Champagne

Now that New Years Eve is just a few days away, I thought I'd talk a little about Champagne.

The juice of most grapes is white so the color of the wine comes only from the skins.  Usually a blend of the juice of white and black grapes is used to make champagne. Blancs de Blanc are the only examples made purely from white grape.  Rose, or pink, champagnes are produced by using some red skins as well as the white.

After grapes have been harvested the grapes are pressed.  Whole grapes are  loaded gently into presses and, slowly, the juice is extracted. This occurs three or four times and each time more tannin and color comes out of the skins, although the actual skins and pulp have to be removed.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel cylinders or barrels; where yeast is added to the grape juice  so fermentation can occur. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the grape juice and releases alcohol (as ethanol), heat and carbon dioxide.

Sugar and yeast are added to the final blend to induce a second fermentation. This wine is then bottled and capped in  the bottles that will end up on the shelves of the wine cellar.  During the second fermentation the yeast increases the level of alcohol and adds CO₂ which creates the bubbles in sparkling wine. This process takes about four to six weeks. The yeast must now remain in the bottle for at least a year to allow the champagne to age, even though the fermentation process is complete. The bottles rest horizontally on top of each other where the yeast collects along the bottom side.

Once the wine has aged, there's still the task of removing the yeast from the bottle. An ingenious method called riddling is employed. The bottles are placed at a 45 degree angle in either an automated or manual turning rack. Then the bottles are periodically rotated. This process forces the yeast down into the cap of the bottle. The mechanical riddler can achieve this in about a week, while the manual riddler takes about one month.
 

After riddling the yeast is ready to be removed. The tops of the bottles are frozen, trapping the yeast as an ice plug in the cap which prevents it from falling back into the sparkling wine.  A disgorging machine removes the cap from the bottle and the pressure built up inside shoots out the yeast ice plug.

The final stage before corking and wiring allows the wine maker to adjust the blend. Generally a combination of sugar and wine will be added to balance the high acidity of the dry wine. The amount of sugar added determines the designation on the label: non-dosée, brut, extra sec, sec, demi-sec or doux, in ascending order of sweetness. 

In the Hudson Valley I would recommend two local Champagnes

Clinton Vineyards Seyval Champagne made from Seyval grapes and Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery's Champagne, made from Chardonnay grapes.

Weekly Vocabulary

Flinty 
Flinty usually describes dry white wines, such as chablis and sancerre, with an aroma of flint striking steel. This character is believed to come from the limestone soil in which the grapes were grown and is a positive attribute.

Grand Vin 
French for "grand or great wine," and refers to the best quality wine made by a chateau. Many wineries make second and third labels that aren't considered as good as their grand vin. Although it sounds impressive, it actually has no legal or official designation. However, giving a bottle of wine with this on the label to friends may increase its value (and yours) in their eyes.

Happy Holidays

I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful holiday!

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my blog.

Now I'd want to share with you a few recipes that I received with my California Wine Club shipment. I will be trying the Beef Magnifique tonight with Daniel Gehrs Syrah.

Beef Magnifique (serves 8)

½ lb bacon, diced; 2 dozen small white onions; 4lbs beef cut in 2" cubes;1 tsp flour; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp ground pepper;1 clove garlic, pressed; 1 slice orange peel; 1 bouquet garni (tie 2 small bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme, ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg, ½ tsp marjoram, 1 small bunch parsley in a piece of cheesecloth) 2 cups Daniel Gehrs Syrah; 1 cup fresh small button mushrooms; Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Brown the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon and brown onions in remaining fat. Remove onions. Brown meat on all sides in same fat. Spinkle the bacon with flour; return to Ductch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, orange peel, and bouquet garni. Heat wine; pour over meat. Cover and place in a slow oven (250 – 300 degrees) for about 3 hours. Add more wine (including the glass of iwne you are enjoying while cooking) as necessary.

Meanwhile, sauté fresh mushrooms in a little butter until soft. Add mushrooms and onions 15 minutes before beef is done. Before serving, remove herb aouquet and orange peel. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with hot buttered crusty sourdough French bread and Daniel Gehrs Sarah.

Artichoke Dip

9 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and chopped; 1 cup mayo; ½ cup Sauvignon Blanc; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; ½ cup plain bread crumbs; ¼ tsp white pepper; ¼ tsp oregano

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add wine to mayo and blend well. Blend in artichokes, cheese, bread crumbs, pepper and oregano. Bake in an ungreased dish for 30 minutes. Serve with buttery crackers.

Red Wine & Type 2 Diabetes

I found this interesting article on the compound resveratrol that is found in red wine reduces may assist in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. This was especially interesting to me since type 2 diabetes runs in my family.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound in red wine, may help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, according to research conducted at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study, the scientists found that mice, when given resveratrol, had optimized insulin production and were better able to metabolize glucose. The study's authors believe that the findings could lead to a resveratrol-driven treatment of diabetes, which currently affects more than 170 million people worldwide.

That's good news for me. It's a glass of red wine every evening!

Wine purchasing for the holidays

We are coming down to the last few days of holiday shopping. When purchasing wine as a gift, you don't have to spend a lot of money for a good bottle of wine. There are many good wines priced under $30.

One of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc's – Babich is priced at $14 and is on the Wine Spectator's top 100. There is also a Chateau St Jean Fume Blanc priced at $13. Red wine selections - Fontanafredda Barbera priced at $13 and a Belle Vallee Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley at $22.

Many times during the holiday season wine and liquor stores have complimentary tastings. Belly up and taste the selections. You might find a wine you will have never thought to purchase quite good and reasonably priced.

Don't forget to ask the staff of the wine or liquor store for their recommendations too.

 

Weekly Vocabulary

Finish 
The impression left in the mouth after a wine has been swallowed. To be good, it should be distinctive and memorable rather than watery or short (the flavour isn't sustained).

Full-bodied 
Wine that has a full proportion of flavor and alcohol. It is also know as big or fat.

Chardonnay in a red blend

Yes it's hard to believe. As I drank this Da Vinci 2002 Reserve Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon from the North Yuba Sierra Foothills CA I looked on the back and noticed there was Chardonnay listed in the blend. I couldn't believe it. It is a very nice Cabernet. It's a heck of a blend. This "Cuvee Reserve" is crafted with 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Chardonnay (yes Chardonnay), 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% of Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petite Verdot and Syrah. It's a medium bodied wine but yet bold. I tasted a hint of cocoa on the finish. It was a very nice Cab. It's a good drink now and it will also mature in the bottle for a few more years.

Wine Matcher

With all the holiday parties in full swing there is a great wine and food pairing tool compliments of Natalie MacLean. It's a Wine & Food Matcher. http://www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher/ This tool is very easy to use and even matches the type of seafood to the wine. When you are in need of that match, just ask the matcher for advice. The wine brand they suggest might not be available at your liquor store. Don't worry, just go with the type of wine and you should be fine. (Riesling, Merlot, etc…)

Weekly Vocabulary

Fermentation 
The process that turns grapes into wine. It is the metabolization of the sugars by the yeast, into alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat.

Fined 
A winemaking process to remove small particles from the wine in order to clarify it. Some vintners believe that this removes some flavor and body from the wine, and therefore do not use the technique. Their bottles may be labeled as "unfined" or "unfiltered."

Alzheimer’s and wine

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) may be diminished by the consumption of Concord grape juice, according to recent presentations at the Neuroscience 2007 conference in San Diego. Two recent population studies associated moderate red wine and 100 fruit juice consumption with lowering the risk of AD dementia (wine) or delay in AD onset (juice). Those studies were buttressed by research presented by Dr. Lap Ho of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine showing the potentially protective effects of Concord grape juice and Cabernet Sauvignon polyphenols to slow the formation of plaques in the brain that lead to AD.

It's good to have a glass of red wine or Concord grape juice daily.

Nebbiolo

Found on the mountain ridges of Piedmont this grape's fame rests on the shoulders of Barolo, a wine made entirely from nebbiolo, but named after its town of origin. Credit for the invention of Barolo goes to a woman: Guilietta Colbert, a Parisian aristocrat who frequented the salons of Napoleon. There she fell in love with Carlo Tancredi Falletti, an Italian marquis. The two moved to Turin, but summered in his family castle in Barolo. When Tancredi died of cholera at age 53, Guilia assumed management of the estate and its vast vineyards, and quickly set about changing the wine. Being French, her taste ran towards robust, aged reds. What she got locally were young, semi-sweet, sometimes frizzante nebbiolos then in vogue.

She turned to her friend Count Camillo Benso for help. This well-traveled politician and Francophile was trying to reproduce Burgundy wine at home in Piedmont, bringing back from France not only pinot noir cuttings, but also a French winemaker, Louis Oudart. Giulia borrowed the enologist, but set him to work on her native nebbiolo. The result, dubbed Barolo, was a smashing success.

Barolo's first devotee was the King of Piedmont, Carlo Alberto. He was so enamored of this new wine that he not only served it at diplomatic dinners in place of the customary French imports, but bought the Castle of Verduno and its vineyards to make his own supply. Barolo soon gained the epithet "the king of wines and wine of kings."

Barolo's allure continues today, and its fans are no less devoted. Any visitor can see that nebbiolo is Piedmont's pampered thoroughbred. Amidst the rolling Langhe hills, which rise and fall like giant ocean swells, nebbiolo vines blanket the choicest pieces of land. It's a finicky grape, slow to ripen, so winemakers offer up their sunniest southern slopes and warmest, bowl-like amphitheaters to coax the grape to maturity by October, when the autumn mists, or nebbia, roll in.

Nebbiolo gives what it gets. Soil, sun, exposition, elevation, and weather are reflected in each bottle. These subtle, endless variations are what fascinate nebbiolo fans.

Nebbiolo is expressive like few other grapes. Only pinot noir and perhaps sangiovese show the same sensitivity to site. That's why terroir is such a buzzword among nebbiolo disciples, and why the names of Barolo's 11 communes, or counties, are loaded with meaning. Barolo from La Morra suggests one thing (perfumed, elegant, feminine), while that from Monforte implies another (tannic, long-lived, masculine). After mastering the communes, diligent students of nebbiolo next plunge into individual cru, or historic vineyards. Place-names like Cannubi, Brunate, and Vigna Rionda contain important clues: a vein of magnesium here, sandy soil there, a sunny hilltop where snow first melts in the spring. The differences are felt in the glass.

The mark of a good nebbiolo is not its weight on the palette--this is not a heavy wine--but its evanescent perfumes. A bouquet of roses or violets is typical, with notes of dried red fruit, anise, and spice. As its ages, earthy scents of tobacco, tar, or leather emerge. Find a good bottle and its perfumes tantalize, constantly changing in the glass. This is nebbiolo's magic, its siren song, luring you back for yet another sip to chase the will-o'-the-wisp flavors. Meanwhile, its austere power comes from strong tannins, which grip when young but mature into a supple texture that lets the wine evolve for decades.

I want to thank my colleague Patricia Thomson, journalist and president of La Dolce Vita Wine Tours for allowing me to share her article with you.

Weekly Vocabulary

Enology 
The science of wine production.

Extra Dry 
A sparkling wine that is slightly sweet. This term often leads to confusion since Dry means without sweetness, but Extra Dry means slightly sweet.

Extracted/Extraction 
Extraction is the process of taking the flavor, color and tannin out of the grape skins during maceration when the grape skins are steeped in the grape juice during fermentation. It's a similar process to steeping tea and gives wine the color, flavor and structure that the winemaker desires. The challenge is to extract the right amount of these compounds so that the wine is still balanced. Highly extracted wines are described as full-bodied, intense and alcoholic, with powerful fruit flavors and tannins.