Zen Breath 3-2-1

Note: You are receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly 3-2-1 newsletter or you subscribed to the Koi Zen Cellars newsletter. Every Friday, I share 3 wine terms, 2 quotes from me, and 1 question for you to ponder. Occasionally, I also send out long-form articles on habits and self-improvement.


"I don't know if drinking wine is good for my health,
but sharing a glass with a friend sure makes life worth living"
~ Zen Winemaker ~

3 terms, 2 quotes, 1 question

April 22, 2022


Happy Friday! Time to wrap up this week and get ready for the next! Take a deep breath and kick off the weekend on a positive note. Let's consider where we have been, improve it, and move forward next week. Packing the most content into the least words and trying to change the world, one glass at a time.

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3 - Wine Terms - Age Worth Wines

Most people falsely assume that if you age wine - it will improve. Unfortunately this is not the case any more. Years ago, winemakers were focused on producing age worthy wines to the point where most French wines couldn't even be enjoyed without extensive aging. But the world of wine changed and now over 96% of all wine produced worldwide is ready to drink when purchased and are not crafted to be age worthy.

So what makes an age worthy wine?

As with many things in life - the answer is: "it depends..." But let's look at a few factors that will help a wine age.
  1. pH and TA: the pH of a wine measures the strength of the acids in wine and Total Acidity (TA) measures how much acid is in a wine. Wines that have a low pH and a high TA tend to age longer compared to other wines.

    Cooler climates with less sun generally produce low pH wines. Grapes that are grown in areas with a large diurnal (difference between daily high and daily low) and cold nights, generally produce wines with a high TA.

    Hot regions don't generally produce age worth wines.
  2. Sugar : wines that are high in sugar age better than those with low sugar content. Sugar is actually toxic to many spoilage microbes (and my waistline) and a high sugar content helps protect wines. Some classic examples are German Riesling, Sauternes, Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, Tokaj can all go the long-haul.
  3. Tannins : tannins are the substance that dries out your mouth and a very tannic wine will cause your lips to stick to your teeth, but they are an extremely important when aging wine. In youth, tannins can feel course or abrasive and will smooth and mellow with age. Tannins are mostly found in red wines since reds are fermented with the skins and seeds where tannins and age better than most white wines.

    Some grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo naturally have more tannins and are often age worth candidates.

P.S. Drink your wines. In general, bottles under $100 don't age don't age well. You should drink your California red wines between 3-6 years of the vintage date and 1-3 years for whites for optimal flavors. Most grocery store wines don't age well.

Drink up - and if you need help - just let me know and I will lend a hand.

2 - Quotes from Me:

  1. "If you age 2 Buck Chuck - it will not turn into 3 Buck Chuck" ~ Zen Winemaker
  2. "Aging wine past its' prime is a form of alcohol abuse." ~ Zen Winemaker

1 - Question to ponder:

60,000 Mile Maintenance Checkup

This year, both Lisa and I will be turning 60. We don't mind telling people; we worked hard for our wrinkles and aches and are just happy to be here.
Being is better than not-being.

So under encouragement of my family and friends, I have made as series of appointments with the mechanic for my 60,000 mile checkup.

So far, my tires and shocks are still good. Can't say the same for Lisa, she got two new titanium struts in her knees over the last year.

I just had my exhaust system check from top to bottom (no pun intended) and the pipes are clean - hurray. The mechanic was so happy he gave me a 10 year extended warranty. I didn't realize that a broken exhaust system is the second leading cause of death - so get it checked.

My oil pressure is a little high - so changing the weight of my oil with a few thinners a few pills fix that up.

Air cleaner and filter are in good shape which is surprising since I smoked for 35 years (it stunk up the interior pretty bad)

Next step is to get the good old engine checked out - guess they are going to put me on the race track and see if I blow a gasket. Can't get very far without a solid engine.

The horn still works and the turn signals seem fine. The windshield is getting a little blurry, but nothing new glass won't fix.

There are still lots of dents and scratches but not bad for this "classic" chassis - I still don't know where those extra pounds came from though.  My GVW is well above what the placard states.

And what's up with all of the cracks and pops.

Sometimes getting warmed up first thing in the morning is rough, lots of rough idling, stiff joints and the key gets stuck in the ignition until a caffeinated beverage gets into the system, but all is good.

You have to realize that I am not a doctor or hospital guy and will generally avoid issues until it falls off - but my family made me realize that some routine maintenance is a good thing.

Question for You:

Are you taking care of yourself?

Zen Giggles:


Two guys were sitting in a restaurant when one of them said, "I'll have the cow tongue special, please."

"Oh, Yuck! That's Gross!" exclaimed the other, "I would never eat anything out of an animals mouth. I'll just have two eggs."

~~ Notice ~~

The potholes in life and try to avoid them.

~~~

A favor:


We strive to foster a community who are excited to learn about wine and create a better world for all. We are a small business and appreciate your support. Please encourage others to subscribe to this newsletter and build the community of like minded people. And don't forget to give me some feedback on what you want to learn about - I love hearing from you.

Also, if you are at a point in life where you desire change, but don't know what, where, or how - I suggest taking my online class on Finding Your Passion HERE. It might be the best investment you ever made.

Cheers,

Darius Miller - The Zen Winemaker

P.S. Let me know what you think of the 3-2-1 newsletter - or better yet, share with your friends - it would be much appreciated.


Author of a #1 best seller:
'The Zen Winemaker - Follow Your Dreams & Overcome Your Fears'

Creator of:
'The Zen Wine Tasting Journal - Life is too short to drink bad wine, or to wear ugly underwear.'

Become Inspired:
ZenWinemaker.com