"I was lost on a street corner in Toyko, several minutes late for my Kikisake-shi test, the Japanese Master Sake "Sommelier" exam. I had only a set of directions to the examination hall, written in Japanese characters, and my own limited command of the language to guide me. The first policeman I stopped spoke no English, but he was able to grasp my problem and pointed me in one direction, scribbling down more cryptic…

Marche and Abruzzo

Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi and Matelica

Driving south from Verona along the Adriatic Coast, the land flattens as we pass through the fertile plains of Emilia-Romagna only to rise up again, jutting and carving upwards into the sky.  The coastal areas in Veneto and Emilia-Romagna are unremarkably level, but in the Marche the land becomes mountainous and hilly; the central Apennines push out toward the…

The devil is in the details. Viticulture, even more than winemaking, is an apprenticeship-based practice.  The complexities are only hinted at in the handful of books on the subject.  The science spans many different disciplines, and since the subject is as varied and inscrutable as Mother Nature herself, there is no sign any time soon of us truly understanding any of the myriad aspects of viticulture, which range from…

The Ministry Official: To comply with the regulations, you must produce your wine solely from the single local variety.  This is to preserve the integrity of the appellation, to preserve the terroir.

The Italian: No!  You stifle my creativity; you deprive me of my freedom!  You are heartless and sterile, and your watch is cheap!  I am not a German!

The Ministry Official: Fine.  You can add 15% of anything else you want.  Just…

While in Tuscany last December I had dinner in Greve with Daniele Rosellini, chief enologist for the Chianti Classico Consorzio. More importantly, Daniele was a major part of the Chianti Classico 2000 project, a project that spanned 16 years and continues to alter the landscape for viticulture and winemaking in one of the world’s most well-known wine regions.

Rosellini began by saying that the clones of Sangiovese…

Armagnac is a brandy that hails from the Gascony region of Southwestern France.  Traditionally, Armagnac is consumed in a snifter, but today it is often served in a shorter, narrower glass like a sherry copita.  Armagnac is commonly served straight and is typically consumed after a meal.  Its sublime flavors and bold alcohol make Armagnac a true digestif, providing immense gustatory pleasure while simultaneously aiding digestion…

Last month I had an opportunity to spend two days in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region of the Veneto and experience Prosecco Superiore DOCG first hand.  It was everything I didn’t expect: a gorgeous, rural landscape dotted with small villages and with vineyards so steep it was if we were in the middle Mosel.  What also quickly became apparent was the monumental gap between worlds of simple Prosecco DOC and Prosecco…

In November 2011, we had the opportunity to interview Dr. Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis.  We discussed her work in the field of grape genetics, the recent history of ampelography, and her own project, Lagier Meredith Vineyard in Napa Valley, which she owns with her husband Steve Lagier.

Guild: Dr. Meredith, as a professor at UC…

With the year drawing to a close, we asked our 2011 TOP|SOMM and Top New Somm finalists to highlight five favorite, impactful new releases from the past year, regardless of price.  Selections from each finalist are not listed in any particular order.  Price is approximate retail, with importers in parenthesis where appropriate.

Ian Cauble (The Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, CA) TOP|SOMM 2011

1. Jean Paul Brune, Terres Doree…

I was really pleased with the response to my first article here on wine flavour chemistry. Some of the comments raised interesting questions, and to do these justice I thought I’d use them as the basis for this second piece.

‘As amazing as this article is we must not for forget the statement that the interaction between the wine and the taster has a huge influence on the final outcome and ultimately the perception…