Wine Dogs Make Wine: Lesson 3 (Doing Acid)

Three Fox Vineyards
Delaplane, VA

No, you're not on an acid trip of your own. Munchkin does indeed have bunny ears - just her way of celebrating.

Happy Easter from the Wine Dogs!

Who knew winemaking was going to be an acid trip for the Wine Dogs? This week, Munchkin, Pomeroy and their classmates learned all about acids and how they affect the taste of wine.

Munchkin, who is a little bit of a brown-noser, stayed up late reviewing her notes and arrived at class looking a bit harried (hairy?).

First step was to use the hydrometer to check our wines. Specific gravity's down to 1.07 and visual observation says the yeasties are very active and the wine is effervescing. Now for a lick. Yep, there's less sugar now. In fact, it tastes like a grape fizzy.

Next, John showed us how to calculate the brix or percent of sugar based on the hydrometer reading. Our wine was aout 14 (that's down 3 percent).

Finally, John told us that our wines currently had malic acid, which is a kind of citrusy flavor that's good for whites, but a real dog for red wines. That's why we do the malolactic fermentation.

To illustrate, he mixed up some chemicals in our wine glasses that mimic the taste of malic acid. We sniffed and tasted. Hmm. Kind of like green apples. Then, he added chemicals to make it taste like citric acid. Have you ever seen a dog pucker his lips? Pomeroy took off at this point. Finally, John turned the liquid into lactic acid and presto... it was drinkable. Bottoms up!

Wine Dogs Make Wine: Lesson 2 (Primary Fermentation)

Three Fox Vineyards
Delaplane, VA
This week the Wine Dogs got to 1) meet all our fellow classmates, and 2) start primary fermentation of our wine. First thing John told us was that we have to clean, clean, clean. Pomeroy sheds and we don't want any "hair of the dog" in our wine. So we all sprayed down our primary fermentation units (aka buckets) with B-Brite and rinsed. As you can see, we are using very sophisticated equipment.

At last, we are ready for the good stuff. John showed us how to open our home wine kits, which contained the "must", a fancy word for grape juice. Munchkin and Pomeroy supervised as we poured it into the bucke... er, primary fermentation unit. It reminded Munchkin of the Welch's frozen concentrate -- except these are not Concord, but reserve French cabernet grapes. Still, we mixed it with water just like Mommy does to the Welch's, and the taste we snuck (it just dripped out, honest) was very sweet. In fact, we tested the sugar (or Brix), and it measured 17.53 percent. That's going to change once the little yeasties get in there and start turning the sugar into alcohol. We put six grams of yeast into our six gallons of wine. There's a couple of other measures we're watching. We've got a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity (right now, 1.072), and pH strips, which gave us a starting pH of 3.2.

So far, I'd say winemaking is pretty easy, unless you're the yeast. We left them to do the work while Munchkin and Pomeroy went back to the winery and enjoyed a bottle of CabFranc (and a bottle of Merlot) with our new classmate, Elisabeth Morgan, in honor of the Patron Saint of Wine Dogs.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Munchkin, Pomeroy and our Three Fox friends - Milano, Della, and Giovanni!

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Wine Dogs Make Wine

Three Fox Vineyards, Delaplane, VA
Your favorite wine dogs are about to become winemakers. Munchkin and Pomeroy have enrolled in the home winemaking course offered by John Todhunter of Three Fox Vineyards. John started out as a home winemaker -- for 30 years -- before following his dream and opening Three Fox with wife Holli.

Classes are on Saturday, but because of a conflict, we had a make-up lesson for the orientation on Sunday. We met classmates Joe and Bethany, who are already experienced home-winemakers. The closest we've come is when Pomeroy's Dad left apple cider in the refrigerator to ferment.

We're getting a real winemaking kit, with buckets and carboys and oak chips. We're making Cabernet Sauvignon -- 2-1/2 cases worth, as are five others in our class. Three adventurous groups will be making a Zinfandel-Shiraz blend, and two groups, including Joe and Bethany, making Sangiovese. That's one of Three Fox's specialties, and we got to taste some yummy wine from the barrel, as well as a full set of the current wines thanks to Holli -- the perfect hostess.

Keep watching. We'll be posting after each lesson.

Wine Dogs Hang Out at La Grange

THE WINERY AT LAGRANGE, Haymarket, Virginia

When the weather outside is frightful, the Winery at La Grange offers a warm and inviting setting for wining away the afternoon.

La Grange opened in 2006. It is the sister to Pearmund Cellars, and is producing its own distincitive collection of wines, marked by Chris & Company's high quality.

But beware of ghosts! Thirsty spirits haunt this winery... getting ornery when someone forgets to leave a glass of wine on the tasting room mantle (they prefer the Norton). Send those ghosties to Obedience School.

Munchkin and Pomeroy visited the historic 18th Century manor house on a icy cold, blustery Saturday... the kind of weather no dog should be out in. The tasting room filled up quickly. Everyone joined in trying to guess the answer to the question of the week: Which country produces the most hectaliters of wine a year? Guess wrong and we'll give you the boot (hint, hint).

Cheryl guided us through the standard tasting featuring seven wines - 3 whites, 4 reds - followed by the reserve tasting - 4 more reds. The tasting finished with the Snort - not a reference to Munchkin's breathing, but the name of La Grange's port-style wine. Interestingly, this is not the area's first fine port-style wine. In the 1800s, Robert Portner's vineyard in the area grew grapes for the "Pride of Virginia Port" and won a bronze medal. And to come full circle, Pomeroy lives on a street named for Mr. Portner, who also made a great beer.

Back to the wines. Pomeroy's Dad liked the 2006 CabFranc, with it's peppery finish. The 2006 Fletcher's Charonnay was also a winner. Produced Old World style, without malolactic fermentation, it takes a smokey taste from the oak but is not buttery. The 2006 Tannat was another excellent selection, and will age well. But Munchkin decided the Paws Down favorite was the 2005 Reserve Petit Verdot.

We took a bottle to enjoy in front of a warm fire. Pomeroy chose this elegantly furnished parlor. La Grange has a double set of fireplaces, the legacy of a marital tiff after which owner Benoni Harrison vowed never again to share a hearth with his wife.

For an entirely different experience, check out the cellar at La Grange. The Wine Dogs are especially fond of this room, with its stone walls, wooden tables, and low beamed ceilings (they feel right at home). And the thoughtful proprieters have put out a variety of games and other trivial pursuits. Whatever room you choose, La Grange is a great place to hang out!