Wine Marketing 101...

First off, marketing is all about selling, selling and selling more. The majority of wines sold in this country is purchased by women, keep that in mind when viewing labels.

The wine label on the top says " crimson thread red blend". There is no vintage date, no grape name therefore it is telling us that this is a wine that is made from multiple types of red grapes, from multiple years harvest, probably made with second and third pressed grapes versus the label in the bottom picture. That label that tells us that it is mostly a Chardonnay grape, that was harvested in 2018  (vintage date is when the grapes were picked) and is probably made with mostly first press and second press grapes. "Handley" is the name of the Winery, "Alexander Valley" is the name of the vineyard land area where the grapes grew.

Alcohol regulations in this country require strict labeling information.  Somewhere on the label, it could be on the side, could be on the back, it will tell us how much alcohol is in that bottle. Wine typically is anywhere between 11% and 14% alcohol.  A wine label that states 15% or higher is telling us that it has been fortified, usually with a little brandy. On the back of some labels it may tell us the blend in the bottle if there is no vintage date. It might say 50% Cabernet, 20% Pinot Noir 30% Syrah for example or just name the grapes but no percentages.  Now that we know what a label is telling us the discussion is always "which is better?"  My reply is that it depends on personal taste.  Some folks prefer blends of grapes others prefer their grape of choice. I will state that a vintage wine will cost us more do to the type of barrel it is aged in, pressing used, quality of the fruit when harvested etc.  But again, more $$$ does not necessarily mean that you, the individual will enjoy it more.  If I were a betting person who knows you like wine I would guess you might probably enjoy the vintage wine over the non-vintage. It is always fun opening two different bottles of red side by side, or two different bottles of white side by side to find out for yourself!

Things on a label like; "Winemakers Selection", "Old Vine", "Select", "Small Batch", again, marketing tools. Because of these words and descriptors like them, we will pay more for that wine but it does not mean it is "better" wine. Marketing wants us to believe it is better; my better and your better might not be the same as their better.

Commercial wineries ferment red and white wines in tanks anywhere from 500 gallons to 10,000 gallons. Fermentation is yeast eating sugar and depending on the structure of the wine the winemaker is "building" that is controlled by the type of yeast used and the temperature the wine sits in the tank at. It is all about the bonding of chemical compounds with each other.  I am not going to get into the chemistry of all this, just know that there are hundreds of types of yeast. A certain yeast with a type of grape, fermented at a certain temperature will create a chemical compound that may give that finished wine a cherry aroma or a blackberry aroma or an apple aroma etc. etc. etc.  It is the skill of the winemaker and the blend of art and science that births a bottle of wine! Really an amazing process to witness.  So when a wine label says things like "a hint of grapefruit" or "tones of smoke and tobacco" or  "aromas of strawberry and peach" please know that those are descriptors of someone's nose, that there are NO strawberries or peaches, or blackberries or tobacco in that liquid! Only the grape, the yeast and the sugar.

White wine ferments much quicker than reds, like 16 days because it is just juice in those tanks. Red sits in a tank with the grape skins and as it ferments it creates a thick cap of "stuff" referred to as "the must". That cap can be two feet thick at times and is punched down so that it sinks to the bottom of the tank and now maceration happens and that can be weeks and weeks. Maceration is how red wine gets its beautiful red colors. Basically the longer it "sits on the skins" the deeper the hue. A rose wine only sits on the skins for a few hours instead of days and days to give it a little pinkness.

Wine tidbits galore!!   

Next up Bubble Nucleation...it's not just for New Years!