To enjoy wine, the story begins and ends with each individual’s palate. So why do we endlessly analyze, score, judge and discuss the merits of individual wines and varietals?  For me, wine challenges my intelligence, involves all of my senses and creates a never-ending conversation.

My initial relationship with wine was simple–I liked it or not. But then, the wonder of wine crept up on me: I found myself on a ladder of discovery.  I moved from liking it to wanting to try more so I went wine tasting in search of wine to love. Then I learned about the million details that impact how grapes become wine. I met winemakers and liked their stories, so I added intangible meaning to the mix. I soon was faced with a hobby that has so many intricacies that it takes a life time to master it.

Amid discovering and learning,  I still know what I like and what I don’t. I go through 3 phases with a wine:

• how does it smell & taste upon first sip?
• how does it taste after it sits in the glass or decanter?
• how does it taste with food?

When I’m doing what I call a quick and dirty evaluation of wine, I score on a scale of 0-5.  I get an initial impression by smelling and leaving the wine on my palate for a minute or so then spitting.  A 3 means it has potential and I’m curious about the wine maker or terroir.  4 means the wine fairs the best in the group, and it either needs a bit more time or better tasting (pairing) conditions.  A 5 means I’ll buy it on the spot if possible.

If you think wine is complicated, it is. But it’s not complicated to know what you like. Just keep tasting~ sometimes you have to taste a lot of wines, before finding the ones you love.

Just for fun, here’s some tasting notes from a tasting of 329 wines in Germany. (The + – and / symbols mean good, bad and neutral on the nose.)

These are notes for German Pinot Blanc.

nose +, straight from the barrel, wine is not ready yet, it’s not bottle shock. 0

nose+, neutral, boring 2

nose/best but doesn’t rock my world; more like what I wld expect 4

These are notes for Pinot Noir.

boring, waterly, 1

nose + cherries; balanced, light Pinot like Oregon;  3

long lasting finish, full bodied; I’m home . 4

too light; after taste too acidic. 2; The One changed this wine A LOT – made it much more interesting; toned down the after taste & let the fruit out; black cherries were not present before. 4  (I was testing Andrea Robinson’s The One glass)

These are notes on some German wines you’ve probably never heard of… FRÜHBURGUNDER AHR GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2008

strong fresh tobacco smell; hard cherry candy; could be intg with food or really bad. Complex though which turns me on.

nose is cherry/sonoma coast PN; perfectly acceptable–getting closer to Cal PN. 3

LEMBERGER WÜRTTEMBERG GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2008

smells like Chinese food but calmed down quite nicely.big Christmas spice ; cloves–quite an interesting wine. Brand new varietal to me. The One rounded it out made everything much more subtle; harder to pick out the flavors but more true to what the consumer will taste if you serve this wine now. 4 for curiosity.

a light pee smell; then complex; wine lacks character (now that’s what tired tasters write!) much gentler then the first one–but pretty cool. 4

Ludens couch drop smell; nasty candy.

needs to sit/age; sort of like a syrah. 3

nice everyday wine–better than Zinfandel; not complex but layered. 3

tight but the biggest wine I’ve tasted in Germany. Full bodied–I give it points just for being there for me. 3 (Note: Germans like to make really acidic wines so they will age, after tastings hundreds of highly acidic wines, I was craving bold smooth fruit.)

Photo from my new friend who was on the Wines of Germany Media Tour with me, Mariusz Kapczynski, www.vinsifera.pl

Traveling with 14 other wine writers from all over the world was a hoot.  They came from Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Korea, the Netherlands, Finland, Poland and the UK.  The oldest was 70 and the youngest in his 20’s.  It was an easy-going group, everyone got along well.

Here’s some out-of-context quotes that I found amusing:

He’s completely mad, he must have lots of cots with babies. (British writer talking about someone  and referencing a doll in a cradle that one of our hotel’s showcased on a stair landing.)

Question: What’s your favorite wine? Answer: The next one.

If they were not like that, they wouldn’t fill out their dresses, so they must hire those big German girls.

The new face of German food. (My new friend commenting on the tiny portion I took of liver balls.)

It’s an elegant wine, like a lady, complicated too.

You’re probably German, not Dutch.  In fact, you look Bavarian. (New friend explaining my heritage.)

Over five days in August 2010, as a guest of the German Wine Institute press tour, I toured wineries in three regions and attended the annual international Riesling tasting for Sommeliers and wine buyers.

We were introduced to up & coming winemakers, proven mavericks of the modern era of German wine making, traditionalists, bastions of the villages, e.g., cooperatives, and an industry Sneak Preview of 2009 Riesling Releases (here’s a review of a previous year’s sneak preview).  We were treated to fine dining paired with educational wine tastings, luxury accommodations, welcoming guides, vineyard tours and lots of VIP tastings of old vintages.  Here’s a round up of what I learned:

• It ain’t Blue Nun anymore.  Wine winemakers like Bernard Huber are making stunning wines. (Newsweek article.)
• Village cooperatives are still commonplace. Co-ops provide bulk wine and money to grape growers. Most Germans drink this inexpensive wine ($2.99 – $5.99 euro) which is sold locally in grocery stores & restaurants. The co-ops are not well-respected in the international wine community although they are marketing improved quality to the press.
• German wine makers are fascinated by aging wines.  After tasting a 10-year old Pinot Noir, the winemaker said that 1990 was a dream year, but it should age another 10 years. Aged Rieslings are the grand dame of German wine. (I tasted Rieslings from 1909, 1925, 1932 etc.)
• According to internationally-respected Bernard Huber, the 2009 vintage is a banner year for Pinot Noir from his vineyards.
• The sparkling wines I tasted were consistently good, they were dry Blanc de Blancs and hand riddled.
• Top German wines are scarce in the US/Canada especially Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris & Pinot Blanc. Even great Rieslings are exported mostly to Europe & Japan. Following German wines can become something of a cult/ collector’s hobby.
• Wine making styles in Germany are no different than anywhere else; while there are regional qualities that can be pinpointed, it varies from wine maker to wine maker.
• The German Pinot Noirs that I tasted were comparable to different regions/wine makers in California. I named styles similar to a Merry Edwards Russian River Valley (a 2001 Weingut-Huber), Dry Creek (‘07 Baron Philipp), Santa Ynez (2008 Neiss) & Santa Lucia Highlands (2007 Weingut Huber)
• Many young wine makers are going away to school and are less traditional. I applaud this trend, if we are to enjoy German wine in the states, they have to be more accessible, i.e., drinkable now, easy-to-read labels, and high-quality wine imports.
• Chardonnay is becoming popular for wine makers.  These cool region grapes benefited from malolactic fermentation in oak.  I enjoyed the Chardonnay I tasted.
• Some of my tasting notes for Pinot Noir: smokey bacon, green pepper, black cherries, ripe cherries, roses.
• While on the Pinot Trio tour, we tasted lots of Rieslings too. I learned that I vastly prefer dry Riesling and there are a lot of good ones, but an occasional sweet wine is lovely as an aperitif or after-dinner wine.

Among California wine professionals, posts discussing hospitality faux pas elicit copious responses. Tasting room jobs are sought after by wine enthusiasts willing to work long days, special events and weekends. No matter how tired or disturbed they are, they can’t show it. If the winery’s mission is to be known for it’s wonderful hospitality, staff can’t carry around any negativity; admittedly a tall order but it’s the difference between a hit & miss winery and an excellent winery.

Industry professionals are often flummoxed by two arguments: 1) who is at fault–the seemingly rude customer or an employee listening with an agenda? and (2) what comeback might be justified as a response.

In Germany, I had an amusing exchange with a restaurant worker who was overwhelmed and listening with an agenda.

Three minutes after leaving my hotel, it started to rain and quickly turned into a deluge.  I ducked into the nearest restaurant along with 100 other people.  Literally, an almost empty restaurant was immediately packed.  A greeter told me to order at the counter, gave me a little credit card and said to pay on my way out. I queued up with other patrons who sent their children scurrying to secure tables.  I watched and listened carefully so I could find my way through the process. When my turn came, speaking only English, I told the Italian who spoke German that I wanted a house salad and to add prosciutto to it. I had followed the lead of the woman in front of me who had requested chicken on her salad.

The man glared at me and said, “you want ham?!”  I replied, “prosciutto.”  He then flung his hand into a tray and pulled out a fist of ham, “this is ham!,” he bellowed, then he turned, opened a refrigerator and took out a tub of uncooked chicken, “This is chicken! What do you want?” I wondered why doesn’t a guy who’s name must be Carlo Giovanni know the word prosciutto?

A well-dressed German lady offered to translate, “what do you want, maybe I can help?” she asked sweetly.  I timidly said, “prosciutto?” She slowly turned and eye-locked the guy behind the counter; without another word being said, he shut his mouth, look chagrined and put prosciutto on my salad.

My second hospitality story is a fable with the moral at the end.

My first morning at a 4-star hotel in Paris, I enjoyed some packet-coffee and cream in my room, took a shower, washed some laundry in the sink and contemplated my 7-day stay. I had reservations elsewhere but booked this hotel after coming in two days early. I absolutely loved the hotel I was in, so I decided to stay the full week and cancel my other reservation.

Perhaps since I had just enjoyed 5-days in Germany and was thinking about the impressive efficiency I had experienced, I decided to write down my preferences for coffee and laundry and give it to the hotel staff.  I waltzed downstairs and handed my little note to the lady at the desk and announced, “Since I’m staying for a week, I thought I’d let you know my preferences.  Is it okay to have 3 coffees and six creams in my room every day? And I’ll reuse my towels, so don’t wash them daily unless I leave them on the floor.” I said all of this sweetly with a smile, so imagine my surprise, when the short French lady with the sturdy frame said with a poker-face, “We can not do that.”

“You can’t give me 3 coffees and 6 creams?” I asked, genuinely taken aback.

“No,” she continued with a completely straight face, “That was your welcome, only.” I replied, “I’ve never heard of such a thing, you don’t replenish the coffee packets?” “No, it is only your welcome.  You have coffee at breakfast. And we change the towels every day.  Some hotels don’t, that is not how we do it here,” and then she dismissed me with a curt movement of her head.

As I walked around Paris, I thought about both of these exchanges.  The Italian-German was obviously listening with an agenda so he could not hear my request;  perhaps I was the only person ever to ask for proscuitto on my salad so he did not trust his hearing.  I had also probably offended the order of things, orderliness is  revered in Germany, so my bad.

With Grace (who I later found out was the manager) I concluded that although my intention was good, I had come across as a rude American and she had got me back good.  I smiled when I realized that she had got me back in her French way; a straight face and just saying, nope, can’t do it, even though of course she could. When I returned to the hotel, my room was exactly as I had requested, and the next morning, I waltzed down the stairs and shared a knowing smile with her, Good Morning Grace! she smiled back, Bonjour Mademoiselle.

I attended San Francisco tastings for two years sponsored by Wines of Germany  / German Wine Institute and private importer Terry Theiss before being invited to Germany.

I accepted the invitation, not for a free trip to Germany but because I wanted the “real” scoop.  At industry events, I prefer in-depth interviews/ conversations with winemakers to tasting 100+ wines; however, the whirlwind environment doesn’t support the drawing of a solid picture.

Stateside, I had been told two things that I wanted to check out for myself: 1) German wine making was environmentally friendly and 2) there is a movement for modernizing German wine labels. Like a journalist on the hunt, I looked for signs indicated truisms, partially true or false.

I am a proponent of all grape growers being responsible stewards of the environment and I prefer my wine to be made in a style that treats the wine gently with little or no additives or industrial processing.

In Germany, I visited a dozen wineries in three regions and attended a tasting of approx. 350 German wines. (329 at the formal tasting, and the rest at the party the night before.) I received literature from the German Wine Institute as well as the wineries. Bottom line, the picture was not unlike the US. Some wine makers are very dedicated to natural wine making, including adhering to the principles of organic farming, while others don’t discuss it. For me, I found it disturbing that large amounts of sulfur are added to many Rieslings. This goes against my preference to let grapes express themselves with minimal interference. *

On the label issue, I would like to see exported German wines with interesting and understandable labels so that more Americans would pick up a bottle and try it. German wine labels are written in German, i.e., Pinot Blanc is Wiessburgunder. Additionally, the labels sport highly complex legal and traditional descriptions, making it impossible for an untutored consumer to figure out who made the wine and where it was made.  No English translation (even of the grape) and too many references re: villages, regions, dry, off dry, and sweet add up to…lower sales of German wines in America.

There was good news/bad news on the export front.  Apparently some distributors are advising wine makers not to translate their labels for the US market and they are not importing their best wines. For example, I tasted two relatively nice Pinot Noirs from a winery that exports, yet he only sends the cheaper, non-reserve to the US at the advice of his distributor.  I met several wine makers in the same boat.

The good news is that I believe there is an exciting movement among modern German wine makers who are more than willing to make their wines more accessible, by translating, simplifying, being environmentally responsible and making natural wine.

There are so many wine enthusiasts and wine drinkers in the US who would love to try foreign wines (e.g., Australia, South America, South Africa).  It’s true we are not getting the best of what those countries make (yet), but I can only imagine that the next export step will be higher-end wines.

In conclusion, a BIG thank you (Danke!) to the German Wine Institute for inviting me and being wonderful hosts.

In Pinot Noir, you should have a little dancing on your tongue…in the nose…or it’s not Pinot Noir to me,” Herr Huber, Weingut Huber

Spending an afternoon sampling from Bernard Huber’s cellar and sharing lunch with him at his friend’s Thai restaurant reminded me of a very special class of winemakers who above all else ache to share their creativity and discoveries with others.

Herr Huber is one of those quiet, modest winemakers who answers questions in depth and thoughtfully; he’s watching and listening closely for signs of enjoyment–someone like me, who tastes his wine and says Wow! as well as the person who allows a satisfied sigh to escape while taking notes.

He uses the phrase, like a dream, to describe his favorite vintages. I’ll post later about his wines and cellar, for now I have to start my tasting day–off to the Pfalzs region!

On the 10+ hour flight from SFO to Frankfurt, I read Germany, Culture Smart on my eReader.  I’ve been here 1 1/2 days now & can add my own experience to the author’s:

• Making a toast with wine is different than making a toast with beer.  Most Americans know the beer toast, Prost!  For wine, you say, Zum wohl! <I’m the only one saying Zum wohl–everyone else is saying Prost or cheers!>
• Toasts are made during a meal. You may drink upon the first toast being made—not before.<I have forgotten this twice now. Wine is poured, I sip.>
• You are expected to be prompt—don’t arrive late and don’t leave early.<True, everyone strives to be prompt, but no one is. Our hosts have been delayed, and we have been consistently running late, but no one seems to be stressing.>
• Germans know their wine, so if you bring wine as a hostess gift, make sure you know what it is.<Germans know German wines. America is far away for many of them. What?! Napa isn’t the center of the universe?>
• If you give someone a gift, get it wrapped professionally, tidiness is appreciated. <So far, I am impressed with how German towns are very, very tidy.>
• The entire country has mandatory quiet hours: 1pm-3pm & 10pm – 7pm Mon-Sat and all day Sunday.  No leaf blowers, washing your car in the street or disturbing the peace. <I haven’t asked anyone if this is true yet, but they do have lots of laws here.>
• Before a meal, instead of the familiar, Bon Appétit! (French) Or Dig In! (certain parts of America), say Guten Apetit! <I haven’t heard anyone say this yet, but then my German isn’t very good.>
• Your reply to Guten Apetit is Danke, ebenfalls (which means Thanks, you too.) <I hear Danke ebanfalls a lot.>
• If you accidently kick a furry snouted animal hiding under your table, don’t panic. Owners of restaurants often have their dogs at work with them. <There are well-behaved leashed dogs everywhere…love it!>

More posts to come, the schedule has been go-go-go–off to dinner!

In foreign circles, it’s still a relatively well-kept secret that about one third of Germany’s vineyard area is planted with red wine varietals and that Germany is the world’s third largest producer of Pinot Noir. Monika Reule, Director, The German Wine Institute

Germany’s problem with getting the word out is most likely that German wine labels are, for the most part, in German–how many Americans know the word, Spätburgunder? (Say it out load and you’ll always remember this is Pinot Noir.)

As an earnest student of German wines, I’m touring Germany this summer to compare and contrast their Pinot Noir with that of our most famous California appellations, Russian River Vally, Sonoma Coast, Carneros and Santa Lucia Highlands.  I’ll be learning how the terrior differs, the growing conditions, the water situation and any legalities that are specific to the country–and of course, tasting at wineries & enjoying with food.

In addition to the wine making, I have a high degree of curiosity about the business of wine.  At the 2010 Destination Riesling World Tour, a vintner told me that a new group of winemakers are discussing how to modernize German wine marketing. At Terry Theiss‘ Riesling 2010 San Francisco tasting I saw several labels that were as appealing to the masses as Australia’s critters.  It’s smart marketing, and bottom line, I think more American’s will embrace German wines once they understand what they are buying.

I’ll be posting (and translating) what I learn about the Pinot Trio–red, grey, and white, Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), Pinot Gris/Grigio (Grauer Burgunder) & Pinot Blanc Weißer Burgunder.

I hope you’ll drink along with me!

(I’m extremely grateful to Wines of Germany for sponsoring my trip.)

Have you noticed that Petite Sirah is a well-known grape but not a popular one?  I’ve never overheard anyone requesting a glass of Petite Sirah in a bar, and I rarely see it on a wine list.  But I have seen it in many blends.  In fact, Clark Smith, a leading authority on the enhancement of wine structure says, “the best Zinfandels have Petite Sirah in them.”

Why is a grape that is so popular as a blending grape not wildly popular as its own varietal?

There are clues to the answer.  Notably, until 1997, it was a bit of a bastard grape, suffering from a lack of legitimately proved parentage. Luckily, a U.C. Davis researcher determined that indeed, Petite Sirah is in the same league as Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes with French parents (important distinction in the wine world).  PS parents are Peloursin and Syrah and another name for PS is Durif, which is French.

So now that its pedigree has been established, why is it still not a popular single varietal?

It seems that it’s just a matter of time. I’ve learned to appreciate that wine is an ancient craft so while the modern era rushes forward, there remains a pedantic commitment to prove a grape’s worthiness before collectors and oenophiles will embrace it.

It was only 1992, when California producers founded a trade association and started keeping records on Petite Sirah growers/producers. It doesn’t seem to matter that the grape was planted in California as early as 1878; it faces challenges similar to newly discovered varietals .

The exciting news is that there is a renaissance of intellectual curiosity about Petite Sirah.  Growers in  the hot, dry, California climes of Livermore Valley, Lake County and Lodi as well as some cooler areas are sharing information about their techniques, failures and successes.  They are mostly making 500 cases or less and selling them directly to winery visitors and club members.  Interesting, that the grape’s relative under-appreciation may just establish a cult following.

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