Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/437957
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J a n - F e b 2 015 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 8 3 the world with both the prestigious Master of Wine and Master Som- melier qualifications. Frost explained that advance- ments in how Norton is treated in young, but still able to age grace- fully," said Johnson, who has made Norton at Stone Hill for 36 years. THE TROUBLE WITH NORTON K o o y u m j i a n , w h o f o u n d e d Augusta Winery in 1988 and also owns Montelle Winery, said the first issue he grappled with was the grape's notoriously high acid levels. "When I started making wine in Missouri, Nortons had either a tremendous amount of acid to the point where they were out of bal- ance or they had been deacidified the vineyard and winery now deliv- er a variety of Nortons, from clar- et-style, to pinot-noir-like style, to jammy, zinfandel-like versions. "It's capable of a lot of really intense and kind of jolly fruit fla- vors: blueberries, plums and black fruits and red fruits," he said. "But there's always this really crunchy, sometimes over-the-top kind of red apple note at the tail end that makes it very distinctive." It wasn't always that way. Nor- ton may be disease resistant (it rarely needs spraying) and adapted to extreme Midwest temperatures, but it can be tricky to make into a quality wine. If handled incorrect- ly, Nortons can taste like a cup of condensed fruit juice, too acidic or overly herbaceous. M i s s o u r i w i n e m a k e r s D a v e Johnson from Stone Hill Winery in Hermann and Tony Kooyumjian from Augusta Winery, located in Augusta, have spent decades hon- ing their Norton techniques. Kooyumjian started making Nor- ton in 1980 and often tops the list when Missouri wine experts are asked to name the best Norton winemakers. According to Stone Hill, Johnson is the most-awarded winemaker outside California. At the 2014 Missouri Wine Competi- tion, for the second year running, a Stone Hill Norton won all three categories it was eligible to enter, including Best Overall Wine at the competition. "We try to make Norton in a way that makes it appealing when + Norton is the only grape variety with predominantly indigenous American par- entage that makes a quality dry red wine. + Few American wine con- sumers have heard of the Norton grape, despite its history and recent rise in quality, + Norton winemakers such as Dave Johnson from Stone Hill Winery and Tony Kooyumjian from Augusta Winery have learned to harvest their grapes late, to soften acidity and create riper fruit flavors. + Today's Nortons undergo longer, cooler primary fer- mentations than in the past. AT A GLANCE Wine expert Doug Frost says there's never been a better time to drink Nor- ton wine. Photo: Courtesy of Doug Frost Dave Johnson of Stone Hill Winery says the key to making a quality Norton is dealing with its high levels of malic acid. Photo: Stone Hill Winery NEW & USED UNITS AVAILABLE All Major Credit Cards Accepted Toll Free: 866-307-9731 FAX: 281-227-8404 COLD SHOT CHILLERS ® • • Most Machines Shipped in 2 Weeks or Le ss • 5 Year Compressor Warranty • • Live Technical Support 24/7 www.waterchillers.com Low Temperature Glycol Chillers, Up To 150 Tons Single Phase Voltages, Up To 10 Tons • Nationwide Service Network