100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 12 What is Botrytis Cinerea better known as Noble Rot? Where can I find some?

12. Botrytis Cinerea is what they call a good mold. Noble rot is a mixture of sugar and acid which makes a flavor that comes from the grape being left on the vine to “rot,” get “moldy” and shrivel-up. This concentrates the flavors of sugar, acid and juice in the grape and keeps it contained. It makes for the best dessert wines the world has to offer. In different countries, noble rot is called different things. For instance, in California, it may be called “late harvest”. The grapes are left on the vine longer than the other grapes and the harvest is…well….late. This makes the wine a little more expensive; the ones that also come in the cute little bottles. Sometimes they are even called liquid gold because they may be gold in color with a rich taste. A dessert wine to covet.

Two of my California Late Harvest favorites:

2005 Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest Wine (375mL)

Dolce happens to be one that I have in my stash of great wines. Check out my Dolce pictures on my blog page. “Dolce embraces a deceptively simple philosophy: the pursuit of perfection in the art of late harvest winemaking. Dolce was created in 1985 by the partners of Far Niente. With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine,” according to Dolce. However, with this said, there are other wineries in California that do produce late harvest wines. This wine goes for $85.00 a bottle (375mL), the larger size is sold out.

Another one of my favorites is made by Freemark Abbey and goes for $40.00 a bottle (375mL). Made with 100% White Riesling grapes in 100% stainless steel tanks, 9.8% alcohol and they only produced 259 cases for 2008.

2008 Edelwein Gold Late Harvest Rielsing (375mL)

Vintage and Winemaker's Notes:
Edelwein Gold is a great representation of a heavily botrytised Riesling from Freemark Abbey. The color is golden straw with a slight greenish hue. The aroma overflows the glass with mandarin orange, peach blossoms and apricot with hints of honeysuckle and pear. The mouthfeel is viscous and the flavor full with white peach and apricot laced with honey. The sweet, crisp finish has a beautiful balance that lasts for several minutes on the palate. Enjoy!

Have I made your mouth water? Tell me about your worldwide favorite dessert wines!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 8 The Life Cycle of a California Vine

A California vine goes through a cycle on a yearly basis. Once it is harvested (the grapes have been picked), the leaves will fall to the ground leaving the vine only. The vine is protected from the cold during the winter months which is when it goes through a dormant stage. Pruning determines the quantity of foliage and fruit that the vine will produce. The grape grower controls the amount of grapes grown on each vine by either wanting the plant to yield fewer grapes which is thought to produce higher quality grapes or by producing more grapes to produce more wine; quality versus quantity. The pruning process also determines how the vines will grow.

Once the winter months are over and it is early spring, bud break occurs. This is when the first sign of growth appears on the vine for the new season. In late spring, after bud break, flowers will start to bloom. This stage is called flowering.

Set will occur in late spring or early summer. This is when tiny bunches of green grapes are visible on the vine. Some leaves may be removed to expose the grapes to sunlight. The trellis wires may be adjusted to guide the direction of the vine for optimal quality.

In late summer, early fall during veraison, the grapes will start to show their true color. If they are white grapes, they will turn a yellow-green color and if they are red grapes, you will see a purple or deep purple color. It is at this time where you might see some grape bunches on the ground. This is done on purpose to control the quality of grapes that are left on the vine. Attention needs to be focused on developing grape bunches with a more concentrated flavor. However, if eaten at this time, the grapes will taste very sour. They may not be ready for harvest.

Maturity is the stage that everyone has been waiting for. Fall is the busiest time of year for grape growers. The grapes are less acidic and sweeter tasting. The weather becomes a factor. Acidity and sugar levels will be measured to determine the optimal time for harvesting the grapes. However, the grapes also need to be ripe so that they actually taste like their varietal.

Harvesting takes place when the grapes are perfect and ready for the picking. Hopefully there have been no torrential rains or bad weather that has affected the harvest. If all is well, you have a perfectly balanced grape that tastes and looks like it should.

I would love to hear your nice comments.
Bon Vin!
Veronica