Let's SPRING into Modern Winemaking...

Sometimes passion is so powerful that you can actually feel it, or in this case, taste it...

Last week, I had a lovely time attending a virtual wine tasting with Alex Virgili of Democratic Wines. This Catalonian company’s main focus is making the world of wine, 'fun, easy and accessible to everyone.'

As I have mentioned before, the wine world can sometimes be a snobby and stuffy place. However, in the case of this brand, snobbery is definitely not the case. Ran by three brothers, the younger generation have taken this old school winery and made it their own.

During the virtual wine tasting, Alex, one of the three Virgili brothers, told us the history of the family business, the trials and tribulations of taking over the family company and veering it in a very different direction. He spoke about the importance of great marketing and branding but if the wine quality doesn't match, it won't be successful. The rebranding of the old school winery has helped put the Virgili brand on the map. They are especially popular with millennial, hipsters and modern wine drinkers, a change from their previous clientele. One thing has not changed in their 50 year history, the passion and love they share for their Catalan heritage.

In the politest way possible, I would describe their brand to be crazy...crazy branding, crazy parties and crazy smart. The way the brothers have made their business so sought after by "young souls" through their innovation, brilliant marketing and approachable brand, it is no wonder it is such a success.

The brothers actually have many other brands, all following the same philosophy. Democratic wines is the umbrella for El Bandarra and Organic & Orgasmic where as Can Virgili, the original family brand, is the umbrella for Cava Mo, Sorbet wines and the delicious wines we tasted.

In 2013 El Xitxarel·lo was launched, Alex described this as the companies 'big bang.' In modernising the brand, the brothers took a 'tongue in cheek' approach. Sometimes their campaigns can be close to the bone, but this wine isn't for the faint hearted anyway.

'El Xitxarel·lo' (the name of the bottle) translates from Catalan to 'stupid young guy.' 'Xarel·lo' is the indigenous grape of the area, most popular in Cava production.

Single varietal Xarel·lo is rare, especially quality bottles. This one is delightful, harvested manually, fermented in stainless steel at 16°C for three weeks and left on lees (the dead yeast cells) for 4-5 months depending on the vintage. This process adds body, freshness, complexity and sometimes bread-y notes to the wine. These lees are stirred with a big paddle for added roundness and elegance. This is a dry wine with high acid, low abv at 11.5%, medium body and medium + finish. Characteristics include green apple, pear, peach, apricot, lemon, lime, grapefruit and a slight delicate pastry note from the lees ageing, although this is very subtle. This wine has a great capacity to age, sticking a bottle in your cellar for a few years will result in a delicious summer treat!

As you can see, the bottle is truly unique showcasing 60+ different logos which are all naughty sayings, swear words or 'tongue in cheek' phases. Nothing is hurtful, just funny and slightly risky. These illustrations are replaced every vintage, the most recent additions being "Trumpos" = liar and "Boig" = crazy guy. "Pixa Pins"= a crazy hipster from Barcelona who drives to the country to 'pee' in the vineyards.

After the Xarel·lo's success, 'El Cabronet' was launched in 2015. Again a play on the grape, Cabernet Sauvignon but meaning, 'little bastard.' This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon which is known as an 'international variety' because it is not native to the region. Plantings of this grape started in the 1980/90's in Penedes as an insurance for the future. Cabernet was big on the market at the time and these vines take 3-5 years before they harbour any fruit. It was the Virgili brothers father who first planted these vines in their vineyards.

The grapes are manually collected, fermented in stainless steel at 16-17°C for 25 days. The wine is then placed in oak barrels to mature for 3-4 months. The warm Mediterranean climate influences this wine by making is smooth, easy to drink and fruity.

It is a dry wine, deep ruby in colour with medium + acids, medium tannins, high alcohol, medium body and a long lingering finish... truly delicious. Characteristics are classic to Cabernet Sauvignon, blackcurrant, blackberry and other juicy dark fruits, cedar, graphite (like pencil sharpening) with beautiful richness. These dark fruit flavours are enhanced by a exciting winemaking technique. This is a technique that, in short, includes adding Co2 (it helps prevent oxidation), pumping the wine juice over itself and rapidly chilling the wine to -70°C. This is complex process which mimics a process called Carbonic Maceration which is common in Beaujolais to get juicy fruit and a fresh finish.

The stainless steel fermentation tanks used to covert the base must into wine were a big topic of conversation. Alex told us about the brothers plans to make the winemaking side of the business more fun for guests visiting the winery. In order to do this they have gained planning to create a large slide which will go inside of a tank (empty presumably) to show guest the journey the wine takes. When asked about the size of these tanks and the likely hood a person could fit inside, Alex replied in his typical risky way, "yes, they are pretty big, size matters."

"Yes, they are pretty big, size matters..."

The 'El Cabronet' bottle is also covered in slang, saying and swear words. One of the most noticeable illustrations is the large arrow going up the bottle, already in place for playing 'spin the bottle' which unlike the British game, doesn't involve kissing but the person whom the arrow lands gets stuck with the bill!

The branding, marketing, party persona and overall excitement of these wines is still

communicating an important message about protecting the climate and doing your bit to help with the current situation. This message is obvious when you look at the brothers innovative ideas regarding sustainable and renewable packaging. A twin pack was created with the two bottles, which after use instead of binning, instructions are given on how to transform into a light! Again with another Catalan saying "Com un llum" scribed over it.

The brothers practice organic and vegan grape growing and winemaking (viticulture and vilification). Organic wine is made using organic viticulture methods including, not spraying the crop with chemical fertilisers, using natural interventions and pretty much leaving the grape to grow itself without outside help or enhancements. However, organic viticulture is easier in warmer climates with little rain, like the Penedès region. Not having damp or humid weather helps reduce the risk of fungal disease which need lots of spraying to keep from infecting whole vineyards.

The idea that wine is vegan can be confusing, but animal proteins are often used in the clarification and filtration process. This is when proteins/large enzymes are added to the wine to bind to the remaining yeast and other floating particles. This helps make the remaining particles in the wine bigger so when they are fed through a sieve like machine they are big enough to be stopped and not fall through the holes leaving behind a lovely clear wine. Often the protein used is from fish, meat, egg and other animal products. There are however, alternatives such as a type of reformed plastic and what the Virgili Brother use, 'Bentonite' a compound deriving from clay which is often used in beauty treatments to leave skin looking younger and help remove toxins from your body.

The overall story behind this brand, the deep family history, passion for winemaking and love for their heritage all contribute to making this wine truly unique and successful. This excitement among "young souls," millennials and people who would not normally choose to drink wine is fantastic for the wine community all together. Moving away from the old school traditional methods and creating a fun, exciting persona around wine is what the industry needs. The Virgili brothers took a risk in making this tongue in cheek, sarcastic and funny brand but it has clearly paid off. The wine world needs more of this modern winemaking to ensure the industry has longevity and moves away from the stuffy, snobby image that has been created over the years. These wines are fantastic and I urge you to go and buy a bottle to support this cause but also... because, in the spirit of the Virgili brothers, it's bloody delicious.

- Cheers!

The Dark Horse of the Wine World...

Cosy Friday nights in are becoming a ritual. A few Fridays ago, I was joined by a fantastic wine...

I first came across this bottle at a catering event, back when entertaining to the masses was a normal weekend occurrence. This wine was part of a line up of six, chosen specially by the client. I would not normally choose a Chinese wine because it’s not been on my radar. However, I have to say I was blown away.

After six months, I was still thinking about this dark horse (pardon the pun). I considered whether this is one of these things you remember being better than it was... this was not the case.

After purchasing online from VINVM for £34.95, I savoured the bottle for the perfect companion, Beef Bourbingnon. The rich beef along with this wine, would make anyones Friday night!

Chinese wine is a bit of an ongoing debate in the wine world, some wine buffs do not enjoy it, some swear by it, and some stay out of the conversation all together. The recent wine wars between Australia and China, with China raising tax tariffs on Australian wine also hasn't helped the cause. As a result many are trying to boycott the Chinese wine market... I'm not getting involved in politics.

China is becoming a more prominent producer of red wine particuarly Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine in China rose in popularity due to the middle class seeing it as a way of expressing wealth and opulence usually through gift giving, a cultural tradition. Slowly this wine craze is leading to the wines of the west becoming favourites among Chinese citizens. Due to demand, Beijing and Shanghai are now larger and more popular wine exporting hubs than London and New York. China is considered the fifth most important destination of wine exports.

Typically, the Bordeaux Region is the hot favourite, specifically wines under the golden arch of the '1855 classification' of the Medoc area (the super strict classification system which only 61 chateaux's are merited) . Due to its rich opulant history, luxury status and potential for gift giving, Bordeaux wines slowly emerged into the Chinese market.

The first glimpses of this market emersion was seen in the early 1980's after a Chinese owned trading company supplied 5-star hotels in China with 'Pomerol Petrus', the most collectable wine of the Right Bank.

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Right Bank = The Right side of the river Dordogne, famous for Merlot and Cabernet Franc blends and smaller properties.

Left Bank = The left side of the river Dordogne, famous for Cabernet Sauvignon and larger estates.

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After this, the owner of 'Chateau Lunch Bages' (one of the 1855 classified estates), Jean Michel Cazes made partnership with Cathay Pacific Airlines, selling 20,000 cases to the airline to be given to First Class customers, further emerging Bordeaux wines into the upperclass Chinese market.

Now the importance of the Chinese market can be seen through 'Chateau Mouton Rothschild,' one of the most important Chateaux's on the Left bank, choice to incorporate Chinese artwork onto their label.

Every year 'Chateau Mouton Rothschild' release a new label that has been designed by a famous artist, past labels have been created by Picasso, Dali, Andy Warhol and even Prince Charles. 2018 saw the Chinese artist Xu Bing design the label.

This wine, Pretty Pony is made with the same grapes as a Left Bank Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauvignon 90% and Merlot 10%. China's grape growing history is recent, the late 19th century saw the first indications of a potential market, yet vineyards did not fully develop until the 20th Century. Between 2006 and 2016 vineyard growth doubled.

China’s vast size sees a range in climates. Nearly all growing regions in China have a continental climate, however extreme weather is reoccurring problem. Grape growing in China faces freezing winters with the risk of vine fatality annually, costing production and labour. Coastal areas suffer from monsoon rains in the summers affecting growth and grape production. Due to the vast size of the country, no two regions are the same. Each have there own problems and vulnerabilities.

This wine comes from Ningxia, an inland continental region which suffers from monsoon rains, yet also drought. Desert winds bring dry winds to the vineyard. The best area is in the Helan Mountains where the mountain range protect the vineyards from some of these winds. The Yellow River flows through the region and is used for irrigation. Ningxia is considered to be one of Chinas most important grape growing areas with many small producers, including Kanaan making Bordeaux Blends. The importance and potential of this area has been noted by large wine companies such as LVMH and Pernod Ricard who were amongst the first to purchase land here.

This wine is delightful with a deep ruby red colour, a pronounced rich nose that you can smell across the room, wafting cocoa, stewed black fruit, blackberries, brambles, plumb and cherry along with some subtle redcurrant undertones, mingled with sweet cinnamon and cedar. The rich scent from this wine lures you into the glass.

This full bodied dry wine has a medium+ acidity, smooth tannins and long lingering finish reiterating the cooked fruit character coating your mouth with the rich chocolatey goodness. This is an outstanding wine, voted as one of Decanters 12 must try Chinese wines of 2020.

This wine is absolutely a must try and perfect for a cosy Friday night in.

Cheers!

Just In Time For Valentines Day...

This Valentine's Day looks a little different this year, no fancy meals out or romantic trips away. The city won't be flooded with pairs, or retail outlets profiting off of our affection. This year the holiday has been stripped back, but the most important factor remains... love.

I've never been a great Valentine's Day fan. For years I believed it was a Hallmark holiday, forcing us to feel we need to purchase gifts to portray the strength of our affection. I feel a little differently this year. Now more than ever we need to take the time to tell the people we love how much we love them and treat them a little more specially come the 14th. This doesn't need to be a romantic relationship. Celebrate with your parents, siblings, grandparents, friends or significant other and be there for the ones you have seen lockdown through with. This year, more than ever, we need to spread love.

I will be spending my Valentine's day with my Mum and Brother (and hopefully my boyfriend) and I plan on enjoying with a beautiful bottle of Franciacorta. This sparkling wine comes from Franciacorta in Lombardy, Italy, the home of Italian Traditional method sparkling wine. This region became Italy's largest producer of traditional sparkling after the Berlucchi Family fell in love with Champagne and wanted to replicate it in the 1970's for the Italian nation to enjoy, what a gift!

Traditional method is the production process often referred to as the 'Champagne Method.' This is a complex process which I've touched upon on my TAITTINGER blog post. Franciacorta is made from two of the Champagne varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The perfect pair. This wine however is solely made from Chardonnay.

Located in Central Northern Italy, Lombardy is home to this fantastic region. The rich apple, pear, peachy, digestive, pastry character (called autolysis) of these wines are famous for their outstanding quality and premium price (I bought this bottle for £28).

The high standards of grape growing are so important in achieving the quality product. The warm continental climate benefits from cold moderating temperatures which descend down and breeze through the region in the summer months. Located North of the region, hugging the boundary is Lake Iseo which too helps moderate the temperatures by retaining heat later into the winter season and helping to keep the grapes warm for longer, extending the ripening season and resulting in the ripe fruitiness of this sparkling wonder.

Today the excitement of the region is tangible as the next generation have taken over, experimenting and creating 'terroir' based expressions (the natural environment, climate, soils and topography in the vineyard that impacts the final wine). These winemakers are making the wines in such a way that 'dosage,' is no longer added. Dosage is the final process of Traditional method winemaking adding a wine and sugar mix to finish the final product. The sugar levels depend on sweet style of the wine. So, if for dry Champagne known as 'BRUT' only about 12g per litre will be added, adding a final complexity to the wine. The new generation of Franciacorta producers are ripening their fruit in such a way that this addition is no longer needed.

Similarly, Champagne having 'Blanc de Blanc' or Blanc de Noirs' indicating white wine made from only white or black grapes, Franciacorta does too. This wine is made in the 'Satèn' style and is only made from white grapes, typically 100% Chardonnay. By law these wines need to spend a minimum time of 24 months in contact with lees (the dead yeast that gives the wine the autolysis character). They can only be made in Brut style, meaning dry. The lesser amount of time on lees in comparison to Champagne is notable. Champagne spends three years minimum on lees by law. Instead of the rich creamy, doughy, biscuit character this wine has a subtler biscuit and pastry character.

This wine is made by Ugovezzoli, a producer with a deep history who famously practices organic and biodynamic wine production. Ugovezzoli is made by the Vezzoli Family who have a history of agriculture, first with cereal then in silk production. 1981 saw the first plantings of Chardonnay and the rest is history. This 3-hectare vineyard is a DOCG certified, the highest quality standard one can achieve in Italy, showing the quality of these delicate bubbles. Ugovezzoli produce an average of 20,000 bottle of Franciacorta of different styles. This delicious golden delight is short supply, so I suggest snapping up a bottle when you can!

I am spending this Valentine's day making pasta, loading up on carbs and enjoying with a bottle of this delicately soft, beautifully rich sparkling.

In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, I couldn't help but wonder... is this the perfect match?

So, whoever you are spending V-day with, enjoy, share the love and don't feel pressured to run out and buy expensive gold jewellery, just buy a bottle of these golden sparkles and I promise it will go down a treat.

Sending big love to everyone, Cheers!