Oeno-File

The Oeno-File: Winemaker Lullabies His Wines With Music; ‘Critter’ Wines Face Off in Court

I prefer death metal Merlots, myself.
I prefer death metal Merlots, myself.

• A kooky Austrian winemaker has invented a sound system that exposes fermenting grape juice to classical, jazz, or electronic tunes. “The sound waves, he claims, positively influence the maturing process and produce a better tasting wine.” [Hour]

• Australia’s Yellow Tail is suing smaller winemaker Little Roo for trademark infringement — basically for putting a kangaroo on their label that looks like Yellow Tail’s wallaby. [WSJ]

The Fine Wine Game, a documentary currently in production, will explore the relationship between Chinese big spenders and the growing Bordeaux bubble over there. [Decanter]

• A new winemaker at the famed Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa is looking to elevate the winery’s style and make their Cabernets more Bordeaux-like. [Press-Democrat]

• While many consider 2007 to be an exemplary vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet, Eric Asimov and his crew found “many uniform, monochromatic wines with little finesse.” [NYT]

• According to a winemaker and popular wine consultant, Pinot Noirs are becoming more and more un-Pinot-like, both here and abroad. Also: “You can smell terroir more than you can taste it.” [Gray Market Report]

• Another study says that for people over 75, a daily glass of wine cuts dementia risk by over a third. [Telegraph UK]

• One of America’s first oenophiles, Thomas Jefferson, a big fan of Bordeaux, made consistent orders to France for Chateaux Haut-Brion, Lafite, Margaux, and Yquem — all still operational wineries. “They were just guessing back then, but even without the science, they had figured out what to do to make good wine,” says Wine Enthusaist. [Wine Enthusiast]

The Oeno-File: Winemaker Lullabies His Wines With Music; ‘Critter’