Back at BRIX, Exploring Europe's Legacy in South America

From June of 2008, to July of 2009, I had the pleasure of working as a Wine Consultant at one of Boston's premier wine retailers, BRIX Wine Shop. Owned by long-time friends and wine afficionados, Carri Wroblewski and Klaudia Mally, BRIX has taken the Boston wine scene by storm since their opening in 2003. Featuring stunning architecture, and a selection of wines that is quite possibly beyond compare, BRIX has become a destination location for wine lovers in the Boston area.

This past weekend, I went to Boston to see The Tragically Hip live in concert at The House of Blues. The Hip, as their loyal following affectionately refers to them, have been my favorite band since I was a senior in high school, and I make it a point to see them whenever their tour schedule brings them into the New England area. However, as I was making plans to see the concert, I thought I'd check in with Carri to see if I might make a homecoming to BRIX, and host a tasting at the South End shop on Saturday night.

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Recap: Wine Discovery Week 3: Terroir

Monday night marked the 3rd week in our Wine Discovery series at Levity. We had a few newcomers join us for the class last night, adding to what has been a great group of wine enthusiasts. Our class last night focused on terroir.

Terroir is the French term for soil. In the vineyard, it encompasses soil type and geographic factors which may influence the quality of wine. The philosophy of terroir holds that where a wine is grown is of paramount importance when determining the quality of a wine, moreso than the winemaker or winery that produced it. While this viewpoint is hotly debated, it cannot be completely discounted, as wines from certain regions (Chablis, Barolo, Burgundy, etc.) have characteristics that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere, despite the best efforts and intentions of winemakers.

What exactly it is that makes good wine is debatable, but to some extent all quality wines result from a combination of good winemaking and good grapes. However, with that being said, it should be recognized that in some cases, the best style of winemaking is to simply guide the grapes from the vineyard to the bottle, with as little intervention as possible. When wines are overly manipulated, the inherent character of the grape and the region are lost, leaving us with wines with a homogenous flavor profile, and a lack of geographic identity. I'm not opposed to modern winemaking techniques, or the judicious use of oak, but I want my wines to display a sense of place.

On Monday, we explored terroir by tasting through the following line-up of wines:

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Recap: 2nd Wine Discovery Class - Wine Maker Influence

In posting a recap of last night's Wine Discovery Class, I want to take a minute to offer thoughts, prayers, and condolences to those who have been negatively affected by Hurricane Sandy, or are still battling the effects of the storm.

Here in the Burlington, VT area, we were very fortunate to have experienced very little or none of the devestation that was inflicted upon other parts of the Eastern Seaboard. Again, our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to those affected.

However, in the absence of severe weather last night, we were able to host our second Wine Discovery Class at Levity. Last night's class focused on the influence of the winemaking process, and how decisions made in the winery are manifested in the tastes that consumers enjoy in wine. In sampling through a tasting line-up of:

• NV Hillinger Secco, Burgenland, Austria
• 2011 Joel Gott Chardonnay, Monterrey, California
• 2010 Cameron Hughes “Lot 330” Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, California
• 2008 Steltzner Claret, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley, California
• 2009 Cameron Hughes “Lot 251” (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre), Arroyo Seco, California

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A Look Down Under: Unique Terroir or Monsters of Terror?

When I first began drinking wine, Australian Shiraz was all the rage. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, wine lovers and wine critics loved powerful, rich, ripe wines, that were high in alcohol. Wines that were over 15% alcohol were not uncommon, and this hedonistic style was revered by noted wine critics such as Robert M. Parker Jr., other writers from The Wine Advocate and The Wine Spectator.

In fact, as late as October 31st, 2007, Jay Miller (who assumed coverage of Australia from Robert Parker in September, 2006) wrote that:

"The one disquieting aspect concerning Australia is the noisy minority of European wine lovers who seem to freak out over wines with more than 14% alcohol and too much flavor. While some producers seem to have scaled back the exuberance of their wines, I tasted very few wines that were out-of-balance. The fact of the matter is that nature provides what it does, and the best winemakers put that directly into the bottle. It should not be any other way."

Over time, the noisy minority of European wine lovers opposed to wines with more that 14% alcohol evolved into a majority of wine consumers, as sommeliers and wine writers railed against high alcohol wines, citing the difficulty of pairing these wines with food. Chief among these opponents of high alcohol, were Eric Asimov, wine columnist for The New York Times, and Rajat Parr, owner of RN74 Restaurant and Wine Director for the Michael Mina group of restaurants. Eric Asimov wrote in November 2006 that he had "a problem with many high alcohol wines," because he found that "they overwhelm a meal." Rajat Parr made bigger news when he elected not to feature any Chardonnay or Pinot Noir that had more than 14.5% on the wine list at RN74.

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First Wine Discovery Class in the Books!

I'm happy to report that TruthInJuice.com's first Wine Discovery class at Levity was a success. Last night, we explored the basics of wine tasting and wine appreciation, and learned about wine tasting techniques, what a wine's color can tell you about the wine, the difference between dry wines and sweet wines, between light bodied wines and full bodied wines, and whether a wine can be "fruity" without being sweet.

We tasted the following five wines:

• 2009 Rieslng “Berg,” Anton Bauer, Wagram, Austria
• 2009 Viognier “Tous Ensemble,” Copain, Anderson Valley/Mendocino, California
• 2011 “Die Liter,” Pfalz, Germany
• 2009 Monastrell-Syrah, Murtia, Jumilla, Spain
• 2007 Pinot Gris “Vendange Tardives,” Frederic Mallo, Alsace, France

For those of you who missed the first class, we've decided to extend the registration, and allow additional sign-ups for the class, as well as allowing participants to sign up for individual classes, as space allows. 

The cost of registration for the remaining five classes will be $90. Registrations for individual classes will be $20, and will be taken on a first come, first served basis. Classes will continue to be capped at 20 people, and in the event of space constraints, first priority will be given to those who have signed up for the entire course.

The remaining classes will address the following topics:

• Week 2, 10/29/12, "The US and Key Winemaker Decisions" - Effects of oak aging, malolactic fermentation, and blending
• Week 3, 11/5/12, "Introduction to Terroir" - What is terroir? We'll discuss.
• Week 4, 11/12/12, "France" - Introduction to the wines of France
• Week 5, 11/19/12, "Italy" - Introduction to the wines of Italy
• Week 6, 11/26/12, "Champagne and Final Class Celebration" - Champagne and class review

Hope to see you at one of these upcoming classes! Go to http://www.levityvt.com/event/wine-discovery-class, to sign up!