So I was having a glass of wine the other day and...

I thought to myself, I'm actually writing about this delectable drink and as I was having this glass of wine, I started to remember a process called maceration.

Maceration and fermentation go hand in hand, then of course there's the cap.

First, we'll get fermentation out of the way. Fermentation is when the yeast converts sugar into alcohol, releasing carbon dioxide.

Second, is the cap; which consists of "must". Since the fermentation gives off carbon dioxide, it causes the must to rise, this creates the cap, leaving the juice underneath. Must will also create the tannins colour and texture of the wine. The cap can dry out if left unattended, so the process of maceration is a 24 hour, 7 day commitment.

Finally, maceration. There are a few ways in which the wine maker can tackle this process. Which ever way the winemaker decides, the process is simple - keep the cap moist.

There are three main types of maceration:
1. Pumping Over
Grab a hose -> connect it to the base of the vat -> pump the juices through the hose and spray over the cap, as if you where watering the garden.

2. Punching Down
Get some crazy guy or gal to stand on top of the vat, breath in all that carbon dioxide, while plunging the cap into the juice or you can also get a machine to do it for you. And lastly...

3. Rack and Return
This requires two vats. Empty half the the original vat into vat2. Then poor vat2 back into the original vat at high speed.

Peace,
Cristian Sepulveda
 "…Hang on, its a drink, its only a drink. It goes through our kidneys and then it goes into the great sewerage system. Lets have a bit of fun with it, it wasn't built to be serious it was built for enjoyment and discourse and humour." Phillip White

Swirling wine to release oxygen

Why swirl? Swirling helps the wine to grab some air like an eagle in the sky. While the wine is grabbing air, it will start to release some of the air trapped inside the wine and in turn release the essence of the wine otherwise known as the bouquet.

Now if you don't have a lot of confidence holding the wine glass in your hand and giving it a good swirl, all you need to do is place the glass on the table and move in a circular motion. This way your are less likely to spill any out of the glass. Once you get used to this motion you can start picking up the glass and start swirling the wine in the glass with your hand.

As I mentioned earlier, air is released from the wine. How is this so? The simple answer is that there is water in wine therefore oxygen. The complex answer is that the vineyard is watered not only via rain and/or irrigation but in the wine making process. This is where the oxygen comes in, water being 2 part hydrogen and one of oxygen - H2O.

With cheaper bottles of wine, there is more water added in the wine making process, as the concentration of the grape juice is less. While the more expensive bottles have not only a higher concentration of grape juice, they also have been taken care of i.e. oaked in barrels (American or French), hand picked and planned out blending of grape varieties. All this and more is what differentiates the cheap from the expensive. 

Fun little fact to finish off. How much water does it take to produce a glass of wine? 120 litres. How is this possible? This encompasses the whole wine making process from irrigation right up to the delivery.

Peace,
Cristian

Difference between New World and Old World

I have no idea what New World and Old World wine is and what the difference between the two are. My general understanding are the techniques used in making wine. There must be more to it. 

Wine is grown in certain countries and some can trace their vines back to the Roman empire. These countries are Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Austria. These regions are classic wine growing regions and are therefore are classified as Old World style wine.  The New World wine growing regions are Australia, United States of America, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand among many others. 

The other way to differentiate between the two is the terroir. In Old World, the wine is terroir driven. Let me quickly explain terroir; it is basically the soil, climate, rain, temperature, hours of sunlight, water retention, slope and drainage and other environmental factors that give the wine certain characteristics such aroma and unique flavour. It is the reason why people can tell the difference between an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and a French Cabernet Sauvignon. New World wines are less geared towards terroir.

And yes, there is a difference in New World and Old World techniques. In the Old World they rely more on terroir. While the New World are a lot more flexible on growing and making wine though they do consider environment an important factor in growing wine. 

The main differences between Old and New are the countries, terroir and techniques. On top of all this the two are colliding. Many New World vineyards are adopting Old World techniques and visa versa but you do still get your traditionalist that will only stick to the Old World. 

For me all this means is that there is more to explore in world wide wine, the new www.  

Peace,

Cristian

What's with the scoring?

Wine is given a score out of 100, the closer the wine's score is to 100, the better the wine. There is also a rating out of 5 stars, again the closer to 5 stars, the better the wine.

Scoring a wine is left up to the professionals but they don't have the same tongue that you or I do. We all have different tastes. Similarly, not everyone likes spicy food while others love their food with spices. The same with wine, somebody might score a wine, a shiraz for example, a 96/100 but not everyone will enjoy that shiraz. 

Here is a link that I use consistently to appreciate the wine that I enjoy, along with a video showing that a wine does not need to be bought on rating but enjoyed with friends, family, colleagues or wine lovers to make a memorable lunch, dinner or night. 

Peace

More than just sight, smell and taste

There is so much more to wine that just what you see, smell and drink. There is also the processes that a grape goes through to make wine. If a grape had feelings it would be in so much pain :). From what the winemaker has decided to do with the grapes to how the wine is produced, which grapes are selected and which grapes the winemaker decides to blend. On top of all of this, you get the sensations that wine gives you; you can be in deep thought, almost to the point of meditating, long into the night with all the conversations you have had with the people around you. A night filled with laughter, sadness, memorable moments, a celebration or just a meal with close friends or loved one.

This is why, personally, there is truth in "Wine...the intellectual part of the meal" (Alexandre Dumas - 1873). What an absolutely awesome quote! We can talk so much more about this delectable drink that must be the oldest drink only second to water. The history of wine is such a fascinating one, from the Greeks and Romans, especially the Romans. The Romans conquered the majority of what we now call Europe and everywhere they went they would plant grape vines but what the Romans also did was to develop wine making processes that are still currently in use.

Wine history is such an interesting and exciting part of wine, which is why I will make Inventing Wine by Paul Lukacs my next book and other blogs as part of my reading .

Peace