Not so sour now

I received a very nice apology from Derek, the winemaker at Lailey this morning along with an offer to a tasting at the winery next time I was in the area. We cleared any misunderstandings. I await with bated breath the release of the 07 Canadian Oak Pinot. If it is as good a the whites from '07 it should be something quite special.

Sour grapes @ Lailey Vineyards

I had the pleasure of meeting Donna and David Lailey in Owen Sound at a tasting at the local LCBO. As a trained sommelier and an amateur winemaker, I found them both to be knowledgeable and accomodating. In parting they encouraged me to visit the winery to taste some of the "Canadian Oak Pinot Noir" that they were very proud of. I just happened to be going in that direction a couple of days later. This is where my experience sours. I presented myself at the tasting room, mentioning the encounter with the Laileys and requesting a sample of the aforementioned Pinot Noir. Without checking with anyone, the person waiting on me said it was not available. Now I would have understood if she had checked with someone and found out that indeed it was not. Or I would have understood if Donna or David had made a mistake and it wasn't ready. No explanation was given, no apology, nothing. I am not a well-known critic or wine columnist. I don't expect recognition wherever I go. I am a simple winelover and I am quite disappointed with Lailey vineyards. I normally buy at least a half dozen of your better offerings, this year I bought none. I will also be telling my wine-loving friends about my experience.

Wine Connoiseurs - Cons?

I recently ran across this article from the globe and mail by Beppi Crosariol.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080723.LDECANTER23/TPStory/Entertainment

I agree that some who call themselves experts can flub a blind tasting. Even on the best days, the best tasters can make mistakes. I would not use that as evidence that "terroir" does not exist. I would suggest that the wines presented from the new world indeed may have had terroir of their own. Perhaps there was a method to Mr. Spurrier's picks for the taste off.

Aside from that, making the correct guess in a parlor game is not what terroir is about. It is about the sense of place one can get from a wine. Terroir in this case is merely a component of the complexity of a fine bottle, complexity which can fool even the best tasters.

Top wines of the(Old) world

http://www.forbestraveler.com/food-drink/top-wines-of-the-world-story.html

This Forbes world traveler article interviewed for top American sommeliers and developed a list of 8 of the top wines in the world. I find it interesting that they all chose examples from the old world, Spain(1), Italy(1), France(3) and Germany(1). Two surprises, for me anyway, a wine from Greece and a Madeira rounded out the list. These are not my everyday fare. If you've tasted the wine in the article let me know. Cheers.

Soil, Weather, Terroir and wine

If you are at all technically minded, this is the interview for you.

-- from the graperadio site: "Ted Burns interviews David Schildknecht, Robert White and Greg Jones about the influences of soil and weather on wine grapes. David Schildknecht is a well-respected wine critic and writer for the Wine Advocate and has a special interest in the topic of terroir. Robert White is author of the book, Soils for Fine Wine. Greg Jones is a climatologist and vineyard site selection consultant."

Here's the link to the interview http://graperadio.com/podcast/GR-ENG-USA-2008-04-07.mp3

Irrigation practices, chemical makeup of the soil and the influences of weather are all fair game. All the interviewees are notably new world experts and it may have added more balance to the discussion to include European experts in the mixed. I was particularly interested in the comments regarding using irrigation practices to mimic vine stress that occurs in Bordeaux, or the Loire naturally.

Labeling Wars

What's in a name? A recent article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/04/07/MN8IV76JA.DTL
detailed the efforts of Chateau Montelana to label their wine with a specific AVA. The question is, is this purely a marketing exercise or is there really something special about the area.

A sense of place is at the heart of terroir. I applaud wine label reform when it can be backed up in the glass. Would you agree that Chateau Montelena exemplifies the "Calistoga" terroir? Is there a Calistoga terroir that is identifiable in the glass? While Chateau Montelana is undeniably great wine, even their own promotional material focuses on varietal character rather than the expression of the place it is grown.