Wine competitions are often talked about throughout the wine industry as having a positive impact on a winery, however some industry groups find them malignant. I feel they are worth the effort, as they can offer guidance for consumers by distinguishing wines from the pack. Most consumers are looking for high quality wines at value prices and a wine that has a medal hanging from it can create awareness for consumers by meaning higher quality.

 

There are many wine competitions out there, from state fairs to the large international ones making it difficult for consumers to gauge if the medal has merit however they all share the practice of having a panel of wine expects taste the wines blind (not knowing the label). Some people that are against wine competitions see them as fostering insecurity, mediocrity, and hope. I see competitions as verifications for my hard work as a winemaker. Our goal at Grande River Vineyards is to centralize this valuable information and present wines that have set themselves apart from the tens of thousands that are produced each year.

 

There are hundreds of wineries trying to sell their wines but don’t get the 90+ point scores from critics such as Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. These critics create a buzz and immediately bring a wine’s attention to the wine consuming public. However there are far too many wines out there for these critics to taste and many of them only evaluate wines they can buy off the shelves in their local wine shops, so a wine competition can be the next best thing. Competitions that have merit i.e. (the competitions that are not run to make a pile of money for corporate businessmen) are providing excellent comments and feedback to wineries to aid in their future development and for consumers to assist with their buying decisions.

 

I feel that ultimately, taste and quality of wine should be decided by a collection of respectable wine judges. I also feel that wines can be judged by educated, knowledgeable wine personnel from retailers, educators and wholesalers as well as wine writers and sommeliers. I use the competitions as a third party confirmation to the quality of our product. We mentioned the medal but don’t make a point of it, while most of the time we like to let the wine speak for itself buy having the potential consumer taste it, we like for them to know the awards it has won to further speak to its quality.

 

Grande River Vineyards is consistently winning awards year after year in high class wine competitions. This shows us that our products are continuing on a high level of quality. Grande River Vineyards has won over four hundred medals since its beginning and will continue to enter and win awards in order to judge our quality to gain industry and consumers attention.

 

Here are some of the awards we won in 2009. For a complete list of awards Grande River Vineyards has won go to the website

 

2009 Jerry Mead’s New World International Wine Competition

Sponsored by Jerry D. Mead, Founder, New World International Wine Competition.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Gold

2004 Reserve Cabernet Franc Silver

 

2009 Grande Harvest Awards

Sponsored by the Vineyard and Winery Magazine

2004 Reserve Cabernet Franc Bronze.

 

Beverage Testing Institute

2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc “90 Points”

2008 Viognier “86 Points”

2008 Syrah “85 Points”

2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon “84 points”

2008 Semi Sweet “84 Points”

2008 Late Harvest Viognier “84 Points”

2008 Meritage White “83 Points”

2008 Sauvignon Blanc “81 Points”

 

2009 Toast of Taos

Holy Cross Hospital Foundation

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Silver

2008 Viognier Silver

2008 Late harvest Viognier Silver

2004 Reserve Cabernet Franc Bronze

2008 Desert Blush Bronze.

 

2009 Tasters Guild Wine Lovers’ Competition

Tasters Guild International

2008 Late Harvest Viognier Double Gold,

2008 Viognier Double Gold,

2004 Meritage Red Double Gold,

2008 Semi Sweet Gold,

2007 Syrah Gold,

2008 Reserve Cabernet Franc Silver,

2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc Silver,

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Silver,

2008 Desert Blush Bronze, 2004 Merlot Bronze.

 

2009 Colorado Mountain Wine Fest

2004 Merlot Gold,

2008 Viognier Silver,

2004 Meritage Red Silver,

2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc Silver,

2008 Viognier Bronze,

2008 Semi Sweet Silver,

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Bronze.

Happy Sipping.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards

So you’ve read the three part series on wine tasting. When it comes to learning about wine, just like Aristotle said ‘you get out of what you put in.’ A couple of things you should be able to do, compare, describe and remember wines you have tasted. You should be able to see patterns occurring and make more sense of wines immense variety.

Giving it’s the holiday season I think its time to talk about food and wine pairing. When it comes to this subject people often find it overwhelming because of the plethora of wine varieties and tastes that come with it. Well guess what, it’s very simple and I’m going to show you how simple it can be. If there were rules there would be two that everyone should follow. Create balance and synergy with the food and wine. Now that wasn’t that hard was it? Well there is a little more to it. Lets look at some examples.

IS THE WEIGHT AND BODY IN BALANCE?

Wine and food should share similar characteristics like palate weight. Doing this while thinking about the textures of all the flavors can help. Light foods like a simple green salad with a vinaigrette can be paired with a light weighted wines like a dry Sauvignon Blanc which is often young and acidic. If you chose a low acid dry wine the combination will make the wine taste flat.

ARE THE INTENSITY LEVELS IN BALANCE?

A wine that has high intensity and flavor will taste a lot better if the food you have chosen is of the same intensity. Sauces and spices in some foods need to be taken into account, as their ability to increase intensity and flavors will make the matching process a lot harder. Buttery sauces can make a great pairing with Chardonnay’s. Rich earthy sauces are great with a softer style of red like Syrah, Grenache and Pinot Noirs. Spicy foods like Asian dishes are a great match for Gewürztraminer and Rieslings that have some residual sugars, try our 2008 Semi Sweet made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

ARE THE FLAVORS AND COMPLEXITIES IN BALANCE?

When combining food and wine it is also important to understand how the food is cooked. Whether the food is steamed, poached or grilled will add another dimension to the food. Foods that have been grilled and have a charcoal flavor will pair well with a young red with some high level of tannin like our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo from Italy. Foods that are high in protein like rich sauces and red meat that is not overcooked are great with wines that have a little lively tannin. The tannin will bind with the protein. Any sharp cheeses are also good with young tannic wines. Any foods that have high levels of fat or are cooked in oils can be combined with a Viognier, which can cut through the fat to make a great combination try our 2005 Viognier or 2007 Viognier. Any salty foods are a good match with sweeter wines like a late harvest or sauternes.

 

Foods that have sweet dominant flavors will pair well with a sweeter wine such as our 2008 Late Harvest Viognier or 2005 Ice Wine. You want the flavors of the wine to be sweeter than the food so they are not dominated by the richness of the dish. If you choose a sweet dessert with a dry wine it will make the wine taste acidic.

There are hundreds of cheeses from all over the world that can be accompanied by a great wine to enhance your experience. Soft, hard and blue are the three major categories. Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, Goat and Feta with light textures are a great match with light-to-medium bodied wines with high acid like Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs and Sparkling wines. The creamier styles of cheeses are great with oaked Chardonnay that has a lot of flavors, some other wines are sweeter styles like Muscat. Hard cheeses like Cheddar and Eden are a great match with medium-to-full flavored wines oaked Chardonnay and Semillon are great, some reds can work well old style reds with low tannin levels and even rose wines can match these cheeses well. Blue style cheeses strong, powerful and complex will require strong complex wines. Sweet wines like botrytis or Late Harvest Viognier and even fortified wines like port, Tokay and Muscat.

There are so many more combinations to consider but it’s all about going out there and trying it for yourself and finding what’s good for your taste buds. Matching food and wine is pleasurable, don’t make it too serious, just make it enjoyable.

 

Happy Sipping.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards

The right serving temperature for a wine can makes a vast difference. In order to enjoy the fruits of our labor the correct serving temperature can express the true characters of a wine. White wines have some wonderful aromatic qualities that will appear when served at a cooler temperature. Whites are served cooler because it makes them more refreshing to drink, it gives shape and definition to wines that are low in acidity, it can mask sugar by delaying your perception of sweetness, it can reduces the burn of excess alcohol. Most fridges are set around 40^oF so don’t just grab a white wine from the fridge, let it sit for a while before popping the cork. Light sweet wines like Semi Sweet can be served between 43-47^oF. Rich sweet white wines like Ice Wine and Late Harvest Viognier can be served between 45-50^oF. Light-medium dry wines like Sauvignon Blanc can also be served between 45-50^oF. Full bodied white wines like Chardonnay, Viognier and our Meritage White can be served between 52^o-59^oF. Wine can have some unique aromas and flavors so be kind to it and it will be kind to you.

For red wines serving temperatures are a little more simplistic. Serving most red wines at room temperature will releases the bouquet more readily and soften the astringency of tannin. However if red wines are served cold they can have a distinctive bitterness and enhanced astringency of tannin. Medium bodied red wines like Beaujolais, Port, and Chianti should be served between 59-61^oF. Full bodied and highly tannic Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah should be served at about 61- 65^oF. This is a rough guide that can provide you with a more pleasurable wine experience. You could even experiment with friends by starting with the wine at a lower temp then let in warm up as it sits out and continually trying it, eventually as you manage to drink the entire bottle you will have realize the point that wine was more enjoyable.

COMMON TASTING TERMS:

ACIDITY: (tart, sour) indicating sharpness or tartness to taste. High levels of acid will give this effect.
AGGRESSIVE: said of young wine or older wine that hasn’t mellowed, as it should have done.
AFTER TASTE: a term used to describe the taste left in the mouth after swallowing the wine.
AROMA: the intensity of the smell the wine has.
ASTRINGENT: mouth-puckering tannin normally derived from the grape skin, stems or oak. Normally decreases with age.
BALANCE: harmonizing tastes with the right proportion of sweetness and acidity, or the right amount of fruit flavors with oak and tannin content.
BIG: the overall flavor of the wine. Reds are normally associated with their tannin and white with their high alcohol.
BITTER: derived from the seeds of the grapes. If there is a high level of bitterness in a wine it is generally considered a fault.
BRILLIANT: a wine described as very clear or no visible suspensions.
COMPLEXITY: a wine with a diversity of fruit flavors, long finish.
CRISP: fresh and positively refreshing, especially whites.
DENSE: solid color and/or densely packed with flavor, usually positive.
FAT: full-bodied with high glycerol, maybe sweet.
FIRM: good tannin and/or acid.
FORWARD: more mature than you would expect.
GREEN: young wine may develop, or the grapes may have been unripe.
HARD: too much tannin or acid.
HEAVY: full-bodied and alcoholic, usually used to indicate imperfect balance, although not in the case of fortified wines.
LEAN: lacking breadth of flavors.
LONG: flavors that can have a lasting effect.
ROBUST: full-bodied, sturdy wine, usually red.
ROUND: no hard edges, ready to drink.
SHARP: acid flavors that may simply need time to soften, mostly whites.
SHORT: no lingering aftertaste cannot be a high quality wine.
SIMPLE: sound, drinkable wine of no great distinction.
SMOOTH: applies to texture, no tannin or acid getting in the way. Structure: as in good firm structure or poor, weak structure.
STALE: wine that has low quality aroma and taste sensations, stagnant.
THIN: lacking flavor and body.
WARM: possessing high alcohol flavors.
WOODY: oaky, can be implied from an over prolonged time in the barrel.
YEASTY: a term described by odors derived from yeast’s carried from grape skins or mold.

I hope you have enjoyed the three part series on wine tasting and you are more comfortable with wines.

Well what are you waiting for, start tasting…

Happy Sipping.

Sincerely,

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards

Now that you have learned how to taste and feel comfortable with wine its time to look at some common wine faults. After reading this you should be able to feel even more comfortable with wine.

Some wines have been found to have major faults once in the bottle, so many winemakers are examining their wines prior to bottling to prevent these unwanted disasters. If care is taken throughout the winemaking process wine faults can be minimized. Preventing a problem is always in the best interest of the winemaker, however not everyone is perfect, so the winemaker will take appropriate action with some form of corrective measure. Certain faults enhance the wine creating complexity only when the fault is on the severe side it can be unattractive and often repulsive. Some common faults found in wines are:

OXIDATION/ACETALDHYDE:

This happens to be one of the most common faults found in wines today, almost every wine has some level of oxidation, the level can be very minimal only being detected by highly trained tasters. As soon as the grapes are crushed oxygen immediately starts to react with the juice compounds. One of the most obvious changes is the browning of the juice, which is why oxidation is most dangerous to white wines. The browning can be countered by additions of sulfur dioxide before crushing. Red wines are less susceptible to oxidation than whites because of their higher phenolic content (tannins) acting as antioxidants. White wine can display increased depth of color often taking on brown hues, while red will take on a brick red/brown tints and lose their attractive blue/purple color. Some typical aromas are bruised apples/pears, sherry and nutty like characters.

VOLITILITY:

This is when a wine can smell like vinegar (acetic acid) or nail polish remover yes that’s right nail polish remover commonly known as (ethyl acetate). When present in large quantities it is regarded as a major fault. All wines have some volatile acids, the most common of which is acetic acid. In the right proportions acetic acid can add to the complexity of a wine, for example Sauternes. The cause is from a bacteria rather than yeast. A wine that is found to have small amounts of acetic acid is normally blended with another wine, but if it is too high then it will most probably be made into vinegar.

CORKED:

A fault related to a wine spoiled by a contaminated cork. In wine industry terms this fault is commonly referred to TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole). Corked wine containing TCA has an obvious fault as it imparts a powerful smell that makes the wine undesirable and undrinkable. The wine will have a musty, moldy character often masking the aroma and flavor of the wine. The fault is imparted in the wine by the cork, which has been treated, as part of the normal production process with chlorine. The blame usually lies with the cork producer rather than the winemaker although it has been documented the fault can come through the cork from the cellar and their barrels. Corks are now treated in a different process thereby eliminating chlorine. Some wineries are even using synthetic corks or twist tops, which don’t look as signified as the real cork stopper, however it does limit a cork containing TCA.

HYDROGEN SULFIDE:

The smell of rotten eggs, garlic, cabbage or even onions can be very undesirable. These are the faults that are often associated with hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S). It is regarded as an extreme fault and can reduce the overall aroma and taste of a wine. H₂S is produced during fermentation when sulfur and hydrogen come into contact in the absence of oxygen. Grapes that have been dusted with sulfur during the growing season to prevent mildews from forming may cause this or it was a lack of nutrients for the yeast to feed on during fermentation. It is perfectly curable, by fining the wine. If it is more complex then other stages are used to remove the fault with the use of copper sulfates and carbon, which is the last resort and often has regulations and health concerns.

SULFUR DIOXIDE:

This is the winemaker’s all-purpose wonder drug and antioxidant. It is common to add some level before bottling the wine as a preventative for oxidation and with the case of sweeter wines re-fermentation in the bottle. However, if too much is added it can impart an aroma that is quite unpleasant. This particular fault is often found in young cheap Californian white wines. The convincing signs are a sharp prickly sensation in both the nose and throat. Free SO₂ will combine with the wine as it ages in bottle, which means that it becomes invariably less detectable with time. If the smell on opening a bottle is overpowering, let it sit for a while first or if you can’t wait decant it and the sulfur will clear out of the wine. Twice the sulfur is used in a boxed wine as in a bottled wine. This is because boxes are more porous and the sulfur is used to counteract the effects of oxygen.

BRETTANOMYCES:

A fault commonly referred to as Brett has become a widely controversial topic in recent years. Some industry professionals have commented Brett imparts complex characters in a wine often at times improving one dimensional wines. Others view Brett as a fault making the wine unattractive through unsanitary winemaking practices. There are three aroma compounds associated with Brett, 4-ehtyl phenol (4-ep), 4-ethyl guaiacol (4-eg) and Isovaleric acid. 4-ep is often described as having a band-aid character, 4-eg often described as a smoky character and Isovaleric acid can be described as sweaty saddle, and rancid barnyard characters. Brett has been linked to winery equipment and cellars with limited hygiene, however the main troublemaker is found with oak barrels. During the maturation process wine is left in oak barrels for some time, this is where the wine drops in So₂ levels increasing the chances of Brett occurring.

When you are given a wine in a restaurant or at a wine bar, make sure you smell the wine to establish whether it is faulty or not. Run through the three step process, don’t taste the wine, just smell it as you can almost periodically tell if a wine is faulty just by its smell. If you are in any doubt, about the quality of your wine, check with the waiter. Do not hesitate to send a faulty wine back to be replaced by another bottle of the same or an entirely different wine. After all, you’re the one who’s paying for it. At home much the same applies. In Colorado the emphasis is on quality wines rather than quantity so wine faults are seldom common. If you detect a fault in any recently purchased bottle of wine, assuming you have stored it correctly, return it and any reputable merchant will replace it for you.

Part 3 will give you wine serving temperatures and common tasting terms.

Happy Sipping.

Sincerely,

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards