Alice is Working Up to Something
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/is-eco-wine-better/print
But she first has to go out and meet some friends for Indian (rosé and rhone) and get a grip on her possibly neurotic reaction to this misbegotten piece. But my feeling is that the writer's attitude is a bit like someone pushing away the peas because of their texture or color. And it's also a little like rejecting Finnegan's Wake as a masterpiece saying Joyce's work was riddled with typos and mistakes.
Maybe a vindaloo will cool me down. Lime pickle should help, too.
Okay, I'm back and have digested.
This whole things started because I have a friend in Texas who sent me the link and said, "BioD cat fight!"
You know, lately I've been feeling like people want to put me in a ring and watch me fight. Sort of like the cock fighter of the wine world. An assortment of wife-beater wearing men conspiring.."Let's put Alice up to it! Man, she's got nerve. Let's wind her up and see her rip apart that smarmy sommelier/winemaker/colleague/thief/marketer/dung-ish cowhorn lover/fake.
Do they care if I get two fangs sunk into my neck?
Hell no. At least, sometimes, that's the way it feels.
And when I first saw that email from said Texas gent about BioD cat fight, I must say, I did start to smoke. Adrenalin kicked in. I looked around for some Rene Mosse oxidized wine to whet my whistle. And then I thought. I just don't get it. This piece could have been so good, it could have exposed a great issue to a mainstream audience about wine's green washing...'hey! I use less foil! Buy me!' But the good was shrouded in so much confusion and even a touch of swiftboating that the opportunity was missed.
And I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to call up Lettie and say, 'Hey, let's go out drinking. Let me show you some of the good stuff."
But, I'm packing my dancing shoes and headed to balance and swing for the weekend, maybe even drink old riesling by Long Pond and do plenty of up-a- double-and-backs. And so, I am limiting my commentary because I just don't always want to be the bad guy. Let someone else do it for a change, okay?
There are two stinging issues that came up when reading the Food & Wine Magazine piece. +The article erroneously put sustainable and natural wines in the same stable. + The idea that vigneron René Mosse was making bad wine and finding success because he was marketing himself as natural was not an informed one.
Last issue first: I am not terribly fond of the Mosse wines except his Anjou blanc, which I adore. On the other hand, I don't have trouble with oxidation, on the other hand, I don't perceive oxidation in his wines and anyway, a bit in my book isn't always a flaw. Perhaps the article's intolerance for oxidation--if it was oxidized-- is the same as my intolerance for oak and wine amelioration. In the end I’d rather have something natural and oxidized than squeaky clean and soulless.
First one last: To discount sustainable wines, is one thing. It is a meaningless term. I smack it around as often as I can. But it is almost criminal to cast natural wines in with their lot. Most of the best of the Vin Naturel movement would just as soon rip out their 110 year old cot vines than cling to the frayed coattails of the marketing swagger of sustainability.
Here's a pick from the story.
"I’d have a problem with the sanctimonious manner in which natural wines are often produced—an attitude I describe as, “We’re Saving the Planet One Pinot Noir at a Time.”"
Working with out chemicals in the soils is different than not using them in the winery. It is terribly frustrating to have this myth that organic viticulture=natural wine--of which, by the way, there is extremely little of in the U.S.A.
Natural and sustainable have nothing to do with each other. They're not even distant cousins. Being so dismissive is akin to saying 'I don't like cheese because I tried orange something called American, once.' Oh yeah, there are sometimes problems with the natural wine world—especially amongst those young and frisky, who believe natural at all costs, and then make fizzy, unstable wine. Yet, there are others, plenty of them who make serious wines, great wines. No one works this way unless they are dedicated, and guess what? They rarely have a marketing budget. The best point of the piece, is to know your producer as best you can....if you care.
Hey Alice: Vindaloo? Did it work? We could be at Oko Time in Ukiah drinking some absolutely fantastic REAL Handley Riesling or a surprising grenache from Eaglepoint. Wish you were here...make a plan to come visit a part of the world populated by people who speak your language. Ciao, p
Sorry if I was obscure. Lettie's article is stuffed with straw men. "Organic wine, a fraud or just bad?"
I mean, c'mon, going to a wine bar and trying an oxidized wine and blaming the wine as a first pass? And the opening para gives the notion pretty clearly.
Not that I am a Steiner booster, nor do I love everything organic. But this piece is not a serious discussion.
Wow. Quite a bit of attitude from the outset! Seems like organic or sustainable or whatever-you-call-it is just destined to fail... I do agree on the sustainable part, though. It is pretty meaningless sometimes. How can any use of chemicals be "sustainable"?
One big hangup she has is with certification. Many folks don't want the certification as it is quite limiting, costly, time-consuming and bureaucratic.
Sounds like she needs to relax a bit and have a good glass of wine. Organic or not.
Hank,
It's quite conceivable in principle to use chemicals and be "sustainable." Biodegradable fungicides might actually disappear much quicker from the environment than copper treatments, for example.
Joe
Oh she is BORING isn't she!!
How do we know the Mosse wine hadn't been open for 2 days? I have issues with some of his wines, but oxidation isn't usually it.
It could have been open for two days, but don't think it wouldn't have hurt the Mosse any if it had.
This was about wine? I read it as a puff piece about Matthew Modine. Maybe she's working on a sequel to "Educating Peter", moving on from famous movie critic to famous movie star now, working her way up Hollywood's food chain.
The Food and Wine piece is guaranteed to be confusing, as is any attempt to simplify agricultural practices into a one word prescription. Michael Pollan devotes thousands of pages to a similiar issue and his conclusion is the same one that Alice and Lettie agree upon. "The handshake test-" if you want to find good wine, quality meat, or delicious vegetables, the best method is to know the people growing or raising them. It would certainly be easier to just buy things labelled organic, biodynamic, sustainable, etc, but those words shed little light on the realities of the complex interaction between farming, business and politics.
SFJose - I'll stand by my statement that use of chemicals is not sustainable, copper included (sulfur too). Let me just refine it to read "poisonous chemicals", which includes Cu and S. Anything that kills soil microbes in great numbers is not really sustainable, is it, since these microbes pretty much provide all the nutrients and most of what we call terroir. And yes, I know that plants require Cu and S (as SO4) to grow, but in fairly small amounts and certainly not in the Kg range several times a year.
But this is a discussion for another post, I think!
in the the article she says, "do winemakers really need to have their backs patted just because they use fewer pesticides?"
I think the answer is yes.
The winemakers I've talked with, those who aren't bio, using organic methods of growing (quite different saying wine is made with organic grapes and saying it's an organic wine, no?) still use small amounts of SO2 in the winery for stability. Real small, like 2 ppm, and caution buyers the wines are not suitable for long-term aging.
perhaps I need to talk to more winemakers and the organic-grapes-with-sulphur crowd needs to learn more about bio and it's ability to produce stable wines.
I don't know. but they all laugh at sustainable farming as a synonym for natural. sustainable might be a terrific marketing ploy but reveals little about actual farming methods.
Hank - How do control mildew and botrytis?
mark e - Of course they do!
dave - Your are right, wine made from organic grapes is different from organic wine. 2 ppm SO2, on the other hand, won't do diddly (you may as well use none). Yeast, even the native sorts of Saccharomyces, will make about 10 ppm during fermentation.
Botrytis is usually dealt with through a combination of canopy management and microbial sprays (typically Bt-based).
For mildews?... no real replacement for things like Bordeaux mixture (Cu-based) yet. Hopefully the EU drive to limit or prohibit Cu-based sprays will provide sufficient incentive to find something else.
Kevin, I've had extraordinary "luck" using combinations of horsetail, nettle and biodynamic 501 (quartz). If you can keep the vine healthy and busy gathering sunlight and producing sugars, the combination of herbs seems to help harden the vine enough to ward off serious powdery mildew. Of course, I'm in California (dry...) so its a lot easier, but there are some Loire growers (Bossard, for instance) who have been successful with this method. It all hinges on having a strong, healthy vine to begin with. Mildews attack weaklings.
Hank:
Well, yeah... California.
I mean.... c'mon.
:)
In less hospitable climates disease pressures can get pretty high.
I doubt there are many BDers in non-Mediterranean Europe who practice Cu-free farming. I'd think that even in the drier southern regions use of Bordeaux mixture is probably still the norm.
SFJoe said: "I have issues with some of his (Mosse) wines, but oxidation isn't usually it."
It is usually too much volatile acidity, in my opinion.
I had heard that Bossard was pretty much obliterated in 2007 by mildew. Everyone in the Loire described the summer as one of constant spraying, mostly of copper by my informants.
It is this kind of garbage (see below)that has consumers confused. If professionals in the wine business have trouble understanding exactly the difference between sustainable, biodynamic, natural, organic, eco-friendly, earth friendly, certified, green, sulfite free, LIVE and all of the other various monikers and tags used to produce and market wines, what chance does the consumer have of understanding? And so...here goes...you really must read this new press release for GEODE wines....
White Rocket Wine Company Unearths a Treasure in Geode for Millennial Generation Chardonnay Drinkers
NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--White Rocket Wine Company is launching Geode, a new-generation, super-premium Chardonnay fusing timeless quality and contemporary style in a strikingly sophisticated package targeted to savvy young wine consumers. Geode is crafted from vineyards in Santa Barbara County, a classic growing region whose stellar Chardonnays are universally recognized for superior quality. With its warm, inviting label, aura of earthy energy and promise of rich, pure flavor, Geode beckons wine lovers to “discover the treasure within.”
“Chardonnay is the most popular wine in the United States, with a 22% share of the total wine market, and it’s also the number-one white wine sold on-premise,” notes White Rocket Vice President of Marketing Mark Feinberg. “Dollar sales of super and ultra-premium Chardonnays grew 8% off a huge base in 2007, four times the rate of the total Chardonnay category. With established wine drinkers continuing their love affair with Chardonnay and sophisticated Millennial Generation consumers seeking exciting, environmentally conscious new brands, the time is right for wine lovers to discover Geode.”
Geode arises from vineyards in the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County, a majestic, world-class growing region along California’s South Coast. Santa Barbara’s spectacular geography and cool, marine-influenced climate produce lush, sumptuous Chardonnays. The prime vineyards selected for Geode are farmed and irrigated responsibly, minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and utilizing cover crops to control pests and nourish the soil. The pure, flavor-packed grapes from these outstanding sites infuse Geode with its rich, earthy goodness.
The 2006 Santa Barbara County growing season was long and cool, ensuring Geode’s Chardonnay grapes had extended hang time, which produced intense, concentrated flavors. The fresh, pure juice was fermented in French oak barrels, then underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lie in barrel for 8 months, with frequent stirring of the lees. The result is a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay with bright tropical fruit aromas complemented by enticing honey, toasted oak and baked bread scents. In the mouth, Geode delivers lush, creamy, tropical fruit flavors balanced by crisp acidity and a refreshing, mineral-tinged finish that makes it delicious with food, especially rich seafood, poultry and vegetarian dishes.
“Our debut vintage of Geode perfectly captures the marvelous terroir of Santa Barbara County and the spirit of Millennial Generation consumers, who are acutely conscious of protecting the environment,” says Mark Feinberg. “It’s an earth-friendly Chardonnay that’s delicious to the core, one that will delight wine lovers seeking rich, pure flavor in a modern, elegant style.”
About White Rocket Wine Company
Launched in 2006, White Rocket Wine Company focuses on developing new brands that appeal especially to Millennial-generation wine consumers, who comprise a large and ever-growing segment of the premium wine market. In addition to Geode, White Rocket markets Horse Play, AutoMoto, Silver Palm, Camelot, Dog House, Ray’s Station, Pepi, Tiz Red and Tin Roof Cellars. The company is located in Napa, CA.
re. oxidation: there is a train of thought that says "modern" wine making erroneously views oxigen as an absolute evil to be eliminated at all costs, where instead oxigen exposure to wine should properly be viewed as a means of actually prolonging the life of the wine
one thing I do not understand, why does one so often see the harping on copper and sulfur in the vineyard, without at the same time discussing the consequences of the alternative systemic/ synthisized chemical treatments?
copper and sulfur are "bioligical" treatments because they are fundamental elements, and therefore mostly stable in nature, and their application to vines to fight downy mildew, black rot, and powdery mildew occurs by simply "covering" the vine...it is obvious that any serious biological or biodynamic vintnor is extremely sensitive to using these treatments because he/she realizes that they affect in some negative manner the natural process of the living vine. moreover, the serious biological or biodynamic vintnor realizes that he/she can use less of these substances if he performs proper canopy management by eliminating and spacing shoots to provide proper air and light to all parts of the vine, all of these operations must be done by hand...even in rainy years the serious biological or biodynamic vintnor that is in constant human contact with his vines can stay well below the current EU limit of 5kg/hectare/year for copper (there is no limit on sulfur)
on the other hand, systemic/synthisized chemical treatments are not considered "biological" because they are laboratory man-made chemical compounds designed specifically to actually enter into the lymph system of the plant for "improved" anti-mildew action. I would maintain that most vintnors using these chemcial products are not too concerned with the natural process of the living vine. there is also a direct correlation between the vintors that employ the "conventional" chemical treatment regime and the fact that they tend to favor all and any mechanization in the vinyard...the only worker they send into the vineyard is one on a tractor! please! it is as if we have fooled ourselves that we can somehow tame nature through our technology...what a false progress
and lets not get started on systemic/synthesized chemical pesticides and herbicides
Hanks comments about having a healthy vine are right on
I can understand a critic being snide when confronted with false bio "marketing" techinque, however it seems rather shallow to lump them with all the true bio/bio-ds that actually care about what they are doing, all for providing a truly better wine
all this about what is merely going on in the vineyard. and what about all of the chemical/"high" tech crap are they combining in the cellar? like adding insult to injury
keep the flame lit, alice
This was a wonderful post to read. I just kept saying,"you go" to myself as I read. Thank you for blatantly separating the categories. Terroir, biodynamic, sustainable, these terms can get tough and we are not careful the media is going to market them all and these terms will sell as quickly as a Parker point and we will have to machete our way through insipid "green" wine to find the good stuff (Napa anyone?)So.....you go!
EvWg
www.abcwineco.com
Why so many issues with words? Who cares if a small production, well made wine is 100% biodynamic or organic or just mostly natural. There's still an obvious difference between mass produced, overdone, over manipulated wines. If wines are being mass-marketed a certain way that's an obvious red flag, and mass-produced from organic grapes is still mast produced. But other wise who cares about terminology. Drink up. And if you have lot's of money try Domaine Montille, or Leroy or maybe even Romanee Conti; all practicing biodynamic and/or organic.
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