Category Archives: Wine education

Review of the Italian Wine Professional Certification Program

If you already have some wine knowledge under your belt and are ready to take your education of wines from Italy to the next level, I highly recommend pursuing the Italian Wine Professional certification program, proctored by Italian Wine Central.

First, be sure to check out Italian Wine Central’s amazing website. It’s really easy to navigate, it has fantastic (and consistent) maps and I can always find a quick answer to whatever I’m researching. Go bookmark it now.

On to the course!

What is the Italian Wine Professional?
The Italian Wine Professional is the second of two levels in Italian Wine Central’s education program, which is made available online several times a year (via Napa Valley Wine Academy). Once you register for the course, you’ll receive a physical textbook and join an online group where you can access eight weekly webinars and discuss the lessons with your classmates. The course is self-paced, but the weekly webinars and regular reminders will keep you on track. There is no required tasting portion (bummer, but I took the online course), but they do have flights that they recommend for each of the eight units that are commercially relevant.

The Italian Wine Professional textbook is great.

The final exam is an online 100-question test comprising a mix of multiple-choice questions, map identification questions, and a very tricky yet useful exercise in which you’ll have to correct the mistakes in an Italian wine list—wrong section, DOC versus DOCG, incorrect grape, appellation typos, etc. In addition to the exam, you have the option to put together a presentation on any topic from a given list to improve your grade (I planned to do this myself, but time is never on my side).

What does the course entail?
First, let me tell you my favorite thing about the course: instead of studying wines region by region, the lessons are laid out by wine style, which makes much more sense. After a brief introduction to Italy, reds are covered first by northern, central, and southern regions, followed by whites in the same fashion. Finally, sparkling wines are covered in a separate section as well as baller wines (or luxury wines, as they’re called in the book).

I love love love the maps in the textbook!

This is by far the most logical way to study Italian wines. I’m also impressed that the course creators combined premium wines into their own group, because that’s naturally how your potential buyer would think of them. With those out of the way, it’s easier to focus on understanding the diversity of other DOC/Gs that usually stand in the shadow of these classics.

Aside from the excellent curriculum, another plus of this course is the fact that you can check your progress with quizzes in the book. The online portion of the course basically repeats the text from the book, although quizzes are included throughout each section to ensure you retain the information and get a feel for the types of questions you’ll see in the final exam.

The only flaw I found was in the online exam provider, ProctorU: I finished my exam only to have the screen freeze, forcing me to start the exam over. The live proctor wasn’t sure if my score had been saved or not, so I had to wait a few days to find out if it had even registered my test. Needless to say, I didn’t need that kind of stress after cramming for the last few days!

Should I take this course?
If you’re passionate about Italian wine, then yes! The Italian Wine Professional course offers a challenging yet logical way to learn about Italian wine, so it will certainly be worth your time should you choose to pursue it.

I’m currently enrolled in the Italian Wine Scholar program by Wine Scholar Guild, which goes into the minutia of wine on a traditional region-by-region basis, so having this solid foundation of knowledge from the Italian Wine Professional makes this one easier to follow.

I recommend this course for wine professionals or enthusiasts who already have a strong background in various wines of the world, such as those above WSET Level 2. So if you really love Italian wine, be sure to check out the Italian Wine Professional certification program today!

CWE practice essay: Biodynamics

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This is probably a terrible idea.

So I should definitely do it.

As part of my preparations for the Certified Wine Educator exams, I am going through their online course which is essentially the book club, logically organized all in one place. This course covers many books I’ve been meaning to read and includes exercises (including the essay below) and online quizzes.

I spent five mins brain-dumping and a few more making a brief outline. The red and blue words are the editor’s suggestions.

This was my first timed essay (30 minutes)…in its raw form. I actually took the essay over to fiverr.com and for a grammar check and critique (and learned that I used the word “includes” a lot). It’s no small investment ($12 for this essay), but how can you improve without getting feedback?

To be clear, this was done closed-book in timed conditions (do you also apologize before showing your unpolished work to someone?) Is this helpful?

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What do you think about biodynamic viticulture? Does it have some basis in fact, is it all just a new age fantasy, or do you believe something in between?

Biodynamic viticulture is a system of farming whereby the farm is seen as a single organism, and that organism should be taking care of itself in a holistic way including aligning activities with the gravitational pull of the moon. It is of growing importance (and receiving more press) in the wine world with some positive aspects (including connection to the vineyard and marketing) and challenges (including scientific rigor and business risk).

Biodynamics has the benefit of being something solidly achievable by having an established set of principles and protocols to follow, including a third-party certification process. Unlike other wine terms like ‘natural wine’ or ‘sustainable farming’ (without certification), there is understanding of biodynamics, although this system of farming may not be as well-known to the end wine consumer as organic farming.

Which is an opportunity for wineries that do farm biodynamically. Indeed, the farming practices that include fermenting cow manure in a cow’s horn (Prep 501) lends itself well to storytelling to consumers, and is definitely a point of differentiation from a marketing perspective.

The fact that biodynamics is used by some of the most well-known and respected wine estates around the world (including Domaine de la Romanee Conti (Burgundy) and Zind Humbrecht (Alsace)) gives credibility to the biodynamic process. These premium wineries don’t use biodynamics as a marketing point, but will instead, if asked, talk about how biodynamics beings the farmer even more in touch with the vines.

Because biodynamics uses more homeopathic prevention and remedies in the vineyard, efficacy might take longer than more studied organic or conventional targeted strategies, which means that a farmer who practices biodynamic farming needs to spend even more time carefully monitoring the vineyard for pests, diseases and other imbalances.

Spending more time in the vineyard is certainly not harmful, and may be the source of the benefit, but these biodynamic treatments have not been rigorously studied scientifically. Spraying stinging nettle tea in the vineyard might not harm the vines, but was it the tea preparation (and the dynamic stirring that made the tea) that was the benefit, or is it the extreme care the farmer is giving the vines the benefit. Many people point out, quite correctly, the the founder of biodynamics, Rudolph Steiner, was never a farmer, and so this system of farming has always been based on philosophy from other disciplines, not reality.

The fact that the definition of biodynamics implies a closed-system farm yet you can purchase the inputs to biodynamic farming (stinging nettle may not grow in your climate, or it might be tricky to secure a stag’s bladder for fermentation) also raises questions of whether the unique treatments give rise to a healthy vineyard or, again, is it the vigilance of the farmer the driver of quality.

Farming biodynamically is a risky endeavor from a business perspective, especially when converting from other farming systems. Like treating a cough with homeopathic remedies may not be as effective as taking traditional cough syrup, there can be a lag time before the vines develop their own balance and self-resistance against pests and diseases.

In the end, there are many examples of premium wines that practice biodynamics. Due to business risks, and because it seems that spending more time studying the vineyard are the only established facts of biodynamics, this farming system may only be appropriate for boutique wines that can get the return on investment for such careful farming practices. Until there is more scientific explanations, biodynamics might not be something that should be widely adopted for all wines at all price points, but it certainly does no material harm in the vineyard, may strengthen the connection between the farmer and the vines and is a unique point of differentiation from a marketing perspective.

Every Wine is a Blend

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Blending is the process of combining one or more wines, in order to increase production quantity, achieve a particular price point, obtain the best balance and complexity or obtain a standardized style (from vintage to vintage). Even a single vineyard wine is likely a blend of grapes that were picked days or weeks apart to introduce complexity. Blends can be made quantitatively (accounting for levels of acids or alcohols) or organoleptically (blending by aromas and flavors), and are one of the most commonly used tools in the winemakers’ kit.

Blending is routinely employed for high volume wines with price points that are more sensitive than source, as in the case of California White Zinfandel. Here, the blending strategy has two aims: standardized style (by blending from a larger area) and the ability to purchase grapes on the spot market to allow winemakers to respond quickly to changes in demand. High volume wines can also benefit from the more liberal AVAs like “California”, adding small amounts of other grapes to smooth vintage variation (like Petit Sirah for spice, or Barbera for acidity).

Blends are also commonly used by smaller scale boutique operations, especially as a way to induce complexity. For instance, Merlot is often used to soften austerity and fill in the mid-palate of Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux-style blends. Château Rauzan-Gassies speak of Cabernet Sauvignon’s elegant expression and precision of fruit, but even in ripe years (like 2009 in Bordeaux), adding Merlot gives you a broader spectrum of flavors, even if by doing so you lose some of the precision of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In some older wine regions, blending defines the style of wine, as in the fortified wines of Jerez in Spain. Historically, Sherry was sold as a vintage-dated wine, but the region started adopting the now widely-used solera fractionalized blending system in the mid-19th century. The benefits are continuity and consistency, with the added bonus of refreshing nutrients for wines that are under the flor yeast (to maintain the health of the flor). As this is also a region and wine that is more about the house style, rather than the absolute terroir (a concept still largely seen in Port as well), blending here can help maintain a consistent house style.

Wine blends

Other reasons for blending include hitting a particular price point, as witnessed by Mommy’s Time Out Pinot Grigio, which is actually blended with the less expensive Garganega, and can sit on the retail shelf for around $8.

Before our current climate of wine regulations and testing, blending of wines was seen as a dubious and fraudulent practice. However, today’s blending (when legal) is one of the most important tools in the winemakers’ kit at all price points, and can help with achieving an intended volume and standard style, as well as inducing complexity, whilst hitting a sensitive price point and maintaining continuity and consistency of a house style.

Frost Risk in Grape Production

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Springtime in the northern hemisphere means beautiful, clear, sunny spring days, but these same cloudless days can lead to the perfect conditions for significant frost risk at night. Overall, frost negatively impacts quantity more than quality and can be an annual event in cool regions like Champagne and Niagara, but it can also impact warmer regions like Bordeaux and Napa. A frost that gripped France in April of 2017 caused losses of 20-50% in Champagne, and its impact reached all the way down to Languedoc and Roussillon. Understanding frost and its prevention are important to the economic survival of many vineyards around the world.

What is frost?

Frost is a deposit of ice crystals when temperatures fall below freezing (0°C). Frost damage occurs in a vineyard after the green tissue has started to swell with moisture after budburst as this moisture is subject to freeze. There are two types of frost in the vineyard: advection frost and radiation frost.

Advection is less common as it is a large mass of cold air that settles on a large area. This type of frost is more common in the winter season where it can occur both during the day and night. This is a difficult kind of frost to protect against since there is no warm air to be circulated.

Radiation frost is more common and occurs on cold, still, cloudless nights. Note that soil generally absorbs heat from the sun during the day and releases it at night, helping to warm vines. Also note that warmer air rises while colder air will sink toward the ground, and clouds can stop warm air from rising higher, helping moderate night temperatures. Therefore, on cold, still, cloudless nights, warmer air will continually rise through the atmosphere, and ground air will become colder and colder.

When does frost occur?

Frost damage occurs most commonly in the spring after budburst when green tissues (including leaves and embryonic flowers) have started to grow. This tender tissue is swollen with water that will freeze. Dormant vines and older growth have less moisture and are thus more naturally protected. Spring frosts can kill off this young growth and cause a loss of quantity and damage the forming buds of next year’s growing season. Quality is generally not impacted by spring frost except that ripeness may be less uniform and canopy management more complicated.

Frost damage can occur before harvest in the autumn as well. While a less common occurrence if the variety is well-matched to the site, freezing grapes can rupture (reducing weight/quantity) and provide an entry point for disease development and fungus (decreasing quality). An early autumn frost can also cause leaves to drop faster, impacting carbohydrate accumulation, which will have a negative impact on the winter hardiness of the vine.

Frost prevention

There are passive and active strategies that can be used to help mitigate the risk of frost in a vineyard. Passive strategies that start before the frost season include site selection, ground cover management, cordon height, and delaying budburst. Active strategies include using water sprinklers, wind machines, and heat when frost is about to strike.

Site selection would be the first way to help prevent frost risk. While not always possible, an ideal scenario would be to plant in an area with low frost risk like Sardinia, Italy or Worcester, South Africa. If that’s not possible, planting near large bodies of water will help temper the local climate and mitigate frost risk. For example, the vineyards in the Finger Lakes grow on a narrow band along the shores of these lakes to benefit from their tempering effect.

Within a site, planting on a slope can mitigate frost risk as cold air moves to lower ground like water. One vineyard in the Finger Lakes had a small depression in a vineyard that pooled cold air and was planted to Pinot Noir. Due to the freezing of the vines in that small dip every year, that patch is now planted to Riesling, which buds later.

Vineyard floor management can help mitigate frost risk. A flat and clear vineyard floor will absorb and release more heat than one covered with an insulating layer of cover crops or mulch. Soil moisture will also absorb more of the sun’s heat than dry soils.

Since cold air stays close the ground, the cordon height is another way to mitigate frost risk by planting higher as is done in the Alto Adige in the northeast alpine region of Italy.

See? Apical buds (the ones at the ends) burst before the basal buds (the ones closest to the trunk).

Delaying budburst—keeping the vine closer to the dormant stage until frost risk has passed—is another strategy. A vineyard manager can start by planting a late-budding grape like Riesling (relative to Pinot Noir in the example above). That said, the vine still needs to be matched to the growing season of the area. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late-budding variety but needs a long growing season and will not sufficiently ripen in a cool climate like the Finger Lakes.

Pushing back winter pruning while the vine is still dormant will generally not delay budburst, but double pruning can help. This strategy uses winter pruning to remove excess growth and leave this year’s fruiting wood with a full complement of buds (30+). Since buds on the tips of canes will burst first (and basal buds last), leaving the full amount of buds during the frost season will make those buds subject to damage before the basal buds have started to swell. After frost risk has passed, the canes (with the useless buds on the ends) will be pruned away, and the basal buds will then burst without risk of frost damage. This double pruning method is very labor intensive but has been shown not to delay harvest dates.

Strategies that can be used after vineyard establishment include using overhead sprinklers as frozen water will not drop below 0°C, thus protecting the tender shoots in a “blanket” of frozen water.

Wind machines are common in many vineyards around the world and work by mixing the warmer air above with the colder air below, moderating the overall temperature of the vineyard. Some parts of the world use helicopters to mix air on the same principle. While wind machines are more common where frost in an annual event, helicopters can be used when needed and can target the areas that are most at risk.

Heating a vineyard via smudge pots, burning winter pruning, or bougie candles warm the air via convection. This method needs multiple sources of heat throughout the vineyard and would work best if there was an inversion layer to trap the heat being generated (which is often not present).

Less conventional methods to help with frost risk include heated wires wrapped around the cordons and canes. This has been shown to be reasonably effective, though it does not cover and protect the whole canopy.

Artificial fogging can also create that needed inversion layer to trap cold air, but a vineyard would need a very clean source of water and a fine emitter to produce this result. There is also a risk of public liability if the artificial fog were to spill into roadways.

Conclusion

With frost damage making the headlines more often in more grape growing regions, understanding how frost is created and employing the right mix of prevention and mitigation strategies are more important than ever to help bring in a complete, uniformly ripe grape crop.

Happy World Malbec Day!

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April 17th, 1853 marks the day that President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento of Argentina officially made it his mission to transform Argentina’s wine industry. Malbec has gone from the replacement for Merlot (early to pronounce, attractively fruit-forward, including a good shellac of vanilla-scented oak, produced on a massive scale and value-priced) to examples that are more focused, more site-specific, and well-crafted to show their terroir.

In honor of this holiday, I pulled a few bottles to refresh my markers. The two Malbecs I tasted were from the homeland of Malbec (Cahors, France) and the homeland in the New World (Mendoza, Argentina).

Malbec markers:
Overall, the wines are deep garnet with a distinctly pink (sometimes neon) rim and staining tears. In both examples, dark fruits lead the way with medium+ body and balanced alcohol (13.0-13.5%), and what stood out to me was the elevated levels of bright acidity that lifted the mid-palate.

Cahors markers:
Cahors is upriver from Bordeaux on the River Lot, and Malbec is a minor blending partner in Bordeaux, but otherwise, this region has nothing to do with them. Cahors has to be a minimum of 70% Malbec (called Cot here), and the rest can be Merlot and/or Tannat. I love that they “soften” Malbec here with Tannat. My example here was 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot.

Compared to the Mendoza example, the character of the dark fruits was pure, and the aromas were all about savory things: leather, bloody, bitter chocolate, and organic earth. It had bright acidity , but the tannins were more dried herbal/edgy/savory. It is definitely a wine for lovers of old world styles and would show best with food (especially something gamey).

Mendoza markers:
This region is too large to make sweeping generalizations about the climate or soils, and this is might be one of the reasons why Malbec has become a consistently successful brand it is today. With so many micro-terroirs to blend from, you can be assured that you will have a clean, varietally correct glass of wine. I have seen more of a focus on these micro-terroirs lately.

Very fruit forward (to let you know that this is from the New World), the dark fruits of plums and blueberries were cooked (almost candied) and framed by chocolate notes, violet florals, and a hint of mint (or alcohol? The label said 13.0%). But compared to Cahors, this was all about generous and attractive fruits. Again, bright acidity lifted the soft dark fruits, and tannins were more ripe/resolved tannins. Very easy to drink.

Laterals: Syrah, Merlot, and Dão
When I miss Malbec, I usually have Syrah or Merlot. I can also throw a red from the Dão in there. My tasting partner threw in Greanche, but the color and the acidity was off.

Malbec Versus Syrah: Similar color, including pink (though more purple on the Syrah) rim and staining tears. Dark fruits on the nose were also similar, but there were a lot of savory elements in the Syrah that I think are unique to it. For instance, the Cahors shows a lot of savory notes (leather/meaty), and Syrah typically shows meaty/smoky notes. But there’s an olive and mint/eucalyptus that I associate strongly with Syrah. Also, while the Syrah was leading with dark plums, there were also red fruits here.

Malbec has some tannins, but Syrah has massive tannins. The chunky tannins on the Syrah carried the fruit through to the finish while the Malbecs were more balanced between the fruits and the texture of the tannins.

In a blind situation, I would consider Syrah for the color, cooked dark fruits, savory elements, and medium+ acidity. But the tannins here are massive, and the aromas include very distinctive Syrah markers like the olive, smoke, and mint. By comparison, the Mendoza Malbec was all about fruits and spice, and the Cahors was all about savory notes and savory tannins.

Malbec Versus Merlot: The color on the Merlot, while deep, was not as inky as the Malbecs and did not have any pink or staining tears. I always get in trouble using color as an absolute funnel though. Merlot has intense dark fruits but a lot of red fruits as well. Like I said above, I don’t typically get a lot of red fruits out of Malbec but more dark plum and blueberry. That said, there was a sweetness to the Merlot fruit that harkens to Malbec, but it was not candied as in the Mendoza example. The elevated amount of tannins was similar to Malbec but had only moderate acidity in this example of Merlot.

I have often mistaken Merlot for Malbec, and I’m updating my funnel to point out that Merlot has dark and red fruits. Really pay attention to the mid-palate. Malbec has a bright acid lift across your tongue while Merlot has a plump coating of fruit across the tongue (with acidity framing that fruit on the sides). Tell me if you agree.

Malbec Versus Dão: This wine shares the deep ruby color of the Malbec, but the rim is also ruby (nothing pink about it). Like the Cahors, there is a strong savory and meaty note dominating the nose of the Dão, but instead of that organic earth, it was more of a stony minerality. (I typically find a lot of granite notes in all wines from Portugal.)

The Dão had the dark fruits that both Malbecs show but none of the chocolate, and I did find red fruits as well for the Dão (more dried strawberries and cherries) where there were not a lot of red fruits in any of the Malbecs. The palate on the Dão was distinctive with pronounced acidity (even higher than the Malbecs) with massive, coarse tannins. Even the Cahors with its more rustic/savory tannins were finer in texture by comparison.

My funnel will now say that there are more red fruits, pronounced acidity, and massive tannins of native Portuguese grapes in the Dão that make it different from the Malbec.

Other laterals I have written down over the years include Tannat and Petit Verdot for the inky color and massive tannins, but I am finding that Malbecs today show more resolved tannins than I had originally thought. I also have Bonarda as a possible lateral for the acidity, but Bonarda doesn’t show the purple tints of Malbec nor the candied fruit (actually, my Bonarda note reads more like Barbera!). These kinds of laterals are going down the rabbit hole… Go for the obvious.

Malbec Rosé:
No need to adjust your screen. That is the correct color. Bright pink, almost cotton candy in color (White Zinfandel is a lateral on color alone). This makes sense when you remember that the two Malbecs above both had a neon pink meniscus. The rosé here had generous dark fruits, especially blueberry, and a touch of earth (though not mineral). Tried as I did, I did not get any red fruits at all. That’s a marker. Similar medium+ amount of juicy acidity found in the still red versions with a bit of dissolved CO2 to help lift the fruits. It was full-bodied for a rose and not quite bone dry. The tech sheet said 13% abv, and the bottle was printed at 14.5% (I thought it was something in between).

So, those are my markers and laterals. I hope you found it useful. Crack a bottle (or several) of Malbec tonight, and tell me what your markers and laterals are.

Why is alcohol in wine so important?

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As the second most abundant component in wine (after water), understating alcohol’s role in wine is important. Alcohol is so central to the definition of wine that in many countries around the world, there are stated alcohol minimums in order for a fermented grape product to even be called wine (5.0% in the UK, 8.5% (with exceptions) in the EU, and 0.5% in United States). Alcohol is important for sensory, stability, and health reasons, but there are also important negative consequences as well.

The sensory impact is the most obvious and important role that alcohol plays in wine. Alcohol enhances perception of the body and also increases aromatics as it carries aroma molecules with it when it volatilizes. Wine is certainly more generous in weight and aromatics than grape juice. Alcohol also provides a warming sensation on the palate as well as in your skin as alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, moving blood closer to the surface of your skin.

chemical formula for alcohol

Alcohol also enhances the stability (and shelf life) of a wine. Specifically, alcohol is toxic to wine yeasts above ~15.5%. A moderate alcohol wine (11-14%) with the smallest amount of residual sugar is subject to refermentation in the bottle unless sterile filtered (not possible until post-WWII) or fortified to 16%+ alcohol. The classic example is Port, which has high levels of sugar (around 100g/L) but remains stable in the bottle due to the 19%+ alcohol by volume. In this case, the sugar helps to preserve the Port for many years, aided by the stability and longevity that the high alcohol provides.

Alcohol plays an important role in the longevity of humans as well. For centuries, wine and beer was preferred over water because microbes could not survive in wine and beer and were, therefore, more “clean” to drink than water. More recently, studies have shown moderate alcohol consumption can decrease the chance of everything from diabetes to dementia and even reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Beyond diseases, Catholic University of Campobasso recently analyzed a pool of studies and concluded that moderate alcohol consumption can decrease your chance of death by 18%.

But drinking more than moderate amounts can have important negative consequences. In addition to increasing your chances of liver disease and certain types of cancer (including breast cancer), large amounts of alcohol can negatively impact your physical (inflammation, lack of coordination, slurred speech) and mental health (memory loss, poor judgement, addiction). Social consequences of alcohol are an important topic in many parts of the world with organizations like DrinkWise in Australia and DrinkWare in the UK specifically setup to reduce the misuse of alcohol.

Alcohol in wine is important. Wine would not be the same pleasurable experience without alcohol nor would it last as long in the bottle. Alcohol is important for its health consequences, and when wine is allowed to be a respectful guest at the dinner table, the health benefits and the pleasure will accrue to the drinkers as well.

The Plan Part Deux: Wine exam addictions

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Hi! My name is Kristina and I’m a test addict.

In school, I would often score in the 98th percentile of tests, only to later coast through my studies and get mostly B’s on my report cards.

Fast forward to today and it’s easy to see why I’m burned out from my MW studies. Shocking, I know. Not being in the program this year is painful because I’m not getting any feedback on my progress. I still meet with my tasting group every week, but even that feels stagnant.

This is how I justify a not-so-slight change in my plans. My ego needs to pass a test.

Certified Wine Educator

I passed the Certified Specialist in Wine exam by the Society of Wine Educators about ten years ago, but I didn’t pursue the higher designation of Certified Wine Educator. I was already making some pretty good money teaching wine classes around town, so I didn’t see the need. In any case, I had some issues with the structure of the exam, plus I was working toward a WSET diploma, which is no small feat.

Books – CHECK! Notebook – CHECK! Plan – CHECK!

Now that I’m working in my dream job, I can justify taking a crack at the CWE exam. I’m nervous because this test seems to focus more on rote memorization, whereas the MW is more about a global understanding of the business of wine. Of course, memorization may be a good thing: I struggle to name more than three subregions of South Africa. Or are they called wards? Or districts? I know, embarrassing, isn’t it?

Preparing for the Exam

Right now, I’m aiming for an exam date in ~~August~~ late May (I know!! But I have some vacation time coming up! Lemme try!!). I’m preparing for the CWE exams by working through the CSW Study Guide and Workbook (which have vastly improved since the late-2000s version), and I’m supplementing my studies with the Oxford Companion to Wine, Exploring Wine from the CIA, and GuildSomm.

I also need to get back into maps, and because the CWE exams include a teaching component, I’m going to commit to teaching you in some of the areas I’m weakest at. What are my weak points, you ask? Oh, pretty much all of the New World!
At the same time, I just completed the Italian Wine Professional Level 2 program—and passed, yippee! I’m also picking up the Italian Wine Scholar course (see comments above). I’m still meeting weekly with my MW tasting group, but my MW-specific studies are taking a backseat to my CWE studies, which will help me reground myself in the core of wine knowledge.

So that’s my new plan! Honestly, I can’t tell if I’m procrastinating or if this modified plan will actually help me, but it’s worth a shot! Wish me luck!

What are you studying for right now?

I am so pissed off

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You know what fucking pisses me off? How passive I have been with my MW studies.

Some background:
2004 – Discover wine via a RadioHead concert at MSG
2005 – Start WSET studies while working as an i-banker at JPMorgan.
2008 – Leaving banking. Spend the summer living in Paris; start studying wine more “seriously”. Take a part time wine retail job in the fall.
2009 – Officially join the wine industry full time as a sommelier.
2010 – Realize I hate working restaurants and join a distributor
2011 – complete WSET Diploma exams
2015 – Move to the supply side.

So while I’ve stumbled into the wine industry, my pursuit of the Master of Wine has very much been conscious. And here I am…six years after starting the program and I have absolutely fucking NOTHING to show for it.

I joined during the 2011/2012 year and despite passing Stage 1 (sounds like cancer, doesn’t it?), I have wandered through my studies and have not passed either Theory or Practical since then.

Which brings us to today:
2016/2017 –In the past year I have not only moved to a new city where I know no one except my hunk-of-man-meat, but I had an awful employer in the fall of 2017 so I started another new job just a few months later in December 2017. Am I ready for the exam? Fuck, no. But I still have two attempts left.

And that’s what pisses me off!!! My passive attitude!

That attitude of “well, I’ll give it a shot but I still have X many attempts left.”

This is me, super angry. Also? I just went to the dentist.

How the fuck do I think I’m going to somehow ‘do my best’ and pass this excruciating difficult examination to demonstrate my mastery of the global business of wine.

Even more annoying? Between course fees, books/magazines, wines to taste and travel, let’s conservatively say I’ve spent $10,000 per year or $60,000 towards the MW and I have nothing to show for it. Not a fucking thing. Sixty thousand fucking dollars.

So all of this? Fucking pisses me off.

Austin Food & Wine Festival Tasting Session

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Not only did I have the chance to attend this amazing event, but I helped host a food & wine pairing event on behalf of Santa Margherita USA (full disclosure: that’s my employer). For “Mangia, Mangia, Y’all”, we partnered with Chef Michael Paley of Cafe No Se & Central Standard and sommelier Mandi Nelson to introduce guests to a selection of wines from Italy paired with bites from one of the best chefs in Austin!

Mangia, Mangia, Y’all!

Our tasting session was held on a Sunday and they told us to expect 80-100 participants — but about 130 people showed up! Here’s what worked best with the pairings below:

That’s a lotta people…

Torresella Prosecco NV with Sweet Potato Beignet
Why this works: Three things going on here: contrasting texture, acid to cut fat and echoing sweetness.

1) The bubbly texture of the Prosecco is an excellent contrast to the warm, soft texture of the beignet. I love using sparkling wines for their textures to contrast again soft foods (think soups and soufflés).

2) The acidity of the wine helps to cut through the fat of the deep fried beignet (this acid/fat theme will come up a lot in this review). Bubblies are always great for cutting through rich dishes.

3) Torresella Prosecco is Extra Dry, which in bubbly speak, confusingly, means it has more sweetness than a Brut (which is essentially what wine folks refer to as dry). This one is only 13g/L (many proseccos on the market are around 20 g/L), so this wine is ever-so-slightly-sweet and sweet potatoes are also ever-so-slightly sweet. It was interesting how these two echoed each other in that respect.

I haz talentz, see?

Kettmeir Pinot Blanc 2015 with Jonah Crab Toast
Why this works: Weight and freshness.

By ‘weight’, I mean that the intensity of the food and wine match each other; that one does not overpower the other in terms of flavors or body. Kettmeir Pinot Blanc is a semi-aromatic wine that can acts as a great alternative to unoaked, cool-climate Chardonnay. Being more clean and pure in its fruity lemon and apple flavors allows the delicacy and the sweetness of the Jonah Crab to shine.

In the same vein, they both echo a certain freshness. Kettmeir Pinot Blanc showing its mountain air freshness (being from the Alto Adige in Northeast Italy) and the Jonah Crab showing its saline/ocean freshness.

Sassoregale Sangiovese 2014 with Deviled Egg with Wild Boar Salami

Sassoregale Sangiovese is AMAZING with BBQ!

Why this works: Ok, first? This was a very cool pairing if only because there is a wild board on the label of Sassoregale. Beyond that, this pairing really highlights the power of acid cutting through fat.

Sassoregale Sangiovese is a fresh, unoaked red wine from southern Tuscany. It has a great black cherry profile and Sangiovese’s naturally brisk acidity is able to cut through not only the fat in a deviled eggs and the wild boar salami, but this wine did incredibly well with many of the meat-centric dishes served through the whole weekend at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. This was clearly the crowd favorite.

Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Riserva 2012 with Waygu Beef Tartare
Why this works: First, the wrong wine was sent; this was supposed to be Lamole’s basic Chianti Classico but we scored the Riserva (!) that sees a little more aging. Not only did that allow for a sharper contrast against Sassoregale Sangiovese (as Sangiovese is the main grape in Chianti as well) but I think it was even better for the pairing! Back to the pairing – we see some more action from acid (is it any wonder why high acid wines are among somm’s favorites) as well as how salt plays with fruit.

Waygu beef is famous for its intense marbling, so like the last dish, Sangiovese’s high acidity was there to balance the beautiful fat in the tartare. Further, this classic steak tartare preparation includes the addition of brined capers and anchovy, and salt in a dish will showcase the fruity side of a wine (the topic of a future blog post!) So what I loved about this was even though the Riserva has some bottle age (and fruit begins to fade/dry out as the normal process of aging a wine) the salt components of the steak tartare highlighted the remaining fruit in the wine (there is still plenty of fresh fruit in the wine – it’s going to age for a long time).

I hope you found that helpful! Definitely put this event on your calendar for next year.

Austin Food & Wine Festival!

Why should you learn about wine?

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(Cliff’s Notes version of wine tasting)

Ok, no, you don’t have to. You don’t need to learn about wine in order to enjoy it. I mean, you didn’t need to take a course on potato chips in order to be able to distinguish kettle cooked chips and BBQ Lays. I know you can tell me — with certainty — if a wine you’re drinking is delicious to you or not. I get it.

But hear me out – the world of wine keeps getting larger, not smaller. The United States represents one of the largest wine markets in the world so we benefit from a unending parade of new wines from the New World and rediscoveries of Old World favorites. Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to distinguish between all these wines? Or at least, wouldn’t it stir you a little to describe why you like a certain wine? Have the confidence to describe what you like about a wine so you can find new ones to try?

Not only is learning about wine a delicious way to spend your time, but this education will be a never-ending journey. Or as my friend Rodolphe says “Wine education is like barbecue, dessert, information and credit – it’s impossible to have too much”.

So whether you are looking to change careers, are already in the trade, or just have wine ~~addiction~~ hobby and you’re ready to take it to the next level, here’s a list of (admittedly, NYC-centric) places I recommend where you can learn more about wine recreationally and professionally:

Resources around New York City:

Astor Center – Focuses on wine, spirits/cocktails, saké, and food!

Brooklyn Winery – An actual working winery that has affordable and fun courses aimed at the budding wine enthusiast

International Wine Center – they are the local provider for the WSET courses (see Wine & Spirit Education Trust below).

Amanti Vino – (in Montclair, NJ ) also conducts WSET classes as well as a whole host of classes that last just one evening.

TheThirstyRedhead.com – this is where you can find upcoming classes led by yours truly.

Other resources to check out:

LocalWineEvents.com – just like it sounds. I love this site.

Society of Wine Educators – awards a number of certifications after passing exams in both wine and spirits (held all over the country). Excellent study guides.

French Wine Society – yes the focus is French, but the online continuing education workshops (members only) are focused on a broad variety of useful topics (like the ‘Science Behind Food & Wine Pairing’ or ‘Soil & Wine: what do we really know’).

Internationally recognized wine educators (for more professional training):

Wine & Spirit Education Trust – based in the UK, they provides courses and qualifications to both consumers and trade. This is an excellent grounding that is best for really engaged consumers or professionals looking to hone their wine skills.

Court of Master Sommeliers – clearly more emphasis on the restaurant trade, but they provide entry-level courses that I think are appropriate for a wide audience. Their highest designation is the Master Sommelier, of which there are only 220 worldwide (as of this writing).

Institute of Masters of Wine – considered the most rigorous wine exams, consisting of ~~four~~ five days (beginning in 2015) of essays and blind tastings followed by a dissertation. As of this writing there are 312 Masters of Wine, living in 24 different countries. I’m crazy enough to be a candidate in this program.

Of course the best way to learn about wine is just to get out there and taste with an open mind. Tough work, but I’m sure you can manage.