Napa 101 part II

Here comes the million-dollar question

 “How wine is made?

Well… In theory, wine making begins in the vineyard, choosing the right time to harvest to pick the grapes. Without ripe grapes, there is not much a winemaker can do to create a fine bottle of wine.

The next step is to get the juice out of the grapes by separated

 from their stems and leaves, usually by use of sanitary equipment.

 (The major things separating white wine from red wine is White wine grapes are crushed and their juice is separated from their skins and red wines skins will remain with their juice.) 

Then natural yeast clinging to the grape skins to turn the sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide, this process called Fermentation.

After fermentation, the yeast and any other particles left behind must be separated from the finished product.

Some wines are ready for immediate bottling and should be drunk while still young and other… my kind of wine ...well…will be aged-

 In USA wine are known by the type of grapes rather than the region so here are some of the famous names of red wine.

Famous names of red wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Napa Valley, grapes are small, black and very tough- skinned. Cab (for short) wines usually have big flavors and require quite a bit of aging. It usually undergoes oak treatment. The oak barrel imparts flavor to the wine, sometimes reminiscent of spice, chocolate or vanilla

Merlot: Merlot tend to be smooth and relatively low acidity, softness and easy to drink. Merlot grapes are small, dark blue grapes do not have skins as thick as those Cabernet Sauvignon.

Point noir: One of the noblest red wine grapes. To understand the Pinot noir it is best to See Sideways Movie. The vine is genticelly unstable and difficult to grow. since the skins are very thin during this time, the grapes become easily dehydrate. 
So why any one want to producing this wine? Well let me tell you... 
Mr Philosophy said one sip well take you to the Heaven's Gate
 ... truly pinot noir has very velvety and sliky texture.

Sangiovese: An Italian grape that can be made into excellent wine, it is main coponent of Chianti wine. Like point noir, Sangiovesehas several clones. Typically Sangiovese grapes make medium to full-bodied wines with tannin and leans towards medium to high acidity.

Shiraz/Syrah: A Shiraz can be both fruity and peppery flavors, the grape is black and thick- skinned. in fact that they are often described as black wine.

Zinfandel: Red Zinfande is an "American Classic" wine. Rich, intensely colored and thin-skinned Zinfandel grapes ripen fairly early and produce juice with high sugar levels. Zinfandel typically has the aroma and flavors of berries and black cherry.  White Zinfandel is a completely different story.

When you walk to the store a handerad of bottle will confronting you, not knowing what to buy.. so my best advice is to read the everything guide to wine by Peter Alig.

 He is the Robert mondavie winery educator, his book will help you to be familiar with a certain grape, and wine region. peter Alig said wine is like a cloth each has styles that go in and out of fashion.
If you are real Wine Lover ...buy the book

I hope you enjoyed my 101 Napa... wine making information 

"cin cin!" or "alla salute!"