Episoder
-
Join us in this captivating episode as we venture into the heart of Penedés, Spain, a region renowned for its contribution to the world of sparkling wine, particularly Cava. Our special guest, Pepe Raventós, scion of the esteemed Raventós family, takes us on a journey through the picturesque vineyards that have been integral to the family's legacy in winemaking.
Family Heritage:
- Pepe shares insights into the rich history of the Raventós family and their longstanding connection with the Penedés region. Learn about the traditions that have been passed down through generations, shaping the family's approach to winemaking.
Cava Origins:
- Delve into the fascinating tale of how Pepe's family played a pivotal role in formalizing the recipe for Cava, Spain's iconic sparkling wine. Discover the meticulous methods employed to craft this effervescent elixir and the significance of Penedés' terroir in its production.
Terroir Talk:
- Explore the unique terroir of Penedés and its impact on the flavor profile of the wines produced in the region. Pepe discusses the interplay of soil, climate, and grape varieties that contribute to the distinctive character of Penedés wines, particularly Cava.
Sustainable Practices:
Gain insights into the Raventós family's commitment to sustainability in winemaking. Pepe sheds light on their eco-friendly practices, emphasizing the importance of preserving the natural balance of the vineyards.
Innovations and Future Trends:
- Pepe shares his thoughts on the evolving landscape of the wine industry and the innovative approaches embraced by the Raventós i Blanc winery. Learn about their experiments with different grape varieties and winemaking techniques to create wines that captivate the modern palate.
Tasting Notes:
- Experience the sensory journey as Pepe guides us through a virtual tasting of some exceptional wines from Raventós i Blanc. From crisp and refreshing Cavas to nuanced still wines, discover the diverse expressions that emanate from Penedés.
Life Beyond Wine:
- Beyond the vineyards, Pepe opens up about life in Penedés, sharing anecdotes about the local culture, gastronomy, and the unique charm of this Spanish wine region.
Whether you're an avid oenophile or simply curious about the world of Cava and Penedés, this episode promises to be an engaging exploration of history, tradition, and the dynamic evolution of winemaking in one of Spain's most celebrated wine regions. Tune in and let Pepe Raventós be your guide to the enchanting world of Penedés wines. ¡Salud! -
Entering the world of wine as a career path can be as challenging as it is rewarding. It's a realm where passion meets precision, where tasting, talking, and writing about wine is not just a job but a lifelong journey.
To shed light on this fascinating but demanding field, we recently had the privilege of hosting a guest who knows the wine industry inside out a prestigious wine magazine editor from Decanter Amy Wislocki.
Her insights are invaluable for those seeking a path in the world of wine.The Complex Landscape of Wine Careers:The wine industry is not just about sipping exquisite vintages; it's a multifaceted world encompassing viticulture, winemaking, marketing, journalism, and more. Finding one's place in this vast terrain can be daunting. The competition is fierce, and building a successful career often requires dedication, perseverance, and a deep love for wine
End don't forget to pick up a copy of the latest Decanter Magazine and to check out their digital website here: https://www.decanter.com/ -
Manglende episoder?
-
The #huntervalley Zone is around 200km north of #Sydney. It contains one o Australia’s oldest, simply called Hunter which, with plantings exceeding 2,300 ha, covers a slightly smaller area than the Hunter Valley Zone but the region is also often split, unofficially, into Lower Hunter and Upper Hunter. Lower Hunter is closer to the coast and benefits from some sea breezes, which means it is slightly cooler than the Upper Hunter. The landscape is made up of undulating hills at relatively low altitudes. Soils range from sandy loams to clay loams, often over a clay base
Semillon was first planted here in the 1830s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age. The better examples develop in bottle for more than 15 years.
In the theme of long maturation, we are exploring today the hunter valley with Mount Pleasant, that have been keeping alive their heritage vineyard from 1880, I connected to the @MountPleasant thanks to the work of the Old Vine Conference and is thanks to them that I managed to connect to Mount Pleasant. Maurice O’Shea’s established Mount Pleasant as the only top-quality wine in Australia and inspired the likes of Penfold’s Max Schubert, Hunter Valley legend Max Lake and countless others who would go on to make Australian wine what we recognize today. With the help of my guest we explore the region unique growing condition, how is like to work with 100 plus vines and how hunter valley climate affect the style of the wines produce. If you are enjoying the show remember to subscribe and to share the show!
Find More information on the winery here:
https://www.mountpleasantwines.com.au/
About the region:
https://www.winecountry.com.au/
About The Old Vine Conference
https://www.oldvines.org/ -
An underdiscussed and under-appreciated part of the wine journey from the cellar to the end consumer is its storage which often is the cause of wines mature too quickly, losing freshness and downright oxidise.
Storing wines in ideal conditions of 12 to 13 degrees with high levels of humidity constant year-round for a long time is not as easy as it may seem, Octavian Wine Services has done just that for the past 30 years.
Logistically fine wine storing comes with more difficulties than one may think, Recognising the need to drive quality and have the most rigorous stock management processes possible, Octavian took the strategic decision to invest heavily in the development of its stock control function.
Wine labels and packaging were never designed for stock management, so subtle discrepancies over the vintage or the chateaux are inevitable. Accuracy is vital and each case is treated equally,” she explains.
As Vincent explains, for most of the lifecycle of a wine the storage facility is closer to the wines than their owners, trackability services, photos and visits are part of the services that Octavian provides to their customers -
What are the many wine flavours found in the various wine aromas wheels with descriptions such as strawberries, apple and vanilla? So, when you smell wine, the alcohol volatilises and carries these lighter-than-air aroma compounds into your nose. Each wine can contain hundreds of different aroma compounds and each compound can affect the flavour of a wine. From a chemical perspective, flavours are the manifestation of compounds that are released at different stages during the wine life cycle. When we smell these compounds, a stimulus is transmitted to our brain that compares it to a “memory” of known sensations – eventually conjuring a final impression.
Being fascinated by science and empirical research, in this episode, I spoke to Sietze Wijma a MSc Sensory Science graduate and founder of the art of tasting who will walk us through some of the major flavours compounds, their names and chemistry, explaining how they come about and some of the faults in wines and what are the key compound that one should know.
Specific anosmia of flavour compounds Specific anosmia (smell-blindness) is the phenomenon where a person is unable to detect a specific flavour compound, where they otherwise have an intact sense of smell. For example, 30% of the population is unable to detect rotundone (black pepper-like aroma). β-ionone (violet-like aroma) has a 50% specific anosmia rate. Isoamyl acetate (banana-like aroma) has a <1% specific anosmia rate. This has implication for wine tasting.
Here is Sietze website The art of Tasting: https://artoftasting.nl/
And some further information about flavours compounds and other items related to the topic: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/vocabulary/aromas https://www.decanter.com/learn/understanding-wine-aromas-329940/ https://winefolly.com/tips/wine-aroma-wheel-100-flavors/
Remember to Subscribe!!! -
For more than 350 years, the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have mingled in Cape Town, the gateway to the South African Winelands, a city rich in colourful history and culturally vibrant. It was here that Nelson Mandela, in 1990, took his historic walk to freedom.
Today South Africa, a country of enormous diversity, is a peaceful democracy, home to the 'rainbow nation' From the very beginning, nearly 400 years ago, winemaking in South Africa has been on a zigzag course, pulled one way by considerable promise, and pushed in other ways by incompetence, self-interest, and a brutally opaque bureaucracy, to the point where, even now, it still seems to be reinventing itself.
At least, and at last, it seems to be on a more enlightened path, on matters of politics—always a strong factor there—and wine, though not without a variety of hazards, many serious.
As my guest today Jim Clarke, author of the book The wines of South Africa notes, “there is an entire story of winemaking and wine growing to be told.” His aim is to provide context and wide-reaching information for appreciating South African wines, and he achieves that with ease and clarity In this conversation, we covered the post-1994 movement, why Chenin Blanc is so popular in South Africa, what is the cape doctor and why is it vital to South Africa wine.
The Cape Doctor is a south-easterly wind during spring and summer and extends the impact of the Benguela current. It also has the advantage of inhibiting disease and bringing some occasional rain to the South Coast. It can, however damage leaves, thus affecting photosynthesis and ripeness, and severely affect the flowering process and berry set, reducing yields.
Remember to subscribe!
Here are some links to learn more about the book and South Africa Wines:
https://infiniteideas.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/wines-south-africa
https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-south+africa
https://www.wosa.co.za/home/ -
Skin contact, maceration pelliculaire in french, winemaking operation with the aim of extracting flavour compounds, flavor precursors, and anthocyanins from grape skins into grape juice or wine partly inspired by the likes of gravner in friuli, and traditional winemaking techniques in georgi , winemakers have been experimenting with fermentation and ageing in modern copies of amphorae, made from clay or, occasionally, concrete the term ‘orange wine’ was credited to david harvey of uk wine importer raeburn fine wines back in 2004.
He wrote: “the quest for a name arose from my concern that there was no name, let alone category for these wines, which are visually, aromatically and structurally divergent from white wines, and would therefore risk rejection in both the on- and off-trade.” During this final stage, the skin and stems slowly float to the bottom of the qvevri in a natural process of filtration.
Bitarishvilli then pumps the clear orange wine into smaller qvevries for storage and aging. The winemaker says: “longer maceration means many different ingredients go from the skin into the wine - phenols, and tannins. These work like natural conservants so we have a stable wine. We don’t need to use sulfur - or just a little bit.”
In 1995, radikon switched his entire production of ribolla gialla to seven-day skin contact - and lost many customers as a result. It took years to painstakingly rebuild the business but his family’s orange wines are now considered to be among the very best in the world.
With today’s guest simon woolf author of the book amber wines we explore the history of the style and how it traveled the world, what considerations need to be taken when producing amber wines, and the recent classifications of amber wines. If you are enjoying the podcast remember to subscribe and leave a comment we love to hear your ideas for future episodes!
Here are the links to some of further reading about the topics and Simon Woolf Book – Please consider buy a copy as it is a fantasist book!
Https://amber-revolution.com/#:~:text=Amber%20Revolution%20is%20the%20rags%20to%20riches%20story,half%20a%20century%20later%20amidst%20controversy%20and%20misunderstanding. Https://felixir.com.au/what-is-amber-wine/ Https://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/winemaking_resources/winemaking-practices/winemaking-treatment-amber-wine/ Https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/you-say-orange-wines-the-georgians-say-amber-heres-what-they-all-have-in-common/2018/10/05/9a707aae-c805-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html -
In the second episode dedicated to Cotes du Rhone’s, we explore the sustainability program and the research that is taking place, other geeky episode just what we like!
Inter Rhône has three main missions: economic support, promotion of the appellations, and technical support. The latter is embodied by the ‘Institut Rhodanien’, where all our Research & Development is being carried I spoke to Julie Coutton, Intern Rhone, public relations manager to discover what research is taking place in the region.
Wine sustainability refers to a range of vineyard and wine production practices that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible. Sustainable farmers may be certified (organic or biodynamic) or non-certified. Every vineyard site is different to get the best results in the bottle. Producers make decisions around certification based on how best to make their wine given the soil, climate and surroundings.
Converting a site to fully organic and biodynamic also needs to be done in stages over time so the land gets used to new practices. We talked with Julie about how the region is looking to mitigate the stress from drought, a tool for estimating water stress in the vineyard is the apex method. Based on the observation of the end of the branches, it is a simple method, which characterizes a growth dynamic, itself linked to the water constraint of the vine. It is to be carried out regularly, on a weekly basis.
Extensive research into new varieties is being conducted at the ‘Institut Rhodanien.’ Recently, four varieties have been accepted for experimental authorisation for Côtes du Rhône AOC due to their “adaptation to drought and late maturity.” These are white hybrid Floréal, Rolle (Vermentino), indigenous Carignan Blanc, and red hybrid Vidoc.
Other, topics that were part of the conversation are the study of sites and rootstock research, and winemaking practices to be more energy efficient. Intern Rhone holds talks and seminar for its member ensuring that they are always up to date to their scientific research Remember to subscribe and leave a review if you find this episode valuable to you!
Reach us on –
Instagram Mattia.lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] -
In this episode, I spoke to Matt Walls author of the book The wines of Rhone about the Southern Rhone with a focus on the Cote du Rhone.
To best understand the appellation system is a pyramid with three distinctive stages for the Cotes du Rhone - Cote du Rhone, Cote Du Rhone Village, cotes du Rhone Named village and then the Cru see picture here:
https://boutinot-rhone.com/news?start=18
With Matt we talked about how to best understand the terroirs of the Southern Rhone, as there are so many of them, it says that it is best to divide the region into three parts based on their geological period, but it has always been difficult for me to remember the various parts but this has helped immensely.
We also talked about varieties that are taking afoot in the region in the last few years and their use in the blend, Cotes du Rhone is always a blend!
I'm always being curious about the fluidity of the appellation with villages rising to the top of the Cotes du Rhone appellation and then becoming Crus in their own right - Mat has described the process and announced a new (23rd) village that is going to be announced next year!
Here is the list of all the Villages
Chusclan, Gadagne, Laudun, Massif d'Uchaux, Nyons, Plan de Dieu, Puymeras, Roaix, Rochegude, Rousset, Sablet, Saint-Andeol, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Maurice, Saint-Pantaleon, Sainte-Cecile, Seguret, Signargues, Suze-la-Rousse, Vaison-la-Romaine, Valreas, Visan
Some other useful links on the topic
https://www.cotesdurhone.com/en/
https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-cotes+du+rhone
https://www.wine-uncovered.com/rhone-info/appellations/cotes-du-rhone-villages/
https://www.mattwalls.co.uk/region/rhone/
Reach us on –
Instagram Mattia.lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] -
Alentejo the largest wine region of Portugal, is also one of the hottest wine region in the world with many sumer days above 40 degrees and is also one of the at most risk to climate change.
The region has long known about this risks and formed an association dedicated to its sustanabily and future proofing called Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP)
The nine members of the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP) that have received their sustainable production certificates have been working on a diverse range of projects to improve the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of their businesses. Those projects extend across both their vineyards and their wineries, and also include work in their local communities
Alentejo covers approximately a third of the country and is best known for its red wine, the best of which are sold under the and Alentejo DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) title.
Wine from Alentejo is typically made from Aragonez (Tempranillo), Castelao, Trincadeira or a rich, ripe, jammy blend of the three. Antao Vaz is the white variety of choice here, producing a good level of acidity and tropical fruit flavors.
Nick Breez my guests is a climate Journalist and cofounder of the Cambridge Climate Lecture Series (CCLS)Nick is a climate communicator writing and producing filmed interviews with over 200 experts in the field of climate change. He contributes regularly to The Ecologist and envisionation.co.uk. In 2016 he cofounded the Cambridge Climate Lecture Series with Dr Hugh Hunt and Dr Tony Eva (www.climateseries.com) which, in 2018 was screened in over 15 locations globally, and features speakers at the forefront of action on climate change.Nick is also a wine and blockchain journalist linking both topics to impacts from climate change.
Some other useful links on the topic
https://secretsommelier.com/alentejo-wine
https://sustentabilidade.vinhosdoalentejo.pt/en/wines-of-alentejo-sustainability-programme
https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-alentejo
Reach us on:
Instagram Mattia.lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] -
Brettanomyces, also known as Brett, is a yeast that imparts plastic or animal aromas, such as sticking plasters, smoke, leather, or sweaty horses, to wine. To put it differently, Brettanomyces could cause spoilage in wines via the production of volatile phenol compounds. At first glance, these characters may seem unpleasant. However, many wine enthusiasts enjoy them and do not consider low levels of Brett in wine a fault.
Brettanomyces belongs to a family of nine different naturally occurring yeast species (B. lambicus, D. bruxulensis, B. bruxellensis, B. intermidious, among others). Like its cousin, Saccharomyces, the principal agent of alcoholic fermentation, Brett feeds on sugars and converts them into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and diverse compounds that influence the wine aroma, taste, and texture. Unlike the compounds created by Saccharomyces, however, the ones produced by Brettanomyces are not so much appreciated. Some common descriptions could be barnyard, animal sweat, sewage, vomit, Band-Aid, and wet dog.
Different Growth
Apart from bestowing different aromas to the wine, the two yeasts differentiate in how they grow, too. For example, Saccharomyces multiplies in a must, feasting on all available fructose and glucose. It only dies when the food runs out, the alcohol content gets high, or the winemaker freezes the wine. On the other hand, Brett has steady but slow growth, and for this reason, it appears only months after the fermentation is over. Additionally, it feeds on a range of substrates. Fructose and glucose are favorites, sure, but Brett eats unfermentable sugars, as also oak sugars. Consequently, second-hand oak barrels can be a source of Brettanomyces infection.
Here is the link for Clark Smith Chemistry course extremely fascinating!!
https://fundamentalsofmodernwinechemistryandbeyond.voomly.com/
Some other useful links on the topic
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/sZ3rBkmAXZ/
https://www.internationalwinechallenge.com/Canopy-Articles/brettanomyces-the-most-interesting-of-all-wine-faults.html
https://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/winemaking_resources/frequently_asked_questions/brettanomyces-faq/
Reach us on:
Instagram lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] -
Welcome to the first episode of the 3rd season of the Looking Into Wine podcast!
Timorasso? What is that you might ask?
Timorasso is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy. There it is used to make aromatic wine with some ageing potential
On the palate, Timorasso is known for an exceptional balance of mouthwatering acidity and characteristically high alcohol. Classically, it’s a wine with no rough edges. One that coats the mouth with concentrated flavours through to a memorable finish.
We explored the history of Walter Massa and Timorasso with Micheal Palij Master of Wine, He has been visiting Italy since 1995 for his buying trips and he wrote for many years about Piedmont’s wines.
Timorasso is an ancient Piedmontese grape variety that was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s. Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa carefully revived it and now the yellow-green-skinned Timorasso has enjoyed a resurgence in dry white wine and grappa production.
The pioneering efforts, by the late 1990s, other local producers began planting the grape variety themselves and there are now more than 20 firms growing and producing Timorasso.
While Piemonte is an Italian wine region revered for its legendary red wines, the region also boasts an array of indigenous white varieties worth your time. If you love a good
comeback story, then Timorasso should be at the top of your must-try list. Here’s the low-down on the Italian variety capable of producing age-worthy, refined white wines.
With my amazing guest Michael Palij MW, who has an extensive background in Italian wines we explore his interactions with Walter Massa, the story of the revival of Timorasso and where the specific of this grape
Remember to subscribe if you haven’t done it already and if you have thank you! And then leave us a review! Now on with the show! -
We Coming back on the 19th of September on monthly basis and many great guests to joining us.
-
With the rise in popularity of Rose Wines especially those of the province region,
A multitude of look-alike rose' have found their way into the markets, from wineries chasing the sales and to the wine region in which rose' have been traditionally made the style has shifted to mimic this of the Provance.
With my guest today Elizabeth Gabay MW we are exploring the effects of the rose sales growth and production and what controversiality she is seeing in the market.
From the standardization of Provence winemaking, which is turning into a double edged sword, to the producers outside this region with little to no experience producing Rose reading informational sheets.
With the rise of Rose production so is the need to increase the number of cooled tanks to produce them which has effects on the sustainability of the wineries and packaging.
We also talked about Champagne rose and what varieties Elizabeth is getting excited about.
Elizabeth, just released the book Rosés of Southern France, a monumental task to find incredible rose wines that stand out from the crowd and to educate the reader with maps and infographics the book is available here:
Rosés of Southern France: Amazon.co.uk: Gabay MW, Elizabeth, Bernheim, Ben: 9798837338021: Books
If you are enjoying the show consider subscribing and the leave a review
You have listened to the Looking into Wine Podcast, My guest today was Elizabeth Gabay master of wine.
This episode marks the end of season two of the Looking Into Wine Podcast after a summer break we will be back for the third season,
If you got to this point of the message, thank you so much for your support from the bottom of my heart! Mattia -
Pignolo is promising red grape variety native to the friuli region of northeast Italy, probably first cultivated in the hills of Rosazzo in the colli orientali. Pignolo is a very shy bearer and it was generally ignored by local growers who preferred other, more productive grape varieties until, like schioppettino, it was given a new lease of life by a EU decree of 1978 authorizing its use in the province of Udine. Total plantings of Pignolo Nero were only 93 ha/230 acres according to the 2010 vine census.
Pignolo is native of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in the northeaster corner of Italy
With Ben Little, we talk about the story of Friulan wines and how Pignolo fits or not in what is Friuli wines in the popular minds.
First comes the history of Pignolo in the context of the history of its native region, Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy’s upper right-hand corner. A really interesting explanation of how Pignolo, wine, and the region evolved. Then the history shifts a bit to author Ben Little’s personal experience with Pignolo, which started only a few years ago (2016) but developed quickly and soon involved many others. There is much of a technical nature to learn through Little’s first person reports.
Ben Little recently release a whopping 492 pages long ode to Pignolo Book called – Pignolo, Cultivating the invisible.
In our conversation we talked about Pignolo, the history and the wider geopolitical influences of this deeply dark red skinned variety. We talked about how it can create some of the most soulful wines produced in Italy and much more
If you wuold like to learn more about the book and pignolo here are some links
https://shop.themorningclaret.com/collections/books/products/pignolo-cultivating-the-invisible-by-ben-little
https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-1524-pignolo
https://www.thenativegrapes.com
As always remember the follow/subscribe to the Podcast and to tell your friends! -
Loved by wine critics but a stranger to broad commercial appeal, Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is also responsible for some of Germany's greatest, and longest-lived, wines. Riesling is made in a range of styles but generally produces crystalline, aromatic white wines with notes of citrus, wax and lanolin, with a light to medium body and plenty of fresh acidity.
Although widely associated with the wines of the Mosel and Alsace, Riesling is planted all over the world and has established itself in the likes of Washington and Australia's Clare Valley.
Riesling has also been stereotyped as just a sweet grape, used only to make sticky wines. But while botrytized Rieslings are among the finest sweet wines in the world, the majority of global Riesling wines are either dry or off-dry.
Young dry Rieslings tend to be very light in colour, sometimes pushing into light gold hints, depending on the region and winemaking. Sweeter styles tend to be considerably more yellow/golden in hue.
With today guest we discuss the conundrum that is Riesling, Dr John Haeger is the author of the book Riesling Rediscovered - Bold, Bright, and dry.
Riesling come is many shapes and forms and each markets has is own preference to the style that is preferred, this makes it difficult to understand. With DR Haeger we speak about the key markets of Riesling and what is preferred and the regions that grow Riesling.
We than discuss the factors that come to play to the early showing of petrol in the development of the wine
And I question whether the German must weight is still relevant on a warming climate.
Remember to hit the subscribe button and to tell your friends about the podcast!
About the book
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520275454/riesling-rediscovered
About the author
https://wineeducationcouncil.org/teachers/john-w-haeger/
more about riesling
https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling
Please consider Subscribing and to leave a review Mattia -
Chablis has been one of the hardest wine regions to learn for me while studying for the WSET Diploma, in the blind tasting is my Achilles heel I never get it right!
Well following my ideas of covering regions and topics that I found fascinating and hard while studying, this episode was bound to happen!
Chablis is the name of a town and an appellation that lies in the valley of the River Serein in the northern-most part of Burgundy.
110 kilometres northwest of Dijon, it has a slightly cooler climate than the Côte d’Or. It is well-known for wines made with the Chardonnay variety.
In this episode, we speak to Rosemary George MW author of the book The Wines of Chablis. Chablis has experienced major swings in its popularity. In the early nineteenth century, it enjoyed a boom due to its relative proximity to Paris. Plantings in Chablis shrank under the challenges of phylloxera and powdery mildew in the nineteenth century and above all the building of the Paris-Lyons-Marseille railway in the middle of the nineteenth century.
As Rosemary says Chablis region is not going through a revolution but an evolution.
The rural depopulation after World War I and the devastating frost of 1945 reduced Chablis to a low point of just 500 ha. In more recent decades, demand has led to the land under the vine growing back to 5,500ha.
The cool, northerly location means vineyards are susceptible to spring frosts. Which is the last 3 years have more than ever affected the vineyards reducing the production level.
Chablis is a fascinating region that hides many unique challenges which are going to be explored in the episode. Remember to follow the podcast to know when new episodes are going to be released.
As always remember to hit the follow button to have your inception of wine knowledge directly on your feed.
If you would like to learn more about chablis here is the link of the book to Rosemary:
https://www.infideas.com/books/wines-chablis/
Other useful websites:
https://www.chablis-wines.com/
https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-chablis
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/chablis-wine-guide/ -
The final episode on English wines is out now!
We went to Kent to Visit Simpsons!
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/wines-of-kent-with-simpson-wine-estate-english-wine/id1525851408?i=1000557684410
Kent is a county in southeast England and one of the leading areas for wine production in the UK. A range of still wines is made, predominantly whites from cool-climate German-developed crossings such as Ortega and Bacchus. However, as is the case for other parts of southern England, the county's traditional method of sparkling wines made from the Champagne grape varieties can often reach very high levels of quality.
Simpson's Wine Estate is owned and run by husband and wife team Charles and Ruth Simpson. The Simpsons already own and run vineyards in France, they are now producing some top quality wines on the North Downs in Kent and have won numerous awards including a Platinum at the Decanter World Wine Awards for their Roman Road Chardonnay.
Simpsons' Wine Estate is located in one of the sunniest corners of the British Isles, and they have further safeguarded their vines against extremes in climate by selecting sloping vineyards that face almost due south, ensuring heat accumulation during the day, and excellent cold air drainage at night. The maritime influence is also crucial to the success of their vines: they are less than eight miles from the coast on three sides, which helps insulate the fruit against intense variations in temperature.
In December 2015, Champagne Taittinger announced it was buying a vineyard in Kent and would produce an English sparkling wine.
There are around 50 vineyards. Kent is known colloquially as the Garden of England.
The green-sand forms a thin strip around the Weald, a diamond-shaped area between the chalk ridges of the North and South Downs. Around two dozen Kent vineyards are situated within this area.
Remember to hit the follow the podcast and as always if you have found listening to this podcast valuable, leave a review!
https://simpsonswine.com/
We would love you hear from you! Reach us on:
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza -
Sussex is classified as having a maritime climate and is one of the sunniest and warmest areas in England. Rainfall per annum is typically in the 650 to 850 range (25.5 to 33.5 inches). Projections regarding climate change have prompted optimistic suggestions that Sussex and neighboring areas may in a couple of decades supplant the ever-warming Champagne region as the world center of sparkling wine. Nevertheless, the climate throughout the south of England, remains marginal for still wine production, especially for red grape varieties.
With the Wiston Head Winemaker Dermot Sugrue, we explore the sunny Sussex and we took much attention to the use of Oak in Sparkling wine production, both in aging and vinification.
As you can see below England has some serious vintage variation, which implicates the quality and quantity of wines produced each season. At Wiston, Dermot has been working on a solera system in the tank for the liquor of tirage which give much character to the Sparkle.
2008 – 24 tons
2009 – 90 tons
2010 – 150 tons
2011 – 60 tons
2012 – 11 tons (darkest, wettest and coldest summer since 1912)
2013 – 186 tons
2014 – 330 tons!
That’s England for you!
At the heart of the Wiston Estate story is the Goring family, led by Pip and Harry, who planted their first grapes in 2006 in the South Downs.
With years of hard graft and challenges, the real deal clincher was the appointment of Dermot Sugrue as Head Winemaker, following a stint at Nyetimber. Dermot has since laid the foundations for much of modern English winemaking’s advancement. The Wiston winery, Dermot, and their clients have almost certainly won more medals, more trophies, and more acclaim than any other winery in England.
The venue, Wiston House, is the centerpiece of the Wiston Estate – a true family affair that has been in the Goring family since 1743. Coincidentally, 1743 was also the year that Moët et Chandon was founded. Who would have thought back then that anyone would plant a vineyard in the heart of the Sussex countryside in 2006?
The determination of Pip and her husband Harry, and the next generation of Kirsty and Richard, has been an inspirational and ethical driving force for the business. Read Hannah’s article Wiston Estate, A Family History, for a closer look into the Goring family story.
Some other useful links on the topic
https://www.wistonestate.com/?msclkid=53679b75b04e11ecbbcbc6201fcc7de5
www.winegb.co.uk
www.winegb.co.uk/home-visitors/classic-method/
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/ocw/detail/england
Reach us on
Instagram lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] -
The third episode of the English mini-series on English wines explores Cornwall with Sam Lindo of Camel Valley Estate.
https://www.camelvalley.com/?msclkid=b4bf09daa60a11eca885d38a7ebd41e9
A brief history ex-RAF pilot Bob Lindo and his wife Annie planted their first eight thousand vines in 1989, they never dreamed of the phenomenal success they would achieve within 2 decades. They had bought their farm in the heart of the Cornish countryside several years earlier.
The second generation, Sam Lindo is now in charge of winemaking and continues to grow and develop the reputation of Camel Valley and our guests today.
With him, we discussed what is like growing vines in Cornwall Camel Valley Wines and the. We have paid particular attention to their still wines made from Bacchus the UK call for Sauvignon Blanc, with the First Single-Estate appellation Granted in the UK for a Bacchus.
With an excess of 1500 hours of sunshine each year, Cornwall is one of the sunniest areas within the UK, but as Sam explains only a few pockets of land can actually be planted with vines.
English wine is growing in popularity and is increasingly recognised as a premium wine-producing region, with more than 450 wineries and around 3.15m bottles produced a year.
The most popular grapes varieties grown in English vineyards are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus, as well as Pinot Meunier and Ortega.
Whilst vineyards are found across the whole of England, the climate of the South and South-East makes it a particularly popular region for growing vines, especially in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent and Cornwall.
The wine industry of Great Britain is now attracting considerable investment and boasts many wineries with state-of-the-art facilities.
The nature of the wine business in the UK varies. Some vineyards have bypassed the challenge to produce their own wines and concentrate on growing grapes to sell on to other, mainly larger concerns. Some owners have leased their vineyards to other wine producers, thus reducing the overall number of players in the market.
2003 was a turning point year for English wines with the warmest year to date and amazing crops, for many producers it was the year that they decided to step uo their operations.
Rember to hit the follow the podcast and as always if you have found listening to this podcast valuable, leave a review!
We would love you hear from you! Reach us on:
Instagram lookingintowine
Twitter Mattia Scarpazza
Mail [email protected] - Vis mere
