April 12, 2011
One of The Cru’s readers asked a really good question about dessication and it’s effect on alcohol levels in wine which I thought was worth publishing as a post.
Here is Dave donofrio’s question:
If the grapes are left on the vine to desiccate, that means the sugar concentration is very high. I see that the alcohol is only 13.5% and residual sugar less than 1%. How can that be??? Either the alcohol or residual sugar should be much much higher to reflect the high sugar content of the dried grapes. Does the Delta winemaker dilute” the crushed grapes with water to bring the starting brix (sugar concentration) down to normal levels?
Thanks, this is really perplexing me!
and here is Solms Delta winemaker Hilko Hegewisch’s answer:
Hi Dave
Thanks for the query. The crux of the puzzle you refer to is that we do not merely leave the grapes on the vine to desiccate; first we strangle the stem of each bunch (using long-nosed pliers) and then we leave them to desiccate. Of crucial importance in this respect is that the strangulation is performed when the grapes are not yet fully ripe, at 20 degrees Balling (20 brix). We then harvest at 25 degrees Balling. If the resultant sugar was fully converted into alcohol (if the wine was fermented out) that would in theory yield an alcohol percentage of 14.5 per volume. However, the actual resultant alcohol level is lower than that in proportion to the residual sugar. Naturally, there is some vintage variation but the residual sugars of Africana 2005-2010 have ranged from 3,1 grams per liter to 10,6 grams per liter (i.e., from 0.3% to 1% per volume). Accordingly, the alcohol percentages have ranged between 15,1 and 13,5 per volume. If you taste this wine, you will notice that it is not a fat block-buster but rather surprisingly elegant despite the pungent aromas and striking flavours. This is primarily due to the fact that we start with relatively under-ripe fruit.
Regards
Hilko (Hegewisch winemaker for Solms-Delta)
Thanks to Dave and Hilko - your interaction has taught us all something.
Posted in Trivia 
No Comments »
March 15, 2011
Things have been quiet here on The Cru I know - I am sorry.
The truth is I’ve been avoiding wine and also gymming a lot so that I can fit into a suit for my impending wedding! As soon as life is back to normal I will be more active on The Cru again.
Lovely Lis and I are getting hitched at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate this Saturday and I’m really looking forward to it.
For the record - we will be serving the following wines:
Boer & Brit - Suikerbossie MCC 2008
Blaauwklippen Barouche 2009
Blaauwklippen White Landau 2009
I’ll catch you all on the flipside as a married man - cheers.
Posted in Occasions 2 Comments »
February 16, 2011
Well some of them at least!
The other night I was watching Planet Food and the programme was tracing the origin and movement of foods and spices around the world through the centuries. I was amazed and surprised by some of the origins and how (and why) they were spread across the globe - it’s incredibly interesting.
While watching I began to realise how lucky we are as a modern civilisation to be able to pop down to the local Woolworths and buy just about any type of food, herb and spice.
Salt is something we use daily and yet it was considered a luxury in times gone bye. Interestingly the word “salary “originates from Latin: salarium which referred to the money paid to the Roman army soldier’s for the purchase of salt. The word “salad ” literally means “salted,” and comes from the ancient Roman practice of salting leaf vegetables.
Anyway back to the origin of some foods - here is just a small list of countries and the foods and/or spices that are native to them! It seems I would have been a very happy man if I had originated from Mexico!
Mexico:
Chilli, Avocado, Sweet Potato, Papaya, Maize, Tomato, Squashes, Guava, Vanilla, Chocolate!
Peru:
Potato, Peanuts
Turkey:
Grapes
India:
Black Pepper, Lemon (exact origin still debated)
Sri Lanka:
Cinnamon
Those are just a few of the very many origins and foods out there - but its an interesting picture of where some of our staple foods come from!
If you know of any other that may be of interest then leave a comment. Hey I just remembered - here in South Africa we have Rooibos tea!
Posted in Food 2 Comments »
January 12, 2011
My old man sent me a list of wine for sale from Wade Bales Wine Society and as I poured over the list I was interested by how many winemaker labelled wines there were:
Rudi Schultz Shiraz 2009
Norma Ratcliffe Cab Sav 2008
Jean Daneel Merlot Cab 2006
Miles Mossop Merlot Cab Franc 2008
Nico van der Merwe Shiraz Cab 2004
Each of the above retails for R116 a bottle. [Correction: R59 a bottle]
As indicated in the price list - these are the winemakers at the following estates: Thelema, Warwick, Jean Daneel, Tokara and Saxenburg
Now what I would like to know is does the wine also come from those estates?
More specifically I’d like to know if the wine represents the following:
- The same wine as sold on the estate - just excess stock
- Offcuts that don’t make it into final blends
- Offcuts that don’t make the grade for estate wines
- Side projects sources from vineyards outside of the estates
It would be nice to know exactly what wine I am buying - because as the trend grows I suspect that its a clever marketing ploy to sell off excess stock at competitive prices - without damaging the estates name. I could be wrong though. If it is specially selected wine that is tip top quality then happy days. Im just interested.
Wade Bales lends his name to these wines and that obviously helps sell them - but what input does he have on the wines or is he just repackaging offcuts that wont sell otherwise?
I think it’s a clever concept - but I also think the lines between winemaker and estate are slightly blurred. When one considers that the Thelema Shriaz sells for R120 a bottle and the Rudi Schultz Shiraz sells for R116 - whats the difference between the wines, whats my motivation to buy one over the other? That Rudi has a third wine: Rudi Schultz Syrah makes it even more confusing.
[Correction: The prices quoted were for 12 bottles so the Wade Bales Rudi Schultz Shiraz is R59 a bottle - which is actually quite a compelling price if the Thelema Shiraz and the Rudi Schultz are the same wine. Which weakens my argument slightly but gives me even more reason to find out if they are!]
Be careful when buying wine - make sure you know what you are getting.
I invite the winemakers and/or the estates to shed some light on the above - just for interest sakes.
Posted in SA Wine Industry 10 Comments »
December 8, 2010
About two weeks ago I was given this well designed and clever little four pack of Cafe Culture.
I had to hide the pack in my cupboard because my fiance loves the stuff and I knew it wouldn’t last long. I managed to keep it out of her hands until we went to Kirstenbosch for the Mango Groove summer concert this last Sunday and they went down a treat with all the ladies in our group.
Mango Groove were awesome too - I had forgotten how many classics they have produced - they are the ‘original’ Freshly Ground I guess. Claire Johnston is looking mighty fit for her age too I must add!
Anyway back to the Cafe Culture - I personally hate the stuff and that is my general feeling towards the broader category of coffee/chocolate Pinotages - but a lot of people love the stuff, including my fiance (tricky for me).
Which is why this little party four pack and the size of the bottles in it are so damn handy - the fiance can take one to book club or crack one open at home and not waste half a bottle of wine. You can take them along to picnics and you could probably smuggle one into work in your handbag.
So I love the concept of the party pack and I wish more brands would deliver their wine in smaller bottles like this. I don’t like the wine itself but I can’t deny that it’s been a massive success and has provided a lot of people with an entry point into wine drinking where they never had one before.
What are your views on the whole coffee/chocolate Pinotage category of wines - love them or hate them?
Posted in Innovation, Red Wine, pinotage 9 Comments »
Recent Comments