Our next tasting will feature wines from Napa Valley!

What makes Napa Valley so special?

The short answer to that is “pure luck.” And, pure luck translates into a great combination of soil and climate for wine grapes. The conditions are so favorable for growing wine grapes that a grower could almost do a poor job of farming and still get pretty good results.

But, most growers and winemakers there aren’t content with “pretty good.” They want to grow great grapes and make wonderful wine! So, the third, key element is people. People who are fanatical about what they do. Any winemaker will tell you that if the vineyard grows superlative fruit, they are 90% of the way home. Their job is to try not to mess it up.

The fact that the valley is small and produces only 4% of California’s wine adds to the “luck” when it comes to demand. If you look at the most famous winegrowing regions worldwide, the soils aren’t alike. Grapes are hearty and adaptable. But, they have some key things in common. The soils are usually well drained and not particularly good. You’ll find gravel in Bordeaux, chalk in Champagne and slate in the Mosel.

Napa Valley soils are diverse.

 Over the last 10 million years, massive collisions of the earth’s crust created the mountains and valleys in Napa Valley. Repeated volcanic eruptions spewed rock, lava and ash, and created some of the small knolls you see as you drive through the valley. Changing sea levels sent flood waters in and out of the valley, depositing layers of sedimentary clay and sand of vastly different ages. 

The valley is just over 30 miles long and up to four miles wide at the widest point. So, the two very different mountain ranges that form the valley have a major influence on the composition of the valley floor.

Overall, the soils are considered moderately fertile, so the response is to be rather stingy with the water and fertilizer. Years can go by between boosting the nitrogen or potassium.

Climate

The San Pablo Bay, at the southern end of the valley is the key to the climate. Most days of the growing season tend to be warm but, the breeze picks up late in the day and the fog moves in during the evening, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The marine influence decreases as you move north through the valley, which explains why it’s suitable for many different varieties. Heat-loving varieties dominate the middle and northern areas and varieties that do best in cool conditions are concentrated in the south. 

All winemakers want the same thing.

Growers and producers worldwide want to have just enough sun to get the grapes ripe and not too much more. And, every region has complaints. In Napa Valley, they worry about too much heat. In Burgundy, they worry about not enough. Everyone worries about rain at harvest. It’s best if it’s dry.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018

Evergreen Community Center

3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

7:00

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

 The cost for members or guests

$30

Please reply before March 8, 2019 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

Don’t forget to visit the website for directions, useful tips, and recipes.

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Guests Are Welcome!

GUESTS ARE WELCOME!

Welcome to Napa Valley

Napa Valley is one of the United States’ premier winemaking regions. The area, which is still dominated by family-owned wineries, attracts all types of wine lovers, from novices to collectors.

History

George Yount first planted grapes in 1839 and was soon followed by other settlers who brought Vitis Vinifera to the region. In 1861, Charles Krug established what is considered the first commercial winery and led the charge for future companies, many of which still operate today, such as Schramsberg, Beringer, and Inglenook.

The wine boom soon imploded: a surplus of grapes, the invasion of phylloxera (a pest that decimates vines) in the vineyards, and Prohibition nearly destroyed almost a century’s worth of work. Luckily, winemakers began rebuilding Napa Valley once Prohibition was repealed.

While Napa Valley was gaining recognition domestically, it was largely dismissed by the rest of the world. The famous Judgement of Paris, where Chateau Montelena ‘s chardonnay and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars cabernet sauvignon beat out Burgundies and Bordeaux in a blind tasting, quickly changed that, and Napa Valley Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons were shot into the spotlight. These signature grapes still dominate the landscape, but the next generation of winemakers are experimenting with a range of varieties and giving new energy to this popular region.

Lay of the Land

Napa Valley was established as California’s first AVA in 1981. Now 16 sub AVAs, each with its own unique characteristics, comprise the larger region. Surprisingly, Napa Valley is only 30 miles long and a few miles wide and has only one-sixth the vineyard acreage as Bordeaux. Follow the Silverado Trail, constructed in 1852, which links the town of Napa and Calistoga. You could get whiplash by reading all the famous names, like Duckhorn and Clos du Val that you pass along the way. West of the Silverado trail is the St. Helena Highway, another major road full of prestigious wineries such as Grgich Hills, Long Meadow Ranch, and Cakebread Cellars. In total, there are about 475 wineries and 700 grape growers in Napa Valley.

As one of the most tourist-friendly wine destinations in the world, many wineries create multi-sensory experiences in their beautiful tasting rooms. Better yet, some don’t require appointments. Whether you set a strict itinerary, or just follow your instincts, you’re sure to discover something new and surprising.

What to Drink

Cabernet Sauvignon

As the saying goes, “Cabernet is King” in Napa; 50% of vineyards are planted with this popular international variety. It’s often produced in a rich and lush style, with flavors of fruit, cocoa, and leather. Tannins are usually prominent but soften as the wine ages. Cooler sites may produce leaner styles of this Napa Valley favorite.

Chardonnay

The term “California Chardonnay” denotes a certain style of Chardonnay; malolactic fermentation and oak use give this wine distinct and popular buttery and creamy flavors. In more recent years, producers have been pulling back on the oak and malolactic to allow the terroir and fruit to shine through. Today, Napa Valley Chardonnay runs the gamut in style; the fun is in tasting through the options from different wineries to find your favorite.

Merlot

This grape took a hit after it was disparaged in Sideways (which took place in Santa Barbara County, not Napa Valley) but it’s seeing a resurgence in popularity. Known for its dense fruit and soft tannins, drinkers are rediscovering how pleasurable this red grape can be.

Sauvignon Blanc

Napa’s “other” white (“other” meaning 6% of total plantings compared to chardonnay’s 15%), this wine takes it cues from major Sauvignon Blanc regions, such as the Loire and New Zealand, but the fruit is pure Napa. Highly aromatic with good minerality, wineries find their own unique expressions, from lean and flinty to round and broad.

Pinot Noir

Although Pinot Noir is more closely associated with Sonoma County, vineyards in certain microclimates in Napa Valley have success with this delicate grape. Denser, riper berry notes and a fuller body make Napa Pinots distinct from what you’d find in cooler climates, but they showcase a personality all their own.

Zinfandel

The third most planted variety in California, Zinfandel comprises only 3% of Napa’s plantings. It’s big, it’s outgoing, but some of the best examples comes from Napa vineyards.

Along with these six varieties, many other grapes make their way into the vineyards, such as Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, and Chenin Blanc.

With fantastic vineyard views, high-quality wines, and an overwhelming sense of hospitality, it’s easy to understand why Napa Valley is top of the mind for so many wine drinkers.

National Drink Wine Day

Grapes ferment themselves.

If you put some grapes into a bucket and keep them warm, they'll turn into wine all by themselves. The yeast that lives on the grape skins produces wine automatically. It may not be good wine, but it's wine.

Because of this process, historians, botanists and other wine experts agree that wine was the first alcoholic beverage discovered by prehistoric groups. They believe that the first wine was discovered, tasted, and then deliberately produced about 6,000 years ago.

Grapes may have made the first beer.

If wine wasn't the first alcoholic beverage, then the yeast from grapes was used to make the first beer. In history as in the bar, wine has its fans and beer has its fans, and some historians believe people made beer before they made wine.

The skin of the grapes proved to be essential in this process. The foam of the skin of fermenting grapes is a catalyst to fermenting honey, fruits and barley, which is the start of a good beer.

Wine saved people from diseased water.

The first clear health benefit of wine was that it saved growing populations from the diseases caused by bad water. Any time large groups of people settled in an area, the water, left untreated, went bad. People start dying of dysentery, cholera and botulism as more people moved in and contaminated the water supply.

Wine doesn't kill you. In fact, the high alcohol content from fermentation kills bacteria. You can get 15 percent alcohol by volume in your wine without really working at it, and that's a lifesaving formula.

Wine may have helped bring down the Roman Empire.

We all know how much the Romans loved their wine (watch any gladiator movie and you’ll see the wine flowing).

Over the years, historians have postulated that the Romans' practice of boiling ingredients for wine in lead pots contributed to lead poisoning in the ruling class. The Romans would boil un-fermented grape juice to concentrate the sugar, and then they would add the sweet syrup to lower quality wines and sell them to the rich. Lead poisoning causes brain damage and infertility, among other things. Not every historian buys into this theory, but wine induced brain damage in the ruling class certainly wouldn't have helped the empire.

Wine tours almost top Disneyland.

In California, wine country tours are second only to Disneyland in popularity with tourists. According to the California Wine Institute, more than 14 million people visit the California wine regions each year. Of course, wine is grown in 48 out of 58 counties in the state.

Granted, not all those visitors are expert wine tasters, but the popularity of the tours has spurred wineries to offer not only tasting rooms and restaurants, but also music, art shows and theater. In tourism, as in many things, the wine serves as the catalyst.

Vatican City has the highest per capita wine consumption.

According to Trade Data and Analysis, the 932 residents of Vatican City consumed more than 18.5 gallons of wine per capita in 2014, followed by Luxembourg, whose 500,000 residents drank 14.3 gallons per capita.

Of course, the low populations of these countries push those ratios higher. And it's fair to say that no children live within the borders of Vatican City. But there are smaller countries such as Andorra and the Cayman Islands who come in lower on that list.

So what's the deal? Remember that the sacramental wine is a cornerstone of ceremony in the Catholic Church. If Vatican City ever dropped out of first place, that would be a bigger story.

Don’t sniff the wine cork.

The cork is actually for examination. If you have the good fortune to sit down in a restaurant with a wine steward, you're not going to make a very good impression by sniffing the cork when he hands it to you.

In truth, he's presenting you the cork to examine. Check to see if it's all in one piece. A fragmented or moldy cork might mean a lower quality wine. With the best wines, the cork will display the date and other information, as well.

Women get drunker on wine than men.

This is because women have less of an enzyme in the stomach to metabolize wine. Men have more of the enzyme that degrades alcohol, and, in general, men can safely consume twice the amount of alcohol as women because of this and other metabolic differences.

Of course, women enjoy more protection from alcohol related liver disease if they simply eat while they drink. So if you're going to open a bottle, maybe it's wise to keep some snacks on hand, too.

Most modern European wines are derived from American vines.

The English appreciation for botany in Victorian times led to bringing in American grapes to botanical gardens. Those cuttings contained an insect that attacks the roots of grape vines. The bug spread throughout Europe and destroyed nearly all native vineyards.

Soon after the blight started, a botanist from Texas suggested grafting roots of American vines that are resistant to the pests onto the European vines. By some accounts, every plant in Europe was grafted. Of course, those vines also imported non-native mold and fungus to the European plants, and some native species went extinct.

Global warming may have an impact on wine production.

Scientists issued a report in 2006 that said rising temperatures could make Napa Valley unsuitable for growing several types of premium grapes.

A more recent study by scientists at Stanford University suggested that farmers will still be able to grow the grapes, but not in California. The study, which assumes an increase in temperature of 2 degrees F in the next 30 years, suggests that the growing of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes could shift to the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Walla Walla Valley in Washington.

The growers need a temperature of about 68 degrees F for the most delicate grapes. In this latest study, they found that we won't lose the wines, but that they may no longer be the crown jewels in the offerings of California growers.

It was the perfect evening for Fortified Wine!

Last evening, our tasting was presented by wine guru extraordinaire, John Eld, and what a presentation it was!  We tasted five different fortified wines from five different countries.  As usual, John paired them with five wonderful foods.  As was appropriate for the Valentine’s holiday, they were “perfect pairs”!  Thank you, John, for a interesting and informative presentation.

The foods were prepared by Mary Eld, Pat Germanoski, and Santina Balistriere.  These volunteer hosts outdid themselves!  We had (literally) everything from soup to nuts!  And, of course, our thanks to the Dering Duo, Kevin and Bob Dering, for procuring and pouring the wines!

Hartley and Gibson Fino Sherry – Jerez, Spain  NV

Product Code: 77354  $13.99 (750 ml)

Blandy’s 5 Year Verdelho Madiera – Madiera, Portugal

Product Code: 11231  $24.99 (750 ml)

Achaia Cellars Mavrodaphne of Patras – Peloponnese, Greece

Product Code: 4605  $14.99 (750 ml)

Chapelle St. Arnoux Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2017 – Rhone Valley, France

Product Code: 76089  $14.99 (350 ml)

Florio Sweet Marsala – Marsala, Sicilia, Italia

Product Code: 4635  $12.99 (750 ml)

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