Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, gives some good information about the environmental bottle labeling and policies of vineyards in her Green Vineyards post. Check it out to learn about organic wines, organically grown grapes, sulfites, biodynamics, and sustainability.

Now if only the USDA or FDA would standardize labeling so that we knew exactly what we are consuming.

What is your experience with discerning environmentally friendly wine?

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The discussion also made me think more about the use of metal screw-cap closures. They are produced with aluminum and perhaps aren’t as environmentally friendly as I had previously thought. I invite someone with expertise to comment on the environmental pros and cons of using screw-caps. It is still true that to consistently achieve the aromas and flavors that the winemaker intended to have you experience in a bottle, the screw-cap closure seems to be the best choice.

What are your thoughts?

Update: The Wine Curmudgeon reports on the recent improvements in cork closures.

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Have you ever wondered what it means when someone describes a wine as dry? No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the use of moisturizing lotion on the grape skins! Technically, a dry wine is a description of the low amount of residual sugar in a wine. Residual sugar is typically measured in grams of sugar per liter. It can occasionally be found on a bottle label or at the website of a winery in their description of a wine. Sugar is present in a wine from either the natural occurrence in the grapes (particularly when harvested late to increase the amount of sugar) or can be introduced during the wine making process. Sweetness of a wine is normally labeled dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet and sweet. Sparkling wines have another set of labels which will be a future post. (Hint: Extra Dry doesn’t mean what you might logically conclude it to be!)

Dry wine is food friendly

Choosing a dry wine or a sweet wine can be a crucial step for matching the wine to your palate and is very important when pairing with food. For most dishes dry wines are food friendly. Sweet wines are usually consumed with spicy dishes (where the sugar can help reduce the fire) and with desserts (hence the term dessert wine). I recommend comparing some wines of similar type and from the same region that have different levels of residual sugar to get a feel for what matches your own palate.

When is a dry wine not dry

How dry or sweet a wine tastes is not just a function of the residual sugar level. The acidity level, alcohol level, tannins and bubbles can affect the flavor. For example, dry wine can taste sweet if the alcohol is high and because we are accustom to the sweetness of many fruits a fruity dry wine may taste sweet also. A more common occurrence is that a sweet wine can actually taste dry due to the balance provided by a high acidity level. This is often the case in good white wines.

Dry red wine, Dry white wine, Dry rose wine

Numerous grape varieties can be made into a dry, medium dry, medium sweet or sweet wine. However not all are good so some are typically only produced in one style. However, some varieties are produced in all styles so it can be very important to look for indications on the labels. For example, Vouvray wines made from the Chenin Blanc grape can be Sec (dry) all the way to Doux (Sweet).

Some typical dry white wines are Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rieslings and Albarino. Some typical dry red wines are Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon when not over-extracted and when high in tannins. What varietals do you find make good dry wine?

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Shop this selection of hand-picked wines from Chile and they will contribute $100 for every case sold, now through the end of March, to Hogar de Cristo and Un Techo Para Chile, two charity organizations dedicated to helping Chileans in need. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase one bottle, a case, or more from this selection – every bottle will help them reach the goal of $100,000 in donations by March 31st.

I’ve had several of the picks including the 2006 Veramonte Primus, the 2007 Montes Alpha Syrah, and the 2008 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere. If you support the cause by making a purchase, please leave a comment to let us know and if it is one of the above wines, leave a comment on those posts to tell us what flavors and aromas you enjoyed or hated.

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Wait a second, this isn’t Merlot!

Carmenere is Chile’s signature grape variety. It was rediscovered in 1994 where it had previously been thought to be Merlot. DNA testing has shown that it is derived from cuttings of the Grand Vidure vines taken in Bordeaux in the late 1800s. Carmenere makes up about 6 percent of Chile’s planted area.

Aromas and Flavors of Carmenere

Similar to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, I find Carmenere to be good on its own or when blended with other red wine grapes. It usually isn’t overly tannic and is approachable. I have gotten a combination of red fruit and dark fruit along with chocolate. Occasionally it shows a bit of green vegetable character. Of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux I find it to be the most like Merlot and Malbec.

What is your favorite Carmenere based wine?

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Banana and Wine

Unlike Eucalyptus which can show up in wine due to its proximity to the vineyards, Banana trees rarely grow in the same region as vineyards. However, it is often reported in the aromas of white wines. It is most commonly found in red wines featuring the Pinotage grape varietal. I’ve also seen it mentioned in reviews of Beaujolais Nouveau.

Look for future reviews of Pinotage based wines as I look for the presence of Banana in wine. Do you know of any good ones to try?

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Palate training

Blackcurrant is very distinctive. It is a rich dark fruit with a long lasting flavor. You can find it in jelly and preserves. I prefer the preserves as they have whole pieces of the berry in there. Although, I haven’t seen the fruits available for sale alone, I bet you can pick your own in certain countries. I personally like the blackcurrant preserves from Hero.

Blackcurrant is also used to produce a liquor called Crème de cassis. It is another fun way to learn to recognize blackcurrant. Though it is a bit different due to the high alcohol and sugar, you can also learn to tell the difference and look for it independently in wine. Note that Crème de cassis is often mixed with white wine (Kir) or champagne (Kir Royale), but to train yourself to recognize black currant I recommend having the liquor alone (just note the alcohol).

Another great source to use is blackcurrant juice. Unfortunately it is mainly available in Europe.

Wine and Black Currant

Many of the dark red wines contain a component of blackcurrant on both the palate and nose. It is usually dominant on the palate. Look for it in Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. Click through on the tags (links on the right side of this blog) for wines which contain those grape varietals.

I encourage you to find either the Crème de cassis or some blackcurrant preserves. The preserves would probably be the most useful for memorizing the flavor; although the Crème de cassis could be the most fun (if you can remember it). What other information about this flavor would you find helpful and what techniques do you find useful for learning a new flavor?

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Why

There are numerous motivations for keeping tasting notes. One of the primary reasons is that wine is one of the most complex consumables. There are thousands of producers from all over the world. Each has grapes from a unique terroir and vintage (or a combination in Non Vintage wines). They then blend and make wine using different approaches. All these factors and more (grape varietals, hybrids, time of harvest, weather, etc.) combine to make for a dizzying array of outcomes in the bottle. Thus, whether you are trying to figure out your favorite producer, varietal, vintage, food pairings or produce reviews (to share) of individual bottles, it can be important to keep a record of your impressions.

What

So what do you record? I’ve seen people note the mundane and the unusual (check out VINEgeek’s free association notes). I usually note the following:

• bottle labeling (year, winery, name, grape varietals, etc.)
• enclosure (cork, screw-cap, etc.)
• color in the glass
• breathing time and how (decanted or not)
• aromas
• flavors
• price
• availability (where can it be purchased)
• rating

Where

Where do you take notes? There are a lot of different situations in which you might be tasting wine and each of these could be suitable for recording notes. Some that general take place are:

• at home without guests (dining or not)
• at a vineyard’s tasting room
• in a restuarant (casual, formal or a wine bar)
• social situations (dining with friends, tasting parties, etc.)

Different settings determine what you note and how you record it. For example, at a tasting party with friends you might all be recording your thoughts about various wines (which is good because you might get to taste more wines and also might pick out or identify more aromas and flavors). Whereas a anniversary date with your significant other at a formal restaurant can limit your ability to record and note.

How

How do you record your tasting notes? I’ve tried various methods including:

• memory — highly unreliable
• note pad — this works although it can be a bit inconvenient in some situations
• computer — this works, but definitely only works when at home and tasting alone or with other wine consumers
• smart phones — i’ve never tried it, but i am sure there is an app for that

How do you do it?

I’ve wondered if a checklist of possibilities would be helpful in some situations. My optimal way to collect notes is to record them directly into this blog as a review via my laptop and have others around me making their observations at the same time. But the conditions for doing that are rare. So, what methods do you use and recommend? Which ones do you recommend against? What is the most fun way to do it? After all, this should be an enjoyable activity!

For a deeper discussion of the Why take notes and What to note, see the Wine Tastings Guide site.

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Chocolate is produced from cacao beans. Originating from Mexico, where cacao was made into a bitter drink, it is now sweetened with sugar to make the sweet chocolate which is consumed worldwide. Dark chocolate contains substantially more cacao and is somewhat bitter as a result.

Wine and chocolate

Wine is often paired with dark chocolate. There is a lot of opinion as to which wine pairs best with chocolate. Here is a good overview of whether to choose a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir or Grenache. The best way to pair is to try different wines with chocolate and see what fits your palate. It can be magical when you get it right. Plus, you get to consume wine and chocolate in the quest!

Wine with a chocolate component

But have you ever tasted chocolate in a wine by itself? Chocolate is a flavor component in numerous red wines. Take the time to smell the aroma and memorize the flavor of a high percentage cacao chocolate and then with a clean palate try to see if you detect it in the red wines you drink (and smell). Remember, it isn’t the sweetness of the chocolate that you will find in the wine. It is the bitter cacao flavor that you are most likely to find. Varietals noted for showing some chocolate components are Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.

What about you

Have you noted any wine with a chocolate component? If so, please share in the comments so others can try it out.

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The first, Gumming up the works, is a good discussion on the industry impact seen in different regions.

The second, Monitoring Eucalyptus Flavors, is a recent scientific study of the phenomena in California and determines exactly which chemical is responsible for the aroma in the grapes. It also suggests that the chemical is transmitted through the air into the grape skin.

With this in mind, look for reviews in the next few days of some wines that are good candidates for having Eucalyptus aromas present.

Have you detected Eucalyptus in any wine lately? If so, which ones?

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