Petit Manseng

If there is a wine that has been the talk of the tasting room lately, it is our Petit Manseng.  I hear people talking about how delicious it is and how they have never heard of that varietal before.  Fact be told, people are talking about our newest white ALMOST as much as they are talking about me. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of the grape, my mom has been raving about Petit Manseng wines for years.  Made into both dry and dessert styles, this wine is finding popularity all over the world, but it is especially gaining notice in the Virginia wine scene. Are we watching the next Viognier in the making?

Originating in the Southwestern Region of France, this wine sealed its popularity by being used to anoint King Henry IV.  The characteristic sweet and aromatic qualities of this Jurançon grape found a place in the hearts of all who had the pleasure to drink it. After becoming a beloved Jurançon varietal, Basque settlers took it with them to Uruguay (along with one of our favorites: Tannat) to cultivate there.

Dubbed by Matthieu Finot (winemaker at King Family Vineyards) as a “wet weather grape”, Petit Manseng has loose clusters of small berries that hold up well to high humidity growing environments.  The thick skin and ability to have increased airflow throughout the cluster makes this grape much more resistant to rot than some other varietals. Even though it does have a low yield and needs a long ripening season, many vineyards are choosing to work with the grape because it can be crafted into a wine that is flavorful, ages well, and has enough acidity that sweetness never overwhelms.

The flavor profile of Petit Manseng is composed of a variety of flavors with tropical fruit, citrus, peach, and a slight nuttiness that is most noticeable when it is young.  As the wine ages, the profiles of honey, preserved fruits, and sweet spices become more notable. It pairs well with many food dishes from spicy Asian foods to sweet pastries, and it is sure to delight your dinner guests when you present it to the table.

I’m starting to notice a trend: grapes with Petit in front of them seem to pack a lot of flavor and are looked upon highly by wine drinkers as full of flavor and overflowing with potential for greatness.  It must be the exact opposite of in the dog world where dogs with Great in front of their name are packed full of personality and handsomeness.

Wine Diamonds!

Let it be known that an old dog can always learn new tricks!  The other night, Mom and Dad had just popped open a bottle of our newest white wine, Petit Manseng, and I heard them start talking about the wine diamonds.  What?! Diamonds in wine? Now, believe me, having been the overseer at many a wedding here at the vineyard, I have seen my share of diamonds, but I have never seen any come in a wine bottle.

“Wine diamonds” is a term that wine industry folks use to refer to the tartrate crystals that form when tartaric acid bonds with potassium chloride.  The resulting product is potassium bitartrate. Before I get too involved, let me start off by saying that there are three acids that are always present in wines: malic, citric, and tartaric. Citric acid is pretty neutral and is used mainly to increase acidity and as a natural preservative.  The malic acid goes through malolactic fermentation which creates the creamy, buttery texture associated with some wines. Tartaric acid stabilizes the wine and helps make it more suitable to aging.

While some people don’t like seeing the tartrate crystals in their wine, please know that they are actually a signal to you that the wine is of a higher quality, has had less manipulation in the processing room, and the wine will age better.  These crystals occur when the temperature of a wine drops below 40⁰ F and the potassium chloride and tartaric acid come together. Formation of crystals can be avoided in two ways: winemakers can use cold-stabilization techniques at the end of the processing cycle or wine drinkers can avoid placing their wine for extended times in temperatures that are below 40⁰ F.

If your wine does develop crystals, don’t be alarmed.  They aren’t dangerous and they don’t have a flavor, but if you want to strain them out simply use a cheesecloth.  As for me, knowing what a sign of quality these little crystals are, I will welcome seeing them in the bottles coming from our winery!