Have you ever wondered what makes a pinot gris different from a pinot noir (which does not mean “black penis” as the jokester at your table might claim)? Thus far we have examined early wine making, which featured cultured grapes and Greek wine making, which introduced the modern version of the press. In part three of “Vintage,” we explore the development of modern winemaking.

Mixing grapes, fermenting the juice, storing, clarifying, and drying the wine, and finally distributing bottles all over the world that can be stored for decades are all intricate processes by themselves, and the modern viticulturist relies on a lifetime of education and experience. In this article, only a few brief aspects will be considered.

First, the process of growing grapes has grown tremendously. What began as “tribal knowledge” became a subject scientific analysis. Aside from developing new grapes (virtually all varietals of which descended from those of the vitis vinifera), scientists have even discovered that many of our popular grapes, such as zinfandel and carmenere  are twins of famous European grapes. Viticulturists are now able to measure the pH (and therefore level of tartaric acid), sugar content, and other factors to determine whether the grapes are ripe or not. Many vineyards even harvest only during certain times of day or night in order to make sure the right amount of sugar is present in the fruit.

All of those parts of the grape are pressed out either on tables or a “bucket.” In the first method, also used in Ancient Greece and Israel, grapes were put on a flat hard surface, and another platen is lowered until a specific pressure is reached. In the latter, juice from grapes stacked in a cylinder is squeezed out by a flat press. In white wines, the juice is taken for fermentation. In a red wine, the winemaker combines the skins with the juice in order to provide color and tannin. Wines are then stored in stainless steel, oak, or other types of vats. This process allows sediment to fall out and (in the case of wood aging) for the wine to dry out and take on certain tastes and aromas of the material it is stored in.

One of the most important changes in the winemaking industry was not a scientific development, but a response to a natural—sort of—problem: Phylloxera. This pest all but obliterated the European wine industry in the late 1800s.  These ugly aphids came to Europe from America and managed to decimate the vast majority of vineyards there. As Europe recovered from the plague, new developments in hybridization led to more resistant grapes and, thankfully, excellent wines. Grapes such as the Pinot were quite desirable for their mutability, and the decline of old stereotypes led to new hybrids, new blends, and even new locations. Vines were often uprooted and taken to new homes in order to preserve them. The newly popular Carmenere is a direct descendent of a Bordeaux grape, and immigrants to the American west coast adapted old world grapes to the new world.

More vibrant, fruity wines aged in young oak have risen in popularity in the last two decades, and the much deeper, mellower wines aged in old-oak may soon disappear from the shelves. When we consider the fact that wine production has evolved for millennia, it is surprising to see how subtly the methods and taste profiles of the beverages have changed. While certain qualities may be shifting right now, it seems likely that wine made today will have a lot in common with wine that will be made 100 years from now.

I’m back with another white wine to add to the Average Joe wine list. As Eric mentioned in an earlier post, looking to Australia and South America is a great place to go bargain hunting. Similarly, white wine prices generally are lower than those of red wines, so you should be able to find a decent bottle in your budget.

This includes Napa’s Girard Winery. At the winery, you will find premier Cabernet Sauvignon wines that sell for up to $75 a bottle. Yet their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc can be found at stores like Costco for $11.89 a bottle.  While Girard has been around for several decades, its management shifted about 10 years ago, which has helped Girard branch out into varietals like petite sirah and zinfandel.

I found their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc to be a mild, versatile wine. There were subtle notes of citrus and guava, but it was not overpowering or even bold. I drank some of the bottle the day I opened it, and the rest the next day. I admittedly do not have much experience with saving an open bottle for a day, but the quality on day two equaled day one.

This bottle is getting a three-glass rating, because I did not find anything particularly distinct or memorable about this wine.  I enjoyed it, but I am not sure I would select it ahead of some wines reviewed on this site, which fall in a similar price-range.

Prosecco is the sparking wine of Italy! I mentioned in my last post that while we have been reviewing wines for the AJ Wine Series, we have mostly reviewed wines from other countries, especially those that are gaining notoriety, but already have good wines. Unlike the other countries whose wines we have reviewed, Italy has a tremendous reputation. Prosecco, though, has developed as a quality wine more recently than most Italian. Made from Glera grapes, it used to be very sweet until the 1960s, when it began to be produced very dry. It wasn’t introduced into the United States market until 2000, but its market has grown rapidly. A benefit of that is the lower cost than its prestigious Champagne counterpart. Similar to many wines by name in Europe (Port, Champagne, Barolo), Prosecco has its own designation of origin protection (DOC).

Since fellow Winestrong author (The Scholar) loves Prosecco, I have had the opportunity to try many in the last 5 years and have grown to greatly appreciate it. The Zonin Prosecco (NV) was one that I had not tried and I picked up during the Safeway/Vons super sale for $7. The color of the wine was light gold and it was filled with medium sized bubbles. The flavor was dry and crisp filled with green apple and tropical fruit, a fairly standard flavor profile for Prosecco. Since I have recently come to enjoy the marriage between chardonnay and pasta with a pesto sauce, I thought this Prosecco would also match well since it has similar flavor to Champagne which is made with Chardonnay grapes. Success! I was right! I thoroughly enjoyed the pairing and it even went well with some pineapple that we had on the side. In the United States, we tend to drink sparkling wines alone or as an aperitif, but in Italy, Prosecco is enjoyed with all parts of the meal. Not only do I strongly recommend you try this particular Prosecco, but I suggest you have it with a meal you would normally pair a chardonnay with (think flaky fish, shellfish or creamy pastas). I give this wine an AJ rating of 5 glasses!

Continuing the AJ Wine Series, it is noteworthy that four out of the five wines we have reviewed (this being the fifth), are from countries other than the United States: Chile, Portugal, and Argentina. This is not surprising because these countries are producing good wines but do not have the reputation or elite status of countries like France or Italy, a fact that is reflected in their differences in price-points. That is not to say anything bad about the wines coming out of France and Italy; they have a good reputation for a reason. Rather, it is more of an observation that the reputation/market is not established for these countries yet, and now is the time to bargain hunt! It is also an opportunity for an AJ wine drinker to have some good wine at low cost.

For this review, we travel to Argentina without leaving home. Seems like a paradox right? Bodega Elena De Mendoza is one of many, many wineries owned by E. & J. Gallo, the largest wine company in the world. Beginning in the late 80′s and early 90′s, the Gallo family began to take the wine business in a new direction and began owning and selling more than just the box wine for which they had become known for. They rapidly acquired many wineries and wineries around the world that consistently produce high quality wine. By matching lower-cost wine growing, with Gallo’s wine distribution network, we are all the real beneficiaries.

The 2009 Bodega Elena De Mendoza Chardonnay is a great example of this sweet-spot. At an average price of $8, this wine is an excellent value. In appearance, it is light yellow with exceptional clarity. The boquet is filled with an aroma of apricot. It tastes of honey and pear with a very nice acidic backbone that makes it compatible with some richer and spicier foods, but the fruitiness still makes it able to be served with sweet appetizers. As an example, we had it with sweet apricot and honey baked brie and also with breaded, crispy olives.  It matched well with the sweet and savory dishes. This is not your typical buttery chardonnay, so if you aren’t a chardonnay lover, this is the one to try, and if you are, then this one can be a whole new experience for you. And for your convenience, if you go to their website all you have to do is enter your zip code to find the vendor nearest you! I give this wine an AJ wine rating of three glasses.

As I strolled through the wine aisles at Costco, I was looking for something that was unique, but that still fit into the AJ Wine Series criteria. At last! I arrived at a wine from the country of my ancestry: Portugal!

Many don’t realize that the country of Portugal is, and has been for centuries, producing some excellent red wines. Only now are they starting to gain notoriety in the United States, even though they have been making wine since before the reign of the Roman Empire! In 1758, Portugal established the Regiao Demarcada do Douro, one of the earliest country protected designation of origin systems to protect Portuguese wine (Port) produced in the Douro Valley (similar to Champagne and Bordeaux in France). But it wasn’t until the late 20th century that Douro Valley (the largest wine producing area in Portugal located in the north near the Douro River) red wines received their own designation of origin.

Red wine grapes native to Portugal are not common to the rest of the world, or grapes your average Joe would recognize. The most common red wine grape in the Douro Valley is the Touriga Franca. The 2009 Duorum Tons Douro Red is made from the Touriga Franca varietal.

The Tons was watery with good clarity, but deep red in color. On the nose was very pleasant, mild black cherry. The flavors were nondescript, but the wine tasted dry with mild alcohol and soft, lingering tannins. I tried this wine with baked brie and strawberry and goat cheese bruschetta appetizers and grilled chicken, corn, and fruit salad entree and sides. All pairings made for pleasant combinations, making it a very versatile dry red wine. The four of us drinking it were all very satisfied. Of the common grape varietals known to the Average Joe, I would say it is most similar to a cabernet sauvignon. This wine purchase at Costco was $9, but if you come across any wines in this price range from the Douro Valley, expect them to be similar and give them a try! I give this wine an Average Joe rating of 4 glasses!

In the previous article, we discussed the earliest evidence of wine making some 10,000 years ago. Today we fast forward to the times of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Wine played an important role in these Mediterranean cultures, and it is always intriguing to me to think that the same Italian hills that grow some of my favorite wines today were producing wines for Caesar.

The ideograph in the middle-left shows grapes hanging from a trellis

Hieroglyphic evidence from over 4,000 years ago (just at the beginning of Dynastic Egypt) suggests that vines were grown and trained in about the same way they are today, with a trellis extending upward and forking. Although vines only grew in the delta, there seems to be a very well developed system of production throughout Ancient Egypt, and graves of the pharaohs often contained much of the sacramental beverage.

Wine, though, was not the drink of choice for the Egyptians–or at least wine like we think of it. Much more common was a sweet wine made from one of the most common foods of the Egyptians, the date. And the most common beverage was actually beer. The grain based beverage was tremendously popular to the Egyptians, who fermented their grains by adding bread (which had yeast in it) to the wort.

Famous kylix of Dionysius. Wine had an important religious significance, and many rituals involved "drinking the god"

Wine was the most important drink of the Ancient Greeks though. The Greeks developed viticulture to a new level and introduced a method of pressing grapes that is still used today. This wine, as I mentioned before, was preserved and dried in individual jars with resin, and even today you can find a retsina (Greek word for pine resin) in many wine stores. Buyer beware, though, as this wine is loved by some and loathed by others. As McGovern (251) politely states, “each person must ultimately be the judge of whether retsina is an appealing wine.” Greek wines were also notoriously strong. For this reason, one would typically mix wine with water before drinking. Different occasions called for different mixtures, and unmixed wine was only consumed to commemorate perilous adventures, such as when a ship set sail for the first time.

The most famous occasion for drinking in Greek culture was the Symposium. These were all-male (except a few prostitutes or entertainers who might join them) gatherings full of drinking and lively conversation. At the beginning of each, the frequency and potency of the wine was established by the symposiasts along with their conversation topic for the evening.

Here is a section from Plato’s Symposium in which the participants lay out some ground rules (translation from the Loeb series): Then, Eryximachus, the weak heads like myself, Aristodemus, Phaedrus, and others who never can drink, are fortunate in finding that the stronger ones are not in a drinking mood. (I do not include Socrates, who is able either to drink or to abstain, and will not mind, whichever we do.) Well, as of none of the company seem disposed to drink much, I may be forgiven for saying, as a physician, that drinking deep is a bad practice, which I never follow, if I can help, and certainly do not recommend to another, least of all to any one who still feels the effects of yesterday’s carouse.
I always do what you advise, and especially what you prescribe as a physician, rejoined Phaedrus the Myrrhinusian, and the rest of the company, if they are wise, will do the same.
It was agreed that drinking was not to be the order of the day, but that they were all to drink only so much as they pleased.

Finally, we come to the Ancient Romans, who adored Greek wine along with Greek culture. Much of the viticulture of Europe was introduced by Rome’s great nemesis Carthage, who had created a colony in modern Spain. Rome eventually drove out the Hannibal and the Carthaginians, but they kept producing wine and importing it from all over the empire. It is at this point in history-in both Rome and Greece-that regions and even vintages become well known (“Ah, 12 BC; that was a great year”). The Romans borrowed the sympotic life of the Greeks, but wine there was much more of an open social experience, much like it is today. Old Curmudgeon historians saw wine as the downfall of societies, while poets spoke of drinking wine with their girlfriends (and sometimes of their girlfriends getting mad when they drank too much wine), and emperors often held lavish parties where wine figured a prominent role.

I leave you with an ode to a wine jar by the famous Roman poet Horace:

O wine born in the same year as me (when Manlius was consul)
Whether you supply laments or jokes
Whether you supply brawls and frenzied loves
Or, as a loyal wine jar, an easy sleep,

By whatever name you protect your Massic harvest,
Worthy to be opened on a happy day,
Come down from the shelf, as Corvinus invites me
To bring a smoother wine

He, rough though he is, will not disregard you,
Even though he is steeped in Socratic dialogue:
It is said that even the cold virtue of old Cato was
Often warmed by unmixed wine.

You often serve as a gentle torment
To a stern character.
You reveal the cares of the wise and
Ancient wisdom to playful Lyaeus.

You restore hope to anxious minds
And you give strength to the poor man
After a drink of you, he trembles not at crowns
Of angry kings or weapons of the soldiers

Once again, much of this information is available in Patrick McGovern’s fascinating book, Ancient Wine.

On a warm Friday afternoon, I decided to open up a chilled bottle of Hanna Winery’s 2010 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc.  I had purchased the bottle a few days before at Costco for $10.99, which fits the criteria for the AJ Wine Series.

Hanna Vineyards are located throughout Sonoma counties, with their pinot noir and chardonnay grapes grown in the cooler Russian River Valley and their merlot and cabernet grapes grown to the north-east in the Alexander Valley.  Their white wines generally price in the high teens, with reds in the $30-$40 range.

The Sauvignon Blanc is both light in color, yellow with a light green tint, and delicate in taste.  In the first taste I noticed an acidic bite, but with the succeeding sips, the bite was less and less.  There was light, enjoyable pear taste, and to a lesser extent, a faint citrus taste, like lime or lemon.

I paired the wine with a summer salad (one of those generic bag salads from Costco) with a vinaigrette dressing and I also enjoyed a glass after dinner that was just as nice by itself.  I imagine it would also be nicely paired with figs and eggplant.  If you are looking for an afternoon outing, try packing this wine to go, and pairing it with a chicken or turkey sandwich.  In general, this wine is versatile and enjoyable.

Considering it’s price, flavor and versatility, I give Hanna’s Sauvignon Blanc and Average Joe rating of:

This is Part 2 of our new series: wines for the Average Joe (AJ). I am also on a new adventure, as I recently moved from sunny and hot Florida to cloudy and cool Canada. All alcohol here is government-controlled. This basically means less selection and higher prices. This can be frustrating, but it works well for me, because most of the wines on the rather small shelf (I live in a town of <5000 people) fit into the Average Joe category.

I tried out a bottle I’ve often seen in the grocery store, the Casillero del Diablo Shiraz from Concha y Toro Chile. This is a well-hyped wine, but I have nothing against a good capitalist enterprise, so I won’t fault them for their flashy website and heavy marketing. I will say, though, that the site probably has more punch than the product. This was a young wine (2010), but even still it lacked much character. There was a flat, juicy note without any noticeable sweetness or dryness. The nose had a mild cherry note, and I detected a bit of chocolate and brambles in the flavor. It finished quickly without any noticeable aftertaste.

Here’s the thing: so many wines under $10 are sugary and over-juiced. This wine was in no way offensive. It wasn’t inspiring, but I had no trouble finishing my glass. I like to keep a couple bottles of wine like that on hand to pour when I have “those” guests who are as happy to drink white zinfandel as they are Chateauneuf du Pape. Sometimes you go to Wal-Mart because they do a good job of having something for everyone. Casillero del Diablo is the same way: don’t be embarrassed to share a glass or two some day.

AJ Rating:

Give it a try!

Beside the sea she lives,
the woman of the vine, the maker of wine;
Siduri sits in the garden at the edge of the sea,
with the golden bowl and the golden vats that the gods gave her.
From the Epic of Gilgamesh: the first mention of wine in literature

We may enjoy a 15 year old bottle of cabernet sauvignon or admire a 50 year old Bordeaux, but how old is wine itself? I recently opened an intriguing bottle of 29 year old charbono and the experience of trying the oldest wine I’ve ever consumed spurred me to write something on the oldest wine ever made. Over the next three weeks, we will look at the origins of wine making, wine production by the famously lush Greeks and Romans, and the development of modern wine production.

You have probably heard that wine or beer has played a major role in famous ancient cultures like Egypt, Rome, and Greece, but evidence suggests that wine was around well before these civilizations. It seems that as soon as humans were able to grow crops that they began fermenting them (probably by accident at first). Even Noah was a viticulturist. The first thing that Noah did after God told him about the rainbow about the rainbow was to start making wine: “Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard” (Genesis 9:20). In fact, the King James Version translates it another way and says that Noah was the first person to plant a vineyard.

Our earliest evidence of wine, according to Patrick McGovern, is from modern day Georgia (the country, not the state). A great number of present varietals-from the full bodied cabernet to the sweet Gewürztraminer-have their ancestry from a single ancestor there, and ceramic vessels from around 8,000 BC have traces of wine in them. The world’s oldest winery, Areni-1, has even been identified in present day Armenia, just to the south of Georgia. The development of ceramic pots around this time made the preservation of wine possible; without these relatively non-porous vessels, wine would have only lasted a couple of weeks.

So what did this ancient wine taste like? In short, no one knows. Many of the wild growing grapes or fruits from which modern grapes have been developed were likely too bitter and tart to make a pleasant product. McGovern notes that vessels typically have residue on one side, evidence that suggests they were stored on their side and sealed just like we store them today (but with clay rather than cork). This would mean that the lees might have been allowed to settle out, so the wines could be somewhat mellowed out with aging. We do know that resin was used to preserve wine, which may have given it a taste not dissimilar from the modern Greek wine retsina. The most noticeable difference is likely in the strength of the wine. It would have been less filtered, much heavier, and probably much stronger. The importance of mixing wine with water was an important rite for the Ancient Greeks and will be a topic explored in part 2 of “Vintage,” when we look at the wine making and drinking parties of the Ancient Mediterranean.

As you have no doubt noticed, bars and restaurants mark-up the price of alcohol (GASP!).  Many restaurants will also allow you to bring your own wine, if you pay a corkage fee.  In some ways, this acts as a deterrent to bringing wine, but restaurants depend on the sale of alcohol to make ends meet, so it allows them to still get that revenue from your visit.

Doing some quick research I found that most corkage fees were around $20-25 per bottle.  For you clever, crafty wine drinkers many also have fine-print that specifies that they charge more for magnum bottles and often also cap the number of bottles you may bring in.

The real question for cost-conscious consumers remains, is the corkage fee more or less than I saved by purchasing the wine myself?  The answer is (as always), it depends.

At a place like Top Chef host Tom Colicchio’s Manhattan restaurant Colicchio and Sons, the corkage fee is $45.  I picked out a few bottles from their wine list and compared the wine list price to the corkage fee plus the winesearcher average price.  I found that for the Neyers 2009 Carneros Chardonnay, and the 2010 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir, the wine list offered the lower price.

I did an identical price comparison with the wine list at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, Jardiniere in San Francisco, CA and the Firehouse in Sacramento, CA.  Of the eight bottles I compared, there were two that were slightly more expensive on the wine list.  Those wines were the Joel Gott 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merry Edwards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from the Russian River Valley.  The remaining six were less expensive to pay the corkage, including the 2007 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon, Freestone’s 2007 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, and the Caymus 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.

One important result of the study is that the most significant savings came from the most expensive wines, and the margins were even larger with older wines.  For instance, a bottle of Etude’s 1994 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is listed at $220 for the bottle, while the wine searcher average is $118 — assuming you can find it!

If you are lucky, you will be able to find a restaurant that does not charge a corkage fee.  There is a great website called Cowtown Eats in Sacramento that actually keeps a running list of area restaurants that do not charge a corkage fee.

The clearest answer is that if you really care you need to do your homework.  All restaurants are different with varying markup rates and corkage fees.  But the trend that did stick out is that that the older the wine, the more the price grew on the wine list. What this research does not address is your desire to enjoy a wine you are already very fond of and know you will love at a good restaurant. You will have to figure that one out on your own!