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A Texas Winery’s Tips for Engaging Volunteers

Come see what else they said!

https://www.vintnermag.com/a-texas-winerys-tips-for-engaging-volunteers/

Employee Spotlight: Roxanne Myers

Our Employee Spotlight for the month of November Lost Oak's very own president, Roxanne Myers! She has been part of the Lost Oak history and has helped grow the winery into what it is today! 

What do you binge watch on Netflix?
Pablo Escobar & Monarca

What do you drink when you aren't drinking wine?
Coffee

What is your favorite food?
Coffee

How many years have you been at Lost Oak Winery? 
Fifteen

Where are you when you aren't at the winery? 
Home. I have two kids who love to be home.

What previous job experience do you have that helps with your current position? 
"That's a great question. I think by studying science at University, working in sales and traveling alone, living in various parts of the world and just slowly developing a drive, resilience and postiive attitude in any/all areas of life have helped in my job at Lost oak winery."

What is the funniest thing that has happened in your time at Lost Oak Winery?
"When I bartered wine for entertainment and the music was so terrible, I had to ask them to leave the stage and called in the only other musician I knew to come in from Dallas. We stayed open hours later than planned. I cried."

COVID 5.0

Governor Abbot has announced in this recent executive order that we can reopen at 100% without masks.  Since only 9% of Texans are fully immunized, Lost Oak Winery will continue to take precautions.

• Our staff will continue to wear masks.
• We will add a few additional seats inside and on the patio
• We will encourage our guests to wear masks but will not require it.
• We will open the outside doors as often as possible.
• In the event that you have an event booked at the event center, we will allow you to operate at the capacity you are comfortable with.  When hosting in great Texas spring weather, consider opening up the doors and enjoying fresh air.

We continue with

• Strict cleaning protocols
• Self-guided tastings
• First-come, first-served guided tastings.
• Fabulous outdoor tours limited to 10 guests.
• During events, we will be serving wine through our outside bars to avoid too many guests loitering in close quarters.
• Outdoor seating area layouts comply with the appropriate social distancing guidelines. We ask that you refrain from moving the tables.
• If you choose to use your own chairs, you may sit out on the lawn.
• We encourage contactless payment.
• We adhere to all food safety standards set forth by the Department of State Health Services.

Cheers! And a huge THANK YOU for your support.

Roxanne, President

COVID 4.0

Hi guys, Me again with yet another COVID update. Let’s call this COVID 4.0.  I’m loving this. I can’t wait to see how this evolves… again.

Governor Abbot has announced that Bars and Other establishments can now reopen at 50% capacity so as long as your local judge authorizes it. Thanks to Judge Roger Harmon and our Precinct 2 commissioner Kenny Howell, they have allowed Lost Oak Winery to reopen, safely.

Lost Oak Winery is dedicated to the safety of our guests attending wine tastings and tours in our inviting wide-open spaces. Our staff follows CDC recommended safety protocols including mask wearing, frequent facility sanitizing, and appropriate social distancing. When you arrive, you’ll enjoy a safe experience designed for your comfort. We also offer personalized virtual wine tastings you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.

See our commitment to best practices for safety here. Scroll down a little for tasting room.

You can always choose curbside and delivery options. from our online store.  Get outside! Enjoy our Hike & Bike Trail.

So, here is what has changed since my last update.

Food

We now let you bring your own food in to the winery.  We are currently working on a better food menu to offer more options but we are still selling sweet items from Black Bear Bakery, Boar’s Head cheeses, various cheeseboard options, a snack pack to go and kids pack. (Menus are being updated on the website.)

We have added live entertainment Thursdays and Saturdays and will continue to do this until the weather does not permit. Stay tuned to our calendar.

Life is different now.

You need a break from everyday stresses, but your normal travel plans might have to wait.  Lost Oak Winery provides all the allure of travel, without the usual time, expense, and concerns of traveling. Take a break wandering our picturesque grounds, listen to live music, sip wines curated just for you, and learn more about the art of winemaking. A perfect staycation... respecting just a few safety precautions.

• We ask you please wear a mask inside the tasting room.
• We are serving wine in glass unless it’s an event with lots of children then glass will be available by request.
• We are offering tastings on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Our tours are a huge hit now where you can get outside and get to know Texas wine. Tours are limited to 6 people and social distancing guidelines will be respected.
• During events, we will be serving wine through our outside bars to avoid too many guests loitering in close quarters.
• We encourage the use of outdoor space; there will be limited indoor seating.
• Outdoor seating area layouts will be modified to comply with the appropriate social distancing guidelines and tables will be limited to 10 or fewer guests. You can pull up your own chair to the table so as long as there are only 10 per table.
• If you choose to use your own chairs, you may sit out in the lawn beyond the Lost Oak seating area. We ask that you maintain social distancing, 6 feet between chairs.
• Floors will be marked to indicate standing areas so as to respect social distancing guidelines for staff and guests.
• We encourage contactless payment.
• We adhere to all food safety standards set forth by the Department of State Health Services.

Cheers! And a huge THANK YOU for your support.

Roxanne, President

COVID 3.0

We are happy to announce, yet another change to our COVID business model! I'm actually cautiously optimistic this time around.  The TABC (Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission) has been working with license holders and the Texas Wine and Grape Growers association to make business possible, in a safe way. See details about TABC regulations here.

We have been given permission to open as long as we comply with certain restrictions, mainly operating much like a restaurant.  

Food

So, bad news first. For the time being, we can no longer allow you to bring in outside food, and as always, please do not bring in outside alcohol... remember, we are a winery! That means no coolers, no snack packs, no pizza deivery :(  

The good news is we have partnered up with fabulous food vendors and we will be adding more as needed.  Cherry on Top Catering and Events will be supplying ready-made sandwiches and salads (plenty for a summer meal).  We are adding sweet items from Black Bear Bakery. 

As always, we have three cheeseboard options, a larger bigger selection, a snack pack to go and kids pack. (More menus on our website soon.)

Music and fun

We will be adding live entertainment several times per week. Stay tuned to our calendar.

New guidelines and rules.

• We ask you please wear a mask inside the tasting room.
• Currently, we will only be offering wine by the glass and wine by the bottle service. We will not do tastings for safety reasons for the time being. 
• All wine will be served in plastic. We have glasses for purchase or bring your own!
• We encourage the use of outdoor space; there will be limited indoor seating.
• Outdoor seating area layouts will be modified to comply with the appropriate social distancing guidelines and tables will be limited to 10 or fewer guests. You can pull up your own chair to the table so as long as there are only 10 per table.
• If you choose to use your own chairs, you may sit out in the lawn beyond the Lost Oak seating area. We ask that you maintain social distancing, 6 feet between chairs.
• Floors will be marked to indicate standing areas so as to respect social distancing guidelines for staff and guests.
• Tours are limited to 6 people and social distancing guidelines will be respected. We will resume tours August 21, 2020.
• We encourage contactless payment.
• We adhere to all food safety standards set forth by the Department of State Health Services.

See our commitment to best practices for safety here. Scroll down a little for tasting room.

You can always choose curbside and delivery options. from our online store.  Get outside! Enjoy our Hike & Bike Trail.

COVID 2.0

We must make a few changes that affect all of you.  We will continue outside service only. We are limiting to bottle service, but are unable to do wine tastings or wine-by-the-glass service at this time.

You can always choose curbside and delivery.  

We cannot allow more than 100 people outside so this greatly impacts our event plans. We will begin to have ticketed events allowing no more than 100 people on premise at any given time. During an event, you can pick up wine at any time no problem. 

Please wear a mask inside the tasting room.

Get outside! Enjoy our Hike & Bike Trail.

We have committed to standards of practice that encourage visitation, responsibility and safety for our staff, our guests and our community. Here are things we do:

• One individual will be partially dedicated to ensuring the health protocols adopted by the venue are  being successfully implemented and followed.
• We will encourage the use of outdoor space; there will be no indoor seating for the time being.
• Outdoor seating area layouts will be modified to comply with the appropriate social distancing guidelines and tables will be limited to 6 or fewer guests. You can pull up your own chair to the table so as long as there are only 6 per table.
• If you choose to use your own chairs, you may sit out in the lawn beyond the Lost Oak seating area. We ask that you maintain social distancing, 6 feet between chairs.
• Floors will be marked to indicate standing areas so as to respect social distancing guidelines for staff and guests.
• Tours are limited to 6 people and social distancing guidelines will be respected. 
• We encourage contactless payment.
• We adhere to all food safety standards set forth by the Department of State Health Services.
Our team will do the following:
• Undergo a health screening to ensure they aren’t sick or at risk.
• We will wash hands upon entering and exiting  the workplace.
• We comply with appropriate cleaning and sanitization practices as required and recommended by CDC and Governor Abbott.  We sanitize customer-contact surfaces such as tables, seats, service bar and other customer touch points. 
• We frequently sanitize all common areas and touch points, including but not limited to doorknobs and doorways, windows, faucets, bars, registers, etc.
• We conduct a thorough cleaning of the facility at the end of each shift.
• We will meet with staff before the day starts to review hygiene rules  and procedures and to provide timely updates to news and events
Our cleaning practices will include:
• Hand sanitizing stations will be available at the tasting room and event center entrance.
• Hand sanitizer will be available for guests and staff at each station. 
• One dedicated staff identified per shift  for sanitizing and wiping down tables and contact surfaces, including bathrooms.
• Lost Oak will supply a commercial cleaning product called ACS Lemon Disinfectant that has been recognized by the Center for Biocide Chemistries as a pre-approved EPA disinfectant for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.  
• All tasting lists and printed material will be disposable and single-use.

At our Event Center, we have more plans. See full details at this link.

We love you guys! Thanks for your patronage and support. See you on the lawn!

*We cannot guarantee that by using these precautions you will not contract coronavirus or any other sickness. All guests may visit at their own risk. 
 

Stay Safe while we reopen.

What a 2020! I feel like the last 8 weeks has been the longest 8 weeks of my life, longer than the last trimester of pregnancy at 38 years old! And that’s saying a lot. ;)

Thanks for sticking with us through this time. We have earned support from our most loyal guests and that support has been noticed through curbside, to-go and shipping orders through our tasting room. We’ve successfully postponed many of our events at the event center and also booked a few new ones!

We are ready to reopen again… carefully. We have committed to standards of practice that encourage visitation, responsibility and safety for our staff, our guests and our community.   

Here are some of our plans at the Tasting Room:

• We will be open our regular hours and then on Tuesday from 2-8 PM.
• Friday from 12-3 is our Sippin' 65s dedicated to our guests who are 65+ years old.
• One individual will be partially dedicated to ensuring the health protocols adopted by the venue are  being successfully implemented and followed.
• We will encourage the use of outdoor space; there will be no indoor seating for the time being.
• Indoor and outdoor tasting and seating area layouts will be modified to comply with the appropriate social distancing guidelines and tables will be limited to 6 or fewer guests. You can pull up your own chair to the table so as long as there are only 6 per table.
• If you choose to use your own chairs, you may sit out in the lawn beyond the Lost Oak seating area. We ask that you maintain social distancing, 6 feet between chairs.
• Floors will be marked to indicate standing areas so as to respect social distancing guidelines for staff and guests.
• No tastings will be offered as of June 26th. We will offer bottle service only.
• Tours will commence May 30th and will be limited to 6 people and social distancing guidelines will be respected. 
• We encourage contactless payment.
• We adhere to all food safety standards set forth by the Department of State Health Services.

Our team will do the following:

• Undergo a health screening to ensure they aren’t sick or at risk.
• Wash hands upon entering and exitin  the workplace.
• Will comply with appropriate cleaning and sanitization practices as required and recommended by CDC and Governor Abbott.  Sanitize customer-contact surfaces such as tables, seats, service bar and other customer touch points. 
• Frequently sanitize all common areas and touch points, including but not limited to doorknobs and doorways, windows, faucets, bars, registers, etc.
• Agree to conduct a thorough cleaning of the facility at the end of each shift.
• We will meet with staff before the day starts to review hygiene rules  and procedures and to provide timely updates to news and events

Our cleaning practices will include:

• Hand sanitizing stations will be available at the tasting room and event center entrance.
• Hand sanitizer will be available for guests and staff at each station. 
• One dedicated staff identified per shift  for sanitizing and wiping down tables and contact surfaces, including bathrooms.
• Lost Oak will supply a commercial cleaning product called ACS Lemon Disinfectant that has been recognized by the Center for Biocide Chemistries as a pre-approved EPA disinfectant for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.  
• All tasting lists and printed material will be disposable and single-use.

At our Event Center, we have more plans. See full details at this link.

We love you guys! Thanks for your patronage and support. See you on the lawn!

 

*We cannot guarantee that by using these precautions you will not contract coronavirus or any other sickness. All guests may visit at their own risk. 

Our Family: Ty Berringer, Assistant Winemaker

Ty earned his B.A and M.A. in English from Texas Tech, graduating in 2015 Ty began his career as a professor of English but quickly figured out, wine was a better fit!  He first worked for Llano Estacado winery gaining experience in teh cellar, lab and vineyard.  Now, Ty is learning from a Texas wine pioneer-duo, Jim Evans and Gene Estes. Ty describes his winemaking approach as “traditional with a touch of technology.” His favorite wines to drink are cool climate reds and oak-aged whites.

What are you drinking when you aren't drinking wine?

Iced Tea with lemon in the summer, and spicy hot chocolate in the winter.

When you aren’t at the winery, where are you?

With my dog on hiking trails, or working in the shop on blacksmithing, carpentry, or leather. 

What is your favorite food?

Fresh tuna sushi or the burnt ends of a fatty brisket.

Is this red wine compound the future of depression treatment?

Check out this article!  This red wine compound might be the cure for depression and anxiety! 

"Resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders."

Resveratrol, a compound that occurs naturally in red wine, has intrigued researchers for decades. A recent study in mice investigates how doctors might be able to use this chemical to reduce depression and anxiety.

Could a red wine compound be useful in the treatment of depression?

In the United States and further afield, anxiety and depression are substantial challenges.

About 1 in 5 adults in the United States have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year.

In addition, an estimated 7.1% of adults experienced a major depressive episode in 2017.

Some people who have anxiety or depression may benefit from medications, but they do not work for everyone.

As the authors of the current study write, "only one-third of individuals with depression or anxiety show full remission in response to these medications."

For this reason, researchers are keen to find new drugs to treat depression and anxiety.

Enter resveratrol

Currently, most of the drugs that doctors prescribe for depression and anxiety interact with serotonin or noradrenaline pathways in the brain.

Researchers are trying to find other possible drug targets, and some have turned to a natural compound called resveratrol.

Resveratrol occurs in the skin of grapes and berries, and, most famously, it is in red wine. Over recent years, it has received an increasing amount of attention from medical scientists.

Earlier studies have shown that resveratrol appears to have antidepressant activity in mice and rats.

The latest study, which appears in the journal Neuropharmacology, takes a closer look at the mechanisms contributing to resveratrol's antidepressant activity. The researchers also question whether resveratrol might provide the basis of future treatments for anxiety and depression.

The team, from Xuzhou Medical University in China, paid particular attention to the role of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).

Why PDE4 and cAMP?

Important in many biological processes, cAMP is a second messenger. These molecules respond to signals outside the cell, such as hormones, and pass the message on to the relevant regions within the cell. The authors of the current study explain:

"Considering that cAMP is a primary regulator for intracellular communication in the brain, it is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in mental disorders."

Earlier studies have shown that resveratrol increases levels of cAMP in a number of cell types.

PDE4 is a family of enzymes that break down cAMP, helping regulate the levels of this molecule within cells. Higher levels of PDE4 lead to an increased breakdown of cAMP. Some earlier studies have hinted at the role of PDE4 in depression and anxiety.

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For instance, one study showed that inhibiting PDE4 increased cAMP signaling, which reduced anxiety- and depression-like behavior in mice.

The current study used animal models and cultured mouse neurons (similar to those in the human hippocampus) to help explain resveratrol's effect on rodent behaviors.

The stress model of depression

Experts still do not fully understand what causes depression and why it affects some people but not others.

One theory is called the glucocorticoid hypothesis. The body releases glucocorticoids, which include cortisol, when a person feels stressed. In the short term, these hormones help ready the body for an impending crisis.

However, if the stress lasts for a longer time, glucocorticoids can begin to cause harm.

In this way, some scientists believe that chronic stress damages neurons in the hippocampus, which are particularly sensitive. This damage then paves the way for anxiety and depression.

The authors of the current study were particularly interested in understanding whether resveratrol could reverse the damaging effects of stress and how this might work.

In their study, they found that increased levels of corticosterone (the rodent equivalent of cortisol) produced cell lesions in the brain and increased levels of PDE4D — a member of the PDE4 family that scientists believe to be particularly important in cognition and depression.

They also showed that treatment with resveratrol reversed the increase in PDE4D and reduced the number of cell lesions. Resveratrol also prevented the decrease in cAMP.

In engineered mice that could not produce PDE4D, resveratrol boosted cAMP's protective effects even further than in mice with functioning PDE4D.

The authors write that "[t]hese findings provide evidence that the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of resveratrol are predominantly mediated by PDE4D inhibition."

Only the beginning

These findings provide another small piece of the puzzle. Resveratrol, which appears to reduce anxiety and depression in mice, seems to work by inhibiting PDE4D and activating cAMP signaling.

"Resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders."

Co-lead author Dr. Ying Xu, Ph.D.

Despite Dr. Xu's excitement, there is little evidence of resveratrol's ability to fight depression in humans. Although evidence of its effects in animal models is growing, data from clinical trials are lacking.

Also, extrapolating findings from animal studies to humans can be tricky, never more so than when dealing with mental health conditions. Whether animal models of depression are relevant is a hotly debated topic.

However, any step toward a new understanding of the chemical ins and outs of depression and anxiety is beneficial.

It goes without saying, but drinking red wine will not afford you the theoretical benefits of resveratrol. The compound is present in very low quantities and, of course, the alcohol in wine will negate any benefits.

To conclude, we now know more about the molecular mechanisms underpinning resveratrol's effect on depression and anxiety in mice. We must now await clinical trials to find out whether it can benefit humans too.

15 Helpful Words for Talking About Wine

Need help talking about wine?  Check out this New York Times article! 

15 Helpful Words for Talking About Wine

Here is a practical lexicon that helps to describe the elusive characteristics of wine, without eliciting eye rolls and forehead slaps.

By Eric Asimov

Few things are as maddening or as elusive as trying to convey the character of a wine, both for the reader and the writer.

Many wine authorities believe that a wine should be described as specifically as possible, breaking it down into a group of flavor and aroma components that, when all put together, describe the totality in the glass.

I disagree with this approach, for two main reasons. First, when most people drink a wine, they experience it seamlessly, in its complete form, not as a series of discrete individual flavors, some of which, in the tasting notes, can be so esoteric as to be incomprehensible.

Second, these sorts of descriptions capture a wine at a particular moment. But good wines change and evolve, over minutes in the glass, as well as years in the cellar. Overly specific notes often confuse because of the baffling references, and because they are relevant to one distinct moment.

I prefer general descriptions of a wine’s character instead. These efforts seem more useful because they don’t rely on references that have meaning for the writer but are lost to the reader, and because they are true, I hope, over time rather than at a moment.

Even so, I have found that many readers are confused by these characterizations, too. Perceptions of aroma and flavor are so difficult to describe that many writers form a vocabulary that does not always convey to the reader what the writer has in mind. Even more bewildering is the fact that many writers use the same terms, but in different ways.

I thought it may be useful to the cause of clearer communication to try to define some terms that I use regularly to describe wine. As always, I welcome any thoughts and suggestions.

Energetic

Can a wine have energy? Absolutely. This quality is hard to describe, but it feels propulsive. It partly concerns texture: how the wine feels in the mouth. But it connotes liveliness as well. An energetic wine snaps your senses awake, heightens your awareness and implores you to take another sip. Energetic wines generally have good acidity, otherwise they would be dull and flaccid. Good examples of wines made with high-acid grapes — like riesling, chenin blanc, gamay and barbera — are often energetic. Young, age-worthy wines, like red Burgundy and Champagne, can be energetic as well, while truly great older wines may retain their youthful energy.

Tense

A tense wine feels as if it walks a tightrope between forces that threaten to pull it one way or the other, but are so well balanced that the wine never loses its footing. Tense wines can be thrilling — sweet German rieslings are classic examples. They are pulled and pushed by both their sweetness and their acidity, yet never stumble or become cloying or harsh. Tense wines can be said to have energy, with a shiver of uncertainty stirred in.

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Plush

A textural term that indicates, as the word suggests, a soft, luxuriant sort of richness. The word is applied almost entirely to red wines, which have the potential to be bigger and softer than whites. Other related words: opulent, fleshy, velvety.

Lean

It’s not quite the opposite of plush, but it’s certainly in the other direction. It’s also a term related to texture, indicating a wine more skeletal than fleshy. Lean wines are ectomorphs, characterized more by their acidity than by softness. The best require a sense of energy, which galvanizes the wine. Without energy, a lean wine can be thin and dull.

Structure

Though a liquid, wine can be said to have structure, an architecture of tannins and acidity that gives it figurative shape. Structure is like the bones of a wine, on which the aromas and flavors hang. Some wines, like easy, thirst-quenching bottles made to be consumed young, will have little structure. Others, particularly age-worthy reds like Barolo or Bordeaux, may be so structured that the tannins dominate when young, requiring a few years to recede before the wines are pleasurable to drink. Tannins primarily come from grape skins, though seeds and stems contribute as well. They are felt mostly in reds, which are macerated with skins to obtain color. Whites gain most of their structure from acidity, with the exception of orange wines, which are made like reds, leaving the juice to soak with the skins. If a wine is aged in new oak barrels, it may also absorb tannins from the wood. These tannins differ from grape tannins and can have a bitter, mouth-drying flavor. Obvious oak tannins are a flaw, to me. If a wine has insufficient acidity and tannins, it can be overly soft and flaccid. Too much, and it can be harsh. Tannins that blend in seamlessly are said to be fine, while those that are rugged or chewy are rustic.

Linearity

A well-structured wine with flavors that arrive in a smooth procession may be called linear. Linear wines have the potential for complexity as the flavors can change and evolve as they linger in the mouth. Without sufficient structure, the wine will be amorphous and soft, with everything arriving at once.

Length

Lingering flavors, which can echo long after swallowing, give a wine length. It’s a similar quality to linearity, but not exactly the same, as linearity generally implies complexity, while length indicates a prolonged presence without necessarily any evolution.

Depth

A long wine can be deep, too, an added dimension that is also related to texture. A wine with length and depth resonates in the mouth. This is where pleasure lives, the sort of wine where each sip inspires the next.

Focus

All the elements come together with clarity in focused wines. They are balanced, proportionate and seamless.

Power

This quality often reflects a wine’s alcohol content, as well as the impact of its flavors and textures. Examples include Amarone and very ripe zinfandels and Châteauneuf-du-Papes. They certainly have their place, but they can overwhelm foods, too. Fino sherry is an example of a high-alcohol wine that I would not describe as powerful, because good ones can often feel more fragile than hard-hitting.

Precision

Precision goes beyond focus, indicating a wine shepherded along its path from grape to bottle with exceptional skill. Each quality in the wine is exactly as it should be. Nothing is overbearing or out of proportion. For me, the quality of precision is preferable to power, permitting nuances and subtleties to emerge.

Life

Sometimes good wines can feel alive in the glass. Life is a combination of energy, texture and depth, with something more that is difficult to grasp. It’s a vibrancy that can be found in wines ranging from simple to profound, and comes from skillful winemaking that is minimally manipulative.

Sweet

Most obviously, this means a wine in which not all the sugar in the grape juice has been fermented into alcohol. Rieslings and chenin blancs are examples of white wines that can be wonderful either dry or with residual sugar, so long as the sweetness is balanced by acidity. Sweet, blended reds are increasingly popular among mass-market wines, and high-alcohol red wines can seem sweet because they are highly fruity and rich in glycerol, both of which contribute to the perception of sweetness.

Savory

Wine is often assumed to be fruity, since it is made from fruit, but many wines are instead savory. That is, they convey stony, saline, herbal, smoky or floral aromas and flavors, rather than fruitiness. These flavors often go together with high acidity, but not always. Good examples of savory wines include reds from the Northern Rhône Valley, Chablis and fino sherry, just to name a few.

Mineral

Perhaps no word in the wine lexicon has been as controversial as mineral, possibly because some people take it literally, as if it referred to minerals in the soil sucked up through the roots and deposited in the glass. No. As with most wine descriptions, it is figurative, a general term for the sorts of sensations conveyed by wine. Others criticize it as too general. Why not be more specific? Does it smell or taste like slate? The sidewalk after a rain? I reject that as well. Minerality is a highly useful general term that helps to convey the character of wines, which can seem stony, pebbly or rocky in aroma, flavor and texture.