Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/63937
WINEMAKING We do spend more on shipping, but it is not solely based on weight. The bottle is a bit wider than a standard glass bottle, meaning that we fit less cases per pallet, so the shipping trucks fill up volume-wise with less ceramic cases as compared to glass cases. We end up spending more on trucking because of this. W&V: You've produced Silver since 2005. Why make an unoaked Chardonnay? Wagner: We made an unoaked Char- donnay for years that we would blend into our Conundrum brand as a "fresh" component. We always loved the fresh- ness and vibrant acidity that this wine had to offer but really didn't have a reason to bottle it separately until we saw the unoaked market open up. These non- malolactic, unoaked wines seemed to be the opposite of what the California Char- donnay market was known for and also was very different from our Mer Soleil Chardonnay, which is barrel-fermented and aged. A portion of that wine also undergoes malolactic fermentation, which further differentiates the brands. Basically, we have two very different styles of wine that come from the same LIQUID NITROGEN DOSING Keep dissolved oxygen levels to a minimum – prefill inerting or headspace conditioning. Extreme precision Industries highest discrete dosing speeds Smartsync Technology Real-Time Graphical User Interface Speed and Dose Compensation NITRODOSE® through Vacuum Barrier and their select group of worldwide distributors G2 the next generation NITRODOSE® systems are sold only number of California vintners who make unoaked Chardonnay have decid- ed that a screwcap is the appropriate closure, capturing the crisp, fresh character of the wine. That was the case with the early vintages of Mer Soleil's Silver Chardonnay. "The first vintage of Silver was in 2005," says winemaker Charlie Wagner II, "and was originally packaged in a glass bottle with a twist top." But when Wagner started putting Silver in a ceramic bottle, the screwcap became a thing of the past. A Tel 1-781-933-3570 Fax 1-781-932-9428 sales@vacuumbarrier.com www.vacuumbarrier.com Liquid Nitrogen Handling Specialists Since 1958 54 Wines & Vines MAY 2012 He chose a natural cork instead, topped with a "custom cork metal disc" made by Apholos Etiquetas in Buenos Aires, Argen- tina. "We recommend that instead of pop- ping the disc out you just insert the auger right through it," Wagner said. The change also has a positive side, he adds. "I believe the cork is more appropriate visually on an antique-looking bottle." L.D. vineyards and even the same blocks most of the time. When we receive fruit at the winery, we press, cold settle for a few days, then divide the juice into concrete, stainless tanks and barrels prior to inocu- lation. From there, we ferment and age in those vessels. All lots are kept separate until blending time. All of the concrete Ceramic vessel warrants a unique closure