How Fermentation and Aging Affect a Wine's Aroma

Last time we looked specifically at how oak affects the flavor of wine. There we learned that oak can be used in the fermentation process and/or the aging process to add various flavors to the wine. But before you take a first sip of wine, swirl your wine in your glass and then stick your nose into the top of the glass and experience all the wonderful aromas that the wine has to offer.

First and foremost, a wine’s aroma is based on the grape that is used in the wine. So, fruity aromas are those that are up-front. In white wines these aromas can include those of tropical fruits, melons, and citrus. In red wines you’ll find red fruit, black fruit and dried fruit aromas. So, these set the foundation for a wine’s aroma.

Now, let’s take a look at how the fermentation and aging process affect a wine’s aroma. First, fermentation - the process that turns the grape’s natural sugars to alcohol. And, the key ingredient in fermentation is yeast. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the yeast is a factor in a wine’s aroma. While the yeast doesn’t play a major role in a wine’s aroma, it can give a wine hints of fresh baked bread, butter, cream and cheese.

Then there’s the aging process. And, here aging in oak can yield a variety of aromas, some directly from the wood and others from the small amount of oxygen a wooden barrel allows inside. Depending on type of oak and how the barrel is toasted, it can lead to sweet aromas that including vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and butterscotch. The introduction of oxygen in the barrel can lead to nutty aromas. And, a heavily toasted oak barrel can even introduce aromas of smoke, tobacco, cigar and dried leaves.

So, don’t forget ‘smell’ as part of the five-Ss in wine tasting. Try it with your next glass of wine and see how many aromas you can pick out. Cheers!

Ever Wonder How Oak Affects the Flavor of Wine?

Oak has been used for thousands of years as a wine vessel. Going back to Roman times, it was an inexpensive and durable container for transporting wines over land and by sea. And, today, oak remains and important wine vessel.

Oak barrels are sometimes used during a wine’s fermentation process and regularly during the wine’s aging process. Both of these uses of oak imparts flavors to the final product.

The two most dominate types of oak used in winemaking come from France and the United States. Each adds its own unique flavors. French oak is known for adding nutty and smoky flavors. American oak’s dominate flavors are vanilla and coconut.

The flavors from oak are also enhanced by the “toasting” process in which the open-ended barrel is placed over a flame such that the interior of the barrel is heated to the point of either a light roasting of the wood or a complete charring of the wood. Winemakers order their oak barrels to be either light, medium or heavy “toast” in order to get just the right flavors for their wines.

Another factor affecting the flavors from an oak barrel is its age. When a barrel is new, it will impart more and stronger flavors into a wine. But, an older barrel that has been used two or three times may be referred to as “neutral” but will still add texture to a wine while preserving the fruit flavors, and yield more subtle flavors. Use of a combination of both new and older “neutral” barrels is also very common when a wine maker wants to ‘dial in’ a specific set of flavors.

And, while oak’s use in the making of red wine is common, its use in the making of white wine is less common. The most notable use of oak in the making of white wine is in the production of Chardonnay, especially California Chardonnay. A heavily oaked Chardonnay will take on buttery flavors, like popcorn and toffee. In fact, the connection between oak and Chardonnay is such that oak flavors are often used as a way of blindly identifying the grape itself.

Oak barrels also affect flavors in wine due to the fact that it is porous to oxygen. Oak allows oxygen to very slowly enter the barrel which, over time, results in making a wine taste smoother and less astringent.

Finally, winemakers must decide whether to ferment and/or age their wines in oak. Fermentation and aging in oak barrels yields greater integration of flavors than by doing fermentation in steel tanks and then aging the wine in oak barrels.

So, there’s a little bit about oak and how it flavors your wines. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wilson Creek White Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Wilson Creek White Cabernet Sauvignon ($10.97)

Yes. That’s right. A white Cabernet Sauvignon. Were you aware that you can make a white wine from a red grape? Well, here’s the proof! And, you can read more about how this is done in my recent posting.

This white Cabernet Sauvignon was such an unusual combination I just couldn’t wait to try it.

While it is a white wine it’s got just a slight hint of a red shade around the edges - not terribly surprising yet odd. And, the aromas are just not what you would expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon. They are not like a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Gris, but they are also not like a Cab. It was so odd - it’s a white wine but smelled, well, just different. There was some sweet honey in the aroma along with melon and orange peel. Then the taste. Yours eyes see a white wine but the flavors just don’t fit what you’d expect. It really messed with my mind. So unusual. I kept trying to compare it to other wines but there’s no good fit. It was rich in flavor, low in acid and at 10.4% ABV a bit sweet.

If you can’t tell by now, this was such an odd wine. I probably should have evaluated it in a blind tasting to eliminate any preconceptions. But, if you are looking for a great conversation piece to enjoy with friends, pick this one up. And see if you can make sense of it! Cheers!

Did You Know that White Wine Can be Made from Red Wine Grapes?

Traditionally, white wine is made from ‘green’ grapes and red wine is made from ‘red’ grapes. But, did you know that white wines can be made from red wine grapes?

First, let’s take a quick look at how white and red wines are made. In the production of white wines, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice from the grapes. The juice may undergo additional processes to remove particles so that fermentation begins with clear juice. But, with red wines, the grape juice, skins and seeds are all present for fermentation. Then, the fermented red wine is drained from the tanks either by allowing the wine to freely drain, or by pressing the mixture to extract the wine.

The key to producing a red wine is the time that the red grapes and seeds spend soaking in the fermenting juice. If you simply were to press the red grapes, you’d find that the juice is nearly clear. It’s the skins that impart the color. So, to produce a white wine from a red wine grape, you simply don’t allow for any contact between the grape juice and the skins and seeds. That is, you simply follow the white wine-making process but using red grapes.

One of the most famous white wines that is made from red grapes is Champagne. Traditional Champagne is made from two red grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Pee-noh Mehr-n'yay)) and one white wine grape (Chardonnay). The Champagne is a white wine because the clear juice from the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are combined with the clear juice from the Chardonnay grape prior to fermentation with no skin contact.

And, other white wines are produced from red wine grapes. Interestingly enough one of the biggest red wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, is being made into a white wine. And that will be the subject of the next Behind the Cork™ wine of the week feature. Look for it! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Veramonte Carménère Reserva

2018 Veramonte Carménère Organic Reserva ($11.99)

This organic Carménère Reserva from Veramonte is produced from 100% Carménère (kar-men-nair) from the Colchagua Valley in Chile.

The Carménère grapes are cold macerated for five days in open-top stainless steel tanks and then fermented with native yeasts. Following primary fermentation, the wine is macerated with its skin for another ten days to achieve greater smoothness and intensity of flavor. The wine is then aged in neutral French oak barrels for eight months.

The wine is medium purple in color, with subtle hints of black cherry on the nose. On the palate is has flavors of dark stone fruits and blackberry, medium-low tannin, hints of vanilla from the oak aging and an easy finish.

This organic Carménère from Veramonte is a great fit as a Behind the Cork™ wine because it’s very affordable and attainable. Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications