Coulure
March 24, 2008
Hey could you tell me what grape shatter is please? - Jeanie in Beaumont, TX
Grape shatter which is known as Coulure in French happens when a grape cluster does not fully mature. This is due from either the grapevine’s flowers not getting pollinated or that the berries fell off soon after they formed.
Coulure is triggered by periods of cold, cloudy, rainy weather or very high out-of-season temperatures and the condition is manifested in Spring. Varietals with high proclivity to couloure are Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, and Muscat Ottonel. Other causes of coulure may be vineyard conditions and practices, pruning too early or too severely, excessively fertile soils or overuse of fertilizers, and improper selection of root stocks or clones.
Coulure can also cause irregular bunches of grapes which are less compact than normal. These bunches are more sensitive for diseases. The yield of a vine with coulure will decrease substantially and is what is meant by the term “poor fruit set.”
See, this is why you should always be grateful for that perfect bottle of wine. Think of all the poor, poor souls in the past who literally had their hopes and dreams for lush moments shattered. Drink solemnly in remembrance of their loss. Amen.
Pigeage
March 18, 2008
Does pigeage still exist today as a way of getting the juice out of wine? - Jonas in Asheville, NC
Pigeage is a term for the traditional stomping of grapes in open fermentation tanks. This was practiced long ago and there are even ancient sites still around where you find stone pits that were hewn from the ground for this very purpose.
And yes for small scale wine making, the grapes are sometimes crushed by pigeage where the vintner uses their feet like a homemade wine press. But with the advent of mechanical pressers, these are used instead to mass produce wine on a very large scale and to increase their overall output of wine per ton.
Even so, pressing is not always a necessary act of wine making. If the grapes can be crushed by pigeage, the vintner is able to acquire a considerable amount of juice which is called free-run juice. Typically this free-run juice is of a higher quality than what you would normally find with press juice.
But what a fun way to make a few bottles with your friends just by hoping around in a bucket and stomping away. Hopefully for your sake you, you and your friends have clean-uninfected feet. Cheers!!
Refrigerate Red Wine Safe?
March 14, 2008
Can you refrigerate red wine? - Gary in Omaha, NB
Yes you can Gary and it’s even best to refrigerate red wine before you begin drinking it. To really enjoy your bottle, most red wines should be at served close to room temperature 55 to 65ºF which translates to about 30 minutes in the fridge. The caveat is that the red wines that are high in tannins and full bodied reds need warmer temperatures that help to soften these tannins and develop the flavor and aromas.
But again, lighter bodied reds are enjoyed better at slightly lower temperatures. You see, the slightly colder temperature slows the evaporation of alcohol, improving the it overall and making the wine smoother. Don’t over chill red wine as this will make the tannins in the wine taste rough and bitter.
The quickest way to chill red wine is in an ice bath. Now if you aren’t quite up to the task of being a complete lush one night and just can’t finish that opened red wine. It’s perfectly fine to refrigerate red wine after opening for a couple of days and this will give you a bit more time to drink it.
The worst thing a fledgling wino such as yourself could do is waste a bottle of wine. So keep that in mind and do not disappoint the Wine Virgin with such sacrilege!! I just might have to get the whip.
Truth About Wine Tannins
March 6, 2008
Are wine tannins responsible for the puckard sensation you get from drinking really strong red wine? - Neve in St. George, UT
Wine tannins are a natural chemical that can be found in the stems and leaves of some fruits and yes, in particular some red wine grapes. Having a lot of tannins in wine can make it pretty difficult to drink. For this reason, some wines are typically held in a wine cellar until they mature unless you enjoy robbing the cradle of course.
During the aging process, the tannins break down and as a result of this process the flavor evolves from harsh to mellow and complex. This does not happen with all wines however. If a wine is merely tannic without a taste of fruit in its youth, it isn’t likely to become a thing of beauty with age. Balance is the key.
Modern wine makers do their best to minimize as much as possible the inclusion of tannins from the seeds by carefully crushing the grapes when extracting the juice. Pressing the grapes further results in press wine which is more tannic and is usually kept separately.
Also, it is possible that tannins in wine can occur from maturing it in oak or other types of wood casks that have a high tannin content. Yet tannins are not completely bad due to the protective function they yield by keeping oxidation from happening as a wine ages.
Since it’s obvious that you have a keen desire to “rob the cradle,” as winos such as myself say of drinking a young wine before its ready, this is the one case in which decanting wine and allowing it to aerate may help in softening the rough edges. Cheers!!
Wine Nose
March 4, 2008
Hello Wine Virgin, I would like to learn how to develop my wine nose. What do you suggest I do? - Matt in Nova Scotia, Canada
Wow, our first Canadian question… Matt, the first thing I would have to say in order to develop a good wine nose is simply sit back and relax. Try not to eating anything for two to three hours before you actually proceed with this process. Reason being is that the flavors from certain foods would interfere with you being able to fully appreciate the aromas and could possibly taint your first experience. What a horrible thing for a virgin.
Having a nose for wine makes the time spent well worth the effort and here is some information to help you get on your merry way. The nose or smell of a wine describes the perfume that is given off in the form of esters.
Esters are compounds produced by the reaction between acids and alcohol. This happens during the wine fermentation process and also as the wine ages. The contribution of esters to wine is an acetone smell that’s sweet and slightly fruity. Esters also contribute complexity to wine
Also, the nose is determined by the aromas and bouquets which are inherent to the wine itself. Aroma is the part of the smell derived from the grape such as a flowery nose. The bouquet comes from the aging of the wine in a cask or in a bottle e.g. a woody or nutty nose.
A wine virgin should judge the wine nose by sniffing the wine in an open glass. The nose of wine can range from very pronounced to moderate to subtle. A wine would lack nose if there was no discernible smell at all.
As a rule of thumb here are some guidelines for wines that have a nose which are pleasing: Fresh nose is a wine that is pleasant with a zesty charm. Flowery nose is a wine which is fragrant with an intense aroma of flowers that may have been involved during the wine fermentation process. A fruity nose is attractive and has a fresh quality with the smell of ripe grapes.
A fragrant wine nose is attractive and has a natural aroma while a spicy nose has a rich, herbal or spicy aroma. Clean nose is absence of unpleasant odors. Woody nose is a just as it sounds, a wine that has the scent of wood and finally a wine that has a yeasty nose can relate to how the wine was made, such as allowing the wine to remain on the wine lees which will give it certain hints of different flavors.
Now for wines with an unpleasant nose here are a few examples. A metallic nose is usually due or caused by metal contamination during wine-making or aging process. A moldy nose comes from the use of rotten grapes or stale, unclean casks or bottles.
Corky nose will give the faint smell of cork but not to be confused with corked wine. A sulfuric or matchstick nose has a similar smell of rotten eggs. An oxidized nose delivers a stale smell due to exposure to air and finally if wine has a vinegar like nose simply toss it due to it being unfit to drink.
Matt, follow these simple guide lines and let your nose show you the way. Cheers!!
Decanting Wine
March 3, 2008
How do you go about the process of decanting wine and does this relate to wine aeration? - Cassie in Fairbanks, AK
Cassie, you are right. Decanting wine does help with allowing it to breathe which is known as wine aeration or to aerate wine but the main focus is to actually help with removing the sediment that gets stirred up when you pour a glass. Long ago, before wines were routinely filtered, it was pretty common for wines that were poured from barrels and bottles to contain a fair amount of solid matter which is also known as wine lees.
When you decant wine, the process lets this sediment settle down to the bottom of the decanter and allows the wine to clear which of course affects the over all taste and experience. You can use a proper wine decanter but all you really need is a simple carafe together with a suitable source of light. A small candle will do or even small butane torch will suffice also.
First, remove the entire capsule from around the neck of the bottle. This is important as will you need to have a clear view into the neck of the bottle when you are pouring it into the decanter. This allows you to observe the sediment that is and you should position your light source in a way so that it is shining through the neck from behind.
With a smooth and steady action, pour the wine into the decanter. Don’t rush when decanting, take time to observe what you are doing so you avoid disturbing the sediment in the wine. Being patient allows you to see the arrowhead of this sediment moving into the neck of the bottle. Once you see begin to see this happen you should stop pouring.
If you have done this correctly you should have a full decanter of clear wine, with just half a glass or so of sediment-laden wine remaining. So basically you have accomplished two things being that you have helped clarify the wine while enabling it the wine aeration process to occur. There you go Cassie, enjoy and remember to have a few glasses for me.
Cheese for Wine that Will not Make You Gag
February 26, 2008
I’m having a dinner party later this week and I have some wine questions about what would be the best cheese for wine. I’ll be serving Merlot, thanks your help!! - Jackie in Raleigh, NC
So you want something that’s not going to leave a bad taste in your guest’s mouth huh? You know, being the Wine Virgin I understand the dilemma that you’re in. I used to hate it when I would try something new and it wouldn’t go well with the taste that was already in my mouth. This would usually make me gag.
So I know you want to do all which is in your power to make sure that everything that touches the palate of your guest’s mouth sends nothing but pure excitement trickling down their throats, leaving them in wanton anticipation of what will happen next. As well you should, because I heard recently that a highly acclaimed Democrat was actually leaving the party due to the fact that the leader at the time had left a bad taste in her mouth.
Anyway you try to shoot it, if the flavors aren’t compatible you are going to find yourself with that weird feeling of “Oh no, what have I done?” as you look around and see the uncomfortable expressions on everyone’s face.
So here are the best Merlot cheese choices. Try Merlot with younger wash rind cow’s milk cheeses and many of the Alpine-style cow’s milk cheeses. As well as with sheep’s milk cheese. But remember, the full flavor of Merlot grapes does not pair well with goat’s milk cheeses. If you like to take risks in the mouths of others then try Merlot wine with blue cheese… at your own peril of course.