Vin de France – the new kid on the block?
There’s excitement in France at the new Vin de France category, in effect from the 2009 vintage, which means wines started coming on the market about six months ago.
Malolactic fermentation
Good bacteria exist in wine as well as in probiotic formulations. Their greatest vinous contribution is the malolactic fermentation (MLF or ‘the malo’).
Reverse osmosis
Bits of viticulture and winemaking stuff explained.
Yeasts
Wild yeasts and cultured yeasts, the pros and cons
What is that makes pink wine pink?
If white wine comes from white grapes, and red wine from red grapes, where does pink wine come from, given there aren’t really any pink grapes?
Minerality again
A follow-up report from that published in October 2009, this pursues the reality and myth of minerality in wine.
To B(otrytis) or not to B(otrytis)? That is the question
Is a little bit of noble rot a good thing in dry white wines?
Non-French oak has its say
French oak from centuries-old forests has asserted its dominance in the wine world with aplomb and skill as well as price premium, but it wasn’t always thus. The Bordelais used to be more than happy with Hungarian and Baltic oak, and a comeback for non-French wood is being quietly asserted.
Casa Silva research Chilean terroir
In researching very small scale viticultural units, Viña Casa Silva have discovered that even very small distances in the vineyard can produce different results in the wine.
Minerality – quote, unquote
Minerality is an emotive, and poorly understood term. I’ve been quizzing people over the past year, and here is what’s being said.
