Just a quick pointer today: Stuart Pigott, a German-speaking English Riesling maniac, came across a 1964 encyclopedia of wine written by Frank Schoonmaker and it contains some amazing stats and information, especially on the California wine industry in the 1960s.
Spoiler alert: There were less acres planted with Chardonnay than Riesling in California back then…it’s a very interesting read!
Happy Sunday!
A while back, my blogger friend Jean, the Red Wine Diva, pointed out in a comment that I was decanting quite a lot of my wines. That got me thinking, and doing a bit more research. The classic reason why one decants wine, especially red wine, is to get rid of the sediment that might form in older bottles of wine. Now, because I don’t own any really expensive or fancy or very aged red wines, there seems to be no obvious reason for me to decant.
And yet I do. Especially younger red wines. For me, it makes sense: these wines are often still very closed and tight, with strong tannins that had not time to settle. In my experience, airing them gives them room to expand and show more of their underlying flavors. It is a bit like ageing the wine fast. I know many people use aerators for that, but I have none in my house. I am fine with decanting and waiting. There is also a magic to that.
I also tend to decant older Rieslings (eight years plus) in order to give them some exposure to air so that it can open up after the time in the bottle. It is a delicate balance, just like with older reds, because too much air can kill them, too. So I make a habit of trying the wine first and then deciding whether it needs air or not.
During my research, I found this article by Sandra Jordan (it is an excerpt from her book on decanting) on Epicurean. I thought it summarized the pros and cons quite well. I hope you will find it helpful.
Have a great Sunday, as always!
Sandra Jordan: Why Decant? The Risks and Rewards of a Ritual
I want to return to a topic with this Sunday Read that many outside of Germany, and admittedly even within Germany, usually stare at me blankly or with an amused look on their faces: red wines from Germany. Even more “ridiculous” when you talk about the queen of red grapes, Pinot Noir. But let’s face it: Pinot Noir is at its best in not too hot climates, like Burgundy or Oregon or New Zealand…and Germany. Yes, Germany. I am currently waiting for a shipment of some Pinot Noirs that have been highly praised in Germany (from Guenther Steinmetz) and I am super excited about it. German red wine, and in particular Pinot Noir, has made bounds and leaps ahead and what winemakers have produced is exciting.
So thinks Stuart Pigott, an English transplant into Germany, who has been one of the big storytellers for Riesling and German wine in general, with books like “Wine Speaks German” and tastings, and reviews, and columns in major newspapers. For Wine-Searcher, he wrote a piece on German Pinot Noir.
Give it a try, if you can. Happy Sunday!
the winegetter 