Wooden Wine Cases

Well, the latter part - in this simplicity - is plain BS. Don't bother too much!

M.

Vinson Richards Chard comes in a very nice wooden box. Should be about $60 a case. Not all that bad, either, for really cheap chard.

Bennett family CAb is nice, very up front fruit, not much tanin to follow. Beautiful wood box. Should be about $240 a case, if you can find it.

95 Smith woodhouse madalena s>Ok, So I am beginning to purchase some of my favorite wines for my upcoming

I'm not sure exactly what the original writer meant by "green" flavors or how Dale interprets the term. Would "vegetative" be more appropriate? Presumably the original writer meant to imply that the grapes that the wine was made from were not fully ripe, hence "green" in the sense of "green tomatoes". I suppose lack of water could result in unripe grapes but, being most familiar with a region where irrigation is an absolute necessity, I have never heard of this phenomenon, if it exists at all. My understanding is that lack of heat and/or lack of sunshine (the two are not unrelated) is (are) the primary reason(s) for grapes that don't ripen fully. (Neither is a problem in the Columbia Valley.) Even then, the results are high acidity and low sugar levels. Under such circumstances, flavor would seem to be almost irrelevant.

Vino To reply, add "x" between letters and numbers of e-mail address.

Not so fast, Michael! :^) His is a valid question, and although I understand it better than he, I'm still learning about the process of grape maturation too. If you have some insight on this topic, please share.

I just learned that the Syrah problems that have been recently plaguing parts of France and California are not due to some sort of virus or bug infestation. It seems to be caused by insufficient water supply as the fruit approaches ripeness, causing the vines to shut down prior to fully ripening the grapes. Fortunately, better water management seems to fix the problem.

Tom S

Be assured, there is, for every AOC in France. Take Pauillac:

or

scroll down to "Art. 4." and there you are: 45 hl/ha.

M.

Sorry, but there can't be anything like "too much sun at harvest time" resulting in lesser ripening. During the growing season, yes, but not at harvesting.

M.

When a problem is due to insufficient water, the only solution to the problem is to provide more water. IOW "better water management" is a euphemism for irrigation. I thought this was illegal in France, at least for AOC wines. I admit to being a little hazy on this particular topic, so anyone who is better informed should feel free to correct me or expand on my comment.

Vino To reply, add "x" between letters and numbers of e-mail address.

I work for a wholesale distributor and we have many Californian wines come in wooden boxes, some 12 pack, some 6 pack. Mostly they are sold by the bottle, so the actual cases are piled up in the bottle room and either employee's or salespeople will take them home. I've been using them for years for everything in my garage to record albums (remember what those are?), and even a couple cases full of different wines that I'm holding onto. Dominus, Clos Du Val, Nickel & Nickel, Opus One are just a few of the Californians. There still quite a few Italian and French wines(mostly Bordeaux's) that come in wooden cases also. I've not seen any Germans come in wood. I've been a Riesling fan for years and now it is finally making a comeback. I suggest you make a friend at the distributor level.

I found the original article by Wes Hagen (a local grower). Apparently, although not unheard of in France, this is mainly a Central California problem:

"As some of you have read, isolated vineyard blocks of Syrah in California have been exhibiting strange foliar symptoms in the last few years. This has been dubbed 'Syrah Disorder' by the University of California Cooperative Extension, and Mark Bettany and Deborah Golino have done extensive work and trials to understand what is going on.

I'm excited to report that they've come to some preliminary conclusions that will make all of us who love Syrah a little more optimistic about the varietal's future here on the Central Coast.

Symptoms: Vines can show large cracks and splits in the trunk bark. After fruit set and near veraison, the vine's foliage exhibits reddening and interveinal chlorosis, meaning the leaf blade gets quite reddish in color, except the 'veins' of the leaf stay a nice lime green color. These symptoms are similar to those resulting from leafroll virus. Without chlorophyll, the vines are unable to continue regular photosynthesis, sugar production becomes severely affected, and the fruit clusters 'stick' at a low sugar value, usually under 20 Brix. This makes the fruit virtually worthless, unless the US public suddenly warms to Blanc de Syrah sparkling wine. :bleh:

These symptoms (red foliage, etc.) at first led to a premature theory that the problem was pathogen based or viral in nature, yet the studies and literature now point to a different conclusion.

In a conversation this morning with Mark Bettany, UC Coopeartive Extension, he clued us in on his new theory about Syrah Disorder. From his research and data, this phenomenon is a result of drought conditions and insufficient supplemental irrigation.

It is no secret that the Central Coast of California has been in a rather severe drought over the past years, and the deeper parts of our soils are officially bone dry. As a vigorous varietal, Syrah tends to root deeply and depends on water deep in the soil for bursts of growth in the middle to late parts of the growing season. Science also shows us that Syrah vines have very little adaptative reponse to water stress. In other words, they are used to having moistness deep in the soil profile to draw from late in the growing season. Bone-dry subsoils of a drought-stricken Central Coast confuse the plants and create conditions favorable for Syrah Disorder.

Mark's theory follows this logic: without moisture deep in the soil (which would be present every year in the Rhone Valley where Syrah is usually sourced from, and where Summer rainfall is commonplace), the vines have little choice late in the (drought-influenced) season than to shut down early and abandon their attempts to deliver a ripe crop. The reddish coloration of the leaves are a sign that the vines are shutting down prematurely, and not undergoing the regular post-harvest process of senescence. Put into the language of the viti-geek, 'the drought-response mechanism of Syrah makes it prone to xylem cavitation and leaf-area reduction under excessive drought conditions.' (Battany, Mark, et al. 'Syrah in California: Decline or Disorder, Practical Vineyard and Winery, May/June

2004, p.5)

This is perhaps why the phenomenon is somewhat 'new': a combination of heavy recent plantings, inexperienced growers, shorter irrigation sets and late harvest deficit irrigation treatment.

Call it home sickness, call it under-irrigation. The problem is that a lot of syrah winegrowers like to shut the water off after veraison to hasten ripening, which gives Syrah a bit of an identity crisis. But just like a fair-skinned Irish woman needs sunscreen in Palm Springs, so does the Rhone-bred Syrah need ample supplemental irrigation in drought-stricken California.

Reports indicate that vineyards that were showing serious symptoms of Syrah Disorder even last vintage are showing marked improvement (most are showing no symptoms at all) when the vineyard manager continues irrigating at full evapotranspiration rates after veraison.

Problem solved? We hope so. The official word from UCCE is that they are still testing theories that the 'Disorder' may still have something to do with a pathogen or virus, a graft-union disroder, salinity buildup from salty irrigation water, nutritional deficiencies, or physical root impairment; but the word being spread from vineyard-fence to vineyard-fence is to add supplemental irrigation and expect the problem to disappear.

It should also be noted that the UC Cooperative Extension as well as the French are still investigating what they call 'Syrah Decline', which may be a separate and distinct disorder of this grapevine variety. But it seems that here on the Central Coast of California, many vineyards have relieved last year's reddening symptoms simply by adding supplemental post-veraison irrigation this season."

Tom S

Hi Ed;

Hundred Acre CS (Napa, St. Helena) comes in wooden cases if you can get it.

Far Niente, Nickel and Nickel, Ridge Montebello, Cardinale, Opus One, Sterling, Mondavi and Caymus come to mind. Bi!!

You may try to find some Burklin-Wolf wines they pack some of what they call "First Growth Or Grand Cru" wines in wooden six-packs.

Salut/Hi Michael Pronay,

le/on 14 Aug 2004 18:35:13 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

Im sorry, Michael, but is it possible that the article in slightly oversimplifying has nevertheless pointed out something that's true. Taking the 2000 Bordeaux vintage. As you will remember, the cool early summer was followed by a long very hot spell, and by September, the grapes had enough sugar for the vintage to be authorised. I don't remember the exact date, but if I remember right, it was around the middle of September. However, despite the sugar content, the vines were in FACT in drought conditions, and had closed off their contact with the grapes, to save evaporation. This meant that the grapes themselves lacked full maturity. The came the rains on or around the 20th, which gave enough moisture to reconnect the grapes, and allow them to reach full maturity. Those that picked in the week immediately following the rains were able (if they had conducted green harvesting earlier etc) to mae magnificent wines. Those who picked _before_ the rains made wines that had a "green pepper" taste, I've said this consistently when talking about the vintage, and all my notes reflected it.

So this was indeed a case when a "green (pepper) flavour came from too MUCH heat rather than too much water, the mistake in the article

||insufficient rain will prevent the grapes from ripening, leading to astringent, ||green flavors that even the winemaking magicians of Bordeaux will be unable to ||make disappear.

was to leave out the word "pepper".

So I do think your use of the word "bullshit" was a little extreme, if you don't mind me saying so.

] Ok, So I am beginning to purchase some of my favorite wines for my upcoming ] wine cellar. Some I have on hand now, and some are in futures/pre arrival. ] All the cases I have ordered are cardboard. I want a couple of wooden boxes. ] I am told JJ Prum does not do wooden. ] []

Not sure if anyone has mentioned the real reason for wooden cases. In old and very humid cellars, (like mine), cardboard rots in about a month. I get wood when I can!

Here in France there are many options available in wood, starting from very modest Bordeaux right through to top priced wines. Wooden magnum boxes are also very handy for gift giving, I always have a few around.

I agree with whoever posted that wood boxes should be readily available from US retailers, especially when you make a large purchase! :)

-E

[snip]

It was not an intentional restriction. I just want to start my cellar with wines I know and love. I am sure I will eventually get around to portuguese, italian.

My liquor store only has one short shelf for german (shmidt shone(sp)) and texas (llano, los pinos, st. genivieve(sp)) wines. There are 2 each french and california rows. I can get Caymus, Cakebread, Cuvaison all day long.

I have to go to dallas or houston, or a decent resturant to have a wider selection.

Walter

I never mind you correcting me, Ian, you know that.

I guess I overemphasized (or concentrated too much on) the opposite of "rain *at* *harvest* *time*", which, to me, had meant "heat at harvest time". With heat/drought during growing season, that's another pair of shoes, here I am perfectly with you (although not with my judgment of 2000 which I personally found uniformly delicious).

M.

The Anamapu Syrah (Cal) is one, priced $20-30, depending where you buy.

And I agree that nailing my wines up in wooden boxes acts as a major deterrent to the temptation of opening them too soon. I may pull out one or two bottles for "easy access" at some point, but mostly I just let them sit. Carboard cases, on the other hand, are more difficult to manage. For one, I can't stack them sideways more than two or three high, especially once a case has been opened. Secondly, they are of varying sizes, depending on the bottle types, so mixing bottles within a case (usually to save space) means keeping boxes of various heights and widths . That leads to an inability to just pop the top off a mixed case, like I can with a wooden box, and see half a dozen bottles or more.

All that being said, it's still about the wine, not about the box.

JJ (take out the papers and "unspam")

[] ] the 2000 Bordeaux vintage. As you will remember, the cool early summer was ] followed by a long very hot spell, and by September, the grapes had enough ] sugar for the vintage to be authorised. I don't remember the exact date, but ] if I remember right, it was around the middle of September. However, despite []

Hi Ian,

This seems a little confusing. Do you mean "the vendange to be authorized?"

I simply ask since -- as there is already plenty of confusion about Bordeaux here -- some might think there was authorization needed for a vintage year. Or have I missed something?

-E