If you go into almost any wine shop, liquor store, or supermarket wine section in the United States—and now in most places in the world—you will find wine bottles arranged and named by the variety of grape used to make the wine. Continue reading “Wine name revolution 10-2-2024”
Category: Facts About Wine
Wine barrels 9-25-2024
Winemakers: To oak or not to oak, that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up oak to craft your wine to shake the spheres of ordinary. Continue reading “Wine barrels 9-25-2024”
Great wine comes from great vineyards 9-18-2024
What makes a great wine? There is a hard and fast answer: “great wine comes from great vineyards.”
What makes a great vineyard?
• Terroir. This is big net answer because the French term includes soil composition, climate, topography, even the culture and experience of the vineyard-winery workers.
• Soil. Different grape varieties thrive in different types of soil. Merlot is particularly suited for clay soil that holds water. Cabernet sauvignon prefers gravelly soil that drains well. Chardonnay enjoys limestone soil. Sauvignon blanc’s ideal is sandy loam. The mineral content of the soil also can enhance character and complexity.
• Climate. Well, of course. In particular, diurnal shift—the change in temperature from day to night—is a precious quality. Hot day engenders ripeness and tasty fruit, while cool nights develop balancing acidity.
• Topography. In cool climates in the Northern Hemisphere south-facing slopes maximize heat and sun exposure. In warm climates, east, north, or northeast facing slopes help avoid overheating. Water drainage, slope, and elevation all can play a part.
• Vineyard management. When nature gives you advantages, it is up to you to make the most of them. That includes decisions on farming methods. What to plant and how to plant. Pruning and canopy management are vital, a task that demands experienced vineyard workers.
Where do these elements exist? The glory of wine, engendered by wine grape diversity, is there are places all over the world where you can make good wine. From the drenching rains of Minho province in Portugal to vineyards in the Atacama Desert in Chile—the driest place on earth—to the cold climes of the Niagara Peninsula and Okanagan Valley in Canada, clever humans have figured out what grape variety, vineyard configuration, and management decisions work in their special place in creation.
After the interplay of these elements in the vineyard, the job of making great wine then falls to the artistry of winemakers. There is an almost universal agreement among great winemakers: their job is to largely stay out of the way and allow the vineyard to express itself. After all, “great wine comes from great vineyards.”
Tasting notes:
• Serego Alighieri Possessioni Garganega e Sauvignon del Veneto 2021: Fresh, fruit-forward blend of garganega (the main grape of Soave) and sauvignon blanc. $20 Link to my review
• DeLille Cellars Métier Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2021: Bold but approachable. Saturated with dark fruit flavors. $23-30 Link to my review
• Texas Hills Vineyard Sangiovese, Texas High Plains, Newsom Vineyards 2015: Delicious Texas interpretation of the great red grape of Tuscany. Almost decadent ripeness. $25 Link to my review
Last round: Thank you for explaining the meaning of “many.” It means a lot to me. Wine time.
Five enemies of wine 9-11-2024
Wine is your friend, especially when sipped with friends during a convivial meal. You are obliged to protect it from its enemies. Continue reading “Five enemies of wine 9-11-2024”
1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel, California 2022
Deep ruby-garnet color; black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, boysenberry, raspberry, prunes, cranberry, caramel, smoke, vanilla, almond, chocolate on the nose and palate. Continue reading “1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel, California 2022”
How to be a good wine snob 9-4-2024
Wine snobbery is a detestable trait. But you can be a “good” wine snob. Here’s how. Continue reading “How to be a good wine snob 9-4-2024”
Malolactic fermentation/conversion 8-28-2024
Even if you only dip your big toe into wine wonkiness, you likely encounter the term “malolactic fermentation” or MLF. What is that? Continue reading “Malolactic fermentation/conversion 8-28-2024”
San Felice Il Grigio da San Felice Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2019
Deep ruby with garnet hues color; sour black cherry, blueberry, balsamic, oak, tobacco, tar, earth, herbs, violets on the nose and palate. Continue reading “San Felice Il Grigio da San Felice Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2019”
Commercialization defines wine 8-21-2024
Wine is fermented grape juice, an agricultural product like green beans and corn. But that is not how we think about wine. Why? Continue reading “Commercialization defines wine 8-21-2024”
Did dinosaur extinction lead to wine? 8-14-2024
Did the extinction of dinosaurs play a part in the creation of wine? While it may sound far-fetched, according to an article in the prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Plants, there is scientific evidence to support the theory.
Researchers discovered fossil grape seeds in South America dating back 60 million years. Fossil grape seed evidence in India dates back 66 million years. The dinosaur extinction occurred 66 million years ago. Coincidence? Science indicates no.
The extinction marks the end of the Cretaceous Period. Approximately 75 percent of all plant and animal species were lost, including all non-avian dinosaurs. That transformed the entire world. With large animals not around to eat or knock down trees, forests reset themselves, becoming much more dense and layered. Trees grew taller, and there were many more of them.
Grape vines are tree climbers. Trees are their natural habitat. As trees grew up, grape vines were right there with them, climbing toward sunlight. Vineyard structures are simulated trees. The increase in birds and mammals also helped. Grape globes are designed to be eaten. Grape seeds are designed to survive digestion, then spread by animals that eat them.
Soft, grape globes, of course, did not fossilize. Seeds did. Although grape seeds are tiny, scientists identified particular shapes and other morphological features. CT scans identified internal structures that confirmed the grape seed identity.
While grape vines existed before the great extinction, the extinction created vast new, favorable conditions and ecological niches. The extinction did not cause the appearance of grape vines, it did favor their spread and diversification, as it did for all flowering plants.
The next time you sip wine or munch on a raisin or a table grape, pause to thank the asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago. That event may have killed dinosaurs, but it helped give us grape vines. And wine.
Tasting notes
• FIOL Prosecco Rosé Millesimato 2021: Fresh, fruity, elegant, fun. Blend of 85% glera and 15% pinot noir. Ideal for a Sunday brunch. $18 Link to my review
• Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Blanc X Nathan 2023: Low acidity—for a sauv blanc—allows tasty fruit to shine. People not into sauv blanc will enjoy this effort. $16-19 Link to my review
• Etude Pinot Gris, Grace Benoist Ranch Vineyard, Carneros 2022: Bright, fresh, easy drinker; delivers depth, aromatic intensity. $23-28 Link to my review
• Rodney Strong Vineyards Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay 2021: Rich, premium pour. Skillfully touches all the bases of the oak and malo Russian River style; avoids cartoony excess. $46-50 Link to my review
Last round: Drinking wine usually is not the answer, but it does help you forget the question.