Chip on your shoulder?
Vinography currently has a dialog running about barrel chips, pellets, beans…whatever you want to call them – ‘barrel alternatives’ by any other name – being used in wine, and the supposed obsolescence of oak barrels. And as always, it seems a few people are hot under the collar.
How many times do people have to get themselves all worked up?
Didn't they read my post re Coppola using barrel chips over in Napa?
This is old, old news people...
(12/13/04) http://zinquisition.blogspot.com/2004/12/micro-oxidation-useful-tool-or-devils.html
What I said back then still applies that...
"... if France - which is about as ‘traditional’ as it gets -uses Micro-ox and has started to allow oak chips, as well as Italy…
Perhaps the danger lies in someone actually liking a wine which has seen [barrel alternatives], and not knowing it. Perhaps the danger is in our perception of what we should like, rather than what we do or can like…
If the only end result is improved wines at reduced costs, where is the harm?Perhaps it’s just an ugly knock to the ego…"
How many times do people have to get themselves all worked up?
Didn't they read my post re Coppola using barrel chips over in Napa?
This is old, old news people...
(12/13/04) http://zinquisition.blogspot.com/2004/12/micro-oxidation-useful-tool-or-devils.html
What I said back then still applies that...
"... if France - which is about as ‘traditional’ as it gets -uses Micro-ox and has started to allow oak chips, as well as Italy…
Perhaps the danger lies in someone actually liking a wine which has seen [barrel alternatives], and not knowing it. Perhaps the danger is in our perception of what we should like, rather than what we do or can like…
If the only end result is improved wines at reduced costs, where is the harm?Perhaps it’s just an ugly knock to the ego…"
posted by St. Vini at 9:58 AM
2 Comments:
Wow,
Be off-line for a week and I am confronted with all this...
If the only result of woodchips is the same wine for less then there is no prob, agreed. My concern lies with those who say barrel aged instead of oak flavored,,,it's just unfair for those winemakers who do spend the cash on the barrels. I would be really interested to do a side by side tasting of barrel aged versus chipped. Do you know of any vineyard who has done such a test?
Insofar as irradiated wine, will it still be good for our hearts and teeth? It has to stay nutritious to justify to the wife all the cash I spend on the stuff. As I just had my knee opened up and am on enough codeine to wack a horse, I'll let that one stew for a bit before commenting.
And congrats on another year of good, interesting, sometimes disturbing yet totally relevant and articulate blogging.
Bill
Sorry to hear about the knee, Bill - get well soon!
I don't know of any producer who has wine of both chipped vs barrels available comercially. Though it would be a great experience for many I think...
Almost every winemaker I know has experimented with the products in very small trials, but probably hasn't gone over to their use.
Irradiated wine...it's probably not too far off in the future. And I think my wines are already irradiated when they go through the airport security checks! But it hasn't changed them to my knowledge.
Heal up.
Vini
Post a Comment
<< Home