Wine Matters

What is wine?    By The Tishbi Winery team

Wine is a natural product, made solely from fresh grapes. The grape juice undergoes a fermentation process, where fresh yeast is used to transform the juice into wine. During the fermentation process, the yeast converts the grapes’ natural sugar to produce alcohol.

Up until today, throughout the world, over 20 types of grapevines have been defined, among them, the main grapevine used in winemaking: the wine grapevine. There are over 2,000 varieties of this species, but only 40 of these varieties have enough character and taste to be clearly identified (out of these 40 varieties, only a small handful has become accepted and common in wine regions throughout the world).

Wine is categorized according to different characteristics such as colour, level of sweetness, and grape varieties.

Categorization according to colour

White wines: wines made from white grapes or, to be more exact, green grapes

Red wines: wines made from red grapes

Blush wines: light red wines made from rose red grapes through the white winemaking process

Categorization according to levels of sweetness

Dry wines: wines that are not sweet or whose sweetness levels are below the human taste threshold.

Semi-dry wines: slightly sweet wines. With these wines, the fermentation process is stopped once the desired level of sweetness has been achieved (semi-dry wines are usually white and rose).

Semi-sweet wines: wines with medium sweetness levels

Sweet wines: wines that still contain the natural sweetness of the grapes. These wines usually undergo a short fermentation period in order to preserve the grapes’ sweetness. These wines are also called ‘dessert wines’.

Categorization according to grape variety

Varietal wines: wines made from one grape variety or which contain more than 85% of one variety. These wines bear the name of the grape from which it was made, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Sauvignon is the name of the variety of red grape used to make the wine).

Blends: wines made from several grape varieties. These wines do not bear the name of a specific grape variety, but rather are given commercial names, such as Baron Cabernet.

How is wine produced?

Wine making begins in the vineyard. First, you need to choose a location with suitable soil and climate conditions for the grape you wish to plant. This is a very important decision since each grape variety requires its own unique soil and climate conditions in order to reach its highest level of excellence and realize its full potential.

The Ripening of the Grapes

With the awakening of the grapevine in spring, the grapes receive close and strict attention until harvest time. Deciding when to harvest is one of the winemaker’s most important decisions. The grapes’ degree of ripeness at harvest time is most important. During the ripening process, the grapes’ sugar level content increases, while their acidity level decreases and they develop typical aromas of ripeness. The optimal time to harvest grapes is when the grapes’ sugar level is high enough, the acidity level is still relatively high and the taste and aroma levels are at their peak.

The Harvest

Grape harvesting takes place during the summer months (July-October), during the night and early morning hours. Harvesting may be done by hand or machine. At Tishbi’s, we prefer hand picking our grapes, as we believe it results in a higher quality wine. This is due to the fact that hand picking involves cutting the entire grape bunch, including the stems from the vine and transporting the intact bunches to the winery. (This prevents the fermentation process from beginning on the way from the vineyard to the winery.)

Crushing the grapes

As soon as the grapes arrive at the winery, the grapes are separated from the leaves and the stems and go straight into the crusher (during the crushing process it is very important not to crush the seeds along with the grapes as they have a bitter taste, which may spoil the taste of the wine).

Juice Extraction

After the grapes have been crushed, the juice is extracted and separated from skins, seeds and stems. In rosé wines, the juice, skins and seeds are steeped for a few hours (pulp fermentation) before the juice is extracted to provide a pleasant pink or red tint. In red wines, the skins are separated from the juice only during the fermentation phase or at its conclusion.

What is fermentation? How is it done?

Fermentation is the process that transforms grape juice into wine. This process takes place with the help of natural wine yeasts, which are added to the grape juice. The yeast converts the natural sugars of the grape juice to produce alcohol, carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy in the form of heat. Fermentation parameters are one of the main differences in the making of red and white wine.

In white wines, the grape juice is clear and fermentation takes place at low temperatures. This allows for a continuous two-week fermentation process, which serves to preserve the green grapes’ special aroma. In red wines, the juice and skins are fermented at relatively high temperatures. Fermentation lasts between 4-7 days; and a red tint is derived from the grapes’ skins. Aromatic materials and taste enhancers are added to the wine to enrich it with a bouquet characteristic of its grape variety. In dry wines, the fermentation process is concluded when the yeast has almost completely converted all the sugar. In semi-dry wines, the fermentation process is stopped when the desired levels of sweetness have been achieved.

Barrel Ageing

Some wines are stored in wooden barrels for an ageing period of weeks or years, according to the type of wine, the age of the barrel and the style of wine as determined by the winemaker. During this ageing period in the barrel, the wine’s complexity is enhanced by the fragrance of the wood and the vanillin contained in the oak barrel, which become integrated into the wine. While in the barrel, the wine undergoes a chemical process referred to as the ‘ageing process’. This process serves to soften the wine, stabilize its colour and increase its complexity.

Blending

The wine’s final state is reached when it has been blended with wines from two or more vineyards, after which it is clarified, stabilized, filtered and bottled. Sometimes, wine is further aged in the bottle.

When the wine is ready to be marketed, it is bottled. However, some wines remain in the winery’s wine cellar for additional ageing for several months or years before actually being marketed. During this period, the bottle ageing process perfects the barrel ageing process by improving the quality of the wine and increasing its complexity.


Sparkling Wine - Champagne - Tishbi Brut 

Champagne is a sparkling wine that is the product of a secondary fermentation of the wine. The beverage is named after the Champagne region in France where it originates and only wines produced in this region may carry its name. If the drink is produced outside of Champagne, France, it is called sparkling wine.
The champagne/ sparkling wine type is decided according to the level of sugar added during the production process and the most common type is the Brut – dry.
There is a belief that a French monk by the name of Dom Perignon invented the production method, however this is merely hearsay and in reality he improved upon it.
Champagne is produced using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Pinot Meunier grapes, however the sparkling wine at the Tishbi Winery is made using French Colombard grapes, a white grape varietal that we use for producing our quality brandy, a dessert wine and a dry, table wine. The grapes used for champagne production are harvested at the start of the season when their sugar levels are low and their acidity levels are higher.

The production process at the Tishbi Estate Winery is traditional, meticulous and twofold.
Step 1 takes place during the harvest itself as the grapes are received at the winery and made into dry, white wine.
Step 2 involves adding yeast and sugar creating a secondary fermentation by releasing carbon-dioxide and producing bubbles.
The bottles used in sparkling wine production are special and can withstand pressure of twelve atmospheres with an metal crown closure and an additional plastic crown that collects the yeast that forms in the bottle as a result of the wine's fermentation.
The secondary fermentation in the bottle goes on for several months and creates pressure of about six atmoshpheres.
At the end of this process, a special machine that we purchased from Champagne, France assists with the in-bottle separation of the yeast from the wine.
Before the process of sediment removal came into play, the champagne was murky, however a modern cleansing system was developed that freezes the liquid in the bottle-neck and removes it as ice thus preventing loss of liquids.
Until now, when draining the solids to the bottle's mouth, we used to lay the bottles on special stands at 45 degree descending angles and turn them manually on a daily basis. The Remupal machine that we recently purchased rotates 504 bottles at a slow and even pace over a period of two weeks while changing their positioning from horizontal to vertical in order to concentrate the yeast in the bottles' necks in a thorough and efficient manner.
The last stage of production involves freezing the bottle neck and removing the cork wherein the ice and the yeast sprays out (known as disgorgement). The bottle is then quickly transferred to a machine that refills the missing liquid with either a sweet liquor known as liqueur d’expédition or using wine left over from an earlier year if the champagne is intended to be dry (pending the winemaker's decision).
Finally, the wine is corked and strengthened by using an iron thread that keeps the cork from bursting out freely. The champagne's mushroom-shaped cork closure comes about in a special manner. The cork is originally strong and cylinder-shaped, and its diameter is larger than the common cork. During the corking process, only half of the cork is inserted into the bottleneck and, as a result of the high pressure that's formed in the bottle, the renowned mushroom shape is formed.
Opening the bottle can be done in a manner that has become traditional in parties by releasing the closure by force of the pressure inside and accompanied by the "plop" sound, however the refined rather prefer opening the bottle quietly and carefully thus avoiding loss of the precious beverage.
The champagne is served in a special glass that is designed especially to avoid the escape of bubbles and warmth of the wine by the hand holding the glass.

Recommended to be drunk with the ones you love!

The Art of Tasting

In wine tasting, we use all of our five senses:

Sight

Pour the wine into a glass; don’t overfill it (less than 1/3 of a glass). Hold the glass against a white background and note the following details:

Wine colour – indicates the wine’s character, how it was made, its age and quality. In white wines, the colour ranges from light greenish to straw yellow. Over time, the white wine’s colour takes on a golden tint. In red wines, the colour may range from the crimson purple characteristic of young wines to the deeper brownish or dark red characteristic of older red wines. Over time, the colour takes on a distinctly brownish tint.

Wine clarity – The wine should be clear, not murky; however, sediment is not necessarily a bad thing.

Bubbles – In sparkling wines, the size of the bubbles, the rate of bubbling and the length of time the bubbles remain in the glass are examined. Small bubbles that rise up in a straight line within the glass indicate a high-quality sparkling wine.

Wine body – Observe the body of the wine by twirling the glass. Does the wine adhere to the sides of the glass, forming what are called "legs"? Good legs may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level (this doesn’t necessary determine the quality of the wine).

Smell

Twirling the glass releases the wine’s aroma. Twirl the glass. Hold it close to your nose and breathe in deeply. Repeat several times to experience additional fragrances. Every wine has its own aroma, characteristic of its grape variety, from which it is made, in addition to the fragrances added during the wine making and ageing processes – these additional fragrances are known as the wine’s bouquet. Certain fragrances in the wine may also indicate flaws in the production process or in the way the wine was stored. These may include odours such as: sulphur, vinegar, fishiness, fuel, rubber and plastic, among others.

Taste

Take a sip. Hold the wine in your mouth and roll it around a bit. Take some air into your throat through the wine. The wine becomes warm and releases aromas and tastes. This first taste teaches us about the wines dryness and acidity levels, whether or not its components are balanced – we continue to experience these tastes after the wine is swallowed. (In professional wine tasting, we swallow only a very small amount of wine, the rest is spit out. This is the best way to experience the richness of the wine’s taste.

Touch

When we taste the wine, we experience certain characteristics in the wine, such as the presence of carbonation, astringency, viscosity and temperature. Low carbonation (CO2) levels don’t necessarily indicate a flaw in the wine as long as it is clear. Carbonation adds a refreshing aspect to the wine and keeps it from souring.

Hearing

Raise a glass – cheers!

Wine at mealtimes

Raising a glass at the beginning of a meal serves to break down barriers and lighten the atmosphere. Wine is a perfect complement to any meal, in the evening, the morning, at picnics or social gatherings. There are many rules about which wines go with which foods – and it’s worth learning them – however, it’s also worthwhile to just experiment with new and different combinations. The more you experiment, the more chance we have to discover other interesting combinations, which allows us to decide which of our favourite wines go best with each course of every meal. Just as you wouldn’t use only one spice for every type of food, it would be equally unwise to stick with only one type of wine for every meal. The same food, spiced and cooked differently may go well with several types of wine. For example, grilled fish goes well with a light Chardonnay. However, the same fish, cooked in a spicy sauce would go well with a young Beaujolais-style red wine, such as Tishbi Junior.

Wine in a restaurant

It’s best to order wine when you order your meal so that you can choose a wine that complements the food. You’ll have to decide whether you want to choose one type of wine to accompany the entire meal or several wines to accompany each course.

White wines: Make sure the wine has been well chilled before it is served. If not, the bottle should be returned to the waiter (or wine steward) and replaced with another, chilled, bottle. The waiter opens the bottle at the table and pours a first glass for the person who ordered the wine so that he can taste it (the host usually tastes the wine. If the host’s identity isn’t clear, then let the person who ordered the wine taste it or simply ask: “Who will be tasting the wine?”). This first taste is to verify that the wine is not spoiled or flawed in any way (not, as is commonly supposed, in order to determine if the taster likes the wine).

After the taster has approved the wine, wine is poured for the guests. The glass should be filled less than half way (so that the wine can be twirled in the glass). If any wine remains in the bottle, the bottle should be left on the table. If the wine is cloudy, if there is sediment in the bottle or if the wine is flawed in any way regarding its taste or smell, the bottle should be replaced with a new bottle and the entire ceremony should be repeated.

Storing wine

Wine is a delicate product that needs special care throughout its lifetime. Each wine has its own lifespan, which may range from one year in young wines to decades in high quality red wines. Each wine must be allowed its required ageing conditions (for those wines which require ageing) so that they can reach their full potential.

Recommended serving temperatures

Red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot 18-22° C

Young, Beaujolais-style red wines 13-16° C

White, rose and dessert wines 10° C

Sparkling wines 7° C


Wine and health

Wine has a great deal of nutritional value; it contains 13 of the minerals required by the human body. Vitamins A, B and C aid in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iron and aid the digestive system. Wine also helps prevent heart disease. Research studies have proven that the habitual drinking of modest amounts of red wine helps prevent clogged arteries at an advanced age.
The “French paradox” has been a subject of discussion for several years now. It explains how the French, well known for eating rich foods and large quantities of meat have the lowest rate of heart attacks and heart disease in the world. This phenomenon is attributed to the daily moderate wine-drinking habits of the French, which afford them longer, healthier lives.
Wine, compared with other alcoholic beverages, has a low alcohol content level. Wine should be drunk on a full stomach and with meals.

A few terms for general knowledge 

A bottle of wine contains 5-6 glasses. 

After pouring the wine into the glass, twirl the bottle just a bit, to prevent wine from dripping down the sides of the bottle. 

Wine that has undergone extensive barrel ageing (i.e. red Reserve wines) should be opened half-an-hour before drinking to let the wine ‘breathe’. The wine may also be decanted – this ‘stimulates’ the wine and is pleasing to the eye.

Bouquet – the fragrances added to the wine during the wine-making and ageing processes, such as the wood fragrance derived from the oak barrel in which the wine is aged, the smell of yeast in sparkling wines, etc…

Body – terms such as ‘full-bodied’ and medium-bodied’ refer to the wine’s viscosity level and the way it feels in the mouth.

Aperitif - first drink, ‘appetizer’ drink

Degestif – last drink, aids digestion

Decanting – transfer of the wine from its original bottle into a special serving bottle in order to separate the wine from the sediment at the bottom of the bottle, especially regarding red wines that are rich in tannin.

Tannin - groups of astringent and bitter compounds found in the seeds and skins of grapes that slow oxidation and promote ageing.

Generic Wine – wine made from combining several grape types.

Varietal Wine – wine made from only one type of grapy variety or which contains 85% of one grape variety and bears the name of this variety.

Semi-dry Wine – wine that is slightly sweet

Dry Wine – Wine that is fermented until it is dry, meaning that all the sugar is converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide during the fermentation process.

Balanced Wine – wine whose components all serve to complement one another.

Flat Wine – we say a wine is ‘flat’ when its acidity level is too low, making it dull and tasteless.

Ageing – the maturing process immediately following fermentation. This process is carried out in wood barrels, tanks or bottles. Each wine undergoes the ageing process that best suits its grape variety / varieties according to the wine-maker’s instructions.

Astringency - A wine-tasting term to describe dryness of the mouth on tasting a wine. If pronounced and unpleasant, it may be due to excess tannin. (Astringency is the feeling we experience when tasting certain types of unripe fruit.)

Alcoholic Fermentation – the process by which grape juice is transformed into wine; this occurs through the help of the wine yeast, which converts the natural sugar in the grapes to produce alcohol.

Malo-Lactic Fermentation - Malolactic fermentation is a natural process due to the action of certain bacteria, which change malic acid into lactic acid.

Must - The skins, seeds and juice of crushed grapes.


Screwcap wine seals - a matter of good taste

Why are an increasing number of respected, quality-driven wine producers choosing to challenge tradition and present their wines to you under a screwcap wine seal?
Because, quite simply, we care about our wines. We are committed to bringing our wines to you in the best possible condition. And we know that the only way to do this confidently is to seal each bottle with a screwcap wine seal.

What do Screwcap wine seals do that other closures don't?
Screwcap wine seals eliminate the threat of 'cork taint' and premature oxidation. They allow the wine in each bottle to mature and develop its true character, uniformly and naturally, as intended by the winemaker.

Don't screwcap wine seals bring risks of their own?
In short, no. The inert, food-grade polymer at the base of the seal is guaranteed to have no effect on the taste or quality of the wine - ever. This is why many highly respected wineries around the world store their own precious 'library stock' wines under screwcap wine seals - to ensure that the wines are not at risk of oxidation or taint. Screwcap closures have been protecting premium beverages for over 30 years, but anxiety about 'marketing issues' has, until now, resulted in very few premium quality wines appearing under screwcap.

We are tired of waiting for the promised "better cork"- its time to make the change.

But aren't screwcaps suited to early drinking wines only?
On the contrary: early drinking wines bottled under screwcap certainly have the advantage of retained freshness and no risk of cork taint spoilage. However, premium wines destined for long term maturation enjoy the added advantage of reduced bottle variation, which might otherwise result from premature oxidation over the years due to the natural variability of (sometimes faulty) cork seals.

But will screwcap seals allow wine to age?
Yes - the ageing of wine in a bottle is a function of the natural chemical characters in the wine and will occur over time - irrespective of the bottle closure. As noted Australian winemaker and author James Halliday says, "Some people have the idea that the development of wine with a Stelvin (screwcap) closure will be artificially arrested. Not so; there is sufficient oxygen in the wine and in the head space to allow that part of development which requires oxygen to take place. And - what is more - much of the development takes place anaerobically (i.e.: without oxygen)."

The advantages of using the screwcap as a wine seal are:
* Total confidence that you will receive wine in premium condition - alive, abounding with flavours and a pleasure to drink.
* No bottle variation - each bottle of a given wine will be just as good as the one before.
* Elimination of cork taint and similar mould flavours that can contaminate wines bottled with other closures.
* Dependable cellaring - the elimination of random, premature wine oxidation (seen as rapid ageing, discoloration, loss of fruit flavours and, ultimately, the destruction of the wine), which can occur when other closure types are used.
*And as a bonus, the package is so user friendly. For instance, you can confidently cellar your wines with the bottles standing up. To open a bottle you simply twist the whole capsule to break the seal, and then unscrew the top (no corkscrews to manipulate, no crumbly corks to extract), and if you don't finish your wine that night, you can happily reseal the bottle for the next day.

Are screwcap wine seals here to stay?
Consider the following question, posed by New Zealand's Bob Campbell, Master of Wine: "I have one question for all of the other winemakers who for the time being continue to use corks. If you know that screwcaps will produce better and more consistent wine than corks, how can you continue to short-change your customers?"

WHY CHOOSE SCREW CAPS? By Tyson Stelzer

1. Screw caps remove the risk of cork taint

2. Screw caps remove the threat of sporadic oxidation

3. Screw caps avoid flavour modification

4. Screw caps eliminate flavour scalping

5. Screw caps allow the proper ageing of white wines

6. Screw caps allow the proper ageing of red wines

7. Screw caps eliminate the ingress of oxygen which deteriorates the wine

8. Screw caps maintain a reliable seal long-term

9. Screw caps facilitate vertical storage

10. Screw caps provide greater resistance to temperature change

11. Screw caps are not affected by humidity

12. Screw caps are resistant to odours in the cellar

13. Screw caps are not vulnerable to insects in the cellar

14. Old bottles do not need to be recapped

15. Wines can be cellared for longer periods

16. Screw caps are easy to open

17. Screw caps are easily resealed

18. Screw caps are cost-effective

19. Screw caps can be recycled

20. Screw caps are romantic, because they maintain the quality of the wine and of the moment

With thanks to the New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative