Fining

A process of softening the texture of a wine by adding one or more protein coagulants, such as gelatin, egg whites, or ISINGLASS, to the wine. The coagulant attaches itself to tannin molecules, then settles to the bottom of the container, carrying tannin along with it. Fining can also be done to clarify the color of a wine, as when BENTONITE, a clay, is used to remove unwanted particles suspended in the wine which are making the wine appear hazy.

Tempranillo, the Spanish grape most famous for its starring role in Rioja, has a different name in nearly every region in which it’s grown. Which of the following is not one of tempranillo’s aliases?

A. Ull de llebre

B. Tinta de Toro

C. Tinta barroca

D. Tinta roriz

Tinta barroca, one of the red varieties used in the production of Port is not the same as tempranillo. The rest are. Ull de Llebre (“eye of the hare”) is what tempranillo is called in Penedés region of northeastern Spain. Tinta de Toro is what tempranillo is called near the town of Toro. And tinta roriz is tempranillo’s name in much of northern Portugal. In Spanish, temprano means early; the grape’s name is thought to have originated because tempranillo ripens earlier than garnacha (grenache), its blending partner in much of Spain.

“To ride the chaos of harvest is to feel the adrenaline, risk and rush of Nature in ways that few people ever get to experience. There are days you get home, and you know for a fact that you couldn’t have done any more because you can barely move. You’ve used every part of your body, your ability to smell, taste, feel and hear, because there isn’t time to make enough decisions any other way.”

—Ashley Trout
Owner/winemaker of March Cellars and Vital Wines

Get WineSpeed