Stainless or Barrels

To many of us to drink a glass of wine is sheer pleasure. Countless articles and books have been written on pairing food and wine (red with red foods, white with light foods). The experience of wine tasting is also about visiting wineries. As many of you know the cow and I believe wine tasting is a form of entertainment. On a beautiful or dreary day you can drive through lush landscapes and enjoy the bounty of any state. I have photographed many grapevines and tasting rooms in my day but recently found myself lamenting what happens to the grapes after they are plucked from the vine.

The question then becomes stainless or barrels, technology or tradition, objective or subjective, control variables or creative energy. As you can see from the pictures stainless is prevailing when it comes to producing wines. The stainless vats are used for multiple tasks where some would argue that the solo use of the barrel is to AGE a wine.

I am a fan of every varietial of wine: nebbiolo, mourvedre, sangiovese, zinfindel, chardonnay, voignier, pinot gris, barbera, marsanne, cabernet franc, soave, semillion, chianti, rose, primitivo, prosecco,etc. From now on when buying and drinking a wine I will be more diligent in my investigation of the methods used in creating such a pleasurable event.