SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE : Asian Libations - Pairing with Chinese Food . Does Really Matter? . Brent Lello’s Wine Story Château Haut-Brion Owners Buy Château Latour’s Francois Pinault St. Emilion’s Château L’Arrosée buys Araujo Estate in Napa by: James Molesworth by: Jane Anson

This takes the number of wine properties Bart and Daphne Araujo bought Eisele now owned by the French billionaire and , located just outside Calistoga, his son Francois-Henri to four – Latour in in 1990, although the vineyard itself dates Pauillac, Château Grillet in the northern back to 1884, and is known particularly Rhone, Domaine d’Eugenie in Vosne- for its . Romanée and now Araujo in Napa. Pinault also owns vines in After the purchase, they hired Michel Le Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet. Rolland as consultant, and also converted the estate to biodynamic farming – The price of the purchase was not something that Château Latour has itself disclosed, but is likely to have been at been doing over the past few years. least US$300,000 per acre. The sale included the Eisele Vineyard, 38 acres of In a letter to staff and clients, the former vines, the and existing stocks. owners said that they had received an unsolicited expression of interest from the Photo source: mybettanedesseauve.fr ‘Araujo Estate and its jewel, the unique Artemis Group, owners of Latour, and Domaine Clarence Dillon, the director of Domaine Clarence Dillon. ‘At Eisele Vineyard, have been producing were slowly convinced that they were ‘the ownership group that includes the this stage, any question about the strategy consistently one of the very best wines of perfect buyers for this amazing vineyard famed first-growth Château Haut- we intend to implement is premature,’ the Napa Valley,’ said Frederic Engerer, we have called home for 23 years’. Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, he told Wine Spectator. ‘We will CEO of the Pinault wine group, in a has added another Right Bank estate communicate in due time about it, in the statement. The Araujo family will stay at the estate to their portfolio: Château L’Arrosée coming months.’ until January 2014 to help with the in St. Emilion. The deal was closed on ‘We would very much like to pay tribute transition, and the rest of the estate’s team May 29. The purchase price was not to the exceptional work of Bart and will remain in place. disclosed. Daphne Araujo, whose pioneering vision, dedication to excellence and attention to Château L’Arrosée is the second Right detail has built one of the most respected Bank estate to be purchased by Domaine wine estates in the world.’ Clarence Dillon in recent years. The Source: .com firm, owned by the Dillon family and currently run by Prince Robert de Luxembourg, purchased Château Tertre Daugay—since renamed Quintus—in 2011. Previously owned by the Caille family, which bought it in 2002, Château L’Arrosée totals nearly 33 acres of vines. The , which neighbor Quintus, are planted with 60 percent and 20 percent each of Cabernet Sauvignon and .

Speculation that the estates might be combined was premature according Photo source: gfhglobal.org to Jean-Philippe Delmas, managing Source: winespectator.com

Editorial Staff Directory Our Vision Directory To inspire a new generation of wine lovers. Shangri-La Plaza Mall, 633-3556 Christian Tan president EDSA Mandaluyong City We digest it for wine lovers… The Wine Story Gossips tracks all relevant wine information from key websites, magazines, Romy Sia publisher journals, wine research and studies and other credible resources. Then we summarize what is essential, for to become a Eunice de Belen editor-in-chief more passionate and knowledgeable wine enthusiast. Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Jesse Keisha Wenceslao production assistant 846-6310 Taguig City The Wine Story Gossips is a monthly publication of the Healthy Options Group of Companies with corporate offices located at #3 Economia Street corner Calle Patrisha Sofia Delgado layout & design Industria, Barangay Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, 1110 and trunk line of (632)637-8888. For subscription inquiries, visit any of our stores. Wine Story is a Sky Printing printer One Rockwell West, 869-0932 trademark registered at the Philippine Patent Office. ENTERED AS THIRD CLASS (PM) POSTAGE PAID AT QUEZON CITY CPO Under Permit No. NCR-05-07-201 valid until December 31, 2013. Subject for Postal Inspection. Makati City

1 Issue No. 8 www.winestory.com.ph Asian Libations - Pairing Wine with Chinese The World’s First

Food Back in the 1600s, Hungary’s famous Tokaji region was the first to classify wine based on quality. This region When it comes to alcoholic beverages, is often touted probably produced the world’s first as the drink of choice to serve with Chinese food. In fact, botryris (noble rot*) wine in 1647, the Chinese have been avid wine drinkers for centuries. when they delayed the to prevent But unlike the French and Italian grape wines, traditional, the invading Turkish troops from grain-based Chinese wines haven’t caught on in the west. appropriating the juice. It is said, ‘‘Twas Part of the problem - aside from the sheer difficulty of a brave man that first ate an oyster’ and finding a store or restaurant that carries Chinese similarly ‘twas a brave person that first wine - may be its high alcohol content. For example, there’s harvested botryised grapes.’ the notorious Mao Tai: a fiery, 55 proof concoction served Photo source: to foreign dignitaries at diplomatic banquets. biblicalgenealogy.kavonrueter.com

*A parasitic fungus (Botrytis cinerea) that attacks ripe grapes and causes an increase in their sugar content. Certain wines, such as the French Sauternes and the Hungarian Tokaji, are produced from such grapes.

Source: geniusofdrinking.com

How to Host a Blind Party by: Chrysta Lea Baker

Recently, the Chinese have been experimenting with grape and other fruit wines. Lychee wine, plum wine, and a honey grape wine made from and honey are all on the market. Unfortunately, like , the selection of Chinese in liquor stores and restaurants is not likely to increase anytime soon (although I recently enjoyed a grape wine from Northern China). But the difficulty in obtaining Chinese spirits doesn’t mean you must forego wine with your meal altogether. There are several French, Known as China’s “haute cuisine,” Cantonese dishes German, and Californian wines that are well suited to are much more subtly seasoned. For the best result, Throwing a wine tasting party can be both entertaining Chinese cuisine. try a sweet fruity wine, such as a German . and educational for you and your guests, no matter what Meanwhile, a red Bordeaux is particularly appropriate your level of wine understanding might be. However, When choosing a wine, consider where the various dishes for Shanghai cuisine. Dishes such as Lion’s Head - large throwing a “blind” wine tasting can kick your party up you are sampling originated. China is a huge country, with pork meatballs, topped with cabbage to suggest a lion’s a notch by making it more of a challenge or game for regional differences in climate and resources, and each mane - are quite rich, and the tannin in the wine cuts your guests, and making wine tasting scents even more region has developed its own culinary style. the grease. A Merlot works well with Peking cuisine, important. which often features heavier meats like duck and beef. For highly spiced Szechuan dishes, try a Gewurztraminer. So does a burgundy such as . At a “non-blind” wine tasting party, guests know which Gewurztraminer literally means “spice grapes” and the wines they’re going to taste beforehand. At blind wine California variant in particular has a “spicy-peach” flavour tasting parties, guests have no idea what wine varieties, with a hint of ginger. Other possibilities include a French brands, flavors, or even what price range they’re going Puilly Fousse or a . to sample. This can be a lot of fun because some people might have a preconceived notion or even a bit of prejudice about certain kinds of wines, so having a blind wine tasting eliminates this sort of bias. The proof Kan Pei! (“Bottoms up”). is truly in the pudding when all the wines are on a level “Born to the earth are three kinds of creatures. playing field of anonymity. Some are winged and fly. Some are furred and run. There are many ideas for wine tasting party fun, but Still others stretch their mouths and talk. when preparing for blind tasting, you should decide on All must eat and drink to survive. “ a general theme. You can buy wines that are from different countries, regions, or grape varieties. (There are (Lu Yu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher) even wine tasting party kits you can buy.) Provide your guests a written description of each wine’s characteristics, such as flavors, aromas, or tannic Source: chinesefood.about.com 2 qualities to look for when tasting. Many of these descriptions can come on diabetics have long been the subject of appears in the blood—“will be improved,” right from the wine’s label. scientific inquiry) can probably help your explains Alois Jungbauer, lead author of the husband manage his A1C, too. study. These results have been confirmed by You can also choose wines of varying price ranges, from affordable table wines to a number of other studies, including from more expensive quality wines. Your guests must try to determine which wines are Here’s how it works: When you eat the University College London Medical the most affordable and the most expensive. No matter what your wine theme is, a meal, especially one that contains School (2003) and Harvard Medical School each guest should be given a score card with different categories to evaluate each sugars and starches, your blood glucose (2012). wine’s qualities and whether or not they like them. soars—a phenomenon that’s especially undesirable for diabetics. But researchers In other words, according to Professor Before your guests arrive, you need to conceal the identity of each bottle of at the University of Natural Resources Jungbauer’s findings, the that wine. Purchase some tall brown paper bags, the kind they make for bottles, and and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna your husband drinks with dinner should put each bottle of wine inside one. You’ll want to put either rubber bands found in 2010 that the polyphenols slow down the release of glucose into his or tape around the bags at the necks to prevent them from falling off while in red wine activate a certain receptor, bloodstream. As for how much he can pouring. You might want to remove any foil caps from the wine’s necks as well, the PPARgamma, which can block safely imbibe every day, that’s a matter that to conceal any telltale markings. Write a letter (A, B, C, etc.) on each bag so you inflammation and convert sugar into lipids. he should take up with his doctor. know which wine to serve next and for your guests to know which wine they’re “So if you drink red wine together with a evaluating on their scorecards. diet rich in sugar, the glycemic index”— which measures how quickly glucose Like non-blind wine tasting parties, you’ll want to serve your wines from white to red, light to full-bodied, sweet to dry, or young to old. The glasses used for Source: winespectator.com wine tasting are important - each guest will need a large-bowled in order to properly swirl and sniff each wine. Using plastic cups will not allow your guests to fully enjoy and analyze the wine, so stick with real glasses. Each guest Second Bordeaux storm destroys also needs a disposable cup to discard any wine they don’t swallow, as well as the all important wine tasting score cards and pencil. The table should have a large 4,000 Hectares costing container for pouring out any unused wine guests want to discard and a pitcher ‘20 million Euros at the very least’ of water to be used for cleaning out glasses between wines. In addition, you’ll by: Sophie Kevany want to have something available to cleanse the palate, such as bread, plain crackers, and water.

Once the wine tasting is complete, each guest should turn in their scorecards and the results tallied. Remove the bags from the wines to reveal the identities of each wine. Prizes can be awarded to those who guessed the most correctly, preferably a bottle of their favorite wine. In the end, you and your guests will have had a wonderful time learning about different wines and what makes them so delicious!

Source: 100bestwines.com

What is the suggested red wine serving per day for someone who Vines stripped bare in Entre-Deux-Mers near St-Léon and Espiet, credit: Gavin Quinney is managing type 2 diabetes? On August 5, 2013, Bordeaux’s main white Growers in the worst hit areas said their by: Esther Mobley wine growing region, Entre-deux-Mers, has vines were stripped bare by the hailstorm. been hit by a massive hailstorm damaging News agency AFP reported that the about 4,000 hectares of vines with many hailstones, some of which were as large as producers losing almost their entire crop. cricket balls, killed birds.

President of the Entre-deux-Mers One of the best-known producers in Winegrowers Union (Syndicate Viticole Entre-deux-Mers, Château Bonnet, was de l’Entre-deux-Mers), Stéphane Defraine, severely hit by the storm. ‘We lost about said the Friday evening storm cost growers 280 hectares out of a total 300,’ said about ‘€20 million at the very least’. owner André Lurton. The estate produces about 1.5 million bottles of white and 1 ‘It lasted about 15 to 20 minutes where I million bottles of red a year. was, longer in other parts, and about 4,000 hectares were destroyed,’ Defraine said. The storm is the second to hit the Bordeaux region in as many weeks, with Q: My husband was just taken off type A: Congratulations to your husband. Currently, growers are assessing the full strong winds and heavy rain battering 2 diabetes pills due to controlling his According to the American Diabetes extent of the damage, he said, to see what, vineyards in the Medoc in late July, A1C number by diet! I’m very proud Association—and as you and your if anything, might be salvageable, while notably at Château Lafite where willow of him, and his doctors were excited for husband surely know—managing exploring the possibility of government aid trees were uprooted. this accomplishment also. What would one’s diet and exercise makes a huge and zero-rated loans to help manage the be your suggestion on red wine serving difference in the treatment of type 2 financial impact. per day? —Barbara H. diabetes. Still, red wine (whose effects Source: decanter.com

3 Issue No. 8 www.winestory.com.ph Health Watch: Wine Helps Breast treatments for diseases of aging and not For the study, conducted at the on extending lifespan.” Stubbee added University of Michigan Health System Cancer Survivors that research at Sirtris exploring the and published in the Journal of by: Jacob Gaffney biology of sirtuins—proteins that Nutritional Biochemistry, hypertensive, regulate aging—is highly successful heart failure-prone rats were fed a grape- and now requires the expertise available enriched diet for 18 weeks. The researchers at the larger drug discovery sector in found the rats eating grapes suffered much Pennsylvania. lower rates of heart failure. They concluded that grape polyphenols spur heart cells to But after several setbacks during produce glutathione, the most abundant clinical trials of Sirtris medicines, is cellular antioxidant in the heart, lowering GSK as confident in the company’s levels of hypertension. mission? Lead researcher E. Mitchell Seymour said Grape Time to Relax in a statement that the ability of grapes to influence several genetic pathways provides A recent study finds that grapes, full of evidence that grapes work on multiple polyphenols such as resveratrol, can levels to deliver beneficial effects. But it’s improve the heart health of rats in not all good news for wine drinkers— as little as 18 weeks. For rodents, Seymour recommends eating whole grapes grape consumption helped reduce the for the best health benefits. occurrence of heart muscle enlargement and fibrosis, and smoothed the heartbeat. The result was fewer A big drug firm seems less interested in experience consuming alcohol is unlikely incidences of high blood pressure. resveratrol-related research; grapes offer to impact their survival after diagnosis. This Source: winespectator.com heart benefits. study also provides additional support for the beneficial effect of moderate A new study provides good news for alcohol consumption with respect to Does Vintage Always Matter? breast cancer survivors—there is no need cardiovascular disease.” By: Lettie Teague to give up wine drinking in moderation. According to a study from the Fred Newcomb added that women who drink Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, responsibly may be more responsive to Knowing the best is crucial in drinking before and after breast cancer hormone-modifying therapies, but it is too Bordeaux, but what about in the rest of diagnosis does not impact survival from early to know for sure. the world? F&W’s Lettie Teague shares her the disease. In fact, a modest survival easy-to-remember vintage wisdom. benefit was found in women who were Big Pharma Ditches Resveratrol moderate drinkers before and after I’ve never been much of a student of diagnosis due to a reduced risk of In April 2008, pharmaceutical giant history. I just can’t keep a lot of dates in my dying from cardiovascular disease, a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the head. Or even recall why they matter at all. major cause of mortality among breast purchase of a small medical research startup In my defense, I like to quote Einstein, who cancer survivors. called Sirtris for $720 million. At the time, once declared, “I never memorize anything Moncef Slaoui, then chairman of Glaxo’s that I can look up.” He probably wasn’t Previous research has linked alcohol research and development arm, said Sirtris referring to wine (perhaps it was someone consumption to an increased risk of had “potentially transformative science,” else’s relativity theory?), but I think that his developing breast cancer, though in a statement on the sale. That policy might apply. With wine, there’s so much to keep track of: grapes, regions, the nature of the link and exact risk potential appeared to hinge on research producer names, not to mention all those vintages, too. The latter may challenge of consumption patterns is unclear. harnessing the health benefits of the red- even the best memories, as there are so many more places where wine is made now. For this study, published in the Journal wine chemical resveratrol. It’s no longer a question of knowing what the year was like in Bordeaux and of Clinical Oncology, about 5,000 Burgundy, but also in Central Otago, Rueda and Calabria, as well. Or is it? Are there participants with breast cancer were Five years later, GSK is closing down some places in the world where vintage just isn’t that big of a deal? questioned about alcohol consumption Sirtris, quietly integrating the company Vintage Defined habits. into its research and development organization. Remaining staff is being The researchers found that the amount moved from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Vintage (the word is derived from vin, the French word for wine) is simply an and type of alcohol a woman a site in Pennsylvania. indication that a wine was made in a particular year. More or less. The fact is, a reported consuming in the years vintage-dated wine made in either Europe or the U.S. may legally contain up to before her diagnosis was not associated GSK and Sirtris were always careful to stress 15 percent of grapes from years other than with her likelihood from dying from that resveratrol science was not their main the one on the label. And in some New breast cancer. They also discovered focus. After all, you can’t patent a chemical World countries, that total may be as high that women who consumed three to six found in wine. Instead, the company hoped as 25 percent. Perhaps these wines should drinks per week in the years before their to produce more effective medicines based be labeled plupart—the French word for cancer diagnosis were 15 percent less on the properties of resveratrol, focusing most—instead? likely to die from cardiovascular on treating diseases rather than creating an disease than non-drinkers. Moderate anti-aging pill. What makes a vintage bad or good? Weather wine drinkers showed an even lower is key, not just at harvest but throughout the risk, the study states. “Sirtris hasn’t done any research with year. In a bad vintage, there may be excess resveratrol for the last two years and has rain, which could cause rot. There might be “Our findings should be reassuring to no plans to study resveratrol in the future,” frost or even hail, which could destroy the women who have breast cancer,” Melinda Stubbee, spokesperson for GSK vines, the canopies or the grapes said Polly Newcomb, the study’s global research and development, told themselves. (Hail happens so often in lead author and head of the Cancer Wine Spectator. “Our intention when we Mendoza, Argentina, that producers often Prevention Program at the Fred acquired Sirtris was never on developing a cover their vineyards with nets.) Excess heat Hutchinson Center. “Their past red wine pill. Our research is focused on is also a problem, as it can result in wines that are too alcoholic or overripe. 4 In a good vintage, everything is in balance. There may be rain, but at the right time and It’s not surprising that Ashenfelter began predicting vintage quality with the wines of just enough to provide sufficient moisture to the vines. There will be just enough heat Bordeaux (he’s since added Burgundy and the Rhône), as they are not only the world’s at the right time. In other words, in a good year, the grapes will ripen slowly and evenly, most sought-after wines but also wines whose flaws are most apparent when the vintage and the vines won’t be stressed. Generally speaking, there have been more good is bad. This is what Roman Weil, professor emeritus of Accounting at the Graduate vintages than bad in most wine regions in recent years. This is thanks in part to School of Business at the University of Chicago, found when he led a group through a favorable weather (global warming has been good for the colder parts of the wine world, tasting of 12 different wines. The only time they could even tell one wine from another like Germany), and also thanks to improved vineyard management—viticultural was when they were tasting good- and bad-vintage Bordeaux. Just to be sure, Weil techniques that can ameliorate the effects of bad weather. repeated the test with some Frenchmen as well. They felt the same way. (Is it any wonder that the Bordelais have been turning so many of their wines into ethanol?) And the difference between a good and a great vintage? I guess you could say that’s when the growing conditions (i.e., the weather) are not merely favorable but ideal, and My friend Scott Manlin, a Chicago collector who buys wines from all over the world, everything happens as it should. In fact, winemakers sometimes like to complain that agrees that Bordeaux is a region where vintage really matters, but he also maintains that they find a great vintage boring, because it leaves them with “nothing to do.” Bordeaux prices don’t always reflect the vintage quality. In other words, wines from poor Bordeaux vintages, like 2004 and 2007, cost nearly almost as much as those from Some regions only produce blockbuster years. vintage wines in great years. For example, in the Douro region of Bordeaux certainly has a challenging climate (it’s about 30 miles from the ocean, and Portugal, port producers submit there can be a lot of rain), and yet there are legal limits on what its winemakers can do. their wines about two years after For example, when famed consultant Michel Rolland put plastic sheets harvest to the IVDP (Port and over his vineyards at Château Fontenil in 2000 to protect them from the rain, he was Douro Wines Institute) to charged with violating AOC rules, and his wine was denied appellation status. But determine whether the year should Rolland had the last word with the name of the wine: Le Défi de Fontenil (“The be “declared.” If the quality is Defiance of Fontenil”). found to be sufficiently high, the producers issue a vintage But Scott isn’t interested in the work of particular winemakers with off-vintage port, as happens about three times Bordeaux; he turns to the Burgundians instead. “Producers in Burgundy are usually every 10 years. (Some of the best port vintages in recent years include 1994, 1997, smaller and have more control over their vines,” he maintained. (Or maybe more 2000 and 2003.) This makes for good fellowship, as well as good marketing sense—a freedom with their plastic tarps?) And, as he noted, their prices tend to be a bit more unanimous endorsement enhances the wines’ credibility, and declaring a vintage is reasonable in poor vintages than in Bordeaux. more dramatic than slapping on yet another label for yet another year. Of course, some port producers do buck the system and declare vintages when others do not, and some And yet Burgundy’s climate is just as marginal as that of Bordeaux. In fact, its may choose not to produce a vintage every time it’s declared. precipitation rates are roughly the same (except Bordeaux gets more rain, and Burgundy gets more hail). Other major wine regions subject to weather extremes houses are also collaborative when it comes to include Champagne (the northernmost wine district in ) and the Rhône. There’s vintages, though their process is less communistic; there is also Piedmont in Italy (lots of fog) and, to a lesser extent, Tuscany; plus all the chief wine no single meeting or group to determine a vintage, and regions of Germany (ditto Austria). In the U.S., Oregon has had a string of good (which producers can declare a year whenever they feel like it. is to say, sunny) vintages, but it’s still a pretty unpredictable place weather-wise, as are Perhaps that’s why you’ll find off-year more the wine regions of New York state: Long Island’s North Fork and the Finger Lakes. frequently than off-year vintage port. Indeed, even though there were several bad Champagne vintages in the ’90s, every Nevertheless, only the vintages of two of these regions seem to warrant much year between 1990 and 2001 was, in fact, declared by at least attention in wine stores. According to Nikos Antonakeas, the managing director of one Champagne house. (Great vintages during those years: Morrell & Company in New York, his clients care only about the vintages of Bordeaux 1990, 1995, 1996 and 2000.) and Burgundy. And when the year is bad in either place, they’re reluctant to buy. “We are still struggling to sell 2001 Bordeaux, even though there were some very good wines Of course, winemakers who produce wines in the vintages from that vintage,” Nikos noted of the little-praised year. “Everyone wants the wines of shunned by their peers might assert that they were able to 2000 and 2005.” make something worthy in a not-so-great year thanks to good (a rigorous selection of grapes, limited yields) or What about regions where the vintages are officially declared, like Port and perhaps even a trick or two of technology (such as removing Champagne? Did his customers pay attention to those? Not really, Nikos said. “They alcohol by means of reverse osmosis). Some winemakers have buy whatever vintage is in the store.” And California wines? Did they demand certain even said to me that they should be paid a lot more for bad years? “Only if they’re spending $50 a bottle or more,” he replied. years than good ones, given how much more work they must do. I guess that’s why some people believe that the winemaker Where Vintage Doesn’t Matter matters more than the vintage: The winemaker has all the tools. Although it’s home to more than 100 appellations, it’s safe to say that California is a And yet, these winemakers are invariably the same ones who proudly declare, “My wine place where vintage matters less than most other places in the world. The weather, and is made in the vineyard.” (It’s today’s second-most-popular winemaking phrase, right hence the vintages, have been consistently good. Indeed, the only truly lousy year was behind a “personal definition of .”) This phrase particularly rankles my a decade ago. The same is true of Australia and most of Spain, though there are regions ex-husband, Alan, a restaurant critic and a man unafraid to use a vintage chart. “If their in those countries that are, perhaps thanks to global warming, increasingly subject to vineyard is flooded, how much can they really do?” he complained. “It’s the weather drought. Southern regions are also fairly reliable, year in, year out. that affects the vineyard the most, and therefore, the vintage will always count.” Most wine regions in Chile have decent weather, as does the warm -centric region of Mendoza, Argentina, though hail can occasionally take its toll. Where Vintage Matters I’d also say that vintage doesn’t matter when it comes to the grocery-store Chardonnays Although I don’t always agree with Alan (he is my ex, after all), I think he has a good and Cabernets that my sister favors (all of which have years on their labels, as she points point. As long as wine is an agricultural, rather than industrial product, the weather will out). Since their quality is more likely to be compromised by a machine breaking down always determine a vintage. Particularly in certain parts of the world, like Bordeaux. than a bout of bad weather, I’d put them in a special category all their own—one in Orley Ashenfelter, an Economics professor at Princeton University, determines the value which vintage never matters at all. of a Bordeaux vintage based on his own complex weather theorem. Unlike wine critics, who wait until they’ve actually tasted the wines before rating the vintage, Ashenfelter’s In short, if you don’t want to memorize vintages, you’ll need to learn a bit of geography mathematical weather model tells him whether or not a vintage will be great. And and choose wines from places where the weather’s reliable. But if you’re buying from though he’s been deemed a crackpot or worse, he’s actually been right many times. In more meteorologically marginal places, you’ll need to know the bad years from the fact, he’s predicted many great Bordeaux vintages, including 1982 and 2000. good. I keep a vintage chart in my wallet—and a world map in my head. Source: winespectator.com 5 Issue No. 8 www.winestory.com.ph Introduction to Bordeaux & Aroma Workshop Wine and Cheese Pairing Workshop Filipino Food and Wine Exciting Events for Pairing Workshop the ‘Ber’ Months Wine Story actively promotes sharing wine stories and learnings through various workshops, classes and handling wine appreciation nights for clients’ private celebrations.

In photos are what you missed and the upcoming events you should be looking forward to.

A tour to Pomerol will happen throughout the month of September Chinese Food and Wine Pairing Workshop on September 30 Dessert and Wine Pairing Workshop on October 30

Visit our stores or www.winestory.com.ph for more details.

High Fashion Meets Fine Wine

On the 20th of July at Wine Story Serendra, Wine and High Fashion Lovers gathered together to witness the launching of AJI designs.

Spectacular wines were served starting from the Rose Champagne Bollinger Rose NV, followed by Prima 2005 and Dr. Loosen Pralat Riesling 2010. The guests enjoyed the beautiful wines with the elegant jewellery!

If you want make your birthdays, anniversaries, conferences, product/art launches more special and done with extraordinary flare, email [email protected] or call 637-8888. We will do the work, and you celebrate!

6 What’s Your Wine Story? Brent Lello

Working with IBM, Brent travels extensively throughout Asia and takes the time to soak in the local culture and food and wine hotspots. When at home in Murrumbateman, Australia, Brent enjoys relaxing over food and wine with his family and friends.

Q: How did you get into wine? with Peking duck pancakes. The bright cherry fruit and acid of the wine matches A. My parents always had a passion the fattiness and richness of the duck. for enjoying wine with good food and touring the various wine regions of Q: What are the wines that you drink Australia. Some of that passion rubbed of now? on me from an early age that I developed Wine Story is set to unveil another glamorous wine evenings this an interest in drinking wine during A. I drink all styles, based on mood, food September as we take you to Pomerol, the smallest Bordeaux appellation university. That soon blossomed into a and climate. My cellar is stacked full of that produces sumptuous, exuberant wines which are constantly sought fascination with different wine styles and Shiraz and Cabernet, with a smattering of after. varieties, and soon realised that there was Pinot Noir and an eclectic mix of wines Pomerol is situated on the north of Libourne and has relatively small a wonderful world to explore. The more I from Old World regions. My fridge vineyards. This appellation has not been classified, yet the winemaking learned, the more the world of wine drew is stacked full of ready to drink whites, standard is extremely high throughout this region. The most famous me into its clutches. just waiting for their own “15 minutes of Pomerol chateaux are found to the east on the ‘plateau of Pomerol’. This fame”. Q: What is wine for you? gravel bank, which contains some clay, is a terrain that supports both the Merlot and the smaller percentage of Cabernet Franc grapes that are Q: What are your dream wines (those A. For me, wine is many things. It helps planted. The usage of these grapes gives Pomerol wines their smooth you would like to acquire/drink suppleness, and usually allows them to mature faster than Cabernet me unwind after a hectic day and it someday soon)? lubricates conversation between friends. Sauvignon based wines. It is essential to any good meal, yet can A. I dream about wines that elevate the Join us this September at Wine Story. also be enjoyed without food. It’s about pulse, sharpen the senses and transport a sense of place and purpose: the soil, the me to somewhere special. The search Php 2,600 per person vines, the grapes, the vintage conditions, for such wines is eternal, and there is and the winemaking techniques all much investment of time, money and For more information and reservation, e-mail [email protected] or squeezed into bottle after delicious bottle. spirit involved. This is the mission I have visit us at: I also love how wine evolves over time accepted and will continue to execute. from a feisty youngster to sublime and Shangri-La (633-3556) sensual in older age. Q: Have you had any formal training Serendra (846-6310) in wine? If yes, where and what courses Q: What was your first favorite wine? Rockwell (869-0938) are these? A. How tastes change! My first A. We did a series of wine education favourite wine was an Australian sweet, courses, which fuelled the flame to know, Gewurztraminer-Riesling “Black Opal”, taste and enjoy more wines. We also have the wine that my wife, Kym and I first a group that regularly conduct blind shared. We quickly progressed to drier tastings. These are great days, filled with whites then onto red wines. I much good food, great wine and good humour. prefer the drier styles these days, but this was our favourite of the time and got us Q: What’s the most valuable wine motoring down the wine highway. lesson you’ve learnt as a wine lover/ enthusiast? Q: What was the wine that changed your life? A. Wine is all about the “Wine Story”. There is a story behind each producer, A. Years ago, my best mate Keith brought each vintage, each variety. These stories back a white Burgundy, a 1996 Batard- add to the intrigue, the sense of occasion Montrachet. The first sip was a revelation, and the enjoyment of the wine that is in the next gulp was an epiphany. Its front of us. It traverses cultures, connects lusciousness and the overwhelming sense old friends and creates new ones. It of terroir were incredible. Words were not stimulates debate and conversation, yet it enough to explain the experience. I am in also soothes and relaxes. Wine without an eternal search for a similar experience. food is enjoying, and also can be pure Q: What is your favorite food and pleasure. I have a saying - “Good food is wine pairing? great, fine wine is better, but good food and fine wine are heaven together”. A. Without a doubt, the best food and wine pairing I work with is Pinot Noir

7 Issue No. 8 www.winestory.com.ph Staff Picks

La Gravette De Certan Nenin 2006 75cl La Croix St. Georges La Petite Eglise 2000 75cl 2009 75cl 2002 75cl

P 4,995 P 3,995 P 4,995 P 4,995

Pomerol, Bordeaux, France Pomerol, Bordeaux, France Pomerol, Bordeaux, France Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 90 points, Wine Spectator 91 points, Robert Parker 89 points, Robert Parker 90 points, Wine Spectator Drink by: 2012- 2017 Drink by: 2012 - 2025 Drink by: 2005-2013

Dark in aroma and fleshy in feel, A classic Pomerol with lush Deep ruby/purple with notes of Blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, but open-knit overall, with enticing , mocha, mineral, and floral charcoal, mocha, black cherries and 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, tobacco, fig and mulled black currant characteristics. Made in a muscular, plums, this excellent wine has good and 9% Petit Verdot. This beautiful, fruit carried by a loam hint through rich, full-bodied style with moderate texture, medium body, and plenty of velvety, seductive effort offers sweet the broad finish. tannins as well as impeccable purity, sweet fruit. black cherry and black currant fruit texture, and length. intermixed with notions of forest floor and roasted herbs.

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