A Celebration of American Wine

Celebration of American Wine

Wine Map of the U.S.

America A Brief Wine History Vitis vinifera

California Gold Rush: wine gains popularity as European immigrants arrive. Riesling, Cabernet, Chardonnay are the most popular grapes.

Vitis labrusca 1629 1683

1000 AD

1774

First Vitis Vinifera (European) grapes planted in San Antonio, New Mexico and California.

Viking explorer Leif Ericson discovers America, names it Vinland after the many wild grapes (Vitis Labrusca or foxy grape).

Thomas Jefferson plants French vines in Virginia. All his vines die of phylloxera.

1848 1855

The Judgment of Paris: Scandale. California wines defeat France in a 1976 blind wine tasting.

1919 1933

Prohibition: 50% of U.S. wineries close. American wine will take 50 years to recover.

1976

1980s

The French Paradox (1991) on 60 Minutes: Boomers discover that wine is “good for you.” Wine consumption grows for 25+ years.

TODAY

1980: AVA System is founded. Missouri is the first official American Viticultural Area, followed by Napa. By law, 85% of the grapes must come from the designated AVA.

U.S. accounts for 12% of global winemaking

About U.S. Wine 257

AVAs in 34 states

(over 50% in CA)

57% % of U.S. wine drinkers who say they

cannot taste the difference between $5 and $100+ wine

81% of all U.S. wine is made in California

What we drink (White)

23% Moscato 17% Chardonnay 14% Riesling 13% Pinot Grigio/Gris 11% Sauvignon Blanc a

What we drink (Red)

19% Merlot 18% Cabernet Sauvignon

12% Pinot Noir 12% Red Zinfandel

10,043 Number of wineries in the U.S.

Top 10:

Wineries Per State State

Wineries

California

4,501

Oregon

793

Washington

792

New York

403

Texas

352

Virginia

291

Pennsylvania

285

Ohio

254

Michigan

191

North Carolina

171

Walla Walla, Washington

Our Tasting

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Paso Robles, California

New Mexico

New Mexico

Gruet Vineyards (New Mexico)

The Vineyards With high elevation, sandy loam soils, and sweeping winds to naturally keep away pests and thin the canopy for greater flavors, New Mexico’s desert landscape are ideal for Gruet.

The vineyards are planted between 4,200 to 5,100 feet, allowing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes to thrive for cool nights and warm days.

Owners, Laurent and Danielle Gruet

Santa Fe Tasting Room

Gruet NV Brut (New Mexico)

Principal Grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

How does it taste?

•

Wonderful aromas of green apple and citrus mineral notes make for a delightful start to this traditional sparkler.

•

Gruet Brut NV offers bright, crisp acidity complemented by a touch of yeast on the delightfully long finish.

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The Gruet family is originally from the Champagne region. They have been making wine in New Mexico using the methode traditionelle since 1984.

HOW STILL WINE IS MADE GRAPES

FERMENTATION Add Yeast. Sugar (the grape must) + Yeast = Alcohol + CO2

AGEING & BLENDING

STEP

01 STEP

02

REMOVE SKINS AND PRESS Skins are removed.

Press wine is transferred to ageing.

Options: Wooden barrels, stainless steel (unoaked).

HARVEST

STEP

03

Grapes are crushed and delivered to the winery

BOTTLING & STORAGE At the winery and in your cellar

STEP

04

TO ADD BUBBLES…

HOW SPARKLING WINE IS MADE STEP

04

CHAMPAGNE IS WINE + BUBBLES Sparkling wine is easy to drink, but hard to make! It requires two fermentations; one to make wine and the other to capture CO2 and make bubbles.

STEP

05

SECOND FERMENTATION Finished wines are blended. A mix of wine, sugar and yeast is added, and the bottle is sealed. Voilà! Second fermentation takes off inside the bottle.

AGEING & RIDDLING After fermentation, the yeast die and form a sediment (lees). The bottles are gently riddled (rotated) from a horizontal to a vertical position. The yeast collects in the neck.

STEP

06 DISGORGEMENT & DOSAGE The neck of the bottle is frozen; the bottle is uncapped – the yeast shoots out with the force of the trapped CO2. Sugar and wine is added to refill and balance the acidity in the “house style.”

STEP

07

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Oregon Wines o o o o o

Willamette Valley (pronounced dammit) is the largest growing area Volcanic soils, cool temps many French wineries have invested in Oregon.

75% of Willamette plantings are Pinot Noir Oregon whites to look for: Pinot Gris and Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills – Defined by the Van Duzer Corridor, a cooling gap for Pacific Ocean winds to blow through in the later afternoon

Winemaker and owner, Erin Nuccio

Temperance Hill Vineyard

Evesham Wood Pinot Noir 2019

(Willamette Valley, Oregon) Principal Grape Pinot Noir

How does it taste?

•

Zesty, powerful, yet beautifully balanced.

•

Black and red fruits, slight creaminess with bright acid and some chewy tannins.

•

Small is beautiful! The wine starts with ripe low-yield fruit from the best possible sites in the Willamette Valley.

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minimal intervention in the winemaking process.

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4000 cases produced

Washington State

Washington Wines o

o o

o

o

Washington is home to a diverse group of growing regions, which vary significantly by size, climate, soils and varietals There are over 80 grape varieties grown in Washington state The main grapes used in wine production in Washington are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot 19 AVAs, several are cross-border appellations with Oregon: Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla Valley A relatively cooler region with amazing sunshine

The Missoula Flood: Climate Change that Helped Vines!

50 million years ago, a massive flood dropped sediment, boulders and trees in the many river valleys of Washington. The deposits are deep enabling vines to plant amazing root structures to collect nutrients and water. The more the vine is integrated with the soil, the more it creates consistently good grapes.

There is a direct correlation to the highest rated wines coming from mature vineyards with deep deposits of this special flood soil.

Owner, Doug Frost MS/MW

Echolands Winery Syrah 2018

(Walla Walla, Washington) Principal Grape 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier (Les Collines Vineyard)

How does it taste?

•

•

•

Our Syrah was harvested a bit less ripe than many of our neighbors. We foot-stomped the grapes and fermented in small bins over several weeks, using native yeasts only.

2018 was hot and sunny. Still there were fairly cool temperatures that cooled things off late in the season.The wine was aged in large French oak barrels for just over one year.

Our Syrah is more fruity than bold, with more crunchy red fruits than black pepper, but with telltale notes of smoke, leather and jasmine in the finish.

Paso Robles, California

California o California wine produces more than 80% of the country’s wine - and would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world if it were an independent nation. o Up and down the length of the state, climate variations allow popular varietals — as well as lesser-known grape varietals — to flourish.

o Coastal and cooling influences plus elevation and soils are key to understanding differences in California AVAs. o Wildfires are wreaking havoc: Harvest season is now also fire season. Napa and Sonoma lost 14% of their vintage in 2020 to fire damage and smoke taint.

The Daou Brothers: Winemaker/co-owner, Daniel Daou and co-owner Georges Daou

DAOU Mountain Adelaida Hills, Paso Robles, CA

DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Paso Robles, California) Principal Grape Cabernet Sauvignon

How does it taste?

•

Rich aromas of blackberry, cassis, smoky leather and dried herbs with layers of plum, cherry, sandalwood and dried herbs.

•

Bold and full bodied, this wine is structured firmly around a solid core of boysenberry and cherry fruit.

•

Supple, ripe tannins. Fleshy and weighty on the palate while retaining balance and finesse.

•

Finishes long and clean with lingering notes of plum and blackberry.

•

Aged 16 months in 50% new oak

QUESTION 1:

Y L E D I W T S O M WHAT IS THE N I Y T E I R A V E PLANTED GRAP THE WORLD?

Answer: n Cabernet Sauvigno oss d wine grape is a cr re r la pu po t os m ’s om The world Sauvignon Blanc fr d an c an Fr t ne er ab between C n is loved for its no ig uv Sa t ne er ab C Bordeaux, France. iness. Cabernet th or w e ag d an n io high concentrat obles, Napa Valley, Paso R Chile. x, au de or B in s ve ri d th Tuscany, Australia an Washington State,

QUESTION 2: T S R I F E H T D E T N WHO PLA ?

A I N R O F I L A C VINES IN

ANSWER: aries n io s is M h is n a p S e Th

aries planted a on si is M it su Je h is an were As early as 1683, Sp in Baja. The grapes no ru B n Sa n ió is M pe, “ vineyard at as the “Mission Gra n ow kn y et ri va an an early Mexic in California until y et ri va pe ra g t en ve the most promin ench would also ha Fr e th d an ns ia al It French 1880. The by replanting with ia rn ifo al C in ct pa e lasting im id-1800s (during th m e th r te af s ie et ri and Italian va g with the arrival of in at in lm cu , h) us R California Gold and Mondavi in lo al G u, ie ul ea B as local families such the 1900s.

: 3 N O I T S E U Q

S A W I R U O S S I M ?

E S L A F R O E U TR N A C I R E M A L A I C I F F O T S R I F E TH . ) A V A ( N O I G WINE RE

ANSWER: True! signated American de lly ra de fe st fir rants Missouri was the 80. German immig 19 in ) A V (A a re A Viticultural e 19th century, th in ry st du in e in w ian founded the local ”, followed by Ital nd la ne hi "R i ur so was called the Mis 880s, more wine -1 id m e th y B immigrants. her state. There are ot y an in an th i ur are produced in Misso ies; a few to try er in w + 0 15 d an s now four AVA ) and TerraVox 47 18 in d de un fo Stonehill (Hermann, (Weston, MO).

: 4 N O I T S E QU

E I D N I E H T N I : MOVIE TRIVIA S E O D T A H W , S Y MOVE SIDEWA N E H W N A E M R O T C A D A E L E TH ” ?

C B A “ S Y A S E H

ANSWER: Anything But Chardonnay.

ine aul Giamatti) is a w Miles (played by P Noir and has some ot snob; he loves Pin opinions about strongly negative ve , it’s still OK to Lo ry or w ’t on D t. lo Mer Chardonnay!

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www.gregoryvine.com @gregoryandvine

Helen Gregory helen@gregoryvine.com (646) 621-3559

@gregoryandvi ne

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