Once upon a time, in a land far, far away I was attending my very first wine basics class in New York City. The teacher was Rory Callahan, who later became part of the original team that opened NY’s International Wine Center. Rory’s spark, knowledge, and style was a contagious combo. It was a month long series and his four basic points of what affects quality (in regard to wine) still live with me today. They are:

• Grape Type
• Soil
• Weather
• Winemaking Continue reading “Wine Basics: What Affects Quality” »

In Basic Wine Enjoyment, Jeff's Blog | Tagged with organic, winemaking

I was recently at Cowhorn Vineyards in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. They were doing punch-downs, also referred to as punching down the cap.

Why do this extraction and protection process? Wineries have different ways of doing things, and I got up close and personal with Cowhorn’s version. Here’s the scoop on what their Syrah grapes were going through inside the fermentation tank. Continue reading “A Little Bit of Wine Making” »

In Digging Deeper, Natural Winemaking, Sustainable Practices, Wineries | Tagged with oregon, organic wine, winemaking