I am trapped in a concrete wall with a tiny window, as I stare out into the sunshine. It is not a cell per say, but the office in the warehouse. I am focused on writing an article, but I can hear the swish of a golf club or the clink of a glass at a barbeque somewhere in the back of my mind. I am tired after a very busy week, yet cannot wait for the weekend to start. Oh tortured soul, give me peace from this magnetic sun. I signed up for Saturdays when I left the bright lights of Engineering for the dark shade of the vines. Summer is coming though, and I will look forward to my next trip to visit my winemakers in their little piece of paradise, while Tipperary embraces the summer downpour. One of the things that made this week so busy was the visit to Clonmel of one of my best winemakers. Samuel Guibert, of Mas de Daumas Gassac enthralled over 40 people in Nuala Hickey’s packed Cafe in the Westgate last Wednesday night. I may have mentioned he was coming a few times over the last few weeks. For those of you who missed it, it was a very special evening and Samuel charmed all concerned, especially the ladies. The night was a great success and photos and videos from the night can be seen on the blog – www.rednosewine.com/blog

There is a distinct difference between a tasting with a winemaker and someone who sells wine. The passion and the commitment to quality wine shines through, and as an added bonus, you might get answers to the questions that you have wanted to ask for a long time. The Clonmel audience definitely took advantage of their opportunity. Samuel answered questions on all manner of subjects from the truth behind sulphites, to the reason why sometimes, a white wine can be a little fizzy. All of these questions were asked by a very attentive audience in a very interactive tasting. The wines weren’t half bad either, in fact they are among the best reviewed wines in the world. For this week’s article, I will share some of the questions asked and Samuel’s very precise answers.

One of the topics that I get asked about a lot concerns sulphites. Every wine has to display on the bottle that they contain sulphites, even if it is minuscule amounts or buckets of the stuff. Mr. Guibert told us that there are recommended doses for sulphur dioxide, which acts as an anti oxidant and a preservative. You can’t taste it in the wine, which is why it works better than other anti-oxidants. Samuel told us about the ancient technique of using honey, which worked, but changed the taste of the wine dramatically. The next time you are down at your local farmer’s market, buy some honey and mix it with wine. However, don’t expect to like it. Another advantage of sulphur dioxide is that for every year the wine ages, the traces disappear two fold. However, the biggest insight we received was the scope with which the winemaker has to limit his sulphur usage. If you have limited production, you can constantly monitor and check your wine vats. A factory or supermarket wine is like a brewery and they are often forced to err on the side of caution, i.e. pour in the maximum Sulphur dioxide, just in case. The artisan winemaker can check his wine, as Samuel and his brothers do, many time each day, therefore controlling the usage. Samuel claimed that Gassac use very little ( as up to 10 -20 times less ) when compared to large scale producers, but then good wines don’t have to use it as much – the natural preservatives in the fruit shine through. The many people from the tasting who called in the next day to collect their wine without any trace of a hangover were testament to the negligible amount that Gassac use. One of the members of the group cheekily suggested that Samuel tasted his wine 20 times a day ( he checks it that often ), and was seldom sober. However, he confirmed something I have long been preaching – it is all in the nose. No need to taste every hour. He told us that 80% of tasting is in the nose, and the palate just confirms. When I am picking new wines, I nearly always know if I will reject a wine by smelling it. I don’t know if I will accept it as a buy, as you don’t get the length of the wine from the nose.

A very good question was asked by a certain teacher ( not Mrs. Red Nose ). It came on the back of Samuel’s description of the Viognier grape holding more than average residual sugar, and by that I mean more than Sauvignon Blanc. This means it is not dry, but off dry, and has wonderful honey undertones. Their Faune white wine for 12 Euros was possibly the star of the night, outside the Grand Cru wines. The simple description of fermentation is yeasts eating the natural sugar in the grapes and converting them to alcohol, thus converting grapes to wine. With bone dry wines, there is no more ( or negligible amounts ) of sugar to convert, but with sweeter wines, the chances are that it might start fermenting again – for example, if it is exposed to natural yeasts, such as exist in the atmosphere. What happens in effect is the wines become slightly fizzy as the fermentation happens in the bottle. Have you ever opened a white wine and had a light fizz from it. Now you know the reason why, and for the most part, is not supposed to happen. The most obvious wine where it is supposed to happen is Champagne. They have very special bottles and corks to control the power and the process takes much longer. If you ask for a still white wine in a restaurant and find it fizzes a little, send it back. The better winemakers, like Samuel, control the sweeter wines and the conditions they are stored, aged and bottled in.

There were many other questions asked and answered, and I am sure Samuel could have spoken all night. If there are specific questions you have, please send them in to me and I will answer them, or if you prefer, put the question to some of my winemakers. The truth is always easier to swallow coming from the people on the front line. There is a distinct air of summer barbeque about, so until our next wine makers visit, I bid you adieu.

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“Life is much too short to drink bad wine”