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Happy Sunday! Hope you’ve had a wonderful week! In this week’s DECORKED digest, you will read all about co-fermentation, thiols, the revival of old vines, and much more. Keep reading!

INTERESTING THIS WEEK

🌏 Wine regions around the world, unite to face the challenges of the future READ HERE

🍾 Luc Belaire launches Zeus, the world's largest bottle of bubbly READ HERE

📈 There’s too much wine in Europe as drinkers shun high prices READ HERE

📝 The do’s and don’ts of making a good non-alcoholic wine READ HERE

🖥 Can AI help drinkers buy a better bottle of wine? READ HERE

🇺🇸 Oldest evidence yet of wine in the Americas? READ HERE

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THE SCIENCE OF GRAPE CO-FERMENTATION

Experts and wine connoisseurs are discussing the effects of the age-old practice of co-fermenting red and white grapes and how it alters the wine's color, flavor, and consistency. Today, a majority of red wines are produced solely from red-skinned grapes, but some European regulations still allow for co-fermentation, a technique that's occasionally mirrored in the New World too. The impact of this method, despite extensive research, remains a contentious topic. Some experts argue that co-fermentation results in distinct differences in the final wine, while others are skeptical. The technique requires all grapes to be harvested at the same time, often leading to the collection of slightly overripe white grapes. Stepping outside traditional appellation guidelines, forward-thinking winemakers are pushing the envelope with co-fermentation, crafting vibrant, aromatic red wines with unique flavors and textures. These wines challenge the usual red and white wine classifications.

READ MORE

OLD VINES STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

This week, a daring new initiative was unveiled in a live webinar, targeting the creation of the most comprehensive and authoritative database on historic vineyards. This audacious project, known as the Old Vine Registry (OVR), is set to grow quickly, like a thriving vine. The OVR website introduces the first fully searchable, regularly updated online database of age-old vineyards globally. This invaluable tool will assist future research and provide other essential services.

Old vines carry more than just a romantic charm, their gnarled appearance echoing that of ancient trees. Many believe these venerable vines produce grapes that lend more intensity and personality to wines. Moreover, these old vines bear significance for our planet's sustainability and future. Some of them may be the last representatives of unusual grape varieties that, despite falling out of popularity, could exhibit greater resilience in the face of climate change, thereby encouraging biodiversity in viticulture. The OVR's founder, Abbott, is committed to fostering worldwide recognition and esteem for these ancient vines within the wine industry. She highlights the prospect of higher sales as a strong incentive for importers, traders, and retailers to interact with this precious resource.

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MAJOR FLOODS IN CHILE DEVASTATE SEVEN REGIONS

Central Chile is grappling with extensive flooding that has submerged vineyards, leading to red alerts being declared in several areas, including key wine-producing regions. The wine-making territories of Maule and Bíobío have borne the brunt of the impact, with vineyards reportedly under water, along with Valparaíso, Santiago Metropolitan, O’Higgins, Ñuble, and Araucanía, according to Chile's disaster agency. This flooding marks the second major natural disaster to strike Chile in 2023, following the widespread wildfires that inflicted severe damage, especially in the Itata Valley, in the country's southern regions. The fires that raged across southern Chile in early February reduced 300 hectares of vineyards to ashes, as per official data. The country's winemakers managed to rebound from the fire's devastation, but the question now is whether they can weather this flood-induced crisis.

READ MORE

THE SCIENCE OF THIOLS IN WINE

Thiols, or volatile sulfur compounds, are a fascinating group of aromatic compounds that largely contribute to the tropical and citrus scents associated with Sauvignon Blanc wines. These compounds can also lend flinty and mineral aromas to some classical wines, and in some cases, may give rise to less desirable smells. While thiols are present in red grapes and wines, their impact is less understood due to limited research. Much like other aroma compounds in wine, varietal thiols begin attached to other molecules, and become aromatic during fermentation, with their release quantities varying based on factors like yeast strains. Human perception of thiols in wine is intricate, as it depends not only on thiol concentrations but also on the presence of other compounds in the wine. Thiols, with their delicate and unique aroma characteristics, can significantly influence a wine's profile, especially in Sauvignon Blanc. Therefore, to bring out their desired attributes, winemakers need to apply precise techniques in the winemaking process.

READ MORE

DEMAND FOR FINE WINE SOARS

The recent analysis by WineCap, a platform for fine wine investment, indicates a surge in demand for fine wine, outpacing other investment assets. Affluent investors are diversifying their portfolios with fine wine, showing more interest in it than in other collectibles like classic cars, luxury handbags, watches, and artwork. Fine wine, with its limited supply and physical nature, is a favorite among mature investors as a hedge against inflation. Howard from Cru World Wine highlights the scarcity of fine wine and spirits. Notably, the market is seeing increasing participation from younger investors. Howard observes that this demographic prefers a hands-on approach to asset management and tends to be wary of conventional investment funds.

READ MORE

WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

Perched on a high-altitude plateau on the fringes of the Andes, Mendoza province produces about 70% of Argentina's annual wine output. It's in Mendoza's vineyards that the French grape, Malbec, finds its New World home, yielding deeply concentrated and robust red wines. This province, situated on Argentina's western edge, neighbors Chile across the Andes. Although the province is extensive, its wine-producing regions are mainly concentrated in the northern area, a bit south of Mendoza City.

Dating back almost as far as Argentina's colonial history, Mendoza's winemaking tradition began with the first vines planted by Jesuit priests in the mid-16th Century. It's believed that Malbec was introduced to Argentina around the mid-19th Century, a move widely attributed to French agronomist and ampelographer, Michel Aimé Pouget. Throughout most of the 20th Century, Argentina's wine industry catered primarily to domestic consumers. However, a shift towards quality over the past quarter-century has seen Mendoza's wines featuring on restaurant menus worldwide. The region's soils, of Andean origin, have accumulated over millennia due to river deposits. These rocky, sandy soils, low in organic content and offering good drainage, are dry and lack fertility.

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GRAPE OF THE WEEK: MALBEC

Malbec, a black grape variety, is originally from France where it remains significant in a few select regions, particularly Cahors where it is held in high regard. However, it's in Mendoza where Malbec has become synonymous with high-quality, refined Argentinian wine. Mendoza's embrace of Malbec could be credited with Argentina's emergence as a global powerhouse in wine production, with its wines now competing with those from Napa. The taste of Malbec subtly shifts with the climate, with French Malbec leaning towards a cooler profile and Mendoza Malbec exhibiting a warmer profile, although Argentina boasts both cool and warm climates suitable for growing Malbec.

Depending on the climate, Malbec can sometimes exhibit green flavors of tart fruits like underripe plum, accompanied by white and black pepper spice, astringent tannins, and notes of leather. Mendoza's vineyards, situated at high altitudes, have become the new home for a grape that couldn't thrive in its native land in quite the same way. A large portion of Argentina's vineyards are located in high-altitude semi-arid deserts. In these high-altitude regions, the evenings are typically cool and the air is dry, creating an environment where diseases struggle to thrive, often leading to substantial yields.

READ MORE

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

🌿 The infamous pest, phylloxera, was first discovered in French vineyards in 1866.

🍇 Though pinot gris is a white wine, the berry has pink-blue-gray-hued skin.

📝 Vines can live for more than 60 years.

🍷 Swirling your glass pushes oxygen through the wine so it releases aromas.

🌏 Grenache noir is the primary grape in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

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