What is Residual Sugar in Wine?

One of the terms that gets thrown around in the wine world is 'Residual Sugar.' But it's not something you are going to read about on a wine's label. So, what is it and why should you care?

Let's take a quick step back and review the basics of the wine making process. Simply put, grapes are grown, picked, crushed and fermented into wine then aged and bottled. It's the fermentation process where sugar comes in. 

Grapes naturally contain various types of sugar. Glucose and Fructose are the two most common sugars, but there are others. Grapes also contain varying levels of sugar. Grapes that are allowed to fully ripen, in warm climates, will contain more sugar than grapes that struggle to ripen in cooler climates. And, wine makers will closely monitor the sugar levels (Brix) in grapes while still on the vine, and choose to pick their grapes when the sugar levels are 'just right' for the grape-type they are growing and their style of wine making.

During the fermentation process, yeast is added to the sugary grape juice. The yeast feeds on the sugar and produces alcohol. If there is any sugar remaining after fermentation, it is referred to as 'residual sugar' (usually noted as RS) and is typically recorded in grams per liter (g/L). This is somewhat of a technical term for a wines' resulting sweetness.

Residual sugar is one component that can contribute to a wine tasting sweet. Next time we'll further explore sweetness in wines.  Until then, Cheers!

 

Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week

2013 Fife Creek Vineyards Russian River Valley Zinfandel ($10)

This was a recent find of a Russian River Valley Zin that doesn't break the bank. This Zin tends toward being light for a Zinfandel. It's almost leaning toward a light-bodied wine, almost like a Pinot Noir.

This Zinfandel has hints of peppery flavors as opposed to being big in fruit and jammy. It has definite oak flavors while being one that is easy drinking, smooth and finishes with finesse. While Fife Creek Vineyards is not a physical vineyard you can visit during your next trip to the Russian River, it is worth stopping along the wine aisle and picking up a bottle of this one.

What is Ice Wine?

Ice wine (eiswein in Austria and Germany, or the single-word icewine in Canada) is produced from the pressings of frozen grapes. 

Germany and Canada are the leading producers of traditional ice wines, but Austria, Switzerland and the United States also produce ice wine. 

Traditional ice wines are made by leaving grapes, such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Vidal Blanc, Sylvaner and even Cabernet Franc, on the vines until temperatures drop in the vineyard to well below freezing. In Germany, law states that the outside temperature must drop to 19.4˚F (-7˚C) or below, while Canadian law requires the temperature to 17.6˚F (-8˚C) or lower.

Grapes meant for use in producing ice wine dehydrate and concentrate during the winter, going well past their traditional harvest date. Once a deep freeze occurs, the frozen grapes are quickly harvested.

In some countries, such as the US and Canada, grapes are picked at their peak of ripeness and then put into freezers to yield frozen grapes. While this process is a lot more controlled than waiting, and hoping for a deep freeze, these wines cannot legally be called ice wine. Instead, they are often called iced wine or ice box wines.

Hydraulic pressure is then used to crush the grapes while still frozen, resulting in a very small amount of very concentrated sugary substance. Because the water is frozen solid, it is not extracted from the grape in the pressing process. This high sugar extract is then put through fermentation. With all the natural sugar, the fermentation process does convert some of the sugar to alcohol, but much of the sugar remains in the wine. This results in the very sweet ice wine that is bottled.

Ice wine ends up a golden or deep amber color with flavors of apricot, peach, mango, melon or other sweet fruits. And you may detect a nutty smell to it as well. The really nice ice wines tend to be expensive and therefore are commonly found in half-bottles. These wines are typically enjoyed as dessert wines and pair well with cheese.  If you get the opportunity, give one a try. Cheers!

Source: https://EverWonderWine.com

Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week

I constantly get asked "What's a good bottle of wine to buy?"  And my response is always the same "What kind of wine do you like?" because the wines that I like may not be the ones that you would like. So I've struggled with the question and how to best answer it. 

In the EverWonderWine website there is a page I call Behind the Cork™. This web page includes "Super Wines!" which are exceptional bottles of wine that I've come across. I don't score them or give in-depth reviews. I just let you know that it's an amazing bottle of wine.  But, often these are either hard to find (e.g., only available from the winery) or pricey wines from when I've splurged a bit.

The Behind the Cork™ page also includes "Great Values!" in which I feature Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. These are nice bottles of wine that are easily obtainable and affordable; usually under $20. These are wines I've tried and liked. Wines that you can pick up and try.

I try to pass along nice whites, reds, rosés, sparkling wines and dessert wines. And I give you an idea of approximately what they cost.

My motto is "Drink what you like." Hopefully these Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week recommendations will give you the opportunity to try something new without fear of the unknown.

Cheers!