Wednesdays with the Winemaker: Blending – The Art of Winemaking Part 1

Welcome back to Wednesdays with the Winemaker. This week's feature is Part 1 of 2 featuring Wine Blending: The Art of Winemaking. Check back next week for part 2. As always, feel free to leave comments and/or questions!

Blending – The Art of Winemaking

Blending is a process of combining different wines to make the final wine better. The goal is to enhance the complexity, improve the balance, or to correct deficiencies in the wine, such as acidity or astringency. Winemakers often use blending to develop a signature blend having a distinctive and unique character.

Blending can be also a way to minimize the effect of vintage variability on the quality of wine. Often times blending is used to minimize vintage to vintage variability and thus maintain the consistency in the tasting profile of the same wines produced in consecutive years.

Chatham Hill Winery is known for its intense and complex varietal wines, wines that express the varietal character and the growing conditions of our region and a particular year. We do not attempt to recreate the previous year’s vintage by all means. We consider vintage to vintage variability as an interesting, educational and fun aspect of wine experience.

There are several approaches to blending that have been used traditionally either singularly or in combination. Grapes from different varieties, growing regions or vintages may be used. Wines may also be blended that have been created using different vinification methods, such as stainless steel fermented and aged wines and wines fermented and aged in oak barrels of differing toast levels and years in use.

The “very” Old World approach to blending involved so called inter-planting. Several different kinds of grapes were grown and harvested together and then fermented together as a blend. Nowadays blending is done a few weeks before bottling using wines that have already been aged. This assures that blending trials will produce results that are very close to the final product.

Wednesdays with the Winemaker: Where are Good Wines Made: the Vineyard or the Winery?

All grapes processed at Chatham Hill Winery are from vineyards operated by my grower partners, currently all of them located in Yadkin Valley. Although I did have written contracts with growers in the past I found them difficult to execute with regard to certain grape parameters. Instead of written contracts I now have partnerships with my growers that we all cherish and do the best possible to produce highest quality grapes and turn them into highest quality wines. My growers are hard working people whose passion to growing excellent grapes equals to my passion to make the best wines from their grapes. And we are in this together through great vintages as well as not so good years in the vineyard. I do not refuse to take what they deliver even if the fruit quality is not at its best due to weather conditions or other factors. However, it must be said that even with 11 years of commercial winemaking under my belt, it is still a challenge for me to turn every harvest into a successful vintage. And as the vines grow older and stronger we continue to learn and improve year after year.

My work with the growers intensifies about six to eight weeks before harvest. First we make sure all the growing parameters are under control. As early as possible we try to estimate the crop size for each vineyard and each variety. This continues to be a challenging task not knowing how much fruit is going to make it to the harvest. Some unevenly developing and God forbid sick clusters will have to be dropped. Some grapes, despite all protection in place, will be lost to deer, birds or other grape loving creatures. Crop estimates are very important for me. I need them to decide if, and if so how much grapes I should secure from other vineyards to meet my production goals.

At the beginning of August I start receiving samples of grapes from my grower partners. My samples are 5 to 6 whole clusters of each variety (not 100 berries as others use) picked from different areas in the vineyard. My analysis includes visual and taste inspection of the skin, juice, and seeds. I measure the pH, total acidity, and sugar level in the juice. From this we can decide if any intervention may be necessary in the vineyard to improve the grape maturing process. As the grapes ripen and the harvest approaches the frequency of sampling increases from once a week to every 2-3 days. Results of my tests, combined with the data gathered from the same or similar vineyard in previous years, give me a pretty reliable indication of the grape maturing process. This data in combination with weather forecasts allows us to make optimal decision when to pick the grapes.

I always wait for the sugar in the juice to reach a “healthy level” which in my vocabulary means that without adding sugar during fermentation I can finish at above 12% alcohol in the finished wine. To get this level one needs at least 21 Brix (which is close to 21% of sugar by weight) in the juice. There are years that as we wait and wait for the sugar to come up the acidity starts dropping down and the pH starts creeping up. For me the pH is the most critical parameter. I can add sugar if needed. I can correct the acidity fairly easily. But lowering the pH to the “healthy level” (3.6 in juice of crushed red grapes and 3.5 for white grape juice) is a very difficult and often impossible task. The intensity of color and tannins in red grape skins is what I carefully evaluate in grapes intended for full body, barrel aged reds. The color of seeds and its uniformity from berry to berry is also a very important indicator of readiness of grapes for harvest. The seeds must be brown or brownish while green color indicates immature grapes which if fermented will produce wines flawed by vegetative flavors.

Our decision when to pick is also strongly influenced by the weather. Quite often we would get an unexpected inch or more of rain the night before we were to pick. When all this water runs down the vineyard water deprived vines and berries pick up water very quickly and the juice gets diluted. If this happens we would often decide to postpone the harvest for a few days to let the grapes loose some of that water by evaporation. But if more rainy days are in the forecast and waiting for sunny weather would increase the risk of a disease or other problems to sneak in, we are forced to decide not to further postpone picking and deal with the grape deficiencies in the winery.

With all this said, let’s try to keep in perspective the statements that the good wines are made in vineyards. Let me conclude that in wine growing regions such as our state, making great wines requires both the excellence in growing grapes and the experience, skills and artistry of the winemaker. And, of course, a lot of cooperation from Mother Nature.

Another review of our winery

A BIG thanks to Amy for this wonderful review of her visit to Chatham Hill. It is our sincere hope that each of our customers have an equally positive and enjoyable experience when they visit our winery!

I had the privilege of watching one of my best friends get married this weekend up in Raleigh, North Carolina. I met her in high school and she has made a huge impact on my life, so it was no chore to take off of work, drive three hours, and watch her marry the man of her dreams. It was a lovely wedding in itself, but I also had a bonus adventure on the way home.

As I was driving home to Charlotte on I40, I drove by my favorite sort of street sign:

As a personal rule, whenever I’m driving on the highway and I see one of these grape signs, and I have more than $10 in my pocket, I drop what I’m doing and take the detour. The first time I got adventurous and followed one, I discovered that these grape signs are telling you that there is a vineyard or a winery nearby—and you don’t need directions to get there. If you take the suggested exit, there will be grape signs at every turn telling you exactly how to get to the winery you’re looking for. Wine tastings are usually between $5-$10 (at least the ones I’ve experienced so far in North Carolina), they are an exciting way to expand your palate, they only take about 15-30 minutes, and usually you get to keep your tasting glass as a souvenir. Unless you are pressed for time, why WOULDN’T you stop for some wine? (For those of you concerned about drinking & driving, there are always spittoons present at a wine tasting and it is perfectly acceptable to spit—you don’t have to drink it to taste it!) Seriously, next time you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, keep your eyes peeled for a grape sign—they’re more common than you’d expect, and they certainly take the monotony out of the drive.

Anyway, so I found one, and I followed it.

I had a hard time actually locating the winery at first, because a grape sign was telling me to turn into some sort of business park. I thought, “That can’t be right,” and kept on driving, and there were no more grape signs to be seen. I turned around, thinking that coming from the other direction the signs would be more clear, but nope— the grape sign was still telling me to turn into a business park. I thought again, “This can’t be right,” but I turned in anyway, and much to my surprise, the winery really was in the business park. From the outside it might have looked like any other office building, except for the fact that it had bistro tables outside where some ladies were chatting, and a vibrant little sign on the sidewalk announcing Wine Club Pick-up & upcoming events.

Inside, the urban winery has made excellent use of their space. There are more tables inside where friends and family can sit and order some cheese and a glass of wine, and there is also wi-fi available. Clearly, Chatham Hill Winery has put a lot of energy into creating a great atmosphere, and they want you to hang out and enjoy it. The main room led straight into their beautiful barrel room, which visually warmed up the space and made me forget for a second that I was in a business park. The tasting counter is in the forefront of the main room, and I was greeted immediately. As I realized I was still in my bridesmaid’s dress, I explained that I was on my way back to Charlotte from a wedding & was interested in a tasting and a tour.

She led me to the back room of the winery where the tour had just started, and I got to see their huge stainless steel vats, barrels, filters, and bottling equipment. I learned all sorts of things— for instance, it only takes about two and a half days for grapes to arrive by truck to North Carolina from California (I thought that was impressive), and the reason why Pinot Noir grapes don’t grow so well in North Carolina is because our growing season is shorter than that of more ideal locations like the West Coast, and Pinot Noir grapes need that extra time to develop. Our guide, Nancy, was eager to answer our questions, and after the tour was over, she led us back to the counter in the main room for a tasting.

The tasting was $10, and I could get $2 off of the tasting if I bought a bottle of wine. I always buy at least one bottle (a gratitude bottle) from every winery I visit, so this wasn’t a necessary incentive, but I appreciated it. :)

Nancy poured us nine wines: Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Syrah, rosé, peach wine, and Rubio—a semi-sweet blend of Carignan & Ruby Cab. I won’t bore you with a million tasting notes, but these are the most memorable bits:

• Their Pinot Grigio was like biting into a pineapple.
• Their Chardonnay sat in second-year French oak for 8 months. I was overwhelmed with a LOT of vanilla on the nose, so I expected to taste a whole lot of oak, but the oak was actually under control and complimented rather than overpowered the fruit.
• Their rosé was interesting because it was a little stinky— I got mildew on the nose, and melon on the finish. I don’t even know how that happened.
• I had never had a Cabernet Franc before, but theirs was really full. It had a full bouquet, it was hearty and earthy with black fruit flavors, and it had probably the longest finish out of all of their wines.

I ended up buying a bottle of their award-winning Cab Franc for my mom, because she prefers dryer, earthier flavors rather than super-sweet fruit flavors, and I wasn’t sure she’d had a Cab Franc before. I also wanted to do something nice for my mom because she is awesome, and she sacrifices so much for me that I could never even begin to repay. If you haven’t done anything nice out of gratitude for your mom lately, why not? She brought you life.

After paying for my wine & the tasting, I stuck around for a little bit and chatted with Nancy. She has had a lot of experience in wine— she started out working for a winery in California, and she has had nine years of experience at Chatham Hill Winery. I told her I was only 22 and had a lot to learn about wine, and she was so excited to answer my questions and help me learn. I loved picking her brain, and before I left she shook my hand, learned my name, and invited me back again. As I left, one of the other ladies who worked there held the door for me on my way out.

Needless to say, my adventure at Chatham Hill Winery was the best part of the drive home. Despite the fact that they were a little confusing to find, they knocked it out of the park with excellent customer service and an inviting atmosphere. Their prices were great, their wines were tasty, and I will definitely return again next time I’m in the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area!

Pinot GREEN-Gio @ Chatham Wine Tasting

Chatham Hill Winery is being talked about again! Check it out: Pinot GREEN-Gio @ Chatham Wine Tasting

Tips from Nancy: Dessert in a Glass

This week, Nancy shares a quick and easy dessert for guests (or a delightful treat for yourself mid-week). “Dessert in a Glass” starts by melting a rich high cocoa chocolate in the microwave: watch closely so it does not burn! Next, take a wine glass, coat the rim in the chocolate, and let dry. Pour chilled Chatham Hill Sweet Carolina Raspberry or Strawberry into the glass. Sip and enjoy! This is so fast and easy, yet your company will be impressed!

Nancy has been at Chatham Hill for 9 years, but she was a wine club member prior to joinging the staff. Nancy moved here from California where she worked for Thomas Fogarty Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She has two sons: Richard, 27 (who happens to be Marek’s cellar assistant) and Charles, 24. In her spare time, Nancy is an avid reader and wine drinker!

Wine Compass Blog: A Secret Garden & Chatham Hill Winery

Keeping in mind that we here at Chatham Hill are very new to the blogosphere, I have been reading many other top rated wine blogs to see what our readers may be interested in for our blog. While cruising the interwebs, I discovered this very complimentary, albeit a little dated, blog about our winery. Enjoy!

Wine Compass Blog: A Secret Garden & Chatham Hill Winery: "This past weekend I was able to visit two very good, but completely different wineries near Raleigh, North Carolina. The first, A Secret Ga..."

Wednesdays with the Winemaker: New Releases!

2009 Syrah: This is our first production of the North Carolina Syrah. Prior to this release our Syrah was made from grapes brought here all the way from the Lawson Vineyards in Lodi, California. We were using those out of state grapes while waiting for the Syrah grapes grown in the Yadkin Valley vineyards to reach the quality that would meet our standards at Chatham Hill. And finally, in 2009 Von Johnson and his brother managed to grow very good Syrah grapes in their Winnbrose Vineyard. A small quantity received, less than two tons, nevertheless a very promising NC fruit. It was clear from the early tests of the grape samples before harvest that our young NC Syrah is no old vine CA Syrah. Therefore, we knew right away that it would be very risky to apply the same vinification method we used for the CA Syrah. We decided to use a different strain of yeast and different fermentation conditions to intensify the fruit character and reduce the build up of the vegetative components in the wine. The goal was to produce a lighter, fruitier Syrah, i.e. a different style wine than our earlier, CA grape based Syrah wines. Let us know if you think we accomplished that goal.

The wine is age worthy, i.e. it will keep improving in the bottle for at least two years. Enjoy it now and save a few bottles for later to discover its more complex flavors as it matures in the bottle.

Tasting Notes: Berry and earthy aromas with a touch of plum. Bright cherry flavors with hints of orange, cranberry, and peppercorn. Well balanced fruit and tannins. Flavors filled with black berries, light oak and a touch of pepper supported by mellow tannins and soft acidity. Dry finish with good acidity and fruit to support a long aftertaste.

Food Pairing: Try with lightly spiced chili, slow cooker beef stew, or a lamb casserole.

Note: We produced only 42 cases of this wine most of which was allocated for this club release. The rest will be available to our Club Members ONLY until March 15.

2009 Merlot: This is a new vintage of our Yadkin Valley Merlot. The wine was crafted from ripe Merlot grapes grown in the Winnbrose Vineyard. After arriving at the winery the grapes were crushed and cold soaked overnight. Fermentation was carried out at room temperature in open top fermenters using a French yeast culture, Fermol Premier Cru. This special yeast enhanced the complexity and intensified the varietal character of the wine.

Age worthy, will keep improving in the bottle for at least four years. To enjoy it now use a decanter or aerator to boost up the intensity of flavors and aromas of this young wine. Save a few bottles for later to discover its more complex flavors as it matures in the bottle.

Tasting Notes: The nose is sweet black cherry with a touch of mint and chocolate, and subtle notes of vanilla. Rich and dry. Mellow tannins with hints of almonds and chocolate minty flavors on the finish.

Food Pairing: Serve with lighter beef dishes, pork, and mild to medium hard cheeses. Great with a spicy turkey burger. Note: This wine was bottled only over a month ago. Although it drinks well now, especially with help of a decanter or aerator, we recommend holding on to your bottle for at least a month or two before opening. Additional ageing in the bottle will result in more balanced flavors and longer and smoother finish.

Sweet Carolina White: Our long time club members may remember our earlier releases of Sweet Carolina White. We stopped making it while turning to additional flavors of Sweet Carolina fruit-infused wines. Well, since then we heard from many club members and customers that they missed our fruity and refreshing Sweet Carolina White. So here we are, relentless with our mission to please our customers, reintroducing the Sweet Carolina White wine. The wine has enough sweetness to satisfy our sweet wine lovers while offering our semi-sweet and dry wine drinkers something to enjoy a sip of with desert or after dinner. Let us know what you think about this wine.

Tasting Notes: This semi-sweet delight starts off with grapefruit, lime and pale melon aromas. It continues with peach, nectarine, and honeysuckle flavors. Fresh, clean and mellow finish with notes of honeysuckle and peach.

A Wine Complement: Bacon-wrapped Shrimp

This Food and Wine Pairing comes from Georgette Charles: Chatham Hill employee, author of Yummy Without the Tummy, Science-lover, and a foodie with a passion for trying and developing recipes, traveling, and social activities.

According to Georgette: "This is a quick and easy pairing. Chatham Hill Riesling would be awesome with this. Give it a try and let me know what you think ;) Check out this recipe and try it for your next gathering."

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Ingredients

Turkey Bacon (Jennie-O or Butterball)
Medium-sized Shrimp (frozen)
Red Pepper Flakes
No-salt added Season Blend (Trader Joe's)

Recipe:
(1) Spray a baking sheet with canola oil. Preheat oven to 350F.
(2) Cut turkey bacon into halves or thirds.
(3) Wrap shrimp with the turkey bacon, with the ends tucked underneath.
(4) Assemble wrapped shrimp on a tray.
(5) Dash red pepper flakes and seasoning blend to your liking.
(6) Bake for 20-30 min until you have reached your desired level of crispiness.

Tips from Nancy: Olfaction (Smell) and Wine

Welcome to our newest edition to the Chatham Hill Winery Blog: "Tips from Nancy". Every Friday, we will post a quick tip from Nancy. Her expertise will help you make the most out of you wine drinking experience just in time for the weekend! This week's quick tip: Olfaction and Wine.

When tasting wines, concentrate on the bouquet of the wine. Smelling the wine is just as important as tasting the wine. You may not know that focusing on the bouquet will actually help you taste many more complexities in the wine. Smell and taste are two senses that are so closely related that smelling the wine is step that must not be missed.

"Of the five senses, smell is the most acute, approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than the sense of taste. As a result, what is termed flavor is influenced by roughly 75% smell (olfaction) and 25% taste (gustation) in healthy individuals." (http://www.winepros.org/wine101/sensory_guide.htm)

Wednesdays with the Winemaker: Where are your grapes?

Some of you asked: "What happened to last week's installment of Wednesdays with the Winemaker?" Well, first: thanks for noticing its absence. We are thrilled that you are keeping up with our little, but growing, blog! Secondly, let me apologize. I was moving last week, and you know how that goes...

This week's blog from Marek was written by Marek. This is an article that he wrote for the Winemaker's Column for the Spring 2011 edition of Wine Press magazine. This article address the number first question we at Chatham Hill are always asked: "Where are your grapes?" As always, leave any questions or comments for Marek below, so he may address them in a future blog.


As those familiar with the North Carolina wine landscape may know, Chatham Hill is a “vineyardless” winery which simply means that we do not grow our own grapes for our wines. It is through our long-term partnerships with growers that we work with during the growing season and at harvest that enable us to have our grapes delivered to our winery.

We are often asked why Chatham Hill’s founders determined this model of operation and what impact has this had on sourcing our grapes since our inception in 1999.
First let's look at the myth common among wine consumers: most wineries make wines from grapes they grow themselves. Although that perception is relentlessly cultivated by many wineries with vineyards, the real percentage of wineries using grapes primarily from their own vineyards is relatively small. Even more revealing, most so-called cult wines, as well as many higher end, super-premium wines (over $100/bottle), are made from grapes from vineyards that the winemakers do not operate or control. If one travels to any of the large wine regions, one would see acres upon acres of vineyards without a winery in sight. These grapes are grown and then sold to wineries throughout the region and this has been done for hundreds of years. Although it is challenging to grow magnificent grapes, it is equally, if not more challenging, to make great wines from grapes you do not grow yourself. This model of operation affords a winery flexibility in numerous areas.

Establishing a vineyard is a complex, elaborate, extended and risky process. Selection of the site, unless you are limited to the land you already own, is a big challenge. In addition to consideration of the composition and drainage of the soil, one must also consider rainfall, temperature profiles of the seasons as well as day-to-night differentials; the population of grape-loving deer and birds; and also the susceptibility of local vegetation to hosting vine-killing microbes and insects, to name a few. All of these issues are within the realm of knowledge and expertise of the wine grape grower and farmer. One only has to look at any larger winery that grows its own grapes to see that the growing and winemaking are overseen by two different people, the Vineyard Manager and the Winemaker, and are often run as two independent business operations. The winery sources grapes from the vineyard which is very similar to how Chatham Hill and its grower partners operate.

Another clear advantage is that under this model of operation, a winery can add new varieties to production relatively quickly and inexpensively which is not the case if a winery has to rely on the grapes growing in their own vineyard.

What is extremely important, as in any business relationship, is communication and similar commitment to the end result, enjoyable, sellable and even award-winning wines. Another requirement to this type of partnership is the commitment the winery and grower have to one another. That is, Chatham Hill commits to our growers that they can rely on us to continue to purchase their grapes as they commit to us to provide us grapes each year. This commitment cannot be over stressed and is what has allowed Chatham Hill to produce wine with consistency.

Back in 1997, my former partners and I considered starting a commercial winery. None of us had any training or experience, with the exception of my thirty years of home winemaking. We quickly realized that with limited capital and the challenges that establishing a vineyard would impose, a much better option would be a winery first. We decided to start by working with small but well established — i.e. older — vineyards in the western part of the state.

Perhaps later when an opportunity arose, we could add the grape growing component. Thus sourcing of high quality North Carolina grapes and making the best wine became one of my main objectives and passions.

It took me two long years, after two short harvests, to “experiment” (I am, afterall, a scientist by education) with making wines using six different grape varieties acquired from five vineyards located in what later became the Yadkin Valley appellation. Limited to 200 gallons per year — which our alcohol laws allow residents to make without a license — and equipped with several carboys, a 50-gallon stainless steel tank, two secondhand barrels and very simple crush equipment, I started my experiment. My goal was to determine which vineyards I could buy grapes to produce high quality, award-winning wines. As it turned out, just about all of the wines I made in those two years showed very good potential for developing into a commercial quality product. This gave us assurance that we could build a winery business relying on other folks' North Carolina grapes. By the 1999 harvest, after long and exhausting months of setting up the operation, I was ready to receive our first grapes for commercial production at Chatham Hill Winery.

And here is where the journey began.

Our Peach Sangria Inspires a Blog Post!

We were thrilled to find Chatham Hill Winery mentioned in yet another blog. This time, the blogger, Anna, has features our Sweet Carolina Peach Sangria. Anna is a big supporter of all things North Carolina, and we thank her for supporting NC wines! Check out her blog here:

http://flowergardengirl.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/frosty-peach-sangria/

The attached picture was taken from her blog, and is from the NC Wine Festival at Tanglewood Park: one of the many wine festivals we attend each year.