Sharing knowledge about Wine
There's an abundance of information available on the subject of wines. Should you spend some time getting a little wine education? the answer is absolutely yes, especially if you like wine. Alton Brown of the TV Food Network shows the relationship of chemistry and its effect on cooking food. We take so much of this for granted but after watching his show one can realize that good eats is more than someone being a good cook.
Wine has a chemistry that starts with the grapes. The variety of grapes and their quality are affected by the sugar content, tanin in the skins, climate, and rainfall to name a few. Modern testing techniques are used to day but a skilled wine maker is still the person who manages the fermentation process, blending and aging.
Not all wines are made from one variety of grapes but have other fermented varieties blended in to achieve a product of excellent taste. My grandfather made his wine as a blend and always had a high quality sought after wine consistent every year. Of course he always used oak casks to age his wine. The grape variety and the aging in oak imparts a variety of different flavors and aromas.
Take a few minutes to read our articles. Get some basic knowledge about wine for a better understanding of the product. When your done look at our wine stores for some great deals on fantantastic wine. They bring hard to find wines to you at great prices. Theses wines are from the many small wineries that produce some great wines but never get to all the store shelves. They are the hidden treasures of wine country.
- Learn wine basics
- Understand servung temperatures
- Learn about glassware, decanters and serving .
- Find books, accessories, equipment, clubs and food
- get basics on pairing wine with cheese and food.
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Wine Articles
Wine Storage
Few of us have the privilege of storing out wine in a wine cellar. So we rarely buy in bulk but may do so when a good deal happens to come along. Most wine, in general should be stored at 55°. This is the temperature of a wine cellar. In your home wine storage may present a problem unless you only keep it for a few days to a week. There are a few options and methods that will allow you to keep wines in good condition. continue here to read article
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Serving Wines
The temperature at which a wine is served will have an effect on how it will taste.Aromatics and acohol in wines are affected by heat and cold. Higher temperatures cause alcohol aroma and flavors to become somewhat overpowering while lower temperatures hide the flavors and aromas. The wine loses its appeal to your taste buds giving you a bad wine experience. Whites, reds, full bodied, lighter bodied wines all require somewhat different serving temperatures. Red wine serving temperatures for most is best at 60° to 65°. This is a great range for the fuller bodied reds like Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone wines and others. Fuller bodied may benefit from higher room temperatures, about 70°. Very light-bodied, fruity wines (Beaujolais, lighter Pinot Noirs, etc.) can even benefit for more of a chill down to the mid-50°'s F. read the article for wine serving temps
Appropriate Glassware
Wine Glassware
There’s more to a wine glass than a name. Beverage glasses in general are designed for specific drinks. The design is to accent the drink and lend it a unique style or flare that accentuates the flavor of the drink. Wine glasses were designed to bring the aromas and bouquet to the nose, let one swirl the wine in the bowl of the glass to see its body and in some cases to bring the wine to the tip of the tongue to taste the sweetness before the acidity. What Makes a Good Wine Glass? Wines glasses should do three primary functions
- Highlight each wines appearance, aroma and flavor
- Have a bowl large enough to swirl the wine
- Have a thin lip or edge directing the wine to the tip of the tongue
Wine glasses should be made of thin clear colorless glass, no etchings or decorations that may distract from the wine.
The shape of the bowl should allow you to vigorously swirl the wine so it can interact with the air to volatize giving you better aromas. The bowl should be able to hold these aromas and direct them to your nose. You’ll see the glass gently tapers as it goes up. continue reading about wine glasses
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Decanting wine - Does it need to breathe?
Wines decanters are used to allow wine to breathe in after opening. Once a bottle has been opened it is said to need time to “breathe”. This is a term that simply means allowing wine to mix with the air. This allows the flavors and aromas of the wine to become more aromatic. At the same time this also lets a cold wine begin to climb to a desired serving temperature if so desired. There are no rules or total agreement by experts about decanting wines being helpful. The information I found came from people who use decanting and can tell it makes a difference.
Decanting wine may not seem to be aesthetically appealing but does help aerate most wines to bring out aromatic flavors. Older aged wines may benefit only briefly and will quickly lose their flavors while younger fruitier whites and reds will respond well to aeration. A decanter with a longer neck and larger rounder bottom will allow more space for the wine to breathe. A wine Carafe has a wider mouth but is shorter and reduces the space between the top of the carafe and the level of the wine continue reading about wine decanters
The Point Rating System
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Critics Method of Judging Wines
Keep in mind we all have different likes and dislikes whether it be in food, clothing, drinks and the way we live our life. Even the number of taste buds we have is not the same in each person. Some have more and others less so some flavors and odors are more pronounced to some people and may cause them to be very sensitive to salts, excessive spices and strong perfumed scents for example.
Now with that said lets apply this knowledge to wines. A handful of people taste wines and use a rating point system that defines the quality of a wine. Some of these experts are more in tune with certain wines like hearty reds or whites. You may decide to try one they rated as a 90 plus and be disappointed. Don’t be upset by this. Remember their tastes will differ from yours. The best way, for your own taste buds, is to read a description of what it’s about, how it tastes, where the grapes were grown, fermented and bottled. If all this including the price sounds good then try it. continue reading about wine rating system
Pairing Wine with Cheese and Food
There are no set rules you must follow except what tastes great to you.. There are some guidelines you can follow that will help to make better choices. Lighter wines should be paired with lighter flavored cheeses while hearty fuller bodied burgundies are best with a cheese that has a heartier more pungent flavor. Wines or sparkling wines that may high in acidity are best with a creamy smoother cheese to balance the acidity. Lighter lower acidic wines may go well with a sharper cheese. They offset one another and balance the flavors.
Try to find cheese that was produced in the same region as the wine. Some programs I have watched have revealed farmers in various parts of the US who are making some of the best cheeses you’ll ever find. They are not that easily accessible but can be found with some internet searches. They have their own cows and use fresh milk to make fantastic products.
Most people have a favorite wine they like to drink with their meals. Many women prefer a light bodied white while some men prefer a fuller bodied red. Like the cheese and pairing there are no rules but only guidelines. continue reading about pairing wine with food and cheese.
