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“Anteprima 2021”- Wine Preview of Vernaccia di San Gimignano by Filippo Magnini 

“The ancient crowned hill through the eyes of the queen grape”

When you are in the direction of San Gimignano, in the heart of Tuscany, you cannot help but be enveloped by the magical atmosphere, you get catapulted into a fairy-tale. The hills of “Queen Vernaccia” crown the city of San Gimignano; at its foot lies the most fascinating and characteristic landscape of the Val d’Elsa. Impressive from a distance are the tips of the “crown”, a little Manhattan of the Middle Ages. The city of San Gimignano in the first centuries after 1000 AD was embellished with seventy towers and numerous palaces, built by the many wealthy families to display their wealth and power. Still today, the fourteen beautiful towers remain to characterize the city center and to make the unique and recognizable silhouette of the crowned hill. It is right inside the walls of the beautiful San Gimignano that every year we have the pleasure to taste the new vintages of wines made in this fascinating territory.

The event this year was different from the usual February schedule. The Anteprima Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021, in fact, was a month-long event that started on Wednesday the 19th of May and closed on Monday the 14th of June. The first day was dedicated exclusively to the Italian and international press. For the occasion, the consortium chose two principal venues: the De Grada Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, where all the journalists and writers were called to taste and evaluate the latest vintages of the sixty-nine wines produced by thirty-four wineries (Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2020, Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2019, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva 2018); and the Dante’s Chamber in the Town Hall for the 16th edition of the ‘White Wine and Its Territories’ series: “Vernaccia in Comedy”.  A choice linked to the tradition and history of Italy. In fact, this year is the 700th anniversary of the death of the poet Dante. The consortium has intertwined the main six female protagonists of Dante’s work and 6 characteristic white wines of the territory of San Gimignano. These six samples were chosen to be compared with as many wines from those that are among the major denominations for white wines: Alto Adige Valle Isarco Veltliner, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Orvieto Classico Superiore, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Blanc and Palette Blanc. A so-called ‘battle’ between elegant queens, in a magnificent hall that narrates through its frescoes the path of our life.

TASTING REPORT 

During my stay at San Gimignano, I blind-tasted all the wines, which were majestically presented by the Consorzio del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 (34 wines reviewed)

 

 

 

 

 

on my radar

Winery:  Fattoria di Fugnano
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 – Da Fugnano 

Brillant with pale straw core and watery rim. Pronounced flavour of pineapple with peachy overtones. Dry and sapid with bright acidity. Well balanced with good fruit and harmonious finish.  I like this wine.

Winery:  Fattoria San Donato
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 

Pale yellow core with greenish hues. The nose is fresh and fruity with scents of lemon and apricot. Vibrant entrance with medium alcohol. Dry with good acidity and a fruity finish. Lovely wine.

Winery:  Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 – Selvabianca 

Pale yellow core, lighter on the edge. Intense flavour of citrus fruit and green apple with light floral notes. Dry with lovely acidity which matches a good alcohol level. The aftertaste is persistent with pleasant notes of almond at the end. Very good wine !

Winery:  Il Palagione
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 – Hydra 

Straw coloured with paler rim. The bouquet is intense and ample with notes of grapefruit and apricot with scents of ginger. The mouth is intense and fresh with racy acidity. Quite a long finish. Fine, charming wine !

Winery: San Benedetto
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2020 – Selvabianca 

Clear with lemon colour turning slightly green on the rim. It expresses nice aromas of lemon and peach mixed with light notes of acacia. The acidity matches well with the rich fruit. Balanced palate with quite a long persistence.  I really appreciate it.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2019 (18 wines reviewed)

 

 

 

 

 

on my radar

Winery:  Montenidoli
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2019 – Fiore 

Deep yellow core, lighter on the edge. The wine expresses a beautiful bouquet of lime and orange peel with overtones of thyme and mint. It is vibrant and structured to the palate with harmonious and fresh finish. Great potential for the ageing.

Winery:  Mormoraia
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2019 – Ostrea

Intense straw core with paler reflections. Intriguing nose with flavour of pear and maruted fruit with a hint of almond.  Lovely, creamy palate with present acidity. Discrete alcohol level with fresh finish. Delicious wine !

Winery:  Panizzi
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2019 – Vigna Santa Margherita 

Colour ranging from medium yellow core to lighter rim. Intense flavour of lemon with scent of candied apricot. Slight notes of vanilla. Dry, lively palate with good acidity. Rich and elegant aftertaste.  Great wine.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2018 Riserva (10 wines reviewed)

 

 

 

 

 

on my radar

Winery:  Cappella di Sant’Andrea
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2018 Riserva  – Prima Luce 

Brilliant, deep yellow colour. Intense bouquet of lemon and jasmine flowers with a hint of mint. Fragrant entrance, round with ripe fruit and good acidity.  Well structured, mineral and complex.  I really like it !

Winery:  Cesani
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2018 Riserva – Sanice 

Medium yellow core with lighter hues. The wine displays an intense perfume white peach, grapefruit, and lemon with a light buttery note. Dry, sapid and intense with good acidity and freshness. Well balanced and harmonious. Excellent wine.

Winery:  Guicciardini Strozzi
Wine:   Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2018 Riserva

Medium yellow core with paler rims. Clean with beautiful nose of ripe apricot and mango with flowery overtones and a hint of almond. Medium body with lively acidity and freshness. The alcohol is well balanced with the fruit.  Elegant aftertaste.  Great wine.

A FEW NOTES ABOUT THE 2020 VINTAGE  

2020 was characterised by an excellent seasonal trend. The onset of the vegetative stages was a little early but still normal for the long term. The harvest also started a week earlier than in 2019. The health of the grapes was excellent and their quality was good, albeit slightly lower than the previous year. The wines of this vintage are smooth and round, have good aromas and their acidity is not excessive.

SAN GIMIGNANO AND ITS QUEEN GRAPE VERNACCIA 

San Gimignano is a small town of Siena, rich in charm and history. The village of San Gimignano is located almost halfway between Florence and Siena (about 60 and 45 km), and is easily reachable by car or a bus. It is a territory situated completely on hills at altitudes between 200 and 400 m above sea level. The soils are of the Pliocene era, dating back between 6.8 and 1.8 million years. And it is certainly the composition of the ancient soil that makes the wines produced in this denomination extremely fascinating and complex. The terroir of this area is characterized by the presence of fossils and shells, it is composed of pliocene soil and clay. These extremely calcareous sediments make the soil ideal to create vigorous and mineral white wines.The surface area of the Municipality of San Gimignano is of about 12,500 hectares, 5,600 of which are destined to farm productions (vineyards, olive groves, cereal crops). The San Gimignano hills present variable exposures, altitudes, soil compositions and availability of water. The multiple and sometimes unique combinations of these single factors have, even in such a small area, a significant effect on the characteristics of the wines made there.  The combination of the unique variables for wine growing in San gimignano: different exposures, altitudes, soil compositions and water…, determine, even in such a restricted area, a significant impact on the characters of the wines produced there.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a white grape variety present in Tuscan since ancient times. Its bunches are large, long and pyramidal in shape, with an average density of compact and medium berries, round, very pruinose with thick peels. It has an unmistakable amber color when it is shone by the sun. A vine that finds its perfect condition in growing in calcareous-clay or tuffaceous soils

Always a big thanks to my colleague and friend Liz Palmer ! 

The Results are in from the 2021 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

The results of the 28th Concours Mondial have now been released. Although the pandemic continues and organizing large-scale events remains challenging, the competition has chosen to reinvent itself in the interests of the wine industry, whilst at the same time maintaining its impeccable standards. Over nine days, over 300 international judges took turns to taste and score the wines.

This year’s Concours Mondial de Bruxelles was held in Luxembourg June 17 to 27; there was 10,000 wines entered by 46 producer countries.

The organizers hosted the nine-day tastings with irreproachable professionalism, and fully complying with safety measures. Medals were awarded to wines from 40 different countries. France leads the way for the number of accolades (672), followed by Spain (507), Italy (389) and Portugal (335).

The full list of results is available here:  https://resultats.concoursmondial.com/en/results

In addition to the silver, gold and grand gold medals, the competition also awarded ‘Revelation’ trophies to wines that achieved the highest score in each category.

Revelation White Wine 2021

Welschriesling Reserva

BV vinarstvi a.s. , République tchèque

 

Revelation Red Wine 2021

Cassiopeia Merlot

Wunderlich Borászati Kft., Hongrie

 

Revelation Organic Wine 2021

Ghiaie della Furba

Tenuta di Capezzana, Italy Tuscany

 

Revelation Sweet Wine 2021

Cai Long Lin Icewine Jinding

Liao ning SanHe Wine Co. Ltd, China

 

Revelation Sparkling Wine 2021

Champagne Collard-Picard Archives

Champagne Collard-Picard, France Champagne

#Concours #Mondial #CMB2021 #wine #winetasting #winejudging #winenews #instawine #redwine #whitewine #sparklingwine #wineevent #winewinewine #rosewine #winelover

House Bill 1409 Makes Indiana Rye Whiskey Official

A new bill passed today declared Indiana Rye to be a legally-binding, regional designation whiskey from today.

“July 1, 2021, is a moment of history in the world of whiskey and the world of Indiana Whiskey,” says Hard Truth Distilling Co Master Distiller Bryan Smith.

Craft distillers in Indiana scored a big win this week when a new bill was passed allowing distillers to label their product with the term “Indiana Rye” whiskey.

With more than 30 distilleries currently producing rye whiskey in the state, Indiana provides the lion’s share of the rye whiskey consumed on today’s market, with its famous MGP distillery alone knocking out ryes for Bulleit, WhistlePig, Angel’s Envy, High West, Redemption, and more.

From the start of July, almost 174 years since MGP first opened its doors, Indiana distillers have finally won the right to own and regulate their unique style of whiskey. The aim is to establish Indiana Rye in a similar way to how the state of Kentucky has promoted Bourbon.

According to the new bill, in order for a whiskey to be called an “Indiana Rye,” it must be either a sour or sweet mash with at least 51% rye as the base ingredient. The juice has to come off the stills at 80% ABV or less, go into the barrel at no more than 62.5% ABV, and be bottled at 40% ABV and above. The whiskey must be aged for a minimum of two years in new white American oak barrels.

Crucially, the bill allows local distillers to label their product with the term “Indiana Rye” whiskey and have it be a legally binding regional designation.

The move is also a play to transform Indiana into a whiskey tourist destination, with state rep Chris May, who spearheaded the legislation, saying: “We want Indiana to become as popular for its rye whiskey as it is for its basketball and racing. Establishing that market, both in sales and tourism, might one day put the success of our state’s distilleries on par with that of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.”

#Rye #RyeWhiskey #distillerytrail #indiana #indianaryewhiskey #whiskey#craftspirits

The 2nd Old Vine Conference Takes Place Online June 30-July 1, 2021

The second Old Vine Conference is set to take place online June 30 to July 1, 2021, with a special focus on genetics and heritage.

The event is free to attend and includes global speakers from the world of wine, including Bolivia, Australia, Argentina and France.

The Old Vine Conference is a non-profit organization seeking to highlight the work of old vine pioneers, advocate the scientific and oenological case for old vines, help build old vine wines into a recognized category and slow the loss of important old-vine vineyards worldwide.

Speakers at this second event include Dr Dylan Grigg, old vine researcher and founder at Meristem Viticulture from Australia; Dr Laura Catena, Catena Zapata from Argentina; Brigitte Chevalier, owner and winemaker at Domaine de Cébène in France; Nayan Gowda, winemaker and consultant to Jardin Oculto in Bolivia; Jean-Philippe Roby from the Bordeaux Sciences Agro and Institute of Vine and Wine Scientific Institute of Bordeaux and Katie Jones from Domaine Jones.

The event will be hosted and moderated by Jane Anson, Sarah Abbott MW, and Tim Atkin MW and will focus on the work that producers and viticulturalists are doing to safeguard old vines around the world.

“We are delighted to have such an exciting lineup of speakers for our second virtual conference,” said Sarah Abbott MW.

“Since our first event in March, we have been contacted by passionate winemakers and old vines experts from around the world who want to engage with our initiative. This shows that there is a real need to harness this passion and turn it into real actions that can help secure the future of old vines around the world.

Registration: https://www.oldvines.org/

#wine #vin #vino #instawine #onlineevent #vines #oldvines #vineyard #winelovers #tradeevent #winejournalists #winenews

Wine-Based Cocktails Drive Interest, As Wine Looks To Expand Its Audience

As the summer-selling season began in earnest and the demand for pre-packaged drinks continues to trend up, leading wine marketers have been busy maneuvering amidst a tricky economic landscape—trying to bridge the gap between the general market and craft cocktail enthusiasts. Buoyed by last year’s off-premise surge, a slew of wine-based ready-to-drink cocktails have thrived, even though they’re still dwarfed by much bigger malt-based counterparts—especially in the hard seltzer and iced tea arenas. Spirits-based RTDs have also had a big headstart and offer stiff competition for shelf space. Most wine industry players haven’t yet fully participated in the wine-based cocktail category, but that could soon change.

The biggest label in the category is Patco Brands’ Rancho La Gloria, a line of wine-based RTD Margaritas at 13.9% abv. Launched in 2011, it skyrocketed to 1.3 million 9-liter cases last year—up more than 200% from 2019—according to Impact Databank. Gluten-free and made with 100% Blue Weber agave wine, Rancho La Gloria is also sold in canned and popsicle packaging formats, aside from the traditional 750-ml. bottle. Southern Champion’s Buzzballz Chillers is a wine-based offshoot from its larger spirits-based cousin, BuzzBallz. Featuring a lineup of flavors such as Horchata, Lotta Colada, and Hazelnut Latte, Buzzballz Chillers debuted in 2019 and depleted 375,000 cases last year.

The biggest industry player investing in the wine-based cocktail arena is E.&J. Gallo, with its launch of Barefoot Hard Seltzer—which depleted over half-a-million cases in 2020, according to Impact Databank. The line includes Pineapple & Passion Fruit, Cherry & Cranberry, Peach & Nectarine, and Strawberry & Guava flavors that are at 4% abv and retail at $8 a 4-pack and $20 for a variety 12-pack. Aside from seltzer, Gallo also previously introduced Barefoot Spritzer in the canned RTD category—retailing at $3 a 250-ml. can or $9 a four-pack, the spritzer range has an abv of 5.5% and comes in Moscato, Rosé, Summer Red, Crisp White, Red Sangria and Pinot Grigio expressions.

Wine-based cocktails more than doubled in size last year to over 5 million cases overall—according to Impact Databank—and in a space of less than 10 years have already begun to outsell the entire dessert/fortified wine and vermouth/aperitif segments combined. Wine RTDs continue to do well in 2021 as off-premise volumes surged 72% in the half-year ending May 22 in Nielsen channels.

Retail dollars grew even faster, soaring 86% to $161.3 million the past 26 weeks, as higher-priced cocktails profited from drinkers trading up from flavored malt beverages. And although wine-based RTDs have undoubtedly benefited from the off-premise boom during the pandemic, further investment from other major players is expected to keep the category on the rise even after the economy fully recovers.

Leading Wine-Based RTDs In The U.S.
(thousands of 9-liter case depletions)
BrandCompany20192020Percent
Change1
Rancho La GloriaPatco Brands4271,300204.5%
Barefoot SeltzerE.&J. Gallo Winery–525+
BuzzBallz ChillersSouthern Champion23341477.3%
BeatboxFuture Proof Brands10019898.5%
UptownSouthern Champion8142+
FlybirdDon Sebastiani & Sons1107+
Total Top Five27692,685249.2%
1 Based on unrounded data.
Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2021

Sources:
Shanken News
Impact DataBank

#wine #winenews #wineeconomics #instawine #winebasedcocktails #winebased #winecocktail #cocktails #summer #summervibes #summer2021 #summercocktails#winetrends #rtd #cocktailgram #winegram