Two Palates, One Passion—Uncorking Wisdom, One Article at a Time!

SOMM&SOMM

Tag: Wine Blog

  • Wine News: Angélus Bids Adieu

    Wine News: Angélus Bids Adieu

    We had just barely finished celebrating the New Year when I first heard the news. In a very bold but predictable move, the famed Chateau Angélus withdrew from the 2022 Saint-Émilion ranking. Yep, in an instant… the volatile classifications of Saint-Émilion are again facing scrutiny. So, why all the drama?

    Unlike the 1855 Classifications of Medoc and Graves on Bordeaux’s famed ‘Left Bank,’ the Saint-Émilion rankings are revisited approximately every 10 years. The last few reclassifications, however, have given way to public scrutiny and backlash from the wine community. While the idea of a constantly-evolving classification is noble, there is simply no way to avoid questions surrounding credibility when there is a clear conflict-of-interest.

    “The optics alone screams controversy.”

    -Gregory Dean

    Hubert de Boüard, co-owner of Chateau Angélus, has been under fire for several years because of his participation in the national wine appellations committee. The optics alone screams controversy. In the very competitive world of wine, every advantage matters. I don’t believe, however, Hubert de Boüard was doing anything more than offering his many years of winemaking passion, experience and knowledge to help Saint-Émilion maintain the status and reputation it deserves.

    The Saint-Émilion wine classification began in 1955–one hundred years after the very famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification–with the promise of revising status and standing every 10 years (or so). To date, there have been six classifications. The most recent was in 2012 and included eighteen First Grands Crus Classés. Four of the eighteen were First Grands Crus Classés A–including Chateau Angélus, Chateau Ausone, Chateau Chevel Blanc, and Chateau Pavie.

    Currently (January 2022), Chateau Pavie is the only remaining Grands Crus Classés A estate from the 2012 classification. Chateau Ausone and Chateau Chevel Blanc withdrew in July 2021. It is an unfortunate fact that these classifications–as well as certain high-profile wine scores–influence popularity and pricing. Being elevated to the highest classification can instantly change a consumer’s perception of a particular Saint-Émilion chateau… but at the same time, a demotion to a lower classification can impact the winemaker’s bottom line.

    That being said, the fact that these estates chose to distance themselves from the Saint-Émilion wine classification speaks volumes about how the benefits have become overshadowed by what has seemingly become a biased process. At least that’s what one court declared by fining Hubert de Boüard for his involvement in national wine appellations committee.

    The evolving classification of Saint-Émilion will continue to motivate estates to maintain quality and consistency (that’s a good thing). Until tighter rules for regulating the classification process are implemented, it will remain the center of controversy in the ‘Right Bank’ of Bordeaux.

  • Wine Education: Much to Learn

    Wine Education: Much to Learn

    Wasting no time, I decided to jump right into the deep end of the wine-education pool. The study materials from our recent completion of The Court of Master Sommeliers – Introductory Course and Examination had just had time to cool down before a new set of study materials arrived. At first glance, I knew there was much to learn in preparation for the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam 😉

    The Society of Wine Educators offer a variety of courses and exams leading to certifications for wine and spirits. The first step in my pursuit of a Society of Wine Educators Certified Wine Educator status is the highly respected Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). The course collateral includes a textbook and workbook filled with information required to pass the 100-question timed exam.

    With the holidays just around the corner, the study-time window is closing. The level of detail in the course materials goes well beyond the Court of Master Sommeliers Introduction Course and Exam—as expected. This will be no walk-in-the-park. Regardless, there is much to learn and it is all very fascinating.

    I absolutely love the deep dive into the chemistry of wine, the nuances of viticulture and the most obscure wine regions of the world. This curriculum provides the level of detail you would expect someone who is preparing for a career in wine education to know. As with the previous courses, there are also requirements for tasting, evaluating and identifying wines. Here we go 😉

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Just the Beginning

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: Just the Beginning

    The best things happen outside your comfort zone. The first few months of this journey left Tammy and me mentally exhausted, but at the same time energized. Keeping this journey of oenology and viticulture a secret was an enormous challenge. Every interaction with our friends and family was an opportunity to reveal our plans, but somehow we kept it under wraps–at least for a minute or two 😉 One reason to keep it hush hush was to save ourselves from embarrassment in the event something went terribly wrong.

    We have attended (and hosted) many wine-centric events over the past fifteen months–during which time we shared some incredible wines paired with amazing cuisine–all contributing to our journey from enthusiasts to sommeliers. Our friends’ and family’s shared passion for wine was the inspiration needed to forge ahead with the first-step to becoming a certified sommelier. We are, in fact, eternally grateful to everyone who knowingly and unknowingly contributed to our success.

    Special thanks to Scott and Alison White

    Our friends Scott and Alison White have made us feel like there was nothing we couldn’t accomplish with a little hard work, and a lot of liquid courage (wine). Scott blazed the trail by being the first to jump into the deep-end of the wine knowledge pool. We embrace every opportunity to participate in his relentless pursuit of the perfect wine pairing dinner. We are in awe of his extensive collection of wine, and have cherished every moment of traveling, dining, and attending events with Scott and Alison.

    Special thanks to Dima and Oksana Semenski

    Dima and Oksana are responsible for our involvement in several local wine enthusiast clubs. They are good friends, gracious hosts (see Wine Experiences: A Taste of Adelsheim), and natural oenologist with a passion for robust old world reds and obscure whites. From the first time we met–at a local wine bar–to the many wine-related events and special occasions, Dima and Oksana have shared our love of wine and appreciation of wine knowledge.

    Special thanks to Mike and Patti Weber

    Mike and Patti are without a doubt two of the most fun-loving, life-embracing people we’ve ever met. We feel fortunate to be on their exhaustive list of friends. There have been countless events in their home–including Wine Experiences: The Debate–and each one somehow rivals past events. This is also true with casual get-togethers and spontaneous outings, where there are usually a bottle or three of Bordeaux making its way to our glasses 😉

    While it is important to note that I am now on a first name basis with the FedEx guy–because of all the hard-to-find wines we’ve acquired and tasted along the way–the two local venues (95 and Vine and The Chalice Off Canal) played an important part in our journey. These wine bars both provided sanctuary and much needed escape from the textbooks. Not to mention an amazing selection of wines and wine-friendly food. Yes, please.

    As mentioned in the title, this is just the beginning. There is so much to learn (and appreciate) as it relates to oenology and viticulture, it can truly be never-ending (in a good way). The Court of Master Sommeliers online courses were organized very well, and the instructors were engaging and professional. While not the same experience as the in-person Introductory Sommelier Course & Examination, we definitely gained tremendous knowledge. I’ve already started researching enrollment in the next level CMS course, as well as Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) courses.

    The journey continues 😉

  • Demystifying Wine: Amarone della Valpolicella

    Demystifying Wine: Amarone della Valpolicella

    Amarone (pronounced aa-muh-row-nay) is one of the most intriguing and mystic wines you’ll ever experience. It hails from the Valpolicella, Veneto region in north-east Italy, and is deeply steeped in tradition. No… Amarone is not a grape variety. It is a specific style of wine unique to this region. The three main grape varieties used to produce Amarone include Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (up to 15%). Most Amarone produced today use between 60% and 80% Corvina as the primary grape in the blend–contributing to its signature flavor. Other varietals are used alongside Covina, Rondinella and Molinara for basic Valpolicella wines. These include: Pelara, Negrara, Forsellina and Oseleta.

    There are actually four (4) styles of distinct wines that come from the Valpolicella region. Recioto, Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone. Each uses a different blend of the local grape varietals mentioned earlier. The basic Valpolicella is light bodied and typically served slightly chilled. Some compare this wine to a traditional Beaujolais. I am yet to make this connection 😉 The remaining three styles, Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto all have something in common… dried grapes. That’s right, dried grapes! While according to legend, Amarone is a fairly recent discovery (1936), it has been around and vastly under appreciated for centuries.

    To appreciate Amarone, we need to understand its connection to Recioto. Fashionable early Romans preferred their wines sweet. Very sweet. Recioto wines (or at least variations of) date back to 234 BC. Immediately following harvest, grapes are placed in racks to dry. This method, called Appassimento (grape drying), allows time for the water to mostly evaporate and sugars become concentrated. The resulting must (grape juice) is fermented into this hyper-sweet nectar of the Gods we call Recioto. The winemaker determined the level of sweetness by stopping fermentation before the yeast converts all the sugar to alcohol.

    In the early days of Recioto production, the yeast sometimes remained active and continued to feed off the sugars. As a result, the wines were no longer sweet and much higher in alcohol. This style of wine did not resonate with the Romans, and was sold for cheap and used for cooking. Tastes changed over the years, and bitter recioto became Amarone–one of the most famous (albeit misunderstood) expensive wines in the world. Today Amarone wine is made through a deliberate process, not a result of unintentional extended fermentation.

    Amarone della Valpolicella is now a recognized DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). This is the certification bestowed on regions of Italy indicating wines produced with the highest level of quality. Amarone wine begins as a garnet color with a ruby red rim (slight variation). Over time, the color of the wine gets lighter with reddish-brown brick tones. Every young red wine expresses fruit. The signature black cherry nose and palate of young Amarone takes on spicy notes as well as leather, old wood and even violet potpourri as it ages. Regardless, it is an amazing wine to serve with braised meats and mature cheeses. The biggest challenge with pairing this wine is understanding the impact a 15% alcohol wine can have on a particular dish.

    If this sounds intimidating, perhaps you would rather start with a “Baby Amarone.” Ripasso, as it turns out, is made from the same grapes as its big brother–Amarone. And while the initial wine isn’t made from dried grapes (yes, I mentioned Ripasso and dried grapes above), it goes through a second fermentation with used Amarone dried grapes. This process produces an amazing wine with all of the pure characteristics of the ripe Covina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes with the added intensity of the previously used Amarone grapes. This is certainly a wine worth seeking out!

    Cheers!

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Final Countdown

    First article in this series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Right on Cue

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: Right on Cue

    Sometime during the last few months of intensive studying, I must have sprung a leak in my brain. The grey-matter between your ears is supposed to be a sponge–right? It’s supposed to be able to absorb terabytes of information. I’ve read the information prescribed by the Court of Master Sommeliers and retained most of it. I am convinced, however, that much of the information leaks while I sleep 😉

    The Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Course & Examination includes a 70 question test designed to test your general knowledge of all things wine. From the top-producing regions to the lesser-known communes it is important to learn (and understand) geography, weather, grape varietals, laws and regulations, viticulture, and vinification for even the most obscure areas. That’s right… you need to learn hundreds of traits and characteristics in anticipation of the multiple-choice questions on the exam.

    Read. Retain. Repeat. Every pass through the learning materials reveals information missed (or not retained) from previous reads. The information is extremely detailed, diverse and sometimes–intimidating. From the beginning, Tammy and I have looked for ways to help retain the copious amounts of wine-related information. Here are the three (3) things that have contributed to better success at memorizing and retaining these vinifacts:

    Become Wine-centric

    That’s right. Not only drink it, but also live it. Read wine blogs (like this one), watch YouTube videos, and scour through every wine-related publication you can find. Grab the truffle-salted popcorn and watch wine documentaries and feature-length films centered around wine and life in the vineyard.

    Have Wine Conversations

    Nothing seems to help with memory recall better than having a conversation. As the conversation expands, you will find yourself speaking intelligently (and in great depth) about things you’ve learned in previous weeks or months. Starting a conversation about an obscure wine-related topic also forces you to recall details in support of carrying the conversation forward.

    Use Cue Cards

    Most of the learning materials include short quizzes after each section or category. The questions are very high-level and are designed to give some insight into the style, format and complexity of the upcoming exam. I believe these short quizzes are written to build confidence and encourage you to continue learning. I also believe the particular questions in the textbook could, in fact, lead to a false sense of security… and give some individuals cause to ease back on the study throttle.

    Cue cards are the best way to test your knowledge across all topics simultaneously. Whether asking questions back and forth (think: Trivial Pursuit), or flipping through the questions on your own, the cue cards help in all cognitive areas critical to passing the exam–memory, retention and recall. I created physical cards using information from the end-of-chapter quizzes and other information from other study materials. After a little research I discovered several online sources and apps for hosting cue cards. I recommend StudyBlue.com because of the ease of use, success tracking, and number of existing wine-related flash cards.

    While the pass rate on the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Course & Examination is high, many have failed. The common theme among people who have failed the final exam is “lack of preparation.” The 2-day seminar is a review of everything you’ve learned from the required reading materials over the months leading up to the course and examination. Make sure to use every tool and methodology available.

    Back to the books 😉

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: For the Sake of Learning

    First article in this series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Sip, Sip Hurrah

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: Sip, Sip Hurrah

    The Court of Master Sommelier Deductive Tasting Method is at the heart of the two-day course and final exam. For level one certification, the curriculum in 2020 includes six (6) individual wine tastings designed to teach this very effective process for identifying wines. I’ve been preparing for this all of my adult life (ok… maybe even a little before), so how difficult can it be?

    Swirl, sip, swish and spit. Repeat. Using the correct terminology, describe the color. Is it purple, ruby or garnet? Neither… it is red (as indicated on the bottle). Specifically, it is the color of a horse barn I remember from my childhood. Slightly faded, a little weathered, but still… red. Do I notice any secondary colors? That depends. Does adding an adjective to my description qualify as a ‘secondary color?’ No. So… bright red or intense red isn’t considered secondary colors? No. Secondary colors to look for in red wine are ruby, garnet, orange, brown and blue.

    While we all have our unique–almost Shakespearean–ways to describe the characteristics of wine. It is important to learn the universal terminology. In fact, it’s a requirement. Instead of describing the smell of certain Bordeaux wines in the tasting rotation as something I remember from that horse barn, I need to call-out the presence of brettanomyces.

    The entire premise of the Deductive Tasting Method is to use all of the information gathered from sight, smell and taste to determine a wine’s origin. This includes everything from varietal to vintage. It is a structured (and proven) process to quickly and accurately analyze wine. If nothing else, it adds another reason–albeit scientific–to open more wine. I might need another corkscrew 😉

    Back to the books.

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Right on Cue

    First article in this series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: A New Appreciation

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: A New Appreciation

    I have always been all about California wine. But hey, that is what is most readily available and at least I have a little knowledge about the Napa and Sonoma areas. Faced with a challenge of choosing a wine off a menu in a restaurant, I could at least spot something I was familiar with or at least recognize the name of the vineyard. Now that I am reading and studying wine from around the world, I am getting excited by the effort of producing those wines, the climate, the different grapes and classifications.

    While studying Burgundy, I told Greg I wanted to try a Grand Cru, a Premier Cru, and a Village wine from the same area side by side. He set out to find the perfect combination. I have to say, previously I was not much of a Burgundy fan so I was excited to see if it was that I had just not had the right Burgundy wine. Sure enough, that was the case. I really enjoyed our little experiment. With the help of some wine loving friends, we polished off all three… and what a treat.

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Wine Happens

    First article in this series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Appreciating Viticulture

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: Appreciating Viticulture

    With only twelve short weeks remaining before the two-day Court of Sommelier course and exam, we have settled into a daily routine of reading, research and relentless quizzing. I asked Tammy to name the five ‘First Growths‘ of Bordeaux–and her answer (correct by the way) was followed by a question regarding viticulture. Specifically, the question was about terroir. As with most of these discussions, the conversation quickly evolved into all things viticulture.

    Viticulture is known in sommelier circles as the “art” and “science” of vine growing. This ideas expands far beyond my average knowledge of traditional farming. Each topic covered in the introductory course and exam study materials seems simple and straight-forward, but after a few paragraphs you quickly realize how much there is to learn. Viticulture was no exception. Tammy’s question was about terroir, and that conversation lead into all of the factors of production important to viticulture.

    The factors of production go beyond soil condition, terrain, climate and elevation. It extends far beyond the processes used to cultivate, grow and harvest. In fact, viniculture’s factors of production blend a rich history of best practices with strict standards and regional guidelines. The result provides consistency while protecting the well-earned reputation and rich history of the world’s best regions.

    Matching soil and climate to a specific varietal may seem like common sense, but there are some very interesting wines produced by winemakers not bound by regional wine laws. This entire process of reading, reviewing and discussing all of the region-specific factors of production has given me a stronger curiosity and desire to taste the really obscure lesser-known wines.

    So much left to learn and understand!

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: A New Appreciation

    First article in this series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

    Enthusiast to Sommelier: Getting Started

    Fueled by the restlessness of confinement, Tammy and I decided to take advantage of the unplanned stay-at-home new normal of 2020 and jump eagerly into the Court of Sommelier certification program. In late June, I enrolled in the closest 2-day Introductory Sommelier Course & Exam. It took Tammy a few weeks to decided whether or not she could rearrange her work schedule and join the pursuit of Sommelier Level 1. The classes and exam are scheduled to begin in just under three(3) months. This should be plenty of time to prepare–right?

    In addition to the Introductory Sommelier Course Workbook necessary for the course and exam, The Court of Master Sommelier also prescribed additional study materials–including:

    Windows of the World – Complete Wine Course, Kevin Zraly

    The Wine Bible, Karen MacNeil

    With over 1700 pages of wine history, varietals, countries, regions, regulations, vintages, viticulture and vinification to study (and hopefully retain), this journey promises to be a labyrinth of learning and frustration. While the outcome is unknown, we am looking forward to sharing knowledge, ideas and opinions along the way.

    Here we go…

    Next article in the series: Enthusiast to Sommelier: Appreciating Viticulture

    Cocktails at the Primrose, Park MGM, Las Vegas
  • Learning To Recognize The Aromas of Wine

    Learning To Recognize The Aromas of Wine

    Swirl and sniff swirl and sniff. What do you smell? The buzz words I hear are, fruit, floral, tobacco. Flint. What do you think of when someone says, I smell floral notes? I think, what do you mean, are you smelling roses, jasmine, carnations? Fruit…..black fruit or red fruit? Are we talking red apples here, strawberries, or raspberries? They all smell different, so what exactly are you trying to say? Currants, how many times have you heard, I smell currants. Quite frankly, I have never smelled a currant so how do I know what a currant smells like. Tobacco…what does that mean? A dirty ashtray, a pipe, tobacco growing in a field? Flint, what in the world does flint smell like?

    I can only imagine what comes next.