We finished the year, nose in glass, during the Vinification Experience Days at Château Beau Rivage in the Bordeaux region.  It's the most technical of the Gourmet Odyssey Experience Days, with the objective of understanding more about the ageing and blending of wine.

To awaken our senses of taste and smell, we started the morning outside in the vineyard for a breath of fresh winter air!  Christine showed us how they will prune the vines over the coming months, and we set to work pulling the cut branches from the training wires.  The creepers from the branches had wrapped themselves tightly around the wires and posts, so it was a job that helped warm us up!

We went to the far end of the vineyard where the plot of Gourmet Odyssey adopted vines is located, so that we could each see our mini plot!

It was then time to head back inside to the warmth to start putting our senses to work!  We passed around some small bottles, the first set containing the aromas to be found in red wine, the second those which characterize wine that has been aged in oak barrels.  We had to guess the smell of each, which is an exercise more difficult than you would imagine, particularly as often you know you know the smell, but you just can't put a name to it!

We then started the tastings to unravel the principal tastes and aromas that each grape varietal and ageing in different types of oak brings to the wine.

For the first tasting, we took the same merlot wine, but which had been aged in three different ways.  We had to guess which had been aged in old French oak, which in new French oak and which had been aged in new American oak. It's always incredible to smell and taste the huge differences that different wood makes to the wine.
During lunch, we continued the wine tasting of the winery's finished wines so that we could learn how different blends and quantities of grape varieties change a wine's structure.

At Château Beau Rivage, each grape varietal is aged separately, and the blending takes place at the end of the ageing process.  We therefore were able to taste each grape varietal of the 2011 harvest one by one to learn the characteristics of each.  We learnt, for example, that merlot is a more fruity variety, the cabernet sauvignon has a longer finish, and the petit verdot is sharper.

In Bordeaux, it's the blending of the different grape varieties that is the art form.  In small teams, we saw for ourselves by concocting our own blends using the measuring cylinders. We also learnt that even if there is a grape variety that we don't much care for on its own, once blended with others can really bring out the best in the overall blend. 

At the end of the day, each team presented its preferred blend to the rest of the group before tasting two blends that Christine had prepared.  The day had taught us that there is much skill needed for the ageing and blending of wine, and so fortunately our wine is in the safe hands of Christine!

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Guillaume from Château Beau Rivage just sent us this photo from Narbonne where he's setting up the stand (N° 28) for the "Terre de Vins et Arts de Vivre" show at the Parc Expo. 

 

The wine fair is open from the 9th to 11th December and if you're in the neighbourhood, why not drop by to taste some of their delicious wines!  Download inivtation.

Have a great wine fair Guillaume and thanks for the photo!

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Last weekend we completed our tour for 2011 of the Harvest Experience Days for each of our partner vineyards at Château Beau Rivage in Macau-en-Médoc.  A turquoise blue sky and warm welcome were waiting for us.

The Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience clients gathered around a cup of coffee at the start of the morning.  For some, it was the second time they had visited the estate, having already participated in the Wine Discovery Experience Day, for others it was their very first time.  We therefore started the proceedings with an introduction by Christine Nadalié, the owner and winemaker at Château Beau Rivage.

Then out into the vineyard we headed! We walked to the vineyard plot where the rows of adopt-a-vines are located.  A small sign, personalised with the name of each client, indicated the position of their vines.  There was time to take a few pictures next to the vines which had produced the precious grapes for the 2011 vintage, before getting down to some real work!

Having received our instructions from Christine, we spread out amongst the vine rows, secateurs in hand to start the harvest.  It was the last few days of this year's harvest at the domaine, and some of the grapes were showing signs of botrytis which had settled during the wet days at the start of September, so we had to do some sorting in-situ.  The healthy grapes were very ripe and oh so sweet - a real treat for our taste buds!

We tried two different harvesting methods on the Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday we used a team of porters with baskets strapped to their backs.  Each time the harvesters had filled their buckets, they cried out "Porter" and emptied the grapes into the porter's basket.

The porters then carried the grapes to the trailer, and emptied them over their heads.  With the weight of the fully laden basket and whilst balancing on a ladder, they had to keep their equilibrium!

On Sunday we harvested using plastic crates instead of buckets, which is gentler on the grapes.  Instead of carrying baskets on their backs, the porters wore a frame that the crates could be loaded onto to take to the van and trailer waiting nearby.  Christine wanted to test this method because the grapes are less crushed by the weight of the other bunches.

Following the grapes on their journey, we arrived at the sorting table.  Once the stems had been separated from the grapes, the berries move along the conveyor belt, giving us a final opportunity to remove any unripe or bad grapes before they enter the fermentation tank.

All that activity added up to good morning's work, so the chilled rosé was most welcome!

During the harvesters meal, we tasted some of the estate's other wines, starting with the "Raphaël" Bordeaux Supérieur red wine.  We then tasted the "Silvio" and the "Clementine" before the "Château Beau Rivage" 2007, which is the wine chosen for the Gourmet Odyssey clients.  We finished the wine tasting with "Le Phare", a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec which has been aged in 100% new oak barrels for two years, and Christine's "Clos la Bohème" Haut-Médoc red wine.

In the afternoon, we headed to the fermentation hall and the barrel room to complete the journey of our grapes!  Christine explained how the sugar from the fruit will be transformed into alcohol during the fermentation process.

With the help of a mustimètre, Christine measured the density of the juice from the grapes that we had just harvested.  This measure allows us to know the level of sugar in the liquid and gives a good indication of the potential alcoholic volume of the resulting wine - in this case 14.5%.

In the barrel room we saw where the 2011 wines will be aged, and where some of the 2009s and the 2010s are still resting.  With her cooper's expertise, Christine taught us about the role of oak in the making of her wines.

To end the day, one last tasting of the fruit of our labour, the grape juice that we had harvested over the weekend.  The verdict, a very sweet juice!  The mustimètre hadn't been lying!

All that remains is to patiently await the ageing and blending of our wine...

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Yet another medal for Château Beau Rivage... Already awarded several times, the vineyard has recently received yet another distinction.

This time, Château Beau Rivage has been awarded the gold medal at the 15th National Contest for Organic Wines for the 2010 vintage of the wine chosen for the Gourmet Odyssey cuvée.

Another prize that underlines the daily efforts carried out in the vines and cellar at Château Beau Rivage to bring out the best from the terroir.

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We've just got back from a very hot and sunny Gourmet Odyssey Wine Discovery Experience weekend at Château Beau Rivage in Macau-en-Médoc, Bordeaux.

After the initial introductions, we headed straight out into the vineyard, accompanied by Christine Nadalié, the owner and winemaker. 

Christine explained the differences between the 5 grape varieties that are grown in the vineyard; cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petit verdot, and talked us through each of the key stages in cultivating the grapes from pruning through to harvest.

The grapes are already well developed on the vines, and like elsewhere in France, are a couple of weeks ahead of where they would normally be.  This is a direct result of the very warm spring that we have experienced.

As is the custom with a Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience Day, we learn by doing, so there is always some work to do!  Christine had three tasks that she had been saving up for us; épamprage, effeuillage and relevage.

Firstly, épamprage is the removing of the unwanted shoots that sometimes grow from the foot of the vines.  These shoots can grow as tall as the whole plant and don't produce any grapes, so if not managed, they take away nutrients and energy from the fruit bearing branches.  The smaller shoots can easily be pulled off by hand, but some of the thicker and more established shoots need the help of a small knife or pair of secateurs.

The next job that Christine explained was effeuillage, which involves removing some of the leaves that cover the grapes.  There are two primary reasons for this.  One is to increase the amount of sun that the grapes receive to help them mature, and the other is to increase the flow of air around the grapes.  This is particularly important to combat mildew that can damage the grapes following a wet period.  The leaves are removed from the side facing the rising sun only.  This is because the morning sun is weaker, and in the afternoon the sun is stronger, so the shade from the leaves is welcome to protect the grapes.

And finally we learnt about relevage.  As the vines grow taller, so the training wires for each row need to be raised to continue supporting the vines.  The wires on each side of the row are raised to the next peg up on the posts, and the wires then clipped together using a small clip.  All of the branches are placed between the wires to tidy the row up, and make sure that the vines aren't damaged when the tractor passes.

We each dispersed among the rows to put into action what Christine had taught us.  Cultivating vines if often a more manual process than you might think!

A small name board was to be found in front of the adopted vines for each client, so having perfected the tasks of the day, we each had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the vines, take some pictures and ensure that everything was in order concerning the effeuillage, épamprage and relevage!

By now it was getting seriously hot in the vineyard, so back to the château it was to find some shade and start the wine tasting session! Fittingly, the first wine to be tasted was the rosé 2010, which had been chilling in the fridge!

During the meal of locally prepared charcuterie, we tasted a large range of wine from Château Beau Rivage including the 2007 and 2006 vintages of the wine selected for the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience,  Raphaël 2007, Clementine 2004, le Phare 2001 and Christine's Haut-Médoc wine, Clos la Bohème 2007 and 2006.

The cool of the chai was welcome after lunch.  Christine showed us the fermentation tanks used to ferment the wine, and explained how the sugar in the grapes is transformed into alcohol.

We finished the day in the cellar, where we saw the impressive collection of oak barrels that are used to mature the wines.  This part of the day, gave us an insight into one of Christine's other passions, the art of barrel making, which she has grown up with, coming from a family of coopers.

Many thanks to Christine, Guillaume and Aurélie for letting us get behind the scenes to discover a small part of the fascinating world of wine making.

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The Vinexpo Wine Fair is undeniably the largest international wine fair for professionals and a must-attend event for all growers.

 

For the 2011 edition from June 19th to 23rd , the show brings to Bordeaux over 2000 exhibitors from more than 40 countries around the world!

Three Gourmet Odyssey partners including Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard are present to promote their wines and their rich terroir, and by a happy coincidence, in the organic wine hall, Domaine Chapelle and Chateau Beau Rivage are located on adjacent stands!

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Last weekend, we travelled to Château Beau Rivage, near Bordeaux, to spend it with some of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience clients.

We had planned the date to coincide with the "Open Doors Weekend in Médoc", so as to include a visit to the cooperage, Tonnellerie Nadalié, which was unusually open to the public.  Amongst the vines and the barrels, we spent a great moment, rich in encounters and sharing of knowledge.

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A special guest was there to welcome us on the Saturday morning.  Perched in a tree next to the Château, we were surprised to hear the "craw craws" of a large green parrot!

After the introductions, we headed off to the Tonnellerie Nadalié, the cooperage run by the family of Château Beau Rivage's owner, Christine Nadalié. Having passed the wood park, where the planks of oak are stocked in open air for 2 years to remove the bitterness from the wood, we entered the factory at the start of the production line.  The factory was operating on the Saturday, something that only happens once every two years, the noise from all the activity as strong as the smell from the worked wood!  Someone remarked that it smelt of wine, but it was actually the association of the smell of oak with the aroma of wine aged in oak barrels!

We followed the cutting of the first planks, the assembling of the barrels in a rose shaped cone, and the placing of the first hoops that help give the final shape to the barrels.

The next stage showed us how the inside of the barrels are toasted with a naked flame to bring different tastes and aromas to the wine that will be aged inside.  A truly impressive sight!

We continued our passage to see the placing of the heads at each end of the barrel, the sanding stations, the placing of the final hoops, and the laser marking of the barrels before ending the visit in the huge stock depot, where we could see the barrels ready to be shipped to the four corners of the world.  It was absolutely fascinating to better understand the craft of a cooper, crucial in the ageing of many types of wine, and to witness the harmony between the efficiency of the machines and the expertise and know-how of the coppers themselves.

To gather our strength for the afternoon work in the vineyard, we returned to Château Beau Rivage, and began the tasting of the estate's wines, which we continued over the winemaker's rustic meal.  With the sunny conditions on Saturday we ate outside, but with the cooler temperatures on Sunday, we snuggled up in the warmth of the Château's large kitchen.  The wines were greatly appreciated, and included the Clairet 2009, the Château Beau Rivage 2007 and 2006, the Clos La Bohème 2006 and 2005, le Phare 2002 and a selection of the "nephew and niece" cuvees!

After the local charcuterie and cheese meal, hoe over the shoulder, we headed off into the vineyard.  Each client dispersed between the rows to find and introduce themselves to their adopted vines.

The aim of the Wine Discovery Experience Day is to learn more about the winemaker's profession by participating in the tasks according to the time of year.  This time we learnt more about "acanage" and "décavaillonnage".

Acanage is the fixing of the vines to the posts and wires using a piece of elasticated string.  We had to tie a slip knot and cut the string with a hooked ring, worn around two fingers.

Décavaillonnage is a more physical task involving removing the soil from between the vines that was mounded to protect the vines from the frost during the winter months.

The day ended in the winery with an introduction to the stages of vinification, and a visit of the cellar to see the 2010 wines ageing in the Nadalié barrels.
So we started and finished with the barrels, rounding off two very instructive, and above all fun, Wine Discovery Experience Days!

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Last weekend, we had the pleasure of sharing it with our clients for the Vinification Experience Day at Château Beau Rivage, our Bordelaise partner based in Macau-en-Médoc. This third experience day closes the series for the 2010 Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience at the Château (see previous posts for the Harvest Experience Day and the Wine Discovery Experience Day).

The aim this time was to learn more about the technical side of making wine, particularly the ageing and blending of the wine.

As with each wine experience day, it started directly in the vineyard, giving everyone the chance to see what shape their adopted vines are in.  At this stage of the year, the pruning has already begun to prepare the vines for the 2011 harvest.

Christine Nadalié, the owner and winemaker, and Christophe Issartier who assists her, explained how to prune the vines and the importance of doing so to control the growth of the plant.

The main idea of the wine experience days is to get involved, so we helped Christine and Christophe "tirer les bois" which involved pulling the cut vine branches from the training wires.  We set some aside to be dried, for use during the harvesters? barbecues next year, and left some in the middle of the rows to be crushed, enabling some of the nutrients to be returned to the soil.

The temperature being just above freezing in the vineyard, we were very happy to return to the relative warmth of the château to begin the main part of the day.

In preparation of the wine tasting sessions to follow, we started with a little exercise.  With the help of small jars containing the aromas found in red wine and wood, we tried to identify the different smells, something which is more difficult than it seems!  Often we know that we recognise the aroma, but find it more difficult to put a name to it (one in particular caused a big debate - smelly feet, leather, or burnt toast??)!

At Château Beau Rivage, each grape variety is aged separately in French or American oak barrels.  Our first tasting session enabled us to discover the difference that each type of oak plays in influencing the taste of the wine.  Two merlots from exactly the same plot, but aged in different types of oak barrels have completely different structures!

Next up, we blind tasted 4 of the grape varieties grown at Château Beau Rivage - merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot from the 2010 harvest, and tried to identify the characteristics of each one.  We learnt for example that the cabernet sauvignon gives length to the wine, and that the merlot brings a fruity first impact, but little length.

These tastings brought on the appetite, so we shared a good meal accompanied by a selection of the estate's wines in front of the vines that were burning in the large fireplace.

After a visit of the fermentation hall and the cellar to see where the vinification and ageing takes place, Christine unveiled her recipe for blending the Château Beau Rivage wine by mixing in front of us the different grape varietals in the measuring tubes.

The professional's demonstration over, it was now our turn to split into small groups and blend our own wine, according to our tastes and the outcome that we desired to achieve.  As is often the case with the magic of winemaking, there were a few surprises, as the taste changes depending on the grape varieties and percentages that are blended.

We finished by tasting each of the blends we had created, each with there own characteristics - some ready for drinking quickly, others better suited for laying down.  One constant of the day was that it enabled us all to share a great moment, and to learn a little bit more about the art and science of winemaking.

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After a brief introduction to the winery, Christine (the owner and winemaker) and her team, we headed off to the vineyard, each carrying a basket and pair of secateurs.  Christophe explained the differences between the five grape varieties grown in the vineyard, the work involved in bringing the grapes to maturity, and what to look out for to know when the grapes have reached the ideal moment for harvesting.

Before starting to harvest, we made our way to the part of the vineyard where the Gourmet Odyssey vines are located, so that each client could find their adopted vines.  To help identify the vines, Château Beau Rivage had engraved wooden signs, specially for the clients of the Harvest Experience Day, at the barrel-making firm that belongs to Christine's family.

Christine threw out a challenge to us to fill a trailer! In pairs, each on opposite sides of a row, we began to harvest the Merlot plot that was at the peak of its maturity.  A few songs and the regular cry of "Porter" added to the snip snip of the secateurs and the rustle of leaves.  Once the baskets were filled, the harvester called for the porter, and empties the picked grapes into the basket that the porter carries on his back.  Having collected the bunches from the different teams of harvesters, the porter then empties his basket into the trailer, which starts to fill little by little.

The work of the harvester and porter is very physical, especially if done day after day for a couple of weeks.  Luckily, our mission was finished in a little over two hours, and a wine tasting session and harvester's meal awaited us back at the château!

The first wine we tasted was the Château Beau Rivage Clairet 2009, a fresh Bordeaux style rosé, served with local charcuterie.  Accompanying the duck and gizzards salad, we tasted the Château Beau Rivage 2005 and 2003 vintages, and the Clementine 2004.  During this time, Christophe started the barbecue by lighting the dried vine branches that would cook our delicious steak bordelaise, served with a gratin dauphinois and a carafed Clos la Bohème 2007, and the Phare 2002. Once the cheese and home-made chocolate cake were also finished, it was time to get back to work!

The tractor reversed the trailer full of harvested grapes to the reception area.  The grapes climb up a mechanized ladder from the trailer to the de-stemming machine, where the grape berries are separated from the stalks.  We all gathered round the sorting table to remove any bad grapes or stems that managed to get through the machine.  There were very few rotten grapes this year, which helped us with the sorting!

Once the sorting was finished, we entered the winery to learn more about the first stages of fermentation which turns the grape sugar into alcohol.  We watched a "remontage" happen, where the must (grape juice) is drawn from the bottom of the vats and pumped back into the top to mix with the grape skins that remain at the top.  This process is very important to ensure that the tannins and colour from the grape skins are best extracted to help improve the quality of the wine.  We tasted the sweet tasting must directly from the vat, to better understand firsthand about fermentation.

After a quick tour of the cellar to see the barrels that are currently holding the 2009 vintage, and some cleaning of the tools used during the day, the time had come to say our farewells.  A huge thank you to all the clients, and to the staff at Château Beau Rivage for having brought such energy and good cheer to this harvest experience day.

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Congratulations to our partner, Château Beau Rivage, who picked up a gold and silver medal at the Concours de Bordeaux 2010 in the Bordeaux Supérieur category.

 

A gold medal for the Raphaël 2007, and a silver medal for the Château Beau Rivage 2006, the wine chosen for the clients of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience. 

The medals were awarded at the Salon de l'Agriculture d'Aquitaine, and follow on from the other medals that the winery has won this year at the Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris and the Concours des Vignerons Indépendants.

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Last Saturday, we spent a sunny day on the banks of the Garonne river with clients of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience at Château Beau Rivage.

After a brief introduction to the region and the winery, we headed straight out into the vineyard with Christophe Issartier from Château Beau Rivage.

Christophe showed us the differences between the five grape varieties grown on the estate, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot, and explained the work that has been done thus far in cultivating the vines.

A Vine Surprise

There was a surprise awaiting the clients when they met their adopted vines. 

Christine and Christophe had arranged for the family cooperage to make wooden sign posts with the name of each client of the Wine Discovery Experience Day burnt into the wood.  The clients could take them away with them at the end of the day, and those clients who will be coming back for the harvest experience day chose to leave them to age next to their adopted vines before reclaiming them!

To Work

We then made our way to the petit verdot vines for some leaf removal work, "effeuillage".  At Château Beau Rivage, the petit verdot vines are the first to be worked on in this way because their grapes take the longest to ripen because of their relatively thick skins. Conversely they are the last vines to be harvested.

The work consisted of removing some of the leaves from around grapes that are already well formed.  This task enables more sunlight to reach the grapes, allowing them to ripen faster, and also for a better circulation of air, which reduces the risk of rot.

A Well Deserved Fresh Claret

After the couple of hours spent in the vineyard under the baking sun, the wine tasting session in the shade of the trees was most welcome!

To start with a Joly Rivage 2009, the claret that is produced by the winery, followed by a Château Beau Rivage 2006 and 2002, before finishing with the Clos de Bohème 2005 with the meal.

The Chai and the Cellar

The afternoon started in the "chai" with an explanation of the work that will be done during the harvest time to receive the grapes and start the fermentation process in the vats.  Each grape variety is fermented and matured separately, which increase the workload, but ensures a better quality wine.

In the cellar, we tasted cabernet sauvignon and merlot from the 2009 vintage straight from the barrels, and tasted the marked differences of the grape varieties, and also from the different French and American oak used in making the barrels.

A fantastic wine experience day, informative and fun, which enabled us to get an insight into the life of a winemaker, and the care and work taken to cultivate the vines.

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The Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is now featured on Oenoland, the online wine tourism guide for the Bordeaux region.

 

Oenoland is managed by the Comité Régional de Tourisme d?Aquitaine, and groups together the best wine tourism services from the Bordelais; rent a vine, vineyard tours by bike or chauffeur, wine making courses, winery vists...

All of the featured wine tourism services on Oenoland have been selected by one of the regional tourist offices. 

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Our partner vineyard in the Bordeaux region, Château Beau Rivage, is at the Bordeaux Wine Festival (Bordeaux Fête le Vin) from the 24-27 June 2010.

 

The wines from Château Beau Rivage are available for tasting at the Tonnellerie Nadalié stand, the family's cooperage.  You will be able to find out more about barrel making, including a demonstration of how the barrels are heated.

You can also learn how you can adopt vines at Château Beau Rivage, get involved in wine experience days, and follow the making of your own vintage with the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience.
 

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Wine tasting of the Clairet 2009, and visit of the cellar and vineyard. You can also enjoy grilled fish, walks on the bank of the Garonne river, a vintage car display and music from the "Bandas", traditional Basque country fanfare music!

Open from 10:00 to 18:00

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