Welcome to the May 2009 edition of
Quaff Drops
‘The French people can be so rude!’ this is a phrase I have heard time and time again. As you may know I am spending 6 months in the Languedoc region of France. I arrived on April 1st (April Foods day - was
that a good idea?) having driven over 800 miles with no one to keep me company. I was expecting blue skies, sunshine, green vineyards with a back cloth of beautiful snow capped mountains. But it was raining hard when I pulled off the motorway. I knew the direction of the mountains but they were nowhere to be seen, hidden by black menacing clouds. The vines had not quite woken up yet, obviously slowed down by the freezing cold weather and looked like sticks stuck into the ground with no greenery at all. It was bitterly cold and the wind so strong I could hardly stand up as I got out of the car and made my way into a boulangerie to pick up a welcome baguette to cheer myself up with. Tonight I planned to move into my rented cottage and enjoy some real French bread, some brie and a glass of red to wash it down with. I could see a number of people in the little shop and as I pushed open the door they all turned to look at me. I stared back suddenly forgetting my smattering of the French lingo. ‘Bonjour madam’ sang out the woman behind the counter with a lovely smile on her face and everyone else chimed in and smiled at me too. Suddenly the sun had come out (metaphorically speaking) and I was so pleased to have arrived. That was the first of many lovely encounters with the French people. I have been welcomed by everyone and made to feel very at home here. The weather has cheered up and the vines are budding and each morning as I drive to my class at the local French language school I am assailed by a breathtaking view of the snow capped Pyrénées. To come to this area is like stepping back into an almost forgotten world. People take the time to enjoy the simple things in life such as this amazing landscape. If you’re looking for a place to step into for a few days, get off the treadmill and forget about the credit crunch then come here. Come and enjoy the food and wine, stop a while and gaze at the mountains, walk through the vines and most of all come and meet the lovely people of France.
This month’s edition of Quaff Drops brings you news of our vineyard tours in the Languedoc, WSET courses beginning in the Autumn and our forthcoming Wines & Vines courses, which are country or regionally focused wine appreciation courses. In my regular Languedoc Master Class I have written about the Côteaux du Languedoc and the changes taking place there and Sarah is reviewing her wine of the month. I hope you enjoy this months edition as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.
Wendy Gedney AIWS
Vineyard Tours
My vineyard tours in the Languedoc are a lovely way to enjoy France and where you can sit back and relax while I take you to meet some of the best wine makers in the region and taste their wines. You can choose from a long weekend flying out from the UK and staying for a few days or if you are in the region on holiday you can join me for a day. I am based near to the amazing medieval city of Carcassonne and can offer you tours of all the wine regions surrounding it such as Limoux, Cabardès, Corbières and the Minervois. A day with me starts when I pick you up in my air conditioned Grand Espace (well it had to be French didn’t it!) and begin the tour by explaining the area, the wines made there and give you some history of the region. We then head off to our first vineyard of the day to tour the winery and then taste the wines. Lunch is included in the tour and it is always memorable. I have chosen some of the best places t
o eat in the region many of them hidden gems which might take you an age to discover on your own. After lunch you will visit another winery and I always make sure that the morning visit will contrast with the afternoon's visit.
We have a special offer for July 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th but only have room for 2 people sharing a room. This tour is of the Minerve & Corbières and is one of our favourites. It includes some very special visits such as Domaine Gayda where you will taste some excellent Vin du Pays and enjoy lunch at their very special restaurant, Rives-Blanques a wonderful vineyard producing award winning Limoux wines and our dear friends at Clos du Gravillas in the Minerve. For more details take a look at the itinerary on our web site. Usually our price includes B & B accommodation however for this tour we are offering accommodation at the superb boutique hotel Le Domaine aux Quat’Saison. With this accommodation the tour would normally be priced at £675 per person so this special offer of £550 per person is excellent value. At the time of going to print Ryanair are offering flights at only £63.81 return including taxes. To secure this special offer call Wendy on 07880 796786.
I hope I have tempted you to find out more about the tours. You can follow this link to read about them on the web site which also contains available dates. I can also arrange private tours with dates to suit you and if you would like to discuss this please give me a call on 07880 796786 or email me on wendy@thewinewisecompany.com
WSET Courses
The WSET qualifications are recognised all over the world and are essential qualifications if you are considering a career involving wine. However studying for these qualifications is also very enjoyable and many of 
our past candidates have taken a course just for the fun of doing it. We offer Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced level courses which run at our wine schools in Birmingham and Leicester. Our courses are unique as they are supported by our web based study support programs which enable you to measure your progress with on-line knowledge tests and mock exams. Our courses are intensive running over 3 or 5 days depending on the level. Therefore it is essential that you enroll as far ahead as possible so as to extend your study time. This also makes learning more fun as you remove the pressure of a looming examination if you have had plenty of time to prepare. As soon as you enroll you will be sent your study guide and given access to the study support area of our web site. Courses begin in the autumn and its never too early to book so take a look at the forthcoming courses and either book on-line or if you would like to take advantage of our staged payments call Wendy on 07880 796786. We also offer a web based Distance Learning course at Intermediate level which you can enroll onto at any time and later this year we will be launching an Advanced version too. To enroll on the Intermediate Distance Learning course please call Wendy on 07880 796786 or email wendy@thewinewisecompany.com
Birmingham WSET Courses
WSET Intermediate 3 consecutive Tuesday commencing October 13th
WSET Advanced 5 consecutive Saturdays commencing October 17th
Leicester WSET Courses
Forth coming Wines & Vines Courses
Birmingham
South American Wines. As usual we will be concentrating on events in France throughout the summer so our last tasting in the UK until September is planned to take place in Bimringham on May 14th. It is a South American wine course being ran at The Crescent Theatre in Brindley Place by Sarah Long. South America is a prolific producer of wines. Did you know that Argentina is the worlds 5th largest producer? This course will introduce you to the wines of South America from the gorgeous Malbec from Argentina to unusual Syrah and Pinot Noir from Chile plus a suprise from Brazil! This 2 hour course will take you on a fast pace tour of these wonderfully diverse wine producing regions of the world. We will look at some marvellous and surprising creations from both sides of the Andes and in all we will taste 8 wines. The course is being delivered by Sarah Long who has a great deal of experience and knowledge of the wines from South America. As the daughter of an Argentine and having lived in South America, she is looking forward to introducing you to some of her best loved wines. Book on-line now or call Wendy on 07880 796786
France
Wine Growing & Making course. This four day Wine Growing & Making Course is taking place in the Languedoc region of southern France. This is your chance to meet some of the wonderful wine makers in the region and learn how they grow and make their wines. This is very much a course on the move and will not be based in a class room. We will visit at least 2 vineyards each day in the Minervois, Cabardès and Corbières regions and the course also includes a tutored tasting session with Matthew Stubbs MW. This is not only a course but also a short holiday as you will be staying at a lovely guest house complete with swimming pool set amongst the vineyards of the Minervois. The weekend is fully inclusive and includes your accommodation, all your meals, transport throughout the weekend, the vineyard visits and tastings and is excellent value at £595 per person. All you need to do is arrange your flight with Ryanair. This course will be fun, relaxing and very informative and includes some free time to enjoy some sightseeing. If you are interested in joining the course either book on-line or if you would rather discuss the course and book by telephone please contact Wendy on 07880 796786.
Leicester
Sweet Wines. Many of us do not have the opportunity to taste a variety of sweet wines to compare and contrast and to find the one we like the most. Sweet wines need to be understood in order for you to appreciate and enjoy them to the full. And they are amazing with food - often suprising us with their versaility. During this 3-hour course we will taste wines made from using all the different techniques available to the wine maker. From Noble Rot such as Sauternes to fortified such as Banyuls and St Jean du Minervois. You will learn how they are made and where they are from and also which foods they match well with. During the course we will taste 8 wines accompanied by a tasty plate of food including blue cheese, pate, spicey and sweet. Book on-line or call Wendy on 07880 796786
Languedoc Masterclass – AC Côteaux de Languedoc
The AC of Côteaux de Languedoc is soon to disappear to make way for the new revised AOCs of the region and much of it will be encompassed in the new Languedoc AC. This will be the bottom layer of the hierarchy followed by what they call the terroirs which are currently being defined. So at the moment we don’t know exactly which of the current terroirs within the Côteaux de Languedoc will become appellations. The Côteaux de Languedoc is currently a large and diverse group of areas that produce many styles of wines from its 8 terroirs. The best known is La Clape AC, which was once an island off the Roman port of Narbo now known as the city of Narbonne. The area is just south of Narbonne and receives some of the highest total sunshine hours in France. With its position so close to the sea it obviously has a maritime climate. Vineyards are found at various altitudes, which can differ as much as 200 m. These conditions are ideal for white wines and in particular for the Bourboulenc grape, which is now rare in most parts of the Languedoc, however for white La Clape wines it must make up at least 60% of the blend. Whites are in the minority here as the majority of wine produced is red but it’s hard to differentiate between a La Clape red and a maritime Corbières wine.
Other terroir in the Côteaux du Languedoc include Picpoul de Pinet AC, which is an appellation for white wines made from the Picpoul grape and is one of the countries few varietally named ACs. The grape thrives on the sandy soils close to Bassin de Thau which is a salt water lagoon devoted to the cultivation of oysters and mussels which this wine forms a perfect partnership. Another interesting AC contained within the Côteaux du Languedoc is Clairette du Languedoc AC which although is one of the earliest appellations in the Languedoc it is a bit confused and seems to have lost its way. Clairette is a white grape variety which some say should be used for blending and not as a single varietal wine. It easily over-ripens and therefore tends towards low acidity and requires careful handling. It is possible to find all levels of sweetness from dry to very sweet and also fortified which is where the confusion comes in because the appellation rules allow all 3. It is grown on limestone soils near the pretty village of Pézanas which is well worth a visit if you are in the area.
Hopefully very soon we will have more clarity on this region and I look forward to writing more about it. Until then if you get the chance to try a bottle of Côteaux du Languedoc of any colour then take the time to enjoy it for very soon wine will no longer be bottled under this name.
Article by Wendy Gedney AIWS
Sarah'
s Wine of the Month
I have to admit to being much more of a Burgundy than a Bordeaux person so I was thrilled to be able to taste the delcious Chanson Pere & Fils Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 1er Cru Les Caradeux (Domaine Chanson) 2006 recently and it certainly ‘hit the spot’!
Burgundy is a fascinating region with a huge amount of history. Until the French revolution, most vineyards were the property of either the church or the nobility. However, from 1791, the vineyards started to be sold off and even divided between several owners, resulting in large estates being fragmented into several small ones.
In addition to this, the Napoleonic Law of Succession has had a huge impact on the region by enforcing equal inheritance of possessions among children. As a consequence, and through the generations, vineyards have become smaller and smaller which has resulted in tiny parcels of land, some only large enough to grow a handful of vines, scattered throughout the region.
This produces an amazing diversity of style and quality within such a small area of land. For example, many Grand Cru vineyards can be found just a few metres away from lesser quality commune ACs. The key to the quality of these parcels of land is their individual ‘terroir’, with location on the slope (higher up = better quality) and aspect being particularly important.
Pernand Vergelesses is a village and an Appellation Contrôlée nestling in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or and produces both red and white wines. Within Pernand Vergelesses, there are 8 1er Cru Appellations (‘Climats’), and those on the cooler, east facing slopes of marly limestone, such as En Caradeux where this wine comes from, are considered the best. En Caradeux is just 1.9 hectares in size and is located next to the more famous Grand Cru AC of Corton Charlmagne.
This wine is produced by Domaine Chanson which was founded in 1750 and then bought in 1999 by the Bollinger Champagne group. It currently grows around a quarter of its own grapes and sources the rest from other growers in the region. All the grapes for this wine are hand-picked and fermentation takes place in oak casks at low temperatures so that the delicate aromatics of the grapes are maintained. The wine is then aged in oak.
On the nose, there is an abundance of delicate citrus aromas with plenty of freshness and a hint of oak. On the palate, there are fantastic mineral characteristics, typical of this AC, rich buttery hints as well as excellent fresh acidity and notes of pale citrus fruit. This is typical of the very successful 2006 vintage. The creaminess of the oak comes through towards the end and leaves a deliciously well balanced and mouth-watering finish.
I tasted this wine on its own to begin with and then with slow cooked chicken in a cream and tarragon sauce and I have to say that it absolutely came into its own with the food. The match was excellent as the acidity cut through the richness of the sauce and at the same time, accentuated the deliciously buttery character of the wine. Heaven!
I would also recommend this wine with a more meaty white fish such as seabass or even some seafood such as pan-fried scallops cooked in butter.
Chanson Pere & Fils Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 1er Cru Les Caradeux 2006 is available online and from Upton on Severn Wine Merchants for around £15 a bottle.
Article by Sarah Long AIWS