Debunking a few myths about the world of wine Then we’ll taste a few….
There’s a small fortune to be made in the wine business
• “Jesus turned water into wine, but no one has yet to figure out how to turn wine into profit” – DIAGEO executive
• Capital investment • Agriculture – dependence on climate and soil • Wide range of skills required to succeed – Farming skills – great wines are made in the vineyard – Production skills – Marketing & sales skills
• If you want to turn a BIG fortune into a small fortune, buy a winery • Many are lured by the dream of living in the country, property ownership, lifestyle considerations • It’s a very competitive marketplace and many underestimate the challenge
Cork closure is an indication of a superior bottle of wine
So you think that wines with screwcap are cheap? • Screwcap closure is now widely recognized to be a better closure for many styles of wine, including practically all white wines, and most red wines for drinking young • Top producers of pinot noir in New Zealand (including many wines that retail between $30 and $80) prefer screwcap closure • Now some Alsace producers are opting for screwcap • In California, Randall Graham of Bonny Doon was an early adopter • Research has convinced them that wines under screwcap retain their fruit longer • No “corked” bottles (affected by cork taint) – 6 to 8%
$59.50
$30.75
$28
So why don’t we see more French and Italian wines with screwcap? • A number of reasons – In Italy, DOC and DOCG regulations do not permit screwcap closure …. Yet – Many French producers maintain that the domestic market would not respond favourably to screwcap – How can you predict how consumers will react if they have never been offered a choice? – Complicated to bottle part of production in screwcap and part with cork
Wines with ageing potential are worth more Most frequently asked question in a tasting – “How long can I keep this wine?” “For how long will this wine improve if I cellar it?”
Reality • While some wines may improve with cellaring, most whites under $25 per bottle are best consumed within 3 years of the vintage (some in the year following the vintage) • If you are purchasing red wines under $20, most probably they won’t benefit from more than 3 years of cellaring • For most consumers, “cellaring” means “I’ll keep this for the weekend” • There is no magical “best‐before” date for wine • What’s the point of “cellaring” wine if you don’t have the right conditions? • It all depends on your taste. – Do you like wines showing youthful fruit? – Do you prefer a wine starting to show some tertiary aromas
• Wine and taste are very subjective. Taste for yourself.
I have a bottle that was given to me 7 years ago… I’m keeping it for a special occasion. • Don’t “cellar” in the kitchen! Fluctuations of temperature will accelerate the ageing process of wine • Why wait? Find a special occasion and do some team work – enjoy it with friends • Collectors have a tendency to purchase more than they can consume, and they end up serving wines that are “over the hill” • If you like a wine, and want to cellar it, purchase 6 or 8 bottles and open one every 6 – 12 months to monitor progress and….. Enjoy!
For holiday celebrations, Champagne is “de rigueur”
• Good Champagne (from the region of Champagne, in France) costs at least $54 – Jacquesson Cuvée No. 730 $60.25 – Pol Roger Brut non‐vintage $60.75 – Bruno Paillard Brut Première Cuvée $53.75
• A great champagne will cost $240 ‐ $280 per bottle • What if I can’t afford, or simply don’t want to spend, that much?
• Excellent “méthode traditionnelle” sparkling wines come from many other wine producing regions, including California and New Zealand • Méthode traditionnelle wines are made by exactly the same process as Champagne • They cannot be called champagne, because only wines produced in the region of Champagne in France may carry this name • A well‐selected méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine will be far better value than an “inexpensive” champagne
Recommend a good méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine
Cuvée No. 1 from No. 1 Family Estate, in Marlborough, New Zealand • SAQ#11140658 • $33 • Currently available in many SAQ stores! • Handsome, sleek packaging. • Blanc de blancs. • Made by Daniel Le Brun, considered the pioneer of méthode traditionnelle in NZ. • Lovely texture. Will gain a little nutty character with up to 2 years cellaring. • Recommended by Jacques Benoit in La Presse & Michel Phaneuf in Le Guide du Vin 2011 (p. 431)
Some other options…. • Cremant de Limoux 2007 Clos des Demoiselles, Domaine J. Laurens SAQ # 10498973, $20.45 • Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley (California) SAQ# 294181, $28 • Domaine Chandon Brut Classic (California) SAQ# 10542031, $28.95
Some advice…. • If it’s not screwcap, and friends are waiting, and you can’t find your corkscrew……..
Today’s tasting – 4 wines • Now
• During the wine & cheese – Menetou‐Salon Cuvée Le Charnay Jean‐Max Roger 2008, Loire Valley, France – The Pirate of Cocoa Hill Dornier 2008, South Africa
– Wild South Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – Merlot Tudernum Umbria igt 2008
All wines currently available in SAQ Selection stores, and some SAQ Classique stores
Menetou‐Salon Cuvée Le Charnay – Jean‐Max Roger 2008 • Loire Valley. Menetou‐Salon is just to the east of Sancerre (200 km south of Paris – 40 km north‐east of Bourges) • Jean‐Max Roger – the Roger family has been making wines in Bué since the early 17th century • Sauvignon Blanc • Soil = chalky limestone • 2008 is an excellent vintage • Excellent with oysters, en aperitif, with white‐fleshed fish such as haddock or halibut. • SAQ # 10690519 • $20.30
The Pirate of Cocoa Hill, Western Cape, Dornier 2008 • Top quality winery in the “golden triangle” near Stellenbosch • A youthful yet refined blend of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec • Vineyards in the decomposed red granite soils of Cocoa Hill – a hilltop in the folds of the Stellenbosch Mountain, superbly positioned in prime South African terroir • In Top 50 wines under $15 – Le Guide Phaneuf 2011 • In Top 100 wines selected by François Chartier in his guide La Sélection Chartier 2011. • SAQ # 10679361 • $14.55
Wild South Sauvignon Blanc 2009 • From Marlborough, New Zealand • Lime & citrus flavours typical of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough • Classic Marlborough aroma with gooseberry and lemon grass nuances. • Richly integrated with an intense lime and citrus mid palate and a long textured finish. • A contrast in style to the Menetou‐Salon tasted earlier • Screwcap retains the wine’s freshness and fruitiness • $17.95 • SAQ # 10826383
Merlot Tudernum 2008 • From Umbria, in central Italy • Merlot, from around the picturesque hilltown town of Todi • Widely available in SAQ stores • Easy to drink. • Recommended in Le Guide Phaneuf 2011 • $14.75 • SAQ # 10781963