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Average amount (in U.S. dollars) that vineyard workers make per hour in the Napa Valley. Most such workers are full time employees who also receive medical benefits. The per hour pay rate for vineyard work in the Napa Valley is approximately 30% higher than for vineyard work in the rest of California.

If a wine smells like rotten onions, it could be a sign that what wine flaw is present?

A. Brettanomyces

B. Oxidation

C. Trichloroanisole (or TCA)

D. Mercaptan Compounds

Ok, unless you’re a winemaker, this might have been a tough one. Rotten onion aromas are a sign of mercaptan compounds. These horrible-smelling compounds can be created after fermentation when hydrogen sulfide and other basic sulfur compounds create compounds that smell like rotting onions or spoiled garlic. Brettanomyces usually smells of manure, like a barnyard. Oxidation has a scent reminiscent of rancid nuts. And TCA can be detected by its distinctive odor of a dirty wet dog sitting on wet cardboard in a damp cellar.

Pyrazines

Molecular compounds in certain wines that give them a distinct green character. Pyrazines are found in high concentrations in the skins of sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc grapes. When these grapes do not… Continue reading

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