|
Posted January 2006
 View
to a Vintage: Russian River Barrel Tasting Weekend
By Heather
Irwin
Russian River, Sonoma County: This year, the annual Russian
River Barrel Tasting weekend will be held March 3, 4 & 5
from 11am to 4pm. More than 100 wineries will participate, and
no tickets are necessary. Simply purchase a glass at your first
winery for $5.00.
Not a barrel-tasting expert? Read on:
Each year, winemakers uncork their recent vintages—still in
the barrel—and let enthusiasts sample the young, not-quite-finished
wines in anticipation of their bottling and subsequent release.
Why? Wine futures.
Many wineries, especially those with limited releases, sell out of their best
wines well in advance of bottling. Folks who have enjoyed previous vintages,
belong to a particular wine club, or just want to get a first crack at upcoming
releases will base their decisions to buy a bottle, a case, or several cases
based on sampling the wine straight from the barrel. Even if the wine is still
a year or two away from the glass.
Because it’s a bit of a gamble, futures are often the realm of wine drinkers
who have a sound knowledge of the industry or the particular winery. The gamble,
however, can turn out to be a huge bargain if the wine turns out to be good,
or a windfall if the wine turns out to be really good. Futures are often
sold at a significant discount from the final price of the wine.
But even if you’re not a well-seasoned taster, barrel tasting can be a lot
of fun. Watching the vintners dip their “wine thieves” (a glass or plastic
tube stuck into the barrel to collect a small sample of the wine) is an educational
part of WineCountry life.
If you go: You’ll notice that often the barrel wines
are cloudy, fruity (they’re not done after all) and sometimes
quite sweet (even if they’re eventually destined to become a
dry wine). Don’t worry if you aren’t exactly sure what you’re
tasting. Even well-trained palates say they can’t always be sure
if the wine will turn out well or not when it is this young.
Mostly folks are looking for some signature qualities of the
wine: Does it taste like a Syrah, or Zinfandel (or whatever you
might be tasting?) Does it taste good, even in this state? Wine
should have a pleasing nose and body, even young. Does it have
some of the winemakers’ trademarks—like big bold fruit, some
spice, and some early complexity? Is this something, that as
it mellows and becomes more intricate that I would like? That’s
the biggest question to ask yourself, because if you don’t like
it in the barrel, chances are you won’t like it from the bottle.
Last off, trust your instincts. I once tasted a Sauvignon Blanc
right from the barrel that, even six months or so away from
bottling set my soul on fire. It was beautiful. I didn’t buy
it, and it later won numerous awards and sold out. I could
have kicked myself.
Help while you sip: Organizers request that tasters bring a can (ore
more) of food to donate to the Redwood Empire Food Bank in Sonoma County
|
