The New World tasting at the Weinplatz

I have no idea what do our neighbors think of us, when the next morning after the tasting, I or my husband take out a huge bag full of empty wine bottles and the endless throughing process begins. If only, falling on one another, they wouldn't have rattled so deceitfully, or rattled with a special „tasting wine samples“, rather then „drinking wine bottles“ sound...

I do not know whether Sean (the owner of the Weinplatz wine boutique) has experienced the same moral torments every time after his tastings, but to me tasting wine on some one else's territory is the ocean of positive emotions and no public responsibility :)

So, some words about the New World tasting in the Weinplatz:

Torrontes

Michel Torino

Region: Cafayate Argentina

Grape variety: Torrontes Riojano

Immersing your nose into this floral intensity you get immediately attacked by the rose petals, orange blossom and some spices. Torrontes is a truly "native" Argentinian grape, its closest relative, criolla chica, most probably was brought to the country by missionaries and eventually became a national treasure. It gives really aromatic wines - floral-spicy, exotic.

Pinot Grigio

Murphy-Goode

Region: Sonoma, Napa Valley, USA

Grape variety: Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is often called "white pinot noir" (which, if you think about it in terms of the words' etymology, sounds a bit bizarre), as well as "rulander" and "Alsatian Tokay." Its historic homeland, rebellious Burgundy of the 12th century, not only knew how to fight for the throne, but also how to creat a fashion for wine. Over time, the popularity of Pinot Gris spread over neighboring territories of the Old World: from Alsace and Switzerland to Germany and Italy, where it changed its name for Pinot Grigio.

After the phylloxera invasion, Pinot Gris has been replaced by a hybrid (Pinot Gris + American vine), which, unfortunately, didn't feel well on the Burgundian soil. But in Alsace, Germany and Italy, it felt much better and was able to revive.

This variety expresses differently depending on the geography of its production: dry, light bodied, crispy wine with some citrus touch in Italy. In Alsace and Oregon, it becomes more intense, enriched by floral aromas, and the pear, melon palate. Californian Pinot Grigio is lighter than grassy samples from Oregon and is much more similar to the Italian version.

Sauvignon Blanc

Producer: Sliding Hill

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc in California occupies an area of ​​15 thousand acres and is the third most popular variety. It is sometimes called "Fumé Blanc" here, in Robert Mondavi's way, who appeals to its origins - the Loire Valley, where Sauvignon is the dominant variety and where in most cases it is known under this particular name.

One of the most popular varieties of wine, sauvignon, known for its steel, slightly Aggressive acidity, aromas of green, unripe gooseberry, asparagus, black currant and tomato leaves.

Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, particularly in the Marlborough region more modernized classic, tropical fruit, more intense, more daring than the traditional "herbal" instances. Here are incredibly bright sound gooseberry, tropical fruit and freshly cut grass.

Pinotage

Producer - Swartland

Western Cape, SAR

Grape variety - Pinotage

The story of its birth refers to 1925 when Isaac Abraham Perold, Professor of the Stellenbosch University, crosses two French varieties - Pinot Noir (fruity character) and Cinsault (structure, tannins, power) in attempt to create a South African signature grape. The attempt has been followed by sucess - the world met Pinotage.

It's a dark purple colored wine, tannic, with some slightly bitter notes, followed by blueberry, cherry, tobacco and earthy aromas.

Carmenere

Region - Calchagua Valley, Chile

Producer - Crucero

Grape variety - Carmenere

Cuvee reserva

Chilean Bordeaux Blend

Carmenere was a very popular variety in Bordeaux, valued by the winemakers for its rich color and powerful character. It was often used as in blends as it gave depth and structure to the wine.

Tannic, full-bodied wine, blueberry and blackberry on the nose, with some coffee and tobacco hints.

Two Carls, „dangerous“ slope and the lunch with Friedrich Hasselbach in Weingut Gunderloch

Did you ever lay your eyes on the random passer by and invent a story that is behind this person? Indulging your freedom of imagination, have you plucked scraps of names from the depths of your memory, cutting, pasting and attaching them in your own mode, perhaps, even choosing names for a couple of characters and having assorted the whole artistic conception in your conscience, washed away the unborn literary masterpiece in the sink along with the bolognese remnants on the plates after dinner? Laziness, laziness, laziness is a ruthless killer of so many masterpieces.

But some people, such as the German playwright Carl Zuckmayer, didn't spend time on washing up, maybe hasn't even dined at all, what a waste! When the passion takes you by surprise, who cares about routine, take a quill and write. And that's, actually, what he has done. Saw a girl, fell in love, proposed, has been refused, got disappointing, got angry, wrote a play. 'And the girl? What happened to the girl?' - you might ask. And I'll answer you: 'She got married to a respectable banker by profession and winemaker by vocation (also Carl, but another one, from the Gunderloch family), gave birth to children, and they lived happily after until... Until the revenge of the rejected playwright, has overtaken them with the play 'The Happy Vineyard' in which Carl Gunderloch was described as a drunkard and adultery inclined man with all the ensuing consequences in the form of illegitimate children. The scandal and the fifty or, maybe, even the hundred shades of hatred and contempt from Gunderloch family served as an excellent advertisement for the Zukmayer's play (the balming effect it produced on his heart wound was a bonus) and only roused interest towards theatrical performances, bringing all possible success to the play.

And that's how strange life is, every cloud has a silver lining or 'there's no such thing as bad publicity', in spite of the moral damage to the owners (grandmother and grandfather of the current owner of Weingut Gunderloch – Agnes Hasselbach) the play made the winery famous.That is to say, I don't mean, that the wines that are shipped all over the world with the Gunderloch name on their proudly protruding chest (well, surely, if the 'bottle' according to the official terminology has the 'neck', why wouldn't it have a 'chest' as well) sought any additional advertisement or fame. Being as gorgeous as they are, they could make anyone else famous by association, but, you see, there are not so many wineries in the world that could boast this 'kinship' with classical literature. Not a 'second cousin twice removed' kind of relation, but as direct as one could be. Through two generations. Here you go.

  

How do I know all this? Have learned it on my way from the winery to the cellar, the kind of cellar where the wine has been kept for centuries, from Friedrich Hasselbach, winemaker of Weingut Gunderloch and husband of Agnes Hasselbah, whose grandmother ... Well, you know already.

After a short tour to the production site (it is a bit bizarre to use those words in relation to an intimate family business with a hundred years of history) we went to see the vineyards. The 'Roter Hang', a unique slope of the Reinhessen, from which some of the most famous German Rieslings and one of the most famous white wines in the world proceed, is beautiful, obstinate and dangerous. Beautiful, because it offers a remarkably beautiful view of the Rhine. Obstinate, because despite the 21st century's technological progress and all this blah, blah, blah, the cultivating process remains as hard as it was centuries ago. Why is it dangerous? 'This is, perhaps, a question to the tractor's driver, who's been crossing himself each time he had to drive down the narrow path of the hill...up to 50 times a day' - says Friedrich Hasselbach.

Well, if the vine should suffer in order to give a good wine (and it suffers a lot... to get to the water through the red shale, is difficult even if you are a human with a set of garden tools, not a fragile plant!), so the winemakers have to go through the trials on their way to awards and praise by Decanter, Wine Advocate and other wine gurus. 'Yes, in the old days, everything on the vineyard has been done manually, we went up and down, up and down the slope, countless times a day. But it's not the the most difficult thing'- says Friedrich as we stay at the foot of the hill -'the main difficulty is to avoid botrytis, which is the regular companion of the humidity that comes from the river and the fogs. It is the main enemy of dry Rieslings if you want to follow the organic trends'.

The day before we arrived to the winery, it has been visited by the photographer from Wine Spectator, the magazine, which has awarded different vintages of Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg TBA with the highest 100 points in 1992, 1996 and 2001. Sitting in the tasting room I contemplate another wine magazine's - the Decanter awards hanging on the wall and realize perfectly well that everything that could have been said about these wines already is already said and written two hundred thousand times. Therefore, I will not bore you with long descriptions, just will name the wines that we have tasted:

1. Nierstein 2013 – Peach and lime strike you first, followed by mineral notes. Dry, mineral and spicy

2. Pettenthal 2012 – elegant, opening up with exotic fruits aromas, spicy-mineral on the palate with well balanced acidity.

3. Nackenheim 2013 – apples, lots of apples in the aroma, touched with citrus and herbal hints. Very mineral and intense on the palate.

Dinner at Ritz-Carlton Berlin

And so, that nice summer evening (which was quite a while ago, but I was too busy, enjoying my honey moon and having other important stuff, to write :)) we went to Desbrosses Brasserie, the main dining spot in Ritz-Carlton Berlin after the closure of the Michelin restaurant.

The dinner for 12 people is served. We are here, where are the other 10 people?

Tried to lull our vigilance with ducks

Tomatoes and mozzarella. The supremacy era of the Italian buffaloes tyranny is apparently over, the mozzarella we have this evening is from German organic buffaloes.

OK, I shall try a small piece. Just a small piece. Maybe two. Maybe three. Actually, have some respect to buffaloes! I'll eat it all.

The wine that accompanies it, is the Freemark Abbey Chardonnay from Napa Valley. When you get a bottle with such name, what's the first thing that comes on your mind? Right, a blossoming valley, were the monks wearing the brown cassocks (should be obligatory brown) make this velvety wine with vanilla and banana notes. For the thirst quenching reasons solely, of course.

And then, all of a sudden, you get to know that the FREEMARK ABBEY is the abbreviation of the name. What disillusionment! But the wine is really good, can I have another glass? Thanks!

Salmon. Different salmons on my plate. With avocado. And sauce. The tastiest thing in the world, you wouldn't want to be disturbed while eating it. Good Lord, it seems that I'm being asked something by a girl that sits 2 people from me, and I still have a mouth full of salmon. Yes, I'm trying to swallow ASAP, could you all, please, stop looking at me! OK, OK, just swallowing the whole, damned piece, if it pleases you. What was the question?

Wine at the dinners are served, probably, to help people to cope with such stressful situations. The more stress you go through, the better the wine you deserve. I deserved nothing less than the Saint Emilion Grand Cru. Château Lassegue. Highly recommend it to everybody, as the flavour of berry jam, coffee beans, dark fruit really helps to regain confidence in yourself. And in humans. And of course, its round, rich, fresh taste, is a perfect companion to salmon.

Risotto goes with Super Tuscan wine, and I have nothing to add to that. Where there is a risotto, there should be a Super Tuscany, where there is Super Tuscany there is a risotto. Il Fauno wine and a risotto with a goat cheese. Hand in hand. For a lifetime. Indeed.

Here comes a...desert. You would ask, of course, what to choose: “Panna cotta or a cupcake, a cupcake or panna cota?” And this would be a very wrong question, because who on earth chooses between cakes and panna cotta. I will have both, of course. And the nut mousse, which didn't get in the shot. I would have asked for a second pana cotta, but moderacy is above all, I think.

We discussed lots of sad things during the dinner. For example, I learned that the fixed price for lunch in the Ritz now states 16 Euros. I thought that I misheard it and asked again "60?" - "No, just 16. One Six" – kindly repeated for me Isabel Steinhauer, the food and beverage director, who was having dinner with us.

Common, have some respect to the name! So many people put their lives in the attempt of spreading the idea of luxuriness and big prices all over the world, make it at least 61 or 116 Euros :)!     

White France tasting in "Vins&Cognac"

 After four years that I've been working in the wine trading company, it's difficult to count the number of the tastings that have organized or visited. Wine fairs, with their endless kaleidoscope of wine brands, visits and presentations of the winemakers, trips to the wineries. Over the years I have tried hundreds of wines, thousands of times used the word "tannin", "full bodied", "nice balance of acidity", "long finish", "palate".

Its rapidly increasing popularity over the last years and its status of the «luxury» segment at the same time, made it incredibly fashionable to be keen in wines. Suddenly everyone who had some knowledge about the wines, started to consider themselves celebrities (I'm not an exclusion, unfortunately). So, it took me some time to understand the simple truth: whatever in the wine industry your role is (winemaker, marketing manager,  journalist or blogger), you never stop to learn when it goes about wine. 

Why am I writing all this? Ah, yes, it’s because of the last week’s White France wine tasting in a lovely area of Monbijouplatz at the «Vins & Cognac" boutique. Sean, its owner, has been living in France for many years and his theoretical knowledge, supported by practical experience, made this tasting very lively and exciting. 

Here are its main points:

 
1. For those who didn’t know, Bergerac is not only the name of a novel’s character, but also a name of the wine region located on the South West of France. Wonderful region, which has been fated to compete with the Great and Powerful Bordeaux (just to make things more clear, to compete with Bordeaux when it goes about wine, is pretty much the same as for an motor car constructing company to surpass Mercedes or for  a tailor to emulate the success of Dior). It happened because the Bordeaux wine region boundaries were delimitated in the XX century, establishing the new limits on the Gironde department borders. And since the wine merchants in that area after the change of administrative borders, were focused on selling the wines under the official brand of Bordeaux, it’s been a tough time for Bergerac winemakers.

 
The regulated grape varieties - Semillon, Sauvignon Blan, Muscadet are allowed to be blended with Ugni Blanc and Chenin, producing dry white wine with a nice body, complex flavor and a long, pleasant finish. 

The wine we have started with, Chateau Tourmentine Bergerac Passionnement (50% Semillon/50% Sauvignon) expressed perfectly the main terroir characteristics of its region, opening with the complex aromas, fruity and nicely balanced palate and capturing with a long pleasant aftertaste. This wine should be drunk as an aperitif (which we did) otherwise it could match perfectly to salads and fish.

2. The next tasting destination was Champagne. Honestly, there is so much being told and retold about Champagne, that, it makes no sense to describe it – everyone has tasted this wine at least once in his life, and the name of the area it originates from, is known even by those who deal with wine on the daily basis as much as the average person deals with astrophysics. As for our tasting sample, it was Charles Lafitte Brut Millesime 1999. The wine opened with soft floral aromas (acacia, privet and passionflower), a bit harsh at first on the palate, with the time in a glass it softened, evolving honey notes of acacia, getting more round and complex. The aftertaste was long, clear, revealing well “pronounced” dried fruits’ notes. 

One fact about Champagne (or better to say its attribute) that perhaps never occurred to you... The well-known "mushroom" shaped champagne cork was not specially produced for the sparkling wines format. The standard cork is being used for all wines (no matter still or sparkling), but the pressure in the bottle with sparkling wine causes the formation of the cork "cap" over the bottle’s neck.

 
3. From Burgundy to the Loire Valley, to Domaine Bideau and their wine - Giraud Grand Mortier Gobin Cru 2012. Loire Valley with its 300 castles is one of the French main treasures (please forgive me for banality). 

Four Muscadet appellations are producing the same name grape variety, also known as Melon de Bourgogne. It gives light, fresh, dry wines, varying from the walnut to peach or, even, sometimes honey shades. This wine’s quite neutral flavor accentuates perfectly the taste of seafood and slakes your thirst. Our wine proceeded from Muscadet de Sevre-et-Main appellation (the central area that produces the largest number of quality wines). Giraud Grand Mortier Gobin Cru 2012 hunts you with the white fruits and notes of lime, good balance of acidity, moderate body and mineral palate - a great wine to enjoy with a seafood.

4. Alsace - another region that we moved to after a short break. Oh, those breaks, they are so tricky... When there is a break and the glasses are full with wine, people start losing their interest to sorting out the notes, finding the aroma peculiarities and searching for mineral hints in their glasses, preferring a relaxed chat to other people in the room. And here is the crucial moment to test yourself on the dictatorship skills, cutting of the democracy in the room, saying strictly and loudly "Everybody sit down" or "All rise!” (especially, if there are no chairs in the room), “We are starting the next wine” ... But Sean was nothing of the dictator, so we continued talking relaxed, alternately rushing to the table with snacks and sipping our delicious Gewurztraminer for some time :). 

So, back to Alsace ... The vineyards of Alsace have been changing their jurisdiction many times going from the French governance under German and back to French. No wonder that German grape varieties like Risling and Gewurztraminer are coexisting here with the French Pinot Gris and Muscat. In our case, the Alsace wine was presented by Gewurztraminer 2012 by Willy Gisselbrecht. It was a nice, light wine with a traditional flavor of exotic fruits, rose petals and spices, easy drinking thanks to its light and fresh flavor that matches so well with foie gras or blue cheeses. 

5. Well, what kind of tasting of French white wines without a sample from Burgundy? There is no such tasting. Quite predictably the “star” of our program came from this region, it was - Domain Alain Guyard Marsannay "Les Etales" 2012. Crispy fresh, mineral, perfectly balanced - a fine example of the high-style Burgundy (and, surprisingly, the example of the low price), and there is nothing to add to that.

6. The last tasting sample was by Domaine Sarda - Malet Muscat de Rivsaltes 2011. The town of Rivesaltes (which literally means "high banks") gave its name to the natural sweet wines area of ​​production, which was once confined to its outskirts, and now includes a significant part of the Roussillon. Produced here sweet wines are soft, nervous and creamy. This rich sweet (not less than 100 g / l) wine full of ripe grapes aromas is made out ​​of of Muscat and Muscat of Alexandria grape varieties. During the aging process it acquires notes of honey and candied fruit (especially apricots) aromas. 

Well, hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed tasting. Special thanks to Sean for organizing it!