While reading a chapter of one of my fifteen-year-old son’s textbooks, I came across a topic that sounded intriguing; one that I hadn’t thought about in a long time.  The subject matter:  “Wine Gods.”  Steeped in ancient history, wine’s link with religion; from Roman and Greek custom, a direct line can be traced to Christian belief and practices.  Drinking wine for the Sacrament had a direct link with Jewish ritual but the most pronounced resemblances are with the Greek worship of Dionysus (the god of wine) and his Roman counterpart, Bacchus.  It was Dionysus who brought the first celebrated vines to Greece, from Turkey (then Asia Minor).

The son of Zeus—Dionysus—was mythically born twice, the second time to a mortal.  His blood was wine; he was the vine.  He was the lone god among many whose legends emerge in other cultures with undeniable consistency. 

Most wine tastings are given by local wine merchants or clubs and are often educational in nature, meaning they are workshop-like and lead by a speaker; some sort of professional in their field.  The tasting will likely have a theme (a grape variety, a region, a comparison of two or more wines, etc.).  You’ll probably be seated at a table with several glasses in front of each taster in order to sample the different wines being presented.

These “workshops” are generally excellent ways to broaden one’s viticultural knowledge.  They are a good way to decide what you like and don’t like, and to sample wines you may not have considered before.  Tastings are often a relative bargain, too.  They are sometimes even free (if a local distributor or wine shop has a special promotion going on or the like) or at least, low cost. 

The professional conducting the tasting offers his/her opinions and knowledge in order to assist you in shaping your own judgment of what appeals (or may not) to you, the taster.  The person conducting the tasting may offer up a question and answer session before, during, or after the tasting. And do ask if you are comfortable in doing so.  The speaker is there for you, the sampler, to explain things in depth, clarify something you may not understand, etc. if you require more on the topic of what he/she has spoken about.  They want to expound on their areas of expertise.  That’s the whole purpose of the tasting, to sample new and different wines and learn something in the process.  This is spoken as someone who’s conducted a few, and attended way more than that.

Another bonus of attending a tasting, you are able to meet and socialize with other lovers of the grape.  This may lead to formations of new wine clubs and may help with sharing the expenses of cases of wine if the tasting makes purchases of wine possible. 

I’d love to tell you more about the tasting itself, (and I most definitely will at a later date), from the setting, to the order of the wines that are poured, scoring the wines, decorum, etc., etc.).  I’m hoping to start a wine club myself, I’ve got the perfect setting, a nice array of glasses for tasting, and my knowledge which I am willing to impart.  All I need is a sponsor.  Any takers out there?

White wines are made pretty much the same as reds, though with a few variations.  Again, from harvest to bottle, this is a quick and easy rundown of how they are made:

1. Grapes are picked.
2. Like red, the grapes are crushed and stems sometimes removed.
3. The grapes get pressed, the skins removed and with the juice, all are put into a tank.
4. Yeast is added.
5. Fermentation begins.  Malolactic fermentation (secondary fermentation, malic acid in the new wine is affected by specific bacteria and converted into carbon dioxide and lactic acid.  This makes the wine less acidic and softer) may begin or be prevented.
6. Upon completion of fermentation, wine is left to “stew” in the “lees,” the remnants of the yeast cells that settle to the bottom of the tank. 
7. At this point, the wine is racked (turned periodically), and maybe cold stabilized.
8. The wine is put into barrels for aging, filtered, then bottled.

On a different note entirely, I tried a Bonny Doon Syrah last night- fabulous!  Bonny Doon wines are most often outstanding, right down the line, and the Syrah did not disappoint.  They are known for their artistic, avant-garde labels.  The Syrah’s was a playing card, a jack or joker, though which one was beyond me.  The back of the label contains a quote from Shakespeare:  “Ah, sirrah!…, we shall do nothing but eat, and make good cheer.”  This wine is as the label reads “rustic and sophisticated with hints of white pepper, anise, and cassis.”

Salud!

A question that pops up pretty regularly when someone new finds out I’m a wine writer; that question: “How is wine made?”  To explain this, even in minimal detail would take a fair amount of time, to write it down could encompass a short novel.  I’ve honed it down, to the shorthand version, from harvest to bottle.  This is for red wines; whites will be my next posting.

1. The grapes are picked.
2. They are crushed and stems (sometimes, but not always) removed.
3. The grapes are crushed, and along with the skins, seeds, and juice, are put into a tank.
4. Yeast is added.
5.  The beginning of fermentation starts now.
6.  The top of the tank, where the skins have accumulated, is pressed down over the fermenting liquid.
7. When fermentation is completely finished, wine is pressed from the skins.
8. The wine is transferred to barrels to begin the aging process.
9. Turning of the bottles (racking) begin, and continues periodically.
10. Wine is filtered, and then bottled.

If you ever get the opportunity to visit a winery, most definitely try and do so.  They are very informative, and fun!  If you let the winemakers/vintners/growers, etc. know well enough in advance that you’d like to tour their facility, you can almost always get a semi-private tour of their operation, typically ending in a tasting of their finest.

Salud!