How much grapes is needed to make a bottle of wine?

Winemaking is a labor of love. It takes at least 3 months to reach the barrel and another 3 years to age. While we can easily buy a bottle of wine from the nearest retail shop at prices ranging from $15 to a few hundred dollars, just what is going on behind the label of each bottle?

One of my friends has asked me – how much grapes is required to make a bottle of wine? Commercial winery figure ranges from 0.5 kilogram to 0.85 kilogram per litre of wine, depending on the quality and viticultural practices of the vineyard. For some premium wine, grapes are harvested manually and categorized into different quality standards for winemaking. As mentioned in the previous article, botrytised grapes have the most stringent requirement and require a large amount of grapes to make a bottle of wine.

Other than the fermented grape juice (we call it “must”), there are other elements such as yeast, nutrients and additives which contribute to the final wine that is presented in the bottle. After the grapes are harvested, they are crushed and pressed to produce the juice for fermentation. Red wine goes through two stages of fermentation which in one stage, includes the grape skin and pulps. White wine only goes through a single fermentation using the juice from the crusher/presser.

Therefore, all wine can be made with both red and white grapes. The color of the wine is contributed by the duration in which the grape skin is macerated during fermentation. Skin contact helps to transfer the phenols and color from the grapes to the must. Yeast, nutrients and additives are then added throughout the process to stabilize the fermentation and to make sure that there is no microbial spoilage along the way. By the time it is ready for bottling, the wine has gone through several racking and fining to remove the remnant particles from the liquid. Finally, the finished product is a clear looking wine, should it be red or white.

Copyright of Wine Treasures Pte Ltd

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

Storing wine in sunny Singapore

Wine storage always revolves around three important components: Temperature, Humidity and Environment. The proper storage temperature for all wines should be cool and constant (10C-15C). Extreme heat or cold will damage the wine. Bottles should always lie on their sides so that the wine can touch the cork and constantly to prevent it from being dried up. A dry cork will shrink and allow oxygen to enter the bottle and oxidize the wine. Although in today’s bottling technology, screw caps and synthetic corks are often used to replace the traditional wooden cork and may alleviate such concerns. Finally, wines should be kept away from strong sunlight or artificial light which will heat up the wine, causing it to taste stale and old. Wine should also be kept away from any form of vibration, they should not be disturbed as much as possible.

In Singapore, the climatic condition is especially unforgiving when wine is kept in the open, even though they may be in an air-conditioned room. The coolest spot in the house is the marble floor. In the absence of a wine cooler or a refrigerator, unopened wine bottles may be “stored” by placing them (on the side) on the marble floor where the sunlight cannot reach. (Please make sure that you have some stopper to prevent the bottles from rolling off!) Using the physics of cool air sinks while hot air rises, this can possibly help to keep the wine cool and avoid too much temperature variation while it is being stored. However, the humidity is still a killer component should this be kept in a prolonged period (I must say not more than 2 weeks!)

When I first started enjoying the magical grape juice, I stored new and half finished bottles of wine in my refrigerator, and to a point that there is no space left for what it is really meant to keep - food. Finally, I decided to invest in wine coolers where I can safely keep my wine under a controlled environment and with little disturbance. Wine coolers come in different forms – standalone 30-200 bottle capacity in glass or solid door. Personally, I prefer the solid door version simply because it presents the least worries in terms of heat and light shielding. Wine coolers are affordable as most of them are now manufactured in China and Malaysia. One can get a good quality 30-bottle wine cooler starting at S$350. For someone who has a wine collection of more than 500 bottles, it is perhaps best to convert one of the rooms in the house into a walk-in wine cellar with air-conditioning and humidity control. Overall, there is no better way to store a wine than to cellar them properly.

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

Botrytis under microscope

During my residential block in Australia last week, we spent sometime reading about Botrytis, getting to know its microscopic form and how this fungus can be a friend and a foe to winemaking. Most of us hear about Botrytis from late harvest wine, one that has the honey nose and sweet on the palate. The taste often reminds one of raisins because the grapes are left to dry on the vines before being harvested. These grapes are not necessarily botrytised but those that are command a much higher price.

Botrytis, sometimes known as grey rot, is a fungal disease spread by damp, humid conditions. It tends to affect mostly immature berries with broken skins which are either caused by the scar left on the caps during flowering or mechanical equipment mishandling or weather conditions (e.g hail, wind or excessive sunburn). Skin damages provide the least resistance path for the fungus pathogen to infect the plant tissue. Yield and grape quality are most affected once grey rot sets in. Thin-skinned berries are most susceptible to grey rot. However, in the right conditions, i.e damp mornings and dry afternoons, the benevolent form of the fungus known as noble rot is welcome. The famous sweet wines of Sauternes and Germany are results of noble rot infected grapes. In this form, botrytis affect ripe grapes, consume water from the fruits through the pores of the skins (microscope filaments). As a result, sugar concentration increases, reducing the grapes into shriveled raisins. Wines made from these raisins are sweet and carry a unique flavor. The highest quality German classification for such wine is known as Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). They are produced in minute quantities, in only the finest vintages. The sugars in these grapes can contribute about 21.5% alcohol volume (ABV) but after fermentation, the resultant wine rarely goes beyond 8% ABV as it is matched with high levels of acidity to produce a balanced wine. Top quality TBAs are among the world’s most expensive and worthy wines. And Yes, TBAs are great with cheese and desserts.

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

The science of wine glasses

Most consumers are overwhelmed by the large variety of wine glasses. Some manufacturers (Riedel, Spiegelau, Schott..) designed glassware for different wine style, naming after the wine grape variety. The standard tasting glass devised by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO) has a height of 6 inches and holds 7.25 ounces of liquid. A slightly larger glass is also available that holds 10.5 ounces and is 6.875 inches tall. The glass has a tulip shape on a stem which enables the wine to be swirled easily around the bowl to encourage aeration of the wine. The design is such that it has an effective presentation to the eyes, the nose and the tongue of the person tasting the wine. In wine tasting, one looks for clarity, color intensity and its shades. The nose seeks the aroma, intensity, condition of the wine as one breathes in the bouquet. Finally, the tongue confirms the sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, intensity, flavor and length of the wine. All these act in concert to reach a conclusion on the quality of the wine, giving the person tasting the wine a complete picture of its grape varietal, production region and vintage.

Glasses that are designed for different wine style generally vary in the size and height of the bowl. What I have noticed is that the bowl size for wine style such as Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo tends to be bigger in diameter and tapers towards the mouth piece more than those designed for other grape varietals. I supposed this is because the Pinot Noir is more gently perfumed than most red grapes and often carries a nose of raspberries over a nice, sweet palate. The tapering angle is such that the person tasting the wine will enjoy the sweet entry of the liquid as the shaped guide the wine along the tip of the tongue (where the sweet senses are) through to the side and back of the throat. The fine tannins of this grape is easy on the palate and with the sweetness at the tip of the tongue, the positive characteristics of a pinot noir are most elaborated.

A champagne glass has an elongated bowl because it is fun to watch the bubbles in the wine rising towards the surface. Although a standard INAO glass may provide a better tasting experience in terms of capturing the aroma and bouquet of a good Champagne, part of the fun in drinking a wine is to observe and taste. As long as the glassware meets the functions of basic wine tasting, all variations that pleases the eyes and the “swirling” experience is a matter of choice to the consumers.

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

Is it worth the money?

It has been such a busy week for me that this article installment is extremely late. Anyhow, while I was sorting out the 2005 en Primeur offer, I realized that the prices are much higher than the previous vintages. The much sought after grand crus are fast becoming a cult wine even before they are being released.

I am intrigued by the market forces that determine the price of wine. However, I am even more curious to ask if all this fuss is truly worth the money. Factors determining the price of a wine are both economical and sentimental. From the economics point of view, the cost of a wine is highly dependent on its production cost, especially true when the vintage is a difficult year that limits the quantity of good grapes. Packaging and transportation costs may constitute a smaller percentage as communications technology improves. Import tax and consumption tax levied by different countries will add to the final cost of the wine by the time it reaches the retailer. However, the most critical factor in this chain of events is probably the reputation the winery has built up and this will determine the price of the wine which is not a simple function of cost. A winery’s reputation is built throughout its lifetime, probably over generations of winemaking. The first growths of Bordeaux, for example, have such deep rooted image in the consumers’ mind that the wine is not just a product of consumption. It represents the drinker’s attitude, social status and his/her quest for the best in the industry.

The vintage 2005 brings high expectation given the positive comments by renowned wine writers during their initial barrel tasting. The Feb 2006 issue of “Decanter” revealed the following comments from the various industry insiders. The following is a reproduction and I think it is time to cool down on paying exponentially high dollars to wine.

“The chief objection to breaking ranks is the effect it may have on prices. Sam Gleave of Bordeaux Index said, 'I see no benefit to the consumer. It simply gives a blank cheque to the owners.'

Many however argue that Bordeaux can hardly be unaware it is sitting on a winner.

'It is arguably a legendary vintage,' Laurent Ehrmann of negociants Barrieres Freres said. He stopped short of agreeing a 300% increase was possible but said the first growths might well release a first tranche at 100% above the 2004 price, with possibly a similar increase on subsequent tranches.

'But there will inevitably be a cooling off period,' he cautioned.

'Prices will be high,' Gleave said. 'Some will be sensible and value the wine according to status, but others will go for a big raise. Somewhere like Montrose could go up 300% and get away with it. And if Ducru Beaucaillou went up that much on 2004 it would not be unusual.'

On jancisrobinson.com, Robinson says she 'fears the worst', with the top tier 'drawing away from the pack' and being priced only for the 'super rich.' Further down the hierarchy she also fears the 'soft underbelly of the left bank classed growths' may go for 'robust prices.'

As for the chateaux themselves, few will comment before their wines are released. One proprietor, Anthony Barton of Chateau Leoville-Barton, who prices 'for consumers' rather than investors, put out a general plea for calm.

'The market will go crazy, there's no doubt of that, and prices will zoom up because in the US in particular they will pay any price. I just hope people will be sensible.'”

So, if I were asked if it is all worthwhile to pay a few thousand dollars for a bottle of wine, I am likely to say yes only if this wine has been out of circulation in the market and has a vintage that is considered best in the last 15 years. Otherwise, I would rather pay less and enjoy a fine wine from other vintages or regions.

Reference: http://www.decanter.com/news/80764.html

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