▻ Omnibus XXII

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Episode Summary:-

News a-plenty in this month’s Omnibus, from possible wine fraud to the good news that there may be hope for vintners threatened by smoke taint, and of course we report on the chaotic weather patterns that are bringing such uncertainty to wine producers wherever they are in the world.

First up, the news that our esteemed contributing editor John Stimpfig managed to complete his 200km charity bike ride across Bordeaux (while dining at Châteaux Lafite, d’Yquem and Haut-Bailly on route, a nicely rewarding instance of raising money while drinking the world’s finest wine). While John was in Bordeaux, the prices started to emerge for the 2022 En Primeur campaign. First out of the block were Château Cheval Blanc, 20% increase on the 2021 price, Château Angelus, up 32% on the previous year, and a more restrained 15% increase from Château Léoville Barton. It’s still early days, and The Wine Conversation will be following the campaign and the all-important question of whether the wines will sell through to consumers. Still in Bordeaux, John reports that the 2022 Saint Emilion classification has passed with no legal challenge – welcome news after the debacle of 2012. John and Sarah discuss the value of the classification now that three of the big names have left.

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Meanwhile, over in Beaujolais, an application has been submitted by the winemakers of Fleurie to the INAO for Premier Crus status for their top vineyards. The application follows ten years of soil studies, which revealed 300 different soil types. John estimates it will take seven to ten years for approval to be given, with around 20-30% of the appellation possibly elevated to Premier Cru status. There is good news from nearby for travelling consumers, with opening dates for the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne, Burgundy’s new visitor centres in Chablis, Beaune, and Macon. Based on the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, with many interactive educational features and tastings, the three centres will, unlike Bordeaux’s centre, concentrate on the wines of their region. Chablis opens on June 15, Beaune the morning of June 16, and Macon June 16 in the afternoon. Best of all are the prices: 14€ per person for Beaune and 9€ for Chablis and Macon.

Over the past couple of years, it’s been rare for Omnibus not to have to report on the problem of smoke taint in wine. Wildfires in California, Australia, and last year Bordeaux, have given wine producers a new problem to worry about. Good news has arrived in the form of new findings from researchers at Oregon State University. They have discovered a new class of compounds that contributes to the smoky flavours in wine made from grapes exposed to wildfire smoke. Traditionally the changes in flavour have been attributed to a class of compounds known as volatile phenols, but Elizabeth Tomasino, an associate professor of enology at Oregon State University, has reported that volatile phenols are not a good predictor of smoke taint in wine. Researching the subject, she discovered the new class of compounds, Thiophenols, which are not normally found in wines, but in meat and fish, and are a better predictor and could provide a reliable way to identify smoke taint and eliminate it during the winemaking process. Good news indeed, as it looks with climate change, that wildfires are going to be here to stay.

Climate change itself, another constant theme on The Wine Conversation, has resulted in two items on our weather watch this month. On April 22, Santorini was hit by an eight-minute hailstorm on the central part of the island; yields for 2023 could be down by 25%. In Canada, in British Columbia, freezing conditions late last year – with temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit--has vintners looking at a 50% loss of crop for 2023, while in Nova Scotia temperatures fell to minus 25F degrees, leading to 95% loss of crop. John reports that not only will there be significant loss of income from the decimated 2023 vintage itself, it will also have an impact on tourism too.

Elsewhere, the human dynamo that is Laura Catenta is in the news. She has just been awarded the “Old Vine Hero Award” for her work in protecting old vines in Argentina, and she also has become the new Honorary President of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, following in the footsteps of wine giants Michael Broadbent, Steven Spurrier, Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson and Paul Symington. Then, the surprise of the month was the news that Jamie Ritchie, the worldwide chairman of wine and spirits at Sotheby’s auction house, has left after 32 years to join BlockBar, the first direct-to-consumer non-fungible token company. “Champagne corks will be popping at Christie’s,” says Sarah. Lastly, John looks back on the life of Lucien Lurton, one of the great figures of 20th-century Bordeaux, and father to ten children, including some of Bordeaux’s most talented winemakers, who has just died at the age of 98.

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Over in the US, our editor Elin McCoy discusses the fallout from the collapse of Underground Cellars, a San Francisco tech company which seemed incredibly innovative when it introduced flash sales with a gaming element. Customers who bought from them could store their wine in their Cloud cellar free of charge, but at the end of April the company filed for bankruptcy and now people can’t get their wine out; 600 concerned customers have started a Facebook group to discuss how they can get their money back, a story we will be watching as it unfolds. Elin and Sarah agree that one piece of good news is that the Antinori family now have complete control of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars; they previously were joint shareholders with Chateau Ste Michelle, which was recently sold to a private equity group. Elin says it makes her very happy that it has gone to a wine family, not a corporation which will spin it off, and Sarah agrees.

Chaotic weather in Argentina and Chile will affect this year’s harvest. Argentina suffered from hail, then the hottest summer since 1961, followed by frost close to the harvest, while over the Andes, Chile’s summer heat led to wildfires wiping out century-old vineyards in Itata and Bio Bio. On the positive side, the high-altitude vineyards survived the horrible growing season very well, and though there is less quantity, the quality is good.

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Then, on to big questions: What is wine? Is it alive or not alive? This is one of the subjects addressed in Ferran Adrià’s (of El Bulli fame) new book on wine, in fact one of eight books on wine, a series entitled “The Wine Sapiens.” Elin caught up with him in New York at the launch of the English translation of the first two books. The first is called “Wine and Contextualization and Viticulture,” retailing at US$120. It is totally different from any other wine book, Elin reports; it weighs around 15 to 20 pounds, and addresses very deep questions. Elin applauds a book which goes beyond just the taste in the glass, and recommends it. Also keeping Elin entertained is the new series streaming on Apple TV Plus, “Drops of God,” based on the highly popular Japanese Manga series, which 300 million people in Asia regularly read. Elin is a fan and would love to hear from Wine Conversation listeners on whether they like it or not.

Finally, what could be a breakthrough for restaurants in serving fine wine in a sustainable manner! Ridge Vineyards, the highly acclaimed US winery, has joined forces with Sixty Vines restaurants, which are located in Texas and Florida, to offer their Three Valley Zinfandel on tap, in the same way as beer is on tap. The kegs contain the equivalent of 26 75ml bottles and does away with the need for glass and labels. Both Sarah and Elin agree we need to look at more sustainable ways to consume wine, and both are hopeful that other wineries will follow.

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Running Order:-

• 0.00 – 18.00

  "I would keep a canny look at the prices in relation to the other great vintages out there” – Sarah Kemp
  
  – John returns from his charity bike ride in Bordeaux.
  – 2022 En Primeur prices announced.
  – 2022 Saint Emilion classification passed.
  – Fleurie applies to the INAO for Premier Cru status.
  – New visitor centres in Burgundy.

• 18.10 – 32.24

  “Eight-minute hailstorm caused most damage on the central part of Santorini.” – John Stimpfig
  
  – New research into smoke taint.
  – Severe weather impacts Santorini and British Columbia harvest.
  – People in the news: Laura Catena, Jamie Ritchie.
  – Remembering Lucien Lurton.

• 32.25 – 59.22

  “There is no shortage of fraud in the wine industry, sadly." – Elin McCoy
  
  – Fall-out from the collapse of San Francisco Underground Cellar.
  – Antinori family take full control of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.
  – Extreme weather in Argentina and Chile affects the latest harvest.
  – Ferran Adrià’s new series of books on wine.
  – “Drop of Gods” series streaming on Apple TV Plus.
  – Ridge Vineyards sustainable on-tap programme with Sixty Vines.

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▴ Ridge on tap

▴ Ferran Adrià’s book on wine

▴ Lucien Lurton

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Further Information:-

Sponsor John’s bike ride for Hospitality Action