Savant Wines Notebook

Bordeaux, Burgundy and a gift for the boss

A friend sent me an email about buying a "nice bottle" of Bordeaux or Burgundy to give as a gift.  Of course vintage always matters in these regions, but without knowing what store he was shopping at and/or what was available to him, I tried to create a list as general as possible - without vintages.  Here are a few of my favorites (running about $35 to $125/bottle) - I would not be disappointed to receive a bottle from any of these producers, regardless of the vintage!

Bordeaux
Any Bordeaux fan would be thrilled with one of these:

• Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne, Saint-Emilion
• Chateau Sociando Mallet, Haut-Medoc
• Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
  (Yes, I prefer Comtesse to Baron)
• Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, Saint-Emilion

Burgundy

Reputation of producer is the most important factor when selecting Burgundy.  Here are some excellent producers:

• Bruno Clair
• Henri Gouges
• Dujac
• Domaine de l'arlot
• Dominique Laurent

Next, I would consider the level (village, premier cru, grand cru.)   I highly suggest choosing at the Premier Cru (PC) level for a gift.  You must see the words "premier cru" or "1er cru" on the label.  There are many more PC than what I have listed below, so don't be alarmed if you can't find the exact one.  Again, producer is more important in Burgundy.  Personally, I would be thrilled with any PC, from any one of these villages, from any one of these producers. 

Last, I would consider wine style preference.  I prefer these villages, in this order:

• Chambolle-Musigny (PC: Les Charmes, Les Combottes) for nuance and delicacy
• Gevrey-Chambertin (PC: Clos Saint-Jacques, Les Cazetiers) for balance of fruit and power
• Nuits-Saints-Georges (PC: Les Perrieres) for juicy fruit

Kudos!  Another friend forwarded me his post titled: what to give your boss as a holiday gift.  A nice bottle is always appreciated - but a personal note goes so much farther then one could imagine!  Thanks to Ken at Corporate Intelligence Radio!

Mojo as good as the juice - Saarloos and Sons

I really dig the snappy videos on this site - in particular The Moment Fruit Becomes Wine from the farmers-turned-uber-cool Saarloos and Sons in Los Olivos (click on the video at the bottom that looks like the lid of a red paint can.)  It runs through the process of draining a tank, digging out a tank and pressing the skins.

The wines are juicy but please make note - their mojo is as good as the juice.  Check out the Sermons.  You are preaching to the choir, my friend!  My favorites:

#2) "No tasting notes.  We don't tell YOU what YOU taste."

#8) "If you are snobby we will kick you out of the house. A snob is defined as: Someone who uses their level of experience or knowledge to make someone new feel inferior or uncomfortable."

Saarloos and Sons tasting room is a restored craftsman house on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Olivos - just 1.5 hours from Los Angeles - make the trip, you'll dig it too.  Thanks Pamela at Senorita Vino!

Tannins & Bitterness in Wine

Tannins and bitterness are often difficult to separate and properly identify in wine.

Tannins contribute to two sensations on the palate - astringency (lack of water) and bitterness. (Please note to word: CONTRIBUTE here.  There are other components in wine that also can enhance one, or both, sensations.)

Tannins are a type of polyphenol. Polyphenols are a small molecule that in wine, come primarily from the skins of the grape and/or from wood contact (wood barrels.) Tannins cause the sensation of astringency. An astringent substance is one that causes tissues to constrict. The word "tannin" originally comes from the process of using plant extracts to cure hides (remove water) to make leather. Think of the phrase "tanning a hide".

In wine, the tannins bind with proteins in your saliva. (The next time you spit out a red wine - look into your spit cup - you will see some gross stringy things floating around. These are the tannins forming complex chemical chains with your saliva.) Tannins cause the sensation of all of the water (saliva) being removed from your mouth. In actuality, it is not being removed from your mouth (unless you spit or swallow) it is simply being 'bound up' so that it no longer coats the inside of your mouth. A high level of tannins in a wine will leave your mouth feeling rough, with a sandpaper-like texture.

We should describe this as - the sensation of astringency. However, it is commonly described as a drying sensation (a lack of water, not a lack of sweetness.)

We feel the sensation of tannins (astringency) all throughout our mouth. Mostly on the middle of the tongue, the roof of the mouth, the sides of the cheeks - and the gums. Astringency from tannins are felt all over your mouth.

Bitterness is one of the five primary tastes. Bitterness and astringency are often confused on the palate - but they are sensed differently. The receptor sites for bitterness sit at the very back of the tongue and the soft palate.

A good way to perfect your ability to detect bitterness, is with tonic water, which has quinine in it. Add a small amount of it to a neutral beverage until you just get to the point where you can start to detect it. Get the diet version with no sweeteners added.  The sensation of bitterness will be localized primarily to this spot in the back of your mouth.  (NOT all over your mouth, the way we sense astringency from tannins.)

Another way to focus in on bitterness without astringency getting in the way, is to taste a dry (less sweet) wine AFTER a sweet wine.  An example in easily found wines: taste something like Kung Fu Girl Riesling before tasting an unoaked Chardonnay like Hendry Estate.  The Chardonnay will taste completely bitter.

3 zones for grape berry juice

Juice from a grape berry comes from three different zones.  The composition of the juice is different in each zone.  Working from the inside of the berry out towards the skin, the three zones are: central, intermediate and peripheral.

Crushing a berry (breaking open the skin) releases the free run juice.  This is the sweetest juice, with the most nutrients and the least amount of harsh phenolics (tannins.)  This juice comes from the intermediate zone.  When a grape berry is first pressed (where physical pressure is placed on it to extract juice) the first press juice also comes from the intermediate zone, in the middle of the berry, where most of the pulp/juice/water is located. 

The pips/seeds are located in the central zone,in the center of the berry.  When grapes are crushed (just broken open, not pressed) the crusher has to be set just right so that it doesn't squeeze too hard and break open the pips.  Pips have very aggressive tannins and that are typically considered to be undesirable in the winemaking process.

The peripheral zone is the area that sits just underneath the skin.  There is very little juice in this area, but this is where many of the aromatics are located.  You can not strip the skin away from this pulp without breaking open the skin cells.  Breaking open the skin cells will also introduce undesirable, harsh tannins into the wine.  A 'cold soak' is an effective way to get at these aromatics without breaking open the skin cells.   The grapes are typically crushed (just plit open) so the skin can come into contact with the free run juice from the intermediate zone.  The mixture (called the 'must') is held for a short time at a cold temperature to prevent fermentation from starting.  This maceration period on the skins allows for the aromatics to be leeched out of the peripheral zone without releasing the harsh phenolics (tannins) from the skins.

Floating Grapes

I want to import wine into the US

You cannot "just" ship wine into the US from abroad.  It has to be brought into the country via an importer.  There are lots of costs and much paperwork involved.  One of the biggest issues with shipping logistics - is how to bring in a small quantity at an affordable cost.

The standard way product is shipped into the US is via a container, which comes over on a cargo ship.  A standard container holds 1120 cases (20 pallets) which is typically way too much wine for your average person just getting started in the wine importation business, or for personal use (even when you include orders for your entire extended family!)  Thus a person in this situation has to look for a shipping consolidator to co-load their product with someone else.  This can cause many delays, more expenses and other issues.  Plus, you still need an importer of record.  You may be unwilling or unable to go through the licensing requirements and costs to become an importer.

Enter - Adventures in Wine.  They are an importer and distributor based in California.  A few years ago I became aware of a side business they were conducting - allowing other people (even consumers) to use their import license to bring wine into the country.  This opens up a world of possibilities for the average consumer or small business person just getting started in the wine importation business.

This service can be very useful to:

• Individuals - this allows you to import wine for yourself from small producers that do not import to the US.  Did you find the most fantastic wine on your trip last year to Southern France?  Many producers have exclusive import agreements with a chosen importer in the US - so those producers would be off limits, but many do not. 
• Individuals - who have a cousin back in Baden, an uncle in Sicily, or an aunt in Provence (making the most amazing wine of course!)  Now you have a way to get this wine into the country for personal consumption and/or for samples to use as sales tools to get try to get distribution in the US. 
• Want to try out importing? - This can be a way you can get a small amount of product into the country so you can get your wine importation business started on a shoe string.  (Caveat: I am not a lawyer and this is not business advice.  I recommend you consult with a lawyer before signing any business contracts.)

Adventures in Wine website here you can find their importation policies and pricing.

There are notable expenses not included here - such as the cost to get the product from the winery to the shipping dock in the EU, and the cost to get the product from the landing dock/importer's warehouse to you, in the US.  FYI: Wine in the EU is typically sold "ex-cellar", meaning you pay all costs once the wine leaves the cellar door.  At the wholesale level, wine in the US is typically sold "FOB" (freight on board) this means the buyer pays all costs from the point of origin (ie: importer's warehouse.)  So the costs listed in the agreement above are not all inclusive, they are ex-cellar and FOB.  You need to add these to the importation cost to come up with the final figure.  You will want to factor in all costs before you make a decision.

Happy importing!

How to Access Blackboard for your UCLA Ext. Wine Course

Blackboard (Bb) is a private online network that the UC system uses for delivering it's courses.  Basically it is like a private website for each course.  Blackboard is where I manage my UCLA Extension wine courses.  On Blackboard I post course files, notes, updates, videos, links, assignments and tests.  It is essential for students in these courses to get access to Blackboard.

Sometimes students have difficulty accessing Blackboard for the first time.  Please see the instructions below for accessing Blackboard.  Please send me an email if these instructions do not resolve your issues.

1) Go to the Blackboard log in page

2) Enter your user name and password

Your Username and Password are sent to you via UCLA Extension Blackboard at the beginning of the course.  This email will be sent to the email address that you provided UCLA Extension when you registered for the course.  Sometimes you need to look in your junk or spam folder to locate the email. The system sends out thousands of emails a day and they can get flagged by certain systems/email service providers.

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If you can not locate the Blackboard email with your Username and Password, please send me an email.  I can look up your Username and the Email the Blackboard system has on file for you.  Please note - I do not have access to your Password and I can not generate a new one for you.

Email address is INCORRECT
Once I have sent you your Username and Email, check to be sure the Email address is correct.  Stop here and contact Blackboard support if it is incorrect.  Return to the Blackboard log in page above and find the link that says "Help" and send an email to the Blackboard IT department.

Email address is CORRECT
If the Email address is correct, return to the Blackboard log in page above.  Find the link that says "Fogot Password".  Follow the instructions to have a new Password sent to you.  It will be sent to the Email address Blackboard has on file for you.

 

Books for Wine Courses at UCLA Extension

Below are the books I am currently using in my wine courses at UCLA Extension.  A limited supply of the books are available at the UCLA Bookstore.  I have also included the websites where they are easiest to find.  I review course books every quarter, so please check with me prior to ordering to confirm that these are the correct books for the quarter you are enrolled.

An Introduction to Wine:
Essential Winetasting, Michael Schuster
Publisher: Mitchell Beazley; Revised edition (September 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1845334981; ISBN-13: 978-1845334987
(Easiest place to find: www.amazon.com)

Vintage I - Viticulture & Enology:
Viticulture – An introduction to commercial grape growing for wine production, Stephen Skelton (1/09).  ISBN: 978-0-9514703-2-9 
(printed by LuLu Press.  Quickest/easiest place to find: www.lulu.com.)

Understanding Wine Technology: The Science of Wine Explained, David Bird (third edition)
ISBN-13: 978-1934259603
(Easiest place to find: www.amazon.com.)

 

The Wines of Bordeaux:
The Complete Bordeaux - The Wines, The Chateaux, The People (Mitchell Beazley), published in 2007, reprinted in 2009
ISBN: 978 1 84000 980 4
(Easiest place to find: www.amazon.com)