Ten Tidbits on Tasmania

March 13, 2015 3 Comments

Tasmania VineyardTen Tidbits on Tasmania – Tasmanian Wine, that is!

#1 – The island of Tasmania is the southernmost state of Australia and lies about 150 miles south of the coast of Victoria, across the Bass Strait. Tasmania lies directly in the path of the fierce trade winds known as the “Roaring Forties” and as such, its west coast has a cold, wet climate.

#2 – Tasmania is Australia’s most mountainous state. The highest point is Mount Ossa in the northwest. Mount Ossa reaches peaks of 5,350 feet (1,620 meters) above sea level. The temperature climate necessary for viticulture in Tasmania is made possible by the multiple mountain ranges that criss-cross the center of the island. Most Tasmanian vineyards are located on lower slopes and valleys of these mountains, or in the rain shadow to the east.

#3 – As is to be expected considering its location, Tasmania has a maritime climate. Mild spring and summer temperatures, warm autumn days, and cool nights allow for the region’s grapes to enjoy a long, slow ripening with minimal loses of natural acidity.

#4 – Cool climate grapes dominate the viticultural landscape and include 44% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay, 12% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Pinot Gris and 5% Riesling. Other varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Gewürztraminer.  Tasmania’s cool climate makes it a natural for sparkling wines, and many of the sparkling wines produced in Australia are sourced with grapes grown in Tasmania.

Tasmania map#5 – Tasmania’s output is tiny. At last count, the state had just over 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) of vineyards, and accounted for approximately 0.5% of Australia’s output. They even say that “more wine is spilled on the main land than is produced in Tasmania.” However – Tasmania’s wine production rose by more than 300% over the last decade, and quality is regarded as quite high.

#6 – According to winetasmania.com, 100% of bottled Tasmanian wine retails for $15.00 or more – as compared to only 7% of Australian wines overall.

#7 – Tasmania’s first vineyard, planted in 1788, was a failure. The vines were planted by William Blight at Adventure Bay (on Bruny Island), but when he returned four years later they were gone. Vines were planted again in the early 1800s, and wine was made and sold commercially in Tasmania from 1800 through the 1860s. However, vine disease and the gold rush in Victoria (1851-1870) caused wine production in Tasmania to collapse by the 1870s.

#8 – In the 1830s, wines from Tasmania were brought to Victoria by William Henty. Henty sailed from Launceston in Tasmania to Portland in Victoria on the Schooner Thistle. Among his belongings were “one cask of grape cuttings and one box of plants.” These cuttings became the first vines planted in Victoria. At about the same time, vines from Tasmania were also among the first grapes planted in South Australia; John Hack (in 1837), and John Reynell (in 1837) both planted Tasmanian vines in South Australia.  Some say, based on these facts, that vines from Tasmania founded the wine industries of both Victoria and South Australia.

Map via winetasmania.com.au

Map via winetasmania.com.au

#9 – The beginnings of the modern era of Tasmanian wines can be traced back to the 1950s, when two Europeans, Jean Miguet and Claudio Alcorso arrived in Tasmania and, without knowing each other or what the other was doing, began planting vines and making wine.

#10 – While Tasmania does not have any officially designated wine regions or sub-regions within it, the following “unofficial” areas are generally used to describe those areas rich with vines:

  • In Northern Tasmania: The Northwest Coast, Tamar Valley, and Northeast/Pipers River
  • In Southern Tasmania: Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, and Huon/Channel Valley
  • Straddling the Two: The East Coast

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas: missjane@prodigy.net

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Now on the Wine Travel Bucket List: Moldova

January 20, 2015 Leave a comment

moldova mapQuick! Tell me everything you know about Moldova!

If you can’t come up with anything, don’t feel bad. As of yesterday, I knew a grand total of about three things about Moldova: one-it was part of the former Soviet Union; two-they make wine there (but I couldn’t tell you anything about it); and three-it is the home of the “Epic Sax Guy.”

Today, though, I can tell you quite a bit more about Moldova. For instance, Moldova is located between Romania and Ukraine, just north of the Black Sea. As part of the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova declared itself an independent state – the Republic of Moldova – in 1991. The transition has not been easy and there has been civil unrest and economic woes. But there has also been progress, and in 2013 Moldova entered into an “Association Agreement” with the European Union, meaning that they can work towards aligning their practices with EU standards in the hopes of becoming a member in the future. It should be interesting to see how that unfolds.

This also means that wines of Moldova may soon fall under EU standards, and perhaps that means that more wine lovers may soon become a bit more familiar with Moldovan wines. For starters, here are a few fascinating facts about the wines of Moldova:

It’s ancient: Moldova has one of the oldest wine cultures in the world; there is evidence of wine production in the area as far back as 3,000 BC.

It’s growing: Moldova currently has over 275,000 acres of vines. Of the vinifera grapes planted, about 70% of them are international varieties of the Cabernet-Merlot-Chardonnay type. About 20% are grapes sometimes called “Caucasian grapes” and are widely grown throughout eastern Europe – Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, for example.

"Caves Milestii Mici Moldavie" by Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons.

“Caves Milestii Mici Moldavie” by Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons.

It’s indigenous: About 10% of Moldova’s vineyards are planted to the indigenous varieties of the region. Some of these include Feteasca Alba (white), Feteasca Regala (white), Feteasca Neagra (red), Rara Neagra (red), and Viorica (white). These are surely some of the most historic and unique wines of the region.

It’s deep: Moldova is well-known for its historic and extensive wine tunnels. The cellars of Mileștii Mici Winery stretch on for over 135 miles, at an average depth of 250 feet. The cellar, built in the style of a feudal fortress, is understandably one of Moldova’s most popular tourist attractions. With over 1.5 million bottles of wine from all over the world – some dating back to the 1960’s – Mileștii Mici Winery’s “Golden Collection” holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest wine cellar and wine collection.

It sparkles: During the time of the Soviet Union, Moldova was a large producer of the sparkling wine known at the time as Sovetskoye Shampanskoye (“Soviet Champagne”). The Cricova Winery, the largest producer of Moldovan sparklers, makes its wines using the “Traditional Method” and ages its wine in its underground cellars. The underground cellars of the Cricova Winery –  stretching on for 45 miles and housing a large wine collection known as the “National Vinotheque” – are almost as impressive as the cellar at Mileștii Mici.

Map via the Wine of Moldova site: http://wineofmoldova.com/en/

Map via the Wine of Moldova site: http://wineofmoldova.com/en/

It has 4 designated regions, including 3 PGIs:

  • The historic region of Balti is the smallest, northernmost and coolest region. The Balti region produces mainly white wines as well as a high-quality brandy known as Divin.
  • The Codru PGI is the largest area, producing over 60% of the country’s wine.  This cool-to-warm-climate region, surrounded by forests, is known for white wines.
  • The Valul lui Traian PGI, located in the southeast of the country, is the leading producer of red wine.
  • The Ștefan-Vodă PGI, located in the basin of the Nistru River, includes the famous Purcari region. It produces both red and white wines. Purcari wines have been renowned throughout Europe since 1878, when Negru de Purcari (a red wine made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagră and Saperavi grapes) was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition.

For more information, visit the Wine of Moldova website!

 

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Travels in Wine World: The Pinhão Train Station

December 15, 2012 3 Comments

136If you find yourself in the city of Porto—once you have taken your fill of the gorgeous waterfront, the amazing tours of the Port Wine Lodges, and the walking back-and-forth across the bridges—you should get yourself a train ticket.

Arrange to leave early in the morning, when the São Bento Railway Station is a world unto itself, and be sure and hit the snack bar for some coffee (café com leite) for the road.  Pick up a few custard tarts—Pasteis de Nata—as well, because one should never pass up the opportunity for Pasteis de Nata, and you can only get the real deal in Portugal.

Make sure your ticket is for Pinhão, and grab yourself a window seat.  137Prepare yourself for a journey of about three hours. Don’t be concerned that there might be some error in the schedule. This is not the high-speed train that whisked you 200 miles from Lisbon to Porto in 140 minutes, but one that will wind you along the banks of the Douro River, pull you through dark tunnels, and rattle you along cliff-hanging tracks.  It will indeed take three full hours to cover 70 miles.

Your train journey will land you at the Pinhão train station.  You’ll be smack in the middle of the Cima Corgo, the geographic center of the Douro DOC and the core of the Port Wine production region.  You’ll be able to check into a rustic little hotel or take a suite at The Vintage House (a somewhat incongruous yet delightfully glistening resort just a short walk away).  You’ll be able to wander the steep riverside streets in search of lunch or take a death-defying taxi ride straight up the side of the mountain to Fonseca’s Quinta do Panascal Vineyards.

140But before you can check into the hotel, wander the streets, or tour the vineyard, you will have to tear yourself away from the train station itself.  It’s just a tiny station and only one room.  It is so rustic that you have to hustle down and across the tracks themselves to catch your train—there’s no fancy pedestrian overpass or glass elevator here.  But you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away once you notice the blue tile mosaics—a local specialty known as azulejo—that line the walls of the station.

Azulejo is a form of Portuguese ceramic tile that is painted and tin-glazed. As a central aspect of Portuguese culture, Azulejo has been produced without interruption for five centuries. There is even a national Azulejo gallery in Lisbon—although you can see Azulejos everywhere in Portugal.  Azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary homes, department stores, and—as you can tell from my story—railway stations.

These beautiful Azulejos have been a part of the Pinhão train station since 1937.  They chronicle the history of the town and the vineyards, the wineries, and life along the Douro River.

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of San Marocs, Texas

Pictures of Pinhão from the Portugal leg of our Iberian Peninsula honeymoon, 2010.  That’s Shields T. up there, guarding the luggage while his wife takes pictures of the walls.

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