Real Wine, Slow Food and erupting volcanoes

by Robert Giorgione

You know when you are waiting for a bus and you seem to be waiting for ages and then suddenly, as if out of the blue, three come along all at once? I had one of those experiences recently. However, mine was not actually involving big shiny red London buses, but a trio of wine tastings. Over the past few months, it has been manic in London, especially with regards to all the wine tastings and events going on. Sometimes, there has been a kind of 'gridlock' of vinous activity. I was stuck in all this bustling degustation traffic, which not only means I was kept extremely busy, but also had some wonderful experiences. Just in the matter of a few days recently, I had the opportunity to attend three amazing tastings. I have already posted an article about biodynamic wines and the masterclass given by Nicolas Joly. What was to follow was just as intriguing and I was able to sample some interesting wines. Over two days, Les Caves de Pyrene hosted an event called "Real Wine" at the Louise Blouin Foundation in West London. However, unfortunately, due to a certain Icelandic volcano erupting, many of the winemakers and representatives from the estates were unable to make it over. Talk about traffic problems...geeesh!

Anyway, less about the traffic issues and more about the wines. I can already hear you thinking "Real Wine - what is that all about then?" Surely all wine is real? To quote the great Nicolas Joly from his masterclass from the previous week: "Nowadays, there are some wines produced, which could be described as 'Appellation Controlee L'Oreal" - I think that sums it up pretty well. These esoteric wines which I tasted, are not made in huge quantities like industrial-scale brands and are brought into this country by Les Caves de Pyrene, yet are made naturally by people who really care with a true sense of place and a genuine expression of terroir. However, some of them are rather quirky and are not for the faint-hearted. I will give my highlights later.

On the Monday evening, there was a delicious, yet informal and relaxed dinner at the venue. Everyone was free to move around, spend time with the winegrowers and it was all very convivial. In addition, the emphasis on the quality and provenance of the produce, which was sourced in conjunction with the Slow Food Movement, was given equal importance. Hence, the message is that the food, the wine and everything linked, is not pumped full of chemicals, including herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides, and is a true reflection of nature and healthy well-being. For lovers of wine the important thing to understand is, first of all, the Dionysian nature of the vine, and secondly the need to respect this so that it can connect as well as possible with subtleties of soil and climate - so that, in other words, it can best marry its innate authenticity with the quality of the place where it grows. Many of the producers at the tasting practise biodynamics and/or organic viticulture. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to not only taste their remarkable wines, but also have a greater understanding of them by picking their brains and not being afraid to ask questions.

These wines, by their very nature, require much more thought, attention and effort because they have been made in such a way. Thus, for some, they may appear far too extreme and completely individualistic. For me, this is what gives these wines their charming personality and identity. Some of them were cloudy and funky, yet they had been produced entirely naturally. Most of them were unfiltered, because the winegrower wished to keep the wine as 'honest' as possible without stripping away and extracting all its natural qualities. For many years now, a whole swathe of global viticulture has had its heart ripped out of it and then, at a later stage, has been replaced or mimicked with something vaguely resembling its identity. This has resulted in a completely manufactured and a formulaic, 'identikit', boring beverage product, which overall is nothing to do with real wine. These so-called politically-correct wines are then marketed with so much gloss and spin that it makes the consumer confused. Nowadays, it is possible to make a wine taste of anything you wish. For instance, a winery may contain a whole host of aromatic yeasts, which either make the wine taste of blackcurrants or whatever. This laboratory-like winemaking is the antithesis of what real wine stands for.

However, before you get started on a rant back at me, this method of 'real wine' making is not a trendy fad which just sprung up overnight. Many winegrowers in France and Italy have been practising this for generations. Their primary focus and aim is to keep all things natural, wherever possible, with minimal intervention and to maintain the harmony and quality. Quantity and profit are not uppermost in these peoples' minds. Effectively, it is just a return to the situation which prevailed for many centuries, up to the end of the 1940's or 50's, when an agriculture that was still based on a balanced understanding of nature enabled the great vineyards to produce wines that still retained their majesty a hundred years later.

What I am sincerely endeavoring to do, is to articulate in fairly simple terms to people of good will that many factors and artificial methods are chiefly linked to ever-increasing agricultural errors. So, you could say, these great individuals are part of a 'renaissance'. Most importantly, they are growing in numbers and even more have been convinced that to convert to this 'natural way' is the future for better quality wines. Moreover, the less credulous customer and wine consumer is starting to discover the truth that has been hidden for far too long. Primarily, within France, the wines on the Les Caves de Pyrene portfolio hail from the South-West, as it is Eric Narioo's homeland (regions such as Jurancon, Madiran, Cahors and parts of Languedoc-Roussillon etc). It is amazing how there are so many pioneering winemakers from here, who just need to reach out to a wider audience.They also have some great wines from the Loire, Burgundy and Rhone, which should not be overlooked either. However, over the years, they have also expanded their range to include a wonderful selection of these 'real wines' coming from exciting, up-and-coming regions in Italy, such as Alto-Adige, Friuli, Abruzzo, Marche, Campania and Sicily amongst others and spearheaded by these very interesting producers. These wines simply deserve to be discovered!

Crisp, dry and delicious 'moelleux' sweet wines from Clos Lapeyre in Jurancon (above) and a real discovery (below) Le Roc des Anges, Cotes du Roussillon Villages whites. For me, they were the best white wines at the show and had real character.

I was very intrigued by the following three wines made by Dario Princic in Friuli. These are complete oddball wines! At the tasting we were presented with three whites, yet their appearance was more of an orange with copper hues. The wines were produced completely naturally using grape varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio and Tocai Friulano and with much skin maceration. They certainly have developed an avid following amongst fellow wine anoraks.

On show at the tasting, Les Caves de Pyrene also presented wines from cult Australian winery Bindi and the Oregon estate Sokol Blosser. I would recommend both to any Pinot Noir lover.

Many thanks to all those concerned for a wonderful experience. For further details on the wines, prices and availability please contact me on tel: +44 (0)20 7231 7257 or email: robert@robertgiorgione.com

The epicurean odyssey continues...