Hand Harvesting Grapes: Not Everything It’s Cracked up to Be?
July 1, 2012
The theory view that hand harvesting of grapes produces the best wine is being challenged by new research from the University of Auckland.
It shows that machine harvesting produces higher levels of the aromas characteristic of award-winning New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
“There’s always been the issue that perhaps the best wines need to be made only from hand-picked grapes. But this shows that with sauvignon blanc you really are getting the most intense Marlborough style from doing exactly that – machine harvesting.” said Associate Professor Paul Kilmartin
Click here for the full article from Newstalk ZB.
My Thoughts…
I never would have thought that you would have been able to tell the difference!
I certainly know that there are some practical benefits to both side of the argument, and there’s no doubt that in New Zealand, hand-harvesting grapes isn’t practical for the large majority of producers (due to the lack of available labor).
On the flip-side of the argument, I’m not sure that New Zealand producers should always be seeking the “most intense style.” With a large majority of NZ SBs already tasting like a large Māori man is ramming lemons, limes and grapefruit down your throat; I think producers need to be seeking out ways to differentiate the taste of their particular product, rather than simply trying to extract as much of its inherent flavor.
Posted in News | Tagged New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc | Leave a comment //Rendez-vous Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California.
June 29, 2012
Grapes
100% Chenin Blanc
Facts
- Chenin Blanc! Not exactly the first grape that springs to mind when you think of California! Some people may even say that, as a winemaker, you would have to be CRAZY to bother with a grape which has a relatively low level of consumer recognition. This, when you could much more easily make/market Cab or Chard etc. This leads nicely to my next point…
- The founder of the Rendez-vous Winery is Larry Dizmang….actually…..Dr. Larry Dizmang M.D. (psychiatrist), as he is more formally known! The doctor – along with his wife Evie (a clinical social worker) – founded the Folie a Deux Winery (you’ve no-doubt seen the Menage a Trois label). He sold the winery (which had initially been converted from a former sheep ranch) in 1995, and at its peak was producing around 20,000 cases. It’s interesting to note that the name “Folie a Deux” is the medical term used to describe two people who share the same delusion. In this case, it’s making wine!
- The base for Larry’s new vinous-venture is in the Old Sugar Mill, located in Clarksburg. The venue serves as an “all-in-one” winemaking operation (custom crush, wine tasting room and event space) for eight California wineries. Check-out the Old Sugar Mill on Facebook
Ovinte: A Return to the Wine Bar Business for Chad Munsey.
June 28, 2012
Ovinte is located at:
10208 Buckhead Branch Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32246
904-900-7730
Chad Munsey has been a friend of mine for quite some time, and so when I heard he was opening a new wine bar (in the old Original Pancake House location in Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center), I decided to sit down with him at Taverna, order a glass of bubbly (or three) and find out what was going-on…
So…rumor has it you’re getting back into the wine bar business?
Well…let’s face it….it was always going to happen! Ovinte is the newest project that I have been working on with my business partners Jacques and Fraser. We are working with the team at Design Cooperative, they have given us so many great ideas, we are proud to be working with them. We have all been working very hard and are excited about this new concept.
So how did this whole thing come about?
Well, I was actually approached by the owner of the building last year, but the problem was I still owned my distribution business (Vingevity) and so I was unable – by law – to also own a interest in a restaurant/bar etc. His original idea was to model it after the Wine Room in Winter Park (Orlando), with just enomatic machines, but after a lot of thought we decided against the idea.
I’m not really a fan of the wine bars that only use those things. It’s killing the human element of service.
I agree.
While we’re on the subject…Vingevity, your distribution business. Obviously you were trying to do something a little different there, that is, different than the “big boys.” So was the lesson learnt from this experience not to screw with the big distributors?
Getting into the distribution business is an EXREMELY expensive business to get into. You’re buying wine, and paying for it in full before you ever get the chance to sell it. Your inventory also needs to be huge so as not to constantly keep disappointing restaurants. We were really only doing business in North Florida, and to really make it work we needed to get into the South, but the cost of increasing our distribution down there was unrealistic.
So, as I continued to watch the distribution business I started realizing that there was really only going to end up being 4-5 distributors in Florida, and all the rest will be scrapping for the leftovers.
I just didn’t want to work that hard, just to pay the bills, just to break-even.
I think it’s something that consumers have a hard time understanding. I truly believe people believe wineries are making their wine for mere pennies and are marking-up their wine to a ridiculous level at retail. Much in the same way that a great number of clothing retailers make a shirt for $4 in – often in some third world country – and sell it in their store for $60.
Yeah, and my company Vingevity also never did liquor and that’s where the big distributors make their money. They’re able to heavily discount their wine and stay afloat. So we decided to close.
The funny thing was that almost immediately after, Selected Brands announced they were going to be sold to Country Vintner, and so my premonition started to come true. So you have RNDC, SWS, Opici, Premier and now Country Vintner, and they’re going to be all that’s left in Florida.
The main thing was that I’ve always worked in the restaurant industry. I like to see people having a good time and I want more of that in my life!
One of my college lecturers told me that no matter how much people in the service industry say they want to get out, they will ways come back.
It totally believe that to be true. The bonus with me is that I’m still single, so there’s nothing tying me down.
Posted in Interview, News | Tagged best wine bar, best wine bar Jacksonville, Chad Munsey, Ovinte, Ovinte Jacksonville, Ovinte wine, Ovinte wine bar | 2 Comments //That Awkward Moment When…
June 27, 2012
Thinking about Buying a Wine Fridge? Read This First!
June 26, 2012
Over the last couple of months I’ve received a few emails/Facebook comments/carrier pigeons with notes attached to them, from people looking for advice on purchasing a wine fridge.
I’m therefore going to defer to the superior knowledge of my good friend Curtis Dahl, co-owner of Joseph & Curtis. His company builds some of the best wine cellars known-to-mankind, and they also stock an impressive selection of wine coolers (as in refrigerators, not the drink…that would just be weird).
I fired some wine fridge questions (a combination of my own and questions I’ve received) off to Curtis, and this is what he came back with:
Why do I need a wine fridge?
“Keeping wine stored at the optimum temperature is essential in allowing the aging process to successfully take place. A wine fridge or cooler will keep your wine drinkable for a much longer period of time and will even improve the taste of many wines.”
Are there any benefits/constraints with a wine fridge over a wine cellar?
“The main benefit is cost…a wine cellar is $10,000+ whereas most well made wine fridges tend to be in the $500-2,500 range depending on size,durability etc. A wine refrigerator is not a wine cellar. A wine refrigerator or cooler is a short/medium-term storage device.”
Why can’t I just store wine in my regular fridge at home?
“Humidity. Household refrigerators are designed to remove the humidity from the air in your fridge, while wine fridges are designed to maintain the humidity inside the unit…this is important as the humidity will help keep your corks wet and hence slow down the aging process. The other issue is storage (home fridge has no wine racks) whereas a wine fridge will have shelf’s specifically built to hold wine bottles.”
Posted in Facts | Tagged best wine fridge, buying a wine fridge, Joseph & Curtis, wine fridge, wine refrigerator, wine storage | 3 Comments //Clarksburg: The “Top Secret” AVA – Infographic
June 25, 2012
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