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Making and ageing Santenay red Burgundy wine at Domaine Chapelle


We were warmly welcomed to Domaine Chapelle last weekend by Jean-François, Yvette and Myriam, for the first of the Vinification Experience Days for the 2017 vintage.  The aim of these interactive oenology courses is to learn about the wine-making process and the decisions that the wine-maker takes in the cellar, picking up where we left off after the harvest through to the time when the wine is ready for bottling.

After a welcome coffee, we started the day with an introduction to the winery by Jean-François. He told us about the history of his family, how the Burgundy wines are classified using the Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) system, and the geology that defines the different Burgundy vineyards. We learnt that even before the grapes are transformed into wine, the terroir enters into play, differentiating the wine that comes from different vineyard plots. 

These precious nuggets of information set us up for the rest of the day that would be dedicated to learning about the wine-making process and tasting wines.

One group stayed with Yvette for a fun sensorial workshop to identify the aromas and balance on the palate of Burgundy wines. This was an important step in preparing for the wine tasting to follow.

Oenology lesson in a French winery in Santenay Burgundy

The other group went with Jean-François to visit the fermentation hall and cellar where the wines age in oak barrels. Jean-François explained the work in the cellar during the ageing process and to better illustrate the influence that the barrels play on the aromatic and gustative characteristics of the wine, we tasted the same Santenay Gravières Premier Cru wine, the only difference being the type of barrel in which it was ageing.

Wine aageing process in Burgundy France

Surrounded by the large wooden vinification casks, we enjoyed a Santenay Saint-Jean white wine accompanied by the famous local gougères for the aperitif. 

We then sat down to lunch with other local delicacies. Jambon persillé, poulet Gaston Gérard, a selection of local cheeses and chocolate desert, accompanied by three different wines, the Santenay Clos des Cornières, Santenay Premier Cru Beaurepaire and Chassgane Montrachet Premier Cru reds.

After lunch we headed out into the vineyard to meet our adopted vines and immortalise the moment with some photos. Jean-François pointed out the different areas of the Clos des Cornières vineyard, planted with three different ages of vines, the grapes from which are used in the making of the wine chosen for the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience. The oldest plot of vines will shortly be cleared and replaced.

Having different ages of vines in the same plot is often used to manage the longevity of a particular vineyard so as to not have to replace all of the vines at once, and thus be deprived of the wine for several years. It takes roughly 5 years before the vines will produce grapes that can start to be used to make wine.

Wine gift Box with a daay at the winery in Santenay, Burgundy, farnce

We then returned to the fermentation hall for a final wine tasting to compare the impact that the age of the vines has on the wine. We tasted the wine from the three different plots that make up the Clos des Cornières vineyard. They are each made and aged separately, until they are blended, shortly before bottling. We could taste the difference for ourselves and also noted that tasting wines that have not yet finished their ageing process is not always the easiest thing to do!

Ageing is a very important phase for softening the structure of the tannins and developing the aromatic complexity. Patience is needed, and a little imagination to try and foresee how the wine will turn out after a few more months ageing.

The time had come to end this great day learning and exchanging about wine. We’d had a privileged insight into the secrets of making wine, and we can’t wait to taste the final result of this 2017 vintage!

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Wine accessories to best serve your wine


As the end of year draws near, we’re starting to look forward to the special bottles of wine that we’ll open during the Christmas and New Year festivities. There are many useful wine accessories to help us serve the wine and to help us taste the wine in the best conditions.  Here are some of the ones that we think are the best.

Serving the wine at the right temperature

Ideally it’s best to put the unopened bottle of wine that you are going to serve for a couple of hours in a room or wine fridge that is already at the desired temperature. But with our heated homes in winter, it’s sometimes difficult to keep the wine cool, particularly for white wines that are generally best served between 10 and 12 °C. If you don’t want to put the wine in the fridge, which can reduce the aromatic appreciation of the wine, you can slip on a wine cooling jacket 15 minutes before serving. The jacket which has been cooled in the freezer, keeps the wine at the optimal temperature for around 30-40 minutes.

Wine accessories as a Christmas gift

 

For wines that you want to serve a little colder, such as sparkling wine, you can use a wine cooling bag or an ice bucket, both of which are very efficient. A little tip is to salt the water in the ice bucket which will lower the temperature of the bottle more quickly!

Open the bottle without damaging the wine (or the hands)

The good news is that there are models adapted for all situations! For corkscrew beginners or for those of us who open lots of bottles, the lever corkscrew such as the “Screwpull” is the easiest to use. There is also the “Charles de Gaulle” corkscrew (Look closely when the two levers on the side are opened…), that takes up less space and are more affordable.

Gift Box with Wine accessories for Christmas

For those that are a little more experienced, the waiter’s corkscrew or sommelier’s corkscrew are very good. The sommelier’s corkscrew has the little curved knife included that is good for cutting the foil that protects the cork. To make it a little easier, opt for a double-lever corkscrew. The lever has two positions, allowing the cork to be removed halfway, before using the second position to completely eject the cork. That avoids having to screw the cork twice and reduces the risk of damaging the cork and ending up with bits of cork in your wine.

And if you’re thinking about opening some fairly old wines where the cork is likely to be more fragile, try the double-bladed corkscrew, where you have two thin blades that slide between the cork and the neck of the wine bottle without damaging the cork. It demands a little bit of practice though!

Bring out the full wine aromas

Some wines, more often for reds, benefit from being placed in a carafe, either to decant the wine and separate it from the solid matter that has settles in the side of the bottle during storage, or to accelerate the airing of the wine to best reveal its aromas. Sometimes it’s best to avoid disturbing the wine too much, and simply open the bottle a few hours ahead if you think that it needs to breathe. But be careful.  Carafing a wine can sometimes diminish it, it depends on its age and maturity. Conversely to what many people believe, carafing a wine to air it is often more beneficial for young tannic wines, than old wines, which might be too delicate to withstand any brusque handling. Trust your senses when you open the bottle as to the best way to handle it.

To air the wine, you could also use a wine aerator. Very useful for when you’ve forgotten to open the wine in advance, you have to open another bottle because your guests are getting through the wine quicker than you thought, or the wine is really having trouble opening up.  Again, it’s usually best to let the wine breath as naturally as possible though to best enjoy the first nose!

Pouring the wine in your glass (and not on the table cloth)

The moment for tasting the wine is almost there. All you have to do is pour it into the glasses. To help you, there are Drop Stops, really practical discs that roll up and slide into the neck of the bottle and stop any drips.

Adopt-a-vine Box with Wine accessories for Christmas

The Drop Stops can be washed by hand, but don’t get on very well with washing machines. There are also larger drip catchers that are more resistant to being put in the dishwasher.

For those that are confirmed wine waiters, nothing beats the sharp twist of the wrist to turn the bottle once you have finished pouring and avoiding any drips from running down the side of the bottle. Done correctly, it’s bound to impress your guests!

So you’re now ready for the perfect wine tasting. Most of these wine accessories can be found at reasonable prices in wine merchants or on the internet. Some can even be found in the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience welcome pack!

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Adopt a Vine in France and Follow the Making of Your Own Wine !

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