Displaying items by tag: winemaking

Summary

Join Benoît Marsan PhD, Professor of Science and Wine at the Université du Québec à Montréal as he explores one of wines most crucial components - alcohol. Often over-simplified and regularly misunderstood, the affect of alcohol on our experience of tasting a wine as well as the stability of a wine should not be ignored. We're delighted to be able to offer such an insightful event from one of the world's leading experts on the subject, exclusively to our membership.

Further Synopsis

Ethanol is the most abundant compound in dry wine after water. It is formed by yeast during the anaerobic process of alcoholic fermentation, which transforms sugars (mostly glucose and fructose) into ethanol and carbon dioxide (CO₂) with the release of heat and of a series of by-products contributing to the wine organoleptic profile. Ethanol is the only molecule intrinsically linked to the definition of wine, which must contain a minimum of 8.5 % by volume (OIV). But what are the main factors controlling its concentration in the final wine?

This webinar will give the chemical definition of an alcohol with examples of alcohol and polyalcohol compounds found in wine, such as higher alcohols, monoterpene alcohols, sugar alcohols, and glycerol, and their sensorial impact. But more specifically, it will look at the physical, chemical and sensory properties of ethanol, and discuss why it is so important to wine (during winemaking, wine aging and tasting).

How ethanol promotes wine stability? How does it generate aroma compounds? How does it affect the perception of aromas? Do ethanol is impacting the sensation of sweetness? Sourness? Bitterness? Tannin astringency?             

The new generation of consumers is looking to different wines than 20 years ago. They want lighter and more fruity wines with less alcohol, less oaky notes, and preferably certified organic or biodynamic, if not 'nature' without any added sulphites. On the other hand, climate change is causing greater accumulation of sugar in grape, giving wines with more alcohol. In this context, what a winemaker can do to produce wines with less alcohol? And most importantly, what is the sensory quality of these wines?

Benoît Marsan Bio

Summary: 

Oxidative, oxidized, reductive, reduced...what do they all mean? Join winemaker Nova Cadamatre MW, as she dives into the Oxidation/Reduction spectrum, what it is, what it means, and how it impacts wine flavors throughout a wine's life.  

Presenter: Nova Cadamatre MW 

A winemaker with a broad and diverse background, Cadamatre started in wine on the East Coast as a winemaking apprentice with Stargazers Vineyard in 2003. After graduating from Cornell University in 2006 with a Bachelor's in Viticulture, Nova moved to California. During her time in California, she worked with fruit from all over the state, eventually settling in Napa and focusing on Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties from some of the top vineyards in the area, including To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, MacDonald, Detert, and Hyde Vineyard.

In 2015, she started her brand Trestle Thirty One, in the Finger Lakes of NY. In 2020, added Snowshell Vineyards for Naked Wines and, in 2022, will be launching Fiadh Ruadh, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap AVA in Napa. She currently goes back and forth between Napa and the Finger Lakes to manage both her CA projects and her projects in NY.

In 2017, Nova was the first female winemaker in the US to achieve the title of Master of Wine. In addition, she has been named to Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 under 40 list and has numerous 90+ scoring wines to her credit from both coasts.

Summary: 

Join winemaker, Nova Cadamatre MW, as she walks through many of the different possibilities of winemaking vessels including stainless steel, wood, and beyond. Discover the pros, cons, and why winemakers will choose one over another option. 

Presenter: Nova Cadamatre MW

Over the course of almost two decades, Nova Cadamatre has become one of the most versatile and experienced winemakers in the industry. She holds a Bachelors from Cornell University in Viticulture.  In 2017 she achieved the title of Master of Wine and was the first female winemaker in the US to do so. She has worked with some of the best vineyards in the world including significant time in the iconic To Kalon vineyard while working as the Senior Director of Winemaking for Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, CA.  While there she crafted the #6 wine of 2022 for Wine Spectator’s top 100 list. She has been named to Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 under 40 list and has numerous 90+ scoring wines to her credit from both coasts

Cadamatre owns three brands of her own; Trestle Thirty One and Snowshell Vineyards from the Finger Lakes and Fiadh Ruadh (Fay-ah Roo-ah) in Napa, CA.  She currently goes back and forth between Napa and the Finger Lakes to manage both her projects and several consulting clients as a true “flying winemaker”. 

Learn more about Nova on her website www.novacadamatre.com

Summary:

Join winemaker Olivier Humbrecht MW, of famed estate Zind Humbrecht in Alsace, for a deep dive into these key components of winemaking: yeast and fermentation! 

Presenter: Olivier Humbrecht, MW

Olivier Humbrecht studied wine together with wine marketing and wine business for five years in Toulouse, and then got the chance to do his ‘military service’ working for Sopexa in London.  He learned about and enrolled on the MW course, becoming France’s first ever Master of Wine in 1989.  He began to work with his father, and converted the family domaine to biodynamics in the early 1990s.  His father had painstakingly built up a unique collection of hill-site vineyards over the decades, notably clearing and replanting a quarter of the great historic Grand Cru of Rangen de Thann with Olivier in his later school years.  Olivier has continued to build on this, notably with the recent acquisition of a parcel of Sommerberg to complement the family’s Grand Cru holdings in Brand, Hengst and Goldert, and to complement its other holdings of Rotenberg, Clos Hauserer, Clos Jebsal, Heimbourg, Herrenweg and Clos Windsbuhl.

Olivier’s respectful, non-interventionist winemaking, combined with his and his father’s fastidious viticulture, has given the world vintage after vintage of magnificently differentiated, nuanced bottlings: global white-wine references.  He has never stopped experimenting and improving on his work, using biodynamic practices, changed row orientations and re-thought canopies recently to produce a much greater percentage of dry wines than before.

Summary: 

We have finally reached part 3 of our winemaking series with Nova Cadamatre MW.  In this final webinar, Nova will go over the general production methods of Sparkling and Fortified wines including traditional method sparkling, tank sparkling, and different fortification timings and age factors that influence the final style of wine.  It is ideal that either part 1, part 2 or ideally both have been watched before watching this webinar because this will build on the knowledge from the earlier webinars.  

Presenter: Nova Cadamatre MW 

A winemaker with a broad and diverse background, Cadamatre started in wine on the East Coast as a winemaking apprentice with Stargazers Vineyard in 2003. After graduating from Cornell University in 2006 with a Bachelor's in Viticulture, Nova moved to California. During her time in California, she worked with fruit from all over the state, eventually settling in Napa and focusing on Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties from some of the top vineyards in the area, including To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, MacDonald, Detert, and Hyde Vineyard.

In 2015, she started her brand Trestle Thirty One, in the Finger Lakes of NY. In 2020, added Snowshell Vineyards for Naked Wines and, in 2022, will be launching Fiadh Ruadh, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap AVA in Napa. She currently goes back and forth between Napa and the Finger Lakes to manage both her CA projects and her projects in NY.

In 2017, Nova was the first female winemaker in the US to achieve the title of Master of Wine. In addition, she has been named to Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 under 40 list and has numerous 90+ scoring wines to her credit from both coasts.

Summary:

The use of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), often just referred to as “sulphites”, in winemaking has become a much-debated and even sometimes emotive topic in the 21^st century.

In the last few decades with the growth of the natural wine movement, excess use – or sometimes any use – of SO2 has become increasingly frowned on. Some wine drinkers even claim they are intolerant to SO2, and that they can no longer drink conventionally vinified wines without getting headaches.

This webinar looks at SO2’s properties, and why it is so helpful in winemaking. What quantities are typically used, and which rules and regulations govern sulphur use? We will also dig into the science behind intolerance claims. How many people are really allergic to SO2, and are the normal levels found in wines likely to cause issues or not? And why does just about every bottle of wine on the planet have those words “contains sulphites” on the back – even those made by natural winemakers who claim not to add any?

This session covers the whole spectrum of winemakers and winemaking, looks at the varying attitudes to sulphur usage, and what this ultimately means in terms of the quality and properties of what ends up in your glass.

Presenter: Simon J. Woolf

Simon J Woolf is an award-winning English author and wine writer, currently based in The Netherlands.

An acknowledged expert on the developing niche of natural wine, he's written for Decanter magazine, Meininger’s Wine Business International, World of Fine Wine and Noble Rot, and many other publications. Simon is the editor of The Morning Claret, an online wine magazine which specialises in natural, biodynamic, organic and orange wine.

Simon's first book "Amber Revolution - How the world learned to love orange wine" was published in 2018, and won the Roederer Wine book of the year award in 2019. Simon has also won numerous awards for his magazine features and online columns.

Simon travels regularly to countries such as Georgia, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal, where he continues to research the stories and traditions behind artisan winemaking. His second book, Foot Trodden, a collaboration with photographer and wine communicator Ryan Opaz, was published in October 2021. It is described as a journey deep into the soul of Portuguese wine.

Simon is also active as a presenter, editor, wine judge and translator.

Summary: 

Polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins and tannins, are the main contributors to wine color and mouthfeel, and are strongly related to the wine quality evaluation.

In this WSG Live, an introduction to tannin's origin in grapes, evolution during ripening and extraction in the winemaking process will be explained. Moreover, the implication of the technological approach to vinification will be discussed, such as maceration style or the use of oak containers. Tannins' implication on mouthfeel is crucial in terms of intensity and quality of astringency, and the varietal characteristics are fundamental knowledge for the winemaker’s choice.

In this regard, Vincenzo and Maria will propose an insight into their research on the sensory features of the variety Nebbiolo, the base of several Italian PDOs such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Sforzato di Valtellina.

Presenters:Vincenzo Gerbi & Maria Alessandra Paissoni

Vincenzo Gerbi is a Professor of Oenology at the University of Turin. Most of his research topics have mainly focused on oenology. He is the author of 444 publications, including 217 articles in journals (121 in ISI journals). He is in charge of the experimental cellar of the University of Turin. He carries out an intense activity of dissemination of scientific results to technicians in the wine sector, producer associations and tasters.

He is the holder of the Oenology course of the degree course in Viticulture and Oenology, Enography of the inter-university master's degree course in Viticultural and Oenological Sciences. From 2012 to 2015 he was president of SISTAl (Italian Society of Food Science and Technology). From November 2013 to February 2017 he was president of AISSA (Italian Association of Agricultural Scientific Societies). In 2019 he was awarded the Angelo Betti prize, Meritorious in agriculture - Grand CANGRANDE medal.

Maria Alessandra Paissoni achieved a co-jointed PhD between the University of Turin and the University of Bordeaux on the sensory characterization of grape phenolic compounds and their involvement in wine in-mouth properties. Author of 55 scientific and technical contributions in the Oenology field (20 of them in ISI journal), she continues her research activity at the Oenology unit at the University of Turin, where her main topic is the implication of winemaking techniques on the sensory properties of wine.

With Professor Gerbi, they co-hold the course of Enography at the inter-university Master degree of Viticultural and Oenological Science that focuses on varieties characterization and on their valorisation.