Archive for the ‘pinot noir’ Category

The wine regions of Germany

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Germany has 13 separate wine growing regions, each of which produces its own style of wine, often from the same varieties. Generally, the lightest and most elegant German wines are produced in the Mosel-Sarr-Ruwer and Ahr regions.
Slightly fuller wines are made inthe Mittelrhein, Nahe, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, while the fullest German wines tend to come from the regions of Pfalz, Hessische Bergstrasse, Sachsen, Württembery and Baden.

Wine regions Major wine types Soil type Wine style
Ahr Red/Rose:
Spätburgunder,
Portugieser
volcanic slate light, fruity
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer White: Riesling slate-covered slopes,
rich in minerals
elegant, delicate,
racy
Nahe White: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner loess, loam, quartzite, porphyry fruity, crisp, stylish
Pfalz White: Riesling,
Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer,Muller-Thurgau, Kerner, Silvaner
Red/Rose: Spätburgunder, Portugieser
loam, weathered limestone full, aromatic, round
Hessische
Bergstrasse
White: Riesling,
Müller-Thurgau
loess elegand, fruity,
good acidity
Baden White: Ruländer
(Pinot Gris), Müller-Thurgau,
Gewürztraminer, Riesling

Red/Rose:Spätburgunder
loess, loam, volcanic
soil
full, aromatic,
spicy
Sachsen White: Müller-Thurgau,
Weissburgunder, Gewürtraminer
variety of soil,
(sand, porphyry, loam)
dry, crisp, distinctive


Selected websites show other articles on: Germany wines.
This blog also has a post that gives an overview of the German red varieties and another with an overview of the German white varieties.

How to enjoy Champagne wines

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

How should I store Champagne?

Champagne wines should be kept in a cool, dark place away from heat, light, vibrations and severe temperature variations. Unlike the best wines from Bordeaux or California, Champagne wines are ready for consumption when they are shipped to the market. However, some wine lovers also enjoy cellaring their Champagnes for a few extra years.

What is the best way to chill Champagne?

Before opening, chill the wine well, but do not freeze it. Champagne is best chilled by placing the bottle in a bucket filled with ice and water for 30-40 minutes or in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator for several hours.
Lovers of (French) Champagne always keep a bottle there for inspiration, unexpected guests and homey dinners.

How do I open a bottle of Champagne?

The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is equivalent to that of a tire of a double-decker bus, about ninety pounds per square inch. Slant the bottle at a 45 degree angle away from guests. Put a thumb on the cork, untwist and loosen the wire muzzle. Grasp the cork firmly, twist the bottle slowly and let the pressure help push out the cork. Allow a light and merry pop.

How should I serve Champagne?

Drinking Champagne by the bottleChampagne is best served in tall flute or tulip glasses, at a temperature of 42-47 degrees Fahrenheit. Tiny bubbles will rise in a continuous stream. When serving, pour a small quantity of wine into each glass and allow it to settle. Then fill each glass two-thirds full. Victorian saucer-shaped glasses are best kept for the service of sherbet or ice cream.

How much Champagne will I need?

For a Champagne apéritif at cocktail hour, allow one bottle for every three or four guests. When served at a meal, count on one bottle for every two or three people. And for the traditional Champagne toast to the bride, one bottle can serve six to ten people.

Related articles: the regions that produce Champagne and the red grapes that go into Champagne.

Louis Latour, Burgundy

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

With all the ownership changes in Burgundy, Maison Louis Latour remains firmly in the hands of the Latour family.

Louis Latour logoThe domaines, which give it 10 percent of production, also give it some superlative wines, in particular the great Corton-Charlemagne, of which the firm owns 22 acres. Whites are generally regarded as better than the reds here, with new oak barrel fermentation giving considerable richness and complexity.

The reds, traditionally pasteurized before bottling, are more controversial. Some believe the technique ages the wines too fast, while others enjoy the immediate richness and softness. Good reds to follow are the Beaune premier cru Domaine Latour and Chambertin.

Winery:
Louis Latour
18 rue des Tonneliers – Beaune 21200
Phone: 03 80 24 81 00

2007 vintage would be bad in Europe

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

In a nutshell: buy 2007 wines only from reliable producers.

Obviously a vintage is a concept: it cannot taste bad. The point here is to indicate that vine growers have had more problems this year than previous years. The quality of the wines very much depends on the vine growing — every year but this year even more so. This is the year when the serious, talented winemaker makes a big difference.

Vineyards near Gamlitz, Austria, by HalehRThe Austrian wine marketing board have published their official summary of the vintage so far, calling it ‘the winemaker’s year’. In the words of Jancis Robinson this means that ‘there have been quite a few hurdles for them to overcome – in the vineyard perhaps even more than in the winery’.

In France, the cool summer of 2007 affected everyone and the September weather saved some grapes. Micro-climates came into play and the savvy vigneron had to carefully determine the date of harvest. Rot and mildew was widespread. Keeping the grapes on the vines was a gamble many winemakers did not make.

Côte d’Or, Burgundy

Reports Bill Nanson: ‘The vintage will be as heterogeneous as the approaches and the quality of grapes and sorting’. ‘Grapes from Latricières-Chambertin needed quite some work (just like in 2004)’.
Said Louis-Michel Liger-Belair: ‘we made a hard triage’.
Reports Martine Saunier, California importer of some growers in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley: ‘beginning 25 August, the weather warmed up and the sun finally came out. Temperatures rose to 25°-30° C. The grapes started turning red immediately’.

More reports

I have made complementary overviews: