Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/70679
CO VER S T OR Y be kept at cellar temperatures (around 60˚F), saying that cold results in a slower extraction. The warmer the environment, the quicker the extraction—just like a tea bag. Each alternative has a different extraction rate based on the surface area exposure. Phil Burton, owner of Barrel Builders, the Calistoga-based cooperage, suggests, "Don't go by one or two samples. You have to do repeated trials—at least three or four trials per adjunct. One of the problems is, you're dealing with subtle differences. The resulting wine is open to a lot of interpretation." Burton also suggests that multiple tasters experience the samples, and that tastings always be blind to prevent the chance of falling in love with a famous brand name or captivating product image. Greg Kitchens is the winemaker at 1 million-case Don Sebastiani & Sons, Napa, Calif. He conducts blind tastings of his bench-top trials for use in programs that retail for $15 and under—a tier that he considers to be "the sweet spot for alternatives." "We do a lot of trials every year where we sit down and use new ones: staves, chips, cubes," he says. Kitchens sinks samples into 1-gallon jugs in proportions similar to what he'd add to a tank. He runs tests using two formats: light-bodied white wine and light-bodied Pinot Noirs. His goal is to have as neutral a control wine as possible. micro-oxygenation in tanks with volumes ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 gallons. Though he tends to gravitate toward medium-plus toasted French oak, LaBorde still conducts trials in various brack- Preference for staves A fruity, neutral, medium-bodied Chardonnay and a fruity, neu- tral, medium-bodied light red wine are what Don LaBorde, assis- tant winemaker at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville, Ca- lif., uses for his bench-top trials. According to WinesVinesDATA, Francis Ford Coppola Winery produces 1 million cases annually. French oak staves are LaBorde's barrel alternative of choice. His crew racks wine onto them immediately after pressing. After malolactic and an SO2 addition, the wine undergoes TonnellerieDeJarnac_Dir10 11/11/09 3:40 PM Page 1 Commercial Netting Fabrics When Protection Matters • Vinenet • MultiVine • Vineside • Vineside EZ 10 • Shade Net Handcrafted & Authentic Contact: Yannick Rousseau Tel: (707) 332 4524 • Fax: (707) 224 8734 Email: yannickrousseau@sbcglobal.net Website: www.tonnellerie-de-jarnac-16.com 34 Wines & Vines APRiL 201 1 1-800-560-4667 • www.galepacific.com Contact us for more information and samples: