it is just grapejuice

 Harvest Lunch…

“Benjamin Zidarich’s approach to winemaking is meticulous and exremely respectful of nature, something that in the Carso zone is practically de rigueur. Vine density per hectare is high, ranging from 8-10,000 plants, and the fruit is destemmed before fermentation and maceration on the skins in open vats, with the cap punched down several times a day. There is no temperature control, ambient yeasts are used, ageing is in large Slovanian oak and Benjamin shuns filtering and stabilization. The same procedures are used for all the selections, whether white or red.” - Gambero Rosso, 2007

Where is the Ribeira Sacra and what kind of wine is produced there?

Answer:  Spain, it is a DO located in Galicia that produces wines from Mencia, Godello and Albarino.  It should be noted that it is the only Galician DO whose focus is on red wine. 

Okay guys, we know there are a lot of you looking at the blog and we would LOVE it if you would blog too.  We are always looking for content so if you have something, anything, please for THE LOVE OF GOD, send it.  Food, wine, food and wine, wordly wine and food adventures, or just your neighborhood BBQ, we’re open to anything as long as it involves wine.  Why don’t you shoot us an email if you have something and we’ll get you set up.  Kevin@kevinfurtado.com or just post a comment and we’ll get right back to you.  We know there is a community out there, so let’s make it a communal effort!! 

What is the grape in a Samur?

Answer:  Chenin Blanc.  Samur is located in the Loire Valley of France.

  Turns out my good friend and colleague was crushing second vintage rose and I was in the area and not being in California for any other reason than grape juice, I was bound. “Garagiste” is not only cool because it is a foreign word that is not quite ‘de rigeur’, but also implies some sort of underground revolution with berets, fists and multiple odd containers. Like Che stomping grapes for the people. Just an assorted cast of human beings arguing the mechanics of a basket press as head winemaker takes a wander around periphery, shaking head, airing out…

“Maybe we should get another bucket and strain som’a this juice off…”

“What if we add more blocks under the screws?”

An enthusiastic but concerned group of friends and neighbors became very willing to offer not only their time and theories, but physical labor from manning the press right down to cleanup.

 A guy we know as Dave Coolshades and another called Michel raised eyebrows when paying no   heed to local custom of polite restraint, full on jumped in the pool over the vineyards and had a ball abroad. Good for them. The grapes have sat on skins for the better part of a day and color becomes a concern. This makes not a dent in our hopes and efforts… whoever deeply admired rose for it’s “varietally correct” coloring? This is unique, un-rose rose, to be remembered within a flight of twenty, easy. This could be something new, dark rose for closet cases. It’s the pink thing that scares people, I am inclined to believe. Nothing better than a positve unexpected quality in a wine. A lot of love from many hands went into that crush and that will come through. Small batch, big love, peanut gallery rose.

  As winemaker stares at the juice in barrel and carboys, he is gazing into the liquid as if to read the DNA, guess the potential. I have done my best to assure him that all is not only done, but done well, and he hears me not. I know nothing I can say will console him. I am relatively sober, so I drive home.

RF

It is time to press red wines when there is no longer a cap.  This essentially means that fermentation has finished and there is no longer enough CO2 to support a cap.  We will be pressing Demetria, Westerly, Paradise and Lower Alisos syrah  this week. 

Seth Kunin sanitizing one of the brand new tanks in our winery.  We are getting ready for a large Merlot pick to today for Westerly Vineyards.  Over 20 tons is expected!

Use Lysozyme for controlling lactic acid bacteria growth in your wine. Isolated from egg whites, this enzyme will degrade the cell wall of gram positive bacteria, but will not affect yeast or gram negative bacteria such as Acetobacter. Lysozyme can be used for both Red and White Wine Malo Fermentation.

Dosage:

To Delay Malolactic Fermentation: Red Wine - add to grapes at 100 - 200 ppm, or 0.38 - 0.76 grams per gallon. White Wine - Add to must at 200 - 300 ppm, or 0.76 - 1.14 grams per gallon.

To Block Malolactic Fermentation: White Wine - Add to must or wine at 300 - 500 ppm, or 1.14 - 1.90 grams per gallon.

Stabilizing wine after MLF is complete: Add to barrel during storage at 250 - 500 ppm, or 0.95 - 1.90 grams per gallon.

When blending partial and complete MLF wines: Add immeditatley after blending at 300 - 500 ppm, or 1.14 - 1.90 grams per gallon, to reduce the risk of further malolactic fermentation (MLF). Within several days any lactic should expire.

For sluggish or stuck yeast fermentation: Red Wine - Add at 150 - 400 ppm, or 0.57 - 1.52 grams per gallon. White Wine - add at 300 - 500 ppm, or 1.14 - 1.90 grams per gallon.

Directions for use: You can make a 10% solution of Lysozyme in water (100 grams per liter of water). However we find the easiest method is to add the desired dry weight of lysozyme in 5x its weight of warm(tepid) water. Mix for one minute, allow this mixture to stand for 45 minutes and add to must, juice or wine while mixing well. Allow 24 - 48 hours for reaction to complete.

**Note: 3tsp lysozyme = 5g

Where is the Marino DOC?

Answer:  It is a growing region in the Castelli Romani area southeast of Rome in Italy’s Latium region.  The wines are made from Malvasia, Trebbiano, Bonvino, and Cacchione.