Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/572389
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER OCTOBER 2015 9 "I've measured wines that are 50 and 60 years old that still have quite a lot of tannins in them," he said. "It all depends on what you're doing and what you started with. What you do is going to affect all other things." Each winery is unique and winemakers must fi gure out what they are doing that infl uences tannin levels. Things like fermentation temperatures, crushing and destemming procedures, adding enzymes, and blend- ing and fi ning practices are techniques used to manage tannins. Analyzing phenolics There are tools available to analyze phenolics in wine, such as the widely used Harbertson-Adams assay, and a model-based assay developed for Hogue Cellars that is similar to the Harbertson-Adams assay but less time consuming. Corey Beck, president of Francis Coppola Winery in Geyersville, California, said they began using the Harbertson-Adams assay in 2003. Francis Coppola's Claret red wine, with the distinctive gold netting around the bottle, is the best-selling Cabernet blend in America. Around 310,000 cases are produced annually. Beck noted that the assay requires signifi cant invest- ment by the winery—it cost around $25,000 to get the lab up and going—and he has a full-time lab staff. But the in-house testing of phenolics has helped to improve their winemaking decisions, improve grower relations, identify their wine style, and gauge vintage variations. "It's a great tool to show you what is in your wine," he said. "For growers, it serves as a third party if there's a dif- ference of opinion and helps us give growers more data about their fruit quality," said Beck. "At the winery, the phenolic assay has helped us defi ne and assess quality and achieve consistency." • "I've measured wines that are 50 and 60 years old that still have quite a lot of tannins in them. It all depends on what you're doing and what you started with." —James Harbertson TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are harvested at Klipsun Vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA near Benton City, Washington.