Flavors of Mallorca

     Mallorca's flavors can vary from rustic picnics to Michelin star dining

The culinary profile of this island jewel, located just off the coast of Barcelona, is strongly influenced by its past conquerors.   Like most of Mediterranean Spain, Mallorca’s food has been influenced by the Romans and the Moors.  The Romans were on Mallorca well before the birth of Christ and left a significant mark on the island’s food.  But, it was the Moors nearly 1000 years later who most profoundly influenced Mallorca’s gastronomy.

                                     Mallorca's landscape is dotted with 350,000 olive trees

Both the Romans and Moors brought olives & olive oil with them to Mallorca.  To this day, the olives and their oil are a big part of the Mallorcan diet.  Two World Wars, a Civil War, and 40 years of Fascism brought Spain to its knees economically.   Many people on the mainland died of starvation.  Those on Mallorca stayed alive by only eating a diet of pa amb oli, a slice of bread soaked in olive oil and sprinkled with salt.  Today this dish has become a symbol of survival and pride.  It is also Mallorca’s version of slow-food, with islanders fighting McDonaldization.

Wine-Knows will dine in this ancient winery that has been converted into a destination restaurant.

The Romans were responsible for another important flavor of Mallorca, wine. They not only brought the first grapevines, but vinified the first wine.  The island’s wine industry, like all businesses, collapsed during the 20^th century, however, for the last 30 years there has been a renaissance.  Money from the EU has allowed Mallorca to rethink, rebuild and replant.  A sip of Mallorca today means international varietals like Cabernet or Chardonnay, but more importantly it means native grapes not seen nowhere else in the world such as Callet or Prensal Blanc.  For the adventurous wine lover, it’s an island paradise.

                        The island's top producer of sea-salt will be on Wine-Knows' itinerary

The last flavor attributed to the Romans is salt.  Historical evidence shows that the Romans were mining salt from the sea on Mallorca a few centuries before the birth of Christ.  That’s no surprise as salt was a valuable currency in the Roman Empire.  Today the island has had a resurgence in their salt industry.   France’s labor-intensive process for premium quality sea salt, Fleur de Sel, is being used on Mallorca.  The island’s Flor de Sal  is outstanding.  Michelin star chefs on the island are now combining it with items such as wild herbs or dried black olives to make authentic tastes only possible on Mallorca.

Paella would not exist if it weren't for the Moors bringing rice & saffron to Spain

While the Romans left an indelible imprint on Mallorca’s food tapestry, it was the Moors who changed the very fabric of the island’s food.  These North African peoples brought with them the technology of advanced irrigation, changing a dry, somewhat barren island into fertile valleys and lush plains.   They also introduced new food items, many of which remain intricately woven into Mallorca’s modern day cuisine.

                           Mallorca's famous almond cake is topped with a touch of cinnamon

The Moors brought almonds, citrus and stone fruits.   It is estimated that there are five million almond trees on the island today.   Almonds can appear in every course during a meal, from pre-dinner nibbles all the way through to dessert.   The citrus industry is also important to the island’s economy.    Citrus begins at breakfast with juices and ends the day in the form of cakes or custards.  Apricots, peaches and plums (all brought by the Moors) are still popular fruit on the island. 

Sugar came to Mallorca via the Moors.   But, it was the spices that they brought that had even a more profound influence in the island’s flavors.  Saffron (essential in paella) first arrived with the Moors, as did cumin, nutmeg and cinnamon.  These spices remain prominent flavors in the Mallorca’s cuisine.

                    Come & experience the flavors of Mallorca with Wine-Knows this autumn

Wine-Knows has only two spots remaining on its September trip to Mallorca.  Why not join us for the island's unique cuisine, never before tasted grape varietals, and seductive scenery?

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/mallorca-itinerary/

Zinfandel in California

 

California offers some rock-star Zins from several different regions

Last week’s Blog discussed the Zinfandel grape's country of origin.   Long thought to be native to California, DNA science shows that Zin was actually birthed in Croatia.  We’ll switch gears in this article to why the varietal has been such a success in California.

Zinfandel grapes thrive in California’s warm weather.  The tricky part is that its thin-skins don’t do well in hot temperatures because they tend to shrivel.  Another issue for California’s winemakers is tempering Zin’s propensity to create high alcohol wines.  Remember that during fermentation sugar converts to alcohol, so riper grapes create higher alcohol wines.

                          California has several Zinfandel vineyards that are >100 years old
                                

California Zins are often times described as “jammy.”  This is because of the fruit's high sugar levels caused in part by the state’s warm climate.   Zinfandel in California can often times move into the blackberry jam category which comes from fully ripe grapes.  Less ripe fruit translates to strawberry flavors in Zin.

                                    Peppery arugula is a good pairing with peppery Zin

All Zins are also known for their spicy characteristics, but California’s hot temperatures enhance these flavors.  Spice is due to this grape’s chemical structure.  Compounds called “rotundones” contribute this spice flavor.  Spiciness can vary from gentle white pepper to more the pronounced spiciness of black pepper.  The warmer the weather, the spicier the flavor.   Because of this Zins are a perfect pairing with spicy BBQ sauces, and spicy cuisines such as Indian & Mexican.  

California has seven wine regions that are noted for top-level Zins.   Listed in alpha order, these areas all offer warm days but cooler nights, ideal for vinifying a great Zin.  All except one is located in cooler northern Cali, and all but two are located close to the coastline to take advantage of the cooling sea influence.  

•     Amador:   located in the foothills above Sacramento, this area has a  reputation for big, full-bodied Zins with matching alcohol levels.

• Dry Creek (Sonoma County) located between the Pacific and Napa Valley, this small appellation produces some really well-crafted Zins.

•    Lodi:  this area has some of the oldest Zin vines in the state & benefits from the cooling breezes of the delta waterways.

• Mendocino County:  these highly rated Zins have the benefit of the cooling nearby Pacific.

     The Russian River flows directly into the Pacific & both bodies of water cool these vineyards

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• Russian River:  this is the coolest region of the seven. Ripening is sometimes an issue, but with the right temps, Zins here can be wonderful.

• Santa Cruz Mountains:  cooled by both the nearby Pacific and its mountainous elevation, these Zins have complexity & depth.

• San Luis Obispo:  the most southerly of all the best Zin districts, SLO also benefits from hot days & cooler maritime-influenced nights.

Why not a have a Zin weekend to welcome Spring which is just around the corner?  Just be mindful, Zins have higher alcohol levels so drink accordingly.

Zinfandel’s Origin Will Surprise You!

           Wine-Knows will be chartering a private yacht in 2023 on the coast where Zin originated

Are you thinking Italy….or perhaps France?  You’re right in that the origin is Europe, but DNA analysis shows that the Zinfandel grape originated in Croatia.  In fact, genetic scientists studying ancient grapes have uncovered evidence that Croatia once had an entire family of native grapes closely related to Zinfandel.   As Zinfandel is now associated with California,  how did this grape travel nearly 7,000 miles to the West Coast of the US from Croatia?

                                       Zinfandel is native to this beautiful area of Croatia

It is thought that the first entry of Zinfandel into the US was to New York in the 1820’s.  It was then brought westward to California during the state’s 1850’s Gold Rush.   During the last part of the 19^th century when Zinfandel was being planted in California, ironically, Croatia was in the midst of a vineyard pandemic….most every single variety was destroyed due to a destructive bug call “phylloxera.”   In fact, phylloxera annihilated nearly all vineyards in every country of Europe.

                     Croatia has >1,000 miles of coastline & 1,200 islands to explore

In the late 1990’s when plant scientists began studying the origin of different grape varietals, Croatia only had a few plantings remaining of its indigenous Zinfandel.  To be exact, there were only 9 vines and they were found by accident in an old vineyard.  Since this discovery, the country has been planting more Zin to capitalize on this heritage, however, the most planted grape in Croatia today is Plavic Mali, and Zinfandel is one of this grape's parents.

              WineKnows will stop at this island---the birthplace of Marco Polo & terrific wine 

In olden times vineyards were planted with an array of different grapes.   All grapes were mixed next to one another---often times the person planting the vines didn’t even know what varietal it was.   Somewhere along the way Zinfandel crossed with the obscure red grape, Doboric, and birthed Croatia’s current popular variety, Plavic Mali.   

                                    Your aperitif is waiting for you in September 2023!

Next week’s Blog will discuss how Zinfandel has adapted in California, as well as how its Croatian roots translate into the glass.     In the meanwhile, to learn more about the 2023 yacht trip on Croatia's coastline, here's the itinerary:

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/croatia-itinerary/

Why is Diurnal Shift So Important?

         The Bordeaux wine region has a sizeable diurnal shift 

On all Wine-Knows’ tours to the world’s greatest wine regions the term diurnal shift comes up several times.  It is always mentioned during WineKnows’ opening seminar, and most winemakers discuss it at least once during the tasting of their wines.  This blog will discuss how this phenomenon is responsible for separating the top wine districts  from those producing simple table wines.

First, let’s review what the diurnal shift is.  Simply put, the diurnal shift is the difference between a vineyard’s daytime and nighttime temperature.  While the notion might be simple, however, this difference in temperatures dramatically effects the quality of a wine’s structure and complexity.

                           The Port region of Portugal also has significant day & night temps

A large diurnal difference helps grapes to ripen in a more balanced way, and therefore, to maintain the structure of the wine.  The warmer the day temperature, the better for sugar development.  The lower the temperature at night, the better it is for grapes to preserve their acid structure to balance these sugars.  Furthermore, a significant diurnal difference allows grapes to "rest" at night anf, thereby, to preserve their delicate aromas.

           Huge diurnal shifts appear in Argentina's premier wine district near the Andes 

World-class wine regions depend upon these large day-night temperature variations to make wines of deep complexity with great structure.   For example, the Napa Valley is <30 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  Daytime temps in the valley during summer can easily exceed 100 degrees, but the valley floor temps drop at nighttime due to the marine influence of cooling air from the ocean and nearby San Francisco Bay.  It’s not unusual to see a diurnal shift of 40 degrees.

The Central Valley of California (>150 miles further south), has similarly hot day temperatures during the summer grape ripening period.  In contrast to Napa, however, its nighttime temps remain warm as there are no large bodies of water to moderate the heat.   The Central Valley has little diurnal shift, hence, this is the main reason why its wines lack the complexity and structure of Napa.

                 World-class Rhone Valley wines are made in a climate with big diurnal shifts

Diurnal temperature swings are critical in making topnotch wines with great aromas and a balanced structure.   All of the world’s greatest wine regions have this day-night large temperature fluctuation.  Think of diurnal shift  as a winemaker’s dream.