Session II

TODAY’S DISCOVERIES:

The seasons of the winery/vineyards

Understanding varietals

How wine is made

Grafting and vine disease

History of North American Wine

The regions of North American Wine

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD I January

Pruning as grapes only grow on new vines Barrel topping-off and bottling of older

wines February

Racking of the barrels March

Planting new vines is the focus of the vineyard

Guards are installed to protect tender new shoots from hungry rabbits

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD II April

Vines are trimmed to keep the plant’s energy focused on flowering

Topping-off and racking continues Finish bottling older wines

May Late frosts can kill young plants;

spraying water protects them from freezing

In the cellar, bottled wines are cased to prepare for distribution

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD III June

Trellising: Shoot-positioning is done by wiring the new vine shoots to help sunlight reach the fruit and new growth

Fruit Set is when the grape berries first form after flowering

July Spraying against pests is a major priority Major efforts to minimize fungal diseases Further bottling if temperatures allow

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD IV

August Vendage Vert (The Green Harvest):

Low-yield or inferior-size bunches are trimmed-off to concentrate the energy into the best berries

Ver jus may be pressed and bottled Veraison: Grapes are now beginning

to ripen; red varietals are changing from green to red

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD V

September The Crush (the harvest)!

Growers decide the best time to harvest and then find workers to pick the fruit or have machinery ready and trucks waiting

Check the brix level for ripeness Whites to the press; reds to the tank Chaptalization as permitted by law

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD VIOctober Picked-over vines will now benefit from the

new light exposure In the fermenting room, the freshly-

pressed mash is now starting to ferment Topping-over or punching-down the cap

(delicate wines like Pinot Noir) of floating skins is done to help release flavor, color and tannins Extended Maceration (before fermentation) if

and when needed (if juice is weak) Signée: bleeding-off a Rosé (when juice is weak)

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD VII November

In the cellar, fining (clarification) of second-year red wines takes place

Fining is done with egg whites, gelatin & special forms of clay (bentonite or diatomaeceous soil)

First-year wines are transferred from fermentation vat to barrels

The Press: Free-run wine, press wine, and the “cake”

Oak-aging and barrel “racking” (pumping from one barrel to another without the sediment)

Malolactic Conversion & Sur Lie

SEASONS OF THE VINEYARD VIII December

Vine cuttings are propagated to keep a favorable varietal

Early tastings are done to evaluate the wine in progress

Blending: usually done by consensus Some wineries continue temperature-

controlled bottle-aging for reds until ready for vintage release

Consumers may continue bottle-aging until reds drop the tannin sediment (dregs) and decant before serving

DISEASES OF THE VINE

Phylloxera disease almost destroyed the French

vineyards in the late 1800’s.

Grafting viniferous varietals to the resistant lambrusca root

stock, saved the industry.

Pierces disease continues to plague the vines, grafting

cannot help.

PHYLLOXERA ATTACKS THE ROOT Pierce’s disease (glassy winged sharp shooter)

attacks the leaves

GRAFTINGGrapes mutate very readily. An entire varietal may be changed

simply by grafting. This process saved the European

vines.

SOME GRAPE VARIETALS:

Burgundy: Chardonnay, Aligoté Borgogne Pinot Noir, Gamay

Bordeaux: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot Loire:

Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc

SOME GRAPE VARIETALS:

Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunière

Rhône: Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Clairette, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre,

Counoise Alsace:

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling

Languedoc-Roussillon: Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache

SOME GRAPE VARIETALS:

Italy: Trebbiano, Malvasia, Garganega, Gavi, Pinot

Grigio, Cortese Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Corvina,

Germany: Riesling, Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau,

Gewürztraminer Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Spain: Albariño, Godello, Viura, Garnacha Blanca,

Palomino Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mataro

WHAT DOES “OLD VINE” REFER TO?

A reference to the age of the vine the grapes are grown on; older vines will provide more intense

extracted flavor in the wine.

0-10 years old: “Young” vine11-50 years old: “Middle” or

“Mature” vine51-80 years old: “Old” vine

Over 80 years old: “Ancient” vine

THESE VINES WERE PLANTED IN 1851:

They are often referred to as gnarly vines

RED/ BLACK GRAPES = RED WINEGREEN/YELLOW GRAPES = WHITE WINESO, HOW DO THEY MAKE PINK WINE?

Rosé, Rosado, Rosato: By any other name would taste as dry…

Blush: Soda-Pop Sweet (perfect for new Wine

Afficionados who grew-up drinking soda)

Three ways…

Yes, there are pink grapes!

+ =

=

Signée: the ”bleeding off”

Blend red juice with white juice!

BUT HOW IS WINE MADE?First, the grapes are monitored

and when they have the perfect balance of taste, acid and brix, they are harvestedBY

HAND:BY MACHINE:

SECOND, THEY ARE DE-STEMMED (IN RED WINE VARIETALS)

In this step, the stems are removed from the grapes. Stems carry harsh tannins so this is usually done before the grapes are crushed, so as not to influence the wine.

NEXT, THEY ARE CRUSHED, OR WHOLE-BERRY FERMENTED (CARBONIC MACERATION)

For example, if he or she is trying to create a fruity aroma, they might decide to leave the berries nearly intact.

The skins of the grapes are broken to release the juice. Winemakers will have their own preferences concerning the amount of crushing that should occur.

PRIMARY FERMENTATION

In this step, yeast cells in the juice feed on sugars and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol

Winemakers will often add extra yeast to insure a stable conversion instead of simply relying on the wild yeast found on the grapes

“FREE-RUN” AND “PRESSED” WINES

After fermentation, a valve is opened in the bottom of the tank, and what drains out is called free-run wine, which is the best. Afterwards, the remaining skins and seeds are pressed and more wine is extracted (pressed wine), which is of lesser quality than free-run wine.

Nonetheless, winemakers will use pressed wine to increase their grape yield, though is usually for lower-end releases.

SECONDARY FERMENTATION Aging and secondary

fermentation happen at the same time. The yeast continues to ferment slowly

The goals of the winemaker will determine the length of time this fermentation will be allowed to continue

A fine wine might stay in oak barrels for quite some time while a home-style variety could spend only a few months in glass containers.

It is determined how much percentage of a wine batch should go through Malolactic fermentation and/or Sur Lie

FILTERING

A brilliantly clear wine is more desirable than a cloudy or hazy one, which may taste fine, but does not look appealing

This is why most commercial wines are filtered, leaving them sparkling clear and virtually incapable of re-fermenting

Filtration removes yeast, bacteria, and grape/fruit debris from the wine

This not only renders the wine instantly clear, it also makes the wine more stable without the yeast or bacteria that could feed off any residual sugar

As a result, the amount of SO2 and other chemical preservatives can be reduced

Different processes are used for fining & filtering

BOTTLING The final step

when the wine is bottled for sale

Sulfites are often added to help end the fermentation process and preserve the wine

The bottle is then sealed with a cork

THE “CORKED” WINE The damage to wine from

“tainted” corks has caused great loss of revenue for wineries

Cork trees can take up to ten years to produce enough bark to harvest for corks

Hence the emergence of screw-caps…

THE “CORKED” WINE II

Air-purifying technology designed by NASA in the 90’s to keep produce fresh in space, has found a new, more down-to-earth use: Neutralizing TCA, the chemical primarily

responsible for cork taint in wine TCA in wine causes “cork taint”, a

defect that affects 2%-7% of wine bottles, and imparts an unappetizing moldy, dank smell into the wine

NO MORE CORKED WINE! When tested by an independent

British wine laboratory, NASA’s technique was found to remove up to 95% of TCA from a sealed room within 24 hours Works by drawing air through a box

containing a bed of titanium dioxide catalyst and irradiating it with UV light , which oxidizes any organic contaminants

May have other applications in winemaking and is already being used in hospitals, research centers and for food storage

American Wine Fun Facts:

Fourth in production behind Italy, France and Spain

Every state has at least one winery; even in Alaska!

Production:California ranks #1 (90% of all

American wines)New York is #2, followed by Oregon

& Washington

Approximately 5,400 commercial wineries in the US

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN IN AMERICA?Grapes were wild and so prolific in

America, that the settler’s nicknamed the country “Vinland”

These were “unsophisticated” varietals of Vitis Labrusca that made “foxy” wines, but had strong root stock making them less susceptible to disease (saved the European wine industry from Phylloxera)

Wild Vitis Labrusca varietals such as Catawba (a pink grape), Niagra, Concord, and others, are still being made into wine in many states

continued…

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN IN AMERICA?

There were other wild grape families in the New World in addition to Vitis Labrusca: Vitis Riparia (hybrids like Baco Noir

& Frontenac) Vitis Rotundifolia

(Scuppernong/Muscadine) Vitis Aestivalis (Norton)

Settlers began making wine from these wild grapes for religious sacrament and personal consumption (it was a safe beverage to drink, as it was antispetic)

continued…

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN IN AMERICA?Spanish missionaries arrived in

California and made “Mission Wine” throughout the territory

In 1920, the wine industry was devastated when the 18th Amendment prohibited the production and consumption of alcohol except for sacrament

The 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition in 1933

It took many decades for the wine industry to recover, as the Great Depression resulted in a lack of investment capital for new winery start-ups

continued…

In 1886 a beverage was invented which significantly changed the taste preferences of the American public….

After WWII, returning American soldiers brought back a taste for European-style wines, though it still took another 15-20 years for any significant shift to drier wines

As these sugary-sweet beverages became more popular, many American consumers were turned- off by dry, European-style wines; tastes shifted to sweet and fortified wines like Sherry and Port…

THE 1970’S…

During this time, American wines achieved a higher level of sophistication

The rest of the world didn’t take the American wine industry serious…

But then, in 1976, something miraculous happened! If you saw the movie “Bottle Shock” you already know what it was!

A Napa Valley winery, Château Montelena’s Chardonnay

shocked the wine world by winning a wine competition in Paris against a French Premier

Cru Burgundy!

Soon, vineyards began to expand… American packaging and marketing was changing the face of wine for the world

The U.S. did not regulate it’s winemaking as the rest of the world did

Altering bottle shapes, labeling, varietals and vinicultural practices caused a paradigm-shift in the wine industry

But some regulations were needed…

In 1978, the AVA (American Viticulture Area) was created to designate specific wine growing regions and areas

To qualify as an AVA an area must meet the following criteria:1. Be precisely defined on a geological map2. Use a name that has been commonly or

historically associated with the region3. Have climate, soil, aspect (slope), elevation

and other topographical and geological features that make it unique from surrounding areas

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF)Keeps control of AVA’s and labeling laws

American AVA LawsAVA’s do not always live in their own defined exclusive area

many overlap between states, counties or other AVA’s

Example: Sonoma’s Green Valley is contained within the Russian River Valley, which is contained within North SonomaThere are over 200 AVA’s in America

There are over 100 in California alone

Colorado has just two

Some AVA Regulations…

All wines with varietal labeling (Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.) must show appellation of origin information on the label

Wines labeled United States or American, must have 100% U.S. content

Wines labeled California or Washington, must have 100% content from those states

Some More AVA Regulations… Wines labeled by any other

state name or county name must have a 75% content from those states.

Wines labeled by an AVA must have 85% content from that AVA

Wines with specific vineyard labeling, have a threshold of 95%

Wines labeled as Pinot Noir or Pinot Gris from Oregon, must have 90% of those grapes

California 85% of planted vineyards and 90% of wine produced in U.S.

Ideal growing conditions:

Rain falls mostly in the winter

Dry growing season lessens the impact of molds and mildews

Occasional spring frosts, but winter frosts almost never occur

Ocean breezes moderate the influence of the sun. It slows ripening and helps maintain acidity in the fruit

California’s North CoastWarm days and cool nights from

the ocean fogs allow the grapes to ripen more slowly

The long hang time (time ripening on the vine) allows for more complexity to develop

Napa: Some of the country’s top wines, home of the famous Super Cabs

Sonoma: Wide variety of climate types; warm, cool, & ocean-influenced. Produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, etc.

Lake: Produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc

Mendocino: Mostly cool climate. Produces Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cab. Sauv. and others.

Napa Valley Over 300 wineries,

consisting of 10% of California’s total acreage, but only 4% of its production

“Napa Cabs” of the river valley are the signature wine as well as Cab-dominated, Bordeaux-style blends (Cab. Sauv. and Merlot )

Southern Napa benefits from cool ocean air from the San Francisco bay. This allows cool–climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to do well.

Sonoma ValleyWide variety of AVAs

Wide variety of climate

Wide variety of soil types

Wide variety of geology

Various ocean breeze, fog influences from gaps in the mountains along the coast

Cabernet, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir all do well in different parts of Sonoma

MendocinoNorthernmost wine-growing region in California

Mountainous and heavily forested

Cool ocean fog along the river supports Riesling and Gewürztraminer

Higher elevation AVA’s support Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon

Mendocino Ridge: Multiple non-contiguous areas, all at or above 1,200 ft.

Central ValleyProduces table grapes and

raisins in addition to wine varietals and is the largest agricultural region in the U.S.

Lodi: Known for its old vine Zinfandel

Clarksburg : Produces a wide variety of wines

River Junction: Cooler climate; produces good Chardonnay

Tracy Hills: Produces mostly Bordeaux varieties

Salado Creek: Produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Viognier

America’s Meritage Initiative

American market is primarily focused on varietal labeling

An alternate labeling system has been put in place to accommodate “Bordeaux-style” blends, overseen by the “Meritage Alliance”

Members may put “Meritage” on their labels if their wines are blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Malbec, and Carmenière

White Meritage must use Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle

The blend can have no more than 90% of any single varietal

Oregon: Topography & Climate The pacific

coastline range cascades act as a shield to block the overly cool Pacific influence

In between the two ranges is where the majority of the winemaking occurs, with the exception of Mount Hood and the AVA’s shared with Washington State

Pacific influence is still felt in the wine growing region between the two ranges.

Winters are cool and wet and do not experience hard freezes ; summers are mild with moderate humidity

17 AVA’s in Oregon

Washington State

The Cascades act as a north-south rain shield and block the pacific rains on the eastern part of the state; therefore this region is much hotter then the coast

Columbia river system irrigates 98% of vineyards in the east

Days are two hours longer than California in the summer

Phylloxera-free due to sandy soils and harsh winters

Winter freezes can be very damaging or even kill vines

Low humidity makes the area relatively disease-free

Washington has 13 very diverse AVA’s:

Innovation at it’s finest: At the old Walla Walla airport, you will find more than 20 of the most prestigious wineries found in Washington state

Cabernets and Merlots are predominant; you will find some of the best Merlots of the world made here

Each hangar was renovated into a tasting room; a great tour on foot.

ColoradoHighest elevation vineyards in North America: 4,500 - 7,000 ft. above sea level; slightly lower than Argentina

Grand Valley and West Elks are Colorado's two AVA’s: Prominent grapes in the Grand Valley are

primarily Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay

West Elks produces primarily Riesling and Pinot Noir

The temperature extremes in winter along the front range rule out traditional vinifera grapes.

Pre prohibition, Colorado was a thriving winemaking area, most of the vines were torn up to plant peaches. In the past ten years, Colorado is finally making a comeback

New YorkAbout 4% of U.S.

production

Harsh winters, low sunlight and moderating influence of major bodies of water.

Produces hybrids, native grapewines and some viniferous

Lake Erie: Only recently started using vinifera grapes

Niagara: Cool climate grapes Chardonnay and Riesling

Finger Lakes: Largest AVA in NY; producing many different cool-climate varieties. Home of “Cayuga White” invented by Cornell University viticulture extension.

Hudson River: Hybrids such as Baco Noir and cool climate Vinifera. This is where the famous Hudson Valley Foie Gras is produced!

Long Island: Produces Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling

U.S. Wine Labeling – required information

Producer/Brand name – usually the same, but not always

Class/type – still wine, mead, rice wine, etc.

Name and address of bottler Only shows where the wine was bottled,

not necessarily where any of the other production steps occurred

Alcohol by Volume

Volume content

Sulfite content if above 10ppm

Health Warning (back label)

“Imported by” and name of importer must be on foreign wines

Wine # 1 Vintage: 2011 Name: Dry Riesling Producer: Pacific Rim Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Wine # 2 Vintage: 2012 Name: Viognier Producer: Cline Region: North Coast, California

Wine # 3 Vintage: 2009 Name: Pinot Noir Producer: Firesteed Region: Oregon

Wine # 4 Vintage: 2009 Name: Zinfandel OZV Producer: Oak Ridge Winery Region: Lodi, California

Now, let’s see what the professionals

say and what went into making these

wines!

“Bright red cherry, violets, vanilla and pie crust aromas, punctuated by an alluring smokiness, are a vivacious

introduction to this Oregon vintage. A sweet approach leads to a satiny mouthful of red plum, cranberry and

sage. Food friendly acidity allows for a spirited, lasting finish.”

VINTAGE OVERVIEW2010 was a vintage ‘ripe’ with challenges so-to-speak. Certainly a test of one’s knowledge and experience not

to mention one’s resolve! Spring bud break came relatively early but we then experienced a month of

cold and rain greatly slowing vine development. If that were not enough what followed was the wettest June on record and the coldest summer in 17 years resulting in a record late bloom, low crop yield and a delay in the

initiation of harvest by more than three weeks. Miraculously we were spared by a sunny couple of

weeks in October. The crop ripened to a level approaching the highly touted 2008 vintage resulting in balanced wines with intensely bright flavors and lower

alcohols; classic Oregon.

2010 Erath, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

“Dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly dry, medium-to-full bodied red

wine that is high in tannins. The acidity is decent enough but the dryness and

strong tannins cause it to really need to be tempered by food - it's not really a

wine for sipping on its own.

If it weren't for the harshness of the tannins, this Dynamite Cabernet

Sauvignon would probably be a much better wine that would pair well with a

wider variety of foods.”

Dynamite, Cabernet, Lake County, California

“From Lodi’s oldest operating winery. Produced

from 50- to 100-year-old vines, this is not a crazy-

high-alcohol Zinfandel. It is robust, with jammy fruit, raspberry, milk chocolate

and mocha flavors; an excellent barbecue wine.”

Oak Ridge Winery, OZV, Lodi, California

2011 Hogue Late-Harvest RieslingColumbia Valley, Washington

Eastern Washington’s low annual rainfall and cool nights during the growing season make it the

perfect area for producing consistently great late harvest wines. The Hogue Cellars has developed a

style of late harvest Riesling that is crisp yet moderately sweet. The wine was produced from

select Riesling vineyards where the fruit can ripen to the required 24°+ Brix. At that level of ripeness, the wine develops its trademark tangerine/apricot flavor. Zesty aromas of orange, lemon-lime, and

peach are followed by flavors of tangerine, apricot, and a trace of mineral. Serve alongside poached pears, cheesecake, or a cheese platter of Stilton, smoked Gouda, and fresh goat cheese. It’s also

excellent as an aperitif.