Bâtonnage

The French term meaning “stirring the lees.” Lees (lies spelled in French) are expired yeast cells. By regularly stirring the lees from the bottom of a barrel (where they have settled after fermentation) back up into suspension in the wine, the wine takes on an even creamier mouthfeel than it would have had were the wine simply left sur lie (“sitting on the lees”).

The words “Napa Valley” can appear on the label of a wine if which of the below is true?

A. 100% of the grapes were grown in Napa Valley and the grapes were vinified in the Napa Valley

B. 75% of the grapes were grown in the Napa Valley and the winery is located in the Napa Valley

C. 85% of the grapes were grown in the Napa Valley

D. 100% of the grapes were grown in the Napa Valley; all of those were vinified in the Napa Valley and the winery is located in the Napa Valley

The Napa Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) was established in 1981 and was the first AVA in California. Like all AVAs, it is governed by federal regulations set forth by the Tax & Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. Those regulations stipulate that if an AVA is listed on a wine label, 85% of the grapes used for that wine must come from that AVA.

Bâtonnage

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