Right, I tried not to, but you asked. Well, probably not you, but someone did. What you say? Another WSET update! Whoo!
A treat. Two treats because it's a bit bloody geeky and you might learn something.
This week was the last 'actual learning' lesson, we were looking at, hold your breath, bubbly wine, sweet wines, fortified wine and spirits. No actual, real, proper wine, the red stuff, but actually they are (apart from spirits) wines. Crazy. And before you ask, Johnny Swallow was, indeed, swallowing and gulping and finishing off whatever he poured, I'd assume about a bottle of wine, but this week a damn good mix of things.
We kicked off with a whip through spirits and distillation and that was actually interesting. You know you can distill pretty much anything that can be fermented and make a spirit? (and, unlike making wine or beer at home, a home-distilled spirits are illegal without a license!). Grapes, grains, fruits, vegetables, all sorts of things. Also, the distillation process is pretty cool too, you heat a fermented liquid, the alcohol boils before the water, then it evaporates, then you condence that and what condences is a high alcohol, colourless spirit. Brilliantly complex and it depends on what liquid you distill as to what it ends up as. Distilled wine = brandy, distilled beer = whisky, distilled cider = calvados, distilled blue agave = tequila, distilled anything = vodka. (essentially...).
After this, liqueurs, which are basically any spirit with added sugar and flavouring and a lower alcohol content. Simple. So the difference between a cherry brandy and kirsch is? Cherry brandy is a liqueur based on brandy with added cherry juice and sugar, around 20% abv and a redish colour (from food colouring). Kirsch is a cherry based spirit made by distilling fermented cherries and is colourless and about 40% abv. Got it.
Right, fizzy wine is brilliant, made and fermented and bottled under pressure so when you pop the cork all the trapped carbon dioxide escapes and makes the wine bubbly. Yeah! Two different methods. Simple method, big stainless steel tanks and the tricky (bloody complicated and labour intensive) method with bottle fermentation. You get good ones and bad ones in both methods. Have a prosecco, dry and fresh made in the tank method, inexpensive and trendy or have a Champagne, rounded and yeasty and expensive, made the tricky way. It's your call, not mine.
Sweet wines. There's loads of ways to make a sweet wine. Honestly, loads. Early harvest, late harvest, noble rot (I'll explain that one), freezing, adding sweet stuff (but oh no, not sugar, that's not allowed). There's more, but it comes down to two things. Concentrate the sugar in the grapes and ferment normally, or mess about with fermentation. It's clever, basically, when the alcohol level during fermentation reaches 15% abv the fermentation stops. The yeast just sort of panics and dies. If you've got loads of sugar in the grapes then there's still loads of unconverted sugar (sugar turns to alcohol during fermentation...) and the wine tastes sweet. The other way is to take normal grapes and ferment a little bit, then tip in a load of (essentially) brandy to increase the abv and stop the fermentation, leaving loads of unfermented sugar. The noble rot thing is cool, it's a rot that attacks and lives on the grapes, you need a misty morning to encourage rot and then a warm afternoon to dry the grapes out on the vine, so there isn't much water in the grape and there is lots of sugar. Clever huh? Good rot, like the good bacteria in Activia and the blue mould in Stilton, it tastes good and makes luciously sweet wines in a natural way. Who the hell discovered that? (Just like milking cows???)
Sweet wine technically covers port as well, as that comes under then heading of 'messing about with fermentation'. Sherry is a whole other story, a bit tedious and it tastes horrid (in, like, my opinion...) so I'm going to skip sherry. But not port, port is lovely, if you follow me on twitter, you'll realise that I'm a port convert. Geek fact, they're not called port because they're from Portugal but because they were historically for shipping crews (seamen...) and readily available at port, for journeys. Port wine, from the port, as in ships, not the country.
To make port, they tip in a load of brandy during fermenting red wine and then age it a bit in a barrel and you've got a full bodied, oaky, nutty, sweet redness, called port. Some are young, some get aged for 10 years and some get aged for 30 years in the bottle. The 4 main styles are ruby (young), tawny (a blend of vintages and aged in barrels for 10-15 and then blended again to make a nutty, brown port), late bottled vintage (single vintage, aged in barrel for 5 years but ready to drink when bottled), vintage (single vintage (not every year) and aged in barrel for only a couple of years and then aged in bottle for unto 50 years). 2007 was an amazing year for vintage port but please don't drink one until 2017.
I've got a mock test to do as homework this week and it should be a doodle, and a real test next week, I'll keep you posted. The pass rate is 85% for a distinction and that's my target. Roll on Advanced in September...
I was going to keep the WSET update short and do another 'Your Questions Answered' post, but I'll save that for another week, if you've got any questions or anything you want my opinion on then tweet me @whinesblog or email me dan@whin.es. Actually, if you want to know pretty much anything wine related I'll have a look for you, I'm not as quick or as thorough as wikipedia but I'm much more interesting.
Friday 11 February 2011
Saturday 5 February 2011
A little trip to Oxord
Mr P took me away to Oxford for the weekend so we had a couple of days of wonderous culinery delights.
Breakfast: To get our journey off to a good start we stopped off at Rosie Lee's, a greasy spoon near our house. I had a sausage and egg sandwich and an orange juice - yum!!
Lunch: After arriving in Oxford and checking inot a b'n'b we decided to go check out an Italian, La'Cuccinia (or something like that) which according to Trip Advisor was the best restaurant in Oxford. As soon as we walked in we felt welcomed and the staff we really friendly and chatty. We couldnt decide what to have so Mr P and I shared half a Capriosca pizza (artichoke, ham, mushroom and olive), which was absolutely delicious, and half an artechoke ravioli with crab sauce, which was really really nice, but was perhaps a little different from what I was expecting as the sauce was green, not the pink crabby colour I was anticipating. It was really lovely though and the artechoke tasted so nice with a hit of chilli and some cherry tomatoes. I washed it down with a bottle of Morreti. The perfect start to a weekend away.
After lunch but before dinner we went for a couple of drinks in bars around town, one was called Branco where I had a clemintini (processco, clementine juice and campari) a little bitter from the campari but still very enjoyable. In another bar called the Duke of Cambridge I had a martini of which flavour I cannot remember but it included some passion fruit tastes and reminded me of Um Bungo, which can never be a bad thing.
Dinner: We went to a little French bistro called Pierre Victore. We had a bottle of pinot noir, which was light and lovely. Then for starters we shared some mussels in coconut milk, lime and chilli - not very French but nice none the less. For mains I had lamb with chorizo mash, some of Mr P's haricot vert and a delicious red wine jus. It was so so nice. The meat was pink and delicate and although I'm not entirely sure if it went with the smokey taste of the paprika I devoured the entire dish. For dessert Mr P and I shared a chocolate fondue with banana, marshmallow, strawberries and pineapple for dipping. I finished the meal with an espresso. A wonderful end to a wonderful day. I would go back without a doubt.
Breakfast: To get our journey off to a good start we stopped off at Rosie Lee's, a greasy spoon near our house. I had a sausage and egg sandwich and an orange juice - yum!!
Lunch: After arriving in Oxford and checking inot a b'n'b we decided to go check out an Italian, La'Cuccinia (or something like that) which according to Trip Advisor was the best restaurant in Oxford. As soon as we walked in we felt welcomed and the staff we really friendly and chatty. We couldnt decide what to have so Mr P and I shared half a Capriosca pizza (artichoke, ham, mushroom and olive), which was absolutely delicious, and half an artechoke ravioli with crab sauce, which was really really nice, but was perhaps a little different from what I was expecting as the sauce was green, not the pink crabby colour I was anticipating. It was really lovely though and the artechoke tasted so nice with a hit of chilli and some cherry tomatoes. I washed it down with a bottle of Morreti. The perfect start to a weekend away.
After lunch but before dinner we went for a couple of drinks in bars around town, one was called Branco where I had a clemintini (processco, clementine juice and campari) a little bitter from the campari but still very enjoyable. In another bar called the Duke of Cambridge I had a martini of which flavour I cannot remember but it included some passion fruit tastes and reminded me of Um Bungo, which can never be a bad thing.
Dinner: We went to a little French bistro called Pierre Victore. We had a bottle of pinot noir, which was light and lovely. Then for starters we shared some mussels in coconut milk, lime and chilli - not very French but nice none the less. For mains I had lamb with chorizo mash, some of Mr P's haricot vert and a delicious red wine jus. It was so so nice. The meat was pink and delicate and although I'm not entirely sure if it went with the smokey taste of the paprika I devoured the entire dish. For dessert Mr P and I shared a chocolate fondue with banana, marshmallow, strawberries and pineapple for dipping. I finished the meal with an espresso. A wonderful end to a wonderful day. I would go back without a doubt.
Friday 4 February 2011
whin.es weekly
John John Forrest Forrest wines.
The intro I got from Dr John Forrest this week was excellent. He's like a John Candy playing James Bond, cool and witty, friendly but deadly. Well not deadly, but he makes damn fine wine. The first thing he ever said to me was "Hi, John, John Forrest, Forrest wines" and since then, to me, he's been John John Forrest Forrest.
The Forrest winery in New Zealand is really interesting. With a bunch (great pun) of different labels to differentiate between the different styles of wines he makes, which also provides the customer with a clear indication they are different. You would almost think they different producers alltogether. There is the standard 'Forrest' label with excellent examples of classic New Zealand wines, the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are simply delicious. The 'John Forrest Collection' wines are tip top, usually aged, or late released expressions of Marlborough, the 2006 Syrah and 2004 Chardonnay really stand out. Also the 'Tatty Bogler' range, priced somewhere between the Forrest and Forrest Collection, but from John's vineyards in the southern region of the south island in Otago, a superb Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir. The climate is cooler in the south, for slower ripening giving more gentle and delicate flavours. (Tatty Boggler is Scottish for Scarecrow, but in John's New Zealand accent it sounds like 'Titty Burgler' with I kept giggling at...)
Luckily, John flew into England last week and flew around some wine shops, did a wine tasting dinner and flew home. All in a weeks work. Luckily enough I got to meet the man himself, for the second time. It's excellent to see someone so passionate about the wines he produces and its refreshing to listen to him talk about them so candidly, with no pretense or ceremony, just "Here's a wine, I made it like this and it smells like this and it tastes great". (Obviously in more detail than that, but in that approach and style) His trip to the wine shop consisted of a twenty five minute run through of four of his wines (he makes loads, we stock about fifteen of his wines and there are more we don't stock).
The reason John was in the UK was to talk about and promote his two newest lables. The 'Doctors' range (John, technically, is Dr John Forrest) is his label for innovative and experimental wines. Grapes that are unusual to New Zealand such as his Arneis and Gruner Veltliner and anything else he deems experimental! Secondly, his 'Valleys' range, which are all single vineyard wines. The New Zealand climate can change pretty dramatically between small areas of land because of mountains and valleys and proximity to seas and winds. All that combined with different soil types, a single vineyard wine can have a distinct character within a much broader region such as Marlborough.
The wines we tasted were:
The Doctors 9.5% Sauvignon Blanc. John has worked long and hard, using pretty much trial and error, to produce a characterful, fresh and full flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but with lower alcohol. Nobody really knows how he did it but this one is zesty with minerality and just a touch of residual sweetness. Really very drinkable, good for lunchtime (perfect with a caeser or waldorf salad) or just with friends and some chatter.
The Valleys 'Awatare' Sauvignon Blanc. The Awatare vineyard gives this wine an old school freshness. Many modern style examples are getting drier and drier with more minerality, trying to compete with the French Sancerre style, but the older versions 5-10 years ago were much fruiter and livelier and this harks back to those wines. A 2010, 2005 if you will.
The Doctors Gruner Veltliner. The grape is native to Austria (no, not Australia, the European one, Austria) and makes some fine dry wines. I believe John is the only producer in New Zealand to produce wines from this grape. Cool huh? It's similar in style, like a Marlbourgh Sauvignon Blanc is to Sancerre, but it's got punchier and more pronounced aromas and is livelier to taste than its Austrian versions, however, it retains the buttery, oily component with an almondyness to it, very tasty, very interesting.
Tatty Bogler Pinot Noir. The cool climate, 2008 Pinot Noir was just plain lovely. Light bodied, low tannins and the classic mushroomy, cherry Pinot Noir we all love.
And that was that. I did like the fact that John had an inquisitive look at what other wines we had on the tasting counter that day, took one sniff of the Chateaux Musar (from the Lebanon) and tipped it down the sink. He bluntly refused to taste something that "Smells like a used band aid" and "Far to much like a hospital". Brilliant. I'm a little but miffed though, that I didn't get to go to the tasting meal, but it was expensive and sold out before I even realised it was happening.
John is planning a trip for (a VERY limited number of) Adnams staff to go out to New Zealand next March, yes 2012, and spend some time looking at vineyards and travelling around learning the climate and environment and much more. I would VERY much like to do that. Sooner if possible. John, if you're reading this...
You may think that I've been paid to write this by John (or Adnams) but I haven't. I'm just impressed with the sheer number of wine styles he produces, not just wines, but actual styles. Imagine how much work goes into growing, harvesting, fermenting, tasting, tweaking, bottling, packaging, marketing, promoting (and drinking) each wine! Go on. I did, and I wrote this.
All that and John still has time to say both of his names twice and introduce himself as John John Forrest Forrest. Amazing.
That's it for now, you can check out my website http://whin.es and follow me on twitter @whinesblog. You can come and see me in-store at the Adnams Cellar & Kitchen Store in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Should you wish.
The intro I got from Dr John Forrest this week was excellent. He's like a John Candy playing James Bond, cool and witty, friendly but deadly. Well not deadly, but he makes damn fine wine. The first thing he ever said to me was "Hi, John, John Forrest, Forrest wines" and since then, to me, he's been John John Forrest Forrest.
The Forrest winery in New Zealand is really interesting. With a bunch (great pun) of different labels to differentiate between the different styles of wines he makes, which also provides the customer with a clear indication they are different. You would almost think they different producers alltogether. There is the standard 'Forrest' label with excellent examples of classic New Zealand wines, the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are simply delicious. The 'John Forrest Collection' wines are tip top, usually aged, or late released expressions of Marlborough, the 2006 Syrah and 2004 Chardonnay really stand out. Also the 'Tatty Bogler' range, priced somewhere between the Forrest and Forrest Collection, but from John's vineyards in the southern region of the south island in Otago, a superb Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir. The climate is cooler in the south, for slower ripening giving more gentle and delicate flavours. (Tatty Boggler is Scottish for Scarecrow, but in John's New Zealand accent it sounds like 'Titty Burgler' with I kept giggling at...)
Luckily, John flew into England last week and flew around some wine shops, did a wine tasting dinner and flew home. All in a weeks work. Luckily enough I got to meet the man himself, for the second time. It's excellent to see someone so passionate about the wines he produces and its refreshing to listen to him talk about them so candidly, with no pretense or ceremony, just "Here's a wine, I made it like this and it smells like this and it tastes great". (Obviously in more detail than that, but in that approach and style) His trip to the wine shop consisted of a twenty five minute run through of four of his wines (he makes loads, we stock about fifteen of his wines and there are more we don't stock).
The reason John was in the UK was to talk about and promote his two newest lables. The 'Doctors' range (John, technically, is Dr John Forrest) is his label for innovative and experimental wines. Grapes that are unusual to New Zealand such as his Arneis and Gruner Veltliner and anything else he deems experimental! Secondly, his 'Valleys' range, which are all single vineyard wines. The New Zealand climate can change pretty dramatically between small areas of land because of mountains and valleys and proximity to seas and winds. All that combined with different soil types, a single vineyard wine can have a distinct character within a much broader region such as Marlborough.
The wines we tasted were:
The Doctors 9.5% Sauvignon Blanc. John has worked long and hard, using pretty much trial and error, to produce a characterful, fresh and full flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but with lower alcohol. Nobody really knows how he did it but this one is zesty with minerality and just a touch of residual sweetness. Really very drinkable, good for lunchtime (perfect with a caeser or waldorf salad) or just with friends and some chatter.
The Valleys 'Awatare' Sauvignon Blanc. The Awatare vineyard gives this wine an old school freshness. Many modern style examples are getting drier and drier with more minerality, trying to compete with the French Sancerre style, but the older versions 5-10 years ago were much fruiter and livelier and this harks back to those wines. A 2010, 2005 if you will.
The Doctors Gruner Veltliner. The grape is native to Austria (no, not Australia, the European one, Austria) and makes some fine dry wines. I believe John is the only producer in New Zealand to produce wines from this grape. Cool huh? It's similar in style, like a Marlbourgh Sauvignon Blanc is to Sancerre, but it's got punchier and more pronounced aromas and is livelier to taste than its Austrian versions, however, it retains the buttery, oily component with an almondyness to it, very tasty, very interesting.
Tatty Bogler Pinot Noir. The cool climate, 2008 Pinot Noir was just plain lovely. Light bodied, low tannins and the classic mushroomy, cherry Pinot Noir we all love.
And that was that. I did like the fact that John had an inquisitive look at what other wines we had on the tasting counter that day, took one sniff of the Chateaux Musar (from the Lebanon) and tipped it down the sink. He bluntly refused to taste something that "Smells like a used band aid" and "Far to much like a hospital". Brilliant. I'm a little but miffed though, that I didn't get to go to the tasting meal, but it was expensive and sold out before I even realised it was happening.
John is planning a trip for (a VERY limited number of) Adnams staff to go out to New Zealand next March, yes 2012, and spend some time looking at vineyards and travelling around learning the climate and environment and much more. I would VERY much like to do that. Sooner if possible. John, if you're reading this...
You may think that I've been paid to write this by John (or Adnams) but I haven't. I'm just impressed with the sheer number of wine styles he produces, not just wines, but actual styles. Imagine how much work goes into growing, harvesting, fermenting, tasting, tweaking, bottling, packaging, marketing, promoting (and drinking) each wine! Go on. I did, and I wrote this.
All that and John still has time to say both of his names twice and introduce himself as John John Forrest Forrest. Amazing.
That's it for now, you can check out my website http://whin.es and follow me on twitter @whinesblog. You can come and see me in-store at the Adnams Cellar & Kitchen Store in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Should you wish.
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