The Second Glass

This blog was inspired by some of the strangest weather I have ever seen in my life. In fact, as I write this the power at the winery has gone down, as well as the power in half of Adelaide (thank God for laptop batteries!). This morning it was raining, not-raining, hot, cold, windy, calm, cloudy, and sunny…all at the same time. Maybe it’s just a South Australia thing, after all, save a few Eucalyptus trees the only thing that separates it from Antarctica is an ocean. Then again, the farmer who owns our house said it’s the oddest weather he’s ever seen.

You may have noticed that “Being Green” is becoming a hot topic lately. From the search for alternative fuels, to popular “Green Stocks” on the market, to the presidential debates, media attention towards the subject is increasing – and thankfully so. Leaving the debate about global warming aside, conserving and being more sustainable is something we should all be doing simply in the name of not being wasteful. But what does all this have to do with wine?

Focused on wines aromas, flavors, and complexities, we often forget that wine is an agricultural product. Before it is fermented, oaked, and aged, wine is grown. Aside from small nuances influenced by oak (I like to think that oak is to winemaking like spices are to cooking), the major flavors and aromas we attribute to a wine are a product of the agriculture of the area. From the make up of the soil, to the weather patterns, to the direction of the sun – it is really Mother Nature that makes wine, a winemaker simply supervises it. And here in Southern Australia, there is one major problem verging on being very serious. Drought.

This past harvest in California there was a “drought”, water supply was sparse compared to past years. Here in Langhorne Creek there is a DROUGHT, there has been no water for irrigation in four years. The river Bremer which once flooded the vineyards with natural irrigation in the winter has now run dry. This past week grapes have come into the winery that were better suited to be sold to Sun-Maid Raisins. With sugar levels high enough to make 25% alcohol wines, winemakers are forced to do something critics shun – add water. Adding water undoubtedly dilutes the flavor of the final wine, as well as adds any minerals that could further affect the flavor. And it’s not just happening here, wine regions in Europe are experiencing odd weather patterns that are having a negative effect on their harvests.

I am not going to claim that our environmental habits in the Northern Hemisphere are directly affecting the weather in Australia and Europe – but I’m sure we’re not helping. And although global warming could create a climate in which I could make wine in New England, I like our seasons too much. So the next time you have the decision to take public transit over driving, recycle, cut down on energy use, etc; if you can’t do it for the environment, do it for a great glass of wine!