Don't get me wrong. I always LOVE wine. But today, I am IN LOVE with wine as well. Today, we started fermentation of our 2009 Dolcetto. The grape juices have been sitting in a big fermenter: all the skin, seeds and pulp. At this point it is called the must. It's not wine yet. It's not even really grape juice. It's like a big, crunchy smoothie. But today we added the yeast that will begin to turn this smoothie into wine.
I wish everyone who loves wine could have a chance to taste through the entire process. The Dolcetto grapes came in warmed by the sun. You place a Dolcetto grape in your mouth and feel it's smooth roundness. The grape bursts between your teeth with sweetness that flows across your palate like warm silk. This is followed by a surprising tingle at the back of your tongue as you crunch the grapeseed and feel the soft nibble of tannin.
As the Dolcetto juice rests with its seeds and skins, the flavors intensify. This is one of my favorite times: tasting the potential. Today, the juice of the Dolcetto tastes like fragrant rose buds and violets on a cool spring morning. The juice is chilled satin sliding across my palate. The color is deep amethyst. It is so beautiful. So fresh. So delicate. I feel almost sad to add yeast and change this perfectly beautiful flavor.
Today, I also tasted our 2009 Pinot Grigio. The Pinot Grigio's journey from grape to wine is nearly complete. I remember last year at this time, tasting the bold, brash pear and pineapple. This year's vintage tastes like crisp green apples and smooth, warm Brie. I celebrate the fact that I can still taste the beautiful Pinot Grigio grapes in the wine.
This morning, totally immersed in wine (OK, physically, I was only partially immersed), I realized I was IN LOVE with wine. The call to the senses. The fixation with the process. The nervous flutter about how it will all turn out.
Yes, today was a good day.
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