A Closer Look at "Mr. Chardonnay"

Sometimes we get asked: "How did Chuck get the nickname Mr. Chardonnay?" Well, the moniker was first given to him by the Wine Spectator. But we recently dug up a 1999 article from the Wine News about Chuck's history with Chardonnay, and thought we'd post it here in our blog:

From The Wine News...

Chuck Ortman's remarkable 30-year career parallels the modern day expansion of California's fine wine industry–from its formative period in the late 1960s to its present heyday. During this time frame, the Ortman style evolved right along with the state's wine reputation.

"Mr. Chardonnay," a sobriquet bestowed on the jovial Ortman in 1990 by wine writer Per Henrik Mansson, seems an unlikely title for a man who in the mid-1960s was pursuing a degree in graphic arts at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. It was then that a longtime friend introduced Ortman to a wine he'd made in his mother's basement. To say that the home-crafted nectar piqued the art student's interest is an understatement. The wine bug bit Ortman hard, and he found himself irresistibly drawn to the winemaking profession…

"At that time," he recalls, "most California Chardonnay was made in large, stainless steel tanks and racked pretty quickly off the lees." The technique produced a clean, fruity—if simple—Chardonnay.

In Burgundy, however, Chardonnay was fermented in oak barrels and allowed to sit on the lees for many months–even for up to a year. This technique produced wines with layers of complexity imparted by the oak and by the disintegrating yeast cells that make up the lees. Ortman was convinced that the added complexity made up in part for the Burgundian Chardonnay's sparsity of fruit flavors.

"I didn't want to just copy the French," he asserts. "We have riper fruit here, and I wanted to capture that ripe fruit, but I also wanted to achieve some of the complexities they were attaining in Burgundy…"

Asked if he still dabbles in art, Ortman jokes that he turns to his paint brushes only at crush time to alleviate tension. On a more serious note, he confides that "The art is in the glass—my creative talents go into the wine." 

Romancing the Rhone

 

We had a blast presenting our wine at the Romancing the Rhône seminar at the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience. This seminar showcased how the Central Coast, and Paso Robles in particular, has become a hotbed of the California Rhône movement.

We poured our 2006 Cuvée Eddy, our Rhône-style blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah from three vineyards in Paso Robles. We were joined by Eberle, Adelaida, L’Aventure and Terry Hoage Vineyards. It was a bit of a homecoming for Terry, who is a former NFL defensive back who played for the New Orleans Saints in 1984-1985.

As usual, Gary Eberle was the life of the party. He took a well-earned bow for being the first vintner to plant Syrah in Paso Robles back in 1975. He got the vines from UC Davis, but they originated from Chapoutier in France. They became known as the Estrella clone—named after Gary’s vineyard—which today has a widespread presence on the Central Coast. Thanks, Gary!

 

It wasn’t until about 10 or 15 years after Gary planted his Syrah that Rhône varietals really got a foothold in California, with the Central Coast leading the charge. Over the past 10 years, they have really come on strong, prompting wine critic Robert Parker to say, “No viticultural region in America has demonstrated as much progress in quality and potential for greatness as the Central Coast, with its Rhône varietals…”

Hear, hear! Simply put, Rhône varietals just thrive in our region, and they are versatile enough to adapt to the multifaceted growing conditions of the Central Coast. From the cooler Edna Valley to the warmer climes of Paso Robles, you get an array of styles and expressions, and thus a vivid taste of terroir in action. 

 

 

(The men of Paso with wine & food writer Tim McNally)

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE)

 

One of the perks of our job is being able to attend fantastic events such as the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience held every May in the Big Easy. 

(Matt & our National Sales Manager Ron ready for the crowds)

Held in the Superdome, the Grand tastings (2!) during NOWFE are fun events with wineries, amazing local restaurants serving creative bites, spirits, jazz music and even a Mardi Gras parade at the end of each tasting -grab a glass of your fave wine & get out on the dance floor!

If you have been thinking of visiting the Big Easy, this is a great excuse to go.
This year we were joined by SLO Vintners Harvest Celebration Auction Winners (& new BFFs) Pat & Tony Goetz, owners of The Casitas B&B in Arroyo Grande.

(Pat & Tony enjoying the Grand Tasting in the Superdome)

When not pouring wine, Matt & I enjoy exploring the city and meeting locals.

Here are some of our favorite finds from this trip-

Restaurants-  

                                                                                                                                     

Stella! – located on Chartres in the Quarter, Chef Scott Boswell’s restaurant is tucked away adjacent to the Provincial Hotel. Chef was nominated for a James Beard award this year and it’s easy to know why. His menus are always inspiring and he is so passionate about everything he does (His casual restaurant Stanley on St. Ann on Jackson Square is wonderful as well).

There are so many restaurants in New Orleans and each year I struggle with which place to try. However, this year it was a no brainer. I wanted to return to Stella! and try his 7 course Chef’s tasting menu. OH MY GOODNESS! This was one of the best meals I’ve had (the best being Matt’s birthday celebration in Nice, France years ago) I truly did experience heaven in the Truffle Scented White Chocolate Panna Cotta.

(Porcini Crusted Dutch Valley Veal Tenderloin Medallion w/Fingerling Potato Confit, Root Vegetables & Escargot, Calvados & Herb Reduction)

 

 

Commander’s Palace- located in the Garden District, Commander’s has been a New Orleans landmark since 1880. The first time Matt & I tried to dine there years back for lunch we were denied because he was wearing shorts. (a winemaker friend of ours loves the 25 cent martini lunches). This time we were prepared & Matt (used to his winemaker uniform of jeans & a t-shirt) looked quite handsome in slacks and a jacket. We had the pleasure of dining with our friends Kelley & Lisa (who was a wine captain at Commander’s for many years). I hear the turtle soup is wonderful (I just couldn’t bring myself to try it), the softshell crab was delicious as were all the other bites I tried (all paired with Ortman wines of course). If you go, try for a reservation in the Garden Room. You won’t be disappointed and you may even see Angelina Jolie.

Patois- I struck up a conversation with a lady tasting at our table during the Friday tasting. Newly transplanted from New York, she was a foodie and told me her favorite restaurants in New Orleans. Patois was at the top of her list and she said we must go. That was all I needed to hear and I made a reservation for Sunday Brunch. We dragged Pat & Tony (didn’t take much convincing), my niece (who attends LSU) and her boyfriend to Uptown. Another win! Since I was sort of on vacation, I went a little crazy-Mussels & frites, sage breakfast sausage (that they soak in maple syrup) and corned beef hash.
After waiting ½ hour for a cab after brunch, we decided to walk to the nine blocks to St. Charles to catch the street car. For $1.25/person it’s a great way to see the Garden District and experience the local flavor.

Bars/Nightclubs

(during set breaks @ Vaughan's everyone heads outside to cool off from dancing)

Vaughan’s- all I can say is Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers on Thursday nights. If you haven’t heard of Kermit or heard his music on the new HBO series Treme, you are missing out. After our 7 course dinner at Stella! we hopped (well, plopped) in a cab and headed out to the Bywater. The $10 cover is worth every penny. The bar is always packed, everyone is dancing and having a great time.

(me, Kermit Ruffins & Jenny Childers @ Rock n Bowl 2009)

The Blue Nile- After Kermit ended his set, we weren’t quite finished so we headed to Frenchmen Street for more music. DJ T Roy is a New Orleans based Reggae DJ and he rocked the house.

Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse- on Bourbon Street (but don’t let that scare you away) This place is hot! It’s in the Royal Sonesta Hotel and there is no cover (I couldn’t believe it). Every Saturday @ Midnight they feature a brass band. After Commander’s Palace Pat, Tony, Matt & I made our way through the crowds on Bourbon (that’s a story in itself) and scored a front row seat for the Kindred Brass Band.  

Anyhow, that’s our whirlwind tour of New Orleans. We hope to see you out there next time!

(For more pics from New Orleans, visit our Facebook page)

  

Ortman in Downtown Paso Robles

From GrapeSmart.net

A visit to the Ortman Family Vineyards tasting room

At least a year ago, Mitch and I had dinner at a great restaurant in one of my favorite local hotels. It’s a seafood restaurant called Catch and it’s located in the Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica (beachfront, of course). Sometimes when we go to nice restaurants we like to ask the waiter for a suggestion on the wine, since they usually know better than we do what the wines are like. Our fantastic waiter (who had an equally fantastic assistant waiter) chose an Ortman Pinot Noir for us and we loved it. We loved it so much that it went on my list of wineries to visit when we get up to Paso Robles… and so we did.

Ortman Family Vineyards

The lovely tasting room is located in the middle of downtown Paso Robles (1317 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446), a few doors down from Artisan (the restaurant we brunched at right before starting our tasting adventure for the day). The woman pouring the tasting was friendly and knowledgeable and was proud to be working for this winery. That’s a great start to any tasting!

From one of their brochures

“We specialize in artisan wines crafted in the acclaimed “Ortman style,” which is founded on four decades and two generations of family winemaking experience.

The Ortman style emphasizes richness, elegance, and food friendliness, as guided by the father-and-son winemaking team of Chuck Ortman and Matt Ortman.

In order to achieve their winemaking vision, Chuck and Matt focus on varietals that excel in remarkable vineyards on California’s Central Coast, including Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills, Chardonnay from Edna Valley, and Rhone-style wines from Paso Robles.”

The standard tasting fee was $6 (not charged if you purchase wine) and I think they offered souvenir glasses but they were the stemless variety of which neither Mitch nor I are fans (plus we don’t have room in our tiny kitchen for more wine glasses, we already have at least 20 hanging around) so we left them behind. They also had a Reserve Tasting with a tasting fee of $10 which does include the Ortman logo Riedel glass, but does not get refunded if you purchase (at least that’s the formal policy, we didn’t pay for either tasting). Naturally we chose one of each so we could both sample the full selection and not be too blotto to move onto our next victim, er winery.

2007 Ortman Syrah Rose – Paso Robles, $16 per bottle, 150 cases produced

What they say: This wine is crafted in the tradition of the dry roses that are favored in the warmer climates of Europe for their refreshing, food-friendly qualities. A round, supple texture bursts with fresh flavors of white peach, strawberry, and cinammon. Are you tough enough to drink pink?

What Jess said: Thumbs up! It’s a whole-tongue experience. A mix of sweet and dry. Playful. (I like dry roses from the Central Coast. I’m also a big fan of the Beckman Grenache Rose which should have been released by now and will soon be coming home with me.)

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Bright clean bouquet with a fruity pucker.

2007 Ortman Chardonnay – Edna Valley, $24 per bottle, 1100 cases produced

What they say: They don’t call Chuck Ortman “Mr. Chardonnay” for nothing! From Firepeak Vineyard in Edna Valley, this Chardonnay exhibits the classic Ortman style—rich yet clean and impeccably balanced. Flavors of pear, apple, guava and caramel with mineral accents and refreshing acidity.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Grapefruit/apple/pear (green fruit, light citrus) on the nose. Caramel, milky, a little oak and vanilla in the mouth.

What Mitch said: Mild velvety slide through the mouth. Subtle fruitiness.

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills, $36 per bottle, 750 cases produced

What they say: From the famed Fiddlestix Vineyard. Aged for 11 months in French oak barrels (40% new). Bright and broad, with high-toned flavors of cherry, plum, spice, and creamy cola. This classically elegant Pinot Noir is made for enjoying with food. Take it for a walk on the wild side of the dinner table.

What Jess said: Smells like the ocean. Smooth at first with a long finish, but I didn’t like the finish.

What Mitch said: Surprisingly dry with a very fruity punch at the finish.

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, $36 per bottle, 350 cases produced

What they say: Our passion for the Pinot Noir grape extends northward to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where we seek an inspiring contrast to our Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The 2006 vintage comes from Temperance Hill and Parish Hill vineyards, which combine to yield a Pinot Noir with delicate complexity and firm natural structure.

What Jess said: Lighter on the nose. Tingly, nutty tannins. Reminds me of French wine (of which I have extraordinarily little experience drinking).

What Mitch said: Dry again. Puckery and acidic, but mild flavor.

2006 Ortman Sangiovese – Paso Robles, $22 per bottle, 500 cases produced

What they say: A taste of Italy from Algunas Dias Vineyard. Inspired by Matt Ortman’s winemaking travels in Italy. Lively integrated flavors of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry unfold along a smooth texture. Great with pizza and pastas. Buon appetito!

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Sweet, floral, and cinammon on the nose. Fruity and smooth, probably good with poultry.

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Bright nose. Starts with a berry explosion and fades slowly to a nice dry finish.

2005 Ortman Syrah – Paso Robles, $22 per bottle, 350 cases produced

What they say: From Brave Oak Vineyard. Toasty aromas of blueberry, violets, and raspberry jam. Round and supple, with juicy flavors of black cherry, plum, smoked bacon, and oak spice. While it’s no sin to savor this yummy wine on its own, this Syrah will sing with skirt steak and lamb chops.

What Jess said: Very typical Syrah from the Paso Robles area. Delightful, light-touch, with a familiar terroir. A spicy finish.

What Mitch said: Nose goes all the way up. Minor tannins detectable, but it had a pleasant finish.

2007 Ortman Cuvee Eddy – Paso Robles, $24 per bottle, 1600 cases produced

What they say: Contrary to rumor, this Rhone-style blend is not named after the Iron Maiden band mascot, but rather for the swirls on our label that represent two winemaking generations coming full circle. Still, this wine does rock with big, juicy flavors of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry, mocha and vanilla bean.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Smoky on the nose. Dusty, sweet cherry and tobacco. Reasonably smooth.

What Mitch said: Mildly abrasive nose, dry! Largely smooth with a medium-level of berry intensity.

From the Reserve Tasting…

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Fiddlestix Vineyard, $50 per bottle, 140 cases produced

What they say: Five barrels were selected to exemplify the quality and character of Fiddlestix Vineyard. Flavors of black cherry, wild berry, cola and spice finish with soft, juicy acidity. This Pinot Noir will age gracefully over the next several years. In the meantime, the genie in this bottle will benefit from brief decanting.

What Jess said: Smells like Fiddlehead Pinot Noirs (in addition to Fiddlehead Pinot Noirs coming from the Fiddlestix vineyard, they also make Pinot Noirs from Willamette Valley, so due to my relatively small experience with Oregon Pinot Noirs and relatively large experience with Fiddlehead wines, it shouldn’t be surprising that I would make this connection). Very dry berry flavors are prominent.

What Mitch said: Berry, bright, not too dry, but sadly flat.

2003 Ortman Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley, $45 per bottle, 350 cases produced

What they say: Our connection to Napa Valley’s premier varietal dates back to Chuck Ortman’s earliest winemaking days, when he was a winemaking consultant to some of the valley’s top Cabernet producers. The 2003 vintage comes from White Cottage Ranch Vineyard on Howell Mountain. It offers juicy layered flavors of black cherry, plum, and vanilla.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Dream-inducing nose. Tastes of salty (salami!), cloves, and blueberry with a spicy-hot finish (in a good way).

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Dancing berries on the nose. Dry, with a burnt-like finish.

2006 Ortman Petite Sirah – Wittstrom Vineyard, $38 per bottle, 68 cases produced

What they say:The 2006 Petite Sirah marks our inaugural vintage for the varietal, which joins our small family of red wines from Paso Robles. Winemaker Matt Ortman has long been a fan of Petite Sirah, and he jumped at the chance to make it when fruit from Wittstrom Vineyard became available. This vineyard occupies and idea site for Petite Sirah, yielding a wine that is big yet elegant with lusciously intense flavors.

What Jess said: Makes me want to drink it with steak. Chalky.

What Mitch said: Heavy nose, bitter berry. Heavy but smooth.

Are you an Ortman fan?

Join the Ortman Generation Wine Club
As an artisan family winery, we craft our wines in small lots, many of which can be difficult to find. As a member of the Ortman Generation, however, you will enjoy access to all of our wines, conveniently delivered to your home or business.
Your complimentary membership entitles you to many exclusive benefits, including:
- Quarterly shipments of our new releases and limited-edition wines
- 20% savings on all wine purchases
-Invitation to our annual Ortman Generation BBQ & Bike Ride with Matt Ortman
-Tasting fees waived for members and up to three guests

To join, please visit www.OrtmanVineyards.com or call us at (805) 237-9009

Keep Your Cool When Serving Wine

One question that we often get at our downtown Paso Robles wine tasting room is: “What’s the best temperature to serve a red or white wine?”

Our take is that, at least here in the United States, white wines are often served too cold, while red wines are often served a bit too warm. We probably have modern appliances, such as refrigerators and central heating, to blame for this phenomenon.

For example, it’s popular to say that red wine should be served at “room temperature,” which begs the question: What is the average room temperature? No doubt, it’s much warmer today in the United States than it was decades ago in old Europe. When a red wine is too warm, the flavors can seem thin and alcoholic.

White wine, on the other hand, benefits from being chilled—but is usually too cold when pulled out of a refrigerator. When a white wine is too cold, its aromas and flavors are muted at the expense of your enjoyment.

So for red wines, we recommend a temperature in the low to mid 60s. For a white wine, the low 50s is a safe place to start.

On that note, you may want to consider sticking a red wine in the fridge (or an ice box, if you’re picnicking on a hot summer day) briefly to cool it down before serving, and letting a white wine warm up a bit after pulling it from the fridge.

Get Lucky with Ortman and Arroyo Robles

We invite you to get lucky in advance of St. Patrick’s Day as we team up with Arroyo Robles Winery for an “Irish Twilight” celebration on Saturday, March 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The festivities will include Celtic music, complimentary Irish fare and special savings on select wine purchases at both of our tasting rooms in downtown Paso Robles, which are located within two blocks of each other.

Arroyo Robles Winery (a.k.a. Arroyo O’Robles) will feature Irish potato leek soup and soda bread, while Ortman Family Vineyards (a.k.a. O’rtman) will offer cupcakes made with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Acoustic music will be performed by Jeff Trefftzs, and guests are encouraged to wear festive green attire. Leprechauns are optional.

During the event—as well as throughout the weekend of March 13-14—we will also extend 10 percent savings on all wine purchases, and 15 percent savings on case purchases of 12 or more bottles.

Additionally, we will extend mutual privileges to our wine club members, allowing members to enjoy 20 percent savings on wine purchases and 30 percent savings on case purchases at both wineries. Any new members who sign up with either winery will enjoy immediate membership benefits.

Here’s the scoop:

What: A festive evening of Irish-style fun, food and music, as well as special savings on wine purchases throughout the weekend.

Where: Ortman Family Vineyards tasting room at 1317 Park Street and Arroyo Robles Winery tasting room at 739 12th Street, both in downtown Paso Robles.

When: Main event is on Saturday, March 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Special savings will be extended throughout the weekend of March 13-14.

Cost: Food is complimentary. Normal tasting fees apply.

RSVP: No RSVP necessary—just show up and join the fun.

The More Things Change…

What a delight it was to turn on the computer a few days ago and discover the following headline: Ancient Wine Press Found in Israel Likely Sent Exports to Egypt.

Who says the news is all bad?

The press in question is 1,400 years old, and was found in the Nahal Soreq region, which was apparently the Paso Robles of ancient Israel—a dynamic wine region with a Mediterranean climate and a reputation for remarkable wines!

According to the excavation director, the old press “reflects a very high level of technology for this period, which was acquired and improved on from generation to generation.”

The reports say that the press measures 49 by 54 feet. The ancient winemakers would apparently crush the grapes with their feet along an expanse of mosaic pavement. The juice would flow to a large vat, and from there it would flow again into two separate vats.

The process is fundamentally similar to what we do today—the skins are pressed (although not with our feet), and the juice is racked to a barrel or tank. The solids settle out, and the wine is later racked off the solids into another barrel or tank. The more things change…

This finding is just another reminder that wine is a timeless gift of nature, a tie that binds eras and civilizations.

As a multigenerational family winery, that’s something we can celebrate and appreciate. Please visit our Paso Robles tasting room soon, and we’ll raise a glass to the winemakers of antiquity!

Un-Zin with OFV

We may not make a Zinfandel, but that won’t keep us from having a good time during Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival weekend on March 19-21.

The main event is the festival grand tasting on Saturday evening. This is a can’t-miss tasting for anyone who digs Paso Robles’ native grape. Click here for tickets.

At some point, however, you may ask yourself: “Haven’t I Zinned enough?” And that’s where we come in, as we will be sharing our Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Chardonnay all weekend along with special savings on select current releases. We will also offer library wines for tasting and purchase.

Click here for directions to our downtown Paso Robles tasting room. We’ll keep a glass ready for you. And don’t forget to take a downtown Paso Robles wine tour while you’re at it, as we are surrounded by more than a dozen tasting rooms, as well as artisan cheese purveyors, cafes and specialty shops.

Snapshot in Time

Wine is a snapshot in time. That’s the one truly unique thing about wine that perhaps draws so many into the wine business. Every vintage is unique, framed in large part by the weather patterns throughout the growing season. In a difficult vintage like 2008 this becomes glaringly obvious. Difficult because it was a vintage framed by early season and late season frost, with mostly cool weather interrupted by significant heat spikes, and even a dash of rain. As you can see, Mother Nature threw nearly every twist at us. No one understands the profound effect the weather has better than the grower and winemaker.

One great example of this can be seen from a wine created during another difficult vintage, our 2005 Sangiovese. The ‘issues’ we dealt with that year were a very cool overcast spring, and similar conditions throughout September and October. The cool spring caused the flowering stage of the vine cycle to proceed very slowly over several weeks, rather than uniformly over 10-14 days. This set the stage for great variability on the timing of berry set (conversion of flower to fruit), verasion (berry change from green to purple, and softening of the skin), and ripening (the conversion of organic acids to sugar). This variability meant that if you walked the vineyard with me prior to harvest you could stop to taste berries that looked and tasted, unripe (low color development and very tart), ripe (good color development and great fruit flavors, and over ripe (berry shrivel, reducing available color to wine and raisiny flavors). given modern farming methods this is a very unusual situation to see within a vineyard, let alone within single cluster! While we can blame Mother Nature for this problem, she also provided our best solution for dealing with it, and that was the cool weather around harvest. We grew anxious and impatient waiting for the fruit to be ready we could not afford one multi day heat spike. that would have quickly pushed the ripe fruit to over-ripe, while not doing enough to ripen the lagging fruit think of heating water on low heat, turn up the heat early it will still take a good while to get boiling, but if it is close to boiling and you turn up the heat it will quickly start to boil.

How we overcame this challenge was to spend a lot of time in the vineyard assessing what percentage of the crop was behind and what percentage was overripe. The key was to pick at just the right time. Merely pulling samples and analyzing them scientifically could have misrepresented what the entire block would give us. For all the time we spent I was still pretty uneasy about how the final wine would turn out. When I tasted the wine in barrel, and after bottling I could taste the under- and over-ripe aspects of the wine. When staff and customers began tasting the wine in the tasting room it was our most popular vintage to date! Was I being overcritical in my analysis of the wine? In the end I realized I had tasted the wine looking for fault as that is what winemakers do.

Once I got some positive feedback on the wine I began to look at it differently and realize it didn’t taste green or under-ripe, nor over-ripe and port like (a character I enjoy in vintage port but not vintage wine!) It possessed a great deal of fruity aroma and flavor, and great complexity of flavors aided by the variability in ripeness. Some of the best and most complex wines in the world come from hillside blocks for that very reason. Grapes don’t ever ripen uniformly, and have greater variability in ripeness from hillsides. The great vineyards and vintages produce grapes that produce wonderful flavors at varying levels of sugar ripeness.

So can I reproduce that wine every year? No, I’ll have to wait until Mother Nature decides to give us the right combinations of weather throughout the growing season. Our current release the 2006 is from a warmer year and possesses much more concentration of flavor. While different it has also been well received, actually being offered by the glass or bottle at 5 local restaurants. I can do what I can to achieve extraction and balance from the grapes but ultimately the seasons form the framework or foundation of what the wine can become. This time of year (winter) is always very interesting because we are just beginning to see how the previous vintage is turning out. And since the vines are still sleeping, we still have everything to learn about next year’s vintage. Only time will tell.

What’s Up with Oak?

Oak is always a big topic with visitors to our Paso Robles tasting room. It makes sense, because wineries talk a lot about oak on their back labels, fact sheets and elsewhere. Some wines even declare themselves “unoaked,” which, if you think about it, is just another way of talking about oak (or the lack thereof).

So people are curious and want to know—why do we use oak, and what specific influence does it have on a wine?

Simply put, oak barrels do two things—they bring specific qualities (such as oak flavors and wood tannins) to a wine, and they also allow for a subtle and beneficial interplay between the wine and the air outside of the barrel (yes, barrels actually breathe!).

It should be noted that the newer the wood, the more influence it will have on the wine. After several years of use, a barrel becomes what we call “neutral,” meaning that it imparts very little flavor or tannin.

At Ortman Family Vineyards, we make our wines in what we call the “Ortman style,” which is all about achieving balance. Oak integration is a big part of balance. We use oak, but we don’t want our wines to taste or smell “oaky.” We want oak to play the supporting role, not the starring role.

On that note, let’s look at how oak barrel plays a role in two of our wines:

Our 2007 Edna Valley Chardonnay was aged in French oak barrels (90%) and stainless steel barrels (10%), with one third of the oak being new oak. This level of oak does not dominate the flavor profile but it adds some weight to the mouthfeel, and contributes hints of vanilla, nutmeg, caramel and nuttiness.

Our 2007 Cuvee Eddy was aged in 20 percent new oak, which contributes notes of vanilla and adds a sweetness to the aromatics which enhances the fruit aromas. It also adds some subtle structure to the wine. We invite you to come taste these wines at our downtown Paso Robles wine tasting room.

I will follow up soon with other blog posts delving into this topic. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to send questions!