Editor Rusty’s Rap:   Ice Wine/Late-Harvest Riesling

Been drinking the same old favorite wine of yours that you have bought from the same old store?  Wanna expand your wine education?  I would suggest that you pick an ice wine for a change.  Perhaps your conventional grocery store doesn't have it on the shelf and so it is the time to go to another place with more expertise in selecting wines, such as a wine shop.  Ice wine is a sweeter kind, more like a dessert wine or port.  Or you might want to taste test a late-harvest Riesling (white wine, sweet).  You will enjoy sipping either chilled sweet wine types while watching the sunset in your backyard.

Wine Making:  How is an ice wine produced?  The grapes are left unpicked way past the harvest time until the winter comes in and freeze these grapes.  With this subzero weather, grapes are picked, crushed and pressed into a fermentation tank.  At that point the grapes are at sweetest level.  This holds the same concept as the late-harvest riesling when its grapes are picked long after they are ripe.  That is when these grapes are at highest sweet level while its acid level is at lowest.

Fun fact:  There are almost 5,000 wineries and over 2,000 vineyards in the U.S.A.  However, most states do not (or are not capable) grow wine grapes (vitis vinifera).  Instead, some states make wine from blueberries, rhubarb, plums, apple, apricots, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, honey, garlic, and more.  Wherever they could grow a produce, they can make wine!  You can make wine from rice just as they do in Japan (Sake).  Guess what kind of fruit wine is the biggest seller in Hawaii? See the answers at the bottom of this eNewsletter.

Question from Deaf Grapevine Fans:  : Does it make any difference in an expensive wine glass and a cheaper one?  (this question was brought up during the wine workshop at Deaf Seniors of America in Las Vegas June 2009)

We all know that wine tastes awful out of a plastic cup…do you agree with this, or don't you?  If you haven't tried that, then you probably want to do an experiment at home.  Speaking of using an expensive true crystal wine glass vs a kitchen glass, Larry Petersen presented the demonstration during this recent DSA wine workshop.  We asked a volunteer from the audience and we had the blind wine tasting test between two wine bottles.  The volunteer thought the second wine tastes better.  It turned out that the two wine bottles were identically similar but the wine glasses were different.  One of those two glasses was superior in quality; hence wine tasted much better than from the cheaper glass.  If you want to enjoy some of the finest wine at home, make sure your glasses are of good quality!

News in the Deaf Community:  Vineyard Grower

In May, Rusty and Karen Wales along with Bobby and Francine Skedsmo had the pleasure of meeting a multi-talented guy, Robert Duncan Nicol in the Napa Valley.  A multi-talented guy?  He is a renowned architect, musician, pilot, authority on model trains, and now a 5 years wine grape grower.  He owns 17-acre vineyard created with 7 blocks for watering (actually is an 8 blocks but two small ones made into one).  Not only that, he's Deaf! He was also featured in the magazine of the Napa Valley, "Napa Valley Life".

He was born deaf and though he knows sign language, he prefers speech as his communication mode.  He attended UC Berkeley majoring in architecture.  He was honored by a Fellow of American Institute of Architects in 1993 and then moved to Napa Valley with an interest in becoming a vineyard grower.  All his grapes are organic.  Several winemakers bade for his grapes yearly and he sells them to two major winemakers. We went to one of the winemakers to buy his wine but they were all sold out!  Last year was not his best year as there was a frost and his grapes did not yield well.  Hopefully he will this year!  Other than knowing how to make wine, we also learned the followings:

• It takes 4 hours to water each block each day, 32 gallons per minute;


• Flower bush at end of each line tells him when to spray mineral oil on vineyard by the number of insects buzzing around the red flowers;


• Timing is extremely important as to when to plant, water, and harvest;


• The difference between vineyard growers and winemakers;


• To be shrewd dealing with winemakers or businesses bidding for his grapes and many more.

Rusty, an editor of the Deaf Grapevine, visited with Robert Nicol who owns a vineyard.

This is the bottle that the company bottled his grapes.

Overwhelmed by his masterpiece!

Bobby had many questions to ask him regarding his own small vineyard at home.

Answers to the Fun facts:  The most popular wine in Hawaii is Tedeschi Maui Splash!, in which the main ingredient is passion fruit. Does it mean that we could get passionate from drinking that wine? Works better than that blue pill?

Current List of Winemakers' Records

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