Friday, October 22, 2010
BARRELS 101
Yesterday in Winery Practices, we learned everything we always wanted to know about barrels. The best part of class was the point at which our instructor said, "Let's take a 10-minute break, and because this is such a dry topic, I think I should open up a couple bottles of wine..." I only wish I had brought my camera so I could have captured the picture of everyone sitting at their desks, notebooks open, listening intently to Chris' lecture, with pens/wine glasses in hand! This class rocks!!
Actually, the topic of barrels wasn't "dry" at all - now I know all the parts of a barrel - the head, staves, bung hole, croze, chime, and the difference between head, quarter and bilge hoops. We saw a great video of barrels being made by "coopers" at Demptos Cooperage in Napa, CA. All wine barrels are made with oak and from the best wood in the world. 30 individual "staves" - narrow strips of wood placed side by side - are used for each barrel, and because they are all different widths, it's like putting a puzzle together. I was most surprised to see how the staves are "bent" - once in place, the open barrel is placed over fire, and with the addition of water to produce steam, the staves can be bent to curve; in addition, the inside of the barrel gets "toasted" which converts the sugars in the wood into desirable flavors (caramel, butterscotch, vanilla etc.) that the wine extracts during the aging process. This is really an art form and even with today's technology, barrels are mostly made by hand - "Master Coopers" must be able to make a barrel only with hand tools. French oak adds a stronger flavor than American oak, and French barrels cost upwards of $1,000 each (American oak barrels average about $300) which can be quite an expenditure, considering they only "last" 5-7 years. And even though barrels are impossible to sanitize as well as glass or stainless steel, cost more, and leak, they are still the preferred method for aging because THEY JUST MAKE THE WINE TASTE SO MUCH BETTER! But, with today's new methods and resources, many wineries who cannot afford oak barrels (or who just want to save money) turn to "oak alternatives" - chips, etc. - that are added to their stainless or other tanks while their wine is aging and which gives an oaky flavor. I guess you might have to have a sophisticated enough palate to detect something like that. In my view, it's "cheating" but oh well....
In addition to seeing how barrels are made, we also learned what "goes on" in the barrel (oxidation, concentration, extraction, clarification) as well as how barrels are sanitized (lots of hot water followed by 'gassing' with SO2), maintained, and repaired. We also got to "take apart" an old barrel and put it back together again, which was fun.
Actually, the topic of barrels wasn't "dry" at all - now I know all the parts of a barrel - the head, staves, bung hole, croze, chime, and the difference between head, quarter and bilge hoops. We saw a great video of barrels being made by "coopers" at Demptos Cooperage in Napa, CA. All wine barrels are made with oak and from the best wood in the world. 30 individual "staves" - narrow strips of wood placed side by side - are used for each barrel, and because they are all different widths, it's like putting a puzzle together. I was most surprised to see how the staves are "bent" - once in place, the open barrel is placed over fire, and with the addition of water to produce steam, the staves can be bent to curve; in addition, the inside of the barrel gets "toasted" which converts the sugars in the wood into desirable flavors (caramel, butterscotch, vanilla etc.) that the wine extracts during the aging process. This is really an art form and even with today's technology, barrels are mostly made by hand - "Master Coopers" must be able to make a barrel only with hand tools. French oak adds a stronger flavor than American oak, and French barrels cost upwards of $1,000 each (American oak barrels average about $300) which can be quite an expenditure, considering they only "last" 5-7 years. And even though barrels are impossible to sanitize as well as glass or stainless steel, cost more, and leak, they are still the preferred method for aging because THEY JUST MAKE THE WINE TASTE SO MUCH BETTER! But, with today's new methods and resources, many wineries who cannot afford oak barrels (or who just want to save money) turn to "oak alternatives" - chips, etc. - that are added to their stainless or other tanks while their wine is aging and which gives an oaky flavor. I guess you might have to have a sophisticated enough palate to detect something like that. In my view, it's "cheating" but oh well....
In addition to seeing how barrels are made, we also learned what "goes on" in the barrel (oxidation, concentration, extraction, clarification) as well as how barrels are sanitized (lots of hot water followed by 'gassing' with SO2), maintained, and repaired. We also got to "take apart" an old barrel and put it back together again, which was fun.
Week 10 Highlights
Wow, already in my 10th week of school - time is just flying by! World Viticulture & Wine Styles continues to be a great lecture class - internationally, we've been to France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. This week we started the chapter on California. But since I just noticed that I fell behind a bit after reporting on Wines of France, before we get to CA, here's a brief recap of the most interesting things I learned about Italy, Spain and Portugal:
ITALY
The history of wine and Italian civilization is synonymous - winemaking in Italy dates as far back as 4000 B.C. The Romans actually began the practice of trellising vines off the ground, and they also were the first to use barrels to store and transport wine. As it is in France, wine is present in all aspects of Italian life. Also, like France, Italy has a system of laws and standards for producing wine. The French have the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) and the Italians have the DOC (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata) laws which guarantee the place of origin of any wine bearing the name of a particular region that has the DOC designation. The DOC system is also as complicated! One could specialize only in wines of Italy and have to know a heck of a lot about the many, many wines that come from the wide range of soils and climate conditions in Tuscany, Piedmont, Lombardy, Sicily, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige, Umbria and Campania. The most surprising thing I learned is that Italy is the leader in modern winemaking equipment - in particular, their bottling lines are recognized as the best in industry standards.
SPAIN
Spain has 3 million acres of grapevines - more than both Italy and France - but they are #3 in production behind both Italy and France. And although they make some great wines, they have not been as successful in promoting and marketing them to the rest of the world. It has only really been in the last decade that they've made some big strides to improve their wines and open up markets. Their most widely planted grape is the Tempranillo, which goes into their top red wines. and that, along with Grenache ('Garnacha' there) are used to make a wide variety of rose (rosado) wines. A good value is their sparkling wine, called cava - though they don't rival the best of Champagne or California, they cost a fraction of the price and are considered a "solid" choice since they are better today than they ever have been. Another great value from Spain is their sherry, which is rich and nutty and can be bone-dry or rich and sweet. One fact I found amusing about Spain is that, back in the mid-90's when Chardonnay was so popular and in such high demand, they actually tried to make their own to tap into the U.S. market - why they didn't realize it is way too hot to grow Chardonnay grapes there is anyone's guess! Fortunately, they returned to concentrate on growing what DOES grow best for them, and as a result they are producing some wonderful wines. After this lecture segment, my interest was piqued to explore Spanish wine. My first candidate will be a Grenache recommended by Mr. Berger, our teacher: 2006 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha, Calatayud @ only $11.00 - "the aroma of this stylish red wine is that of violets and black pepper with hints of other complexity. A bargain, and a great example of excellent Spanish red wine."
PORTUGAL
The most interesting fact I learned about Portugal is that the people there drink "massive amounts" of wine! They consume more than Spain, certainly, but have a much smaller population. Also, they have very good wines, and they are cheap, but for whatever reason they have never tried to create an international image for them - maybe they just want to keep a good thing for themselves! They do, however, make the most revered dessert wine in the world - Port. Port is a wine that is fortified with grape brandy whose high alcohol content (77%) kills the yeast cells before fermentation is complete - the result is a natural sweetness from the residual sugar (final product is 18-20% alcohol). The topic of port is fascinating - not just the fact there are so many 'categories' but also that the majority of the Port houses in Portugal are owned by the British. There is a very interesting system of production as well, with producers having to "declare" each year - in other words, they take turns and individually do not produce a vintage every year. Because smaller quantities are made then, the prices are higher. Important fact: only Port and Champagne control their own destinies by deliberately manipulating volume & prices!
CALIFORNIA
So now we are home in California. I was not surprised to learn that California produces 90% of the wine made in the U.S., and that people in California have the highest per capita consumption of wine at 17% :-) I'm drinking my share!! This past week we focused on Sonoma County, where I now reside - the history of wine here was quite interesting. I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. President to bring California wines to the White House - huh, who would have thought? I guess Kennedy and the Clintons had their preferences for French wine. Anyway, Nancy Reagan was absolutely a fanatic for Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, something probably not lost in popularizing KJ's wines all over the country at the time. Here in Sonoma County we farm 60,000 acres of grapes, and currently 350 wineries and vineyards employ more than 5,000 people and generate $15million+ in revenues. Hopefully, there will be a place for me in all those statistics after I graduate! Sonoma is 2nd in recognition only to Napa as one of the premier wine-producing regions in the world. It's special and unique location (coastal maritime influence) makes for warm days and cool nights - this climate allows the grapes to stay on the vine longer, which means they have the chance to build more flavor and greater complexity. The top two varietals grown here are Chardonnay (the "cash cow" of the industry!) and Pinot noir, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. We have 13 AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) - or wine growing regions in Sonoma County, the most well-known probably being the Russian River Valley, where I attend classes at Shone Farm. More sparkling wine (made from Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes) is produced in the RRV than anywhere else in CA, and Korbel (for all you French champagne snobs) makes the leading sparkling product in the country - "Naturale" .... ? Huh....well, I'll just have to try that!
ITALY
The history of wine and Italian civilization is synonymous - winemaking in Italy dates as far back as 4000 B.C. The Romans actually began the practice of trellising vines off the ground, and they also were the first to use barrels to store and transport wine. As it is in France, wine is present in all aspects of Italian life. Also, like France, Italy has a system of laws and standards for producing wine. The French have the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) and the Italians have the DOC (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata) laws which guarantee the place of origin of any wine bearing the name of a particular region that has the DOC designation. The DOC system is also as complicated! One could specialize only in wines of Italy and have to know a heck of a lot about the many, many wines that come from the wide range of soils and climate conditions in Tuscany, Piedmont, Lombardy, Sicily, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige, Umbria and Campania. The most surprising thing I learned is that Italy is the leader in modern winemaking equipment - in particular, their bottling lines are recognized as the best in industry standards.
SPAIN
Spain has 3 million acres of grapevines - more than both Italy and France - but they are #3 in production behind both Italy and France. And although they make some great wines, they have not been as successful in promoting and marketing them to the rest of the world. It has only really been in the last decade that they've made some big strides to improve their wines and open up markets. Their most widely planted grape is the Tempranillo, which goes into their top red wines. and that, along with Grenache ('Garnacha' there) are used to make a wide variety of rose (rosado) wines. A good value is their sparkling wine, called cava - though they don't rival the best of Champagne or California, they cost a fraction of the price and are considered a "solid" choice since they are better today than they ever have been. Another great value from Spain is their sherry, which is rich and nutty and can be bone-dry or rich and sweet. One fact I found amusing about Spain is that, back in the mid-90's when Chardonnay was so popular and in such high demand, they actually tried to make their own to tap into the U.S. market - why they didn't realize it is way too hot to grow Chardonnay grapes there is anyone's guess! Fortunately, they returned to concentrate on growing what DOES grow best for them, and as a result they are producing some wonderful wines. After this lecture segment, my interest was piqued to explore Spanish wine. My first candidate will be a Grenache recommended by Mr. Berger, our teacher: 2006 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha, Calatayud @ only $11.00 - "the aroma of this stylish red wine is that of violets and black pepper with hints of other complexity. A bargain, and a great example of excellent Spanish red wine."
PORTUGAL
The most interesting fact I learned about Portugal is that the people there drink "massive amounts" of wine! They consume more than Spain, certainly, but have a much smaller population. Also, they have very good wines, and they are cheap, but for whatever reason they have never tried to create an international image for them - maybe they just want to keep a good thing for themselves! They do, however, make the most revered dessert wine in the world - Port. Port is a wine that is fortified with grape brandy whose high alcohol content (77%) kills the yeast cells before fermentation is complete - the result is a natural sweetness from the residual sugar (final product is 18-20% alcohol). The topic of port is fascinating - not just the fact there are so many 'categories' but also that the majority of the Port houses in Portugal are owned by the British. There is a very interesting system of production as well, with producers having to "declare" each year - in other words, they take turns and individually do not produce a vintage every year. Because smaller quantities are made then, the prices are higher. Important fact: only Port and Champagne control their own destinies by deliberately manipulating volume & prices!
CALIFORNIA
So now we are home in California. I was not surprised to learn that California produces 90% of the wine made in the U.S., and that people in California have the highest per capita consumption of wine at 17% :-) I'm drinking my share!! This past week we focused on Sonoma County, where I now reside - the history of wine here was quite interesting. I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. President to bring California wines to the White House - huh, who would have thought? I guess Kennedy and the Clintons had their preferences for French wine. Anyway, Nancy Reagan was absolutely a fanatic for Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, something probably not lost in popularizing KJ's wines all over the country at the time. Here in Sonoma County we farm 60,000 acres of grapes, and currently 350 wineries and vineyards employ more than 5,000 people and generate $15million+ in revenues. Hopefully, there will be a place for me in all those statistics after I graduate! Sonoma is 2nd in recognition only to Napa as one of the premier wine-producing regions in the world. It's special and unique location (coastal maritime influence) makes for warm days and cool nights - this climate allows the grapes to stay on the vine longer, which means they have the chance to build more flavor and greater complexity. The top two varietals grown here are Chardonnay (the "cash cow" of the industry!) and Pinot noir, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. We have 13 AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) - or wine growing regions in Sonoma County, the most well-known probably being the Russian River Valley, where I attend classes at Shone Farm. More sparkling wine (made from Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes) is produced in the RRV than anywhere else in CA, and Korbel (for all you French champagne snobs) makes the leading sparkling product in the country - "Naturale" .... ? Huh....well, I'll just have to try that!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Battaglini Winery
I'm so excited to have discovered Battaglini Estate Winery! In looking for a local vineyard to use for a class lab report, Battaglini was recommended by my new friend Peggy Bennington, Pug Wine. This is a family owned and operated winery, headed by Giuseppe aka "Joe" Battaglini, his wife Lucia and children Giulio, Lidia, Paolo and Dino. On the day I just "showed up" unannounced, Joe graciously gave me a complimentary wine tasting and invited me to return for a tour of the vineyard so that I could begin my school project; as my report will evolve over the period of a couple of months, I hope to get to know Joe and his family, and I know I will learn a lot.
As for the vineyard itself, it goes all the way back to 1885, when another Italian immigrant, Bartholomew Lagomarsino, first planted Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes on the property (the Battaglini family has owned it since 1988 and added Chardonnay grapes in 1996). It is noteworthy that Joe is producing his wines (about 2,500 cases a year) from these same 125-year old vines, and with old methods using no irrigation (totally dry farmed) and no chemicals and by allowing all their wines to go through natural fermentation (no added yeasts).
They are located at 2948 Piner Road in Santa Rosa, CA, and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. The tasting room is small and quaint, adorned with medals and prize ribbons and pictures of the old country and Joe will treat you just like one of the family! As I indicated in the previous post, I thought all of the wines were excellent.
"VITTE VECCHIE, VINO BUONO"............Old Vines, Great Wines
As for the vineyard itself, it goes all the way back to 1885, when another Italian immigrant, Bartholomew Lagomarsino, first planted Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes on the property (the Battaglini family has owned it since 1988 and added Chardonnay grapes in 1996). It is noteworthy that Joe is producing his wines (about 2,500 cases a year) from these same 125-year old vines, and with old methods using no irrigation (totally dry farmed) and no chemicals and by allowing all their wines to go through natural fermentation (no added yeasts).
They are located at 2948 Piner Road in Santa Rosa, CA, and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. The tasting room is small and quaint, adorned with medals and prize ribbons and pictures of the old country and Joe will treat you just like one of the family! As I indicated in the previous post, I thought all of the wines were excellent.
"VITTE VECCHIE, VINO BUONO"............Old Vines, Great Wines
Busy Mid-Term Week
Whew! I'm back....last week was a very busy mid-term week at school, with one test and my oral Mid-Term Presentation on "Use of the Porometer in Testing Stomatal Conductance in Grapevine Leaves." In simple terms, I gave a demonstration on how to use a porometer to measure the amount of water vapor that is released through stomata (tiny pore-like openings on the underside of leaves) - the numbers give an indication as to how stressed the vines are and thus information with which to adjust irrigation amounts, i.e., if the vines are TOO stressed, they probably need a little more water, and if they are not stressed enough, or in the "luxury" range, they are getting more than they need. The idea is to keep them stressed just enough to make them struggle - intensifies the flavors. As Jim Barrett said in the movie Bottle Shock, "a well-watered grape turns into a lazy ingredient of a lousy wine!"
In addition to a busy school week, my best friends, Dr. John and Joyce Saunders, were here visiting for a couple of days - they were in California for John's work at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and house hunting in Carmel. We had a good visit, albeit a short one - a tour of Shone Farm, where I attend viticulture classes, a trip to Guerneville, a stop at Korbel, a nice lunch in Forestville, dinner in Santa Rosa, and just some quality time together. My Pugs Frankie and Otto were, of course, thrilled as usual to have someone in the house besides boring old Mom to give them extra love and attention!
The highlight of Joyce and John's visit was a trip to the Battaglini Winery, where we tasted and purchased delicious Chardonnay and Petite Sirah wines. Joe, the owner and winemaker, was a wonderful host. More on the winery follows in the next post......
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wine Pugs!!
You've been introduced to Pug Wine......now, here are the wine Pugs (big Benny on the barrel belongs to Pug Wine's winemaker) and I'm not sure about the little baby teething on the cork, but he sure is cute - and already a wine lover!
Wine Tasting at Pug Wine
On Sunday, Oct 3rd, my friend Daniella and I spent a wonderful afternoon in Mill Valley (CUTE little town!) at the beautiful home of Peggy Bennington, who IS Pug Wine. As they do not have a tasting room YET (hopefully they will have one open next year in San Francisco), Peggy was gracious enough to offer us a private tasting, and we certainly felt honored to have been invited for such a special and generous treat. Pug Wine is, of course, so named because Peggy is another pug devotee, and has 3 of her own, who were all happy to welcome us into their space. Peggy had an amazing spread on the kitchen island all ready for us - along with bottles of wine adorned with exquisite labels that are tiny works of art on their own (all Pugs of course), she offered a tasty array of cheeses, breads and fruit. We started with Pug Rose, then followed with Pug Blanc, Pug Pinot and finally Pug Cab. We really liked ALL of them! We purchased a bottle of the 2007 Pug Blanc each, a "vibrant" Rhone-style white blend of Marsanne and Roussane grapes from the Russian River Valley - with the aromas and flavors of grapefruit and apple, finishing with pineapple and vanilla. Our second favorite (but, as I said, we felt they were all very good) was the 2007 Pug Cab, which is made of grapes from Hoopes Vineyard in Napa - it was exceptionally balanced, rich with bright fruit flavors (I thought, plum and cherry), and had a gorgeous, dark color. I will definitely be purchasing this one in the future for a special occasion! Thanks again to Peggy, and I hope everyone who reads this will go to the website and try a bottle - I promise you will not be disappointed! www.pugwine.com
Pinot Harvest at Klopp Family Vineyards
Last Thursday our Fall Practices class met at Klopp Family Vineyards in Sebastopol to observe a local vineyard's Pinot noir harvest. Lauren Klopp spoke to us about their family's vineyards (50 acres in total), where they exclusively grow Pinot grapes for some of the top wineries here - like Merry Edwards and Kosta Browne. Lauren's Dad planted the vineyards in the 90's on what was once apple orchard land. She told us that their vineyards are mostly dry farmed, with no irrigation, and that they don't use harsh chemicals. The vineyard sits atop a hill, above the inversion layer, with one of the most beautiful views I've seen here. At 7:30 a.m. it was stunning.Wines of France - Part 2
So last week we completed the lecture portion on Wines of France - with a look into Alsace and the Loire and Rhone Valleys. Alsace, which borders Germany, is where you can find a mix of both French and German culture and winemaking techniques. The only red grape variety grown in Alsace is Pinot noir. White grapes include Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer - I never knew that the latter used to actually be two words, Gewurz (which means spice) and Traminer! One grape though. The Loire Valley is known as the "garden" of France, and its most notable contribution (most of their reds and whites lack the weight and substance of other French wines) is that the Loire River has allowed shipping access to other parts of Europe. The Rhone Valley is second only to Bordeaux in producing AOC wines, and 95% of Rhone wine is red. The southern Rhone region is unique in all of France in that irrigation is allowed during drought - irrigation is outlawed otherwise because of the abundance of natural precipitation there. The most expensive Viognier wine in the world is produced in the northern Rhone, where vineyards cover steep river slopes and are always subject to erosion. Next week we will be in Italy (figuratively speaking only, unfortunately!), examining their regions, climates, varietals, and the different styles of wine they produce. I should probably drink a glass of Chianti before class...
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