Morning Ya'll,
Well, Fall is most certainly here!!! Everywhere there are signs of the cooler temperatures and shorter days. We have several things in the winery and fermentations are in full swing. Thus far we have Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and some Chardonnay in the winery. We will be gearing up to pick some more on Monday and Tuesday. We will be picking Merlot for Rosé.
This is the time of year in which I call into action my kind friends, yeast. Yeast are the little guys that make all of the magic happen. Fermentation is the consumption of sugar by yeast, yielding alcohol and carbon dioxide. The addition of yeast to juice is called, "inoculation." Yeast come in a dried form very similar to that used for making bread. However, bread yeast vary greatly from the yeast used for winemaking.
Most of our wines use yeast that is purchased, but our Estate Reserve Chardonnay employs local yeast. I allow the E.R. Chard to be fermented by yeast that come in with the grapes. This is what we call a spontaneous, natural, or "wild" fermentation. Half of the E.R. Chard is inoculated with a yeast that I have selected and the other half is allowed to go spontaneous. The natural/spontaneous fermentation is slower, but offers a nutty complexity and fuller mouthfeel. The commercial yeast offers more of the pear and apple apple characteristics. The two combined offer a more complex wine that has both attributes. I like to define our Estate Reserve Chardonnay as Burgundian in style, but North Fork in attitude! Burgundy is the home of Chardonnay. Many of the worlds most coveted Chardonnay's come from Burgundy, a region in France. I utilize many of the Burgundian techniques, but seek to make a wine that is balanced with a bit of acidity to make it a great complement to food! Keep a look out for the New Release 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay!!! Spoiler alert... It's Awesome! In any event let me know if you are interested in checking out the pick and/or the winery!!! Talk with ya'll soon!
- Juan.
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