Wine Spectator Dec-15-13

Behind the Bubbles The Champagne region of northern France has produced wine since Roman times, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that “Champagne” became predominantly the sparkling wine we know and love. Since then, of course, Champagne’s effervescence has become a symbol of festivity and celebration. Bottles overflow at wedding feasts and in victorious locker rooms, to punctuate happiness and achievement. Paradoxically, this has obscured Champagne’s true identity as fine wine. It has sold itself through luxury labels and fancy bottles, and effectively hidden from its consumers the information we find interesting in every other wine we drink: year of harvest, blend of grapes, fermentation practices and aging regimens. But change is in the air. Champagne is embracing its essence and exploring the structural factors that comprise its character:…

Scratching the Surface Throughout the article on Josh Jensen (cover, Oct. 15), the Calera vineyards are described as being on limestone soils. If you check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Web Soil Survey,” the soil type for the vineyards is listed as “Sheridan coarse sandy loam.” Sheridan coarse sandy loam is listed as “residuum weathered from granite,” not limestone. The old limestone quarry is located two-and-ahalf miles north of the vineyards. Are Calera’s vineyards on limestone-derived soils? Martin Keen Lancaster, Pa. Josh Jensen responds: Dear Mr. Keen, Mr. Laube kindly forwarded your note to me so I could help you with your question. If you look at the contour map on page 47 of the article in question in the Oct. 15 issue of Wine Spectator, showing our vineyard sites…

France Considers Tough Rules on Wine A new bill before the French Senate claims wine may pose a danger to public health, and calls for higher taxes on alcoholic beverages, stronger health warnings on labels and new restrictions on advertising. But winemakers are challenging the proposal, saying wine is an integral part of the country’s culture and a vital part of its economy. The angered vignerons have organized a lobbying campaign to fight back. “We will not accept being treated like drug dealers when wine is part of the same French gastronomic meal that was classified as an intangible heritage by UNESCO,” said Bernard Farges, president of the Bordeaux wine council. The new health bill, championed by the Association Nationale de Prévention en Alcoologie et Addictologie (ANPAA), proposes a “behavior…

Considering the growing arsenal of flutes, snifters, goblets, copitas and glasses tailored to every region and grape variety under the sun, you could be forgiven for losing track of just how much wine a “glass of wine” contains. A new study confirms you wouldn’t be alone: Wine drinkers routinely pour different amounts of wine based on the glass and other variables. For the study, published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, Doug Walker and Laura Smarandescu of Iowa State University and Brian Wansink of Cornell University recorded 73 subjects pouring themselves a glass of wine—or rather, 504 glasses of wine. The researchers conducted a variety of tests, among them whether subjects poured more into a larger glass or a wider glass compared with a more “standard” glass; whether they…

Champagne, Anyone? If calculated by sheer volume, the town of Griswold, Conn., was the unlikely location of the Champagne event of the year in September. A tractor-trailer traveling along Interstate 395 carrying several hundred cases of Veuve Clicquot clipped a Department of Transportation vehicle acting as a protective barrier for workers. The trailer swerved, flipped over and spilled its contents, blocking both northbound lanes for several hours before state workers cleaned up the mess with a bulldozer. The driver was treated for minor injuries. —Kasey Carpenter Nuking Your Pinot Winemakers may want to consider a new tool for the cellar—a microwave. Anna Carew of the University of Tasmania recently concluded a trial in which Pinot Noir grapes were heated in a home microwave, yielding several unforeseen benefits. Carew discovered that…

A new study on pesticide residue in wine has caused a furor in France, raising questions about several leading labels. Commissioned by French consumer magazine Que Choisir and conducted by the Excell enology lab, the study analyzed 92 wines for 165 chemicals related to vineyard treatments. Thirty-three chemicals found in fungicides, insecticides and herbicides were detected, and every wine tested showed trace amounts. Even organic wines came up positive, suggesting contamination from neighboring vineyards or that chemicals linger in vineyards from past use. The wines analyzed ranged from a $2 generic red to a $20 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But Pascal Chatonnet, the owner of Excell lab, a Bordeaux winemaker and an advocate of reducing pesticide use, said the results should reassure rather than alarm consumers. “The level of pesticide residue is very…