I am not used to getting awards, but passing home from Georgia I stopped over in London for the Louis Roederer award ceremony and took the ever dapper Doug Wregg from Les Caves de Pyrene as my escort. We drank champagne, chatted with other nominees and guests and in the end, I ended up going up to accept my magnum of Cristal, or the promise of one (should be arriving any day), for this very blog. The award? On-Line writer/columnist of the year.
Yes! It was a thrill.
This is a particularly heart warming award for a number of reasons; they are given on a body of work (not one article) and judged by a panel of peerless peers. That a company thinks well enough of wine writers to say to the world, we support you, we encourage you, we want to see more writing, we applaud you, wine writing is cultural writing, and on top of that there's also a cash award ? God bless them, that's all I can say.
Perhaps my grandfather was from Georgia instead of the Ukraine. The food, the colors, the people, all seemed so familiar, the kreplach were my grandmothers, it was all like the vein in my arm. Whether there was a link there or not, Georgia in the shadows of the Caucasus mountains, burrowed under my skin.
I was asked to come and give a talk at the First International Qvevri Conference, which could have been some Borat joke. It was to be hosted by the 6th century Alaverdi monastery and their wine loving, ex-cave dwelling bishop Davit with the help of USAID and the owner of Pheasant's Tears (I'd written about the wine in the past) John, two out of those three folk are mythic characters in their own rights. Not a joke. Extremely real.
I wasn't sure I had anything to pitch in to the conversation, but I was game to try.
The truth was, I've seen qvevri in Austria but I really wanted to see them in their home land and to see if there was any good wine there. I've had Pheasants Tears....liked. Where there others?
So, let me tell you some of the experiences starting with here.
Entering the former Republic of Georgia is akin to stepping through the wardrobe. Flights land at 3 in the morning and one flies out of the country at 4. It's like dropping acid, but the whole high is just the country, the food, the people, the shadows of the mountains. But first the color. I have never seen more colorful tables. Bursting with saturated color.
After getting an hour of sleep, I got on the bus, usually horrific, would rather get into my own car. But this was okay, I gave myself into the group experience and relaxed.
We hit a restaurant and had bean soup (more on that later) then off to an experimental vineyard with many of the 520 indiginous grapes. The to Iago, whomade stunning wine. But I couldn't help but cynically wonder, did he do this for every honored guest? Dust off the qvevri, pry it open, give you a taste, the guests leave, he tops off the vessel, seals it up again? e. But let's for a moment think that this was truly the first time he opened this particular qvevri, made in the 2010 vintage.
The wine? Delicious. The grape was all Chinuri, a little chenin-like apple funk, extremely pure and lively. Juicy. This was a wine both thirst quenching and complex. My first wine of the day, the first qvevri on their home turf.
Thanks to a certain Sierra Foothills winemaker for sending me this important opportunity. He's passing on the opportunity but he wanted to let me know, to let you know, that just in time for the harvest, liquid oak tannin, and one that according to Toasted Oak, Inc proprietor Bernard Pradel it's flying off the shelves. The reason?
“People are in a hurry to get wine to the bottling line,” Pradel explained. “Our product can save six months to a year on wine aging."
I remember a few years ago a Paso winemaker told me he loved to put everything in during the fermentation, such as dried tannins, so he could remove and find tune them through reverse osmosis. But with liquid? You can add it prior to bottling. A miracle drug. But where I often heard of its use for fixing color, adding structure, this is the first time I heard of it being promoted for agebility.
I can't write it any better, so I'm just going to cut and past from the Napa, California Beverage Supply Group press release entitled Liquid Tannin "Elixir" for Winemakers Can Save Six Months to a Year on Wine Aging.
Liquid oak tannins add textures and flavors to wines that traditionally come from months of oak barrel aging. While not a substitute for oak barrels, the liquid tannins, derived through a water distillation process from authentic French oak, can accomplish similar results and can be used up to two days prior to bottling.
Toasted Oak Company offers four different finishing tannins - Mocha, Vanilla, Fruit Enhancer and Fruit Enhancer Plus - and a Harvest Tannin, which is added to wine pre-fermentation. Pradel says the flavor profiles provided by his liquid tannins are carefully derived through extensive analysis done at the company’s processing facility near Cognac, France.
“We’ve done years of research on our sources of wood to make sure they follow the same parameters and secure the flavors perfectly,” Pradel says. “Our customers require that from us; the flavors have to match.”
Beverage Supply Group (BSG) is the exclusive supplier of these Toasted Oak Company products. BSG Sales Manager Doug Manning says the liquid tannins have grown in popularity so quickly, he has to back stock the products in order to accommodate demand.
“Winemakers are beginning to use the liquid tannins as part of their actual wine profiles,” Manning says. “It’s almost like a winemaker’s elixir – a measureable, reproducible way to fine tune fine wine.”
Our friend, the jovial, kind, generous and maker of some of the most delicious grolleau, gamay and cabernet franc near Anjou, Olivier Cousin is in trouble with the law. I've been trying to put together the arc here on what is going on. Olivier has sent me various court documents, and it's not been easy.
His most recent crime is his engaging sense of humor. On a box of his wine he plunked "Appellation Olivier Cousin" (AOC), that got the AOC's attention but what really sunk him was making a Vin de Table where he is not allowed to place his place (Anjou) nor state the grape. His wine is Anjou pur Breton, the wonderful Cabernet Franc. Breton is the old name for CF, uh oh.
It seems as InterLoire has been after him for a while. Olivier has sent along a dozen documents, in the conclusion, I do see that InterLoire has been trying to collect dues for an organization he wanted no part of, and the AOC is just the next excuse to bring him in. The InterLoire seems to have had a devastating effect on the actual appellation, doing little to promote organic viticulture (did you know it was 'impossible' in Sancerre?), they have brought on consultants to help their winemakers make their sauvignon blanc more like New Zealand, and basically, when I've bumped into journalists on press trips, they have to 'sneak' out to visit non-industrial winemakers. In other words, InterLoire does little to raise quality in the area and might just be doing their part to destroy it.
This is a translation of the 'conclusion' of a recent cort document from InterLoire to Olivier.
Olivier COUSIN winemaker since 1986 is in the Angevin vineyards. since the year 1998, as many wineries of Anjou and Saumur, he was part of an association "Winegrowers SOLIDARITY" who opposed the compulsory levy of contributions by CIVAS (Interprofessional Committee for Wine Anjou and Saumur, created by the Act of 1952), and oppose today INTERLOIRE association, governed by the Act of 1901, which absorbed the CIVAS in 2000, also the Interprofessional Committee for Wine of designation of origin of Touraine and the Loire Valley HEART (CIVTL) on that date, and most recently in 2006, the Interprofessional Committee for Wine of Nantes (CIVN) INTERLOIRE is now a huge structure, abasin committee for the vineyards of the Loire Valley...
Olivier wrote that he's not surprised by the latest action. In a sense, he's been waiting for it. However, this is costing a great deal of money to defend his very fine name. If he loses his appeal this could run in the millions for damages. One can hope that this is a test case that will ultimately establish some good.
The French journalist (closely associated with vin naturals) Sylvie Augereau has been circulating a letter to gather names in support. If you'd like to add yours, visit her site Glougueule and put your name in her comments section on her blog post about Olivier.
The letter is below, roughly translated:
Letter to the Attorney
We, winemakers, journalists, wine merchants, importers, are writing to support Olivier Cousin. We're appalled at the accusation that his Appellation Olivier Cousin is of any harm to the appellation.Olivier embodies one of the most beautiful images Angevin. He cultivates with respect to the soil. The wine is made without any interference. Olivier is one of the main players in the revival of the vineyard. Finally, he is one of the reasons the horse is back in the vineyard around the Loire.
We, winemakers, journalists, wine merchants, importers, to bring our solidairity for Olivier Cousin and denounce the persecution of which he is subject.
And today, I received this email from Olivier where he voices his frustration. I'll get around to translating it, but if you can try to read and understand the French, read about how it is important to be able to put the vintage on the label something you are not allowed with the VdT appellation, which Olivier has worked in since 2005. Also of note, here he is once again defending himself, while in 2003, it was allowed to acidify and chaptalize in one year. Who is the fool? Certainly not Olivier and his compatriots.
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Ben voila pourquoi je suis contrôle par la répression des fraudes et de la concurrence .
Cela fait 3 fois depuis 1994 (après mes contestations contre l'inter profession et les CVO (20 ans de combat 15 ans de proces).J'ai perdu hier mon compte a été bloqué par huissier.
Je suis pourtant un habitué des contrôles tous les ans par qualité france et Demeter pour l'agriculture biologique et biodynamique par l'INAO quand je produisais du vin AOC.
Je me souviens que quand j’étais a l’école de viticulture a Angouleme en 1980 ,le prof m'a demandé si nous produisons des AOC ,Je lui ai dit je ne sais pas, je rentre ce week end je demanderais a mon grand pére.Chez nous c'est sure on fait du vin d'Anjou.
Maintenant,je fais du vin de table en ANJOU, ,region viticole toujours tres réputé et envié nous redoutons toujours la contre façon.
J aurais aimé continuer a faire des AOC comme mon grand pére,mais la barre est haute maintenant,mais je n'ai pas les moyen financier ni intellectuel ,il faut produire au moins 50 hl par hectare il faut battre le raisin avec des machines ,sulfiter levurer chaptaliser bacteriser sulfiter ensymer filtrer,trop d'investissement et de technique.
Nous sommes resté a la vieille méthode ,on vendanges a la main 35 hl par hectare sans sucre sans levure ,comme des paysans, on fait du vin comme du pain c'est avant tout un aliment,comme dans le temps avant les AOC.
cela fait 6300 ans que l'homme fait du vin!
Moi j'ai une clientèle qui aime mon vin de table,mais il veut savoir le cépage la region le millesime (toujours unique en vin naturel)(mon grand père me disait "on millesime l'année ou le vin c'est fait naturellement:cadeau de la nature,y en a eu!).C'est pourquoi j'indiquais sur mes bouteilles, ces informations sont importantes pour comprendre le produit.
Ici je fais vivre une équipe de cultivateurs vendangeurs buveurs sans TVA(vente a l'export) et ni subvention, juste des charges sociales par solidarité ,on MSA
C'est vrai le vin de table n'a pas de terroir:ici je cultive les vignes de ma grand mère,qui lui vienne de son père, qui les a eu de son père ,et de son père ,et de son père,des vignes qui on toujours été sur les coteaux du layon a Martigné Briand;Je les cultive sans nuire aux hommes ni a la terre,et je ne supporte pas que mon vin soit réduit a" vin de table français issus de raisins de l'agriculture biodynamique,vin naturel sans manipulation ,produit par o cousin a F49540" et en plus il doit nuire aux femmes enceintes!
Non et non on doit tout savoir comme n'importe quel produit alimentaire,(OGM sucre levure bactérie sorbate etc)
"Bonum vinum laetificat cor hominis"
Tout cela est arrivé il y a très peu de temps en Anjou grâce a des militaire et politique en mal de pouvoir,vigneron pour la solde président de tout ce qui bouge (j'en connais un qui a eu 13 casquettes) eh ben on est pas aidé ,ils ont réduit la viticulture angevine a des exploitations agricoles a coup de roundup ,d'engrais et de machine a battre la vignes.
Avant en 1980 nous étions 120 vignerons 800 vendangeurs 5 bistrots 800 hectares de vignes a Martigné Briand.
Maintenant nous sommes 40 exploitants agricoles 2 cultivateurs 40 vendangeurs 2 bistrots 850 hectares de vignes à Martigné pas briand!
Avant on pouvait se laver dans la rivière Layon,maintenant il faut se laver si on tombe dedans.(la rivière la plus pollué du Maine et Loire.)
En 2003 le comble arriva,l'autorisation de chaptaliser et d'acidifier les vin d'appellation!!!!
I'm hunting the Leon Trotskys, the Philip Roths, the Chaucers and the Edith Whartons of the wine world. I want them natural and most of all, I want them to speak the truth even if we argue. With this messiah thing going on, I'm trying to swell the ranks of those who crave the differences in each vintage, celebrate nuance and desire wines that make them think, laugh, and feel. Welcome.
And, if you'd like a signed copy, feel free to contact me directly.
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