Saturday, November 30, 2013

TALKING TURKEY ©


            No, not the bird on the table but the country formerly known as the Ottoman Empire. In a recent study of wine grapes under cultivation world-wide, Spain had the number one spot with 13% of the total acres/hectares planted round the globe. Surprisingly to many wine consumers in the U.S., less than half of that is grown in America. That despite a much larger land mass and wine now being made in all but one state in the nation.

The fact is that we are only number six on the list with 6%, just behind TURKEY with 7%. Who'da thunk it? More land is dedicated to wine grapes there than in Germany, Austria, Portugal, South Africa or Australia to name just a few countries known for wine production and consumed around the world. With over thirty years of background in the wine trade or those related to it, I have never actually seen a bottle of Turkish wine but have had many from the neighboring Greece. The search is on, but I'm curious what the market is

With a population about 20% that of the U.S., primarily Sunni Muslims with a large Kurdish influence, this would not instinctively make one think, "World Wine Power House." Yet there they are, right behind number four China (8%) and the more likely sounding Italy (10%) and France (11%).

My mission is to find some Chardonnay de Constantinople or Istanbulian ice wine in time for next year's Thanksgiving dinner. Followed by taffy for desert, served with strong coffee and those killer Turkish tobacco Balkan cigarettes. Well, maybe not the last part. I'll keep you posted!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

PENNSYLVANIA- HOME OF AMERICAN WINE? ©


            I've been neglecting this blog due to a family issue that required me to spend some time in the Keystone Commonwealth. Originally from the west side of Penn's Woods, I never spent much time there but had seen some trade articles about the resurgence of wine making in the area. I was curious to see what they were doing back that way. A quick net search (pennsylvaniawine.com) gave me an idea of who was making what in the area I was visiting and I picked out the nearby La Casa Narcisi for a taste test.

As it turned out, one of the Narcisi family members was involved in financial services in the Bay Area and took his winnings back to PA to help grow their wine business. The facility would look at home out here and includes outside covered areas and gardens, a large restaurant with upper level private party area, comfortable tasting room and sizeable gift shop. If they could have received permission to build it here in California, the probable cost makes the son's return to his roots a sound decision.

About half the counties in Pennsylvania have wineries and the state Wine Marketing and Research Board is doing a good job of promoting and improving the product. They were instrumental in developing nine "wine trail" tours in the state and an equal number of areas with concentrations of wineries. A brochure with details and maps is available via the website above.

Despite prohibition, so called Blue Laws and a sometimes heavy handed State Liquor Control Board (sales in state run stores only for liquor and wine), the history of wine making goes back 300 years. William Penn himself brought European varietals to the area and planted a vineyard in 1683. In 1787 the first successful commercial winery in the U.S. was operating near Philadelphia. Shareholders included Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Johns Hopkins and Robert Morris. Not a shabby start to the nation's first wine club! Eventually, wine was being made in every county in the state. Even a German religious group was running a winery with a 30,000 gallon cellar just north of Pittsburg by the early 1800s. Nearly 200,000 gallons of wine was being made in Pennsylvania by 1900.

By the end of the Volstead Act, the industry was in ruins and the state, while allowing wineries, only allowed sales through the stores. Those running that operation were not wine knowledgeable and until not so long ago, a bottle of better wine was not to be seen on the shelves. Thankfully, a few growers in the wine friendly growing area near Lake Erie grouped together to push for less restrictive laws in the 1960s. By the end of the decade the Limited Winery Act was passed. Using only grapes grown in the state, wineries could produce up to 50,000 gallons and sell direct to consumers, hotels, restaurants & clubs or the Control Board stores.

Much like our California tale, 1969 was a watershed year and the first two wineries were licensed. The current Pennsylvania Wine brochure lists 153 licensed wineries, half of which have been started since 1990. Many of them are not estate wineries but purchase grapes or juice from the areas that have the soils and weather to support vineyards. Grapes familiar to our area include Viognier, Syrah, Cab, Pinot, Dolcetto and eight other noble varieties. Five native grapes, such as Catawba and ten hybrids - among them Seyval Blanc and Baco Noir are being grown. Many wineries concentrate on fruit wines and sell related products as well.

So, how are they? I tasted only four wines at one winery but I wish I'd had more time to investigate further. First off was a 2012 Chardonnay made from vineyards in the NE part of the state. Lightly oaked and 12.5% alcohol, it was nicely balanced, lighter than local versions (not a bad thing), crisp with a distinctly varietal nose accenting the fruit and having a good linger to the finish.

The 2012 Merlot followed and sourced from the same area. Moderately deep cherry/cranberry color with 13.5% alcohol, clean and bright and very leggy. The finish was a bit short but highlighted the fruit and made for a very drinkable wine. All these wines retailed for under $20 by the way. The Cabernet Sauvignon was also a 2012 and had a 13.3 level of alcohol. Hints of berry fruit in the nose and similar color as the Merlot, youthful tannins drove the taste at this time. I'd like to try it again in a couple of years.

I finished with Traminette, a Traminer hybrid. It turned out to be a nice surprise and I think it could become popular in a wider market. The aroma was very Gewurz and pleasant. I expected similar flavor but (as described by Dorothy my tasting hostess) it has a great backbone with balanced acid and hints of grapefruit, not unlike some Sauvignon Blancs. Fun summer lunch wine or for general sipping, excellent value and (here) a conversation piece to fool your friends.

I suggest that if travel takes you out that way, find time to try some local flavor.