Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil, Malbec Mon Amour. Catapulta Editores, 2022.
Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil have written a fascinating new book about their favorite wine grape, Malbec. If you know that they are from Argentina and associated with the famous Catena Zapata winery, this connection will seem natural, since the roots of Malbec run through this territory and, I guess, through the authors, too.
Three is a number that is full of tension because it defies a casual “either/or” classification, and it is significant that Malbec MonAmour is built around a number of threes. There are, first of all, the book’s three protagonists: Catena, Vigil, and Malbec itself. They mix and relate in complicated ways over the course of the book’s 200 or so colorful pages.
Then there are the three sides of Malbec as presented here. First is Malbec’s history in France (hence “mon amour), which casts a bright light on the importance of Malbec in Bordeaux’s early development. Then comes the history in Argentina, which is a bit of a roller-coaster ride (and hence typically Argentine, if I can say that). And finally there is Malbec’s history with the Catena family, since family is paramount here.
The story itself is presented in three ways, to continue the theme. First there is the straight text, clear and well written. Illustrations — photos, charts, water-color pictures — illuminate the text and can be read on their own. Finally, super-imposed along the way is a dialogue between Catena and Vigil that puts the situation in a personal context.
The book works at several levels and becomes more detailed and technical as the story unfolds. The final sections, which examine in some depth the particular regions and vineyards in Argentina is real wine-geek stuff. Except that the scientific tension is broken by a Catena-Vigil conversation about art, music, family, and even food.
MalbecMon Amour has a lot of moving parts, Does it hold together? Sue is the resident expert on design here at The Wine Economist and she gives a positive review. The pieces fit together and make sense — rewarding to study and a pleasure as a casual read.
Malbec Mon Amour is a worthy addition to your wine bookshelf — a shelf that includes two other noteworthy works by Laura Catena: Vino Argentino and Gold in the Vineyards. Wait … does that make three books?
These are fast times. I used to think about “getting back to normal” and then I started talking about what the “new normal” would look like. Now I don’t really know what normal is — it’s a “new now” every day.
Crossing the River, Feeling the Stones
Planning for the future in the “new now” era reminds me of the Chinese saying about crossing a river by feeling the stones with your feet. Know where you are going but be sure to take each step one at a time.
I am struck by the degree that the program for the Unified Symposium this year reflects the “new now” of the global economy. The environment has long been a concern, for example, but now there is a timely immediacy that spans the global to the local. The Unified examines the issues starting with Dr. Steven Ostoja’s Tuesday luncheon presentation on “Changing Climate, Extreme Weather and Water Scarcity: What It All Means for the Future of Farming” and extending into sessions on vineyard adaptation, living with climate change, and wild fire smoke issues.
Labor has long been a critical issue in the wine industry, but we often focused on vineyard labor and sometimes, as in Napa, the problem of attracting and retaining cellar staff in a region with sky-high living costs. The labor problem in the “new now,” however, extends throughout the organization, so human resource issues are front and center.
These are just two of the important “new now” issues the Unified will examine this year. Check out the complete program to see what else is on tap. And don’t miss the trade show, which is where new ideas are put into practice.
State of the Industry Now
I will be hosting the State of the Industry session on Wednesday morning and I think you can expect a lot of “new now” thinking from the all-star speaker lineup: Jeff Bitter (Allied Grape Browers), Danny Brager (Brager Beverage Alcohol Consulting), Steve Fredricks (Turrentine Brokerage), and Mario Zepponi (Zepponi & Company). Their collective expertise spans the issues — demand, supply, markets, and investment.
The State of the Industry session looks back at 2021 and ahead to 2022 and beyond but a “new now” problem is understanding exactly where we are at today given the big swings in wine demand, sales channels, and grape harvests that we have seen. It can be hard see through the thicket of short-term events to pick out the real longer-term trends. Prediction is difficult, they say — especially about the future when the present in unclear. But I guarantee that the team will have revealing insights to share.
New Now Sacramento
If you want to get a sense of “new now” maybe the best example of change and adaptation is the Unified itself. It starts with the newly remodeled SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. I haven’t seen it yet but I am told it is state of the art — bigger and better — and safer — than before. I am really looking forward to the new trade show and session spaces.
And then there is the health and safety element of the “new now.” Bringing together thousands of wine industry people during this pandemic and doing so responsibly requires organization, cooperation, and critical analysis.
As Cyril Penn reported recently on WineBusiness.com, the organizers have retained a health data analytics firm to model the Unified from a covid safety standpoint.
Epistemix develops simulations that approximate risk based on venue, audience and anticipated virus levels with proprietary software developed by a team from the University of Pittsburg School of Public Health. The firm partnered with the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance a year ago and has worked on risk assessments for conferences and conventions in twenty cities. Reiser said Epistemix has been 95 percent accurate in making event projections thus far.
The models take into account the number of attendees and their vaccine and testing status, the prevalence of the covid variants, the mitigation protocols, the varieties of activities that the convention entails, and the various ways that the groups are likely to mix.
The modeling indicates Unified’s masking and vaccination/testing policy at the newly-remodeled Sacramento Convention Center will create a controlled environment with an expected case rate of one in ten-thousand, according to Lindsey Solden Reiser, PhD, Managing Director of Professional Services for Epistemix, Inc. That modeling assumes 12,000 people attend Unified.
If the projections are correct, the convention will have a much lower expected case rate than Sacramento itself, which has a projected rate of eight cases per ten-thousand persons.
Wine and the New Now
The point is that the new now of trade shows and conventions is very different from the old normal, where people like me mainly worried about mundane things like whether the slide-advance “clicker” would work for the PowerPoint presentation. I am sure I never gave a moment’s thought to the idea that data modeling of pandemic spread would be needed or desired. But here we are now.
And I think the wine business is in the same situation. We need to analyze the new now and to try to understand it, but without assuming that it will somehow revert to the old normal or remain fixed in place as the new normal, either.
Better take off your shoes and socks. Time to get your feet wet.
I was intrigued when we were asked if we’d like to sample wines from a Sicilian cooperative winery. The history of Sicily’s wine industry — and the role of cooperatives within it — is a roller-coaster tale and such sagas in wine do not always have happy endings. I was thirsty to learn more about the situation today.
I learned about the history of Sicily’s wine sector from The World of Sicilian Wine by Bill Nesto MW and Frances Di Savio (see the Wine Economist review here). Wine in Sicily has been buffeted by a combination of shifts in the external markets and changing domestic incentives. It is no wonder that cooperatives arose to help growers navigate the ups and downs and gain a measure of control over their own destinies. Cooperatives spring up in times of crisis, but it is their ability to adapt when conditions change that is most important.
Incentives Matter
Sometimes the economic incentives the cooperatives and other wine actors faced favored quality, but all too often quantity was the dominant strategy. This was particularly true during the years when EU wine policy unintentionally encouraged over-production of low-quality wines with no obvious market potential. These unsalable wines, the source of the famous EU “wine lake,” were bought up and distilled into industrial alcohol, a process that was not sustainable in economic, political, or environmental terms.
The wine lake days are gone — EU incentives now favor market-driven wine production — and the wines have changed faster than their reputations in many cases. Not all wineries have raised their game, however, and that inconsistency is a headwind.
The wines we sampled were from the Cantine Ermes cooperative, which was founded in 1998 in the Belice Valley in northwest Sicily. The cooperative is very large with 2373 members farming more than 12,000 hectares and operating 11 winemaking facilities. In total Cantine Ermes produces 11.5 million bottles annually, which are sold in 29 countries around the world. Does this surprise you? Cooperatives are important in Italian wine, more important than most people realize.
Beyond Low-Hanging Fruit
One criticism I have heard of many Italian cooperatives is that they cut their own throats by focusing too much on bulk wine and private label products — they take this low-hanging fruit and fail to build the brands that might yield higher margins that would improve their economic sustainability.
Some of the deep dark red wine made in Sicily, for example, is sold off to be blended with lighter Italian reds to give the result more body, color, and alcohol — a practice that has been going on for a long time. Cantine Ermes gives attention to several brands, however, including the Vento di Mare wines that we sampled.
Vento di Mare means sea winds and so it was inevitable that we would ask our friends R and M to sample the wines with us. Their visit to Sicily was punctuated by gale force sea winds that nearly blew them off the island and caused sea foam to pile up on the shoreline like drifts of snow.
The three wines we tasted were screwcap-topped bottles of Grillo DOC, Nerello Mascalese IGT, and Moscato Frizzante that retail for about $12 here in the US — right about the center of the retail wine wall in today’s market. The Grillo had nice varietal flavor and good balance. It seemed very versatile and would pair with many dishes as well as on its own. It was probably our favorite wine.
The red Nerello Mascalese was more intense and called out for a bold food pairing. Nerello Mascalese is the most-planted red winegrape in Sicilty according to my sources, and it was easy to see how it could be the foundation of a number of interesting blends as well as a single-variety wine.
The Moscato was fizzy and slightly sweet. Just 10.5% abv, the wine has a secondary fermentation for two months in an autoclave and then ages another two months on its lees. Aromatic (think orange blossoms) and nicely balanced. Like the Grillo it would work in a number of situations. Very pleasant indeed.
Sicilian Wine Ambassadors
We were impressed with the Vento di Mare wines and a bit surprised at the affordable entry-level price point. Other Cantine Ermes brands probe the higher reaches of the wine wall. I hope the attractive packaging and price point encourage consumers to give these wines a try (and that some restaurants see the potential for wine-by-the-glass sales). These wines are good ambassadors for Sicily and its cooperative wineries.
Since we aren’t able to travel to explore the wine world these days as we did in pre-pandemic times, we find it useful to focus on invitations like the one we received from Cantina Ermes. Clearly we have just scratched the surface of the wines of Sicily and the progress of Sicilian cooperatives, but we are encouraged, nonetheless. These are good wines that chart a path out of Sicily’s quantity-driven past towards a more sustainable future.
2022 is here and a rear-view mirror look at 2021 reveals a number of interesting wine trends. High on the list of highlights is the surge in sales of sparkling wine.
It is conventional wisdom that wine consumption is occasion-driven. Generally packaged in a multi-serve 750 ml bottle, many consumers need a reason to pull the cork or twist the screwcap. (There are exceptions — I have friends who insist they need no excuse at all …)
Time to Pop a Cork?
Sparkling wine is even more occasion-driven here in the United States, where it is often reserved for special celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and so forth. This fact was bad news for sparkling wine when we entered the time of covid in 2020 because those festive gatherings disappeared or were in any case much smaller. The spaces we think of for those celebrations such as restaurants were greatly diminished in number and scope. Sparkling wine sales took a big hit.
So one of the pleasant surprises of 2021 is sparkling wine’s rising sales volume in a relatively stagnant overall market. Part of this is due to re-opening of on-premise venues where friends and family can gather over bubbles. But I think there is something more going on.
Consumption may still be occasion-driven, but it seems to me that the occasions have changed in at least two ways. First, given the impact of covid restrictions, it seems like many have opened themselves up to sparkling wine’s ability to brighten any day and not just Hallmark card celebrations. Thanksgiving at the Wine Economist household, for example, featured a different sparkling wine on each evening of the extended weekend. Bubbles work nicely with the rich food and they can sure elevate leftovers!
To Champagne … and Beyond!
A second change is that the sparkling wine spectrum, which starts with Champagne and then fans out in all directions in terms of style, grape variety, and origin, has broadened. Prosecco’s great pre-pandemic success has continued, but there is more to it than that.
An unlikely place to observe this important trend is on the victory podium of a Formula 1 race, where drivers have for some years now celebrated by gulping down and fiercely spraying jeroboams of Champagne.
This season, however, the wine of choice wasn’t from France (although it was made from the same grape varieties using the same traditional method). It came from the mountain vineyards of Trentino in Italy and was made by Ferrari — Ferrari Trento, the Trentodoc wine producer, not the Modena-based maker of the sleek red race cars with the prancing horse badge.
Ferrari Trento is one of the world’s leading sparkling wine producers. Earlier this year it was named Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship. The brand is known throughout Italy and beyond. Indeed, Wine Intelligence named Ferrari the most recognized wine brand in Italy. That’s wine brand, not just sparkling wine brand.
When wine lovers think of sparkling wine in Italy, Ferrari Trento is on their minds (along with Prosecco maker Bisol 1542, a sister winery in the Lunelli Group). Ferrari Trentto exports 15% of their production to over 70 countries (the US, Germany, and Japan are the top three export markets). Italy’s domestic market accounts for 85% of sales.
Taking Ferrari for a Test Drive
We have been meaning to visit the Ferrari Trento headquarters for several years, but it just never happened and now with covid protocols the trip is postponed again. So Sue and I jumped at an invitation to participate in an online media tasting event with Marcello Lunelli, Ferrari Trento’s chief winemaker. We were sent three wines: – Formula 1 Limited Edition NV blanc de blancs, Ferrari Perlé 2016, and Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2008. All three wines are 100% Chardonnay hand-picked from high-elevation mountain vineyards in the Trentodoc zone. Super wines, but very different.
The NV Formula 1 spent 38 months on yeast but was noteworthy for its freshness. It’s the wine that new F1 Champion Max Verstappen can be seen chugging from the big bottle in the image above. Bone dry and refreshing — that’s my tasting note. It is too good to gulp down like that and I hope McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo doesn’t insist on a “shoey” — drinking the wine from his own sweaty shoe — the next time he’s on the podium.
The Perlé wine is a step up the ladder in terms of grape selection and winemaking — the wine rests at least 50 months on yeast. What struck us about this wine were its savory notes, which called out for food. It paired nicely with schnitzel and salad. About a million bottles are made each year, a significant quantity given that the entire Trentodoc appellation accounts for about 20 million bottles of sparkling wine each year.
The Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore is the summit for Ferrari Trento, with grapes from a special vineyard and aged on the yeast for at least 10 years. I admit that I haven’t had the nerve to pop the cork on this wine yet. It may be that everyone is more casual about sparkling wine occasions now, but this wine seems to demand a serious occasion, especially given its aging potential.
The Year of Sparkling Wine
It was fascinating to hear Marcello Lunelli talk about his wines and winemaking in the Trentodoc zone. The mountain environment presents challenges, of course, but also opportunities, he noted. The winegrowers expect climate change to increase growing season temperatures, for example, which can be mitigated to a certain extent by establishing new vineyards at even higher elevations.
Lunelli recognizes that wines like his are luxury products and you can see it in the glass, the bottle, the presentation. Given this, you might be puzzled at the images of Max and Lewis and the other F1 drivers chugging Ferrari Trento wines and spraying each other and the crowd. How does this make sense given the wine’s luxury cachet?
Well, I think it might be one of the many reasons why 2021, Ferrari Trento’s first year with Formula One, is my Year of Sparkling Wine. F1 is a global phenomenon and Ferrari Trento’s place on the podium sends a strong message to F1’s vast global audience about sparkling wine in general and wines from the Italian northeast in particular.
So a toast to 2021, the Year of Sparkling wine, and to Ferrari Trento and all the other producers who have made up appreciate the beauty of bubbles to enrich our lives.
Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil, Malbec Mon Amour. Catapulta Editores, 2022.
