Woot Wine : One Week, One Wine (SM)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled wine sale for a detour through the mind of lovable loudmouth critic Gary Vaynerchuk. The Cycles Gladiator 4-Pack will return tomorrow.

Maybe you haven’t heard Gary Vaynerchuk’s hyperactive, irreverent opinions on wine yet. But that’s about to change. Along with his daily videocast at Wine Library TV, he’s also scheduled to appear in the near future on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, National Public Radio, and various other national, local, global, and galactic media outlets. And it’s not just because people love the soothing sound of his melodious voice. It’s because he’s written the book 101 Wines, as if ink on paper could possibly contain Gary’s opinionated vigor. We’re talking about a guy who does his show surrounded by New York Jets memorabilia. Clearly, he’s not worried about people thinking he’s crazy.

Not only did Gary write 101 Wines, he also wrote on it, just for you. Each and every copy of the book for sale today has been personally scrawled upon by Mr. Vay! Ner! Chuk! himself. It would’ve been cool to fill up an ink pen with whatever’s in Gary’s spit bucket and sign the books with that, but we think he just used regular ink.

Let’s make one thing clear: despite the persistent rumors sizzling through our forums, Winedavid39 is not secretly Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk is not secretly Winedavid39. And neither one of them is secretly Ron Paul. Sure, both GV and WD approach wine with a certain joie de vin, and both value honesty and, uh, value. But come on. Gary’s a point guard with a quick first step and a feathery jumper, while Winedavid 39 is a big man with surprisingly good ball-handling skills who swings between a 3 and a 4. Any fool can tell the difference.

Anyway, we wouldn’t hit PAUSE on our regular sale for any old wine book. We’re doing this because 101 Wines is the wine book we wish we’d had before we’d ever tasted a drop. It’s honest, it’s insightful, it’s funny…it’s Gary!

Now, Gary, let’s talk quid-pro-quo…

Some wines merely taste good. Some transport you to another time, another place. (And we’re not talking about drinking so much that you black out until the morning after.) A time before the world had ever known a World War. A place where advertising posters and high art could be one and the same. A world where a naked woman could fly down the street with a bicycle, crazy Frenchmen painted on the beaches of Tahiti, and lovers passed severed ears in the mail like valentines. And they called it la Belle Epoque.

The scandalous label on these bottles of Cycles Gladiator reproduces an 1895 poster advertising that very model of modern conveyances, the bicycle. It’s not easy for us jaded 21st-century folk to understand the dizzying feelings of freedom that this novel contraption aroused, especially in crowded, class-bound Europe. Imagine if, suddenly, everybody could afford their own helicopter. Or better yet, just try any or all of these four Cycles Gladiator wines. Their uninhibited energy evokes the thrilling time when the bicycle was joined by inventions like the telephone, the phonograph, motion pictures, the airplane, and yes, even cellophane.

Not that you’ll taste any cellophane. Making their world debut, the two bottles of Cycles Gladiator “More Reserved” (the 2006 Cab and the 2006 Merlot) were born in the dry, cool 2006 growing season, and harvested late for darker colors and more developed tannins. You won’t find any reviews of these two yet. And anyway, who cares about reviews? Any Belle Epqoue painter could tell you that real genius is cruelly unappreciated in its own time.

Cycles Gladiator only harvests their Chardonnay at night, and the 2005 Central Coast Chardonnay shows how successful this eccentric method is at keeping bitterness at bay. Cool fermentation in new and neutral French oak makes for brighter, richer, fruitier, Chardonnay-ier flavors. The cool-climate aromatics of peach and pineapple! The ripe, fresh white stone and tropical fruit flavors Bright acidity setting the fruit aloft like a zeppelin! As golden as the sunrise over Le Havre, this Chardonnay will leave you wondering whether to keep it in a wine cellar or in a museum.

Simplicity can be deceptive. A seemingly crude scene of a couple of South Pacific women lounging on a beach can hold a world of meaning and subtlety. So it is with the Cycles Gladiator 2007 Central Coast Pinot Grigio. Sure, you can sip it while you do the dishes, in classic Pinot Grigio style – or you can savor the symphony of fruit and floral notes being played on your nose and tongue. Sweet grapefruit, lemon zest, and honeydew notes are lifted by an avant-garde splash of Orange Muscat, for a Pinot Grigio that refuses to be ordinary.

Sadly, the world has moved on from the joyous, creative zenith of the Belle Epoque. But one sip of this Cycles Gladiator Four-Pack will have you wondering: who says you can’t save time in a bottle?

A Bad Night At Black Rock - Wed. Apr. 23, 2008

It’s been so cold all month that the vines have hardly grown at all, but after three weeks we able to discern that the damage from frost at the end of March wasn’t so bad.  That all changed Sunday and Monday mornings.  We had two extremely cold nights in a row, resulting in our worst frost damage since 1988, and by most accounts, the worst damage region wide since the early 70’s.  We lost more than a quarter of our potential crop, and published estimates are 10-20% losses for Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties, somewhat less for Napa.  Losses in Sonoma County alone are projected to be in excess of 50 million dollars worth of grapes.
 

The Tipping Point - Sat. Apr. 26, 2008

I believe Al Gore used the above term in reference to the situation where the environmental balance is compromised to the extent that it can’t be corrected – when “chain reaction” climate change takes over.  I bring this up because I think we’re near or at the tipping point for a lot of resources that we’ve taken for granted in the past.  Prices will skyrocket as demand exceeds production capacity.  The price of wheat has tripled in less than six months; worldwide rice shortage looks inevitable, salmon season has been cancelled.  Steel prices have risen 30-50% since January, on top of huge increases in recent years.  Despite the powers that be exerting tremendous political and economic pressure, it probably won’t be long before U.S. gas prices reach international levels (currently $8 a gallon and rising in most of Europe).  The reasons are obvious yet complex and interwoven at the same time.  For a real eye-opener check out the current National Geographic issue, which is entirely devoted to China.

Why, you may ask, am I bringing this up on a wine blog?  I’ve been paying bills, and almost all of them have increased dramatically from only a year ago.  Tin wine capsules have gone up 50% or more since last year due to a worldwide shortage of tin.  Apparently demand, particularly from China, has surpassed mining capacity.  Bulk tin has gone from $1600 a ton to $10,000 a ton in less than a year.  Recently, scrap metal dealers have been calling, looking to buy “damaged” wine capsules.  The price of steel grape stakes has more than doubled in five years, stainless steel tanks likewise.  Everybody is adding “fuel surcharges”; trucking wine to the warehouse after bottling last week cost $590 plus a $173 fuel surcharge.  Wine bottle prices have jumped – no, there isn’t a shortage of sand yet, but it takes a lot of natural gas to melt the sand.  The cost of shipping wine seems to go up almost every month as UPS and FedEx pass on their increased costs.  I haven’t asked WineDavid about it, but I imagine this is eating into the take home for both w00t and the participating wineries.  Can $5 shipping last much longer?
 

Some Like It Hot - Wed. Apr. 30, 2008

Thanks to Clayfu and ieabarry for the questions about high alcohol levels in California wines.  The biggest reason, both direct and indirect, is wine critics’ and consumers’ tastes.  I say direct and indirect, because alcohol levels can be adjusted independent of grape sugar levels.  The traditional methods are decrease by amelioration (water addition) and increase by use of sugar (in Europe and much of the U.S.) or grape concentrate (in California, where sugar is not allowed).  The modern, more technological methods include the cryogenic concentrators used by top Bordeaux chateaux and alcohol removal from wine by centrifuge or reverse osmosis and distillation.  Clark Smith, owner of Vinovation, says that his company removes alcohol from hundreds of “high-end” wines every year.  He touts the theory that every wine has one or more alcohol “sweet spots” – and you can optimize the taste of your wine by dialing in the right alcohol level.  There are some very high end Napa Cabernets that use a “formula” of picking at outrageous sugar levels, bleeding off juice and replacing it with enough water to be able to ferment to dryness, and then removing alcohol.

Alcohol labeling is another issue.  In the U.S. wines are categorized into two tax classes, 14% and below, and over 14%.  When this system was set up, fortified wines (Port, Sherry, Muscatel, etc. – actually the lion’s share of the California industry at the time) were the only wines over 14%.  For table wines (14% or below), the label is required to be accurate within +/- 1.5% (to allow for blending and batch to batch variation).  Almost all California table wines used to carry a label stating 12.5%, which covered everything from 11-14.  European wines don’t require alcohol labeling in their home countries, so a generic sticker (typically 12.5%) is added for export to the U.S.  Above 14% the label must be accurate within +/- 1.0%.  You can’t always assume that the stated alcohol % is accurate.  Someone in the w00t forum referred to a Bordeaux that was 12% alcohol – it could easily have been 13.5%, given standard import practice.  Also, some U.S. wineries strive for full disclosure and accuracy while others label for perception / marketing (usually within the allowable legal limits).  I had one wine recently (coincidentally a w00t offering) that just seemed higher in alcohol than the label stated.  I was suspicious enough to save an ounce to test, and lo and behold, it tested at almost 1% higher than the label said.

Widespread appreciation of fine wine is a relatively new phenomenon in this country.  We look for wines that are easy to like, and many of us look to “experts” for guidance.  I think only if you have been “into” wine for 25 years or more can you fully realize how much Robert Parker and others have dictated tastes.  I don’t really want to renew the debate about that here, so I’ll spare you the crazy stories for now.  At any rate, a large number of American wine drinkers currently prefer wines with lots of body and extract but low acid, soft tannins and sweetness or the impression thereof.  As grapes ripen, sugar levels climb, acid levels drop, tannins “soften”, and flavors change.  The general trend over the last fifteen years or so has been to delay harvest; “hangtime” has been one of the most popular wine buzzwords of the decade.  Higher sugar levels result in more alcohol; they also result in more “stuck fermentations” with residual sugar (RS) left in the wine.  Sadly, in recent years I have tasted a number of Gold Medal winning and 90+ point wines with 16% alcohol and 1% or more RS.  Traditionally this type of wine was considered flawed.  Robert Parker has actually used the term “port-like” as a positive descriptor for non-dessert wines.

Alcohol affects the aroma and flavor of wine in several ways.  Because it is volatile it acts as a carrier for other compounds, intensifying the aromas.  It adds sweetness, body and viscosity, intensifies the impression of fruit, and adds “heat” – that sensation you get if take a shot of distilled spirits.  All of the above make a wine seem “bigger” and more intense.  This is all fine and dandy within the cultural mindset of “if something is good, then more of it is better”, but a lot of us don’t live our lives that way.  In my world there is such a thing as too much garlic or too much hot sauce, etc., and I find that over-the-top wines don’t taste as good with food and the food doesn’t taste as good either.

Determining when to harvest is the most important, and for me the most subjective, decision in the whole winemaking process.  One needs to consider sugar and acid levels, flavor and tannin maturity.  Acid and sugar (or alcohol) levels can be adjusted up or down and tannins affected by processing techniques to some extent, but you really can’t change the basic flavor of the grapes.  I plead guilty to allowing the alcohol levels in my wines to creep up over the last few years.  There is a dilemma for a winemaker who has a philosophical belief of minimal intervention.  I do use flavor as my primary consideration in harvest decisions, but sometimes this results in higher sugars than I want.  I don’t like to add water, so I’ll add enough to ensure we can ferment the wine to dryness, but not necessarily enough to bring alcohol levels to what I consider ideal.  Some winemakers will never add water; some will always adjust to a specific “target” sugar level.

To sum up, higher alcohol levels, whether desired or not, are often a result of harvest decisions.  Alcohol levels can be adjusted.  Changing consuner preferences are the biggest driving force behind this change.

Too evil to live…too big to die…too delicious to be contained by our cellar…run! Polyphemus once again walks the land! The third offering from Woot Cellars returns for a revival of his original creature feature – and this time, he brought merch.

Along with a magnum of this Sonoma County blend of Barbera, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Merlot, each unlucky victim of this deal will also receive the shocking t-shirt pictured above. There’s no better way to say “I enjoy gimmicky wines with moderately amusing labels.” But don’t let Polyphemus hear you say it. No mortal has ever dared to call this beastly vino “gimmicky” and lived to tell about it.

SMELL the monstrous raspberry and spice bouquet! TASTE the sheer brutal power of its blackberry, black pepper, and anise flavors! FEEL a quivering in your bowels as you realize there is no escape from the horror! And WEAR the stylish t-shirt that will be the envy of every monster-loving wine connoisseur on your block! Wine.Woot: we’ll bring you a t-shirt to wear and the wine to spill on it!

Every so often, the cast of a popular sitcom decides to up stakes for an episode and visit some exotic locale. This is usually right before they add a new little kid to the cast because the old little kid isn’t cute anymore. The Keatons in London, the Bradys in Hawaii, the Conners at Disneyland: the traditional formulas are discarded. Our familiar TV pals strike new, revealing shapes against an exotic backdrop. Enchanted tiki idols may be involved.

Well, we’re not about to discover a precocious, wisecracking second cousin who needs a loving home. But this week, in a very special episode of Wine.Woot, we take you to exotic Australia for our debut international offer. And we’re not going there for any old kangaroo milk. We’re talking Penfolds, mate. They’ve been romper-stomping the grapes of South Oz since 1844, back when Australia was still His Majesty’s biggest prison. Through everything since, through the triumphs of Olivia Newton-John and the tragedy of Yahoo Serious, Penfolds has won plaudits, kudos, and even some huzzahs from the global wine community. And get this: both the 2001 and 2003 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz were harvested in, like, March or April or something. But that’s the wacky Bizarro world of the Southern Hemisphere for you. We still haven’t figured out why all their blood doesn’t rush to their heads, with everybody walking around upside-down all the time.

But good thing it doesn’t. Because then we’d never experience the sublime Aussie thrill of these two Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz vintages. As plush and substantial as the cushions in a sultan’s harem, the 2001 starts with aromas of dark fruit sprinkled with dark chocolate, cola, anise, and licorice, joined after swirling by subtle touches of violet, cured meat, and boiled fruitcake. It’s a real smorgasbord for the nose – and it’s not all you want to smell, it’s all you can smell. That old Shiraz magic will have your palate in its spell with bountiful prune, plum, and spice notes. Maybe that’s why Beverage Dynamics gave the 2001 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz a score of 91 and a four-star review. “Beautiful,” they said. “A must-have…any meal would be honored to have this wine as its pairing.”

Don’t get jealous, 2003 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, because people have said some awfully nice things about your generous, voluptuous charms, too. Christmas pudding, plum, cherry, spice, and demi-glace aromas! Mocha, dark chocolate, spice, and plummy, berried fruit flavors! With 90 points from International Wine Cellar and 89 points from Wine Advocate, it’s the best-reviewed Australian import since Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. And this one won’t make you uncomfortable if you’re trying to enjoy it with your grandparents in the room. Don’t leave this one in your cellar too long – despite its younger age, Penfolds winemaker Peter Gago recommends drinking the 2003 before its 2001 sibling.

Sure, we could’ve hired Paul Hogan or Angus Young to lend us some Aussie cred for this episode, but what do we need them for when we’ve got Penfolds making an appearance? We hope this little Australian tangent has been as enjoyable as watching the delightful young ladies of the Eastland School drive all the boys in Montmartre wild. Next week, we’ll be back in our same old set, with the same old wacky neighbor telling the same old jokes to the same old laugh track.

Presenting the final deal this week – and the final chapter in the tale of Rock Hollow!

Yeah, I saw one of his very last shows in Vegas. Two days before he died. Tell you the truth, it was my wife’s idea. She was still holding a torch from all those years ago, still hot for the lean, young Rock Hollow. Personally, I thought he was a has-been.

When the show started, I still wasn’t sure what we’d be getting. Even in the posters, you could tell he’d put on weight. The tabloids were all saying he was on something a lot stronger than Merlot, and a lot of people considered his Vegas shows a joke.

But the lights went down, the band struck up, he stepped into the spotlight, and…what can I say? The old Rock Hollow magic was still there. But there was something else, too. The wild rock ‘n’ roller of old was seasoned, with sandalwood and tobacco and briary red fruits. As the show went on, he got even smoother, too. Silkier. That thrilling Rock Hollow flavor seemed to go on forever. But even that wasn’t long enough for us.

Real shame what happened after that. It’s too bad the Rock Hollow story had to end. But we’ll always remember that grand finale.

This six-pack will only be available through Thursday. Come back Friday morning at midnight for another deal – and the concluding chapter in the story of Rock Hollow!

Oh, Rock. What’s happening to us? There you are, up on stage, in the hot spotlight. The girls are screaming, going crazy, throwing phone numbers and flowers and underpants. The Admiral’s lighting another cigar and snapping his suspenders, congratulating himself over finding that gravy train. I can’t blame any of them. You’re seducing all of us. You’re hypnotizing us with that bright, bright light. We needed something fresh, something with a shine on it. Something with refreshing melon, guava, citrus, and pear flavors and lingering mineral notes. And you gave it to us. You give it to us every night.

But what about me, Rock? Will you have anything left to give that poor girl from the Central Coast? The one who loved Rock Hollow before anybody knew the name? You say we’ll be together always, that fame won’t change you. But there you are, in your suits as crisp as the flavors of your 2006 Chardonnay, everything you touch turning the color of golden sunshine. And here I am, still me. I’ll always remember the first time you ran offstage to the cheers of the crowd, took my hand, and pulled me into a limousine with you. I hope there’s never a last time, Rock Hollow.

This six-pack will only be available through Tuesday. Come back Wednesday morning at midnight for another deal - and another episode in the story of Rock Hollow!

You gonna be big, boy. You got somethin’ special. You stick with the Admiral, you ain’t gonna be singin’ in these crummy roadhouses forever. We gonna take you from the Central Coast to top of the charts, boy. You ever seen your name in lights? Rock Hollow fifty feet high, bright as you please? You about to, boy. Sure ‘nuff, you about to.

Now, we got to talk about your first record. You gotta make a statement with this one, boy. Gotta establish the Rock Hollow mystique right out the gate. Gotta get a big hit to help your old granny get her operation and buy the Admiral another fine Kentucky pony. Now I’m no expert, but I know what people wanna buy. The choice is obvious: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s big. It’s upbeat. It’s got strong tannins and you can dance to it. Soon as people get an earful of those cherry, cassis, plum, and spice flavors, they’ll lap it up. They won’t be able to get enough of that round mouthfeel, boy. It’ll be selling by the six-pack.

Just sign this paper here…that’s right…and this…OK, boy, we done. Put 'er there. I’ll buy a block of studio time and we’ll go in and make history. I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Look out, world. Cabernet Franc has had enough of being pushed around. It’s sick and tired of watching more muscular wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot get all the attention. “You’re just not strong enough to carry a whole bottle on your own,” everybody says. “You might hurt yourself. Now be a good little grape and run along. The big-boy grapes have work to do.” But who do they come running to when they need a little extra smoothness and spice in their blends? Huh?

Not today. Cab Franc won’t play second grape this time. It’s splashing into the spotlight as the primary varietal in this blend, and it’s gonna show you it’s got more to offer than a few lines in somebody else’s show. From hand-picking the grapes at the point of optimum maturity to cold-soaking the grapes for a week, Iron Horse has taken special care to give Cabernet Franc the spectacular stage it deserves. The result is an uncommonly smooth, unusually rich red that’ll take on any cuisine. Braised lamb shank, prime rib, grilled mushrooms, charbroiled eggplant, Old World cheddar – whatever you got, the richer, the better.

Don’t worry. You won’t hurt it. You can’t hurt it. Not when this Iron Horse 2005 Cabernet Franc flexes such robust, supple aromas (blackberry, cigar box, dark figs, toasted oak) and flavors (cherry, spice, sweet ripe fruit, berry jam). Of course it’s tough. It came up on the mean slopes of the T-Bar-T Ranch, a rugged little bench some 800 feet off the Alexander Valley floor. Those are the kinds of conditions that produce intense, luscious grapes. But it’s got a soft, smooth side, too. It’s still a Cabernet Franc at heart.

Maybe you’re still not comfortable with the idea of a Cabernet Franc in charge. Maybe you think they’re fine as a minor ingredient in a Cab blend, but you wouldn’t want your sister to marry one. Well, we suggest you update your attitudes, pronto. Iron Horse didn’t make much of this 2005 Cabernet Franc, and their contract with T-Bar-T has ended, so they won’t be making any more. Squirm and struggle and vacillate too long, and the Iron Horse might just gallop right past you.

$60! Per Board Foot Thurs. Apr. 3, 2008

Four or five years ago I proudly told people that all our wines were barrel aged, primarily in French oak, and that we didn’t use shaved and retoasted barrels, sawdust, oak chips or stave inserts. Times have changed; an old friend who’s in the “barrel alternative” business calls it a paradigm shift. We did our first barrel stave insert trials during the 2004 vintage, and have been expanding and fine tuning our use of these products a little bit each year. As with new barrels, it takes trial and error to find which producer, wood source and toasting regime works best with each wine. We have actually preferred the best inserts over several of the new French oak barrels we have been using.

When I came into the industry French oak barrels cost $200 to $240 apiece. I mentioned in a previous blog that I paid over $1000 for a single barrel for the first time ever this past fall (range - $800-$1020). Big jumps in wood prices in France combined with the US dollar’s abysmal loss of value have driven this year’s prices (at the current exchange rate) to $940-$1260. Inserts cost less than $100 per barrel. Economics has finally become a major factor in our barrel use decisions. We no longer can afford to exclusively use French oak barrels in our core line of wines that retail for $18. We will continue to use only the best barrels for our single vineyard Cabernets and Victory Reserve.

Interestingly, most of the cooperages have gotten into the barrel alternative business over the last few years. One factor, no doubt, is market opportunity, but another factor may be the profitable use of scrap from the barrel making process. I liken the latter to bagel shops making bialys, which I’ve long contended are filled with floor sweepings

Are Y’all Harvestin’ or Jest Sittin’ on Yer Duffs? - Wed. Apr. 9, 2008

I heard this many springs ago in a Napa Valley tasting room, uttered by a gentleman who had arrived in a big new Cadillac with license plates from a state where many of my favorite w00ters reside. (I wish I had written down all the wonderful things I’ve heard wine tourists say over the years.) Outside of crush, this is actually the busiest time of year for us. We had a two-day bottling last week and will bottle again next Thursday. Each bottling involves a week of prep work. We’re also very busy with racking and blending. Lynda and I taste several times a week now: blending decisions, vineyard assessments, barrel trials (order deadlines loom). It’s also very busy in the vineyard, with mowing, disking and frost protection. The driest March in memory led to slightly early budbreak, but the weather has been cooler than typical for most of March and all of April so far. This means we are susceptible to frost damage but there isn’t a lot of growth yet – the vines are just kind of sitting there. At this point I think we’re not likely to have an early start to harvest. If I didn’t have enough to keep me busy, there’s always out of state distributor visits and other marketing activities.

We tasted 2007 Merlot barrel (and insert) trials this morning. I’m just as happy with the Merlot as I was during crush. It’s rich, fully ripe, and actually under 14% alcohol (with zero water addition at crush). It doesn’t need as much oak as it usually does, so we’re taking out some of the higher impact barrels at the next racking. Our preferred inserts for this wine weren’t what we preferred with the Cabernet in yesterday’s tasting or in the Zin last week. As we integrate more inserts into our barrel program we’ll target different types for different wines, using the same process we’ve used to select barrels. Our goal with oak is always to complement the wine, to add sweetness, body, structure or length only when we deem one of those properties to be deficient. I still abhor soulless, oak dominated wines, despite their popularity.

We’ve also tasted all of the Zinfandel (8) and Chardonnay (5) lots formally over the last few weeks, as well as the EnglandCrest Syrah (4 lots). I’m happy to report that my early enthusiasm for the quality of the 2007 crush was well founded. Nothing from 2007 has disappointed so far, and certain of the wines may be the best yet from their respective vineyards. I can hardly wait to taste the Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, but that won’t happen for two weeks as we prepare and bottle our single vineyard 2006 Cabernets and Victory.

In The Black, Or Pink, Or Orange Or? - Sat. Apr. 12, 2008

We just received our year-end reconciliation from the power company, and after our first year of solar power we’re about $550 “in the black”. The system was designed to generate approximately 95% of the electricity we had used over a prior 12 month period, but since peak solar generation occurs mostly during time of peak usage, those kilowatts are worth more. Also, the summer of 2007 was quite mild, so we may have used significantly less energy for air conditioning. Keeping two large barrel cellars at around 60º F does use a lot of power. Unfortunately, our contract doesn’t allow us to sell power back or carry over a credit to the next year.

Not My Cup Of Tea

I’m going to take advantage of slightly delayed posting of this blog to respond to a question by themostrighteous during the Peltier Station offering and elaborate further on the “paradigm shift”. Please refer to the discussion of my most recent blog for tmr’s remarks. Oak barrels perform two main functions: contribution of oak flavor and gradual, limited oxygen uptake. Alternative oak strategies have their proponents and their detractors. “Tea bags” and micro-ox can mimic barrel aging to some extent, and these techniques are very effective for mass produced wines in terms of economics and practicality, but very few ultra-premium wineries use (or admit to using) them. In the 80’s I worked at a large winery that used sawdust infused wine as a very small percentage of its cheapest blends. We used three letter codes for all wines in bulk, so the “high oak red” was the HOR (and she was nasty). The smaller the oak pieces/particles, the faster the flavor extraction, and, IMO, the greater the flavor difference vis a vis barrels. We use large staves inside barrels to mimic barrel extraction rates, have greater uniformity of toast level and minimal end grain exposure. In our barrel trial tastings it is often difficult to tell the difference between new French oak barrels and French oak barrel inserts. We are using these products (and will increase use) in Zinfandel, our Sonoma County Cabernet, Merlot and barrel fermented Chardonnay.

The primary pro and con arguments to oak dust, chip, bean, block, chain, or tank stave use revolve around quality versus control. A friend of mine is the production manager for a very large winery that makes a full range of wines. He’s an ardent supporter of tank aging, oak adjunct and micro-ox (which they use on their low-end and mid-tier wines) because of the great ease of monitoring and controlling the aging process. His opinion is that all their wines would be better if aged this way, but the highly esteemed winemaker (also a friend) doesn’t share that opinion, so their high-end single vineyard wines are all barrel aged.