Wine Wizard Archives

A fun feature in our Gold Series’ color publication The Wine Press, the Wine Wizard tests your knowledge about the world of wine. Here’s a collection of our archived Wine Wizard questions – enjoy!

Q. What is the term for the period of time the grape juice is left in the vat with the skins and stems?

A. The time during which the grape juice is left in the vat and in contact with the grape solids (skins & stems) is called the maceration period. The length of this process depends entirely on the level of tannin and depth of color desired in the final wine. This prolonged contact may occur before or after fermentation. The winemaker's judgment and talent determines the method and time period when the tannic elements and the color of the skin are extracted into the juice.

Q. What is the process in winemaking for taking the flavor, color, and tannin out of the grape skins?

A. The process is known as extraction. During maceration when the grape skins are steeped in the grape juice during fermentation, the extraction process pulls the flavor, color, and tannin out of the grape skins. It's a similar process to steeping tea and gives wine the color, flavor, and structure that the winemaker desires. The challenge is to extract the right amount of these compounds so that the finished wine is well balanced.

Q. Glycerin is a natural byproduct of wine fermentation. True or false?

A. True. Glycerin is a chemical compound (sugar alcohol) in wine that is a natural byproduct of fermentation. Glycerin, also known as glycerol, improves wine's quality by making it taste richer, fuller-bodied, and viscous. Although glycerin is colorless and odorless, its slightly sweet taste and syrupy texture gives the impression of silkiness on the palate. Glycerol is used in medical and pharmaceutical and personal care preparations, mainly as a means of improving smoothness, providing lubrication and as a humectant. It’s found in cough syrups, elixirs and expectorants, toothpaste, and mouthwashes, to name a few.

Q. Midnight Cellars’ Chardonnay is aged sur lie. What are “lees” and what does “sur lie” mean?

A. After fermentation is complete, yeast cells settle out and form sediment at the bottom of the tank. This sediment is called lees. Typically, the wine is transferred off the lees into another tank where clarification and stabilization are begun. A common practice with Chardonnay, however, is to add a yeast character by allowing the wine to remain in contact with the yeast for weeks or months—this is called sur lie aging. Winemakers who use this method add aroma, flavor and body complexity to their wines.

Q. Midnight Cellars’ Chardonnay is “whole cluster pressed.” What does this mean?

A. As you might guess, whole cluster pressing is a winemaking technique whereby intact bunches of grapes are pressed whole. The stems are intact and act as conduits for what can often be particularly viscous juice. It is almost universal in the production of sparkling wines and most other white wines made from dark-skinned grapes. Quality conscious producers tend to use this method since the resulting juice is low in Phenolics (compounds which sometimes impart an astringent or bitter flavor) and high in quality.

Q. Midnight Cellars uses a majority of new oak barrels to age their red wines. What significance does this have?

A. New oak barrels are used systematically for good vintages of classed growth red Bordeaux and, therefore, for a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon made by ambitious and well-funded winemakers in newer wine regions. The newer the barrel, the more wood flavor it’s capable of imparting, and in most regions, new barrels command a premium price. For instance, 1-year-old barrels sell for 70% of new barrels; 50% for 2-year-old barrels; 10% for 5-year-old barrels. Older barrels are important for wines where the winemaker seeks slow oxygenation of the wine but no perceptible wood flavor, such as making Port, Sherry and Rioja.

Q. What does veraison mean to a vineyard manager?

A. Veraison is a French term meaning "change". It signals to a winegrower that the grapes are beginning to mature. In Napa Valley, veraison occurs from late June through mid-August, depending on the year. Veraison is the time during the growing season when young green grapes soften and either turn yellow or red in color, depending on the varietal.

Q. What does the term clone refer to in viticulture?

A. In viticulture, a clone refers to a vine variety that is selected for specific qualities from natural mutations. Cuttings are made from an original mother vine that exhibits key characteristics, such as resistance to certain diseases or desired cluster size, taste, smell, etc. Mother vines are often grown at a university and cuttings are supplied to nurseries, who in turn, sell them to grape growers. Clones such as these come with a registered historical background and pedigree.

Q. Who was the first pioneer to cultivate grapes in Napa Valley?

A. The Wappo Indians were the first to inhabit the Napa Valley. Wild grapes grew in abundance. Spawning salmon packed the waterways, migrating waterfowl filled the sky and the valley served as home to wildcats, elk, black bear and grizzlies. A migrant named George Calvert Yount recognized the valley's potential for cultivating wine grapes. Establishing the first local homestead in what is now known as Yountville in 1836; Yount became the first pioneer to plant vineyards in the valley.

Q. How many calories are in a glass of wine?

A. The exact calorie count in a glass of wine depends on both the alcohol and sugar content. A sweet, high alcohol, Port wine has a much higher calorie count than a dry table wine. In a 5 ounce glass of dry red or white table wine it is likely to have 100 to 125 calories, or approximately 20 calories per ounce, while rich dessert wines and Ports could go up to 150 calories or more for a smaller 3-ounce glass or 50 calories per ounce.

Q. How many carbohydrates are in a glass of wine?

A. Wine contains no fat and no protein; just about its entire calorie content is in the form of alcohol, which is metabolized much like a carbohydrate. The carbohydrate count in wines varies substantially depending on their alcoholic content and the amount of residual sugar. A 5-ounce glass of dry white table wine may have 1.0 to 1.25 grams of carbohydrates, while a similar portion of red may go up to 2.5 grams. Sweet wines and Port wines with high sugar content and high alcohol will have up to 16 grams of carbohydrates in a 5-ounce serving.

Q. How long will an open bottle of wine keep?

A. A half-finished bottle of wine with the cork replaced will hold at room temperature for a day or two before its flavor starts to deteriorate. If you store the re-corked open bottle of wine in your refrigerator, it might last for a week or more. Even if your wine gets too old to enjoy, it can't hurt you. It may lose its flavor and become flat, dull, and unpleasant, but it will not turn harmful or toxic. Your best bet is simply to finish your wine within a couple of days ... use the wine for cooking ... or better yet invite friends over to share the wine over dinner when you first open the bottle.

Q. What are the raw crystals found in a wine tank after fermentation?

A. The raw crystals found adhering to the inside walls or bottom of the tank after fermentation are known as ARGOL. Argol or crude tartar is an acidulous salt from which cream of tartar is produced. It exists in the juice of grapes, and is deposited from wines on the sides of the containers during fermentation. Argol is the primary source of the world’s Cream of Tartar used in cooking.

Q. Which President was the first wine advocate in America?

A. During his life Thomas Jefferson was an advocate of the merits of wine, believing that "no nation is drunken where wine is cheap; and none sober, where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage." Thomas Jefferson was the most knowledgeable wine connoisseur of his time and his tastes in wine covered the world. His wine advice to merchants and friends opened channels for the importation of wine into the United States from France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. While serving as Secretary of State, President of the United States, and later in his retirement, he successfully lobbied to reduce importation taxes to support the wine industry in America.

Q. What is the “cap” winemakers refer to during fermentation?

A. The “cap” is comprised of the floating solids (grape pits, skins, and stems) that rise to the top of a tank during fermentation. The solids form a thick mat on the surface of the wine which must be wetted at least daily during fermentation of red wine in order to extract the maximum amount of color and flavor into the wine. Failure to wet the cap during fermentation usually produces lighter, less flavorful and less tannic red wines, which have a shorter shelf life. Many winemakers punch-down the cap (push the solids under the surface) during fermentation to extract even more color and flavor.

Q. Who is known as the father of Zinfandel?

A. Count Agoston Haraszathy, a Hungarian Nobleman, came to the United States in 1840 and settled in San Diego. There he studied the Mission grape that appeared to be indigenous to the area and was later surprised to discover its European origin. He began to preach that good wine can only be made from good grapes and began to import noble vines from Europe. In 1852 he received a shipment of six choice rooted vines and 160 cuttings from Hungary. In the shipment were two small bundles, one was the Muscat of Alexandria and the other was said to be the famous mystery grape, the Zinfandel. Haraszathy met General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the leading vintner in Sonoma Valley in 1857. He soon there-after bought the Vineyard Farm planted in 1834 by Salvadore Vallejo and began transporting cuttings to Sonoma. Among the first vines transplanted was the Zinfandel. After buying more land in the valley, he built one of the finest houses in the area, naming his new domain Buena Vista. By the end of the year, he planted 80,000 vines of varying varietals. Haraszathy is referred to as the father of Zinfandel and is recognized for the development and popularization of today’s Zin culture.

Q. Who is credited to making California’s first really famous Zinfandel?

A. William McPherson Hill founded Old Hill Ranch in 1851 and was the first grower in Sonoma to plant non-mission grape varieties and is credited as making California’s first really famous Zinfandel. As early as 1855, when Hill and General Vallejo owned the most extensive vineyards in Sonoma County, Hill is thought to have already planted Zinfandel. On May 20, 1870, the Alta California Daily newspaper claimed that Hill’s Zinfandel “would take the first at a National Exposition.” Then, in December of 1871, the Pacific Rural Press reported the following: “We sampled a bottle of wine from the cellar of Wm. McPherson Hill made from the Zinfandel grape, a new variety that is growing in favor with winemakers. The wine was pronounced by the gentlemen who tasted it to be superior to any they had seen in the state.”

Q. What did the DNA testing on Zinfandel unfold?

A. Knowing the true origin of California’s Zinfandel has been an on-going controversy among growers, winemakers and historians for decades. It wasn’t until Carole Meredith, an expert in genetic mapping at the University of California Davis proved through the use of DNA that Zinfandel and an indigenous Croatian grape called Crljenak are one and the same. She has also determined that Zinfandel and the Italian varietal Primitivo are different clones of the same variety. It has long been suspected that the origins of Zinfandel would be found around the Adriatic Sea.

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