How to identify cork taint? I’ve heard this question many times during my time as a wine educator. Amongst faults you can find in wine, it’s one of the easiest to detect.
So let’s decipher what is cork taint and how to identify it quickly when tasting a wine!
On the occasion of Sherry Week (Nov 8-14 2021), I wanted to talk about Xeco Wines and its founder, Alexa Keymer. I made the interview a while ago but thought that it would be a great time to share it to celebrate Sherry!
Back in 2019, I have done a research paper about the « Sherry Renaissance » for my WSET Diploma. I discovered that this fabulous drink (which I had never heard before, or so little…) has a long-lasting and fantastic history but, for some reason, it lost fashion among consumers. During my research, I came across Xeco Wines and its purpose to revive Sherry around the world.
Created in 2016 by Alexa and two of her friends, Xeco Wines aims to bring the « next generation Sherry » to the table and the world by finally giving some recognition to this underrated drink. They have loved this wine without being able to share about it with other friends for too long!
A l’occasion de la Sherry Week (8-14 Novembre 2021), je veux te parler de Xeco Wines et sa fondatrice, Alexa Keymer. J’ai rĂ©alisĂ© cette interview il y a un moment, mais j’ai pensĂ© que c’Ă©tait le bon moment de la partager pour fĂȘter le XĂ©rĂšs !
En 2019, j’ai effectuĂ© des recherches sur la « Renaissance du XĂ©rĂšs » pour mon WSET Diploma. J’ai dĂ©couvert que ce vin fabuleux (dont je n’avais jamais, ou quasiment jamais, entendu parler…) a une fantastique histoire de longue date. Mais, pour certaines raisons, il n’est plus Ă la mode parmi les consommateurs. Pendant cette recherche, j’ai dĂ©couvert Xeco Wines and son souhait de faire revivre le XĂ©rĂšs tout autour du monde.
FondĂ© en 2016 par Alexa et deux de ses amies, Xeco Wines a pour but d’amener la « nouvelle gĂ©nĂ©ration XĂ©rĂšs » en donnant enfin ses lettres de noblesse Ă cette boisson sous-estimĂ©e. Elles aiment ce vin sans ĂȘtre capables de le partager avec leurs autres amis depuis trop longtemps !
Got WSET 3 tasting exams coming your way? Here is how to pass!
1- Know the grade scale and use it well
2- Know the SAT by heart
3- Practice on the typical wines
4- Write dry tasting notes
5- Be in the perfect conditions on your exam day
6- Book a coaching session with me!
Get more details and resources in the article đ
Vanessa Guebels, Weeno founder, grew up in Champagne and has always felt connected to wine in a way. She worked in a different career for a while between Paris and abroad though. At the end of 2016, Vanessa comes back to France after a few years spent in China. She is thrilled to get back to French gastronomy and the pleasure to pair wine with food. But, even in France, the art of wine and food pairing remains difficult for most people…
In the wake of this conclusion, Vanessa opens her own wine school in 2017. Her goal? Make people discover wine in a simple way, teach them how to taste wine properly and know their own preferences so that they are able to enjoy wine better.
Vanessa GuĂ©bels a grandi en Champagne et s’est toujours sentie en quelque sorte connectĂ©e au vin. Pendant quelques temps, elle a cependant travaillĂ© dans un secteur diffĂ©rent entre Paris et l’Ă©tranger. A la fin de lâannĂ©e 2016, Vanessa rentre en France, aprĂšs plusieurs annĂ©es passĂ©es en Chine. Elle est ravie de retrouver les joies de la gastronomie française et le plaisir de choisir le vin qui sâaccordera parfaitement avec son plat. Mais, mĂȘme en France, cette tĂąche reste difficile pour le plus grand nombre…
Se basant sur cette conclusion, Vanessa crĂ©e sa propre Ă©cole de formation du vin dans la foulĂ©e, en 2017. Son but ? Faire dĂ©couvrir le vin simplement, apprendre aux gens Ă le dĂ©guster et leur connaĂźtre leurs goĂ»ts pour mieux lâapprĂ©cier.
Senay Ozdemir, native from Turkey, is a true storyteller and a great actress of women empowerment. She started as a TV-host, then launched her own magazine to become a publisher. She is also a TEDx speaker, and the organiser of the first WomeninWine Expo in Europe. This 2-day event has been created to gather and empower women in wine from all over the world. Build on partnerships with national wine organisations, the aim is to give the opportunity to like-minded women to exchange on the wine world through networking, education, business and fun. Indeed while women wine professionals are in increasing number, there is still a gender gap in the wine industry: they are both under-represented and under-paid.
The first edition took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands and Brussels, Belgium on 23 & 24 May 2019. It gathered 35 women from Holland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Lebanon and the US. All were winemakers, sommeliers, buyers, writers, influencers… and talked about things to overcome and opportunities for women in wine.
Senay Ozdemir, originaire de Turquie, est une vĂ©ritable Ă©crivaine ainsi qu’une grande actrice de l’Ă©mancipation des femmes. Elle a commencĂ© en tant que prĂ©sentatrice tĂ©lĂ© puis a ensuite lancĂ© son propre magazine pour devenir Ă©ditrice. Elle intervient Ă©galement dans les conventions TEDx, elle a crĂ©Ă© et organisĂ© la premiĂšre Expo WomeninWine en Europe. Cet Ă©vĂ©nement se dĂ©roule sur 2 jours dans le but de rassembler et d’Ă©manciper les femmes de l’industrie du vin partout dans le monde. BasĂ© sur des partenariats avec des organisations du vin, le but est de donner l’opportunitĂ© aux femmes d’Ă©changer sur le monde du vin Ă travers l’interconnexion de rĂ©seaux, l’Ă©ducation, le commerce et l’amusement. En effet, malgrĂ© le fait que les femmes soient de plus en plus nombreuses dans le secteur, il y a toujours des inĂ©galitĂ©s entre les sexes : elles sont Ă la fois sous-reprĂ©sentĂ©es et sous-payĂ©es.
La premiĂšre Ă©dition de l’exposition a eu lieu Ă Rotterdam (Pays-Bas) et Bruxelles (Belgique) les 23 et 24 Mai 2019. 35 femmes venant de Hollande, Belgique, Italie, Allemagne, Hongrie, Moldavie, GĂ©orgie, Turquie, Liban et des Etats-Unis se sont rĂ©unies. Elles Ă©taient toutes vigneronnes, sommeliĂšres, acheteuses, Ă©crivaines, influenceuses,… et ont parlĂ© de toutes les choses Ă surmonter et des opportunitĂ©s pour les femmes du vin.
Today my guest is Christophe Kaczmarek, founder of French Beaches. He offers both approachable and terroir wines in his range, always respectful of life. His watchwords are audacity, fun and modernity. He wants to create a bridge between the wine worlds through his originality and quirky tone.
Aujourdâhui je suis avec Christophe Kaczmarek, le fondateur de French Beaches. Il propose Ă travers sa gamme des vins faciles dâapproche mais aussi des cuvĂ©es de terroir, toujours dans le respect du vivant. Ses mots dâordre sont lâaudace, le fun et la modernitĂ©. Il souhaite crĂ©er un pont entre les mondes du vin Ă travers son originalitĂ© et son ton dĂ©calĂ©.
Sometimes when I teach WSET, people get afraid when we get to the tasting portion. When I tell them that we will spit the wine, some get scared of having to spit wine đ They ask me if they really have to because they feel like: 1. it is disgusting, 2. it is not respectful of the work of the producers.
But you know what: it is actually cool to spit wine. Because it is the way to be able to taste several wines without getting drunk! đ„Ž And this will allow you to properly assess all the wines you will encounter at a tasting.
Let me explain you how!
Sauvignon Blanc is well known in Sancerre, France. But it’s also widely used in New Zealand in an often more exuberant style.
Letâs taste this fabulous Marisco Vineyards Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 together!
>> Tasting note to download for free đșđž
Le Sauvignon Blanc est trÚs connu à Sancerre, en France. Il est également trÚs utilisé en Nouvelle-Zélande dans des vins souvent plus exubérants.
Viens déguster ce Marisco Vineyards de Marlborough 2020 avec moi !
>> Note de dĂ©gustation Ă tĂ©lĂ©charger gratuitement đ«đ·
Priorat is a wonderful wine region in Spain. Viticulture is heroic there!
Taste this fabulous wine in video with me! You’ll discover what makes it so special đ
>> Tasting note to download for free đșđž
Priorat est une rĂ©gion viticole d’excellence en Espagne. La viticulture y est qualifiĂ©e d’hĂ©roĂŻque !
DĂ©guste ce fabuleux vin en vidĂ©o avec moi ! Tu vas dĂ©couvrir ce qui le rend si spĂ©cial đ
>> Note de dĂ©gustation Ă tĂ©lĂ©charger gratuitement đ«đ·
This CrĂ©mant d’Alsace has been created in collaboration with William Arlotti, a fashion designer. He draws a different gorgeous label each year.
Taste this beautiful wine from Cave de Turckheim in video with me!
>> Tasting note to download for free đșđž
Ce CrĂ©mant d’Alsace a Ă©tĂ© crĂ©Ă© en collaboration avec William Arlotti, cĂ©lĂšbre fashion designer. Il dessine chaque annĂ©e de merveilleuses Ă©tiquettes diffĂ©rentes.
Déguste ce délicieux vin de la Cave de Turckheim en vidéo avec moi !
>> Note de dĂ©gustation Ă tĂ©lĂ©charger gratuitement đ«đ·
