Guest Post - GAIA Wines Santorini & Nemea 2011 Harvest

This post will focus on GAIA Wines report of the harvest on both Santorini & Nemea.  On Santorini they produce the Thalassitis and Assyrtiko Wild Ferment.  Their main winery in Nemea produces the rest of the company's wines.  You can follow the winery on Twitter @GaiaWines.

GAIA Wines 2011 Harvest Report

Santorini 2011.

The main characteristic of the vintage was that July & August were rather fresh if compared to other years.  Probably the second coldest summer of the decade on the island, after the one of 2009.

That  resulted in rather slow maturation speed, fact that had a direct impact on the Assyrtiko attributes.

Grapes were extremely healthy, with a crisp acidity & minerality, as they always normally do. The bonus that derived form this rather “fresh” summer was the increase of the aromatic intensity. Wines have a more distinct fruitiness than what they do on a “conventional” harvest, such as 2010.

Nemea 2011.

An average to good vintage. An unusually wet spring led to a drop of production by an average of -25% (in some cases it drop even reached a staggering -40%) due to ravaging mildew infection.

Some sub-area of Nemea such as Koutsi or Asprocambos were exempted, mainly because of their elevation and the beneficial drying winds that prevail in these areas. In those areas Agiorgitiko matured slowly and reached good levels of sugars and polyphenols .

Pleasant aromas, soft tannins and a rather medium structure synthesize this 2011 vintage.  Definitely not as aromatic as the 2006, nor as structured as a 2007, or “accomplished” as a 2008, it remains far better that a 2009 and probably slightly inferior to a 2010.

   

Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, Owner & Oenologist GAIA Wines

Guest Post - 2011 Harvest report from Samos

I get many inquiries on how the harvest has been in Greece.  I have asked my wineries to provide me with Harvest reports.  As I receive the reports, I will post them here and then on my website, http://www.atheneeimporters.com/ in a section called Harvest Report.  I hope to have that up and running in the next week or so.


Here is the Harvest Report from UWC Samos:

UWC Samos

Vintage Report – Vintage 2011

2011 was a very good year for the grapes, one of the best we have seen the last years. 

The weather conditions were very favorable meaning that the rains during the winter were at a satisfactory and average amount and the summer was cool without instances of extreme heat.  The cool summer made the grapes mature gradually and naturally which led to a very satisfactory result quality-wise.

As far as diseases are concerned, compared to other vineyards in Greece, we had very little downy mildew (plasmapora viticola) which resulted in a slight reduction of the quantity and had no negative effect on quality. 

The harvest began August 8^th and ended October 3^rd   

Mr. Ilias Kariatoglou, Agriculturalist

Mastiha & Ouzo from Chios

After more than 2 years of searching Greece, Athenee Importers is pleased to announce that we will be launching Homericon Mastiha Liqueur and Kazanisto Ouzo from the Stoupakis Distillery from Chios.

Our anticipated launch date is April 1st in NY, NJ, DC, PA, Chicago, New Orleans and select cities on the West Coast.  Once more distribution agreements are finalized, we will post announcements on our website and on twitter @atheneewines.  

We will have both 200ml & 750ml bottle sizes available for both items.  See below.

The creation of Mastiha liqueur is a fascinating one that I am only just learning about.  Once I get schooled myself I will post my discoveries here.

New Release - Thimiopoulos Young Vines

Since the 2006 vintage, Athenee has been working with Apostolos Thimiopoulos to bring a new, modern version of Xinomavro to market.  This happened with the release of the Uranos 2006 (Ghi kai Uranos in Greek).  This wine - fresh, fruity, meaty, complex, great structure and body quickly captured the attention of the wine trade around the world. 

For those not familiar with Apostolos' story, his family have owned vineyards in Naoussa for over 50 years.  In the past, they sold their grapes to the local Cooperative or to other wineries.  However, Apostolos realized the potential in his family's lands to produce high quality wines.  The vines were on average 35-50 years old with established root systems and excellent drainage.  He convinced his family to stop selling the grapes to others and to give him the opportunity to make wine on his own.  His modern approach to Xinomavro makes wines like none currently in the market.  With the success of Uranos, we began exploring options for a second label.

About 5 years ago Apostolos began replanting plots of the family vineyards to increase vine density with the aim of increasing overall quality.   Now that the newly planted vines are coming on line, he needed to find something to do with the juice.  As it stands, the youngest vines he'll consider for use in Uranos is 15 years old.  As a result, he decided to release a light, fruit forward, fresh style of Xinomavro never seen before.  This is how Young Vines was born.

Young Vines is made from the juice of the vines that are between 5-15 years old.  It is meant to be more Pinot Noir - like in style.  It is fermented in stainless steel and then sees about 6-8 months in oak originally used for Uranos.  It's a refreshing wine to drink that has instantly won fans around the US.  We sold out of the 2009 in less than 2 months - that was an Athenee record.  We are now working with the 2010 and expect to remain in this vintage for the next 6-8 months. 

Like Uranos, Young Vines is made Biodynamically.  It is meant to be enjoyed in its younger years and is a great wine for heartier pasta and lighter meat dishes.  This wine is making its way into broader distribution channels - for now it's in select markets like Denver, Northern California, Seattle, Portland OR, Portland ME, New York & NJ.  More distributors are starting to come on board and we hope to have broader distribution as the year progresses.  Retail pricing ranges from $18 - $22 depending on which coast you are on.  You can buy it online through several retailers on both coasts.

This wine will be available for tasting to the trade during our Road Show 2012 events this March.  If you are trade or press in or near Seattle, Portland OR, Chicago or NY, be sure to register to attend.  Over 75 Greek wines from today's top producers will be open for you to taste.  Each winery table will be staffed by its owner, winemaker or very knowledgeable export staff.

Argyros Atlantis White 2011 - 1st tasting notes

2011 was a mixed harvest. For some, it was excellent. For others, hail and mildew (something unseen before this year) destroyed close to 50% of their crops. For Santorini, the harvest was overall quite good. Over last winter, the island received a fair amount of rain - something that is not always expected. Add in a consistent growing period, not too many extremes in temperatures, and you've got the recipe for good wines.

Argyros Atlantis White 2011 arrived in the US just last week. The label has changed slightly to accomodate the new EU laws and is classified as a PGI Cylcades.

It is a blend of 90% Assyrtiko and 5% each Athiri & Aidani for aromatics. The grapes are hand picked and then vinifed in the traditional white wine making method. The wines were fermented in stainless steel and then blended just before bottling. The resulting wine is pale yello in color. The aromatics arenmore prevalent this year as opposed to 2010-there are more ripe fruit and citrus notes than before. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with a fuller mouth feel than 2010. The acidity is balanced and crisp. It is a pleasure to drink. Like 2010, the entire Atlantis line is in screw cap. The approximate retail price ranges from $15-$18 depending on where you are in the US.

It should make its way into general distribution within the next few months as distributors move out of 2010 and into 2011.

Thimiopoulos Uranos 2008 - a new look for the new vintage

The new look for 2008

In a departure from the original label from it's inception, Apostolos Thimiopoulos has decided to change the Uranos label to a more modern and eye-catching one.  According to Apostolos, the 2008 vintage reflects changes/improvements in the vineyard that have been taking place over the last few years.  With more of the replanted vines producing the quality of fruit that he desires, 2008 has seen an increase in production and in overall quality.

Is wine in NY supermarkets really a bad thing?

Over the past few weeks the debate and discussion has been going on regarding legislation that may be introduced in Albany regarding wine sales in supermarkets.  Feelings for and against the proposed legislation run deep.  As an importer of a more hands-on portfolio, I am swayed to believe that wine in supermarkets isn't the evil that the opposition claims it to be.

Athenee Importers has distribution in over 36 states - many of which already allow wine to be sold in supermarkets and wine shops to sell non-alcoholic beverages and food products.  Wine shops coexist with supermarkets and from what I have seen, better quality wines end up becoming the focus of these shops and the "bulk" or "cheap" wines find their homes on supermarket shelves where most of them belong anyway. It can  also make wine shops more specialized - a destination to buy your wine, throw in some cheese and possibly even some olive oil that you would not find in your mainstream market.  These foodstuffs have the ability to be marked up 20-30% and increase the store's margins.

For importers like myself with a niche portfolio, this is a welcome opportunity.  As I see it, retail shops will potentially have to shift away from buying mass market brands in quantity and will need to focus on working with better quality wines from established and lesser known wineries/wine regions where the customer doesn't have as much experience with.  They will be able to offer them something unique and provide a better customer experience. 

If the law allows for wine shops to sell foodstuffs, this opens up another avenue for us to sell our olive oil & vinegars.  For companies like mine, this is a great opportunity to increase distribution outlets past supermarkets and small grocery stores whose focus is on price point and tend to stay away from higher priced, specialty items.

Another proposal that may be introduced is to allow owners to have more than one shop ("chains").  While it IS illegal here now, some crafty owners have found ways around this law and even though on paper the shops are not the same name, they really are affiliated.  Other states have allowed "chain" stores to exist.  Even though in some states chain stores dominate the landscape, the way that NY has pricing laws enacted, stores still could not buy in extremely large drops and then share the goods amongst the other stores.  They would need to buy only for one store at a time (unless NY changes the laws).

Overall, I do agree that in this cash-strapped state increased revenue from the taxes alone would help the state's purse and can only help towards getting us out of the financial troubles that we've been experiencing since the crash in 2008. It will also give the customer the opportunity to have an experience of shopping for alcohol and other foodstuffs in one location.  This is something that consumers in other parts of the country have been enjoying for years.

Since the state assembly has only 4 weeks left in session, we will see if they take up the discussion and whether or not the debate will continue or be set aside yet again.  Stay tuned.....