Category: Malbec Wine

Wine Making Hydrometer Basics

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A hydrometer is an indispensable tool in the winemaker’s arsenal. Hydrometers are used at different stages in the wine making process, and by learning what your hydrometer is saying you’ll be able to refine your wine making techniques.

Basically, the heavier, or denser a liquid is, the higher the hydrometer will float. When just starting a batch of wine, the juice is “thick” with sugars. When fermentation occurs the juice goes from the thicker, syrupy consistency to a thinner liquid containing more alcohol. Thus, a hydrometer will float at different levels all throughout a fermentation as the liquid goes from “thicker” to “thinner”.

Specific Gravity is one scale on your hydrometer. This scale is based on the weight of water. A hydrometer floating in water will have a specific gravity of 1.000 When you start a batch of wine a typical specific gravity reading will be around 1.080. At that point the juice is 8 percent thicker than water. When fermentation is complete, the reading will be around 0.995, meaning that the sugar has been turned into alcohol and the juice is now thinner than water.

Another scale on your hydrometer is potential alcohol (PA). To arrive at potential alcohol readings you must measure the PA at the beginning of fermentation and also again at the end. An example might help here. Suppose you measure the PA of your juice at 14 % when beginning fermentation. This reading means that “potentially” you can get 14% alcohol from your juice. But not all fermentation use up every bit of sugar. If you take a reading when fermentation is complete and the PA is 1%, then your wine has 13% alcohol, the difference between the two readings.

Another scale on most hydrometers is Brix, also known as Balling. This is usually used by advanced wine makers and also commercial wineries. The Brix scale shows the percentage of sugar in the juice by weight. For instance, if you have a reading of 22 on the Brix scale, that means the juice is made up of 22% sugar by weight. Wineries will use this scale to determine that their juice can produce the percentage of alcohol they desire.

A hydrometer is a very useful tool for the homemade winemaker. The more you use one the more familiar you’ll become with the various scales and how powerful their information they provide can be.

Yeast in Homemade Wine Making

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Yeast kicks off the fermentation process in wine making. After adding it to your must, it begins to consume the sugar, producing equal amounts of ethanol and carbon dioxide.

There are wild yeasts everywhere around us, including on the skins of grapes if you’re making wine from fresh fruits. Generally, winemakers discourage these yeasts from fermenting by adding sulfites to kill them off before they can get started. This is done so the winemaker has more control over the fermentation and can produce a consistent wine from batch to batch.

There are basically two types of wine available to home winemakers; liquid and dry.
Most homemade winemakers prefer to use dry yeast. It’s easier to store and to work with.
A subject of debate among homemade winemakers is whether or not to re-hydrate the dry yeast you’re working with. I’ve found that re-hydrating is really not necessary and in fact can lead to problems if the process is not done exactly right.

Two things that can adversely affect the performance of your yeast are the temperature and also the oxygen level. In order to achieve a proper, vigorous fermentation the temperature needs to be maintained between 70 -75 degrees. There are exceptions and variations to this. Some white wines are fermented at lower temperatures to enhance certain flavors, but special yeast is used to do this.

Oxygen is needed during primary fermentation because the yeast are multiplying rapidly during this stage and without air this multiplying can be severely restricted. During primary fermentation the use of an airlock is discouraged so the wine can get all the oxygen it needs. Primary fermentation lasts approximately 7 days and 70 percent of the fermentation is complete at this point.

During secondary fermentation the wine is usually placed in another vessel with an airlock attached. The airlock is to allow carbon dioxide to escape while preventing bacteria and other micro-organisms. The reduced exposure to air also gets the yeast to stop multiplying and put its energy into making alcohol.

Yeast is a crucial part of homemade wine making. The more you learn about yeast and the fermentation process, the more you’ll be rewarded wine batch after batch of consistent, delicious homemade wine.

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Sonoma County Wine Country

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France has historically been the top of the heap when it comes to wine production. Northern California has certainly given France a run for its money in the last 40 plus years. The Sonoma County wine region is one area that doesn’t get as much attention as it should, but it has a ton to offer.

Sonoma County is located above San Francisco and sits close to Napa Valley. Although located above San Francisco, the best way to access the area is through the Oakland airport. Regardless, an hour or two later in a rental car will deliver you to an absolutely beautiful set of valleys that are lined with wineries. This means vineyard after vineyard, a site to behold for both the eyes and palette.

Sonoma County is roughly a square in size with 50 miles per side. There are 260 wineries in the County. Over the roughly one million acres in the county, sixty thousand of them are planted with vines. There are 13 different American Viticulture Areas [AVA] in the county. Of these, Chardonnay is the dominant choice with over 15,000 acres planted. Cabernet Sauvignon comes in a somewhat distant second with over 10,000 acres planted. Overall, Sonoma Country produces between five and seven percent of the total wine tonnage in California every year.

On a personal front, I can tell you Sonoma County has much to offer in both the quality of wine produced and the general culture of the area. Napa Valley is the undisputed media darling of Northern California, but this also makes it a hectic place when it comes to tastings and such. Sonoma County is the opposite. Unlike Napa, you can head over to a quality winery like Stag’s Leap and talk personally with the vintner [makes the wine] and viticulturist [grows the grapes]. It is a quaint and friendly experience that reminds you of years past when California was a hidden secret when it came to wine production. For better or worse, those days are long gone.

Sonoma County is often overshadowed by Napa. If you are considering a trip to the area, try Sonoma County for a relaxed, education experience in fine wines at fine wineries.

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Peloponnesian Greek Wine

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This will be our third Greek wine review. The first was a sweet wine from the island of Samos. Then came a red from the island of Crete also made by today’s producer. Now we continue with a white from the Peloponnesian peninsula. This particular wine comes from pink Rhoditis grapes in the foothills near Patras at an elevation of about 650 to 1500 feet (200 to 450 meters). The producer Kourtaki has the largest wine production facility in all Greece, which is not surprising when you consider that it is the largest producer in the country. What may be surprising is that they are the first in Europe to use the patented “Crystal Flow” wine stabilization method. There is a lot happening in the world of wine, and Greece is no exception. By the way, should you so desire they still bottle and sell that classic standby, Retsina. Don’t look for a review of Retsina here. Ever. And yes, I have tasted it.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Kourtakis Kouros Patras 2008 11.9% alcohol about $ 10 Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials.

“Tasting Note : Straw/lemon yellow color; lanolin, lemon and mineral aroma; crisp apple & lemon flavor; light body; crisp finish. Serving Suggestion : Pasta salad & olive oil dressing; fried seafood” And now for my review.

At the first sips the wine presented refreshing acidity. It was lemony. The initial meal centered on a soy-barbecued chicken breast. The wine showed strong lemon with good acidity. It was tasty. I got the feeling of the Greek seaside. The meal included an old favorite of mine, potatoes roasted in chicken fat. (The Greeks do their roasted potatoes differently.) The wine cut the grease. With a white corn and black bean salsa the wine’s acidity picked up but its fruit descended. With the dessert of fruit juice candy I got the lanolin that I had been promised.

The next meal involved a packaged eggplant rolatini with tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella cheese that I slathered with grated Parmesan Cheese. This wine presented strong lemon flavor and acidity with a moderate length. Dessert was a high-quality, French lemon pie with a buttery crust. The wine was thin and yet pleasant. The two lemons meshed.

My final meal involved an omelet perked up with garlic powder and crushed chillies. The wine was pleasantly acidic and round with a side of moderately spicy guacamole. The wine became more acidic but remained pleasant and refreshing. This was a summer terrace wine. Before the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some Matjes herring. The wine became sweet with a delicate lemon flavor. This was a pretty good pairing.

The first cheese was a local Provolone. This relatively flat cheese managed to weaken the wine. With a nutty Swiss, the wine wasn’t very present and not worth wasting on the cheese.

Final verdict. I have no plans to buy this wine again. There is just too much competition out there. But it did come close. Why can’t they do better?

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Whether Wine Cellar or Wine Racks, What Are Your Wine Storage Needs?

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Proper wine storage is the best way to protect your quality wines so that they last for a long time. Wine storage provides the perfect temperatures and maximum storage space so that you can find the wines you want easily and quickly. There are many specialty companies that create storage units in a variety of options. Wood and metal racks are available as well as cooling units, cabinets and fridges. Some are elegant and some are simple, and they come in different shapes and sizes to meet your needs. Your choice will depend on your taste, supply and budget. The most popular choices include racks, cabinets, table top units and rack cubes.

 

Wine Racks

 

Racks come in wood and metal. They are also available for commercial businesses. This is the easiest solution if a person has a small supply of bottles. With regards to the wood racks, there are usually a few different shades to choose from. They also come in many different sizes and shapes. There are table top racks, scalloped racks, display top racks and other styles for wood racks. They are perfect for the decoration of any elegant room. They are elegant and beautiful additions to any collection. If you are not interested in wooden wine racks, then you can choose a metal base. Metal racks come in 36” or 48” sizes. They are also available for decorative bottlers or larger bottles. There are also floor to ceiling frames that can add character to any room. Finally, commercial racks are larger and come in wood or metal, allowing companies to choose which option best suites their place of business.

 

Wine Cabinets

 

Cabinets offer elegance and safe storage for your wine collection. They are a great addition to any living or dining room. There are also built in cooling systems to protect your supply. Cabinets are usually made out of high quality oak but can come in different shades. They come in 220, 330 or 440 bottle storage sizes. Some companies may also have a credenza cabinet with a 216 bottle storage and cooling system. Depending on the company, it might be possible to customize your own style and color to match your home. The cooling units have temperature adjustments and professionally designed storage to protect your investment. They may be considered storage space, but these beautifully handcrafted cabinets are made so that you and your guests will be amazed.

 

Table Top Units

 

Table top units come in different shades of wood. They store anywhere from 24 to 48 bottles safely in a limited space. This option is for people who want to store a limited supply in a small space. The wines can be displayed for guests to see, giving them a variety of options to choose from. Pine and redwood are the most popular wood finishes, and they can complement any home. They are also affordable, practical, sturdy and attractive additions to any kitchen, living or dining room.

 

Wine Rack Cubes

 

Rack cubes are modern and easy storage units for about 24 bottles. They are designed to save space and create a neat look whether in a wine cellar or dining room area. Cubes come in many different sizes and a few wood colors. Two shades of pine and two shades or redwood are available for buyers to choose from. Sometimes two rack cubes can be purchased to be placed side by side or on top of each other. If your selection is larger, then four can be bought to create a large storage cube. There are also bins to store cases and other items and supplies. These may be placed in a wine cellar for storage and organization.

 

WineRacksAmerica has many different options for your wine storage needs. They range in color, size and style. Check out their inventory to find the perfect storage system that meets your taste, budget and supply.

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