American Winescapes
G a v L. Peters
sew PRESS
A blenlber of the Perseus Books Group
Afl rights rcsel-ved. it+inted in the United Statcs ctf America, Na part of this ptitl>licationrnay be reproducett or aansmicred irz any form or bp ar=y mems, eiecmrzic or ~rrectranka~ includirrg photocopy, recordirng, or any i~~forn~ation storage and retrieval sFtem, ~vithot~t pem~issionin Tvricing from the publisher. Copyriglit O 1997 by J%ksrc.iewPress, rZ Merrrber of the Perseus Books Group. Pulrtisl~edin I997 in the United States of America by \&'esn;icw Press, 5,500 Centrat henuc, Boulder, Colorado 80301-2877, arzd in the United ~ r g d a r r by r J4Tcswie~rrPress, 12 EGd's Copse Road, Gumnor Xlill, Oxford 0x2 9JJ
GIP catalog record for this book is available from the I,ibrav of Corzpess, ISBS 0-8113-2855-1 &c) -1SBN 0-8111-2856-X @h)
rZ
paper used in &is publiratie>r~ nleets the recluiremcnts of the ~ZmericanSationaf Standard for Pernranence of Paper h r Prirsted Library Materials 239.48-1 984.
The
Contents
List qfIIIz~st~-~~tio~z~ vii A cknou~ledgmen fs ix
Introduction: A Geogropher's Appreciation of America's Wine Country
1 Grapevines Etis Villife~en:Its Origin and Diffusion, I I Native Arnerican Grapevines, I 8
tivors in American Vineyards Today Important Etis Efgifc~enCul tivars, z q Important Non- K~inife1-aCultivars, g j Summary, 61
3 American Environments for Wine Grapes Weather and Clirnate, 66 Soil, 74 Environmental Hazards, 7 7 Managing Environmental Problems, 80 Summary, 82
4 American Wine Making Comes of Age Grapes Become Wine, 85 Modern Changes in Wine Making, 99 LocaGons of h e r i c a n Wineries, I o r T h e American Wine Industly's Changing Structure,
102
vx
CONTENTS
5 Wine Regions and Wine Labe American Wine Regions, 106 Wine Labels: Geography and a Lot More,
I 10
6 American Vititu tural Landscapes Geography and Agriculmral Landscapes, r 2 4 Reading Agriculmral Landscapes, I 2 5 Viricultural Landscapes, I 30 A Comparison of Two Winescapes, 144
7 Seasons, Ceremonies, and Wine-Judging Events The Annual Cycle in a Modern American Mneyard, I jq Local Festivals, Ceremonies, and Celebrations, 1 58 Fairs and Other Wine-Judging Events, I 62
8 The Vititulturo Area as a Working Landscape Living and VVorking Among the Vjnes, 167 The Residents of W n e Country, 167 Wine Regions and Their Towns, 169
9 Communicating About Gropes and Wines Wine in Print: From Academic Journals to Consumer Magazines, 179 Wine on the Worltf mde Web, 189
10 America's Vititu Cultural Trends and American wne Consumption, r 9 2 Viticultural Problems, zop Impors and Exports, z r I
Rcf2rence.r 2 r 3 About $he BookandAgkthor Index 2 2 3
222
Figures 2.1
California5 leading cultivars, mid- 1900s
4.1
Largest wineries in the United States: Total storage capacity, 1995
6.1 62 6,3 6.4 6.5
Head-pruned vines The WO-wire trellis The vertical trellis The lyre, or "U," trellis The Geneva double-curtain trellis system
10.1 The traditional healthy Mediterranean diet pyramid 10.2 h e r i c a n wine exports, 1985-1904
"Toasting" oak barrels Grapevines at Gold Hill Winery, Sierra Nevada foothills Robert Mondavi wnery, Napa Valley Napa Valley welcome sign Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley
Maps 1 2 3
Wine grapes harvested in tons in the United States, 1995 U.S. wineries by state, 1996 Mtieultuml areas in the United Staes, 1 9 6
This page intentionally left blank
Authors incur many debts in the course of writing a book, and I am no exception. My special thanks go first to my wife and childrenCarol, Jason, and Erica. Over the years they have endured more than their share of visits to vineyards, wineries, and wine towns; more recently they left me to the task of writing this book with no complaint9 about the time it took away from them. I also owe considerable thanks to three ~ o g r a p h ycolleagwes: Judith Tyner, who produced the rnaps for this book on very short notice, and both J a m s Curtis and hTicholasPolizzi, who read and cornmented on earlier versions of the manuscript. Wthout their help the book would have suffered in a number of ways. Finally, I would like to thank the many people at wineries across the nation who kindly responded to my letters, phone calls, and personal visits. Their help is greatly appreciated. In addition, the following individuals provided help that required more of their time and effort, and I offer them my heartfelt thanks: Cynthia Hill, Gideon Beinstock, and his wife, Saron (Renaissance Vineyard and mnery); Harvey Posert (Robert Mondavi Winery); Christopher Reed and Marty Laplante (Benziger Family Winery); Leon Santoro (Orfila Vineyards); Hector Bedolla (Hambrecht Vineyards); Jo Diaz (Belvedere Winery); Tom Levesque Wente Brothers); Wendell C.M. Lee ( W n e Institute); and Perky Ramroth (Bureau of Ncohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), Of course, though I have had considerable help along the way, neither the individuals noted above, nor anyone other than I, can be held responsible for whatever shortcomings this book might have.
This page intentionally left blank
~ ~ ~ ~ A GY OI USR SEE L F SI.I.IING in the restaurant veranda at the Domaine Chandon winery in California5 ethereal Napa Valley on a warm September evening. T h e powerful, penetrating light of a late summer day softens around you. T h e sun slips quietly behind the Mayacalnas Mountains; shadows of oaks and conifers grow longer, gadually enbxlfing you. Across the valley, the Vaca Mountains turn rufescent, then become even redder in the waning light. Throughout the valley, the hectic harvest pace slackens as weary workers seek an evening of quiet and rest-ligh:hts are on late at local wineries as fresh grapes begin their journey toward becoming wine. Wine makers fuss about, anxiously smelling and tasting the grapes, making sure that the tangle of hoses is properly routed, praying for another good year. Meanwhile, your waitress brings your cool glass of sparkling Blanc de Noirs, reminds you of the evening5 specials, then leaves you to decide what to eat, to linger quietly and savor the gentle coming of the night. You're in "wine country," and in all likelihood you're loving every minute of it. You came here because you knew, or at least had some idea, what to expect-a dramatic and welcome change of plnce (and probably pace as well!). You are, like most everyone else, a geographer at heart, even though you might never have thought about it. Places, locations, regions-most of us are inmitively interested in them. Professional geographersand I am one-simply carry those interests further, into something of a passion, perhaps. They seek to understand lnore about places-who lives and works in them, how their landscape features have been shaped over time, how they differ from other places, and how they continue to evolve. "Wine counq," as the term is used by typical navelers and wine lovers, sets apart in their minds places that are characterized by the presence of vineyards, wineries, and often small towns that serve the local population and visitors as well. These are working landscapes, hut to many they seem to offer much more. At their richest, they can he synonymous with civilized enjoyment; food, wine, and conversation often come together here in harmonious ways. As Rohert Mondavi wrote (~Veyer1989:6):
mre believe wine is the temperate, civilized, sacred, romantic niealtinie beverage recommended in the Ritde, It is a liquid food that has been has been praised far cenmries part of civilization fur 8,000 ycars. by statcslnen, scholars, poets, and philosophers. It has been used as a re-
li8ous sacrament, as the primay beverage of choice for hod, and as a source of pleasure and dkersic~n.
In contrast to whatever romantic notions about the wine industry we might hold, however, we should also add that wine growing is a serious business. It is currently estimated to have an annual value of more than $12 billion in the United States, which ranks fifth in production among wine-growing nations behind Italy, France, Argentina, and Spain, in that order. In their excellent study of the economics of American wine making, journalists Jay Stuller and Glen Martin (1994:5)have put it more bluntly, telling us that "the . h e r i can wine industry is a hurly-burly venue that includes cutthroat financial dealings and brutal competition for sales." Alnericans have long had a fondness for agricultural landscapes. Although for some people rural landscapes are still reminiscent of the Jeffersonian ideal of an agrarian republic, most see them more realistically as an occasional refuge from the bustling life of modern h ~ e r i c a n cities. To wander among landscapes permeated with colorhl crops, unusual buildings, strange eequipment, small country roads, and fences is to find respite from the city-from its accelerated pace, its congestion, it$ noises and smells, its congested center and dispersed suburbs.
Wine and Geography The study of wine and geography constimtes a delightful marriage, a union not likely to end in either disillusion or dissoludon. Professional geographers approach their smdies of wine in two separate, if not always disdnctively difkrendated, ways. One approach is regional and the other, topical; the t\\.o approaches come together at times, each helping us to better comprehend the other. For most geographers, the topical study of wine would probably begin with maps that show where wine grapes are grown and where wines are made. These maps are descriptive and answer the basic "where" questions for us; they show us the spatial distribution of wine growing (a term used to include both viticulmre, or the growing of grapes, and enology, or the making of wines). These maps then raise other questions, especially the following one: y is wine growing located where it is? Answering such "why" questions leads us in search of related variables, from the annual amount of rainfall and tempera-
tures during the growing season to the market for wines of different types, which is itself a reflection of various cultural characteristics. T h e places where grape growing and wine making are found together delineate discrete regions, which we could simply call "wine regions," or "wine country." Such regions are characterized by the presence of one or more specific criteria, such as the presence of vineyards and wineries, which give the region its distinctiveness. From the topical maps, then, we could identify the locadons of a nadon's wine regions, just as we could identiQ its steel-producing regions, wheatgrowing regions, or urban regions. W n e regions most certainly are distinctive; they differ both from other types of agricultural regions and from urban or manufacturing regions. In turn, their uniqueness generates considerable appeal, hence the consequential popularity of visits to wine country. Furthermore, as geographer Jarnes Newman (1986:301) once commented: "The geography of wine does not end with a landscape. Color, smell, and taste of wine, including judgments about quality, most often stamp a region with its identity." We don't hear many people talk about visiting "beer c o u n q " for example-fields of barley and hops are usually grown far from where the brewers ply their trade, and those fields lack the grace and beauty of long rows of well-tended vines, bright green beneath the summer sun and heavily laden with ripe grapes as fall approaches. At the same time, however, though they have common attributes, not all "winescapes" are the same. Wine regions may he viewed along a continuutn, from landscapes in which wine growing is virmally the only agricultural enterprise to those in which wine grapes are only thinly intermixed with numerous other crops, including apples, cherries, peaches, prunes, walnuts, and even berries. At one end of the continuum is California5 Napa County-which includes h e r i c a 5 archetypal wine region, the Napa Valley-where in one recent year the total value of crop and livestock production was $154,055,000, of which wine-grape production accounted for $147,161,000, or 95.5 percent, of the county's total agricultural output (Napa County Agricultural Crop Report 1994:1, 6). The c o n t i n u u ~extends ~ downward from there to embrace counties in which wine growing accounts for only some small percentage of total agricultural output and commercial wineries may be altogether absent. Nonetheless, all wine regions are of interest from the standpoint of the geographer or the eager tourist willing to seriously consider the landscape as he or she passes through it. Viticultural landscapes have much t t ~tell us,
Regions and Landscapes T h e definition of a wine region can generally he agreed upon. Wine regions have boundaries that can be drawn around them, and that process has been going on unofficially for decades and officially (as implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms [BATF]) for more than a decade now, with the BATF designadon of An~ericanViticultural Areas ( A m ) . T h e terms "place" and "landscape" are more ambiguous. The professional literature in geography is enlivened with detailed discussions of place and landscape, both of which are central to the very core of the discipline. A place can best be thought of first as a locality, a location, or a particular milieu; places, then, are considerably influenced by the people who occupy them and by the culture within which they exist. They may have a notable distinctiveness-what both ~ o g r a p h e r and s many great novelists recognize as a sense of place, or local ambience. A landscape consists of what we see in front of us, from the shape of the land and its covering of vegetation to the cultural impress of roads, buildings, land uses, and inhabitant$. Geographers often distinguish bemeen natural and cultural landscapes, though there are few of the former remaining today; most landscapes sustain mark5 of human exploration and habitation. Agricultural landscapes constitute specific types of cultural landscapes. They consist primarily of topographic surfaces, the kinds of plants and anirnals that are produced and nurtured within them, and the assemblage of structures that people have added to make these landscapes more productive. From rolling fields of grain and gleaming g"n elevators to trellised rows of grapevines and adjacent wineries, agricultural landscapes reflect what people have been able to do with their natural environment. Of course, all cultural landscapes change over time, influenced by everytkng from the discovery of new crops and improved technology to changing tastes among consumers. Geographers have long studied agricultural landscapes, especially their form and evolution. Descriptive studies of agricultural regions have focused on their appearance, principally on cropping practices and the array of built structures found within the regions. These stlucmres, in turn, sewe (tjStinctive -purp~ses. Some fiarrtlhouses, for example, may have been built at least partly to be pleasing to their inhabitants, whereas others may have been designed to facilitate certain functions. Over time, of course, as land uses change, buildinp once desibmed for one function may be converted to another; others remain
only as relics, often slumping under the weight of gravity, solenin evidence of changing times. A number of old dairy barns in the United States, for example, are now serving as wineries; horse barns in the Midwest, by contrast, have normally been allowed to deteriorate as tractors have replaced horses in the fields. Built environments not only tell us about a region's function hut also provide clues to local cultural influences and even to the use of local building materials. Agricultural landscapes evolve as the result of numerous individuals making decisions about how to use the land, how to build buildings, and how best to design settlements to serve rural residents. Confronted with similar physical environments, rational people end up making similar decisions about which crops to grow and how to grow them. Topography, climate, inherent fertility of the soil, and water availability combine to determine which plants and animals can be maintained profitably in a particular location. Some r e ~ o n may s be extremely constrained by environmental circumstances, whereas others have a wide array of farming possibilities. For example, a farmer in California's E>Bordeau,
Pinot Noir is the great red cultivar of Burgundy, the grape that provides us wit11 the fine wines of the Ciite dYC)r;it is also one of two important red grapes in the Champagne region of France (along with Pinot Meunier, which has only recently been planted in small amounts in the United States). In Burgundy we find such royal wine names as Chambertin, Romande-Conti (among the world's most expensive wines), and Clos Vougeot. Pinot Noir is a grape of welldefined tlavors, hence under ideal conditions it leads to great wines, whether still or sparkling. Classic Pinot Noir tastes are often elusive; they may include hints of smoke, leather, mint, plums, and cherries. I he Pinot Noir grape has often been considered difficult to grow, though many winegrowers have been determined to coax the best out of it by finding ideal locales in which to plant and nurmre the vines. As chef and wine writer Roy Andries de Groot (1982:136) once noted: Evevwhcre the Pinot Noir has prowcd itsdf to be one of the most (if P 3
not the most) denlanding, difficult, recalcit~.ant,and temperasnenul of all ~ape.Lrines.For even reasonable success, it requires near perfection of go-rvxngconditions. Even at its very best, away from tlurpndy m e seldom finds the jyotls feel ~1x1the tonkwe of satin, silk, and velvet.
M A J O R ULIVARS IBt AMERICAN V I N E Y A R D S TODAY
3r
PfXGi214 LAKES
Pinot Noir vines are considered weak and delicate; they are also miserly producers, with well-pruned vineyards often yielding less than one ton per acre. They reach optimum quality and flavor in the coolest viti~vlturalregions, and even there, only in selected sites. Within California, Pinot Noir reaches it5 best in places such as the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Carneros, and the Russian River Valley. Some wine writers have suggested that Oregon's cool Wllamette Valley may become America's premier Pinot Noir region; small acreag.es are planted in a few other states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, Idaho, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and hTewYork.
Inpodzm'ng Some Other Impomlzt Caltivars There certainly is more to the enological world than the noble four alone would allow; a part ofwine's appeal is its almost infinite variety. Although the four noble grapes and their geographic distributions certainly deserve the special attention they have already received, they hardly constitute a comprehensive picture of viticulture in Anlerica in the 1990s. Many other cultivars are also important, even if their names are sometimes less well known and their wines perhaps a touch less "aristocratic." Because of recent consumer preferences
for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to the virtual exclusion of some less-appealing varieties (a situation that may now be easing a little, as we shall soon see), acreages of many less-appreciated cultivars are declining; for example, grapes such as Riesling and Gewiirztraminer have already experienced serious declines in acreage in sorne states, Some grapes, such as French Colombard, Barbera, and Carignane, remain the workhorses of the h e r i c a n wine industry; they are grown in large quandties, primarily in the warmer climate zones of California's Great Central Valley, and are blended into countless vats of generic table wines. Others, including Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, can produce wines that at their best can rival wines made from the noble grapes. However, they are sometimes grown in the warmer climates as well, where their wines may not be as good, though their yields will be high enough to make growing them profitable anyway (remember, the wine industry is a business). It is impossible, of course, to contemplate here the characteristics, utilization, and geographic distributions of all of the wine cultivars that are grown in the United States (the California Agricultural Statistics Service alone currently reports acreage figures for fifty-two different wine cultivars, not counting multiuse grapes such as Thompson Seedless, which can be k m n t e d into wine, eaten fresh, or turned into raisins). Hor,ver;er, those that are considered hrther on are among the most important ones, either in terms of overall acreage or current consumer interest in the marketplace. Changing consumer preferences are leading winegrowers in some new viticultural dirclctions in t h d n i t e d Smtes, and our discussion of important cultivars begins with three such trends: the rising popularity of many French Rh6ne cultivars, the renewed interest in Italian cultivars, arld the creation of &at are now called (thanks to a contestthat was held a few years ago to search for a "non-French" name for these blends of Bordeaux grapes!) "Meritage wines." Despite the fact that the Meritage category, by definition, is composed of blends of wines from different Bordeaux grapes, most Meritage cultivars are also produced as varietal wines. Rh6ne and Italian cultivars appear both as varietal wines and in Rh6ne and Italian blends, respectively. In all three categories, some of the included cultivars have been grown in h e r i c a (mainly in California) for decades (Petite Sirah and Barbera are examples), whereas others are just starting to be planted mognier and Nebbiolo, for example).
MAJOR CULTIVARS W I A M E R I C A N V I N E Y A R D S TODAY
33
Cultivarsfiom France's Rhhne Valb Often considered the founding father of the "Rh6ne Rangersn-a group of California wine makers committed to making RhGne-type wines-Randall Grahaln (of Bonny Doon) has been a clever and outspoken leader among enthusiasts who began in the 1980s to command more attention for wines made from Rh6ne grapes, either as varietal wines or as f i 6 n e blends, French f i 6 n e wines rmdement a similar rise in popularity at about the same time, partly because of rising prices for the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy and partly because they were popularized by Robert Parker, perhaps .41nericaYsmost prominent wine critic, in his 1987 book The Wilzes ofthe RhG~~lze l~ndP~*[zve.lzctl. For viti~vlturalpurposes, France5 Rh6ne Valley is often divided into northern and southern segments. Syrah and Wognier are the predominant cultivars in the Northern Rh6ne. T h e Southern Rh6ne is best known for its blended wines, including the widely known Chgteauneuf-du-Pape (which may legally include up to thirteen different cultivars in its wines). Wines have been produced in the Rh6ne Valley and transported along the Rh6ne River for more than 2,000 years. .Mthough it is best known for it5 red wines, the Rhbne Valley produces white wines as well, and at least one white Rh6ne cultivar (Vi~ognier)has materialized in a few American vineyards recently.
Because Petite Sirah was grown in America (almost exclusively in California) about a century before the current popular aend toward Rh6ne cultivars began, we begin with it, even though most winegrowers omit it from their Rh6ne blends and it may have no "true" linkage to the Rh6ne Valley whatsoever. Like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah is a grape that has a somewhat tangled and nearly indecipherable past in California. It was long believed to be the great grape of France's Rh6ne Valley-the Syrah-and was then thought for a time to have been the Icsscr-known Durif. But it now appears tkat California's Petite Sirah is of unknown parentage; it is included here under Rhbne cultivars mainly for convenience and because it has been @aditionally thought of as a Rh6ne cultivar. Petite Sirah produces small black berries in medium-sized clusters; it is believed to be quite resistant to downy mildew. Yields range from
around five tons per acre in the cooler climates to up to eight tons per acre in the warmer climates of the Great Central Valley. However, Petite Sirah is widely distributed in California; Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, and Sonoma Counties are the leading producers, which demonstrates that the grape is being grown in a variety of different viticulmral climates and for a variety of reasons (from being used in jug wines to its use in a few serious, and increasingly expensive, varietd wines). h i d e from Cdifornitl, Arizona m y have the only other Petite Sirah vines growing in the United states today. By the mid-lSOs, Petite Sirah acreage in the United States had declined to just under 2,500, reflecting a combination of the popularity of white and blush wines in the 1970s and 1 9 8 0 ~the ~ dominance of Cahernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the red-wine market, and the renewed interest in Syrah and other "tme" Rh6ne grapes and various Italian cultivars and blends. Wi11es made horn Petite Sirah arc dark in color, which has made it popular as a blending grape in inexpensive red wines; Petite Sirah wines are often described as "inky" and can temporarily stain even the whitest teeth. Characteristically, these wines are quite tannic, especially when young, and they age only slowly. T h e nutnber of wineries making Petite Sirah as a varietal wine has fallen in recent years, but despite this, prices have been rising.
Syrah ranges toward noble status in France (especially in the wines of Hermitage and C6te R&tie), has become an important cvltivar in wines of the Midi region in the south of France (where it is often
MAJOR CULTIVARS W I A M E R I C A N V I N E Y A R D S TODAY
3g
blended wick Cabernet Sau~rignon),m d has been ~ansplantedsuccessfully as far away as ~ u s t r a c a(where it is usually called Shiraz, not Syrah, and reaches its pinnacle in Penfolds's rich and powerful Grange-one of the world5 truly great red wines). At its best, Syrah can make wines that rival Cahernet Sauvignon in depth, richness, and aging potential. Considered easier to grow than Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah is a good producer, resists most comlnon pests and diseases, and is gradually increasing in popularity. In California, the true Syrah grape of the Rh6ne Valley is now being produced as a varietal wine by a growing number of wineries. This grape, more elegant and refined than the better-known and more widely planted Petite Sirah, now has a total acreage of nearly 1,000. &Mthoughhardly a formidable competitor at this point, interest
in Syrah is growing steadily and its acreage is increasing. At the same time, on the opposite side of the continent, primarily in Virginia, Syrah and other Rhhne grapes are finding new homes as well. There is also a small acreage of it in Texas.
Carignane originated in Spain (where it is known as Carifiena), though it is most widely grown today in the Midi region of France (where it is called Carignan and has flourished since the eleventh century). It is also grown to a lesser extent in the southern Rhhne Valley. Carignane remains the leading grape in France in terms of acreage (though hardly quality) and is the true workhorse of French viticulture. Nevertheless, its acreage has declined considerably in recent years. In Alnerica (again, mainly in California), Carignane is something of a latecomer compared to Petite Sirah, having arrived only after Prohibidon ended in 1933. Carignane is a moderate-sized grape, black in color, that grows in medium-sized clusters. Its main appeal is prodigious yields, not high quality; in cooler climates it yields perhaps five to eight tons per acre, though in the warmer regions it may yield up to twelve or thirteen tons per acre. In cool regions it is susceptible to powdery mildew, whereas in the warmest regions it has problems with bunch rot. In the warrnest viticulmral climates, this grape can maintain reasonable acid and tannin levels, though it can produce more balanced-if neither particularly distinctive nor charming-table wines when it is grown in viticultural climates similar to those suitable for good Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. In California, Carignane is planted primarily in the Great Centlal Valley, where it serves as an important ingredient in bulk wines. In the mid-l090s, there were nearly 9,000 acres of Carignane in the state; San Joaquin and Madera Counties each had more than 2,700 acres, far in excess of the number found in any other single county and reflective of this grape's strong concentration in the state's hottest growing zones. Little of this culdvar is grown elsewhere.
Originating in Spain, where it is known as Garnacha (or possibly in Sardinia, according to some ampelographers, where something very
MAJOR CULTIVARS W I A M E R I C A N V I N E Y A R D S TODAY
37
much like it is known as Cannonau), Grenache is widely grown in southern France, including the southern Rh6ne Valley, where it is the most important cultivar in Chgteauneuf-du-Pape, for example. It remains Spain's most widely planted red grape and is exceeded in acreage in southern France only by Carignane. Grenache vines are viprous, tend toward erect growth, and yield rather light-colored berries that have long been popular for roses hecause they lack sufficient color to make darker red wines without blending them with other grapes such as Syrah. Grenache does well in most viticultural climates; however, yields are higher and more consistent in the warmer regions. There were more than 12,000 acres of Grenache in California in the mid-lO90s, concentrated primarily in Fresnr), Kern, and iwadera Counties, h inmease in Grenache plantings has occurred in recent years, reflecting the growing interest in Rh6ne-style wines in America; so far, however, little of it is grown outside California.
Moui-v2dre is ant>tlier red grape from Spain (where it is known as Monastrcll), but it has long been established in parts of the southern Rh6ne Valley and is important in many Rh6ne blends. Mourv&dre is relatively low in acidity, often lacks deep color, and yields less than Carignane, though it is also less subject to powdery xnildew. ~Mc~uwkdre vines are reasonably vigorous, have a good upright growth pattern, and do best in the warmer viticulmral climates. In the ttlicl-l.VY(ls, &ere were only 3 35 acres of Mourvhdre in California (where it is known as Mataro and has begun to claim high prices), two-thirds of which were planted in Contra Costa
County. Virginia also has a few acres planted in Mourvt.dre, near Charlsttes\rllle,
Viognier is the great white grape of the northern Rh6ne Valley; it ascends to its enological apogee in the wines of R i > I ALlct>nlnent,q for wine growing. High-quality prernium wines can be produced in the cooler regions (sometimes with American or French-American hybrids), and good drinkable wines (perhaps the best in the worltl in this category) can be produced in large quantities in the warmer regions, especially when high-acid grape varieties are selected for planting. California's mild winters minimize freezing problems, whereas eastern growers are less fortunate; early frosts, though possible, are not as severe a problem as they are in places like Germanyis Rheingau or France$ Burgundy or Champagne. Plenty of sun during the summer (especially in western vineyards) means that grapes here usually ripen to maturity without difficulty, though at the same time maintaining acid levels becomes a problem in the warmer viticzrlmral clixnates such as those of CaliforniaKrereat Central Valley, especially in warm years. It is little wonder, then, that California condnues to produce more than 90 percent of the nation5 wines, the best of which can compete with any in the world. Washington state is becoming a formidable competitor, however, and more selective successes can be found from Oregon5 Pinot Noirs to the excellent sparkling wines, Rieslings, and Chardonnays of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
84
A M E R I C A N WIME MAKIMG C O M E S O F A G E
& ~ S E N * T I A L L Y ~ W I N E I S A S I M P L E B E Y E R A C ~ E ;it can literally make itself. It is consumed by millions every day with little more thought given to it than to the bread that typically accompanies it. This wholesome beverage is far Inore often consumed from water glasses than fine crystal, with no apparent loss in satisfaction for the average wine drinker, despite what many wine writers and glass manufacturers would have you believe. Today, wine makers are able to make acceptable wines with relative ease, though the best wines require far more than that statement suggests. Modern American wine making ranks among the best in the world; h e r i c a n enological innovations have diffused widely throughout the wine-growing regions of Europe and are making their way into the Southern Henlisphere as well, from South Africa and Australia to Chile and Argentina. T h e quality of wines from all of these regions has increased significantly during the last decade or so. Within the United States, new technologies have been embraced by most wineries during the past thirty years, though capital scarcity has slowed adoption of some new equipment by many small wineries. New technology has created a wine-making armosphere that is much more science than art, though wine makers still make final decisions that may result as much from intuition as from analysis, from careful tasting and thinking rather than from computer readouts of test tube analyses. Wine must assuredly have seerned mysterious to those first early "wine makers." They had no scientific explanadon for what they observed: Grapes, left to their own devices (the namral combination of grape sugar and wild yeast initiates fermentation without any help from humans) in a crude container, could produce a special and delightful beverage-wine-and this must have helped make life better for many at an early date. We do know? though, that the engaging mysteries of those ancient products of the wine maker's art became indelibly intertwined with religious experiences at a very early time. Bacchus and Dionysus are still invoked today, reminders of the esteem with which wine was held by many ancient peoples. In our current age of modern science and technology, much of the mystery that once cloaked this unique beverage has been removed. Within the last century, almost every operation in wine making has become clearly understood and, when possible, has been refined and modified to produce the best possible product. This is not to say,
AMERICA& WINE IdiBt(lMG COMES O f A G E
85
however; that science alorlc has replacetl the vvine maker5 an; subjective decisions still have to be mad; at every step of the process, from decisions about planting and tending vineyards through deciding when to harvest and how long to ferment to deciding which final blends reach the bottling lines.
Grapes Become Wine Scarcely more than one century ago, French scientist Louis Pasteur (linked forever to milk, via "pasteurization") discovered that fermentation could be simply defined as life without air, that it was an "anaerobic" process, as opposed to "aerobic" processes (including that popular exercise). In the fermentation process, sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeast; the alcohol is retained and the carbon dioxide harmlessly escapes (except when sparkling wines are being made). It is from fermentation that the living yeast receives its energy. Without this energy, the yeast could not reproduce; without yeast there would be no wine (and no beer or leavened bread, for that matter). And some people, Hugh Johnson and Robert Mondavi among them, might go so far as to say that withour wine &ere would be no civilization as we h o w it. In ancient times, wine makers depended entirely on the wild yeasts present on the skins of the grapes to initiate fermentation. Today, however, the types and amounts of yeasts are usually controlled with considerable care, though occasionally wine makers still encourage wild yeasts to do the job. As enology professors Maynard Amerine and Vernon Singleton (1977:74) noted, "The biochemistry of fermentation not only beautifully illutninates and clarifies the ancient art of making wine, but also explains and makes possible a calculated control of many of the 'mysteries' which baffled the ardsan winemaker." They added, "Aesthetics, however, is still a part of (and should not be displaced from) wine production and wine appreciation, but mystique should not remain if knowledge can he substituted." Common strains of wine yeasts used in American wine making today include Montrachet, Pasteur Champagne, California Champagne, and Epernay 2; the choice of yeast depends both on preferences of individual wine makers and on the cultivars to which they are adding it. From the planting of the vines to the bottling of the final product, a majority of & h e r i c a nwinegrowers apply the most modern h o w l -
86
A M E R I C A N WIME MAKIMG C O M E S O F A G E
edge and sophisticated equipment to make the best wines that they possibly can. T h e best contemporary wineries have well-equipped laboratories, or they send wine samples out to laboratories for analysis if they do not. Wine makers, especially at the larger and bettercapitalized wineries, are as likely to look and talk like chemists as they are to resemble the romantic characters that people often envision them m be, the "little old wine makers" of marketing fame, such as in the old advertisement for Italian Swiss Colony. Outside their labs, however, many have achieved "star" stams in the 1990s. W n e makers Paul Draper, Tim Mondavi, Randy Dunn, Heidi Barrett, U'arren Winiarski, Randall Graham, and Helen Turley, for example, are as well known to lovers of wine and food as are chefs Julia Child, VVolfgang Puck, Marcella Hazan, and Aice Waters. Different types of wines require different production techniques. We will consider only the fundamental steps here in the production of table wine (white, red, rosk, and blush), sparkling wine (champagne), and fortified wine (port and sherry). In each case oaly the basics are ctiscrrssed below. @ t a s t e d readers in search of Illore detail and depth are encouraged to consult references such as Jeff Cox 119851 or Ernile Peynaud I1Y84j.)
White table wine is produced by fermenting only the juice of the grape (which is white-or clear--even in most red gapes), without much extraction of solids and without the skins of the grapes. Mthough it sounds simple enough, making consistently good white wines is not always easy. Writing about the production of white wines, .hepine and Singleton (1977: 12 1) have said that "when well made, they have a delicate fruity yet vinous odor (with the appropriate varietal notes) and a light straw to bright medium-gold color, with no ntuddiness or brown and no off-fiavors." Care must he taken to harvest grapes when they are at exactly the right stage of maturity, ~ n e r a l l ywith sugar levels around 20 to 23 degrees Brix. Brix is a scale for measuring the sugar content of a solution; it assesses the weight of sugar in the juice, or "must," as a proportion of the total weight of the solution. The most common tools for measuring the sugar content of a must are hydrometers and refractometers (for details about their use see Amerine and Ough 119801). In simple terms, if we have 100 pounds of must, and it con-
AMERICA& WINE IdiBt(lMG COMES O f A G E
87
tains 23 pounds of sugar, then the must would have a sugar content of 23 degrees Brix (most, but not all, of the sugars-mainly glucose and fmctose---iM the must- are fermentaltle), A carehl balance between sugar and acidity needs to be maintained in order to produce good table wines. Overly ripe grapes not only lead m an imbalance between sugar (too much) and acid (too little) but also to alcohol levels that may also be too high for a table wine. In addition, low acidity results in "flatness" or "flabbiness," leading to wines that are insipid. Overripe grapes may also give wines an undesirable "raisiny" quality, at one time common in many California Zinfandels, especially those made from grapes grown in the Great Central Valley. If the must is fermented dry (that is, until there is no fermentable sugar left), then the alcohol content of the finished wine can he calmlated hy multiplying the Brix measurement of the unfermented must by a factor of 0.55. For example, if a must measured 23 degrees Brix and was fermented dry (normally defined as having less than 0.1 percent residual sugar in the finished wine, though sugar probably remains undetectable for most people up to about 0.5 percent), it would then have an alcohol content of around 12.6 percent, a typical figure for a dry table wine. Once grapes for white wines have reached their desired maturity level, it is important that they be harvested promptly and moved as expeditiously as possible from the vineyard to the winery. There, they p immediately to a cmsher-stemmer, which both breaks the skins and separates the grapes from their stems. Allowing the grapes to sit around after they are harvested courts disaster; evaporadon, bacterial activity, and oxidation are potential hazards. From the crusher-stemmer, the crushed grapes are moved to the press (in modern wineries, bladder presses are commonly used today), where the juice is separated from the pulp, seeds, and skins. T h e juice, or "must" as it is generally known at this point, is treated with sulfur dioxide (which is why virtually all commercial wines contain sulfites, a fact now duly noted on wine labek), and is then allowed tt, sir for a few hours. Sulfur dioxide inhibits browning, slows oxidation, and helps to control the growth of undesirable organisms, especially wild yeasts and bacteria. Care must be aken, however; to m i x the sulhr dioxide carefully throughout the must and to use it in amounts that are sufficient for the purpose but not so great as to become discernible in the finished product. Too much sulfur can be devimental
88
A M E R I C A N WIME MAKIMG C O M E S O F A G E
to a wine's quality, resulting in undesirable sulfurous aromas and flavors. Sulhr may be especially detectable when a bottle is first opened. The must then enters fermentation vats, where a carefully selected wine yeast is added and fermentation begins. In America today, most white wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel ferrnentation tanks at relatively low temperaturesbetween 45 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. At these lower temperatures, fermentation takes three weeks or more, but that dme is well spent because white wines fermented at low temperatures preserve their namral fruitiness much better than those fermented at higher temperatures. Despite the overwhelming popularity nf temperature-controlled fementation in stainless steel tanks for most white wines, some producers follow other procedures. For example, a number of premium wine producers like to ferment at least a portion of their Chardonnay in small oak barrels (such as French Nevers or Limc~t~sin) in order to increase its complexity. However, careful judgment must be exercised by the wine maker or the resultant wine may be unbalanced because of excess "oakiness," a common occurrence in many California Chardonnays since the 1970s. Too much oak can detract from the fruit's natural flavors and aromas, and heavily oaked wines may he hard to match with foods. Wiiting about Chardonnay, for example, wine writer Dan &erger (1995) said, "I prefer fruit flavors and aromas to those arising from production techniques. . . . I look for wines that are made simply, so the fruit has a chance to assert itself." Others, of course, want to taste oak in their Chardonnay; there is a sufficient variety of different styles out there to provide something for almost everyone, After fermentation, white wines are tj~picallyracked (removed from the solids, or lees, &at: have sealed to the bor:tr:lm of the fermemation tanks), fined (to remove remaining sediments that are suspended in the new wine), and perhaps cold-stabilized (to prevent the formation of tartrate crystals in the bottle). The wine then goes into oak barrels, stainless steel tanks, or bottles, depending on the variety and style of the grape and wine and the discretion of the wine maker. Fruity white wines such as Riesling and Chenin Blanc are usually ready for stainless steel and then bottles, though occasionally Chenin Blanc may receive a short time in oak barrels. Chardonnay, on the other hand, is generally destined first for some time in oak. Wine makers generally use barrels made from such French oaks as Nevers and Limousin. However, .herican oak is gaining in popularity, be-
AMERICA& WINE IdiBt(lMG COMES O f A G E
89
These orrk hm~elsare brirzg "tonstm" to be mmade P-eady fbrMY. Photo cotirtny ofScg~i:r~in Mol*egu USA, INC.
cause of its lower cost and improved cooperage techniques, most of which have been brought to the United States by French cooperage fimts. After aging in oak, the Chardonnay will be ready for bottling. Before bottling, however, some wine makers blend different lots of Chardonnay-say, some aged in Nevers and others in Limousin-for even more complexity of flavors and aromas. F o r the most part, those white wines that do not go into oak are ready to drink quite young and will be short-lived; they should he enjoyed immediately for their
9s
A M E R I C A N WIME MAKIMG C O M E S O F A G E
inherent freshness and forthright fruitiness. Those that gain some complexity from oak are going to mature somewhat more slowly. Many American Chardonnays will ilnprove for at least two or three years in bottles, though most are not going to he long-lived.
Red T&bke f;lvz"%ie The p e a t Anlerican wine authority Leon Adams, who died in 1995 in his ninetieth year, used to say that all wines would be red if they could. Red wines received a significant boost in popularity when the television news program 60 A'linzltes did a segment in 1901 (and a follow-up in 1995) touting the health benefit%of red wine. Always eager for the "quick fix," &hepicansquickly began consuming more red wines, Grapes for red table wines are generally harvested at 21 to 23 degrees Brix. Occasionally, Zinfandels have been made from riper grapes, sometimes creating alcoholic "monsters," though such wines 3re currently out of favor with most cmsunlers. Unlike rlle process for making white wines, red grapes do not have the juice immediately separated from the skins after they are crushed. 7'annins and coloring pigment5 for red wines come mainly from the skins; the juice of most red grapes is actually clear. As with white wines, however, the grapes are treated with sulfur dioxide during or immediately after crushing. Once in the fermentation tanks, the must is inoculated with yeast, and fermentation then begins. Unlike white wines, red wines are still not normally fermented at low temperamres, though it is important to see that the temperamre of the fermenting must does not rise above about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the higher fermentation temperatures, red wines complete their fermentation more rapidly than white wines, usually in about one week. Before fermentation ceases, however, the wine maker must closely xnonitor the extraction of color and tannins. When desired color and tannin levels are reached, the must is moved to the press so that it can he separated from the skins and other solids. Fermentation may continue after pressing if it has not already finished. The completed red wine is then racked for clarification and moved into containers for aging. These are generally small oak barrels of French, American, or even German or Yugoslavian origin, according to the tastes and financial resources of the wine maker. Sometimes more neutral (in the sense that they have little or no effect on the
AMERICA& WINE IdiBt(lMG COMES O f A G E
gr
taste of the finished wine), redwood or stainless steel vats may be employed. There has been a general tendency to reduce the amount of time that h e r i c a n red wines are aged in oak barrels, partly in response to consumer preferences for lighter, less tannic red wines that can be consurned while they are still relatively young. Most American wine consumers drink their wines soon after they purchase them. We should at least briefly mention the increasingly popular i ~ o z ~ u c n ~ ~ (literally, "new") wines. Long a tradition in France5 Beaujolais region, these wines, though red, are released in the hTovemberimmediately following the vintage. In other words, in the fall, grapes are harvested, vinified, and bottled for release in Novernber of that saxrre year-they are aged not at all. More and more French Beaujolais is made in this fashion because it is a real "cash cow" for the producers. More California producers are entering the fray as well, making products that certainly rival the French in quality and usually beat them in price. In recent years, even the Italians have entered the nouveau wine market. Nouveau wines are produced by a process called carbonic maceration, which involves processing the grapes for several days under a pressurized carbon dioxide "blanket. " T h e main effect of this processing is to soften the tamins in the must, thus allowing the red wine to be ctrirlkahle wtthin a few weeks of tile harvest. In France, the reiease of the first Beaujolais wines in November is cause for celebration; it provides the first indication of the quality of the vintage (and, of course, one Inore good reason for Parisians and others to revel in the pleasures of the grape). Nouveau wines are often pleasant, even "quaffable," but they are short-lived and should be consumed within a few months of their release. Their appeal is their youthhl fruitiness, not their ageworthiness. In California, various red grapes have been used to make nouveau wines, including 1 C;Mk
W I R E 1;tEGlOWS A N D W I N E L A B E L S
I
x r
are still guided primarily (and, I might add, correctly, for the most part) by the brand name nn the bottle; find producers that you like and you don't have to worry much about the more complicated issues associated with appellations and other details. Nonetheless, there are now hundreds of different second labels in the United States, and knowing something about them can often lead budget-minded consumers to good buys.
The Type of Wine in the Boele Each label must identify the type of wine that is contained in the bottle, such as table wine, dessert wine, fortified wine, or sparkling wine. T h e most important ways nf identifying table wines are as (1) varietal wines, (2) generic wines, and (3) proprietary wines. Varietal Wines. Varietal wines are designated by the g a p e variety from which they are made, such as Cabernet Sauvipon, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, or Chardonnay. In order to use the varietal name on the label, however, at least 75 percent of the wine must have been made from that g a p e (which still means that a Chardonnay, for example, could include up to 25 percent of wine made from other grapes). On the one hand, the 75 percent minimum level is well above the 5 1 percent level for varietal wines that prevailed until 1978. On the other hand, Jess Jackson (owner of Kendall-Jackson Vineyards) began actively campaigning in the mid-1990s to raise the current 75 percent minimum to 85 percent. Whether this is a p o d idea or not depends on your perspective-in some ways too much has already been made of varietal labeling, and blending wines made from different grapes is becoming more common again. There is nothing essentially better about a varietal wine compared to a blend; the quality of what is in the bottle depends nn grapes, weather, and human skills. Genwic Wi~fzes. Generic wines are typically labeled with broad regonal names (most often those of European wine regions, much to the chapin of foreign producers) such as Burgundy, Chablis, and Chianti. The implication, of course, is that there is some similarity beween what is in the bottle and what you might find in a bottle of wine imported from that European wine region. Nothing could snay much further from the truth. There are no restrictions on the types of grapes that are contained in these generic wines; most are blends of different grapes, usually from warm growing regions. A California or New York Chablis, for example, is likely to have lots of French Colomhard or
I
x
2
W I R E t;tEG10#S A M D W I N E L A B E L S
even some hybrid juice in it (and maybe even some Thompson Seedless in some cases); it is unlikely to contain any Chardonnay, even though that would be the only ingredient in a "real" French Chablis. Fortunately, Anlerican wine makers have moved away from most generic labels, even for "jug" wines, those mass-produced, inexpensive, but often quite pleasant and well-made products from producers located mainly in Californiak Great Central Valley and in viti~vltural pockets from Washington to New York and Virginia. Proprietary Wines. Proprietary wines, those labeled with names that are "invented" by the winery, are becoming more common (both at the low- and high-price levels, as noted already concerning Meritage wines), perhaps because American wineries are now more interested in distancing themselves from the names of European wine regions and less interested in invidious comparisons. Many (perhaps most) proprietary names have no meaning at all; some say no more
than "Red Table Wine," though others are often quite creativeBonny DoonS Le Cigare Volant, for example, or Hop Kiln's Thousand Flowers. Other examples include the following: Horton Vineyards offers C6tes d'Orange; Heitz Wine Cellars produces Ryan7s Red, named after Joseph Weitz's first grandson; Boeger Winery, located in Placerville, in California5 "Gold Country," produces Hangtown Red, named after the once-con~monn i h a t n e of Placemilte as "Hangtown"; Washington5 Bainbridge Island Wnery makes an aptly named Ferryboat ite; Willamette Valley k7neyards produces Ore-
W I R E 1;tEGlOWS A N D W I N E L A B E L S
I
x3
PIC)DUC:kD AND mi&)f";kS;D BY C%a%, INC. AIgOIIRL Il%xc%BV tO%
A m 2 3 ABKRWb5
**IN ( I , ""P
p4&~&~9~~~~4~~~445~~~&~+~~gw~+~33$-ggf~r4~42p~
gon Edelweiss; Oakencroft makes Countlyside te; and Leeward Winery offers Coral, a blush wine. Occasion he line bemeen generic and proprietary becomes blurred, as with Wiederkehr's Alpine Chablis. Elsewhere on the proprietary label you will usually (but not always!) find some indication of what grapes the wine in the bottle was actually made from. For example, the back label might indicate that a proprietary red wine is made from 50 percent Petite Sirah and 50 percent Cahernet Sauvignon (so it could legally be called neither Petite Sirah nor Cabernet Sauvipon because of the 75 percent rule). Nor are all proprietary labels used for inexpensive table wines anymore. Many are used m designate premium and even ultrapremium wines: lMeritage blends (red or white, almost exclusively using grape varieties tElat w o d d be used in France5 Bordeaux blends), lcalim blends (which may also include some Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon), and m a n e blends are good examples. They often do not contain a sufficient percentage of wine from one culdvar to be labeled as a varietal wine, yet they have been made with expensive grapes and is$*>) considerable care. Insibmia from Joseph Phelps is a good example, as is Opus ( h e , the famous ~Mmdavi-RothscKld wine, or T r i l o ~from Flora Springs. //y; Somewhat more satirically, Gundlach.-iL+mefeamre articles on wlnes, wine makers, or vir-icultn.~~. Their nulnbers are legion (finite, but uncountable-I think that is how mathematicians might phrase it!). Good examples include the following: CalifOmrtr fisitorr Review (published in El Verano, California, just outside the town of Sonoma), Nupn Vnlley (published in Redwood City, California), Steppln ' O2~t:Calq~~fomin 's Wine CofdfznyAil,4aggzilze (published in Fort Bragg, California), Gfdest West (published in Napa, California), Wi~zeC ~ ~ n tAlmonltc ry (published in Paso Robles, t y Cozgntiy (published in Jackson, CaliCalifornia), Amn~lur-C ~ ~ nWi~ze fornia, by the h a d o r Vintners Association), Sie~rgFoothills Vine Times (published in Placerville, California), Discover O~*egon Wiaeries (published in Portland by the Oregon wnegrowers' Association and the Oregon Wine Advisory Board), Latinrlie 46 (published in Seattle by the U'ashington Wine Commission), the Grqe fine (published in Prosser, U'ashington, and providing information on the wines and wineries of the Yakima, Columbia, and Walla Walla Valleys), Cololgd~ Wi~zeCozrntly Toz~~s (published in Grand Junction by the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board), Wilzes of the Ex[[$ High Phins (published in Lubbock by the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute), Virginia Winer+iu.r:El;~iniaWine Cou~ztry(published in Richmond by the Vrginia Wine Marketing Program), N07"~hEat: Wetcome to WifzeCou~zw(published in North East, Pennsylvania), Ijilzger Lnkes Re@n Envel Guide (published in Penn Yan, New York), Cqgdgg Wige Enil (published in Fayette, New York), and the Nem Englglzd Wi~ze Ggzette. Almost anywhere that you find vineyards and wineries you can find someone writing about the area (check with local chambers of commerce or with wineries in a particular area).
Food Pzlblications Replay& Incladi~gWine Aaz'cIes The marriage of food and wine, perhaps as old as winegrowing itself, finds its way into the publication world in a significant way. Many food (or food and wine) magazirles fcamre at least a wine cohn:~nand often feamre menus that indude wine as well. Food /rnd m e is one good example of this genre. Published in New York, this magazine regularly publishes wine articles. Contributing editors include Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer, Elin McCoy, and
I
86
COMMU#\CATl#G ABOUT GRAPES A N D VVlafES
John Frederick Walker. G o l d ~ ~ ~also e t , published in New York, is another. Wine writer Gerald Asher contributes a regular column titled "Wine Journal," which is usually an in-depth look at some wine, wine region, or facet of the wine industry. Two others round out the national list: Cook 5 Iilzrs~gted(published in BrooWine, Massachusetts) has a wine article in each issue, and Bon Appititit (published in Los Ang.eles) features a monthly column, "wne and Spirits," by wine writer Anthony Dias Blue. Also out West, wine writer Bob Thompson contributes an all-too-brief monthly column to Szdnset. Even more health-oriented food publications are recognizing the value of wine as part of a healthy diet. Erting wll, for example, maintains on it5 staff a wine consultant, Irving Shelby Smith, who regularly writes wine articles for that magazine.
Newsle~ws@omWineries, Wine Shops, and Other Sozlrces Wnery newsletters have increased rapidly in number. Although their content runs the gamut of topics and some of the writing is downright self-serving, interesting tidbits appear in these newsletters frequently enough to make browsing through them worthwhile. Particularly interesting are discussions of seasonal weather patterns, new techniques and technologies that are being explored, and brief articles by wine makers and viticulturists-those who do the real work, yet are seldom heard from. Many of these newsletters are available on the World W d e Web as well. Of particular interest are newsletters from wineries (most available free of charge), including "Arrowood 'mgnettes"' (Arrowood Vineyards and Winery, Glen Ellen, California), "Belvedere Exchange" (Belvedere Winery, Healdsburg, California), "Bridgeview Mneyards Newsletter" (Bridgeview wnery, Cave Junction, Oregon), "Chandon Club News" (Domaine Chandon, Yountville, California), "Clos Pegase Newsletter" (Clos Pegase Winery, Calistoga, California), "David Bruce Newsletter" (David Bruce Winery, Los Gatos, California), "Dry Creek Vineyard Gazette" (Dry Creek Vineyard, Healdsburg, California), "Eberle" (Eberle Winery, Paso Robles, California), "Foppiano Grape Tidings" (Foppiano Mneyards, Healdsburg, California), "Handley Happenings" (Handley Cellars, Philo, California), "In Vino Veritas" (Renwood Winery, Plymouth, California), "Mount Palomar Wnery News" (Mount Palomar Winery, Temecula, Califor-
C O M M I U M I C A T I M G ABOUT G R A P E S A05D W I M E S
I
87
nia), "Over a Barrel" ( w a t t Vineyards Winery, Zillah, U'ashington), "Phelps News Briefs" aoseph Phelps Mneyards, St. Helena, California), "Pressing News" (Thornas Fogarty Winery, Portola Valley, California), "Simi Winery Newsletter" (Simi Winery, Healdsburg, California), "St. Clement Connection" (St. Clement Vineyards, St. Helena, California), "St. Supkry Chronicles" (St. Supkry Vineyards and wnery, Rutherford, California), "Storrs" (Storrs Wnery, Santa Cmz, California), "Sutter Home Newsletter" (Sutter Home Winery, St. Helena, California), "The Pressing Issue" (Trentadue Wnery, Geyserville, California), "Trumpet of the Vines" (Ferrari-Carano Winery, Healdsburg, California), "Baily and Temecula Crest Wine and Food News" (Baily Mneyard and Winery, Temecula, California), "Tualatin Notes" (Tualatin Vineyards, Forest Grove, Oregon), "Views from the Valley," (Orfila Vineyards, Escondido, California), and "Uncorked" Washington Hills Cellars, Sunnyside, Washington). Ask your favorite wineries about newsletters or home pages on the Internet. Wineshops have also begun publishing newsletters that are often quite informative. Although they often tell you about wines that they are selling, you can glean much from them about everything from the quality of different vintages to the tales of individual winegrowers and the market conditions for wines. Personal idiosyncrasies abound in some, hut always, it seems, with the intention of providing wine consumers with usable information. Alnong the best of this genre are the following: "wne Club Newsletter" (Santa Ana, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, California), "Stock Report" w i n e Exchange, Orange, California), "The Wine Country" (The Wine Counuy, Signal Will, California), and "Hi-'l'ime Wine Cellars" "i-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, California). The following newsletters, which are less extensive, are available from these wineshops: Solano Cellars, .Mbany, California; Northridge Hills Liquor and Wine VVarehouse, Northridge, California; Jensen's, Palm Springs, California; Wine Cask, Santa Rarbara, California; St. Helena wne Center, St. Helena., California; Los Angeles Wine Co., Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California; 'l'hc Wine CelIar, Rohmrt Park, California; Wine Vemres, Tenafly, New Jersey; Park Avenue Liquor Shop, hTew York, New York; and Duke of Bourbon, Canoga Park, California. A variety of other wine-oriented newsletters is published, both by individuals and by organizations. Some are free, others are relatively
I
88
COMMU#\CATl#G ABOUT GRAPES A N D VVlafES
cheap, and a select few are rather expensive. Some of the better known (or in some cases just plain interesting, if not so well known) newsletters in this category include the following: "The Wine Advocate" (published by Robert Parker and considered by many to he the most influential of all wine publications), "Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine" (published in Alameda, California), "The Fine wne Review," (published in San Francisco by Claude Kolm, who has gained a reputation for reliable advice), "The Vine" (published in England by Clive Coats), "The W a v a r d Tendrils hTewsletter" (published by the Wine Book Collector's Club, Santa Rosa, California, and full of interesting notes and essays about wine books, including reviews of recent books and discussit:,ns of old-~n~ers), "The Baxevanis Arnerican Wine Review" (published by John &axevanis, a professional gec~grapherand wine writer, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania), "Fruit Winemaking Quarterly" (published in Sebastopol, California), ". 1986. The Comr~zonsenseBook oJJWize. Rev, and enl. New b r b : McGraur-Hilf Paperbacks. 4th ed. New York: h1cC;rawAdams, Lean D. 1990. The Winir of Arnnfict~. f lill Book Company. JOYYAiqllahsis Of'lW~&,it~ nt~d A~nerine,M. A., and Otlgh, G. S. W80. I.Vir2c.s.New Yc~rk:John WiIq and SCIBS. Axneriae, M. A., Muscabine, !)oris, and 'I"hompson, 13ob. 1984. Tbe li'pziive.r.city ~fCnI$irmiaIS~fhebyUOok 4f- CaI$Omig Wi~e. Berkelcy: Universit~fof Califc~riaPress. Amerine, M. A., and Singleton, 1,. 1977. Wine: An Inmduction. 2d ed. Berkeley: University of Califbmia Press. Asher, Gerald. 1W96, "'Up, Up and Away: Cafik>nlia$Prestige Sparklers.'? Goum~zet56 (5): 54-62. Att pstine, Byron I), 19888.""'I'he Mapificent Mwtang.'\Wid-Soz~th Geopzphi??"4:3M3. Automobile Club of Southern California. 1995. CaIqOrnin Wizet? Eurs* Los h p l e s : Auto~~~Obile Club of Southern California. Fp - le S Ggr-se. ~ C ~ San Frandsco: Wine Baldy?~UarianW. IW3. The. U J T ~ ~ W Appr~iationf&..ii d, Bank of A~nerica.19773. Cnlifitr~hWine Oatlook. San Francisco: Bank of %Q' and SA. Ar~~erica Barshy, Steve. 1995, ""l'he Stoly Behixld the Numbers," Wines nad fines 76 (7):16. Bass, 'l'homas 4. 1986. 'The New French Revolution." Srirnce Digest 94 (1):CiI-67, 84-85. Basu, Janet Else. 1985. ""California's Wine Country," Weathe)-wise 34 (2):87-94. R axevanis, John J. 1992, lj5e W ~ePRe' Zqioas oJ*Ame.ricn:Geog~~npbicgl Reflections nndApptegi~-gis.S.tl-oudsburg, PA: Xnifcra 1Rne GrowersJournal, Bcarden, Bmce E. 1%0. 'Trost Protection Uses a Variev of DeGces." Cd.tI2"f ~ r ~ Agi-icgitzfre ia 3 4 (7):3 8-3 9, Beaumont, Stcphcn. 1995, ""Crafk Brcws h e Here to Stq." Wirze Ezthz.~siasf 8 (12):5657.
Berger, Dan. 1995. ""Chardomay:Delicacy of Heft.," Los Apzgeles Timc;rt October 19. Rergel; I>an. IY96a. '"'L"he Scorecard on Reds: U.S. Coxnes Up Rig," Wi~ze 9 (1):24. E~rthz~siasf Bcrger; Wan. 1W&. "From Soil tcr Style: Does Terrair Exist?'? W i ~Et~thasie ast ")(3):24. Bergcr, Dan. 19906~.""Shtlkngthe Vine AAcr the Bug." Wirre Enthusiast 9 (4):PLt. Rerger, flan, 1W96d. "Gallo: 'I'he New Generation," Wise E~zthztsigst9 (7):3841. Bcrger; Ilan, and f LinMe, Ricbard Paul. 19"). Beyonid! the Grt8p1.s:,1111 Insi16e Look g t the jVapa I/nIIej). WiImingon, CA: Atomitrrn Books. Berkowitz, N'atalic, 1996. "Roll Out the Barriqucs: American Oak Displaces French Oak," Wt~?e Et~thasitfstC) (1):3 4-3 5 . Rernstein, Leonard S. 1982, T h e OflZt-igl a i d e t o Wine Sznbheq. New York: Quill. Blue, h t h o l l l ~Ilias. 1980. 'Guide to California Cabcmcts." Bon Appctit 25 (9):93-96. Bf uc, Anthony Dias, 1981. ""CaliforniaZinhndel." Boa Appei'it 2 6 (2):12, 14. Blue, h t h o l z ~ rllias. 1W2a. "Sherv," Bor?Appercit 27 (2):18-11 9. Blue, Anthony I2ias. 1982b. ""Sauvipon Bfanc.'Voa Appetit 77 (7):72-26. Bfuc, Anthony Dias, 1983. 'Chcnin Blanc.'Vua Apefit 2 8 (8):18, 101). Blue, h t h o n y llias. 1985. '"nerican Merlot," Born Apperi3: 30 (10):26, 177. Rlumberg, Robert S., and I-Iurst, f Iannum, 1984. The Pipre Wizles
[email protected]=n h , 3d cd, Garden City, W :DouMeday and Company. Boultun, Kogor B., et al. 1996, The Pri.~~.ciples land hctices Of'Wz'~zt~r~akiitzg. New York: Chaprnan and Hall. Boyd, Gcrald L). 1985, ""l'he Wines of Menbocino and Lake Counties." W i ~ae ~ Spip-its d Baying Gaide 4 (3):3 3-3 7. I3renner, Leslie. 199K Fe~trof W i ~ cA: B I ~ z ~ o d ~ t cG tzokiydr to the Grnpe. New York: Bantam Rooks. Braadbent, Michael. 199 1, Tbii. @relit E ~ ~ t ~ tYt~~tr i g e Book. New York: Mfred A. Knopf, Bullard, K&yn. 19%. T h e Power of the Paradox." Wine Specfntov 18 (20):48, Cavanaugh, Patrick. 1996. ""Pierce's 1I)isease Challenging North Coast." Am@-icn~z.ilfzeyl.crd5 ( 9 4 , 26. Cfark, Kenneth. 1969, C'iuili~trriort:A Pt~~*x01-1171 fird. New Yc~rk:ffarper and Raw Clarkc, Oz, 19%. Wine Atlgf: Wirres nlzd Wine Regio~~" d-thle m~*Id. Boston: Little, Brown and Ccrmyany. Clay, Grady 119514. Kenl Places: An I;'ilconvenribnu-l Gz&idt.m America's Ge~emi. hndscnpe. Chicago: Utliversiry of Chicago Press,
REFERENCES
2
xg
Conzcn, Michael I",, ed. 1990. The iWaki?zg$the A~i.rfi-a'cnrz Landscnpe. Boston: Unwk I I p a n . Cox, Jeff, 1985. From files to Wi~zes.Pwnal, Vtl Storey Communications. Cox, Jcff: 1995, "Wild BZcnds." Wine E~tbzsiast8 (2):28-29, Crowrle;, mritliain K, 1984. "United States Xtictrltrrral heas." fTocillry qf'Wz'fztr Edgcgtp~rCb~*~?ficle (S~1mmer):5-7. Crowley, wlfiam K. 1993. "Changes in the french W5ncscape." Geop&phi-ctkl Relidieaj 83 (3):2$2-248. de BIij, I Iarm Jan. 1981. Gogrnphj~of Efictjitgre. Miami, FL: Miami G o graphical Sociery, de Klij, I Iann Jan. 1983. Wi;l;te:A Geogrgphic Al/i~f-ecz'a~z'o~r~ 'fbtc3wa, NJ: Rowman and AIXanheld, Plxt~llishers. de BZij, l-farm Jan, 1985. g'wne Quality and aimate." Foms 3 5 (2): t 0-1 5. de Ulij, IIarxn Jan. 1986. 'Wine C m m s of the Geogral>hy of k?tictrlmre.'? L,r?kes Gcoqwphe~~ 2 1:1-10, de BZij, l-farm Jan, 1%g. ""l'he Appeal ofhppelIatims.~Tocz~s 3 8(2):? 7 , cte Btij, I Iarxn f an. 199l . '%~cricak Zinfandel." FOCBSf (1):37. de Groat, Roy Andries. 1982, The Wi1.re-rof CaIqo"rr"?ia,the Pa~-zfiM f i h w e ~ , a~zdNew IVOP-~. New b r k : Summit Books, De Mta, Card J, f 996. ""lhe United States at Mid-Decade." P q z b ~ i o ~ B%!z let-ill SO (4): 1-48. Diaz,Jo. 1995, "Cat OW5nc 'Iiiils,'' Wirze Nrzs I1 (I I 1):3+35. Veritas: An intrc~ductitionto the Dickenson, J. R, and Salt, J, 1982, "In Geography of \%ne." Progress iw Humi~nGeogrnphy 6 (2): 1 59-1 89. Dickenson, John, 1990. "Viticulrural Geography: An Introduction to the Literature in Iollar Business." C~lifornz'n iiifg!*icultwj*e34 (7):CI- 1X. Mustol Da17id F. 1996. "Mcohol in Arnerican I Zistor).,"' Sci~nt$z"cAmerirnn 274 (4):78-83, Napa Counry Department of Agriculture. 1995. NBpa County A ~ i c . n l ~ u ~ * g l Crop Reporr: 1994. xapa, CA: Napa County Department of kriculture and Weights and Measures. Newman, Jarnes L. 1986. "Wnes, IVines, and Regional Identity in the Finger Lakes Region." Ce~gr&pbI'ci~l &vim '76 (3):3m-3 16. Norris, Kobert M,, and MTebb, Kobert IV. 1990. G e o l o ~of C~lifOraig.2d ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons. A Guirlr RI the Oakeshott, Gordon B. 1971. Cf~l$i~fbmlu3L%langing L~~zdsc~~pe: Geoloyy o f t h e Stnte. New York: McGraw-Erill Book Company. Olkcn, Charles, Singer, Earl C., and Koby, Norman S. 1980. The Connoisscum' H~ndl~ook ofCl~lifor/zirrWines. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ough, Cornelius S. "kqneyard and Fermentation Practices Affecting Wine." CaIgi;lrr;linAgteicz-1lza.re 34 (7):X 7-1 8,
REFERENCES
2
xy
Page-Koberts, James. 1095. Winesf).om a Small Gnrrlen. New York: Abbeville Press. Parker, Roberr M,, Jr. X 987. The Wi~2l-s ofthe Kh6ne &iiistributions: Pinot hToiq Barbera and Kinfandel in Califcjrnia.'" Joa'~-~zsl of' WifzcKcsegrch 1 (2):121-1 3 8. Peynaud, Kmile. 1'184. KI)o?~'izzg rind Mnking Wi~ze.'lians. from the French by Nan Spencer. New York: John Wley and Sons. the Beginning to Pinney, l'hjmas. 1989. A History of Wine iiz Arn&rtr: FYLI~IZ f2?*obibihra.Berkelcy: Universiq of Galifvrnia Press, Plucknett, Donald L., and IVinkctmann, Donald L. 1995. "'l"echnofo~fur Sustainable Agriculture." Scieutificilrnrvicrr~l2 7 3 (3): 182-1 86. Kobards, T'erry. 1980. "Champagne! 'l'he W n e of Celebration." Boa &etit 25 (12):173,178, 180. Kobards, Terry. 1996a. "California Cabernets: Can ?'hey Age?" Wine Enth~1sinst 9 -)5):4347. Robards, 7'crry. 1996b. "Zinfandel: 7'he Mystcry Solved." Wi~zeE~zthuriast9 (7):4M8. Robinson, Jancis, ed. 1986. Villes, Crgpes, ngd Willer: The Wige Dri~zkerlr (ifbide to Grnpe Vnn'ebes. London: Mitchcll Beazley. Robinson, Jancis. 1994. The Oxford Confpc~~ziou t o Wi~le.Oxfc~rd:Oxfc~rdUniversiv Press. Robinson3Jancis. 1996. Jg7imcb Robizuon's Guide to Wine G~apes.Oxford: Oxford Universitfr Press. Koby, Norman S., and Olken, Charles R. 1995. The Nra Cont?oirseurs' tlandbook of'Cglifbnzin Wine. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Kclollo, Joseph. 1995. "Exports Outi,ace National ;\/Larket." Wines und Vi7zes 76 (7): 18-3 X.
2 20
REFERENCES
Rosano, Dick. 1995. "CalibrniaUtalian Accent.'Virze ATca7s 1.1 (4):18-2 3. Kubln, f iank. f 985. "Champagne: ~"vlythsand Facts," W2"~je E~zth.usI'as"t8 (1 1):74-7 5, Schaekr, I)cnnis. 1.994. Kntgge Tnlk: L'unzjek*s"ntio~ss witb C&I$ir~ligkATtw t;t"z"~zrn~~kc~s, Smta Barbaq CA: Capra Press. Seldon, 1)hilip. 1996. The Gm-plete 1diol"'s Cc,ide t o Wine, New York: Alpha Book. Sharp, Kobert f". 1976. G~ide:Sovrh~"7ei"a C~~1for;lzir;r. Rev, eed. Dubuque, TA: Kendall/I-lunt f'ublishitlg- Cotnpany Sheahan, Randy*1995. "Bcottled Sun: 'X'l-reMTines of Provence." Qa~kecrbRev i m of Wines 17 (it):16-2 0. Singleton, Vemon L., et al. 1980. "A Cenr-~rv oPWfine and Grape Keseal-clr." CnIiJOnlinAgteicaltfdre3 4 (7):4-5. Smith, Rod, f W & ''D& C(:~~untv: The New Force in California mrinee'? Wi~zennn' &Spdit.rCjune):47-50. St. John, Bill. 1995. " W e r c the Bargains Are." Food a~zdWize (Septcmher):52-54. Stanislawski, Dan, 1975. "Dionysus Wfesmal-d: Eady Religion and the Kconomic Geogaphp of wne." Geogr&pbil;alRevira~65 (+:.C2 8-4. Steiman, IIarvey 1995a. 'Tcxod fr,r Living.'"M?e ,fpect~.~co20 (8):54-59. Steiman, I-lawcy. X99.5b. ""1"he French Paradox and the Mediterranean Diet." Wine Spectator 20 (8):CiS-67. Striiedel; K. Keith. 1996. "The Changng \:;lrietal Sirnation in the Southern San Joavin t"alley'V=~me~ican 14~rt(ynrd5 (4): 12-1 3. Stdlcr, Jay, and Maain, Glen. 1994. Through rhe Gt-gpezji~le:The R d S ~ O F ~ F BehifzdAme~*ic~~ S. $X Bil'lUn tVi~zek d u ~ ~New y . Uork: I larperCollinsWcst. Sullivan, Charles L. 1982. Like Moderz~Ede~r,ls:Winegrowi~zgif?S ~ n t aClnrg hki<jf mzd 'Sgntn Cnkz Mountn;irls, 1798-1981. Cuperrino, {(:A: California 1Iistory [:enter, Sullivan, Charles L. X 9%. Nap@W i ~ eA: EIistoryfiom JWis>-ionIlclts 1-o F2~-eserzt. San Franc3isco: Wine Appreciation Guild. Sullivan, tt'rtIefic, f W6. '"New Rootstock Sto!~Vineyard Pest fOr NcJw.'TLE~qkI"I?iLlAgic%lture5 0 (4):7-8. Sunset Books. 1.987. Wine Gzrinay: (,irI$o'~*~7ig. Menlo Park, CA: Lane Publishing Company. 'Itise,; Ruth, and Harroun, Cathel-ine, 1983, Winmakistzg if?CaIfo~+t?in, NW York:McGrawr-Hill Book Company. 'I'eml~lar,Wtis B&:M. Shanken Conimunications. \%nklel; X,J. 1918. YI'he Effect of Climatic Regions." Wz'p~e Review 6: 14-16, WTinklcr, A. J. 1960. "'Promising :Lie%?Areas fnr Premium QuaZiq Wine Grapes to Replace Acreage Lost to Urbanizatitm." CaifprkzifzAg-imIt~re 14 (X 2):2-3. WGnMer, A, J., er al. 1974. gene.^-nI Eticzbltz&-e.Bcrkley: tlaiversit~?of California Press.
Winescapes are unique agricultrrral landscapes that arc shal~edby the prcsence of vineyards, winemking acti.cities, and the ~~inel-ies where wines are produced and stored. Mj'azere viticulmre is successfill it transforms the local lalldscape into a combination of agrieulmre, industr): and tourism. This book demysrjfies viticulmre in a way that helps the reader rmderstand the environmental and economic cmdit.ions necessav in the art and practice of wine making. 13istinctive characteristics of the book include a detailed discussion of more tban thirty grape cultivars, an overview of wine r c ~ o n saround the countv, and a sumey of.vvine publications and festivals. Peters discusses the major ewimnrnental conditions affecting .iificr-rlmt-e,especially %reatherand clirnate, and outlines the special problems the industry faces from lack of capital, competition, and changng public tastes.
Gary I,. 1-eters,a prokssional geographer for turenq-five years, is the mthor of Tbe Wines nzd C4;tlr.soJ-Ct~I$o'rnig.Hc lives and teaches in t o n g Beach, California.
licadcmic journals, 179-1 81 Acaderny of CSTii"xne Colnrntmicadons, 178 Acidity levels, 87 Mams, tcon, 90, 183 Agricultural landscapes clevelopment of, 5-7 geograpl~yand, 124 reading, 125-129 winescapes as, 7-8 See nLco 15eculturali landscapes lilcoho1 caicxdating content of, 87 content indicatim on labels, 114 in fortit2ed wir-res,97-98 heat rh debate on consulning, 197-204 history of usbg, 10, 12- 13 neoprol-ribitic~~~istn and, 206205 Amef.lez;r., gaur?ral!@E~zoIogj~ ar?d Eri~-ztlt%rt-e, 179- 1 80 lk~lericarliGficuItural i"tre;ls (~\\~k%)) S, 116, 117-121, 14'7, 1-50 lk~lericarlTritriculnxrrc French-hericar-r hyt~ridsin, 5 7-6 1 historical develaprnerst of, 1 6 1R Natil~eLblericangrapeli.ines and, 18-2 t,55-57 ncrrl-z*i~zfe~-n culkars in, 55-6 1 regional problerxlis in, 209-2 t 0 urban compc~ciorland, 2 10-2 1 1 F;i:ti.r zri~z$e~xta cultivars in, 24-5 5 See nlm 14ficdml-c Rmerine, iMay~ard,8.5 Arnpelography, 10 AppeIXations of origin, 116-1 2 1 Ar~ifiac~, vibczrttural, 3 40-1 41 Asher, GeralcIyf 86
Atnlarzl;m in r,'R[ydon (S~rin b~n-nc),154 Auctions, 164 liurorc cuitivars, 59 Autunm season, 156- 15'1" liTiAs. Set: ~hncricanVitic-tllmratihcas h R # 1 rootsto&, 7"$21-0 Babylor-riar-rs,14 Bacchanalia, 15 Baco, Frangois, S? Raco Noir cul tivars, 6 0 4 1 Barbera cddvars, 39-41) Barrett, EXeidi, 86 BrYTEI See Bt~cauof kilcohol, "Tabacca, and Firearms Raxevanis,John, 56, 150 Beer, 1S, 14,207-208 Beinstcxk, Ciol-don, 131 Bergcr, Dan, 88 Beringer Fh7ineEstates, 102-1 03 Bernsteia, tcanard, 106 Bespafof, Alexis, 183 Beverage %string Insritnxte, Inc., 183 Bicenten~al"listing (10761, 107 Bird pests, 80,81 Birth defects, 11.5 Black rot, 55 Blrrc, linffiorly Dias, 44, SO, $4, 186 Blush wines, 92-93 Bofta, Jon, 43 Bordeaux grapes, 32,42--48 Bosmrick, WiIliam Mramcr, I 50 Bottling inforr-ctation, 114-1 15 Brarlder, Frcd, 43 Brar-rd name, 110-1 11 Brewing industv, 207-208 Brix zlleasrrrement, 86-87
Browil, Bradford and Dri, 190 Brournc, wIlialn, 157 Bro~~n-Forman, 103 Brushfires, 78 Bzxll, Ephainr \V,, 56 Bureau of ,ucohol, 'T"obacco, and Fircarills (BlITF), 5, 8, 107, 110, 11.5, 117 Businesses, wine counr-rjT?169-1 70 Bu_vingclubs, 188 Cabernet Frar~ccul~wrs,46-47 C:abernet Sauvig~~on cultivars, 29-3 0 Calihrniia appellatioz~sof origin for, 1t 6 leading cultivars of, 25, 52-55 Napa Valley9 1%-H50 Sonon~aCounq~,170-1 72 ?k~lnecuia,172-1 73 wine-related events in, 158-1 59 Califijrzila H4ner3; 76cimr.s (i?r,u;tromobile GIuh of Sourhern Califorionlia), 108 Cgl$orr?itt Whze Witzners, 164 Car~ar~claipia Winc Carripany, 103, 152 Car-ropymar-ragemes-rt, 13 2- 13 3 C:arbanic: rnaceratic~~~, 91 Cardiuvascuiar t>er-refits,197-2504 C:arignane cul.civars, 36 Cataw~baculeivars, $6 C:atholic retigious orders, 17 Cats, 81 Caueaszls iMount;lii-ts, 12 Cclclzratior~s,158-1 62 Cerernur-ries, 158-lA2 Cltarn hourdn cultiuars, 59-60 Champagne defining, 93-95 discwcy of, 17 prwesses for ~xliakng,94,95-97 Chiar~cefforculcivars, 60 Chapman, Joseph, 18 Chardo~u~ay cultivation of, 24-27 wine-making process for, 88-96) Charmat (or bulk) prclrcess, 94,V
ChGteau dTquem, 43 C:henin Blanc culrrivars, 48-50 Child, Julia, 86 C:hre)xnarc~graphicmethclds, 100 Clark, Sir Keme&, 125 Climate macroclimates, 67-70 mesoelirnates, 70-74 ~nicroclirnates,74 vi6culture and, 6 M 7 C:oEec cc~nsuxnption,208-209 Ccrloring pignlcats, 90 C:oncord grapes, f 4, 56 Ccrnsdidations, 102-1 03 Consumer periodicals, 182-1 83 Gcrw~j-rer, EGerme, 1R9 Cox, JeE, 86, 13S C:rowfey; IGlliarr~,118, 1.20 Crusher-stemmer machine, 87 C:utinary Xnsritrrre of A~nerica,140 Guiitimrs cclnsuxner preferences and, 31-32 ea\rironmentat infiuence on, 64-66 from France's Rhtine Valley, 33-3 8 French-~hncrican,5 7-6 2, from Italy538-41 Ateritage, 4248 Native Lberican,55-57 nobiliw axnong, 24-3 1 non-vi~rfk.~*lz, 5 5-6 1 P2i.r vi~zfertf, 24-5 5 See &h-Q nar~?nes $specrjc czllrizra;l.s C:uttural landscape, X 24 de Btij, IILarlt~,12,65,115, 117, 130 Deer pests, 80, 81 Degree days, 70 de Groot, IZoy kl~~dries, 30,44, 52,s 5 Demograpthic trends, 205-206 I[)esscrt wines, 81-98, 114 De Kta, Carol, 205 I)iaz, Jo, 81 Diekenson,John, 121 Diseases, 78-80 Dobcny, Kaclilecn, 206 Uom Pesipon, 93-94
Drainage cos-rditior-rs,76 X)raper, Paul, 136 Urns& drivers, 2 0 4 X)rmr-t, Ransty; 86 Ea?>tianurtictdtr~re,13- 14 El-Bayousg, C:igi9 200 E,Xevati(~n~ 68 Eliot, "X: S,, 154 Ellison, R. Curtis, 201 El n'iiio, 78 Enoiiom historicat develop~nentof, 15-16 journals ewering, 179-1 82 S'ee czlw Wticultrzre Environmentaf factors hamrdous cos-rdidor-rs,77-80 importance of, 64-66 managing, 80-82 soif condidons, 74-77 weather and climate, 46-74 " h a t e hcltded" designatiol-t, 1 17, 122 Etn-opcanviticuf mrc, 14-1 6 Events, 'CS-rir-te-related fairs and wrine-judging events, 162-1 64 local festivals, ccrexxlonies, ancl celebrations, 158-162 Expore, 2 l 1-2 12 Fairs, 162- l 64 Fatf season, 156-157 Farm -cvorkers,167-1 68 Fermentaeon modern nlethods of, 88,9Q, 100 process described, 85 of sparkting 'cs-~ines, 95-97 Festivals, 158-1 62 Fetal alcohoii syndrome, 115 Finger Lakes, New York, 150-1 52 Firc ha~ards,78,8 1 Roods, 78 FIor prc)ees",9 Folle Blanche, 60 Food a~?llf[4+~ze,185-1 86 Food pubficatrions, I 85-l 86
Fortified 'cs-~ines, 9"199, 193 France cultimrs from UGnc x~lleyin, 33-3 8 health of residex-ttsin, 197-1 98 as viticuItt~~'~~~al s~andard,42 Frank, Konsantin, S 3 2 French-~k~lcricas~ f-rybrids,57-6 1 French C:oXombard erritivars, 50 n ~ t3eyoi"zti9 ~ d ir3e (Perdue), French lr21i.rt~dox 201 Frost darnage, 77, 8 X Ciallo Wl-ter?y, 10.3, 140 Grzer-gl fitk~ltureo%?nMcl-),7 5 Generic ~ h e s I,S S -1 S 2 Cieacva double-cwGn trellis s~7stem, 136, 137 Cieograpllic appelladons, 1 16-1 2 t Geograpii~y agricul turat landscapes ancl, 124 Iorrgcviq and, 198,202-202 political, 15, 109 regional, 4 topical, 3-4 Cie~~iirztt-a~ni~~er cul~mrs,50-22 Gold FIi11 \Vinc~,12 5 Ciolodca, Mark, 183 Graharn, Rar-rdaIl,33, 86, 100 Cirapevil-tes harvest quandties in U.S., 108 origin and difision of, 1 1-1 8 ovemie~rof, 10- 11 prohllesns with, 19-2 1 trellis s~7stemsfor, 132- 136, 137 in Gdeuttural landscapes, 130-1 38 See nice Cuf trivars Greek viticultt-~re, 15 Cirenache culdvars, 36-3 7 Greystos-reCeUars, 140, 147 Ciniffi~~, 34atrv1 139 Ground covers, 136 Gftid.teto the Be.rt j47zj~erpe.r~jf~Voyitb Amer.;ica (C3ayot), 1Oh?,
Z-Iaraszhy, Rgustor-r,5 2 Hart, John Fraser, 124, 126, 129 Ilarvest season, 122, 156-157 Hawks, 131 I lazarl, i?~ascctIa,86 Z-Iead-prur-redvines, 134 I lcaldsl)twg, Califor~Ga,170-1 71 Z-Ieaf dl considerantiur-rs, I 1S, 197-204 Heat skitxnrnadon index, 70-74 Z-Ieixnof'f;Steve, 183 Helsaple, Urian, 138 I lcmin~qrajr,Esncst, 43 Herhiddes, 8 1 I lcuiltlein, 103 ZGss, 'Ilony 166 I lolmpcrl, Elizabeth, 1R4 Z-Iyhrids created with Etis virz$etx, 19 French-hericar-r, S 7-61
I ,eaf canopj~~ 133 Leahy, Richard, 188 tipp, Alarrin, 199,202 liungeviq debate, 197-204 tcmg Isfad, NCWYork, 175 I,yse, or "U," trellis system, 135-136
Jackson, Jess, 111 Jackon, Joitn B., 141, 154 Jeffersoa, TIisnlas, 193 Jenkil-ts,Xax-tcy, 2204 Jshnsorl, Ilugh, 10, 12, 14,2.1,28, "C, 66, 7 5 , 76,85, 196 Jnncs, &chard, 189 Jour~tgl$Wirze Re.rettr?cb, 180 Journals, academic, 1'79-1 R 1
iMcComcZ1, Carol and iMafcol~n,20 1 34cCoy3Etin, 185 iMcG~ver~~, Patrick, 13 34ac~odirnates~ 67-70 34albcc eul~wss,48 34anson, joAnne, 200 Afarquardr, To~tlr,189 LMartin,Glen, 3, 194 34arton, Kcith, 201 LMassee,kt5XXiam, 28 34a~ag,Friq 207 Mead, Jerry 164, 183, 184 34editerranean diet, 198, 20 1-204 34eritagc blends, 32,4248 34ertot cuidvars, 45-46 34esocfimates, 70-74 34esopotannians, 13 34exiican viciculmc, 17 Meyer, Jtlstin, 64, 196 34icrohrcweries, 207-208 LMicroeiimates,69,110, 74 34ildew problems, 19-20,27, 55-56 iMont3avi, Robert, 2 , 85. See also Robert &londavi JGnet7~ 34oadavi, "rim, 86 34onr-;lna,Joe, 166 34orgarl,_feff,150, 152, 194, 195, 196 iMo~rvidrectrldvars, 37-38 34ust;n-dFest-ival, 15 7
Labels, See \Vine labels Ll.n ~rfiichorle c h ~ ~ p e t z u l s94,95-M, e, 119 tarldscapcs, See ~kgriculmratlandscapes; 'b'lticultrrrlzi f andscapes Lang, Susan, 200 67, 183, 194, 196 I,aube, James, "C6,
Kagaoka, Kichard, 144 Napa Vd.Iey, California, 4, 145-1 S0 Karlve A~rliericangapevines as non-vil-rtfira cdrivars, 5 5-5 7 viticui turaX ovcrtrlew of, 18-2 t See nLco kk~rcricarlviticdturc Nebbiolo cultivars, 40-41 204-2 0.5 Neoprohi~~i6orlisnl, Ne~vman,james, 4, 1-50, 1S 1
Ice Age, 11-12 Exnpor~,2 X 1-2 1 2 Intepated pest lrraaagcnlcatc (IPA%),82 ""Xnternet Guide to N5nc" "ro~rn), 190 In-igarioa, 80-8 1 Italian cxrIdvars, 3841
Newsletters, 186-1 88 New 'I'ork: Finger Lakes r c ~ o a 1, 50-1 52 Long Islax-td, 17.5 w.inc-related events in, I 60-1 6 l Niagara cxxltivars, -57 Xouvearr wines, 91
Oak karrets aging expcrirnentrs.in, 100 for red wine productiol-t,80-91 ""roaseing'"rocesdar; 89 for white wine production, 88-89 @#icial Gski& fo WP'ize,%70bber3~,The (Berr~stein),100 Oidiuxxs ftmgus, 19-20 173 Oregon, Yalnl-tili C:ot~~-rty; Owls, 81 Pacific Korhkvest wine region, 160, 173, 179 Parker, Fess, 167 Parker, Kohert, 33, 185, 188 Pastem, Louis, 85 Perdue, I,ewis, 201 13eriodicals, 179-1 88 Pesr.rcides, 13 I 13ests controlling, 8 1-82 types of, 78-80 Petite Sirah cxdtivars, 33-34 47-48 Petite Verdot cr_~ltivars, 13eynaud,Errtile, 86,98 Phdloxera, 19,2&21, 55,?Y, 81,210 13iercc's disease, 55, 79-80 2 10 Pinot Koir cxxltivars, 3 0-3 1 13rzrtwines, 97 Posert, Z-Iarvey, 178 Powdeq mildew 19-20,27, 55-56 Preg~~as-rcy -ct.arrGng, 11S h e s n iuxn cogees, 208-209 13rince,U/iltiarn, 52 Processing information, 1 14-1 15 13rohibi~on, 206205 Proprietaq wines, 112-1 14 Pruning, 133-1 36, 157
PrxMicadons academic journals, 179-1 81 ccjnsuxner periadicals, 182-1 83 microbrewery periodicals, 208 trade pulsfications, 181-1 82 13rrck,\%%~lfpr~g, 86
Ra b'tk pcstrri, 80, K 1 Rain, 78 Red wines aoMe c-tll~varsfor, 29-3 1 wine-makng process for, 90-9 1 Regions, 'See Wine regions Religotts experiences, 10 Rcr~aissanceV?ncyards and bilincry, 131 lth6ne !"alley cr_~ttivairs, 33-38 lticidlir~gprocess, 86 Kesling eultit.ars, 2 7-29 Roads, wine cotu1tt3i; 14-142 Kohards, "Xerry; 53 Robert hlor-rda~Jfqner?~,13%SS" gLco XIor-rdavi,Robcrt I I, 20,24,40,47,18, Ral~i~woi~,Jancis, 56, 183 Roder-rtpests, 80,8 1 Ron~an~tictdtrrre,15-1 6 Rose ccrincs, 9 1-92 Kutherfcordt Elill bKnep9 X 90 St. John, Bill, 196 Salt, John, 124 Sangiclvese crxltivars, 4 1 San& C:lara Valley, 2 10-2 l 1 43-44 Saur,Xignor~Blanc cd.t-i\~ars, Seagran Classics, 103 Seibcl, A1hert, 57 Skmiilon cuttivars, 45 Serra,J u ~ j ~ e m 1R , S e j ~ act:jtivars, l 58 S e j ~ el3ertitle, , 57 Sherries, 97,9%99 Shoemaker, iVells, 201 Singlemn, bknlon, 85
2
28
INDEX
60 Minzrtes (TV program), 90, 197,201, 202 Smith, Irving Shelby, 186 Soil conditions, 74-77 Sonoma County, California, 170-1 72 Sparkling wines defining, 93-95 processes for making, 94,95-97 See also Champagne Spring season, 154-155 Stainless steel tanks, 88,99, 106 Sterling Vineyards, 148 Stimson Lane, 103 Stuller, Jay, 3, 194 Suckling,James, 183 Sugar content, 8 6 8 7 , 9 8 Sulfites, 115 Sulfur dioxide, 87-88, 90, 100 Summer season, 155-1 56 Sustainable agriculture, 81, 136 Swinburne, Ngernon Charles, 154 Syrah cultivars, 34-36 Tannins, 90 Tanzer, Stephen, 185 Tasting. See Wine tasting Tedeschi, Emil, 138 Teleki 5C rootstock, 79 Temecula, California, 172-1 73 Temperature viticulture and, 70-74 See also Climate T m i r , 66, 75 Thompson, Bob, 186 Thompson Seedless grapes, 32,73 Topical studies, 3-4 Tourist facilities, 142 Towns, wine country, 169-175 To Y0z1rHealth (Whitten and Lipp), 199 Trade publications, 181-182 Transfer method, 94,9697 Trellis systems, 132-136, 137 Trinchero, Bob, 92 Turley, Helen, 86 Two-wire trellis system, 135
Urbanization, 2 10-2 11 Varietal wines, l l l V&ai.wn, 156 Vertical trellis system, 135 Vidal, Jean-Louis, 57 Vidal Blanc cultivars, 58 Vignes, Jean Louis, 18 Vignoles cultivars, 58 Victor, 57 Vineyard landscapes, 130-138 Kntn