Nordic Wine Blog

Latest Posts

Unleash the winemaker in you

Published by Sarah Jefford

How often do you order a glass of wine and think, mmm, quite nice, but it would be so much better if it were a little more fruity or maybe a little more tannic… No, the tannins are fine, what is lacking is more power? Or more acid? In other words, if you were the winemaker, you would have made the wine differently and you might even have come up with a better product, or in any case you would have created a wine that corresponds to your taste.

If that is how you feel, Högberga Vinfabrik is just the ticket for you. Located in Lidingö on the grounds of a country hotel, it is a small winery that makes its own wine and that offers wine tasting sessions to the public. These sessions include a visit of Vinfabrik’s premises with detailed explanations into the winemaking process as well as a tasting of their range of wine accompanied by delicious Italian cheeses and cold cuts.

Rosé, red wines and a passito with a plate of pasta, Italian cheeses and cold cuts at Högberga Vinfabrik, Stockholm

Visiting a winery in a country not known for wine production, and what’s more in the centre of a city, is unusual and interesting and the tasting session at Vinfabrik is equally innovative. You don’t just sit and sip, but you mix and assess. Vinfabrik invites you to discover its single varietal wines and to experiment into making different blends with two or three of them. The winery sources its grapes from Bolgheri in Italy, a region known for its Super Tuscans, where the main varieties are the French Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the indigenous Sangiovese.

We arrived at Vinfabrik to find three glasses of red wine, a measuring beaker and some empty glasses waiting for us. The sommelier hosting the event invited us to first taste each one of the single varietal red wines, which were a young Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, and to pick out their main feature. The consensus was that tannin came to the fore in Cabernet Sauvignon, fruit in Merlot and acidity in Sangiovese.

Blend your own wine at Högberga Vinfabrik

He next requested that we pour two measures of Cabernet Sauvignon and one measure of Merlot into a glass. What did we think of it? Was the blend more interesting than the individual wines? How did the different characteristics of the varieties balance out? Those proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are in fact typical in a Bordeaux left bank red wine. Our next task was to mix 0.3 dl Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.3 dl Merlot and 1 dl Sangiovese, a Robert Parker-like recipe, the sommelier told us, to give power and complexity to the thinner, more acidic and light-coloured Sangiovese. Once our introduction to blending was over, we were provided with some more empty glasses and a top-up of wine. It was now our turn to experiment. The idea is for us to come up with our very own blend, the combination that we think works the best, a wine that we tailor make to suit our taste. But this is not an exercise for a one-off moment of pleasure. The winery will prepare your preferred blend for you. It will bottle, label and package it so that you may enjoy your very own wine back home. All you need to do is give the winery “your recipe” and the desired number of bottles. Your order will be ready for you to pick up at some later date from a Systembolaget shop.

The have got the kit at Högberga Vinfabrik in Stockholm

Urban wineries have been popping up in cities all over the world, in the US (New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati), in the UK (London) and in Hong Kong, to name a few. Stockholm has even gained a second one, The Winery Hotel, which opened in January 2016. The services provided vary from one winery to another. Some offer hotel accommodation, dining, spa, and can be hired for conferences and weddings. The core attractions that all have in common are wine tasting, an introduction to the winemaking process and equipment, and some form of hands-on experience whether it be participation in the winemaking process or blending your own wine.

Högberga Vinfabrik started off in 2004 as a hobby in a garage in the southern outskirts of Stockholm city. Two friends, one of them having previously lived in Tuscany, thought it would be fun to get hold of some grapes in Italy and drive them back to Sweden to make wine. Neither of them had any experience in winemaking but they managed to get help along the way and their project took off. The hobby turned into a commercial venture and six years later the whole operation moved to its current location at Högberga Gård. Here the winery can house tanks, barrels, and bottles and has a tasting room to accommodate visitors. Today Högberga Vinfabrik is busy catering to wine consumers who are ever more knowledgeable and eager to broaden the scope of their experience of wine.

Högberga Vinfabrik and The Winery Hotel in Stockholm both offer winemaking sessions. They also have a restaurant, a hotel and can be booked for conferences and weddings.

Vinfabrik
Email: info@vinfabrik.se
c/o Högberga Gård Hotell & Konferens
Grindstigen 5-6, 181 62 Lidingö
Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 546 46 100
Fax: +46 (0)8 546 46 200
Email: info@hogberga.se

The Winery Hotel
Rosenborgsgatan 20
169 74 Solna
Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 146 000
Email: info@thewineryhotel.se

Högberga Gård on Lidingö, Stockholm, Sweden

Wine tasting on Paros island at Moraitis Winery

Published by Sarah Jefford

I spent some of the summer of 2015 with my family on the island of Paros in Greece. Our hotel had no dining facilities and so we ate out in the small fishing town of Naoussa every evening. The restaurants we visited were all excellent as was the wine. We made a point of choosing Greek wines and on quite a few occasions we had local wines suggested to us. Local included wines from other islands such as neighbouring Santorini but also wines from Paros island itself. The latter were quite unique and made from grape varieties that I had not previously encountered. The producer of those intriguing wines was Moraitis and happened to be located in Naoussa, a short distance from the town centre. One afternoon when it was simply too hot to be on the beach I set off to find out more about the winery.

Moraitis Winery, Naoussa, Paros island, Greece (photo by Sarah Jefford)

I stepped into the cool building and found myself in the main tasting room. I was not alone. Quite a few tourists were there too, having escaped the heat, and were propped up against a long bar, sipping on wine that was being poured out to them by a member of the winery. In adjoining rooms, a collection of old harvesting and cellar equipment was on display for the benefit of visitors. Cellars on the floor below housed barrels and bottles of old vintage wine.

Savvas Moraitis came to greet me. His family owns the winery and has been making wine on Paros island for the past century. Now the younger generation is actively involved in the running of the winery. Savvas studied business administration in Athens and looks after the business side of the winery whilst his brother is the winemaker.

Barrels in the cellar of Moraitis Winery, Paros, Greece (photo by Sarah Jefford)

The family have 25 hectares of vines that they manage and farm organically. They also buy grapes from a group of fifty-eight growers that have vines all over the island. Their annual production is 300’000 bottles split roughly between 55% white and 45% red. They also produce some rosé and some sweet wine.

Savvas explained to me how in the last fifteen to twenty years a revolution has been taking place in winemaking in Greece. Winemaking itself remains traditional but huge investments have been made in new machinery, in stainless steel cellar equipment.

Sixty percent of their wine is sold on the Greek market, all over Greece. The remaining forty percent is exported to North America, UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and China.

Savvas Moraitis at Moraitis Winery, Paros

Savvas Moraitis in the tasting room at Moraitis Winery, Paros, Greece (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Sarah Jefford – What is special about Paros?
Savvas Moraitis – Viticulture in Paros is ancient. It dates back to 3000 BC. On the small island of Despotiko, adjacent to Antiparos, archeological remains have been found attesting to the most ancient civilisation in Europe.

In antiquity Paros was renowned for the quality of its marble, which was particularly fine and transparent. Venus de Milo and Hermes have both been sculpted out of Parian marble.

On the viticultural front, Paros has not been hit by phylloxera. Vines here are not grafted. Vines that grow on their own root system have a long lifetime and thus many of our vines are very old.

What is the climate and the soil like here ?
Paros has its own microclimate. It is very dry, there is little rainfall and we have north winds all year round. The soil is poor. It is mainly sandy clay and sand on the coastline. In the more mountainous areas the soil is rocky with often a layer of marble underneath.

You have lots of different grape varieties, what is a typical harvest for you?
Our harvest usually begins in August and finishes at the end of September. The order in which we pick the varieties is Assyrtiko, Malagousia, then Monemvasia and we finish with the red varietals.

What is your outlook for this year’s harvest?
2015 has been a good year for Paros with a good rainfall in the spring and good winds in the summer.

Paros island, Greece, a view from Kolimbithres (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Where are your vineyards located?
Our vineyards are scattered in many different areas of the island: in Ambelas and Isterni on the eastern coast, as well as from Marmara all the way down the coast to the southern tip of the island; Kamares on the top western part of the island, between Naoussa and Parikia. Our vineyards in Lefkes and Thapsales, in the centre of the island, are the highest and the oldest.

How are the vines trained? Are they trellised?
The winds on Paros are very strong. We therefore only use trellises on sites that are sheltered from the wind. Our Assyrtiko and Malagousia which grow in Isterni are trellised. The rest of the vines are free standing.

Are your free standing vines woven into baskets like on Santorini?
The main technique that we use here is “Aplotaria”. The vines are planted some distance apart and are left to sprawl without support. This system protects the vines from the wind. As the plant is close to the ground this enables it to capture humidity from the wind at night time under its leaves. This is an important source of water in this otherwise dry climate.

Moraitis white wines. Syllogi, Malagousia, Paros.

White wines at Moraitis Winery made from varieties such as Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Monemvasia (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Moraiti, Sillogi 2014, PGI Cyclades, Greece
(Product of organic farming)

A dry white wine made from the Assyrtiko and Malagousia grape varieties.

Tasting note: the colour is a pale lemon with a hint of green. On the nose ripe lemons, some sweetness, lime zest and green apple. On the palate sweet lemons, lime with a dry backbone, bitter apple skins, silky body and medium acidity. The assyrtiko’s searing acidity and powerful body has been tempered by the aromatic Malagousia. The resulting wine is light in body yet with texture.

Ktima Moraiti, Malagousia 2014, PGI Cyclades, Greece
(Product of organic farming)

Malagousia is a grape variety that according to Greek wine author Lazarakis (2005) “has the power of a Chardonnay, the extract of a great Semillon, a great affinity with oak, and an aromatic character that could only be described as unique”. A previously “forgotten” varietal that is believed to have originated in the western part of continental Greece, it has today found renewed interest.

Tasting note: Wafts of Williams pear and salty citrus. A nice weight on the palate, peach, apricot, orange and bitter lemon peel.

Moraitis, Paros 2014, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Paros, Greece

The grapes for this white wine come from vineyards all the way along the east coast of Paros, from the level of Marmara right down to the south. The soil is sand. The grape variety is Monemvasia which is thought to have its origins in the southern Peloponese, from the area surrounding the town which gave it its name. It became extinct on the mainland under the Ottoman empire but was preserved on the island of Paros. Today it is only really found on Paros though there have been some new plantings in Laconia, close to its region of birth.

Tasting note: Aromas of lemon squash, white flowers, lemon, apple, pineapple. Dry, light bodied with medium acidity, with a little bitterness, minerality, citrus, white flowers, green apples.

This white wine has been fermented classically in stainless steel.

White, rosé and red wines at Moraitis Winery, Paros island, Greece (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Moraitis, Estate 2014, PDO Paros, Greece
(13% abc – 3’000 bottes produced)

The grapes are Monemvasia sourced from top vineyards close to Kamares, on the north-western side of the island. The soil is poor and sandy, and offers good drainage. These are Moraitis’ own vineyards and are organically grown. The grapes are handpicked. Eighty percent of them are fermented in stainless steel and the remaining twenty percent in barrels. The wood is 100% new French oak with a light toast. Once the fermentation has taken place the wine that has fermented in oak is added to the stainless steel fermented wine and is left on the lees for six months. In addition to the latter procedure, skins are left in contact with the juice before the fermentation to create complexity. Fermentation temperatures are kept low.

Tasting note: Pungent on the nose with aromas of apricot, white peach, pear. Med+ acidity. The wine is dry and has been fermented to dryness but Savvas Moraitis tells me that the Monemvasia grape variety has sweet aromas that give an impression of sweetness.

This is one of their top range wines which can be aged up to ten years.

Moraitis, Paros 2013, barrel fermented, PDO Paros, Greece
(13% abc – 5’000 bottles produced)

The grape variety is Monemvasia. This white wine is entirely fermented in oak barrels and is left on its lees for six months with regular stirring. The barrels are medium toast, 100% new French oak from Tonnellerie Nadalié in the Médoc. This step adds extra richness and complexity to the wine. The grapes are sourced from Moraitis’ group of grape growers, from vineyards in the Lefkes area, in the mountainous centre of the island.

Tasting note: Aromas that are smoky, evocative of lemon and lime cordial and pear “tarte tatin”. Intense with quite a full body, medium acidity and a long length, the palate unfolds sweet limes, citrus, almond paste, a hint of bitterness, Bassetts’ blue liquorice sweets and pomegranate.

A refreshing glass of white Paros from Moraitis at Yemeni restaurant in Naoussa, Paros (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Ktima Moraiti, Rosé 2014, Aidani Mavro-Mandilaria, PGI Cyclades, Greece
(Product of organic farming)

Moraitis’ rosé is made from a blend of Aidani Mavro and Mandilaria. The Aidani Mavro is a grape variety that is only found on Paros, in the Cycladic islands and on Crete. It is adapted to the hot and dry climate of the islands and copes well with water stress (Lazarakis, 2005). Mandilaria is the most common red grape in the Cyclades. According to Savvas it is the darkest grape varieties in Greece. It has high tannin and high acidity. This rosé displays the colour of the Mandilaria and the aroma of the Aidani. Both varieties are fermented separately. There is a three hour period of skin contact for the Aidani Mavro. For the Mandilaria the press cycle has to be kept very short.

Tasting note: Bright cherryade colour. Very fruity, strawberries, cherries, peach, caramel, red sweets. Appealing, quite full on the palate, dry and fresh.

Moraitis, Sillogi 2010, Greece
(Product of organic farming)

A blend of 75% Aidani Mavro and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines are thirty years old but are in the process of being phased out to be replaced with indigenous grape varieties. The vines are from vineyards on either side of the island: Kamares, on the north-western side, in from the beach where the soil is sandy clay and rock; Ambelas, on the north-eastern coast where the soil is sandy clay.

Tasting note: An earthy and floral nose with violets and irises. A spicy, earthy body with savoury and sweet notes including red cherries, sun-dried tomatoes, pansies, caramel and coffee. Silky with a long length.

Moraitis Winery: red and rosé wines are made from Mandilaria

The Mandilaria red grape variety is used in Moraitis’ rosés and reds (photo by Sarah Jefford)

Moraitis, Paros 2011, PDO Paros, Greece

This is a red wine but it is unusual in that it is made with 75% Mandilaria, a red variety, and 25% Monemvasia, a white variety. This blend is particular to Paros and has a long tradition. The vines were planted together and used to be pressed together. Mandilaria is very tannic, has a very high acidity and a very deep red colour.

Tasting note: Intense and generous nose with floral tones, prune, orange, cinnamon. A very spicy palate, with more cinnamon, smoke, dark fruit and black olives. The wine spent twelve months in 85% French and 25% American oak.

Moraitis, Paros Reserve 2009, PDO Paros, Greece
(13% abv)

This is a red wine, a traditional Paros blend of the tannic red Mandilaria and the aromatic white Monemvasia. The grapes are sourced from Lefkes, from the oldest and the highest vineyards on Paros. The old vines, low yields and elevation bring concentration and freshness to the wine. Paros Reserve matures for twenty-four months in oak and one year in bottle.

Tasting note: Monemvasia’s peach and apricot aromatics come through on the nose amidst Mandilaria’s dark fruit and savouriness. The palate is fresh and complex and offers floral notes, dark fruit, prunes, plums, caramel, dried raisins and hints of very concentrated strawberry jam.

Moraiti, Liastos 2008, Produce of Greece
(13.8% abv)

A beautiful dessert wine made from the white Monemvasia grape variety. The grapes have been left out to dry on the soil for fifteen days. The wine is aged two years in oak barrels.

Tasting note: See-through mahoganny with amber coloured rim. Fresh aromas of caramel, coffee, orange, grapefruit, fig and waxy honey. Luscious and silky sweet on the palate but not overbearing, medium bodied with fresh acidity, raisins, prunes, toffee, fresh orange, apricots, figs and a little heat. A long finish. Does not need to be paired with dessert. It is a good accompaniment to nuts.

Moraitis Winery, Naoussa, 844 01 Paros, Greece – http://www.moraitiswines.gr – info@moraitiswines.gr

References
Lazarakis, K. 2005, The Wines of Greece, Kindle ed., Mitchell Beazley, London

Vintips – Vecka 44

Published by Sarah Jefford

Första snön i Stockholm. Perfekt – mer plats i kylskåpet då vita viner kan förvaras på balkongen – så länge som det inte fryser på ordentligt förstås. Således blir veckans vintips om vitt vin och om den klassiska druvan Sauvignon Blanc. Två viner, två olika uttryck. Ett vin från den nya världen och ett från den gamla. Men nuförtiden är begreppen “ny värld” och “gammal värld”lite passé då gränserna är suddiga och lätt flyter ihop. Kan man verkligen ställa än mot den andra? Europeiska vinmakare inspireras av vinmakarna från antipoderna och vice versa. Det är numera inte alltid så lätt att gissa vart ett vin kommer ifrån. Stil är kanske ett bättre ord att använda för att jämföra viner. I alla fall har vi här två viner som båda kommer från tydligt svala områden och som i sin respektive stil är typiska för deras ursprung. […]
Read More

MW – A journey to higher knowledge

Published by Sarah Jefford

I recently received an email from the Alumni Association of my university which opened with a rhetorical question on whether my education had helped me achieve something great. I am not sure about “achievement” as such but one great thing it did help me with was being accepted on the Masters of Wine programme.

The Institute of Masters of Wine was formed in 1955 to “promote professional excellence and knowledge of the art, science and business of wine” (www.mastersofwine.org). Although originally set up in London, the organisation is now international with events and workshops taking place all over the world and members from more than 28 different countries.

The Masters of Wine Examination is and has always been notoriously difficult. The knowledge required to pass is both broad and in-depth and covers areas such as viticulture, wine production, the handling and business of wine, and contemporary issues. At the first Masters of Wine Examination set up in 1953 by the Vintners’s Company and the Wine and Spirit Association to improve the standard of knowledge of those in the wine trade, twenty-one candidates presented themselves and only six passed. Sixty-three years later, there are still only three hundred and fifty-four members who have been successful at the Examination. The programme is self-study but includes study days and residential seminars. The Institute also organises regular seminars in London, North America and Australia. Every student receives support from a Master of Wine who acts as mentor. At the end of the first year, in June, there is a practical and theoretical assessment. Passing both parts of the Stage 1 Assessment is necessary to move on the second year which concludes with a four day long practical (blind wine-tasting) and theory exam. The third and final stage is the submission of a research paper.

The course kicked off mid-October in London with a two day workshop on tasting and theory. Tension was tangible amongst the students in the room as we waited for the Master of Wine to begin her presentation. By the end of the introduction we were all reeling at the scope of what we had to learn and the sheer volume of work we were letting ourselves in for. Our first blind tasting session of twelve wines was quite a challenge and made it clear to us that we had a lot to practice but more to the point that we needed to taste in a different and more analytical way. Critical thinking is the name of the game. A skill we need to apply to tasting, learning and to managing ourselves through our studies.

Our workshop gave us a good insight into how to approach our studies, but I was keen to get some advice from current and past students of the programme and hear what they had to say about their experience as a student.

There are currently three Swedish Masters of Wine and a handful of MW students in Sweden on the programme. I spoke to Pontus Jennerholm, a trained sommelier and WSET educator, who is now teaching at the Vinkällan Wine Academy in Stockholm after lecturing for seven years at Örebro University’s Grythyttan. Pontus is in his fifth year as a Master of Wine student.

SJ. Congratulations Pontus I hear that you passed the theory part of the Masters of Wine Examination. What strategy did you apply for your studies?

Pontus Jennerholm -The amount of work required is overwhelming. You need to put in the time and you have to study so much to be able to deliver at the exams. For the theory part you need in depth technical knowledge. For the practical, you have to be able to answer quickly as in the exam you only get a little over 11 minutes to work out each wine and answer the attached two to three questions. You have to practice writing answers in exam conditions so that you do not get into a panic and blank out.-

When and how much do you study?

-I try to study five days a week for one hour in the morning before work and a couple of hours in the evening. I make sure that I also get one full day of studying in the week.-

How do you organise your tasting notes, do you have note books or are they all electronic?

-I have both. I have large excel files and I have mind maps and notes. I usually end up writing my notes out twice.-

What tips can you give me?

-I have found Coravin, the wine closure, really useful for tasting classic and vintage wines. The other thing is to make a list of wines that you know you mix up. For me, for example, it was Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. If you start getting confused during an exam you end up stressed out and are at risk of failing the paper. All you need is one bad day to jeopardise the outcome of the entire practical exam…-

I also spoke to Louise Sydbeck MW who is Swedish but based in Antibes where she runs her own yachting agency, Riviera Wine. Her studies ended in 2014 and she was the 100th woman to have graduated as Master of Wine. She was awarded the Bollinger Medal for her outstanding tasting paper.

SJ. What made you embark on the Master of Wine programme?

Louise Sydbeck -This was something that I did for myself. I am passionate about wine and I simply wanted to know more about it. I don’t think you can pursue these studies for the sake of it being good for your career. You need a deeper drive to see you through.-

How did you plan your studies? Did you go on many trips?

-At home in France there were no student tasting groups so I travelled to London quite a lot to go to tastings and to attend “tasting boot camps”. I also went to all the big trade fairs such as Prowein, London Wine Fair etc… I took a bag that left my hands free to hold two wine glasses so that I could go around the various stalls and taste and compare wines, such as Grüner Veltliner and Albariño for example. I focused on wines that I mixed up. For the theory you need to work on writing in a structured and concise way.-

How long did it take you to complete your studies?

-It took me seven years including a whole year off that I took for the dissertation.-

How did you fit studying into your life?

-I worked every morning between 5 am and 7 am throughout my studies with a break during the summer months, after the June exam session.-

Are you relieved that it’s over?

-Now I am super busy at work and I would not be able to find time to study. But I miss being a student and it was the best journey of my life…-

Vintips – vecka 43

Published by Sarah Jefford

När skörden är på väg i många olika länder i Europa så har vi i Sverige börjat sjunka in i mörker och köld. Tid för att öppna lite kraftigare flaskor och återbesöka klassiska druvor. Som Cabernet Sauvignon, den så kallade kungen av druvor som kan växa lite överallt utan att tappa sin identitet. Cabernet Sauvignon vinifieras ensam eller blandat. Det är inte bara i Bordeaux som han regerar utan också i Napa, Kalifornien, samt i Stellenbosch, Sydafrika. […] Read More

No Pianotage of Pinotage

Published by Sarah Jefford

(Pianotage – French, from pianoter meaning ‘to play the piano with no skill’)

South Africa always seems to be in the limelight these days. A few weeks ago Kanonkop’s winemaker Abrie Beeslaar, and marketing manager Deirdre Taylor paid a visit to Stockholm. A non-central destination for them to travel to, but a commercially important one: Sweden and Denmark are their big export markets.

It is quite a privilege to have winemakers talk about their wines: there is invariably interesting information to glean from them and they really make their wines come to life. Fourteen bottles were on show. Amongst them just under half were from the Pinotage grape variety and the remainder from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon blends. To my surprise there were no white wines whatsoever. Not one Chenin Blanc in sight…

I confess that I have reservations regarding Pinotage. I will never forget the first time I tried a Pinotage wine. It was rough, it was bitter, it smelled of Band-Aid plaster and tasted of burnt tar. An “Edith Piaf, Mon Légionnaire” moment gone wrong…

That experience, however, was not to repeat itself on this occasion. My reacquaintance with Pinotage was first through the latest addition to Kanonkop´s range: a rosé. It made for a good start to the session. Kanonkop´s Kadette Pinotage Rosé 2016 has all the qualities one looks for in a rosé: dry, refreshing, alive with red fruit and minerality and dressed in an inviting delicate light pink hue.

Next up was an equally inspiring red, a 2014 blend of Pinotage, Cabernet and Merlot. Luscious and fresh with plenty of sweet dark fruit, this wine is made from younger plants and older barrels for Kanonkop´s Kadette label and is to be drunk in its youth.

If the Pinotage rosé was the hook, the Kadette blend was the sinker, and these were just the preamble. By now I was really looking forward to tasting a pure Pinotage wine but I had to wait as a line-up of Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2012, 2003 and 2001 vintages was poured out. All three wines shared some common traits: elegance, freshness, balance, subtle tannins and ripe dark fruit.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which has a little Cabernet Franc added to it, is a vibrant purple ruby colour, fresh, smoky, with dark fruit and some vanilla. On the palate it is silky, it has good acidity, notes of mocca intertwined with blue fruit, and tannins that fade gracefully away.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a complex blend of light smoke, white pepper, liquorice, padrón peppers, dark chocolate, moreish blue fruit and vanilla. It remains fresh with good length and dry discreet tannins. 2003 is Abrie Beeslaar´s favourite vintage, which he says has some austerity and a more European expression.

Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar from Kanonkop presenting his wines in Stockholm at The Ebenist in September 2016

And now for the controversial Pinotage. Quite a different beast from Cabernet Sauvignon. A grape variety, however, that Kanonkop´s winemaker likes a lot. Not a bad thing as 50% of the estate’s vineyards are planted with Pinotage. The variety, a cross between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir, can produce young as well as ageworthy wines. In its youth Pinotage shows dark fruit and with age it takes on more savoury, earthy and spicy notes. At Kanonkop Pinotage gets gold treatment. It is matured for 18 months in up to 80% new French oak barrels. It then receives another 6 to 12 months maturation in bottle.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Pinotage 2014. A wine with aromas of dark fruit, kirsch, cherries, on a supple core of baked and savoury flavours, and evanescent tannins.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Pinotage 2009. Red and dark fruit. Cherries, prune, raspberries, blueberry pie, smoke, textured tannins and savouriness. According to Abrie Beeslaar, 2009 was a great vintage with cool conditions. It was, in fact, the second best vintage in the decade.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Pinotage 1994. In spite of the average vintage, this Pinotage has a lovely perfumed, floral nose with red fruit and spice. Quite a feminine wine. A lightish body with sweet raspberry and some smoke.

The cherry on the cake came with Kanonkop Estate Wine Black Label Pinotage 2014. Very fresh and delicate on the nose. A marked intensity of ripe dark fruit, smokiness, chocolate, and tannins that leave an impression and then fade away. The expression of Pinotage is very different in this wine. It is like a French Burgundy, a site wine, made from 63 year old vines to boot.

If I had any doubts about the Pinotage grape variety, they were entirely dispelled by Kanonkop’s wines. These are, however, in a class of their own. How is it that Kanonkop has been so successful with the expression of its wines?

South Africa has a long tradition of grape growing that dates back to the 1600s. The country was renowned for its dessert Constantia wines. In the 20th century, however, grapes mainly went to the production of spirits but in the 1960s and 1970s the focus shifted to quality wine. At Kanonkop they tried all sorts of different grape varieties, including Shiraz, and gradually they figured out which varieties worked and where in particular they worked the best. This is how they came to drop white varieties altogether. In the 60s and 70s, a time when everyone in South Africa was planting white grape varieties, Kanonkop was planting red. Their majority plantings are of Pinotage (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) but they also cultivate Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Journalists taking good notes as Abrie Beeslaar explains the success of Kanonkop wines

Kanonkop Estate is situated in Stellenbosch at the foothills of the Simonsberg mountain. There the climate is well suited for red varieties with warm days, cool nights and ocean breezes. Varieties have been planted according to where they do best. Thus Pinotage grows on the slopes, and Cabernet Sauvignon at lower altitudes. All grapes are sourced from the estate or from farmers that work for the estate and yields are kept low (5 tons per hectare for Pinotage).

Different training systems are used depending on varieties and conditions. Many of the Pinotage vines are quite old and gnarly, their age ranging between 30 and 60 years and they are bushvines. Cabernet Sauvignon on the other hand is younger stock and is trellised. This is good in the case of Cabernet as the grape variety can present high levels of pyrazine. With trellising it is possible to minutely manage the ripening process and avoid strong green bell pepper flavours. Trellising is also used on some of the plants that are located right in the mouth of the wind.

Wind is a challenge in Stellenbosch. During the months of October and November the winds can be very strong. They can badly affect flowering and cause major moisture loss, particularly on the unirrigated bushvines. In 2016 the conditions were both windy and dry. This resulted in an uneven vintage with less grapes and some completely green berries at ripening.

Undoubtedly vineyard practices are key in the excellence of Kanonkop’s wines. But that is not the entire story, the grapes need to be processed. Abrie Beeslaar talked much about the work in the vineyard and skimmed over the winemaking, without even a mention of his contribution or philosophy… In any event all of the above-mentioned wines attest to the winemaker’s talent and to how everything is beautifully in balance at Kanonkop Estate.

Kanonkop vineyard (image: copyright Kanonkop courtesy http://www.nigab.se)

Watch Abrie Beeslaar sing the praises of Pinotage and ostrich … in these two WineSpectator videos.

A fresh start

Published by Sarah Jefford

Summer is over. The children have started school again and work routines have resumed. A spell of freezing weather made it easier to accept the end of holidays. But some warm and sunny days have made a come back, giving us the opportunity to finish off the last bottles of rosé that didn’t get drunk during the summer break. This is certainly true in my case: I am a weather optimist. I stock up the summer house in the archipelago with plenty of refreshing whites and rosés to find that there are not enough opportunities to drink them. Swedish summers are unpredictable. They can be nice and warm, but they are not long lasting. The evenings where one can comfortably sit outside are few. Once the sun has set, life on the terrace is spent wrapped up in a blanket or a down jacket fighting mosquitoes. Those are not conditions that prompt me to choose rosé, but the pink wine can be a useful psychological prop. If rosé exists mainly to refresh and quench the thirst from summer heat, we can happily sip it under just that pretence, enjoy virtual heat and imagine the sound of crickets.

Summer evening sky in the Stockholm archipelago

As the waning wasps dance aimlessly around, I shall be tempting friends with the last of my summer wine. I am not sure how much of it will get drunk. According to the Swedish National Food Agency (www.livsmedelsverket.se), summer is the period of year in Sweden when the consumption of wine and spirits is at its highest. As school and work routines set in so do sporting activities and healthy eating habits. The positive aspects of wine are quickly forgotten and consumption levels of alcohol fall. The current mood is on maintaining the holiday glow and cutting back on excesses. Media coverage of food and wine in early September was focusing on the highly calorific content of wine and on the negative impact of alcohol on sports training. In mid-September Dagens Nyheter’s wine writer was still following in the same vein by giving tips in the week-end supplement on how to make an opened bottle of wine last longer. A message to not finish an entire bottle in one sitting…

Wine and oxidation: DN’s Alf Tumble giving advice on how to store an opened bottle of wine

But what does a glass of wine contain and is it really all that bad for you?

Wine’s life starts off as a sweet grape juice. The average composition of that juice is water (80%), sugars (20%), organic acids (0.6%) and other dry extract (0.5%) containing proteins, amino acids, esters, alcohols, polyphenols, minerals and aroma components (Margalit, 1996, p. 12). As the grape juice becomes wine, some of the original components remain and others are produced. The main change is the conversion of sugars into alcohol. A glass of table wine between 8% and 14% alcohol by volume, fortified dessert and aperitif wines are roughly made up of water (70 – 90% v/v), ethyl alcohol (8 – 20% v/v), sugars (0.1 – 20% w/v), acids (0.3 – 1% w/v), bases (0.1 – 0.3 w/v), phenolics, tannins (up to 0.4% w/v), volatiles (up to 0.2% w/v), other non-volatiles (0.5 – 1% w/v) (Rankine, 2004, p. 260).

In effect it is a minor percentage of the total content that can create drunkenness and potential ill health. It is an even smaller percentage that sets one wine out from another through its colour, texture, odour and taste. All these elements play their part and work in symbiosis. They cannot be dissociated from the whole. Alcohol gives body and texture to the wine and it enhances many of the sensory perceptions. In addition, alcohol is highly calorific.

Drinkaware (www.drinkaware.co.uk) states that a 175 ml glass of red or white wine at 13% abv could contain up to 160 calories which is equivalent to a slice of madeira cake. The Swedish National Food Agency calculates that a 150 ml glass of dry white wine and dry red wine at 12% abv contain 101 and 73 calories respectively – a somewhat lower estimation than British Drinkaware. In Scandinavian terms the glass of white wine would be equivalent to a small portion of pickled herrings. Wine Folly (www.winefolly.com) has a clever formula for counting the calories of alcohol in wine which is to multiply the amount of wine in millilitre by the alcoholic percentage, then multiply again by 7. In addition to the calories from the alcohol, there are those from sugar in wine such as in the case of champagne, fortified, late harvested wine etc… but likewise in dry white wine which can often have residual sugar to mask an unpalatable acidity, bitterness or an inherent poor quality.

In the fridge: pickled herring, pickled herring and pickled herring

If one solely looks at the calorific content, then wine does indeed compare badly with a sugary fizzy drink (150 ml = 64 cal, Swedish National Food Agency). Wine does not, however, stifle the appetite like a sugary beverage, nor does it fill you up and need digesting like a slice of madeira cake. Moreover it usually makes food taste better. What other reasons are there for drinking wine with food? And what about the beneficial effects of wine? I turned to Ronald Jackson’s book Wine Science and found the following answers stated in the paragraph below.

Wine taken in moderation with food increases saliva and gets the gastric juices going, thus promoting digestion. When enjoyed with a gastronomic meal it helps us to regulate our food consumption, making us eat more slowly and realise when we are about to reach satiety. Wine also has an antibiotic effect on Helicobacterium pylori, one of the main causes of stomach ulcers. Furthermore, studies have shown that a moderate consumption of alcohol reduces the rate of death caused by cardiovascular disease by 30-35%. Hypertension, heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease are all reduced, as are kidney stones, with a regular moderate consumption of alcohol. A diuretic and muscle relaxant, wine can help with arthritis by limiting water retention and reducing joint swelling. It has microbial properties, known since Roman time when wine or vinegar was added to soldiers’ water to fight dysentery (Jackson, 2008).

The phenolics are mainly in the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes but some are in the juice and pulp

The major components in wine that are responsible for the above-mentioned health benefits are the alcohol itself as well as the phenolic compounds. The latter are in the skins, seeds and stems and extracted during fermentation, though a small percentage is present in the juice and pulp. The compounds have antioxidant properties. They preserve wine by protecting it from oxidation. Antioxidants act in a similar way in the human body. Vitamin E and C are both important antioxidants found in some of our foodstuff. Wine does not contain those vitamins but it has potent antioxidants such as resveratrol (also found in blueberries) and such as the flavonoids quercetin and catechin. Antioxidants are thought to lessen the occurrence of neurological diseases, notably Alzheimer, and are beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Generally red wine contains greater levels of antioxidants than white wines as white wine is pressed and then fermented off the skins. Various factors impact on the concentration of phenolics, such as grape variety, vintage and winemaking. White wine made from the maceration of grapes on the skin will show an increased concentration in phenolics. Caffeic and coumaric acids, however, are two phenolics that are common in white wine and that are potent antioxidants (Jackson, 2008, p. 694).

White wine has its good sides too

It is understood that any health benefit is only obtained if wine or alcohol is consumed moderately and in conjunction with food.

I spoke to Sven Wåhlin, chief physician at Riddargatan 1, Mottagningen för Alkohol och Hälsa, a surgery for patients suffering from alcohol related problems. He of course mentioned the devastating effects of alcohol on the body and brain when consumed in excess. I asked him what he thought of a moderate daily consumption of wine and whether it was a good thing to give the body a rest and be abstinent a few days during the week. He was of the opinion that with regular drinking the villi (from Latin “shaggy hair”), which line the small intestine and whose task it is to transport nutrients into the bloodstream, get damaged. As a result vitamins and nutrients that the body needs do not get absorbed. I also asked him whether one could really put the calories in wine on a par with those say of a slice of cake. His answer to that was that the body does not respond in the same way to cake as it does to wine. Alcohol activates stress, it heightens the body’s base metabolic rate and makes it burn more calories.

So the golden rule is everything in moderation. In January 2016 the UK government issued revised guidelines on alcohol consumption and set lower upper limits than what it previously advised. These have been provoking some controversy and are amongst the lowest in the world for men (theguardian.com). The current recommendations are a weekly maximum for both men and women of 14 units. This corresponds to six 175 ml glasses of 13% wine a week – which incidentally is lower than the recommendations in Sweden where there is a state monopoly on alcohol.

When you see a 175 ml glass of wine on the table in front of you it is hard to believe that six of them are the limit, yet 175 ml is a big glass. Not that long ago a standard wine glass had a capacity of 100 ml. Today wine glassware has drastically increased in size and so have the servings. A standard pour in a restaurant is 175 ml but 250 ml is often also on offer. Every extra glass of wine ordered at the wine bar is a multiple of 175 ml. You order two glasses of wine and you are not far off a half bottle of wine.

Size matters. From left to right, 175 ml, 125 ml and 100 ml of red wine

From left to right, glasses containing 175 ml, 125 ml and 100 ml of red wine

Would it not be a good idea to make wine glasses with smaller bowls the norm in wine bars and restaurants? Wine glasses for a 100 ml pour? If 100 ml were the standard amount for a glass of wine instead of 175 ml, this would change consumers’ perception on what is a reasonable amount of wine to drink. They could then not just stick to one glass but could order two glasses with their food – from a psychological standpoint, two smaller glasses are more satisfying than one big one – and were they to have two such 100 ml glasses of wine everyday of the week, they would be over the British limit but within the recommended limits of alcohol consumption in Sweden. To fall within the British guidelines they would need to be abstinent for two days during the week. But maybe, as Dr Sven Wåhlin pointed out, that would be no such bad thing.

References
Jackson, R.S. (2008) Wine Science, Principles and Applications. 3rd ed. Canada: Academic Press
Margalit, Y. (1996) Winery Technology and Operations, A Handbook for Small Wineries. San Francisco: The Wine Appreciation Guild
Rankine, B. (2004) Making Good Wine. Sydney: Macmillan

To find out more about the effects of alcohol on health
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk

Click to access ah_fakta3.pdf

°(O_O)° Green aliens in Portugal

Published by Sarah Jefford

In a previous life – but on the same planet, or just about – when I worked for a private bank in Geneva, I had a colleague who was from Portugal. One day she started talking to me about the wines from her country. “Portugal makes a famous green wine”, she told me excitedly, “and it’s called Vinho Verde”. “The wine is so called because it is quite green in colour and is made from small unripe green berries”, she continued emphatically. I was going to question her but thought the better of it… I was quite surprised that she could think that green unripe berries would result in a beverage one would actually want to drink. Her words, nevertheless, left a lasting impression and Vinho Verde was never to be forgotten by me.

Vinho Verde is a region in the north-west of Portugal. It is bordered by the River Minho to the north, mountains below the River Douro to the south, the Atlantic to the west and a mountain range to the east. It is a pretty, verdant region, criss-crossed by lots of rivers. The soil is mainly granitic with sand towards the Atlantic and sediment in proximity to the rivers. The climate is very similar to that of neighbouring Galicia, in Spain. Winters are cold and rainy, summers hot and dry. Rainfall is quite high (1200 mm/per year) but it is concentrated between the months of October to April and thus does not affect most of the growing period nor harvest time.

Wines from the region can be labelled under the Vinho Verde Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP) or, if they don’t meet the criteria, under the Minho Indicação Geográfica Protegida (IGP). The Vinho Verde DOP is the most commonly seen on labels and covers ninety percent of the region’s production. Under the new EU labelling laws DOP has replaced Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) and IGP has replaced the Vinho Regional (VR) but the old terminology is still widely used in Portugal.

If Vinho Verde does literally translate as green wine, the word ”green” is to be understood as “young” which is how the wines from the region have traditionally been enjoyed. Today Vinho Verde is famed for its white wines and these are fresh, fruity, aromatic, light in body, low in alcohol, often slightly sweet and with a fizz. Occasionally there is no indication of vintage as the bottle can contain a mix of wines from different years. These wines are perfect as an apéritif or as an accompaniment to seafood. The majority of Vinho Verde is white (84%) though some rosé and red is also produced i.e. 6% and 10% respectively. The vineyard surface only amounts to 21’000 ha – a little less than 10% of the country’s total surface (224’000 ha), but it accounts for 40% of Portugal’s exports, which are increasing (2014 figures from the CVRVV).

White Vinho Verde come in different guises: single varietals or blends

Many Vinho Verde white wines are blends of native Portuguese varieties, and the classic one is a mix of Loureiro (60%), Arinto (20%) and Trajadura (20%). Loureiro is the most planted white grape variety producing wines with fresh floral and fruity aromatics and refreshing acidity. It grows by the coast and in the sub-region of Lima where it originates from. Its Portuguese name “Loureiro” translates as laurel and one of its distinctive features is its aroma of bay leaves. Avesso is another interesting indigenous white variety that is found in white blends mainly in the southern part of the region. The best recognised white variety from north-west Portugal, however, is undoubtedly Alvarinho. It is grown in the sub-region of Monção e Melgaço, which borders Spain. This is in fact the same grape variety that is known in Spanish as Albarino and which produces some of Spain’s best white wines, notably from Rías Baixas. In Portugal Alvarinho is commonly blended with Loureiro and Trajadura and also made as a single varietal wine. Single varietal Monção e Melgaço Alvarinhos tend to be weightier in style, more alcoholic and more expensive than traditional Vinho Verdes. Proponents of the grape variety include winemaker Anselmo Mendes, and Luis Cerdeira, cellarmaster at Quinta de Soalheiro. Both make a range of Alvarinhos and believe in the ageing potential of the grape variety. Their pursuit of expression is achieved through such means as fermentation on skins, fermentation in oak barrel, lees contact and bâtonnage.

Pink, red and white wine from Vinho Verde, Portugal

A mix of pink, red, white and sparkling wine from Vinho Verde, Portugal

1. Casal de Ventozela, Espadeiro 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (11.5% alc.)

This Vinho Verde is a rosé, made from the indigenous dark skinned Espadeiro. It is the variety that is commonly used for rosé but it also makes light red wine in the region.

Light pink in colour, fresh, peachy, floral, with a slight fizz, zingy acidity, red fruit and a little sweetness on the finish.

2. Solar de Serrade, Alvarinho 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (13% alc.)

The winery is located in the subregion of Monção e Melgaço, where Alvarinho finds its best expression. Alvarinhos from this subregion are often richer in style and higher in alcohol than the average Vinho Verde. Standard Vinho Verde wines usually range between 8% to 11.5% alcohol.

Pale lemon green, a bright clean nose with wafts of pears and sweet sherbet. Light in body, with a high acidity this aromatic wine has flavours of pears and white peach with a touch of the grape’s signature bitterness.

3. Quinta da Lixa, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura Escolha 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (11.5% alc.)

A classic Vinho Verde blend of three grape varieties. The wine is light, elegant, perfumed and fresh. A light fizz and a swirl of pears, peaches and nectarines tailing off nicely to a wet stone finish.

4. Casa Senhorial do Reguengo, Tinto Bruto, 2014, Basto, Portugal

Not what one might expect today from the Vinho Verde region: a sparkling (“espumante”) red wine. Nevertheless, this wine is a typical example of traditional winemaking from the region. Vinho Verde used to mainly produce red wines in a dry and fizzy style with native red varieties such as Vinhão, Padeiro and Espadeiro. It is only in the last thirty years or so that the region has shifted the focus of its production to light white wine, often with some residual sugar and a naturally occurring fizz.

The wine has deep damson-coloured legs, its nose is milky, savoury and grapey with notes of balsamic vinegar. On the palate its bubbles are suffused with light red fruit, muscat grape and hints of marmite. The predominant grape variety is here the teinturier Vinhão from the Basto subregion.

5. Casa Santa Eulália, Plainas Branco 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (11.5% alc.)

Located close to Vila Real, Casa Santa Eulália’s Plainas is a white blend from the Azal and Arinto grape varieties. Santa Eulália, with their consultant Anselmo Mendes, produces an exciting palette of wines from the other Portuguese grape varieties of the region. Plainas is their classic range.

Refreshing yet not overly acidic, this pale lemon-green wine enchants with its softness and flavours of citrus, apple, pears, white peach and white blossom.

6. Caves Campelo, Tapada do Marquês, Alvarinho 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (12.5% alc.)

The wine is labelled as an Alvarinho from the subregion of Monção e Melgaço. The winery itself is based south of the Cavado River and makes a range of wines covering other regions of Portugal.

A light Alvarinho, quite fizzy with fairly high acidity. Pears, boiled sweets and citrus fruit.

7. Adega, Ponte de Lima, Loureiro, Colheita Seleccionada 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (11.5% alc.)

Sweet, fragrant nose, aromas of white flowers, hawthorn, ripe pears and citrus over good acidity, minerality and a prickle.

NB. All above-mentioned wines were tasted in March 2016 at the Vinho Verde Wine Day in Stockholm, Sweden.

Aveleda, Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde and Anselmo Mendes, Alvarinho Contacto 2015, Vinho Verde

Aveleda, Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde, Portugal (8.5% alc.)
(57 SEK, SB 2596)

Anselmo Mendes, Alvarinho Contacto 2015, Vinho Verde, Portugal (13% alc.)
(119 SEK, SB 6707)

Pictured above are two of the three white Portuguese wines on the shelves of my local Systembolaget wine shop in central Stockholm, Sweden. These wines are in contrasting style. The Casal Garcia at the low price of 57 SEK and with no indication of vintage is a blend. It is light, frothy, high in acidity with some citrusy notes. It is apparently the biggest selling Vinho Verde. According to Aveleda’s website the Frenchman Denis Dubourdieu has been their consultant winemaker on this wine. Probably not in his remit, but he should have told them to drop the cheap, non carbon-friendly plastic box…

The Alvarinho Contacto, made as the name suggests, by leaving the juice in contact with grape skins for a period of time, is richer both in texture and in aroma whilst retaining lightness of being. Pear, melon, apricot, white peach, with some salinity, good acidity and bitter citrus. At SEK 119 it is a steal and a definite summertime staple.

°(O_O)°

Pitching up at the International Wine Challenge

Published by Sarah Jefford

Last Friday saw the end of ”Tranche 2” of the 2016 International Wine Challenge (IWC). The IWC is a London-based wine competition open to producers from around the world. Wines are assessed blind by groups of tasters and receive awards according to merit.

The competition takes place at the Oval cricket ground over a two-week period. If you are imagining the sounds of a wooden bat against a ball and champagne corks popping, no such luck. The beautifully green clipped pitch stretched out empty but for flocks of birds. During the first week the wines are streamed into three categories: medal contenders, commended wines and those that have had their chips. During the second week the medal-worthy wines are retasted to determine whether they deserve a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Trophy Medal. Wines that were judged no-goers and commended get tasted again by IWC chairmen to make sure that no wine has been unfairly judged and that a potential medal-winning wine has not slipped through the net. Well, anything less would just not be cricket…

Tasters taking their places as judging is about to start at the IWC

The judging process unfolds in a large open space occupied by long tables clad in white tablecloths. On these tables the wines are laid out in flights according to provenance and style. All the bottles are wrapped in white plastic clothing and coded. A group of roughly five judges stand around each table and go through the wines one after the other, jotting down impressions and marks. Once all the wines in a flight have been assessed, the panel chairman in the group will take his fellow tasters’ marks and give each wine a final score. In instances where opinions are different, a wine will be retasted and evaluated afresh. Whilst a flight is being judged, stewards are preparing the next group of wines to be tasted at an adjoining table. The tempo is kept fluid (naturally) all through the day with a scheduled break for refuelling, i.e. a welcome hot lunch. One hundred or so wines are tasted during the day.

The judges at the IWC come from very different backgrounds. Many have travelled from outside the UK and some come from as far as Japan, the United States and Israel. Their professions are varied: world-class winebloggers, journalists, wine writers, educators, winemakers, wine sleuths, wine merchants, heads of sales, export managers… Their palate is second to none, their experience is vast and their enthusiasm certainly not watered down by the years. The competition also allows those with less experience to work their way up the ranks, by starting as an associate judge and making their way up to panel chairman. The atmosphere at the IWC is dynamic, vibrant and fun. Having different teams of judges working together in an open space is key to the friendly and focused mood of the competition. There are no chairs around the tables: judging is carried out standing. Being able to move about whilst tasting, though possibly tiring at the end of the day, is actually a great help for concentration and staying alert.

Look out for results on the IWC’s website (www.internationalwinechallenge.com). Medals and Trophies will be revealed on the 11th and 16th of May 2016 respectively.

Howzat! And here is why.

Vintips – vecka 11

Published by Sarah Jefford

Äntligen. Ett löfte om våren även om den verkar ha försvunnit bland molnen. Isen är på väg bort. Det är dags att äta färsk, krispig, lätt mat och öppna några flaskor vitt vin.

Dessa två viner matchade perfekt mitt vårhumör och finns nu på Systembolaget i små partier. Chardonnay är en mångfacetterad druva och båda vinerna passar med olika rätter som grönsaker, pasta, fisk, kyckling, fläsk, skinka, kanske med en gräddig sås. […] Read More