2008, Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery. Modesto. CA. USA All rights reserved.

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1 THE E&J GALLO WINERY WINE 101 Everything anyone ever wanted to know about wine but were afraid to ask their waiter. OR Where does wine come from? How is it made? What are the basic types? Where is the good stuff grown? And what does all the junk on the label mean?

2 What is It s simple: wine is fermented grape juice. It s natural: grapes go from vine to wine. It s about flavor: every wine says something different about its history (kind of like you, on a blind date). on a blind date). (kind of like you, 1 Wine

3 MAKING WINE: Growing the Grapes Like apples or wheat, grapes are a crop that grows over the seasons Winter The vineyard year begins with pruning.* The vineyard year begins with pruning.* In winter, grape growers cut off all the stems and leaves from the last season s growth so the vines keeps a certain shape and size. Growers consider the type of grapes, the weather, even the personality of individual vines. *Pruning is not the process of making prunes, or sitting in the bathtub until your skin gets pruney, in case you were wondering 2

4 MAKING WINE: Growing the Grapes 3 The sun comes out, the vines start to grow. New buds open and unfold their small, green leaves. Then the vines flower. Thousands of tiny grape blossoms little yellow shoots with brown caps bloom for up to ten beautiful days. Spring

5 MAKING WINE: Growing the Grapes Summer At the height of summer, the grapes come on the scene. At the height of summer, the grapes come on the scene. Red and white grapes both begin life as green, tight little berries clustered on the vine. As the summer progresses, their skins turn color, and their sugars and natural acids rise (which is what gives wine delicious flavors). Towards the end of summer, winemakers taste grapes for sugar levels and flavor daily to determine if they re ready to be picked. 4

6 MAKING WINE: Growing the Grapes By fall, the grapes are plump and aromatic (HARVEST time!). The winemakers look closely, pluck a few from a vine, and taste. They re waiting for a single moment, when the grapes acids and sugars reach the perfect balance. Then it s a race against the clock to harvest (meaning, pick those ripe grapes to make great wine, or wind up with useless overripe grapes and no wine no pressure or anything). 5 Fall

7 WINE MAKING PROCESS 6

8 MAKING WINE: Crushing THE CRUSH After the grapes are picked, they re sent to the winery, where they re gently crushed or pressed to release their juices. - And no, people don t crush em with their feet like you see on TV. The stems, which are bitter, are removed to keep the juice tasting good. Why is red wine red and white wine white? HINT: It ain t the juice, it s the skin color and crush is where this matters: - Reds keep their skin and seeds during crush to get color and flavor. - Whites are pressed just for their juice: the other stuff gets chucked. 7

9 FERMENTATION MAKING WINE: Fermenting The grape juice is poured into stainless steel tanks where winemakers add yeast. The yeast begins to work its magic, converting the juice s sugar into alcohol. - For reds: the skins, seeds, and pulp (together called the must ) are mixed up in the juice to help maximize the body, flavor, color, and aromas. It s pressed out during or after fermentation so the juice stands alone for the rest of the process. - For whites: the juice ferments alone. 8

10 AGING AGING AND BOTTLING BOTTLING Aging causes wrinkles -in people. In wine, it allows the flavors and aromas to blend together and become delicious. During this phase, wine is aged in oak barrels or held in large stainless steel containers until bottling. The difference: Stainless preserves natural fruit flavor Oak barrels release new flavors in wine.** ** A word on oak Winemakers choose oak barrels with different toasts like a chef choosing spices for a sauce When aging is through, the wine is filtered for all the grape parts that are still hanging around. If it has attained ample yummy-ness, the wine is bottled, distributed, and sold. Wood from different places and char levels leads to different flavor e.g., vanilla, coconut, toast 9

11 VARIETALS: A FANCY WORD FOR Kinds of Grapes POPULAR WHITES PRONUNCIATION POPULAR REDS PRONUNCIATION Albariño Al-bar-EEN-nyo Pinot Noir Pee-No N WAHR Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Pee-no GREE-jhee-oh/ Pee-no GREE REEZ-ling SO-vin-yawn Blonk Merlot Sangiovese Tempranillo Mare-LOW Sahn-jhee-oh-VAY-see Tem-prah-NEE-yo Gewürztraminer Viognier Chardonnay Geh-VIRTS-trah-MEE-ner VEE-oh-NYAY Shar-dough-NAY Malbec Syrah/Shiraz Zinfandel Cabernet Sauvignon Mahl-BEK Sih-RAH/Shih-RAHZ ZIN-Fun-dell Ca-Ber-NAY So-Vin-YAWN 10

12 Reds: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL NAME BASIC CHARACTER KINDA LIKE Pinot Noir Fruity, congenial, and elegant or earthy with layered flavors Artwork in a bottle Merlot Lush and easy on the palate Your favorite, easy-to-hangout-with aunt Sangiovese The grape of Chianti: vibrant and fruity with hints of herbs An Italian opera singer Tempranillo Full-bodied red wines: velvety and berry-ish A Flamenco dancer Malbec Ripe, plummy, and Argentine A sophisticated brunette (with a silk scarf) Syrah/Shiraz Peppery, with dark berry notes,and sharp A confident urban hipster with black rimmed glasses Zinfandel Spicy, and exciting, truly California A gun-slingin Western cowboy Cabernet Sauvignon Big, bold, and distinctive Cool older guy in a tailored suit 11

13 Whites: THE FRESH AND THE FRUITY NAME BASIC CHARACTER KINDA LIKE Albariño Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris Riesling Gewürztraminer Light and refreshing, from grapes grown in Spain Easy, comfortable, citrusy with a touch of spice Light and breezy, often with a hint of sweetness Refreshing, nutty, aromatic, with a hint of spice A bowl of sliced peaches A cool patch of shade on a hot summer day A breeze, carrying the light scent of spice Sauvignon Blanc Fruity and fresh with a nice zing Just-cut grass A tea café Viognier Full, aromatic, and exotic A bouquet of flowers Chardonnay Buttery, creamy, smoky, oaky, and friendly or green apple-y flavors that are tart but smooth A good friend balanced and consistent 12

14 IN THEIR Own Category NAME PRONUNCIATION BASIC CHARACTER KINDA LIKE Rosé Row-ZAY Dry, light, refreshing A crisp spring afternoon at a bistro in the South of France, not White Zinfandel White Zinfandel White ZIN-fun-dell Also pink, but sweet, not dry Sparkling SPARK-ling A pleasantly soft fizz. Refreshing, sparkling, celebratory A summer boardwalk, with cotton candy A 4 th -of-july sparkler 13

15 Wine Words: THOSE SNOOTY DESCRIPTORS WHAT THE WINE EXPERT SAYS mouthfeel fruit-forward harmonious herbaceous tannic robust dusty earthy peppery WHAT YOU SAY the feel of the wine in your mouth fruity balanced flavors (not too acidic or too fruity) grassy tangy/mouth drying big or rich earthy (like soil!) like the ground after it rains the taste has a bit of a zing 14

16 15 Appellation Station: Great Winegrowing Regions

17 Appellation Station: WHERE THE BEST WINE GROWS IN EUROPE 16

18 Appellation Station: WHERE THE BEST WINE GROWS IN EUROPE FRANCE: Has produced fine wine forever (not historically documented, but whatever). Some famous wine areas*: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône, Alsace. Conclusion: The French, they know their wine. Also cheese, and existentialism. ITALY: Is one big winery, with 900,000+ registered vineyards (It seems like every family grows grapes on a rocky hill, verdant valley, or crack in the pavement). Some famous wine areas: Piedmont, Tuscany, and the Tre Venezie. *In most of Europe wines are named after the regions they come from. f They just got proud of the blends/wines they made and wanted people to know it was theirs talk about town spirit! 17

19 Appellation Station: WHERE THE BEST WINE GROWS IN EUROPE SPAIN: Wine's star has recently risen in the US, Spanish wines have hit American shores. Some famous wine areas: Rioja, Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas. (Trivia: Spain has more vineyard area than any other country). GERMANY: Northernmost wine growing country in the world. Germany may be cold, but they figured out how to make some kickin wein. The Germans plant winter-hardy grape varieties like Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Some famous wine areas: Pfalz, Mosel. 17

20 Appellation Station: U.S. WINEGROWING REGIONS 19

21 Appellation Station: U.S. WINEGROWING REGIONS CALIFORNIA: Napa and Sonoma In Northern California, these are America s pride and joy when it comes to wine. Each region makes excellent wines respected around the world. The Rest of California No slouch, either. Notable regions: Mendocino/Lake County, the Central Coast, the South Coast, the Sierra Foothills, the Central Valley. OREGON, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, all other US: On their way up in the wine world. To seem smart know these pairings: Oregon= known for Pinot Noir New York = known for Rieslings Washington=known for Merlot Wine is made in every state in the U.S., but you re not likely to find wine from... Fargo, for instance, on the top of anyone s list. 20

22 Appellation Station: OTHER GREAT WINEGROWING REGIONS Used to be blown off by wine snobs, but now everyone s into their Shiraz (which is what the Aussies call Syrah). They also make great Rieslings, Cabs, Chardonnays, and produce exceptional Australia New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Portugal, Greece... Many other countries produce great wines, and these are some of them. There are other countries too (Croatia, for instance) but most are up-and-comers, not established powerhouses. 21 Crocodiles.

23 READING THE LABEL: EASIER THAN IT LOOKS Name of Winery Appellation (where the grapes are grown) Varietal (type of grape) Vintage (year the wine was made) Alcohol content (some people are curious) Net content (how much is in the bottle) 22

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