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December 2006

What is all the buzz about? We asked ourselves that question a number of years ago when our curiosity about Santa Barbara County wines was piqued. We asked that same question publicly, and however rhetorically, earlier this year in our very first newsletter and web posting. At year's end, we look back at our growth and momentum. But this project is meant to be a journey of learning and growth. So now, with the growing company of subscribers to our newsletter and visitors to the web site, we look to what will come next - both for redwinebuzz.com and for Central Coast wine.

Since our first issue we have grow in readership, subscription and presence. Our seemingly banal question has taken us to vineyards and tasting rooms up and down the Central Coast. We have met with growers and wine makers, hearing their thoughts, opinions and philosophies. We have tasted current line ups and sampled wines from the barrels (see more). All this is done, so that we can better inform and advise you about central coast wines. We carefully sample wines and tell you about them in detail. We have worked long and hard on developing a point system that will convey the wine’s character and attributes but not pass judgment by indicating one wine to be superior to another. We hope you have enjoyed our more flowery descriptions of the wines we present after objectively reporting to you the aromas, flavors, mouthfeel and alcohol, acids and astringency of a wine. There will be more to come soon as we have a record number of new releases to taste and write about for January.

2005 and 2006 were very exciting years for California wine. Longer and cooler than many in the past, these growing seasons produced wines with lower sugars (and lower potential alcohol levels). This comes as a welcome trend at a time when many winemakers are trying to make wines with more tame alcohol and more food-friendly profiles. That is right up our alley, given our name. Not too long ago, we were having dinner at the Los Olivos Café and witnessed a group of four young people who kept sending back bottle after bottle of local wines. Only closer attention revealed that they were French. They were used to more reserved wines with lower alcohol levels because in the European tradition, wines are a companion to food. They found Central Coast wines to be higher in alcohol than they were used to. This brings to mind questions about the nature and standard of Central Coast wine and how these standards came to be.

There are several ways to approach this issue. One way, is to say: "It’s all about the tannins". We, as wine drinkers, don't like them, we don't want them and the winemakers know that. Tannins are the molecules in wine responsible for its astringency and they can make wines unapproachable in youth. Tannins are why some wines require substantial bottle aging before being ready for consumption. We usually do not want to buy wine that will be put away and ignored for several years before we can enjoy it. Growers and wine makers have employed a number of methods – both in the vineyard and the winery – to minimize tannins and make the wines appealing early on. But nothing in life is free and early approachability comes with a price: higher alcohol levels (and possible residual sugar in “dry” wines), a stylistic paradigm shift in which wines are both released and consumed very early without a chance or the potential to mature and subsequent reduced longevity of Central Coast wines in general.

In the climate of the Central Coast, grapes often reach sugar maturity well in advance of physiological ripeness. Many growers and winemakers are now coming to harvest based on the maturity and content of tannins in grape skins and seeds as assessed by taste, as opposed to harvesting at specific sugar levels. The purpose of this is to obtain softer wines at an earlier age. Sometimes, the sugars in the grapes at the time of tannin ripeness are so high that the resulting alcohol reaches soaring levels. By rough estimation, the final alcohol level will be 55% to 60% of the numerical value of must weight in degrees Brix. The wine maker has to make some tough decisions in those circumstances: They can choose between, letting the wine complete primary fermentation and contain high alcohol levels (which tends to taste sweet), arresting primary fermentation before it completes (which leaves some residual sugar in the wine). In either case, the wine will have a sweet edge – even though it is a “dry” table wine. To be fair, we must acknowledge here that our neurophysiology can play trick on out perception. Certain combinations of flavors (commonly associated with sweetness) can suggest sweetness to the taster when no sugar or other sweet substances are present. Real sweetness goes well with, and enhances, highly extracted young fruit flavors of both red and white wine but not necessarily the secondary flavors that emerge with aging of red wines. The alternative practice of ‘watering back’ the must to reduce the final alcohol levels works in many instances but some wines may seem burnt or even raisiny.

Harvesting at lower sugar ripeness to obtain lower potential alcohols would seem then, the way to go. So why is it not the status quo? The reason is that it presents a balancing act of attaining the appropriate levels and composition of tannins. The prevailing thought once was that all tannins are the same and that tannins need to mature and soften – sometimes for extended periods in the bottle. Recent research indicates that there are in fact different types of tannins (some harsh and others more desirable) that, in varying proportions, make for a specific wine’s tannin structure. Knowing when the desirable, soft tannins are prevalent would allow wine makers to more precisely design their wines. Research is underway to help growers asses the tannin profile of grapes. For the time being, traditional and tried and true methods will have to suffice.

Another point of view on the issue is to attribute the popularity of these types of wines to the fact that the American palate is a "Coca-Cola palate". That is to say, that the average American wine consumers want bigger wines with more intense flavor and tend to respond better to fruity flavors rather than the more evolved, mature, secondary flavors and aromas of aged wines. That leads us to the notion of “infanticide” in wine geek slang.

No doubt, young wines are exciting, but when one thinks of wine, is not some amount of aging inherent to the definition of wine? Is not part of the romance and magic of wine related to its ability to develop aromas and flavors that were not evident in the fruit or fermenting must? Traditionally, the only wine released young is Beaujolais with its bursting, fresh fruit. The majority of Central Coast wineries release wines with minimal time in bottle, many saying that it is the consumer’s job to bottle age the wine, invoking the cost of bottle aging several thousand cases of wine. Most wines are released at the time when the most recently harvested fruit is just finishing fermentation. This makes room for the newest wine and saves on the costs of facilities for storage and aging. But the releases are just starting to develop into something more interesting than fermented grape juice. It is easy to think of wines at this stage (with exuberant fruit aromas and flavors) as the ideal since that is when they are poured in the tasting rooms and when they receive high scores from the critics and writers. On the other hand, we are not suggesting that a wine should taste like boiled tomatoes or dried leaves.

Admittedly, a very small amount of wines produced have the stuff to last more than a decade. It is a loose rule of thumb that the earlier a wine is approachable, the shorter its lifespan. But even wines with a 7-10 year lifespan can evolve and take on very interesting profiles. Case and point: the 2003 Byron Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir. At this point it is just approaching its halfway point. The fruit is going strong, but the earthy and herbal notes are beginning to make themselves known. So at this point, this is no longer what Wes Hagen of Close Pepe (and others) calls a “stand-up wine” – a lower alcohol alternative to cocktails one carries around and quaffs at parties. It is not the explosive ‘fruit bomb’ it was at release, but at the same time, it will not likely achieve the delicate subtlety of Burgundian reds. A wine with aging potential does not necessarily have to be unapproachable at the time of release and a tame and composed wine at release will more likely evolve into something more delicate, given the right composition. At the same time, such a wine does not have to lack complexity, yet it manages to not outshine any food it accompanies. Not all varietals can age for long periods but those that can, should be given the chance. That may be so hard to do when you are haunted by the rich flavors of the wine in the tasting room.

Predicting how long a wine will last is a bit of an art form. There is no formula anyone has published. One thing wine writers take into consideration is how previous vintages of the same wine from a given producer have fared. The sweet spot or longevity lies in the interplay and proportion of several things: extraction of colors, aromas and flavors as well as acids tannins. The extract of color and aromatic esters responsible for he wine's smell and flavor must be sufficient enough to not fade over the years. Acid levels (as well as the pH) and tannin structure are also required to preserve the aromas and flavors in a wine. Beyond that generalization, a more precise formula is unlikely to be put down on paper. Experience and taste must be our guides. For those needing a quantifiable measure of longevity, we can only offer a way to roughly estimate of how much longer a wine will remain at its peak. This can be done by taste but requires some familiarity with the producer (and a judgment call as to whether the wine is in fact at its peak). If the wine is at its peak, the rule states that it will remain in that state for roughly the same period of time it took to arrive at its peak.

So this is the part where I have to point at the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Most wine reviews are conducted as a comparative tasting - several wines of the same type are tasted and rated. Subsequently, the standouts get higher scores. That is the nature of our nervous system - we are drawn to the things that stand out from a crowd. If a wine maker wants a high score, they will emulate wines which have in the past done well (i.e. stood out) with a given critic and the cycle repeats itself each successive vintage. That is not the whole problem. Sure, it contributes to the creep and the resulting "heat bombs". The problem also lies in the fact that the wines are tasted (smelled, sipped, swished and spat out) but not swallowed. The heat of alcohol is easy to dismiss when there is a lot going on with a wine's aromas and flavors (and give wonderful scores for those characteristics) when you don't have to drink the whole bottle. It becomes a more obvious problem when one actually swallows every sip. No longer a source of a merry mirth, the wine delivers a solid buzz after just a few glasses. Never mind trying to eat something spicy and washing it down with a 15% alcohol wine. But you miss all that if you taste large numbers of wines every day.

Market trends are strange creatures. While there is something to be said for the "wisdom of the masses", they are not fully consumer driven but suppliers can only dictate so much. It can be best summed up that one can only make choices from the options available. The Central Coast climate and wineries can produce age worthy wines which can evolve with grace and elegance over time. As consumers, we owe it to ourselves to explore and experience mature wines. At redwinebuzz.com we will make it our mission to bring you wines which are released with more bottle age and offer aging guidance in our reviews. We hope wineries will also agree that softness in youth and big fruit are not the end-all, be-all. We will also be more diligent in observing and reporting about the alcohol in the wine. We encourage Central Coast wine producers to strive for more composed, lower alcohol and longer-lasting wines. The Central Coast wine region is well poised at this time to develop and define its identity. It is our hope that they make the higher standard of elegant ant graceful wines their goal.

Get the buzz:

Wine reviews

Great stories

Interviews

Wine education tools

New content every month

It's FREE!

Click here

Get the buzz:

Wine reviews

Great stories

Interviews

Wine education tools

New content every month

It's FREE!

Click here

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Copyright © 2006 redwinebuzz.com All rights reserved.



	Home Wine U The Buzz Rant Tip of the month Fun Stuff December Article archive Wine Reviews Calendar Fun Stuff About Us Key Contacts FAQ Links	December 2006 What is all the buzz about? We asked ourselves that question a number of years ago when our curiosity about Santa Barbara County wines was piqued. We asked that same question publicly, and however rhetorically, earlier this year in our very first newsletter and web posting. At year's end, we look back at our growth and momentum. But this project is meant to be a journey of learning and growth. So now, with the growing company of subscribers to our newsletter and visitors to the web site, we look to what will come next - both for redwinebuzz.com and for Central Coast wine. Since our first issue we have grow in readership, subscription and presence. Our seemingly banal question has taken us to vineyards and tasting rooms up and down the Central Coast. We have met with growers and wine makers, hearing their thoughts, opinions and philosophies. We have tasted current line ups and sampled wines from the barrels (see more). All this is done, so that we can better inform and advise you about central coast wines. We carefully sample wines and tell you about them in detail. We have worked long and hard on developing a point system that will convey the wine’s character and attributes but not pass judgment by indicating one wine to be superior to another. We hope you have enjoyed our more flowery descriptions of the wines we present after objectively reporting to you the aromas, flavors, mouthfeel and alcohol, acids and astringency of a wine. There will be more to come soon as we have a record number of new releases to taste and write about for January. 2005 and 2006 were very exciting years for California wine. Longer and cooler than many in the past, these growing seasons produced wines with lower sugars (and lower potential alcohol levels). This comes as a welcome trend at a time when many winemakers are trying to make wines with more tame alcohol and more food-friendly profiles. That is right up our alley, given our name. Not too long ago, we were having dinner at the Los Olivos Café and witnessed a group of four young people who kept sending back bottle after bottle of local wines. Only closer attention revealed that they were French. They were used to more reserved wines with lower alcohol levels because in the European tradition, wines are a companion to food. They found Central Coast wines to be higher in alcohol than they were used to. This brings to mind questions about the nature and standard of Central Coast wine and how these standards came to be. There are several ways to approach this issue. One way, is to say: "It’s all about the tannins". We, as wine drinkers, don't like them, we don't want them and the winemakers know that. Tannins are the molecules in wine responsible for its astringency and they can make wines unapproachable in youth. Tannins are why some wines require substantial bottle aging before being ready for consumption. We usually do not want to buy wine that will be put away and ignored for several years before we can enjoy it. Growers and wine makers have employed a number of methods – both in the vineyard and the winery – to minimize tannins and make the wines appealing early on. But nothing in life is free and early approachability comes with a price: higher alcohol levels (and possible residual sugar in “dry” wines), a stylistic paradigm shift in which wines are both released and consumed very early without a chance or the potential to mature and subsequent reduced longevity of Central Coast wines in general. In the climate of the Central Coast, grapes often reach sugar maturity well in advance of physiological ripeness. Many growers and winemakers are now coming to harvest based on the maturity and content of tannins in grape skins and seeds as assessed by taste, as opposed to harvesting at specific sugar levels. The purpose of this is to obtain softer wines at an earlier age. Sometimes, the sugars in the grapes at the time of tannin ripeness are so high that the resulting alcohol reaches soaring levels. By rough estimation, the final alcohol level will be 55% to 60% of the numerical value of must weight in degrees Brix. The wine maker has to make some tough decisions in those circumstances: They can choose between, letting the wine complete primary fermentation and contain high alcohol levels (which tends to taste sweet), arresting primary fermentation before it completes (which leaves some residual sugar in the wine). In either case, the wine will have a sweet edge – even though it is a “dry” table wine. To be fair, we must acknowledge here that our neurophysiology can play trick on out perception. Certain combinations of flavors (commonly associated with sweetness) can suggest sweetness to the taster when no sugar or other sweet substances are present. Real sweetness goes well with, and enhances, highly extracted young fruit flavors of both red and white wine but not necessarily the secondary flavors that emerge with aging of red wines. The alternative practice of ‘watering back’ the must to reduce the final alcohol levels works in many instances but some wines may seem burnt or even raisiny. Harvesting at lower sugar ripeness to obtain lower potential alcohols would seem then, the way to go. So why is it not the status quo? The reason is that it presents a balancing act of attaining the appropriate levels and composition of tannins. The prevailing thought once was that all tannins are the same and that tannins need to mature and soften – sometimes for extended periods in the bottle. Recent research indicates that there are in fact different types of tannins (some harsh and others more desirable) that, in varying proportions, make for a specific wine’s tannin structure. Knowing when the desirable, soft tannins are prevalent would allow wine makers to more precisely design their wines. Research is underway to help growers asses the tannin profile of grapes. For the time being, traditional and tried and true methods will have to suffice. Another point of view on the issue is to attribute the popularity of these types of wines to the fact that the American palate is a "Coca-Cola palate". That is to say, that the average American wine consumers want bigger wines with more intense flavor and tend to respond better to fruity flavors rather than the more evolved, mature, secondary flavors and aromas of aged wines. That leads us to the notion of “infanticide” in wine geek slang. No doubt, young wines are exciting, but when one thinks of wine, is not some amount of aging inherent to the definition of wine? Is not part of the romance and magic of wine related to its ability to develop aromas and flavors that were not evident in the fruit or fermenting must? Traditionally, the only wine released young is Beaujolais with its bursting, fresh fruit. The majority of Central Coast wineries release wines with minimal time in bottle, many saying that it is the consumer’s job to bottle age the wine, invoking the cost of bottle aging several thousand cases of wine. Most wines are released at the time when the most recently harvested fruit is just finishing fermentation. This makes room for the newest wine and saves on the costs of facilities for storage and aging. But the releases are just starting to develop into something more interesting than fermented grape juice. It is easy to think of wines at this stage (with exuberant fruit aromas and flavors) as the ideal since that is when they are poured in the tasting rooms and when they receive high scores from the critics and writers. On the other hand, we are not suggesting that a wine should taste like boiled tomatoes or dried leaves. Admittedly, a very small amount of wines produced have the stuff to last more than a decade. It is a loose rule of thumb that the earlier a wine is approachable, the shorter its lifespan. But even wines with a 7-10 year lifespan can evolve and take on very interesting profiles. Case and point: the 2003 Byron Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir. At this point it is just approaching its halfway point. The fruit is going strong, but the earthy and herbal notes are beginning to make themselves known. So at this point, this is no longer what Wes Hagen of Close Pepe (and others) calls a “stand-up wine” – a lower alcohol alternative to cocktails one carries around and quaffs at parties. It is not the explosive ‘fruit bomb’ it was at release, but at the same time, it will not likely achieve the delicate subtlety of Burgundian reds. A wine with aging potential does not necessarily have to be unapproachable at the time of release and a tame and composed wine at release will more likely evolve into something more delicate, given the right composition. At the same time, such a wine does not have to lack complexity, yet it manages to not outshine any food it accompanies. Not all varietals can age for long periods but those that can, should be given the chance. That may be so hard to do when you are haunted by the rich flavors of the wine in the tasting room. Predicting how long a wine will last is a bit of an art form. There is no formula anyone has published. One thing wine writers take into consideration is how previous vintages of the same wine from a given producer have fared. The sweet spot or longevity lies in the interplay and proportion of several things: extraction of colors, aromas and flavors as well as acids tannins. The extract of color and aromatic esters responsible for he wine's smell and flavor must be sufficient enough to not fade over the years. Acid levels (as well as the pH) and tannin structure are also required to preserve the aromas and flavors in a wine. Beyond that generalization, a more precise formula is unlikely to be put down on paper. Experience and taste must be our guides. For those needing a quantifiable measure of longevity, we can only offer a way to roughly estimate of how much longer a wine will remain at its peak. This can be done by taste but requires some familiarity with the producer (and a judgment call as to whether the wine is in fact at its peak). If the wine is at its peak, the rule states that it will remain in that state for roughly the same period of time it took to arrive at its peak. So this is the part where I have to point at the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Most wine reviews are conducted as a comparative tasting - several wines of the same type are tasted and rated. Subsequently, the standouts get higher scores. That is the nature of our nervous system - we are drawn to the things that stand out from a crowd. If a wine maker wants a high score, they will emulate wines which have in the past done well (i.e. stood out) with a given critic and the cycle repeats itself each successive vintage. That is not the whole problem. Sure, it contributes to the creep and the resulting "heat bombs". The problem also lies in the fact that the wines are tasted (smelled, sipped, swished and spat out) but not swallowed. The heat of alcohol is easy to dismiss when there is a lot going on with a wine's aromas and flavors (and give wonderful scores for those characteristics) when you don't have to drink the whole bottle. It becomes a more obvious problem when one actually swallows every sip. No longer a source of a merry mirth, the wine delivers a solid buzz after just a few glasses. Never mind trying to eat something spicy and washing it down with a 15% alcohol wine. But you miss all that if you taste large numbers of wines every day. Market trends are strange creatures. While there is something to be said for the "wisdom of the masses", they are not fully consumer driven but suppliers can only dictate so much. It can be best summed up that one can only make choices from the options available. The Central Coast climate and wineries can produce age worthy wines which can evolve with grace and elegance over time. As consumers, we owe it to ourselves to explore and experience mature wines. At redwinebuzz.com we will make it our mission to bring you wines which are released with more bottle age and offer aging guidance in our reviews. We hope wineries will also agree that softness in youth and big fruit are not the end-all, be-all. We will also be more diligent in observing and reporting about the alcohol in the wine. We encourage Central Coast wine producers to strive for more composed, lower alcohol and longer-lasting wines. The Central Coast wine region is well poised at this time to develop and define its identity. It is our hope that they make the higher standard of elegant ant graceful wines their goal.	Get the buzz: Wine reviews Great stories Interviews Wine education tools New content every month It's FREE! Click here Get the buzz: Wine reviews Great stories Interviews Wine education tools New content every month It's FREE! Click here


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