L E V E L ONE
PROGRAM OUTLINE
VARIETALS AND VITICULTURE WINEMAKING TASTING AND TALKING ABOUT WINE CALIFORNIA APPELLATIONS SENSORY EVALUATION WINE AND FOOD
WHAT IS WINE?
Yeast eats the sugar in the fruit and turns it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol in the wine and the grape flavor remains Sweet wine - remove yeast before it eats all the sugar Sparkling wine - keep the carbon dioxide in the wine Dry wine - yeast eats all the sugar in the wine
As with all agricultural products, differences in wine flavor can sometimes be explained by weather variations during the grape growing season. Thats is why there is a vintage date or year on many wine bottles that signifies when the grapes were picked and made into wine. AND, this is why the price of a bottle of wine can change every year, reflecting the perceived quality of the wine, the amount made, and current market conditions.
Just like there are several varieties of apples Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala There are several varieties of grapes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and others. All of these varieties are of the same species; VITIS VINIFERA. When a wine label says the name of the grape variety on the label like Chardonnay or Merlot its is called a Varietal wine
Chardonnay - generally rich; complex white wine that takes nicely to aging in oak barrels. Oak barrels add toasty, sometimes vanilla flavors. Aromas may be of vanilla, hazelnuts, lemon or apple Sauvignon Blanc - aromatic wine with distinctive fine herb, citrus or bell pepper aroma and flavors. Can have smoky or grass undertones
Red grapes have white juice inside Red color in wine comes from pigments in the skin The grapes are crushed and the juice stays with the skins to impart color. After a week or so the grape juice is converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide and the skins have imparted their red pigments to the new wine New wines are pressed to remove skins
Cabernet Sauvignon - elegant red wines with flavors of tea, olives, cassis, berry fruit, mint and cherry. It matures slowly and ages well Merlot - similar in flavor to Cabernet, but softer and fruitier. Pinot Noir - wines with aromas of cherries and other fruits, smooth textures like satin or velvet Zinfandel - makes blush wines when the grapes skins are removed early. As a red, raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors usually shine through.
Pink wines can be made by blending red wine with white wine but not generally done in US They are made by crushing red grapes and leaving the red skins in contact with the white juice for a short period of time; less than 1 day Blush wines often have a little bit of residual sugar, that is, they are slightly sweet White Zinfandel is the most popular blush wine
New or Unusual
GRAPE VARIETALS
Varietals from...
ITALY
hot picks
SANGIOVESE, PINOT GRIGIO SYRAH, VIOGNIER TOURIGA NACIONAL
JANUARY FEBRUARY
MARCH/APRIL
Bud-Break
APRIL/MAY
Following the bud-break is the emergence of foliage and the sending out the shoots. Once the fourth or fifth leaf has emerged, miniature green clusters begin to form. Frost damage now would be severely affect the quantity.
MAY/JUNE
The embryo bunches blossom into flowers, as a result of having been pollinated and fertilized. At this time it is very vulnerable to damage, so it is important that there is no serious cold spells, rain, or hail.
JUNE/JULY
Fruit-set
Each embryo bunch turns into recognizable clusters at fruit-set. Each fertilized berry in the cluster becomes a visible grape. This is the first recognizable sign of the fruit that will eventually become wine.
AUGUST
The skin color begins to darken, the sugar content builds up dramatically and the hard malic acid decreases as the grapes go through veraison during the heat of the month. The vines energy now is channeled into ripening the berries, and not on vegetative growth.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER
Grape Harvest Harvest begins when the grapes achieve just the right balance of sugar and acid. Physical changes include the skins becoming baggy, the seeds turning brown, and the stems of the clusters also browning.
VITICULTURE
THE
Proper exposure to the sun for most of the day: Southeast to southwest in N. Hemisphere, Northeast to northwest in the S. Hemisphere
2 3 4
Not too fertile soils, with enough clay to retain water properly, but also enough larger particles (rock, gravel, sand) to allow good drainage.
A reasonable slope, to assist in drainage, and provide better sun exposure. A balanced chemical profile; e.g. not too much potassium, not too acidic or alkaline, but with enough organic material to provide good nutritive value.
Rootstocks
Why are they important?
Provide the plants nourishment and water. Must be resistant to phylloxera & virus-free.
Chosen on the basis of other factors: drought- tolerance, water tolerance, nematode and other pest resistance, vigor and compatibility with soil types.
Most of the best rootstocks are of Native American vine origin; these have developed resistance to phylloxera. Must be appropriately compatible to scion grape cutting. (e.g. Chardonnay).
Send in
the Clones
Clones are genetic duplicates of a parent plant.
To obtain the clone of a particular vine, we take a shoot cutting from that mother plant, and propagate it in a nursery. This budwood is then grafted onto the rootstock, either in the nursery or directly onto already planted rootstock in the vineyard. Clones are selections chosen for various reasons: quality, vigor, small berry size, ripening capability, etc. Clones are especially important today, and should be virus-free to be propagated commercially. Clonal selection is especially critical for developing premium fruit character in unstable varietals like Pinot Noir.
AS IMPORTANT: moderate yields in line with vine size and spacing, based upon vineyard growing capacity.
Over exposure to sunlight can cause shriveling of the fruit and dehydration, as well as sunburn and off-flavors.
Fertile soils require wider spacing between vines Poorer soils, or very well drained ones are ideal for denser planting. Small, closely planted vines produce less fruit per vine, potentially more flavorful. Low density vineyards with larger vines produce more fruit per vine, creating the RISK of not reaching maturity in a cool or wet vintage.
Vine Density
POUNDS PER VINE plays a larger role in quality than... TONS PER ACRE
A new way of thinking about vineyard management.
Managing theVine
Canopy & Trellis
Trellises support a row of vines by means of posts and wires to hold the canes in a specified position, to enable maximum leaf exposure to sunlight. CURRENT important Trellising systems: Vertical Shoot Positioning; Geneva Double Curtain; Lyre, Quadrilateral Cordon; V-Split. Canopy management involves maintaining proper exposure of leaves, leaf pulling around maturing clusters, and preventing shading of one vine by another by suckering and hedging. Wide spacing between vine rows allows for mechanized farming, and may help to maximize sunlight into the fruiting zone of the vine.
Primary Viticulture
Issues
Water control/supply Erosion control Pest Control Disease Control
Solutions
Drip/overhead irrigation
Terracing; drainage ditches Predator support; pesticide fungicide/ herbicide use, or organic farming methods Organic/artificial fertilizers Chemical additions: lime, boron, manganese, nitrogen, etc. Cost of labor, type of terrain, trellis type.
Soil Fertility
Soil Deficiencies Manual vs Mechanical harvesting
Trellis System
Foliage Characteristics Canopy Microclimate
Winemaking
Wine Quality
WINEMAKING
Blending continued...
Balance high alcohol wines with lighter ones Give richer oak character (or the opposite!) Create a softer finish by adding a slightly sweet wine to a dry, more acidic wine (white zinfandel) Balance economic necessities with qualitative preferences
Blending provides the winemakers palette the design capability he or she needs to style wines according to the limitations of the fruit - and the desires of the market
Fining, filtration
& other important stuff!
Fining
Fining with egg white, casein, gelatin, or bentonite helps clarify wine and remove unwanted elements like excess tannin. Fining clarifies wine, it does not stabilize wine. Other methods of clarification: Racking wine off the lees Centrifuging
Filtration
Filtration systems do remove elements like yeasts, ML bacteria and possible spoilage organisms before they can become active in the bottle. Filtration does stabilize wine. White wines are generally more stabilized by filtration than reds. Unfiltered wines may show a richer texture and flavor, but may reveal some offcharacter too.
Why Oak?
Maturation in stainless steel retains primary fruit
Stainless steel is neutral; ideal for fresh, aromatic, fruity styles of wine.
Oak is easiest, most plentiful, and flavorful of woods used for cooperage.
French Oak- comes from various forests throughout the center of France, and in the northeast corner.
American Oak, a different species, grows mostly in Minnesota, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Seassoned staves being crafted into barrels, Seguin Moreau Cooperage, Napa
Preserve Fruit Flavors/ Add Oak, Smoke, Spice Extract Tannin Soften Acidity Add Buttery Flavor/Aroma
5. Malolactic Fermentation
7. Fining/Filtration
8. Bottling/Binning
SONOMA
Carneros: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah Sonoma Valley: Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernets, Merlot Russian River Valley: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot Chalk Hill: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernets Green Valley: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Dry Creek Valley: Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Other Rhone Grapes Alexander Valley: Cabernets, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel Knights Valley: Cabernets, Merlot, Viognier Sonoma Mountain: Cabernets, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel Bennett Valley: Merlot, Chardonnay Sonoma Coast: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Sonoma appellations
LAKE COUNTY
Clear Lake: Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernets Guenoc Valley: Cabernets, Chardonnay
CENTRAL COAST
Livermore:
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel Santa Cruz Mountains: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernets, Zinfandel
Coastal
The Coastal designation combines North Coast, Central Coast, and South Coast areas directly affected by maritime cooling influences... ...90% of Premium grapes come from COASTAL zones!
Sensory Evaluation
of
Wines
Understanding Wine by
Experiencing Wine
Eyes
Look at the color of a wine carefully. It tells you a lot about the wines age or maturity level.
White wines become darker as they mature; Red wines become lighter.
The intensity of the hue also indicates something of the wines flavor intensity.
Nose
Aromas are the primary fruity smells found in young wines.
Bouquet refers to the secondary smells that come with aging, in barrel or bottle.
Nose refers to all of the above!
ASTRINGENT: showing a little bitterness, not necessarily unpleasant, from tannins HOT: showing definite alcohol warmth, esp. in finish
More WineSpeak!
FINESSE: denotes high quality and a certain sense of subtle style FIRM: a wine which has a well-defined tannin or acid structure
The 10 Commandments of
Food and Wine Serving Wine Correctly
ELEMENTS OF TASTE
Food:
Wine:
Salty foods accentuate any bitterness (e.g. oak tannin) in white wines, but complement the acidity.
Protein (meat, cheese) softens the astringent taste of red wines, and cuts the acidity of white wines Sweet foods make wine taste more acidic, even bitter. An overspiced dish overwhelms the flavor and bouquet of older wines. Mildly acid foods make a soft wine brighter and fresher.
Complement or Contrast?
The old rules said: like with like. Red wine with red meat, white wine with fish! Now, new cuisines, bolder flavors, and richer wines require new thinking.
Red wine with fish is Ok, if the fish is fatty, like tuna. Or the sauce is more savory, and the wine is low in tannin. Contrast more acidic wines (Sauvignon Blanc), with richer dishes (baked chicken in a dijon mustard-cream sauce) Complement round, rich dishes with wines that are also softer, less tannic, or less acidic (creamy potatoes gratinee with a ripe Carneros Chardonnay). Contrast protein-rich food with wines that have crisp acidity, or some tannin (grilled lamb with a young, firm Cabernet).
COMPLEX
Vs.
Classic
Complex Wines; classic simple food
THE
10 Commandments
The old rule of red wine with meat, white wine with fish or fowl served well in its day. Theres still a core of truth here, but its a bit limiting.
2 3
4
5 6
Remember that the cooking method will help determine the style of wine, and is often the most important element.
7 8 9 10
The sauce or garnish served with the food may dictate the kind of wine that tastes best with it.
Remember there is a difference between fruit and sugar. The two are often confused. Be Aware of the amount of oak in a wine being paired with food.
Never serve a dessert that is sweeter than the wine served with it.
Serving Wine
CORRECTLY
Most wines in restaurants are served at improper temperatures. Too cold, the wines aromas and flavors are muted. Too warm, the alcohol or tannins are unpleasantly exaggerated. It is OK to chill down a too-warm bottle of red wine in an ice bucket for a few minutes, or let stand a too-chilled bottle of white wine for 15 minutes on the table. The most appropriate wine glasses have a fairly deep, tulip-shaped bowl; glass shape is important to the wines enjoyment!
The land determines the character The climate determines the quality And man contributes to the style of wine.
And finally...
OR God maketh vinegar, but man maketh wine
The End