Does Weight Equal Quality in a Wine Bottle?

You may have experienced it when shopping for a bottle of wine. You lift the bottle to look more closely at the label and you notice how heavy it is relative to other bottles of wine. And immediately you equate this substantial bottle with high quality. But, is it really?

There is no doubt that weight influences quality. And, a high quality product deserves high-quality packaging. Heavy just seems to feel good. Right!

Well, according to wine servers in restaurants, a heavy bottle is a pain to carry, open and pour.

Also, these heavier bottles tend to be slightly larger than a standard bottle, so they often don’t always fit in a standard wine rack.

And don’t forget that a heavier bottle means a case of that wine is going to be significantly heavier. And that adds to the shipping cost.

So, shouldn’t we really be paying more attention to the quality of wine inside the bottle than the bottle itself? In most cases, the bottle weight really doesn’t mean anything. The one exception is for sparkling wine. A thicker bottle is necessary to handle the high pressure inside the bottle. Otherwise, a heavy bottle is just a packaging option that the winemaker is using.

Then, there’s that ‘dimple’ in the bottle of wine. What’s up with that? Well, we’ll get into that next time. But for now, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Left Coast Cellars Truffle Hill Pinot Noir ($42)

This Truffle Hill Pinot Noir is another excellent offering from Oregon’s Left Coast Cellars. It gets its name from the five-acre vineyard that is also home to four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks.

Produced from 100% Wadenswil 3309 clone Pinot Noir, it is fermented in 65% French oak and 35% stainless steel. Then, it spends 19 months aging in 70% French oak and 30% neutral French oak.

As is with most Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this one has black fruit and forest floor aromas, crisp raspberry along with dark fruit flavors of plum, currant, and black cherry. It has firm tannin and distinct acidity on the finish.

This is a delightful Pinot Noir that should be on your watch list. It’s a good one!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Inurrieta Mimaó Garnacha ($18)

The northern Spanish wine region of Navarra is known for its beauty and diverse terrior, with vineyard filled with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and beyond. This Garnacha is just another fine example from this region.

This wine is cold soak for eight days at 5°C to heighten its aromas and texture. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve its bright fruit flavors. Malolactic conversion and refining were performed in slightly used French oak barrels for seven months. This results in cohesiveness of the aromatic intensity, as well as finesse, elegance and freshness of this wine.

This Garnacha exhibits deep, lively, and intense color with floral and fruit aromas. Its highly attractive aromas meet you upon entry while the mouthfeel is lively. Its wonderful red cherry flavors are mature yet fresh. The finish is long-lasting, with minerality and bright fruit. This is very typical of fresh, ripe Garnacha from the Navarra region.

The wine notes state that this is “… a voluptuous wine, fresh, round, fruity and slightly spicy, it is the perfect companion to vegetables, meats, roasts and even lightly aged cow cheese.” It’s as good as it sounds! And, it’s a great value. Enjoy!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Navarra Media Consultant, 401westcomm.com

Wine: The Tale of Two Pinot Noir's

Pinot Noir is a wonderful varietal of wine. In the Old World (Europe), Pinot Noir is most famous from the Burgundy region of France. There, it is simply known as ‘Burgundy.’

In the U.S., Pinot Noir is grown in multiple regions. Two notable regions are Sonoma’s Russian River and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. These two regions are producing some excellent Pinot Noir. But, they are quite different.

The differences between Sonoma’s Pinot Noir and Oregon’s Pinot Noir is due to terrior, or the interaction of the soil, climate, topography and how the grape variety grows in the specific region.

The Pinot Noir being produced in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley tends to be light and delicate. Their colors are light, yielding bright cherry red hues with even lighter pink edges on the rim. The flavors include red cherry, cranberry, and raspberry with very delicate, almost non-existent tannin and light finishes.

Now, the Oregon’s Willamette Valley Pinots can be quite different. The Oregon terrior produces bigger and bolder wines, all around. Their colors are deeper, darker red. And their flavors also tend to be of black fruit such as black cherry, currant, fig and plum. They can also have noticeable astringency from their tannin. The words ‘robust’ and ‘muscle’ can be associated with these Pinots.

Both the Sonoma and Oregon Pinot Noir’s are excellent wines; you can’t go wrong with either. But, they also have their very own personalities. So, give them both a try! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Left Coast Cellars Right Bank Pinot Noir ($42)

Here’s another very nice Pinot Noir from Left Coast Cellars. This ‘Right Bank’ Pinot is from their highest elevation vineyard that is planted entirely with Pommard clone Pinot Noir. From 100% Pinot Noir, this wine gets 50% fermentation in French Oak and 50% in Stainless Steel. It is then aged 19 months in 100% French oak.

As with most Pinot’s from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this one does indeed have the dark fruit flavors along with the forest floor aromas.

And, while I do read winery notes and back labels, they are often generic or lean a bit too much on the marketing side of things. But, in the case of this wine, I have to say that their notes are quite accurate.

The Winemaker’s Tasting Notes state “Our Right Bank Pinot Noir overflows the glass with black cherry, currant, and forest floor aromas. Dark, rich flavors of plum and black fig intertwine with a rich texture and well-dressed tannins.” I think that’s pretty well said.

Then, the back label states that “The intensity of the summer sun and the long growing season creates a Pinot Noir that can be characterized as robust with some muscle.” Indeed! That’s what Oregon Pinot is all about.

So, if you love the Pinot’s of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this Left Coast ‘Right Bank’ is right on the mark. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications