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Snow-capped Pyrénées to the Mediterranean Sea – Exploring the Stunning and Diverse Roussillon Wine Region #Winophiles

Jul 17, 2020

Roussillon. It’s not a French wine region that you hear much about. But that is changing. This month the French #Winophiles are digging into this region and of course, we are not doing it the easy way. In a region known for its fortified wines, we are taking the road less traveled and exploring their white wines.

We are led this month by Lynn of Savor the Harvest. She did a thorough piece explaining the region, that you can find here. As well as a preview post you can see here.

Join us on Saturday, July 18^th at 11 am EST (or 8 am PST) on Twitter as we discuss the wines of this region. Scroll to the bottom to see the other pieces written by this group of wine writers on the subject.

Where is Roussillon?

Let’s start with where we are. We are in France. We probably gave that away, since this is the French #Winophiles. And, this is the South of France. Can you smell the garrigue?

Map of the Languedoc-Rousillon Wine Region in France — Map of French Wine Regions

We are on the west side of where the Rhone River empties into the Mediterranean sea, in the Languedoc/Roussillon region. Specifically, we are in Roussillon, the southern part of the region, bordered to the east by the Mediterranean sea, the west by the Pyrenees and the south by Spain.

From snow-capped peaks to the Mediterranean Sea

When people discuss beautiful wine regions, this should be at the top of their list. Take a moment, immerse yourself in this slideshow of this stunning region with it’s diverse beauty.

View of the Catalan Pyrenees, a natural park in France by Leonid Andronov, Adobe Stock
Vignoble avec vue sure le Mont Canigou dans les Pyrenees Orientales (France) by matteo Scarano Adobe Stock
Haute Pyrenees et Pyrenees Orientales by Jimjag Adobe Stock
Coastal path in the Paulliles Bay, France by ThePP66 Adobe Stock
Colors French town and castle Collioure by JackF Adobe Stock
Beautiful dramatic sunset sky over small bay of Collioure, France by DigiHand

316 days of sun. 37 stunning miles of coastline with the snow-capped Pyrenees rising inland. The area is sheltered in an amphitheater created by mountain ranges. North you have the Corbieres, West the Pyrenees-Orientales and Mont Canigou, Alberes to the south, and of course the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Then the rivers the Agly, the Tet and the Tech, cut through the region, creating it’s 3 valleys.

The winds here are similar to the Mistral in Provençe. Here however, the winds come from 8 directions. These winds keep the grapes dry and pest free.

The History

This is one of the earliest regions for wine in France, with 28 Centuries of winegrowing under it’s belt. The Phoenicians brought wine grapes to the shores of the region in 624 BC.

Tautavel on the northern edge of the region is home to the cave Caune de l’Arago in which the oldest human remains known in Europe were found. Tautavel Man dates back 450,000 years.

The region’s name has two sources; ruscinos was the name for the small prehistoric houses in the capital city Perpignan. The name also refers to the red clay, schist, and limestone soil found in the vineyards, rousse for a shade of red and sillon for furrow. (Source Roussillon Wine – Ten Facts That May Surprise You by Liz thatch MW)

The beauty of the region has attracted artists such as Dali, Matisse and Picasso. As such it is scattered with museums and of course cafes.

The Culture – French Catalonia

This region is considered French Catalonia or often called Northern Catalonia. As recently as 2017 there was a push for declaring independence from both France & Spain. The people here consider themselves Catalan and the Spanish influence is apparent.

Foods here often have a Catalan influence. You find seafood stews, paella, shellfish as well as lots of vegetables and olives and meals are often more of a tapas style.

Polenta with roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon, red pepper with tomatoes, olives & capers

The Wines & Vineyards

Vineyards in the region can be quite diverse in soil, climate and aspect. 3 rivers and 8 winds, means multiple valleys, with soils that change as they are washed or eroded down and microclimates from different aspects in these nooks and crannies of the terrain.

While known for Vin Doux Naturel, over 80% of the wines are dry. Here you find the highest percentage of organic and biodynamic vineyards by hectare in France. There are 24 grape varieties in the region. For still wines, you will find most often, red blends of grenache, syrah, mourvédre and carignan and white blends of grenache blanc & gris as well as macabeu.

Maury

The wine we chose came from Maury, an area known for it’s vin doux naturel. Our wine is labeled AOC Cotes du Rousillon Blanc, not because it does not come from Maury, but because it is not a vin doux naturel. The Maury AOC only permits fortified vin doux naturel wines.

Maury sits on the northern edge of the region in what I find repeatedly referred to as “the hinterlands” in the Agly valley. I have a friend whose parents own a B & B in the region, and the photos I have seen of the region are enchanting. It’s a place in the universe that I intend to visit.

Mas Amiel and the gambling bishop

The story… almost 2 centuries ago, the Bishop of Perpignan and Civil engineer Raymond Etienne Amiel are gambling. The bishop bets a piece of land “Domain de Goudous” in a game of cards and Raymond wins. Thus begins Mas Amiel.

Purchased by Olivier Decelle in 1999, this is now the largest private cellar in Maury. The property, which when the Bishop lost it had just 10 hectares of vines, now has 170 hectares planted. Yields, as they tend to be in Roussillon, are small.

While there remains high demand for the sweet wines and it remains more than half of what they produce, they are beginning to focus on dry wines.

Mas Amiel Vertigo Blanc 2015

MA (Mas Amiel) 2015 Vertigo. A white wine blend of Grenache Blanc blended with Maccabeu, Roussanne and Marsanne. From Maury in the Roussillon wine region in the South of France.

This dry white wine is a blend of grenache blanc, maccabeu, roussanne, and marsanne. The grapes are grown on schist laden slopes that face southwest. These are younger parcels in the area of Mas de Las Fredes. This wine is aged in vats on fine lees until bottling.

Our Pairing

Mas Amiel 2015 Vertigo with a platter of olives, capers, apple, manchego, goat cheese with herbs and spices, nectarine, grapes, and anchovies.

Pairings for a white wine from Roussillon; mussels, almonds, nectarine, olives, prosciutto, and crostini with goat cheese and anchovies.

White Roussillon (Mas Amiel Vertigo Blanc) with mussels and crusty bread.

So what to pair this with? I was channeling the Mediterranean. While this winery is inland, I can picture the Maury River, running into the Agly, and out to the sea. As this was a white wine, it was calling a bit for seafood. We cooked up some mussels and had some crusty bread. We also paired with bleu cheese stuffed olives, nectarines, capers, green apple, prosciutto (as I lacked any Jamon), goat cheese, almonds, and anchovies.

Tasting Notes

The color was a medium yellow, deeper than I was expecting. The nose upon opening was heavy with petrol. After being open a bit, it mellowed to beeswax and slate and carried apricot and stone fruit notes. On the palate, it was dry with medium acidity and pronounced flavors of unripe peach, Meyer lemon, and lemon pith. It was heavier than expected in the mouth, rich yet clean, with a long finish. It is a wine that takes itself seriously. Perhaps as it is a 2015, this adds to its weight and maturity. Of course, the lees aging adds to the mouthfeel. It retails at $25.99.

So, will I venture this way again?

Absolutely. I am enchanted with the region, the snow-capped mountains, the lakes and rivers, and then the shore of the Mediterranean. I will vacation here virtually, traveling in a bottle, any day of the week. This was just a dive into one white wine. With the variety of soils and microclimates, grape varieties and styles, there are many more wines of Roussillon to explore.

16 More pieces on wines of Roussillon by The French #Winophiles

I am lucky to be in good company. The posts below will give you more insights and perspectives on this region and its wines. You can also join us on Twitter for a chat on Saturday, July 18th. You can follow us using the hashtag #Winophiles. But if you have a comment we would love to hear from you, don’t be shy! The chat starts at 8am PDT

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla tells us about “A Summer Pairing: Salade Niçoise + Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2017“.
Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm pairs “American Bay Scallops with French Roussillon Blanc”.
Cindy at Grape Experiences shares “A Perfect Al Fresco Lunch in Roussillon: Domaine d’Aussières Chardonnay 2018 and Creamy Crab Quiche”.
Jeff from foodwineclick presents “Banyuls Pet-Nat with Treats à La Buvette”.
Allison and Chris from ADVineTURES discuss “Domaine Lafage Cuvée Centenaire: The Essence of Rousillon”.
Melanie at Wining With Mel tells us about her “Adventures in Roussillon white wines” #Winophiles.
Linda from My Full Wine Glass explains “A Roussillon blanc turns my thoughts toward chicken”.
Gwendolyn at Wine Predator writes “Testimony to Potential: Chapoutier’s Bila-Haut Cotes du Roussillon Blanc Paired with Halibut“.
Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares “Why You Will Love the White Wines of Roussillon“.
Lauren at The Swirling Dervish blog tells us about “Biodynamics and the Butterfly Effect: A Labor of Love in Roussillon”.
Susannah from Avvinare shares “Muscat de Rivesaltes – A Marvel from Roussillon”.
Payal at Keep the Peas whips up “Northern Thai Food and a Roussillon Muscat”.
Katrina from Corkscrew Concierge “An Exploration of Roussillon White Wines”.
Terri from Our Good Life tells us about “Summer Love and White Wines from Roussillon”.
Nicole at Somm’s Table has “Fun with Ramen & Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon Vieilles Vignes Blanc”.
Lynn on Savor the Harvest I share “Distinctive Rousillon White Wines On Your Buy List”.

5 Great Resources for More information on Roussillon

Need a place to stay in Roussillon?

I mentioned I have a friend whose parents own a magical place near Maury. If you are heading to the area and want an enchanting place to stay, look up Villa du Parc in Prades https://www.villa-du-parc.com/ And if you find you are in need of a Yoga Class while there my friend Anouck teaches in Perpignan. Yep…this is really a region I need to visit. In the meantime, I will close my eyes, sip a glass of Roussillon wine, and daydream of my visit.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

Robin Renken CSW (photo credit RuBen Permel)

Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

French Wine…where to begin? #Winophiles

Jan 17, 2020

This month the French Winophiles are diving into a French Wine 101. It’s timely as we all enter our comments to the government in opposition to proposed 100% European wine tariffs. (If you have not heard about this, I’ll post some links at the bottom for more information.) We have done a bit of writing on French wines and you will find links to those pieces. Many of these pieces were written in conjunction with the French #Winophiles, which means there is the extra bonus, of each of those pieces having links to other articles written by the rest of the #Winophiles! If you are interested in French wine, you will have plenty of reading available!

French Wine 101

I’m here to rally for French wine. If you are new to wine, French wine can be a bit overwhelming so let’s start at the beginning.

Old World vs New World

To be sure, when we say “Old World” in reference to wines, we think first of French wines. But what does “Old World” mean? From a scholastic point of view: Old world wines are dominated by terroir, they are defined by place. Typically these wines are more restrained and elegant. New World wines, on the other hand tend to be reflective of the winemaker’s style and are often more fruit forward and bold.

That is a really broad definition of the differences, and doesn’t always hold true, but when people say “Old World” and “New World” this is what they are thinking.

French wine names

In France, wines are named for the region they come from, not by the variety of grape as we do in the new world. This takes us back to that idea of “terroir” which is a sense of place, with soil, and climate. So rather than speaking about Chardonnay in France, you would speak of Chablis or White Burgundy. Both of those wines are made with Chardonnay, but the wine is named for the region.

When we think of Bordeaux, we think of age worthy reds. These are typically Cabernet or Merlot based, depending on which bank of the river the region sits. And you will notice that I said “based”. These wines are blends of the different varieties of grapes that grow best in this region.

There is one exception to this. In Alsace, the white wine region on the German border in the North East of France, wines are often labeled with the variety. This comes from the German culture and this area throughout the ages, has bounced back and forth between French and German control.

Without going too deep into the wine labels (that’s a rabbit hole best saved for another day), let’s talk about some of the most well known French Wine Regions, and I’ll give you a translation for what varieties you will see from each.

French Wine regions

I love maps. It gives you a better sense of the geography and influences on a region. I could dive into the climates and soils in each of these regions (I do love to get geeky on these things), but this is French Wine 101! So let’s put together some dots for you, on what varieties you will find in each of these regions and what you might want to eat with each of these wines!

Loire Valley – Val de Loire

Map of the wine regions of the Loire Valley

This is white wine country! You will find a bit of red, but the white wines are likely to be the ones you have heard of.

Muscadet

On the West end of the Loire Valley closest to the Atlantic Ocean. Melon de Bourgogne, which you will hear called Muscadet, is most prevalent here. This is a dry white wine that pairs really well with seafood. You will get citrus, and green apple and pear along with a lovely note of salinity. Go for shellfish with this wine

Chenin Blanc

Moving east Chenin Blanc begins to shine. Vouvray and Saviennières are well known Chenin Blancs from the regions of Touraine and Anjou-Saumur respectively. The two can be very different. Vouvray can be made from dry to semi-sweet to sweet, and you will find you need to do a bit of research to determine which sweetness level you are getting. Saviennières has been called the “most cerebral wine in the world”. These wines have depth of flavor, great acidity and minerality.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc, is mainly found in the Upper Loire, the area furthest east and inland. Here you hear of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. These wines are crisp and high acid. Pair them with fish or poultry. With cheeses these are wonderful with goat cheese or other creamy cheeses (think brie).

Cabernet Franc

Not to be overlooked is Cabernet Franc which in this region is the primary red wine. Chinon or Bourgueil in the Touraine region produce elegant Cab Francs. These wines can be slightly spicy with raspberry and violet notes and are a favorite at Parisian Bistros.

For more…

Champagne

Well you know what Champagne is! This region and it’s soil and climate produce some of the world’s finest sparkling wines primarily from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

These wines, while often looked at a just for celebrations or just with the hors d’oeuvres at the top of the meal actually are perfect during a meal. The bubbles and acidity clean your palate making every bite taste as amazing as the first.

There are plenty of classic pairings, but try potato chips, buttered popcorn or fried chicken! The bubbles and acid with the fat and salt are heaven.

For more…

Alsace

This region sits on the German border and as I mentioned earlier has bounced back and forth between French and German control. The names and architecture here reflect that mixed heritage and the wines do as well.

These bright aromatic white wines are perfect to keep your nose in all day or dab behind your ears. But…if you must move on to drinking them, pair them with fish, aromatic cheeses, schnitzle, salads…there are so many great pairings. These are also wines known for pairing well with spicy foods like Thai! You will find riesling, pinot gris, muscadet and gewurztraminer lead the pack on varieties.

For more…

There are a few other varieties including Pinot Noir, but you are less likely to run into them.

Chablis

Chardonnay

This is Chardonnay land, but not those big buttery California Chardonnays that your Aunt might drink. These are sharp and bright with great mineral quality! Pair with fish or chicken, oysters or other shellfish, mushrooms or cheese (think goat cheese or Comté). The sharp acid makes this great with creme sauces.

For more…

Mont de Milieu Premier Cru Chablis from Simonnet-Febvre and Pôchouse #Winophiles

Burgundy (Bourgogne)

Chablis, above, is in Burgundy sitting 80 miles northwest of the rest of Burgundy. Burgundy is known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir

The Côte de Nuits is the Northern part of the Côte d’Or and is the region that Pinot Noir calls home. It ventures further afield, but this is it’s homeland and you will find some of the most expensive Pinot Noirs on the planet, hail from here.

Pinot Noir is perfect for red wine with fish. It is the go to wine to pair with salmon. Many Pinot Noirs also have earthy notes and pair beautifully with mushrooms.

Chardonnay

The Côte de Beaune is dominated by Chardonnay. These are likely to be aged in oak. They will be richer and more buttery than those lean Chardonnays from Chablis, but they are still dry. Try this wine with pasta, chicken, risotto, shellfish or salt water fish and with cheeses like gruyere.

There is more to the region, the Côte Chalonnais and the Mâconnais, but we will leave those for another day.

For more…

An Evening in Burgundy – at home

Beaujolais

Just south of Burgundy you find Beaujolais. This is a wine you will know better by the region name than by the grape, Gamay, that it is made from. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine released each year on the third Thursday in November. These early release wines are fresh and fruity, but the region does have other Gamay’s that are meant to be deeper and more age worthy.

Beaujolais Nouveau will be fruit forward and downright perky! Sometimes you will hear people say that they smell bubblegum or bananas in addition to raspberries and cranberry.

Aged Beaujolais might have notes of forest floor, mushroom, violet, tart cherry and smoke.

These are lighter wines and can pair across the spectrum from salmon to barbeque. Visit the Beaujolais site for a great graphic to assist with pairings for all the varied wines from this region.

The Rhone Valley

M.Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage vineyards in Tainl' Hermitage Rhone valley France — M.Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage vineyards in Tainl’ Hermitage Rhone valley France

I am a lover of Rhônes. Guaranteed…many of mine come from the Rhône Rangers that you find in California, and many of which were brought from Chateauneuf-de-Pape in the Southern Rhône.

The region is broken into the Northern and Southern Rhône. The Northern Rhône is the land of Syrah and Viognier and typically very pure and expensive versions of these.

Syrah

The Côte Rotie is known for some of the most amazing Syrah on the planet. I’ve heard it described as bacon and violets. Which sounds pretty amazing to me.

Viognier

Condrieu is well known for 100% Viognier. This white wine is full bodied and round with notes of apricot, pear and almonds.

There are other appellations like Crozes Hermitage above and Cornas, there is more to explore here, if you have the budget.

The Southern Rhone is warmer as it heads down the Rhone river to the Mediterranean and you will find blends of multiple varieties. The famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape is here with blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre and more. Wines here lean toward blends.

Red Rhône Blends

These will have berry notes (think raspberry and black berry) baking spice, and maybe some garrigue (think underbrush), lavender, dried herbs. The more Mourvedre, the more likely you will have meaty notes to the wine.

These go well with mediterranean foods, like olives and red peppers, and herbs like rosemary or sage (or herbs de Provençe).

White Rhône Blends

Marsanne, Roussanne & Viognier make up the body of most white wines in this area. These blends are medium bodied and have notes of beeswax (I love that), as well as moderate citrus, like a meyer lemon, then stone fruits like peach and apricot.

Pair them with richer dishes with white meat (chicken or fish or even pork) and perhaps with fruits that are stewed or roasted. Dried apricots are a definite must on a cheese plate with these wines.

For more…

Bordeaux

If you have heard of any region in France other than Champagne, it will be Bordeaux. This is the region that Napa Valley wants to be. It is the big daddy of French wine with bottles that can be very pricey and many that need considerable aging. When people pull out dusty bottles from their wine cellar, typically they are Bordeaux wines.

Left Bank Reds (Cabernet Sauvignon based)

Red wines here are classified by which bank of the river the vineyards sit on. Left bank wines are west of the river in Médoc and Graves. The reds here are Cabernet Sauvignon based.

Right Bank Reds (Merlot driven)

The Right bank wines are on the other side of the river in the Libournais. These wines are Merlot driven. The Entre-deux-mers, the area in the middle between the two, has much more fertile soil producing less concentrated (but more affordable) wines.

The bold reds of Bordeaux are perfect with rich meaty dishes, like a big steak.

Sweet wines of Sauternes

Down in Graves you find the region of Sauternes. These are my friend Corinne’s favorite wines. These are sweet wines made from grapes with “Noble rot”. The botrytis fungus takes hold of the grape and dries them out considerably. They are pressed into tiny amounts of wine that when fermented becomes sweet and delicious. These are wines to pair with bleu cheese or with desserts.

For more…

Provence

Rosé

This is Rosê country, more than 1/2 the output of wine from this region is rosé. The mistral wind that whips down from the mountains keeping the vines in this Mediterannean region dry and free from disease. The landscape is dotted with lavender fields. It’s pretty dreamy.

In addition to those delicate ballet slipper pink rosés you will find Bandol, which is a rich red wine from Mourvedre.

Pair pink with pink. It’s delicious and pretty. Smoked salmon, ham, prosciutto, crab, lobster….you get the picture.

Yes…these wines are great in the summer. Their high acid and bright flavors are perfect to help you cool down on a hot day. But don’t overlook them at other times.

For more…

Other regions

Is there more to French Wine? Why yes…so much more, there is the island of Corsica, the black wines of Cahors, Picpoul de Pinet from Languedoc-Rousillon…and then there are the wines that I have yet to discover!

Oh and did I mention Crémant? That would be sparkling wine from any region outside of Champagne! You want bubbles and value? It’s your go to!

Dive deep into the links and the links in the links and take a little vacay to France sans airfare!

For more…

More from the Winophiles!

There are so many ways to dive into French Wine, I have only scratched the surface. Why not check out the other #Winophiles and their approaches to the subject! You can join us for the conversation on Twitter on Saturday Morning January 18th (8 am PST, 11 am EST) by following the hashtag #Winophiles!

Pierre and Cynthia at Traveling Wine Profs share “Exploring French Wine on a tight budget at Trader Joe’s”
Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Cam shares “Deciphering French Wine Labels”
Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Mediterranean Shrimp with a Corsican Wine”
Jill at L’Occasion shares “Your Ticket To French Wine Is Actually A Map“
Nicole at Somm’s Table shares “French Wine 101 Cheat Sheet”
Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares “Learn about Wines from the Bourgueil AOC While Eating Pork Tongue Head Cheese + Napa Cabbage Salad”
Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “One Name to Get You Started on French wine”
Jane at Always Ravenous shares “Discover French Wine: Where to Start”
Gwen at Wine Predator shares two:
“Introduce a Friend to French Wine 1: Chateauneuf – du – Pape and Cassoulet”
“Introduce a Friend to French Wine 2: Loire’s Amirault in Nicholas Bourgeil”
Susannah at Avvinare adds “Start Your French Wine Study With Beaujolais ”
Terri at Our Good Life shares “Newcomers Guide to French Wine: The Burgundies”
Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “French Wine 101: Taste for Yourself”

Remember I said I would include more about those potential tariffs.

US Considers 100% Tariffs on European Wine The drinks business
US floats prospect of 100% tariffs on all EU Wine Decanter
With Threat of 100 Percent Tariffs on EU Wines and Spirits, Fears Loom Large SevenFiftyDaily

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Tablas Creek Vineyard – The Rhones, the new Adelaida AVA, natural fermentation and the use of foudres.

Jun 5, 2015

While on the Central Coast in April we were lucky enough to meet with Jason Haas, General Manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles. Jason graciously took time out of his busy schedule to spend a couple of hours with Michael and I in the vineyard and the winery.

Tablas Creek Vineyard is the collaborative effort between the Perrin Family of Chateau du Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape in France’s Rhone Valley and the Haas Family. Vineyard Brands, the wine import company founded by Robert Haas had been the exclusive importer for Beaucastel wines. In 1989 they founded Tablas Creek Vineyard in the west side of Paso Robles to grow Rhone varieties.

In our 3rd segment, Jason tells us about all the Rhone Varieties that Tablas has brought in to the United States, we discuss the new Adelaida AVA, he tells us the intricacies of native yeast fermentation and we discuss Tablas Creeks use of 1200 gallon Foudres for aging wines. Here’s the video, but you can read below for the details

The Rhone Grapes at Tablas Creek Vineyard

Tablas Creek brought in classic Rhone varieties directly from Chateau du Beaucastel. These original cuttings went through the mandatory 3 year quarantine and were grafted onto rootstock. These were; Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Counoise, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Soon after they also added Picpoul. They planted 1/2 acre of Picpoul and this increased the amount of Picpoul planted on the planet by 50! In 2003 they decided they might as well bring all the rest of the Chateauneuf du Pape grapes. Many of these were the first new plantings of these varieties in a decade. Clairette Blanche and Terret Noir were added and both have been made into single varieties wines in 2013 and 2014. Picardan was planted and they expect to have a small crop this year for the first time. 3 others Vaccarese, Cinsaut and Bourboulenc are out of quarantine and they expect to be able to plant these this winter. Poor Muscardin is still in quarantine and may be released next year. Tablas Creek has wonderful information on their site about all of these varieties Tablas Creek Vineyard Grapes

The Adelaida AVA

Paso Robles Wine was one of the largest unsubdivided AVA in California spanning 40 miles East to West and 30 miles North to South. This immense area varies from 350 to 2700 feet in elevation, rainfall in different areas can run from 6 to 35 inches and temperatures from one area to another can vary by 15 to 20 degrees. In November of 2014 this area was broken into 11 new AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). Tablas Creek is located in the Westernmost AVA known as the Adelaida District. This is one of the AVAs to be noted by their calcareous soil, which is one of the reasons Tablas Creek chose this location. How these new AVAs will change the area is yet to be seen. For Tablas Creek Vineyards, all of their Estate Wines will now list “Adelaida District” on their label.

Native Yeast Fermentation

I have always been fascinated by native yeast fermentation. Many winemakers find it to be too risky, so I took this opportunity to ask Jason about the native yeast fermentation at Tablas Creek and how they might handle a “stuck” fermentation. Jason mentioned that often native yeast fermentation is described as “hands off” wine making. He looks at it more as “fingerprints off” wine making because the process actually makes you more “hands on”. During fermentation they are closely monitoring each lot and testing to be sure it is perking away. If a lot is not fermenting well or looks like it is getting stuck, they have options. They can mix the lot with another lot that is fermenting well or pump it over the lees of something that is fermenting well. They can build a culture from a tank that is doing well and release it into a tank that isn’t. So they don’t get “stuck”, they just have to work harder. Using only native yeast is another way of expressing the uniqueness of the site or the “terroir” which is something that Tablas Creek is passionate about.

Use of Foudres

There are few places in California that you will see foudres used. Foudres are 1200 gallon barrels (as opposed to a typical wine barrel that holds 60 gallons). When you walk into the Tablas Creek Vineyards tasting room you can see these beautiful large foudres through the glass windows that surround the tasting room. As Jason explains it, when you are aging a wine you must determine how much oxygen and how much oak you want. As they follow the Chateau du Beaucastel style they are looking for very minor but consistent oxygen and very little oak. As a result, large wood it the way to go. With a 1200 gallon Foudre you have 20 times the wine and just 4 times the surface area compared to a normal 60 gallon barrel. This gives you more volume to surface area. The staves in these larger barrels are thicker also, which makes the penetration of oxygen slower. This is perfect for protecting Grenache which is prone to oxidation and for Syrah and Mourvedre which are prone to reduction which can cause them to go funky. The large foudres give a balance allowing the wines to age gently and still progress.

While this concludes our formal interview with Jason, we did continue with a vineyard walk and winery tour which concluded with a great conversation about how they blend their wines. So watch for more videos and blog posts.

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In the Vineyard with Steve Beckmen – Shoot thinning

Jul 30, 2014

The drive to Purisima Mountain was like taking a step back into my childhood, the curving roads at the top of this canyon reminded me of southern West Virginia, with one dramatic difference…there were vineyards on these hills. WE made this trek during the Spring Vintners Weekend, when we were lucky enough to do a Vineyard hike with Steve Beckmen at the Purisima Mountain Vineyard.

Located in the new Ballard Canyon AVA this property sits at the north end of the Canyon. From Ballard Canyon Road you drive up and around the Stolpman property to reach the 365 acre property. This estate vineyard is planted primarily with Syrah & Grenache with smaller blocks of Roussanne, Marsanne, Counoise, Mourvedre, Grenach Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard became 100% biodynamic in 2006 and uses a gravity fed drip irrigation system.

The elevations at Purisima Mountain reach 1250 feet. The wind, the fog, the climate all affect the grapes and I had a fascinating conversation with Steve about the “architecture” of the vineyard and how that was still evolving.

We had hiked part way up the Mountain and stopped in the shade of a large Oak tree to taste some wine, have some water and enjoy some snacks. Then Steve pulled us over to the nearest vines and showed us the process of shoot thinning that was beginning to happen all over the vineyard.

The vines here are bi-lateral cordons and they pull off the suckers and try to leave 4 evenly spaced shoots on each cordon. Sometimes you are just pulling suckers (shoots with no blossoms or fruit) and sometimes you are doing some pre-thinning on your fruit this way. The shoot thinning does a couple of things, it gets rid of the suckers that are pulling energy from the vine, it thins out the leaves to allow better sunlight and airflow through the vines and it thins your crop a little to allow your berries to be a little more concentrated. As they thin they also start to train the shoots up into the trellis system above.

Watch as Steve explains:

The Beckmen Winery and Tasting room are not located here at Purisima Mountain, but are one valley over. They have a tasting room on a duck pond with gazebos where you can enjoy a picnic lunch, that is located just outside Los Olivos.

2670 Ontiveros Road, Los Olivos

1-805-688-8664

They are open Daily from 11-5.

You can learn more about the new Ballard Canyon AVA at their new site or on our Ballard Canyon Page here on Crushed Grape Chronicles.

For more information on the entire Santa Barbara Wine Region visit the Santa Barbara Vintners.

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In the Vineyard with Steve Beckmen – Shoot thinning

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