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Wine & Spirits

Andrew Pennington

2012-02-28 09:40:03

Q: When is the best time to plant grapes and what is the proper way to plant a grape vines?

A: The best time to plant grapes is really in the spring time two weeks before “bloom break” as it is called in the industry. This simply means two weeks before the grape vine starts growing. The ideal time to plant is about the same time as planting lettuce or potatoes. This date correlates with St. Patrick’s day, March 17th. When planting grapes, first decide the location and how much space to dedicate to the grapes. They need a sunny area with plenty of air flow. The area should not be crowded with other plants or trees as this could cause limited airflow, allowing disease and bacteria to grow. Next, choose the type of grape. Many people in the U.S. grow Vitis Labrusca because it is very hearty and grows well in all parts of the country. Many nurseries sell bare rooted vines which are perfect for getting started in a home vineyard. Dig holes deep enough to cover all the roots. Once the grape vine is in the ground, the real work begins. Keep watering the young grape vines to where the ground is moist but not flooded until their roots mature. As the vines grow, tie them to a mesh trellis to “train” them to climb. After five years of nursing the vines and killing the grass around them, the time and investment will pay itself off with your first grape harvest.

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Wine & Spirits

Andrew Pennington

2012-01-30 11:20:51

Q: I am considering planting my own mini-vineyard. What should I consider?

A: There are three big questions one needs to ask themselves before planting grapes. For instance, what is the purpose for growing grapes? Second, when is your planting season? Lastly, where are you planting them? When answering the first question, you need to know whether you will be using them for table grapes, jam or do you wish to make wine. The best grape for jams and table grapes is the old standard concord (Vitis labrusca). This particular grape makes a nice purple grape with soft sweet skins. Now if the desire is to make wine, one will need to choose what type of wine to make: white or red. On to the next question, when is the planting season (for your area). When it starts is one of the biggest concerns one needs to make before picking a type of grape. If you live in a warmer dryer region, one would want to plant cabernet sauvignon or Riesling (vitis vinifera). However, if you live in the Midwest you need to plant a French American Hybrid such as a Cayugua white grape or Marshal Foch a red grape. The final question to ask yourself before planting grapes is where you are going to be planting your vines. The best location follows the couture of the land with well drained soil and has full sun all day. Even though grape vines take many years to bear fruit and takes long hours to train, the rewards are well worth the wait.

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Wine & Spirits

Andrew Pennington

2011-11-17 15:50:16

Q: Tell us about Sparkling wine and its association with the holidays.

A: The beginning of sparkling wine was an accidental miracle for the 15th century by Dom Pérignon, a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey. This miracle occurred from live yeast cell left in the bottle allowing the wine to continue to ferment, trapping all the carbon dioxide inside the bottle. This old tradition of making sparkling wine involves months of very complex processes, which involve keeping the bottle pointed downward and turning the bottle a fourth of a rotation daily. When this is complete, one would remove the cap and re-cork the bottle. Doing such removes all the old yeast cells from the wine. In the early years of sparkling wine, production exploding bottles were common. Fortunately, this soon led to the invention of the wirer hood over the cork and thick glass bottles. The modern age of wine making has made great strides in the production of sparkling wine and eliminating the old issue of exploding bottles. Something I’ve recently been a part of producing, sparkling sweet white wine, is a hand crafted product and a reminiscence of the old world with a modern production influence. This is sure to be a popular production line, especially around the Holidays! And speaking on behalf of how we produce sparkling sweet white wine, to ensure the highest quality, only 25 bottles are produced during a single production.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2006-06-01 09:12:00

How do I pick “the right” bottle of wine?

ANSWER: Since wine is a food preserved with alcohol, you pick “the right” wine the same way you pick “the right” meal.  You have heard of many “rules” for choosing the correct wine.  But, the only rule that you use for choosing a food is if it smells or tastes bad, don’t eat it.  By trying many different foods and combining them, you build up an inventory of tastes that you like and tastes that go well with other tastes.  If you just consider wine another food, you already know how to chose the right wine for yourself; try many different wines and note the ones you like.  The first two things to ask yourself is how strong of a flavor and how sweet of a wine do you like?  We all understand sweet, but what is a “dry” wine?  There are five basic flavors in wine: the fruit, alcohol, acid, tannin, and sugar. The fruit flavor determines how strong or light the wine will taste.  Truly dry wine has no sugar and lots of tannin.  This is the same compound that gives strong tea its “drying” feel to your mouth and often tastes bitter.  Red wine is made with more tannins than white wines so red wines are usually “drier” than white wines.  As in tea, sugar masks the taste and feel of the tannins.  The balance between the sugar and the tannins is the perceived sweetness level.  Everyone has a different sensitivity to sugar, so the tannin sugar balance is different for each of us.  This is why one person may say a wine is sweet while someone else would call it dry. In general, white wines are made lighter in taste and are perceived sweeter than red wines.  If you like sweet wines, you will find more varieties in white and blush than in red wine. Now armed with just this amount of information, you are ready to tackle the impossible job of purchasing “the right” bottle of wine to take to the party.  If you are in a “light” mood, a white or blush wine tastes good by itself or with light food.  If you need a wine to go with a particular dish or entree, a heavy flavored dish needs a strong flavored wine to balance it.  A sweet wine always goes great with a sweet dessert.  It is impossible to choose “the right” wine for anyone other than yourself, so don’t worry about it.  Find a wine that you think that you would like to try, and take it to the party.  You will be surprised the number of people at the party who will be overjoyed to try a new wine no matter if it is red or white, sweet or dry.  My friends in Napa Valley really enjoy Kansas wines; because, our wines have different tastes.  Enjoy tasting wines and forget the “rules”.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2006-03-30 14:20:00

How should one go about tasting wine? I see some folks that swirl, some that tilt, and some that just gulp it down. Does it really make any difference?

ANSWER:  Arguably one of the best articles on wine tasting is featured at http://wine.about.com. With their permission, let me present it here.Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell and taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time!1. The Look - Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red or even brownish. If it's a white wine is it clear, straw-like, golden, light green, pale yellow or brown in appearance?2. Still Looking. Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine clear, cloudy, transparent or opaque? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, you are looking at color, clarity, brilliance (sounds like you're finding the perfect diamond!) - is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floating bits? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.3. The Smell - Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your glass (this will enhance the wine's natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.4. Still Smelling. Now stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics.5. The Taste - You will go through the following stages of taste: Taste - Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. After gathering your initial impression of the wine, allow a small breath of air in through your lips and allow the wine to mingle with the air (called swirling). This will allow you to taste flavors more fully (even if you look or sound a bit funny). What do you taste? Reds will often have berry, woody and bell pepper tastes. White wines will often have apple, floral or citrus flavors associated with them. Initial Taste - This is your first impression of the wine's components and flavors. Finish - The wine's finish is how long the flavor lasts after it is swallowed. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like water) or full-bodied (like the consistency of milk)?6. After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and year down for future reference.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2006-03-30 14:20:00

QUESTION: What is the difference between ‘wine competition judgings’ and ‘wine magazine ratings?’

ANSWER: Wine competition judgings and wine magazine ratings can be very confusing to the consumer because they seem to be the same, but in reality, they provide totally different information. There are three distinct types of wine judgings: international wine competitions, wine ratings by wine industry publications, and tasting and purchase by the consumer.  At international wine competitions, each wine is judged on its own merits by a panel of professional wine makers, professional wine writers, and other professionals in the wine industry.  A wine that is appropriate for the fruit and style, has no major faults (spoilage, over oxidation, bacterial infection, etc.), and has an average overall taste is awarded a bronze medal.  Above average tasting wines are awarded a silver medal and excellent tasting wines are awarded the gold medal.  Gold medal wines are then judged against each other for best of class and best of show.  An international wine competition award means that the wine has been produced correctly for the fruit and style, but this does not mean that a particular consumer will like the wine.  Wine industry publications usually employ their staff to evaluate wines according to a criteria list that is defined by the publication's subscribers.  The rating number they award a wine is a measure of how well the particular wine fits their publication's criteria for that type and style of wine.   For example, a wine publication that promotes cigar smoking with wine consumption might give a wine with a "hint of tobacco" a very high rating, while another wine publication with different readership would give it a low rating.   A rating above "90" means that most of that publication's readership will like the wine, not that the wine is produced without faults and correct for the fruit and style.The ultimate wine judging is performed by the individual wine consumer when he tastes and purchases the wine.   Wine is a food preserved with alcohol and, like any food, should taste good to the consumer.   Visiting a winery's tasting room, tasting parties, and wine tasting events, like the Midwest Wine Fest, are excellent ways to try several wines without bearing the expense of purchasing a bottle of each wine just to taste.The wine consumer has a tremendous amount of information available to him or her about a particular wine, but the ultimate test is personals taste.  International wine competition awards give the consumer an independent evaluation of the correctness of the wine making process for a particular wine and ensure he is tasting well crafted wines. Like movie critics, wine publications are useful to the wine consumer in his selections if his tastes and the wine publication's criteria are similar, or sometimes if they are totally opposite.   No wine consumer should be ever be "bullied" into believing that his taste is not correct because he disagrees with a particular wine publication or reviewer.  The only true way to judge wine for your taste is to taste it yourself.  Taste often and enjoy!    

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Wine & Spirits

John Brewer

2003-10-01 11:56:00

Can you make wine out of anything?  Is winemaking and beer-making much the same process?  If not, how do they differ?  Which has been around longer?

ANSWER: In the fermentation process, the yeast eats the sugar and converts it to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. It takes five things to make wine: water, sugar, flavoring, acid, and yeast. As long as a fermentable sugar is in the presence of yeast, you can make wine out of the mixture. In winemaking, we start with a solution that contains a fermentable sugar. For beer, you start with a grain and water mixture that does not have any fermentable sugars, but does contain a large amount of carbohydrate. Malt is an enzyme that is produced when barley starts to sprout. It is added to the grain and water mixture because it converts carbohydrates to a fermentable sugar. This process is hastened by warming the mixture to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the "brewing" part of making beer. After the carbohydrate conversion process is complete, the mixture is cooled and fermented similarly to wine; though different yeasts are used for specific tastes. No one really knows how old beer and wine making really are. Both have been around over 5000 years. It is generally accepted that wine making came first and then beer due to the extra "brewing" step.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2002-12-01 09:46:00

QUESTION:  I am an amateur winemaker.  I am trying to make a cabernet but it ends up too sweet.  I am using a Montrachet yeast.  Any suggestions? 

ANSWER: In the fermentation process, the yeast eats the sugar and converts it to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol is toxic to the yeast, thereby; limiting the amount of alcohol that can be produced by a particular yeast. Montrachet yeast is capable of producing at least 15% alcohol. This corresponds to a starting specific gravity of 1.113 or 27 Brix. If your starting specific gravity was higher than this, the yeast will stop working and leave you with residual sugar. If your specific gravity was less than above, you may not have put in enough yeast nutrient. First, try adding 2 tablespoons of yeast nutrient and stir. If the fermentation does not start in 1 - 2 days, add 2 more packets of yeast that you hydrate with a little added yeast nutrient. If your starting specific gravity was over 1.113, then add 2 packets (for 5 gallons of must) of a champagne yeast. It has a higher alcohol tolerance. Good luck.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2002-11-01 16:36:00

:  What is the most efficient way an amateur can begin making wine?

ANSWER:  The best and most efficient way for an amateur to begin wine making is to attend a wine making course taught by a professional wine maker. I teach courses several time per year at our winery. There are local collages in some states that teach beginning wine making, and the University of Davis in California has an online course. Wine making is both a science and an art. The art is producing a pleasing beverage, and the science lets you reproduce the art. Wine makers never stop improving their skills and the wine they are producing. A new wine maker can make acceptable wine the first or second time if they attend a good wine making course first. To make an award winning wine will require several  (usually more than 10) trials and good to excellent wine making skills. Wine making is a great, fun hobby that anyone can enjoy with a little basic knowledge and equipment.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2002-09-01 10:46:00

What additive to wine during the winemaking makes for a dry wine versus a semi-sweet wine?

What additive to wine during the winemaking makes for a dry wine versus a semi-sweet wine?Answer:  In the fermentation process, yeast eats the sugar and converts it to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. If the yeast eats all of the sugar, the wine is dry. A sweet wine has residual sugar in it. So the ingredient is sugar. Today most wine makers set the alcohol level by allowing the yeast to eat all of the sugar, i.e. making a dry wine, and add sugar to sweeten the wine to the desired level just before bottling.

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Wine & Spirits

Dr John Brewer

2002-04-01 12:06:00

Question: How soon after wine is made is it wine?  What happens as time passes?

Answer:  Legally, wine is wine as soon as there is measurable ethyl alcohol present, which is typically within 48 hours of the start of the process.  Fermentation is usually complete within six weeks.  Four to six more weeks are required to settle the yeast and clarify the wine.  Depending upon the tannin content of the particular fruit used and the style in which the wine is made, the aging process can take from two weeks to over twenty years.  In reality, over 80% of the wine sold in the US can be consumed within four months of harvest.  Wineries typically release a wine for sale when they think it is ready to be consumed unless they tell you, as for cabernets, to age it for several years,   The popular information on aging of wines is full of folklore and is used mainly as a sales tool.  During the aging process, oxygen chemically combines with tannins in the wine and removes them from the taste; thereby, softening the taste of the wine.  With oak present, phenols and other taste components combine to form more complex flavors.  The acids will breakdown with time and lessen the tartness of the wine.  The ageing process takes place both in contact with oak and in the glass bottle.  The best advice is to taste the wine before purchase and consume within 6 - 12 months for wines that the winery says are ready to drink now or age in your cellar for the time the winery advises.  For wines that the winery suggests to age for several years, purchase one case and sample one bottle every year until it tastes the best is ever has, then drink the rest. Sweet wines will "age" but the sugar masks the changes so you will probably never taste the change.  If you have wine that you don't like, letting it age for another year or ten might improve the taste, or add some sugar and sweeten it.  Wine is a beverage preserved with alcohol.  Its sole purpose is to taste good.  

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Wine & Spirits

John Brewer

2001-12-01 13:57:00

Question: We are having nearly 50 people for our Christmas dinner this year. We plan on having three kinds of meats, turkey, ham and roast beef. We would like to serve wine. How does one know which type of wine to serve and whether or not it needs to be a heavy and bold wine or a light and crisp wine?

Answer:  Unless you know the preferences of your guests, the best suggestion is to have a selection of 3 - 5 wines available. Purchase a dry red, a dry white, a blush wine for use before and with dinner,  and a sweet red and sweet white for dessert or after dinner. With your selection of meats and other traditional dishes served at Christmas, you are safe with almost any wine if you have the above selection. Your guests will choose for themselves which wine goes best with what dish, or as a cocktail. The traditional white wine with fish or poultry and red wine with red meat no longer applies. Some helpful hints: If you are going to serve a spicy ham, you should have a spicy wine to go with it. The lighter the dish, the lighter the wine. The heavier the dish, the heavier the wine. The sweeter the dish, the sweeter the wine, etc. People enjoy trying new things, so don't worry about the exact wine. As long as there is a variety of sweetness levels your guests will be pleased to try something new. A really fun idea is to have everyone bring one bottle of their favorite wine. You will be surprised at the selection and variety. Have a great holiday party.