If you’ve been to a winery in the last couple of weeks, you might have noticed that some of the clusters on the vines had green, pink and purple grapes on them. John Gellentien, a wine expert and member of the Doffo Tasting Room staff, explains:
How is that possible? Great question! It doesn’t matter if they are white or red grape varietals; all grapes start off green in color. They are high in acid with no sugar. Its nature’s way of saying, “Birds, we don’t taste good, so leave us alone!” Over the course of April, May, June and July, leaves generate sugars (sucrose) through photosynthesis and the grapes grow in size. Depending on the region and summer weather – hot and sunny or cold and foggy – by mid-July to mid-August the grapes start into what is termed “veraison” – the onset of ripening. It is at veraison that a biochemical change takes place in the grapes. Various phenolic compounds, called “anthocyanins”, form in the skins of the grapes to give them their distinctive varietal color. White varietals change hue indicating veraison while red grapes transition from green to blue, purple or red. It is during veraison that vineyard managers will cluster-thin so the energy of the plant can be focused into a limited amount of clusters per shoot; providing higher quality fruit. It is also at veraison that the vineyard manager and/or winemaker will start tracking the sugar content of the grapes, termed “the Brix”, to determine when they will harvest.
If you’ve ever visited the Doffo Tasting Room, then you may have met John Gellentien. As a member of our Tasting Room staff, John is not only an expert in Doffo Wines, but is extremely knowledgeable in pretty much everything that has to do with wine. We’re very excited to have him lead two Wine Education Classes at Doffo Winery in August and September, and we invite you to join us to learn more about the winemaking process and how to hone your skills as a wine taster. Learn more about his classes below and be sure to buy your tickets as space is limited!
Roots to Shoots to Wine – Sunday, August 16, 2015 from 12:00-2:00pm
Curious about how wine is produced? This class will explore:
- Steps in planting a vineyard
- The anatomy of the vine
- Trellising
- The annual growth cycle of the vine
- Refractometer vs. hydrometer
- Roses – beauty or functionality
- Harvest – hand vs. machine
- Sorting, destemming, press, fermentation, punch-downs vs. pump-overs vs. the concrete egg, racking, barreling (oaks), topping, SO2, fining and filtering, bottling
Click here for tickets to the Roots to Shoots class
Wine Sensory Evaluation – Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 12:00-2:00pm
When it comes to wine tasting do you consider yourself: a novice, seasoned, or professional? Filled with “fun facts”, this class is designed for those who seriously want to learn about wine tasting. During this 2-hour seminar we will explore:
- Four of the five senses used in wine tasting: sight, smell, taste and feel
- Filtered vs. unfiltered wines
- FEW: Fruit, Earth, Wood
- French vs. American oak
- Barrel toasting
- Flaws in wine and how to detect them
- The palate: sweetness, acids, body, alcohol, tannins, finish
- Manipulating perception