The other day we were approached by Systembolaget (the Swedish Monopoly) as they launched a tender for the purchase of albariño. The tender document is always quite comprehensive and gives details not only of how much they are willing to spend, but sometimes also, the style of wine that they are looking for. (From my own point of view the product style would simply read “typical”, in other words a true representation of what it is supposed to be).

The other part of the tender document includes all the technical stuff, such as the case size etc., and I have noticed that on the last couple of tenders they have started to specify that the closure should be screw cap. Now, to the best of my knowledge there are only a handful of bodegas (out of nearly 200 in our denomination) that are currently able to supply albariño under screwcap, and Bodegas Castro Martin is not one of them. No doubt this will restrict the number of bodegas that are able respond to the tender, and as such appears to be an odd way to filter their choice of suppliers. After all, a producers choice of closure has nothing to do with the quality of wine that they are able to produce!

For our business the single most important reason for not choosing screw cap  is quite simply that we already have a closure that we know works very well with our wine. We have been using Nomacorc, the synthetic closure for almost 10 years now, and to date I cannot recall any serious problem or complaint (touching wood as I say this). Our decision to use Nomacorc was not made by accident, but only after very extensive testing over an initial period of twelve months. However, we did not stop there, and have since taken our testing to the next level, measuring results over a two year period. This is not done simply by tasting sample wines, but also by examining the Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of the bottles. The fact is that Nomacorc behaves very much like a natural cork in that it allows minuscule amounts of oxygen to penetrate the cork over a period of time. The significance is that if a closure is 100% hermetic (as in the case of screw cap), and allows no transfer at all, then this can be detrimental to a finished wine.

The problem with screw cap is usually caused by sulphur. Nearly every wine that we buy these days is treated with suphur dioxide before bottling (which acts as a preservative), and hence the back label proclaiming ‘Contains Sulphites’. In low oxygen conditions, where oxygen cannot enter, the sulphur is trapped and can develop volatile compounds called mercaptans, which impart unwanted flavours and aromas. As screw cap closures eliminate almost all oxygen, then in a way they can be considered as too efficient.

Certainly the modified evolution of wines under screw cap has now caused some new world producers to reconsider their position, and one or two major players in South Africa and Australia are now reverting back to cork. 

Meanwhile, back at the Systembolaget in Sweden, through my contacts I actually managed to relay a message to the buyer asking if screw cap was absolutely necessary – the reply came back that in his opinion all young, aromatic wines should be bottled with this closure. The problem is that I don’t necessarily agree with this view, and not only that, why would I want to move away from something that I already know works perfectly well for our wine?

The other day we were approached by Systembolaget (the Swedish Monopoly) as they launched a tender for the purchase of albariño. The tender document is always quite comprehensive and gives details not only of how much they are willing to spend, but sometimes also, the style of wine that they are looking for. (From my own point of view the product style would simply read “typical”, in other words a true representation of what it is supposed to be).

The other part of the tender document includes all the technical stuff, such as the case size etc., and I have noticed that on the last couple of tenders they have started to specify that the closure should be screw cap. Now, to the best of my knowledge there are only a handful of bodegas (out of nearly 200 in our denomination) that are currently able to supply albariño under screwcap, and Bodegas Castro Martin is not one of them. No doubt this will restrict the number of bodegas that are able respond to the tender, and as such appears to be an odd way to filter their choice of suppliers. After all, a producers choice of closure has nothing to do with the quality of wine that they are able to produce!

For our business the single most important reason for not choosing screw cap  is quite simply that we already have a closure that we know works very well with our wine. We have been using Nomacorc, the synthetic closure for almost 10 years now, and to date I cannot recall any serious problem or complaint (touching wood as I say this). Our decision to use Nomacorc was not made by accident, but only after very extensive testing over an initial period of twelve months. However, we did not stop there, and have since taken our testing to the next level, measuring results over a two year period. This is not done simply by tasting sample wines, but also by examining the Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of the bottles. The fact is that Nomacorc behaves very much like a natural cork in that it allows minuscule amounts of oxygen to penetrate the cork over a period of time. The significance is that if a closure is 100% hermetic (as in the case of screw cap), and allows no transfer at all, then this can be detrimental to a finished wine.

The problem with screw cap is usually caused by sulphur. Nearly every wine that we buy these days is treated with suphur dioxide before bottling (which acts as a preservative), and hence the back label proclaiming ‘Contains Sulphites’. In low oxygen conditions, where oxygen cannot enter, the sulphur is trapped and can develop volatile compounds called mercaptans, which impart unwanted flavours and aromas. As screw cap closures eliminate almost all oxygen, then in a way they can be considered as too efficient.

Certainly the modified evolution of wines under screw cap has now caused some new world producers to reconsider their position, and one or two major players in South Africa and Australia are now reverting back to cork. 

Meanwhile, back at the Systembolaget in Sweden, through my contacts I actually managed to relay a message to the buyer asking if screw cap was absolutely necessary – the reply came back that in his opinion all young, aromatic wines should be bottled with this closure. The problem is that I don’t necessarily agree with this view, and not only that, why would I want to move away from something that I already know works perfectly well for our wine?

Yesterday I decided that I would make a new post about progress in our vineyards, or should I say, the lack of it. My intention was to nip out into the vineyard that surrounds the bodega and snap a few photos of the vines slowly springing to life. Only one problem – it did not stop raining all day, not even for one second, and so my photography mission had to be postponed until today.

From this morning’s photo you will see that there is actually very little growth so far – the buds have only just started to break, as the cycle towards the 2013 harvest begins. In some vintages we might already see a few small leaves by this date, and so I think it would be fair to say that we could be perhaps a week or two behind schedule. Of course this protracted winter weather is not such a bad thing (except in our home where the central heating was out of commission for a while!), indeed it gives the plants longer to recover from their summer exertions, not to mention that it also kills off a few of the unwanted vineyard bugs.

There has certainly been no shortage of water this winter as the rain continues to fall, and we have seen precious little sunshine at all. The temperatures during March have continued to hover in the range between 10°-15°C (50°-60°F), and it is looking like our Easter holidays will be decidedly chilly. 

Yesterday I decided that I would make a new post about progress in our vineyards, or should I say, the lack of it. My intention was to nip out into the vineyard that surrounds the bodega and snap a few photos of the vines slowly springing to life. Only one problem – it did not stop raining all day, not even for one second, and so my photography mission had to be postponed until today.

From this morning’s photo you will see that there is actually very little growth so far – the buds have only just started to break, as the cycle towards the 2013 harvest begins. In some vintages we might already see a few small leaves by this date, and so I think it would be fair to say that we could be perhaps a week or two behind schedule. Of course this protracted winter weather is not such a bad thing (except in our home where the central heating was out of commission for a while!), indeed it gives the plants longer to recover from their summer exertions, not to mention that it also kills off a few of the unwanted vineyard bugs.

There has certainly been no shortage of water this winter as the rain continues to fall, and we have seen precious little sunshine at all. The temperatures during March have continued to hover in the range between 10°-15°C (50°-60°F), and it is looking like our Easter holidays will be decidedly chilly.

Yesterday I decided that I would make a new post about progress in our vineyards, or should I say, the lack of it. My intention was to nip out into the vineyard that surrounds the bodega and snap a few photos of the vines slowly springing to life. Only one problem – it did not stop raining all day, not even for one second, and so my photography mission had to be postponed until today.

From this morning’s photo you will see that there is actually very little growth so far – the buds have only just started to break, as the cycle towards the 2013 harvest begins. In some vintages we might already see a few small leaves by this date, and so I think it would be fair to say that we could be perhaps a week or two behind schedule. Of course this protracted winter weather is not such a bad thing (except in our home where the central heating was out of commission for a while!), indeed it gives the plants longer to recover from their summer exertions, not to mention that it also kills off a few of the unwanted vineyard bugs.

There has certainly been no shortage of water this winter as the rain continues to fall, and we have seen precious little sunshine at all. The temperatures during March have continued to hover in the range between 10°-15°C (50°-60°F), and it is looking like our Easter holidays will be decidedly chilly. 

Yesterday I decided that I would make a new post about progress in our vineyards, or should I say, the lack of it. My intention was to nip out into the vineyard that surrounds the bodega and snap a few photos of the vines slowly springing to life. Only one problem – it did not stop raining all day, not even for one second, and so my photography mission had to be postponed until today.

From this morning’s photo you will see that there is actually very little growth so far – the buds have only just started to break, as the cycle towards the 2013 harvest begins. In some vintages we might already see a few small leaves by this date, and so I think it would be fair to say that we could be perhaps a week or two behind schedule. Of course this protracted winter weather is not such a bad thing (except in our home where the central heating was out of commission for a while!), indeed it gives the plants longer to recover from their summer exertions, not to mention that it also kills off a few of the unwanted vineyard bugs.

There has certainly been no shortage of water this winter as the rain continues to fall, and we have seen precious little sunshine at all. The temperatures during March have continued to hover in the range between 10°-15°C (50°-60°F), and it is looking like our Easter holidays will be decidedly chilly.

Whether you find yourself in a shop, a supermarket, or in a posh restaurant, making your selection of wine is not only a very, very daunting task, but it is also, of course, purely subjective. The wines that I like or recommend could very easily be hated by someone else. I know this from experience, as in my previous life as a wine buyer the question that I was most often asked was “what wine should I drink”? My reply was always the same….. “drink what you enjoy” – in other words no one can tell you what you should or shouldn’t like.

The next problem might be that if you do find yourself in an expensive restaurant then your situation becomes even more complicated. Firstly, you don’t want to make what could be a very costly mistake, and secondly you don’t want to choose something that is repulsive with your food – hence the fact that there should be an experienced sommelier to help you. If they know their job properly then they should be able to guide you safely through the minefield that is their wine list, and make the appropriate recommendations.

So what do you do in a supermarket? Buy the same wine week-in week-out just to be on the safe side? On a supermarket shelf the two bottles adjacent to each other might be from the same country, but they could be wildly different in style. So what’s the answer?

One UK supermarket chain has at least come up with an original idea – to arrange their display by wine style rather than just by simple geographical origin (as most do). Instead the signs in their aisles will direct you to Fresh, Smooth, Sweet or Intense wines. The supermarket in question, William Morrisons, have also taken the idea one step further…. they have devised a test to help guide you to a specific category of wine that you might enjoy. Perhaps a bit too sophisticated an idea for your average supermarket shopper, but an idea that breaks the mould and for that reason alone, has to be applauded. Incidentally, I took the test myself and was just a little perplexed by the result, telling me that my preference was for sweet wine (which is actually not the case), so if you want to play along just click here and take the test yourself. It’s simple, it’s fun and it’s actually quite well made even if you don’t agree with the result.

Whether you find yourself in a shop, a supermarket, or in a posh restaurant, making your selection of wine is not only a very, very daunting task, but it is also, of course, purely subjective. The wines that I like or recommend could very easily be hated by someone else. I know this from experience, as in my previous life as a wine buyer the question that I was most often asked was “what wine should I drink”? My reply was always the same….. “drink what you enjoy” – in other words no one can tell you what you should or shouldn’t like.

The next problem might be that if you do find yourself in an expensive restaurant then your situation becomes even more complicated. Firstly, you don’t want to make what could be a very costly mistake, and secondly you don’t want to choose something that is repulsive with your food – hence the fact that there should be an experienced sommelier to help you. If they know their job properly then they should be able to guide you safely through the minefield that is their wine list, and make the appropriate recommendations.

So what do you do in a supermarket? Buy the same wine week-in week-out just to be on the safe side? On a supermarket shelf the two bottles adjacent to each other might be from the same country, but they could be wildly different in style. So what’s the answer?

One UK supermarket chain has at least come up with an original idea – to arrange their display by wine style rather than just by simple geographical origin (as most do). Instead the signs in their aisles will direct you to Fresh, Smooth, Sweet or Intense wines. The supermarket in question, William Morrisons, have also taken the idea one step further…. they have devised a test to help guide you to a specific category of wine that you might enjoy. Perhaps a bit too sophisticated an idea for your average supermarket shopper, but an idea that breaks the mould and for that reason alone, has to be applauded. Incidentally, I took the test myself and was just a little perplexed by the result, telling me that my preference was for sweet wine (which is actually not the case), so if you want to play along just click here and take the test yourself. It’s simple, it’s fun and it’s actually quite well made even if you don’t agree with the result.

You could be forgiven for thinking that at this time of year a vineyard trim would refer to the pruning of our vines – but not so. Today I am referring to the other trimming that has just taken place. Our family of sheep have just had their hair cut (or should that be fleece?) As you may know we make a big effort to be as Eco-friendly as possible in our vineyards and whilst we do not qualify for the full bio-dynamic certification, we still take as many steps as possible to minimise the level of intervention that is required. For example, we allow the grass to grow between our vines, which, under normal circumstances would require regular cutting by tractor. By putting sheep in our vineyards they can happily graze under the pergolas, not only keeping the grass down, but also providing a bit of natural fertiliser at the same time. Indeed the use of pergolas in our region probably evolved in order to accommodate this practice, as the poor local farmers (who lived from hand to mouth), could maximise the use of their small plots of land – growing crops and grazing cattle at the same time. Or at least that is one of the theories…. Naturally, when we plant new vines, we have to take steps to protect the young plants, as our sheep will quite naturally eat anything that’s green.

So, in today’s picture, you can see Galicia’s version of sheep shearing – not the tanned, muscle-bound, sweat-dripping, bare-chested young men wrestling on the ground as they do in the Hollywood films, but instead two men in blue overalls, wellies and rubber gloves, pinning the sheep to a table, with not a single chest hair in sight. Perhaps not quite as romantic, but effective nonetheless!

You could be forgiven for thinking that at this time of year a vineyard trim would refer to the pruning of our vines – but not so. Today I am referring to the other trimming that has just taken place. Our family of sheep have just had their hair cut (or should that be fleece?) As you may know we make a big effort to be as Eco-friendly as possible in our vineyards and whilst we do not qualify for the full bio-dynamic certification, we still take as many steps as possible to minimise the level of intervention that is required. For example, we allow the grass to grow between our vines, which, under normal circumstances would require regular cutting by tractor. By putting sheep in our vineyards they can happily graze under the pergolas, not only keeping the grass down, but also providing a bit of natural fertiliser at the same time. Indeed the use of pergolas in our region probably evolved in order to accommodate this practice, as the poor local farmers (who lived from hand to mouth), could maximise the use of their small plots of land – growing crops and grazing cattle at the same time. Or at least that is one of the theories…. Naturally, when we plant new vines, we have to take steps to protect the young plants, as our sheep will quite naturally eat anything that’s green.

So, in today’s picture, you can see Galicia’s version of sheep shearing – not the tanned, muscle-bound, sweat-dripping, bare-chested young men wrestling on the ground as they do in the Hollywood films, but instead two men in blue overalls, wellies and rubber gloves, pinning the sheep to a table, with not a single chest hair in sight. Perhaps not quite as romantic, but effective nonetheless!

 The other day I noticed a local chef endorsing a set of wine glasses in one of our local newspapers, and at first I wondered why, or perhaps more specifically, why a chef? Certainly in the UK or the USA wine glasses would probably be promoted by a wine expert or wine journalist, a group of people who have now become well-known personalities in their own right. So why would the Galician press want to use a local chef (despite his Michelin star)?….. and then it dawned on me!

In the UK there are many wine journalists that regularly appear on television, whereas here in Spain, to the best of my knowledge, they simply don’t. The same applies to TV chefs. Cookery programmes in the UK are now so popular that some top chefs are never off our screens, and the States also has quite a number of famous TV personalities from within the food industry. By contrast there is simply no such thing as a celebrity wine critic here in Spain – yes, there are a number of well-known writers (such as José Peñin for example), but we simply don’t see them appearing on our TV screens, and therefore they are not familiar faces to the public at large.

One final thought. In the food industry it is often the chefs themselves, in other words the people who actually cook the food, who achieve fame and notoriety on TV, whereas in the wine industry it is rarely the winemakers, but more often the journalists and writers who become the familiar faces. Strange but true.

The other day I noticed a local chef endorsing a set of wine glasses in one of our local newspapers, and at first I wondered why, or perhaps more specifically, why a chef? Certainly in the UK or the USA wine glasses would probably be promoted by a wine expert or wine journalist, a group of people who have now become well-known personalities in their own right. So why would the Galician press want to use a local chef (despite his Michelin star)?….. and then it dawned on me!

In the UK there are many wine journalists that regularly appear on television, whereas here in Spain, to the best of my knowledge, they simply don’t. The same applies to TV chefs. Cookery programmes in the UK are now so popular that some top chefs are never off our screens, and the States also has quite a number of famous TV personalities from within the food industry. By contrast there is simply no such thing as a celebrity wine critic here in Spain – yes, there are a number of well-known writers (such as José Peñin for example), but we simply don’t see them appearing on our TV screens, and therefore they are not familiar faces to the public at large.

One final thought. In the food industry it is often the chefs themselves, in other words the people who actually cook the food, who achieve fame and notoriety on TV, whereas in the wine industry it is rarely the winemakers, but more often the journalists and writers who become the familiar faces. Strange but true.

As I left home this morning the outside temperature was only 4°C (just under 40°F), and on the horizon I could not believe what I saw……. snow covered hillsides – in the middle of March! Unfortunately I was on a motorway at the time, otherwise I would have stopped to take a photo, so therefore you will just have to take my word for it. I could of course have made something up using Photoshop – perhaps a beautiful shot of Angela making a snowman in front of the bodega, but that would be missing the point. The real story is that it’s been a long, cold and wet winter, so far (and maybe it’s not over yet).

The good news is that out in the vineyard the pruning is finished and we are currently working on attaching the vines to the wires. Fortunately we now have small hand-held machines for doing this, so the whole process is speeded up considerably. Previously every single attachment had to be tied in a knot by hand! As soon as we have a period of dry weather we can start to burn the mountains of cuttings that have accumulated in the corner of each vineyard. Of course by burning the cuttings we reduce the possible spread of any fungus spores.

Significantly there is no new growth on the vines as yet. In some vintages we have had buds, shoots and even leaves on the plants by this time, but as I write this entry everything still lies dormant, which is actually no bad thing.

As I left home this morning the outside temperature was only 4°C (just under 40°F), and on the horizon I could not believe what I saw……. snow covered hillsides – in the middle of March! Unfortunately I was on a motorway at the time, otherwise I would have stopped to take a photo, so therefore you will just have to take my word for it. I could of course have made something up using Photoshop – perhaps a beautiful shot of Angela making a snowman in front of the bodega, but that would be missing the point. The real story is that it’s been a long, cold and wet winter, so far (and maybe it’s not over yet).

The good news is that out in the vineyard the pruning is finished and we are currently working on attaching the vines to the wires. Fortunately we now have small hand-held machines for doing this, so the whole process is speeded up considerably. Previously every single attachment had to be tied in a knot by hand! As soon as we have a period of dry weather we can start to burn the mountains of cuttings that have accumulated in the corner of each vineyard. Of course by burning the cuttings we reduce the possible spread of any fungus spores.

Significantly there is no new growth on the vines as yet. In some vintages we have had buds, shoots and even leaves on the plants by this time, but as I write this entry everything still lies dormant, which is actually no bad thing.

A day or two ago when I was writing about our Wine Advocate rating I decided to have a quick look back at our tasting result from the UK’s Decanter magazine. To my horror I discovered that, despite a fantastic review, being rated near the very top of the tasting in the ‘outstanding’ category, I had never mentioned the result on our blog site! Whilst I had written individually to our existing customers announcing our success, I had completely overlooked our social media outlets. So here is a new post relating to the article from the August 2012 issue of Decanter – nothing like being up to date……

The tasting panel comprised three Spanish wine experts – Ferran Centelles, former sommelier at the world famous el Bulli, and Spanish sommelier of the year in 2006. The late John Radford (who sadly died a few months after the tasting), award winning writer and broadcaster, having written several books about  Spanish wines, and Caballero de Vino Español. Sarah Jane Evans MW, wine writer and also a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros. Owing to the highly qualified nature of this panel we were especially proud of the results:

A2O ‘Sobre Lias’ 2010 – Highly recommended (90-94 pts)

Smoky, earthy, leafy with bonfire aromas. Richer, ripe style with an off-dry impression; yellow peaches, golden plums and exotic fruit, with lime acidity underpinning. Finish is long and ripe, with plenty of finesse and expression.

Bodega Castro Martin Family Estate Selection ‘Sobre Lias’ 2010 – (Outstanding 95-100 pts)

Restrained example of Albariño, with green, refreshing acidity and a long, stony finish. Well made and full of green peaches, green apple and white flowers. Very food friendly and a wine that can be aged for up to three years.

A day or two ago when I was writing about our Wine Advocate rating I decided to have a quick look back at our tasting result from the UK’s Decanter magazine. To my horror I discovered that, despite a fantastic review, being rated near the very top of the tasting in the ‘outstanding’ category, I had never mentioned the result on our blog site! Whilst I had written individually to our existing customers announcing our success, I had completely overlooked our social media outlets. So here is a new post relating to the article from the August 2012 issue of Decanter – nothing like being up to date……

The tasting panel comprised three Spanish wine experts – Ferran Centelles, former sommelier at the world famous el Bulli, and Spanish sommelier of the year in 2006. The late John Radford (who sadly died a few months after the tasting), award winning writer and broadcaster, having written several books about  Spanish wines, and Caballero de Vino Español. Sarah Jane Evans MW, wine writer and also a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros. Owing to the highly qualified nature of this panel we were especially proud of the results:

A2O ‘Sobre Lias’ 2010 – Highly recommended (90-94 pts)

Smoky, earthy, leafy with bonfire aromas. Richer, ripe style with an off-dry impression; yellow peaches, golden plums and exotic fruit, with lime acidity underpinning. Finish is long and ripe, with plenty of finesse and expression.

Bodega Castro Martin Family Estate Selection ‘Sobre Lias’ 2010 – (Outstanding 95-100 pts)

Restrained example of Albariño, with green, refreshing acidity and a long, stony finish. Well made and full of green peaches, green apple and white flowers. Very food friendly and a wine that can be aged for up to three years.

Well, what’s in a score? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – the score used for rating a wine is just a number. The main thing is that people buy our wine, but even more importantly, that they actually enjoy drinking it. The Wine Advocate has just published its article written by the Englishman, Neal Martin, following a visit to Pontevedra and his extensive tasting at our D.O. office. Suffice to say that all of his top scores were awarded to special cuvées, that’s to say the premium wines made by a few of the top bodegas (usually sold at a premium price). Out of the remainder of the ‘everyday drinking’ albariños (in other words the wines that represent the main production of each bodega), we actually did rather well. The two wines that we submitted were rated within the top handful of wines, and the tasting notes, I think,  speak for themselves.

A2O ‘Sobre Lias’ 2011

The 2011 A20 Sobre Lias has more complexity on the nose with subtle white peach and fruit salad aromas. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry with Granny Smith apples, pear and grapefruit. It is focused, poised with decent weight towards the finish. This is very fine. Drink now-2018.

Bodega Castro Martin Family Estate Selection ‘Sobre Lias’ 2011

The 2011 Albarino Sobre Lias undergoes a six-month lees aging and that lends the nose a pleasant lift of apple blossom and greengage scents. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a twist of bitter lemon on the entry. It is well-balanced and fresh, hints of apricot in the background underpinning a focused, vibrant tangerine-tinged finish. Drink now-2017.

Well, what’s in a score? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – the score used for rating a wine is just a number. The main thing is that people buy our wine, but even more importantly, that they actually enjoy drinking it. The Wine Advocate has just published its article written by the Englishman, Neal Martin, following a visit to Pontevedra and his extensive tasting at our D.O. office. Suffice to say that all of his top scores were awarded to special cuvées, that’s to say the premium wines made by a few of the top bodegas (usually sold at a premium price). Out of the remainder of the ‘everyday drinking’ albariños (in other words the wines that represent the main production of each bodega), we actually did rather well. The two wines that we submitted were rated within the top handful of wines, and the tasting notes, I think,  speak for themselves.

A2O ‘Sobre Lias’ 2011

The 2011 A20 Sobre Lias has more complexity on the nose with subtle white peach and fruit salad aromas. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry with Granny Smith apples, pear and grapefruit. It is focused, poised with decent weight towards the finish. This is very fine. Drink now-2018.

Bodega Castro Martin Family Estate Selection ‘Sobre Lias’ 2011

The 2011 Albarino Sobre Lias undergoes a six-month lees aging and that lends the nose a pleasant lift of apple blossom and greengage scents. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a twist of bitter lemon on the entry. It is well-balanced and fresh, hints of apricot in the background underpinning a focused, vibrant tangerine-tinged finish. Drink now-2017.

At your next dinner party there is a question about wine that you can ask your guests, which I can almost guarantee everyone will get wrong. Which country was the world’s leading wine exporter in the 1950’s? France? Italy? Spain or perhaps even Germany? All wrong…… it was Algeria! Now, where it all went, and how it was consumed is another story.

The story of the Algerian wine industry is quite interesting, and also more significantly, precipitated the creation of the French laws of appellation. After the disaster of phylloxera in the 1860’s the French were initially left scrambling about in Spain and Italy in an attempt to satisfy the demand for wine in their domestic market. In the late 19th century the French turned to their relatively new Colony of Algeria to try to fill the gap. With the aid of French wine growers who had settled there, they produced enormous volumes of cheap, high alcohol wine which arrived in France tax-free (as the country was treated as a part of France). At this time the total volume of wine exports accounted for around one third of Algeria’s gross domestic product and half of its total export revenues!

Originally this was advertised as French wine, which, as the French vineyards themselves started to recover from disease, was not well received by the growers still residing in France. In response to protests (made most vigorously by the producers of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy), the French government created some rather flimsy laws in an attempt to protect their home-grown wines. These were eventually formalised into the French rules of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, thus authenticating the origin of wines. Although these new rules protected the French quality wines, the table wine producers of the Languedoc still faced still competition from Algeria, and so instead of taxing the wines themselves, which would have been somewhat unpalatable (pardon the pun), the French government decided to tax the over productive vineyards. This in itself however, did not cause the demise of the industry, as recently as 1961 Algeria was still the world’s 4th largest wine producer – it was really when the French withdrew altogether from the country, and the industry was Nationalised and consequently badly mismanaged, that the wheels well and truly fell off and production volumes tumbled back to the original 19th century levels.

Historically therefore, Algeria has inadvertently played an important part in the history of world wine production, not only for its sheer size, but also for being instrumental in the creation of the original AOC laws. 

And who or what  is Sidi Brahim? Well, it’s actually a famous Algerian wine brand named after the Battle of Sidi-Brahim, which to this day is still sold quite widely in France. Indeed, as recently as the 1960’s people in France used to joke about one or two of the more feeble Burgundy or Bordeaux wines being ‘boosted’ by adding a bit of the heavier, more alcoholic Sidi Brahim!!

At your next dinner party there is a question about wine that you can ask your guests, which I can almost guarantee everyone will get wrong. Which country was the world’s leading wine exporter in the 1950’s? France? Italy? Spain or perhaps even Germany? All wrong…… it was Algeria! Now, where it all went, and how it was consumed is another story.

The story of the Algerian wine industry is quite interesting, and also more significantly, precipitated the creation of the French laws of appellation. After the disaster of phylloxera in the 1860’s the French were initially left scrambling about in Spain and Italy in an attempt to satisfy the demand for wine in their domestic market. In the late 19th century the French turned to their relatively new Colony of Algeria to try to fill the gap. With the aid of French wine growers who had settled there, they produced enormous volumes of cheap, high alcohol wine which arrived in France tax-free (as the country was treated as a part of France). At this time the total volume of wine exports accounted for around one third of Algeria’s gross domestic product and half of its total export revenues!

Originally this was advertised as French wine, which, as the French vineyards themselves started to recover from disease, was not well received by the growers still residing in France. In response to protests (made most vigorously by the producers of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy), the French government created some rather flimsy laws in an attempt to protect their home-grown wines. These were eventually formalised into the French rules of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, thus authenticating the origin of wines. Although these new rules protected the French quality wines, the table wine producers of the Languedoc still faced still competition from Algeria, and so instead of taxing the wines themselves, which would have been somewhat unpalatable (pardon the pun), the French government decided to tax the over productive vineyards. This in itself however, did not cause the demise of the industry, as recently as 1961 Algeria was still the world’s 4th largest wine producer – it was really when the French withdrew altogether from the country, and the industry was Nationalised and consequently badly mismanaged, that the wheels well and truly fell off and production volumes tumbled back to the original 19th century levels.

Historically therefore, Algeria has inadvertently played an important part in the history of world wine production, not only for its sheer size, but also for being instrumental in the creation of the original AOC laws. 

And who or what  is Sidi Brahim? Well, it’s actually a famous Algerian wine brand named after the Battle of Sidi-Brahim, which to this day is still sold quite widely in France. Indeed, as recently as the 1960’s people in France used to joke about one or two of the more feeble Burgundy or Bordeaux wines being ‘boosted’ by adding a bit of the heavier, more alcoholic Sidi Brahim!!