Winegrowing is Not Really Agriculture?

“Winegrowing is not really agriculture.” Really? This was actually stated to me by a well-respected third-generation California farmer the other day. I beg to differ. The term winegrowing is relatively new. Penned by a very large California wine family with an empire that nearly eclipses the sun, the term winegrowing was originally put into advertisement and wine industry information about fifteen years ago. Having grown up and now working in the wine grape business, I thought the new word was preposterous – winegrowing? Now, I couldn’t agree more. The word winegrowing is the perfect description of why California vineyards are thriving today. Farmers grow the grapes that make the wine; Plain and simple. A winemaker doesn’t just wake up one morning, decide to turn on the spigot and turn water into wine; although some winemakers would like you to believe this to be true! Wine is a unique food product because it starts as a simple grape then goes through a combination of age-old and breakthrough processes to transform into a complex flavor combination of spectacular descriptions. None of which are actually “grape”! A wine cannot be great without great grapes. Great grapes cannot be great without great farmers. Winegrape growers are renaissance men and women. They are their land’s stewards, environment’s protectors, scientists and instinctually aware of the ever changing season around them. They carefully choose the right varietals to be grown for their soil, weather and, of course, winery’s needs. They plant their vines and patiently wait years for a full return on the investments they make. In short, winegrowers ARE farmers and winegrowing is agriculture. I was reminded of this over the past two days. Vines all over California are beginning to wake up from their winter dormancy. This is the time of year that warms during the day and freezes at night. It’s a tricky game Mother Nature plays on us. The new, green tissues of a vine are blanketed by the early spring sun only to have the blanket ripped off in the wee hours of the night, leaving them exposed to below freezing temperatures. The past two days on California’s central coast have seen some very extreme weather from 81 in the day to 29 at night. This is when winegrowers become intense weather watchers and reluctant night owls. Winegrowers not only work all day pruning and prepping for the growing season but have to plan on being awakened sometime during the night by a frost alarm. Out to the fields they go to monitor for cold weather conditions so they can protect against frost either by sprinklers or wind machines. These are the days that just don’t end: A groundhog day of sorts- one rolling into the other. Dedication and a love of what they do drives them to throw on an extra pair of socks, stumble out of bed and start the business of preparing for a freeze. Sounds like farming to me! As a kid, I spent many nights on “frost patrol” with my dad. My job was to unclog sprinklers in the night. Having to reach up to a sprinkler seated just over the vines, the frigid water would run down my arm, soaking my clothes and freezing me to the core and I loved it! Those nights became part of who I am; my identification as a farmer, a winegrower and definitely a part of agriculture!

Put a Cork in It!

Is a bottle of wine with a screw cap enclosure a lesser wine that one with a cork? What about synthetic corks? Are they as good as the real deal? What is a synthetic cork? Does it matter? Enclosures do matter. By the end of this post my hope is that you will be open (get it?) to trying them all!

Cork: Corks are made from tree bark; a species of oak trees known as cork trees. Mainly grown in Portugal and Spain, these trees can live over 150 years. The bark is very carefully peeled off into strips and dried over several weeks before being made into enclosures. Cork is the grand-daddy of wine bottle enclosures. Cork has sealed up both good and bad wine alike since wine was first fermented. It's the standard for bottling and is perceived to be the best way to store wine in a vessel. But is it?

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine only to get the first whiffs of a moldy newspaper, wet dog, damp cloth or damp basement? That, my friends, is cork taint, aka "corked" or "corky". This is a broad term for defining a wine that has undesirable characteristics, like the ones I mentioned. The taint can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening. Other factors like storage conditions and barrels can be the culprit but by and large corks are the offenders. This is chiefly caused by a chemical presence in the wine called TCA, a chemical compound description that is reserved only for the most hardcore oenophile. What you need to know is that corks don't cause this issue. By nature of being a cork (light and airy, expanding and contracting) it can allow these chemical compounds to pass through to spoil the wine. Cork taint can affect any wine, regardless of quality or price, so get to know what a wet dog smells like and prepare to get your sniff-on when opening a bottle.

Fact: If you get a "corked" bottle of wine in a restaurant, DO NOT grin and bear it. You paid for good wine. Tell your server and ask for a new bottle. The restaurant does not pay for the tainted bottle, the winery replaces it. The last thing a winery wants is a reputation for tainted wine and they are happy to keep you happy!

Synthetic Cork: These cork alternatives were designed to reduce the incidence of cork taint.

Synthetic corks are made from plastic compounds designed to look and "pop" like natural cork, but without the risk of TCA contamination. They do come with some disadvantages, though. It can be a job in itself just to get them out of the bottle because they don't have the same "give" as a real cork does. While this is not always the case, you will experience this at some point. They can allow harmful air in the bottle after time which will spoil the wine and they are not biodegradable so they will sit in a landfill for all of eternity.

In short, synthetic corks are the "Stepford wives" of enclosures. On the surface they look and act "natural" but there can be consequences to faking it. However, don't be dissuaded. You'll probably find them A-OK.

Screw-Cap: Long thought to be only for "skid row" wines, the screw cap gets a bad rap. Actually, a screw cap enclosure prevents cork taint and oxidation in wine and has a much lower failure rate than cork. It's also a lot easier to open – one less tool to bring along at a picnic! There is a perceived down side, however. Wines that need serious aging or one that you would keep for decades may not fare as well as one with a cork. This is due to the very slow induction of oxygen, via cork, that can allow these types of wine to "age" better. But really, how many bottles are you going to keep for 20 years?

Screw cap enclosures are making a surprising comeback and not just in inexpensive price tiers. Australia and New Zealand were the first to give screw caps a go with their higher quality wines. By 2004 New Zealand's entire production was under 70% screw cap enclosure and Australia is right behind them. On a trip to Oz's wine regions in 2010, I was hard-pressed to find a cork anywhere. Even the good stuff has a screw cap, and for good reason. Now, finally, the US has taken the leap with multiple-million case brands now under screw cap that is increasingly accepted by consumers. A trend I hope continues to grow.

I would encourage you to put a "twist" on your wine tasting! If it makes you feel better, make sure you make the "POP!" sound while you twist!

Merveilleux Mélange Blanc -Wonderful White Blends

As I've stated before, blend wines can be a great addition to your wine arsenal. They bring something very different to the table than single varietal wines can. A veritable smorgasbord for the senses!

I've covered the reds. Those luscious scene stealers often take the limelight from the white blends. But white blends are not to be ignored. They offer a myriad of flavors and mouth feel that single varietal whites only attempt. One reason for this is new and obscure white grape varietals are being showcased by large wine brands and small boutique wineries alike. Though fewer in number compared to their red cousins, when combined, these white varietals can hang with the best of reds. White blends are a bit more renegade than reds in that white blends don't have some of the restrictions that red blends do (i.e. Meritage red blend requires at least three Bordeaux varietals). So, winemakers tend to play around with white varietals, mixing, matching and creating great wines.

White Rhône Blends – These blends are gaining in popularity mostly because Rhône varietals are now more widely planted in grape growing regions, especially on California's Central Coast. While these varietals can stand on their own two feet, they are most-often blended together. You will find these very aromatic and fruit forward with descriptors such as stone fruits, apple, honey, pear and spice. The color is often darker than other white varietals.

Viognier (Vee-on-yay)

Rousanne (Roo-sahn)

Marsanne (Mar-sahn)

Grenache Blanc (Grin-ah-sh)

The floral varietals fall into a unique category. They ooze floral notes both in aromas and flavors. These wines don't hint around. They whack you over the head with sweet, honeysuckle, jasmine and citrus blossoms. You will sometimes find these varietals as stand-alone wines. More often, they are blended together and either made a little sweet (remember the RS – residual sugar content?) or very sweet as a dessert wine. Either way, prepare yourself for a sensory overload. Many of the "gateway" wines I've written about will have one or more of these varietals in them to enhance the sweet notes of the blend.

Malvasia Bianca (Maal-vay-sha) some pronounce this Maal-va-see-ya

Muscat Canelli aka Muscat Blanc – this one is currently EVERYWHERE – in the form of Moscato (mo-scah-toh) ; A light, floral, sweet white wine that is selling like hotcakes.

Orange Muscat. Sweet and floral, this grape also gives orange notes.

Muscats are thought to be one of the first varietals to be domesticated and made into wine and are grown all over the world, having several names for the same grape. There are also black muscat grape varieties that are just as sweet and floral as their white variety brethren.

White blends are my go-to when life gets boring. They are so very different from any other wine category and never disappoint. Look for them in retail stores and while they may be a bit hard to find at times, they are worth the hunt. Always try them at tasting rooms. They will offer a change-up from the other wines being poured that day.

Get out there and find yourself a white blend! Enjoy!

I’ll Take Mine Blended, Not Stirred

What on earth is a wine blend? It definitely does not sound like any wine varietal. In fact, it can conjure up the notion of a bad jug wine. Perhaps a wine from your past, tucked neatly in a jug, scarred you for life. Almost certainly a blend!

Actually, blends today are everything that jug was not. Blends come in all colors, often crossing traditional boundaries of reds with reds and whites with whites. As I've written before, I find blends fun, flavorful and fantastic!

A blend wine is just that: A blend of two or more varietals. When varietals are melded together they can form some wonderful aromas and flavors .The combination shares a partnership in the wine; a synergy. For me, blends are appealing because each varietal brings something to the table or in this case, bottle. Varietals all have distinct characteristics; some good and some bad which all vary depending on vintage (the weather and vine growth of that year). I believe that the good bits of any varietal cover the bad bits that any other may have. Blends can be specific to a region or producer. They can be in a large, multi-region, multi-vintage production, too. Since blends come in all shapes and sizes, this will be a two-part post. Let's start with the wonderful world of reds:

Super Tuscan Blends – These were born in the '70s because Italian winemakers took a chance and innovated the strict wine blending laws of the time. Actually, they broke the rules and these new blends were originally viewed as lower class "table wines". Eventually, these blends got their due but are still classed between higher quality DOCG (short for the Italian wine control department) and lower quality table wines. Super Tuscans have at least two of the following varietals:

Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn)

Cabernet Franc (Cab-er-nay Frah-n-k)

Sangiovese (San-gee-o-vey-say)

Syrah (Sir-ah)

Merlot (Mur-low)

Petite Verdot (Peh-teet Ver-doh)

Bordeaux Blends -In France, the only grapes allowed for use in a bottle labeled "Bordeaux" (Bor-doh) are listed below and grown in the Bordeaux region of France. In fact, most Bordeaux region red wines are blends. If the winemaker uses any other grapes, the wine cannot be labeled Bordeaux. However, Bordeaux varietals are grown all over the world and you will find blends of these varietals in most regions where they are grown. They're just not labeled Bordeaux. If the label says Bordeaux, then it's a wine from France!

Meritage (Mer-a-tij NOT Mer-a-tahj)- This is a wine blend that came from other (mainly California) wine regions wanting to put a stamp on their use of Bordeaux varietals as blends. Founded in 1988, in Napa (of course!), the Meritage Alliance requires Meritage wine blends to be at least two of the listed varietals with no varietal being more than 90% of the blend. The word meritage is a blend itself meaning merit and heritage! It's also Trademarked and any winery seeking to use the term must first pay a licensing fee and be approved.

Both blends share the same varietals to use:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Malbec (Mahl-bek)

Petite Verdot

Carmenere (Car-min-yehr)

Cabernet Franc

Rhône Blends- Simply put, these wine blends are that of the varietals originating from the French Rhone River Valley. One of the most important varietals from the region is Syrah. Planted in the Rhône region around 600 BC, it is speculated to have originated from the Persian city of Shiraz. I have had the privilege of travelling to the Shiraz region of Iran where I, did indeed, find very old Syrah vineyards! Many Rhône varietals are newer to the California vineyard regions. Rhône blends offer the taster a chance to try some off-beat varietals that are not often made into stand-alone wines. A Rhône blend that has been creating some buzz of late is GSM. Let's see if you can figure out that blend…

Mourvedre (Mow-ved-ra)

Grenache (Grin-ah-sh)

Picardin (Pee-car-din)

Syrah

Counoise (Coon-wa)

Carignane (care-in-yan)

Cinsaut (Sin-so) aka Cinsault but still pronounced the same

So there you have it. An introduction to red blends. Look for them. Try them. Impress your friends with flowery French varietal names. Most of all find your favorite and enjoy it often!

Gateway Wines

These days there are too many wine choices for most wine drinkers. If you're new to wine, the choices are overwhelming. Sure, you can usually choose between red and white, if those are your only two options. But what do you choose past that?

There has always been a strong focus in the wine business to give new wine drinkers a way to inexpensively jump into wine without drowning in decision making. I like to call this sector of wines "gateway" wines. Easy to drink, entry level and cheap! Wines that will keep you're curiosity for wine up without sending you back to the beer cooler for a forty!

These types of wine have been around forever. However, new styles of "gateways" come about every decade or so. They target the nouveau wine taster of the time.

The 70's had Mateus Rosé, a slightly fizzy pink wine. The bottle often ended up as the base for a lamp!

In the 80's the wine cooler appeared. Some will argue this point with me. Is a wine cooler really a wine? Actually, until 1991 is was. Very cheap wine was used until higher taxes were placed on the wine, causing the industry to move to a "malted" beverage style. For the 80's, it was the "gateway". It spawned a whole generation's thinking that notion of wine was fun. White Zinfandel soon followed. That fanciful and fun pink wine could be found on any restaurant menu by the glass.

The 90's brought Chardonnay. This wine was being made in a variety of ways that appealed to many. You were hard pressed to find a big-haired beauty in a bar without a glass of Chardonnay in her hand!

The new millennium really brought change and choices to the new wine drinker. More than ever, world-wide wine choices flooded the marketplace. Fanciful names and labels featuring animals, modes of transportation and even smut saturated wine aisles.

Now, we have the "desserts". There are an assortment of labels featuring delectable delights like cakes, pies, sweet fruits in grocery and big box stores everywhere.

What almost all of them have in common is their "sweetness". What we in the wine business refer to as RS – residual sugar. RS is the sugar that is left, or added, after fermentation stops. The level of RS determines the sweetness of the wine. This is opposed to a "dry" wine which would have lower amounts of RS post-fermentation.

Wines with a higher RS often are more appealing to the common palate. They are easy to drink and inexpensive. They are often made with good quality grapes and many are quite nice. Well-worth a try and well-worth the money, with most being priced under $15.

I call these wines "gateways" because they offer an easy-to-drink option for new wine drinkers. Eventually, your palate starts to evolve and you become more curious about what other wine options are out there. For me, it was White Zinfandel, easy on the eyes and lips, followed by Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah and now red blends that feature Rhones. Like a lot of things in life, your tastes develop and change.

Fads come and go. What I wore I high school is NOT what I'd be caught dead in today! It's the same for my wine. Your wine and palate evolution is yours to explore and create. Heck, maybe White Zinfandel is your "Wayfarers" of wine and I'm missing out!

Spit or Swallow?

I was raised to be a good girl and good girls don't spit! What I've learned since my youth is that spitting is an option. In wine tasting, spitting can be a very good option and often a useful tool.

When I jumped into the winery-side of the business over a decade ago, I had never really tasted wine. Having grown up and worked in vineyards before my winery gig, I had not been exposed to a professional wine tasting. My first day on the job, I walked into a room of 20 winemakers; all very seasoned and very professional. I sat next to one of the brand winemakers (the winemaker who oversees a large wine brand) and within 15 minutes, he taught me two very basic, but important wine tasting tips:

1. Don't smell: This very handsome man, the brand winemaker, introduced himself and sat next to me. The next words out of his mouth were, "You perfume is intoxicating!" At first I was flattered. I soon realized my "scent" was an assault to the senses of this roomful of professionals trying to evaluate the vintage they had created. I nearly died of embarrassment. Needless-to-say that was the first and last time I wore perfume to a tasting! For you, wine tasters, use your judgment when tasting. When you go on a wine tasting excursion, consider leaving your signature scent at home. It will allow the wines to clearly show what they've got to offer you as well as the folks around you.

    

2. Spit. Spit often. Spit with purpose: My first professional winetasting started at 9:00 a.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m. with very few breaks and a working lunch. This went on for two days! Someone announced at the beginning that we would try to keep on a schedule of tasting one wine per minute! Seriously? Actually, we tasted about 110 wines that first day. My new-found winemaker buddy nudged me on the second wine and suggested I spit out each taste. Spit? I could barely consider the suggestion. Not a lady-like move at all. I ignored the winemaker and kept swallowing through each wine…for another 10 tastes. What became o-so-clear was that by 9:30 I had consumed at least one full glass of wine and I still had hours and hours to go. I knew I wouldn't make it. So, I adapted and I spit out each taste. It freed me!

    

Spitting is a very important part of a wine tasting, whether for work or pleasure. Wine is, after all an alcoholic beverage and each taste adds up. Alcohol levels in wine range between 11% and 17 %, depending on wine style. A typical pour size at tasting rooms, events and organized tastings is 1 ounce. If you drink each 1 ounce taste, it doesn't take too long to add up. I've now tasted and spit my way through hundreds of long tasting days and highly recommend it!

 

There's an art to the spit, however. After you've taken in all that the aromas have to offer, take a sip of wine into your mouth. Allow it to sit there a moment, rinsing your palate in the flavors. Swish it around a bit and then spit. I like to spit slowly, letting the wine leave a lasting impression on my palate. Some like to get it out fast. Whatever your preference make sure to aim carefully! Nothing distracts a tasting more than a missed spit. This could take some practice!

 

Don't be afraid to ask for a spittoon when visiting tasting rooms. They all have them but few use them. People who are recreational tasters tend to feel obligated to drink every pour given to them. DO NOT fall prey to this! Aside from the alcohol-absorption reasoning for spitting, your taster will thank you for spitting as well. Remember when you had to eat soap due to a curse word slip as a child? Would you choose to take that bite again? I doubt it. So why would you take a second sip of wine you are sampling that you don't like? Tasting rooms and wine events are designed for you to try everything they have to offer in the cellar. It would be rare that you will love all of them. So spit them out! Save your swallows for your favorites.

 

If you find yourself at a gathering or event where limited wines are served in full glasses there will not be spittoons available. But, I encourage you to use the same guidelines. If you don't like the wine you chose, kindly give the full glass back to the server and ask for something else. Even better, you can ask for a small taste before you get a larger pour. It's not rude. It's your prerogative. Why would you drink (or eat) something that isn't pleasing to your senses?

 

Marathon tasting tidbit: Sip water between tastes. Water-down the alcohol! Also, the crackers and bread offered help clear your palate and line your stomach – A two-fer!

 

This good girl has learned when to spit and when to swallow! My key to success is practice, practice, practice!

 

 

 

 

 

Romancing the Reds

Red wines are sexy. They are integrated into our society as a lifestyle; even a health benefit. I think of red wines as vitamins for the soul. A good red wine offfers multilayered pleasures to the senses. They satisfy and soothe. A great red wine should distract you from a conversation, just for a moment, but a distraction just the same. There are many to choose from and often overwhelms even the seasoned wine drinker. Is there a difference? Will you choose wisely? Remember that red wine get its color from the grape skins that are fermented with the juice. Red grape varietals are never actually red -Often bluish-red or purple, but never red. The skins also contain tannins that add structure to the juice – the “body” and mouth feel. For now, here are a few red wine varietals worth a try: Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn). A great go-to red wine. Descriptors are: Cherry, blackberry, tomato leaf, tobacco, leafy (a freshly cut leaf), plum, prune, olive, dusty. Some “out there” descriptors are bramble (really?), cassis (again, really?) how many times have you tasted a cassis? It’s actually one the most popular European fruits. I say, look for dark fruit flavors. Merlot (Mur-low): Much maligned, Merlot’s had a bum rap. It’s all due to a movie where they only drank Pinot Noir and said, “If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f**king Merlot! That quote nearly killed the Merlot wine business! It’s actually a very nice wine. Descriptors are: Raspberry, violets, plum, mint, strawberry, perfume, sage. Pinot Noir (Pee-no No-are). Merlot’s nemesis! It’s got very distinct flavors and a lighter body/mouth feel (less tannins) than many other reds. Descriptors: Raspberry,cherry, mushroom, earthy, rose petal, violet. Syrah (Sir-ah), or as my friends from Down Under call it, Shiraz. Don’t be confused by this Aussie trickery, it’s the same varietal! Syrah is not for the faint of heart. It can be an overload of the senses at times, but oh so worth it! Descriptors: Pepper (black and white) spices, menthol, deli meats, leather, raspberry, licorice…see what I mean? Grenache (Grin-ah-shh): I love Grenache. It offers wonderful red fruit flavors and a mouth feel that no other red wine can. It’s like talking to the shy kid-quiet at first but opens up with a little time. Descriptors: Plum, raspberry, spice, bubblegum, pepper. Zinfandel: I covered the “white” version in my last post. The red version is almost sinful. It often has a “juicy” characteristic, much like biting into a fresh plum. It is known for “jam” flavors. Descriptors include: every berry in the book, earthy, tar, cola, spice, pepper. Urban Myth: The higher the price, the better the wine. So not true -especially now. Get out and give a red a try! So many reds, so little time!