Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is in the air world wide today! How fabulous is that?  Love should be felt every day, but there is something delightful in knowing that so many people open up their hearts and let the romance well up.

There are several legends about Saint Valentine's--however, these legends do not refer to Valentine's Day in a romantic fashion. It appears that Valentine's Day affiliation with romance occured in 1382.

Geoffrey Chaucer, an English author of that time wrote a poem for the recently betrothed King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. "For this was on sent Volantnys day when fury bred comyth there to these his make." This translates into: "For this was Saint Valentines Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."

During the English Renaissance and Medieval periods' 15th through 18th century, romantic love flourished. Many authors wrote poems expressing romantic love. Mnay of the traditional Valentin's Day rhymes were written during that period.

 In 1590 Edmund Spenser wrote an epic poem called The Faerie Queen in which the verse, "She bath'd with roses red and violets blew, and all the sweetest flowers, that in the forrest grew." In 1784, from a collection of English nursery rhymes titled, Gammer Gurton's Garland came this poem that we all know and love:

The rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said is should be you.

From this came the ritual of choosing Valentine's Day cards or candies from random at schools.

In the early 19th century paper Valentine's cards become so popular that they were assembled in factories. Fancy cards were made with lace and ribbons. In 1847 an artist by the name of Esther Howard, created the first mass-produced Valentine's Day cards in the United States.

Sharing simple cards expressing love, turned into adding small tokens or gifts, candies or flowers. And from that has boomed a mega-industry of card sending. It is calculated that Valentine's Day is the second largest day to send out cards-Christmas being tops.

In any case, it is still a beautiful and wonderful day to celebrate with a loved one, or to celebrate love of yourself! Enjoy the day!

Acacia Wood Barrels for White Wine

Wines aged in wood are always aged in oak barrels. Or maybe not! The Martin Ranch Winery is experimenting with acacia wood barrels this year for part of their 2011 Savignon Blanc and Reisling varietals.

Acacia wood barrels come from a native acacia tree from the Eastern United states that was imported to France and Europe in the 1700's. The acacia (genus Robinia pseudo acacia) tree is not what California's typically think of as an acacia tree with bright yellow flowers that most people are allergic to--those are tropical imports. The acacia wood used in wine barrels is part of the black locust tree. The wood is dense, tight-grained and tough and makes excellent barrels.

Interesting enough, making wine in acacia wood barrels is not new. Bulgarian, French and Spanish wine makers have been using acacia wood for white wines for well over 200 years. A quote from La monographie du coteau de l'Ermitage et des vignobles qui l'avoisinent par M. Rey published in 1861, in Dijon, in which "You never age Ermitage into old containers (...) White wines seem to benefit more from white mulberry and acacia than from oak."

So, what does wine fermented in acacia wood taste like? According to wineries that are using acacia wood, notes of citrus, honey and floral stand out with out the "oakiness" that pervades many white wines or the extreme "metalness" of stainless steel. In addition to floral notes that enhance the lovely and often delicate flavors of white wines, acacia wood adds a wonderful mouth feel. Chardonnay fermented in heavy toasted oak can have that wonderful mouth feel, but with way too much oak flavor and heaviness.

It seems that acacia wood barrels are just the right combination for adding lovely floral notes, mouth feel and eliminating that way-too-heavy oakiness that has turned many consumers off to Chardonnay's, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.

I am beyond excited that Dan Martin has decided to use a traditional style acacia wood barrel to make future award-winning whites!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

What is a Sommelier?

You have planned an elegant dining evening out with your spouse and you are hoping to make a great impression in pick out out the wine for the evening. As the wine list arrivers, you look stunned at all of the wines listed that are from various countries, and regions, varietals that you may have never heard of. What to do? Ask help from the restaurants trained sommelier!

A sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional. Much more than a wine waiter, a trained sommelier works with the restaurant in helping procure wines, establish the wine list, manage wine storage and cellar rotation and be able to provide expert advice and recommendations to customers.

In addition, the sommelier helps train the wait staff on wine recommendations, pairings and also helps establish wine and food pairings that are then reflected on the menu.

What does it take to be a trained and certified sommelier? Classes, examinations and course registration fees. In the United Kingdom, one can partake of The Court of Master Sommeliers. There are four levels of courses that can be take, from introductory to Master Sommelier. There are fairly stringent rules and requirements to partake of this level of becoming a sommelier. Please read more here for information on taking courses with the The Court of Master Sommeliers.

In the United States, you can take a course held in New York City with the The Sommelier Society of America. There course is 21 weeks long and covers varietals, viticulture specifics, techniques of tasting, food and wine pairing, cooperage, legal aspects as well as learning about Spirits. There is more information about The Sommelier Society of America here.

I think it would be fascinating to take these courses and learn in depth about wine presentation, techniques, varietals and viticulture regions. Plus, you get to taste amazing wines from around the world and come away with a certificate that can land you a job in a high-end restaurant!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!