Wine Atlas

In the middle of summer, wine should be light and refreshing, like the 2005 Domaine de la Louvetrie Le Fief du Breil Muscadet.

If there is any wine that separates generations in this country, it has to be Muscadet. Americans older than 50 drank this light-bodied, high-acidity, citrus-tasting wine with shellfish and flounder decades before New Zealand ever sent a bottle of sauvignon blanc to these shores.

Conversely, those younger than 40 have rarely if ever chosen a bottle of Muscadet over the explosively citrus-flavored, intensely aromatic, fuller-bodied, bracingly tart New Zealand sauvignon blancs like Cloudy Bay, Craggy Range, Spy Valley, Matua Valley and many more.

One has only to look at restaurant wine lists to see the change. Muscadet has been reduced to an afterthought.

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In addition to receiving a number of requests for the names of wineries to visit in Napa Valley, a good friend called the other day and asked, “If I only have one day to spend in Napa, what would you suggest?” and I immediately responded: Spring Mountain.

Anyone who has driven north on Highway 29 through Napa Valley will recall the two-lane highway that is dotted with the entrances to some of the most well-known California wineries such as Robert Mondavi, Neibaum-Coppola (now called Rubicon), Opus One and Louis Martini, just to name a few. Every time I make this drive, I almost feel the exhilaration of using some of those old “E” tickets from the early days of Disney World, but instead of screaming down Space Mountain, I am slowly driving up Spring Mountain.

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One of the things that I hope to bring to my readers is a true perspective of what is going on in Wine industry and some behind the scenes insights to help you better understand wine. In this slow economy you may wonder how it can benefit you when it comes to enjoying that special bottle, well here’s how it works.

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As noted yesterday, the week of 4th of July is prime time for wine bargains. And his week’s email special at Arrowine is one of those great buying opportunities, particularly if you like to buy good, Spanish reds by the case.

Sabor Real Toro 2006, from the excellent Spanish growing area of Toro is 100% old-vines tempranillo. The warm Toro climate – where the hot days and cold nights are said to help grow smaller grapes with thicker skins (for a higher skin to juice ratio) – makes for wines of considerable color, flavor, power and longevity compared to tempranillo-based wines from the more famous Rioja region.

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If you are a lover of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, you have probably had more than your fair share of New Zealand wines. In all honesty, if you are just a casual drinker, you may not have even realized where they were from, but were buying them more for cost conscious reasons than anything else. Then you open up this $15 bottle of wine and are absolutely blown away. How can New Zealand send great tasting wines to America and charge less money?

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2007 Fattoria Sovestro, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Siena, Rs. 1800. Vintage, winery, grape, sub region, price - This is how the wines appear on my wine list, says Stephane Soret, Head Sommelier at The Imperial, New Delhi.

A bottle of Kingfisher beer costs Rs. 250 at the hotel. Your average Indian guest can add only Rs. 150 more and get instead a fantastic wine by the glass such as an Italian wine imported directly. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a unique white wine from Tuscany that I bought to promote our Italian restaurant, San Gimignano, because the name of the wine and the restaurant is the same.

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WHEN Jock Tulloch hosted a tasting event to showcase his family's wines this year, he threw a party in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with a DJ, tapas and an upbeat vibe. "I didn't want anything stuffy," says the 31-year-old. "No sit-down dinner, long speeches or overdosing on technical jargon. Wine should be fun."

Jock's childhood friend Lisa McGuigan would thoroughly approve. She describes her Tempus Two wines, with their pewter labels and curvy bottles, as a "fashion accessory". "It's a girl thing," she says, "just like choosing what to wear to dinner. You pick your Prada handbag, but which wine will you take?"

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The leaders of the WA Wine Industry gathered to celebrate their own at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA Wine Industry Awards 2008 on November 21, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. The yearly event, hosted by Gerry Gannon, aims to recognise the quality performers in all aspects of the WA wine industry.

WIAWA Chief Executive Officer Sue Vidovich said the awards succeed in recognising excellence in all aspects of the wine industry, from viticulture through to tourism and exporting. “We are delighted at the standard of entries received this year, and love to celebrate our own at this event,” Mrs Vidovich said. “These awards aim to recognize excellence in all aspects of the wine industry and are reflective of what we aim to achieve - premium quality and excellence at every stage of the winemaking, marketing and selling process.”

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Saturday, November 8, 2008, 4 to 5:30 PM: Join us for a cozy afternoon of exquisite Tuscan wines at North Georgia's most beautiful winery. Noted Italian wine expert Michael Venezia, (Corporate Director Wine Education United Distributors, Atlanta) will be on hand to lead a guided tasting of some of Tuscany's finest vintages--including the 2006 Frescobaldi Pomino Bianco, Chardonnay; 2006 Lucente, and 2004 Tignanello. Guests will taste through six wines while Venezia discusses their origin and what makes each one special. Wines will be paired throughout the tasting with artisan cheeses and charcuterie. Cost to attend tasting is $60 per person.

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Local tradition has it that the only good wine is a red wine. With its first Bulgarian Wine of the Year competition, Bacchus, the Bulgarian magazine for wine and fine dining culture, has, in a way, set out to find if such is really true.

From October 1 2007 to September 15 2008, all registered Bulgarian wineries and winemakers were invited to submit what they consider their top blends and vintages of any style and made of any grape variety – as long as the wine was made on Bulgarian territory from grapes grown in the country according to legal norms.

To participate, the wines had to have appeared on the Bulgarian market between October 1 2007 and October 1 2008, and also to have been sent to Bacchus for evaluation (100-point scale) as part of the magazine's monthly Degustation rubric, having been published in the rubric between issues 98 and 109.

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Australian researchers believe they have cracked the key to the lucrative Chinese wine market, with a study of Chinese tastes.

The Australian Wine Research Institute found that most preferred Australian red wines over other international wines, and enjoyed light fruity flavours.

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It’s ironic, given the recent massive bailout of Wall Street in the guise of making nice to Main Street, that some of the best advice on inexpensive wines should come from The Wall Street Journal. “Tastings,” by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, recently examined Italian primitivos (often cited as kin to Zinfandel), and the second-favorite on their Dow Jones Primitivo Index was a Flaio 2006 Salento. It was $10.99. Forget the fickle barometers of bonds and not-so-securities; the Wine Index is a much more reliable bellwether of economic conditions.

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Many readers have requested that I include a mention of alcohol levels in my wine reviews. As much as space limitations allow, I try to do so.

More and more of you, it seems, are looking for wines that offer complex flavors at moderate alcohol levels. I've lost count of the number of winemakers who tell me that they are doing everything in their power to make wines that walk the thin line between unripe, vegetal flavors and jammy, alcoholic fruit-bombs.

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The city of Pensacola is gearing up to commemorate its 450th anniversary. In celebration of this historic time, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to feature the wine regions of Spain. Many other Spanish wines in the local market are unknown treasures made by small, independent family bodegas (wineries).

Some of the most influential importers of Spanish wines in this area are Jorge Ordonez and Classic Wines of Spain. Wines from these importers range in price from inexpensive to very pricey, but all offer solid quality and value.

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SIAL Paris 2008, the world summit for food and beverage decision-makers scheduled October 19-23, 2008, will feature a new Hall 7 for the expanded Wine and Fine Food sectors. Launched in 2006, the Wine sector draws more than 16,000 visitors and 154 exhibitors from 23 countries.

For the second time, the Best Buy selection in the Wine sector will allow visitors to discover wines that offer an outstanding value. These wines have been chosen by a panel of independent judges made up of leading figures from the wine world. There will be four categories based on the ex-cellar price: wines under €2, wines at €2-€4, at €4-€6 and at €6-€10. There will be a tasting area in the center of the wine section where visitors will be able to try more than 200 showcased wines from 14 countries.

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