FAQ - Wine in General

What does vintage mean?
A vintage is the year that the grapes were grown and harvested. Each “vintage” is designated by the year of its harvest. They will usually be bottled the following year or later depending on extending ageing.

What is a varietal?
A varietal is a distinct type of grape i.e. Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.

What are these crystals in my wine?
The crystals are Tartaric crystals. We do not “cold stabilize” our whites and pinks. This is a process where the wine is chilled to just above freezing, tartar is added to bind with the Tartaric acid and drops out of suspension. Then the wine is returned to tank or barrel and bottled at a later time. The reason we don’t perform this process is that it changes the wines taste and “beats it up”. We would lose the natural complexity and beauty of the wine. So pour slow or use a filtered pourer and enjoy the natural wonder of our whites!

What does it mean when a wine is dry, off-dry or sweet?
Dry, off dry and sweet refer to the RS – Residual Sugars in the wine. A dry wine has 0 - Zero RS. An Off Dry has less than 2% & a sweet wine goes from 2% on up. If you are from the Midwest or North, the sweet wines are around 6% plus!

Are sulfites used in all wines sold at Winery 101?
Yes. Sulfites are very important in preventing oxidization and maintaining the freshness of the wine.