27. – 30. august 2013. Palmer Group og Temareiser Fredrikstad har den glede å invitere utvalgte personer til en spennende mat og vinreise til områdene rundt Verona i Nord-Italia.

Byen er også kjent for sin store utendørsarena som ble bygget for snart 2000 år siden. I dag en av de mest kjente operascener i verden med plass til nærmere 25. 000 personer. Her skal vi oppleve operaforestillingen Aida på nært hold en av kveldene under vårt opphold. 

Dette blir en reise gjennom den norditalienske kulturen hvor mat og drikke er en viktig ingrediens. Vi skal besøke noen spennende vinprodusenter i vinområdet Veneto og vi skal nyte Gardasjøens behagelige klima og ikke minst naturen i områdene rundt Verona. Meget begrenset antall plasser. Vær rask. 

Tirsdag 27. august
Avreise kl. 0845 med Lufthansa via Hamburg og med ankomst i Milano kl. 1240, hvor det står en buss og venter på oss. Vi setter kursen for byen Verona, hvor vi skal bo de kommende dagene. Vi skal bo på Hotel Accademia, som ligger midt i den historiske delen av Verona. Vi får noen timer på egenhånd, før vi igjen møtes for en liten byvandring gjennom den gamle historiske bydelen av Verona. Vi ender opp med middag på Ristorante 12 Apostoli, en av Veronas mest kjente restauranter, og kjent for sin gode mat og vinkjeller fra romertiden. Middag inkludert.

Onsdag 28. august
Etter frokost er vi igjen på farta og vi skal i dag besøke vindistriktet Valpolicella som ligger i områdene rundt Verona. Vi ender opp med et besøk på vingården Luigi Righetti. Vi inntar lunsjen på en lokal taverna for egen regning, før vi vender tilbake til Verona og vårt hotell. I kveld skal vi spise middag på den historiske og elegante Antico Café Dante. Frokost og middag inkludert. www.caffedante.it

Torsdag 29. august
Etter frokost er vi igjen på veien med vår buss og i dag skal vi besøke vinområdet Bardolino som grenser mot Gardasjøen. Gardasjøen er i seg selv en opplevelse og vi skal i dag besøke et par av byene langs Gardasjøen. Vi besøker også vingården Monte del Frà, som ligger i vindistriktet Custoza. Monte del Frà står for dagens lunsj. Tilbake til Verona og vårt hotell i god tid før kveldens store operaopplevelse. Arena di Verona og forestillingen Aida begynner kl. 2100. Frokost, lunsj og operabilletter er inkludert. www.montedelfra.it      

Fredag 30. august
Etter en god frokost er det avreise fra vårt hotell med kurs for Milano og flyplassen. Avreise fra Milano med Norwegian kl. 1350 med ankomst Gardermoen kl. 1630. Frokost inkludert.

Kontakt oss for mer informasjon!

Champagne Deutz
2012 Harvest report
From worry to serenity

The very up and down weather conditions that have prevailed in the Champagne region since the beginning of 2012 will probably, in the end, have had little or no adverse effect on the quality of the grapes. This requires some explanations.

After late spring frosts and some hailstorms, cold rainy wether settled in during flowering, resulting in poor fruit set and hen and chickens. The first summer weeks were wet, and the vineyard team was kept on its toes by almost daily need for dealing with powdery mildew and botrytis. Despite all our efforts, crop levels are finally down by 25 to 30%.
The return of fine weather in mid-August then redressed this gloomy trend. Sunshine and high seasonal temperatures returned at last and helped the grapes to ripen under excellent conditions.
As a result of the staggered fruit-set that was still in evidence when the colour of the grapes changed, ripening patterns were quite heterogenous in each plot, and sometimes even on individual vines. But these differences were gradually reduced, and had all but disappeared by the beginning of September.
The Champagne governing body decided that harvest could begin on September 10th.

For Deutz, Patrick Boivin, the vineyard manager, decided to wait until September 18th before commencing picking, in order to allow the grapes a few extra days in which to ripen.
Even if yields are low – 8,300 kg/hectare, compared to the legal limit fixed at 11,000 kg/hectare – diseases were well contained and the grapes are both healthy and remarkably ripe.
Off the press, grape musts showed excellent balance with an average potential alcoholic strength of 10,7° and 8 grams/litre of acidity. Numerous batches of Pinot Noir (especially from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ) even went over the 11° mark and still boasted acidity levels between 6,5 and 8,3 grams. The record was beaten with a batch of Pinot Noir from a plot that overlooks our cellars, called La Côte Glacière, and which showed a potential of 11,85° of alcohol and 7 grams of acidity.

Fabrice Rosset, our Managing Director, is delighted with the quality of this harvest, even if the majority will go into the emblematic wine of our house, the Brut Classic.
The cellar-master, Michel Davesne, for whom this is the tenth harvest with Deutz, says that, more than in other years, reserve wines will play their full role and enable us to produce blended wines that are well up to the quality and stylistic standards set by Deutz.

So, will it be a vintage year or not? Even if the quality potential is clearly there, the final decision will only be taken when the finished still wines are tasted in the spring of 2013.

Germany – Premium grape qualities
2012 vintage with top quality wines

Up-to-date figures regarding volume

Germany’s wine makers are very pleased with this year’s grape qualities and content with a slighly smaller volume compared with the previous season. The German Wine Institute (DWI) announced that, according to latest estimates, the overall harvest volume of the 13 German wine growing regions will amount to nine million hectolitres. This means that the yield will be only slightly below the level of the previous year and the ten year median of 9.25 million hectolitres.

According to DWI managing director Monika Reule, the 2012 vintage is adapted well to the current market situation: „We are glad that Germany’s 2012 wines will tie in perfectly with the great 2011 vintage. With repect to volume in some regions and regarding particular grape varieties, we had hoped for more. All in all we are confident that we will be able to strengthen our market position domestically as well as internationally.” This confidence applies especially in view of the total European harvest estimates of 145.5 million hectolitres – a clearly substandard harvest result. According to current predictions, the volume of wine-must harvested in Germany will be eleven percent lower than in 2011 and 14 percent lower compared with the five-year median, Reule explained.

Vi takker de fremmøtte ved Måltid, hvor Stephan Moccia fra Mastroberadino presenterte sine flotte viner fra Campania.

WMD 13. mars 2013

Campania kan geografisk plasseres som ”Italias vrist” på kartet. Det er en relativt stor region der Napoli er hovedstaden og Mastroberardino er vinprodusenten. Campania er til en stor grad preget av den aktive vulkanen Vesuv, og området rammes ofte av større og mindre jordskjelv. Jordsmonnet i Campania er hovedsakelig av typen tufa (tuff) som er porøst og selvfølgelig av vulkansk opprinnelse.

Vinhuset Mastroberardino, som ble etablert i 1878, holder til i landsbyen Atripalda, og var det første i sør-Italia. La oss slå det fast med en gang; det ville ikke vært noen kvalitetsviner fra Campania uten familien Mastroberardinos innsats og kjærlighet til området.

Det ble servert en 5 retters meny med tilhørende viner.

WMD Mastroberardino på Måltid Kristiansand

Vectura-turnéen er over for denne gang, vi ses igjen til høsten!

Smakingen er for horeca-bransjen, pressen og Vinmonopolet.

Kom innom standen vår og smak spennende nyheter!

28. august Oslo: Grand Hotel

3. september Trondheim: RBH Royal Garden

5. september Bergen

10. september Tromsø: RBH Tromsø Hotel

12. september Stavanger: Rica Victoria Hotel

Vi takker de fremmøtte til den herlige vietnamesiske restauranten Xích Lô på Eger, Karl Johansgate 23b, tirsdag 26. februar.

Annegret Reh Gartner, eier av Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, var i Oslo for å presentere vinene sine. Vinhuset feiret i 1999 sin 650 år gamle historie, fra 1349 til 1999. Alle vinmarker
er familieeide og fokuset har alltid vært i vinmarken. Kesselstatt produserer sylskarpe, mineralske viner som er blant de aller beste som lages i Mosel.

Det ble servert en 4 retters meny med vinpakke fra Kesselstatt. Menyen var som følger:
1 forrett:
• Ristet kamskjell med kokoskrem og svartpeppersirup
• Krabbekake med soyabalsamico og sitrongress
• Scampisalat av strimlet mango og papaya i comquatdressing
2 forrett:
• Dampet hummer med hvitløk, ingefær og Thaibasilikum med hurtigfrest asiatisk kål
i soyasaus
Hovedrett
• Posjert kveitefilet med sitrongresskrem og kokossaus med koriander
Dessert:
• Pasjonsfrukt Creme Brulée med eksotiske frukter og hjemmelaget kokossorbet

Vinen som ble servert:
• RK Riesling Trocken 2010
• Josephshöfer Riesling Kabinett 2011
• Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese 1999
• Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Auslese 1999

Xích Lô tlf 22 42 48 00 eller post@xichlo.no  www.xichlo.no

VDP hadde et ekstraordinært møte om klassifisering 25.01.2013. De har brukt Burgund som modell, så vi kommer i fremtiden i større grad til å se viner med kommunenavn på etiketten, Ortswein.

VDP PRESS INFORMATION

Extraordinary General Meeting of the VDP Prädikat Wine Estates
Unanimous Vote for Ongoing Evolution of the VDP Classification
- VDP Classification Pyramid Adjusted -

On 25 January 2012, VDP members met for an extraordinary meeting in Neustadt/Pfalz. The main topic was the ongoing evolution of the VDP classification, a subject of considerable deliberation during recent months.
With its decision to pursue classification in 2002, the VDP helped spark the worldwide renaissance of German wine. Initially, the peak of the VDP classification pyramid was established with the designations “Erste Lage” (cf. Premier Cru in Burgundy) and “Grosses Gewächs”. It was agreed to postpone fleshing out the middle segment in order to glean additional experience by exchanging views with those in the market. To this day, all legally permissible nomenclature as well as inhouse alternatives have been used. The goal of the present resolution on the continuing development of the VDP classification is to keep its value proposition, improve its clarity, and provide consumers with explicit information.
After lively debate and fair discussion, the delegates unanimously voted to adopt the resolution proposed on VDP classification, in which the nomenclature of the VDP classification is more logically positioned; the correlation between top wines and their site of origin is strengthened; and the middle segment is more clearly structured. The resolution takes effect with vintage 2012.

The resolution includes the following points:
1) Four designations denote VDP appellations of origin
• VDP.Grosse Lage (like Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (like Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (like Village in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (like Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)

2) New designation to denote the origin of top-level wines – VDP.Grosse Lage – rather than VDP.Erste Lage
The top-level category has been renamed. A new category has not been created, but rather the terminology has been shuffled in order to reconcile the discrepancy between the designations Erste Lage and Grosses Gewächs, as well as underscore the equally high status of wines with residual sweetness produced from grapes grown in exceptional sites.
3) Review of the designation to denote wines in the middle segment – formerly known as wines from classified sites
All VDP regional associations and member estates have been assigned the task of critically reappraising the above-named category. The goal is to be more discriminating in determining what constitutes a very good site, i.e., do the wines produced from grapes produced in such sites really show site-specific characteristics...terroir...and if not, those sites should no longer be named on labels. In all, the number of classified sites is to be reduced.
4) VDP.Erste Lage – an opportunity to differentiate between the very best and very good sites
The use of the designation VDP.Grosse Lage to denote the absolutely finest vineyards of a region is valid for all member estates across the board, effective as of vintage 2012. The use of the designation VDP.Erste Lage to denote very good sites is optional, to be determined region by region. The regions can also determine when, if ever, to introduce the use of VDP.Erste Lage. In other words, some regions might feel the designation VDP.Grosse Lage suffices to describe its classified sites; other regions might wish to differentiate between their very best and very good classified sites, in which case they can opt to use the designation VDP.Erste Lage to denote the latter.
5) Regional differences are taken into consideration
The VDP national association has set up an overall classification model. At the same time, the regional associations have considerable leeway in refining the model to take regional differences into consideration.
6) Clear vote on Grosses Gewächs
Henceforth, Grosse Gewächse originate in VDP.Grossen Lagen – a clear statement that eliminates ambiguity. Members unanimously approved ongoing use of the designation Grosses Gewächs to denote the finest dry wines from Germany’s finest vineyards, a term that has achieved international recognition since its introduction.
7) Prädikats are reserved for wines with residual sweetness
The Prädikats can be used for wines in all categories. The Prädikats are to be used exclusively for wines with natural, ripe sweetness – with one exception: Gutsweine, which can be vinified in any style (dry, off-dry, sweet). Specific taste profiles for the Prädikats are to be determined region by region.

Members are to refrain from using Prädikats for dry and off-dry wines, thereby enabling the Prädikats to resume their traditional meaning. Here, too, VDP.Gutsweine are an exception, as mentioned above.
In closing: The VDP classification is a work in progress. This resolution marks a further refinement of earlier models with regard to the language of the label (the correlation of “great” with “great”) and simplified structure based on three broad categories: Gutswein, Ortswein and Lagenwein. The last category includes the designations VDP.Grosse Lage and VDP.Erste Lage, comparable with Grand Cru and Premier Cru in Burgundy. In addition, the use of the internationally recognized designation Grosses Gewächs to denote Germany’s finest dry wines was applauded.
The delegates have asked the national executive committee to develop a clearly structured, uniform, and consumer-friendly communication strategy to convey the message of the resolution. The task is to be completed by the time the general meeting convenes this summer.
According to VDP president Steffen Christmann: “With this step, VDP members have clearly underscored the significance of the vineyard as the basis of wine quality, i.e., the very finest German wines are produced from grapes grown in Germany’s very finest sites. VDP growers embrace an international maxim that is not difficult to understand: the narrower the appellation of origin, the higher the quality of the wine – a principle that was the norm during the heyday of German wine at the start of the 20th century. At the same time, the VDP classification acknowledges that practices and traditions vary from region to region, and the regional associations have the freedom to take these into consideration within the overall framework set up by the national association. The sharper the profile established by a region or estate, the greater its chance of success in the market.”

Resolution Passed on the Ongoing Evolution of the VDP Classification
VDP Extraordinary General Meeting • 25 January 2012 • Neustadt/Pfalz
1. Henceforth, VDP appellations of origin are designated as follows:
• VDP.Grosse Lage (like Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (like Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (like Village in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (like Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)
2. First, the regional associations determine which of their vineyard holdings qualify for VDP.Grosse Lage (or optionally, VDP.Erste Lage) status. It is up to each region to decide whether or not to differentiate between great sites and very good sites. VDP.Gutsweine and VDP.Ortsweine denote wines originating from sites of average and medium potential, as decided by the regional associations.
3. The goal is to implement the “one wine principle” for dry wines bearing the name of a classified vineyard site. The traditional Prädikats are reserved for all wines with natural, ripe sweetness. Specific taste profiles for the Prädikats are to be determined region by region.
4. A dry wine from a VDP.Grosse Lage is a Grosses Gewächs.
5. The designation “trocken” (dry) is mandatory; “halbtrocken” (off-dry), optional.
6. The same labeling options apply to both VDP.Ortsweine and VDP.Lagenweine. VDP.Gutsweine can be either Qualitätsweine (QbA) or Prädikatsweine in any style (dry, off-dry, sweet).
7. To avoid undue hardship, members can request exemption from the VDP regulations outlined above. The reason for the necessary exception must be declared.
8. The regional associations will immediately develop more detailed, regionally relevant concepts, bearing in mind compliance with the regulations outlined above.
9. All individual requests for exemptions (point 7) require the approval of the member’s respective regional association. These, as well as the implementation of regionally relevant concepts (point 8), require confirmation by the national association.
10. The resolution outlined above takes effect with vintage 2012.

Vi ønsker våre to nyansatte Laimonas Cesiunas og Lene Stokvik velkommen i teamet!

Lene er ansatt som ny Key Account Manager.

Laimonas er ansatt som lageransvarlig på vårt eget tollfrie lager til horeca.

Vi gleder oss!

Happy New Year!

Denne rødvinen gjør seg fint i et juledekorert hus.