About     FAQ     Contact      Advertise With Us      Press   

A Busy Day in Champagne Wine Country

April 11, 2015 – 12:21 am
Champagne at Dom Caudron

Champagne at Dom Caudron

Yesterday was delightfully busy with our small press tour group that followed the end of the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC.) Following a quick, light breakfast at the Continental Hotel in Reims, we boarded a Champagne shuttle bus that took us to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. This historic building is on the UNESCO World Heritage site. The cathedral has many sculptures of angels, stained glass windows and a long history. Of particular interest to our group was the stained glass window that was donated to the cathedral. The colorful window depicts the growing of grapes and winemaking. Our guide conveyed his enthusiasm about the history and architecture of the building.

Our next stop was Champagne Taittinger in Reims where we walked through deep and long caves of chalk. After climbing down the stairs into the caves and then returning to the reception area, we were rewarded with the tasting of several Taittinger champagnes.

Our next stop was Dom Caudron, a champagne house in Passy-Grigny. Upon walking inside we saw numerous pieces of old winemaking equipment. Dom Caudron is a cooperative that works with 75 grape growers. On the same floor, an area was set aside for our lunch. We enjoyed a delightful assortment of foods with champagnes.

Our final stop was Champagne Charlie, a small family owned champagne house. The owner and her daughter provided a delightful champagne tasting in a room adjacent to the spacious tasting room. We also toured the winemaking area.

After returning to our hotel we met down stairs for quick tasting of two wines from India provided by one of our group. It was the first time I’ve had wines from India. I found the sparkling wine produced with Chenin Blanc grapes to be light and tasty. This sparkling wine would be good as an aperitif or it would pair well with food. The red still wine was produced with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The aroma and taste were of intense notes of cinnamon and cloves.

A short time later we walked across the street for dinner at FLO. For dinner we had salad followed by mashed potatoes and succulent, tender roast duck. Dessert was a yummy chocolate mouse.

Watch for more specific write-ups about these special places.

Looking forward to tomorrow, although we have an early start time.

Cheers!

Kathy

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

IWINETC Day 2 Overview

April 10, 2015 – 1:01 am

Session 2.1

National Tasting Room Survey. By Miquel Lecuona from Wine Marketing Guide, LLC

Miguel Lecuona discussed the winery survey that his company developed. Winer personal completed the survey. Two hundred wineries responded. The survey was developed using survey monkey. Some of the findings include.

82% of the wineries that responded had production of less than 10,000 cases

78% wanted more of their wines in their portfolio tasted

54% indicated that the winery owner or winemaker is in the tasting room on a regular basis.

66% indicated that they have 9 to possibly more than 15 wines on the tasting menu

62% indicated that they charge $5 – $10 for a tasting

The majority of marketing is aimed at the general visitors

69% indicated limo or bus tours of 10 or more people is a problem

Session 2.1. Inter Vitis: The European &Cultural Brand of Wine Tourism

Presenter Phillippe Harant, Director of the Departmental Committee 

Inter Vitis is the European cultural. The organization has three goals: cultural objective,tourist target, and economic objective. The cultural objective promotes the country identity and heritage. The tourist target focuses on helping to meet the needs of tourists who to know about heritage. The last objective is about networking National and international destinations to promote local development.

041015aSession 2.2

Creating a Luxury Wine Experience by Susan Lanier-Graham, CWAS from WanderWithWonder.com

Susan Lanier-Graham began her presentation defining luxury experience. She said creating luxury is tapping into dreams. A luxury wine tourist is a female with average age of 51, highly educated with a higher than average income. But this is not the only tourist that can be included in luxury wine tourism.

Wineries need to offer a luxury experience that the public can not access, such as a Riedel wine tasting with different  Riedel glasses. Another example is to offer tours and tasting done by the winemaker. Consider offering gastronomic elements to a luxury experience. Onto lysis a luxury experience exclusive, it is also a privilege. Offer chauffeured tours or tasting reserve wines. The third component of luxury experiences is authenticity. Family stories and traditions help create an authentic experience.

Session 2.2 How to Find Wine Travelers Online

Presenter: Nic Myers from Wine Tourist Advisor

Nic Myers began the session with:

•Who are your wine travelers?

•Where are your wine travelers?

•What do your wine travelers need?

He said to be sure to answer questions online this will create more people following you. Surprisingly he noted that our average online attention span is eight seconds.

Wine travelers do not want to see your wall of medals.

Session 2.3

Young Talents of Champagne by Elodie Bier from Comité Départmental du Tourisme de la Marne

Elodie Bier talked about the Young Talents of Champagne was created as a means to add a human element to wine growers. Criteria for applicants included is that the members must be under 50 years old, their activity has to be less than 10 years old. They must exhibit a now how of their business. The applicants are selected by a group. They then meet the public. The selection committee selects the laureates.

A tourism guide was created and website that would promotes those selected as young talents of Champagne. The program provides recognition by their peers, opens professional networks and there’s support for their activity.

James  is a winemaker that treated a new tourist activity. He created a Eco guided tour of vineyards in an electric car. The tour ends with a tasting of three champagnes in James’ house.

Session 2.3

How Can Wine Tourism Reinforce the Attractiveness of Jura

Presenter Laurence Cogan from Burgundy School of Business – School of Wine & Spirits Business

Jura is on the borders of being well known and bizarre. Varieties growing in the Jura include Chardonnay savigin poulsard and trousseau. In general Jura wines are very light red wines.

Existing wine tourism in the Jura is limited. The majority of wineries do not have English speaking skills. However, the region does offer several festivals which attract tourists.

Session 2.5
First-Time vs. Repeat Visitors: Different Types of Loyallyy by Natalia Velikova at Texas Tech University

 

Natalia Velikova talked about the consumer segments in the wine market. Two studies were examined. The first study was about wine festivals. At the Grape Day Wine Festival, 403 surveys were collected. Some of the data included

60% of visitors were female

65% repeat visitors drink more wine than first time visitors

The majority of first time visitors enjoy sweet while repeat visitors prefer dry

Repeat visitors are less knowledgeable about wine then repeat visitors

First time visitors consume less wine that repeat visitors.

The majority of first time visitors visit in a small group of 1 or 2 whereas repeat visitors often come in groups of five or more

The second study focused on tasting rooms. Gratuity tasting is more likely if there is not a tasting room fee.

Session 2.5 Bringing Visitors Back: Lessons Learned from Natural Disasters

Presented by Paul Wilke of Upright Position Communications

Paul Wilkes, a crisis tourism PR specialist was in the earthquake region near Napa last summer when the Napa earthquake occurred. He noted that when disaster strikes the first thing people think is “what is happening?”

Paul mentioned some statistics about Napa Valley that included that 80% of the visitors are interested in wine tasting.

Some of the things that can be learned from disasters like Napa’s earthquake include that disasters can be temporary. In Napa Valley, there were only two stay away days, all but six restaurants reopened in 48 hours, within one week 90 percent of the wineries  were up and running.

When disaster strikes Paul recommends

•Communicate

•Be transparent

•Be honest

•Use effective channels, social media, email, website

Paul also said media can help or hurt so be prepared for an interview.

Use media on your terms be honest, insightful, pithy and short. Paint a visual picture. Leave out the negative. Tell the recovery story.

Press limits

•Ask questions

•Who are you

•What can you tell

•What’s the format?

Session 2.6

Wine Tourism in Chile – A Growing Opportunity by Gail Thorton of Southbridge Wine Programs

Gail Thorton started the session offering the attendees a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. The yellow colored wine had an aroma of lemon grass. The floral taste offered grass and zesty lemon. The wine is from the Cassablanca Valley.

Gail mentioned that the world knows Chile for wine, but wine isn’t not the main industry; copper is the number one industry. Chile has a diverse climate and land. Desserts are to the north and glaciers are to the south. Winemakers and growers discovered that the had vineyards of Carmenere in 1995. They now know how to grow and make wine with this old Bordeaux variety.

An earthquake measuring 8.8 occurred in 2010. Many wineries were damaged. Some of these are still being rebuilt. There are now fewer wineries to visit and more wine tourists, over 500,000. Chile offers a warm wine region to visit while the northern hemisphere is having winter.  During the hot season in the northern hemisphere, wine tourists can visit a Chile during their cooler season. Although Chile has large wineries they also have smaller wineries.

041015bSession 2.7

Wine Country Catalonia by Xavier Espasa Añoveros, General Manager of the Catalonia Tourist Board

Xavier Espasa Añoveros talked about hosting the International Wine Tourism Conference in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He spoke of the wine destinations in Catalonia. Catalonia had 25,000,000 visitors last year. Xavier offered seven reasons to visit Catalonia. Scenery, experience winemaking at 320 wineries, enjoying nature through wine, food and wine, everyone can enjoy the wine experience and multiple experiences in 12 DOs.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , | Comments (0)

IWINETC Day 1 overview

April 9, 2015 – 2:06 am

040915aAfter the welcoming and open announcements by Anthony Swift, Wine Pleasures, the first two speakers also gave welcoming talks. Champagne causes eyes to sparkle and the region is anxious to see if Champagne will be added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

Philippe Harant, Director of the Champagne Marne Tourism Office presented “La Champagne, a Sparkling Wine Tourism Destination.” He started with, “Champagne, what a wonderful word.” Philippe mentioned that there were 330,000,000 bottles of champagne sold world-wide in 2014. Philippe talked about many of the historical sites in the Champagne region including UNESCO sites. Philippe mentioned that visitors want to experience the vineyards and producers. Wine tourists can look for the label Vignobles and Découvertes for 450 Champagne tourism sites that will provide an excellent tourism experience.

Session 1.1 

Wine and Food Travel Is Most in Demand by Tatiana Livesey, Winerist

Winerist stands for wine tourists. Tatiana talked about Moldova, an off the beaten path for wine tourism. The company can help wine tourists know what wineries to visit, restaurants to eat and lodging. “Travel is not a reward for work, but education for the soul.” The trends in travel is to meet local people and immerse oneself in their culture. Wine travelers want to hear the story of the winemaker. Wine tourism is no longer a niche market.

Tatiana discussed some of the findings that Winerest discovered through a survey of 500 people that they conducted. Some of the findings included:

98% are wine and food lovers

24% basic 46% intermediate 30% advanced in wine knowledge

79% were interested in wine and food holidays

For what regions are your favorite wines from, France, Italy and Spain were at the top

Once starting wine travel, 79% are repeat wine tourists

The majority of respondents, 47% go on wine holiday for a weekend.

The majority of wine travelers spend between 75 – 150 euros per day on a wine holiday

76% book online.

88% buy wine at the winery.

Tatiana discussed some data about wineries, for example the majority do not provide online tools for booking even though the majority of people prefer to book online at the last moment. Most wineries do not have blogs and those that do, often do not blog enough during a week.

Session 1.1

Potential for Wine Tourism in India by Lavina Kharkwal of Highwines

Lavina spoke of the emerging wine industry in India. She said that the modern winemaking in India began in the 1990s. Today India has two wine regions.

Session 1.2

The Country of Diversity, Hungary by Gabriella Gónusz of Wine a’More Travel

Gabriella talked about Hungary as a wine tour destination. She showed us a map of the country and pointed out the plane and the Danube River. Gabriella mentioned Budapest as a destination city for gastronomy, architecture and history. For wine tourism, there are 400 small wineries where you can visit the cellars and stroll in vineyards. There is a diverse number of grapes in Hungary, mostly white. Furmint is one of the most important varietal grapes. There are seven wine regions comprising of 93,000 hectares of vineyards. Perhaps the most famous region is Tokaj.

The Hungarian people are friendly. You can not visit a cellar without tasting the local cuisine.

Session 1.2 Supporting and Promoting Wine County Tourism in Ontario by Regina Foisey, of the Wine Council of Ontario

Showing images and maps, Regina presented the statistics of the wineries in Ontario. In 1982 there were only five wineries. In 2003 the number had risen to 66 and now Ontario has more than 170 wineries. Despite all of these wineries, Ontario wineries are relatively unknown.

Session 1.3
Integrated Interpretive Planning a Winner for South Australian Wine Tourism by Jane James and Helen Edwards, The Lane Vineyard, Australia

Jane James is interested in the visitor experience. She wants customers to get what they want and not what tourism industry thinks they want. A memorable tourism experience is one that you can actually remember. You have to think about the experience and have an emotional reaction to it.

Jane talked about interpretation and equated it to storytelling. It needs to have a key message that visitors can take home and remember. A winery or wine region should identify a tag line of less than ten words. The Adelaide Hills wine region has a tag line “Fall in love all over again.” Their take home message for food and wine is “Tickle your palate and tempt your taste buds.”

Helen Edwards talked about the Lane Vineyard. This was Helen’s family’s vineyard. Their store would center around the vineyard site, single vineyard wines and the family. The family would tell their story in an engaging manner. A tag line was “grown in our backyard, every berry.” There were other tag lines. I liked, “Casual bliss on the top of our world.” This tag line was on a sign close to their restaurant on the property. The Lane Vineyard use tags lines in marketing and staff training. They also use tags lines online and particular in social media.

Session 1.3

Promoting Your Wine Tourism Business Through Sales, Service & Knowledge by Hilarie Larson of Northwinds Consulting

After describing her many years in the wine industry, Hilarie said, “Wine tourism is BIG.” Wine tourism involves many aspects including but not limited to hotels, art, buses, cycling, trains, and even snowshoeing.

Wineries need to know that they are “selling a dream.” What do wine tourists want? They want to engage in a dream. The wine tourist expects quality, knowledge and attention.

Hilarie went on to explain how important social media is for wineries. The number of wineries using email/social media is small.

For the wine tourist service is everything. It all comes down to people. People are the common denominator.

One of the attendees asked about the cost of doing this and Hilarie said that from her point of view these things are cost effective.

Session 1.4
Champagne Savoir-Faire by Marie-Anne Louvet of Les Secrets du Vin 

Marie-Anne Louvet gave an overview of the Champagne region and the major grape varieties grown in each region. She spoke about the chalky soils, but also mentioned that sand and clay soils are also common in smaller areas. After an overview of the land, Marie-Anne discussed champagnes including sweetness levels of the dosage. She then discussed the producers that had champagnes at the grand tasting.

Grand Tasting

Seven champagne producers were pouring two to four champagnes from their portfolio. There were a variety of champagnes, most brut. There were a few rosés and grand crus as well as a 1st cru. The tasting was organized as a walk-around tasting. Attendees walked from table-to-table, in no particular order.

Cheers,
Terry & Kathy

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Comments (0)

First Day in Champagne

April 8, 2015 – 2:23 am

040815aWe arrived in Champagne before noon taking the high speed train from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Reims high speed train station. The trip took only a half hour. We were then bused to our hotel, the Grand Hotel Continental. The opening International Wine Tourism Conference, IWINETC, event was scheduled for early evening so we made reservations to visit Champagne Lanson. It was a beautiful sunny day, so Kathy and I walked the mile and a half to the champagne house. We had a wonderful tour led by Anaïs Demard. We toured the hall of history, then Anaïs showed the group a map of the Champagne region. Our tour then led us to a small vineyard, still asleep from the winter. We then visited the tank room where there were a number of tanks. A second tank room had tanks assigned to specific villages where grapes were sourced.

We then went into the cellars, a maze of halls storing millions of bottles of champagne. Afterwards we had a delightful tasting of three wine: a 2005 Brut Vintage Gold Label, a Brut Rosé and an Extra Age Brut Blanc de Blanc. We enjoyed all three champagnes; however, the 2005 Brut Vintage Gold Label was my favorite. During the tasting we were pleased that Anaïs let us take our time. Kathy and I had a long conversation with two teachers from Ontario. I went into teacher mode and we were sharing stories about our teaching experiences. Unfortunately we had to leave and walk back to the hotel. We had a great tour and tasting at Champagne Lanson.

The opening reception of the IWINETC took place at the Reims City Hall, a magnificent public building. We had champagne and hors d’oeuvres. We took the opportunity to meet and greet acquaintances and meet new people. From the reception we walked back to our hotel where we had dinner with others in the media group and tour agents. It was a delightful day in Champagne and we are looking forward to the first day of the IWINETC conference.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

From champagne to cava

April 6, 2015 – 1:47 am

040615aOur trek to Europe reminds me of this year”s International Wine Tourism Conference. We started in the lounge at the airport with champagne. On board the IcelandAir flight to Reykjavik, we were served a  Mont Marcal Cava Reserva. The last session at the International Wine Tourism Conference is a presentation by next year’s conference host. Catalonia, Spain is the land of Cava. Perhaps we will taste a cava or two at the closing of this year’s conference.

The winery, Mont Marcal was established in 1975 in the Penrdés region of Catalonia. The yellow colored wine was a blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeo and Chardonnay. There was freshly baked bread aromas along with apple. The cava was crisp and paired well with the salmon served on our flight.

Next stop, Paris

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary, Wine Notes | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Starting the Celebration Early

April 5, 2015 – 6:17 pm

040515bI have read so much lately about champagne and its use for celebrating. In a few days I’ll attend the International Wine Tourism Conference, IWINETC,  in Reims, France. Several champagne producers will have exhibits in the exhibition area. Many of them also will have champagnes in the Grand Tasting event that ends the first day of the conference. Lunches at the conference will also feature champagnes. Both evenings of the conference the media group will visit champagne houses for tour, tasting and dinner.

For the next few hours, I am waiting at the airport for my flight. This time we decided to go to Europe with Iceland Air, in part because on the return trip we will spend a few days in Reykjavik. At Dulles International Airport, Iceland Air uses the Air France lounge. After entering, I ambled to the bar. If this lounge is operated by Air France, they must have a champagne. Why not start the celebration early? After an hour’s drive to the airport long term parking and an equal hour to take a bus to the airport, check in and security passage, I was thirsty. Champagne would be a perfect thirst quencher. The lounge was pouring a Nicolas Feuillantte Brut Réserve. The champagne house is located in Chouilly only a bit southeast of Epernay. The Nicolas Feuillantte Brut Réserve will be served at the Grand Tasting at the IWINETC. The wine was a blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. Aged for three years. The light yellow colored champagne had beads of bubbles streaming to the surface. The aroma reminds me of apples and pears. The taste was fresh and clean. The Brut Réserve was aged for a minimum of three years in the cellars. My second glass was from a bottle just opened. The taste was much stronger and it was easy to pick out the white fruit. There was a touch of freshly baked bread on the finish. I also noted what I consider minerality.

As a thirst quencher, it performed well. I would have liked to observe more bubbles, but was at the mercy of the lounge that served the champagne in a small glass not meant for champagnes. This detracted from the bubbles as well as the aroma. In the mouth, the champagne was alive and begged me to have more, perhaps with a touch of food. Luckily, I found a salmon sandwich. The champagne matched the delicateness of the salmon. Next I tried matching the champagne with blue cheese. I like blue cheese but it was a bit dominating. The champagne matched well with peanuts, but Kathy, who loves potato chips, was a bit disappointed with bar-b-cued chips  that over powered the champagne.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

History Haunts Champagne

April 5, 2015 – 9:11 am

040515aThe narrator in the film A Year in Champagne says, “History haunts the Champagne region, like a ghost at a party.” During my 2013 visit to the Champagne region, I did not have a sense of history. That visit was more about the vineyards and winemaking. This year, however, will be different. I have a better sense of the history of the region and the many wars that plagued the generations. I heard a remark that a war was fought in the area about every 25 years.

Some wars were bloodier than others, so much so that vineyards were watered by blood. Not only is the Champagne region a challenge by Mother Nature to grow wine grapes, it is a challenge for human survival. The crayères, Roman-Gallo caverns that now hold champagne, were used as a refuge for the war weary. “History haunts the Champagne region, like a ghost at a party.”

Not all the history is unpleasant. Reims became a royal city as 27 kings had there coronations in the city. Champagne producers, in what may seem like an unusual thought, turned some of the modern-day wars into marketing. Get the invading soldiers hooked on champagne, and they will turn into ambassadors for champagne when they return home to their countries. This also worked for allies. Walking through a vineyard, one gets a sense that what is there now includes the hard work of those that came before. The ancestors of the land spent their lives tending vines and making wine. “History haunts the Champagne region, like a ghost at a party.”

In was during the autumn of 2013 that my eyes were opened to the concept of history. Kathy and I were in a vineyard in Kakheti in the country Georgia harvesting Rkatsiteli when I began thinking of the thousands of people to harvest grapes from this land for several millennia. Like Champagne, Georgia has seen its share of invading armies. The one constant was wine. Both areas bear witness to the endurance of the vine and winemaking. In both regions, “History haunts the region, like a ghost at a party.”

On this trip to Champagne, I plan to take the time to really see the land and reflect on its past along with the present. During those lighter moments that are more party-like and less pressure to write, I’ll think about those ghosts whose hard work endured. “History haunts the Champagne region, like a ghost at a party.”

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

What I’m Looking for while in Champagne

April 4, 2015 – 6:12 am

040415aWe are off to Reims in a couple days for the International Wine Tourism Conference. This will be a second trip to Reims. My first visit was during the summer of 2013. The group of winemakers and wine growers that Kathy and I were with visited four champagne producers. I feel much more prepared for my trip this year.

For the past several weeks I have been taking the Champagne Master level class through the French Wine Society. Although there are still a few weeks of the class left, it has vastly prepared me to visit the region. As far as the Champagne region, I have a better understanding of the land and its history. As we travel through the region on the media trip after the conference, I plan to note the villages we pass through. I’ll also note the terrain and soils.

Largest champagne cork in Champagne at Cooperative Champagne Beaumont des Crayèrers

Largest champagne cork in Champagne at Cooperative Champagne Beaumont des Crayèrers

When it comes to champagnes, there are many more criteria that I plan to investigate than I did a few years back. I will continue to want to know the grape varieties in the champagnes, but additionally I want to know:

Malolactic fermentation or no malolactic fermentation
Oak or no oak
Where the champagne fits on the scale between reductive and oxidative styles
The amount of sugar in the dosage

For non-vintage champagnes:
How many years are in the blend
How many different wines are in the blends

I am amazed with all the criteria that can alter a champagne from one producer to another. I am fascinated with the blending of non-vintage champagnes. My blending experience is limited to creating a Pinot Noir from a blend of six different vineyards. The group that I was with had similar preferences. We eliminated two of the vineyards rather quickly. Since we had a favorite vineyard we went with that Pinot as a base. What I discovered was that just a touch of wine, one percent or less can alter the aroma and taste. When it comes to champagne, some cellar masters have hundreds of wines to choose for their blends. Fascinating!

Kathy and I will revisit one champagne house as well as the Cathedral in Reims. Everything else on our itinerary is new. I hope to bring home a few bottles of champagne as well as some biscuits roses de Reims. I learned to pair the biscuits with a demi-sec champagne. As far as champagnes to bring home, I’d like to focus on a non-vintage brut. I’d like to get one that has gone through malo and one that has not. That way I can try them side-by-side with food. I’d also like to try one that is higher on the oxidative scale and one that is closer to the reductive side of the scale. Kathy wants to focus on the type of champagne she likes the most. She’ll have many opportunities at the conference to focus on different styles. Then we can look for some of those styles.

I am looking forward to this year’s visit to Champagne.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A Year in Champagne

April 2, 2015 – 7:39 am

champy5A Year in Champagne takes the viewer on a wonderful journey through the Champagne region of France. What is the story behind the world’s post popular alcoholic beverage? The movie begins with the excitement of inflating a hot air balloon. After all hot air ballooning began in France. The balloon flies over vineyards, some established while others were recently planted. One of the passengers is Xavier Garnier, champagne maker. This is the first time he has seen his vineyards from the air. Another passenger is Martine Saunier. a wine importer who guides us to six champagne producers.

Spring

A Year in Champagne covers the four seasons during the year 2012. Spring is the first season covered in the film. The narrator talks about Champagne’s location and chalky soils. Stephane Coquilette inspects his vines in early April with Martine who imports his wines to the United States. Next Ghislain de MontGolfier, President of the Union of Champagne Houses speaks about the duo personality of champagne makers. On one side, champagne is used for celebrating and telling jokes, while on the other side, champagne is serious and hard work. Martine then visits Bollinger and speaks with the managing director Jerome Philippon, who talks about the uniqueness of Bollinger. The next producer, Diebolt-Vallois shows the two generations of the family that work producing champagne. Martine joins them for dinner and the next day tours a vineyard with Jacques Diebolt. The narrator speaks of the hardships and war that has plagued Champagne for thousands of years. Hardships abound today. In 2012, the sun disappeared and clouds covered Champagne for three months from April through June. Martine visited the cellars of Champagne Saint-Chamant led by Christian Coquillett past 750,000 bottles.

Summer

On a rare sunny day in June of 2012, Martine visits vineyards. Even though it is a Sunday, vineyard workers are busy in the vineyard. During the summer of 2012, the vineyards needed to be constantly sprayed to prevent mildew and rot. On the lighter side, we see the 40th birthday celebration for Xavier Gonet. The celebration did not last for long as the rains came and washed the spray away. And so it was a challenge in the vineyards during the summer of 2012.

Harvest

Although 2012 was the year of the Champenois’ fears, August makes the wine. That month, the rains stopped and there was abundant sunshine. The weather was good during the harvest. The balance of sugar and acid in the grapes was one of the best in years, although the quantity of grapes was lower. Many behind the scenes activities of harvest and winemaking are shown. After harvest corks are popped at le cochelet, the end of harvest celebration.

Winter

How the cellar masters create a constant wine by blending is discussed. After blending, the secondary fermentation begins. The movie shows disgorging and dosage. Finally bottling is shown. Then the champagne is given time to rest.

The narration is in English and English sub-titles are used to translate the French audio during conversations. I did not find this at all distracting as I do in other movies. A Year in Champagne is a must see documentary for anyone who enjoys sparkling wines. It is the perfect movie to view if you are planning a visit to the Champagne region of France.

For more information, visit the movie’s website.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged | Comments (0)

Pinot Meunier: A Grape Variety

April 1, 2015 – 7:00 am

Pinot Meunier (Vitis vinifera) is a grape frequently found in France. Pinot Meunier is one of the big three grape varieties allowed to be used in the production of champagne.

According to the UC Davis National Grape Registry, Pinot Meunier is a mutation of Pinot Noir.

Frequently the Pinot Meunier is also called Schwarzriesling; however, Pinot Meunier has many other synonyms including Millers and Dusty Miller. The name miller refers to the flour like substance found on the underside of the Pinot Meunier grape leaves.

Pinot Meunier and its synonyms can be found in many regions besides France including the US (California, Ohio, New York, Colorado), Canada, Germany and Australia.

Pinot Meunier can be found in cooler areas because it tends to flower later in the spring and ripen earlier in the fall.

Typically, Pinot Meunier is not found as a single variety wine, however, a few wineries make a rosé wine with the grapes. Most often Pinot Meunier is blended with other grapes especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Food Pairings:

Suggested food pairings includes a variety of seafood.

We are looking forward to the champagne tasting at the International Wine Tourism Conference in Reims next week. At the Grand Tasting we will taste numerous champagnes. Currently the list of champagnes to taste include one Premier Crus, two Grand Cru and the rest will be Crus.

The list includes champagnes from Champagne Dom Caudron which will have two 100% Pinot Meunier for the tasting.

  • “Prédiction” – 100% Meunier. Aged for eighteen months. Blending 2010/2011
  • “Cornalyne” – 100% Meunier. Aged for five years. Base 2010 (50% of the blending is matured in oak barrels.)

Cheers,
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

info@winetrailtraveler.com            Sitemap                      Privacy Policy

Copyright: Terry and Kathy Sullivan 2006-2013