Did You Know that White Wine Can be Made from Red Wine Grapes?

Traditionally, white wine is made from ‘green’ grapes and red wine is made from ‘red’ grapes. But, did you know that white wines can be made from red wine grapes?

First, let’s take a quick look at how white and red wines are made. In the production of white wines, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice from the grapes. The juice may undergo additional processes to remove particles so that fermentation begins with clear juice. But, with red wines, the grape juice, skins and seeds are all present for fermentation. Then, the fermented red wine is drained from the tanks either by allowing the wine to freely drain, or by pressing the mixture to extract the wine.

The key to producing a red wine is the time that the red grapes and seeds spend soaking in the fermenting juice. If you simply were to press the red grapes, you’d find that the juice is nearly clear. It’s the skins that impart the color. So, to produce a white wine from a red wine grape, you simply don’t allow for any contact between the grape juice and the skins and seeds. That is, you simply follow the white wine-making process but using red grapes.

One of the most famous white wines that is made from red grapes is Champagne. Traditional Champagne is made from two red grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Pee-noh Mehr-n'yay)) and one white wine grape (Chardonnay). The Champagne is a white wine because the clear juice from the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are combined with the clear juice from the Chardonnay grape prior to fermentation with no skin contact.

And, other white wines are produced from red wine grapes. Interestingly enough one of the biggest red wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, is being made into a white wine. And that will be the subject of the next Behind the Cork™ wine of the week feature. Look for it! Cheers!

In the Winemaking World it's Veraison Time!

The grape growing cycle is currently at the point where berries (the actual term for individual grapes) begin to turn color. This marks the point at which the grape vines move from berry growth to berry ripening.

The term for this stage is called Veraison (vuh-rey-zhun). And this means that there is now approximately 45 days until the beginning of harvest.

While veraison is most obvious on red wine grapes, white grapes also go through veraison. While their color change isn't as dramatic as the reds, they do change from green to a more yellow or golden green. 

Veraison marks the point where the grapes stop growing in size. But, it's also when the sugar content of the grapes changes significantly. And, the acid begins to decline.

So, winemakers are now very closely watching and testing the grapes to find the point where the sugar content and acidity are just right for the particular wine they are trying to produce.

It's an exciting time in the vineyard and harvest is just around the corner! Cheers!

How Does Wind Affect a Wine?

I recently had a friend return from doing some wine tasting in Napa. While he said he enjoyed the wine, he did complain that it was windy and cold. And, he said he was told that the wind helped the wine. So, he asked me "How does wind affect a wine?"

Luckily, I had recently been doing some reading, and this exact situation was described. It turns out that it's not just the wind, it a cool wind that helps.  And, as is true with many of the premiere wine growing regions, Napa is helped by the cool afternoon breezes that come in off the ocean.  These cool winds actually cause the leaves in the vineyard to close-down their tiny pores (stoma). Without going any further into plant botany, this slows down the ripening process during the growing season. And, slower ripening results in grape skins that are thicker along with smaller berries (i.e., grapes) and smaller bunches.  This produces concentrated flavors and, in red grapes, a bit more tannin. It can also help with increased acidity. All good stuff for making wine.

So, when you visit wine county and feel the cool afternoon breezes, don't complain. They are helping to make the wine even better. Cheers!

Wine Flavors - The Grapes

Last time, we started the exploration of wine flavors. And, basically, a wine's flavor comes from the grapes, the fermentation process and its aging. So, let's jump right in and start with the star of the show, the grapes.

You might think "Well, of course a wine's flavor comes from the grapes." And, yes, the grapes are extremely important in the wine making process and form the basis for how the wine will taste. But, within a grape variety, there can also be tremendous variations associated with factors such as where the grapes are grown and when they are harvested.

Location is very important. Factors such as day and night time temperatures, sunlight, the amount of rainfall and soil type all play into a wine's terroir. Grapes grown in cooler climates such as in Bordeaux, will tend to have their red fruit flavors enhanced (e.g., cherry and red currant) and be a bit lighter in body while warmer climate Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in California's Napa Valley produce bigger fruit flavors (e.g., blackberry, black currant and black cherry).

Harvest time also plays a huge role in a wine's flavor.  Winemakers are constantly checking the sugar levels of the grapes in the vineyard (Brix) as they ripen. As the sugar levels increase in the grapes, the acid levels that produce tartness will decrease. So, winemakers chose the Brix-to-acid ratio that will produce the flavor of wine they are looking for.

Where the grapes are grown and when they are harvested plays a huge role in the flavors of all wines. But, once these flavors are established, the fermentation process and aging will also contribute to a wine's final flavor. We'll look into these factors in the next couple of blogs. Until then, Cheers!

Where Do All Those Flavors in Wine Come From?

There are only two ingredients in wine: grapes and yeast.  Yet, white wines can be described as having flavors that include lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, peach, pear and orange.  And red wines can be described as having flavors of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, plum and fig.  And then there are descriptions of vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, leather, and even tar, just to name a few.  But, if wine is only made from grapes and yeast, how do wines get all those other flavors? 

In a past blog, we reviewed taste and smell as being the elements by which we get our perception of flavors.

But, let's go a bit deeper and do some further exploration of where all those flavors in wine come from.  Basically, wine's flavors come from the grapes, the fermentation process and through aging.

Each of these components provides its own set of flavor compounds that combine to give each wine its own characteristics.

So, next time we'll dive into the most important influence on wine's flavor - grapes. Until then, Cheers!