The Flavor of Wine "in Lancaster County" is Like Delicate Poetry

OK.... So I manipulated that famous quote from Louis Pasteur... just a bit; go ahead and slap my hand if you want, I just really liked what he had to say. So now that were all good, let me explain. Well, really no biggie, really nothing to explain, I just never realized that Louis Pasteur had a connection to wine.

Louis Pasteur

But for sure he did. And after doing a bit of research here as I sit in my office at the bed and breakfast on this premature summer day, (it's only the last day of May and the thermometers have all ready breached 90) I find that good ole' Louis was really trying to save the reputation of wine and beer in France when he mastered the first pasteurization experiment. 

As the French were great at making wine, many times they would have a problem with it lasting. Some of the best wines were soured by bacteria. What our friend Louis did was discover what makes a great bottle not sour verses a bottle of (STPW) a.k.a Skunked Tasting Pee Water. Turns out that under microscope, when aged properly, the wine contained little spherical yeast cells. However when the process was compromised, there was a vast display of bacterial cells that was producing lactic acid. (Not Good)

Louis put together his finding in a book called Etudes sur le vin  In this book Louis found that the open wood cask in which wine was decanted allowed the slow penetration of atmospheric oxygen through the porous holes.  His book explained what the process was to control the process. 

Lancaster County Wine

So thanks to Louis, we here in Lancaster County can enjoy not just a cool glass of milk, however our growing wine Industry is really beginning to shine. With wineries like Tamenend, (where Dr. Richard Carey continues the science behind wine) or Waltz's (where Jan and Kim have mastered the art), you are never far from enjoying some of the best Gosh Darn Nectar around.


So what is the connection to Lancaster County, well not much at all unless you think that the dairy industry is important here. Oh and of course our great wines! And yes, I'll concede with Louis, and twist his words around just a tiny bit.... The Flavor of Wine "in Lancaster County" is Like Delicate Poetry! I'll enjoy a sonnet this evening!