A taste of Italy from Lanza Musto Vineyards
{Lanza-Musto Brunello Clone Sangiovese going through veraison}
Can’t make it to Tuscany this year? Don’t worry, you can make some fabulous Sangiovese right here in the US! Lanza-Musto Vineyards has been producing Brunello Clone Sangiovese for the past 4 vintages. One of the big reasons we planted this varietal is because the valley provides hot days and cool nights. The temperature can swing over 50 degrees depending on the time of year. Sangiovese eats this type of weather up! This high producing varietal soaks up the sun and enjoys the break under the cool night air.
When producing Sangiovese wines keep in mind that even though it is a bold tasting wine, it can easily be overtaken by oak infusions. Both the Musto Wine Grape Co. and Winemaker Magazine suggest using small amounts of oak or aging your wine in neutral barrels. The oak flavoring can overpower the wine and you will lose the delicate acidity and bright cherry notes that Sangiovese is known for. Also, blending in a little LMV Barbera or Merlot can help give it a little extra structure and complexity.
Since Sangiovese originated in Italy, the wines pair famously with anything tomato–based. We suggest pasta, pizza, or any meat dishes that have a tomato sauce. Frank Musto from Musto Wine Grape Co., LLC. personally enjoys his Sangiovese with Pepe’s Pizza from New Haven, CT or a great Chicken Marsala.
Sangiovese is one of the hottest up and coming varietals being produced in the United States. Make sure to secure your order of Brunello Clone Sangiovese for Fall 2016. You will not be disappointed!
Cheers and Happy Winemaking!
{Lanza-Musto Brunello Clone Sangiovese ready to ship to Musto Wine Grape Company}
Preparing for Harvest 2016
Download Your FREE Checklist Here –> Prepare for Harvest 2016
Mini Harvest Update from California:
Central Valley – Preparing to start harvesting Thompson Seedless, Alicante, Syrah, and Grenache
Lodi – Will start harvesting around August 15th Chardonnay, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat
Paso Robles – Looking like the 1st of September for the red grapes.
Suisun Valley – Will begin harvesting Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat Cannelli around August 15th
Yeast Starter Instructions Up on Youtube!
Hello Winemakers!
We are excited to release our newest video – “Yeast Starter Instructions.” In the video Winemaker Frank Renaldi teaches us how to correctly create a Yeast Starter for your fermentation. Please feel free to visit our YouTube Page for more videos HERE.
Cheers! 🙂
Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, & Carmenere Arrive from Chile
Hello Winemakers!
Below are the Brix numbers from the Red Grapes that have arrived so far from Chile. We received Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenere. We look forward to you all of you picking up and enjoying the wine grapes of Chile! It looks like it’s going to be a great vintage!
Malbec: 23.5
Merlot: 23.0
Syrah: 23.0
Cabernet Sauvignon: 24.0
Carmenere: 26.0
We are awaiting several more loads containing Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Syrah. We will have arrival dates for these loads soon.
*Please keep in mind these numbers are only sample of what arrived from Chile. Please make sure to take your own Brix readings when you receive your grapes for the best possible fermentation outcome.
White Wine Grapes from Chile
Hello Winemakers!
Below are the Brix numbers for the White Wine Grapes from Chile. We received Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier early this morning. We are looking forward to you all picking up and enjoying the white wine grapes of Chile! It looks like it’s going to be a great vintage!
Chardonnay: 22.5
Pinot Grigio: 23.5
Sauvignon Blanc: 23.0
Viognier: 22.5
The reds should be arriving in early May, we will keep you updated as soon as the grapes clear customs! Keep an eye on our blog, harvest tracker, and social media platforms.
Brix (°Bx) is a way to measure the potential alcohol content of a wine before it’s made by determining the sugar level in grapes. Each gram of sugar that’s fermented will turn into about a 1/2 gram of alcohol. (description via Wine Folly)
*Please keep in mind these numbers are only sample of what arrived from Chile. Please make sure to take your own Brix readings when you receive your grapes for the best possible fermentation outcome.
Thank you and Happy Winemaking! 🙂
Chilean Harvest Update: Arrival Dates
Chilean Harvest Update: Arrival Dates
The wines of Chile – along with the winemakers and vineyards that produce them – have had some profound transformations in the past 30 years. Grape growers have successfully determined which varietals thrive in their vineyards, have experimented with unique trellising systems, and explored interesting new areas for planting. The wines now have a head start because of the wonderful grape quality.
The winemakers have been upping their game by attending classes and working in wineries abroad – bringing back with them modern winemaking practices from the finest winemaking regions across Europe and the USA. Even highly regarded, award-winning winemakers from other countries are moving to Chile so they can take advantage of the country’s grape quality – and to have full creative control to craft spectacular wines. It’s crazy awesome that we are able to receive the same high quality grapes and winemaking opportunities people travel so far to achieve. We are lucky to be a part of this wine journey with the vineyards and winemakers of Chile.
The grapes will be harvested very soon. Below is more in-depth information about the vineyards and the potential arrival dates. The season will be early, so dust off the crush pad, sanitize your equipment, and get ready for some fantastic winemaking.
We will have a Bootcamp class running during the Chilean Season. If you would like to join or hear more information please email Christina at cmusto@juicegrape.com. Spaces are limited and the class will be starting soon.
Potential Arrival Dates for Chilean Grapes
- April 18th
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Viognier
- Pinot Grigio
- May 2nd
- Malbec (small amount)
- Merlot
- Syrah
- May 9th
- Petite Verdot
- Malbec
- Pinot Noir
- Carmenere
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- May 16th
- Malbec
- Carmenere
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
Chilean Juice: The juice should start arriving around May 2nd. We will have more updated when the containers are loaded.
2016 Pinotage Arrival
The Pinotage has arrived!! The berries taste very sweet with good seed and pulp development. We got Brix readings of 23-24.5. We will be calling all of the people who pre-ordered today. However we do still have a small amount available for sale.
Gives us a call at 877.812.1137 to pick up you Pinotage grapes!
Also, we are still deciding which yeast to use for the Pinotage grapes. The three options we thought about are D254, D80, and BDX. Below are the descriptions of each yeast.
(all descriptions via Scott Laboratories)
- D254: “In red wines, Lalvin ICV D254® develops ripe fruit, jam and cedar aromas together with mild spiciness. On the palate it contributes high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel and intense fruit concentration.”
- D80: “Given proper nutrition, Lalvin ICV D80® is a rapid starter with moderate fermentation rates. It has been known to have an alcohol tolerance of up to 16% (v/v) when the fermentation is aerated and the temperature is maintained below 28°C(82°F). On the palate it creates high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel, an intense, fine-grain tannin sensation and a long lasting licorice finish.”
- BDX: “Uvaferm BDXTM is a vigorous fermenter. Alcohol tolerance can be up to 16% (v/v). Optimizes color and structure with soft tannin extraction and increased mouthfeel. Does not generate a lot of heat during fermentation. Selected from the Pasteur Institute strain collection in Paris, France.”
Which yeast do you think we should use?
Cheers! 🍇🍷
Red Wine Essence Aroma Kit
Every “Wine Wednesday” we have decided to work on some type of wine education. This Wednesday we decided to focus on the aromas in Red Wine.
So the first question is – Where do wine aromas come from? Well they initially come from the grape and the terrior. Have you ever heard the quote “you can’t make great wine from bad grapes, but you can make bad wine from great grapes”? This couldn’t be more true. The grape is the starting point for the wine and its aromas. That being said, different grape varieties have different aromas associated with them. For example, most red wines have notes of dark berries and other plants. Specifically, Cabernet Sauvignon usually has aromas of black currant, mint, and violet. Each wine grape has a different aroma starting point which is impacted by where the grapes is grown, the yeast that is inoculated, oak, and any other additives that are introduced into the wine during the fermentation and aging process. Red wine aromas are complicated but pleasing representations of the vineyard & winemaker’s work.
When tasting wines many people have difficulty describing the different aromas they smell. The kit that we used challenged us to identity specific aromas and describe them. First, we smelled each essence and guessed what it was. We had some interesting descriptors…bubblegum, salt water, and aftershave just to name a few. When the actual aromas were revealed sometimes we were right and sometimes we were way off. But being challenged to describe what we smelled and training our sense of smell will only help us when making our own wines. This will also help us at wine judging events, winemaking events, and even when identifying faults.
All in all it was a great learning experience.
Stay tuned for more updates about our wine education courses (we will be adding a new aromas/faults class soon) and Spring Harvest Updates! Cheers!
Musto Wine Grape Company, LLC. Youtube Channel
It’s official….We have a YouTube Channel! Visit us on YouTube for our monthly winemaking videos. This month is all about cleaning and sanitizing.
Cheers!
Gifts for Her: Valentine’s Day 2016
Looking for something special for your sweet heart? Here are a few of our staff’s favorite picks for Valentine’s Day.
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