Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 30, 2012
in Features
Nice write-up of organic sommelier Jean-Charles Botte on Christian Callec’s website:
His struggle is a fanatic one; he is going much further than organic (bio) or biodynamic wines, he insists on the essential use of indigenous yeasts for real, terroir driven wines.
During his time as waiter/sommelier assistant, he was wondering why all white Burgundy wines were always so similar. He found the answer to his question much later, thanks to a meeting with the famous French wine grower Claude Courtois:
“White Bourgogne wines are so similar because they are all made with industrial yeasts selected in labs”.
This changed JCB’s life; he realized that all the wines he really likes are all made from well managed vineyards with low yields and using natural, indigenous, wild ferments.
Full story at christiancallec.com.
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Posted
by Jonathan Russo
on Jan 30, 2012
in Features
In his January 25th article, Eric Asimov in the New York Times has thrown a huge log on the bonfire of controversy that is the ‘natural wine movement.’ What gives here? Why does this seemingly simplest of goals cause so much ire and confusion, especially since it is less than 1% of wine sales? I am not sure but I will share some thoughts and radical solutions.
As outlined by Asimov, the problem with buying a wine labeled “natural” is that the buyer doesn’t know how the winemaker defined the term. For some it means no added flavors, sugars, foreign yeasts, and sulfites; for others it is sulfites but organic grapes; for others it is both.
First off, wine as sold in its familiar bottle is one of the least consumer information friendly products. Often only a brand name and grape type are provided. Sometimes only a Chateau and region are on a label. Vintages are optional, grape type and blending information is too. Forget added ingredients and vinification methods. Manipulations in the fermentation process or the use of color and flavor additives are never on the label.
Basically the consumer is drinking blind…unless the wine maker volunteers to tell us what he is doing. Then it can be very enlightening. Exact altitude of the vines, grape clone, method of harvesting, details of fermentation, finishing and bottling and production quantity, name of the family dog are a few of the types of information available.
So why the disparagement and controversy about natural wine? I agree with Asimov that there are no standards, but also, I think there is a lack of trust. Unfortunately, I know this exists for good reason. I have often gone to a vineyard and heard a glowing report about all their practices, only to go down the road to a neighboring vineyard, and hear that it was not true. There is a fair amount of professional disparagement in the winemaking world, as there is in every professional association. Jealousy, envy, and distrust have not been eliminated amongst growers and vintners. That is a fact. We all know it.
It is also in the interests of the conventional winemakers to sow confusion as to what is natural wine. It distracts the potential buyer from the evils of manipulated wine, made with grapes that are grown in a stew of toxic chemicals including cancer-causing pesticides and planet-destroying herbicides, and then subjected to a dozen added chemicals and flavors. This certainly is not natural wine. Wine that is blended and homogenized so as to drink like Coca Cola denies the very essence of what wine is supposed to be. It is not paranoid to assume these mega-vintners and their global brands do not want anyone reflecting on what they are really drinking.
Like the Chinese authorities who cannot stand a single poet to speak against the party, any and all discussion of natural wine makes the wine higher-ups very nervous. So the confusion comes both from the “natural” winery and the corporate boardroom.
What to do? Technology may hold the answer. QR-codes on bottles could just do the trick. Let every vintner or distributor use this tool to link to an information page detailing exactly how the wine is made. Let us have a step-by-step methods report on what is in the bottle. If it is nothing but grapes, naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts, the description will be very short. If it is more, let us learn that too. We can all be informed about the wine. If someone lies or distorts the truth, it will not be long until an employee will bust them for dishonesty. In our Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook obsessed world, lies and falsehoods are hard to maintain. What winemaker would want to be exposed and publicly rebuked for falsely stating his vinification process?
The new interconnected world of marketing and instant information may level the playing field for small artisan winemakers who have a true story to tell. It will put at a disadvantage the mega-budget brands that rely on clever graphics and ad copy to sell unwholesome wine. Natural wine communities can use the Internet to organize their own standards. They can use the Internet to promote transparency.
So let us all work together to get past the confusion. Wine growers, vintners, and distributors should use today’s amazing technology to get the truth into the hands of wine lovers everywhere.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 19, 2012
in Features
From Schiller-Wine:
Every year, towards the end, Handelsblatt online and Vinum release a list of the 100 Top Winemakers in Germany, this year for the 26th time. This is a pretty good list of Germany’s Top 100 Wine Estates. Overall, I would say, right on the dot, although there are always wineries where you wonder why they are on the list and other where you wonder why they are not on the list. Handelsblatt is the German equivalant of the Financial Times and Vinum is a wine journal.
About 20 of the top 100 winemakers follow organic or biodynamic principles in the vineyard. Weingut Battenfeld Spanier and Weingut Kuehling Gillot in Rheinhessen, both owned and run by H.O. Spanier and are two of them.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 19, 2012
in Features
Lyle Fass picked his top five wine trends of the past year on sidetour.com. Natural Wine is one of them:
Natural wine people reject the excessive (as they see it) use of sulfur and only use a minimal amount at bottling to keep the wine stable. Why do they use sulfur? Most wine would barely age two months if sulfur is not used. Huge statement, I know, but the science backs it up. I don’t want to bore you with the details, but I believe sulfur is necessary, though there are people who use it too liberally. How’s that for not taking a position? But one thing is undeniable, when natural wine is good, it is as wonderful and as exciting as wine can get.
Read the rest of his five trends here, and while you’re at it sign up for his course, Learn The Secrets To Buying Wine Worth Your Money.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 18, 2012
in Features
From Opici Wines:
De Martino was chosen as “Winery of the Year” at the 9th Annual Wines of Chile Awards held on November 17th at Casas de Lo Matta in Santiago, Chile. Unique methods of wine production coupled with their commitment to decreasing their carbon footprint were determining factors in selecting De Martino for this important award. “We have always sought the highest standard of quality for our wines, but have never compromised our deep respect for the vineyards and their surrounding environments,” commented Marco Antonio De Martino, Commercial Manager at the winery.
One of the largest organic wine producers in Chile, De Martino was the first certified carbon-neutral winery in South America. Their commitment to preserving their land includes measuring their water usage to reduce their environmental impact and producing wines that accurately represent Chile’s uniqueness.
Chief Winemaker, Marcelo Retamal, is constantly searching for new and exciting terroirs. “Being recognized as ‘Winery of the Year’ is a great incentive for all of us at De Martino, as it motivates us to continue our quest for innovation and, above all, to produce wines which accurately represent their place of origin,” stated Retamal. As a result of their continuous experimentation, they have become specialists in the cultivation of high altitude vineyards in the Andes mountain range, such as those in the Choapa and Elqui Valleys. It has also challenged itself to restore old vineyards in the Maule Valley.
Family-owned since it was founded in 1934, De Martino has been a pioneer in South American winemaking, being the first to accomplish many feats. From its certification as carbon-neutral to bottling Carmenere in its purity. They continue to strive for more without sacrificing their principles.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 18, 2012
in Features
Return To Terroir will take place in NYC on February 27th, at the Altman Building from 11-5PM. 70 wineries will be attendance and Nicolas Joly will give a presentation “The Urgent Need For Biodynamics” at 1pm. The event is for trade and press only, though there will be dinners and tastings around the city open to the public. We’ll let you know those when they are announced.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 9, 2012
in Features
There’s an interview at the Louis/Dressner site with Stefano Bellotti of Cascina degli Ulivi.
In 1984, I met an farmer who was working biodynamically. I instantly saw an agriculture that was working better. As a kid who grew up in the materialistic 70′s, I didn’t quite trust the whole biodynamic vision, but I saw the results and knew something about it was working. So I started, and I am very happy. It has opened up the world for me, made it more complex and interesting.
A lot of people think biodynamic agriculture is some sort of religion. It’s not. When you see the results, you can see that it’s an agricultural model that works. And if one day a better model comes along (or contributes to biodynamics), I’ll be very happy!
Read the full interview.
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Posted
by Organic Wine Journal
on Jan 9, 2012
in Features
From Wines From Spain:
Organic wine is a product whose consumption has experienced major growth in recent years. Many experts highlight the product as the sector’s future, especially on mature markets as in the case of Europe. Following this trend, the Spanish Federation of Organic Product Companies (FEPECO) is coordinating the exhibition of around 20 Spanish organic winemaking bodegas at ProWein, one of the most important wine fairs in Europe, which will take place in Düsseldorf (Germany) from 4th to 6th March 2012.
FEPECO will bring together 20 bodegas from several Spanish regions on its 72 m² stand in a joint effort aimed at marketing Spanish organic wine. In addition to coordinating the stand and the logistics behind the exhibition, the federation will also offer exhibitors a service to boost international trade links with potential buyers.
The ProWein fair is an international benchmark on the European and as well as global wine scene. In its last edition, 3,600 exhibitors took part from more than 50 countries, with more than 39,000 trade visitors, from both home and abroad, passing through its pavilions. In its 2012 edition ProWein will offer an exclusive space focusing on organic wines, a space which will host FEPCO as well as other similar associations from countries such as France and Germany.
Germany is the number one importer of Spanish fine wines. Figures from January to September 2011 indicate that Spanish wine exports to the country registered €230 million (€107 million generated by DO wines) with a volume of 214 million litres. These figures represent substantial growth over the same period the previous year of 11 per cent by value and 13 per cent by volume.
Organic wine is a sector which is particularly dynamic in Spain thanks to the enthusiastic investment being carried out in the product by many bodegas. During the period 2010-2011, the vineyard surface-area committed to organic agriculture tripled and the number of bodegas making this type of wine increased from 340 a 460, according to figures from MARM.
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