FIUWINETECH OCTOBER 6TH

Wines of Alsace (France) Germany and Austria

ALSACE 99% of wines are white Alsace is the only AOC region in France to list the grape varetal on the label

99% of wines are white

Alsace is the only AOC region in France

to list the grape varetal on the label

Alsace

Main grape varietals Riesling Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris (aka Tokay d’Alsace) Muscat Sylvaner Gewürztraminer

Riesling

Pinot Blanc

Pinot Gris (aka Tokay d’Alsace)

Muscat

Sylvaner

Gewürztraminer

Alsace Classifications AOC Alsace AOC Alsace Grand Cru * Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive Sélection de Grains Nobles AOC Cremant d’Alsace (sparkling wines)

AOC Alsace

AOC Alsace Grand Cru

* Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris

Vendange Tardive

Sélection de Grains Nobles

AOC Cremant d’Alsace (sparkling wines)

Rare wines, less than 1% of Alsace wine production Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest) Grapes picked when over-ripe, often several weeks after regular harvest. Some «noble rot» may be present Sélection des Grains Nobles Affected by «noble rot», individual grapes are picked one-by-one during harvest

Rare wines, less than 1%

of Alsace wine production

Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest)

Grapes picked when over-ripe, often several weeks after regular harvest. Some «noble rot» may be present

Sélection des Grains Nobles

Affected by «noble rot», individual grapes are picked one-by-one during harvest

Noble Rot (Botrytis Cinerea)

 

 

Germany ” A German wine label is one of the things life's too short for, a daunting testimony to that peculiar nation's love of detail and organization.” From the book Everyday Drinking by Kingsley Amis

Germany has 13 wine regions The most famous are Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Rheingau Rheinhessen Rheinpfalz

The most famous are

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Rheingau

Rheinhessen

Rheinpfalz

Mosel View

Saar View

Ruwer View

Grapes are listed on label! Main grapes (white) Riesling Sylvaner Muller-Thurgau

Main grapes (white)

Riesling

Sylvaner

Muller-Thurgau

Traditional German Classifications from low to high Deutscher Tafelwein & Landwein Table wine/Country wine (not exported) Qualitätswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QBA) Quality Wine of a Specified Origin Qualitätswein Mit Prädikat (QmP) Quality Wine with Specific Attributes

Deutscher Tafelwein & Landwein

Table wine/Country wine (not exported)

Qualitätswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QBA)

Quality Wine of a Specified Origin

Qualitätswein Mit Prädikat (QmP)

Quality Wine with Specific Attributes

Qualitatswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QBA) Daily quaffing wines Blended grape varieties Well-known brands: Blue Nun (Liebfraumilch) Zeller Schwarze Katz

Daily quaffing wines

Blended grape varieties

Well-known brands:

Blue Nun (Liebfraumilch)

Zeller Schwarze Katz

Qualitatswein Mit Pradikat (QmP) Levels indicate stage of ripeness of grapes Kabinett = Dry (Regular harvest) Spätlese = Late harvest Auslese = Select picking Beerenauslese = Select berries picking Trockenbeerenauselese = Select dry berries picking Eiswein = Ice wine

Kabinett = Dry (Regular harvest)

Spätlese = Late harvest

Auslese = Select picking

Beerenauslese = Select berries picking

Trockenbeerenauselese = Select dry berries picking

Eiswein = Ice wine

 

Other terms on German labels Erzeugerabfüllung = estate bottled Gutsabfüllung = bottled by grower's cooperative Abfüller = shipper bottled Trocken = dry Halbtrocken or Feinherb = half-dry/off-dry

Erzeugerabfüllung = estate bottled

Gutsabfüllung = bottled by grower's cooperative

Abfüller = shipper bottled

Trocken = dry

Halbtrocken or Feinherb = half-dry/off-dry

AP Number, "Amtliche Prüfnummer" Official Approval Number Official government quality control examination Conducted every year Control number appears on label of all QbA and QmP wines Consists of several blocks of numbers identifing the wine: 3 907 027 282 98 3 Testing center location 907 Village where winery is located 027 Code number for the winery 282 Two-hundred-eighty-second bottling of this wine 98 Year this test is conducted

Official government quality control examination

Conducted every year

Control number appears on label of all QbA and QmP wines

Consists of several blocks of numbers identifing the wine:

3 907 027 282 98

3 Testing center location

907 Village where winery is located

027 Code number for the winery

282 Two-hundred-eighty-second bottling of this wine

98 Year this test is conducted

 

 

 

 

 

Main Austrian Grapes WHITE Grüner Veltliner Riesling RED Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) Blaufränkisch

WHITE

Grüner Veltliner

Riesling

RED

Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Blaufränkisch

Austrian Wine Classifications Levels indicate stage of ripeness of grapes Tafelwein/Landwein = Table & Country wine (not exported) Qualitätswein = Quality Wine of a Specified Origin Kabinett - Trocken Prädikatswein = Quality Wine with Specific Attributes Spätlese = Late harvest Auslese = Select picking Beerenauslese = Select berries picking Ausbruch = Select berries picking (botrytis) Trockenbeerenauselese = Select dry berries picking Eiswein = Ice wine

Tafelwein/Landwein = Table & Country wine (not exported)

Qualitätswein = Quality Wine of a Specified Origin

Kabinett - Trocken

Prädikatswein = Quality Wine with Specific Attributes

Spätlese = Late harvest

Auslese = Select picking

Beerenauslese = Select berries picking

Ausbruch = Select berries picking (botrytis)

Trockenbeerenauselese = Select dry berries picking

Eiswein = Ice wine

Enough Classifications! Let's move on

How Are Wines Rated?

100-point scale Most widely used rating method in the USA Made popular by wine critic Robert Parker in the 1970s The 100-point scale = same as US school grading system Used by the following magazines: Wine Advocate (Robert Parker's newsletter) Wine Spectator Wine Enthusiast Wine News

Most widely used rating method in the USA

Made popular by wine critic Robert Parker in the 1970s

The 100-point scale = same as US school grading system

Used by the following magazines:

Wine Advocate (Robert Parker's newsletter)

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

Wine News

20-point Scale Originally, this was the most popular wine rating scale in the US The 20-point scale is most often used in Europe, as that is the basis of the European school grading system

Originally, this was the most popular wine rating scale in the US

The 20-point scale is most often used in Europe, as that is the basis of the European school grading system

5-point/5 star Scale Used by Decanter Magazine & The Wall Street Journal WSJ ratings by Dorothy J. Gaiter & John Brecher: Yech OK Good Very Good Delicious or Delicious!

Used by Decanter Magazine & The Wall Street Journal

WSJ ratings by Dorothy J. Gaiter & John Brecher:

Yech

OK

Good

Very Good

Delicious or Delicious!

Who wants a B-rated wine? Wine X is rated 89 points out of 100 and Wine Z is rated 90 points out of 100 Wine Z will sell thousands more cases than Wine X because of a 1-point difference Wines rated 100 points sell out ASAP, become collector’s items, price goes up dramatically. Wine enthusiasts will buy them at ANY price!

Wine X is rated 89 points out of 100

and

Wine Z is rated 90 points out of 100

Wine Z will sell thousands more cases than Wine X because of a 1-point difference

Wines rated 100 points sell out ASAP, become collector’s items, price goes up dramatically.

Wine enthusiasts will buy them at ANY price!

Are ratings unfair? "A wine gets rated one time — a nanosecond in its life cycle. From then on, its fate is determined. Aren't wines always evolving? Shouldn't they be rated every year?" — Quote from Sebastiani winemaker Mark Lyon Most influential publications in wine market: Robert Parker's Wine Advocate newsletter Wine Spectator magazine Tastings: Individual vs. panel When a panel/group tastes, scores are averaged

"A wine gets rated one time — a nanosecond in its life cycle. From then on, its fate is determined. Aren't wines always evolving? Shouldn't they be rated every year?"

— Quote from Sebastiani winemaker Mark Lyon

Most influential publications in wine market:

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate newsletter

Wine Spectator magazine

Tastings: Individual vs. panel

When a panel/group tastes, scores are averaged

100-point scale does not really go from 1 to 100 At Wine Spectator , base starts at 50 points At Wine News , base starts at 60 points Points 0-10 Apperarance 5 Aroma 7 Palate 9 Finish/Aftertaste 3 Subtotal 24 Points Base +60 Points Total = 84 Points

At Wine Spectator , base starts at 50 points

At Wine News , base starts at 60 points



Points 0-10

Apperarance 5

Aroma 7

Palate 9

Finish/Aftertaste 3

Subtotal 24 Points

Base +60 Points

Total = 84 Points

A matter of taste… Wine Critic Robert Parker + “ Flying Winemakers” consulting around the world = “sameness” Mass appeal vs. unique, local characteristics

Wine Critic Robert Parker

+

“ Flying Winemakers”

consulting around the world

= “sameness”

Mass appeal

vs.

unique, local characteristics

How do critics taste wines? Exhibit #1 Wines are tasted "blind." The taster does NOT know the price of the wine or the brand Reason: To avoid any personal bias, preconceived notions, expectations based on price/brand

Wines are tasted "blind." The taster does NOT know the price of the wine or the brand

Reason:

To avoid any personal bias, preconceived notions, expectations based on price/brand

How do critics taste wines? Exhibit #6 Professionals never swallow! They take a sip, swirl it around in their mouth, inhale, and then spit it out into a spit bucket Reason: Due to the high volume of wines tasted in a regular tasting session, this ensures the alcohol will not affect the taster

Professionals never swallow! They take a sip, swirl it around in their mouth, inhale, and then spit it out into a spit bucket

Reason:

Due to the high volume of wines tasted in a regular tasting session, this ensures the alcohol will not affect the taster

How do other types of critics rate products and services? Restaurant critics Movie critics Book critics Fashion critics

Restaurant critics

Movie critics

Book critics

Fashion critics

In real life….wine consumers: Know how much they paid for the wine See the winery name on label/bottle Rarely taste wine in sterile, silent, perfectly-lighted surroundings with white surfaces Most often eat food with wine Do not spit out their wine!

Know how much they paid for the wine

See the winery name on label/bottle

Rarely taste wine in sterile, silent, perfectly-lighted surroundings with white surfaces

Most often eat food with wine

Do not spit out their wine!

Critics vs. Consumers Wine consumers and wine critics have… … mutually exclusive tasting experiences! Conclusion: Be your own wine critic! Your palate and preferences are unique to you “ There are standards of taste in wine, poetry and prose…. Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.” — Mark Twain, 1895

Wine consumers and wine critics have…

… mutually exclusive tasting experiences!

Conclusion:

Be your own wine critic!

Your palate and preferences are unique to you

“ There are standards of taste in wine, poetry and prose…. Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.” — Mark Twain, 1895

Wine: ________________________________________________ Price: _________ Rating: 1 = unacceptable _______ 2 = good _______ 3 = great ______ Aroma intensity : barely perceptible_____ expressive ______concentrated/complex _____ On the Palate ACIDITY soft _____ crisp _____ high/strong ______ TANNINS soft _____ medium ______ intense ______ SWEETNESS needs more ____ just right _____ noticeable _____ cloying/sticky______ OAK PRESENCE none _____ light _____ medium ______ heavy ______ BODY/WEIGHT light _____ medium _____ full ____ FINISH/PERSISTENCE ______ short ______ medium _______ lengthy Purchasing criteria Do not buy at any price_______ Buy only if "priced right"______ Buy at current price______ Buy a case! Great price/value ratio______ Buy for special occasions______ Buy only as collector/showcase item _______

Typical Aromas & Flavors honey cinnamon apricot pear lychee jasmine rose petals strawberry orange/mandarin lime melon papaya pineappple minerals + slate rock candle wax

Wine: ________________________________________________ Price: _________ Rating: 1 = unacceptable _______ 2 = good _______ 3 = great ______ Aroma intensity : barely perceptible_____ expressive ______concentrated/complex _____ On the Palate ACIDITY soft _____ crisp _____ high/strong ______ TANNINS soft _____ medium ______ intense ______ SWEETNESS needs more ____ just right _____ noticeable _____ cloying/sticky______ OAK PRESENCE none _____ light _____ medium ______ heavy ______ BODY/WEIGHT light _____ medium _____ full ____ FINISH/PERSISTENCE ______ short ______ medium _______ lengthy Purchasing criteria Do not buy at any price_______ Buy only if "priced right"______ Buy at current price______ Buy a case! Great price/value ratio______ Buy for special occasions______ Buy only as collector/showcase item _______