Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. The first vineyards were planted by Portuguese immigrants in 1532, and in 1626 Jesuit priests introduced Spanish grape varieties that failed to yield satisfactory quality due to the hot and humid climate. Much late, in the 18th century Portuguese immigrants from Azores brought varieties from Madeira and those also failed to thrive. Humidity and disease resistant American hybrids, e.g Isabella, thrived, but yielded mediocre quality wines at best.
In 1870 Italian immigrants established extensive vineyards in Sierra Gaucha in southern Brazil abutting the Uruguay border. Moet et Chandon from France started producing sparkling wines in 1970’s, and ever since many wineries switched at least some of their output to this style.
Today, more than any other style, sprinkling wine production dominates the industry. Some of the best are made using traditional varieties e.g chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier, but some very attractive sparkling wines are made from glera, Italian riesling, trebbiano and viognier, and blends thereof. Even some cabernet sauvignon and merlot are used.
Approximately 50 per cent of sparkling wines are made by the Champagne method. The biggest producers focus on brut wines, containing 8 – 15 grams of residual sugar per liter.
Brazil is spread over a vast territory and has varied climatic conditions. Rio Grande de Sul was the first region, and expanded to Planalto Catarinense just north of Porto Allegre, Campos de Cuna da Serra, Serra Gaucha, Serra do Sudeste, Campanha, and Vale dos Vinhedos, all of which are located in southern Brazil at 29 degree south latitude.
Brazil has three certified geographic regions for wine – Vale dos Vinhedos DO ( Designation of origin), Pinto bandeira ( Indication of origin), and Altos Montes (IP = Indication of provenance) Certifications stipulate grape varieties, yields per hectare, chaptalisation, and yeast species allowed.
The preferred varieties for wine production are : cabernet sauvignon, merlot, tannat, pinot noir, tempranillo, touriga nacional for reds, and chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, viognier, gewurztraminer for whites. Experiemental varieties are also planted.
The soils vary between sandy mixed with granite, and limestone, clay with pebble stones, and alluvial. New vineyards are planted on high altitudes up to 1400 meters above sea level.
These regions are in the Plan Alto Catarinense abutting the border with Uruguay.
Generally, the most successful wines of Brazil are sparkling , which comply with legal regulations.
Sweetness levels of Brazilian sparkling wines are defined as follows: Nature 0 – 3 grams of residual sugar Extra brut 3 – 8 grams of residual sugar Brut 8-15 grams Sec 15 – 20 grams Demi-sec 20 – 60 grams Doce/Doux 60 +
The following sparkling wine producers are considered to be the best:
Cave Geisse
Enos Vinhos de Boutique Vallontano
Arte de Vinha
Guatambu
Vinha Buna
Domino do Brazil
PROFESSOR B’S WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Drink wine only for medicinal, educational, and gustatory purposes.
Anonymous
WINES WORTH ENJOYING X
White wines
Riverstone Chardonnay, 2023, J.Lohr, California
$ 19.95
Black Sheep Riesling, 2022, Featherstone, Ontario, Vintages essential
$ 24.95
Sauvignon Blanc, 2023, Stoneleigh, New Zealand
$ 21.95 Vintages essential
Red wines
Primitivo, 2021, Gufo, Puglia, Italy
$ 13.35
Pinot Noir, 2021, Koskil, Patagonia, Argentina
$ 22.95
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020, Cathedral Cellar, South Africa
$ 17.95
Prices subject to change
STRESSED OUT?
DO NOT IGNORE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS X TYPES OF STRESS X
Stress is the normal response to situational pressures, especially if they are perceived as threatening or dangerous.
Stress is commonplace in life, especially in workplaces, and sometimes in a family.
Typical sources of stress include the physical environment or unsafe living or workplace, relationships or major life changes (financial, illness, death etc.)
Stress can be brief, or chronic, which may cause other health issues.
Males and females experience stress but the impact of it can differ and that may cause negative behavioural changes. Chronic stress can impact brain function and structure over time. The regions of the brain that regulate stress are some that regulate immune and cardiovascular systems, hence should be avoided as much as possible.
If your job or the management style of the workplace is causing chronic stress, it is better for you to seek another position somewhere else, even if it pays a little less.
Living with chronic workplace stress can be dangerous to your life.
You can relieve stress by physical exercise (communing with nature, riding, vigorous gym exercise etc), brain training (solving puzzles, developing concepts, crossword puzzles etc).
Like most things in medicine and science, research regarding chronic stress, sex differences, and brain health change.
New findings and ways to diagnose stress and stress related illness are still evolving and everyone should be aware of such developments to live a physically and mentally balanced healthy life.
CHENIN BLANC – VERSATILE AND VALUE DRIVEN
FRANCE X WHITE WINE X SOUTH AFRICA X VERSATILE GRPE X
This grape variety originates from the Loire Valley in France, but today it is grown in South Africa, France, the USA, Australia, and many other countries.
In South Africa growers refer to it as steen, in France pineau de la Loire.
Chenin Blanc makes lithe, dry summer whites and sparkling wines. It also offers oak-aged styles with similar flavors to chardonnay.
Chenin blanc wines smell of yellow apples, quince, pears, passion fruit, lime, honeydew melon, peach, persimmon, mandarin.
The wines are of medium to high acidity with 12-14 percent ABV.
Chenin blanc can be fermented completely dry to produce a very lean, minerally wines.
Off-dry when some of the grapes’ natural sugars are left in the wine, to acquire richer flavours of ripe pears, jasmine, passion fruit, and honeycomb.
Sweet styles of offer flavours of dried persimmon, toasted almond, mango, ginger, and mandarins.
Sparkling styles can range from dry (brut) to sweet (demi-sec), with classic characteristics of quince, yellow apples, plums, ginger, and floral notes.
Sweet and sour Chinese dishes, Southeast Asian cuisine or pork chops with apples paired with a richer and sweeter style can be very appealing.
Try a high quality South African chenin blanc with your Thanksgiving dinner.
Veal, trout, chicken, turkey, pork chop, halibut, smoked salmon, terrines, and pâtes are known to go well with dry chenin blanc wines.
If you love cheese try the following – soft to semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses, such as triple-cream brie, Swiss gruyere, cream cheese, yogourt, herb-crusted goat cheeses, and cheddar.
South Africa is the largest producer followed by many wineries in the Loire Valley, France.
In the cooler Loire Valley, the ripeness can be so uneven that grapes are usually selected by hand in successive passes through the vineyard.
Highly acidic, less ripe grapes make a great base for sparkling wines.
Riper grapes are used in the richly aromatic, off-dry styles.
At the end of the harvest season, the last grapes picked are affected with noble rot, which concentrates the grapes’ sugars and lends to rich flavors of orange marmalade, ginger, and saffron. These late harvest grapes go into the blending of the sweet wines which can age for many years and taste heavenly.
The L C B O and many Ontario agents offer several chenin blanc wines well worth trying.
COGNITIVE INERTIA AND MEDITATION
advantages of daily mediataion X Accepting changes X the importance of the brain X
Past experiences are ingrained viewpoints in our brains represent the nucleus of cognitive inertia.
Experiences of working and living accumulate in the brain and form a fixed way of thinking and behaviour.
French researcher Frederic Brochet at the University of British Columbia conducted a revealing experiment.
He invited 50 wine professionals and served them two glasses of red wine, one of which was in fact white with a few drops food colouring.
He then asked them about their impressions of both.
No one thought that one glass contained white wine.
This proves the existence of cognitive inertia of the brain relying on past experience.
Under everyday living conditions, cognitive inertia is extremely helpful in reducing the brain’s work load.
The brain weighs a small fraction of the body, but consumes 20 percent of the energy.
Once we form a habit using old ways to solve new problems, our past experiences shackle our guide, even enforce our way of thinking and acting.
Relying overly on past experiences may block creativity and cause the mind to stagnate.
Cognitive inertia leads to lose the ability to adopt to new circumstances.
There are always new inventions, ideas, and opinions by scientists, researchers, writers, politicians, inventors and engineers to solve problems or make live more easy and appealing.
Classical Greek philosophers used to cal this panta rhein alluding to the fact that everything changes constantly.
The human body and brain can adapt to new conditions and accept inventions but only if the brain “permits” it.
Think of AI – the brain of an old person may or may not accept it or believe in it and if this individual had neglected to elevate his way of thinking (e.g cognitive inertia) by meditation.
Meditation facilitates accepting new inventions and changing circumstances, and deeper perspective which in turn motivates us to accept new inventions or changes.
However, some changes are imposed on us by governments, and occasionally by big business like banks and other industry.
Practising meditation daily may change your tolerance of problems and accepting changes in life and circumstances.
SALZBURG – AUSTRIA’S MUSIC FESTIVAL CITY
TOURISM X AUSTRIA X EUROPE X MOZART X
With its medieval citadel, Baroque palaces and Alpine vistas, Salzburg attracts thousands of tourists.
This lovely Austrian city offers tourists history (Mozart, location of Sounds of Music) along with contemporary galleries, and fair trade coffee houses (Austrians love coffee in all its forms and preparations).
In the winter, Salzburg is at its most hospitable, as squares transform into bustling Christmas markets, and taverns fill with skiers and students refuelling or relaxing with Teutonic, albeit heavy food. Salzburg is a timeless city.
This compact, lovely and walk able city on the Salzach River in western Austria has been inhabited since the Neolithic era (10,200
B C and considered to be part of the Stone Age), but started to grow when Roman soldiers occupied it in 15 B C, merging several small settlements, and then called it Juvanum.
Hohensalzburg, the fortress, was built in 1077, and self-governing region won its complete independence from the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1805.
Hitler annexed Austria before World War II, but the country was the first to gain independence from the U S S R and allied forces (the
U S A, the U K, and France) by quiet but persistent diplomacy.
The froth largest in Austria after Vienna, Linz, and Graz, Salzburg with a population well over 150,000 is still a small city and most suitable to explore on foot.
Before the 20th century, Salzburg was shipping and distribution centre for salt from nearby mines. The old town with its baroque architecture and die Getreidegasse are tourist attractions not to be missed.
Hohensalzburg, the castle, built in the 11th century, collected tolls from barges transporting salt.
The Cathedral, Alter Markt (the old market), Mozart’s birth house, Schloss Mirabel, the Toy Museum, and the Museum of natural history are all well worth exploring, as is sitting in an open air cafe sipping coffee topped with whipped cream while watching the world go by.
For those who rather like sitting in a tour bus, local agencies offer several tours.
Austrians like to eat and drink, and Salzburg has many restaurants offering local specialties i.e Salzburger nockerl, Mozart kugeln (chocolate confections), Tafelspitz (boiled beef), and many more.
Augustiner Beerstuberl is only one of the many pubs.
Salzburg music festivals in July and August attract thousands of tourists in addition to classical music lovers, and accommodation becomes more difficult to find.
After visiting all sights including Hohensalzburg, take a taxi or bus and visit Schloss Klessheim (now a casino) that was built as Hitler’s summer residence. The nearby building for employees was once the home of the hotel school of the city of Salzburg.
Bad Ischl and Fuschlsee are nearby natural attractions worth visiting.
Salzburg is close to Munich, and only four hours by car from Vienna.
There is no shortage of accommodation (except for festival times) and restaurants offering local and central European fare.
SCHIOPPETTINO – FRIULI’S REMARKABLE RED GRAPE
ITALY X FRIULI X RED GRAPE VARIETY AND WINE X
Friuli, in northeastern Italy, is one of the most important parts of Italian viticulture. Friulan style is known and appreciated worldwide, a well-conceived expertise and identity. It is a strip of territory about sixty kilometers long and no more than fifteen wide, where the vineyards rest on marly-limestone soils but with climates that sometimes differ significantly. The general location of the Colli Orientali produces mainly white wines, but schioppettino, aka black ribolla, yields ageworthy red wines.
These wines offer enticing aromas of raspberries, milk chocolate, black pepper, and walnut; on the palate.
The schioppettino 2020 smells of violets, raspberries, rhubarb, tobacco, and black pepper, while on the palate it flows smoothly with discreet tannin. The overall collective performance of Colli Orientali wines and in particular schiopettino are appearing convincingly, with impact and personality-driven red wines and white wines with great fragrance and aging potential
The Schioppettino di Prepotto S. Elena 2020 smells of tamarind and hibiscus along with black pepper, cinnamon, and refined, soft, with velvety tannins. Enthusiastic young farmers convinced financial interests of the potential of the Prepotto territory and started to enhance its contours along with soil structure, by using millennia-old farming techniques. The vineyards are divided into small plots located in the northern part of the Friuli Colli Orientali denomination, close to the Julian Prealps.
Schiopettino wines are occasionally featured by L C B O ‘s Vintages division.
WHEN IN PARIS TRY THESE SPECIALTIES
FOOD X FRANCEX DELICIOUS SPECIALTIES X
Paris is world famous for its gastronomy, and outstanding restaurants.
Thousands eagerly wait to dine in these establishments. They are expansive, but the food and service are always outstanding, and wines on their lists are phenomenal.
Paris is full of cafes and pastry shops that sell delicious local specialties at affordable prices – one stands out Stohrer. If you are in Paris make a point to visit this shop.
Here are some Parisian specialties that no tourist should miss.
Croque Monsieur
Croque Madame
Soupe à l’oignon (onion soup)
Hachis Parmentier
Croissant
Pain au chocolat
Paris-Brest
Gateau Saint-Honoré
Mille-feuille
Brioche Parisienne
Financiers
Religieuse
Crouquettes
Madelein
Baba-au-rhum
Confit de canard
Poulet fermiere
Oeuf dur mayonnaise
Poireuaux vinaigrette
MOULIN – A – VENT – A BEAUJOLAIS SUB-REGION WORTH EXPLORING
FRANCE X RED WINES X LIGHT WINES X
Beaujolais is a large Burgundy appellation in southern Burgundy, and famous for it fruity, “juicy” light-hearted wines that can be enjoyed young and fresh.
Moulin-a-Vent is a sub-region well known for its aging capacity.
Beaujolais growers excel in gamay cultivation and know how well it grows on the granitic soils of the region.
Beaujolais nouveau is a category all of its own and meant to be drunk within a year of the harvest.
The twelfe appellations are
Beaujolais
Beaujolais Village
Moulin-a-Vent
Chenas
Julienas,
St. Amour
Morgon
Fleurie
Chiroubles
Regnie
Brouilly
Cote the Brouilly
Of the 10 crus, Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon lead, in advancement of technology. They have helped to pull the region upwards, which has been able to reinvent itself by reducing surface area and welcoming young winegrowers who have increased quality and prices.
The wines also have the advantage of marrying a variety of aromatic profiles: from fluid juice on the fruit for everyday and casual consumption, it is easy to move on to deeper wine made for ageing, ideal for accompanying elaborate meals.
The proximity to Burgundy naturally plays in favour of the winegrowers of the region.
While prices remain very reasonable overall, many enlightened wine lovers no longer hesitate to treat themselves to vintages costing more than other famous wines. They are demanding on themselves, especially in terms of yields. What makes Moulin-à-Vent special beyond its mill, are winds that dry the grapes during wet vintages are its predominantly among the oldest in Beaujolais. The star grape variety is produced in small bunches, with the beneficial consequence of more concentrated grapes, and higher quality wines. In terms of style, it’s the opposite of Beaujolais Nouveau. A strategy to move upmarket that is bearing fruit: Beaujolais has entered the ranking of the favourite wine regions in France.
BURGUNDY’S DILEMMA
FRANCE XWINES X BURGUNDY X APPELLATIONS X PRICING X
Wine lovers adore Burgundy.
The chardonnays and pinot noirs taste best in successful years vintages.
The region is a cool climate zone, but now climate change makes it warm, resulting in high alcohol wines (up to 14 to even 15 percent ABV) which affect balance, mouthfeel, colour, delicacy and intensity.
Traditional, Burgundy wines had alcohol levels of 10 -12 percent ABV.
This is the first problem.
The second is the price. The region has 8100 hectares of vineyards in seven appellation
Chablis
Cote d’Or (Cote de Nuits, and Cote de Beaune)
Maconnais
Chalonnais
Beaujolais
Hautes Cotes de Beaune
Hautes Ctes de Nuits
The “heart” and most valuable terroir lays in Cote d’Or (550 hectares). Here Grand cru vineyards are the most valuable and their wines cost a small fortune few can afford.
Lesser wines follow grand cru prices to some extent but still, with all the taxes in Ontario Burgundy wines cost much more than other high end wines.
Now, Hautes Cotes de Beaune and Hautes de Nuits vineyards are becoming more suitable as they are located 200 – 300 metres above the valley floor and climate change helps ripen grapes more.
These two sub-regions are likely to become more affordable, in addition to Maconnais, and Chalonnais.
Chablis produces mostly dry white wines, and Beaujolais light reds. Their prices prices are unlikely to change much.
Overall, Cote d’Or wines at 14 -15 percent ABV taste very different now than traditional delicate, smooth, and elegant chardonnays and pinot noirs.
Vintners harvest earlier than before, but lose out on balance of acidity and ripeness.
For Burgundy lovers have to decide to either approach lesser known wines from Hautes Cotes de Baune, Hautes Cotes de Nuits, Maconnais, or Chalonnais at affordable prices, or accept high end wines at high alcohol levels with completely different characteristics and textures.
Professor B Says 