Spring Release and Wine Tasting

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Yes it is just about that time again when the wineries will be making their new releases of wine to the general public. With that usually comes a flurry of special events and wine tastings. Let's chat about Spring releases! Once the grapes are harvested and fermented they become wine and are usually moved to rest and develop character in oak barrels or glass lined stainless steel tanks. These vessels are monitored carefully and examined for the attributes which they are developing. It is fun to taste through and see how they are progressing. The winemakers like chefs are excited to see what their ingredients will be like when they make the decision as to how and when they might want to blend certain wines together. Very often the most recent vintages of white wines will be ready by Spring to be released for sale and the red wines from two or more years back will be ready as well. Often the wineries will release them in the Spring to much fanfare and will offer them at special tastings. In many wine country communities there are special events to allow patrons to visit the winery and taste red wine from the past vintage right out of the barrel. These are usually weekend events and can be very crowded so it pays to arrive and depart early to avoid the crowds and lines. My advice is to be patient, have fun, enjoy the new releases, and have a designated driver. Remember to send your wine questions to linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.