For your sweetheart

Professor Emile Peynaud of France was one of the most influential oenologists of the 20th century. Many of the advances in the European wine industry after World War II can be directly attributed to his genius. (Michel Rolland, a modern day hero of the wine industry, is among his pupils.) His contributions are many, and worthy of their own column.

It was Professor Peynaud who persuaded the ultra-conservative wine industry to use stainless steel tanks. In the early 1960s, he studied the use of these tanks by the dairy industry, and concluded that their flexibility of temperature control would be of great interest to wine production. He persuaded the Bordeaux house of Château Haut-Brion to install and use stainless steel tanks as fermentation chambers. Wineries throughout the world slowly began to use steel tanks. Today they are used almost exclusively, since they can easily vary temperatures depending on the type of red or white wine.

Stainless steel tanks are built in a wide range of sizes: tanks for the production of white tend to be narrower and taller than those reserved for red. Fitted with nozzles to allow the use of hoses, they are easy to clean. Access panels allow the winemaker to “punch down the cap,” monitor the wine and work their magic. These tanks are possibly the single most important tool in the winery.

Modern technology, matched with winemaking knowledge, makes it increasingly difficult to produce a wine that is not approachable.

Next week we discuss a variation on the age old conundrum: which came first the ??? or the Egg? My story will have something to do with wine.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I was contemplating what to recommend for celebration with your special someone on Valentine’s. Keint-He Winery and Vineyard has a wonderful solution. Still available, but in limited quantity, their 2008 Pineaux Sauvage is made from botrytis-affected pinot noir grapes. This “Noble Rot” reduces the yield of the grape clusters, and so this style of wine is as rare as hen’s teeth. It is usually associated with complex dessert wines from Europe, making it the perfect match for your sweetheart.

However much Mother Nature takes away, though, she returns generously. This Pineaux Sauvage has a warm glowing amber colour, with a deep assault of preserved apricot aromas. The flavours are a decadent blend of preserved apricots, bourbon-Seville orange marmalade—with a pronounced, crisp finish. To put the cherry on the top of this extraordinary offering, this unique wine is available at Keint-He Winery for the truly unbelievable price of $25 for a 375ml bottle. It is a perfect gift, or a sublime accompaniment to a great dinner with friends.

Keint-He Winery is located at 49 Hubbs Creek Road, just west of Wellington. I suggest you call and leave a message, as they are currently operating on a winter schedule. Bryan will be happy to return your call.