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Advances in technological research, production knowledge and modern winemaking processes now make it possible to achieve quality and consistency in even the lowest-priced wine. This expansion of technique has many purists asking: Is wine a natural product, or should we allow manipulation in the winemaking method? The question and point of the argument is: If wine is natural, how much of its style, flavor and character should be due to nature, and how much to the winemaker?

Wine gets its character through three influences: heredity (the flavors of the grape), environment (terroir – all the influences on the vine and its fruit in a particular site), and winemaker choices. As much as we would like to argue that wine is a truly natural product, without the hand of man in the process there would be little quality or quantity. Grape juice would naturally ferment beyond the point of drinkability. From the beginning, man has impacted wine’s other two influences through manipulation.

Choices made by the vineyard manager have dramatically improved wine. The use of clones versus mass selection of vines was as controversial when it first occurred as is the current topic of genetic modification. In the Old World, the use of new oak and cultured yeasts is often avoided, yet in the New World, these flavor and extraction influences are common. The use of temperature control and sulfur are pretty universal, though some producers, such as Nicolas Joly in Savennieres, use neither. The debate of nature versus the guiding hand of man continues in all parts of the world, based on the beliefs of producers and their ability to successfully sell their products.

The current use of technology to remove alcohol and water from wine is the latest topic of contention. Regions with wet weather at harvest often suffer from dilution, as the vine puts any excess water available directly into the fruit, unbalancing all components. There are several methods that have gone beyond basic experimentation.

Cryoextraction is one that has been used in Sauternes and Bordeaux. Diluted grapes are frozen. Any water and unripe grapes are frozen solid, allowing separation of the grape’s essences. Where botrytis formation and concentration is hampered, the wine’s extract can then be retained and saved. But many purists consider this technology cheating in a region that prides itself on natural concentration in sweet wines through noble rot and perfect weather.

Vacuum concentrators have been used in Bordeaux to remove excess water from a portion of the must in wet years, thus concentrating the flavors, sugar levels, extract and acidity. There are those who feel that if they are paying for a better example of wine from a classic district, its balance should remain naturally intact. Yet, unless this technique is applied in good and better vintages, should not the quality of the wine be the main concern, especially if the process improves the wine?

Reverse osmosis has been used in California for alcohol reduction in finished wine. Wine has at least two “sweet spots” at different alcohol levels where flavors are different but precise. In warmer climes, alcohol levels are difficult to moderate, so why not maintain flavor and balance the wine? It depends on your value system.

This debate will continue with the introduction of newly developed technologies. If the wine originates from a classic district where terroir is vital to its character, style and price point, the argument favors nature. We as consumers have the final say, as we all vote with our wallets at the checkout counter.

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Orleans Aperitif Cider (Vermont); $29/750ml

This strong (15.5 percent alcohol) cider is infused with Vermont herbs and is meant to be enjoyed much in the way vermouth is consumed, either over ice or mixed into cocktails. The aroma is delicate apple with bright herbal notes. It’s dry, with a hint of apple fruitiness and a curiously minty flavor.

(Available at www.edenicecider.com)

Bereziartua Basque Apple Cider (Spain); $9.99/750ml

From the Basque region of Spain, this traditional cider is as dry as they come. It has a subtle apple aroma with a note of spice. The flavor is pleasantly sour and tart with plenty of mouth-puckering acidity. Hard cheeses would be a nice foil.

Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouché Brut de Normandie, 2010; $8.49/375ml

This unfiltered, unpasteurized cider is champagne-pretty in a glass, with mousse to match. It’s got a distinctive earthy apple aroma and a light, refreshing taste with a hint of apple sweetness.

Thistly Cross Scottish Cider; $5.99/500ml

Pale and slightly fizzy, this has an almost beer-like aroma. The taste is dry, clean and quite interesting, slightly reminiscent of a malt beverage.

Clos Norman Brut French Fermented Cider; $5.99/750ml

This fizzy cider from Normandy is very dry and refreshing. It has a bit of sweet apple aroma and mild dried apple flavor that would pair well with salty, assertive foods like cured meats.

Griffin Cider Works Burley Man Cider Cider (Ohio); $6.99

Made in Westlake, Ohio, this is an unfiltered, medium-dry, English-style cider. Slightly fizzy and a hazy golden color, it has a mild apple aroma and refreshing apple flavor with undercurrents of hay and herbs.

Griffin Cider Works Original Cider (Ohio); $6.99

This full-bodied, English-style cider pours yellow-gold with an inviting spiced-apple aroma. A touch sweeter than the Burley Man, it has a gentle fizz and fresh apple flavor.

J.K.’s Scrumpy Farmhouse Organic Hard Cider, Orchard Gate Gold (Michigan); $6.99/22oz

Of all the ciders that we tasted, this smells the most like fresh autumn apple cider. It’s sweet and a bit fizzy with bright, ripe apple flavor.

Eden Vermont Ice Cider, Heirloom Blend (Vermont); $25/375ml

The apple version of ice wine, this cider wows with a lush caramel honey aroma. It’s very sweet – as in dessert – but it’s got such nice balancing acidity that the sweetness does not overpower.

Prices may vary.

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I love to watch movies in which the actors blind taste wine. They are handed a glass to evaluate and with a quick sip state, “Oh, a lovely Lecheneaut Nuits-St.-George “Les Prulier” 1971, showing maturity but stunningly complex.” I wish the process were that simple.

Blind tasting is identification of the provenance, varietal, production and quality specifics of a wine without being told anything about it – the process that separates the wine masters from the merely knowledgeable.

Blind identification is a very difficult process, as not all wines are textbook examples. Hugh Johnson, one of the world’s foremost wine experts, was asked when he had last misidentified a wine in a blind tasting. “Lunch” was his humble response. Identifying a single wine is also much more difficult than having a number of wines to compare against each other.

I like to begin blind tastings by listing grape varietals, so as not to forget one that might be in the glass. The evaluation of wine components and their levels is the next step. First determine what the wine couldn’t be, then what it could be, and, finally, what it must be.

Color indicates many things: age and condition of the wine, the warmth of the vineyard region or vintage, production techniques and maturation. If a red wine is light in color but not showing the browning/bricking of age, this would suggest it’s not made from intensely colored grapes like Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Petite Verdot or Shiraz/Syrah.

Aroma can denote age; fresh and fruity aromas imply youth, while spices and evolved scents indicate a more mature wine. Alcohol can be detected by warmth in the nose, suggesting the wine is not from a cool climate or cool vintage. Production techniques, including wood aging, can also be evaluated by aroma.

The remaining components of tannin, residual sugar, acidity and finish need to be evaluated and weighed to funnel down to the wine’s identity.

Blind tasting is a self-effacing experience, but it is also quite a revelation to see the level of ability that your palate and knowledge can reach. In the end, it is the way to truly reach the peak of wine expertise.

Blind Tasting Tips

Build a taste memory.

Taste and read widely. Experience in tasting different wine styles and reading about their flavor profiles and component levels will increase your chances of correct identification.

Taste good examples.

Prime examples of wine types and origins will give the best scent and flavor profiles to add to your taste memory. It is a waste of time and money to taste inexpensive wines that lack characteristics of their grape or region.

Taste often and practice blind.

If you want to learn to blind taste, you have to practice on a regular basis. You should taste “label up” when you are comparing wines side by side to see their differences, but the secret to becoming an accomplished blind taster is to taste blind regularly.

Write detailed tasting notes for various wine styles.

Compose the perfect description of a Sancerre, for example, discussing appearance, aroma and the levels of components that make that wine different from other varietals and other wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. This will help reinforce the flavor profile in your taste memory.

Don’t give up.

Even experts regularly misidentify characteristics of wines. Persist. The more experience you have, the better you will become.

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Grand Cherry Sidecar

2 oz Grand Marnier Cherry
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¼ oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cherry.

French Gimlet

2 parts gin or vodka
1 part St-Germain
½ part freshly squeezed lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

St-Germain Cocktail

2 parts brut champagne or sparkling wine
1 ½ parts St-Germain
2 parts club soda

Stir ingredients in an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Tuaca Whiskey Punch

1 oz Tuaca
1 oz Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
1 oz orange juice
1 oz cranberry juice

Pour ingredients into a lowball glass over ice and stir.

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