Under the Eclipse: Exploring the Cosmic Vintage Connection Season 5: Ep 14

Join sommelier Erin on a special celestial journey through the world of wine as she explores the fascinating connection between total solar eclipses and exceptional wine vintages. From the renowned Port vintages coinciding with years featuring total solar eclipses to the upcoming astronomical event on April 8th, 2024, discover the years impacted by a solar eclipse. Get ready to learn about which vintages to look for when shopping if you're looking to blend your love for wine with your love for incredible cosmic events. 😎 🍷

Wine Vintages discussed in this episode include:

• 1982
• 1999
• 2017

Declared Port Vintages:

• 1900
• 1963
• 1977
• 1991
• 2011

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Transcript

Erin: 0:00

On April 8th, 2020 for a total solar eclipse will grace the skies and it will cast a shadow across parts of north America. Putting areas into total darkness. This rare event offers us not only a spectacular opportunity to witness an. Awe inspiring dance between celestial bodies. It also gives us the opportunity to explore if there is a connection between wine vintages and solar eclipses. And I thought it would be fascinating to find out. So I went down a rabbit hole and this episode is all about what I discovered. So, if you're interested to learn more about the correlation between solar eclipses and wine and port vintages, then this episode is for you. So if you're ready, let's get started and dive right into this week's episode. Hi everyone. And welcome to the wine shop talk. I'm your host, my Erin Rosar and I'm so happy that here with me today, if we haven't met before, it's lovely to have you here. And if we have welcome back. Now for those of you who are new, you should know that I've been a professional smile for over 20 years now. And it's my passion and my privilege to make learning about wine. Not only fun and easy, but also practical. I want to make sure that after each episode you leave with some real life practical tips, they were able to use right away to help you find wines that you are going to love and enjoy and be able to share with family and friends. I want you to think of me as your very own practical Smalley.. And while week's episode is maybe not so much about practical tips. But some pretty cool information that you're going to be able to use. To make your own mind up about, is there a correlation between how a vintage shows in the glass and if there was a solar eclipse that year. Before we dive into the wine information, let's set the baseline of what's going to be happening on April 8th, on 2024 in regards to the total solar eclipse, that's going to be happening.. Now this event is going to cast its shadow across parts of north America, which is going to be offering all those are able to see it an incredible and rare opportunity to witness the complete blackout of the sun in the midst of daylight. Now this eclipse is going to span from Mexico through the United States, right up here into Canada, where I am, it's been passed through Newfoundland where it's going to exit north America, and it promises to be a spectacular sight for everyone. Who's able to see it. Now, of course, if you are going to watch it and make sure you have your safety glasses on, we don't want any eye damage. So going to put in a little safety caveat there, but if you have the chance, it's definitely. Something that you don't want to miss out on and fingers crossed the weather is going to be incredible with clear skies for everyone to be able to see. In regards to solar eclipses. And is there an impact on the wine vintage of the year, then eclipse? Happens. That's a mix of artistry of why making of course the weather of that year, but it was curious, is there a tie in, does it set a foreshadowing of a vintage and I'm going to share with you what I found out now. I am going to be sharing with you some classic vintages in regards to the wine world. And then I'm going to dive into declared port vintages as well. And to be perfectly honest, the port information was the one that surprised me the most. So let's get started and talk about still wines first. And the first one I want to talk about in regards to wine was the vintage of 1982. Now I want you to remember that the a hundred point score didn't really come about. And do the late seventies, early eighties. So just something to keep in mind. So in 1982, there was a total solar eclipse On July 11th, 1982. And in regards to how did the wine show that year? I'm going to be using Bordeaux as a marker, just because we really sort of watched the wines of Bordeaux in regards to how the world reviews them. So in regards to the Bordeaux wines of 1982, these are wines that are still highly regarded, particularly from the Murdoch region. So wines from Chateau Laffite rough child should a Margo Latour who Briana, whom. Mouton Rothschild are all considered exceptional. Now these are obviously all of our first growth Bordeaux wines, but in saying that the 1982 vintage in regards to French Bordeaux wines is definitely considered a classic vintage. Now next up in the wine world, we come to 1999 and here we had a total solar eclipse, which was the visible and parts of Europe. UN. On August 11th, 1999, and the wines of Bordeaux and burgundy and the Rhone valley were considered to be excellent wines. Many considering the Bordeaux wines to be outstanding. The next total solar eclipse occurred on August 21st. 2017. And this was a solar eclipse that was visible across the United States. And many of you may remember or had the opportunity to see this. And it created a path of totality, meaning darkness from Oregon through South Carolina. Now in regards to Bordeaux and the wine vintage, this was considered a challenging weather conditions that led to mixed reviews of how the overall vintage was. However, like all vintages, there were some regions of France, such as burgundy and Alsace, the produce notable wine. So in regards to Bordeaux, there was frost. And hail but in regards to other areas of France there were some areas that produce some incredible wines. And this is a great example that if you're looking to be able to tie in your love for eclipses and. All things space with your love, for wine, that there will be an area in the world that has a wine that's very highly regarded that can go along with the solar eclipse timing that you want to celebrate. You can definitely pick up some, 2017 vintages to keep in your seller. And of course this vintage you'll be able to pick up 20, 24 bottles and put them in your cellar. And if you are able to watch the eclipse, you'll have a great memory when you open up that wine. So obviously with these wines, While there may be superstitions. We don't have a direct correlation or tie in to say that a solar eclipse always produces a mystical pattern of an incredible vintage, now let's move on to vintages from the port world. When I took a look at the port world, it was a bit more interesting. I'm not going to lie. And I looked at vintages that were declared a port vintages and what those showed in regards to the quality and the overall view of the vintages with the eclipse. Now, before I get started into the actual years, Let's just set the baseline of what is a declared port vintages and how do we get them So declared port vintages are years. Years in which port producers in Portugal agreed that the grapes harvested are of exceptional quality. This declaration allows them to produce a vintage port, the most prestigious style of port wine. Now vintage ports are renowned for their concentration, complexity and aging potential. Making them highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. Roughly we will get three declared vintages at decade, and that's, I'm saying this in air quotes, but we'll get roughly three. Port vintages a decade. They are a traditional baptism gifts. So generally you'll age them about 25 to 30, some odd years, if not longer, but they were a traditional, British baptism gift to then be opened at that child's wedding, presumably in about 20, 25 years. So they would be put down and rested. So just a fun, little bit of trivia there, but a port vintage doesn't happen every year. So when we have them, they're a pretty big deal. And so I put in a next year layer when I started to dig into solar eclipses and port vintages, and I layered them on top of each other. And here's what I discovered. Now because port goes back further in regards to how long we can age it compared to wine. I am going to go back a little bit further. And in 1900, we had a total solar eclipse. That marked an incredible remarkable vintage of port wine. So. If you are ever lucky enough to enjoy or have the opportunity to even see a bottle of the 1900 port vintage? No, that this was considered as Stiller incredible year, but it was also a year where we had a total solar eclipse. Now I am going to bring up that in 1963, we had a lunar eclipse. And the reason I bring this up is because we did have an incredible declared vintage of port in 1963. It is a vintage that is still celebrated today for its deep concentration balance and obviously longevity. And it offers an incredible amount of flavors for those collectors who are lucky enough to have an enjoy this bottle may still be out there for you to enjoy. In 1977, we had the total solar eclipse and this was a vintage again for ports enthusiastic, there was a declared vintage. It's considered an extraordinary vintage. It is a vintage of port that is described of having power and opulence layers of flavor that unfold. And it is a vintage that many people say, leave a lasting impression on discerning palates. So if you are looking for an older vintage, That you would like to have the opportunity to try 1977, you will probably see on store shelves and collectibles. Definitely one to think of. And if you are an eclipse fan, then this is a vintage, for sure. You'll want to be sipping on if you can, while you're watching this upcoming event. In 1991 with the solar eclipse on July 11th, we had a declared vintage and this vintage is considered to be elegant and refined. And definitely one you will be able to purchase today. Now in 2011, we had a partial solar eclipse that was visible in parts of Antarctica. And this is considered a standout vintage of port it's characterized by intense fruit flavors, very firm's Hammons. And I put it on the list. Because if you are collecting or looking to add to your port collection or your wine cellar, this is a vintage, you will be able to find and be able to purchase. And so those are the vintages over wines and ports that I have to share with you today. You can see that we can go right from 1900 up to the last eclipse in 2017. Now we did not have a declared vintage in regards to the port world in 2017, but you will be able to find some wine styles from that year, for sure. So that you can add those to your seller or maybe pick up a bottle of 2017 vintage to enjoy while you're watching this upcoming solar eclipse. So I can safely say that I didn't find any definite correlation between how a solar eclipse may foreshadow the upcoming vintage of either wines or ports. We do have some years where we've had eclipses where the wines have shown to be great and memorable vintages. And it's always fun to combine different passions that you're interested in. Obviously I'm interested in wine and it's super hard not to think that an eclipse is a really cool event. So I hope that you have enjoyed today. Learning a little bit about the solar eclipse declared port vintages, and different wine vintages that tie into eclipse times that You'll be able to take a look at wines that you have in your own seller, and be able to pick up a couple of bottles for your seller it's definitely a world of the mysteriousness of the sky and the artistry of winemaking. And as wine-making is a little bit of magic and an appreciation for the cosmic connection that elevates our tasting experience, especially when we get into biodynamics it was really fun to do a little research for you and share with you in this week's episode. What I found out about the different vintages and how it could correlate to what you could expect in the glass from both beautiful wines and of course, delicious ports. No, I did cover a lot of dates in this episode. So in the show notes, you will find a list of the different dates that I mentioned the different years. So if you do want to take that list with you, if you're heading out to the shop, you'll be able to have that list handy for you. Now, if you have any questions or comments about today's episode, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at hello. Uh, one girl academy.com. I. I would love to hear if you're able to see the solar eclipse. And of course, if you're able to see it and can take a picture of a glass of wine. Uh, watching the eclipse, that would be more credible. So please share those. If you happen to take some great photos, you can also reach me on Instagram and Tik TOK at wine girl academy. You'll find me over there come say hi. And if you're new and haven't had a chance to hit to take your wine pallet personality, you're going to find the link in the show notes below. That's going to take you to my fun signature quiz. That will give you your result of what your wine pallet personality is. And you'll get an entire booklet all about what that means as well as some helpful terms and that you can use when you go shopping to help you find wines that you were going to love and enjoy. Now as always be sure to like share and subscribe new episodes, come out every Tuesday. If you're somewhere where you are able to watch this upcoming solar eclipse, again, make sure you have your safety glasses on, but enjoy the experience. It's not going to be coming around again anytime soon. On that note, I want to wish you a wonderful week. Cheers to you. I know.