2006年VOA标准英语-A Wine Country Tour to Understand the Process o

By Elaine Lu
Napa, California
05 July 2006
 
Watch Wine Report

Grapes on a vine  
  
California's Napa Valley is one of the premium¹ grape-growing and wine-producing regions in the United States, rivaling the best in France. In fact, it recently won another head-to-head tasting competition between French and American red wines. Napa is known for its more than 175 wineries that produce some of the finest cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir, zinfandel, and merlot. VOA's Chen Xiaohong and Zhang Songlin produced our story on this famous and beautiful part of northern California. It is narrated² by Elaine Lu.

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Remi Cohen 
  
Our wine country tour starts with Bouchaine Winery, where Remi Cohen manages this 40-hectare vineyard. "Welcome to Bouchaine Vineyards, located in the south of Napa valley, one of the regions that's known as Carneros," Cohen said. "Carneros is the first sub-appellation of the Napa valley, one hundred acres of land here, 45 of which are planted to chardonnay grapes."

Chardonnay grapes grown in the vineyard are much smaller in size than those sold in the grocery stores, and much more intense in flavor. The growth of the grapes is strictly³ controlled to ensure vines receive the right amount of water in the right soil.

Cohen said, "With the drip irrigation, we can put a known amount of water on the vines. We know exactly how much water we are putting on the vine on a given day."

Vinyard workers are paid by the quantity of grapes they harvest   
  
Nord Estate Winery is a family-owned business. Julie manages the winery with her father and two sisters. By marrying into the Nord family, the three women's husbands also married the winery.

Grape picking starts at the crack of dawn. Latinos are the main workforce⁴ in the vineyard.  They are busy -- they are paid by the amount they pick.

The Robert Craig Winery sits on a hill overlooking the valley, a location conducive⁵ to growing grapes. Robert Craig said, "The land is so steep, that you have tremendous drainage. Any water, rain, just runs right off. We also have real good drainage in the soils. That's the most critical factor."

 
Robert Craig 
  
Selecting the optimal⁶ time to harvest grapes is another crucial part of winemaking. At Robert Craig's lab, the countdown to harvest is well underway. Wine makers⁷ are closely monitoring the degrees Brix, a measurement that indicates the percentage of sugar in the grapes. As grapes mature, the sugar increases, acidity⁸ decreases, and flavors become more intense. Tasting the first batch⁹ of wine from this meticulous¹⁰ process is a great joy, says Lynn Craig. "It's bright and fresh, and clean, and it's really yummy."

Spring Mountain Vineyard began in the 1870s, and is known for its distinctive¹¹ red wines. The century-old cellar has been expanded and furnished with modern ventilation equipment. Jack¹² Cole is the chief winemaker at Spring Mountain. He has previously¹³ worked in several other prestigious¹⁴ wineries in the Napa Valley. Cole said, "I think the most important thing is having good palate, good senses. It's like a surgeon having a steady hand. It's a good thing to have, but most importantly you have to care a great deal. Put the time and effort in to make sure everything is perfect."

 
Jack Cole 
  
After the grapes are harvested, the process of winemaking starts with crushing and pressing. Grape juice is then sent to a huge tank for the next step of fermentation, a process that requires between 10 days and a month or more.

Sugar is converted to alcohol. How dry or sweet a wine turns out depends on how much sugar is converted. It is an intentional¹⁵ decision on the part of the winemaker. It's an art -- Jack Cole says that is true of the entire process. "It's a very creative environment," he said. "I am involved in making decisions that determine the quality and the style of the wine, from the very planting of the grapes, to the choosing of the corks¹⁶ that go in the bottle." 

Barrel aging is the last step before the wine is bottled for market. Spring Mountain Winery purchases many of its oak barrels from France, each coasting $900.

Wineries have been in this sunny and picturesque¹⁷ valley area since the 1800s. The rich heritage of this wine country continues to be savored¹⁸ in many glasses of wine enjoyed in the United States and around the world.

1 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

2 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

4 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

5 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

6 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 acidity   

n.酸度，酸性

参考例句：

• This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存，但硷性土壤更加适宜。
• Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。

9 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

10 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。

11 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

12 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

13 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

14 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

15 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

16 corks   

n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞

参考例句：

• Champagne corks were popping throughout the celebrations. 庆祝会上开香槟酒瓶塞的砰砰声不绝於耳。 来自辞典例句
• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）

17 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

18 savored   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• We savored the barbed hits in his reply. 我们很欣赏他在回答中使用的带刺的俏皮话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We savored, (the pleasures of) mountain life to the full. 我们充分体会了山居生活的乐趣。 来自辞典例句