Winemakers are first and foremost farmers. The winemaker can determine the style of wine he will be able to produce through a number of choices: the amount of sunlight available to the grapes; the types of soil; the varieties of grapes he plants; even the types of trellising he uses in the vineyard. Although the art and science of winemaking has moved with the times, it remains firmly rooted in the past. The process may have become automated, but in a pinch, wine can still be made just as it has been for centuries -- and that means feet still serve perfectly well to crush the grapes! No matter what techniques are used, the process remains basically the same: - The grapes are removed from their stems and crushed.
- Then they 're placed in barrels and allowed to rest and age in the wine room (in different types of barrels, such as American oak and French oak).
- From time to time the wine is barrel-tasted; thieving (figure A) refers to tasting the wine before bottling to ensure quality.
Andretti Winery's winemaker Bob Pepi thinks the days of drinking chilled white wine are over -- the chilling, he explains, was an attempt to cover up flaws in years past. He says that typically a white wine should be drunk at 50 to 55 degrees and a red at 65 to 70 degrees. Four Basic Wines - Sauvignon Blanc [SOH-vihn-yohn BLAHN] goes best with lighter foods. With its crisp acidity and lively fruit, it tends not to overpower lighter dishes such as fish or fowl that would typically be accompanied with white wine.
- Chardonnay [shar-dn-AY], a heavier-bodied white than Sauvignon Blanc, should be served with flavorful, textural food with which it will balance, such as salmon, or chicken in cream sauce.
- Merlot [mer-LOH] needs to be served with more delicate red meats such as lamb, or with roast pork.
- Cabernet sauvignon [ka-behr-NAY soh-vihn-YOHN] is a big-bodied red wine that pairs perfectly with prime rib and steaks.
Web extra: More on wine with Mario Andretti Q:When did you first start really becoming interested in wine?
A: I was in my late twenties. I really started to get into it, because my travels around the world started really becoming very frequent. Q: What was the first type of wine you became interested in?
A: I was frequently going to South Africa. I used to drive the Grand Prix and also a sports car race -- a thousand Ks -- at both ends of the season. Almost everywhere you say let's have the French wines. Let's have the wines that we know -- the Italian wines, and they're found everywhere. But when we try the local wines and you think, "You know what? Not so bad." Q: When did you become interested in Napa Valley?
A: I started being interested in actually Napa Valley wines circa 1976. Q: How did you hear about Napa wines?
A: The curiosity was spawned by questions from Europeans -- from a Brit -- from a Frenchman, people that knew Napa Valley wines way before I certainly did. Q: What is your favorite varietal?
A: The beautiful thing about the varietials is that there are different times that dictate to you what varietal you crave at the time. And you usually start with a white wine. Let it be a Sauvignon blanc or a nice Chardonnay. And just ease into whatever is coming up next. Q: What's the most challenging thing about winemaking?
A: Consistency means performance. You know after every harvest and each variety will be compatible or even better. You know you're going to have some waves in variety, but it's got to still maintain a certain level. If you can't do that, you'll be out of business tomorrow, so incredible challenges there. Q: What do you love most about wine?
A: It's got all of the ingredients of life's complexities. You almost find that conversation becomes even more interesting among friends that know wine -- that understand that sort of thing. It's just got more dimension.
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