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Well, don’t laugh ! This question is important.
Let me tell you a short story. Recently, I was in a supermarket and, as you can imagine, I stopped by the wine counter. I was looking around, going from one rack to another one, handling bottles in order to read their front and back labels. A Lady, around 50 years of age, seeing what I was doing, came up to me and, with a strong foreign accent, said : ” Sorry, we don’t want to disturb you (her husband was behind her), but could you tell us why you are looking at the bottles that way ? We are looking for good wines to fill our cellar. We love to drink wine. May be you could give us some advice”. I thought : at least these people like and drink wine and are curious. After a short moment of surprise I said : “I hear from your accent that you might come from a European eastern country, am I right ?”. “We come from Russia” she answered. I replied : “Well, actually I read the labels of each wine because I am looking for a wine with Mourvèdre”. She looked puzzled, and asked : “What is that ?”. I said : “It’s a grape variety from the south of France”. Frowning she said : “What is a grape variety ?” !!!!
Well, here we are ! She knew nothing about grape varieties ! Like so many other people on the planet who drink wine but who don’t know what they drink. Actually, it is not a shame at all. Before entering in the wine business I used to drink wine, from time to time, but I knew nothing about it !!
Wine comes from ripe grapes which, after a natural chemical process of maceration, gives the juice called wine. The grapes grow on vines which grow in soil.
THE GRAPE VARIETIES
A vine is a plant producing a specific kind of grape which gives a specific range of aromas : this is the grape variety. Each variety has a specific name : Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Sauvignon, Chenin, etc.
Some grapes produce red wines and others white wines. What about rosé wine ? Well there is no grape variety for that, as the rosé wine comes from a grape used to make red wine ( I will develop this subject later)!
There are thousands of different kinds of grapes (only in Italy, there are more than a thousand !). But, the way a vine naturally behaves is different from another one. Each vine has natural and intrinsic more or less good characteristics. That is why only a few hundred are kept. And amongst them, some are better than others : they are called the “Noble varieties”.
DEFINITION
The concept of AOC is founded on the association of a territory, one or several type of vines and a know-how.
It is this original association which confers on the wines non reproducible characteristics elsewhere because they are non transportable to another site.
Therefore the vine grower must be at the service of his soil, and the choice of type of vine as well as the oenological processes must reinforce the expression of the soil and the vine through the wine.
HISTORICAL
In 1935, under the impulse of the french vine growers, the concept of Controlled Label of Origin (AOC) was created.
The following year, the Minister for the Agriculture ratified the creation of the National Institute of the Labels of Origin (INAO) which officialized the AOC in France.
DESSERT LOIRE WINES : WINES FOR “MEDITATION”, LIKE A GREAT COGNAC OR WHISKY
Let’s talk about the fantastic dessert wines we have here in Anjou (Bonnezeaux, Coteaux du Layon, etc.), all made with one grape : Chenin blanc. These sweet wines are called “dessert wines”. Why not !… for those who like adding sweetness to their sweet. Frankly speaking, for me and for many people that I know, it’s too much. I think it’s better to appreciate a dessert with a good sparkling wine like a Cremant de Loire Brut or Demi-sec, or a semi-sweet white wine.
In these wines, you can find different levels of sweetness (called level of “residual sugar”, which means natural sugar) : from the semi-sweet - 50/60 g of sugar per litre - to the very sweet - 135 g to 250 g-. You can also find the “monsters” which are over 400 g, made by some “crazy” winemakers, as they call themselves !, but here, the wine is closer to a liquor. Very interesting though ! It shows how far we can go with the Chenin alone and how suitable our region is to produce such wonders.
Part 1
The best, the most complex and fascinating ones come from the very sweet wines. I call them “wine for meditation”. Indeed, to get into these wines, to understand their complexity, a lot of attention needs to be paid to the great range of aromas that they offer : such as dried- crystallized-stewed-exotic fruits, citrus, tobacco and wood aromas, spices, moka, caramel, and many more. In addition, depending on the vintage, the aromatic structure changes, leading to a new discovery. In addition, it depends on the charasteritic of the soil and on the winemaker, which again brings you to another world.
So, to appreciate them the way they deserve, which means deeply and with respect, you need time, in order to capture every aspect of their personality. I warn you, it is not easy ! You need to be in a good psychological condition, with an open mind, with all your sensivity, all your senses alert. These wines are sensual, and they play the game of seduction !
Let me describe the way some friends of mine (ladies and gentlmen : no discrimination ; actually, ladies are great tasters and so they greatly enrich the tastings) and I enjoy it. When one of us finds a great bottle he calls the others and we plan a date. In winter, we look for an intimate and quiet atmosphere : we gather in one of our homes where there is a fire place, few lights, no noise only the crackling of a fire, comfortably seated. In autumn, to benefit from the great colors of nature, we gather at my place, on the terrace, because there are many trees in my garden (I live in the country side) ; sometimes we go to the forest nearby. In summer, we gather at my place too, in the evening, to benefit from the sunset and then from the stars show.
Part 2
The one who brings the bottle, makes a presentation on the charateristic of the wine, covering : the Domaine, the vintage, the soil aspect, the yield, the number of pickings of botrytised grapes, etc. And when the presentation is completed, we start “the ritual”.
No one speaks. Later we do, but not now. Now it is the time for the great immersion in the kingdom of aromas and feelings. First your eyes admire the robe : gold or amber, shiny, deep. Then, the first breath, the nose above the glass, at a distance of several centimeters, without moving the glass, just to catch the first flavors. Your mind starts to collect information, and thoughts and memories appear. May be you have some shivers….shivers of pleasure. Then, the second breath, the nose close to the glass, but still without moving it. Your perception gets refined, some flavors become easier to be indentified. Then, the third breath, after turning the wine in the glass, the bouquet is intense, explosive. Aromas burst forth, invading your nose. Your mind is submerged and works hard to memorize everything….. Now, everyone shares their discoveries. The objective is to go over the classical description of the aromas usually made for this kind of wine : “well, I found spices…”. So we try to be as accurate as possible : grey or black pepper ; mint ; camphor ; vanilla ; chervil ; nutmeg ; ginger ; etc. There is no competition between us. We just express what we read in the wine ! No one tries to show off. Each one needs the other one’s help. Indeed, it is not always easy to put a name to an aroma. Or, an aroma was not perceived.
Part 3
Now comes the first sip. You enter into the special moment of introspection, of meditation. Here, the objective is to discover the aromas and also the memory (ies) that these aromas are linked to. To taste becomes a plunge into our memory. Memories of smells, of culinary experiences, of special moments shared with the family or friends, of childhood. You may also remember your grand-mother preparing a cake, and all the fragrances pervading the kitchen. You may remember this old lady (may be an aunt…you are not sure !) opening a jar with pink cherries soaking in a clear liquid, and you asking if you could taste it, and the old lady saying “yes, sweet heart, take one”, and the feeling of the alcohol which first burns your palate but then becomes smooth when melting with the fruits.
After two or three sips of the wine, each one of us will describe his memories. For example, when I mention “ginger” it’s linked to the several years I spent in Asia. When I lived in Taiwan, I used to buy, in the streets, some slices of ginger coated with sugar cane. Delightful ! While a friend gives his description, it is so good to look at the stars or at the flames or at the trees dancing in the breeze !!
Well, that is the miracle of these wines. They make your spirit travel. They lead you deep into yourself. They force you to calm down, to relax. They give you the opportunity to disentangle your mind and to remember good parts of your life ! After the tasting, when it’s time to go home, each one takes a feeling of well-being. What else could one ask for ?
