Wednesday 26 December 2012

Drunk at Christmas



No, I wasn't. Drunk, that is.

But I did drink, and enjoy very much, this wine from Viña Ijalba.

A Maturana Tinta single varietal from 2009.

Dark juice, like concentrated cherries, and good acidity. Went down well with the turkey.

This particular grape variety, it transpires, is in fact Trousseau which has its origins in the Jura area of France. If you can, compare the Viña Ijalba version with wines from Tissot from the Jura.






Thursday 20 December 2012

Something puzzling

What is happening? I am becoming more and more puzzled by all the contradictory information about the economy. Of course I am not alone in this. But I would like to understand.

I read Paul Krugman who tells us (in his Rise of the Robots and subsequent posts) that we won't be in work very soon, that technology will render lots of people obsolete. The oligarchs (and I do not mean the Russian ones) will make all the gains, the rest will have less and less. I suspect he may be right.

At the moment I am in the translation business, which is becoming increasingly technology dominated. This is having a marked effect on pricing, and on the number of actual human translators required. For now CAT (Computer Assisted Translation) software or machine translation as far as I can see is just very sophisticated word processing, but soon, perhaps sooner than we think, there will be programmes capable of producing very acceptable translations. The only humans will be required for very specific subjects perhaps, and doing a bit of revision or review.

Perhaps this is just another example of an industrial revolution, or creative destruction as expounded by Schumpeter?

Then, Paul Mason refers to André Gorz in one of his tweets.

I am reminded of a passage in a book about André Gorz (André Gorz un penseur pour le XXIe siècle - La Découverte 2009) I am reading just now, which describes the development of service industries in present day capitalist economies, where large numbers of people are employed in industries catering for the needs of people who would rather pay for someone to do something rather than do it themselves ('emplois de serviteurs' or jobs for servants). To function, this model needs an increasingly unequal society.

This, along with the monetarisation of all human activity, and all of nature, characterises the current economy.

People talk of acceptable austerity (this is the sort I know):

"There is what I would call an acceptable austerity – live in smaller home, buy only used cars (or just walk or bicycle), never eat out, never go to movies, never take away from home vacations – that sort of thing.

And then there is what I would call an unacceptable austerity – homelessness with all it real dangers, no money to buy food – that sort of thing." Comment by Allan Marks on a post by Krugman

and unacceptable:

"You're absolutely correct about unacceptable austerity, and something like 10-million Americans (including whole families) have fallen into that zone: Homeless, no money to buy food, relying on an ER if they get sick. For a book I am writing about middle class homelessness, I've spoken with countless people who, until recently, were living a middle class life. Then circumstances beyond their control piled up and they were out on the street." Comment by Charley James on a post by Paul Krugman

Yet the media trumpet the highest number of people at work in the UK, ever. The USA still has less than 10% of the workforce unemployed. This does not account for the large number of workers who can only get part-time work, or who have become 'self-employed' or who have given up looking for work.

Despite the financial crisis and the subsequent recession, unemployment here has not become an overt disaster as in Greece or Spain.

The reason is simple apparently. Instead of investing in more efficient equipment or developing new markets, industry in general has decided to hang on to its softer more biological equipment (=people) to do the work, which avoids the need for costly investment.

This in turn boosts profits, and bonuses. This in turn means that a larger and larger portion of wealth is concentrated in fewer hands, creating the inequality needed for the service economy to thrive, and so on.

Where will all this lead? Answers on a postcard, please...




Monday 17 December 2012

Is what is good for the Goose good for the Gander?

Yes, I know they're ducks...

A lot of g's in there, I know. But there is a reason for it.

Having been asked if an Alsace Riesling or Gewurtztraminer would be a good match with a roast goose, I imagined this would work well, although I did not have this particular roast fowl to hand to actually taste it.

I like the idea of serving a good white wine with roast goose, and I began to think of all the other wines likely to go with it.

A Vouvray demi-sec from Huet perhaps or a Montlouis from Les Loges de la Folie?

Then, chancing upon Jancis Robinson's latest FT magazine column in which she tentatively suggests a white Hermitage 2008 from Tardieu-Laurent ("A white to drink with goose even?") as a good accompaniment to goose, I thought a good white Saint Joseph would also do the trick.

But my mind was constantly brought back to the virtues of a mature Cahors from Clos Triguedina or Mas del Périé..

Is this not the best sort of wine to go with the goose or the gander?

This reminded me of a stay in a small village near Figeac blessed with a fine restaurant frequented by the locals, serving magrets, confits and all the products of the duck (see photo above), but also, more rarely, of the goose. Geese could be spotted by the keener eye in the fields roundabout, and the wines favoured locally were Cahors, but also Buzet, Bergerac and Gaillac.

So the choice is wide and will demand a lot of tasting and roasting, but at this time of year that is not a hardship.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions.






Wednesday 12 December 2012

Wines I would love to meet

Sitting here on a cold foggy London evening I dream of wines I would love to meet, taste, drink.

Not the mythical vintages of Bordeaux or Port, but wines out of the ordinary in a more modest way.

Amphora wines, qvevri wines, wines made from very obscure grapes, from up the side of volcanoes,  from vines in little hollows in a rocky desert, obscure champagnes from the Aube, Pinot Noirs from the Yonne and the Languedoc, wines from vines growing on their own roots, ice wines, unexpected blends, wines with no additives of any kind, wines made from hybrid grape varieties, reds vinified as whites, 'orange' whites...

And where would I like to drink them? Usually I would do that in situ, right where they are made, with the local signature dish, whatever that might be.

But just now I can imagine a small wine shop or wine bar, with an open fire, and wines coming straight out of the barrel, and a selection of great serrano ham, rillettes, cheeses etc on tasty pain de campagne, along with something cooking slowly in a large cauldron...

It is good to dream of all these things in this deep midwinter. And, yes, I did say wines I would like to meet.

Wines are like people, you must meet them, like you would meet those who make them.


Thursday 6 December 2012

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Lazy French Choice

Charming Charmer


Having made something spicy involving chilli and beef we wondered what to drink with it.

We made the usual lazy French-style choice of having a rosé, which is the default choice of this nation when something vaguely spicy or resembling a pizza is to be eaten.

After rummaging around in my old wine boxes I dug up this bottle of Enjôleur (= Charmer) 2009 from Domaine Robert Sérol, (property recently mentioned by Jancis Robinson in her FT column 27/10/2012)

And very nice it was too. A wine made from Gamay grapes (or Gamay de Saint Romain to be exact -  the Sérols would not forgive me if I didn't mention this), slightly off-dry with 11% alcohol.

Of course when I say off-dry, I do not mean like those blush Zinfandels or other sickly-sweet rosés that are not too palatable. This was just sweet enough to balance the acidity, and complement the raspberry/strawberry aromas.

It did go down very well with this hot and spicy beef.

A few words about this producer. This estate is in Renaison in the heart of the Côte Roannaise appellation.

This is a small wine producing area (around 200 hectares) situated to the west of Roanne in central France, overlooking the valley of the Loire. The vines are planted on generally east facing hillsides between 370 and 550 metres high.

If the Beaujolais (100kms to the east)  is the most renowned home of the Gamay grape variety, then the Côte Roannaise and its neighbour the Côtes du Forez are its second home, producing wines that stand out for their immense drinkability (when you choose the right ones).

Domaine Sérol is well known for its beautifully made wines reflecting terroir in the most faithful and expressive way. Their cuvée Troisgros is served in the eponymous restaurant in Roanne.

Among the other stars of their wine range is L’Incorruptible 2009 made using indigenous yeasts and without added sulphites (delicious !) and the De butte en blanc 2009 Viognier which is a revelation and great value for such a handcrafted wine. It is also one to watch as it was made from young vines and in a few years may be a match for the Condrieu wines made not so far away on similar soils.

Thursday 29 November 2012

Saint Chinian



As Saint Chinian seems to be in the news just now I thought I would mention one or two producers I know there.

Saint Chinian is one of the Languedoc appellations extending over beautiful mountainous terrain around the town of the same name.

This is the sort of place where with just one look at the landscape, you realise that vines will grow well. 

In picturesque countryside teeming with wildlife, the vines stand in small plots surrounded by hedgerow and woodland, in amphitheatre-like topography to ensure great concentration of heat.  Prevailing winds will bring just enough rain, but will also dry the vineyards, reducing the risk of the fungal diseases of the grapevine. 

The wines of Château Bousquette, run by Isabelle and Eric Perret, are great representatives of southern France and the St Chinian appellation in particular.
They are regular prize winners. At Millésime Bio 2010 their 2006 St Chinian Tradition won a gold medal, for example. 
Their subtle use of blends of the typical grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault) allow them to offer a range of wines each with a distinctive character. 
My favourite is Mas des Huppes (but then I cannot resist a nice bird!).


Needless to say the viticulture here is organic and winemaking light in touch.

Great value for money as well. 

Another  producer well worth a look is Borie La Vitarèle

Jean-François and Cathy Izarn are in charge here and have been farming organically and biodynamically since 1998.

Their wines are particularly striking because they very accurately reflect the different soils and growing conditions in their vineyards.



Tasted side by side you can really taste the differences, all else being equal. Extremely moreish.


This is an appellation that is well worth getting to know, with many good producers. Good wines, good value, great people.






Thursday 22 November 2012

Wine, that health giving drink...

As the debate about minimum alcohol pricing rears its ugly head once again let us look back nostalgically to 1930's France.

A junior minister of Public Works and Tourism of the time (none other than Gaston Gérard, an epicurean mayor of Dijon to whom we owe an eponymous recipe involving chicken) could write the following words:

"We can never show enough gratitude to wine. Frenchmen owe to it their great moral qualities, their wit, gaiety, sang-froid, courage....Wine drinking sustains the body with vitamins, calories, nutrients and can protect it against certain microbial viruses (sic - he did not seem to know the difference between a microbe and a virus). Wine drinking averts alcoholism. Wine drinking prolongs life. Wine drinking prepares a future generation: intelligent, healthy and vigorous. Let us say it now and repeat it ceaselessly: wine cures ill-health, nourishes and fortifies."
(freely translated from Le Désir du Vin by Jean-Robert Pitte Fayard 2009 p279)

It is not reported how much wine mayor Gérard had drunk when he wrote this, but who would wager today that in 5 years time someone making a similar statement would not be locked up for the new crime of 'incitation to alcoholism' ?

You read it here first.

Monday 12 November 2012

Roussillon - the other France

I recently attended a tasting at the Maison du Languedoc Roussillon showcasing a number of producers from the Roussillon area of France.

The region lies in the very southernmost corner of France, surrounding Perpignan, and is home to a variety of more or less well-known appellations ranging from Collioure to Tautavel.

It is especially celebrated for its fortified wines of Maury, Banyuls, Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes. These are some of the great wines of the world, but are generally eclipsed by other similar drinks from Portugal and elsewhere. I had the opportunity to taste a Banyuls (by Vignerons en Terres romanes) from 1985 which was still golden in colour and powerfully youthful but with great depth.

I was most struck by red and white wines (and also a delicious Rivesaltes) from Domaine Vaquer, ably made by Frédérique Vaquer who is a vigneronne originally from Burgundy.

In an area better known for traditional southern type (=rustic) wines made from the usual suspects of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah,  Frédérique's creations stood out by virtue of their more nuanced elegance. Having struggled to agree on a definition of their character we agreed on the term intuition réfléchie or 'reasoned intuition' to describe the way they were vinified. A fellow taster suggested they were Burgundian in style, an impression given by the nose of forest floor and mushrooms on certain reds and which would certainly tally with the origins of the winemaker.

An IGP Côtes Catalanes of 1985 surprised by how it still tasted fresh with notes of garrigue (mediterranean scrubland) honey.

I will certainly be on the lookout for these wines if and when they should turn up here in the UK. And wines from the Roussillon region in general can pleasantly surprise if you choose carefully.

Domaine Vaquer
1 rue des Écoles
66300 Tresserre
France
+33 (0)4 68 38 89 53

I am told their website will be available in the new year. I will post or Tweet when it is.







Tuesday 30 October 2012

Muss-Kat or Moose-Ka ?

Muscat à petit grain - image from www.vitis.org

Talked to a French wine producer last week about the difficulty of getting the British consumer on to Muscat Sec, which can be very agreeable as an aperitif, for example, and about the popularity of Italian wines made from Pinot Grigio.

Maybe it's all down to how easy it is to say for the English speaker?

On that score I would have thought it was a toss-up between them.

Peeno Greejo or Moose-Ka anyone?

Perhaps the Italians are just better at selling it.



Sunday 28 October 2012

Wine Civilisation

Civilisations of the vine - from Le Désir du Vin by Jean-Robert Pitte

Wine culture is a civilised and civilising pursuit. Which is why it is sad that circumstances should force a wine writer to flee his country (Leaving Lebanon. Thanks to Robert McIntosh @thirstforwine for featuring this story on Twitter).

We live, some would have us believe, under a thin veneer of civilisation, with barbarians and pestilence at the gate threatening to destroy everything in an instant, should we let down our guard.

This is not really as far-fetched as you might think. Riots and arson on the streets can break out overnight as Londoners are all too aware.

As someone who grew up in the Northern Ireland of the late 1960's and early 1970's I have seen civilisation almost destroyed, and normally reasonable mild-mannered adults embrace the cause of violence and destruction.

All very exciting for the young fellow I was at the time, all that manning of barricades and the like. But extremely frightening on those occasions when armoured vehicles fired outside your front door, or marauding house-burning hordes from the 'other side' were expected from one minute to the next.

Civilisation is not all that deep-rooted and a temporary lapse in electricity or water supply will soon remind us of this.

And if you are fighting for subsistence your thoughts will not turn immediately to the merits of one wine or grape variety or vintage over another.

Not that I am equating lack of wine with lack of civilisation. Some great civilisations have refused to embrace the grape for transformation into wine, although this has not always been the case.

Vines are found and will grow in only certain parts of the world. But a culture or a tradition of fine alcoholic drinks is in some ways a reflection of the refined and the civilised in human nature. One need only look back to Rome or ancient Persia, Japan or China to find evidence of this.

Wine and civilisation go hand in hand and contribute to something which can only be described as 'Wine Civilisation' and comes into being when enlightened producers and consumers come together.

It needs both (consumer and producer) to be enlightened, knowledgeable, appreciative. Great wines and great conviviality are the result. No great wine as far as I know was ever produced by a collective farm, any more than great works of art would emerge from a committee of artists.

Friday 19 October 2012

Houses, Cars and Phones

The car that can do everything?

Why can't houses be more like cars and phones ?

Let me explain.

A modern car is now able to cover by and large 200,000 odd miles in all sorts of traffic conditions, and still be a reasonable used buy with many years more life in it. At one moment you may be whizzing along at 120 mph (where authorised of course), and a few minutes later crawling along at walking pace in a city centre. Then as the fancy takes you you may decide you want to go to the top of that vineyard, or take a short cut over that very steep rocky road. You can do all that with the same vehicle if you like, all the while carrying several people and their stuff. And mile after mile, year after year, not once will it not perform wonderfully well, only asking for fuel (you'll still get 30 mpg or more) and lubricant to be added from time to time. Over the last few decades vehicles have become extremely reliable, extremely safe, extremely efficient and we haven't really noticed.

A modern smartphone is a powerful computer, a very capable film or still camera, allows us to communicate instantly with people on the other side of the planet, doesn't need charging for days on end, never gives the slightest problem, doesn't even cost that much if you shop around. It would have been considered a miraculous object from another dimension only 30 years ago, yet we no longer notice them. Or we do only when we can't get perfect reception all the time even on the top of a mountain. They do not help us to display common sense though.

Now let's look at the average house.

Largely unchanged since Roman times, the average British house still takes months to build. Its never done right.  And is always potentially cold and uncomfortable unless you spend a fortune on fuel. It is often small and cramped and not designed at all for its purpose, which is to house a family in comfort. House builders will tell us that this is what people want, that it is technically impossible to build a house in few days (as happens in many other countries), one which will be warm, comfortable and spacious without costing a fortune. And we don't seem to notice we are being taken for a ride.

Please stop kidding us and take a leaf from the books of car and mobile phone manufacturers. There would be no energy or environmental crisis if all our industries would perform as well. And our houses would be so energy efficient they could power our mobile phones and cars for free. Now that's a nice thought...


Autumn Feel

Fallen Horse Chestnuts on a damp pavement
Just a few photos with an autumnal feel - yes the season is upon us - and thoughts turn to harvest of all kinds, and particularly in this country, grapes. If you have any this year.

Assorted cucurbits
Of course for many it is the Fall, a word which is very evocative of this northern hemisphere season, and the falling of leaves turned into gold or burnished copper by the declining sun.

A spider catches the last rays




Thursday 11 October 2012

Whisky Nose

Heard a report in the Today programme (8th October 2012) on BBC Radio 4 about the smell of rotten eggs in Scotch whisky.

Producers have been complaining of this unpleasant odour given off by whisky matured in Sherry barrels sterilised by using sulphur, at, it would seem, fairly strong concentrations.

If ever there was an argument against excessive use of sulphur (in whatever form) in wines or whisky then this is possibly it.


Thursday 4 October 2012

Chopin, Field and Curiosity

A unique experience listening to the music of Chopin and Field on BBC iPlayer (Composer of the Week) while seeing the surface of Mars in minute detail thanks to Curiosity's latest photos.

Will Curiosity be on the lookout for fossils ? I thought I saw something at Golbourn Scour, but put it down to a random pattern on a rock in the image.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Grape Futures (13) - The Taste


Finally, the taste.

Rather reminiscent of a Vin Doux Naturel from Roussillon in France or Mavrodaphne of Patras in Greece.

Some residual sugar...Not much acidity

An agreeable 'rancio' taste, with a bit of raisin and candied fruits.

Improvements would be possible by having more grapes to start with (more volume to slow everything down), temperature control of fermentation (it was a bit hot while the juice was fermenting) and more control (sugar, acidity) in general.

Not bad for a first effort.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

SansSoo


This wine from La Réserve d'O can be found at the Wine Tasting Shop in Balham.

This establishment is run by Julia Michael and stocks a wide and eclectic range of wines. It is well worth a visit.

La Réserve d'O lies in the Terrasses du Larzac area northwest of Montpellier benefitting from long sunny days and the freshness conferred by its 400 metres above sea level.

I tasted their wines a couple of years ago and was most impressed. This is the first time they have been imported to the UK.

The name SansSoo is a word play on the fact that it contains no added sulphites (s followed by 2 o's = SO2)

A lovely velvety jam pot of a wine, but not cloying. Dark fruits and spices with freshness. Sumptuous.

La Réserve d'O - SansSoo 2011 Coteaux du Languedoc - Saint-Saturnin.
Costs £15.50

Thursday 27 September 2012

Grape Futures (12)

I am sure you are all waiting to find out how things went.

Did it all turn into vinegar ? Has it been poured down the sink ?

Neither of the above.

After 12 days fermentation
Fermentation proceeded smoothly for about 12 days until I decided to remove the skins, seeds etc and let the remaining liquid settle in the fridge for a week or so.

After removing the skins
By doing this I was simulating the traditional onset of lower Winter temperatures in the winery, where the wine would spend the winter in tank, before malolactic fermentation triggered by rising temperatures in the Spring.

Having let the lees settle at low temperature it was time to remove the liquid (racking), which could now be described as wine although as yet a very young wine, placing it in another vessel, where it would settle some more, at room temperature.

Some of the lees after racking

The clear liquid after racking
Another few days to wait until malolactic fermentation starts (or not), another racking and the process will be complete.

It has not been very scientific, I agree.

I have no sugar content, alcohol content, pH, total acidity readings or any other data to share with you, but I do have something which looks and smells very much like wine.

I will let you know how it tastes soon.







Monday 24 September 2012

GM crops - are we all lab rats ?

A new study has revealed that laboratory rats fed a diet of GM maize (NK 603 by Monsanto) will contract cancerous tumours and other disorders which will prematurely end their lives.

How come this has not shown up before ? Well, until now most studies involving GM crops lasted only 3 months. Too short a time to determine whether there were likely to be any adverse effects.

The new conclusions published in the US magazine Food and Chemical Toxicology (Link to article) are based on the findings of a 4 year long series of experiments carried out since 2007, and in the utmost secrecy, by a team of French researchers.

Rats were fed GM maize, GM maize treated with Roundup, or if they were fed neither, given water containing concentrations of Roundup commonly found in the environment of GM cultivation.

After 13 months of these diets female rats contracted large tumours (up to 25% of their body weight), whereas males suffered significant or severe kidney or liver disorders.

The authors of the article call for long-term studies to evaluate GMO's and related pesticides.

We have always been assured that GM crops pose no threat. This news seems to contradict these assurances.

Why have we heard nothing about this in the UK ?

Article in Nouvel Observateur (France)


Friday 21 September 2012

Something to look forward to

I am really looking forward to getting my edition of José Vouillamoz' book (Wine Grapes - the most complete guide to vine varieties) on grape varieties.

I wrote about a talk and tasting José gave at the RAW natural wine fair and had the opportunity to chat with him afterwards. I have never met anyone with such a deep knowledge of the subject.

I think anyone who is interested in vines and viti-viniculture should find the book interesting.

It is described as the most complete ever, although it will be interesting to compare it with Pierre Galet's various ampelographic works (see list at Athenaeum).

It is due to be released towards the end of October and can be pre-ordered via the link above.



Friday 14 September 2012

The Right Vines in the Wrong Place (or vice versa)

Unidentified allotment vine - in the right place ?
Reading an article in Le Rouge et le Blanc on the Sablet and Séguret Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation today.

The article by Philippe Bouin and Yaïr Tabor mentions that some younger vineyard owners wonder whether it is useful for appellation rules to call for the use of 'improving grape varieties' (cépages améliorateurs) in blends.

Many local regulations in southern France call for Syrah or Mourvèdre to form part of the blend in order to gain appellation status, whereas they might not give of their best in the area.

Everyone knows that the Northern Rhône is the spiritual and probably physical home of Syrah and that some of the wines produced there have gained mythical status. You would not plant Grenache here.

On the other hand the jammy grapes produced by Syrah in hot, very sunny areas of the lower Rhône valley serve only to gain the appellation badge, bringing nothing 'improving' to the party.

This leads me to reflect on the fact that there is indeed a 'right' place for certain grape varieties to grow.

In countries such as France with a long tradition of vine growing most of the 'right' places are known and have been for centuries. Generally speaking 'right' is a place where the grapes only just ripen fully, over a long season, every year.

French regulations by and large respect these traditions, but are applied a little too rigidly, ignoring or relegating to bit parts good indigenous grapes, which properly cultivated would produce great or at least very good wines (e.g. Pineau d'Aunis in the Loire; Cinsault and others in the south).

In countries like England regulations allow for much more flexibility, and the 'right' places are only starting to become known (e.g Darnibole at Camel Valley...).

There is much to look forward to as far as English wines are concerned.




Tuesday 11 September 2012

Everyday Drinkers (7)


This is probably not quite an everyday drinker, but it is priced to allow occasional consumption and it is too good to forgo. Yet another rather inspired choice from the Tesco people.

The grape variety is one you do not often encounter on the shelves of a supermarket: Teroldego.

This is a red grape of northern Italy, from around Trento in Alpine country, a region better known in this country for Pinot Grigio and sparkling wines.

The wine has 12.5% ABV and conspires to be both light and concentrated at the same time with plenty of dark fruit, cherry stone flavours, refreshing acidity and attractive garnet colour. A real treat.

This is a wine which can be drunk with food (homemade gnocchi) or on its own just for pleasure, good Beaujolais style.

It reminds me of the Persan grape of the Savoie in France and of the better Gamay wines from Loire and Beaujolais.

Tesco Finest Teroldego 2009 (Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT) around £7.99.

Made by the CAVIT co-op in Trento.




Monday 10 September 2012

Jumpy



We are extremely fortunate in London to have access to such wonderful theatre, music, art, film and all the rest.

Only if you have lived in this city can you imagine how true is the famous quote 'He who is tired of London is tired of life'.

Saw the brilliant Tamsin Greig on Saturday in the Duke of York's production of Jumpy by April de Angelis.

Greig gave a truly barnstorming performance (on stage in practically every scene) with an outstanding cast, particularly Doon Mackichan and Bel Powley.

Jumpy (website)


Friday 7 September 2012

Is there Wine on Mars ?

Mars (image from NASA - Hubble Space Telescope)


Wine on Mars ? Of course there isn't, at least as we know it.

Vines would be required to survive extremely low temperatures (-75 degrees Celsius air temperature and -90 soil) and a tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere.

They could get by on CO2 but the temperatures would kill them, unless they were earthed up, as in Russia or China during Earth winter months.

Seriously though, what might these wines, no doubt made from grape vines cultivated under futuristic geodisic glass domes, be like ?

Martian soils would not have any organic matter, little or no nitrogen but would no doubt have plenty of trace elements. Water could be found in sufficient quantities.

The Martian surface is mainly basalt based. There are also areas of clays and other sedimentary deposits to be found.

One might imagine a Petrus style wine made on these soils from Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

What better reason to want to explore Mars ?

Mars Science Lab (Curiosity).
Mars Image






Monday 3 September 2012

100,000 Year Hole in the Ground

News that the Finnish government has decided to store all its nuclear waste in a vast hole in the ground for up to 100,000 years should make us all rejoice.

What foresight ! The Finns are such an enduring lot, too. They still plan to be around in 1000 centuries.

Perhaps we could send them our rubbish instead of burning it. It would be the best guarded rubbish in the world...

Sunday 2 September 2012

Grape Futures (11)

We are nearing the end of this little grape odyssey which has spanned spring and summer and gone from budburst to veraison to harvest.

The fruit has been picked and is ready for processing.

Whole bunch and stem
I don't fancy bitter tannins from the stalks so I will destem the grapes.

Destemmed fruit before crushing
Once destemmed they can be crushed to free the juice which will start to flow out.

Crushed grapes
If I wanted to make white wine from white grapes I would cold soak pulp, juice and skins overnight and then press them to get clear juice, which would then be fermented. Alternatively one could press straight away and ferment the juice after leaving it to settle overnight at cool temperatures.

As I want red I am leaving everything together until the end of alcoholic fermentation which may take several days.

Since I have only a small volume of juice and do not want to let it spoil I will forgo the opportunity to wait for the ambient yeasts to start the fermentation. There is always a risk that undesirable yeasts may set to work resulting in unpleasant flavours or spoilage. They are often not able to survive in more than 5% alcohol so are therefore unable to produce wine. In other words the precious juice could well be turned into vinegar -not what we want- unless sufficient numbers of the desirable sort of yeast are present.

So I am inoculating the must with a starter culture consisting of a small amount of juice into which some dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been added. Left to itself for an hour or two the yeast will become active and start feeding on the sugars in the juice, which it will transform into alcohol, giving off carbon dioxide in the process. Hence the characteristic bubbles which signal the fermentation process.

Crushed grapes fermenting
This starter is then added to the main volume of juice and left to ferment.

We shall see how it evolves. It might turn out to be drinkable !


Thursday 30 August 2012

Oh Yes, please burn rubbish under my nose...


It is perfectly safe. It will include medical and industrial waste, plus the odd tyre or two which will slip through into the furnace without us knowing, along with the occasional gas cylinder. It will emit (among many other unpleasant things including dioxins) particulate smoke particles under 2.5 microns in diameter -which cannot be filtered out using current technology- and which can enter the bloodstream directly, causing ill health. Still perfectly safe...

That is what we are being told here in south London where 4 local councils (Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton) have decided to team up to look after their (our) rubbish. It's too hard for us to recycle and they are running out of room at the local landfill at Beddington so the solution is to burn it all in an incinerator.

Their friends at Viridor have offered to build this for them on their land at Beddington where they currently operate the landfill, composting etc.

Of course, as we will be recycling more and more (not so hard then ?) they will need to bring in more rubbish from farther afield to make it worth their while. So instead of the landfill being closed and returned to nature in a few years time, an incinerator will be burning for the next 30 to 40 years and directly polluting large surrounding stretches of London extending to Streatham and Beckenham for example.

Of course they (Croydon, Kingston and Sutton) have already signed a 'chosen partner' contract with Viridor which commits to the building of the incinerator despite the fact that no planning permission (dealt with by Sutton Council as the plant is on its patch) has yet been granted...There is of course a lot of money involved (almost £1 billion), hence the more than 600 pages of documentation supporting the 'proposal', swearing blind that there will be no effect whatsoever produced by this 'energy recovery facility'.

It would seem therefore that planning permission has already been tacitly granted and that any public consultation is now only for show.

Everyone living east of Sutton should be aware of the potential dioxin cocktail this Council has in store for them and oppose their plans.

For more information see Stop the South London Incinerator Campaign

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Grape futures (10)


Yes, this is it, the moment we've been waiting for.

 It's the great Grape Harvest.

Well, perhaps not so great, as it's only a few bunches.

The fruit, however, is in perfect condition, with good sugar levels (determined only organoleptically as explained previously), some acidity, with a hint of tannin in the berry.

All in all, just right for making a drop of wine.

The next steps can be seen in the next instalment.

Foraged Fruit


This is a view of some Plums/Mirabelles growing wild nearby that I picked a few days ago.

They are so delicious either to eat straight off the tree, or in the form of a delicious tart as shown below.


Thanks to Rowley Leigh (Café Anglais) for the pastry base recipe.

Friday 24 August 2012

Potato Harvest (2)


Lifted the potatoes (Rattes, Rooster, King Edward) yesterday. They are now all safely stored away in hessian sacks (along with the Charlottes) to be enjoyed over the coming months.

Friday 17 August 2012

Top of the Pops 1976 (and what wine were we drinking ?)


Sat watching TOTP 2 on BBC television recently as a respite from the omnipresent Olympics. An episode from 1976.

I mused that around that time music (by which I mean 'popular' music) was such a great part of life for everyone, or so it seemed.

NME was required reading for any serious person. John Peel was listened to religiously. Top of the Pops was never missed, no matter what the circumstances.

Record collections were examined, played and commented on by anyone who happened to come round.

The sound was much better. None of those stupid earpieces or heaven help us headphones (how silly they look walking around festooned with such audio appendages).

Is this just silly nostalgia, or is there any substance to this ?

Examining the charts of 1976 one finds all sorts of material ranging from albums Dark Side of the Moon (Pinkfloyd) and A Night at the Opera (Queen), to singles I am a Cider Drinker (The Wurzels) and Save Your Kisses for Me (Brotherhood of Man)

Looking back it is easy to see that musical offerings (no reference intended to J.S. Bach or Schoenberg) ranged from the sublime to the...well I'm not sure how to describe them.

As for the wines... What would you have been supping while listening to your favourite track ?

British or Irish wine (yes, made from imported grape juice - can't remember the brand names - apart from Rheingau-  but they were rough, to say the least), Matteus Rose, Piat du Beaujolais, Sauternes at Christmas, not forgetting Blue Nun. Or perhaps not. You might not even have drunk any of this stuff at all, except at parties.

Mostly you could say that widely available wines (i.e. not from specialist merchants) were fairly unremarkable, indeed sometimes downright bad. It would have been more or less the same in France and other winemaking countries too.

Whereas music may have deteriorated since 1976 (and this is an entirely personal and subjective view), the choice and quality of wine now available has improved immeasurably, even miraculously, to attain a golden age undreamed of then.

To what do we owe this flowering of the viticultural and winemaking arts ?

There is no simple answer. I do however think that this is largely due to the improvement in the wine knowledge and experience of the 'average' wine drinker and the knowledge, viticultural and scientific of the winemakers.

Wine drinkers are exposed to many different wines in restaurants, supermarkets, on holiday and have developed a taste for good drinkable wines. Result: a demand for good drinkable wines.

Winemakers large and small are much better equipped both intellectually and technologically to cope with most things nature can throw at them and know precisely what they are doing and why. Result: good drinkable wines.

Another factor is that people have more money in their pockets than in 1976 and the relative price of a bottle of wine has fallen considerably, despite increases in duty (in the UK). Without adjusting for purchasing power something costing £1 in 1976 would now cost £6.61; if you earned £1 in 1976, you would now earn £14.84. So according to this simple arithmetic prices have increased by 6 times but incomes have gone up by almost 15 times.

Wine is now affordable for most people, and wine producers know this.

I am sure there are many other factors at work but the upshot is that we were not drinking very pleasant wines in 1976 and I do not look back on this period as a lost paradise, except perhaps for some of the music.









Tuesday 14 August 2012

Rosé wine and grapefruit anyone ?

Rosé wine and Grapefruit mix drinks can now be found in French supermarkets and are sold as low alcohol flavoured 'fruit wines' or aperitifs.

I suppose I am a bit of a grumpy old man, but I find the whole idea abhorrent.

There is nothing wrong with grapefruit juice per se. Many rosé wines have much to recommend them. But the thought of mixing the two and bottling them is simply too much.

The resulting mixture (which I do not wish to name) is sickly and stuffed full of sulphur dioxide and is very likely to leave you with a splitting headache if you are unlucky enough to drink too much of it. There is the small matter of the 7% ABV also. Too low for the elixir to be called wine, but enough to seriously intoxicate the unwary.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous or foolhardy you can sample a sparkling version. You can then move on to peach, lime, blackberry, raspberry etc

No doubt this is a new form of wine marketing because the traditional producer/terroir/tradition model means nothing to young 'consumers'.

It is sad to see in a country with so many grape varieties, wine regions and traditions, where it would not be too difficult to find a traditionally made wine with a similar flavour profile to this concoction, and none of the drawbacks.

The greatest crime is probably the attempt to convince people that this is in fact wine when it has nothing to do with it. Although it may perhaps come to pass that upon tasting this, people will seek solace in wine or any other sort of traditional drink.

It is a similar sort of debate to the one opposing British Wine (which is not necessarily wine and definitely not British, being made from imported grape must with various permitted additions from, among other things, different fruit) to English or Welsh wine, which most definitely are wines and produced in this country.

Authenticity versus the 'creations' of marketing people and people who want to make a profit above all else.


Monday 13 August 2012

Translation and wine tasting shorthand

This is a short piece I wrote for a weekly note on my professional site.

I remembered it because of a reader's letter on tasting terminology in Decanter Sept 2012 (Ask Decanter p102). Gillian Hill wanted to know what 'lift' or 'lifted' and 'flabby' meant in relation to wine tasting, and I was put in mind of the sort of sensory shorthand we use to describe wine.


This week, a few thoughts from the world of wine description.

We often tend to find the same descriptors being used again and again in wine tasting notes. The terms used are often related to the smell and taste of fruits, flowers, spices and other aromas which the experienced taster (or more accurately perhaps, smeller) may be able to detect in the wine being tasted.

The WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Systematic Approach to tasting lists around one hundred aroma and flavour characteristics useful in describing the particular organoleptic profile of a wine.

Tasters, however, often resort to a type of shorthand to rapidly give a succinct indication in their tasting notes of how a wine will taste to the average consumer and some flavours or aromas will be encountered more often. This will often vary according to the origin, national or linguistic, of the author.

In English-speaking circles there is often mention of ‘blueberries’ or ‘blackberries’; whereas the French will often plump for ‘cassis’ (blackcurrant). Floral aromas will often be described as being of ‘elderflower’ by anglophones whereas ‘acacia’ will often be used by French-speakers.

This is typical of the way different languages will divide up the visible and invisible universe in order to describe it. This goes for colour and sound as well as for taste and smell. One man’s yellow is another man’s brown or red. Yet the actual colour is the same.  

Translation, therefore, can also be a game of taste and smell and finding appropriate ways of accurately communicating the equivalent perception in the other language.

Grape Futures (9)


Are the grapes swelling a little ? With a bit of luck they might be, as being Grenache, they should be a little bigger.

They are already sweet, and will no doubt get sweeter over the next few days.

Another ripeness evaluation might be the wasp test to determine if they are fully ripe. Wasps are very partial to grapes.

Finally I think it will be the greenness or lack of it of the stalk which will determine full ripeness. So another few days to wait.


Monday 6 August 2012

Frankenstein organics is born

Unheralded and unnoticed, August 1st saw the birth of factory organics in wine. Of course most of us are too engrossed in the Olympics or whatever to have paid much attention.

What am I talking about ? The coming into force of the European directive on organic wine of course !

These new rules relating to organic wine were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 8th March 2012 and are applicable as of August 1st 2012 (European Commission (CE) n° 203/2012).

It is now possible for a producer adhering to these new rules to label his wine as being organic, and not just 'produced from organically farmed grapes' as previously.

What is the difference and what are the possible consequences ? Well, to get an idea I will let you read the recent editorial from Le Rouge et le Blanc (no 105 Summer 2012), a French language periodical which specialises in what one might call 'real wine produced by real people'. I have translated this for you.

'Organics up for grabs


Organic agriculture, which used to raise knowing smiles before making a lot of people wince, has now become what the kings of marketing describe as a niche market. It is a niche which requires investment, because it is expanding. As for organic producers, having previously been out in the cold, they have now been invited to the party.


In a nutshell, through the new European rules adopted on 8th February and which come into force on the 1st August 2012, large wine producers and brokers (négociants) have succeeded in transforming ‘wine from grapes produced by organic agriculture’ as it has been known until now, into ‘organic wine’, with very relaxed wine making rules perfectly suiting their own production methods.


We already knew they wanted to have their cake and eat it, now they are after the baker’s wife too. How can that be the case ? The rules of organic agriculture have been maintained of course, and added to them are new measures such as the banning of sorbic acid and desulphuring, and the limiting of concentrations of added sulphites (1). But there is nothing new about harvesting methods, nothing new about use of yeasts, nothing about ‘thermovinification‘ (up to 70C) or about reverse osmosis....


‘There is now practically no difference between organic and conventional wines’ declared Michel Issaly, president of the influential confédération des Vignerons indépendants (Confederation of Independent Wine Producers). Mass market organic wine is born, and it has no particular respect for the living nature of wine.


This strategy increasingly marginalises those who have for a long time already been going much further quality-wise than simply ‘organic’. Those - ‘natural’ producers and others- who daily find themselves pushed out of the AOC door towards the emergency exit marked Vin de Table (or Vin de France...sounds much nicer!)...


The France of these wines is the one that defends with the greatest coherence and quality true wines of terroir. Some way must be found to make a real differentiation, in the vein of those winemakers working with amphorae (see Rouge & le Blanc no 105 p.38) who adhere to strict guidelines in terms of viticulture, winemaking and maturation in order to thwart any attempt at vulgar imitation which would allow the proliferation of false labels of vaguely ‘amphora’ wine.


‘Les idées s’améliorent. Le sens des mots y participe.’ (2)


François Morel


(1)Additions reduced by 30 to 50 mg/litre compared to non-organic wines, according to their residual sugar content: for reds 100mg/litre of SO2 instead of 150; for whites and rosés 150mg/litre of SO2 instead of 200...
(2)Lautréaumont, Poésies II.'

Le Rouge et le Blanc


Is this the opportunity 'natural' wine producers have been waiting for ? Perhaps.

There is also the new directive on allergen labelling which will force producers to come clean on some additives, such as fining agents.

Of course this does not go far enough - labelling showing a complete list of additives would be more appropriate, but it is a start.



Thursday 2 August 2012

Midweek supper wines


I couldn't help laughing (out loud I might add) at the editorial in the September 2012 issue of Decanter.

Guy Woodward writes blithely of 'those midweek supper wines of £15-20', advising us to read the article by Oz Clarke on the 'new' Bordeaux wines now offering good value.

I don't know who Mark has his midweek suppers with, but my own midweek supper wine budget is around the £5 mark. I am sure that says more about me than I would care to admit.

I have written about these wines in my occasional series 'Everyday Drinkers'. So far none have been from Bordeaux. But then again I limit my search for these value for money wines to local supermarkets, there being no wine merchant nearby.

That is not to say that Bordeaux does not offer value at anything under the £15-20 mark. I have personally sampled many excellent wines from this region at around £10 or less.

I just wonder if it is worth spending the extra fiver for a midweek supper.

Decanter website

Friday 27 July 2012

Potato Harvest

Charlotte potatoes being harvested
It has been a while since the garden received a mention here. It has been very wet recently, which explains it to some extent - growth slowed to practically nothing and some crops have just not shown at all or have had to be re-sown or re-planted. Thankfully we have had a few days of hot sunny weather. Just the ticket for harvesting potatoes.

The photo above shows the harvest of Charlotte potatoes which are great in salads and in dishes where you need the spud to hold its shape and not become mush.

Rattes washed and ready to go
This photo shows some Ratte potatoes (with one Charlotte interloper to the left), a French favourite. They are delicious cooked slowly in butter and eaten on their own or with whatever takes your fancy.

Later we will have the Rooster (an Irish variety) and the King Edward coming on stream. Plenty of potato delights in prospect !

Everyday Drinkers (6)


This wine shows that you don't have to go to Spain to find a bargain. The Tesco people have done pretty well here with this 'simply Côtes du Rhône', for that is what it is.

A blend of Syrah and Grenache it has vivid acidity countered by sweet fruit and has 13.5% alcohol, which I think is perfect for this sort of wine. I used to get through enormous quantities of Vacqueyras at 13.5% which provides sufficient weight, but does not overpower. All in all a very satisfying drop at a great price - £3.65 - from the Celliers du Dauphin cooperative based in Tullette in the heart of the southern Rhône Valley appellations.

I have fond memories of this brand, having drunk my fair share of it when living in Lyon, and they have not lost their touch for producing good quality, well-priced wines. This one will go with pretty much anything.

Thursday 26 July 2012

Grape Futures (8)


As promised an update to show how the véraison is now complete and the berries are all various hues of purple. This colour will deepen as they approach ripeness.

The whitish film on the grapes is the waxy bloom which serves to protect the fruit from water loss and attack by fungal pests. Is has nothing to do with yeast, as is commonly supposed, although there are no doubt yeasts lurking there too.

Yeasts of different species are found basically everywhere, floating in the air looking for nice sugary solutions to turn into alcohol or vinegar.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Old rockers never die they just f...

I must agree wholeheartedly with the views expressed by James Palumbo in the 17th July edition of the Evening Standard http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/i-say-we-pull-the-plug-on-these-ancient-rockers-7952716.html.

I was particularly disappointed by Steve Van Zandt's comments about this country being a police state. Some of us might just want a bit of peace and quiet of an evening without having our ears assaulted by Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Their time was once but is now well and truly over. Thanks for the memories (we do have recordings of all your best stuff, done when you were real 'rockers'). Now please put those guitars down. Same goes for the Rolling Stones.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Star spotted within Solar System


Yes, there is a star at the heart of the Solar System (see photo above), observations have revealed, and despite the recent complete lack of daylight (replaced by dimly illuminated clouds and constant rain), it is believed to be the Sun.

So there.

Grape Futures (7)


Ripening is proceeding quite nicely as you can see on the photo. Bets are now on as to when full ripeness will be achieved: 10th 15th or 20th August ?

Of course there is the debate as to what ripeness is. Do we mean when sugar levels are highest (pity I don't have a refractometer to measure it - although I am sure I could rig up a DIY densitometer if pushed and if I had enough juice to measure), or when full organoleptic ripeness is attained ? I would go for full organoleptic, as I will probably end up eating the grapes. In this country we are always only just about right as regards sugar, and there is always plenty of acidity.

More news in a week or so.

Monday 9 July 2012

Plane hysteria

Great article by Andy Neather Let the many decide airports, not the few in the Evening Standard (6th July) about the London airport crisis or debate or propaganda (depending on your point of view).

Every day, it seems, some 'expert' squeals that the world will end if new runways or airports are not built in or around London.

Why not turn the whole of England into one great runway, and so bring about the birth of Airstrip One, the totalitarian land of George Orwell's '1984', complete with the Ministry of Truth, which could move into the 'Shard' building ?

Andy is also the Standard's wine critic and tweets rather amusingly at times (@hernehillandy).

Thursday 5 July 2012

Grape Futures (6)


Look carefully and you will see the first signs of veraison (colour change) have started to appear on the grapes. If we get some good weather they should be ripe mid-August or thereabouts. We can then look forward to a mini vendange (grape-harvest) and decide whether to eat them or try to make a glass or two of wine with them.

Tuesday 26 June 2012

When you don't care what the wine is...

After the memorial service we went to a local venue along the Thames where tea, coffee, various nibbles, sandwiches and homemade samosas were provided by the family aided by very friendly serving staff. There was also a choice of wine, red or white.

After the emotion of the service where the life of the loved one (my brother-in-law's mother) was celebrated with readings and hymns (Abide with me, All things Bright and Beautiful) and music (Nimrod- part of the Enigma Variations played on the church organ) it was good to have a glass of chilled white wine and share memories.

What wine was it ? I have no idea. I suppose it was a New World Chardonnay, not too oaked. But of course it wasn't important. The sharing and the warmth were. The purpose of wine.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Everyday Drinkers (5)


The Tesco wine-buying team have done very well with this particular offering. At £2.99 this is exceptional value, and still very drinkable.

The Iberian peninsula is the source of the wine, a 100% Cabernet-Sauvignon from the 'sun ripened vineyards of central Spain' as the label puts it. Despite being such a bargain the wine contrives to be reasonably concentrated, unlike most offerings at this price, although it could never be described as heavy, with ABV at 12.5.%. Fruit dominates as it says on the label.

How much are we paying for the actual wine, you might ask ? Well, not very much, if you deduct duty (currently £1.90 for a 750ml bottle as of April 2012) and VAT.

I think it is a question of taking advantage of it while it lasts, because the producers cannot be making a lot of money, bearing in mind that it costs at least  80 or 90 Euro cents to produce a bottle of wine at this quality (= yield) level.