Some call crush the “Super Bowl of winemaking”; others say it’s the culmination of a year’s work. Whatever the analogy, there’s a sense of urgency because we only have one shot at getting it right. And like any big game, we invest a lot of time in preparation.

In early September, clusters in red varieties that have fallen behind the ripening curve are removed at veraison (the point when 95% of clusters are fully colored).

We also put the finishing touches on wines from the previous vintage by confirming final blends for our 2009 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before bottling , and racking red wines one last time before spring. (Racking entails siphoning the clear upper portion of wine from a barrel after gravity draws sediment to the bottom.)

Grower Relations Manager Alejandro Aldama and I visit every vineyard to determine if extra cultural practices are needed. We may thin additional clusters to maintain proper vine balance if a crop grows too large, remove damaged clusters if mildew and/or botrytis develop, or apply irrigation during heat spikes.

We cluster sample all vineyards for ripeness, and accelerate the frequency to once or twice per week as harvest approaches. Some winemakers test individual grapes from different vineyard sections; we like to pick 15 pounds of full clusters per sampling to garner a true representation.

Our harvest typically starts with the picking of picpoul blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir in early-to-mid-September.

Harvest is fully underway in October, and we continue with a weekly sugar and taste analysis of every vineyard to determine their exact harvest dates.

Our growers harvest by hand, starting before dawn and ending in early afternoon to benefit both workers and fruit. Grape clusters, still fresh and cool, are trucked to nearby cellars in Los Gatos, Monterey, Paso Robles or Sonoma County . We are always on site to verify that the appropriate blocks are being picked.

I can. They would taste incredibly dull because acidity provides a degree of freshness that counterbalances the coating sensations of sugar and/or fat.

The acids we consume are mostly weak, tasteless and odorless, but their presence can be felt on the palate while their structural contribution is well known in cooking and winemaking where balanced acidity is an important consideration.

Types of Acids
Most wine acids (mainly tartaric and malic with traces of citric, ascorbic and succinic) originate in grapes while some are byproducts of fermentation (latic, butyric and acetic).

Bacteria convert malic acid and sugar into lactic acid during secondary fermentation (aka malolactic fermentation or ML), adding buttery fragrances and flavors, stability and mouthfeel. Most full-bodied reds undergo full ML while chardonnay varies from 25-100% depending on the style, and other whites may be ML free.

High levels of butyric or acetic acid (the volatile acid in vinegar) are undesirable in well-made wines.

The Benefits of Wine Acids
In white wine, acidity is one of the main structural components (along with wood tannins if the wine is fermented and/or aged in oak barrels).

In red wine, acidity works in concert with tannins from grape skins, seeds and stems as well as oak barrels to establish structure.

What determines acidity in wine?
• Style: the current trend of picking late in the season produces lower acidity: the riper the fruit, the lower the acids. (Have you ever tasted an unripe plum early in the season?)
• Vineyard location: the cooler the climate (like Northern Monterey County), the higher the acids.
• Grape variety: some have high acidity such as our Trebbiano and Teroldego.
• Sweet wines such as Late Harvest Valdiguié need more acidity to balance the high sugar content.

Acidity in Cinnabar wines
For light bodied whites such as Mercury Rising Blanc, and our late harvest wines, I strive for higher acidity.

With fuller bodied dry whites such as Chardonnay, Marsanne and Trebbiano, I like the acidity to be bright, but a step down from the lighter whites.

Pinot Noir is usually low in tannins with a delicate, feminine quality that is enhanced by moderate acidity.

Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, with their moderate tannins, occupy the next step down on our acidity scale.

Finally, our Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Petite Verdot), with their inherently higher tannins, are generally finished with the lowest acidity since tannins help maintain good balance.

I like deeply colored red wines because they express ripe aromas, silky textures and a rich mouthfeel. In addition, there’s something gratifying about drinking darker wine.

Color evolves over time for any given wine. Most whites are pale straw upon release, then take on a golden hue with age. Reds lighten gradually, transitioning from dark red and purple to red brick, and in some instances, a blush red.

White wine color is usually a function of winemaking and cultural practices rather than grape variety. For example, a deep golden hue may result from the influence of barrel fermentation, prolonged aging in new barrels, or grape exposure to excessive sunlight (possibly too much leaf removal).

Grape skins are the dominant influence on red wine color. Young reds are showing even darker shades in recent years, and can be attributed to several factors:
• Improved cultural practices (deficit irrigation, optimum vine balancing, and dappled sunlight on fruit)
• Winemakers are using modern filtration methods such as cross-flow (with particles in suspension, unfiltered wine reflects more light than the same volume of filtered wine.)
• Better selection of rootstock and improved clones produce smaller berries, darker skins, and healthier vines.
• Gentler fruit handling during harvest and fermentation stabilizes color throughout the life of a wine.

Red wine color has been affected by changes in modern drinking habits: People are drinking riper and younger — hence darker — red wines today.

The correlation between wine color and flavor is quite evident in the cellar where workers taste at various stages of development, but anyone can acquire this awareness via a casual experiment. I suggest a collective blind tasting of three dry whites and three dry reds (all at the same temperature) to simply determine whether each is white or red based on taste alone, and thus demonstrate the importance of color in our enjoyment of wine.

If the old adage about first impressions is true, then wine color can certainly influence our perceptions. Color is usually the first thing people notice about wine, so there is every reason to believe it can make a lasting impression.

* Dr. Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany

Several years ago, a friend placed her turkey in the oven at noon, but unfortunately, it was as frozen as the Alaskan tundra. The bird was still cooking when her guests left late that night, hungry and bewildered.

These experiences demonstrate the awkward moments that may occur during the holidays as we prepare and serve food and wine. There are others to share, but more importantly, we offer simple solutions and friendly advice.

Food Follies

Everything is magnified around the holidays, including the volume of food and the size of the utensils we call into service.

Case in point, serving turkey on a platter a la George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life is trickier than imagined. Per Sir Isaac Newton, “objects in uniform motion tend to stay in uniform motion”, so that slippery 25-pounder may continue down the hallway as we pivot towards the table. Solution: allow extra time; get help lifting heavy platters; anticipate the challenge of handling large, oily objects.

Bringing food and wine to the homes of loved ones presents other challenges.

How many times have you brought a side dish, only to not get the dish — the ceramic kind — handed back to you before leaving? You don’t expect to depart with that empty bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc, but the platter is another matter. Solution: write your name on a strip of painter’s tape, and place it on the bottom of the dish.

Wine Willies

Ever bring a special bottle — something you’ve aged and anticipated savoring for years — to a dinner party? Imagine the horror when the host stashes it away, only to serve something ordinary. Solution: (a) Ask the host in advance if the wine will pair with and be enjoyed at their meal. (b) Take a backup bottle to minimize disappointment, on the chance the wine is corked or over the hill, or if the situation isn’t conducive to something special.

Variation: that same wine is opened, but is placed at the far end of the table. Solution: offer to help serve the wine, and be sure to pour some for yourself.

Food and Wine with Family and Friends

The holidays offer the best of times for enjoying food and wine. Expectations run high, but there are plenty of distractions. We recommend keeping things simple to provide enough time for cherishing the special moments. Remember: wine shouldn’t dominate food, it should accentuate it; and food and wine shouldn’t dominate special occasions, they should accentuate them.

By the way, Uncle Ernie left the house with a clean sweater because we had Wine Away© ready to deploy.

Happy holidays from all of us at Cinnabar Winery!

The wine was called “Xcellence” from vintages 1993 through 1996, a moniker derived from a fabled elf that roamed the Cinnabar cellars and simply signed his name “X”. He was somewhat of a curmudgeon who was believed to have once lived in a 14th Century French chateau.

With a Santa Cruz Mountains Appellation, the 1993 Xcellence was 100% cabernet sauvignon. Vintage 1994 included 5% merlot while its successor offered 5% merlot and 3% cabernet franc.

The 1996 California Xcellence saw the addition of petit verdot while the wine’s increasing popularity warranted the sourcing of fruit from other notable wine regions.

Xcellence was renamed “Mercury Rising” with the release of vintage 1997 to acknowledge founder Tom Mudd’s penchant for Medieval science and his belief that winemaking was a form of modern alchemy.

Rain played a major role in 1998 and 2000 as all of the estate fruit went into Mercury Rising and Cinnabar did not bottle a Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today, Mercury Rising continues to grow in popularity, and often surpasses expensive red blends in international competitions.

“Mercury Rising is not a formulaic blend with a predetermined flavor profile,” said Winemaker George Troquato.

On the contrary, Mercury Rising is created in a manner that resembles free artistic expression. “Beginning with a blank canvas, we establish a foundation of cabernet sauvignon, then layer other varietals to add color, depth, spice and balance,” said George. “The approach has changed little over the years.”

What has changed?

Once a single-vineyard, single varietal wine, Mercury Rising now includes four grape varieties from multiple appellations. “With higher tannins and acids as well as components of earth and cedar, the early wines were clearly from the Santa Cruz Mountains,” said George, “while recent vintages show more of a New World style with riper fruit, softer tannins and better balance.”

After years of silence, it appears that X has returned from parts unknown because a note was recently left on a barrel of malbec with the following inscription: “This wine is yum, gotta run — X”.

The launch of our limited-production wine program in June 2007 set the stage for the creation of several intriguing food and wine combinations. Produced in small lots, the wines are featured in our Saratoga tasting room, but many are available via our virtual storefront for all to enjoy at the dinner table.

The unique aromatic and favor profiles of these wines enable us to move in directions beyond the traditional food and wine pairings established by renowned chefs. These culinary experts are responsible for designing the lavish menus at our winemaker dinners in distinguished restaurants throughout the country.

Join us this holiday season as we present a winemaker dinner created by our winemaker in the company of our limited-production wines. We hope our interpretations interest you enough to try them, or better yet, inspire you to plan some of your own.

First Course: 05 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel with puffed pastry and a savory filling of fresh crab, artichoke hearts and Gruyere.
This wine complements the delicate flavors of the dish without overpowering them. In particular, its dried-herb and sagebrush aromatics underscore the herb-seasoned filling while its lengthy finish of dark ripe berries creates a seamless backdrop to the crabmeat and sliced artichoke hearts.

Second Course: 06 Paso Robles Roussanne with steamed green beans, candied pecans and crisp morsels of bacon.
The freshness of the green beans works well with the brightness of the wine, but like Yin and Yang, the lively acidity of the wine cleanses the palate after indulging the richness of the smoky bacon fat. Furthermore, this spicy wine with a hint of residual sugar cheerfully weds the creamy toastiness of the candied pecans.

Third Course: 04 Lodi Cabernet Franc with rack of lamb or prime rib
Cabernet franc has the earthy, spicy aromatics that pair well with either of these rich tender meats, but especially the lamb. A testament to the art of comparison, the suppleness of the wine lends itself to the creaminess of the meats, creating a synergy of satisfying mouthfeel. While the tannins of some big reds need to be tempered by seductive meat fat, the rounded tannins of this wine work effortlessly with the juicy lamb or beef.

Fourth Course: 06 Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon and fresh berry parfait with a wine-based strawberry coulis
Our dinner ends with a final stroke of complementary treatment as we pair a dessert wine with a grouping of fresh fruit and berry coulis that quotes the wine’s best statements. The cold coulis (strawberries simmered with the wine, then pureed and strained) is layered with strawberries and blueberries, and finished with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Served in Port glasses, the wine has the aroma and flavor of strawberries, thus echoing the profiles of the berries and coulis.

Bon appetite et joyeuses fêtes!

“As of mid-August, the 2008 California growing season is shaping up to be ‘the year of the winery’, but not ‘the year of the grower’ “, said Winemaker George Troquato. As usual, Mother Nature played the leading role in this development, and a review of her affect on the vintage is quite revealing.

2008 began with a few major storms in January, bringing seasonal rainfall to yearly norms and causing many to believe that last year’s drought would be washed away by a wet winter. This optimism was short-lived as the San Francisco Bay Area faced the driest three months of spring on record. For example, Santa Rosa’s rainfall was a mere .65 of an inch in March, April and May!

Budbreak was delayed until the second week of March (two weeks late) in consequence to the below-average temperatures that accompany clear skies. Adding “injury to insult”, the frost associated with cold weather damaged emerging shoots in some vineyards, but many mountain locations escaped injury due to cool air drainage.

Berry set, another milestone of every growing season, was also hampered by the frost. Furthermore, high winds and variable temperatures in some areas during bloom disrupted pollination, lowering berry set even more said Troquato.

The epidemic of forest fires across California — about 1,400 burning simultaneously at one point — created a veil of smoke in many vineyards, diminishing available sunlight and slowing vine maturation. Fortunately, heat spikes in June and July advanced ripening, and helped vines recover some of the time lost by the cold spring and smoky summer.

“Some of this doom and gloom was beginning to have positive effects on potential wine quality,” said Troquato.

For example, fewer clusters formed as a result of low soil moisture during a second consecutive drought year and the poor berry set. Consequently, less cluster thinning was needed at the onset of veraison (when grapes develop color and soften) to balance the vines, and at 90-95% veraison to remove lagging clusters.

In addition, the dry conditions and poor berry set prompted vines to produce smaller berries. A winemaker’s dream, the inherently high skin-to-juice ratio of small grapes translates to more intense wine flavors.

“2005 and 2006 were good vintages, and 2007 was very good, but ‘08 has the potential to be a stunning vintage,” said Troquato. “We have a small crop that is expected to thoroughly ripen and produce great wine flavors.”

When all is said and done, 2008 may not be the year growers generate a huge return on their investment, but it is shaping up to be one that helps them establish a great reputation for wine quality.

Winemaker George Troquato

If the adage “life is all about choices” is true, then George Troquato’s decision to use traditional cork stoppers is sound because finding tainted cork in Cinnabar wines is rare. However, the subject of choosing natural cork can have a much more casual side, as demonstrated by his recent trip to Portugal. Our supplier M.A. Silva Corks, USA took a handful of winemakers on a junket to see the Portuguese cork forests and processing facilities. A brief overview of cork growing precedes some tales of food and wine.

It’s all about the bark

The cork tree is a variety of oak that thrives along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of southwest Europe and northwest Africa, but primarily in Portugal and Spain.

Portugal harvests over half the world’s cork annually with the best forests situated in the central and southern regions where the rainfall and humidity are abundant, the winters are mild, and the soils are moist and deep. “It’s a very passive industry where the trees are allowed to harmonize with the environment,” said George. “I didn’t see any indication that the cork forests are pressuring the surrounding landscape.”

Bark seasoning on concrete slabs

Cork is not removed until the trees reach 25 years, and growers must wait 9-11 years between harvests for the bark to achieve sufficient thickness (1–3 inches). For wine cork, however, the bark is not satisfactory until the third harvest, creating a 45-year wait for the first crop! Fortunately, cork trees often reach 150–200 years of age.

After harvest, the bark is air-dried on concrete slabs for six months. M.A. Silva Cortiças, Lda., the exclusive supplier of M.A. Silva Corks, USA, is on the cutting edge of the cork supply industry in terms of quality control. The company vacuum/high pressure boils its cork near the forests to extract any volatile compounds, then air dries another three weeks before further processing or export.

Sketches of Portuguese cuisine

“Our first dinner was at a Tìpico (traditional Portuguese) restaurant in Lisbon,” said George. “We drank Cartuxa Tinto,” said George, “an impressive red wine that had spicy aromatics, the rich mid-mouth of fine merlot, and the structure of cabernet.”

Their second dinner featured the Brazilian specialty Rodìzio, an assortment of meats cooked on a spit over an open flame. It was accompanied by the ubiquitous Portuguese side dish bacalhau (strips of salted cod mixed with seasoned starches). The wine, a Duas Quintas Tinto, was a medium bodied red.

Day four: After touring the M.A. Silva Cortiças, Lda. plant, the group dined on appetizers, a second course of shrimp and mushrooms, then a rice stew with sea bass. The meal featured wines made by group member Laura Zamora of Santo Tomas Winery, Baja California. “Her cab-merlot blend was quite good,” said George.

They had lunch overlooking the majestic Douro River valley on day five. Afterward, they enjoyed a Port tasting accompanied by Neuhaus chocolates from Belgium. The showstopper was a side-by-side comparison of 20-year-old and 40-year-old tawnys. “Both had classic tawny characteristics,” said George, “creamy, nutty, spicy mid-mouth and coffee, but the ‘40’ tasted less sweet and had a bit more mocha.”

Back in Lisbon, the winemakers enjoyed a seafood feast on their last night in Portugal: two types of snails, barnacles (who knew?), large crab claws, and fresh poached cod with some indigenous white varietals.

Traveling abroad usually entails plenty of new experiences and a few familiar ones. The hospitable Portugal people enjoy lots of seafood, but vegetables, especially fresh ones, are rare. The white wines are simple and a little sweet, but the reds and Ports are excellent. The climate is extremely mild, and there’s even a bridge to remind Northern Californians of their beloved Golden Gate Bridge.