Tasmania, the hidden jewel

In my last trip to Australia for my master degree residential block, I am blessed to have met a great gentleman who is a restructuring plastic surgeon (mainly for those who are hurt by accidents) as well as a vineyard owner in Tasmania. Through him, I tasted my first Tasmanian Riesling (I recalled it is vintage 2004). It is made with such finesse that reminds me of grapefruits and green guava on the nose, taste like smooth fruity yogurt invigorated by the typical pungent minerality that is only unique of German Riesling. The finishing is long, lingered with citricity. Overall, it is a very fine piece of art and I would imagine that it is made with passion and undivided dedication.

After this experience, I decided to research on Tasmania and realize that it is a hidden jewel amidst the many Australia islands. Although the history of winemaking is only as recent as 1970s, Tasmania’s cool climate has yielded results that are comparable to those in Alsace and Germany where wines are light to medium body, good levels of natural acids which gives the wine its crisp and fresh character. Upon further research, Tasmania has more than 60 vineyards and wineries, all filled with enthusiastic owners. Most importantly, it is an eco-friendly island with fresh air and healthy soil. To date, most of the international grapes have been planted in Tasmania for winemaking. I have tasted the great Riesling which I believe has been under-rated so far in the market. Its Pinot Noir is another great find. They are outstanding, comparable with that of the Burgundy’s at half of its price.

Comparing Tasmania with the old world wine producing region, I will tend to see its similarities with that of Alsace in France for its climate and the geographical location relative to its respective parent country. I will expect great Riesling, Gewurztraminer to be made from Tasmania, given its natural climatic affinity. So, it is time to watch out for the Tassie labels that produce great tasting wine which will surprise your palate and have you asking for more!

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
http://www.wine-treasures.com
email: limce@singnet.com.sg

The science of decanting

According to the Oxford dictionary, “decanting” is an action of pouring a liquid from one container to another in order to separate the sediments from the liquid. For those of you who helped out in housework during the early 1970s, you may recall that one can buy homemade soya sauce in large bottle format. A delivery man would bring with him a cart filled with bottles of soya sauce for households who have ordered them. Each month, the used bottle would be exchanged for a fresh supply in another bottle. In any case, this soya sauce was so tasty that my mother would not buy from anyone else. The first time I performed decanting was on a bottle of homemade soya sauce. I would pour the content from its original bottle into another container, ever so carefully to ensure that as little sediment as possible was transferred over.

So, decanting is not just for wine. An aged wine which has been resting on its side would have collected a layer of sediments consisting of yeast cells, tannins, fining particles. Theoretically, the process of winemaking would have filtered such solids away before bottling. However, a small amount of particles that still went through the racking and ended up in the bottle. Over time as the wine ages in the bottle, such particles will collate to form a layer of solids along the inner surface of the bottle on which it lies. Indeed, there is absolutely nothing wrong to drink a wine that looks cloudy but sometimes it may not be so pleasant for some. Therefore, decanting is used to separate the sediments from the wine. A candle is often used to help in observing the flow of sediments, adding to the ceremony. In today’s high tech world, a white LED light (e.g a flexible reading light) is easier and clearer for this purpose, a twist to tradition.

For a young wine, decanting is believed to emulate an accelerated aging process by allowing oxygen to act on the phenolic compounds of the wine over a large surface area. We can decant a young wine either on a big bowled wine glass or a broad base decanter. The phenolic compounds in a young wine, especially those made in France and Italy, will benefit from decanting if it has to be drunk before maturation. Such compounds contribute to the pigments and tannins in the wine. The chemical structures of the tannins are polymers of different length. They are hydrolysable to form glucose and gallic or ellagic acids units. The catechin-gallate esters that are formed from gallic acid under the influence of oxygen are responsible for the dry taste in the mouth. They precipitate the proteins in our saliva while the wine pass through our lips. A young wine will benefit from decanting partly because of the action of oxygen in accelerating the release of aroma and flavor components from the wine. Therefore, it should be perfectly alright to leave the wine in the decanter or a wine glass for over 30 minutes before drinking. The young wine will become more approachable with time. On the other hand, an aged wine should be drunk as soon as it has been decanted. The reason being that an aged wine that is matured and ready to drink would have all its phenolic compounds assimilated in the wine. The act of introducing oxygen to the wine will remove the volatile aromatic components from the wine and if it is left unattended for more than 30 minutes, oxidation will kick in, creating an off-taste in the aged wine.

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treasures.com

Sulfur dioxide and Wine

When I first read about sulfur dioxide in winemaking, it strikes me as the most important chemical in preserving the quality of wine. It is added as an antioxidant, i.e. to protect the wine against enzymatic oxidation of the polyphenolic compounds, to prevent it from chemical oxidation during processing and in bottle, and as an antimicrobial agent to protect the wine against microbial spoilage. Indeed, sulfur dioxide is added throughout winemaking, almost at each step during the procedure. The concentration of sulfur dioxide in wine is usually very low to cause health hazards. The legal limit in most country is between 300-350 ppm (i.e 300-350 mg per litre). In United States, it is required for the winery to print on its label the presence of sulfites if it exceeds 10 ppm.

Some people are allergic to sulfur dioxide. The common complaints are headache after consuming a small portion of wine. Food allergy occurs when the individual is exposed to the allergen, with its sensitized mast and blood basophil cells releasing histamine and other chemicals. For wine that is produced using grapes susceptible to botrytis cinerea (growth of moulds on the grape skin), a greater concentration of sulfur dioxide is used. Botrytis-infected grapes contain a significant amount of laccase enzyme and aldehydes, both increases the oxidation and binding capability of the grape juice during fermentation. Therefore, a high concentration of sulfur dioxide is required in such wine. In a botrytis wine, the amount of sulfur dioxide used is in the range of 80-120 ppm. For a normal still wine, the amount of free sulfur dioxide is on average 17 ppm.

Reference: Creina Stockley (Oct 2005), "Sulfur dioxide and the wine consumer", The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treasures.com
Email: limce@singnet.com.sg

How to tell that this wine is spoiled?

It is pure coincidence that I tasted two spoiled wine in a row within a week. One customer asked me the characteristics of a spoiled wine and how to recover from such unpleasant experience. The short answer is that sometimes it is a good idea to taste some spoiled wine so that we know what it is like. To recover your fresh palate, the best way is to gaggle with a pint of room temperature water and let your palate settle down before going for a new glass of wine.

So, how does wine spoilage come about? There are two possible causes – chemical spoilage and microbial spoilage. Chemical spoilage is mostly contributed by careless treatment of the wine that results in excessive addition of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide. Legal bound of free sulfur dioxide during bottling is not more than 25-35 ppm. Remnants of carbon dioxide during bottling will also cause a “spritz” feeling on the tongue. In most cases, this sensation is not desired and should be eliminated. Sometimes, if the smell of rotten eggs, sewage or garlic is found on the wine, it is most likely due to the untreated hydrogen sulfide which could later be transformed into mercaptans and disulfides.

Microbial spoilage is a result of undesired growth of microorganisms in wine. Factors such as pH, temperature, residual sugar, nutrients, oxygen will affect the growth if they are not controlled within the range. For example, the presence of oxygen during fermentation will encourage the growth of acetobacter, a bacteria that is always present in wine. It starts to propagate by consuming alcohol and produce acetic acid and ethyl acetate. A little acetic acid contributes a small sensation of sharpness to the throat. Too much of it will be very undesirable and considered a spoilage. The ethyl acetate is generally present in late harvest wine, responsible for the unpleasant, pungency smell. Since this bacteria is inherently present in the wine, sulfur dioxide is not able protect the wine against acetobacter. The only way to prevent their growth is to minimize their contact with air (oxygen) and keep the wine cool (e.g below 10C).

Therefore, when we happen to taste a glass of spoiled wine, the unpleasant mouth feel is an indication of its winemaking as well as storage conditions. The color and smell of the wine usually give away information of its quality before it is even consumed. An oxidized wine is brownish in color (if it is a red) and has the unpleasant pungency nose. Its taste is acidic, perhaps reminding you of vinegar, leaving behind a trail of stuffy sensation in the throat. In case we have the honor of drinking such wine, it will be an eye opening experience that adds to our palate memory, inspiring further exploration in the world of wine.

Reference: Dr Yair Margalit (1996), Winery Technology & Operations published by Wine Appreciation Guild.

Updated article on: http://www.wine-treasures.com/blog/2007/12/how-to-tell-wine-is-spoiled-part-2.html

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
http://www.wine-treasures.com

How does oak help in wine aging?

Wine barrels are predominantly made of oak if aging is desired. According to Simi Winery from California, the existence of open faced, wooden buckets through coopering dated back to as early as 2690 BC in Egypt. The Fully-closed barrels were first developed during the Iron Age (800-900 BC). By the first century, wooden barrels were widely used to hold wine, beer, milk, olive oil which turned out better than storing them in clay vessels. The increased use of wooden barrels created the need of cooperage (i.e barrel-making), eventually replacing the use of clay vessels as the major storage tools.

There are many different types of oak – French, American, Hungarian – all play a role in maturing the wine through a gradual oxidation process and the chemistry exchange between the wine’s phenolic components and the wood. What oak does to a wine is similar in our modern day of slow cooking whereby flavors and texture of the oak is assimilated into the wine. Under the effect of oxygen, the phenolic compounds of the wine change color from red to brown, then polymerize and precipitate. When there is too much oxygen, the alcohol will be turned into acetaldehyde which results in a flat taste. However, when the excessive oxygen is removed, the acetaldehyde will interact with the tannins and the flat taste disappears.

Oak is known to impart certain flavors or texture to wine during barrel aging. Some of the well known flavors are vanilla, toasty, tea and tobacco .etc. These are a result of the extraction of non-flavonoid phenols extracted from the oak - vanillic acid and ellagic acid. There are also materials containing hdrolyzable lignin and small sugar molecules like pentoses.

The barrel manufacturing techniques and type of oak affect greatly the amount and quality of flavor/texture impart to the wine. American and French coopers have different style of making the barrels, beginning with the type of oak used (Quercus alba vs Quercus robur), the toasting method (natural vs kiln, degree of toasting), staves binding (boiling water vs gas or fire), and the list goes on. Overall, cooperage is an extremely complicated craft and plays a critical role to the final quality of the wine.

Reference: Dr Yair Margalit (1996), Winery Technology & Operations published by Wine Appreciation Guild.

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
http://www.wine-treasures.com
Email: limce@singnet.com.sg

The Mysterious Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir has come a long way from a relatively unknown varietal to its current popularity. Perhaps one of the reasons to its added reputation is brought by the movie “Sideways” where it depicts a couple’s search about meaning in life through a wine tasting journey in a haze of Pinot Noir.

So, what exactly is so attractive about this grape? Pinot Noir is best celebrated in the gold slope of Burgundy with a perfumed aroma and a slightly sweet palate. It is relatively less bodied compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, making it more subtle and feminine. A young Pinot Noir is characterized by its smell of cherries. It reminds me of a young and cheerful lady dancing happily in the wind. Pinot Noir grows best in a climate where the fruit can enjoy a long growing season. The optimum condition is a short ripening cycle followed by a long fruit set to veraison. This enables the phenolic components to develop in the fruit, contributing maximum flavors to the wine. Renowned Pinot Noir regions are Burgundy (France), Carneros and Russian River (California), Tasmania, New Zealand. Other than the Burgundy, wines from these regions have a pronounced fruitiness that adds life to the texture.

Pinot Noir is one of the oldest varieties in the world of wine grapes. Ancient Romans called this grape Helvenacia Minor. It is grown all over the world, from Algeria to Austria, France, Germany, Italy, America, New Zealand, Tasmania. Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow, having being susceptible to most vine diseases. Growers take pride to nurture successful pinot noir vintage. It is the ultimate appellation that differentiates itself from the rest. This grape is sometimes grown for sparkling wine. In Champagne, it is blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier to produce the much sought-after Champagne. In South Africa, the Pinot Noir is crossed with Cinsaut to form a red grape called Pinotage. It has become the varietal representative of South Africa.

Pinot Noir is best matched with food marinated lightly with pepper and salt, or those that is soya sauce based. In Asian cuisine, the roast chicken that comes with a small saucer plate of pepper & salt is the perfect dish for a nice, cheery Pinot.

Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd

Email: limce@singnet.com.sg

Behind the Wine Aroma

Aroma is an interesting topic as most of the labels on new world wine describe the wine’s character and food pairing preferences, much like a match making attempt. If one spends time to discover the world of winemaking, you will notice that aromas is assisted by the use of appropriate yeast, cultured and selected to extract or suppress certain characters of the fruits. Researchers in major wine producing countries spent years in identifying the compounds that are responsible for certain flavors. For example, the herbaceous, grassy descriptors (e.g capsicum, asparagus) of a Sauvignon Blanc are known as the “green” characters whereas the fruity descriptors (e.g grapefruit, gooseberry, passion fruit) are known as the “tropical” characters. It is discovered that the green characters are derived from bio-synthesized compounds containing nitrogen and come directly from the grapes. On the other hand, the tropical characters in Sauvignon Blanc are contributed by fermentation-driven esters. The important chemical compounds (3MHA, 4MMP, 3MH) impart passion fruit, grapefruit, gooseberry and guava type of aromas to wine. At excessive concentrations, it reminds me of a uniquely strong, sweaty aromas reminiscent of cat’s urine. A description widely quoted from Jancis Robinson – “Cats’ pee on a gooseberry bush”.

Reference: J.H. Swiegers, E.J.Bartowsky, P.A. Henschke and I.S. Pretorius, Yeast and Bacterial Modulation of Wine Aroma and Flavour: Part 1. The Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 11, 139-173 (2005)

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http//www.wine-treasures.com
Email: cher.lim@wine-treasures.com