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By Dan Mouer
A local home winemaker friend remarked to me recently that his red kit wines all had a certain “sameness” to them. I agree with this assessment. Rather than being truly distinguished by varietal characteristics and variations brought about by vintage or grape source (what the French call “terroir”), many of the wines seem to aim at, and achieve, certain levels and types of flavors, aromas, and mouthfeel that allows us to readily identify them as “kit wines,” even before we can guess at the grape variety or wine style. My friend went on to note that, while many of the better kits make very good red wines, few are really distinctive, let alone thrilling. I agree with that statement as well.
Traditionally, red wines varied dramatically across vintage, grape type, and grape source. Those familiar with French wines know that two tiny plots, adjacent to each other, in the very same vineyard, may produce very different wines! Likewise, the variation from one year to another can be extreme. Nobody would mistake traditional Bordeaux claret for Burgundy. The style of wine made from the Syrah grape in the Rhone Valley of eastern France is distinctly different from the wines made from the same grape in southern and southeastern Australia, where it is known as “Shiraz.” The traditional red-wine world is filled with examples that run the gamut from very light to very dark, fruity to vinous, fairly sweet to bone dry, from light-bodied to huge, and each with its own distinctive blend of spices, minerals, and esters in its flavor and aroma. And yet red wines from kits often tend to converge on a “middling” level of color, body, and character that makes them somewhat anonymous. There are certainly some stylistic differences, but they seem far subtler than those in the traditional wine world.
Note that I keep using the term “traditional.” In the past 20 years or so, there have emerged certain “international” styles of wine, and the vast majority of wines on the American mass market tend to aim for these stylistic norms. California set out to mimic French wines, and now much of the world tries to mimic California wines. As Australian Shiraz becomes more and more popular, California and French winemakers tend to make their Syrah in the Aussie fashion, and even start calling it “Shiraz.” In other words, the trend to “sameness” in red wines is not simply a characteristic of kit wines, but rather of all mass marketed products. Commercial winemakers making wines to sell in the $5-$25 a bottle range are all going after their own tiny slice of a huge market-share pie, and so they compete against each other to try to hit THE style that will sell the most cases of wine.
On the other hand, hardcore wine aficionados (okay, call us wine “snobs,” if you like), seek out unique bottles, understanding that each vintage of each vineyard is a unique event. Different winemakers can likewise use their own skills and knowledge to make distinctive wines that bear their maker’s signature characteristics. Unfortunately, appreciating the unique qualities of individual bottles often (but not always) requires paying more that $25—sometimes lots more.
Kit wine manufacturers simply cannot afford to make wines to appeal to wine snobs. They are trying to compete for their slice of market share by making wines that are similar to those you buy in the grocery store. What makes them different is that you get to have a hand in making them and your total investment per bottle may be just $5 or less! And for that you get a good, but not a great bottle of wine. But this just begs the question: can we improve them? We certainly can! By learning to be winemakers rather than kit-mixers, we can add individuality and extra character to red wines from kits. Watch next month’s column for some ideas on how to go about it.
When wines are stored at chilled temperatures for a while, they may cast off a sediment of crystals known variously as “sand,” “gravel,” or “diamonds. These yellow-tan deposits consist primarily of tartrates, especially potassium bitartrate, which cooks know as “cream of tartar.” They are more likely to be noticed in white wines than reds, because the former are more likely to be chilled, and the darker wine obscures the deposits. The wine diamonds do not in any way harm the wine, nor do they indicate problems with the wine or faulty winemaking practices. However, for aesthetic purposes, many winemakers make a practice of “cold stabilizing” their wines—especially whites.
This requires setting bulk storage vessels (e.g., carboys) in a cold cellar, garage, or spare refrigerator for a few weeks. The idea is to hold the wine at temperatures in the 30s or 40s. This will precipitate the tartrates. If your wine was overly acidic to begin with, cold stabilization will also drop the total acidity, and probably raise the Ph, leading to a mellower, easier-drinking wine.
If you should decide to cold stabilize your wines, be sure to place them where the temperature will not fluctuate too much, and where the wine will not be subject to freezing. Kit wines are pre-stabilized by the manufacturers, and are not usually likely to throw off “diamonds” in the fridge.
Kudos to Williamsburg Winery for their 2002 Viognier. Viognier is quickly becoming one of the real stars of the Virginia winemaking industry. If you aren’t familiar with this grape and the attractive white wines it produces, The Williamsburg 2002 is an excellent introduction. The 2002 vintage was a great one for Virginia, and the WW Viognier is full of ripe, luscious, peach-and-mango type flavors and aromas. This is a single-vineyard offering; the grapes came from Dr. Gert Hasselhof’s Weingarten in Essex County, a well-run estate producing 140 tons of Vitis vinifera grapes, including some unusual varieties. The wine is a bit pricey—as are most of the better viogniers from Virginia and elsewhere—a bit over $25 a bottle. It’s not easy to find, either. So far I’ve only located it at Corks and Kegs, in Henrico County at the intersection of Three Chopt and Patterson Roads. I’ve got my money down to bet this wine will win some medals—maybe even the next Governor’s Cup!