The Bitter Economics of Sweet Wines

It was raining as I approached Barsac, the small village at the heart of France’s sweet-winemaking region. Navigating my car along its tiny back roads, I had long since given up on my GPS, which insisted I had “reached my destination,” though I was clearly still far from where I was supposed to be: in the cellars of Château Climens, one of the appellation’s leading properties.
Trusting my instincts, I took a right at the fork, drove over a train track and, with just one call to the château, managed to find my way onto its expansive gravel drive, the rain still pouring.
Château Climens produces around 30,000 bottles of luscious, lemony, honey-colored sweet wine every year. Its 30 hectares of vineyards sit between the château and the A62 motorway that runs all the way to Toulouse. The vineyard’s slight elevation gives the wines an attractive acidity, adding a little finesse.
Since the early 1990s, the estate has been run by Bérénice Lurton, who, with her technical director, Frédéric Nivelle, has established its reputation. The 2011 vintage in Sauternes is good; it comes on heels of the superb 2009 and 2005, and the exceptional 2001.
The reason the 2011 wines are so interesting is the unique weather pattern the growing season experienced. The spring saw temperatures soar above the average. This was followed by hail, which depleted the crop, and a very wet end to the summer. Then came an intense burst of heat at the end of the season.
All this conspired to produce wines that are delightfully fresh on the nose, with huge concentration on the palate. At nearby Château d’Yquem, the wine has a joyous nose, with floral and peach aromas, but it is when sipped that its purity and freshness stand out.
Given that Sauternes is widely regarded as the world’s greatest sweet-wine-producing region, the 2011s should be easy to sell. Not quite. While producers 25 miles northwest in Bordeaux can sell their reds and whites relatively easily, sweet wine is out of fashion.
One hears stories of cellars filled with unsold stock, while Sauternes producers lament that their creations are often referred to as “dessert” wines. They argue that, while their wines are sweet, they can also be drunk with a variety of dishes, from Roquefort salad to Cantonese roast pork. I love to serve them with the first course, as the sweetness naturally lifts the mood of the gathering. But therein lies the problem: however much you like sweet wine, it can really only be drunk in small quantities.
Why not drop the price? Again, the economics of the region aren’t as straightforward as elsewhere. Good Sauternes relies on a unique combination of foggy mornings, a certain amount of humidity and painstaking labor. To reach the optimum amount of concentration and sweetness, the grape varieties used to make the wine—Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle—need to be infected by a fungal growth, Botrytis cinerea, known as noble rot.
But not every bunch is infected uniformly, so pickers have to be diligent in selecting the grapes. Moreover, picking can be painstakingly slow, taking in some cases up to two months, 10 times more than for dry table wine. The risks are high; if the weather turns, the rot can turn as well, becoming gray rot.
While noble rot concentrates the sugars, allowing the water to evaporate and imparting the grapes with an attractive sweetness, gray rot attacks the grapes, leaving them tasting distinctly rotten and ruining at least part of the crop. This all means the production costs of making sweet wine are very high.
Of course, producers could switch to making dry white wine or even red, but by an accident of geography and climate, Sauternes is one of the few areas in which conditions are more or less perfect for the production of that distinctive rich, nutty sweetness.
Which leaves the Sauternes producers praying for a change in fashion, back to a time, more than a century ago, when their wine was among the most sought-after in the world. Whether this happens remains to be seen.

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Although wines are widely available in most Asian countries, especially in Hong Kong which has eliminated import tariff on wines altogether, the availability of fine vintage wines is still very scarce. Most wine merchants offer big names, young vintages and cheaper wines for everyday consumption. Wine lovers and connoisseurs looking for something special often travel to Clark Pampanga Philippines to do their shopping at this Wine Shop in Manila.

At Yats Wine Cellars we believe that a little bit of knowledge in wine goes a long way to developing expectations in the wines we choose to buy or drink. Without expectation, it is difficult to really enjoy wine to its fullest. With this in mind, efforts are made by Yats Wine Cellars to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for our clients to learn more about wine.

Yats Leisure Philippines

Birthday wine gifts is one of the most popular birthday gifts to give someone living in the Philippines. Fine Vintage wine from Yats Wine Cellars is a sure winner and it does not have to cost a great deal to send someone a bottle in Philippines

To avail of wine catering service of Yats Wine Cellars, just contact this wine supplier in Manila or Angeles Clark Philippines for a meeting to design a theme for the event. The venue for a wine event can be in the privacy of a home, the convenience of an office in Manila for example or in a clubhouse of a subdivision. Wine glasses and accessories necessary for wine service are included in the wine catering service. Moreover, interesting wine notes accompany the wine to help participants enjoy the event even more by learning a little bit about wine while enjoying the party. A wine steward will be present to serve the wine.

There is also an exciting collection of white wine from Burgundy at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Meursault, Chablis, Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and St. Aubin. Red wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone are also available with a good depth of back vintages too. Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.

Things to do in Clark Pampanga and Angeles City: do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. Many people already know that one of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Clark Wine Center is lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Buy wine baskets in Manila as gifts to friends and business associates. Wine lovers in Philippines can find good wines from France in wine shops in Manila and Pampanga. Among the good selections of French red wines from Burgundy are Domaine de La Romanee Conti or DRC, Chambertin, Pommard, Clos de Vougeot, Domaine Leroy, Bonnes Mares, La Tache, Vosne Romanee, Echeazeaux, Romanee St. Vivant, Volnay, Morey St. Denis, Nuits St. Georges. This makes it easy and convenient for wine lovers to buy wine in Manila. They are also great wines to include in wine gift baskets for delivery in the Philippines. Manila wine and food lovers looking for things to do in Pampanga and Manila can consider attending one of these wine events. The best way to learn more about wine in the Philippines is to attend public wine tasting events that have no sponsors. These wine tasting events held by Yats are non-commercial. Yats Wine Cellars does not promote a specific winery, producer or a brand. These wine tastings and wine dinners held in Manila and Pampanga are all designed to let wine lovers explore more interesting aspects of wine.