Wines - Henri Fluchere

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A GOLDEN GUIDE

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by

HENRI FLUCHERE

Illustrated by the author

Under the general ed itorship of

V E R A R . W E B S T E R

GOLDE N PRESS

•

NEW YORK

Western Publishing Compa ny, I nc.

F O R E W O R D

I have tasted n early all the wines described i n this

boo k at one ti m e or another. Some are, alas, either

g eog raphically or economically beyo n d my rea c h . For

these I have based my reportin g on the opinion of

friends a n d experts whose wine sense a n d discri m i n at­

ing palates I trust com pletely.

Since, in the fi n a l analysis, a wine is evaluated sub­

jectively , I

h ave trie d to refrai n from m a k i n g statements

reflecti n g my ve ry personal l i kes a n d disli kes, leavi n g

the ultim ate judgem ent o f any win e t o you, d e a r

reader a n d fellow-adventurer into the delightful world

of wine.

A votre sante!

H . F.

Copyr i g h t © 1973 by Weste rn P u b l ish i n g Compa ny, Inc. A l l r i g h ts reserved, i n c l u d i n g r i g hts of reprod u c t i o n a n d use i n a n y form o r by a n y means, i n c l u d� i n g the making of copies by a n y p h o to process, o r by a n y e l ectro n i c o r mec h a n i­ c a l device, printed or w r itten or o ra l , or record i n g fo r so u nd or v i s u a l reprod u c t i o n or f o r u se i n a n y k n o w l e d g e ret rieval system o r dev ice, u n l ess permission in w r i t i n g is o b ta i ned from t h e copyrig h t proprietor. Prod uced in the U.S.A. P u b l ished by G o lden Press, New York, N . Y . l i brary of Co n g ress Cata log Card N u mbe" 72-85934.

C O N T E N T S WINE MAKING

T H E GRAPE • Major Varieties • The Grape Berry . . . . • . .

BAS I C STEPS TO W I N E MAK I NG • H a rvest i n g • Cru s h i n g • S u l f u r i n g • Press i n g • Ferme n tation • Clarification • Ag i n g . • • . • . . . • . . . THE WINE MAKERS ... .

U N I T E D STATES • California a n d its W i n e D i stricts • Read i n g

a California L a b e l • N e w York • Other Sta les . . . .

FRANCE • Bordea ux • Burg u n dy • Alsace • Prove nce • T h e R h o n e Volley • C h a m pagne • The L o i r e a n d Oth e r Reg i o n s GERMANY • G e r m a n W i n e Laws • L a b e l s • The Great

Reg i o n s . . . • . . . • . . .

LUXEMBOU RG • • . . . • . . . . • . . .

ITA LY • Gove r n m e n t Controls • Wines a n d W i n e Reg i o n s . .

SPA I N • Place- n a m e s • Sherry • The Sclera System . . . .

PORTUGAL • Reg ional Wines • Port . . . • . . .

GREECE . . . . AUSTRA L I A . . . • . . . CANADA . . . • • . . . • . . . H U NGARY . . . • . . . • . . . • . . . . • . . . AUST R I A . . . • . • . . . YUGOS LAV I A . . . • • • . . .

T H E SOUTH E R N N E I GHBORS • Mexico • Arg e n t i n a • C h i l e

6 8 1 6 2 6 2 8 5 2 72 77 78 82 86 89 90 94 96 98 99 • Brazil • Urug uay . . . • . . . 1 00 . • . AND MOR E D I STANT N E I G H BORS • Russia • North Africa

• South Africa • Japan . . . • . . . 1 04 ENJOYING WINE • • . . . • . . . 1 06 S H O P P I NG, STOR I NG, AND SERVING . . . • . . . 1 07 T H E WI N ET ASTI N G PARTY . . . 1 1 8

W I N I N G AND D I N I NG OUT . . . 1 2 2 W I N E AND W E D D I NGS . . . 1 24

W I N E AND FOOD • A p petizers • Sou ps • S i m p l e D i s h es

• Beef • La m b • Veal • Fresh Pork • H a m • Fowl • Seafood • Game • Salads • Desserts • Cheese • Fruits • Nuts • Wine Punches • Buffets • Picnics . . . 1 26 W I N E R I ES A N D MUSEUMS . . . • . . . 1 42 WINE LANGUAGE . . . • . . • . . . • . . . 1 48 GLOSSARY . . • . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . 1 50 SUGGESTED READ I N G . . . 1 54 ACKNOW L E D GMENTS . . . . • . . • . . . • . . . 1 55 I N D EX . . . • . . . • . . • . . 1 56

INTRODUCTION

I n the fortun ate regions of the world where favorable

con d itions for g rape cultivation exist, generation s of

men and women have enjoyed win e, without fuss or

posturi n g , as part of their daily meals. In the countries

of these regions wine is considered a foo d .

Most o f the wine produced throughout the world i s

a good, p l a i n , a n d relatively inexpensive beverage,

much lik e the plain food it usually accom panies so

a g reeably. Fa ncy, premium wines are rarer, somewhat

m<.. re expensive, and truly g reat wi nes are ra rest, a n d

most expen sive, drunk on specia l occasions b y those

who can afford it.

The wor l d ' s wine reg ions are located, with few exce ptions, with i n the narrow c l i m ate b a n d s s hown i n the m a p below, w h e re the aver­ age a n n u a l te m p e rature is between 50° and 68° Fa h re n h e i t .

Taste preferences differ from one region to another,

and from individual to in dividual, in wine as well a s

food . Nature, aided by m a n , has met this challenge with

a profusion of grape varieties. Climate, soil, and other

variables cause further differences in the taste char­

acteristics of the wine produced by any given g ra pe,

providing an almost infinite range of taste sensations.

Some win es are big a n d robust, like Italy' s B ar ol o;

some a re l i g ht a n d delicate, l i ke the

Chenin Blanc

_of

California; some are sweet, and some a re austerely

d ry. In between these extremes lies a whole range of

delig htful taste gradations, providing a choice for

every palate's satisfaction and preference, a n d blend­

i n g with t he varieties of the worl d ' s foods.

A f e w reg ions successfu lly ma nage t o g row w i n e g ra pes beyond the ideal c l i mate bands i n each continent because of special weat h e r conditions, or by planting resistant varieties of v i n e s .

The evidence of man' s discovery of w ine lies still

buried in som e dark antediluvian strata, but a rcheolo­

gists have unearthed fossilized g rapes l eaves, seeds,

and other fragments showing that a grape vine, closely

resembling today' s species, awaited m a n' s coming .

W e can surmise that the g reat discovery was made

short ly after m a n learned to m a ke containers that

would hold liquids safely.

Historically there is a m ple evidence of the ancient

cultures' appreciation of wine. The E gyptians depicted

scenes of viticulture and wine m a king in friezes dati n g

b a c k t o circa

2,500

B C . The Bible is replete w ith ref­

erences to wine, win e m a king, and w ine drinking.

THE GREEKS of Homer' s time had mastered the a rt

of making non-porous pott ery which enabled them to

age their w ines and ship them to distant places s uch

as E gypt which had by then lost the a rt of wine making .

6

THE ROMANS were q uick to learn from the G reeks,

and under th e

Pax Romano

_{vineyards flourished from}

I t a ly to E ngland. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, described

9 1 grape varieties and ove' r 50 wines .

THE GAULS were beer d rinkers but soon learned to

pref er wine. Good coopers, they used their barrels

when they switched from b rewing to wine m a k i n g . T he

gallic wines beca me so famous that, in a fit of parochial

piq ue, the e m peror D o mitian decreed that their vines

were to be u p rooted . The Gauls revolted, a n d since

no occupyin g Roman really wanted to enf o rce the

decree, the vines continued to flouris h .

IN THE DARK AGES, following the fall of R ome, the

monastic orders established t h e g reat traditions

of

wine m a king still upheld to this day. Many of the

finest vineyards were sta rted by the mon ks, particu­

larly the Carthusians, and have continued t o p roduce

some of the world' s finest wines.

THE GR A PE

"Good wine begins with good grapes," is a vintner's maxim backed u p by the fact that a wine of superior quality has yet to be made from inferior grapes. There are thousands of grape varieties but the limited number of high quality g rapes cultivated for the flnest wines are all derived fro m the genetic stock of the old-world species, Vitis vinifera, except for some outstanding varieties of Vitis /abrusca in North America.

The hybrids are mostly man-made varieties, c"reated as a countermeasure to the dread Phylloxera, a burrow­ ing plant louse which all but wiped out vin ifera vine­ yards all over the world in the late 1800's. Th e /abrusca species a re resistant to t his plague. Almost all high­ quality g rapes g rown today, in any of t he world's wine regions, are grafts of V. vinifera on disease-resistant root stock, or hybrids. Agricultural research stations a re improving and developing disease-resistant stock. 8

MAJOR VARIETIES

_{of grapes, both pure stocks a n d} hybrids, are shown here and on the pages following, with a listing of some of the wines made from them. Only a few can be shown, or listed, because of space limitations, and their order has no bearing on their relative quality, importance, or popularity.

Note that some grapes produce both red and white wines, and someti mes roses as well. Some produce gen­ eric wines, some varietals, and some both. There is a strong trend in wine making today toward increased production of high-quality varietals, particularly in California and the Eastern United States.

PINOT CHARDONNAY. One of the greot wh ite wine g rapes. I n France i t produces the famed Chablis, Pou i l ly-Fuisse, Corton ­ Charlemagne, Montrachet a n d other g reat w h ite Burgundies, as well as Cha m pagne. I n New York and Cal ifornia it is usually labeled as a varietal , a nd some goes i nto the finest U .S. cham­ pagnes. L i ke most of the fi n e va­ rieties, it has a small yield, making the w i n e expensive. PINOT NOIR. This is the grape of the g reat red Burg u n d ies, the Roma nee-Conti, Carton , Cham­ berlin, Pom mard, Nuits-Saint­ Georges, etc., the excellent C a l i­ fornia varietals a n d the finest California Burg u ndies. It a l sa produces top qual ity roses a n d whites, and a major portion o f French Cha mpagnes. This low­ yield g rape is planted in the Loire Val ley, Alsace, Germany, and many scattered locations throughout the world.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON. The

best and most widespread of the Cabernet variety, respon­ sible for the fl nest Medocs ond the best clarets of Californ ia, Australia, and many other re­ gions of the world. CABERNET FRANC I not shown), a close rel­ ative, makes a softer wine. II is not yet planted i n the U.S. but enjoys a slowly growing popu­ larity i n the Medoc, Graves, St. Emilion, a n d Pomerol regions, and in the Chi non reds and roses of the Loire.

RIESLI N G grapes produce the most d istinctive white wines of the Rheingau, Moselle, and Al­ sace. II is a widely g rown vari­ ety i n s uch d ifferent c l i mates os Austra lia, Austria, Chile, Cali ­ forn ia, New York and Switzer­ land. 'The name often appears on the label, a n d in Cal i fornia where the SYLVANER variety can, for sOme obscure rea son, be legally called · Riesling, the name g iven the true variety is JOHA N N ISBERG RIESLING to d ifferentiate it from i m itations.

SAUVIGNON, also called Sau­ vignon Bla nc, a superb white wine grape, is the major in­ gredient of the best Graves, and a constituent of Sauternes with Semillon and Muscadelle. II yields the Loire's Pou il ly­ Fume, Soncerre, and Qui ncy. I n California's North Coasta l Re­ gion it ma kes a fuller-bod ied wine than its French relatives, but retains the fragrant bouquet and fruited flavor. Its quality is surpassed only by the Chardon­ nay and the true Riesling. 10

GRENACHE. A good quality, hig h-yield sweet grape produc­ ing wines high i n a lcohol with

a distinctive bouquet. In France its best wines are the rases of Tavel and the Rhone. I t is blended i n the Choteau neuf - du­ Pape, and with a special v i n i fl ­ cation is m a d e i nto the heavy, sweet Banyuls. In California it ma kes excel lent roses, usually la beled varieta l ly, and su­ perior g rades of Port. I t i s pla nted extensively i n the Rioja d istrict of northern Spa i n . BACO N O . 1. A French hybrid­ izer, Maurice Boco, has given h i s name, followed b y n u merals a n d letters to a n u m ber o f h i s creations. Baco No. 1 is being successfully g rown i n the U.S. Northeast, producing a very palatable, dark a n d robust red wi ne. It is usually labeled a s "'Boca Nair." It i s q u ite papu lar with home wine ma kers a n d g rowers. I n Fra nce BACO N O . 22A (not shown!, a crass of Fol ie Blanche and Noa h , is now used i n making Armagnac brandy.

PALOMI NO, or Golden Chas­ selas as it i s known in Cal i ­ forn ia, is o n e of t h e fi nest table grapes. In Jerez it is the chief constituent of Sherry, but else­ where i n Spa i n it i s used only for lesser, light wi nes. In Cali­ forn ia both l ight table w ines a n d hig h-quality sherries a re made from it. The wine has o delicate bouq uet, but does not keep wel l because of t h e low a c i d content. Related varieties are the Gute­ del of Germany a n d the Fen­ da n! of Switzerla nd.

O T H E R I M P O RTA N T W I N E G RAP E S ALIGOT� i s a Burgundian white

wine g rape of secondary qual ity yield ing an ordinary but quite agreea ble vin de carafe. It is usually overpriced i n the U.S. BARBERA is a red wine grape of Piedmont, cultivated to some extent i n California. There, a s w e l l as i n i t s native Italy, it ma kes a deep-colored, robust, full-bodied wine which is at its best when q uite you ng. CATAWBA, a light-red g ra pe, probably an accidental hybrid

of wild American varieties,

makes a wh ite wine of pro­ nounced la brusca flavor. It is g rown extensively i n the north ­ eastern American regions for making cha mpagne.

CHENIN BLANC is an excellent wh ite w i n e g rape, a lso known as Pi neau de Ia loire, and i n ­ correctly o s Pi not Blanc, o r Wh ite Pin ot, as it is n o t a true Pi not variety. I n the French prov­ i nces of Toura i n e and Anjou it is the predominant grape, prod uc­ ing the Vouvray a n d Sau mur wines. The ea rly- maturing Cali­ forn ia varietal is a w i ne of great finesse and fine flavor. CLAIREnE. This good quality wh ite wine g rape i s widely g rawn in the south of France, and to a lesser deg ree in Ca l i ­ fornia. Although white, it is blended into red C hateau neuf ­ du-Pape, and i n roses of Tavel; a delightfu l transformation. 1 2

DELAWARE is probably an­ other accidenta l labrusca hybrid. It m a kes a fresh, pale, white wine with good balance and much less oppressive fl avor than other lobrusca wines. It is much used in Eastern U.S. cha mpag nes, a n d i n the best table wi nes of New York State, Oh io, and Canada.

ELVIRA is a native labrusca­ riparia cross d i scovered toward the end of the ni neteenth cen­ ·tury i n Mis sou ri. T h e sizable plantings in the Finger la kes Region of New York produce a fresh-tasting, very pleasant wh ite wine af pronounced foxy flavor but considerable disti nctio n .

FOLLE BLANCHE. Th is white wine g rape is a lso known a s Picpoul and Gras P l a n t i n its native Fran ce. There are a n u m ­ ber of plantings o f t h i s variety in northern Ca lifornia. It pro­ d uces a clea n·tasting l i g h t wine. FURMINT is the famous fine wh ite grape of Hu ngary, the pri ncipal i ng red ient of the re­ nowned Tokay. I t produces other fi ne Hungarian wines and is blended i nto some German wines.

GAMAY i s th e red grape of the popu lar French Beaujolais and of the fine Cal iforn ia "Go· may du Beaujolais," which is not to be confused with a n ordinary California w i n e of les­ ser quality sold a s " Gamay."

GEW0RZTRAMI NER. This pink­ ish wh ite w i n e grape of the Tra m i n e r fa m i l y yields a rather soft, very heavi ly perf u m e d and spicy w h ite w i n e i n Alsace, where it is widely planted, a n d i n Germany a n d luxem bourg . I n Ca lifornia t h e w i n e reta i n s a l l t h e t r u e c h a ra cteristics b u t i s somewhat l e s s s p i cy t h a n its O l d World cou nterpa rt. GREEN H U N GARIAN is a Cali­ forn ia w h ite wine g ra p e of un­ certa i n orig i n w h i c h yields a pleasant, l i g h t wine. Some of it is sold u n der its varietal n a m e ; the b u l k is used i n b l e n d i n g .

MERLOT i s a fi n e r e d w i n e g r a p e used to g ive softness a n d fruitiness to m a ny Bor­ dea u x a n d Cal ifornia c l a rets. I t i s seldom v i n ified alone, ex­ cept i n pa rts of northern Italy where it produces a soft, fra­ g ra n t a n d very pleasant wine.

NEBBIOLO. This is Italy's out­ sta n d i n g red wine grape, re­ sponsible for the s u perb Ba rolo, Barbaresca, and I n ferno. When f u l ly matured its f u l l -bodied wines have g reat d i stinction.

N IAGARA. O n e of the oldest American hybrids, t h i s wh ite wine g rape i s p l a n ted c h iefly in the Finger lakes Region of New York and in Canada. It m a kes a rath e r sweet, g o l d e n table wine of prono u n ced fox i ­ ness, very ag reea b l e Ia those who a pprec}ate the fra g ra n c e .

PEDRO XIME N EZ. This Spanish g rape is thought to be t h e R h i n e Va l ley's Ries l i n g brou g h t t o Spain i n t h e 1 6 t h century. I n Malaga a n d t h e Sherry country it is v i n ified d ifferently, produc­ i n g the best sweetener for S h e r­ ry. I n Ma n t i l l a it is made i n to a fi n e d ry w i n e . A sweet variety is d r u n k stra i g h t as a l i q ue u r.

SANG I OVESE. This fine quality red wine g rape of I taly is the principal (70%) constituent of Chianti, and i n other reg ions of Italy it yields a very good but s horter-l ived wine. In t h e t i n y republic of Sa n M a r i n o it i s served a n d con s u med w i t h g reat e n joyment. There a re some plantings in Cal ifornia, but i t is n o t u s e d i n the Cal iforn ia Chiantis.

SCUPPERNONG. This is a unique A m e r i c a n variety, a M uscadine

grape of the su b-genus Rotundi­

folia . I I is c u ltivated exclusively in the Carolinas for both ta ble use and a s a w i n e g rape.

SEMILLON is a n excellent wh ite w i n e grape of southwest­ ern France wh ere i t i s widely planted, and of California to a m u c h s ma l l e r extent. It g ives best res u lts w h e n v i n ifled with another g rape variety, particu­ larly Sauvignon Blanc such a s in Graves a n d Sauternes. I I i s generally most s uccessful as a slightly sweet wine; w h e n d ry it h a s a tendency to billerness especia l ly when grown in warm reg ions.

SYLVANER i s a very productive pre m i u m w h i te wine grope grown extensively i n such d if­ fere n t pa rts of the world as Alsace, Austria, Ca l i fornia, Chile, Germany, I ta ly, luxem­ bourg, and Switzerla n d . The wines it g ives, u s u a l ly labeled varietal ly, are l i g h t and pleas­ ant. For some stra n g e reason it can legal l y be called "Riesl ing" in Californi a .

14

SYRAH, also spelled Siroh, is an exce l le n t variety of red w i n e g rape g rown exten sively i n the Rhone Val ley. It is t h e g rape of the renowned Her­ m itage, a n d is one of the thir­ teen wines blended i n to Cho­ lea u n e uf-du-Pape. Syra h is a l so g rown in A ustra lia, Cal ifornia, South Africa, a n d Switze rland. This s u perior q u a l ity grape should not be co nfused with PETIT SYRAH which makes a very satisfactory, f u l l-bodied wine of less distinction. I n Cal ifornia s o m e vintners have made excellent varieta l s with Petit Syra h , but most of if is blended i n to "Burg u n dy." TREBBIANO i s on Italian white wine grape of many n a m es, producing a pale, dry wine. I n France i t i s c a l l e d Ugni Bla n c (see below) a n d s o m e of it is g rown in Cal iforn ia. In Italy it is a constituent of White C h ianti, and when b l e n ded with Malvasia it yields the sweet Orvieto, a n d Yin Sa nto. U G N I BLANC (see above) h a s still a nother n a m e i n Fra nce, St. Em i l ion. Widely pla nted i n the south of France, its best wine is that of Cassis. In California

it fi n d s its way i nto blen ds.

Z I N FANDEL. This red wine g rape of u nderle r m i ned origin is t h e most extensively planted va riety in Cal ifornia. I I i s d e­ servedly a very popul a r wine, fresh a n d pleasant with a d i s­ tinctive "berry" flavor, the Ame rican counterpart to Fran ce's Bea ujolais. I I is widely blended.

THE GRAPE BERRY

VITIS VINIFERA VITIS LABRUSCA FLUID LAYER

TH E GRA P E B ERRY

is full of the juice a n d pulp con­

taining the sugars, acids, tan n i n s, aromatic com pounds,

m i n erals a n d even vita mins, all givi n g win e its unique

character and quality. On the skin is a waxy layer,

the frosty " bloo m , " whose function is to tra p airborne

yeasts and e n zymes responsible for ferm entation .

To m a ke wine, all primitive m a n had to do was to

brea k the skins allowin g the wi

.

ld yeasts to contact the

sugary juice. It was Mother Nature's Self-Packaged In­

stant Mix. Ferm entation took place a n d after a few

days he could down a heady liquid u n l i ke a nything he

h a d ever taste d . Overin dulgence resulted i n the cond i ­

tion known as " Stoned i n the Bronze Age . "

M a n t h e n learned t o strain t h e unwanted s k i n s , pulp,

seeds, a n d anythi n g else that may have fallen i n his

ferm entation pot, obtain i n g a slig htly turbid but more

satisfying beverag e . Later he mastered the art of stor­

ing it and, by trial and error, i m proved it until

it

reached the degree of excellence where poets would

sing its praises. These refinements too k centuries to

achieve, an d the search for perfection continues to

this day.

THE BASIC STEPS TO WINE MAKING

The basic ste ps i n the process of tra n sfq rm i ng g ra pes

into wine are e ssentially the same in e ve ry wine- m a ki ng

re g ion of the world .

The g rape s are ha rve ste d a t a g ive n time a n d must

a rrive q uickly a n d i n g ood cond ition at the wine ry.

They are crushe d , the i r juice is ferme nte d , the fer­

me nted juice is presse d , se d i me nt is remove d, the

cla rifie d wine is re ste d, age d , and e ve ntually bottled .

While the above applie s to the m a k i ng of a l l still

table wine s, the re are othe r ste ps i n m a king special

wine s , such a s C h a m pag ne , sparkling wine s , s he rry,

a n d othe r fortifie d wine s.

Te chnique s a n d e q u i pme nt for the se basic opera­

tions can, and do, vary from reg ion to reg ion, a n d

from vintne r t o vintne r . S o m e a p p l y t h e latest tech­

nolog ical advance s i n me thods a n d use sophisticate d

e q u i p me nt; othe rs cling to time - honored proce d u re s

a n d e q u i pme nt. Both can, a n d do, m a ke g ood wine.

1 6 I II

\�---=--HOW WINE IS MADE

"MUS T" FOR WHITE WINE MAY BE D R AWN OFF BUT Will BE SEPARATED FROM SKINS AND SEEDS BY PRESSING BEFORE FERMENTING.

PRESS

lARGE SOliDS REMOVED

The red a n d gold leaves on the vines (at right) signal the a p­ proach of a busy h a rvest ti m e i n t h i s California vi neyard. THE S C I E NTIFIC APPROACH to wine m a k i n g , leavened with some i n h e rited intu itive tradi­ tional methods is typically Amer­ ican. T h e c o m bi nation is being adopted gradually i n m a ny ath­ e r parts af the world as new methods of v i t i c u lture and vini­ c u lture with new s o p h i sticated e q u i p m e n t reach the f u rthest corners of the g lobe.

HARVESTING beg i n s when the vineya rdist determi nes

that the g ra pes h ave reached the precise ripeness for

the type of wi ne to be m a d e . He m a kes periodic lab­

oratory tests for sugar contents and acidity as well as

the traditional checks with sig ht, feel, a n d tast e d u r­

i n g the g rowing seaso n . The vine a n d its fruit a re con­

st a n t ly u n d e r his watchful eye .

PICKIN G the grapes is sti l l very m u c h af a hand operation in most of the worl d 's vi neyard s. The varieties from w h i c h the fl nest wines are made ore us· u a l l y t h i n · s k i n ned a n d must nat be bruised or broken before they a rrive at the crushers. The work of a grape picker requ ires speed, a certai n a mount of m a n u a l dexterity, and a strong back.

La rge n u mbers of picke rs are necessary Ia do the job q u ickly, for a relatively s hort period of e m p loyme nt. The labor proble m , with its atte n d i n g econo m i c com­ plexities, has become i n c reas­ ingly d ifficu l t to solve where g reat i n d ustrial g rowth a n d u rban ization are on the rise.

... -.

MECHAN ICAL HARVESTERS may be part of the solution. These mac h i n es may be in co m m on use i n the near future, m e c h a n i z i n g the p i c k i n g as tractors m e c h a n ­ i z e d the plow i n g a n d c u l tivat­ ing. A n u m ber of h a rvesters are now in u se in New York State and California.

T h e machine req u ires a spe­ c i a l spacing of the rows of vines a n d a different s u p porti ng tre l ­ l is. The newly planted vi neya rd s i n Ca l ifor n i a , New York, a n d other parts o f the U n i ted Stales are being laid out to accom mo­ date the g ia n t m a c h i n e s .

The mechanical h a rvesters

seen from the front and rear in the p i ctu res at left ore operating i n a Taylor vineyard. The ber­ ries ·are ge ntly shaken loose from the vine and conveyed di­ rectly t o a tractor-d rawn gon­ d o l a i n the a d j o i n i n g row .

TRANSPORT I N G the grapes to the crusher req u i res a strong back and s u re foot o n the very steep slopes of some h i l lside vi neyard s , s u c h as those of t h e R h e i n g a u a n d the Rhone.

The picker's harvest is col· lected i n boc k-bas kets a n d car­ ried to level g round where it is tra nsferred to a n i mal-drown carts. Where the g ro u n d is level a n d modern tech nology a p­ plied, tractor-drown gondolas circulate thro u g h the rows col­ lecting the a c c u m u lation. I N S PECTION ta kes place a t the winery. The gropes ore we i g h e d , and o n on-the-spot t e s t of th e i r s u g a r conte n t is t o k e n t o de­ term ine the price for those sup­ p l ied by outside v i n eyards. The gro pes ore then u n l oaded, washed, and conveyed to a ste m mer, a m a c h i n e which can separate 20 tons of berries from their ste m s i n one hour. The ste ms a re pu lverized a n d plowed into the vi neyard soil as m u l c h and org a n i c fertil izer.

THE I DEAL LOCATION for a winery is on a h i l lside, with the g rapes arriving at the h i g h ­ est l e v e l , a n d the presses a n d fermenting ta nks on successive levels below. T h e processing of the g rapes a n d t h e i r ju ice co n then be effecte d , or aided by g ravity, avoi d i n g p u m ping as m u c h a s poss i b l e .

Where the l a n d is too flat t o p e r m i t the u s e of g ravity as a tran sport i n g force, belt convey­ ors are used to m ove the gropes, a n d p u m ps to m ove the j u ice from the presses to the ta n k s .

CRUSHING

fol lows the remova l of stems , o r i s done

simult a n eously i n a crusher-stemmer. Crushing convert s

the berries into a pulpy m ass called " m ust. "

S U L FURING,

the n ext step, consist ed i n the old m ethod

of burning sulfur candles in the casks to produce sulfur

d ioxid e . Today the st erilizing gas is added to the m ust

in precise a m ounts from m etal cylin ders. Sulfur dioxide

controls unwanted microorganisms, i n hibits t h e brown­

i n g effect of enzy mes, a n d retards oxidation .

PRESSING

extracts the juice from the g rapes. Many

types of presses are used, from the fa miliar a n cient

slotted wooden basket with screw-operated piston to

ingenious equipm ent such as the Wil l m es bladder press,

effectively sepa rating the juice from the solids, called

" po m ace," consist i n g mainly of skins, seeds, and pulp.

T h i s press, whose slotted s i des a r e too s m a l l t o pass s k i n s a n d seeds, conta i n s a n a i r- i nflata b l e rubber b a g w h i c h sq ueezes t h e m ust a g a i n s t th e s i d e s . T h e j u ice is d ra i n ed off at the bottom a n d t h e d ry pomace expel led before t h e operation is repeated.

RED W I N E derives its color from the g rope s kins whose p i g ments g radually d issolve i n to the fer­ menting m u st. Other desirable ch aracteristics of red w i n e a re derived from the other solids.

FOR WHITE WINE to be pro· duced the j u ice must be sep· a rated from t h e pomace before fermentation by pres s i n g . Th i s a v o i d s c o l o r a n d taste c h a rac­ teristics unwanted i n wh ite wine. O n l y t h e j u i c e is fermented.

SEPARATION of fl uid from sol­ ids occurs d u r i n g the fermenla· tian of red w i n e . I t is possible to dra i n off a bout 2/Jrd s of the w i n e from settl ing tan ks. This portion is called "free-run" as apposed to "press-run," when the rema1n1ng portion is pressed. T h e end portion of the press i n g is less desira b l e and may b e sold a s lower g rade wine, disti l l e d far its alcohol, or used i n b l e n d i n g .

Traditional oa k open-top f e r m e n · tation ta n k s i n u s e a t the Pleas· a n t Valley W i n e Com pa ny, New York (above}.

The newest i n jac keted sta i n less steel ta n ks (left). In the favor· a b l e c l i m ates of Australia a n d California, some vintn ers i n s ta l l the tan ks outdoors.

Giant g lass-l i n e d steel ta n ks , e a c h h o l d i n g 1 00,000 g a l l o n s of wine, i n u s e a t the Taylor win· e ry, New York (be/awl.

FE RMENTATION

becomes quite active within a bout 1 2

hours a n d st ops automat ically when practically a l l the

sugar has been converted to alcohol, usually a m ax­

i m u m of 1 4 to 1 5 % alcohol by volume. It can be

stopped by the wine ma ker in a n u m ber of ways.

For control led fermentation a selected wine yeast i s

added to t h e sulfured must a n d thoroug hly mixed. H eat

is generat ed d u ring fermentation but m ust not be

a l lowed to reach a tem peratu re slowin g the yeast's ac­

t ion to the point where fermentation stops. A " stuck"

fermentation can be a real d isaster. S m a l l fermenta­

tion conta i ners a re less li kely to overheat than the big

tan ks of the large wineries. Cooling d evices such as

heat exchang ers a n d i m mersion coils m ay be used to

control t he heat and rat e of f erm entat ion .

FERMENTI N G TANKS, large o r s m a l l , a r e fi l l e d fro m 'h to 3f.. capacity to a l low for expansion a n d the a c c u m u lation of foa m caused by the Iorge vol u m e of carbon dioxide gas produced.

Special l y designed j a c keted sta i n less steel ta n k s with pre­ cise automatic te m perature con· trois ore i n u s e i n wor m re­ g i o n s . Elsewhere d ifferent m eth­ ods are used to control the rate and heat of fermentation. Pres­ su rized fermen tors a re favored in Germa ny, w h i l e i n C h a m ­ pag n e a n d Burg u n dy fer menta­ tion roo ms are sometimes h eated when the weather turns cold d u r i n g the vi ntage seaso n .

Fer m e n t i n g r e d w i n e is ' p u m ped over' the h a rd crust of pomace that h a s been pushed to t h e top of t h e fermentation vat by the esca p i n g carbon d ioxide gas.

Casks a n d woode n vats w h ere w i n e settles for the su ccess ive ra c k i n g s , an essential step in clarification. S i m ilar conta i n e rs, as well as s ma l l e r barrels are used i n a g i n g w i n e .

Filter p a d s are i n serted betwee n filter plates to catch s u spe n ded s e d i m ent, a step i n the process of clarificatio n . Not a l l w i n e s are fi lte red; s o m e a re racked several t i m es, and then bottled. CLARI FICATION

begins after fermentation is c o m ­

plet ed , or has been st opped . T h e pomace is sepa rated

from the t u rbid fluid which st ands u n t i l a large port ion

of t he fine suspended mat erial, most ly yeast cel ls, col­

lect s at t he bott o m of t he set t ling t a n k a s lees.

RAC K I N G now begins. In this u n iversa lly u sed process the rela­ tively clear wine is carefully drawn off by siph o n i n g or pu m p· i n g without stir r i n g up the lees. The process is repeated several times, some v i n t n ers going no fu rther than ra c k i n g to cla rify their w i n e . Clarity, pa rticularly i n America, is a qual ity c riter­ ion. Some v i n tners fine a n d filter as w e l l a s ro c k .

FINING is a tradition a l method of clarifying w i n e t h rou g h t h e use of a variety of s u bsta n ces s u c h as egg w h ites, i s i n g lass, case i n , a n d special types of c lays, n otably Bentonite.

The fi n i n g m e d i u m is added to the previously racked w i n e. It settles to the botto m carry i n g w i t h it the fi n e s u s p e n d e d par­ ticles. With cloys, fi ltering is usually req u ired.

T h i s oulomolic, h i g h - s peed bot­ tling m a c h i n e fi l l s more than o doze n bottles of once.

BOTTLI NG the wine is on al­

most c o m pletely oulomoled process, not o n l y i n t h e h ig h ly mechan ized wineries of t h e U.S., but in a l l w i n e-growing reg ions of the world. These m a c h ines hove mode t h e Iorge w i nery possible s i nce fi l l i n g , labeling and pocking the m i l l ions of bott les by hand wou ld be on e n d l ess task.

AGING RED WINES

begi ns at the wi nery, but con­

tinues u ntil t he cork is pul led. Depen ding on the type

and quality, the wi ne rem ains in aging casks for a

period ranging from weeks to years. A relat ively large

n u m ber of vi nt ners producing h i g h quality red wines

age their bot t led stock an additional year or more.

Win ery workers p l a ce decorative and protective lead foil capsules on newly-corked bottles. labels will be a d d e d , mostly by m a c h i n e , i n t h e s e , the latter stages of processing the w i n e to the c o n s u m e r .

Mac h i n e l a b e l i n g , same ha n d labe l i n g , a n d t h e fi n a l i n spection Iabove le ft). Additional bottle-ag i n g i n the care f u l l y t e m p e ratu re­

cantra l l e d w i nery wa rehouse Iabove right!.

BOTTLE-AG I N G

is a prerog at ive of t he consumer. A

fi n e red wine, purchased as soon as ava i l a b l e a n d kept

i n a suita b l e "wi n e cel l a r " should i m p rove and g row

i n va l u e u n t i l it reaches fu ll mat urit y. A good wine

cel l a r is withi n t he scope of a modest budget, and

buying

wi n e for storage will be discussed l a t e r o n .

T h i s C a l i fo r n i a varietal w i n e , a P i n ot B l a n c , reac h es its fi n a l desti­ nation: g ra ci n g the host's ta b l e . Pro perly c h i l l e d , it will add to the e n j oy m e n t of the w i n e - poa c h ed shri m p i t acco m pa n ies.

We live in a n age where old-fashioned craft sm a n s h i p

a n d ident ification o f t he m a ker w i t h h i s product is

rapidly disappearing from many profession s . One which

has, t o a large ext ent, avoided t his depersonalization

is t hat of the wine m a k er.

Throug hout t he world wi n e ma kers conti n u e to

ident ify wit h t heir delig htful product , proudly signing

t heir n a m e t o the label as an art ist sig n s h i s canvas pro­

cla i m ing : "This is

my

wor k . " More often than not it is

a hereditary profession, particularly wit h the smaller

vineyards, passed on from father to sons, generation

aft er generation .

The infinit e va riet y of wines produced is all based

on g rowi ng vines t o produce good crops of g rapes,

ferment i n g the juice and skillfully n u rsing the wine u n t i l

it is ready t o bott le for the consumer.

I n t he climate belt s of bot h the nort h ern a n d southern

hemispheres, where the g rape vine g rows, t he win e

26

m a kers' p ri m e concerns are the weather a n d the char­

act e r of the soi l . They must select the grape that will

m a k e the best wine under these two conditions over

which they have

no

effe

ct

ive

control.

The E u ropeans,

aft er centuries of trial a n d error, h ave settled on the

variet ies best suited for each region but in the rela­

t ively n ew wine worlds of America and Aust ralia the

ideal combinat ions are now being found with a st rong

assist from i m p roved scientific viticultural m et hods.

Win e m a kers' m ethods vary to som e extent from

region t o region, but the basic procedure remains the

sa m e . The shiny n ew equipment is usually only a labor­

savin g refi n e m ent of t he traditional d evice. Centrifuges,

ion-exchangers and rotating fermentation tan ks are

definit ely i n n ovations, but these are st ill somewhat ex­

peri m ent al and not yet in general use.

We shall see, i n the pages that follow, the wide

variet ies of wines that are made, their c h aracteristics,

and t he m ethods used to m a k e the m .

T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S

The hist o ry of wine i n t h e New World begins w it h t he

explorers. There i s no evidence t hat the I n d i a n s m a d e

win e from any of t he wild gra pes g rowin g i n t h e i r terri­

tories. The abundance of wild g rapes fou n d by Lief

Ericson a n d his s h i p m at es caused t he m to n a m e their

d iscovery "Vinel a n d , " but it was left to the lat er s ett lers

t o cult ivat e t he nat ive vine a n d m a ke t h e fr rst American

win e from it s berries. Judging from old records of t he

colonists it was q u i t e a poor a n d u n rewa rding bever­

age. Columbus broug ht his own wine, most ly Sherry, i n

h i s ships, a n d t h e m issionary mon ks w h o accompanied

t he later Conquist adores brought t h e European g rape

vi n e wit h the m . They plant ed t heir vineyards a s they

est ablished t heir chain of m issions northward from

Mexico along t he Pacifr c coast.

The n ew sett lers were eager to make wine wherever

t hey est ablished their new homes, som e wit h the n ative

g rape, a n d some with the tran splant ed European vines.

I n t he East t he harsh wint e rs q u ickly destroyed the

i m po rt ed vin es, un used t o the ext rem e cold , but the

same

Vitis vinifera

flourished happily in what i s now

Californ i a . For many yea rs the set t lers i n t he East a n d

C a n a d a cult ivat ed a n d i m p roved t he nat ive

Vitis labrusca,

the only vin e variety which successfully with­

stood t he rigors of t he cli m a t e . William Penn 's g a r­

dener, J o h n Alexan der, is credit ed wit h the earliest

America n hybrid which bears his n a m e . His success in

creatin g a viable variety capable of m a k i n g palat­

able win e

-

g reat ly encouraged others to d evelop the

E lvira, Concord, Cat awba, Delaware, a n d a few ot her

early crossings st ill very popular in Ohio, New York

St at e and Canada.

Until recently the per capita win e con s u m ption in

America was so low that it was not considered a wine­

dri n king cou ntry. Over the past few decades the i n ­

crease has b e e n s pectacularly rapid, as evidenced by

the total qua ntity (in roun d fi g u res) of com mercially

produced wine entering U . S . distribution c h a n nels :

1 00 m i llion g a l lons in the period just after WW I I

1 5 0 m i l l ion g a l lons (average) throug h the 1 95 0 ' s

2 0 0 m i l l ion g a l lons (average) throug h t h e 1 96 0 ' s

25 0 m illion g a l lons by 1 970

400 m i l l ion gallons (esti mated) by 1 9 8 0

B y 1 9 69 t h e U . S . h a d risen to seventh place i n world

prod uction of wine, with Italy fi rst, Fra nce second, a n d

Spain third . Within t h e n ext decade i t i s l i kely that i t

w il l move u p a nother place.

As con sum ption in creases, Americans are becom i n g

m o r e knowledgeable a n d discri m in ati n g by for m i n g

tasting clubs a n d joi n i n g s u c h consumer-oriented g roups

as the American Wine Society.

The famous A m e r i c a n author, Washi ngton I rv i n g , was a great a n d d i scri m i n a t i n g con noisseur. H i s w i n e cellar was f a m e d a m o n g his friends who were e n terta i n ed a t his cha r m i n g home, 115u n nyside," on the ba n k s of the H u dson River at I rvi ngton, N .Y.

CALIFORNIA

California' s fertile valleys a n d slopes provide an ideal

settin g for g rape cultivation . The climate even perm its

open-air wi n eries in some locations. While the grape

can be g rown i n most of the state's 58 counties, the

principal wine a reas are : the cool Northern Coastal

Region a round San Fran cisco, producing mostly ta ble

wines; the much warmer Great I n la n d Valley Region

where, until recently, the e m p hasis was on fortified

wines; and the Southern Region, reach i n g eastward

from Los Angeles, prod uci n g wines which compare

favorably with those of the French Mid i .

The history o f California wines begin s with the chain

of m issions a n d their adjoining vineyards, esta bl ished

in the latte r part of the 1 8 th Century by the Franciscan

monks. E ventually the chain reached from the Mexican

border to Sono m a . Later, other European i m m i g rants

broug ht their wine making skills and other varieties of

Vitis vinifera

to the n ew land of wi n e . Colonel Agoston

H araszthy, i n 1 8 6 1 , brought some two h u n d red thou­

sa n d vi n es and c utti ngs he collected fro m the fa mous

E u ropean vi neyards. H is experi m ental planti n g s made

a substa ntial i m provement throughout the state and

deservedly earned him the title of " Father of Cali­

for n ia 's modern wine i n d ustry."

On the m a p,

opposite,

the principal wine g rowi ng

reg ions are shown i n red . The Northern Coastal Region,

from Ukiah to Soledad, is cooled by Pacific b reezes.

The Great I n land Valley, cradled between the Coast

Range a n d the Sierra Nevada, extends from north of

Sacra m ento to Bakersfiel d . The Southern Region, from

Ventura to E scondido, i nc ludes the Los Angeles a n d

Cucamonga districts .

\

'\

'

'\,

\

'

'\

BERNARDINO Diego

The m i d -eig hteen hund reds saw the fou n d i n g of

many wineries operating today, some under the d i rec­

tion of the founder's d escendants. To nam e but a few :

Mirassou, Almaden, and Paul Masson i n Santa Clara;

Schramsberg in Calistoga; Charles Krug, The C hristian

Brothers, Beringer Brothers, and I n g lenook i n Napa;

the Italian-Swiss Colony, and Korbel in Sonoma; Wente,

and Concannon in Alameda; and in 1 900, the founding

of Beaulieu Vineyards i n Napa.

A n u m ber of near disasters plagued the industry;

first, the p hylloxera attacked the E uropean vines but

the discovery that g rafting the

Vitis vinifera

onto the

native

Vitis labrusca

rootstock avoided a com p l ete dec­

imation; then two wine d epressions caused by over­

planting a n d production of poor quality wine severely

damaged the reputation of the wines. The crushing

blow came with the Eig hteenth Amendment. Grape

production was m aintained to provide g rapes for home

wine ma kers, sacra mental wi ne production and a few

other uses still permitted by the " d ry laws . "

These unhappy times for California vintners ended

with Repea l . Working in coo perat ion wit h both state

a n d federal govern m ents they rebuilt their g reat in­

dustry on a sound basis.

The California win e regions are far and away the

larg est producers i n the U nited States. D u ri n g the

ea rly years of the rebirth, following Repeal, about 75%

of t he wines were dessert or fortified wines, the remain­

ing 25% divided between table wines a n d sparkling

wines. The proport ion has changed radically i n the

past few decades so that by 1 970 table wines had out­

stripped dessert wines by more than 40 million gallons.

This is a st rong indication of the serious interest in

American table wines as an integral part of a meal.

U n l i k e their European counterparts most California

wineries m a d e as many d ifferent types of wines as

possi ble. The result was, too often , g reat variety at the

cost of i n different or inferior quality. A reversal of this

poli cy is gaining popularity, particularly with some of

the smaller g rowers who are l i m itin g their production to

two or three outsta n d i n g wines i n stead of the for m e r

assortment o f a dozen or m o r e types. The l a r g e r

g rowers m a y be followin g s u i t as t h e i r extensive recent

planti n g s of premium varieties come to m aturity. The

most recent plantings, both large and small, have been

chiefly of the g rapes which produce the superb varietals

such a s Cabernet Sauvi g n o n . Careful scientific studies

of soil a n d clim ate have enabled g rowers to plant the

premi u m varieties best suited for their location .

The n u m ber of h i g h q uality California wines is i n ­

creasi ng every year, a n d the amoun t produced is also

g rowin g s i g n ificantly. While some a re difficult to obta i n

outsid e o f California, the hope i s t h a t i n c reased pro­

duction will remedy this situation .

THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO, NAPA-SOLANO DIS­

TRICTS

_{ra nk h igh in the n u m be r of bonded wineries,}

producing vast quantities of good sta ndard quality

table win es, principally reds, a n d a n u m ber of top

quality premium wines and c h a m pagnes. A p a rtial

listin g of its wineries follows :

NAftA VAU.IY

BURGUNDY ""'DUCI:D • acrrTUO • ., .IIAUUIIU 'IIMUAI'tO

AT lltll'n411W'Oit0. NA"A COUHTT, Coii.UI"'IIIHIA "-·-, .. ····--·

BEAULIEU VINEYARD was fou nded i n 1900 by Georges d e Latour. All its wines are marketed u n der the Beaulieu

Vineyard (8VJ label, a n d bear the Napa Valley appel lation of orig i n . A l m ost all are estate bot­ tled a n d the back label states exactly what g rapes have been used. The varietals are usually 1 00 % of the g rapes na med. Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon a n d Cabernet Sau­ vignon Private Reserve, Beau­ mont Pinel Nair, a n d Burg undy. White Table Wines: Beaufort Pinal Chardon nay, Beauclair Johan n isberg Riesling, Dry and Sweet Sauterne, Chablis, a n d Ries l i n g .

Rose Table Wines: Beaurose, a n d Grenache Rose.

34

Sparkling Wines: Private Re­ serve C h a m pagne Brut, BY Cha mpagne Brut a n d Extra Dry, a n d Rouge (Spa r k l i n g Burg u n dy). Aperitif and Dessert Wines: Sherries, Port, and Muscat de Frontig nan.

BERIN GER BROTHERS, INC., was founded in 1 876 by two broth­ e rs, Jacob and Frederi c k Beri n­ ger. To insure u n iform c h a racter and qual ity Beri nger wines are wel l aged and b l ended. They a re now concentrating o n vari­ etals. Beringer "Private Stock," is the featured bra n d .

Red Table Wines: Barenblut (Blood of the Bear), a house specia lty, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grig n o l i no, Pinal Noir, Zinfon­ d e l, a n d Burg u ndy.

White Table Wines: Dry a n d Sweet Sa uterne, Joha n n isberg Ries l i n g , Grey Ries l i n g , C h e n i n Blanc, Sauvig non Blanc, a n d Chardon nay. Beringer makes the usual a peritif a n d dessert wines, a n d a specialty, Malvasia Bi­ anca. They also feature Brut Cham pag ne, Pi n k C h a m pagne, Sparkling Bu rgundy a n d Beri n­ ger Bros. Bra n dy.

BUENA VISTA VINEYARDS was once the h o m e of Agoston Ha­ rasz:thy, the Hungarian

noble-man cre dited with starling modern Cal ifor n ia viticu lture. In 1 86 1 he collected over 300 grape varieties in Europe and planted t-h e m here. A series of disasters h a u n ted the vineyard and its owners u ntil 1 943 when it was revived, a n d now markets its p re m i u m wines under the Buena Vista label.

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignan ( Estate Baffled), Pi nal Nair, Z i n fandel (wh ich g rew to fa me in this vi neyard), a n d Burgu n dy.

White Table Wines: Pinal Char­ donnay, White Ries l i n g Johan­ n i sberg, Tra m i ner, Sylva ner, Grey Riesling (a l l Estate Baffled), Sonoma Se m i l lon, Green H u n ­ g a r i a n ( a specia lly), Chablis, and Vine Brook (from Sylva ner g rapes). Two roses are made, Rose Brook (Estate Baffled, from Cabernel Sa uvignon g rapes), and Gre nache Rase.

A baffle fermented, Estate grown Pinal Chardonnay Cham­ pag ne Brut is a lso made, as well as Sherry and Vi ntage Part. CHAPPELLET WINERY, one of the newest i n t h e reg ion, was established by Donn Chappellel i n 1 969. The pyra mid-shaped winery houses the glea m i n g modern equ i p m e nt a n d trad i­ tional aging barrel s for the pre m i u m variela l s made from the estate's own plantings. Pro­ duction is l i m ited to the types best su ited for the a rea sur­ rou n d i n g the w i nery. The plant­ ings are restricted to such vari­ etals as Cabernel Sauvignon, Che n i n Blan c, and Riesling.

THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS, a Roman Catholic lea c h i n g order, started their Ca l i fornia wine making operations in 1 8 82. Their extensive plantings and wineries i n the Napa Valley ond Los Gatos enable them to produce g reat quantifies a n d varieties of pre m i u m w i n e s , and sacra mental wines.

The Brothers do not vi ntage their wines, preferring to blend for u n iform high qualify. Their bulk wines, i n gallons a n d half­ gallons, a re exactly the same qualify a s the wine baffled in fifths a n d s m a l ler conta i n ers.

The bulk of the Brothers ' wines a n d brandy are sold u n der The Christian Brothers label, except the sacra m e ntal wines which a re baffled u n d e r the Mont La Salle bra n d . The Novitiate of . Los Gatos m arkets some table, aperitif, and dessert wines u n d e r t h e Novitiate labe l .

The varielals i n c l u d e :

Red Table Wine: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Gamay, Pinot No ir, a n d Pi nal St. George.

White Table Wines: Dry a nd Sweet Sauvignon Blanc and

Semillon, Pinal Chardon n ay,

Chen i n Blanc, Joha n n isberg Ries ling, Riesling, Sylva ner,

Grey Riesl ing, and Chateau La Salle, a l i g h t m uscat. The usual assortment of pre m i u m g e ner­ ics such as Burg u ndy, Sauterne a n d Chablis are also made.

HEITZ W I N E CELLARS is owned by Joseph and Alice Heitz. Us· ing their extensive knowledge of wine, they select, blend, ma· lure a n d bottle other produce rs ' wines a n d sell them under their own label.

Red Table Wines: Barbera, Bur­ g u ndy, Cabernet Sauvig non, Grig n o l i n o, Pi nal Nair, and Ruby Cabernet.

White Table Wines: Chablis, Jo. h a n n isberg Ries l i ng, a n d Pinal Blanc. The above a re sold u n · der the Heitz Cellar Iobei, u nder their Cellar Treasure label o Tawny Port a n d a n Angel ica.

I N GLENOOK, an old stone win. ery, is a Napa Valley show· place b u i l t in 1 879 . It was the first winery to label varieta ls as such . All the wines are

36

marked with t h e v i n tage yea r; some corry the cas k n u m ber. Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, P i nal Nair, Pinal St. George, Gamoy, Z i n f a n d e l , and Charbon a.

White Table Wines: Grey Ries­ l i ng, Wh ite Pinal, Tra m i n e r, Pi nal Chardon nay, Sylva ner, Jo­ honn isberg Ries l i n g , Chenin Blanc, Riesling, D ry S e m i l lon.

I n g lenook also makes Nava l le Rose, Vintage C h a m pagne a n d dessert and a ppetizer w ines.

ITALIAN SWISS COLONY,

fou nded in 1 8 8 1 is now one of the g iants of the wine industry, a cooperative producing as m uch as 25% of U.S. vol u me. The bulk of its production is in m e d i u m priced wines of good qua lity, but it a lso markets some pre m i u m wines u nder its Private Stock la bel. Generic wines are sold u nder the Tipo brand .

the usual assort m e n t of table, aperitif, and dessert wines a re ma rketed u n d e r the Gold Medal Reserve a n d Private Stock

labels. The I ta l ia n Swiss Colony is now pa rt of the g ia n t com b i n e u nder United V intners, I n c. F. KORBEL & BROS. is the home of c h a m pagnes rated a mong the best i n t h e country. The orig i n a l winery was b u i l t in 1 886. Marketed u n der the Korbel brand are: Korbel Nature (very d ry), Korbel Brut (dry), Korbel Extra D ry and Korbel Sec (both med i u m d ry), Korbel Rouge, a n d Korbel Rose. T h e tab l e w i n e s i n ­ clude: C h a b l i s , Sauterne, Grey Riesli n g , Rose, Burg u n dy, Co­ bernet, and Pinal Nair.

CHARLES KRUG WIN ERY, dating back to 1 86 1 , is now ru n by the Mondovi fam ily a n d has been completely modernized. T h e m a i n a c c e n t is on p re m i u m ta ble wines, sold under the Charles Krug label, with less expens ive wines sold under the CK a n d Mondovi Vintage labels. Bes ides the usual generic wines the fol· lowin g varielals are made: Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, G a m ay, Pinal Noir, a n d Mounta i n Zi nfa n d e l .

White Table Wines: Dry, and Sweet S e m i l l o n , Sweet Sauvi­ g n o n Blanc, Wh ite Pi nal, C h e n i n B l a n c , Pi nal Chardon nay, Tra­ m i ner, Gewu rztra m i ner, Syl­ vaner, Grey Ries l i n g and Jo­ h a n n isberg Ries l i n g .

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LOUIS II. IIARTINI LOU I S M. MARTINI wines a re a mong Cal ifor n i a 's best. Red Table Wines: Vintage Cab­ erne! Sauvignon and Vintage Mounta i n Pi nal Noir. Also, Bar­ bera and Zinfa n d e l .

White Table Wines: · Joh a nnis­ berg Ries l ing, Mounta i n Ge­ wu rzlra m iner, Mountain Syl­ va ner, Mounta i n Folie Blanche, a n d Mounta i n D ry S e m i l lon. All are Vi ntage.

Also: Mounta i n Ries l i n g ,

Mou nta i n D ry C h e n i n B l a n c , and Mounta i n Pinal Chardonnay.

A n u m ber of generic table wines, two roses, a n d four aperitif a n d dessert wines are also produced. Ava i l a b l e only at the winery are same special vi ntage tab l e wines a n d a n ef­ fervescent Moscato A m a b i l e . MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS a re located on lap of MI. Veeder, a n extinct volcano. The relatively small winery produces some out­ sta n ding wines, under the May·

acamas label, a l l T OO% of t h e variety s h o w n on the labe l. Production h a s been l i m ited Ia a few varieties g rown an t h e estate, Cabernel Sauvig non, Pinal Chardon nay, C h e n i n Blanc, a n d Zi n fa n d e l .

ROBERT MON DAVI W I NERY

was started in 1 966 by Robert Mondovi and his son to

pro-. duce the fi n est Napa Valley wines poss i b l e . Th e g rapes a re purchased from other g rowers and vinified by a j u d i c ious use of innovative and traditional methods. A l l the wines pro­ duced are varietals.

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Ga may, P i nal Nair, a n d Zinfandel.

White Table Wines: Chardon­ nay, Chenin Bla n c, Fume Blan c, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, a n d Tra miner.

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-SCHRAMSBERG VINEYARDS, made famous in literature by Robert lou i s Steve nson is now p roducing only pre m i u m qual­ ity battl e fer m ented sparkling wines. The vineyards have been replanted i n Pinal Nair and Chardonnay, the principal vari­ eties used to make the French Cha m pagnes.

Blanc de Blancs-a blend of Chardonnay a n d Pinal Blanc.

Cuvee de Gamay-A light, pink sparkling Napa Gamay wine. Blanc de Noir-A white Cham­ pagne made of Pi nat Noir g rapes.

SAMUELE SEBASTIAN! is the oldest winery in Sonoma Valley operated continuously by one fa m i ly. In 1 954 the son of the fou nder decided to change the operation from production of b u l k wine to pre m i u m varieties.

Under the Sebastiani label a re produced table wines, aperitif, dessert wines and vermouths, as well as bottle·fer m e n ted s park­ ling wines. Featured wines in­ clude: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvi­ g non, Ga m ay Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, a n d Green H u ngarian.

SOUVERAIN CELLARS, founded

in 1 943 by J. leland Stewart

have successfully a c h ieved the aim to blend the best old-world tra d itions with the latest modern Ca lifornia m ethods of w i n e mok­ ing. Wines marketed under the

Souverain brand i n c l u d e :

Red Table Wines: Burgundy,

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite

Sirah, and Mou n ta i n Zi nfandel. White Table Wines: Johannis­ berg Ries l i ng, White Pi not, Gree n Hu ngarian, C h e n i n Blanc, Flora, and Chard o n n ay.

There is also a Grenache Rose.

THE ALAMEDA , CONTRA COST A ,

and

SANT A CLAR A ,

SANTA CRUZ, SAN BENITO DISTR ICTS

_{i ncl ude the}

celebrated Livermore Valley where the fi nest California

Sauterne-type

w

ines are produced, the equally fa mous

Ala m eda reg

ion around Mission San Jose, and the

great

vin

eyards

of Al maden and Paul

Masson.

ALMAD�N VINEYARDS is one of the gia nts of Ca liforn ia. The Pa i c i n es and Valliant plantings a lone cover m ore than 4,000 acres. The storage s h e d s at Pai­ cines hold about 60 m i l l ion gal­ lons of wine. I ts b i g ness does not d etract from qua l ity a s t h e complete selection of pre m i u m wines m a rketed u n d e r t h e Alma­ den label attests.

38

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Pinal Nair, Gamay Bea u ­ jolais, generics such as Moun­ tain reds, and Estate- Bottled Vi ntage varietals.

White Table Wines: Pinot Cha r­ don nay, Pinal Blanc, Joha n n is­ berg Ries ling, D ry Sem i l ion, Tra m i ner, Sylva n e r, Grey Ries­ ling, C h e n i n Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and wh ite generics.

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' uv•MIIIOM VAU.8'W PE:TITE SIRAH - �" · ­ _ _ __ ... �c.:=�

CONCAN NON VINEYARD was fou nded i n 1 883 by James Con­ cannon, and i s sti l l run by his descendants. Here the e m phasis is on Joha n nisberg Riesling, Pe­ tite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvi­ gnon. Top quality generics and varietals a re produced, a s well as aperitif, dessert and bottle­ fermented sparkling wines. Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Petite Sirah, Livermore Red Dinner Wine.

White Table Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Joh a n n isberg Riesling, Dry Sauterne, Chateau Concan non, Chablis, Moselle, and Livermore Wh ite D i n n e r Wine.

LLORDS & ELWOOD W I NERY,

built in 1 955, uses proprietary names for its varietals.

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Velvet Hill (Pinal Nair). White Table Wines: Castle Mag­ ic (Joha n n isberg Riesli ng), a n d The Rare Chardon nay.

Sherries: Great Day D-r-r-y Sherry, D ry Wit Sherry, and The Judge's Secret Crea m Sherry. Port: Ancient P roverb Port. Rose: Rose of Cabernet.

CRESTA BLANCA winery was built i n 1 883. I t features white table wines from the Livermore Valley and reds from Napa a n d Sonoma. A l s o marketed u n d e r the Cresta Blanca l a b e l a r e pre­ m i u m sherries., ports and ver· mouths.

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Pinal Nai r, and Zin­ fa ndel.

White Table Wines: P remier Se­ m i llon, Dry a n d Sweet Sem i l lon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinal Chardon­ nay, a n d Grey Riesling.

The sparkling wines are bot­ tle fermented.

PAUL MASSON is a g reat name i n the h istory of Cal ifornia wine. Establishing h i s first vine­ yard i n 1 852, the you ng Burg u n ­ dian w h o g a v e h i s n a m e t o t h e company w o n a gold m e d a l for his wine in Paris in 1 900.

Recent expansions a n d exten­ sive plantings such as the 330-acre San Ysidro Vineyard, a n d t h e 1 ,500-acre Pin nacles Vine­ yard have assured its place as one of the largest wine ma kers.

Pau l Masson produces a com­ plete ga mut of generic and varietal table wines, sparkling, aperitif, dessert wines, ver­ mouths and brandies.

The varieta l s include:

Red Table Wines: Cabernet Sau­ vignon, Gamay Beau jolais a n d Pinal Noir. Two proprietary reds of special merit are the Baroque,

a Burg u n dy type, and Rubion, a ready-to-dri n k claret blend. White Table Wines: Pinot Blanc, Pinal Chardonnay, Chateau Mas­ son (Sweet S e m i l lon), and Em­ erald Dry.