CUVEC Club News

Hello fellow V&E majors, minors and happenstance CUVEC/internship blog readers! It’s Joe Meilen from the major. So I haven’t yet (technically) started my summer internship but in the days leading up to my junket out to the west coast I have been quite busy preparing and experimenting and thought I would relate 1. a story and 2. my pre-internships attempt at making booze(the former of which is not at all related to my internship, or V&E at all, and the latter of which is marginally related to my experience in the first V&E class I took last semester).
This story may at first seem slightly random and unnecessary for the blog but I decided to share it not only because it is somewhat amusing but because it ties in nicely to part-two of my entry; so hang in there!  Last summer I had to have a couple of my top-front teeth crowned as a series of ongoing dental work stemming from a childhood accident.  After having my front four teeth filed down and crowned, I proceeded to fracture my top-front-right tooth (thats #8 for you dental enthusiasts) underneath the crown while I was away on vacation.  Though this was no immediate dental emergency, the situation was exacerbated this May when I cracked the tooth further, causing it to become severely loose, and not to mention aggravating, after biting into an apple during finals week.  Finals concluded, I returned home, and after 4 hours of dental surgery during which I was pumped up like a water-balloon with Novocain and I was dragged around a dentists chair by my jaw like a Raggedy Andy doll I was sitting in my minnie van, hopped up on Vicadin on my way back to my house with my mom.  (Here is where it all comes together)  When I came back from Cornell for the summer my mom agreed to make home-made liqueurs with me based on a recipe and technique that was outlined to me by Ian Merwin during the final Wines and Vines Lab at the end of the spring semester (Ian had brought in a home-made batch of cassis liqueur, which was veritably fantastic, to the tasting that was held, and gave me some pointers on how to make other great home-made cordials on my own (of course under the proviso that it would be my mom purchasing and working with the alcohol while I shouted instructions from a strictly legal distance).  So I recall as we are driving back from the dentist that we need to pick up a few handles-worth of high-proof, neutral grain spirit at the liquor store to use as the base for our liqueurs and, after fumbling with my iphone to find the nearest liquor store, I successfully locate a suitable purveyor in a rather shady-part of town, a couple miles from my neighborhood.  My mom begrudgingly agrees to go though I am clearly in no state to be shopping for anything much less high-octane base-booze.  We pull up in front of a strip mall next to what I think was an abandoned dry-cleaners and I attempt to doltishly describe what exactly it is that I need (during which I tried to explain what the difference is between neutral grain spirit and regular vodka though I imagine this explanation was impeccably incoherent).  After writing down a brand name that I mumbled out during my explanation my mom urges me to STAY seated, locks me in the car, and enters the liquor store (I meanwhile am peeing myself with laughter because Vicadin-crazy Joe found something hilarious about my mom asking me if I needed anything else at the grocery store before we went home).  About five minutes later my mom emerges from the store empty handed, gets back into the car and says that the clerk has no idea what neutral-grain spirit is and that he is sure they do not carry it.  After again trying to articulate how the product is made, as if I am trying to sell her the stuff, I tell her to simply buy a couple liters of cheap vodka.  Doors locked, back into the store.  Another five minutes later she comes back, again empty handed, informing me that the store has a cash-only policy (clearly a liquor store thats completely on the up and up) and that she is 30 cents shy.  We scavenge through wallets and purses. the glove compartment and the floor of the car to find enough cash and she returns to the store.  At this point its clear that we are unfamiliar with the neighborhood, and my mom appears to anyone standing nearby to be a complete alcoholic, rushing to and from the liquor store to scrape together enough cash to buy rotka in bulk while her son sits is locked in the car alone, laughing to himself about nothing in a doped out, drug-induced daze (also, coming out of the liquor store holding up plastic handles of Mr. boston like trophies probably didn’t help our image).  But here comes the take home, we ended up putting together variety of fruit and herb based liqueurs that are going to age over the summer and hopefully be ready to consume by the end of the summer (check out the pics, the decanter is a limoncello that came from a test batch that was started about a month ago, and I am not exaggerating in saying it is AMAZING! the line of canning jars are, from left to right, wild berry, blackberry, cranberry, lemon, and orange and we also did coffee and mint which aren’t shown).  Check out the recipe outline I added below for the limoncello, it is a combination of Merwin’s suggestions, a couple of online recipes (for which I also put some links) and a little experimentation.  The easiest route to go is with a set of wide-mouth, quart size (about 800ml) canning jars and 100 proof vodka or neutral spirit (I used Mr. Boston and it seems to be working great.  Give the can a shake every day and take a sample every week or so to see how the flavor is progressing so you can taylor it to your taste).  Give it a go and let me know how it turns out!!

Liqueurs

Limoncello (or other citrus fruit such as orange).

1. Peel about 12 lemons, or oranges, with a potato peeler so that you remove most of the rind (colored part) with minimal white pith.  Place rinds in canning jar with about 250ml of the juice of the given fruit.
2. Fill to the top of the jar with spirit (about 550 ml).
3. Seal tightly, store in cool dry place for 1-2 months (again take some samples periodically to see how the flavor intensity is).
4. Once aged, make a simple syrup that is two parts water to one part sugar.  If you are doing a full batch (that is a whole 800ml jar) what works best is to boil 6 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar for about a half an hour.  The total volume will reduce to about 4 cups of syrup which equates to 950ml.
5. Strain off infused alcohol from rinds and combine with syrup.  Because the alcohol is already slightly diluted by the juice you might not want to use all of it as the resulting liqueur will be quite sweet and lower proof.  If you prefer a stronger beverage you can simply dilute to taste.

***Some sources I read recommend re-aging the liqueur on the rind once the syrup is added.  I haven’t tried this yet but it might turn out an interesting drink so give it a go if you dare.

On a more academic note, I am starting my formal internship tomorrow.  I will be working at Tensley wines in Santa Barbara until mid-August.  Though my contact with the winery owner Joey Tensley has been cursory up to this point, he said that I’ll be getting to try my hand at the gambit of winery jobs (blending, bottling, topping and I am sure cleaning).  The operation is pretty small as I understand it.  Joey and his family do the winery work, sourcing grapes from individually selected plots of vines from vineyards in the area.  I was informed yesterday, though, that he plans to begin work on a private vineyard this summer, and that I will definitely get to do some work breaking ground on that project.  Other than that its going to be trial by fire.  I am looking forward to working closely with Joey and his family; my impression of the Santa Barbara wine region is that it offers a nice antithesis to the industrialized, high-output wineries of Napa and Sonoma, employing a more artisanal approach (it will be interesting to see if this is indeed the case).  More pictures, updates (and maybe recipes) soon and I hope everyone is enjoying the kickoff to summer!!

Hello! Welcome to CUVEC! Our first meeting will be on Thursday, February 3rd at 4:45 in 114 Plant Science.

I would like to personally invite everyone to join the  Cornell University Viticulture and Enology Club this spring. CUVEC is a club that is devoted to promoting the understanding and appreciation of wine by holding events and activities throughout the school year. Our main community event, the Grape Stomp, is held every fall in the Ag Quad to educate people about wine. This semester we plan on having more structured meetings by having speakers, social events, movie nights, field trips and more!

Come join us in our endeavor to educate ourselves and the Cornell community about the history, production and the social aspects of wine!

-Melissa Aellen

CUVEC President

Viticulture and Enology 2013

On Friday, September 17th, CUVEC will host it’s third Grape Stomp. This year’s stomp will take place on the Ag Quad from 1pm to 4pm. As people pass by, they are encouraged to take their shoes off and take a shot at stomping grapes following the old world traditions. There will also be multiple varieties of wine grapes on display. We hope to draw a large crowd which will help to get the word out about CUVEC and the major.

Hello,

A friend recently recommended that I check out an article that reivews the recent affect iPad’s are having in the food service industry. Particularly, with how iPad’s has made restaurant patrons more apt to up sale, as the software provides consumers with producer notes, critic ratings, and tasting notes that allow for a more empowered informed wine selection experience.

I guess the question remains, is this good for the identity of wine in America. For a market that already lacks a true appreciation for the terroir driven, and at times, malleable nature of a truly agrarian product. Is it best to equip, and inevitably popularize, the use of a software that molds wine into a set linear scores and subjective critical standards; making wine more of a commodity.

Or, does such technology provide unseen benefits that connect people with the artisanal or craft aspect of production?

Take a look:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/dining/15ipad.html?_r=1&hp

Gary Barletta, co-owner and winemaker at Long Point Winery in Aurora, NY, has been a familiar face in the Finger Lakes Wine Industry for many years.  Barletta grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Syracuse, NY where his grandfather introduced him to the art of winemaking.  In 1976, Gary began making his own wine from an old press in his grandfather’s basement.  Gary and his wife Rosemary then turned their passion into a profession in 1999 by establishing Long Point Winery on a beautifully scenic plot of land on the east side of Cayuga Lake.  Since it’s establishment, Long Point Winery has won many awards for their high quality wines.

Q1: Is winemaking an art or science?

It’s an art.  If it were a science then every vintage would come out tasting the same.  Of course there is a lot of science involved, but it (winemaking) would be much more standardized if it were just a science.  Instead, you have to give it your own touch and adjust it according to taste, and that’s the bottom line: how it tastes.  So in that sense, it’s much more of an art.

Q2: What are the biggest challenges facing the Finger Lakes wine industry?

For this area the biggest challenge is marketing and marketing properly.  For years we (Finger Lakes) have been known for our Concords and Catawbas.  But in the last 30 years, we’ve been growing some really nice viniferas and showing the world that we can produce high quality vinifera wines.

Q3: What is your winemaking philosophy?

My philosophy is to try to make the best wine possible.  We don’t overcrop our vineyard, so we have a lower yield for a higher quality fruit; quality over quantity.

Q4: What is your favorite wine?

Zinfandel.  I really like the blackberry, pepper, and spicy characters in the wine.  It pairs with many different foods.  In fact, Zinfandel is the only red wine I’d recommend with seafood.

Now that we are well into the growing season, much of my responsibilities are focused on making sure the vines are trim, tidy, and healthy.

One of the most beneficial practices towards producing quality fruit is to make sure that the vines’ shoots are positioned up trough the catch wires of the trellis system.  This practice serves four very important purposes: (1) to make the rows more accessible to equipment, (2) minimize tension on the trellis system produced by sprawling vines, (3) allow for more thorough and even chemical application, and (4) allow the vines better sun and air reception.

This close-up photo shows how the bird netting protects the clusters from bird, deer, and other pest damage.

- Ryan

This is a clip supplied by Apple that showcases how Quintessa of the Napa Valley, CA, is integrating iPhones and their multitasking abilities into both their marketing and customer relations, but also on the technical side. At one point in the clip, Quitessa’s winemaker is shown using his iPhone in the vineyard to check weather updates, take verbal notes about rippening & growth, locate his orientation, and spot his position using his GPS capabilities.

Imagine how you could further integrate such technologies into the winemaking process? What else is possible?

I particularly like how they use the camera built in to capture moments of splendor in the vineyard and cellar. Its a great way to bring customers into the winemaking experience. Nice work!

-Evan LaNouette ’10

Owner and winemaker at Long Point Winery, Gary Barletta, was sure to give us a full week’s notice before ‘bottling day’.  A few selected days out of the year are devoted to bottling the wine, and require intense preparation and diligence, especially on the part of the winemaker.  Bottling days tend to be some of the more hectic days at the winery with all hands on deck and a steady work pace.  Long Point Winery hires the service of a mobile bottling unit operated by Cornell grad and owner/winemaker of Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars, Peter Oughterson.  Mobile bottling units can save wineries the enormous up-front costs of a stationary bottling unit and also the floor space required by one of these units.

Like a highly-tuned, machine-opearted assembly line, the bottling unit fills a bottle, squeezes in a cork, shrinks on a capsule, and sticks on a label, all in a matter of seconds.  It was really quite fascinating to witness all the raw materials come together to produce the finished product.

More soon.
Ryan

Soon after the fall harvest months, vineyard managers begin preparing for the next growing season.  When I first started helping out at Long Point Winery, we were out in the vineyards in our Carhartts in 20 degree weather trudging through the snow.  January, February, and March are when the vines need to be pruned.  It’s at this time that the vines are still dormant and easier to manage.  Pruning is a simple but necessary process of selecting the healthiest or best positioned canes and removing the rest.  Because Long Point Winery’s vineyards utilize a vertical shoot positioning system, we only left 3 or 4 canes per vine.

After pruning is finished the vines need to be tied to the trellis system.  We do this to maximize the vine’s sunlight and air reception, thus lessening disease pressure and improving the overall health of the vine.  This process of tying the vines down is also known as ‘wrapping’, and ideally you want your vines to be tied before the buds begin breaking open.

This spring we experienced an early bud break from a stretch of warmer days in mid-March.  Because of this we had to hurry to catch up with the vines and get them tied.  But as you can see from the pictures, the vines not only opened up but had quite a few shoots by the time we finished tying.  On a side note, it should be interesting to see how this year’s early bud break will influence the vintage of the wines they will produce.

More soon.
Ryan

Read about Cornell’s Viticulture and Enology Program in a recent article published by Wine Spectator Magazine!