Bad wine is a headache!

Some wine is made from a formula.  It's a chemistry project to get the numbers just right.  Then, you get the "Budweiser" of wine...the same every year....boring!!

 The authentic wine experience is from smaller wineries that don't have to meet budget goals, but rather simply translate the bounty of the vineyard into a work of the vintners skill.

Thankfully here in the Dry Cree\k Valley AVA, many of our wineries are getting it right.  As the saying goes: Good wine is made from Good Grapes.  The job of the winemaker is not to screw it up.  Mother Nature gives us different grapes every year.  The premium winieries don't try to appolgize for this by masking flaws with chemicals.

The time to make adjustments is in the vineyard.  If you are successful farmer then you can make great wine.

Bad wine is a headache!

Some wine is made from a formula.  It's a chemistry project to get the numbers just right.  Then, you get the "Budweiser" of wine...the same every year....boring!!

 The authentic wine experience is from smaller wineries that don't have to meet budget goals, but rather simply translate the bounty of the vineyard into a work of the vintners skill.

Thankfully here in the Dry Cree\k Valley AVA, many of our wineries are getting it right.  As the saying goes: Good wine is made from Good Grapes.  The job of the winemaker is not to screw it up.  Mother Nature gives us different grapes every year.  The premium winieries don't try to appolgize for this by masking flaws with chemicals.

The time to make adjustments is in the vineyard.  If you are successful farmer then you can make great wine.

Machine vs. Man

Harvest is winding up here in the Dry Creek Valley AVA.  It's been a good year! 

You may wonder how all those grapes are harvested.  There are two choices: by hand or by machine.  The choice often comes down to what kind of wine you are making.

Most premium wines are hand harvested, giving much more control over just which grapes end up in the fermentation tank.  Often a grape vine will have grapes in various states of ripeness, some berries can still be un-ripened while others may have "raisined" and be shriveled.  A skilled harvester can pick the best and leave the rest behind.

Not so with a machine harvester which shakes the grapes off the vine taking whatever falls off.  The winery could have staff that sorts through it all, but that is costly and time consuming. 

Given all this, you can expect that you get a better quality harvest from hand-picking vs. machine.  And better grapes mean better wine.

France for Spring 2017

Many of our local Dry Creek Valley wines have their origin in France, and specifically, the Rhone.  There, the Syrah grape rules in the Northern area and the Grenache shines in the South Rhone.

I am offering to guide a group of wine enthusiasts that are interested in exploring the Rhone wine region of France.  This will be the second visit to the area, the first being a visual experience as we spend along in the TGV (the speed train) and a day in Chateauneuf du Pape.  I am anxious to return for a detailed look at the area.

The dates are open.  Ideally the week long visit would be in the Spring of 2017.  Contact me thru my website for more details.

Tiny Bubbles

Wine can truly be called "phenomenal"!  While most of us know this simply by enjoying a nice glass of wine, the fact is that we are made aware of just how delicious that wine is by the phenolic experience it provides.

Well, that's a mouth full (pun intended).  In a word, the grape contains many flavor compounds that our noses can sense.  It is these chemical compounds known as phenols that create the magic in wine.

As most of these chemicals exist in the skin (up to 300 different compounds) it follows that red wine contains more "flavor" than white wines that are not fermented with the skins. 

These "tiny bubbles" are what we smell when we swirl and sniff our wine, and why the use of our nose is paramount in the enjoyment of wine.

Update from the Vineyard

Take a good look at this photo.  Notice the leaves on the ground?  Have you ever wondered why they do this?

This activity in the vineyard is called "canopy management" and serves many purposes as explained in this quote: "The purpose of leaf removal is to open up the interior of the canopy to light and air to help promote fruit ripening, reduce disease pressure and increase spray coverage. If conducted correctly, the benefits to grape quality can be dramatic as exposure can enhance fruit and wine flavor, color and wine texture."

The point of all this is to produce the tastiest grapes from that vine.  When water is plentiful the vines make more leaves, but we don't want that.  If the vines are happily making leaves they are neglecting their fruit.  By pruning the extra canopy growth the vineyard manager is forcing the vines to get serious about the grapes which is all about improving the taste!

Why Wine Makes Us Happy

While a bit of alcohol can make us "happy",  the real mystery of wine is that it is in the aromas that wine gives off that the true experience of wine comes thru. 

Grape skins contain hundreds of compounds (phenols) that mimic many aromas found in Nature.  Wine then becomes a complex memory recall beverage.

For instance, many of us have a sensory memory of walking along a country road and eating black berries off the bush.  Yum!  So when I "get" black berries aromas in wine, I get a smile on my face.  I have made a connection between my own experiences in Nature and the wine I am tasting today.  Now if you add in some good friends and a beautiful setting (Say, on one of my wine tours!) you are making another great memory.

Finally, when you have a chance to taste that wine you just had at a latter date, you create a circle of happy memories.  Moral of the story is to listen to your past while in the present with your wine so you can find better times in the future.

Relax, it's only Wine

Really!  Lighten up!  Wine can just be fun.  The day you trust your own taste buds and not worry what the "experts" tell you what to drink, is the day Wine becomes a playful thing.

Thankfully wine tasting is a subjective activity.  You "get" blackberries in your taste and your friend "gets" cherries.  Guess what, you're both right!  Isn't that a relief?!

Many wineries these days advertise the various "scores" they get for their wines.  "95 points Pinot Noir."  I would warn against putting too much stock in these numbers.  First of all, these numbers are meant as advertising in that they want you to buy the wines with great numbers.  The problem is that these reviews are one person's take on that wine and not meant as gospel.  They have their opition and you have yours...you're both right.

I'd rather not know if a wine is a "95" and let me discover its worth to my own taste buds without the "suggestion" that this has to be a great wine.  Always start with an even playing field.

The Eight S's of Wine Tasting

 The best advice I can give about wine tasting is to SLOW DOWN.  Savor the experience.  This is a time to really explore your wines.

Let's start with "S" #1: Setting.  Whether your at home or out at a winery, the setting helps set the mood of your tastings.  Remember your mood and mind are very important to your tasting experience.

Start your tasting by looking at the color and texture of the wine.  That's "S" #2: Sight.  Admire the color by looking thru the wine with a white background.

Next you want to give some air to the wine. ( Assuming we're tasting a younger wine) This is "S" #3: Swirl.  The idea is a thin layer of wine up the side of the glass.  Swirl not Shake!

Now let's get our noses inside the bowl of the wine glass and enjoy the aromas that our swirling created.  Slow down.  Just relax and enjoy.  This is "S" #4: Smell

Time to take a Sip; "S" #5.   Don't drink the wine...let it sit on your tongue.  You can even Slosh it around; "S" #6.

Finally, you can opt to Swallow; "S" #7.  But don't rush on to the next taste.  Apply "S" #8 and Savor your taste.  You may get more "information" after you have swallowed the wine.

Does your wine have a fever?

We've come a long way here in the USA with our wine culture.  We had a lot of catching up to do after Prohibition was repealed in 1933.  There are still folks around who lived in a "dry" nation!

Needless to say, we have some ground to cover to get up to speed in the enjoyment and understanding of wine.  Thankfully these days the wine selection has greatly improved.  The days of jug wines are surpassed by quality bottled wines.

Yet there is still a lack of knowledge on the proper serving temperatures of wines.  Believe me, it is vital to serve your wines within a given range, outside these temperatures and your wine suffers.  Paying attention to your wine's temperature will improve your enjoyment.

One example is wine from the refrigerator!  Wrong.  If you want something cold have some ice water. Serving your wine too cold mutes all the wonderful aromas and flavors of the wine.  In wine geek talk: a flabby wine.  A nice white Chardonnay should be served at 48°....that's not a frig temp.

What's an AVA?

These days you don't visit "wine country" you explore an AVA (American Viticultural Area.)  So what's the big deal with knowing which AVA you happen to be tasting wine in?

It really goes to the heart of the matter, or should I say "terrior", of where the grapes are grown.  This French term is often used to describe the various factors that surround the vineyard in question, such as climate and soil. Over the millenniums  grape growers have learned what grapes do well in what environments.  An AVA usually features certain grapes that meet these guidelines.

All this means that as a consumer you can expect a certain level of excellence in the wines that are produced within the geographical boundaries of the AVA. 

Following this line of reason you can expect a good quality Pinot Noir from the cooler Russian River AVA than from the much warmer Dry Creek Valley AVA.  Bottom line is that if you are a Zinfandel fan you should head for Dry Creek Valley AVA where that grape does great things!

A Drop in the Bathtub....

Oh, how we've grown in the USA!  Was a time when a good dry wine was a hard sell in our country.  Truth is that we had a lot of catching up to do after (cringe!) Prohibition.

Back then we had spent years chocking down the home-made bathtub wines that were allowed under the law.  And you can bet that the sales of sugar went thru the roof.
So when Repeal came along the Nation just thought wine was supposed to be sweet.

Thankfully we are moving away from that notion and have a very good selection of not so sweet wines to choose from.  Yet we are still finding our way forward to discover where we do best here in the USA.  The debate over New World vs. Old World wine styles continues. 

The point is not to get stuck in your ideas about wine.  The fun part is exploring new horizons!

Vive la Difference!

The French would say: "Vive la Difference!"  In the wine world this takes on great significance.  The old saw goes: If everybody liked just one wine, there would be just one winery.

Living here in Sonoma County and the Dry Creek Valley area, the wine scene is definitely different than our neighbors to the East, Napa Valley.

The problem starts when you, the wine tourist, want to bring your preconceptions to the tasting bar.  The thing to remember is that wine relects its environment.  Meaning, in a blind tasting your wine will taste "different" depending on where you are. 

This is one of wine's little mysteries.  And that is why I encourage wine travel to experience wines of other regions.  If you try to force your "local palate" onto new wines, you are bound to be disappointed.   Avoid using the word "better", instead say different.  The bottom line is always: Do you like it!

The Shape I'm In!

First of all, relax.  If you happen to drink a Bordeaux in a Burgundy glass you are not going to die!

Like anything, people obsess over the details.  Too often this keeps the "nouveau buveur" or new drinker a bit nervous.  I say, let's get you hooked on good wine, then we'll talk stemware.  

And good stemware does make a difference.  If you think of wine more as an aroma you drink, than something to wet your whistle, then you can improve that experience with a wine glass designed for the wine you are enjoying.  Mostly the different shapes have to do with presenting the particular aroma of that varietal (grape) to your nose.  

All this is rather scientific, but again, relax...until you're making a living writing wine notes you can get by with three standard wine glasses: Red, White, and a Sparking flute.

Congratulations: It's a Bud!

Bud Break: Those magical words in the wine industry when our lovely little "soldiers" come back to life.  Think Conformation or Bar/Bat Mitzva... a big deal in the life of a wine grape.

Basically we are talking about the start of a new growing season from which, depending on the varietal, you can approximate the harvest date. 

Now the fact that it's already beginning here in the Dry Creek Valley AVA is a bit weird.  The big story here is waiting out the rest of the Winter (yes, it's still Winter here) and the treat of frost.  

Those young buds aren't crazy about frost!  "Death of a primary shoot usually results in subsequent development of a shoot from the secondary growing point."  Something growers really would rather avoid.  Like other farmers, wine growers spend these days hoping for the best.

Barrel Tasting: Predicting the Future!

The Wine Road's Barrel Tasting weekends are coming up!  Two weekends (Mar 5/6 & 12/13) are offered for the wine enthusiast to sample wine from the barrel.  Some wineries offer "futures" these weekends.

Barrel tasting is a good experience to better understand the stages that wine goes thru before it gets to your table.  The barrels are using to both impart their own flavors and to age the wine before bottling.  The winemaker spends a lot of time doing samples to mark the progress of the wine, and now you can give it a try.

When you get a chance to purchase future bottling of these wines, you can usually save some cash off the release price.  It does take practice to discern the "future" quality of the wine.  It's all part of the fun!!

In Vino Veritas

Wine can be a very serious business!  But not on my wine tours!  The best attitude for wine tasting is a sense of Adventure and Discovery.  Imagine you're out looking for a hidden treasure, which in my mind that's exactly what we do when we go wine tasting.

Our "job" while wine tasting is to find the wines we like and grab a bottle or two for later.  Wine is all about memories; past, present and future.  That day you had that bottle of Merlot with friends in the backyard will be a happy memory for your lifetime, so that each time you have a glass of Merlot you are conjuring up that good time.

The most important tool that you use while wine tasting are your own experiences.  Don't try to out guess yourself by putting unrealistic expectations on your tastings.  I say to just let the wine talk to you and learn to listen.  You will find more of the wines you love this way.

Wine is a Farm Product

Good wine starts in the vineyard.  Simple.  The better the grape; the better the wine.

It takes the entire seasonal cycle to produce that grape.  While Harvest gets most of the tourists' attention, it is just one phase in the life of the vine.  In February, here in the Dry Creek Valley AVA, the vines are enjoying a time to recharge their energy banks!

I took this photo yesterday, Feb 11, 2016.  The Sun was out and it was pleasantly warm.  In the background is a local landmark: Geyser Peak.  Notice the Olive Tree in the foreground.  Many of our local wineries are producing their own olive oil.  You can also notice the little puff of smoke...it being a "burn day" and the discarded grape canes from this years' pruning are being recycled. 

The life of the vineyard never stops.  Point is that it's always a good time to visit the wineries and vineyards of Dry Creek Valley!

Yes, Virgina, it rains it California

The wine grapes we are familiar with, vitis vinifera, had its origins in the high desert of the Middle East.  They're a desert plant.  They don't require tons of water.  As a matter of fact, many vineyards are, "dry farmed" without any inrrigation!

That doesn't meant they don't need water.  They rely on winter rains to soak into the ground so they can go looking for it.  Grape vines are the second deepest rooted plant on Earth.  If they are thirsty enough they'll dig down 30 feet!

The short story is that too much water makes for lazy grapes.  Lazy grapes don't taste great.  So growers know that if the vines are a bit "stressed" then they will produce taster grapes.

"We don't dry farm in order to save water," Leeds (a Rutherford grower) said. "If we thought we could have more productive or healthier vines, we'd water. Yes, we're concerned with the environment, but we make more flavorful grapes and more flavorful wine by farming organically and dry farming."

Zinfandel

Old Vine Zinfandel

Zinfandel.  It's a red wine grape with a long tradition here in the Dry Creek Valley AVA.  Now after years of speculating just where this mystery grape came from, DNA testing has located its homeland: Croatia!  You have to admire the European farmers that lugged this vine halfway across the globe to find a perfect location to grow the best Zin.

As a part of that tradition is the unique training of the vine called "head trained."  I call it the Afro of vines.  When you visit DCV you will notice many vineyards where the vines are not neatly trimmed on wires, but rather just gnarly stumps sprouting out of the fields.  These likely will be zinfandel vines.

Just so you don't think that the old-timers were just lazy, there are reasons that this style of pruning works with this vine.  It has a lot to do with how the grapes are shaded from the Sun.  Some of these vines have been running "wild" for over a hundred years!

Pack Your Bags

I've been in the wine tour biz long enough to know that most people chose the "High Season" to visit wine country.  Yet for someone like me that lives here, I can tell you that the magic never stops!


Wine comes from vineyards, after all, and they have a life of their own.  Simply put, you can't have a Harvest without a dormant season.  It takes a great effort to produce that lush fruit that we adore, and it doesn't come without a little rest and rehabilitation!

Personally, I enjoy the quiet days of Winter when my "little soldiers" stand bare in the fields.  The smell of the mustard assaults your scenes and takes you places far away.  The limos are all parked and the snakey back roads are all yours.

So do yourself and favor and plan your next visit to wine country during the "Off Season", you won't regret it!

A Nose by any other Name

From The Wine Spectator:
"Traditionally, “bouquet” is used to describe a wine’s aromas when the wine has aged in bottle and has begun to exhibit  “secondary” notes ."

Am I smelling an aroma or a bouquet?   And does it really matter?  My answer is that, no, it really doesn't matter what you call the scent of the wine you are sniffing.

However, I think it helps to make the distinction between a young newly released wine and an aged wine.  It's all a matter of what your mind is looking for.  In younger wines the flurry of aromas are still a more separate experience.  

Let me put it this way, when someone brings in a bunch of flowers into a room, the air is full of separate smells from the individual stems.  Pull one flower from the bunch and you get an aroma.
Stick your nose into the bunch and you get a bouquet.  After time, the surrounding air melds all those separate smells into one beautiful vapor.  A similar event takes place in the wine bottle as it ages, all the separate smells meld into a delightful whole.

Practically speaking then for the wine taster, knowing the age of the wine allows you to look for different qualities of aromas in the wine.  Hence, when you have a thirty year old "Cab" you don't look for distinct separate aromas, you enjoy the "bouquet."  

Wines That Taste Good

You may recall the Charley the Tuna ads from years ago.  I like to apply this Media Wisdom to my choice of wineries.

I am looking for wineries with wine that "tastes good" not wineries that "have good taste."  Personally, I look with a healthy dose of skepticism those wineries that try their best to impress you with their facade.  Beware fancy building offering mediocre wines.

Of course, it all comes down to actually tasting the wine, which rarely lies.  It just seems to me that I am often disappointed with wines from "fancy" wineries.

The upshot of all this is that the public often picks the wineries that they visit on the basis of how grand the property is.  I simply advise that great wine and great chateau don't always match.

I actually seek out my wineries in the very opposite way.  For me, the tiny little barn with barrels and equipment laying around holds more promise of outstanding wines than the sparkling marble tasting room bar.  The theory goes that without the pressure to impress with outward edifices the winery can focus on the wine.