▻ Omnibus XXXIII
Brought to you by our Founder Sponsor SANTA RITA ESTATES.
Episode Summary:-
This month, The Wine Conversation team have been moving around, on planes (when not cancelled) and trains (when not cancelled), checking out all the latest wine news, and, happily, finding some great wine-friendly restaurants on route. Sarah Kemp and John Stimpfig give a great shout-out to Doppo, in Soho, London, which their colleague, our U.S. editor Elin McCoy, recommended after judging the World of Fine Wine Restaurant awards. It offers delicious Tuscan food, with a brilliant wine list, and is now a new favourite for both of them. Over in Dublin to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the brilliant wine company Terroirs, Sarah discovered Library Street and Forêt, two outstanding restaurants with excellent wine lists–worth getting on a plane to Ireland for. Also this month, John attended a rare vertical of Masseto, the Petrus of Italy; check out his tasting notes here.
Italy beckoned again, as John headed to the Old Vine Conference. He reports on the latest developments of this busy, buzzy organisation, including the news that the OIV has now recognised and adopted official terms for old-vine wines and vineyards. In order to qualify, the vine must be 35 years old or older and an old-vine vineyard must be made up of a block of vines that are at least 85% 35 years or older.
In our weather watch, we report on the news of the floods in Valencia, where 200 people died and a year’s worth of rainfall fell in eight hours. The damage is still being assessed.
One of our most bizarre stories this year is the news that an entire vineyard crop has been stolen right before harvest, in the Jura. Paul Bonin of Gevingey first thought the birds had eaten his entire crop, but then he noticed some grapes cut by pruning shears on the ground. He told French TV that he was heartbroken, and had lost 800 kg of grapes, which would make about 60,000 litres, a whole year’s harvest. Astonishing as this is, it is not the first time this has happened in the Jura – another vintner had their crop stolen last year just before picking.
Happier news arrived when Andrew Caillard MW was awarded the IWSC Communicator of the Year. Sarah and John agree he is a brilliant choice, and his book, “The Australian Ark,” is a tour de force. From over in China, comes the news that Lady Penguin, the powerful wine influencer, is stepping back from some of her activities. She has been an incredibly successful influencer in China, with 3.3 million viewers on China’s answer to TikTok, and 1.5 million viewers on China’s answer to WeChat. In 2020 she sold 2.5 million bottles, netting US$50 million. The last couple of years have seen a decline in the Chinese wine market, and so she is halting many of her activities. However, she is not disappearing altogether – she will be launching her first Ningxia wine next year.
John looks back on the life of Victor de la Serna, the Spanish wine writer who co-founded El Mundo and Josep Ferrer Sala of Freixenet, both who died recently, while Elin McCoy fondly remembers Evelyne de Pontbriand of Domaine du Cluzel in Savennières.
Then Elin discusses how Donald Trump’s victory will affect wine sales in the US if his promise to introduce tariffs goes ahead. One unexpected benefit may be, however, the revamping of the current World Health Organization guidelines, which have been criticized repeatedly for not being positive, nor objective, regarding the world’s wine industry. She also reports on the news that Jon Ruel, long-time winemaker at Trefethen Vineyards is heading to Virginia after more than two decades to become the winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards, another endorsement for the region after the Bouygues of Château Montrose bought the RdV Vineyards earlier this year. Two factors are attracting people there: The cost of the land is much cheaper than Napa and Sonoma, and, importantly, climate change. Elin predicts we will see more news of interest from Virginia.
Elin rounds-up her report with more travel, a description of her trip to visit Bruno Cucinelli of cashmere-luxury fame at Castello di Solomeo in Umbria. He hosted a two-day event to launch his new wines. Star guests included Saskia de Rothschild and Olivier Krug, but what, apart from the wines, impressed Elin most was that they dined in the staff café, where Cucinelli feeds his team every day. The wines are exclusive to Fine & Rare Wines, and are a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a small proportion of Sangiovese. Elin’s standout wine is the 2019, which she described as silky (as opposed to cashmere).
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 16.17
“A year of rainfall fell in eight hours in Valencia.” – John Stimpfig
– Doppo restaurant in London.
– Terroir’s 30th anniversary and Library Street and Forêt restaurants in Dublin.
– OIV recognises old vine definitions.
– Floods in Valencia. -
16.18 – 35.15
“Lady Penguin, who dramatically took the Chinese wine market by storm, is stepping back from some of her activities.” – John Stimpfig
– Theft of entire crop on the vine in the Jura.
– Andrew Caillard MW named as IWSC Communicator of the Year.
– Influencer Lady Penguin scales back from her activities in China.
– Santa Rita founding sponsor message. -
35.16 – 01.05
“For every dollar which would be brought in by the tariff, the American companies would lose US$4.3 dollars.” – Elin McCoy
– Elin discusses possible tariffs on imported wine when Trump takes office.
– Trefethen winemaker Jon Ruel heads to Virginia.
– Elin looks back on the life of Evelyn de Pontbriand of Domaine du Cluzel.
– Bruno Cucinelli’s new wines and his star-studded launch in Umbria.
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A special festive edition of Omnibus: we name our top wines of the year, best books of the year, favourite podcast moments and our most memorable trips. Weather Watch and Farewell to have been banned for this very happy Christmas edition.