Chardonnay & Oak Aging
This dry white wine, made from the Chardonnay grape, is the most popular of its variety. Chardonnay ranges in style, with some oakier versions contributing to taste. The purpose of Chardonnay aged in oak is to add some of the oaks characters, along with helping the wine develop its texture. Winemakers may lightly toast the inner surface of barrels, allowing the smoky oak or toasty characters to be detected in the final product. Oak gives the taste a dimension of spiciness and adds a hint of vanilla or coconut to the grapes aroma. The oak and Chardonnay combination is a favorite that is sure to last!
Wine Tasting - The Sense of Smell
There are a few very important things to note when we "nose" a wine. It is suggested to first smell the wine before swirling, noticing the delicate aromas. Next, swirl the wine and smell again after it is at rest. Depending on the bouquet, you may then notice a profound difference in the odors emerging. Aroma is a smell that originates from the actual grape, with very clear cut characteristics. Aroma is most prevalent in young wines. The bouquet of a wine refers to smells generated as a result of aging; smells found particularly in mature wines that were aged in a bottle. The bouquet generally has much softer and complex characteristics than aromas. Identifying what you smell is usually the most challenging part in wine tasting. Although there are many smell categories used to describe characteristics of wine, none have been exclusively agreed upon.
Pinot Noir (PEE-know Na-WAHR)
The great red wine of France’s Burgundy region is produced by one of the world’s
most challenging grape varieties - both to grow and vinify. For every great pinot noir, there are a dozen poor
or mediocre
versions, and this is true wherever pinot noir is made, whether in France, California, Oregon, Germany, or New Zealand.
Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate, with its fine, delicate aroma and flavor disappearing when grown in warmer climes. It is an ancient variety notorious for having dozens of inferior mutations (clones), which likely account for much of the insipid wine produced in its name around the world.
A thin-skinned, early ripener, pinot noir is prone to a host of viticultural maladies, from mildew and rot to viruses like fanleaf and leafroll. It is also difficult to vinify, with the vintner’s primary challenge to draw sufficient color and flavor from the grape skins without extracting too much astringent tannin.
Despite these difficulties, what motivates pinot noir producers to keep trying is that the grape can make marvelously aromatic, flavorful wines boasting a seductive perfume of strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, tea, mint, violets, and oriental spices, and silky, ethereal flavors The best pinot noirs benefit from judicious aging in high-quality French oak barrels and are profitably paired with subtly seasoned salmon, chicken, ham, and lamb dishes.
