Archive for the ‘Learn’ Category
Jody’s Insider Secrets to the Best Steak BBQ on Facebook Live
Join us for a Facebook Live on Thursday, March 30 at 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on the Wine Portfolio Facebook Page. Like us here and prepare to learn how to grill a steak by one of the world’s foremost experts.
Chef & Restaurateur Jody Ness will show you his insider’s secrets so that you can get the most out of BBQ season.
German Wines Threatened by Rain
Storms, torrential rain and heavy rain bring the German winemakers – especially in the southwest – in Existenznot. In Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, the rainfall of an entire year fell in the first half of 2016th For growers a disaster, because the wet summer leads to increased fungal infection of the vines and threatened the harvest. For weeks, therefore the vintners fighting in the wine producing regions already against attack of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), to save her wine.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the state with the largest wine-growing area, the crop failure is so far estimated at approximately 20 percent; in individual layers even threatening a total failure. In particular, the 1300 Eco-wineries in the country have problems: The specific provisions for organic wine producers limit the selection and use of chemical pesticides. The use of copper, the most important crop protection active ingredient in organic farming, is reaching its limits. Copper is washed off by the rain again from the vine and does not penetrate, such as systemic pesticides into the plant itself. Therefore, the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate has now launched a large scale project with the active ingredient potassium phosphonate on the State Winery Bad Kreuznach, the organic winegrowers can join.
As the wine quality of the vintage 2016 will ultimately be, now depends on the weather the next few weeks. In the 13 German wine-growing regions, there are about 102,500 hectares of vineyards and approximately 43.3000 wine producers The largest German wine-growing area is located in Rhineland-Palatinate, with approximately 64,000 hectares, followed by Baden-Württemberg with around 27,000 hectares (details Federal Statistical Office 2015).
Italy Beckons
THIS place doesn’t look real. From the top of a steep hillside covered in lemon trees and grapevines, the village of Manarola tumbles out below, like a handful of pink, orange and yellow blocks that have been shaken, then poured from a toy bag. Manarola is one of five hamlets strewn a few miles apart along… read more
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Situated in southern France, the Rhone Valley is among France’s most important wine regions, producing more quality (AOC) wine than any other with the exception of Bordeaux. Covering a large area (the region runs 125 miles long), the Rhone produces a wide range of wine styles from full-bodied, aromatic whites and deep-colored roses to powerful reds.
Among the best known appellations in the region is Chateauneuf-du-Pape, named for the Pope’s castle when the papacy was centered in Avignon. Producers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are permitted to select from 13 different grape varieties, with the reds mostly focused on Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and, to a lesser extent, Cinsault. Although not as well known (since they account for only 5% of production within the AOC), the white Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines are also produced from a blend of varieties, notably Grenache Blanc and Clairette.
This diverse selection of grape varieties is partially attributed to Joseph Ducos, a local winegrower who was instrumental in replanting the area’s vineyards in the wake of phylloxera. Ducos was owner of Château La Nerthe, one of the region’s oldest estates (dating to the 12th century).
Situated within the heart of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, wine production at Château La Nerthe has been documented since 1560. Originally under the aegis of the Tulle de Villefranche family, Ducos purchased Chateau La Nerthe in 1870. Since 1985, the property has been owned by the Richard family and it is presently managed by Christian Voeux. The Chateau’s vineyards are 40 years old, on average, and have been certified as organic since 1998.
Chateau La Nerthe produces four wines: Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Clos de Beauvenir and Cuvée des Cadettes, the latter being a name first used by Joseph Ducos and revived in 1986.
Chateau La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir Chateauneuf du Pape 2010, Rhone Valley, France, $130.00
A beautiful blend of Roussanne, Clairette (along with a bit of white Grenache and Bourboulenc), this small special cuvee is produced from a small (2.5 ha) single vineyard. Fermented in used barrels, with 8-9 months on the lees, the wine is dry with medium+ acidity and full body; aromas and flavors of waxy, peach, floral, musk, oak linger in the wine’s long length. Chateau La Nerthe has been certified organic since 1998. Previous vintages of this wine could easily age 10-12 years, but with a shift to fermenting a percentage of the wine in oak (in addition to aging it in oak), it is expected that the wine can age for 15 years.
Chateau La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2010, Rhone Valley, France, $48.00
With a majority of the blend given over to Grenache Noir, the wine is rounded out with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault and aged in a combination of oak barrels, casks and wooden vats. The oak is well integrated on both the nose and palate, offering notes of vanilla, wood and spice, along with black cherry, smoke and leather. Beautiful and complex, this wine can certainly age for a decade or more.
Jody talks about the ins and out of Valentine’s Day dining.
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