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One-on-One with Sheri

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask 10 questions of winemaker Laurent Miquel, who is based in the Saint Chinian appellation in the South of France where his family has been making wine since 1789. While Laurent comes from a long tradition of winemakers, I think he is an outstanding example of how a new generation of winemakers is affecting the wine industry in France. His Viognier and Syrah are part of my Top Picks list and as you can see from his website (www.laurent-miquel.com), he makes a number of other wines that you would do well to search out.

Laurent Miquel

1. What is your favorite thing about being a winemaker?

The conviviality and the international nature of the wine world. Through my work I have met such a variety of great personalities and philosophers from all over the world. From young New Zealander and Australian winemakers who worked the harvest with us here, to Japanese wine geeks met in Tokyo, to the old hacks at the local wine festivals, almost everyone I have ever met through my work became involved for the love of wine.

Also the sense of heritage that following on from eight generations of family in the same line of business brings. My father is still very active in the vineyards and, although we do not always see eye to eye on everything, working with him on a daily basis is a privilege.

2. If you could make wine in another region in the world, where would it be and why?

There are so many amazing terroirs I would love to make wine in. I admire the very elegant, mineral styles of the whites from Sancerre and Chablis and recently I visited the exciting Rias Baixas DO in Galicia. The climate there is very different from that of the Languedoc with a lot more rain and the Atlantic influence, but I love the energy in the area and the passion they have for their indigenous grape. Their DO is similar in age to our AOC so it would be exciting to work in a similar emerging area for quality wines. 

3. Do you have one grape variety that you enjoy working with more than the others?

I really enjoy working with Viognier. We have worked really hard to develop a unique style and gained great recognition for it. Viognier is not an easy grape to grow or to work with in the cellar. It is fickle and so easy to overdo. So when we achieve a good wine it is all the more satisfying.

4. What is a food and wine pairing that you greatly enjoy?

I cannot resist a great cheese selection and particularly the farmhouse cheeses from the mountains such as comté and reblochon. The perceived pairing with these is a hearty red wine like a Saint Chinian but I love to surprise our guests by serving our Vérité, a selection of oak fermented Viognier.

5. What are your observations of the 2008 harvest?

2008 was the latest in a series of atypical harvests. This time around early summer was very cool meaning that we really had to push back the harvest date, particularly on our Syrahs. For me, this was a fantastic year for producing more elegant wines with better balance. This obviously benefitted the whites, but also the reds. They will be more understated than the fruity 2007s but I am quietly confident.

6. What is one of your greatest challenges as a winemaker?

Getting it right in the vineyard is the biggest challenge. A lot of our vineyard techniques were copied from Bordeaux and Burgundy, but our terroir and climate are totally different here and different techniques must be invented. My father has been growing vines for over 35 years and he is still learning about the best way to cultivate here in the Languedoc hills.

Laurent Miquel with Syrah

7. What is the most difficult part of the winemaking process for you?

The moment the grapes arrive at the winery, they are so fragile and one false move at that stage can be fatal for the quality of the wines.

8. How important do you think packaging (the label, the bottle) is for the American consumer and how do you see packaging changing over the next few years for your wines?

Very important! The choice of labeling and bottle type is our first opportunity to tell a prospective buyer about our wines. It must be attractive and informative at the same time; I believe back labels are very important in giving the background of the wine and telling the story of its origins.

We have recently changed our labeling in an effort to make the wines look more reassuring and even more ‘French’ in style. American consumers are definitely interested in French wines, particularly from more approachable regions like ours which can also feature the grape variety on the labels.

It is also important to feature ‘sustainable viticulture’ and other elements that reflect our environmental philosophy. We try to keep our bottle choices reasonable as very heavy bottles mean wasted energy for production and transport.

9. What do you think makes your wines different from other producers in your region?

I concentrate on achieving balance in my wines through growing perfectly ripe fruit that maintains higher acidity levels. Languedoc has a Mediterranean climate and some of the wines from here can be a little rough around the edges and overripe or over extracted. I am determined to show that we can also produce elegant wines from our terroir and that if we put in the hard work in the vines and adapt our planting our wines can show good acidity and balance.

A famous chateau owner in Bordeaux once told me scathingly that wines from Languedoc would never have the ‘finesse’ of his wines. That was like a red flag waved before a bull and for the last decade I have been striving to prove him wrong!

10. How is Syrah (Laurent’s dog) progressing in her training as a truffle-hunting dog?

Syrah is getting on well. This year was the best year for truffles in the Languedoc since the late 90’s due, we think, to winter rainfall. Syrah is very greedy and loves the finer things in life like fillet steak and doggy chocolate drops. This is the perfect temperament for a truffle hunter as when she finds a truffle she gets some cheese as a reward – the bigger the truffle, the more pieces of cheese she demands.

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1. What is your earliest memory of the wine-making process?
My grandfather was a winemaker in Alsace and there have been winemakers in my family as far back as anyone can remember. They were still making Riesling and Gewurztraminer in manual basket presses when I was a little boy. I began picking grapes at 5-6 years old.

2. Tell us your favorite thing about being a sommelier.
I enjoy everything about being a sommelier. The best part of this job is surely the contact with people. I like helping a guest find the perfect wine to enhance their experience.

Philippe Marchal in the Daniel's cellar

3. Besides Alsace, what is your favorite French region and why?
Another French region that I prefer is Chateauneuf du Pape. I lived in the South of France for 7 years and really developed a love for Grenache. I enjoy the fruit, the spice, and the overall texture of the wine.

4. What is the most memorable French wine that you have ever tasted?
Four months ago, four Canadian customers came to Daniel Restaurant. They ordered a few bottles of Bordeaux and at the end of their dinner the ’61 Chateau Haut-Brion was left. This was one of the most memorable wines I have ever had. I really recommend it.

5. What is your favorite food and French wine pairing that might surprise people?
I really like white wine with cheese. My favorite food and wine pairing is a Gewurztraminer with a piece of Munster from Alsace or Comté on bread.

6. What three wines would you have to have with you if you were stranded on
a desert island?

Without hesitation, I would have a Riesling from Alsace, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône Valley and a Romanée Conti from Burgundy.

7. What French wine do you drink most frequently?
The same as I just quoted. Riesling represents 70-80% of my personal cellar at home.

8. What do you wish you could tell your customers about wine?
Generally, I try to take the time to talk with most of my customers. I tell them the stories about the wine, the history of the winemaker, the vintage, etc. What is behind the label is the most important. It represents a property, a family, a lot of work and time.

Philippe Marchal

9. What wine trend do you see your customers embracing right now?
Wine pairings are increasing in popularity. I am noticing that many more guests trust the sommelier’s choice for each course instead of buying a bottle to go with everything.

10. If you could be a French wine, which wine would you be and why?
A Riesling from Alsace, because it comes from my native region and would bring me back home.

www.danielnyc.com

 

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Recently I had the pleasure of spending some time with Wine Internet Superstar Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. I have to admit, I really had no idea how the interview was going to go – but when it was all said and done, this interview definitely ranks at the top of my list. I hope you enjoy listening to our chat and be sure to check out what happens at the end of the interview when I challenge Gary to a cork drop game!

To watch the interview, click here or press the play button on the video at the top right corner

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Nancy RugusI recently had the opportunity to speak with Nancy Rugus, who is the Director of the Americas for Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus, a Bordeaux negociant. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about a subject near and dear to her heart – French Wine!

1. How did you get started in the wine business?

I fell in love with food and wine. I was teaching in the NYC public schools and took a leave of absence to start selling wine in NYC for a wine division at one of the larger distributors. I had no experience in the wine trade but have always enjoyed my work and never went back to teaching.

2. Tell us a little bit about the Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus.

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus is a Bordeaux negociant that has experienced steady growth over the past 5 to 10 years. We think of ourselves as a distribution company and not just as a trader of wines. We take a long-term perspective, building strong partnerships throughout the USA.

3. What is your favorite French region and why?

Well of course, it’s Bordeaux. Bordeaux consistently produces quality wines that often can have long aging ability. It is also a region of great diversity with something for everyone - not only in terms of price but also in terms of style. I have had some of the most wonderful experiences there. The French have always shown me nothing but the warmest reception and hospitality – not necessarily what many Americans realize about them.

4. What is the most memorable French wine that you have ever tasted?

I’ve had many great wines so it is very difficult to answer this question. The most memorable would be a few from the St Julien appellation that I had at a Marvin Overton tasting some years ago, coming from the late 1800’s. The wines were still fresh although short lived and this experience gives me certain bragging rights. But I would have to say that almost any really good wine that is perfectly ready to drink can only give great pleasure.

5. What is your favorite food and French wine pairing that might surprise people?

Simple Roast Chicken with a well-balanced Bordeaux wine. I often get pleasure from the simplest combinations and some of the best memories I have of wine and food are not just about the wine & food, but the total experience – sharing it with other friends and family.

6. What three wines would you have to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

A great Sauternes - very complex, yet fruity and elegant wine; a great Bordeaux - young or with a little age, different sensations but all giving instant pleasure (not bad on a desert island); and certainly Champagne - the bubbles always make me feel wonderful!

7. What French wine do you drink most frequently?

I love Bordeaux and drink it very often - but also drink Burgundy, especially the whites which can be exceptional. I also enjoy a glass of Champagne as an aperitif as often as I can.

8. What do you see as the biggest change in Bordeaux in the last 10 years?

The fact that there are almost no bad vintages any more. Some vintages may not produce wines you would want to put down and age for a long time, but overall, there really haven’t been any bad vintages in recent years.

9. What is the biggest misconception Americans have about French wine?

I think many people are intimidated, thinking that it is complicated to understand the wines. That is mostly because the varietal name is rarely used in France and American consumers are used to seeing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.

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I first met DC Flynt back in 2001 when I entered the Master of Wine program. You’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer or warmer wine expert! DC has a background in restaurants, but now works as an importer and distributor. DC has always been passionate about French wine, especially wines from Burgundy. I especially love his answer to question number 10 – it is truly indicative of the down-to-earth wine-lover that he is!

1. How did you get started in the wine business?
In 1966 at 14 I started working in a restaurant as a busboy, and shortly became a waiter. Selling wine to our patrons was very profitable for the wait staff, but required some knowledge. In 1974 after finishing college I built my first restaurant/ bar/ wine bar “Scarlett O’s” and in 1981 I opened an up-scale restaurant Café Margaux, which was destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005. In 1991 I began the import business DC FLYNT MW SELECTIONS. In the beginning, our primary focus was on wines from Burgundy and a small amount of Champagne. Today we also import wines from Bordeaux, Rhône, Italy, Spain, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand, and distribute wines from the US as well.

2. Tell us a little about what you currently do in the wine business. What is a typical day in the life of DC Flynt like?
Today we are totally involved in import/export and distribution. Along with our distributor partners we ship to 7 countries and 37 states in the US. Besides distributing our regular portfolio of wines, we spend a considerable amount of effort developing custom brand projects for clients like Costco, HEB, Central Markets, and others.

3. What is your favorite wine region in France to visit?
Burgundy, there is something fascinating to discover every step of the way.

4. What is your favorite food and French wine pairing that might surprise people?
That is like asking me which of my children I like best. Here are two meals I love, both are simple dishes, Bouillabaisse and Alsace Pinot Gris, and a Wood Fired Organic Omelet with Champagne. These are inexpensive meals that highlight the best qualities and purity of the food and wine, without masking the flavors either. Alsace Pinot Gris is one of the best buys on the planet, and even the best eggs are so cheap we can all afford to drink Champagne with joy.

5. How has French wine changed since you started working in the wine business?
French wine has both changed and remained the same. I believe that the quality of wine worldwide has improved dramatically over the last 40 years and wines from France are no exception. These positive changes are due to improvements in education in the wine sciences, vineyard husbandry, clonal selection, technology and cellar hygiene. The end result is that we are experiencing an unprecedented era of French wines that display both the artistic effects of quality winemaking and a pure sense of terroir. As a quality wine producing country, France has few rivals and their drive to produce the finest wines seems to be a core competency of the French.

6. What made you decide you wanted to become a Master of Wine?
In the 70’s and 80’s I admired the high level of wine education which was common for the trade in the UK. The leaders in providing this educational experience were the WSET and the Institute of Masters of Wine. In the early 90s, the Institute of Masters of Wine made the decision to open their membership beyond the boundaries of the UK to the world community and I jumped at the opportunity. I had no idea how difficult the course of studies and the examination would be. By 1998, 10 Americans had become Masters of Wine. I was fortunate to be in that group, and although the end result was always in my cross-hairs it was the education, experience and the opportunity to hone my trade that really drove me.

7. If you were stranded on a deserted island, which 3 French wines would you have to have with you?
Hopefully I won’t be alone and this island will have at least one deep cave for me to store cases of Champagne de Bruyne Grand Cru 100% Chardonnay from Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger, 1990 Robert Ampeau Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes, and the 2005 Bernard Gros Frère et Soeur Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Musigny. Champagne and red and white Burgundy are hard to beat if you can only have three!

8. What has been the most memorable French wine that you have ever tasted?
I’ve been fortunate to taste many unusual and top wines from many regions in France, and picking one is tough. It is the occasion and the company that make a wine truly memorable. For me, it was a remarkable bottle of Bollinger RD Champagne shared one evening in the Spring of ‘85 at Restaurant Boyer les Crayères.

9. What new innovations do you see in the future for French wines?
I’m not sure if new innovations are the driving force behind the future of French wines. The French are open to new technology and certainly some regions are more open to change than others, and this is the correct balance. The French have a mandate to protect the sanctity of terroir for the top regions and appellations, and the challenge of competing with the rest of the world for a greater share in the category of table wines. To this end, the euro has hamstrung the French. The innovations that the French producers need now are in dealing with the cost of labor, taxes, poor exchange rates, and useless government regulation. These are the areas that have the greatest competitive impact on agricultural products and this is particularly true in the competitive table wine category.

10. If you were a French wine, what wine would you be and why?
How exciting to be a French wine for a day! Despite all the wonderful choices, as a Southerner I think I would have to be a Bourgogne Pinot Noir. There is not much Grand Cru or Premier Cru about me, even the Village level would be a reach. A Bourgogne Pinot Noir speaks about where it is from in a simple and straight forward way. It is a thumbprint of the land and the vintage, but most of all it is about enjoyment and the simple pleasures. I think that is who I am.

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People always want to know how I got started in the wine business.  I always enjoy telling the story of how I used to sit in the back of the classroom at the International Wine Center, nervous as anything that I would get called upon to read my tasting notes.  A complete novice, I barely knew my Chardonnay from my Cabernet Sauvignon and I probably would not have gotten very far with my tasting notes were it not for the fact that two sommeliers who were sitting next to me decided to take me under their wings.  Luckily for me, one of those guys was Bernie Sun, one of the nicest and most knowledgeable people I know.  When it comes to Burgundy, Bernie is the guy you want to turn to.  A sommelier who has worked at some of the very best restaurants in New York City, Bernie is now the Corporate Beverage Director for Jean-Georges Management and responsible for all of the beverage programs at all of Jean-Georges’ restaurants around the world.  Bernie is also now the spokesperson for Burgundy here in the US and gets to spend some of his (not very spare) time teaching about the complexities of Burgundy.  I was able to corner Bernie for a few minutes recently to ask him the following questions.

How did you get started in the wine business?
“My first full time wine job was at Restaurant Lespinasse at the St Regis in NYC. I was always fascinated with wine (maybe from watching too many James Bond movies when I was a young).  At Lespinasse, I was helping the sommelier at the time with odds and ends voluntarily…when he decided to leave, the Chef, Gray Kunz, offered me the position. I said yes because I thought it would be fun, little did I know where this would take me…”

Describe a day in the life of Bernie Sun, Corporate Beverage Director for Jean Georges Management.
“My days seem to always go by very quickly. I get to my office at around 9:30ish .. I check through my emails (usually around 50 to 75 a day), look through the previous day’s sales and review the group’s purchases and touch base with Jean Georges on anything he wants me to look into. Around noon, I start receiving my appointments with vendors. I taste through maybe about 30 to 50 wines daily this way. By about 3ish, I leave the office to visit our restaurants and touch base with my sommelier/beverage persons, usually one or two per night. I finish up around 8ish.”

What is your favorite French region and why?
“Burgundy - when I drink Burgundies, a tingle goes up and down my spine.”

What has been the most memorable French wine that you have ever tasted?
“During one of my visits to Burgundy, I was fortunate to be able to taste an 1865 La Romanée in Jadot’s wine cellar; the wine was stunning even though it faded in 10 minutes. I was thinking that this wine was made the same year when Abraham Lincoln was President.”

What is your favorite food and French wine pairing that might surprise people?
“An Alsace Pinot Gris with Chopped Chicken Liver. .. a red or white Burgundy would also work well but the Pinot Gris from Alsace would be great with its combination of richness and earthiness.”

What three wines would you have to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
“A great bottle of Le Montrachet, a great bottle of La Tache and a bottle of Krug Clos de Mesnil for celebrating when rescued.”

What French wine do you drink most frequently?
“White and Red burgundies. I like Mâcon white wines for everyday drinking and Cote de Beaune reds… these are very satisfying wines for casual drinking…”

Tell me what it’s like being the Spokesperson for Burgundy here in the US.
“I was very honored to be chosen as the first US Spokesperson for the Burgundy Wine Region. I was asked by the BIVB (Burgundy Wine Council) to represent them in promoting the wines of Burgundy. The spokesperson’s responsibilities consist of traveling to different cities in the US and educating both the consumer and the trade through lectures and tastings on the wines of Burgundy. Since Burgundy is my favorite wine region, I am incredibly thrilled to carry forth the message on how delicious and versatile these wines are.”

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