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Yountville, CA

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January 2007
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Archive for January, 2007

Sulfites Give Me Headaches?

January 25, 2007 in Rants, Wine Education and Winemaking. 8 Comments

Do sulfites give me headaches? No, but they sure make me cranky.

It happened again. I popped into the tasting room to get a bottle of water and overheard some people telling Jose, the Tasting Room Manager, that they “usually only drink French wine because it doesn’t have any sulfites so they don’t get headaches from it”. Jose and I exchanged glances and smiled wearily. We both knew he had a good 10 minutes ahead of him to tactfully try to set them straight, and that they probably still wouldn’t believe him. He’d much rather talk about the vineyard source that gives the wine that nice anise aroma or help them decide where to have lunch. I had to fight my knee-jerk irritation. What I really wanted to do was scream “Who keeps perpetuating these myths???!!!” It was better for me to take my water and leave.

Two things wrong with their statement:

1. All wines have sulfites regardless of country of origin.
2. Sulfites don’t give you headaches.

Now, let me back up my statements with facts from a much better source than my own humble self.

Regarding point 1, Andrew Waterhouse of the University of California at Davis, one of the best wine schools in the world, stated that European and American wines both tend to average about 80 parts per million (ppm) total sulfur, some more, some less.

Regarding item 2, the same Andrew Waterhouse stated unequivocally that there’s absolutely no indication that sulfites cause headaches. He suggests you eat some colorful dried fruit to put this to the test. The bright color testifies that the fruit has been treated with a hefty dose of sulfur, far, far above 80 ppm. If you don’t react to that, you don’t have a problem with sulfur. He even invited people to write to him if they believe they have compelling evidence that their headaches are caused by sulfur.

Can you buy wine with no added sulfites? Yes, you can, from any country including the US and its absence will usually be screaming at you from the label. But that doesn’t mean that the wine doesn’t contain sulfites. Sulfur is a by-product of the fermentation, albeit a small one, but all wines contain at least a few parts per million.

Wines with no added sulfites are difficult to come by because the vast majority of winemakers, including those who farm organically, find that their wine isn’t very good if they don’t add small amounts. Of course, we’d all like to make wine without adding the sulfur but so far we’re just not technically sophisticated enough to pull it off. The wine tends to have a short shelf life without it. Of course, there are those who disagree. Best way to hunt down some of these no-added-sulfite wines is online. Give ‘em a try!

Do all countries add sulfur? Absolutely, and the Europeans were the first to figure out that it’s a smart thing to do. Sulfur and wine have been partners in winemaking since at least Roman times - first as part of the seal, then as a barrel purifying agent and later as an outright additive.

Sulfur levels are generally lower now than they were a few decades ago because, with modern sanitation methods and winemaking techniques, we can get away with less. Typically, a bottle of Goosecross wine contains about 30 ppm at bottling time. The legal limit in the US is 350. Dried fruit may contain over 1000 parts ppm.

To be fair to this couple who were talking to Jose, it’s reasonable to assume that they think American wine is alone in adding sulfur because, up to very recently, America had a labeling requirement that European wines didn’t: if the wine contains 10 ppm or more, a warning must appear on the label regardless of where it was made. I’m happy to say that any wines made or sold in the EU, bottled after 11/25/2005, will have the same warning. The regulation is the same as that of the US. So, it means that when you go shopping for wine anywhere in the EU, you should see the warning on most whites and young reds by now. Austalia has a similar requirement. When you buy wine in Melbourne, you’ll see a reference to “preservative 220.”

I don’t like being fair when I feel so cranky. Buzzing around the internet to see what is said on the subject, there’s lots of good information, but misinformation also abounds. Especially about the headache thing. So, we can’t be cranky. We have to be fair and patient and explain. By the time we’ve explained it to every wine drinker on the planet you know what? They’ll figure out how to make good wine without adding sulfites!

Q: How to start a cellar?

January 21, 2007 in Answers and Wine Education. 2 Comments

Question from Charles: Hi there ive been wanting to collect wine for awhile now but not sure how to start. I don’t know that much about wine and i don’t have a lot of room to keep it for now i’am looking as this like an investment maybe resale or consume or a little of both but i dont have a celler they would be on racks out of the sun of course. The thing is i’m going to pull my hair out so any help please but just remember i’m new at this and a lot of dum right now.

Answer: Hi, Charles! Thanks for writing! This is quite a project you’re taking on!

First, let’s talk about storage conditions to ensure that your wine is in good shape down the road. As you probably know, your cellar is supposed to duplicate cave conditions so the ideal is darkness, a constant 55 degrees, very little motion and about 60-70% humidity. Cork-finished bottles should be stored sideways. Especially for resale, you need to store the wine properly. For your own purposes, you have a bit more leeway if you keep in mind that wide temperature fluctuations and light are extremely damaging. There’s more information in an article from our website which also offers general advice about aging whites, reds and dessert wines.

If you’re serious, you should think about building a cellar or investing in a wine refrigerator. You mentioned that you’re short on space and, in that case, you might look for a wine-storage company in your area.

You should buy wine that you like and also has good aging potential. Not knowing your tastes, there’s a vast world of wine out there and I suggest you find a top-notch retailer to help get you started.

Buying wine for investment purposes is a tricky business and will require research on your part. I found some excellent tips from folks who ought to know, Berry Bros. & Rudd. Or contact some “cult wine” producers and try to get on the mailing list. You will probably have to wait awhile. They say that a large percentage of these wines are purchased as an investment rather than for enjoyment. For instance, you purchase a bottle of Screaming Eagle for $500.00 direct from the winery and then flip it on a wine-auction site like winebid.com.

Some wineries sell what are called “futures.” It’s kind of the opposite of using your credit card. You make your purchase while the wine is still in barrels, presumably at a substantial discount, and pick it up later, when it’s finally released. Some California wineries do this; it’s more common in Bordeaux. You need to get on the mailing lists of the brands you want to invest in so you’ll know when they’re released and if they offer futures.

Most people with great cellars or who are successful as investors are tremendous enthusiasts who gain pleasure from following these things. Otherwise, as you can see, it’s just a lot of work! Good luck to you!

Cheers! Nancy

Poking More Holes in the Ratings System

January 20, 2007 in Observations and Wine. 0 Comments

Ran across a couple of posts that re-confirmed in my mind that there have to be better ways than wine scores to wade through the sea of wines and make a selection. Dr. Vino was tasting with a critic who uses the numerical system in his work, because it’s required, but revealed that he thinks “it’s stupid” because it gives a false appearance of objectivity.

And then Beau in Basic Juice described the changing flavors of an inexpensive Spanish wine he tasted a few minutes after opening it and at different time intervals up to about an hour. His notes evolved considerably along with the wine in that hour. If a $10.00 bottle shows that kind of evolution, imagine what something with more complexity might do!!! I can’t be certain, but I imagine that tasting panels such as those at the Wine Spectator don’t have the luxury of spending that kind of time with the wine. Their site explains that “Each flight may consist of 20 to 30 wines, and no more than two flights are tasted by a taster each day.”

At a seminar by Karen MacNeil, she stated unequivocally that she doesn’t think we give the wine a chance if we don’t spend a couple of hours with it. That’s a great assignment for those of us who “rate” wines over dinner with friends. For those in the business of cranking out wine ratings on a frequent basis this isn’t so practical.

And, of course there was Gary on Wine Library TV, tasting through and talking about the vast gulf separating the Wine Enthusiast and the Wine Spectator ratings of 4 different wines and offering his own opinion. Who are we supposed to believe?

One of my favorite ways to evaluate from way back (having been spoiled by the insider discounts):

I’d pay full retail for it: truly yummy stuff! The ultimate accolade.
I’d buy it at inter-winery price or a trade discount: pretty good stuff.
I’d drink it if someone gave it to me: clean, OK wine; nothin’ to write home about.
If someone gave it to me, I’d give it away: speaks for itself, and not a very generous impulse.

But would you agree with me, having tasted the same wines?

Numerical ratings:
Snappy way to make a decision? Definitely. Genuinely helpful? Guess the jury’s out.

Q: What to do with a 1964 Burgundy?

January 19, 2007 in Answers. 0 Comments

Question from Robert: I have a bottle of 1964 Gevrey-Chambertin, Pierre Ponnelle, Red Burgundy. I am not a wine expert and wondered if it is worth anything or should I just drink it! It has been hidden in the garage all these years! It belong to my father-in-law and he died in 1972! Please advise.

Answer: What a fun wine to discover! You have a piece of history. According to the Wine Spectator, 1964 was a “vintage of note” in Burgundy.

That’s a good start. Gevrey Chambertin is a very fine growing region in Burgundy, another good start. As you probably know, the grape is Pinot Noir. Does the bottle name a vineyard or say anything like Grand Cru or Premier Cru? The problem with Pierre Ponnelle is that he covers a lot of territory in terms of price and quality and I don’t find any current vintages from him that are Grand Cru or that say something more specific than Gevrey Chambertin. If it says Grand Cru, or names a prestigious vineyard, theoretically it represents Burgundy’s best. Even so, it’s probably at least tired at this point, if not over the hill.

How’s the fill height? If you’ve heard the term “ullage,” it refers to the space between the wine and the cork. If the level of the wine has gone down significantly, it’s not a good sign. The garage is another issue. Unless it’s extremely well insulated, the temperature fluctuation may have been too great over the years. The only way to find out is to open it!

If I had a special bottle like that, I’d open it with some wine-loving friends or relatives, just to see what it’s like, but I’d have a back-up bottle. If you can find it, it would be fun to compare it to a current vintage of the same wine.

If you’re thinking of resale, the only thing I found online that was close was a 1949 (another “year of note”) Gevrey Chambertin by Pierre Ponnelle for about $400.00. You might look around on wine auction sites like winebid.com or winecommune.com. Auctioneers and buyers will want to know about the quality of the storage conditions all these years.

I hope that helps. Have fun with your wine! Cheers! Nancy

Have Some Fish Wine with your Fish

January 15, 2007 in Rants and Wine News. 0 Comments

Why don’t we just put a warning label on everything that says “Life is dangerous.” Already our wine labels warn us about sulfites, birth defects and unspecified “health problems” and now we have to list fining agents? Which aren’t really ingredients at all?

There’s actually a draft for a new federal regulation that will require that if we fine with egg whites, isinglass or casein we state that the wine contains eggs, fish or milk respectively. I hope we still have room on the label for the name of the producer, region and variety.

We all know that the most dangerous thing about wine, by far, is the alcohol, but by all means, let’s talk about milk protein! This stuff drives me crazy for a number of reasons.

One is the government as nursemaid thing. It’s so embarrassing…

Another is that the burden of proof that these fining agents aren’t actually ingredients is on the producers, yet according to the Wine Institute “there are no methods available for testing the presence of eggs, milk, wheat or fish in wine…” But, we all know that the fining agents are added to remove something else. If there’s any trace left, it’s minute. If they insist on a regulation like this they should establish the level at which the substance must be listed as an ingredient, like the 10 parts per million for sulfites, and devise a way to measure it.

And that leads to the confusion issue. Many winemakers feel this requirement is misleading, since the fining agents aren’t actually ingredients. I hope no one expects to benefit from the calcium in casein! But, following the history of sulfites and labeling, folks will think we’re the only ones who make wine with fish (or clay or milk protein) if we’re the only ones with the labeling requirement. Yuck! Talk about a marketing issue.

And that leads to competing in the global market. This can’t be good for sales, plus it raises labeling costs. I can almost hear our competitors snickering in disbelief. Of course ultimately, regulations like this hurt all of us.

This, from a country that permits blending wine from Australia into “American Wine.”

But, it’s still only a draft. If I understand it correctly, the comment period is over and some kind of decision will be made by the end of the year. Perhaps reason will prevail…

Q: Which Wine with Burgers?

January 11, 2007 in Answers, Food & Wine and Wine Education. 0 Comments

Question from Jackie: What goes good with burgers?

Answer: Hi, Jackie! Thanks for writing! Yours is kind of a tricky question because hamburgers are prepared so many different ways. I’m always in favor of a fairly full-bodied red with my burger. Zinfandel, Merlot or Syrah are good choices.

Grilled foods gain a lot of flavor from the grill itself and even grilled fish can pair nicely with a red. If you put catsup or sweet relish on your burger you might think about a soft red with a lot of fruit like Zinfandel or a Beaujolais type (Gamay in this country). Lots of sweet condiments can make high-tannin reds like Cabernet seem bitter.

I looked around a little to see what others think, and they nearly always pair burgers with a simple, inexpensive red. Maybe they’re thinking of fast-food burgers. To me, a really good burger, made with a good piece of meat calls for a nice red, maybe even a Cab, if it’s not too heavy on the condiments. There was a place in San Francisco that served their burger on a French roll, moistened only by the meat drippings–definitely a Cab burger! One of my favorites!

My theory when all else fails is that Champagne or sparkling wine goes with just about anything. The high acid makes it very food friendly, so if you prefer a white you could go that way or serve a high-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc. But in my heart, I think burgers and I think red.

I hope that helps! Cheers! Nancy

Growers are Grrreat!

January 8, 2007 in Wine Education. 0 Comments

When I wrote the post called “Ain’t Nothin’ Simple,” it occurred to me that I could be stabbing myself in the foot by referring to one of our growers. As long as I’ve been talking to people about wine, I’ve had the clear impression than most consumers think that buying grapes rather than growing them is a bad thing, a compromise. And when you think about it, it kind of makes sense because it implies less control.

Among producers, you’ll find every attitude. Some think that the only way to have absolute control is to own all of their vineyards. These are, of necessity, mostly small producers. Some think that if you both grow and buy grapes you spread yourself too thin and won’t do either very well so they buy everything.

From a practical standpoint, most of us, large and small, do both.

The last time I heard this statistic, and it’s probably out of date because growers are becoming winemakers on almost a daily basis, about 1/3 of the vineyard property in Napa Valley is owned by growers who prefer to sell their grapes rather than produce wine.

The thing is, if you’re not willing to buy grapes you can miss out on a whole lot of fun. Some growers own formidable vineyards we’d like to call our own and the next best thing is getting a long-term contract with them. And, contracts can be as general or detailed as the two parties involved agree to make them. Everything from shoot thinning, to yields to who decides when to harvest can be negotiated. And, once we find a really great grower, we do everything we reasonably can to keep him happy so he isn’t out looking for another buyer.

Prices, of course, are negotiable too, and it was reported that in 2005 one local grower was paid $26,500 per ton for his Cabernet! The norm for Napa Valley Cab is more like $5,000.00 to $7,500.00 according to Appellation America. This guy’s vineyard is so good that he needs a separate phone line to handle the bidding war! Enter into a war like that and you better be darned sure that you can recoup your costs…

Then there are these troublesome trends. Trendiness is completely incompatible with the nature of viticulture. If everyone suddenly decides they want to drink nothing but Gewurztraminer, it takes 3-4 years to bring a new vineyard into production, assuming we’ve got the land available for planting and after ordering and waiting for the plant material. And what if the trend is fleeting? So, we look for a good Gewurztraminer grower and let the bidding war begin!

And, of course, there are individuals who are completely obsessed with making great wine but don’t have the means to pay $200,000.00 per acre for a vineyard. Or winemakers whose vineyards are temporarily out of production due to disease, old age or whatever. The ones with high standards will seek out a grower with great care.

So next time you hear your tasting-room host refer to the grower, start asking questions: “Tell me about the grower.” ”Where’s the vineyard?” ”Valley floor or hillside?” ”Does he make wine too?” ”Do you buy all of his grapes?” You’ll have a fascinating conversation and realize that if you love the wine, then some gorgeous fruit went into it, whether winery-grown or purchased.

Q: Can California Wines be Aged?

January 6, 2007 in Answers. 0 Comments

Question from Thomas: HEARD A NASTY RUMOR AT OUR WINE GROUP THAT CALIFORNIA WINES ARE NOT HOLDING UP {I.E. OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS] PLEASE REPLY

Answer: Hi, Thomas! You threw me a hard ball! A question like this can really set things off in the blogosphere!

There are many California wines, especially Cabernet, that have done very well over time but, theoretically, they shouldn’t age as well as most old-world wines because our climate is generally warmer, which usually means riper grapes of lower acidity than those from cooler climates. Warm climate wines can be very attractive when they’re young because they show lots of fruit and are relatively soft, but they may not be as long lived as wines from colder climates. Alternatively, cold-climate wines are sometimes hard to enjoy in their youth because they are less generously fruity and can be austere and tannic. So, while it’s an inexact science at best, a general guideline might be to buy California wines for relatively early drinking and put away the old-world wines for the long haul.

I think that theory holds up a lot of the time, but apparently not with the best of the best. When it was announced that there would be a 30th anniversary tasting of the “Judgement of Paris,” I was concerned that the California wines would be an embarrassment–way over the hill. I was wrong. At 30 years of age, the California wines took the top 5 out of 10 spots from a very sophisticated tasting panel.

So, I think my answer is that it depends upon the wine. There are two main structural things that help wine to age well, beyond overall good balance. One is tannin, which is astringent and makes your teeth feel fuzzy, and the other is acid, which tastes tart and makes your mouth water. If you taste a young wine that you find attractive and also has a healthy dose of tannin and/or acid (my experience is that acid is a better preservative than tannin), it may be a good candidate for aging. How long? The only way to find out is to try it, so it’s smart to get more than one bottle if you want to put it to the test.

I hope that helps! Thanks again for writing. Cheers! Nancy

Is Cork Taint on the Run?

January 4, 2007 in Wine Business and Wine Education. 2 Comments

Tom Wark has just whispered what you’d think the cork industry would be shouting: “I have to admit that of late it seems I’ve encountered far fewer “corked” wines than in the past. I’ve no solid, scientific evidence to know this. It just seems this way.” I like to think that this casual observation reflects a rapidly changing reality.

I did an interview with our cork supplier, Heinz Heidenreich of Cork Supply USA, for napavalleywineradio.com last summer and between what he said and what I’ve read since, it seems that cork taint may soon become a non-issue. Can you imagine?????As far as I can tell, there are 2 key things happening. One is that quality control has been massively improved. It used to be that we’d do a sensory evaluation on a relative handful of corks from a bale of 10,000. It was woefully inadequate because of the small sample size and the fallibility of the human senses.

Within the last few years “solid-phase microextraction” has become available for identifying TCA. According to Heinz these tests can be conducted on the whole bale and can assure that the level is below 1 part per trillion TCA (human threshold is 4 to 8 parts per trillion for most of us according to the industry). Jim Laube, who seems to be obsessed with the topic, has said that he and others can detect levels as low as 1-2 ppt.)

The second thing is that methods of purging TCA and other off odors from the cork are being developed. We’ve known for awhile now that they can remove TCA from cork particles, for instance there’s the Diam technical (or agglomerated) cork by Sabat, the globe’s second largest cork producer, which “uses supercritical CO2 for selective extraction of volatile compounds from cork.” But, now Cork Supply says they’ve developed a system to remove the TCA from a solid piece of cork, not just the granules, called Innocork.

And Amorim, the world’s largest cork producer, and another proponent of solid phase microextration, has a system called Rosa to extract TCA.

Now, I know all this information is coming from sources that are anything but impartial, but taken all together it sends a message that the cork industry has finally gotten off of its keister to solve the whole cork taint issue. For me, the most amusing moment in the interview with Heinz was when he readily admitted that up to about 8 years ago, the cork industry really didn’t much care about our little problem with TCA. It was only when plastic corks and screw caps began to threaten their livelihood that they decided maybe they should get their act together. Ah, humans! Gotta love ‘em…

And all of this quality control and purging comes at a price. It seems to me that if a producer doesn’t want to pay for the extra quality control, they should use one of the many excellent alternatives to natural cork. Do us all a favor…

cork1 Anyway, like Tom, I just can’t remember pulling the cork on very many tainted bottles in the past year or so, and between work and play I open a whole lot of wine.Pretty ironic, huh, now that plastic corks and screw caps have become more acceptable to us by the day? Not to mention other options like the Zork and the glass stoppers.

These are truly marvelous developments because they mean that we’re on the threshold of being able to select the closure that best serves the wine or, alternatively, the one that we think will make our customers happy. Some producers think that the screw cap is absolutely the way to go with fresh, fruity whites and spritzy wines.

Most think that for the long haul, natural cork is still the best option in case this concern about screw caps and reduction is founded in reality.

Will there be a place for plastics when the cork dust settles? Hmmm.

How will we be sealing our wine 25 years from now? Anyone care to place a bet????

Q: Which Wine to Serve with Paella?

January 4, 2007 in Answers. 0 Comments

Question from Jim: I have been invited to a party where the host will be serving a large group of people with a traditional paella dish. Do you have any suggestions for a wine to serve with this meal. I am planning on carrying several bottles to complement the meal. Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer: Dear Jim! Thanks for writing! A paella party sounds very festive and warming for this time of year.

Crisp whites with a good acidity are usually the best foil for so many complex and spicy flavors. I’d suggest a good Sauvignon Blanc (we’ve just released our 2006 by the way), Viognier, Riesling, or a nice sparkling wine. Depending upon the degree of spiciness, whites with a bit of residual sugar can be a nice way to offset the heat. If you have your heart set on a red, I’d go with relatively light-bodied, low-oak fruity reds such as Pinot Noir, Beaujolais or a soft Merlot.

Since you plan to bring several wines, it would be fun to bring a dry white, a slightly sweet white and a light-bodied red to see what you and your friends think is the best match!

I hope that helps and that you have a great time at the party. Cheers! Nancy