Jeroboam

The name is ancient, deriving from the names of kings mentioned in the Bible. Jeroboam, for example, was a king of Israel. His name was first applied to a size of wine bottle in a work by Sir Walter Scott (another Scotsman, you will notice) and seems to have been a joke derived from the description of Jeroboam in the first book of Kings as “a mighty man of valour” who “made Israel to sin”.

Yes Virginia, Louis Pasteur did actually pay a significant role in the use of yeast in wine fermentation. Though most commonly known for his work with milk pasturization, in 1857, Louis Pasteur discovered microscopic cells reproducing in soured milk that he thought to be lactic acid yeasts. They turned out to be bacteria, but the important part of his discovery is that the yeasts were alive. Two years later, Pasteur presented, a "Note on Alcohol Fermentation" -- a paper that demonstrated that yeasts growing and reproducing caused fermentation. Prior to that time, it was thought that alcohol and carbon dioxide were produced through a theory of spontaneous generation.

It was later shown that Pasteur was partially correct and partially wrong, but Pasteur made an amazing discovery about yeast cells:  they can live without oxygen. From this he concluded that "fermentation is life without oxygen." This is also not true since we now know that yeasts cause better fermentation in the presence of oxygen but at least Pasteur recognized this possibility before anyone else. Pasteur died before two German brothers discovered that yeasts "per se" aren't actually the cause of fermentation.

For more on the subject, read "The Miracle of Wine Yeast" by Jack Keller. You can also learn more about the current impacts of cultured yeast on wine production at the July 2011 First Crush Winemaking Workshop featuring yeast expert, Andre Austin of CellarWise in Paso Robles, California. The workshop will be held at the First Crush Wine Workshop, located at 2995 Pleasant Road in Paso Robles on July 23, 2011, 2 - 5 p.m. Call (805) 434-2772 for more information or to register, or register online.

ANSWER:  1790

Though many think that winemaking is new to the Paso Robles area, winemaking began in 1790's when the Franciscan Friars at the Asistencia located at Santa Margarita Ranch (assistant chapel to Mission SLO).

How does malolactic fermentation influence the taste of wine?

ANSWER: Malolactic fermentation is the natural process of converting malic acid to lactic acid.It occurs naturally by letting remaining bacteria feed on the wine’s malic acid. It is typically encouraged in most red wines and some whites like Chardonnays. There are several reasons a winemaker may encourage this process. But as a wine drinker, the main effect you will notice in wines that have undergone this process is a “softening” of the wine’s mouth feel. This process effectively reduces the wine's overall natural acidity, thus reducing its crisp and tart characteristics, thus creating a softer, seemingly sweeter wine. Malolactic fermentation can also reduce or remove other undesirable flavor components.