http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/ The Wine Technology Blog en Copyright 2010 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:48:21 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Wines and Vines column covers this frustrating but fascinating third rail of wine reviewing. ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/11/speculations_on_minerality.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/11/speculations_on_minerality.html Postmodern Winemaking Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:48:21 -0800 annoying wine words, to wit: 1) Unctuous 2) Confident 3) Serious 4) Cacophony 5) The finish lasted X seconds Don't know their quarrel with "unctuous," as there are certainly oily wines -- it's basically the point of Vognier. Can't say I've ever heard a wine described as confident, but a well-integrated wine, like a good painting or musical composition, can be said to have a good sense of itself. It is not unreasonable to speak of aroma notes, which are entirely analogous to sounds, as disharmonious or cacaphonious -- this is an artifact of pour structure and lack of aromatic integration of which I have spoken frequently. The length of a finish seems a reasonable thing to estimate.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/annoying_article_about_wine_wr.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/annoying_article_about_wine_wr.html Scoring the Sublime Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:43:56 -0800 Clark The 09 is in barrels. I've not had the nerve to taste it for a long time. It's the one we did without adding sulphites. What is the projected course of events, i.e. how long should it stay in barrels, and thereafter how soon should it be bottled? From the wine structure I guessed it would be a "2 to 3 year" barrel wine, but I've not done an so2 free wine before, so maybe it should reduce to 18 months? Cheers Edmund http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/when_to_bottle_sulfitefree_cab.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/when_to_bottle_sulfitefree_cab.html Natural Winemaking Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:54:19 -0800 Clark: Some time back (2007?) I remember listening to a show on NPR about the relationships between wine and music. I was intrigued by the idea – as a musician I have always felt that music affects many things. Since I was planning a party I decided to conduct an experiment at the party and having people write down their impressions of wine at various points after listening to a specific track. It was not very scientific, and the results were not conclusive, but the party was a huge hit resulting in us having to kick people out in the small hours because they would not leave on their own. I find the whole idea fascinating (not to mention a great excuse to drink wine and listen to great music). I haven’t heard much about it since then and was wondering whether you have taken this analysis any further. If so I would love to know what the next steps are for this idea. Thanks for coming up with such an innovative concept! Barry http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/how_to_pair_wine_and_music.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/10/how_to_pair_wine_and_music.html Wine and Music Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:37:08 -0800 A Sad Day for Wine, A Sad Day for Science" articulates one side of the debate, and there is lively and civil discussion in the comments, including some by yours truly. Recommended reading.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/08/science_and_politics.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/08/science_and_politics.html Social Responsibility Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:57:49 -0800 lively discussion debunking biodynamics on his blog. My contribution:]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/science_vs_biodynamics.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/science_vs_biodynamics.html Natural Winemaking Natural Winemaking Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:49:03 -0800 Clark- can you elaborate on the following text from your TONG paper? Specifically, the relationship between "active tannins and sulfides"? Also, what do you mean by "field oxidation"? "Alcohol adjustment enabled California winemakers to achieve full ripeness, but that resulted in new problems. Ripe musts full of well-extracted, active tannins produce stinky sulfides. These unpleasant but transitory compounds are a sign of healthy life energy, but they are disconcerting to the novice winemaker and require a new skill set. Instead, reductive behavior in highly concentrated wines like Cabernet and Syrah has prompted many winemakers to drive the life energy out of their grapes by excessive hangtime and field oxidation." Thanks, Ken http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/field_oxidation.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/field_oxidation.html Postmodern Winemaking Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:02:07 -0800 Jancis Robinson's blog commenting on her article about Canadian wines. It's among the funniest things I ever heard.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/jesus_saves_pei_vineyards.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/06/jesus_saves_pei_vineyards.html Humor Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:43:11 -0800 wine.woot this week. Recommended reading.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/minerality_discussion.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/minerality_discussion.html Postmodern Winemaking Terroir Thu, 20 May 2010 07:05:35 -0800 discussion on Snooth.com about Parker's closing his site. I like this discussion centered around costs and value. A public posting board is like a public park, and it is easier to maintain than a building with sticks and bricks and a staff. ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/sympathy_for_the_devil_1.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/sympathy_for_the_devil_1.html Filthy Commerce Sat, 08 May 2010 14:07:53 -0800 recent article interviewing my great friend Randall Grahm. It's not your typical RG article, and if you are a winemaker yourself, it contains much food for thought to ponder your relationship with the public and perhaps with your Marketing Department. I have been writing this column for Wines and Vines on Postmodern Winemaking since January, and the previous articles are now posted. I strongly recommend the whole series to lovers of this blog, starting with January's column, The Solution Problem: Overcoming Enology.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/california_dreamer_in_search_o.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/05/california_dreamer_in_search_o.html Natural Winemaking Sat, 08 May 2010 12:56:06 -0800 What serendipity. Jo Diaz had cooked up on her own an idea about pairing the jazz piano and bluesy vocals of Alacia Van with a pile of Petite Sirahs, and invited me along without any notion of the work I’ve done on the subject. It was her notion that we could pair each of the 15 wines with a different selection. I told her this wasn’t likely to work. Either we would see no good pairings at all, or there would be groups of emotional modalities which would cluster around one song or another. http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/petite_sirahs_and_jazz.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/petite_sirahs_and_jazz.html Wine and Music Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:16:33 -0800 Jo and Jose Diaz of PS I Love You and well recounted by Ken Paxton's Reign of Terroir. My own account has been delayed by the necessity of a redeye flight to Charlotte immediately thereafter and a combination of intensely working the market and being jetlagged out of my mind ever since. Still, with the others blogging, I should at least give you the link from here to my research on wine and music, with a followup report on this fascinating day promised shortly.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/wine_and_music_day_at_hess_col.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/wine_and_music_day_at_hess_col.html Wine and Music Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:14:45 -0800 judge unreliability and on the inconsistency of awards in 13 U.S. wine competitions have created a well-deserved scandal surrounding the inconsistency of wine competitions in awarding medals. To explore the notion that competitions could be more effective if judges are given target profiles, this year’s Riverside International Wine Competition has agreed to allow me to conduct an experiment in the Petite Sirah category with regionally based style profiles provided to the judges. For more on this story, check out (and contribute to) Jo Diaz' blog on the subject.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/riwc_agrees_to_experiment_with.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/04/riwc_agrees_to_experiment_with.html Scoring the Sublime Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:07:49 -0800 When I teach, I like to ask for responses from the class, to get them thinking actively. This doesn’t always go so well, but the one query they never have trouble with is “What’s the Prime Directive for white wine?” “Fresh.” They get it every time. Yet wine can be and often is too fresh. Even the most flowery, delicate sauvignon blanc needs a little time to emerge. And I defy anyone to show me a rosé that isn’t better in year two than in year one – I include White Zin in this. http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/03/dont_get_fresh_with_me.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/03/dont_get_fresh_with_me.html Scoring the Sublime Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:40:51 -0800