Wine Spirits

Buying wine is the topic of this part of our wine 101 guide…

Supermarkets are the biggest suppliers of wine to consumers; it’s availability next to everday items such as bread and milk making it an impulse buy on many a shopping trip. Your first few wine purchases were probably at one, and attracted by low prices and familiar labels, you’ve likely continued to go back for more.

However, you won’t find much in the way of quality or range of wines at your average supermarket. Despite displaying different labels and originating from different countries you’ll find that they soon start to taste very much the same. The reason for this being that they’re made in the winery, not the vineyard, to recipes specified by the supermarkets.

A significant step-up from the supermarkets are the merchants, whether they are national or regional chains. Wine purchased from these will result in you getting a lot more pleasure for your money. You’ll be able to find lesser known, higher quality wines. They have substanial buying power which allows them to offer a wide range of wines at prices that compete with supermarkets.

Small independent merchants are also recommended. You’ll get knowledgeable advice and excellent service at them. It’s normal for the employees to have tasted the wines on sale, and so you can ask their opinion on any that interest you. You won’t  find this type of service at any supermarket.

Mail order and the internet are another two wine buying options to consider. They give you access to thousands of wines as opposed to the hundreds you’ll find in a supermarket or wine merchants. Delivery charges are usually quite fair, and the wine arrives on your doorstep within a few days. For many, this is a perfect way to buy wine.

You could also visit a wine producer and buy directly from them. For real wine enthusiasts, there’s no better way; taking in the landscape the grapes were grown in and meeting the people who grew them will tell you much more about a wine than any label or review possibly could. Whether in the Americas, Europe or Australia, it’s common for wine producers to have tasting facilities for visitors. In addition to being able to taste a multitude of wines, it’s also probable that they’ll be available at prices substantially cheaper than retail stores.

Pairing wine and food is the topic for this installment of our wine 101 guide…

The taste of a wine can improve or worsen depending on the food that you drink it with. Although there are only afew combinations which really don’t work, learning the basics about pairing them will bring out the best in both.

When pairing food and wine, you can take one of two approaches: pair a wine with a contrasting food taste, like combining a sweeter wine with spicy foods; or use a complementary combination, in which the food and wines share similar characteristics. Either works equally well, but which to apply varies on the type of food being served. Another good way to pair wines with food is to use regional combinations; usually, foods and wines that are produced in the same area will complement one another because they have been made together locally for years. The foods that are hardest to combine with wines are egg dishes, acidic foods, and hot and spicy selections. {There are no specific rules or recommendations for these, and it’s really a case of hit and miss.} When it comes to such foods, personal experimentation is the only way to find a good wine match.

Here are some examples of wine and food pairings: pair beef with heavier reds like Zinfandel, Bordeaux, or Cabernet Sauvignon; most of these wines go well with lamb as well, but this meat can take white wines like Pinot Gris too; for poultry, look for whites or light reds when there is a heavy sauce–Pinot Noir and Beaujolais work well; finally, fish should always be served with whites, and Sauvignon Blanc makes a good choice.{However, though these are said to be classic pairings, that doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily like all of them.} Keep in mind that your palate is unique to you, so if you don’t like a combination, don’t use it. It’s important to also remember that some people only drink one kind of wine, no matter what food is being served. Therefore, you should always have different varieties on hand when entertaining other people. You can recommend a certain variety, but the final decision about what they drink should be up to your guests.

Pinot Noir Chardonnay is the term the rest of the world, outside Champagne, use to describe a sparkling wine. The name Pinot Chardonnay has been derived from the varieties of grapes used in its production, while the old name ‘Champagne’ is now only used by the wines produced from the same name region in France, due to European Union action to protect its name.

Following the change of name, nothing else much has changed with the taste and texture of the wines, keeping them as exciting and alluring as any other Champagne. Most Pinot Chardonnays are produced in the same way as many of the French Champagnes.
Big name distrbutors Moet and Chandon even list a few hidden Pinot Chardonnay gems in the inventory lists.$$$   With some of these wines even being produced from the Yarra Valley in Australia.

Some seriously good ‘Sparklers’ emanate from New Zealand, particularly the north island.

Many attempts over the years to combine various grape varieties have resulted in some fantastic successes and some tragic failures.  Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, in fact, most of the red variety grapes combine well.  And trust me, there is a great reason you won’t find a Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay on store shelves.  On the other side of this, the mixture of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used in combination with the sparkling fermentation process has lead to a very popular drop.

Pinot Chardonnay has proven to be a winner at social outings such as picnics and BBQ’s, which has led them to be sold in 200ml and 375ml bottles.  The technological advances of late have allowed sparkling varieties to be as versatile as still wines with packaging and delivery.

As icing on the cake, Pinot Chardonnays are also much cheaper than their French champagne competitors, delivering the same great taste at a fraction of the price.

Surprise your friends this weekend and set up a blind taste test and see if they can spot the difference!

Follow the link for more information on Pinot Noir Chardonnay.

Storing wine is what we’ll be looking at in this part of our wine 101 guide…

The first thing you need to know when it comes to wine storage is to place your bottles on their side somewhere relatively cool and free from direct light. If you do this, youll be able to keep your wine for longer because the flavors won’t be damaged. However, learning a little more than the basics is advisable and thats what we’ll look at now.

Temperature is an important factor when you’re dealing with wine. For the optimal storage, your wines should be kept between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; though a slightly broader range is okay in some situations. A temperature below the ideal range will prevent your wine from aging correctly. A higher, warmer temperature causes premature aging (not in a good way).

Fluctuating temperatures hurt wines the most. It’s much better to keep your wine at a constant temperature, even if it is too high or too low, than to subject it to large fluctuations every day. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 5 degrees a day; this is especially important for red wines, which can be more damaged than whites from fluctuations.

Keeping track of humidity is also important in wine storage; if the air in the storage area is too dry, the corks of your bottles will dry out, and the air will come in contact with the wine and damage it. Keeping your humidity level at around 70 to 80 percent is ideal for wine storage, and you can track this with a hygrometer.

A wine cellar is the ideal place for storing wine because it maintains the optimal humidity and temperature; however, they aren’t practical for most people because of their size and cost. A basement or garage can be used to get similar results though. Just install a wine rack in one of these locations and include a thermometer and and temperature / humidity guage to keep track of conditions.

If you’re wondering how long to store your wine for, the answer is complicated; many factors contribute to storage length, not limited to the production technique, style of wine, and region where it was produced. In general though, you should drink whites quickly and age reds for five to 10 years. If you’re starting out, consult a free online aging chart to to assist you with this aspect of wine storage.

If visiting a vineyard and going on a winery tour is something that appeals to you, there are a few steps that you are going to need to take before you go. First and foremost you should be aware that there are many thousands of wineries in different wine regions around the world, and many of them welcome visitors. Of all the different wine regions that you can choose from for your winery tour here are a few that are sure to interest you.

Find Out What Your Wine Options Are

The first step, if you want to go on a winery tour~take a winery tour~tour a winery~take a tour of a winery, is for you to find out what your options are. Sure, the Napa Valley offers many winery tours that are very popular because it is such a well known region, but there are many other California winery tours that you may also be interested in. Within a short distance of the Napa Valley you’ll find Sonoma Valley, Russian River, Glen Ellen and Petaluma. All of these wine areas have vineyards that are open to the public and many offer winery tours. The Benziger Family Winery at Glen Ellen, not far from the Sonoma Valley, offers an outstanding tour of their biodynamic vineyard and winery.

It is also worthwhile seeing if there are any wineries in your local area, or, if you are traveling, you can check to see which wineries are located in that specific locale. When traveling in Europe it should be noted that many Italian and French vineyards and wineries are not generally open to the public but if you call in advance they may be very happy to welcome you.

Finding a winery that allows visitors is important and also finding one that offers the types of wines that you enjoy or that you are interested in discovering more about.

Do Your Winery Research

Next you will need to do your research on any winery tour that you may be considering. For instance, you are going to need to find out which days and times the winery tours are offered, and how long they take, so you can choose the one that is convenient for you.

For many winery tours you can just find out what time they are conducted and then show up, but for other winery tours you will have to call in advance and book a spot on the vineyard tour. It is always worthwhile calling in advance to make sure that you can get on to the tour without having to wait too long.

Going on a winery tour is something that most people will enjoy. Even if you are not a frequent wine drinker, you may still enjoy learning about wine growing and the long history of wine, and about the different types of wine available and what makes each one unique and sets one apart from another.

Ice wine is a sweet dessert wine with a medium to full body.It has been referred to  as  a Summer time nectar. Those who have been lucky enough to taste ice wine say that it has tropical overtones and bouquet. It also tends to have a a little lower alcohol content than other table wines. Ice wine, with its sweetness is balanced by acidic levels that are higher which keep it from being to overwelmingly sweet. These wines are decadent and used for a very exceptional occasion.

Many people use ice wine  as a dessert, they go so far as to drizzle it over raspberries and pound cake and then add a bit of  whipped cream.  I have been told  that  some people  drizzle it over their desired fruit  such as cantalope. Be prepared though,  some people say Ice wine is so sweet that they only have a  tiny glass of it as an after dinner dessert, it is just too sweet to mix it with chocolate, It depends on how much residual sugar the wine has. In researching this, I have found the residual sugar content to be anywhere from 3 to 12%. 12% being almost unbearably sweet. Ice wine can be  quite syrupy as the water has frozen in the grapes and the juice pressed from the grapes is very concentrated in both flavor and sugar, It very much depends on the origin of the ice-wine.Ice wine from Canada can be very rich, while ice wine from Germany can be very acidic,.By law, in some countries, the requirement is a hard freeze for a wine to be named Ice Wine. In Canada that is −8C (17F) and in Germany −7C (19F).

Ice wine is also known to be used in cooking, it is an ingredient used in desserts or even in a recipe for making French toast.

Vidal Ice wine:-This shimmery golden yellow wine has a mesmerizing aroma of lemon marmalade, caramelized oranges, peaches, pineapple and a touch of honey. The taste of this amazing Vidal ice wine carries a strong flavor of honey, lemon, star fruit, quince and brown sugar and end with a crisp mouth feel. The supreme quality Vidal Blanc Icewine makes an excellent combination with high fat or spicy foods.

 Ice wine is created in small quantities only  and  only the finest of quality, so it is understandable that it would be  quite expensive. Ice wine can range anywhere from 50 dollars on up to $100 a pop.Getting the real thing in Germany costs roughly $80

The folklore of Ice wine suggests that its first production in 18th century Germany was accidental. away on business at harvest time, a German vineyard owner came home to a frozen vineyard. He harvested and processed the grapes anyway and what was  called Winter Wine back then, became the distinctive  ice wine today.       What a wonderful accident.

Choosing wine is the focus of this part of our wine 101 guide…

Choosing wine can be a confusing task given the amount of options available. So, how do you go about making the right choice? The first step, as in all purchases, is to know what you like. Buying the best Pinot Gris available isn’t an ideal purchase if what you really like is Chenin Blanc. Therefore, you should taste each of the different types of wine (Nebbiolos, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, etc.) to decide which you like and which you don’t.

Once you’ve found out which wine variety you prefer, you’ll need to delve deeper to know which bottles of it are good and which are just tolerable. Go into your local wine shop, and walk around the section dedicated to the type of wine you decided upon. Look for the blurbs on the wine racks and read through them. Pay attention to the wine shops handwritten notes more so than any “winery notes” provided by the wine producer (as these tend to be no more than marketing material).

If there’s one free, ask an employee of the store for assistance. Tell them the type of wine you’re looking for and anything else that is relevant. You can be relatively specific about flavors and tastes that you like or dislike. They’ll have a good understanding of wine, and can make a reasonable guess at what would be best suited for you based on your preferences. It’s quite possible that they’ll even offer you some samples to try out.

Any recommendations that you dont buy, or any other wines that take your interest but you dont end up buying on the day, note down the details from their labels. You can then look out for them the next time you dine out or do some internet research on them.

Lastly, keep in mind that no wine is univerally popular with everyone. What pleases you personally is all that you should be concerned with. No wine reviewer or shop owner is going to have your exact taste in wine. There’s no guarantee that you’ll like a particular wine even if everyone else seems to love it. Likewise, you may like wines that are supposedly not up to standard.

The art of wine collecting is becoming more popular. Many times people love to bring back wines when they travel in regions of the world known for great wine. The ideal place to store your growing wine collection is in a custom wine cellar. This makes it possible for all the different types of wine you collect to improve through the years.

Your wine will be protected from damage when stored in a custom wine cellar. They create the ideal atmosphere for your dessert, red, and white wines so that they can grow tastier as they age. When fines wines are properly stored in a custom wine cellar they develop rich delicate flavors.

Wine enthusiasts love the subtle flavors that only proper aging of a wine can develop. Custom wine cellars come in many different sizes. The only real limit is the space that you have and your budget. Those who do not own their residence or have limited space should consider buying a wine refrigerator instead.

They are available in a variety of styles and sizes and are able to maintain your wine at a constant temperature. Having a custom wine cellar installed is not cheap but for those who really enjoy wine it will be money well spent. Many times people will use their basement for wine storage but you can really install them almost anywhere in your home.

The room should be large enough to hold your current wine collection as well as new additions. Once you have figured out where you want to install your custom wine cellar you will need to have a cooling unit put in which maintains a constant temperature and humidity level. Wood racks to hold the bottles will also need to be installed. The room will need some form of seal so that the conditions can be maintained.

cocktail

You could easily describe your favorite bar or pub as the “other office,” or the “office after hours.” It is a place to unwind after a hectic day at work and perhaps a place where everyone knows your name. It’s here where your friendly bartender creates his own brand of “liquid magic,” to calm the mind and recharge that tired body. Any skilled barkeep will tell you that tending bar is not just a science, it’s an art. It’s the very essence of a professional’s bartending service.

Reputed bars and pubs the world over attribute much of their success to the quality and unique brand of their bartending services. Primarily, good bartending is the outcome of a sound training program, which was designed to impart knowledge in the mixing and serving of drinks. However, the range of drinks any particular bar offers will depend on the skill and experience of the barman or female bartender.

This service is offered by numerous catering establishments and also for special occasions – hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs, banquets, clubs, private parties or wedding receptions and even by many reputed airlines. Drinks mixed by bartenders range from those based on internationally recognized, mixed drink recipes and names, to the ones created exclusively by a resident bartender. In many cases, the bartender must be skilled enough to create a drink based on the specific requests of patrons. There are special bartending training programs offered by several bartending schools or institutions and even by some reputed hotels around the world. Tending bar is a specialized profession and skilled bartenders are much sought after.

Bars and clubs everywhere attribute their success to the quality of the bartending service they provide. The basis of this quality is in the bar’s training programs. Poorly trained bartenders will offer poor service, whereas well trained bartenders will offer exceptional service, and will be adept at mixing a wide variety of drinks. Some barkeeps these days are also skilled flair bartenders, offering exciting entertainment for the patrons. Most places in the world offer bar services of some kind, so bartenders are in high demand. At the very least, a bartender should have enough bartending training to be able to mix the basic drinks that customers request.

The most important thing for a bartender to remember is to keep things clean. A professionally conducted bartending service is one of the greatest assets an establishment can have. When you next visit a bar or club, and while you’re there enjoying yourself and having a few drinks, give the bartender a nod, because it’s his skill and art that enables you to have a good time.

Wine enthusiasts around the world consider French wine to be superior and they are considered the benchmark by which other wines are measured. There are many varieties of wines, the more commonly known ones are red, white, rose and champagne.

There are literally thousands of vineyards that produce wine throughout thirteen different regions in France. France is also known for having the ideal location for growing grapes. The vineyards are very close to the water and the soil conditions are perfect. The climate in France is also idealic for grape growing and therefore makes it one of the best locations in the world for wine.

Wines are usually classified according to the grape varieties used to make them. One grape variety, the Barbera, is often used for red wine. This variety is grown mainly in Piedmont, Italy, but is quite adaptable to other regions, and is also grown on a limited scale in the United States. Barbera grapes produce wines with a full-bodied fruity taste as they have a high natural acidity.

Wine enthusiasts know about one variety of grapes that are widely grown in many parts of the world – Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown primarily in Medoc, France, this grape variety has found its way to California, Australia and other wine-making countries. Wine enthusiasts would consider Cabernet Sauvignon wines to be among the best red wines in the world. Among the white varieties, the Chardonnay is easily the most popular, producing some of the world’s finest white wines. These French wine varieties are very popular when dining.

French wine varies from the rare varieties, which can be very difficult to find, to the most common types that you can find in wine stores everywhere. If you are looking for one of the rarer varieties of French wine, the Internet is always a good source of information. Rare vintage French wine can be extremely hard to find, but by looking at the many different wine websites and wine forums, you may find what you are looking for.

All in all, French wine is a cut above the rest. Other wines may use the same ingredients and methods in production, but they don’t taste the same as those made in France. You can impress your friends with a little knowledge and fool proof wine values. When you taste a wine that was made in France – you’ll know it, because French wine has a taste and aroma like no other.