Wine Making

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Just imagine that a young newlywed takes a cook book to follow the recipe for a dish that her grandmother has always prepared.  She tastes the dish, having followed the recipe exactly, and cannot understand why it doesn’t taste like grandma’s dish.  When she visits her grandma, she watches her make the exact same dish, except that she doesn’t use measuring cups, she throws in a couple of extra ingredients not listed in the recipe, and cooks it slightly different than described in the cookbook.  As a result, Grandma’s dish often tastes better and has more flavor and character…unique to her cooking style.

This is very much like wine making…part science and part “magic.”   Each wine maker takes the same grapes, but can take different steps during the wine making process.   For instance, one wine maker might take Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, put them in french oak barrels for two years, then have the wine sit in bottles for another year before serving.  Another wine maker takes the same grapes, oaks them for one year in American oak, and serves 6 months after bottling.  Same grapes result in different bottles of  wine, depending on the winemaker, the techniques, and the “secrets” that the winemaker uses.  Not all wines are alike, even if made from identical grapes.   And the price of a bottle of wine does not always guarantee its taste….sometimes a $15 bottle can taste much better than a $50 bottle of wine.

If a group of winemakers get together, no matter where they are from across the world or nation, they are passionate about their wines and their wine making techniques.  Younger wine makers are often more inventive and use the latest technology, while older wine makers are more intuitive, following their instincts or traditions since they have been doing it so long.  This passion travels into their conversations, which are mixed with banter, teasing, and comparing one wine to another.  It’s like good chefs comparing notes on their cooking techniques…wine makers do the same.  That’s what makes the wine world so diverse and exciting.

Wine Tasting Rooms are a great way to try different wines or the wines from an individual or local group of winemakers.  Even though you have had a Merlot in the past, you have not tasted this particular Merlot.  And even if you did not like a Sauvignon Blanc in the past, you should still explore tasting the same grape at a different winery for a different taste.  And if for some reason you do not like a particular wine, you are not stuck with a whole bottle to finish, as if you purchased a bottle at the store to try.

There is no right or wrong wine for you….and as William often tells our visitors…”just drink what you like, like what you drink and be willing to pay a reasonable price!”