viernes, 18 de septiembre de 2009

Interview with Nicolas Joly


When in France this year, I heard the name of Nicolas Joly for the first time. "He is "the one and only" if you wanna talk about biodinamics. He is the main referent in this area nowadays" said to me Luzia, a colleague friend from Austria, interested on attending Jolie´s confference "Le rennasaince des appelations" at Vinexpo.
From that day, I began to be interested on biodinamics, his creator, Rudolph Steiner and Mr N. Jolie, who in the other hand, owns Le Coulée de Serrant, one of the most famous biodinamic chateaux in the South of France. Finally Ive got the chance to interview him, on line.
I will publish this interview in parts, so - as followers of biodinamics - we can, step by step, absorbe the concepts of a philosophy which only aims to love and respect vines, earth and man.

- Mr. Jolie, you have repeatedly said conventional agriculture belongs to the past. But still 90% of the world is making wine in conventional ways. In a world where money and profits seem to be key words, what the biodinamic method has to offer in terms of saving money?
- First lets look at the present situation .More wine consumers in the world would agree to day to tell that wines worldwide have a fairly similar range of tastes .So one could say that the "local" taste or the originality of taste developed by each wine place( this was the deep meaning of an AOC) is gone . AOC were created for bringing to the consumer a garanty of specific local tastes; so whereever you were in the world you had the garanty to find inside a bottle of an a specific taste of a small place well adapted to vines . Why is it gone? Mainly because of farming . To make it short weedkillers have killed the living organisms of the soil which permited the roots of the vines to feed itself on each geology ; and mollecules of synthesis have affected photosynthesis which convert each climate into a specific tastes. This have forced the implementation of a sophisticated technology in the cellar through the use of more than 35O aromatic yeasts which permits to have good but completly atypical wines .This is fabulous ground for implementation of biodynamie which does exactly the reverse!
- Today there are many experiences around the world calling themselves biodinamics, but some of them use for expample, microoxigenation on wines. Is there a "map", a "formula" to tell what is biodinamic and what is not?
- It is certain that today many use the word biodynamie for what we could call "marketing reasons", but many are on the right way . Biodynamie is not often well understood . Biodynamie is the first farming since a long time which does not act on mater but acts on the energetical process behind mater; which for example permits a bud to become few month later , a grape .Keep in mind that the earth isolated from the solar system would become a dead body .The connections of the earth to the solar system is purely energetical ( wavelenght and frequencies ). Biodynamie reinforce the link of the plant to the energetical matrix which brings life to the earth. To obtain these effects you need very accurate practices different on each place. A bite like tuning properly a musical instrument ! If this is welldone if the place fits for a vineyard, if the cepage are right etc then in the cellar everything happens well on its own and the wine have a great originality which no one else an copy ( taste a Coulée de Serrant you will see ) . If the "musical instrument" ( vineyard ) is not well tuned to the forces the vines needs to fully express their potential then the artifices of technologies are needed .

jueves, 17 de septiembre de 2009

Interview with Nicolas Joly (II Part)

Is your group related to some of the experiences with biodinamic agriculture in South America? If so, which ones?
There are in South America a real potential for wines . the only main change is that the star constellations which are above the vines in spring and summer are not the same that the one we have in North hemisphere . Also often irrigations is practiced and this keep the roots at the surface of the soil . There are ways to improve this .A vine is dominated by "dionysos forces" that you can understand as gravitations of downward forces . A vine which roots are not 1O/2O meters down cannot totally express it self .
- How many biodinamic wines are in the market nowadays?
if you talk about real BD wines with legal ( Demeter for example ) control and comitment I would say about several hundred .( 18O for France ) . But keep in mind that a wine is not only good because it use BD but because BD is well done and because the place is fine for vines etc . It is fast growing . I always ask a legal ontrol and 3 years of pratices before presenting the wines for a tasting to join the group . At that tasting about 1/3 are accepted .what we want is an originality of taste which means good BD pratices and an emotion .So a wine totally different from the " normal " criterias . We have to day only 2 S am wines in our group and wish to have more
- Which is the country leading the change?
France certainly followed by Italy . why ?because there are in France and Italy many very small vineyards with real man of the earth behind each .BD works well when a man is behind an estate with his soul.In the middle age one was saying that a man can well express himself only on 5 hectares
- In New World Wine countries, like Argentina, the concept of appelations does not apply, still we are working on regions (Tupungato, Luján), are there known experiencies of biodinamics applied to an entire region? And in that case, what is the general overview.
As far as I know BD is starting overall in South America ; a little more advance in Chilie. People should start with few hectares and see the difference achieved . But they need someone on the spot who puts his soul in it more than an adviser who gives the right to the word biodynamie . Only the man who is daily on the spot can reach the right actions felt by himself at the right time . Biodynamie is an art not a recepe although many people wants to limit it to a recepe
- Do you expect biodinamic wines will replace conventional wines in the near future in Europe?
There are 2 cathegories of customers , those who wants to drink wine and do not care about the rest which is their right .Those who have a passion for wines and the subtilities it can carry . this second cathegory is moving fast toward BDwines . Thruth have become a market it is a huge change . Most BD wines are wines which creates emotions , which sings ; they carry the soul of the place where they come from.

Lafite, en 6 lenguas


Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)cuenta su historia, y la de sus afamados vinos en 6 idiomas diferentes en su nuevo sitio web. Ubicado en Burdeos, Francia, este chateaux, uno de los premiér Gran Cru, elabora algunos de los vinos más caros y famosos del Globo. En Argentina, el barón es socio de Nicolás Catena con quien elabora dos vinos, Caro y Amancaya.
Para enterarse de los maridajes, las recetas, lo nuevo en tradición bordelesa, sólo basta con ingresar a www.lafite.com.

Tastes of Argentina







Miren el evento Decanter's Tastes of Argentina - organizado por Wines of Argentina - al que asistieron 35 bodegas Top de nuestro país.

viernes, 11 de septiembre de 2009

NEW VIDEO Highlights California Sustainable Winegrowing


SAN FRANCISCO – California has the most widely adopted green winegrowing and winemaking program in the world, one that has earned the state’s top environmental award. The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, has released a new video to show highlights of its program’s earth-friendly practices embraced by the state’s vintners and winegrape growers.

“Consumers are interested in knowing where and how their wines are grown and made, and the California wine community has responded by becoming a progressive advocate of environmentally conscious practices,” notes Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute. “As our sustainable program develops and expands, we’re seeing how responsible sustainable practices have a positive impact on the environment and in our communities.”

The term “sustainability” has a specific meaning for California’s vintners and winegrape growers. “Sustainable practices include the way we preserve and protect the land, water, and air, and how we responsibly interact with employees and local communities,” says Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers. “We also want to ensure that winegrowing families have viable businesses to pass on, and provide consumers the value they’ve come to expect from California wines.”

At the heart of California’s sustainability movement is the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing, a 16-chapter workbook that lays out best practices for soil, ecosystems, air quality, pest control, water conservation, recycling, energy efficiency and wine quality, among many other practices. The Code has formalized socially and environmentally responsible ways to farm and make wine from the ground to the glass.

For more information about California’s Sustainable Winegrowing Program, go to www.sustainablewinegrowing.org, www.wineinstitute.org, www.cawg.org, or www.discovercaliforniawine.com.

martes, 8 de septiembre de 2009

Tema de imagen



La imagen de cabecera que adorna este blog fue creada por una afamada profesional de nuestro ámbito, Claudia Morales. Diseñadora gráfica, es la responsable de gran parte de las imágenes y los conceptos gráficos que anclan nuestros artículos periodísticos en Area del Vino. Sus creaciones también pueden ser vistas en la tapa del Anuario de Vinos y Bodegas. Claudia es, asimismo, diseñadora del suplemento Fincas de Diario Los Andes y de Vinos y Viñas, la revista de Bodegas de Argentina. Aprovechamos la inauguración de este blog para brindar por la imagen del vino y por los diseñadores y fotógrafos que hay detrás de ella.

lunes, 7 de septiembre de 2009

Venti di crisi sulla vendemmia

La vendemmia 2009 procede a buon ritmo ma se le prime indicazioni qualitative sono molto incoraggianti, altrettanto non si può dire sotto l’aspetto economico. Mentre tante aziende devono smaltire i quantitativi del 2008 sembrano in picchiata anche i prezzi delle uve. Si parla di una flessione media del 10% sul 2008 e punte del 50%. In tutto ciò ci si mettono anche i cugini francesi che tornano a superarci in termini di quantitativo raccolto (48 milioni di ettolitri contro i circa 47 nostrani). Ci buttiamo nell’export? Beh, se conserviamo la leadership di primo esportatore mondiale i nostri “numeri” sono comunque in frenata. Gli Stati Uniti – nostro mercato di riferimento - fanno infatti registrare una nuova tendenza low cost: ovvero buon trend di importazioni di vini made in Italy ma con etichette dai prezzi contenuti.
Nel primo semestre del 2009, secondo i dati forniti dall'Italian Wine & Food Institute di New York, si è infatti registrato un incremento del 22% in quantità e una flessione del 13,1% in valore. E l'Italia enoica, come tutti gli altri competitors europei, perde posizioni: -7,9% in quantità e -18,9% in valore (979.700 ettolitri per 466,92 milioni di dollari). Unica consolazione per il Belpaese è che, tolto lo sfuso (-37,8% dell'export negli Usa, a 51.430 ettolitri), rimane il primo fornitore di vino in bottiglia degli States, anche se in generale la quota di mercato è scesa dal 31,9% al 24,1%, contro quella dell'Australia, oggi al primo posto, salita dal 24% al 30,6% (con 1.241.870 ettolitri per 275,62 milioni di dollari).
A determinare l'aumento in quantità dell'import di vino negli Usa, sottolinea l'Istituto, è stato soprattutto il massiccio incremento di vini sfusi da Australia e Sud America. E mentre tutto il Nuovo Mondo del vino fa segnare performance positive in quantità e valore (dal +31,2% e +32,6% dell'Argentina, al +138,8% e +41,4% del Cile), è tutta la Vecchia Europa a segnare pesanti battute d'arresto: per la Francia -6,5% in quantità e -29,8% in valore (373.010 ettolitri per 315.28 milioni di dollari), per la Spagna -6,9% e -22,8%.

http://www.igrandivini.com/view.php?id=736&idn=1


Vernaccia, blanca del corazón de la Toscana

En el corazón de Toscana, a 80 kilómetros al suroeste de la ciudad de Florencia, entre dos ciudades marítimas, Livorno y Arezzo, se levantan las paredes amuralladas de una fortaleza medieval. Tallada en piedra, la Torre de San Gimignano es vigía de uno de los pueblos más antiguos y más bellos de esta región central de Italia a cuyo pie se extiende el verde de las vides, visión que predomina desde cada mirador en torno al pueblo.

En esta pequeña zona, ubicada dentro de la región de Chianti, se produce un vino blanco típico, la Vernaccia de San Gimignano, un DOCG, denominación que indica que el producto no sólo es de origen controlado, sino que está también garantizado. En Italia, valga la aclaración según nos explica Andrea, existen 300 vinos con el sello DOC, pero sólo 30 vinos con el sello DOCG. Para alcanzar esta categoría deben pasar por una comisión de expertos que dicta las reglas para conseguir el “garantizado”.

En el caso de la Vernaccia de San Gimignano implica, entre otros puntos, una maduración mínima de 15 meses antes de salir al mercado, de los cuales al menos 7 meses deben ser en madera y 3 en botella en el primer año luego de la cosecha. La vinificación y el “apasamiento” que se hace de las uvas, la conservación, el añejamiento y la maduración debe tener lugar dentro de los confines de San Gimignano, Poggibonsi y Colle di Val d`Elsa. La producción máxima de los tintos es de 80 quintales por hectárea.

El pueblo y sus viñas

En lo alto, cerca del mirador del pueblo, se ubica el Museo de Vernaccia, un solaz donde los caminantes pueden encontrar toda la información de la cepa típica de la zona y probar algunos de sus mejores vinos. Allí su sommelier, Andrea, orienta a los curiosos sobre los vinos y uvas propias, características de suelo, clima y otras particularidades de la región. Podemos decir, entonces que la zona tiene alrededor de 2000 hectáreas cultivadas, más de 800 hectáreas de Vernaccia, y el resto de Chianti Colli Senesi, Rosso S. Gimignano DOC, San Gimignano Vin Santo e IGT de Toscana.

La Vernaccia es una uva que se desarrolla en el clima típico de Toscana, con precipitaciones intensas entre abril, mayo y noviembre, 750mm de lluvia, y con temperaturas promedio de menos 5 grados en invierno, y de más 37 en verano.

El cultivo de esta variedad se introdujo en la zona en 1.200 y los primeros datos que se tienen de producción de vino blanco con Vernaccia datan de 1276.



http://www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2009/7/18/fincas-435639.asp