Yesterday's blogpost was about Flavan-3-ols Are Also Called Catechins, today, I'm moving on to learning about flavonols. Flavonols are phenolic compounds found in the skins of grapes. They include kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, and isorhamnetin. These compounds differ from each other by either an additional hydroxy group or a methoxy group as in the case of isorhamnetin. The chemical structures are shown below and the differences in the structures are noted by a red circle:
In addition, the flavonols shown above can also be modified at the hydroxy group in position 3 on the pyran ring by a glucose, galactose, or glucuronic acid. So, there are a considerable number of flavonol compounds that can exist in the skin of the grape.1
Out of all of the flavonoid compounds, the flavonols occur in the lowest concentration, but they are important in absorbing ultraviolet radiation and play a role in protecting the inner tissues of the grape from UV damage. Leaf pulling to expose the grape bunch to sunlight has a consequence that results in the synthesis of flavonols in the skin of the grapes during fruit set and ripening.2
References:
1. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 27.
2. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 284-5.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
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Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Flavan-3-ols Are Also Called Catechins
The flavan-3-ols are also called catechins and they are found primarily in the grape seeds.1
They include (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)epicatechin gallate. Experiments have shown that there is an increase in catechin and epicatechin until veraison when those flavan-3-ols begin to decline. Because catechin and epicatechin have a bitter taste, the gradual ripening of seeds may be due to the decrease in the levels of catechin and epicatechin.
The structure of (+)-catechin differs from (-)-epicatechin only in their spatial arrangement of the atoms around the 2nd and 3rd carbon atoms in the pyran ring. I hope to illustrate that point with the following structural depictions.
The structures of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin shown below will consist of the following:
As mentioned above, catechins are important because they are contained in the seeds of the grape and decline after veraison. If bitter characters are detected in a wine, they may have come from these catechins. In addition, catechins are the monomeric units that can polymerize and lead to tannin formation, the subject of a future blog. Stay tuned!
References:
1. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 50.
2. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 283.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
The structure of (+)-catechin differs from (-)-epicatechin only in their spatial arrangement of the atoms around the 2nd and 3rd carbon atoms in the pyran ring. I hope to illustrate that point with the following structural depictions.
The structures of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin shown below will consist of the following:
- first as a bond-line structural representation
- second as a 3D representation showing the relationship between the substituents on the second and third carbons
- lastly as a space filling model
As mentioned above, catechins are important because they are contained in the seeds of the grape and decline after veraison. If bitter characters are detected in a wine, they may have come from these catechins. In addition, catechins are the monomeric units that can polymerize and lead to tannin formation, the subject of a future blog. Stay tuned!
References:
1. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 50.
2. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 283.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Flavonoids Found in Grapes
A few days ago, I blogged about the Nonflavonoid Phenols in Grapes. Today, I'm reviewing the flavonoid phenols that are found in grapes. My plan is to review the phenolic compounds that come from:
In my previous blog on the nonflavonoid phenols, the hydroxycinnamic acids and their corresponding cinnamates had in common, the "phenol" chemical moiety shown below on the left. The flavonoids also called diphenylpropanoids will have in common the chemical moiety shown below on the right.1 The flavonoid structure can be modified to yield flavan-3-ols, flavonols, and anthocyanins. These compounds all come from the grape. In my next blog, I'll elaborate on the compounds found in grapes that are members of the flavan-3-ol family. Helpful hint: You can see a larger version of the structure by clicking on the image.
References:
1. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 21.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
- the grapes
- the yeast
- either fermentation or storage in oak barrels
In my previous blog on the nonflavonoid phenols, the hydroxycinnamic acids and their corresponding cinnamates had in common, the "phenol" chemical moiety shown below on the left. The flavonoids also called diphenylpropanoids will have in common the chemical moiety shown below on the right.1 The flavonoid structure can be modified to yield flavan-3-ols, flavonols, and anthocyanins. These compounds all come from the grape. In my next blog, I'll elaborate on the compounds found in grapes that are members of the flavan-3-ol family. Helpful hint: You can see a larger version of the structure by clicking on the image.
References:
1. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 21.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
2010 Hidden Bench Nuit Blanche at Ford's Lobster
We heard from our friend that a new (to us) restaurant opened in the quaint seaside town of Noank called Ford's Lobster. Ford's Lobster has been in Noank forever, but it now has a little restaurant open during the winter months and best of all, it is BYOB! For seafood, we decided to bring one of the purchases that we made when we were in Ontario this past October from Hidden Bench, a white Bordeaux-style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It was a little cold when we opened it so the aromas and flavors were still locked but as it warmed, it gave up lemons, a touch of honey, and a hint of cinnamon. The wine had a wonderful rich mouthfeel. The three of us enjoyed it with Cajun peel and eat shrimp and stuffed jalapenos for appetizers. It also paired well with our main courses of cod, lobster linguine Alfredo and seafood stuffed portabello mushroom.
We enjoyed the evening and had fun meeting a couple sitting next to us who came from East Lyme. She recently took up bow hunting! Our friend's neighbor also came into the restaurant as we were having our meal. It was his birthday! We shared some wine with him and his spouse, and toasted to his continued good health.
As we exited the restaurant, remarking what a beautiful full moon it was and what a great dinner we had, we ran into the owner of the restaurant, Chris. Ford's Restaurant is a small, family run business. So, if you enjoy a delicious meal, that you can pair with your own wine or choice of alcoholic beverage and enjoy meeting people, Ford's Lobster in Noank is the place to go!
We enjoyed the evening and had fun meeting a couple sitting next to us who came from East Lyme. She recently took up bow hunting! Our friend's neighbor also came into the restaurant as we were having our meal. It was his birthday! We shared some wine with him and his spouse, and toasted to his continued good health.
As we exited the restaurant, remarking what a beautiful full moon it was and what a great dinner we had, we ran into the owner of the restaurant, Chris. Ford's Restaurant is a small, family run business. So, if you enjoy a delicious meal, that you can pair with your own wine or choice of alcoholic beverage and enjoy meeting people, Ford's Lobster in Noank is the place to go!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Nonflavonoid Phenols in Grapes
It's pretty cold out there (9 oF), so it's the perfect time to hunker down and review the literature that I read while taking the UC Davis Viticulture course. The phenolic compounds that occur in grapes can be found in the skin and in the seeds. The low molecular weight nonflavonoid phenolic acid biosynthesis in grapes begins with the amino acid phenylalanine. The deamination of phenylalanine catalyzed by phenylalanine ammonia lyase results in the formation of trans-cinnamic acid. T-cinnamic acid is the precursor of the nonflavonoid phenolic compounds. The addition of a hydroxyl group to t-cinnamic acid results in the formation of the first phenolic compound in the grape called 4-coumarate. The part of the 4-coumarate structure colored in red is the "phenol". All phenolic compounds contain this chemical moiety.3
Another hydroxylation of 4-coumarate yields caffeic acid and a methylation on the hydroxyl group on caffeic acid results in the formation of ferulic acid shown below:
These cinnamic acids can exist either in the free form or as esters of tartaric acid shown below in blue:
Caftaric acid is the most common nonflavonoid in grapes. In the process of winemaking, these cinnamic acids are the first to be extracted due to their occurrence in the cell vacuoles of skin and pulp.4
References:
1. Understanding Grape Berry Development Practical Winery and Vineyard, Issue July-August 2002, Illustration done by Jordan Koutroumanidis of Winetitles.
2. Vintage Direct 2.10 Making Sparkling Wine (Methode Champenoise)
Illustration is from Dunsford, P.A. and Sneyd, T.N. 1989. Pressing for quality. In: Proceedings of the Seventh Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference
3. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 4-11.
4. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 285-287.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
Caftaric acid is the most common nonflavonoid in grapes. In the process of winemaking, these cinnamic acids are the first to be extracted due to their occurrence in the cell vacuoles of skin and pulp.4
References:
1. Understanding Grape Berry Development Practical Winery and Vineyard, Issue July-August 2002, Illustration done by Jordan Koutroumanidis of Winetitles.
2. Vintage Direct 2.10 Making Sparkling Wine (Methode Champenoise)
Illustration is from Dunsford, P.A. and Sneyd, T.N. 1989. Pressing for quality. In: Proceedings of the Seventh Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference
3. Douglas Adams, VI257, Lesson 8, pg. 4-11.
4. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 285-287.
All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
2006 Gaia Estate Agiorgitiko
What better wine to complement grilled leg of lamb and pastitsio than having this 2006 Gaia Estate that our Greek friends brought over for dinner. The color was inky purple and it was slightly dry but with flavors of black raspberry and red cherries that went great with our lamb. The wine is made from the Agiorgitiko grape and I asked our friends if it is called Saint George's grape, which he confirmed. I learned that from reading "Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours". The Agiorgitiko grape is the most widely planted grape in Greece found mainly in the Peloponnese. It is the only authorized grape variety for the Nemea appellation.
Reference:
J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, pg 10-11, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.
Reference:
J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, pg 10-11, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.
Friday, January 18, 2013
1999 DNA Typing Article Gives Clues
It's a mystery. We have long since forgotten when and who decided that it would be a good idea to put in a vineyard.
Cleaning, which always makes my husband happy, although he calls what I do "shuffling", brings discoveries.
On September 3, 1999, John Bowers, Jean-Michel Boursiquot, Patrice This, Kieu Chu, Henrik Johansson, and Carole Meredith published a research article in the journal Science, entitled "Historical Genetics: The Parentage of Chardonnay, Gamay, and Other Wine Grapes of Northeastern France". The article mentions that Carole Meredith and then graduate student, John Bowers analyzed 322 cultivars of Vitis vinifera including some very old cultivars to obtain their DNA fingerprint. Here is the type of analyses using gel electrophoresis that was done on the cultivars. The two loci shown in this figure are VVMD5 (top) and VVMD28 (bottom).1 From this initial group of 322 cultivars, they used 32 loci to determine that 16 cultivars had genotypes consistent with being the offspring of a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Before publication of this groundbreaking research, it was thought that Chardonnay was a white form of Pinot Noir. Also surprising was that Gouais Blanc was the partner in the cross that produced such a noble variety as Chardonnay, since historically, Gouais Blanc was a mediocre variety and is no longer planted in France. This study shows us that the two cultivars that we will be planting this spring, Chardonnay and Auxerrois are actually siblings!
Furthermore, by finding this article during my cleaning activities, it looks as if we were already thinking about planting vines as far back as 1999!
Reference:
1. Bowers, J., Boursiquot, J.M., This, P., Chu, K., Johansson, H., & Meredith, C, 1999, Historical Genetics: The Parentage of Chardonnay, Gamay, and Other Wine Grapes of Northeastern France, Science: 285, pp 1562 - 1565.
Additional Resources:
1. Chardonnay and Gouais Blanc, WineIntro with Lisa Shea.
2. Chardonnays of Interest, PinotFile.
On September 3, 1999, John Bowers, Jean-Michel Boursiquot, Patrice This, Kieu Chu, Henrik Johansson, and Carole Meredith published a research article in the journal Science, entitled "Historical Genetics: The Parentage of Chardonnay, Gamay, and Other Wine Grapes of Northeastern France". The article mentions that Carole Meredith and then graduate student, John Bowers analyzed 322 cultivars of Vitis vinifera including some very old cultivars to obtain their DNA fingerprint. Here is the type of analyses using gel electrophoresis that was done on the cultivars. The two loci shown in this figure are VVMD5 (top) and VVMD28 (bottom).1 From this initial group of 322 cultivars, they used 32 loci to determine that 16 cultivars had genotypes consistent with being the offspring of a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Before publication of this groundbreaking research, it was thought that Chardonnay was a white form of Pinot Noir. Also surprising was that Gouais Blanc was the partner in the cross that produced such a noble variety as Chardonnay, since historically, Gouais Blanc was a mediocre variety and is no longer planted in France. This study shows us that the two cultivars that we will be planting this spring, Chardonnay and Auxerrois are actually siblings!
Furthermore, by finding this article during my cleaning activities, it looks as if we were already thinking about planting vines as far back as 1999!
Reference:
1. Bowers, J., Boursiquot, J.M., This, P., Chu, K., Johansson, H., & Meredith, C, 1999, Historical Genetics: The Parentage of Chardonnay, Gamay, and Other Wine Grapes of Northeastern France, Science: 285, pp 1562 - 1565.
Additional Resources:
1. Chardonnay and Gouais Blanc, WineIntro with Lisa Shea.
2. Chardonnays of Interest, PinotFile.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Musings and an Interesting Coincidence
Musings: After our recent trip to Long Island and tasting many delicious Bordeaux-style wines including some wonderful Merlot blends, my husband and I were talking about the movie Sideways and how Merlot was so disdained by the character Miles, that it fell out of favor with the wine drinking public. Toward the end of the movie, Miles is sitting in a fast food restaurant drinking his 1961 Cheval Blanc, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The only wine that would make it more ironic would be if Miles was drinking Petrus, a wine made almost entirely of Merlot grapes. Don't you think the joke is on us, the movie viewer?
An Interesting Coincidence: We are latecomers to the PBS show Downton Abbey and while watching the First Season on DVD which we borrowed from my friend, we noticed an episode involving a bottle of wine. It didn't take us long to figure out that it was a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, confirmed by locating this article in the Quarterly Review of Wines:
Whining About Downton Abbey---Where is the Wine?
While we had the bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, up close and personal, we noticed a certain similarity to another wine that we had on our counter that we also enjoy drinking (parenthetically, we don't drink Chateau Lafite Rothschild, but once in a millenium). The coincidence may only be in the eye of the beholder, but I thought it was interesting.
An Interesting Coincidence: We are latecomers to the PBS show Downton Abbey and while watching the First Season on DVD which we borrowed from my friend, we noticed an episode involving a bottle of wine. It didn't take us long to figure out that it was a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, confirmed by locating this article in the Quarterly Review of Wines:
Whining About Downton Abbey---Where is the Wine?
While we had the bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, up close and personal, we noticed a certain similarity to another wine that we had on our counter that we also enjoy drinking (parenthetically, we don't drink Chateau Lafite Rothschild, but once in a millenium). The coincidence may only be in the eye of the beholder, but I thought it was interesting.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Paumanok
Ever since I emailed Charles Massoud of Paumanok to ask him about which rootstock he was using, information that I needed to complete an assignment for one of the UC Davis Online courses that I was taking at that time, I have been a fan. I didn't really expect a reply but, shortly after I wrote to Charles, I received his email and was able to add to my assignment that in our area, 3309 was the rootstock that was being used. Moreover, Charles was growing Chenin Blanc, something that we are interested in growing ourselves. So, on this Saturday, after visiting Lenz and One Woman, we headed toward Aquebogue, to Paumanok.
With our friends, Mary and Barry in tow, we arrived at Paumanok around 1 p.m. and asked Karen if we could meet with Charles. New Year greetings were exchanged and Charles invited us to sit at a table facing the vineyard. We told Charles that we have been busy putting in tiling in our vineyard, in order to plant our grapevines this spring. Charles, with Karen's help began the wine tastings with his 2012 Chenin Blanc. Somewhere between the white wine tastings (Sauvignon Blanc, Festival Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented Chardonnay) and the red wine tastings (Merlot, Assemblage, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Tuthills Lane), a platter of cheese, crackers and sausage appeared, (Karen's touch under Charles' subtle prompting) and Kareem, Charles' oldest son and winemaker, appeared. It turns out that Kareem has made a wonderful Chardonnay with minimal intervention, that we were privileged to taste. We also met Joanne and Frank Conti, long time aficionados of Paumanok. By the time we got up to leave, it was 5:30!
I highly recommend that if you are winetasting on Long Island, that you make some time to visit Paumanok. Once you taste these wines, you too will be an aficionado. One last thing---this is their 30th year in the business.
We want to wish Charles and Paumanok:
With our friends, Mary and Barry in tow, we arrived at Paumanok around 1 p.m. and asked Karen if we could meet with Charles. New Year greetings were exchanged and Charles invited us to sit at a table facing the vineyard. We told Charles that we have been busy putting in tiling in our vineyard, in order to plant our grapevines this spring. Charles, with Karen's help began the wine tastings with his 2012 Chenin Blanc. Somewhere between the white wine tastings (Sauvignon Blanc, Festival Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented Chardonnay) and the red wine tastings (Merlot, Assemblage, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Tuthills Lane), a platter of cheese, crackers and sausage appeared, (Karen's touch under Charles' subtle prompting) and Kareem, Charles' oldest son and winemaker, appeared. It turns out that Kareem has made a wonderful Chardonnay with minimal intervention, that we were privileged to taste. We also met Joanne and Frank Conti, long time aficionados of Paumanok. By the time we got up to leave, it was 5:30!
I highly recommend that if you are winetasting on Long Island, that you make some time to visit Paumanok. Once you taste these wines, you too will be an aficionado. One last thing---this is their 30th year in the business.
We want to wish Charles and Paumanok:
Monday, January 14, 2013
One Woman Wines and Vineyards
Our second stop on this Saturday was to visit One Woman Wines and Vineyards. We thought that our timing was perfect because she opens at noon and it was just a few minutes past noon. We were thinking that to be the first ones at the winery was a good thing. As we approached, we saw that she was closed! How could that be. One of us got out of the car to make the trek up her driveway to be met by Jamie who said that indeed they were open but that the One Woman was being filmed and interviewed! We waited in the car for only a few minutes before being admitted into the little red shed which is the One Woman's tasting room. The One Woman's name is Claudia Purita.
We were particularly interested in tasting her Chardonnays.
We tried her 2011 Tribute which is a blend of Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, and Chardonnay. We decided that it had a pear and pineapple nose and a slightly oily, mouthfeel. We also tried the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and then moved on to the 2008 Chardonnay and the 2008 Reserve Chardonnay. While we were doing the tastings, I couldn't help but hear the interview being conducted with Claudia Purita and her daughter, Gaby who was doing the pours for the filming crew. After the interview, I asked what the film was going to be used for and Bruce Stevens told me that they are writing a book about Long Island Vineyards and Wineries to be called A Vintner's Tale, to be released in 2014. How exciting is that!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Visiting Lenz Winery on Long Island
What to do on a slightly foggy, drizzly Saturday. Go to Long Island and do some wine tasting! Actually, it wasn't a spur of the moment, impromptu decision, but was in the works for some weeks so regardless of the weather, we would be on the Ferry over from New London to Orient Point.
Our first stop was at Lenz Winery. It opened at 11 a.m. so we were the first ones there and made the acquaintance of Jordan, our pourer behind the bar. Our tastings included the following:
2008 Old Vines Chardonnay
2007 Cuvée
2008 Cabernet-Merlot blend
2007 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Old Vines Merlot
2008 Estate Selection Merlot
1999 Cuvée RD
We learned that Eric Fry has been the winemaker for Lenz since 1990 and he makes their sparking wine using méthode champenoise. As we were settling in to do the wine tastings, two limousines full of people arrived and appeared as if Jordan may be inundated. But he seemed accustomed to this level of activity in the tasting room and was expertly attending to everyone's needs. We enjoyed our first stop on Long Island and decided that it was Jordan's knowledge and his attention to our foursome that made the experience memorable. I dug up the November 2012 issue of Saveur again to see if the Long Island Lineup included Lenz and there it was, the 2006 Lenz Cuvée. The write up in Saveur: "A pioneer winery of the North Fork, Lenz subjects 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes to traditional French champagne-making methods to produce a sparkling wine that tastes like it could have come from Épernay. It's nice and elegant, with soft, small persistent bubbles that make it perfect for a sophisticated celebratory meal." We concur with that description. We also learned that the Lenz Cuvée spends 6 years aging on the lees before being disgorged.
Our first stop was at Lenz Winery. It opened at 11 a.m. so we were the first ones there and made the acquaintance of Jordan, our pourer behind the bar. Our tastings included the following:
2008 Old Vines Chardonnay
2007 Cuvée
2008 Cabernet-Merlot blend
2007 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Old Vines Merlot
2008 Estate Selection Merlot
1999 Cuvée RD
We learned that Eric Fry has been the winemaker for Lenz since 1990 and he makes their sparking wine using méthode champenoise. As we were settling in to do the wine tastings, two limousines full of people arrived and appeared as if Jordan may be inundated. But he seemed accustomed to this level of activity in the tasting room and was expertly attending to everyone's needs. We enjoyed our first stop on Long Island and decided that it was Jordan's knowledge and his attention to our foursome that made the experience memorable. I dug up the November 2012 issue of Saveur again to see if the Long Island Lineup included Lenz and there it was, the 2006 Lenz Cuvée. The write up in Saveur: "A pioneer winery of the North Fork, Lenz subjects 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes to traditional French champagne-making methods to produce a sparkling wine that tastes like it could have come from Épernay. It's nice and elegant, with soft, small persistent bubbles that make it perfect for a sophisticated celebratory meal." We concur with that description. We also learned that the Lenz Cuvée spends 6 years aging on the lees before being disgorged.
Friday, January 11, 2013
PWVJ: Minerality Rigorous or Romantic?
This article in the Winter 2012 Practical Winery and Vineyard Journal called "Minerality Rigorous or Romantic?" written by Jordan Ross, intrigued me and as I read the article it refreshed my memory of listening to Prof. Carole Meredith's lecture on a DVD that constituted part of the Introduction to Winemaking. The romance here is that the minerality that the taster describes possibly as being "chalk, flint, salty, oil, soil, oyster shell, iodine, or smoky" comes directly from the soil and imparts this to the fruit and ultimately the wine.
The rigor is that while it may seem logical to think that the grapes can express the attributes of the soil from which it grew, Alex Maltman, a geologist at the University of Wales, U.K. and Prof. Carole Meredith agree that plants cannot take up minerals which Gavin Sacks, Assistant Professor of Enology at Cornell defines as "an ordered solid with a well-defined chemical structure". Plants, do, however, take up mineral ions such as sodium, potassium, aluminum, calcium, silicon and oxygen. In fact, grapevines absolutely require these macro- and micronutrients in order to grow and reproduce.
Prof. Sack does say that rocks can in fact give off an odor. This odor was given a name by two Australians, J. Bear and R. G. Thomas in 1964 and is called petrichor. Part of the smell of petrichor comes from a compound called geosmin which is an earthy aroma and flavor. I confess, I am particularly sensitive to tasting geosmin because during the summer months, our water tastes to me like dirt. I think that I am tasting geosmin, a product of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and actinobacteria (especially Streptomyces), released when these microbes die. So, what gives wine it's distinctive minerality? Author Jordan Ross sought out Christophe Rolland, ex-sommelier and Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo for their thoughts. There is a link between high acidity and minerality. Christophe Rolland explained: Minerality can be fragile, as lees stirring while it can enrich the wine, can lead to loss of some vivid, crisp and pungent character that provides an edge.
High levels of malic acid at harvest will always be a favorable factor for minerality in a wine. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard posited that the disulfide/thiol couple may also produce the minerality characters found in wine. All in all, it was an interesting article to read.
Here is the link to the reprint:MINERALITY Rigorous or Romantic?
1. Wikipedia Entry for Geosmin. All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
The rigor is that while it may seem logical to think that the grapes can express the attributes of the soil from which it grew, Alex Maltman, a geologist at the University of Wales, U.K. and Prof. Carole Meredith agree that plants cannot take up minerals which Gavin Sacks, Assistant Professor of Enology at Cornell defines as "an ordered solid with a well-defined chemical structure". Plants, do, however, take up mineral ions such as sodium, potassium, aluminum, calcium, silicon and oxygen. In fact, grapevines absolutely require these macro- and micronutrients in order to grow and reproduce.
Prof. Sack does say that rocks can in fact give off an odor. This odor was given a name by two Australians, J. Bear and R. G. Thomas in 1964 and is called petrichor. Part of the smell of petrichor comes from a compound called geosmin which is an earthy aroma and flavor. I confess, I am particularly sensitive to tasting geosmin because during the summer months, our water tastes to me like dirt. I think that I am tasting geosmin, a product of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and actinobacteria (especially Streptomyces), released when these microbes die. So, what gives wine it's distinctive minerality? Author Jordan Ross sought out Christophe Rolland, ex-sommelier and Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo for their thoughts. There is a link between high acidity and minerality. Christophe Rolland explained: Minerality can be fragile, as lees stirring while it can enrich the wine, can lead to loss of some vivid, crisp and pungent character that provides an edge.
High levels of malic acid at harvest will always be a favorable factor for minerality in a wine. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard posited that the disulfide/thiol couple may also produce the minerality characters found in wine. All in all, it was an interesting article to read.
Here is the link to the reprint:MINERALITY Rigorous or Romantic?
1. Wikipedia Entry for Geosmin. All structures were drawn by the freely available drawing program from ACD Labs called ACD/ChemSketch Freeware.
Monday, January 7, 2013
2002 Lopez de Heredia Viña Bosconia
Our first wine that we drank to welcome in the New Year was a bottle of Lopez de Heredia 2002 Viña Bosconia. It's 10 years old now and still drinking very well. The color of the wine was a clear ruby with no signs of oxidation.
The wines come from R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia located in Rioja, Spain. The winery was founded by D. Rafael LĆ³pez de Heredia y Landeta in 1877 in Haro and has remained in the family, now in it's fourth generation. The wines are made in the traditional style of their great-grandfather, aged in American oak, and released 5-10 years after the harvest vintage.
The Bosconia wine is made from a vineyard on the property called El Bosque and it contains Tempranillo (80%), Garnacho (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano make up the rest of the blend.
Here is an article on Lopez de Heredia:
Mercedes LĆ³pez de Heredia, Winemaker, Christina Pickard talks to the fourth generation winemaker at Rioja’s traditional yet forward-thinking LĆ³pez de Heredia in July 27, 2012, Harper's Wine and Spirit.
The wines come from R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia located in Rioja, Spain. The winery was founded by D. Rafael LĆ³pez de Heredia y Landeta in 1877 in Haro and has remained in the family, now in it's fourth generation. The wines are made in the traditional style of their great-grandfather, aged in American oak, and released 5-10 years after the harvest vintage.
The Bosconia wine is made from a vineyard on the property called El Bosque and it contains Tempranillo (80%), Garnacho (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano make up the rest of the blend.
Here is an article on Lopez de Heredia:
Mercedes LĆ³pez de Heredia, Winemaker, Christina Pickard talks to the fourth generation winemaker at Rioja’s traditional yet forward-thinking LĆ³pez de Heredia in July 27, 2012, Harper's Wine and Spirit.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Making Sense of Wine by Matt Kramer
Okay, Jets fans (I confess I am one.....sadly, but I do have good company, Gary Vaynerchuk for example), imagine Herman Edwards saying this:
You read a book to learn!
That is exactly what I am doing this snow covered, blustery New Year. I picked up the 1989 edition of Making Sense of Wine by Matt Kramer and I am learning a lot! The book is divided into two sections, (1) Thinking Wine and (2) Drinking Wine. Matt Kramer begins his book defining what connoisseurship is by analogy. Then, to be specific, Kramer defines the wine connoisseur as a person looking for balance, complexity, and proportion in aspects such as bouquet, initial taste, middletaste and aftertaste. Above all, the wine connoisseur is looking for something that can only be defined as finesse.
Things that I learned reading this book:
You read a book to learn!
That is exactly what I am doing this snow covered, blustery New Year. I picked up the 1989 edition of Making Sense of Wine by Matt Kramer and I am learning a lot! The book is divided into two sections, (1) Thinking Wine and (2) Drinking Wine. Matt Kramer begins his book defining what connoisseurship is by analogy. Then, to be specific, Kramer defines the wine connoisseur as a person looking for balance, complexity, and proportion in aspects such as bouquet, initial taste, middletaste and aftertaste. Above all, the wine connoisseur is looking for something that can only be defined as finesse.
Things that I learned reading this book:
- In 1863, Napoleon III requested that Louis Pasteur investigate the causes of wine deterioration
- The origin of controlled appellations in France occurred in 1911 in Champagne
- Matt Kramer quotes U.C. Davis's Roger Bolton as saying: "Ninety percent of winemaking has nothing to do with the winemaker. All the winemaker is doing is preventing spoilage, introducing some style characteristics and bottling it."
- The importance and rise of glass manufacturing beginning between 1620-1630 to wine preservation and consequently to the wine industry. This is the story of a dispute between the English and the French and a red wine of Portugal called "port".
- The humidity in a cellar gave rise to the branded cork which has some or all of the following (and more) on the cork: the name of the château/estate, vintage and vineyard.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Which Red? Revisiting Barbera
Even before our vines go in this spring, we have been cogitating on which red variety we would like to plant. We are vascillating, we are indecisive, we are confused, we are revisiting Barbera. Our introduction to the feasibility of growing Barbera in Connecticut was stoked by one of the trips we took to visit grapevine nurseries in California. We did our homework:
We visited Ann Kraemer at Shake Ridge Vineyards and Dick Cooper at Cooper Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills. At that time, both Ann and Dick commented on the high acidity that they were getting from their Barbera due mainly to the cool nights that occur in the Sierra Foothills which leads to the inability of the grapes to respire the acids. Ann mentioned that she tried to tame the acidity by trellising. We also tasted many Barberas from Italy. We were still not convinced.
This morning, while doing some New Year's cleaning, I pulled out an older Practical Winery and Vineyard, (January/February 1996) and came across an interesting article called "Barbera offers exciting versatility". The article was an interview with 12 winemakers from Italy and California including Angelo Gaja, Pio Boffa and Paolo Fenocchio from Italy and Jeff Meyers, Kevin Hamel and Scott Harvey, from California.
In Angelo Gaja's vineyards, yields are restricted to 1.5 to 1.75 tons per acre. The grapes are harvested based on flavor but generally are at 22.5o Brix, with 0.94 titratable acidity and pH 3.04. This method of getting lower yields in Italy leads to getting good balance between the sugars and the acids, but the opposite phenomenon is observed by Kevin Hamel at Preston Vineyards where a higher crop level reduces the acidity.1
What is nice about this article is that at the end, the twelve winemakers talk about the style of wines that they made and how they conduct their wine making.
In order to find out more about Barbera, I looked in the recently released Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz. They write that the origins of Barbera is still unknown. Barbera retains a high level of acidity even when fully ripe.2
If you are from the Northeast and reading this blog and grow Barbera, please drop me a line and let me know of your experiences. Thanks!
1. Practical Winery and Vineyard, "Barbera offers exciting versatility", January/February 1996, pages 69-76.
2. J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, pg 85-87, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.
We visited Ann Kraemer at Shake Ridge Vineyards and Dick Cooper at Cooper Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills. At that time, both Ann and Dick commented on the high acidity that they were getting from their Barbera due mainly to the cool nights that occur in the Sierra Foothills which leads to the inability of the grapes to respire the acids. Ann mentioned that she tried to tame the acidity by trellising. We also tasted many Barberas from Italy. We were still not convinced.
This morning, while doing some New Year's cleaning, I pulled out an older Practical Winery and Vineyard, (January/February 1996) and came across an interesting article called "Barbera offers exciting versatility". The article was an interview with 12 winemakers from Italy and California including Angelo Gaja, Pio Boffa and Paolo Fenocchio from Italy and Jeff Meyers, Kevin Hamel and Scott Harvey, from California.
In Angelo Gaja's vineyards, yields are restricted to 1.5 to 1.75 tons per acre. The grapes are harvested based on flavor but generally are at 22.5o Brix, with 0.94 titratable acidity and pH 3.04. This method of getting lower yields in Italy leads to getting good balance between the sugars and the acids, but the opposite phenomenon is observed by Kevin Hamel at Preston Vineyards where a higher crop level reduces the acidity.1
What is nice about this article is that at the end, the twelve winemakers talk about the style of wines that they made and how they conduct their wine making.
In order to find out more about Barbera, I looked in the recently released Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz. They write that the origins of Barbera is still unknown. Barbera retains a high level of acidity even when fully ripe.2
If you are from the Northeast and reading this blog and grow Barbera, please drop me a line and let me know of your experiences. Thanks!
1. Practical Winery and Vineyard, "Barbera offers exciting versatility", January/February 1996, pages 69-76.
2. J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, pg 85-87, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tiling in the New Year
Here is the tranquil looking scene, a snow covered field. The snow came on Saturday and on Sunday, Bill and his wife were up on our land clearing the snow so that the soil can freeze. All the better for tiling, my dear!
Just south of the above photo is where Jeff was hard at work digging the trench, putting in more rocks and putting in the tile connector.
He's not alone, though, on this Wednesday, the day after the New Year, Barry and my husband are in the trench helping to lay more tiling, rocks, and laying fabric before Jeff comes to cover up the trench with subsoil and finally with top soil. That's Bill bringing more rocks to the trench and the waiting crew.
There is not a more hard working or dedicated crew around!
He's not alone, though, on this Wednesday, the day after the New Year, Barry and my husband are in the trench helping to lay more tiling, rocks, and laying fabric before Jeff comes to cover up the trench with subsoil and finally with top soil. That's Bill bringing more rocks to the trench and the waiting crew.
There is not a more hard working or dedicated crew around!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Winetastings in 2012
Here is a summary of the wines tasted in 2012.
2009 Vietti Roero Arneis
2008 Domaine de la Chanteleuresie Bourgueil Beauvais
2005 Chateau La Tour de Bessan
2009 Kiralyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec
2004 Baumard Savennieres
2009 Michel Noellat et Fils Bourgogne
Paumanok Chenin Blanc 2010
2000 Ferrando Carema Black Label
Vietti Barbera d'Asti 2009
Chinon Les Chanteaux Couly-Dutheil 2010
2008 Dehlinger Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Icewine Tasting at Royal DeMaria
2009 Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay
2011 Rosewood Estates Riesling
Sparkling Pointe---One Last Stop Before the Ferry
Knucklehead Red---It's a Family Endeavor
2004 Jacky Truchot Morey St. Denis Les Blanchards
2005 Francois Gaunoux Bourgogne Blanc
Jonathan Edwards 2010 Connecticut Pinot Gris
Burgundian Fest at Fish 2010 Exultet Chardonnay The Blessed 2001 Le Vieux Donjon 2009 Pearl Morissette Chardonnay 2008 One Women Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2003 Turley Petite Syrah 1998 Chateau de Beaucastel 2008 Elio Sandri Nebbiolo 1996 Pommard Leroy Les Vignot 2002 Kistler Hyde Vineyard Carneros 2002 Schleret Riesling Herrenweg Mystery Bottle---1962 Cormey Figeac?
1998 Hospices de Beaune Corton CuvƩe Docteur Peste
2000 Malartic-Lagravière Red 1989 Chateau Palmer and 1994 Ridge Montebello
2009 Vietti Roero Arneis
2008 Domaine de la Chanteleuresie Bourgueil Beauvais
2005 Chateau La Tour de Bessan
2009 Kiralyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec
2004 Baumard Savennieres
2009 Michel Noellat et Fils Bourgogne
Paumanok Chenin Blanc 2010
2000 Ferrando Carema Black Label
Vietti Barbera d'Asti 2009
Chinon Les Chanteaux Couly-Dutheil 2010
2008 Dehlinger Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Icewine Tasting at Royal DeMaria
2009 Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay
2011 Rosewood Estates Riesling
Sparkling Pointe---One Last Stop Before the Ferry
Knucklehead Red---It's a Family Endeavor
2004 Jacky Truchot Morey St. Denis Les Blanchards
2005 Francois Gaunoux Bourgogne Blanc
Jonathan Edwards 2010 Connecticut Pinot Gris
Burgundian Fest at Fish 2010 Exultet Chardonnay The Blessed 2001 Le Vieux Donjon 2009 Pearl Morissette Chardonnay 2008 One Women Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2003 Turley Petite Syrah 1998 Chateau de Beaucastel 2008 Elio Sandri Nebbiolo 1996 Pommard Leroy Les Vignot 2002 Kistler Hyde Vineyard Carneros 2002 Schleret Riesling Herrenweg Mystery Bottle---1962 Cormey Figeac?
1998 Hospices de Beaune Corton CuvƩe Docteur Peste
2000 Malartic-Lagravière Red 1989 Chateau Palmer and 1994 Ridge Montebello
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