Champagne vine rumours, bubbly tastings and rock and roll

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Caroline

This post is a little out of the ordinary as it is probably the most personal message I have ever written to be published in public. Then again sometimes honesty is the only way to make yourself heard…

Onne, Caro and Champagne Vines

Onne, Caro and Champagne Vines

Last week Wednesday Onne Wan and I posted a video we shot in a Champagne vineyard on winefender.tv. In the video we speak of our love and passion for wine (knowledge) and we ask for HELP to make one of our wine dreams come through. Onne and I would like to travel from Portland to San Francisco visiting wineries, to gain a better understanding of the different wine regions we will cross and the uniqueness of their wines.

So WHY do we need help? The very unsexy straight answer is because we are broke :-( You may wonder how we possibly can come to the US when we have no money so I would like to take this opportunity to explain our exact situation.

I am lucky enough to have won a full scholarship to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland. I am extremely excited to have been given this wonderful opportunity yet I still have to negotiate with a friend to see if they can help me and loan me the money for my flight so I can make it there. WBC Scholarship flights are only reimbursed once we have arrived at the conference and right now I cannot afford the flight so am hoping a good friend can help me… Working freelance means that some times are better than others, and for me this means summer holidays are more difficult as my main wage comes from teaching on a contract basis… Furthermore, to follow our dreams we sometimes have to give up a lot. To write on and specialize in Champagne I let go of a well paying job in the city and moved to a small village among the vines in the Marne area where every month has been a challenge ever since. Yet if financially life has been very hard I do not regret my choice: these last 6 months my Champagne knowledge, creativity and my experience of really LIVING life have exploded:-)) And I believe that in a few more months things will get a little easier!

Onne was already coming to New York around the same dates. So when we found out we would both be in the US at the same time we decided we should really use this opportunity to visit wineries and experience wine making in Oregon and California even if Onne may not be able to attend the WBC (she is on the waiting list). Like me Onne gave up her well paid job to follow her love for wine and Rock and Roll and has been struggling as a freelancer in Switzerland much in the same way I have which means she cannot afford the flight out West without any help.

So now that we have admitted that we are both totally skint this does not mean we expect everybody else to pay for us. Instead we would like the opportunity to work, write, make videos and help spread the word about the places we visit. We have broken down our trip to the bare basics and realize we only need to raise $1000 to be able to do this. This money will go to:
1. a plane ticket from NYC to Portland, and from San Francisco to NYC for Onne
2. car rental
3. gas money
4. accommodation
5. food

Ready steady go! We can't wait to visit YOU!!

Ready steady go! We can't wait to visit YOU!!


In order to prepare and fill in the gaps (and maybe buy some wine to bring back to Europe) we have started a Cava and Champagne tasting program where we will host comparative tastings of Cava and Champagne. The aim is to valorise both wine styles, and touch on their unique characteristics, history and flavour patterns in a creative and engaging way. Having worked in the Cava industry, Onne has a wealth of knowledge on the Cava making process, which perfectly complements my knowledge of Champagne :-) We have planned 2 tastings, one in Geneva on August 2nd and one in Brussels on August 7th, and we would be very keen to host a tasting in Oregon or California (or both) as well. We feel this would be a wonderful way for us to share our first hand knowledge and add value whilst earning a little money for our trip. So any help with finding a location and advertising the event would be a wonderful way to help us make this dream come through ;-)

Other ways of helping us are:
1. donating via eventbrite or paypal (email address onne@no-future.com). You could see it as buying us a drink – every $10 helps as it can pay for a little gas and get us that little bit further:-)) We are willing to accept airmile donations for Onne’s flight as well:-)
2. sponsor a video or live streaming session on Winedefender.tv – We are aiming to film our experiences in a fun way so other #winelover-s can join into our #winefun and learn together with us. With quite a big following we could get YOUR message out there and introduce new people to your wines, wine making and vine growing practices :-) Please contact us on at either caroline@missinwine.com or onne@winedefender.org to discuss the opportunities!
3. sponsor a visit – for a little gas/car hire money we would be more than happy to come and check out your place and write about it. I am planning to write up my experiences on Snooth to share the love with other winelover’s and get the message out to an as large as possible audience:-)
4. host us for lunch or dinner – yep we do need food and we would love to have a picnic in your vines whilst tasting your excellent wines!! But we would be happy to try out local restaurants, local food, or BBQ’ed burgers with like minded people and enjoy an evening of #winefun!!
5. employ us – this is a tricky one as only I have a B1 (work) visa – but I would be happy to work for both of us :-) We can work in the vineyard, do the dishes, make the beds, keep granny company, walk the dogs or do any other task that needs doing in exchange for gas money, accommodation or food. As we both are certified sommeliers we also could work a shift in your restaurant or host a tasting for you:-)) Please contact us on at either caroline@missinwine.com or onne@winedefender.org to discuss the opportunities!
6. Offer us a bed for the night – we are not too fussy and Onne and I can easily share one large bed :-) We are good guests and would help out with lots of chores, and can bring you coffee in the morning ;-)) Alternatively we can make a video or write about your guest house:-))

To end off this post I invite you to watch the video again! We had great fun shooting it and hope you enjoy a few laughs watching it!!

Hanging in Champagne grapevines – Onne and Caro have a message for you from Wine Defender TV on Vimeo.

Help us bring our wine fun to a vineyard near you!!! For any help offers please contact us on at either caroline@missinwine.com or onne@winedefender.org or donate on eventbrite/paypal (onne@no-future.com) Thank you very much! Caro and Onne xox

Posted in Champagne, Onne and Caro's wine trips, Wine Regions, wine tasting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Caroline’s Champagne – Food & Champagne & where to go to eat out around here

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Caroline

Champagne as a food wine? Hmmm I can see some of you frown and look a little unsure, as indeed Champagne is generally more associated with celebrations than it is regarded a gastronomic beverage. Very few people indeed choose Champagne as the wine to accompany the main courses of their meal. Yet I believe, with the diversity of Champagne styles, there are plenty of bottles out there one could enjoy with breakfast, lunch or dinner. And many a tourist do just that when they visit the region as they feel it is part of the local experience. I tend to agree with them as I always feel extra special when Champagne accompanies my meal so decided to share a few occasions and places where one can enjoy great food with an interesting bottle of Champagne :-)

Champagne breakfast at Hotel Caroline ;-)

Champagne breakfast at Hotel Caroline ;-)

My favorite meal to pair Champagne with is breakfast. However, I have yet to find a place that actually serves Champagne breakfast or even brunch – maybe because breakfast in France is generally a quick meal involving something sweet (croissant, pain au chocolat or even biscuits) which is dipped into a large “bowl” of coffee w hot milk. However, this does not stop me from enjoying a Champagne Breakfast (at home) on a regular basis. Depending on how elaborate the breakfast is I tend to pick different Champagnes. With fresh fruit, muesli and home made muffins or scones I prefer a rosé say Champagne Daniel Pétré & fils Cuvée Perle de Rosé Brut or a local Blanc de Noir generally by Champagne Tribaut or Champagne Gobillard both located in Hautvillers. For a cooked breakfast say of smoked salmon or trout with scrambled eggs and other trimmings I prefer something with a little more body and age and will often pick a vintage Champagne.

Amuse Bouche at Le Grand Cerf

Amuse Bouche at Le Grand Cerf

Even if Champagne brunch is not readily available outside of Hotel Caroline, there are plenty of places one can lunch or dine at and drink locally. Recently I was taken out for lunch to Le Grand Cerf – a Michelin star restaurant in Montchenot – about half way between Reims and Epernay. The lunch “menu” is pretty elaborate and excellent value for money at just under €50. The wine list has an awesome Champagne selection including many unusual growers cuvees. We enjoyed the Heraclite by Champage Stroebel Brut Nature made from 100% Pinot Meunier – a wonderful discovery and I hope to visit the Stroebels soon to learn more about their wines! I have visited quite a few restaurants in the area in the last 6 months but I think this one is my favourite for a bigger meal (the menu consists of 5 courses). The service was excellent (and this is not always a given in France), the food delicious, and the atmosphere relaxed and intimate. I really can’t wait to revisit :-)

Asperagus and poached egg soup @Les BerceauxThe Michelin starred restaurant Les Berceaux in Epernay, is another great place to eat fabulous locally and discover interesting and new Champagne producers. Their wine list is simply amazing!!! Both in the restaurant and the more informal adjacent Bistro Le Sept they serve all by the glass pours from magnums. The restaurant offers a 3 course €38 lunch menu and a €80 5 course evening menu. Alternatively you can do as a lot of locals do and enjoy the 3 course €28 menu (lunch or evening time) at the Bistro. The Champagne list changes regularly, but I just want to share 2 wines I particularly enjoyed recently – Fleur de Passion by Champagne Diebolt-Vallois which I shared with 2 girlfriends for lunch and Le Roi Soleil by Champagne Philippe Gonet – which was a perfect business dinner wine :-) I have to admit to be a regular at the Bistro as I prefer the 3 course concept to a more elaborate menu (especially at night) and the restaurant is very conveniently located in the heart of Epernay.

Lunch menu at Les Avisés

Lunch menu at Les Avisés

Another gem is Hotel Restaurant Les Avizés in Avizes, Côte des Blancs. It is a fact that there are very few opportunities to eat something half decent in and around the Côte des Blancs – so I was delighted to discover Anselm Selosse’s newish restaurant. Les Avizes opened last summer and it has quickly become very popular with locals and food savy tourists alike. The setting is simply stunning, both when eating outside or in the restaurant as this place just oozes class. The menu is very seasonal, the food is very fresh and extremely tasty and beautifully presented. As the restaurant is quite small it makes for an informal and intimate experience. Besides Selosse Champagnes, the wine list includes many up and coming Champagne stars (Bereche, Chartogne…) as well as a great selection of biodynamic and organic Terroir wines. The 3 course lunch menu, which can be enjoyed on the patio weather permitting, is a steal at €35 so do book ahead if you want to discover this place!

Sous vide venison with winter vegetables

Sous vide venison with winter vegetables

A last place I want to talk about is a little more down to earth yet the focus is definitely on local and organic produce. Le Restaurant de L’Abbeye opposite the Abbey of Hautvillers, is a wonderful place to enjoy some more classic Champenois cuisine. There are several different menus available which change on a regular basis and most of them include some form of traditional sous vide cooking – as Thierry Landragin really is a master in the latter. The menus range from €28 to €48 euro’s depending on the number of dishes but for a quick lunch the weekday special including a main and a desert for €15 is a real bargain!! Lunch is best enjoyed on the large patio and I like to pair it with the Champagne Landragin Brut NV (“house champagne”) which is a fresh yet food friendly wine from Hautvillers and at €30 a bottle one just can’t go wrong:-) The wine lists has a small selection of Champagnes, with a focus on local (ie. around Hautvillers) wines, as well as a few wines from the rest of France. It is a great place to chill after a visit to the famous Abbey and my lovely village:-)

I hope this post inspired you to either try to pair Champagne with your favourite meal at home or to book into one of the above mentioned restaurants to enjoy some Champagne with your meal!

Posted in Caroline's Champagne, Champagne, restaurant reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Biodynamics and the liveliness of RAW wine…

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Caroline

RAW wine fair - London

RAW wine fair - London

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend both the RAW and REAL natural wine fairs in London. Both fairs had more than 200 exhibitors each and were very well attended by the public, trade and press. For 3 days I tasted some great artisan wines, had the opportunity to speak and learn about the winemaking process from the winemakers and learned a whole lot more about biodynamic grape growing.

Biodynamic farming is something that has always intrigued me, yet I never really understood the finer points and just thought it was an extreme form of organic farming. I had heard of moon influence and burying of cow horns in the soil but did not really get the point of it all – that is until I attended my first workshop on the topic at RAW – Biodynamics & the Authenticity of Taste by Nicolas Joly.

Nicolas Joly explaining balance and harmony in nature

Nicolas Joly explaining balance and harmony in nature

Nicolas Joly is one of the pioneers and leading personalities of the biodymanic wine movement. After a brief career in finance in the US, Canada and London he returned in 1977 to France to take over the family vineyard. Right from the start, Nicolas was pretty sceptical about the impact of the chemicals, which were used in modern agriculture, on the environment and from 1980 he started to experiment with biodynamic farming on his estate. In biodynamic farming the emphasise lies on the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals. Nicolas started off his presentation with the following statement:“Life does not belong to the earth – earth is a gift of life – it is a system in its own with lots of complex exchanges. When earth does not have enough life, eventually we will loose a little of life itself”. He went on to explain the holistic element as energy forces of the atoms which make up all life on earth. It reminded me of a chemistry lesson I took a long time ago and where I learned that everything in our world is made up of atoms and combination of atoms. The amount of single atoms remains the same yet these small chemical parts will form different bonds and become different things over the years. This made explanation made sense, and with it the holistic element became more scientific and less airy fairy for me :-) Joly continued his biodynamic lesson by stressing the importance of balance. He believes true balance in a vineyard can only be achieved by a deep understanding of life – through this knowledge a farmer can act in a certain (preventative) way to eliminate intervention as much as possible. When the farmer creates a balanced growing environment and maintains a living earth, he invests in the forces the plants needs to prosper, in harmony and respect with nature’s cycles of life. However to learn about nature and restore the land into living earth takes time, there are no short cuts and it is often not very commercial. It is a labour of passion for life istself and the rewards of biodynamic grape farming are wines which express a strong originality and individuality.

Chemically treated soil vs living soil ©Jean-Baptiste Lemaire - Vinvert

Chemically treated soil vs living soil ©Jean-Baptiste Lemaire - Vinvert

Living soil is a topic which was further explored by Claude Bourguignon, the renowned soil and terroir expert. Claude’s presentation at RAW was very similar to the one he gave at the Natural European Wines Conference organised by VinNatur in Zurich last November. Claude spoke about the different elements and layers which make up the soil, the interrelationship between these soil elements and the vine, as well as other organic and micro organic activities typical for a living soil. He warned for the impact of chemicals (fertilisers and or pesticides) as they erode the soil, and with time take more and more life away. The picture here on the left is a great example of how the soil can be eroded by the chemicals – the arid part on the left is the treated part, the green part on the right has been farmed organically. Thank you to Vinivert who kindly provided the picture. For more info on Claude’s talk do check the video in my other post as the talk was extremely educational and interesting:-)

I attended one another masterclass on “living soil” , this time at REAL, hosted by Tom Lubbe and Craig Hawkins, two South African winemakers. Tom pioneered a biodynamic way of farming in South Africa in the 90’s and is now making wine in the Roussillon at Domaine Matassa and Craig makes wine for Lammershoek and under his own label Testalonga. One of the typical characteristics of a living soils are earth worms and Craig spoke about the earth worm farm at Lammershoek, created to introduce more worms back into the earth, as the soil slowly recovers from all the previous treatments. Tom on the other hand spoke about the relationship about minerality and a living soil, as he believes we cannot have the former without the later. He claims that a living soil, resulting from biodynamic farming will stabilize the PH in he grapes as in the must and thus eliminate the need to use sulphur or other additives. In a way this was pretty close to what Nicolas Joly had said about the wine making process resulting from biodynamic farming which he believed happened naturally in the cellar without much interference of the wine maker. All the winemaker has to do is provide a clean and healthy environment in the cellar.

James Millton makes beautifully balanced biodynamic wines in NZ - where is still today is an exception to the rule.

James Millton makes beautifully balanced biodynamic wines in NZ - where is still today is an exception to the rule.

After all this theory I want to speak a little about what impressed me most in the biodynamic wines I tasted at both events. Providing the cellar environment was indeed clean and healthy, these wines really stood out. They seem to have a pureness and elegance which time after time astonished me. They reflected their terroir to the point that one can almost imagine the land and its beauty whilst tasting. But most of all they were extremely balanced in all aspects – alcohol level, acidity, sweetness and tanin structure – no matter where they came from. (Loire, Roussillon, Alsace, Champagne, Austria, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa).

A few friends have written excellent yet very different reports on the fairs – do check out Simon Woolf‘s Raw, real or just natural? where Simon explores different definitions to speak about wine made in and from grapes farmed in a sustainable way. My friend and natural wine proponent Arnold Waldstein on the other hand posted his views of the London natural winefairs in “A New Yorkers view on London’s RAW natural wine fair“. In this great post, he talks about this purity as well as the aspirational character of natural wine and speaks of the liveliness in the glass. Yes these wines are alive, as they were made from the fruits of plants who were allowed to live a balanced life!!!

To conclude I would like to briefly touch on the unique and individual character of biodynamic wines. The Apôtre vertical Champagne tasting guided by winemaker David Léclapart, who spoke about the differences in climate and balance in the vineyard as he introduced each vintage, was an amazing opportunity to really appreciate this originality. David’s Champagnes reminded me of siblings – where one can clearly see several resemblances yet also individual traits. The grape varieties, the land (exposure, deep soil content & farming) were the same and the winemaking process was pretty uniform too, yet the different balance during the growing season expressed itself in distinctively different wines. To see and taste these differences in a Champagne, where the winemaking process is notoriously elaborate, clearly brought home the biodynamic message for me, and the distinctive individual taste profiles this organic farming method can achieve :-)

Posted in biodynamic, Champagne, Natural Wine, organic, terroir, wine fair | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Caroline’s Champagne – is sustainable or organic farming the gateway to the future?

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Caroline

Champagne vineyard in spring

Champagne vineyard in spring

As many of you may know I have been totally fascinated to the point of obsession with vineyards and the terroir in Champagne ever since I moved here. I also have a long time passion for sustainable farming which has developed into a real weakness for organic and bio organic grape growing. However, the latter are still today in a marginal wine region like Champagne quite a rarity. Whilst many a farmer is slowly becoming more aware of the environment, not many are willing to bow down to rules and regulations they may have to break if they want to save their crops in difficult years. The commercially orientated Caroline can totally appreciate that and by no means do I want to use this post to preach for certified organic or bio-dynamic farming but I do want to focus on the sustainability of the environment, the plants and people who make up this wonderful region.

I love to walk, every day twice a day, my dog Betty and I enjoy our vineyard landscapes, some wildlife and fresh air – well at least till last week when spraying season started… Last Thursday, during a great walk in and among the vines I noticed Betty was really struggling, sneezing and panting heavily. I just assumed it was because of the heat and decided to cut the walk a little shorter. When we got home she did not want to drink, but instead she collapsed on the floor and stayed there for quite a while before she brought up some of her breakfast. In the mean time I felt as if someone had punched all the air out of my lungs, my head was exploding, I was very thirsty and as soon as I drank any water I was overcome with nausea and crashed. The rest of the evening was spent by both of us in great uncomfort…:-( What in fact had happened was we had been passing through some vineyards which were being sprayed and inhaled some of the toxic pesticides. As an asthmatic I know I am more sensitive – I had the same problem in New Zealand a few years ago – but I was amazed it had affected Betty as well. Since then I have been really careful where I walk but as the spray residue is still in the air I have had headaches and had to take ventolin every time after I have been out. I have also noticed that there is a lot less wildlife around. Once we are in the vineyards we see hardly any birds nor rabbits or insects any more… I guess they have either died or left to other places because of the sprays.

Champagne Vincent Bliard

Champagne Vincent Bliard

This experience reminded me of the chat I had with the Bliards when I visited them last month. Vincent Bliard is the only certified organic grower in Hautviller. His father Jean started to farm organically about 40 years ago because his wife was having averse reactions to the sprays. Working the soil and working with natural components instead of chemicals became their way of life and many a person thought they were totally crazy and that they would not last…When the certification came in about 20 years ago they signed up for it and ever since the Bliard have been advocates of the organic farming movement in Champagne. Up till a few years ago they were one of less than 20 certified producers, but are really happy that the movement is finally getting a little more traction today. The Bliards spend most of their time working their vineyard – they believe that a lot of attention is needed to give the soil and vines what they need rather than what we think they may need. They produce about 15,000 bottles of Champagne per year and sell the grapes of the border rows to the Negotiants. Those grapes often have residual spray from the neighbouring plots so they cannot be used for the organic wine production.

Franck Pascal, an excellent biodynamic producer a little further down the Vallee de la Marne, is a little less lenient about residual spray from his neighbours. We briefly spoke about the spray contamination issue at the Terres et Vins de Champagne tasting last month and he told me that he had written to his neighbours asking them to not spray or use chemicals in the 3 rows closest to his 3.5 HA vineyard. He explained in the letter that if they would continue with the sprays he would loose significant amounts of his crop and with that significant potential income. To make up for the latter he would ask them to pay the difference as their sprays were the reasons for this loss. I am really looking forward to hear more about this when I visit him early June!

In summery I do believe that at least sustainable farming will be our only gateway to the future – we have to look after the land and our environment and need to protect it in order to preserve it for future generations. Sustainable farming is already widely applied in New Zealand, South Africa and large parts of France and Italy and I believe more regions will follow suit. I even believe a marginal wine growing region such as Champagne will eventually follow suit and reduce the chemical treatments and replace them by more “natural” ones. It will not happen overnight but the younger generation winemakers seems to be a lot more aware of the environment and are starting to work towards it. Some of the proof toward this last statement can be seen in the organic farming guide/course thought at the prestigious viticulture institute of Avize now, and the helicopter and plane sprays ban as from next year.

To finish I would like to point out that some Champagne houses such as Duval-Leroy or Canard Duchene are are also making and marketing an organic Champagne. And I believe more will follow suit providing they will be able to purchase enough organic grapes. And I think this again will be a stimulator for more grape growers to change their farming methods and convert to organic farming :-)

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Caroline’s Champagne – a reflection on Champagne Terroir and the human role in the expression of this Terroir

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Caroline

An expression of terroir in Champagne

An expression of terroir in Champagne

I have been pretty occupied by the notion of “terroir” in Champagne lately. It all started off with the 4 independent winegrowers vins clairs and Champagne tastings 3 weeks ago. Terres et Vins de Champagne were de initiators of this type of tasting four years ago when they used their vins clairs as a way to better explain the specific characteristics of their terroirs in the resulting Champagnes. Their focus on the “soil” or terre in French reminded me of the Burgundian notion of terroir but applied to Champagne. In Burgundy vineyards and the allocation of the Crus status is defined in terms of Climats or Lieu-dits – or in other words it is the typicity of a specific “place” including soil, micro-climate and exposure which defines the wines.

I started thinking about this Burgundian definition of terroir whilst I was “bussed” around the Vallée de la Marne on the “Soirée Vagabondisme” organised by “Terres et Vins de Champagne” on the eve of the actual tasting. On our tiki tour we stopped off at several vineyards to taste some Pinot Meuniers vins clairs and Champagnes in the place were they were first conceived – ie among the vines :-)

Two facts really hit home for me on this journey – the diversity of the soil structure and influence of the micro-climates and the human input or role in the growing and wine making process.

Soil composition in one of the Laherte's vineyards

Soil composition in one of the Laherte's vineyards

The first fact, diversity of soils and the influence of the wine (micro-climatic factor) was beautifully illustrated at our first stop Aurelien Laherte’s vineyards in Chavot. Here we tasted two vins clairs from two different vineyards, both vinified in old barrels using only their indigenous yeasts. The first wine came from a very wind exposed vineyard with chalky and clay soils. The vin clair had a very pronounced mineral character as well as flavours of stonefruit (apricot) and pear and there was a distinctive salinity in the finish. The second vineyard was less exposed to the wind, the soils were more chalky, the stone fruit was more pronounced and a little more tropical (apricot, white peach and nectarine and a hint of small pineapple) and the finish had mineral chalky notes. The second vineyard (La Popote) had been planted about 35 years ago whilst the first vineyard was quite a bit younger – and yet because of the wind the yields were lower in the first vineyard. An interesting detail is that the vineyards were basically on either side of the road yet the difference in soil composition and wind exposure had translated itself in very different vins clairs. As we continued down the Marne Valley we tasted more vins clairs and also some Champagne yet every wine differed significantly from the previous one. Pretty amazing really as in total I think our trip was only just over 16 km.

This brings me to my second point – human intervention in the notion of terroir. After some interesting discussions on Facebook around a post I wrote for Vinogusto on the 4 independent winegrowers vins clairs and Champagne tastings it became very clear to me that man played at least as big a role in the expression of terroir as soil and climate do. Firstly he decides what variety to plant and how to plant the vineyard – some varieties are better suited to a specific micro climate and depending on the exposure the plants will be more or less influenced by the climatic elements. Also the age of the vines plays a role as older vines have deeper roots and tend to have naturally lower yields often resulting in more intense fruit at harvest. Another important human decision is when to harvest – I believe a better expression of terroir is achieved in fully ripened grapes as it is at that time that the diversity of flavours is reflected at it’s best. Whilst writing I also noticed that the one common factor between all the independent winegrowers involved in the vins clairs tastings was a desire to work the land in a more sustainable way and make wine in an artisanal manner. This in my opinion is pivotal to allow the terroir to express itself.

When we numb the land with chemicals from fertilisers and pesticides, we will drown the complex and dynamic relationships present in the soil and dumb down the potential expressions of this ecosystem. Hence I feel that if we want to express terroir specific qualities, it is quintessential that the subsoil is alive. By this I mean the vine roots (biotic components of the soil) can freely interact with the “natural” abiotic components such as air, mineral properties, water and sunlight and the grapes can absorb key elements of the soil specific characteristics.

4000 kg press at Champagne Pouillon

4000 kg press at Champagne Pouillon

Yet it is important to note here that especially in Champagne the wine making process is elaborate and the end result is often not terroir focused. There are lots of human decisions impacting the final result including the definition of terroir. Because of all the steps in the wine making process, I believe a Champagne will always express the terroir as interpreted by the winemaker. Mineral notes, fruit intensity and flavour and other terroir specific characteristics are in a way polished by the choices made during the vinification. Among these I see the choice of using natural vs added yeasts, to chaptalize or not, the decision to use oak or not, to lees stir and to undergo malolactic fermentation or not, to add reserve wine to the final blend, the make up of the liqueur de tirage (what yeasts and sugar are used to induce the second fermentation in the bottle), the time the wine will spend sur lattes aging in the cellar and the dosage used at disgorgement. Through all of these choices the wine maker will influence the taste profile, the complexity and ultimate expression of the terroir in his Champagne. When another winemaker takes over and continues to work the vineyards in the same way as his predecessor, but makes changes to the vinification – eg decided to do the first fermentation in barrel instead of stainless steel – the expression of the terroir will have changed noticeably. The same goes for making changes in the vineyard – eg planting another grape variety, replace old vines with younger ones or make changes in the way the soil is toiled. Even when maintaining the exact same wine making process these vineyard changes will once again result in different terroir characteristics of this single vineyard Champagne.

Going through all of the above again makes it difficult (at least for me) to perceive Champagne as a pure terroir wine without taking into account the human intervention as part of the terroir. The two go hand in hand and the 52 Champagne growers at the 4 independent tastings were all very much part of their terroir – or in other words their single vineyard Champagnes were, in my eyes, very personal expressions of their land. In order to delve deeper into this I will aim to visit (and write up) each of these 52 vignerons and explore their terroir by visiting their land (terre) as well as their cellars to try and pinpoint each and everyone’s unique definition of terroir ;-)

Posted in Caroline's Champagne, Champagne, Natural Wine, terroir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

#winelover’s and VinItaly

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Caroline

Umbria is for #winelover's

Umbria is for #winelover's

Just about a month ago I was in Verona with a group of friends to work on and participate in the first live #winelover project. Up till Vinitaly 2012, #winelover had been an online community of people who love wine and wanted to share this love through the twitter #winelover hastag and the facebook #winelover group. But once Luiz Alberto had negotiated a space and wifi with the Umbrian Wine Consortium for Vinitaly and asked Andre Ribeirinho, Onne Wan and yours truly to help him organise the event we embarked on a crazy but fun journey to make #winelover also a tangible off line experience!! In a mere two weeks we put together quite an impressive program for “Umbria is for winelover-s” hosting 2-3 events every day which included 2 MW guided tastings, a natural wine tasting and a few very animated debates. We were very fortunate to have the full support from Umbria, Vinitaly and Opera Wine (who all actively promoted our events) and I am more than a little proud to say that we had a good turn out for everything we had organised! Through live streaming at winedefender.tv we were able to share all the offline fun with our wider online community and even have some online participation into our debates. I think that this event turned #winelover into a real (rather than virtual) brand and we all have the T-shirt as proof! I am not sure what will be next for the #winelover brand and the community but I really enjoyed being part of this hectic but very pleasurable offline launch!! Especially as it meant sharing lots of special and fun wine moments together with some dear friends, meeting some amazing new people and attending my first VinItaly :-)

Vinitaly is different from any other international wine fair I have ever attended. Firstly it is mainly Italian focussed: the bulk of the exhibitors and a little over 2/3 of the fair goers are Italian. This is very different from say the London International Wine Fair, where the bulk of the trade is indeed British, but exhibitors are from all over the world, and Prowein, which is totally international.
Secondly it is huge – in fact it is the worlds second largest wine fair, there are 12 different halls covering 95,000 square metres with 4321 exhibitors and more than 160,000 visitors attending over 4 days. With that many producers and events going on and vast distances to cover one has to me more than a little organised and carefully plan one’s days including a few back up plans in case of the inevitable delays. And even if one does not naturally associates Italians with being very organised, at this event they really are as business is the only thing on everybody’s mind. According to the press dossier an average of 33 leads per exhibitor were made during the event, that is more than double the average (15) for most other events. Therefore I believe Vinitaly is a must attend event for anybody selling Italian wines (in Italy or abroad) as well as anybody wanting to sell wine in Italy.

OperaWine and Wine Spectator Grand tasting

OperaWine and Wine Spectator Grand tasting

This year Opera Wine officially opened Vinitaly with the lively press conference in collaboration with the Fondazione Altagamma:“Italian Icons: From Fashion to Wine”, where wine was firmly placed next to fashion and design as one of Italy’s luxury exports. The press conference was followed by “Finest Italian Wines:100 Great Producers”, an unprecedented tasting of the TOP 100 Italian wines in collaboration with the Winespectator. There were 2 sessions restricted to 500 guests each and this tasting definitely was one of my highlights of the fair. The quality of the wines was truly outstanding and it was wonderful to be able to talk to the producers in a fairly quiet atmosphere. I cherished the opportunity of being in a room with some of the best winemakers in the country and fell in love with the following wines:
Cantina Terlano Quarts Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Azienda Agricola Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca
Paulo Scavino Barolo Rocche dell Annunziata Riserva 2005
Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalicino Poggio al Vento Riserva 2004 (my favourite wine of the night:-) )
Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri-Sassiscaia Sassiscaia 2008

Michel Rolland at Vinitaly

Michel Rolland at Vinitaly

The actual fair started with a bang for me as Robbin Gheesling invited Onne and I to join her in an interview of Michel Rolland. We were lucky enough to taste 4 of his wines with him (Chateau le Bon Pasteur 2007 from Pomerol, Campo Eliseo 2004 from Toro, Bonne Nouvelle Cape Blend 2004 and the Mariflor Malbec 2010 from Mendoza). I really enjoyed the tasting as the wines were excellent, yet I was intrigued by how different the wines were especially when I compare them with wines of other famous flying winemakers.Michel explained that he feels a wine should be an expression of the terroir rather than the winemaker, something I whole heartedly agree with! Michel also spoke about how the wine world has changed and the quality of wine in general improved significantly during his career. He told us that times have never been as good for #winelover’s – and he knows as he’s a long time winelover and he now also has the t-shirt to prove it :-) However as we left he reminded us that drinking a glass of wine should be pleasurable – so we need to drink what brings us pleasure rather than follow the lead of others. Some excellent advise from a genuinely nice wine rock star!!

Debra Meiburg guided Woman and Wine tasting

Debra Meiburg guided Woman and Wine tasting

The other person I had the pleasure of meeting at Vinitaly was Debra Meiburg MW. Debra is an amazing #winelover ambassador – and our most active participant the the #winelover activities. She volunteered to be a panel member for both of our debates and contributed very graciously but actively in both discussions. Debra has a wealth of experience in wine and in social media where she actively shares some of her knowledge. I had read about her tongue and cheek approach to wine tasting but I have to admit to have been spell bound in the guided “Woman and Wine” tasting she hosted for us. Debra has the perfect knack to break down something that can be quite complicated into easy to understand bit parts and to make you feel totally at ease. We tasted 4 wines, 2 from Piedmont (a Barbaresco and a Barolo), one from Tuscany (a Brunello) and one from Umbria. All wines had been made by female winemakers and all four wines were outstanding. It was extremely interesting to taste these 4 wines side by side as it gave me a good overview of the regions and grape varieties.

These were my highlights from an amazing 5 days with fellow #winelover’s at Vinitaly. I have been racking my brains to find any disappointments and the only one I can think of is having missed the Peter Koff MW guided Italian wine tasting. Unfortunately our lifts back home left a little early and Onne and I had to forgo the tasting. We have, however, heard that the tasting was amazing! So I hope to meet Peter at another fair or wine event and to be able to attend one of his tastings at that time – who knows maybe even on Georgian Kvevris (amphora) wines :-)

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The direct wine sales business model – the growing success of Weingut Clauer and Champagne Tribaut

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Caroline

I have long been an admirer of the US “wine club” system, where customers sign up at the winery to receive a (mixed) case of wine every so often. The reason WHY I am so impressed by this system is that it is a nifty way to encourage repeat direct sales and create customer loyalty whilst cutting out the middle men. I never quite understood why here in Europe wineries seem shy away from this concept of direct sales… Having said this I have found two very different places which have given their own twist to exactly this concept and I would like to share their story with you today :-)

Weingut Clauwer

Weingut Clauwer

In November of last year, I visited Weingut Clauer in Heidelberg as fellow wine blogger Thomas Lippert and Weingut Clauer‘s winemaker invited me for the yearly Rotweinfest. The Rotweinfest literary means red wine festival – and it is a German twist on the Beaujolais nouveau concept. The aim of the festival is to launch the Estate’s Junger Heidelberger – a young fruit forward wine made from Pinot Noir Precoce (or Fruhburgunder in German), which is an early ripening Pinot Noir clone. The grapes are harvested towards the end of August, the wine is vinified in stainless steel and bottled towards the end of October and then released at the festival. In typical “nouveau” style the wine is very easy drinking and approachable, with flavours of ripe strawberries and cream and the winery generally sells out of it well before Christmas. From what I remember I believe that a serious dent was made into the 1500 bottles produced at the festival where the bottles were sold for 10 Euro’s for on premise consumption. To take out the price was €5.50 per bottle or €31 for a carton of 6 bottles.
Setting up for the Rotweinfest

Setting up for the Rotweinfest

The Rotwein festival is the smallest festival Weingut Clauer organises – yet it was still very well attended by the local community as about 1500 people showed up to join in the festivities. The night started off with a live jazz band playing, in the large tent which had been added to the Gaudeamusstube – a restaurant/tasting venue which can be rented out for private events. There was a variety of food for sale as well as the other wines made by the winery. After midnight the festivities continued inside where people happily danced the night away :-)

Thirsty people queuing up at the Rotweinfest bar

Thirsty people queuing up at the Rotweinfest bar

The main event organised by Weingut Clauer is the yearly wine festival which takes place in September (8-9 September this year). This event attracts more than 5000 people and again a lot of wine is sold as a direct result of the event. From spring till autumn the Gaudeamusstube is rented out just about every weekend for weddings, family get-togethers or corporate events.

By integrating so well in the local community, Weingut Clauer created a special place for their wines in their customer’s hearts. And as the quality-price ratio of their wines is excellent customer loyalty has become a given. More than 95% of Clauer’s wine is sold within the Heidelberg area and most off trade sales are done directly from the winery. Whilst this is a bit of a pity for people like me who don’t live in Heidelberg it is one of the best commercial and profitable winery marketing models I have ever seen – hence probably the continuous success and growth of this fairly new (a little older than 10 years) winery. Instead of investing in expensive international marketing activities – they focus on their local community and innovation of their wine offer. Clauer currently produces just over 93,000 bottles and they have 40 (!!!) different wines on offer – from sparkling (Sekt) to white, to red, to rose to desert and ice wine -so plenty of choice and a wine to suit every occasion!

Champagne Tribaut

Champagne Tribaut

The other example of clever direct marketing I found right here in my village (Hautvillers) at Champagne Tribaut. Champagne Tribaut are a third generation Champagne grower and maker – who originally started to produce their own champagne as part of a co-operative (RC). In 1975 Ghislain Tribaut invested in a Coquard press and the family became an independent grower (RM). That same year his wife opened the first tasting room in Hautvillers and Tribaut launched their direct sales campaign. In 1993 the family started the first of their delivery trips when they drove a truck down to Calais to better serve their English clients before Christmas. This way customers can order their champagne and pick it up at the delivery point which will save them the shipping costs. The system has proven to be highly successful as today the family makes deliveries to 9 different places several times of the year. By bringing the wine to their customers Champagne Tribaut has invested in an unusual but loyalty effective marketing technique: they have made the access to their wine as easy as possible. Needless to say this technique created a loyal customer base and has stimulated regular repeat orders.

Personalized labels for the Hautvillers Cartoon Festival

Personalized labels for the Hautvillers Cartoon Festival

Another way Tribaut stands out from the crowd is through personalized labels and muselets. For parties or special events Tribaut will dress a bottle to order something which again has proven to be very popular. A personalized label can be purchased for just under a Euro for a minimum order of 24 bottles – a reasonable amount for a private party. For the Jeroboam format the personalised dressing is included in the pricing.

Champagne Tribaut is also actively involved in local activities and events. Just this weekend they hosted a drawing exhibition by Gradimir Smudja as part of the Hautvillers Cartoon Festival. It gives festival tourists the opportunity to visit Tribaut’s winery and learn more about the Champagne making process whilst the enjoy the exhibition and it exposes Tribaut to potential new customers which allows them to grow their business in line with the production.

Champagne Tribaut wines

Champagne Tribaut wines

Last year Tribaut’s total production increased to 160,000 bottles, which is more than double of what they produced in 1993. 95% (!!!) of their wine is sold directly to the customers – just over 70% is sold from the cellar door and 25% through the delivery system. This direct sales system has allowed them to over deliver on price/quality. The price range of their Champagnes is between €14.80 for the regular NV Champagne (Cuvée Reserve) and €20.50 for the Vintage, which is extremely reasonable for the quality produced. The minimum aging of their wines is 3 years up to 7 for the Grande Cuvée Spéciale and the Vintage Champagne.
Tribaut is open every day for tastings and purchases and cellar visits are available upon appointment.

In my opinion, the main reason why both Weingut Clauer and Champagne Tribaut have been so successful is because they have invested in their customer base rather than in distribution. This has allowed them to profitably grow their business to meet their customer demand. In a time where so many wineries struggle to pay their bills I do believe teir are valuable lessons to be learned from this model:-)

Posted in General wine biz stuff, Wine Business, wine marketing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A quick review of Prowein 2012

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Caroline

Prowein Flags outside the Dusseldorf Messe ©Prowein

Prowein Flags outside the Dusseldorf Messe ©Prowein

Last weekend I attended Prowein in Dusseldorf. Over the past decade Prowein has developed itself into THE wine fair to attend in Europe. It attracts visitors and exhibitors from all over the world and with a lot of determination and focus you could really taste your way around the world.

It is a well known fact that a lot of business is done at this fair – however to get a deal one has to be well prepared and have made contacts and appointments long in advance. This year I heard from several importer/distributor connections visiting the fair that they were busier than ever – several of them having 8 or more appointments per day with different wineries trying to expand their distribution. In today’s buyers market distributors/importers have become more demanding and are looking for a partnership which can give them the right wine at the right price and with the support they need to build the brand in their country.

What amazed me this year was the amount of winery representatives present at the fair, just walking around and having meetings. I asked a few people why they had not taken a stand and the most common answer was that the main reason to be in Dusseldorf was to meet with potential distributors and that it was easier to have a meeting when one was not distracted by other “customers”. Furthermore they felt that tasting the wine was only a small part of the meeting and therefore found it more (cost) effective to just leave samples with the potential distributor if they did not have the opportunity to taste with them there and then. I found this approach quite interesting – in fact I feel it makes perfect business sense for both the winery and the potential distributor, especially since the latter can take the samples back and compare with other samples in a tasting back home.

Besides being known as the wine fair to do business it is also one of the most amazing places to visit for any #winelover. As said at the very beginning one can taste wines from just about any wine producing country – so the opportunity to learn is everywhere. And as just about everybody and anybody in the winebiz attends this fair it is also THE place to meet up with wine friends and #winelovers from all over the world :-)

The highlights for me where:

The Australian Trail tastings: Wine Australia had organised some fabulous comparative tastings. Each day they focussed on a different grape variety and a few regions where this variety expresses itself the best. I attended the Dry Riesling tasting on Sunday which focused on the Clare and the Eden Valley. This particular tasting was very interesting as it included several older vintages and we had the opportunity to see how well these Rieslings had aged under screw cap. Having long been a fan of Clare Valley Riesling I really cherished the opportunity to taste different vintages of some of the top producers!!! My favourite wine was the Petaluma Hanlin Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2002, which was still amazingly fresh and youthful (lots of lemon and lime, even a little kumquat and tangerine) , yet also showed some of those typical aged Riesling notes (petrol &manuka honey) and a very flinty almost saline finish. This is a perfect food wine and would match well with a cheese board, chicken in creamy mushroom sauce or with some tangy crudo or cheviche prawns! The other two tastings focussed on new wave Chardonnay and classic Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted a few of the wines in the other tastings and once again was really impressed with the quality and diversity. The Chardonnay was mainly sourced from cooler climate regions and the wines impressed by their elegance, finesse and uniqueness. The Cabernet Sauvignon came from the Coonawarra and Margaret River regions, which are both coastal regions benefiting from some cooling ocean influences. Again the wines I tasted were very diverse, elegant, structured and would age quite well. I would be very interested to do a comparative vintage tasting in a few years time:-)
In my opinion Wine Australia really made an impact with these tastings as they focussed on quality Australian wines in a higher price bracket. Each of the wines I tasted was elegant rather than bold and an expression of their terroir; together they showcased the diversity present in Australian wines. For a country known to produce fruit forward pretty similar styled wines this was an excellent move to introduce the trade to the “other” Australian wines.

Wine Australia's Trail Riesling Tasting

Wine Australia's Trail Riesling Tasting


MW Master Class – An introduction to the Institute of Masters of Wine: This master class took place in the New World Pavilion and was hosted by Lynne Sherriff MW, Caro Maurer MW and Pedro Ballesteros MW. The class focussed on the Masters of Wine Tasting paper, through a blind tasting of 3 flights (1 white of 3 wines and 2 red of 2 wines), we learned what the Master of Wines examiners are looking for when marking a tasting paper. First we had some time to taste, take notes and answer the questions before the 3 MW’s engaged us in a discussion about the questions and the wines. It was my most amazing tasting experience as for the first time ever I had the opportunity to compare notes with 24 other #winelover-s and get feed back from 3 MW’s. I feel I learned more in those 50 minutes than I have in the last year, and I will actively look for similar tasting opportunities in the future:-)

Organic Wine Hall: My last highlight was the Ecological and Organic Wine Hall where I spend most of Monday. It was great that Prowein had carved out a space where one could easily taste and compare organically farmed and ecologically produced wines. It’s also an important acknowledgement of the growing interest in Organic Wine in general. The hall was buzzing, the wines were great and best of all every producer I visited was passionate about organic farming and had a story to tell!!

If these were my highlights, unfortunately there were a few major disappointments too….

The first one being without a doubt the lack of free wifi. This made it extremely difficult to share my experiences online and to communicate with people I had arranged to meet. Even in the Press Center – which by the way was miles away from the rest of the fair – the signal was weak and kept on dropping out so after 30 minutes I just gave up and returned to the fair. In the Internet Lounge one had to buy vouchers to use the internet – please note that at €8/hour or €40/day access throughout the fair was not guaranteed. The lady behind the counter suggested not to buy the day ticket as she had obviously had too many complaints about the wifi not working properly in all of the halls… I find it amazing and crazy that whilst one can have free wifi just about anywhere (Mc Donalds, Starbucks, hotels and airports just to name a few) that there is no access at such a prominent and large event as Prowein… There even was no access to web based wifi systems such as eg T-systems… I heard these providers were blocked in order to force people to use the hugely overpriced official internet system… A real failure then that at that price the wifi was still not guaranteed… I really hope that the organisers get enough complaints about this crazy wifi policy and that they have better provisions next year….

My only other big disappointment was the Introduction to Wines of Turkey tasting. I had been really looking forward to this tasting, organised to attend with other winelovers and in fact it was the first Prowein event I had registered for. However, it saddens me to say that as much as Wines of Australia got things right, the Wines of Turkey really got them wrong. I know that there are great and not so great wines everywhere, but all generic tastings I have attended up till Sunday have always been focused around the better wines rather than on the not so brilliant examples. I really do not know what the Wines of Turkey were expecting from this tasting but through the choice of wines they presented I fear they may have put more than a few people off… Bar a few wines, the majority of what we tasted was too alcoholic, unbalanced an had a nasty bitter oak tanin finish… I think the last two wines weren’t too bad but by that time my palate had totally been abused by all the oak that I don’t know whether the wines were actually good or just less invasive which would have created an impression of being nice… If I am brutally honest these were some of the worst wines I have ever tasted :-(
When I questioned the choice of wine I was even more confused to find out that the Wines of Turkey had changed the selection at the very last moment… This meant that they paid people to visit Turkey and pick wines only to change them at the show. I never did find out the exact reason WHY they picked the wines they did and have to admit to be still more than a little curious about this… I just don’t understand why a generic body which is investing heavily in promoting Turkish wines through eg hosting the OIV (World Wide Conference of Vines and Wines) and sponsoring the EWBC (European Wine Bloggers Conference) this year would want to show such bad examples at the guided tastings at Prowein?? Surely this undermines a lot of the effort of trying to get people excited about Turkish wines… The only reason I have been able to rationalize is that the wines we tasted are a true representative sample of the Turkish wine market hence they are the wines Turkey is looking to export. This also corresponds with what I have read on carpertblogger, a Turkish Blogger giving advice on Turkish wines…

Posted in Natural Wine, networking, Uncategorized, wine eductation, wine fair, Wine Regions, wine tasting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Caroline’s Champagne – the single vineyard projects…

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Caroline

A few months ago I moved to Champagne to write more whilst specializing in this wonderful wine:-). As I am discovering my new playing ground I seem to stumble upon so many true gems, unusual wines and fabulous producers which I would like to share in the “Caroline’s Champagne” section of my blog.

Originally I had thought to start with Zero Dosage Champagnes as I have a real soft spot for this “naked” style of sparkling wine. However since the article I wrote on this topic for Palate Press has just been published , I decided instead to launch “Caroline’s Champagne” by talking about some great single vineyard Champagnes I have tried last week.

Single vineyard Champagne is a bit of an anomaly – as blending or “assemblage” is king here in Champagne. It was at the origin of Champagne – Dom Perignon’s real claim to fame is the fact that he started to blend different varieties, plots and later vintages to make a consistent quality wine. And today the bulk of the Champagne produced, especially by the large Champagne Houses, is still a blend of different terroirs, grapes and vintages. Lots of producers and people I have spoken to since arriving here tell me that the blend across the different vineyards and subregions is what makes Champagne great…

However on the fringe, there are some really exciting single vineyard projects happening :-)
Because Champagne is a marginal wine growing region with multiple soil compositions and lots of micro-climates I do believe that you really have to understand your vineyard, the soil, micro-climate, and invest in separate parcel vinification to correctly pinpoint which plots will shine by themselves. So it is not really surprising that the single vineyard projects are generally led by the Vigneron Indépendant or Récoltant-Manipulant rather than the big houses. And the more single vineyard Champagnes I taste, the more I believe that it is here that the Vigneron Indépendant can truly shine without having to compete with the Negotiants.

Larmandier-Bernier Egg shaped cement tanks used for the Rosé de Saignée

Larmandier-Bernier Egg shaped cement tanks used for the Rosé de Saignée

Without doubt Larmandier-Bernier has fully understood this as they make rather “unusual” but widely recognized Champagnes. Pierre Larmandier changed his approach to grape growing in 1992 when he stopped using pesticides and instead focused on working the soils of his vineyards. In 1999 he changed the winemaking to only use indigenous yeasts and in 2003 he started farming in a biodynamic way. The winery is spotless and pretty modern and Pierre uses a mixture of barrels, “foudres” (large wooden casks), stainless steel tanks and a few cement egg shaped tanks for the fermentation. He differs from most Champagne makers in the fact that he leaves his still wine on the lees for about 10 months as he only bottles in July. He believes that the true expression of the terroir is done in the 1st fermentation rather than through extensive aging. He makes two single vineyard, single varietal and single vintage cuvée’s, Terre de Vertus (average retail price €39) and Vieilles Vignes de Cramant (average retail price €50). I also will add the tasting notes here for his very unusual Rosé de Saignée which retails for around €50.
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 2007

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 2007

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 2007 Brut Zero: 100% Chardonnay, a Zero Dosage Champagne aged for 4 years on the lees. Light golden in colour with fine bubbles. Fresh Macadamia, quince and red apple on the nose, with flavours of ripe pear, red apple, fresh almonds and macadamia and a very mineral, chalky finish with a few saline notes.
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant Extra Brut 2006: A single vineyard Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay from vines of 50 to 70 years old, 2g/l dosage. Golden colour with very fine bubbles. Intense and voluptuous nose with aromas of ripe apple, white nectarine and a little hint of vanilla. Flavours of stewed ripe apple, quince paste, great minerality and little flintiness in the lingering finish.
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant Extra Brut 2005: Exactly the same wine from the 2005 vintage and it is mind blowing how different the expression of the terroir is between the 2 vintages. Wet chalk and earthy notes on the nose, elegant mineral driven wine, with hints of quince, pear and a little meyer lemon and fresh Macadamia, lots of mineral notes (flint, chalk, river stone) in the lingering finish.
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée NV: 100% Pinot Noir. Grapes are destemmed and left to macerate for two days before being pressed off. Deep Pink in colour with fine bubbles. A real Pinot nose with aromas of wild strawberry, ripe raspberry and some hints of mushroom and earth. Medium bodied wine with flavours of red berries and a lingering earthy almost smokey finish. Perfect match for a charcuterie platter!

A few days later I came across another excellent single vineyard Champagne – Clos des Bouveries 2005 by Duval-Leroy. Duval Leroy is a large independently owned Champagne House. The production today is about 5 million bottles and the Owner/CEO, Carol Duval-Leroy as well as the cellar master, Sandrine Logette-Jardin are women which is pretty unique in Champagne.

Duval-Leroy Clos de Bouveries 2005

Duval-Leroy Clos de Bouveries 2005

The fruit for this Cuvée comes from the east sloping Bouverie vineyard in Vertus. The vineyard is walled on 2 sides hence the name Clos and owned by the Duval-Leroy family. The Clos de Bouveries is a vintage cuvée and the aim is to reflect the terroir as well as the climate changes in Champagne from vintage to vintage. After pressing part of the juice is fermented in barrique and the rest in stainless steel tanks. The wine spends about 5 years on the lees before disgorging and just under 10,000 bottles were made in 2005. The average price per bottle is €45.
Champagne Duval-Leroy Clos de Bouveries 2005: 100% Chardonnay. Pale golden in colour with small bubbles. An elegant mineral nose with aromas of apple blossom and white flowers. Crisp Champagne, with flavours of red apple, almond pastry and mineral chalky and flinty notes in the long finish.

I had a blitz visit to Champagne Pouillon and was totally blown away by Elodie and Fabrice Pouillon’s 2XOZ 2004. I had briefly tasted this wine on Champagne Day in Reims last year and remembered liking it but I had forgotten just how amazing and complex this Champagne was. 2004 was the first vintage of the 2XOZ. The wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir harvested from part of the Ecueil vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Ay. The vines are on average is 47years old and the Champagne is made in a artisanal way. The fruit is picked at about 12.5% alcohol, which is significantly higher than usual in Champagne. Only natural yeasts are used, which for the second fermentation come from the lees of the first fermentation, and concentrated must is added instead of sugar to the liqueur de tirage and liqueur de dosage. The wine was aged for 7 years and only 2547 bottles have been produced.

Fabrice Pouillon's 2004 2XOZ

Fabrice Pouillon's 2004 2XOZ

Champagne Pouillon 2XOZ 2004: Very floral nose lots of notes of citrus flower and a little bee wax. Elegant Champagne with very small bubbles, on the palate I encountered layers of fruit: first red forest fruit like wild strawberries and raspberries, then some ripe pink grapefruit which lead into mandarine and finished on zesty lemon & lime notes. Great weight and excellent minerality (riverstone, flint, wet chalk) – and floral notes (jacaranda, honey suckle) reminiscent of a fine Mosel Riesling in the finish. At around €55 this is a real bargain!!!

On Tuesday Morning I once again visited Tarlant as they do some FABULOUS single vineyard wines. I described most of them in my post on Tarlant but want to briefly mention here a little newish project of Benoit Tarlant. About 7 years ago he planted a small plot with 5 rows of each of 3 of the lesser known Champagne varieties, Pinot Blanc, Arbanne and Petit Melier. He’s trying to understand their specific characteristics and behaviour in the vineyard as well as in the winery where he has been experimenting with a “BAM” Cuvee.

Blending BAM experiment with Benoit Tarlant

Blending BAM experiment with Benoit Tarlant

I was lucky enough to taste the vin claire and to participate in a fun blending experiment as well as taste some of the first Champagne results (non dosé). The vin claire of this year was very floral (white flowers) with some hints of green apple and herbal notes (bell pepper) in the very acidic finish. We blended different vin claire, and it was amazing how the wine changed, became fuller and less acidic, by adding reserve wines which had been aged in barrel. I really loved this opportunity to experience yet a different expression of the terroir, and feel the Tarlants have once again found a niche to stand out from the others :-)

I will continue to search out and share different single vineyard cuvée’s and other unusual blends with a focus on independent growers. Besides the element of excitement they add, I feel they are within price reach of Champagne and wine lovers who are looking for something cutting edge and a little more unique. And they prove that terroir is important and can be expressed also in a sparkling wine:-)

I would like to finish off by saying that besides Duval-Leroy, a few other Champagne houses make a single vineyard cuvée. However as single vineyard means low volume these wines have generally become a super Cuvée Prestige for the House: they are very sought after hence quite expensive. Please find a few examples here below. I took the average pricing from Winesearcher.

  • Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises Blanc de Noirs. A vintage single vineyard wine made from 2 Clos planted with ungrafted Pinot Noir grapes. Part of the grapes are planted in the traditional way – creeping on the soil. Bollinger does not produce a Vieilles Vignes Françaises every year and the production is rather small at 3000 bottles. The average bottle costs €616.
  • Billecart Salmon Clos St Hilaire Blanc de Noirs. Again a vintage single vineyard champagne made from 100% Pinot Noir. Around 6500 bottles are made and the average price is €302.
  • Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs made from 100% Chardonnay
    and Krug Clos d’Ambonnay Blanc de Noirs made from 100% Pinot Noir. Both wines are very rare and hence extremely expensive with prices around €823 for the Clos du Mesnil and€2,155 for the Clos D’Ambonnay
    • Posted in Caroline's Champagne, Champagne, terroir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Large Wine Fairs and the Web 2.0

    Posted on February 20, 2012 by Caroline

    It’s been a very long time since I wrote a wine marketing focussed post here, guess I have been too busy enjoying the good wines and visits:-) However, this weekend I have done nothing much else but thinking of this post… The idea came to me due to a convergence of circumstances… This last week I had been working on a Web2.0 presentation which I was going to present at ViniSud together with Audrey Domenach and Vincent Pétré. As I wrote in this post for Vinogusto, ViniSud is celebrating it’s 10th Birthday by following in the footsteps of a few other major wine fairs and invested in a Web2.0 Pavillion – a forum for online and digital communication with wifi access to stimulate users to take the conversation online. One can follow this conversation on Twitter when searching for #vinisud and by lunchtime today more 24k people had been reached by a 1200 tweets – not bad for the first few hours of the trade fair:-)

    Besides the twitter stream, the Web2.0 initiative also has a blog where they amalgamate a huge amount of one line information which is directly or indirectly linked to the fair. This includes wine articles written by prominent wine bloggers about a country, wine region or producer represented at the fair as well as articles directly referring to the fair. It is in my opinion a great initiative for several reasons:
    1. It brings together a plethora of information in 1 place where trade visitors looking to prepare for the fair can gather inspiration.
    2. It allows the exhibitors to see what has been written about their region/winery and by whom. They can gage bloggers and web journalists’ interests and organise events/specific tastings for this sub group. I personally received several invitations to attend such events – mainly focused on natural wines, Italian, Spanish, Slovenian and Portuguese wines -which are subjects I have embraced in my previous blog posts.
    Such tailor made tastings will have a greater ROI as the press/bloggers attending have already shown an interest in similar wines and are generally more inclined to review it than regular press.
    3. It is easy for the online communicators to see what their peers are doing, this often is inspiring and can stimulate more communication. In the end I feel it is really the exhibitor who benefits here as there will be more buzz about the fair, their country, region and a natural interest in their wine is generated. EG a buyer who reads great things about a certain wine region or producer will be more tempted to go taste these wines and eventually buy and sell the products himself. As always it is easier to sell a product when you can refer to positive reviews.

    So whilst some big wine fairs are starting to embrace or at least acknowledge the fact that in today’s world the majority of the communication is happening online, some seem totaly oblivious to this fact. My example here is Prowein, one of the largest wine fairs at present.

    I have attended the fair the last two years as a consultant but as I will write a comparative article on the ROI of major fairs and have been asked to review several new releases by producers I decided to apply for a press pass. This would give me internet access and allow me to join into the conversation and buzz created online. I was rather surprised to see that no press accreditation is available through pre-registration. Instead the press office will open 30 minutes before the start of the fair and all journalists/writers are to present themselves with their press pass to receive the accreditation. As a blogger I do not have a press pass, something which is mainly associated with print writing these days so I contacted the Press Office as I knew they had a bloggers access last year (some fellow wine bloggers had told me they attended the fair as bloggers last year).

    To my great surprise I was told that as my main activity is not writing, I should register as a regular visitor. I went back to the press office explaining that I have mainly focussed on writing in the last few months and that my primary reason to attend the fair this year is to report on it. Once again they came back now asking for proof from online magazines that I would cover the fair for them. So in the end I send them a nice thanks but no thanks email as I feel they really have no clue. Not only do they make it near impossible for bloggers and online writers to receive press accreditation, by refusing to hand out the accreditation in advance they will also miss out on a lot of regular journalists. And I have to admit to be more than a little miffed why the Prowein organisers are making life so difficult for the press – it almost seems like they feel they do not need any press coverage or else they want to pick and choose who can write about them…

    The big losers here are the paying exhibitors who will miss out on media exposure. Having worked as a VP Sales and Marketing for a New Zealand winery I know that when one forks out large amounts of money for an international fair one hopes to get as much exposure as possible. I also know I am not the only one thinking along these lines as I have received several invites from distributors and wineries to come and taste new release wines as well as invites to attend tastings organised by generics. I know these invites have been send in the hope that I will attend AND write about the wines. To be totally honest if I hadn’t committed to some appointments already I would have given Prowein a miss and found other topics to write about. Not attending the fair would furthermore mean that I would not have written about any exhibitors who have been vying for my attention.

    When comparing Prowein’s attitude to media and specifically online media with Vinisud’s, I know where I as an exhibitor would put my money. Unsurprisingly quite a few wineries from the Mediterranean share my thoughts and they will not be present at Prowein either. I do find it interesting to see such arrogance in times of recession when money is tight and wineries/distributors have to make choices on where they spend their marketing Euro’s.

    As there is so much more to say I will explore the topic of major wine fairs and their potential ROI for the exhibitor a little deeper after Prowein on Vinogusto.

    Posted in General wine biz stuff, wine fair, wine marketing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment