WINES
IN A LANDSCAPE
The wines
of
Anasazi Fields come forth from a unique landscape: a
landscape of spring-fed orchards, a landscape of artists and poets, a
landscape of weather and topography, a landscape of science and magic.
Our commitment at Anasazi Fields Winery is to produce wines as unique
and as interesting as the landscape.
As does
the
landscape, our wines invite exploration. They are intense,
complex, bold. They are also evolving. We are exploring ourselves. No
commercial winemaker has ever been where we are going with our fruit
and berry wines. We are truly making it up as we go. Whole-fruit
fermentation. Slow, sugar-starved fermentation. Three to six months of
primary fermentation of the whole fruit. Fermentation to a high degree
of dryness. Residual sugars typically less than one-half of a percent.
Aging for two to six years on oak. Bottling without fining or adding
sulfites and with the minimum amount of filtering.
I started making these wines as a hobby in the late 1980’s. The
hobby got out of control and we went commercial in 1995. I have very
little of the hobby wine left. In our cellar, however, we have over 500
gallons of unbottled, still-on-oak wine from 1996, our first full year
of commercial operation. Over the years, I have found that our older
wines keep getting better. In addition, our more recent wines are
starting out better.
I invite you to join us as we
explore these wines and the landscape
from which they come. A list of winery-related events for this year can
be found on the Events page. At each event, we will feature one or two
new wines in a landscape of art, music and poetry.
SEDIMENTS
Wine is a living product. Complex
chemical and biological reactions continue to take place in the bottle
indefinitely. A wine that is properly structured and properly stored
(see below) can improve for years, becoming richer in flavor, mellower,
and more viscous. Sediments in an older wine are a natural result of
the aging process. In fact, many wines do not peak in quality until
they have thrown sediments.
If you find that one of your wines
has thrown sediments, set the wine upright for a day or two before
opening. Open without disturbing the sediments and decant carefully,
leaving the sediments in the bottom of the bottle.
PROPER
STORAGE OF WINE
Ideal storage conditions for a
bottle of wine are in the dark, on its side, and at a stable
temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
A stable temperature is important. As
temperature increases and decreases, the wine expands and contracts,
which can cause the cork to move slightly back and forth, thereby
risking the danger of breaking the seal.
Storage on the side keeps the cork
from drying out. A wet cork maintains a better seal.
Because wine is plant-based, it is
extremely sensitive to sunlight. If you do not have a cellar, store
your wines at the back of a closet, on the floor, in the room with the
most constant temperature.
Check your wines occasionally, and if
a bottle has started to leak, drink it.
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