Wednesday, March 23, 2005, 06:42 - Wine and Health
~ Good Afternoon! ~Wine has a number of traits that we notice readily; flavor, color, aroma, alcohol, and its inherent uniqueness as a beverage. Wine also contains many compounds that we do not readily see, but that are beneficial to us in countless ways.
Specifically, wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol, cachetin, guercetin, and saponin. There are many more, as well.
Recent studies have shown resveratrol to be a very important anti-oxidant. It occurs in the skin and seeds of grapes, and so during the fermentation process, this antioxidant is leeched out of the skin and seeds and is married into the fermenting wine. So wine, in its final state, is essentially an antioxidant broth.
Resveratrol is easily assimilated into the human body, and is known to participate in the body's fight against heart disease, cancer, lung diseases ( such as chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease), as well as a veritable compendium of other ailments.
Resveratrol is also known as phytoestrogen, which binds to estrogen receptors, forcing estrogen to stay in the system longer. This makes wine a great dietary supplement for women with estrogen deficiencies, and can combat ailments common to women such as menopause, osteoporosis, cardivascular disease, and breast cancer. A moderate amount of red wine per day may assist the body in maintaining estrogen.
Wine is also rich in other antioxidants, such as cachetin, guercetin, and saponin. In combination with resveratrol, cachetin reduces the risk for heart disease greatly. Guercetin is shown to inhibit lung cancer onset. Saponin, found also in olive oil and soy beans, offer protective benefits to the heart. Each of these antioxidants are shown to be easily assimilated into the body.
For more information about the healthful benefits of wine, we suggest the Red Wine and Heatlh website , and the October, 15th, 2004, issue of Wine Spectator.
~ The Management ~
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Sunday, March 13, 2005, 16:54 - Wine Tradition
~ Good Evening! ~So what does Toasted Head Chardonnay, from RH Phillips of Esparto, CA., have to do with the Spanish wine tradition? Sit back and we'll tell you.
Toasted Head gets its name from the tradition of 'toasting' the inner core of a wooden oak barrel that wine is then aged in. 'Aged' is a relative term, because aging in oak could be from 3 months to as many as *many* years, depending of course upon the goal of the enologist.
Here's what this has to do with the Spanish wine tradition: For centuries the Spanish have been aging their wines in oak, but it was not always on purpose. When the conquistadors began bringing wine back to Spain from the new world, they generally brought it back in oak casks, like many beers and malt beverages were. Naturally, this oak had to be sealed in order to maintain the liquid inside the container and prevent drippage, which was achieved by toasting the oak inside the barrel.
Those of you who know anything about cooking know that when you toast, or caramelize, many types of meats or veggies, you enhance the flavor by reducing out the moisture, thus concentrating the existing flavor. Garlic, for example, is a great one to toastt. As it becomes more golden, the flavor intensifies. Toasting oak is similar. When the oak is toasted it brings out the inherent 'flavor' of the wood, intensifies it, and then 'marries' that flavor to the liquid contained within. Now we have hints of oak married into the wine! Genius!
Also, most enologists will have a preferred degree of toast they like in the oak they employ in their wine-making process. So, for example, the makers of Toasted Head are employing a preferred degree or grade of toast to their oak. This particular grade of toast 'touches' the wine with hints of vanilla, which go nicely with the natural apricot one finds in Chardonnay. Hints of vanilla tend to come from French oak, while hints of cedar or pine tend to come from American oak. Spanish wine makers tend to employ not only American and French oak, but also Hungarian and Russian.
We cite Toasted Head purely for the reason that such oaking is *not* as common in Californian, and other wines, as it is in Spanish wines, yet it is obviously a popular style because Toasted Head has become quite a popular line of wines, and with good reason. They are nice, easy to drink, enjoyable wines.
Based simply upon the USA's acceptance of wines such as Toasted Head, we believe that the USA will accept similarly oaked Spanish wines.
We salute Toasted Head, and encourage you to try their wines if you have not! We also encourage you to Get Into the Wines of Spain!
~ The Management ~
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Sunday, March 13, 2005, 15:59 - Grapes of Spain
~ Good Evening! ~Native to Spain, the grape variety Monastrell is a favorite of Mejia America.
Many rumors, and perhaps even 'urban myths,' at least in the wine world, have been told about where Monastrell came from and where it is now. Yes, 'urban myth' equivalents occur in the wine world too and are traded among wine geeks like baseball cards among.... Well you know who...
One particular fact about Monastrell is certain; it is a grape that has been cultivated in Spain and France for many centuries. The French call it Mourvedre, and that is also the name is known by in the USA and many other parts of the world.
Would you like to hear an interesting tale about Monastrell? During Napoleon's first attempt at the conquest of Europe, many of France's vineyards were suffering bouts of plague, like many of France's people as well. Mourvedre, among other varieties, nearly died out entirely. It was Napoleon and those associated with his empire that brought Monastrell from south-eastern Spain back to France to cultivate it once again as Mourvedre. This was told to us by an enologist whose primary goal in life has been, and *is*, the perfection of excellent Monastrell wines.
We at Mejia America argue, as well as many viti-culturalists, that when a particular grape variety is transplanted to a new geographical biome, i.e., from Spain to France, that grape will adapt to the conditions of that biome and manifest its differences in tannins, sugar content, polyphenol content, etc., slowly but surely over the course of time due specifically to that change in biome. A biome is another word for environment. So in other words, that transplanted grape essentially becomes a new type of grape, albeit genetically still very similar to its parent. This is really no shocker because as the world has seen, oranges have become quite differentiated simply for their growing environment.
So while Monastrell and Mourvedre are very similar, very distinct differences can be noted in the final product of those grapes. A Monastrell wine from Jumilla, an arid region of south-eastern Spain with intensely hot summers, will differ greatly from a Mourvedre wine from northern France, a more temperate and wet region. Similarly, Mourvedre wines from California are yet more unique.
We want to stress that we don't believe any Monastrell or Mourvedre wine is particularly better than any other. Of course, there is good wine and bad wine - duely noted. But our point is that Monastrell wines are not 'better' than Mourvedre, nor vice versa. The beauty of it all is that there are *so many* wines to be tried, and *so little* time to try them all!
What does Monastrell taste like? Deep, dark, black, mature, plum-like, hinted of licorice, hinted of clove, sugary, FRUIT. Monastrell wines are generally very dark in color, high in alcohol, with a medium-high acidity, and are FABULOUS when aged 9 months to a year in oak. But of course, they are also fantastic when less than a year old! We believe that some of the best Monastrell wines come from Jumilla, Spain.
Yes, we are big fans of Monastrell around here!
~ The Management ~
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Friday, March 11, 2005, 16:30 - From the Desk of the Management
~ Good Evening... ~Today's entry is different than any of the others I will post this year, likely. It is simply to pay respect for the victims of the train bombings in Madrid one year ago today, also known as "11M."
"11M" is the manner in which the Spanish write "3/11", 11th March. They also refer to our "9/11" as "11S", 11th September.
When life-changing events occur, people that were present tend to remember exactly what they doing, where they were going, and what was on their minds when they heard the news.
A year ago today I got up out of bed at about 7am, realizing I was too late for the train I wanted to catch out Atocha station. I was staying at my friend's family apartment in Madrid on calle Rios Rosas ( number 6). I had been traveling non-stop for almost 14 days with my wife and a good friend from Ciudad Real, and was *so* tired I could have slept the entire day. My wife had left the morning before on the 10th from Barajas ariport, and I elected to stay another night in Madrid to get some much needed rest.
I finally turned on the television by 8am to catch the morning news, while simultaneously deciding to hurry to leave my apartment in hopes of catching another train. Just then an emergency announcement came on to tell the news of 'a bombing' at Atocha station. The news reported that 66 people had been killed.
I was really sorry to hear about these people dying, and had no idea how serious it really was, and so was also slightly concerned about how that would affect train and travel out of Atocha. Madrid is the center of the hub for all trains going from north to south, and from east to west, and so one incident like this can paralyze the city and country. Atocha is marvelously efficient, but is not in any way redundant.
I gathered my suitcase and my jacket and got right out to the metro ( in Madrid the metro is the subway, or 'tube') to get over to Atocha. The metro stop I needed was shut down, and so I had to exit two stops ahead and walk the remaining distance. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see, and I can still see it now. All I could hear were sirens, vehicles racing to their destinations, shouts from people I could not yet see, and horns from commuters not understanding why they were in such a traffic jam.
When I got to the station, it was still too early for the police to block off the area and keep bystanders from entering the scenes, and so I walked right up to the station and right into the thick of bloody bodies being carried past me, people crying and screaming, and first responders running frantically to their duties. In a word, I walked into chaos.
I didn't know what to do, but my first inclination was to help. But quickly the police shouted myself and many others back out of the way. That was when I noticed that bodies were being stuffed into taxi cabs because there were not enough ambulances. I also noticed the smell, or rather, the unmistakable *stench* of burning flesh, and what I later realized was the smell of explosives. I noticed my hand hurting and realized I was clutching my jacket so hard that my hand was red and throbbing.
Before I knew it I was in a line at Puerta del Sol attempting to donate my universally coveted 'O-negative' blood, but the line was hours long and an official-looking guy stepped out of the transient blood-mobile to announce that they did not require blood from any more donors. So I took that moment to call my brother and my friend in Ciudad Real.
I didn't end up telling anyone about what I saw for a while, mainly to keep my wife and family from worrying about me. It was reported at one point that an 'American' had been killed in the blasts, but luckily I had contacted my wife before that report came out, and she was able to inform others that it indeed was not me that had fallen victim...
Norwegian and Dutch newspaper reporters were able to coax me into taking them to two of the other bombing sites. They convinced me I would be a great interpretor and city guide. We were able to see what was left of the wreckage, tattered and bloody clothing, and other items carbonized from the tremendous bomb blasts. Two things really stand out from these bombing sites for me, aside from the shear destruction so evident. One was a few sole shoes, no longer with owners, that were flattened or twisted like they had been through a blender. The other was empty body bags lying about.
I ended up participating in a moment of silence in Gran Via with several million other people the next day, and then also marching with those same several million another day later in a symbolic gesture of denying terrorism. Many cities around Spain participated ( see photo below), in the freezing cold rain as well. But how could I complain?
I also barred witness to a major upset in the election for the new president. Mariano Rajoy lost to Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and ironically, where as a metaphor for denying terrorism by marching throughout the streets of Spain, Zapatero said 'yes' to terrorism by pulling Spanish troops out of Iraq.
Really the rest is history... "El Pais", a popular Madrid daily, reported on the 13th that a total of 204 people had died. I was walking on Gran Via toward Plaza Callao when I read that, and I won't forget that either.
May God comfort those left by those who died.
~ The Management ~
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Thursday, March 10, 2005, 02:15 - General
~ Good Morning! ~Some very good news ( which we already knew! - hahaha...) has come to our attention.
According to a study performed by British consulting firm ISWR/DGR, by 2008 France will no longer be the biggest wine consuming nation on this planet. Instead, this honor will belong to the USA.
From the April 2005 issue of "Wine and Spirits" magazine, in an article by Patrick Comiskey on page 12, "The report, prepared for VinExpo, estimates that wine consumption in the U.S. will grow by 28.6 percent from 2003 figures, to 7.3 billion gallons in 2008. In second place...will be Italy, whose consumption is estimated to rise by 2.4 percent... France is estimated to *drop* by 7.4 percent, leaving it in 3rd position."
There is more to the report, however. Read on... "The report suggests that consumption will decline significantly in SPAIN, Portugal, and Argentina, but is likely to rise in Germany, Great Britain, and South Africa." The article goes on to say that 75% of the increase in consumption of wine will be attributed to the USA, Germany, and Great Britain.
We here at Mejia America can see why this could be good and bad. For example, if wine consumption on the part of Spaniards decreases dramatically, will Spanish wine producers see less need to stay in the business altogether? After all, if their own countrymen are not seeing the need to include the juice in their daily regimen, why forge on? Conversely, if world consumption is on the increase, will producers realize that their market shares could actually increase ex-patria?
Also, we see one inherent flaw to the report, or perhaps a flaw in "Wine and Spirits" magazine's reporting ( no offense, Mr. Comiskey). Where is the mention of CHINA and JAPAN? Does anyone out there realize that these two countries are already having a significant effect on the wine sector? We can name at least *two* Spanish wine producers that have bottling facilities or distribution facilites in, on, around, or near China and Japan. Let's keep and eye on those markets!
Lastly, according to the Adams Wine Handbook, per capita wine consumption [in the USA] is at nearly 3 gallons during 2003, and wine consumption increased by 5.8 percent in 2003. We are happy to report that the 3 gallons is most likely consumed during the course of a year, and not all in one week, but we cannot proove this...
So, the basic gist of this morning's report is that wine consumption is on the increase. This is good because, simply stated, more varieties of more wine from diverse countries of origin will be available and saleable in these great United States of America than ever before. This is great for the export countries of origin. 'Affordable' wines, boutique wines, not-so-affordable wines, etc, will all become more visible, accessible, and pronounced in our marketplace here.
Get into the wines of Spain!
~ The Management ~
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Monday, March 07, 2005, 06:44 - From the Desk of the Management
~ Good Afternoon! ~I have recently come across a few articles that have a few single sentences each that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside here at Mejia America.
The first selection is from the Fall 2004 issue of "Sedona Home and Garden" magazine. In an article by Diana H. Renfro, she states: "Spain produces food-friendly, balanced wines known to give great value for the price."
Soooo true, we reply! Any Spaniard will tell you that to properly enjoy a Spanish wine there is to pull up a chunk of Manchego cheese, or pop a few olives into your mouth. Wine is *part* of the meal, not the meal itself - although some have been known to make a meal of a bottle.
The second selection is from the January 31 - February 28, 2005 issue of "Wine Spectator" magazine. On page 88, Thomas Matthews writes a small bit about the 'big three' regions of Spain; La Rioja, Priorat, and Ribera del Duero. But in his last paragraph on the page, he makes a compelling statement about Spanish wine in general, to which we offer a gold medal. "Let these wines be your entry points to discover a country whose progress has been rapid and will continue to impress."
Again, we are happy to see comments like these being made about Spanish wines. The truth is that since the world has been weened for decades on Cabernet's, Merlot's, Chardonnay's, etc., Spanish wines will come across in a very different way. The proof is in the pudding. The reviews are coming out. Popularity of Spanish wines is increasing. The average sample of Spanish wine available to US consumers is increasing *daily.*
Here's a clue to the future of where tastes in world wines may end up at some point: Most of the grapes used in wine-making in this world are grown in Spain.
~ The Management ~
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Thursday, March 03, 2005, 03:53 - Wine Tradition
~ Good Morning! ~Hi, I wanted to write a little bit this morning about the elaboration styles that the Spanish 'Denomination of Origin,' aka, 'DO,' advisory boards specify.
The Spanish regulatory commissions of the Denomination of Origin, comprised by *many* regions within Spain, serve a very similar purpose to that of the French 'Appellation,' or the Italian 'Denominazione di Origine Controlata' systems. Most wine producing countries have governing bodies which lay down the rules for wine-making.
Simply stated, and I am *greatly* simplifying this as there are profound political considerations as well, DO's were created to put forth a mandate for how wines from distinct regions should be elaborated. This is so that when you pick up a bottle of 'reserve' wine from the shelf, you know that there is a specification for that 'reserve' in order for that wine to earn the title. Thusly, you know that a certain amount of time, technique, care, and planning has gone into that particular wine. This is also known as 'elaboration.'
In general, you will find that *most* Spanish wines are aged, or have some trait of aging. This is demonstrated in the Spanish tendancy to use oak in the elaboration.
The basic specification for the Denomination of Origin La Mancha is as follows:
'Joven' ( Young) : Wines that are designed to be consumed before 9 months. These wines are designed to be boldly fruity, very enjoyable, and easy to consume. Generally fermented in stainless steel or concrete vats.
'Tradicional' ( Traditional) : This specification states that the wine should be 'aged' no more than 2 years, which generally ocurrs in stainless steel or concrete, and a short amount of time in oak. These wines are designed to be more mature in flavor than 'Joven' wines, which means that more mature fruit can be noticed than the young fruit in Joven wines.
'Crianza' ( no direct translation) : A Crianza wine has a minimum of 2 years of aging, 1 of which must be in oak, and 1 in the bottle. Crianza wines are notably different and more mature than Traditional and Joven wines, and they tend to be better liked. Bold oak is noted in these wines by hints of vanilla ( French oak) and pine ( American oak). Russian and Hungarian oak are becoming more prevalent.
'Reserva' ( no direct translation) : A Reserva wine must age 1 year in oak, and 2 years in the bottle. Finer palettes can appreciate the subtle differences between the Crianza and the Reserva. Reserva wines tend to marry the fruit of the wine with the oak from the cask very well.
'Gran Reserva' ( no direct translation) : Gran Reserva wines age a minimum of 2 years in oak, and an additional 3 years in the bottle. This elaboration technique is generally expensive, and will be the lowest production of any winery, for obvious reasons. Gran Reserva wines are designed to be consumed within a few years of release, and are a excellent blend of the oak and natural fruit.
'Espumoso' ( Sparkling Wine) : Espumoso wines are aged a minimum of 9 months in the bottle, and commonly mistaken for 'Cava,' which is a type of Sparkling wine from Catalunya. Espumoso is the Spanish word for 'Spumanti,' which is the Italian version of the same type of wine. Most sparkling wines have very similar elaboration techniques, and so Champagne, Cava, Spumanti, and Espumoso are all very similar to American Sparkling wines.
To wrap this up, you can see that the Spanish DO system has detailed mandates for the elaboration specification of wines in Spain. As a result, people can often be mislead into thinking that, for example, a 'Reserve' wine from Chile would be the same as a 'Reserve' wine from Spain. But because the Chilean specification is different than the Spanish specification, the wines will be drastically different. This, without a doubt, causes confusion among consumers.
For more information, please visit the DO La Mancha website.
I did not mean for this entry to be so long, but I do hope you find it informative!
~ The Management~
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005, 10:40 - General
~ Good Afternoon! ~After reading an interesting article on FoxNews.com about the recent movie 'Sideways,' I decided to write a little bit about it here.
What strikes me as fascinating is that a movie can have such a drastic effect on so many people. This particular article cites the fact that the sales of Merlot wines is plumeting, while Pinot Noir is picking up sharply, due simply to a character's penchant for 'Pinot Noir' demonstrated in this movie 'Sideways.'
Let us just say that if you are a big Merlot fan, that's great! If you have not tried Pinot Noir, try it! It's great too! But don't leave Merlot behind in the dust... There are some *great* California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Indiana Merlot's out there!
As well, there are some *great* Pinot Noir's out there too. One we particularly like, which is very affordable and great as an entry level Pinot Noir, 'Bogle Vineyards, Pinot Noir.'
The tradition of wine in the USA, in comparison to Spain for example, is a mere few years old. Spain has nearly 2,000 years of wine making, grape growing, and general viticulture under its belt. This means that wine is also *more* part of the culture there in Spain than for us here in the USA.
So, if a movie were to come out in Spain featuring a particular grape in a particular movie character's wine favorites list, it is unlikely that it would so drastically influence the entire market so much, as people there generally already know the grape varieties available to them.
But do you want to hear the best news out of all of this? There are literally *hundreds* of grape varieties from Spain, at least, that have not yet made their collective mark here in the USA.
We are excited that people are trying Pinot Noir, if not for the first time because they heard about it in the movie, then because they have had it before and it's been too darn long since they've had it and they're ready to try it again! This means Americans are *open-minded* about the wines they will try, which means Americans are going to get a good taste of great Spanish wines soon ( if not already)!
~ The Management ~
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005, 05:01 - From the Desk of the Management
~ Good Morning! ~We have been very busy lately, working on projects to open up new markets for our products.
Currently we have an opportunity for a large distribution in California, that could later go national. The volumes in question are enormous, and therefore not only mean high volume sales, but also the opportunity to bring in some *excellent* wines that will retail for bargain-basement pricing! This means that unprecendented quality red wines from Spain will be available en masse, to the masses.
We also have another project on the burner to bring smaller quantities of wine into Indiana, Arizona, and California. The wines will be higher quality and more limited production, and will therefore be avilable only in boutique wine stores.
As spring and summer approach, we look forward also to bringing in some rosado and white wines. There is almost nothing as refreshing as a chilled rosado or white wine in the heat of the summer!
~ The Management ~
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Tuesday, March 01, 2005, 11:08 - General Wine Health Topics
~ Good Afternoon! ~Another citation from the October 15th, 2004, 'Wine Spectator,' from an article by R. Curtis Ellison, M.D.,:
"If we look at results from epidemiological studies, we usually see the maximum health benefits ( the lowest risk for most diseases) at about 1 or 2 drinks per day for both men and women. However, the net health effects of alcohol consumption usually remain beneficial ( lower risk than that of abstainers) for heart disease and for total mortality among people drinking more, up to 4 or 5 drinks per day. In most studies, 1 drink equals a 5-ounce serving of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or a ( 1.25 or 1.5 ounce) shot of spirits such as vodka or whiskey..."
For all around health it appears that some wine is better than none. Is it really that surprising? If you take the logic that many foods are good for you, which by definition they better be or you will not subsist, then why should it surprise us that beverages can also have added health benefits?
Lastly, alcoholic beverages are not for everyone. If you are taking medications, or have any concerns whatsoever about alcoholic beverages and your health, just ask your doctor about it.
~ The Management ~
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