Uncorking the secrets of a quality wine
By Wine Atlas, Tuesday 3 October 2006 :: Wine - Canada :: #120 :: rss
Walking into a wine shop or liquor store to find a bottle of wine can be overwhelming. There are so many options. Consumers may know their favourite varietal, but how can they tell if they are getting a good wine? And what's the difference between a $12 and a $40 bottle of merlot?
For Antelope Ridge proprietor Olivier Combret, the formula is easy: the cost of production plus the quantity determine the sticker price for wines. In his winery quality also plays a part, but that is not always the case.
Paying a lot for a bottle of wine does not necessarily mean it's going to be good, he said. It can just mean that production costs were high.
"It's possible to spend $100 on a bad bottle of wine," said Combret. "The cost of production will not dictate the quality of wine."
The Oliver winemaker said he tries to control his costs of production, while making top-quality wines. Often times, Combret said small wineries offer better quality wines at a lower price because they are not forced to incur the costs of larger operations. The winery can, therefore, pass on more savings to the consumer, he said.
Smaller productions often receive more personal care and attention. A lot of passion and love goes into every bottle - from harvest to production, said Combret.
Wine Trails editor and sommelier Dani Greene said the physical care and attention the viticulturist pays to the grapes is vital.
"The best wines are made in the vineyard, not in the winery," she said. "It's all about the grapes."
It starts with the number of bunches of grapes that grow on vines. The fewer the bunches, the more nutrients the vines can supply to each bunch.
Irrigation also plays a major role, she said. Wine grapes are better when they are starved, she said. Irrigation needs to be controlled or the grapes will become large and watery, therefore producing less concentrated juice.
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