Learn — winemaking

Some may argue that reductiveness is a flaw and some may argue that it doesn't matter. Personally, although my nose is super sensitive to it, I would rather pop a bottle and find out it's a little farty than drink a wine with way too much new oak. At least the reductiveness will blow off fairly quickly allowing the rest of the aromas to shine through. Whether minimal intervention winemakers are adding trace amounts of sulfur to their wines or not, many natural wines are prone to flaws and faults. With minimal to no preservatives (sulfites) in natural wines, you...

"Are any of the wines dry?" "Yes. Literally every single one on the list." This guest-interaction is my biggest pet peeve in all of my years of working the restaurant floor. NOBODY understands what it means for a wine to be considered dry (or sweet). Which is completely fine. There's countless fundamental things in other industries that I am out to lunch about.  I think the most common misconception in wine is when folks confuse fruitiness for sweetness. A wine may smell sweet because it's so fruity, but in fac,t not have any sugar in it at all. Most people played "slap...

   What are tannins? Tannins = Natural polyphenols derived from plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves, and fruit skins. Polyphenols = complex bonds of oxygen and hydrogen. Idk. Science, man. Essentially, tannins are microscopic solid pieces of plants... They feel astringent and grippy on the palate, particularly on your gums, inside of your cheeks, and tongue. Tannins taste bitter, but think good bitter, like dark chocolate or espresso. So if a wine (particularly red wine) tastes bitter, feels grippy in your mouth, and is drying out your palate, odds are that the wine is high in tannins. If you cannot pinpoint what...

Wine geeks are always talking about oak barrels (French? American? Slavonian?), stainless steel tanks, cement eggs, clay amphorae, and other vessels that only dorks care about. But how does this make a difference in the wine that's in your glass?  Stainless Steel vs Oak vs Concrete & Clay Oak (especially new oak) and stainless steel are on opposite sides of the spectrum, while concrete and clay offer a happy medium... Stainless Steel Helps preserve freshness and acidity (this is why it's so popular for crisp white and rose production) Provides neutral vinification environment, so (unlike new oak) there's no external aromas/flavors...