, is such a fickle grape, that can either lead to great excitement or just as easily, disappointment. For me, this was a disappointment, especially at the £20 price tag. It lacked depth and complexity and I found it to have a bitter finish which literally left a bad taste in my mouth. I wish I had spent the money on a bottle of bubbly instead!

Tasting note

Looks like: Clear, bright, med ruby with a wide, pale rim, legs
Smells like: Clean, med intensity, developing, simple red cherry, red fruit, sweet spice
Tastes like: Dry, med+ acidity, med body, med intensity, med- bitter tannin, ripe red cherry, quite linear, med+ heady alcohol, med+ finish
Summary: Good, Ready to drink but can develop further

Our first stop was to the Institute of Port and Douro wines (IVDP), the Port wine governing body. They control the quality and quantity of Port wine and regulate the production process with the aim to protect the Port brand. We were lucky enough to have a private tour of their facility, including the areas where laboratory and sensory analysis is performed for Port certification. Before any wine can be sold, a sample must be analysed by the IVDP who approve the style of wine that the producer can sell it as. Port wine can broadly be divided into two different categories based on the method of maturation. Tawny style is barrel-aged (ie. Tawny port) whilst a Ruby style port is bottle-aged (ie. Vintage port).

Interestingly, we always thought that Vintage Port was the most prestigious of Port wines. However, as we soon learnt at the IVDP, Tawny is considered to be the most prestigious in Porto. Whilst not made in every year, Vintage port requires less investment to produce, it is bottled and usually sold when relatively young, at a considerable price, with the responsibility of the ageing in the hands of the consumer or agent. In comparison, Tawny Port, requires considerable inventory to be held by the houses so that the different age designations can be made (10, 20, 30 & 40 year). The art of blending multiple vintages to create a house style was likened to Champagne. All this work and a 20 year old Tawny Port, ready to drink when released is sold for around CAD 70. This compares to a similar quality 2009 Vintage Port with a price tag of CAD 150 upon released. Who would want to drink anything but Tawny?

After finishing the tour with a rather unmemorable Port tasting (highlighting some new styles like Rosé Port – blech), we headed across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia to do some serious tasting at Taylor’s and Graham’s. This is the home of the Port wine houses and where the ageing of Port wine takes place. The cellars of both houses were impressive, from the large oak vats, to the never-ending rows of barrels, to the relaxing tasting rooms. We especially lusted after the library collection at Graham’s with plenty of pre-phylloxera bottles on show. Amazing.

The line up at Taylor’s was the Chip Dry (Extra Dry White), the 2007 Late Bottled Vintage and a Tawny 10 year old. Graham’s provided different options on the tasting, so we upgraded to taste aged Tawny and Vintage ports. This gave us an impressive list including both a Graham’s 20 and 30 year old Tawny and three different house vintages all owned by the Symington family; Dow’s 1985, Quinta do Vesuvio 1994 and Graham’s 2003. It was interesting to not only taste the different vintages and how these are developing but also the different house styles. Dow’s was definitely a drier style than the other two with less residual sugar and evident tannins despite its age.

The highlights were the 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio and the 20 year old Tawny. Quinta do Vesuvio is a single vineyard vintage port with 1994 being a particularly good vintage year. It was intensely sweet on the palate, with loads of spice, dried fruit and a developing character of molasses. The Graham’s 20 year old Tawny was the counterpoint, with a much more savoury nature to contrast the Vesuvio’s raw power. There was remarkable saltiness to balance the dried fruit flavours, ending with a wonderful impression of caramel. It’s no wonder the winemakers obsess over their Tawny’s.

No trip to Porto would be complete without exploring the origins of the Port grapes in the Alto Douro valley, also a UNESCO world heritage site, so we jumped on a train to Pinhão. Time really did seem to slow down when we arrived in the sleepy little town that only came to life when river boats docked or the train stopped. The surrounding vineyards were spectacular and are easily viewed on a relaxing cruise up the river. Terrace upon terrace of vineyards were stacked up the steep, rocky banks with the odd grove of olives trees in between. It is hard to imagine harvest on these terraces, where one misstep would do more than just damage the grapes.

All too soon, it was time to head to the airport and back to London. Needless to say that our one purchase at duty free was the prestigious 20 year old Graham’s Tawny. Our favourite wine of the weekend!

Travel Details

Flights from London:

• Ryan Air direct to Porto (Daily).

Accommodation:

• All the major hotel groups are represented in Porto.

Port House Tours:

• Taylor’s & Graham’s starting from €3 depending on the quality of Port tasting.

Train from Porto to Pinhão:

• 2½ hour journey using local train approximately €15 one-way (multiple departures daily; change in Regua).

Douro River Cruise:

• 2 hour cruise from Pinhão to Tua return (twice daily – morning & afternoon departures).

The infamous palomino vineyards

Surface-film flor in a sherry butt

No study for the WSET Diploma fortified unit would be complete without a visit to Jerez de la Frontera, the home of Sherry. We discovered our love for Sherry whilst living in Vancouver and were excited to explore its origins. We visited three very different bodegas during our weekend getaway – Lustau, Bodegas Tradicion and Gonzalez Byass, all located in Jerez de la Frontera. Interestingly the name, ‘Jerez’ translates simply to ‘sherry’ with ‘Frontera’ referencing its time as a Spanish frontier during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.

Old carriage in the Lustau courtyard

Emilio Lustau tasting line-up

Emilio Lustau originally started as an almacenista in 1896 (literal translation: ‘warehouse owner’). Today they are an international brand with sherry produced in all three corners of the sherry triangle: Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

A high-arched bodega at Lustau; sandy floors

The Lustau bodega complex, “Los Arcos” in Jerez de la Frontera were by far the most impressive of the three we visited. The orientation of the buildings, the high ceilings, the placement of windows and shutters and the damp sand floors are all carefully planned to ensure the careful ageing of the sherry soleras within a constant temperature and humidity. The beautiful arched columns, the sheer size of the bodegas and the numerous stacked sherry barrels demand appreciation. It is such a unique and serene place to age wine.

With such wonderful surroundings, the tasting at Lustau was no let down. Our tasting line up was as impressive as the bodegas, with wines including the Almacenista (Manuel Cuevas Jurado) Manzanilla Amontillada, Oloroso Emperatriz Eugenia and the VORS Pedro Ximenez. The highlight of the weekend was definitely the VORS Pedro Ximenez, with more than 30 years of age, it comes from one cask selected from a solera of six set aside as a family reserve in the 1930’s. Flavours of dried fruit such as fig and raisin intertwine with liquorice and coffee. It is full bodied, almost chewable, rich yet not cloyingly sweet, with a freshness that makes you double check its age. This level of complexity and intensity is rarely seen in such balance. The long finish allows you ample time to ponder over it, which we did.

Traditional barrel transfers

The unassuming exterior

Wax and label by hand

Our second visit was to the relatively young Bodegas Tradicion who commenced their own label in 1998. They focus on producing quality old sherry’s, which is assisted by the acquisition of aged sherry from other bodegas. In particular, they acquired some of the best old soleras from Croft when its bodegas were sold to Gonzalez Byass in 2001. Bodegas Tradicion produces sherry using traditional techniques, meaning that everything is done by hand, from transferring the wine from one criadera to the next to the labelling and wax seal on the bottles.

We were fortunate enough to taste the full range of sherry and brandy. Interestingly the most expensive bottle of 30 year old sherry was just over €50 a bottle whilst the 40 year old Brandy was €199. Our favourites were the VORS Amontillado and the VORS Oloroso, both 30 years old, and at a bargain price of €43.50. Amontillado was quickly becoming one of our favourite Sherries on this visit. This was no exception, with its dry, salty palate accompanied by caramel and almond undertones. It was complex, rich yet delicate, with a lingering finish.

Tio Pepe's mascot

Sherry drinking mice

Last but not least, was a visit to Gonzalez Byass for what we described as the Disneyland of Sherry. What wine tour is complete without a train ride and wine drinking mice? Mockery aside, Gonzalez Byass vast marketing has made Sherry into an internationally known wine, albeit not necessarily a ‘cool’ one. This was very much the standard tourist visit which included tastings of both Tio Pepe, their flagship Fino Sherry, and Croft Original Pale Cream. The Tio Pepe is an easy drinking wine as far as Fino goes. A refreshing aperitif with a pale lemon hue, the flavours of nuts, lemon and salt are bought into harmony with an accompanying plate of almonds and green olives.

Perfect pairings for Manzanilla

The timing of our trip coincided with the Feria de Manzanilla in nearby Sanlucar de Barrameda. We could not come all this way without attending the festival of Manzanilla so our hotel organized a car for us and we were on our way. Being mobile meant we could also drive the sherry triangle, so we first headed for El Puerto de Santa Maria and then across to Sanlucar de Barrameda. Expecting to see vineyards all around us, we were soon spotting mirage vineyards that always turned out to be some kind of crop as we got closer. Interestingly, we only saw two small areas of vineyards on our drive between the towns in the triangle. Upon further investigation, it turns out that the majority of vineyards are actually north of Jerez (called Upper Jerez) and so we completely missed seeing them, having driven south, on the triangle route between the three sherry producing towns.

The Feria de Manzanilla more than made up for the lack of vineyards and was a highlight of the weekend. Focused on traditional dress, music, flamenco, fresh seafood and of course Manzanilla, it felt like the whole region had come out to celebrate. We found ourselves in one of the many restaurants set up in tents along the main boulevard, eating the freshest of seafood washed down with local Manzanilla. It was a great place to relax and take in the all the colourful sights. Our favourite seafood was the fresh local prawns and the deep fried baby squid. It was the perfect end to a memorable weekend that cemented our love of all things Sherry.

Travel Details

Flights from London:

• Ryan Air direct to Jerez (Seasonal – Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sundays until November 2^nd 2012)

Accommodation:

• Hotel Chancilleria – great value, comfortable rooms with helpful and friendly staff. They have a fantastic rooftop patio basked in sunshine or a cool walled garden to enjoy, depending on your mood.

Restaurants:

• Meson del Asador – melt in your mouth oxtail speciality. Where the locals eat.
• Restaurante Sabores – the Cantabrian anchovies are a must. A little more upmarket, with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and conveniently attached to the Hotel Chancilleria.
• Cruz Blanca – rated number one on trip advisor. Our experience was that the food was good but far from great.

Big Ben, the London Eye, and the River Thames

Our last post was for the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Where has the time gone? We’re going to blame it on extreme jetlag.

We’ve relocated to London, UK, for a few years of work, but more importantly, access to wine regions. Although it was difficult to leave our friends & family in Vancouver, the promise of being a quick train ride away from France, or a budget airline flight to Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc., was too good to pass up. In the first 60 days we’ve been here, we’ve already had a chance to visit the wonderful regions responsible for two of the world’s great wines: Sherry & Port.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust studies have been resumed as I (Mr. Winecouver) have taken the exam on Fortified Wines, and am now studying for the units on Sparkling Wines and Spirits. If I stay on track, I can hope to be a Diploma graduate by the summer of 2013 (fingers crossed).

All the fortifieds used for my exam prep. Easily obtainable here in London.

It’s a much bigger class here at the WSET flagship school in London. There is a healthy mix of trade and aficionados, in fact, much more non-trade than there were at the school in Vancouver. I’m also enjoying access to some great teachers, including Peter McCombie MW, and various AIWS alumni who obviously have decades of experience teaching.

There is a thriving wine scene here in London, with loads of négociants/agencies, retail chains, and selection. Given the UK was the birth of the wine trade, this is no surprise. We’re happy to have moved to an area with a specialty store called The Sampler, with over 80 wines available to try via enomatic machine. (The BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch would have a conniption.) Everywhere we turn there is a wine shop with an online presence offering home delivery and excellent discounting, and that’s not counting the big box supermarkets with their heavily discounted own-brand bottles. We’re spoiled for choice.

Orange wine at Terroirs

The food & wine scene here is stunning, with the obvious Michelin-starred choices. We’ve also found some great wine bars that we’ve really enjoyed: Terroirs, Vinoteca and Fernandez & Wells. All specialize in eclectic wine lists, by the glass, with Terroirs only serving “natural” wines. We’ve spent time at each, and will continually return over the next few years to try fascinating wines that we wouldn’t find in Canada. Terroirs is especially inspiring with their love for orange wines. Definitely a post to come about those!

So, it’s time to get back on the horse and update the blog on a regular basis. There’s no shortage of wines to review, and Mrs. Winecouver will be adding some travel reports from our trips in the Old World. Stay tuned!

Source: http://playhousewinefest.com/

On Day 2 of the 2012 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, we focused our sights on the Regional Theme of this year’s event: Chile. This is region that we don’t spend a lot of money on normally due to the tendency for most wines to bear that “Chilean funk” on the nose: a mix of green pepper, plaster, and rubber. However, what we found was that there were some definite categories of wine that we’d long overlooked.

The first example of this are the wines from the Limari Valley. This is one of the northernmost regions of Chile, and is influenced by the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean. Rainfall is very low here, and the chalky soils contribute a massive minerality to the wines. We definitely tasted it, and these are some wines we recommend you try:

Tamaya

Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, $19  - lime/citrus fruit, very clean with strong minerality throughout.

Viña Tabali

Pinot Noir Reserva Especial, $25 (BCLDB) – excellent acidity and minerality give this wine very focused fruit; only complaint is a slightly short finish, but very enjoyable for this price point.

Reserva Syrah, $22 (BCLDB) – again, the acidity brings a focus to this fruit, and along with the tannin provide an excellent strucuture, leading to a peppery finish; an absolute bargain for $22.

Beyond these excellent wines from the Limari Valley, we’re going to make an extra effort to drink a lot more Chilean whites when the sun finally returns to Vancouver. With most at the $15 price point, we were extremely pleased with the great fruit, acidity and balance shown by the following wines:

Arboleda 

Chardonnay, $18 (BCLDB) – oak is present but well-balanced, as well as green apple fruit, and refreshing acidity.

Junta

Reserve Viognier-Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay (blend), $15 (BCLDB) – very fruity, summer sipper, peachy, with balanced acidity.

Viña Leyda

Garuma Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, $19 (BCLDB) – was surprised that this wasn’t from the Limari Valley as it reminded me a lot of the Tamaya; almost the exact same tasting note as above.

Miguel Torres

Hemisferio Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, $13 (BCLDB) – tropical fruit salad in a glass, but so well-balanced with vibrant acidity; think peach meets lemon; what a steal at this price too.

Viña Morandé

Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, $16 (BCLDB) – grassy with stonefruit, nicely balanced, excellent acidity and a nice long finish.

We didn’t find a lot of red wines of note, mainly due to time, and minutely due to the funky Chilean nose that we struggle to get past. Regardless, here are some that we enjoyed:

Viña Maipo

Limited Edition Syrah, $30 (BCLDB) – great tannic structure, black pepper on the palate with a hint of green pepper, nicely balanced with black fruit; a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend really gives it some structural punch.

Viña Tarapaca

Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, $18 (BCLDB) – holy hell, I’m not sure how this is only priced at $18 because it is a BARGAIN; strong nose of black fruit and menthol, followed by good structure on the palate. Perfect mid-week red.

Zavala, $39 (BCLDB) – this is a red blend that changes yearly, but this vintage was Cabernet Franc dominant, with Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon in supporting roles; intense nose of sweet chocolate and pencil lead; slightly vegetal on the palate, but driven by mouth-filling tannins; needs a few years to settle down but still enjoyable now.