INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Grapevine Leafroll ........... 2

Red Blotch.......................... 2

Stems & Seeds................... 3

Attracting Younger

Wine Consumers............. 4

Classified Postings

Available.............................. 4

PCWGA New Mentor

Program .............................. 5

Food Extravaganza ........... 6

Another year gone by already! The

PCWGA Board of Directors voted to

maintain the annual membership dues

at the very affordable fee of $30.

These dues cover two significant

others in the same household. Experi-

encing great Placer County varietals

at just one meeting pays for the cost

of membership. What a deal!

You can renew or join online at

www.pcwga.org or Treasurer Lisa

Giampietro will be glad to collect

your payment at the February 12th

General Membership Meeting.

New feature at our

events this year. Our

general membership

meetings will continue

to be free with the price

of admission being just

wine and food to share.

But this year we will

have the donation

bucket out to collect for

our scholarship fund.

Our scholarships have

been awarded through

UC Davis to Placer

County residents study-

ing viticulture/enology.

A great evening is

planned for Wednesday,

February 12, 6:30pm at

Rock Hill Winery

(thanks Don DuPont).

This month’s featured

varietal is Zinfandel

with a special chocolate

tasting experience and

lesson on the art of

chocolate making with

chocolatier Mona Keady

of Raffine, LLC from

Auburn.

What to bring. We in-

vite you to bring a bottle

or two of Zinfandel and

an appetizer to share.

And of course if the

wine is of your own

making (commercial or

home winemaker), we’d

love to hear some back-

ground and details about

your wine (yes, go

ahead and brag about

it!).

What to wear. Red, of

course, for St. Valen-

tine’s Day.

Zin Zin Zin … and Chocolate!

February PCWGA General Meeting

About Our Feb. Meeting ChocolatierMona Keady of Raffiné,

LLC has a mission to

create the ultimate in-

strument of chocolate

pleasure—as satisfying

to the eye as it is to the

tongue. She achieves

this by pairing the finest

chocolate available with

the ideal blend of flavor-

ings and textures, and

finishing each confec-

tion with an elegant,

enticing design that no

self-respecting chocolate

lover can leave it on the

shelf.

Raised in a family of

culinary perfectionists

and trained under the

most demanding choco-

late masters, Keady is

accustomed to achieving

nothing short of excel-

lence. She embraces the

highest standards in

www.pcwga.org

February 2014Volume 2, Issue 1

Inside this issue:

2014 Board 2Corks 3Compliance 4Microbial Terroir 5Wine Pairing 62013 Harvest Gala 7Get Mentoring 10

2014 Member Dues

Cont. on page 3

PCWGA News

PCWGA: Building a

vibrant, local wine

community for

winemakers, grape

growers, and wine

enthusiasts.

Page 2

Uncorked PCWGA Announces Board Members for 2014The Placer County Wine and Grape Asso-

ciation is pleased to announce its Board of

Directors for 2014. You can locate their

contact information on the PCWGA web-

site. You are welcome to provide them

with feedback about their area of responsi-

bility or about any PCWGA business. We

encourage feedback about the Associa-

tion’s activities to help us build a vibrant,

local wine community for winemakers,

grape growers, and wine enthusiasts.

President—Luis Luna

Vice President—Dennis Zachary

Treasurer—Lisa Giampietro

Secretary—Toni Smith

Director-at-Large—Mike Lutzker

Director-at-Large—Valerie Patterson

Director-at-Large/Home Winemaking

Event—Rob Pock

Director-at-Large/Communications &

Membership—Karen C. Polastri

Director-at-Large/Scholarships—

George Smith

Director-at-Large/Mentor Program—

Dennis Szuszka

As we welcome the 2014 Board of

Directors, we also express our sincere

appreciation and thanks for our friends

who departed the Board after many years

of excellent service to the Association.

PCWGA would not have grown and

become a sustainable organization with-

out the leadership and hard work of these

individuals. The next time you see them

at their winery, at one of our events, or

around Placer County, please thank them

for their selfless contributions.

Mark Adams (is now immediate

past president)

Austin Lindemann

Renae Messamore

Esther Pock

Dick Stallman

Thank you for your service.

We are forever grateful!

April 10 — PCWGA GeneralMembership Meeting

Location and Topic To BeAnnounced

Watch our website —www.pcwga.org — as well asyour email inbox for activityupdates.

Buy/Sell/Trade inOur Classified AdsPCWGA offers a classified ad section on

its website free of charge. The ads must

be related to winemaking or grape grow-

ing. Current categories include wine

grapes and equipment for sale and

wanted, and miscellaneous for sale/trade/

wanted/free.

Go to our website, www.pcwga.org, and

click on the CLASSIFIED button to sub-

mit your information. Ads will run for a

minimum of 30 days.

Mark Your Calendar!November 7 — PCWGAAnnual Harvest Gala

Catta Verdera Country Club,Lincoln, CA

Check out photos from the2013 event on pages 8 and 9.

Vintner Resources

A New Twist on Cork Is Unveiled

Page 3

February 2014

The wine cork could be set for a revival with the launch

of a twistable and re-sealable version that could do away

with the corkscrew. The Helix cork and bottle has a

thread finish, which allows drinkers to twist the stopper

open and closed again, creating an airtight barrier.

The Helix was unveiled at Vinexpo and its makers say it

could be on the shelves within two years.

The design is the result of a four-year collaboration

between Portuguese cork manufacturer Amorim and U.S.

bottle maker O-I.

O-I Europe President Erik Bouts said extensive testing of

wine stored in Helix bottles had shown no alternation to

the taste, aroma or colour after 26 months. Mr. Bouts

said: “For centuries, cork and glass has been a winning

combination in the wine market, yet it is only through

this partnership that we have been able to create such a

major innovation in the industry.

Reprint excerpts from article by Andy Young, the drinks business—June 17, 2013

crafting her artisan chocolates, as reflected in the com-

pany’s name, Raffiné: to refine; to enhance; to rise above

all others.

Having honed her art at the most respected chocolate

institutions in Europe, Keady is committed to bringing

the true European confectionery experience to the Ameri-

can palate. She currently lives in

Auburn.

Raffine, LLC Artisan Chocolates

offers chocolate pleasure and

embodies the definition of

chocolatier -- when culinary

Chocolatier, cont. from front page

About Raffine

Raffiné exclusively produces fine artisan chocolates from

Old World European recipes still used today by master

chocolate makers abroad. Company founder Mona Keady

created Raffiné out of a desire to bring the European

chocolate experience to the U.S. To produce these con-

fections, the company employs classic European

techniques, then adds Keady’s special touch.

Raffiné blends the world’s finest chocolates with

fresh fruit purees, spices, and specialty flavor-

ings, all wrapped in elegant decorative casings as

pleasurable to the eye as they are to the tongue.

“Cork is still by far the

preferred stopper. Our

research has found that at

least 80% of consumers

prefer the cork and glass

combination for their

wine.

“It has the highest-quality

image in the market and

now we have made it easier to use. And it is still the most

sustainable option.”

The manufacturers have used agglomerated, or granu-

lated, cork for the design, which they claim offers greater

elasticity and reliability than standard stoppers to better

protect the wine.

Winemakers have increasingly been using alternative

stoppers in the form of metal screwcaps or plastic to

combat complaints about the inconsistent quality of cork

and the resulting “cork taint.”

5 Simple Steps to Simplify Your WinemakingCompliance1. Know the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of your

records. Do you have the following record

types: work order forms, bill of lading,

weigh tag. These items are used to track

wines throughout their lives for reports, tax

payments, and label information. Are you

clearly identifying each lot of wine

throughout each step. Could an outsider

come in and view your records and under-

stand them easily?

2. Only file when you need to. Each of the

TTB reports (702), excise tax and label

approvals have options for the timing of

their filings. Find out if your winery quali-

fies to file the monthly report or excise tax

filings on either a quarterly or annual basis.

Check out http://www.ttb.gov/wine/

wine_premises_reminder.shtml. For label

approvals there are allowed changes that

can be made which do not require filing for

a new COLA. Be familiar with this list and

assess each new label to determine whether

or not you need to take the time to re-file.

Refer to http://www.ttb.gov/labeling/

allowable_revisions.shtml.

3. Use online filings to streamline the re-

porting process. For the reports referred to

in step two, there are online filing systems

available. http://ttb.gov/epayment/

epayment.shtml. For label approvals, the

COLAs online system is available. http://

ttb.gov/labeling/colas.shtml. Both systems

save time and provide a handy electronic

reference for keeping track of them all in

one place.

4. Develop check list systems and a com-

pliance calendar to give your compli-

ance tasks structure. Keeping and hav-

ing easy access to numbers and details

when you need them is important. Create

a check list system that you can refer to

each time you have activity for work

order generation, and report and label

approval filing that also ties into an an-

nual calendar with due dates. You’ll

have a one-stop-shopping guide for a

successful compliance flow.

5. Know your key compliance details.

Organize all of your winemaking com-

pliance license parts in one location.

This includes the originals of your TTB

permit, current TTB bond details, most

recent TTB bonded area map, updated

TTB trade name list, your current state

agency license(s), and local city or

county permit details. In addition to

these documents all being in the place,

it’s recommended that you create digital

files as well.

6. Bonus tip. If managing winemaking

compliance isn’t your forte, or you don’t

have staff with this aptitude, you can

outsource or find someone within your

contacts who has an affinity for compli-

ance.

Source: Wine Compliance Alliance—

comprehension through training and direc-

tion

Vintner Resources

Mailing Address: 4390 Gold Trail Way Loomis, CA 95650

E-mail: pcwga@ncbb.net

Page 4

Uncorked

Vintner Resources

Page 5

February 2014

The researchers used a DNA sequencing techniquecalled short-amplicon sequencing to characterize thefungal and bacterial communities growing on the sur-face of the grapes and subsequently appearing in thegrape must samples.

They found that the structure of the microbial com-munities varied widely across different grape growingregions. The data also indicated that there were sig-nificant regional patterns of both fungal and bacterialcommunities represented in Chardonnay must sam-ples. However, the Cabernet Sauvignon samples ex-hibited strong regional patterns for fungal communi-ties but only weak patterns for bacterial communities.

Further tests showed that the bacterial and fungal pat-terns followed a geographical axis running north-south and roughly parallel to the California coastline,suggesting that microbial patterns are influenced byenvironmental factors.

Taken together, these and other results from the studyreveal patterns of regional distributions of the micro-bial communities across large geographical scales, thestudy co-authors reported.

They noted that it appears that growing regions can bedistinguished based on the abundance of several keygroups of fungi and bacteria, and that these regionalfeatures have obvious consequences for both grape-vine management and wine quality.

Collaborating with Mills were graduate studentNicholas Bokulich of the UC Davis Department ofViticulture and Enology; John Thorngate of Constel-lation Brands Inc.; and Paul Richardson, CEO ofMicroTrek Inc., a company founded to provide micro-bial mapping services to help vintners understand thisphenomenon.

Constellation Brands Inc. provided in-kind supportfor the study through sample and metadata collection.

Funding for the study was provided, in part, by theAmerican Wine Society Educational Foundation En-dowment Fund, the American Society of BrewingChemists Foundation and the Wine Spectator.

Media contact(s):

David Mills, Viticulture and Enology, (530) 754-7821,damills@ucdavis.edu

Unseen microbial communities on wine grapes areshaped by the environment and may help improve wineflavor and quality.

It’s widely accepted that terroir — the unique blend of avineyard’s soils, water and climate — sculpts the flavorand quality of wine. Now a new study led by UC Davisresearchers offers evidence that grapes and the winesthey produce are also the product of an unseen but fairlypredictable microbial terroir, itself shaped by the cli-mate and geography of the region, vineyard and evenindividual vine.

Results from DNA sequencing revealed that there arepatterns in the fungal and bacterial communities thatinhabit the surface of wine grapes, and these patternsare influenced by vineyard environmental conditions.The findings appear online this week in the Early Edi-tion of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sci-ences.

“The study results represent a real paradigm shift in ourunderstanding of grape and wine production, as well asother food and agricultural systems in which microbialcommunities impact the qualities of the fresh or proc-essed products,” said Professor David Mills, a microbi-ologist in the Department of Viticulture and Enologyand Department of Food Science and Technology.

He noted that further studies are needed to determinewhether these variations in the microbial communitiesthat inhabit the surface of the grapes eventually producedetectable differences in the flavor, aroma and otherchemically linked sensory properties of wines.

The study co-authors suggest that by gaining a betterunderstanding of microbial terroir, growers and vintnersmay be able to better plan how to manage their vine-yards and customize wine production to achieve optimalwine quality.

Sequencing grape microbes

To examine the microbial terroir, the researchers col-lected 273 samples of grape “must” — the pulpy mix-ture of juice, skins and seeds from freshly crushed, de-stemmed wine grapes.

The must samples were collected right after crushingand mixing from wineries throughout California’s wine-grape growing regions during two separate vintages.Each sample, containing grapes from a specific vine-yard block, was immediately frozen for analysis.

Sequencing Study Lifts Veil on Wine’s Microbial TerroirNovember 25, 2013

Page 6

Uncorked

For the Wine Enthusiast

Wine Pairing Tips

Having knowledge of ways to properly pairwine with your food can truly intensify theenjoyment of eating. It doesn’t get muchbetter than sea bass with Sauvignon Blanc,duck breast with Burgundy and a juicysteak with a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, sohere are some pairing tips that promise tomake your next dish sing:

How Food and Wine Pairings Work

Wine flavors are derived from specificcomponents: sugar, acid, fruit, tannin andalcohol. Foods also have flavor compo-nents, such as fat, acid, salt, sugar and bit-ter. The most successful food and winepairings feature complementary compo-nents, richness and textures.

You can try for either a similar pairing or acontrasting one. For pasta in a rich creamsauce, for example, you could cut throughthe creamy fat with a crisp, dry, un-oakedwhite wine. Or you could wrap the flavor ofthe wine around the richness of the sauceby choosing a big, ripe, soft chardonnay orroussanne/marsanne blend.

You should brush up on white wine and redwine basics to understand the flavors ofeach grape. Armed with the knowledge ofgrape varieties, you can follow these foodelements for a perfect match:

6 Elements of Food and Wine Pairing

There are a few elements that make bothred wine and white wine pairings work, andthey’re derived from characteristics of thefood and how they mingle with those of thewine. These are: fat, acid, salt, sweetness,bitterness and texture.

Fat Element

A lot of our favorite foods, both meatand dairy products, have high levels offat. Wine doesn't contain fat, so whenmatching a wine with fatty foods, re-member that it has to balance that fatwith acid, cut it with tannin, or matchits richness with alcohol.

This is why a prime cut of steaktastes so good with a cabernet-basedwine; the beef’s protein and fat sof-tens up the wine’s mouth-drying tan-nins. This sets up the tongue for thewine’s fruit and berries and forestflavors to complement the smoky,meaty flavors of the steak.

Acid Element

Acid is another key element in bothfood and wine. In wine, it addsnerve, freshness and lift. It can do thesame with food, as when lemon issqueezed on a fresh piece of fish.When looking for a wine to go withan acidic dish, you should make surethat the perceived acidity of the wineis at least equal to that of the food, orthe wine will taste bland and washedout.

Salads are often a challenge for winematching, but you can make it workif you moderate the acid in the dress-ing by cutting back on the lemonjuice or vinegar. Try using sometangy, bitter greens and offset themwith herbal flavors from sauvignonblanc or semillon.

Salt Element

Salty foods seem to limit your winechoices. Salt can make an oaky char-donnay taste weird, strip the fruitright out of a red wine and turn highalcohol wines bitter. But with a bit ofimagination, you can conjure upsome remarkable combinations ofsalty foods and sweet wines. Bleucheese and Sauternes is another oneof the world’s classic food and winecombos.

Sparkling wines are a homerun withsalty, fried foods. The carbonationand yeasty acids emulate beer andclean the salt from your palate, whileadding more interesting textures andflavor nuances. Salt is also a princi-pal flavor in briny seafood such as

Source: Wine Enthusiast magazine

Placer Wine Trail:

Valentines, Sweet

Treats & Trivia

February 15, 2014

11:00am—5:00pm

19 wineries will be

hosting. Event includes

wine tasting, sweets and

treats tasting, sourvenir

wine glass, and a special

romantic trivia game at

each participation winery!

$15 per person or

$25 for two

Pick up Wine Trail

Booklet with map at the

Placer County Visitor

Bureau, 1103 High

Street, Auburn, CA

95603

Page 7

February 2014

For the Wine Enthusiast

oysters. Acidic wines clean out the salt and balance therich ocean flavors of the oyster.

Sweetness Element

Sweet desserts and other sugary foods seem easy—justpull out a sweet wine—but beware. Here’s where a rulereally needs to be observed.

There are degrees of sweetness. Some recipes will havejust a hint of sugar, such as a fruit sauce served over apork loin. This light, fruity sweetness can be matchedvery well with rich white wines such as chardonnay.Higher alcohol tends to give an impression of sweet-ness, and balances the sugar in the sauce.

With desserts you must be certain that the wine tastessweeter than the dessert; otherwise the dessert will stripthe wine of its sweetness and render it bitter or tart.Though red wine and chocolate is a combination oftenpromoted by the wine industry,you have to be very careful aboutit. Use a bitter, dark chocolate anda red wine with some sweetness,such as a late harvest zinfandel,and it can be quite wonderful. Buta sweet chocolate dessert and adry red? Terrible!

Bitterness Element

What about bitter flavors? In somecultures, bitter flavors are prized,but most of the time they are to beavoided. Anything more than justa hint is likely to be perceived asunpleasant. In wine, bitternessusually results from unripe grapes,or a failure to get the stems andpips (seeds) out of the fermentingtank, or mismanaged barrels.When bitterness in wine meetsbitterness in food, it acts the oppo-site of sugar. One does not cancelout the other; they merely com-bine.

Wine Pairing Tips, cont.

Red Wine PairingsNeed a place to start? Here are some great combinations:

Zinfandel and Steak Frites

Primitivo with Baked Rigatoni withEggplant and Sausage

Cabernet Franc with Wild Rice Salad with Mushrooms

Beaujolais with Lamb Shanks and Olives

Cabernet with Slow-Cooked Rack of Lamb

Syrah with Penne with Bacon, Swiss Chard, JackCheese and Pecans

Merlot with Roast Duckling with Merlot-Chocolate Sauceand Roasted Beets

Pinot Noir with Portobello and Red Pepper Burgers

Pinot Noir with Grilled Salmon with Olive Butter and Orzo

Chianti with Roasted Asparagus with AcetoBalsamico

Red Burgundy with Duck Breast withCaramelized Apples

Bon Appetit!

Texture Element

As for matching textures, think light and heavy.Light foods are best with light wines; heavy foodswith heavy wines. That’s the safest way to go aboutit. A more adventurous path is to experiment withcontrast: matching light foods to heavy wines andvice versa. This will require more testing, to keepthe tension dynamic and avoid having the lighterflavors over-shadowed by the heavy ones.

For every rule of wine pairing there is, you will often

find just as many dissenters. However, the most impor-

tant rule of all is to trust your own palate and enjoy!

Page 8

Uncorked

2013 Harvest Gala

Good Wine! Good Friends! Good Fun!

Page 9

2013 Harvest Gala

Be Sure To Join Us At This Year’s Event!

Friday, November 7, 2014—Catta Verdera Country Club