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Tagged articles : Bordeaux

Debudding in Bordeaux


Last weekend, we were at Château Beau Rivage in Bordeaux for a couple of discovery days with some of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience clients.

Discovery Experience Day at Château Beau Rivage

The main aim of the Discovery Day is to learn about the winemaking profession, and more specifically, about the work in the vineyard.  We therefore started the day amongst the vines!
We were accompanied by Florian and Mike, who explained the tasks that have already been completed such as pruning, and the work to repair the posts and training wires.

Vines Vineyard Beau Rivage

At the far end of the vineyard, we stopped in front of the plot where the adopted vines are located, so that the introductions could be made and the photos taken!

Meeting with the adopted vines

For the next few weeks, the principal work in the vineyard will be debudding. This involves removing the shoots that have begun sprouting too low down on the vines. There are two main reasons for doing so, the first so that the vine can concentrate its energy on the fruit bearing branches, the second to help lower the risk of rot. As soon as we had received our instructions, we split up amongst the row, rolled up our sleeves and got stuck in with some de-budding!

De-budding

The vineyard at Château Beau Rivage was organically certified in 2011. Florian and Mike explained what being organic entails, and how it differs from conventional farming.
Back at the Château, we had earnt our wine tasting session, and with the rising temperature, the chilled clairet was most welcome! We continued to taste the red wines from the estate over lunch, which we enjoyed outside.

Wine Tasting

In the afternoon, we headed back into the vineyard to learn about the work that remains between now and the harvest, taking note that there is still much to be done!
The day ended in the fermentation hall and barrel room, where we will be spending more time during the Harvest and Vinification Experience Days.

Visit of the fermentation hall and the barrel room

Read more blog posts regarding Château Beau Rivage.

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Château Beau Rivage, a rising star!


Once again we're proud to announce the latest in the long list of prizes that our partner vineyard, Château Beau Rivage, has won for the exceptional quality of its wines.

Medal winning wines
During the recent Concours des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants (Independent Winemakers Competition), a gold medal was awarded for the Château Beau Rivage 2009 Bordeaux Supérieur, the red wine chosen for the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience, and another gold for the Clos la Bohème 2009 Haut-Médoc wine that Christine Nadalié also makes.

These latest accolades follow on from the silver medal that the Clos la Bohème won at the prestigious Concours Général Agricole de Paris 2012!

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Tasting the 2010 and 2011 wines during the Vinfication Experience Day


The life of a winemaker can be tough at times, especially in winter when the weather is as freezing as it is at the moment!  And sometimes, even for the Gourmet Odyssey clients, you need to brave the elements, as we did last weekend in Bordeaux in sub zero temperatures and with 8cm of snow covering the vineyard on Sunday!  Fortunately, during the Vinification Experience Days, we spend most of the time inside, so we made ourselves at home around the roaring fire in the kitchen!

Snow covered Bordeaux vineyard

Wrapped up from head to toe, we started the day in the vineyard so that everyone could (re)visit their adopted vines.

At this time of the year, the principal activity in the vineyard is pruning.  Christine and David from Château Beau Rivage explained why pruning is so important and showed us how to do so.  When you see the number of vines to prune, and realise that each is pruned manually, you have a much better understanding of the huge and manually intensive task that it is for the winery.

Christine explains pruning the vines in Bordeaux during the Wine Experience day in Bordeaux
 

Next stop, the fermentation hall and barrel room where the wine is fermented and aged, to learn more about the vinification and wine making stages.

Learning about the fermentation process in the barrel room
 

We then headed to the warmth of the kitchen to delve into the heart of the day's topic with a wine tasting lesson and some exercises to put our sense of smell to work.  We passed around some small jars containing the main aromas to be found in red Bordeaux wines, and we had to identify which aroma each flask contained.  It's not as easy as it at first appears!

Training the nose to identify the aromas forund in wine
 

Our tasting senses awakened, it was then time to start the wine tasting.  First up, three different wines were chosen to better understand the effect that wood has on the wine.  Each wine was 100% merlot from 2010, but each had been aged separately in a different type of barrel.  The first had matured in an old French oak barrel, the second in new French oak, and the third in new American oak.  The result, three wines with completely different aromas, structure and taste.  The marked difference between the three is really quite astonishing!

We then continued the wine tasting during the meal with some of the winery's finished wines to compare different vintages and blends.
In the afternoon, we concentrated on the different grape varietals grown in the vineyard to better understand what characteristics each brings to a blended wine.  Chrsitine had prepared samples of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from the 2011 harvest.  We tasted each one by one, and discussed their differences.

 

Wine tasting by grape varietal, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot
In small groups, we then mixed our own blends to learn how the different grape varietals and their percentages change the wine.
Blending our own wine
 

We finished the day by tasting the blend that Château Beau Rivage had presented at the Millésime Bio organic wine fair the week before.

It's impossible to learn everything in a day, and as Christine remarked, she studied oenology for 4 years, but we each left with a better appreciation of the choices that the winemaker faces to create very different wines depending on the grape varietals, percentages and barrels used.

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Under the Bordeaux Sun


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.

Wine course in Bordeaux at Château Beau Rivage

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

Chrsitine Nadalié

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.

Bunch of grapes

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.

Epamprage

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.

Effeuillage

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.

Relevage

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!

Adopt-a-vine Bordeaux

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!

Wine Tasting

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 Chai

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.

cellar tour

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 Wine Pros Gather


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

 

Vinexpo 2011

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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Great Wine Discovery Experience Day spent in Bordeaux


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.

Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience Day in Bordeaux

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

Explaining the different grape varieties, Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot

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. 

Rent a Vine Sign
 

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.

Effeuillage - removing leaves from the petit verdot vines

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!

Wine Tasting Claret, Château Beau Rivage and Clos de Bohème

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.

The Chai

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.

Wine Tasting 2009 Bordeaux straight from the barrel

 

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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Oenoland – The Best of Wine Tourism in Bordeaux


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

 

Oenoland wine tourism Bordeaux

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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Bordeaux Wine Festival


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.

 

Bordeaux Wine Festival 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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