Press

It´s always a bit strange if you find yourself on the news ... but funny as well, as people approach you on the street and say "whoo ... I´ve heard about you on the radio!!"

Österreich hat ersten Wein-Diplomingenieur - oesterreich.ORF.at

Falstaff Winners tasting notes

I got the opportunity to taste the three Falstaff winners yesterday and with two Blaufränkisch among them one has to note that there is a shift in the trend with high end Austrian red wines. Wine critics and journalists are pushing the common (wine) interest strongly in the Blaufränkisch direction. Arguments like „Austrias red wine profile can only be sharpened with single vartietal wines“ is in someway ridiculous if one thinks just about Bordeaux ... blends all over (with some exceptions). But as the wine media is highly influential on the wine industry in every country there will be more single varietal top wines coming up pretty soon. If that´s all for the better future will show.

Find my tasting notes of the three winner wines and some others below: (all prices count for Wein&Co.)

1.Chablis 2007 from Simonnet-Febvre - ok - €15,99

pale yellow hue, distinctive phenolic compounds covering the fruit completely on the nose, lacks acid backbone, a rather dull and unentertaining wine.

2. Blaufränkisch Reihburg 2007 from Weingut Uwe Schiefer - delicious - €46,45

middle red hue, purple reflections, dark berry fruit, bit underwood, tar-like earthyness, licorice, very good acid and tannin structure, sour cherries, lingering.

3. Blaufränkisch Perwolff 2007 from Weingut Krutzler 2007 - very good/delicious - €52,50

middle red hue with a purple rim, still quite young color, fruitfoward berry flavors on the nose, good structure, quite pronounced acid structure, lingering.

4. Reve de Jeunesse 2007 from Weingut Pöckl - extraordinary - €64,13

deep dark red hue, black core, hints of anisseed, Cassis and chocolate flavors on the nose, smooth but very powerful tannin structure, multilayered, reveals more and more after several hours in the decanter, mocha, dried plums, licorice, extremely lingering. Will greatly improve with further cellaring.

5. Blaufränkisch Spiegel 2007 from Weingut Paul Achs - delicious - €51,08

dark red hue, purple reflections, watery rim, powerfull dark fruit and spices on the nose, chocolate and mocha, smooth tannin structure but with the typical BF acid backbone, lingering, after the same time in the decanter like all other wines flavors fading away - maybe to little free SO2!

Falstaff Winners 2009

Find the Falstaff winners 2009 at Falstaff-Sieger: Der mit dem Perwolff tanzt | kurier.at

© Kurier

Celebration times ..

Today was a rather important day in my life. As the first student in Austria I´ve finished my Masters in Quality Viticulture and Marketing. My family and some friends celebrated this day with good food and even better wines. In this post I want to reward the most impressive wine of the day and I am glad and thankful it´s an Austrian!! (Let it be foreigner ... insider joke!!)

Sauvignon Blanc "Reipersberg" 2008 from Weingut Gschweicher - delicious

lychee pure on the nose, mango and passion fruit, ripe peaches, exotic fruit basket, bell pepper, hints of freshly grounded white pepper, multilayered and complex, very good and integrated acid structure, all flavors are mirrored on the palate, lingering, very gorgeous SB.

Sulphur to blame ..

I found this interesting article in the South African Wine Mag.

A look at sulphur in wine

Published: 02 Sep 09

Mixed blessings

Sulphites in wine are an essential part of the winemaking process. Increasingly, however, they are being blamed for causing adverse reactions in wine drinkers. Jeanri-Tine van Zyl investigates.

Using sulphur to preserve and prevent spoilage is not a modern trend. The Oxford Companion to Wine (OUP, 2006) notes that the mention of sulphur (referred to as brimstone) dates back to Biblical times - in the first book, Genesis, it is used in an act of doom on Sodom and Gomorrah. But the ancient peoples quickly realised that God's weapon could also be put to beneficial use - of which the preservation of perishables, such as wine, emerged as a most important discovery: "The operation of fumigating wine with sulphur is performed by kindling rags of linen dipped in melted brimstone, and suffering the steam to enter a cask filled... with that liquor," notes Beckmann and Johnston et al. in A History of Inventions and Discoveries (1846) on the use of sulphur dating back to Roman times.

In fact, the addition of sulphites in the preservation of solids and fluids has been so effective that their use is yet to be bettered in the modern wine trade. However, this longstanding method of preservation is now being challenged by the increasingly health conscious consumer, a new generation who are taking note of the additives in products and their effects. Points of concern are the impact of sulphites on those suffering from allergies, or sulphite intolerance, on the one hand, and the effect of sulphites on your state of being the morning after, with many tipplers questioning the role this additive plays in their hangovers.

A contentious issue

Delving into the subject proves to be contentious - a winemaker, who wishes to remain anonymous, admitted to it "not being good for you" but then quickly noting that sulphite levels in dried fruit, amongst other consumables, are much higher than those found in most wines. Sulphites do present a level of toxicity - but most of us are not particularly sensitive to its use in small concentrations and the adverse effects associated with such compounds can primarily be linked to those suffering from allergies, or asthma.

In contemplating the issue, it's important to be clear that there is no such thing as a sulphur-free wine as sulphur naturally forms during fermentation. Used as an anti-oxidant and anti-septic, extra sulphur can be added to freshly picked grapes in the form of metabisulphite (which is also found in other consumables such as fruit juices and dried fruit) at the beginning of the production cycle, but sulphur levels are also adjusted during production. The reason for this is twofold. Free sulphur reacts with oxygen to prevent the oxidation of wine, keeping it fresh and preventing browning, while bound sulphur in wine inhibits the growth of unwanted microorganisms, acting as a disinfectant.

Gains and losses

But how to address the consumer anxieties without it having a negative impact on wine? Neil Patterson, cellarmaster at Franschhoek wine farm L'Omarins is keen to explore alternatives. Though he admits he's on unchartered territory scientifically, he questions sulphur as the sole protector of wine, and is a proponent for no-addedsulphur wines. A sufferer of sulphite intolerance himself, Patterson relates how the area around his eyes turns into a red rash when he drinks a wine high in sulphur content. "I'll look like a panda," he says in explaining why he stands personally to benefit from producing wines that are generally lower in sulphur content. Last year, Patterson experimented with making a no-added-sulphur Chardonnay, aided by new purification technology Surepure.

This invention, in lay terms, makes use of UV radiation to inactivate microbes that can lead to wine spoilage. But although this can reduce the bound sulphur component, enough free sulphur would still be needed to prevent oxidation. "Oxidation remains a problem," notes John Loubser from top Constantia winery Steenberg, where the Surepure technology has also been tested.

This is reiterated by Jeff Grier from Villiera in Stellenbosch, where a no-sulphur added Cap Classique, Brut Natural, is produced. "The main problem happens at bottling, when wine is exposed to oxygen - Surepure doesn't really help with that." In the end you can produce a wine with no added sulphites, but the maturation period will be shortened, says Grier.

But given that the vast majority of wine is consumed within days, if not hours, of purchase is that really a problem? Producing wine without added sulphur is a fraught exercise, as no-added sulphur wines can be highly volatile. "We did research on producing a no-added sulphur Chenin Blanc, it tasted great in the tank and the day of bottling, but two weeks after bottling the wine goes darker and looses fruit," says Grier. Also, wines which haven't been subjected to added sulphur will react to oxygen quicker once opened and should therefore not be subjected to "airing practices" such as decanting, for example.

A QUESTION OF AGE
On the point of maturation, Patterson admits to playing it "safe" with L'Omarins' first no-added- sulphur wine to be released being a Rosé in the farm's new Protea range - as no-one buys a Rosé to cellar. While Grier is not convinced that there is a sure-fire way to cut out the use of sulphur without hampering aging, he thinks that the pressure coming from consumers for lower-sulphur wines has some benefits. When a winemaker produces a lowersulphur wine, he needs to be more aware of practices that might introduce harmful components to the wine. As Grier says, "if you know you can't just fix any problem by adding sulphur, then you become more mindful of your winemaking techniques." Clean cellars, healthy fruit and hands-on production are key.

"Good housekeeping becomes of utmost importance," echoes Patterson. And without revealing names, he alludes to this being difficult to achieve at certain mass-production plants where large volumes make it difficult to keep an eye on "triggers" that might cause need for added sulphur - such as ullage in tanks that can cause oxidation if not treated with additives.

But apart from putting emphasis on more diligent winemaking practices, Grier adds that more naturally produced wines retain more original flavour, and as grapes for lower-sulphur wines are often picked at lower pH levels, chances are that these wines will also be lower in alcohol - which is advantageous given the backlash that high alcohol wines are increasingly attracting. The bottom line, however, is that lowersulphur wines are going to be shorter lived.

Does this introduce a conflict between the average consumer who wants a wine to go with his TV dinner tonight and the serious collector? No, says Grier. Château Petrus is not going to change its recipe to suit the market whims for example, but lower sulphur wines are going to become a big issue. Says Patterson: "Some might say lowsulphur wines are a trend or a fad, but I believe it is the start of the future".

What to drink?

There is no clear recipe to follow. White wines usually have higher doses of sulphur dioxide, with Sauvignon Blanc, especially those with green pepper nuances, being notorious for this additive.

Red wines and bubbly are known to have lower amounts whilst Noble Late Harvest contain very high doses of sulphur dioxide. It has become compulsory in both South Africa and the European Union for wine labels to contain the wording "contains sulphites" or "contains sulphur dioxide" for wines that contain more than 10 milligrams per litre of SO..

The maximum amount of added sulphur is 160 mg/. in normal wines and up to 300 mg/. in NLH wines. Unfortunately law does not dictate exact amounts be printed on labels.

Are you allergic to sulphites?

Consumers should make a clear distinction between headaches and hangovers. If you are sensitive to sulphur, a headache is most likely to be triggered within hours of consumption, whilst a hangover is only felt the following day. Alcohol, causing dehydration, rather than sulphites, are the cause of hangovers. According to Dr Harris Steinman from the Allergy Society of South Africa, most common indications that you might be suffering from sulphur allergies include coughing, followed by shortness of breath, wheezing and a tight chest. Some consumers may experience a runny nose and, uncommonly, a rash. Dr Steinman also notes that asthma sufferers are particularly sensitive to added sulphites and should therefore be aware of consumables that contain sulphur dioxide such as wine, dried fruit, fruit juices and so forth.

A sulphur trigger should also not be confused with allergies to other compounds found in wine. Many individuals are also affected by histamine in wines. "Some individuals, and up to 45% of Asian individuals, cannot metabolise the alcohol and therefore will become sick on drinking wine, which is an enzymatic problem," says Dr Steinman, adding that few individuals may actually be allergic to alcohol. The degree of reactions may also vary as those caused by an enzyme problem can be dose-related: "It is possible that an individual's reaction will vary, for example, if he or she ate something containing sulphites that used up some of the enzyme, then drinks wine before the enzyme is replenished, then he or she could have a reaction at a lower dose than usual."

Resource: winemag.co.za

The hot "SALON 2009"

Yesterday I attended the annual presentation of the "SALON Österreich Wein" wines hosted by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in the Grand Casino Baden.

It was hot !!! and that means really hot ... lots of interested people, no AC and about 30 degrees outside temp are definitely not the best conditions for a wine tasting.

A proper judgement of a wine was not possible as one was pushed around by thirsty crowds ... little girlies (I suppose young sommeliers from a school) were totally stressed and overstrained with pouring wines to some 400 people and to make it worse ... just every third of them was in possession of a corksrew ... people were really angry and so was I. I left just after 1 hour!!

resume: more corkscrews to the world ;-) ... and ways more effort with the organisation, because the 260 best wines of Austria and their makers really deserve a better presentation!!

New virtual tours at KC

Just found out some new exciting things going on at Klein Constantia / Cape Town.

KC installed 2 brand new virtual tours. First one covering the vineyards, the second the main cellar activities.

If you would like to get an insiders view of the Klein Constantia winery, producer of the famous Vin de Constance, check out following link and enjoy the beauty of the South African wine lands.

Klein Constantia

By the way ... if you meet a bottle looking like this, do not hesitate to taste a sip ... Jane Austen said about this special wine: "just a sip is enough to cure the broken heart of a lady"

Hans Reinisch dies in tractor accident

©www.falstaff.at (29.5.2009)

Hans Reinisch (Johanneshof) tödlich verunglückt

Der bekannte Winzer Hans Reinisch (57) vom Johanneshof in Tattendorf ist gestern, Donnerstag, den 28. Mai 2009, um ca. 15.45 Uhr bei der Traktorarbeit in der Gumpoldskirchner Ried Satzing tödlich verunglückt. Sein Traktor mit Anhänger hat sich im steilen Weingarten zur Seite überschlagen, der Winzer wurde im Führerhaus rettungslos eingeklemmt, die rasch eingetroffenen Einsatzkräfte konnten ihn nicht mehr lebend bergen.

Results of Master thesis "Die burgenländische Weinprämierung"

Dear reader,

please find below the abstract of my Master thesis titled 

"Self Image and Public Image analysis of the annual regional tasting in Burgenland - a survey on the basis of qualitative expert interviews".

If you are interested in the detailed results of the Master thesis, just let me know. 

The annual regional wine tasting in Burgenland is an blind, expert tasting and accessible to all wineries in the Burgenland region. A modern objective annual tasting in the region of Burgenland according to the needs and requirements of all stakeholders enables the chamber of agriculture in Burgenland to work with focused Public Relations in a more and more competitive national and international wine market. The aim of this Master thesis is to compare the self-image of the annual wine tasting with the various public images. 

The focus of the qualitative research is to answer the question, in what way the self- image by the employees of the chamber of agriculture and the public images by experts in the fields of Gastronomy, Media, Viticulture and Wine Marketing show differences. 

As the results show, there are some severe differences in the self-image and the public image of the annual wine tasting in Burgenland. Especially in the configuration of the tasting procedure, the execution of Public Relations, the image perception and the significance of this wine tasting. This analysis could be the base for adaptions in the Marketing strategy and Public Relations concept by the chamber of agriculture in Burgenland.

Slow Food Burgenland

© Slow Food Burgenland

Slow Food Burgenland relaunched!!

I am proud to announce the Relaunch of the "Slow Food Burgenland" Convivium.

As good, sustainable food and wine are becoming much more important in a globalized world, I am glad that some old varieties and traditions are still alive in the Burgenland region.

Learn more about Slow Food:

SLOWFOODBURGENLAND

Robert Parker´s bitch ...

If it´s really boring in the office today take the time to watch this most interesting, funny picture on the Californian wine industry and the influence of wine critics. (26min.!!)

Enjoy responsible!

Robert Parker's Bitch from Josh Hermsmeyer on Vimeo.

French wine in 1 minute

Try to speak this fast !!!

Grüner Veltliner DAC!!

Actually it is quite funny if one finds pics like this ... it seems that even 6 years after the introduction of the first DAC the Austrians still prefer the variety on the label ... Mr. Pfaffl is going to die 1000 deaths ... 

And frankly ... have a closer look at the label ...  it states clearly: Grüner Veltliner DAC (same font, same size!!)

pic from:

Wein « Gourmet « Schaufenster « DiePresse.com

Michel Rolland on Bordeaux 2008

The paradox of wine

This week I read an article in „DiePresse.com“ (Im Keller: Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein 2007 « DiePresse.com). It made me think about a few things concerning the wine business. I thought about journalism, winemaking, Emile Peynaud and the question „Why do we need Wine Marketing?“

Examples are very good things and I would like to use an example to explain my thoughts.

E.g.

Thesis: 

A winemaker makes serious changes in his vineyard management system and cellar work. As result his wines do not ferment until dry - of course the wine shows a lower alcohol level but with a residual sugar level above 12 g/l. Wine does not need any interference by man. Wine creates itself. 

Antithesis: (from „The taste of wine“ by Prof. Emile Peynaud 1996, p289ff)

There are several kinds of quality. I would like to refer to the innate quality - which corresponds to natural factors and acquired quality - provided by the intervention of man. Prof. Peynaud points out that nothing is completely innate in a processed product of agricultural origin. Natural condition are only potentially, in effect everything has to be acquired, discovered or invented.

Without choosing the location, constant work in the vineyards, without drainage and improvements there would be no good soils for wine and no production of quality grapes. It is man who has chosen the grape variety and for the wine itself, it is a direct product of man´s labor. The quality of the wine depends on the choice of a method of vinification and how it is carried out.

Essentially, quality only exists if it is desired, sought after, patiently waited for; it is not a free gift. Prof. Peynaud cannot agree with the view that „one accepts human intervention (in vinification), as long as it allows the natural charateristics to remain intact,“ since it is precisely human intervention which has created and highlighted this so-called natural charateristics! 

Baron Le Roy: „Quality can be endlessly improved because it is essentially the work of man.“

BUT: Preventive enology is always better than curative enology as emphasized in the phrase: "Vinify in such a way that the wine will have to undergo no treatments other than clarification."

This paradox leads directly to our initial question. „Why do we need Wine Marketing?“

Solution:

What can our winemaker - sorry, he does not want to be called a winemaker - wine attentand do?? As many people do not know very much about wine it is the task of the producer (beside some other institutions) to train the consumer. Consumers demanding higher qualities in wines are creating higher quality wines!

But the wine attendant, together with our journalist, creates an article which falsely informs the consumers. Wine does not need the interference of man. High residual sugar levels are due to this year circumstances. Nature did not want to create a dry wine! But if the consumers do not have profund knowlegde about vineyard management, vinification, tasting expertise ... they are not going to demand higher quality wines which is in fact quite good in our example as it would lead to decreasing sales. 

Last but not least two of my favorite statements of Prof. Emile Peynaud:

„Quality exists only in relation to the individual judge and then only in as far as he has the ability to perceive it and approve it.“

„The quality of wine has no existence on its own since it is dependent on the quality of the consumer. Everyone drinks the wine he of she deserves.“

Literature: 

The taste of wine: The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation - Emile Peynaud - 1996 - ISBN-13:978-0471113768

A New Blog is born ...

I am proud to present another WINE BLOG. 

A friend and fellow enology student of mine is working with winery Christian Fischer in Soss (situated in the Thermal region, South of Vienna) and has just released his brand new blog. 

I am really looking forward to read some interesting (tasting) news from Zierfandler, Rotgipfler and Blauer Portugieser.

Blog name: Peter's Wine Explorations

Creator: Peter

winery: Weingut - Fischer

Peter is not the sleeper! (pic from the famous "Intervitis-Stuttgart" tour 2007)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear reader,

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2009!

I am looking forward to another year of great wines, excellent food and more "adventures" in foreign (wine) countries. Stay well!!

A la Carte - Riesling tasting

Just read this months "A la Carte - Riesling tasting". The tasting crew sampled 228 wines from the vintage 2007. 

There are a few funny things I would like to share ... 

The author wrote in his article ...

"many wines did not show the typical varietal expression of stonefruits"

"Was das Problem bei sehr vielen Weinen war: Es fehlte einfach die klassische und beim Riesling so eindeutig erkenn- und zuordenbare Sortenfrucht nach Steinobst (Marille und Pfirsich). Trotz großzügiger Säureunterstützung fehlen vielen Weinen einfach Pfiff und Animo; Trinkfluss und Trinkfreude wollten sich partout nicht einstellen. Dazu kamen oft merklich unreif-grüne Elemente und auch deutlich erkennbare Gerbstoffnoten, die nicht einmal der manchmal großzügig bemessene (und deutlich schmeckbare) Zuckerrest überspielen konnte."

The funny thing is the description of the wines:

wines with "varietal fruit,  stonefruit, Riesling nose" in the description: 73 from 122 wine (in the range from 94 to 88 pts).

16 wines were rated from 94 to 91 points and 43! gathered 90 pts. 43 wines at 90 points ... how do I decide what to buy??? (maybe the cheapest is a good option ;-)

statistics:

94 to 91 pts = 7.01%

90 pts  = 18.86%

89 pts = 10.96%

88 pts = 16.67%

sum = 53,5% of the wine are over 87 points and that is really exceptional!! 

Last but not least ... my favorite sentence!!!

 "...all wines were tasted blind. The best wines were tasted open to assure the rating"

find out more at: www.alacarte.at

wine rating system

I am proud to introduce the new wine rating system for the wines I/we are tasting. 

The Boku Heim tasting crew agreed (after long discussions) on this new rating system inspired by the book of Dr. Tyler Colman (Wine politics, blog:Dr Vino's wine blog) and based on the rating system of Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher (columnists and bloggers for the Wall Street Journal; Wine Notes and Tastings; Columns & Blogs - Lifestyle - WSJ.com).

The advantage (for critics and consumers) of numbers is ... they are absolute! 93 points are better than 88 pts (on a scale from 0 to 100 ...  in Austria more from 85 to 100).

On the other hand wine consumers (or every other person) are tending more to describe their percepted sensations with adjectives than numbers. Something is ugly, good, bad, delicious, crap, ... You don´t say your steak, your date or your wine was 88 ... The first decision is: was it GOOD or BAD.

The key of this problem is hidden in the definition of absolute: 

absolute: a value or principle that is regarded as universally valid or that may be viewed without relation to other things

95 points are universally valid ... but just for the person who has tasted the wine.

without relation to other things ... what the heck ... first of all we are the other things and there is always a relation to us ... as well as the tasting environment, the food we eat with our wine, our mood ... everything influences our perceptions and therefore the very same wine tastes different on a terrace in Italy or 3 months later at home.

All this things made us think about to adopt a better system to express our perceptions of a certain wine. The rating system relies on adjectives rather than numbers and may vary on the same wine in different situations. (Nobody is perfect!)

These adjectives are:

The rating system

yech (speak: jek) - wines with winemaking related faults (cork taints and oxidation failures are excluded and stated as cork or ox)

ok - wines without faults but simple.

good - satisfactory wines which are showing nice flavors on the nose and the palate. Good value for money.

very good - wines are showing good expression of the variety with very typical aromas on the nose and the palate. Good value for money but definitely in a higher price range.

delicious - extremely good wines with great power, balance and length, with potential.

extraordinary - exceptional wines, perfectly balanced with great potential.

Half steps between adjectives are possible!

Falstaff ..

I arrived late at the "Falstaff Red Wine Feast" in the Grand Hotel Vienna ... chain of reasoning ... too many drunk people, too hot, too smoky, no real tasting possible and as every year the awkward - ridiculous speech of Dr. Romé. If one doesn´t know the winners of his own event, it is time to step down.

By the way ... Congratulations to the winners!!