Fabulous evening with Bob Pepi, wine consultant and founder of the Eponymous brand of California Reds. Bob's father bought land in Napa in 1966, grew grapes, and acquired some of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley. Wine Spectator called Bob's first Cabernet Sauvignon "a Cellar Selection."

Eventually his family sold to Kendall-Jackson in 1994 and Bob began to lease vineyards/buy grapes and put his wines up for various competitions.

In 1991, Bob became general manager for the California operations of Stimson Lane, again producing award-winning wines, including a Cabernet-based Conn Creek  wine that received the highest Wine Spectator ratings of any Stimson Lane label to that prized consultant.  With over 40 harvests under his belt, and considerable wine business

Today Bob is the founder of Eponymous wines, all reds, which are exceptionally well balanced and delicious. At a food and wine pairing dinner tonight we experienced the wines with may different types of food. Some preferred the very elegant Syrah with steak, others the Petite Syrah or Full-bodied Chardonnay with pasta.

As a winemaker, Bob also make two whites, Two Angles Sauvignon Blanc and Angel's "Secret Carneros Chardonnay" -- a bright rich fruit forward style for both.

The reds, I sense, he really puts his energy into: the Cabernet Franc was pulsating with vivacity, the Cabernet cleanly structured, and the Petite Sirah concentrated with black ruit -- all is well. I also liked the Syrah and the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. with their ripe, meaty flavors.

Fabulous introduction into Mr. Pepi's excellent winemaking skills!

Felidia is the fabulous venue for our Wine Media Lunches -- it is owned by PBS star Lidia Bastianich --

-- and you can imagine the pleasure in being invited to join Felidia's Executive Chef Fortunato Nicotra, along with Michelin-star Sicilian chef Patricia Di Benedetto and Azienda Agricola d'Alessandro for a Sicilian Food and Wine Dinner at Felidia on Thursday, January 19^th at 7pm.

I adore Sicilian wine and my crystal ball tells me that this will be the wine of the decade. The whites have a pleasant bitter finish that ends with a decisive finish ... they are not "fruity" in the New World sense of the word. The reds are also milder than most New World reds. Just very different and the difference is appreciated.

At any rate, the evening presented the opportunity to experience the flavors of Sicily interpreted by two Sicilian born and raised chefs and paired with the soulful wines of Azienda Agricola d'Alessandro based in the province of Agrigento.

This was actually a consumer event (yes, you could have gone too!) hence the reason I was curious why I did not see too many familiar faces.

The gentlemen distributing and selling Azienda Agricola d'Alessandro got up between courses to talk about the wines and the food of this region, and were better than any Broadway show (in a good way). They were 'educators' without this being part of their title, helping this lay audience understand how the wines were made and their best points.

Azienda Agricola d'Alessandro is a winery located near the ancient southern Sicilian seaside town of Agrigento, renowned during the golden age of Ancient Greece. The vintages are newer yet the wines were all extremely well made. Here is the menu:

SHAVED RAW TUNA AND AMBERJACK WITH OCTOPUS VINAIGRETTE
D'ALESSANDRO INZOLIA 2009

FISH STUFFED PACCHERI WITH FISH SOUP
CHOCOLATE RAVIOLI WITH HOUSE MADE RICOTTA, ANCHOVY AND CARDOON “BRODETTO”
D'ALESSANDRO NERO D'AVOLA 2009

ALMOND CRUSTED SWORDFISH
D'ALESSANDRO NERO D'AVOLA/SYRAH 2007

BASIL ICE CREAM, NERO D’AVOLA REDUCTION AND HONEYCOMB
RICOTTA MOUSSE WITH PISTACHIO CRUMBLE AND WARM BITTER ORANGE SAUCE

Fun Facts about Sicillian wine:

1. Sicily produces more wine than New Zealand, Austria and Hungary combined.
2. 90% of the wines produced in Sicily are dessert wines.
3. Although there are a bevy of dessert wines to choose from, there are impressive reds and whites as well. Among them is Nero d’Avola, the most prominent red grape variety on the island with smooth tannins and peppery notes.
4. Sicilians have been cultivating grapes and making wine since the 8^th Century BCE, heavily dominating their agriculture during Grecian rule. You can say wine now runs in their veins.
5. Sicilian wines make up 1/6 of all Italian wine production and are more heavily exported than ever before

About the Chefs

Patrizia di Benedetto learned traditional Sicilian cooking from her mother and in 1991, opened the Bye Bye Blues restaurant in Palermo – a great success from the very beginning, with its concentration on a lighter cuisine, using plentiful fish and vegetables and the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean. Patrizia was named Best Pastry Chef in Espresso’s Italian Restaurant Guide, and in the course of the last few years she has been broadening her experience in Los Angeles (Valentino Restaurant), Chicago (Margarita Inn) and New York (Hostaria Mazzei), as well as Italy (at the well-known Italian culinary centre Cast Alimenti at Brescia).

Fortunato Nicotra arrived in New York City to work for celebrity chef Lidia Matticchio Bastianich in 1995.  Hired as her Executive Chef of the famous flagship restaurant, Felidia, the restaurant earned three stars from Ruth Reichl from the New York Times only three months after his arrival. Nicotra earned his first Michelin Star at the young age of 23 at the Villa Marchese Restaurant in the beautiful seaside town of Milazzo, Sicily.  Although Nicotra is Sicilian by birth, he grew up in Torino where he completed his culinary degree at the prestigious Hotel and Restaurant School prior to working in several restaurants in northern Italy and then in Sicily where he left his mark.

Today was the first day of the Languedoc Roussillon Study & Certificate Program offered by the French Wine Society with support from Sud de France. Twenty lucky students (most of whom I knew through my travels) crowded into the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon.

A very successful first day ... of course impossible to detail all of it here, yet as an exercise (thinking of the final!) I will try.

Our instructor was MW Matthew Stubbs who put the book together. As he told his story of going to the Languedoc for the first time as an MW student in the 1980s, he mentioned that in November the Languedoc was freezing and the students found a hotel ("Bates-like") he said, that had no heating and was filthy.

I go to the Languedoc several times a year, and the last time I went I ended up staying in a similar hotel in Agde, except it was summer, hot, and the hotel had changed hands yet had once been a place of ill-repute. My room, overlooking a charming canal, had been the major party room.

In any event, the lecture was really fabulous and I wish Mr. Stubbs MW could always be at my side when I visit the Languedoc for he knew everything about it ...

... after the first hour of history (quite tumultuous and violent) approached the 1930s, when the first AOCs were created, and learned it was partly because winemakers, winemaking families, and winery workers were revolting against unfair practices. Laws were created to give some semblance of control and equality.

One of the most spectacular things about the Languedoc is the dramatic topography and different soils, and we really tasted this in the grapes.

2010 Domaine Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet (15.99) -- a really fabulous wine with a bright straw color and floral nose, medium acidity, and a refreshing nature of minerality and apple  with a saline edge. I spent a half day in Picpoul with some other educators, and also wrote an article about it for Palate Press

2008 Mas des Dams La Dame AOC Languedoc (18.00)

This is 50/30/20 Grenach, Syrach, Carignan from an area near Bezier, with black pepper and cinammon bark. Very spicy and dramatic and filled with a sense of place.

2009 Chaeau Lancyre Vieilles Vignes AOC Pic St. Loup (21.50)
This is a Syrah/Grenach blend  with lots of garrigue, black and white pepper, and an intense minerality. The stones in Pic St. Loup are so intense vineyards need dynamite to be planted. You can taste the stone in the wine.

2009 Clos de l;Amandaie Huis Clos - Gres de Montpellier (18)

Syrah Grenache once again, a deep intensity of stones, lots of concentration.

2009 Domaine de la Margeee "Les Gamines" St. Georges d'Orques (15)

G/S/M aged for 12 months in old oak ....

Do you like sulfates in your wines?

No one does ...

Last night at Eataly (the new Italian food specialty megastore in Manhattan) I discovered  Domodimonti,  a boutique winery located on the picturesque countryside of Montefiore dell'Aso, in Le Marche Region, Italy. In addition to Domodimonti we tasted other specialty items from Marche, as well as fabulous Amaro digestifs from Varnelli.

I sat next to Domodimonti representative Marco Scapagnini and learned their objective is to produce wines as naturally as possible with the least amount of additives and make the highest quality Natural Wine.

Their approach can best be described as follows:

• Grapes are hand-picked
• Sustainably-grown, using organic matter
• Low-yielding vineyards
• No added sugar, and strict selection of yeasts
• No acid adjustments
• No other additives for mouth-feel, color, etc.
• Minimal sulfites added
• Use of state-of-the-art technology

In 2010, Domodimonti launched its new state-of-the-art winery, designed to generate the least amount of visual and ecological impact on the environment: a commitment to the production of Wines in the respect of Nature.

It was a fabulous evening, and Marco is an excellent representative for his products. Not all "natural" wines are delicious, yet Domodimonti manages to strike the right balance between quality taste and staying true to the environment.

For wine geeks, I've copied some information about the vineyard and harvest ...

THE VINEYARD

The vineyard’s 48 hectares of land are spread across the backdrop of Montefiore dell’Aso. They are facing south on clayish soil, which in the past was covered by the Adriatic sea. Remnants of ancient times have left behind minerals that are very precious to the development of the vines. The vicinity of the  Adriatic Sea to the east, the protection offered by the mountain chain “Sibillini” to the west, and the winery’s altitude of 300 meters above sea level, all play a role in providing an ideal microclimate for healthy and natural ripening of the grapes.

Domodimonti’s first vintage was in 2004. Although the vineyard has been in existence for over fifty years,  a great deal of work was performed to restructure the original vines, and plant new ones.

Our vineyards are spread over several parcels of land, all located around Montefiore dell’Aso.  The grape varieties grown include: Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Pecorino, Passerina Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

THE HARVEST

Throughout the growing season, Domodimonti’s Agronomist carefully monitors vine growth. During the summer months, the vines are pruned reducing the fruit by 67%. This strengthens the vines, so that the remaining grapes get the maximum amount of nutrients and achieve their full qualitative potential.

The harvesting season usually starts at the beginning of September, but varies from year to year. We continue to use a traditional approach of harvesting grapes manually in spite of the higher cost. Our dedicated staff’s strict methodology helps determine grape ripeness by testing the pulp, skin and seeds, as well as other parameters such as consistency of ripeness, astringency, acidity and flavour. This regime allows us to precisely time the harvesting of each parcel of grapes.

All of our grapes are then carefully sorted for quality according to a strict standard of production. Only thirty percent of the year’s harvest is typically processed during vinification. The must is then transferred to a shoot where gravity pulls the liquid into stainless steel vats and begins fermentation.

OUR METHODS

Domodimonti's production method revolves around the systematic amalgamation of the best techniques and technologies from the Old World and the New World respectively. The objective is to produce wines as naturally as possible without the use of chemical and/or additives to synthetically enhance our wines.

Old World Techniques:

• Manual harvesting to minimize stress and bruising of the fruit.
• Pruning 67% of grape clusters to increase nutrients to the remaining fruit.
• The use of natural yeast.
• The wines are aged in traditional French oak barrels located in Domodimonti’s wine cellar. Depending on the wine, the duration in barrels may range from 3-14 months, after which, the wine is bottled and stored for an additional period of at least three months before being shipped to its various distributors.

New World Technology:

• The entire winemaking process is performed under nitrogen which is generated by ionic exchange, allowing us to handle and later bottle the wine in the absence of oxygen.
• Temperature controlled vats with external insulation jackets allow strict control of the very important stage of fermentation.
• The use of cryomaceration: the grapes are de-stemmed and gravity-fed into stainless steel vats where a quick drop in temperature, from two (2) to five (5) degrees Celcius is maintained. This allows the pulp to absorb aromas otherwise lost to the pomace, which in turn limits the solubility of polyphenols and protects against oxidation.
• The use of First and Second fermentation to ensure the organic and antioxidant properties of the wine are not lost.

The Sulfite Difference

Sulfites are typically used to stop the very crucial stage of fermentation, and stabilize the wine to reduce the occurrence to spoilage. Due to the extended usage of sulfites by producers, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has ranked it within its top nine food allergens. Domodimonti's use of temperature controlled vats with external insulation jackets allow us to strictly control the very important stage of fermentation. By controlling the temperature of each individual vat, we are able to substitute the use of sulfites during the fermentation process. This cornerstone approach creates a more natural, and non-synthetic wine.   Unfortunately, there is a minimum sulfite quantity required by law, but this minimalistic amount insures that our product arrives to our international destination intact. In comparison, we are far lower than any biological wine.   An additional technique utilized to substitute chemicals in the wine making process is the implementation of cryomaceration. It is a process in which the grapes are de-stemmed and gravity-fed into stainless steel vats where a quick drop in temperature, from two (2) to five (5) degrees Celcius is maintained. This allows the pulp to absorb aromas otherwise lost to the pomace, which in turn limits the solubility of polyphenols and protects against oxidation. A technique that is very costly to implement, but its benefits replaces the use of chemical compounds to alter the aromatic properties of the wine.

Do you spend much time thinking about the sparkling water you enjoy with your meal?

Maybe you should.

Ferrarelle, the most popular sparkling water in Italy, brought World Champion Sommelier Luca Gardini to the elegant  The Leopard at des Artistes (one of Manhattan's top restaurants) to show the city's most influential wine journalists what to look for in a sparkling water.

Like the true sommelier he is, Luca pointed out the fat bubbles, the "clean" nose, and the fresh, sweet taste of the water -- admittedly things I never really thought about.

Also, the key difference between Ferrarelle and other sparkling waters is that Ferrarelle comes from the ground naturally sparkling. Many other waters are artificially carbonated.

Admittedly, Mr. Gardini was rather mesmerizing as he described the waters and also the wines of the evening, which were all extremely well chosen. They were rather obscure and of excellent quality so I attribute finding them to his sommelier skills.

Here was the menu and the wines:
SUL TAVOLO

RICE ARANCINI FILLED WITH MOZZARELLA, PEAS AND VEAL − GRAGNANO CANTINE FEDERICIANE

BRUSCHETTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND PROVOLONE DEL MONACO − GRAGNANO CANTINE FEDERICIANE
MENU

ESCAROLE “MBUTTUNATA” WITH PINOLI, REISINS AND PECORINO CHEESE - FALANGHINA DONNA CHIARA 2010

PACCHERI WITH LOBSTER AND LEEKS RAGU - GRECO DI TUFO DONNACHIARA 2010

ROASTED BABY GOAT SCENTED WITH “FINOCCHIELLA” SERVED WITH POTATOES - TAURASI DONNACHIARA 2007

PASTIERA - RA! DE CONCILIS

“Welcome!” exclaims affable Emanuele Rabotti, his exuberant and expressive face lighting up at the appearance of long lost (very lost!) visitors.

Perhaps the first thing you should know is that Emanuele i(beyond being a very nice and fun guy) is that he is the owner and winemaker behind Monte Rossa winery, one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in the region even though it was established in 1972.

Emanuele makes Franciacorta, and only Franciacorta ... this is the name of the sparkling wine of the same name that is often compared to the finest champagne. Key differences are the climate, as Franciacorta is warmer, so the wine has less acidity and the tradition of long barrel aging on the lees (dead yeast cells). This can be as long as six years, which gives the wines their characteristic notes of brioche and spice. Like Champagne, Franciacorta is made with the traditional method, which means the same bottle used for the secondary fermentation is what consumers buy in the store.

As you can see from the picture above, the Monte Rossa estate is gorgeous! Manuele grew up in the luxurious 17th century mansion that lords over the vineyards. In 1982 he joined the family business and turned his attention to producing top quality Franciacorta.

The perfect host, Manuele procurs a golf cart and our tour begins as he drives steadily up the tallest hill in Fransicorta so we could see the vineyards and surrounding topography (including the Alps mountain, a river, various farms) in perfect splendor.

Also perched on the top of the hill is a picturesque church, which belonged to the aristocratic family who owned the mansion with its murals, frescos, and fine oil paintings of aristocratic nobles. Though the mansion dates from the 17th century, its foundation dates from the 14th century.

“Through the centuries, the noble family used this as a summer house, full time residence, and also, had small lodge near the forest for hunting,” Manuele explains. “They made wine, but in those days the vineyards were mixed with other types of produce."

We visit the various vineyards, which have just been hand-harvested. Unlike Champagne and any other sparkling wine, the grapes used for Franciacorta include Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir).

Soil on Monte Rossa is stone, which allows for good drainage and also accounts for the minerality in the wine. On our tour we see an enormous pile of huge stones that have been removed from the young, year-old version planted on the top slopes.

As we zipped through the mature Pinot Nero vineyard I couldn’t help but notice gorgeous looking dark, heavy fruit still hanging on the vines a week after harvest.

“We leave some grapes on the vines so the old people could come and pick it and make a sweet wine traditional to the area,” Manuele says. "For acidity, it is important to pick the grapes before they get too ripe."

As Manuele generously shows us the winery, I am absolutely dazzled by what I can only describe as an elevator driven tank.

Just like the kind of high tech circular, glass enclosed elevator you might find in a high tech hotel, Manuele has a stainless steel tank that rises and falls at the touch of a button.

Grapes are vinified separately by variety, and then they are blended. Like Champagne, a percentage of " reserve wine" from previous vintages is added to the blend depending on the intended style and quality.

We visit the maturation room, which has French, American, and Hungarian oak (it gives it different spice and nutty notes). Manuele never uses new oak for fermentation as he does not like the oak to take over the flavor of the wine. Instead, the wine is four times used at the very least, as his main goal is micro oxygenation.

Stirring the lees (dead yeast cells) is crucial for the rich, toasty flavors of the wine, and it is done two ways: the barrel can be turned, and also the traditional battonage with a stick.

Now the tasting room is built into a space that, 300 years ago, was used to kill pigs on a certain day of the year. The meat would provide families with meat throughout the year in different forms. Visitors could still see the hooks on the ceiling (used for hanging the meat), and also the ancient sinks and fireplaces carved out of stone.

The wine tasting table is a site to behold, as it had been personally designed by the resourceful Manuele. Elegant sinks slide out in drawer-like fashion from the burnished wood table, with lights above designed to help the taster see and measure the bubbles.

The wines we try are:

Prima Cuvee Brut

One of my favorites with a rich, nutty, mouth feel. It rests on the lees for at least 24 months (mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco with 15% Pinot Nero)

Saten

This word is used to identify a wine produced by Chardonnay grapes and only 5 atmospheres of pressure.

Rose Brut

Everyone loves the color of rose, and this wine is delicious and pleasing to the eye

P.R. Brut Blanc de Blanc

This wine is produced from Chardonnay grapes, 65% from best cru and 35% from vintage (reserve). It is named after the initials of Manuele’s parents.

Cabochon Brut

Now this is the flower of the entire production. It is produced in the most favorable yers from Chardonnay (70%) and Pinot Nero (30%) The wine rests on the leees for over 40 months.

Very smooth, enticing, and delicious with exotic spice notes!

Quick! What is one of the most sensual, aromatic products in the world, right up there with exquisite perfume and exotic flowers? Wine, of course. The ability to describe the aromas and flavors of wine in a way another person can understand is a fine art, a cross between poetry and effective copywriting. So you can imagine how impressed I was to hear the attractive young female sommelier at New York's five-star Le Bernardin restaurant artfully describe the aroma of a few wines we considered ordering.

"Well done!" I responded, before asking her secret in teasing out and remembering the flavors specific to each varietal.

"Le Nez du Vin," she whispered.

What is Le Nez du Vin, you ask? It is a very well organized tool for teaching yourself and others how to identify the signature scents and flavors in a wine, basically helping you to develop your olfactory (scent) memory. Based on the groundbreaking book Making Sense of Wine by Jean Lenoir, Le Nez du Vin is available in a series of kits (12 aromas red wine, 12 aromas white wine, the Master Kit, the 12 aromas Faults Kit, 12 aromas New Oak kit) that help you learn how to identify isolated flavors in wine.

The Master Kit, for example, comes with 54 vials of scents, an illustrated 119-page book, and 54 illustrated, two-sided Explanatory Cards. On one side of each card is a number that corresponds to a scent in a vial, along with a color picture representing the scent. On the other side of the card is the name of the scent, a short descriptive paragraph that helps you understand what the scent smells like through associations with other scents, and the wines the scent is commonly found in (along with the regions).

For example, let's pretend I have just poured you a glass of 2006 Smoking Loon Pinot Noir from California. Perhaps you are just beginning your wine education and detect a fruit scent, but can't really express what you are detecting in words. You would pick up the book, look up Pinot Noir (found on page 32), and read the following:

Pinot Noir
Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Cherry, Violet, Liquorice

This grape variety doesn't stray much from its homeland of Burgundy, and has made its great red wines famous. It is resistant to cold weather, which might explain why it grows well in the Champagne region. It is rarely blended with other varieties.

The best Pinot wines are a startling ruby red. The bouquet of Pinot Noir wines displays an incomparable finesse, dominated by blackcurrant and raspberry, sometimes with a touch of smoke; Cherry, Morello cherry to be precise, is also typical of this variety. Like all the great varieties It loves oak aging, which often adds to its complexity.

Pinot wines are passionate, generous, and bursting with bouquet, at once delicate and solid.

Outside Burgundy, Pinot Noir can be found in Alsace, where it is one of the few red varieties grown, and in certain vineyards in the centre of France. Pinot Noir is also well established in Germany, in the Geneva, Switzerland area, and in Burgenland, Austria. It gives spectacular results in California and Oregon, USA, and is currently developing well in New Zealand.

So if you knew nothing of Pinot Noir (save for the fact it was popularized by the film Sideways) in that short segment you've learned a great deal. Of key importance, at least as far as Le Nez du Vin is concerned, you've learned the characteristic aromas of Pinot Noir. While Pinot Noir from New Zealand, California, and Burgundy do have variations, these basic aroma characteristics will remain the same.

Let's assume, for now, you don't have the opportunity to smell much fresh fruit, and you can't really recall the scent of raspberry. Maybe you're not even sure what blackcurrant is or what it smells like, but you know you want to improve your wine recognition and vocabulary. So you pick up the illustrated card key (presented by family, such as "fruity," "floral," "vegetal," "animal," and "roasted). You look under "fruity" until you find the aromas that match Pinot Noir, namely Raspberry (card 13) and Blackcurrant (card 15).

You pull these cards from the deck and read more about them. Additional information about these aromas is also available in the back of the book. Then open the vials and smell them. Try contrasting the blackcurrant with redcurrant and note the differences. Then try contrasting the vials containing the blackcurrant aroma with that of strawberry, raspberry, and other fruits.

Many educators use Le Nez du Vin in the classroom to help students map what they smell in the glass to specific fruits or other aromas so they can better describe the wines to customers or others. Roddy Kirshenman, general manager of Oceanaire Seafood Room in Indianapolis, first learned about Le Nez du Vin when taking a wine class led by a sommelier a few years back. "We would smell the aromas, try to identify them, and discuss them among ourselves. I found it so helpful I plan to implement this training with my own staff. It's important for the servers to have the ability to communicate wine accurately to our customers."

Maria Liberati, chef and author of Basic Art of Italian Cooking, is often invited to give seminars on wine and food pairing and leads culinary and wine tours to Italy. She often uses Le Nez du Vin in her classes because, in her words, "it brings a description to reality." Maria says you can tell someone they are tasting a fruity wine, or that it has a taste of cherries, but it's not something you can thoroughly describe.

"People have to experience what you are talking about," she says, explaining Le Nez du Vin's value. "When I teach food and wine pairing, I am also training their senses to pair different wine with foods. They must understand the flavor profiles of a wine to pair it with certain foods. Not everyone is on the same page as far as flavors are concerned. Telling someone that a wine has a nutty flavor is meaningless unless you can share the aroma and discuss its traits as a group."

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D, CSW, wine educator and co-owner of Grand Cru Classes, enjoys using Le Nez du Vin in her classes. Typically, she'll select several wines, taste them to identify their flavor components, and then take these vials for the students to smell. "As an educator," she says, "you always want to make things as interactive and hands-on as possible."

Jennie Thorton-Dean, a wine educator in the process of getting her Masters of Wine, often uses Le Nez du Vin in her classes and makes something of a game of it. She distributes a handout called "Can You Smell that Smell" which has two columns, one containing the glass number (1 - 10) and a corresponding column for aroma. "Many students, novices and expert tasters alike, find the aroma challenge to be the best part of the wine class," Jennie reports. "Many students specifically request that I include this activity for private events and parties. Le Nez du Vin makes my job of wine education more interactive and exploratory than traditional wine tastings."

Dilek Caner, Director of Tasting World (TastingWorld.com) based in Manhattan, says she uses the faults kit quite a bit. "I actually relied on it when I was describing corkiness. It is pretty much impossible to describe it in words to a person who has never experienced it. You can say mouldy, wet cardboard, old attic, and all other terms that we use for it, but none of them is as good as passing that vial around the class. Among similar products, it's the one that imitates the natural aromas the best."

Many lay people who are not in the wine business, yet enjoy wine, purchase Le Nez du Vin as a fun way of entertaining guests. Instead of serving wine with hors d'oeuvres before dinner, they will open four or five bottles of wine, break out the Le Nez du Vin, and have guests try to identify the flavors.

As a wine educator, I had the following experience teaching a client to blind taste wine. Picking up a glass, she attempted to note its characteristics.

"What do you smell?" I asked.

"Prune, prune, prune!" she cried in frustration, unable to make an association between the fruit aroma and the winel.

Picking up the Le Nez du Vin illustrated card with the prune picture, we read the varietals the aroma is frequently found in.

"The wine is a blend of Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache from Corbieres!" she guessed, correctly naming the region in the Languedoc the wine is from. According to the card, the aroma of prune is common find in both Corbieres and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and the wine clearly was not the latter.

Le Nez du Vin is an exceptional training tool!  You will find a wide selection of kits to suit your needs, starting with the Master Kit described above (containing aroma vials for red, white, dessert, champagnes/sparkling wines), 12 aromas red wine, 12 aromas white wine, 12 aromas oak casks, and 12 aromas faults.

Mastering the ability to blind taste and describe wine accurately is a skill everyone can learn. It takes practice, a willingness to apply oneself, and the helpful aromas available from Le Nez du Vin.

Panos Kakaviatos, who I see almost everywhere in the world, wrote a great news analysis for Meiningers Wine Business International about the new Chinese Palate. He was in Shanghai to judge the International Wine challenge and spoke with several officials and consumers about what was going on in the wine world.

From the article there seem to be several key issues:

1. Competitions feature more non-French wines.
2. High taxes on wine mean that young buyers seek wine in the 2 - 4 Euro range.
3. There is a "bar bell" effect of strong sales at the very high and very low end.
4. A ten Euro wine can reach 70 by the time it sells in China.
5. The 28 - 35 year old buyer is key
6. Chinese now believe wine is healthier than hard alcohol
7. Chinese people are learning about wine brands through blogs
 

In October we visited the Languedoc -- our “base” was Agde, a town with 2,600 years worth of history where the River Hérault and the Canal du Midi meet the Mediterranean. From the 5th century BC, the Phocaeans developed this town into a trading station between Marseille and Spain, which expanded in the fullness of time.

Our first event official event was a lunch hosted by the Syndicat Minevois, were we were welcomed by the elegant Christine Molines of the CIVL and Stephane Roux of the Minevois. Christine and Stephane chose a rose and red wine from Minevois for our al fresco lunch, calling attention to its balance, elegance, and the fact it can be purchased in the UK for under eight euros. Afterwards, we walked a short distance along the canal to a room where Christine, Stephane, and Stephanie Egenolf of Sud de France gave presentations about Minevois and the Languedoc in general. Perhaps the most impressive takeaway points from the presentation was the continuing improvement of wine from the region, and its quality for price – especially in terms of competing countries.

The evening was filled with a presentation in the tasting room of the Gerard Bertrand winery, where energetic young winemaker Jean-Baptiste led a tutored tasting of the company’s many wines. Gérard Bertrand owns five estates in the best wine regions of the Languedoc. With the purchase of a fourth estate, Château l’Hospitalet in 2002, the Company took on a new dimension. becoming the Group’s head office and a place dedicated to Mediterranean lifestyle and wine-growing culture. Afterward, we had a group dinner in the elegant restaurant of the Bertrand winery.
Wednesday saw us set out early for a tasting of wines from the AOP Languedoc, where energetic Jean-Philippe Granier, head of communications, introduced us to several winemakers who each presented three styles of wine from their region. Lunch followed with the winemakers and their wines.

After lunch, we met an amazing woman, Diane Losfelt, whose family bought the Chateau de L'Engarran estate in 1923. Diane is the fifth generation and the winemaker, and was incredibly passionate about the estate, its tremendous history, and the wines. Her assistant Emily gave us a tour of the pleasure gardens before Diane took us into the winery and then the tasting room where we tried the various wines, most offered at a very reasonable price point (under ten euros) and of excellent quality. The magic followed with a visit to Bergerie du Capucin, where we were greeted by owner/winemaker Guilhem Viau and shown his dramatic vineyard, which was filled with stones. Winemaker/owner Fabien Reboul from Chateau de Valflaunes in Pic Saint Loup showed us his field as well, with the rugged terroir varied at every turn and mountains literally jutting out of the slopping earth. Dinner followed at the Maison des Vins, where we enjoyed the various wines from winemakers in ther region.

Thursay took place in Limoux, where the Syndicat de Limoux gave us a very structured presentation on the wines of the region, careful to distinguish the Blanquette de Limoux from Crémant de Limoux and also the Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale, which started here in the year 1531. Lunch followed the presentation at a restaurant where we could taste more Blanquette de Limoux, along with some whites and reds.

Afterward, we arrived at Domaine Rives-Blanques for a visit and tasting. Owner Caryn Panman and her pampered dog Bruno (also a Decanter magazine star!) met us in the field and took us on a tour of the extraordinary vineyards. Rives-Blanques lies in a nature reserve designated by the European progamme Natura 2000, because of the unique habitat for flora and fauna provided by this meeting ground of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. We toured the winery, and then tasted the many award winning sparklling and still wines.

The last visit of a very busy day was at the winery of affable Pierre Borie, owner of Chateau Les Ollieux in Montseret. Pierre is a lively, funny guy who makes fabulous wines, mostly various blends of syrah, grenache, mouvedre, and some carignan. We saw his winery, tasted wines from his tanks, and then gathered in the tasting room for a complete tasting of all the wines in his range. After the tasting, some of us went in search of the braying donkey before our departure for the restaurant Le Petite Comptoir, where Pierre shared more entertaining stories.

Friday began with a structured presentation and tasting of St Chinian and Faugeres, areas of quality red wines, and lunch in Pezenas at L’entre Pots. After a walk through Pezenas, we visited Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue. This gorgeous estate lies in the heart of Languedoc, between Beziers and Montpellier, facing the Mediterranean. The Renaissance Château Domaine is surrounded by alternating vineyards, scrubland, pine forests and olive groves and the wines were well balanced and again, of great quality for the price. Jean-Claude Zabalia took us around and led a fabulous tasting.

The final visit of the day was with the Syndicat de Pinet, where we learned all there was to know about Picpoul de Pinet and that the region was once famous for its gin factory. We tasted over a dozen impressive styles of this wine before enjoying yet more Picpoul at La Ferme Marine, a restaurant right by the sea featuring a shellfish buffet. Picpoul de Pinet is fabulous with seafood.

Overall, the trip was expertly organized and presented a rare opportunity to discover the various appelations in the region. Each and every producer we met was enthusiastic, positive, passionate, and very excited to present his or her wines. Producers were universally supportive of their colleagues in the region, and all showed genuine interest in working together to promote the region as a whole. And thankfully, the wines were representative of their specific regions, partially due to the very strict laws of each appellation. Voila!

Today in his column Andrew Jefford tells the story of a woman from a small village who said some Canadian importers were interested in carrying her wine, yet wanted to know if they had been "scored" by any North American critics.

Jefford asks a brilliant question: are scores actually necessary to get into today's market? Though he argues against scores and reinforces the idea that importers should be able to sell wine on their own without a critics help, given the fact the Canadians even demanded this of the producer underscores that yes, scores seem to be absolutely necessary today, perhaps more than ever before.

Is it right? Of course not and I support Jefford's argument to the letter. Yet that having been said - and recognizing the importance of critics in 2012 - it does seem reasonable that a producer eager to sell her wines in the international marketplace should take the "required" steps of attaining good scores, which includes getting publicity, sending samples, etc.

In some ways, it is like a high school student who wants to go to a good university - and is recognized as being quite intelligent -- yet refuses to take an SAT.

At any rate, I found Jefford's article to be quite gripping and correctly reflects the situation of small producers trying to make a go of it in today's score oriented world. What are your thoughts?