Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Godelia Godello-Doña Blanca White Blend ($17)

I must admit, I had to do a little research on this one. The Godello and Doña Blanca grapes were ones that I wasn't familiar with, but am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn something new.

The Godello grape is grown in both Spain and Portugal. And, it's one that was on its way to extinction in the 1970s. But efforts were made to rescue this grape that now has a solid foot-hold in Galicia. These grapes produce intensely bright, acidic wines with citrus flavors and noticeable minerality. This leads to a long finish, ending with hints of saline. 

To counter the bold Godello, the Doña Blanca grape, also from Spain and Portugal, is often used. This grape is aromatic, but light and delicate. In the past, it was used to produce white port, but now seems to be most often blended with other grapes, as is done with this wine.

This Godelia Godello-Doña Blanca white blend is produced from hand-picked grapes that are chilled for 24-48 hours to 23 degrees F. This process causes the grapes to split and begin maceration on the skins. The grapes are then pressed while simi-frozen and fermented in stainless steel tanks, thus preserving their bright fruit flavors.

This white blend was a real pleasant surprise. Not only did I get to learn about a couple of grape varieties, but I got to enjoy a really nice, bright and flavorful wine.  If you are able to find this one,  pick it up! This was a real eye-opener for me and one that I'd go back to often!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission:  I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

Wine Flavors - The Grapes

Last time, we started the exploration of wine flavors. And, basically, a wine's flavor comes from the grapes, the fermentation process and its aging. So, let's jump right in and start with the star of the show, the grapes.

You might think "Well, of course a wine's flavor comes from the grapes." And, yes, the grapes are extremely important in the wine making process and form the basis for how the wine will taste. But, within a grape variety, there can also be tremendous variations associated with factors such as where the grapes are grown and when they are harvested.

Location is very important. Factors such as day and night time temperatures, sunlight, the amount of rainfall and soil type all play into a wine's terroir. Grapes grown in cooler climates such as in Bordeaux, will tend to have their red fruit flavors enhanced (e.g., cherry and red currant) and be a bit lighter in body while warmer climate Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in California's Napa Valley produce bigger fruit flavors (e.g., blackberry, black currant and black cherry).

Harvest time also plays a huge role in a wine's flavor.  Winemakers are constantly checking the sugar levels of the grapes in the vineyard (Brix) as they ripen. As the sugar levels increase in the grapes, the acid levels that produce tartness will decrease. So, winemakers chose the Brix-to-acid ratio that will produce the flavor of wine they are looking for.

Where the grapes are grown and when they are harvested plays a huge role in the flavors of all wines. But, once these flavors are established, the fermentation process and aging will also contribute to a wine's final flavor. We'll look into these factors in the next couple of blogs. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Hess Select Monterey County Chardonnay ($9)

Several wines from the Hess Collection of wines have been featured in my reviews, and this Chardonnay from Monterey County shows the consistency of their wines.  With just a bit of a chill on this one, it exhibits wonderful flavors of baked apple with just a hint of citrus flavors of lemon and lime.

This 100% Chardonnay saw just 25% new French oak that contributes to the baked apple flavor while the remaining 75% was kept in stainless steel to protect those tropical fruit and citrus flavors.

At just 0.2 gms Residual Sugar, this is a dry wine that lets its fruit shine though.

As always in the Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week features, this is a really nice wine at a great value that you should be able to find in your favorite wine store.  A good one!

Where Do All Those Flavors in Wine Come From?

There are only two ingredients in wine: grapes and yeast.  Yet, white wines can be described as having flavors that include lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, peach, pear and orange.  And red wines can be described as having flavors of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, plum and fig.  And then there are descriptions of vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, leather, and even tar, just to name a few.  But, if wine is only made from grapes and yeast, how do wines get all those other flavors? 

In a past blog, we reviewed taste and smell as being the elements by which we get our perception of flavors.

But, let's go a bit deeper and do some further exploration of where all those flavors in wine come from.  Basically, wine's flavors come from the grapes, the fermentation process and through aging.

Each of these components provides its own set of flavor compounds that combine to give each wine its own characteristics.

So, next time we'll dive into the most important influence on wine's flavor - grapes. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Cloudline Pinot Noir ($15)

Oregon's Willamette has become quite well known for its Pinot Noir and this one from Cloudline is a fine example.

The Cloudline wine was created in 2002 by Dreyfus Ashby who have been

This Pinot is part of the Droughin Family wines

Cloudline Cellars, created in 2002, represents a first for Dreyfus, Ashby who have been purveyor so fine wine and spirits since 1946 — their own wine.

Given their love for Pinot Noir and their long history developing  Domaine Drouhin Oregon, it’s not surprising that they choose Oregon’s Willamette Valley as the home for their own project. And, this wine is vinified by winemaker Véronique Drouhin.

This Pinot is medium-light in body, with delicate red fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry. And, at this price, it's well qualified as a Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week  for its great value.