Wine of the Week - MAN Vintners Sauvignon Blanc

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Cépage et Cuisine, Mary’s and Brian’s wine and food blog.  Here in central Mississippi, it is hot, hot, hot!  This is the time of year for refreshing summer white wines.  Today, we’re highlighting a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.  Mary and I have little experience with South African wines.  We included one in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting event a couple of years ago, but were unimpressed with it.

I also have a confession to make.  I’ve sort of shied away from South African wines because of the apartheid history.  I sort of figured that during the apartheid years and economic sanctions, white landowners probably fared better than poor South Africans.  When apartheid ended and economic sanctions were lifted, international investment in South African wine allowed the same white wine producers to benefit again, so I’ve been reluctant to send my money to them.  I suppose it’s time to turn the page, though, and move forward.  So, we decided to try an inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.

Man Vintners is the project of three friends who wanted to make a wine they would like to drink every day.  They named their winery with the initials of their wives, Marie, Anette, and Nicky, MAN Vinters.  The grapes for this wine are grown in an area called the Perdeberg Hills of the Paarl region, although the wine is labeled with the Western Cape appellation. Note that the wine is bottled under screwcap.  That’s an indication it is intended to be consumed while it is young, fresh, and fruity, so enjoy!

We paired it with a dinner of paneed tilapia and fresh, local, and seasonal Mississippi vegetables, squash, peppers, onions, and lady peas Mary bought at the farmers market.  Here are my notes on the wine.

Man Vintners Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape 2010.  I wanted to try another South African Sauvignon Blanc.  We had one a while back at an event on Sauvignon Blanc, but that one seemed vegetal to me, too much bell pepper and asparagus.  This one was quite the opposite.  The aromas were subtle, a little grapefruit citrus.  The palate was soft for a Sauvignon Blanc, but it did have refreshing acidity and notes of lemon and tropical fruit, perhaps peach and passion fruit.  It wasn’t very complex, but it was balanced and had short to medium length.  A good everyday wine, light and refreshing.  13.5% alcohol.  The wine was only $11 at Colony Wine Market in Madison.

That’s our post for today, a refreshing wine of the week for summertime.  Thanks for reading us at Cépage et Cuisine.  Check back again for more wine and food adventures.  In the meantime,

Cheers!

Mary♥Brian

Rieslings of Germany Wine Tasting Event

Hello, again, to our wine and food friends and welcome to Cépage et Cuisine, Mary’s and Brian’s wine and food blog.  We recently conducted a tasting of Rieslings of Germany with several of our wine friends, hosted by our friends, Beverly and Mark.  It has been very hot and humid here in Jackson, so a refreshing white wine was just the ticket.

We posted a note back on January 16, 2011, about Riesling of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (you can read that note by clicking on January on the dates on the right side of the blog page).  I mentioned then that Riesling has a bit of an image problem because of its historical association with sickly sweet low quality wines like Blue Nun and Black Tower that aren’t even Riesling anyway.  On the contrary, good quality Riesling from Germany can be absolutely thrilling, highly versatile with food, and delicious on its own. 

Although it is true that most German Riesling sold in the U.S. has residual unfermented sugar and a sweet taste, it is not at all cloying because of its excellent balancing acidity.  The acidity provides a kind of tension and energy in contrast to the sweetness, creating a clean, refreshing experience on the palate.  The balance of fruit, sweetness, and acidity create a terrific wine experience.  Also, since the wines are not fermented all the way to dryness, the alcohol level is usually low, which is nice for enjoying with food without feeling sluggish or lethargic afterward.

We selected wines from two well known regions, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and the somewhat less well known Nahe region.  You can see these areas on the map above (clipped from www.weygandtwines.com).  To help you with geographic orientation, the most well known wine appellations of Germany are to the north of the Alsace region of France and east of Belgium and Luxembourg.  The vineyards of the Mosel are generally very steep with thin soils and a combination of slate and schist.  Some areas also have a high concentration of iron.  The best vineyard sites are south-facing to capture more sunlight and enhance ripening of the grapes.  In contrast, vineyards of the Nahe are not always as steep and have slightly varying soil types.

Here’s the Brauneberger Juffer vineyard above the town of Brauneberg.  You can see the incredible steepness of some of these Mosel-Saar-Ruwer vineyards and how labor intensive it is to farm them.

German Rieslings are classified in various ways.  The best quality wines are called Qualitätswein mit Prädikat, which means “quality wine with distinction.”  The wines are further classified according to their ripeness when picked.  The lowest level of ripeness, termed “fully ripe,” is Kabinett.  The next level up in ripeness is Spätlese, which means “late harvest.”  The highest level of ripeness before getting into dessert-style wines is Auslese, or “selected harvest.”  Auslese-level grapes are hand selected from very ripe grape bunches. 

Above these wines in ripeness are dessert-style wines called Beerenauslese, meaning “selected harvest of berries,” literally picked berry by berry, and Trockenbeerenauslese, meaning “selected harvest of dried berries.”  These grapes are extremely ripe and dried on the vine.  Another dessert-style Riesling is called Eiswein, because the grapes are harvested when they are frozen on the vine.  Freezing the water in the grapes and then crushing them when harvested leaves behind a highly concentrated, very sweet nectar to make the wine.

We had a Kabinett, a Spätlese, and an Auslese from both Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Nahe, so we could contrast different growing areas.  To make things especially interesting, I was able to obtain a Kabinett and a Spätlese from the same producer, same vintage, and same vineyard.  That was very helpful for understanding the contrast between the two ripeness levels.

Beverly and Mark prepared a delicious feast of choucroute, which we’ve described here previously on the blog (October 31, 2010).  It is a traditional dish of both Germany and the Alsace region of France and consists of smoked sausage, pork loin or ham hocks, potatoes, and sauerkraut, cooked with herbs, onion, and bacon…yum!  It is a perfect match for Riesling and highlights the versatility of the wine.  Dessert was a cheese and fruit course of Emmentaler, Brie, Roquefort, and dried apricots.

Like most white wines, Riesling is great with fish, shellfish, and poultry dishes, but it is especially good with spicy Asian cuisine such as Thai and Korean and the Cajun and Creole cuisine of our part of the country.  With choucroute, the sweetness and acidity of the wine are a perfect foil for the spicy heat of the sausage and saltiness of sauerkraut.  It’s great to include a little Riesling in the cooking of the sauerkraut!

Dessert was a cheese and fruit course of Emmentaler, Brie, Roquefort, and dried apricots, accompanied by a Riesling Eiswein.

It was a festive evening at the haus of Beverly and Mark.  Katie, Jesse, and Dick rounded out the Riesling crew.  Tough duty, but somebody has to do it!  Here are photos of each member of the happy group with notes on each wine, presented in the order in which we tasted them.

Here’s our gracious host, Beverly.

Schäfer-Frölich Nahe Riesling Kabinett 2007.  Perhaps the least distinguished wine of the group as it was “merely” an appellation wine with no single vineyard designation.  Yet, this wine was one of the consensus favorites of the evening, my personal first choice both with and without food.  It was Mary's first choice on its own but she didn't prefer it as much with dinner.  The aroma profile showed fresh citrus, especially grapefruit, along with apricot, possibly pineapple, and nice minerality.  The palate was fresh, clean, had medium to high acidity, quite mouthwatering.  It had medium body and intense flavors of citrus, peach, and mineral notes.  It had a nice finish, medium to long, beautifully balanced, and moderate complexity.  Very nice.  8.0% alcohol.  This wine cost $30.

Here I am with the other Kabinett.

Weingut Fritz Haag Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 2007.  Surprisingly to me in view of the high regard for Fritz Haag, this wine performed near the bottom of the six event wines, although no one gave it less than a "like" rating.  The aroma showed a petroleum note, even at a young age, lime citrus, peach and apricot, and a stony minerality, like all the wines.  The palate showed lower acidity than the Schäfer-Frölich from the Nahe, which led one attendee to say it tasted "too sweet."  The flavor profile was mostly linear with the aromas, citrus, tree fruit, and minerality.  It just didn't quite have the freshness of the other Kabinett.  Even so, it was adequately balanced, moderately complex, with a medium finish, so it gets a good quality rating.  8.5% alcohol.  We paid $25 for this wine.

Here's our friend, Mark, holding the first Spätlese of the evening, the same producer, same vineyard, and same vineyard as the Kabinett.  Aside from the ripeness classification, the only difference is the grapes all came from the Sonnenuhr parcel of the Brauneberger Juffer vineyard.  Sonnenuhr means “sundial,” one of which is located in this particular site.

Weingut Fritz Haag Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2007.  The Spätlese-level Sonnenuhr parcel of the Brauneberger Juffer vineyard was better regarded by the group than the Fritz Haag Kabinett.  It was clearly more complex on both the nose and the palate, more tropical in character with peach, mango, and honey.  The palate was more full-bodied than the Kabinett, not surprising, with medium acidity and intense flavors of lime, peach, tropical fruit such as mango or papaya, and a nice mineral note.  It finished long, nicely balanced, had good complexity, an excellent quality rating.  7.5% alcohol.  This wine cost $35.

Jesse and Katie joined one of our wine tasting events for the first time.  Jesse is holding the Nahe Spätlese example.

Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff Nahe Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 2007.  This is a Nahe Spätlese that performed below its Mosel-Saar-Ruwer counterpart.  Once again, we noted a tropical quality along with what I thought was fresh, sliced tree fruit, such as pear and apple and a honeyed note.  The palate showed medium acidity and body and flavors of lime, tree fruit, pineapple, minerals, and a pronounced spicy note, like nutmeg or even cinnamon, especially on the finish.  Nicely balanced, medium to long finish, nicely complex, it is excellent in quality but ranked in the lower tier of most preferences.  At 9.5%, it had the highest alcohol level of the evening’s wines.  It was also the most expensive wine on the table, by far, at $80.

Here’s Katie, the better half of the Katie and Jesse pair, holding the Auslese example from the Nahe.

Schlossgut Diel Nahe Dorsheimer Burgberg Riesling Auslese 2001.  This wine was very complex with lovely floral aromas, lime citrus, tropical fruit, stone, and a petroleum note.  The palate was more full-bodied than some of the other wines with medium acidity and flavors of lime, grapefruit, peach, mango, and a nice minerally, wet earth quality.  It was long finishing, well balanced, very complex, perhaps the highest rated wine of the evening on pure quality measures.  It was Mary's favorite with dinner, my second.  Beautiful, especially for an Auslese, which is not usually my preference.  I’m glad it performed so well because this is a small, family-run operation, which I like to support.  7.5% alcohol.  We paid $50 for this wine.

Dick is holding the Auslese example from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.

Weingut Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 2004.  Most of the group rated this wine highly on their preference rankings, so both of the Auslesen performed very well.  The first thing I noticed on the nose was caramel, which everyone immediately agreed was there.  Tree fruit, especially a perfectly ripe white peach also stood out.  Tropical pineapple and flowers, perhaps honeysuckle or gardenia rounded out a complex aroma profile.  The palate was full, with medium acidity, and lemon citrus, peach, caramel, and mineral flavor notes.  It had a medium finish, not as long as the Nahe Auslese, complex, but not quite as complex as the other wine, and nicely balanced.  7.5% alcohol.  This wine cost $45.

Last but certainly not least is my sweet wife, Mary, with the dessert wine…perfect!

Weingut Fritz Allendorf Rheingau Winkeler Gutenberg Riesling Eiswein 2007.  The Eiswein was not all that much sweeter on the palate than the Auslesen, but it did have a slightly riper aroma and flavor profile.  Mark immediately said he detected a raisiny note and everyone agreed on honey.  The acidity was medium but enough for adequate balance.  I thought it showed a preserved or candied citrus peel flavor such as lemon or orange and it clearly had peach and apricot notes.  As expected, the pairing with Roquefort cheese was sublime, but it did very well with the Emmentaler and Brie, too.  8.5% alcohol.  We paid $30 for this wine.

We had a great time, talking, laughing, learning about Rieslings of Germany, enjoying great food prepared by Beverly and Mark, and the company of a fun group of good people.  Life is pretty good when we gather around a table of wine, food, and friends.

That’s our post for today.  We hope you found it interesting and enjoyable.  Keep checking back at Cépage et Cuisine for more of our food and wine adventures.  Until then,

Cheers!

Mary♥Brian

Epilogue - 2011 France Wine and Food Adventure

Hello, friends, and welcome again to Cépage et Cuisine, Mary’s and Brian’s wine and food blog.  We recently returned home from our wine and culinary vacation in Burgundy, the Loire Valley, and Paris.  We posted notes about each day’s experience to the blog.  You can read all of them by scrolling down for the most recent few posts and clicking on the dates on the right side of the blog page for earlier articles.

Aside from the pure enjoyment of the France adventure, what did we learn about wine, food, and culture?  How was our understanding of wine and food enhanced?  Here are a few things we learned that we think are worth sharing, plus a few practical tips.

Going there really helps.  Whether “there” is Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Napa Valley, or any other wine area, seeing the terrain, walking in the vineyard, eating the food, talking to the people, and experiencing the wine within the context of the total package of the place makes understanding the wine and food so much easier.  We can’t go everywhere, but visits to beautiful places that are also home to great wine is a good thing to do if you want to know more about the wine you enjoy at home.

 Place matters, dirt matters, history matters.  Small variations in terroir can make big differences in the wine.  Look at the photo above of Corton-Charlemagne, very high class dirt, the source of some of the grandest Chardonnay in the world.  The mid-slope, where I’m standing to shoot the photo, is the choicest part of the vineyard.  The steeper higher slopes have lost some of their soil nutrients over time due to washing.  The flatter lower slopes have accumulated clay and heavier elements over time.  These things affect the grapes.  In the distance you can see another hillside of the nearby village, Pernand-Vergelesses.  The vineyard on that hillside is almost literally a stone’s throw from Corton-Charlemagne, but its grapes are less prized.  The soil may be different in just that small distance and even if the soils are similar, the other vineyard is northeast facing, whereas Corton-Charlemagne is south facing.  By standing in this spot, it makes sense to me when considering the relative value of wines from these two adjacent vineyard sites.  Burgundians, dating back to the Cistercian monks and beyond, learned these distinctions long ago.  Americans are working hard to understand vineyards in California and elsewhere and they have the scientific knowledge, technology, and expertise to learn quickly, but they are still behind the accumulated experience of thousands of years in old wine growing cultures.

Here’s Matthieu Baudry again at Domaine Bernard Baudry in Chinon.  Notice the soil sample display in the corner of the room.  Each glass case represents a different vineyard site and different soil type.  Even in a photo from several feet away, you can easily see soil type differences.  The cépage of the wines produced from all of these sites is the same…100% Cabernet Franc.  The vinification techniques are essentially the same.  I would also add that Matthieu uses only native yeasts to initiate fermentation.  He does not inoculate with cultured or commercial yeasts.  The wines all have varietal integrity, they are all distinctly Cabernet Franc, all delicious.  Yet, they are all discernibly different from one another.  Mary and I marveled at differences in character among the wines.  The differences in the expressions of the wines are due to terroir.  I was also amazed at how Cabernet Franc in Chinon reaches maturity at sugars that produce such low alcohol levels, generally 12.5% to 13.0%, even in a warm year such as 2009.  The climate in Chinon and vines planted over limestone and in shallow soils develop grapes that retain acidity and freshness in the wine.  I was a believer in the concept of terroir before, but it is even clearer now.

All of these factors converge to what I think are some logical conclusions based on our experience with wine.  Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can be cultivated in many places in the world, including the U.S., some of it very good or even great.  For a variety of reasons, however, I have concluded the most glorious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are produced in Burgundy.

Likewise, Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc reach their greatest heights in the Loire Valley.  I think this is particularly true for Cabernet Franc, which in the rest of the world is mostly a blending grape that comprises minority percentages of wines which include it. 

Finally, I think varietal character is clearer when alcohol levels are not too high.  Phenolic maturity at low sugars enables wines that more clearly express their origins, both the type of grape and where they are grown.

Anyone reading this blog is welcome to disagree.  These comments are generalizations, there are exceptions, and neither Mary nor I claim to have extensive wine expertise.  We are simply passionate tasters, readers, and explorers of wine and wine culture.  I have said many times that if you like a wine, it’s good wine.  Trust your own palate and decide for yourself what you like.

What grows together goes together.  In some ways, pairing wine with food is simplified in a place like France.  Eat locally grown food with locally produced wine and it will probably be pretty darn good.  Locally grown shitake mushrooms stuffed with locally produced Chèvre, grilled under an open fire in a brick oven, washed down with a Saumur rouge, is unbeatable.  Mussels mariniere and a minerally Savennières is an unforgettable combination.  The examples go on and on.

We were also reminded at how fresh and local food just tastes better.  We noticed this even with supermarket food in France.  We’ve all experienced the joy of fresh vegetables right from the garden, how vivid the flavors and textures are when they’re fresh and not packaged and shipped across the country or around the world.  Another outcome of this trip is that Mary and I have renewed our resolve to shop more at farmers markets to take advantage of fresh, seasonal, locally grown food.

Elegance, finesse, and delicacy make a big difference in wine and food.  Great chefs know that ingredients in the right proportions are crucial to good food.  Likewise, balance among fruit, acidity, tannins, and alcohol, all elements in harmony, are crucial to great wine.  As I mentioned above when talking about history, culinary and wine cultures that have long history have refined this knowledge to an art.  Great American chefs can do this, too, but I think for many everyday people, living in a busy, fast food culture, we’ve either lost or never had a deep appreciation for the nuances of really expertly prepared food, paired with a well-balanced wine.

Smiling is a universal language.  If you are pleasant and polite and at least make an attempt to communicate in French for basic expressions, even simple things like “bonjour” and “merci,” they appreciate it and will respond in kind.  Almost everyone we met was friendly and welcoming.  Here’s Madame again in Villers-la-Faye, one of our very favorite French people.  She brightened our mornings and made us glad we came to her shop.

Finally, here’s a shout-out to our Villers-la-Faye hosts from Grape Rentals, Franck and Laura Germain (www.graperentals.com).  Franck grew up in Villers-la-Faye and together he and Laura manage a few vacation rental properties in the area.  We found them by searching online, but we’ve also communicated with them by email and phone.  They are gracious, kind, eager to help, nice people with a nice family, and have lovely properties to enhance a visit to Burgundy.  We wrote earlier about our hosts at Le Clos des Guyons in Le Puy Notre Dame.  Thank you, Brian and Sheila.

That’s our post for today, our final post about our 2011 wine and culinary adventure in France.  We enjoyed our experience so much, but Dorothy was right in the Wizard of Oz, there’s no place like home. We hope you enjoyed our posts about French wine, food, and culture and found them interesting.  Keep checking back at Cépage et Cuisine for more articles about wine and food.  Until then,

Cheers!

Mary♥Brian