Research shows that exposure of wine to daylight or artificial lighting causes changes in aroma
October 1, 2020 - As announced a year ago, Radgonske gorice have now officially launched a new sparkling wine called Untouched by Light. The motto of this sparkling wine is that the best things happen in the dark. According to Professor Emeritus Ann C. Noble[1] exposure of wine to daylight or artificial lighting leads to what could be described as "light-altered aroma" (goût de lumiere). That's why they decided at Radgonské gorice plunge into darkness and prepare a new sparkling wine in it.
What makes this sparkling wine unique is its production process. Goggles are used to see in the dark during night picking, bottle rotation and packaging. The wine matures for two to three years in complete darkness in the cellars in Gornja Radgona. The workers of the Radgon Mountains call this the "dark method" in jargon. When the sparkling wine leaves the cellar, it is protected by a black glass bottle, and for additional protection from light and UV rays, the bottle is packed in vacuum bags.
"Untouched by Light is a unique premium sparkling wine with which we hope to position Radgonske gorice on the global market. We recommend that you taste the sparkling wine in the dark, with someone close to you, because the best things happen in the dark," said Borut Cvetkovič from Radgonski gorice.
Untouched by Light is produced from the best chardonnay (100% chardonnay, blanc de blanc) according to the classic method with fermentation in the bottle. "The first vintage of Untouched by Light sparkling wine is extremely fresh, fruity and citrusy with an aftertaste of green tea and mint. What we find on the nose continues in the taste. Very delicate bubbles give it creaminess. It's like an echo that balances between tenderness and boldness, which are usually at odds, but here in harmony," said Pierre-Yves Bournerias, sommelier at the Institut Oenologique de Champagne.
The oenologist of Radgonski Gorice, Klavdija Topolovec Špur, says: "I would say that the Untouched by Light sparkling wine is a sparkling wine of inspiration. The peculiarity of harvesting in the dark, in small crates, when it is cold; the specialty of the processing of the grapes and, above all, of the subsequent ripening in complete darkness, is reflected in the character of the sparkling wine. Basically, everything that the grapes bring from the vineyard, the must, and later the wine, is preserved and today it is reflected in the sparkling wine that we taste. In this way, we can taste a sparkling wine where the terroir has really come to the fore. The last stone in the mosaic is represented by the tradition of sparkling wine production in the Radgonske gorice cellar, supported by knowledge and modern production technology."
While Radgonske gorice Winery is currently seeking local distributors worldwide, a limited quantity of 2,000 bottles of the 2016 Untouched by Light sparkling wine is available via www.untouchedbylight.com and in Dom penine in Gornja Radgona.
Radgonske gorice has a 168-year tradition of sparkling wine production, from the time of Archduke John of Habsburg-Lorraine, who expanded viticulture in the Radgone area, to the time when the cellars were owned by the Swiss-French Bouvier family. radgonske-gorice.si
Characteristics of Untouched by Light:
Terroir:
[1] Noble, Ann C., Sensory study of the effect of fluorescent light on a sparkling wine and its base wine, American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, Vol.40, No.4, 1989
Video: here
Research shows that the exposure of wine to daylight or artificial lighting results in light-struck aromas
1 October 2020 – Following the announcement made a year ago Radgonske Gorice have now officially launched a new sparkling wine brand called Untouched by Light. This sparkling wine's motto is that the best things happen in the dark. According to Professor Emerita Ann C. Noble[1], the exposure of wine to daylight or artificial lighting results in what is commonly known as light-struck aromas (goût de lumière). For that reason Radgonske Gorice made a decision to turn to the dark side and produce their new sparkling wine.
This wine is unique because of its production process. The night vison goggles are used for harvesting, bottle rotation and packing. The wine is left to age 
for two to three years in Gornja Radgona cave in Slovenia, where it is untouched by the outside world, completely lightproof. In the jargon of Radgonske gorice this is popularly known as the Crafted by Darkness method. Once out of the cave, the wine is protected in a black lightproof bottle, packed in a vacuum-sealed bag blocking any additional light or air contact.
"Untouched by Light is a unique, premium sparkling wine, with which we hope to position Radgonske Gorica winery in the global market. It is highly recommended to taste this wine in pitch darkness in good company, because the best things happen in the dark,Borut Cvetkovič from Radgonske Gorice said.
Untouched by Light is made from the best Chardonnay grapes (100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs) using the famous inside-the-bottle French fermentation method. "The first 2016 vintage is extremely fresh, fruity and citrusy with the aftertaste of green tea and mint. There is a continuation from the nose to the mouth. Very delicate bubbles give creaminess to the wine. It's like an echo, balancing between the softness and crispiness which are usually in contradiction, but here they are together.”, said Pierre-Yves Bournerias, the sommelier from the Institut Oenologique de Champagne.
The winery's oenologist Klavdija Topolovec Špur said:Untouched by Light is a sparkling wine inspiration. Special harvesting by night, when it's cold, using small crates; the grape processing method, but above all late maturation and complete darkness – all of that can be found embedded in the character of this wine. We can now taste both the wine and the fullness of its terroir. The last piece of the puzzle is the tradition of sparkling wine production in Radgonske Gorice winery, buttressed by profound knowledge and state-of-the-art technology."
While the winery is currently in search of local distributors across the globe, the limited 2000 samples of the 2016 Untouched by Light vintage are now available for orders on untouchedbylight.com only.
Radgonske Gorice winery from Slovenia has a 168-year-long tradition of sparkling wine production. It was inaugurated by Alojz Klenošek when Archduke John of Austria, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, expanded the wine production in this region. The tradition was ceaselessly cherished afterwards when the ownership of wine cellars was ceded to the Swiss-French Bouvier Family. radgonske-gorice.si
Untouched by Light characteristics:
Terroir and grapeswines features:
[1] Noble, Ann C., Sensory study of the effect of fluorescent light on a sparkling wine and its base wine, American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, Vol. 40, No. 4, 1989.
Video: here
© 2024 Radgonske gorice d.o.o. All rights reserved. Photographs are symbolic and do not guarantee the characteristics of the products. Some translations are edited using Google artificial intelligence.
Production: Funkit Marketing
