Cognac: Breaking News!

There are exciting things afoot in Cognac, and your intrepid reporter has got the scoop!

Last week, a group of four journalist / blogger folk (including GinMonkey and Chocoralie) made the journey over to France to take a closer look.
The good folk at Remy Martin had some news to share with us, but keeping their cards close to their chest, decided to keep the mystery to themselves until the big reveal. I'm not nearly that good with secrets, so I'm just going to come out with it: changes are being made to their VSOP.
This is big news. Remy Martin has been the biggest selling Cognac within that quality category since time began, perhaps even earlier. Tinkering with the formula is a brave move indeed.

If you're not wondering by now what changes have been made, frankly I'm amazed that you're still reading. I'll give you two versions. First, the marketing speak:

"Subtle changes have been made to the ageing process to make the Cognac rounder and fruitier"

Next, geek speak (I love this bit!)

The viticulture, vinification, and distillation methods remain unchanged. Incidentally, this is a great move. They have a superb system in place out there, but I'll most likely save that for another blog. The ageing system (age / blend / age / blend / age / blend / marry / bottle) has even stayed superficially the same, with one important difference.

Up to now, the Remy VSOP you have enjoyed has, immediately prior to bottling, spent 12 months (the 'marriage period') in a 630hl oak vat. That's 630,000 litres - a quarter of an Olympic swimming pool. As such, the volume/surface ratio remains very small. The change being rolled out as we speak sees those final 12 months being spend in 350 litre mature casks - the 'normal' size that we are used to seeing in wineries, distilleries, and in garden centres being turned into water features. Is there a difference? You bet your cask there is.

The increased wood contact has a mellowing influence on the spirit. I don't particularly like the "rounder and fruitier" description, as I find it a bit vague, but I'll concede there is an element of truth in it. The alcohol is better integrated, making for a softer finish, and there is a notable increase in the dried fruit (apricot, peach) characteristic.The orange peel and honeycomb palate makes it a good choice not only as a digestif, but also with a mixer, or alongside a dessert in an after wine context.

I take my hat off to Remy: they've been brave enough to tinker with a winning formula, and have done so with gusto. The result is an altogether more pleasing drink. The new VSOP should be hitting the shelves in Europe around March / April 2012 - I'll let you know more precisely when I find out.


*Footnote: I've got a far geekier version of this post bubbling away in the background. There was an awful lot of technical information to take on board - think of this as the 'reader's digest' version!

WSET Diploma: Day One

Having just completed two years of studying (PGDip Forensic Psychology, the scope of which is really beyond this blog), I have recently - just yesterday, in fact - embarked upon my latest academic endeavour: the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Diploma in Wines and Spirits.

This blog entry will serve two purposes: one, a description of what is required for students on each day and; two, my reflection on each day as it passes.

Firstly, what do you need to take with you? I'm writing this because the WSET sent me an almighty (and fear-inspiring) study pack, which weighs an impressive 10.8lb (that's 4.6kg). Regular readers will be in no way surprised that I weighed it as soon as it arrived.

Faced with the prospect of commuting from Cambridge to London Bridge, hauling a learning pack which weighs almost as much as a fully grown border terrier, I started searching the internet to establish which bits were necessary and which I could leave at home, and drew a blank. I opted to bring just the book from 'Unit 2', which it turns out was the right decision (phew!). You will also need six tasting glasses which, mercifully, can be purchased from the WSET when you arrive. A pen and notepad are also advisable.

Now for my reflections on the day:

The group was fairly large: 22 people, with a further two due to join us on day two. By and large they were industry professionals taking the course for career development, with a few very enthusiastic amateurs making up the rest. It was a relief to find that it was a group without egos ('wine folk' can occasionally be a touch over-bearing), and that all were keen to learn.

The first day covered an induction, including what we can expect and, in turn, what is expected of us. I won't write about this here (I don't want to spoil the surprise for any of you, and it is already well covered on the WSET website). We later moved on to tasting technique which is subtly, but importantly, different to that employed in the WSET Advanced (now known as level three) standard approach to tasting. The tasting criteria are both wider and deeper in reach, aspiring to an altogether more detailed evaluation of the wines.

I'll keep you updated with each day as we go, but for now I'm going to get on with studying grape-growing and wine-making procedures. Bye for now!

Training @ Just Add... Bibendum

As Bibendum's Annual Tasting creeps ever closer (January 25^th, check your diary), the training team are busying themselves with a showcase for the kind of activities we get up to for the other 365 days of the year (2012 is a leap year, don’t ya know).

Our Training Team comprises five people on a mission: to improve the quality and understanding of wine service throughout the country. With so few of us, you might think this a thankless task, but we work smart: small team, big impact. Our workshops are cleverly designed to engage with the people who influence the others they work with, enabling the good word to travel far and wide.

So what’s on offer from Bibendum’s Training Team at Just Add…Bibendum?

One of our exhibits this year involves a large, magnetic back bar display, upon which you will be invited to apply the design which allows the greatest attention to be paid (by your customers) to those items which make you the most profit. Simple application of well-known psychology can enable you to increase the profitability of your venue, just by making some basic adjustments to layout, and we’ll show you how.

We will also be taking the time to talk people through the basics of food and wine pairing. This is another subject where getting a grasp of basic principles can unlock enormous potential. Rather than just talking through the details – there are plenty of books and websites you can turn to for that kind of advice – we will be walking you through the various steps (what you should be considering when pairing wine and food) and putting them into practice. The training team have selected some of their favourite wines for you to experiment with, and see for yourself how the theory is put into practice.

As well as being able to talk with members of the training team, we will be inviting you to embark on a treasure trail of discovery in the form of our treasure hunt. For this activity you will be unleashed to taste wines around the venue, and find out about them by talking with the producers. This represents a unique opportunity for you to speak with the people who not only sell the wines, but are involved in everything from the planting of the vines right through to bottling.

So, if you would like to take part in any of our activities, or simply come and have a chat about what we can do to help you improve wine service in your venue, come and find us in the Mezzanine floor of Room 1 at any point during the day. We look forward to seeing you there.

Click here to find out more about what's on offer at Just Add... Bibendum.