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I hope the New Year is off to a great start for you – and that you’re staying warm. We have been busy scheduling live music and summer events in hopes of getting back onto the patio as soon as possible (see Upcoming Events below for specifics). We have also started to prepare our 2023 Rosé for bottling so I guess we really are looking forward to some warmer weather.
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Merry Cellars
NEWSLETTER
JAN. 2024 / Vol.9
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| A Message from our Winemaker |
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Greetings!
I hope the New Year is off to a great start for you – and that you’re staying warm. We have been busy scheduling live music and summer events in hopes of getting back onto the patio as soon as possible (see Upcoming Events below for specifics). We have also started to prepare our 2023 Rosé for bottling so I guess we really are looking forward to some warmer weather.
In addition to working on Rosé, this is the time of year when we start blending and finalizing all of the prior year’s white wines and 2023 was no slacker – I expect we will all be very happy with the new whites; all are crisp, clean, light and refreshing.
If you have been thinking of attending one of our Valentine’s Winemaker’s Dinners, we are almost sold out! There are a handful of tickets still available for both 2/10 and 2/14 but we expect them to go quickly. If you are interested, give us a call to secure your tickets to this amazing event.
Cheers,
Patrick R. Merry
Founding Winemaker
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A Message From Our Winemaker
The History of Oak Cooperage
Upcoming Events!
Current Wines
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| The history of oak cooperage and its effect on winemaking. |
Oak has been used in winemaking for thousands of years. It’s a durable water- and rot-resistant wood with an impressive elasticity that lends ease to construction and helps prevent damage—when moving barrels, for instance, bumping into something won’t crack or split the staves. The barrel shape can be rolled and maneuvered more easily than straight-sided cylinders or boxes, and are stackable on both the flat side (called the head) and, provided the placement is secure, along the curve.
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| Oak is the perfect material in which to age red wine. The wood’s own tannin melds with the tannin from the wine (which comes from grape skins and seeds), stabilizing color and boosting mouthfeel and structure. The toast level and intensity of charring determines what other yummy baking notes are imparted. These can be flavors like cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, caramel, and coffee. |
| Oak cooperage is not air tight, and allows for a very slow infiltration of oxygen. This oxygenation softens the wine and lessens astringency over time. When we talk about how a wine can taste and smell young or old, this softening is what we are referring to: there is a loosening of structure that happens over time, as if instead of each flavor and fragrance molecule being bound together in a tight ball they release and relax so we can pick out specific characteristics. It becomes more accessible and open, we can taste from the front of the pallet all the way through to the lingering finish. |
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While the selective membrane of the oak allows oxygen in, it also lets wine out. One of the reasons people say a winery smells so good is because of what we call the angel’s share, which is the wine that has evaporated out of the barrels over time. The volume of loss is affected by ambient temperature and humidity, and under the conditions in our winery ends up around 9 liters of wine per barrel per year—that’s a whole case! This must be replaced periodically through topping (as in, topping up the barrels), so there isn’t too much vacant space in the barrel for too long, as this can lead to spoilage. |
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Read Full Article
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Maureen O'Callaghan,
Assistant Winemaker
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| Upcoming Events. |
| JAN. 23-27 |
| Case Sale! |
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| FEB. 10 & 14 |
| Valentine's Winemaker’s Dinner |
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Join us for an extravagant evening of food and wine!
Our 13th annual Valentine's Day Winemaker's Dinner will once again feature a lovely, six course meal crafted by Scusi with each course thoughtfully paired with Merry Cellars wine.
Tickets on sale now!
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| FEB. 13-17 |
| 1st Quarter Wine Club Release! |
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| View Events |
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Current Wines
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White
Wines
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2022 Viognier
Cases in stock: 32
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2020 Semillon
Cases in stock:18
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2022 Roussanne
Cases in stock: 146
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2022 Chardonnay
Cases in stock: 144
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| View in Shop |
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Red
Wines
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2021 Crimson
Cases in stock: 232
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2019 Merlot
Cases in stock:89
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2019 Syrah
Cases in stock: 88
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2019 Silhouette
Cases in stock: 166
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2020 Petit Verdot
Cases in stock: 127
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| View in Shop |
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