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September 22, 2009

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Media Wine confuses the situation further by strongly condemning the high-tech winemaking, and immediately distribute the highest scores for the wines produced by the methods they so fervently against!

adam

Thank you.

bamby

very good!!

Adam

Jerry,

Let me first say that the quote is not mine. But I do agree with it.

I also agree with your statement. Vintage has much to do with how the farmer approaches the vine. My problem with our current wine community is that no attention is paid to farming.

The key in my mind is the vines water regimen. Lots of water during dormancy and through flowering. After verasion water should be reduced significantly and although often should be minimal amounts. As the temperature increases water should increase slightly. The roots should be forced to search for water in the soil.

Leaf pulling will also help to slow down the accumulation of sugars as it slows down photosynthesis. There are many ways to slow down the ripening of sugars to allow phenolic ripeness to "catch up" to sugar levels.

Different vineyard sites ripen at different times. This has to do with clone selection, weather, soil, water, farming, pruning, and many other factors. If a site can not reach proper phenolic ripeness at 23.5 then maybe it is not a good site for a vineyard. That is part of our understanding
terrior.

Not all athletes are great athletes. If all vineyards were picked at the same sugar levels we would know which vineyards were superior. This scares a lot of people who own expensive land planted with lots of grapes.

Jerry D. Murray

Adam,
You state:
"Well, if winemakers have to make this choice then maybe they planted the wrong grapes to the vineyard site, or just maybe, that particular vineyard site should not be a vineyard!"

I think you make a very good point with this passage but I think you need to consider yet another variable: Vintage. In any wine region there is going to be variation from year to year and statistically that means some years are going to be hot, maybe even "too hot".
How do you reconcile this?

Also you state: ""Phenolic ripeness" is the latest buzzword in the wine industry for those seeking to defend elevated alcohol levels in wine."
Though that is often the case it is not so exclusively. Phenolic ripeness, in the coolest of years, is the most important variable to consider for picking, sometimes you simply aren't going to get to 23.5brix. So to imply it isn't a valuable concept is not entirely correct.

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