The aging of wines
We think of wine as something that needs to age. This is because while it’s estimated that 90 percent of wine is made to be drunk within a year, the most famous and highly regarded wines (with a few exceptions, such as Nouveau wines) need at least a few years in the barrel. The wine itself changes with age, and the oak from which the barrels are made secretes tannins and vanillin into it, making it more mellow and complex. Red wines rich in acidity and tannins, and white wines with high acidity, are the most likely to benefit from this process.
Wine club barrel tasting
For those who like the older wines and also like to plan ahead, barrel tastings are an opportunity for wine connoisseurs to try the most recent vintages and make a guess as to how good the wine will be in years to come. If you’re not a connoisseur, they’re also an opportunity to meet connoisseurs and get their opinions. You may also be able to buy wine futures at a discount, if you find something that’s likely to be particularly good in a few years.
Sometimes, many wineries in a wine-growing area schedule their barrel tastings to create a single weekend-long regional event. Many wine clubs also hold barrel tasting events.
Good rules to follow at any wine tasting are to wear nothing strong-smelling like perfume or cologne, and to limit the number of wine tastings. If in doubt, pick something you’ve never had before, because the whole point of going to a barrel tasting is to discover new wines.
Barrel tastings vineyard near St. Helena
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves, where current releases and library wines may be sampled. Tastings are $65, but one tasting fee can be waived by joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase.
Try a recent Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a complex wine grown from numerous clonal varieties of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. An older Estate Reserve Cab, 2007, was formed by a cold and dry early and middle year, with a sudden burst of heat around Labor Day that helped the grapes produce more sugars. The result was a dark ruby red wine with an aroma of dark fruit, dark chocolate, Bing cherries, roses, licorice and cigar box. Its flavor is balanced between fruit, oak and acid, with sweet tannins and hints of cedar, coffee and chocolate cake.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide.
Wine Club
One event that wine clubs like the Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards wine club are known for is the barrel tasting. A barrel tasting is a lot like other wine tastings, except that all the wines come straight from the barrel. At these events, you can taste last year’s wines at their earliest stage and try to make a guess as to how good it will be when it’s judged ready to be sold.
When you’re going to a barrel tasting, the usual rules of wine-tasting functions apply. Don’t wear strong-smelling perfume or cologne, don’t act like you’re in a bar, and don’t drink too much, especially if you’re visiting more than one vineyard and they aren’t serving food. A designated driver might also be a good idea, just in case. If you’re trying to decide which wine to taste, pick something you’ve never had before.
Buy wine futures at a barrel tasting
At barrel tastings, you can often buy a wine future at a discount. A wine future is much like any other futures contract — you agree beforehand to buy a certain number of bottles of wine as soon as the wine has been bottled. By committing yourself to the purchase ahead of time, you save money on the eventual purchase price. Barrel tastings are usually held in the spring or summer, when the weather is good and long before the vineyard is busy with this year’s harvest.
Barrel tastings at a vineyard near St. Helena
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves, where current releases and library wines may be sampled and visitors can learn all about the process of making and storing the wine. Tastings are $65, but one tasting fee can be waived by joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces excellent wines at prices you can afford. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide.
One wine you might want to try Anderson’s Conn Valley is the Èloge. The most recent bottled vintage, the 2011 Èloge, is an elegant wine with an aroma and taste of black cherry, plum, cigar box, licorice and violet perfume, and a long and satisfying finish. Despite being the newest Èloge offered by Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards, the ’11 vintage is destined to become one of the rarer vintages, because low temperatures and storms reduced that year’s yield. There’s no better time to buy a bottle than right now.
Going to a barrel tasting
Spring is a good time for a barrel tasting. The weather is pleasant, and last year’s grapes have long since gone into the barrel. With just a taste of the 2015 Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon in its earliest state, a connoisseur can make a good guess as to what sort of quality the wine will begin to show in years to come.
A barrel tasting is a lot like other wine tastings, but all the wines come straight from the barrel. Often, at barrel tastings, wine futures are sold at a discount. A wine future is much like any other futures contract — you agree to buy a certain amount of wine, once it has been bottled. By committing yourself to the purchase ahead of time, you save money on the eventual purchase price.
Barrel tastings don’t necessarily involve food to go with the wine, which means (especially if there isn’t a spittoon handy) you’ll want to bring a designated driver along, especially if you’re going to several barrel tastings. You also won’t want to taste too many wines. If in doubt, pick something you’ve never had before — the point of a barrel tasting is to make new discoveries. As at any wine tasting, don’t wear any strong-smelling perfume or cologne, and remember that this isn’t a bar.
Aging wine
Although 90 percent of wine (according to some estimates) is intended to be drunk within a year of production, many of the most respected wines need at least a few years in the barrel. Oak barrels have been used to store wine since the time of the Roman Empire, replacing the old clay amphorae used by the ancient Greeks. Vanillin and other trace compounds naturally present in oak gradually leach into the wine over the years, mellowing its flavor and adding layers of complexity. Some wines benefit from this more than others, particularly red wines with plenty of acidity and tannins but still some fruitiness, and white wines that are not too strong and also have high acidity.
Barrel tastings vineyard near St. Helena
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves, where current releases and library wines may be sampled and visitors can learn all about the process of making and storing the wine. Tastings are $65, but one tasting fee can be waived by joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase. The annual Spring Fling is in May.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices. The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide.
