This particular one, occurs monthly at our neighborhood wine bar. They have blind tastings the third Tuesday evening of the month. They present three white and three red wines, encased in brown paper bags. The fun part is figuring out what you’re drinking. To me, it’s a skill that has to be sharpened periodically. I don’t happen to be really good at it, so I’m usually up for the practice.

On this particular night, Peter was working, so I sidled up to the bar alone. I talked the couples on either side of me, while sipping and swirling. One couple have recently been married and come to Vino often. The other couple were probably enjoying a bite before a movie at the theater around the corner.

White wines in a blind tasting can have identifiable characteristics. You can’t see in this picture, but they list the three varietals or blends at the top of the page. (True blinds, with somms, don’t get this headstart). I have been somewhat successful blind tasting this way, but really need more practice to call myself an expert….but I digress. In this case, they were Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier.

You can get a lot from the nose. Floral, earth, wood…or as one of my classes taught me, F E W. If I can decipher these three elements in the nose, I can start to weed out the possibilities. In this case, Wine #1 had a lemony aroma to me. Bingo! Sauvignon Blanc. That is one of the true identifiers for Sauv Blanc. The first sip affirmed it. New Zealand SB smells like cat pee…this one was not from there.

The second one was floral and apple-y on the nose. The third was similar, but not as strident. Chenin isn’t a grape that I have very often, so I had to sip this one through. Viognier, to me, can run the gamut from clean/dry to cloyingly sweet. Wine #2 I found to be off-dry…not cloyingly so, and it didn’t seem to have the viscosity I’ve found in that type of Viognier (although you can tell by the picture, I certainly thought about it being a Viognier). Wine #3 was fairly dry and also clean, refreshing on the palate. I did eventually arrive at it being the Viognier, with #2 being the Chenin. Happily, I was correct on the whites. Not so much on the reds! (usually, I get the reds and switch two of the whites!)

First thing you notice is that it isn’t a true tasting, without a swirl getting out of hand and marking the paper! These three wines were Malbec, Barbera and a blend of Grenache/Syrah/Mazuelo. The colors of these three were different, so that was the place to begin. Wine #1 was the lightest, Wine #2 the darkest, with Wine #3 somewhere in the middle. Malbec has become a popular varietal. It’s a big grape with not very huge tannins. It’s easy to pair with meat, as there are a lot of them exporting from Argentina, along with their beef. Barbera is an Italian varietal, that is becoming more popular here in Washington. Grenache and Syrah are typical blending grapes for the Rhone (and similar climatic) regions. Mazuelo, on the other hand…came from out in left field! What the hell was that about?! Wine #1 was not only lighter, but fairly astringent for my palate. I decided it was the Barbera. Wine #2 was full bodied, deep, dark and had a round mouthfeel. Wine #3 was also full bodied, but with a distinctive grapiness. I know…that’s a strange description. I think of Welch’s Grape juice from when I was a child. My mother made it from frozen concentrate…blech! I hated it then. Now it’s not a bad characteristic for wine. As you can see, I went with the Malbec being Wine #2 and the blend, Wine #3. Malbecs don’t usually seem that grapey to me, I guessed it to be the Mazuelo with the Syrah. Alas, I was duped. The Malbec was Wine #3, with the blend being #2. Next time….

All in all, a wonderful evening tasting wine with good bread and olive oil!

Cheers until next time!

I went to my first official tutored wine tasting evening on Wednesday 20th of February, kindly hosted by the lovely people of Humble Grape. They host wine events once a month, sometimes more and also organise corporate events, delivering high-end wine tasting experiences.

The tasting took place at Bacchanalia, a Spanish and Italian wine specialist with a small restaurant, in the Eastside district of central London. There was about 30 guests, all thirsty for a humble night of wine tasting!

The event ran from 6.30 until 9pm, and in that time we were served lovely cheese and charcuterie to accompany the wines.  I shamefully didn’t take any pictures of the the delicious nibbles – they went too quickly! There was even an old favourite of mine, jamon iberico de bellota, a delicious Spanish ham from the acorn digesting, black footed pig.

The event was very well organised and our hosts for the evening, were founder James Deacon and operations manager Cameron Gordon. Highly knowledgeable and passionate about the subject of wine and food.

My tasting notes of the evening, with facts in italics, courtesy of Humble Grape:

Aperitif – Domaine du Landreau Cremant de Loire 2005 12.5% £14.00

A lovely Champagne alternative, made in the méthode Champenoise (Champagne method) in the Loire Valley. Made from Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and a small portion of Cabernet Franc. Citrus fruit driven, with floral notes, and brioche, giving it the perfect acidity and balance for oysters, pate and suitable for a party! Loved it!

1. Domaine Valand Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2010 13% £12.00

From the heart of the southern Côtes du Rhône, the vineyards are located 4 miles away from Cairanne. The biodynamic wine, was inviting on the nose, it reminded me of marzipan, I guess that was the Viognier. On the palate, not much longevity, and quite easily forgotten. Made from Viognier and Marsanne, for drinking well now, and not one for storing for years to come. Great for a weekday, after work wine, I’d have this with grilled chicken, and green veg, or a squid salad, yum!

2. Chateau Gigognan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2010 14% £32.00

The Chateau is located in the town of Sorgues, located on an stream offshoot of the Rhone river. Only 4000 bottles are produced a year! My favourite wine of the evening, this 12 month oaked white wine is a blend of 45% Roussanne, 32% Grenache, 18% Clairette, & 5% Bourboulenc. A grown up white, that will keep well, I’d have this with pork belly and mash.

My favourite wine of the evening, the 2010 Chateau Gigognan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

3. Domaine Valand Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu 2010 13% £13.00

From the same vineyard as wine number 1, this wine is 60% Grenache & 40% Syrah. Blackcurrant and leather on the nose,  light fruity palate, hints of vanilla. I found this to be an easy drinking wine, without too much complexity.

4. Domaine Gabriel Liogier Vacqueyras 2010 14% £18.00

Situated in the southern Cotes du Rhone, at the foot of the Dentelles du Montrirail, this wine has an appelation status. Vacqueyras is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Bear in mind, Mourvèdre is the same grape as the Spanish Monastrell. Big juicy blackberry, and pepper on the radar.

5. Chateau Gigognan Vigne du Régent Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009 14.5% £27.50

My favourite red wine of the evening! The  Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge, is hand-harvested, creating extremely low yields. Aged in a combination of oak barrels and cement tanks, and resting for a minimum of two winters in oak. Aromas of cassis and pencil shavings, dark berry fruits play on the palate, balanced with soft ripe tannins. This wine excites me, and is definitely a keeper in the cellar..now where’s the credit card? 

I’d have this wine with great friends for a weekend dinner. Just imagine, game meat, perhaps  pigeon, or keeping it classic would be grilled lamb chops.

6.Domaine Bonnefond Côte-Rôtie 2008 13% £37.50

Last wine of the evening, was the Northern Rhone, mostly Syrah, there was also  a very small percentage of Viognier white grapes.  This added light floral lifts. A bit more tannin than the other reds, dark berry notes.

The prices quoted are per bottle, and all can be purchased  from Humble Wine directly. If you are to order 12 or more, apparently the owner delivers in leather and on a moped! Find them on twitter.

Which Rhone wine will you be drinking next?

Thanks for reading!

6,500 gallons of Lodi Sauvignon Blanc  $ 6

2,750 gallons of Mendocino Riesling $ 7

3,250 gallons of Lake County Viognier $ 8

3,250 gallons of Mendocino Zinfandel $ 15

39,000 gallons of Lodi Chardonnay $ 7

Bruce Regalia 707 489 8668

This bottle looked incredibly promising.  It was heavy and solid, with a large punt, and the name seemed to indicate some special cuvée.

It turns out I’m not quite sure what to make of this wine.  It tastes like it was once a substantial and tasty wine, but has encountered some bad storage conditions.  While there were intense Chardonnay flavors of yellow apple and lemon, with some Viognier yellow peach, they were overshadowed by heavy oak / oxidation.  I really can’t recommend this for more than $4, if that.

musedir was just in the Dallas area taking one of his groups on tours of the local Dallas-Fort Worth museums and private collections. Needless to say after such “hard work” viewing art for a couple of days he was thirsty and needed to get together with a few CellarTracker forum members to share a few bottles. Here are the results:

• NV Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Blanc d’Argile Extra Brut – France, Champagne
  WIML92

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with light, short beading. Nose of light sherry notes with good spiced pears and baked apples. Flavors of yellow pears, lemon curd and yellow apples. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I’d likely go ahead and drink. (92 points)
  

• 1996 Duval-Leroy Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay Brut – France, Champagne, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
  WIML92

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Straw to light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with tiny, steady beading. Nose of sea spray, light notes of nutmeg and light notes of caramel. Flavors of tangy lemon, yellow pears and Granny Smith apples. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I say drink. (92 points)
  

• 2011 Melville Viognier Estate Verna’s – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  WIML90

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of orange foam, kumquat and light aromas of grapefruit. Flavors of peach, tangerine and grapefruit. Medium acidity, full bodied. Just a tad hot on the nose but not off-putting to me. Drink or hold. (90 points)
  

• 2011 Grand Rêve Vintners / Force Majeure Viognier – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  WIML92

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of sea spray, lime spritz and a dash of allspice ending with a little wet stones. Flavors of light apricot core, peach wasser and Anjou pear. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I’d likely drink over the next two years.

  The description in CellarTracker is a little different than the label but the picture does match so it is the same wine. The label clearly says “2011 Force Majeure Viognier Collaboration Series”. (92 points)
  

• 2010 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Unoaked – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  WIML90

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Straw color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of grapefruit, lime and a hint of camphor hiding underneath. Flavors of lime, peach wasser and grapefruit. Medium to bright acidity, medium body. Drink or hold. I’d drink. (90 points)
  

• 2001 Château de Fieuzal Blanc – France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  WIML90

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of matchstick, grapefruit and flowers. Flavors of pear, yellow apples and a bit of lychee. Medium to bright acidity, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. (90 points)
  

• 2005 Huët Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont – France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  WIML93

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.

  Light yellow to yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of brown spices, peach cobbler and carmalized apples. Flavors of spice soaked pears, apple pie and fresh peaches. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. No rush. Should be long lived. (93 points)
  

• 2009 Miura Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
  WIML92

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened about an hour before serving.

  Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thatch, black cherries, black berries and a hint of blueberry hiding underneath. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and a hint of boysenberry. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink now with a short decant or hold. (92 points)
  

• 2007 Pierre Morey Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
  WIML90

  Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened about an hour before serving.

  Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of light notes of potpourri, rubber and earth. Flavors of cherries, berries and raspberries. Bright to tart acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink with a good decant or continue to hold. (90 points)
  

Many thanks to everybody that attended. It was a true pleasure finally meeting musedir and the lovely Dr. M in person. We look forward to the next time!

Posted from CellarTracker

If this bottle of 4-year-old wine is any indication, the answer is “not so much.” When tasted at the winery a couple of years ago, this was a really tasty wine. I’ve also had a Merlot from Chester Gap not too long ago that was completely enjoyable.

This wine, on the other hand, did not hold up. Bottled with a composite cork, it tasted ok, if muted, when first opened, but then turned into flowery sugar water after about 10 minutes in the glass.

A shame. Not sure if this is an indication of the grape, the winery, or the seal. Regardless, from now on I’ll try to be better about drinking my viognier young.

C.

You knew that already.

Did you also know what Kara and I drank to celebrate?

If you followed @JeffIsRad on Twitter, there’s a chance that you did.

For the rest of you, here’s what we had…

Krupp Brothers 2008 Black Bart’s Bride White Wine

This wine was given to us as a wedding gift from Jan and Dr. Jan Krupp of Krupp Brothers and Stagecoach Vineyard way back in 2010.  We decided that Valentine’s Day was as good a day as any to break this puppy open and see what it had in store.

So… we took the bottle down to our favorite sushi restaurant, CreAsian, to have a taste…

Here it is. Black Bart’s Bride.

The wine is a blend of 70% Marsanne and 30% Viognier from the L2 and 14B blocks of Stagecoach Vineyard.  The wine was barrel fermented on its native yeast, went through 100% natural malolactic fermentation, and was aged sur lie for 9 months in 85% new French oak.  It has an awe-inspiring 14.9% alcohol.  The Wine Enthusiast gave it a 93.  Needless to say, this is a wine geek’s dream (Do you hear that, Wine Geek?).

Color: Super yellow golden straw in color.

Nose: White flowers, honeysuckle, and dried apricots.

Taste: This wine is ridiculously big in its mouthfeel.  In spite of its big, oily viscosity, the Bride has a nice, crisp acidity to go with it.  The palate is all flowers, honey, petrol, and mineral.

Score: I really like this wine, but I’m not one to slap a 93 on it like the Enthusiast.  I’m going 89.

Now…

The write-up in the Wine Enthusiast warns that this wine may be a difficult one to pair with other foods, and I agree…

But…

If it’s gonna work with anything, it’s gotta be Asian.

My feeling was that the oiliness of the fish would bring out secondary flavors of the wine.

Sure enough… as we got into the meal, it’s the crisp acidity that continued to be highlighted in the Bride.  It’s that same acidity that helps make the flavors in the food just pop.

Speaking of food…

Here’s what we ate at CreAsian…

Seaweed Salad

Sashimi Tacos. My favorite!

My Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi. You gotta dip your sushi in this, but I’ll show you what I like to do in a little bit…

Clockwise from top left: Mount Fuji Roll, Lemon Drop Roll, and Morgan Hill Roll

Miso Soup. Me so happy!

Godzilla Roll. The Bomb Dot Net!

I always like to finish my meal by dumping my Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi over a bowl of rice. Mmmmmmmmm!!!!!

Of course, Ice Cream ain’t a bad way to finish things either. *Warning: Do Not Pair this With the White Wine! Yuck!*

And that was Valentine’s Day!

Of course, if you followed @JeffIsRad on Twitter, you probably already knew that.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

Leave a comment below, and tell the world about your Valentine’s Day Food and Wine Pairing.

Find wine and wine-related products on Amazon.

A wine list for ‘malai kofta’ and fish ‘moily’

Shoba Narayan 

   

First Published: Thu, Feb 14 2013. 09 00 PM IST

Pair Pinot Gris with malai kofta. Photo: Divya Babu/Mint/Location Eros Hotel—Managed by Hilton, New Delhi

One of the art fairs we do like attending is the one in the city of Wyandotte, and it is also one of the largest of this genre.  After walking around the many blocks of the show and looking at the different types of art and crafts, we work up an appetite and a thirst.  Since these shows are held in the summer, with the extra heat, our thirst increases.

Most of the time, these fairs are so dense with people, that we look for better venues for dining, as some of the restaurants have lines of people standing outside.  We walked a little farther away from the crowds and decided to have dinner at Portofino, which is right on the water, in fact they have docking facilities for boaters, which guarantees them more action (one would presume, and here it was most prevalent).  The restaurant also has very large areas of glass to look out onto the Detroit River, which is very pleasant to have as a background during dinner.   We both ordered some fresh water fish dishes, which this restaurant prides itself on, and we were not disappointed.

Since this was such a warm day and evening, and we were ordering fresh fish, we enjoyed a bottle of Viognier wine.  We have always found this type of wine to be refreshing in the summer months and enjoy the floral nose that this varietal always seems to deliver.  This particular evening we had a Viognier from South Australia made by Yalumba Winery.  They proudly proclaim that that are Australia’s oldest family owned winery.  The afternoon and evening was a day of enjoyment, further enhanced by our choice of wine that day.

Keswick Vineyards’ Viognier

By technical definition, authentic, or authenticity refers to something being “real” or “genuine”, the origin of which is supported by un-questionable evidence. One can easily apply this definition to a document, which has been authenticated or to as something as simple as a restaurant, where the food served could be deemed authentic. How does this apply to wine though, and more specifically to Virginia, and Viognier?

The reason for this conundrum, is that of late there has been much discussion of what Viognier’s produced in Virginia should taste and smell like, to be truly thought of as being authentic. This in truth is a notion that I have long struggled with, having made wine in this fine State for over 10 years now. Is it merely enough to say that wine made from that particular varietal in this State, satisfies the notion of authenticity, or do we delve deeper and develop a style of wine that speaks of authenticity. How do we define that style? How do we create this style year in and year out taking into account the vintage variation that we experience? More importantly what is the style of Virginia Viognier that may satisfy the customers notion of authenticity? But what of the climate, soils and age of vines that inherently affect the taste and smell of the wine, the much maligned concept of TERROIR.  The set of special characteristics that the geography, geology  and climate  of a certain place, interacting with the plant’s genetics to produce a product [in this case wine] of unique and UN-replicable characteristics. So what the heck do we compare our wines against?

To even begin to answer that question, one should probably have a benchmark of what Viognier should smell and taste like, a control if you like to compare our wines to.

Historically speaking, Viognier is an ancient grape possibly originating from Dalmatia [present day Croatia], brought to the Rhone by the Romans. Viognier is the single permitted grape variety in the appellations of Condrieu and Chateau Grillett, which are located on the west bank of the Rhone River, about 40 km south of Lyon. This could be an ideal benchmark for Virginia right?

Is there something specific about the grape that is consistent with other wine-producing regions? Could there be similarities in aromatics, texture, longevity that discount that above mentioned intangibles?

So let’s take a look at the chemistry of Viognier to further try to answer this question. The grape is generally very floral due to terpenes, similarly found in Muscat and Riesling. Terpenes and terpenoids are the primary constituents of the essential oils of many types of plants and flowers. An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic  liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. So essentially speaking, there should be some aromatic characteristic that may link French, Californian and Virginian Viogniers.

Having tasted my fair share of wines from all the above mentioned regions, I did find some common threads. Many times my notes included descriptors of peach or apricot, honey suckle and stone fruit which speaks more of varietal correctness than of authenticity.  A wine made in California that is barrel fermented versus a wine that is tank fermented will inherently taste and feel different in the mouth, none less authentic than the other despite the variations in style.

So to come back to the notion of “Authenticity” and whether us Vigneron’s in Virginia can claim to be authentic. I say with the utmost confidence that we can, although we make stylistically different wines than many other wine-producing areas.

Our Viognier’s can be razor like with their acidity, with underlying mineral and stone fruit characteristics. A wine that may be a touch lighter, but arguably more food friendly and often times more drinkable in its youth. Our Viognier’s can also be rich and flamboyant, coating the mouth with their oily textures and subtle hints of oak. These are fatter wines that change with time in the bottle. We also make wonderfully sweet “stickies”; dessert wines with gorgeous aromas that satisfy the sweetest tooth when the occasion beckons.  Each style of wine has commonalities that make it distinctively grape specific, each authentic in their own right based on “terroir” or winemaking preference.

For those that are still not satisfied with this concept, or the inability to define it,  be at least assured that we as winemakers are also trying to answer that question, but that it will take some time and work to truly grasp this concept, if we ever will. For we have only been at it for 30 odd years, and we have many years to go before we can begin to understand and communicate this concept.  Enjoy, as I do, the characteristics of the vintage, the deft touch of the winemaker or the personal  preference of the consumer, all of which reflect the notion of “Authenticity”.

Perhaps we could change the definition to that of “If the wine reflects and portrays everything we hoped it would, and brings joy to those that consume it”, it could lay claim to the notion of Authenticity.

I would be happy to say that our wines have successfully fulfilled those criteria.

Cheers

Stephen Barnard

Winemaker and pursuer of authenticity at Keswick Vineyards

www.keswickvineyards.com

Currently available are 4 whites: 2009 Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc (called Karien), and a 2008 Chardonnay (called Marguerite). a A 2007 Syrah is also listed but is currently out of stock.

Nice surprise to see Zaca Mesa on the shelf and this went quickly into the shopping cart. It did not disapoint. Floral nose with aromas of peach.  Palate of citrus, lychee, peach, apricot and a touch of sweetness. Light on the palate yet full in the mouth with a creamy viscosity mid.  Crisp citrus acidity and a nice lingering finish with just a touch of spice.  The flavors kept changing and switching in and out over time and kept you excited about what you would find on the next sip.  It screams for Asian chicken and seafood dishes.  This is a winner and at $4 a great QPR.  Thumbs up and I already went back for more.

white wine wednesday

This week we tasted 6 white wines and who could have thought there would be such a difference between them. Going between the wines really emphasises the difference between them.

My favourites this week were:

Reichgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling, 2011

German wines are typically 8% alc. however Riesling sits around 13% alc. Riesling has a high alcohol content due to being a dryer white wine. This wine stated ‘Trocken’ on the label which is German for dry. Being from Alsace where they have slatey soil with a high natural acidity you would expect it to be dry.  Whilst tasting this wine I discovered the sensation of minerality. It was tangy and tart. It almost felt fizzy like a pineapple that had started to ferment. To put it more delicately minerality is the same feeling as drinking San Pellegrino sparkling water. This citrus, herbaceous wine would be great with thai or vietnamese food.

Concha y Toro ‘Corte Igancio’  Viognier, 2011

This Chilean wine is from a cool coastal area. Concho y Toro are one of the most famous Chilean producers …according to my tutor and the rest of the class. The majority seemed to have heard of them and after having tasted this wine I could see why. It had a savoury cream taste like vanilla and toast at the same time suggesting it had kept in an oak cask. As a fuller bodied wine it would go well with fuller bodied food like a creamy yet spicy chicken tikka masala.

This week’s list of wine facts for Grape growing and Wine Making:

• wine is location, location, location
• wine growing regions are between 30° and 50° north and south of the equator
• by the Old World we mean Europe, Turkey, Lebanon
• by New World we mean North America, Central America, South America, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa
• as people have moved around the world they have taken vines with them as a taste of home
• some grapes travel everywhere e.g you can now get Chinese Chardonay
• the climate in Thailand means that they have a spring harvest AND an autumn harvest
• wine growing regions generally have four distinct seasons
• in marginal climates you get a lot of annual vintage variation
• characters of grapes are driven by sunshine and how the grapes ripen
• in the north you get more white wine. generally higher acidity and lower alcohol content
• further south fuller bodied wine e.g. gutsy Australian Shiraz
• high yield dilute the quality of wine
• a stressed vine can produce better wine as the vine concentrates on the fruit
• irrigation is banned in most European countries. Irrigation affects the price of wine
• in coastal vineyards the sea moderates the climat
• rivers close to vineyards are important as they keep air moving
• oak tastes – vanilla, smoke, butterscotch, toast
• oak should be seasoning adding another dimension it should not overwhelm the wine
• new barrels import more flavour
• vines don’t like to have their feet wet
• where you see roses on a wine they are not there only to look pretty but as an early morning for mildew
• it takes 3 years for wine get organic certification
• where there is a spider problem in a vineyard ladybirds can be taken in to eradicate them
• planting grass between vines means that the vine has to complete with the grass and work harder
• natural grasses plough nutrients back into the soil at the end of the season