Terroir, Terroir Terroir! It's difficult to study on a scientific level...

Terroir, Terroir Terroir!

Terroir is a key concept in viticulture because it relates to the bodily characteristics of wine in respect to the environmental and socio- economic conditions in which the grapes are grown.
Grading the quality of wine and wine style most likely, to a large extent, can be explained by terroir. (The winemaker and his process may quibble at that)

But, terroir is very difficult to study on a scientific level because many factors are involved, including climate, soil, cultivation and human practices, all of these factors interact.

The best expression of terroir is achieved when the capacity of the grapevine variety is suited to the local climatic conditions in such a way that full ripeness of the grape is reached by the end of the growing season; Not every grape can be grown in very place.

Also, grapes are an extremely climate sensitive crop and vines have been cultivated for several thousand years. What has happened is that over time many grape growing regions have been recognized, whose specific climatic conditions matched the capacity of certain varieties to produce wines of distinctive character.

To produce high-quality red wines, environmental conditions should encourage reasonable vine strength, either through practical water shortage stress or through low nitrogen supply which comes from surroundings with shallow or stony soils, in temperately dry climates. Likewise, regular but not excessive vine water and nitrogen supplies are needed to produce high-quality white wines.

However, great terroir emerges almost only when socio-economic conditions are satisfactory to the establishment of quality-orientated wine production. These conditions are is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation. As we know, examinations of socioeconomic status often expose inequities in access to resources, plus issues related to privilege, power and control.

Those with more money and better access have more opportunities...and you have chances at better Terroir because of it. It's just the way it is.

Oak and Vanilla go hand in hand in wine

In wine speak term Oaky often pops up. What does it mean? A wine described as oaky if it received oak flavors from being in contact with oak. That simple.

But isn’t all wine in Oak? The answer in no. There are wine that are unoaked. Remember that wine is in the eye of the beholder; so, there’s no reason for you to not prefer a non-oaky wine. Wine is purely subjective.

Wine making is basically divided into two phases. The first is fermentation; when the grape juice becomes wine. The second is the maturation process, where the newly fermented wine goes from being immature and young to a mature adult. Some wines are fermented and finished in oak barrels. Other wines are oaked only during the maturing phase.

Contact with oak acts like a compound for chemical changes in wine. Many believe that oak is really secondary to the distinctive quality of a wine. Oaking imparts special flavors and aromas to the wine.

Now this is purely subjective; California Chardonnay for example, many enjoy oaky Chardonnay and it’s at the peak of its popularity while unoaked Riesling is considered currently unconventional.

Vanilla goes hand in hand with oakiness. New barrels contain vanillin and the wins aged in these barrels take on vanilla flavor as past of the oaky charm. In Ice Cream vanilla is very simple; while in wine, oak adds complexity, smokiness, smoothness, spiciness and gets us into territory of the mysterious words like structure which sounds like all those all those overenthusiastic or subtle adjectives that pop up in describing wine.

Somethings to remember…Barrel fermented means to white wines that the grape juice went into those barrels and emerged as wine. Barrel aged means that the wines aged in these barrels were put into them after fermentation. As for red wines; they are fermented with grape skins intact in stainless steel containers/tanks or large wooden vats. After fermentation, the skins are removed from the liquid and the wines are aged in small oak barrels. Remember some wines (white or red) are not aged in oak at all.

When you drink a White Wine. Ask if it has Malolactic Fermentation (MLF). Better yet ask if the Red Wine has it.

It is really is up to the winemaker to decide to what extent he or she will allow a wine to go through Malolactic Fermentation (MLF).

MLF is the transformation of malic acid into lactic acid by specific strains of bacteria during secondary fermentation.

Malolactic Fermentation is a series of metabolic effects carried out by a group of bacteria that breaks down malic acid into lactic in wines. Lactic acid is the acid profile found in smooth creamy milk. Mostly it happens spontaneously throughout a wine’s life.

The theory though is… by depleting the malic acid early on; the less chances there are of fermentation spoilage later.

MLF usually happens on its own and if not controlled can end up with wine smelling leathery, sweaty and cheesy and even spritzy because of extra carbon dioxide. 

A lot of New World reds and white wines get smells like artificial popcorn butter and desirable aromas that fit well together like buttery oaky chardonnay that not only consumers like the taste of. The critics do too. This aromatic profile especially desirable in quality red-wines. It adds a rounded feel, glycerin, even chewiness to the fruit to the wine when done right. 

Just consider different food and combinations like Crab or Salmon and California Chardonnay. A Rich and Oaky Red Zinfandel and BBQ Grilled Steak...or a moist Mushroom Risotto with an Australian Shiraz.

From French Wine to California Wine and beyond; when you hear subjective wine sensory terms referring to feeling of fullness, viscosity and astringency the MLF has had an effect on the wine.

With that said Red Wines like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and almost any dry table wine that will be aged for more than 6 months for consumption at least a year after it’s first fermented are encouraged to go through MLF.

In White Wines, Chardonnays makes good candidate for malolactic fermentation for stylistic reasons. Other whites like Riesling are not much… They are better when they retain their freshness, fruity zippy acidity.

So again, it’s up to the winemaker how much if any malolactic fermentation is allowed in a wine.

How do they stop it?

How do they prevent Malolactic Fermentation?

MLF is usually arrested by chilling, adding Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and filtering. Some winemakers want to discourage Malolactic Fermentation at all costs. Even many consumers feel the same way, so they always keep the wine cool and cellars under 62 degrees F. Malolactic Bacteria does not thrive in cold temperatures, it flourishes less in high alcohol, High SO2 and the use of fresh cultures.

That’s a strong reason for making and storing and monitoring wine in cooler environments. It helps fight off potential spoilage.

Malolactic Fermentation has a lot of other things to it that can affect it including racking, enzyme analysis, PH levels, different malic acid powders, concoctions, egg whites, etc. Sometimes MLF bacteria is hard to control and just doesn’t convert into lactic acid as expected.

When you drink a white. Ask if it has MLF. It might start an interesting conversation. 

What’s interesting is that sometimes-experienced winemakers just use their ears during MLF you hear popping and burping and once the popping and burping is done the bacteria is probably finished their job.

What to they mean by 'The Body' of a wine? Let's talk a little bit about it...

Oh, that wine has a good Body! ...There something about 'The Body' in that wine... What in the world are they talking ??? Let's talk about the very basic stuff.

Wine has a Body?

Yes!!!

The Body: Is the real impression of “weight” of a wine in your mouth, That’s generally attributable essentially to a wine’s alcohol. You can classify a wine as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied. But really, a wine's body describes the "weight" and texture of a wine in your mouth — how a wine feels around your tongue. It’s called a “mouthfeel”.

Wines don't really have different physical weights and aren't really thicker or thinner than each other, so the sensation we describe as body is a subjective impression. This "mouthfeel" of a wine is produced not by it's mass or viscosity, but rather by it's alcohol content, extracts, glycerol, and acidity.

…and another important term to mention and it is the balance there is between alcohol on the one hand, and acidity and astringency on the other. This is obviously most relevant to red wines. But it’s there in some interesting whites. It's another sensation that you feel in the mouth.

That's when more descriptors start to conjure...But that's another world altogether.

So, let's say generally, too little alcohol will cause acidity and astringency to dominate, making the wine harsh and thin. Too little acid and astringency will cause a wine to taste overly soft, heavy and flabby, with the spirity quality of the alcohol playing too much of a role.

•a wine tolerates acidity better when its alcohol content is higher

•a considerable amount of tannin is more acceptable if acidity is low and alcohol is high


Well there you go and that's a start!

 

 

Delicious Cheese is great! Where do you start?...you can find them at the supermarket! Yep..Go ahead and experiment. It's so good!

Cheese is great. It's a great appetizer and it's also a fulfilling meal in itself. There are so many to choose from. Where do you start. It's not an easy question to answer but these days there are so many restaurants, Bistros and Pubs jumping on the cheese bandwagon that it's getting easier to dabble, learn and enjoy.  And you can find them at the supermarket!

There are some delicious cheeses that can be found in the local market such as Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger, Hyvee, Costco and Trader Joe's.

Listed are 8 relatively accessible cheeses that I like along with a little bit of a story to illustrate how interesting it all can be especially when you start pairing cheese with wine.

 

1.            St. Armour Triple Cream (French) – Rich and buttery, Soft and ripened; a heavenly cheese with angelic façade that’s straight-up sinful – Cow’s milk

2.            Cotswold (British) – legendary, made in Gloucestershire England; the cream is skimmed twice; blended with chives and spring onions farmed in the English Country - cow’s milk

3.            Wensleydale (British) a Yourkshire cheese once made by French Monks from the Roquefort region who settled in Wensleydale; cheese has been made here since 1150 AD; this one is infused with cranberry. – cow’s milk

 

4.            Spicy Gorgonzola Blue (Italian) – Originating from Milan; this is silky, savory and luxurious makes white chocolate seem brash and salty. Adding fruit or even a fruit-tinged beverage might be essential or a robust beer; unbelievably versatile… Pears, Apples, drizzled honey (tempers the sharp inflections), walnuts! – cow’s milk

 

5.            Manchego  (La Mancha, Spain) - where Don Quixote hailed. This cheese has hay and nutty flavors with a semi-firm compact distinct buttery texture not too strong or creamy that can be aged anywhere between 60 days and two years; great after taste…great with tapas and small plate like chorizo cheese –Sheep’s milk

6.            Goat Cheese Log (French)  - This snow-white, tangy cheese has been made for years, especially in the Loire valley in France; stored in a coolness it softens when exposed to heat to reveal a wonderful tantalizing savory treat that’s tart and fresh often with garlic and/or herbs with amazing results.

7.            The Camembert wheel (French/seasonal) – from Normandy is a soft creamy cow’s milk cheese with a bloomy edible rind; fuller and creamier…not to be confused with Brie that’s from Ile de France – Cow’s Milk

8.            Grana Padano (Italy) – One of the most popular cheeses in Italy; an artisan semifat hard cheese that’s fragrant, dry, grainy and delicious; made in copper kettles. It competes and is similar but less crumbly than it’s relative the king of cheeses Parmigiano Reggiano.

…selected Table Crackers, Baguette or Bread. Butter. A selection of sliced prosciutto and Serrano/lomo ham or chorizo, pork rinds along with fig, honey, raspberry, Red/black currant jellies or jams. Presentation on
a wooden cutting boards or on long serving platters pair-able with wine. Pick your favorite wines. Mix and match.

These are just a few of the ideas. Go ahead and experiment. It's so good!

 

...Enjoy!!!

If it's the most important task of a wine director...Why is creating and managing a restaurant's wine list seem to be an afterthought?

I often get asked about Wine Lists and why some are better than others.

The general roundabout question always seems to be…

If it’s probably the most important tasks of a wine director; why is creating and managing a restaurant's wine list seem to somehow be an afterthought?

Wow! It sure is a difficult question but it doesn’t have to be...

But just what sets apart a just-ok wine list from a great one? How does a Wine Director or Sommelier go about picking wines and making a great list? What’s most important?

My way of thinking is that there are folks who are interested in wine but may not know anything about wine.

Then, there are interested enthusiasts; who will be eyeing for particular names or styles. It’s key to try to build a list that appeals to everyone.

A great wine list starts with the proprietor(s) caring about wine and caring about profits. This must go hand in hand or the list is doomed.

Also, storing the wine in a hot closet just won’t work. Do it in the best cool environment if not a cellar. Make this happen. It speaks about the heart of the establishment.

Let's get deep for a second...

Today, the new era of the Mixologist is on the rise; just like the new era Sommelier. Knowledge and creativity are in play.

The wine 'is' the driver that sells repeat menu diners; not the mixed drinks. The last thing a foodie wants consider is distillation. It's a distinction that should be understood. Mixed drinks encompass the 'establishment' but truthfully not the meals...That's not it's purpose. But, the wine is both....and I say if you care about 'sense of place' in your wine; you are on the best path.

Then the first step in making a great wine list is talking to the chef about the food. The wine should go with the food. Period. That is crucial. This gives me hints and ideas to the types of wines that will pair remarkably well with the dishes. Wines with the right acidity, freshness, body, salinity, minerality most and notably—structure

The wine list is one that can pair up with multiple dishes and be able to criss-cross where several wines can address the dish. A guest needs to be able to sit with the menu at first glance along the wine list and determine whether he or she will or can return to your establishment and this is even before a bite of food is ever taken. Will it work with the meals? Will it work with Cheese? Will it work with dessert? Will it work on its own?

The list has to be fun and have some crowd pleasers as well the ones that make you think a bit. Like a white or a red that you wouldn’t expect. Or a varietal from a producer or a vineyard that is a curiosity. A great wine list can tell a story about history, geography and the combination of flavors that compel you to want more. They echo a Sommelier's beliefs about wine. Not necessarily what are the Somm’s favorite wines or a who’s who greatest hits… but a diversity of taste. A diversity of value and some prized ones are important as well.

A list that is too small and cheap can tire you very quickly. So a small restaurant needs to be crafty and empathetic to its dishes; if they care about their patrons. Caring means to make sure all the information that is needed is displayed so the guest gets what they thought they were ordering and can make the right decision alone or with help from the Somm.

It’s not about whether the wine scored 90, 92 or 94 points. A great wine list is all about caring and listening your guest likes and providing them with your best options available, all while keeping it fun and enjoyable.

 

 

 

Do German Wines seem imtimidating??? Here is what to look out for to make it easier...

A friend of mine is going to Germany this fall and asked me to give him some info on German wines. I asked him if he preferred dry wines or sweet wines. He said “dry”. So, I told him;  "if you see the word ‘Trocken’ on the bottle, It means it is a dry wine. It will say it right on the bottle."

But there is a whole lot more too German wines. The labels are gothic with long never-ending words, but really it's not too hard to get a hold of the basics. But like most wine labels; all the information is packed in there.

I will give you some tips that I hope helps… Anyways it's Springtime and that which is the time for tasty whites.

When you first look at a German wine. I as I said earlier; check to see if the label has the word ‘Trocken’… If it does... it’s a dry wine. Also, check the alcohol level. If the alcohol level is 11%, 12% or higher; it is most likely a dry wine.

There are many regions in Germany. Those regions have their style and nuances. It is almost a profile…

 Let’s get started by comparing the regions:

Mosel, Saar, Ruwer: An exciting wine, with peach, minerality and from time to time has floral notes; it also has a real zippy acidity.

 

Pfalz, Baden, Württemberg: Full bodied and fatter wines, with ripe, sharp fruit and a strong backbone of acidity. You see more good Pinot Noir (Spatburgunder) from these areas because it’s a little cooler.

 

Nahe, Mittelrhein, Franken: The wine is clear and clean, it's vibrant with some mineral and likely to have steely metallic notes.

 

Rheingau: Elegant wines that are sleek, smooth and measured and some-times very serious.

 

Rheinhessen: a wine brimming with fresh fruit and wet stones, mineral and sometimes strong metallic and iron-like tones.

 

The German’s are also sticklers for Quality and have developed a system for Quality. But the old and out of date system is essentially flawed;...so you can’t always rely on it. It is more of a loose guide to go along with the profiles and styles just discussed earlier.

 

There are four quality levels;

 

Qualitätswein, or QbA(which is seen the the USA);

 

and the supposedly superior, Prädikatswein, or QmP.

 

If you the letters VDP. That is a level that is completely different

Members of the VDP, or Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, a group of wineries, that rebelled against the system and created their own. The results up to debatable.

...remember, Generally, the VDP-logo itself indicates superior quality at all levels.

The VDP categories are:

 Gutswein: are the estate wines, dry

 Ortswein: are the village wine (from dry to sweet)

 Erste Lage: are first growth (which can be from dry to sweet), and they are from a single classified site

Grosse Lage: basically means grand cru (from dry to sweet), from a single classified site. Dry wines from a Grosse Lage can be labelled as Grosses Gewächs. The top-class dry wines have the VDP logo and the phrase Grosses Gewächs. Remember the VDP-logo means superior quality at all levels.

Take note of another main thing to look out for…The “Ripeness” of the wine. The German’s track that too (remember “Ripeness” does not necessarily mean sweetness):

 

Sometimes QmP, the label will include a Prädikat, one of five levels of ripeness level at harvest which might help you with picking a style you like.

 The Five Levels of Ripeness are:

 Dry Riesling are, from least ripe to most ripe: Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese.

 Kabinett: Light, with delicate structure, lots of fruit, noticeable aromas and lower alcohol.

 Spätlese: a lot more textured, rounder with more full-bodied mouthfeel than Kabinett.

Auslese: Much bigger in body and substance, often powerful and textured, but no fat. These can cellar for 20 years or more!

Beerenauslese: Which really means ‘berry select’ such as harvested berry by berry which brings the wine up to desert wine category,

Trockenbeerenauslese: here is where you need to bay attention…The ‘Trocken’ means ‘dry berry select’, shriveled with botrytis…so it is a intensely sweet wine and complex dessert wine.

Bonus:

There are the popular and famous frozen grape wines Eiswein...

They are real sweet and have so much of that acidity. The sweetness levels are like the Trockenbeerenauslese (you might see halbtrocken on a bottle, which means half dry, when they play with the sweetness levels…)

I am sure I’ll hear from my friend after this. But go ahead and take this out for a spin and seek some German wines today!

 

 

Wine Speak and Wine Sensory References Now Available!

New working versions of the Wine Speak and Wine Sensory Guides that I have been putting together for some time are now available to view. You can also find them in the 'Tool and Resources' section of my blog. Happy Holidays and enjoy this season with good friends and great wine!

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