WSET exam result

I've just got the result of the exam I sat in June - pass with merit. This was unit 6 of the WSET Diploma which was all to do with fortifieds. I thought I had done reasonably well with the questions which turned out to be an accurate prediction, as for that part I got a pass with distinction. Increasingly with the tasting part, I had felt less and less comfortable, and that was borne out by a simple "pass" for that section.

I was way off the mark with my calculation that one of the wines was a madeira when it turned out to be a sherry (I still don't understand how given the strong acidity). But getting the type, grape and country right is only a small part of the marks. I had realised after the exam that my conclusions had really been pretty lightweight. The WSET are looking for justification to your conclusions about quality and my focus always seems to be on appearance, aroma and palate, conclusions being a bit of an afterthought.

Practice that's what I need. I have to submit tasting notes for 5 wines in the next couple of weeks so it will be interesting to get the feedback.

Oh, and well done to the WSET for getting the results out 2 to 3 weeks earlier than I had been expecting them.

Denbie's Surrey Gold

I had my first bottle of Denbie's Surrey Gold yesterday at lunchtime. According to Denbie's web site it's their largest selling white at £5.99 a bottle. At 11.5% with a lovely floral aroma it's a very drinkable wine. They describe it as having a touch of spice. I struggled to note that but thought the whole package - aroma, palate and value for money - to be very good.

It's made from Muller Thurgau, Bacchus and Ortega grapes and if you are in the Dorking area, the place is well worth a visit. They have an excellent visitor centre.

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer name change

I got an email recently from the German trade organisation, Deutches Weininstitut With effect from 1 August 2007, the name of the region Mosel-Saar-Ruwer has been shortened to “Mosel.” According to the regional wine-growers’ association, this will enhance regional marketing efforts and enable growers in the Saar and Ruwer valleys to position their wines as true specialties within the umbrella term “Mosel”.

Also with effect from August 1st 2007, the designation “Qualitätswein mit Prädikat” is no longer valid; this has been replaced by the simpler designation “Prädikatswein.” A Prädikat is an attribute that describes the degree of ripeness of the grapes, measured by the natural sugar content of the grape juice at the time of harvest. Grapes with a longer ripening period absorb additional minerals from the soil and develop an increased level of natural sugar. Thus, the riper the grapes, the more aroma and flavour in the wine.

The Wine Society - again

I've just had my first case delivered from The Wine Society within 1 week of ordering. I decided to concentrate on German wines so have an eclectic mix of kabinett, spatlese and auslese in styles from the Nahe, Rheingau and Mosel regions. Sorting through the bottles last night it's good to see a number of them with fairly low alcohols, a pleasant change from some of the New World blockbusters.

I also got a couple of bottles to help me with my Diploma tasting test. Being a distance learner on the Diploma I'm sent a list of wines I should taste and I then send in my tasting notes which are returned to me with detailed comments. It's a good discipline. I'll be tasting a Beaujolais, a Bordeaux from 2002 or earlier, an off dry German, a Muscadet and an oaked white Burgundy.

The Wine Society

I’ve joined the Wine Society. Two of the people I met on the introductory day to the WSET Diploma rated them highly and, when I was studying the German section, I looked around to see where I could buy some decent German wine. I commented on a post over at Jamie Goode’s site about how hard it was to get hold of a decent range of German wine and a suggestion was made in response to try the merchant Howard Ripley. However the Wine Society has a good range of over 40 Germans and, given they also do a wide range from every other major wine producing country, I though it would be beneficial to join.

According to WSET guidance I should be tasting a minimum of 8 German wines out of the listed number of 21. This is one area where I am at a disadvantage over those students who attend classes at the WSET, as they get to taste a large number as part of their class. I’m happy to buy a complete case of Germans however, as I feel I know little about them and it’s a good opportunity to contrast Rieslings from Pfalz, the Mosel, the Rheingau etc at my own pace. I’ve already tried a couple as a comparison that I bought from Waitrose and was struck by how different the Riesling grape could be depending upon region.

What a mouthful

And I don't just mean the name, a 2005 Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling from Huber in Austria. This was burnished golden yellow wine, luscious in the mouth with a taste of sweet ripe peaches and honey and a lovely nose of ripe peaches also but with that familiar vague smell of petrol that riesling can give.

I got the usual look when I mentioned at lunch yesterday I was going to bring out a sweet wine. People often think of sweet wines as being of the Liebfraumilch variety. When they tried this they all enjoyed it and it paired well with nectarines that had been baked in the oven with a ginger, brown sugar and water mixture.

Earlier the wines had been a 2005 Aussie riesling from Grant Burge in the Eden Valley and a 2004 Burgundy, a Savigny les Beaune from Bouchard Pere et Fils, sourced from Waitrose. The Aussie riesling was a great aperitif given the temperature yesterday, the hottest Sunday so far this year, and with the pinot lightly chilled I was in heaven!

More on Oddbins in Off Licence News

The saga of Oddbins braches being closed and opened under the Nicolas banner continues in the trade publication Off Licence News with an interview with Oddbins’ sales manager Andy Gadsby. He argues the case that what Oddbins is doing is well thought out, planned and required to improve profitability. I’m not a cynical person but my reaction is “he would say that wouldn’t he”. If the initiative really is that well planned then why is it only now that he is off round the country explaining to all Oddbins managers the rationale? Why not communicate the reasons in a more cost effective way, up front at the regular monthly managers meetings, before the changes happened? Given the amount of space devoted to the topic by OLN over the last few months, I am sure this topic will not end here. Some Oddbins manager somewhere in the country is sure to write a letter for inclusion in the next edition.

I enjoy getting OLN every couple of weeks and not just because I get it for free as a WSET Diploma student. There is always something interesting or useful that is wine related, such as Tim Atkin’s column or info about some trade tasting coming up.

Sutter Home pinot noir 2005

I’ve experienced yet another bottle which tasted much better on the second day. It was nothing special, a Sutter Home 2005 Pinot Noir. It mentions the Napa valley on the label but only in the context of where Sutter is located. I’m assuming the grapes come from a number of areas. There was almost no fruit on the first evening. It was all acidity and dryness, not unpleasant, just lacking in any pleasure.

The second night it was much better. There was some redcurrant and even a hint of something sweet such as raspberries. Much more balanced. Wines like this don’t really help themselves make you buy them again. Based on my experience on the first night I wouldn’t buy this (it was a gift to me) but having tried it again second time around, it was quite pleasant and I would consider buying it as an everyday drinking kind of wine.

Nominating my local wine merchant

My local and excellent merchant, The Secret Cellar, is up for an award from Decanter magazine. They have a good range of distinctive wines, have light and airy premises and are staffed by knowledgeable people. They also run tastings and other education sessions.

I’ve already placed my vote and voting closes this weekend. I hope they win so they get lots of publicity to drive up their profile as well as their sales.