((down w/ Spoff))
Big Wine and an “Omnivore’s Dilemma” to Expose It
Hannah Wallace
August 20, 2009 Hannah Wallace
Thanks to the slew of recent books and movies about our food supply (led by The Omnivore’s Dilemma Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and Food Inc.), more Americans than ever are aware of where their food comes from and what’s in it. Readers of this column also know that mass-made juice can be loaded with “flavor packs” and concentrates from up to 12 different countries.
But what about wine?
This may come as a surprise, but most of the wine sold in the U.S. today has been processed and adulterated beyond recognition by corporate growers who are intent on maximizing profits. Is nothing sacred?
Over the last 24 hours, I’ve been devouring Alice Feiring’s excellent book The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and am quickly discovering that the wine industry in many ways mirrors the food industry. At many big wineries (both here and around the world), the life is processed out of the grapes even before they appear on the vines (with over-irrigation, which increases yield but also leads to shallow roots and extraripe fruit). Then, during the fermentation process, meddlesome winemakers add everything from industrial yeast, bacteria, and enzymes to tannins and microbial agents—all to “improve” the taste and mouthfeel of a wine, often so it will appeal to a mass-market palate. (OK: they also throw in these additives to speed up the fermentation and control the process. You know, to make the whole thing more scientific.)
Some winemakers are also brandishing hi-tech processes such as micro-oxygenation and reverse osmosis (also called “ultrafiltration”), techniques that allow them to further manipulate wines.
Fiering writes:
In today’s globalized wine scene, winemakers would like to make wine as standardized as possible. Adding industrial yeast to the wine helps. It ensures that fermentation will start and finish when the winemaker wants it to, not according to the whims of nature. This is extremely important when Costco is expecting its new shipment of wine from Gallo in April—plus, the retailer doesn’t want the customer to bring the wine back complaining that it doesn’t taste like last year’s model.
Today, there are hundreds of industrial yeast replicas, including one genetically modified strain that was recently approved for use in the U.S.
At issue here is not food safety or even nutrition (though I wouldn’t be surprised if organic, biodynamic and naturally-made wines turn out to cause less of a hangover and are proven to contain more antioxidants than their processed cousins) but diversity and complexity of flavor.
Feiring believes (and I agree) that these wines are uniformly bland and characterless—they are artificial, their unique terroir masked by the introduction of such “designer yeasts,” chestnut tannins, oak extracts, and other indignities. Often, as Feiring shows, scheming winemakers mess with their vintages solely to achieve a higher score from influential wine critic Robert Parker (which, of course, leads to a surge in sales). After Parker awarded Helen Turley’s rich, syrupy 1993 Zinfandel a whopping 95 points, for example, he started a trend that hasn’t stopped to this day. “The paradigm of a great wine shifted to one big, jammy, oaky fruit bomb,” writes Fiering. “And the whole industry adjusted accordingly.”
To me, the central dilemma with Big Wine is actually one of transparency. Though I can choose to drink wines that are made in the natural Old World-style, there is no wine labeling law that requires that GMO yeast, tannins, or bacteria (or new-fangled filtering technologies) be disclosed. Even artisanal producers have begun using these “scientific” techniques—but it is unlikely, as Feiring points out, that they’ll divulge them on labels anytime soon.
Part of the pleasure (and risk) of drinking wine comes from savoring its subtle flavors and the ineffable qualities bestowed on the grapes by the terroir, the weather, and the irrigation (and cultivation) methods. Wine made in the Old World style is alive—it changes from year to year and even, once uncorked, from day to day. It has a sense of place.
Feiring’s book is an Omnivore’s Dilemma for the world of wine and winemaking. I just hope it raises the same level of awareness and appreciation for Old World winemaking techniques as Pollan’s book has for polyculture and sustainably-farmed, honest-to-goodness food.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to seek out small producers who create authentic natural wines—people like Oregon vintners Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Jason Letts at Eyrie, and John Paul at Cameron. (These wines are at the forefront of my mind since I’ve just returned from Oregon. Know any amazing natural wines from other regions? Please share them below.)
Big Wine and an “Omnivore’s Dilemma” to Expose It
Hannah Wallace
August 20, 2009 Hannah Wallace
Thanks to the slew of recent books and movies about our food supply (led by The Omnivore’s Dilemma Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and Food Inc.), more Americans than ever are aware of where their food comes from and what’s in it. Readers of this column also know that mass-made juice can be loaded with “flavor packs” and concentrates from up to 12 different countries.
But what about wine?
This may come as a surprise, but most of the wine sold in the U.S. today has been processed and adulterated beyond recognition by corporate growers who are intent on maximizing profits. Is nothing sacred?
Over the last 24 hours, I’ve been devouring Alice Feiring’s excellent book The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization Big Wine and an Omnivore’s Dilemma to Expose It and am quickly discovering that the wine industry in many ways mirrors the food industry. At many big wineries (both here and around the world), the life is processed out of the grapes even before they appear on the vines (with over-irrigation, which increases yield but also leads to shallow roots and extraripe fruit). Then, during the fermentation process, meddlesome winemakers add everything from industrial yeast, bacteria, and enzymes to tannins and microbial agents—all to “improve” the taste and mouthfeel of a wine, often so it will appeal to a mass-market palate. (OK: they also throw in these additives to speed up the fermentation and control the process. You know, to make the whole thing more scientific.)
Some winemakers are also brandishing hi-tech processes such as micro-oxygenation and reverse osmosis (also called “ultrafiltration”), techniques that allow them to further manipulate wines.
Fiering writes:
In today’s globalized wine scene, winemakers would like to make wine as standardized as possible. Adding industrial yeast to the wine helps. It ensures that fermentation will start and finish when the winemaker wants it to, not according to the whims of nature. This is extremely important when Costco is expecting its new shipment of wine from Gallo in April—plus, the retailer doesn’t want the customer to bring the wine back complaining that it doesn’t taste like last year’s model.
Today, there are hundreds of industrial yeast replicas, including one genetically modified strain that was recently approved for use in the U.S.
At issue here is not food safety or even nutrition (though I wouldn’t be surprised if organic, biodynamic and naturally-made wines turn out to cause less of a hangover and are proven to contain more antioxidants than their processed cousins) but diversity and complexity of flavor.
Feiring believes (and I agree) that these wines are uniformly bland and characterless—they are artificial, their unique terroir masked by the introduction of such “designer yeasts,” chestnut tannins, oak extracts, and other indignities. Often, as Feiring shows, scheming winemakers mess with their vintages solely to achieve a higher score from influential wine critic Robert Parker (which, of course, leads to a surge in sales). After Parker awarded Helen Turley’s rich, syrupy 1993 Zinfandel a whopping 95 points, for example, he started a trend that hasn’t stopped to this day. “The paradigm of a great wine shifted to one big, jammy, oaky fruit bomb,” writes Fiering. “And the whole industry adjusted accordingly.”
To me, the central dilemma with Big Wine is actually one of transparency. Though I can choose to drink wines that are made in the natural Old World-style, there is no wine labeling law that requires that GMO yeast, tannins, or bacteria (or new-fangled filtering technologies) be disclosed. Even artisanal producers have begun using these “scientific” techniques—but it is unlikely, as Feiring points out, that they’ll divulge them on labels anytime soon.
Part of the pleasure (and risk) of drinking wine comes from savoring its subtle flavors and the ineffable qualities bestowed on the grapes by the terroir, the weather, and the irrigation (and cultivation) methods. Wine made in the Old World style is alive—it changes from year to year and even, once uncorked, from day to day. It has a sense of place.
Feiring’s book is an Omnivore’s Dilemma for the world of wine and winemaking. I just hope it raises the same level of awareness and appreciation for Old World winemaking techniques as Pollan’s book has for polyculture and sustainably-farmed, honest-to-goodness food.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to seek out small producers who create authentic natural wines—people like Oregon vintners Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Jason Letts at Eyrie, and John Paul at Cameron. (These wines are at the forefront of my mind since I’ve just returned from Oregon. Know any amazing natural wines from other regions? Please share them below.)
i just cant believe how jaw droppingly distainful networks are of their viewers. they will throw endless promos for upcoming shows on at any time during a show and with ever increasing screen size right over the actors faces! i can only imagine they consider it justice for tivo users fastforwarding through commercials. on a related note, explicative filled emails sent to said networks may not make it past email censors and be returned posthaste.
california here i come
flight of the conchords related comedy btwn 10pm and 1am tonight on comedy central.
rip sammy petrillo (jerry lewis impersonator + munsters conceptor) damn dave the spazz is thorough!!!!
amen. hate to be one of those "this will be the end of the administration" types but if he doesnt step up his base will have lost all faith.
ill put it in basketball terms that perhaps he can understand. time to untuck that polo shirt from your sweatpants (worst gym look ever, btw) and man up. nike cant strong arm some videographer when you get repeatedly posterized by the likes of chuck grassley. you cant just show up in a contract year and expect to get paid max salary when your bailout percentage is an abomination. enough of this kumbaya shit. think kobe won a championship by letting sasha vujacic launch threepointers from the baseline with every touch. no, he got in his face and bitchslapped him if he even considered it. so time to roll back the clock to an era when players on opposing teams didnt play kissyface before everygame. we need more bill russell and less bill cosby. sure, maybe the suits in the corporate suites wont renew their support. but remember, barry, that it used to be about playing for the real fans, and for the love of the game. *increase volume on sentimental score w/slow mo of crowd rising to their feet in waves of ecstatic applause intercut with images of oprah/dems crying on election eve in grant park*
ill put it in basketball terms that perhaps he can understand. time to untuck that polo shirt from your sweatpants (worst gym look ever, btw) and man up. nike cant strong arm some videographer when you get repeatedly posterized by the likes of chuck grassley. you cant just show up in a contract year and expect to get paid max salary when your bailout percentage is an abomination. enough of this kumbaya shit. think kobe won a championship by letting sasha vujacic launch threepointers from the baseline with every touch. no, he got in his face and bitchslapped him if he even considered it. so time to roll back the clock to an era when players on opposing teams didnt play kissyface before everygame. we need more bill russell and less bill cosby. sure, maybe the suits in the corporate suites wont renew their support. but remember, barry, that it used to be about playing for the real fans, and for the love of the game. *increase volume on sentimental score w/slow mo of crowd rising to their feet in waves of ecstatic applause intercut with images of oprah/dems crying on election eve in grant park*
How many times does a ball get passed from one person to another? Be sure to watch both basketballs.
havent found a great link but espn is wading further into the soccer world. games of the week on espn2 this weekend for the english premier league and spains la liga. have to find a team to root for in the epl: man city, everton, arsenal, chelsea, liverpool?
tree damage in central park last night
its hard to find something good to say about robert novak. so...
bill blows
adman went to: out standing in the field 8/16
Saw that movie about blogging. Waiting for the "sustenance" movie.
"Perlman says OnLive [net-based game platform]’s combination of compression algorithms, distributed data centers and deals with Internet carriers to minimize transmission delays typically pushes the latency figure as low as 25 to 35 milliseconds, and no more than 80 in the worst case."
"deals with internet carriers"--isn't that what every media provider wants and doesn't it violate net neutrality? Curious to hear any thoughts on this.
"deals with internet carriers"--isn't that what every media provider wants and doesn't it violate net neutrality? Curious to hear any thoughts on this.
new miyazaki film
squeaky cleaned
farmers market forager
season 2 of mad men all day on amc. sunday is the season 3 premiere.
