Is Prosecco not from Prosecco still Prosecco?
Is Prosecco not from Prosecco still Prosecco?
Recent five year scientific research concludes that Prosecco is a grape variety and thus not limited to a geographical region. Professor of Law Mark Davison at the Faculty of Law at Monash University in conjunction with Macquarie University, the study counters the European Union’s (EU) want to more precise use of the term Prosecco. Their position is that Prosecco is a name of a grape and thus producers outside of Prosecco, namely Australia can use the term Prosecco.
The use of Prosecco as a grape variety dates back as far as the 1700s. The researches cite the lack of evidence produced by the Italian Government and EU when the name of the Prosecco grape was changed to ‘Glera’ in 2009 in the EU. The Australian government objected and is working with it's regional producers to market Prosecco wines from Australia. It is a $200 million business in Australia with Prosecco grapes grown in 20 Austrialian regions. By using the term Prosecco would be a significant economic victory for struggling wineries.
Smoke Taint
So far as we can confirm four wineries have suffered losses in the Northern California wildfires.
1. Signorello Estates (See photo left)
2. William Hill Estate Winery
3. Paradise Ridge Winery (facility burned down)
4. White Rock Vineyards (Vandendriessche Family 1870).
Our thoughts and prayers for those in Napa and Sonoma, especially for the 13 people who have died.
The question at last evening’s San Diego Wine Guild board meeting was “what impact does smoke taint have on the wines”? Done some research and this is what I have found. Smoke taint is at greatest risk during verasion, harvesting and fermentation. The vineyards that have not yet harvested or haven’t yet crushed the grapes are most vulnerable. In the fires happening now, there were power outages across the entire region so unclear as to whether the smoke got into the facilities to contaminate the free juice process.
What is smoke taint?
Smoke taint is caused by a wide range of volatile phenols found in wildfire smoke. These compounds are absorbed by vines and accumulate in berries. They eventually end up in wine where they can cause unwanted flavors. These off-flavors, described as “smoky”, “bacon”, “campfire” and “ashtray”, are usually long lasting and linger on the palate even after the wine is swallowed or spit out. (etslabs.com). I would add “charry” as another off flavor for smoke tainted wines. Also smoke taint characterized by being called “bandaid” taste.
Guaiacol and methylguaiacol are major components of smoke formed by burning wood. Guaiacol (10-100µg/L) and methylguaiacol (1-20µg/L) also come from oak that is found in wine barrels. Grapes depending on the varietal, some will have trace levels of phenols that is naturally present. Some varietals have more. Taint usually effects red wine grapes more than white grapes due to wine processing and fermentation.
Depending on the amount of saliva in a person’s mouth, some will not smell smoke but will taste it. What you are tasting is the Free Volatile Guaiacol or m-Cresol that interacts with the enzymes in your mouth. The taste typically is a lingering sensation. Wines with higher sugar concentrations may mask the m-Cresol. (Smoke Taint by Adrian Coulter, Senior Oenologist).
The Australian Wine Research Institute believes that there are key factors whether smoke taint exposed grapes become in fact tainted. The factors are grapevine growth stage, grape variety, smoke composition and the length of smoke exposure. In the length to exposure should be an examination of proximity and intensity of the fire to the grape vines. Radiant heat to the vines can cause smoke taint.
What can be done to reduce or eliminate smoke taint?
According to Kim Stemler, head of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association, she says “that there are technologies for removing smoke taint as well. They include reverse osmosis as well as something called “flash détente,” a fast-extraction process where the berries are essentially exploded through heat and pressure. On the other hand, Burns warns that rinsing the grapes at harvest or basic filtration and fining are not likely to fix the problem.” We did find a list of possible reduction methods from the Australian Wine Research Institute.
- Hand harvest fruit (Minimize breaking or rupturing of skins as long as possible)
Exclude leaf material (Leaf material can contribute smoke-related characteristics when in contact with fruit and juice)
- Maintain integrity of harvested fruit (Avoid fruit maceration and skin contact with juice as this can lead to higher concentrations of smoke-related compounds.)
- Keep fruit cool (Fruit processed at 10°C had less extraction of smoke-related compounds than fruit processed at 25°C.)
- Whole bunch press (Whole bunch pressing has been shown to reduce extraction of smoke-derived compounds particularly in white grapes.)
- Separate press fractions (Ferment free run juice and press fractions separately. There is less extraction of phenolic contaminants from smoke in the first 400 L/t fractions, especially when combined with fruit cooling.)
- Conduct trials with fining agents (Fining with carbon is very effective especially in large concentrations although it is unselective and will have a negative impact on overall aroma and flavor.
- Minimize fermentation time on skins (Fermentation that reduces skin contact time can reduce smoke aromas and flavors.)
- Consider addition of oak chips and tannin (Oak chips can reduce intensity of smoke characteristics through increased wine complexity.)
- Reverse osmosis of wine (Reverse osmosis can be effective in removing smoke taint compounds; however, the taint might return in the wine over time.)
- Market for quick sale Smoke-related characteristics can evolve in bottle as wine ages
What to do with vines possibly damaged by fire?
John Whiting from the Department of Primary Industries (Bendigo DC, Victoria) breaks it down into three categories:
- For low intensity fire damage (incomplete leaf desiccation, no trunk injury) there appears to be little impact on growth and fruitfulness in the following season – no post-fire pruning
needed.
- For medium intensity fire damage (complete leaf desiccation, minimal trunk damage) there appears to be minimal impact on budburst but a reduction fruitfulness in the following season. Some vines may be more damaged than expected and collapse later. Consider pruning back to a cordon with short spurs or leave unpruned.
- For high intensity fire damage (complete leaf desiccation, trunk damage) is usually sustained
where the fire front hits the vineyard, or from the burning of dense grass within the vineyard and/or mulch applied along the vine row. If a substantial amount of the trunk is damaged, the vines are unlikely to survive – no remedial treatment can be justified. If the trunk is partially damaged then consider pruning back to a cordon with short spurs or leave un-pruned and reassess after budburst in the following season.
A Year in Burgundy Movie Experience
Took my Director of Wine Acquistions to a wine documentary, A Year in Burgundy.
The movie essentially takes you through time from Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter as experienced by Burgundy wine makers. The "main character" is Martine Saunier who is a world renown importer of fine wines. She moved to California in 1964. (www.mwines.com/aboutmartine). She has exquisite taste and knowledge of wines.
In the movie you see what happens to Burgundy vines in the spring rains, summer drought, hail storms and lunar led harvesting. The movie shows that each "vintage is a time capsule, a bottled piece of history of a very specific year, with its particular weather pattern, its crises and its triumphs. It all goes in, whether you want it to or not, and 2011 was full of drama."
We are introduced to half-dozen wine-makers who have different personalities and approaches to making wines. Get to see how it is a family business where everyone chips in and how they treat their workers in the vineyards. Some stress the vines and others "coddle" the grapes.
We were served five Burgundy wines (1 white and 4 reds) plus a guest brought a bottle of a 2013 white that was served in the movie! Needless to say all 6 were excellent! Meritage Market had popcorn, cheeses and meats that paired well with the wines they selected.
1. 2014 Dom. Michel Mallard et Fils Bourgogne Blanc (Dry, light perfume, full mouth feel, crisp and nice acidity) $27
2. 2014 Dom. Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet ter Cru (Pretty ruby, elegant, long finish) $53
3. 2014 Dom. Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret Pommard (Didn't open quickly but when it did it was fantastic!) $65
4. 2013 Albert Bichot Aloxe Corton ter Cru Marechaudes (A "Nordstrom of Burgundy" wine, evolves in your mouth, fine fragrance, excellent balance) $76
5. 2011 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin ter Cru (Big wine, sage, earthy, muscular, light color due to grapes being picked early). $90
meritagewinemarket.com
www.ayearinburgundy.com
Ultimate Wine Run - Good For You and a Good Time
2016 Ultimate Wine Run
One of my favorite things to do is to drink wine. The other thing I have to do is run to try to stay in shape; not such a favorite thing to do. Not often that the two go together but in this case I found a running event with a wine tasting. The two go together delightfully like Cabernet Sauvignon and Manchego cheese. When I received a Facebook promotion for the Ultimate Wine Run, it didn’t take me very long to jump at it.
The Ultimate Wine Run has 27 events in 18 states across the country and is a big endeavor! Some funding goes to the charity “Achieving My Dreams Foundation”. For every event, participants get a T-shirt, wine cup, and a customized medal for completing the 5k race as well as wine. There is also a VIP package that includes an upgraded T-Shirt, wine tumbler and a drawstring bag. The shirt says “VIP – Very Important Party” and I agree.
The event in San Diego was at the former Naval Training Center, now called Liberty Station. The 5k (3.1 mile) fun run circles the beautifully restored historic buildings and along the San Diego Bay. I think there were at least 2,000 runners. I met the promoter, Aaron Scott who is as outgoing and caring as you can find. He is quick to make sure that people were taken care of and having a good time. The run was the precursor to having a better time in the “cheer” garden. It is all about the wine.
I give a big salute to Aaron and his race director for the foresight to having a mix of white and red wine but much more importantly, having a mix of different wines of red and white. Many running event organizers get the least expensive beer but Aaron didn’t get the least expensive wine. Granted it wasn’t Silver Oak from Napa but wasn’t Charles Shaw either. I saw unique wines from Rock and Vine Chardonnay sourced from a vineyard in Mendocino, California. Aaron had Nottingham Cellars 1846 Red Blend which is located in Livermore, California as well as Odjfell Vineyards "Orzada" Cabernet Sauvignon (a Maipo Valley wine from Chile). I appreciate the attention to bringing good wines to what many think is a “run and guzzle”. The pours were generous and the people serving were tremendous volunteers. The DJ pumped music, the food trucks fired up different foods and it was a good time had by all.
If you are anywhere near an Ultimate Wine run, do it and you will enjoy it!
www.theultimatewinerun.com
How to Improve Your Wine Tasting Skills
How to improve you wine tasting skills -by Robert Ilko
To get better at tasting wines, which I know that I need to constantly improve, there are some easy steps and some fun steps to improve our wine tasting skills. This article is not about how to judge wines on points but what can people do to enjoy the wine they are drinking more. To be more knowledgeable.
What I hear from wine critics, judges and wine enthusiasts is to drink many different wines as possible. That is fun and all but is that going to improve your tasting skills? Not immediately. Rather than “taste, taste, taste”, I prefer “taste, educate, taste”. You need reference points to gauge what is one taste and what another taste is. You need exposure to various smells such as spices, flowers, chemicals, wood, coffee, licorice, fruit, faults, etc. Some people have a natural ability to taste and smell, for the rest of us, we need to learn. Both smell and taste changes over time. Our bodies age or become damaged so our senses do too. What I liked as a child is not necessarily what I like know except I still roundly dislike cooked spinach. Sometimes what I had last month for dinner is no longer my favorite. Wine is like that too.
Things to Do:
1. Experiment, learn and make tasting “deposits”:
- Go to the grocery store or spice shop and smell everything.
A winemaker, who I don’t remember who (they seem to all blend together over time, get it “blend” together). He said he goes to the grocery store and he spends an hour just smelling everything from breads to produce. He tries to make mental notes as he smells an item. He called it akin to muscle memory. I like you to think of smelling something and making a deposit into your tasting memory bank for later withdrawals when you need it.
- Know something about the wine, winemaker, winery or area harvested.
Before you try a wine, look for information about the winery, the winemaker, when harvested, and the area (appellation) that the wine is made. Is the winery a large multi-million case producer that gets wines from different locations or is the winery a single source winery? Is it a blended wine from different grapes or just one grape varietal? Winemakers come in two categories to me. One is the “old timer” that has years of experience and is tried and true. The other is “young buck” that is willing to learn but try new methods or varietals. Is the wine from a cold climate or warm climate? Due to weather and water, were the grapes harvested early or late? Lastly, what are the special effects of an area on the grapes (think Napa versus Northern New York).
2. Taste in the right environment:
- Be aware of background smells.
- Try to avoid wine tasting in a kitchen and near foods (unless you are pairing your wine with your food).
- No perfumes or heavy deodorants.
- I thought this was unusual. When you are overloaded with aromas? Neutralize your nose by sniffing your forearm. www.winefolly.com/review/how-to-taste-wine-develop-palate/
3. Cleanse your palate before tasting wine:
Mike Dawson from the Wine Enthusiast collected some ways to cleanse your palate from experts. www.winemag.com/gallery/sommelier-palate-cleansing-tips/
- Michael Schachner, Contributing Editor, Wine Enthusiast uses unripen pineapple.
- Joe Czerwinski, Managing Editor, Wine Enthusiast uses a banana followed by water.
- Paul Brady, Manager at Hearth NYC uses a pilsner beer.
- Scott Turnbull, CMS, Sommelier, Solbar, Calistoga, CA likes tortilla chips.
- Kevin Zraly, The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course prefers rare beef.
Other ways to cleanse your palate are:
- Olives
- Water crackers
- Coffee beans
- Celery
- Room temperature water (but don’t drink much)
4. Find more flavors when you taste:
What can we do when we are tasting wine to help figure out what the flavors are? According to Madeline Puckette, “try coating your mouth with a larger sip of wine followed by several smaller sips so that you can isolate and pick out flavors. Focus on one flavor at a time. Always be thinking from broad-based flavors to more specific ones, i.e. the general “black fruits” to the more specific, “Dark plum, roasted mulberry, jammy blackberry.” http://winefolly.com/review/how-to-taste-wine-develop-palate/
Another interesting technique is called “aspirating”. Vogue food journalist Rachel Signer says “to truly taste wine in a way that educates your palate, you have to slow down and practice something called aspiration: rolling a sip of wine over your tongue and sucking air into it. Does it look weird at first? Sure. But by allowing oxygen to release more of the wine’s flavors, you’ll notice more aspects about how it was made, such as the oakiness or acidity.” In her research she says consulted with Nick Gorevic, a wine industry professional who believes that “If you want to taste more, you have to practice and think about it with a critical eye.” He goes on to say “Really focus on what’s in your mouth and leave it there for a long time. Let it stay there, aspirate, and chew it around.” www.vogue.com/13419159/wine-tasting-how-to-train-your-palate/ To aspirate wine for tasting, while you have some wine in your mouth, open your lips only a little bit and inhale just enough to pass air through the wine. This should really expose the wine to your taste buds and add to your sense of smell.
5. Visit a wine shop with Enomatic machine:
Some wine shops but more wine bars have an Enomatic machine (closed system wine dispenser) that allows you to pour as much as you like from an open bottle. You can taste a splash or have a whole glass. You pay by the amount you use. Typically, you prepay for whatever amount of money you like to spend that is put on a magnetic strip card that you use to tell the machine which wine you want to try. The one place we went had over a hundred wines to sample. The environment can be noisy and distracting.
6. Join wine tasting group:
For me it was matter of luck that I happen to bring up my new interest in wine with someone that I thought only drank beer. It turned out he was the President of a monthly wine tasting group called the San Diego Wine Guild (www.sandiegowineguild.org). I went to their Summer party and couldn't write the membership check fast enough. The guild is the second largest chapter of the American Wine Society (www.americanwinesociety.org). The wine guild holds a potluck dinner and arranges for a winemaker to come in to talk about 7-8 wines. A lively social and educational experience.
7. Go to charity wine tasting, visit wineries or wine bars and attend wine pairing dinners
8. Throw your own wine tasting event:
Buy various wines or invite friends to bring a wine to share. You will be surprised by how much your friends and neighbors know about wine. If they don't they may want to join you on your journey of enjoying wine more (or more wine!).
9. Ask a restaurant if they have a Sommelier:
When talking with the Sommelier, ask more than which wine to order. Ask follow up questions about why that particular wine versus another. Find out how they came to like that wine.
10. Take a sensory analysis class:
Wine consultant and blogger Betty Kaufman says that she took a sensory analysis class at the Culinary Institute of America in Saint Helena. The course was two days where they smelled the first day and tasted the second day. Betty writes that she “got so much out of the class, I think I could take it many times over and benefit each time!”. This is something I want to explore myself. www.bettyswinemusings.com/fine-tuning-your-wine-tasting-skills
11. Read books about wines:
Simon Stockton from Sugar and Yeast writes that “reading wine books is an essential part of learning about wine and it's imperative you learn from experts in the field.” He goes on to say that “it's helpful to absorb the way wine writers/critics describe wines they've tasted so you can emulate this at some stage of your own development”. Here are some of his books that he recommends. The Champagne Guide by Tyson Stelzer, Why You Like the Wines You Like by Tim Hanni, The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting by Neel Burton and James Flewellen, and Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and Jose Vouillamoz.
12. Buy a wine aroma tasting kit:
Manufacturers make a kit of wine aromas that come in small vials that you can smell. The object if you make it a game is to see how many you can correctly guess. They can include red wine and white wine aromas but also faults as to what wine should not smell like.
13. Most important and one that you have done is read wine blogs like this one!