Liz-palmer.com named one of the “22 Best Wine Blogs and Influencers to follow in 2022”

Absolute Winery “THANK YOU” for including me [www.liz-palmer.com] as one of the

“22 Best Wine Blogs and Influencers To Follow In 2022”

Full list here: https://www.absolutewinery.com/best-wine-blogs/

#absolutewinery #winewebsite #wineblogs #winejournalist #wineinfluencer #thankful #winetravels #winelover #sundayvibes #winelife #wine #winetime #grateful #womeninwinebusiness #womeninwine #winenews

“Crurated” announces the “All Heart [Rare Wine] Auction” to raise funds for Ukraine relief efforts

Crurated is joining hands with some of the most famous winemakers in Europe to auction special and rare wines to support the people of Ukraine. The membership club, was launched last May, has partnered with over 50 well-known European chateaux and winemakers to raise funds for Ukraine, with a special dedicated online auction this week.

The auction, which will be open to non-members who sign up for a free Explorer Membership, includes around 250 bottles of rare wines, including some from the cellars of Louis Roederer, Domaine Meo-Camuzet, and Domaine Dujac, as well as a six-bottle vertical of Cristal 2006, 2009 and 2013, a vertical from 2015-2020 of Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny permiuer Cru Les Amoureuses which includes a custom label, a Jeroboam of Dujac Grand Cru Clos Saint Denis 2009 and a bottle of Méo-Camuzet Richebourg Grand Cru 2014.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to the following NGOs: Save the Children, Red Cross, UNHCR, UNICEF.

“Our wine charity auction features top wine lots from the world’s most sought-after producers, hailing from the lauded regions of Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont, and beyond. Bidding is now open. We invite wine lovers to participate for a good cause.”

For further information, and to register: https://crurated.com/

Rosé Wine Trends: Provence continues to influence

Valladolid, Spain hosted the recent Rosé Wine Session of the 2022 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The competition took place March 11 – 13 at the Patio Herreriano.

Along with sixty international judges, also in attendance was the Mayor of Valladolid, Óscar Puente; the Town Councillor, Ana Redondo; the Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Baudouin Havaux; and Vice-Chairman of the Valladolid Provincial Council, Víctor Alonso.

Valladolid Wine Region

Valladolid is the only province on the Iberian Peninsula that boasts five appellations: Cigales, Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro and León. There are over 27,000 hectares planted with over twenty different grape varieties. It is also home to four wine routes: Cigales, Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero.

Rosé Market

Between 2002 and 2018, the global consumption of rosé wine rose from 18.3 million hectolitres to over 26 million, representing a surge of almost 40%. Western Europe and the United States are the world’s largest consumers of rosé.

Rosé Trends: Interview with Nathalie Pouzalgues, for Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

Nathalie Pouzalgues, winemaker, and project manager with the Centre for Rosé Research in Vidauban, Var.

  1. When did you begin your work on rosé wines?

I joined the team at the Rosé Wine Centre in 2011, but before that I worked at the Côtes de Provence producers’ organization. The Rosé Wine Centre was established in 1999, on the initiative of the Provence wine industry (CIVP and Var Chamber of Agriculture) and the French Vine & Wine Institute. It is a one-of-a-kind resource in France and worldwide for applied research into rosé wines. Our aim is to improve the quality of rosé wines by conducting experiments that range from the vine itself through to the bottled wine. My role within the team is to run experiments focusing on rosé wine and I specialise in applied research on sensory wine analysis.

  1. Where does the information for your research come from?

Research programmes involving either viticulture, oenology or sensory analysis are regularly submitted at different levels. Depending on the research topic, we do agronomy monitoring, small-batch winemaking (100 litres) and/or tastings. The research findings are processed using a range of statistical tools and then passed on to industry members through scientific and technical journals, video-conferences, symposiums, etc.

  1. How have rosé wines changed over the past decade?

The quality of rosé wines has improved. From a technical perspective, temperature control from harvesting the grapes through to storing the wine in bottles was one of the first noteworthy advances. The second breakthrough stems from oxygen management, controlling oxidation and now planning vineyard management designed for rosé wine. You don’t manage a vineyard in the same way if you aim to make rosé or red wine.

  1. Rosé sales in France account for approximately 30% of the market, ahead of white wine. Why is rosé so popular in France?

The quality of French rosé is indisputable. Some regions, such as Provence, are iconic. It is also important to realise how attached the French are to the way rosé is drunk – it is relaxed, unconventional and sociable.

  1. There is an international trend towards paler, drier rosés. In your opinion, what is driving this trend, and will it continue in the future?

The motivation for making drier, paler rosé wines is definitely a bid to replicate the Provence rosé model of delicate, light, fruity wines. There is no way of knowing whether this trend will continue, but we do know that it is not just a passing fad. Rosé wines from Provence have always been in this category. They have a very light colour and are aromatic with floral, fruity and mineral notes. On the palate, they are rounded yet dry, with very fruity, refreshing notes that often recall citrus and tropical fruit.

  1. Which countries predominantly adopt this style?

As far as I know, this is a widespread phenomenon and affects various French regions and different countries. Areas with a Mediterranean climate and grape varieties are certainly better equipped to produce the light, fruity, rounded yet dry wines that consumers currently favour.

  1. Does the international trend for paler rosés affect those from Provence?

The trend may lead to some confusion but conversely, it strengthens Provence’s status as a benchmark. If the colours are similar, this creates a whole new ballgame, shifting emphasis to aromas and flavours. And here too, we are ahead of the curve. The vineyards of Provence are genuine rosé terroirs.

  1. Are certain grape varieties better suited to producing pale, dry rosé wines?

Grape varieties with less colour that deliver fruitiness seem to be better suited to producing pale, dry rosé wines because their fruitiness creates an impression of sweetness when actually the wines are dry.

  1. In your experience, is protecting traditional rosé production techniques and the use of local (native) grape varieties still a trend?

Yes, for a significant part. High-tech methods and expertise do not rule out the use of ancient techniques (concrete, terracotta or wooden vessels, a curb on sulphites, etc.) and traditional grape varieties (Rosé du Var).

Source:  Concours Mondial

 

SLO County (California) gets a new AVA

The SLO Coast Wine Collective announced this week that the San Luis Obispo Coast has been recognized as the newest American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Previously home to four AVAs: Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande, Edna Valley and York Mountain — SLO County has not had a new region approved for 30 years, since Arroyo Grande was last awarded the title in 1990.

The new AVA is a long, narrow strip of land that runs along California’s Central Coast, is 60 miles long and 15 miles wide. Currently, there are 32 wineries, that applied for the official status in 2017, making a case for the area’s unique and regional-specific characteristics including its proximity to the Pacific Ocean.

The SLO Coast AVA also includes 78 vineyards and around 4,000 acres under vine, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir being the most dominant plantings, alongside Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Grenache, Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel.

“We are one of the coldest spots to grow grapes because we are so close to the Pacific Ocean,” said SLO Coast Wine president Stephen Dooley. “What makes this area interesting is the low temperatures coupled with a lot of sunlight. Cool temperatures preserve acid, and in grapes like Pinot Noir, the sun helps with pigment, colour and tannin.”

#winenews #wine #redwine #whitewine #winelovers #vineyards #AVA #californiawines #cagrown #californiawinecountry #winecountry #californiawineries #winetravel #winetravels #winetraveler #viticulture #slocoastwine #slowine #coolclimatewine

The Boletín Oficial del Estado BOE) Certifies Strict New Zoning and Segmentation of the D.O. Cava

BOE has published a new regulation regarding the ambitious zoning and segmentation project led by the D.O. Cava, that will appear on labels starting in January 2022. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has approved the new regulations drawn up by the D.O. Cava, marking the start of an important phase of implementation that will involve all winegrowers and winemakers of the Designation of Origin.

Javier Pagés, President of the Regulatory Board underlines the importance of the regulations, which are the result of a new plan approved by the Board’s plenary session: “We are committed to maximum traceability and quality. It is the most demanding regulation in the world for quality D.O. sparkling wines made using the strict traditional method. All of this places the D.O. Cava at the forefront of quality sparkling wine designations of origin.”

Cavas aged for more than nine months will now be called Cava de Guarda, while those aged for more than 18 months will be called Cava de Guarda Superior. Cavas Reserva will be aged from 15 to 18 months. The ambitious new regulations also require that the production of Cavas de Guarda Superior, the long-aging category that includes Cavas Reserva (minimum 18 months of aging), Gran Reserva (minimum 30 months of aging) and Cavas de Paraje Calificado (from a special plot/minimum of 36 months of aging), will be 100% organic by 2025.

The Cavas de Guarda Superior will be made with grapes from vineyards registered in the Regulatory Board’s specific Register of Guarda Superior, which must meet the following requirements: vines at least 10 years old, organic vines (5 years of transition), vines with specific qualitative yields of a maximum of 4.9 tons/acre, separate production (separate traceability from the vineyard to the bottle), production starting in January, proof of the vintage on the label, and organic product (5 years of transition).

The zoning of the D.O. Cava has been established on two levels, marked by specific climatic, orographic, historical and cultural attributes that justify the new plan and lend these wines their unique identity. The following zones have been defined: Comtats de Barcelona, which encompasses the Cavas of the region of Catalonia (with sub-zones Valls d’Anoia-Foix; Serra de Mar; Conca del Gaia; Serra de Prades and Pla de Ponent), Ebro Valley (with sub-zones Alto Ebro and Valle del Cierzo), Viñedos de Almendralejo, and Levante.

#cava #wine #vino #winelover #sparklingwine #spain #spanishwine #winenews #instawine #winewednesday #whitewine #winetime #winetasting