Bench Trials

Brad Post:

As an aspiring winemaker, few things get me as techno-wine-geeked-out as conducting bench trials. Now don't get me wrong, I love the notion of winemaking as a craft, an artistic venture of guiding a grape to its true greatness with love and care. But, there is the scientifically-minded Brad whose grape-juices get flowing at the thought of checking pH, TA, SO2 and conducting bench trials.

Bench trials allow a winemaker to tweak the wine, generally using sound scientific procedures and organoleptic analysis (taste and smell), to adjust via additions (e.g., sugar, acid, tannins, etc.) the final wine we all enjoy. For the home winemaker a bench trial is usually done by taste (on the fly), such as adding sugar to a finished wine to balance or sweeten it up before bottling.

For a commercial winery, whose livelihood depends on not screwing up, bench trials are frequently used prior to any additions. As an example, I volunteer at a local winery who is considering making a tannin addition to three of their red wines (several hundred gallons each). In advance of making an addition, the winemaker sought out three different tannin options (yes, there are several different tannins one can put into a wine...to add some mid-palate complexity) and set-up a strategy to assess the additions. Here is how it went:

We created a 3x3x3 bench trial matrix. This means, we have three types of tannins, at three different concentrations (e.g., 10g/hl - the low point; 20 g/hl - a mid-point, and 40 g/hl - a high point), and three different red wines. All told we are testing 27 bottles + 3 (standards = a comparison of the unaltered original wine) = 30 bottles of wine to taste.

After a set amount of time to allow the tannins to incorporate into the wine, the winemaker will bring together a group of volunteer tasters to evaluate which additions work the best for each wine. If none of the additions improved the wine quality then the standard (original) wine will be bottled.

I have to admit the bench trial process is enjoyable! Frankly, the critical evaluation of the wines (the tasting) is a lot of fun and in the end helps craft a better wine. So, the next time you're enjoying a glass of wine think about how much art and science went into your bottle.

Happy Tastings!
~Brad

Poor Foch!

Brad Post:

"I don't get no respect" is a line from the late Rodney Dangerfield and must surely be the sentiment of our grape friend, Marechal Foch. Marechal Foch is named after a French Marshall (military rank), Ferdinand Foch, from WWI who helped negotiate the armistice. The Foch grape is a hybrid and was developed by French viticulturist Eugene Kuhlmann in Alsace in the early 1920's and brought to the United States in the '50s.

Foch has grown widely in popularity in Canada and the United States, but is no longer grown by the Europeans because of hybrid restrictions. "Wines made from Marechal Foch tend to have strong acidity, aromas of black fruits and, in some cases, toasted wheat, mocha, fresh coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla bean, and musk" (1).

In Iowa and parts of the Midwest, Marechal Foch has achieved a bad reputation because of its strong varietal characteristics, frequently with powerful vegetative overtones probably a result of poor enological practices (green stems in ferment or fermented on the skins for too long) or harvest decision (overripe).

Because of the powerhouse characteristics of Foch it is recommended to vintners by those in the know to use the following techniques: 1) hot press (to extract colors quickly), 2) carbonic maceration (e.g., similar to how Beaujolais is made - in a sealed vessel purged of oxygen), or 3) Press off skins quickly or after a very short maceration (e.g., think of a blush wine) (2).

I have tasted very good Foch from a couple wineries in Iowa: Prairie Moon and Summerset Winery in the Des Moines area.

In an attempt to challenge and elevate Marechal Foch the Eastern Iowa Wine Club's - Eastern Iowa Amateur Wine Competition is creating a special category for the Foch, called the "Fochy" award! It is our goal to make a wonderful, Burgundian-styled, wine from this disrespected Midwestern hybrid.

If you are interested in tasting for yourself: Come to the Benton County Fair (Vinton, IA) on July 23rd for the judging - visitor can also taste the wines and vote for their favorites.

~Happy Tastings!
Brad



Sources:

1. Wikipedia
2. Iowa State University - Viticulture
3. Prairie Moon Winery
4. Summerset Winery

Slacker

Terry post:

Okay. I admit it.

I have not been pulling my weight as far as this Blog is concerned. My brother has posted some well thought-out opinion pieces recently and about all that I have done was to post comments which read something like, "yea...i agree."

Real deep.

I promise to do better.





Some of you know that I have been the Wine Director for Restaurant 213 for sometime. Well, that came to a conclusion last week at the mutual agreement of the Chef and myself and I have some mixed feelings which I'll discuss.

It has been an absolute honor to be the Wine Director for a fine dining restaurant such as "213". It has given me the opportunity to sharpen my tasting skills as well as my financial skills when it comes to making selections for the wine list. Since 2004 when I started working with the Chef I have helped the wine list grow from something that was good locally into a listing which has received honors from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Chesapeake Life Magazine and Coastal Living Magazine. We have grown from just under 80 selections to over 440 selections - many of which in the challenging $30 and below price point.

The breaking point for the Chef and I came a few weeks ago after I had spent considerable time updating the wine list to include adding new and deleting old wines. It is not an inconsequncial task: it had taken all of my Saturday morning. When I delivered the eight copies of the wine list (double sided, color, on card stock) he pointed out that he'd added some new wines since I'd been in the week before and that he wanted them added to the list. I was pissed: turned on my heel and walked out the door.

The issue, the real issue is that a great Chef is like any other artist in that they are so focused on doing that which is important to them that they are oblivious to others. That was the case here. The Chef was just passionate about his restaurant, and the fact that I'd spent over 5 hours preparing this set of menus was irrelevant to him: he wanted perfect and what I presented wasn't perfect.

In 2004 when I started working with the Chef I had a fair amount of spare time. I no longer have that spare time, in fact putting the wine list together took time away from my family. I expected appreciation - something I did not receive.

What does this mean? It means that I am now out of the business of sipping fine wine almost every Friday afternoon and I will miss that.

I vividly recall one wine rep bringing in my first-ever taste of a Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier from Australia: huge nose, smooth and loads of berries. If every I was shocked by a wine, it was with that Australian.

Here are some of the most important lessons which I learned and am comfortable with sharing:

1. If you like the wine it is a good wine. Don't get wrapped up in all the B.S. which sometimes surrounds a wine. Be particularly aware of drinking the current hot wine whatever it should be.

2. Price does not equal quality. This is the first deriviative of my initial point. You would be shocked at how much expense crap is on every restaurant's wine list.

3. Inverse rule. The Wine Director at a fine dining restaurant will spend an inordinate amount of time seeking out high-quality, low priced wines for the wine list. It is easier than falling off a log to fine a great wine to sell at $80 to $100 at a restaurant. It is a real challenge to find a great wine which can be sold, at a profit, at $30 or less. I estimate that I spent 80% of my time finding wines in the $30 and below segment.

4. A typical restaurant will sell their wines for 2.5 - 3.5 times the price they pay at wholesale. While the price sounds high, there are a lot of costs associated with buying, holding and serving wine which is invisible to most diners. A storage locker which holds 2400 bottles and costs just over $15,000 to install. The investment that restaurant owners take in the proper care of wine bottles ensure that you get what you pay for. Serving costs include broken and stolen stemware: you have no idea. The Chef once told me, "Everyone steals from me". Glassware is broken, and stolen as is some of the wine. Side story: we used to have very, very nice pepper grinders and salt grinders on each table. They were milled aluminum with a plunger to actuate the grinding. They cost $28 a piece and every single one was stolen out of the restaurant within 6 months. We replaced them with cheap $1 shakers which no one steals. You get the idea.

I still plan on discussing wine it will now be from the perspective of more of an outsider.

Drink up!

~ Terry

Eastern Iowa Amateur Wine Competition

Brad Post:

In my last posting I discussed and criticized the reliability of wine judging and went on to lend my support to the process, realizing and accepting the the limitations. However, just last night I was pleased to hear about the wine judge selection process of one of the nations rising and innovative professional wine competitions, the Mid-American Wine Competition.

As part of the selection process, the judges evaluated several wines (e.g., sauvignon blanc), identifying varietal characteristics, flavor profiles, and other judging criteria. In addition to the ability to distinguish the subtle characteristics of several varietals the judges were also required to replicate their evaluations. That is, after an initial evaluation the wines were taken away and later returned to be reevaluated! The best judges were able to replicate and show consistency across wines and time. Most excellent!

This year, my wine club, the Eastern Iowa Wine Club will host the 2nd annual Eastern Iowa Amateur Wine Competition in Vinton, Iowa (July 23-26). One of our goals for the competition is to make it a learning opportunity for the winemakers who receive their score sheet and comments from the judges (e.g., strengths, flaws/faults identified, and suggestions); and for the visitors who attend. In addition to ribbons for the top 3 finishers in each category, the judges will select the best 5 to receive gold medals, and one will be chosen as Best of Show. Additionally, after the judging, visitors receive their own evaluation form and are allowed to sample wines and pick their favorite "Peoples Choice Award". (Below is a list of the 2009 categories).

A new feature for this years competition/event will be Mini-Workshops designed to teach basic winemaking skills for beginners. Please join us at the Benton County Fairgrounds on July 23rd (6pm) for the public tasting and evaluation!

The 2009 Eastern Iowa Amateur Wine Competition Categories:

Class 1 – Grape Wine
1. Dry Red (Vinifera)
2. Dry White (Vinifera)
3. Sweet Red (Vinifera)
4. Sweet White (Vinifera)
5. Sparkling (grape)
6. Dry Red (Native/Hybrid)

7. Dry White (Native/Hybrid)
8. Sweet Red (Native/Hybrid)

9. Sweet White (Native/Hybrid)
10. Special Category: Marechal Foch - “Fochy Award”

Class 2 – Non-Grape Wines
1. Dry Fruit
2. Sweet Fruit
3. Dry Berry
4. Sweet Berry
5. Rhubarb
6. Dry Vegetable or Flower
7. Sweet Vegetable or Flower
8. Sparkling (non-grape)

Class 3 – Meads and Ciders
1. Dry Mead
2. Sweet Mead
3. Cider

Movies and Books about Wine

Brad Post:

Recently I've been thinking about all of the wine-related movies I have watched over the past few years and the books, both entertaining and educational that I've read. And now that I have a little time on my hand, since the semester is over and my teaching load is unloaded, I thought I'd share some titles and commentary. Please add to the list!

Movies: These are probably the top-3 wine movies out.

1. Sideways (2004): Starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church. The nouveax classic film that immediately sent shockwaves through the Merlot community and brought Pinot Noir to the awareness of the masses. An entertaining film, shot in beautiful northern California.
2. Bottle Shock (2008): Starring Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman. This is a good wine-slurping movie to watch! Provides an overview of the 1976 French wine competition where California wines become prominent. I found it interesting that the portrayal of the 1976 California wine industry were of hippified, good hardworking 'folk', non-stratospherically oriented, and most of all: anti-French. Funny that today, California wines exemplify the antithesis of that vision of what it takes to make good wine.
   
3. Mondovino (2004): Documentary. Here is what Amazon says about it: "The ultimate film about wine and wine culture, Mondovino offers an unprecedented look into the conflicts, conspiracies and alliances of the wine trade." I have yet to watch it.

Books: There are several good books on wine. Most of the following are about winemaking - except the first...which is an absolute hoot!

1. First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under (2007), Eric Arnold, Scribner, NY. $*@*!* Hilarious! I laughed out loud when I read his book. The author took a year off to learn the wine business in New Zeeland and learned a lot. Fun, interesting, entertaining, and educational too. What a blast to read!!
2. The Joy of Home Winemaking (1996), Terry Garey, Quill, NY. My first home winemaking book. I read it several years ago and fired-me up enough to make my first couple of gallons! Very good introduction to home winemaking.
3. From Wines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine (1999), Jeff Cox, Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. An excellent addition to the advancing home winemaker, includes winemaking and winegrowing sections.
4. The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast's Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home (2005), Jim Law, Quarry Books,Glouchester, MA. Another nice addition to your collection.
5. The Grape Grower: A Guide to Organic Viticulture (2002), Lon Rombough, Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT. A very comprehensive guide to growing grapes organically.
6. Understanding Wine Technology: The Science of Wine Explained (2005), David Bird, DBQA Publishing, Great Britain. This was one of my first enology textbooks and does a pretty good job of helping the novice take the next step toward greater understanding. Maybe a bit heavy with European wine jargon but still a great resource!
7. Cooperage for Winemakers: A Manual on the Construction, Maintenance and use of Oak Barrels (2005), Geoffrey Schahinger and Bruce Rankine, Winetitles, Adelaide Austrailia. Everything you'd ever want to know about barrels and then some. Put this in your library.
   
8. Concepts in Wine Technology (2004), Yair Margalit, The Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco, CA. A very technically laden, chemistry-intensive book. But if you can get through the techno-jargon this book will serve as a great resource. One of my first wine science text books -- for the enology student or serious wine geek.
9. Micro Vinification: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale Wine Production (2001), Murli Dharmadhikari and Karl Wilker, Southwest Missouri State University, Mountain Grove, MO. Most likely my favorite winemaking text/guidebook I use very frequently. Buy this book! First used in my wine science class, I now use it regularly for SO2 calculations and titrations, TA, and nearly all laboratory procedures. A must have!

If you don't see your favorite movie or book...drop a note and add to the conversation.

Happy Tastings!
BJ

The Reilability of Wine Judging

Brad Post:

Visit most any winery today are you likely to find a showcase of their best wines shrouded in medals and ribbons. The more notable places, if lucky enough, will be adorned not only with traditional accoutrement but the highly sought after acknowledgment and praise of the upper stratum of wine critics, such as likes of Robert Parker and other wino bigwigs.

Of course, I must confess, that I lack a certain sophistication in my personal wine consumption and have also been known to enter a wine contest or two (yes, won some awards too)...but, at the same time my scientific mind says: Hmmm, I wonder about the consistency of wine judges. In other words, can wine judges replicate their own judging? For example, if our judge was evaluating a small sample of wines (10 Chambourcin) at our wine competition, we should reasonably expect they would be able to judge the same wine the same (or at least closely) if we slyly entered two of the exact same wines (from the same bottle) in this round. And if they couldn't, should we not be at least a little suspect of their abilities and question their sway over us?

Funny I should ask...in a recent study in the Journal of Wine Economics, Dr. Robert Hodgson investigated 65 judging panels and concluded only 30 panels came close to consistency in evaluation. By definition, when measurements of the same item are inconsistent over time, then we say the measure is unreliable. So, what is going on here? Can judges distinguish between the noted bell pepper, asparagus, and pineapple sensations when judging or are they simply deluding themselves or are they engaged in an elaborate group-think, self-reinforcing process?

I will avoid the social psychological considerations and briefly focus on the sensation and perception of taste to at least touch on the subject. It is well known that taste and smell are intricately related, such that if you have a bad cold, your ability to detect scent decreases. For example, without scent the potato tastes much like an apple. There are four main types of tastes: salt, sweet, sour and bitter (yes, I haven't forgotten savory umami, so make that five) each with their own distinct taste thresholds.

Some Taste Facts (courtesy of Schaffin (2001) Sensation and Perception):

1. All taste stimuli must be dissolved or soluble solutions.
2. Sour comes from acid compounds; Bitter, from alkaloids; sweets, from nutrients such as organic substances.
3. Temperature effects taste thresholds (e.g., salty foods taste saltier when cooler than 22C or warmer than 32C)
4. Taste sensitivity (ability to distinguish) decreases for most after age 60.
5. Adaptation: Prolonged exposure to a taste solution results in a decrease or complete loss of sensitivity. How many wines can someone taste and still detect their qualities?
   
6. Adaptation-Produced Potentiation: A fancy way of saying that our ability to taste can shift because of adaptation. For example, if you are drinking a substance, such as lemonade and follow that with a glass of cold water the resultant taste is sweet. Here are how the four tastes are effected by the adaptative potentiation of water: A) Bitter - can elicit a sweet taste with water; B) Sweet - can elicit a sour and bitter response from water; C) Salts - can elicit sour, sweet and some bitter water taste; D) Sour - can elicit a sweet water taste.
   

Without going into the anatomy of taste I think it is fair to conclude taste is a fairly subjective and complex phenomenon. Furthermore, I believe wine judging, even when it is done well, is relatively inconsistent and is likely a long ways from anything terribly scientific. So on one hand we have consumers who frequently base their decision to purchase on a particular wine scoring system (generally, a 100 point scale); likewise, we have winemakers who use this information to market their wines accordingly and take pride in a well-made wine because of the evaluation.

I guess the challenge is to decide for yourself, perhaps with the guiding evaluations of the experts, to make a wine purchase decision - or to take a little extra pride in making a good wine for the winemakers. Frankly, I do think the experts know the difference between a very great wine and a great wine...but for me, it just seems like another layer of complication keeping good people away from good wines. And like Andrew Zimern, I say "if it tastes good, drink it".

Hoping his wines will win at the next competition,
Brad

Churchill and Champagne

Terry Post:

I am re-reading Roy Jenkins’ book, “Churchill, A Biography” which I recommend highly. As a result of reading about Churchill and his copious consumption of Champagne, I have found it necessary to return to sparkling wine (can’t afford the real stuff) and have recently enjoyed two bottles of California sparkling wine and one from France.

I have enjoyed, to varying degrees, the following NV sparklers:

1. “Cooks” Brut Sparkling Wine. I paid $6.99 for this 750 mL California sparkler at a grocery store. It had a very distinct yeast scent and was quite bubbly. I was disappointed at the taste as the yeast overwhelmed any fruit that might have been hiding within. Not recommended by itself. Might be okay in a mimosa.

2. “Barefoot Cellars” Brut Sparkling Wine. I paid $9.99 for this 750 mL California sparkler at a grocery store. I was not aware that Barefoot Cellars was producing sparkling wine, and this was the first time that I’d ever seen it on the shelves. I am aware of the brand and see it as trying to define itself as a low-to-mid priced wine with above average quality. The wine itself had no yeast on the nose or palate. It showed expressive citrus bouquet on the nose followed by loads of melon on the end. I was very pleasantly surprised and would buy it again. Recommended.

3. “Jean-Louis Cuvee Blanc de Blancs” Brut Sparkling Wine. I paid $10.99 for this 750 mL French sparkler at a beer and wine store. The nose was profoundly pineapple with a little citrus – very nice. The finish was smooth and easy and there was pineapple again at the end. I have gone back and bought three more bottles of this one. Strongly recommended.

~ Terry