WoC Blog

Tim Hanni (left); Oliver Thring (right)

The wine-related Twitterverse was abuzz this morning with reports of vinous blasphemy: US Master of Wine Tim Hanni has claimed that “Wine critics’ advice is unchallenged bunk,” or so says Oliver Thring in the Guardian.

And Jancis Robinson gets into it a bit on her summary of the Master of Wine Symposia in her Purple Pages as well. Surely others will have a thing or two to say over the course of the day.

It appears that Hanni–who is well known for his work in the area of psycho-sensory phenomena and how the human brain processes and interprets sensory information–has cast his pearls before peers to say, yet once again, that each person has a unique palate, and therefore the opinions of critics are–and can only be–subjective. What he’s getting at, of course, is that communication about wine is anything but objective and that what one person experiences may vary vastly from what the next person drinking from the same bottle.

Honestly, does that come as a surprise to anyone? We all have taste preferences, tolerances, and thresholds of perception that affect our wine choices. Ask a group of consumers whether they prefer Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, and there you have some insight on their appreciation of acidity levels. Do they want their Riesling sweet or dry? Prefer their Cabs big and burly or subtle and silky? Pour a tannic young red and see who screws up their face in pain and who begs for more. Clearly, we have preferences.

How, then, do we communicate them? How do we guide consumers to wines they will enjoy? Is the advice of wine critics really bunk?

It pretty much boils down to how much relevance we place –and reverence we pay–to the experts. Hanni is not telling people that it makes no difference what they drink or that any old thing will do (as seems to be implied in some of the recent buzz), but he is telling people that they do not have to feel cowed into “liking” something that a wine critic informs them they must.

Hanni, who has worked extensively in the area of taste, brought the Japanese concept of umami (the fifth taste) into the wine world to aid in food and wine pairing. He has also worked on developing something he calls a “Budometer,” which works on the basis that the number of taste buds we have affects our level of perception of flavor and determines our preferences for strong, moderate, or subtle flavors.

It doesn’t stop with the number of taste buds, of course. Hanni kicks it to the next level to help people find wines they may like through a series of questions designed to determine one’s “Taste Sensitivity Quotient,” which asks about certain preferences with respect to salt, coffee, drinks, and sweeteners, etc., and then returns some pretty accurate results. Try it yourself: TSQ interview .

He’s got his own agenda, of course, but it certainly does seem that Hanni is on to something. He’s empowering the consumer by telling people to respect their own opinions, and in doing so, reminding the pros that snobbery does not sell wine to the masses.

So let the critics talk. Let them have their say. Let them make suggestions based on the vast accumulation of information they have gathered through experience and hard work over the course of their careers. And then let the consumer decide.

Chile’s a pretty eclectic place, geographically speaking. It’s got a bit of everything going for it. Modern technology and today’s enologically pioneering spirit have enticed winemakers into seeking out new frontiers to give the different varieties just the combination of sun, soil, and temperature that makes them sing.

To prove that point, Colchagua based Viña Casa Silva decided to launch its latest wine-Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc-by inviting a small group of wine writers to visit their young vineyards near the coast of Colchagua. This is a big deal. They literally broke new ground-new terroir-with this project by daring to plant this close to the so-cold-it’s-cool coast in a region where no one has ever grown wine grapes before.

So they ordered up an absolutely gorgeous day and put a dozen of us on a little 12-seater and flew us to the Colchagua coast…

Central Chilean Andes to the left (©MSnook 2009)

We left the Santiago airport and headed south, with the Andes to the left and the Coastal Mountains to the right. August is still winter in the southern hemisphere, and last week’s heavy rains dusted the Coastal Mountains with snow for a special treat.

Chile's Coastal Mountains in August

The layers of fog that accumulate between the irregular Coastal Mountains moderate temperatures and provide moisture for an area that is otherwise quite dry. The greenery is the result of winter rains; at other times of the year, the hills are dry and brown.

Morning fog creeps in among Chile's Coastal Mountains. The snow capped Andes appear in the distance (upper right) (©MSnook 2009)

When we reached Colchagua 110 miles south of Santiago, we turned west toward the coast, following the tongue-tangling Tinguiririca (Ting-geer-ee-REE-ka) River to the sea for a better-than-birds’-eye view of the valley from the Andes to the Pacific.

The mountains start to smooth out and the land flattens near the coast.

Farm lands start to give way to pine forests that cover the rolling hills near the coast.

It’s hard to imagine a more breathtaking coastline. Just a few miles north is Pichilemu, one of the surfing capitals of the southern hemisphere.

Casa Silva’s 4-year-old vineyard near Paredones, just 5.5 mi (9 km) from the sea. 40 hectares (99 acres)-half Sauvignon Blanc and half Pinot Noir-have been planted on the sandy-clay hillsides that ring the reservoir and on the lower-lying lands that surround it. The Sauvignon made its debut today; the Pinot-ever the diva-will hold out another year to make its grand entrance.

Viña Casa Silva’s Chief Winemaker, Mario Geisse, met the group at the vineyard, where he explained the characteristics of the coastal vineyard. Sandy-clay soils–typical of the ancient Coastal Mountains–provide good drainage and easy root development, but also make erosion an issue, so plant cover between rows is a must. Humidity is also an issue this close to the coast, where morning fogs are common, but a continuous gentle breeze and good canopy management protect the grapes from fungal problems. “I highly recommend this climate for anyone,” jokes Geisse, “It never gets below 9º-10ºC in winter or above 25ºC in summer.”

Winemaker Mario Geisse at Casa Silva's coastal vineyard near Paredones

Viña Casa Silva has 20 hectares each of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot planted here.  The first vintage of its Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is now on the market, but Pinot–ever the prima donna–needs another year to primp before making its debut.

Westward (and lunchward) bound, we headed straight to the coast to Buculemu, with a dramatic weather change just a couple of miles up the road from the sea. This fishing village had been clear all morning and the cloud cover rolled in just before we got there. Though the coastal air was still thick and soupy when we left a few hours later, the sun was still shining just a couple miles away from the coast itself.

By Margaret Snook for Wines of Chile

By Tom Hyland

Each time I visit the wine regions of Chile-this past April was my third trip there-I come away impressed at the constant maturation of the country’s producers. There are so many wonderful wines made in several different areas and the results are clear evidence that the country’s vintners have married new technology with marvelous climatic conditions.

Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in Leyda (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Think about Chile’s wines from twenty years ago-pleasant, clean, and fruity, but rather simple in the final analysis. Now compare those wines with today’s glorious offerings from the country’s best wine zones; the contrast is startling. The finest red and white wines from Chile are not only well made with beautiful structure and depth of fruit, they also brilliantly reflect their terroir and offer a true sense of place.

Many of themost highly praised reds emerge from the Alto Maipo district, just south and east of the city of Santiago. Here a few dozen estates have crafted impeccably balanced reds-usually dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon-with powerful fruit and the promise of drinkability for a decade or more. Yet these wines have soft, round tannins that give these wines an approachability upon release, unlike many iconic reds from other parts of the globe.

Carmenere, a variety brought to Chile from Bordeaux more than 150 years ago, is starting to become a force as well, especially in the Colchagua Valley, a few hundred miles south of Santiago. This is a variety with plenty of spice along with some herbal components, so it needs a very warm climate to fully ripen and display its red fruit and a bit of tanginess. A bit more rustic than Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Merlot, Carmenere is Chile’s own and has the potential to become a very popular wine, especially as consumers look to new flavors in their wines to pair with various styles of foods (Carmenere is especially good paired with roasts, stews, game and grilled poultry).

But while there is so much focus on the country’s great reds, vintners have been concentrating on elevating the quality of the country’s white wines as well, especially over the past 10-15 years. Casablanca Valley, which is located west of Santiago, and thus closer to the Pacific Ocean, is a cool climate zone that is ideal for many white varieties, such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The moderate temperatures help preserve acidity and are critical to a long growing season that results in finely tuned wines with the structure to drink well for a few years. Incidentally, Casablanca is also a model growing district for a few red varieties, especially Pinot Noir, Syrah, and even Merlot.

Farther west in the Leyda Valley, a few producers have been excelling with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay over the past five to seven years. This is a somewhat extreme climate, as many vineyards are within five miles of the ocean, meaning that temperatures are quite cool. It takes a lot of work with vineyard management to get the grapes to ripen here, but the results have been spectacular. Sauvignon Blanc has been the standout, offering gorgeous aromas of pink grapefruit, lime, and kiwi, usually with only a trace of the herbal components that are often associated with this variety in other cool climates. The Sauvignon Blancs from Leyda-and a small sub-zone of the San Antonio Valley-are today recognized as some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs produced anywhere in the world. Now a few vintners here are experimenting with Pinot Noir, Syrah, Riesling, and even Gewurztraminer; the initial results have been promising.

Chile has several other emerging wine zones, such as the Limarí Valley in the far north, especially with Sauvignon Blanc, and Bio-Bio in the far south, another cool climate (some very nice Rieslings have emerged from here). The result is that vintners throughout the country have done the necessary research to discover the best growing zones for particular varieties. Today’s finest Chilean wines are a pleasure to drink, offer excellent varietal character, display the proper balance for pairing with any number of foods and perhaps best of all, are priced much more reasonable than many comparable bottlings from other countries. Quite a nice combination, wouldn’t you say?

Tom Hyland, the man behind the “Reflections on Wine” blog, has written on Chile a number of times, including the following posts on his visits to Chile and experiences with Chilean wines:

Chilean Sauvignon Blanc Achieving Greatness

Chilean Seafood and Sauvignon Blanc

Carmen: New Passion in the Maipo Alto

Santa Rita: Old World Chilean Charm

As we say in Chile, ¿A ver? It’s the kind of expression that just slides off the tongue whenever some bit of particularly interesting information catches us by surprise. We even say it twice if it’s really interesting. A kind of “Come again?” if you will that is certainly warranted at the A ver, A ver-worthy news—that 5 New World Wine producers (Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, California, and South Africa) have banded together as the New World Wine Alliance and will present a united front at the 2010 ProWein trade fair in Dusseldorf next March. (Take a look at the July 15 press release).

We all know that selling wine is a rough business—especially in today’s times and even more so when you’re a New World David up against some pretty hefty Old World Goliaths. Today’s bottle-battle takes some real head-scratching, brain-storming creativity to cut through the tradition and get your wine into as many glasses as possible. So here’s a thought… What if you got a bunch of Davids to buddy up in the face of the not-so-united Goliaths?

Sounds like the New World is not only thinking outside the box, but coloring outside the lines as well. We seem to be entering “Wine World 2.0” Interesting times are certainly ahead.

There’s still not a lot of information out yet-the tight-lipped group just spilled the news a few days ago—and there are still more questions than answers at this point. Wine writer Simon Woods asks how “lumping five rather large and quite disparate countries/states together under one banner accentuate the regional strengths?” And Australia’s absence is rather elephant-in-the-roomish-their “focusing on the east” justification is not thoroughly convincing—but we do know that the bright-and-shiny NWWA will get “Down to Earth” in Dusseldorf and that the wine world as we know it is moving is about to take a new direction.

Today’s top consumers, the so-called Millennial Generation, are in that sweet spot between college and mortgage, frat parties and PTO. They’re easing into real life with money in their pockets and a willingness to spend it. And best of all, they’re curious about the world and all it has to offer. And that’s great news for the food, wine, and travel industries.

Now in their late 20s and early 30s, they chugged enough beer and swilled enough plonk during their college years and are now all about the good life, and that includes fine wining and dining. But they don’t want their fathers’-or their mothers’-wine. They’re on the prowl for something new.

While Dad’s generation may have shelled out big bucks to impress a client (or a date), this group earns points by being in the know. While Uncle Jack may have been wowed by Old World snobbery, 30-something Zack’s more inclined toward New World cool. His one-upmanship comes from knowing what’s hot, and he doesn’t necessarily need to lay out a big chunk of change to be on his game.

Ordering a $60 first-date Chardonnay may be a snoozer, but drop that same 60 bucks on a Chilean Viognier, for example, and he’s got her full attention. Knowing the back story on a top-scoring Carmenere or a cool-climate Syrah won’t hurt either.

Sister Sarah knows the score too. Just as they probably got their fill of medieval cathedrals during family vacations to Europe, she’s more likely to spend her own well-earned time off snow-boarding in the Andes or surfing in Pichilemu, where she discovers that killer high-altitude Cab or eye-popping white blend from the coast that she can’t wait to share with friends back home.

Any way you look at it, Chile has regions full of exciting travel destinations, fresh wines to explore, and plenty of snob-free options to jazz up any wine list.

Posted by Margaret Snook
Editor, Wines of Chile

Wines of Chile US Director Lori Tieszen kicked off the recent WoC-sponsored Sommelier Summit Seminar with some very good news. Despite the negative effects of the global economic crisis, sales of Chilean wine continue to be strong in the United States. While the wine market is down by 5% overall, Chilean wine sales are up 12% in volume and 8% in value.

The United States is now the Number 1 wine consumer in the world, and as such it is the key focus for Chilean wine exports. Wines of Chile recently opened an office in New York City to complement its London office and will participate in a new space dedicated to promoting the country’s image, Puro Chile, due to open its doors in July.

Difficult economic times does not mean that US consumers are drinking less. Some even say they are drinking more. But what they drink and where they drink it is changing. People are going out less and dining in more, so on-trade sales are down and off-trade is up.

Savvy consumers are paying more attention to how they spend their money and are more demanding about the quality they get for each dollar spent. They want more value for their money, and Chile has always had plenty to offer. There’s no doubt that a $20 Chilean wine can out-perform a same-priced wine from anyplace else on Earth.

Good news travels fast.
The thing about wine is that people enjoy talking about it. And as more wine drinkers take a new look at Chilean wine and like what they see, they’re telling their friends and spreading the news… which means that wine writers are writing more about it too. A lot, in fact; press on Chilean wine is up 45% in recent months, and that is very good news indeed!

As Tieszen so succinctly put it, “Value for money is what Americans want and that’s what Chile delivers.”

Divserity, says Wines of Chile’s UK Director Michael Cox, is the key to selling Chile.

“Chile is no one-trick pony,” he recently told The Drinks Business writer Jane Parkinson who asked him about boosting Chile’s presence on restaurant wine lists. “Whoever is making the decisions about listing wine in a restaurant needs to be prepared to take a look at Chile because it has diversity of styles,” he insisted.

Cox has long urged restauranteurs to be more daring with food and wine pairing and routinely laments a lack of creativity in restaurants once the food leaves the kitchen. Chile’s own “Carménère goes brilliantly with curry,” for example.  And with wines that consistently shine in terms of diversity, quality, and consumer-friendly prices, it’s time we saw Chilean wine on more wine lists.

Wines of Chile’s task today then, is to convince the on-trade that the time has come to offer their consumers the quality they demand, the diversity they seek, at the prices they can afford, and that means it’s time for Chilean wine to occupy a more prominent position in their wine programs.

See the full article in the Drinks Business: Getting Chile into the On-Trade

Traveling chef and food-writer Anthony Bourdain spent a couple weeks in Chile filming for an upcoming episode of his TV show No Reservations (Travel Channel). His entourage did an excellent job of holding the press at bay, but he was definitely seen eating his way around town.

Famous for his outspoken manner and a decided preference for simple foods and basic ingredients, Bourdain steered clear of the capital’s top restaurants in favor of Chile’s traditional foods. In a March 16 press conference he declared himself a fan of such typical preparations lomito (pork sandwich), arrollado (pork roll served hot or cold), and prieta (blood sausage).

Chile is known for its fish and shellfish, and Bourdain got his share. He liked the oysters and loved the erizos (sea urchins), but made it clear that he’d pass on the piure (an iodine-rich local shellfish) next time around.

He also confessed that he wasn’t a fan of sweets and could live without fruit, “…except grapes. I need grapes…in a glass. I’ve had a lot of really good wine here in Chile.” News we’re always happy to hear!

Jay Miller tasting Chilean wines for The Wine Advocate

It’s lunchtime and Jay Miller is halfway through his third and final day of tasting 550 Chilean wines. The man who has earned Robert Parker’s full confidence over the course of 30 years and a thousand tastings is relaxed as he picks at a bit of smoked salmon and confesses that yes, he likes to eat well, but often on these trips eager hosts ply him with enormous meals that leave him groggy and overfed. And he still has another hefty round of wines to work through in the afternoon.
Miller—or rather Dr. Miller—bucked a long career in clinical psychology for the allure of the wine world, and he is often asked if he ever regrets it. “It was the best thing I ever did,” he responds categorically. “I spent years telling my patients that if they didn’t like what they were doing, they should do something else. Finally it was time for me to take my own advice.”

Miller caught the wine bug in 1978 while still in college. He worked in a Maryland wine shop where Robert Parker was a customer. Parker, then an attorney, was just starting his now influential publication, The Wine Advocate, and would invite Miller to join him in his tastings. Today it is Miller’s voice-or rather nose and palate-that pronounce the Parker ratings for wines from Chile, Argentina, Australia, Spain, Oregon, Washington, and on occasion, vintage Ports. “Fortunately for me, these are the areas that make the kinds of wines that I like.” He’s clearly a contented man.

On Tasting Technique

What are you looking for as you taste and score wines?

I look for what’s good. Winemakers tend to look for flaws, and wine competitions favor clean, pristine wines rather than wines with personality. I’m looking for pleasure. I’m looking for the Wow factor, for something extraordinary. A 100-point wine is an experience, a Zen concept—words only diminish it—but when it happens, you know it.

Why don’t you taste blind?
It’s just not practical for the number of wines I taste per session. I taste by producer, and go through line by line, which is more efficient for making my notes.

When you taste wines, are you thinking about their place with food?
No, not really. Sometimes I get a clear idea of a good food to pair it with, but I’m not necessarily thinking about food when I’m tasting. I’m looking for pleasure in the wine itself.

The Wines

You’re winding up your marathon tastings in Chile, what conclusions are you coming to?
Cabernet Sauvignon is strong, with a wide range of wines and price points and good quality throughout. Chilean Cabernet owes more to Bordeaux than it does to California. Thankfully there are not as many fruit bombs here. And the icons deserve to be icons. They’re great and evolve beautifully. Take Don Melchor, for example, or Antiguas Reservas-I recently tasted Antiguas Reservas back to the 1968 vintage and they were splendid!

Top Chilean Sommelier Ricardo Grellet serves Jay Miller

There have been dramatic changes in Carménère in recent years, and when it’s good, it’s really good! The $8–$10 range is now much better and no longer green at all. On past trips I’ve given the highest scores to Terrunyo Carménère, and yes, I’m a fan of Clos Apalta.

Chile makes very good Syrah, and handles the different styles well, although commercially it’s difficult to sell in the US, where Cabernet is still the King. Sure, people know Shiraz, from Australia, but don’t understand that Syrah is the same thing.

Pinot Noir was a surprise for me when I came for the Wines of Chile Annual Awards in 2006, and I continue to be pleasantly surprised.

Chilean Malbec was also a nice surprise. It’s very different from Argentina’s Malbec, with more red fruit, more claret-like.

The Crisis

Chilean wine has long been known for its excellent value for money ratio. Now that the economic crisis is upon us, what effect do you see this having on Chilean wine?
Wine drinking has gone up since the crisis began. Although restaurant sales are down 30%, retail sales are up in volume. People are staying in and drinking at home. Retail sales are quite strong now in the USD $10–$20 range, and now, instead of buying 1 bottle, people are buying 2 or 3. This is an excellent opportunity for Chile and record sales are predicted. Chile is perfectly positioned for today’s economic situation.

Chile, land of diversity

Chile has a very broad range of wines and styles, and its entry level wines are solid, so it’s easy to get customers to try something new and to move up to a better wine. Countries such as Australia and Argentina have made the mistake of concentrating too much on one varietal at the expense of diversity. Australia’s cheap “critter wines” have hurt its credibility, and consumers are reluctant to invest in a more expensive bottle. In Argentina’s case, people associate it with Malbec and nothing else, so it has locked itself into a niche.

Do you visit wineries and meet with winemakers when you travel?
Yes. This time I will go to San Antonio, Bio Bio and Elqui. I want to see these new D.O.s where these new wines are coming from.

** Interview and photos by Margaret Snook for Wines of Chile, March 2009