February 28th, 2009 by Eric Southward, Sommelier
ERIC SOUTHWARD’S WINE BLOG
Here at the shop this week, I must have been involved in ten discussions about the controversial subject of wine ratings.
“Do you like them?”
“Do you follow them?”
“Do you think companies that advertise in Wine Spectator get better ratings than those that don’t?”
These are just some of the questions me and my staff get posed every day. And, here’s what I tell my staff, and clients, “I love wine ratings, if (and only if) they are given by a singular person, and not a tasting panel.”
I truly think if wine ratings are understood for what they are - one person’s opinion, that they can be truly helpful. If you follow a critics scores, and find that your tastes match-up, then what’s wrong with that?! If that’s the case, then it can be a great tool to navigate you through, for example, a wine store that provides little or no service.
Conversely, I think scores that are an average from a tasting panel are totally useless. If you ever read a magazine that puts together a tasting panel to rate a variety of products, what they are trying to do is create some ultimate truth of quality. They are trying to tell you what is actually good, and what is positively bad. This of course doesn’t help you at all! For you, the consumer, wine is all about preference. It’s all about likes, and dislikes. And if one critic thinks a wine is a perfect 10-out-of-10, and another thinks a wine warrants a score of 8-out-of10, well that wine warrants a 9-out-of-10 ratings, which in the wine world would be an outstanding score. But, here’s the problem: one person found that wine perfect, while the other found it perfectly average. You can see where I’m going with this: which person would you agree with? And that’s the problem. You would have no idea.
In the end, I have no problem with Parker, Spectator, or any other critic that’s brave enough to offer up their opinion for you, the consumer, to either agree, or disagree with.
What are your thoughts on ratings - I’d love to know.
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February 18th, 2009 by Eric Southward, Sommelier
The Master Of The Veneto
Every wine region in the world can have only one top-producer, the innovator or ’spiritual leader’ that all other producers are measured by. California has Screaming Eagle, Pomerol has Petrus, Saint-Emilion has Ausone, Spain has Vega Sicilia and Australia has Grange; For the Veneto, home to Amarone and Valpolicella, this leader is Giuseppe Quintarelli. Although its bottles do not bear the popular name Sassicaia or Gaja, Quintarelli is a legendary winery by any standard. A trendsetter, a leader, an innovator; its bottles are recognized by their hand scripted labels that provide a glimpse into the heart and soul of the world’s truest artisanal winemaker, Giuseppe Quintarelli!
Known as “The Master of the Veneto,” Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. From aperitifs to digestifs, his limited production Amarone’s, Recioto’s, and Valpolicella’s are the benchmark for excellence in the region. Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the Terroir and the natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage approval and strict grape selection rivals that of the great Chateau d’Yquem. Giuseppe puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, often keeping them in the cellar for years until the right moment arrives. With Quintarelli there is no compromise for quality.
Even though he is traditional in his Amarone production, it does not follow that Giuseppe is afraid of innovation. Besides the fantastic Amarone and the unreal Alzero, Giuseppe produces an excellent dry white wine simply called Bianco Secco and an unusual, but delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Corvina called Primofiore.
Giuseppe is shy and tranquil and his wines are considered a reference point for the wine producers of Valpolicella. He has always cultivated grapes and made wine. “This is the only thing that I know how to do and I still make wine exactly as my father taught me. Once however, when the Recioto fermented too much and consumed all the sugar, and was no longer a sweet wine, a true embarrassment for the entire family.” For Giuseppe, Recioto is the most prestigious and difficult wine to produce and is a magnificent medicine, on the condition that it is made according to traditional standards and left to age for long periods of time in Slavonian oak casks.
The barriques are used only for aging of Alzero, a particular wine that perfectly expresses the “Quintarelli style”. This wine is made from Cabernet Franc, which has been withered for 5-6 months. “Our traditional methods must not be abandoned or forgotten. More than anything else, one can never force nature. One must be calm, have the right method, and have a lot of passion” Giuseppe says
For a full listing of our Quintarelli offerings, please click here
Tags: alzero, amarone, cabernet, corvina, franc, primofiore, sauvignon, Veneto
Posted in Wine & Food | 7 Comments »
