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Archive for September, 2011



The “greenest” winery in the world

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Visiting the UC Davis winery was a great experience, and while talking with Fernando Buscema I realized how true it is that the wine industry needs to think green if it wants to succeed in the future.

If you ask me, I would say wine is a part of my food pyramid :) ! However, as Fernando very well explains, if water and energy are scarce resources in the future, no doubt the wine industry will have to struggle to compete with the basic foods.

So UC Davis winery is the first of its kind to receive LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating for environmental design and construction, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.)

Here is what it takes for it to be Leed certified:

* This sustainable winery building has a large-capacity system for capturing rainwater and conserving processing water. The stored rainwater will be used for landscaping and toilets.

* The winery also has been designed to capture carbon dioxide, a natural byproduct of fermentation, from a port in each of the new fermentors. An innovative process is used to remove the carbon dioxide from the winery, reducing the building’s energy requirements for air quality and temperature control, making it possible to sequester the captured carbon dioxide so that it will not contribute to global warming.

* Other environmentally responsible features include maximum use of natural light, rooftop photovoltaic cells to provide all of the facility’s power at peak load, new food-processing equipment that minimizes energy and water requirements, use of recycled glass in the flooring, interior paneling recycled from a 1928 wooden aqueduct, and use of lumber harvested from sustainably certified forest operations.

Another really interesting aspect is the technology applied in each of their small fermentors.The facility has what is believed to be the world’s first wireless wine-fermentation system, a multimillion dollar assembly of 152 wireless grape fermentors, designed, fabricated and donated by a team of research engineers led by T.J. Rodgers, the founder, president and chief executive officer of San Jose, Calif.-based Cypress Semiconductor.

Each of the 200-liter, electro-polished, stainless steel fermentors is individually equipped for automated control of temperature and the “pump-over” process, controlling two of the most important factors in determining final wine characteristics and quality.The new fermentor sensors frequently and precisely extract and transmit sugar-concentration data from white and red fermentations across a wireless network. Data from the sensors can be generated every 15 minutes with a precision of 0.25 Brix, a measure of sugar content.

I have to say that although I did not taste any wine in this winery, it was without any doubt one of the highlights of my wine trip to California. It is good to have young professionals like Fernando who are thinking green and who can help Argentina to understand the importance of applying sustainable concepts while making outstanding wine

 

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Vines of Mendoza Sensory Experience

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Friends at the Vines' Sensory Experience

Wet earth. Licorice. Mushrooms. Perhaps these aren’t the first aromas you search for in a wine. My family and I recently underwent a “sensory experience” at the Vines of Mendoza. We were led into a private tasting room and guided by sommeliers to try a variety of containers with different scents. While some were easy to identify, such as cinnamon, others were more challenging, like leather or black currant. It was fun passing around the different aromas and trying to guess what is was, but it was also educational. For me, my mind often recalls an aroma within the wine, but can’t put a name to it.

We then smelled and tasted five different local wines:

Montecinco 2009, 100% Malbec: Cedar, spice, blackberry, peppery and floral notes

Urraca Primera Blend 2006, 36% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot: Plum, red quince

Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2008: Ripe blackberry, cinnamon, black pepper

Monteviejo Blend 2006, 80% Malbec, 20% Syrah: black cherries, clove, caramel, smoke

Mendel Unus 2008, 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon: spice box, incense, lavender, earth notes, black currant, blackberry, hint of balsamic

I recently heard the anecdote from a sommelier that when she was a little girl, she was a very picky and precocious child so whenever she ate anything, she had to smell it first. However, little did she know, that her smelling habits would pay off and train her mind to recognize scents in wine later on in life. They say in the wine world, Taste, Taste, Taste. Perhaps we should add, Smell, Smell, Smell. I now find myself smelling everything when I’m cooking: fruits, spices, sweets. It truly heightens your awareness of the flavors that you can actually experience in the wines. Even more interesting are the personal flavors people recognize from their memory. Perhaps a certain floral aroma reminds you of a lavender perfume your mother wore growing up or a specific spice, like cloves, reminds you of Christmas, depending on where you’re from. Everyone’s pallet is different, so what one person may smell or taste in the wine can be different from someone else’s. For example, in the Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2008, I sense an overwhelming scent of fresh green pepper. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t listed as an aroma for the wine. However, it doesn’t mean necessarily that you’re wrong if it’s not listed on the bottle.

Interesting facts on Detecting Aromas:

Of the five senses, smell is the most acute, approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than the sense of taste.

Smell and taste are the chemical senses because their receptors are stimulated by chemical molecules, rather than by energy from light, pressure, or sound.

While smell is the most easily stimulated of the human senses, it is also the most fragile. There is a great variation between individuals in the elements to which they are sensitive. A person’s absolute threshold is the smallest amount of stimulus required to produce a sensation. Once that threshold is reached, unless trained, the individual can only recognize and unconsciously catalog the smell as either “familiar” or “new.”

To date, scientists have cataloged over 17,000 different smells; about 10,000 can be distinguished by humans.

Sources: LaMar, J. (2011, Sept 27). Sensory user’s manual. Retrieved from http://www.winepros.org/wine101/sensory_guide.htm

Happily, with training, concentration, and practice, nearly anyone can learn to dissect and describe complex aromas!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

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Tasting Malbec grapes in Napa

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Malbec is a grape that, without any doubt, has the strongest association with Argentina. It is the flagship wine of the country and one of the grapes with the highest growth of recognition in the last decade in the world.

Once I started visiting vineyards in Napa, I was surprised to find Malbec in almost every vineyard estate I visited – a small number of acres, but still there. Malbec is part of the Bordeaux grapes and as such, it was planted in these vineyards together with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

An important difference, though, in the Malbec between Napa and Argentina is the clone identification. All Malbec in California was brought from France and is identified with a clone classification. Historically, Argentine vintners have not engaged in selecting clones. A less than rigorous attention to clonal selection means that Malbec vineyards in Mendoza consists of massal populations, a highly heterogeneous, haphazard mix of clones throughout the vineyard, but still with amazing results. That being said, there are some important wineries in Argentina, such as Catena Zapata and Tempus Alba, among a few others, that have invested in clonal identification. There is a need for Malbec clones with improved quality-based characteristics such as low yield, plant balance, and fruit concentration. So while doing berry tastings with Rob Lawson, consultant winemaker at The Vines, I could see the bunches looked bigger – bigger berries and rather tasteless, I have to say. And when talking to winemakers they would agree that it is a difficult grape for them, but it is still used  in their Cabs to add some complexity.

But there is definitely an attempt to know more about Malbec in California and fortunately I had the chance to go and visit UC Davis where I met Fernando Buscema – Research and Development Director in Catena Zapata and currently a UC Davis Grad Student doing research about Malbec with Roger Boulton.

Fernando Buscema is conducting a comparative study on wines made from Malbec, grown in Argentina, California, and Washington state. The goal of this study is to determine what areas are best for growing Malbec and what sensory profiles the wines from these areas possess. This information will provide a tool to develop new Malbec vineyards in the United States, as well as inform growing and grape purchasing decisions for those already in production. So, he guided me through the amazing, state-of-the art, sustainable building – which deserves a separate chapter – and while he explained the protocols of the winemaking in this research he inoculated the recently harvested Malbec in California.

Fernando has made wine from 28 vineyards in Argentina that now he will be comparing that with 16 other vineyards in California and Washington. He is a passionate winemaker and you can easily see his enthusiasm to learn more about Malbec. The more we know about it the better, he explains. Having access to one of the most high-tech labs, and to learn from well-known professors like Roger Boulton is a privilege that not many winemakers have. He is convinced this doesn’t create any competition, rather it is a study to build up knowledge to continue improving and making the best Malbecs in the world.

 

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Month of Malbec- The Gaucho

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

So feeling a bit rough and tumble? Like to live life on the adventurous side? Like to take long horse back rides in the desert?

Then these Malbecs are for you! At The Vines of Mendoza it is our Month of Malbec, our celebration of our emblematic grape that appeals to everyone on a different level.

These tasting notes, from one of our own “Gaucho-types” is Julian Romero and some of his favorite Malbec’s. And for the month of September only you can get 25% off of all our wines in our online wine shop!

BRESSIA MONTEAGRELO MALBEC 2007

THE ENTRY LEVEL WINE OF WALTER BRESSIA, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR OENOLOGIST IN THE ARGENTINIAN WINE INDUSTRY.

100% Malbec but it is a blend of Malbec, from 2 different vineyards, one is from La Consulta, Uco Valley and the other from Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo area. This interesting “mixture” is to reach the higher quality grape from each of the regions and get this delicious ruby red Malbec, with all the fruit in a first layer, plumb and mature cherry mainly, then at a second layer, some leather, slight tobacco, and some vanilla from the aging time in oak barrels. 80 % was stored in French oak (quercus petraea) and 20% in American oak or white oak (quercus alba). The acidity is also attractive and makes me think about the aging potential that easily can be 8 years to reach the top of the curve.

Suggested pairing, not so spicy meat and chicken tacos, or grilled lamb flavored with chimichirri.

MONTECINCO MALBEC 2005

Bertona family from Piedmont, Italy were planting and starting with their culture in the new world, in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, 80 year old vines make this wine unique for having sweet, mature and velvety tannins with sensation in all of your palate combine with a very long and warm finish. Explosion with red fruits and flavors like the classical plum, then blackberries, but cooked, like compote, and some black cacao, chocolate.
Pairing: pasta with a heavy sauce like tagliatelle, vegetable canneloni with parmigiano on top, as well for asado.
Aging potential, 12 years at 13 Celcius, 80% humidity and horizontal position.
From my point of view is one of the most typical Malbecs from Mendoza.

SIN FIN GRAN GUARDA MALBEC 2007

Single vineyard Malbec from Lujan De Cuyo, aged from 9 to 12 months in American oak 70% and French oak 30%. This gives the wine lots of aromatic characteristics from the barrel like caramel, tobacco, chocolate, and mature red fruits. It is very elegant and velvety in the mouth with an interesting finish. My suggested pairing would be a Churchill black sofa and Erika Badu music. Or with an acidic dessert like blueberry or lemon pie. It is the perfect wine to drink at 6 p.m.
Gaucho Profile:  Julian Romero- 29

Bartender, Sommelier, Sound Technician, Dulce De Leche and Alfajor Lover

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

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Winemakers’ Night with Monte Cinco

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Monte Cinco Owner Arturo Berdona (left) with Oenologist Marcos Maza (middle) at the Vines of Mendoza’ Winemakers’ Night

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring in Mendoza, as well as Students’ Day. We decided to join the celebration by hosting a Winemakers’ Night on our patio with the boutique family winery Monte Cinco.

Who are they: Monte Cinco as a label started ten years ago with Malbec in the Agrelo region of Lujan de Cuyo. However, the Berdona family has been involved in wine since the beginning of the 1900s when they moved from Viamonte, Italy to South America. First trying to settle in Brazil, the family moved on to Mendoza, Argentina, where they found the right conditions to grow their grapes. Thus, this long family history of winemaking has yielded vines as old as 85 years on their land.

Winemaking Process: The grapes are handpicked April 7-10 in one harvest and stored in 14 kg plastic boxes and then transported and destemmed at the winery. The grapes then go through a double selection process to ensure the best grapes are chosen for Monte Cinco wine. Before being fermented, the grapes go through cold maceration for three to four days. Maceration is the process in which tannins, anthocyanins and flavor compounds are leached from the grapes skins, seeds and stems into the must. This is how red wine gets its color. Cold maceration specifically keeps temperatures low to encourage extraction by water and added sulfur dioxide rather than relying principally on heat and alcohol to act as a solvent. The wines are then fermented in stainless steel tanks and fermented with selected yeasts and then aged in American and French oak barrels. The winemaker mentioned that the winery prefers to use American oak barrels.

Wine Tasting:

Petit Verdot 2007: The wine aged 4 months in oak barrel and 11 months in bottle. An intense violet color (the cold maceration seems to have intensified all of the hues of Monte Cinco’s wines), the Petit Verdot has complex aromas of spices and chocolate with a nice structure and a medium finish.

Malbec 2007: A well-balanced Malbec with an intense red color and violet tones. A very smooth texture with aromas of red fruits, spices and a hint of vanilla and chocolate. I personally preferred the 2007 over the 2009 for its pleasing smooth texture.

Malbec 2009: This wine was rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine. The magazine describes the wine in its review as “Cedar and spice are the lead aromas, and beyond that there’s blackberry, pepper and floral notes that rain complexity down on the bouquet. The palate is superrich, a bit tannic and deep as night, with black fruit, espresso, syrup and spice flavors. Finishes brawny and long, with toasty richness. Drink now through 2013.”

Interesting Fact:

Monte Cinco has won many awards for its wine including the Grand Gold Medal at the 2008 International Malbec Competition and the 2003 Gold Medal Malbec Award at Vinandino. Because the winery won the Vinandino award on an odd year (2003), the winery only releases wines on odd years to continue the success.

Winemaker Quotation: “Petit Verdot reaches higher quality in Argentina and will one day make history here.”

Learn more about Monte Cinco wines by watching our interview with him in 2009.

 

 

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Llamas at Tapiz

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

On a recent bike & wine trip in Lujan de Cuyo, I had the pleasure of visiting Tapiz winery. In terms of winery tours, Tapiz is one of the less visited wineries, perhaps because its surrounded by big players such as Chandon and Norton. However, in my experience, usually whatever a winery lacks in size, it makes up for in personalized attention. Such was the case at Tapiz when my family and I were treated to a two-hour individual tour around Tapiz’s vineyards and buildings.

Interestingly, Tapiz, or tapestry, used to be owned by American wine mogul Jess Jackson (read: Kendall Jackson). He acquired the winery in 1996, but when Argentina’s economy tanked in 2001, he cashed out of the Mendoza winery business. Today the winery is owned by an Argentinean family that resides in Buenos Aires. The winery also lays claim to Club Tapiz and Casa Zolo, a fine dining restaurant and guesthouse on a historical estate in Maipu, and produces several lines of olive oil.

If you’ve gone on several wine tours, you realize there is somewhat of a pattern in most wine tours: a history of the winery, a tour of the vineyard, a tour of the winemaking facilities and a winetasting session. However, the best bodegas add their own touch of flair to the visit. There are three unique characteristics about this winery tour that stand out in my mind.

First off, I don’t think I’ve ever met a tour guide so enthusiastic about his job. Juan, a native Argentinean who gives tours in English and Spanish, explained to us that he studied tourism throughout college despite protests by family and friends because it was his passion. Juan has now been giving tours at Tapiz for two years and shares a contagious excitement for Tapiz, visitors from abroad and wine in general.

Secondly, the llamas. I still get giddy when I see llamas and this visit was no exception. However, please note that llamas are skiddish animals and will run away if you try to chase or take a photo with them…. Tapiz keeps the llamas for the natural fertilizer, but also have a corporate social responsibility aim for the animals. When the llamas’ hair is sheared, Tapiz will give the hair to the grape pickers, who usually are seasonal workers from Peru and Bolivia, so the women in the family can weave the hair into clothing and then sell their products at Tapiz. Thus, they will have a supplement to their income when they are seasonally unemployed.

Finally, Tapiz does a great wine tasting in which you can compare a wine from the tank to its final product. In our case, we tried a Torrontes, a Sauvignon Blanc and of course, a Malbec. If you’re interested in trying their wines, look for their Tapiz line (within this line, all carry the name Tapiz except their organic wine Spirit of the Andes and their ultrapremium Malbec Black Tears) and Zolo. Visit the winery yourself for 25 pesos or for free if you decide to take a nice wine home for yourself.

With two of Tapiz's leading men: our tour guide Juan and the Zolo man!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

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The Elaboration of White Wines

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Kaiken Winery, Photo of the Week Submitted by Gillian Goodrich

I love the term in castellano for the making of wine: elaboración. As we’ve learned in our sommelier course, God’s green earth makes the wine and, as humans, we simply move the process along.

In Argentina, the espumante, or sparkling wine, harvest begins approximately between  January 15 and February 15. Sparkling wines must be harvested earlier so they have less sugar and thus less alcohol. Sparkling wines generally have approximately an 11.5% alcohol content.  The harvest of the “Vinos blancos” or white wines, begins at the beginning of February and ends at the beginning of March. And finally, the red wines begin in March and wrap up at the end of the month. Finally, in April they begin cosecha tardia, or the late harvest wine.  All of these timelines depend on the wineries’ style of course, as well as the climate and altitude of the fields. The colder and higher the area, the slower the maturation. For example, Tupangato’s harvest can be slightly later than perhaps in the rest of the region.

After picking the grapes, they are carried in 20 kilo boxes  to the winery. Even before any of the real winemaking begins, oenologists can take test samples from the grapes to determine acidity, alcohol levels, temperature, maturity, etc.

From there, the winemaker must produce the “mosto de la uva” or grape juice and despalillar (unstem) and estrujar (press) the grapes. Grapes may pass through a descobajadora (screw conveyer), which separates the grape from the stem and leaves. Winemakers may or may not use this machinery depending on the wineries’ size, amount and types of wines produced, etc. Large wineries, such as La Rural, use this so they can process a large volume of grapes faster.

Now for the alcoholic fermentation!

At this point, winemakers can choose to add specially manufactured yeasts that are more conducive to fruity flavors or to allow the natural yeasts (already present in the grape) to do their work. Adding yeasts is more common in white wine, as might be expected, because the fruity flavors are more important in white wines. Most white wines are fermented between 50 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit, a cooler temperature range than red wines so that the white wines, again, will retain their fresh, fruity flavors. The yeast converts the sugar (glucose and fructose) into ethanol and carbon dioxide, and the carbon dioxide is released from the wine mixture. This process takes 15-30 days.

The winemaker then passes it on to the bottling process for a young white wine or to the barrel for aging for an older white wine. For an older white wine, the winemaker may choose to have the grapes go through malolactic fermentation, which converts malic acid into lactic acid to produce smoother, creamier acid tones in the final product.

Throughout the entire process, the winemaker must make sure that there is no excess of proteins, which although not necessarily dangerous, can be unattractive if seen floating around in the bottle (much more apparent in a bottle of white wine than red). More importantly, the winemaker must ensure that no harmful microbial organisms are present in the wine, a challenge that leads to the filtration and addition of sulfites to the wine before it is bottled.

Finally! the wine is bottled, and then aged for additional time if the winemaker desires. The final steps are labeling and shipping, and when they are completed, the wine reaches you, the consumer, just in time for you to enjoy it on a nice spring day, such as today! Today would be a great day to try a nice Torrontés (white), which is Argentina’s only true indigenous grape!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

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Winery Lunches Compared: Zuccardi vs. Belasco de Baquedano

Monday, September 5th, 2011

I’ll admit that I’ve only had two winery lunches here in Mendoza. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have more but for most of us who live in Mendoza, it’s a treat rather than a regularity. Also, let me preface this blog post by saying that both Familia Zuccardi and Belasco de Baquedano’s winery lunches are lovely and in many ways, very distinct, so to each their own as to preferences. However, as I plan for family and friends to visit in the upcoming spring, I realize they would have no idea where to start in order to pick the best suited winery lunch for them in the beautiful Mendocinean wine wonderland so here are a few quick hints!

Familia Zuccardi:

Location: The Casa del Visitante, or Visitor’s House, is located in Maipu. To me, this is Familia Zuccardi’s biggest drawback–it’s pretty far away from everything and is quite the trek if you don’t have a car. My friends and I had an interesting experience trying to hail a taxi in Maipu near Uruquiza Street and trying to get there. It must have been siesta because the Maipu-based taxi service we called said it would be 45 minutes until they could come get us…? That said, hire a remise for the day, make a Mendocino friend who’d like to join or sign up for a tour.

Wines: Familia Zuccardi has a ton of wines hailing under different names: Zuccardi, Santa Julia (their most popular wines; a line you’ll find at nearly every restaurant, grocery store, party, etc), Fuzion and Malamado. Interestingly, Malamado is a fortified wine, meaning brandy or liquor is added during the production process to increase alcohol content. Accordingly to their website, this is a technique from the 17th century.

The wines served at lunch are as follows: Santa Julia Varietal, Santa Julia Reserva and Santa Julia Tardio. Rating: 6/10

Atmosphere: Wow! The atmosphere is fantastic at this place–cozy, yet elegant with fantastic views right from your table. It feel likes you’re in a rustic restaurant in the middle of their vineyard, which I guess you sort of are…. Best of all, you can lounge around outside afterwards falling into a food coma or play with friendly dogs who stroll around the estate. Rating: 8/10

Food: I think the food at Zuccardi was more my style than Belasco de Baquedano because the chef doesn’t put on any airs…and you can repeat any plates you enjoy in particular. You start off with meat, onion and cheese empanadas followed by grilled vegetables and salad. Finally, an all you can eat asado (really can’t beat that…) You also get fresh bread served with the Zuccardi line-up of olive oils. Some of the best olive oil I’ve had in Argentina. Dessert and coffee follow the asado, but if you’re truly taking up the Argentinean stylebook, you’ll make the most of the asado and tsk at desserts (okay, a few bites..) 7/10

Value: 200 pesos, or $50/person. Good value, but requires a good amount of planning. 7.5/10

Friends and Family at Navarro

Belasco de Baquedano

Location: Located within the Agrelo section of Lujan de Cuyo, Belasco is within a nice proximity of several other wineries including: To get here directly from the Mendoza city center, you’ll still need to hire a remise, make friends with someone who has a car or hire a tour guide, but at least you’ll be able to visit several other high quality wineries in the same day. 8/10

Wines: Like Zuccardi, Belasco has several lines: Swinto, AR Guentota, Lllama and Rosa. The first two names come from the native Huarpes language of the region, meaning Crow and Cuyo’s soul, respectively. The Llama is a really nice value wine, and with the Rosa, unfortunately, I’ve yet to develop my Rose palate. With the lunch you get a Rose, a Loan (Lllama), ARGuentota, Swinto and Antracito (sweet tardia wine). See photo below for how many glasses were on our table. 8/10

Atmosphere: The atmosphere of Belasco de Baquedano is completely distinct from Zuccardi. A much more modern boutique feel than Zuccardi, the restaurant is on the second floor and overlooks the vineyard. We had the luck of being one of two tables in the place as we went in August during low season in the middle of the week. 6.5/10

Food: A four course lunch including a round of empanadas, fresh bread with tomato and garlic spread, beef tenderloin and a final dessert of orange ice cream with toasted nuts and bitter chocolate mousse. A completely different menu style than the asado lunch at Zuccardi (no all you can eat here) but you will be full to the brim when you walk and quite satisfied. 6.5/10

Value: Similarly priced to Zuccardi’s asado, you get many good wines and a four course meal for approximately 175 pesos. Belasco is much more convenient to stop into than Zuccardi and can be a nice break from the asado if you’ve already indulged several times in the overwhelming quantities of meat an asado entails. 7/10

No lack of wine at either winery lunch!

No matter which you choose, you will not lack good wine!

 

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