When I wrote about wines that were organic, sustainable or biodynamic, I made the mistake of mentioning Voodoo and Witchcraft. After my post was read by Elizabeth Candelario, Marketing Director for Demeter USA, I’ve come to see I’m only perpetuating the wrong image of biodyanmic grape growing. It’s time to change that! Elizabeth took the time to write me a letter that puts the right focus on Biodynamic farming and grape growing. It helps point to not just the astronomical influences on the farming, but also the homeopathic influences.
Read with great interest (and watched too!) your coverage of Biodynamic in a recent post on your website. I am a really big fan of Montinore so I appreciated your mention of them as well. For the record, if you don’t mind my making a few comments…
Vooddo! Witchcraft!! What the heck!!! Your description of Biodynamic practices was terrific: no chemicals, view of the farm as a living organism, holistic natural approach, use of the preparations. Thanks for that! But I always have a hard time understanding how we can move from sound agronomy to adjectives like voodoo and witchcraft!
Anyway- if you are interested- check out our website where you will find lots of materials, and also the Demeter Farm Standard itself. The important thing to remember is that the term BIODYNAMIC is held as a certification mark by Demeter in the commercial marketplace relative to agriculturally-based products and farms. In order for a farm or product to refer to itself as BIODYNAMIC it must meet the Demeter Farm and Processing Standards and be verified though certification.
In a nutshell then the term BIODYNAMIC = The Demeter Standards. There is mention of astronomical influences as one consideration within an extensive farming system. The preparations are also an important part- but think homeopathic remedies- and there is some science pointing to increased microbial activity in soils that have been treated with the preps- not to mention a lot of antidotal support. There is no mention of spiritual forces per se, although many Biodynamic practitioners will share that as part of their own personal observation. Most importantly of all- the Farm Standard is composed of all of the other practices you described.
And the Farm Standard is historically significant because it dates back to the beginning of the sustainable agriculture movement and captures key agronomic principles not comprehensively addressed within any other agriculture certification system in the world. It seeks to create a farm system that is minimally dependant on imported materials, instead meeting its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself. It is the biodiversity of the farm, organized so that the waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy for another, that results in an increase in the farm’s capacity for self-renewal and ultimately makes the farm sustainable. Sections of the Farm Standard include soil fertility management, crop protection, greenhouse management, animal welfare, and the use of the preparations. It’s actually a beautiful document that would align with any sustainable farmer’s understanding of good agriculture.
Anyway- hope you don’t mind my long winded note. Just trying very hard to get away from the more sensational things being written and spoken about Biodynamic agriculture as I feel it actually isn’t accurate. Sure do appreciate you and the work you are doing to educate wine drinkers. Please do consider me a resource.
My response to this well written, and educational, email was:
Thank you so much for taking the time to write me. I appreciate it, sincerely. I would actually like to take your email and post it on my blog – as I think you covered some very interesting and important points. I assure you that while my descriptors may have come across as derogatory, there were never intended to be.
During September 2009 I visited two biodynamic vineyards in CA. Both of them were very passionate about what they did, and how they were stewards of the land. However, both of them used the terms Voodo and Witchcraft, tongue in cheek, when discussing some of the practices. I think it was their way of bridging the gap between their audiences ignorance and their heartfelt beliefs and practices of biodynamic farming. I also think that they were able to leave a lasting impression when doing so.
While it may not be wholly accurate to use the term Voodoo when discussing Biodynamic preparation 500, it definitely made an impression on us. It was perhaps a bit outlandish, and inaccurate, of course, but it helped me remember what they do, and why they do it. I do agree, however, that we have a responsibility to help educate people accurately, and that is why I’d like to post your letter on my blog. I believe it’ll help people searching for information become more educated in terms of biodynamic farming. I found the subject of biodynamic, as well as sustainable and organic farming quite interesting. However, the average attention span of visitors to our websites lately have declined. I therefore had to take a tremendous amount of information, cut it down, and hope I didn’t leave out the good stuff. My intention was always to go back, revisit each of the three classifications or methods of farming, and hopefully engage people on them individually. This may be a great way to do so.
Thank you again!
So, as you can see, I posted the letter. The question I have for you, is what questions do you have for me? Let me know your thoughts on Biodynamic farming, grape growing, and wines. How can I help you understand what’s in your glass?
The Gamay grape has a history dating back to approximately 1360, and it is thought to have first appeared in the Village of Gamay, it’s namesake. It’s nearly synonymous with Beaujolais, the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in which it is most abundantly produced. What does all that mean? Well, The short two minute video here tries to explain a little bit about the grape, the styles of wine you can expect from Gamay grapes, and the main geography it is produced in.
There are several regions, or appellations, of Beaujolais, and each produces a different style and quality of wine made from Gamay grapes. The Beaujolais AOC is considered the first quality tier, and is likely what you think of when you have Beaujolais Nouveau each November. Beaujolais wines are meant to drink soon after bottling, and are typically fruit forward and easy drinking. They also, perhaps, have a bad reputation of being too simple and barely a step up from sweetened fruit juice. While masterful marketing in the 1980s has made Beaujolais Nouveau a wine people anticipate each year, it has also perhaps hurt the reputation of a grape that could produce great wines.
The next step up in quality is Beaujolais-Villages (Vill-ah-zche). While the wines produced here are also meant to be consumed young, like Beaujolais, they typically have lower yields, or smaller crops, which in turn produce more intense grapes and a smaller amount of more intense wines. There is not, typically, a tremendous price difference between wines from Beaujolais vineyards versus Beaujolais-Villages, and trying wines from each area will help understand the differences and similarities.
Finally, there are the ten Cru Beaujolais regions, each with it’s own characteristics that are imparted upon the wine, and can be broken into three categories. The Cru’s that make the lightest style of wine includes Brouilly, the largest Cru, Regnie, which was upgraded from a Beajolais-Villages are in 1988, and Chiroubles. The Cru Beaujolais producing medium bodied wine, which some experts recommend at least a year of bottle aging before approaching, include Cote de Brouilly, Fleuire, and Saint-Amour. Finally, the four Cru’s that typically produce the fullest bodied wines are Chenas, Juliénas, Morgon, and Moulin-a-Vent.It’s difficult to summarize each of the Cru’s, so I’ll expand on them in future posts.
Now you have an opportunity to add your thoughts! While I mentioned cheeses like Munster, Emmental, and Brie, as well as chicken or turkey, I barely covered foods that pair well with Gamay, or Beaujolais. What are some of your favorite food and Gamay wine pairings? After watching the video and reading the post, leave a comment below. I’m curious your take on Gamay, Beaujolais, and related topics.
Have you ever scanned a wine list, passing by interesting sounding wines, only because you weren’t sure what the wine may be like. There’s no foolproof method for picking the perfect wine, but with a little bit of wine education, you can make reasonable selections every time. We’ve already spoken about Syrah and Shiraz, as well as Torrontes. Now we’re going to talk a little bit about Tempranillo. The Tempranillo video is under 3 minutes, but packed with lots of great information.
Once you finish watching the video, feel free to add a comment below. Did I miss something? I didn’t focus on Tempranillo outside of Spain,so maybe you want to add a bit about that. Or maybe you have questions you’d like to have answered. Or maybe, you just want to tell me the last Tempranillo you enjoyed. I’m looking forward to reading, and replying to all of your comments.
Torrontes is a crisp white wine, produced almost exclusively in Argentina. Typically, the bouquet of a Torrontes wine will be aromatic, showing floral notes, often with citrus characteristics. The palate is crisp, ranging in body from light to medium, and is considered to be high in acidity. Citrus and floral characteristics will translate to the palate, though the citrus is not as prominent as say, a Sauvignon Blanc. As with any wine, the bouquet and palate, or scent and taste, will be different depending on where it is produced, how it is fermented, and how it is aged. Torrontes wines are meant to be drank young, and are not typically purchased to age. Torrontes is said to be the signature white wine from Argentina. It pairs nicely with seafood, cheeses, Mexican food, Thai food, and chicken.
It’s not known how Torrontes arrived in Argentina, or how long ago. Once thought to be native to Argentina, there is a bit of speculation where the grape originated. Citations on Wikipedia state “the Torrontes grape has been recently linked, genetically, to the Malvasian grapes, which originates in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is speculated to have come from Spain, perhaps by missionaries”. However, torrontes genetic profiling done in 2003 links it to Muscat of Alexandria, which originated in North Africa,and Criolla chica, or the Mission grape. While I find it fascinating that the origin of the grape can not be nailed down, and the debate ranges in writings by many wine geeks, I think I’ll instead pop a cork, or unscrew a top, and tell you a little about the wines from first hand experience.
Speaking of first hand experience, have you had a Torrontes recently? Or ever? If so, let me know what you had, and what you thought of it! Where did it come from, and would you recommend it to others?
You may have read some of my recent articles and thought they were amazingly interesting, save one little thing. I have gone into great detail on what the wine taste like, where it came from, and how it was fermented, but I didn’t explain the grape itself. For all you knew I was talking about pickles from Mongolia turned into wine. Therefore, I’ll give you some basic information about the grapes in the wines I talk about, starting with Syrah.
A dark, almost black grape, with a thick skin, Syrah creates a wine that offers many expressions. It’s a grape that takes on the characteristics of the terroir, the earth that the grapes come from, and will be different depending on where it is grown. While more than half of the world’s Syrah vineyards are in France, the grape can be found in “new world” areas such as California, Washington, South Africa, and Australia.
Called Shiraz in Australia, the wine will typically have dark fruit flavors with an intense, peppery component when grown there. In contrast, Syrah you’ll find in California often can be round and fruit focused to jammy. French Syrah, used to make many Rhone wines from appellations such as Cote Rotie (pronounced Coat Row-tee) , Hermitage , and Chateauneuf de Pape, is often considered intense or strong when young, with great potential to age. These are of course generalizations, and the wine can have a very “old world” style while made in California, for example.
Syrah is a great food wine, and is definitely at home around a backyard BBQ. Pairedwithgrilled meats, whether steaks, hamburger, sausage, or lamb, a nice Syrah from Washington will work well. Syrah (or Shiraz) can work well with other foods, such as pizza, game such as venison, boar, or pheasant, cheeses such as cheddar, aged Gouda, or Roquefort, and even duck or chicken if it’s grilled or barbecued.
Please feel free to add some comments below about Syrah or Shiraz!
One question that I’m asked quite frequently is “Do you need to decant all red wines.” I’m sure you’ve been told by your English teachers that “All” and “Never” are bad, bad words. There are, however, several reasons to decant wines. First, as wines age, sediment will settle in the bottle as part of the natural process. Decanting gives you the opportunity to pour the wine carefully, leaving the sediment in the decanter while the wine makes it to your glass. Another reason to decant wines is to allow air to mix with younger wines, opening them up and bringing out the bouquet and palate. (more…)
I think every wine lover, secretly, believes they can make THE best wine in the world. If only they had the tools, which include the expensive crushing, fermenting, aging and bottling operations of the big wineries. Oh, and the years of experience it takes to be considered a decent winemaker, no less a GREAT one. However, Crushpad’s Wine Blending Kit is about to make all your wine making dreams come true.
This is by no means the first blog post discussing Crushpad’s operations. Hardy (Dirty South) wrote about Crushpad in September 2008, highlighting some of the excellent winemakers who utilize the facilities to blend highly rated wine. Megan (Sonadora) visited Crushpad in August of this year, tasting some of the Cabernet Sauvignon wines created there. However, I think the first opportunity that every day people, like us, get to try blending wines at home, has arrived. Crushpad’s FUSEBOX has all the elements necessary to create a fantastic wine, and help bring it to market. Crushpad also thought of a unique way to introduce this to the world.
Ten wine bloggers have been chosen to receive a complimentary FUSEBOX, and are having a friendly competition with each other to create a new and exciting wine. Twitter’s Sonadora has already created her FUSEBOX Blend, and Cellarmistress is excited about her Fusebox fun to come. As for me, I think this short video will tell you how I feel about my future Fusebox creation.
What do you get when you mix one part culinary expertise with one part fine wine, and sprinkle with Cabot Cheese? You get the recipe for the perfect night in. Join us Saturday, July 18th at 7pm EST as we bring you one of the most exciting social media events involving food and wine ever! Cabot Cheese Coop has asked Chef Dolce Debbie, Executive Chef of Savory Adventures, LLC, and me, to bring their products to you in exciting new ways.
Chef Dolce Debbie
Chef Dolce Debbie will be preparing a three course meal, all involving fantastic Cabot products in various forms. I’ll be pairing those culinary delights with fine wines, and discussing them with you via a live uStream video event. There will be a chat room attached to the video stream, where you can speak not only with other viewers, but with Cabot representatives, as well as the hosts of the show, Debbie and I. To make the experience even more interactive and enjoyable, we’ve provided the menu, complete with the wine pairings, so you can join us on our taste adventure.
We’ll start the evening off with appetizers at 7pm EST. Debbie has brought some amazing flavors to the table in the first appetizer, Shortbread with Cabot Hot Habanero Cheese! (for recipe, click here)! Debbie will also be serving Radish with Tzatziki Sauce (recipe here) for an interesting appetizer using fresh Cabot products. Both of these dishes will be paired with Dr Loosen Dr L 2007 Riesling. The sweet fruit from the wine will balance the heat in the two appetizers perfectly. You’ll be pleased with how well the flavors mesh!
Our next course will be Chicken Saltimbocca (recipe here) which will be served with a Three Potato Salad (for recipe, click here) along with sauteed spinach. We will pair this all with a fantastic Pinot Noir from Elizabeth Spencer, which offers just the right mixture of fruit and earthy notes to pair beautifully with the chicken dish. If the Elizabeth Spencer Pinot Noir isn’t available, there are two alternatives that will be discussed during the event. The first is Bailyana FirePeaks Grand Cuvee Pinot Noir, which is quite similar to the Elizbath Spencer in terms of flavor profile. The second alternative is Mackenzie Russian River Valley 2007 Pinot Noir, which will pair nicely with the main course.
And if that menu wasn’t enough to excite you, you can win a Cabot apron! Follow @Cabotcoop on twitter, and tell the cow which course sounds best to you, and why. The winner will be randomly selected after the event.
So, pencil us in for Saturday July 18th, and be ready for a good time with wine, and cheese, and Dolce Debbie’s fabulous creations from the kitchen!
I was quite fortunate to participate in the first ever Wines of Chile blogger tasting event last night. And while I was not as quick as John, who managed to get a post on the event this morning, I wanted to touch on one important thing about Chilean wine. Chile offers some very nice wine, and some unique varieties, like Carmenere, their signature grape. However, we need to keep in mind that what attracts many people to these wines is the value they offer.
During the tasting last night, moderator Michael Green, Wine & Spirits consultant for Gourmet magazine, took a question from one of the blogger participants. Paraphrasing, he said that the blogger thought the prices were too inexpensive. This set off some conversation that sounded like we would soon see price increases in the future. Katie Pizzuto from Gonzogastronomy said “exactly! Now they’re gonna hike up prices” after I had said “nonono .. we arent saying we want them more expensive. we’re saying Chile makes GREAT wines @ Great value #winesofchile” regarding Michael’s comment. Further to that, Dave Honig commented that “Hey @mmwine I repeat, GREAT QPR, but only GOOD wine. ”
And that is the point that I want to make. While Chile is offering great QPR (Quality to Price ratio), the wines are good. They will perhaps one day be GREAT, and I firmly believe they will. However, I will also, quite honestly, say that if these wines were 30-50% more in price, no less double in price, I would probably find other wines to drink. While I really enjoyed last night’s Cono Sur Pinot Noir, and I love Morande’s Pinot Noir at $15 and $12 respectively, I would probably pass on them if the were $25 or $30. Some of last nights wines were approaching the $30 range. And while I enjoyed them, and would recommend them, as well as drink them in the future, they were definitely starting to approach the top end of the QPR segment.
Now, please don’t think I am not a fan of Chilean wines. I sincerely am, and one of my TV segments on Daytime TV will feature Morande’s Pinot Noir as a great red for summer (or any time, honestly). I just feel it’s my duty to bound the rave reviews I, and apparently some of the other bloggers, gave to Chilean wines last night. They’re making good wines, and GREAT QPR wines. That needs to be their focus, at least for now.
What do you think about Chilean wines, and QPR wines in general? I’d love to hear!
Robin and her friend Susan had been going to Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the coast of Cancun, Mexico for 15 plus years before I was invited to join them in 2005. Along with the typical advice I was given by the two well traveled ladies of “Don’t drink the water”, I was told to not drink the wine. Apparently, their experience showed them that while the ceviche was second to none, and a fresh margarita could be found anywhere, drinkable wine was a rare treat on the Island. (more…)
