Finca Las Moras becomes a benchmark of San Juan

It is one of the most leading wineries in San Juan, which combines grapes from the Pedernal, Zonda and Tulum Valleys to achieve excellent-quality wines.

Finca Las Moras has been a pioneering winery in the high-end winemaking in San Juan, since the vineyard restructuring developed by Richard Smart, in 1993. Its vineyards were surrounded by mulberry trees (whose fruit in Spanich is called “Moras”), hence its name.

“At the very beginning, our winery’s operation was experimental, but after years of studies and researches, it became the first high-end winery in San Juan”, according to Pablo Ghiorzi, Sales Manager at Las Moras.

In order to make a more precise reference to the winery, the professional said, “The winery’s commitment to nature and the deep respect to ethnic culture are combined with a passionate winemaking to create exceptional and really Argentine wines.”

Owning over 1,100 ha of vineyards located in the Pedernal (1,350 meters asl), Zonda (950 meters asl) and Tulum (650 meters asl) Valleys, the winery is focused on sustainability, continuous innovation and micro-region development culture, granting complexity and elegance to all its wine lines. “Las Moras Gran Shiraz comprises these factors, reflecting the careful selection of the best Shiraz grapes grown in the valleys”, highlighted Ghiorzi.

Fincas Las Moras makes varietals wines from Syrah, Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The winemaker responsible for them is Eduardo Casademont.

Currently, the winery offers the following lines: Mora Negra, Finca Las Moras Extra Brut, Alma Mora and 2008 Finca Las Moras Syrah Reserva.

Winery’s facilities

Its crush capacity amounts to 11,000,000 kilo. It also has a surprising vat capacity: 9,325,000 kilo, distributed in stainless steel tanks (8,500,000 liters) and oak barrels (825,000 liters).

In addition, its storage capacity reaches 1,500,000 bottles, whereas its bottling line enables operators to reach 10,000 bottles per hour.

A strong export performance

The winery exports to over 34 countries. Its main markets are Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Caribbean, England, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and Austria.

“It is noteworthy that Las Moras is currently in 12th place in Argentina exports, and in the first one leading the United Kingdom market, followed by Mexico, Sweden, Canada and Ireland”, underlined the sales manager.

In terms of income, Finca Las Moras reaches USD 15,000,000 per year from exports, whereas its total turnover amounts to USD 26,918,000.

Sherry-Lehmann’s Adams Optimistic About High-End Wine Business, Expanding Into New Territory

Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits, the 77-year-old retailing powerhouse in New York City, has enjoyed steady growth in the wake of the recession and continued success of its Bordeaux business after Diageo pulled out in 2010. Led by CEO Chris Adams, who was also named chairman in November 2010, the Manhattan institution totaled $44.5 million last year, and Adams says sales were up 13% in the first half of 2011. Shanken News Daily recently spoke with Adams to discuss current retail trends and Sherry-Lehmann’s outlook for the future.

SND: What changes have you seen in sales this year?

Adams: There has been a perceptible trade-up happening for us. In 2008 and 2009, we saw customers trading down: buying sparkling wines instead of Champagne, buying petite chateau Bordeaux instead of cru classé. And the 2009 Bordeaux futures campaign in the summer of ’10 sort of marked a point at which the customers felt like they could spend more money. And then that was brought home even more so in the fall of 2010 and into the holidays when we saw great Champagne sales. So there’s reason to be optimistic. For a long time it was cautious optimism, but we’re feeling much better this year than we have for the last few.

SND: How do you feel about Bordeaux’s 2010 vintage?

Adams: I’m concerned with 2010 on two fronts. One is that there is higher international demand than there’s ever been. And then we’ve lost quite a bit on currency. Having said that, we’re seeing that there’s less wine being made available to the market, so that increases the demand for what is available. At many points it becomes for the consumer a chance at access. Price becomes not completely secondary but it’s two functions: 1) Can I even get the wine? And 2) If I am getting it, where is that price relative to the market? And our position is that we’ve been doing Bordeaux futures since the 1959 vintage so we have a track record of being able to offer these wines. We feel that America should still be an attractive market and that Sherry-Lehmann should be the place that customers go to get these wines.

SND: What other trends are you seeing in lower-tier wines or in general?

Adams: We’re seeing strength in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. Argentine Malbec for us is still a growth category. Our private label there is Miguel Mendoza Malbec made by Enrique Foster. And we’re still seeing a lot of people following these wines at the $15-to-$20 price point, especially in the warmer weather. We’ve had great success in the past year with the 2009 Beaujolais. There are some benchmark wines made there, and as soon as I bring a container in, I find myself ordering another a few weeks later. So it’s nice to see the focus on affordable fresh wines still there.

SND: What regions do you sell the most of?

Adams: Most of our sales are from France—Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne. Obviously, we follow the Rhône, Loire and Alsace as well. And then after that we sell a lot of wines from California. Even in the down economy, we were able to position our offerings from California to meet the right price points. And then of course Italy, Spain, Germany, Chile, plus South Africa is coming back a little bit.

SND: Spirits account for roughly 5% of your sales. Where are you seeing growth in that category?

Adams: We’re seeing a trade-up there as well. People are spending a little bit more on their vodkas and whiskies. When we moved into our current location (in 2007), spirits became a growth category for us but it’s leveled off. There’s still a little bit of growth, but it’s not astronomical like it was when we first moved here.

SND: How do you feel about wine being sold in grocery stores?

Adams: We don’t believe that it’s the right thing. And for me it’s a matter of, you can’t just suddenly change the rules and tell people that all the business models they’ve built for decades or years are no longer applicable. It just doesn’t seem that any proposal I’ve seen for wine in grocery stores deals effectively with the people who have existing businesses. Is it impossible? I’m not going to say that, but they haven’t shown anything (that seems fair).

SND: What are your plans for the future? Are you still considering opening new stores?

Adams: Now that the economy is getting brighter, there are a few things I’ve been thinking about. I can’t disclose too much, but yes, we’re interested in positioning this store outside of New York state the way it should be positioned. I’m taking it quite seriously. I hope that we can do something in the next 12 to 18 months. I’m optimistic that it can be fulfilled.

A Labor Free Weekend…K Travels, the High 5 of Tuscany

I spent a Labor Free Weekend in Tuscany last weekend…and realized on this trip how much of the world I’ve been soaking up lately.  This summer: Morocco, Luxemburg, Croatia, Spain, Dresden/Poland, Bavaria, and now Tuscany. Given that Germany’s skies have been less than clear and blue I feel grateful for some sun action these past few months.

The spirit of Tuscany is about slowing down….way down, in “order to taste life” which reminded me of Solta. I traveled there with a girlfriend, who easily became a compadre via driving our Fiat Panda up the windy country roads, giggling about interactions with the locals, and of course, yapping away while eating and drinking and drinking and then eating. A few Italians insisted that the occasion to drink meant an occasion to eat, and we couldn’t agree more….
Here are the highlights from labor day, 2011.

 

View from the Museum...Ponte Vecchio

1. Exploring the Uffuzi in Florence.  This museum moves me. Having visited it over a decade ago (as a recently graduated college student) yes, I LIKED it THEN.

But this time, I ADORED it. Over two hours , I ambled through the rooms, paused at the end of the corridor of windows and took my time. A favorite snapshot, taken as I gawked out to the sparkling Arno and famous Ponte Vecciho, I poured myself over intense favorites (think Botecelli’s Primavera, which spent almost 500 years unknown in a dude’s country house) and then paused over and over at lesser known offering that aroused my spirit. Crespi’s THE FLEA, a picture of a rural woman rising from a bed, shifting her shirt, apparently living in
impoverished conditions, but cradled in light…and the inscription “you do not bother me, and I will not bother you” at the foreground. Illuminating…

2. Chowing down on one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever encountered, in a lovely street right next to Dante’s house. In Florence. The placeis called Da Vinaterria and the students who work there are AWESOME.  Ha! There I was, perched on a wooden small stool outside on the very street itself, guzzling 2 euro dry red wine and crunching a Panini of figs, walnuts, goat cheese and prosciutto. Of course, did I take a picture? No! I was too busy chomping and feeling so grateful for each. And every. Bite.

Prosecco O Clock...at a place called Flow...where the men know how to flirt

3. Convivum Wines & Gastronomy (San Spirito street) in Florence, where the interior smacks of a high end restaurant set in a 200 year old cellar.  I initially hesitated because I discovered my liking of Prosecco (a north Italian–or Venetian–sparkling white wine) won me over than the local cherub of Chianti. Here, the hunky Angelo taught me and my girlfriend that Chianti is almost always 100% Sangiovese grape aged for under a year in French oak. Angelo poured us Prosecco, then a white grape called the Vernaccia, two types of Chianti, a syrah and then a Super Tuscan. This wine, as he explained, is NOT traditional, Tuscan style.  The winemakers take a lot of leeway in their blending decisions to prepare the “best flavors.” But the wines ARE made from grapes most beloved of the Tuscan region. Of course, the super Tuscan tasted the best, and my friend nabbed a bottle for 11 Euro. For this lengthy tasting session, Angelo’s attention and education, we paid 2 euros each.
4. Le Vena Di Vino,  in Volterra where the tradition is to leave an offering to the wine gods…in the form of your bra. Since I was sipping 2 Euro cuvee (my palate likes the cuvee of cab and merlot more than the bitterness of sangiovese chianti) named “Emergency,”I figured: “it’s now or never.” I have never taken off my bra or left it anywhere in public. And thus, this “it’s not on my list, but

Yep, mom...that's mine!

should be” act. I removed and signed  a very plain white bra, without fanfare or self censorship. It is a memory that will be cherished and most likely to cause a smirk for many years to come.

5. Wine tasting in the “hills” at Villa Pillo. This is a big estate owned by an American couple. Located smack dab in the center of Tuscany, it is is HUGE (21 hectacres) and very successful. A little apprehensive that is was the “most trendy,” we went in with low expectations. And were FLOORED with FAVOR (I even bought a wooden wine box from there and an opener).

Why? They had some pretty awesome wines and the service was impeccable (reflective of a California wine tasting style).  And only ONE Chianti in a line up of 7 or so wines which was good given the hour long revelry from the day before that started with “do you feel bad we don’t like Chianti as much as we are supposed to?”. We LOVED the Borgoforte, made like a supertuscan, blended up in a tightly tannin filled berry hopped concoction of Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 10%. We each nabbed a bottle (look! It’s a 92 on Wine Spectator) in addition to a surprisingly flirtatious sparkling Muscato, new to their line-up. We even enjoyed their boxed wines that rival the flavor punch of my favorite go to table wine (2 Buck Chuck’s Cab).

You can order their wines online (and get a good deal on FREE SHIPPING to Europe through Christmas).
So! There you have it! Super-Tuscan High 5….a perfect labor free weekend. (PSST? Do you like Chianti????)

Tampa-based wine maker Paul Clear believes the best Florida wines come from … Spain.

A list of most improbable career choices in Tampa might include snowboard instructor. Mountain climbing guide should rank up there, too. Winemaker would definitely make my top five.

Yeah, yeah, I know there are locally made wines. But (how do I say this nicely?) — they suck.

Paul Clear's Tampa-based Terroir Wine Cellars wines certainly don't suck. That's because his wines are not made in the Sunshine State. Try Spain.
You see, Paul is what you'd call a negociant, a fancy French term for someone who typically owns no vineyard or winery but who arranges (negotiates) to have other folks make it for him. In Paul's case, those folks work for a very special winemaker in a tiny town in southeastern Spain called Albecete.

Now before you think Paul is some South Tampa dilettante who's dabbling in wine making, you should know that he's a guy who's been working around wine since before he could legally drink it. His first taste of the wine business was stocking shelves at a local wine shop just out of high school in Buffalo, New York. Hardly a glamorous gig. But the more Paul learned about what was in all those bottles, the more he wanted to learn.

A stint as a regional wine sales rep soon led to consulting jobs with high-end wine shops around the country. Tapped by wineries for his nose for business and wines, he found himself preferring to hang out with the winemakers instead of those in the front office. More than a decade later, Paul not only knew the wine biz — he knew what makes a great wine.

Which is just what he decided to do eight years ago. His goal: Make great, affordable, wines.

A lover of Spanish wines, Paul knew the only way to find the right winery was to walk the vineyards, talk with the winemaker and taste the wines. Three trips to Spain and visits to more than 120 wineries later, Paul drove up one day to a small winery in the town of Albecete in his ludicrously puny rental car.

As soon as he tried the wines, he knew he'd finally found what he was looking for.
"I fell in love with the winery right then," Paul said recently at South Tampa's CRU Cellars, where he shared some of his wines. He moved to Tampa five years ago, and since then the portfolio of wines he makes and imports through his Terroir Wine Cellars has grown from one to nearly a dozen, sold in more than 20 states.
His first, Palarea Tinto 2005, arrived in the U.S. last year. "This one's my baby," Paul said. "It's wonderful."

After tasting it myself, I'd agree. Made from a blend of hand-harvested cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, it's a bold wine. One that'll stand up to anything your grill can throw at it. You'll also taste some smoke, lavender and rosemary it in. And like all of his wines, it's light on your wallet, at only $16 a bottle.
His Palarea Merlot 2006 ($15), spicy and jammy, will make you rethink long-maligned merlot.

A sparkler, Grand Pasion Brut Reserva, is fruity and light. Lovely. And at around $10 a bottle, it's criminally inexpensive. It's now his most popular wine.
He's also just begun importing Grandalla Gran Reserva 2004. He showed me one of only 30 bottles in country. As decorated with awards as a five-star general, this one carries a price tag to match ($125).

Paul's also begun importing Spanish wines made by a pal. Organic and biodynamic, Lobetia brand wines are, like his other wines, very good and affordable ($10 to $16). In other words, perfect for every day.

The Lobetia Chardonnay 2010 was zingy and fresh. The Lobetia Viognier 2010 was nicely floral, with tastes of nuts. The Lobetia Tempranillo 2010 was dry and tasted of strawberries. I also enjoyed the plums and bacon (honest) in the Lobetia Syrah 2010. I especially liked the Lobetia Tempranillo/Petit Verdot Roble 2010 blend, big and juicy.

I'm drooling just typing this.

oDD Café welcomes an appellation of boutique wines

Greenside, Johannesburg, Wednesday, 31 August 2011: In a world where for every business mogul to own a wine estate is fashionable and supermarkets are making their own wines, finding good wine can be a daunting exercise. Step in, Appellation South Africa, the new kid on the block! Appellation South Africa (ASA) specialises on the distribution of fine wines from some of South Africa’s best boutique wine estates. In celebration of Spring, oDD Café will be hosting a wine tasting evening with ASA on September 1, 2011 from 18h30 to 19h30. That’s an even better reason to ditch that plonk at home!

Janine Lyn Sievers is the front runner of ASA. She is a wine connoisseur who studied wine making with Stellenbosch University and has been running the distribution company for 4 months now. ASA’s specialty is unique high end wines from small wineries. They distribute only one of each wine varietal within specific price brackets. An affordable Chardonnay would be the only Chardonnay in the affordable range, as would be a Shiraz in its respective bracket. “The concept behind Appellation South Africa is drawn from the tradition of wine appellation and in this regard, our wine selection criteria is fine wines from boutique estates,” says Janine.

For Spring day at oDD Café, ASA will engage patrons in a tasting of 4 varietals from 3 wine estates from Stellenbosch. These are Kleinood Farm’s Tamboerskloof Syrah, Uva Mira’s Sauvignon Blanc, Uva Mira’s Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend and Crystallum’s Chardonnay. These wine estates each possess a unique characteristic that is epitomized in their wines and distinctly separates them from the rest.

Tamboerskloof Syrah

Kleinood Farm houses multiple award winning wines that continue in the signature of South African winery. It stands out from other wine estates in its emphasis on winery design thanks to Gerard de Villiers, the winery design extraordinaire. He has worked with over 150 wineries including such reputable estates as Rupert & Rothschild, Graham Beck, Boschendal, Bellingham and Plaisir de Merle.

It is therefore no surprise that the design of Kleinood Farm would be flagship. De Villiers’ design lies in the intercourse of cutting edge technology and centuries old French tradition; all in the backdrop of simplicity. Because of this genius, he has been contracted to work on the design of such international wineries like Nyetimber Estate in the UK and Gusbourne Estate in Kent. It is in this ‘mise-en-scene’ that the Tamboerskloof Syrah is produced. This elegant wine has scooped awards locally and internationally in the UK and the USA. With a John Platter Wine Guide rating of 4 ½ stars, the Syrah is a certified pleasure to drink.

 Uva Mira Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

Uva Mira is perched high on the Helderberg Mountains of Stellenbosch. This high altitude setting ensures their elegant reds and aromatic whites. Here, new world meets family tradition in the partnership of estate owner Denise Weener and youthful winemaker and viticulturalist, Matthew van Heerden. The inspiration of Uva Mira’s wines lies in the picturesque setting of the estate with 360 degree views of Table Mountains and Robben Island. Against this backdrop, the Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon are produced. With numerous accolades to their name, including the Michelangelo Grand d’Or award, Uva Mira wines are indeed a celebration of elevation.

The Crystallum brand boasts of superlative hand crafted wines that reflect estate owners Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson and the territory on which the estate rests.With just over 4,000 bottles released in their first vintage selection in 2007 under the banner Walker Bay wine of origin, Crystallum bring a new dimension to winery.

 

Crystallum Chardonnay

The young wine estate has been an active participant in Wine Cellar Tastings in Cape Town, whose chosen favourites set the trends in wine making. With acclaimed attention to detail, Crystallum is part of the young wine estates that will ruffle feathers as they question, “…do we really need a textbook to make wine?” The Crystallum Chardonnay is part of their 2008 vintage collection in which resides also the Pinot Noir and the Sauvignon Blanc. Because Crystallum sources their berries from high altitude Elgin, one can expect an aromatic chardonnay. What a way to welcome spring!

Four wines to usher in the beautiful weather, all in the comfort of delicious food, Spring day will undoubtedly be memorable at oDD Café. Patrons will be able to order their wines through Christina or Janine.