TRAVESSIA Winery Blog

Winemaking can be trivial

I've been spending a lot of time tasting through all of my new wines. These are wines which we'll release sometime between this Spring and next Winter. From the 2009 vintage of the Trapeze to the 2010 Chardonnay, I am very pleased with how these wines are progressing.

What I've been tasting re-enforces a thought that has been on my mind a lot lately...

Winemaking can be trivial

From the day grapes arrive at a winery to the day the wine is placed on the sales shelves, there are dozens if not hundreds of decision making points at which a winemaker can impact the final taste of a wine.  However, my personally experience thus far is that when I take a "low input" approach to winemaking and monitor more than manipulate, it's fairly easy to make a wine that I love and that I firmly believe most of my customers will enjoy and want to pay for.

There is however a critical aspect to all this... Good quality grapes. How good? As good as I can afford given my target price and market.  Any less quality and I will begin practicing "winemaking" to the full extent of the word. That's when things usually tend to get let's just say… complicated.  When I begin with grapes that I believe to be of the highest quality, most of what I'm doing in the winery plays a small role in the taste of the wine.  This may sound a bit "poetic", but it's reality.  The quality of the grapes that I purchase for my wines are what makes the wine what it is.  In the end, these aren't only my wines… they are also the wines of the farmers who grew the grapes.

Event Notice:  I will be at the Urban Grape in Chestnut Hill this coming Saturday from 2PM through 5PM pouring Travessia's wines.  More details in our events page. Would love to see you there.

It's a wrap… bring on 2011

This is always an exciting time of the year... we look back at the year that was and plan for the future.  Those of you who subscribe to our mailing list and read my last newsletter update certainly got a rather apprehensive and honest piece of writing from me.  But Travessia does have a lot to celebrate for and look forward to.

2010 Accomplishments
- In our second year in business we added 1 new restaurant and 6 new wine stores to our "family"
- Participated in over 40 wine tasting events
- Joined the Massachusetts Farm-Winery & Growers Association
- Practically sold out of all our wines before new releases were ready
- Were featured in many wine blogs and traditional media publications, mostly in a positive way

What's ahead for 2011
- Continue to be driven by our #1 goal: hand crafting quality wines
- Establish long term contracts with the growers that we purchase our grapes from
- Cautiously and intelligently increase our production to meet demand
- Reach new customers and grow our wine club
- Connect with additional restaurants and wine stores who are interested in carrying our wines

We are thankful for our health and know that we are very fortunate to be living a dream.  We are also thankful for all of you... our customers and friends.

Thank you for your support in 2010.  We wish you all the best for 2011.

From the Wine Riot to the Urban Grape

This past weekend we poured some of our wines at the Boston Wine Riot, an event organized by the Second Glass.  This was our third time at the Wine Riot... here is my previous post about it.

The Wine Riot is one of the most exciting events we participate in all year long.  It's fun, it's cool and it's also becoming a great vehicle for connecting with wine retailers.

At the April Wine Riot we met Kristin Braga, owner of The Reserve Bin in Foxboro. Kristin ended up visiting Travessia in New Bedford and shortly after placed her first order with us.  Our wines have been available at the Reserve Bin since the store opened back in June.

At the Wine Riot this past weekend I had the pleasure to meet TJ Douglas, owner of one of the most talked about new wine shops in Boston, The Urban Grape in Chestnut Hill.  At the Urban Grape wines are arranged by body weight rather than by region or grape type.  This is sort of a new concept that is gaining popularity among wine stores who want to make wine more approachable and less intimidating.

TJ took a few minutes to taste through our wines and right there and then placed an order for several cases.  I was so surprised that I had to ask TJ... "for real?"

Harvest/crush 2010 is starting to wind down but over the last month sleep depravation has reached a new height for me.  I'm tired, anxious, admittedly confused at times!  Experiencing my first ever "on the spot" order is exciting, rewarding, and encouraging.

This Tuesday we are making our first of what we hope to be many deliveries to The Urban Grape.

The Urban Grape
7 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Phone: 617-232-4831
http://www.theurbangrape.com

Pressing Pinot Noir

Wine Label: Request for Opinion

I'm preparing the label for my new red wine which we plan to release at the end of September. As I usually do with all my wines, I shipped a sample to a wine laboratory for final chemistry analysis.  This time I also sent a sample to a sensory panel that evaluates the wine for a series of color, aroma, and taste/flavor attributes. I don't think that this type of evaluation is critical but it's interesting to learn what an objective panel constituted by a number of professional tasters thinks about your wine.

One of the comments I received as part of this sensory evaluation was:

<Perfect for poker night with the guys or as a companion at an elegant dinner>

Honestly, I could have never come up with something like this. I don't play poker and elegant dinners are few and far between for me. It''s an accomplishment that my family is able to sit down at the end of each day for dinner, most often cooked by ourselves, never mind elegant dinners.  But I digress...

The description fits the wine quite well.  So I'm contemplating using it on the back label description. But this sort of "communication" is uncharted territory for me.  As I often do when in doubt, I turned to my twitter friends and asked for an opinion:

 

Feedback came in quickly and swiftly. Following are two of the several responses I received:

My friend Sally from across the pond who has one of the funniest twitter pages I've seen, says...

 

Fellow winemaker Ian who is launching his own winery here in MA says...

 

So there you have it!  Would you care to share your opinion as well?  Leave me a comment.  You may just find yourself on the receiving end of one of these bottles....

Coconut Curry Sea Scallops by Meghan Malloy

Meghan Malloy writes one of my favorite wine/food blogs. She's also a Travessia Wine Club member. So a few months ago I naturally asked Meghan if she could create a pairing recipe for our 2008 Vidal Blanc.  The result came early this Summer:

 

I'm very happy that Meghan accepted the challenge because I think the pairing works really well.  You can read a bit more about how she created this recipe by reading her blog post on the topic.  If you visit Travessia Winery, feel free to pick up one of the actual printed recipe cards... word on the "street" is that people are collecting them (though this is only our second one).

Follow Meghan on Twitter: @TraveleatloveMM to stay up to date on all her food wine travels.

Wine Sensory Evaluation with Stacy Woods

We are finally hosting our first "real" wine education event at Travessia Winery.  It took some time to plan this event but we know it will be worth it.  Here are the details:

What: Sensory Evaluation Seminar with Stacy Woods, Certified Specialist in Wine
Where: Travessia Winery - 760 Purchase St., New Bedford, MA 02740
When: This Sunday, June 27th, 2010 ~ 11A.M. - Noon

Stacy Woods, wine educator at Boston University's Elizabeth Bishop School of Wine Studies and Certified Specialist in Wine, will be leading an one-hour seminar on "Wine Sensory Evaluation" at Travessia Winery. The seminar takes place June 27th between 11AM and Noon. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the winery during normal business hours at 774-929-6534.

Come taste several wines and enrich your wine experience in an educational but fun and relaxing setting. $15 for Travessia Wine Club Members, $20 for non-members. Only 20 seats available, so please call soon if you want to attend.

Seats still available, please call the winery to reserve your spot.

World Cup 2010 - Truly... a World Championship

When I moved to the USA in 1990 one of the things that made me "crazy" at first was American sports calling their respective winners, the World Champions.  If teams from no other than the USA (and add Canada to some cases) compete in the sport, how can the winner be called World Champion?  Arrogance was the only explanation.  With the passing of the years I've become more comfortable with this and even found a pretty good explanation/excuse for it.  At the end of the day, the most skilled and fastest group of basketball players in the world are competing in the NBA, so why not call the NBA title winner the Basketball World Champion?  Same goes for American Football, Baseball, etc.  Yeah, that makes sense now. With that said...

If there is truly a World Champion of any sport, it is in Football (the kind that is called Soccer in the USA).  Here's why Football's World Cup winner is indeed a World Champion...

Some of you may know that the World Cup being played in South Africa starting this Friday, includes 32 teams who will compete for about a month. However, to be playing in South Africa, 31 out of the 32 teams (the exception being the host nation team) had to pre-qualify.  The pre-qualification period lasted two full years and included a total of 204 countries (there are 227 countries in the world).  So, think of the World Cup as the "Finals", and the Champion will be the best from over 200 countries, not just 32.  No doubt, a true World Champion.

Some interesting things about the World Cup that I guarantee you'll not read about anywhere else:

• I remember vividly, the day that I cried non-stop for an hour when Italy beat Brazil 3-2 in the 1982 World Cup played in Spain.  I was 9 years old and lived in Portugal at the time.  That Brazilian team played the most beautiful Soccer I've ever seen to this day and it broke my heart to see them exit without even making it to the championship game.

• Edson, my cousin who runs Travessia's tasting room, is "sort of" named after the only player to ever win three world cup titles, Péle... real name Edison Arantes do Nascimento.

• I was a ball boy for the Bolivian national team at their practice sessions during the 1994 World Cup which was hosted by the USA.  Bolivia wasn't that good of a team, but regardless, I was part of the World Cup staff. Yeap, I'm pretty cool.

This Friday, I will be watching the World Cup kick-off.  My friend pictured here on the right gives you a clue as to which is my favorite team.  And oh, yes, I'll be buying a good bottle of South African wine to celebrate.

Summer 2010 Newsletter

Our mailing list subscribers just received the Travessia Quarterly Newsletter.  Well, it's supposed to be quarterly, but thus far it has been more like biannual.  But no one is complaining.  I'm sure most of our mailing list subscribers get enough "junk" email as is :-)  Hopefully, the Travessia newsletter does not qualify has junk email and that's really what we strive for... make it newsworthy and interesting.

This Summer 2010 newsletter includes information on the latest at Travessia, wine releases, a schedule of events for June and even a part-time job opportunity announcement.  It also includes the announcement of a tasting seminar with wine educator and Certified Specialist in Wine, Stacy Woods.  Stacy will be leading a one-hour seminar at Travessia on "Wine Sensory Evaluation" this June 27th.  It's a first of this type of event at Travessia Winery and we are very excited about it.  Calls for tickets have already started coming in.

Click here to read this newsletter (pdf file)

Consider joining our mailing list if you want to receive our newsletter in the future.  Just go to www.travessiawine.com... the mailing list sign up form is right on the first page, all you need to provide is your name and email address.

Travessia is now available at restaurant outside of New Bedford - Geo-Quiz

Travessia's wine is for the first time available at a restaurant outside of the New Bedford area.  I thought that it would be fun to do a geo-quiz of sorts and give you a chance to guess the name of the town where this restaurant is located.  The first person to respond to this post with the correct name of the town wins a $25 gift certificate to this restaurant.  That will easily cover a glass of Travessia and the restaurant's signature Lobster Taco (there's clue #1).

Here are a few other clues to this geo-quiz:

• Population was less than 1,000 at the 2000 census.
  
• On a clear day you can see the island of Martha's Vineyard.
  
• The village is home to the Oceanographic Institution that played a key role in the discovery of the the sunken R.M.S. Titanic.
• The photograph below is of the town's lighthouse which was built in 1829.

So... what is the name of the town?  Extra points if you guess the name of the restaurant... :-)

* Image source: United States Coast Guard website

UPDATE - 5/21/2010:
The name of the town is Woods Hole, the name of the restaurant is Quicks Hole.  Olivier Floch was the first person to respond with the correct answer. However, he's living in France and decided to "donate" the prize to the next person with the correct answer.  So... Linda Sullivan is the winner of the gift certificate to Quicks Hole.  Thank you to everyone who participated!  Hope to do this again soon...

2010 vintage off to a great start

There is no guarantee that 2010 will be a great year for grapes in Massachusetts. There is so much time between now and harvest in October. But one thing is undeniable... we are off to a great start.  Let me illustrate with a couple of pictures.

Here is a bud from a Chardonnay vine on May 10th, 2008 (2 years ago):

... and here is a bud from the same exact Chardonnay vine on May 9th, 2010 (this past Sunday):

So, as of right now, Chardonnay vines are about 15 to 20 days ahead in their development compared to 2008 which was actually an average year.  Importantly also is the fact that it appears that we have escaped the possibility of overnight frosts that could damage these vines.  More updates to come...

Massachusetts Chardonnay Tasting and Tweetup

On Thursday, May 6th, wine lovers from around the world who also use twitter will be meeting in different locations to taste and celebrate the Chardonnay grape.  Travessia and three other Massachusetts wineries are joining this international event (called a tweetup). Along with Travessia, Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, Running Brook Vineyards and Coastal Vineyards will be offering tastings of their best Chardonnay wines

The event will take place from 6PM to 8PM at Travessia Winery and feature a variety of Chardonnay wine styles from sparkling to sweet - all 100% locally grown.  The tasting fee is $5 which covers a tasting of all the wines (at least 7 wines) and artisan cheeses that pair well with Chardonnay.

If you are a tweeter, there will be free wifi available at Travessia so that you can tweet along all night.  However, having a twitter account and being a twitter user is not a requirement to attend this tasting.  Don't let twitter deter you from stopping by Travessia and taste some exciting local wines.  Come see and taste what we can do with the Chardonnay grape here in Massachusetts.  Bring a friend, or two...

Back to the Riot

Travessia will be back to the Wine Riot in Boston this weekend.  I wrote back in October about our experience with Travessia's first Wine Riot participation.  I'm excited to be back once again to what appears to be one of the "hottest" wine events in the country at least in regards to "buzz".  You can purchase tickets online.

Last email I received from the organization states that this is expected to be a sold out event which means over 2,000 thirsty wine fans (or fans to be).  If you plan on attending please come visit us and taste some of our new wine releases from the 2008 vintage.  Rioters who visit us at the event will be offered a special coupon code which will include free shipping on purchases made via our web site.

Press Release

Note: The post below was an April fool's joke... with a "message" :-)

Beginning today, Travessia Winery is closing its sales room to the public.  Travessia is a very small winery at this point producing under 1,000 cases of wine per year.  Unfortunately, we just aren't able to keep up with the demand.  We receive so many requests for donations on a weekly, sometimes daily basis that we can't continue to offer any of our wines to the public.

We decided to allocate our entire production to donations.

In these economic times, people are in need and it is very difficult to simply say no.  Requests come from everywhere and in many sizes, from a simple 3 bottles to 10 cases at a time.

We are also closing our tasting room since most of the people who contact us for donations don't seem to be interested in how our wines taste or who we are (never mind actually purchasing one bottle of our wine).

Now, we'll continue to make wine, after all that's why we started this winery... because we love to make wine and think that we have something pretty special going on in here.  At this point it is unclear how we'll continue to fund winery operations.

Sincerely,
Management

Back from Angola

I'm back from my 2-week long trip to Angola. Luanda (the capital) is quite different from the city I lived in before moving to the US in 1990.  There's no doubt that the end of the civil war just a few years ago brought new life to the city.  Luanda has grown in size tremendously and I could easily get lost today if I ventured outside the "old city".  Life has come a long way from the days when you could hardly find bread at a bakery or anything at any store for that matter.  It was communism at its "best".  Today, there is construction everywhere, from houses to apartment buildings to business parks. There are new enterprises of all sorts and sizes from pharmacies to car dealerships.  Impossible to even imagine it just about 10 years ago. There is an excitement that's palpable.

Unfortunately, some things still haven't changed or changed for worst.



 Traffic has increased tremendously and it's almost impossible to drive anywhere within the city.  It took me 2 1/2 hours to drive what used to take 30 minutes.  This is primarily because there are about 4 million people living there when the city and its roads were originally built for well less than 1 million.

  But that's probably the smallest of the problems.

It's also unreasonably expensive.  For comparison, a bottle of Opus One wine which I believe retails in the US for about $180, goes for $900 in Luanda.  Yes, $900 USD... this is not a mistake.  That's a luxury product but almost all basic necessity goods are priced extremely high with the exception of gasoline (Angola is one of Africa's top oil producers).  It's difficult to understand how the two thirds of Angolans who live with less than $2 per day can feed their families.



Blackouts are still the norm with electricity being cut every single night and there's lack of clean water in many areas.  There’s garbage piled up on the streets in a lot of places and broken glass all over the beaches that surround Luanda. Corruption still runs top to bottom.  At the airport on my way out, I had to dish out a $10 bill to resolve what the customs officer on duty called a "minor problem" with my belongings.


Despite all this, I feel that Angola is moving in the right direction.  You may find this strange given what I’ve just described, but believe me... at some point in a not too distant past, it would have been difficult for things to get any worst for Angolans. Today, the country’s economic growth is undeniable. Will the rising economic tide raise all boats?  I don’t know, but I certainly hope so.  Angola is a very young nation and its potential is enormous... that is certain.

After centuries of colonialism and a civil war that lasted nearly 30 years (and in which the US government was deeply involved), Angolans finally have a reason to smile.  The future is looking a lot brighter now.

P.S. Just a quick note... to accurately talk about Angola in a single blog post is simply impossible.  Much of what I've written here is based on generalizations, just my attempt to "scratch the surface".

On my way to Angola

I’m on my way to visit family in Angola… it’s been a few years since I’ve been in the place where I was born, so I’m really excited about this trip.  I will for sure also see some old friends and who knows make a few new ones.  My mom’s cooking will for sure derail my attempt to permanently loose a few pounds (-6 thus far this year), but weight control is not a priority when you visit your mom, right?  I’m actually bringing a request list which I will hand over to her immediately upon arrival... Muamba de galinha, Feijao de oleo de palma, etc.

I would love to share with all of you a bit about one of the places where I grew up before moving to the US and this is a perfect opportunity.  I’ll probably post on twitter and facebook, so be sure to friend me up if you haven’t yet.  Internet access might be difficult, but if I do get online I may post a few things as they happen.  Otherwise, I will just have to report when I get back in two weeks.

Is there anything specific that you would like to know or see about Angola?  Leave me a comment.

Here are a couple of interesting facts (that you might not read on Wikipedia or Google):

• About 5% of the oil that is consumed by the USA comes from Angola.  They are the second largest oil producer in Africa after Nigeria.  Oil is also the source of most of the countries troubles, but that’s no surprise to anyone.
• Soccer is Angola’s #1 sport and they just hosted the African Cup in January. But Angola is also a “powerhouse” in African basketball (though they always get beat by the Dream team in the Olympics).

P.S.  Yeah, it's hot there. Sorry friends from the East coast... I couldn't help it :-)

Trapeze - The name and the photograph

I want my wines which are not made with locally grown grapes to have completely different names and label designs.  This is because I want to preserve Travessia as a locally grown wine brand.  So I came up with Trapeze for the Pinot Noir which is my first wine made with non-local grapes.

Why “Trapeze” for the Pinot Noir?  It’s become a cliché in recent years but it’s indeed difficult to make good Pinot Noir.  The grape presents many challenges to a winemaker.  From color stability issues to balancing fruitiness with earthiness.  Sometimes Pinot is overly fruity, lacks body and structure; sometimes it's overly earthy and extremely "funky".  It’s a balancing act more than with other red wines.

Difficult, balancing act, gentle, elegant… Trapeze!

Once I had a name I went searching for a label image.  There’s a lot out on the web but most of it is crap.  I was lucky enough to find this image on flickr.  I contacted the owner of the image by the name of cereal-killer72.  I honestly didn’t have high hopes that I would get a response, but I did.  David Alquézar Ventura (pictured) is the cereal-killer72 and he’s from Girona, Catalonia – Spain.  He earns his living as an accountant but he’s also a photographer.  He's truly passionate about photography and I highly recommend that you check out his work.

I wanted to own the rights to the image for the US wine market and after several email exchanges David and I agreed on a price and terms of agreement.  I believe that it was the first time that David actually received some form of compensation for one of his photographs which I’m sure must be exciting for him.  We were fair to each other and I have a feeling that we aren't done doing business.

I’m thankful to have landed a kick-ass photo to use for my Pinot Noir label for years to come.  It absolutely reflects what I envisioned for the label.

I’ll finish with an interesting quote from one of David’s followers on flickr:

 

Many people do buy wine by the label, so I’m happy that we also got that covered.  But is the wine itself as good as its label?  I would love to hear from you.

Thank You for an amazing 2009

Fill the Kettle at Travessia this Thursday evening

The follow up blog post on the Trapeze label will have to wait until next time because something much more important came up.

I'm looking forward to the end of the year and the chance to sit down and reflect on some of the decisions I made in 2009.  One thing I'm certain I will do in 2010 is decrease the amount of donations Travessia made this year.  Not a week went by that we did not get a request for a wine gift basket, cases of wine and sometimes even cash.  Believe me when I say that requests came in every week... I am not making this up.  At some point we had to establish a procedure with a request form because we got confused with who had requested what.  I estimate that we said yes to about 90% of the requests, mostly for very good causes.  Regardless of the brand building and other benefits that a business gets from donating, it's just not financially possible for Travessia to continue to do this.

With that said, we would like to end 2009 with a bang.  Last week I read this story in the Standard Times.  For the most part, my family lives a good life.  For us, realizing a dream is a matter of taking risks and working hard.  Unfortunately for some of the people written about in the Standard Times this month, working hard hasn't been enough to sometimes even put food on the table.

So, I felt like doing something and without much thought called up the Standard Times and told them that I wanted to organize a "Fill the Kettle" event at Travessia to help raise funds for the Neediest Family Fund.  So, we are on...

This Thursday evening, December 17th, between 5PM and 8PM, Travessia will donate 20% of the proceeds from sales at the winery to the Neediest Family Fund.  Visitors will receive a Travessia logo glass and will be entered to win a $50 Travessia gift basket.  It's that simple.

Please join us this Thursday evening at the winery to help us make someone's life a little better this holiday season.

The S.T. promoted this event in a column this past Sunday... you can find it here.  More about the fund:  A collaboration between The Standard-Times, SouthCoastToday.com and The Salvation Army. Donations go to help families in need during the holidays, with a goal of raising $160,000. Monetary contributions can be dropped off at or mailed to The Standard-Times, 25 Elm St., New Bedford, MA 02740, or made online.

2008 Trapeze Pinot Noir

This Friday afternoon Travessia will release its first red wine.  It was risky from a business stand point to go almost one full year without having a red wine.  A week doesn't go by that we don't get the question... <<when are your reds going to be ready?>>

At the winery we try to educate people that not all grapes are suited to be grown in every region and that certainly Southeastern Massachusetts is not a region where red grapes can be grown with the needed quality for a red wine, for sure not consistently year after year.  For the most part, people get the message, they understand that our growing season is too short to ripen red grapes for a red wine.  But there are people who will not buy a white wine, regardless of how much they may enjoy Travessia's white wines and regardless of the fact that they are locally grown.  This is not a surprise, I knew it before Travessia even opened its doors to the public almost a year ago.  That's why I had invested a good amount of money on quality red grapes from California vineyards early in 2008.

Believe me, I would love to say, <<Screw it!  I'm making white wines only. That's what I believe we can do best here in Massachusetts.>>  Plenty of European producers do exactly that... wineries that make only Chardonnay in Burgundy, Riesling in Alsace, Alvarinho in the Minho, etc.  But most of those wineries sell their wines via traditional distribution channels, not directly to the consumer at their tasting rooms (most don't even have tasting/sales rooms).  These wineries also have decades if not centuries of tradition behind them.  As a very small and new winery, 90% of Travessia's wines are sold directly to the consumer who visits the winery.  Little is sold via wine stores and restaurants, and none via a wholesaler/distributor.

When someone comes into the winery looking for a red wine, either I have something to offer or they will go spend their money somewhere else.  Maybe one day I will be able to disregard this, but at this stage of Travessia's life, this is something that I cannot afford to have happen. I'm a proponent of "if it can't be grown here, why make it here?", but to get Travessia to where I want it to be one day, I have to think as a business person, not just as a winemaker.
 

I believe more than ever before that the right direction for Travessia is to continue to focus on making quality wines with 100% locally grown grapes, this being whites, roses and maybe sparkling.  For reds, we'll continue to source quality grapes from other regions so that we can offer 2 or 3 red wines to that certain "red wine only" person.  To preserve and continue to communicate Travessia as a locally grown wine brand, my approach is to label our red wines with a completely different label design, while giving each red wine a unique name.  I want to make sure that our customers understand that these red wines are not made with locally grown grapes.

So come on by the winery and taste our first red wine release, the 2008 Trapeze Pinot Noir.

Grape Origin:  Russian River Valley, California

Vintage: 2008

Alc.: 14% By Vol.

Barrel Aging: Multi-year 100% French Oak

Price:  $18, $16.20 to wine club members

Next post:  The origin of the Trapeze label and the adventure that was the TTB labeling permit process.

Harvest 2009 is over

Last week I picked up Riesling juice from Westport Rivers for what I hope will be the first Travessia Riesling bottling.  So how do we describe the 2009 growing season?  Bill Russel, winemaker at Westport Rivers summarized it perfectly “It’s a miraculous year”.  Indeed it is.  If in the middle of August someone had told us that the region’s vineyards would be harvesting Chardonnay at 21+ brix of sugar with ripe flavors and great acid balance, I would have said that they were crazy.  In the end, the quality of the fruit is in some cases superior to 2008, a year that weather wise was not nearly has challenging as 2009.  The credit goes to the vineyard managers who put in the extra effort needed to keep their vineyards healthy and for their courage to let the fruit hang on the vine pretty much until there were no leaves left.  Credit also goes to mother nature that after beating us with above average rain throughout the year, gave us a little hand with a very decent October. Now, it’s up to the winemakers to make the best possible wine with this miraculous year.

Though I’ve been fairly quite on the “internets”, a lot has been happening at Travessia. I’m taking steps to position Travessia as an healthy business as we’ll soon enter the second year of having our winery open to the public.   Some steps will be “visible” soon, some later in 2010.  Stay tuned… really exciting things ahead.

Notes from the Wine Riot

This past weekend Travessia participated in what may be one of the coolest wine tasting events around.  It’s called The Wine Riot and its second edition took place on Boston's Waterfront at the John J Moakley Courthouse.  The event is organized by The Second Glass.  Here are some notes I took away from the event.

Are these grapes real?
For Saturday’s Riot sessions we brought in some grapes picked early in the morning from Running Brook Vineyards in Dartmouth.  These are some of the grapes that go into the making of Travessia wines and they are about to be ripe for harvest.  We displayed them at our table along with our wines as another way to educate people about growing grapes in Massachusetts and truly locally made wine.  Reactions varied from disbelief… “these are not real!?” to “can I have some of that Pinot?”

Realize that not every single person will like your wine... ever.
The vast majority of people seemed to enjoy our wines, some even reacted with amazement when they realized that our wines are made with 100% locally grown grapes.  But we’ll not forget the guy who tasted our three wines and gave us a 0 out of 3, meaning none of the three wines we brought were any good for him.  Thankfully, he did give us some encouragement… “keep trying and maybe in 5 years you will have a decent wine”.  Try we will but it’s no secret that in the wine world you can’t (and should not even try) to please everyone’s pallet.

To Crushpad or not to Crushpad
When I was considering my options for starting a winery, I took a serious look at Crushpad.  I decided that I did not want to get into the wine business by “playing” in the $30+ price point (who knows maybe one day) and that was that.  At the Wine Riot, I met the owners of Triumvir, a Crushpad virtual winery.  Their 2007 Pinot Noir is one of the best American Pinots I have tasted lately. If you have $40+ to dish out, the Triumvir is a great Pinot Noir... I highly recommend it.  We talked about Triumvir's challenges and difficulties in distributing their wine.  Like never before, it is obvious to me that I made the right decision to not follow the Crushpad model as the way to establish my winery.  I’m sure that Crushpad is looking into ways to improve and facilitate the distribution of their non-California based virtual wineries.  But for now, if you own a Crushpad virtual wine brand and your intention is to sell your wine in Massachusetts, you better have some inside connections with the big boys (read distributors).

Women rule the wine drinking world
My observation... at least 70% of the attendees who came to Travessia’s table were women.  I don’t think that it was because of our good looks.  Those in the wine industry know that women account for over 60% of sales of wine in the US, so no surprise.  I see nothing wrong with this.  In fact, having worked for several years in a field that is mostly dominated by man... I love it.

Visit to Long Island

I recently visited the North Fork of Long Island for the first time along with Pedro Teixeira, one of the owners of Running Brook Vineyards.  I made the trip primarily to pick up a few used French Oak barrels.  Making the trip was easy… 1 ½ hour drive from New Bedford to New London, CT where I drove right into the ferry.  Then a 1 ½ hour boat ride across to Orient Point.  Another 20 minute drive and we were at Lenz Winery where Eric Fry awaited us.  If you have read my previous references to Eric here on the blog, you understand how much I appreciate having Eric as sort of a mentor. I’ve met with Eric several times and every time I walk away a richer person… in knowledge.

Eric poured several of his wines for us.  All around very tasty wines, including his lesser-oaked Chardonnays. Then he took us to his cellar and we tasted through three of his yet to be bottled reds.  These were some of the best red wines I’ve tasted from an East coast winery.  These wines show great balance and it’s easy to tell that they were aged with patience and care.

We then met Kareem Massud, winemaker at family owned and managed Paumanok Winery.  I was very excited about tasting their Chenin Blanc and the wine delivered big time.  Excellent wine with gorgeous floral notes that I expect from a Chenin.  We took a trip out to the vineyard to take a look at their plantings, both new and old vines.  Paumanok is the only winery in the region to grow Chenin which is surprising to me despite knowing that Chenin is not a very popular grape.  If Travessia ever ventures into planting its own vineyard… Chenin Blanc will be there.

We stopped at a couple other wineries and eventually ran out of time.  We loaded the barrels at Bedell Cellars and waited for Shinn Vineyards winemaker Anthony Napa to meet us just to say hi.  A.Napa used to be winemaker at Running Brook back in 2005.  I had spoken with him a few times over the phone so it was great to finally meet him in person.  I’ll have to make another trip and taste his wines at Shinn.

A few final notes…

-    Most white wines I tasted were excellent. Most reds were good but in my personal opinion, overpriced.
-    Long Island’s climate is very similar to Southeastern Massachusetts.  Yeap, we aren’t that distant.  So, generally, our vintage quality will match theirs.
-    Every winemaker or person I met was welcoming and eager to share their knowledge.

In the end, the trip was worth it for the people I met and the wines I tasted.  The barrels were a perfect excuse.

2009 grape growing update

Many people have asked me about the effects of this year’s weather conditions on the vineyards and grapes here in Massachusetts.  New Englanders don’t expect weather consistency.  Neither do we expect week after week of hot days, cool evenings and low humidity.  But rain/humidity every other day, and what seems to be a constant cloud cover is a bit too much.  The report: it SUCKS.  I would be lying if I didn’t say so.  The impact on the grapes and eventually the wine?  Well, a lot remains to be seen since it’s just early August and we have at least two months ahead of us before harvest is normally underway, but here is what we know thus far.

1. Due to temperatures a bit lower than normal and more clouds than sun, the vines are running about two weeks behind schedule.  This could result in difficulty ripening the grapes this year especially if Fall’s cool temperatures arrive early.  Think lots of Rosé and Sparkling wine if things don’t improve.

2. We’ll have less than normal crop size this year.  The reason is that we had poor fruit set and as a result there are less clusters on the vine.  Meaning?  Less grapes to make wine with.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for quality since the vines will have less grapes to ripen.  I’m eager to see what will be the actual impact of poor fruit set in the final quality of the grape crop.  From a business perspective, poor fruit set is a terrible thing since there will be less grapes to harvest and make wine with and therefore, a loss in revenue.

A couple of images to illustrate poor fruit set…

Here is what a normal Chardonnay cluster looks like:

 

 Here is what a Chardonnay cluster with poor fruit set looks like:

By the way… word “on the street” is that all the cloudiness in the Northeast this Summer is directly related to the eruption of the Redoubt volcano in Alaska back in March of this year.

One stage at a time

Have you been following the Tour de France?  I have and I’m surprised as to how much I’ve enjoyed it.  I don’t fully understand all the tactics and unwritten rules that seem to play such an important role in the race.  Lance has no chance to win the Tour this time but it’s still quite impressive that he’s even able to compete at the highest level of his sport after being out for 4 years.

But I’m not following the Tour just because of Lance Armstrong.  I’m following because I’m captivated by the tolerance for pain that these cyclists are able to sustain, day after day for three weeks.  And I haven't decided what is more impressive... the uphill grind or the downhill speed.

From the interviews, most of these cyclists seem like pretty humble guys.  Most of them really dream of winning just a single stage not the entire race.  Most are just happy to reach the finish line in Paris.  The few who aspire to win the Tour seem to take a stage at a time, slowly reaching to their goal.

This week Travessia reaches an important stage in its 7-month old life.  We are having our very first Wine Club Day.  On Saturday, July 25th, our wine club members are invited to come to the winery for a Members Only event.  They will be picking up their very first wine club package which includes 3 wines and a few other goodies.

It’s been a lot of work to put this wine club together.  One of the biggest difficulties we have faced is the fact that most people around here (and by that I mean a wide area, not just New Bedford), aren’t familiar with how wine clubs work.  Well over 90% of Travessia Wine Club members have never been members of any wine club.  So, explaining how a wine club works has been a challenge.  Despite this, we have over 100 members in the club which far exceeds my expectations at this point.

If you are interested in joining, you can do it at the winery or via the Travessia website.   If you like our wines and think that you could drink three bottles of Travessia wine in the span of three months… what are you waiting for?

Cleaning up - good for your soul and sometimes... your wallet

There’s a small room in the basement of my house which began as a music studio.  Over the last couple of years it became a storage room for all sorts of objects.  From magazines like Bass Player, Wine Business Monthly, Revista dos Vinhos, to Isabelle Grace Jewelry shipping boxes, to some of my kids toys (overflow).  Tonight I decided to “take over” the room once again and bring the studio back to life.  Success!  There is actually some open space, enough for me to strap my Pedulla Rapture J4 bass around my neck and jam along a couple of tunes once in a while (very unlikely to happen any time soon).

As I cleaned up the room, I had a semi-broken boom box playing Antena 1 via WJFD.  The cool thing about Portuguese radio stations is that you’ll hear Coldplay followed by Pedro Abrunhosa followed by Foo Figthers followed by Da Weasel.  And I love it… I love the feeling of not knowing what comes next.  Life is just so much more exciting when unpredictable.

During the clean up I came across a box of unplayed Portuguese music CDs. The remainders of an old project of mine… LUZO BEAT - a small business that I setup around the turn of the century.  I promoted Portuguese modern music mostly to a young generation of Portuguese immigrant descendents by selling CDs via a website called www.luzobeat.com  A couple of years into it I realized that passion is not enough to make a business succeed.  You’ve got to sell.  Not enough people really cared.  Besides, I saw the "digital writing" on the wall (a.k.a. napster) and put an end to it before taking any serious losses.  Since then someone took over the name and URL promoting some other sort of music related activity.

But back to the box of unplayed CDs… about 50 of them, from straight Pop/Rock to Jazz, to Dance.  There are even a few from bands whose lyrics are in English like Wonderland, Primitive Reason, and The Gift.  Tucked away in one of the corners of the small box was an envelope.  Inside it was a Luzo Beat catalog, a list of all the CDs I sold at the time.  Memories....  But inside the envelope there were also $90 cash!  How about that?!

Now I’m happy I found the cash and could use it in many ways.  But I also feel sort of sad that almost 10 years later I still have these CDs in a box.  So… I decided to give them away and use the cash to pay for the shipping expenses.  So, please help me find a home for these CDs.  Send me an email with your address and a CD will arrive at your door.  It’s 100% free to you so you have nothing to loose – there is no catch whatsoever. You’ll have no idea as to what it may be.  Who knows maybe you’ll even dig it.

*P.S. Of course I will not share your address with anyone!... Not even with that Travessia dude… :-)

100% Massachusetts Grapes - A clarification

I’ve been writing this blog for almost two years.  I’ve laid it all out, asked for feedback, received valuable input, had great fun and actually met very interesting people through this form of communication.  As some of you may have experienced in your own life, sometimes written words be it via an email or a blog post can be taken the wrong way because, well, you are not face-to-face to explain what you mean in a way that’s clear as it can be.  Worst is that sometimes you don’t write exactly what you mean.  Regardless, I love blogging and it’s something that I will continue to do even if it occasionally gets me in trouble.  Which is exactly what happened with my post from June 5th, 2009 titled “100% Massachusetts Grapes”.  Several people are not happy with the following statement I made:

<<My personal opinion is that blending grapes from considerably different growing regions (like California with Mass., Finger Lakes with Mass., etc.) should be prohibited by law.  I've expressed my reasons here before so I will leave it at that.>>

I made the mistake of leaving out a key component of what I really feel.  What I believe in and should have written is the following:

My personal opinion is that blending grapes from considerably different growing regions (like California with Mass., Finger Lakes with Mass., etc.) should be prohibited by law when the consumer is not clearly informed of the source of the grapes that went into making such wine.

That’s not me back-tracking, just admitting that I made a mistake by omitting an important aspect which may alter the reader’s understanding quite significantly.  It was a mistake and I apologize for that.

With that said…

Yes, blending grapes from different regions does not excite me.  Discovering what can be done well here in our own state does. For me, wine is a regional product.  Others can think differently, that’s perfectly fine and I don’t think less of anyone who disagrees with me on this.  Blending grapes from different regions may actually produce what may be considered a technically better wine. That’s just not what interests me personally.

It has been pointed out to me via three emails which I received in the last few days that some winemakers in Massachusetts don’t just disagree with me, but believe that as a newcomer and someone who does not even own his own vineyard, I should “tone it down”.  Below is a response that I sent to one of winemakers who reached out to me directly.  This is my attempt to clarify my position on this topic.

Dear XXX (he asked to keep his identity private which is fine with me),

Thank you for your message.  You expressed your view on my blog post in a very kind way.  I truly appreciate your choice of words.

Just because I'm a newcomer it doesn't mean that I should not speak my mind when I see practices that in my opinion are a detriment to the development and sustainability of our local wine industry.

For the most part, the Massachusetts winemakers that I have met have been helpful and welcoming.  Likewise, I have never turned anyone down, be it for a wine making matter, be it for a business perspective.  I hope that it continues to be this way, despite the fact that we may disagree on this topic.

I agree that I'm not entitled to legislate on anything.  It is not right for me to suggest that the practice of blending local grapes with grapes from other states should be prohibited by law - as a blank statement.  I did not explain myself further because I've touched on this subject before on my blog, other people's blogs and personal conversations.  It's a reminder for me that when someone reads a post of mine for the first time, as a stand alone piece of writing, it does not mean that this person read my previous posts or has ever spoken to me in person. 

Let me get to what has really disturbed me over the few years that I've been paying attention to what is happening in our small/local wine industry.  You state <<If the grapes come from out-of-state, it should be on the label, simple as that.>>  Yes, I absolutely agree.  In fact I have a project in the works which is a non-Massachusetts wine and if it comes to fruition, be assured that I will label it accordingly.  Not just label it, but market it clearly as wine I made but with grapes which are not grown here. However, I have found several instances in which Massachusetts wines made with grapes from other states are "passed" (for lack of a better word) to the public as local wines.  Sure, the label states "American Table Wine" as required by law, but somehow the public who tastes and buys it, walks away thinking that these wines are made with grapes grown in Massachusetts.

Early this year I attended an event where a local winery was pouring their wines.  Someone I had just met tasted the wine and then came over and told me how amazed she was at this red wine.  She was skeptical that Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon could fully ripen here, but the wine was quite good with very ripe flavors.  Quote from her own words to me "I never tasted a Massachusetts red wine this good."  Now, I understand that some winemakers would have communicated the origin of the grapes to her in a very clear way, but this was not my observation this time.  Let's not dismiss it as an isolated situation because I can tell you of other similar experiences I've had myself.  So, I have to ask... is this what we want people to believe in?  How fair is it to those who have been for years now taking risks and investing into growing 100% Massachusetts grown wines?  I'm certainly not included in this group of risk takers since I don't yet own any vineyards (getting closer each day), but even so, I find this frustrating.

I know that we must not penalize those who are clear about the origin of their grapes, but my observation is that simply labeling "American Table Wine" is not enough.  That's my personal opinion, not saying that we should change the current labeling law (plenty of that already going on).  The reality is that existing practices lead the wine drinker to develop the wrong impression and incorrect expectation for what Massachusetts grown wine tastes like.  I find this damaging to the Massachusetts wine industry, not helpful.  So, despite the fact that using grapes from other states does not excite me, I honestly don’t have a problem with a Massachusetts winery who does so, or blends of local and non-local grapes.  I have a problem with the way that the wine is often presented to the consumer.

I understand that there are much bigger issues in the world to be worried about.  Ultimately, wine is simply supposed to be fun.  When you are passionate about something though, you can't help but to express your feelings.

All the best,
Marco

So, I hope this helps clarify the reason why I made the statement to begin with.  Now, while I’m at it, here some other random thoughts, i.e. let me dig a bigger hole for myself… :-)

-    There’s some locally grown wine that quite frankly is awful.  Wine that should have never made it to the shelf.  So I understand that local does not equal quality.  (I’ve also written about this on my blog in the past.)
-    There’s locally grown wine that has a low quality to price ratio.  In other words, there are some wines selling for $25+ just because they are locally grown.  It may work for a barrel or 2, but in the long run there’s no chance to compete in a larger scale, unless all you are doing is selling wine to tourists.
-    If it can’t be grown here, why make it here?… Personal opinion of course not telling anyone what to do.  What’s the issue with leaving Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel to be made in regions where it can actually be grown to maturity?  Experiment, take risks, try new growing techniques, etc.  But why not concentrate efforts in what we already know can be grown well and with consistency here?
-    There’s plenty of farm land out there waiting to be used… why not invest in it if it’s suitable for quality grape growing?

You read this far?  I really appreciate that.  As always, THANK YOU for reading my blog.  Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts, ideas, etc.

100% Massachusetts Grapes

I know that the vast majority of Americans who drink wine don't care much for the notion of "terroir" or origin of the grapes.  They just want the wine to taste good and be fun.  I'm all for that.  But I'm all for keeping it real as well.

My personal opinion is that blending grapes from considerably different growing regions (like California with Mass., Finger Lakes with Mass., etc.) should be prohibited by law.  I've expressed my reasons here before so I will leave it at that.

This week I received approval for the following statement and logo trademark request:

 

All Travessia wines will now include this statement and logo in their back label, starting with the soon to be released Travessia Rosé wine.

I didn't register this trademark to block others from using it.  I would love to share this with other Massachusetts wineries who may be interested in applying it to their labels - just contact me.  My only requirement is that the wine is made with 100% Massachusetts grown grapes.

Thoughts? Like it?  Don't like it?  Let me know what you think of it.

Three kick-ass events in one week

Three upcoming events that I want to tell you about:

Baggins End Guest House Grand Opening
Sunday, May 31st, 2009 ~ 1P.M. - 5P.M.
2 West Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719
Join Travessia Winery for a fabulous afternoon of wine, appetizers and music as we celebrate the grand opening of the Baggins End Guest House, located on the harbor and point of Oxford Village in Historic Fairhaven, Massachusetts.  Private Event - RSVP Only!  Please call Travessia at 774-929-6534 or email info@travessiawine.com to RSVP
Important:  There is no parking at the Baggins End Guest House, so you must either park and walk there OR take the water taxi from Niemiec Marine Boat Yard (Pope’s Island Entrance before Foxy Lady).

Why you should go… complimentary wine, food, music, even the short boat ride is included! AND it looks like we “nailed” the date weather wise… it’s going to be a gorgeous day.

Travessia Retail Premiere/Launch at Bin Ends
Tuesday, June 2th, 2009 ~ 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Bin Ends, 236 Wood Road, Braintree, MA
From Bin Ends press release:  "On June 2, Travessia founder and Portugese-born winemaker Marco Montez will join Bin Ends in-store to celebrate a special tasting event. Bin Ends' John Hafferty and Montez will lead the tasting of the four new Travessia wines, two Vidal Blancs and two Chardonnays."

Why you should go… Bin Ends is one of the top wine stores in the country.  Period

Coastal Wine Trail Kick-Off
Sunday, June 7th, 2009 ~ 1P.M. - 3P.M.
Sakonnet Vineyards, Little Comption, Rhode Island
Sakonnet Vineyards will host this year’s Southeastern New England Coastal Wine Trail Kick-off event under one tent at their winery in Little Compton, RI.  Travessia Winery will be joining the other 7 wineries of the Coastal Wine Trail in promoting the beginning of this year’s Passport season.  Price $40.00 per person with advance ticket purchase.  Call Sakonnet Vineyards at 401-635-8486, ext:116 to purchase or reserve your ticket.

Why you should go… Taste the best each of the Coastal Wine Trail wineries have to offer in one location.

If you have any questions about these events, please don't hesitate to contact us.  If you can’t make it to at least one of these events… something is wrong with you :-)

So that heroin addicts can have a bed to sleep in?

Early this week the Massachusetts state senate approved the increase of the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%.  That alone is upsetting given the level of taxation that the citizens of Massachusetts are already subjected to and the way some of the tax funds are spent.  But how about this… alcohol sales tax has now increased from 0% to 6.25%.  That’s because alcohol sales were until now exempt from sales tax at the register.  This exemption has now been removed.  Just like that, my $16 bottle of Chardonnay went up by 6.25% to $17, obviously decreasing my wine’s quality to price ratio besides other negative impacts to Travessia as a business.

Some may argue that it’s only fair that alcohol gets taxed like everything else.  But here is the problem...  Massachusetts lawmakers won't tell you this, but there is already a tax on alcohol!

Wineries for example pay a tax for producing wine to both the Federal and State government.  What do you think that we the wineries do with this tax?  We factor it into our pricing.  In the end, the consumer pays for it.  Now with another 6.25% added on top... I think we call this double taxation.

I understand and agree that we have social responsibilities and must pay taxes.  I've always paid my taxes as a citizen and as a business owner.  Not a single penny goes under the table.  But where do we stop?  Why 6.25% and not 8%?  10%?  15%

To finish, this is a quote from a Boston Globe article on May 20th (Find the entire article here)

<<The alcohol tax was approved with support from lawmakers who said it would raise $15 million to ameliorate what they described as a heroin epidemic in Massachusetts.  "When we have an addict, we'll have a bed for them," said Senator Steven A. Tolman, a Boston Democrat. "This money will help us put these beds on line.">>

Like many, my work day begins at 6AM and ends the following day... So that heroin addicts can have a bed to sleep in?

UPDATE on May 22nd - 1PM: Just found out about this... maybe I should just give it up right now: Proposed US alcohol tax increases

BYOB - Still confusing

My post on the BYOB topic from April 22, 2008 is the one which has brought most readers to this blog via search engine referral sites as google and yahoo.  This is interesting on its own and even more if you read some of the search phrases which lead people here:

BYOB policy in paris france
BYOB set up fee
Massachusetts BYOB legal
byo illegal in massachusetts
Illinois law on byob and cork fee
legality of byob in california
states that permit byob or corkage
byob bar insurance
nyc byob laws
byob only licenses new york state
corkage fees legal boston
byob illegal states
corkage illinois illegal

To this day, visitors are still landing on the Travessia Winery Blog after searching information on BYOB.  When I wrote my post a year ago, two things became apparent to me:

1.    The laws that govern BYOB across America vary from state to state, city to city, town to town AND are extremely confusing.
2.    There is an opportunity to fulfill people’s need for BYOB information.

I don’t expect states or cities within states to get on the same page about this topic and pass legislation that would make it easier for consumers and restaurants to clearly understand the legality of BYOB.  Cities have more important issues to deal with these days anyway.  (Though they could use BYOB as another form of tax revenue...)

But I still think that there is an opportunity for an entrepreneur with some spare time to address the need of so many people who continue to search and seek out information on BYOB.  Anyone?

What excites you about Massachusetts wine?

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to pour Travessia wines at the Boston Wine School as a small group gathered to meet Alan Kropf, one of the founders of Mutineer Magazine.  As always, it was a blast to meet new people and introduce them to my wines.  At the end, Alan asked me a few questions, interview style.  One of his questions was...

What excites you about Massachusetts wine?

I came way not feeling very good about myself for the way I answered.  It bugged me to the point that I could not stop thinking about it on the drive home.  I know what excites me about Travessia wines, downtown New Bedford, winemaking as a full time profession, etc., but I’ve never stopped to think as to what excites me about Massachusetts wine as a whole.  I know that with every day that passes, the “local” aspect of Travessia wines becomes more essential to everything I do.  But how can I explain my growing passion and excitement for wines made with 100% Massachusetts-grown grapes?

By the time I slipped into bed I had put into words what I should have told Alan.  Here’s what excites me...

The possibility that one day Massachusetts can consistently produce wines which are characteristic of our state.  Wines that people can remember as unique Massachusetts wine.  Wines that people can pick up whenever they are looking for that certain characteristic taste… take a sip and say, “yeah, this is it, this is Massachusetts wine”.

I say one day because, with all due respect for the people who have been doing this here in the Mass. for much longer than I have, I don’t think that we have solidified the Massachusetts wine character just yet.  It could take decades to determine what “it” is.

You the consumers have an important say in deciding the character of Massachusetts-grown wine because you play a critical role in the funding and sustaining of the exploratory work that is happening today.  With your hard earned dollars.  At the same time you will be the "judges" responsible for separating the good from the bad.  As importantly you'll sooner or later be able to separate the authentic Massachusetts wine from the fake wines being produced in Massachusetts.

How cool would it be if one day Massachusetts had its own page in the book of the world’s distinctive and unique wine growing regions?  I’m excited to be part of the discovery and exploration, who knows maybe even help shape it.  But above all, I’m excited about the “possibility”.

Don Burton Producer & Director of "Homeland"

This week I had the pleasure to sit down with Don Burton, Producer and Director of the movie "Homeland" which was filmed on location in downtown New Bedford.  The short-film premiered this past Sunday at New Bedford's Zeiterion Theater.

This is my third video blog post, the first with a guest.  We were having such a good conversation that the video ended up a bit longer than I wished.  I thought about breaking it into two posts, but after watching it myself I decided to just post it all at once.  For those who don't have the time for the entire video, here is a timeline to help you decide what you want to watch:

0:05 - Introduction
1:00 - Who is Don Burton
1:45 - "Homeland" the movie
4:45 - How Don ends up in Los Angeles
8:15 - Hollywood East - Plymouth Rock Studios
9:25 - BridgeThink.org
12:50 - How about some wine?
16:00 - The bottle in the brown bag...
21:20 - Storing open wine bottles in the fridge
24:18 - Final word

Links of Interest:
Homeland the movie     Bridgethink.org     Flickering Spaces     Plymouth Rock Studios

2008 wine notes

Over the last four months I’ve dedicated most of my time to Travessia’s marketing and sales.  It’s been fun but I was really itching to get back in the winery/lab.  So this past weekend I tasted the 2008 wines that we made at the end of last year.  Did I miss this stuff!  It was great to taste and try to envision the direction that these 2008 wines may take in the next few months.

My practice is to let wines “settle in” after fermentation is complete, taking advantage of the natural cooler winter temperatures in the winery. No pressure, no rush.  It’s like welcoming a guest into your house, showing them the guest room (or couch) and then leaving them alone for a few hours so that they can settle in on their one and make themselves comfortable.

2008 was a very different year from 2007.  Average heat but considerably more rainfall than in 2007.  As a result, grape sugar levels at harvest were lower than usual.  In some cases the degree of ripeness required for the fuller body wines like some of the ones we made in 2007 was not fully achieved.  Winemaking was certainly a lot more challenging in 2008.

Most of the Pinot Noir was lost to rot, with the exception of a single barrel which we harvested from what is practically a single row in the vineyard.  Imagine red raspberries…. Pour them into a barrel and let them have a party of their one.  That’s what this wine is tasting like right now.  Incredible for such a young wine.  Too bad there is only a single barrel of it, which is the same as saying 300 bottles.  This is the sort of wine which due to its very small quantity, may be available for purchase to Travessia wine club members only…. I’m just saying ;-)

All of the 2008 white wines seem very promising confirming what I already know… that we can consistently make quality white wines with grapes grown exclusively in Massachusetts.

* Pictured - a chromatography test result for a few different 2008 wines.  Four spots on the left indicate mallolactic fermentation (aka MLF) was completed.  Four spots on the right indicate that mallolactic is not yet completed.

Highs and Lows

OK, so I have to work on my camera positioning skills and on the "aahs"... but here is my second video blog post.  As always, I would love to read your comments.

Red Oak winery closes

Red Oak winery in Middleton, MA, is no longer in business.

I became aware that the winery was up for auction via Richard Auffrey’s “The Passionate Foodie” blog just a couple of weeks ago.  I spoke with the auctioneer this morning who told me that the winery was actually doing quite well business wise.  The closing is due to an unfortunate legal situation.

I visited this winery about a year ago, tasted several of its wines and bought a few bottles.  I didn’t really like their Chardonnay but thought that the reds were good.  In fact one of their Cabernet Sauvignon was quite good, BUT...

I feel sorry that this winery is closing and wish the best to the owner and everyone involved.  However, I have to be honest and say that I just don’t get excited about wineries like Red Oak.  Red Oak’s brand was built on “Bringing the best of the West to the East”.  West being California grapes, East being the Massachusetts winery that turned those grapes into wine.  The wine may even be great but what are you drinking?  A California wine or a Massachusetts wine?  If you believe, like I do, that what determines the origin of a wine is the place where the grapes are grown and not the hand of the winemaker in the winery, then you are drinking a California wine.  If I want a California wine, I buy it primarily at the local wine shop, not at a Massachusetts winery.  I don’t care what sort of spin you put on it… that California wine is not transported appropriately and that it’s better to transport the grapes in a refrigerated truck than to transport the finished wine, etc.… that’s just not going to fly for me.

One thing I will give to Red Oak… at least they were very clear about the origin of their grapes, unlike several Massachusetts wineries who blend California grapes with their own locally grown/sourced grapes and do not clearly disclose this to the public.  Wineries do this under a law which allows them to blend a percentage of "foreign" grapes with the grapes they grow themselves and not have to clearly state this on the label. Sure it’s legal, but this practice leads the wine drinker to develop the wrong impression and incorrect expectation for what Massachusetts wine tastes like. I find this “blending” practice damaging to the Massachusetts wine industry.  But I’m off topic now… this really deserves its own post.

Travessia UnOaked Chardonnay at the Rose Alley Ale House

Inner Bay Restaurant, owned by my good friends Tony and Judy Soares, has been selling all of my currently released wines by the glass and by the bottle since early February.  They were the first establishment to invest in my wines so they’ll forever hold a special place in my heart.

This past weekend, Travessia wine was picked up by a second restaurant.  The brand new Rose Alley Ale House decided to have Travessia’s 2007 UnOaked Chardonnay as one of their wines.

I am very thankful to the Rose Alley Ale House.  They came to me and showed interest even before I had opened the winery to the public.  Some of the Ale House’s five partners were Travessia customers early on and I’m very happy and thankful that they decided to carry my wine at their brand new establishment.

The Rose Alley Ale House opened to the public this March 4th after many months of work which included rebuilding the infrastructure of what may be one of New Bedford’s oldest buildings.  The bar is located at the bottom of Rose Alley facing route 18.  They serve a wide selection of local micro brews along with a menu which features salads, burgers and many different flavors of buffalo wings.

I spoke for several minutes with manager Bryon Giordano.  He told me that they would be selling Travessia’s UnOaked Chardoonay for $6 a glass which is comparable to most of the other white wines they carry.  Not sure I convinced Bryon to work the Fish & Chips into their menu.... After all, you can easily see the masts of America’s top commercial fishing fleet right across the street from the Rose Alley.

If you happen to be out and about in downtown New Bedford, please stop by the Rose Alley Ale House.  They are located at 94 Front Street.  They open Monday through Thursday at 4:30PM; Friday through Sunday at Noon. Close at last call.

The Culture of Wine Talks: White, Pink, Red - How wine is made

  

Come visit us at the winery this Thursday evening, March 12th, 2009, for our second AHA! Night.  AHA! celebrates art, history and architecture in downtown New Bedford. In March, AHA's theme is "Exploring how fundamental elements are used to create art."  What elements?... Air, fire, earth, water, wood and metal.

Travessia participates by hosting a series of talks on different wine related topics.  This month's topic is "White, Pink, Red - How wine is made".  20 minutes is barely enough to scratch the surface on some very basic aspects of winemaking, such us:

• What is the impact of vineyard growing practices on the quality of wine?
• Is Rose a blend of Red and White wines?
• Why are barrels used in the winemaking process?

Attendance is free and talks begin at every hour, i.e. 7PM, 8PM and 9PM.  For those who haven’t yet visited us, we are at 760 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 (click through for Google Maps).

Where in the world is Travessia?

Inspired by one of my favorite wine blogs – Dr.Vino – who once in a while runs a post titled “Where in the wine world are we?” requesting readers to identify a vineyard site, this month I start a new feature here on the Travessia winery blog titled “Where in the World is Travessia?”

For this to actually work, I need your participation in two ways:

1. Send me a picture of a bottle of one of Travessia’s wines.  Besides the wine, the picture should also display a view of the town/city you live in or a place that you visited.  It's fine if the bottle has been emptied.

I will then post your picture here on the blog and that's when the second part of everyone's participation comes in.

2. Identify (guessing is fine) the location shown in the picture.  Just simply leave your answer in the comments.

The first reader to accurately and more precisely identify the location shown on the picture will be the winner of a bottle of wine or wine related gift.  I will give everyone 2 or 3 days to send in their “guess” before calling a winner.

I strongly encourage you to include your beautiful self in the picture along with the bottle and the view of the location.  Why?  Well, it’s much more interesting and believable.  Not required, but you'll make me happier :-)

First up…  my friend Ryan took a bottle of Travessia’s 2007 Vidal Blanc along with him on a weekend trip to a fairly distant place.  He sent me this picture:

So... Where in the World is Travessia?

I will give everyone a clue since this is the first time we do this… it’s somewhere in Europe.  Leave your guess in the comments section below.

UPDATE - 3/8/09
This wasn't really much of a contest since Robert Dwyer hit the target dead center right off the bat.  The picture was indeed taken in Zermatt, Switzerland.  Congrats to Robert and thank you to Richard and Bela for participating.  I'll need more pictures to do this again, so please send them in.  Thanks! Marco.

Travessia Winery joins Coastal Wine Trail of Southeastern New England

This week Travessia winery was accepted into the Coastal Wine Trail of Southeastern New England. This is very significant for us.  The Coastal wine trail encompasses a group of wineries within the Southeastern New England AVA.  The term AVA is short for American Viticultural Area and can only be used by a region that has been recognized by the federal government for a distinctive combination of soil, climate and topography.  The idea is that these characteristics contribute to identifiable regional wine character.  Some would call this terroir, though this French word is a beast of its own that I will tackle some other day.

Technicalities aside, I feel like we’ve just joined the big boys/girls.  If one is serious about becoming a well-known wine grower in this region, being associated with this group of wineries is an absolute must.  Some of the people who own and run these wineries are pioneers in the growing of wine grapes in New England.  I’m very thankful that they’ve allowed me into their group.

My entrance into the trail was not a given from the start because one of the requirements is that members must be engaged in the growing of vinifera grapes within this AVA.  As most of you know, I do not own my own vineyard.  However, I explained that as part of my work at Running Brook Vineyards, I follow and often provide input into the growing of the grapes that end up as wine in my bottles.  When buds break (God… can’t wait, when is this winter going to be over?!), I start walking the vineyard at Running Brook on a weekly basis to follow the growing cycle and monitor the vineyard’s progress.  My involvement is even more direct as we get closer to harvest and picking decisions are made, with almost daily tasting and testing of the grapes for ripeness, sugar content and pH levels.  So though I do not own a vineyard, I’m most certainly engaged in the growing of grapes here in Southeastern New England.

Soon I will explain how the trail works.  For now, what I want you to know is that sometime in the Spring there will be a kick-off party for the 2009 wine trail at Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, Rhode Island.  The eight wineries in the trail will be at Sakonnet pouring their wines.  I will tell you the exact date once we have one and yes… I want to see you all there.

What did I drink in 2008?

This post is in the category of “why would anyone care?”  But I’m still writing it. Posts like this serve the purpose of letting you into my personal life's habits and decisions.  I also need to justify to myself that it was worth noting down each bottle of wine I consumed at home during 2008.  Yes I did.

At times I accumulated as much as a dozen empty bottles on the kitchen counter waiting to be added into the database. I was threaten multiple times by my wife that if I did not remove these empty bottles, that she…. blah blah blah :-)  I was able to sustain these threats and this past weekend, equipped with one of the best pieces of software ever created (MS Excel), I finally cleaned out the kitchen counter of all the empty bottles. 

I’ll save you from graphs and charts, here’s just some basic data on my wine consumption for 2008:

Bottles consumed: 94 (46 Whites, 42 Reds, 6 Rose)
Top countries: USA, Portugal and France
Top regions: Alentejo and Verde (Portugal), Burgundy (France), and Paso Robles (California)
Top varietals: Pinot Noir, Alvarinho, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah.  Many wines were blends.
Average bottle cost: $16
Most expensive: $36 (2006 Orin Swift’s Napa Valley The Prisoner)
Least expensive: $6 (Quinta do Cabriz Colheita Selecionada)
Closure type: 96% cork, 4% screwcap
Bottles corked: 2 bottles (2.1%)

My own wines are not included in this data, otherwise these numbers would be dramatically skewed. 

My goal for this year is to venture into new regions and varietals but do so while favoring wines which directly or indirectly compete with my own wines, i.e. wines from cool climate regions in the $13-$19 range.

*Picture:  My recycling bin taken with the incredible Motorola Razr phone.

The Culture of Wine Talks - Myth vs. Reality

Come visit us at the winery this Thursday evening, February 12th, 2009, for what will be our first official AHA! Night.  Every second Thursday of each month, AHA! Celebrates Art History and Architecture in downtown New Bedford.  We’ll be doing our part in the celebration with what we are calling the “Culture of Wine” talks.  What is this?  Basically for about 15-20 minutes I will be standing on my soapbox and tell you more than you probably want to know about different topics, all related to wine… wine making, wine drinking, wine history, wine politics, etc.  You’ll get to taste our wine and if you want even take advantage of a special 10% AHA! Night discount on all of our wines.

Attendance is free and talks begin at every hour, i.e. 6PM, 7PM, 8PM and 9PM.  For those who haven’t yet visited us, we are at 760 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 (click through for Google Maps).

This month’s “Culture of Wine” talk is titled “Myth vs. Reality”.  Here is a quick preview of some of the myths (or not) that we’ll be talking about…

• Uncorking a bottle for a few hours before drinking to “let it breathe” will improve and soften the wine.  Myth or Reality?
• Aged wine is better than young wine.  Myth or Reality?
• Wines labeled as “Reserve” and “Old Vine” are of guaranteed or special quality.  Myth or Reality?
• Red Wine Should Never Be Chilled.  Myth or Reality?

Hope to see you this Thursday evening… it should be a lot of fun.

Travessia Winery in the press

This has been a very good week for Travessia.  An article published in the Standard Times of New Bedford and Cape Cod Times based in Hyannis resulted in major promotion.  Many people have contacted us and expressed their excitement for trying our wines.  Many joined our mailing list already.  If you haven’t read the article yet, you can find it here (Standard T.) and here (Cape Cod T.).  Hopefully all this promotion will lead to new and long-lasting customers.

The reaction to my previous post (the first in video format) was incredible.  Chances are that it won’t be long before my next video blog post and I will for sure use many of the suggestions and comments I received to make it even better.

I feel humbled by all of this.  It raises the bar for Travessia and I certainly will do all I can to produce wines that people can enjoy while staying true to my own believe of what a good wine should be.

The website is coming along even though you won’t see any changes for a few more weeks.  That’s because we won’t “lift the cover” of the site’s upgrade until it’s all completed.  Stay tuned.

I debated not sharing the following, but this has been on my mind pretty much all the time this week, so I can’t help it but to be honest and sincere…
Unfortunately, in the middle of all this excitement for me personally, I received very sad news early this week of the unexpected departure of a long time friend.  Though over the last few years I would see him only occasionally I feel a bit empty with his departure.  So easy to just take someone’s existence for granted.  Sometimes we fail to reach out and connect with those friends who aren’t physically in our presence every day or every week.  My thoughts are with Eddie and my heart with his family.

Live from my basement

My first shot at video blogging...  "Live" from the basement late Saturday night.

Like it?  Hate it?   Either way leave a comment.

AHA!

We finally have our “OPEN” flag up and we hope to have our sign installed by the end of January. The wines are selling well and we have had several people join our wine club even before they’ve had a chance to taste any or our red wines – we are grateful for this.  And by the way, our two red wines should be ready for release sometime in the Spring of 2009. So far the most commonly heard sentence at the winery is…

<<I don’t like Chardonnay, but I like this one.>>

Obviously we love to hear this.  Between our two Chardonnay wines, it’s interesting to see how everyone has a different preference.  Some like the unoaked better, others like the traditionally oak barrel aged better.  A proof that everyone has different tastes and that there really is no wrong or right when it comes to personal taste and wine preferences.

We’ve also joined several local organizations. One of the organizations that we’ve joined is AHA.  It stands for Art, History and Architecture and it’s a free cultural event which occurs in downtown New Bedford every second Thursday of each month.  We are very excited to be participants in AHA.  We have joined as a programming partner which means that during each of the monthly AHA events, not only we’ll close much later than usual (9PM instead of 6PM), we’ll actually be offering a free cultural event right at the winery. Patricia Daughton, who is the program coordinator for AHA, suggested that we do some type of educational talk for approximately 30 minutes covering a specific wine topic. She didn't have to twist our arm too much for us to accept the idea. So, every AHA night starting in February, I'll be having a free event at the winery called "The Culture of Wine".  We’ll probably not dive deep into any one single subject because time would not allow it, but the goal is to give those who are interested a chance to learn something new about wine in a fun and relaxed way. And again, this is free of charge.

I still have to work out the details, but one idea is to have multiple sessions starting at every hour… 6PM, 7PM, 8PM… so people can stop by the winery whenever it’s convenient to them.

I can come up with a dozen topics myself without much effort, but I really would like to give you the readers of my blog a chance to chime in. Please just leave a comment here or if you prefer send me an email with a question or questions about something that you would like to learn about wine. Don’t be afraid to ask anything. Maybe there’s something about wine that intrigues you and that you which you would understand better. And obviously you are all invited to come… the next AHA is on February 12th.

Here is a link to the AHA schedule for 2009.

My 10 Resolutions for 2009

• Let's get the obvious one out of the way... Loose 10 pounds.  Which goes along with the next two resolutions…


• Eat more fruit.  In season.  It’s pointless to have peaches in January.  They are expensive and they suck.


• Exercise.  I mean walk 10 minutes during lunchtime 3 days a week.  Weather permitting, i.e. when it’s sunny, dry and between 62F-68F.


• Drink Italian wine.  I had a couple of bad experiences with Chianti a few years ago.  I had two different bottles which at the time I thought couldn’t have possibly been made for humans.  Probably just bad luck.  So in 2009 I will give it another shot and drink a bottle of Italian wine per month.


• Read the 4 magazines that I subscribe to.  At least look through them for interesting articles before throwing them into the “I’ll read it later” pile.


• Reduce number of blog subscriptions from 90 to 50 and stay up to date on reading them so that I don’t end up with 27 unread entries of Drinks Are On Me.


• Keep my garage clean so that I can use it for what it’s meant for… parking the car.


• Organize and back-up all my computer files, including and especially my kids pictures and movies.


• Spend more time with my #1 Queen on school related activities.


• Continue to ignore my 401K plan – it’s pointless to spend any time on it.

How about you?  Care to share?

Happy New Year to you all & Thank You for a great 2008. - Marco

It’s opening day… finally!

It has been a crazy few weeks ever since the Massachusetts ABCC approved Travessia’s winery permit.  The goal was to open before the Chirstmas holiday season.  The list of items to complete was huge and it seemed an almost impossible task.

But I’m happy to be writing here that if all goes according to the latest plan (the plan changes every day), Travessia will officially open the door this Sunday, December 14.  We won’t have a grand opening until sometime in the Spring after we’ve worked out all of the kinks, but we’ll certainly be open from this point on.  So you are all invited to come on by to say hello and more importantly finally taste our wine.  We are starting with four of our white wines… two Chardonnay and two Vidal Blanc - all 100% Massachusetts.  I know… white wine in the middle of what seems to be one of the harshest winters in the past few years!?  Well, when did people stop eating salad in the winter?  Nothing like a nicely chilled semi-sweet Vidal Blanc when it’s 25F outside… ;-)

Some things had to be left behind in a rush to get the winery open.  A major one was the website.  There was no chance that we could be opening at this time if I had dedicated any significant amount of time to the website.  So, the website will be a January project that I’m very much looking forward to.

I will hopefully get back to a regular blog posting schedule in early January and I have a lot to tell you about. I want to introduce you to some of the people who helped me create Travessia.  From my cousin Edson who is going to be running the Tasting Room and Winery Operations, to Patricia McRitchie who helped me with all of the legal paperwork at the Federal and State level (whom I’ve never met in person… got to love email and phone).  Many people had their hands in making Travessia a reality.

So… please come visit us.  The winery will be open from Noon to 6PM daily.  We are at 760 Purchase Street in downtown New Bedford.

P.S.  Please tell your family and friends about Travessia.  We can use a good word of mouth advertisement campaign.

Time flies when you are having fun

Another three weeks went by without a blog post.  Believe me that it’s not for lack of things to tell you all about.  So… here is an update of what’s been happening in my world.

Running Brook
Harvest began the last week of September and finished just a few days ago.  This was a challenging year due to massive rain just a few days prior to the grapes being ready for harvest.  Still I feel that we did well for the most part.  It’s too early to tell for sure but the young wines taste very promising.  This year we made a new wine… a white/rose wine of Pinot Noir.  I’m excited to see how this wine will turn out.

The Old Job
Two weeks ago I left my previous “real” job for a new company.  As a goodbye "treat", my boss took me to visit Jewell Towne Vineyards, a winery that falls in the New Hampshire/Massachusetts border… literally.  Also, the people that I worked with so closely for 5 ½ years gave me an expensive bottle of Burgundy wine as a gift.  They all signed the label which makes the content of the bottle irrelevant.  They could have done the same with a bottle of “cheapo” wine and it would have felt as special to me.  I will keep this bottle for a long time as a reminder of how lucky I was to work with such special people.  I will miss them.

The New Job
From telecommunications equipment to Audio Visual equipment.  Completely different product and technology but very interesting stuff nonetheless.  A considerable change for sure, including an all MAC computer environment.  Speaking of change… my new company’s slogan is “NOW YOU CAN”.  They've had this slogan for three years now.  Newly elected president Barack Obama’s campaign slogan was “YES WE CAN”.  What a coincidence.  Interestingly enough, tax break or not, 95% of Americans cannot afford the product that my new company designs and sells.  I’m not making any political statement here, I’m just saying…

Travessia
Last Tuesday was an historical day for me personally.  I received the winery permit approval from the Massachusetts Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission.  This was the last permit required in order for me to start producing and selling wine.  It was a long wait involving a lot of paperwork and a considerable investment.  Now the ball is in my court.  My to do list is very long and there are some major items to accomplish before I can actually open the winery for business and start selling wine.  I’m shooting for an opening day sometime prior to the holidays in December.  With only about 4 to 5 weeks left, I honestly don't know for sure if this will be possible.  I’ll keep you posted.

Massachusetts wine sucks!

Fact:  Every state in America has a winery.
Question:  How good is the wine being made in each state?

Joel Stein set out to find the answer by drinking and evaluating one wine from each state - 50 states, 50 wines.  He did it with help from his wife, his friends and Gary Vaynerchuck.  This sure seems like a fun exercise and the type of thing that I would love to participate in.  But this experiment was actually published in Time magazine and that’s what I have a problem with.  Readers, regular wine drinkers or not, could read the Time’s article and make purchasing decisions based on how each of the individual state was rated in the review.  Here's the problem…  No single wine can indicate the quality of ALL wine being produced in its native state.  However, reading the review for the Massachusetts wine that was chosen would lead most people to conclude that Massachusetts wine simply sucks.  Here is the review for the Nobska Red wine produced by Cape Cod Winery:

<<If an old lady were to make wine at her bed-and-breakfast and the only ingredients she had to work with were sugar and paint thinner, she'd make this wine. Everyone at the wine-tasting party was choking and running to shake off the taste that reaches down and drags up the darkest part of your soul. Have you ever had cheap grappa? Or Old Grand-Dad whiskey? Then you have some idea of the face this wine causes you to make. Why would you make a heavy, Bordeaux-style red blend (which is what the winery claims it's aiming for) in this cool climate when, even if you somehow succeeded, it would never go with Cape Cod food? A woman at our party has a parent who lives near a different winery in Cape Cod, and she said its wine is awful too.  Rating: Undrinkable — by Joel Stein>>

The review is right on point.  They nailed it for sure.  I tasted this wine early this year after I had heard that the winery was for sale at the time (I don’t believe it was sold).  I had about half a glass of it and dumped the rest.  Cape Cod Winery’s Nobska Red is quite simply one of the worst wines ever produced in the history of mankind.  This is not a subjective matter… the wine is technically faulty and should have never made it to the market.  How did Joel Stein select this wine for his review beats me.  But the Nobska Red is not an indication of the overall quality of the wine being produced in our state.  I’ve written before that there is room for improvement but to make this Nobska Red our state’s “example” wine is wrong.  It’s wrong and not fair to everyone else working hard to improve the quality of their wines, especially those dedicated to growing their own grapes right here in Massachusetts.

To get an accurate review of the quality of wine being produced in each state we would need to taste every single wine being made.  Just kidding :-)  I know this would be an impossible task since there would be tens of thousands of wines to be tasted.  So maybe we should taste a few from each state.  A criteria could be established to determine how wines are selected as representatives of their state.

I salute the experiment and think that it’s certainly a fun way to look at wine in America, maybe even raise more interest in American wine.  But I’m concerned for the inaccurate conclusions that readers may take away from this.  I want to ask the few of you who read my blog to please don’t give up on our local wines even if you come a across a bad one.  Unless the bad one is my own, in which case I expect you to bring it back to me and ask for your money back.

Note that it is not my intention to bash Cape Cod Winery and the people there who I’m sure have no intention to put out crappy wine.

When rain is the enemy of good wine

Early last week I walked through the vineyards in Westport and Dartmouth to evaluate the effect of a total of 5 inches of rain in the previous four days.  Yes, 5 inches... almost as much rain in four days as we got the entire 2007 growing season.  The crop isn't completely lost, and in fact some varietals are doing quite well (Merlot, Cabernet Franc), but it isn't pretty for some of the vineyard blocks.  What are the major impacts of rain during harvest?

Dilution of flavor and sugar in the berries
The vines absorb more water than we would like them to at this stage and the result is that the intensity of flavors is reduced.  Flavor intensity is one of the most important factors in producing good wines.  Sugar is also diluted but that’s not as critical as the loss of flavor since sugar can be added to the juice prior to or during fermentation - a process called Chaptalization.  This correction of the sugar amount in grape juice is usually allowed in cold climate regions like ours where sugar in the grapes may not naturally reach the desired level for good wines to be made.  The French, especially in Burgundy, have been adding sugar to their grape juice for centuries.

The development of rot... Rot = Evil
I could leave it at that, but let me take it a little further.  Wet grape clusters tend to rot especially on tightly closed clusters as in most Pinot varietals.   Rot, even of the noble kind, does not add pleasant flavor to dry wines.  Moreover, berries can burst if they swell beyond the skin's ability to retain all the water which is absorbed.  With the "meat" of the berry exposed to insects and bacteria... it's a disaster in the making.

So, what's a winemaker to do?
Option 1: Pick early.  Yes, sometimes a winemaker and vineyard manager will decide to just go ahead and harvest the grapes the day before the heavy rain.  The problem with this is that sometimes the grapes aren't ripe enough to make good wine.  It's a "play it safe" approach based on the idea that it is better to make some wine than no wine at all.
Option 2: If the decision is made to weather the storm and wait for full ripeness despite all the rain, then extra work has to be done at the winery.  If quality wine is the goal.... the winery has to be very selective when the grapes are finally harvested.  By this I mean that every berry that has developed rot should NOT be included in the making of the wine.  This requires hand picking and hand sorting, a time and money consuming procedure.  Even with the rotten berries removed, we still have to deal with the issue of lack of flavor intensity.  Techniques like draining some of the grape juice from being in contact with the skins (called saigneé) or extending juice to skin contact can be used to try to make the best of it.

That's the price to pay for quality wine to be made in years when mother nature throws at us a pool of water just before harvest.  This off course all comes with heavy financial implications tied to the loss of revenue from sales of either lesser quality wine, or in the worst case... no wine at all to be sold.

This my friends, is another reason why wine is such a special beverage unlike any other liquid we consume.  Next time you fill the glass, think about it... not only is the wine you are drinking a reflection of its natural growing conditions during each individual year, there is no guarantee that the wine made from this vineyard and its vines will be there next year.  This is why most wine labels include the year in which the grapes were grown - it's not just to make it fancy, the year (vintage) does really matter.