It’s been another challenging year with extreme drought and forest fires threatening the vineyards of California. The dry weather makes for a stronger fruit, but a balance is crucial to the final product. Although there are challenges, winemakers continue to put out excellent wines year after year. What are the secrets of the great winemakers of the West Coast?
Some are not willing to share their magic touches saying it’s all an art and hard to put into words. But there are companies out there that will cater to your every need like Party Bus Greensboro NC will do to ensure a pleasant experience. They can afford to show you the ropes of their business to some extent but I guess many experienced wine makers tend hold the public’s curiosity, and wisely still do not give up all their secrets.
It really all comes down to the handling of the grape. Even answering questions like, where did the grape originate? What is the type of soil and how long did it remain on the vine without loosing its peak performance? How mature is the vineyard? Nonetheless, two wines made from the same grape can vary greatly. Even when using similar techniques the results can be very different. Keep in mind, also that a great wine to one person may not hit the palette of another in the same way. The taste of wine, like anything is subjective.
For most of us we choose our wine according to the meal it will be accompanying. If it’s a pizza, or take out night, I’ll open a bottle of a lesser expensive red. I naturally savor a more expensive wine with a higher end experience. (like my middle son getting a B on his math test) A $20 bottle will work with the pizza – and actually the math score, but if I want to make sure my spouse is feeling pampered on her birthday, I’ll go to the rack and pull a special bottle. Along with the appropriateness of the occasion, one way I differentiate a good wine for the particular circumstance is the feeling it gives me.
Like any mind altering substance, different wines give different “highs”. Some will mellow me out at first blush, and others will fire me up. I will get all social and very chatty with some vintages, while another will tend to make me want a leather club chair and a cigar. Wine drinkers choose accordingly. To some extent this is also subjective, since every individual has their own unique chemistry, but you learn as you go along.
In the immediate circle of amateur wine aficionados that I run with, there seems to be a tendency toward the full bodied, richer, fruitier and bigger taste. That means reds dominate. Of course that’s not necessarily the case for all wine lovers, especially with so many lovely rosés and whites to be had. Despite my standing as simple consumer devoted to the nectar of the Gods I am selective. If a wine is too flashy or modern it leaves me dissatisfied and feeling like I missed something. Needless to say, I like the more classically built, multi note wine with a unique, stand-out offering. Most California wines have come into their own and are not weak of personality or give the sense of being manipulated.
The highest caliber of wine is made up of several things. It has to have a certain finesse, with a sense of depth and a complexity of balance. I enjoy – as most the long finish. With the inception of excellent wine came the descriptive adjectives of “noble” and “elegant”. The mouth feel, or texture as it rests on the tongue will tip anyone off to the primary value of a wellborn vintage.
Going back to one of my original points, techniques can only do so much to bring about the best caliber. The vineyard site itself is the heart and soul when birthing an excellent product.