Page 76 – La Muse Blue

Shanghai Expo 2010 unveils world wine heritage

The main topic of the highly expected World Expo in Shanghai this year is “Better city, better world“. I have visited the site in July, and from what I saw I came to one important conclusion: Many countries think that not only better city means better world for them but also producing wine can [apparently] make our world better!
It is not a world-turning wonder that the pavilions of France and Italy shared their pride in making wine with the visitors, but the Chilean exhibition must have caused a slight blushing on their faces as it showed substantially more of the country’s wine and confirmed that in Chile they take wine seriously. Chile has staged an excellent wine bar together with a wine shop and young Chileans eager to answer all questions that may pop into your head.
I have sampled one or two glasses and learned that the red grape variety – Carmenere, which was thought to be extinguished and was one of the six original grape varieties found in Bordeaux [France], is still flourishing in its full strength in Chile. The Chileans are proud of their “unique grape” as the excited attitude of my ‘educator’ revealed.

In particular the sizeable wine producer Montgras is one of Carmenere enthusiasts. Its deep, supple, fruity and dense flavour can indeed be a good companion to the more astringent and muscular Cabernet Sauvignon. The later is nowadays more popular not only in Bordeaux but also in most New World vineyards. For a long time it was thought that Carmenere in Chile was Merlot.
Indeed, Carmenere shares many characteristics with this fruity and juicy grape variety, and it should the global wine industry’s attention.
The Chinese have been bold in recent years with their wine exploration. First turning their palates to the French old timers, but learning fast, now they appreciate a wider selection including the New World pickings.
With the most populous country in the world sipping more wine and planting more vines, the choice has never been wider and drinking wine is as exciting as discovering new continents once was for the conquistadors.

Wine shops and bars in Asia in 2010

There are plenty of wine shops and wine bars offering prevailingly French wines. However, I found some of a different provenance – from California to Spain. And you do not meet only Westerners buying these wines, there are many locals browsing the shelves of the increasingly popular wine shops in Asia.

wine shop in Shanghai

China: SHANGHAI

Napa Reserve wine shop offers a wide range of Californian wines as its name disclosed. It is conveniently located in the proximity of the bustling Nanjing Lu just across from the old Four Seasons hotel.
On the same road, there are two other wine shops. One is heavily French oriented (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, Languedoc, Rousillon, etc.) and the other one offers a little bit of everything.
Chinese are quite new to wine drinking (if you don’t count rice wine) and their penchant for Bordeaux had to leave a mark on the majority of wine lists. Although not just Bordeaux dominate the wine lists, but increasingly one finds some Chinese wines from the mass production Great Wall to more boutique and complex wines from the Shanxi province.

Philippines: MANILA

Barcino wine shop is located in one of the top shopping malls so popular in Manila, the Greenbelt. Except at the hotels and the luxurious shopping malls one rarely finds wine shops or wine bars in the bustling metropolis. The entire gourmet food and wine drinking culture in the capital of Philipines is oriented around these modern, upscale, and for many locals, not accessible venues.
Barcino specializes in Spanish wines, as one would expect in a former Spanish colony. The selection is wide from great bargains to top-notch Riberas and Riojas. Spanish-speaking South American treasures from Chile and Argentina are also included.
The wine shop bears the name of a super tasty and authentic Spanish restaurant in the same shopping complex.

SINGAPORE

Villa Enrique is a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in the popular area for foodies – Dempsey. It offers tasty appetizers but some of them are disappointing. On the other hand, their sangria can proudly carry its name here. The wine list is also worth checking out. Spanish wines are a staple though and the service can be a bit slow as if to copy the laid back Southern Mediterranean style. The chic yet cool ambiance is the main reason to have a drink there.

The future holds so much in its Bacchanalian hands for the largest continent. There will be much more serious wine-indulging options in Asia in years to come. The House of Roosevelt in Shanghai opened after this post was published and the wine bar at the St Regis Hotel in Singapore are the liquid as well as physical proofs of the wine revolution across the Asian continent.

Global sommelier Manuel Rodrigues: From Chablis through Dubai, Singapore to Tokyo

“The winemaker should touch the wine the less as is possible. I believe, that the nature is expressed the most.” Manuel Rodrigues

With a fortunate hands-on experience working on a vineyard in Chablis with his father, Manuel Rodrigues had the doors open to enter the wine world. He used the knowledge he gained and further expanded his theoretical grounds studying at the Hospitality School Bourges in the Loire Valley, France.
At his tender age (25) he has already won numerous awards – Young Apprentice and Young Sommelier.

He worked with such distinguished chefs as the three Michelin starred Spaniard Santi Santamaria and tasted through the luxury of the seven-star Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel as a sommelier there in 2006.
He isn’t spoiled though by such a remarkable background. With his upbeat personality, he openly shares with me his insights about wine and unveils his plans for the revival of the wine cellar at the luxurious hotel St. Regis in Singapore, where he was recently appointed the Grand Sommelier.
His choice of three wines for today’s tasting at the Decanter, a breathtaking wine tasting room at the St. Regis, discloses that despite his French education, he is not fixed only on the Bordeaux and Burgundy as most top restaurants and hotels often do.
French sommelier Manuel Rodrigues

As we taste the white crisp Alsace Riesling from Trimbach 2002 (one of my favourite producers) he says: “I like Trimbach as he uses traditional methods in wine making. Great wine for me opens with time in the glass.” His honest approach is humble, “the wine maker cannot lie as the nature of the wine should be expressed.” That the tradition is slowly dying out saddens him particularly in the case of France. “It is a pity that Petit Verdot is used less and less in Bordeaux, it adds acidity and extends the ageing potential of the wine.”

This respect for tradition seems to be correlated with his homage to nature. “The winemaker should touch the wine the less as is possible. I believe, that the nature is expressed the most.” As we taste his next choice of the red Chilean, intense and red fruit based Purple Angel by Montes 2007 he confesses: “This wine from the New World is great, there is nothing wrong with it, but you are not going to think where it comes from, how it was made or who is the producer.”
The young, but experienced sommelier adds: “When you taste the wine and talk after with the winemaker then you will think much more about how the wine is related to his personality.” The wine seems to reflect its “father”, the producer.
When I ask him what is the most fascinating wine region in the world for him, I get a straightforward response. “I was lucky to be born there – Burgundy. It is so much about the terroir and I admire that.”

But, he remains open to exploring other wines. The Merlot-based, jammy and well balanced Les Bataux, Les Vins de Salins 2006 from Languedoc-Rousillon in the South of France pleases my palate. I dare to say that it will be appreciated by the sweetness seeking Asian palate as it is not at all punchy but boasts with chewy, red fruit tones. Languedoc is becoming more popular beyond Europe. Owning to such sommeliers as Manuel Rodrigues now also in the far-east Asia.

After he transformed the entire character of the wine cellar at St. Regis in Singapore by “balancing the wine list with adding more little known but excellent wines from Spain and Portugal”, Japan called. Well, more it was his heart, as he fell in love with a delightful, energetic and well-traveled Japanese lady, moved to Tokyo, worked at the Hyatt in Roppongi, got married and recently they had a child. I met them in Tokyo a number of times impressed by their mutual business ideas. Opening a wine-focused hotel in Portugal, Manuel’s family original home country, is currently in their cards. Perhaps, after over a decade heading further and further east, their lifestyle plan will bring him back to Europe with his new family.

The king of Australian Shiraz: Penfolds

On his recent visit to Singapore to introduce luxury and iconic Penfolds wines to local consumers Kym Schroeter, senior winemaker currently responsible for the entire range of highly promising white wines, shared his insights about Australian wine production and specifically at Penfolds with me.

Do you think that Syrah is the most popular grape variety in Australia now?

Certainly it is the most widely planted red grape variety in Australia and Chardonnay is the white wine variety. I think what Barossa does really well is Shiraz. We are famous for it. I guess Shiraz is probably a big focus for imports. It grows there so well, it is suited to our climate in Barossa and I think that we produce some of the best Shiraz on the world.

How would you describe the soil and climate in Barossa Valley?

We have lot of sandy top soils lot of good free draining soils – it seems to be the best for Shiraz. The climate is more Meditteranean but we have very hot summers. Shiraz likes hot weather, most of our best vineyards are not irrigated and we do not have lot of rain so the grapes struggle a lot – Shiraz likes to struggle, to stress water a little bit and especially in very hot years it produces very concentrated vines.

Have you been considering planting any other grape varieties there?

Yes, we found that Tempranillo and Sangiovese does grow extremely well in Barossa. Penfolds has actually several reserves of Sangiovese. We have done it for a number of years now, but they are still relatively new vines (10-15 years). Tempranillo is very new as we have been growing most of it for about two years.
There is a bit of niche market in Australia for them. It seems that Spanish and Italian grape varieties do very well in Australia. We are very traditional but we also try to experiment and try new grapes. We also do a bit of Pinot Gris (Italian Pinot Griggio) so we are not that old school.

Do you accustom your wines to Australian market or do you think more globally?

For example in Europe you can see more tannins in wines. Is it because Australians do not like tannins?
Yes and no. We add a lot of tannin, it is not all natural tannins. Particularly in Cabernet. It is a fine line with tannins, we try to find a balance so we take of the skins from the wine before it gets too bitter (in Grange) and then add it to achieve great balance. We know that tannins are necessary for good ageing. We add them as a powder or dissolve them in a hot water as a liquid and we add it into the fermenting wine.

Do you try to achieve consistency or variety?

Definitely consistency in quality. We are multi-region sourced vineyard and that is advantage as we can achieve consistency year after year. We can choose grapes from a vineyard which does well in that particular year. That is why I think the French are a bit locked as there is inconsistency in various vintages.

Which Penfolds vineyard is your favourite?

I have three regions which I think are the best in Australia. They are Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Tumbarumba. With probably with Tasmania producing the best Chardonnay as in our Yattarna.

What do you think about the cork versus screw cap issue?

We use screw caps, especially in white wines it is better. As soon as you put cork into bottle it becomes to change. We put some of our wines into a corked bottle and others into a screw-capped and after several weeks we could see a difference, the wine enclosed by the screw cap was much fresher.
In some very good corked bottle you will see a good slow maturation but screw cap keeps it fresh so it depends what you want. The other think is that if you buy a case of wine with a cork you can have some bed wines, with a screw cap that is not the case.

What it takes to be the Best Sommelier of the World

I interviewed Giuseppe Vacarini, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1978 what the competition used to be and what it is now. I had the pleasure speaking to him on his recent visit to Singapore where he introduced new book – Nespresso Coffee Codex he has co-written. The book unveils the methodology and art of coffee appreciation.
How to become the Best Sommelier
The second part of the interview answers the major difference between wine and coffee sourcing, their pairing with food and also what actually distinguishes a sommelier from a barrister.
Wine and coffee talk

Peter Gordon: New Zealand cooking and its wines

A distinguished chef from New Zealand, Peter Gordon embraced London’s food scene with his two outstanding restaurants serving fusion food in high style. The more prominent Providores in Marylebone is for these gastro-addicts relishing in a long dining experience with all the fluff around. The more casual Tapa Room downstairs is ideal for a quick bite with a glass of wine from their New Zealand focused wine list.
The choice of kiwi wines is, the widest in London [for a restaurant] and the chef/co-owner Peter Gordon is proud of it. He said: “Our wine list is mostly New Zealand, but we had to add more old world wines. The corporate diners often prefer the old wines and are afraid to experiment. But when we advise them to try something new – instead of their Pinot from France to get a Pinot from New Zealand – often, they try it and like it.”
The list features also dessert wines, mostly from Semillon. Gordon added that New Zealand dessert wines are higher on alcohol (even over 20%) so they are difficult to import to the UK, but they managed to get some to add some kiwi sweetness to the wine list.

The chef’’s journey crossed wine a number of times. “When I was 15 I was looking for an apprenticeship. I decided to be a winemaker so I went to Australia to study. I don’t know why, as my family doesn’t have any history with wine – my parents love food, but there wasn’t much wine at that time in New Zealand. A vast majority of wines were imported. We were drinking mostly beer.”
He describes his early relationship with wine: “When I lived in Australia, I was 18, my flatmate was a high-profile butler for Margaret Thatcher and similar dignitaries and I was helping him a bit with his shopping. Once he was nervously looking around the flat looking for something and he asked me: ‘Have you seen my claret somewhere?’ I looked at him as I had no idea what he was talking about. Claret … like what is it? He frowned and explained that it is French red wine. I just silly replied: Oh, yes it is in the fridge. He just looked at me and asked in vain: ‘Why you put red wine into a fridge?”
I guess that this talented chef thought that he can treat wine as beer, so popular at that time in New Zealand.
Later Peter Gordon realised that he wants to be a cook and not a winemaker.
But, still he is very close to wines as he relishes a glass of a rose from a vineyard he co-invested in New Zealand. It was almost an accidental venture. “ We opened a restaurant together with my business partner at The Providores and he knew Michelle Richardson, one of the top female wine makers in New Zealand. She has her own range and wanted to find investors for a new vineyard. She said: ‘Wine is food friendly so why we don’t have a great chef.’ I liked the local food a lot so we decided to give it a try.”
And Waitaki Braids was born. Now this quite small vineyard in Northern Otago is flourishing. According to Gordon it is the only vineyard from New Zealand which was chosen for top nine vineyards of the world for Pinot Noir.

Which Waitaki is his favourite? “I really love the Riesling, it is fruity and low on alcohol. It is quite unusual New Zealand wine. But today the wine makers there do more than just a Sauvignon Blanc. [typical for NZ] I also like the Pinot Gris.”
During our interview I was spoiled by a glass of the newly released Rosé 2009 from Waitaki Braids. The taste was a metamorphosis of cream and summer berries with an unusual depth for rose. It is definitely on the top of my rose list now. Sipping it Gordon added: “I like it in the winter too – it has enough body and is fruity.”
You can get some of their Waitaki Braids wines by the glass at both restaurants or you can pop in and buy a bottle to take home as they have a licence and more importantly – it is cheaper.

The Providores and Tapa Room:
109 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 4RX
+44 20 7935 6175

Kenton vineyard in Devon

It might have been a penchant for wines of its owner or a careful choice of a perfectly set vineyard that made the taste of wines produced at the Kenton vineyard so crisp, fresh, unique and simply fascinating. Even though the vineyard is quite young – it was established in 2003 – the owner Matthew Bernstein has done a great deal of work on it. Wines are perfectly lined up in plots, wrapped in nets protecting them from naughty rabbits and all are protected from wind by trees Mr. Bernstein planted around the vineyard.
Kenton vineyard nests on the slope and sandy soil and benefits from the mild climate of the Exe Estuary near Exeter.

During the Devon Wine Week 2010 the owner showed the secrets of his winery to the curious wine devotees – including myself – and disclosed all the challenges he met along his way to produce grapes suitable for a good wine.
He is a great talker, so I recommend you all who would like to know more about how wine is made in the UK to pay a visit to this lovely corner of Exe Estuary.
I have tasted two wines there. A spectacular white and for Britain a surprisingly soft red.
The white was made of 100% Backhus, a German grape variety suitable for less warm climate such as in the UK. Spring aromas of elderflower pleasantly overwhelm your nose while dipping it into the glass. Sauvignon Blanc-like taste assembling a flower bouquet together with slight apricot touch adding it a touch of sweetness. It is excellent to drink young.
The red was a 100% Pinot Noir – the ‘Burgundy king’ – which in this wine showed off its fruit power in the palate ranging from raspberry to a young cherry flavours. Good acidity gives it relatively good ageing potential so lets see how this 2009 vintage will do. It was definitely ready to drink now.

The estate is a lovely escape to the country, you can not only visit the vineyard, the winery but also spoil your eyes on the paintings, cards made by an acclaimed local artist Jo Talbot Bowen.
Some of them bring your mind far away from the daily stress as the azure colour she often uses overwhelms your senses with freshness and summer mood. Perhaps, these art works inspired the wine maker to create wines of the same character.

Devon Wine Week

Devon’s fifth wine week which took place from Sat May 29th 2010 – Sun June 6th 2010 was a perfect induction to British wines (at least for me).

The whites and some sparkles were remarkably interesting though a majority of the reds still need more rays and warmth as some of them reminded me cider more than a drink made from grapes.
With 13 participating vineyards this year you had a unique opportunity to learn something about local wine making, spot new trends on the British market, ask plenty of questions lodged in your mind and finally taste their wines together with carefully selected local dishes to complement them perfectly.
No wonder as the theme of this year was matching Devon wine with local fare in restaurants, pubs and inns.
At Sharpham vineyard they mastered this task superbly. Their bbq lunches and selection of estate made delicious cheeses can rival any good restaurant in the country. Particularly their brie melted in my mouth like a candy.
Throughout the year you can visit the estate and tour their vineyard stretching out along a lovely Dart river. You can reach the vineyard by boat as well as by car, but mind the with of your vehicle as the Devon’s roads are incredibly narrow.
For tasting I have chosen a fare of six wines – three whites, one rosé and two reds. The reds and the rosé were to my taste too odd. On the other hand two of the whites were appealing. Both made from a locally popular grape variety called Madeleine Angevine.
The Sharpham Estate Selection dry white is made 100% out off this muscat like aromatic grape. It is easy to drink, prefect for summer picnics and very refreshing due to its good acidity. More interesting though is its barrel fermented form in Sharpham Barrel Fermented trophy winner. It has more depth, lightly buttery body and unique vanilla bean flavour. You can buy all of them online.
You can also visit the estate and have lunch at their café from April till the end of September as they are open every day.

Britain is not wine making giant as France, Italy or Spain and the production is substantially smaller so buying the expensive equipment to make wine is a privilege of a small number of blessed vineyards.
One of them is Yearlstone vineyard established in 1994 which claims to be one of the best equipped in England. This young winery located in the Exe estuary has distinct approach to label their wines.

Because of the volatile climate on the British isles it is very hard to make similar style of wine each year. Therefore Yearlstone calls its wines Number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. A bit boring but effective as each of the numbers represents distinct taste.
For example Number 1 is crisp & zingy dry white so according to the year’s demands on vines the wine makers make this wine from a grape which turns to be like this.
I had a sip (or two) of their sparkling wine praised by Clarke Oz. To my taste, the bubbles weren’t smooth enough, but it is refreshing and fruity alternative to other sparkling wines.
The last vineyard I visited in Devon was Kenton vineyard also situated in the Exe estuary. Their wines were quite exceptional so I dedicated a separate account of it in my next article.
It is encouraging for British wine lovers and patriots to visit and taste wine from their country and it is definitely worth to explore the hidden liquid grape treasures in various mostly Southern regions of England and surprisingly even in Wales.
If you want to read more about UK’s wines or just have an inspiration for a weekend trip you can buy a book A Guide to The Wines of England & Wales written by a trio made up of Philip Williamson, David Moore & Neville Blech. It is concise, contains everything needed and gives you basic overview of wine making in Britain. At Amazon you can get only from £ 10.83 new and including delivery in the UK.

Decanter Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter

The annual ‘Grande’ Italian wine tasting at the Landmark hotel in London organised by the prominent wine magazine Decanter today didn’t stay in a shade of its sister event held in November.
With 300 fine wines to taste it wasn’t a humble demonstration of the product beloved by many Italians who proudly share their passion for the liquid of gods – wine.

From Piedmont to Sicily, you could meet 80 Italian top wine makers and compare their various wines.
Not always the best known enchanted your palate. Often even the producers themselves disclosed their personal affection for one of the lesser known wines.
For me as woman was encouraging to hear from some male wine connoisseurs as well as from the producers themselves the avowed ratings of Moscatos. Yes, I mean that delicious sweat wine made from muscat grapes with decently low levels of alcohol celebrated by many light drinkers.
Moscato is one of these wines which many people who aren’t keen on wine still relish. It isn’t punchy at all and with its floral honeyed taste it is not only refreshing but also a ‘healthier’ and lighter variety of a desert wine if not a dessert itself.
Moscatio d’Asti is perhaps a king, but there are many gripping moscatos in other Italian regions. You can go as far as to Sicily and appreciate the diversity of this sweat treat.
My favourite though still is Nivole, Moscato d’Asti DOCG from Michele Chiarlo which was recommended to me by by my friend from Asti. After tasting it again together with other competing moscatos I was assured that this one wok my heart. Moreover, it is easy to get in the UK. I usually get it at Whole Foods at High Street Kensigton. It is quite inexpensive – around £7 per bottle.
There were many icons to taste but I must admit that I am quite biased towards Gavi. This area (also a town) in Piedmont produces the most enchanting white wines. To name just some producers with a lovely Gavi: Batasiolo, Batasiolo, Batasiolo, and others.
I visited Sicily last summer and fell in love with their (even sometimes quite high in alcohol) wines. Planeta is one of the newer producers, but no doubt one of the best ones with the nicest staff. I like most of their wines, but this time I tasted their red Burdese Sicily IGT 2006 and was awestruck by its perfect balance while enjoying the black currants in the body.
I think I wrote too much about my personal indulgences on this year’s Italian Fine Wine Encounter. I wish you were there and tasted it on your own tongue and filled your mouth with the Italian vino bianco, rosso and perhaps some sparkling prosecco.
Don’t cry though. The Decanter organises three Fine Wine Encounters every year and you can at least have a read about each of them on their web site if my report wasn’t satisfying enough.
If you have any queries though, do not hesitate to write me. I am more than ready for your curious questions.

Searching for wine in Old Prague

History and wine go hand in hand and peak into every corner of the world. If I don’t count water I dare to estimate that wine might be the most expanded drink on the world.
Then it is not to my surprise that I found a vineyard just in the middle of one of the most picturesque cities in the world – in the Old Prague.

One of the oldest vineyards in the Czech Republic is located on the hillside right below the magnificent Prague Castle. It bears the name of the mighty and by Czech people highly respected St. Wenceslas, the patron of Bohemian Lands and the founder of the Czech state.
St. Wenceslas’ vineyard was established according to a legend in the 10th century AD. This Czech statesmen as well as other rulers in Christian history relished wine. The Roman Emperor Charles IV.( yes, that one who built the famous Charles Bridge) brought Pinot Noir from France.

Vineyards under the Prague Castle
The Pinot Noir and also Riesling grapes will tempt the visitors to pick and taste them this autumn for the first time since in the 19.th century the vineyard was changed into a fancy English garden when the Villa Richter was built and remained forgotten until recently.
In 2008 after a long reconstruction of the villa and the vineyards The Villa Richter gourmet restaurant, two other more casual restaurants and the St. Wenceslas’ vineyard were inaugurated with a big applause from wine connoisseurs.
The panoramic views together with an extensive wine list guarantee a pleasant and relaxed afternoon in the heart of the jewel between all cities in the Central Europe.
Czech white and sweet wines are especially rewarding (though I am especially biased towards the region Moravia, called “Morava” in Czech language). There are many great wine bars in Prague now serving the most interesting wines that Czech Republic has to offer at the moment.

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