Phew, it was hot in Southern France in June. The canicule broke records. 45.9 degrees Celcius was the highest temperature ever recorded in France. This is another sign of dangerous climate change although scientists are reluctant to claim that such a canicule can be directly attributed to climate change. The French government was well prepared this time to protect human life and fortunately the calamity of 2003 was avoided. In 2003 over 14,000 deaths were attributed to the heatwave in France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave
The heatwave in June devastated some of the vineyards in Southern France. Some growers lost 50% of their crop. Growers often use sulphur in the vineyard to protect the vines from mildew. If there is a heatwave the residual sulphur combines with the heat to dry out the leaves and fruit of the vines. However, some growers did not use sulphur this year and their vines were still destroyed. Some growers recorded 60 degree temperatures locally. Remember the recorded temperatures of 45 degrees C were shade temperatures. Vines are always exposed to the sun for good reason.
The temperatures reached in some vineyards were exacerbated by pebbles and small rocks which absorbed the heat and reflected it back to the vines. This process helps the vines to grow when temperatures cool down but of course when the air gets too hot the reflected heat damages the vines further.
The training of the vines helps to ameliorate the effects of heatwaves and some growers did not top and trim the foliage to the usual extent.
Some growers, in the far south of France, are now despairing for the future of their vineyards. This is a strong wake up call. Climate change could really be dangerous for all of us and our farms and vineyards.
Other growers further north, in Bordeaux, have been rejoicing about the hot weather - in a few years they may be suffering from the same problems of heatwaves - so watch out.
Human beings have been on the planet for thousands of years and have lived more less in harmony with nature. It is only in the last 250 years that industrialisation has led to damage to the environment.We had better be careful; the next 250 years could see our very existence on Earth being put into jeopardy as a result of our very own actions.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-vineyards-burned-in-intense-heatwave-damage-during-canicule-say-local-winemakers
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/economie-social/la-canicule-provoque-une-catastrophe-dans-le-vignoble-des-pyrenees-orientales-1561989995
Thursday, 4 July 2019
Monday, 10 June 2019
Glyphosate in Wine
A recent study in the US discovered that glyphosate was present in 19 out of 20 wines and beers tested. Glyphosate was even found in organic wine. The concentrations of this weedkiller found the beers and wines were very low. The highest concentration was found in a wine at 51.4 parts per billion and the lowest in an organic wine at 4.8 parts per billion. One organic beer was found to have 0 parts per billion.
Glyphosate is so widely used as a weedkiller that it is found in many agricultural products such as oats albeit at very low concentrations. The judgement is out whether low concentrations of glyphosate in the food change are dangerous to our health. It is suspected that farmers and regular domestic users of glyphosate could be damaging there health if they do not take precautions to protect there skin and lungs when using this weedkiller.
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-beer-wine-2630077686.html
It is my opinion that such a low concentrations of glyphosate in wine is not dangerous to our health and that the alcohol in wine is probably a greater danger. Keeping alcohol consumption at levels which do not harm our health will probably protect individuals from exposure to other potentially damaging chemicals.
We do not need to use chemical weedkillers in our vineyards and there are other mechanical and natural methods of reducing the growth of weeds. So why not take a precautionary response and only use weeding methods which we know to be absolutely safe.
France is claiming to lead the way to reduce glyphosate usage in the vineyard and wants to eliminate its usage by the end of 2021. Doing this will be highly controversial and some sections of the wine industry are resisting this. The producers will want subsidies.
https://www.france24.com/en/20190226-france-paris-agriculture-fair-beyond-glyphosate-french-vineyards-wine-weedkiller-pesticides
With an ever increasing awareness of the ecological factors affecting the health of both ourselves and the planet, it might be a wise move to placate young people, who are now beginning to protest about climate change and unsustainable farming. In some senses they are correct; a "weed" has as much right to live as a vine. Eliminating all weeds could damage the environment; after all they provide food for birds and insects and they rot down to help provide a healthy soil substrate. Weed and vines also have the right to grow in an environment unmarred by human induced climate change.
The sooner we produce sustainable farming methods globally the better. The challenge will be how to feed the growing population without the use of potentially dangerous herbicides and insecticides.
Until that time comes, I shall enjoy a glass of good wine even though it might be "contaminated" with a very low level of herbicide. And, I shall drink to the health of everyone on the planet.
Glyphosate is so widely used as a weedkiller that it is found in many agricultural products such as oats albeit at very low concentrations. The judgement is out whether low concentrations of glyphosate in the food change are dangerous to our health. It is suspected that farmers and regular domestic users of glyphosate could be damaging there health if they do not take precautions to protect there skin and lungs when using this weedkiller.
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-beer-wine-2630077686.html
It is my opinion that such a low concentrations of glyphosate in wine is not dangerous to our health and that the alcohol in wine is probably a greater danger. Keeping alcohol consumption at levels which do not harm our health will probably protect individuals from exposure to other potentially damaging chemicals.
We do not need to use chemical weedkillers in our vineyards and there are other mechanical and natural methods of reducing the growth of weeds. So why not take a precautionary response and only use weeding methods which we know to be absolutely safe.
France is claiming to lead the way to reduce glyphosate usage in the vineyard and wants to eliminate its usage by the end of 2021. Doing this will be highly controversial and some sections of the wine industry are resisting this. The producers will want subsidies.
https://www.france24.com/en/20190226-france-paris-agriculture-fair-beyond-glyphosate-french-vineyards-wine-weedkiller-pesticides
With an ever increasing awareness of the ecological factors affecting the health of both ourselves and the planet, it might be a wise move to placate young people, who are now beginning to protest about climate change and unsustainable farming. In some senses they are correct; a "weed" has as much right to live as a vine. Eliminating all weeds could damage the environment; after all they provide food for birds and insects and they rot down to help provide a healthy soil substrate. Weed and vines also have the right to grow in an environment unmarred by human induced climate change.
The sooner we produce sustainable farming methods globally the better. The challenge will be how to feed the growing population without the use of potentially dangerous herbicides and insecticides.
Until that time comes, I shall enjoy a glass of good wine even though it might be "contaminated" with a very low level of herbicide. And, I shall drink to the health of everyone on the planet.
Friday, 10 May 2019
Charles Melton 2008 Voices of Angels Shiraz Dry Red
Charles Melton is one of Australia's most accomplished winemakers. His vineyards are situated in the Barossa County in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. His Nine Popes wine is delicious but a little expensive now in the UK; nevertheless his wines compare favourably with the best from Europe and the US.
The 2008 Voices of Angels had been laying flat at home for a good number of years. The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so there was no real need to lay it down. I can't remember whether I bought it or not or whether it was a present. Probably I bought it in London. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels,
75% french and 25%, and then left on its lees for 24 months before bottling. Charles Melton recommends drinking this wine after a decade or so. The wine was perfect for drinking in 2019. We drank it with family as we ate pasta with a beef based ragout: the rest of the bottle was reserved for French , English and Spanish cheese.
The wine had maintained its deep purple colour possibly because the screw cap had not allowed oxygen to infuse into the bottle, to slightly oxidise the wine which would happen if the bottle was sealed with a cork. The wine smelt and tasted completely fresh. It was strong in alcohol but this was strongly integrated into the wine. The wine was full bodied but the tannin of the Shiraz grapes were softening. The wine tasted of Shiraz spice but it was fruity, complex and concentrated. It had all of the hallmarks of a superb wine that would age for another decade.
This wine is not something that you should slosh down at a party or barbecue. It is meant to be appreciated with good food. It delivers on high quality and taste. It is expensive but really worth trying to see what superior wine making from Australia can truly deliver. It is well recommended. Why not go out and spoil yourself. I don't think the winemaker is producing this brand any longer so it could increase in value.
http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/products/our-wines
https://www.vivino.com/charles-melton-wines-voices-of-angels-shiraz/w/1540420?year=2008
The 2008 Voices of Angels had been laying flat at home for a good number of years. The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so there was no real need to lay it down. I can't remember whether I bought it or not or whether it was a present. Probably I bought it in London. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels,
75% french and 25%, and then left on its lees for 24 months before bottling. Charles Melton recommends drinking this wine after a decade or so. The wine was perfect for drinking in 2019. We drank it with family as we ate pasta with a beef based ragout: the rest of the bottle was reserved for French , English and Spanish cheese.
The wine had maintained its deep purple colour possibly because the screw cap had not allowed oxygen to infuse into the bottle, to slightly oxidise the wine which would happen if the bottle was sealed with a cork. The wine smelt and tasted completely fresh. It was strong in alcohol but this was strongly integrated into the wine. The wine was full bodied but the tannin of the Shiraz grapes were softening. The wine tasted of Shiraz spice but it was fruity, complex and concentrated. It had all of the hallmarks of a superb wine that would age for another decade.
This wine is not something that you should slosh down at a party or barbecue. It is meant to be appreciated with good food. It delivers on high quality and taste. It is expensive but really worth trying to see what superior wine making from Australia can truly deliver. It is well recommended. Why not go out and spoil yourself. I don't think the winemaker is producing this brand any longer so it could increase in value.
http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/products/our-wines
https://www.vivino.com/charles-melton-wines-voices-of-angels-shiraz/w/1540420?year=2008
Tuesday, 9 April 2019
It pays to keep your wine. Who said Tesco doesn't sell good wine?
We opened a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 last week end from November last year. It was produced by JP Selles a négociant located just south of Lyon. Although it is not a top class wine we enjoyed it with food. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk straightaway, after it has been bottled, but it is better to let the wine rest for a while before it is opened especially if it is transported. In this case the wine was bought in in a french supermarket and then transported to the UK.
Every year I buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and very often I find it undrinkable and pour it away.
JP Selles' wine is a remarkable exception; we actually enjoyed it and it did not taste anything like some of its rustic counterparts. Keeping it for a few months before opening probably helped its development.
Another pleasant surprise was a bottle of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape bought from the British supermarket "Tesco". My friend gave it to me when he joined us for dinner one evening with his partner. Usually he bought his wine from an off-licence; he must have been in a bit of a hurry. I laid the wine down and forgot about it. Time passed by and unfortunately my good friend passed away. We used to talk about everything ranging from travel to astronomy and of course wine. We even talked and exchanged views for hours about politics and religion without any rancour and always in good humour.
The wine had kept so well and after 9 years in the bottle it had retained its vigour and its fruity flavour .The tannin had softened and there was a nutty taste of almonds mixed with vanilla. A concentrated and complex wine that tasted like a typical Chateauneuf du Pape - superb. Whoever the Tesco's buyer was deserves a big prize.
This wine cannot be slugged back; it is too powerful to drink without food. My wife and I drank a half bottle one evening with a shoulder of welsh lamb. The next evening I made a cawl with the the leftover lamb and we finished off the rest of the bottle with it.
The wine of course brought back fond memories of our friend and the conviviality that wine lovers share.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/254092414
https://www.sommelix.fr/producteur-jean-paul-selles-8c9dae323
Every year I buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and very often I find it undrinkable and pour it away.
JP Selles' wine is a remarkable exception; we actually enjoyed it and it did not taste anything like some of its rustic counterparts. Keeping it for a few months before opening probably helped its development.
Another pleasant surprise was a bottle of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape bought from the British supermarket "Tesco". My friend gave it to me when he joined us for dinner one evening with his partner. Usually he bought his wine from an off-licence; he must have been in a bit of a hurry. I laid the wine down and forgot about it. Time passed by and unfortunately my good friend passed away. We used to talk about everything ranging from travel to astronomy and of course wine. We even talked and exchanged views for hours about politics and religion without any rancour and always in good humour.
The wine had kept so well and after 9 years in the bottle it had retained its vigour and its fruity flavour .The tannin had softened and there was a nutty taste of almonds mixed with vanilla. A concentrated and complex wine that tasted like a typical Chateauneuf du Pape - superb. Whoever the Tesco's buyer was deserves a big prize.
This wine cannot be slugged back; it is too powerful to drink without food. My wife and I drank a half bottle one evening with a shoulder of welsh lamb. The next evening I made a cawl with the the leftover lamb and we finished off the rest of the bottle with it.
The wine of course brought back fond memories of our friend and the conviviality that wine lovers share.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/254092414
https://www.sommelix.fr/producteur-jean-paul-selles-8c9dae323
Friday, 15 March 2019
Yippee, it's the flat wine bottle delivered through your letterbox
We have had wine in the bag, wine in a tin, wine in a tetra pack and wine in a small plastic bottle on a plane. Now we have got wine in a flat plastic bottle - it's more than cool it's hip.
https://www.garconwines.com/garcon-bottles
All of these wine delivery methods have got one thing in common; the wine is not exactly Chateau Latour or thereabouts.
Never mind, these wines can be posted through the letterbox and will be available for delivery by drone. They are fully recyclable: every piece. Mind you, so are conventional wine bottles. The bottles are sterile and non-toxic and guaranteed not to affect your fertility - evidence please. They are made of virgin PET that will not compete with a castrated cat.
They are advertised as environmentally friendly which reduces their carbon footprint. These bottles pick themselves up from the ground when discarded at a picnic and recycle themselves.
How romantic that they fit in with today's modern PR lifestyle. You can romantically open a bottle of flat pack wine to impress your lover over a deliveroo Beef bourguignon. Be careful though, not to knock over the unstable "Bordeaux bottle shaped" flat pack of red burgundy; your lover might not be too impressed. Ardour could be suppressed. It might be the only bottle of wine you've got - heaven forbid.
You might be better off decanting your wine into a crystal glass carafe. Your wine snob potential life partner might then be convinced that they're drinking Chambertin rather than cheap Merlot plonk from Chile. They might even be convinced that you cooked the Beef bourguignon yourself - just hide the bin.
In all seriousness this could be a good idea and I might try a bottle or two when I have a barbecue. However, I shall not open a bottle of this type of plonk at home with my wife: I shall stick to tradition and still be able to recycle the bottle. I'll be cooking my own Boeuf bourguignon and serving Chambertin when I can afford it.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/01/naked-wines-takes-on-garcons-flat-wine-bottles/
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/french/boeuf-bourguignon
https://www.garconwines.com/garcon-bottles
All of these wine delivery methods have got one thing in common; the wine is not exactly Chateau Latour or thereabouts.
Never mind, these wines can be posted through the letterbox and will be available for delivery by drone. They are fully recyclable: every piece. Mind you, so are conventional wine bottles. The bottles are sterile and non-toxic and guaranteed not to affect your fertility - evidence please. They are made of virgin PET that will not compete with a castrated cat.
They are advertised as environmentally friendly which reduces their carbon footprint. These bottles pick themselves up from the ground when discarded at a picnic and recycle themselves.
How romantic that they fit in with today's modern PR lifestyle. You can romantically open a bottle of flat pack wine to impress your lover over a deliveroo Beef bourguignon. Be careful though, not to knock over the unstable "Bordeaux bottle shaped" flat pack of red burgundy; your lover might not be too impressed. Ardour could be suppressed. It might be the only bottle of wine you've got - heaven forbid.
You might be better off decanting your wine into a crystal glass carafe. Your wine snob potential life partner might then be convinced that they're drinking Chambertin rather than cheap Merlot plonk from Chile. They might even be convinced that you cooked the Beef bourguignon yourself - just hide the bin.
In all seriousness this could be a good idea and I might try a bottle or two when I have a barbecue. However, I shall not open a bottle of this type of plonk at home with my wife: I shall stick to tradition and still be able to recycle the bottle. I'll be cooking my own Boeuf bourguignon and serving Chambertin when I can afford it.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/01/naked-wines-takes-on-garcons-flat-wine-bottles/
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/french/boeuf-bourguignon
Friday, 1 March 2019
Les 3 Jean 2010 Domaine de la Cune Saumur-Champigny Loire Red
We deliberately kept this wine for * years to see how well it would mature and we were not disappointed.
The Saumur-Champigny appellation is in the Loire valley. The wine is produced form Cabernet Franc black grapes. Cabernet Franc is eminently suitable to the terroir and methods of production of the appellation.
We drank this wine with pork. The wine was still vigorous but of course the tannin had softened. There was a lovely red berry flavour and nose and the taste remained on the palate for a long time after swallowing. The wine was medium bodied so you could drink it without food, but I always recommend drinking good wine with food rather than sloshing it back. I don't think that this wine would improve in the the bottle for much longer and most people from France would already have drunk this vintage.
We were given this wine so I don't know how much it would have cost but I doubt that the price would have been more than about £10 a bottle so it makes this wine excellent value for money.
I don't buy much Loire valley wine to drink at home. This wine reminds me of what I am missing and the Loire valley is now back on the menu.
The Saumur-Champigny appellation is in the Loire valley. The wine is produced form Cabernet Franc black grapes. Cabernet Franc is eminently suitable to the terroir and methods of production of the appellation.
We drank this wine with pork. The wine was still vigorous but of course the tannin had softened. There was a lovely red berry flavour and nose and the taste remained on the palate for a long time after swallowing. The wine was medium bodied so you could drink it without food, but I always recommend drinking good wine with food rather than sloshing it back. I don't think that this wine would improve in the the bottle for much longer and most people from France would already have drunk this vintage.
We were given this wine so I don't know how much it would have cost but I doubt that the price would have been more than about £10 a bottle so it makes this wine excellent value for money.
I don't buy much Loire valley wine to drink at home. This wine reminds me of what I am missing and the Loire valley is now back on the menu.
Friday, 8 February 2019
Luis Felipe Edwards Lot 18 Merlot 2011 - Chile
Some how a half bottle of Luis Filipe Edwards lot 18 Merlot 2011 got left on its side and hiding in the dark. I retrieved it the other day when my wife said: "let's just drink a half bottle with our beef stew". Normally we would polish off a wine like this after at most 2 years rather than leave it 8 years.
The wine had a screw cap so there was no need to lay it on its side. I opened the wine and gave it a good sniff. I couldn't believe it, as it smelt fresh.
My wife enjoyed the wine with the beef. To me it tasted a bit flat. It had retained the spice and tannin but it lacked a fruit flavour. The wine had maintained its ruby red colour and for me there was no hint of oxidation. The lack of a fruit flavour was therefore due to a natural reduction of its fruit-tasting compounds. The wine was, however, drinkable with the food.
This wine is obviously not designed to be kept for a long time but after just 4 or 5 years of maturing in the bottle it would probably have retained its fruit flavour. It is a tribute to screw-caps that the wine had not oxidised during a 9 year period.
I have some good quality Australians wines, sealed with screw caps, which I am leaving to mature for a considerable time . I am expecting them to retain their fruit character and to taste very good. These wines, however, will not age in the same way as a cousin in a cork sealed bottle. With cork sealed bottles you run the risk of a putrefying cork tainting the taste of the wine. Cork sealed wines also eventually oxidise owing to the gradually diffusion of oxygen into the bottle.
I was quite surprised that our wine in question lasted for such a long time without deteriorating too much.
I can't remember how we came by this wine, as it was probably given to us: and how much it cost if we had bought it. Younger versions of this wine will probably be good value for money, they are worth a try, be sure to drink them with a wholesome meal rather than sloshing them back at a barbecue.
http://www.simplywinesdirect.uk/?product=luis-felipe-edwards-lot-18-merlot
The wine had a screw cap so there was no need to lay it on its side. I opened the wine and gave it a good sniff. I couldn't believe it, as it smelt fresh.
My wife enjoyed the wine with the beef. To me it tasted a bit flat. It had retained the spice and tannin but it lacked a fruit flavour. The wine had maintained its ruby red colour and for me there was no hint of oxidation. The lack of a fruit flavour was therefore due to a natural reduction of its fruit-tasting compounds. The wine was, however, drinkable with the food.
This wine is obviously not designed to be kept for a long time but after just 4 or 5 years of maturing in the bottle it would probably have retained its fruit flavour. It is a tribute to screw-caps that the wine had not oxidised during a 9 year period.
I have some good quality Australians wines, sealed with screw caps, which I am leaving to mature for a considerable time . I am expecting them to retain their fruit character and to taste very good. These wines, however, will not age in the same way as a cousin in a cork sealed bottle. With cork sealed bottles you run the risk of a putrefying cork tainting the taste of the wine. Cork sealed wines also eventually oxidise owing to the gradually diffusion of oxygen into the bottle.
I was quite surprised that our wine in question lasted for such a long time without deteriorating too much.
I can't remember how we came by this wine, as it was probably given to us: and how much it cost if we had bought it. Younger versions of this wine will probably be good value for money, they are worth a try, be sure to drink them with a wholesome meal rather than sloshing them back at a barbecue.
http://www.simplywinesdirect.uk/?product=luis-felipe-edwards-lot-18-merlot
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