Wine Infographic: Merlot Cheat Sheet

Next in the wine cheat sheet series:  Merlot!

The full collection of wine cheat sheets is here.

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
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You may also be interested in:
French Wine Cheat Sheet
Bordeaux Wine Cheat Sheet
California Wine Cheat Sheet
Washington and Oregon Wine Cheat Sheet
Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet
The Big 6 and Where They're Hiding

An Organic Bargain from Chile

I've written a couple of times before (here and here) about Emiliana in Chile.  Emiliana produces organic grapes which are farmed sustainably, and some of their wines are biodynamic.  (More on biodynamic wine here.)  I liked the wines I had tasted so far, but I had never tried Emiliana's Sauvignon Blanc.  So when I saw it in Fresh Market today for $10, I had to try it.

Emiliana's Natura Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Casablanca Valley in the Aconcagua Region in northern Chile (check the Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet to see where that is).  Its aromas are fresh and crisp, with lime, grapefruit, and grassy notes.  Like most Sauvignon Blanc, it has a bit of vegetal character (like asparagus or canned mushrooms).  The flavor is dry but fruity, crisp and tart, with tropical fruit and citrus notes.  Overall it's well balanced and has a nice finish.

I drank it with a spinach and mushroom crustless quiche, and it was perfect.  

You really can't do better than this for a $10 Sauvignon Blanc.  This one is going into my regular rotation.

Wine Infographic: Syrah/Shiraz Wine Cheat Sheet

The next edition in the Wine Cheat Sheet series - Syrah/Shiraz!  See the full collection here.

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
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You may also be interested in:
Wine Infographic: Australian Wine Cheat Sheet
Sixty-One: An IPA Brewed with Syrah Grape Must
Wine Infographic: Argentina Wine Cheat Sheet

The Story of Phylloxera: How a Tiny Insect Changed the Global Wine Industry Forever

In the late 1700s Thomas Jefferson, a connoisseur of French wine, attempted to grow European grape vines at his home in Virginia.  All of his imported European vines died, and he never knew why.  A century later, the whole world was introduced to the vine-killing culprit.

The tiny insect Daktulosphaira vitifoliae in the family Phylloxeridae (phylloxera for short) comes from eastern North America.  This almost microscopic, pale yellow insect, related to aphids, feeds on a grape vine’s roots and leaves.  Grape vines native to the same areas (such as Vitis aestivalis, rupestris, riparia, and labrusca) have developed resistance to this pest, but European grape vines (Vitis vinifera) have no resistance.

The Nymph Form of Phylloxera Feeds on Vine Roots

For many years, American grape vines were brought to Europe as botanical specimens. Phylloxera insects that hitched a ride on the vines went unnoticed and died during the weeks it took for sailing ships to cross the Atlantic.  All that changed in the 1850s when steam ships reduced trans-Atlantic crossing time to only ten days, a short enough time that the insects could survive the journey. Thus, phylloxera arrived and began its slow march across Europe.

The problem was first noticed in southern France in 1863, when leaves withered, shoots were weak, and grapes did not ripen.  Symptoms worsened for a few years until the vines died.  Pulling up the dead vines revealed that their root systems had nearly disappeared. Once phylloxera was identified as the problem, a cure was difficult to find.  Because phylloxera live on both roots and leaves, have a complex life cycle, and are highly adaptable, they are difficult to kill.  Common pesticides either weren’t effective or couldn’t reach the roots of the plant which were being eaten away.  New techniques developed for combatting phylloxera were ineffective, impractical, or nearly as destructive as phylloxera itself.

Phylloxera on a Grape Vine

The phylloxera epidemic impacted France the most, as it was the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of wine at the time.  But phylloxera eventually spread to all of Europe.  Between 60% and 90% of all European vineyards were destroyed during this time.  In France, wine production fell 75% between 1875 and 1889.  Ultimately the entire global wine industry was threatened.

The resulting shortage of wine affected many countries and wine markets.  At first, the decrease in supply of French wine increased the demand for wine from countries not yet affected by phylloxera, such as Spain and Italy, until phylloxera reached their vineyards as well.  Demand for Chilean wine increased, since Chile’s vineyards were planted primarily with imported European vines.  The shortage also created a market for terrible wine, made from imported raisins, or flavored with the used must (seeds and skins) left over from previous vintages and combined with beet sugar to produce alcohol.  It also inspired a flood of fake wine, poor quality wines labeled and sold fraudulently under the names of famous chateaux.  The wine shortage in France also led to an increase in the popularity of absinthe, a hugely influential beverage of the early 20th century which requires an article of its own.  In Britain, the Scotch industry promoted itself as a replacement beverage and many British wine drinkers switched.

In response to phylloxera, the French could not simply pull up their European vines and replant their vineyards with phylloxera-resistant American vines, because the American varieties produce undesirable (“foxy”) wine flavors.  By 1870 American and French scientists had created American-French hybrid vines which they hoped might resist the pest but still produce good wine.  The resulting hybrids had a weak resistance to phylloxera, but were hardy and produced reasonably good wine.  (Some of them are still grown in the United States today.)

The best option turned out to be grafting.  Attaching a European vine to American roots gives the European vine resistance to phylloxera.  (The rootstock that worked the best came from Texas!) Since the genes for the grapes are in the scion (stem), the grapes are unaffected.  Implementing this solution was another challenge, since France had around 11 billion vines in need of phylloxera protection.  Grafting was not accepted overnight.  It took nine years to prove its efficacy and for the French authorities to approve its widespread use. The finest vineyards were reluctant to graft and replant, since the identity of their wines was closely linked to the old, traditional vines.  These producers fought to chemically treat and save each vine, while the smaller, less recognized producers pulled up their vines, grafted, and replanted all at once.  Some producers smuggled American vines into France illegally and made wine directly from the grapes, despite the less desirable flavor and regulations against this practice. Unlike France, countries affected by phylloxera in later years had the benefit of knowing to graft their vines as soon as the problem appeared.

A European Scion Grafted onto American Rootstock

A few wine regions in the world escaped phylloxera completely.  Soils dominated by sand and schist impede the progress of the insect, as do dry climates.  Chile, bordered by an ocean to the west, mountains to the east, desert to the north, and the Antarctic to the south, has never been invaded by phylloxera, though to this day any imported vines must be carefully checked and quarantined.  A quarantine is in effect in South Australia, because it hasn’t yet experienced phylloxera, though neighboring Victoria has.  The island of Cyprus, the Spanish region of Jumilla, and a handful of vineyards in France, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece, England, and the pacific northwest of the United States have also escaped this costly pest so far.

However, the danger is still present, as evidenced by the disaster that struck the California wine industry in the 1980s and 1990s.  Many vines had been grafted onto rootstock beneficial for production, but with a low resistance to phylloxera, under the assumption that the insect was not present in the area.  Phylloxera struck, killing many vines, causing many more to be replaced, and ultimately costing the California wine industry more than one billion dollars.

Ironically, a phylloxera infestation can bring about positive changes.  The need to dig up and replant vines provides an opportunity to change grape varieties to better suit a particular vineyard, or adjust the density of the plantings.   Grafting itself can be helpful, because the grower can choose a type of rootstock which thrives in the specific soil and weather conditions of the vineyard.

Does grafting affect the taste of the wine?  Opinions differ.  While some top wine critics say they cannot taste the difference between grafted and ungrafted grapes, others claim that the ungrafted and pre-phylloxera vines make better tasting wine.  One possible reason for any flavor difference might be that ungrafted vines may produce lower yields.

Phylloxera is the most destructive crop epidemic of all time, and it changed the wine industry forever. Today 85% of the wine grapes in the world come from European vines grafted onto American rootstock.  Despite the enormous costs, phylloxera acted as a catalyst for a huge growth in grape vine knowledge, the chance to improve viticultural practices in established vineyards, a more resilient global wine industry, and in many cases better wine.

You may also be interested in:

Profile of the Black Spanish Grape

Wine Infographic: Madeira Wine Cheat Sheet

Wine Infographic:  Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet

2 Surprisingly Different Ways to Make Syrah

I love reminding people of the 3 things that make one wine taste different from another:

1. Type of Grape
2. Climate
3. Winemaker Choices

Recently I tasted 2 Syrahs which perfectly illustrate what happens when you take the same grape, grown in the same climate, and apply different winemaking techniques. These 2 Syrahs come from Chile. One is red, and one is rosé. Syrah is an uncommon choice for making rosé. Apart from reading the label, I'm not sure I'd have known that these wines came from the same grape.

These 2 wines were made by the Emiliana Winery in Chile as part of their "Natura" line, which focuses on grapes grown organically and sustainably. (Full disclosure: these wines were sent to me as samples.)

The primary difference between any red and rosé wine is skin contact. The red wine ferments with the grape skins sitting in the juice. The rosé wine has the skins removed from the juice after a few hours. (For more detail about the 3 primary ways to make a rose winé, check out my article on WineMakingTalk.com.)

2013 Natura Syrah

This red is made from 100% Syrah grapes. It has aromas of dark fruits like blueberry and blackberry, vanilla, and leather. 

On the palate, it also tastes of dark fruits, but with some tartness. It has medium body, medium-to-high acid, a good bit of tannin, and a fairly high alcohol content at 14% abv.

This is a nice Syrah, with the characteristics that are expected from the grape. Like many big wines, it benefits from breathing in the glass (or aeration), or could be held back to age for several years.

2014 Natura Rosé

This rosé is made from 85% Syrah and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Syrah is clearly taking center stage. It has aromas of strawberry, cherry, some minerality, and a hint of lime. There's also a touch of something herbal or vegetal on the nose, which comes from the Cabernet.

On the palate you can taste tart red fruits, with a lot of acidity, and a bit more tannin than I'm used to in a rosé. The level of alcohol was also higher than most rosés at 13.5% abv.

It's fun to see what happens with less skin contact. The higher-than-average levels of tannin and alcohol in this rosé make sense, since Syrah grapes have thick skins and are known for making big, powerful wines. From the red to the rosé the fruit character changes from darker fruits to red fruits, and the minerality and hint of lime were a surprise. 

This kind of comparative tasting reminds us that the juice from red grapes is clear, and could be made into a white wine. Tasting these wines together, we get a hint of what pure Syrah juice might taste like if it were fermented as a white wine, and we get to experience some Syrah flavors that normally don't get to express themselves. 

The best wine tastings teach you something interesting about wine overall. And often the best way to do that is to select wines that all have several characteristics in common, with just one difference, so you can see how that difference impacts the wine. In this case, the grape and climate were the same, but the winemakeing techniques differed.  For more ideas on how to set up comparative tastings like this, check out my article "Building a Better Wine Tasting."

For more about Emiliana, I wrote a longer post a few years ago about some of their other wines. And I can't mention Emiliana without linking to their extremely cool interactive biodynamic/organic vineyard.

You may also be interested in:
Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet
Top 3 Things to Know About Biodynamic Wine

Wine Infographic: Wine Altitude Cheat Sheet

Altitude is an important factor affecting grapes and wine. Here's your cheat sheet for what it does, why it matters, and which wine regions are impacted by it.

See the full collection of Wine Cheat Sheets here.

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
…in Internet Explorer, right click on it and select “open in new tab.”
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You may also be interested in:

Wine Infographic: Botrytis (Noble Rot) Cheat Sheet
Wine Infographic: Texas Wine Cheat Sheet
Acid 101
Tannin 101

Tasting Emiliana's Organic and Biodynamic Wine from Chile

I recently tasted 3 wines from Emiliana, the first producer of a certified biodynamic wine in Chile.  (A few weeks ago I wrote about the Top 3 Things to Know about Biodynamic Wines, so check that out if you’re unfamiliar.)  I paired the wines with several different foods:  goat cheese, oil-cured green olives (these are milder and less acidic than the typical marinated varieties), smoked turkey, rosemary-lavender bread (this is a southern French flatbread topped with herbs and olive oil), and Mario Batali’s eggplant caponata*.  Grab your Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet and let’s taste!

Wine:  Novas Gran Reserva
Grape:  100% Sauvignon Blanc
Growing Method:  Made with organically grown grapes
Region:  DO San Antonio Valley
Nose:  Herbal, grassy, mineral, and citrus aromas with a hint of asparagus.
Palate:  Very mineral and herbal, high acid, hint of asparagus, med alcohol, med-to-long finish
Pairings:  The goat cheese was an excellent match, since the grassy flavors of the cheese and the wine complemented each other, and the acidity of the wine cut through the creaminess of the cheese.  The olives, turkey, and herb bread were good matches as well, which isn’t surprising since Sauvignon Blanc is such a versatile wine.  It was not quite as good with the caponata.
Price:  Average price is $13, but I haven’t yet found a seller in the Houston area.

I liked this wine, and it scores points for value and versatility.  If you’re into Sauvignon Blancs, you’ll want to know that it’s more of an old-world style, and less fruit-forward than a typical New Zealand example.

Wine:  Natura Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape:  85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Syrah

Growing Method:  Made with organically grown grapes and sustainably farmed

Region:  DO Central Valley 

Nose:  Rich, ripe black fruits, a hint of sweet spice, tobacco, vanilla

Palate:  Medium acid, fruity up front, strong tannin, a bit lean.  Opens up as it breathes.

Pairings:  The goat cheese, olives, and caponata were the star pairings here. The tartness of the goat cheese and the caponata matched the acidity in the wine and all 3 became smoother and richer as a result.  Cheese also famously smoothes out tannin, so that was a bonus.  The salty olives brought out the fruit flavors in the wine.  The bread worked well, and though the turkey was nearly overpowered, the fact that it was smoked highlighted the smokiness in the wine and allowed the turkey to hold its own in this match-up. 

Price:  Average price $10, but I haven’t yet found a seller in the Houston area.

This Natura Cabernet blend is also a good value.  Like the Sauvignon Blanc, this wine falls somewhere between old and new world styles – it’s fruity, yet not as rich and juicy as a California Cabernet.  Decant it or let it breathe in your glass for 15 minutes or so, and it really opens up.  

Wine:  Coyam 2010

Grape:  38% Syrah, 27% Carmenere, 21% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Mourvedre, 1% Malbec

Growing Method:  Biodynamic

Region:  DO Colchagua Valley.  

Nose:  I wanted to smell this forever.  Red and black fruits, cinnamon and chocolate, tobacco and leather, vanilla.

Palate:  The flavors on the palate echoed the aromas on the nose, but weren’t quite as rich or complex.  I suspect this is a big wine that needs time.  It really opened up as it breathed, and became as rich and wonderful as the nose had led me to believe it could be.  Decant this one, or hold it for 5 (or even 10?) years.  

Pairings:  The goat cheese won again, rounding out the tannins of the wine.  The bread and caponata shone here too. The currants, cinnamon, and chocolate in Batali’s recipe brought out the fruitiness and spice in the wine, for an unexpectedly amazing combination.

Price:  This one we can get in Houston!  Spec’s carries it, but not at every location.  It’s $30, so get a bottle for a special occasion and make that caponata to go with it!  And consider cellaring it for a few years, because it will only get better.

As far as I can tell, organic and biodynamic wines are not significantly different from other wines, in the sense that there is not a tell-tale organic or biodynamic taste or a certain quality that indicates the grapes were grown that way.  However, these wines fit with my general experience of organic wines, which is that the grapes have been treated well, so the wines demonstrate an attention to quality at whatever price point they may be. 

Even though we can only get 1 of these wines at the moment, keep Emiliana on your radar.  I suspect Houston will get more from them in the future, and I’ll be happy when we do!

*Note on the caponata recipe:  I like my eggplant very well cooked, so I let my caponata simmer on the stove about 30 minutes longer than the recipe suggested.  As it cooked, I added extra liquid as needed to keep everything from burning – first white wine, then some tomato sauce, then water until everything was as cooked as I wanted it to be. 

See the full collection of the wine cheat sheets here!

Wine Infographic: Chilean Wine Cheat Sheet

The next edition in the Cheat Sheet series - Chilean Wine!  See the full collection here

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
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…in Firefox, right click on it and select “view image.”   

Wine Infographic: Chardonnay Cheat Sheet

Here is the fourth in the series of grape profiles - Chardonnay.  (See them all here.)  It covers the typical Chardonnay characteristics and the main growing regions.  Use this to learn more about a grape you love or to explore a new one!  (Click on the graphic for a larger view.)

To see the full collection of wine cheat sheets, click here.

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
…in Internet Explorer, right click on it and select “open in new tab.”
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Local Event: Chilean wine tasting at the MFAH

James King of the Texas Wine School will be leading a Chilean wine tasting at the Museum of Fine Arts, to complement their current exhibition of Latin American art.

http://www.mfah.org/calendar/mendoza-maule-wines-chile/7839/

Wine Infographic: Pinot Noir Cheat Sheet

Here is the third in the series of grape profiles - Pinot Noir.  (See the full collection of wine cheat sheets here.)  It covers the typical Pinot Noir characteristics and the main growing regions.  Use this to learn more about a grape you love or to explore a new one!  (Click on the graphic for a larger view.)

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
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Wine Infographic: Cabernet Sauvignon Cheat Sheet

Here is the 2nd installment in my series of grape profiles.  (See the full collection of wine cheat sheets here.)  Hopefully this will help you to learn more about a wine you already like, or explore the flavors of a new grape or a new region!  (Click on the graphic for a larger view.)

To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
…in Internet Explorer, right click on it and select “open in new tab.”
…in Chrome, right click on it and select “open link in new tab.”
…in Firefox, right click on it and select “view image.”