It’s safe to say that going back to terroir is somewhat of a trend right now in the wine business. Wines expressing the character of the terroir and grape are getting a lot of love these days.

The concept of terroir is also the foundation of Gaysorn’s upcoming wine event: Les Vendanges 2016. Inspired by the French wine harvest, Gaysorn Les Vendanges 2016 is a three-day event at Gaysorn. It aims to promote great wines through many different activities, such as wine tastings, wine pairings, and even parties. Over 200 wine labels from 18 renowned importers will be present. The event takes place throughout 27 (11 am – 11 pm), 28 and 29 (11 am – 8 pm) October at Gaysorn.

Last Thursday, a dinner at Riedel wine bar & cellar was held to introduce the event to friends and press. We were served wines from three different producers, Italian sparkling wine from Ferrari, Handpicked Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and an Austrian red from Gerhard Kracher.

Along with these wines, a light and delicious dinner was served. For starters: a selection of artisan charcuterie and cheeses along with a delectable chicken liver paté and preserved pears. For mains, the choice was lamb or trout. Crème brûlée for dessert.

The highlights of the evening, however, were the fantastic wines. The Ferrari Maximum Brut, a 100% Chardonnay from Trentodoc, Italy was smooth and easy going. The 2012 vintage wasn’t overly expressive, a great aperitif.

The Handpicked Regional Selection, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, on the contrary, had an intense fruity bouquet, with strong plum, passion fruit and raspberry notes. On the palate, the wine was bright, floral and herbal with a long finish. Overall, a splendid white wine.

The red, served with the lamb, was as good, if not better. The Gerhard Kracher from Burgenland, Austria, is a blend of 35% Zweigelt, 35% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The highly complex 2013 vintage had a lovely bouquet of ripe black cherries and tobacco. It had notes of spice, cloves with a touch of licorice and a highly complex and elegant finish. A great red with plenty of character yet complex and not at all heavy.

These and many more great wines will be present at the event as well. And if the event will be of the same quality as the dinner, and I’m sure it will, then it’s guaranteed to be a success.