Old Town Crier, December 2007 Issue
Exploring Virginia Wines by Doug Fabbioli

Reflection

The growing season for grapes is so long and intensive that I feel I play catch up for 6 months out of the year and then get a little time to regroup before the vines get green again. Many people may define these next few months as down time but I think of this time as catching up on all the things that went to the back burner. A successful football team starts working on the next season right after the previous season has ended. I catch my breath for a few weeks and then start making lists of things to do to get ready for the next growing season along with all of the things that were ignored over the season.

For example, I am now getting in touch with all of my wholesale accounts to set up tastings through the winter, planning winemaker dinners, doing staff training at the winery and hearing from the staff about how the sale season is going. It is important for me as a small winery owner to keep in touch with these folks as they are the front line sales people of my wines. On the vineyard front, I am looking at all of the equipment that we used last year and making a list for repairs, priorities and purchases for next season. I have crew still working and I need to make sure there is good productive work for them to do each day they are here. I always try to have a few different jobs so if the weather is bad, there is an inside job to do.

One of the other areas I focus on in the off-season is education. I always need to learn more about winemaking, viticulture, business, sales and the politics of the wine business. This time of year is for seminars, training, and meetings. Our winegrowers association never seems to have time to get together during the growing season but we can make the time to meet in the winter.

It is also a time to learn about your own wines. I will be tasting my 2007 wines a lot over the next few months and adjust them as they need it through the aging process. I will be tasting for things that I like and I don’t like that come from the vineyard practices. This will add to the education of the vineyard and how I might do things differently in the future. Each year is different and each vineyard is different but the more critical one can look at how they do things, the better change to make it better in the future.

Winter Sales Opportunities
As the holidays approach, the retail wine season is at its peak. People give wines as gifts, bring it to family gatherings and just enjoy it a little more during the season. We are selling wine this season at the tasting room as well as the Winter Farmer’s Market in Leesburg on Saturday mornings. Go to www.loudounfarms.org for more info. Also, there will be a few indoor wine festivals this season. Go to www.vawineshowcase.org for info on this event in February. Also your local wine shop staff is great at knowing their wines and asking you the questions about what the wine is for. They can make some suggestions and guide you to a good choice. Buy, Drink and share this season.

Questions:
What are Sulfites and why are they in my wine?
Sulfites are a preservative that naturally occurs in the winemaking process. Winemakers will add more to the wine to keep it fresh in the cellar and give it a longer shelf life without oxidizing. They have been used for generations in wine and dried fruits but the government has made it mandatory to put it on the label. Larger wineries will usually use more than smaller wineries and there are a few that do not use them. My philosophy has been to use as little as needed and I generally use less than half of the maximum allowed.

Why do you smell a cork and do I need to smell the plastic ones as well?
A natural cork is a piece of bark that has been cut and treated so it can close the top of a bottle. Sometimes a spore of mold will live through the treatment process of the cork and when it comes in contact with the wine, it will come to life and turn the wine bad, making it smell and taste like a musty basement. This does not happen with plastic corks or screw tops but it can happen with the cork composite and the natural cork. It is few and far between but if you have a bottle that is musty, tell your server, or your wine shop clerk. They may be able to replace it. Also, share that wine with others as a chance to learn about this issue and how to recognize it. Thanks for reading and have a great holiday season.

If you have a wine question, feel free to contact me at vinofab@aol.com. Thanks and try a local wine this week.