Readers ask
We always get questions from our readers, wine consumers and our shop customers. We appreciate them. It shows that wine consumers are still tuned in to the weekly column. Lately, with more folks pursuing unmanipulated and organic foods, even alcoholic beverages including wine are getting more attention in that regard.
Lately we have had some customers asking for vegan wine. While we always attempt to answer the question thoroughly, it is at times difficult to know for sure. Almost all wine is vegan, with no animal products present. Having said that, one of the ways that wine is fined is with egg whites. Fining is one of the methods for removing grape solids from the wine, an alternative to filtering. Egg whites accomplish the task by attaching the grape solids and dragging them to the bottom of the barrel. The remaining wine is then pumped off the accumulated solids. So even in the rare circumstance when egg whites are still used, the wine doesn’t contain any egg white. The best way to be sure if this is a concern for you is to buy wine that is unfined. Your favorite wine professional should be able to confirm this.
Some wine consumers are pursuing certified organic wines. The certified organic designation for wine grapes is a very high bar to clear. This has led most growers to pursue the “sustainable” designation for their wine grapes. When I worked at Balletto Vineyards, John Balletto was always in favor of the sustainable tag. I will tell you from watching John that his practices are meticulous, leaving me unsure if the organic designation really could get you that much further. Like finding wines that are unfined, your favorite wine professional can help you find those that are certified organic.
While most wineries (especially the small producers) create wines that are “clean” of additives, many have asked recently, what is in a bottle of wine? At its most basic level wine is grapes, yeast and in some cases, added sulfites. Currently, ingredient labeling is not required for wine, and we think it should stay that way. While there are some wines and wineries that liberally add synthetic coloring and flavoring, these are typically the larger producers, and again we can help you avoid those producers. While many consumers would prefer to avoid sulfites it is nearly impossible to avoid altogether, as they naturally occur during the winemaking process. To have a wine that is truly sulfite free would involve more manipulation to remove the naturally occurring ones. One final note on sulfites — there is a gadget being marketed that claims to remove sulfites by pouring wine through it. It is a scam. It does not work, so don’t bother spending money on this one.
As we approach release of red wines from the 2017 vintage, we continue to receive questions on the potential for smoke damage. The best answer we can provide right now is that we will have to wait and see. Remembering the horrific fires in the fall of 2017, all of the white wine grapes and the lion’s share of red grapes were harvested when the fires started. The later ripening varietals like Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and the like still had some grape stock “hanging.” These will also be the last varietals to be released, as they typically benefit from additional barrel and bottle aging. If the grapes had not been picked at the time of the fires and they were within the fire zone, they will almost certainly be tainted with smoke. The most reputable wineries already know if they have tainted wines, and have made the decision not to release the affected varietals. They likely “bulked out” those wines to grocery and other big box stores that bottle private label wines. Some wineries may still be trying to clean up the wines affected by smoke the best they can. The likely result will be that you will find that some varietals from wineries affected will be missing from the lineup for 2017. As we start to taste the fuller bodied reds from this year, we will let you know the extent of smoke damage we find.
Keep your questions coming or stop by the shop and we will be happy to answer all we can!
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George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The dinner party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018. George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.