FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 170
Wine and Beer in Western Culture
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Red Wines
Objectives
• List the reasons for increasing red wine consumption in the USA
• List the type of grapes used in red wine production
• Describe red wines from the US, Australia, Italy, France, Spain, Chile, and Argentina
• Assess the differences in production techniques and regulation of the regions
Consumption pattern of wine in the US
Year |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1983 |
1990 |
% white wine consumed |
17 |
24 |
53 |
61 |
65 |
|
|
Red |
White |
Blush |
|
1991 |
17% |
49% |
34% |
|
1995 |
25% |
41% |
34% |
|
2001 |
37% |
40% |
23% |
Factors influencing consumption patterns include:
• Wine characteristics, Dietary habits, Alcohol intake, Getting to market, and Health implications of wine consumption ("60 Minutes" report)
Red Vinifera Cultivars
• Cabernet sauvignon - # 1 red in US, often blended to soften; Main red of Bordeaux
• Merlot –more popular (mostly for blending until 15 years ago)
• Pinot noir – difficult to grow. Main grape of Burgundy, grows well in Pacific NW
• Gamay Noir - Dominant grape in Beaujolais
• Zinfandel – All acreage in CA, much of it is now used to make blush wine
• Syrah (Shiraz)
• Petit Sirah - Does better in CA than in France
Red Labrusca Cultivars
• Concord (often in altar wine); Can be diluted to 55% without losing strong foxy taste
– More often used in jellies and juices (Welch's)
Red Hybrid Cultivars
• Red hybrids retain more of the labrusca taste characteristics than do white hybrids
• Baco noir – deep red grape, grows well in NY Fingerlakes region
• De Chaunac – soft red that grows well in OH and in NY Fingerlakes region
Grapes used for red wines in USA
• Zinfandel - 30,000 tons (most heavily planted in CA)
• Styles from light, nouveau styles to hearty, robust reds with berrylike, spicy, peppery flavors with plenty of tannins and alcohol; often used to make blush wine instead
• Cabernet sauvignon - 23,500 tons (Most popular red in US, also popular in world)
• Fruity flavors: cherry, black cherry, black currant (cassis), and raspberry
• Other flavors: cedar, bell pepper, herbaceous, and tobacco (last in older vintages)
• Syrah & Petite Sirah - 13,200 tons
• Syrah (Shiraz)- black currants (cassis), blackberries, and plums
• Petite Sirah (Petite Syrah) – many consider to be best for blending
– Deep-colored, robust, and peppery wine with lots of tannins (good aging ability)
– Does much better in California than in France; has a following - big, full-bodied
• Pinot noir - 9,800 tons - Does best in cooler areas: Burgundy, OR, WA
• Genetically unstable, it mutates very easily, making consistency difficult
– Over 1,000 different types or clones belonging to the Pinot family
• Young: cherries, raspberries, strawberries; Mature: chocolate, game, truffles, violets
• Gamay & related (Malbec, Grenache, etc)- 9,600 tons - Do well in hotter CA regions
– Gamay: Light- to medium-weight with high acid, low tannins, light purple color
• Cherry, strawberry, raspberry, violet, rose petal, banana (carbonic maceration)
– Malbec: usually blended, can be high in tannins. Plum and anise with hang time
– Grenache: usually blended; Weak color, unless yields low
• Sweet, currant, blackberries, very low in tannins
• Merlot – 2800 tons; often blended with Cab Sauvignon to soften Cab Sauv
– Compared to Cab Sauv, ripens earlier, has lower tannins and higher sugar levels
– Wines are generally softer with slightly higher alcohol content; smooth mouthfeel
– Medium to dark red in color, rich, and fruity (black currant, cherry)
• Sangiovese (the “workhorse grape” of Chianti) One of the top two red grapes in Italy
– Varies immensely depending on location, yield and subvarieties
– Generally, high in acid, moderate to high tannins, and medium levels of alcohol
– Not deeply colored, often has a slightly orange tint around the edges
– Flavors have are earthy and are usually not boldly fruity
Style changes in the last decade - Changes in consumer demographics resulted in:
• Lighter styles with less tannin and less complexity (global trend - get to market faster)
• Fruitier, esp. Australia’s fruit-forward styles (Dominating note of one fruit) now popular
• Lower alcohol levels - Safer for driving; better for health
• Sweeter - White Zinfandel, Riesling
Consequences to growers - changing grape varieties
• 5 year time frame and about $30,000/acre to switch grape stock
• Shorter time to re-graft new varieties onto existing rootstock
• Market is necessarily slow to respond to changes in wine preferences
US red wine regions- Eastern US (Ohio, New York, PA, VA, IL, IN, etc.)
• Quality driven mainly by weather (least controllable factor)
– Quality Exceptions tend to be “climactic,” not geographic (e.g., 2001 OH drought)
• Varieties -- V. labrusca: Concord, Niagara
– French American hybrids: Baco Noir, Traminette
– V. vinifera: Riesling, Gewürztraminer
US red wine regions - Western US (CA and Pacific NW: WA, OR, ID)
California
· Central Valley – very hot; Special viticultural practices necessary
– Location of all major jug wine producers (e.g., Gallo, Sebastiani, Cribari, Franzia)
• North Coast: several subregions/climate zones including Napa, Sonoma & Dry Creek
Pacific NW - WA, OR, ID - Pinot noir is the most prized grape in the region
• Climate differences east and west of the mountains
– OR vineyards mainly lie west of the Cascades where it is cooler and wetter
– WA vineyards mainly lie east of the Cascades where it is drier and warmer
Australian wines – winemaking began in 1788
• Melbourne has the same relative latitude as San Franciso and Cordoba, Spain
• Only Northern territories produce no wine; most wine making concentrated along coast
• Australian wine style differs from USA and Europe
– Picking is done at night to avoid the heat
– Grapes may be refrigerator-trucked 400-500 miles to centrally located wineries
– Sulfite addition may occur in the vineyard
– Fruit-forward style in wines – Originators of this style
Spanish wine regions - traditionally sold in bulk for blending
• Controlling organization: INDO (Instituto Nacional de Denominaciones de Origen)
• Fermentation is often in the Spanish version of clay amphorae
• Regions most likely to be exported are
– Rioja - French influence from vintners who settled there after phylloxera
– Major grapes are Grenache and Tempranillo (since hotter)
– Three climate areas: · Rioja alta - coolest; longest lived wines (highest quality)
• Rioja alvesa - warmer; quick maturing wines
• Rioja baja - hot; coarse wine – rarely in US
South American wines – Chile and Argentina
Chile - No phylloxera in Chile until recently
– narrowly focused in the central band of the country sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains called the Regadío Zone
• 7 'Regiones Vitivinicolas' now established by the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture
– Heavy concentration of vineyards near Santiago
• 1/3 of plantings are still old "mission" grapes which Spanish also brought to CA
• Cabernet sauvignon with some Chardonnay, Malbec; Merlot acreage is increasing
Argentina - Large producer but small exporter
• Most vineyards are in the state of Mendoza which is the same latitude as N. Africa
• Arid so irrigation is necessary
• Grown at high altitude which compensates for low latitude and is cooler than expected
• Malbec is the main red grape but acreage of Cabernet and Pinot Noir is increasing
Italian red wines - Main grapes are Sangiovese and Nebbiolo
– Nebbiolo: High in both tannin and acidity; Deeply colored; typically bold
• Italy has 23,000 wine labels, 20 regions, 93 provinces
• DOC (Denominazaione di Origine Controllata) regulates
– Established 1963, Implemented in 1966, it controls: Geographic areas of production, Allowed grape varieties, Maximum yield (production levels/acre), Minimum alcohol content, Aging requirements, Quality levels
– Chemical analysis of alcohol level, acidity, and residual sugar content
– In 1990, tasting commissions set standards for appearance, color, bouquet, flavor
• The highest quality is the DOCG where G=garantita and few hold this distinction
– Have government seal (a colored strip placed over the cork or capsule) and the words “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” incorporated into label
• Non-export wines do not have to conform to DOC regulations. Only about 13% of those export actually meet regulation standards
Main export regions:
Piedmont in the Alps - Contains four DOCG areas; Main variety is Nebbiolo
Veneto - Available in US; top producer of DOC wines (21% of total)
•Three DOC’s located around Verona account for ~40% of region’s DOC production
Tuscany (5 DOCGs) – Home to Chianti
• 3 grades of chianti: Chianti $, Chianti classico $$, & Chianti classico reserva $$$
• Aged at least 3 years
• Blended to make a house style and grape mix may vary, must be:
– Made from Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Malvasia (sometimes Cab. Sauv.)
– Bright ruby-red; distinctive aroma, marked by violets; balanced, dry, slightly tannic
France
Burgundy - a rural area lying between Dijon and Lyon (NE France)
• Holdings were broken up during French revolution
• Grapes are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay
• Wines are made often by négociants (Georges DuBoeuf, Louis Jadot)
• Subregions of Burgundy include:
– Côte d'Or: 30 mi long, 1.5 mi wide
• Côte de Nuit: World’s most famous red wine “Romanee Conti” - only 5 acres
• Côte de Beaune
– Beaujolais
• Burgundy uses only the AC system to classify regions, villages, and individual vineyards into appellations - Smaller/more precise the appellation is, higher the quality
– Lowest quality - general regional appellation (Bourgogne ac)
– Regional appellations (Chablis AC, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AC)
– Village appellations (called crus)
– Premier cru (first growth) vineyards - historically produced superior wine
· Use village and vineyard name, and have “Premier Cru” on label
· Exception: blend from several premier cru vineyards - village name & “Premier Cru”
· This is the highest rating for châteaus in Bordeaux, but not in Burgundy
– Grands crus (great growths) – The highest rank in Burgundy
· Few very select sites that traditionally produce exceptional wines.
· Need only vineyard name and ”Grand Cru” on label
Rhône - Syrah dominates the northern portions; Grenache the southern
• Climate is hot, sunny giving high alcohol wines
• Many of the regions wines are blended, especially in the South part