RETURN TO ARCHIVE INDEX

French Wine Explorers Wine e-Newsletter
www.wine-tours-france.com - August 2004

(We generally mail to this list once per month; please click on the following link to be removed immediately: Remove Me.  
If you'd like to receive this Wine e-Newsletter, you can subscribe here.)

This month's wine explorations:

Enology: A Wine Revolution and One of Its Greatest Heros

Just a few weeks ago, the wine world lost one of its greatest heros, the man who probably did more to change the way wine is produced in France (and the world) than any other figure in recent history.  He name was Emile Peynaud, and he was the father of modern enology, the science of wine.

In our modern world of winemaking, where computer-driven, temperature-regulated stainless steel vats and complex chemical analyses are now the norm, it seems impossible to imagine that these techniques date back only a few decades, and that only 50 years ago, enology was in its infancy. The science of wine only became a serious discipline after World War II, and it wasn't until the 50s that many of the chemical processes involved in winemaking really were understood.  For example, Peynaud, who established the Enological Department of the University of Bordeaux, was the first to understand and describe the chemical process of malolactic fermentation.  He revealed that lactic bacteria present during the winemaking process transformed harsh malic acid (found in green apples) to smoother lactic acid (found in milk).  Since a certain minimum and maximum temperature were needed to set off this natural deacidification process, his discovery made clear the need for the regulation of temperatures throughout the winemaking process, not just during the maceration and alcoholic fermentation.  Peynaud was one of the first to encourage Bordeaux winemakers to install temperature regulating equipment in their wineries.

Peynaud was not only a brilliant scientist; he was also a visionary.  It's hard to believe (because it seems so obvious), but he revolutionized winemaking in Bordeaux (and later elsewhere) by simply encouraging winegrowers to pick their grapes when they were really ripe.  The practise had always been to pick early, since the longer one waited to pick, the more one was subject to the possibility of rain that could rot the grapes and ruin the harvest.  Peynaud understood that you could only make fine wine with ripe grapes, and slowly but surely managed to change winegrowers attitudes so they would start harvesting later.  As a chemist, he also understood that a dirty winemaking facility encouraged the development of off-odors and tastes in the wine, and could lead to spoilage by microbacterial contamination.  By encouraging winemakers to keep their wineries, vats and barrels clean, he greatly increased the quality of the wines.

Much of the practise of enology is quite technical and difficult for the layman to understand, but if you're interested in the winemaking process, I encourage you to read Peynaud's other great classic book, "Knowing and Making Wine".  Peynaud also did much to advance the understanding and practise of critical wine tasting, and his book "The Taste of Wine" offers expert and elegant descriptions of the wine tasters' art through the centuries and in the present day. It reveals much of Peynaud's intriguing and gracious personality, his scientific virtuosity and his philosophical yet pragmatic approach to wine that has influenced great winemakers worldwide.

Announcing our Excïting 2005 Tour Season

A lot of you have been asking about 2005 tours, and I'm happy to report that the 2005 schedule is now complete and up on the web site. A printable copy is also available.  With this season, we're proud to expand our tour offerings to include Tuscany, Italy in addition to our tours in the great French wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône Valley, Champagne and Loire Valley.  Here are some of the highlights of the season:

  • Bordeaux Prestige, May 23-28: tastings at all five First Growths, Chateau Petrus, and more, with luxury accommodations at the private residence of Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron.
  • Burgundy & Champagne Prestige, May 30-June 5: the very best estates of the Côte d'Or and prestigious houses in Champagne, with fabulous Michelin-starred dining.
  • Great Wines of Tuscany, May 9-14: taste the Super Tuscans (Sassacaia, Ornelaia), plus other prestigious wines (Brunello, Vino Nobile), with villa lodgings in spectacular settings.

This season, we're offering a special incentive for early signups.  If you reserve your tour before Dec. 1, 2004, you'll pay US$200 less per person on the tour of your choice.  That's a sävings of US$400 per couple.  Please note that we will NOT be offering last-minute dîscounts for the 2005 season, so be sure to take advantage of this spëcial offër.

Full itineraries and reservation forms will be up on the site shortly.  We hope you'll join us in 2005!

2004 Harvest Begins in France

After the scorching heat of summer 2003, the 2004 harvest has been a source of much speculation and concern.  Would it be another unusually hot summer, bringing early harvests and exceptionally ripe grapes?  Or would things return to normal?

We're starting to have the answers now, as the first wine grapes come in from the vineyards today (August 26th) in the Côtes de Provence appellation in the South of France.  The date is perfectly within the norms for harvest in that area of France, and similarly normal harvest start dates have been announced in other regions across France.  If anything, winegrowers in some regions that have been suffering from rainy and cold conditions, like Burgundy, are wondering if the harvest might even start later than usual this year.

So will it be a good year for French wine?  Up until the month of August, winegrowers in most parts of France would have said yes. It had been quite a dry, sunny year, with some unusually high temperatures at the beginning of the summer and in July (although no where near the record temperatures of 2003).  Then came August, and in some regions, all hell broke loose.  Torrential rains, hail the size of baseballs, unseasonably cold temperatures.  In the Languedoc/Rousillon region, hundreds of acres of vineyard were totally destroyed by hailstorms.  In other regions, the cold and lack of sunshine made many wonder if this vintage wouldn't be a total bust.  Things have dried off and the sun has reappeared in most of France, but as the harvest begins today, the temperatures are still below normal.

So will 2004 be a bad vintage?  Hard to say at this point.  There is still enough time before the harvest starts in most of France for things to turn around.  Like a pinch hitter who comes in at the bottom of the 9th, a few weeks of hot, dry conditions can make all the difference between winning (good vintage) and losing (bad vintage).  As we get ready for our last tour of the year in Bordeaux next week, the weather report is calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s, conditions any winegrower would be happy about.  In next month's Wine e-Newsletter, I'll let you know if Bordeaux vintners are "bullish" or "bearish" on the 2004 vintage, as we close in on harvest time. 

Join us on one of three great tours of Bordeaux in 2005: Bordeaux Prestige on May 23-28, and Best of Bordeaux on June 13-18 or Sept. 5-10.

Upcoming Wine & Food Events in France

  • Sept. 4: Ban des Vendanges (announcement of the grape harvest), Avignon. All-day festivities celebrating the Côtes du Rhône grape harvest, in the heart of Avignon (Rocher des Doms), with wine tastings, concerts, parade and more.  For more info: +33 (0)4 90 16 00 32, fax +33 (0)4 90 16 00 33, ban.de.vendanges@wanadoo.fr .
  • Sept. 11: Médoc Marathon, Pauillac (Bordeaux). Probabaly the world's weirdest marathon - 42km of wine tastings, oyster tastings, and general merriment, with half of the runners in wacky costumes.  Too late to sign up, but great fun to watch.  For more info: infos@marathondumedoc.com, http:/www.marathondumedoc.com, + 33 (0)5 56 59 01 91
  • Sept. 17-19: Cigar and Wine Festival, Paris, Bois de Vincennes:  for lovers of cigars and great spirits and liquors, the best of both will be offered. For more info: info@parcfloraldeparis.com, +33 (0)1 43 41 16 26.

Remember that we're always happy to design a customized, private tour for you in the region of your choice, so you can take advantage of the many wine-related events available throughout the year!

Send to a Friend

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please send it on to a friend who loves wine!

Contact Us

I'm always available to answer your questions about our wine and culinary programs, our company, and wine in France in general. Don't hesitate to contact me at info@wine-tours-france.com, or toll free at  1-877-261-1500.

Best regards,

Lauriann Greene-Sollin, Sommelier-Conseil
President/Founder

Subscribe to this Wine e-Newsletter here!

Contact us for more information about our wine and culinary programs in France:

FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS
info@wine-tours-france.com
www.wine-tours-france.com
Tel:  1-877-261-1500
Fax: 1-253-423-5316

© 2004 French Wine Explorers. Articles © 2004 Lauriann Greene.  All rights reserved.  WST #601 903 728.