cork·age (kôrkj)
n.
A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises.
That is indeed from anotherwineblog.com!
As a consultant for restaurants and wine companies the Corkage issue concerns me, and during this massive wine recession it has begun keeping me awake at night. One former restaurant client sought me out at a recent trade tasting to get my insight and suggestions on this vexing problem for restaurants. Too high a corkage fee and the customer is offended, too low and everyone brings wines from their cellar (or even visits a wine store on the way to the restaurant).
Here in Metro New York the corkage issue has really caught momentum and I am stuck wondering if the genie can be put back after the recession recedes (according to Mr. Bernanke this has begun already - hmm).
I believe the snowball effect of more and more guests bringing in their own wine is a culmination of the winding down of the hot auction and high-end wine market and the aggressive wine mark-ups on restaurant wine lists in Metro New York.
Some of those big excessive wall street bonuses were 'invested' into wine and for many it was for speculative reasons. Now that the bubble has popped, those caches of wine are now worth about or even below what they originally cost. So the owners of the 2000 Bordeaux, 2002 Burgundy, 2003 Bordeaux and both Burgundy and Bordeaux from the vaunted 2005 vintage are looking at piles of formerly investment grade wines and they are saying lets drink!
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( 3 / 476 )One of my pet-peeves is when I hear someone in the wine industry explain the laws or specifics of a wine region, wine or wine style and the information is either out of date or just plain wrong. A great example of this is the explanation of the term “Super-Tuscan”, parentheses represent the fact that the term is not a legal one for wine…actually it is most commonly traced back to an article in the Wine Spectator when they first did a story on a group of Tuscan wines that did not conform to certain Italian wine laws and regulations. I have heard many long-winded explanations from wine industry professionals. Few get it right. My point is that the subject of wine is so vast and ever-evolving that constant study and vigilance to the evolving facts are necessary being a good Sommelier, wine educator, etc, or as I like to say ‘if you don’t know, really know, shut the fuck-up’.
So what’s so complicated about “Super-Tuscan” wines? As the term is not legally defined, as much as people try there really isn’t a specific definition, as a matter of fact the three wines that the term was originally created for, now all fall into a real and a legally defined Italian wine category. Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Tignanello were originally ranked by Italian wine laws as Vino da Tavola, the lowest ranking for Italian wines. This caused confusion because these wines were on the shelves costing $50 or more a bottle next to other Vino da Tavola’s that were costing less than $5 a bottle, so the expensive wines were referred to as “Super Tuscans”. Today Sassicaia and Ornellaia are labeled as DOC wines from the Bolgheri region that they helped define. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, meaning the wine is from a region that has been defined by the Italian Wine governing body. Tignanello is another story, it is today labeled as IGT or Idicazione Geografica Tipica, this designation was created in 1992 to clear up the confusion between $50 Vino da Tavolas and $5 ones. This refers to a wine from a particular region that is produced in a style typical to that region, but without all the extra laws surrounding the DOC wines – so more or even ultimate freedom in the vineyard and winery. All “Super Tuscan” wines are made in a style or with grapes that were not historically found in Tuscany, wines that blend Sangiovese (the traditional and historic grape of the region) with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and other interlopers to the region. The historic wine regions of Tuscany are Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and they are all either predominantly Sangiovese or wholly Sangiovese (Brunello must be 100%). So when Pierro Antinori decided to add Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to his Sangiovese based Chianti Classico Riserva vigneto Tignanello in 1971 he legally could no longer call the wine Chianti or Chianti Classico so he just dropped all the names on the label except Tignanello. So was born the Chianti regions first “Super Tuscan”. Meanwhile Sassicaia and Ornellaia were also being “born” out on the Tuscan coast near the town of Bolgheri. Sassicaia is a blend of the two Cabernets, while Ornellaia blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, all French interlopers to the Tuscan landscape. An interesting footnote to this complicated story is the laws governing Chianti Classico have changed to allow up-to 20% international varieties (meaning Cabernet(s), Merlot, etc.)…so in effect Antinori’s Tignanello can once again use the Chianti Classico designation, but they don’t as that could possibly de-value the brand.
Today “Super Tuscans” abound, and they range from $15 wines to several hundred dollars per bottle and they are anything from a 100% Sangiovese to a blend like Tignanello, Sassicaia, Ornellaia or even 100% Syrah.
So if just this one tiny category of wine can be so complex and misunderstood, imagine what it’s like learning the rest of the wines of the world. When I give a wine seminar or write about a region, the research I do is quite thorough because I don’t want someone to get the wrong information and blame me. If you are interested in learning more about wine check out the classes I will be teaching this fall at Ruvo restaurants.
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( 3 / 599 )For as long as I've been in the wine industry (20+ years) Zinfandel was considered our grape, as in California's or America's because that was the grapes historical home. Then along came the curious types who discovered (through DNA mapping) that Cabernet Sauvignon was the off-spring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Once that was determined we (collectively) decided to find out what other grapes were related. The first thoughts of Zinfandel and Primitivo being related happened in 1967 and in 1994 Carol Meredith of US Davis confirmed that Primitivo and Zinfandel were closely related and later discovered that both grapes were likely from Croatia originally and closely related to Croatia's Crlijenak Kastelanski of Kastela. So today Carol Meredith refers to the grape as the ZPC grape.
When I was last in Puglia (Spring 2003), there was a ground swell of interest in Primitivo and some producers were putting plenty of effort into the wines. Some even hired consulting winemakers to help improve the quality. Puglia has long been known as the bulk wine region of Italy with huge volumes of wine being sold in demi-johns and even larger volumes being sold by the tanker (going to whatever wine region didn't get enough ripeness in any particular vintage). Primitivo long suffered as a cheap simple Southern Italian wine, while Zinfandel seemed to have plenty of respect and a cult following. So it seems quite natural that Primitivo would eventually try to ride Zinfandels coattails.
Puglia is the heel of Italy, the southern part of which is a long, narrow peninsula. It is that particular area that Primitivo thrives, the vineyards surrounding Brindisi, Novoli, Lecce, Nardo, Manduria and Galantina. The other grape of note in these most southerly areas of Puglia is Negroamaro, there is also a bit of Malvasia Nera. The soils are mostly sand, the weather quite warm, but moderated by the Adriatic and the Gulf of Taranto. Also the vine training is done quite low to the ground to keep the fruit and canopy protected from the fierce salty winds that whip across the narrow peninsula.
Vineyard in the Salice Salentino DOC of Southern Puglia
Now we have winemakers from Tuscany (Antinori), Australia (La Corte with Chris Rignald) and even Napa Valley (Philipe Melke of Layer Cake) working with Primitivo in the areas of Lecce and Brindisi. Some are very new world in style, others are more old world in style. Layer Cake Primitivo as the name would indicate is a New World approach, while I find the wines of La Corte more along the lines of elegant Southern Rhone-like, while the wines from Antinori's project Tormaresca falls in the classy Southern Italian vein. All are very fine, just each done in a very particular style.
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A Trip To Rivadavia In Argentina Produced A Few Surprises, Not All Of Them About Wine
By Christopher S. Miller
Some of today's best wine values are found in South American wine regions. Chile has long been a good source for inexpensive wines, but in the last fifteen years Argentina has come on very strong and today their wines are either equal or maybe even a touch ahead of Chile in terms of value. One of the families at the forefront of this revolution has been the Catena family in the Mendoza region. Their wine projects include Catena Winery, Alamos, Tilia, Alma Negra, Luca, Tikal and Ernesto Catena Selections. The importer of Catena wines invited a small group of sommeliers and wine buyers to their Malbec Camp, and though the timing was difficult to justify, I squeezed in the week-long adventure.
The approach to Catena Winery in Mendoza, Argentina
Photo by Chris Miller
The middle of August may be the height of the Hamptons season, but it is late winter in Argentina, so some weather research was required to help with packing. The winter climate in Mendoza is quite agreeable, a bit like San Francisco without the fog. Most days fluctuated between 60 degrees and 69 degrees F, requiring a light sweater in the mornings or when the sun went behind the clouds on a sunny winter afternoon.
The commute is rather arduous. Our route was through Miami as the trip was coordinated by Catena wine importer, Billington Wines, and all the participants were booked on the same flight out of Miami, offering us an opportunity to begin to bond before the camp. Naturally there had to be one sommelier (wine snob) that wanted to prove his wine chops, so during our four-hour layover we were subjected to a litany of Argentine wine questions. It only took a few more hours for the rest of the group to reel the "wine geek" in (though later in the trip the group was referred to as the "wine geek group" by Laura Catena herself, owner of the winery). Due to severe fog in Santiago, Chile, we missed our morning connecting flight over the heart of the Andes to Mendoza and had to endure the intense pollution of the socked-in city of Santiago for several more hours. This gave us more time to learn about everyone's backgrounds (it also gave the original wine geek of the group time for a few more jabs).
After a short hop over the stunning Andes, we landed in Mendoza and were met with nostalgically lax security. One of the group actually snapped pictures after disembarking on the tarmac! Such lack of discretion would have been met with handcuffs and interrogation in most American airports. We then headed to our Camp headquarters at the Catena family summer home, La Vendimia, in Rivadavia. This lovely property is surrounded by old vineyards, many trained in the old traditional parral system (aka tendone and pergola) and irrigated with flood channels throughout the vineyards. Though in general this system produces large quantities of fair grapes, when yields are strictly controlled it is useful in areas where the sun is so powerful that the extra leaf canopy protects the fruit from sunburn.
Members of the group (author on right with partner) learing to tango
After an appetizer of homemade empanadas we enjoyed a traditional asado (meal of meats grilled on an open wood/coal fire), during which we were introduced to the educational portion of the Camp and given more insight into our agenda over the next several days. The success and history of Malbec in Mendoza was going to be the diet for our stay. We learned more about Mendoza viticulture than many of us thought existed, about the soil and irrigation that limits phyloxera and how all the vines are on their own root systems (rather than the rest of the vinous world that needs American rootstock to prevent the slow death from phyloxera infestation). We also learned about the clones that are different and better than those found in Malbec's original home of Cahors in southwestern France, about the best trellising systems, why vineyard altitude and exposure is so important and about the art of blending, to name just a few factors.
On our first full day we had the opportunity to experience many of the above factors first hand. Our first stop was the Adrianna Vineyard high in the Tupungato region of the Uco Valley. I have tasted wines from this vineyard before, but never had I known that the Tupungato region was named for the second highest mountain of the Andes that towered over the 5,000 ft high vineyard. The Tupungato tops out at 6,570 meters, or 21,555 feet! In the Adrianna vineyard we were put to work (had to pay for our accommodations and flight somehow) pruning the vines so they were ready to begin producing very high-quality grapes in the coming months. This process is quite important and was overseen by Alejandro Fernandez, the Catena head viticulturist. After the hard work, we were rewarded with single vineyard Malbec from both the Adrianna Vineyard and the Nicasia Vineyard along with more empanadas. The Adrianna had a wonderful aromatic and floral note with a crisp palate and very long finish, while the Nicasia was more brooding and rich with a denser palate and darker fruit. These are part of the blend of the Catena Alta Malbec and help make the wine one of Mendoza's benchmarks. Though not available now, these single vineyard wines could reach the market here in the future.
The next stop was the La Consulta region in the Southern Uco Valley, where we helped plant part of a new Malbec vineyard. This fun exercise helped us understand the problem of finding water in the Mendoza desert where the very poor soil composition forces the plant to struggle and therefore produce better grapes. The most important criterion for purchasing land that is to be planted is water supply. If the property doesn't have access to irrigation channels a well needs to be drilled and a bit of luck is needed. La Consulta is the new hot region for vineyards in Mendoza and is also the furthest south in the region. As Laura Catena mentioned, when one looks south from the vineyard, there is nothing for 1000 miles till the Rio Negra region in Patagonia. Other great benefits to growing vines in the cool regions of Mendoza is the ability to use irrigation control to push the plant to produce more intense berries with thicker skins, which create grapes that are richer in complex tannins, acidity, and concentration in general. A bonus of the strong sun at high altitudes is that the plant works hard to protect the seeds with thicker skins resulting in wines with more resveratrol, the powerful anti-oxidant that helps reduce cholesterol and helps us live longer! The wine with the highest concentrations of resveratrol are Malbec grown in Mendoza at elevations of 4,500 feet or higher, such as the Alta Malbec from Catena or the new single vineyard Malbec from Adrianna in Tupungato.
Laura Catena demonstrates how they plant vines
The next day was devoted to the winery, and what a winery it is. The Catena winery was designed in the manner of a Pyramid on a property they call La Pirámide, in the sub-region of Agrelo that is within the Lujan de Cuyo region of northern Mendoza. The elevation is 3,100 feet, so the wines produced are rich with dark berry and plum flavors that nicely compliment the more aromatic fruit from higher elevations. Our duties in the winery included battonage (French for stirring of the lees) of the Chardonnay barrels, racking the Malbec from barrel to tank and measuring the oxygen levels to make sure the wine is not getting either too much or too little, not to mention the all important blending of the wines from each vineyard. We tasted the Malbec from each vineyard and then determined our blend. We also tasted their final blend, aka Catena Alta Malbec. I opted to use higher percentages of the La Consulta and Adrianna fruit that is from the higher altitude sites. This imparts that lovely floral component and a long bright finish with plenty of tannic grip and the all important resveratrol to help me live longer (so I can drink more wine, of course). Now, while I don't have to worry about the economics or politics of using only certain vineyards in my blend, the winemaker doesn't have the same luxury.
After lunch and an animated conversation with Laura and her staff about marketing and how to let the world know about the great Malbecs of Mendoza, we had two last duties, or so we thought. These included a test of our knowledge of Mendoza winemaking and viticulture along with an empanada-making lesson. After graduating from Malbec Camp and receiving a Certificate as a Master in High Altitude Malbec, we enjoyed our last dinner at the family's summer home. But the next project came as a bit of a surprise for us.
We watched as the room was cleared out and turned into a Tango classroom. First came the pros. Wow! They would put Dancing With The Stars to shame. Then came the lessons for all the wine geeks. Amazingly, none of us tumbled embarrassingly to the floor. But now my wife wants proof of these lessons. I told her all I have are a few pictures. Seems my two left feet carried me back north of the equator.
Christopher Miller is Dan's Papers' "Wine Guide" Senior Wine Writer. Mr. Miller is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a wine consultant for Sherry-Lehmann and wine educator. He is also the Education Director for Long Island's Sommelier Society of America, and has held the position of saucier chef at Schweizerhof in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and that of sommelier at Manhattan's '21' Club. He is teaching a Captain's Course at Ruvo Restaurants in the September. Visit his websites www.noblewines.com; www.hamptonswineshoppe.com; www.sommelierwineacademy.com
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( 3 / 600 )Recession (Red, White and) Blues
Some Market Speculators Awash in First Growths, But What Will the Rest of Us Drink Now?
By Christopher S. Miller
So you pulled the corks on a couple of 1982 Lafites because you thought the world was ending. But the next day you woke up, maybe with some great memories and a slight hangover, and the sun rose, albeit on a very different economy. Now what will you drink?
An awful lot of smart money people are searching for answers these last couple of weeks as to exactly what has happened on Wall Street and Main Street. This leaves me wondering how the collective markets' wine palate will react. Looking backwards is easy, and in some cases a bit scary. I'm not so sure anymore that remortgaging the house to invest in Bordeaux futures was a great idea, but it's too late for remorse. Let's look forward instead.
Some questions I am as clueless about as those discussing financial issues in DC and on Wall Street. Will the wine industry bubble pop? My guess is that Bordeaux's Chateau Petrus and Burgundy's Domaine de la Romanee Conti and their ilk will always have more demand than product, so they will continue to demand crazy high prices. Chateau Petrus is only 28.17 acres as compared to California's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, which has a total of 229 acres under cultivation. La Romanee Conti vineyard is all of 4.47 acres and La Tache (another rarified Burgundian property) is 14.97 acres.
The logical conclusion is that a slowing economy will affect the demand of Stag's Leap wines more than those of Petrus or DRC. So for those of you whose "golden parachute" has some holes, you might want to cancel those Bordeaux and Burgundy orders and look for some alternative wines to consume till the recession (or whatever the pundits decide it is) subsides. If, however, your parachute is still in good order and has a promising future, stop reading this and give me a call. I may be willing to part with some wine from my cellar - to pay the mortgage, of course. (Visit Hamptonswineshoppe.com. You may e-mail Chris from the site.)
For the rest of you (i.e. most of us) here are some thoughts on how the current economic meltdown may affect wine consumers on normal budgets.
The recent, drastic increase in interest in wine generally has done both wonderful and bad things to the industry. I would put the increase in ego and arrogance on the negative side. By that I mean producers, importers, distributors, sommeliers and wine store owners who feel the customer is fair game for them to dupe into spending more and more money on pricey wines. It boggles my mind to ponder all the wines I've tasted for business purposes over the past five years about which I have thought, gee, that's a nice wine for 30 dollars only to find the actual price to be many times that because of some rating or prestigious vineyard site that doesn't really affect the actual wine.
On the plus side, a positive thing has happened to the wine industry as a result of this increased interest, and it is precisely what will help keep our wine habit afloat during an economic realignment. I refer to the great thirst that our wine geeks, sommeliers and other wine professionals have for discovering and exploring the next hot wine region, grape or wine style. This thirst has driven the quality up in regions such as Southern Italy, Austria, South Africa and Argentina, to name just a few.
The difference in the wines available in most wine stores and restaurants between 1987 or even 2001 (our last couple of serious economic adjustments) and today has vastly expanded. Today we have Gruner Veltliner from Austria, Negroamaro from Puglia, Lagrein from Alto-Adige, Malbec from Mendoza and plenty of others. In 1987 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was just starting to be planted in Marlborough. Today it is not only widely available but also highly popular with consumers.
In the wine world it has indeed been a very exciting 20 years since Black Friday. When we're flush with cash we don't need to be too imaginative. We can buy all the famous and expensive wines we can get our greedy little hands on, such as 1982 Chateau Petrus or 1995 Romanee-Conti. Anyone with a fat bank account can buy these showy stars. But lesser economic times demand creativity in wine purchasing. It is during these times that our knowledge and inquisitiveness about wine will serve us well.
A few weeks ago Eric Asimov, of The New York Times, wrote about the values that can be found in French wines. While I agree totally, France is not the only great wine country where values can be found. Unfortunately, I have been around wine for so long that when I taste a really fine wine that is a very good value today, I still remember when the same wine was 20, 30 or even 50 percent less expensive.
In this case I am thinking of a wine I had the other day, a Terre Negroamaro from the Puglia region in the heel of Italy. Negroamaro is a little indigenous grape that offers aromas of black raspberry, spices (pepper, etc.) and sometimes a floral or perfume note. I personally find well-made Negroamaros have flavors similar to wines from the Rhone Valley. If I could taste this lovely, spicy red wine without any reference I would be very happy paying the $10 or $11 that it costs in a store. But I have traveled to Puglia and know the wine industry there is not far from its historic roots as a bulk wine producing region where such wines were commonly sold for a few dollars a gallon. In this economy, I really need to forget the recent vinous history of Puglia and see what a great value it is in comparison to wines from the Rhone, Australia and California.
Some other Italian regions and grapes to look toward for value are Abruzzo for Montepulciano, Marche for Montepulciano blended with Sangiovese, Alto-Adige for Lagrein and Pinot Nero (Noir), Sicily for Nero d'Avola, and Basilicata, Campania and Puglia for Aglianico. There are others, but that should be a good start, especially considering how short this soft economy will be (we all hope).
Another vast area for wine values is South Africa. Here the wines have increased in quality faster than they have in price (I hope no South African producers are reading this).
While South Africa has several diverse regions, at this point in our economy the region is less important than the producers, importers and grapes. The varietals in South Africa that are most important right now are Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. For Chenin Blanc, my favorite is from Bruwer Raats, who produces only Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, two underdog grapes with roots in the Loire Valley of France. Both his Chenin Blancs are very good values at two separate price points. "The Original" is crisp and clean with bright citrus fruits and some red apple notes. It is un-oaked to highlight the fruit and costs about $12.
The other Chenin is produced in a richer style using grapes from older vines getting some gentle oak treatment and, though more expensive, still a very fine value at about $22. The Cabernet Franc is also excellent though not quite the value of the other two at about $28.
For Sauvignon Blanc there are many options, including Iona from the tiny region of Elgin overlooking the dangerous Cape of Good Hope currents. This area is well known for its cool climate, which suits Sauvignon Blanc just fine. I'd consider this to be a sleek version of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with more elegance and finesse. It should be found for about $17. If you're looking for something a bit less expensive try Fairvalley Sauvignon Blanc, which can be found for less than $10 a bottle.
Ironically, good things often come about as the result of negative ones. The market downturn is causing stress for most Americans, for sure. But it is also providing us with an opportunity to be creative in our wine choices, and though we cannot all seem to agree on exactly what is happening in these difficult times, expanding our knowledge is always a very good thing. Maybe it's true after all that sometimes sour grapes can indeed make the sweetest wine.
Christopher Miller is the Senior Wine Writer for Dan's Papers "Wine Guides." Mr. Miller is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a wine consultant for Sherry-Lehmann and wine educator. He is also the Education Director for Long Island's Sommelier Wine Academy, and has held the position of sommelier at Manhattan's '21' Club. He is teaching a Captain's Course at the Ruvo Restaurants this fall. Visit his website www.noblewines.com or email csm@noblewines.com.
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