Not a Spoonful of Sugar
This last Saturday, November 5th, was just a lovely 70*F and B-E-A-U-TIFUL. We decided to take a “Sunday Drive”. As you know, we try to adventure as frequently as we can to discover new and interesting places. We had heard wineries were growing in Ramona so we went to check it out. A lot of ma & pops, a lot of wineries in residential areas and private homes with a sprinkle of smaller tasting rooms. We didn’t stop and taste (next time!) but drove more specifically to see vineyards. How are these folks farming? How are they growing grapes to support the demand (it was busy!)… or are they buying wine from other areas? We have begun, of late, to question if the wines in areas such as these (which we see all over the country, nooks and crannies of pop-ups) are the wines really a reflection of the area, ‘born and raised’? Or, does the quality or origin of the wine take a back seat and the focus is merely the romance of a winery experience? Doesn’t it beg the question – what are people looking for? It’s interesting to watch the wine industry in this way. Ramona and Julian areas have potential for growth, it will be fun to see their focus develop and how they blossom.
What did we find in the vineyards while exploring? The beauty of the changing season! Harvest is more than likely done or late harvests’ wrapping up… and as these cool nights become cold, soon the vineyards will go dormant. This winter we will be far from dormant… working to ensure the best for our wines.
Our Vermentino is taking shape as a dry, bright white wine. We smell and taste flavors of stone and tropical fruits – think, vacation!
We have pulled samples of our Cabernet Rosé for testing and plan to rack again soon. As we rack and filter this brighter rosé will soften in color. Our rośe is dry and showing notes of strawberry and kiwi.
Our Cabernet Red is in barrel and working its big, bold magic. Our Cabernet shows notes of boysenberry, wild blueberry and juniper. Wishing you could smell it!
What are WE looking for? Our focus is sustainable, reflect the Temecula terroir (this vintage!), true grape varietal flavors and clean winemaking. No additives, including sugars and weird stuff!
Brian explains a little..
“Well, to be frank.. we like and want our wine, clean and dry. But, let me get my Winemaker hat on and explain a little.
When we talk of ‘clean winemaking’ we are talking about overall sanitation through the winemaking process as well as no added sugars, other additives and weird stuff, for a lack of a better term.
Refined sugar is usually thought of as the first additive in wine – but is sugar an add? No – not always – grapes are naturally sweet. The sugar in wine is referred to as, Residual Sugar (RS) and comes in the natural form of Glucose and Fructose that are compounds produced by the grape vines during photosynthesis. The RS in wine grapes are usually 230-250 grams of sugar per liter at the time of harvest, compared to table grapes from the grocery store at 140-160 grams of sugar per liter. During primary fermentation, yeast converts the RS in the grape juice to alcohol. The natural RS is now merely gone. At the end of this primary fermentation, Glucose and Fructose is often measured to evaluate dryness. Those that want a sweeter wine after this process can add ‘sugar’ back in by way of a 1:1 sugar to water ratio (which is illegal in CA) or naturally sweet grape juice.
Other additives and weird stuff includes non-vegan fining agents like egg whites and milk products, syrups to add certain flavors and/or colors, to name a few.
Do wineries and wine producers do this? Definitely, yes. These decisions are made independently for each wine, by each winery, winemaker and traditionally consumer buying trends.
Hometown Wine Company’s wines have finished this primary fermentation and are clean and “dry”. Dry, is a meaning in wine that is classified as having less than 5 grams of sugar per liter. Our particular wine have very little to no RS, as they are less than 0.5 grams per liter. We focus on clean winemaking to balance the fruit forward, acid with dryness to showcase origin (Temecula, CA) and the varietal, in our case, Vermentino and Cabernet Sauvignon. We take pride in these small, impactful decisions as we create wine for you. We can’t wait to share.”
Wine takes time and is an art. Patience is learned and a virtue. Yes, we REALLY can’t wait to share!
But while you wait, the next time you’re out and about.. exploring, discovering new places, tasting through wine regions big and small.. ask yourself.. ‘what are YOU looking for?’
#locatedhere
Brian and Sara
