Georgian Wines

I mentioned Georgian Wine House after the DC Sip & Twit Event and managed to get a couple of people to talk to me about Georgian Wines.

First, a little background: Wine has been made in Georgia for over 7,000 years, there are more than 70 thousand hectares under vine spread across five viniculture regions: Kakheti, Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and the Black Sea Coast.

Russia has long been the primary importer of Georgian wines, but as relations between the two countries have dissolved, Georgia has begun exporting to other countries.

I talked to Chris Terrell from Terrell Wines and Mamuka Tsereteli from Georgian Wine House about Georgian wines, and specifically, with what wine drinkers new to Georgian wines should start. Their answers were remarkably similar.

According to Terrell, "Teliani Valley is always a safe bet, the Saperavi and Tsolikouri wines, especially current vintages are the best - solid European style wine making, the Teliani Valley Saperavi might remind you of a Southern Italian red, whilst the Tsolikouri has something more cooler climate going on, German/Alsace - definitely something for the Riesling drinker. The best value wines I know are from Mildiani Katsiteli, which is by far my favorite Tsinandali I've tried. From Vinoterra, the Saperavi is killer. More of a Northern Italian style, dark and brooding."

Terrell does add a warning though, "Given Georgia's history with large production for the Soviet market, you have to be careful which wines you try, as there is often a lack of consistency in quality and wine making style across producers."

Tsereteli is more upbeat, but recommends a very similar set of wines, "I would start tasting Teliani Valley wines first: dry white Tsinandali (rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes) or Tsolikouri (Tsolikouri grape), and dry red Saperavi (Saoeravi grape). They are European style wines with no oak content. Another wine from Saperavi grape and no oak aging is Baraka from Eniseli Wines."

After, you've tried this first round, Tsereteli recommends moving on to the next level, "Then I would move to dry red Mukuzani, also Saperavi grapes aged in French Oak for 12 months. Then I would try unfiltered Saperavi, and Saperavi from Vinotera, small producer that combines traditional and European technologies. We also have artisan wines from Pheasant's Tears, white Rkatsiteli (name of the grape), and red Saperavi, both made in Qvevri, clay pots, with the traditional technology. "

Which is something I find very interesting. Traditionally, Georgian winemakers used clay pots, rather than barrels. I wonder how the clay affects the wine? I think it would be an interesting comparison to see how a barrel aged Saperavi compares to a Qvevri aged Saperavi.

Tsereteli talked a little about the aging process using Qvevri, "...but we also have wines produced under the traditional Georgian technology: in clay pots (jars), buried in the ground, called Qvevri. That's where the fermentation takes place, and then after transfer to another pot, the aging takes place. Georgian technology also produces white wines the same way like reds are produced: fermentation with the skin gives traditional Georgian wines amber color and more tannin taste and features."

One of the advantages of Georgian wines is their excellent price point. According to Terrell, "We have created fans of Georgian wine California-wide. The sales are increasing, the price point ranges from retail of $8.99 to $19.99."

Terrell also talked a little about the challenges he faces trying to introduce a wine that is completely unfamiliar to most people, "Marketing support is found in splitting the sample costs, which are large due to the reality that we have a lot of educating to do."

Georgia has a lot of potential to be a new emerging market. These wines are not widely available now (though you can check for availability online, but are becoming more so. As long as the top producers keep making quality wines, I can see the market share for Georgian wines continuing to grow.

Cabernet and Chocolate Tasting at Breaux

I am introducing a new feature to CellarBlog today: video interviews. I've always contended that people read this blog not for my opinions but to know what experts think. So, while I can write about an event or a wine, the people who are actually in the wine industry are the true experts.

In keeping with that philosophy, the video interviews are going to be simple. I am going to give the person a topic (off camera) and let them talk about it for a minute or two. This way you get their unvarnished opinion, without listening to me. Jen Breaux graciously agreed to be my guinea pig for this launch, but I have more lined up (apologies for the weird lighting). My writeup of the event is after the video:





Like cheese, chocolate is one of those foods that seems designed to pair with wine. In fact, many of the terms used to describe chocolate also apply to wine, so it really is a nice match. That is why I get so excited when Valentine's Day comes around. It seems every winery has a wine and chocolate pairing that they bring out on Valentine's Day.




But, none of them do it quite as good as Breaux Vineyards, and this year was no exception. The chocolates were all carefully selected to match the Cabernet Sauvignon (and a Cabernet Sauvignon based Meritage) and the wine (as always) was excellent.




But it is not just the wine and the chocolate, the barrel room was also well-adorned for the occasion and it gave off a romantic ambiance. It really made the afternoon special.

Wine and Weight Loss

This story has been all over Twitter the last 24 hours for obvious reasons. It is one of those stories that seems too good to be true, so naturally people are excited:

Researchers found that regular moderate female drinkers were less likely to become obese after a 13 year study of more than 19,000 women.

The finding seems to contradict received dietary wisdom which has it that alcohol consumption leads to weight gain.

The body may use calories from alcohol in a different way from other foods which affects weight gain, doctors said.

It is thought that alcohol is broken down by the liver using a different metabolic pathway to create heat, rather than fat.

Piccolo Sogno in Chicago

There are two ways that a restaurant or wine bar can make a great wine list: You can scour the regions of the world to find representative wines from each region or you can pick a region and do a deep dive. Bistrot Lepic does the latter with their excellent selection of French wines.

But it is rare to a list as comprehensive as the wine list at Piccolo Sogno. The wine list contains more than 500 bottles, all from Italy or Sicily. I am not an expert on Italian wines, but he looked to have at least a dozen bottles from each region and the waitstaff is excellent at guiding diners through the wine list and helping them pick a wine.

We were in the mood for Nebbiolo that night and started the evening off with a bottle of Renato Ratti Nebbiolo d'Alba Ochetti and then we switched to a bottle of the La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo, both wines from the Piedmonte region, but with very different character.

The d'Abla Ochetti was a lighter wine, perfect with the Buratto Con Culatello (I love the fact that they cut their prosciutto right there on the floor:



The La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo, was heavier, though it still possessed the berry character of a good Nebbiolo and it went very well with the Strozzapreti and the absolutely phenomenal "Sapore" Di Mare.

Chicago is a city that loves its food. There are so many great restaurants that it is impossible to visit them all during the few times a year I am out there, Piccolo Sogno is one of the great ones. I am not the only one who thinks so, it was voted Best Wine List by the people of Chicago (well, at least the people who took the survey).

The Earthquake and Chilean Wine

It goes without saying that there are far more important things to deal with than the loss of wine as a result of the devastating earthquake in Chile. But, reports are starting to come in and it does not look good.

2010 Virginia Governor's Cup Winners Announced

The winners of the Virginia Governor's Cup (Red Only) have been announced. Congratulations to the winners!

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
Cabernet Franc	2008	Potomac Point	Cabernet Franc
	2007	Sweely Estate	Cabernet Franc
	2007	North Mountain	Cabernet Franc Reserve
Dessert	NV	Cooper	Noche
Meritage	2007	Fox Meadow	Le Renard Rouge
	2007	King Family	Meritage
	2007	Tarara	Meritage
Norton	2005	Chrysalis	Norton Locksley Reserve
	2008	Paradise Springs	Norton
Petit Verdot	2007	James River	Petit Verdot
	2008	North Gate	Petit Verdot
	2008	Sugarleaf	Petit Verdot
	2007	Gadino	Petit Verdot
	2005	Ingleside	Petit Verdot Reserve
Proprietary	2007	Rosemont	Kilravock

I find it intriguing that there is a such a high concentration of Petit Verdot amongst the winners. Is Petite Verdot the new Virginia Wine?

More on 2009 Bordeaux

Bibendum Wine Ltd. has a report on the 2009 vintage:

There is a big vintage buzz in the air round here and the 2009s we have tasted so far are living up to the hype - full of silky fruit and ripe round tannin.

The first gulp of a hyped up new vintage is always an interesting one - will it live up to expectation? The anticipation was heightened by the fact we were tasting Gruaud Larose and Gruaud can be difficult from barrel. In fact, it was easy: lovely silky texture and oodles of blackcurrant flavour. It was supple, natural and unextracted with fresh and rich ripe fruit. And just 13% alcohol which is great. A delicious start.

I am really looking forward to En Primeurs this year!!

Air-Paq

Dr. Vino writes about a new (at least to me) method forshipping wine:

When I opened the box, there was no Styrofoam. There weren't any cardboard inserts. Instead, each bottle was wrapped in an inflatable plastic sleeve. It was the first time I'd seen this.

The company is Air-Paq and they have a pretty cool video:

Breaux Snow

Now that everyone in the DC area is dug out, some pictures of Breaux under mountains of snow. The first picture is the view outside from the window in Dave Collin's lab (and yes, the entire lab is above ground). The rest are from the grounds, including the buried tables on the patio:

Stephane Derenoncourt Launches Napa Wines

Stephane Derenoncourt has launched his own Napa wines, appropriately called Derenoncourt California.

Deroncourt has experience in Napa already, having consulted for Francis Ford Coppola Winery and others.

The wines have generated a lot of buzz. As usual, Jane Anson, is all over the story:

This is the first time he has made his own wine in the United States.

'I held back the wines until I felt they were ready to be drunk,' Derenoncourt told decanter.com. 'The 2007s will be out next Autumn.''

The five wines come from 14 small-scale plots across Napa, chosen for their altitude, cool microclimates, and soil characteristics. They are made in custom crush facilities in Arkenstone in Howell Mountain.

More from The Examiner:

Derenoncourt's objective in making Napa Valley wines is to make "American wines with freshness" and distinct terroir, and so he sought out expressive single-vineyards at high elevations such as Stagecoach Vineyard or cool micro-climates such as Carneros – the cool temperatures helping to retain acidity in these full-bodied wines. Derenoncourt has other single-vineyard wines in development including one from Howell Mountain which is expected to be released with the 2007's; overall case production though is expected to remain low.

It appears that Derenoncourt favors Cabernet Franc (good man ;)). From the Decanter article:

Derenoncourt particularly favours Cabernet Franc, growing it on his biodynamic vineyard Domaine de l'A in Cotes de Bordeaux in Castillon.

And, from The Examiner, the description of his Cabernet Franc:

The 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc ($140) from Caldwell Vineyard is a near perfect expression of the grape. Napa Valley does single varietal cabernet franc so well, yet few attempt it. This is not the dense, lush style of cabernet franc – it is fruit-driven with lifted black currant and chambord aromas and concentrated black berry fruit, but under Derenoncourt's gentle handling it is utterly transparent, with the minerality leaping out of the glass and lingering on the palate. The wine has very fine, ripe tannins, balanced acidity, integrated oak and long finish. 225 case production.

It would be really fun to a cross-vineyard tasting between his Bordeaux Cabernet Franc and his Napa Cabernet Franc.

Vintage Wine Bar in Dubai

The other wine bar I visited in Dubai was Vintage. Vintage is located in Wafi a "city within a city" in Dubai. Wafi is a series of shops, restaurants, a spa and a hotel situated inside four pyramids in the middle of Dubai.




Vintage has a very different vibe to it than The Agency. It is a more formal environment, the type of place where you might bring a client for a dinner, and the wine list reflects that.

There is a heavy concentration of Bordeaux, and less emphasis on by the glass selections. The wine bottles decorating the bar include a bottle of 1983 Petrus. In fact, the manager was very proud to point out a lot of the one of a kind bottles of Bordeaux they have available.




To complement the wine, they have a tremendous selection of cheese, a fact they brag about on their menu with the phrase, "Blessed are the cheese and wine makers, for they shall inherit the earth." They serve a wide variety of these cheeses in fondue form, and the staff there is very good at recommending a fondue to pair with your wine.