Back in Maps.

I've been drawing some really terrible maps, to help with nailing down 'origin as closely as possible' questions. Honestly, they're like a child has drawn them. Here they are.

Ok,

So the purpose of these drawings is to help me quickly think about the most obvious choices for ‘Origin’ when blind tasting.

Essentially, what are the most likely choices; If it’s probably a Xinomavro, what the most sensible place in Greece?

Saying ‘California’ isn’t enough when faced with a blockbuster Cabernet.

What you need is some terrible maps. Crude drawings with just enough structure to serve as a memory jogger to get you into Elgin for S.A Pinot, or Stellenbosch for that Bordeaux Blend.

The point here is not to be an accurate representation of the place, just enough to get me into the most common ballpark wines for their country and region.

It’s not really about geography, or topography, or soil types. They’re not theory maps, they’re blind tasting cheat-sheet maps.

Enough with the expectation management. Here you go. I thought you might like to see them.

Terrible Wine Maps - California

Can you see what I mean?

If it’s a Rhone style red, or the question is telling you there’s blends, and you think one is American, you’re gonna put it in Paso Robles.

If you get to the tasting exam, and you’re explaining to the examiner that you mulled over Anderson Valley or Santa Barbera for the Pinot in front of you, you’re doing OK.

If the actual answer is anywhere in California, most of the time I think I’m likely to pick up a good chunk of the marks by at least having a sensible answer. Particularly if I rule out one over the other.

It’s also helpful for understanding the wider AVAs from their sub-AVAs. If the wine isn’t great and you think it’s a regional blend, I need to say ‘Central Valley’, or ‘San Joaquin Valley’, over a better example from Lodi AVA, for example. It shows that you understand the regions.

Pinot Noir Example

Q1. Wines 1 - 3 are made from the same single grape, each is from a different country. Identify the grape variety with reference the origins as closely as possible.

We’ve got three light bodied reds, and you think you’re in Pinot Noir territory. It’s possible we’ve got something European (France most likely!), then perhaps South Africa, Chile, Australia or New Zealand, and if there’s something looking like an American version, you can quickly get to that.

“Darker colour, silkier, finer, but higher (M+) tannin, some coconut and vanilla suggesting proportion of new American oak, higher abv (14%)”

That gets you to California / America over the other Pinot Noirs. One sentence. But then you need something to get you “as closely as possible”. At that point in the exam I really don’t want to have to try and recall all the sub regions of California.

I just want the most likely / obvious two or three options within easy reach. Plump for one and argue away the other two. Having these shit maps makes that much easier.

Terrible Wine Maps - Washington & Oregon.

Finally, here is everything you need to know about wine regions of the Pacific North-West of the USA.

Oregon: Cooler, coastal. Mostly Pinot Noir. See if you can remember Willamette AVA, Applegate Valley AVA and maybe Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVAs if you’re lucky. A little bit of Pinot Gris.

Washington: Hotter, continental. Walla Walla AVA for Syrah. Columbia Valley AVA for a vast majority, with Yakima Valley AVA for premium Cabernet & Riesling.

My knowledge will fill in the gaps, but, to repeat… When presented with an Origin question, it’s very helpful to just cut out the clutter and have a few key, obvious, and easily recalled AVAs.

Terrible Wine Maps - South Africa

Now, for South Africa, I’m more confident (or at least I think I am) on the key styles of wine from each region. But, a quick Map, and a broad idea can really help as a mental/visual reference for what options are open to me.

South African Chenin:

• Cool and interesting? Swartland.

• Simple? Franschhoek.

• Upfront and intense? Stellenbosch.

That will do, Pig. No further information required. The Map has served its purpose. I’ll likely not use much of the info here for blind tasting, but just having done the exercise we’re in a better position.

Terrible Wine Maps - Greece

Oh gosh, Dimitris, don’t shoot me for this one. This map really was a knowledge-gap filler. If I tasted a wine that logically it made sense that it could be in Greece I had nowhere else quick to go to. A flight of pale red wines with firm tannins, Xinomavro, Nebbiolo and Cinsault from different countries perhaps?

I honestly had no real clue where some of these varieties might come from. I need to be more accurate than Greece in my answers.

You see?

Red? Naousss & Xinomavro, or Nemea for Agiorgitiko

White? Santorini & Assyrtiko, or Nemea & Moschofilero, or Kefalonia & Roditis.

Sweet? Samos & Muscat.

That is enough information for me to get through the tasting exam, I hope. If it’s a regional Greek white from Kefalonia, and I call it a Moschofilero from Nemea I think I’m doing OK in the grand scheme of things.

I think this example is a legitimate question for Paper 3: “Wines 4-6 are from the same country.”

Wine 4 - Light bodied, tannic Red, garnet rim, pale colour, cinnamon and leather.

Wine 5 - Saline and ripe white, textural, some phenolics.

Wine 6 - Dark, toffee like Sweet wine, unfortified¹, 250gl RS, M+ Acid.

In isolation, you could have Italy? Could they be Barolo, Grecco di Tufo, but the dark sweet wine might not quite make sense?

Maybe Australia? A grippy white, and a Rutherglen Muscat? What could the red be?

Greece makes sense! Ok, right, where the flip could these three be from within Greece? Where does Xinomavro grow most commonly? I don’t want to be scratching my head on that in the exam, there’s not enough time, I need a quick and most likely scenario.

Arguing for Naoussa as the origin for Xinomavro is something I can remember, something I can spell, and importantly, something that makes sense to an examiner.

A vast majority of the Xinomavro in Greece comes from Naoussa, so why argue otherwise?

Let me know if any of this makes sense to you!

Dan

1. SO. Thanks to Rod Smith, who diligently fact checks these newsletters, sweet wines from Samos *are* fortified. I should have known that.