Those First Attempts to Produce (Real) Wine in the New World

Europe has been involved in the wine industry for hundreds of year.  But did you know that the U.S. could have also been an active player 400 years ago, if not for colonists other interest?

It all began on July 16, 1619 when the King of England, and a Virginia colonist by the name of George Yeardley, decided to start a vineyard of French grapes in the New World.

Ten years before, in 1609, Sir George had set sail for Jamestown as a captain in charge of soldiers but was shipwrecked in Bermuda. Passengers from the doomed ship worked together and built two more ships from supplies on the island. They arrived safely in Jamestown 10 months later.

The Starving Time

But Jamestown was in a desperate state, with most of the settlers dead from sickness, starvation, or Indian attacks. Captain Yeardley and his men were ordered to protect the town until help arrived. Once it had, Yeardley led 150 men into the mountains to search for gold and silver that could be mined.

Chickahominy Indian Agreement

Just four years later, in 1616, Yeardley was appointed Deputy-Governor of Virginia. Understanding what the colony needed to survive and thrive, he promptly reached an agreement with the Chickahominy Indian that secured peace and food for the settlers for two years.  He was appointed to the post again in 1625.

House of Burgesess

Yeardley was well respected in the community. He presided over the initial session of Virginia’s first representative legislative body, known then as the House of Burgesess, (Virginia General Assembly) on July 30, 1619.  In November 1619, Yeardley was appointed to serve as governor of Virginia until 1622.

King James I

King James I was against colonists growing tobacco. He touted Virginia as a fruitful land and saw an opportunity for wine to become a major export product to England. Under the king’s orders, Yeardley took French grapevines back to Jamestown to be cultivated by vignerons (winemakers) who knew how to tend the vines correctly and could produce a drinkable wine.

Although there were abundant wild grapes in the New World, the “wine” produced from them was acidic and sour. Colonists had no patience with winemaking and let the wine “age” 5 or 6 days before drinking it. The French grapes flourished but the winemaker died.

How to Make Wine

By 1620, more winemakers and over 10,000 vines had arrived in the New World. King James I commanded that every householder in the colony be given a booklet written by John Bonoeil with the "instructions how to plant and dress vines, and to make wine." These booklets were the first written instructions given to American winemakers.

 

According to Bonoeil’s instructions, “if the grapes be too hard, they may boil them with some water; . . . and then let them work thus together five or six days . . . After that, you may draw it, and barrel it, as we have said, and use it when you need. I have oftentimes seen such wine made reasonable good for the household. And by this means every man may presently have wine in Virginia to drink.”

Jamestown in 1620

But the colonists had little time or patience to plant and tend wine grapes; there was far too much money to be made with tobacco. What wine that did get sent back to Britain was said to have spoiled during the long voyage and was considered to be “rather of scandal than credit to us."

By 1625, the king had commanded that vineyards be planted by all land owners – “Wherefore now we have taken an order that every plantation . . . shall impale [fence] two acres of ground, and employ the sole labor of 2 men in that business [planting grape vines] for the term of 7 years, enlarging the same two acres more, with a like increase of labor . . . By this means I hope this work will go really forward, and the better if good store of Spanish or French vines may be sent us.”

The Virginia General Assembly also passed a law that required every male over the age of 20 to plant 20 grape vines. 

But in the end, colonists refused to give up the economical advantages of growing tobacco, and the vineyards and winemaking fell to the wayside. By the mid-1650’s it was apparent, Virginia was not going to become the land of wine and vines. Tobacco was king and would reign for another 300 years.

~ Joy

Welcome to July and the 31 Days of Riesling

 

It was July 2011 when the Wines of Germany began promoting the 31 Days of German Riesling.  Three years later over 500 restaurants and wine retailers throughout the U.S. will again promote Germany’s most prestigious grape with special tasting flights, food pairing dinner events, by-the-glass specials, and special purchasing discounts all month long.

Riesling Grape

Why all the fuss over German Riesling?  Germany’s goal is to increase greater awareness concerning their most famous grape, especially in the U.S. where we tend to tout our own Rieslings.

German Vineyard

And Germany does have bragging rights.  After all, over 60% of the world’s Riesling vineyards are located in there, and since the Riesling grape best expresses the terroir (soil) it is grown in, that is quite a compliment.

Vineyards

In Germany, Riesling is considered the most noble of grapes.  It can flourish in stony soil with little rain, ripening later than most grapes, usually in October.  It is the acidity level that gives this grape its character and that must be balanced with the sweetness of the grape in order to produce a wine of flavor, balance, and elegance.

Two-thirds of the Riesling wine produced in Germany is crafted in the Trocken (dry) style. And a German Riesling is considered to be one of the easiest wines to pair with food due to that wonderful balance of fruit and acidity.

Pairing Ideas:

Trocken Riesling

Salmon

Trocken (dry) Riesling pairs well with sea bass, salmon and snapper, pork chops, sausage, pizza, and medium to full bodied cheeses like Swiss, Brie, and Cheddar.

Riesling

Venison

For a semi-sweet Riesling (the broadest Riesling category), try game meats such as venison or rack of lamb, clam chowder, roast turkey, or a fresh fruit tart.

Dessert Riesling

Cheesecake

And for that rich, honeyed flavor of sweet dessert Riesling, you can’t miss with pate’, sharp cheeses like Gorgonzola or Roquefort, and top it off with cheesecake or apple strudel.

For more food and wine pairing ideas, Wine of Germany has it all @ 

http://www.germanwineusa.com/german-wine-101/food-wine-pairings.html

All this month, Wines of Germany will be highlighting information you may not know about German Riesling including a beginner’s look at the grape, tourism information, classifications, styles, and the grape’s history.  Visit Facebook for more details all month long - https://www.facebook.com/GermanWineUSA?fref=ts

  

 

Over 25 U.S. states will take time during the hot days of July to promote that cool and crisp German Riesling wine. For a list of participating restaurants and retailers visit www.31DaysGermanRiesling.com.

This weekend find a German Riesling event near you and celebrate all things Riesling, or pop a cork at home, sit back and savor what German Riesling has to offer during these hot July days. You just might find yourself carrying this new wine love affair on into autumn…

~ Joy

What Does Dry, Semi-Dry and Semi-Sweet Tell Me About a Wine?

I am out of commission for one more week, due to hand surgery, but here's a post from last year that explains those confusing wine terms - dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet.

If you're new to wine, the 'dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, or sweet' question can be confusing. Wines are classified as dry, semi-dry, medium or sweet in order to give you an idea of how sweet the wine will taste.  Just remember that sugar is not the only factor that affects the taste of sweetness in a wine.   It can also be influenced by the level of alcohol, acidity, and amount of tannins in the wine.

There are numerous types of sugars found in all grapes starting with simple sugar.  There is also fructose and glucose that help aid in fermentation, and trace amounts of other sugars that are not fermentable. These are the sugars that guarantee that no wine is “bone dry.”

When it comes to sweetening, a wine a winemaker has three methods to choose from:  1) Adding sugar to it––usually sucrose or common table sugar.  2) Stopping the fermentation process before the yeast has consumed all the fructose and glucose.  This will help retain more of the “fruit” in the wine.  3) Adding a concentrated grape juice back to the wine after fermentation, raising the fruit taste but simpler than stopping the ferment early. 

The actual combined content of all these remaining sugars in a wine is called residual sugar. Home winemaking kits use a standard urine sugar test kit for diabetics to measure this. (Not kidding!)  And there will always be some residual sugar because not all sugars produced during the growth of the grape are fermentable.

Other components will also affect the wine's mouth-feel and taste of sweetness as well.  Acidity helps to counter sweetness, and tannins (which occur naturally in grape skins, seeds and stems,) create a more bitter taste, making the wine less sweet.  Unfiltered wines will have more protein particles from the grape skins and grape connective tissue, adding a not always unpleasant harshness when in balance. 

There are many ways to measure a wine’s sweetness.  Winemakers generally use a simple device called a hydrometer that is floated in the wine and measures the difference between the floating point of the wine and the standard floating point of pure water.  These devices are standardized to 12.5% alcohol solutions and take into account the fact that alcohol is lighter than water and sugar is heavier.  The gradient used is called specific gravity.  

A sweet wine is just that – sweet!  This is usually the type of wine beginners like.  With a high sugar content, a sweet wine will have fruity, intense flavors.  The residual sugar is 5.0% or higher for a sweet wine.

A semi sweet or medium sweet wine has some sweetness in the taste and aroma.  The residual sugar for a medium wine ranges from 1.5 to 4.9%.

A semi dry wine is also called off dry or medium dry.  A semi dry red or white wine has a level of 0.5 to 1.49% residual sugar.  A semi dry wine has a hint of sweetness and more of a ‘fruity’ taste than a dry wine.

A dry red wine will not have the taste of sweetness, due to the sugars being fermented into alcohol, and the tannins and acidity in the wine.  In fact, a dry red may leave the feeling of dryness on your tongue and a bit of a puckering sensation in your mouth.  Red wines are described as being tannic, just like tea.  Dry reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Bordeaux and Burgundy.

A dry white may have the aroma of sweetness and full fruity flavors, but no real sweetness in the wine itself. This is due to the acidity of the grapes or fruit, and not caused by sugar.  White wines are described as being astringent.  Dry white wines include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.

A dry wine (red or white) should have less than 0.5% residual sugar.  As mentioned, it is rare to find a wine that has a residual sugar level of less than 0.1% due to the natural sweetness in the grapes or fruits used to make the wine.

Hopefully, the next time you're asked the dreaded 'dry, sweet, off dry, semi sweet' question, you'll know the answer.  Now pour yourself a glass of wine (your choice on the sweetness level ; ) and celebrate the fact that wine can be as scientific, educational, and as approachable as you want.  The choice is yours just remember to –

Enjoy!

(Special thanks to my husband, Brian Neighbors, a professional winemaker for 20 years, and his explanations on sugars, residual sugar, and how the process works!)

Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Wine Bottles

In last week’s blog on wine sustainability, there were some numbers that concerned me.  Over 300-million cases of wine are purchased each year.  While that’s great for the wine industry in terms of wine sales, those cases account for over 3.5 billion wine bottles; with only 30% of those empty bottles ever recycled. That means a lot of wine bottles end up in the landfills.

So what are some of the newer options available for wine packaging instead of using the tried and true glass bottle?Several exist – and one of the newest is a wine bottle made from paper.

GreenBottle, http://www.greenbottle.com a UK-based company, signed a deal in 2012 with independent wine supplier, Kingsland Wines to produce the first paper wine bottle.  The bottle is paper on the outside and lined inside with a foil pouch similar to the foil bladder wine boxes have.  When emptied, the paper can be recycled or composted and the liner can be recycled.

The eco-friendly bottle would weigh in at 1.94 ounces compared to a 750ml glass bottle, which weighs almost 18 ounces empty.  That means energy and carbon savings during manufacturing and shipping. And the price is equivalent to that of a glass bottle.

According to British inventor Martin Myerscough, the paper wine bottle is for wine that people will “buy and drink,” those selling for less than $10 a bottle.  The shelf life for the paper wine bottle is between 9 to 12 months. 

Besides the green impact, wine chilled in the paper bottles stays cooler for longer on the table, than wine chilled in glass bottles.  UK grocers expressed an interest in the product and the British public expected to see it on store shelves by last fall. GreenBottle did not reply as to why the delay.

Tetra Pak www.tetrapak.com is another eco-option to the glass bottle. Tetra Pak is similar to a wine box but more like a milk carton.  Made primarily from paper, 92% less packaging is used in this carton container than in a glass bottle to deliver the same amount of wine. 

Tetra Pak use about 5% of the energy for production that a glass bottle does and has 5% of the CO2 footprint.

Besides being environmentally friendly, Tetra Pak is more cost effective than glass; the square-ish shapes are easier to stack on store shelves, and more portable for the consumer.  The containers are made mainly from paper, a renewable resource, and are lighter in weight than glass. This means less fuel and fewer emissions when shipping.

According to the company, it would take 52 semi-trailers to transport 1 million empty wine bottles.  It would take only 2 semi-trailers to transport 1 million Tetra Pak wine cartons.

Tetra Pak wine cartons are in use in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Africa, Asia and South America. Wines that are packaged in Tetra Pak containers include Bandit, French Rabbit, Yellow+Blue, Bota Box, and Vendange.

To find out if Tetra Pak containers or other cartons are recyclable in your community, visit http://www.recyclecartons.com.

The wine pouch offers another eco-choice.  Made from plastic, the wine pouch is easy to carry, with a handle as part of the design.  The pouch is 20 times as light as a glass bottle and uses about 20% of the energy during production that a glass bottle does.

The wine pouch is great for those wines you buy and drink often, offering a minimum shelf live of 9 months before opening and up to one month after.

AstraPouch http://www.astrapouch-na.com of South Africa was developed as a wine glass packaging alternative.  The wine pouches are flexible, stand up on the shelf and hold the equivalent of two 750ml glass bottles.

According to AstraPouch, one truckload of empty pouches is equal to 14 truckloads of empty glass bottles. AstraPouch is recyclable and currently in use in South Africa, Australia, the U.S. and the UK.

Wines sold in pouches include the Climber by Clif Family Winery, Bud Naked, Eco Vino, and Glenor.

Stack Wines http://drinkstack.com of Newport Beach, California has a ‘green’ approach totally outside the box, or pouch.  Their VinoWear stacked containers are packaged in a shrink sleeve.  The sleeve zips apart to reveal four 187ml stackers – stemless wine ‘glasses.’ Snap the glasses apart and peel off the foil for a go-anywhere glass of wine.

The glasses are made from a high quality plastic that is lightweight and shatterproof, giving each container the look and feel of glass with the practicality of plastic.

Instead of a case (12 bottles) of wine bottles, Stack Wines offers twelve stacks packaged in a case box.  Both the box and the individual wine ‘glasses’ can be recycled.

Other green bottle options include PET wine bottles, boxed wines, bag-in-box (BIB) wines, even mini barrels like Red Truck Wines offers.

Of course, the only way any of these green alternatives will be truly successful is if the wine consumer will accept them.  While the Boomers and Gen Xers have some interest in sustainability, it may be the Millennials that decide what we drink our wines from in the future.

Paper rosés anyone?

~ Joy