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Thoughts on being Chosen & Wine Making ~ Week 1

Week 1 Thursday Review:

a few thoughts on Being Chosen & Wine Making

If you missed the Thursday Evening Gathering, no worries, we have you covered, on the wine side that is. 

Not everyone is a winemaker, we may know what we like, but in the end we may not have the skill and insight to know what grapes go well together. This week we discussed the idea of Being Chosen, in the wine world choosing the right grape and assemblage is the difference between a great wine and a daily table wine. There are all kinds of grape varietals around the world, each has its own characteristics based on the terroir (french word for earth but representing the location and its influence upon the grape/wine), micro climates which drive the sugar composition and ripeness, everything affects the flavor and utility of the grape for that specific year (vintage).

Let's talk a little bit about the Bordeaux Varietals? Many times a great Bordeaux Style wine may be an assemblage of the following varietals (grapes): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and occasionally Carménère. Depending upon the year, the style of Bordeaux to be produced (yes there is a left bank and right bank style, sounds a little political if you ask me, lol) depends upon the amounts or combinations of various grape varietals chosen to best represent what the winemaker (vintner) is looking to create with respect to flavor, aroma, texture and overall experience from his designed wine.

The vintner knows his grapes, where they were grown, the subtleness of flavor each type will add to the mix. The main component of the Bordeaux Style wine is Cabernet Sauvignon which provides the structure and complexity along with notes of dark fruit, cherry and tobacco. Merlot adds additional cherry fruit, a certain amount of acid, and other textural components to build the finnish of the wine. Add in some Cabernet Franc and you have provided some wonderful aromas of sweet bramble fruit, black tea and even a little toasted oak, along with smooth texture that promotes a 'long and sensuous finish' as Erick Baugher from Ridge would describe. Our winemaker knows not to add too much Petit Verdot because it is loaded with tannins and would bring about a very herbaceous and astringent flavor to the wine, BUT it adds beautiful color to the Bordeaux blends. Making a fabulous wine, involves tasting with time, and knowing when to add more of one or other varietals to the blend. It requires, knowledge of the land, a deep passion and care for the grape as it goes through the process of growth, ripening, picking crushing and ultimately aging into that fine nectar we all enjoy.

With this knowledge of a vintner choosing his grapes, making the most beautiful wine year after year, I see God, the Creator of the universe doing the same to make my life a fragrant wine, able to stand the test of time. My blend is a personality He has created in me, something I learn to yield back to Him. My stubbornness transforms to perseverance, my fear converts to courage, and my dullness of hearing becomes an empathetic heart. All these different parts of each of us is attended to by the Master Vintner to create a life of beauty.

Your life, attended to by the Master Vintner may sometimes seem hidden, but in the end is always beautiful.

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