Harvest Vocabulary for Wine Lovers

                                                                                                                                            September in the Northern Hemisphere is a pivotal month for winemakers. These terms will help in understanding the wine-making process. 

• Alcoholic fermentation — the conversion of grape sugar into alcohol.

• Bâtonnage — stirring the wine during fermentation to keep it in contact with the lees (the solids).

• Brettanomyces — a spoilage yeast that produces off‑aromas in wine.

• Brix — a measurement of sugar content in grapes.

• Carbonic maceration — fermenting whole, uncrushed grape clusters.

• Fining — a clarification process; many winemakers use egg whites.

• Free‑run juice — juice released naturally by the weight of the grapes, without pressing.

• Malolactic fermentation — often called “ML”; converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid.

• Must — unfermented grape juice.

• Lees — sediment from fermentation, including spent yeast, seeds, and other solids.

• Racking — transferring wine from one vessel to another to separate it from sediment.

• Green harvest:  removing unripe grapes in early summer so the remaining grapes can achieve a greater quality. 

Taste & Aroma Profiles, Part 4

                                    Almond-like flavor is a classic profile of Champagne

This is the final in a four part series on the aromas and flavors of wines produced by chemical reactions during the fermentation process.  In review, we’ve discussed the buttery profile caused by the conversion of harsh malic acid to the softer lactic acid.  Next, the science behind a variety of fruit flavors in wine was detailed, followed by a discussion of the chemistry behind grassy aromas and smells.   This final blog will address another flavor component caused by a chemical reaction during wine-making.  It will also discuss other common flavors present in wine that have nothing to do with the fermentation process, but everything to do with the oak barrel.

Almond nuances are classically associated with sparkling wine.  This almond profile is caused by the release of a chemical component produced by yeasts during fermentation.  Sparkling wines that have rested “on their lees” (i.e. had contact with the dead yeast cells) often have almond aromas and flavors due to the chemical compound benzaldehyde.  This chemical actually has an almond aroma.  Wines that undergo batonnage (frequent stirring and mixing of the lees) also exhibit almond tones.

A final note of clarification:  not all aromas and flavors in wine, however, are related to chemicals produced during fermentation.  Oak barrels can play a huge part in influencing both a wine’s smell and taste.  The following are examples of chemicals in oak that can alter the taste and smell of wine:

• Eugenol:  responsible for spices such as clove, nutmeg & cinnamon (note that this chemical is actually found in all of these spices)
  Vanillan:  the compound, also found in the vanilla bean, gives off vanilla aromas & flavors
• Furfural:  imparts dried fruit flavors & coffee nuances (furfural is also found in coffee)

In summary, there are hundreds of chemicals found in wine.  Some occur because of chemical reactions in fermentation; others are present due to other factors (such as the use of oak).   What is interesting to note, however, is that most of these chemicals do not reach the threshold of one being able to distinguish them.  The majority of people have an average threshold for tastes and smells.   However, there are some people, who have a more sensitive threshold and may be able to distinguish tastes and smells more readily than others.

Understanding “Buttery” Wines

                         Luscious, unctuous & buttery whites are magic caused by chemistry 

Ever wonder what’s the reason you smell or taste certain flavors in wine?   How do things such as “coffee,” “green apples” or “grass” appear in wine?  This is the first in a series of blogs on the science behind how these and other aromas and flavors develop.  Let’s start with “buttery,” a term often used to describe a certain style of California Chardonnay (although other white wines such as Marsanne or Roussane can also exhibit buttery characteristics).

The butter profile is caused by a common chemical reaction in wine-making called malo-lactic fermentation (ML).  During ML, bacteria converts harsh malic acid to the much softer lactic acid.  In this chemical reaction a compound by the name of diacetyl is produced.  Diacetyl is also found in dairy products like butter (diacetyl is even added to artificial butter to make it taste more like the real-deal product).

  

Butter nuances can be created, as well as manipulated, by certain interventions of the winemaker.   For example, winemakers can actually control the amount of butter-like character in a wine.  Different strains of ML bacteria produce different amounts of diacetyl so winemakers can pick and choose depending on what style of wine they want to create.  Winemakers can also control ML fermentation by raising and lowering the fermenting wine's temperature:  warmer temperatures activate ML, while cooler temps stop ML fermentation and arrest the production of the butter-like compound diacetyl.

The term buttery is used not only to describe flavor and aromas of wine,  but it is also used to describe the almost oily, unctuous texture of a wine.  Think creamy like cream...a smoother, rounder mouth feel.  This velvety texture is also a result of ML, and the diacetyl produced changes the feeling to that of a more dairy-like substance.  Buttery California Chars have this hallmark velvet-like texture.

There’s another factor that can create the buttery profile.  Aging in newer oak barrels imparts flavors and aromas but can also add to the creamy texture beyond that of ML.  The newer the barrel and the longer the wine is in contact with the oak, the more intense the butter and creaminess.  Stirring of the lees (batonnage), can also enhance buttery flavors.

Whatever the science, buttery preference is in the eyes of the beholder.  Some like it, others don’t.  Personally, I can swing both ways.  Some of my fave big fat buttery Chars are Dehlinger (Sonoma) and Cakebread (Napa).   

Giving Thanks...

This upcoming week reminds us to give thanks for our blessings.   I have many, most of them big blessings like great health and wonderful family/friends. On a less serious note, here’s my list of wines for which I am thankful.

Tropical Sauvignon Blancs

I love Sauv Blancs that offer a tropical profile (usually from in warmer climates).   I don’t find cool climate Sauv Blancs with their green, grassy, herbal notes particularly appealing (but many do).   Merry Edwards is my current fave Cali rendition.

Buttery Chardonnays

Yes, I’m going to buck the trend of those shying away from these wines and put in a plug for a well-crafted Char with a voluptuous, velvety texture and other subtle nuances that stem from Malo-Lactic fermentation.  

Wines with a great finish

While many concentrate on a big fruit forward wine that offers enticing aromas and a great palate, one of the most important things for me is a lengthy finish.

Wines that offer a great bang-for-the-buck

I don’t mind paying some serious money for a killer wine.   That being said, my faves are those that provide killer price/quality ratios.  One of the best producers for quality/price is Joel Gott (Napa Valley) who sources all of his grapes.  His wines are in the 20 bucks range.   Another great producer is Barrel 27 (Paso Robles) which offers off-the-chart-values for their well-crafted wine in the same price range.

Wines with fruits and minerals

I’m falling in love with subtle mineral nuances, especially if they are layered with fruits.  Suggestions:  Assyrtiko (a wine from the Greek island of Santorini), or Nero di Avola (from the Mount Etna region of Sicily).

Obscure varietals

I am so excited to learn about new varietals, especially indigenous varieties that aren’t available anywhere else.  Look for the Torrontes (a white fruit-bomb) from Argentina, or Bierzo (a heavenly red) from Northern Spain.  Be adventurous!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Harvest Terms You Need to Know

September in the Northern Hemisphere is a huge month for winemakers.  Wine lovers should be aware of the following vocabulary, especially if you’re visiting a winery:

• Alcoholic fermentation:   the conversion of grape sugar to alcohol

• Battonage:  stirring the wine during fermentation so that the liquid has contact with the lees (the solids)

• Brettanomyces:  bad yeast that causes wines to spoil

• Brix:  measurement of the amount of sugar in the grape

• Carbonic maceration: fermenting whole clusters of grapes that have not been crushed

• Fining:  process used to clarify the wine (egg whites are used by many)

• Free-run juice:  juice that has not been pressed but obtained simply by the weight of the grapes themselves

• Malo-lactic Fermention:  Known also as “ML,” this is the conversion of harsh malic acid to softer lactic acid

• Must:  unfermented grape juice

• Lees:  sediment that occurs during fermentation (includes spent yeasts, seeds & other solids)

• Racking:  process of separating the wine from the sediment by moving the liquid to another barrel

• Saignee:  French term which literally means “to bleed,” this is the process of removing some of the unfermented grape juice to increase the wine/skin ratio

• Sulfites:  chemicals that prevent spoilage of wine

• Tannin:  compound found in the seeds, skins and stalks of grapes

• TCA:  abbreviation for the destructive chemical that causes cork taint

• Topping-off:  process of filling a wine barrel that has lost wine due to evaporation

Harvest Glossary

Harvest for white grapes in California is quickly approaching.  In case any of you are lucky enough to visit a winery during this special season, below is a cheat-sheet for the “Top 10” commonly used terms.

1.     Malolactic Fermentation:  Often referred to simply as “ML,” this chemical process converts harsh malic acid to softer lactic acid 

2.     Rack: siphon wine into a new, clean barrel leaving the sediment of debris behind

3.     Cap:  hard top that forms during fermentation at the top of the tank, (composed of skins which are flavor & color saturated)

4.     Punch-down:   Pushing down the cap so that it mixes with the liquid

5.     Pump-over:  pump juice over the cap during fermentation to extract color, flavor & tannins

6.     Fine:  clarify or make the wine more clear

7.   On the lees: wine in contact with the cellular debris of yeasts & grape skins

     8. Green harvest:  to cut off excess grapes (usually in June or July) in order to    

         concentrate the flavors of those left on the vine

          9. Saignée (sen-yay):  French word for “bleeding.” Often times used when                       referring to making a rosé.   Very young red wine juice (barely pink-tinged) is 

              removed from the vat early and vinified separately.

                      10. Methode Champenoise:  this term can only legally be used in the French wine               district of Champagne.  It denotes that the 2^nd fermentation was done in the                   bottle.

Top 10 Wine Trivia for 2014

These are tidbits that a wine aficionado should know.  They range from terminology used in the vineyard and wine-making process to pests that can destroy wine.  Also included is information such as the health benefits of wine. Let’s start with the most destructive first, and end on a positive note.

    1.   Brettanomyce:  “Brett” is a wine spoiling yeast that causes barnyard 

          smells.  It can destroy an entire winery’s inventory as it’s difficult to 

          eradicate.

    2.  TCA:  a chemical compound (often found in flawed corks) that ruins a 

         wine and causes it to be “corked.”

    3.  Green harvest:  to cut off grape clusters from the vine in order to 

         intensify the flavor of those grapes that are left.

    4.  “On the lees”:  the lees are the dead yeast leftover after fermentation.  

        Some wines (usually whites) are left in contact with their lees to increase 

        the complexity of the wine.

    5.  Malolactic fermentation:  commonly referred to as “ML,” this is a 

         chemical process that converts harsh malic acid to a softer lactic acid. 

    6.  “Rack a wine”:  to siphon wine into a new, clean barrel…leaving all the 

         sediment  in the old barrel.

    7.  Cap:  a very hard top that forms during fermentation at the top of the 

         tank (it’s composed of grape skins which are where many flavor                         components and color pigments are located).

    8.  Pump-over:  to pump juice over the hard cap (to break it up) during 

         fermentation to extract color, flavor & tannins.

    9.  Fine:  to clarify or make the wine more clear.

  10.  Heart healthy benefits of wine:  due to dark colored pigments found 

         in red grape skins, thus only red wines are cardiac protective.

Burgundy's Grape Varietals

In contrast to many regions in France, there are only a few grape varieties that are grown in Burgundy.   Moreover, unlike several other French wine regions, Burgundy varietals are rarely blended.  A general rule of thumb is if it’s white, it’s made from 100% chardonnay; if it’s a red Burgundy, it’s 100% Pinot Noir (one of the few exceptions, is Gamay, which is used almost exclusively in the Beaujolais district of Burgundy).

Chardonnay grapes account for nearly half of Burgundy’s vineyards. (Up until recently, this variety was thought to have originated in Burgundy, however, DNA testing shows that the two parent grapes of Chardonnay are the indigenous French Pinot Noir, and the Croatian grape Gouais Blanc.)  If it is an expensive Burgundian white, you can bet that it is pure Chardonnay.

Burgundian Chardonnay is known simply as “white Burgundy.”   These Chardonnays have minerality notes.  (This is not surprisingly as 70 million years ago Burgundy was a seabed and the petrified remains of a multitude of shellfish from this ancient sea floor have created Burgundy’s premier limestone soils---the cause of the wine’s mineral-like nuances.)  White Burgundies tend to be much more austere in style (high acidity, mineral-like notes, with soft nuances of lemon and green apple when young) than the fruit forward Chardonnays of California.  (Grown in a warmer climate and often influenced by oak and malo-lactic fermentation, new world Chardonnays tend toward lush profiles of pineapple, tropical fruits, vanilla and butter).

Chablis, the northern most district of Burgundy (located only 60 miles south of Paris), produces iconic white Burgundies that transcend the variety from which they are made.  The Chablis version of Chardonnay owes much more to the local soil and climate rather than the grape.  (Chablis is cooler and has more minerals in its earth).   Producers in Chablis, furthermore, avoid malo-lactic fermentation and the use new oak, which further differentiates Chablis from the Chardonnay made in the more southerly parts of Burgundy. 

Pinot Noir, the main red varietal of Burgundy, accounts for nearly 40% of the grapes that are grown.  While Pinot Noir is grown all over the world, the varietal’s origin is thought to be Burgundy.   The grape reaches rock-star status here and these wines have a loyal, almost cult-like following of oenophiles.

“Red Burgundy” is made exclusively from the Pinot Noir grape.  The best Burgundian reds generally come from the Côte d’Or (“the golden slope”).   Located about 250 miles southeast of Paris, this is the “money-honey” district and home to some of the world’s most expensive reds.  Thirty–two of its thirty-three vineyards are Grand Cru.  Pinot Noir represents over 90% of the production.

In comparison to the new-world style, Pinot Noir from Burgundy is much more restrained.  Weather strongly contributes to this disparity (in California, for example, fruit typically ripens fully due to ample sun, whereas, in Burgundy grapes struggle to ripen.  Fully ripened grapes are replete with sugar, however, at the expense of acid which balances out sweetness and provides structure.  Furthermore, when all of the sugar ferments into alcohol, new world Pinots can have very high alcohol levels.)  Burgundian reds are prized by connoisseurs because of these differences.

Other main Burgundian varietals include Gamay used to produce Beaujolais’ light, fresh, fruity and easy to drink red.  Aligoté, a white grape, produces a dry, light white, and is also used to produce Burgundy’s sparkling wine, Cremant.