A wine merchant here in England recently complained that the big supermarkets would bring in new brands no one had heard of, and then offer the bottles at a steep discount from the 'regular' retail price.
In a market where the 5 to 10 GBP range is very competitive, granted it is always easy to take a shot at those at the top, how well to two such suspects stack up?
Both from Sainsbury's:
2000 Castillo de Caltrava Reserva has all the look of a Rioja Tempranillo, in fact, it is a Tempranillo, but that is where the similarity ends, except for the fine gold wire 'basket' the bottle is wrapped in. Centrally located and mountainous, La Mancha is known for some great wines, as is Rioja. The Calatrava was slashed by three pounds, if memory holds, from eight pounds to five pounds. The initial taste was one of disappointment. However, after recalibrating for decision-bias, the study continued more upbeat.
The wine is very ripe with a perfumed (like sandalwood) and sweet nose. Light and airy on the tongue, unlike the high expressions found in many of Spain's major wine regions these days. No this is classy for a fiver, once on it airs. Short finish and unbelievably harmonious, except for a bit of burn, predictable since it is only a Reserva and not a 'Gran(d) Reserva' which would denoted up to a year longer in oak, depending on the region. In La Mancha 12 months in oak, 24 in bottle for Resverva, 24 months in oak and 36 months in bottle for Gran(d) Reserva (these are minimums here). Maybe not worth eight pounds, but great at five. 8.5 points.
South Africa's First Cape (as in 'of Good Hope') 2005 shiraz, cabernet blend was also on sale for a few pounds off, bring it to five or six pounds per bottle as well. Like the Caltrava, it seemed new to the shelves, and stood out only because of the red tag marking it reduced. (But, isn't that the point?) Lovely colour and a lot like Pinotage. But this is way tart, way tart. Also smells like wet, black pepper, with a red meat kind of slappiness to it (getting hungry here). Seems to be quite a lot going on in there and will most likely taste better tomorrow. 8.3 points.
[Did you know? Interwined is the only wine blog that tries wines over the course of several days. If a wine doesn't hold up for at least a day, it's point are reduced. So, it's all not wham, bam! We drag it out here, people. Oh yeah, we draggggg it out.]
In a paragraph describing the character of the wine, there is only one real tasting note: 'subtle berry flavours.' Well! Can't get more elusive than that!
Guess they had a hard time figuring it out to.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
A Question of MySpace
My brother posted this question on MySpace blog to Peter, the owner of Organico, Britain's first and only dedicated wine shop:
Peter,
You claim to "reject more Organic wines than you buy". On what basis would an organic not qualify for your store(s)?
Congratulations on the store. Here's a toast to positive growth!
John
PETER'S RESPONSE:
"Good question, John.
When in the business of retailing and selling into the trade the principal question we ask is ‘do we think the public will buy it?’ Generally, also we have to like the wine as well, although we have to put aside personal taste. The choice is never left to just one of us.
Often, the wines we reject are at the lower end of the price range. We are constantly looking for lead in wines which can be used as a ‘wine by the glass’ in a café/bistro or wine bar and which therefore have an attractive price tag. This is a struggle.
The wines are out there but the majority are of a quality which would not encourage a new organic wine drinker to want another glass. This gets the ‘organic’ tag a bad reputation and could put an ‘organic aspirant’ off for good.We have the perception that some of these low quality wines are coming from modest sized producers of poorly made wines who think they can pass their product off to the public by getting it certified ‘organic’, thus giving a false impression of ‘quality’ to the public.
It is more than a perception that some larger producers of organic wines are not producing quality. In certain ‘terroir’ areas it is not easy to make good wine organically without a lot of care in the vineyard. Care which can be very difficult to give on a large scale. Conversley, in such countries as Chile and Argentina, where many of the standard growing problems don’t exist, excellent wines are being made on a pretty big scale.
We very rarely reject wines on quality when one moves up a notch in price, i.e. in the UK retailing on our shelves at £7.50 upwards.
Hope this helps..."
Peter
Peter,
You claim to "reject more Organic wines than you buy". On what basis would an organic not qualify for your store(s)?
Congratulations on the store. Here's a toast to positive growth!
John
PETER'S RESPONSE:
"Good question, John.
When in the business of retailing and selling into the trade the principal question we ask is ‘do we think the public will buy it?’ Generally, also we have to like the wine as well, although we have to put aside personal taste. The choice is never left to just one of us.
Often, the wines we reject are at the lower end of the price range. We are constantly looking for lead in wines which can be used as a ‘wine by the glass’ in a café/bistro or wine bar and which therefore have an attractive price tag. This is a struggle.
The wines are out there but the majority are of a quality which would not encourage a new organic wine drinker to want another glass. This gets the ‘organic’ tag a bad reputation and could put an ‘organic aspirant’ off for good.We have the perception that some of these low quality wines are coming from modest sized producers of poorly made wines who think they can pass their product off to the public by getting it certified ‘organic’, thus giving a false impression of ‘quality’ to the public.
It is more than a perception that some larger producers of organic wines are not producing quality. In certain ‘terroir’ areas it is not easy to make good wine organically without a lot of care in the vineyard. Care which can be very difficult to give on a large scale. Conversley, in such countries as Chile and Argentina, where many of the standard growing problems don’t exist, excellent wines are being made on a pretty big scale.
We very rarely reject wines on quality when one moves up a notch in price, i.e. in the UK retailing on our shelves at £7.50 upwards.
Hope this helps..."
Peter
Monday, March 19, 2007
Organic Wine (More)
Gave a talk many months ago at the opening of Britain's first (and, for now, only) dedicated Organic wine shop, called Organico. It was a real honor for me and... Since then, the owner of the shop, and one of the hardest "working" men in the wine business, Peter, has been following the Interwined blogs.
Reading all this trash talking of organic wines, and now he's had enough. There is a point to clarify, best to let Peter do it in our email conversation.
From Peter to jacob.gaffney@yahoo.co.uk:
Hi Jacob,
Trust all well with you and yours.
I have been reading your recent blogs on organic wine. It comes over as if you are disillusioned somewhat. I thought you were a great champion of our cause. You never said when you were here with us that you thought organic red wines were 'thin' etc. - at least those at the lower end of the price range. You tasted several here in the £6/7.50 band and thought they were fine.
Are you happy for me to protract the debate by putting these comments on your blog or shall we talk about it?
I would be interested to hear what possible technical reason there can be for a naturally produced red wine to lack the taste descriptors you mention. Our experience is the opposite and we have gathered a lot of anecdotal evidence from our drinkers in the last 18 months which would bear this out. Also our wines certainly do come from vineyards where yield is lower.If you are trying to differentiate large scale Bonterra type producers from the majority of much smaller growers then maybe some of your comments might apply but your blog doesn't make this clear.Of course I'm not trying to say that because it's organic a wine must taste better - we reject more than we buy. But the latter is not always out of the Interwined 'value for money' range.
Best wishes,
Peter
The response, in uncharacteristic first person:
Peter, how's it going? Great to hear from you and I totally agree, my point is that the more mainstream organics, available to the greater public, are a bit thin... yours are great and I am totally with you... I would like to even put your comments on my blog, as you raise some thought-provoking points.
I can always use a good counterpoint to bring me back to earth when I shoot off my mouth too much. All of my problems would be solved if there was an Organico in my neighborhood. Although, this planet of the grapes shop is also getting there. I just love that you are reading my blog!
Reading all this trash talking of organic wines, and now he's had enough. There is a point to clarify, best to let Peter do it in our email conversation.
From Peter to jacob.gaffney@yahoo.co.uk:
Hi Jacob,
Trust all well with you and yours.
I have been reading your recent blogs on organic wine. It comes over as if you are disillusioned somewhat. I thought you were a great champion of our cause. You never said when you were here with us that you thought organic red wines were 'thin' etc. - at least those at the lower end of the price range. You tasted several here in the £6/7.50 band and thought they were fine.
Are you happy for me to protract the debate by putting these comments on your blog or shall we talk about it?
I would be interested to hear what possible technical reason there can be for a naturally produced red wine to lack the taste descriptors you mention. Our experience is the opposite and we have gathered a lot of anecdotal evidence from our drinkers in the last 18 months which would bear this out. Also our wines certainly do come from vineyards where yield is lower.If you are trying to differentiate large scale Bonterra type producers from the majority of much smaller growers then maybe some of your comments might apply but your blog doesn't make this clear.Of course I'm not trying to say that because it's organic a wine must taste better - we reject more than we buy. But the latter is not always out of the Interwined 'value for money' range.
Best wishes,
Peter
The response, in uncharacteristic first person:
Peter, how's it going? Great to hear from you and I totally agree, my point is that the more mainstream organics, available to the greater public, are a bit thin... yours are great and I am totally with you... I would like to even put your comments on my blog, as you raise some thought-provoking points.
I can always use a good counterpoint to bring me back to earth when I shoot off my mouth too much. All of my problems would be solved if there was an Organico in my neighborhood. Although, this planet of the grapes shop is also getting there. I just love that you are reading my blog!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wonders Never Cease
Stepped into the Londis near my house. Normally avoid it since my wife hates the lady at the till. Cheap, decent wines! 2003 Babich Pinot Noir, £5.49. Decent cherry, almost crystal clear, so a very light body. Touch of pepper and a bit sour. Little finish, little tannin, little oak. Great price. 8.5 points.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Blown Away
Well, not exactly.
But, the organic issue won't seem to die down. Since last week, many people have come to the aid of organic wines. The problem is one of investment, according to this guy who used to work with drink giant Brown Foreman. Brown Foreman owns Bonterra, the organic wine producer in California. The guy talking was Trygve (pronouced Trig). He used to work with Robert Blue at Bonterra and described the amount of time, effort and MONEY it took to develop vineyards capable of producing vast amounts of organic grapes to produce full-bodied organic wines. So the problem is that many small growers switch to Organic practices, searching that 'autheti-seek' principle described on this blog by Matt Brown ages ago. In short, Organic wines are competing with Fair Trade, Biodynamic wines, etc.
So, we buy the wines, but they tend to be flabby, tepid, flacid, weak, well, you get the point.
Not Bonterra. Bonterra 2004 Merlot and Zinfandel, ruby and peppery, respectively. Both full-bodied, but somewhat sweet. Well-priced and easy to drink. The lower blend of Shiraz-Carignan, whatever, cost around 5GBP, and is about as tasty an Organic table can get. However, the wife won't touch the stuff. Says Bonterra is too predictable. Why drink the wine, when you already know how it is going to taste.
Do Organic wines, mass-produced, steal the spirit of adventure in wine tasting. Until we know, no points for Bonterra.
It doesn't for the Vida Organica 2005 Sangiovese Bonarda blend from ARGENTINA. This nice little wine sells for 6GBP at one of London's more impressive wine shops Planet of the Grapes It's peppery and smooth, very ripe with aromas of vine fruits. The label says red current, but Interwined tastes it as raspberry. Fun. 8.5 points.
So enough with Organic, at least for now, this post was supposed to cover Oregon Pinot Noir. So SEAN, if you are reading this, STOP NOW. Don't read the following tasting note. Instead, go to you kitchen RIGHT NOW. Don't care if you are at work. GO!
Try the Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Pommard and post you tasting note on this blog, without reading mine. Let's see if we get any comparable tastes.
2002 WVV Pommard. Aromas of blackberry with a hint of vanilla. Tastes of grape lollipop and smoky oak. There's something floral and vivacious, that is muted out by the folds of jasmine perfume that come and go. 9.1 points.
So, we buy the wines, but they tend to be flabby, tepid, flacid, weak, well, you get the point.
Not Bonterra. Bonterra 2004 Merlot and Zinfandel, ruby and peppery, respectively. Both full-bodied, but somewhat sweet. Well-priced and easy to drink. The lower blend of Shiraz-Carignan, whatever, cost around 5GBP, and is about as tasty an Organic table can get. However, the wife won't touch the stuff. Says Bonterra is too predictable. Why drink the wine, when you already know how it is going to taste.
Do Organic wines, mass-produced, steal the spirit of adventure in wine tasting. Until we know, no points for Bonterra.
It doesn't for the Vida Organica 2005 Sangiovese Bonarda blend from ARGENTINA. This nice little wine sells for 6GBP at one of London's more impressive wine shops Planet of the Grapes It's peppery and smooth, very ripe with aromas of vine fruits. The label says red current, but Interwined tastes it as raspberry. Fun. 8.5 points.
So enough with Organic, at least for now, this post was supposed to cover Oregon Pinot Noir. So SEAN, if you are reading this, STOP NOW. Don't read the following tasting note. Instead, go to you kitchen RIGHT NOW. Don't care if you are at work. GO!
Try the Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Pommard and post you tasting note on this blog, without reading mine. Let's see if we get any comparable tastes.
2002 WVV Pommard. Aromas of blackberry with a hint of vanilla. Tastes of grape lollipop and smoky oak. There's something floral and vivacious, that is muted out by the folds of jasmine perfume that come and go. 9.1 points.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Planet Organic
It seems that British Supermarket giant, TESCO, is set to open a chain of organic mini-supermarkets in the States next year. Oftentimes, the label 'Organic' is poorly regulated and means very little. Take the idea that something such as honey can be Organic and it all begins to sound a bit odd -- since all of the flowers visited by the bees would have to be free from pesticides and fertilizers.
In the European Union, many products need only be 80 percent organic to be labelled 'Organic.' And even this percentage is not highly regulated. There just aren't enough Green Cops on the beat.
Anyways, the health practitioner to my first child once proclaimed that Organic produce only benefits the finances of the grocer. But this is a step too far. True organic produce is readily distinguishable by its superior taste, owing to a higher nutritive value.
Take the simple apple as an example. An organic apple relies only on its own immune system to fend of bugs, fungus, etc. – use of pesticides would require the apple to produce less antioxidants to defend itself, as the threat of invasion is low -- in order to keep it alive longer, thus raising its potential for seed dispersal, and thereby ensuring a greater chance of maintaining the line of the tree which bore it. (Actually, this blog is getting a little boring, seeing as Interwined just won an award for world's longest sentence… so let's move on..)
TIP: If you find that the fruits in your fruit bowl tend to get bruised often, place a layer of peanuts, still in the shell at the bottom. This acts as an attractive cushion, and is another healthy snack.
Man, that is ONE lame tip…
Yeah, yeah, that above stuff doesn't really ring true with Organic wines, which tend to lack the structure and body in typical red wines. Organic reds are usually thinner, and can't pull its weight. A £6 bottle of Organic Rouge describes itself as 'supple, warming Mediterranean wine.' From Cotes de Thongue in the South of France, this non-vintage wine is full of red berry, but should have a more robust flavour profile. The wine was more stretched thin than supple, and more hot than warming. Not really the 'sun in the cup' the label made it seem.
The next day, it was oxidized, left with about four-fifths still in the bottle. Undrinkable. If a wine can't last longer than a day, then what is it worth? For my blog, always under 8 points. 7.7 points.
By contrast, the Fetzer Shiraz lasted four days (see earlier blog). One glass each evening for more than half a week. That's added value, but not organic.
Wine is rarely organic by its own right, rather made with organically grown grapes.
The Organic Rouge was a cheap one for being organic… but the Interwined budget was blown quickly this week. This is curious since grapes produced using Organic methods are of no smaller yield than commercial farming, as a rule. So, the label 'Organic' usually just means a few more pains in the pocket. Just go to that phoney Organic monolith, Whole Foods, and you get the meaning.
All food should be Organic, according to Burgundian Antonin Rodet, and we agree, but we shouldn't have to pay more for it just because…
Better was the 2004 Quinta do Coa, a Vinho Tinto from the Douro river valley in Portugal, known as Duero in Spain. Wines from the Duero are just sooo good. But this is the first Organic Douro to hit these lips. At £9.25, it's getting a bit pricey, and while the wine should pack more of a punch, the elegance of the blackberry and hints of bitter chocolate satisfy the mouth, if not the wallet. 8.4 points.
At nearly £12, the 2004 L'Orangerie de Haut-Nouchet from Pessac-Leognan is easily the best, but that's expected to go with the price tag. The terroir and elegance were there, but the most important aspect was the harmony. The wine is not too tannic, nor is it too thin. It's well-balanced and ready-to-drink… with almost anything. But it is 28% too expensive. 8.5 points.
More Organic later this week.
In the European Union, many products need only be 80 percent organic to be labelled 'Organic.' And even this percentage is not highly regulated. There just aren't enough Green Cops on the beat.
Anyways, the health practitioner to my first child once proclaimed that Organic produce only benefits the finances of the grocer. But this is a step too far. True organic produce is readily distinguishable by its superior taste, owing to a higher nutritive value.
Take the simple apple as an example. An organic apple relies only on its own immune system to fend of bugs, fungus, etc. – use of pesticides would require the apple to produce less antioxidants to defend itself, as the threat of invasion is low -- in order to keep it alive longer, thus raising its potential for seed dispersal, and thereby ensuring a greater chance of maintaining the line of the tree which bore it. (Actually, this blog is getting a little boring, seeing as Interwined just won an award for world's longest sentence… so let's move on..)
TIP: If you find that the fruits in your fruit bowl tend to get bruised often, place a layer of peanuts, still in the shell at the bottom. This acts as an attractive cushion, and is another healthy snack.
Man, that is ONE lame tip…
Yeah, yeah, that above stuff doesn't really ring true with Organic wines, which tend to lack the structure and body in typical red wines. Organic reds are usually thinner, and can't pull its weight. A £6 bottle of Organic Rouge describes itself as 'supple, warming Mediterranean wine.' From Cotes de Thongue in the South of France, this non-vintage wine is full of red berry, but should have a more robust flavour profile. The wine was more stretched thin than supple, and more hot than warming. Not really the 'sun in the cup' the label made it seem.
The next day, it was oxidized, left with about four-fifths still in the bottle. Undrinkable. If a wine can't last longer than a day, then what is it worth? For my blog, always under 8 points. 7.7 points.
By contrast, the Fetzer Shiraz lasted four days (see earlier blog). One glass each evening for more than half a week. That's added value, but not organic.
Wine is rarely organic by its own right, rather made with organically grown grapes.
The Organic Rouge was a cheap one for being organic… but the Interwined budget was blown quickly this week. This is curious since grapes produced using Organic methods are of no smaller yield than commercial farming, as a rule. So, the label 'Organic' usually just means a few more pains in the pocket. Just go to that phoney Organic monolith, Whole Foods, and you get the meaning.
All food should be Organic, according to Burgundian Antonin Rodet, and we agree, but we shouldn't have to pay more for it just because…
Better was the 2004 Quinta do Coa, a Vinho Tinto from the Douro river valley in Portugal, known as Duero in Spain. Wines from the Duero are just sooo good. But this is the first Organic Douro to hit these lips. At £9.25, it's getting a bit pricey, and while the wine should pack more of a punch, the elegance of the blackberry and hints of bitter chocolate satisfy the mouth, if not the wallet. 8.4 points.
At nearly £12, the 2004 L'Orangerie de Haut-Nouchet from Pessac-Leognan is easily the best, but that's expected to go with the price tag. The terroir and elegance were there, but the most important aspect was the harmony. The wine is not too tannic, nor is it too thin. It's well-balanced and ready-to-drink… with almost anything. But it is 28% too expensive. 8.5 points.
More Organic later this week.
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