An Appellation Civil War

Over in France’s famed Burgundy region, vintners are engaged in what’s fast becoming a civil war over appellation naming rights. Seems that some folks want to be able to label Gamay and Chardonnay grown in the Beaujolais region as Bourgogne, which is French for Burgundy. Some of the Burgundians are totally against this, which they see as an unmitigated disaster and the theft of their name. So heated has the battle become that the two main organizations representing the region, Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne and the Syndicat des Bourgognes, just cancelled what was to have been a joint collaborative event, and have taken to calling each other names.

At issue is this: Should “Bourgogne” be applied both to Gamay grapes grown in the acid soils of Beaujolais, and also to Pinot Noir grown in Burgundy’s limestone soils? There’s no clear-cut answer, and where you stand depends (as the saying goes) on where you sit. I should think that with so wide-reaching an appellation as “Bourgogne” it doesn’t really matter. I mean, it’s not like growing Carignane in the Côtes de Nuits and calling it Chambertin.

It all goes back to the Appellation of Origin system that governs French wine, which is much stricter than our own in the U.S. The Burgundians, perhaps naturally, want to keep their appellation “pure,” and, since they regard Beaujolais as inferior to Burgundy, they don’t want Beaujolais to become enhanced by using the word “Burgundy” on the label. It’s easy for us Americans to snicker at the French and their internecine foibles. How petty and insular their spat looks, how provincial. But think about the uproar a while back when some wineries wanted to use the word “Napa” on wines that contained no grapes from Napa County. The indignation was just as fierce, and the legal battle cost millions.

The point is, when it comes to appellations, people want to safeguard them, whether it’s in France, California or anyplace else. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the true sourcing of the grapes is transparent.

E-mail: Steve@yummyletter.com

Yummy Recommendation of the Week

Taltarni 2003 Cephas, $40. Fire up the barbie! This is a serious red wine from the Pyrenees region of Australia’s Victoria province. With six years of bottle age, it’s soft, but still quite tannic, with complex flavors of dried fruits, leather, dark chocolate, and oodles of Asian spices. Should hold for many more years. It’s a classic Aussie blend of Shiraz (Syrah) and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sip-Worthy Wine Events

Sparkling Wines Under $30 Tasting at Solano Cellars
August 15
6 to 9 p.m.
Solano Cellars
1580 Solano Avenue
Albany
510-525-9463
Cost:  $20 ($5 credit toward sparkling wine purchase)
Buy tickets online

A showcase of bubblies from around the world at this wine shop in Albany, just off the I-80 freeway.

Seventh Annual Petite Sirah Symposium
August 4 (all day)
Concannon Vineyard
4596 Tesla Road
Livermore
Cost: $175 (July 30 deadline)
Register online

All things Petite Sirah, from clones and marketing to tasting, of course. A must-attend for industry professionals interested in this up-and-coming variety.

The Perfect Summer Cocktail

And finally, the best selling cocktail at Oakland’s Home of Chicken and Waffles restaurant is “The Amazing Lemonade.” With summer heating up, I thought I’d close this week’s SIP by sharing the recipe:

Method
Combine these ingredients in a glass full of ice:

2 ounces of strawberry puree
4 ounces of fresh squeezed lemonade
2 ounces of Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
2 ounces of Captain Morgan’s Spice Rum
Top off with Cruzan 151 Rum

Garnish with the fruit

Check out my blog at www.steveheimoff.com for all the latest insider stuff.