December Wine Club – All About the Bubbly

Click above for December’s playlist.

Well friends, the day has come. We can finally offer Franciacorta to our special members. I. Am. Crying.

If you have ever been to one of my sparkling wine tastings, then you know my absolute love for Franciacorta. I love its flavor and freshness, its price, and the memories it evokes for me.

Franciacorta is Italy’s sparkling wine, par excellence. Like its more-famous neighbor, Champagne, Franciacorta has rules that govern origin, varietal, quality, and style. The DOCG (denominazione di origine controllata e garantita) classification – Italy’s highest - was reached in 1995, which applies strict standards to its production. In fact, many of its regulations exceed those of Champagne, though its production is 1/10 that of its French counterpart

The wine region is situated in the middle of Lombardy. There are 5 DOCG spread across this Lakes region, and Franciacorta sits near the center, bordering Lake Iseo. Pinot Nero, Chardonnay, and Pinot Bianco (50% max- and now up to 10% Erbamat) from vineyards within this region are the only grapes allowed. Production follows the méthode champenoise, with long months of bottle aging sur lees. Those requirements range from 18 months on lees for the spumante level, to at least 60 months for riserva classification. By contrast, Champagne aging requirements span 15-36 months – though many houses surpass these minimum standards.

Despite the high standards required for Franciacorta that meet or surpass those for Champagne, prices for the former rarely reach the astronomical levels of the latter. A really excellent Franciacorta can be bought for $40-$50, and $30 still garners a high-quality bottle. And, for me, Franciacorta aways outclasses its Champagne complement. I cannot get enough of its elegant, long-lasting bubbles, and typical, beautiful notes of citrus, pear, almond, and toast.

Wine is not just about taste; it is also about place, associations, memory. I drank Franciacorta in Albenga at the wedding of my closest friend (see pic). I drank it at another wedding in Montalcino. I had it at my own wedding in Philadelphia. I’ve also drunk Franciacorta to celebrate the end of a dig season in Orbetello, my birthday in Fiumicino, New Year’s Eve wherever I may be. I certainly have it on every anniversary. I drink it in celebration, sometimes in commemoration, and sometimes in condolence. For me, Franciacorta is a necessary part of life’s most meaningful moments. That is another reason that this wine club offering is so special. Not only do we get to offer you Franciacorta, but Contadi Castaldi is the first one I ever tasted. I was on the way to Aleppo via Milan, and my husband (Evan) and I went beforehand to Lake Garda. We celebrated my departure at lunch, with a bottle of Contadi Castaldi.

Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut NV

●  80% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Nero, 10% Pinot Bianco

●  Initial aging in steel and barrique, with 20-26 months on lees

●  Fresh and lively, with layers of citrus, honeysuckle, and laurel.

Yes, there *is* a second wine. While I am beyond excited about the Franciacorta, I musn’t overlook the Cava!

Cava is to Spain as Franciacorta is to Italy: its highest quality sparkling-wine made in the méthode champenoise. Cava has DO (Denominación de Origen), which – excluding the estate-based Vino de Pago – is the penultimate classification for Spanish wine. Requirements are thus a bit looser. Its historical home lies in Catalonia, particularly the Penedés region between Barcelona and Tarragona. Macabeo, Xarel.lo, and Parellada are the three main grapes used, though a few others are allowed – including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wine must be aged on lees, with requirements ranging from 9 months for the “Cava” designation, 15 months for “Reserva Cava”, to 30 months for “Gran Reserva Cava”.

As does Franciacorta, Cava has excellent value. Prime, vintage bottlings can be quite expensive. But, $30 can buy a very good bottle, particularly of an NV (non-vintage) wine.

This bottle is also special to me. It is our house label – Sojourner. The image on the label is, of course, the beautiful mural painted on the garden wall, courtesy of Carlos (Calo) Rosa and the Mural Arts Program. I have long admired Mural Arts and the amazing murals that decorate our neighborhoods. I had no idea we would be so lucky as to have Calo Rosa be our artist. Calo is from San Salvador, and the vivid, vibrant, ‘‘Antes de la Lluvia’’ that he painted in our garden (and that graces the Cava label) is permeated by his stated Latin American “urban-tropical” and street art influences. Not only that, Calo is a wonderful person; I feel rewarded to have worked with him and to have met him and his family.

Sojourner Cava, Penedés

●  Macabeo, Xarel.lo, and Parellada

●  12 months on lees

●  Crisp and bubbly, notes of toasted nuts, light brioche, pear, lime zest.

Carlos Lopez Rosa

Born in San Salvador, lives and works in Philadelphia.
From a family of artists with diverse media including graphic design, Brazilian percussion, oil painting, and cake-making. He holds a degree in Fine and Visual Arts from the Centro Nacional de Artes (CENAR) and a degree in graphic design from Don Bosco University.

November is weird, but it is almost always sunny in Philadelphia, & features a feast day!

November in Philly is a little weird.

Is it cold? Is it warm? It is almost always sunny, and it features a feast day: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving or Day-in-which-we-watch-tv-and-Eat-a-big-Meal). For many, this day is also a great excuse to drink a lot of good wine.

Growing up, my family’s table did not have alcohol, so no wine. We had a fairly traditional Thanksgiving meal: roast turkey with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, a weird carrot Ambrosia-y salad, and homemade noodles. I don’t know, maybe the last two weren’t traditional. It was followed up with pumpkin pie, and my mom graciously made me lemon meringue since I really, really do not like pumpkin pie. 

My Thanksgiving is much different now. I don’t exactly know how it started, but our dinner consists of Shabu Shabu with beef and shrimp, mashed potatoes (for Geri), mac n’ cheese (for Ali), all kinds of chips (for Adi), and crudité (for health!). It also features wine.

But, the addition of wine does not make it any more traditional – in a historical sense. If we look back to the cultural settings the pilgrims left and the colonial settlements into which they came, they would more likely be drinking genever, rum, and cider.

Nonetheless, traditions evolve and new ones (Shabu Shabu!) get made. And, a lot of wine gets drunk on Thanksgiving.

In honor of that (evolved) wine-drinking tradition, we selected 2 wines that fair well with feasting foods (read more about these wines below):

• Negramole, Morgado do Quintao 'Clarete' Algarve, Portugal 

• Happs Margaret River Pinot Noir, Australia

What do Portuguese and Australian wines have to do with Thanksgiving? Nothing. But they are delicious wines and delicious partners to feasting foods. 

While the Portuguese do not have a “Thanksgiving” holiday, Dia de São Martinho occurs every November 11th to honor St. Martin. It is also a celebration of the new wine, and an indispensable food for the day is roasted chestnuts.

Chestnuts (and other shelled nuts) are often featured at Thanksgiving-style feasts in the US – whether simply roasted, sauteed with vegetables, or served in the most important dish of the day – stuffing! The Portuguese drink wine with their chestnuts and this bold wine with fruits and light tannins can hold up to the nutty and fruity chestnuts. So, have chestnuts at your feast and drink your Negra Mole with them. Or, try something new! We have included a recipe for Madeira-Braised Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts from Aliza Green. Aliza is a noted Philadelphia-based chef, cookbook author, and culinary tour leader; she has one coming up to Portugal next spring. Brussels sprouts are commonly paired with a minerally, zippy, white wine. But, this dish is nutty and creamy, with some spices, and ideal for this complex, flavorful Clarete. Incidentally, the Negra Mole grape is similar to the Tinta Negra grape that goes into Madeira!  

Our second wine is from Australia – another country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. No matter. Australians eat, and they eat well. Roast turkey might be made at Christmas or other feast days, but roast lamb is informally considered Australia’s national dish. Who likes roast lamb? I do! And so does our Happs Margaret River Pinot Noir. Traditionally, Pinot Noir is often paired with roast turkey. This wine, though, has juicier, chewier fruits than many “traditional” Pinot Noir, creating a great pairing with meaty, gamey lamb. Also, the label’s nod to Indigenous Australians is a welcome counterpoint to the colonial centering of the American holiday.

So cheers to (new) traditions!

November Wine Club Wines

Negramole, Morgado do Quintão 'Clarete' Algarve, Portugal 

Morgado do Quintão is found in the Algarve region, on Portugal’s southwestern coast. Vines were first planted on this estate in the 1800s, but the modern winery’s first vintage dates to 2016 from revived vines. The estate, through winemaker Joana Maçanita, is interested in reconnecting to historic Algarve winemaking through attention to the land and traditional grapes, and respect to the region’s heritage.

Negramole is a grape that is native to the Algarve, with a possible lineage through Pinot Noir. “Clarete” is a style from the Algarve, using the Negramole grape. These wines have a nice, medium body, offer light tannins, and ample red fruit, and just enough acid to complement a wide range of foods. 

This low-intervention wine has grapes that were sustainably grown, hand-harvested, and crushed by foot. Fermentation was in stainless steel, and the wine was aged for 6 months before bottling.

From the winemaker’s notes, the Clarete is:

“… medium bodied with a soft purple hue, on the nose red fruits and berries, in the mouth it is elegant with a touch of spice.”

Happs Margaret River Pinot Noir, Australia

Happs is owned by the Happ family, who founded the estate in 1978.  They are located in the Margaret River, in western Australia, south of Perth. Happs, with winemaker Mark Warren are making low-intervention and low-sulfur wines with manual harvest. While utilizing these intensive labor practices, they remain committed to making high-quality and innovative wine that is still accessible to a wide range of people.

Pinot Noir is not a grape that is traditional to the Margaret River but reflects the Happ family’s exploration of new flavors and instinct for innovation. The grapes were hand-harvested, fermentation, and maturation in stainless steel.

Per the winemakers’ notes:

“A pretty aroma where strawberry, cherry, and cranberry fruit characters combine with pretty floral notes and hints of cola, rhubarb, confection, cloves, and all things spicey.

The strawberry and cherry flavours carry on to the palate and combine with cranberry, raspberry coulis, pomegranate, purple Jubes, and amaretto elements to produce a wine that is full of fruit and interest. It’s a light to medium bodied wine that is generous in flavour, with subtle oak, restrained acidity, and attractive soft tannin.”

This wine is part of their iSeries wines. These have labels crafted by Indigenous artists and are meant to reflect a strong connection to the land.

Happy October, Jet Wine Club-bers!

Enjoy this month’s Orange and Black (and purple!) wines while contemplating this question: Why do orange and black symbolize Halloween?

Well, I thought maybe the orange of pumpkins and the black of witches’ robes and black cats… but that sounds more like a just-so story. So, is there a reason?

I went online to the ultimate authority on the subject: Martha Stewart. It turns out Martha did not turn to Snoop for help on this, but rather to a Halloween historian – Lesley Bannatyne. According to her, this – like so many card holidays – had a commercial origin. Apparently the first Halloween decorations to be sold in the US (in 1909!) were orange and black. That took off. Well, that is how it got codified, anyway, but what of the original use?

It is well accepted that Halloween grew out of a Celtic fest named Samhain, that was in practice a couple thousand years ago. For the Celts, Samhain occurred on the night of transition to winter. That transition could let souls and the dead pass the earthly borders and so big bonfires were made. Is that the orange? Maybe. Black? Well, that is the color of death, the dark night, shadows… and one factor that links many precursors to modern Halloween is, in fact, death and the honoring of the dead and propitiating the spirits.

From the Celts we get to the Romans, who were influenced by the cultures of their hinterlands. Yes, the Romans had a festival for the dead – Feralia. They gave gifts to the dead to keep them from haunting the living. But was there anything orange? Well, amber was a popular commodity and color – but I don’t think most people were presenting gifts of (luxury) amber in the necropolis. Garments could be dyed orange, and priests and priestesses wore orange robes.  Purple – another color associated with Halloween – also colored robes, and these were a real luxury that in time was limited to the emperor. Oh, that gives a reason to mention the Phoenicians! Purple was known as Tyrian Purple due to its association with the Phoenician city of Tyre, located in modern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea.

So, we have the orange of fire, amber, and garments. We have the black of night and of death. Are these the answers? Let’s think some more about that with this months wines. They are, of course, Orange and Black!

These wines come from one of our favorite vendors, Giacomo, who started his own company, DiLisi Imports!

The wines are both from Vineka, a Puglian winery founded in 2016 by Guglielmo Zito. The  focus here is on sustainable winemaking with sourced grapes from local vineyards whose values mirror Zito’s own. These are grapes from happy, healthy vineyards!

Bianco Macerato 2023 is made from 100% Verdeca that is macerated (fermented with the skins) for 20 days. The natural wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation (no inoculation of yeast). Stainless steel production. 6 mos on lees

This is our ORANGE wine (with a purple label!!!!). Why orange? Well “orange” wines are made via skin contact, gaining color and tannin from the skins of the grape. So, just as rose is a red grape made like a white wine – limiting skin contact to reduce both color and tannin – orange wine is a white grape made like a red wine – increasing skin contact to both color and tannin. The degree of each of those depends on the grape – each variety has varying color and tannin content. The relatively rare Verdeca, itself, is a lightly floral and herbal grape with notes of fleshy tree fruits like apple and peach. The skin contact increases the intensity of those flavors, adds some almonds, and also adds a freshness and zest to the mouth feel. In other words, it is delicious.

Negroamaro 2022 is produced from 100% Negroamaro grapes. The wine is macerated in stainless with the addition of locally grown almond skins. To lessen tannins, extraction occurs during fermentation. Like the Bianco, the wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation.

Also like the Bianco, this is truly a Puglian wine.  It is our BLACK wine. Negroamaro – variously believed to mean “bitter (amaro) black” or derived as “black (mavro) black” is grown in a tight geographical range focused in Puglia and, particularly, Salento where this

September Wine Club – Oktoberfest, horses, and a zither.

September is that strange month in which Munich’s Oktoberfest begins, and in which many Americans celebrate non-eponymously.

History has it that Oktoberfest originated in Munich in October of 1810, as a celebration of a royal wedding. The highlight of the 5-day festival was horse racing – not beer. Horse races as public spectacle are as old as the hills, and chariot racing was part of the early Olympics in the 8th century BC. Earlier still, and before the domesticated horse was widespread, public celebrations in ancient Syria and Iraq in the 3rd and 2nd millennia included acrobats who danced and leapt around a different prestigious equid, the Kunga (an animal whose identification has been my greatest achievement!).

While horse racing is no longer a standard Oktoberfest event, it continued in the Munich wiesn until 1960. Now, the horses are mainly limited to the carousel – which had its debut as a fair ride at the 1818 Oktoberfest. 

More than any event with either real or carved horses, though, beer drinking is the main focus in Munich. In 2010, 7.1 million liters of beer were served! While beer is king, other beverages are consumed - including wine; German Reisling is a favorite.

Wine consumption brings us to Austria (home of this month’s wines) and its wiesn, which has an origin in that country’s celebration of “this year’s wine” at Heuriger – replete with wine, food, and folk music. Held roughly the same time as Munich’s more famous fest, Vienna also serves scads of beer. But, the focus is more on traditional- and folk- fun, food, music, and drink. So, local wines have a bigger place here. 

Vienna’s festival (the Wiener Wiesn) – the country’s largest – takes place on the Prater, amid its famous amusement park. There were horse races at the Prater at one time, but – as in Bavaria’s fests – the only horses remaining are on carousels. Yet the carousel is not the most famous of the Prater’s rides. That honor goes to another spinning ride – the ferris wheel. The Third Man film raised the profile of the Prater to stardom with its iconic scene set at the Giant Ferris Wheel. The Third Man is considered one of the best movies of all time, and its film score drew strong accolades. Anton Karas is the zither player and composer whose music is featured in the film. He was discovered by the movie’s director in Vienna while he was playing his zither at a Heuriger. After all of his fame, Karas opened his own Heuriger.

This month’s wines (and playlist) will let you recreate your own heuriger or wiesn – the Austrian way. These are traditional grapes from traditional, family-run estates from near Vienna. Pull out your schnitzels, wursts, krauts… 

Wines

Ecker Grüner Veltliner 

The Ecker family has over 400 years of winemaking experience! The current business is run by the 3rd generation of the family, with 24 hectares of vineyards. These are located just outside of Vienna in the Wagram district of the Niederosterreich region in lower (northern) Austria in which white grapes – and especially gruner veltliner – are paramount. Wagram, on the Danube, has deep loess soils and a Pannonian climate of warm days and cool nights. Together, these traits bring out fruity aromas in sometimes-svelte Grüner Veltliner. This particular bottling is clean, clear, and crisp. The fruity aromas manifest as gruner’s typical citrus, with the addition of some fleshy white fruits. Light aging in wood barrels rounds the mouthfeel. 

We are offering this as a whopping 1-liter bottle so you can bring some friends to the party!

Wallner Blaufränkisch 

 Wait, didn’t we just have a blaufränkisch? Yes, we did. From Slovenia, in June. 

While delicious from Slovenia, Austria is the grape’s home. Here, it takes on a rich, brambly fruity quality, sprinkled with fossilized carob. I just made that up – but it does suggest a “minerally cocoa”, I hope. 

Wallner is a 5th generation weingut in Sudburgenland, just north of Vienna. Estates in this region are typically small, and Wallner has 8 hectares. The iron-rich soils here are sustainably farmed. This region is fairly cool. The wine is elegant. It has all the forest fruits and gets a little green fig, too. White pepper and a touch of tarragon round it out. 

Does your wiesn include sausages? Good, because this will drink beautifully with them. 

Cheers! Click above to listen to September's playlist on Spotify.

To read more about the discovery of the Kunga click the above pic of Jill Weber at Installation A.

May Wine Club Playlist - Mom & The Force

Make sure you listen along here while you sip this months’ wines!

May the Fourth (and Mom) Be With You

You know, May is all about the Force and Mother’s Day. So this month’s wines are brought to you by Luke Skywalker, Hercules (really), and Mom. 

Let’s start with Mom. Our wines this month are, literally, from “Mother Earth”. Both come from Greek producer Gai’a, named for that ancestral MOM of life and earth.  

Gai’a Notios White Nemea 2022  is a blend of 3 grapes, in equal parts. Moschofilero (a clone of the fileri group of grapes) and Roditis Alepou are endemic to Greece’s Peloponnese (of which Nemea is part), and both are pink-skinned. Assyrtiko is iconic of Santorini, but this white-skinned grape is also grown in the Peloponnese. The Roditis Alepou originates from the mountainous area of Aigialeia on the Gulf of Corinth, at an altitude of approximately 1000m, while the Moschofilero is grown on a plateau of 450m. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel. Altogether, the result is a crisp, acidic, and aromatic wine with lovely lemon and apple, and a nice, long finish. 

Gai’a Notios Red Nemea 2022  is made from 85% Agiorgitiko and 15% Syrah. Agiorgitiko, the mainstay of Nemean reds, is grown in a steep-sloped vineyard in Koutsi at ca 450-550m elevation.  The grapes are low yield and grown without irrigation, resulting in concentrated flavors. The stemless grapes are fermented in stainless steel with 6 days of skin contact. The wine rests in oak barrels for 45 days before bottling. The result is a young tasting wine with plums and bright cherry, black pepper, and some dark smokiness from the Syrah.

Gai’a Wines was founded in 1994 by Agriculturalists Yiannis Paraskevopoulos – who also holds a PhD in Enology, and Leon Karatsalos. The “Notios” label, which means “the Southerner”, was started in 1996. Their wines are made in both Santorini and Nemea; the Notios line has grapes from Nemea.

So, thank you Mother! What of Star Wars? Hercules? That is more convoluted, of course, but let’s begin.

What makes *you* love a particular wine? I know it is now cliché to say, but my pleasure comes from the taste (of course), but also the story. What makes a good story? Well, I think it is the personal connection that a good story conjures. For me, that is often an underlying theme of mythology, history, or the bonds made via the personal experience of travel. Pop culture can also elicit strong associations between a story and a wine – such as for this month’s Star Wars theme. Yes, this is a Star Wars theme. But, that theme is writ very, very broadly. 

As a kid in the 70’s, I rode my bike to the theater to see (the original!) Star Wars – which I loved. I went back for The Empire Strikes Back, but after that I was much more smitten by Clash of the Titans and Raiders of the Lost Ark; I was always drawn to the adventures within ancient myth and archaeology. I can’t even remember if I saw Return of the Jedi, and episodes I-III are a blur. I realize that puts me in the minority, and makes me an odd choice to write this post. But, I know enough people who adore the franchise, and it is hard to not be impressed by the loyalty and love of its fans. Nonetheless, I have adapted the Star Wars theme to one closer to my own heart: ancient mythology. This isn’t too far-fetched, as there are numerous mythological themes and plot devices that run through the series. 

On a very specific level, my husband and Star Wars fan, Evan, likens Darth Vader and the corridors of the Death Star to the Minotaur with his maze. Thus Luke Skywalker would align with Theseus, and each of them had help from the daughter of a ruler (Princess Leia and Ariadne) to manage the maze and confront the beast. Such precise comparisons are bound to be inexact, but the plights of both Luke Skywalker and Theseus command a more general analogy and reference to the archetypal Hero Saga (e.g. Rubino 2011) 

Generally speaking, a Hero Saga involves one fated to roam strange lands following trouble on the home front for an important quest or trek. Common elements of the journey include uncertainty, odd or uncertain parentage, exile, the trope of confronting monsters (whether inner demons or physical manifestations), supernatural or divine aid, and return (success). Struggles between good and evil - or darkness and light – are pervasive, if not mandatory. Even upon a successful journey and return, the forces of Light and Dark are still at play. Thus the outcome of Theseus’ journey to slay the Minotaur was also tragic; he was successful, but failed to raise a white flag on his boat for the journey home. Upon seeing a black flag, his father killed himself and the hero created evermore chaos and trouble at home. 

But, here we follow the saga of Herakles (Hercules), because our wines are from the Greek region of Nemea. Herakles (like Luke Skywalker) had troublesome paternity (Zeus, Darth Vader) and both had super-natural help in training to overcome the myriad challenges they would face. Their sagas diverge, though, as Herakles’ journey was prescribed as punishment for murdering his wife and children in a moment of (Hera-induced) insanity. As penitence, Herakles was tasked with performing 12 labors for King Eurystheus of Mycenae, which took him 12 years. The first labor performed was in Nemea. There, Herakles was required to slay the powerful lion that resided in a cave on Mount Tritos and bring back its skin to Eurystheus at Mycenae – some 15-20 km away.  He did so. In so doing, he also brought into existence the wine that was drunk by another mythical hero, Agamemnon, while at his palace at Mycenae.  

Does that mean Herakles brought wine to Greece? Certainly not. Greece is part of the Ancient Wine World. There is chemical evidence for wine-making in northern Greece dating to ca 4300 BC from a place called Dikili Tash. While such early evidence will surely be found in other parts of Greece, we must content ourselves in the Nemea region with written evidence from Mycenae, dating to ca 1600-1100 BC; mentions of “wine” occur in that palaces Linear B tablets. From where did the palace wine come? Linear B tablets fail to geo-locate it for us, but we have a few clues that it was the Nemean plain. First, we are told that Agamemnon’s wine was Flisian (Phlisian) – which ancient land was famous for its wine. The ancient wanderer and travel writer, Pausanius, tells us that the town of Phlius is just west of Nemea, and that it had a sanctuary to Dionysus. Second, we are told that Agamemnon drank the “blood of Herakles” wine. That is a bit of a misnomer, as the blood stemmed from the lion, not the man, but whatever. It is averred that the dark color of the Agiorgitiko grape, which is the red of Nemea, is due to the blood of the slain lion. Ergo, Agamemnon drank Agiorgitiko.  Moreover, Flisian wine was referred to as “the Blood of Herakles”.  Our faithful Pausanius notes that the cave of said lion was just 15 stades (e.g. furlongs. 1 stade = 1/8 mile) from Nemea. That is, the lion’s cave on Mount Tritos was a mere 1.875 miles from the sanctuary of Nemea, in the Flisian plain. Finally, the lion was slain by Herakles around 1300 BC… very much within the time frame of Agamemnon’s rule at Mycenae. Agamamnon drank “Blood of Herakles” Agiorgitiko from Nemea, “created” by our hero. But what about the name? Agiorgitiko stems from Agios Georgios, or St. George. This comes from a small church/monastery that previously lent its name to the town of Nemea. Despite the fact that St. George only found his way to the region a couple millennia following Agamemnon’s putative rule, the grape is formally called Agiorgitiko. Nonetheless, “Blood of Herakles” is maintained in the informal lexicon. 

Dark Side vs Light Side

Now that the origins are clear, we get back to our larger theme. Because this is Star Wars themed, we need a Dark Side and a Light Side to our Force (i.e. wine). It is fairly clear that the Notios Red is our “Dark Side” wine, stemming as it does from blood of the slain lion. But Red? Not Black? Well, George Lucas, himself, used red for evil, as an “aggressive” color. That isn’t so sinister, but he did put red on the Emperor Palpatine, the Dark Lord. Of course, all I see is Emperor “Palatine”. Rome’s Palatine Hill housed emperors beginning with Augustus, but who is most like this Sith Lord?  Caligula didn’t live there, but Livia did, and she was evil. Maybe Palpatine was based on Livia? (Sidenote: if you are finished watching Star Wars, I highly recommend “I, Claudius”… ) Back from our digression - even the Dark Side has some good, right? And the good is all in the flavor of this strikingly colored, dark, and spicy gem of a wine. 

What of the Light side? Our Notios White blend, of course! What is in a color? Even I remember Princess Leia’s white dress – though her ammonite-spiral hair was far more iconic. Speaking of ammonites, this relic of the Aegean Sea is included in Gai’a’s logo. White dress, Ammonite hair – is there any other proof needed that this wine is our Light Side of the Force? Drinking it will solidify that notion, of course, with its airy, floral notes, light and bright citrus, and fresh-as-a-daisy feel.

Enjoy your wines, hug your mom if you can, and May the 4th be with you.

*RUBINO, C. (2011). LONG AGO, BUT NOT SO FAR AWAY: ANOTHER LOOK AT “STAR WARS” AND THE ANCIENT WORLD. The Classical Outlook, 89(1), 1–4. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43940227

April Wine Club Playlist - The Moon is Made of Cheese

Make sure you sip & sing along to this months’ playlist, curated, of course, by Jet’s owner & founder Jill Weber! Listen here.

April is all about Wine and Cheese

NOTE: Well, changes happen. And we have a last-minute cheese change! But, I’m not changing my goat story. So, I assure you the new cheese – Nimbus Triple Cream Brie – will also be delicious with the Trizanne Syrah.

I suspect you’ve already noticed but, hey, wine and cheese go great together!

The salt, the fat, the tang… really just scream for wine accompaniment. As always, pairings and flavor preferences are very subjective, and so which wine goes with which cheese takes a little thought. Or, better yet, creating a great pairing takes a lot of trial and error. I regularly test my own hypotheses about what goes well together by things that I do think will “work”, as well as those I think will be terrible together. It is always fun. Really!

This month’s club is a great way to explore pairings (my way or yours), as we have partnered with our friend Ann Karlen of Third Wheel Cheese to bring you two, delicious cheeses to go with your two, delicious wines. I recommend you try them in all their combinations, but I’ve got recommendations… What are those based on? Generally speaking, flavors, stories, and, in essence, gestalt. Read on to see - but there is a dinosaur. And a rhinoceros.

Cheeses

More Cowbell is a cow’s milk cheese from Pennsylvania’s Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy. It is in a mountain style (aka alpine-- think emmental or swiss), and is earthy, herbal and complex. It is cave aged with a black cream wax rind.

First Light Honey Chevre is a goat’s milk cheese from Old Chatham Creamery of New York. It is lighter and creamier than traditional chevre, and perfect for spring with the addition of local honey.  It is grassy, tart, and has a touch of balanced sweetness.

Wines

Image credit: https://www.giulianaimports.com/karman-rioja

Linea Karman Garnacha Rioja 2021 is a fresh (unoaked) and juicy wine made from 88% old-bush vine Garnacha and 12% Tempranillo. Whole, destemmed clusters are fermented with native yeasts in stainless. The juice is left on the lees for four months, then bottled. The result is a little bit wild and brambly – like the river valleys nearby. The blackberry and plummy fruits get a little kick from black pepper and allspice. Bright and juicy in the mouth with nice acidity for… cheese! Drink it at room temperature or chilled.

Linea Karman is a negociant project from David González, the wine director at Gómez Cruzado, which makes wines in the Haro region of Rioja Alta. For this wine, though, the Garnacha and Tempranillo are sourced from the villages of Badarán, Cardenas and Cordovín, which are found in the southern Rioja Alta in the cool-climate Cardenas River Valley. Soils here, at the foot of the Sierra de la Demanda mountains, are iron and clay rich. This part of Rioja – in the Najerilla Valley – is home to ancient terraces and some of the regions oldest vines.

Image credit: @TrizanneB on X

Trizanne Syrah Swartland 2021 is a medium-bodied syrah with a big heart. The 100% Syrah grapes were sourced from dry-farmed plots in schist and shale soils of the Swartland. The destemmed grapes then underwent natural fermentation in open tanks, and spent 12 months in small barrels. This wine is fruity and savory; we get pomegranate notes, black and white pepper, wet earth, and nice acidity. Taste some black olive in there? It’s not just you!

Trizanne Barnard is the owner and winemaker of her namesake winery. She makes wines from grapes from vineyards in Elim and Swartland, the latter from where this Syrah comes. Swartland is in the Western Cape Province, just north of Cape Town. The area is very fertile, with orchards and olive groves (remember that olive note?), wheat fields, and, of course, vineyards.

Wine and Cheese Pairings – and Stories!

What cheese for which wine?

To figure that out, we’ll have to delve into the regions just a bit more…

Rioja

The Rioja region, generally, has a long history of wines and vines; their earliest appearance here dates ca the 11th century BC, credited to Phoenician traders and movement of people and goods up the Ebro River – one of the most important rivers to La Rioja.  As is the case with most “Old World” regions, vines and the culture of wine were further spread and maintained via the policies of the Roman Empire.

But dates back much earlier than wine? Animals. Remember January Wine Club’s blog and the ancient elephant prints dating from several hundred thousand years ago? Well, La Rioja does not have elephant prints – even Hannibal skirted near the sea on his way to crossing the Alps – but dinosaur remains are a different story. The town of Enciso is at the center of a paleontological trove of dinosaur remains, including footprints dating back to the Early Cretaceus period, over 100 *million* years ago!  The dinosaurs, or course, do not provide milk for cheese, but do provide tourism for the town (please watch this amazing clock automaton!)

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_Altamira

But there are early animals of Spain and La Rioja that are more relevant to dairy. Bison and Aurochs (wild cattle) roamed Northern Spain during much of the Paleolithic period, and these animals were hunted with spears for their meat, skins, and bones (not yet dairy!). They were also very symbolic and feature widely in the cave art of the later Paleolithic. The Altamira caves, in nearby Cantabria, are among the most famous in the world and have paintings dating from ca 35000 BC to the last uses of the cave around 12000 BC that show these animals in repose, alone, in herds, etc. While these animals were significant to their hunters, they ultimately were not the source of Spain’s domesticated cattle; those came later. From where did they come? The ancient Near East – just like the wine that would come later. Around the time the Altamira Cave was abandoned, the process of domesticating and managing wheat, barley, sheep, goat, cattle, and pigs was begun in the “Fertile Crescent” regions of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and the Levant. This “Neolithic Revolution” led to increasingly settled communities and civilizations. After a few more millennia, those domesticated goods and the knowledge to reproduce them spread to Europe. Just like the later wine, the Ebro was an important conduit for spreading those domesticates from the Mediterranean to the North. Movement into northern Spain along the Ebro happened as early as the 6th millennium BC, as we know from one of my favorite type of studies – those that analyze dung (i.e. animal poop). Prefer a non-poop study, try this. Anyway, it took a bit longer for those domesticates to be used for dairying, but dairy they did.

La Rioja does, in fact, have a local cheese. Sierra de Cameros is a traditional cheese made from goat’s milk that has Protected Designation of Origin status. While goats are among the animals of our story (they, too, came during the “Revolution”), the art of the Altamira cave gives the nod to the cows. Let’s drink this with the More Cowbell! The fresh and juicy wine will add a little zing to the herbal flavors and slight nuttiness of the alpine-style cheese.

Swartland

South African wine production is waaaaaay younger than that of Rioja, and Swartland is relatively young by South African standards: most wineries there were founded in the last few decades.

While the area is now filled with farmland, it once was home to all types of wild animals. The black rhinoceros used to range the Swartland, though it now only remains in the name of the “rhinoceros bush”, or renosterbos, or Elytropappus rhinocerotis. There are opposing claims as to the origin of the name, and its precise relation to the rhino. The bush thrives in areas that have been overgrazed, as it gains a foothold when not competing with other plants and grasses. It is not considered palatable to livestock and, even if rhinos were still present, it is actually unclear if they ate the bush. It seems that not even goats – consumers of most everything in their path – are keen to eat the renosterbos. So, goats and rhinos share an unknown-predilection for renosterbos (maybe they eat it, maybe they don’t). Both animals are mammals, and thus produce milk. Rhinos, though, aren’t exactly a dairy animal. This has little to do with the fact that the black rhino has among the lowest percentages of fat in its milk (ca. 0.2%), and more to do with the difficulty with which the animals could be milked. Who else has low-fat milk? Goats. Their milk fat percentage is by no means as low as that of the rhino, but is the lowest of the main dairy animals. While the actual fat content differs across environment, the relative results are always the same: goats milk has lower fat-content than cow, water buffalo, and – especially – sheep (see here, for example).

With so much in common, its no wonder that goats and rhinos can be great friends. They have been known to play with each other, and this video shows another use that goats have for their pals: food ladders! Alas, with rhinos absent from the region, at least one goat farm had to take ladder matters into their own hands and build a tower for their goat charges.

Photo: Potjie - Flickr

Fairview Cheese and Wine has always taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to wine, notably with their “Goats do Roam” range of wines – a play on Cotes du Rhone. Among their estate are vineyards in Swartland. But, it is their winery in Paarl that truly capra-tures the spirit of the beast with their herd of goats and bespoke “goat tower”. And, yes, they do make cheese from their goats’ milk.

So, the gestalt here clearly is with the goat’s milk cheese. In addition to our rhino and goat story, I always think “earthy” when pairing with a chevre. And, the berry and pepper will be a fabulous match for the bit of honey

To make this very long story short, I suggest the following:

·        Linea Karman Rioja with More Cowbell

·        Trizanne Syrah with Honey Chevre

But, remember, To find your own magical combination, you’ll just need to experiment more!

Jet Wine Club - March Playlist

Jill has put together this lil playlist featuring some of her favorite songs from great female recording artists over the ages — from Kitty Wells to Eartha Kitt (we promise the continuing cat theme is accidental!! (; ), to lesser known more modern artists like Sharon Shannon, this playlist is inspired by the feelings we get while sipping on this months’ delicious wines.

Listen here!

The Last Supper and Saints

Welcome to our March Wine Club, focusing on Women and Wine. Our two wines for this month are made by women – one in California and one in Italy. Both are superb expressions of sainted terroir and grapes.

Where it begins…

Our first wine is a Tuscan red from the hills of Tenuta i Colli, Siena. The producer, Bindi Sergardi, places the origin of their wine-making estate at 1349 AD. At that time, Siena was the seat of the Republic of Siena, which dominated the Tuscan countryside through the 13th c. – especially in banking and commerce.  The 14th c proved a bit more difficult, and in 1348, Siena was heavily affected by the Bubonic Plague, and its rival – the Republic of Florence – gained in influence. Just before that (literally) fatal year, Catherine of Siena was born. Though a lay woman, she devoted her life to piety and politics. Catherine was a supporter of the pope in the eternal power-struggle between religious and secular rule and, though she lived in Siena, she was several times called to act as a peace liaison between the Republic of Florence and the popes. It may have been her influence that resulted in the relocation of the papal administration from Avignon to Rome in 1377. After her diplomatic mission and back in Siena, Catherine continued her life of spiritual writing and ascetic piety; ascetics generally did not consume wine (or meat) and it is unlikely that Catherine would have enjoyed those fruits of the Tuscan countryside. Rather, extreme fasting may have speeded her death. That ascetism and her “receiving the stigmata” paved the way for her sainthood. In 1461, “Saint” Catherine was canonized by Pope Pius II.

In the 2nd half of the 15th century - around the time that Catherine was canonized in Siena -  many in the Bindi Sergardi family were involved in politics and administration of the Republic of Siena. Unlike Catherine, that family favored independent institutions over papal control – putting them at odds with Rome. But, in addition to the popes, that independence was also challenged by emperor Charles V, who ultimately defeated the Republic in battle.  Achille Sergardi and his son, Niccolò, were strong supporters of the Republic until its end. The i Colli estate – from which our wine was produced - is said to have hosted the embassy of Charles V in peace negotiations.

Following four centuries of waxing and waning fortunes, the Republic was fully ceded to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany – ruled by the House of Medici in Florence. Florence already had a thriving arts scene in the 15th c., amid patronage of that same Medici family. Chief among the artists that called Florence home was Leonardo da Vinci. There he influenced numerous other artists, such as Michaelangelo and Raphael. It is also where he painted his most famous work, The Mona Lisa, a portrait of a Florentine woman.  He didn’t aways live in Florence, however, and he painted another famous piece, The Last Supper, in the final years of the 15th century while working on commission in Milan. His “supper” is not true to the Passover feast to which the painting refers, but rather consists of foods that he and his contemporaries may have feasted upon. One case in point is the eel dish that he depicted . Eels are found in lakes throughout Italy, but were certainly found in the Orbetello lagoon, which was part of the Repubic of Siena. They were also famously fished in the nearby Lake Bolsena, from which the gluttonous consumption of “eels drowned in vernaccia” landed Pope Martin V into the Purgatory of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy (Purgatorio Canto XXIV). Dante was born in Florence in the 13th c. and, like Catherine, served as an ambassador for that Republic in support of papal power. He was sent to San Gimignano, home to some of the finest vernaccia wines. The red tinge of the wine in da Vinci’s depicted feast indicates that it was not vernaccia. It looks rather like a rosé.

Plautilla Nelli’s Last Supper

Though da Vinci’s The Last Supper is one of the most recognized, it was not the only- nor the earliest- rendering of that biblical topic. Countless others exist, including one by pop artist Andy Warhol. The first-known rendition is found in an illustrated manuscript dating to the 6th century AD, the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis. The many versions share the common feature of Jesus and the Apostles gathered at a table set for a feast. From there, though, other details are often modified – in particular the meal, itself. Plautilla Nelli was a nun and self-taught artist; she was the first woman to paint the scene, in 1568. Her 7 meter long (23 foot) canvas work included foods typical to her own dining. There are no eels here, and relative to da Vinci’s, her red wine is decidedly darker and, by appearance, unfiltered. She completed the work while living in Florence at the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina di Siena (Saint Catherine of Siena), where meals would have included items she depicted, such as roast lamb, heads of lettuce, fava beans, and red wine (more here). Nelli’s other works also had biblical and religious themes, including her painting, Saint Catherine Receives the Stigmata.

…Where it ends

Our second wine comes from the Land of Saints, from California’s Central Coast. That wine region runs from Santa Barbara, past Santa Cruz, and on to San Francisco. Starting in the 18th c., the Spanish established 15 missions between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, as they colonized the coast and forcibly converted its people to Catholicism. Junipero Serra, a Franciscan from Spain, was heavily involved in the missions, establishing several of them and serving as president of the group of missions. He forcibly carried out his duties of conversion and economic growth of the mission lands at the expense of the rights and properties of the land’s native occupants. Among the agricultural products introduced to the mission’s gardens were “mission” grapes – descendants of Spain’s Listan Prieto grapes), as wine was necessary to perform Catholic religious rites.

At the time of the Spanish missionizing, there was no wine industry and there were no saints from the California region. The namesake for the mission of Santa Barbara was a 3rd c girl born in either Greece or Lebanon. There is still no saint from California, though Junipero Serra – born in Spain – was controversially beatified in 1988. There may yet be a Saint from California, however. Cora Evans converted to Catholicism from the Mormon faith in 1935, and later moved to the Santa Cruz mountains. She was said to be a mystic and to have had visions of Jesus and the virgin Mary. Evans is also said to have “received the stigmata”, further paving the way for her potential beatification. Her sainthood case received approval from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which allows the effort to continue. Unlike Catherine of Siena, Evans was not an ascete.

Cora Evans moved from southern California to the Santa Cruz area in 1956, just a year before she died. A few year prior to that, Santa Cruz got a few new residents – made of wax. Katherine Stubergh was a famous wax artist from a family of wax artists. She and her daughter, also named Katherine, were commissioned to create a life-sized replica of The Last Supper. The 7.7 meter (25 foot) long work took 8 months to complete. It was purchased for $20,000 from Harry Liston, who commissioned the work. There seems to be some confusion in the records about the piece(es?) as a second one may exist in Texas. The Santa Cruz model now is on permanent display in the cemetery of the Santa Cruz Memorial, a family-owned and operated funeral home. The table is set with glasses and carafes, but seemingly no real wine.

Stubergh wax Last Supper - https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2299363318621537148

Back to the Wine

Bindi Sergardi Achille IGT Toscana Rosso

Photo credit: https://www.lastbottlewines.com/product/detail/LB7358.html

The wine is an homage to Achille Sergardi, noted member of the Bindi Sergardi family of the 16th century, Republic of Siena. The wine comes from the i Colli estate that hosted the embassy from Charles V, as noted above. Now, some 500 years later, we can enjoy wines from this estate, produced by the 24th generation of that same family.  Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi manages the property. She is also winemaker, along with Federico Cerelli & Stefano Di Blasi.

The Achille is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot grapes; they are young (10-15 year vines) and grown in limestone soils.  The grapes were co-fermented in stainless steel with wild yeast. The wine stays on the skins for 15-days, then spends 3 months in barrique. It is filtered and fined for that beautiful, ruby color.

The result is an intense, bright, and beautiful Toscana Rosso. The palate has ample cherry from the Sangiovese, some blackberry and currant, and a pleasant roundness from the merlot.

This wine screams for porchetta (preferably stuffed with offal), or an herbed-cheese ravioli.

Land of Saints Rosé, Santa Barbara County

Photo Credit: https://vinovoresilverlake.com/products/land-of-saints-rose

Where is the land of saints? The name is a deliberate play on the mission-derived city names of the Central Coast, but it is also Cornwall, England – known as the Land of Saints and the birthplace of one of the producer’s triumvirate of owners. Angela and Jason (of Cornwall) Osborne, and Manuel Cuevas, are collaborative winemakers and owners.

This rosé contains 50% Grenache and 50% Mourvedre grown in soils formed of decomposed granite, gneiss, and clay. The grapes are fermented separately before blending. The blended wine spends11 weeks on the lees, and are then bottled on a new moon.

This is one for the acid lovers! Great acid, fruit and savory notes. Rhubarb in the mouth makes this one sing, and also makes me think of my mother. I’m pretty sure I would drink this with her chicken ala king on homemade biscuits…

That’s it for this month — don’t forget to listen to the playlist (you can find the link in the next blog post) while you drink your wines, and stay tuned for more spring and garden updates!

Jet Wine Club Feb - Playlists

Valentine’s Day is all about love, whether romantic or not. And love, just like Pinot Noir, can take many different forms depending on a variety of factors. Part of what makes Pinot Noir such a great grape is its versatility, and its subtle way of making everything better– whether you’re sitting down for a fancy, multiple course meal at your favorite restaurant with a new date, or you’re at home on the couch, watching reality TV and eating leftovers to quell your heartbreak, Pinot Noir pairs great with both meals (and with both vibes). From happy-go-lucky upbeat punk songs, to slower and more melancholy indie pop, love songs and Pinot Noir are alike in that they run the gamut in terms of what we think is possible for both music and wine. Enjoy this playlist of a few “love” songs while you enjoy this month’s wines!

A Punk & Pinot Noir Valentines Day

Jill has also made a playlist that includes a tango, a polka, and two songs about cats 😊

Listen to ‘Pinot & Cats’ here!

Feb Wine Club - Love is in the Air: Pinot Noir and Cats

It is February and we’ll soon know whether Phil sees his shadow, or if Spring will come early. February is also all about love – whether for Val-, Pal-, or Gal- entine’s celebrations.

Pinot Noir

For some, Pinot Noir is a language of love. The wine has loyal – in some cases obsessive – adherents. Why? It is a grape that is difficult to grow and that produces very different wines depending on its soil and microclimate – not to mention the hand of the winemaker. Pinot Noir was the first (wine) love of Nick Baitzel - former Jet GM and current Sojourn COO. It is its versatility and diversity – the fact that “it really takes the concept of terroir to the extreme” – that Nick appreciates. He continues, “(b)ecause it can differ so vastly, it is great to drink year-round.  You can drink a heavier, more tannic, oak-aged Burgundy or Willamette Valley Pinot in the winter-time.” Those of you who know Nick will be unsurprised to learn that he’ll “put a chill on it” in the warmer months.

The love extends to its flavors and characteristics in the glass. Well-made Pinot Noir has a great acid-balance and a lighter-bodied mouth feel that makes it a great drink across a whole meal. It can be referred to as “sensuous” for its silky structure and wonderful, earthy aromatics.  They often have a beautiful, jewel-tone coloring that shimmers in the glass. Finally, it can be very age-worthy with flavors that change over time.

Its diversity means that it suggests different things to different people, of course. When I ask my husband, he agrees with its sensual nature; he likes the “funk”. It generally makes me think of winter in the mountains – pine needles, little red berries, cloves, and wood smoke.

Arguably, Burgundy is the most famous producer of fine Pinot Noir. But, the grape is grown around the world, including this month’s wines’ countries: Germany and Argentina. Between the two, its more usual home is in Germany; it isn’t often planted in Argentina.

So, how does this relate to cats?

Argentina has some of the world’s highest vineyards, placed on the slopes of what are some of the world’s tallest mountains. Tupungato, at nearly 21,560 feet, holds the highest-elevation winery in Argentina at 4500 ft. That winery is Zorzal, from which this month’s Argentine wine comes. Like many high mountains, Tupungato shows diversity of flora and fauna from its neighbors. For instance, the tuco-tuco (Ctenomys) is a rodent common to South America that readily speciates; Tuco-tucos of Tupungato have their own ancestral branch (clade).  As can be expected where rodents are common, there are also cats.  The Southern Pampas Cat, Leopardus pajeros, is found around Tupungato’s eastern slopes (and so is Zorzal!). They eat, among other things, tuco-tuco.

Leopardus pajeros

At 22,837 ft, the neighboring peak of Aconcagua is even taller than Tupungato. Mountains – especially those so close to the clouds – were viewed as sacred places by the Inca, whose 1st millennium AD empire at times included these mountains. On Aconcagua, a sacred burial of a 7-year old boy was found, dating to ca 1500 AD.  The boy had been sacrificed and interred high up on the mountain with Incan textiles, statuettes, and other goods. Sacrifice and burial of “pure” children was a part of Incan rites, and the sacred shrines were typically placed at high altitude. Such vestiges of Incan culture are found along the ancient Inca roads that connected the vast empire, some still visible from Mendoza to Ecuador. At the center of this network of roads was the Incan capital of Cusco, a city said to be built in the effigy of a recumbent puma. 

Image: https://americanindian.si.edu/inkaroad/img/inkauniverse/cusco/cusco-test-bkgrd.jpg

While that requires a little squinting, this image of a cat decidedly does not.

Image: AFP/Peruvian Ministry of Culture, from the Jakarta Post

Preceding the Inca Empire by more than a millennium, the Nazca culture predominated in Peru. The famous “Nazca Lines” in the Nazca desert include images of trees and flowers, fish, birds, mammals – and a human. This cat dates from early in the Nazca period, ca 200-100 BC. The images were not “drawn” as lines, as such, but rather formed by removing rocks, soil, and vegetation to create contrast. The images are large – the largest spans 1200 feet. The cat was a tenth of that size, about 120 feet.

This cat does not resemble a puma, so much as it resembles a house cat. Domesticated cats (Felis domesticus) were not known here at that time, but it does also resemble the Southern Pampas Cat, or its relative the ocelot.

While “domestic” cats first appear about 10000 years ago in the Middle East, they were not widely spread through Europe until roughly the same time the Nazca cat was created. They spread with people, plants, animals, and boats – including by Phoenician, Greek, and Roman traders. Cats helped expand Romans across Europe; the military brought cats to their garrisons to protect their food supply from pests, and trader kept them on ships. The Romans had garrisons along the Rhein, just east of Deidesheim – from where our German wine comes.

Their legacy in the region is cemented at the Katzinett - Katzenmuseum Ludwigshafen - Cat Museum in nearby Ludwigshafen. Though closed until Spring 2024, it warms my kitty-loving heart! Kitties in miniature! Kitties with hats! Basically, cats and more cats. No less purr-fect is the katze Kindergarten just south in Karlsruhe.

Image: Photos of Katzinett - Katzenmuseum Atlas Obscura, Presse.

Karlsruhe. DE, Ludwigshafen - Cat Museum, Trip Advisor

Overall, Germans have clearly taken to the little beasts. Currently, the World Cat Federation – an international association of cat clubs – is based in Germany though only 2 cat breeds originate in Germany: the German Longhair and the German Rex. Neither of these resemble Nazca-line cat images.

Are There Wines?

Yes, we do have wines. This month, as noted, we are featuring Pinot Noir.

Von Winning Pinot Noir Rosé 2020, Pfalz

Von Winning was established in the late 19th century in Deidesheim, in Germany’s Pfalz region. The vineyards are organically farmed, with sandstone, limestone, loess, and clay soils.

Their “winning” strategy is to “not do the wrong thing at the wrong time”. On that note, this is the right time for this wine; do not be afraid of a little age on rosé – especially one made with a grape that often ages well.

This rose is dry and acidic, with mineral and chalky texture. It is clean and bright with watermelon, rose petal, and white pepper notes. The mouth also has some herbs and Pinot Noir’s characteristic earthiness.

Zorzal Pinot Noir 2023, Tupungato

The Zorzal winery is the highest in Argentina, at 4500 ft. It was founded in 2007 by brothers Gerardo, Matias, and Juan Pablo Michelini. The soils on the slopes of Tupungato are sandy and chalky. Farming is organic.

Hand-harvested grapes undergo partial whole-cluster pressing, and fermentation is spontaneous.

The resulting wine feels rich and luscious in the mouth, with ample acidity for food. This is a “forest floor” Pinot Noir, with the addition of raspberry and currant, and notes of smokey game.

Jet Wine Club Jan - South Africa Playlist

Enjoy these songs while you enjoy your wines!

Click here to listen now. Playlist by Jill Weber, owner & founder.

Jet was first introduced to the iconic South African singer, Brenda Fassie, by one of our first regulars, Andrew (We are not forgetting about you, Marc, who gave us our first Jet marriage and Jet baby!).  “Weekend Special” now has a special place in our hearts. Spoek Mathambo, who hails from Soweto, is simply one of my favorite artists. From the politically-charged Mashini Wam to the Amapiano beats of “I Found You”, his music is soul catching. Finally, South African Jazz is a genre unto itself, and this classic tune from Sankomota hits all the right notes.

Wine Club - South Africa Month

By Jill Weber, owner & founder of Jet Wine Bar

Happy New Year! I want to thank you for your continued support – Jet would not be able to survive and thrive without our best customers… members of our Wine Club!

Our goal for this year is to make our Wine Club your destination for both wine AND community. You already get great wine, discounts, and early-bird notifications. Now we want to add more information, education, and entertainment. Be on the lookout for special events involving YOU.

Now — onto 2024!

January in Philly is cold, but down in the Southern hemisphere, it is summer in our first destination of the year – South Africa. January is when grapes begin to be harvested, and when festivals commence.

Wine production in south Africa began relatively late – not until the mid-17th century with Dutch colonization. The ensuing pattern of land being dispossessed from local herders and afforded to colonial agriculturalists (and vintners) —and worked by enslaved people from across Africa and Asia — fomented the vast disparities in wealth and power. These came to characterize South Africa, and later became ingrained during Apartheid rule.

The South African wine industry is now emerging from its colonial beginnings and apartheid wrongs, through a series of initiatives that support local communities in the ownership of their land and products of their labor. Encouraging and investing in Black growers, producers, and owners has resulted in a more diverse and equitable wine landscape.

While the wine industry is pretty young, human history in South Africa is quite old.

Stellenbosch wine country (author’s image).

Archaeology Corner

South Africa is justly famous for its fossil remains of early hominins (our bipedal ancestors).  Sterkfontein – near Johannesburg – is a UNESCO World Heritage site dubbed “Cradle of Humankind” for the extensive remains of, particularly, Australopithecus sp. These date back millions of years, and are of an age similar to those found in Tanzania and Ethiopia (of “Lucy” fame). Closer to Stellenbosch, the home of this month’s wines, the hominin remains are a lot younger, though equally interesting – more on that in a second!

Much of the archaeology near Cape Town (and Stellenbosch) derives from the “Stone Age” – specifically the “Middle Stone Age,” beginning roughly 300,000 years ago. At that time, low-density populations of hunters and gatherers camped in ephemeral settings, opportunistically making use of the land’s plant and animal wild-bounty. The bulk of what they left behind are durable stone tools. Both the finished products and the waste of manufacture are readily identifiable, and the steady availability of the raw material makes them expendable (resulting in many left behind and thrown away). Among those stone tools were microliths (very small, shaped pieces) and blades that could be hafted to spears or bows, or used in unison for multi-bladed implements— believed to be innovations for hunting. 

Fossilized bone “rocks” are the form our information takes about those very old hominins. Bones become fossils as the organic materials within them get replaced by minerals, creating rocks. How else are living creatures preserved in rock? Foot, hoof, and paw prints are captured and – through similar processes of fossilization – eternalized. From such captured footprints, we know that elephant ancestors (proboscideans) travelled across the southern Cape during this Middle Stone Age.(https://doi.org/10.1017/qua.2021.32 )

We also know which hominins may have been using those stone tools and possibly stalking those elephants – anatomically modern humans. Such early modern humans are known from other Middle Stone Age contexts in South Africa (notably Florisbad). Near to Cape Town in the Garden Route National Park, the oldest-known fossilized footprints of Homo sapiens have been found, dating to around 150,000 years ago! (https://www.sci.news/archaeology/oldest-homo-sapiens-footprint-south-africa-11952.html)

153,000 year old print (with chalk outline). Photo credit: Charles Helm

What correspondence the indigenous San and later-arriving Khoe peoples – both encountered by the colonizing Dutch – held to those very early occupants is unclear, though these groups show early genetic divergence from them, and thus more direct relationship. (https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/37/10/2944/5874945)

As noted, modern winemaking bears no relationship whatsoever to the early human history of South Africa; grapes were not native to the area and thus not even present until much later. Therefore the wine we are discussing today represents just a drop-in-the-bucket of human history and culture of South Africa. 

So what about the wines?

Both of this month’s wines were produced from grapes grown in Stellenbosch, which is due East (and inland) of Cape Town. Soils here are among the oldest in the world. The climate is hot and dry, but the tempering force of the South Atlantic Ocean offers some relief. Rolling hills abound, along with some steeper, mountain slopes. The most commonly planted grapes are Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lovely Creatures Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape

Winemaker Stephanie Wild crafted this wine from grapes mostly sourced from the slopes of Simonsberg Mountain (in the north of the region), from soils that are mostly sandstone and clay. The grapes were hand harvested. While they were fully destemmed, the skins remained with the fermenting juice for 10 days before being aged for 14 months in oak barrels of which 10% were new. The resulting wine reads decidedly purple. It has a lovely violet hue, and hints of purple fruits like plum and blackberry, a touch of ripe date and tobacco, and a lovely eucalyptus and savory herb finish. 

The name “Lovely Creatures” is a reference to the numerous biota that contribute to a heathy vineyard, and whose presence indicates that health.  The surrounding fynbos – ecologically diverse shrubland in the Cape region – contributes to the regions overall vitality, as well as adding floral and savory notes to the wine.

Craven Pinot Gris 

Jeanine and Mick Craven are the wife & husband team behind Craven wines. Grapes were sourced from an east-facing slope in the Newlands vineyard (western Stellenbosch), which has the distinctive koffieklip soils. These are rich in iron and, as they deteriorate into gravel, promote great drainage for the vines.

Hand harvested grapes were pressed and given 6 days of skin contact. Further fermentation and  5 months of aging were done in concrete. The wine has notes of rose petal, cherry, light citrus and fynbos savory herbs. The wine has a bit of tannin from the skin contact.

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape. The different names often reflect the region in which the grapes are grown, or style of the resulting wine; Pinot Gris generally drinks fuller and rounder than the more austere Pinot Grigio. But, like any grape, the specific soils, microclimate, and hand of the winemaker are what make the wine distinctive. Pinot Gris/Grigio of any type is great for skin-contact techniques due to the coloring present in its skins.