VineSugar: Wine Burps Blog

Racking when the siphon doesn't fit

I work with small batches of must and juice so after pressing, I usually end up with a little more juice than what fits in a 3-gallon or 6-gallon carboy. I prefer keeping this extra juice to use as "top off" wine when racking my larger batches so I can can say it's 100% my wine. Otherwise, I'd have to use water (not ideal) or use some cheap, already made bottle of wine but who's to say that it will blend nicely, ya know?

I have a few 1-gallon jugs just for this reason but the challenge I recently faced was that my auto-siphon was too wide for the opening of my 1-gallon jug. At the time, I didn't realize Fermtech made a mini auto siphon for $9 -- otherwise, I probably would have bought it.

In my first batch ever, I tried almost everything with no luck. I tried round-bottom coffee filters, conical-shaped coffee filters, I tried using a baster and I even tried "the slow pour" but none worked very well.

After talking with my friends at MoreWine, we came up with an ingenious method. Of course, this assumes you have access to an inert gas tank which I pulled from my kegerator.

Using the CO2 tank from my kegerator, I used a double-holed bung and a small 3/8" thread barb that was fastened to my 1-gallon jug. The one tube ran from the CO2 tank to the top of the bung around the thread barb. Then I had a food-grade tube placed inside the jug, just above the lees, which ran into the new jug I wanted to rack into.

The key is to use JUST enough CO2 to push the wine through the tube. You have to turn the CO2 tank OH, SO SLIGHTLY otherwise the pressure will be too great and pop the top right off. This happened to me and thankfully, only a few spatters of juice hit the ceiling. My wife was not amused though.

Keep a hand around the bung and hoses just to be safe. It worked perfectly for me. Every so often you have to add more CO2 to keep the pressure constant but it works!

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Jan 05, 2009 9:09 am

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sooo... what do you think?

This has been a busy holiday break but it's time this website return to what made it fun in the first place. I've cleaned out the database of the comment spam, outdated links, pointless blog entries and a whole lot more.

You probably noticed I reorganized the header links which should make things a little easier to navigate. Each section got some lovin' in the design and refresh department too. This site was screaming for cleanup.

The biggest new thing is the beginning of the "My Cellar" section. As you may or may not know, I'm dabbling in winemaking now so this is my place to display my batches, step-by-step. Since winemaking is becoming an obsession, I would guess a lot of attention goes to making this more interactive.

For those of you who know your wine labels, can you guess the bottles used in the homepage mast picture? If you get them all, I'll send you something cool.

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Jan 04, 2009 9:24 pm

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We're switching gears a bit here

It's been a LONG time, I know. I'll spare you the "bla bla bla" work excuses and just say that I started a hobby that has re-inspired me...

I'm making wine now!

I'm going to be retooling some things here in the next week or two. This blog will be more geared towards to ins-and-outs of winemaking and the occasional blip about the industry. The "news" tab is getting a face-lift too.

All in all, this site is going back to it's roots. A website by Ryan for Ryan... and people interested with what I'm tasting and making of course. No more "guest" writers or nonsense like that.

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Dec 08, 2008 7:50 pm

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I'm in ur glassez, smelling all ur winez

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:33:34 +0100

Greatest Wine Glass just put out a wine glass for the UBBER wine snob. The silhouette have a space for your nose so you can jam it inthe glass and pick up all the nuances that the extra inch is hiding.

[read sarcastic voice]

Clearly, this is why you're not picking up all those wonderful descriptors on the back of labels.

But if that isn't enough, they're on sale! Originally $78 each now only $54 each.

[end sarcastic voice]

I'm almost jealous that I didn't think of it first. There's enough wine snobs out there to support such a product to make a killing!

The video here is some VERY funny stuff. Almost like something from an SNL skit!

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Oct 17, 2007 10:35 am

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spirits wines @ Jun 21, 2008 5:20 pm:

These wine glasses would definitely appeal to the wine scientist seeking a better whiff. What a hoot.

You'll learn about and come to appreciate wine and the craft of winemaking. Learning how to taste wine engages several senses at once; sight, taste and smell beginning with these senses and expanding your knowledge and appreciation outward from these will have you tasting wine like a professional very quickly.

There are countless unique scents to be detected in wine, but taste is limited to just four elements (sweet, sour, salty and bitter). The senses of smell and taste work in conjunction to let you experience flavor.

Here's How:

Look:
Examine Color and Clarity. Pour wine into a glass. Have a close look at the wine; tilt the glass (away from, not towards you) and look at the color of the wine, looking from the edge to the middle. For this it is useful to have a white tablecloth, piece of paper or other white background so that the color can be assessed better.

So what color is the wine? You need to think past just red or white. Is it purplish, brick red, garnet, maroon or some other shade if it is a red wine? If a white wine, is it straw-colored, greenish, pale yellow, almost clear or golden in color?

Still Looking: Next, evaluate the clarity (or opacity) of the wine.

Is it translucent? Opaque? Is the wine clear or cloudy can you see any sediment in the glass? You can better check this by giving your glass a gentle swirl this will reveal anything floating in the wine. A younger wine will have more sediment than an older one; older reds especially tens towards a translucent character.

Smell:
The sense of smell is a crucial element in tasting a wine. To best assess aroma, you should again gently swirl your glass, which will release the aromas of the wine. Take a quick sniff and evaluate.

Still Smelling: Next, put your nose into the glass, but not into the wine, and inhale the aroma deeply. What do you think now? What do you smell? Oak, floral notes, fruit scents such as citrus; perhaps even tobacco or vanilla are all common elements of the aroma of a wine. Swirl again ad give it another quick sniff.

Taste:
I know you've been waiting for this step; patience is a part of learning how to taste wines, however. Take just a small sip and roll it around your tongue. You will now assess three parts of the taste of wine attack, evolution and finish.

Attack refers to the first impression made upon your palate by the wine. There are four elements to the attack phase: tannin, acidity, alcohol content and residual sugar content. These are the things which come together to create the part of flavor which is sensed by your palate.

The four elements should be balanced, with one not being too overwhelming when compared to the other components. Together, these four elements create the sensations of complexity, intensity and the mouth feels creamy or crisp, sweet or dry, but not flavors as such like fruit or spice flavors.

Next is the Evolution Phase, which is also known as the middle range or mid-palate phase. This is where the flavor as such develops on the palate. During this phase, you can experience the flavor of the wine.

A red wine may reveal fruit flavors at first, such as cherry, plum or fig, as well as spice flavors like black pepper and clove, even woodsy flavors like oak.

In a white wine, the Evolution Phase will have you tasting fruit flavors like apple, pear or citrus, floral flavors or even herbs, honey or butter (especially in malolactic fermented wines).

The Finish comes last, as the name suggests. The finish is how long the flavor lasts in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. Aftertaste is a big part of this phase. Did the aftertaste last in your mouth just for a moment, or for several seconds? Was it light or heavy in body The sensation of being like water or heavier such as cream. Can you still taste it at the back of your throat? Does it leave a bitter aftertaste or do you want another sip right away? Most importantly, what was the last impression the wine left: was it wood, spice, fruit or something else?

After tasting your wine, write down what you thought of it. All in all, do you feel favorably about the wine? Did it tend towards bitter, sweet or sour? Was the acidity of the wine well balanced with the other elements? What foods did it go well with? Would you drink this wine again? If you did like the wine, write down the name of the wine, the producer and year of vintage so that you can find this wine again.

Kyle @ Jun 30, 2008 8:24 am:

Good stuff. I am really just overtaken with wine right now and cant get enough.

Kyle Schindler
The Grape and Bean LLC
http://www.thegrapeandbean.net/

Justin Jannusch @ Aug 01, 2008 2:50 pm:

Although it is true that different shaped glasses change the aromas and flavors in wine, this is ridiculous. I really don't understand the need for this product, especially at that price!
www.bookcliffvineyards.blogspot.com

Erik Wait @ Oct 03, 2008 1:33 pm:

This wine glass HAS to be a joke. You don't smell the aromas from the base of the wine, but rather from that which is running along the inner sides of the glass. Therefore you don't WANT to stick your nose closer to the wine, but rather properly place it (in the appropriately designed glass for the particular varietal) so that you are receiving the essences of the bouquet from the glass.

Erik Wait
"Adventures in Wine Tasting"

New Miracle Cure! The benefits of White Wine

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:33:34 +0100

Do you have feelings of inadequacy? Do you suffer from shyness? Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about White Wine.

White Wine is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. White Wine can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of White Wine almost immediately, and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live.

Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with White Wine.

However, White Wine may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use White Wine.

However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and playall-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine is a major factor in dancing like a idiot.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

WARNING
The consumption of White Wine may be a major factor in getting your as* kicked.

Now just imagine what you could achieve with Red Wine!

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Sep 05, 2007 8:35 am

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Wine Spectator Video Wine Pairing

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:38:29 +0100

Did anyone see this?

It's a video of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich talking about wine pairing for a typical Italian bolognese -- from the Wine Spectator.

It could quite possibly put a screaming baby to sleep. They talk about 2 wines: a 1998 Chianti for $50 that scored 85pt and a Sangiovese they don't call out yet prefer. Seriously? $50 and 85pts? Why would they highlight that? Why didn't they show what the Sangiovese is if that's what they preferred for the pairing? Shoot the art director for this piece.

It is cute that they tried though.

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Aug 25, 2007 6:33 am

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Scott C @ Nov 20, 2007 3:38 pm:

It just demonstrates that scores don't mean Jack Sh*t.

How a small winery found Internet fame

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:45:23 +0100

A small South African winery is using conversational marketing to go global, reports Business 2.0 Magazine.

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Aug 08, 2007 2:08 pm

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bottle openers @ Oct 08, 2007 7:45 pm:

Cool!bottle openers

Wine and a movie? Apocalypse Now Redux DVD in a Bottle

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:00:42 +0100

The 3 liter bottle contains the 2004 Francis Coppola Reserve Syrah and is beautifully silk-screened with an image from the movie Apocalypse Now Redux. A pull-out drawer on the bottom of the bottle holds the DVD.

You can also find One From The Heart with the same Syrah reserve.

I just love that they're joining wine and lifestyle so seamlessly! Great idea. My only gripe would be that it's too much wine for some. I wonder if they could make the movies fit the mini-DVD format and apply the same package design to 750ml bottle sizes... Might be more appealing for some.

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Aug 06, 2007 6:48 am

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http://www.winey.info/ @ Sep 05, 2007 4:00 pm:

This is a nice wine gift :)

Wine Country Maps for Your Enjoyment!

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:00:42 +0100

You know those fold-up maps for each region of wine country? You always saved them for your trips. Well, we've collected a lot over the years and realized it would be cool to have them in an interactive format. So that's what we did.

We're always being asked, "Where should we visit when we're in wine country?"

With the interactive maps, you can now see maps of wine country and the wineries around but you can also see ratings and acclaims inline with the listings so now there's no questions =)

We know that some regions don't have many wineries listed but rest assured, we're working on adding all the wineries. There's a lot and we're just a small group of wine geeks...

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Aug 05, 2007 8:24 am

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Stag's Leap Sold

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:01:08 +0100

SFGate.com has the full article:

NAPA VALLEY STUNNER - FAMED WINERY SOLD
Vintner Warren Winiarski, the first to take California Cabernet to Paris and come home a winner, sells Stag’s Leap for $185 million — and the Wine Country evolves

Am I the only one excited about this?

Seems like all the major wineries with any brand recognition are getting bought up. Makes sense really. It's an easy way to boost sales and market share.

This winery-buying trend is making me laugh though. Wine companies don't know how to market their new products effectively so they're abandoning all hope and buying existing brands. What will happen when there's no more brands to buy? These companies will be forced to figure out new and innovative ways to market wine - and who knows, maybe then they'll look to emerging generations.

It will certainly be fun to watch the marketing wars that are inevitable.

Embrace the era that is ushering in... there' not much anyone can do about it except to sit back, watch the marketing battles and bask in the in quality wines that you paid half for... because price wars are inevitable too and that's music to my ears!

Posted by Ryan ODonnell on Aug 01, 2007 8:56 am

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Bill Pheyton @ Sep 28, 2007 8:01 pm:

Eventually, they will have to learn to market their wine or it won't matter how many brands they buy up.

Check out http://winescorecard.com - at least someone is trying something new.