Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts

Friday, December 2, 2016

All About Vodka

Vodka.  Almost everyone you ask what Vodka comes from, the typical answer is that it comes from potatoes.  Well, that answer is both correct as well as incorrect.  Yes, you can make Vodka from potatoes, but you can also make vodka from any ferment-able substance or biomass.  Vodka can be made from sugar, corn, wheat, rice, sorghum,  rye, barley and the list goes on.

  What a distiller is doing is creating as pure a form of ethanol as possible from a base alcohol.  When this is done, there is pretty much nothing left from the base flavors in the final product.  In other words, you will not get any flavors of potatoes in Vodka nor any base flavors of whatever base is used to create Vodka.

  So what gives Vodka it's flavors?  As a pure ethanol, vodka only has 5 known flavors.  Those flavors only come from two components.  Those two components are the local water supply of the distillery when the distiller proofs down the Vodka, which means watering down the Vodka, and the yeast that was used in fermenting the base mash for making the base alcohol.  There are hundreds of variations of yeast out on the market today and each one has a different flavor.  Those yeast flavors do in fact transfer to the final product.  It does not matter if we are talking about Vodka, Whiskey, Gin, Rum, Brandy or and variations of liquors.

  With that note, what is the difference between a $10.00 dollar bottle of Vodka and a $100.00 bottle of Vodka?  $90.00.  Marketing.  That's mainly it more than any other aspect of the product.  Now there are some other variables that can distinguish a good Vodka from that of a bad one and that is all dependent on the distillery and their practices.

  What is distilling though?  It is merely the concentration and at the right distillery, the purification of alcohol.  What is done in a distillery is, a base, either liquid or a full mash, that has been fermented to produce a base of either beer or wine, is entered into a still.  The still heats the base alcohol up to where alcohol becomes a gas and travels upward in the still.  It then goes through a cooling process to come out as a concentrated liquid spirit.  For Vodka, you run the still at about 190 proof or better which is a near pure ethanol, stripping out the base flavors and smells.

  The first thing out of a still is the lightest forms of alcohol known in the industry as heads.  Heads have some nasty chemicals in them known as hexitones, acetone, and methanol.  These chemicals are very bitter tasting and is the stuff nasty hangovers come from.  Not what you want in your main product.  But, there is no legal requirement to take them out.  These chemicals are in your beer and your wine and there is no real way to get them out except through distillation.  A good distillery will take out these nasty chemicals.  Other distilleries leave them in which will give the final product some very nasty flavors.

  But this is not the only area where nasty flavored chemicals can come into play during the distillation cycle.  At the very end, as distillation is coming to a close, the last part coming out are the heaviest forms of alcohol that are referred to in the industry as tails, which are lighter in taste but again contain some nasty flavors.  Most distilleries separate the tails from the main product, but again, there is no legal requirement to do so.

  So if you leave in both the heads and tails in the main product, you are going to get a rather nasty tasting product.  Are there ways to remove these nasty flavors?  Yes.  Charcoal filtering is probably the most commonly used tactic to rid the product of the nasty taste of these other alcohols.  My own preference is to buy and consume products where the distillery takes out the heads and the tails from the main product.  How do you know which one's do this?  You don't.  There are no requirements to report this information to the public.

  This aspect of heads and tails is true of all spirits produced, not just specific to Vodka.  So these are some of the other aspects that differentiate one product from another.  Finding an inexpensive Vodka that is just as good, if not better than, a very expensive one isn't all that hard when dealing with Vodka.  That isn't the case with other spirits.  Other spirits have many more variables to factor in.

  Pictured at the top of this article is Platinum Vodka.  It's inexpensive and fully agreeable.  Not considered the best out there, but I have no issues with it.  It's 7 times distilled.  What does that mean?  It has more marketing meaning than anything else in my own opinion.  There are two ways to achieve 7 times distilling or 3 times 5 times or whatever anyone wants to claim for their product that seems to separate them from everyone else on the market.  But let's cover the bases here anyway.

  There are a number of different stills out on the market from which to make spirits.  The three main types of stills are the continuous still, the pot still and the column still.  We won't cover the continuous still as that would not be used for this type of statement in production.  That leaves the pot still and the column still.  If you are using a pot still, 7 times distilling means you have put the alcohol through the distilling process 7 different times which is a real time nightmare.  In a column still, one only needs to put on 7 heads on the column.  Each head on that column produces it's own distillation and the 7 heads covers the term, distilled 7 times.  Another term would be a 7 times re-flux system.  One run still equals 7 times distilled.

  At present, Vodka sells more cases nationwide as well as worldwide than any other spirit on the market according to Beverage World.  Whiskey produces more revenue, but bottle volume, right now Vodka is number one.  That changes a great deal.  Usually whiskey is the number one consumed spirit throughout the world.  Flavored Vodkas have had a massive impact on the market which is starting to soften according to industry insiders.  Most of the flavored Vodkas are referred to as Candy Vodkas by many in the beverage industry.  Vodka takes just about any flavor well as again, Vodka has little in the line of flavor profiles on it's own.

  Now here is some fun.  How many people know what Vodka means?  It has a number of meanings from little water, to burnt water to even burned wine.  Vodka as we know it today is mostly a 20th century product dating back to only 1934.  Earlier products called Vodka were usually strong flavored spirits of all kinds and from various bases for production.  The name Vodka goes way back to the 8th Century and possibly even earlier.  No one is sure and research still continues.

  Enjoy responsibly.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Governor and First Lady McDonnell to Host Second Annual Virginia Wine Summit

English: Governor of Virginia at CPAC in .
English: Governor of Virginia at CPAC in . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
~Oz Clarke, Famed British Wine Critic, Author, Television Personality to Keynote October 28th Event in Richmond ~
Wine Experts, Enthusiasts to Gather for Informative Day of Speakers, Tastings, Open Discussions on the Current, Future State of Virginia Wines



RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that he and First Lady Maureen McDonnell will host the second annual Virginia Wine Summit on Monday, October 28, 2013 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.  The event, which will feature famed British wine critic, author, and television personality Oz Clarke, will bring together wine experts and industry leaders from around the country to discuss the current and future state of Virginia wine.  In addition, the summit will feature Virginia wine pairings with culinary offerings, including Virginia oysters.  Panels, tastings, and discussions will be held throughout this day-long event.

Commenting on the event, Governor McDonnell stated, “The continued success of Virginia wine means more good jobs and economic opportunities for Virginians. Sales of Virginia wine are at an all time high with sales up more than 23% since 2010.  The Virginia Wine Summit quickly has become an important component of my administration’s efforts to promote Virginia’s outstanding wines. Because of our efforts, the Commonwealth is becoming the East Coast capital for wine and wine tourism.  We are very fortunate to have the internationally regarded wine expert Oz Clarke visit our great Commonwealth and be our keynote speaker. Oz, who I met in London several years ago on during a trade mission, and the Summit’s other notable speakers will undoubtedly help raise the profile of our wines to an even higher level.”

In addition to Clarke’s (www.ozclarke.com) keynote address, the Virginia Wine Summit will feature some of the nation’s foremost influential wine professionals, including:  Dave McIntyre of The Washington Post; Andrew Hoover, a Virginia wine specialist for Wine Enthusiast; Chef Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen (Baltimore, MD); Sommelier Charlie Berg of Blue Hill Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, NY); Sommelier Michael Madrigale of Bar Boulud, Epicierie Boulud & Boulud Sud (New York); Sommelier Steven Grubbs of Empire State South (Atlanta, GA) & Five and Ten (Athens, GA); Sommelier Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve (Alexandria, VA); Master of Wine and founder of the Capital Wine School Jay Youmans; and Master Sommelier Kathy Morgan.  These experts will inform an audience filled with winemakers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, connoisseurs, media, wine-shop owners, and other industry professionals.

Summit attendees will take part in panel discussions with topics ranging from wine pairings with signature Virginia foods like ham and peanuts, ageability of Virginia wines, “Bang For Your Buck”, and an in-depth analysis and tastings of key Virginia varietals, such as Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and others. A Virginia wine and oyster panel will be sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and led by a team of wine professionals that will discuss the pairing, as Virginia’s oysters have also had a record breaking harvest this year.

“The Virginia wine industry is coming off its most successful year ever,” said Todd Haymore, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.  “Domestic and international sales reached an all-time high, record numbers of people visited our wineries, and major publications, such as Decanter and the New York Times, featured glowing articles on our wines and wineries.  In addition, last October’s first ever summit, which featured world-renowned wine critic Steven Spurrier, was an overwhelming success that helped bring together a wide variety of wine industry opinion leaders to discuss this fast emerging global wine region. The Governor, First Lady, and I, working in partnership with our wineries and vineyards, are looking to build on that success this year starting with the second annual Virginia Wine Summit, where we’ll proudly showcase our wines with the nation and the world.”

Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with more than 230. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation's fifth largest wine grape producing states. According to a 2012 economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 individuals and contributes almost $750 million to the Virginia economy on an annual basis. In addition, more than 1.6 million tourists, a record high, visited Virginia wineries in 2011. Earlier this month Governor McDonnell announced that Virginia wines reached a new record sales level with more than 511,000 cases sold in fiscal year 2013.  That figure represents a five percent increase over the previous fiscal year.  Export sales, mostly to China and Great Britain, increased by 74 percent during the same period, from approximately 3,300 cases to more than 5,800 cases.

To register for the Virginia Wine Summit, and for more information, please visitwww.virginiawinesummit.com. Additional speakers and more information will continue to be announced on the site in the coming weeks.  For more information about the Virginia wine industry, please visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Office's website athttp://www.virginiawine.org/ or call 804-344-8200.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, August 16, 2013

Governor McDonnell Announces Sales of Virginia Wine Reach New All-Time High

No support of Virginia wine?
No support of Virginia wine? (Photo credit: cizauskas)
~ Continued Growth Push Sales Across the Half-Million Case Benchmark~
As Administration Puts Focus on International Marketing Efforts, Export Sales Increase By More Than 74%
***Sales Up More Than 23% Since FY10***

MACHIPONGO – During a visit to the Eastern Shore’s Chatham Vineyards on his “This Commonwealth of Opportunity” tour, Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that sales of Virginia wine reached another all-time high in Fiscal Year 2013, increasing by more than 5 percent from FY2012.  Virginia wineries sold over 511,000 cases of wine in FY13 versus almost 485,000, the previous record high, in FY12 according to newly available sales figures compiled by the Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) and the Virginia Wine Marketing Office.  Since FY2010, when almost 415,000 cases were sold, sales of Virginia wines have increased by more than 23 percent.

            Speaking about the new sales record while at Chatham Vineyards, Governor McDonnell said, “At the beginning of my administration, I pledged to work with the Virginia wine industry to make the Commonwealth the East Coast capital for wine and wine tourism.  Today’s announcement is further proof that we’re well on our way to reaching that goal.  Sales have reached a new record high and tourism to our wineries continues to grow.  With the outstanding product being produced by our grape growers and wine makers, it’s no surprise that more and more people are buying Virginia wines and experiencing our wineries and vineyards.  I’m pleased our administration’s focus on promoting Virginia wines and wine tourism both here and abroad is helping the Commonwealth's wine industry to grow and expand.  From serving only Virginia wines at the Executive Mansion to marketing them during all domestic and international trade missions, we have taken every step possible to help create new sales and generate more jobs and economic opportunities all across the Commonwealth.”

            In-state sales of Virginia wine increased by almost 3 percent from FY12 to FY13, while wine sales through Virginia wineries increased by approximately 6 percent during the same period, indicating increased interest in visiting Virginia wineries.  Wine sales to distributors outside of Virginia increased by more than 60 percent from FY12 to FY13.  Today, Virginia wines are being sold in numerous states including Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Washington, D.C., one of the Virginia Wine Marketing Office's top strategic growth regions.  In addition, Virginia wineries sold more wine out of state, directly or through a wholesale distributor, and internationally during the most recent fiscal year. Specifically, these sales increased by 69 percent from FY12 to FY13.

            Specific to exports, international sales of Virginia wines grew by more than 74 percent, increasing from just over 3,300 cases in FY12 to more than 5,800 in FY13.  A significant portion of the international sales were driven by new sales to China, an area where the McDonnell administration has focused its global marketing and export growth strategic plans. The first commercial sales of Virginia wines to mainland China were completed in FY12 and new export agreements have been reached since then, including several facilitated during Governor McDonnell’s trade missions to China in 2011 and 2013.  Sales of Virginia wines to Great Britain and London, the world's largest wine import market, continued to grow during the last fiscal year as well.  The McDonnell administration and the Virginia Wine Marketing Office have focused heavily on marketing to this region as well.

            “The continued impressive sales growth of Virginia wine starts with our growers and wine makers, who are creating wines that more and more people want to enjoy," said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore. "From Wine Enthusiast naming Virginia a top ten global wine destination last year to the recent multi-page features in the New York Times and Decanter, the Virginia wine industry also is garnering more well-deserved attention in the global marketplace. The Governor, First Lady, and I have been proud to partner with the industry, as well as our colleagues at the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to promote our outstanding wines around the country and world over the last three years.  This strategic focus has led to new sales and opportunities for our wineries, and we expect that we’ll see continued growth in the years to come.”

            According to figures from ABC, total sales of Virginia wine amounted to more than $1.7 million in wine liter tax collections during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. The Virginia wine liter tax is applied at a rate of $3.60 per case of wine.  This is the second fiscal year that the Virginia Wine Marketing Office is capturing Virginia wine sales outside of the Commonwealth that are not captured in ABC figures.

            Domestic and international promotion of the Virginia wine industry is one of Governor McDonnell's top economic development and jobs creation initiatives. Since 2010, the McDonnell administration worked with the General Assembly to establish a reimbursable tax credit program for the establishment or expansion of vineyards and wineries and to almost triple the amount of funds placed in the Virginia Wine Promotion Fund for research, education, and marketing programs. Governor McDonnell also promotes the sale of Virginia wines in Virginia, around the country, and during multiple trade and marketing missions to Europe, Canada, Israel, India, and Asia.  The Governor also launched the first ever Virginia Wine Summit in October 2012 where world famous wine connoisseur Steven Spurrier served as the keynote speaker.  In addition, First Lady Maureen McDonnell makes the promotion of Virginia wines and winery tourism a component of the First Lady's Initiative Team Effort (FLITE).  This focus on Virginia wine was furthered in late June when the Governor and First Lady unveiled the historic bicentennial-themed blended red wine, ‘1813.’

            Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with more than 230. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation's fifth largest wine grape producing states. According to a 2012 economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 individuals and contributes almost $750 million to the Virginia economy on an annual basis. In addition, more than 1.6 million tourists, a record high, visited Virginia wineries in 2011.
For more information about the Virginia wine industry, please visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Office's website athttp://www.virginiawine.org/  or call 804-344-8200.
Enhanced by Zemanta