Discovering Croation Wine with Kozlović

Producer: Kozlović Winery

Thanks to the World Cup and the HBO series Game of Thrones, Croatia has been this year’s hottest destination. Combining stunning natural scenery with the charm of old-world Europe, it’s easy to see why people have been flocking to discover the secrets of this country. I recently spent a week there exploring the otherworldly beauty of the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the walled city of Dubrovnik where some of the scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed. While in Istria, I also took the opportunity to visit Kozlović Winery, which I had heard was one of the best producers in the region.

Papa Knows Best

Producer: Marques de Casa Concha

As the largest wine producer in Chile, Concha y Toro has a vast number of brands in its portfolio, each aimed at a different segment of the market. Marques de Casa Concha is part of their fine wine collection, below Don Melchor in terms of pricing but slightly above Casillero del Diablo. Chile is known for making dependable, affordable wines, and Marques de Casa Concha fits that mould perfectly. Most of their wines are sold for around SGD50 in Singapore, which if you compare against wines from Bordeaux and California are very competitively priced. But do they fare as well taste-wise?

Cockburn's Port

Producer: Cockburn's

In these days of Brexit and the weakening pound, it is difficult to imagine that at its peak the British Empire controlled nearly a quarter of the world’s population and land area. Whether imperialism has been good or bad for the world is open to debate, but I am grateful for at least one lasting legacy – port wine. Thanks to the alliance between Portugal and England, British merchants have had a substantial presence in the town of Porto since the 17th century. Many of them dedicated themselves to the wine trade, which offered better profit margins than other goods. The Treaty of Methuen, which reduced the tax on Portuguese wines entering England, further encouraged the growth of the wine industry in the Douro region. To ensure that the wines would not spoil during the long sea journey, they were often fortified with brandy, a precursor to the many styles of port in the market today.

Creative Food and Wine Pairings at Creation Wines

Producer: Creation Wines

Viognier is a specialty of Creation Wines, who were the first to grow it in Hemel-en-Aarde. This unoaked, peachy wine serves as a great aperitif.

Which do you think would be easier? Planning a visit to a winery for wine experts or for casual wine lovers? From my experience it is planning for the casual wine lover that is more challenging. For example, wine professionals usually would not mind spending hours listening to the minutiae of vineyard treatments, fermentation techniques and oak maturation. For the casual wine lover however, visuals are important and there must be activities that allow him or her to feel involved with the wine. Knowing the target audience is a key principle of marketing, and it works when planning group outings as well.

Weather, Bordeaux and the UGC 2015 Tasting

Right: Olivier Bernard, UGC President

There are few places in the world where vintage matters as much as Bordeaux. Throughout the year winemakers watch the skies carefully for signs of hail or rain. As the grapes ripen they pray for dry, warm weather. Weather conditions translate directly to wine quality. When I tasted the 2013 vintage, many wines were light in colour and lacking in fruit concentration. 2009 was a hedonistic vintage, with ripe tannins and lush fruit. A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to taste the 2015 vintage at the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting at the Conrad Centennial, and met with Olivier Bernard who is the president of the UGC. Olivier expounded on the unique location of Bordeaux, saying, “Bordeaux is situated on the 45th parallel, in the middle of the cold north and warm south. Why Bordeaux is so different than wine made on the 40th or wine made on the 50th parallel is because the difference in weather on the 45th is much bigger than anywhere else in the world.”

A Taste of Branaire-Ducru

Producer: Château Branaire-Ducru

My first experience with wine was not from a glass, but from a book. Apart from being known for children’s novels such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, Dahl also delighted in writing short stories that often had an unexpected twist. One such story was Taste, in which a wine critic accepts a bet from a rich man over whether he can identify a bottle of wine that is served to him blind. The critic has his eye on the rich man’s daughter and wagers two of his houses for her hand in marriage. He goes through an elaborate show of tasting the wine and describing its qualities, stunning the rich man when he is able to identify the producer and vintage accurately. The twist is that the critic already knows what the wine is, having spotted it earlier in the rich man’s study. The tasting scene is brilliantly detailed, and it is clear that Dahl knows quite a bit about wine. When he passed away one of the items that was buried with him was a bottle of wine from Burgundy.

Ridgeview Leads the Way for English Sparkling Wine

Producer: Ridgeview Wine Estate

English Sparkling Wine has been on my radar for a few years now, ever since I discovered a shelf of these treasures at Waitrose in London. They are not available locally, which is a crime, as these are wines of extremely good quality. English Sparkling is positioned as a challenger to champagne, using the same production method (a secondary fermentation in bottle) and comprising the grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The chalky soil in southern England is similar to the soils of Champagne, and the climate is even cooler than the Champagne region due to the more northerly latitude.

A Huge-ly Important Wine Producer

Producer: Famille Hugel

Mention Alsace and wine in the same conversation, and chances are high that the name Hugel will also pop up. It is one of the oldest producers in that region, based in the town of Riquewihr which is said to be the inspiration for the design of Belle’s village in Beauty and the Beast. As a standard bearer for Alsace, Hugel wines can be found all over the world. Marc-Andre Hugel, who is part of the company’s 13th generation, was recently in Singapore for a trade lunch and shared some updates from the family business.

The Douro Boys Part 2 – A Lunch at Quinta do Vallado

Producer: Quinta do Vallado

“Have you tried this before?” asks João, our host at Quinta do Vallado. “It’s alheira, a very traditional type of Portuguese food created by Jewish communities that fled central Europe into the Douro Superior. The main diet in northern Portugal is chorizo, made with pork, but of course the Jewish community could not eat pork, so they made a smaller, thinner sausage out of bread and game meats – usually birds like partridge.” The texture is dense and the flavour mildly spicy. It goes down a treat with the refreshing white wine João has laid out for us, along with a huge basket of bread and olive oil made from trees growing on the property itself. The olive oil produced in the Douro, João explains, is naturally flavourful and low in acidity, making it suitable for bread but wasted when used as salad dressing. For lunch we have been seated at the outdoor patio, where a canopy of leaves creates dappled shadows over our table and provides welcome shade from the sun’s radiance.

The Douro Boys Part 1 – The Harmony of Technology and Tradition

Producer: Quinta do Crasto

The Douro Valley is just a two hour drive away from the coastal city of Porto, but worlds apart in terms of scenery and climate. As my car emerges from under the Serra do Marão mountain range via a tunnel on the A4 motorway, I am momentarily dazzled by the bright sunlight. Waves of unrelenting heat bathe the area, a marked difference from the refreshing crispness of the Atlantic breeze in Porto. I begin to understand why some wines are referred to as having the “Douro bake” character. With the mountains blocking the cool ocean air, the Douro Valley resembles a hot oven during the day.

Site Specific Pinot

Producer: Dalrymple Vineyards

An unspoilt landscape in the Southern Hemisphere. Waters teeming with whales and dolphins. And of course, lots of sheep. If you’re picturing New Zealand, then my little misdirection has worked. I’m actually referring to Tasmania, a place on the receiving end of much attention recently, not least because of the unique opportunity to view the panoramic lightshow known as the Southern Lights. The other thing it has in common with New Zealand, and of primary interest to wine lovers, is that Tasmania is also a source of very fine Pinot Noir, arguably the best to come out of Australia.

This Duck Prefers Wine to Water

Producer: Luis Pato

If there is one Portuguese trait I am most grateful for, it is their tolerant approach to punctuality. Even by that measure, only one of saintly patience could have welcomed us so warmly when we arrived three hours late due to a mix-up at the car rental company. I shudder to think what the reaction would have been had this happened in Bordeaux – when I visited two years back, a delay of five minutes had my phone ringing furiously and a quiet word of advice that le châteaux expect better timeliness from their visitors.

Wine of the Month - October 2017

After a dalliance with French grape varieties which resulted in the Super-Tuscans and their many imitators, Italy has returned to focusing on her native varieties. The current vogue for indigenous grapes can be seen in the demand for fashionable Etna wines, top Brunellos and rich Amarones. This has been aided by improvements in winemaking and the reduction of yields, meaning that Italian grapes are producing wines of increasing interest and attractive individuality. I was at a gathering of wine lovers when the Sartarelli Verdicchio "Balciana" caught my eye (and tastebuds). The estate has dedicated itself to the Verdicchio grape variety in the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC zone of Marche, the native home of the grape. This particular wine is made from late harvested grapes and according to Italian Wine Ambassador Chan Wai Xin includes a proportion of botrytised-affected grapes in the blend.

Wine: Sartarelli Balciana Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore 2014

Tasting note: The wine reveals a medium gold colour with a honeyed nose. The palate is dry and full-bodied, with notes of white pepper, honey, oranges and fennel underlined by bracing acidity. Lovely lush texture with a pleasing complexity.

Dirt-y Talk with Don Melchor Winemaker Enrique Tirado

Producer: Concha y Toro Don Melchor

Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? A masterclass with Enrique Tirado, Chief Winemaker of Don Melchor aimed to show how different vineyard plots contribute to the final blend. Don Melchor is one of Chile’s signature wines, on the same level with wines such as Montes Alpha M, Errazuriz’s Don Maximiano and Almaviva, the latter a joint venture between Concha y Toro and the Rothschild family of Bordeaux. Don Melchor is also made by Concha y Toro and is named after the founder. The Chilean wine producer has had a good year, with sales increasing 23% in Asia according to trade newsletter The Drinks Business. It was ranked as the second biggest selling wine brand in 2017, behind Gallo’s Barefoot label.

Wine of the Month - August 2017

Sauvignon Blanc is a tricky grape. It's prized for its acidity, but keep it for too long and its attractive flavours of grass and passionfruit deteriorate into cooked vegetal notes. So at the recent Margaret River 50th Anniversary Tasting, when I tasted the Umamu Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and found it so fresh and vibrant, I expected that it was from a recent vintage. To my surprise it was a 2010 bottling, making it a wine that is seven years old and looking far younger than many other Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blends at the tasting.

Umamu is the brainchild of Penang-born Charmaine Saw, an overachiever who studied chemistry in the United Kingdom and trained as a chef with Le Cordon Bleu before pursuing a career in management consulting. She sought the assistance of one of Western Australia's most renowned winemakers to craft the wines, but the marketing and direction bears her stamp. Balance and contentment are the keywords, imparting a very zen approach to what is quintessentially a western beverage.

Wine: Umamu Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010

Tasting note: Fresh and surging with vitality, as though it was just bottled. There is prominent lime and citrus fruit on the palate, with just a murmur of oak providing the backdrop. I wouldn't normally recommend a Sauvignon Blanc to age, but there are some Asian genes to this particular wine.

Margaret River Wine 50th Anniversary Tasting

The Margaret River wine region celebrates 50 years of commercial wine-making this year. The first planting was in 1967 at Vasse Felix by Dr Tom Cullity who was heavily influenced by a research paper by Dr John Gladstones showing the suitability of the region for wine.

Singapore being a hop, skip and jump away will also be joining in the festivities with a tasting featuring some of the top estates from Margaret River. Details as follows:

Date/Time: 
Thursday, 31 August 2017, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Venue:
 Equinox
69th Floor
Swissotel The Stamford
2 Stamford Road, 178882

Tickets cost SGD52.50 and are available at this link.

Separately, there will also be a dinner featuring 11 iconic wines paired with a 5 course degustation menu at Salt Grill & Sky Bar on Wednesday 30th August at 7:00 pm. Tickets available for SGD250 per person from Salt Grill & Sky Bar at +65 9769 9050 or email charmaine_a@pj-partners.com.

Small, Medium and Large in Napa Valley

Look no further than the Napa Valley if you want to see an example of wine tourism at its finest. This corner of California is a well-oiled machine of tasting rooms, tourist accommodation and world-class restaurants. The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s temple of fine dining, is located here, as are cult wineries Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle. But you should discard any notion you may have of an intimate tête-à-tête with folksy winemakers. Throngs of people pack the tasting rooms, and even though I was there on a weekday there was still a fair bit of traffic along the main thoroughfare, Highway 29. The Silverado Trail, a smaller road that runs parallel to Highway 29, was similarly congested, if not more so. The winery tours are well-managed however, with generous pourings and a relaxed vibe.

Wine of the Month - July 2017

If you're looking for a crisp, flavoursome white at an affordable price point, then this is the wine for you. Grüner Veltliner is Austria's vinous gift to the world, a grape that takes to the unique loess soil like a fish to water. Usually unoaked, Grüner is capable of aging well when yields are restricted. The producer Gruber Röschitz is based in the Weinvertel region and is run by three siblings. A combination of warm days and cool nights produce wines of finesse and balance.

Wine: Gruber Röschitz Reipersberg Grüner Veltliner 2015

Tasting note: This wine comes from a single, south-facing terraced vineyard and is matured in stainless steel. It opens clean as a whistle, with unadulterated flavours of pear, grilled nuts and the signature white pepper so typical of Grüner Veltliner. The palate is fresh and vivacious while showing a lovely rounded texture. A clear sense of place to this groovy bottle.

Distributor: Ampelia Fine Wines

Languedoc Greatness

Producer: Mas de Daumas Gassac

This week I tasted a Cabernet blend from the 1982 vintage that was in perfect condition and showing all of the weathered complexity that only age can deliver. It’s like looking into a careworn face and appreciating every crease the years have bestowed. From that statement you may be tempted to guess that it was a great Bordeaux, perhaps even a first growth, but this wine was in fact made in the humble Languedoc region in the south of France. Narrowing down the producer is an easier task. There is only one that makes such long-lived Cabernet – Mas de Daumas Gassac, sometimes referred to as the Grand Cru of the Languedoc.

Passel Estate – A New Name in Margaret River

Producer: Passel Estate

Owners Barry and Wendy Stimpson

After a spirited and educational afternoon evaluating some wines from the Barossa Valley, the organiser of the session asked if we would like to stay back for a few minutes to meet the owners of a small winery in Margaret River. I had initially planned to rush off to the next appointment, but as they were already there I decided it would be churlish not to at least taste the wines. I am glad I did. Barry and Wendy Stimpson are Singapore residents with high-powered careers in the fields of law and strategic consultancy, but they were bitten by the wine bug when visiting Margaret River. In 2011 they purchased the land that was to become Passel Estate. The inspiration for the name came when they volunteered part of the area as a refuge for endangered western ringtail possums (passel is the term for a group of possums). As it turns out, the peppermint trees ringing the vineyard provide the ideal shelter and food source for the tree dwellers. Plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz date back to 1994, now augmented with a parcel of Chardonnay.