It is not uncommon for our Framboise to throw a little sediment after bottling. Usually it is a fine red colored dust at the bottom of the bottle. The sediment is totally harmless and does not affect the sensory properties of our Framboise. The deposit is made of ellagitannins (a type of tannins found in many berries including raspberries) that precipitate in the presence of alcohol, not unsimilar to the tannin-anthocyanin deposit found in some red wines. The ellagitannin deposit is actually very rich in antioxidant molecules which have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease (so scoop it all up).

5 Wine Steals to Buy Right Now - Wine of the Week

http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/20/5-wine-steals-to-buy-right-now-wine-of-the-week/1#c18430292

Pacific Rim expands offerings with Italian-inspired red blend

http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/food/wine/story/709370.html

In about one week we will bottle our first Autumnus white (right after the red). The idea of a white blend as always seemed very appealing to me for the same reason than a red blend: harmony. Just like blending voices  in a choir, the combination of different wines produces a blend with high emotional resonance that hits you from multiple places. For the Autumnus White  we have chosen our favorite white varietals namely Gewurztraminer, Chenin and Riesling. The Gewurzt contributes the backbones of the fruity profile while the chenin adds a touch of mintiness. The Riesling is the structuring agent in the blend and brings the body and the acidity. This is a very nice wine with an unusual blend. 1.2% RS but tastes quite dry.

More than 600 wineries (including Pacific Rim of course) are calling Washington State home. That is more than three times the number of wineries that were in Washington 10 years ago. Of course, many of those wineries are fairly small. Still, this is a testament to the Washington State wine industry’s dynamism. The planted acreage is following up the growth in wineries and has raised to 33,000 acre from 24,000 in 1999 (though the average acreage per winery went from 122 acres/winery in 1999 to 55 acres/winery in 2009). As a comparison, Napa Valley alone has 44,000 acres planted and New Zealand has 70,000 acres planted (that makes Washington looks so small, doesn’t it?). According to the latest Nielsen data, Washington was one of the fastest growing appellation sold in grocery store across the country. I’ll raise a glass of Washington Riesling to that!

The news is out (see the Wine press Northwest website): Pacific Rim is releasing a red wine. So before the chatter starts let me have a conversation between the “Evil Nicolas” (aka EVN) and the “Good Nicolas” (aka GDN). Hopefully that will set the message right.

EVN: Whao, thought you were just making Riesling? GDN: Do you have a problem with reds?

EVN: No, no, thought you were the Riesling specialist (eheh)! GDN: OK, so we can’t make a red wine?

EVN: Seems a bit off message (eheh). GDN: right… Want to walk home tonight?

EVN: Forget about it, so what is SOOOO special about this red? GDN: Autumnus red is an Italian inspired red. No oak, very food friendly, low alcohol (12.5%). In some fashion, the red mirror of our Rieslings

EVN: No Riesling in it right (eheh)? GVN: No, no Riesling, what kind of question is that (may be that would be fun?)? It is mainly Sangiovese, Barbera, Primitivo with a touch of Pinot Nero. Mostly from the Wahluke slope

EVN: OK, sounds interesting, how would you describe this beverage. The “slope” is pretty hot, big wines usually. GVN: Good color, though not inky, with lavender from the Sangiovese and cherry from the Barbera, It is fairly soft with a great weight. Good acidity so it can go with the food.

EVN: Vintage? GVN: 2007. We’re home, get out….

Regular And Reserve Wines, Head-To-Head

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/09/reserve-regular-wines-lifestyle-wine-reserve-regular.html

Los Angeles Times…

lareview_042009

For the past year we have been working with our largest growers to come up with an integrated plan that would lift the sustainability footprint of all our vineyards. Together, those growers represent more than 80% of all our vineyards. We have called our team the Integrated Environmental Stewardship or IES for short. This effort is of course on top of our Biodynamic farming at Wallula and our Organic vineyards. The reason we started this group is because we could not find a single certification mechanism that met all our needs or that was economically interesting. After a year of work we have come up with a list of practices that we will monitor. Below is the list in order of importance to us:

That list has criteria (about 120 of them in total) that each farm can or has to follow in order to bge qualified as “sustainable” by our team. We are also in the process of sorting chemicals used for Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides and Fertilizer and agreeing of what is authorized and what is not based on several national (Organic) and international (IOBC) guidelines.

Long process, but we believe one of the most thourough out there.

The Organisation Internationale de le Vigne et du Vin (OIV) has just released their report on global production and consumption and since I am sucker for statistics I thought I would share the summary of it all.

Global acreage The EU has lost 82,000 acres in 2008 (vs 2007) mainly from France (half of that number). The world is seeing also a reduction in acreage by about 70,000 acres total. New Zealand and Russia are the “growth poles” in 2008. Global acreage stands at 19.6 million acres

Wine Production: The EU has lost about 2.1 Million Hl in 2008 (vs 2007) but the picture is mixed with France and Spain losing big volume while Romania is gaining. EU production stands at 161 MioHl. In the remaining of the world, the USA lost some volume (-0.7 MioHl) and Australia recovered from a serious crop failure in 2007. The world overall was pretty flat to slightly up (+ 1MioHl) at 269.4 MioHl.

Yield in 2008: Thought it would be fun to divide the estimated global production (269.4 MioHl) by the estimated vine area (7.861 Mioh) and get about 34.2 Hl/ha or 2.15 tons/acre. Pretty low I thought.

Global wine consumption: EU was down again (2.2 MioHl) at 125.8 MioHl. That does not compare well to the 2008 production at 161.6 MioHl - whao 35.8 MioHl surplus in 2008 for Europa…  The reverse is seen in the US with a small domestic production (19.2 MioHL) relative to the now #1 worldwide consumption (27.2 MioHl). Guess why everyone is fighting over the US market… Overall world consumption has been eroding and now stands at about 242.9 MioHl (which is about 27 MioHl surplus worldwide). Most countries see erosion in wine consumption except the Netherlands, Sweden, the USA, Australia and the Czech republic (what is going on in the Czech republic?).

There is a section about global wine export showing EU losing share, South America and Oceania eating their lunch. The last two charts show the average price for red and white in the EU and White is ahead!!! Well deserved…

I recommend greatly this book from Neal Rosenthal (the New York wine merchant). I have enjoyed the candid and interesting journey of Mr Rosenthal as he starts his thoughtful wine import business. It helped me to realize how close to the wild west was the wine industry in the late 70’s and what great opportunities folks like Neal Rosenthal, Kermitt Lynch and Terry Theise had in their hand. For all this, they were, and are, true wine lovers and really attracted to the sense of place and family that Europe offered in those days.  I wonder what the next generation of wine importer will be like and who will replace those great wine explorers.  I also wonder if Europe is/will be like this anymore. It really made me think about what we do at Pacific Rim and the value of taking the high road not only for yourself but also for the people that drink your wines.

I think one needs to be careful about meeting with Mr Rosenthal considering the amount of drame, dead partners, car accidents, family feud and failure that he encounters during his European endeavors.

In any case a good read for those who like wines and the wine business.

Thank you to the folks at Winery Exchange for their great review of our 2008 Riesling made from organic grapes. Below is a full transcript:

Linda Murphy has named our series of Single Vineyards as the wine of the year on Wine Review Online (Linda is also the corresponmdant for Jancis Robinson on the West Coast). Thank you so much Linda, a great honor.

Below are Linda’s comments on the wines:

Wines of the Year:  Pacific Rim Single-Vineyard Rieslings 2007 Columbia Valley, Washington

I’m cheating in picking not one but three new, single-vineyard Rieslings from Randall Grahm’s Pacific Rim winery in Washington state’s Columbia Valley, yet they are most impressive as a group, showing Grahm’s commitment (and that of his Pacific Rim general manager/winemaker, Nicolas Quillé), to producing outstanding Riesling in Washington.  Chateau Ste.  Michelle and Long Shadows’ Poet’s Leap wineries have been doing that for some time, though having another player is good for the neighborhood and for consumers. 

Pacific Rim’s ‘regular’ Rieslings come in dry and sweet versions and are fruity, quaffable blends from multiple Columbia Valley vineyards, selling for around $8.  The Solstice Vineyard in Yakima Valley and Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills sub-appellations are the sources for the new range of Pacific Rim Riesling — one from Solstice and two from Wallula, of which one is made from biodynamically grown grapes.  All are sealed with screw caps.

Pacific Rim, Yakima Valley (Washington) Solstice Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($30): This is the sweetest of the three wines, with 1.14 percent residual sugar, yet it remains dry on the palate.  Stony and nutty on the nose, the wine crackles in the mouth with lime and grapefruit, with some spicy baked apple and richness on the finish.  It’s crisp and refreshing, clocking in at 13.5% alcohol.  89
 
Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($18): This wine tastes bone-dry (the residual sugar percentage is 0.9) and has an inviting honeysuckle aroma with a flash of minerality.  It starts out rather austere, with earthy notes and racy citrus and white peach flavors.  There’s some creaminess and tropical fruit in the mid-palate, and the wine closes with mouthwatering acidity — tart and minerally.  This wine is delicious now, yet two or three more years in bottle should unleash some secondary complexity.  Another plus: it has just 12.3% alcohol by volume.  Note that Wallula Vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area, although the front label reads ‘Columbia Valley.’  91

Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula Vineyard Biodynamic Riesling 2007 ($30): Produced from a young, 145-acre, certified biodynamic plot at Wallula Vineyard, this floral, flinty Riesling has pure, focused Meyer lemon, citrus pith and white-peach fruit notes.  It’s dry (.76% residual sugar) though slightly plumper than the non-biodynamic wine above, and layers of flavor continue to unfold through a long finish.  A pleasant leesiness adds complexity.  It, too, will benefit from cellaring, for up to five years for those who like more mature Riesling.  13% alcohol.  92

Thanks to Mr Asimov of the New York Times (read the article here) I was reminded how succulent is a fresh Riesling for Spring. Riesling is everything I look for this time of the year, the floral notes, the crisp acid, the sweetness of Spring. My favorites for this time of the year are the lighter sweeter Riesling like our Sweet Riesling or German kabinett. So don’t forget to open several Riesling to celebrate Spring!