Many wineries offer guests the opportunity to help make wine the old way — by stomping grapes. For most it’s a specific day or time set aside and usually as part of another event.

But Grgich Hills Cellar allows guests to stomp grapes anytime the crew is crushing. No reservations are necessary — all you need to do is call 963-2784 to make sure they’re crushing on the day you wish to visit.

There’s no charge, either, but if you want to taste the wines others have crushed, it’ll cost $10 and includes a logo glass.

And if you stomp, you’ll receive a free “I stomped at Grgich” pin.

(Try it — I did once, and it’s a kick to feel the juice oozing up between your toes. But I didn’t drink any wines from that producer for a couple of years.)

 

Rosè and gewürztraminer

Jeff Morgan’s name has become synonymous with rosè wines, but he’s adding gewürztraminer to his portfolio  — he has joined with Daniel Moore to create the Zmor brand (a combination of Moore’s wife, Natalie Zuccarelli Moore and Jeff Morgan). Actually, it’s not really new — Moore had made gewürz for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995, under the Z Moore label.

(At least it’s not a gewürz rosè.)

Little Penguins

When notice of  a birthday celebration for the Little Penguin wine arrived recently, the first thought was that it was a wine from Antarctica — but upon closer inspection it’s from Southeastern Australia. The name comes from the so-called Fairy Penguins which are found on Phillips Island, about two hours from Melbourne. The birds, which are just about 14 inches tall and weigh only about two and a half pounds, leave their young in burrows in the sand on the beach to go out into the ocean and forage for food. At dusk they return, traveling in packs to help protect from any predators, and feed the even littler ones cooped up at home.

I watched a parade of Fairy Penguins once, and it was a hoot! Our guide was within about a minute of predicting the time they would start wading ashore, making all sorts of strange sounds. If you’re traveling to Australia, it’s worth a trip to check the little guys out.

(I wonder if there might be a bottle or two of shiraz in those burrows.)



Better wine through chemistry?

A recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco devoted some time to making wine better through chemistry, Associated Press biotech writer Paul Elias reported recently. Scientists are looking to bring the same chemical analysis used in chemical plants, oil refineries and pharmaceutical factories to make wine production more efficient, consistent and profitable.

The article said that “scientists don’t fully understand the delicate mix of compounds that emerge during fermentation and why they create such pleasing sensations for wine drinkers. So chemists are trying to isolate chemicals that produce desirable fragrances and flavors.”

Elias reported that “One company has even made a lucrative business by chemically analyzing wine in its attempt to inform winemakers how their wine will ultimately score among critics and how much each bottle will probably be worth once it hits store shelves.”

On the other hand, biodynamic farming — a back-to-the-earth movement that relies partially on lunar cycles — seems to be gaining momentum, with dozens of wineries adopting the methods. As Ivo Jeramaz at Grgich Hills said, “It’s like going back to what our grandfathers did, farming without chemicals and pesticides.”

(Will future scores reflect that the critic was influenced by chemistry? One wonders WWATT — What would Andre Tchelistcheff think?)