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Veraison: A Colorful Process
If you can stand the heat, summer can be a beautiful time in the vineyard. One thing that makes it so colorful is veraison.
Veraison is the name given to the process in which the grapes change colors from green to golden or green to purple or red. During this process, you can see individual barries on bunches changing colors at different times making for a magical kaleidoscope of yellows, greens, and purples.
Along with this color change comes more intense aromas. All of this is to let animals (and us) know that the fruit is ready to eat. We, however, don’t rely solely on veraison to tell us the grapes are ready to go. During this time, we are constantly testing the sugar content of the grapes. This involves going down rows of vines pulling a few grapes off each vine. We then squish them all up and take a Degrees Brix reading. That is a fancy way of saying that we are looking for the amount of sugar in the grapes. Each varietal has a different ideal level of sugar that we are looking for.
When the grape reaches that magical Brix number we are ready to harvest!
- Angela Chapman, WSET III
Jul 5, 2019 at 7:00 AM
PermalinkMeritage - What's in a name?
We are very excited to release our new Meritage 2017 this week!
But what is a Meritage you ask?
Meritage is a Registered Trademark of Exceptional Wines Blended in the Bordeaux Tradition. Meritage wines are handcrafted, red or white wines blended from the “noble” Bordeaux grape varieties. A Meritage wine is considered to be the very best of the vintage.
This Lost Oak Winery 2017 Meritage is comprised of:
- 37% Caberet Sauvignon from Diamante Doble Vineyards, Tokio TX
- 28% Merlot from Bingham Family Vineyards, Meadow TX
- 14% Malbec from Burning Daylight Vineyard, Rendon TX
- 14% Cabernet Franc from Burning Daylight Vineyard, Rendon TX
- 7% Petit Verdot from Sprayberry Vineyards, Midland TX
Which all adds up to a whole lot of awesome!
This Meritage wine greets you with a beautiful rich ruby color with an earthbound blackberry aroma. Creamy butterscotch meets cherries and sweet tobacco on the tongue. With a smooth silky texture, and complex robust structure, this wine lives up to its name. Aged in American and French oak, pair this great Bordeaux blend with Coq au vin, beef bourguignon, steak au poivre, hearty robust beef stew, leg of lamb, dark chocolate stuffed croissant.
Salud!
- Written by Angela Chapman, WSET III
Edited by fellow wino Mariam Copeland
Jun 22, 2019 at 8:29 AMA Visit to the High Plains Vineyards
The panhandle of Texas is home to one of the largest American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in Texas. Designated the Texas High Plains, it is second only to the Texas Hill Country.
Recently, I was invited to tour some of the vineyards in the High Plains.
Now, I am a Texas girl and I have traveled to many corners of the state, but the panhandle is one spot I had never been to. The first thing that struck me was the never-ending sky. Montana is known as “big sky country” but I have been to Montana, and although it is incredibly beautiful, the sky is nothing compared to what the High Plains had to offer.
I thought that the endless flatness would get boring, but instead, I found the expansiveness to be fascinating. I saw wildlife that included prairie dogs, burring owls, red shouldered hawks, horned lizards, and more butterflies than you can count.
I was event there during a haboob. I watched the horizon for almost an hour as the dust storm grew in insanity before engulfing the restaurant we were dining at.
Other nights the horizon was awash in electrically charged thunderheads that just never quite made it to where I was. I can see why people would choose to live in what many would consider to be vast nothingness.
Beautiful vistas and wildlife aside, I was there to look at some vineyards.
But what exactly were we looking for? How healthy are the vines, is there hail damage, how full is the canopy, do the clusters look like they are developing evenly, how much fruit is there, what is the expected yield?
With the help of the growers, all our questions are answered and then we determine how much of each varietal we want from our different growers.
Our first stop was the Bingham Family Vineyard in Meadow then off to Krick Hill Vineyards in Levelland. The next day we went to Oswald Vineyards in Brownfield and Diamante Doble Vineyard in Tokio.
Everywhere we went we were treated to the best Texas hospitality from hard working vineyard owners.
I was overwhelmed by the amount I learned and how passionate the growers were about their vines.
Although, they were growing different types of grapes and each grower did things a little different from the others, one thing they definitely had in common was the spark in their eyes and the smile on their face when they got to talk to us about their pride and joy, their grapes.
We can’t wait to make outstanding wine from their incredible fruit.
Cheers!
- Written by Angela Chapman, WSET III
Edited by fellow wino Mariam Copeland
Jun 18, 2019 at 10:10 AMRose' All Day!
Jun 8, 2019 at 7:00 AMNational Cheese Day
Wine and cheese go together like…. Well, wine and cheese.
The pairing is ubiquitous and an undeniable part of life amongst foodies all over the world. But, why is that? The simple answer is that cheese like wine can be subtle and nuanced or bold and in your face, and it’s just really fun to put the two together.
Throughout history, wine producing countries have been pairing their wine with the local cheese and it’s no surprise that the two have grown to complement one another. Which brings us to wine and cheese pairing tip number one; pair wine and cheese from the same region together.
Think of it as old friends that have grown up together, they have had centuries to get to know each other and there for can complement each other well. Although, sometimes friends don’t always get along so well.
So, tip number two; you can’t go wrong with a bold red and an aged cheese. Aged cheeses have a lower water content and tend to have a bigger flavor which can often stand up to a big tannic red.
Don’t want a red? How about tip number three; stinky cheese with a sweet wine. I know, it sounds counter intuitive, but trust me the sweetness balances some of the stranger aromas and flavors of the cheese, you will find something in the wine and cheese that you didn’t taste before.
But if you really want the ultimate in the wine and cheese tasting experience, I offer the most important tip of all; try everything!
Buy the cheese and wine that you like and try them together and make your own decisions. Heck, if you want some Cheese Wiz on a Ritz cracker, I bet you can find the perfect wine for it (pro tip: it’s probable one you already know you like).
Pairings are subjective, you will only find what you like by trying lots of combinations, and, come on, did you really need an excuse to buy a lot of wine and cheese?
Cheers!
- Written by Angela Chapman, WSET III
Edited by fellow wino Mariam Copeland
Jun 4, 2019 at 6:00 AMOrange Wine?
** No Oranges Were Harmed in the Making of This Wine
Orange Muscat: orange flavored Moscato? Nope.
Fun name for a Moscato? Nope.
Orange colored Moscato, right? Nope again.
Orange Muscat is a grape unto itself. A wonderful, slightly orange scented, grape with a lot to offer wine aficionados and novices alike.
The origins of this grape are mysterious. Some say Italy, others say France. But nether of these countries widely produce it anymore. Today, it is more commonly found in the U.S. and Australia. It is most commonly made in a sweet or desert wine style, it can be quite surprising when made dry. It is also very popular in blends because it can add interesting aromas (orange anyone?) to the finished wine. Sweet wine drinkers love it for the variety of flavors it offers wile even dry wine drinkers can appreciate it for its smooth and easy-going profile.
There is, however, ongoing debate of the pedigree of the Orange Muscat grape. Some say it is not related to other Muscat grapes at all. Newly emerging DNA testing is suggesting that it is in fact a crossing between Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains and Chasselas.
Whatever the case, Orange Muscat is perfect for a variety of foods, occasions, and moods.
Comments (7)Here We Come A-Wassailing
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How to Look Like You Know How to Pair Wine & Food for the Holidays
Step 1: Google the phrase "best Thanksgiving wine pairings."
Step 2: Click on ALL the links and read them thoroughly.
Step 3: Get really confused by all the types of wine, conflicting opinions, and complicated side dishes that you weren't planning on making anyway.
Step 4: Resist the urge to just go to the store and buy the fist box of wine you can find.
Step 5: Go to lost Oak Winery and pick up a few bottles of your favorite wine.
As the resident wine nerd, I get asked about wine pairings all the time. Making sure that you are giving yourself and your guest the very best food and wine experience can be daunting and even anxiety inducing. My advice to everyone looking for that elusive perfect pairing is; drink what you like and get a bottle of wine you know your friends will like. There are some stead fast rules when it comes to pairing: Unoaked whites with citrusy foods, rich meats with tannic reds, sweet wines with spicy food, and your wine for dessert needs to be sweeter than the dessert. However, my number one rule is this: If you don't like the wine, there is nothing I can pair it with to make you like it. Same goes with food, if you don't like it, there isn't a wine made that will make it better. But, there is a bright side. If there is a wine that you are on the fence about, following the rules mentioned earlier can make it a flavor explosion. My number two rule is to always try new wines with new foods. You will never come across the perfect pairing if you don't try it.
Cheers! ~ Angela, WSET III
Happy Harvest
Mar 4, 2019 at 9:01 AMDiamonds in My Wine
