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

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

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

To understand how to taste wine we should first look at the meaning of the word taste. It refers to the perception of sensations that we call sweet, acid, salt and bitter. However these four are just the simple sensations you will get from wine. Wine is quite complex but it doesn’t have to be a huge task when tasting a wine. Your nose and mouth together will help you identify quite often, an abundant combination of descriptions that describe the wine.

When tasting a wine it is important to understand various factors contributing to the final taste of the wine. The taste, sight and the smell all contribute to that final assumption. There are three steps to tasting wine. Altogether these three aspects form the true art of tasting and assessing the wine. Using these three rules will help you understand and be comfortable with assessing a wine yourself.

APPEARANCE:

Some say the color has little to do with the quality of a wine, however it can give us a clue to the grape variety, age and quality to an educated taster. When you look at a wine it should have clarity. Brightness of a wine can give you a clue of good health and freshness. White wines should be water white to golden, it should never be brown, it should never be dull or hazy as this will indicate the wine is of poor quality. Red wines should be a regal purple through to brick red to tawny as age persists, the color tends to become pale with age. Rose wines are normally drunk young so color isn’t an indicator to age. The different colors found in rose wines are an indication to how long the grape juice is kept in contact with the skins. The grape varieties can also alter the final color of the wine. Holding it up to the light or to a white background will reveal its color more accurately. When people say viscosity or tears it generally means alcoholic strength and sugar content however it is no indication to the overall wines quality.

AROMA:

The nose of a wine can reveal much more than you think. It will give an indication of its identity, quality and origin. Some of the most seductive smells are found in quality wines that have been given time to mature in the bottle, anything from a couple of years to even a couple of decades. Always swirl before taking a gentle sniff of the wine to awaken any sleeping aromas. The wine’s nose should be free of any obvious offensive odors however it should have several pleasant smells, which would indicate a wines quality. Higher quality wines have increasing superior smells than lower quality wines. But don’t smell it too much as it can decrease your senses.

TASTE:

The wine’s palate is where the fun begins. It can also be somewhat of a negative experience when we taste something that has a fault. One important rule to remember when tasting wine is that balance should be achieved. A good wine should be balanced with fruit and acids or tannins. A wine that has strong bitterness flavor can come from numerous sources normally from unripe tannins in barely ripe red grapes or from new barrels used in the aging process in white wines. If a wine is sweet the tip of the tongue will react. However if you have a sweet tooth then your perception of this sensation will be slightly impaired. If a wine is acidic generally derived from the grape in a cool climate, or added before fermentation, the sides of the tongue towards the back will detect it. If a wine is full of tannin the mouth and gums will have a drying effect. If a wine has high amounts of alcohol there will be a warming sensation at the back of the mouth. Any tasting of a wine will lead to a conclusion of its maturity and state of quality, so trust your taste buds and let them do the talking.

TASTE SENSATIONS:

SWEETNESS:

Is perceived on the tip of the tongue, if you are a sweet tooth you will probably be less aware of low levels of sweetness because you indulge in it more frequently. Therefore if you dislike sweet things you will be more sensitive to it. The sweetness comes from fructose and sucrose sugars in the grape’s juice, which has not been fermented into alcohol and commonly referred to as residual sugar.

ACIDITY:

Is perceived on the upper sides of the tongue. High levels of acidity can thin your saliva and create a feel of astringency. The common acid found in the grape juice is tartaric and malic acid.

BITTERNESS:

Is perceived at the rear of the tongue and can reach the back into the throat. The taste is like strong black tea. Bitterness comes from a number of sources: unripe tannins in barely ripe red grapes, bruising of grape skins and pips during both red and white winemaking, excessive extraction during maceration in red winemaking.

SALTINESS:

Although wines do contain salts the taste of saltiness is very rare but can be found on the front of the tongue after sweetness.

Part 2 will give some common wine faults found in wines.

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

Happy Sipping.

Sincerely,

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards

CELLARING YOUR WINES AND WHY?

If you have found a wine that needs some more time in the bottle good storage conditions can help its development and your enjoyment. It is recommended that a wine should be in a dark environment which is free of odors and vibrations. Sounds easy, but wait there’s more. Ideally a wines storage temperature should be about 55 degrees ^oF and about 70-80% humidity, but who of us have a limestone cave easily accessible under our houses. A minimum of temperature fluctuation is what is most important. Extremely high temperatures (in excess of 75 degrees ^oF) can advance the development of the wine as extremely low temperatures (below 30 degrees ^oF) will accelerate the precipitation of tartrate crystals and solid matter. With temperatures fluctuating over a large range it is very detrimental, as it will cause rapid aging and or precipitation. As temperature increases and decreases, expanding and contracting will put pressure on the cork, causing cork movement and ultimately leakage. If the atmosphere is too dry, corks can lose moisture and hence their elasticity, resulting in a poor seal thus the need to store wines with cork closures on their sides so the wine moistens the cork.

If conditions are too damp, there is a possible of fungal growth occurring on the top of the cork, and labels may be moisten and damaged as well. While very few of us will be able to store their wines under precise conditions that are sometimes called for, don’t let that discourage you from finding the best conditions you can where you are and getting started with storing and aging wines and watching them change over time. While the “ideal” conditions can seem elusive, often a dark spot in the basement or a closet that doesn’t have an outside wall such as under a staircase or even a spot in the pantry will work.  Many of these types of solutions will ensure that your wines can age within near optimal conditions.

Some wines will require many years or even decades of aging before they have reached their peak. If you ever encounter these types of wines and considering the purchase for an investment or simply a special occasion you may want to purchase a high quality wine storage cabinet. Most of these cabinets come in a variety of shapes, sizes and finishes, while offering digital cooling systems that offer the right conditions for storing and aging your wines. There are many stores online that can provide you with a wide range of selections, some of my favorites are http://www.vintagecellars.com/ and http://www.winecellarinnovations.com/ they both offer great advice and can even custom build to your needs. There is one other option if space is an issue or your teenage kids have found your ‘secret stash’. Off site storage facilities that are temperature and humidity-controlled can provide quality service. This is by far the most expensive option and you don’t have 24 access to you wines, however this option is great for wines that you don’t plan to drink for some years and it has the added bonus of being out of reach for those of you who can’t keep a good bottle hidden.

WHICH WINES WILL IMPROVE WITH AGE?

            The ability to age is influenced by several factors which include the grape variety, viticulture practice, winemaking styles and cellaring. Without knowing the history of a wine an indication of the cellaring potential can be the price point, for instance a $8-$10 Cabernet Sauvignon may only last for 1 to 2 years but a $30-$50 Cabernet will likely improve with age for up to 10 years. Some other wines with big tannins are the Bordeaux inspired Meritage Reds wines made from Caberent Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdo, Malbec and the rare Carmenere, other wines that have the ability to successfully age are acidic and tannic Syrah (Shiraz), Nebbiolo, and Sangiovese’s. High acidic white wines have great aging potential such as Chenin Blanc and dry Rieslings, while Chardonnay and Semillon if barrel aged and minimal malolactic fermentation has occurred, can be successful. Again look for the price point for a rough guide. Sweet wines such as Riesling, Semillon and Ice wine also have potential longevity as well as Vintage Ports.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH AGE?

            For most of us, drinking a soft smooth wine is one of the most pleasurable experiences you can have when it comes to consuming wine. Drinking a wine when it is at its peak is what makes it so exciting. Let’s talk about what happens when a wine is aged. The young wine that is laid to rest for a long period will undergo a remarkable transformation of sight, smells and taste. During the aging period the wine will develop complexity as chemical reactions occur creating complex aromas and tastes. Those harsh, raw tannins that we often experience in young reds and the tart acids in young whites can slowly diffuse when aged, leaving a wine that has a much smoother mouthfeel texture. If a wine does not contain any of these characters it is pointless keeping it. My general rule is “If its good now why wait, drink it!”

            Wines can be categorized in-groups from light to medium to full body. Most whites and lighter bodied reds are best enjoyed as young wines, one to three years, as their primary fruit characters are their most appealing features. More full-bodied whites and reds can be aged for three to eight to even ten years to soften the tannins and smooth the tart acidity. The flavors of youth will intermingle with those of age and develop more complexity.  As bottle the aging progresses the wines aroma can evolve into more delicate complex smells. In order to decide how long to cellar a wine, be guided by your own assessment. A good way of doing this is by purchasing a case and regularly enjoying the wine over a number of years. This is the best way I have found to build up your cellar of good mature wines.

Most all of the Grande River wines have been cellared for your benefit in a controlled environment and are ready to drink when released, however we do have our Reserve Selection and Meritage red and white wines that tend to age gracefully. If you have any questions about this or any other wine topics be sure to contact me and I will be glad to talk wine with you.

Happy Sipping.

Sincerely,

Corey Norsworthy

Winemaker/Marketer

Grande River Vineyards