I’ve been working on a series of pieces for the New York Cork Report discussing the science of biodynamic and organic winegrowing. I’m up to my ears in Rudolf Steiner, Nicolas Joly, Maria Thun, Jamie Goode, and a whole bunch of scientific literature.

My first post went up last Thursday and has generated a slew of comments in spite of containing little controversial content.

I’ve also been interviewed about this project for the popular wine blog saignée, and that interview has also generated significant feedback.

The interview explains a lot about my motivation behind this project, which I have been meaning to undertake for quite a while. Hopefully by the end of the series, we’ll discover which biodynamic practices have some scientific merit and which ones are better left in the realm of the spiritual.

Throughout the series, I will be referencing my posts on NYCR and adding extraneous or supplemental information on this site. The official posts will go up on Thursdays over the next several weeks at The New York Cork Report.

                          

Sheldrake Point Gamay 2007

Gotta love Sheldrake's labels. In a world of simply awful labels, Sheldrake's labels are always elegant, classy, and informative.

Appellation: Finger Lakes
Grape: Gamay Noir
ABV:12.5%
RS: 0.1%
Price Point: $18
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: Info from the website. TA: 6.7 g/L, pH: 3.44. Hand harvested at 22 Brix, 8.2 g/L TA, 3.29 pH. Seven days on the skins. Six months in neutral French and American oak.

Hedonic Notes: Dark ruby color in a normally lightly-colored grape, but 2007 was a hot, dry year in the Finger Lakes, so I guess a high tide raises all boats.
Cherry and raspberry on the nose, a hint of spice, and a little floral component. Like many Finger Lakes wines, acidity supports the structure, but it’s not as zingy as a Riesling might be. A bit of woody oak on the finish. There’s also a persistent dairy-like flavor on the palate. It’s kind of like cheese, but it’s OK among the other aromas. A slight bit of {astringency} reminds us that it’s a red, but for the most part, it drinks like a white. Try it lightly chilled, too.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 corks . It’s not bad, but you can do better for $18.

Most people participating in this event were reaching for the under-represented Crus Beaujolais (the quality value of which is so much of an open secret that its repetition is becoming trite.) I decided to reach right into my cellar (that is, the wine rack next to the kitchen table) and pull out some local Gamay from Sheldrake Point. Only a handful of producers in the Finger Lakes make a Gamay, likely due to consumers’ lack of familiarity with the grape (or aversion to it from a bad Beaujolais Nouveau experience…).

I like to say that every wine has a purpose. To me, this wine fills a similar niche to some rosé wines as one to sip lightly chilled on a warm afternoon. It’s not for serious analysis. The savory “cheese” note, explained in more detail below, could help with food pairings, especially picnic food.

If you’re familiar with malolactic fermentation (MLF), (or if you’ve ever had a buttery California Chardonnay or even microwave popcorn) then you are likely familiar with the aroma compound known as diacetyl. (If you’re not familiar with MLF, then study up in this article I wrote for Palate Press a few months back.)

Diacetyl is found naturally in all kinds of dairy products like butter, cheese, and yogurt. It is produced naturally by yeast, and in beer brewing there is often a step called “diacetyl rest” to allow its degradation (perhaps R. Pliny will expound on this in a later brewing-related post).

In wine, diacetyl is much more acceptable and sometimes desirable. It’s produced by a lactic acid bacterium called Oenococcus oeni, which makes it as a byproduct of citric acid metabolism (see figure). Basically, citric acid is metabolized into all kind of things, most of which have high aroma thresholds. Diacetyl, however, is detectable down to about 0.2 ppm (200 micrograms/kg).

Diacetyl production and metabolism. Reproduced with permission from Bartowsky and Henschke, Intl. J. Food Microbiol., 2004.

A few things to point out:

1. Increased citric acid can lead to higher diacetyl in MLF wine, which is why citric acid is rarely used to adjust acidity.
2. Oxygen can increase diacetyl concentration, since oxygen aids the non-enzymatic decarboxylation (step 11 above) of α-acetolactic acid to diacetyl. So air exposure during MLF could cause higher levels of diacetyl.
3. A host of other factors affect diacetyl concentration, including pH, temperature, and exposure to lees

The question here is whether (A) this wine has higher levels of diacetyl than other wines or (B) it is more easily perceived in this wine than in others. Almost every red wine out there undergoes malolactic fermentation, but they don’t all smell buttery. Indeed, the detection threshold for diacetyl in Cabernet Sauvignon has been reported at 2.8 ppm, compared to 0.2 ppm in Chardonnay. The explanation for this is that Cabernet presents a more varied array of aromas than Chardonnay, so diacetyl is harder to pick out in the more complex matrix. The threshold measured for Pinot Noir was 0.9 ppm. Now we’re getting somewhere.

I’ve noticed this “cheese” characteristic in some rosés as well, some of which also undergo MLF. Rosé, along with Pinot, tends to be lighter in body and more subtle aromatically. This wine is aptly compared with Pinot, its famous big brother in Burgundy. Basically, in lighter wines, diacetyl will be more noticeable after malolactic fermentation. This is one reason (besides reduction in acidity) it’s not typically done in, for example, Riesling, although Paul Brock at Lamoreaux Landing is experimenting with the concept.

There are lots reasons to allow malolactic fermentation beyond diacetyl production. Its primary purpose is to reduce perceived acidity. This, along with other functions of MLF, can also affect the mouthfeel. I have no idea what this Gamay would be like without MLF, but I can guess that it would be a bit more fruity on the nose, if thinner in body and more acidic. In the end, MLF and blending are winemaking decisions. It’s up to the winemaker (or if not, the owners) to determine which decisions will be preferable to consumers and sell wine.

                          

According to the website…

IGNITE ITHACA is a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have an idea–and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd. Run by local volunteers who are connected through the global IGNITE network, IGNITE is a force for raising the collective IQ and building connections.

Some of the scheduled talks include:

• “Grand Theft Faust — Illegal File Sharing at the Dawn of Print”
• “Ithacka: Why Ithaca Needs a Hackerspace”
• “Childhood Dreams: Why They Are Important”
• “Sacred Cows – Anatomy of a Recycled Logo Project”

I’ll be giving a 5-minute talk on appreciating wine science and some of the biases that we can encounter when enjoying and purchasing wine, with a heavy shout out to NY state wine, of course.

Once the event’s over, I’ll try to get a video of the talk up on here.

If you’re in Ithaca, come to Pixel at 7 to have your mind blown by all kinds of crazy Ithacan ideas.

You can follow the event on twitter @igniteithaca.

                          

I lost the picture of this bottle, so here is the 2004 vintage label. It was the same for the 2007 vintage.

Appellation: Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania)
Grape: Chambourcin (pronounced sham-bor-SAN with that uppity French nasal “in” sound)
ABV: not determined (labeled “table wine”), but given Brix at harvest, I would guess around 13%
Price Point: $16
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: {Brix} at harvest: 23.5-24. pH: 3.95, TA 6 g/L after malolactic fermentation and stabilization with potassium carbonate. Destemmed, pumped into bins and inoculated. Extended maceration (3 weeks) with punchdowns. 16 months in Hungarian oak. (Thanks to Pinnacle Ridge owner Brad Knapp for the detailed info!)

Hedonic Notes:
Pours a dark ruby red. Whoof, smoky oak on the nose. A little {heat}, with some raspberry fruit. There is just the slightest sulfur off-aroma on the nose, like opening a hard boiled egg. In the mouth, light and fruity if a bit thin, with slight {astringency}. It’s got a very short finish, but acidity lingers long after. When I approached this wine the second day, it was already badly {oxidized}, which I would attribute to some Acetobacter. The relatively high pH of this wine (close to 4) makes it susceptible to spoilage in the presence of oxygen.

Rating: 2 out of 5 corks .

Chambourcin is promoted highly on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail as its signature grape. If you know the hybrids produced up in the Finger Lakes, then Chambourcin may not be as familiar as Cayuga White, Seyval, Foch and others. That’s because it’s not grown extensively in the Finger Lakes.

In terms of hybrids, Chambourcin is not well-suited for the Finger Lakes because it is relatively cold-tender, with tissue damage occuring anywhere from 0 F to -5 F (compare to DeChaunac’s -15F). Pennsylvania, especially the southeast corner, is warmer than New York, with fewer extremely cold days and more frost-free days, so it’s a bit of a safer environment for Chambourcin vines.

Chambourcin is one of few hybrid grapes that still exists in France, along with Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc, and a handful of others that survived the Order 66-like purge of American hybrids from France in the mid-20th century. It’s predominantly found in the Loire Valley, but you won’t find it in any of the top-quality AOC wines, at least not legally. It turns out that this grape is handy to have around, though, since it produces monoglucoside anthocyanins. Why is this important?

Example of a vinifera anthocyanin, with a sugar in the 3- position. Diglycosylated anthocyanins also have a sugar in the 5- position. Figure "borrowed" from G. Sacks, Cornell University.

Red hybrids are generally high in anthocyanins, the compounds that give red wine its color. Often, these have sugar groups conjugated to them to improve solubility. Many hybrid varieties add TWO sugar groups, creating diglycoside anthocyanins. Vinifera grapes only add one sugar, leading to monoglucoside anthocyanins. The test for mono vs. diglucoside anthocyanins is relatively simple (thin layer chromatography, or TLC) and can be used to determine if a wine has been “adulterated” with “inferior” hybrid grapes (e.g., unfit for AOC classification). However, since Chambourcin’s anthocyanins are monoglycosylated, they are difficult to distinguish from those of European vinifera grapes, at least at first pass. So, if you were a French winemaker and your wine needed a little color, for example…. ah, perhaps I have said too much.

Further Reading:
Wine Business Monthly overview of Chambourcin
Detailed info on Chambourcin from Iowa State
Article from the New York Cork Report on the connection between mono- and diglycosides and foxy aroma
Review of more-advanced wine adulteration analysis: García-Beneytez et al., “Analysis of Grape and Wine Anthocyanins by HPLC-MS”, J. Ag. Food Chem., 2003.

                          

Style: Wild American Ale with Blueberries
Color: A translucent red stream leaps from the bottle, recalling a Lambic almost instantly. Pinkish foam forms with large bubbles and dissipates quickly.
ABV: 5.0%
Price Point: $17 (Note: this beer was very limited production. I am told that it is sold out. -Ed.)
Technical Notes: Fermented with Brettanomyces and finished with champagne yeast. Blended from several sour beer barrels.

Hedonic Notes:
Bubbles rise up the length of the glass and seem to spring forth out of the glass as the beer sits. A sour smell dominates the aroma, calling up images of {Brettanomyces} and {Acetobacter}. Hints of blueberry and champagne appear in the background. Slight red fruit scents are present throughout and mask blueberry notes.

The first sip is very sour initially and fades into sweetness. Faint blueberry notes are masked yielding to Brett horse-blanket. Blueberry mingles with and is virtually indistinguishable from red fruit in a sweet finish. The precise balance of Brett sour and fruity sweet make for an almost sour fruit candy taste. Indeed, the funky flavor of Brett does not overpower any single characteristic of the beer, merely reminding the drinker of its presence. Champagne notes form an ever-present backbone, conjuring images of a sparkling fruit wine. Very high levels of carbonation combined with a specific sweetness make for a champagne mouthfeel.

The beer is light overall, but the effervescence makes it easy to overlook the nuances of its body. The technique using Brettanomyces, and a variety of barrel aged samples is characteristic of Lambics. Indeed, the flavor reminds me a great deal of Lindeman’s brews, a delightful balance of sweet and sour. As an aside, the Wild American Ale category is largely underdeveloped and it is nice to see a brewery pursuing an often overlooked category. The beer, as most of the Excelsior! brews, is very well balanced. Surprisingly, the beer offers a distinct Brettanomyces flavor without being off-putting. It is magnificently palatable overall, and like the aforementioned Lindeman’s beers, may form a delightful introduction to beer and wild beer for the uninitiated.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 corks .

Science!
Prior to the advent of defined yeast strains and careful genetic management, brewers of wine and beer often used blending techniques to produce consistent and reliable final products. The techniques of blending select not only yeast strains for desirable qualities, but involve the mixing of young and old beers or wines with very different characteristics and compounds in solution, exposing old microbes to new materials.

Microbes may exist in solution or on the surface of the fruit (many wild yeasts reside on the skins of fruit), but rely on molecular diffusion for sugars and nutrients to reach the cells. Compounds must diffuse through the fruit’s cellulosic matrix to reach the yeast cells. In the case of Lambics, fermentation may demand up to three years to completely mature.

Depending on the time of year and immediate conditions at the time of brewing or preparing grapes (especially the amount of time since the last rain), different wild microbes may infect the wort or must. Add in the very long maturation time and these fermentations require either very precise control of the fermentation process or a number of different permutations of a particular fermentation, each with different flaws and strengths.

Mixing these different permutations has the potential to produce a consistent and desirable product. The often unpredictable nature of fermentations necessitates such approaches in large-scale endeavors. Mixing old beer with young beer (a three year and one year fermentation is often used when making Gueuze) reinvigorates fermentation. Certain oxidative yeasts (Brettanomyces, most notably) take a very long time to ferment completely, often in excess of 8 months before the yeast fully start autolyzing and/or falling out of solution.

For comparison, Saccharomyces are bred to be rapid fermenting yeasts and typically finish their work in two weeks before they start dropping out of solution and begin fining the product. Some other participants in the fermentation process (e.g. Pediococcus taking up to 4 months) also are slow fermenting, necessitating long maturation times. Most bacteria in wild fermentations, however, tend to work very rapidly and play little role in aging. Indeed, it is very often that the dominance of the bacteria reproducing very quickly that makes controlling the process difficult and introduces undesirable flavors. Blending different vintages is almost always necessary in making wild ales that are consistent and perhaps merely even palatable.

Further Reading: Sparrow, Jeff. WildBrews: Beer Beyond the Influence of Brewer’s Yeast. Brewer’s Publications: Boulder, CO. 2005.

                          

Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Alphalpha

Style: Double Honey Bitter
Color: Amber
ABV: 8.5%
Price Point: $11

Technical Notes: Brewed with local alfalfa honey and Cascade hops. Like the other Excelsior! Beers, this is bottle conditioned and the last pour includes a bit of yeast.

Hedonic Notes:
The first pour is very frothy and carbonated, a thick and stable head develops instantly. A slight cloudiness makes the honey amber beer a bit opaque.

Citrus-hoppiness pervades the aroma with a Belgian ester/clove scent forming the backbone. The scent is clearly Cascade hops. Orange and lemon scents make the bulk of the citrus sensation. The hoppy aroma is not as dominating as one might expect from a double IPA, or “double honey bitter,” but the citrus dominance of the Cascade hops is appropriate for the style.

As expected, the beer has a good deal of hoppy bitterness. Surprisingly, the brewers were able to get an earthy bitterness that is almost uncharacteristic of Cascade hops. A citrus and grass/hay-like flavor lingers on the palate. The earthy and citrus characters balance one another creating a well-rounded bitterness. A good amount of roasted and caramel malts were used, imparting a sweetness to the finish. Honey, too, adds a bit of sweetness in the finish, but is noticeable far more in the texture than flavor.

Somewhat sweet texture with a bit of maltiness constitutes the bulk of the mouthfeel. Initially the carbonation is very high, but it subsides quite quickly leaving a nearly flat texture within almost 20 minutes when served at the proper temperature. A honey softness is present in the finish, but it is a bit difficult to notice.
The beer is more palatable than most double IPAs, though if it’s overwhelming bitterness you are expecting then this beer may not be for you. For having used only Cascade hops, the beer has a remarkable range of hoppy bitterness, including not only the expected citrus notes, but also a refreshing earthy hop flavor in the finish. The bitterness is backed up by a wonderful fruity ester and clove flavor reminiscent of a Belgian Enkel, providing a wonderful balance. The alcohol content is listed at 8.5%, but the malt character balances it quite well and hides the solvent like character. Exceptional balance and a well-defined hop character make this beer a pleasure to drink.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 corks .

Science!

Hops are used to create a bitter flavor in beer. From their early adoption as a means to curtail bacteria growth as an alternative to expensive spices, hops have become a flavor additive in modern beer. Current trends in brewing have seen the pursuit of extraordinarily bitter beers. New hop strains and even some techniques to increase hop oil solubility have created beers that reach the limits of not only the hops but also the human palate.

On the right is the generic structure for an alpha-acid.  Depending on the structure of R, the compound has a number of different properties.  Solubility is directly related to the size of the hydrophobic group in the domain represented with the R.  Cohumulone is often considered to impart an unpleasant bitterness.  Noble hops (the four original varieties native to Europe that tend to have high aroma and low bitterness) tend to have high cohumulone levels relative to total alpha acid concentration.  This is often perceived as an astringency in the beer.  Traditional Czech pilsners often feature this particular attribute quite well.  By contrast, humulone is the commonly recognized bittering agent in hops.  Adhumulone’s role in bittering is not fully understood.

                          

I am proud to announce a new staff member here at Ithacork.

From his first sip of beer, Richard Pliny was captured by the fizzy drink’s allure. Through years of research and experimentation he has sought to understand beer’s secrets, as indeed he still does. Now an amateur brewer and professional scientist, Richard seeks to share his passion for the drink with others.

Currently, Richard is also pursuing his PhD in Chemical Engineering. He exploits his university’s resources to further his knowledge of brewing and fermentation whenever he can, drawing heavily on the strong food science program. Like me, Richard has found that a basic understanding of biology and chemistry greatly elucidates the beermaking process.

Richard’s first post, fittingly on an Ithaca beer, will go up Friday in what will hopefully be a weekly beer column for you hopheads out there.

Please join me in welcoming Richard to the team.

                          

@DaWinemaker Tim Benedict (Winemaker, Hazlitt 1852)
@3BrosWine 3 Brothers Wineries
@Betthefarmny Bet the Farm Winery, a kind of general store in beautiful Aurora, NY. They also make wine!
@WSWine White Springs Winery
@FLXamy Amy Hoffman (co-owner, Rooster Hill)
@Stacisays Staci Nugent (winemaker, Keuka Lake Vineyards)
@bseager Brandon Seager (Asst. winemaker, Red Newt)
@acc123 Amy Cheatle (Tasting Room Mgr., Damiani)
@Eno_Barry Ian Barry (winemaker, Swedish Hill, Goose Watch, Penguin Bay)
@SheldrakePoint Sheldrake Point Vineyards

The full list is here: http://ithacork.com/flx-wineries-on-twitter/

As usual, you can follow these and other Finger Lakes wineries here:
http://tweepml.org/Finger-Lakes-Wineries/

Alternatively, if you’re into TweetDeck and/or Twitter Lists, you can follow my FLX wine list here:
http://twitter.com/mrmansell/flxwine

                          

Sheldrake Point Cabernet Franc Ice Wine 2008

Two delicious ice wines.

Appellation: Finger Lakes
Grape: Cabernet Franc
ABV: 12.5%
RS: 16.2%
Price Point: $45
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: Harvested January-February of 2008, so really grapes from the 2007 vintage. Frozen on the vine and pressed while still frozen. Averaged about 39 Brix after pressing. Final TA: 8 g/L.

Hedonic Notes: Beautiful color, a salmony red. In Strawberry City, this wine is the mayor. Dried strawberry character on the nose, like you’d find in a granola bar. Some spicy character on the nose as well. Mouth-coating but not overly syrupy. You can tell that it’s wine as alcohol definitely registers. Sweet (duh) but the sweetness is parried by acidity. Finishes like old-timey candy, like a mix of strawberry hard candy (those ones that the wrapper looked like a strawberry) and a honey stick.

Rating: 3 out of 5 corks for a unique wine that’s fruity and balanced.

Sheldrake Point Riesling Ice Wine 2007

This was practically the first review I ever wrote for the blog, and amazingly it pretty much matches up with my tasting notes this time around. The first review is reproduced here for your convenience.

Sheldrake Point 2007 Riesling Ice Wine
Grape: Riesling
ABV: 12.6%
Residual Sugar: 16.5% (165 g/L)
Appellation: Finger Lakes
Price point: $65 for 375 mL (half-bottle)
The 2007 looks pretty much like any normal riesling would, pale yellow in color, though noticeably thicker in the glass on swirling. It also smells like a Finger Lakes riesling, with characteristic light floral and citrus notes. Also, it’s got a little stonefruit (I wrote “peach”) and pineapple thrown in there. On the palate, lively acidity stands up to the considerable sweetness very well, for a very fresh, zingy feeling. Lemon and lime join the party on the palate, kind of like Sprite. (Interestingly, all of these wines have quite a bit more sugar than Sprite [~110 g/L]). Really great, and not just for dessert. This {well-balanced} wine plays nicely with blue cheese and walnuts, and would likely compliment spicy foods (e.g., Thai or Indian) pretty well.
Rating: 3.5 corks

In addition, some technical notes on this one: TA 11.2 g/L (that explains the “lively acidity” I suppose). Surprisingly high for an ice wine, but it’s a real asset in this case. 38 Brix at pressing. The current info I have notes the RS at 18%, which is also what it says on the bottle itself.

Like I said, on retasting, I agree with all these notes. I would add that the tiniest bit of oxidation (barely noticeable) creeps in on the tail end of a very long finish, but overall it’s an excellent wine.

Science!
I covered a bit on the science of ice wine production in 2 articles for the New York Cork Report. They can be found here:

Ice Wine Science Part 1: Volatile Issues treats the overall practice of harvesting ice wine grapes, and the somewhat surprising reason that ice wines and other high-Brix wines can have high {volatile acidity}.

Ice Wine Science Part 2: Frozen assets tackles the honey-like mouthfeel and unique aroma compounds that ice wine brings to the table.

                          

Red cat, red cat...

The reviews can be found here:

Mazza Vineyards NV Niagara
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat (Catawba)

I talked a bit about Red Cat when I was at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival (see video clip).

These grapes, along with a few others like Concord and Delaware, are commonly known as “native grapes”.

However, “native grapes” is a bit of a misnomer.

Science!

Ampelography is the study of classification of grape cultivars. Ampelographers trace the ancestry of grapes by looking at similarities in leaf and berry characteristics and more recently by DNA fingerprinting.  For example, ampelographers recently discovered that the mother of the noble Chardonnay was in fact the reviled Gouais Blanc grape, which was banned in France for producing inferior wines.

A perfect grape flower. The stamens (male) are on the outside and the stigma (middle) leads to the ovary. Welcome back to 7th grade science class. Image: Bruce Reisch, Cornell Grape Breeding Program

Niagara, the white grape typically found in Welch’s white grape juice, is a intentional cross between Concord and the white Cassady grape. Catawba’s history is somewhat less clear, but it is believed to be an accidental cross between wild V. labrusca and V. vinifera. Even Concord is widely believed to have vinifera parentage.

Evidence of the vinifera ancestry of these “native” grapes includes the fact that they are perfect-flowered. This means that their flowers possess both male and female parts and the plants can fertilize themselves. Flowers of wild grapes, including wild V. labrusca, are pistillate, meaning they have either male or female parts.

Perfect flowering was likely selected for by growers, since self-fertile grapes produce much more fruit (no need for donor pollen to float over to the flowers).   Of the Vitis species, only cultivated vinifera, which went through thousands of years of selection by humans before meeting up with native American grapes, are perfect-flowered. A few non-perfect-flowered grapes are grown today, but they are largely heirloom varieties and not commercially important.

Anyway, back to the names.  Some people refer to these native-like hybrids as “Vitis labruscana” or labrusca-type grapes.  If you call them “native grapes,” people will know what you’re talking about, but it’s not quite accurate.  I have tasted REAL native grapes, including wild V. labrusca and V. riparia.  They taste like crap.  Wild labrusca grapes are extremely foxy (practically inedible) and riparia, which grow abundantly pretty much everywhere, don’t really taste like much of anything.

More info on grape breeding can be found at Bruce Reisch’s Grape Breeding Site.