Did you know that cork has been in use for sealing bottles of wine since the 1600s? Prior to cork, the most common method of closure was rags soaked with oil. Currently, natural cork is used to seal approximately 3/5 of the world's wine bottles, while alternatives such as synthetic corks and screwcaps are used for the rest.
Cork is the bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus suber. Indigenous to countries of the Western Mediterranean, it thrives in the warm, dry climate. The vast majority of the world's cork is produced on the Iberian Peninsula, with Portugal alone responsible for over half of global production, and Spain responsible for about another 30%. The rest is mostly grown in other nearby countries like France, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Cork trees are long lived, often exceeding 200 years of age. Once a tree is approximately 25 years old it may be harvested for the first time. The harvesting process is completely unmechanized, with only hand tools used to remove the layer of dead cork bark from the trees' trunks. This traditional hands-on method ensures the trees are handled carefully and are unharmed by the process. Once harvested, it will be another 9-12 years before the bark can be harvested again. Given the longevity of cork oaks, each tree will commonly be harvested approximately a dozen times over the course of its life.
After removal, the planks of bark are stacked outside and dried for several months. After drying, the cork is boiled, which disinfects it and causes it to smooth out as well as expand approximately one-fifth in size. After the cork has dried in a controlled environment, the planks are cut lengthwise into strips from which cork cylinders are punched out with a round blade. Once the cork stoppers are made, they can be printed with the logos of the wineries that will use them. Little is wasted in the manufacturing process; cork scraps, bits, granules, and irregularly-shaped pieces are processed into all manner of products from bulletin boards to ceiling and floor tiles.
In May of this year the wine world lost one of its icons as Robert Mondavi passed away at the impressive age of 94.
Mondavi became a fixture of the California wine industry when in 1966 he left his family's winery to establish his own, the first new winery in the Napa Valley since the repeal of Prohibition. He quickly made an impact in 1967 with the release of a Sauvignon Blanc wine that he called "Fume Blanc". The public loved it and the Sauvignon Blanc varietal grew from relative obscurity in California to a position of incredible popularity, which it still enjoys to this day.
Over the course of his career in wine, Mondavi produced many highly respected wines and his exhaustive efforts to promote the region was a major factor in putting the Napa Valley, and California in general, on the international wine map. In 1978, he partnered with Baron Philippe de Rothschild, owner of the world-famous First Growth Chateau Mouton Rothschild of Bordeaux, France. Their joint venture, Opus One, based in California, lent increased respect to the state in the wine world. It remains one of the finest wines produced in California.
In December 2004 the Mondavi winery was purchased by Constellation Brands for over $1.35 billion. Robert Mondavi was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America's Vintners Hall of Fame in March 2007 and the California Hall of Fame in December 2007.
It's interesting to note that there currently are no requirements for nutritional information to be listed on wine labels (nor beer or liquor for that matter). While there are groups lobbying for increased disclosure of such information, for the time being we as consumers are in the dark regarding the exact nutritional content of any given wine. That being said, there are some generalizations that we can make.
According to the FDA, the average 5-ounce glass of red wine contains approximately 106 calories. White wine tends to be a bit lower, averaging 100. Carbohydrates are low for both red and white wine, averaging about 2.5g for red and 1.2g for white. Most of the calories in wine come from the alcohol, so higher alcohol wines will have more calories than lower alcohol wines. Also, sweeter wines have higher residual sugar content and thus will also be slightly higher in calories, all other things being equal.
As far as vitamins and minerals are concerned, wine typically contains only trace amounts. However, there are other substances in wine that may potentially be beneficial, most notably antioxidants and the recently highly-touted resveratrol, both of which have been linked to disease prevention.
It should be noted that we're not speaking about fine wines like a $300 bottle of Chateau Margaux or even the less stratospherically-priced fine estate-bottled wines featured in the club. Rather, the wine glut is the result of thousands of small wine producers that at one time had no problem selling their low to mid-quality wines either locally or on the international market, but are now unable to find buyers for over a billion bottles of wine per year.
The reasons for the Wine Lake are varied, but the most important factor is simply the increased competition European producers have been facing from the New World, whose wines have been conquering ever larger shares of the global wine market for the last several decades. In Europe, New World imports are making significant inroads into the market, while consumption of wine in general has fallen. At the same time, sales of high-quality wine is actually increasing, indicating a move away from cheap "table wine" by consumers (please note that in the U.S. almost all wine is labeled as table wine, regardless of quality or price, but in Europe "table wine" is a term for inexpensive low-quality wines). Combined with the fact that U.S., Australian, and South American wines are capturing export markets traditionally dominated by European producers, the Old World now finds itself awash in wine it cannot sell.
Compounding matters for Europe, New World producers are not only capturing larger percentages of the global wine market, they're also shaping the tastes and expectations of consumers in the market. Often typified by more forwardly-fruity flavors, many New World wines are more approachable for novice drinkers (including European ones), and they often tend to be more drinkable when young. New World producers are also typically free of regimented guidelines dictating how their wines must be made, so they're able to experiment and innovate more than their Old World counterparts who must conform to the restrictions imposed by their appellations. Hand-in-hand with the freedom New World producers enjoy when crafting their wines is the fact that their wines are almost universally bottled under varietal names like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Chardonnay, a simple but savvy tactic helping consumers more easily identify what a given wine actually is. Old World wines, by contrast, tend to be labeled with their place of origin (appellation) instead of the varietals used in their production, confusing consumers who may not be aware that Cote-Rotie, for instance, is a Syrah based wine blended with up to 20% Viognier. In such a situation, a consumer may pass up an excellent French wine in favor of a New World wine that has a more descriptive label.
European wine producing countries are now in the position of having to find a way to meet the demands of the global marketplace while trying to maintain as much of their Old World traditions as possible. The majority of Europe's vineyards (over 70%) are below twelve acres in size, reflecting the tradition of small-scale family-run wine production. Sadly, given the changing market, many of these vineyards will have to be abandoned. At the end of 2007, an EU plan was enacted to assist small producers in retiring from winemaking while uprooting 400,000 acres of excess grapevines. The EU is also phasing out the subsidies (of almost one billion dollars per year) that have paid for the alcohol distillation program, which has kept so many of these producers in business despite there being no market for their wine. The savings will allow more of the EU's wine budget to go to better marketing of their quality products as well as improving the overall quality of wine production. In addition, wine labels on some wines are to become easier to understand with the use of varietal names. While viewed as a significant step in helping make the EU more efficient and agile in the market, many analysts feel the reforms will not yet be enough to turn the tide. Only time will tell if the EU can begin to make headway in its fight to recapture dominance of the global wine market.
You may be wondering about the name. Well, the French coined the term because of the size of the grapes, which tend to be small. It's also the offspring of a cross between Syrah and Peloursin that was developed in France in the late 19th Century by Dr. Francois Durif, although the Syrah link wasn't proven until DNA analysis in 1996. The grape was originally called "Durif" and that is still used as an alternate name.
A great site for Petite Sirah lovers to check out is www.psiloveyou.org, which is an advocacy group dedicated to increasing exposure and public awareness of this interesting varietal.
Anderson Valley is a cool climate for growing grapes, which is perfect for Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Chardonnay, the four most widely planted varietals. Pinot Noir in particular is a finicky grape to grow, but it finds an ideal place to grow in this region, an appellation which has established the reputation for producing some of the very finest Pinot Noir in the U.S.
The Mendocino area is dotted with many small hotels and quaint bed & breakfasts, including several in Anderson Valley. There are also plenty of other activities, attractions, and seasonal events including wine festivals, music and art festivals, museums, and shopping. For more info, visit the Anderson Valley and Mendocino Coast Chambers of Commerce and the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association. [http://www.andersonvalleychamber.com, http://www.mendocinocoast.com, http://www.avwines.com/]
That being said, for those of us who would like to drink great Bordeaux and pay our mortgage, there are actually plenty of options. While it may seem that 2005 does not represent good value, it's not necessarily the case. The 2005 vintage was terrific not just for the premier producers but for the region as a whole, and many less esteemed producers have created truly stunning offerings that are the finest ever produced by their estates and are available at very reasonable prices; there are a myriad of 90-93 point wines available in the $20-$40 range. In this way, the 2005 Bordeaux vintage represents a great value at the lower price points, with wines emanating from some cru bourgeois producers that rival and better those of many classified growth producers from normal years. However, be aware that many (though not all) of these wines are exceptionally tannic and concentrated, and may need at least a few years before reaching optimal maturity.
Winemaker
J. Rickards Winery
Let's be very clear, how long one cellars their wine in the bottle is a very subjective issue for the wine consumer and there is no set formula. In a nutshell, here is my opinion. If a wine is either tart, has drying tannins, or is hot in the finish, bottle aging will benefit the wine. Bottle aging will always help in mellowing a wine.
The other side of the coin is that a wine can lose some fruitfulness and freshness over time. But remember, even time will not make a silk purse out of a sows ear. However, if a wine tastes good now then buy several bottles. In that way you can be assured that the wine will be ready to drink now and into the future. Then drink them over time in order to see how they evolve.
Because the wine at J. Rickards Winery is unfiltered, it will have more complexity and flavor earlier while still having the potential to age. One of the hardest parts of buying wine is deciding how long to age the wine, if at all, prior to drinking it. You must remember an aged wine can be very different by the time you open it from when you purchased it. If you enjoy a big, bold, fruity wine then excessive aging might not be to your preference. However, a wine that is aged, at least a little while, is generally a better food wine providing it has the flavors that you want to complement the meal.
Brown Barn Petite Sirah & Braised Short Ribs
4-5 lb. beef short ribs on the bone
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt & ground pepper
4 Tbs. olive oil, plus more if needed
4 large carrots, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large sweet yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 750 ml bottle J. Rickards Brown Barn Petite Sirah
6 oz. tomato paste
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 cups beef stock
Preheat oven to 300°. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Spread flour on a baking sheet and dredge the ribs in the flour, coating well. In a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Add more oil if needed in the pot, and add the onions, carrots and garlic. Cook over medium heat until just soft, about 10 minutes, and remove to another plate and cover with foil.
Add the Petite Sirah to the Dutch oven and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and combine well. Increase heat to medium-high and allow to reduce by half and thicken, 10 to 12 minutes. Add just the ribs back into the Dutch oven and add enough stock to come up halfway up the sides of the ribs. Stir well, cover and place in oven for 2 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables to the Dutch oven and stir gently. Continue cooking another 1 and 1/2 hour or so. It's done when the meat is very tender; remove excess fat and the sprigs and leaves. Serve with noodles or mashed potatoes.
(Serves 6 generously.)
