Wine Club News - Wilson Creek Winery

The Art & Challenge ofWinemakingMy dad, Gerry, read the book by Robert Mondavi entitled Harvests ofJoy. It is a great read and tells of the adventure he went through tobuild his winery. OK, Mondavi is in a different league (like comparinga little leaguer to a pro baseball player) but we enjoyed reading hisbook.Here is an excerpt of what we can identify with about the joys andfrustrations of growing grapes and making wine. This stuff is whatBill Wilson deals with on a daily basis. (Bill oversees wine productionand vineyard management.) Keep in mind that before we started thiswinery, Bill was wearing a suit and working as a stockbroker andfinancial planner. In contrast, I recently saw him get excited at thearrival of a new vineyard tractor. Quite the change!“I wanted to learn everything there was to know about the fascinating –and somewhat mysterious – process by which the humble juice ofgrapes alchemized into the elegance and grandeur of fine wine.There was so much to learn. Wine making is both an art and ascience, but it is not just one science. In order to understand fully theprocess, you have to learn elements of geography, geology, meteorologyagriculture, botany, biology and chemistry. A bit of physics can comein handy, too. To master the vineyard, you have to learn about soilqualities, water tables, rain patterns, rootstocks, grape varietal,planting patterns and schedules, insect control, mold and funguscontrol, trellising and pruning techniques, irrigation, how to measuresugar and acid levels,sun exposure, when topick the grapes, and howbest to pick them. Robert Mondavi getting advice from Gerry.Then to master the wineWait a minute, is that for real?cellar, you have to learnthe intricacies of fermentation, yeast varieties, acid levels, and thecomposition of grape skins, stems and pops and how they affect thejuice. You have to learn how fermenting juice reacts to its container,be it concrete, stainless steel or wood. It also pays to know a gooddeal about engineering, refrigeration, and even welding. If you ageyour wine in oak barrels, as we do, you have to learn about forests andforest maintenance, about the different varieties of oak coming fromdifferent parts of the world, and about how barrels are made and howdifferent kinds of oak and different kinds of barrels impart differentqualities to the wine. Even corks are a science unto themselves;imperfect corks or imperfect corking techniques can ruin event thebest-made wine. Each different wine you make – red, white, rosé,sweet or sparkling – uses a different grape variety, and you have tounderstand the qualities of each variety and learn the specific processfor making each different wine. On top of all this, each year in winemaking is a new challenge, with different rainfall and temperatures, adifferent number of sunny days, and different vine conditions, too. Justas each child you raise is different, so it is with wines; with each yearand each vintage you have to start anew.”THOMASJEFFERSONON WINE“Wine from long habit hasbecome an indispensablefor my health.”“I have lived temperately . . .I double the doctor’srecommendation of a glassand a half of wine a day andeven treble it with a friend.”“By making this wine vine known to the public, Ihave rendered my country as great a service as ifI had enabled it to pay back the national debt.”“I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax onwines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a taxon the health of our citizens.”“Good wine is a necessity of life for me.”Are youaboutWilson Creek Winery’sAlmond Champagne?Can’t find it in stores near you?Well, you’re in luck!By popular demand, we’re giving our“Extended Family” Wine Club members a chance toadd a bottle of Almond Champagne to each Club selection!That’s right! We’re giving you a chance to “GO NUTS!” forour Almond Champagne! Every other month, along with theultra-premium wines selected for your enjoyment, we’ll add abottle of Almond Champagne! And, because you are a member ofour “Extended Family”, we’re going to offer this extra treat at thevery special price of just $9.99, plus any additional tax and shippingand handling (usually only about $2.00!). So call us today at(951) 699 -WINE (9463) and let us know that you’d like to “GO NUTS”,and we’ll help! After all, that’s what “families” are for!GO AHEAD —GOYOU KNOWYOU WANT TO