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Central Coast Wine Insider Blog

Central Coast Wine Insider Blog

How the Vines make the Wine- the Annual Cycle!

How do things grow from Root to Fruit?

If you’ve ever visited a working vineyard and beheld the vines, you’ve undoubtedly heard the terms bandied about: Bud Break, Fruit Set, Veraison. But how does that seemingly barren chunk of wood you see in December become the fruit laden cornucopia of grape splendor we see in September?  To understand, we look at the yearly growth cycle of the wine vine. Come along!

Dormancy of Vines

From leaf fall to the beginning of growth in spring, grape vines are dormant and consist entirely of woody tissue. Relatively little activity occurs during this period. Root growth can still occur unless soil temperatures are too cold to support growth. Cold hardiness within rootstocks can vary depending on genetics, temperature, and temperature fluctuations. Many of the hybrid grape varieties are created to address the lack of hardiness in varieties of grapes in the species Vitis vinifera. As a result, hardiness varies considerably across varieties. In cold climates, hardy hybrid varieties are necessary for grape production

vines bud break

Bud Break

Bud break

As temperatures warm in the spring, stored starch is converted to sugar and sap begins to move in the vine. This can be seen on warm spring days when pruning wounds begin to “bleed”. As temperatures warm, buds begin to swell, then burst (break). The newly emerged shoots grow very rapidly, and will continue to do so for several weeks in the absence of stress. Soon clusters become visible, usually opposite the third and fourth leaves on a shoot.

 

Bloom and fruit set

After a few weeks, depending on weather conditions, clusters begin to swell, and soon flowers open. The flowering period can be as short as a day or two under warm, dry conditions, or as long as a month under very cool, wet weather conditions. Grapevines are still mostly reliant on stored carbohydrates from the previous season for their energy at this point. After pollination, the flowers abscise and the newly-formed berries go through a rapid period of development due to cell division. Flower cluster primordia for the following season begin to originate in buds at this time, and will continue to develop until veraison. Leaves well exposed to sunlight during this time will result in more fruitful buds in the following growing season. Once the berries are well formed, cell division largely ceases and further berry growth is mostly due to cell expansion. Many leaves on each shoot are fully expanded, and the vine no longer depends on stored carbohydrates for its energy source. For the next few weeks, shoots and berries grow very rapidly.

 

Veraison and fruit maturation

vines veraison

Photo of Veraison

Approximately five to seven weeks after fruit set, veraison begins. Berries expand further, begin to soften, and accumulate sugar. The color on red cultivars is readily apparent, while the visual indicators of maturity on white cultivars are more subtle. During the next four to six weeks, sugar, pigments, and other flavor compounds increase in the maturing fruit, while organic acids decrease and change forms. Unless there is an excess of water or fertility, shoot growth slows greatly or ceases. The bark of green shoots begins to turn brown from the base, becoming woody by the end of the period. This process is called lignification. On managed plantings, the veraison period ends with harvest

 

Post-harvest

After harvest, grapevine leaves continue to photosynthesize until frost if temperatures are warm enough. This is a very important period for the vines to accumulate carbohydrates for future growth. As temperatures fall, vines gradually become more cold hardy, and sugars are converted to starch to be stored for the winter, mostly in perennial structures such as roots and trunks. After leaf fall, vines continue to acclimate to cold weather, but no more carbohydrate accumulation occurs.

Want to learn more about how wine is made? Join us at Breakaway Tours and get a behind the scenes look at how it Root to Fruit, from Grape to Glass! Call or email todaymailto:info@breakaway-tours.com or 800-799-7657.

 


Be the Host with the Most with a Wine Tasting Party!

So You Want to Host A Wine Tasting Party….blindwinesfoil

You love wine, and so do your friends. What could be more perfect than throwing a wine tasting party? And then the questions flood into your mental picture: What’s the best format for a wine tasting party?

When you’re hosting your own tasting party there are a couple of things you’ll do differently than a professional trade tasting (sipping vs. spitting) but the basic format is the same. Most wine tastings feature four to eight different wines that have a common theme that ties them together.

Today, we’ll lay out a proven tasting format and a few wine tasting party ideas that are not only useful, but a lot of fun to try!

While there are a myriad of different techniques to decorate the table, if you have well-curated wines it doesn’t matter how the table looks. If you select wines based on a specific theme, people will pay closer attention to what they’re drinking. It also helps if you have wine tasting placemats to write on. You can make your own or find downloads online.

Some Theme Ideas for your Party Can Include:

Regional
This pairing focuses on wines from a specific area. Try 4 wines from Edna Valley or Adelaida District in Paso Robles.
Varietal
An in-depth way to understand a particular grape or varietal. Buy different price brackets of one type of wine grape (e.g. Syrah or Sauvignon Blanc)
New World vs. Old World
One of the classic old world vs. new world tastings is Napa Valley Merlot vs. Right Bank Bordeaux.
Big and Bold Wines
Compare and contrast the biggest and boldest varietals from around the world.
Elegant Wines
Compare and contrast the lightest red wines on earth. Find out what we mean by ‘elegant’
Multi-Vintage
The best way to do this is to ask for library vintages from your favorite winery.
Price Comparative
Crowdsource guests to spend less than $20 on a bottle of wine and blind taste them to determine everyone’s favorite.
Blind Tasting Party
Wrap bottles in paper bags or aluminum foil and test your tasting skills.

tastingplacematHow much wine do I need for a wine tasting party

½ bottle per guest.

A little over a half a bottle of wine per guest is ideal. For instance, if you have an 8 person party, plan on having about 5 bottles of wine (each guest will receive a half-glass of each bottle). It won’t be too much, but enough to have a great party. In my experience, its fun to start off with an ice breaker aperitif such as Champagne or Prosecco. Nothing more festive than bubbles in your glass!

 

And don’t forget the best way to gather bottles for your next tasting party: Hop aboard a wine tour with Breakaway Tours & Event Planning and let the R&D (Research and Drink!) begin!


It’s Viognier or the Highway for Summer Whites!

Viognier: A White Wine for Red Wine Drinkers?

As a self -professed lover of red wine, you may ask: is there a white wine you would recommend for red wine lovers? Something with body and bollocks, that I can enjoy as the days heat up and I need something cool in my glass?

Viognier Grapes Growing at Vineyard at Puddicombe Farms, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. --- Image by © Henry Georgi/All Canada Photos/Corbis

The answer is YES. The answer is Viognier.

In 1965 only a miserable 20 acres of Viognier (pronounced Vee-on-yay) grape existed in its Northern Rhône homeland appellation of Condrieu.

Amazing, since it is believed the grape had grown here for at least 2000 years, possibly transported to the Rhône from its birthplace in Dalmatia by the Romans.

Since 1965 the grape and its wine has steadily increased in popularity and in its quality, elevating it to ‘serious drinker’ level.

Condrieu is at the northern end of the Northern Rhône. It consists of seven communes located on steep terraced hills, where Viognier is the only variety of grape allowed in this appellation devoted solely to white wine. Any bottle originating from Condrieu is 100% Viognier. It is said that low yields, difficult growing conditions and late harvesting contribute to the exceptional, concentrated flavors of Condrieu Viognier.

During the 1990s winegrowers from other parts of the Rhône and further afield in France saw the mounting interest in Viognier. Initially the grape was grown to blend with other whites – and reds, bringing extra character to well know varieties, and softening the Syrah wines of the Côte Rôtie. Temperamental it may be but versatile for certain. In present day vineyards on the Central Coast of California it is increasingly being grown in its own right enlarging the range of pure Viognier wines on the shelves of specialist wine shops and supermarkets alike. Many of these wines are lighter, less concentrated that their Condrieu cousins. Nevertheless they retain something of the distinctive Viognier character of spring fruit and floral bouquet and they sell for around the $20-$30 mark …… well within the price range of most white wine drinkers.

vio tasteViognier is a remarkably difficult grape to grow. It is prone to mildew, produces notoriously low and unpredictable yields, and needs to be picked when fully ripe. If it is picked too early it fails to develop its classic aromas and rich tastes. But despite, or perhaps because of, this precariousness fans enjoy the most amazing clear, golden color and the aroma of flowers and fruits in their glass. Many are surprised by the taste; the color and nose hinting at something sweeter but the wine itself showing dry with a variety of nuances both on the palate and finish.
In appreciating the surprising dryness of this wine don’t miss out on the few bottles of late harvested, dessert wines that winemakers are producing.

This is the wine for everyone including the ABCers (Anything But Chardonnay), those are desperate for an alternative white wine that shows some character.

It is best known for its apricot, peach and spice flavors, together with high alcohol (often over the 13% mark) and medium acidity. As with many white wines it is generally best consumed young, although the classic Viogniers of the North Rhône (and increasingly wines from the oldest vines in California and Australia) can develop well for much longer.

You can drink it with many foods or none. Try matching it with spicy Thai cuisine, Chinese takeout, Mexican dishes, medium to strong salty cheeses, strong flavored fish dishes, pork and chicken and fresh fruit.

Call Breakaway Tours today to explore the amazing Viogniers offered right here on the Central Coast! Here are a few we’re especially loving now:

 

Ranchero Cellars 2013 Viognier, Paso Robles $30

 

Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier, Santa Ynez $18

 

Tolosa 2015 Viognier 1772, Edna Valley $38