On October 6, 2014, my Wines of the New World class had the pleasure of visiting Red Hook Winery in Brooklyn. The winery is located about fifteen minutes away from City Tech which was a lovely surprise. When we arrived I noticed the beautiful Manhattan sky line as the winery sits right by the water.
My class was fortunate enough to receive a tour by a wine maker named Bob Foley. Foley does not work at Red Hook Winery. He is a very knowledgable and enthusiastic wine maker from Napa Valley, California. His passion for wine making was obvious by the way he spoke in detail in which he answered questions, and the overall joy he seemed to have simply by speaking about how wine is made.
One new thing I learned is that it is a common practice for wine makers to add yeast to the wines. Yeast is naturally present but one of the benefits to adding it is to ensure a good vintage. White wines use yeast with more esters to have a more floral aroma. Yeast affects flavors of wines.
Overall, I enjoyed the trip to Red Hook Winery. It was great to see the stainless steal and wooden oak barrels. I also enjoyed the wine tasting. I am looking forward to our next visit and to blending a wine with my group.
Yes, winemakers put forth a considerable amount of effort in deciding the best yeast strands to use in their fermentation process. One type might be best for a certain grape and style and not for another. Also, the fact the natural yeast are always active is yet another factor that needs to be considered and possibly controlled.