This is a question that seems to come up all the time at our store. This question can bring up a myriad of answers, some say yes some say no and some say it depends. There are so many factors that go into pricing a wine. Cost of land, cost of farming, cost of potentially irrigating, physically making the wine, ageing (barrels), marketing, shipping, demand, etc. That is just the surface of what goes into producing a bottle of wine. I will try and do my best to help answer the question by dissecting what goes into the cost.
Property- This is fairly simple, property in the Napa Valley or Burgundy is a lot more expensive to purchase than land in Missouri. That being said, property is even hard to come by in these areas. A lot of wine that you drink probably isn’t estate fruit; meaning someone owns the land and the vines. A winery or winemaker will negotiates a contract with the grower for a certain amount of time and essentially buys the grapes from the farmer. Inexpensive and expensive wine goes through this process. Burgundy for example is built on Negociant’s. Although they may own a few parcels of land the majority of the grapes are purchased through contracts and then made in their facility (sometimes not even made in their facility). So does this make the wine more expensive? My answer: Its two people collecting money instead of one.
Farming- If you harvest your crop of grapes with a huge tractor which picks up everything, not just grapes you cut your harvest time and cost by a lot. If you pick each cluster by hand it takes a long time… If you use pesticides to keep away unwanted things you can save a lot of your crop… If you don’t use pesticides you have to find natural ways to keep disease and bad things away. This usually cost more money. Organic=expensive; in general.
Production/Ageing: New French oak barrels are going from 1000-1500 dollars a barrel. If you age a wine in 100% new French oak for 18 months, it cost a lot of money. If you age your wine in massive stainless steel tanks that can be reused it costs less. I think a general rule about making wine is that if you are doing more by hand the more it costs.
Marketing/Shipping/Demand: I will keep this simple. It costs money to advertise, chances are if you see a wine being advertised on National Television or in every magazine; somebody or some company with a lot of money is behind it. Shipping is simple; Wine from France generally costs more here because they ship it here. Demand is the same. The more people want it, the less there is available. Less available plus high demand = more money.
In summary; you can find great wine at a great price and you can definitely overpay for product. I always say “If you like it, then it is good wine.” I have recently been enjoying a lot of Spanish wine. I feel like this region is producing a lot of great value wines. I also love Burgundy and to be real it’s not cheap.
Drink what you like
Nick, Wine Buyer.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Sake
SAKE
(or SHU in Japanese)
Sake, sometimes called rice wine, is Japan's contribution to the beverage world. However sake is more like beer than wine in its fermentation process, in that the starches in the rice need to be converted to sugar before they can be fermented by the yeast. Unlike most common beers, sake is much higher in alcohol at around 15%. Sake's origins date back to around the 3rd century AD, and it was Japan's most common alcoholic beverage until the 1960's, when it was overtaken by beer. However, as the consumption of sake in Japan has declined, the quality has improved.
Sake is made from 3 ingredients: rice, water and koji mold. The rice used in making sake differs from food rice in that it is larger and stronger, and contains less lipids and protein. The starch is at the center of the grain of rice, while the outer portion of the rice grain contains proteins, amino acids and fats that adversely affect fermentation, and lead to off flavors in sake. So this outer portion is milled away, leaving the polished center where the starches lie. In general, the more the outer portion is milled away, the higher the quality of the sake. Water is used throughout the process of making sake, from washing the rice, to the fermentation process and finally to dilute the final product in order to reduce the amount of alcohol in the sake. In general, harder water produces a drier sake, while soft water will produce a sweeter sake. Finally, there is this strange thing called koji mold. This magical mold creates enzymes that break down the starch in the rice into sugars which can be fermented by yeast.
The brewing process starts by milling the rice. The rice is then washed and soaked. The soaking takes anywhere from minutes to overnight, and the more the rice is milled the less time it takes to absorb the water. The rice is then steamed, and after it is cooled, some of the rice is sprinkled with the koji mold and is kept at higher than normal humidity and mixed for 36-45 hours. A yeast starter, or seed mash is then created using the finished koji rice along with more of the steamed rice, water and pure yeast cells. After about 2 weeks this starter is moved to larger vats where more rice, koji and water are added in three successive batches over four days, each roughly doubling the amount of the batch. The main mash is then fermented for the next 18-32 days under carefully controlled temperatures and conditions. The mash is then pressed to separate the unfermented solids from the clear sake. After resting for a few days to let more solids settle, the sake is usually charcoal filtered to adjust flavor and color. Sake that is not filtered is called nigori, and remains cloudy from the settled solids. Finally the sake is pasteurized to kill off bacteria and deactivate the enzymes that may affect color and flavor later on. The sake is then aged about 6 months to round out the flavor. After aging it is mixed with more water to bring the alcohol level down from roughly 20% to around 15-16% alcohol.
Sometimes distilled alcohol is added to the batch in the final stages. The makers of cheap sake add quite a bit of distilled alcohol to increase the yield. Higher end sake can also have added alcohol, but in very small amounts. This is to help bring out more aromatic and flavorful compounds from the mash, which are soluble in alcohol.
Sake has a distinct naming system to distinguish between its various grades of quality, determined by the amount the rice is polished and whether or not distilled alcohol has been added. In this system, the word Junmai is used to indicate that the sake has not had any alcohol added. From the lowest to highest quality, they are:
Honjozo-shu: Similar to table wine. Made with rice, water, koji and a small amount of added alcohol. It is light, fragrant and easy to drink.
Junmai-shu: Made with rice, water and koji. The rice kernel is polished to at least 70% (meaning at least 30% of the outer portion of the rice kernel is milled away.) It has a full, solid flavor and is clean and well structured.
Ginjo-shu: Made with rice, water and koji, and a small amount of alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 60%. It is generally fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time, and is light, aromatic, fruity and refined.
Junmai Ginjo-shu: Made with rice, water and koji. The rice kernel is polished to at least 60%. Also fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time. Light, fruity and refined.
Daiginjo-shu: The highest classification of quality. Made with rice, water and koji, with a small amount of added alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 50%. It is generally light, complex and very fragrant.
Junmai Daiginjo-shu: Also in the highest classification, but without added alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 50%, and is also light, complex and fragrant.
Any of these sakes can be Nigori, or unfiltered and cloudy.
Sake can be consumed hot, cold or at room temperature. Generally cheaper sakes are the ones that are served hot, and it is more common to drink hot sake during the winter time. Higher end sake is generally served cold.
Chip Bartsch
Buyer
West Vail Liquor Mart
(or SHU in Japanese)
Sake, sometimes called rice wine, is Japan's contribution to the beverage world. However sake is more like beer than wine in its fermentation process, in that the starches in the rice need to be converted to sugar before they can be fermented by the yeast. Unlike most common beers, sake is much higher in alcohol at around 15%. Sake's origins date back to around the 3rd century AD, and it was Japan's most common alcoholic beverage until the 1960's, when it was overtaken by beer. However, as the consumption of sake in Japan has declined, the quality has improved.
Sake is made from 3 ingredients: rice, water and koji mold. The rice used in making sake differs from food rice in that it is larger and stronger, and contains less lipids and protein. The starch is at the center of the grain of rice, while the outer portion of the rice grain contains proteins, amino acids and fats that adversely affect fermentation, and lead to off flavors in sake. So this outer portion is milled away, leaving the polished center where the starches lie. In general, the more the outer portion is milled away, the higher the quality of the sake. Water is used throughout the process of making sake, from washing the rice, to the fermentation process and finally to dilute the final product in order to reduce the amount of alcohol in the sake. In general, harder water produces a drier sake, while soft water will produce a sweeter sake. Finally, there is this strange thing called koji mold. This magical mold creates enzymes that break down the starch in the rice into sugars which can be fermented by yeast.
The brewing process starts by milling the rice. The rice is then washed and soaked. The soaking takes anywhere from minutes to overnight, and the more the rice is milled the less time it takes to absorb the water. The rice is then steamed, and after it is cooled, some of the rice is sprinkled with the koji mold and is kept at higher than normal humidity and mixed for 36-45 hours. A yeast starter, or seed mash is then created using the finished koji rice along with more of the steamed rice, water and pure yeast cells. After about 2 weeks this starter is moved to larger vats where more rice, koji and water are added in three successive batches over four days, each roughly doubling the amount of the batch. The main mash is then fermented for the next 18-32 days under carefully controlled temperatures and conditions. The mash is then pressed to separate the unfermented solids from the clear sake. After resting for a few days to let more solids settle, the sake is usually charcoal filtered to adjust flavor and color. Sake that is not filtered is called nigori, and remains cloudy from the settled solids. Finally the sake is pasteurized to kill off bacteria and deactivate the enzymes that may affect color and flavor later on. The sake is then aged about 6 months to round out the flavor. After aging it is mixed with more water to bring the alcohol level down from roughly 20% to around 15-16% alcohol.
Sometimes distilled alcohol is added to the batch in the final stages. The makers of cheap sake add quite a bit of distilled alcohol to increase the yield. Higher end sake can also have added alcohol, but in very small amounts. This is to help bring out more aromatic and flavorful compounds from the mash, which are soluble in alcohol.
Sake has a distinct naming system to distinguish between its various grades of quality, determined by the amount the rice is polished and whether or not distilled alcohol has been added. In this system, the word Junmai is used to indicate that the sake has not had any alcohol added. From the lowest to highest quality, they are:
Honjozo-shu: Similar to table wine. Made with rice, water, koji and a small amount of added alcohol. It is light, fragrant and easy to drink.
Junmai-shu: Made with rice, water and koji. The rice kernel is polished to at least 70% (meaning at least 30% of the outer portion of the rice kernel is milled away.) It has a full, solid flavor and is clean and well structured.
Ginjo-shu: Made with rice, water and koji, and a small amount of alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 60%. It is generally fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time, and is light, aromatic, fruity and refined.
Junmai Ginjo-shu: Made with rice, water and koji. The rice kernel is polished to at least 60%. Also fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time. Light, fruity and refined.
Daiginjo-shu: The highest classification of quality. Made with rice, water and koji, with a small amount of added alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 50%. It is generally light, complex and very fragrant.
Junmai Daiginjo-shu: Also in the highest classification, but without added alcohol. The rice kernel is polished to at least 50%, and is also light, complex and fragrant.
Any of these sakes can be Nigori, or unfiltered and cloudy.
Sake can be consumed hot, cold or at room temperature. Generally cheaper sakes are the ones that are served hot, and it is more common to drink hot sake during the winter time. Higher end sake is generally served cold.
Chip Bartsch
Buyer
West Vail Liquor Mart
Friday, June 14, 2013
Beaujolais; not Nouveau!
Beaujolais is a wine region just south of Burgundy; some may consider this part of Burgundy, technically it is its own AOC (Appellation d’Original Controlle). Though about 1% of the wine production here is white wine (Chardonnay and Aligote), Gamay is the grape that dominates the region. Gamay is thin skinned, low tannins, red grape. It tends to be very light and fruity with high amounts of acidity for red wine. This region actually produces more wine than all of Burgundy, Chablis and the Maconnais put together. Most of us are familiar with Beaujolais Nouveau, which is produced very quickly then sold and is said to be a decider of vintage. The grapes are harvested between late August and early September, fermented for a few days and released to the public on the third Thursday of November. This wine now makes up about a third of all the production in Beaujolais and is kind of what people only know about the region. There are really 4 levels of Beaujolais: Nouveau, AOC, Village and Cru. The first two are traditionally served chilled (actually they say that Americans in general drink their red wine too warm and their white wine too cold). Beaujolais is not just Nouveau, some of the village and cru wines are really spectacular and tend to get overlooked because of the Nouveau association. These are great food wines and a great summer red option.
Jadot Beaujolais Village (11.99) Village Beaujolais is made up of 39 communes (a northern part of the appellation) and is mainly Shist and Granite soil composition. These wines are meant to be consumed young. The Jadot Beajolais Village comes from mostly granite soils within the Regnie cru. It is meant to be drunk young but can age for up to 5 years. Mostly red fruits on the nose and palate with a touch of that pepper flavor on the finish. These are great food wines that are very versatile or simply to be drunk on their own.
Thivin Cote de Brouilly (29.99) there is 10 Cru regions within Beaujolais. Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Regnie, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Saint Amour, Chenas, Julienas, Morgon, and Moulin A Vent.Cote de Brouilly is different than Brouilly because it is grown on the hillside rather that below (Brouilly appellation) The soil is mostly comprised of Granite and Clay limestone. It is robust and elegant, more concentrated flavor than the wines at the bottom of the hill. Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly is made from 100% Gamay, hand harvested and whole cluster pressed and fermented for 8-12 days. It is then aged for six months in oak casks. This is a proper wine. It has notes of strawberry and blueberry integrated silky tannins with a long somewhat peppery finish. It has the ability to be aged and is a great pair with poultry or duck.
Nick Agnew,
Wine Buyer, West Vail Liquor Mart
Jadot Beaujolais Village (11.99) Village Beaujolais is made up of 39 communes (a northern part of the appellation) and is mainly Shist and Granite soil composition. These wines are meant to be consumed young. The Jadot Beajolais Village comes from mostly granite soils within the Regnie cru. It is meant to be drunk young but can age for up to 5 years. Mostly red fruits on the nose and palate with a touch of that pepper flavor on the finish. These are great food wines that are very versatile or simply to be drunk on their own.
Thivin Cote de Brouilly (29.99) there is 10 Cru regions within Beaujolais. Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Regnie, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Saint Amour, Chenas, Julienas, Morgon, and Moulin A Vent.Cote de Brouilly is different than Brouilly because it is grown on the hillside rather that below (Brouilly appellation) The soil is mostly comprised of Granite and Clay limestone. It is robust and elegant, more concentrated flavor than the wines at the bottom of the hill. Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly is made from 100% Gamay, hand harvested and whole cluster pressed and fermented for 8-12 days. It is then aged for six months in oak casks. This is a proper wine. It has notes of strawberry and blueberry integrated silky tannins with a long somewhat peppery finish. It has the ability to be aged and is a great pair with poultry or duck.
Nick Agnew,
Wine Buyer, West Vail Liquor Mart
Saturday, June 8, 2013
The Other French Sparklers
The Other French Sparklers!
When you think of sparkling wine you think of champagne…. Not just French Sparkling wine but Sparkling wine in general. When talking about bubbles; most people just revert to calling it “Champagne”. As most of us know, Champagne is a wine producing region, crafting sparkling wine from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. People have obviously tried to imitate Champagne in various places around the world; using similar grape combinations and winemaking techniques. Some have been very successful and some are not so good to say the least. Yet nothing seems to really live up to the original and with prices so far out of reach in the modern era; Sparkling drinkers have limited options. I believe that although Champagne does have a rising price, some of the other Sparkling producing areas in France have a lot of quality at far more attractive prices. Two areas specifically are really producing some nice Sparkling wines; Alsace and the Loire Valley.
Alsace- This is a small winegrowing region on the eastern border of France neighboring Switzerland and Germany. The history of winemaking in Alsace has a strong Germanic influence known mostly for their drier style Rieslings and Gewurztraminer. They are also making some great sparkling wine
Allimant Laugner Cremant d’Alsace Rose- (27.99) This cremant rose is produce method champenoise with 100% pinot noir. It is aged 11 months before released. The domain was founded in 1724 and is in the south of the region near Bas-Rhin. It has really good minerality and good notes of strawberry. It is light, fresh creamy sparkler that is meant to be enjoyed young… a great summer sipper.
Loire Valley- This valley is just southwest of Paris and runs along the Loire river to the Atlantic. They are most famous for their Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Yet they are producing a lot of Sparkling wine from this region; In fact the area around Saumur within the Loire is the third largest Sparkling wine region in France. Instead of traditional Champagne grapes, they make Sparkling wine mostly from Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Moncontour Rose- (15.99) This winery can trace its roots back to the 13th century. This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc grown on primarily clay soils; what they call “Aubuis”. It is made Method Champenoise. It is a young, crisp wine with bright acidity and currant fruit flavor with a citrusy element. It’s a really good value.
Enjoy some other Sparklers…
Nick, Wine Buyer
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