Dear Sommelier - A Chance Encounter at a Wine Shop

Good morning! Today, I’ve decided to shift gears and venture into the world of Canadian wine. So, I set off to a wine shop, only to be told by the clerk:

"I'm afraid we don't carry Canadian wine. We'd like to stock it, but..."

It seems that due to global warming, already warm regions are getting hotter, while previously cool regions are warming up. Furthermore, due to year-on-year changes in rainfall, locations that were once optimal for specific grape varieties are no longer as suitable, and viticulture is now flourishing in areas where grapes couldn't grow before. Canada is said to be a prime example of a region attracting attention because of this.

"What should I do? I really want to try a Canadian wine!"

In fact, this column is going through countries in Japanese alphabetical order (a-i-u-e-o). However, I was stumped because I didn't know what came after Canada. The clerk then said:

"We have a wine from a region close to Canada!"

It was a wine from New York State, USA, near Niagara Falls, which is quite close to Canada. The grape variety is "Riesling." It’s a place that holds memories for me from when I used to live in Ohio. Thinking it must be fate, I decided to buy it.

Today, I’ll start with the tasting report.

■ This Week's Tasting Report
Classic Dry Riesling 2020 | Forge Cellars

・Appearance: Clear, brilliant lemon-yellow. Neither too deep nor too pale. It gives the impression of being light, but I could see legs on the glass.

→ What do others say?
It is described as "medium-bodied," which suggests a moderate viscosity.

・Aroma: An open and powerful scent. Beyond notes of pear and apricot, I sensed a rich, heady aroma, like burying my face in a bouquet of flowers. There was also a sharp, piercing quality to it.

→ What do others say?
Nuances of white flowers like jasmine, along with the distinct "petrol" aroma typical of Riesling.

・Taste: Not as light as I had expected. Last week's Austrian "Zweigelt" and "Sauvignon Blanc" red wines felt lighter. Contrary to the aroma, a round sensation spread in my mouth. The person I drank with said they felt a lot of acidity, but I felt it had a great balance. It certainly had acidity, but it also possessed a mellow sweetness.

→ What do others say?
High acidity, with spreading fruit flavors like citrus, green apple, and white peach. The minerality and saltiness add depth to the palate.

From this week, I've started writing down my actual experience as a memo! I've been talking only based on my own limited senses for a long time, and since I've never smelled many of these scents before, I decided to write it down to deepen my learning.✍️

・Price: 4,730 yen (tax included) / 750ml

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Forge Cellars is a small winery specializing in Pinot Noir and Riesling, located on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake in the "Finger Lakes" region of New York State.

Just as the name "Finger Lakes" implies, there are indeed long, narrow lakes arranged vertically, like fingers.

It was co-founded in 2011 by Louis Barruol, the 14th-generation proprietor of the prestigious Gigondas winery "Château de Saint Cosme" in France’s Rhône region, and American Richard Rainey.

— What are "Gigondas" and "Château de Saint Cosme"?

"Gigondas"
An area with a history of winemaking dating back about 2,000 years to the ancient Roman era. It is famous for red wines primarily made from Grenache, blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre. It is characterized by long sunshine hours, hot and dry summers, and mild, low-rainfall winters. This climate promotes grape ripening and produces wines with powerful, complex flavors.

"Château de Saint Cosme"

A family-owned winery in Gigondas with over 500 years of history. In the center of the vineyards stands the historic Saint Cosme Chapel, built in the 11th–12th centuries, which is where the winery gets its name.

They introduced organic farming relatively early, in the 1970s, and now have organic certification for all their vineyards. By focusing on natural production methods—such as whole-cluster fermentation with wild yeast and non-filtered bottling—they continue to produce wines that draw out the unique character of their terroir to the fullest.

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Why did Louis Barruol, the proprietor of such a historic and traditional château, decide to take on a new challenge in the foreign land of the Finger Lakes?

It was to realize a dream he had cherished for many years: "to start a winery from scratch." Saint Cosme is a legacy winery with an already established style. However, Louis was looking for a place where he could pour in his own new vision and passion.

"As a person who is part of an old French wine family, I know what the weight of traditions means. Trying to develop a new estate in the Finger Lakes represents a completely different perspective, a different exercise in a different environment. But at deep, is it that different? Maybe not that different, as the feeling is the same, the wish of proper understanding is the same and the final goal is the same: express in a wine the soul of a place. It is a nice “human adventure,” as well as an achievement at every step that we climb, simply because we began this project with almost nothing but clear and strong ideas."

- From Forge Cellars Official Website

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Remarkably, Louis is balancing his duties as the 14th-generation head of "Château de Saint Cosme" while also working as the leader of "Forge Cellars."

It seems that because the harvest times and work schedules for Gigondas and the Finger Lakes are different, Louis travels to each location during their respective critical periods.



The label even states the "Harvest Date"—it seems the grapes for this were picked between October 14–28, 2020. I don't think I've ever seen the specific dates written on a label before!

"Carry out the mission," "Protect my subordinates."
He reminded me of "Bucciarati," the guy who manages to do both—a very cool guy indeed.

“you make better wine in a cool climate”

As he says in his Forbes interview, he was seeking a cool climate, not a warm region like Gigondas. To find it, he traveled all over the world, visiting South America, Australia, South Africa, and other parts of France.

Among them, the Finger Lakes' climate was his ideal. While the summers are relatively warm, the winters are extremely cold, and the "lake effect" protects the vines from sudden temperature drops and frost.
Because of the cool climate, cold-hardy varieties like Riesling and Cabernet Franc are mainstream, resulting in elegant, fresh wines with firm acidity.

What is the lake effect?
The lake water stores heat in the summer and releases it slowly in the winter. As a result, temperatures near the lake don't drop as abruptly in winter, making frost less likely. In other words, the lake acts like a "natural heater," protecting the surrounding vineyards and grapes from the cold and frost.

(Does this happen near Lake Biwa? I checked, and it does, though I wonder if that's true. I'll have to ask someone from Shiga Prefecture!)

Well, this has turned into a long story! I actually wanted to touch on Riesling, but I ended up falling for Louis's charm. Riesling is a grape variety for which Germany is the largest producer. It used to have an image of being sweet, but it seems there are more dry varieties these days. I'd like to dig deeper into that next week!