TibTV

Part 3 of a series

Just days before harvest, I visited one of our Extreme Sonoma Coast vineyards with Sonoma Coast Vineyards’ winemaker, Anthony Austin, to walk with him as he showed us what he looks for in the fruit. In this first of several videos in the vineyard, Anthony talks about the color of the fruit, how the leaves on the vines are pruned to allow air circulation around the grape clusters and other factors that affect the quality of the grapes.

Anthony mentions some terms in this video which may need clarification:

Botrytis – scientifically known as Botrytis cinerea or commonly referred to as the noble rot, is a sometimes desirable fungus which removes water from the grapes, leaving behind a higher concentration of sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This often results in more intense aromas and flavors in the wine. While it can add complexity to the wine, as Anthony states in the video, it can also add complexity to the winemaking process since Botrytis can sometimes stop the fermentation before enough alcohol is created.

Baseline – setting initial values of key measurements of the fruit such as sugar levels, acidity and pH from which to gauge the progress of the grape. While this may be useful to know when grapes are ready for harvest, it doesn’t measure such things as flavor and aroma, which can only be tasted by a person such as the winemaker.