Category Archives: HOT NEWS

Fred Brander – a Vinter of the Year

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Pioneering winemaker Fred Brander is being honored as Vintner of the Year at the February 17, 2018, Santa Barbara Wine Auction. The biennial auction is a benefit for Direct Relief and is coordinated in part by the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation. The foundation is the charitable arm of the Buellton-based trade association Santa Barbara Vintners.

Originally from Argentina, Brander grew up in Santa Barbara, and later earned a master’s degree in food science with an enology emphasis from University of California, Davis. He and his father established The Brander Vineyard when they purchased 40 acres in Los Olivos. They planted their first vineyard in 1975 and broke ground on their winery in 1979. Brander specializes in Bordeaux varietals, including sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon.

Brander is known for his advocacy of Santa Barbara County wines. He spent nearly a decade working on the establishment of the Los Olivos District AVA. His petition to the federal government was approved in February 2016.

“Fred is one of the pioneers here. It’s wonderful to be able to honor someone who has been in the business as long as he has,” said Vintners Foundation Past President Frank Ostini. “He proved that Bordeaux varietals could grow in the Santa Ynez Valley and led the efforts to have the Los Olivos District AVA come into being. Plus, Fred is just a funny guy.”

 

 

 

California wines hit record high

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The value of California wine shipments to the US market hit $34.1 billion in 2016, up 4.6% on the previous year and a record for the golden state’s winemakers.

The volume of shipments also increased by 2%, shipping an all-time high of 238 million cases to the US, as reported by the Wine Institute.

Overall, California wines in the US market have increased from 191 million cases shipped in 2006 to 238 million cases in 2016.

Much of this growth has been driven by an increase in population and a growing taste for wine among millennials, says Jon Moramarco, founder and managing partner of BW166, who purchased The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report last year.

California wines

“The growth trend has been driven by population, which is up more than 12% over the last decade, and by the fact that baby boomers, traditionally the large population segment of frequent wine consumers, have been joined by millennials aged 21-38 who are also driving the growth in wine consumption,” he said.

Moramarco pointed to the consolidation of both major retailers and distributors as a major trend in the US market, which is creating “fierce competition and crowded sales channels”.

South African Winery Stellenzicht new ownership

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The co-owner of Ernie Els Wines is expanding his Stellenbosch presence, buying the neighboring Stellenzicht winery. Baron Hans von Staff-Reitzenstein, who has been majority shareholder in Ernie Els wines since 2015, has purchased the farm and winery from Lusan Holdings.

Stellenbos viiew

According to Els executives, the deal is part of a strategy to secure more of their own fruit. The 550-acre property in the Helderberg region, with 250 acres currently planted, is one of the largest in the region and significantly larger than Ernie Els Wines’ 178 acres. The purchase price was not disclosed, but industry sources say Stellenzicht was listed for $9.84 million.

Stellenzicht

Slow Fish 2017 in Genoa: We are the net!

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The eighth edition of Slow Fish – the international event organized by Slow Food and the Region of Liguria – will be held from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21, 2017 in the Genoa’s Porto Antico (Italy). Dedicated to the world of fish and marine ecosystems, this international event ties together the pleasure of food with the protection of marine biodiversity. Admission to the event is free!

Slow Fish 2017 sees the participation of delegates from numerous countries: Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Uganda and the United States.

 

Members of the international Slow Fish network are indeed the protagonists of this event: fishing communities, biologists, chefs, consumers and experts. They all take part in this journey across seas, oceans and freshwater to understand the complexity of the aquatic world and improve the management of the sea’s resources.

The theme of this year’s event is: We are the Net. We are all part of a living, interconnected system, and we act upon it when we buy seafood products. The Slow Fish network wants to call our attention to the urgent need for fishing methods that operate in harmony with the delicate ties of the net. The net here is not just a fishing tool, but a web of relations: water, soil, microorganisms, fish, fishermen and consumers.

Along the seafront at the Porto Antico, the Slow Fish Marketplace exhibits fresh fish, preserves, salts, spices, extra-virgin olive oil and much more. Here visitors can meet the producers and fishermen behind the Slow Food Presidia products from the sea. Among them are the Mediterranean Prud’homies and the Natural Breton Oyster Presidia from France; the small-scale fishermen from the Orbetello Lagoon Presidium in Italy, who produce bottarga di cefalo (a traditional preserve of salted mullet eggs), breed sea bass and sea bream to preserve stocks; and the Wadden Sea traditional fishers Presidium from the Netherlands – the last to practice fixed fishing rather than mobile, working with a limited number of marine species.

There will also be several Terra Madre food communities working with fish, seafood and its derivatives: the mangrove fishermen of Muisne from Ecuador, who are developing a project to repopulate marine fauna, shellfish and crustaceans and at the same time protecting mangrove forests; a cook from the Aglou artisan fishers in Morocco; a representative of the Tarja community of native Itelmen from Kamchatka (Russia) which has long dedicated itself to fishing and selling wild salmon; a group of artisanal fishers from the Kerkennah island (Tunisia) who use the charfia to catch fish, a kind of fixed maze constructed from 4,000 date palm leaves; and the Nkombwe fishermen from the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda.

At the Slow Fish Marketplace the public can enjoy the freshness of the ingredients through 18 Fish-à-Porter events: a kitchen in which artisans and chefs organize tastings along with marine biologists and fishers.

The event program also includes conferences on human and environmental health, the wide panorama of virtuous seafood, the protection of biodiversity, food waste reduction and migration issues; Dinner Dates with stars of Italian and international cuisine; and Slow Path guided tours to discover good fishing practices, sea stories and engaging characters across the event.

Visitors have the chance to discover tasty specialties in the Street Food and food trucks area and enjoy a selection of artisanal beers. In the afternoons and evenings, the Enoteca – with 300 wines selected by the Wine Bank – hosts Temporary Tastings. In the Chefs’ Alliance Kitchen 15 Italian and foreign chefs will be taking turns to cook using products that respect the environment and animal welfare. In the Mixology area, the public can learn the stories behind cocktails, their ingredients and how to make them, guided by experienced bartenders. The Pizza Point offers fish themed pizzas prepared by the country’s finest pizzaioli, and the Shrimp Spot serves red and pink Sanremo shrimps, either raw or cooked.

Know your bubbles

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Bubbles are the soul of any champagne. Their delicate fizz, at once lively and refined, are what give champagne its character and personality.

Unlike non-sparkling wines, champagne is privy to a second fermentation inside the bottle, which infuses the base wine with carbon dioxide. This alone doesn’t create bubbles, though. Rather, they appear when you pop the cork, exposing the liquid to impurities in the air and along the sides of your glass: a vital and necessary step.

A single glass of champagne will give rise to nearly a million bubbles, which fill the air with their scent as they surface and burst at the top. The size of those bubbles depends on their age: the older a champagne, the more delicate its sparkle. A subtlety you can experience firsthand in a glass of Dom Ruinart.

FROM FRÉDÉRIC PANAÏOTIS

« The bubbles play an important role in carrying aromas. »

Consortium Prosecco: stop at Glyfosate, Folpet and Mancozeb

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The Assembly of Consortium Prosecco DOC, confirmed the commitment of the President Stefano Zanette to ban, for the vintage 2018, Glyphosate, Folpet and Mancozeb, removing the same principles, already this year, from the Handbook viticulture 2017.

“We planted the first nail and from here we will never go back, but the summit is ambitious, the path towards total sustainability is long, we have to plan well the subsequent moves” said President Stefano Zanette commenting the success of the ordinary assembly that approved all agenda items, even those less obvious.

The Assembly has decided to vote in favor of the elimination of Glyphosate, Mancozeb and Folpet from the wine year 2018 with an unprecedented measure will become mandatory for all producers who want to be assured of the possibility of producing Prosecco Doc.

This first concrete step toward the system certification, announced just a month ago during a press conference that provoked strong discussion, is the confirmation of the determination with which the Consortium is progressing towards sustainability. More thrust that includes not only farming practices that protect water, air and soil, but also the economic and social sustainability.

“The year ahead – explains Zanette – is the time required to enable us to adopt, with extensive involvement of the supply chain, the most suitable solutions to achieve a goal even more ambitious: a certification of sustainability for the entire name.

As I have explained to our members, this is a choice that could be called ‘social responsibility‘, which has nothing to do with the scientific assessments of competence of other bodies. The science instead there was a comfort to ensure that, even without these substances, we can make a quality wine! “.

“I am convinced – continued Zanette – that beyond the concerns expressed by some members, we will be able, once again, to demonstrate the maturity and dynamism of our name that so proves not to look only to profit but can interpret in a responsible way the expectations of consumer and residents in our territories “.

 “Now I appeal to the sense of responsibility of everyone – concluded Zanette – to successfully carry out the cultural leap that we wanted to accomplish. It ‘a difficult passage that I for first  I wanted to experience in my company so I clearly know what I would have asked you to do. “

The Consortium provides all the necessary support to the companies for better address this difficult but irreversible step.

Massimago Zurlie, bottle re-fermented Corvina

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A Sur-lie reminds us ancient vinifications styles.  When wines used to be just a little less perfect,  and imperfections were probably their greatest qualities.

Not just a fragrant and fresh wine, easy to pair, but also  an easy-going wine concept.” This sur-lie comes from my idea of playing the variety ‘native Corvina: natural, fragrant, fresh hearted. A garden wine to drink without clock.” sayd Camilla Rossi Chauvent owner of Massimago wine estate.

A new way to introduce and approach a unique territory.

VINNATUR IS BACK AGAIN!

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SOON ON SHOW AT VILLA FAVORITA (VICENZA- ITALY) ONE OF THE BIGGEST NATURAL WINE EVENTS

VinNatur keeps growing. The new Procedure Guideline, biodiversity conservation and continuous research are some of VinNatur proactive projects. The chance to take a closer look is Villa Favorita, from 8th to 10th April in Sarego (Vicenza) with 170 producers from 9 Countries

Natural wines are arguably one of the most interesting landscapes in present-day wine world. However, not all producers intend to go beyond this attractive but blurry label. On the contrary, VinNatur Association, which reunites 170 natural wine producers from nine different Countries in Europe, has made a point of honour that consumers understand what they are drinking, what “natural wine” expression guarantees when referring to VinNatur wines. This reason has led VinNatur to create the first Procedure Guideline (here) in the natural wine panorama officially certified by an external inspection body.

Angiolino Maule, President of VinNatur, explains: “We wanted to go beyond a simple self-certification. From this year, VinNatur wine consumers will drink wines which have been officially certified by external laboratories verifying that no pesticides, no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers have been used. Checks are done every year and are mandatory for each producer”. Many steps forwards have been made from 2006 when VinNatur was founded and continuous research plays a key-role. “We are already trying to get rid of copper and sulfur in the vineyards, using instead vegetable extracts that help the vine building up resistance” reveals Angiolino Maule. Along with this, VinNatur promotes biodiversity conservation, being it a very important ally for creating a balanced environment and producing wines expressing sense of place.

 Villa Favorita, one of the biggest natural wine fairs in the world, is the chance to take a closer look at VinNatur. It will host, from 8th to 10th April, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 170 producers (20 more than the past edition) coming from nine different Countries: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Jaume Plensa, inside his work for Ruinart

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Jaume Plensa is 2017 Ruinart’s artist. Recognisable throughout the world, his sculptures playing with the relationship between words, signs and the human body, have turned Jaume Plensa into one of the most important players of the contemporary artistic scene. For this collaboration, Jaume Plensa created a sculpture that evoke the spirit of Maison Ruinart and that of the person at its origin, dom Thierry Ruinart. Anchored in the soil like the vine, this creation is made up of universal language elements: signs, letters originating from eight different alphabets – from Arabic to Hindi, including Greek and Latin, so close to the heart of dom Thierry Ruinart.

NUSSBAUMER BY CANTINA TRAMIN IS THE ONLY WHITE WINE CONVINCING ALL ITALIAN TOP GUIDES

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2-768x512One of the oldest wineries in Alto Adige, Cantina Tramin is an example of boutique winery on its own. With 180 families taking care of about a hectare each and the focus on indigenous varieties such as Gewürztraminer, it comes as no surprise Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer 2014 has been the only Italian white wine awarded with the highest score on all the four leading Italian Wine Guides*

Established back in 1898 in Tramin, a small village far amidst the Alpes in upper Northern Italy, Cantina Tramin has become synonym with still dry Gewürztraminer. The intense work carried out on local varieties along with mountain natural inclination for high quality wine production and a new concept of wine ageing paved the way for Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer 2014 obtaining a stunning performance, therefore convincing once more Italian major guides.

Cantina Tramin has been able to maintain high profile standards over time thanks to an artisanal production which enables the winery to harvest the grapes of each vineyard at perfect maturation, when perfumes reach their highest potential. Cantina Tramin is a wine cooperative of 260 hectares total (642 acres) with an average of a little bit more than one hectare (2.50 acres) per family, thus allowing the 180 households to harvest vineyards in a single day with the benefit of perfect ripeness and outstanding aromacity. All this has gained Cantina Tramin Weinwirtschaft Award as Best Italian Cooperative with the highest score of all European co-ops.

Breezes blowing down from towering mountains onto the sloped vineyards located between 250 and 850 m a.s.l., day/night temperature excursion and different microclimates contribute to perfect ripening and aromatic expression of each variety: Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Lagrein and others.

From 2014 a new concept of wine ageing has been introduced for premium wines such as Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer, Unterebner Pinot Grigio and Stoan, a blend of white varieties. These wines have been allowed to take the time they need to reach maximum aromatic expression and elegance. Specifically, wines stay on lees three more months, are bottled only at the end of August and released on the market at the beginning of the following year, thus expressing in the glass the authentic essence of mountain wines.

*Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2017, Espresso I Vini d’Italia 2017, I Vini di Veronelli 2017, Vitae 2017 by Associazione Italiana Sommelier. Only seven wines have performed so well; these include one white wine, Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer 2014 Cantina Tramin, one sparkling wine, Trento Extra Brut Riserva del Fondatore Giulio Ferrari 2005 Ferrari, and five reds, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Monte Sant’Urbano 2012 Speri, San Leonardo 2011 Tenuta San Leonardo, Bolgheri Sassicaia 2013 Tenuta San Guido, Tignanello 2013 Marchesi Antinori, Paleo Rosso 2013 Le Macchiole.tramin-druck-1024-768x512

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