In The Cellar

 Even though the grapes are slow to arrive to the winery, there is still plenty of work to be done in the cellar. For this past week I've been keeping my hands full with all kinds of duties in the cellar, including SO2 additions, topping orders, sanitization of barrels and equipment, cleaning projects etc.

 {Topping a barrel of Pinot Noir--at the very top of the ladder!}

Understanding the way wines are organized in the cellar is essential for keeping track of the locations of the many different kinds of wines. I've become a pro at topping wines and my secret is that I can look at a topping order and then easily locate the barrels that need topping...something that was quite confusing for me at first. (I think some of the guys in the cellar assume I knew all along!)

 

{Tags like these are displayed in each row to indicate the varietal, the year, and the locations of the wine. This tag tells me the number of barrels in this order, with each each barrel containing the barrel lot # and the AMS code.}

{Nearly every barrel is labeled in chalk with an AMS code and barrel lot number like this.}

{It is quite dark--and somewhat spooky--in parts of the cellar. I've learned a flashlight is an absolute essential for locating certain wines.}

Cheers,

B

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Harvest is Here...

...Or at least for a little bit. 

{In the cellar. I was doing 

SO2 additions there today}

Believe it or not, I am back in Napa and have returned to work! Picture this, I was in San Diego just this past Friday when I was enjoying a relaxed brunch in La Jolla with my family after a nice walk along the cove when I get a call from work:

"Hey Brooke, just calling to let you know that we have a few grape orders coming in next week, so we're going to need you to return to the winery on Monday at 6AM...looking forward to seeing you then..."

Haha, so after receiving the late notice about harvest, I practically began inhaling the rest of my poached eggs and veggies + hash browns at brunch (The Veggie Hash from Cody's--super yummy, by the way)  and rushed home to look up the next flight I could catch to fly back up to Napa. That's the life of a harvest worker! 

Yes, harvest is here...or at least for the next couple days. Today was my first day back at the winery. Domaine Chandon's first shipments of grapes were delivered to the winery this morning. I like to think of today as almost a mock-trial of the actual Harvest. It was a sort of hands-on training. And even though we dealt with about 100 tons of grapes today, that's nearly nothing compared to the average daily amount once things come into full swing. Apparently there's a lot more action during the peak season. I'm keeping very busy during work, already surprising myself with the immense amount of things I've learned.

 

{Chardonnay from just one of the many

tons of crates we received today}

 

{Grapes are transferred to this de-stemmer/crusher 

where the stems are removed}

 {Tanks ready to be filled with today's juice}

Word is that I most likely have no work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (I suppose it depends on the grapes!) If I have the time off, I'll most likely be spending time exploring Napa. If you have any recommendations (food, shopping, or otherwise), I’d be much appreciative of any tips!

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Update: 2011 Harvest Is Near

Okay, so I STILL haven't heard anything about Harvest. However...

Information from other sources tell me that Napa Harvest is right around the corner.  Harvest is the single most anticipated time of the year in wine country.  It is what every winemaker, vineyard manager, and winery owner awaits throughout the year. Mumm Napa has always been one of the first wineries to harvest. And as of today, there has been no word of grapes being picked this year in Napa yet. The summer of 2011 has been unusually cool,  but the grapes will be ready for harvest shortly.  Harvest for sparkling wine actually began yesterday along the Central Coast of California. Soon to follow are the Napa/Sonoma regions of the North Coast.  

Predicting Harvest.  The Pinot Noir, Pinot Munier and Chardonnay varietals used for sparkling wine are harvested first to ensure lower sugar levels. Factors that affect the decision to harvest depend primarily on the grape’s tannin, acid and sugar content. Often vineyard managers and winemakers rely on a  refractometer, a hand held instrument used to measure sugar levels (degree Brix) of the grapes. When the grapes have acquired the desired sugar levels, (determined by either the vineyard manager or winemaker), the  announcement is made public to harvest workers and cellar workers (that's me!) and the busiest time of the year commences. It is at that time that the celebration of Harvest begins!

Cheers,
B

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TASTING NOTES--Cabernet Sauvignon Cupcake 2009

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I've been enjoying the extra time spent in San Diego with friends and family, improving my tennis game, and going to the beach on a regular basis (even though it seems we are experiencing June gloom...in August!) 

{TASTING NOTES TUESDAY}

My first impression of this Cab blend by Cupcake Vineyards is marked by its cute label and display in the store. Plus the back of the label reads, "Live Deliciously."  Irresistible? I think yes! 

An initial sniff of the wine sends me in oaky aroma overload, yet I find the wine mellows out after letting it breathe a bit.  The medium cherry color wine holds a thin viscosity and is somewhat transparent. A few swirls later, the wine shows a ripe blackberry, dark cherry aroma layered with cedar and a slight vegetative character. The dark berry flavor wine has a spicy finish; either tarragon or clove.  Very drinkable and makes for a great match with BBQ meats or mixed chicken and vegetable kabobs.

Cons: The Cab was slightly acidic, seemed thin and weak (not very substantial); but it might be too young still.

Final words: For a wine of this price, I'd say its a pretty smart buy.

{Serious props to Cupcake Vineyards and their brilliant marketing strategies}

Cabernet Sauvignon Cupcake 2009

Composition: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah,  2% Merlot & 2% Petite Syrah 

Location: Central Coast California.   

Alcohol %: 13.5%

pH: 3.6

Acid:0.66g/100mL 

Sugar: 25

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Tasting Wine (And Looking Like a Pro)--Part I

 A wine tasting can be a bit intimidating at first but with careful thought and with the help of this how-to, a tasting experience can be very rewarding. In this two-part series, I will reveal the secrets to tasting wine—and looking good at it. ;)

THE BASICS: (the five S's)

SEE

Look for color and clarity. Tilt the wineglass upright. As you look into the wine, take note of its color.  Is it translucent, opaque, dull, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment?  Also take note of its viscosity as you swirl: is it thin or thick? 

SWIRL

Give it a good swirl. Swirling actually helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol ,releasing more of its natural aromas.

SNIFF

Go ahead, stick your nose in the glass. Take note of the 'nose' of the wine; its bouquet or aroma.  What characters do you pick up?

This wine wheel may help lead you to the most well-matched aromas for your wine.  (Feel free to print it out and use it at your next tasting!)

{Wine wheel by Professor Ann Noble}

SIP

Start with a small sip and let it roll around your mouth.

SAVOR

Really-savor it. Allowing the wine to roll around in the mouth allows for an optimal evaluation, since the the heat released by our bodies liberates the aromatics of the wine. It's even said that it is the mouth where the most complex taste experience of wine occurs.

Remember the 5 S's: see, swirl, smell, sip, savor.

P.S. You don't need a how-to guide in order to enjoy wine. (Only to look good while doing it-haha!) Do what you wish, it's all for fun!

Cheers,

B

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How Normal People Taste Wine...

{Some serious wine tasting strategy via 22 words}

Thank you to my family and friends that are following my blog! Much love. I am still patiently awaiting  an announcement regarding my return to Domaine Chandon.  In the meantime, I will continue to post blog entries during my time off.  In my next entry, I will provide a how-to guide for tasting wine so you don't end up looking like this guy!

P.S., do you taste wine like this? Tell me your strategy!

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Temecula

We had a great time in Temecula yesterday. Our trip began with a visit to Thornton Winery. I was thrilled at the vast variety of wines they produce. My brother and Dad were the ones doing the tasting, while I was evaluating the wine as much as possible via the aroma and taking notes on the nose. Max especially liked the 2010 Huis Vineyard Zinfandel from the reds that he tasted. And of the sparkling wines, my dad seemed to like the Blanc de Noirs.

Positioned atop a hill that overlooks an enchanting view of the valley, we knew we were in for a treat at Falkner Winery. Upon arrival inside, we were greeted by friendly staff. When handed the wine list, my eyes somehow immediately landed on their Luscious Lips Red Table wine- a quirky addition to an otherwise serious list of wine. 

{"Winemaker's Choice" flight}

 {Sparkling wine flight}

{Temecula terrain}

    

 

 {Incredible fish taco from dinner at Rosa's Cantina}

Cheers!

B

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Nothing to Harvest Equals No Work. . . Yet.

At the end of the day, which marked our final training, the Cellar Master rounds up all the seasonal cellar workers, including myself, to share an announcement.   He first congratulates us on a successful first week of training and predicts that this years’ harvest will be a great one.  His commendation, however, was served with a side order of curve ball—to say the least:

"Some of you may have already heard that this year things have been a little bit later than usual...harvest is set to begin at least two weeks later than normal. I will be giving you all a call sometime next week notifying you when we’ll need you back."

That’s right—no work yet. (OMG!) But that’s the way it goes in the wine industry. You may think you have a job one day and next you find out that your help is not needed. At least, not for a while.

So much depends on weather. Weather makes the vintage.  We just have to wait for Mother Nature to do her thing. When the winery finally feels the time is right to harvest, a decision that defines that year’s vintage, the entire team goes to work. 

{Getting some 'hang time' on the vine}

 But the news doesn’t come as a full surprise.  A walk through any vineyard in Napa will verify a late harvest—every grape is still an immature, small, green, hard little sphere.  We don’t want to harvest just yet because an early harvest can mean immature fruit.  And since it has been a relatively cool summer in Napa this year, the grapes have simply not received the heat required to ripen and accumulate the sugars needed.  (Heat brings up the sugar levels more rapidly.)

 If I were to a be a bird in the vineyard waiting for the grapes to mature, I may know when the berries are ripe and sweet. But in the meantime, I’m content being at home with my family waiting for the call. :) 

{varietal Cabernet Sauvignon shines in vineyards just outside of my new  home in Napa}
--

 {A neighbor's vineyard in Napa, California}

{Transparent Cab leaves}

Cheers,

B

 

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Wine Production: Bottling Line

Domaine Chandon is the California outpost of the biggest Champagne house Moët & Chandon in Champagne, France.  Moet was the first ever Champagne house owning a sparkling winery in California, opening the beautiful sparkling winery Domaine Chandon in 1973.  

At Domaine Chandon, the bottling line is in full operation every day of the year, while most other wineries bottle for a short period in Spring. (Gives you an idea of what large producers of wine they are) 

Since Domaine Chandon's wine (DC for short) is bottled on the daily, I'm providing a step-by-step breakdown of the bottling line at Chandon. 

Bottling wine--steps:

[after wine has already gone through second fermentation...]
**note: at DC, they proudly practice the traditional way of making Sparkling wine, also known as the méthode champenoise. 
1. Freezing unit 
2. Disgorger
3. Dosage  

A dosage is a sweetened spirit. For the dosage, DC uses a liqueur. The liqueur is a base wine composed of about 65%  sugar, allowing for a high alcohol content. (yeast loves sugar, and together they make alcohol) Simply put, more sugar means more ethanol- so a good liqueur with high sugar content makes for a perfect dosage.
4. Fill equalizer
5. Cork
6. Wire hooder

To hold the cork in place--sparkling wine is under approx 90 psi of pressure!   

7. Foiler

8. Labels, packaging 



{the final product. Isn't it beautiful?}



Cheers,
B

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So Happy to be Here

 

{In front of the "D" at Domaine Chandon right after accepting job offer--totally excited!}

 ---

 I have officially completed my first two days of training and I can already tell that I am going to have a blast this harvest. I love the people that I work with and am so happy to be a part of Domaine Chandon, or "Team Chandon" as my boss would say.

 ---

 I'm enjoying these warm lazy summer afternoons spent in Napa, enjoying the outdoors, beautiful open grassy areas and exploring the Napa scene. Correction- exploring Napa as a 20 year old. (27 more days until my 21st Birthday!) Let the countdown begin!

 ---

 Harvest is set to start a week or so late this year. As soon as harvest begins, I work the swing shift (2-10PM) with an initial duty of being a 'scale/batching' specialist. (I really just added the 'specialist' at the end myself...haha I think it makes my title sound more legitimate that way.) 

--

♥ B

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My First Post!

Hello all! This is my very first post.  I have finally hopped on the blogging bandwagon!  (yay me) My goal here is to share my summer experience both wine related and personal, living and working in Napa. 

I am currently an undergraduate student studying Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis and I have a passion for wine.  To further my studies and love for wine, I will be living in Napa for the next few months working as an intern at Domaine Chandon during the summer harvest. The winery specializes in producing elegant California sparkling wine.  With a strong interest in sparkling wine but little experience of its production, I am happy to say that I am eager to learn and excited for this summer as I gain an understanding, first hand, the marvels of making wine in beautiful Napa Valley. I hope you enjoy my story as I embark on my journey into making bubbles.

Cheers,

B

{"Wine is sunlight, held together by water." -Galileo}

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