Class 7

Spain and Portugal

It was interesting learning about Spain and Portugal, and to taste sherry and port.

Today's wines:
Marques de Cacered "Deusa Nai" Albarina, Rias Baixas DO, 2012
Rafael Palacios, Louro do Bolo, Valdeorras DO, 2011
Txomin Extaniz Rose, Txakoli Gueteria DO, 2012
Muga "Riserva" Rioja DOCa, 2008
Bodegas Mas Alta "Artigas", Priorat DOCa, 2010
Tarima "Monastrell", Alicante DO, 2012
Quinta de Avezedo, Vinho Verde DOC, 2012
Quinta do Crasto, "Reserva", Duoro DOC, 2010
Lustau Almacenista, "Pata de Gallina" Juan Garcia, Olorose Sherry
Jorge Ordonez, "Victoria", Malaga #2, 2012
Fonesca 10 year old Tawny Port
Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port, 2008

#tbt

Class #5

I was very disappointed about today's class. Instead of spending a decent amount of time on the Piemonte region, we spent 1 hour on Alsace and 10 minutes on Piemonte. And the wines chosen from Piemonte were, in my opinion, horrible, and not at all representative of the region. The only good one was the Vietti Roero Arneis, one of my favorites.

Here is the list of wines we tasted:
White
Vietti Roero Arneis, Langhe 2012
Trimbach Riesling, Alsace 2011
Zind Humbrecht Gewurztaminer, Alsace 2011
La Gordonne Billette, Boquet de Provence 2012

Red
La Mota Barbera d'Asti 2011
Montubert Barbaresco, Piemonte 2006
Erbaluna Barolo, Piemonte 2007
Domaine des Hauts Chassis Crozes-Hermitaage "Les Galets" 2011
Clos du Mont-Olivet Chateaneuf-du-Pape 2011
Domaine de Verquiere Cotes du Rhone Villages Sablet 2010

Vadio

               

Last night my friend Julia and I popped open a bottle of Vadio Sparkling Wine. We also had Vadio red, 2009. Vadio is produced by her sister, Eduarda Dias. Vadio is from Bairrada, Portugal, and they produce white, red and sparkling. 

What's interesting about this wine is that it is made with Baga, a grape that is found primarily in Bairrada. However, it's "related" to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo. 

I have not had a lot of Portuguese wine, so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I thought it was very good. And it's fun when you drink wine where you know the producers!

You can read more about their wines here: http://www.vadio.pt/

#tbt

#tbt to Mangialonga 2013! It was the most fun wine event I have ever been to. You can get more information about it here: Mangialonga 2014

Class #4

Class #4 focused on the Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

Here are the wines we tasted:

Domaine de la Peppiere Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, 'Les Gras Moutons', 2012

Domaine des Baumard, Savennières, 2009

Philippe Foreau, Domaine Clos Naudin "Demi-Sec" Vouvray, 2009

Domaine Fournier Sancerre "Les Belles Vignes" 2012

Domaine Bernard Baudry, Chinon "Les Grezeaux", 2011

Chateau Teynac, Saint-Julien, 2010

Château Vieux-Maillet, Pomerol, 2009

Clos la Coutale, Cahors, 2011

Castelnau de Suduiraut, Sauternes, 2007

With an aroma of sourdough, cider, some citrus and a hint of saltwater, the taste is similar, slightly salty, mineral and citrus is also present. In my opinion, too acidic. It also is not a typical wine, Muscadet usually is "sur lies", but this one is not.

Sweet and fruity, an aroma of honey and apple. I liked this wine, not to sweet, probably good in the summer.

Gambero Rosso "Tre Bicchieri"

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Tre Bicchieri tasting in New York. I had never been to a tasting this size and was really nervous. For the first 15 minutes I just stood around making a game plan. I knew that Vietti was present, so I started there. Barolo Villero Riserva 2006. A grand start, to say the least. I was sad that Elena and Luca were not there, but as it turned out, Jeffrey Chilcott was there with Marchesi di Gresy, who I met this summer in Barbaresco. It was great catching up with him, and we will hopefully see each other this summer when I go to Piemonte. Another fun encounter: I ran into Bill Nesto, my wine teacher. 

My favorites at the tasting:

Vietti

Marchesi di Gresy

Casanova di Neri

Class #3

The focus of today's class was France, particularly Burgundy and Champagne. Before today I did not know how important France was to the history of wine. Sandy Block, the professor for today, talked a lot about the AOC and the development of the laws and rules when it comes to wine making.
Focusing in on Burgundy, we went over all the major regions, the different soils and weather that are part of shaping the wines. Sandy Block is a man of details, and my brain is actually hurting from all the information he threw at us today. Maybe once I have processed I can write more detailed about each region.

Here are the wines we tasted today:

Chablis Premier Cru "Vaillons," Simmonet Febvre, 2007
Macon-Villages, Domaine du Pavillon, 2011
Mersault, Albert Bichot, Domaine du Pavillon, 2011

Moulin a Vent, Chateau des Jacques, Cru Beaujolais, 2011
Beaune Permier Cru "Vigne Franches," Louis Latour, 2011
Gevrey-Chambertin, Chanson, 2011

Alfred Gratien, "Brut Classique," Champagne NV
Billecart Salmon "Extra Brut," Champagne NV
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Rose Champagne NV

the official guide to wine snobbery

As preparation for my wine course, I read the Official Guide to Wine Snobbery by Leonard Bernstein. It's a entertaining way to learn some of the basics of wine culture and wine etiquette. Some of the topics touched upon are how to hold the glass, basic wine pairing, some wine culture, and fun things like wine clubs/societies and what language wine snobs use. I would recommend this book for someone who knows nothing about wine, and wants an easy way to learn fun things about wine.

the world atlas of wine

I had to buy The World Atlas of Wine for my wine class. It's by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.
It covers all the important wine regions, the types of grapes, and is a great book to read if you want to learn about wine.
And that is exactly what I am doing tonight. I opened a bottle of Barbera D'Asti 2010 by Oddero, and will enjoy a glass while reading about wine.
Look out for a more detailed post about the book later.

#tbt

Wishing I was back in Piemonte, hanging out with all these wonderful producers, and drinking amazing wine. Can't wait to go back this summer!

 Me and Elio Altare

 Alessandro Veglio

 Siliva Altare

1993 Vigna Larigi, Elio Altare

Mauro Veglio and Daniela Safirio

Class #2

Today's class was relatively strange and somewhat chaotic. Bill Nesto said there was no other way to do it, and he was right. We covered History of Wine, Vinification and a mixed tasting related to the history of wine.
On the menu for class #2:
Sherry, Port, Champagne, Beujolais, Pinot Noir, Riesling,

I was not a fan of Sherry or Port, but once again took to the riesling.
This time the riesling was from Mosel, Germany, by Mönchhof, a riesling spätlese, 2011. I am normally not a Riesling lover as they are often too sweet, but this one was not.

Class #1

I had my first class with Bill Nesto this week. Level 2: A Comprehensive Survey of wine. It was the first day, so we just went over some basics, like terminology and basic tasting tips. There are so many ways to describe a wine, and you need to use words that are universally understood, so that other wine enthusiasts know what you mean. Nesto gave us this big binder to read, and although it is a little overwhelming, I am pretty excited, and the material is interesting. One exercise we did was related to smell, and Nesto lined up these little jars with smells and our job was to identify each smell, and two stations had more than one smell. Then we tasted a few different "tastes", like bitter and sour. This was to get our noses and mouths used to smelling and tasting. At the end of the class, we tastes 4 white wines and 4 red wines.

The wines we tasted were:
St. Urbans-Hot, Ockfener Bockstein, Riseling Kabinett, Mosel Germany, 2011
Branko, Pinot Grigio, Collio Italy, 2012
Montes, Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Chile, 2012
Mer Soleil, Chardonnay "Silver", Santa Lucia Highlands CA, 2011

Chateau Boutisse, Saint-Emillon Grand Cru, Bordeaux France, 2009
Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2010
Gachot-Monot, Cotes de Nuits-Villages, Burgundy France 2010
Chave, "Offeurs", Saint Joseph, Rhone Valley France, 2011

#tbt

This summer I was lucky enough to work at Vietti Winery, in Piemonte, Italy. I would spend my mornings in the vineyard, doing green harvest. Green harvest is when you reduce the amount of clusters per vine, to help maximize the quality if the cluster and the grapes. When I was not working the in vineyard, I helped out during wine visits and tastings. It was such an amazing experience. Luca and Elena "Vietti" are the most wonderful people, with an energy that is out of this world. And their passion for their wine is contagious.

Bauer Wine and Spirits

I decided to stop by Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury street today, and see what kind of selection they carry. I don't know much about wines from areas outside Piemonte, Italy, but I found two bottles I recognized. Casanova di Neri and Paitin. I discovered Casanova di Neri when I went to a Dalla Terra wine tasting last spring. Bauer is a cozy little store, with wines from all over the world. I'll definitely go back. You can visit their website here: Bauer Wines

a comprehensive survey of wine

My main Christmas gift this year was a wine course. Level 2: A comprehensive survey of wine. The teacher/presenter is Bill Nesto, one of two Master of Wine residing in New England. The course is offered through BU's Metropolitan College. By the end of this semester I will have knowledge of all types of grapes, styles and understand the characteristics of wine. For anyone interested to learn more about the program, you can visit their website: Food and Wine  or look at their Brochure.

photo from this summer

wine in boston

As a student, the budget for wine is not exactly grand, so the amount of wine is also limited. In Boston, there are a few wine stores, but my favorite so far is Central Bottle in Cambridge. They have a small wine boutique, with a good collection from Piemonte. Vietti and Marchesi di Gresy are two of the ones I am familiar with. I am always open to new stores, and will try a new one this semester. It is a bit far away from where I live, but Federal Wine and Spirits also have a good collection. We'll see what I can find in Bean Town. Also up for any suggestions.

ettore germano

Ettore 'Sergio' Germano produces wine in Serralunga D'Alba in Piemonte, Italy. At a tasting this summer, I had the pleasure of tasting both his reds and his whites. My personal favorite was the Herzu riesling, a refreshing white wine that is a recurring one in Cantina Granveien, also know as my home. I don't have much experience with his reds, but from what I can remember, they were quite good. I met Sergio for the first time this summer, and will be sure to return again soon. 

Sergio Germano, current producer of Ettore Germano

veglio wines

Alessandro Veglio resides in Piemonte, Italy, and produces wine. He may be young, but his wines are wonderful. I am no wine expert myself, but this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Signor Veglio, and his passion for his wines are contagious.