It's All Hungarian To Me

Could someone please have warned me? Yes, I'd seen this local grape variety Juhfark in written form but it never occurred to me how it might be pronounced. If anyone is in doubt, come and ask me. Honestly couldn't believe my ears! Means "sheep's tail" by the way...

Apart from the impossible to pronounce language (or the embarrassment of pronouncing some words correctly!), Hungary is going to be a continuing great source of interesting varieties to which we can introduce our customers. Like Kiraly Leanyka. This local white variety literally translates as "the little princess". Lovely idea for the story behind the brand and easy to say! It has traditionally been used in blends but is a super fresh, delicate white with a lovely name. We are going to keep a parcel of this aside from the 2013 vintage so we can try a single variety wine. Gabor is on the case...

Winemaker Gabor Laczko

The Danube Also Rises

As I write this from a cafe safely perched on the Buda castle hill in Budapest, below the Danube is gushing past, rising and rising as it heads east. The volume of water is now seriously impressive. Towns in the Danube's path in Germany have already been inundated, and now northern parts of Budapest have been evacuated. The hot temperature and the summer sun belie the dangerous flow of the river.

Redundant street sign!

Sand banks are being constructed while the closest roads to the river have already been submerged. I hear tomorrow will be the peak: good thing I am flying out tonight!

Sandbanking on Danube

Just out of Budapest, vineyards have also had a lot of water from weeks of heavy downpours but if the sun of these past few days stays out for a while, 2013 looks like a good vintage. Which is why I am here. Lots to do to prepare for new vintages of Campanula as well as loads of other opportunities...Trying to stay a step ahead...!

Original poster from Torley, home to Campanula

With three strong regions in our Central & Eastern European range - Hungary, Romania and Moldova - now is the time to push these forward as well as looking at some other regions in this area. Why? Amazing history, changing social and political trends, unique personal stories, and the wines are getting better and better. I want to bring a few more interesting wines, especially reds into the range over the next year - watch this space - but for the immediate future, whites are the superstars. And there's a big opportunity... with NZ prices going up and a practically non-existent vintage in the Loire, where can we look for consistently good quality and value Sauvignon Blanc? We're missing a trick if we don't push Albastrele and Paris Street Sauvignon Blanc (both award winning!). And now I'm looking to complete the trio from Hungary with a new SB to launch with the '13 vintage.

For more photos of the flooding Danube and Budapest, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151697760706241.1073741843.738991240&type=1&l=f60029273d 

AND 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151697732331241.1073741842.738991240&type=1&l=8f6a210312

 

Tough Work

If you're having one of those days, spare a thought for this chap... hard work:

I took this footage today while visiting some vineyards in a small corner of Spain not often talked about in wine circles. About an hour from the center of Madrid, only 30 minutes from the outskirts, there are wonderful old bush vines tucked away in the most beautiful mountains. This area - around San Martin de Valdeiglesias - is home to many different types of birds, rabbits, wild boar (thankfully didn't see any of those!) and partridges. But most importantly, the local white variety Albillo as well as Garnacha make stunning wines. The vines have to work incredibly hard in this landscape, just like the horse! See why...

I promise this is not the beach! It is incredibly sandy soil, my feet were covered in it. It was bloody hard work getting up the top of the hill. So this is why the horse is needed. No tractor or machine is going to get up these sandy slopes.

The vineyards are completely organic and as you can see, surrounded by gorgeous bush.

So what is the wine from this region like? Well actually it's hard to say in terms of a general region-wide style as there aren't many small producers. There are large co-ops who have bottled generic wine from all over Spain here for years. But this is the cheaper volume end of the market. In recent years, some visionary winemakers have started working with the old bush vines in the area to do some really exciting things...

I've tasted stunning Albillo - both unoaked and aged in barrel - hard to liken it to anything else. Limey, some tropical fruit, a hint of peach, minerality. Very classy stuff. But for me the Garnacha is incredible. Totally different from any other Garnacha or Grenache you would have tasted. In a blind line up, perhaps you'd think Burgundy, maybe northern Rhone, perhaps new world Pinot Noir. It still has the lovely red fruit you'd expect from Garnacha but with an elegance and complexity not often seen in these parts.

I am looking to undertake a project here, very small production, for post 2013 vintage. I know you've got a while to wait but I couldn't keep this to myself for that long. Besides, it's not every day you see a horse hard at work in the vineyards, and it's always good to hear about new things happening in less well-known regions just to be one step ahead of the game!

More Than Just Wine...

When we travel to different wine regions around the world, of course we find interesting stories and meet great people who link us to much more than just the wine in the bottle: we learn about their histories, both social and political. But I have never been struck by this more than in South Africa. It isn't just that the winemakers have great stories to tell - they do! - but they are really living through and contributing to some of the most significant social change in any wine region I've visited. Thre are so many complexities...just look at the contrast between the photos above and below...Nothing is simple...

 

 

Our suppliers are very active contributing to their local communities, often where the government has failed to provide services. Many of the producers we work with have set up nurseries for local children so they will be ready for school when older. And some older students benefit from having their school fees, or even university costs, paid by our winemakers. Money has also gone into housing for farmworkers, and obviously the vineyards are a great source of employment.

A real case of the wine we sell going back into local communities...

 

 

 

 

Star Winemaker on Board

I've been friends with Bruwer Raats for several years after meeting him through my previous employment. He is one of the stars of the South African wine industry, consistently making award winning Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. In January this year his top wine (MR de Compostella) was voted as the most memorable wine in the world for 2012 by Neil Martin from the Wine Advocate. But this is just one of many many awards, and all justified...Bruwer's wines have always been among my favourites from South Africa.

 

The Raats family have stuck firm to their intention just to produce the best of two main varieties. They only produce Chenin Blancs in their white range, and Cabernet Franc dominates the reds. Over the past year, Bruwer has been developing an "entry" level Cab Franc - his top wines are quite pricey! - to give consumers an introduction into what he produces. This wine has not yet been released into export markets...yet!

 

We caught up with Bruwer over a pizza and tasting. It was lovely to see him again and to taste his new vintages. And the best news...we can launch the new Cabernet France wine later in the year as an exclusive to DW under a special label just for us and at an affordable price! It is juicy, fruity, and soft, just like eating blueberry pie!

Old and New South Africa in a Glass

On April 27 South Africa held its first post-Apartheid elections, the first with universal adult suffrage. Nelson Mandela became President, and the day was subsequently celebrated as Freedom Day.
 

 

 

Far removed from the drastic political changes sweeping the country, Bersig was continuing its long tradition of making port. Harvested and vinified prior to the April election of 1994, this wine was stored in barrel according to Bersig's normal procedure. Of course, in 1995 Bersig followed the same routine, making another port wine. At some stage, there was pressure to clear some space, and so these two barrels of 1994 and 1995 port were blended and eventually stored away in the corner of the cellar in one barrel. 

 

2014 is the 20th anniversary of the "new" South Africa, life after Apartheid. A special release perhaps for next year to celebrate the occasion...a rare port blended from the old and new.

 

Photos from the trip to South Africa will be on Winesafe but if you want to see them now, follow the links below. Three parts...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151625112711241.1073741832.738991240&type=1&l=0664d170fb
 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151625153786241.1073741833.738991240&type=1&l=7c3a08a9b2

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151626623146241.1073741834.738991240&type=1&l=9347023ada
 

Good News 2013 from South Africa and ... Going the Extra Mile

A quick update while we are on the road here in South Africa. Thought we all needed a good news story following the tricky 2012 harvest in Europe and other parts of the world. South Africa 2013 is looking great. Good volume. Great quality. Consistent pricing. Interesting new options from our favourite suppliers and a few new ones (hopefully a big name among them!) to introduce to the range. 

Of course the traditional whites are looking fab: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc... But there are some great Rhone blends, both white and red, and super good Cab Franc. And yes, even some fantastic Pinotage (Gus, yes... you'll just have to trust me!).

Being our first time out here, and as an Englishman and an Aussie, we have had to work hard to convince these South Africans that we're alright. So we've been throwing ourselves into every challenge set by these tricky winemakers. Mr Bruce Jack has tried feeding us to the sharks, taking us to Muizenberg for a spot of surfing before our tasting back at the winery. Obviously both of us survived (I promise I am typing with both hands!) although our tasting skills are much better than our surfing talent! 

And we've also found a new way of exploring vineyards. I bet no other wine company would "segway" around vineyards.

We'll keep going that extra mile for the rest of our week out here, even if it kills us! We have been told about all the animals that are out to get us so I'm sure that challenge is yet to come. In the meantime, we'll keep putting together some great blends to add to our range... 2013 could be Sth Africa's year!