Every month I send out a simple newsletter to the members of Maestrazgo Wine Club; a small group of wine-lovers who meet once a week to explore the world of wine together in a small tasting room in Barcelona. For more information on Maestrazgo Wine Club and how to book a wine tasting in Barcelona,check out this page for more information.
January: The vines start the New Year in much the same condition as the rest of us; fast asleep. The leaves have long since gone, and the green canes that grew in the summer before will have lignified; that is, turned brown and woody. Any extra carbohydrates will be stored deep in the trunk of the vine and this is a sign that winter pruning can begin. Traditionally pruning starts on the 22nd January or the feast of the patron saint of vignerons, St. Vincent, although for practical reasons it tends to begin a lot sooner. Winter pruning is an arduous but necessary task as it determines the numer of buds left on the vine for this years growing season and subsequent harvest. Not the most thrilling of jobs in the cold winter but there’s little rest when it comes to the production of good quality wine!
Hello Wine Lovers! Happy New Year to you all! 2016 was a wonderful year but now we’re looking ahead to the promises of 2017 and regardless of what the wider world has to say, we fully intend to pick up where we left off and carry on exploring the world of wine together. I’m back in London for some more studying this month, leaving us with space for 3 tastings and I thought it would be a good time to go back to some basics. We’re going to kick off by looking at some of the most interesting and exciting regions in Spain to look out for during 2017 with our tasting on the 5th January; “Bold Predictions: Regions to drink in 2017”. On the flip-side of this, on the 19th January we’re going to take a moment to explore some of the lesser celebrated regions of Spain with our tasting “The Lost Ones: Lesser known DO’s of Spain” before finishing with a tasting of a bedrock of the modern wine industry “International Wine Tasting: The Wines of Bordeaux”. As always, the wines we present will be different to those you’ve tasted in the past as we take a fresh look at Spanish and Catalan wine, as well as a modern traditional look at that great French classic; Bordeaux. I’m delighted to have everyone along for another year and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Events: Maestrazgo Wine Club
5th January– Bold Predictions: Regions to drink in 2017 – 25 euros p/p
19th January – The Lost Ones: Lesser known DO’s of Spain– 30 euros p/p
26th January – International Wine Tasting: The Wines of Bordeaux – 30 euros p/p
Articles: I probably spend too much of my time reading online articles about wine. However, as a result I can find and select a choice few to share – here are my three favourites from last month!
1. ‘Classic, Trusted Wine” by Andrew Jefford. This is a little longer than most articles by Jefford, or indeed compared to the articles I usually link, however, it’s a really lovely look at why appellation law exists and what effect that has on the consumer. It’s all about trust in the end, but how is that built? Read on! http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/classic-wine-reputation-351630/
2. ‘Cava de Paraje Calificado – what’s it all about?’ by Amaya Cervera. You may have heard that DO Cava has been working to produce a new quality level within the industry, to help define the truly excellent, aged Cavas that are available on the market today. It was originally meant to be ready for Christmas 2016 but it appears likely that it will be authorised in early 2017 instead. From 36 months minimum ageing to grapes sourced from limited areas known as ‘Parajes’; exciting times for Cava indeed! http://www.spanishwinelover.com/learn-220-cava-de-paraje-calificado-whats-it-all-about
Wine of the Month: I’m constantly on the look-out for wines of real quality and value; I rarely purchase anything over 30-40 euros a bottle and more commonly you’ll find me drinking in the 6-25 euro range.
Alfredo Arribas Trossos Vells 2013 : What a wonderful wine. ‘Trossos Vells’ is a 100% Cariñena wine taken from 9 small vineyards around Masroig in DO Montsant. Each individual plot is vinified separately before being blended and aged in old, French oak for 12 months. It really is a big, delicious expression of Cariñena full of dark black fruits, black pepper, dried herbs and sweet spice. Almost inky, purple in colour and an absolute must-taste for Montsant fans. At around 18 euros retail, this is superb value for money.
Wine Facts
Some fun and interesting facts about the world of wine. Terminology, myths and FAQs; as science becomes more ingrained in our industry, we discover new and exciting realities every day!
“Are screw-caps a sign of cheap wine?” – Definitely not. A screw-cap is a relatively new style of closure that has been extensively championed by both Australia and New Zealand, although it is starting to make an impression in Europe as well. The concept of aging wine is to find a closure that allows a small, predictable amount of oxygen to enter the wine over a period of time, faciliating chemical change. Whilst screw-caps still don’t have studies from aging over 20 years, early studies suggest that this could potentially work for aged wines in the future. For younger wines, the screw-caps are cheaper, easier to open and mean there is no chance of cork-taint in your wine. Don’t be put off by screw-caps!
“How do you know if a wine is corked?” – This one can be tricky as not all corked wines are easy to spot. The culprit is a chemical known as TCA (trichloroanisole) which usually forms due to natural fungi from the cork tree reacting with the chemicals used in the cork making process; namely chlorine. Small amounts of TCA are often undetectable or don’t spoil the experience of the wine. However, if your wine smells suspiciously like wet cardboard/rotten wood/wet dog, this could well be TCA. Always re-cork this bottle and bring it back to the store you bought it from; whilst they are not obliged to exchange the bottle, all good stores will.
‘Finish’ – This is a term used to describe how long the desirable flavours stay present in your mouth after swallowing/spitting the wine. The ‘desirable’ part here is very important as it is common for wines to leave an after-taste but this is not always pleasant and can consist of a acrid bitterness or a stinging sensation from a level of unbalanced alcohol! Whilst there are some minor faults in a wine that can be smoothed over by clever wine-making, long, complex and enjoyable finishes are usually the mark of a truly lovely and well-made wine.
Social Media
These newsletters only come out once a month and there is a limit on space for content. If you use Social Media and want to keep up with regular wine updates and occasional rambles, feel free to connect with me on any of the following platforms.
Blog: winecuentista.com
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Twitter: @Wine_Cuentista
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That’s it for this months newsletter. I hope you enjoyed it and please, if you have any suggestions or things you would like to see get in touch! Either respond to me here or email to fintankerr@winecuentista.com I can’t wait to see you all soon for more wine, food and good company. 🙂
Fintan Kerr