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| Cayuga White dropping fruit 2008 |
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| Harvest can be fun !!! |
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| Heroes square in Budapest, Hungary 2007 |
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Cultural Toasts
Chinese: Ganbei! (dry your cup)
Dutch: Prost! (health)
English: Cheers!
French: Santé! (health)
German:Prosit or Zum Wohl ! (cheers)
Hebrew: Le'chaim! (to life)
Irish: Sláinte! (to your health)
Italian: Per cent'anni! (for one hundred years)
Italian 2: Salute (health)
Japanese: Kanpai! (dry your cup)
Russian: Vashe zdorovie! (to health)
Spanish: Salud! (health)
Welsh: Iechyd da! (health)
"Vita vinum est" -- "Wine is life" -- according to Petronius, a Roman writer
Portuguese: SAÚDE ! VIVA
7/6/2006
Sherlock Holmes’ advice that
“When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
7/18/2006
A very good impression with my wines to Catherine Fallis, Master Sommelier.
Even if the publisher edits me out I must have done something right :-)
TC,
John Z
Catherine Fallis is the world's fifth female Master Sommelier.
July 5, 2006
To: John Zuccarino at Silver Springs Winery
From: Catherine Fallis, Master Sommelier, and Robert Cohen
Co-Authors, Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online, Fall 2006, Silverback Books
Re: Inclusion in Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online
Dear John:
Thank you for submitting Silver Springs Winery to be considered for Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online. We have included your winery and one or more of your wines in the manuscript submitted to the publisher. There may be some final cuts made to the manuscript by the publisher, so we cannot guarantee that your winery will appear in the finished version.
In the meantime, we’d like to thank you for helping with the production of Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online. If you have any questions, please contact either Catherine Fallis at grapegoddess@planetgrape.com or Robert Cohen at robertcohen@greatboutiquewines.com.
Best wishes,
Catherine Fallis, MS, and Robert Cohen
Co-Authors
Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online
How your brain helps you become a wine expert
"The researchers also used functional MRI techniques to measure brain activity from the subjects throughout the experiment. They found that as a result of prolonged odor exposure an area of the brain known as the orbitofrontal cortex (a region intimately involved in olfaction, emotion, and motivation) showed enhanced responses to the smells, corresponding to the subjects' improved capacity for distinguishing similar odors."
What I find fascinating is the region of the brain where the learning takes place. Also this proves you must get out and taste wine from all over the world or you will be very region or winery specific as to what you smell. So the question is do you feel more emotional or motivated or have a higher olfactory perception?
The link PLEASE CLICK ON ME
How your brain helps you become a wine expert
|
7/15/2007
Spurt of Finger Lakes wineries has no end in sight
Click On Me
QUOTE Today
there are some 300 in an area roughly the size of Seneca Lake. And even
with the price of land at about $200,000 per acre (compared with $5,000
in the Finger Lakes), Napa Valley continues to grow as a wine region.
this
statement is wrong...having just sold some land to a friend who is
going to open up a winery...$ 8,000 an acre no mineral rights...with
mineral rights add $10,000 per acre...min land for a farm winery set by
the state is 10 acres
7/14/2007
Are you having a hard time pronouncing
wines and regions...I am...so I found this it helped me maybe it can help you...have fun !!!
Click On Me
Click On Me
Click On Me
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Salute, Per cent'anni!
John
2/9/2007
Traveling with Special Items
Alcoholic Beverages
Travelers may now carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Learn More
With the exception of medications, any amount of liquid including alcohol greater than three ounces must be packed in your checked baggage.
Liquids, including alcohol purchased after clearing the security checkpoint are permitted aboard aircraft.
Carrying Alcohol In Your Checked Baggage
Please note, you can’t take alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol content (140 proof), including 95% grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, in your checked luggage.
You may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24% and 70% per person as checked luggage if it’s packaged in a sealable bottle or flask.
Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations.
Fact.....Dom Pérignon was also an early advocate of organic winemaking using only natural process without the addition of foreign substances.
Misconceptions and Myths
The quote attributed to him—"Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!"—is supposedly what he said when tasting the first sparkling champagne. However, the first appearance of that quote appears to have been in a print advertisement in the late 1800s by the producer of Dom Pérignon Champagne. While the Dom did work tirelessly and successfully to improve the quality and renown of the still wines of the Champagne, he did not invent sparkling wine, nor was he the first to make champagne. Indeed he worked hard to prevent a secondary fermentation which was seen as a fault and most likely to break the wine bottles. [5] New documentary evidence suggests that a fizzy or sparkling wine was first made in England at least several decades before it was produced in France.
A major proponent of the misconceptions surrounding Dom Pérignon came from one of his successors at the Abbey of Hautvillers, Dom Groussard, who in 1821 gave an account of Dom Pérignon "inventing" Champagne among other exaggerated tales about the Abbey in order to garner historical importance and prestige for the church. [1] The myths about Pérignon being the first to use corks and being able to name the precise vineyard by tasting a single grape likely originated from Groussard's account. [6]
Prior to blending he would taste the grapes without knowing the source vineyard to avoid influencing his perceptions. References to his "blind tasting of wine" have led to the common misconception that Dom Pérignon was blind.
Contrary to popular belief, Dom Pérignon did not introduce blending to Champagne wines but rather the innovation of blending the grapes prior to sending them to press.
|
| How
Temperature Can Affect The Rate Of Aging of Wine
|
| Temperature Change
|
INCREASE
IN RATE OF AGING ASSUMING
ENERGY BARRIERS TO REACTION ARE: |
From |
To |
Low |
High |
| 55°F
(13°C) |
59°F
(15°C) |
1.2
|
1.5
|
| 55°F
(13°C) |
73°F
(23°C) |
2.1 |
8.0 |
| 55°F
(13°C) |
91°F
(33°C) |
4.1 |
56.1 |
7/17/2008
Worlds oldest grape vine is in America...say what...?...
Click On me
Quote:
MotherVine Premium Scuppernong Wine will be introduced on Tuesday on
Mother Vineyard Road, the site of the more than 400-year-old Mother
Vine, reputed to be the oldest cultivated grapevine in the world.
"Nobody in Europe has come up with one as old as that - and we've
challenged them," said David Fussell Sr., the owner of Duplin Winery in
Rose Hill. |
Quote:
|
Vine genetics experts in Paris have confirmed the authenticity of the
age of the old vine and ancient paintings of Maribor dating from 1657
and 1681, kept in the Štajerska Provincial Museum in Graz, depict the
16th century house with the vine – although in those days the frontage
was lushly overgrown with its leaves! |
Click On Me
__________________
“Fortune favors the bold.” Virgil quotes (Ancient Roman Latin Poet and Author of the epic, Aeneid. 70 BC-19 BC)
7/15/2008
The pot of gold may require dealing with a ton of crap...
The TerraCycle Story...
Click On me
Quote:
|
is a tale of ultimate Eco-Capitalism. The company's flagship product,
TerraCycle Plant Food™, is an all-natural, all-organic, 'goof-proof'
liquid plant food made from waste (worm poop) and packaged in waste
(reused soda bottles)! |
Quote:
|
[the] story is a reminder about following your dreams. The pot of gold may require dealing with a ton of crap." -- CBS Evening News
|
 
I love the whole concept...my neighbor is working with someone on
this for in the vineyard...I still have to see how it works...the
thought that the vine could get lazy and mutate thus losing a valuable
thirst for nutrients...
Still I do think it could
help crops in very poor soil...this is a venture I am thinking about
doing myself...on a small scale next year...
The cork section...Click On Me
__________________
7/11/2008
Sommeliers in the vineyard
I found this a very good read...enjoy...
ClickOn Me
Quote:
That restaurant staffer who hands you the wine list may know even more
about wine than you think. In what appears to be a burgeoning trend,
several Bay Area sommeliers don't just recommend wine to diners; in
off-hours, they're vintners, too.
7/11/2008
Tannins in wine that cannot be smelled
Click On Me
Quote:
One of the most prominent elements of wine "flavor" is tannin, more a
sensation of touch rather than taste. It is also a significant flavor
component of tea, chocolate, soy, pecans, walnuts, and the skins and
seeds of many fruits, other than grapes, such as blueberries, dates,
kiwi, peaches, persimmons, pomegranates, raspberries and figs. Tannin
leaves a puckery, astringent feeling on the tongue, gums, and cheeks
and can sometimes also taste bitter. Wine tannins come primarily from
grape skins and oak barrels (see Red, Red Wine on the "Winemaking"
page) and vary in strength and character. In the mouth, tannins can
feel fine, round, and smooth or gritty, coarse, and angular. Tannins
are one of the few flavor elements in wine that cannot be smelled. |
__________________
7/4/2008
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild should be demoted to Second Growth
Quote:
Cornell University study argues.
In 'An Analysis of Bordeaux Wine Ratings 1970-2005', the New York State university's School of Hotel Administration calls for revision of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.
|
Click On Me
I remember posting when I knew very little about Bordeaux and I still do know very little about it...but I concluded that the system was broke and needed to be revised...Cornell seems to agree with me...
I found my original thread...Click On Me
7/1/2008
CRUSH'' Documentary Wins Top Award at Oenovideo Film Festival
Click On Me
Quote:)--“CRUSH,”
a documentary about the 2006 wine grape harvest, presented and
sponsored by Don Sebastiani & Sons, won the top award for short
films at the 2008 Oenovideo International Grape and Wine Film Festival
in Gruissan, France.
6/27/2008
Michael Broadbent MW Vrs... Robert Parker July 10th the showdown
Quote:
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London wine merchants Roberson
|
they are having a taste off sort of...
6/22/2008
Measuring tannins are one way to distinguish terroir with Red wine
Oenologist Dr. Janes Harbetson and others at the Washington State
University extension has proven that tannins density can vary by as
much
Quote:
|
tannins was larger than an order of magnitude and in two varieties
(Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot noir) the variation was 32-fold |
other sites in different AVA's give off different readings, thus
the use as a tool in helping define the word terroir...now we have
definitive proof as far as tannins go that a sense of place exists...
and our own BB member Larry J. Schaffer2 Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA got in on the action too...
Click On Me
6/21/2008
Researchers crack genetic code of bacterium that causes Pierce's disease
Click On Me
Quote:
|
Pierce's disease has been around since the 1800s, but in the late 1990s
a little bug called the glassy winged sharpshooter proved more
effective than any prior insect at moving the disease-causing bacterium
around vineyards. It spread Pierce's Disease to hundreds of acres of
vineyards in Kern County in 2001, killing them all. The industry has
been on red alert ever since, warning that its spread northward was
likely. |
6/17/2008
First farmers made 'lucky beads'
Quote:
|
Some of the first farmers in the Near East probably used green beads as
amulets to protect themselves and their crops, a study suggests. |
Click On Me
Quote:
Daniella
Bar-Yosef Mayer, from Israel's University of Haifa, and Naomi Porat,
from the Geological Survey of Israel in Jerusalem, examined 221 beads
from eight Neolithic (or late stone age) sites dating to between 11,600
years ago and 8,200 years ago.
None of the minerals the beads were made from came from the
immediate vicinity of the sites. Some were mined from as far afield as
northern Syria, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.
6/6/2008
Finger Lake Wine Center announces future plans
Quote:
|
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Right now it's just empty space, but come April, the
Finger Lakes Wine Center will be opening in the Cayuga Street Garage. |
Click On Me
6/5/2008
Alcohol cuts risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
Quote:
|
People who drink alcohol are less prone to the sometimes crippling
disease called rheumatoid arthritis compared with non-drinkers,
according to a Scandinavian study published on Wednesday. |
Click On Me
6/4/2008
Rotundone Imparts Peppery Aroma
Click On Me
Quote:
The
sesquiterpene rotundone gives pepper its distinctive aroma, says an
international group of researchers in a pair of papers in the Journal
of Agricultural & Food Chemistry (DOI: 10.1021/jf800183k and
10.1021/jf800184t). Previously, the aroma of black pepper was
attributed to complex interactions of many chemical components,
including piperine and related alkaloids that produce a spicy heat
sensation in the mouth.
5/30/2008
Cyprus researches millenia-old wine jars in wreck
Quote:
|
Archaeologists have started research into what they believe may be the
oldest known ancient shipwreck off Cyprus which sank with hundreds of
jars of wine on board 2,350 years ago. |
Click On Me
Quote:
|
Cypriot marine archaeologists say it appears to be one of the best
preserved wrecks in the region, carrying hundreds of jars of wine
dating from the mid-fourth century BC. |
Is it possible that some wine might have made it...?...
Quote:
Researchers have found 500 large ceramic wine jars, or amphorae, and
believe another 300 to 400 could be buried in sand along with the hull
of the boat. Their design suggested they were from the Greek island of
Chios, Demesticha said.
"We know Chios was famous for its high quality red wine, and we believe that the amphorae contained wine."
|
5/30/2008
Bayer blamed for honeybee losses, clothianidin banned in Germany
Bayer blamed for honeybee losses, clothianidin banned in Germany
Click On Me
Quote:
After a lot of urgent research conducted in the past few years, some
tests on dead bees have shown that 99% of the ones examined had a high
level of clothianidin in their system -- the chemical sold under the
name "Poncho" by Bayer AG in Germany. It's used as a pesticide for
sweet corn and rapeseeds.
According to Bayer, the chemical typically sticks to the seed and
doesn't get into the air, but an "extremely rare" "application error"
resulted in its release. Germany didn't take any chances though --
honeybees are vital to the health of many crops and the country has
banned the entire category of pesticides. |
5/28/2008
A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue to think you are drinking Manischewitz...
This is a sick fruit...it could make anyone lose their mind at a wine-tasting...this is the funny part...
Quote:
|
Mr. Aliquo issues his own warnings. “It will make all wine taste like Manischewitz,” he said. And already sweet foods like candy can become cloying.
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Quote:
|
CARRIE DASHOW dropped a large dollop of lemon sorbet into a glass of
Guinness, stirred, drank and proclaimed that it tasted like a “chocolate shake.”
|
Quote:
The miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is native to West Africa and has been known to Westerners since the 18th century. The
cause of the reaction is a protein called miraculin, which binds with
the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids, according to a scientist who has studied the fruit, Linda Bartoshuk at the University of Florida’s Center for Smell and Taste. Dr. Bartoshuk said she did not know of any dangers associated with eating miracle fruit.
|
Click On Me
5/24/2008
New book on Jefferson bottles 'riddled with inaccuracies': Christies
Quote:
|
'Billionaire's Vinegar', a book about the collection of contentious
Jefferson bottles, has left Decanter columnist Michael Broadbent MW
angry about alleged inaccuracies and mischaracterisation of his
relationship with wine dealer Hardy Rodenstock. |
Click On Me
Quote:
|
The story hinges on a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite supposedly owned by
third US president Thomas Jefferson, authenticated and sold in 1985 to
the Forbes family for a record US$156,000 by then-head of Christie's
wine department Broadbent. |
This is getting very VinoWoodesq..
Field Grafting why you do it and how to do it
This winter I will be working with a grower and partner doing a trial
run on a few vines...old vines with deep roots that have a varietal
that does not sell well...we will be grafting Riesling...the first year
that is this winter we will prepare the strong scion wood for next
springs grafting...look at how I am talking years...one year for trial
at this location...the next for doing the 2 acres, then waiting three
years for grapes...people wonder why growers have such love for their
vines, it the joy of creation...especially something that will outlive
you...
http://berrygrape.oregonstate.edu/258/
5/15/2008
Drama at Korbel champagne with baron Gary B. Heck
Click On me
Quote:
|
Nearly two dozen volumes of court records document claims of fraud, sex assault, death threat
|
Quote:
|
The dispute, tinged with sordid details, pits Korbel champagne baron
Gary B. Heck, owner and chief executive of a $159 million-a-year wine
empire, against his estranged daughter, Richie Ann Samii, a west county
horsewoman and trust fund beneficiary. |
What a mess in the next 15 years family wineries
will be changing hands at a rate never before seen...will they survive
the transition...?... or will they be bought up by big investment
funds, as I have seen happing in the past few years...?...
Time will tell, but look for big changes to come, as for the affect on
quality...my best guess is it won't be getting better, if they are
distracted in courts and not distracted with making wine...greed what a
shame...
5/5/2008
Wine enthusiasts stomp on shipment proposal:
Click On Me
Quote:
Mike Havelka and Andy Kozusko are inviting fellow wine enthusiasts to a
Bellevue restaurant event that is equal parts party and protest.
Mr. Havelka, a Sewickley businessman, and Mr. Kozusko, a Downtown
attorney, hope Wednesday's dinner at Vivo will help head off
legislation that would require all wine shipments to go through
Pennsylvania's state store system.
These are not your typical wine drinkers.
|
5/2/2008
EU wine market reform - guide
This part cracks me up...is this doublespeak at it's best...
Quote:
|
Chaptalisation:
this will continue to be permitted, although maximum levels of
enrichment with either sugar or must will be reduced. For exceptional
climatic reasons, Member States may request the Commission to increase
the level of enrichment. |
Click On Me
4/30/2008
Absinthe's A Spirit Mind-Altering Mystery Solved
Click On Me
Quote:
|
The culprit seems plain and simple: The century-old absinthe contained
about 70 percent alcohol, giving it a 140-proof kick. In comparison,
most gins, vodkas and whiskeys are just 80- to 100-proof. |
I bet the 140 - proof kick would make most anyone crazy... 
4/23/2008
Glaxo Says Wine May Fight Aging
Quote:
|
Christoph Westphal, the chief executive of Sirtris, said Tuesday that
drugs that mimic resveratrol, by activating enzymes called sirtuins,
could “treat in a safe, natural new way, many of the major killers of
western society.” |
Click On Me
The wonders of wine...wine always was thought of by many a great
philosophers, that wine could, should be used for certain
ailments...even the bible has passages relating to wine as a healing
drink..
4/17/2008
Weather 2008: Finger Lakes Temperature fluctuation and frost
4/7/2008
A History of Wine in America
Click On Me
The whole book online...simply a must read,
very fascinating...enjoy...we have come a long way in the US as you will
read...as in all books some facts may be off just a bit, still this is very good
information...
4/4/2008
You get what you pay for !!!
Italian Wine Under Investigation for Adulteration
The adulteration of the cheap wine is a potential health hazard.
Click On Me
Quote:
|
In a separate investigation at the luxury end, 600,000 bottles of
vintage Brunello di Montalcino have been seized by investigators who
suspect winemakers used grapes other than Sangiovese, the only
ingredient allowed in the Tuscan wine, a favourite of U.S.
connoisseurs, L'Espresso magazine reported. |
Quote:
|
Brunello Di Montalcino's 6.5 million bottles annual production is sold in the United States.
|
3/30/2008
Study finds pesticide residues in wine Click On Me
Quote:
"Grapes
are among the most contaminated food products on sale in the EU and receive
a higher dose of synthetic pesticides than almost any other crop," argues the
environmental NGO in a report analyzing pesticide residues in wine, published
on Wednesday (26 March).
The study covered 40 bottles of wine - 34
conventional and six organic ones - purchased inside the EU. According to the
results, the 34 bottles of conventional wine together contained 148 pesticide
residues. All 34 bottles contained from one to ten pesticides, bringing
the average per bottle to more than four. Of the six bottles of organic wine
tested, one sample contained a low concentration of a
possibly carcinogenic pesticide.
|
How many of you wondered about the
effect of pesticides and taste...?... Do most people want to forget the
facts that some wines are filled with poison, as is our other foods so lets not
just call out wine... 
3/28/2008
Human noses 'can detect danger'
Quote:
|
Our noses can quickly learn to link even subtle changes in smell with danger, claim scientists.
|
Click On Me
Now think of how much more we can smell....
3/37/2008
Understanding Tannins
Younger wines with short chain procyanidins made up of monomers to form
the chain, some are stable others are not (fruit tannins) 2 to 5 ...5
to 10...10 to 15 units...when these are young they are perceived to
taste bitter...as time aging allows the short chain tannins to build
long chain tannins...when this happens color changes take place in
order to make the longer chain of tannins...this is why a young bright
red wine over time will move toward the browning out... this is when
the tannins will be like silk, smooth or sweet not green, ripe...
So you have fruit tannins coming from the skin, stem, seeds...please
note that seed tannins are the most astringent tannin thus the most
pungent in taste profile, kind of turn your mouth inside out... ( each
different grape has a different level of natural tannin content )...
Wood tannins if the wine saw any offer a complexity to the wine that
will over time allow the wine to age over many years with the fruit
tannins...
the difference between wood tannins and fruit tannins are
Quote:
|
Tannins extracted from grapes are condensed tannins, which are polymers
of proanthocyanidin monomers. Hydrolysable tannins are extracted from
the oak wood the wine is aged in. Hydrolysable tannins are more easily
oxidized than condensed tannins. |
source Click On Me
So do wood and fruit tannins have taste ...yes... they have a taste and
a feel, they each are very distinct ... in fact very condensed fruit
tannins are not soluble and taste like grit...
This is a very complex question that could take you many years of
studying as we are still finding out the answers, so you picked a
moving target...
Tannins a great source of information... Tannins: definition
Click On Me
Rule 78: A wider wine label debate
Quote:
|
Proposed Rulemaking 78 would end the common practice of “nesting” AVA
names on labels. Nesting refers to labels that point out both the
larger region of origin, such as Napa Valley, and a sub-region, such as
Howell Mountain. |
Click On Me
So do you want more or less info from the AVA ...more to me seems like full disclosure...less brings in the charlatans...
The BevWizard "Wine Smoother" Give me a break !!!
Someone tell me this if this is a joke...?
Has anyone tried this snake oil gizmo yet ...?
In the April issue of Vineyard & Winery Management
page 51
Quote:
|
The BevWizard "Wine Smoother" developed by Patrick Farrell MW
|
Click On Me
3/14/2008
I have found the science that proves corks do breath...
Click On Me
MOCON page see fig. # 1 this proves that air transfers via cork...end of discussion...The Cork Does Breath...
I
have asked for a retraction of the article based on the facts at hand
that I have presented...from Appellation America and the author... the
article that I want pulled as I have proven it wrong "Please Stop
Telling People
That Corks ‘Breathe" Click On Me
3/8/2008
Alcohol 'quickly' cuts heart risk
Click On Me
Quote:
New
moderate drinkers were 38% less likely to develop heart disease than
those who stayed tee-total, a four-year study involving 7,500 people
found.
Those who drank only wine showed the most benefit, the researchers reported in the American Medical Journal.
|
3/5/2008
Hong Kong to host Asia's largest wine auction
Quote:
|
Hong Kong auction on May 31 is estimated to fetch more than $5 million
and will include "cream of the crop" wine lots including cases of 1982
Chateau Lafite and other "first growths" of Latour, Margaux and Mouton
Rothschild. |
Welcome Hong Kong...soon to become King Kong
Click on Me
2/23/2008
2/20/2008
Procyanidins In Red Wine Help You Live Longer
Quote:
|
Wines from southwest France and Sardinia, where it is still made in the traditional way, tend to have higher levels of the compound - in some cases their levels were 10 times as high as wines from elsewhere.
|
Click On Me
this is a good quote...
Quote:
|
"There is a 19th Century expression - A man is only as old as his
arteries - which can be taken to mean that those with the healthiest
arteries live longer. So it was of great interest to us when we found
both in Sardinia and in south-west France that the wines made in these
in areas had higher levels of procyanidins." |
the power of observation in the name of science...
Red wine diet draws a fan
Quote:
|
"The Red Wine Diet" by Roger Corder, a professor of experimental
therapeutics at William Harvey Research Institute in London, spells
everything out, from the science behind wine's benefits to how to
incorporate it properly into your diet. |
Click On Me
Quote:
|
Corder says the key to wine's health benefits is a chemical compound
called procyanidin, and the book offers a guide to which wines have the
highest procyanidin levels. |
__________________
“Fortune favors the bold.” Virgil quotes (Ancient Roman Latin Poet and Author of the epic, Aeneid. 70 BC-19 BC)
"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being,
while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve
it."
Plato - Greek Philosopher
2/08/2008
Red Riesling will one day save White Riesling mark my words !!!
The very thought of Red Riesling might make
your head shake no way…well WAY…yes Red Riesling is coming to you abet
in very small quantities… as far as I know Ulrich Allendorf in the
Rheingau region…looks like 2,500 vines will have their first harvest in
2008…
My thoughts are that Riesling is one of the
most sensitive to that “sense of place” so you will see wild variation
of this new Red Riesling…did I say new, please let me backtrack…
The OCW does not address this grape to my knowledge …It’s thought that
Red Riesling predates the White Riesling in 1435 we have an invoice
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by OCW
An invoice dated 1435, from a castle in the extreme south east of the Rheingau on the river Main, mentions ‛riesslingen in die wingarten‚, presumably Rieslings in the vineyard.
|
So was the wine White or Red…?…
So how long has Red Riesling been
around…?…much longer than you would think…does it have a place in the
wine world…?…you bet yah, when the right producer gets this grape works
out the high acid profile and integrating the harsh tannins that the
wine can produce…since we know that a quality Riesling will age for
from what I have studied over many decades and still taste
wonderful…maybe the Red Riesling might be the future of the varietal
due to growing conditions…
Quote:
|
The Red Riesling is considered to be one of the original forms of Riesling, and is said to be more full-bodied in taste
|
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I would love to get some of the 2008 Red Riesling wine from wine producer Ulrich Allendorf…
Has anyone tasted a true Red Riesling not a blend…?…I would love for you to share the TN’s with us…Cheers !!!
Side note…
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Stephen McGraw
A project involving a Professor Ruhl of the Geisenheim Wine Institute
was undertaken where vines were propagated from the limited number of
existing vines. Vines were planted at the Winkler Hasensprung vineyard.
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2/07/2008
Liv-ex - The Fine Wine Exchange
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Quote:
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China’s newfound passion is already creating a storm in the wine market, driving up the price of a case of 1982 Lafite Rothschild, for example, by nearly 93 per cent last year to £17,433 ($34,662, €23,334), according to Liv-ex.com.
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Love the real time sales ticker...Looks like the world got a bit smaller...
1/31/2008
Assemblage The Art Of Blending
Quote:
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Originally Posted by OCW
(The
Oxford Companion to Wine) French word for the important operation in
the production of fine wines of deciding which lots will be assembled
to make up the final blend.
Assemblage is of almost ritual
significance in Bordeaux, where many châteaux make their so-called
grand vin carrying the château name by selecting and blending only the
best lots.
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In the New World...
Quote:
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Originally Posted by OCW
In
the New World, such a process is likely to involve the assembly of
blends of various different quality levels and character. In this case there may be extensive experiments with small samples of each lot—known as bench blending—before final blends are decided upon. Here the winemaker is concerned not just with each lot's inherent quality but also with its affinity with other components in the blend.
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I love to bench blend...you can take 250 ml beakers( or
what you prefer to use, no right or wrong) and go to town, but where
are you going...?...for me most wines want to be something from the
start, when I see a wine going the wrong way...i.e. too tannic, hot,
flabby, acidic, that's when you better know how to blend...
As little as 1% of a complimentary wine can make or break the final
polish or blend...imagine as little as 1%, this is why you must
duplicate the blend at a min three times on three different
days...preconceptions must be avoided... the wine will bloom as when a
fine instrument is in tune...when the wine becomes the best it
can...you better have good records...because when the "Grand Vintage"
is presented in the beaker, magic fills the air !!!
1/25/2008
Petrichor: Goût de terroir-The Smell Of Minerals ?
Quote:
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"Petrichor, the name for the smell of rain on dry ground,
is from oils given off by vegetation, absorbed onto neighboring
surfaces, and released into the air after a first rain." Matthew
Bettelheim; Nature's Laboratory; Shasta Parent (Mt Shasta, California);
Jan 2002. |
source Click On Me
Quote:
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It turned out that the oils are given off by vegetation during dry
spells and are adsorbed on to the surface of rocks and soil particles,
to be released into the air again by the next rains. |
source Click On Me
Ok where am I going with this term Petrichor it's a smell...a
Quote:
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it’s the pleasant smell that often accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions.
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Source see above link...
First Petrichor
is not the smell of the minerals, rocks or soil...it is the interaction
of plant oils with the ground...this brings a good sensation to ones
sense of smell...this also invokes the interaction of chemicals that
form Esters...
Quote:
Esters react in a number of ways:
- Esters may undergo hydrolysis - the breakdown of an ester by water. This process can be catalyzed both by acids and bases. The base-catalyzed process is called saponification. The hydrolysis yields an alcohol and a carboxylic acid or its carboxylate salt.
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source Click On MeSince
we know that these plant oils work there way into grape vines via
metabolic respiration via plant roots...it would be remiss of me not to
suggest then the increase in the "Aroma Wheel " to include the
different plant smells produced by specific rocks, soils and minerals
that the "sense of place" can be found...
Petrichor has
been ignored and it's time to correlate that "sense of place" that each
of us have experienced, whilst one is aware of it or not...
By correlating Petrichor with
minerals one can appreciate the fact that the 'Plant Oils' do interact
with the soil and this brings out the minerality of that "sense of
place' ... Now we only need to have them added to the Aroma Wheel...I
have heard the excuse that stones don't smell, or have a quantifiable
profile to note...I beg to differ...
Your views ...?...
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jamie Goode
Jamie Goode calls the "literalist" school holds that minerality comes
more or less directly from the vineyard soils: slate in the vineyard
produces slatey-type mineral character in the bottle. The implicit
mechanism is that little molecules of slate journey from the soil
through the roots and the xylem into the berries, and somehow manage
not to fall out during fermentation. This, alas, is not how grapevine
physiology works.
Even though chunks of slate (or clay or sandy loam) don't make their way into the grapes, some elementary minerals and mineral compounds do get taken up from the ground and end up in the juice.
They arrive in small quantities, not enough to independently influence
flavor, one way or another. They do, however, play an important role in
yeast nutrition and metabolism during fermentation. And they are not
particularly glamorous minerals, not the stuff of lyrical tasting
notes: potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium are the major players,
none of them with noteworthy aromatic properties, particularly in such
low concentrations. Wine flavors and aromas overwhelmingly come
from compounds created either inside the berries during maturation or
in the cellar during processing, not from substances transported from
the soil.
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The last bold lines I have to say it like a dance not everyone
gets to take the lead, yet we all get to dance and have a part in the
dance...
Quote:
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UC Davis flavor chemist Dr. Sue Ebeler:
"As far as I know, there are no clear correlations of any specific
compounds with a 'mineral' aroma. It is likely a complex mixture of
compounds which we associate with the smell of soils or rocky areas. To really understand the use of this term, we would have to carefully define it with the use of some reference aroma/taste compounds that we could all agree on.
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Well there you have it...Dr Sue Ebeler states that
all we need is common ground on vocabulary and then you could add it to
the wheel...I suggest you nudge Dr. Noble and get her wheels rolling
again...you did it once, now it's time to finish the job...
Your views ...?...
PS
Please note...when I mention "that sense of place" it's the interaction of terroir not the definition of it exclusively...
__________________
“Fortune favors the bold.” Virgil quotes (Ancient Roman Latin Poet and Author of the epic, Aeneid. 70 BC-19 BC)
"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being,
while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve
it."
Plato - Greek Philosopher
1/21/2008
Bottle Shock opens to mixed reviews
Quote:
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According to Variety, that particular plot strand works. 'Wine lovers
won't just sip but guzzle a lot of this down, and the same effect that
sun-dappled days and sex in California had on Sideways operates here.'
|
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Film Feud Over Famous Wine Tasting in Paris Heats Up
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Quote:
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The story of a now legendary 1976 Paris wine tasting gets its first
Hollywood treatment tomorrow night with the premiere of ``Bottle
Shock'' at the Sundance Film Festival. It's one of two rival movie
projects about the historic wine event. |
1/10/2008
Yeast and the roll in reducing alcohol ... some work is being done by
Sylvie Dequin, an oenologist from INRA Montpellier... what they have
found is that with the reduction in alc comes with a price...the price
is a production of too much of a negative impact on the sensory
properties of the wine by producing more gluconic acid leaving the wine
too acidic, or too much glycerol giving you a great mouth-feel but at a
cost of increased production of acetate and acetone, with a negative
effect on aromas and flavour.
Quote:
Source Julia Harding MW 2007
She
points out that selective vine breeding not genetic manipulation might
be a solution...breading a vine for lower alc without taking away from
the positive sensory properties of the wine...as you can see we have
many issues and such little time...
12/26/2007
Fleeting wine trends keep things interesting
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Quote:
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Yet, the wine business is made up of trends and strategies
that are affected by such things as vintages that do matter (at least
for some wines) and issues that seemingly have nothing to do with wine
but have as great an impact as does the hand of the winemaker. |
I still think it's crazy to jump on a trend, or fad,
but one can not always recognize them...remember in 1900 Catawba was
all the rave... now to follow a well defined thirst for a wine-grape
with a steady history this is building a safety foundation...seeing the
new acreage reports for some wines and knowing where they are
planted...it won't be long for that plonk lake of a fad wine to creep
into the market...then you will have the ABP ( Anything But Pinot ) and
the ABR ( Anything But Riesling) clubs forming...and the cycle goes
round and round...I see the ABC (Anything But Chard ) club is starting
to crumble, as long as it's oak free...!!!!!!
12/22/2007
Alcohol Trivia
Have fun...some of the facts are wild...I bet not all are true...
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11/27/2007
Wine may calm inflammation in blood vessels
From Noah to Napa, 5,000 years of Jewish Wine
Making
11/02/2007
Device created for 'red wine headache'
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Quote:
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BERKELEY, Calif. - The effects are all too familiar: a fancy dinner,
some fine wine and then, a few hours later, a racing heart and a
pounding headache. But a device developed by University of California,
Berkeley, researchers could help avoid the dreaded "red wine headache."
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All they have to do is pasteurize the Red wine
before ML fermentation, so no ML...then no biogenic amines...the
production of tyramine and histamine will have not
occurred...simple...solution...and they actually made a device for
this...?...go after the cause not try to detect the problem...duh !!!
This thing is pure BS if you ask me...
10/22/2007
New BottleWise Bag Lets Travelers Safely Transport Wine in Checked Baggage
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Quote:
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MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BottleWise™, maker of smart travel bags
for the food and wine enthusiast, today announced the availability of
BottleWise Duo™, a stylish yet functional bag for safely transporting
wine inside checked baggage. Developed in response to U.S.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) restrictions on liquids in
carry-on bags, BottleWise Duo allows travelers to once again bring home
that special souvenir from their wine country experience. |
It's better than wet baggage...
10/18/2007
The carménère grape that sets Chilean wine apart
Quote:
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After phylloxera, it was not replanted; hardly any carmenère can be
found today in Bordeaux. That might have been the last word on
carmenère, had some French scientists visiting Chile in the early 1990s
not been troubled by the appearance and character of Chilean merlot.
Further studies revealed that in fact much of the merlot planted in
Chile was in fact carmenère, traceable most likely to cuttings brought
over in the mid-19th century. |
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10/17/2007
The Use of UVL light to reduce Botrytis storage rot post harvest
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UVL hormesis in fruits: a concept ripe for commercialisation
In northern climates with low UVL a chemicals called
Quote:
Pyrazines
are important flavor components in foods. Pyrazines are nitrogen
heterocycle molecules, with methyl, ethyl, methoxy, isopropyl and
isobutyl derivatives being the major aromatic components in many fruits
and vegetables. (8) See Figure 1. Methoxypyrazines are grape
derived flavor compounds that contribute a very characteristic
herbaceous, bell pepper or earthy aroma to wines of some grape
varieties. (1)
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It's the Methoxyprazines that the UVL converts and breaks it
down so you don't get the green taste in your wine...in years when we
get poor UVL then we look for solutions...this year we did not have
this problem...03' yes...in the FL region...
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Ultraviolet
Name Abbreviation... Wavelength range in nanometers... Energy per photon
UVC, short wave.......or germicidal Below 280 nm .........4.43 - 6.20 eV
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Conclusion, a devise that would use UVC could make many problems go
away in winemaking...does any of the winemakers or Oenologists have any
experience with this treatment...this is an area I will be
investigating in the future...
10/10/2007
Demystifying Wine Expertise in Expert and Novice Wine Judges
Demystifying Wine Expertise: Olfactory Threshold, Perceptual Skill and Semantic Memory in Expert and Novice Wine Judges
I found this study fascinating ...read it and then read it again...it's
very thought provoking...how we communicate is key toward getting to
the real olfactory facts...experts don't have to think about how to
communicate, thus they are more accurate...my conclusion is when you
write tasting notes and judge wine just write what you think at the
time...don't worry about the verbiage or you will lose the note...
Quote:
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Although language serves memory well under many situations, language
may also be an insidious source of memory disruption in situations for
which it is not well suited, such as when remembering smells. The type
and degree of disruption appear dependent on an individual's
domain-specific expertise. It is conceivable that in some areas of
expertise, semantic memory plays a large role in the early stages of
skill development, but that qualitatively different processes are
involved subsequently as expertise advances |
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Details of odorants employed as materials...
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Quote:
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When forced to identify the odorants, experts' superior perceptual
skills protected them from verbal interference, whereas novices'
generated verbal representations of the odours were emphasized at the
expense of the odorant itself. This has implications for training in
wine-evaluation skills. |
10/9/2007
Wine as medicine ...bring it on...
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Quote:
|
Wines have always been known for health benefits, but the benefits are
not without caution. Wine web tells us that going back to 450 BC,
Hippocrates recommended specific wines to purge fever, disinfect and
dress wounds, as diuretics, for nutritional supplement. A French doctor
wrote the earliest known printed book about wine around 1410 AD. |
Ever wonder why Syrah and Pinot taste the same ?
Because they are related !!!
Genealogy of wine grape cultivars: 'Pinot' is related to 'Syrah'
Quote:
'Syrah' parentage ('Dureza' 'Mondeuse Blanche')
As a consequence, 'Pinot' is more likely to be a 2° ancestor of
'Teroldego' and 'Dureza', a grandparent, an uncle or a half-sibling.
Interestingly, our data and pedigree reconstruction suggest that
'Pinot' and 'Syrah' are 3° relatives, which has never been suspected
before. These genetic relationships between 'Pinot' and 'Dureza' and
between 'Pinot' and 'Syrah' could explain the high number of allele IBS
observed among some 'Pinot' 'Syrah' crosses. This is consistent with
the genetic distance between 'Pinot' and 'Syrah' (PSA=0.5) and between
'Pinot' and 'Dureza' (PSA=0.452). This pedigree is consistent with our
data, but it contains several unknown cultivars. Yet, as most of them
are likely to be extinct now (Scienza and Failla (1996) list more than
20 extinct cultivars in Trentino), it is possible that this pedigree
will never be further improved. |
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Enjoy...next time you do a blind taste and get the two mixed up you will know why...
9/25/2007
Wine prices set to surge
From Australia
Quote:
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"It will mean that we are going to make better and better wine, it'll
just be that consumers will have to pay more for it and get used to
drinking better." |
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9/23/2007
Fine wine prices sink as credit squeeze bites
QUOTE Prices
in the sector had been up 43 per cent since Jan | |
