Brian's Blog

Some Pre-Exam Recommendations!

2011-01-10T21:53:00Z

Many of you are prepping for the upcoming MS Exam in February. This can be one of the most exciting and challenging times in your life. Here are a few things that may help you out. May seem a bit existential, but sometimes that is needed to balance out the analytical.

1. Wine is not learned in a four minute and ten second vacuum. Meaning- there is only so much you can learn about wine blind tasting in the 25-minute format. Many, if not all of you, are going to be doing many practice tastings over the next 30 days before the exam. That is great to utilize your skills and hone them a bit. But, be sure to drink and learn at the same time. There is only so much that your brain will learn while you do a timed tasting. Your brain is focusing on utilizing the knowledge at that time, not so focused on taking in new information. Take classic wines (Multiple of the same kind) and do the grid out loud while knowing the actual wine. Your brain will take in so much more information and you can focus on those markers that help you differentiate wines you may have a hard time with.

2. If you have time on the clock at the end of your tasting, think twice before changing your conclusions. Trust your palate. Before picking up glass that you may want to change, think about the markers that you described at what that wine should be. Don’t just change a wine because you don’t trust yourself – you have made in this far trusting your skills and greatness.

3. Having Trouble Memorizing Something? The great thing about being a sommelier is that most of what we do has a practical application. If you can try to find labels that you can hold and touch with the information you are having a tough time remembering. Reach out to people that work for agencies, boards, marketing councils, etc…and ask them questions to help. If it is something that you may have on your list, focus on selling it many times. Even if you don’t sell it, it has etched itself into your mind by doing. We are doers, not just readers.

4. Lastly – Focus on your talent. This is what you do everyday. When your main goal is becoming a great sommelier, the exams will fall into place. Even if it is not at this very moment-it will happen eventually, and you become an even better sommelier.

I wish everyone the very best of luck in the upcoming month. Regardless of the outcome, this is one of the most difficult tasks that you put yourself into, and it will help you grow and continue on the path of excellence.

Sake Production: The Basics

2009-08-28T14:19:00Z

To speak of Sake in simple terms is like speaking about the simplicity Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – it just can’t be done. There are just too many technical attributes that must be considered if you are to discuss the production methods of this great beverage. Sake is by no means simple; it is one of the most difficult, regimented beverages to make. But, as regimented as it is, we must also speak about how many variations on the same theme of production there exists - it’s like following Muddy Waters around the U.S. and listening to how many ways he can play “Hoochie Coochie Man.” I have visited my share of Sake breweries in my life, but after spending time with some of the best in the business, learning as well as doing my fare share of production, I have a newfound respect – along with just a little bit more information. So I will do best to walk you through a very complex process, in the simplest of terms, from a Sommelier’s point of view.

Now to the meat and potatoes of production (or the fish and rice): There is one thing that does remain constant between all of the sake producers – timing. The art of organization truly is the key. One must be an incredible taskmaster to be able to make sake. As I take you through these steps I will stop for a moment to give you “Variations on a theme.” These are places through the process that must be done at around the same time, but this is where the artistic license comes into play. This blog, or stream of conscience, is not meant to be an insanely detailed timeline into the production methods, but more of an insight about all of the components that add so many variables into the production. With wine with think of clones, wood, green harvest…. With Beer we have grains, different hops, yeast, water…

With Sake we have…

The Rice:

Rice. Not much more needs to be said when it comes to the ingredient that defines sake. It is used for the ferment, the starter, the koji, as well as the base to grow the mold that makes koji, koji-kin. There are many types of rice that can be used to make sake, but Yamada Nishiki is the rice that is TYPICALLY used to make the best sake’s. I stress the word typically, because there are also some great sake’s that are made with other, sometimes local, varieties of rice and they should not be overlooked. I have come to find that something so precise has so many variations. To quote John Gauntner, by far one of the leading experts of sake “There are 10,000 different ways to make sake, and not one is better than the other – just different.” So, in many ways, Yamada Nishiki is the best rice (but not always). My first recommendation: After trying a sake you should look up the producer and their location, then find out what type of rice they use. You will find that many will use Yamada Nishiki, but you will also find that the rice will change regionally.

There are two important steps to the rice before it can be made into sake - milling and steaming.

Milling: Of course we all know that the more that the rice is milled the better quality the sake. This is true but needs more definition. The rice that is used as the ferment will make better quality sake the more it is milled. Milling gets rid of the proteins that will add less than desirable flavors. But, the rice that is used to make koji is typically always milled the most to make the best koji.

Equally important to the milling is how it is steamed. Moisture content before and after the steaming of the rice will give different characteristics to the rice and koji, and therefore the sake.

Step 1: Rinsing and soaking

Rice is taken from the premeasured bags, usually 50lbs or another set weight, and rinsed for a set amount of time, then soaked for a set amount of time. This is to achieve specific moisture content in the rice, which will help the rice steam consistently. After soaking the set amount of rice is weighed, and by post-soaking weight they can tell the moisture content. Due to relative humidity and outside temperature they may adjust the soak time to change moisture content to the desired percentage. This process is very rigorous, as the start times to each rinse and soak has to be very specific. One mistake and they will change the board to reflect time changes. It is also a very time consuming process, as they must do this in small quantities for a lot of rice.

The yeast:

There are many different types of yeast that are used in the production of Sake, I recommend going to www.sake-world.com to see a comprehensive list. Some rice yeast, some flower yeasts, as well as what they call foaming and non-foaming. The type of yeast can drastically change the flavor and aromas of the sake. Foaming vs. Non-Foaming – these are exactly what they sound like. The foaming yeast causes the ferment, or Moromi, to foam up during fermentation. Many believe that these yeasts make more flavorful sake, but they do require more work, as you need to scrape the foam off of the sides of the tank as to not allow for residue to aid in the formation of “Bad” bacteria. The non-foaming yeast takes this problem out of the picture. So, once again, not necessarily better – just different.

Probably the most special thing about the yeast is how the starter, or “Moto”, is produced and this is also where the organization really begins to be the most important. Two weeks before you start to make the actual sake, you need to make the moto (2days before the moto is made the koji needs to be produced – we’ll talk about that later).

To make the starter you need 4 things:

Rice
Koji
Yeast
Water

(Remember these things because you will use this for each step in the production)

Water, koji, rice and water are mixed together with a set amount of the propagated yeast. From here they are trying to propagate it further and get as many functioning yeast cells to make it through the fermentation while the koji simultaneously converts the starch in the rice into sugar. Temperature is by far the most important factor in propagating the yeast. From the picture of the chart you can see they spike up the temperature to get the yeast going, then it is brought back down and then stair-stepped up. This is done to produce the highest quantity of viable and strong yeast cells, rather than producing many very quickly that will not make it through a longer fermentation. So, at the end of the two weeks prior to fermentation you end up with strong and viable yeast, regardless of yeast type.

The Koji:

Koji is the miracle taskmaster of the sake production. It is the bases for the multiple-parallel-fermentation (What is that?). When all 4 elements listed above are added together there is no sugar for the yeast to eat. The koji makes fermentation possible. Koji (aspergillus orzyae) is the mold that converts the starch in the rice into sugar while the yeast simultaneously convert the sugar into alcohol.

Making the Koji:

First the rice is steamed. Then, the rice is broken up and cooled down by hand (Yes by hand, which for the first time can be a very painful process). The rice needs to be taken care of my hand so that it can be broken up from bunches that occur naturally, from the rice sticking together, to achieve more surface area. After the rice is cooled a bit it is taken to the koji muro (koji room) and placed on a large table. From here, the rice needs to be brought down to 33 degrees Celsius (91.5 F). (Variation Time: At one kura the temperature was brought down to 33 in about an hour, at another it was brought down to 33 over the course of 5 hours. Not better, just different). Important to note is that the temperature of the muro is usually hot and humid, with the temperature and humidity level varying depending upon the kura. During the cooling down process, the rice must be turned and broken up gently so it can dry consistently, as well as expose the most amount of surface area of each kernel of rice. After the desired temperature is reached the koji-kin is added. Koji-kin is the actual mold that is sprinkled onto the rice. This sprinkling process is very delicate and hence called “Tegiri - the dance, or cut, in Japanese”. A set amount of koji-kin is used for a set amount of rice. The koji-kin is sprinkled on the rice and then the rice is flipped over and the process is done again. The purpose is to distribute the koji-kin as evenly as possible. Another reason for allowing the rice to dry slightly on the outside is so the koji-kin works its way into the rice in search of moisture.

At this point the rice is now formed into a mound and covered with canvas. While the koji-kin propagates the temperature rises. The mound will be broken up and reformed to help distribute the growth evenly. (Variation Time: Different kura will do this at different intervals, amount of times, and temperature). After a set time the mound is broken up and distributed into vented flats. The ventilation is to help keep the temperature consistent. After the ice is put onto the flat, some producers will put a circular design into the rice to also give a means for heat transfer and cooling. Important to note is that the size of the flat may vary depending upon the style of sake. Daiginjo koji will usually be made in smaller flats, whereas other styles are made in larger flats. From here the rice will remain the flat for another 30-36hrs. During this time the rice may be moved around, smoothed out, then the design drawn again to help with the consistency of growth. No after the two days are up you have koji. The koji will feel “fluffy” and have a white film on the outside. Its flavor will also be sweeter, yum!

We now have our moto, koji, rice and water. How does it come together?

1. 2 days before each moto, as well as each addition for fermentation, the koji is made

2. 2 weeks before each fermentation addition the moto is made

3. The day before anything that involves rice, the rice is rinsed, soaked, then sits overnight to be steamed the next day (The day of use).

4. Ferment 1: Rice, koji, moto and water are mixed, starting the fermentation. At this oint we can call our sake “Moromi”

5. Fermentation 2: 2 days after we start, we will add another addition of rice, koji, moto and water. Doubling the size of our moromi.

6. Fermentation 3: Again, we add rice, koji, moto and water. This is our final addition. From this point on we have viable yeast and koji that work to gether in making great sake. The actual fermentation can take between 30-45 days.

7. During the fermentation the sake constantly has lab work done to make sure that everything is going ok.

Now that our sake is made it will go through a handful more steps before its release into the market. Depending upon sake styles these things may vary: Pressing, filtering, pasteurizing, bottling.

Check out the next blog on the way: What is done differently for the different levels of sake.

The Beginning of My Greek Wine Love

2009-01-11T22:27:00Z

Though I would not call this a traditional blog, or quick little essay, I wanted to share the trip that began my great love for the wines of Greece.

When most people think of Greece, they think of arid, olive tree-laden pastures that are surrounded by ruins of a time that has long since past. They think of the Olympics, and of a proud, learned people that helped to guide the science and arts for the rest of the world. When most people think about Greek wine, well, let's just say that Retsina does not bring a welcoming smile to people’s faces anymore. As a matter of fact, the majority of people, including the “wine community," don’t think about Greek wine much at all. I, like many other sommeliers and wine professionals, have not paid much attention at all to the wines of Greece—other than some esoteric questions we studied while working on the MS. However, I recently had a mind-altering experience that will forever change my way of thinking about Greek wine. Between September 2 and 12, 2007, I was immersed in one of the most enlightening wine trips that I have ever been on. I, along with eight other Master Sommeliers and the two organizers of the trip, traveled to the majority of the best Greek wine producing regions—literally all over the country, as well as a few of the islands. During these 10 days, we tasted through the best indigenous varietals, as well as some international varietals that could easily compete in the world market. We also had the chance to get a feel for the lay of the land, geography, geology, and climate of the major wine producing regions.

Koutsi: The small hillside town in Nemea known for the best Agiorghitiko.

Before getting into the details of the current shape of Greek wines, I must give you a brief history of the past few millennia. Archaeologists have known that the consumption of wine dates back to about 2000 BC, primarily on the island of Crete during the Minoan civilization. However, most of the wine that was consumed came from both Egypt and Asia Minor during the height of their trade. But, through carbon dating of grape seeds found on Crete, it is thought that there was some cultivation of vines during that time. Around 700 BC, the cultivation of vines began to flourish throughout the country and wine became part of the socio-economic structure. The next few millennia brought about many wars, which brought the industry to many highs and lows. It was not until after World War II that we begin to see the makings of the current wine industry in Greece. During this period, the large-scale producers emerged and began to shape the largest growth in the Greek wine market, both nationally and internationally. It was primarily through their traditional wine, Retsina, which grew a large base of consumers. All over the world, people enjoyed this unique, pine-influenced wine that was consumed in homes, as well as Greek restaurants around the world. Conversely, it was also Retsina that started the decline of Greek wines in the world market. Greek became known for only Retsina, and their other indigenous varietals remained relatively unknown. Moving into the eighties and nineties, we see the beginnings of modern-day Greek wine industry. We also see the proliferation of the small producers focusing on indigenous varietals, as well as some international varietals to sustain them economically. Finally, we have Greece joining the European Union, which helps them establish a more regimented appellation system and also provide monetary assistance to aid them in the growth of the industry.

Greece: The Lay of the Land

To define Greek wine simply would be one of the most difficult undertakings in the world. With so many varietals being cultivated all over the country, not to mention many of the islands, it would be like trying to describe French wine in a general sense. However, there was one common thread that I found all over that resonates throughout all of their wines: straightforward terroir. While many countries strive to find a sense of place in their wines, Greece has the fortune to have a terroir that influences its wines to the extreme. Regardless of where you are on the Greek mainland, the dominance of limestone in the wines can easily be seen. From all points of the country you can find multiple variants of limestone, including marble, ferrous limestone, powdered limestone, and rocky limestone. One need only look outside at the white reflective soil in the vineyard to notice this. The influence that this puts on the wine not only adds to the flavor of the wines, both white and red, but also to the texture. For the white wines this is a welcome characteristic, adding a vibrant minerality to local varietals such as Assyrtiko, Moscofilero, Savatiano, and Roditis. For the red wines, it becomes a very different story. The easiest way to compare the textural element that the limestone adds to the red wines is to compare it to the wines of Pommard and Volnay, whereas in their youth, the minerality intensifies the acidity and almost makes the wines to seem even more austere. The consensus among those on the trip was that the best way to counteract this dominant characteristic in the reds was to focus more on ripeness. With the more robust varietals like Agiorghitiko and Xinomavro, adding more richness of fruit would balance with the textural element of the earth.

Vineyards on Mt. Athos. Note the bright white compacted limestone on the road.

Winemaking & Outside Influence

There are two major influences that are currently shaping the quality of wines in Greece, one which deals with the “by the book” winemaking and the other dealing with Greek’s youth in the European Union. The first is the only negative which was seen during the entire trip through the country: the technical aspect of winemaking. It was as if many of the winemakers were trained in Bordeaux 20 years ago. The heavy-handed use of sulfur was the biggest of these problems. Instead of focusing on the needs of the wines, we found that most of the winemakers followed a technical recipe, which in the end was one third more, up to two times more, sulfur than the majority of rest of the wines in the world. In some of the wines, this “blew-off” after a period of time, but for the majority of the wines it was a major fault. The only other major problem that we found was the use of prefermentation cold-soak on white wines, primarily on Moscofilero. With such a crisp aromatic white wine, this process brought out too much bitterness in this pink varietal that mask its wonderful aromatics and vibrant finish. Overall, these winemaking negatives were not very detrimental to the wines. They are elements that are being addressed, and we will, hopefully, soon see those as a thing of the past.

Greece’s induction into the European Union was a major help to the wine industry, overall. One of the main factors this impacted is the financial influence that this has on many of the new producers. Many of these producers are being subsidized by the EU to help build new wineries, as well as acquire and plant new vineyards. Though many are small, they are starting off with some of the most high-tech wineries in the world. This, in turn, is giving many of the already well-established wineries reason to renovate their currently outdated wineries. Overall, this has helped start a trend of cleanliness and quality. The only downfall seen with these new wineries is maybe a little bit too much technology a bit too soon. On more than one occasion we saw incredibly old, indigenous vines, with relatively new winemakers and a lot of technology at their disposal. The end product was not a bad wine, but a wine that could be from any grape, anywhere—just more expensive. This is also something that is being remedied; most of these winemakers realize that they are dealing with a high learning curve, but wanted to build a winery with everything that they feel could enhance what the land could offer.

Alpha Estate's new EU-sponsored winery in Amynteon.

The Regions and Producers

Though we found incredible wines in every region that we visited, there are three main areas that stand out amongst the rest, which are Santorini, Nemea, and Mantinia in Peleponnese, and Naoussa in Macedonia. The overall quality—or the potential for it—is the highest in each of these regions. When we spoke of overall quality, we realized that we tried not to include the international varietals. The producers that focused on the local varietals and the region were most important.

Out of all the regions that we visited, the small island of Santorini is the region that we were the most surprised. They have been cultivating vines and making wine in some of the harshest conditions imaginable for millennia. First, the incredibly hard volcanic soil makes it hard enough to plant grapes, but the bigger factor that adds difficulty in the vineyards is the wind. With trade-like winds blowing constantly the vines like to shut down; they have difficulty completing photosynthesis which renders them useless. To counteract this, vines are trained in an unusual method. Instead of trellising the wines in a traditional manner, they are trained on the ground and rolled into a turban-like shape. This, of course, adds to the cost of the wines as everything must be hand picked and the yields are incredibly low. The wines themselves are truly remarkable. The main grape which is grown here, and is the grape which must be used for the Santroni appellation, is Assyrtiko, one of the rare grapes that can get very ripe while at the same time retain high acidity. Two of the properties on Santorini are making Assyrtiko that that could compete with any white wine in the world, Gaia and Boutari. There, Assyrtiko would have characteristics of lemon curd and honeysuckle and seemed like they would be incredibly rich; however, once in the mouth they were lean and vibrant with intense acidity and minerality. There was one producer that was not only making wine that could compete against any white wine in the world, this producer was making world-class wines. Paris Sigalas is probably the hardest working man in Santorini. Tasting his wines back 13 years, we could truly see the depth and class of this great grape. Not only is Assyrtiko an incredibly age-worthy grape, but it is also one of the few chameleon grapes that can do incredibly well with or without oak. Without having to write out the tasting notes for 13 years of barrel-aged and non-aged Assyrtiko, we found other ways to quickly describe his wines: Grand Cru White Burgundy, Grand Cru Chablis, Haut Brion Blanc, Domaine Leflaive. When using these great wines as a descriptor, it is easy to see the quality level that Sigalas is achieving. The biggest problem that all of these producers are dealing with is the tourist industry. Every year, more vines are being ripped out to make way for a new hotel, inn, or resort. However, with the emotions that these three producers invested in their land, we think they will be around for a while.

Paris Sigalas with old-vine Assyrtiko traditionally basket trained.

Peleponnese is the largest of the islands that form the Greek mainland, so it is no wonder that the regions here are some of the most diverse in all of Greece. In central Peleponnese is the town of Arcadia, which is home to the region of Mantinia. Mantinia is the appellation designated for the use of the Moscofilero grape. I, like many others, had always believed that Moscofilero was related to Muscat, due to its citrus aromatics, overall profile, as well as a little misinformation. However, Mosofilero is actually related to the Traminer grape. It is a pink-skinned grape that is extremely versatile. From Domaine Tselepos and Spiropoulos Estate, we tried a multitude of styles, ranging from crisp and dry, to sparkling, to aromatic and sweet. Here the Moscofilero takes on flavors of citrus blossom with crisp acidity, as well as the tell-tale limestone soil that adds textural richness and length—also very good for the sparkling wines. It is in northeastern Peleponnese where the best reds are made, in Nemea. Here is where the legend of Hercules reigns supreme with his cunning overtaking of the lion. It is also the place where St. George first influenced Greece with monotheism, hence the name of one of their most famous grapes, Agiorghitiko. The best examples of this grape take on characteristic similar to a ripe Sangiovese, with intense flavors of cherry, tart blackberries. In a small enclave in the mountains of Nemea is the town of Koutsi, where the best Agiorghitiko is made. Producers Gaia and Domaine Skouras are by far the most formidable of this grape. Fortunately the majority of the wines are priced on the lower end of the scale, making classic Agiorghitiko that has flavors of red and black cherry, moderate tannins, as well as the vibrant, textural earth that also accentuates the acidity in the wines. Both producers are also making phenomenal, high-end cuvées that can be rich, concentrated and incredibly age worthy. Many of these wines have names like Megas Oenos and Labrynth, which instead of using sometimes difficult to read labels, they have proprietary names that are very attractive to consumers.

Agiorghitiko in Nemea grown on ferrous limestone. The top layer turns red from oxidation, but underneath is bright white.

Naoussa is located in the Greek region of Macedonia—not to be confused with the country of the same name. It is here that Xinomavro is king and the oldest examples of this grape are being grown. In both Naoussa and Amynteon, a region northwest of Naoussa, we find the two producers that I feel have currently the best quality wines, as well the most potential. The producer with the most potential is Alpha Estate. This producer is located in Amynteon and truly on the cutting edge of the Greek wine industry with both their wines and their marketing. Not only are they producing wines from 80-year-old Xinomavro, but they are making proprietary blends with other estate-grown grapes such as Tannat, Montepulciano, and Barbera. The wines are made in a very “New World” style, along with progressive names and labels like Alpha One and Omega; these wines will surely capture the attention of the American market.

One of my favorite producers on the entire trip was Ktima Kir Yianni. Yiannis Boutaris replanted the first vineyards in Yianakohori in the sixties that began a revival of Naoussa. It was in 1996 when he broke away from his family's company, Boutari, to make his own wines with his family. Today, he produces wines from the same vineyards which he planted, fortunately he was able to retain them, and is making the best Xinomavro in Greece. The grape itself, which means acid-black, produces wines exactly like its name would suggest: rich with concentrated black fruits along with high acidity and backbone. The wines the Yiannis produces reflect his years of experience in these vineyards. This area has both clay and sand soils that, of course, also have limestone sub-soils. By using up to 10 different clones of Xinomavro, he has the vines performing exactly as he wants to when the conditions are optimal. Tasting wines back to the early nineties, it is easy to see how these wines can age. In their youth they are dark and rich with powdery earth and well-integrated tannins, with age they take on characteristics like “Old School” Napa Valley Zinfandel, with flavors of dried, tart berries, tobacco, and spice. Though his reds are truly phenomenal, it is only fair to mention the white wines from Savatiano and Roditis that are also made at Kir Yianni. One in particular is Petra, made solely from Roditis could be closely compared to the great examples of Albariño that we see today having so much success in America. Fortunately, it is priced in the same category, with a very simple name that will attract those who don’t want to deal with long, confusing names on labels.

Old-vine Xinomavro in Naoussa.

Though Greece is an Old World winemaking country, it is truly moving full steam ahead with a New World winemaking vigor. The quality that already exists in these wines will become a force to be reckoned with, not to mention the potential quality that will soon take the world by storm. We are already starting to see the beginnings of this with cutting-edge restaurants pouring these wines by the glass, but by also seeing small importers like Ted Diamantes striving hard to bring these wines to sommeliers' glasses. Once they are in the glass they usually speak for themselves, and any preconceived notion that we may have had about Greek wines disappears from the first sip. Within the next decade, I believe that people will know regions like Naoussa, Nemea, and Santorini without discussing their vacation plans. Moscofilero and Xinomavro will become more common, like Albariño and Mourvèdre are today. Though Retsina will always be a wine that you have to have when you are in Greece, it is the other grapes that will soon be gracing our tables at home.