Wine of the New World Fall 2017

• For the entrée, Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushrooms, I believe that the white wine with a light body, high in acidity, along with a crisp and refreshing flavor would pair wonderfully with this menu item. In order to create a wine with such qualities, it is important to consider that such wine needs to have less residual sugar content, lower alcohol and higher acidity level, like Riesling. To achieve this goal, it is also important to consider that climate and growing conditions of the grape variety will help to create a delicious wine. In this case, all the grapes must be grown in cool to cold climates, and must be young aged wine, so that it could have its fresh and crisp flavors to it. Since, the alcohol content is the primary contributor to the body of wine, it is also important to consider the amounts of residual sugar in a wine. More sugar would mean that there is more sugar to transform into more alcohol, while less sugar means that there is a less sugar to transform into alcohol. Lastly, to mention, white wines must be fermented in temperature-controlled tanks at 50°F to 65°F. “Temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks are usually double-skinned, wrapped on the outside with a cooling jacket through which glycol runs, … and will preserve a white wine’s freshness and delicacy.” (pg. 44-48). (MacNeil, 2015).
• To sell this wine, a restaurant server would need to know about the basic characteristics of this wine, which is going to be described as light bodied white wine, with a crisp and refreshing flavor that has enough acidity to pair wonderfully with oily, lighter meats, like duck, fish and some fresh oysters. I believe, it is also equally important to mention that this wine was created by the students from CityTech who were enrolled in an advanced wine course, with the support of the Red Hook Winery and The Julia Child Foundation.

References

MacNeil, K. (2015). The Wine Bible (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York, United States: Workman. Retrieved October 2017

Entrée: Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Wines from the New World wine region, which would pair well with an entrée that is selected above are the following:

1. Red Tail Ridge Estate Dry Riesling 2014 (Riesling from New York);
2. Smoke Tree Chardonnay 2015 (Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California);
3. Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand)

Characteristics of the taste, smell and color of the Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand:

According to our tasting note, the appearance of 2015 Sauvignon Blanc is clear; pale yellow color; with a brightness of day bright and low viscosity. On the nose, it is clean; medium high intensity; has a strong smell of grapefruit, melon and passion fruit; no evidence of oak; vinous; and the alcohol level is medium low. Moreover, on the palate, it is also clean; medium high intensity; has a strong taste of grapefruit, gooseberry, lime, blackcurrant and some other tropical fruits; sweetness level is dry; no evidence of tannin or wood; light bodied; and lastly, the balance is fresh and lingering. This wine can be well paired with Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushrooms, in addition to foods like goat cheese.

Viticulture/Vinification Practices: Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (South Island), New Zealand

Climate: Cool climate conditions, marked diurnal (day/night) temperature variations which are the key to the unique character of Marlborough grapes. (MacNeil, 2015).

Soil: Vineyards are primarily situated on sites with moderate to low fertility with stony, sandy loam top soil overlaying deep layers of free-draining shingle (mix of clay and silt).

Topography: Planted mostly on plains; protected by Kaikoura Range (Cold Southerly Winds); and protected by North Island (North Easterly Winds).

Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.

Harvest: Can take place anytime from March to May in the Southern Hemisphere, and grapes are harvested in the cool of the morning by machine.

Pressing: Juice is gently squeezed from the grapes in the wine presses and sent to either tanks or barrels.

Fermentation: Clear juice fermented with specialized yeast in tanks give the most fruit-expressive wines, while the cloudy juice naturally fermented in oak vessels has more emphasis on texture and complexity.

Aging: Dependent on the variety the wine may age in tanks or barrels until it reaches a harmonious stage in its development.

Stabilizing & Bottling: Once the wine is ready to blend, the components are combined in tanks. After settling, the wine is chilled to below freezing to prevent crystals appearing in the wine later. It is then filtered clear to remove any sediment. Finally, the finished wine is bottled and labeled. (Spy Valley Wine, 2016).

References 

MacNeil, K. (2015). The Wine Bible (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York, United States: Workman. Retrieved October 2017

Spy Valley Wine. (2016). From Wine To Wine . Retrieved from Spy Valley Wines: https://www.spyvalleywine.co.nz/secrets/wine-making-process-white/#jump