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GUE S T EDIT ORIAL Viewpoint We welcome commentaries from readers on issues of current interest in the wine industry. Send your topic idea to edit@winesandvines.com, and we'll contact you. Old World Lessons For Winemakers By Marisa d'Vari watered down red wine instead. His curiosi- ty piqued, Pott says he began conducting fer- mentation experiments in the garage, mak- ing use of yeast and grape juice concentrate. Today, after making wine at celebrated wineries in Bordeaux and California (Châ- teau Troplong Mondot, Château La Tour Figeac, Beringer Vineyards, Newton Vine- yard, Quintessa), he is dedicated to produc- ing wines from distinct Napa Valley terroir as head of Pott Wine and Huis Clos Consulting. During a presentation of Blackbird wines A for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley, Pott mentioned that much of his technique is based on what he learned from Bordeaux winemaking consultant Michel Rolland. Be- low are Pott's seven tips, tools and techniques for how North American winemakers can benefit from his "Old World" experience. Ripeness is paramount for good texture. "Working intimately with Michel Rolland allowed me the luxury to taste ripe fruit with him and find out just what he was looking for. Ripeness is the essential framework of Michel Rolland's philosophy. Good texture in wines cannot be obtained from vines that are over-cropped or out of balance. Tannins in ripe grapes, not over-ripe grapes, show their suppleness at harvest." Don't drain tanks until you like the taste. "Macerate until you find just what you are looking for and then drain the tanks. Once 102 Wines & Vines MAY 2012 t age 10, Aaron Pott made the decision to become a winemak- er. It was on the heels of a trip to Europe with his parents, when a French waiter told him, "Milk is for babies" and offered him a you've drained your tank you can no longer play with the texture of the wine. Drain the tank only when you like the texture. Another great Michel Rolland pearl of wisdom was, 'Don't smell a wine until December,' essen- tially saying that wine aromatics change so dramatically at this stage that they will not be good indicators of final aromas." Much of Aaron Pott's technique is based on what he learned from Bordeaux wine- making consultant Michel Rolland. Spy on everyone! "Don't pick just because Cheval Blanc is— look at what all the wineries are doing. A sure way to find out when everyone was going to pick in St. Émilion was to watch Cheval Blanc. As soon as Cheval Blanc started picking, many others started to harvest. This was not a good idea, as there were many subtle differences in terroir cre- ating many different levels of ripeness. "Watching carefully what others are doing in their vineyards is a great way to learn new techniques. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch year-round operations at Châ- teau Petrus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone. This gave me a sound understanding of what the best players were doing in their vineyards." Do all your work in the vineyards and you will have little work in the cellar. "To be quite honest, doing great work in the vineyard made great wines. We had to make sure that vines were in good health. Vintages could be ruined by powdery mildew, downy mildew or botrytis, among many other diseases. It was important to be vigilant with treat- ments, especially when we were work- ing organically." React to the weather and know what you are going to do in all scenarios. "There were always a lot of different weather scenarios in St. Émilion, being a maritime climate, so it was good to be prepared for all eventualities. We once had to harvest Cabernet Sauvignon at 9% potential alcohol, and it was starting to rot." Taste the grapes! "This way, you will know how you are going to adjust your winemaking to take advantage of all the positive characteristics of the vintage. Too many winemakers have a 'recipe' that they follow each vintage that doesn't take advantage of the fundamental differences of the vintages and of their in- dividual sites. Know how to taste grapes and know how those grapes are going to taste as wine. Make up your cold macera- tion, fermentation and post-fermentation regimes based on bringing out the maxi- mum expression of each terroir." Don't play by the numbers. "Great wines such as Bordeaux and grand cru Burgundy can have many different analytical profiles, and it is important to see the reality of what you theorize. As a Mondavi intern with access to these wines, I was stunned to find that a 1947 Cheval Blanc had a pH of 4.10, as I had always been told that wines with high pHs would not age. Yet, here was one of the greatest aged wines ever demystifying all that I had understood." Marisa D'Vari is an international wine judge, certified wine educator, author of six books and publisher of the online magazine awinestory.com. She works as a freelance writer for several wine publications while pursuing the master of wine accreditation. D'Vari lives in New York City.