Month: June 2020

Argentina’s Wine Regions

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Argentina is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the New World, and though the second largest country in South America, it is the largest wine producer. The high-altitude deserts of the eastern Andes have given rise to a high-quality wine industry and the terroir here is well suited to Argentina’s adopted grape variety, the ubiquitous Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, this is now responsible for some of Argentina’s most famous wines, which are characteristically bright and intense, with floral notes and flavors of dark fruit.

Wine has been produced in Argentina since the 1500s, initially by Spanish missionaries and later Italian settlers. Argentina only began exporting wines in the 1990’s.  Until then their wines were strictly domestic and based mostly on the high-yielding Criolla Grande and Cereza grape varieties. Over the past 25 years the country’s wine producers have raised quality levels and successfully consolidated an international export market. Argentina has risen to become the fifth-most-prominent wine-producing country in the world, following France, Italy, Spain and the USA.

Most viticulture in Argentina occurs in the foothills of the Andes and most famously in Mendoza, where desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to make a terroir that gives rise to aromatic, intensely flavored red wines. Vineyards in Mendoza reach as high as 5000 ft (1500m) above sea level. Here, increased levels of solar radiation and a high diurnal temperature variation make for a long, slow ripening period, leading to balanced sugars and acidity in the grapes.

Nearly three-quarters of Argentinian wine production takes place in Mendoza, and in addition to Malbec, there are significant amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Bonarda.

Further north, the regions of Salta and Catamarca are at higher elevations. There Argentina’s signature white grape, Torrontes, is grown, making an aromatic, floral white wine.

There is a wine region closer to the Atlantic coast, Rio Negro.  The cooler conditions there suited to creating wines made from Pinot Noir.

Catamarca

Catamarca is a wine-producing region in the north-west of Argentina in the midst of the Andes mountain range. Quality and commercial focus are rapidly increasing here as they are elsewhere in Argentina.  Torrontes, Syrah and Malbec  vines are increasing throughout the region.

Jujuy

Jujuy is the northernmost viticultural area of Argentina. It is a relatively small wine region and is less commercially established than some of the other regions.  Very little of Jujuy’s wine is marketed internationally.  Torrontes is the most successful and best known of Jujuy’s grape varieties.

La Rioja

The La Rioja wine region is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in western Argentina, north of Mendoza and San Juan. The mountainous terroir of the region is particularly suited to the white-grape variety Torrontes, which produces crisp, aromatic white wines.

La Rioja was named for the northern Spanish region of the same name by Juan Ramirez de Velasco, a Spaniard from Rioja itself. This has caused some animosity between Argentina and Spain.  The matter was settled, at least in legal terms, in 2011 when the Argentinian province won a court case allowing it to continue to label its wines as ‘La Rioja Argentina’.

La Rioja is best known for its white wines but Bonarda, Syrah and Malbec can also be found growing throughout the region.

Mendoza

Mendoza is by far the largest wine region in Argentina, producing about 70% of the country’s annual wine production. The French grape variety Malbec has its New World home in the vineyards of Mendoza, producing red wines of great concentration and intensity.

While Malbec is undoubtedly the main varietal produced in the region, there are also extensive plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Torrontes and Sauvignon Blanc. Mendoza is also becoming a producer of sparkling wine.

Rio Negro

Rio Negro is South America’s southernmost wine-producing region. Despite being one of the world’s least-obvious places for quality viticulture, this desert region produces elegant Pinot Noir and Malbec wines.

While Malbec is a mainstay in Rio Negro wines, Pinot Noir has become the region’s iconic grape variety. However, there are also great Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling wines produced here.

Salta

Salta, in the far north of Argentina, is home to some of the world’s most extreme vineyard sites. Many sit at both lower latitudes and higher altitudes than anywhere else in the world. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Tannat are the most prominent red-wine varieties in Salta, while Chardonnay and Torrontes are the region’s most respected white wines.

San Juan

San Juan is an important Argentinean wine-producing area, creating wines of increasing quality using traditional European grape varieties. Syrah and the ever-present Malbec are the most important of these.

Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Syrah varietals are produced for red wines, and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontes and Viognier grapes are grown for white wines.  Large quantity of Criolla and Cereza grapes are also produced and used to make cheaper, slightly sweet wines. The region also produces sherry-style wines and provides most of the base for Argentina’s brandy and vermouth.

In Closing

Grape varietals grown in Argentina will often be warmer and spicier than their European counterparts, and very similar in flavour to the wines of neighbouring Chile.   However, I have often found that the price of comparable Argentinian and Chilean wines will be slightly more favourable to Argentina. 

If you have never tried Argentinian wine it is well worth the endeavour.  A good assortment of reds and whites at varying price points should be readily available at your local merchant.

Sláinte mhaith

The Ins and Outs of Wine Auctions

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There are numerous reasons why individuals wish to buy or sell wine on the secondary market.  There are those who purchase certain wines or vintages purely as an educated, but speculative investment, looking to resell once the particular wine has appreciated in value, assuming it actually does increase.

The reverse can also be true where a purchaser can seek out good wines that, for whatever reason, failed to maintain their initial value, and thus can later be purchased at a more reasonable cost.

It’s also where you can find back-vintages of excellent wines that aren’t known to draw big collectors at live auctions.

Auctions also provide buyers the opportunity to purchase iconic wines that were either not readily available to the general public at the time of the initial release or may not have been affordable to the buyer in the past.

While many collectors have embraced online auctions for the convenience, it’s become a place for wine consumers wanting to dabble in the auction world to do so at a much lower cost of entry. While the financial point of entry for online auctions may be lower, the quality of the wines is good.

Wine Auctions in Ontario

In Ontario, Waddington’s is the sole company permitted to sell fine wines and spirits by auction, under the authority of the LCBO.  Auctions arranged through Waddington’s can either be live or online.

Registration for a live auction is free and can be completed at their office during the preview for an auction or on the day of the auction.  The process for registering and bidding is pretty much the same as for any other type of live auction.

Registration for an online auction is completed using Waddington’s web site.  The good news is you only need to register once to participate in all of their online auctions.

Once registered, you can place online bids anytime up to the noted end time for the desired lot.

If a bid is received in the final five minutes of the auction, the countdown clock is reset an additional five minutes until no further bids are received.

You can also leave ‘absentee’ bids by entering the maximum amount you would like to bid up to; the software will bid on your behalf up to that amount.

Following payment you can either pick up your purchased auction items or arrange for shipping. Items purchased and not picked up after 10 days following the auction may be subject to storage fees on a per lot basis at $15/week, unless Waddington’s is otherwise notified at time of payment.

Waddington’s does not undertake packing or shipping. The purchaser must arrange for the services of an independent shipper and is responsible for all shipping and insurance expenses and any necessary export permits that may apply.

Be Prepared

Explore the online catalogue of any auction you are interested in. Items are researched by Waddington’s specialists and catalogued with an image, description and value estimation to help understand each item.

Don’t hesitate to email auctioneers with questions about lots before bidding.  Every auction house has wine specialists on staff that should be able to answer any questions about lots that you are interested in.   Things that would be helpful to know include:

  • The ownership history (the provenance) of the wine. The provenance includes information about how the wine was acquired by the current owner and under what circumstances. Provenance is particularly important for establishing the estimated value of very old, rare or valuable wines.
  • The manner in which the wine has been stored, such as
    • Temperature controlled unit
    • Passive cellar, which is a room in a residence with no means of maintaining a permanent temperature.
    • Underground/subterranean cellar, which is an underground cellar that can also be passive or temperature controlled. A passive underground storage area is always preferable to an above ground passive residential cellar. Underground storage is almost always a cooler environment, less susceptible to damaging light, and generally very still.
    • Professional storage facility which provides lockers in temperature-controlled buildings that can be rented by wine collectors.

Auctions provide the opportunity to look for vintages that may not have initially been well received.  Some wines receive less than favourable reviews at the time they are released but time and experience prove those reviews to be wrong with those wines drinking well now.

Bidding on mixed lots is not recommended as you can’t be certain of what you are getting.  Selecting single bottles or even small verticals (several consecutive vintages of the same wine) is the recommended way to go. Mixed lots are a great way for auction houses to move along their cellar’s random one-offs.

Waddington’s charges a buyer’s premium of 20% on the hammer price. Buyer’s premium and applicable Canadian taxes are added to the final bid amount.

Conditions of Sale

In order to purchase alcoholic beverages through an online or live auction you must of course be able to prove you are nineteen years of age or older.

All lots are sold “as is”. Any description issued by the auctioneer of an article to be sold is subject to variation to be posted or announced verbally in the auction room prior to the time of sale.  Descriptions provided by the auction house are only statements of opinion.  No opportunity of inspection is offered prior to the time of sale. No sale will be set aside on account of lack of correspondence of the article with its description or its photo, if any. Some lots are of an age and/or nature which preclude their being in pristine condition and some catalogue descriptions make reference to damage and/or restoration. The lack of such a reference does not imply that a lot is free from defects nor does any reference to certain defects imply the absence of others.  In other words, the auction house cannot speak for how well the wine has been maintained while in the possession of the current owner or possible previous owner(s).  

The potential saving grace is that the buyer, prior to removal of a lot, may make arrangements satisfactory to the auctioneer, for the inspection of the purchase by a fully qualified person acceptable to the auctioneer in order to determine the genuineness or authenticity of the lot. This inspection must be completed within a period of 14 days following the sale. The results must be presented to the auctioneer to the effect that the lot is not genuine or authentic, accompanied by a written request from the buyer to rescind the sale.  The sale price will then be refunded to the buyer.

Unless exempted by law, the buyer is required to pay HST on the total purchase price including the buyer’s premium. This is important to keep in mind as it can significantly increase the total cost of your purchase.

Each lot may be subject to an unpublished reserve which may be changed at any time by agreement between the auctioneer and the consignor.

In Closing

Auctions can be exciting, challenging, frustrating and rewarding.  Your own experience will in part be a factor of your preparedness for the event. Do your homework; predetermine the maximum you are willing to pay for the item you are interested in, and be prepared to stand down if the bidding surpasses that amount. It is not a competition. “Winners” have been known to have buyer’s remorse if they have gotten carried away in the heat of the moment.

Sláinte mhaith

New Zealand’s Wine Regions

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New Zealand’s wine regions extend 1,600 km. from sub-tropical Northland down to Central Otago, where you will find the world’s most southerly vineyards. The vines benefit from the moderating effect of the maritime climate, long hours of sunshine and nights cooled by sea breezes.

If you like cool-climate wines, such as those from Canada, France, Germany or Austria and like Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, then you should give New Zealand wines a try.

Sauvignon Blanc was the first wine to put New Zealand on the map, and it developed a following with millions of people around the world.

The world’s love affair with New Zealand wine grows as wine lovers continue to explore their diverse range of wine varieties and styles.

Most of New Zealand’s wine regions are situated on the eastern coastlines of the North and South Islands, in the rain shadow of the mountains, each with its own unique soils and climatic conditions. Within the eleven regions, sub-regional characteristics distinguish wines as being not just from a wine region, but from a sub-region and a place.

Marlborough

Marlborough provides a combination of a cool but sunny climate, a low amount of rainfall and free-draining, moderately fertile soil.  The result is unique wines.  Marlborough put New Zealand on the international wine stage during the 1980s with its exquisite Sauvignon Blanc.

This is the country’s largest wine region with in excess of 20,000 hectares of vines under the control of local wine producers.  This is about 2/3 of the national total.

Marlborough wineries offer a wide range of varieties, from exquisite Pinot Noir to intense Chardonnay, and vivacious aromatics. 

Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s second largest wine region.  Wine has been produced there since 1851.

Hawke’s Bay has developed an international reputation for producing high quality Cabernet & Merlot blends, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and an impressive array of aromatic white wines.

The warm climate and long growing season also allow for the successful production of dessert wine styles.

Central Otago

Central Otago

Central Otago is home to some of the world’s best Pinot Noir and impressive white wines, including aromatics such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Muscat and Pinot Gris, as well as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

By the 1970s there was a significant commitment by winegrowing pioneers that endure today in names such as Chard Farm, Rippon, Black Ridge and Gibbston Valley.

Gisborne

This is a relatively remote area that grows a diverse range of wines, from full-flavoured and fruit-driven, to critically acclaimed classics.  Gisborne is home to a mix of large producers, boutique wineries, and entrepreneurial growers, who are continuously exploring new varieties and vineyard sites.

Chardonnay is the dominant variety and enjoys great success.  Delightfully bright Pinot Gris is the region’s second-largest wine variety, with emerging varieties being trialled with great success.

Canterbury & North Canterbury

The Canterbury wine region spans nearly 200 km. of the South Island’s eastern coastline, with the Alps to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.  The region has an excellent reputation for elegant and expressive Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatics, with other varieties achieving outstanding results.

Vineyards were first established on the Canterbury Plains in 1978, with plantings to the south-west of Christchurch and North Canterbury following close behind.

Wairarapa

Wairarapa (meaning glistening waters in Maori) is a boutique region having just 3% of New Zealand’s land under vine, and contributes to 1% of its total production.

A range of styles and varieties are grown, such as standout Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and aromatics, as well as stylish Chardonnay, Syrah and dessert wines.

The three main sub-regions in the area are Martinborough, Gladstone and Masterton. These sub-regions share a similar climate and soil structures, but provide subtle differences in character.

Wairarapa’s modern wine history dates from the late 1970’s plantings of Martinborough, which included producers such as Dry River, Martinborough Vineyard, Ata Rangi and Margrain.

Nelson

This picturesque region is situated on the northern tip of the South Island. Nelson is a boutique wine region producing outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and aromatics, as well as an impressive mix of emerging varieties.

Growers in the 1970s developed the modern wine industry with iconic names such as Seifried and Neudorf still going strong.

Auckland

This large and very diverse region is home to some of New Zealand’s biggest wine companies, as well as numerous high-quality boutique vineyards, offering something for every palate.  It is one of New Zealand’s oldest wine regions, established in the early 1900’s.  

Waiheke Island is home to great Syrah, world-class Chardonnay, intense Cabernet blends and fine aromatics.  West Auckland is known for its internationally recognised Chardonnay and Merlot.  In North Auckland there are excellent Cabernet blends, Pinot Gris and Syrah, along with numerous emerging red varieties. 

Northland

Its northern location close to the sea gives the Northland region an almost subtropical climate, having high humidity, warm temperatures and lots of sunshine.

The first vines in New Zealand were planted in the Bay of Islands in 1819.  The in the late 1800s, the Croatians brought the European tradition of winemaking to the region.

Tropical Chardonnays, popular Pinot Gris and vibrant Viogniers are leading the white wine growth in Northland. Red wines produced include spicy Syrahs, stylish Cabernet and Merlot blends, peppery Pinotages and complex Chambourcin.

Waitaki Valley, North Otago

Flanked by the cool south Pacific Ocean to the east and the high peaks of the Southern Alps to the west, the Waitaki River is one of New Zealand’s largest wine regions.

The Waitaki Valley vineyards stretch along a 75 km. strip taking advantage of hot, dry summers, cold winters and long dry autumns.

Signature varieties from the area include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.

Waikato & Bay of Plenty

The Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions south of Auckland have small pockets of vineyard plantings scattered amidst rolling farmland.  Wine styles are focused mainly on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc.

In Closing

Although New Zealand produces less than 1% of the world’s wine, it offers an impressive range of high-quality varieties and styles. Whatever your preferences, there’s sure to be a wine to suit your palate.

Sláinte mhaith

Corona and Wine

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No matter what you call it, Coronavirus, COVID-19, or the pandemic, it is having an effect on everything and everyone.  Although the environment has been helped in a positive fashion, and more attention is being paid to health care and other essential workers, and seniors in retirement homes, the vast majority of effects have been nasty.

With the production of this last year’s wine supply in progress, the situation heavily impacts the existing product stocks of the winemakers looking to sell the wine reserves of 2018. However, due to the recently applied measures imposed by most countries, the biggest wine producing countries – Italy, France, Spain and the US – have seen sales decline steadily.

Mid-spring to early autumn is when wineries here in Canada do most of their business.  However, with wine tours, tastings and exploration being limited or completely on hold for the foreseeable future, the number of visitors to wineries will be drastically reduced along with associated wine sales.  The sale of other merchandise, such as food and clothing, will also be negatively impacted.

The larger wineries that produce enough volume to distribute their products through the distribution channel for sale to consumers in wine and liquor stores will be less impacted than the smaller wineries that rely totally on customers coming through their door.  To compensate for the reduced walk-in traffic, wineries are turning to online sales.  Wineries that already had online purchase capability are enticing customers by offering free delivery, while wineries that did not previously have the capability are scrambling to make it available.  The smaller, lesser known wineries are still at a disadvantage because if consumers are not already familiar with them and their products, they are less likely to be searching out their web site.

For consumers who do know what they want, they can have a wide selection of wines available to them without having to travel to the winery to get them.  The only caveat is that the post office will currently not provide home delivery so purchasers will need to pick up their wine at their local post office.

Some of the more sophisticated winery web sites are adding virtual tours of their cellars to further entice their customers.

In Europe in particular, increases in direct sales will reduce the middleman.  For example, in France the wines are first distributed through courtiers (brokers) who take a small percentage of the cost.  Next the right to sell the futures is passed on to the négociants (shippers) who set a new price for the wine, referred to as the ex-négoce price. With very few exceptions, no one deals directly with Bordeaux’s châteaux; they deal with the négociants.  However, if the châteaux offer their wines online direct to consumers, the traditional distribution system is circumvented, potentially providing more profit to the wineries while enabling consumers to purchase at less cost.

With the tightened measures imposed by the government banning all public and private events, including restaurants, bars, sports facilities and cultural spaces, wine sales were obviously negatively impacted.  Even when these establishments begin to allow patrons once again, the reduction in the numbers permitted within an establishment at any one time will impact sales.  However, if  take out and home delivery options, which were introduced to help counter the negative impact of COVID-19, are allowed to continue, it will help soften the effects of the reduction in patrons.

Canadian wine competitions, both provincial and national, are postponed indefinitely.  Many wineries, especially the newer or lesser known ones, rely on these competitions to better establish themselves and gain credibility.  The cancellation of these competitions, even for just one year, could have a catastrophic effect on some of the smaller, lesser known wineries as there are buyers who are heavily influenced by award recognition.

In France, COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on Champagne’s economy.  With weddings and other celebratory events being cancelled or postponed all around the world, there has been a massive reduction in demand for the famous bubbly.

The impact of the virus has allowed for a strong feeling of solidarity to emerge in the wine industry as it has in other areas. A number of wineries have donated part of their profits to the hospitals and other related health care providers. In Italy, Inserrata, a family-run organic farm in Tuscany, is donating all its profits generated by the sale of their Sangiovese rosato “Inebriante” to the Italian Red Cross. Instagram channel Cantina Social has started the iorestoincantina and project to put in touch wineries and customers, while donating 10% of the revenue to the winemaker’s local hospital or to Italy’s Civil Protection Department.

Due to the uncertainty in the evolution of the spread of the virus, it is yet too early to predict the future of the wine industry.  However, one thing for certain is that life as we knew it won’t be returning anytime soon.

Sláinte mhaith