What’s wrong in Bordeaux? Waiting for Bordeaux 2.0

“Bordeaux: The French are so proud of their wines that they name cities after them”

Wiet van Broeckhoven-
Bordeaux wines. Often blends of Merlot grapes and Cabernet sauvignon grapes.

The declining Bordeaux image

The Bordeaux wine region has been increasingly negative in the news lately. For example, I came across reports of a wine surplus that is likely to arise. The sale of Bordeaux wine in the lower- and middle price segments is disappointing and the new harvest is coming soon. According to Bernard Farges, the chairman of the wine association in France, the Bordeaux image is declining.

Pesticides

This is partly due to the frequent use of pesticides in Bordeaux. In the past year, this subject has indeed been in the spotlights in France. A court ruling was made a few months ago in which a winegrower was held liable for his employee’s health problems because he should have protected his employees more against the effects of pesticides. A commission of inquiry from the French Lower House also wrote an alarming report last year. In addition, studies were published by the INSERM research institute and also by a collective of troubled residents (CIMP) both demonstrating the link between the use of pesticides and health complaints. More and more Bordeaux wineries are therefore switching, either out of conviction or for commercial reasons, to Organic viticulture, in which more environmentally friendly organic pesticides are used. Chateau Latour and Chateau d ‘Yquem were already extensively in the news.

(Note: A number of traditional pesticides may still be used to a limited extent in Organic viticulture.)

In comparison with New Zealand and South Africa to give an example (95-100%), France (8%) is still considerably lagging behind in organic wine-growing. (Data from The Diva Network, an international coalition of wine distributors).

Prices

Another reason for the reduced demand for Bordeaux wines is fierce competition. Consumers can get wines of comparable quality much cheaper from countries such as Spain and Italy. The same also applies to the exporting country of China. There is fierce competition with cheaper Australian wines there. If you want to have the Bordeaux wine on the rise again, then definitely something has to be done to the price.

Taste of the consumer

Perhaps the most important thing for Bordeaux is to look at the preference of the taste of the consumer. The Bordeaux wines do not match the profile of current wine buyers. There is a great demand for easygoing, accessible, and fresh wines. Wines that have to be stored are not interesting for the majority of buyers. The Bordeaux winegrower is faced with a choice here. For decades consumers knew exactly what they would get when buying a Bordeaux wine in terms of the taste profile. On the one hand, it is an advantage to have such a recognizable profile. On the other hand, a sense of old-fashioned dustiness threatens. In this way, you will not attract a young audience and with it the future buyers. Bordeaux can choose to keep everything the way it was or go for less tough wines with more friendly tannins. This is certainly recommended for wines in the lower segment because unfortunately, they are not always a treat on the palate.

In the coming years, we will see what the winegrowers of Bordeaux are going to do and how innovative they are. In short: who or what will make Bordeaux hip again?

One advantage for us as a consumer in the short run: the Bordeaux wine will undoubtedly become cheaper.

Better Dutch wines through climate change?

“The interesting thing about our climate is that it is able to deliver four seasons in one week”

Simon Carmiggelt, writer-
Apostelhoeve, Limburg (NL)

Climate change and Dutch wines

When looking at the statistics we really notice it in the Netherlands. On average the temperature has risen and in the summer we often have a hot – to extremely hot period. “Well that’s nice,” someone told me. “Then we will soon have Burgundy quality wines in the Netherlands”. A nice thought, but is that going to happen?

When we talk about vineyards and winemaking, we always talk about “terroir”. That is a broader concept than just soil. I will discuss a number of aspects and see whether the Netherlands, with climate change in mind,  is suitable for the leap towards super-top wines.

The terroir

Vines need a good structure of the soil. They must be able to anchor themselves well and the soil must have good drainage. Strangely enough, you get the best wines from vines that have to do their best to root deeply in search of water and nutrition. The soil must not be too rich. With this in mind, a number of vineyards in the Netherlands can already be ruled out. If a vineyard is on clay soil, the soil is far too rich in organic nutrients. Certain minerals that we find in rocky ground are almost completely missing here. Vineyards on sandy soil then? The drainage is probably better here. But here too we lack the necessary minerals, but also organic nutrients. Moreover, the groundwater level is so high in our flat land that the vines cannot go into depth and the roots soon have to bend horizontally so as not to rot due to the excess of moisture. An average rise in temperature due to climate change will help with the ripening of the grapes with making choices for grape varieties, but we will probably never achieve “Burgundy quality” here.

The Dutch mountains

So are hills (“The Dutch mountains”) the answer? Do we have them in the Netherlands? Certainly. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijst_van_heuvels_in_Nederland

I know Dutch vineyards that are located on hills (Montferland, Groesbeek, Limburg) that already make beautiful wines. And that is not without reason. The hilly locations give an optimal exposition in relation to the sun. This is very important for vines and certainly vineyards that are located in northern countries with an average cooler climate and/or shorter summer. The best vineyards in Burgundy (Grand Cru and Premier Cru) have that same optimal exposition. As an example of the importance of an optimal exposition can we can look at the slanting position of our solar panels in the Netherlands. This gives more output. It works just like that with vines.

The best winearea of the Netherlands

Our hope for future Dutch Burgundy quality wines is therefore based on hilly areas with fine, rocky soils with good drainage. Rich in minerals and preferably with an organic layer. Let’s all scan the Dutch geological map. If I had to pick a place, I would go for Limburg with its calcareous hills interspersed with hard rock, sand, and flint.

But do not forget the professional skills and knowledge of the winemaker. You can have such a beautiful vineyard. But you must know what to do with the grapes. This is partly an explanation for the increasing quality of Dutch wines over the past decade. Let’s hope that this will only increase and that climate change will help positively.

Cheers

Transporting wines during the holidays

“The heat is on”

Popsong
Don’t do it like this

In an earlier blog I wrote about my experiences with wine in a tropical country. It is clear that heat plays a major role in the quality of wine.

How to transport wine

The summer-holiday period is starting again in Europe and many wine lovers are visiting a beautiful wine region as a holiday destination. Often these are countries with a lot of sun and warmth, because who doesn’t want good weather during his holidays. If you have tasted a delicious wine at a winemaker, you, of course, would like to take a box with you. The question is: How to transport wine?
Does that wine stay ok in your hot car? Don’t worry. Wine can take a beating. Many a wine transport to our hometowns are done by trucks that also have no air conditioning. The big difference with this transport and our holiday trip is that professional wine transport only lasts a maximum of 12/24 hours, depending on the origin and final destination. If we buy wine during the summer holidays, we usually still have some weeks left abroad. How do you treat the wine during that period?

Some good tips

 1. At the Mayer-Näkel winery, I was advised not to leave the wine boxes in the hot car. So take them out of the trunk if possible and put them in your hotel room or under the caravan, preferably in the shade. Not in the warm tent or caravan !!!!! When the sun is up, the temperatures rise too high.

2. Make sure you properly pack the trunk of the car. If you leave a lot of empty space, the temperature will rise much more in the back. So don’t put your coats on the back seat, but put them in the trunk.

3. If you have a plaid or blanket, I recommend that you put it as a cover over your wine.

4. Always park your car with the wine in it in the shade.

5. If you have seperate bottles, wrap them to protect against breaking with whatever you have. And when you are on holiday, you have enough to choose from: socks, sweaters, T-shirts… you name it. This also keeps the heat out.

With these tips, your wine will with great certainty survive the summer- holiday heat, so that you can once again enjoy your holiday at home with that wonderful wine in your hand.

Cheers and have a great holiday.

What to choose? Wine or a cocktail in the Caribbean.

Every choice you make has an end result. “

Zig Ziglar- American author
A cocktail or wine?

Oxidated wine on terraces

Just back from a holidaytrip to Curaçao and Bonaire. A wonderful journey but a trip with varying wine experiences. I received many an oxidated wine on terraces. The warm weather and also the bad storage conditions are no doubt to blame.
I did indeed visit a storage where wine was stored with even higher temperatures than outside. If I am already shocked by the heat, what could be the result for the wines? Wine can tolerate a lot, but certainly white wine has its limits. I can’t prove it, but I think we can assume that this applies to the entire Caribic area.

Wine storage in a hot climate

I witnessed the same thing in Mauritius a few years ago. Wines were stored under the same extreme conditions and a stock of hundreds of bottles of a good brand of Champagne had to be washed away before my eyes due to oxidation by excessively high temperatures. They did not seem to care at the largest importer of the island and simply accept this as a fact. Looking at it with Western eyes you would say that with a small adjustment and investment in cooling one could save a lot of money. Certainly with expensive wines. I have given suggestions, but I don’t believe anything has been done with this.

Ordering a wine sometimes a gamble

Back to the beginning. It is a fact that it is always hot in the Caribbean, around 30 degrees Celsius. If cold storage has not been taken care of, either by the supplier or by the seller himself, then ordering a glass of wine in these areas is a bit of a gamble. Certainly when ordering a white wine or a rosé. And these are the ones one would order at these temperatures.

Now I understand why so many cocktails are being ordered on the Caribbean terraces. They appear in all forms and tastes. And these drinks are absolutely good. Fresh, fruity, cool. But I know, it’s not wine!

The choice is yours if you also travel to this area and order a drink. Keep in mind that you will often be disappointed when ordering a glass of wine in these countries. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Have a nice trip and cheers.

Will the stain remain?

“The nicest thing about pleasant moments is the memory”

Godfried Bomans-writer
Oh no! A red wine stain!

Removing red wine stains

A blog reader asked me a question about removing wine stains. Tervino wine blog is more about explaining the winemaking process and expanding wine knowledge to be able to enjoy delicious wines more, but I can vividly imagine that this is a problem if it happens to you. I still see myself knocking over a wineglass during a Christmas dinner while gesticulating. Bye, bye white tablecloth, bye beautiful Christmas dress, bye white wall.

It is of course always a problem with red wine. White wine doesn’t give stains, do they?
Here’s what to do:

Good and solid tips:

Step 1 is: don’t panic. The harm has already been done anyway, so you’d better solve it calmly.
Step 2 is: Do not rub !!!! Often you are shocked and tend to tackle the stain immediately. But by doing that that you’ll rub the red pigment into the fabric. You’d better dilute the spot with sparkling water. Fortunately that is often present at a party. When handling a tablecloth don’t forget to put a towel or dishcloth underneath it to protect your table.
Step 3: Gently pat the moisture away. A kitchen roll does wonders here.
Step 4: Sprinkle the stain abundantly with salt or cornflour. You can see that the red color is sucked away.
Step 5: Treat the stain with green soap (do not rub) and put it in the washing machine. Do this as soon as possible. Do not let the stain dry.

In most cases, the stain will only be a memory.
I must say that I prefer to leave the wine in the glass and enjoy it. But hey, accidents sometimes happen.
And I know that an accident always occurs when you least expect it.
Good luck.

Wine from volcanic soils

“Winemaking is like dancing around the volcano”

The Etna with its vinyards

Wine from volcanic soils

Nowadays we see more and more wines with a label that states: “wine from volcanic soils”. An interesting question for us as wine lovers is whether that matters in terms of taste. And if so, how can you really taste that the wine comes from a vineyard with volcanic soil? Last week I visited a lecture organized by Pallas Wines where winemakers were present who actually have their vines on volcanic soils. Wine companies Bodega Volcanes (Chile), Le Masciare (Italy), Franz Keller (Germany) and Tornatore (Etna, Sicily) gave a presentation. All these wineries have vineyards on volcanic soils. They should, therefore, be able to give answers to my questions.

Federica Campo from Tornatore lecturing

The influence of volcanic soils on wine

At this moment the influence of volcanic soils on wine is difficult to prove scientifically. Scientific research has not yet been carried out on a large scale in a laboratory. This is expensive and time-consuming because all other research-disrupting elements (such as location, treatment in the vineyard, the influence of the winemaker, etc.) must be excluded. The soil is only one part of the terroir and winemaking process as a whole. So there are no laboratory results yet that demonstrate that wines from volcanic soils have more minerals than wines from other soils. So, for the time being, we’ll have to deal with subjective data and rely on our taste.

What can we taste in wines from volcanic soils?

But if we don’t have scientific evidence, what can we taste in wines from volcanic soils? John Szabo who has just released his book “Volcanic Wines” summarizes it as: “Salt, Grit & Power”. Freely translated: A salty impression, salivating acids and powerful wines. With a salty impression, you should not think about taking a spoonful of salt, but rather the subtle feeling that you are tasting something salty in the background. The winemakers added during the lecture, in addition to the characteristics mentioned by John Szabo, that their wines are rather more tasty than fruity. And that is indeed true when we taste their wines. We also conclude at the tasting that all wines have a hint of smoke or flint in the scent. In short, if you taste or smell some of these characteristics in your wine, you have a good chance that the wine comes from volcanic soil. And the other way around: if you are a fan of taste profile given above, then it is a good choice to go for a wine of volcanic soil.

The chance you’ll find wines from volcanic soils

By the way, the chance is bigger than you think to find such a wine. If we are talking about wines from volcanic soil, then we should refer to soils from the beginning of the earth’s existence. The still-active volcanoes are clearly visible. But remember that, to name but a few counties and areas, Hungary, Italy (Campania), Alsace, Canary Islands, Germany (Baden, Moselle), Greece (Santorini), Chile, volcanoes have once been active there and their traces in the soil have left its footprint. And that is why we can now enjoy the delicious wines that are produced here.

Try such a volcanic wine and have fun tasting.

Spring? Enjoy asparagus and wine!


“They turned my chamber-pot into a vase full of fragrant perfume”

Marcel Proust-A la recherche du temps perdu (1913).
asperagus wine food combination

Asparagus, wine, and spring

It is spring again in the Netherlands at the moment I’m writing this blog. The sun shows itself more and more. So we can go outside more often. The asparagus also shows their heads above ground again. They are early this year. I have already bought my first asparagus in mid-March. It looks great for the asparagus grower to have such a nice spring weather, but I have already heard sounds from growers who don’t even bother to harvest their asparagus because the price is currently too low. That’s because the asparagus are earlier than in other years. Many restaurants that are important customers were not yet ready for them in terms of the menu. It was therefore sometimes not even profitable for the grower to harvest the asparagus (until a few weeks ago).

Harvest peak

In addition, like every year the growers face a huge harvest peak when the weather is good. Suddenly there is a large offer that depresses the price. Nice for the consumer. As an asparagus enthusiast, this is a wonderful time. They are plentiful in supermarkets or at the greengrocer’s and very affordable.

which wine goes well with asparagus?

But which wine goes well with asparagus? Because fair is fair. Asparagus does have a special, delicate taste. If you choose a wine to drink with, you want the wine-food combination to be good. The delicate asparagus flavors must still come out well and the wine should taste good. In my childhood, I saw that my parents opted for an Alsace Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris as standard. Not a bad choice. Those wines are nice and fresh, slightly fruity, but neutral enough to support the asparagus’ taste. So we can safely follow my parents’ initiative. Make sure you choose a nice dry Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) or Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder-Pinot Grigio) and one without or a minimal of aging on wood. You don’t want the vanilla flavor or herbal aroma caused by the use of wood to beat the asparagus aromas.

Choices to make

I assume that you will be cooking / steaming the asparagus. With asparagus from the wok or roasted, a wine with wood aging could be used. Unfortunately, there are winemakers from Alsace who have too much residual sweetness in their wine. Tasty maybe, but not with the asparagus. Of course, you can choose other wines than mentioned in this article. You might as well choose a wine from another region or country from the same grape.

Are there any alternatives?

A Sancerre from the Loire is also a perfect match with asparagus. Just like a Sauvignon Blanc from New-Zealand. Make sure you’ll choose a young and green style. A too bold style of Sauvignon Blanc with tropical aromas will totally take over your dish. A nice Saumur Blanc is also an excellent choice. A German Riesling could be a tricky choice. But if you have a nice and dry Riesling it could actually be a perfect match. My last suggestion would be an Australian – or South-African Sémillon.

More than enough suggestions I would say. Enjoy your asparagus and cheers. Let me know what choice you’ve made and how it turned out.

Fortified wines: Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

“How SWEET it is to be loved by you”

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
Fortified wine
Sweet wine

Some wine lovers will probably shiver only by the thought of sweet wine. Nevertheless, my recommendation is occasionally stepping out of your comfort zone and taste something else.
The fortified wines made from the Muscat perhaps?

Different varieties

There are various Muscat grape varieties that all are called Muscat. There are, however, common characteristics. They often have a low to medium acidity. But also lavishly perfumed aromas with scents of roses, blossoms or grapes.

Warm climates

The Muscat grapes all grow in warm to hot climates. This allows them to build up a lot of sugars and those wonderful aromas. It is important that there are cooling factors in the vineyards so that the acids can also develop well. The presence of sea breeze, altitude in the hills, the difference in day/night temperature. These are factors that you should think of.

Styles of fortified Muscat wines

The fortified Muscat wines are made in 2 styles.
1. Young and youthful wines.
2. Developed and matured wines
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is an example of a young and youthful style. The ripe grapes are crushed to separate the juice from the skins. Sometimes short skin contact is allowed to get stronger aromas. The fermentation takes place, as with most white wines, at low temperatures. To get a sweet wine, not all sugars have to be converted into alcohol. To achieve this, a distillate of 96% is added. The alcohol causes the yeast cells to die and the fermentation to stop. This leaves a lot of residual sugars. And as a result a sweet wine with a fantastic aroma.
Matured style
To try the second style you should try a Muscat from Rutherglen (Australia). Clearly different in color: amber to light brown. This shows that the wine has developed oxidatively for a long time. Sometimes it takes decades. Sometimes these grapes are dried to get an overwhelming sweet wine. The fermentation of this wine takes place, in contrast to the first-mentioned style, on the skins. This also gives more expressive characteristics of the grape. With this style too, fermentation is stopped during fermentation. The long aging period in old oak barrels, sometimes under warm conditions, makes the wine taste really different from the young style.

Have fun tasting.

Chandelier made of wineglasses

“Shine a light on me”

wine glasses

This week I was in Meppel (NL) for a winetasting.
And look at that impressive chandelier that was placed above the bar?
Wanted to show you this work of art.
Maybe an idea for the craftsmen amongst you all? Will look good in your house.
One little point of interest….you’ll have to polish them regularly. 😉