http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/ The Wine Technology Blog en Copyright 2010 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:35:30 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Clark: What can one stand to gain by making multivintage/nonvintage blends? What are the pitfalls and drawbacks of multivintage/nonvintage blends? Arthur Z. Przebinda Founder and Publisher redwinebuzz.com Arthur: The truth? Let me get on my hobbyhorse. Removing the constraint of vintage purity gives the winemaker more freedom to blend for consistency, complexity and balance. Thus non-vintage wines are without exception a superior product and a better deal for the consumer. http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/01/vintage_schmintage.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/01/vintage_schmintage.html Filthy Commerce Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:35:30 -0800 Hi I'm not sure this is the right place to ask this question but ive spent weeks researching with little results; I make wine, for myself not as a business, and now i know that filtration can be looked down upon, and I personally dont require it for my wine, however the woman I intend to marry has an slight intollerance to yeast and can only drink wines filtered to a kosher degree (i know its .4 something microns right?) and she Loves wine, especially my wine, so i would like to filter half of all my batches(or all if im as pleased after filtration as i was before) for her to be able to enjoy it; would you happen to know of a relatively cheap($100-150 initial investment) filtration method for home use that would produce kosher (yeast free) wine? I'd heard that forcing it through some under the sink water filters that go to the right micron size can work-having the right micron size filter-? Thanks in advance for your time, if you cant answer my entire question maybe you can tell me what exact size/micron filter im looking for to remove yeast? Enraged Poet http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/01/home_clarification.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2010/01/home_clarification.html Winemaking Fundamentals Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:14:51 -0800 Clark, I have a technical question about my wine list that I hope you can help me with. A winemaker says he does not spray any chemicals on his grapes and says he is "natural without compromises". But he uses copper and sulphur, as well as treatments based on propolis. So I'm not sure if he would be organic or natural or sustainable. Can you give me some guidance? He's in Italy, not the US by the way. Thanks, Michael http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/10/organic_natural_or_sustainable.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/10/organic_natural_or_sustainable.html Natural Winemaking Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:20:43 -0800 two minute video which captures the essence of wine's distribution network in the U.S. as it malfunctions in a down economy. Also the funniest video I ever saw. The simple truth of this situation explains why the channels of access for the 150,000+ wines on the market need to go beyond the 2,000 shelf positions in even a very large store. The system is choked with crap. No wonder pundits complain about sameness. But the enemy isn't technology -- it's the distribution system. These people simply aren't tasting what's out there. There are more great, distinctive American wines available to day than ever before in history; literally a hundred times as many as in 1975, But the internet is your only access to them. To provide guidance through that fascinating but daunting maze is why I started charting the AVA's at AppellationAmerica.com. Despite its problems, the Best-Of-Appellation process continues, now self-sustaining. Yours for a buck a week.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/09/three_tier_system_in_a_nutshel.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/09/three_tier_system_in_a_nutshel.html Filthy Commerce Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:12:49 -0800 Faux Chablis just sends me. You say it's yeast autolysis. I've stirred a lot of yeast, but I never got THAT! Is there a secret combination of elements? Or maybe I didn't stir often enough long enough? Mark: Thanks for the nice comments on the Faux. We're trying to show two things in this wine. One is that California Chardonnay doesn't need to be an oaky, toasty butterbomb -- blame the winemaker, not the terroir. This wine shows the distinctive lemon oil character because the alcohol isn't very high (12.9%), lowered from 14.8% original at dryness to a sweet spot. A high degree of ripeness is essential, just in Chablis, to get this character, but in CA wines it hides beneath the alcohol, and we have to adjust it. In Chablis, this isn't necessary. Instead they adjust the alcohol UP with beet sugar to make up for the dilution from rain.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/lees_character.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/lees_character.html Postmodern Winemaking Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:45:26 -0800 In my consulting work, I see all too often the all-powerful winemaker lording his position over the defenseless grower in order to impress his clueless owner-boss, forcing half the crop to be dropped from perfectly balanced vines and resulting in shitty quality. It's positively feudal! What's really missing is a spirit of cooperation between growers and wineries -- what's good for each is good for all. The grower is the guy who shows up in the vineyard every morning, thus a resource worth cultivating. This isn't 1970. More and more, the good growers are coming to understand wine quality concerns and to be in a better position to make the vine balance call than the winemaker, particularly if his experience is in another climate. http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/yield_to_oncoming_traffic_grow.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/yield_to_oncoming_traffic_grow.html Postmodern Winemaking Scoring the Sublime Winemaking Fundamentals Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:18:38 -0800 7th annual symposium of PS I Love You, featuring a wide variety of interesting speakers including a presentation on the Petite Sirah Heritage Block which is being created as part of the extensive UC Davis Vit and Eno Dept. makeover, which will include eight clones of Petite Sirah, four of its mother Peloursin, and hopefully a clone or two of its father, Syrah. The PS’s will be referred to as Durif, paying homage to the French nurseryman who apparently made the original crosses by fertilizing Peloursin flowers with Syrah pollen, planting the seeds and making selections from the resulting plants. Sounds scientifically kosher, but there are problems. ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/dont_call_it_durif.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/08/dont_call_it_durif.html Scoring the Sublime Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:26:13 -0800 the wines I bought. When I opened the case, i was a little nonplussed to see 03 and 05 Chard. i wasn't worried about the old (96?) CF, and I gave it to a friend, anyway. As a valued gift, not to dump it. 05 Penny Farthing CH; I am one of the few who drink old Chard, and understand it. The wine is still there, but on its last gasp. i don't think most people would understand it or like it. My advice is to quit shipping it, even though the 6-pak price is reasonable. Now, for the 03 Faux Chablis- fuck, it was wonderful. Certainly not a young wine, but totally alive. where does the smoke come from- heavy toast bbls? We had it with some very good Washington Blue Points, and it was superb! I don't remember having a Chablis with that smoky oak taste, it was more like a high end Graves in that respect, but it definitely had the cool mineral thing and the pure Chardonnay fruit of Chablis. Why did the Penny Farthing crapout but the older Faux maintain? ML? Vineyard (terroir)? Fuckin A, i want a case of that shit. 02 Syrah- dude, what can i say? When i was trying to figure out what to plant on my dad's lousy three acres in Coombsville, back in 1990, i drank a lot of Syrah, and decided to go with it. they were really consistently good, interesting, diverse. now, Syrah sucks. I remember the ojai, Edmunds St John, alban, Orion,Jade Mtn, and Qupe- captivating, idiosyncratic, unique, interesting. So, I planted Syrah. Now, the variety has expanded exponentially, but it's all banal, mediocre, boring shit. Even the good apellations make boring, overripe, jammy, hot, shit. And Monterey makes V8 cocktail. What happened? So, after my orgasmic moment with the Roman Syrah you brought to Long Beach ( or Riverside?) a coupla years ago, I felt bereft. The o2 Syrah renewed my faith. I want more. I am finally going to France, staying in Avignon for 2 weeks, and you bet I'm hitting Cote Roti and hermitage. I want to buy more of your Syrah, but it's not on the website. What are my options? sincerely, mark. PS thanks for being so nice to my buddy, Frank, at the Long Beach dinner at DaVinci's. He's not part of this wine geek world, and he really enjoyed being down our little rabbit hole for an evening. ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/07/feedback_on_ageworthiness.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/07/feedback_on_ageworthiness.html Postmodern Winemaking Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:19:45 -0800 There is much discussion on the net concerning Appellation America's decision (really their only option) to go to a $50 per year subscription for the many services it has provided for free for the last six years -- free to the public but extremely costly to its long-suffering investors. This amazing site, which contains many hundreds of articles and videos exploring the 300+ AVA's in North America, the grapes they grow, and as complete a reference as one could wish to the continent's 5,000 wineries and the wines they offer. Failing to find an alternative method to stay alive (advertising rates are hopeless in such a specialized area), the site is gambling that 10% of its monthly traffic will think enough of the site to help support it. I'd like to share below a correspondence which many readers may find reflects their own feelings on the subject. http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/07/appellation_america_goes_subsc.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/07/appellation_america_goes_subsc.html Filthy Commerce Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:25:40 -0800 Clark, I am visiting burgundy and though my tastings have been limited I have observed that given comparable levels of 'new oak' and the same cooperage the red burgundies seem to show 'oaky' characters less than our Pinot's in Oregon. I posted on my Blog ( www.vintnersvoice.com ) my initial thoughts: 1). The relationship between cooper and burgundian producers being 'closer' than that found with oregon producers leads to a 'closer matching' of the barrel to the wine 2). The coopers keep the better wood for the burgundian producers. However after some thinking inspired by Arthur at www.winesooth.com I began thinking about differences in tannic structure. My question: Is it possible that the tannic structure of the red burgundies, generally speaking, allow the 'oaky' characters to be better integrated? I arrived at this possible solution to the problem while considering some of your thoughts on aromatics being integrated into tannic structure. Given the close relationship of smell and taste I don't think it is a stretch to say that tannic structure could also integrate flavors as well. I have also observed that the producers I am and basing my observations on tend to be less extractive ( less manipulation of the cap during fermentation ) leading to my second question: Is difference in integration of 'oaky' characters and tannin structures the result of where the grapes are grown or how must/wine is handled? What aspects of winemaking ( extraction, elevage etc ) might be manipulated to alter tannic structure in a way that better integrates oak? I am very interested in your thoughts on this. Thanks, Jerry D. Murray Winemaker/Vineyard Manager Patton Valley Vineyards Dear Jerry: http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/02/oak_integration_in_burgundy.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2009/02/oak_integration_in_burgundy.html Postmodern Winemaking Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:30:21 -0800 The Crossflow Manifesto in 2001. This is a sequel to The Crossflow Comix which readers may also enjoy as a brief but hillarious history of membranes in the wine industry.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/12/crossflow_pros_and_cons.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/12/crossflow_pros_and_cons.html Postmodern Winemaking Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:50:16 -0800 PSs. -Patrick ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/pinot_noir_color.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/pinot_noir_color.html Postmodern Winemaking Showcasing GrapeCraft Winemaking Fundamentals Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:40:45 -0800 Vino Exchange at Enobytes.com. It will be a free form, multi-topic discussion where I take questions on any subject. I’ll field questions on wine technology from my usual shy perspective. I’ll also discuss my recent decision to license out the Vinovation service business and devote myself to characterizing and chronicling for Appellation America all 307 U.S. and Canadian appellations. Thus we will be able to discuss what regional diversity I’m encountering and the factors that cause wines to express themselves differently in different regions. Readers should feel free to log on and observe or contribute. Come help make it interesting! ]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/interactive_forum_at_vino_exch.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/interactive_forum_at_vino_exch.html Alcohol Adjustment Natural Winemaking Postmodern Winemaking Scoring the Sublime Terroir Wine and Music Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:38:55 -0800 characterizing the varietal's diversity, and the other speculating on its sources. Please check them out.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/sources_of_regional_diversity.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/sources_of_regional_diversity.html Terroir Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:46:47 -0800 Petite Sirah. There are two articles -- one popular, outlining the regional diversity we encountered in our tastings, and one more theoretical which speculates on the sources of regional diversity in the grape, and I believe offers useful framing of that discussion for other varietals.]]> http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/petite_sirah_unmasked.html http://www.grapecrafter.com/grapecrafter/2008/11/petite_sirah_unmasked.html Postmodern Winemaking Scoring the Sublime Terroir Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:14:27 -0800