Focus & Specificity in Winemaking

{ For readers that might be wondering how a Finger Lakes article snuck into my stream post-#WBC12, it is because I am catching up. More on the trip to Oregon will follow! }

I could write an article on the focus and specificity required in winemaking, but I suspect that wouldn’t be as useful as one about winemakers whose wine is readily available for purchase. If what you read here inspires you to find out more at least I know you will be able to do so free and clear of the restrictions levied on my non-commercial wines. If you want to hear more about my own projects firsthand come over for a drink sometime!

In June when I returned to the Finger Lakes I arranged to visit two winemakers and spend time with them at their wineries to learn more about what drives them. The first was Tom Higgins at Heart & Hands Wine Company, someone I knew a little about but had not yet met. I’m already a big fan of the wine from Heart & Hands so this was part investigatory and part pilgrimage. The second winemaker was Nancy Irelan at Red Tail Ridge Winery with whom I was not yet acquainted, but had heard very positive words about. (Thanks Lenn!)

On the Sunday morning immediately following the WineMaker Magazine conference Ed, Jim, Margot and I piled in the car and headed up the East side of Cayuga Lake from Ithaca to Heart & Hands in Union Springs, NY. Arriving a few minutes early we took a bit to observe the fledgling estate vineyard and the crushpad overflowing with pallets of bottles patiently waiting their contents. Great image right? Too bad I realized I didn’t actually take a picture of it.

  

Tom & Susan Higgins invited us to visit the winery before they opened on what would likely be a busy weekend, the season was just starting and the most recent club shipment was ready for pickup. With visitors soon to arrive we got right to it with a visit to the barrel room, samples and lots of specifics on the wines that we would ultimately taste.

( Tom Higgins explaining their wine-making practices and whole cluster experiments. )

Whole versus partial cluster pressing and fermentation was one of the topics. The basic idea is that grapes are harvested when ripe and the worthy bunches go into the press and then a fermentation vessel without the removal of the stems.  To non-wine geeks I know this sounds riveting, but I can state clearly that you will taste distinctions in the wines so even if you don’t care too much about how, you can appreciate the outcome.

( A wine press full of whole clusters of Pinot. This image was used from Wikimedia Commons. Refer to the attribution page and full details. )

Whole cluster pressing is not required in winemaking and the application of it for Pinot and several other grapes varies regionally and by winemaker. The goal is to enhance the aromatic and structural (via tannins) profile, especially in grapes that may come in low in these respects otherwise. A key consideration in the application of the method is that getting the grapes from the vineyard, through the sorting process and into the fermenter is quicker without crushing and de-stemming them with an additional step. Given the delicacy the Pinot grape is known for, a motivation to do this is not surprising.

( Hobbit Hollow Pinot aging in a barrel at Heart & Hands. )

Using both organoleptic and chemical measures it is clear that the differences in wines with varying levels of whole clusters in the ferment can be identified. Exploiting these differences with what the harvest provides is yet another tool in the tool chest of a winemaker.

And Tom Higgins is certainly wielding this tool to explore the potential of the grapes from throughout the Finger Lakes region. The motivation for these experiments is pretty simple. Each vineyard source offers different fruit and working with each individually diversifies and maximizes the potential results. By the end of our and tasting we had sampled seven different barrel samples or bottling. These tastes represented several vintages, several distinct sources and the amount of whole clusters in the ferment. This also included the first experimental batch (2011) that had been 100% de-stemmed before pressing.

I’ll start with the 2011 100% de-stemmed sample as a baseline. I found this wine to be smooth and gentle with just a little tannic bite. The fruit flavors (cherries) dominated but I felt that everything fell off early in the finish, which was clean and short.

Next up was the 2011 from the Hobbit Hollow vineyard which included 50% whole clusters in the fermentation. The color on this wine was very light, with beautiful pink edges. The nose on this wine was noticeably assertive and a bit spicy. In the mouth the wine was expressive of tart cherries, spicy and the tannins were like fine dust on the roof of my mouth.

The Hobbit Hollow 2011 whole cluster came next. The immediate difference between this and the previous wine is the amount of tannins. They are still really fine, but there are just more of them. The wine is also more tart (cherries again) and earthier.

From there we moved on to samples of both 2010 and 2011 wines made from the Patrician Verona source, both of which had been 100% whole cluster fermented. The only thing I wrote down about the 2011 was, round. I must have been listening to something that was drawing my attention away from my glass and notebook. Not a bad thing I guess, I was living in what the moment offered. The 2010 got more consideration however. I detected a full nose with lots of spice, influenced by both the whole clusters and the additional year in oak. The tannins were hard to pick up tactilely, I suspect that was the natural mellowing of the bulk aging. The finish on this wine is long and full flavored. This wine was tasting incredibly well, and so it would makes sense that it will be used in the 2010 barrel reserve bottling.

( You'll meet winery and vineyard dogs almost everywhere. They do keep an eye on you though! )

We moved from the barrel room to the tasting bar to finish our trip through the available wines.

The 2010 Pinot blend (3 sources, 50% HC) is the version from Heart & Hands to which I am most familiar, having tasted and/or enjoyed three consecutive vintages now. The 2010 doesn’t disappoint against the two prior years, expressing cherry, red currant and spice in both the aromatics and flavors. The nose is full, the mouth is moderately complex and the finish sticks around long enough to bring it all full circle.

The 2010 Hobbit Hollow single vineyard bottling came next. Fermented with 100% whole clusters I expected more spice and tannins, but the extra year of aging has worked wonders in mellowing all the components into a nicely balanced light and hugely drinkable Pinot. I detected hints of crushed sage in this tasting, something (the green or herbal character) I hadn’t readily picked up in the earlier samples.

We finished with the 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot. This is still my favorite of all the finished & bottled wines from Heart & Hands. I purchased some in 2011 and haven’t been able to bring myself to open a second bottle just yet. The nose is big and the fruit in the mouth is more assertive than one might expect from cool-climate Pinot. With hints of black pepper and a long, warm finish, this wine most certainly makes you stop and pay attention.

( Tom and with wine lover's smiles. Thank you to Tom & Susan Higgins for hosting us and taking time out of their busy schedules to share their passion. )

A couple days later Margot and I, our friends have ventured home already, visited Red Tail Ridge Winery on the West side of Seneca Lake. As I mentioned earlier I was not previously familiar with the wines or people of Red Tail Ridge, so with that in mind I was very excited to spend time getting the story and experience the wines. Arriving right at opening time, Nancy Irelan, co-owner and the winemaker, ventured over from the winery to the tasting room to meet us. A quick conversation and the game plan to visit the winery first and return to the tasting room after that was formed. Margot opted to find a spot to read so our two groups parted company and headed off in different directions.

( Red Tail Ridge vineyards at the back of the property. )

Standing on the crush pad I gathered some background on the history and current configuration of Red Tail Ridge. Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan started Red Tail Ridge in 2004 after having been drawn to the area for its natural beauty and agricultural base. With a total of 34 acres and 20 under vine, there is plenty of vineyard work to be done here. The tasting room has only been open for five years, before that the wines were poured and sold from tasting rooms of partner wineries in the area. The winery building and operations are LEED Gold certified, the only one in New York State and on a short list nationwide, which makes a bold environmental and sustainability statement for the industry. And that is just part of the commitment to specifically fitting what they do with the land and being good stewards of the location that supports them. More about their environment commitments can be found at the winery web site.

I then asked Irelan to explain her path to where she currently was. Not a native of New York, I figured there was a journey and a story or two to be had. During and immediately after college her focus was on bio-chemistry, microbiology, physiology and then plant health, improving crop yields, but not specifically grapes or winemaking. The force drawing her towards grapes and winemaking came soon enough and she parlayed her skills into a job improving viticulture practices and working with experimental grape varieties for a large California winery (Gallo).  That tenure and those experiences clearly sharpened Irelan’s focus; she is clear that not all grapes are right for a given location, it takes upwards of ten years of experimentation to prove such fitness, and the whole system of the land and how it is managed must be taken in concert in order to be successful. This is another specific focus at Red Tail Ridge, finding and planting grapes that do well on their site. As they continue to get to know their site, the soils, biological diversity and weather, other areas of the world that offer similar profiles will be the inspiration for experimental plantings in search of vines that find Red Tail Ridge a worthy home.

( I could work here, how about you? )

( A large, open space with lots of stainless and very clean. I love wineries! )

The winery is impressive, especially considering it was designed with strict guidelines and no certainty that LEED certification would follow, with glass for the whole East-facing wall. The view from the second floor staircase through this window, over the vines and down to the lake is the stuff dreams are made of. It was cloudy during our visit, but I still found it captivating. I can’t possibly cover all the details of the winery design and it’s greenness nearly as well as others have already done. More information can be found at the winery web site link above and the Red Tail Ridge press & news page.

  

The first part of the tasting was direct from the tanks. At low temperatures, both the wines and the winery, saying anything meaningful about the wines would be premature. We sampled three styles of Riesling from 2011 and Blaufrankisch & Teroldago from 2010. All of the wines tasted clean and fit the style guidelines for them. I look forward to tasting all of them in finished form!

From there we moved to the office and talked Pinot. We tasted the Winemaker’s Select and classic Estate Grown Pinot Noir’s, both from 2010. I am finding as I experience more and more Pinot that the differences between multiple bottlings from the same producer and/or source can often be subtle and require quite a considerable focus to fix and consider. This is not without exception however. These two wines, both cuvees, are produced from the same grape sources and undergo the same process. The difference is that the select bottling was blended from a small group of barrels that whispered something different. The wines are both similar and different, and there are equal amounts of subtlety and coarseness in the differences. Both wines projected strawberry and raspberry notes to me. The winemaker’s select also brought in rose petals where I found cherry in the classic version. Both showed me brown spices, but the strength of those spices was more pronounced in the select bottling. Both wines shared their fine tannins, which stick with you through the finish, but here again the select bottling had more nuance in the finish from a bit more oak and spice. Both wines are earthy with the select trending to wet biomass earthiness where the classic goes off to more dry soil and leaves. The earthy component took the most focus for me to detect the difference, but once I did it was charming to say the least.

( Teroldago, a new variety to me and an experiment with promise at Red Tail Ridge. )

The conversation over Pinot samples had to do with how much experimentation is possible with a small staff and future expectations for interesting projects. I met Dan, a recent addition to the team, who was still getting his bearings at Red Tail Ridge. With additional production-focused staff, the time spent on the crushpad and amongst the tanks and barrels can be optimized. More eyes on the balls in the air, more monitoring and fresh ideas are expected. New projects, either smaller lots and/or more focus on the experimental varietals, can be green-lighted and have a person’s attention for their entire timeline. I suspect return visits will see examples of these projects in action!

I finished my experience in the tasting room. I was particularly interested in the wines made from Dornfelder and Teroldago, two of the experimental varieties currently available. The non-vintage Dornfelder (from ‘09 and ‘10 lots) put up black raspberries and black currants with a touch of mint. The tannins are moderate to low and fine enough in texture to play nice. The dose of acidity in the finish brings everything together. I have no other experience with this grape so I can only say that I enjoyed this tasting and look forward to the bottle I put away after the trip.

The 2009 Teroldago had a bigger nose than the tank version, as expected, but it was really big. Plums, dark berries and baking spices were found in both the nose and mouth. The finish has hints of licorice in it. This is definitely a wine I will want to get more experience with.

Thank you to Nancy Irelan and the team at Red Tail Ridge for taking the time to meet with me. I can't wait to get back to the Finger Lakes and see what is new from this dynamic group!

( A bottle of yet-to-be-released Dry Rose. I found the prior vintage of this wine to be a nice balance of strawberries and lemons with plenty of tartness and acidity typical to Rose wines. )

How’s that for focus and specificity? From both visits my head was buzzing trying to fit all the information and ideas together. Winemaking isn’t my day job so I can’t spend nearly the amount of time pondering all the angles that full-time winemakers can. The job is tough despite that, and I bet the full timers would say they never have enough time either, but it is truly incredible to see what comes of that time when you get a chance to peek inside a winemaker’s brain.

Cheers!

Jason

Doon, Been, What, Huh? - Matters of Experience

The wine bloggers conference is a lot of things to a lot of people, or it should be. No matter what bent gets you fired up to attend the paramount issue is that you really live the experience. Too much note taking, snapping of photos and digital discourse and the risk of missing the moment increases. Too little time out on the trail and limited socializing can leave one with a sterile experience. The balance is different for everyone, but the pursuit of this balance is a worthy goal for all.

Sentiment about the value experience was presented clearly and without nuance (well, a little) by Randal Grahm in his keynote to open the conference. For my readers who don’t know who Randall Grahm is the information in hisbio will introduced you to this talented, interesting, thought provoking and real voice in the wine world. Grahm has engaged and inspired people with both his wine and his writing. A mélange of both can be found in Been Doon So Long, Grahm's James Beard Award Winning book, and blog of the same name.

I first recognized an old friend in the theme about experience as Grahm posited that wine writing is less about the wine and what the wine evokes in you the writer. His quote that made this point with absolute clarity was “show up for the wine.” Hell yeah! You can’t expect to really have any experience if you don’t show up. Showing up is visceral. Showing up requires senses and is all about the physical. This is not a digital or virtual pursuit. The method of capturing and sharing your thoughts afterword can be digital, but you can’t put that cart in front of the horse that you need to ride to the party.

I captured this section of his keynote on video and posted it to the conference stream a day later. Since returning home the full video, shot by Austin Beaman with whom I enjoyed dinner later that day, has been posted. I’ve embedded it below. Thanks Austin! Grahm has also shared the fulltranscript of his address in a blog post, which is seeing meaningful comment traffic as one might expect.

One of the other perspectives from Grahm’s keynote was the idea that wine writers could take things to another place by focusing on capturing and expressing the beauty in the wine they drink (or also make in many people’s cases), enjoy and write about. I couldn’t agree more, but I’ll admit that I’m not the guy to pontificate on that. I am still working on that part in my own world. What I can say is that the reason I led off with experience and really living in the moment is that without that you can’t expect to begin to experience, recognize or express beauty.

Grahm touched on a lot of other points and the only reason I’m not covering them here is because what I shared above resonated the most for me. The experience I had immediately after the keynote brought these points full circle in that most serendipitous of ways. Watch the video to see what else he said and take from it what makes the most sense to you!

Right on the heels of the keynote was the first round of speed tasting which has the potential to be the least experiential format for wine, but not always. Sokol Blosser poured their Evolution White for my table. I don’t really know what people think of this wine, and I don’t really care. I like it. It makes me happy. This wine and I have history and that history makes me feel all funny when I get to relive it with each new sip. You see Sokol Blosser Evolution was the first Oregon wine I recall having.

That first experience was before I knew anything at all about wine. I picked the Evolution off a wine list while out to dinner with my wife Margot (married maybe 3-4 years at that point) and solely based on the description fitting my anxiety over selecting something that both she and I would enjoy. And we did. The success of the wine came from its work in both elevating our dining experience AND the boost to my confidence in further integrating wine into our lives. It was the very beginning of something that I have come to cherish. As I was sipping this wine I was thinking about my wife, how young we were when we got married (23&24), how much has changed since I first had the wine and how incredible our journey has been since. This all came back immediately and with an energy I could feel.

Relating the above to Alison Sokol Blosser, who poured the wine during speed tasting, brought my experience to a new place. She smiled, thanked me for sharing my personal connection to her and her family and thus my experience was made grander. At the next break in the action I did go find my wife, gave her a big kiss and explained the experience. This wine is even more special for me now. I have fond memories and have connected my experience with the story of the family who makes it.I will be forever connected to this wine. That’s real life and that’s living one’s experience.

( Margot and I enjoying a day trip to the Oregon coastline post-WBC12. )

Several conference attendees (physical and virtual) have begun to share their thoughts on Randall’s keynote. So far the posts have primarily been the journalistic type, here is who Randall is, here is what he said and maybe in their own word why it is important. I suspect more posts will go up, and I sincerely hope everyone will look to see a reflection of his statements in their own lives to decorate their writing; it really would make it so much more interesting.

Passionate Foodie - http://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2012/08/beauty-underdogs.html

Vintology - http://vinotology.com/2012/08/the-continuing-odyssey-of-randall-grahm/

Wine Searcher - http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2012/08/randall-grahm-takes-aim-at-the-wine-industry

Cheers!

Jason

Oregon Wine On My Mind

With about one week to go before I head to Portland, OR for the Wine Bloggers Conference (#WBC12), I’m doing a little reading and research on Oregon wine. I expect I'll be slightly more prepared than without it. Some fluency with the wine-growing regions, climates, producer names, typical grape varieties and styles will go a long way to best contextualize the onslaught of information and experiences that the conference will bring.

We don’t see a lot of wine from Oregon in the New Hampshire State Liquor stores. As of this writing only thirteen selections pop-up in the online inventory listing when you search for “Oregon”. Searching for “Willamette” brings up about twice as many with some overlap, and searching for “Dundee” brings up two more. Familiar names like King Estate, Willamette Valley, Adelsheim, Domaine Serene, Lange and Sokol Blosser are all there. If memory serves I was first exposed to each of those producers from distribution in my home state. Local specialty stores might stock other labels and with more time I could have headed to Massachusetts and try my luck there too. What experience the NH state list does provide me will be enough to enhance my limited knowledge of Oregon wine; whetting my appetite for the much broader range I expect I will be able to sample from next week.

I’ve written about the Evenstad Reserve Pinot from Domaine Serene recently so I didn’t wander back over that ground. That wine was run up side by side with Pinots from a number of other regions and it definitely expressed its virtues and polish clearly. I think I might even have another bottle hiding in my cellar!

One of my local wine blogging friends, Adam Japko, took a look at the Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay from Domaine Serene earlier this year. I didn’t search for that bottling locally, but did easily find the Côte Sud 2007 which is actually the first Chardonnay from Oregon I’ve ever purchased. I know I have tasted Oregonian Chard at the annual Winter Wine Spectacular (Manchester, NH) in the past, but only one or two producers so my experience is truly limited.

Domaine Serene 2007 Côte Sud Chardonnay

This wine pours with a beautiful yellow/gold color with a noticeable minerality in the nose. The mouth is influenced by citrus, white fleshed fruits and nuts. The oak is present, offering a bit of spice, but is restrained and in balance. This is a very elegant wine. The acidity that comes in late and runs with you through the finish brings along hints of citrus.

Pinot Noir is the story most people immediately association with Oregon wine. This certainly makes sense based on the fact that in 2010 Pinot Noir by acre came in at nearly five times higher than the next grape, Pinot Gris. I’ve had a small range of Oregon Pinot both at home and while on a short Pacific Northwest trip in 2010.

I figured I should bone up a bit more using the recent 2009 vintage as a guide. From my local state shop I picked up the following bottles to taste:

R. Stuart Wine & Company Big Fire 2009 Pinot Noir

The nose on this wine is earthy but not overdone. The wet earth wraps strawberries and cranberries that also follow through on the palate. A spicy character in the mouth feels like it comes from both fruit and oak. The body of the wine of soft and round, presenting very fine tannins. The balance between the unique character and ease of drinking of this wine is what makes it shine. R. Stuart produces other bottlings that likely channel more finesse (I’ll confirm this ASAP), but as an opener this wine set a high enough bar that I definitely want to experience more.

Firesteed 2009 Pinot Noir

I’m not very enthusiastic about this bottle of wine. I can’t say there were any noticeable flaws, but the wine just didn’t seem right. A green nose, very tart and dry in the mouth and noticeable, rough tannins. It just doesn’t seem like Oregon Pinot to me.

Penner Ash 2009 Pinot Noir

I ended my tastings and reviews with this wine. What a strong finish! The nose is vibrant with fruit and whiffs of wet earth. Dark red fruits abound in the mouth. The wine finishes dry with moderate acidity and very fine tannins. This bottle isn't going to last long! This wine is also an easy drinker like the R. Stuart Big Fire, but with nuance and polish all its own.

What else do I have on my radar?

I have some familiarity with Pinot Gris from Oregon. I enjoy the King Estate Signature Pinot Gris quite a bit and know that I have tasted other bottlings at trade shows and tasting events in the past. I hope to get a much better picture of the range of styles exercised with this grape while on the ground in Oregon.

Warm climate grapes. From my reading of “Essential Wines and Wineries of the Pacific Northwest” I was introduced to the Southern wine-growing regions in Oregon and how the warmer climate there is more conducive to different grape varieties. Tempranillo and Viognier were the first two to jump out at me. I’ve never had either from Oregon before. Cabernet Franc and Syrah are two more that I hope to find well-made versions of.

And of course I hope there are some surprises that I have yet to read about and will add that ever-necessary character to the larger story. Something in this category might be my favorite from the trip and something I find I have to have in my cellar!

Cheers!

Jason

A Cocktail in a Wine Bottle – Sangria

Sangria is a wine punch traditionally found in Spain, Portugal and South American countries. The word sangria is Spanish for the act of bleeding. This word was used to describe red wine punches created centuries ago that are now consumed worldwide. It’s is notable that when what we know was modern-day Spain was invaded by the Romans, who planted the early vineyards pretty much everywhere they roamed, they didn’t arrive peacefully. The word sangria may have had a dual meaning early on, to describe both the color of the wines and as a reminder of their bloody origins.  

Sangria is historically a pretty simple concoction, containing wine, fruit, a sweetener and a touch of brandy. Variations that use port, sherry, other spirits and even soda in place of the brandy can be found in countries where sangria is a more contemporary beverage. Common during the warmer months, sangria provides a refreshing way to consume alcohol and liven up those dog days.

While traditionally made from red wine, sangrias made from white, pink and blends of different wines are found on restaurant and bar menus when the mercury rises.  The possibilities are wide open and there is a style for almost anyone, except non-wine drinkers of course!

I’ve been using my homemade wines to make sangria for several years, but I've never solidified the recipes or even repeated any of them. I did post the recipe for one version from the Summer of 2011. Several of the wines used in that version are no longer available in my cellar, making it very much a one-night-only affair! In the picture above a homemade red sangria stands stoically behind a couple of cocktails that probably weren't half as refreshing. 

For the 2012 Independence Day holiday I volunteered to bring three kinds of sangria to the annual cookout at our friends’ Ed & Jim’s place. It was hot and humid out that day and the sangria flowed. I made red, pink and white versions using different wines, juices and fruits. The pink and white versions were the fan favorites, reminding me that Americans don’t have the same tendencies to drink chilled red wine on a hot day as our European brethren do.

I’ll finish this post with the recipes from this most recent outing. With about a month or so of summer to remaining in the US, these might be just the thing you need on your next day around the pool. If you are going to take your sangria on the road make sure you have a cooler large enough to store the vessel, extra ice and plastic cups to serve your friends.

Ancient Fire Red Sangria

1 magnum Ancient Fire 2010 Tempranillo

2 plums, sliced

1 canister cranberry/white grape juice concentrate

½ can tart cherries in juice

¼ cup Fonseco Port wine

Ancient Fire Pink Sangria

2.5 bottles Ancient Fire 2009 Australian Riverland Reserve white wine

8 large strawberries, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 canisters Berry Sunsplash juice concentrate

¼ cup cognac

Ancient Fire White Sangria

2.5 bottles Ancient Fire 2011 Pinot Gris

2 large mangoes, chopped

1 orange, sliced

2 canisters tropical fruit juice concentrate

¼ cup Triple-sec

Cheers!

Jason

Mini-Review – Casa Marin Sauvignon Gris

I don’t write a lot of review-only posts these days. I've never said I wouldn't ever post one, this is all because I don't think the format is all that useful; I just figured that if something truly interesting came along I would feel like writing about it.

When I saw the grape Sauvignon Gris on the label I had to look again. After the second glance I knew I had never heard of or had tasted wine made from this grape before. Quick research indicated it is a clonal mutation of Sauvignon Blanc, is minimally planted worldwide but is seeing a resurgence of interest in Chile, New Zealand and the Graves region in France. Interesting enough to give it a shot!

The specific bottling I added to my cellar was the 2010 Casa Marin Estero.

This wine balances flowers, nuts, citrus and some green components in the nose. Because 70% of this wine was aged in oak, touches of brown spices and vanilla wrap melon and in the mouth. The wine is luscious and mouth filling. Contrasting other typically oaked whites, Chardonnay I’m talking about you, the acidity holds through the finish where it is mixed with nuttiness and hints of bitter orange. Clean and crisp, this wine really demands to be enjoyed!

The first pairing I threw at this wine was a last-minute-scramble of a pizza whose sauce was made from avocado, garlic and balsamic vinegar. I added garden fresh tomatoes and basil, topping it off with two year old Grafton cheddar cheese. The match didn’t transport me anywhere, but the mélange of flavors was handled well by the wine and the acidity helped clean up the creamy avocado.

So I learned something new this week and enjoyed the experience. That is worth writing about.

Cheers!

Jason

Tales from the Cellar – July 2012

It’s been a while since I shared a cellar update, actually more than 8 months have passed since the last one! Time sure flies. And we have been busy.

On the production front Margot and I have shepherded a number of 2011 wines/ciders/meads into the bottle since November, including:

• Cellar Craft Amarone (made in early 2011)
• Cellar Craft Red Mountain Cab (also made in early 2011)
• Mosti Fresco Zin
• Mosti Fresco Riesling
• Mosti Fresco Guewurztraminer
• Apple/Cinnamon Cyser
• Cherry/Currant Mead
• Maple Cider
• Maple Dessert Wine
• Still Cider
• Sparkling Cider
• Strawberry/Riesling

Several of the newest wines are offering some excitement, but over the years we have gotten more patient both from experience AND from having some aged supply to drink while new wines are aging. The still and sparkling ciders have been a bit underwhelming, but the group of us who bought the cider were a little suspect of the quality of it after getting it home and going. The feedback on the finished product has been similar from the others in the group. I’ll figure out how to turn them into punch or something so it doesn’t go to waste!

The brewing schedule (to the right is a pic of Margot and I making the Hefeweizen in March) is also in full swing and by the end of 2012 we will have likely made more beer this year than in any prior year since we started in 2003. Here is what we’ve made so far this year:

• Pliny the Braggot (hopped malt/honey beverage)
• Dark & Hoppy (American Stout, dry hopped)
• Hefeweizen
• English Mild
• Cherry Saison
• Big Belgian
• Oaked Red Ale
• Honey Brown
• Lime Ale
• Summer Shandy

Most of the beers have been shared around with friends and the feedback has been a huge honor. The simpler beers, the mild and the Hefe in particular, have been big hits at parties. The Big Belgian (big as in 8.5% ABV) just created some fans this past weekend. This might be an annual beer for me. The more specific beers like the Saison and Dark & Hoppy have plenty of appeal, but do need some background for drinkers new to the styles.  The Lime Ale and Summer Shandy are awaiting their debut at a summer party in a little over a week. If we are lucky to get a great summer day I predict these beers will kill it with the guests!

We’ve also been in the ring against the other contenders from the homemade beer and wine communities several times since last November. The results have been mixed but no less exciting.

We picked up nine medals from the annual WineMaker Magazine Annual Competition including:

• Concord Rosé (G)
• Strawberry (G)
• Purple Plum (S)
• Dandelion/Chamomile (B)
• Maple Dessert (B)
• Gewurztraminer (B)
• Raspberry Fortified (B)
• Apple/Cinnamon Cyser (B)
• Orange Vanilla Mead (B)

From homebrew competitions we also took Third Place for our English Mild and Second Places for our Maple Cider and Orange/Vanilla Mead.

( Margot picking up one of the medals at the WineMaker Magazine Conference. )

The competition feedback has been phenomenal. Several beers have garnered positive judging comments about their fit to the style and suggestions for us to consider in attempting to make them again. With feedback we have been given we’ve already amped up our meads with more honey and more fruits, herbs or spices depending on what we are making. Some of the feedback has also been pretty quirky, like being told a hopped braggot isn’t stylistically accurate. Really? The style category is wide open on this. The only requirement is that it be equal parts malt and honey. Most people go brown or black with it, but I went pale ale and hoppy. Deal with it!

So that brings us to what is on deck for the rest of the year. I’m on a mead tear that started last year. This year I have gone big and have 15+ styles planned. Most of the batches will be small, 1 gallon, but that is more because I am going nutty with herbs and spices most of which I haven’t used this way before. Margot is about a week away from embarking on Stout and Porter experiments, both of which will result in three styles of beer and some with flavors. I expect I will make some more beer in the Fall, I’m just not sure what yet. Maybe another Belgian and another IPA to use some of the wonderful American hops I have been able to acquire. Wine is likely going to take a back seat for 2012, but the basement is so full of stuff that will be drinkable over the next year I doubt I will miss making more!

With all of that I am staying plenty busy. I will take a break next month to travel out to Portland for the Wine Bloggers Conference where I hope to learn more about the regions wines, beers, distilled spirits AND food!

Cheers!

Jason

Major Wine Media – Stunningly Predictable & Amazingly Boring

Not all the major wine media outlets are predictable and boring, or at least not every month!

The August 31st issue of Wine Spectator was sitting on the table for a couple days before I picked it up. It is “The List” issue, containing the annual Wine Spectator restaurant awards. The close-up profiles on new Grand Award winners are generally interesting, as is some of the other story-driven content that surrounds the complete list which largely fills the remaining pages. It is a dedicated offering from the folks at Wine Spectator and I’m not trashing the restaurant content.

As I searched the magazine’s pages for something to counter balance the lengthy restaurant index I strolled passed the section entitled “Wines of Summer”. My first thought was, here we go again. Rosé and crisp whites, and mostly likely California Sauvignon Blanc. Bingo! Predictable and boring. Is that all there is to summer wine enjoyment? This was made worse by a sense of déjà vu. Didn’t they do this a year ago AND in the same issue? I dug out the August 31, 2011 issue and sure enough there was also an article on California Sauvignon Blanc within its pages. Using some kind of formula Wine Spectator? Shouldn’t we be mixing it up a little bit?

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc. But even in my little garage-project of a blog I don’t write about the wines of summer in such a predictable and totally been-there-done-that kind of way. I feel like shepherding readers into such a tight space can’t possibly promote as much as excitement as trying on something new.

What about BBQ joints that offering solid wine pairings to go with the smoked and spicy fare? A quick web search and I found the web site for BBQ Smokehouse that actually has a page specifically on the restaurant’s pairing philosophy with more detailed pages describing pairings with reds, whites and a recipe for sangria. And guess what? They aren’t that far from Healdsburg and Sonoma wine country, and they aren’t the only place!

Austin, Texas would be another place to go looking for just this kind of mashup. Austin also has a vibrant and growing wine community! Dare to be different! They also have Tex-Mex and spicy fare to experiment with.

I’m already scheming up the pairings I am going to throw at pulled pork that I will be smoking at home for an end of summer celebration over Labor Day weekend. I suspect I will pull out a range of wines and use the table and my friends as a laboratory for find some worthy matches. All you guys out there might want to set the beer down after you are done cooking and see what a little red wine can do with your prized meats fresh off the grill!

Looking around the other media channels known for their seasonal wine articles I found a mix of both tired and more creative suggestions. Food & Wine Magazine’s web site offered some depth off of the well travelled trail. Moscofilero and Juliénas were two that jumped out for me. I couldn’t find anything intriguing after sifting through the Rosés for summer articles at Wine Enthusiast. A Decanter article from 2008 also offers a bit of adventure. Several searches at their site didn’t turn up the typical Rosé summer taste off so at least they don’t seem to play the same tune as the others.

How about Pinot Gris, Verdejo or Vermentino for whites? When going red why not try Cotes du Rhone, Rioja or something typically considered pedestrian like red blends with a little native or hybrid grape influence such as those I found in Finger Lakes recently? These suggestions are exciting alternatives with plenty of open road for you to drive them down.

( This makes me think of red wine, how about you? )

If you want to go beyond the traditional backyard party fare, burgers and dogs, you can open up a lot of pairing possibilities. Steak tips, sausages, ribs, grilled pizza, fish tacos, the sky’s the limit.

If I can offer any advice worth repeating regarding summer wine enjoyment though, it would be to keep the wines cool. This is a slam dunk for whites for most wine lovers, but red wines can take a chill as well. If you consider serving red at 55-60 degrees, they are going to seem quite cool on a hot day, so don’t be afraid to put them on ice!

I’d like to expect more of those wine media outlets that draw in big advertising dollars and claim to have considerable visibility within the wine community. Why be boring and predictable? Throw the formulas in the trash and get out and live. Those experiences will be worth sharing!

Cheers!

Jason

Finger Lakes Conference Trip Highlights Part 1

My friends at WineMaker Magazine are having some technical difficulties with their blog software that has resulted the majority of my pictures from this post not being rendered when they upload them. The pictures are part of the story so I am reposting here so readers can have the full effect.

This was the third year that my wife and I took a “working vacation” for the WineMaker Magazine Annual Conference. Each year has been a different trip, three diverse locations does make up a good part of that, but together the location, themes, people and the regional juice all get  mixed up to create a complex conference blend. There is plenty to take in for all skill levels and interests during this event. The local wine tastings and experience with how the regional producers are getting along is always the most valuable for me. Conferences attendees can get that local exposure through specific sessions, pre-conference boot camps and both pre-and-post-conference tasting trips that are independently organized. The Finger Lakes provided an interesting place to study yet again.

My initial share from the conference was a fifty-three snapshot photo album, entitled ”What I Learned Out On The Road”, looking back over the three years of trips, including the most recent in conference in Ithaca, NY.

Something about Riesling

After my first visit to the region in 2011 I posted “Finger Lakes Riesling”, a summary of my experiences with the region’s Riesling up to that point. Dry Rieslings in the Finger Lakes do often have a small amount of residual sugar to balance the high acidity. You come to find that to be a non-issue in classifying the wines as dry. Ask about the IRF scale. For me the best balance of style differential AND drinkability can be found in the dry Finger Lakes Rieslings. The very best are those that present as absolutely clean and focused, no matter the range of fruits in both the aromas and nose. If the wine is spicy or tart neither of those elements will be overly aggressive. I have found the Ravines Dry Riesling in the years of 2009 through 2011 to have a particular finesse, despite being different in aroma and flavor each year.

I do also love sweeter Rieslings, but without a measure of noble rot or unique character I don’t think they differentiate themselves as well as the dry style. The Leidenfrost 2008 Semi-Dry was a particular standout on the most recent trip. The petrol and minerality really had this wine singing. The late harvest and ice-wine Rieslings are generally unique and always worthy of a try even with the non-Riesling competition. Hermann J. Wiemer makes an exceptionally deep and rich Late Harvest Riesling. We end up buying more than a representative share of these types of wines when we find good ones. As a social wine, a well made and unique dessert wine can add just the right spice to a party.

( Riesling vines at Weimer. )

A second visit in February provided more Riesling tasting opportunities and I most certainly continued to experience the trend of variation in the recent back to back vintages. This is a trend I like because of the way it is expressed differently between producers in the same vintages where the vintages are different themselves overall. It really becomes an adventure that you have to get out and experience. After the two trips I was pretty confident by experience that Riesling and the other aromatic whites were the lead story as other wine writers had been covering it. I shared tasting notes on Rieslings from both Wagner and Sheldrake Point in posts after the second trip.

Riesling Roundtable

During the 2012 annual conference a panel of winemakers from the Finger Lakes region talked about their experience with Riesling. On the panel were Peter Bell of Fox Run, Sayre Fulkerson of Fulkerson Winery, Steve DiFrancesco of Glenora and Dave Breeden from Sheldrake Point. The winemakers who hosted the Riesling Roundtable spent a good deal of time talking about how Riesling works in varying conditions and expresses the vintage variation well. This was a great lead off from the first question of “What makes the Finger Lakes and ideal place to grow Riesling?” Nobody said there was a distinctive Finger Lakes Riesling profile, and each contributor shared information about the vineyard differences and locations that they were actively learning the differences of in each new year.

( Sorry for the grainy picture, my good camera was on the road with friends! )

Here are some of the more interesting responses during the 75 minute Q&A:

In response to the next question, “Describe the microclimate of your vineyard or vineyards within the bigger picture of the while Finger Lakes Region and how this affects your finished wines.”, Peter Bell offered a clarification that we were talking about mesoclimates and not microclimates. At first this seemed slightly picky but after looking it up I found that the industry-wide term for the climate restricted to a vineyard or vineyards of tens or hundreds of meters is in fact a mesoclimate. A microclimate is more often used to describe a smaller area, such as a block or a row of vines. Thanks Peter! Sayre Fulkerson said “We’re still working on trying to learn and define the unique differences in the Finger Lakes” in response to the same question.

When asked what the winemakers looked for in grapes at harvest and how they measured and/or experienced the grapes to decide there was both technical and sensory oriented feedback. Dave Breeden said “What I look for at harvest is ripeness.” He also indicated he isn’t “interested in the numbers themselves”, brix, pH, TA, but the trend up to harvest. All of the winemakers talked about the physical attributes, browning seeds & seed/membrane separation, and the lack of unripe flavors they were looking for in grapes in the vineyard before picking.

 “If you could give advice to a someone looking to grow Riesling grapes in the Finger Lakes, what would the most important points be?”, got a great and succinct response from Sayre Fulkerson. “Have a good spray program.” His premise is that if you don’t keep leaves on the vine you will lose your fruit and then the vine. Disease pressure due to the typical climate was discussed by all four panelists.

( I stopped in a Fulkerson on my last day of tasting. Great diversity in types an styles! )

When asked about their personal style in making Riesling there was a nearly unanimous agreement that creating the illusion that you haven’t done anything in the winery was the goal of their programs. Steve DiFrancesco contrasted low acids in a hot year with high acids in a cool year, when neither must needed adjustment to make a great wine. Dave Breeden said “I don’t like to do work” to sum it up. Minimal adjustment and effort make the best Rieslings based on the feedback.

During the audience question portion I asked about how each winemaker judges the success of their dry Rieslings based on the bar and restaurant sales. Each panelist acknowledged that they continue to see increasing demand for the Dry Rieslings where they are likely going to be enjoyed with a meal . Fulkerson added that the dry style is easier to compare and more expressive of the grape which likely appeals to people who are pairing them with food. I can’t disagree with that and am pleased to see that the efforts of these producers are paying off.

Well, I hope that by sharing a bit of what I learned you also learned something you didn’t already know about Finger Lakes Riesling. Did you come to the Ithaca for the conference? If so, did you get out and try any of the local Riesling?

A Unique Experience

Staying on course with the organized conference events for a moment, I wanted to share a unique experience that I shared with several fellow winemakers and conference attendees. In 2010 I told tales of my homemade strawberry wine to quite a few conference goers. I took home a gold medal for the most recent batch of that wine during that trip, something I also did this year again which I say with a smile. Strawberry wine has been a special project for me. I’ve spent seven years trying improvements to recipes looking for the sweet spot. I haven’t found it yet. I shared the original recipe via email and my blog in 2010 and had several conversations with folks trying it the next year at the conference in Santa Barbara.

( The strawberry winemakers are assembled and at work! Photo with permission from Tim Vandergrift. And yes that is Daniel Pambianchi photo-bombing us. I love that guy! )

This year three of that group got together again and luckily had all brought a bottle of the most recent vintage to share. So we sat down in front of our “conference family” vertical and shared what we thought. There were two styles, a sweet (1) and a dry or medium-dry (2) depending on how you want to gauge it. The medium dry versions were nearly identical in color and the intensity of the aromas and flavors. They WERE different, but in a very subtle way. The difference in the sweetness between the medium dry and third bottle sets up an unbalanced comparison, but what it did represent being different was no less exciting. The sweeter wine tasted like prickly fresh strawberry preserves. Not too sweet, and all fruit sweetness too boot. We could have sat there for hours talking just about strawberry wine! This was by far one of the most unique experiences I have had in my winemaking years.

To Be Continued

Many thanks go out to the WineMaker Magazine staff, the Statler Hotel, vendors, sponsors and the bars, restaurants, wineries, breweries that all hosted us and our peers for the weekend. We had a great time and really enjoy getting together with our crazy winemaking family!

In part two I head back out on the road in the Finger Lakes uncovering new wines, beers, spirits and food!

Cheers!

Jason

Divided and Conquered

( Photos courtesy of Brian Samuels Photography. )

By so many measures it would appear that as a people we are more divided than ever. Political divisions, ideological divisions, racial divisions, economic divisions, religious divisions, pick one. We seem to embrace these divisions. These divisions make us weak.

By dividing ourselves along lines we don’t often even fully understand we are weakening ourselves and opening the door for those who might try to exploit those divisions to control us or for their own personal gain. When these divisions are used to attack one another irreparable damage is done and the divisions are more likely to be sustained and magnified. This is even when the divisions make no sense and the differences they are based on harm no one.

In describing the tactics and strategy of the battlefield SunTzu used the words divide and division quite a few times. A divided army is weaker and easier to conquer. A divided people are confused and will form allegiances out of fear and not common sense.  Maybe we think about war too much.

Throughout history poems, stories and songs have been written about the ideas that divide us and the bad that comes from it. You’d think we might learn something from our own pop culture.

It doesn’t have to be like this. For it to change though people need to better grasp the responsibilities that come with our rights to liberty and freedom of expression. These rights aren’t absolute and after you consider the documented responsibilities (look it up) that come with those rights you realize that our divisions are in the grey area just beyond. Individuals have to choose differently if they want society to be stronger and they themselves more deserving of respect.

Last week I took a pretty good beating on the subject of who is an amateur winemaker and whether people who make wine from ingredients others than grapes (juice, kits, fresh fruit) are really pursing the craft of winemaking and are deserving of respect. For the record, I didn’t start the debate and it isn’t a new one. On top of that  the people who I took those shots from are a minority with a very specific winemaking bent and a terrible attitude. Their words attempt to divide the community of amateur winemakers and create a hierarchy within it.

Why? Well, after exchanging a number of messages my take away is because they want to. It must make them feel better. Initially the gripe is that one particular wine competition, the one hosted by WineMaker Magazine which is the largest amateur-only competition worldwide, doesn’t make a distinction between grape-based and non-grape based wines within the red & white wine categories. This results in kit-based wines having a chance at winning best in show and grand champion awards. And they often do. This is a fair gripe, and one that might bear consideration by those in a position of authority, but that has to be a reasoned, civil discussion in order for it to have meaning.

The fact that many other competitions make a kit vs. grape distinction with a separate category or a separate competition all together isn’t a fact I will hide. Which is the fairest way to judge the whole collection of wines? Well, that is a question that has no objective answer in my opinion. Rejecting this opinion is the right of any who wishes, but doing so with negative sentiment, name calling and damning statements about the organizers and people involved doesn't do one bit to move the conversation along. I’ll also note that many of the same competitions that make this distinction also exclude fruit wines all together. You don’t see me getting my panties all twisted up over it, and I’m one of the biggest champions of, and winners for, fruit wines in the community of people who make wine non-commercially. I enter those competitions which support the wines I have available and accept the results happily. Other winners are not taking anything away from me. You can split this hair, but in the end what does it matter? This is all done for fun, right?

My suggestion that the players in this stalemate roll it up and walk away drew the most vibrant comments. I was called a fascist for this. I was not allowing people their freedoms but I was taking mine on the other side. Bullshit. I was merely suggesting that the focus should be on the responsibilities that come with the freedoms of speech and expression. First and foremost when the freedom of speech is used to assail the reputation of others and divide a community that is legitimate in its construction, this right is being wielded irresponsibly. That is not an opinion. This is something we see every day and even the youngest among us know enough to recognize it. If we can’t do this walking away assures things are not made worse. My suggestion of being positive and inclusive rather than negative speaks to this directly. Why try to tear down a piece of a community you claim to be proud to be a member of? Why does it matter so much how people do what they do? If they are having fun and enjoying the fruits of their labors why relegate them to the trash heap just because they do it in a way you find personally detestable? Furthermore, why do it so publicly?

For the attention that’s why. And that’s how all this goes wrong. The personal need placed above the goals and mission of the community. Insecurity. Jealousy. Spite. All of these ideas can be wielded to breed hate and discrimination. We don’t need any more of those tired, played out ideas in the world.

What is the lesson here? Whether you are a winemaker, wine writer or just a consumer your attitude and engagement with the broader community matters. Pick a different community and this lesson applies just the same. We must all strive to focus on those things that bring us together and not the things that divide us. If you take a negative path doesn’t your negativity outweigh any positive contributions you might be credited with making? I surely think so. Choosing to divide rather than bring together weakens and devalues a community. Flaunting a bad attitude only reflects negatively on the person sporting it and reduces the respect they might otherwise command. No productive conversations can occur. People will walk away rather than keep listening. And they should. If there is a hierarchy in any of this it is here, and attitude matters.

In closing I offer this. When choosing your next words consider how they will help to promote a more positive world that includes as many ideas and people as possible. This open mindedness is rewarded as the communities of people who surround you respect you for what you give and not what you get. We all get stronger and all live better for it.

Cheers!

Jason

Why I Write About Wine

The only wines that I personally feel I have any expertise with are those that I make myself. I can tell you what I made them from and how, and am I usually the first and only person to study them well enough to provide detailed tasting notes including what might be wrong with them. This is likewise true for the other fermented beverages I also make.

So when I write about wine, and specifically those for which I am strictly the consumer, I typically write about my experiences and how well (or not) the wines “worked” for me in the settings I tasted them in. I do taste many wines on their own, but I also endeavor to pair many with food and share other with friends to see how they might perform socially. I try wines of all stripes and don’t discriminate. I do throw a slanted eye towards wines that have a lot of hype about them, but only because hype creates expectations and expectations skew naked enjoyment. I don’t make up scores or assign ratings and I don’t try to be something more than I am with over the top reviews filled with jargon and descriptors that nobody else is going to make sense of. I likewise don’t care much for scores and ratings from others, but I do listen when people talk about their own experience.

Wine and experience with it as a consumer is personal. Decorating one’s experience with all sorts of seemingly objective and authoritative information in an attempt to increase its perceived value is a fool’s game in my opinion. But wine writers who blast out wine reviews on a daily basis are a dime a dozen, so I guess that message is not as well traveled as it could be.

So why do I write about wine? Because I enjoy it. Honestly, I write a lot less than when I got started several years ago, but that isn’t because I enjoy it less, it’s because I needed to find balance between naked enjoyment (as evidenced in picture below where I am stuffing my face and giving the thumbs up) and a slightly different version that involves notes, research and writing time as is illustrated in the picture at the top of this post. I’m still tweaking that balance, and this effort in itself has its own nuances to offer.

Writing helps me review my own experiences (those I choose to write about) and learn more about what I was sensing and savoring in those moments. Sharing experiences by posting them in a blog is a reason to write, but not because I want people to think anything of me, more because I am hoping that readers might be inspired to seek out worthy experiences of their own; tangents off of what they take away from my scribbling perhaps.

And I’m not talking about linear inspiration like, “hey that wine sounds great and I want to try it too!” I’m talking about things like “He’s making mead flavored with pineapple sage. What the hell is pineapple sage? He says it smells a bit like tropical fruit layered on top of sage with a bit of a field green bent. I’ve got to find some of that and see what I could do with it!” That is actually going to happen by the way. But maybe that’s not your style. How about “After recent trips to the Finger Lakes Jason has shared his enjoyment of the variations in the last three vintages of Rieslings. I wonder what how differently they really are.”  When I’ve done it well, it’s about the experience and not the specifics of any one wine or producer. And if I truly get it right it’s you in a new story that was inspired by something I experienced.

I don’t chase after samples and am not the most active guy on social media working all the connections and taking part in all the virtual tastings. I don’t attempt to get out to all the local events and be part of all the groups for wine lovers and wine writers. When I come across opportunities I deliberately choose to get involved, or not, and why I might make a specific choice is usually a spot decision based on the potential that I might have fun. Actually, it’s pretty much random. That keeps it exciting!

What I do though is think about my experiences. I try to see them as a collection of different moments that as a whole are meaningful because I really lived them. I don’t need to be known for what I’ve done and shared. I’d rather remain relatively unknown, but be exceedingly authentic, enthusiastic, energetic, fun loving and someone others enjoy interacting with. To me that is real and those are the people I want to be with anyway, so for me it just makes sense to do the same.

I’d love it if thoughtfulness and individuality were sought after by the wine industry over site traffic, the size of your social media network and how "active" you are, but then again wine is a business and the visibility of the people engaged by the industry is expected to correlate to the potential for a return on investment. I don’t have a problem with that, I just don’t need to be as tightly woven into it as so many writers and bloggers want to be. For me it is not a business and it is not work, it is fun. It is living and with only those rules I choose to impose on myself and where I answer to nobody beyond me and my family for what I choose to do in this space.

That’s why I write about wine.

Cheers!

Jason