What does AVA mean in the Wine World?

AVA= American Viticultural Area
An AVA is defined as "a delimited grape growing region, distinguished by geographical features, the boundaries of which have been recognized and defined"

Napa Valley was named an American Viticultural Area in 1983, making it the first AVA in California. Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Finger Lakes, Willamette Valley, and Columbia Valley are all AVA's. There are now more than 140 AVA's in the United States.

(The Rockpile AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Sonoma County, California, northwest of the town of Healdsburg. It was established in 2002. It is aptly named after its demanding landscape.)

State Wine Laws

By state law, Oregon wines must contain 90% of whatever grape variety is named on the label (except for Oregon cabernet sauvignons, which must be 75% cabernet sauvignon). All California wines, by comparison, must consist of 75% of the grape named on the label.

The Quick Sip on Oregon

*Oregon's specialty is Pinot Noir, a delicate and temperamental grape considered by many to make the most sensual red wine in the world.

*Pinot Gris is the up-and-coming Oregon white, a delicous wine that is immensely food compatile.

*Oregon's cool, marginal climate is a major factor in the elegance that characterizes its top wines.

L'Chaim- Kosher Wine

Wine is central to the religious rites of Jews and especially to such profoundly important Jewish holidays as Passover. Historically in the United States, most of the wine used in Jewish ceremonies was made in New York State relatively near large urban centers of Jewish populations, including New York City. Much of this wine was, and continues to be, made in a very sweet style from native American varieties, particularly Concord grapes. Today the leading brands of sweet kosher wine are Manischewitz, Kedem, and Mogen David.

Central Coast Californian Wines

Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande:
My cousin, Lindsey, and I got our Wine Industry Certificates from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2006. SLO is near the Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande. At 35 square miles and 67 square miles respectively, these two viticultural areas may be small, but they are chardonnay and pinot noir Edens. Both areas are close to the sea and profoundly influenced by its cool, damp breezes. The most well-known chardonnays are made in the Edna Valley Vineyars and Talley Vineyards. Also, the tiny Alban Vineyards makes one of the most sensual viogniers in California.

(Talley Vineyards tasting room)

(John Alban...winemaker of Alban Vineyards. The first American winery and vineyard established exclusively for Rhone varieties)

Spring Has Arrived in Provence!

Low-alcohol wines are best in the summer, when food is delicate and the senses are heightened. Choose light refreshing white and roses, or even some light reds.

(this picture was taken from one of WineInProvence's recent spring tasting at a local B&B at the foot of Mount Saint Victoire)

Drinking Order

Try to ascend in quality and flavor, but do consider what food you are serving if the wine is to accompany a meal.
*Serve cheap before expensive: a step back in quality is noticeable.
*Drink dry before sweet: sweet wines make dry taste very acidic.
*Light wines come before full-bodied: weighty and fortified wines will overpower a lighter wine.
*Young wines come before old.

Enjoying Wine with Food

-Desserts: Sweets usually taste unpleasant with very dry wine. Dessert wines are the obvious choice, but some argue that they're best enjoyed alone. Just decide for yourself.

-Cheese: Flavorful hard cheeses need full rich wines. Sweet wine, especially Port, complements blue cheeses. Avoid heavy reds with soft cheeses. Very strong cheeses can overwhelm any wine.

-Fresh Fruit: Fruits that are high in acid can make wines taste metallic and thin. In general, drink sweet whites, especially botrytized, late-harvest, or sparkling.

-Fish Dishes: The sauce fish is cooked in or served with makes all the difference...Creamy sauces need high acidity and effervescence, so choose dry whites- although fish cooked in red wine will taste good with red wine. Oak-aged Chardonnay is a good match for smoked fish.

-Hot & Spicy: Ice-cold beer is a better match than wine for really spicy food. If you do want wine, though, sweetness sometimes proves a good contrast to spices...try a Gewurtztraminer.

-Hearty Fare: If you observe the golden rule on balance, a heavy meal must be teamed with an equally weighty red...a bull-bodied, tannic wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon is ideal.

-Dressed Salads: If there is lemon or vinegar in the dressing,wine should be acidic to balance it. Light, dry whites, more acidic than reds, suit salads...Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice.

-Made with Eggs: The effervescence of sparkling wine is the perfect foil to the soft texture of egg dishes, while a the same time not drowning out eggs' somewhat subtle flavor.

Tartaric acid evidence of ancient wine

The University of Pennsylvania has found that the Chinese may have been fermenting alcoholic beverages and wine as early as 6000 B.C. This is due to evidence of tartaric acid that has been found on shards of Chinese pottery.

Tartaric acid is an organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants (ex: grapes, bananas). It is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to give it a sour taste, and it's used as an antioxidant. Salts of tartaric acid are known as tartrates. You may even have a bottle of this in your kitchen that you use to cook with!


Be careful not to confuse "Cream of tartar" with "Tartar sauce"..."Cream of Tartar" is the potassium salt of tartaric acid.

Tannin

The seeds and skin of the grape contain tannins. Tannin is a bitter tasting substance that cause the “dry mouth” feeling associated with some red wines.
The Tanac grape is where the word "tannic" comes from.

Bag in Box

Australia developed wine in a box in the ‘70s. The wine inside of the box is stored in a bladder that is not exposed to air. This means that the wine may last up to a few weeks compared to a few days.

Claret

The British often call red Bordeaux claret. The word comes from the French clairet, which originally referred to a light red wine. Today, however, the top red Bordeaux are anything but light in color or in body.

The Other CIA

One of the most remarkable of the Napa Valley's many architecturally stunning wineries is Greystone. Built in 1889, it is the largest stone winery in the world and was the first winery in California with electricity!

Greystone was originally a cooperative. It sat vacant during Prohibition and later changed ownership four times before becoming the Christian Brothers winery in 1950. In 1992 it was donated to The Culinary Institute of America, commonly referred to as the CIA and in 1995, after a 13-million-dollar renovation, became the school's West Coast center for culinary and wine education. The 30-acre campus, just north of the town of St. Helena, includes herb & vegetable gardens, a merlot vineyard, a restaurant, interactive classrooms, and teaching kitchens of unparalleled magnitude where chefs and food and wine experts from all over the world teach throughout the year.













The Culinary Institue of America
2555 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
(800)333-9242

The Curious Absence of Phylloxera

As of the late 1990's, Chilean vineyards had never been victims of the lethal aphid phylloxera, which devastated most of the world's vineyards in the mid- and late nineteenth century. Although Chile's physical isolation, dry soil, and use of flood irrigation may have all helped to protect the country, phylloxera's absence is not fully understood. Some scientists speculate that it's only a matter of time before the pest finds a route in, despite the Chilean government's strict quarantine requirements for plant materials.

Anatomy of the Wine Bottle

Capsule, or foil, made of tin or plastic.

Space between wine and cork is called ullage.

Slope or shoulder varies with bottle style.

Neck label is not always present.

Back label is optional, but often useful.

Style of front label varies regionally and from one producer to another.


Punt is most important for sparkling wine. (A punt- indentation at the base of some bottles- doesn't affect the wine, but indicates that it is expected to be laid down to age.)

Bottle size...although shapes differ, standard wine bottles all have a capacity of 750ml/75cl.

Investing in Wine

The theory behind investing in wine is that its value increases as it matures. In practice, wine as an investment is risky, due to all of the variables involved. Still, knowledge, timing, and luck are all essential, so try to learn as much as possible to prevent costly mistakes. Remember that wine should always be drunk for enjoyment and appreciation.
*Think before bidding if you are new to wine and actions!

How long will wine stay fresh?

Air acts on wine from the moment the bottle is opened, and although it will not spoil (oxidize) for several days, wine is at its best and freshest when it is first opened (with the exception of wines that are best to drink after some time being decanted). If you know you cannot finish a bottle of wine in one sitting, re-cork it as soon as possible.


White wines should be refrigerated and last around three days...reds can last three to four days, although both will taste a little flatter for having been open.

(try to use the completely airtight re-usable stoppers where you vacuum out the air from the bottles)

Water Treatment

To minimize any unpleasant after-effects, have one large glass of water for every glass of wine that you drink.

What to ask when you buy wine...

*What is the ideal age to drink it?
*Which grape variety is it made from
(if not shown on the label)?
*How long will the wine keep?
*Will it need to be decanted?
*Should it be chilled?
*Will the glass shape affect taste?
*What foods complement/detract from it-
or is it best drunk alone?

What is meant by "length"?

Wines where the flavor lingers in the mouth after swallowing are called long, and this is considered to be a positive description: the intensity and persistence of flavor reflect the quality of the wine. The aroma and flavor continuing in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed is called its aftertaste: the quality and enjoyment of a wine's aftertaste, combined with how long it lingers, is described as its finish. The finish can sometimes give an indication of how a wine might age: poor wine invariably produces an unexciting end.

The Quick Sip on Turkey, India, and China

Turkey...despite extremely large areas under vine, not much wine is made in this country where Islam- a religion that prohibits alcohol- dominates.


India...makes some decent sparkling wines using the Champagne method.


China...produces grape wine, but rice wine has long bee more popular. This is changing with outside influence.

What is noble rot?

If conditions in fall are warm and humid enough, grapes left on the vine may be infected by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, or "noble rot". Botrytized grapes are shriveled and dehydrated, but their sweetness is concentrated. The best examples of very sweet dessert wines that are made from botrytized graped are produced in Bordeaux and Germany.

*Botrytized grapes make lusciousy sweet wines...most grape varieties affected by noble rot are Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Semillon, and Gewurztraminer.

In French the word "château" = winery

Although “château” literally means castle in French, it may also be a mansion or a little house next to a vineyard that meets the requirements for winemaking with storage facilities on its property.

*Brian and I went tasting here with friends this past weekend. They have an AMAZING rosé wine.

Château Crémade in Palette, France

corkscrew vocabulary

The auger, or curly metal part of a corkscrew, is sometimes called a worm.

Still wine/Table wine

“Still wine” does not come from a still. The phrase refers to wine without bubbles, which includes what is also referred to as table wine.

Many different types of port

Here is a list of most (not all) of the different types of port:
-White Port
-Ruby Port
-Young Tawny Port
-Aged Tawny Port
-Vintage Character Port
-Late Bottled Vintage Port
-Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port
-Vintage Port



Most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away.

How is port made?

In the production of port, the crushed wine grapes are fermented for about two days. Then the fermentation is halted by the addition of a neutral distilled spirit or brandy. This raises the alcohol level and retains some of the grapes’ natural sugar.

Mold in the vineyards

Wine grapes are subject to mold when there’s too much moisture. Tight clustered Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir grapes are most susceptible to mold. The looser grape clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon allow for faster drying of moist grapes and thus make it less susceptible.


(example of a tight grape cluster)

Cloning in the Wine World

Grapevines cannot reproduce reliably from seed. To cultivate a particular grape variety, grafting (a plant version of cloning) is used.

Chip-bud Grafting


T-bud Grafting

Wine Bars Buried in Pompeii

When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava in A.D. 79, it also buried more than 200 wine bars.

What is the average cost of the grapes used to produce a $20 bottle of wine?

$2.64

4 ways in which wine turns bad...

1) Corked
2) Oxidized
3) Maderized
4) Refermented

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE ONLINE FOR EXPLAINATIONS- very helpful!
(just cut and paste)
http://nymag.com/restaurants/articles/wine/essentials/badwine.htm

Refermented wine anyone?

Last night I hosted a wine pairing dinner at my house. The first red we had with the main course had gone bad. It tasted carbonated and the color was slightly off. People were wondering if the wine was corked, or if the bottle had been stored badly, etc. Here is the answer to last night's problem bottle.

Fine wine is a living thing, the product of controlled fermentation. Occasionally, some residual, dormant yeasts will wake up, and a wine will undergo a second fermentation after it has been released and shipped. This manifests itself as effervescence, or fizziness, on the tongue. Of course, this is desirable in champagne (which is purposely refermented in the bottle in order to create the bubbles), but never in fine still wine.

It's difficult to learn to identify these flaws just by reading about them. Only experience and time will give you the training you need to spot every defect. But if you think a bottle is bad, ask for confirmation. Don't be afraid -- at any reputable establishment the sommelier, waiter, wine cavist, will not take a rejected bottle personally (not that you should care if he or she does).

Taste-blind

Taste has historically been one of the least understood sensory mechanisms. Misinterpretations of research conducted in the late 1800's, led to "tongue maps" that suggested that the basic tastes are sensed primarily by specific areas, such as the tip or center. Subsequent investigation proved that taste buds on the entire surface of the tongue can sense all of the various tastes.

(there are about 9,000 nerve receptors called buds on the average tongue)

Sensitivity to specific tastes varies considerably with individuals. It is possible in fact to be taste-blind. The test uses a chemical called phenylthiocarbamide, which tastes extremely bitter to some persons and quite bland to others. Some research has suggested that there is higher alcoholism incidence among the genetically taste-blind.

Shipwrecked

The wreck of the Titanic holds one of the oldest wine cellars in the world and despite the depth and wreckage, the bottles are still intact.

The Quick Sip on Texas

*Texas is one of the oldest wine regions in the United States.

*No one grape variety dominates, although chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are by both critics and wine-makers considered to be the leading grapes in the state.

*Texas' 34 wineries are scattered across thousands of miles with differing microclimates. (below is a picture of a tasting room in Driftwood, Texas)

Longest Cork Flight

The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.

Top 5 of Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, the French word "cru", or growth, is used to indicate a wine estate, vineyard, or chateau. Thus a Premier Cru, or First Growth, is a wine estate of the top (first) rank.

According to THE WINE BIBLE, by Karen MacNeil, among the Firth Growths, Margaux and Lafite-Rothschild are often the most elegant and subtle; Haut-Brion, the most earthy; and Mouton-Rothschild and Latour, the most powerful.

Enology...Oenology

Enology (also spelled Oenology) is the science and study of wine making, differentiated from "viticulture", which is the study of grape growing.

How do you smell correctly?

If you do not smell a wine or simply take a brief cursory whiff, very little information goes to the brain, and not surprisingly, you have trouble deciding what the wine tastes like.

You want to start by swirling the wine in the glass. Swirling aerates wine. As for actually sniffing the wine, nothing is achieved by holding your nose 2 inches above the glass and taking a polite whiff. You must get your nose (a big one is an asset) into the glass near the liquid. Then take a series of short quick sniffs.

Why not one long inhale? Imagine putting a grilled steak at one end of the room, and tying up a dog at the other. The dog wouldn't take one long deep breath, but instead, would sniff rapidly and repeatedly, to maximize the impression of the aroma. Since the nose fatigues quickly- in about six seconds- you must try to assess the aromas in the glass immediately. This requires considerable mental focus.

The smell of a wine may be called its nose, aroma, or bouquet. In Britain, smelling a wine is often referred to as "nosing it."

Twelve Truths Wine Pros Know

1) A systematic approach to tasting is critical to understanding wine and being able to remember what you tasted.
2) Perceptions of wine can be skewed by outside influences as innocent as eating a bag of M&M's.
3) The first sip is not always reliable.
4) At least 80 percent of taste is smell.
5) Swirling the wine in the glass helps you smell and therefore taste it better.
6) You continue to smell a wine once it is in your mouth.
7) Light, medium, and full-bodied wines feel in the mouth like skim milk, whole milk, and half-and-half, respectively.
8) A full body is no guarantee of an intense flavor.
9) To get the total impact of flavor, you must hold the wine in your mouth for a few seconds.
10) The world's best wines all have long finishes.
11) White wines gets darker in color as they get older.
12) Red wines get lighter as they get older.

Wine Judging Competitions

THEN...and NOW


























All tastings are done blind. These days, we just cover up the bottles- judges are no longer blindfolded. Every uncorked bottle and glass poured are numbered accordingly so as not to get them confused. Depending on the size of the competition, it can be a nightmare for the people working the back, as you can imagine from this next picture.

The White Wine with Fish Rule

The old rule "white wine with fish; red wine with meat" is based on matching body (the weight of the wine in the mouth) and color. The adage dates from the days when many white wines were light in body and whitish in color (like fish), and many red wines were weighty and, obviously, red (like meat). It is, however, the body and components of the wine- not its color- that are important in matching wine with food. Today many red wines, such as Oregon pinot noirs and nothern Italian merlots, are far lighter in body than, for example, barrel-fermented and barrel-aged California and Australian chardonnays. In the 1980's many of us realized this (or at leased sensed it unconsciously), abandoned the old rule, and began drinking red wine with fish and white wine with meat. By the mid-1980's top American steak houses were selling almost as much chardonnay as cabernet sauvignon.

Are these vineyards?

Though Germany would seem like the last country to give its vineyards whimsical names, there are dozens of them. Here are the names of a few well-known vineyards.

-Eselshaut: Donkey hide
-Himmelreich: Kingdom of Heaven
-Kalb: Veal
-Schneckenhof: Home of the snails
-Katzenbeisser: The biter of cats
-Lump: Dope; idiot
-Nonnengarten: Nun's garden
-Saumagen: pig's stomach
-Spinnennetz: Spiderweb
-Sieben Jungfrauen: Seven virgins
-Ungeheur: Monster
-Zweifelberg: Place of doubt

What does the term Brix mean?

Brix is the scale that winemakers use to measure the sugar level of grapes.

Alcohol Irony

The word "Alcohol" is derived from the Arabic language (al kohl or alkuhl). Consider the fact that a large proportion of the Arabic population is forbidden from consuming alcohol for religious reasons.

The origin of "Honeymoon"

In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all of the mead (a fermented honey beverage) that he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the “honey month,” or what we now call the “honeymoon.”
(can't help it- this is a picture from my recent wedding =)

Lead Crystal

An English glassmaker named George Ravenscroft discovered in 1674 that adding lead oxide to molten glass made it softer and easier to work.  As a result, lead crystal could be cut into elaborate designs.  But even more important, lead made glass more durable and more brilliant.  

In 1991 researchers at Columbia University found that wine and other acidic beverages left in lead crystal decanters for several months could absorb possibly dangerous amounts of lead.  Subsequently, the FDA recommended against storing acidic foods and beverages for long periods of time in lead-glazed pottery or lead crystal decanters.  The specific health hazards, however, are still not known.  Since wine does not stay in a crystal glass long enough to leach lead from it, drinking wine from lead crystal glasses is considered safe.

Nelson Mandela

Elected in 1994, Nelson Mandela was South Africa's first black president and the first to be elected with voter participation from all races. Mandela's release from prison in 1990, after more than twenty-seven years in confinement, signaled a new era in South African politics and paved the way for the lifting of trade sanctions and the importation of South African wine into the United States.