Wine School, French Gamay Noir, July 29, 2014

Theme:  In preparing for this class, I wanted a varietal that was unique, or at least fairly uncommon.  I decided on Gamay, a French grape, with one Pinot Noir (the region's noble grape) as a comparison.    Gamay grapes are traditionally grown in Beaujolais, but can also be found in the Niagara Peninsula, Canada, Willamette Valley, Oregon, and a small amount is found in Australia.  This grape is more fruity, as opposed to a Pinot Noir, that can be more earthy.  

The Wines:

Trenel Fleurie 2010 Gamay

• Color:  Medium ruby
• Aroma:  Youthful nose with raspberry,cherry pie, a bit of earth, and cinnamon
• Mouth:  This light bodied wine has tart acidity with cherries and classic French mineral notes on the finish
• Price:  $17.99
• Rating: 3.5 alone : 4 with food!

Domaine Cheveau Saint-Amour "En Rontey" 2011 Gamay

• Color:  Deep ruby with a hint of purple
• Aroma:  Raspberry and pepper dominate this nose
• Mouth:  Cherry and raspberry up front with tart acidity on this light bodied wine
• Price:  $20.00
• Rating: 3.5 alone: 4 with food!

Regis Bouvier Bourgogne 2011 Pinot Noir

• Color:  Light brick red
• Aroma:  Earthy, smokiness hits the nose initially and then the undertone of blackberry, blueberry and bit of pepper with a light, fresh touch of floral
• Mouth:  Definitely an earthy wine with low tannins and some tart cherry on the finish
• Price:  $24.99
• Rating: 3.5 alone: 4 with food!

Overall Conclusion:  Initially, on the nose, we found the wines to be very interesting.  During tasting, we were taken aback slightly with the tart finishes on the Gamay wines.  They were distinctly different from the Pinot.  Over time, and with food, we found the wines to be enjoyable. We favored the Pinot Noir, but really loved all the wines with the French cheeses! These wines were definitely meant to be enjoyed with food and friends!

The Pairings:

Camembert Cheese:  This cheese was a fantastic pairing with the wines! Really enhanced the fruit flavors in both the Trenel Fleurie and the Cheveau! Also wonderful with the Pinot. French wine with French cheese - can't go wrong!
Brie Cheese:  Again difficult to pick a favorite pairing with this cheese between the Trenel and Cheveau. The balanced out  the tart flavors in the Trenel. Was also spot on with the Cheaveau.

Cheddar Cheese:  We enjoyed this best with the Pinot, but we would pick the French cheeses over the cheddar when pairing with these wines.

Meatloaf Muffins:  Very nice with the two Gamays.

Sweet Potato Hash:  A nice side pairing with the Gamays, but we didn't enjoy as much with the Pinot.

Chocolate with Raspberry Filling:  This chocolate really brought out the mocha notes in the Trenel Fleurie.

Strawberry Shortcake:  Not our favorite pairing of the evening, but this dessert was fantastic!

Conclusion: 

Beth:  Another fun wine class as we ventured into the area of French wines! As always, French wine goes hand in hand with food. I absolutely loved all three wines with the Camembert and Brie cheese! It was also delicious with the Meatloaf muffins. Difficult for me to pick a favorite wine for the evening. I enjoyed the Pinot best alone, but would have to call it a tie between the two Gamays when paired with our delicious dinner. Thanks to Mary Jo for a fun and educational evening. I loved the company.

Lisa:  Coming into the class, I really didn't know what to expect. Would the Gamay's be similar to the Pinot Noir or totally different.  Well, we had fun finding out!!  Starting with the cheeses, the Camembert was the winner for me! It seemed to improve all the wines.  The Brie balanced the two Gamay's but not so much the Pinot Noir. Cheddar was the opposite-liked best with Pinot. The Meatloaf muffins made the Gamay's pop- great pairing. Also loved the sweet potato hash mainly with the Gamay's again.  Then to the sweets- loved the chocolate with all wines but as for the strawberry shortcake, it was best eaten alone (without wine but with wino friends:)).  Overall, food made the Gamay's standout and the Pinot was great on it's own.  Fun night!!

Mary Jo:  It is always exciting, and nerve-wracking, to host a class that includes a varietal we have not yet investigated.  I found this class interesting because it compared the noble grape of a region (Pinot Noir) with another grape indigenous to the region.  What a difference!  The Gamay wines were definitely more red-fruit on the nose, where the Pinot had more earthy, dark fruit aromas.  The wines all went very well with the Brie and Camembert.  With most of the food, I felt that the Cheveau Saint-Amour Gamay paired the best.  Ultimately, I enjoyed he Gamays most with the food, versus drinking them alone.  It was a wonderful and informative class with my great friends!

"The First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All The Lawyers" - William Shakespeare

I take issue with this often misinterpreted quote from William Shakespeare.  However, I am sure there are those in the wine world, as well as many other industries, that look sideways at the laws imposed on them.  Believe it or not, laws are in place for a reason.

"Taste cannot be controlled by law."
-Thomas Jefferson

While this is true, the law has its hand in wine just as it does everything else.  As an attorney, it would only be fitting that I write about the wine laws of different countries.  This will just be a brief overview to demonstrate the differences between United States laws and two countries, Italy and France.  Obviously, all countries have their own laws, but so as to not make this blog entry become too cumbersome, I will only examine three.

In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) govern wine laws in the United States.  They have written a Beverage Alcohol Manual Booklet which establishes clear definitions of wine laws.  These are set forth at www.ttb.gov/regulations.  In the United States, wine laws are more flexible than the European standards with regard to what viticultural and winemaking practice are allowed in each wine region.

In the United States, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms defines and approves applications for areas to become American Viticultural Areas.  Augusta AVA in Missouri was the first AVA to be named on June 20, 1980.  There are also standards in the U.S. related to the grape variety and how much is harvested in that vintage year (75% and 95% respectively).  Some states, such as Oregon, have raised the percentages.  The bulk of U.S. laws surround wine labeling practices and include these stipulations that if an AVA name appears on the label, at least 85% of the grapes used to produce that wine must come from that AVA.  In addition to AVA's, every American state and county can produce wine and label it under their state/county wide appellation, provided 75% of the grapes come from that area.

(Information obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_law)

United States' laws state what must be contained on a wine label.  This is another area where the U.S. differs from other countries.  In the U.S., wine labels must contain:

     1.  Brand-Any name is fine as long as it does not mislead the consumer;

     2.  Vintage date-the year in which the grapes were harvested;

     3.  Appellation of Origin-the place in which the dominant grape used were grown.  The appellation

          on the label means that 75% of the grapes were grown from the region named;

     4.  Viticultural Area-grape grown region with soil, climate, history and geographic features which

          set it apart from other areas;

     5.  Net contents-stated in the metric system and is the amount of product in the bottle;

     6.  Varietal designation-names of dominant grape(s) used in the wine.  75% of the grapes must be

          of that varietal and 75% must have come from the appellation of origin stated.

     7.  Estate bottled-100% of the wine came from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the

          winery which must be located in a viticultural area.

     8.  Name and address-the name and address of the bottler or importer must be on the bottle.

     9.  Country of origin-a country of origin statement is required on all imported wines.

     10. Alcohol content-a statement of alcohol content in percent by volume appears on most labels.

          (Wine with 7-14% alcohol content can be labeled as "light wine" or "table wine".

     11. Declaration of sulfites-required on any bottle that contains more than 10 parts per million of

           sulfur dioxide.

     12. Health Warning Statement-must appear on anything containing .5% or more alcohol.

     13. General requirements-this includes the size of the lettering.

     14. Other designations- Bottles are not required to included a varietal designation.

(information obtained from https://ussommeliercom.terrasite.com/)

ITALIAN WINE


Italian wines are classified under four designations:

     1.  Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG):  This is the highest classification
          for quality Italian wine.  Some regions only have DOCG status for certain wines.

     2.  Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC):  DOC is the quality classification equivalent to
          the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) in France.

     3.  Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT):  This category is the same level as vin de pays in France.
          Many of the finest wines in Italy may be named IGT to avoid strict DOC or DOCG regulations.

     4.  Vino da Tavola (VdT):  Table wine accounts for the vast majority of Italian wine production.
          It is usually of low quality, but exceptions still exist.

FRENCH WINE

French wines are also classified in four categories:

     1.  Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC or AC):  This acts as a guarantee that a wine has been
          produced in a designated area in accordance with local laws and regulations.  Rules cover factors
          such as the boundaries of the appellation, permitted grape varieties, the style of wine, vine
          training, and yield harvest dates, among others.  Some AOC regions in France further rank and
          categorize estates or vineyards (i.e. Bordeaux)

     2.  Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS):  This is a relatively unimportant category which
          is in the process of being phased out.  It is a stepping stone for regions to attain AOC status.

     3.  Vin de pays (VdP):  Country wine originates from a broad, designated area.  Regulations are
          not as strict as those for AOC and VDQS, and certain producers adopt the category in order to
          make wine from grape varieties prohibited under AOC and VDQS.

     4.  Vin de table (VdT):  Humble table wine can originate from any region in France.  This is the
          most basic, least regulated category and neither the vintage, the region, nor the names of
          individual grape varieties are permitted on the label.

(Information obtained from Wines of the World, Susan Keevil.)

These are just a few examples of wine laws that differ from the United States.

United States' laws state what must be contained on a wine label.  This is another area where the U.S. differs from other countries.  In the U.S., wine labels must contain:

Wine Fact:  Thomas Jefferson helped stock the wine cellars of the first five U.S. presidents and was very partial to fine Bordeaux and Madeira.

Wine Fact:  Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine.  If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.

(Information obtained from http://www.800wine.com/winefacts.cfm)

There are many on line resources that list the legal classifications of wine in each country.  It is very interesting to note that not everything you see on a U.S. bottle of wine can be found on a European bottle.

Take a good look at the bottle the next time you sit down for a glass of wine!

Cheers!
Mary Jo

Wine word
Must - the juice and liquidy pulp which is a result of pressing or crushing grapes before the fermentation process.