Category: Wine

De Waal – Top of the Hill Pinotage

The De Waal Wine Farm is located on Uiterwyk Estate in the cool Stellenbosch Kloof Valley, which has been in De Waal family since 1864. Currently owned by Pieter de Waal, this historic family has been making wine for nine generations. De Waal is renowned for the classic style of its Pinotage wines, the only indigenous South African grape variety.

Did you know?

CT de Waal was the first winemaker in South Africa to make wine from Pinotage grapes in 1941.

And,

De Waal Wine Farm is the home of Top of the Hill Pinotage, which is made from the world’s oldest Pinotage vines.

2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards

I’m en route to Stellenbosch, South Africa to participate as a judge in the 2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards.  I look forward to meeting the esteemed panel of international judges for judging week which will be taking place from July 24th to 28th, 2023.

The judges are comprised of selected wine and spirits experts hailing from five different continents, in which we will be employing the internationally recognized 100-point system, and using the blind judging approach.

This year we will be judging at the stunning Lourensford Wine Estate, which is in the heart of the historical winelands of Somerset West. Spanning over 4,000 hectares of lush forest, fynbos, fruit orchards and sprawling vineyards, it is set against the stunning backdrop the Helderberg Mountains, caressed by breezes off the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Stay tuned for some more updates!

 

Jerez is Spain’s #1 Wine Tourism Destination

The latest report from La Asociación Española de Ciudades del Vino (ACEVIN) reveals that Marco de Jerez is the Spanish wine destination that has received the highest number of visitors in 2022.

Wine tourism in Spain experienced a post-Covid-19 pandemic boost in 2022, with the number of tourists travelling around the ‘wine routes’ of Spain reaching 2,487,255, 51.59% higher than that of 2021 (1,640,800), though the 2022 result was still only 80% of the last pre-pandemic figure.

Last year’s tourist visits to wineries and wine museums are believed to have generated €75,481,646 for the economy, 39% above the 2021 level, but still 12% short of the 2019 level.

Around 80%, were domestic travellers, though overall proportion of international visitors has increased year-on-year, from 15.14% to 20.4%.

The five wine routes that received the highest number of visitors were as follows (in descending order):

  • Marco de Jerez: 333,781
  • Rioja Alta: 313,974
  • Ribera del Duero: 281,918
  • Penedès: 262,693
  • Rioja Alavesa: 234,101

Given Andalusia’s warm weather, interesting history, and beautiful landscapes, combined with fortified Spanish wines, it makes sense that Sherry country would certainly appeal to travellers.

As far as the routes which attracted the highest percentage of international visitors, these include: Gran Canaria: 66.5%; Alicante: 41.5%; and Penedès: 38.5%.

The most popular time to travel to these regions was October, when many producers have finished their harvests, followed by August, when the beaches of the country’s Mediterranean coast are lined with overseas visitors.

Research Findings: High-Power Ultrasound Improves the Quality of Spanish Rosé Wine

A recent study by Spanish researchers concluded that ultrasound improves wine quality by shortening maceration time.

In 2019, The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) approved the use of ultrasound to favor the extraction of grape compounds, its application in obtaining superior quality red wines has been widely studied.

Spanish researchers have turned their attention to rosé, a booming market that has experienced strong growth over the past 15 years. A research team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and the University of Murcia in Spain used high-powered ultrasound technology to treat crushed Monastrell grapes, a process known as sonication. They compared the resulting rosé with the wine obtained after a four-hour maceration period.

The research team described the improvements in color and sensory profile of the sonicated wine compared to the macerated sample, here are their findings: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.12757

Professor Encarna Gómez Plaza, from the University of Murcia explained the importance of the research for the wine industry. He stated that “the ultrasonic application was primarily designed to reduce maceration time in red wine vinification. However, experiments with white wines have shown that the aromatic fraction can be increased by sonicating crushed grapes. Therefore, we decided to study the effect of ultrasound on rosé wines, something that had not been done before.”

Prolonged maceration can cause oxidation of certain compounds in the wine, leading to a bitter taste and other undesirable effects.. This is where ultrasounds come in. Ultrasonic sonication causes the cells in the skin of the grape to rupture, allowing the desirable compounds to be extracted in a significantly shorter steeping time, thus reducing the adverse effects of oxidation.

Sensory analysis of the wines by a panel revealed that the ultrasonic rosé had superior aromas

“Sonication resulted in wines with intense aromas of red fruits and flowers, with higher scores than wines from macerated grapes,” the authors note.

Analysis of the chemical composition supported this claim: ultrasonication improved the extraction of several volatile aroma-enhancing compounds, such as terpenes, which can give off a floral or citrus fragrance.

The team hopes that this study will draw attention to the potential of ultrasonic technology to produce high-quality rosé wines. Now they are studying other applications of high-power ultrasound in the wine industry.

European Commission sets out the continent’s first soil law

Amid intense opposition to proposed laws on nature restoration and curbs on pesticides, the European Commission put forward proposals [the continent’s first soil law] in Brussels last week to revive degraded soils. Research indicates that this could help absorb carbon from the atmosphere and ensure sustainable food production.

The new law would see Member States monitor the health of soils, fertilizer use and erosion, but stops short of country-level targets for improving soil quality. This drew criticism from the European agri-food industry, which called for more ambition to improve the “worrying” state of soils.

The EU estimates at least 61% of the bloc’s soil is unhealthy, driven by factors including degradation of peatlands and intensive fertilizer use.

EU environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius states:

“If our soils continue to degrade, the biggest risk is to our food security and farmers. Basically, their business model is wiped out,” he said. “I can hardly imagine how we could do agriculture without fertile soils. The worst effects of droughts and floods can be avoided with healthier soils.”

The new law would not have legally binding targets, although “We are opening the way to additional income opportunities for farmers and landowners through a voluntary certification scheme for soil health and strong synergies with carbon farming and payments for ecosystem services,” Sinkevičius states.

One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), the main representative of the European agri-food industry in Brussels, said the proposals did not go far enough. “The EU needs to go further to tackle the trend of deteriorating soil health in Europe,” said director Stefania Avanzini.

The European Commission is calling on Member States and the European Parliament to raise the ambition of the proposal. “We very much value the importance the commission gives to agriculture and its central role in the management of soil,” Avanzini said.