Many of you who know me know that I do not claim to be a wine expert. I think that I am becoming a pretty good winemaker, and that I have some reasonably good senses for evaluating wine, but readily admit that being an expert takes more than just decent senses. It takes tasting many wines and learning from those tasting about varietals and blends, their “normal” characteristics, and what makes them unique from varietal to varietal, blend to blend, vintage to vintage. I am, however, getting better at recognizing the “normal” characteristics of different wines and the experience of tasting new vintages from different wineries continues to hone my experience.

Many of you may also know that Valerie and I just finished a seven day trip to Oregon and Southern Washington.  A good portion of that trip was dedicated to wine tasting at the many wineries and vineyards in the area. It was a very interesting trip full of great scenery and wines that ranged from just OK to very, very good.

Our trip took us to wineries in and around the Portland area, eastward into the Columbia River Gorge, (Hood River, The Dalles, and on to Biggs Junction), and south/southwest into the Dundee Hills area of the Willamette Valley. The northern wineries in the gorge area make a variety of wines.  The Willamette Valley is famous for their Pinot Noir. Every winery has at least one, and most more than one, Pinot Noir wine. There is also quite a bit of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay grown here, and while for the most part these are very good wines, neither of those varieties is one that I like to drink very much, so I spent a lot of time concentrating on the Pinot.

Believe me, the variety of wine made from Pinot Noir is enough to keep you busy. I can see Pinot being a very hard wine to appreciate, and not at all easy to taste. There is just so much diversity and complexity in the wines and the grape is so versatile and sensitive that there is very little consistency across vineyards and vintages. As Valerie and I tasted our way through the Dundee Hills and the surrounding areas I began to notice some similarities that allowed me to categorize the styles in my mind. I would like to share, and if you like, get some comments on, the categories of Pinot Noir wines I have developed for myself. These are very general categories, and probably do not do justice to the variety of Pinot Noir wines available, but they have helped me to deal with the many different wines that I tasted.

The fist style that stood out to me was the very light Pinot Noir wines. I don’t mean rosé style Pinots, (there were quite a few of those), but wines sold as true Pinot Noir that were made in a very light style. These light style Pinots are very lightly colored, soft wines, usually with a fruity, floral nose and taste that reminded me of red fruits like strawberries. Some of them are just too light, and to my taste without much body. I suspect some are a product of trying to grow Pinot Noir in an area where the grapes just don’t thrive and so don’t mature enough to give a very dark, full bodied wine. You might like these as a summer wine and if you don’t really enjoy more heavy reds. For me they were just too light, and if I really wanted Pinot that light I would drink a rosé style. Most of these very light wines came from the northern Oregon and southern Washington areas.

The next style, and one I like a lot more, is the full bodied Pinot Noir wines. These darker, ruby colored wines usually have a big complex nose full of smoke, pepper, plums and sometimes hints of leather and vanilla. The palate is a mouth full of darker fruits like plum, current, cherry, usually with relatively hefty tannins and a spicy finish. Interestingly, to my palate the acidity was all over the board ranging from crisp and bright to darker and less evident. This style is a lot more complex than the light styles, and I need to spend more time with these wines to learn to appreciate their subtleties. Most of the wines we tasted around the Dundee Hills fell into this category.

The final category, and in my mind the most rare, are what I term the “velvety” Pinots. These are by far my favorite, and, of course, usually the most expensive. The velvety Pinots I had were usually garnet or on the darker side of ruby red color, sometimes almost purple. The nose is not as spicy, but still smoky and usually featured dark fruit aromas mixed with chocolate, vanilla, and sometimes liquorish. They are smooth and luxurious on the palate with a mouth feel that reminds of the way velvet feels on my skin. The taste is an earthy, complex mix of dark berries, plum, chocolate, clove and other dark spices, and the tannins while present, are soft and melt away into the finish. You know when you drink one of these you have something special, and I love them.

As you might expect Valerie and I brought quite a few wines home with us, and I am looking forward to tasting them again to see how my perceptions the second time agree with my initial feelings. I am also looking forward to experiencing more Pinot Noir wines, and to learn more about the Burgundy wines that are mostly shaped by this complex grape.

Valerie and I get people in the shop all the time that say they have never done a wine tasting.  Very often they seem a little embarrassed.  Why?  It is not like they teach wine tasting 101 in school.  (No, none of those college parties count, and they were probably mostly beer anyway!)  Most people have never had any instruction, or practice, tasting wines.  It certainly is nothing to be embarrassed about, and it is pretty easy to learn the basics. 

Someone told me that the two things you need to become a real wine expert are good senses and a good memory.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  To be a real expert you have to be able to sense, through smell and taste, the subtle differences in the wines you are sampling.  You also have to be able to put into words what you are sensing so that others can understand it and try to sense the same things.  Memory is important because you have to remember what certain wines are supposed to be like, and the differences between the wine you are tasting today and the wine you tasted three weeks ago.  For instance, the Merlot you tasted three weeks ago may have had characteristics of blackcurrants and cherries.  Is that right for a Merlot?  How does that wine compare to the one you are tasting today?  What else do you taste that was not in the 75 others you have tasted?  Are those subtleties the same as the last Merlot you tasted from the same region?  How does it differ from other regions?  Being able to sense those small differences, and remember over time what you sensed, is really important to being an expert.

Now, that said, as in most things, most of us are not lucky enough to have been blessed those refined senses or great memories.  That not a problem because for the majority of us wine tasting does not have to be that refined, and it can be, for the most part, pretty simple, and a lot of fun.  When I make wine, I rely on my senses to understand how the wine is progressing and to make choices about what steps I want to take to make it better.  While I consider my senses to be pretty good, I certainly do not claim to have the refined senses that some experts have, and I certainly do not have the memory to catalog all that I have tasted.  Most of us have good enough senses of taste and smell to at least get a good idea of the aroma and tastes of the wine, and to learn over time what certain varieties are supposed to taste and smell like.  We may not get all the subtleties, but we can get the main smell and taste components.  Over time we may even get good at sensing some of the more subtle nuances that make wine tasting so special, but that takes practice amd experiance.  How cool is it that the only way to get better is to drink more wine!

There are many resources on the Internet that can help you learn how to taste wines, so I won’t try and do that here.  WikiHow has a great article at http://www.wikihow.com/Taste-Wine, and another good article is at YourLoveOfWine.com http://www.yourloveofwine.com/howtotastewine.php.

Do your own search and you will find many good resources.  Then start tasting!  We would love to have you visit us at the winery for some show and tell.  When people visit the winery and are interested in learning, Valerie and I always try to take away some of the mystique associated with wine tasting and make it as simple as possible.  We will make the process simple, entertaining, and not at all intimidating, and a lot of fun.  We promise!

The other important thing to remember is that you do not have to be formal all the time.  There is always room for just enjoying your wine in a casual way without the formalities associated with a structured wine tasting.  I find that the more educated I get on wine, the more I can enjoy it because I recognize things that I never thought to look for before.  I am also careful, however, to take time to just relax and enjoy the wine I am drinking.  In the long run that is what it is for anyway!

And, as always, my motto remains the same:  Drink What You Like!

Wine headaches.  Particularly red wine headaches.  We hear about them all the time in the tasting room at Wyandotte, and there has been plenty written about the problem.  People come in all the time and say, “I never drink red wine, it gives me a terrible headache.”  Understand I am not talking about the morning headache that comes after drinking several bottles of wine the night before.  We know the cause of that.  It is a well known syndrome called “the hangover”.  I am talking about the headache that comes after a single glass, sometimes a single drink.

There is no doubt red wine can give some people headaches.  Sometimes it can happen very quickly, and can really hurt.  I have done a little research on the subject and here is what I found.

People tend to start by blaming sulfites.  Sulfite is usually added in very small amounts to wine during winemaking to prevent oxidation and spoilage from bacteria.  There are several reasons that I doubt the theory that sulfites cause wine headaches.  Most people get headaches from red wine only, not white.  Sulfites are not specific to red wines.  They are in all wines, even white wines.  The fermentation process creates sulfites at a low level, so every wine has some sulfite even if the winery does not add it (and most do).  If sulfites were the cause, all wine would cause headaches, not just reds.  Some people also think that it is a sulfite allergy that causes the headaches.  It is true that some people are sensitive to sulfites, but it is less than 1% of the population.  Besides sulfite sensitivity usually is associated with breathing problems, not headaches.

The next suspect in red wine headaches is usually tannins.  Tannins are flavonoids that cause that dry mouth feeling after you swallow a wine, and are usually associated with red wines, not white.  That fits with only red wines causing the headaches, but there are other foods like tea, soy, and chocolate that contain tannins, so why don’t those cause headaches?  That would indicate that tannins are really not the problem.

The next school of thought is that histamines cause headaches.  It is true that there are usually more histamines in red wine than in white, and some people are sensitive to them.  There are several scientific studies that have been done that show no real connection between histamine content in wine and wine headaches.

Unfortunately it seems for every theory for what causes red wine headaches there is some study or reason that disproves it.  So what the heck is a wine lover to do?

Some people suggest taking an antihistamine like Claritin or Sudafed to help avoid a headache caused by histamines in wine.  That seems to work for some people.  Take the antihistamine and then drink a half a glass of red and see if you are OK.  If so, then you may have found your solution.

If taking an antihistamine does not work, than there is some indication that it is not ALL red wines that cause a headache.  Sometimes red wine from California may cause a problem, but wine from France is fine, or vise-versa.  Sometimes certain grapes will cause a problem, others will not.  If you really want to be able to drink red wines, try a half glass of a type or brand of wine and see what happens.  If you don’t have a headache after ½ hour or so, drink a couple of glasses and see if you are still OK.  Keep a journal so you can keep track of what happens.  You may find that there are some red wines that are OK and some that are not.

If none of that works, or it is just not that important to you, than you may just have to stick with the white and fruit wine family.  That is not too much of a sacrifice, there are plenty of those wines available that are really good. 

If you end up experimenting and trying different reds to see the effect let me know how it goes.  I will be interested in the results.

Our customer base has a sweet tooth.  There is just no doubt about it.  A good number of the people that come into our winery like their wine a little to a lot sweet.  Now, don’t get me wrong, we have people that want the really dry wine also, but a good portion like it sweet.

So, what’s wrong with that?  Nothing, as far as I am concerned.  Oh, some will tell you that sweet wines are lower quality, or not as sophisticated as dry wines, and maybe for the most part that is true.  If you have read this blog for awhile you have seen my favorite phrase “Drink what you like”.  I firmly believe that drinking wine for pleasure and drinking wine for analysis are two different things (and something I will talk more about in the next blog entry). 

I enjoy a sweet wine now and again myself.  The key in any wine is balance.  Just like a dry wine that has too much oak, or is too light, or too high in alcohol, a sweet wine that is out of balance is no fun to drink.  In most cases this means that who ever has made the wine has made it sweet for the sake of being sweet, (and probably to sell a few more bottles), not sweet to achieve an overall balance.  Usually what that means is that it is sickly sweet, so much so that the sweet taste overrides everything else. 

When I enjoy a sweeter wine what I look for is the ability to taste some subtle characters through the sweetness.  When I taste, I want to get the fruitiness, the personality, a delicate richness, maybe even some tannic feel, through the sweet taste.  If the wine feels like I just put a piece of sweet hard candy in my mouth, or as some would say, like I am “drinking cool aid”, than it is probably not something I am going to enjoy very much.

If you shy away from drier wines, then the process of trying to appreciate a good sweet wine may also help you start to appreciate the other kinds of wines a little more.  Again, not that enjoying a sweet wine is a bad thing, but there is a vast world of really good wines out there, and if all you are drinking is the sweet stuff, than you are missing out on something really good. 

By the way, the same thing can be said of those who drink nothing but the dry wines.  I recommend branching out a little to see what else is available, and what else you might enjoy.

My goal as a winemaker is to produce a variety of wines that give a chance for everyone to find something they like, and to experience something that may be a little outside their comfort zone.  At the same time, I want every wine to have a balance and subtlety and to provide an opportunity to experience a fine wine be it sweet or dry.  I want everyone to be able to find the same joy I find in wine, no matter what style they like.

So, tell me how I am doing?  Are you finding what you like? 

Those that follow this blog know that we kicked off a customer survey the beginning of this month.  If you have not taken the survey yet, you still have time, it will be available for a week or two yet.  Click Here to take survey

The results have started to roll in.  We really appreciate everyone who has participated.  There have been some wonderful comments, and Valerie and I are thrilled with how everyone seems to like the time they spend here.  We have also gotten some really good ideas.  I thought I would share one set of answers that might be interesting.

The question here is “What kinds of wines do you prefer?”  Here are the results do far.

The winner by a nose is off-dry whites, but there are a few that are bunched just behind including dry reds, off-dry reds, and sweet wines.  I was particulary interested in the number of people that mentioned they like Ice Wines.  Just in case you are not familiar with Ice Wines, I will write about them in a future blog page, but it is something we will look into.  I will also share more survey results later.

Thanks again everyone for helping us out with the survey!

Robin

We are pretty blessed at Wyandotte.  Our customers are wonderful people, and getting to spend a little time with them is one of the things that makes the business fun.

We are looking for ways to make our customer’s experience at Wyandotte even better.  Valerie and I are always coming up with things we think are good ideas, and the hard working folks at organizations like the Ohio Wine Producers and the Ohio Grape Industries are a big help. All that is great, but we are hoping that our customers can help us to understand more about what they want from the winery, and that we can use that information to help set goals for 2009 and beyond.

To that end we have setup a customer survey that we are hoping as many of our customers, and potential customers, will take a few minutes to complete. The Wyandotte Winery 2009 Customer Survey will not take too much time, and will help us to provide the products and services that our customer’s really want.

Just in case you missed the link above, click here to take the 2009 Wyandotte Winery Customer Survey.

In later blog entries I will review the results and share the plans that we put in place based on the results.

Thank you all for helping us out!  Happy New Year!

There is a lot going on in the wine world around the Riesling grape.  If you like Riesling wines, you know what I mean.  If you are not familiar with the grape, Riesling is a fruity and aromatic wine which may have aromas of green or other apples, grapefruit, peach, honey, rose blossom or cut green grass, and usually a crisp taste due to the high acidity.  You can get Riesling wines from dry to sweet, and even sparkling.  We are pretty proud of our Riesling at Wyandotte where we make it in a less sweet version that brings out the great character of the wine.

If you are intersted in learning more I just found a website that is kind of fun.  The Riesling Rules website has a book that you can order about Riesling, but also has lots of fun information.  Articles on serving Riesling, movies to see with Riesling, how to sound like a Riesling geek, etc.  Check it out sometime.

Oh, and my favorite Riesling geek saying?

“The TA on this baby is so high you can’t even feel the RS.”

You may not know that December 5th of this year marked the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition in the United States.  While it may sound obvious to say that prohibition had a huge influence on the Ohio wine industry, you may not know how big the effect really was.

Back in the early 1800’s a guy named Nicholas Longworth began to plant Catawba grapes near Cincinnati and the Ohio River.  What may surprise you is that by 1859 the southern Ohio region had become the leading wine producer in the country with more than 3,000 acres of grapes.

Between crop disease and the Civil War, wine production in Southern Ohio was virtually destroyed.  But in Northern Ohio, German immigrants were bringing their wine making traditions to the lake islands where the unique climate from the Great Lakes was perfect for grape growing.

Unfortunately, the next blow to Ohio wine making and grape growing came from prohibition, and it took many years for the industry to come back after prohibition was repealed. Today the wine industry in Ohio is again flourishing and growing.

It may also interest you to know that Westerville, one of the communities very close to Wyandotte and a major suburb of Columbus, has a large part in the history of prohibition.  An 1859 town ordinance forbade the sale of alcohol in Westerville. By the 1870s, a burgeoning conflict between pro- and anti-temperance forces boiled over into the so-called “Westerville Whiskey Wars.” Twice, in 1875 and 1879, businessman Henry Corbin opened a saloon in Westerville, and each time the townspeople blew up his establishment with gunpowder. Westerville’s reputation for temperance was so significant that in 1909 the Anti-saloon League moved its national headquarters from Washington, DC to Westerville. The League, at the forefront of the prohibition movement, gained its greatest triumph when prohibition was ratified in 1920. The League printed so many leaflets in support of temperance and prohibition—over 40 tons of mail per month—that Westerville, by now known as “The Dry Capital of the World,” was the smallest town in the nation to have a first class post office. The League’s Westerville headquarters was given to the Westerville Public Library in 1973 and now serves as a museum attached to the library.

Even today getting permission to serve liquor of any kind in Westerville takes a majority vote of the residents.

So, take a moment to clink your glasses together for the anniversary of no more prohibition!  Hopefully with a glass of Wyandotte Wine!

The cold weather has finally come to central Ohio, and we are winding down the year at Wyandotte.  That does not mean that things get any less busy.  As a matter of fact the last quarter of the year is very busy for us.

With the harvest comes the time to bring in the new juice and get fermentations started.  I spent a good portion of September and October hauling many gallons of juice back to the winery.  We have some apple cider that has finished fermenting and the apple wine should be ready sometime early next year.  We have a 2008 Chambourcin in the tank to supply our next release of “Our Heritage” wine.  The “Ice House” Gewurztraminer is close, and “Sweet William” will be available again soon. 

We have also been doing a lot of bottling, and I need to thank our friends that have volunteered to help us out.  In the last month Gene and Kerry have been there a couple of times to help, and earlier in the year Tim and Amy lent a hand.  Thank you very much!

On top of all that we had our Holiday Open House last weekend, we are hosting a bunch of Holiday parties at the winery, and the Capital City Wine Trail has an event three weekends in December.

Busy times, but worth all the hard work!  Come in and see us soon!

Robin Coolidge, Winemaker

Hello, Friends!

July 2008 marked the end of the first full year in business with Valerie and I as owners of Wyandotte Winery.  It has been a good year.  We continue to meet more and more wonderful people, and they seem really be enjoying the wine we are making.  We are meeting our goal of making a variety of wine styles that allow everyone to enjoy something, and we exceeded our goals for production and sales thanks to all of you.

When we purchased the winery Valerie and I both felt very strongly about being able to share any success we had with other people.  We wanted to share our blessings with our community.  Really that feeling is just an extension of our everyday lives.  Valerie has a great gift of faith and uses that and her degree in theology to help other people in their faith journey.  I am lucky enough to have a little skill in music, and there is nothing I like better than to use the joy I get from my music to bring a little joy into other’s lives.

One of our greatest accomplishments this first year is being able to make a donation to cancer research.  Some of you may have seen the report on NBC channel 4 last week featuring Valerie talking about our recent donation to the Jim Tressel fund for cancer research.  I think this has been the most satisfying event in our first year, and has helped make our sharing goal a reality.  We were proud to be able to present the Tressel fund with $1500 from our sales of our first vintage of Hope pomegranate wine.  The new vintage is on the shelf, and we plan on continuing to make this a fundraiser, and to be able to continue to help out wherever we can.  If you would like to learn more about the Tressel fund check out their webpage at http://www.jamesline.com/waystogive/funds/tressel/

So, thank you all for your support, wish us a happy first anniversary, and come in and see us at the winery soon!

Robin Coolidge

Winemaker