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Weekly Wine Intel from Karen MacNeil

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January 27, 2021
WineSpeed - by the WineBible Team
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September 4, 2020
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“Hello Karen, If a person is allergic to fish, will drinking a wine that was filtered using fish bladders cause a reaction?”—Sue C. (Baxter, MN)

Hi Sue: You must be referring to isinglass, a gelatinous protein material obtained from the air bladders of sturgeon and other fish. Isinglass is sometimes used as a fining agent (filtering is a different process) to clarify and/or soften the texture of wine. Every study I know of says that protein coagulants such as isinglass completely bind, like velcro, to unwanted tannins and other particles in the wine, and then together the substances precipitate out of solution, so that the wine can be racked off of them. So  it seems unlikely that fining of this sort would produce a reaction.

On the other hand, allergic reactions are serious and the best recommendation would be to consult a doctor. Note that many winemakers prefer not to fine their wines at all, believing that this process removes natural flavor and texture.

August 21, 2020
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“Your piece on the very old vines in Australia [WineSpeed: August 7, 2020] made me wonder about how “old vines” are defined. I am curious if the vines on the island of Santorini in Greece, which have very old roots, count as old vines?”—Eleni Papadakis (Portland, OR)

The vines on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini are trained into kouloura (wreaths or baskets) to protect the grapes from fierce winds and unrelenting sun (the grapes hang inside the baskets).  The vines grow, wound into bigger and bigger baskets, for an average of 80 years, whereupon the vine is “revitalized” by decapitating it just above the ground. When dormant buds begin to grow from the roots, a whole new top begins. A vine may be revitalized up to 5 times in its life. That’s 5 x 80 years, or a root system that’s at least 400 years old. Eleni—thank you! We should have noted this in our piece.

Final thought: after Eleni wrote in, I began to wonder if a root system (as opposed to the whole vine) qualified as an old vine. I asked Dr. Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita, Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California at Davis. Said Dr. Meredith, “My own opinion with regard to the Santorini vines is that, assuming the vines are on their own roots (as I believe the Santorini vines are) and not grafted to a rootstock, I would consider these old vines. The fact that the above-ground portion is [pruned] every few decades is no different than for any other old vine that is pruned every year. The fruit-bearing shoots are always going to be young on any grapevine.” So there we have it.

July 30, 2020
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“Hello Karen, what are the best wines to pair with oysters.”—William S. (London, England)

Hi William: I have three votes: Champagne, Chablis, and white Bordeaux. In the case of Champagne and Chablis, many of the best the vineyards contain copious amounts of limestone. Limestone itself is formed in part from the fossils of marine skeletons; and thus, the wines that come from vines grown in limestone soils often have a minerally, oceanic tang that is exquisite as a counterpoint to oysters. I also love brisk, complex white Bordeaux. Oysters are harvested off the Atlantic coast just west of Bordeaux and so for centuries, the combination of white Bordeaux and oysters has been a classic in the brasseries and bistros of Paris.

July 10, 2020
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“Dear Karen: What’s your opinion of wines bottled with screw caps vs corks?” Terry S. (Alexandria, VA)

Hi Terry: While the thwock of a cork being removed from a bottle is one of the best sounds I know, the fact is that wrestling with a cork isn’t very much fun. Some might say it’s a small price to pay for tradition, and I get that. But removing a cork requires considerable pulling force, and not everyone has the bicep power to make it easy. Screw caps on the other hand are effortless for everybody, which is why I like them. Yeah, they don’t look as prestigious, but at this point there is no question that screw caps seal wine perfectly well. In fact, sometimes too perfectly. My one worry with screw cap closures is reduction—that is, an initial skunky smell to the wine in the bottle because it’s lacked exposure to a small amount of oxygen. I’m finding this with a lot of screw-capped rosé wines coming on the market right now. That said, not all screw caps are of the same quality, and the better ones do allow for a miniscule amount of oxygen to avoid reduction. (If you do get a “reduced” wine, decant it or swirl it vigorously in the glass and let it sit for a few minutes. Sometimes the off-aroma will go away). Lastly, the original impetus for screw caps came as a result of the high percentage of “corked” wines, (wines ruined by TCA—trichloroanisole, a non-toxic chemical biproduct of sanitizing natural cork with chlorine). In the 1980s, 8 to 10 percent of wines were corked. Today, the percentage of TCA-affected wine is vastly lower—about 1%.

June 24, 2020
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“Hi Karen, Do the bubbles in Champagne have any impact on the flavor of the wine, or are they just textural?”—Michael M. (New York, NY)

Michael, great question. The bubbles (all one million of them in every glass) certainly give Champagne an extra dimension of texture and make it super lively on the palate. But bubbles also contribute to the overall flavor by magnifying a Champagne wine’s aroma. (Flavor is the unified perception of smell and taste). As bubbles form and rise to the surface of the liquid, tiny droplets of wine are released into the air, projecting the wine’s aroma to your nose. Even when the wine is on your palate, the bubbles help project its aromas to your retronasal passages, thereby amplifying the wine’s smell, and hence its flavor.

May 8, 2020
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“Just to say how much I enjoy WineSpeed—thank you—and to ask you if and how you prepare your palate prior to tasting wine.”  —Douglas R. (Wimbledon, England)

Douglas, your question prompted me to think about what I actually do, and I realize I do three things:

  1. I make sure I haven’t eaten anything that would compromise my palate. Was there garlic in the pasta at lunch? Or onions on the hamburger? Some foods can alter your palate for hours after you eat them. (See Karen’s Risky Relationships blog above on the 8 killer foods to avoid.)
  2. I think about what I’m about to taste and think about everything I know about that subject. Then I ask myself what should I expect to find in the wines I’m about to taste. I don’t go into a tasting of rieslings with the same expectations as I do a tasting of Argentine malbecs. Or a tasting of Burgundies with the same expectations as for Oregon, or even California, pinot noirs.
  3. I prepare myself to concentrate. I imagine this is a bit like an athlete in the minutes before they start a race, or walk onto a tennis court, or walk out onto a soccer field.

After those three things are done, I dive in!

April 10, 2020
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“Hi, Karen. I’ve read that wine that is shipped should “rest” for a month to settle down, even if it is ready to drink. My limited experimentation with California Pinot Noir suggests that wine is indeed better when rested, but after two months. Am I imagining things, or is there truth to this rule of thumb?” –Victor N. (San Francisco, CA)

Hi Victor:  Great question. Especially since, these days, we’re all inclined to grab a corkscrew the minute wine arrives on our doorsteps. The helpfulness of “resting” depends on two things. 1) Was the wine just recently bottled? After being bottled, wines often go into a kind of “dumb stage” where they taste very muted. A wine that’s just been shipped only adds to the chances that the wine’s flavors are shut down. Most wineries post a “bottled on” date on the tech sheet for the wine and you can find that on the winery’s website. 2) What type of wine is it? You mention pinot noir, and pinot is known to be temperamental. Of all wines, I’d worry about pinot noir, sangiovese, nebbiolo and grenache the most. I don’t have any scientific evidence to support this by the way. Just experience. Lastly, just how long should you let a wine rest if you think it will benefit from resting? Two months (as you mention) is too much delayed gratification for me. I’ve heard many winemakers mention two weeks. That seems like a safe bet. Happy tasting!  –Karen

April 3, 2020
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“Karen, what is the best way to support my favorite wineries and restaurants right now?” –Allen M. (Boston, MA)

Allen, I’m so glad you asked. In addition to countless local fundraisers to be found on gofundme.com, there are several ways consumers can help the U.S. hospitality industry. Consider purchasing wine directly from your favorite producers as well as online retailers. Many restaurants are offering take-out and delivery, as well as selling gift cards/certificates. Some are even extending Dining Bonds: like a savings bond that you purchase at a discounted rate and redeem for face value at a future date. If you prefer making charitable donations, here are several we recommend:

James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Relief Fund – Providing micro-grants to independent businesses in need.

Restaurant Workers Community Foundation Crisis Relief Fund -Offering zero-interest loans for businesses to maintain payroll, and to individuals who have lost their jobs.

The United Sommeliers Foundation – In a financial crisis, professional sommeliers are often the first staff let go and the last hired back.

United States Bartenders Guild Foundation – While some restaurants remain open for takeout and delivery, many bars have been forced to close entirely.

February 28, 2020
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“Karen, is there a way to refresh your palate between tasting different kinds of wines? Water doesn’t always seem to do it.” –Alison H. (Tucson, AZ)

Alison, you’re right. Sometimes water alone doesn’t do the trick when you’re trying to “reset” your palate between tasting wildly different kinds of wine. So, what helps besides time? Some pros find that tiny bites of roast beef work. I’ve also heard that celery can be helpful, but when I tried that, I found that the green flavors threw my palate off more. I’ve also tried various crackers that are specifically marketed as palate cleansers but so far, I have not found any that work (and many taste awful). For me, the only thing that does help is a bite of a plain French baguette and an unflavored sparkling water with aggressive bubbles (like Perrier). Anybody else have any good suggestions? Tell us here.

January 10, 2020
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“Karen, when talking with winemakers or grape growers, they always say that their vineyard is planted ‘to’ cabernet or ‘to’ zinfandel or whatever.  Why do they use ‘to’ instead of ‘with’ or any other term?”  – Walter C. (Sebastopol, CA)

Walter, I’ve often wondered that myself. And I admit I don’t know the answer unless perhaps the phrasing is derived from a French expression? WineSpeed readers, can anyone provide insight here?

December 27, 2019
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“Karen, is it a good idea to order the second-cheapest wine on a restaurant’s wine list? I’ve heard that it’s a strategy for getting a good deal.” —Amy O. (Detroit, Michigan)

Amy, the answer is: sometimes. This strategy has been around for a long time and, indeed, the second-cheapest bottle on a big wine list is often a restaurant’s best-seller (no one wants to buy the lowest-priced wine). But there’s a problem with this: smart restaurant owners also know this strategy. So, they end up putting their highest-margin wines in the second-cheapest spot. I only order the second cheapest wine in restaurants that are very wine-focused. For sommeliers, it’s often a point of pride to find real “steals” that are delicious. Those steals are often the cheapest to the fifth-cheapest wines on the list.

December 20, 2019
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“Karen, What is the difference between Franciacorta and Prosecco?” —Bruce O. (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Bruce, Franciacorta is a region in Lombardy in northern Italy, famous for its sparkling wines. These dry sparkling wines are made by the traditional Champagne method from chardonnay and pinot noir (and sometimes pinot blanc). They are austerely elegant with a fine, creamy mousse of bubbles. Franciacortas come as non-vintage wines as well as vintage-dated (known as Franciacorta millesimato) and they spend a relatively long time on lees―18 months for non-vintage to 60 months for Franciacorta riserva. Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in the Veneto region of Italy. It’s made from glera grapes. It’s not made by the Champagne method, but rather by a process known as Charmat whereby the second fermentation takes place in large tanks. The top Proseccos are known as Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. Prosecco wine is the traditional sparkler (along with white peach juice) in the Italian cocktail, the bellini.

Wine Quiz

The word sauvignon comes from the French words sauvage and vigne, meaning wild vine. What does wild refer to?

A. The fact that the variety predates the domestication of grape vines.

B. The fact that the variety belongs to the species Vitis sauvagea.

C. The wild and riotous way the vines grow.

D. The fact that wild animals love to eat grapes from this variety.

C.

Sauvignon is a fitting name for a vine that, if left to its own devices, would grow with riotous abandon. Sauvignon blanc is a high vigor variety which can grow with almost jungle-like speed.

1400

Approximate number of bottles of Piper Heidsieck Champagne that will be served at the Academy Awards, including the Governors Ball, the official Oscars after-party. Accompanying the bubbles: 22 pounds of American farm raised caviar, 800 stone… Continue reading

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Saint Helena, Napa Valley, 94574
WineSpeed by Karen MacNeil
  • #TasteWithKaren
  • Wines
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    ▼
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  • Shop
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    • All Products
    • Karen’s Flavor First™ Stemware
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    ▼
    • People to Know
    • Ask Karen
    • Oh No!
    • Fascinating Facts
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    • Search for Past Issues
  • Subscribe