Årets Vinort 2013

Varje år så utser Munskänkarna en vinort i vår vinproducerade värld som de uppmärksammar extra mycket under det kommande året. I år är det Portugal med staden Porto och regionen Douro som står i fokus. Vi ser med spänning fram emot rapporteringarna från vinregionen som inte bara producerar det berömda portvinet utan som även bjuder på högklassiga röda och vita viner.

Bild från http://www.casadegouvaes.com

Erica Björklund Sattler

Read Full Post »

Vin i Portugal

Vingård i Madeira

Eller Viniportugal som det egentligen heter skapades 1997 och är en branschorganisation som bildades för att marknadsföra portugisiska viner, brandys och vinäger på den inhemska marknaden såväl som på den internationella då de portugisiska produkterna, vinerna i synnerhet, alltid har haft det lite jobbigt med att nå ut.

De portugisiska vinerna har ständigt slagit från underläge, de är svårsålda och inte vidare populära. Men vad beror det egentligen på? Handlar det om svåruttalade regioner och gårdsnamn eller om att vi inte känner till druvsammansättningen? Nej, så enkelt är det nog inte. Och ska man tro de utländska talarna som föreläste på Wines of Portugal International Conference i slutet av förra året så ligger fokus alldeles för mycket på den interna politiken, där vinbönderna drar åt olika håll men håller varandra bakom ryggen när det behövs. Inte ett vinnande koncept som genererar ökade internationella marknadsandelar.

Vingård i Portugal

Men vinbönderna i Portugal börjar förstå att det måste hända något om de vill sälja sina viner. De går alltmer ifrån de klassiska och traditionella metoderna som länge legat dem så varmt om hjärtat för att anpassa sig till dagens marknad med hungriga konsumenter som kräver den allra bästa kvaliteten, och de portugisiska vinerna står sig verkligen i jämförelse med övriga världen. De bjuder på en otrolig mångfald i form av stilar och karaktärer och vinerna andas själ, hjärta och passion. Vi ska bara förstå hur bra de egentligen är.

Och till vår hjälp har vi Bistro Reklambyrå som är Viniportugals samarbetspartner här i Sverige där deras uppgift är att bistå med intressant information och relevanta upplysningar angående de portugisiska vinerna. Bistro trycker bland annat upp en faktatidning om Portugals vinnäring och vi har lyckats få tag i några exemplar. Självklart vill vi dela med oss, så som en liten present från oss följer en tidning när ni beställer någon av våra portugisiska vinlådor. Läs, lär och njut av de fantastiska vinerna som kommit lite i skymundan men är som är värda att stå i rampljuset.

Erica Björklund Sattler

Read Full Post »

South Tyrol vintage 2010

South Tyrol

Süd-Tirol, as the Alto Adige DOC is referred to in German language, is expecting a very good vintage 2010. The Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano announced that the quality of the grapes is very good, the sugar levels somewhat lower than 2009 and the acidity a bit higher. But the quantity is about 10-25 % less (depending on grape varieties) than previous years.

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Lagrein and Shiava are some of the popular wines from this region, which gain many awards each year. In fact, a wine from the DOC, the Sylvaner R 2009, Köfererhof, was just announced ‘Italy’s white wine of the year’ by the ‘Gambero Rosso – Slow Food’.

www.suedtirol.info
www.gamberorosso.it/en/

Cheers.
Heike

Read Full Post »

Ipad, en ny sommelierassistent

Tekniken  har nu nått ända ut till vinlistorna på en del exklusiva restauranger. Genom att använda  Ipads kan gästen själv söka information som ibland kan vara för tidskrävande för en sommelier att ge. Gästen kan leta fram druvtyper, regioner, priser och mycket  annat som kan intressera. Mjukvaruprogrammet  som heter Smart Cellar winelist används redan av 40 olika restauranger där tunga vinbiblar kompletteras  av den betydligt lättare Ipaden . Information kan ändras snabbt och enkelt  och på vissa restauranger uppdateras dessutom lagret löpande genom Ipaden.

Finns det då en risk att denna tekniska finess på sikt konkurrerar ut den traditionella sommelieren undrar tidningen Winespectator. Tidningen har  intervjuat Gino Campbell, sommelier på restaurang Delicias i San Diego som inte är oroad. Campbell tror att de flesta gäster ändå förväntar sig en rådgivande sommelier och att många också vill ha den personliga kontakten. Ja, varför välja om man kan få både och? Det låter optimalt att kunna söka all information själv och dessutom få experttips. Det skulle jag gärna prova!

Ann Janson

Read Full Post »

Wine under Water

Swiss Chasselas wines don’t age too well. So writes the Swiss paper Blick. That is why 400 bottles of wine of Clos de Chillion and Aigle Les Murailles have been put  30 meters deep under water at Lake Geneva. Here the constant water temperature is 12 degrees C, it is completely dark and the humidity is perfect too. (The bottles are in a zinc box.) For the next 20 years, each year some bottles will be fetched out of the water and compared with cellar stored wines of the same vintage.
If this works as hoped, the Chasselas can be aged anyway. All it takes is a deep lake!

Well… I guess, it’s time to go to the cellar and get a bottle of wine – thanking God for not having to dive into water each time!

Cheers!
Heike

Read Full Post »

Systembolaget mästare igen

Vinnare

Gårdagens SM i spansk vinkunskap avgjordes i en mycket spännande tävling där de deltagande lagen svarade på teoretiska frågor samt bedömde två viner blint. Slutligen stod Systembolaget som segrare, precis som förra året, och de lyckliga tre får åka till ett valfritt spanskt vindistrikt, vilket är ännu inte bestämt. Man får lov att gratulera.

Erica Björklund Sattler

Read Full Post »

Federweisser

Federweisser

Federweißer (Feder = feather, Weiß = white; white as a feather) is the name of the new wine (we call it often just that: neuer Wein) that is served during September and October here in the Pfalz and in other wine districts. Basically, it is grape must that has started to ferment (meaning the sugar is being transformed to alcohol). The fermentation begins through the addition of yeast to the must, which gives the white color of the drink. It has to have reached 4 % abv, before it can can be sold as Federweißer.

Simply said, the fermentation continues until all sugar has become alcohol. During this process, carbon acid is produced, which is why the bottle or container holding the wine cannot be closed tightly (unless you like to have a little explosion in your kitchen). Also, the color of the wine gets darker with the continuing fermentation, it tastes less sweet and becomes more spritzig (also called Bitzler).

Federweißer is often made from early ripening grapes, as the sales start end of August, early September. Ortega, Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus are typical grape varieties used. Some vintners will sell their entire wine as Federweißer – maybe a quite economical solution!

Last week, I got to taste some Federweißer that was not for sale as such, but in process to become 2010 wines. It was interesting to discover the typical aromas for the individual grape varieties. For instance, a Sauvignon Blanc, where the aromas were so clean and pure already, showing the nettle tones and gooseberries. Compared to a Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), with its nutty and earthy tones.

The carbon acid makes the Federweißer a ‘spritzig’ and thus popular drink. The yeast though can take its toll on one’s digestive system, if too much wine was consumed…

Chestnuts

Neuer Wein in the Pfalz is commonly served with hearty food, such as ‘Zwiebelkuchen’ (onion tarte). One of my favorites is with roasted chestnuts. So good! Along the Weinstrasse (wine route), there are many places – often it is the cooperative cellars – opening their doors and pouring the Federweißer for thousands of guests during the season. Often people can bring their own pick-nick baskets too. And if the Federweißer gets too much, there will always be last year’s wine served as well…

Cheers!
Heike

Read Full Post »

The German Wine Queen 2010/2011

Mandy Grossgarten - German Wine Queen

is crowned: 22 year old Mandy Grossgarten from the Ahr convinced the jury and won the prestigious title. Her first trip will now be to Shanghai, where she will be representing the wines of Germany.

It was 26 years ago since the last wine queen came from the Ahr. The Ahr is one of Germany’s smaller wine regions, and is known for its red wines, predominantly Spätburgunder is cultivated here.

Congratulations and good luck, Mandy! Cheers, Heike

Read Full Post »

62nd German Wine Queen

Sonja Christ, Mosel. The current wine queen.

Since 1949, every year in October the German Wine Queen is crowned. This year’s ceremony takes place on Friday, the 8th of October here in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, where the last wine fest of the year is currently celebrated. Compared to other monarchies, where title and crown come by birth right or marriage, this queen has to work hard and prove herself before she is crowned.

Each one of the 13 German wine districts has their own regional wine queen and after having represented their home wine area for one year, they come to compete against one another for the German title. Last weekend, the first competition took place and resulted in 6 finalists who will be judged upon this Friday. Besides a profound knowledge of German wine, the candidates have to master the tasks with charm and competence to get to represent Germany and its wines during events all over the world for one year.

This year’s finalists are Mandy Großgarten (22) – Ahr, Carolin Spyra (21) –  Nahe, Melanie Unsleber (24) – Franken, Katja Bohnert (20) – Baden, Sina Listmann (23) – Rheinhessen und Katharina Ofken (22) – Mosel.

The picture is from the official web page www.deutscheweinkoenigin.de and shows the current queen, Sonja Christ, Mosel.

Cheers
Heike

Read Full Post »

Wine in Moderation

”Researchers from the Department of Metabolism and Nutrition at the Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN) in Madrid (Spain) have recently published a new study about how moderate wine drinking can boost the immune system and thus have a benificary effect on our health, as opposed to excessive drinking or abstinence. Social and cultural aspects play a significant role and need to be considered within the research to get to global results.”
Romeo J, Waernberg J, Marcos A. Drinking pattern and socio-cultural aspects on immune response: an overview. Proc Nutr Soc. 2010 Aug;69(3):341-6.

This was published by www.wineinformationcouncil.eu, one of the instruments for more research and documentation of scientific facts in connection with wine/alcohol consumption. The council has been established by the programme www.wineinmoderation.eu, an initiative of the European Wine Sector with the aim, to promote moderate wine consumption in order to prevent misuse and excessive consumption of wine and other alcoholic drinks. To make moderate wine drinking fashionable, to get away from binge drinking where still practiced. The initiative builds on partnerships of stakeholders on EU-, national- and local levels for a wide and deep implementation of the programme.

I am a member myself and can only recommend for anyone that is interested in Wine in Moderation to go and read the message and in the best case help to spread it.

Cheers
Heike

Read Full Post »