Last month Bin21 Hexham put together its first local tasting since opening its doors in December 2011, only a year and a half since owner Patrick (Paddy) Eyres first started in Morpeth in October 2010.

The Tynedale tasting was organised at the Beaumont Hotel on 27^th April with over 120 tickets sold for the evening event. As with his previous tasting in Morpeth Paddy brought in his suppliers to show their wines personally. This time there were 9 tables of wine, 1 of Champagne and delicious cheese and crackers from the Deli at Number 4 just down the street.

With my well known hesitance for sparkling wines I concentrated on the reds and whites poured by;

• Mark O'Brien MW of Hatch Mansfield with an elegant Chardonnay/Pinot Noir theme.
• Iain Barrie of PLB Group with a mixed bag of whites and reds.
• David Boulding of Vinoceros with mainly Antipodean whites.
• Paul Raven from PortoVino next to our region’s other Portuguese importer,
• Marta Mateus of MartaVine, ably supported by husband Kevin.
• Simon Powys Maurice from Laytons with a full table of Old World dominated whites and reds.
• Roger Green of Forth Wines with Old World whites and classic reds.
• Chris Mooney from John E. Fells a cross section of Old and New World reds and whites and finally,
• Richard Bouglet of L’Art du Vin with a combination of traditional white and reds with an Old World theme.

With over 80 different wines to try, most of them different to the Morpeth tasting, it was going to be a hard ask, especially when there wasn’t a spittoon obvious (I later learned there was one hidden away somewhere, too late by then!). Over the course of 3 hours I managed to scrawl notes on 46 different wines, although some of the later ones were reduced to a few barely legible words! I apologise for the ones I may have missed, nevertheless I covered a good cross section of all the tables, colours and styles so here’s my top dozen wines which impressed me a little more than the others.

Whites.
There was an equal split of Old & New World for the whites. For France the Louis Jadot 2009 Marsannay Blanc from Burgundy (Hatch Mansfied) showed superb minerality and a toasty finish, while Les Garrigues 2011 Grande Reserve Grenache Blanc from the Languedoc (Laytons) was smooth and rich with citrus complexity.

Over to Australia and the McWilliams Mount Pleasant 2005 Elizabeth Semillon from the Hunter Valley (PLB Group) was equally rich and citrusy, but with a mature complexity befitting the extra bottle age that Semillon thrives on. The Hunter Valley also produced the excellent Tyrrells Old Winery Verdelho (John E. Fells) which had bracing acidity and a zesty lemon sherbet aspect, while across the Tasman Sea Coopers Creek 2009 The Little Rascal Arneis from Gisbourne, New Zealand (Vinoceros) combined fresh herbs on the nose with a rich, honeyed taste and floral finish.

But it was Portugal that had the best white (by a nose from the Marsannay) with Companhia das Quintas 2009 Morgado Santa Catherina from Bucelas/Lisbon (PortoVino) which struggled on the nose but delivered on the palate with a rich complexity and a toasty/nutty finish.

Reds.
Only one New World red impressed this time, the Norton 2008 Malbec Reserva from Mendoza, Argentina (Vinoceros) which had real depth and structure with fine grain chocolaty tannins.

The remaining five all came from the classic European countries with France represented by Marsannay again, this time the Louis Jadot 2009 Clos du Roy Burgundy (Hatch Mansfield), a beautiful Pinot Noir with fresh fruit on the palate and good complexity with balanced young tannins, although the nose struggled to express.

Portugal showed very well with the Casa Santos Lima 2008 Sousão Tinto, Lisbon (MartaVine) with its brooding liquorice nose and Jeckyll & Hyde effect on the palate; first gently soothing, then slapping you with strong textures before finishing warm and sweet to compensate.

For Italy the Cantina Nicosia 2009 Etna Rosso (55% Nerello Mascalese, 45% Nerello Capuccio) from Sicily (Laytons) had a subtle mineral nose and was a little light on fruit, but had good acid & tannin structure.

Laytons also poured the meaty Dominio de la Vega 2004 Reserva, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Valencia with liquorice, fine dry tannins and good balance. Spain also brings the list to a close with the Beronia 2006 Rioja Reserva (Forth Wines), Tempranillo with a little Graciano and Mazuelo with a classic vanilla nose and balanced sweet fruit with oaky tannins.

It was difficult to decide between the Spanish Tempranillo or the Portuguese Sousão for best red, they were both good, but if pushed I’d guess the Rioja just edged it.

And best overall wine on the night? For me it was the 2009 Morgado Santa Catherina, a 100% Arinto white which was just drinking superbly.

It should also be mentioned that the Deli at Number 4 was doing some wonderful cheese (the Wookey Hole and Smoked Goats cheese were especially good along with their Fig and Charcoal crackers). All in all I was a happy, if slightly sozzled, man as I made my way home on the Friday evening. Once again Paddy had put together an excellent show (with a little help from his wine friends) and I got an extended set of tasting notes for his range. Paddy is back showing his wines again at the Haydon Bridge Beer Festival on the 6th & 7th of July where he’s hosting “The Wine Lounge”.

Slainte.

This summer sees the return of the EAT! Newcastle Gateshead Festival for 2012 including the Wine Fair that will help finish it off on Sunday July 29^th.

As usual the Newcastle Wine School, founded by local wine professional Chris Powell, has been involved in the organising of the Wine event showcasing some of the best local retailers, but this year Chris has pulled something special out of the hat by bringing a Masterclass with Tim Atkin MW sponsored by Wines of Lebanon.

Timothy John Atkin, born 1961 in Kent, son of Sport Journalist Ron Atkin, is familiar to many with his regular TV appearances as one of the wine experts on Saturday Kitchen, trying to locate wines to match the dishes being cooked up on the BBC show - usually on a budget that rarely seems to stray past £8.
Although it’s the first time that I know of Tim putting his wine knowledge on general show in Newcastle it’s not his first foray into the region, as he went to Durham University in the 80s graduating with a BA in Modern Languages.

Tim became a Master of Wine in 2001, one of less than 300 people around the world entitled to MW after their name in recognition of the three years of self study and seminars, sitting the multiple theory papers and blind tastings examinations before the final dissertation (some say it’s the hardest professional examination around). However, it was as a journalist that Atkin entered the wine world in a career that stretches back before the publication of his first book, Chardonnay, in 1992. Tim started writing a wine column for the Guardian newspaper in 1989 before moving to its sister publication The Observer in 1993, which ran for over 16 years. During this time he was also editor of Harpers Wine and Spirit Magazine (2000-2003), won numerous writing awards, co-founded The Wine Gang in 2008 (with Tom Cannavan, Anthony Rose, Joanna Simon and Olly Smith), became a renowned taster and judge at many wine competitions around the world and also the driving force behind the International Wine Challenge, the prestigious yearly blind tasting event which he co-chairs.

After The Observer cut back his column in early 2010 Tim quit to join The Times but, 10 months later, he resigned again after a similar restriction. He also left The Wine Gang (along with Olly Smith) at the end of 2010 and, with Oz Clarke, formed The Three Wine Men whose mission statement is “..to get everyone in the country tasting, experiencing and enjoying new wines..” - they are touring the UK this year, including a tasting in Edinburgh on June 23^rd & 24^th.

So what can we expect from Tim’s Masterclass? To be honest I don’t know, as I’ve never attended one before! However, I’m a big fan of his writing and tweets (@TimAtkin) and even more so of Lebanese Wines, which I’ve been drinking for 5 years now after tasting a 1999 Château Musar and becoming hooked.
I’ve written about my love affair with this producer on Reign of Terroir and if you’ve had Lebanese wine before it is most likely to have been this most famous export of the small Mediterranean country.

Since then I’ve drank interesting white, rosé and red wines from Musar, Kefraya, Ksara, Massaya and Clos de Cana (a superb bottle of Château de Cana that I got from Vinopolis in London a few years ago) and enjoyed them all with exception of Musar’s new Jeune label, whose generic style is lost amongst hundreds of similar New World wines.

Locally it is Musar that is relatively easy to find; Waitrose and Majestic stock the latest 2004 vintage, Fenwick and Michael Jobling also have some of the older vintages, while Corkscrew Wines in Carlisle have the eclectic Château Musar White as well. However, it is Richard Granger Wines in Jesmond that go a little further and, along with their Château Musar back catalogue, also stock one of the newer Lebanese producers, Massaya.
As the July Masterclass is being run with Wines of Lebanon, the UK promotional campaign organised by the Union Vinicole du Liban (UVL), I’d expect a few of those names to be on show, and probably some I’ve not tasted yet. 

Tickets for the Masterclass are £15 on top of the £20 ticket for the main wine Fair – although bring a friend and you can get entry to both for £55. Notwithstanding the rare chance of seeing a real wine guru in the North East (and trying superb Lebanese wines) the main Fair will have over 80 wines available to taste from a selection of the region's retailers. Currently the Newcastle Wine School website is showing; 
Majestic, Michael Jobling, Fenwick, Tyne Wines, Proteas Wines, Carruthers and Kent, Portovino, Spanish Select, The Wine Chambers and Bin 21.

The July 29^th event starts at 12:30 in The Assembly Rooms, Fenkle Street with the Masterclass at 14:00.

See you there!

February’s NEWTS was a celebration of the range and character of French wines, subtitled “if I could have just one more glass”. Presenter and Chairman Geoff has been buying wine in France for 35 years, often returning to the same wineries and buying off two or three generations of winemakers. Geoff gave an introduction to each winery and, where known, the winemaker.

We began with whites from the Loire, Alsace and Rhône, before a red from the Languedoc, back to the Rhône for the core reds and finishing back in the Loire with a sweet wine.
Sadly my slow recovery from a cold meant I often doubted my tasting ability (although strangely my sense of smell seemed OK) so some of the comments from my fellow NEWTS pad the tasting notes. Prices are all cellar door.

The first white was a new one for me, a Montlouis, which is the town on the south side of the river Loire opposite Vouvray (whose AOC it was part of until 1937).
Domaine François Chidaine Le Clos du Breuil 2009, Montlouis, Loire (Chenin Blanc, 13.5% abv, £14.00).
François Chidaine follows biodynamic viticulture but does not mention this on his bottles even though the estate has been certified since 2003. Montlouis Chenin Blancs are typically more crisp and mineral than those from Vouvray and the Clos de Breuil vineyard, grown on a soil-type known locally as “les perruches”, is known for its flinty character. With 6 months in wood this wine was made following Chidaine’s goal to produce “vibrant wines that age gracefully”.

There was a floral, honeyed richness on the nose. On taste there was clean, lemony acidity at the front of the palate (maybe too much) with a sharp minerality. The mid-palate took on a honeyed fruit aspect with with hints of apple, almond and pear and it had a strong, warming finish.
3 stars overall.

To Alsace next, and one of the oldest wineries in the region.
Maison Léon Beyer Comtes d'Eguisheim 2005, Alsace (Pinot Gris, 14.0% abv, £23.00).

Maison Léon Beyer has a history dating back to 1580 (Yann-Leon Beyer, son of winemaker Marc Beyer is 14th generation) and has a reputation for being somewhat aloof in Alsace - Marc is a fierce critic of the local Grand Cru system for masking poorly made wine. Neither is he a fan of residual sugar, it “masks the imperfections” - for more information read the Schiller Wine blog post from January - and the Comtes d'Eguisheim range are their top dry wines.

The Pinot Gris had a rich golden colour with a deep floral nose. There was a bitter attack which dropped off quickly on the honeyed mid-palate into a warming finish with an underlying grapefruit bitterness throughout. The texture was not as thick as expected from the nose, but some members thought it was a little creamy heading towards “fat”.
A good 3 star wine.

Then to a producer that we’ve had before at NEWTS, Domaine de la Janasse (last tasted, the excellent 2004 Terres d’Argile Cotes du Rhone Villages).
Domaine de la Janasse 2010 Viognier, IGP, Principaute d'Orange, Rhône (14.0% abv, £11.00). Domaine de la Janasse was established in 1973 by Aimé Sabon and is now maintained by his grandchildren Christophe and Isabelle (who took over the winemaking from their father, Christophe, in 1991). The winery covers several Rhône appellations but is based in the heart of the Côtes du Rhône whose the AOC rules for white are for a blend as opposed to single varietal. The Viognier is therefore labelled as an IGP (ex Vin de Pays) but the website confirms the inferred quality with a reference to “Condrieu selection” with only 5000 bottles a year produced.

This wine had a beautiful sweet peach and tangerine aroma which penetrated my cold ridden nose! There was a sweet bitterness of orange oil and waxy stone-fruit underneath, well balanced, dry and complex with a warming finish.
This was the best white on the night, 3+ stars.

So to the reds and a detour into the Languedoc before retracing our steps.
Château la Voulte-Gasparets Cuvée Roman Pauc 2008, Corbieres-Boutenac, Languedoc (14.0% abv, £18.00).
While Corbières is the region’s largest appellation the small Boutenac part barely adds 1% to that total, but is regarded as one of the superioir terrooirs, a “Grand Cru” if you will, where Carignan rules. La Voulte Gasparet is a family estate run by Patrick Reverdy, the 6th generation of the Pauc, Grulet, Bergès and Reverdy families at the Château.

This 50% Carignan 25% Grenache 25% Mouverdre blend had a deep, dark colour suggesting more youthfulness than the label. There was sweet ripe fruit on the nose and a touch of sourness. There were dry, desiccating tannins with muted fruit on the taste and base textures in the mouth. Other members said it had good balance with leather, liquorice and tobacco.
A bit of a rough-edged youngster but a pleasant 3 stars nonetheless.

Then back to the Rhône with a Vacqueyras, often referred to as the little brother of Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Domaine Les Amouriers Cuvée Signature 2010, Vacqueyras, Rhône (15.0% abv, £9.00). Domaine Les Amouriers is run by Patrick Gras and Igor Chudzikiewicz who have 25 ha of vineyards across the southern Rhône worked to organic, low yield principles.

This was a blend of 55% Grenache 40% Syrah and 5% Carignan and showed a delicate nose with some Violet while in the mouth there were firm tannins and a peppery dry aspect in the mouth with firm tannins. From start to finish there was a straightforward progression of textures and flavours, this is a young and simple wine, very easy drinking but uncomplicated and lacking depth.
An entry level, 2+ star quaffer.

From the baby brother to the middle sibling and Gigondas, the Grenache dominated appellation producing almost entirely red wines.
Domaine les Goubert Cuvée Florence 2004, Gigondas, Rhône (14.5% abv, £23.00).
Domaine les Goubert is another Southern Rhone estate with a long history, belonging to the Goubert family since 1636. Augusta Goubert’s son, Jean-Pierre Cartier now runs it with his wife Mireille and daughter Florence, which the 80% Grenache 10% Syrah 10% Mouverdre wine is named for.

This was bottle No. 7719 and gave an initial whiff of rose petals before turning somewhat cabbagey (not in a bad way though) with some plum or damson underneath. There was a light menthol aspect and smooth fruit, backed up by a firm tannic structure and complex secondary flavours on the finish.
Some in the room suggested this is over the hill but though I begged to differ; for me this was 3+ stars drinking beautifully and which I believe will continue to do so for another year or two.

And so to the eldest of the South Rhône siblings, the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its interpretation by the old favourite, Domaine de la Janasse.
Domaine de la Janasse Cuvée Chaupin 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhône (15.5% abv, £45.00).

The Sabons believes “Grenache really is the most interesting variety in Chateauneuf du Pape because "it joins smoothness and power, and gives all their complexity to wines.” And the Cuvée Chaupin only uses this grape rather than the 18 allowed by the appellation. This wine was a joy to drink, amazingly complex with the classic smoothness and sweetness of Grenache raised to another level. Fresh and light, with a sweet menthol nose and a creamy texture throughout and a mity sweet aspect.
The wine’s soft tannins were the only concern for me, maybe too much for such a young wine which could compromise its ageability, but right now it was a 3+ star wine to be enjoyed.

And so the end of the evening yet back to the beginning with a Loire Chenin Blanc, but this time a sweet Vouvray from the region’s most celebrated producers.
Domaine Huet Le Mont, Première Trie 2009 Moelleux, Vouvray, Loire (Chenin Blanc, 12.5% abv, £30.00).
The Domaine was created in 1928 by Victor Huet and was run since 1976 by Noël Pinguet, son in law of the late Gaston Huet, Victor’s son. The recent shock news to the wine world was that Pinguet has surprisingly left the estate - initially reported as acrimonious but later modified to a more agreeable departure.
Première Trie is “first selection” of the ripe (possibly botrytised?) grapes from the “Grand Cru” Le Mont vineyard, which produces wines of youthful minerality which age elegantly.

The wine was surprisingly acidic which balanced the high residual sugar; sweet but with a strong acid backbone, clean fresh and refreshing. There was a spicy tickle on the nose, candied sweet fruit with some caramel and honey. In style I’d compare it to a sweet Spatlese or Auslese Riesling and relatively good value for a 75cl bottle.
Very good throughout and 3+ stars.

On the night the best wine was probably the Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape at £45 but, at only £11, the Janasse Viognier was not far behind and easily best value – a one-two for this excellent Rhône Estate.

Slainte!

The January 2012 NEWTS meeting was the first time since New Year that I'd really dedicated any time to wine; after my Christmas cold and return to work the days had quickly passed and I'd even manager to forget The Wine Society Newcastle tasting a week earlier.

In advance all we knew was that the tasting was to be hosted by members Alan Holmes and Paul Raven who own PortoVino Wines – so a Portuguese theme was a certainty - but it wasn’t until I arrived in the room and saw the row of labels lined up on the table that it became clear that this was going to be a dedicated Port tasting and, with one notable exception, all from the same producer, C. da Silva. Paul then introduced Jim Reader who would be talking about the wines as we tasted. Jim is something of a local lad, being originally from Middlesbrough, who began a long career in the Drinks Business as a brewer in Burton on Trent. The brewery was bought by Allied Lyons who (as Allied Domeq) also owned Cockburns and Jim became a winemaker in Portugal until, by 2000, he was the General Manager. Although he retired for a couple of years he decided he wasn't ready for the quiet life and joined C. da Silva as Export Director.

The company itself was founded in 1862 as Corrêa Ribeiro & Filhos, but the modern company derives its name from Clemente da Silva who returned home after making his fortune in Brazil and invested it in his wife’s family business. The company formally changed its name to C. da Silva in 1957 and remained family owned until Clemente’s death in 1980. It is now part of La Martiniquaise group, France’s 2nd biggest drinks corporation, and is famous for its old white ports.
The DALVA name was created from Da (Si)lva with a view to being a recognisable international brand.

First to taste on the night was the DALVA white Port (£15.99) which had a lovely amber colour and an oxidative style on the nose with a little menthol & herbs. It was sweet up front with a nutty mid-palate with a warming heat on the just-burnt finish. While not a particularly complex wine this was enjoyed by the room, with a little more chilling it would be “a perfect aperitif”.

Then onto the DALVA Rosé (£15.99), a newer style for most people which was deep salmon pink in the glass. The nose was more herbal than fruity, with a suggestion of sourness, but this wasn’t carried though into the taste which was very sweet with a berry-fruit mid-palate. There was a bitter herb undertone and a touch of astringency which made this an interesting drink, if a little "alcopop".

While I’d class both the basic white and rosé as “frivolous” and aimed at the younger drinker, the next one, the DALVA Dry White 10 years old (£28.99), brought a touch more seriousness into the room.
Although a similar colour to the standard white this had a Sherry-like nose; a strong oxidative style, sharp and a little salty. In the mouth there was a dry attack with little overt sweetness, a rich texture moving into a waxy and long finish. A very enjoyable glass for the grownups!

We moved onto red with the dark DALVA 2005 LBV (£18.99) and its understated, tarry nose. It had smooth flavours, well rounded with subtle tannins, fresh, fruity and surprisingly light for the 20% alcohol.

An old favourite was next, the DALVA Tawny Reserve (£17.99), a wine I’ve enjoyed on several occasions in the past. There was a ruby edge to the rim and the nose was subtle herbs and tar. In the mouth it was soft and sweet at first, the fruit flavours flattening out in the mid-palate before a strong, long, hazelnut finish - with a piece of dark chocolate this gives decadent fruit & nut flavours.

A vintage tawny was up next, the DALVA 1985 Colheita (£38.00) with a delicate caramel colour and a strong, dry, spicy nose. In the mouth there was a spicy attack with a clean, almost medicinal, taste and a nutty/salty aspect. Although an interesting wine I preferred the equally good Tawny Reserve at half the price!

The last 3 bottles moved the quality to another level, with an accompanying hike in price as well.

First the DALVA 30 year old Tawny (£63.00) with a deep caramel colour, strong nutty/salty nose and a slight smoke aspect.  This was a very interesting, complex wine with sharp, contrasting flavours bouncing off each other, good acidity and more noticeable alcohol on the finish. A self-confessed Tawny sceptic in the room said that this was the first Tawny he’d happily drink again!

The last DALVA bottle of the night was the 2000 Vintage (£62.00), a mere baby in Vintage terms - although Jim said more and more people, especially Americans, are drinking Vintage Port much earlier than in the past. The wine had a stewed blackcurrant/bramble nose with a little herb and rhubarb. It began spicy and moved into a strong, fruity mid-palate, then a long finish with quite smooth tannins. For what is a young wine, bottled in 2002, this was remarkably drinkable with good balance.

The final wine of the night was the only non-DALVA offering; Dows 1963 Vintage Port (£147.00). 1963 is a benchmark year for Port and I’ve read about many memorable tastings, but finally I had a chance to try one myself.  In the glass the wine still had plenty of colour with a violet and menthol nose, an elegant, velvet texture and extremely subtle, almost fragile flavours with no alcohol heat at all. It was a pleasure to drink this nectar - I doubt I’ll have many more chances to try a wine almost half a century old. While the DALVA 30 year old Tawny and 2000 Vintage were clear 4 star wines the Dows was the first I’ve ever tried where I’ll happily add a +.

It’s worth noting that two of bottles on the night were corked, one each of the 10 year old white and LBV (although I was lucky enough to get the good bottle on both occasions!).
While I’d hesitate to recommend a Port-only tasting for most people - with all the wines coming in at 19 or 20% alcohol (and my will power not strong enough to spit such enjoyable drink) then I was feeling the effects of the tasting as I left - it was worth the minor hang-over the next morning for the quality of what was on show.

A selection of the DALVA Ports are available from PortoVino online, or from one of their stockists in the area; Dillies, Bin21 or Carruthers & Kent – although the Vintage, 30 year old Tawny and 10 Year old dry white aren’t on their lists.

As for the Dows, you'll probably need to go to an auction to get hold of one of those - let me know if you do and I'll help you drink it!

Slainte!

 

Vine Diseases are not my specialist subject, in fact before last week I knew practically nothing about them, but for some reason a casual reading of a blog post from Jim Budd set me off on a major tangential internet sortie.
 
Jim’s post was entitled Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil: the fight against eutypiose, BDA and esca, and it was Bourgueil that hooked me, since I spent 10 wonderful days in that quaint Loire town in 2006 on a family holiday (which explains my fondness for Cabernet Franc). The fact that most of the piece was a transcript of a French article almost dissuaded me from continuing (I am nowhere near fluent in the language) except for an intriguing picture of a dying vine and Jim’s reference to “Fatal Wood Diseases”. I therefore clicked on the link to Vitisphere.com.
 
The post begins describing the disturbing development of ESCA, BDA (Black Dead Arm) and Eutypiose since the ban on the use of the controlling chemical Sodium Arsenite a decade ago. The accompanying picture shows a necrosis (canker) caused by Eutypiose.

The local viticultural body, FAV37 (la Fédération des Associations Viticoles d’Indre-et-Loire et de la Sarthe) completed a study in 2010 showing that in Indre-et-Loire alone damage from these diseases came to €12-14 million ($16-18 million) and are increasing their activities to dispose of the dead and diseased wood to try and prevent the spread of the disease.
 
The piece finishes stating that 30-40,000 vines were collected by a Chinon based wood company to recycle as barbeque fuel, but that this was only a small part of all the vines that actually died this year – a sobering thought.
 
So that was the story, but all it did was raise more questions than it answered; what exactly are the three diseases mentioned?; what causes them?; how prevalent are they?; Apart from a brief mention of sodium arsenite what else is being done to combat the disease other than making barbeque fuel?
The more sites I visited in trying to answer these starting questions, the more secondary questions (plus some ambiguity & contradiction) appeared, which sent me into yet more searches which eventually spat me out after 2 days with a glimmer of understanding and enough words to put together this piece – even though I may never get firsthand exposure to the topic.
 
The Diseases:
Eutypiose (Eutypiosis) is the French term for Eutypa dieback, first identified in the 1970s and since confirmed worldwide (Californian losses to the disease are estimated in excess of $260 million a year). The disease is caused by infection with the fungus Eutypa lata which results in stunted development and internal V-shaped necroses and external cankers. Leaves may show chlorosis, deformations and tattered edges.
In the 1970s the disease Dead Arm, made famous to consumers by the d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, was identified as really being two diseases, with the combined symptoms of Eutypa dieback caused by Eutypa lata and those of Excoriosis (Phomopsis Cane & Leaf Spot) caused by the different fungi Phomopsis viticola.
 
Black Dead Arm (BDA) is caused by yet another fungi, or to be accurate several species of the Botryosphaeriaceae, first described in 1974 in Tokaji, Hungary – giving the diseases alternative name of Botryosphaeria (Bot) canker. Over 12 species have been isolated from diseased vines globally and, while early research believed they were opportunistic pathogens that only caused symptoms in stressed vines, the current data suggests that certain strains are strong primary pathogens.
Symptoms include V-shaped necroses similar to those caused by Eutypa lata and brown necrosis along the length of the affected tissues. Confusingly, occasional stunted growth, leaf discolouration and damage adds to the similarity with Eutypa dieback, meaning the two diseases are often difficult to accurately diagnose.
In France the disease was also known as d’apoplexie lente (slow apoplexy) prior to its classification as BDA in the Medoc in 1999.
Esca (La Yesca in Spain) is another complex disease with variable symptom expression. Although first classified in Italy in 1900 it seems to have been around much longer with similar symptoms described in medieval works such as the influential Arabic agricultural tome Kitab al-Felahah by Ibn al-Awam, a 12th Century Moor from Seville, and earlier Latin and Greek texts. The name is Latin for food or bait (used by several Italian restaurants around the world including New York) and may be a reference to the fruiting bodies of the fungi responsible resembling bait lures as they sprout from the wood. A Wine Spectator article from 2008 reported that 5% of the vineyard surface area in France was affected by Esca, although later reports suggest that by 2010 this was as much as 10%.
The fungal pathogens are Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and various species of Phaeoacremonium which cause chronic symptoms of stunted growth, shoot tip dieback and internal wood decay of the trunk and larger branches. Leaf necrosis results in a “tiger stripe” pattern while berries show dark spots or “measles”, leading to the disease’s alternative name of Black Measles.
 
Primary symptoms predispose the vines to wood (white) rot caused by higher fungi such as Fomitiporia punctata, Fomitiporia mediterranea and Stereum hirsutum.
 
Esca affected vines may show chronic symptoms one year and the next appear perfectly normal, but the disease will reappear, each time causing an overall decline.
Eventually an acute form of the disease called vine apoplexy occurs, typically in mid-summer when rainfall is followed by hot, dry weather, where rapid withering of apparently healthy leaves and the death of vine organs, including grape clusters, happens in only a few days – the vine usually dies in the same year.
 
The main feature in common with all these diseases is that they affect vines at least eight years old or that may have been subjected to stress. It is clear from reading the reports and research papers that there isn’t always a clear diagnosis because of the similarities in symptoms; V-shaped necroses; longitudinal brown streaking in the stems; leaf chlorosis and patchy discolouration; stunted shoot growth; external cankers. In the absence of an exclusive diagnostic indicator much of the disease reported in the vineyards is probably a combination of two or all of the above.
It is also worth mentioning Petri Syndrome, named for Italian Lionello Petri who first published the symptoms in 1912. Also known as Young Vine Decline (Young Esca) the primary infectors of Ecsa, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium inflatipes and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum come together to cause disease in younger vines of 2 or 3 years. The disease stunts growth and leads to tissue decay with leaf chlorosis and necrosis. Internally, black spots or streaks are seen in the xylem tissues and the sap of infected plants can turn dark brown or black, giving the alternate disease name Black Goo.
Although common around the world this disease has been heavily researched in California since the late 1990s due to the high economic impact and the realisation that infected nursery stock was the main source of diseased vines – vines pulled up for whatever reason were being replanted with plants already inoculated with the causes of the disease.
 
It would be easy to continue veering off into new areas by including other diseases such as Syrah Decline, Phomopsis or Black Foot, however the causes and mechanisms of these diseases are different or, in the case of Syrah Decline, still not fully understood, so we’ll put them to one side, at least until the end.
 
The Causes:
The key pathogens described above are all species of Ascomycetes (sac) fungi which produce spores in sacs (asci) which develop until the pressure within the asci shoots the spores out. Direct spore dispersal is up to 30cm but they travel further due to rain splash and wind – Eutypa ascospores are known to be able to travel as far as 30 miles (50km).
The exceptions are the Basidiomycete (higher) fungi such as Fomitiporia punctata, Fomitiporia mediterranea and Stereum hirsutum involved in Ecsa white rot, arguably a secondary symptom of the chronic form of the disease.
 
With BDA, Ecsa and Eutypa dieback fungal spores colonise the vine through open wood vessels, the result of pruning, frost, mechanical or graft wounds – although an Australian study shows that soil-borne infection should not be ignored. The spores develop, invading the xylem vessels where fungal growth results in the interruption of sap-flow which can cause a host defense reaction, resulting in further blockage. Wood necrosis and rot impairs the flow of nutrients leading to vine decline and slow death, while fungal phytotoxins weaken the vine causing associated symptoms.
 
Petri disease is more likely due to nursery vines infected by the fungi prior to planting, as opposed to infection through wounds, but the effects are similar.
 
Disease Management:
There is no reliable means of eradicating a pathogenic fungus once it becomes established within a vine, so removal of diseased wood or the entire plant is necessary (remedial surgery with disposal or burning of the wood debris). The best control is to protect vines from infection in the first place, but this can be challenging since the fungi are common in nature and considering the number of wounds made on each grapevine in a year with the extended period of wound susceptibility (which, for E. lata, is up to 7 weeks from pruning and greatest in early winter).
By timing any pruning as late as possible in the winter/early spring (Feb/Mar in the Northern Hemisphere) sap is flowing more freely which helps with wound healing. Spore release from infected vines is closely correlated with rainfall so new pruning should be avoided until at least 36 hours afterwards. Prof. Doug Gruber of UC Davis has championed a double-pruning technique where initial mechanical pruning to leave long spurs in early winter is followed by hand-pruning to short spurs in late winter.
Application of fungicidal wound protectants in spray, paint or paste form should prevent fungal access through pruning wounds. Although spray-on liquid formulations are easily washed off with rainfall they are more feasible in large vineyards since application of paint or paste is labour intensive and only economically viable for high-value vineyards. However, which chemicals to use is the subject of intense research and contentious debate.
 
A 2009 study showed that Topsin M, aka thiophanate-methyl, was the best overall product across the Ascomycetes – yet a mixture of active ingredients is more likely to handle the spectrum of different fungi found in the vineyard.
 
Different cocktails reported include;

• MBC fungicide (Benomyl, Carbendazim, Topsin M) & chlorobutinol
• Biopaste (boric acid), Garrison® (cyproconazole and iodocarb) and Topsin M
• Carbendazim & prochloraz (-manganese)
• ATCS® acrylic paint (alone or mixed with Bavistin® or boric acid)

The biggest problem is that many of these fungicidal chemicals are likely to be removed from the market due to environmental and human health concerns, as happened with Sodium Arsenite (the only product that kept all main disease symptoms in check). This carcinogen was banned in Europe in 1991 (with extensions for Spain, France and Portugal until 2003), a fact that French viticulturalists claim is the direct cause of the relentless increase in Grapevine Trunk Disease over the last decade and has some calling for its re-introduction.
 
In reality biological & ecological control methods may be the only long term options available to growers, something which is starting to become understood.
Biological control agents include the fungi Trichoderma and Fusarium lateritium and the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, which have been shown to control infection by E. lata in trials, although results were variable. Researchers are also looking at garlic extracts and lactoferrin as wound protectants.
Biological control agents available today are based on Trichoderma species: BioTricho®, Eco-77® (both based on single strains of Trichoderma harzianum) & Vinevax®™ which is based on a mixture of five strains of T. harzianum and T. atroviride. Another agent, Trichodex® (Trichoderma harzianum T39) is also used as a treatment to prevent Botrytis cinerea (grey rot).
 
Some strains of Trichoderma work better than others, and are more effective on some varieties, such as Chenin Blanc, compared to others, such as Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc. This may be why the French report poor results with Trichoderma as both these grapes seem more susceptible to Esca, BDA and Eutypa dieback (with Merlot and Semillon less so) and may be why Esca is especially prolific in southwest France and the Loire.
 
For Petri Syndrome then treatment to account for possible nursery stock infection is advised. Hot Water Treatment (HWT) at 50°C (122°F) for 30 minutes & then cooling to 2-3°C (36-37°F) for rootstock and scion wood is effective in controlling Phaeomoniella. This is similar to the method for controlling Black foot Disease.
 
Also I came across tales of more organic remedies that are worth recounting. The first was from a Loire grower who uses companion plants (wild leek, Allium ampeloprasum) to “re-mycorhize the under-soil” which he believes has been sterilised by over use of the weed killer Roundup. In the Wine Terroirs article Experimental cure of Esca in the Loire the grower, Didier Barrouillet, claims he has seen vines recovering from esca.
In the same vein the 7th International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases, held in Chile last year, reported some success using soil bio-fumigation with mustard (Brassica juncea). Although used here for Black Foot Disease research, the idea of bio-fumigation - using companion crops or “green manure” from Brassica species - looks to be bearing fruit (!).

Discussion:
Those last two topics brings home the message to me that viticulture at its simplest level is only agriculture, and growing anything requires a healthy respect for that soil and the complex eco-system it harbours – something that the ever increasing use of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides can only disrupt.
The pathogens and symptoms of Grapevine Trunk Diseases mirror this, it would be wrong to fixate on a single cause or cure when they are a complex interaction of numerous fungi acting on genetically distinct sets of vines. A vine can, and probably does, become infected by multiple pathogens many times and while susceptibility to the effects of BDA, Ecsa and Eutypa dieback varies between grape varieties, there is no sub-species of Vitis vinifera that is immune.
 
I should also reiterate that during my time reading and re-reading the different papers and presentations I encountered repeated ambiguity & contradiction both on disease naming, symptoms and causes. I endeavoured to filter through the pages to ensure as much consistency as possible, but I have no doubt that the current view of these diseases is still incomplete with more interactions awaiting to be discovered. Syrah Decline is a case in point – but I’m not going to go down that tangent just yet!
 
Slainte!
 
Greybeard

Originally published December 21st 2011 on Reign of Terroir

Additional reading:
Grapevine Trunk Diseases in California and Control Strategies (UCD Presentation)
 
Emerging diseases of vine in the central part of Spain, Vicente González and María Luisa Tello, of the Madrid Institute for research and Rural Development, agriculture and food (Imidra)
 
Abstracts from the International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases (next in Valencia, Spain, 18-21 June 2012)

The year is winding its way towards the Christmas and in the northern reaches of England winter’s icy touches are already starting to be felt, but as Europe and America’s wine now sits in tank and barrel there’s still plenty of news and views to look at in the wine world.

Towards the end of November a controlled burn of bush in Western Australia’s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park suddenly became uncontrolled and advanced on the Margaret River area. The enquiry into the fires has just begun in Australia and, while there was understandable concern in the initial reporting on how this may affect vineyards and wineries in the region, in the end the damage was contained mainly within the National Park and only a few hectares of vineyard were “scorched or singed” as detailed in the recent Margaret River Wine Industry Association media release.

Also at the end of November Tim Atkin penned a thought-provoking piece on his website entitled “Who pays wine critics?”. Although a good article in its own right he briefly mentioned the controversy surrounding Jay Miller’s $15,000 lecture fee during a Spanish tour, broken by Jim Budd on his blog in August. That story resurfaced and then exploded a few days later into what is now being called by some as Murciagate, by others as Campogate (after Pancho Campo, the Spanish MW with his own history of controversy, who many view as being more deserving of the criticism) when it was announced that Miller was leaving the Wine Advocate. It has since become clear that the retirement had been planned for many months but the badly judged timing of the announcement has just re-fuelled the controversy – go to Jim’s Loire to see a whole series of posts on this ongoing saga. It should also be pointed out that Miller’s palate was not always appreciated and that his departure has been regarded as a positive step by some.
As for The Wine Advocate, on the back of Robert Parker’s frank review of his reputation at Wine Future Hong Kong from early November, Neil Martin replaces Miller’s Spanish and South American tasting roles, while David Schildknecht covers Washington and Oregon, bringing an end to a hectic year at the office for Robert Parker which began with Antonio Galloni taking over California duties from man himself.

Elsewhere in the world and South Africa producers are looking to ensure the future quality of Cap Classique Sparkling wines by formalising a new quality charter with lees ageing guidelines and introduction of “Superieur” for top examples- funny how they like the French terminology!
Meanwhile Swiss researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have dissected what every wine lover does without thinking – swirling the wine in the glass to release the aromas - with their detailed investigations of orbital agitation and wave dynamics (video). It seems that this type of fluid shaking is critical in large scale cell culture bioreactors so the research isn’t as daft as it first sounded!

Over here in the UK and  the newly resurrected Oddbins (albeit trimmed down with less National coverage than before and nothing in the North East) is courting media attention with innovative consumer events and marketing. The Drinks Business reported on the revamp to their wines. I, like many, wish this new Oddbins well although a lot of UK consumers still associate the it with the business that closed earlier in the year, even though the name and most of the remaining stores were completely bought out by Raj Chatha’s European Food Brokers (EFB) Group who have no links to the previous disgraced administration (run by Simon Baile). It would also appear that Baile’s own venture, ex-Cellars, is not doing so well either, with Jim Budd’s recent posting showing a close-down of at least two of the stores it bought on Oddbins deathbed.

On a lighter note it seems that twice as many UK consumers are happy with wines under screwcap compared to 8 years ago, according to a Wine Intelligence press release which goes on to confirm that natural cork is still the preferred closure. It is well accepted now that the screwcap (Stelvin Closure) is perfect for wines intended to be drunk young and fresh and even for reds for limited ageing. The report summary doesn’t mention the figures for that abomination that is the plastic cork.

For myself recent weeks have been relatively kind. Two local retailers have held comprehensive supplier tastings; first Carruthers and Kent with their 1^st Annual Wine Fair and then Morpeth store Bin21 with a Remembrance Day event which, when combined, gave me over 120 tasting notes to work through. I also feel like I’ve been stalking Marta Mateus of MartaVine as we’ve now met up at both of those tastings plus the Durham Food Festival, Living North Christmas Fair and Hexham Christmas Fair! With the Festive Season upon us it’s never a bad idea to know a Portuguese Wine merchant and her Lágrima White Port from Quinta do Portal will definitely be appreciated over the holiday period.

As for the NEWTS then the last two meetings have been very heavy on the reds beginning with Grenache blends, where France (sourced from The Wine Society) went up against Australia (provided by Wine Direct) in a closely matched and very enjoyable evening which saw the extracted yet elegant & complex John Duval 2007 Plexus come out as overall favourite and the meaty yet subtle Domaine De la Janasse 2004 Terres d’Argile Cotes du Rhone Villages taking best QPR at £12.95.
The next tasting was a Bordeaux blends theme with wines sourced from Majestic in Gosforth, which saw three French wines (including two Pauillacs) up against a selection of Old and New World. France fared less well here, with Spain (Agramont 2007 Crianza) and South Africa (Kanonkop 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon) showing more character at the price points, and Australia taking the group vote with the spicy, rich and smooth Petaluma 2007 Coonawarra Red.

The first Christmas event of 2011 was also a NEWTS affair with the usual BYO dinner at the Newcastle College Chef’s Academy restaurant, where some delicious food was matched by equally delicious wines from the Society members. At our table a crisp Frédéric Mochel 2008 Cuvée Henriette Alsace Riesling was alongside a rich, oaky Catena Alta 2008 Chardonnay from Mendoza; the young and fruity Domaine de la Janasse 2005 Terres d’Argile Cotes du Rhone Villages contrasted to the aged, chocolate tannins of the Barossa Valley Estate 1996 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz; and the smooth, raisined Terre di Zagara 2004 Passito di Pantelleria offset the sharply acidic but immensely sweet Magnotta 2006 Vidal Canadian Ice Wine.

Of the 5 or 6 such Chef’s Academy evenings we’ve had with NEWTS this was the by far the best by for the quality of the food and the wine, not to mention some intelligent conversation along the way. Even more amazing was the fact that the sublime 15 year old Black Pepper Shiraz was bought for just over £10 at the co-op in Whitby a couple of years ago by fellow NEWT John!

At home and with the last 15 wines I’ve bought recently my shadowing of Marta Mateus shows, with 4 from Portugal - a still white and red plus White & Tawny Ports (MartaVine & PortoVino). Another 4 bottles hail from France; a Provence Roussane (Domaine de Palejay), a Mâcon-Villages (Dillies) and a Touraine Sauvignon Blanc (Bin21) for the whites; a Crozes-Hermitage (Sainsburys) for the reds. The remaining 7 are scattered around the world - Spain, Italy, Austria, Australia and New Zealand - including an intriguing Piave Raboso (Be/Fasol Menin) from the Veneto, a Wagram Grüner Veltliner (Corkscrew Wines) and a Kiwi Gewürztraminer (Fenwick).

This compares to the 16 wines which were opened in the equivalent time period, predominantly from France (6) and Italy (5) with the remaining 5 from the USA, Canada, Chile and Australia, yet only 4 stood out from the crowd; 2 French whites and 2 reds, one each from California and Australia.

The first white was the Domaine de Palejay 2008 Le Sablet Roussanne, a creamy wine with aspects of sweet melon, a full, rich texture and a honeyed finish. Those of you who frequent the regions market fairs will no doubt have seen Arthur Cook or his wife Josiane of the Domaine selling their wines (Arthur is from the area originally) and I recommend trying them. The second was the Couly-Dutheil Blanc de Franc, Cabernet Franc but made in a white style. This curiosity (from Richard Granger Fine Wines) had a slight hint of peach colour in the glass and was richly flavoured with floral and grapefruit notes, a touch of honey for good measure.

For red the Ravenswood Lodi 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel punched well above its £8 price tag with a meaty nose with concentrated plum fruit and oak, fine grain tannins and warming finish. I originally bought this more than 2 years ago (Asda) but deliberately kept hold of it as I’d previously had the ’03 of the same wine with 5-6 years bottle age and it was delicious. With the ’06 has proving to be same I think it’s time to but the ’09 for drinking sometime around 2015!

The last red was another with some age on it, Tim Adams 2004 The Fergus Grenache (Tesco) which I’ve been sitting on for nearly 5 years. This was smooth with a little liquorice and cherry fruit, gentle acidity and tannins - a joy to drink and a beautiful example of patience amply rewarded. Although I don't shop regularly at Tesco when I do Tim Adams wines are pretty much a guaranteed buy - along with the Fergus he does wonderful Shiraz, Riesling and Semillon.

With more whites bought and more reds opened there was a slight shift in the overall colour of my cellar, which now has 28% white, 53% red and the remaining 19% a selection of Rosé, Sparkling, Sweet and Fortified. Of course whites get the fastest turnover, typically within 6 months of purchase while it is extremely rare for me to open a red so soon after I’ve got it home.

That’s another Greybeard’s Corner review over, much like the year. Like a lot of you I’m about to enter into this food and wine fest that is Christmas, so I’ll hopefully see you on the other side in 2012.

Slainte!

Greybeard

Also published on December 12th 2011 on Reign of Terroir

The smell of fresh paint isn't what you expect when you walk into a wine shop, but when that shop has only been open a few hours then its the most natural smell in the world. Bin21 wines opened its doors in Hexham this morning, filling a gap that was left when the Wine Rack closed 2 years ago, and owner Paddy Eyres was on hand to oversee the birth of his new venture.

The opening coincided with Hexham's busy Christmas market which was the perfect excuse to revisit the town even though I've been shopping there twice in the last month already. The store is in Market Place, next door to the old Wine Rack premises (now a betting shop) and a prime location for anyone coming to the market town - Paddy has picked well. There were 3 other staff with Paddy (one on loan from Morpeth and two completely new employees learning the ropes on their first day) although routinely there should be just two on hand for service and advice - Paddy expects that he'll spend most of his time for the next few months at the Hexham branch until things are steady, then split his time between the two.

I've never managed to see the original Morpeth shop that opened in 2010 but Paddy explained the Hexham layout is on a similar theme, with central islands of the "quaffing" wines and wall racks organised in columns by grape and rows by region. Although there isn't a bank vault housing the Fine Wine section (the Morpeth store is the old Lloyds branch) a back alcove has been created with the Burgundy, Bordeaux and other great and good (including Chateau Musar) stacked laying down.

I had a good browse of the shelves, bumping into fellow NEWT Richard Whinney who was as enthusiastic as I about a dedicated wine retailer being in Hexham again. I saw a few wines I'll be back for in the future (German Riesling, Australian Viognier, some Alsace offerings) but for today I went for two of the wines I'd enjoyed at the recent Bin21 tasting at Morpeth Rugby Club; the Torres Celeste 2008 Crianza from Ribera del Duero and Domaine de la Rochette's 2010 Fleur de Printemps Touraine Sauvignon Blanc.

In just over 1 year Paddy Eyres has started a wine shop in one Northumberland town, made a success of it and expanded into another. Although not quite (yet) Empire building it's a clear sign that there's still room on North East high streets for Independent Wine merchants offering an alternative choice to the supermarkets.

This was my first visit to Bin21 Hexham, it certainly will not be my last!

Remembrance Day saw Patrick Eyres of Bin21 put together an 11/11/11 tasting in Morpeth Rugby Club bringing together a cadre of suppliers to show off a wide range of wines to all comers. I initially heard of the event through a friend on Facebook and decided it was the right time to head up the A1 and see some more of what Bin21 has to offer, especially after the seeing him at the Northumbria Food & Wine Festival in October.

There were 6 tables dedicated to wine and I happily moved between them sampling the mixed range of whites and reds, but it was the fine range of Ports which stood out and gave the most pleasure.
I will, however, get the main grumble out of the way right at the beginning and complain about the silly little goblet glasses used for the tasting which didn't do much to show off the aromas. I managed to exchange mine for a more tulip-esque one later on in the evening but I was crying out for a proper tasting glass!

Table 1 was hosted by Mark O’Bryen MW of Hatch Mansfield who was more than happy to exchange thoughts with me on the wines and syles as I tasted. I enjoyed the 2010 La Violette Viognier, a Vin du Pays d’Oc by Jean-Luc Colombo with its closed, subtle nose and surprisingly delicate flavours. It was all wrapped up in a viscous texture with good weight behind it leading into an elegant stonefruit finish.
Changing colours and the 2010 Caliterra Carmenere Reserva was interesting enough, well balanced with a meaty nose & a touch of perfume, but it was the 2009 Esk Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir that edged it, mainly for being the best Pinot Noir in the room (there was only one other!). It had a subtle spicy nose, good attack on the palate with savoury acidity down the sides, balanced and with a clean finish.
Mark's dessert offering was the Lourentsford Noble late harvest Semillon from South Africa; a fine Acacia honey nose, luscious texture but heading towards being a little too sweet for more than a couple of sips.

At table 2 was Simon Powys Maurice, Director of Laytons Wine Merchants who poured me my first Corbieres Blanc, the Château du Vieux Parc Tradition. The Grenache Blanc and Rolle (Vermentino) blend was floral, a little herby and perfectly pleasant.  Also good was the Diemersdal Private Collection from Durbanville, South Africa. It was an old-school Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon balanced with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a dash of Malbec producing a dry wine with Cassis nose, refreshing balance and crying out for some food to wash down.

There was a double-act at table 3 with Roger (surname and business card absent) of Forth Wines and Stuart Birtles, Regional Account Manager for Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Given my renowned inability to critique sparkling wine I didn't task Stuart too much but enjoyed their still wines, starting with the Lenz Moser Gruner Veltliner from Austria with its peppery nettle aspects (although it may have been a little too sweet and simple). Also sweet for a dry wine, but definitely not simple, was the Chocolate Box GSM - deliciously rich with potent sweet fruit, maybe a bit over-extracted but damn tasy! The next red I tried was the young but classic Beronia 2006 Rioja Reserva which had a spicy nose with a touch of aniseed, good fruit and balanced tannin. I savoured this wine more than another Rioja Reserva on one of the other tables even though that was from the more renowned 2005 vintage.
Lenz Moser provided simple sweet relief with the 2008 Prestige Beerenauslese, showing an earthy nose and savoury acidity.

Table 4 took on a Gallic charm with Richard Bouglet, Director of L’Art du Vin and a superb white in the form of  the Domaine de la Rochette 2010 Sauvignon de Touraine. This had a herb and nettle nose with a full textured mouthfeel and a long, clean finish. Also good was Les Acacias 2010 Macon Villages showing a smoky nose - dry with a lot of minerality, sharp with good length. Two reds also made for pleasant drinking; the Spina di Bacco 2009 Primitivo with its subtle red fruit on the nose, dry, medium bodied with light sweet fruit on the palate; then the too-young 2009 Château la Condamine 2009 Corbieres, which had a restrained but deep nose, dark berry fruit with good character but harsh tannins that needed time to settle - added bottle-age should reward the patient.

Table 5 had a very familiar feel with the pairing of both local Portuguese suppliers, Paul Raven of PortoVino and Marta Mateus of MartaVine. This meant that I'd already tasted a large selection of their dry wines over the last year, but luckily they had a vast array of Ports to tempt me instead (and they were all good!).
I couldn't resist another sip of Paul's Dalva Tawny Reserve (happily tasted at NF&WF and Living North) and it was as fine as ever with its fresh taste and nutty aspect. Marta parried this with her Jeropiga; a fortified Rosé with a baked/stewed nose, rich and syrupy with a deliciously moreish flavour. However, the star of the table was the Quinta do Portal 2003 Vintage Port in half bottle, which Marta had decanted before the tasting - I made sure I got a taste before it was all gone. It was a difficult wine to describe due to a flavour profile I couldn’t quite identify; a sweet metallic nose with a mineral edge, tinny at the front, mellow with mineral layers and amazing complexity throughout. The alcohol was superbly integrated and the finish was endless - a truly delicious wine.

Table 6 had Chris Mooney of John E. Fells & Sons (owned by Symington Family Estates) with a heavily Iberian influenced set of wines. The Torres Fransola (80% Sauvignon Blanc, half of which is Barrel Fermented, plus 20% Parellada) showed a typical Sauvignon nose with a clean, fresh taste and a touch of elegance - restrained and rather good. A trio of Torres reds were lined up next with the 2008 Celeste Crianza from Ribera del Duero impressing the most. It had a meaty nose with dark, earthy flavours - a contemplative but young wine. Also good was the fruity Ibéricos 2008 Rioja Crianza with smoky, spicy fruit and balanced vanilla oak palate that, on reflection, couldn't have come from anywhere else but Rioja.
Chris was also in competition with Paul & Marta for excellent Ports beginning with the Smith Woodhouse 1999 bottle matured LBV; rich with young sweet fruit and showing more character than most LBVs. Then there was Grahams “The Tawny” (averaging 8 years old so only able to use a generic descriptor) which was fresh and minty with a herb nose; light but classic, good toasty flavours with a lifting hazelnut component. These all paled into insignificance against the Warre’s 1996 Cavadinha Single Quinta Vintage Port with its rich, concentrated, syrupy nose. It was savoury and balanced with good texture, firm tannins, some preserved fruit and a delicious coffee and dark chocolate, drinking very well.

Of course it wasn't all positive over the evening and there were some so-so wines - at least for my palate. This included an old-school, over-oaked Californian Chardonnay (which my friend loved) plenty of plain, dry reds and simple whites. I was also disappointed by the lack of choice for Pinot Noir, with only 2 mid-level New Zealand examples on show. All that aside my pick of the wines I tried on the night were the Domaine de la Rochette 2010 Sauvignon de Touraine (L'Art du Vin), Torres 2008 Celeste Crianza, Ribera del Duero (Fells), Warre’s 1996 Cavadinha Single Quinta (Fells) & Quinta do Portal 2003 Vintage Port (MartaVine).

It was a busy evening with a steady flow of guests and Paddy on good form; enthusiastic, bubbly and the perfect host mingling and mixing with everyone in the room. The presenters at the table were very willing to engage in conversation and I strolled to the bus station warmed by a good dose of alcohol and enjoyable conversation. For only a £10 entry fee this was also one of the best value tastings I've been to (not counting the 2-hour multi-bus journey back home!) and I can't wait to visit Bin21 again in the near future.

Slainte!

 

Carruthers & Kent’s 1st Birthday party finally arrived at the end of October with a grand suppliers' wine tasting downstairs in As You Like It  in Jesmond. As the company was formed in mid 2009 this may sound a little late, but the fair was really to celebrate the anniversary of their delightful Gosforth shop.

I first met Claire Carruthers in 2008, when she was manager of the Gosforth branch of Oddbins, but within a year she’d set up C&K (with partner Mo O’Toole, who has taken on the role of “Kent”) and first presented under the company banner at the Wine on the Tyne fair at St. James’ Park. Claire was hoping to have a shop before Christmas 2009 but a series of unfortunate events meant that is wasn’t until November 2010 that the doors finally opened at Elmfield Road, and it was to celebrate the first year of having a roof over their wines and a walk-in location for the customers that the party was put together.

7 tables lined the room each with a generous selection of wines plus some Whisky, Cognac and Armagnac if anyone fancied something a little stronger. The detailed tasting sheet showed 67 still and sparkling wines but there were also 3 extra ones hidden in the room, taking the total to 70 which, considering the 4 hours tasting window (more than enough time to attack the list) was very generous for the £20 entry fee.
Each table represented one or more of C&Ks suppliers from around the country;

• Table 1: Nick Whyte from Alliance Wine showing a South American dominated table including 3 Chileans & 1 Argentinean.
• Table 2: Manned by ex-Oddie & local boy Matt Storey showing a range of wines from Fields, Morris & Verdin Ltd (the agency arm of Berry Bros. & Rudd) including two Qupe wines from California, a Hungarian dry Furmint and the only Riesling in the room.
• Table 3: A joint table with Scott Edge of Codorníu UK showing off Spain and Argentina, and Nathan Sherwood of Levin Wines flying the French Tricolore with their Loire Valley selection.
• Table 4: The familiar face of Andy Taylor from Liberty Wines with an mix of Europe, Australasia and South America.
• Table 5: Anne Roque of Domaine Laroche showing the Laroche Chablis, the Domaine’s Chilean offshoot plus a selection of Southern French wines including two Rivesaltes vin doux naturel.
• Table 6: Simon Chant from Enotria with a global mix including Canada and Uruguay.
• Table 7: Marta Mateus and Kevin Bowers of MartaVine with a few of their Portuguese sparkling, still and fortified wines.

The room was busy - most of the 160 tickets had been sold in the run-up to the day - and I bumped into The Journal wine writer Helen Savage and local retailer Michael Jobling over the course of the afternoon.
As I bounced between tables - following grapes, colours and styles - I recognised several other faces along the way. Sadly my weakness for remembering names doesn’t help much but it was good to see fellow NEWT Elaine Orrick, there with a group of friends, and Karim Kassam, who I’d met at the Wine Festival in Corbridge earlier in the month (and ended up in detailed wine discussions along with Owen Pledger of Dennhöfer Wines and Laura Kent of the Yorkshire Wine School).

When I came to review my notes at the end of I had covered 61 of the wines and had managed to taste all of the whites, rosé and reds. The missing 9 included all 6 sparkling wines in the room (a blind spot I seem to have in tastings) and 3 of Marta’s fortified which I ran out of time with.
Obviously it would make rather dull reading to detail all of the wines, so I’ll stick to the interesting or unusual wines and summarise the stars of the day at the end.

I’ll get my complaint out of the way right at the beginning - the lack of a stand-out Pinot Noir. There were 3 Pinots in total; two from New Zealand and one from Chile, but none of them excited. The Chilean was a fair price but thin, while the New Zealanders had more flavour but were still comparatively simple for their more noticeable price tags.
I could also bemoan only having two Riesling to try, which was a little disappointing for someone who adores the grape, but I appreciate that most consumers still don’t “get” that most noble of white varieties. These were the only real negatives on the day, meaning the rest of this piece is dedicated to the positives!

On Table 1 Nick had the mineral, peppery Domäne Wachau 2009 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd that I enjoyed so much at the Northumbria Food and Wine Festival, but I was more captivated when he poured the deeply perfumed Amayna 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s Leyda Valley; barrel fermented to give a rich white with a delicious toffee finish.
There were two excellent value reds; first the Château Fontareche 2009 Corbières with moderate complexity and Garrigue herbs; then the Odfjell Armador 2007 Syrah from Chile’s Maipo Valley, an extracted cassis nose with warm fruit. They were both enjoyably quaffable and good value, one with a nod to the old world, the other to the new.
As a sweet finish there was the Zuccardi Malamado 2008 Mendoza Liqueur Malbec, the first fortified version of this quintessentially Argentine grape that I’ve tried and deliciously Port-like.

On Table 2 Matt made a relaxed and friendly stand-in host in the absence of anyone from F, M & V.
I made a point of trying the two 2009 Riesling from Mosel producer Merkelbach which were both off-dry; first a 10.5% Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese which had a closed nose, light caramel on the mid-palate and moderate complexity; then a 9.5% Erdener Treppchen Auslese which was also closed with a little spritz at the start and came across as more delicate than the Spätlese - for the same price I preferred the former.
The relatively light Dog Point 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough was an enjoyable example of a style of wine I often have difficulty appreciating, while toffee appeared again both on the nose and the finish of the elegant Qupe 2009 Viognier/Chardonnay from Santa Barbara, California.
Argentinean Malbec made a more traditional appearance in the Pulenta Gran Corte 2007 from Mendoza, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot also in the mix, giving plenty of blackcurrant fruit on the nose and soft, mellow fruit on the palate - dangerously easy to drink for a “big” wine.

At Table 3 it was the Levin Sauvignon Blancs that impressed for the whites; first with the understated 2007 basic offering; citrus minerality and subtle elegance; then the 2009 “Mister L”, made using grapes from 35 year old vines and barrel fermented for 9 months in new French oak. This had an intriguing nose with definite blackcurrant characteristics (Nathan said Blackcurrant Leaf had been used before in describing the wine), was dry and very textural with a subtle blackcurrant taste, very good (as it should be for the most expensive wine on the list!).
Then Scott poured me some serious reds from Codorníu’s portfolio, Argentina performing strongly again with an extremely quaffable Septimo Dia 2008 Malbec by Bodegas Septima in Mendoza. This young, warm and fruity red had enough flavour tannin to add character for a modest price tag, a candidate for best QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) of the night. Its more refined sibling was the smooth tannin Septimo 2008 Gran Reserva - 55% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon & 10% Tannat – with the Cabernet definitely coming through on the minty, blackcurrant nose and rich fruity palate.
Scott then moved to Spain for two excellent Priorat reds from the Scala Dei (Ladder of God) winery. The uplifting 2007 Prior Crianza had a fresh, perfumed nose, strong tannin and fruity taste, but it was the 2005 Cartoixa (Carthusian) that showed something special with a deeper and darker flavour profile. A blend of Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Syrah it had a similar perfume to the Prior with added smoke, warm, rich fruit on the palate and showed delicate complexity with very smooth, fine tannins. In researching the wine for this piece I found a blog post on Spittoon that’s well worth reading for some added background to the winery.
The tables finale was the sweet and savoury Septima Tardio, a 100% Gewürztraminer late harvest wine, smoky and sweet with a light caramel component.

Andy at Table 4 had the Masseria Pietrosa 2010 Verdeca, another white I enjoyed at the Corbridge festival at the beginning of October with its rich mid-palate and fresh flavours. The Greywacke 2011 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was on the lists but I much preferred the same estate’s smooth, herb and grapefruit 2010 Pinot Gris that he had also brought along to supplement the table.
Two Australian reds fought it out for my favours: Willunga’s “The Tithing” 2009 Grenache (McLaren Vale) had a closed nose with unidentifiable red fruit, was soft and smooth in the mouth with moderate tannins adding some character. Equally smooth was Clonakilla’s 2010 Hilltops Shiraz (Canberra) with its peppery nose and fruity character. In the end I couldn’t really separate them, both equally enjoyable and equally priced.
Special mention should go to the Chocolan 2009 Cabernet Franc Reserva from Chile which was far too young to enjoy now but showed tremendous potential with concentrated cassis and herbs - if bottle age integrates the battling components it could be a delicious wine in 2-3 years for a very modest price.

Anne Roque at Table 5 had the very good Domaine Laroche 2008 Vaudevey Chablis 1er Cru with its buttery pineapple nose, deep texture and concentrated, mineral palate.
Although the reds on the table were perfectly enjoyable none stood out from the crowd, however, the Domaine de Cazes 1999 Ambre from Rivesaltes couldn’t be ignored, with deep caramel on the nose and palate, a comforting glass that few could dislike.

Onto Table 6 and Simon poured the superb Domaine Yves Cuilleron 2010 Vioginer, made in Chavanay on the Rhône, only a few miles downriver from the spiritual home of the grape - Condrieu. This had a subtle orange zest nose, rich texture with orange oil and peach on the palate, a match for many of its neighbours.
There was a monster red in the room with the Bogle 2007 Phantom - a gutsy wine made from Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and a hint of Mourvèdre matured for over 2 years in American oak. It had a Garrigue herb nose with some menthol and was relatively smooth with strong tannins on the finish but, while good now, I felt it could only get better with more bottle age.
For dessert Simon showed off an ancient Italian grape variety with the Candido Aleatico 2002 Salice Salentino from Puglia. The Aleatico red grape is possibly the parent of the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains variety and this had a raspberry leaf component with moderate, juicy sweetness – one to recommend.

So finally to Portugal with Table 7 and MartaVine, where Marta and Kevin must be starting to think I’m stalking them! The only (still) Rosé of the night was to be found here with the perfectly pleasant Santa Marta, a medium sweet wine made from the Touriga Franca grape.
Although showing the same blush colour the Jeropiga moved us into the fortified section and also signalled the end of the afternoon. From the Beira region, Jeropiga is a Vinho Licoroso (Liquer Wine) made by the addition of brandy to pre-fermented grape must (usually Jaen, Aragonêz, Trincadeira and Rufete varieties) and this was dangerously easy to drink, with a little tar on the nose and some sweet liquorice on the palate. As the room emptied my last glass was the Portal 10 year old tawny Port with its classic nose, burnt cinder toffee taste and decent complexity – a characterful wine to finish the event on.

Although I rushed a little bit with the fortified wines (and totally ignored the sparklers) I was more than satisfied with my efforts for the still wines in the room and, thanks to diligent use of the spittoons, was relatively compos mentis at the end of a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon – at least the legibility of my tasting notes suggest so!

To summarise; there was a thoughtful balance of white and red wines giving a good choice of both value and quality, although it would have been nice to have one or two more Rosés. Whites were especially strong overall but the reds weren’t far behind (unless you were looing for a Pinot Noir).

My picks of the afternoon were (prices as shown on the tasting sheet, check with C&K for changes):

QPR (best value for your £);

• Masseria Pietrosa 2010 Verdeca (Liberty, £10.99)
• Odfjell Armador 2007 Syrah (Alliance, £9.99)
• Septimo Dia 2008 Malbec (Codorníu, £7.99)
• Candido Aleatico 2002 Salice Salentino (Enotria, £16.99)

Quality (wines with a wow factor);

• Amayna 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (Alliance, £19.49)
• Levin “Mister L” 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Levin, £34.99)
• Septimo 2008 Gran Reserva (Codorníu, £15.99)
• Scala Dei 2005 Cartoixa (Codorníu, £30.00)
• Bogle 2007 Phantom (Enotria, £19.99)

Thanks to Claire and Mo for setting up the event and I hope it’s the first of many I’ll be attending.

Slainte!

The dust has settled, the marquees have gone and my memories of the Friday, Saturday and Sunday have been  posted along with a good selection of photos. Looking back over the 3 days of the Northumbria Food & Wine Festival I’m lucky enough to be able to recount both sides of the story; as a paying customer I can give my impressions from the consumer's point of view, yet I was also close to the organisers and retailers as they prepared for the Festival and had long chats with them prior to, during and after.

Of course I have a vested interest in the success of events like this, otherwise I'd have little to write about on my blog and the region would become a poorer place for finding good wine to taste and enjoy in the company of others. Plus the more people who see and buy from the local retailers the more likely they are to continue trading - after the fall of Threshers and Oddbins over the last couple of years I don't want to see any further reduction of choice or increasing dominance of the soul-less supermarkets when it comes to wine.

Was it successful? I have to say yes - it was certainly very enjoyable for me and my family and I'll come back to that at the end (always finish on a positive!) - but was it perfect? Of course not, it would be foolish to try and claim otherwise and there were some things that I feel need looking at in detail. 

Food and Wine. Trying to create a true food festival is great for the future; a wine only event is limiting in audience and potential numbers - but I know that the costs and ticket options put off some "foodie" friends of mine and the low volume of people at some of the the non-wine stalls was disappointing for some of the exhibitors who had a lot less trade than they were expecting. I don't know what the answers are, but I urge the organisers do to everything they can to encourage more Food and non-wine exhibitors and customers moving on - just look at the number of people who were in the recent Durham Food Festival marquee in comparison (£2.50 entry only fee, but I spent a damn sight more once I was inside). 

How much is that? Compared to last year's North East Wine Festival (RIP) the ticket prices were up (£25 vs £20 at the door, £20 vs £18 in advance -although the bulk booking discounts were favourable). I know a couple of people that were considering coming but couldn't justify the ticket price and my father, who attended all three days with me, didn't have a single glass of wine as he was a designated driver - yet there was no allowance for this. I do think a greater set of ticket options and prices should be considered: Single Day tickets at the door; non-drinking tickets; extra glass & token options inside; reduced door prices on the Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon etc. - anything to get more people coming along in the first place, because once they're inside then they're going to spend at the food stalls, the kitchens and the wine stalls.
Of course not all of these may work commercially or logistically, but there does need to be some change given the attempt to expand into a proper Food and Wine festival and not just the boozy version from 2010.

A taste or a drink? The branded ISO tasting glasses were meant to arrive with 75ml marks to indicate the standard pouring level...except they didn’t. Given they arrived the night before then there was no way to change this, so the organisers did try to get a "standard pour" agreement from everyone there. Sadly we ended up with a range of measures from a consistent 75ml approximation from the likes of Carruthers & Kent, Proteas and Bin 21, to an equally consistent but enormous 125ml pour from Irwin Thompson at Tyne Wines. Dennhöfer, The Hop The Vine and Fasol Menin were somewhere inbetween. I don't know if it confused or irritated other people, but it meant I had to negiotiate smaller measures from some tables to ensure I could taste a good range of wines on offer and yet still stand by the end of the evening.

Token Exchange Rates? This year you only got 8 wine tokens with your ticket, so less than a bottle for the anticipated 75ml pours. Once inside you could buy another 10 for £10, so they were still £1 a token, unfortunately a single token barely got you a sip at some tables, which was my biggest concern over the weekend. You had places like Carruthers & Kent giving you a pour of their £12.49 Bogle Chenin Blanc for 1 token, yet Dennhöfer were asking 2 tokens for their £7.85 Provence Rose (and 3 for the £11.80 Cape Mentelle red) while The Hop The Vine and Tyne Wines had very few 1 token wines, mostly 2 or 3 tokens (for their admittedly larger pours). Disparities like that were confusing and need to be tightened up next year.
I was definitely expecting a similar pricing structure to last year when wines up to about £12 a bottle were going for 1 token, up to about £22 for 2 tokens and anything over that for 3 (with the obvious increase in price for the half bottle sweeties and fortifieds) - it’s a festival to get your range favourably noticed by the buying public, not a markup competition for who can make the most profit on a single bottle.

Masterclasses. I liked the idea when I first saw the Newcastle Wine School Masterclasses on the Festival website, but when I saw the additional asking price I was less excited. I did wonder why the Masterclasses weren't free to sit in on and listen to, with a token based charge if anyone wanted an actual pour - I would have probably joined in on that basis and I’m pretty sure others would of as well. As it turned out there were few actual bookings and I felt a little sorry for organisers Laura Kent and Chris Powell, especially as they ended up being done in the club-house away from the Marquees. 

October? The late date didn't help the Festival's cause, even more so as fate didn't smile and finished the Indian Summer a week early - leaving a damp and cloudy weekend which wouldn't have attracted as many "undecideds" who were holding out for sunshine. However this is one thing that I doubt the organisers could have done much about, as anyone who knows the background story behind the eventual demise of the North East Wine festival (originally scheduled for June) and the heroic efforts of Helen Greer and Stuart Colmer in making the Northumbria Food & Wine Festival a reality. I honestly believe that it would have been difficult to do much differently given the time frame, and that it will all stand in good stead for a bigger and better organisation next year, when the weather is warmer, the advertising earlier and the organising smoother.

Even though the Sunday was painfully quiet in numbers it seems that several of the retailers actually did a roaring trade in bottle or case sales to make up for it. I'm not sure the kitchens would say the same, maybe a few more people let in for a "Sunday Lunch special" would help there?

So what about the positives - other than actually getting the show on the road in the first place, continuing the goodwill from 2010 and making a successful 2012 Festival a realistic goal?

Sachins. Great food, great value and with a star like Bob Arora at the helm a place I really need to get back to soon.

Best Wines of the show? For me Carruthers & Kent had the whites sewn up with their Domäne Wachau 2009 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd and Masseria Pietrosa 2008 Verdeca.
For the reds it was a little more difficult to call with Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards The Raptor Post 2007 (Proteas) and Le Clos de Caveau 2006 Fruits Sauvage Vaqueyras (Tyne Wines) my immediate favourites, but the Sherwood Estate 2007 Pinot Noir (THTV), the Fasol Menin Piave Raboso and 1997 Bunan Bandol (Dennhöfer) close behind.
Finally my best fortified /sweetie was a tie between the Axe Hill 2005 Cape Vintage (Proteas) and the Dalva Tawny Reserve (Bin21/PortoVino), with the treacle-like Romate Ambrosia Moscatel (C&K) just out of the chase, not forgetting an honourable mention for the delicate Jordan Mellifera (Proteas).

By my reckoning that gives Carruthers & Kent and Proteas Wines joint bragging rights with 3 wines each (however C&K take the "best laid out table" award outright!).

Odd Grape out? Remember I made up a scoresheet for all the grapes present at the Festival? The PDF is shown below and for those interested the extra grape on the list that wasn't in any of the wines was Marsanne.

No-one posted a correct guess on the draw slips during the festival, although Owen Pledger at Dennhöfer did come up to me on the Saturday and ask me if it was Marsanne, so well done to him!

I hope everyone else involved with the show had as good a time as I had, roll on 2012 and see you there!

Additional local media pieces on the Festival;

• Judith Charlton in the News & Star http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sip-and-savour-festival-s-fine-wine-and-food-1.886335
• Hexham Courant video piece http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/pictures/northumbria-food-and-wine-festival-1.886820?referrerPath=home&resourceView=video&index=1
• Hexham Courant photo roll. roll http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/pictures/1.886820