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

Choosing Wine & Sales

Brad Post:

After reading my brothers remarks on restaurant patron wine purchase choices I began to do some research to see how people go about selecting a wine and reviewed current sales trends. The source of my material comes from Wine Business Monthly (April & May issues).

Wine sales over the past year (and the past 13 weeks - ending 2/7/09), according to the Nielson Company, and reported by Rachel Nichols (WBM, p. 71, May, 2009) indicates overall wine sales are up by 5 percent.

Any guesses to the top selling varietals? The dollar volume for the past 52 weeks follow: #1 Chardonnay - $1.7 billion, #2 Cab Sauv. - $1.18 billion, #3 Merlot - $898 million, #4 Pinot Grigio/Gris - $649 million.

The fastest growing segment over the past year are: #1 Pinot Noir (13.2%), #2 Fume/Sauvignon Blanc (10.4%), and #3 Pinot Grigio/Gris (9.7%). It is interesting to note, despite such a large market share, that Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are still making headway reporting moderate growth over the same period: 4.1% and 7.7% respectively.

That is a lot of wine being purchased - Billions of dollars! So, how do winemakers go about marketing their product so it moves? What do potential customers key-in on before they buy that one bottle (or case)? Using experimental research, Larry Lockshin, professor of Wine Marketing at the University of South Australia (WBM, p. 64-67, Apr. 2009), reported two studies. The first being critical of traditional market research methodologies, which simply asks customers to pick their favorite attributes of a wine (e.g., bottle design, label, etc.), and in this study he created a simulation and manipulated the label colors and styles. He found label style and colors were predictive of purchase behavior - but varied by respondents.

Study 2. In this study, he experimental manipulated several independent variables (e.g., bottle size, label design, color, price, ratings, awards, alcohol level, and closure type) to understand their effect on the dependent variable: choice. Biggest purchase predictors? 1) ratings (0-5 stars), 2) brand, 3) price, 4) medals and trophies, 5) price discounts, 6) alcohol level, 7) region, and 8) closure type. For online purchases price seems to be even more important!

Take home message to us: get Robert Parker to highly evaluate our wines, build a strong brand image, and price it right!

Happy tastings!
~Brad

Taste and Cover!

Brad Post:

Each week I make sure to give my wine a Carbon Dioxide - CO2 cover (i.e., dry ice) in order to displace any Oxygen that may have found its way into my containers of clearing wine. Until recently I was under the impression, like many winemakers, that SO2 (sulfur dioxide, aka: sulfur or sulfites) protected wine from oxidation - it is useful at crush for that purpose but less so afterward. When air (oxygen) invades the ullage or headspace of a barrel, tank, carboy it interacts with wine constituents to make a good wine go bad. Perhaps, you've had a wine that was supposed to be fruity, white, and delicious, but instead you found something different - carmel tasting, nutty, and browning -- these are the very noticeable effects of oxidation. Good for Sherry...bad for a nice Seyval!

Yesterday, with CO2 in one hand (not literally, it's very cold) and a wine thief and glass in the other, I ventured down to the cellar to Taste and Cover. While Jill waited comfortably upstairs I went down to steal samples, slurped a little, and laid down a nice billowy cloud of dry ice on the wine; then, back upstairs to see if she could identify and evaluate the wine quality. Here is what we determined:

1. Marechal Foch (Press-Fraction) - We hadn't tasted this one for a very long time so when I took the first sip I was surprised. It lacked the traditional Fochiness (read: vegetative, herbaceous, heavy earthy quality) and was medium bodied, moderately oaky (American), and nicely fruity. BIG SURPRISE - it was good!

2. Malbec (Chilean) - A year ago our wine club purchased grapes from Chile and has been aging in the cellar ever since. This has been a particular rascal to work with and I attribute much of this to the product we had to begin with. Nonetheless, the Malbec is giving us a nice dark, fruity, lightly oaked wine to enjoy. On the downside, we still need to remove some of the dissolved carbon dioxide from solution (e.g., it needs to have a good burp!).

3. Zinfandel (California) - Last Fall while working at the nearby Fireside Winery they offered me several bucket fulls of fresh-crushed Zinfandel they purchased from California -- I happily accepted and fermented it to its current lovely state. Deliciously drinkable with hints of hippies and patchouli oil! Very drinkable!

4. Chambourcin - These grapes came from Baxter Vineyards in Nauvoo, IL last Fall. Beautiful hued purple/black wine with light notes of oak. Might have a slight fault as we think we might be detecting volatile acidity. Still good though.

5. Wild Grape - Picked these last Fall and didn't start it until late Winter - it's cold stabilizing right now. The early acidity was pretty high but after a few weeks of chilling it is really tasting pretty good. The wine has interesting earthy quality reminiscent of wild grapes -- Go Figure!

6. Frontenac Gris - This wine is a bit uninteresting. Seems to be lacking something: a personality perhaps and we're currently considering a short contact with some French oak to help it find its way.

7. Traminette - True to its Gewurztraminer heritage, this Traminette is floral, fragrant and spicy! This is one of our favorites this year! Can't wait to put this into a bottle and horde it! Delicious. Delicious. Delicious.

Moving on...In preparation to the establishment of our winery (the formal commercial one) we anticipate hosting a Wine Fest to dispense of our wines to friends, families, and wine lovers sometime in July. Stay tuned!

Peace and Happy Tastings!
~Brad

Wine Recession

I can say with absolute certainty that the recession has hit the restaurant business - or at least the one restaurant with which I am involved.

We are still selling wine, but our bottle sales was down in March by nearly 25% as compared with 2008. Additionally, the average price per bottle sold has decreased from $38 to $30.

I spoke with one of our wine reps on Friday and he said that he is seeing a lot of "trading down". That is where people who continue to buy, are buying lower priced or differently marketed products. He said that he'd noted that the premium French wines had taken a huge hit while the lower priced wine was doing a better job of holding its market share.

One trend that I have noticed is that unpretentious wines are doing better in the down market. One of our wines is "Boots" by Trevor Jones: an light Australian white. The label features a pair of rubber boots that you might expect laborers to wear in the vineyard. We are selling out of this stuff. I suspect that the combination of its low price and common feel make it a winner in this economy. I don't pretend to understand the psychology of wine drinkers, but this much I see first hand:

1. Expensive French wines are gathering dust.
2. Inexpensive wines with unpretentious labels are doing very well