The Wonderland Of Wine
Wine has often been the main player in many celebrations, be it weddings, parties or even just a dinner for two. There is something about wine that just completes the picture so to speak.
But there are a lot of people who don't get a chance to enjoy the feel and taste of a good wine and those who do drink wine know what the others are missing out on. If you are a first time wine drinker then you should start by learning about wine in general. Learn about the different kinds of wine available and then taste each whenever you get a chance. This way you will be able to find out which one and which type you like the most.
Let's start with the first type red wines. These are quite popular and they have been given due recognition as being very good for the heart with antioxidant properties. Red wines get their deep bold flavor from the skins of the grapes that are used while making the wine. The color and flavor depends on how long the wine has been in contact with the skin of the grape. Some of the known red wines are Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz, Gamay, Zinfandel and of course the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Moving on to white wines. White wines are known for their aroma and delicate flavor. The color or lack of it is because there are no grape skins used in making the wine. Red and white grapes are used in making white wine but the skin is removed. Some of the known white wines are the Riesling, the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc.
Now you also have a type of wine called pink wines. These are somewhere in between white and red as the color suggests. The pink wine will usually have a tart fruity taste. A point to remember is that both pink and rose wine has nothing to do with roses but everything to do with red grapes that have been de-skinned.
Sparkling wines or bubbly are the celebration specials. The most commonly known bubbly is of course Champagne which is produced in Champagne, France. This wine needs a lot of work which is intricate hence the price factor. There is yet another type called dessert wines. These are normally very sweet and spirits are added in the making process so that the level of sugar is high. Some of the common ones are Vermouth, Madeira, Sherry and Port.
So go ahead make every day a special one by adding wine to your daily meals. It's good for your health, so the doctors say so why not go ahead and pour yourself a glass?
Choosing The Right Wine
There are a lot of factors that go in to the making of good wine. As a rule, we simplify the whole process by putting them in categories of red wine and white wine. But this classification is not quite fair to the wine itself. The factors that go in to making wine are the type of grapes, where the vineyard is situated, how ripe are the grapes etc.
Ordering wine in a restaurant can be a daunting experience for someone not too familiar with wines in general. Wines come in so many flavors and nuances that it can get confusing. Your choice of wine would ideally be dependent on your taste buds and what you like. A really expensive wine might be a connoisseur's delight but to the notso-regular drinker it might be perfectly horrible.
One of the best ways to order wine in a restaurant is to stick with the brand you are familiar with. But if you feel that the wine needs to be something different then ask the waiter or the maitre d'. The staff is trained to be able to distinguish between the regular house wine and the other specialties that the restaurant may stock. But then again the waiters may not be aware of the wine on their list. In which case, the decision of selecting a wine for your meal now lies with you. So how would you go about selecting the right wine?
Start by checking if the waiter does have any knowledge. Once ascertained that he does not, tell him to come back a little later. Confer with your table mates if they have any recommendations. There are two basic wines as we know them - red and white so start by asking which one your friends like. Generally if it's white wine then Chardonnay is the common choice because the Chardonnay White is considered the best among white wines. The best among the red is the Cabernet Sauvignon Red wine. You really can't go wrong with these two choices.
The rule of thumb is that white wine goes with white meats and red wine goes with red meats. So if your meal has chicken or fish then go for the white. On the other hand if your meal is pork or beef roast then a nice red like the Pinot Noir would complement your meal very nicely. It's a good idea to order by the bottle as this may turn out cheaper than by the glass. Check with the restaurant if there are any discounts if you order two or more bottles. There may be some scheme to tempt patrons into ordering wine
Irrespective of the budget, always find out about the price of the wine per glass and bottle so you will be better prepared the next time you visit the restaurant for a meal. If you are not concerned with a budget then the higher priced Dom Perignon is an excellent choice of wine. There are also some sparkling wines like the Domaine Chandon or the Iron Horse available at reasonable prices.
Remember white wine tastes best when chilled and the older the wine the better it is. In dry white wines there are wines like the French Macon or the Pinot Blanc that go well with appetizers. So take a look at what is on offer and make an informed decision.
Taking A Look At Popular Wine Makers
Wine has been so much a part of world culture right through the centuries. Every wine maker it would seem is tirelessly bent upon seeking that perfect wine and it is almost like a quest for the Holy Grail. And so the story of wine goes on the grapes being fermented, maybe even fruits and flowers, and the final work of art is served on any occasion that needs celebrating. The choices of course, are so many. You have a choice of color red, white, rose or sparkling. There are so many varieties and brands to choose from too.
There is a worldwide market for wines and it is indeed a very lucrative business. The leading countries in this market are France, Australia, Italy, Chile Spain, and the USA. The others in the competition are South Africa, Portugal, Argentina and Germany. In the US, California has the maximum amount of wine producers. Wine growing is mostly done in Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Monterey, and Santa Ynez. Let's look at some of the vineyards around the country.
The Greenvale Vineyards and Winery is found in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and produces red and white wine made from the locally grown grapes. The wines produced here are Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Mount Pleasant Winery is located in Augusta which is north of St. Louis and makes wonderful wine from quality grapes. The Nouveau like wine produced here is made out of Chambourcin grapes which is a kind of red grape found mostly in the eastern states of USA.
The Domaine Drouhin vineyard is owned by the Drouhin family from the Red Hills located in Dundee, Oregon and comes with a bit of history. The Pinot Noir produced by them has the exquisite taste and flavor of vanilla and berries. Due to their class and quality, their wines are recognized worldwide.
The Savannah Chanelle Vineyards is situated in the scenic mountains of Santa Cruz California, produce Cabernet, Zinfandel, Franc and Pinot Noir. When it comes to the Pinot Noir, produced in the vineyards of Savannah Chanelle, one is really talking of quality way up there.
The Chappelet Winery is located in the heart of the wine-growing area - Napa Valley in California. This winery produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wines in this winery undergo very little processing.
The Sanford Winery,which is in Buellton in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley makes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
So when you want to open a bottle of wine next, no matter what the occasion, choose from the wines made by these popular wine makers and you really can't go wrong.
Storing Wine Some Guidelines
There's always been an aura of wonder surrounding wine so little wonder it has grown to become such a popular drink, much-loved all over the world. Technically, it is an alcoholic drink which is manufactured by fermenting grapes, fruit or flowers but by and large, the raw material used is grapes. In this process, yeast is used to convert the organic material from which the wine is made, into alcohol. Since it is a complex process, many categories of wine are created depending on the vinification process, the vintage, the quality of the product and of course, the taste and color.
One of the most important factors which wine-lovers look for while buying a wine is the way in which it was stored. However good the wine may be, it is never good enough if it hasn't been stored properly. Storing a wine in an appropriate place helps preserve its flavor and richness. Let's take a look at some of the factors which must be taken into account while storing wine.
First off, the humidity factor is vital. The room's humidity plays a very important part in the storage of wine as excess humidity slowly decreases the quality of the cork. This is very detrimental to the flavor and the aroma of the wine. When storing wines, the right humidity should range from 50% to 80%, the ideal humidity being 70%. The wine is not directly affected by the humidity, it is the cork or the cardboard box in which it is stored that is affected. Once they are destroyed, the wine is affected as it is exposed to air.
Temperature is another factor which must be taken into account while storing wine. The overall quality of the wine tends to get affected for the worse when there are seesaws in temperature. Premature aging takes place when wine is exposed to unstable temperatures. 50 degrees to 55 degrees F would be the best temperature to store wine.
The light factor is also very crucial as light tends to make wines age quicker. So one sees that the wine in clear bottles ages faster than that in colored bottles. When it ages very fast, especially if it is exposed to ultra-violet rays, the wine tends to spoil, with a rather bad odor.
Yes, the way the wine is stored is just as important as the way it was made. If you want to enjoy your wines, it would be a good idea to take a closer look at the way they are stored.
Wine Tasting Is An Art
Drinking wine is easy but tasting wine is something that needs experience and a good knowledge of wines in general. A genuine expert on wine can handle wine in the right way from tasting, smelling to actually drinking it.
Today, wines have become a part of the daily meal in a lot of homes and more so if there is red meat on the menu. The common rule is that red wines goes with red meat like beef roast and pork and white wine goes with white meat like chicken and fish.
The thousand odd varieties in existence today are dependent on the type of grape used and the location they are grown in. Only those in love with wine, experienced and well-versed with its many nuances and notes can really distinguish the very subtle characteristics of good wine by just tasting and smelling. What one needs to be aware of is that good wine will taste smooth. Those that don't have either been corked with bad corks or were not stored properly. A lot depends on the storage of the wine and a manhandled bottle can really spoil the wine inside.
Wine tasting is done by taking a small sip of the wine, letting it rest a little on the tongue and then swirling it around in the mouth so the actual flavor hits the taste buds as well as the sense of smell. That's all one needs - a sense of smell and very perceptive taste buds.
Now apart from these two sensory requirements, another very essential aspect is the physical look of the wine. The appearance is best seen when the wine is poured into a clear glass and held against a contrasting background. The color of wine is studied mainly because white wine is not technically white, but it goes from being yellow to green to even brown. The darker the color of the white wine the older it is and the stronger the flavor. But not all whites improve with age, some even spoil. Red wines on the other hand age very well. Red wines go lighter as they age. You can tell if a red is old by tilting the glass a little and looking at the color that settles on the rim of the glass. The more brown it is, the older it is.
Another way of seeing how much sugar content is present in the wine is by swirling it around in the glass. A good clean swirl will tell you that it has a high alcohol and sugar content. Wine connoisseurs have specific guidelines that tell them how to go about tasting the wine, what to look for and then give a verdict. But wine drinking depends a lot on the person's own tastes and choices. Of course the pleasure of drinking wine is greatly increased if you know how to smell and taste it the right way.
Display Your Wine Collection On Good Quality Racks
A lot of people have made wine a part of their daily diet and no longer is wine drinking limited to those who live in cold countries. A lot of research has been done on wine and the general consensus is that wine if drunk regularly has a lot of advantages. Parties now have wine on their list and even family meals serve wine.
Wine classification is done on the basis of the grape type and where the vineyard is located. Climatically, France and California are the best places to grow grapes that are specific to wine making. Now you can get wine anywhere in the world as it is a global business. Wines are available at reasonable prices generally but the really good wines will be a little more expensive than the regular ones. But irrespective of classification the choice lies with the wine drinker and the collector.
There are a lot of families who have built up their own collection of wines largely due to the habit of drinking wine at mealtimes with the family. There are some who have built wine cellars to house their collection.
Wine bottles are best stored in wine racks. Wine racks ensure that the wine is at hand for use as and when required.
Wine racks of different kinds are available at a lot of websites. Or you can search through shops for wine racks of good quality - an option which many like because it gives them a chance to see what they want and decide accordingly. Of course the Internet gives you a wider range of good quality wine racks while sitting comfortably at your home.
You will also get wine racks of different kinds and varieties like metal, stone or wood on the net. Discounts and free deliveries are common on different websites. Readymade racks and self-modifiable racks are also commonly available from a lot of sites.
Your choice of wine rack should be a combination of looks and style. But they should be also sturdy enough to be able to hold the bottles and practical so that you can fit in the space assigned for it in your home. If you have given the rack maker your own design, you can save on cost, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have created a functional wine rack. Although it may take time for delivery, you will get what you wanted. Ready made wine racks are of course readily available and will be delivered immediately.
Deciding on design should take into account the type of wood you need and the design should be such that the wood sustains the design. Remember, wine bottles come in all shapes and sizes - they have to be stored horizontal not vertical so your rack should be able to handle both requirements. It's a good idea to place bottles in such a way that you can read the labels without removing them from their rack home.