Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Spontaneous Fermentation


It was my third trip to the German wine regions, and it was a personal challenge for me to figure out something new I could learn on this particular trip.

As it turned out, I learned quite a lot. I learned that I could order fish and salad at most German restaurants and get a really good meal without a lot of heavy, rich meats and sauces. I learned that I could go for a run through the vineyards in the Rheinhessen and run along the Mosel river, even in February. And I learned that I can tell when a wine has been fermented with naturally occuring wild yeasts, a process also called spontaneous fermentation, and I learned that I actually like these wines.

First, some definitions (from a non-winemaker, essential lay-person):

Spontaneous fermentation, a.k.a. wild yeast fermentation or natural fermentation is method of wine production which does not use the addition of yeast to start and control fermentation of the grape juice. Instead, grapes are crushed and allowed to ferment on their own. Grapes have yeasts living naturally on their skins. These yeasts can begin to go to work on the grape juice when the conditions are right, ie. they have a nice warm temperature, plenty of food, that sort of thing. They stop working when the alcohol (which they produce from the sugar in the juice) eventually kills them, or the temperatures get so they can't live or reproduce very well (when it gets too cold).

Cultured yeast fermentation is the usual, conventional way of making wine now, which is where you add some purchased yeast and add it to your grape juice after crushing the grapes. This reminds me of making bread. When you open that package of Fleischmann's yeast and add it to warm water and sugar, and those dried yeast guys suddenly liven up and start eating the sugar in the water and make bubbles.

In the Rudi Wiest portfolio, there are several producers that are known for using wild yeast fermentation on their Rieslings, as opposed to cultured yeast fermentation. They are: Joh. Jos. Prum in the Mosel, Schloss Lieser also in the Mosel, and Schafer-Frohlich in the Nahe.

In the past, before this most recent trip, I admit that I actually did not like Rieslings made with wild yeast - I found their aromas to be muted, slightly beer-y and sometime sulfury, instead of what I expect Rieslings to smell like - fruity, floral, and everything nice and clean and bright.

However, this time, in tasting the 2009s - and this may have been because the 2009s were so expressive - I found that I really enjoyed the Rieslings fermented with wild yeasts.

The reason for using wild yeast fermentation is to show the terroir of the vineyard in the wines not only by using all that is in the grape - the juice, the skins, the seeds, but also using the organisms living on the grapes - the yeasts - to do the work of making the wine, instead of adding cultured yeasts to do the job. The idea is that the wild yeasts are different in each location, and they taste different, whereas cultured yeast give you good, clean, predictable results, leading to the assimilation of wine - ie. your wine ends up tasting like your neighbor's wine and everyone else's that uses that yeast. With natural yeast, you get more variation between wines.

And with it, you get more yeasty aromas - aromas of beer, bread, sometimes reminiscent of sulfur too. But this year, when I smelled and tasted the wines made through spontaneous fermentation, I found depth, intrigue, delight. Instead of polished clean, fruity clear Rieslings, I found Rieslings with soul and depth, interest, and character. Like a person who has not a perfectly symmetrical face and a 36-24-36 body and perfectly straight teeth and flawless skin, but a person you don't think is beautiful initially until you get to know her, then you see how different she is from the others. You get a sense of where she comes from, what she's done, what she's been through, and how she got there - the hard way, the patient way, the right way, on her own, without guarantees of success, with more danger and risk. That's a Riesling fermented spontaneously.

The wines from Joh. Jos. Prum, Schloss Lieser, and Schafer-Frohlich were among my favorites this year, and that is a first. I admit to not having given enough credit to these wines because they aren't obvious supermodels evident to everyone at first - they take time to appreciate. I've been working around these wines for 3 or 4 years and it is only now that I would reach for one of these instead of their simpler, cleaner cousins.

Who knows what will happen next year? Perhaps next year I'll prefer the more minerally ones..... wonders never cease when learning about wine.

3 comments:

Viagra Online said...

I've always interested to know how do companies make to process the wine my question is if they still using the old way where people used their feed to make the wine because that will look enjoyable but it's disgusting.Generic Viagra Buy Viagra

Anonymous said...

[TITLE]Christian Louboutin Shoes Shoes Show Women Elegance[/TITLE]
The 1st step for securing an adverse credit score fast bank bank is usually to perform out what sort amongst collateral you will often be heading to work with. The much better your collateral then a quicker christian louboutin boots or shoes you are able so that it will safe your financial home finance loan.

The majority importantly, provide your kid with actions at home, too as outdoors the house. They may possibly not want to participate in all of them, yet it's important for your tot to be treated as they may be engaged. Do not go away your kid residences when heading out for dinner. Get your autistic kid with your own family just be sure you try to a household christian louboutin shoes kind restaurant so when your child does misbehave operating in manifeste, it isn't this excellent a huge deal. Offer your child using an environment filled with unlike colors and textures. This can help to keep their consideration on particular programs and in the event you give them together with chance for social interaction, this could definitely assist them inside the long haul.

Most obvious suggestion first step in guidlines for finding journey job of your goals is to have a tour instruction program. Instruction is readily ready for tour guides, tour directors, as well as manufacture tour management. Suffering from tour coaching, you'll be aware about security techniques to achieve numerous travel strategies as well as , locations. You may learn about working via suppliers, handling emergencies, documentation, delivering instructive narration, and much more.

With respect to to the blueprint "torque = force ?time" torque arm, in absolute circumstances, to abrasion top heels, accomplish a hotlink pertaining to annex has increased, some accessory will be turned on to abate the strength. Therefore, one squirm heels to admission this braking force on the exact agnate decrease.

The famous host oprah wore a classic in a number of inspired suit in the girl groundbreaking interview with L Jackson. The tux blazer Oprah is having on in this interview grow into hottest fashion trends. (Even though Lady E wore this trend back in 1993!)This blazer and be sure you dress can be worn enhance both dressy or typical outfits, and is undoubtedly a look that is able to go from day to daytime.

Also, visiting different discussion message boards that cater for currently the niche you're especially interested in in could enable buyers to assume of one specific good deal far considerably better ideas on how to do your personal specific creation.

Right as your kid keeps been diagnosed with autism, you may at same first go via an actual normal kind of give up mode. One because of the very first affairs you may want to do is setup guidance for yourself to better you deal with nearly every damaging emotions you will definitely be having about our kid. This can potentially enable you to as part of this overwhelming time. You might also desire to do some comparison on your personal on Autism, as it may possibly enable you to towards know what you may possibly well anticipate along with youngster.

Bedford Divorce Attorney said...

Interesting!