Sage Bird Ciderworks Pommeau and Ashmead's Kernel for #openthatciderbottle

When I heard that the American Cider Association's Open That Cider Bottle was returning on February 25, 2023, I leveraged a trip to Harrisonburg to visit Sage Bird Ciderworks and see what would be a  worthy cider to open that night. I love this cidery's Age Old Apples series showcasing heirloom apple varieties and have written previously about their Harrison and Virginia Hewe's Crab ciders.  Black Twig and Dabinett were two other ciders in the heirloom series but I decided on a new apple variety to me: Ashmead's Kernel. 

Ashmead's Kernel is an old English russet apple that originated from a seed planted around 1700 by Dr. Thomas Ashmead in Gloucester, England. The apple is lumpy, misshapen, and rather small with green and golden-brown skin, and a distinct crisp, nutty snap.  Interestingly, Ashmead's Kernel is one of a few apple varieties from the Old World that succeeded in the New World.  "When the first settlers arrived in North America they brought with them tried and tested varieties from Europe, yet few adapted to the very different climates of North America and most of the early successful American apple varieties were chance seedlings that evolved in America.  However Ashmead's Kernel did thrive, and today holds a position of respect on both sides of the Atlantic..". -- Orange Pippen

The tasting notes from Sage Bird Ciderworks remark that the Ashmead's Kernel is dry and tart with a moderate body and crisp finish. Notes of champagne, citrus, ripe apple, and green grape. Check back after the 25th for our descriptors. 

I also noticed that Sage Bird produces a pommeau and had to include that in Open That Cider Bottle. Pommeau is a French-inspired cordial that’s made by blending unfermented cider with apple brandy (traditional Calvados).  The percentages are usually two-thirds apple must (unfermented apple juice) to one-third apple brandy in order to ensure that the resulting mixture has 16–18% alcohol by volume (abv). The potion is then usually finished in oak for at least one year. 

Long Night is their winter pommeau made from a light fermentation of a blend of Harrison and Dabinett apples and eau de vie (un-aged brandy) distilled from their Dry River Reserve distillery. According to the cidery,  the blending "arrests fermentation, leaving a naturally sweet yet high alcohol and stable mixture. We then age this mixture in freshly-dumped bourbon barrels from A Smith Bowman in Fredericksburg for a minimum of 12 months. The result is a wonderfully complex fortified dessert apple wine. Strong notes of stewed apple, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, berry, and brandy on the nose and palate with a natural assertive sweetness, balanced tannin, and warming alcohol".  Can't wait to open it. 

Check back next week for updates on Open That Cider Bottle and hope to see these and other ciders participating in the BevFluence New Perspectives on Cider, Perry, and Brandy campaign.

Update: The Ashmead's Kernel is very dry and tart and sour. Not a lot of tannins, just fresh acidity, and limes & mint. A bit funky.  The Long Night is beautiful with fresh juicy apple juice complimented by a fuller brandy-driven profile with a lengthy satisfying finish. 

Five Takeaways from CiderCon 2023

The American Cider Association's CiderCon 2023 took place in Chicago from February 1st through the 3rd and the event offered "a full range of educational sessions covering topics that included cider production, marketing, sales, branding, sensory evaluation, compliance, business strategy, and orcharding". We attended several of these sessions as well as the trade show, a tasting organized by the New York Cider Association, unofficial cider shares, as well as visiting a couple of local craft beverage establishments. Here are our five takeaways from the conference.

Consistent and Systemic Approach to Tasting Cider
Cideries and reviewers should create a systemic approach to both cider tasting and descriptors as advocated by Richie Brady in A Proposal for a Systematic Approach to Tasting Cider. In other words, the industry should use a consistent method of describing the aromas, flavors, and structure of cider. This consistency involves focusing on the liquid in the glass, preferably in a blind fashion, without any preconceived expectations. Evaluate the Aroma (light, medium, pronounced), Flavor (in terms of major categories -- green, stone, citrus, tropic, red, and black fruit and then secondary flavors due to fermentation methods and oak treatments), and Structure (intensity, sweetness, acidity, tannin, length, and complexity). Finally, use descriptors that consumers understand. Barely anyone knows what cassis tastes like so use a more common alternative. An example that Brandy provided is "Lightly sparkling, sweet and vibrant cider with pronounced flavors of stone and tropical fruit, fragrant flowers, sweet vanilla, and caramel. Long and complex finish".

Fire Blight
Apple and pear orchards are prone to numerous pests and diseases not unlike grapevines -- such as a shared threat from powdery mildew and deer. At the conference, I also heard orchardists discuss groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, and various insects but it was during The 4 Components of Flavor: Orcharding for High-Flavor Fruit seminar presented by Stina Booth that I first heard of Fire Blight. This is a bacterial illness that affects fruit trees and thrives in hot, humid climates, usually appearing in the spring and declining as dryer summer temperatures occur. The bacteria infects trees undetectably in the fall or winter, hiding in branches and unopened buds. Then in the spring, it begins to emerge through openings in the branches and foliage and becomes apparent. Unfortunately, fire blight is very difficult to treat effectively, and overusing certain bacterial sprays can cause the tree to develop resistance to treatment. The best way to fight fire blight is prompt pruning and sanitizing tools. -- MinneopaOrchards.com

Chicago Cider Scene
The conference coincided with Chicago Cider Week and two urban cideries hosted several events and were accessible during the conference. The Right Bee Cider Semi-dry Cider was available at a couple of spots at the host Chicago Hilton hotel and was a clean cider sweetened with honey from their own beehives. Their Dry Cider was also poured during an unofficial tasting and as I recall packed plenty of flavors. I was able to visit Eris Brewery and Cider House where the brewery is located in a historic old masonic temple that was renovated in 2018. I started with the Eris Cherish, a cherry cider produced in collaboration with Sleeping Village and the CIVL Foundation where the proceeds go towards providing music venue workers access to mental health awareness. I also turned to another collaboration, this time the Eris Apfelort which is a dry cider aged in used Jeppson's Malört barrels from CH Distillery. I had read about this wormwood-based digestif and how CH Distillery had purchased this "astringent and notoriously bitter 70-proof liqueur". The cider is neither and provides apples up front and subtle wormwood and a strong grapefruit finish.

Cider is North American
Just by casually talking to attendees it's easy to see that cider is produced throughout North America. We met producers and orchardists from north Georgia to Manitoba, across Canada, and from Nova Scotia to San Diego. I stood in line with a startup producer from Orlando and a representative from Bold Rock. I sat at tables with producers from Wisconsin, Oregon, and Tennessee and shared Michigan cider with the same from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. The New York Cider Association hosted a tasting showcasing Empire State producers from the "Niagara Frontier to the Finger Lakes to the Catskills to the Hudson Valley to Long Island and to New York City". During unofficial cider shares, I sampled excellent cider from Washington State and Washington DC as well as from to. And my favorite cider of the week came from Greenbench Mead & Cider in St. Petersburg, Florida with their Giants in the Sky (Fresh-pressed Kingston Black, St Edmund's Russet, Pioneer, and Wickson Crab apples, wild-fermented in oak with native yeast.).

Cider is for Everyone
This is the official theme of the American Cider Association but is also a true statement based on industry analysis presented in the Alcohol Beverages and Cider: 2023 and Beyond and More Than a Beverage: Cider Category Performance sessions. Presenters from both sessions showed industry and consumer data beneficial and discouraging for the cider industry. First, the total per capita consumption of ethanol has remained relatively constant for the past 20 years with beer being the largest, albeit, slowly declining sector. The volume of cider sold peaked in 2016 and slowly declined since - losing market share and shelf space to Hard Seltzers and to a lesser extent RTDs. The good news is that the average alcohol consumer is becoming "Omnibibulous" a term created by Bart Watson, the Head Economist of the Brewers Association to describe how consumers are more "able and likely to drink almost anything (alcoholic)". And this group will continue to grow as younger consumers continue to experiment, and on the other hand, the baby boomers move into more leisurely lifestyles. Other facts based on consumer studies point to avenues where cideries can focus to attract customers. These studies show that 54% of all consumers have made a purchase in-store of a brand they first tried at a restaurant and 1/3 of cider consumers prefer a sweet version. Some ideas to consider. 

How Many Craft Beverage Establishments Will You Visit in 2023?

In 2022, we visited a paltry 68 craft beverage establishments which was actually an above-average year since 2015 when we would average at least 100 visits. Thus, our goal is to up our game and average ten visits a month to get us close to 120 visits in 2023. So far we are on pace, visiting 12 establishments in January 2023 and you can follow our progress using #thecompasscbf hashtag on Instagram and Facebook. Moving forward locating craft beverage establishments will be easy for us using our self-developed theCompass Craft Beverage finder available for free on the Google Play Store.  At some point in the future, we will resurrect the iPhone version. 

theCompass Craft Beverage finder mobile application displays wineries, breweries, cider houses, and distilleries for North America. Establishments can be mapped using a radius search of the device's location or by the establishment name, city, or zip code. Users can also browse establishments by state for the United States or by province for Canada. All results can be filtered by industry type (winery, brewery, distillery, or cidery).

Information on individual establishments can be accessed by clicking the applicable map icon or from the list view. This information includes the establishment's address, phone, email, web address, a navigation link from your device, weather forecast, as well as links to the establishment's Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram pages. You can also share your experience at the establishment on various social networking sites.

Grape Spotlight: Azerbaijani Rkatsiteli

Millennia ago, long before the Caucasus region was divided up into nation-states, people living here were cultivating grapes. An ever-increasing body of archaeological and micro-botanical research suggests that wine was made in considerable quantity over 6000 years ago at sites along the Arpachay River, a valley in Nakhchivan’s Sharur region. Several sites suggest an even older knowledge of wine by the Shulaveri-Shomutepe Culture near Aghstafa in what today is western Azerbaijan. Evidently, the South Caucasus region is of the oldest centers of wine-making anywhere on the planet. Azerbaijan Wine Traditions

The Republic of Georgia gets most of the wine attention within the Caucasus region but neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan share many traits from the dawn of winemaking civilization. In Azerbaijan (located directly east of Armenia; southeast of the Republic of Georgia, and directly south of Dagestan Russia) there are three major wine-growing regions: the Caspain Shoreline, Ganja and the Lesser Caucasus, and the Shirvan Valley and the Greater Caucasus. One of the largest fruit juice producers in the South Caucasus is located in this last region: Az-Granata.

In 2021, Az-Granata celebrated its 10th anniversary and in addition to the juices, they produce a range of alcoholic beverages - 24 million bottles annually - of brandy, raki, vodka, whiskey, and wine. Their vineyards are located in the Adnaly Valley of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, at an altitude of 400-700 meters (1,300-2,300ft) above sea level.  These 500 hectares of vineyards are planted with a mixture of  Caucasian and European grape varieties: Madrasa, Bayan Shira, Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, and Shirvanshahi with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Muscat. The winery also specializes in pomegranate wine as the word "granat" from which the winery takes its name means "pomegranate" in Russian.

But our focus today is on the Agdam Azerbaijani Dry White Wine ($16.99). The wine is 100% Rkatsiteli and its name, Agdam, refers to one of the largest districts of Azerbaijan and is located in the center of the Karabakh region. This is an ancient and historical region known for breeding horses with excellent temperament and speed. The wine also has a good temperament with its straw color, weighty stone fruits, and a touch of honey from aging in oak barrels, and adversely loses spiciness and acidity.  It is available in the United States through Winery LLC.  

Drinking with the Saints: St. Blaise and Malvasija dubrovacka

Friday, February 3rd is the Feast Day of St. Blaise and this Armenian-born saint has been venerated in Dubrovnik as far back as 972. Tradition states that in that year St. Blaise warned a praying parish priest regarding a surprise Venetian attack, saving the city and becoming the walled city's primary patron saint. His statue overlooks the sea and his church resides next to the Bell Tower.  Not bad for the bishop of Sebastea martyred in  316. In Dubrovnik, the celebration of the Festivity of St. Blaise is highlighted by a Procession led by the Bishop of Dubrovnik and priests carrying relics of the saint as well as a relic of the shroud of Jesus. 

Drinking with the Saints recommends sipping on Armenia brandy or wine but others recommend a wine from the ancient grape of southern Dalmatia, Malvasija dubrovacka. The earliest written documentation of this grape dates to 1385 (Archive of the Republic of Dubrovnik). Andro Crvik (Crvik Vinogradi & Vinarija and third-generation of winemaker) says the wine was "used to honor the 'most excellent' visitors to the Republic of Dubrovnik and was served as a diplomatic wine". South of the historic walled city, in the village of Konavle, these vines are planted from 550 to 3,300 yards from the Adriatic. Crvik continued, "... the small berries and loose clusters usually produce wines with higher alcohol. In good years, the wine can be stored for 15 to 20 years, in some situations even longer". 

I purchased this 2019 Crvik Tezoro Malvasija Dubrovačka ($34.00) from Croatian Premium Wine Imports and it is truly a blessed wine. The senses are immediately stimulated by the floral and orange blossom aromas which are followed by a complex mixture of lime and buttery depth and finishes with a slowly rising acidity. Plus, the 14.3% abv feels more like 12%. 

Blessings of the Throats

Catholics often participate in the tradition of having their throats blessed. To do this, the priest consecrates two candles, generally by a prayer, and then holds each in a crossed position on the throat of the person being blessed. At the same time, the following blessing is given: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Why does the blessing of the throat take place on St. Blaise Day? St. Blaise, a physician, and bishop, asked God to cure a child who was choking to death on a fish bone and the child’s life was saved. Thus, St. Blaise is the patron saint of healthy throats.

Grape Spotlight: Codru PGI Moldovian Pinot Noir from Chateau Vartely

Winemaking has been an occupation in the Eastern European country of Moldova for the past seven thousand years starting with the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture – one of the oldest civilizations in Europe (6th – 4th centuries B.C.). Serious grape growing was introduced later by the Greeks and Romans and strengthened by the Christian monasteries during the Middle Ages. Winemaking halted for 300 years when the principality of Moldova was a vassal state to the Ottomans and was eventually reversed under the Soviets when the state became a leading supplier of cheap bulk wine to the rest of the USSR and satellite countries. Once independent in 1991, there have been public and private efforts to increase quality and become a tourist destination for European travelers.  

The Moldovian landscape is quite moderate in regard to topography and extreme weather.  Rolling hills provide sunlight and drainage while cool winters and warm summers rarely reach extreme levels that can damage vines or reduce fruit quality. Rainfall is also moderate, "completing a set of conditions almost perfectly suited to viticulture" (wine-searcher.com).

There are four Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designations in the country: Codru, Ștefan Vodă, Valul lui Traian, and Divin. Codru PGI is a wine designation that covers roughly the central third of the Republic of Moldova, stretching from the border with Romania to that with Ukraine on the other side of the country. This region shares many of the overall conditions in Moldova where the climate is temperate continental, with mild short winters and long warm summers. Vineyard altitudes range from 150 to 400 meters above sea level and the region is fragmented by a network of valleys, ravines, ridges, hills, and cliffs. The most common soils are dark chernozem. This is very fertile, with high levels of humus, phosphoric acids, phosphorus, and ammonia. It can produce high yields due to its water storage capacity. Chardonnay accounts for the largest plantings of white wine so it's no surprise that its Burgundy compatriot Pinot Noir is a widely planted red wine grape. 

According to Wine of Moldova, "Château Vartely is considered a pearl of the Moldovan wine industry and the calling card of the Republic of Moldova".  The name Vartely originates from the name of the town Orhei which in Hungarian means “place of the fortress”, (vár + hely or fortress + place).  Château Vartely officially appeared on the market as early as 1996 while the Château Vartely Company brand was launched in 2004. The winery sits 50 kilometers from the capital Chisinau and farms 550 hectares of grapes -- mostly in the Codru PGI. 

I purchased the 2019 Codru Pinot Noir ($10.99) from MezeHub, attracted by the low price and Eastern European nature. The wine is light-medium bodied with abundant red berry fruit on the nose and palate. The tannins are very approachable with a slight black pepper spice and satisfying finish. 

The last two photos are courtesy of Wine of Moldova. 

Yebiga BELA Rakija -> Award Winning Rustic Plum Brandy

Imagine being the founding member of the rock band Faith No More and in 1992 opening for Guns n' Roses in Budapest, yet the most memorable event at that concert was backstage being introduced to a local fruit brandy -- known as palinka in Hungary and rakija throughout the Balkins. That was the experience of bassist Bill Gould who continued his education of rakija through subsequent Balkin tours as a musician and tourist for the subsequent 25+ years.

"During this time, I have been frustrated by the lack of awareness, as well as lack of availability, of what I believe to be one of the world's Great Spirits. And I wanted it for myself as well...I had people occasionally bring me bottles from the Old Country but sometimes they would break and when they did, a piece of my heart would break as well!  Finally, in 2019 I realized that the only way to bring a premium version of this to the US was to do it myself. I had no experience with this industry but set out with a goal to bring a true, completely traditional handmade version -- the kind that is usually kept within the family and rarely offered for sale--to the US for the first time".

What Gould witnessed is how rakija is an intricate part of Eastern European life used to welcome visitors, toast celebratory occasions, or just a jolt of comfort. Home distillation is quite common and I can personally attest, is superior to some of the highest-quality fruit brandies on the market. Rakija is made from a number of fruits, from grapes, apricots, quince, pears, and with most popular, plums - referred to as slivowitz. 

By launching Yebiga, Gould is introducing the traditional processes of home distillation to a retail market. Currently, there are two plum brandies within the Yebiga brand: BELA, a clear rakija and PRVA, an oak-aged rakija. The spirits are distilled on a mountain farm near Kraljevo in Central Serbia. The plum orchard sits at 800m, the highest elevation point for plums, and subsists alongside pines and other conifers. BELA is produced from an equal share of čačanska rodna and čačanska lepotica plums -- both varieties created by the Institute of Fruit Growing in Čačak, Serbia. This is the equivalent of Cornell AgriTech regarding the development of new grape varieties. Both of these plums were released in 1975 and according to the Institute, are high-quality cultivars most suitable for desserts and slivowitz. 

The plums are hand-harvested at full maturation which is quite labor-intensive since individual plums ripen at different intervals. This period lasts from late July to early August and after harvest, the pits are removed, and the fruit ferments from 10 days to 14 weeks. The fermented juice is then double distilled using a 500l wood-fired copper pot still. The wood for the fire is acquired from the local forest. Finally, the rakija is cut to 40% abv using pure mountain spring water. 

Having no oak treatment the BELA provides a full expression of the fruit - from the cultivars to the evergreen terrain. Not sure if my sensory impressions were influenced by their story, but there's subtle pine mixed with the stone fruit aroma. Plums are clearly noticeable on the palate just before the soft burn and lengthy finish. I can see why the BELA was awarded double gold at the  2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

The Yebiga rakija is currently available online via Mash&Grape ($31) and Yebiga and at retail locations in the following states:  CA, IL, NY, NJ, DC, FL, TX, MO, & MI. There is a map of retail stores on the Yebiga website. Finally, they are available at Total Wine in California and Texas as well as at Binny's in Illinois.  

Orchard and still photos courtesy of Yebiga.

Disclosure: We received samples from Yebiga through the BevFluence New Perspectives on Cider, Perry, and Brandy campaign in order to share our opinion about their products.

Herbal Liqueurs: Amaro Montenegro 1885

We are sticking with Amaro in our Herbal Liqueur series with the Amaro Montenegro 1885. As the name suggests, this liqueur was launched in 1885 by Stanislao Cobianchi in Bologne, Italy.  Cobianchi was born in Bologne in 1862 and soon traded in his clerical robes and traveled the world tasting dozens of botanicals. Upon returning home to Bologne he experimented for four years with various recipes and when satisfied established the Cobianchi Stanislao Steam Distillery in 1885 and produced the Elisir Lungavita. Eleven years later, the future King of Italy, Prince Vittorio Emanuele III, married Princess Elena of Montenegro and this event inspired Cobianchi to change the name to Amaro Montenegro. For all intents, King Victor Emmanuel III and Queen Elena were the last monarchs in Italy with the country voting to establish a Republic in 1946.

The Amaro Montenegro is produced using 40 botanicals, including spices, dried fruits, roots, seeds, bark, citrus peels, flowers, and species of wood sourced from around the world. Of these 40 botanicals, only 13 are publicly known and are categorized into 3 different aroma profiles: citrus, spice, and herbal.  After the botanicals are boiled, macerated, and distilled, 12 unique essences remain. These essences then undergo a delicate blending process performed by the Master Herbalist to create the six notes of Amaro Montenegro: bitter & herbaceous, spicy & floral, sweet & roasted, fresh & balsamic, fruity & vegetal, and warm & tropical. There is also a final step called the Premio. This involves the micro-distillation of 5 secret botanicals that is so potent that for every 15,000 liters of Amaro Montenegro, only one liter of Premio is used. Cobianchi wanted to create a unique bottle for this elixir and hand-drew the outline for this iconic bottle.

This is a very pleasant and easy sipping amaro. On the nose expect oranges and baking spices which continue into the core flavor. The lasting finish includes limes and interestingly, cucumbers, for a very pleasant and easy elixir. Amaro Montenegro suggests several cocktails so we mixed the following:

Monte Mulled (because it's the season)
Warm up equal parts Montenegro, brandy, unfiltered apple juice, and one teaspoon of honey in a heated saucepan. Heat until steaming, then ladle into a glass mug, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Monte & Mezcal (because I love Mezcal)
Fill a rocks glass with ice and pour equal parts Montenegro and mezcal into the glass. Very simple.

Grape Spotlight: Uruguay Wine 101

Last week I participated in an Uruguay Wine 101 seminar hosted by Uruguay Wine and INAVI (Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura) and presented by Martina Litta (Uruguay Wine - INAVI Foreign Trade Manager) and Joaquín Hidalgo (Wine columnist, La Nación - Argentina). The seminar itself was quite informative with a presentation on the country's wine regions and major wine grapes implemented using samples from nine producers, video greetings from each producer, and the participation of a couple winemakers. Definitely a worthy candidate for a case study in successful seminars. 

Ms. Litta started the session by describing Uruguay and several general facts about this country.

• 
  The name means “river of the painted birds” in the indigenous Guarani language.
• South America’s second smallest nation after Suriname with a similar surface area to Wisconsin.
• Population 3.4 million – a population close to that of Connecticut, but less than Brooklyn and Manhattan combined.
• Largely European heritage, primarily Spanish and Italian in origin.
• Cows outnumber humans in Uruguay 4 to 1 and Uruguayans consume more meat per capita than any other country in the world 

Mr. Hidalgo then discussed the Uruguay wine industry where the terroir is closer to Bordeaux than either Argentina or Chile and the mild and humid climate is affected by both river and ocean influencers. 

• With 14,804 acres/5,991 hectares under vine, the wine regions are slightly larger than Saint - Émilion in Bordeaux and slightly smaller than Alexander Valley in California.
• The only South American terroir whose climate is affected by the Atlantic Ocean.
• 
  180 wineries are currently operating in the country. Most are family-run, with two-thirds located in the Metropolitan Region.
• More than 50% of the grape harvest in Uruguay is done by hand
• The vineyards of Maldonado are planted above some of the oldest rocks on earth, the Río de La Plata craton, which is 2.5 billion years old.
• Tannat is the most widely planted variety in Uruguay at 3,892 acres/1,575 ha and it is not offended by humidity.
• In Uruguay, Tannat is also known as Harriague (Ha-ree-AH-gay), the surname of the first producer to plant it in the country.
• The VCP label stands for Wine of Preferential Quality and distinguishes fine wines from mass-market versions.

Mr. Hidalgo then discussed the six winemaking regions of Uruguay encompassing five distinct terroirs. The dominant winds in Uruguay come from the Atlantic, bringing with them cool, rainy conditions. Peak summertime temperatures in the south can reach 87° F/31° C, with rainfall averaging 39 inches/1,000 mm annually. Peak summertime temperatures in northern Uruguay can hit 106° F/41º C, with rainfall of up to 63 inches/1,600 mm annually. 

The Regions:  

• 
  Metropolitan: 12,076 acres/4,887 ha
  Includes departments of San José, Canelones, and Montevideo. Deep, clay soils also include strips of pink granite, making for a terroir well-suited to Tannat. 
• Oceanic: 1,053 acres/426 ha
  Includes two departments, Maldonado and Rocha with a varied topography which is the primary factor in distinguishing its wines. The Cuchilla Grande is the highest point in Uruguay, reaching a height of 1,600 feet/488 m above sea level, contributing a mix of granite and ballast to the soils. The climate is oceanic where white varieties dominate. 
  
• Southern Riverside: 722 acres / 292 ha
  Includes departments of Colonia, Río Negro, and Soriano. The influence of the Uruguay River can be seen in the sedimentary soils of Carmelo, while the San Juan River is distinguished by rockier soils. The region accounts for 5.2% of hectares under vine in Uruguay. Carmelo lies at the center of the southern shore. A dozen wineries are scattered throughout the area. Soils are distinguished by pockets of calcium carbonate deposits. Reds are the heart of the region.
• Northern Riverside: 408 acres/165 ha
• Center: 109 acres/44 ha
• North: 84 aces/34 ha
  The Rivera and Tacuarembó departments are planted in different geological formations, each rich in iron, comprising 84 acres/34 ha of vines, or 0.6% of the total. A continental climate with a significant thermal range. Experiences more hours of sunlight than any other region of Uruguay.

The Wines: 

Marichal Wines is a family-owned winery that was established in 1938 and is now in its third and fourth generation of family winemaking headed by winemakers Juan Andrés and Alejandro Marichal. The vineyards are located in the department of Canelones in the Metropolitan region. These vines benefit from warm weather, cool Atlantic breezes, and deep clay soil. The Marichal Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($14) is very aromatic (citrus); dry, with juicy lemon and melons, some vegetable character; and finishing with chewy tannins. 

Bracco Bosca is located in Atlantida in the Oceanic region and their 11-hectare vineyard is managed by fifth-generation grower Fabiana Bracco. These vines are located just eight kilometers from the ocean and this proximity is reflected in the surprising Bracco Bosca Ombú Moscatel 2022 ($16). This is a dry wine, with the expected floral and tropical aromatics but powered by salinity and creamy melons and pears. Excellent. 

In 1979 Familia Deicas took over the historic 18th-century estate and winery of Establecimiento Juanicó -- rejuvenated that brand and launched their own Familia Deicas brand in 2000. Here they focus on premium wines with low intervention winemaking from third-generation vigneron Santiago Deicas and utilize multiple vineyards in various regions in Uruguay. One of these vineyards is the Sierra de Mahoma, San José - located in western Montevideo. This vineyard is called the “sea of stones” because it looks like a sea bed with loam soils that are covered in gravel and almost vertical schist. The low fertility and limited water-storing capacity mean that these vineyards produce a very low yield of very concentrated grapes. This minerality is evident in the Familia Deicas Bodegones del Sur Vineyards Select Cabernet Franc 2020 ($20) which also includes a minty aroma and juicy herbaceous and red fruit flavors. 30% of the wine was aged in American and French oak barrels --providing greater roundness.

Gimenez Mendez is a family winery where the first vines were planted in 1950 and today is run by Marta Marta Méndez Parodi and her youngest son Mauro Giménez Méndez. The winery specializes in Tannat grown in Las Brujas, a sub-region in Canelones, and, in fact, currently releases seven different styles of Tannat. Summers are dry in Las Brujas with high daytime temperatures which shift to the colder side in the evenings from the cool coastal breezes. This enhances acidity that is abundant in the Giménez Méndez Alta Reserva Tannat 2020 ($18). Also expect ripe red fruit and a slight black pepper and tobacco nose, followed by plums and other black fruit, the aforementioned juicy acidity, and solid tannins.

Winemaking in the Toscanini family descends over 100 years into the past when the patriarch of the family emigrated from Italy and settled in the department of Canelones, producing his first wine in 1908.  Seven decades later (in 1979), Margot Toscanini de Montes and her brother acquired the current winery in Las Piedras, giving rise to Montes Toscanini. And in 1995, the responsibility of the winery descended to Enól. Leonardo Montes Toscanini, who along with other members of the fourth generation of the family, has run the winery to this day. The grapes for the Montes Toscanini Gran Tannat Premium 2019 ($59) are grown in Altos de La Ballena where the soils are predominantly clay-loam with some calcareous material and have a gentle slope. In addition, the proximity to the River Plate provides maritime and estuary influence with mild and steady temperatures throughout the year. This Gran Tannat is an impressive wine made using classical production methods. Expect more black pepper; creamy red fruit, great depth, and juicy and approachable tannins.

Pisano Wines also shares a century of winemaking tradition - this time in Progreso in Canelones - and is operated by three Pisano brothers: Gustavo, the winemaker; Eduardo, the agronomist; and Daniel, the export manager. The family traces their heritage to Italian and Basque immigrants - this later from the group of people who introduced Tannat to Uruguay. Again like Montes Toscanini, the Pisano wines benefit from the Río de la Plata (River Plate) - an estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda.  The Pisano Reserva de la Familia Tannat 2018 ($24) is a fresh and well-rounded wine with light and chewy sour cherries that alternate with darker fruit and soft tannins. 

Alto de la Ballena is a small winery operating in the Sierra de la Ballena located just 15 kilometers from the Atlantic coast. The small 8-hectare estate vineyard benefits from the oceanic air as well as excellent drainage from the steep, granite, and schist hillside mountain soils. The winery's birth is dated at the Millenium when  Paula and Alvaro quit their finance jobs after spending the previous two years searching for the ideal vineyard location. They found that in the Maldonado department in the Oceanic region.  They showed an interesting wine in the Alto de la Ballena Tannat – Viognier 2018 ($24) - an 85-15% blend. They manage both lots so that they can be harvested very close together allowing for co-fermentation. The Viognier adds a more intense aroma and softens the Tannat's tannins creating a lovely wine. Still structured with juice acidity, some herbs, and juice and chewy sour cherries. 

Bodega Bouza is an innovative winery and the very first to plant Albariño in Latin America to incorporate the family's Spanish roots from Galicia. They also farm several other winegrapes in five vineyards from the metropolitan areas of Montevideo and Canelones to the oceanic-influenced Maldonado region. These are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Tannat. The last three comprise their Bouza Monte Vide Eu (Tempranillo - Merlot - Tannat) 2019 ($67) - a full-bodied and structured wine providing a robust mouthfeel. This is structured at 50% Tannat, 30% Merlot, and 20% Tempranillo and the grapes are vinified and initially aged separately then aged together for a total of up to 16 months in French and American oak barrels. This is an exceptional Oceanic wine. 

Basta Spirit was founded in 2018 and produces spirits using a Tannat base. The Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rosé ($16) contains 27 botanicals, including flowers such as hops, chamomile, rose, and elderberry. It is extremely aromatic, with loads of herbaceousness and forest spiciness - very gin-like. I plan on using this in a Negroni, and replacing the gin with mezcal, since this Vermut has suitable gin flavors. 

Ron Rubin Winery -> Pam's UN-Oaked Cabernet + Chardonnay 2021

We've been casual followers of Ron Rubin ever since he purchased the River Road Family Vineyards &Winery back in 2011 and his subsequent Ron Rubin Winery releases of Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Last month we received word of a new project, Pam's UN-Oaked Cabernet + Chardonnay. This series pays tribute to "Pam Rubin, Ron’s wife of 48 years -- and no fan of oaky wines, red or white!".  The labels for these wines feature the B Corp Certified (B = Benefit for All) logo. The B Corp Certification is a designation that a "business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials". 

Pam's UN-Oaked Chardonnay 2021 ($14)
The grapes for this wine are sourced from family-owned vineyards in Clarksburg and Lodi with both regions providing grapes with matured ripeness and fresh acidity. The juice was cold fermented in stainless steel tanks in order to maintain this acidity. The result is an aromatic wine, full-bodied, with layers of melons and pears, minerality, and fresh acids. A tremendous value. 

Pam's UN-Oaked Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($16)
These grapes were sourced from family-owned vineyards in the same Clarksburg and Lodi AVAs where "deep frost in late 2020, coupled with continued drought, led to a lighter-than-usual harvest yielding fruit with concentrated flavor and bright acidity".  The grapes were also fermented in stainless steel tanks with the abv weighing in at a reasonable 12.5%.  This is such a vibrant and approachable wine, bursting with black fruit and juicy acidity.  Immediately an extended family favorite. 

Disclosure: We received samples from Ron Rubin Winery in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Herbal Liqueurs: Amaro Nonino Quintessentia®

Amaro translates to “bitter” in Italian, but the category of bittersweet herbaceous liqueurs is far from one-note. It spans a range of flavors and styles, from light and citrusy Aperol to bracing and minty Fernet-Branca, not to mention countless artisanal brands you may have never heard of. An amaro is a bittersweet herbal liqueur that is made by infusing an alcoholic base, such as a neutral spirit, grape brandy, or wine, with botanical ingredients that include herbs, citrus peels, roots, spices, and flowers; the exact recipes are often closely held secrets. The resulting liquid is sweetened and then aged. Amari (the plural of amaro) can be produced anywhere, but they’re a cornerstone of Italian culture. Monasteries started making bittersweet liqueurs as far back as the 13th century, touting their healing properties and digestive benefits, and in the 1800s Italian producers such as Averna and Ramazzotti took amari to the masses. Today, amari are most often sipped as pre-dinner aperitivi to whet the appetite or post-dinner digestive to aid in digestion. -- Audrey Morgan, Liquor.com

We are staying within the Herbal Liqueurs category and moving to the Italian specialty: Amaro. And the gold standard starts with the Amaro Nonino Quintessentia®.

The Grappa Nonino Distillery was founded in 1897 by Orazio Nonino in the Friuli region of Italy and has run through six generations as Benito and Giannola passed control over to their three daughters Cristina, Antonella, and Elisabetta (the 5th generation).  And the 6th generation has already made an impact with Cristina's daughter Francesca taking a role in the family operations.

In 1933, Antonio Nonino (the third generation) starts producing Nonino liqueurs like the Amaro Carnia, an infusion of herbs from the mountains of Friuli, using the grappa as the base. In 1940, "Silvia Nonino – Antonio’s wife and an excellent cook – left a widower and becomes the first woman to manage a distillery; her great knowledge of botanicals leads her to create the 'Aperitivo Bianco Nonino', a drink for the pleasure of the palate and the spirit. It is the first time that in the distillery they experience the female touch in the art of liqueurs and distillation. Silvia will be the first of a long series of Nonino woman distillers". During her tenure Silvia also enriches the recipe of the Amaro Carnia, with selected botanicals, to create a more complex amaro:  Amaro del Friuli.

In 1973, Benito (4th generation) and Giannola Nonino started a worldwide distilling trend by introducing the very first single variety grappa -- Nonino Monovitigno, made from Picolit - an indigenous grape from the Nonino distillery's home region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The concept was revolutionary because suppliers traditionally combined the pomace (the post-pressed pulpy matter of grape skins, flesh, seeds, and stems) for all grape varieties into the same bins. The combined pomace was usually then fermented and distilled into grappa. And most winemakers were reluctant to change this process until Giannola recruited the wives to separate the varieties in exchange for higher payments.

In 1992, the distillery replaced grappa in the recipe of the family amaro with ÙE® Grape distillate aged for a minimum of 12 months in barriques and small casks. This grape distillate was created by Giannola and Benito in 1984 using a discontinuous distillation* process in copper steam stills. This amaro was also rebranded as Amaro Nonino Quintessentia®. The ancient family recipe still uses herbs from the mountains of Friuli and the grape distillate is usually a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Moscato, and Malvasia grape pomace. The Quintessentia® is packaged in an old pharmacy bottle at 70 proof. 

This is a lighter-bodied and friendly liqueur showing citrus and forest herbs. Our bartender friends love its suitability in cocktails like the Paper Plane. Cheers.

The Paper Plane
3/4 ounce bourbon
3/4 ounce Aperol
3/4 ounce Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

* Discontinuous distillation means that at the end of each "batch", or distillation cycle, the distilled grape pomace is unloaded from the cauldrons and replaced with other fresh grape pomace ready to be distilled. Therefore, between each cycle of distillation, it is necessary to stop the process to allow loading and unloading. The "discontinuous" method represents the historic and artisan system to produce Grappa and is not to be confused with the industrial "continuous" method.

Herbal Liqueurs: Badel Pelinkovac

Badel Pelinkovac Gorki is the oldest and most famous Croatian herbal liqueur that was first crafted by Franjo Pokorny in 1871 at the Zagreb Liquor Factory in Zagreb. This factory had been founded eleven years earlier (hence Badel 1862) and Pokorny had purchased it to expand his production of liqueurs and Sljivovica. Pokorny was such a tenacious salesman, that he was able to expand sales throughout Europe - particularly to the Hapsburgs in Vienna and the French Imperial court of Napoleon III - the nephew of Napoleon I and the last French monarch. 

In 1886, the Zagreb Liquor Factory expanded and added the Patria distillery to its company. Patria was making fine liqueurs and its most famous Patria Medicinal Brandy which was sold in pharmacies and is known today as Badel Brandy. In 1947, after World War II, three distilleries combined to form the  Zagreb factory of Liqueurs and Wines. These were Pokorny's Zagreb Liquor Factory and Patria distilleries and the A. A Baker & Co. Two years after this the Arko factory (a family operation that originally opened in 1861 and produced sparkling wines, brandy, and liqueurs) is added to the conglomerate. In 1950, the factory was renamed Marijan Badel. In 1991, with more mergers, a new company is formed: Badel 1862.

Badel Pelinkovac is produced according to a traditional maceration method where selected curative herbs from the Velebit mountain, with the dominant herb Pelin (lat. Artemisia Absinthium or in English Wormwood), are soaked in high-quality grain alcohol and then left to age in wooden barrels for several weeks. A percentage of the produced macerate is then distilled in copper pot stills and finally, the distillate and the macerate are blended into Badel Pelinkovac. In fact, as we learned from master blender Vesna Jurak in the video below, Badel 1862 employs the 3rd oldest pot still in the world. The final alcohol content ranges from 28% to 35% by volume.

The spirit starts with a savory pine tar and mint aroma, is slightly bitter, and then transitions to the sweeter side. It's minty throughout with some orange rind and a lengthy finale.

Herbal Liqueurs: Zwack Unicum

In 1790, Habsburg ruler Joseph II had a bout of indigestion, and asked Dr. József Zwack, royal physician to the Imperial Court, for a remedy. Dr. Zwack offered the Holy Roman Emperor a sip of an herbal digestive and which Joseph II responded, "Das ist ein Unikum!" ("This is unique!")

I've had my share of indigestion over the years and instead of popping Gaviscon like candy or taking Omeprazole, I've decided to look at herbal remedies - and specifically - herbal liqueurs as a digestive. And there's no better place to start than Hungarian Unicom from a bottle purchased in 2001.  

Fifty years after this encounter with Joseph II, József Zwack founded the J Zwack & Co., and the first herb liqueur made under the name “Unicum” and using the same recipe occurred on May 22, 1883. The round bottle contained the recognizable red circle and gold cross on its belly implying its medicinal value.  As demand increased son Lajos moved the distillery to its present location in 1892. By 1926, Zwack Lajos’s sons, Béla Zwack and János Zwack had both joined the Company. 

During WWII, Budapest was one of the most bombed cities in Europe, and the distillery was completely destroyed. After the war, during which the family lived in a cellar with two unexploded bombs over their heads, János and Béla, completely rebuilt the factory using the most modern technology available at the time. When, in 1948, the firm was finally ready to resume production at pre-war levels, the newly instated Communist government confiscated everything the family possessed with no compensation and "the world as I knew it", to quote Péter Zwack, János's son, "came to an end". János fled to the West with the Unicum recipe in his breast pocket, having bribed the Russian drivers to take him across the border. Béla chose to remain in Hungary and was deported, together with thousands of other "class enemies", to eke out an existence on the Great Hungarian Plain. Péter Zwack took a train to the Yugoslav border and then walked his way to Trieste where, with an overwhelming surge of joy and relief, he saw the British fleet at anchor in the bay.

When János Zwack arrived in the United States he discovered that the Communist State-run company was still exporting products to the USA under the Zwack name. He filed a court case against the importers and the government to retain the right to his family trademarks. In the end, he succeeded: in a precedent-setting ruling the State-run company was no longer allowed to use the name Unicum or Zwack in the West. 

In 1988, Péter Zwack returned to Hungary and then, together with his partner, Emil Underberg of the German spirits dynasty, formed Péter Zwack und Consorten AG and later they entered into a joint venture with the State-run distillery. Four years later they founded Zwack Unicum Plc. after submitting a successful bid during the privatization process and were thus able to buy back the enterprise from the State.  Obviously, my bottle was produced during the Communist management of the distillery.

Unicum is still produced using the same recipe as in 1790 which features over forty herbs. The majority of these herbs and spices come from the Carpathian basin, but ingredients are also imported from Morocco, China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Americas, and Australia. The herbs are measured by hand to this day, while some special ingredients, known as the "heart” of Unicum, are personally weighed out by a family member, currently by Péter Zwack’s widow, Anne Marshall Zwack.

In order to produce Unicum, half the herbs are macerated and the others are distilled and sometimes the same herb is both macerated and distilled. During maceration, the herbs are immersed in corn alcohol, a process that provides an intensive, rich flavor, The macerated and distilled herbs are then blended together in a traditional wooden vat. The spirit is then aged in oak casks, just like the 1790 version, and today the distillery employs 500 oak casks located in cellars under the Soroksári Road distillery

And Unicom is complex. I got citrus, sweet orange rind, and pine notes on the nose. The palate is bitter, then turns a little sweet with licorice, ginger, and lemongrass notes. The finish is long, Very long. So far, no need for Gaviscon. Cheers. 

Grape Spotlight: Oltrepò Pavese DOC Pinot Nero and Others

Lombardy is one of Italy's largest and most populous regions and is located in the north-central part of the country. It consists of five DOCG, 21 DOC, and 15 IGP titles with the Oltrepò Pavese DOC being one of the larger and better-known regions. Oltrepò  Pavese refers to Pavia across the Po -- or more meaningful - the area south of the Po River. The region lies in southwest Lombardy and shares many common features with neighboring Piedmont as both regions were once ruled by the House of Savoy.

Viticulture has been prevalent in Oltrepò Pavese for thousands of years as evidenced by the discovery of a fossilized caràsa, that is, a fossilized vine trunk, 25 cm long by 6 cm in diameter, found near Casteggio (Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepò Pavese). And why not. According to wine-searcher.com, "the vineyards of the Oltrepo zone sit among the foothills between the Apennines and the river Po in the provinces of Alessandria, Genoa, and Piacenza. The vines benefit from an excellent microclimate (thanks to its proximity to the Po), well-drained soils rich in clay and calcareous marl, and a terroir often compared to that of Barolo".  In 1884 Oltrepò Pavese was home to at least 225 native vines, but today there are just a dozen that are the most widespread.

 
Last week I attended a fascinating lunch at Cafe Milano featuring wines from Oltrepò Pavese presented by Carlo Veronese, the director of the Consorzio Vini Oltrepò. Even though there are 20 classifications within Oltrepò Pavese, this tasting focused on the Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG, Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepo Pavese, and Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepo Pavese. And notice that the wines of Oltrepò Pavese are generally named from the vines from which they are made and not just the region.

 
Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC
Oltrepò Pavese is considered the Pinot Nero (Noir) capital of Italy as more Pinot Nero is planted there than anywhere else in Italy. Interestingly, the original genotypes of Pinot Noir were already cultivated in the Oltrepò areas by the ancient Romans and may have been the source of Pinot Noir in the south of France. However, the current Pinot Noir vines derive from French selections that were planted after the Phylloxera epidemic. Pinot Nero can be labeled as a vintage wine or a Reserva with a minimum of two years of aging.

The Cantina di Casteggio Pinot Nero Dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC 2020 is a lighter style but with noticeable tannins and a little chewy mint.

The Dino Torti Pinot Nero Dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC 2019 was perhaps my favorite despite the interesting branding. It's floral with creamy red raspberries and cherries and a viscosity throughout.

The Mazzolino Pinot Nero Dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC 2018 was the biggest of the reds, aged twelve months in oak and offering a tea and pepper aroma, a full-bodied interior, with a firm and lasting finish.

Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG
Metodo classico is Italy's version of Champagne's methode classique and Pinot Nero is dominant in all wines made under this title.  The sparkling wine can be made either as a white or rosé and 70 percent or more of the final blend must be Pinot Nero. This percentage increases to 85 percent for wines claiming the varietal title Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico Pinot Nero.  Picked at the early stages of skin ripeness, Pinot Nero displays a good balance of acidity and sugar required for these sparkling wines.

The Asburgico Oltrepò Pavese DOCG Metodo Classico Pinot Nero 2018 explodes in the mouth with textured citrus notes.

The Azienda Agricola Quaquarini Francesco Oltrepò Pavese DOCG Metodo Classico Pinot Nero 2014 needed a few minutes to open then the floral, white grapefruit and a little tropic fruit notes rushed out.

Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC
This title applies to still and frizzante white wines containing at least 85 percent Pinot Grigio.

The Vanzini Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC was an eye-opener on the region's richer style and orangish-colored versions of this varietal wine.

Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepo Pavese DOC
The title translates to "Blood of Judas" and applies to sweet red wines which can be still, frizzante (semi-sparkling), or spumante. Barbera and Croatina must each account for between 25 and 65 percent of any blend with Pinot Nero, Uva Rara, and Vespolina alone or in any combination, accounting for 45 percent. The intriguing and sometimes controversial name Sangue di Giuda means "Blood of Judah" or "Blood of Judas". 

The Losito & Guarini Sangue Di Giuda Dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC, C'era Una Volta 2021 is a low alcohol (6%), full-bodied, and fresh wine where the sweetness is partially obscured by the abundant acidity.

Oltrepò Pavese Riesling
The Ca Di Frara Oliva Oltrepò Pavese Riesling DOC also provides a darker copper color with tropical and petrol notes.

Oltrepò Pavese Barbera
The Ca Montebello Oltrepò Pavese Barbera DOC 2020 is fruit-forward, and very friendly with a floral start and a slight mocha tail.