The Real Advantage of Barrels over oak additives. Plus Yeast Studies

by Random Thoughts
Barrels at Turtle Run Winery

This week, I was explaining a technique I did for making “Blue My Mind 2014” to a visiting winery.  We have two tanks in fermentation as I type this, and I used the same yeast in both tanks, yet there is a difference in flavor.  However, there is nothing quite like experimenting with our best selling wine…for fun.  Tank 1 simply tastes better at this point than tank 2.  And there’s nothing wrong with tank 2.  It tastes great.  After we fermented our Vignoles 2014, we pumped out the wine and pumped in Chardonnay 2014 juice.  When it came time to ferment the Steuben which is, for the most part, Blue My Mind, we pumped out the chardonnay and pumped in the Steuben.  Did I miss a step?  Did I not clean the tank?  Um…nope!  I didn’t add any additional yeast either!  Call it spontaneous / instant fermentation.  The bourbon industry, I have heard, are very protective of their yeast and will take yeast from one fermentation to the next.  In the wine industry, we typically clean the daylights of our tanks before adding any new juice.  Risking microbiological harm to the new fermentations are reason’s 1-99 for cleaning tanks between fermentations.  The primary risk is acetic acid, AKA, vinegar.  So why do it?  Both the vignoles and the chardonnay had very, very clean fermentations, so I had tank full of ready to go, very dominant yeast just asking for more sugars.  If there were any off strains of yeast, the ones in the tank that fermented Vignoles and Chardonnay dominated and possibly eliminated them.  So why does it taste better?  With all the spent yeast cells congregating at the bottom of the tank some of the yeast will break down into the wine to add complexity.  So there you go.  Cleanliness is key to making good wine.  But sometimes a dirty tank is actually clean and has some great benefits inside it!

Barrels:  This summer and fall we have been bottling short runs of our red wines aging in barrels and we have distinctly noticed that each bottling is better than the last one.  The main reason for the short run bottlings is you!  We’ve simply sold wine at a faster pace and I didn’t have wines to go back in the barrels.  And we don’t like to leave barrels empty due to CLEANLINESS!  Barrels hold up much longer and much better if they are kept clean, and full.  But that’s not what this article is about.  It’s about one specific benefit that barrels can provide any and all wines – concentration of flavors and aromas through evaporation.  Barrels are under siege in the wine industry today, not because they don’t work.  It’s just that they are expensive, and it’s very easy today to impart oaky aromas and flavors through the addition of barrel staves into stainless steel tanks.  We’ve never done that, though for barrels which have lost all of their flavor, we have added new staves directly into the barrels.  And I have found that I love that process, as we can really control the oak compounds leached into the wines.  We can make the oak more subtle, or up-front.  Or take the wines somewhere in-between.   Of course we still buy new barrels, and we always will.  The added oak staves gave me a fun tool to add more dimensions to our wines.  But I can’t see me ever adding them to stainless steel.  It’s the micro-oxidation and concentration of flavors that makes me dizzy with enjoyment.  As me sometime, and I’ll pour you a current release Pinot Noir 2013 and our first bottling of the wine.  Or, I can do the same with Rhapsody in Red 2013.  Yeah, there’s a little more oak to the newer bottlings, but what I really notice is the concentration of fruit flavors and tannins, and perhaps a little more kick up of alcohol.

Whenever we open barrels to taste, unless we are pulling the wine out, we have to top the barrels back off with wine.  And some barrels can take upwards of 5 pitchers of wine or more.  Back in 2004, we studied concentration levels, and found that for our location, each barrel concentrates the alcohol percentage about a percent and a half more per year.  If for instance we add a wine to a barrel at 12% on November 1st. by the next October 31st the wine is usually close to 13.5%.  How is that?  When it’s humid in the winery alcohol leaches through the oak staves into the atmosphere.  When it’s drier in the winery, water evaporates out of the barrels at a much higher rate than alcohol and all of this evaporation subsequent refilling concentrates aroma and flavor compounds in the wines.  Simple enough.  And the beauty of the barrels is the lack of bad oxidative properties.  When we open a barrel for tasting we hear this big ol’ “whoosh” of air rushing in.  Called “ullage” in our industry, as the wine

Healthy Diet!

by Random Thoughts

People often ask me what I do to keep so thin.  Part of it is my daily swim.  Part of it is the physical activity that goes with working in a vineyard, winery, and farm.  But a big part of it is my diet.

In the early 1990s with little responsibility aside from a full-time job, I somehow became a nationally ranked triathlete.  That followed high school cross country which preceded cycling in college.

I’ve always been fit.  When I raced, I found my sweet spot to be in the mid-1980s with a 6’4″ frame.   When I backed off training to focus on the winery in the late 1990s, my weight shot up to the high 190’s then capped at about 205.  When I traveled in the corporate world, by 2009, I shot up to nearly 230.  Though not so heft by today’s standards with my height, when my fit physician said that I, I, me, had to lose some weight and that I, me, may need blood pressure medication, I was insulted!  Already on allergy medication, I decided I would “show up” to that doctor.  That was June 2009.  By Thanksgiving 2009, I just with a simple increase in exercise, I dropped 2 pounds.  Yes, 2….2,  not 22, or 12, but 2, just 2 stinkin’ pounds!  I was furious!  Pass me the chips!  I just need more exercise!

Then a friend of mine challenged me to weight loss.  Then I remembered those customers telling me that they could drink our sweeter wines and they were diabetic.   Then I remembered my triathlon training diet of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fat.  Then I remembered the lack of processed foods in that diet.  Could going natural do things for me?  What is diabetes and is it a new phenomenon or something we’ve been dealing with for centuries?  How does the body process sugars, and are all sugars alike?  How do artificial sweeteners affect our bodies and subconscious responses?

To keep this story from going on too long, I delved into all things about modern diseases, food history, modern foods, previous health habits, compared to today’s health habits, etc.  Many books were read, such as The China Study, building a foundation for more research.  The additional research from the book Missing Microbes, by Martin Blaser, about the over-consumption of antibiotics, pretty well set me sailing.  Below is a diet I carefully constructed, re-constructed, fact-checked, double-fact-checked, and ran by a whole host of folks.

Today, I swim 5-6 days a week and run the other 2.  I don’t overdo it, though I do lots of interval work in the pool.   I drink wine daily.  My blood is absolutely perfect, and I take no medications, including no allergy medicines.  My body fat is around 7% and I am back in the mid-180’s.  You can do it.  It takes time, but this diet works because it feeds the body what it needs, or at least what mine needs.  If there is any change I am looking at, it is reducing the number of carbs.   And best of all, I have lost the craving for fast food, processed foods, and all that.

I also take zero vitamins and zero supplements.

I wrote this diet for my swim team.

Peak Performance Diet – Jim Pfeiffer  

For:  My High School Swim Team

“Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.” – Victor Lindlahr in 1923

 In 1958 less than 1% of the US population had Type 2 Diabetes.  It is estimated that by 2020, more than 25% will- Center for Disease Control

Go to www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics

Eat Natural Foods: Absolutely!!!
Research from Washington University St. Louis ties natural food consumption to healthy gut microbial activity to a very healthy human body, eliminating many of the causes of today’s bad health. http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/25786.aspx

 

 

Diet Soda Anyone?  NO!!
Just drinking one diet drink a day was enough to create a significantly heightened chance of developing one of these disorders, the researchers found.

Artificial sweeteners were also shown to activate different patterns in the brain’s pleasure centers that normally correspond to sweet tastes. This may mean that these products do not satisfy our sweet tooth as much as natural sugar. One study found that non-caloric sweeteners made animals eat increased amounts of calorie-rich sweet tasting food.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57593133/

 

 

Is Honey mixed with Water Perhaps the Ultimate Sports Energy Drink?  And Workout Recovery Drink?
Here is an interesting article to read about the positive effects of honey.

http://honeyfanatic.com/honey-facts/honey-lose-weight-2/

 

 

 

Water Anyone?  YES!!!!
Dehydration leads to muscle fatigue and loss of coordination. Even small amounts of water loss may hinder athletic performance.

http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy_living_fit_facts_content.aspx?itemid=173

 

 

 

The dangers of simple carbohydrates.  Are they natural?  Hmmm…
The above article also slams aspartame very, very hard.  Lots of diseases are listed from the overconsumption of simple sugars and aspartame.

Here’s something to think about.  Did you know that if you increase the amount of protein in your diet, the cravings for sugary items will diminish?

 

 

 

Successful Diet to Increase Energy, Speed, Endurance, and Decrease Recovery Time.  The Zone Diet 40/30/30 by Barry Sears

  • A Balanced Diet:  40% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein, 30% Fat
  • Fat: Fat in food aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K.
  • Very Best Sources for athletics:  Fish, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Nuts, peanut butter, and butter. I am not keen on margarine at all.

 

Protein:  Basic Building Blocks of muscle. 

  • Very Best Sources for athletics:  Beans and Legumes plus meats and fish!
    • Black beans, Pinto Beans, Red Beans, Lentils, Kidney Beans, and Black Eyed Peas are some examples.
    • Fish, Chicken, Turkey, and Venison are second
    • Eggs are third
    • Pork would be a fourth choice, as it’s a little higher in fat. Buffalo is a better forth choice
    • Red Meat is my 5th choice.  Simply put, unless the cow lived its life in a pasture, I don’t think it packs the nutrients, especially omega 3.  Loaded with saturated fats, and hard to digest.  And Milk.  Here is a strong study about avoiding today’s milk.  Ovarian cancer, testicular, prostate, and breast cancer.  And due to pasteurization, the enzymes used for digesting milk are flat-out gone.  http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html
    • Many of us lack the gene which enables us to digest cow’s milk, anyway.  And should we be drinking another animal’s milk?

Carbohydrates:  Basic building blocks of energy.

  • Best sourced from grains, vegetables, and fruits.  Very best sources:
    • Oatmeal, Barley, Brown and Wild Rice, Quinoa.  Secondary Choices:  White Rice, potatoes with skins.
    • Vegetables:  There are no bad vegetables!  Period!  The very best is Spinach and Broccoli. .  Carrots are an excellent source of energy.
    • Fruit:  Tomatoes, Oranges, Grapes, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Tangerines, Avocadoes, Cherries, Raisins.  Eat the fruit and not just drink the juice, as the juice has no fiber.
    • Cereals. Try to find those that have less gluten and sugars.  Avoid those that are loaded with sugars.
    • Pickles are generally good for you, though I can’t stand them.

Great Snack Foods:

Nuts, Triscuits (they have only 3 ingredients in them), most soups, especially those with beans and lentils, peanut butter, raisins, apples, bananas, oranges, popcorn (not the microwave kind), celery, and carrots.  If the food has few ingredients in it, and you like it, it’s probably a good snack food.  Notice how everything I picked was a natural food or very minimally processed?  Here is a trick that works great to making foods more palatable — dip them in olive oil with spices.  Olive oil has lots of savory umami notes which most people love to eat.

 

 

 

 

When To Eat and Other Tips:

  • Eat Often, in smaller portions, and never eat until you are full!
  • When taking vitamins, take them during or right after a meal.  You need to trick your body into thinking those vitamins came with the food and thus won’t be processed out of your body quickly.  Two other great times for vitamins are after practice and before bed.  Yes, before bed!  As your body slows down during the sleep mode, vitamins will stay in your body longer and thus provide more opportunities for your body to use.  Take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zink to ward off sickness.  Though I would rather you get them from food!!!
  • Here are some interesting studies on vitamins:  I take none whatsoever and am fine:  http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/08/multivitamins-are-they-worth-it
  • If you eat processed foods high in sugars or drink soft drinks, fruit juices, or “energy drinks”, consume something good with it to slow the processing of those sugars, especially the glucose in the blood system.  Or get some quick exercise in to avoid those easy energy sources from becoming stored energy (fat) and making you hungry.  Also, the over-consumption of sugars leads to inflammation (the source of many ailments), and insulin resistance by cells, For instance, if you have to have a soft drink, have nuts with it, or Triscuits, just something with fiber.  Foods with fiber may hopefully slow down the absorption of sugars into your blood system.  Really though, don’t consume very simple carbohydrates unless you plan on exercising—NOW!  Not an hour later.  Like, NOW!
  • You are really much, much better off avoiding sugary drinks anytime.  I think pure sugar is worse than tobacco.
  • Be careful with consuming too much sugar:  Cancer lives on it, specifically the glucose molecule  http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3087
  • Sometimes on the way to the YMCA, I will eat something light for energy.  I never eat/drink simple carbohydrates afterward, though as the sugars destroy any gains you made working out.
  • My children love banana bread.  So do I.  But I always add peanut butter for three reasons.  First, peanut butter adds essential minerals, protein, and fat.  Second, that protein and fat slow down the digestion process so the sugars from the banana bread do not absorb into the blood system as fast (at least I think so).  Third, I eat less because the proteins and fat from the peanut butter create a more full sensation in me.
  • Do not eat meat or eggs or any other high-protein food soon before exercising.  You will go slow because the energy that should go towards exercise performance is going to be used instead to digest those foods.  Additionally, you might get sick.
  • DO NOT EAT PROCESSED FOODS ESPECIALLY WITH TRANS FATS BEFORE EXERCISE!!!!!!!  NO FRIES EITHER!!!!!  NO DOUGHNUTS EITHER!!!!  NO FAST FOOD!!!  THESE FOODS COULD VERY EASILY UPSET YOUR STOMACH AND WILL DRAIN ENERGY FROM YOU.
  • It’s always, always good to eat complex (not simple) carbohydrates and proteins after practice.
  • A good snack for energy before a Saturday morning race is some whole grain bread, some olive oil, spiced how you like it.  I do find some energy bars to be fine too.  I do have one better though.  Keep reading.   And honey!!!  Enjoy honey!
  • If I have a can of Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch, I may add a little Olive Oil, to get it into the 40-30-30 diet.  Olive Oil adds essential fat.
  • Avoid Trans Fats.  However, don’t think that a box labeled “low in Trans Fats” is good for you.  They probably replaced the fats with processed sugars which aren’t needed and can lead to Diabetes and Obesity
  • If you can’t understand the words on the food labels, those words indicate that the foods are processed.
  • V8 is a great, great beverage. THE BEST!  Lots of vitamins and minerals, minimal extra calories, and V8 has a lot of fiber in it.  I drink it before races (Hint!).
  • And the most controversial tip I have is this.  Meets are long and hot and thus draining.  A trick I used to get hydrated the night before a big triathlon or bike race was to add some extra salt to my food.  Salt holds moisture, makes you thirsty, and thus allows you to hydrate more with it than without it.  Additionally, salt provides good mineral content, and allows your body to process vitamins and minerals more efficiently. Salt gets a bad rap because most people consume way too much and it, like sugar, leads to inflammation.  However, in athletics, it’s essential to have enough salt.  A really, really good breakfast food before a meeting is a banana with salt or a banana with salty peanut butter.  With a glass of V-8, you will be flying!  This is my number 1 recommended 2-hour before a meet formula for lots of efficient energy. Forget about cramps! By the way, a banana with peanut butter and V-8 is perfectly balanced 40-30-30.  And not all salts are the same.  Try Iodized salt or sea salt which should contain iodine.  Iodine is a great, great immune system booster.

What foods and beverages to avoid:

 Highly processed foods. 

  • If you can’t pronounce it or know what it is, it’s processed.
  • Avoid eating your “toes”, foods ending in “Toes” or “Tos”,
  • 95% of all crackers on the market I think, are highly processed
  • 75% of all cereals on the market I think are highly processed
  • 100% of all cakes and pies on the market, I think, are highly processed
  • Sugary drinks, soft drinks, and ENERGY DRINKS,  Only consume before an event.  Their sugars easily convert into fat and they can make you hungry.  And, they are strongly linked to Type 2 Diabetes
  • Diet drinks especially!  Strongly linked to Type 2 Diabetes and they will make you crave simple carbohydrates.
  • Chips.
  • Margarine or any other processed fat.
  • Desserts
  • Salad dressings!  A great way ruins a good diet is salad dressings.
  • Red Meat
  • Candy
  • Fast Food!  Except for Subway!

Final Recommendations and Thoughts

  • If this diet becomes tough, try mixing in some things you like to make it bearable.  If you have to have that Diet Soda, have it with some of the foods I recommend.
  • There is a lot of dietary fiber in this diet.  It may take some time to get used to.
  • Tomato sauces are your friend.  I consume them often.
  • This diet seems to be more expensive than most foods on the shelf.  It is, but you’ll end up eating less and thus the cost difference will be minimal after a while.
  • Frozen and canned vegetables and beans are as good for you as fresh ones, so you can save money this way.
  • You will start feeling the benefits of this diet within a week.  You will have more energy and you will feel better.  You will have fewer tiring days in the pool.
  • The 40/30/30 diet was conceived in the early 1990s and was the basis for many of us racing at that time.  I would suggest it is probably in use today by many athletic programs.
  • More fruits, more vegetables, and more grains will equal more energy.  More processed foods will equal lethargy and upset stomachs before races.
  • This diet will help you keep your body toned up and looking good.
  • If you have a sugary drink, you must, must, must have it with other complex foods unless you are getting ready to exercise.  Sugar before exercise and during exercise is fine.
  • Drink plenty of water.  Water suppresses hunger, surprisingly.
  • You simply cannot get Type 2 Diabetes with this diet.  It’s not possible.
  • You simply cannot develop Obesity with this diet.  You really have to overeat.  Simply put, it’s not comfortable to overeat on this diet.
  • Eat after you exercise.  It is the basis for recovery.  Nearly every morning, I fix myself something in the balance after leaving the YMCA.
  • Mix it up!  BE WEIRD and PROUD OF IT!!  This morning, before typing this, I mixed Turkey slices into my Oatmeal, which was cooked with a teaspoon of Olive Oil.  YUCK, huh?   Not really.  Oats are fairly bland.  So are mashed potatoes.  So I ask you, why can’t you substitute oats for mashed potatoes especially if you add spices?  And oats have more fiber than potatoes.  Unconventional?  Yes!  Healthy?  Oh yes!!!
  • And lastly, in 1958, the average grocery store was no bigger than the pool area at the YMCA. Simply put, there were hardly any processed foods.

In summary, I mentioned several things over and over.  I’m not a perfect eater, but I am careful.  Yes, I treat myself to some cake, pies, etc on occasion.  You need to enjoy life, right?  If you give this diet a try, you will be amazed at how much better you may feel, and how much energy you have.  Then after going on it for a while, indulge in some fast food and soft drinks and see how you feel.  The drop-off from those processed and fast foods is quick and dramatic.

 

Some Weird Fun Filled Facts and Theories about Flavor

by Random Thoughts

Can Flavor be Affected by All 5 Senses? 

What you interpret as flavor includes all 5 senses, plus current mood, plus past experiences.  Huh?

Hardest first:  Sound:  From:  http://www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-15/synesthesia-can-you-taste-difference-between-sounds, Daphne Maurer a developmental psychologist at McMaster University in Canada tells us this about Synesthesia, which causes a person’s senses to overlap in unusual ways.  Ms. Maurer says a new study of music and taste suggests that we all have a touch of it though “it rarely influences our conscious perception.” So what is “synesthesia”?

Oxford University psychologist Charles Spence studies human senses and how they interact. In recent studies, he had people smell wines and sample chocolate, and then match the different aromas and flavors to different musical sounds.  He found that people tend to associate sweet tastes with high-pitched notes and the sounds of a piano. People match bitter flavors with low notes and brass instruments.

Spence wondered if he could put this finding to use. Could he use music to influence what people smell or taste?

To find out, he conducted another study. He had volunteers eat several pieces of toffee while listening to music. One soundscape was composed of “sweet” sounds, the other of “bitter” sounds.

Spence then asked the volunteers to rate the sweetness or bitterness of each piece of toffee. All of the toffee was the same, but the volunteers perceived the pieces differently.

“We were significantly able to change the rating of the bitterness and sweetness of the food depending on the sound they were listening to,” says Spence.

Vision:  Easy enough.  Color perception in a wine evokes positive and negative affirmations about how the flavor will be perceived.  A dry red dry drinker may get extremely excited if he/she sees a deep, dark wine.  Or perhaps seeing a bottle of Opus One, at a price of $229, which we will be trying tonight.  Hearing that a bottle costs $229 already changes the perception of flavor, doesn’t it?  Back to the sound we go….

Touch:  Simple enough.  In wine, we talk a lot about mouth feel.  For instance, in judging wine compare water, with a simple, thin mouth feel to milk and crème which has a thicker, richer mouthfeel, for many.  From the Huffington Post, I found this interesting snippet on taste and feel: “  Flavor & Mouthfeel

“Flavor, in the technical sense, is defined as the combined sensations of taste (from taste buds) odor, and mouthfeel. Mouthfeel means the way food feels in your mouth. It encompasses texture, moisture level, fluidity, temperature, chewiness, greasiness, astringency, pain (like that from hot chili peppers), and any other tactile experience we get while chewing or swallowing. It may seem strange at first to consider the smell and texture of food to be a part of its flavor, but your brain is already taking into account these things when it’s processing whether you find a food pleasant or not. Take beef jerky for example. If you dug into a bag of beef jerky only to find out that it was dried out and tough, you’d call it “bad” beef jerky. Even if it has the exact same taste and odor molecules as a “good” bag, the terrible mouthfeel ruins it! And that’s true for a lot of foods, like soggy cereal, warm soda, or stale chips.”

Taste:  Taste, right now, is supposedly limited to sweet, salt, bitter, acid, and umami.  Taste is a sensation that sends pulses to the brain when receptors are engaged with food or beverages.

Smell:  Safety first!  Before drinking anything, you will breathe through the nose to see if it is safe to consume and if you have had a past prior experience with it.  A positive past experience allows you to consume the beverage.  A negative experience, and perhaps you will pass on whatever is in the glass.  It is through the olfactory experience in which a lot of flavors are identified:  through aroma!  The olfactory nerves pick up literally thousands of aromas, and it’s the odor aromas that allow you to taste and identify flavors from toasty and nutty to fruity and grassy.

The reason the shape of the glass affects flavor recognition is simple.  Different shaped glasses allow for various aromas to escape both into the nose passageways (nasal odors) and from the back of the mouth (retronasal).

Tie that into past experiences also playing a factor in taste preferences adds yet another wrinkle.  Per Tim Hanni, “It’s difficult to rewire our sensory hardware unless there is some sort of physical injury, metabolism shift, or pharmaceutical interaction, but we can be constantly rewriting our software to incorporate our aspirations and experiences.”  Additionally, “Why you like what you like is determined by a coalescence of immediate sensations, preprogrammed intuitive responses to sensory stimuli and memories from our life experiences all coming together for processing in our brain.”  Translation:  If you got sick of a food or beverage chances are you probably won’t want to consume it.  If an aroma or flavor even evokes a negative memory, such as being forced to cut the grass when little, forced to eat foods when little that you didn’t like, chances are you may not like it as an adult.     Or just the opposite can occur too.  Festive foods at festive times can create positive attractions to foods and beverages with those aromas.

Migration from Sweet Wine to Dry Wine and Why Some Never Switch!

If you want a great read on a neat subject about taste, check out Tim Hanni’s website, www.timhanni.com.  Tim is the second person in the United States to achieve the title of “Master of Wine”.  Tim’s book, “Why You Like The Wines You Like delves into that individual’s variance in taste bud count can play a significant, significant role in what we like and dislike and that high taste bud count folks are much more super sensitive to taste bud stimulation, and makes the case that foods and beverages with high bitters need to be offset by sweetness in order to make the beverage more pleasant.  His research basically blows up all food and wine pairings that we commonly see today.  For instance, dry red wine and steak are supposed to be the perfect pairing, but folks with a whole lot more taste buds than others receive a not-so-tasty metallic finish when pairing the two together.  Cool, huh?  Perhaps restaurants should think of offering sweet Moscato to customers who want something other than a dry red with their steak.  Hey, bottom line revenue got walloped when the sweet person switched to tea instead of the nice, sweeter wine they would have preferred with their meal.

But I digress.

So how do folks migrate from sweeter wines to drier wines?  Part of it can be to aspire to dry wines because “that’s what real wine drinkers drink.”  Too often though, I hear people say, “I used to like sweeter wines, but now, that sweetness is too cloying, too sugary.”  Humans, in general, have weak digestive systems, much weaker than any other animal that I can think of.  Can a dog drink out of a puddle without getting sick?  Can you?  I can’t.

Some amazing research has revealed that if a fruit contains fructose, it is 100% safe to consume.  We can’t seemingly identify any poisonous berries containing fructose.  Putting it simply, I truly believe that we are hardwired to like sweetness, not only because our body can convert it into an energy source quickly but because of its inherent safety.  As I like to say, “If it is sweet, it is safe to eat.”

I very rarely run into the dry red drinker who says they have always liked dry red wines from the start.  Most people seemingly start off their wine-drinking voyage by drinking the white zin’s, Rieslings, Moscato’s, etc.  Aside from wanting to “graduate” to dry reds, I think the phenomenon to migrate to dry red wines over time is tied to food safety and vitamin and mineral recognition.  When starting off drinking wine, sweetness is the crutch to liking wine, to liking something new that’s different.  Then, once the body identifies that wine has some good stuff in it, then the reliance and dependence upon sweetness start to diminish.  Think of sweetness in wine as a crutch.  Once the body gets comfortable with wine, the need for sweetness in order to consume wine diminishes.   Wine becomes an item that is identified as good, regardless of whether it is sweet or not.  At least that’s my theory and I am sticking by it.

 Flavor Balancing:

To modify flavors in wine, use salt and acidity (lemons) to decrease tannins and bitterness and sweetness and umami (savory) to increase tannins and bitterness.  Thanks, Tim Hanni, for this tip!!!

Cheers,

Jim

Uncork the Uplands! Saturday, August 2nd, Bloomington, Indiana

by Random Thoughts

The nine wineries on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail are peppered throughout south-central Indiana, but for one night, they’re all in one place.  Uncork the Uplands is the signature event of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail. Consistent with our mission, its goal is to provide a premier educational and wine tasting experience. With the establishment of the Indiana Uplands American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2013, we also celebrate the recognition of our unique terroir in Southern Indiana, and the quality wine grapes grown within.  This coming year would be the 4thannual event.

Uncork the Uplands 2014 will offer guests the ability to explore the Indiana Uplands’ unique terroir firsthand with a guided tour of Oliver Winery’s Creekbend Vineyard.  Home to over 33,000 vines on 54 acres – walk along the rows, taste the grapes and chat with the folks who farm these lands.  Learn what makes it unique, wonderful for wine grape growing and what led the region to be recognized as the first all-inclusive American Viticultural Area in Indiana.

Follow that up with the opportunity to explore wines from all nine wineries, shared by the winemakers and owners who have helped build the Indiana wine industry, and amongst them have over 180 years of winemaking expertise.  Signature Uplands varietals like Traminette, Chambourcin and Vignoles alongside classic Vinifera, port and dessert wines and more that highlight the wide variety found throughout the Uplands.

Hearty food, live music and a beautiful setting round out this wonderful summer evening!

More details will be posted soon atwww.indianauplands.com.

Summer & Fall 2014 Concert Schedule

by Random Thoughts

You asked and we listened.  More upbeat rock-n-roll!  And more of the best bands in the region!  So say hello to The Old School Band, who kicks things off for us on Sunday, May 18th from 1:30 to 5:30.  Another addition is recording artist Fremont John from Tampa, Florida.  He’s on is way to Michigan and will play here with some top flight Louisville musicians on Sunday, May 26th.  We may have something very special to announce for that day too!  Other headline acts include in no particular order, Nervous Melvin & The Mistakes, The Monarchs, The Rigby’s, Louisville Brass and Electric, Ron Jones Jazz Quartet, Circus,The Vinyl Kings, Melody Resurrection, Yes Pilot, Lick Creek Band, and Side FX.  We still may add another band as I have some flexibility in a few dates.

May 18:  The Old School Band 
May 25:  Fremont John
May 26:  Melody Resurrection
June 1:  Still Open (Could be Nervous Melvin & The Mistakes)
June 8:  Louisville Brass & Electric
June 15:  The Vinyl Kings
June 22:  The Monarchs
June 29:  Nervous Melvin & The Mistakes (could be Ron Jones Jazz Quartet)
July 4:  Melody Resurrection
July 6:  Yes Pilot
July 13  The Rigby’s
August 9 The Ron Jones Jazz Quartet (in conjunction with Le Tour De Pork bike ride)
August 24  Ron Jones Jazz Quartet
September 1:  Side FX
September 7:  The Vinyl Kings
September 14: The Rigby’s
September 21:  The Monarchs
September 28:  Louisville Brass & Electric
October 5:  Nervous Melvin & The Mistakes
October 12:  The Old School Band
October 19:  Circus
October 25: The Lick Creek Band
November 1: The Vinyl Kings

Our concerts are free, and occur Sundays, actual holidays (that’s new too) from 1:30 to 5:30, from May 18th through July 13th.  We then take a break then start up again on August 24th and go through November 1st.  You are welcome to bring your family, food and non-adult beverages.  All alcoholic beverages except Turtle Run wines are prohibited.  Any other alcohol could lead to us losing our license and our business.  For instance, if beer is your favorite beverage, please be courteous of others who enjoy the opportunity to come out on a relaxing Sunday afternoon to listen to great music, and leave your beer at home.  Additionally with our “we welcome you to our home” attitude, you may borrow glasses and ice buckets and folding chairs if need be.

As the winery with the longest continuous concert series, we welcome you to a great line up of bands.  Check out the full calendar at www.turtlerunwinery.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turtle-Run-Winery/28968495154?ref=br_tf

Sip-N-Learn! An Indiana Uplands Wine Trail Event: May 10th and 11th

by Random Thoughts

With over 175 years of grape growing and winemaking experience, the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail will be sharing our knowledge the weekend of May 10th and 11th in an extraordinary fashion.  Join us for the 2014 Sip-N-Learn Experience!  For more information, click here: http://www.indianauplands.com/event/sip-and-learn/#more-%27

For a quick listing of who is explaining what:
Best Vineyards Winery:  “Pruning the Vineyard”
Brown County Winery:  “The Fine Art of Filtering”
Butler Winery:  “Indiana Uplands American Viticulture Area”
French Lick Winery:  “Wine Aromas”
Huber Winery:  “From Farm to Bottle”
Oliver Winery:  “Winemaking 101”
Owen Valley Winery:  “Chemistry”
Turtle Run Winery:  “Barrels and Blending”

Wine Appreciation Class — May 10th from 6:30 to 9:30 PM

by Random Thoughts

We have an open date, so if anyone is interested in attending one of my super educational and highly crazy Wine Appreciation Classes, send me a note!  The class is $40 per person, dinner included and we’ll analyze 20 plus wines! Here’s the fun and educational part about the class:  We’ll dispel 100’s of myths and collective delusions about wine and wine pairings that pervade our wine and restaurant industry. We’ll demonstrate how your unique taste bud count, your past experiences with flavors, your subconscious, conscious decisions, sound, sight, smell and taste all create a personal map as to how you interpret flavor and why you like what you like in food and wines.  Plus, we will show you that taste and smell are not related senses at all.  Not one iota.  Nope.  Nada.  Huh?  Intrigued yet?  I just love collective delusions not based on science…..or based on junk science! We limit the class to 35 or so folks.  We’ll show you how wines are professionally judged and how to rate wines, then, show you how the “Ganzfeld Effect” among others makes judging wine by ranking non flawed wines a virtual impossibility.  Finally, I’ll demonstrate how Cabernet Sauvignon or some other big red may taste better out of a glass designed for Riesling or Chardonnay…for some.  Call 812-952-2650 or email turtlerunwinery@gmail.com if you are interested.