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Uncorked: The Blog
ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘Wine Fun, Facts, Tips, Activities’ CATEGORY

Why Are Winemakers Clean Freaks?

Why Are Winemakers Clean Freaks? Learn why it is so important to be clean clean clean when winemaking, and how they do it.

Testarossa Winery Account Manager, Marie Bourdet, Wine Educator, Bob Zamora, and Winemaker Bill Brousseau enjoy a taste of Chardonnay.

If you’ve ever been inside a cellar, you’ve probably seen ample evidence that winemakers are clean freaks. From workers hosing down tanks to pristine wine thieves, the clean machine is in force at today’s wineries.

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How-To Store Wine Properly

Wooden barrels with wine in a wine vault, Italy

How you store your wines can significantly change what you taste in your glass. Whether you are storing wine for a few months or a few decades, there are some basic rules to help prevent wines from aging prematurely.

In this short video, “How-to Store Wine Properly,” we’ll cover humidity level, temperatures, location and discuss storing cork versus screwcap bottles. You’ll get some easy tips to help keep your wines in perfect condition.

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How to Serve and Pour Like a Pro

There is no “wrong” way to serve wine, but these tips can help elevate our wine club members’ experience.

Glasses of red wine with cheese platter

Wine can be served many ways.

Let It Rest To Avoid Travel Shock in Wine

Most of our members would be happy to drink their monthly wine club shipments right away, but when you receive a shipment of wines, it is best to let them rest for a few days in a cool, dark place before enjoying. This should eliminate any travel shock.

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Wine Myths Debunked

View from above 3 wine glasses filled with different wines

“In vino veritas (In wine there is truth),” said Alcaeus, a Greek poet who lived in the 6th century BC. Wine should be fun, and always an adventure. While we love all things wine, there are some outdated ideas that need correcting. Here we dissect a few of the most pervasive misconceptions and get to the truth of the matter.

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Fermentation 101

Cabernet Sauvignon Grape hanging from the vine
Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes Ready for Harvest

Fermentation is the essential process of that magical transformation of grapes to wine. “The complexity and completion of fermentation should be a celebration of the land, a reflection of the vineyard, whether of a site, a style of vine husbandry, or vintage,” says Winemaker Greg LaFollette (also known as “The Grape Whisperer”). See what is going on in that bubbling fermentation tank.

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Winemaking Techniques: Everything Old is New Again

Co-Founder Scott MacFiggen, Sosie Wines Foot-Stomping Grapes
Co-Founder Scott MacFiggen, Sosie Wines Foot-Stomping

See why some winemaking techniques will never go out of fashion.

Winemaking Technique #1: Foot-Trodding

“For our white wines, grapes are typically put directly into a press so the juice can be extracted and fermented. This only provides an hour or two of skin contact. For our Roussanne, we prefer more skin contact so we foot stomp the grapes until there is enough juice to cover them. We then wrap the bins, add some dry ice and let them sit overnight. In the morning, we press the grapes. We do this to extract more color from the skins but also to extract tannin and phenols which adds texture to the finished wine.” — Co-Founder Scott MacFiggen, Sosie Wines

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Surviving Prohibition – The Impact on California’s Wine Industry

Making wine during prohibition
Making wine during prohibition

Prohibition set the California wine industry back decades. Most wineries never recovered, and there was a devastating loss of expertise as winemakers moved on to other professions.

When Prohibition began in 1920, there were 713 bonded California wineries. By 1933, the vast majority were out of business. See how some wineries managed to survive, and even thrive, despite this “dry spell.”

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The California Wine Club: Interview with Artist Ruth Jaffe – Uncorked: The Blog

Artist Ruth Jaffe
Artist Ruth Jaffe paints with wine.

“14 years ago, I began painting with wine,” says artist Dr. Ruth Jaffe. “We were visiting a gallery that had adjacent to it a wine tasting room. Or rather, we were in the wine tasting room and adjacent to it was a painting studio. I remember it very clearly, almost like a photograph in my mind. I was tasting a red wine, and I was looking through a door to where there were some easels with some paintings, and I thought, hmm…”

The California Wine Club member Jim Schwenke from Connecticut introduced us to Ruth’s art. Jim’s library was exhibiting her work, and he thought other members would find Ruth’s art as intriguing as he did. Happily, when we tracked Ruth down, she was gracious enough to tell us all about herself and our favorite art medium.

“I’ve dabbled with painting all my life,” explains Ruth. “I’ve always been interested in art and I started to paint more steadily about 19 years ago. I am a psychoanalyst, that is my profession, which goes right along with painting as my own personal therapy.” Ruth has shown her paintings in group shows in New York, California, and with the Washington Arts Association in Connecticut.

A watercolor of a vineyard, made with wine.
VINEYARD© –wine and ink
A watercolor of a vineyard, made with wine. Perfect!
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The Great Prohibition Caper

The Bargetto Brothers
The Bargetto Brothers

100 years ago when Prohibition began in 1920, there were 713 bonded California wineries. Some pivoted to making sacramental wine, and some sold their fruit to home winemakers across the U.S. But by 1933 when Prohibition ended, the vast majority were out of business. Here’s how a one winery survived.

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Why We Like Flawed Wine

Our team tastes every wine we feature.
Our Team of Personal Wine Consultants, Eva, Lisa, Natasha and Joann, tasting with club president Gerri-Lynn Becker (center).

Musty, moldy, and acrid.

Three common aromas that indicate your wine has gone bad.   We’ve all been there. Pop goes the cork and immediately, you know.

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