OF BLENDING, MATURATION AND MARRIAGE

At Pegasus Bay we like to think we are experts in blending and maturation. Every wine is made in a series of small batches, each one of which has its own distinct personality. Our winemakers then decide by taste which of the various portions and how much of each will be included in the final blend that is bottled. They not only have in mind what seems to be best at the time, but also how it will mature. We try to make Pegasus Bay wines to last and our two winemakers are experts, not only in blending, but also maturation.

Now, winemakers are strange beasts and after years of struggling to perfect the technique, ours have suddenly reversed the procedure. That's right, they have decided to try blending after maturation! After maturing their relationship in the winery for 10 years, they decided to put the final blend together in marriage.

It was clear that the day was going to be pure magic from the start. Matthew, being the romantic type, evidently popped the question while they were toiling at the clothes line and was somewhat taken aback when Lynnette said "Yes". Never ones to rush things, however, the big day needed well over a years planning. Everything was organised down to the last detail, including the guests' attire, which was stipulated to be "funky and casual". As strains of Handel rose from the lone cello through the warm late afternoon air, the happy couple plighted their troth on a hillside overlooking the winery. The bride looked radiant in a striking mauve wedding gown, while the groom did his best to also look funkily casual. And we are happy to report, everyone was well behaved, including the couples 2 dogs, Rieussec and Growler, who were decked with mauve leads and bows (and the rings round their necks), even although the wild celebrations went on for 3 days!

AUTUMNAL COLOURS

Autumn is so picturesque. The verdant vineyards develop flecks of yellow and then turn golden. Within a short while, the good earth will be covered with a carpet of colourful leaves. Sounds beautiful doesn't it? Although this change is inevitable in nature's yearly cycle we try to stave it off as long as possible.

When the green colour fades from a leaf, it means it has lost it's chlorophyll. This natural chemical substance is what enables leaves to harness the suns energy and make sugars and the like, which they pump into the grapes. It is quite simple, no chlorophyll means no further ripening. We try to get maximal ripeness and hence we like to retain green leaves in our vineyard for as long as possible. We can do this by trying to avoid anything which might stress the plants, such as lack of water, making them prematurely shut down their metabolism.

Perhaps you have an ornamental grapevine in your garden. They don't have fruit, but they are beautiful in the autumn as their leaves go a bright scarlet. Pretty? Yes, but it is enough to make a viticulturist shudder. Red leaves occur quite naturally in small amounts in some varieties of grapes in late autumn, but development of such colour at an early stage or in an excessive amount, suggests the plant is infected with a virus. These are quite harmless to humans, but they prevent proper ripening of the berries. That's why our favourite autumnal colour at Pegasus Bay is green green and more green!

SAUVIGNON - TO BLANC OR NOT TO BLANC?

Sauvignon blanc means a white variety of sauvignon. The grape was given its name because it was previously thought to be a depigmented, or albino form of cabernet sauvignon. If this was the case then the term sauvignon blanc would make sense. Like many assumptions, science has now shown this to be incorrect. Genetic analysis carried out in California proves that sauvignon blanc is actually one of cabernet sauvignon's parents, the other being cabernet franc. It is still a mystery, at least to me, which was the mother and which the father? I am sure, however, that they are both fond of their cute little child.

All this raises an awkward point. Namely, that sauvignon blanc should just be called sauvignon. As we at Pegasus Bay like to observe what is good and proper, we have done this for some time. However, there are others who do not like the truth and some countries, including that where the all revealing research was done, insist that we mislabel our wines by sticking with the old and incorrect name. I guess it doesn't matter so long as the wine is at least half decent!

WINTERING OVER

As the autumn days roll down the hill of the year into the valley of deepest winter, people's outlook on life totally changes. So do their wants and needs. This is reflected in the sales of particular wines and foods. It's most wineries experience that reds are more popular in the winter, while whites dominate the summer.

In our restaurant we are very aware of such seasonal changes and have designed a winter menu which should satisfy the most fastidious of hedonistic whims. As usual, our emphasis is on fresh, local ingredients, which change naturally as the months go by. We will be ready to welcome you to tastings and lunch any day, so come and see us. We would love to sit you down and we will throw another log on the fire.

FROM THE PRESCRIPTION PAD

As a medical student I was taught about germs -- micro-organisms which cause infection and result in disease. There are different ways of being free of these, including good old fashioned hygiene and the judicious use of antibiotics. Such "bugs", however, are just another form of life and no matter how hard you try to eliminate them they keep popping up. Ever try to keep a piece of earth free of plants? You may succeed for a while, but it won't last. Before long, new seeds will creep in and growth will start.

But bugs are not all ugly. There are also the bad and the good. Rather than trying to eliminate everything and having a vacuum it is better to encourage the good guys. Then they can overpower the other fellows and keep things sweet, so to speak. It is rather like keeping your patch of earth free of weeds by having enough flowers to choke them out. This is a natural way of controlling the situation.

Medical students have a reputation for being a bit wild. Not that I was at all like that, but I am sometimes attracted to things that have a wild streak in them. Wild in the sense of being untamed and natural. It is hence not surprising that I feel an affinity with wild bugs, the good guys, that is, and I am interested in getting them to help me.

Winemaking bugs consist of yeast and bacteria. Viruses don't play any part. Yeasts are actually small plants, which is why a University lecturer and amateur winemaker who I knew used to keep a straight face as he told his students his hobby was "gardening". But I digress. Yeasts are what carry out the primary fermentation in wine by converting the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide, the latter forming lots of bubbles. Modern winemakers start fermentation by sterilising grape juice and then adding a pure strain of manufactured yeast, which is known to be very efficient and reliable. Traditional winemaking involves using the wild yeasts which are present on the skins of all grapes. There is always quite a mixture, so that fermentation is carried out by a number of different micro-organisms.

As well as making alcohol, yeasts produce their own individual aromas and flavours so that the resulting wine can be more complex than that produced by a monoculture. Now, if it was as simple as that every turkey would go on the wild side! These natural yeasts, however, are often not as strong as their manufactured counterparts so that they may pack a sad and just stop working, leaving a "stuck ferment" with excessive sweetness in the wine. Occasional patients I have met in the past have practiced what might be called "natural hygiene" and, believe me, they've had their own special bouquet, which I haven't found addictive. Sometimes natural yeasts can also be errant and produce aromas and flavours which winemakers would prefer to see in their competitor's wines. Thus, fermentation using wild yeasts can produce an extra layer of complexity and excitement, but great care is needed and it's not for the feint hearted.

Secondary or malo-lactic fermentation is due to bacteria converting the wine's malic acid to the softer lactic acid. Di-acetyl, a compound produced as a by-product, can give the wine buttery hints. If modern winemakers want malolactic fermentation to occur they usually add a pure culture of manufactured bacteria shortly after the primary fermentation has finished, which gives a quick, clean result early in the wine's life. Traditionalists use the wine's indigenous malo-lactic bacteria. These are weaker and secondary fermentation is usually delayed until the cellars warm in the spring after harvest. Not surprisingly natural malo-lactic fermentation has much the same pros and cons as wild primary fermentation.

Being traditionalists and favouring non-interventionalist winemaking we tend to favour letting nature take its course. There are, however, horses for courses and we add yeast in certain situations, such as when fermenting riesling. Here we want to retain purity and focus of fruit flavour. We don't wish to have this obscured by anything else. This is also the reason this variety is not put through malo-lactic fermentation.

Wild or tamed? Natural diversity or focused singularity? Complexity or purity? Which is better? You can be the judge and even if you find it hard to decide, I am sure you will enjoy sifting through the evidence!

Cheers, Ivan Donaldson