Maine Wine

• March 2010

  WOW! Well, where to bigin.... I would like to speak about how to taste. Along with what was said above, my words may combine to start solving the problem. Looking at the actual act of tasting....the questions  are ...what to look for... how  to  sniff....how to really... Read moreWOW! Well, where to bigin.... I would like to speak about how to taste. Along with what was said above, my words may combine to start solving the problem. Looking at the actual act of tasting....the questions  are ...what to look for... how  to  sniff....how to really taste effectively and what are the main factors to bear in mind. First of all......White wines are generally less complex than reds. Colour variations are narrower. A young white has an aroma of immediacy and is easily detectable. On the other hand, the bouquet of a red evolves quite slowly and subtly. On the palate, whites have a very simple counterpoint of sweetness and acidity, fruit and length. Reds carry varoius levels of complexity because of the tannins and alcohol strength.   One must remember to rotate the base of the wine glass, to rinse the inner surface area of the glass with wine. This arouses the wine. This helps to release the volatile ethers. Now, waft the glass under the nose, holding by the stem, focussing and concentrating fully...I MEAN IT! THIS WAY YOU WILL NOT MISS THE FIRST IMPRESSION. Next, lightly inhale. NOSE. Is the wine clean and fresh? For the more experienced, you may notice that you recognise the distinctive varietal aroma. Is there youthful acidity? Or, do you sense mellow age? That  first  impression  triggers  off an immediate recognition, sometimes. Some feel that that first stage is the most evocative. Do not sniff too protractedly over a short period of time or else the nose will become anaesthetized. You are right...you do need to be able to  recognize smells  and  tastes such as tobacco, pine, petroleum,caramel, crusty bread, pepper, cinnamon, etc. More later!!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Dumb Wine Question... by amour

  
  

• March 2010

  A fridge is drier than what is considered ideal.  But if you've got a capsule on the bottle I just don't see that as an issue.  If it is, you can just put a plastic wrap over the top of the bottle.  And a fridge is cold, so that's very good.  The main problem with... Read moreA fridge is drier than what is considered ideal.  But if you've got a capsule on the bottle I just don't see that as an issue.  If it is, you can just put a plastic wrap over the top of the bottle.  And a fridge is cold, so that's very good.  The main problem with the fridge is that you're moving the wine around all the time when you hunt for your milk or cheese or try to stick the leftover turkey in there, and you need the fridge space, so maybe you don't want to fill it up with wine and leave that for 20 years. There is some thought that the fridge vibrates too much but I'm really skeptical about that too.  If the fridge is filled with milk, juice, watermelon, etc., it's pretty heavy and I just don't see the vibration as an issue.  Moreover, I don't know of a single study that has ever been done in which wine was kept in a fridge and compared to wine kept outside of a fridge for 10 years or more.  So I think it's mostly tradition because back in the day when they were building wine cellars, they didn't have any other refrigeration. I've kept wine in the fridge for a few years with no problems. I don't think they're that bad if you plan to drink the wine in a few months or so and they're certainly better than a closet. The idea is that you have a lot of chemical reactions taking place as the wine ages and temperature affects the rate of reaction, so keeping a wine at 70F vs 55F makes a huge difference in both the aging of the wine and the quality of that aging.  Spoilage organisms that are present in just about any wine will multiply much faster at higher temps and that's not a good thing.  Keeping them dormant while allowing the chemical reactions to proceed is one reason for keeping the wine colder.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cellars vs. Fridges(and... by GregT

  
  

• March 2010

  The main argument against cork has just been nicely summarized for you. However, there are also extensive postings on a number of blogs and forums on the topic of wine closure here at snooth - including the whys and wherefores of their use.  I have a few favorites, but there are... Read moreThe main argument against cork has just been nicely summarized for you. However, there are also extensive postings on a number of blogs and forums on the topic of wine closure here at snooth - including the whys and wherefores of their use.  I have a few favorites, but there are so many interesting discussions that I recommend you enter a number of key words like "screw-cap", "wine closure" or "glass cork" in the wine forum search box to the right of each forum page and make your own choice depending on interest.  There has been a lot of recent (and lively) discussion conerning the pros and cons of traditional cork versus the many alternatives. There is no real consensus on this issue although a lot of us seem to gravitate toward screw-caps for the vast majority of wines.  Synthetic (plastic/rubber) stoppers are not my personal favorite as an alternative to cork.  Fortunately, most seem to come with DYA (Drink Youngest Available) wines rather than wines intended for long bottle-aging. This may be due to the fact that plastic stoppers have been known to become unsound after about 2 years.  You might be also be interested in this reasonably good summary at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_wine_closures As a bonus, the article lists a number of interesting primary sources.      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Different kinds of corks by zufrieden

  
  

• March 2010

  Hey, its me again, one of the newer kids on the block(I'll be asking a lot of questions for a while, until I have enough knowledge to share with others).  I know nothing of what you are supposed to do with White Wines vs Red Wines with storage before opening the bottle, while... Read moreHey, its me again, one of the newer kids on the block(I'll be asking a lot of questions for a while, until I have enough knowledge to share with others).  I know nothing of what you are supposed to do with White Wines vs Red Wines with storage before opening the bottle, while serving, or afterwards. Is there a difference of what you are supposed to do with White Wines vs Red Wines? Is one better chilled while serving it? And then of course, the main question, What benefit is there to having a cellar over just using your standard refrigerator?    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cellars vs. Fridges(and... by tarheelguice

  
  

• March 2010

  Thanks to GregT and penguinoid ... well, I meant unopened.  Preopened, that would age them fast wouldn't it? I'd like to try to the cold vs. warm experiment, except that means opening two bottles, more than I could ever drink in two days.  Perhaps some Crane Lake is worth... Read moreThanks to GregT and penguinoid ... well, I meant unopened.  Preopened, that would age them fast wouldn't it? I'd like to try to the cold vs. warm experiment, except that means opening two bottles, more than I could ever drink in two days.  Perhaps some Crane Lake is worth the sacrifice.   If cold is the main factor, a lot of small wine shops near me are making mistakes not preserving the wines in the frig until their next tasting day. Two shops here have Napa Technology wine preservation machines, which use inert gas and special seals, plus temperature control, to keep the wines in top shape for several weeks.   Since the setpoint temperatures are something like 50 to 60 deg F, my guess is the sealing system and inert gas is primarily what preserves the state of the wine.      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Post-opening Wine... by dynowine

  
  

• March 2010

  The main problem with traditional corks is that sometimes they can produce off-flavours in the wine if the cork is produced from bark off cork oaks that had a specific fungal infection. It seems to be a reasonably rare problem, though, you do have to be a bit unlucky to get a corked... Read moreThe main problem with traditional corks is that sometimes they can produce off-flavours in the wine if the cork is produced from bark off cork oaks that had a specific fungal infection. It seems to be a reasonably rare problem, though, you do have to be a bit unlucky to get a corked wine. The problem is due to a compound in these corks called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which produces characters of wet cardboard, damp cloth and wet dog. It also suppresses the desired/expected wine characters. It can cause quite a dramatic effect, or just a subtle loss of character, depending on how bad the cork is. In addition, there are corks such as DIAM which are made from cork that has been processed and (sort of) sterilised -- in theory, these should not give wines any cork taint. See, for example: http://blog.hugel.com/en/2009/04/at_last_corks_without_the_risk.html    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Different kinds of corks by penguinoid

  
  

• March 2010

  Thanks! D9sus!  I have read this as well.  the problem seems to lie with the species of pine nuts grown in China, other asian countries, and Russia...     to my knowledge, no american nuts have been implicated. I have to say, I never had a problem before... Read moreThanks! D9sus!  I have read this as well.  the problem seems to lie with the species of pine nuts grown in China, other asian countries, and Russia...     to my knowledge, no american nuts have been implicated. I have to say, I never had a problem before 2-3 yrs ago.  Maybe that's when china took over as the main importer?  I don't know.  I can say, as I sit here starving, not drinking ANY wine, cause everything tastes like acetone,  I am not sure I want to experiment with any pine nuts ever again :-( :-(      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Bottle shock wasn't the... by napagirl68

  
  

• March 2010

  Interesting discussion to say the least. Here are my thoughts coming in late in the game: Although many fine vineyards in Europe have adapted BD practices, there is absolutely no proof that these wines: a)exhibit a more pure terroir than other, low-cropped, carefully managed... Read more Interesting discussion to say the least. Here are my thoughts coming in late in the game: Although many fine vineyards in Europe have adapted BD practices, there is absolutely no proof that these wines: a)exhibit a more pure terroir than other, low-cropped, carefully managed vineyards in the same region or: b) that even if it is true that BD is the reason these wines are among the "best in the world." My main problem with Steiner is that he was not really a farmer nor did he do any real research whatsoever to develop his theories and write his lectures. He didn't believe in science but he took credit from the work of other scientists like Sir Albert Howard, who brought the centuries-old practice of composting to European mainstream agriculture. Not to be crass - but Steiner literally pulled the concepts of BD out of his ass. BD has a great name that sounds like a legitimate science (sound familiar Scientology?) Maybe Steiner should have been a Madison Ave. ad man. After 80 some odd years there is little evidence that his philosophy as a whole, works at all. Here's an example: A large portion of the program relies on the theory of homeopathy (hence the "dynamism") whereby water is used to dilute a substance to a point that it is almost non-existent. This water is then applied to the soil and plants as a homeopathic remedy. Not to worry though as BD believes that water has a "memory" if it is stirred the right way. Do I hear the words snake oil? The concept of the moon's having influence on plant growth has also been more or less debunked. The influence that is directly related to lunar cycles is so small as to have little if no effect on plant growth, let alone wine sedimentation. Along with these facts, there are many companies who are in business strictly to sell various BD concoctions to growers at a huge profit. Let's not forget that the growers of BD produce and wines are selling their products to us at an inflated price. Is this really the moral high ground? Just asking... Does it make a difference? I'm sure of the fact that people walking and working closely in the vineyard does matter - but other farmers who are not BD are doing this too and are also successful. Does it hurt anyone? Not physically but remember you are being asked to pay a lot more for what is essentially the folly and whimsy of other people. Why do people believe this and pay money for these products? I believe it has to do with the fact we have become impatient and angry with some scientific developments. Many scientific discoveries have come back to bite us. And science in general has not been quick to find solutions to our many problems. But science is not to blame - people are to blame for loving money more than truth, for cherry picking data and not taking science to its utmost conclusion. Many of us are fed up with modern society and what it has wrought, But we need to remember this is not an excuse to chuck our collective critical thinking out the BD window. Don't get me wrong, I don't like where "conventional agriculture" has gone - Its clear the use of harmful chemicals is not a sustainable practice. We need to do better. But we owe it to future generations to try and find out real long term solutions to the problems of production agriculture and real ways to help us from fouling our own nest. I have a feeling future generations will look at this time period and at BD producers and ask "did they really believe this stuff?" "Couldn't they have been spending their time, energy and money to try and develop better ways of doing things instead of stuffing a cow horn with manure?" Do we really believe BD is the solution? I know this - the answers will not be found in the 80+ year old rantings of an occult philosopher.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Biodynamic wines, is there... by thewinemaker

  
  

• March 2010

  Some of the wines can be pretty good, if a bit unusual. There is a long history of Oraqnge wines from Pinot Grigio in northern Italy. The wines are white only recently, and in large part due to Santa Margherita's success.   I tasted over two dozen Orange wines last year at a big... Read moreSome of the wines can be pretty good, if a bit unusual. There is a long history of Oraqnge wines from Pinot Grigio in northern Italy. The wines are white only recently, and in large part due to Santa Margherita's success.   I tasted over two dozen Orange wines last year at a big dinner organized here in NYC. At their best the wines are remarkably complex and work very well with a broad range of foods. At thier worst they are volatile, muddy, and difficult to drink, much less pair with food.   I think one of the main issues with their not aging well is that they are already, to a certain extent, aged. Many of the orange wines are made in an oxidative style so that they exhibit many of the notes of eged wines on release.   I'll continue to try these wines and enjoy drinking them occassionaly but for me they will continue to be a curiosity more than a staple.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Orange Wine by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• March 2010

  Phillip - one has nothing to do with the other.  The orange wines are made by leaving the skin in the juice to macerate.  Lees are spent yeast cells. Completely different.  Leaving wine on the lees adds richness and complexity to the wine.  It can also help... Read morePhillip - one has nothing to do with the other.  The orange wines are made by leaving the skin in the juice to macerate.  Lees are spent yeast cells. Completely different.  Leaving wine on the lees adds richness and complexity to the wine.  It can also help malolactic fermentation, because the bacteria that causes it likes the compounds of the lees, but some winemakers prevent malolactic fermentation and still leave the wine in contact with the lees. In some cases lees contact is mandated.  Some sparkling wine for example, that ages quite nicely, must spend a year or more.  Some people leave it even longer and if anything, it enhances the aging potential.  In the Loire OTOH, there is a limit as to the time they can leave the wine in contact with the lees.  Skin contact is a different story.  Skin contains different compounds, including tannins, which are anti-oxidants themselves.  So even tho white grapes have fewer tannins than red, the extended skin contact shouldn't affect the aging ability as far as I know and if anything, it will enhance it. If there's an aging problem, I think the main problem is, as I mentioned, many of those wines are just not very good to start with.  You get a wine from Slovakia or some fairly rustic producer and the wine may get part of its color from simply being oxidized.  Moreover, if you're making your first batch in an attempt to use techniques you don't know, you've got a learning curve.  In some cases, where producers have been doing it for a while, you get good stuff.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Orange Wine by GregT

  
  

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