The Old, the New and yet to be!
September 13th, 2010We all know that wine has been around for a very long time. Archaeological studies indicate that wine was first produced about 6,000 B.C. in present day Georgia and Iran. Although fossil vines that are 60 million years old are evidence of grapes, the first written record of viniculture is actually found in the Old Testament with Noah planting a vineyard and making wine.
An ancient Persian fable credits a Princess with the actual “discovering of wine”. Apparently a Princess who fell out of favour with the King attempted suicide by eating spoiled grapes. However, after eating them, she became intoxicated and fell asleep. When she woke up, the Princess’s conduct was so noticeably improved that she regained her father’s favour and he decreed that his court would begin production of “spoiled grapes”.
Around 2,500 B.C. the Egyptians improved wine making methods with the pruning of vines and cellaring of wine in jars at cool temperatures to avoid spoilage. For centuries, the Greeks made further developments in the quality of wine. The Romans contributed greatly to the evolution of wine by classifying different varietals, identifying diseases and establishing agricultural methods such as fertilization and irrigation. They were also the first to use wooden barrels to age and ship wine.
I doubt if we would have enjoyed these ancient wines. Much was left to chance, especially with the reliance on wild yeasts that could cause unpredictable fermentations. The off-flavours produced would not be acceptable today.
We now have traditional wine-making methods alongside modern techniques that stem from advancements in genetics, microbiology and viniculture. There are wines hand-crafted in small batches as well as huge factories that produce thousands of gallons at a time. Each method follows the same fundamentals of wine making. Both rely on the blending of juices and concentrates from outside their local areas. Commercial wineries ferment, rack, filter and bottle their wines using the same principles as Carafe albeit on a massive scale.
There has been much going on behind the scenes in wine-making since the inception of the Carafe WineMakers concept 20 years ago. Although prices have risen more or less with the rate of inflation, the quality we now offer has gone up tremendously! Our ingredients now routinely come from grape growing regions all over the world. Along with them, has come the need for us to adapt to their special characteristics.
To make wine in relatively small batches (and each batch is unique!) requires us to follow specific procedures and pay careful attention to detail. Due to the incredible evolution of wine making in the past few years, Carafe now brings you wine-making that incorporates much of the technological advances of the large wineries. A good example is the use of grape skin packs. This year, we have expanded our selection of red wines utilizing the age old tradition of fermenting grape juice together with crushed grape solids from the vineyard. When you pour the contents of our skin packs into the juice you see virgin skins, seeds, a few stems and even the odd bit of leaf – all natural elements of winery-crushed grapes from a healthy vineyard. Fermenting the juice on the crushed skins enhances the aromatic compounds, colour and tannin of the juice. Taste tests tell us that wine made with skin packs have more intense flavours and aging potential. These wines show greater fruit intensity balanced with more tannin structure, producing a rich, complex full bodied wine. If you haven’t tried one of these wines yet, we know you will be pleasantly surprised!
By Popular Demand!