by Linda McCandless
Rochester, NY - They uncorked 5,500 bottles of wines in the name of science when 770 grape growers, wine makers, researchers, and technical consultants from around the world came to sniff, sip, spit, and cluster at the 4th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology held in Rochester. From July 16-20, the group participated in a full slate of technical presentations, seminars, workshops, wine tastings, a trade show, and regional wine tours. Cornell University's viticulturists, enologists, and flavor chemists played prominent roles in organizing and hosting the symposium. At the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, where much of Cornell's wine and grape research is conducted, vineyards were empty and wine labs dark until Monday, when the world's premiere wine and grape experts toured the Station for the final wrap-up.
"I can't think of anyplace else in the United States better equipped to host this symposium than the researchers at the Geneva Experiment Station. There is a long history of wine and grape research at Geneva and the number of professors involved in prominent research gave the symposium a lot of credibility," said Ellie Harkness, a wine microbiologist at Purdue.
Thomas Henick-Kling, associate professor of Enology and Extension at Geneva, was Chairman of the organizing committee. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Eastern Section, co-sponsored the event. Station faculty who figured prominently in the schedule of technical presentations, seminars, and workshops included viticulturist Robert Pool, enologist Henick-Kling, flavor chemist Terry Acree, haze specialist Karl Siebert, horticulturist Alan Lakso, librarian Peter McDonald, and integrated pest management specialist Tim Weigle.
The buzz word for growing grapes and making wines in cool climates is "terroir." "It represents everything from the environment to the human element that affects the development of flavor in wine," said Henick-Kling.
Ian Cowell, of Tumbarumba, Australia, explained to a table of winemakers and researchers at a luncheon hosted by the Ontario winemakers on Wednesday, that cool climate viticulture and enology has more to do with degree days, sunshine, water, temperatures, soil, cultivation practices, harvest times, and the moderating influences of land and water masses than latitude.
"One can make great sparkling wines, Chardonnays, Reislings, and Pinot in cool climates," said Henick-Klinglt international wine competitions in those categories. Many of those in attendance had extensive experience with these grapes and wines and were extremely interested in sampling each other's wares.
"I am meeting winemakers from all over the world," said Cameron Hosmer, who has been making wines commercially in the Finger Lakes for 10 years. His comment, "Where else can I tap into this kind of expertise?" was echoed by many during the symposium who found much to discuss with their "cool climate" counterparts.
From a winemaking point of view, the world's "cool climates" can be roughly located between the 40th and 50th parallels in the Northern Hemisphere and the 35th and 45th in the Southern Hemisphere. Participants came from 20 foreign countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
Comparing viticultural adaptations on a regional basis, developing unique flavors through vineyard and fermentation practices, and introducing the latest genetic research on the development of grapevines specifically adapted to cooler climates were the primary concerns. "New world" adaptations of "old world" grape growing and wine making practices were also common themes. "From a psychological, philosophical, and legal standpoint, Europeans find it very difficult to accept 'new world' ideas, said Richard E. Smart, a vineyard consultant from Australia, during his talk on trellis systems, adaptations, and implementations.
New world wine is cutting into the sales of fine French and Italian wines, said Gary Baldwin, winemaker and consultant from Australia. "The new world is the experimental area for the rest of the world, but Europe," he said, "is starting to fight back."
One of the more popular workshops was "Wine Aroma Defects," given by Baldwin and Terry Acree. The workshop offered participants first-hand experience in recognizing and characterizing specific common wine aroma defects such as "mousey," "sulfide," "geranium," and "bockser." Specific concentrations of off-flavors were added to a Chardonnay base. Participants tried to differentiate between them; the variation among palates was clearly demonstrated.
In addition to technical research, there was also ample evidence for wine marketers on the health benefits of drinking wine. Curtis Ellison of the Boston University Medical Center, the world's leading authority on the relationship between moderate wine consumption and health, told Friday's luncheon crowd, "The data are clear, you should never go more than 24 hours without a drink." He noted it was the pattern of regular moderate consumption - not the amount - that was important. For the most part, he said, people in the United States adhere to a pattern of "binge drinking" on weekends, and that, "one of the biggest reasons to advocate moderate drinking among the young was to decrease rampant abuse." His research, which has been presented on "60 Minutes" as the "French Paradox," demonstrated that moderate consumption of alcohol lowers the risk of heart disease.
There were 40 exhibitors at the trade show, including nurseries, filtration system suppliers, fermentation and cork companies, book dealers, publishers, and coopers.
The 5th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology will be held in Melbourne, Australia, in November 1999, and will be hosted by the Victorian Wine Industry Association and the Australian Society of Viticulture and Enology.
Return to News Page
Page created August 26, 1996 by Cathy Weeden