Something Leesy
March 4, 2008
Would you please tell me what leesy means? - Martha in Crandon, WI
Leesy is a term referring to when a wine maker lets the wine sit on the lees for a longer period than normal during the wine fermentation process. As a primer, for those newly christened virgins out there, wine lees are a sediment consisting of dead yeast cells and other solid matter such as grape pulp etc.
Some wines are aged for a time on the wine lees which is a process known as sur lie and from there gives way to the term “leesy”. This produces a distinctive yeasty aroma and can actually give the wine extra flavor and body. Eventually the lees must be removed by racking the wine. As the sediment collects at the bottom of the container the wine is siphoned or poured off into a clean container before it is finally bottled.
If the wine sits too long on the lees if can ruin the flavor and aroma but most importantly, leaving it sit too long without racking will allow the formation of hydrogen-sulfide gas, this basically yields a smell like rotten eggs and after that you may as well just throw it out.
When you sit down after a long day to enjoy a glass of your favorite wine, stop to think about all the time and effort that has been invested in creating this wonderful elixir and really let your mouth savor all the aromas and flavor that high quality wines bring.
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.