Collector’s Corner
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Welcome to the Collector’s Corner, a forum for exchanging information and points of view about our wines, our winemaking and vineyard activities, and our wines at auction.
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Refreshing: The white wines of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
We spend a lot of time talking about the red wines produced by Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and not nearly enough time talking about the refreshing, food friendly white wines the winery produces. In this issue we focus on the three primary vineyards in Napa Valley that are the basis for our Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines, and the steps we take to produce these wines.
What is Brix?
You may have heard the term used in winemaking and wondered exactly what Brix means. It is not a building material but it represents an important building block in making wine.
The pHunction of Science in Winemaking
The definition of enology is the scientific study and making of wine; however, in most California wineries, an enologist is not synonymous with a winemaker. Winemaking duties can range from overseeing vineyards to cellar operations to blending and bottling. An enologist is always focused on the wine itself, analyzing and evaluating it at every stage of development to ensure its soundness and quality before leaving the winery. “Our job is often described as keeping the wine healthy,” says Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Enologist Mark Lucci. “In another industry, we might be considered the quality control department.”
Racking: Decanting on a Large Scale
When most people think about how wine is made, they envision beautiful vineyards, tidy rows of oak barrels, stainless steel tanks, and a winemaker tasting out of a glass or two. If they’ve been to a winery during harvest, they may even think about bins of grapes being tilted into a hopper. But in reality, there is a lot more to making wine than meets the eye. Winemaker Nicki Pruss likens it to building a house.
A Legacy of Winemaking Excellence Continues: The New Mistral Sorting Table
It’s been an exciting past year as we’ve worked alongside our new stewards from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and the Antinori family. We have affirmed our history and celebrated past achievements, but we’ve also started to re-define our future, setting our sights on attaining higher goals and pledging a continued commitment to quality and innovation.
Estate Wine Library
Visit our Estate Wine Library where we share the original tasting notes from the winery as well as notes and comments from our winemaking team and collectors based on tastings over the years.
