Supermodel Wines

Have you seen the time-lapse video designed by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund?  In about 60 seconds it reveals the amount of manipulation required to provide a natural-looking woman with our contemporary version of beauty.  If you haven't seen it, I think you'll agree it provides 60 seconds-worth of provoking thought (Click Here, then click on the "watch the film" link at the bottom of the page).  Though the hair and makeup artists did much of the heavy lifting, the real surprise was the use of Photoshop to add finishing touches of impossible-to-attain glamor.

The video begins with the question "How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?"  And as usual, this got me thinking about wine...

How did our idea of beautiful wine become so distorted?  Are we living in an age when nothing natural is deemed attractive?

In recent years, winemakers have increasingly adopted Photoshop-like manipulations to alter the "real beauty" of their wines.  But the thing is, it's difficult to say where good winemaking stops and excessive manipulation begins.  Given this gray area, I sympathize with winemakers seeking to produce a wine that is "true to place", that expresses that elusive "terroir". 

But I am growing increasingly frustrated by winemakers who still talk about “letting the vineyard express itself” and then are the first to adopt the latest manipulation in search of higher ratings.  I don’t know if they have duped themselves into believing their own marketing department, or if they simply enjoy an arm’s-length relationship with the truth.  Either way I would prefer a bit more of it (the truth, not their wine).

I’m not arguing against the use of manipulations in the winemaking process - I find some manipulated wines as pleasant to sip as I find the image of the manipulated model to gaze at - but neither one should be described as “genuine”.

So what are these manipulations?  Let’s take a look at a few:  I think you'll agree it’s difficult to draw a line at the point where sound winemaking becomes excessive manipulation.

• Canopy Management – I hesitate to include this, as it is to a winemaker as brushing her teeth is to a supermodel.  But the fact is, sun exposure can drastically alter the flavor of a wine, for example, robbing Sauvignon Blanc of its distinctive grassy flavors.
• Brix at Harvest - Today's popular styles, which are beginning to fall out of favor, employ ever-increasing brix readings (a measurement of fruit ripeness).  Greater ripeness leads to both more alcohol and more dramatic fruit complexity and richness.
• Cold-Soak – Stops unanticipated fermentation from natural yeast and begins extracting delicate fruit fragrance.
• Fermentation Temperature - Controls the speed of fermentation and can prevent stuck fermentations due to excessively high, yeast-killing temperatures.
• Pump-Overs or Punch-Downs - Get more color from your reds with frequent punch-downs, but do too much and you'll have excessive tannins!
• Presses - The press you choose can also determine the tannin level in your end wine.
• Micro-oxygenation (Micro-bullage) - Want great fruit extraction but not the high tannins?  Run microscopic bubbles of oxygen through your tank to speed-age your wine.
• Fining and Filtration - Is your finished product cloudy?  Afraid the public won't understand a wine that isn't crystal clear?  Remove pesky sediments with protein fining or micro-filters, but beware, you'll lose flavor and character as well.
• De-alcoholization - Like your wine big and extracted, but feel the alcohol is too high?  Send it to a lab with a heat-transfer system like this one (right) or a spinning cone that separates the wine into its component parts, remove some alcohol and then re-assemble it into "wine" again.  Hardly a natural process, but in today's age of excessive alcohol levels, perhaps a welcome treatment for those who prefer their wine with food (which usually does not like high alcohol levels).
• Oak Barrels (% new, wood source, cooper, toast level) – There are more choices than ever when it comes to barrels.  Chips, staves, powders, and real barrels... toast levels, source of the wood, and drying method/period... and of course, what % will be new every year?
• Bottling Date - Deciding how long to leave wine in barrel not only influences the oak extraction, but the integration and smoothness of the wine.

Where does astute winemaking become excessive manipulation?  Where does natural beauty give way to manufactured image?  Weigh in with comments if you have an opinion on this.

To better understand the wine you enjoy, look for more information than what you see on the back label.  When spending good money on a premium bottle, it is worth it to seek more information about how it was made, and the philosophy of the winemaker.  That’s why we provide such detailed descriptions on each wine in our online store.

Cheers!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
SidewaysWineClub.com

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