Winemakers, Novice to Expert

The Novice Wrote:





Winemaking chose me, at what point I don’t know. I do know that I don’t have a choice in the matter and I have to see where it takes me before rendering a complete and fair judgment. I wouldn’t label it a calling just yet – I don’t think a reflective period of six months is adequate for those extremes.

Prior to embarking on professional winemaking, I prescribed to the idea that winemaking is, “as much a science as it is an art,” or conversely, “as much an art as it is a science” (depending on the audience at hand). I am pleased to find from my tenderfoot experiences, this holds true.
I have chosen to make my way and earn my chops in winemaking in the most scientific of all scientific settings – the laboratory. From the laboratory surroundings, I have been saturated with tests, routines, and the overflow of data, numbers, and recordkeeping.

One would think that my convictions would change, prompting me to proclaim the scientific aspect of winemaking as superior. Industry trends and the prevalence of modern laboratories in wineries as well as increasing budgets for testing and sophisticated equipment might also reinforce this assertion.
If blending and creative decision making were based solely on the numbers, the scientific notion of winemaking would win out. But every number churned out has been promptly followed up with the most discerning machinery of all – the human senses.

Complete winemakers, in my observations, use the science to supplement the art of winemaking. No winemaker worth his or her weight in gold would ever proceed from one major step to the next without using organoleptic analyses (winemaker-ese for tasting). After all, the average consumer – arguably the only opinion that counts – doesn’t usually evaluate the wine with a mass spectrometer but rather their senses.
My ventures into winemaking are young, however, something tells me this will be a lesson illustrated to me many times over. There will surely be instances where it does not make scientific sense to move ahead with something so beautiful. David Sheffer, Enologist, Napa Valley California.






The Experienced Quoted:





"It is a wonderful game of hide and seek that we play with Mother Nature...it is Nature's glory to conceal, and the winemaker's glory to reveal, to discover and to persuade the grapes to unveil their highest potential. It is the playfulness of guessing when and how much to step in that is at the heart of the winemakers task." Charles Hendricks, Winemaker - Black Stallion Winery, Napa Valley California.

FREE THE GRAPES!

Not much of a political enthusiast, but when it comes to issues preventing consumers from purchasing wine, I'm on board! I've just joined a grass roots movement, "Free the Grapes!"

I've been around long enough to know there are 50 states in our country - but how many of those do not allow direct shipments of wine to consumers? More than half and some of those with restrictions to "how much" one can purchase in a month.

I haven't been around long enough to remember prohibition - but isn't this situation "prohibitive" due to state regulation? Absolutely!

We all have been around long enough to know good wine - but what about the frustration YOU feel when a tasting room employee says, "We can't ship wine to your state." I feel your pain!

I encourage all of those consumers who live in restrictive states to visit the "Free the Grapes!" web site and join in. If we can't get this done on a state level, let's get our federal government involved!

Please visit their site at: http://www.freethegrapes.com

Which Nostril to Use?

I know this may sound Silly, but which nostril, or nostrils do you use when checking the nose of a wine? I have learned to listen to almost anyone in the wine industry who apparently has more wine knowledge than I. And those who I do listen to tend to be the old guard - Growers, Owners, Winemakers of our previous generation, sharing their experiences and acquired knowledge with those who will listen.

One gentlemen of note, Richard "Dick" Steltzner during an interview and wine tasting with two younger wine enthusiasts, "corrected" both about their approach to enjoying the nose of a wine. First you must see which, if any, of your nostrils is more dominant than the other. In my case, that's a no-brainer, since I suffer from a deviated septum and one nostril isn't as wide as the other. But, I too, used to put both into the glass, thinking I was getting a better wine "nose." After 35 years, I realized I too was nosing the wine incorrectly. As good stem ware will prove in a side by side comparison with sub par stemware, so does a good nostril.

I have heard through tasting rooms that this "newly discovered" approach is getting mixed results - one tasting room employee was telling me that both nostrils were providing her with different results - oak nose on the left and the fruit qualities on the right! She's lucky.

It's quite simple to do: First, use the rim of the glass to "pinch" one nostril, while the other is inside the glass - check the nose with that open nostril and remember, or even write down your experience. Then, reverse the process. Yes, it does look silly, but if we all start doing it, we'll all look silly together! Your results may not be as remarketably different as mine, due to my physical defect. Try it and send me your results to the comment section for this post. Then we can all compare

I shared this with members of a wine forum on Craigslist and the results are still coming in. I will repost with those results, and provide you with contact information, so you too can review them. Talk to me soon! And, remember, "It's OK to break the glass, just don't spill the wine!"

Events in Napa Valley 2008

Planning a trip to Napa Valley this year? Well, there are many events that are now scheduled and here are my very favorite two:

March 29th & 30th - Silverado Trail Wineries Present: Silver Pass Weekend One fee, two days of wine tasting! In addition most wineries will provide special "offerings" to participating tasters - Library wine tasting - food pairings - barrel samples (my personal favorite) - music - art and new releases - all that is a perfect match with wine. The per person cost has yet to be established, but the proceeds benefit local charities and most likely are tax deductible. Since I am not a tax professional, please check with the organization for the deduct- ability of the fee.

ABOUT SILVERADO TRAIL

Called the road less travelled, the Silverado Trail runs north/south from Napa City to Calistoga - approximately 30 plus miles of beautiful countryside. Since the area is part of the Agricultural Preserve, the only commercial interest is Soda Canyon Market, grandfathered in years ago - (they do have a great deli, should you decide to picnic on the "Trail")

When you know which wineries will be participating this year, plan your trip this way - Travel north on the Trail and visit the participating wineries directly and indirectly on the right side of the road, all the way to Calistoga. On your return, heading south, you can visit those wineries located on your right and those somewhat off the trail. This way you will avoid having to cross over the roadway.

I would suggest that you visit the organizations web site in late February to get a list of participating wineries and what their special offering(s) will be for the event.

Visit them at: www.silveradotrail.com/events.html - and let them know you heard about the event from MyPersonalWineTaster.com

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April 19th & 20th - Carneros Wineries Present: April in Carneros - Another one fee two day event with special offerings from participating wineries. This event as well benefits local charities and may be tax deductible. Food pairings (YUM) - art and music, barrel samples and library tasting!

About the Carneros Appellation

Make absolutely sure you have a copy of a map to help guide you through this area. It is very country like, well off the main arteries, and you'll need that map! (Lesson your travel time in between wineries, so that you can spend more time tasting!)

Visit the organization in mid to late March for a list of participating wineries and what their special offering(s) will be during the event (and a printable version of a map!) http://www.carneroswineries.org/events/

BRING YOUR CAMERA - IT WILL BE SPRING IN NAPA VALLEY AND THE WILD MUSTARD WILL BE IN FULL BLOOM - ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!

And, remember, let them know that you heard about these events at: MyPersonalWineTaster.com http://www.mypersonalwinetaster.com/ Enjoy!

White Wine Lovers, Take Note!

2006 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio

Late harvest means long hang times on the vines and that results in extreme fruit flavors. This Pinot Grigio is no exception. With peach, pear, pineapple and apricot notes and a perfect balance of acidity and sugars at harvest time, this wine is a steal at $18/btl. Talk about Quality to Price Ratios! I highly recommend this wine. Luna produced 36,000 total cases of Pinot Grigio and you should be able to purchase it at your favorite wine store. Order it online if not available, but check with the winery first to see if you are in an approved shipping state - http://www.lunavineyards.com/ - and let them know you heard about this wine from My Personal Wine Taster.com

This wine was 50% barrel fermented in French Oak and 50% stainless steel. Fermentation lasted about a month and 30% of the juice was subject to maloactic secondary fermentation to add texture to the wine. The wine was blended with 5% Chardonnay and bottled in April 2007.

A special thanks to assitant tasting room manager, Jeff Dennis for allowing me to revisit this wine!

For more wonderful Napa Valley Wines personally tasted by me, go to:

http://www.mypersonalwinetaster.com/ ENJOY!

Merlot!

As I travel up and down both Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, I find myself searching for a wine that isn't really the norm. Sure, Merlot is a wine most wineries produce, but what makes a certain Merlot special? Is it the appellation? The age of the vineyard? What about farming techniques? How about the winemaker? Or for that matter, the workers who pick the best berries, the workers who crush the berries, the workers who watch over fermentation, racking, and eventually bottling the finished product?

HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE ABOVE?


And, eventually I found it! Presenting the 2004 Grgich Hills Estate Merlot!
This is an excellent example of what a 100% Merlot sourced from four different vineyards, with different soil and weather conditions is!
The juice does indeed come from four separate vineyards - one located in south Napa County in an area known as American Canyon - one located in the Carneros area, well known for cool bay breezes and the marine influence year round - one from Yountville, about 20 miles north of the San Francisco Bay and the last, from a 3 acre parcel in Calistoga! Yup, quite toasty Calistoga. All four of these vineyards vary in age as well. This Merlot is not typical in extreme fruit qualities, just enough for you to say, "Merlot". What makes it stand out, is that small vineyard in Calistoga - due to the higher temperature concerns there, more spicey quality results, making this excellent Merlot more in a league with a Baby Cab. A great transitioning wine for primarily white wine consumers.


Add in the experience of Michael Grgich, and his nephew, Ivo -The result? "A taste of family in every glass."


Farming Techniques?


First of all, Grgich Hills is an Estate Winery, meaning that everything from the dirt on up to case storage is controlled by the Winery, nothing is outsourced! And, the vineyards, all 360 plus of them are certified organic - NO CHEMICALS AND NO PESTICIDES - The vineyards are also biodynamically farmed, meaning, they are cared for year round, during all the seasons, naturally. Please visit their web site for more interesting information about their farming techniques: http://www.grgich.com/


And finally, I salute those workers in the field and in the winery - the jobs they do is so important to the final product - the work is not glamorous, but very labor intensive. Without their skills, wine would not be wine as we know it today.


For more information on Great Napa Valley California Wine, please visit my web site:
http://www.mypersonalwinetaster.com/

Sangiovese!

I personally recommend Steltzner's 2005 Sangiovese. It is absolutely wonderful. Don't take too long on the nose, 'cause you'll want to get that black cherry fruit on your palate! I have tasted many Napa Valley Sangiovese's and can honestly say, this is one of the best. It is NOT over oaked like many others, and that's due to winemaker Tim Dolven's belief that no wine should be over-oaked. I totally agree. The finish is long, but you'll want to get another sip before you realize how long it really is! Keep in mind Napa Valley Wine Lovers, 2005 was one of the very best harvest years in wine production history. Mother nature was at her very best, providing a Spring, Summer and Fall with moderate temperatures, minimal precipitation and cool evenings. Some wineries were harvesting as late as Halloween! This phenomenon wasn't partial to a few appellations, but for all! North to South, East to West - on the Valley Floor, up in the mountains too. Not sure if this wine is available at your local, favorite wine shop. If it is, please let me know and I can share that information with others in your area. If not, here's a link direct to the winery to order online http://www.steltzner.com/ And, please let them know that My Personal Wine Taster.com recommended it to you!