In-Depth Knowledge | Comprehensive Analysis Series
Flor Yeast: The Film-Forming Yeast That Shapes Wine Character Through Biological Aging
Wine aging is a crucial element that deepens the wine’s flavor profile. While wines generally evolve through oxidative aging, an alternative method called “biological aging” is sometimes employed during the winemaking process. Biological aging is a matura …
Noble Mold Composing the World’s Finest Wines, or the Great Enemy that Rots Grapes | What is Botrytis?
What constitutes the world’s finest wine? Would it be the red wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy? The cult wines centered in America? The beloved Champagne? Or perhaps the trendy natural wines of today? In Germany, the legally classified highest-grade wine is …
A Comprehensive Guide to Petrol Notes in Wine
Are you familiar with the term “petri notes”? This is a specialized term frequently used in wine tasting, particularly when evaluating aged Riesling wines. Experienced tasters can sometimes identify a wine’s grape variety as Riesling the moment they detec …
Comprehensive Guide to Phylloxera
On March 5, 2019, news emerged of fresh phylloxera damage in vineyards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Phylloxera represents one of the most devastating pests in viticulture, capable of causing catastrophic damage to grapevines. In the past, thi …
Bio and “Natural”: A Winemaker’s View from the Cellar
Whenever I occasionally post about “natural wine” on X (formerly Twitter), those posts tend to be shared relatively widely for my account size. This simply indicates how many people react to this particular keyword. In recent years, especially in Japan, t …
The Future of Wine? A Comprehensive Analysis of PIWI Varieties
Among wine professionals, grape varieties have increasingly become a topic of discussion. Grape varieties have long been subjects of debate regarding their relationship to selling prices, compatibility with cultivation regions, and the correlation between …
Understanding Wine Off-Flavors | Off-Flavor Analysis Series
The Growing Wine Defect: What Is Smoke Taint?
There is a wine defect that is currently attracting attention. It is smoke taint. Smoke taint is a defect that occurs when grapes are exposed to smoke. In tasting, it is described with nuances such as “smoky,” “burnt rubber,” “bacon,” “disinfectant,” and …
Brettanomyces: The Yeast Behind Brett Off-Flavors in Wine
You open a bottle of wine you’ve been looking forward to and pour it into your glass. As you bring your nose close to enjoy the aromatic bouquet rising from the wine, something seems off. Many of you have probably had this experience. Wine that produces u …
How Light Changes Wine Aroma | Light-Struck Flavor
Light-struck flavor, or “nikkoushuu” in Japanese. The name might evoke images of freshly laundered white sheets fluttering under a clear blue sky, or the pleasant scent of sunshine when wrapped in those sheets. Unfortunately, that is not what this term re …
Understanding Wine Reduction: The Most Significant Off-Flavor and Its Solutions
Wine occasionally develops unpleasant odors, defects, or off-flavors—unwelcome, sometimes distinctly repulsive aromas. Among the various unpleasant odors found in wine, “reduction” stands out as one of the most representative. Without fear of misunderstan …
Wine Off-Flavor | UTA / ATA
You tasted a white wine at a winery or wine shop and liked it enough to purchase it. However, you felt it was still a little early for drinking, so you decided to let it rest a bit longer in your home cellar. Six months later, at the dinner table. You kne …
A Comprehensive Guide to Petrol Notes in Wine
Are you familiar with the term “petri notes”? This is a specialized term frequently used in wine tasting, particularly when evaluating aged Riesling wines. Experienced tasters can sometimes identify a wine’s grape variety as Riesling the moment they detec …
