SC - Almond Milk

[Mary Denise Smith]

Ras said...
>Although this may sound "bad" to us the fact of the matter is that in the US
>winemakers are allowed to add water to grape juice to make wjatever has to
>balance balance. In the same way US winemakers are allowed to add sugar if
>necessary , etc. The problem with the French situation is that French law does
>not allow the adulteration of the grape juice so the addition of water by the
>winemaker could have been merely his best judgement on producing a better
>wine. 
>
>Although I infinity prefer any wine from France over that produced in the USA
>(with Australia running a close second ;-)) there are certain areas of French
>wine making law that are woefully behind the science of oenology. My gut
>instinvt is that the wine maker and producer are the victims of a bad law and
>the other Domaines found out about the innovations and decided to put up a
>fuss to the authorities. My vote is guilty of watering the wine but not guilty
>of producing inferior wine. :-)

Isn't it funny how tastes are so different? (thank God!) I prefer Chilean
wines over all. And lately <whispering very softly> a few Ontario wines have
surprised hell out of me. <gasp>

<now back to a normal voice>

Come on now...you can't really believe that the vintner was trying to
achieve a finer wine by adding water to it? There are several techniques and
options that are available AND legal to refine your wine. I believe that
these guys were of dubious nature, albiet intelligent enough to now exactly
what they were doing.

According to my sources, adding sugar is a widespread practice but a shoddy
way to treat a grape. It lends itself to an artificial aftertaste on the
palate and somewhat spoils all the levels present. What it does do is
sweeten up an lesser grade grape, hence most artificially sweetened wines
tend to be the cheaper ones. (you know, the ones that makes you go gaaaaaaaak?)

It will be interesting to follow this thread in the news in the next few
weeks, if we hear anymore about it at all.

Micaylah

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