Brookwood Vineyards

Racking "Rattlesnake Hills" 3/5/2011

2011-03-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

Adding Sulfites

2011-03-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

Back to the cellar

2011-03-06T15:37:00.001-05:00

2010 Brookwood Vineyard Cabernet-Rattlesnake Hills

2011-02-01T09:19:00.002-05:00

This is our first attempt using Washington State grapes, they were grown in the "Rattlesnake Hills" region of Washington State.
We will be Racking this wine February 19th and will take a little taste at that time. Will keep you posted!

2010 Brookwood Vineyard "Chilean Meritage"

2011-02-01T09:10:00.002-05:00

This will be our next wine to bottle. The grapes are from Chile and we made it in a Meritage Style. It's our second Chilean grape wine.

2009 Chilean Meritage

2010-03-29T07:40:00.000-04:00

Homemade Wine, Homemade Bread, Homemade Soup

2010-03-15T08:02:00.000-04:00

Quatro Familias-Meritage 2009

2010-03-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

Bottled and ready to drink

Cellar getting full

Our first 2 wines

New Label Design

2010-03-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

We will be bottling our Chilean Wine next week.

Pizza Dough Easy Rolls

2010-03-01T20:37:00.001-05:00

Olive Oil and Poppy

Olive Oil, Garlic, Parm Cheese

Saturday 2/27/2010

2010-03-01T12:32:00.002-05:00

Saturday we racked our Cabernet after 5 months in French Oak. During the racking we snuck a little taste and WOW, this is going to be a great wine. The barrel now goes back in the cellar until July when we will bottle it.
I am designing a label for this wine now; hope to have ideas posted soon.
While I was in the cellar I sampled both our Chilean Meritage and our Italian Super Tuscan both are coming along beautifully.
Our Chilean wine will be bottled in March.
Keep checking back!

2010-02-26T06:16:00.000-05:00

OMG-Do you smell that?

2010-02-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

No Knead Bread

2010-02-22T12:48:00.002-05:00

This is our new "everyday bread" no kneading and you bake it in a pot. It's the BEST!
Check out the video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

My New Hobby

2010-02-11T21:49:00.001-05:00

Kaiser Roll

Pain De Provence

2010-02-11T21:46:00.002-05:00

The Press October 31

2009-11-10T11:25:00.001-05:00

Our good friends/partners pressed our latest wine endeavor. Sorry we missed it.

2 Birds 1 Stone

2009-10-21T12:47:00.002-04:00

Well we "Racked" our Chilean Wine last Saturday and "Crushed" our California Grapes for this coming season on the same day. We drank a little wine and ate a little cheese, it was fun to get together with our friends/partners. Should be Pressing in a week or 2.

1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

2009-10-14T07:16:00.003-04:00

1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Celebrating last long run before the marathon.

Our 3rd Wine

2009-09-17T11:58:00.003-04:00

Just placed the order for wine grapes for this coming season. This will be our 3^rd barrel of wine we'll be making and each time we seem to learn a little more. I've ordered Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes which should make for a nice blend. This season the grapes are from California. We'll make Approximately 62 gallons/288 bottles and we'll age it in 1-year-old French Oak. Grapes should arrive in a couple of weeks at that time we will do Step 1, "The Crush”.

The Gathering of Winemakers

2009-08-31T15:09:00.003-04:00

Last evening at the Wine Press in North Haven we had the first gathering of the groups who had participated in the making wine starting back in September 2008. There seemed to be about 20 to 30 winemakers who brought their wines to share and trade with each other. The room was set up kind of like a trade show where everyone had a table to displace their wines and snacks.

I thought it was really remarkable that these wines came out as well as they did given that many of us were first time wine makers. Although we used the Wine Press’s equipment these are still considered home made wines.

We received some very nice comments about our 2008 Brookwood Vineyard Cabernet. Many folks thought it was the wine of the evening, which was really nice to hear. Personally I enjoy the “Super Tuscan” made by the group to our right. We swapped about a half dozen bottle with these guys who seemed to enjoy our wine also.

There were many red varietal made this season, we tasted Zinfandel, Merlot, 100% Cabernet, Cabernet Blends, Petit Syrah, Super Tuscan, and even a Meritage. There was no shortage of food either, it seemed like everybody brought enough for a small army.

At the end of the evening we went home with two cases of all different kinds of wines made by home winemakers just like us. This will be a nice addition to our cellar.

Started Labeling

2009-08-29T20:26:00.000-04:00

Brookwood Vineyards 8/25/09

2009-08-25T15:26:00.002-04:00

Wow it’s been 10 months since we started our winemaking process. Our first barrel has been bottled and stored in our cellar. We are hoping to age it in the bottle for about 1 year. We will taste a bottle every month to determine its readiness to release to all our friends who have been waiting patiently for a sample bottle or two.
We’ve had some loyal visitors to our “Brookwood Vineyard Blog’ this last year following our progress. These people will be first to get our 2008 Cabernet. If you’ve been stopping by and checking out our blog leave me a message that you’d like a bottle of our wine.
While our second endeavor of winemaking using Chilean grapes is aging in American Oak barrels, we are already doing research to find the perfect grapes for round three. We are looking at an area called Suisun Valley, which is just east of Napa Valley over a range of hills. Suisun Valley is only eight miles long, but its geography is very diverse. The south is very cool, with temperatures increasing to the north. The resulting network of microclimates allows many different varieties of grapes to grow in precisely the conditions they prefer. I am hoping to buy Cabernet grapes for the section called Koch Ranch the soil type is volcanic which should make for a very interesting wine.
You know what they say, “You can’t make good wine without good grapes”

Let's Try Bottle #1 of 288

2009-08-13T20:59:00.002-04:00

We just couldn't wait to put on the new labels!

Welcome "Brookwood Vineyards" 2008 Cabernet

2009-08-09T12:58:00.001-04:00

Friday was our day to bottle our ‘2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.” This was the last process in our first wine making season and may have been the most labor intense of all the steps.

1. We taste the wine to make sure we feel it’s ready for bottling. Even if I say so myself our wine came out great! I am really surprised, without any previous experience we made a very nice wine. I think more time aging in the bottle will bring it to another level.

2. The wine is now pumped from it’s home for the last 9 months in our “French Oak Barrel” through a high tech filter system which should remove any unwanted sediment.

3. The Stainless container is now lifted to the shelf above the bottling area so that the wine can be gravity feed to the bottles. By gravity feeding the wine to the bottler less unwanted air would be transferred to the bottle.

4. Now all bottles are cleaned with a sulfite solution and placed on a drying rack. From the drying rack the bottles are loaded onto a 6-head bottling device, which fills each bottle to the perfect level. They are then brought to an automatic corking machine were the bottles are corked. Now the foils are placed on top and the bottle is placed in a heated coil to tighten the foil. From there we put the bottles back in the cardboard cases and readied to be brought home.

5. 24 cases of wine time 12 bottles per case equals a lot of wine to load and carry to the truck. My bad back and me watched as Karen and our friends loaded our wine. Now all we had to do drive home carefully and unload.

6. When we arrive home we decided to remove each bottle, wipe them down and store them in our cellar. The only thing left to do is to label our wine which we will do a few each night as we sit in the cellar and sample. I hope we can get the labels on straight after a couple of glasses.

Ready to Bottle

2009-08-06T09:51:00.005-04:00

Our 2008 Brookwood Vineyards "Cabernet Sauvignon" is ready for bottling.

After 9 months in French Oak we will be bottling our barrel this week.

Photos and more info to come...

Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir

2009-07-09T19:56:00.002-04:00

A friend of mines son is the the Brewer in the Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir. He gave us this bottle as a gift and we opened it this week with dinner. This was the one of the best Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. I think you can only buy it direct, I've never seen it locally.

The dark ruby-colored 2006 Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard displays notes of beef blood, underbrush, Asian spices, and plenty of sweet raspberry and cherry notes. It is broad, very flavorful, but again, the tannins are somewhat elevated and the wine firmly structured and in need of some bottle age. This, too, would benefit from 1-2 years of bottle age, and should be counted on for relatively long-term aging for domestic Pinot Noir – 10-15 years.

I guess we'll call it "Meritage"

2009-06-24T14:26:00.007-04:00

A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red “noble” Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and the rarer St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère. If the blend includes any other grape variety, it is, by definition, not a Meritage. Also, to qualify as a Meritage, no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.

70% Cabernet Sauvignon / 29 cases

15% Malbec / 7 cases

10% Cabernet Franc / 4 cases

5% Carmenere / 2 cases

This sounds exactly like the wine we are making now using our Chilean Grapes. I guess since it's for our own personal use we could call it anything we want but "Meritage" make the most sense to me.

For our 60 bottles I am designing a new label, should be completed real soon.

6/9 "The Press"

2009-06-10T07:25:00.006-04:00

Last evening we did step two of our Chilean Grape wine making. The Press took place, all four families in our new endeavor were on hand to help. We pumped the juice and skins into the Press and over to our New American Oak Barrel. After the barrel was full to the top " to keep out any air" we continued to fill about 10 extra gallons of juice which will be used to top off our barrel as it works in the cellar turning our juice to wine.

Below are some photos from last evenings "Press"

6/5 Chilean Wine Update

2009-06-05T14:40:00.003-04:00

Just heard from the "Wine Press" looks like our juice is just about perfect and the brix reading is at zero which means it's time for the "Press". If I remember to bring my camera we will have pictures. Stay tuned

Our New Wine Label

2009-06-03T18:55:00.001-04:00

6/1 Chilean Wine Update

2009-06-01T15:54:00.003-04:00

After we did the Crush on 5/21, our Brix reading was at 24 (perfect) and as of today our Brix reading is now down to 5. We want Zero before we do the Press. Will keep you posted...

2008 Brookwood Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-05-26T18:07:00.002-04:00

On January 17th, when we last racked our first barrel of wine that we've made from California Grapes we had a chance to take a taste. It was sweet, fruity and still fermenting, and at that time we were wondering if it would ever come together.

Now after 4 1/2 months in our French oak barrel we snuck another taste and WOW! The sweetness is gone, the fermenting has all but stopped and you get a bit of tannins on your gums. Although it is bit closed up from not being exposed to air for the last 7 months we feel very excited about the future of this wine. Next time we will taste it will be the end of July early August. At that time if we feel it's ready, we will bottle. Stay tuned!

5/21/09 Crushing our Chilean Grapes

2009-05-22T07:20:00.003-04:00

Let's Make Some Wine

2009-05-13T13:37:00.002-04:00

Good news!

Our chilean grapes are in and we are ready to make some wine. The Crush process will take place on Weds.

Photos to follow.

PS: Remember to wash your feet...

Wine Growing Regions of Chile

2009-04-30T16:28:00.000-04:00

From Our Grape Importers

2009-04-27T19:09:00.000-04:00

04/15/2009

Chilean season is even closer than we expected! We just received word that the first shipment of grapes will be arriving Monday, April 20th, and will be ready for pick up after that. The first shipment contains all white varieties, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier.

However, the 2nd shipment of grapes will not be arriving until May 1st. This shipment will contain Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Malbec.

We still do not have dates for the next shipments, but we will keep you updated.

From Spain "1996 Faustino I"

2009-04-11T20:19:00.002-04:00

Description:
Brilliant, medium to high depth. Cherry red in the centre of the glass with a garnet and tawny rim. Intense and complex to the nose. Aromas of spices and new wood (toasty, leather, vanilla, balsam).

Thanks to Chipper & Spuds

"Bottle of Red"

2009-04-03T17:40:00.001-04:00

A bottle of fun!

2006 Joseph Carr Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

2009-03-26T20:17:00.004-04:00

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot

TASTING NOTES
Deep cherry and plum, fine cedar box aroma, dark color, touch of cinnamon on a very long finish.

Light tannins, very easy to drink, not a big chewy wine. $23.95

Wine of the Week

2009-03-24T10:29:00.006-04:00

Smith & Hook Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

A warm rush of cherries and plum start at the fore-palate before fading to chocolate and toffee with a hint of mint towards the backend. The tannins are firm, smooth and polished, leaving a silky/supple texture in the mouth, supported by a subtle seam of acidity.

I really did taste the cherries in this wine almost a brandy flavor, very nice and under $25.

Un Bordeaux producido en Estados

2009-03-16T16:16:00.003-04:00

2006 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marques de Casa

2009-03-16T16:08:00.004-04:00

Steep day-to-night temperature variation promotes good fruit concentration and intense aromas.--Winemaker Notes

This is one of our favorites from Chile. Under $20.

Drinking Lying Down

2009-02-24T07:41:00.001-05:00

Back Troubles!

Hope to be "BACK" soon!

"Chilean Grapes are Ordered"

2009-02-14T19:03:00.004-05:00

Last night we ordered our grapes from Chile. Our final decision was to order a blend of grapes to make a wine in the Bordeaux style. The cases from Chile are 18 lbs. so we will need 42 cases to fill an American Oak Barrel which we selected to age our wine in. We will be making approximately 240 bottles 750 ml.

We selected:

70% Cabernet Sauvignon / 29 cases

15% Malbec / 7 cases

10% Cabernet Franc / 4 cases

5% Carmenere / 2 cases

2006 Almaviva "Chile"

2009-02-13T14:13:00.002-05:00

Almaviva is the name of both winery and wine born of the joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Viña Concha y Toro.

93 points Wine Spectator: "Muscular and broad-shouldered, with lots of bittersweet cocoa, dark currant and braised fig notes, followed by a long, loam- and coffee-filled finish. There's also plenty of iron-tinged grip for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Merlot

A Smart Buy from Chile

2009-02-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

winemaker's notes:
The wine is dark opaque garnet, with aromas of exotic spice, toast and hints of tobacco and mint. The massive flavor is mouthfilling with lush blackberry and cherry notes with smooth powerful tannins.

Making Chilean Wine this Spring

2009-01-28T12:43:00.003-05:00

Curico Valley, Chile

The Curico Valley has been a wine grape growing region since the 1800’s, and is now starting to attract more attention due their increasing high quality. Curico, with its Mediterranean climate, the Guaiquillo river running along its side, and the surrounding mountains on both the east and west sides, creates the perfect fertile soil for wine grapes.

This is were our grapes will be coming from this spring. We are now deciding what type of wine we will be making. More to come...

2006 Hess Collection-Mt. Veeder-Cuvee

2009-01-27T07:28:00.001-05:00

Hess Collection – Mount Veeder
Donald Hess’ European perspective led him to choose Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder,
2,000 feet above sea level with its diverse mix of exposures, thin volcanic and sedimentary soils, and low yielding vines. He understood that grapes grown on mountains express themselves differently than those grown on the valley floor. Hess Collection Mount Veeder wines reveal the mountain’s personality of intensity, structure and elegance.

19 Block Cuvée – The Blend
A layered Cabernet Sauvignon based wine with red currant flavors that is textured and supple. This is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. 100% Estate Grown − 100% Mount Veeder.

1982 Petrus

2009-01-22T10:47:00.003-05:00

Winery: 1982 Chateau Petrus
Region: Bordeaux
Size: 750 ml
Price: $15,950.00 per bottle

I know you can buy this for less if you shop around!

2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District

2009-01-20T19:29:00.003-05:00

Wine Spectator: "Well-focused on a core of rich, supple currant and black cherry fruit, this is complex, balanced and well-proportioned. Offers a nice range of flavors that are deep, persistent, pure and engaging. Drink now through 2013. 90 points."

The Wine Thief

2009-01-18T14:45:00.000-05:00

"Racking Wine" January 17,2009

2009-01-18T14:43:00.001-05:00

2009-01-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

Carmenere Grapes

2009-01-16T10:52:00.005-05:00

Carmenere: Originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France, the wine produced from Carmenere grapes is prized for its richness in color along with its herbal, earthy flavor. Interesting when blended, its soft and gentile tannins add to its cherry-like and smoky flavor. A fine wine to blend.

Lets make some wine this spring Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, grapes available from Chile.

High Note Malbec 2007

2009-01-15T15:22:00.004-05:00

The velvety texture and deep flavor of the small juicy berries of High Note’s Malbec grapes are distinctively influenced by the environment in which they are grown. Our Uco Valley vineyards, high in the Andes foothills of Mendoza, enjoy the perfect combination of elements for growing this unique varietal. Intense sunlight, cool temperatures and dry conditions allow for the fruit to slowly mature until handpicked for optimal flavor.

The result is High Note’s brilliant violet color and with intense, sweet spice on the palate balanced by notes of plums, cassis, blackberries, and black cherries. It is creamy, smooth, and ripe in the mouth with soft, round tannins and a long silky finish.

We tasted this Malbec last night, it needeed some time to breath but opened up nicely. Another nice find for the money.

The Wine Press, North Haven, CT

2009-01-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

Chilean Grapes Available April/May

We at The Wine Press are pleased to offer quality grapes from the Curico Valley in Chile. Nestled 120 miles south of the capitol city Santiago, this valley features a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean. The regions warm days and cool nights coupled with ideal soil conditions have created perfect conditions for producing exceptional red wines.

Packed in 18 pound crates we will be sourcing our grapes from a family -owned vineyard who for almost a century has continued to take pride in producing high quality grapes. We are confident that the wine produced form this product will be of an exceptional quality. Since these grapes are an exclusive product ordering well in advance is highly recommended
Cabernet Sauvignon: Best known here in the States for it's deep aroma and classic flavors, the Chilean variety is of similar complexity. It's black cherry flavor combined with a raspberry and cassis undertone is well balanced with its tannins and acids.

Merlot: Rich in color with a fruity complexity, the Chilean Merlot is highlighted by cherry and black currant flavors. Due to its higher sugar level this varietal tends to be sweeter than a Cab. Couple that with less tannins this wine is well rounded and is one of the few reds that can be enjoyed young.

Syrah: Violet in color is the intense wine produced from these grapes. Rich with a chewy texture this wine tends to be spicier than it is fruity. Perfect to blend with or enjoy by itself, this wine is of exceptional quality.

Malbec: It has been said that if there is a middle ground between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot, then the wine one is looking for is a Malbec. Traditionally described as a "Bordeaux" variety, it abounds with ample tannins along with a plum-like flavor. Like the Syrah it is an ideal wine to enjoy as a blend or on its own.

Carmenere: Originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France, the wine produced from Carmenere grapes is prized for its richness in color along with its herbal, earthy flavor. Interesting when blended, its soft and gentile tannins add to its cherry-like and smoky flavor. A fine wine to blend.

Château Mouton Rothschild 1975

2009-01-05T21:51:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday evening we decided to open our 1975 Mouton Rothschild. I've noticed recently that the wine was low on the shoulder of the bottle and wondered if I had waited too long to enjoy it. We made a wonderful meal of "rack of lamb" and brought the wine up to decant just before serving. When I began to uncork the bottle I noticed that the cork was loose in the neck. I poured the wine into the decanter and noticed a beautiful brownish tint normal for older wines but after tasting it I new it was gone.

After waiting 33 years to drink we were very disappointed, it broke my heart to pour it down the drain.

I did however keep the label designed by the late Andy Warhol...

2007 Feudo Arancio Pinot Noir

2009-01-05T11:10:00.004-05:00

For the money this wine was a great surprize.

Malbec Madness

2008-12-18T16:00:00.002-05:00

Originating from the Bordeaux region of France, this grape is among the "big six" for red wine grapes. However, its fame and fortune often end there. In France it is generally a grape used for blending, with very little vine being devoted to its improvement or success. The story in Argentina is quite the opposite. Malbec has found renewed acclaim and initial glory in the sun-drenched climate of Argentina. This is Argentina's signature grape and it is quickly making a new name for itself with red wine lovers.

Malbec is typically a medium to full-bodied red wine. Ripe fruit flavors of plums and blackberry give it a jammy characteristic. The tannins are typically a bit tight and the earthy, wood-like appeal makes for a fairly rustic wine.

Recently we have been enjoying: 2005 Aqua de Piedra Malbec

How to Hold a Wine Glass

2008-12-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

Wine is served in stemware because the temperature at which wine is served can have a profound impact on the tastes and the enjoyment it yields. Wine glasses should always be held by the stem of the glass rather than the bowl since the heat of your hand will quickly warm the liquid.
Warming a wine above its desired serving temperature will yield unwanted and unpleasant characteristics. The alcohol in wine will give a sharpness or 'bite' to the taste if the wine is served above 74 F. degrees.
Enough said. Just hold the glass by the stem unless the wine is served at too cool a temperature and you need to warm it for a minute or two.

Sulfites in Wine

2008-12-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

All wines contain at least some small amount of sulfites. They are a natural result of the same fermentation process that turns grape juice into alcohol. Even wines that have not had any sulfites added during the winemaking process contain some amount of sulfites. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used by winemakers to keep freshly pressed must from spoiling. It keeps down the activities of native yeast and bacteria and preserves the freshness of the wine. Modern technology has allowed the use of significantly less sulfur than was used in the past but some is necessary to make a stable wine.

The Wine Saver

2008-12-02T14:39:00.003-05:00

The Wine Saver is a vacuum pump, which extracts the air from the opened bottle and reseals it with a special reusable rubber stopper. This slows down the oxidation process so that you can enjoy your wine for a longer period of time. The bottle can be opened and resealed as many times, as you like.

French Oak Barrels

2008-12-01T13:11:00.001-05:00

French Oak was considered especially desirable wood for making wine barrels for many years. Most French Oak comes from one or more of the forests that were planted in the days of Napoleon for shipbuilding. Since the days of sailing ships have come and gone, those French forests have become ongoing forestry operations. Five primary forests used for wine barrel production are Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Trancais and Vosges. Each of these forests produces wood with distinctive characteristics involving tightness of the wood grain as well as the amount of oak flavors that are imparted to the wine. Tight grained wood tends to impart the Oak characteristics (vanilla, spice and butter flavors) much more slowly than wood with looser grain. Winemakers select wood for their wine barrels from different forests for the effect on the finished wine

Nov. 26th First Racking

2008-11-26T21:21:00.003-05:00

Tonight we pumped our wine from a stainless steel tank to our new french oak barrel. The wine will now stay in the barrel until February when we will test and taste the wine and then rack it again. In this procecss the wine is emptied from our barrel, the sediment is removed, and the barrel is cleaned. The wine is then returned to the barrel, and the barrel is topped off.

Racking Complete

2008-11-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

Almost Full

2008-11-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

Racking Wine from Stainless Steel

2008-11-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

French Oak Medium Toast

2008-11-26T21:07:00.000-05:00

How Long to Keep Open Wine

2008-11-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

How long can you keep wine once the bottle has been opened? How soon does wine in an open bottle go bad? Do I need to finish a bottle of wine in one sitting when it has been opened? This question gets asked in a great many ways but it always does get asked. This is because one of the harder things to figure out about wine is when to pour out wine that is left in the bottle.

There are lots of variables regarding the wine type, method of production, age of bottle and on and on. There are all those considerations and exceptions but for 95% of the wine that most people drink, the answer is pretty simple.

Three (3) days. Around here, we keep wines up to 3 days after the bottle has been opened. Once a bottle of wine is opened, the oxygen in the air starts a process that initially softens the flavors and opens up the aromas of the wine. As this process (oxidation) continues over many hours and days, the wine is ultimately made undrinkable. The trick is to use the wine before it becomes unpalatable or to pour it out before bad wine is served to guests.

You can (and usually should) refrigerate recorked bottes. You can buy stoppers and gadgets to create a slight vaccuum in the bottle. You can get systems that put a layer of inert gas in the bottle. All these items and efforts are aimed at slowing the oxidation that will eventually destroy the wine.

What makes the whole thing tricky is that the wine will not go immediately from good to bad. The wine will, at a point, begin to progressively develop tastes that are unpleasant. Just like milk that is going bad, each person has a different point at which they identify the beverage as having gone bad.

If you want to play it safe (and who doesn't with either milk or wine), then just use the 3 day rule. Recork and refrigerate the bottle for up to three days. With red wines, pull the bottle from the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before you want to use it so it will warm to a desirable serving temperature in the mid 60's F. With white wines or roses, just pull and pour when you need them.

"PUNT"

2008-11-21T11:45:00.001-05:00

A punt is the concave bottom of a 'better' wine wine bottles . The earliest origins of the punt are lost in history but there is much conjecture. Punts likely existed either for strength of the bottom of the bottle (especially with sparkling wine) or in order to form a stable (non-rocking) bottom in the hand-blown bottles. Today a punt is unnecessary and exists only because many consumers equate the presence of a punt as an indication of quality. Modern glass technology allows bottles to be made that do not require a punt for strength or stability for either sparkling or still wines.

"Wine Term of the Day"

2008-11-19T10:22:00.002-05:00

Tannin - The astringent or bitter qualities in a wine come from tannins, which are found in grape skins, stems and seeds. Tannins are extracted from grapes by skin contact and heavy pressing. Another source of a different type of tannin called flavonoids, is aging in oak barrels. Subtle amounts of oak tannins can give wine an aromatic complexity that can be desirable.

"Can't Wait"

2008-11-17T17:29:00.000-05:00

2008-11-17T17:27:00.000-05:00

Nov 14th-The Press

2008-11-15T17:37:00.007-05:00

Our Brix reading is now -1 and the grapes are ready for The Press.
First: we will pump the juice from under the skins into the tank.
Second: we scoop with a 5 gallon bucket the skins and place them in The Press. In the Press the skins will be squeezed to release the rest of the juice.
The juice, nearly 400 liters will stay in a air tight stainless steel tank for about two weeks and at that time we will "Rack" the wine and move it to the French Oak Barrel.

Oct 28th-Nov 14th-Monitoring

2008-11-15T17:09:00.003-05:00

Now twice a day the skins will be pushed down through the juice which will add color and concentration to the juice.
The goal now is for the yeast to take over and turn the sugar in the grapes to alcohol. During this fermentation the juice will be monitored every other day. We want the Brix reading which started at 26 to go down to -1 at that point the juice will be ready for "The Press".

Oct 27th- The Crush

2008-11-15T16:52:00.001-05:00

The grapes are in and now it's time for "The Crush". Prior to "The Crush" we take readings on the grapes. The Brix which is the sugar in the grapes reads 26 which we are told is perfect and the ph is 3.69.
We crush and de-stem the grapes using their state of the art crushing/de-steming machine. However we must lift 30 cases each weighing 36 lbs. into the machine by hand making sure to remove all leaves that might still be with the grapes. The juice and skins are pumped to a fermenting bin where we will add sulfates and yeast.

Oct 25th-Ordering the grapes

2008-11-15T16:22:00.005-05:00

After deciding that we want to make a Cabernet Sauvignon wine in the style of a french bordeaux we place an order for our grapes. Our ordered consisted of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc grapes. The grapes come from Brutocao Vineyards of Mendocino County, California.
We will age our wine in French Oak Barrels which are larger than the American Oak and therefore need approximately 20% more grapes. We are hoping that in the end the French Oak will make our wine even more special.