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🇪🇺 EU is coming for wine

🇪🇺 EU is coming for wine

In this week’s DECORKED digest you will read all about Nordic wines, pyrazines, Europe's stuggles, the origins of wine, and more. Keep reading!

September 25, 2023

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Happy Monday! Hope you have a wonderful week ahead! This week’s spotlight is on Europe - find out about the harvest updates, a new alcohol policy, and other challenges. Learn more about pyrazines, Nordic wines, and the origins of wine itself. Keep reading!

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INTERESTING THIS WEEK

⚜️ Australian wines flourish in Hong Kong in anticipation of tariff lift READ HERE

🇨🇱 Signs of new life in Itata, Chile after devastating fires and floods READ HERE

📝 12 major wine trends currently shaping US retail market READ HERE

🪲 Europe's vineyards plagued by pestilence READ HERE

👑 A Riesling royalty succession story READ HERE

🍷 Napa's cold new reality READ HERE

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We curate, filter, and select only the most exciting and important news for you.

THE SCIENCE OF PYRAZINES IN WINE

Methoxypyrazines (MPs), known also as just pyrazines, are compounds in wine that create green, grassy, and herbal smells like bell peppers or jalapeños. These compounds are often found in grapes like Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot, and they can be polarizing - some people enjoy these aromas in wine, while others don't. MPs mostly come from the vineyard. They are linked to nitrogen, a nutrient for plants, and can be found in various parts of the grape plant like leaves, roots, and shoots. They start building up early in the grape's development. How much sunlight the grapes get, the type of land they grow on, and how they are cared for can affect the level of MPs in the grapes. Soil also plays a role. Some winemaking techniques involving high temperatures can reduce MPs in wine. MPs are powerful and can significantly impact the wine's taste and character. So, winemakers have to consider MPs when deciding where to grow grapes and how to take care of them, depending on the kind of wine they want to make.

WINE’S TRUE ORIGINS ARE FINALLY REVEALED

A comprehensive new study on the history of wine has challenged conventional beliefs about grapevine cultivation. DNA analysis revealed that wild grapes originally grew in central Asia and spread westward as humans migrated. Around 200,000 years ago, climate change split grape habitats into western Europe and eastern regions. People in western Asia started cultivating table grapes about 11,000 years ago, while wine grapes were domesticated in the Caucasus. Around 200,000 years ago, a shift in climate, characterized by a cold and dry ice-age period, led to the decline of grapevines in the central Mediterranean Sea region. Early farmers migrating from western Asia brought table vines with them, crossbreeding with local grapes to create different varieties. This crossbreeding probably began in what is now Israel and Turkey, giving rise to muscat grapes, which are high in sugar and suitable for eating and fermenting. Over time, these table grapes evolved into different wine grape varieties in regions like the Balkans, Italy, France, and Spain. These findings offer new insights into the origins of wine grapes and the history of winemaking.

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EUROPEAN ALCOHOL POLICY IS COMING FOR WINE

The European wine industry is facing potential disruptions due to proposed measures like warning labels, advertising bans, and price changes. Alcohol has been labeled an "unhealthy commodity" by scientists for over a decade, with ethanol linked to various diseases, including heart conditions. In February 2022, the EU Parliament imposed stricter regulations on the alcohol sector as part of the "Strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer" initiative. Recent developments, such as Ireland introducing warning labels in May 2023, indicate that efforts to reduce alcohol consumption are gaining momentum in the European Union. Alcohol consumption has been decreasing in many EU countries, prompting the wine industry to seek new ways to attract consumers. The "No & Low" alcohol category, featuring drinks with reduced or no alcohol content, has gained popularity. However, this category is also drawing the attention of health policymakers. To promote responsible alcohol use and address concerns from anti-alcohol advocates, the wine industry must engage in discussions and advocacy within this changing landscape.

WINE HARVEST IS LATE THIS YEAR, IS IT A BAD THING?

This year, the vineyards are experiencing a slower ripening process, but winemakers view this as a positive development rather than a looming disaster. The growing season has been reminiscent of a more moderate past when wines had naturally lower alcohol levels and were brighter. Some winemakers even anticipate that the extended ripening period could result in a vintage worth celebrating for years to come.

Across regions from western Sonoma to Napa Valley, harvest schedules have been pushed to later dates than usual due to various weather fluctuations. Winemakers were initially concerned about the grapes' condition this year. Even in the cooler parts of Northern California, there's no shortage of sunlight. Winemakers usually have flexibility during harvest, choosing earlier for wines with restrained, lower alcohol content and later for richer, riper wines. Nevertheless, the challenge this year might be that all grapes need to be harvested around the same time, potentially leading to congestion in many wineries' tanks.

NEW MASTER SOMMELIERS SHARE HOW THEY ACED THE EXAM

Two new Master Sommeliers shared their study strategies just after the exam, their guidance for future test takers, and how they raised a glass to this significant achievement. According to the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, there are 273 individuals worldwide who have received the title of Master Sommelier since its establishment in 1969. Mark Guillaudeu from Phoenix says that the theoretical part of the exam was the hardest part for him. He prepared with over 25,000 flashcards. He believes that the most important part is that you're comfortable and confident going to meet the wines on the table, and says he did seven to nine blind flights a week for months, often doing two full flights in a day. Jonathan Eichholz from New York invested countless hours studying and eventually reached a point of true mastery over beverages. This was his third time attempting the exam, in which he compiled data from previous tastings and created decision trees a week before the exam. Eichholz believes the most important part is to enjoy yourself all throughout the journey. He says that everyone's path and way of studying is different, and each one needs to find something that works for them.

EUROPE'S VINEYARDS BLOW HOT AND COLD

In recent weeks, the European wine community has faced a series of challenges and fluctuations. From red wine flowing through the streets of a Portuguese village, hailstorms causing significant damage to vineyards in Rheinhessen, to the theft of grand cru grapes in Bordeaux. Tragic news has emerged from Champagne and Beaujolais, where it is believed that six people lost their lives due to heat exhaustion during France's recent heatwave. Investigations are currently underway to understand the circumstances of these incidents. Following the heatwave, severe hailstorms of extraordinary proportions struck the vineyards of Rheinhessen, located just west of Frankfurt in Rhineland-Palatinate. These hailstorms resulted in the destruction of vineyards, leading to substantial losses in some harvests, with damage reaching up to 100 percent.

To address isolated incidents of grape theft and dumping, law enforcement in western and southwestern France has increased its presence in rural areas during the harvest season. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the potential loss of the "South of France" label, which is commonly associated with wines from the region. The French Agriculture Minister, Marc Fesneau, has clarified that this label is not subject to regulatory control. Additionally, following the heatwave, France experienced storms and hailstorms with heavy rain, although the damage from these weather events has been relatively minimal.

TRENDS: NORDIC WINES

Due to the effects of climate change, wine enthusiasts have started investing in vineyards in Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Finland, and even Iceland. Denmark is currently the leading wine producer in the region. Rising temperatures are causing grape harvests to occur earlier and speeding up the ripening process in some areas. While the Nordic wine market is more of a novelty than a lucrative industry at the moment, bottles of wine from Denmark or Sweden can cost between $30-40, significantly higher than in traditional European wine regions.

Nordic wines are mostly white, often made from the Solaris grape variety, which thrives in cooler climates and produces delicious dessert wines and crisp apple-and-honey whites. However, winemakers are starting to experiment with blends and other grape varieties as their regions become warmer. One notable characteristic of cooler climate regions is that their wines tend to be high in acidity, giving them a fresh and lively taste. However, this acidity can sometimes be overpowering. Nordic red wines are typically light to medium-bodied and lack the boldness of warmer climate wines. So far, only one Scandinavian wine, the Dons sparkling wine produced near the Danish city of Kolding, has earned the distinction of a Protected Designation of Origin (DOP), which is an industry recognition of quality.

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WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: AEGEAN, TURKEY

The Aegean wine region lies in the western part of Turkey, on the end of the Anatolian peninsula, facing the Aegean Sea and the Greek Islands. It accounts for over half of all wine produced in the country. The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot summers and mild winters. Coastal vineyards are often at an altitude of around 150 meters and have the most pronounced maritime influences. Vineyards on the Anatolian plateau rise to around 900m. There the climate is quite similar to the Rhône Valley. Vineyard soils in the lower parts of the region are often clay loams. There is more chalk and limestone in higher sites. Some of the key varieties of the region are domestic ones, such as Bogazkere, Bornova Misketi, Calkarasi, Cavus, Dimrit. Apart from that, the region also uses quite a lot of international varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese.

GRAPE OF THE WEEK: NARINCE

Narince is a white grape variety that prospers throughout much of Turkey and is indigenous to the northeastern region of Tokat. However, many growers cultivate Narince not for its fruit, but for its leaves and their inclusion in "dolma" (stuffed vine leaves) - a staple of Turkish cuisine. Without the photosynthesizing benefits of the leaves, Narince berries cannot ripen enough for quality wine production. However, there have been recent plantings of Narince in the Côtes d'Avanos vineyard in Cappadocia (Kapadokya) which, at 172 hectares (425 acres), is Turkey's second-largest vineyard. Here, in Central Anatolia, the vine is grown exclusively to make wine. The elevated altitude (900-950m), lime-rich volcanic soil, and continental climate result in wines of great character. Narince wines have assertive citrus flavors of pears, grapefruit, and especially orange. A slightly oily texture – not unlike Viognier – enhances its character along with a seasoning of spice.

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