Flavors of Melon in My Wine

I taste melon in the Sauvignon Blanc...

It is a bit of a rarity to find the flavor and aroma of melon in a Sauvignon Blanc.  This varietal mostly shows grapefruit to different extents, but has the ability to exhibit melon, peach, passion fruit and floral notes. The chemical compounds that are responsible for the melon and other fruity notes are esters.

Esters are formed by the reaction of acids with alcohols. The esters of the lovely Sauvignon Blanc are formed during fermentation, hence called fermentation esters. Their formation depends on the grapes, yeast used, fermentation kinetics and temperature. Esters are very sensitive and be be easily lost due to elevated fermentation temps and rapid formation of carbon dioxide. To keep these esters in the wine a number of techniques can be used. 

The most important factor is fermentation temperature. Cooling the fermentation helps to slow the fermentation causing less carbon dioxide production and heat, therefore retaining more of the esters formed during fermentation. The selection of yeast is important as some yeasts ferment slower than others allowing for less heat and carbon dioxide production. Certain strains of yeast can promote ester production during fermentation adding to the total esters formed.

Keeping esters in the wine is what we pay most attention to during the production of our Sauvignon Blanc. We like melon in the Buckel Family Wine Sauvignon Blanc!