The Wine Primer

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noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Tue, 02 Jan 2001 02:28:00 +0000

Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Thu, 13 Jan 2000 04:48:00 +0000

		It is easy to assume that someone or everyone knows more about wine than you do. But as much as others may know about wine, there will always be something about wine that you know that they can never now; and that is what you like. Your taste in food and wine is unlike anyone else's taste. Your taste is not better or worse than anyone else's. Your palate may develop and your taste might change over time and with experience, but it will always be exclusively and uniquely yours. So read the wine reviews and find out what the experts say, then decide for yourself if your taste agrees with theirs. You don't need to know much about wine to enjoy it, but I believe that the better you understand wine, the more you will enjoy it. I've designed this Primer to provide a basic understanding of wine and the customs that surround it.
There are no standards of taste in wine... Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard. ~ Mark Twain

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How Wine is Made

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Mon, 20 Sep 1999 14:23:00 +0000

The diagrams below illustrate the process of making red and white wines. There are many variations on the wine-making process, but these descriptions are representative of the process used for the majority of wines. We have been making wine for thousands of years and the basic process is unchanged; grapes are crushed, the juice is allowed to ferment, and then we drink it. The process used today is obviously a bit more involved. Great care is taken to regulate each step in the process to insure a consistent product. Do not be mislead into thinking that making wine is simply a matter of equipment and process. Making wine is an art, and the wine maker’s judgement and experience enter into the process at every stage. When to harvest, which grapes to harvest, how long to ferment, what blending is needed, etc., are critical to the quality of the final product.

Red Wine

(1) The first step in the making process is destemming and crushing the grapes.

(2) The crushed grapes then go to the fermenter where yeast convert the natural sugars in the grapes to alcohol. Although yeast occurs naturally on the grapes’ skin, yeast is added to start the fermentation. It is at this stage that the wine becomes red. Almost all wine grapes have white juice. During fermentation the white juice is in contact with the skins from which the wine derives its color and most of the other characteristics of red wine.

(3) After fermentation the pulp or “must” is pressed to remove the remaining juice and to separate the juice from the skins.

(4) Next the wine is clarified to remove particles left over from fermentation. Some winemakers use “finings”, a substance such as gelatin that cause particles to clump together and fall to the bottom of the settling tank. Although it requires more time, the particles can be allowed to fall naturally to the bottom of the settling tank without the use of finings.

(5) The wine is now transferred to oak barrels for aging. The wine spends anything from a few weeks to a few years aging. Wines aged in oak barrels slowly accumulate vanillin and othersubstances from the wood which contribute to the wine’s overall character.

(6) The last step is filtering and bottling. Most wines are filtered prior to bottling. This removes all remaining particulate matter and renders the wine clear. Some wines are aged for an additional period in the bottle.

White Wine

The process of making white wine is similar to that of red wine, but differs in the order of two of the key steps.

(1) As with red wine, the first step in making white wine is to destem and crush the grapes. Notice that the next two steps are reversed from the red-wine making process.

(2) The pulp now goes to the press (rather than the fermenter) where the juice is extracted from the berries.

(3) Now separated from the skins, the juice alone goes to the fermenter. Since the juice is not in contact with the skins, the juice remains clear and the wine is white.

(4) As with red wine, the wine now goes to the settling tank for clarification. (5) After clarification the wine is transferred to oak barrels for aging. Not all white wines are aged in oak. Some are aged in stainless steel tanks.

(6) The wine is now filtered and bottled

Grape Varieties

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Wed, 15 Sep 1999 21:39:00 +0000

There are hundreds of varieties of grapes, but the majority of the wine in the world is made from relatively few varieties. The lists below are just a sampling of the many varieties of grapes used in the production of wine. You would not be alone if you did not recognize the names of many of these varieties. Click on a grape variety to see a detailed taste profile and typeical food pairings for wines made from the grape.

Almost all wine grapes have white or clear juice. It is the wine-making process that determines whether the wine is red or white. While the wine-making process also controls sweetness and other taste characteristics, for the most part it is the grape variety that determines the basic characteristics of the wine. So, while it is possible to produce a sweet, white Zinfandel, most wines made from the Zinfandel grape are dark red, dry wines.

The chart below attempts to show the basic characteristics of wines made from eight of the most popular grape varieties. Before anyone raises their hand to complain, I admit without reservation that this chart is imperfect. However, I believe that it is sufficiently representative of these wines that it will be useful to the casual wine drinker.

When you first begin to drink wine you are most likely to prefer wines to the left on this chart. That seems to be the way most of us start out. As our palates mature, most of our tastes will begin to move to the right, preferring dryer rather than sweeter wines. Once we reach the red wines about two-thirds of the way across the chart we will begin to encounter tannins, a byproduct of how red wines are made. Some of us will never acquire a taste for wines in this category, while others will come to appreciate the complexity of these big, red wines.

Each of these grapes has distinctive taste and aroma characteristics. As with the chart above, the chart below is not a perfect representation, but it should serve to help the casual wine drinker understand the basic differences between these varieties.

Cabernet Sauvignon	Distinctive black currant flavor with a hint of mint and cedar. Ranges from medium bodied to full bodied; dry and tannic.
Zinfandel	Has a unique flavor, intense peppery fruitiness and a vibrant color; deliciously dry.
Merlot	Medium- to Full-bodied, less tannic than Cabernet, dry, black cherry, red and ripe summer fruits.
Syrah/Shiraz	Intense, with deep violet, nearly black color, chewy texture and richness, with aromas that tend to be more spicy than they are fruity.
Pinot Noir	Medium- to Light-bodied, earthy, hint of herbs, aromas of red fruit cherries, game, licorice, smoke and earth.
Sauvignon Blanc	Sharp, tangy, gooseberry is the predominant flavor, undertones of grass, nettles, elderflower and asparagus; dry and acidic.
Chardonnay	Buttery, lemon flavors, sometimes nutty, often with a strong hint of tropical fruit.
Pinot Grigio	Delicately fragrant and mildly floral with lightly lemon-citrus flavors. Can be tangy and light or rich, round and full bodied.
Riesling	Aromatic, displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas of peach, appricot and/or apples, as well as high acidity.

Appellation

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Fri, 10 Sep 1999 18:32:00 +0000

You say potato, I say patahto. You say appellation I say American Viticultural Area. Whatever you call it, every serious wine producing country has one. It’s a recognition that those things that happen to a grape while it’s growing determine how wine tastes. I was with a winemaker the other evening and he said that what he does as a winemaker contributes only about 10% to the quality of the finished wine. The other 90% is determined by the characteristics of the grapes. It’s all about terroir.

Terroir

Terroir [tehr-WAHR] is French for "soil," but the word has come to mean much more in the vocabulary of wine. In wine terminology it refers not only to the type of soil the grapes are grown in (chalky, claylike, gravelly, sandy, etc.) but also to all other viticulture, geographic, climatic and environmental factors that influence the grapes while growing. While there is debate as to the degree of influence the grape’s terroir has on the wine, it is beyond question that grapes from some vineyards produce better wines than those same grape varieties grown in other, sometimes quite nearby, vineyards; all other things being equal.

Appellation
The concept of terroir is the basis for the old world concept of appellation; that is that wines from different regions can be distinctive and unique, independent of wine making technique. This concept of regional uniqueness has grown into the highly regulated European appellation systems that we are familiar with today, including such famous appellations as Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux in France, Chianti in Italy and Rioja in Spain.

American Viticultural AreaIn the United States the terroir concept is reflected in our system of American Viticultural Areas (AVA) such as Stags Leap, Lodi, Paso Robles and Napa Valley. There are about 200 AVAs in the United States, with more than 60 of them in California. AVAs come in all sizes, the Texas Hill Country AVA contains approximately 15,000 square miles, while the Cole Ranch AVA, located in Mendocino California, covers less than a quarter of a square mile. Federal guidelines require that 85% of the grapes in a wine have to come from an AVA in order to use that AVA name on the bottle. California state guidelines are more stringent, requiring 100% of the grapes come from a California AVA before its name can be used on the bottle.

Regardless of the actual term used in a particular country, the term appellation is generally accepted shorthand. Pay attention to the appellation when you find a wine you like. The odds are good that you may like wines made from the same grape, but produced by other makers within that same appellation.

Palate Progression - Knowing What You Like

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Sun, 25 Jul 1999 14:59:00 +0000

You’ve probably heard some food or drink described as being an “acquired taste”, implying that the average person would not appreciate the flavor. This is another way of describing what is called palate progression or maturing of the palate. As it pertains to wine, this means the progression from liking only sweet, white wines to being able to appreciate a complex, tannic red wine. The good news is that this is not something you have to work at, for most people it’s a natural progression that happens gradually and without their notice. When you drink wine, your palate encounters four sensations: sweetness, body, tartness and astringency.

Sweetness : Sweet is the opposite of dry, that is a sweet wine is called sweet and a wine that is not sweet is called dry. We typically assume that sweetness is cause by the presence of sugar, however what I like to call apparent sweetness can also be caused by excessive fruitiness. Even though the two sensations are very different; sweetness being noticeable on the tip of the tongue and fruit coming mostly from smell, both can be perceived as sweet.

Body: Body is our perception of what is called a wine’s weight in the mouth. Wines are described on the one extreme as light, implying little or no feeling of body or weight in the mouth, and on the other extreme as full bodied, implying a significant feeling of body or weight. Note that body is a feeling, involving the sense of touch, rather than a taste. Body is mostly correlated with alcohol content, the higher the alcohol content the greater the sensation of weight or body.

Tartness: Tartness is caused by the acid content of the wine. Sometimes perceived as crispness, a wine’s acidity must be properly balanced; too much acidity and the wine tastes too tart; too little and the wine tastings heavy and uninteresting. Like body, acidity is more felt in the mouth than actually tasted, but it is critical to the overall sensation of how a wine tastes.

Astringency: Astringency is a puckering, dehydrated sensation that we get from some young red wines. This sensation is caused by something called tannins, which occur naturally in grape skins and seeds. Wine with an abundance of tannins is called tannic. In wine terminology, the opposite of tannic is soft. Because red wines are left in contact with the skin and seeds during fermentation, red wines are more tannic than white wines. Grape varieties vary in the amount of tannins they contain. As a rule the more fruity tasting grape varieties have the fewest tannins. For example Beaujolais Nouveau, made from the Gamay grape, is very low in tannins, while Cabernet Sauvignon has more tannins than most other wine grape varieties.

While this is obviously a generalization, a wine drinker’s taste will progress as follows.

Complete Description of Taste Profile	Shorthand Description
Sweet, light body red or white wines	sweet red or white
Crisp, fruity, light body white wines	crisp white
Drier, crisp, medium body white wines	drier white
Fruity, soft, medium body red wines	fruity red
Soft, semi-dry, medium body red wines	soft red
Dry, full body red wines with mild tannins	dry red
Dry, full body red wines with pronounced tannins	big red

Wine, as most alcoholic beverages, is an acquired taste. Most of the important elements of a great wine: acidity, alcohol, fruit and tannins, are not necessarily tastes for which we have a natural affinity. Give a child a taste of wine and they will likely spit it out. Give a novice wine drinker the choice between white Zinfandel and a big, grand cru Bordeaux and they will pick the white Zinfandel every time. If you always drink the same wine, your palate will not evolve. To experience the progression from sweet white, to big red wines, you must expose your palate to unfamiliar sensations by trying different wines. As with most things, your palate will only improve with practice.

Knowing where your taste is at any particular time can be useful when asking a waiter or sommelier for a wine recommendation. It will be helpful to let them know the kind of wines you prefer. The shorthand description above should be all they need to help you find something you’ll like. Click here to find where your palate is.

Tannins

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:22:00 +0000

Tannins are the reason that many people don’t like red wine. When you drink a young Cabernet Sauvignon, that puckery, astringent feeling that fills your mouth is caused by the tannins in the wine. Notice I didn’t say that you taste the tannins. Tannins are tasteless and odorless; you feel rather than taste them. Tannins contribute (or detract) from what is called the mouth feel of wine. There is a tendency to confuse tannic with dry. Dry means not sweet, as in low sugar content. A dry wine can also be tannic, but all dry wines are not tannic.

Tannins react with proteins, such as the ones found in saliva, causing the astringent sensation in your mouth. Tannic red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, are frequently paired with high protein foods, such as red meat, to minimize the wine’s astringency. Some wine drinkers like the mouth feel that moderate amounts of tannins provide, most novice wine drinkers do not. The control of tannins is a key factor in producing quality red wines.

Tannins occur naturally in the skin, stems and seeds of wine grapes and to a lesser degree in the oak barrels in which wine is aged. The amount of natural tannins found in grapes varies with the variety; Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah being among the most tannic grape varieties. Both red and white wine grapes contain tannins. However since the process of making white wine immediately separates the juice from the grape skin and seeds, very few tannins are transferred to white wine. On the other hand, the process of making red wine requires the juice be left in contact with the grape skin and seeds for a long period of time. This prolonged contact with the grape skin and seeds contributes the red color and much of the complexity that characterizes red wines. It also allows tannins to be transferred to the red wine.

As a wine ages, its tannins will be chemically transformed and become softer to the taste. Tannins also act as a preservative, protecting the wine as it ages. So highly tannic wines require aging before they can be fully enjoyed and those same tannins protect the wine from spoilage during the aging process. There are artificial methods of removing tannins during the wine making process as well as artificial methods of increasing them if desired.

Reading Wine Labels

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:41:00 +0000

The label on a wine bottle tells you everything you need to know about the wine, accept of course whether or not you are going to like it. This discussion will deal with the labeling of New World wines, that is primarily non-European wines that are labeled in English. Old world wines labels are at best difficult for English-speaking consumers. Besides the added complexity of their not being in English, Old World labels frequently do not contain the grape varieties from which the wine is made and use terms unique to the countries of origin. New World wine labels, while much more “user-friendly”, can still be confusing. The fictitious label below contain just about every type of information that you will find on a New World wine label. While some of the information is regulated by law, much is unregulated and may or may not appear on the label of your wine.

Brand Name: The Brand-Name is only that, the name that the winemaker has given to this product. A brand name is not required and most wines do not have one. However blended wines that contain less than 75% of a single variety may not be labeled as a varietal. So for many blended wines a brand name must substitute for a varietal name.

Variety: The variety of grape from which a wine is made. The wine may be a blend of more than one variety, but may still be labeled as a single variety wine if that variety constitutes at least 75% of the wine.

Quality Designation: There are a variety of terms that may appear here: reserve, select, etc., all meant to convey that there is something special about the wine that increases its quality. This something special could be extra attention from the winemaker during the cultivation or harvesting of the grapes, during the wine making process, etc. Since this terminology is unregulated, it should not be used to compare wines of different winemakers. For example, the reserve wine of winemaker A may not be better than the non-reserve wine of winemaker B. However, the reserve wine of winemaker A should be better than the non-reserve wine of that same winemaker.

Geographic Origin: Also referred to as Appellation. The geographic region where the wine’s grapes were grown. Since soil and climate determine the character of grapes, knowing where the grapes were grown is important. There may be varying degrees of detail of this type. The label could simply read California, a very broad geographic designation that doesn’t tell you much. The example is very specific, indicating that the wine came from a specific vineyard (Round Top) within a specific district or AVA (Stags Leap) within Napa Valley. So if you are a fan of Stags Leap wines, you would know this wine might interest you.

Vintage: The year in which the wine grapes were harvested, not the year the wine was made or bottled. By law, if a vintage is shown, 95% of the wine must be made from grapes grown in the harvest year. Wines that do not meet these guidelines are marked NV for Non-Vintage or simply do not show a vintage on the label. With some significant exceptions, you may find 'nearby' vintages very similar. Modern viticulture and production methods have reduced, although not eliminated, dramatic year-to-year variation.

Maker: The company that produces the wine. Some companies do not grow, harvest or crush their own grapes or for that matter actually make the wine. They pay someone else to do it to their specifications and then put their company’s name on the bottle. So, maker tells you the name of the company, but not much else. Processing: A producer that grew the grapes, fermented the wine, and bottled the wine entirely within the appellation where the grapes were grown can label their wine “estate bottled”. Phrases such as “cellared and bottled by” or “vinted and bottled by” mean that the bottling winery did not ferment or produce the wine, but bottled it.

Filtering: A process used to clarify wine just prior to bottling. The purpose of filtering is to remove yeast cells and other microorganisms that could spoil the wine, as well as any remaining sediment that would keep it from being crystal clear, which is what most of us expect. Some winemakers believe that filtering removes some of a wine’s flavor and body along the sediment. An unfiltered wine has undergone other processes such as centrifuging, cold stabilization, fining or racking to remove particles from the wine. Unfiltered wines, which are usually labeled “unfiltered”, often leave a small deposit of sediment in the bottle and may be cloudy in the glass.

Sulfites: Sulfites are often used as preservatives in wines to retard spoilage and oxidation. Some people are allergic to sulfites and have varying unpleasant reactions to them. Sulfites occur naturally in almost all wines, so organic wines are not necessarily sulfite-free. Wines in the US must be labeled as containing sulfites if they contain more than 10 parts per million.

Alcohol Content: The alcohol in wine is as important as the grape itself. It doesn’t just affect how you feel, it affects the wine’s taste, texture, and structure. In the United States table wine is between 11% and 14% alcohol by volume. The law permits a 1.5% margin of error, so a wine labeled 12.5% can have as little as 11% and as much as 14% alcohol by volume.

Bottle Sizes

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Sun, 18 Jul 1999 14:49:00 +0000

While we don’t encounter much other than the standard 750 milliliter wine bottle, there are a surprising number of sizes out there. Metric standards for wine bottles have been in use in the United States since 1979. The size of the standard metric wine bottle has an historic precedent. A "fifth" (1/5 of a gallon or 4/5 of a quart) is 25.6 ounces. Converted to milliliters and rounded for convenience you get 750 ml or 25.4 ounces. So the standard metric wine bottle is roughly equivalent to the old English standard of the fifth.

Many of these are very large format bottles bearing the names of Biblical figures like the evil king Nebuchadnezzar, the long-lived Methuselah and the priest-king Melchizedek. Although the names originated with the French, I haven’t been able to find a rationale for these names in my research.

Split: A split bottle is a quarter of a standard 750 ml bottle of wine, or 187.5 ml. Though you can find a few expensive wines in splits, this size is mostly used for sparkling wine.

Half: As the name implies the half-bottle is 375 ml or half the size of the standard bottle. The half bottle is becoming more common on restaurant menus.

Standard: This is the typical or standard 750 ml (3/4 liter) wine bottle.

Magnum: A magnum holds a liter and a half and is the equivalent of two standard bottles. The magnum-size bottle is fairly common, especially for sparkling wines, but it is the largest format that can be said for.

Double Magnum: Double magnums hold three liters or the equivalent of four standard bottles.

Jeroboam: A Jeroboam, also called a Rehoboam, holds four and a half liters or six standard bottles. Our first biblical reference, Jeroboam was the first king of the northern Israelite kingdom.

Methuselah: A Methuselah holds six liters or eight standard bottles of wine. The bottles from here forward are rarely seen. Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

Salamanzar: The Salamanzar holds nine liters or 12 standard bottles. Salamanzar was a king of Assyria

Balthazar: A Balthazar bottle holds 12 liters of wine or 16 standard bottles. Balthazar was one of the three wise men.

Nebuchadnezzar: This monster holds a whopping 20 standard bottles of wine, or about 16 liters. Nebuchadnezzar was a Babylonian king.

Melchior: Even bigger, a Melchior holds 18 liters or 24 standard bottles. Melchior was another of the three wise men.

Solomon: I’m not sure how wise it is, but a Solomon holds 20 liters or the equivalent of 27 standard-sized bottles of wine. Solomon was a wise king of Israel.

Sovereign: The sovereign contains approximately 25 liters or 33 1/3 standard-sized bottles of wine. I wonder why the odd 1/3 bottle at this point?

Primat: Almost the largest size bottle, the Primat contains 27 liters or 36 standard bottles of wine. Primat appears as if it might be derived from the Latin primas, implying this is as big as bottles get. But there’s still one size that’s larger.

Melchizedek: Finally, the biggest of them all is the Melchizedek. A Melchizedek holds an unbelievable 30 liters of wine or 40 standard 750 ml bottles. Melchizedek was a priest-king in the time of Abram.

These very large format bottles are not very practical and are created as much for show, special occasions and decoration as anything else. Consider for example the weight of some of these bottles. One liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds. So just the contents of the largest bottle, the Melchizedek, weighs 66 pounds. The three-foot plus tall bottle itself has got to weight 30 or more pounds, so you’re looking at a bottle of wine approaching 100 pounds.

Varietals & Blends

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Thu, 15 Jul 1999 14:46:00 +0000

In general, a varietal wine is a wine made from a single grape variety and a blended wine is a wine made from more than one grape variety. Blended wines are not something new and they are in no way inferior to varietal wines. In fact the Europeans have been blending wines for centuries and some of the most famous and most expensive wines in the world, like Bordeaux, are blended wines.

While it seems like a contradiction in terms, some varietal wines are in fact blended with other varieties. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon is traditionally blended with various combinations of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot to soften it and improve its drinkability at a younger age. Varietals are blended to improve the end product without significantly changing the varietal characteristics of the wine. It is not always obvious from the label that a particular varietal wine is in fact a blend. As long as the wine contains 75% or more of the principal variety, U.S. law allows it to be labeled as if it was unblended. This allowable percentage varies by country, but all are in the area of 75% to 80%.

By contrast, non-varietal wines are blended to create something altogether new. The intent is to create a wine whose character is different from any of its constituent grape varieties. For example, Francis Coppola produces a wine that is 47% Zinfandel, 32%, Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Syrah. Coppola’s intent was not to create an improved Zinfandel, but to create something completely different. Drinking this blend you get suggestions of each of the three varieties, but the wine is like none of them.

So what’s in a name? If it’s not a Zinfandel or a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah then what do you call it? Many of these non-varietal blended wines are labeled with one of the popular generic terms designating a blend; cuvee, claret, meritage, or just table wine. Others are given proprietary brand-names like Trilogy or Signature or in the case of the Coppola wine above, Rosso Classic. But in either case, the name doesn’t convey much information about the makeup of the wine, other than it’s not a varietal.

Many producers will disclose the actual content of their non-varietal blended wines on the label. Fewer, but some, will disclose the content of their varietal blends. This type of information will ordinarily appear on the back label, but occasionally it will show up on the front. So the next time you buy a bottle of wine, read both the front and back labels. You may be surprised what’s in there.

Sparkling Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Tue, 13 Jul 1999 17:33:00 +0000

Asked when she drank Champagne, Lily Bollinger, 'grand Dame' of Champagne replied: “I only drink champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty.”

Sparkling wine is made all over the world, but it’s only the sparkling wine that’s made in the tiny Champagne region of France that is called Champagne. Champagne and Champagne-like sparkling wines are made primarily from one or a combination of chardonnay and pinot noir. If the wine is made from 100% chardonnay, it is called a Blanc de Blanc, meaning white wine from white grapes. If it is made from 100% pinot noir it is called a Blanc de Noir, meaning white wine from red grapes. If it’s made from a combination of the two it is called a Rosé.

Producing sparkling wines is a time and labor-intensive process. The process starts with regular chardonnay and pinot noir wine, made in the normal way. The still (non-bubbly) wine is put in bottles along with yeast and a small amount of sugar and allowed to ferment a second time. It is this second fermentation that produces the natural carbonation. When the wines have aged appropriately they are put upside-down in special racks and turned slightly (called riddling) several times a day. This causes the sediment from the second fermentation to settle into the neck of the bottle. The neck of the bottle is then frozen, causing a plug of ice to form in the neck containing the sediment. The bottles are then uncorked and the pressure inside the bottle blows out the frozen plug. The bottles are then topped-off with still wine and resealed.

Champagne was invented in the 17th century but not, as is popularly believed, by a Benedictine monk named Dom Pérignon. In fact, the Dom worked hard to prevent bubbles. Secondary fermentation sometimes occurred naturally, and the carbonation was breaking a lot of bottles back in the Dom’s day. His contribution to Champagne was the creation of thicker bottles that didn’t explode and the idea of tying-down the cork.

Sparkling wines are produced with varying degrees of dryness (lack of sweetness). The driest (least sweet) are labeled as Extra Brut or Brut Naturale. Brut is only slightly less dry and is the typical style of Champagne. For some reason wines labeled Extra Dry are less dry than Brut. Those labeled Sec will have just a hint of sweetness, while those labeled Demi-sec will be fairly sweet. These are not absolute terms. While a wine labeled Extra Brut will be the driest produced by a particular maker, it may be more or less sweet than the Extra Brut of another maker.

Serve sparkling wine well chilled in a glass called a flute. This tall, slender glass will hold the carbonation and enhance the bubbles. Never use wide mouthed, saucer shaped glasses. Pouring sparkling wine is a two-step process. The first pour should be only an inch or so. Let the foam dissipate, then fill the glass the rest of the way. If you try to fill the glass with one pour it will almost always overflow (or be only half full). Don't refill the glass until it’s nearly empty. This way there will be less warm wine in the glass to take the chill off of cold wine from the bottle.

Dessert Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Mon, 12 Jul 1999 17:44:00 +0000

Dessert wines are sweet wines served with or instead of dessert. In the United States a dessert wine is legally defined as any wine over 14%, alcohol (the alcohol level of table wine). That would include fortified wines, such as sherry and port, and would exclude dessert wines made with lower levels of alcohol. All that being said, the typical understanding of a desert wine is one made by either freezing or rotting the grapes.

In cold climates, grapes can be left on the vine until the temperature falls below 19º. At that temperature, much of the water freezes out of the grapes, leaving the sugar and other solids behind. Pressing the grapes while they are frozen produces a very concentrated juice that results in very sweet wines. The most famous ice wines are German Eiswein and Canadian ice wine, but ice wines are also made in the United States, Australia, France and other countries.

Sauternes, one of the most famous dessert wines in the world, is made from moldy grapes; specifically grapes infested with the botrytis cinerea fungus. Botrytis cinerea, the French euphemistically call it the noble rot, sucks the water out of the grapes and leaves behind the sugar. It also introduces the flavors of apricots and honey to the grapes. Besides Sauternes, noble rot is responsible for the German Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) classification of wines as well as wines from many other countries (see the Cellar Notes section of www.lifeisacabernet.net/rieslingwine.html for more on BA and TBA wines). A quick word of warning. Do not confuse Sauternes with Sauterne. Sauterne (without the final “s”) is an intentional misspelling of the name of the French wine, Sauternes. Sauterne is typically a low-quality wine, completely unlike Sauternes.

It takes time for the botrytis cinerea to do its thing, so noble-rot wines are usually harvested late in the season. It is for this reason that you will often hear sweet wines referred to as late-harvest wines. Ice wines are also sometimes referred to as late harvest since in many climates the grapes have to be left on the vines waiting for a freeze to occur.. The first noble rot and ice wines were probably created by accident. A harvest is delayed, mold forms on the grapes or the grapes freeze, the grapes are used anyway and viola, they found themselves with a delicious sweet wine. Unfortunately, the yield from frozen and noble-rot grapes is small, so dessert wines of these types are relative expensive.

When serving a desert wine, the general rule is that the wine should be sweeter than the food it is served with. If the food is sweeter than the wine, the wine may taste bitter. A good dessert wine can be a dessert in itself, so don’t hesitate to serve a good dessert wine to your guests as the only dessert. If you want to pair a dessert wine with a dessert, bakery sweets, like almond biscuits make a good match, as do poached pairs, sweet melons like honeydew, fruits such as apples, cherries, peaches, etc. or tart desserts made from these fruits. Beyond dessert, sweet wines also pair well with some savory dishes, like foie gras and pates that are traditional paired with Sauternes. I sometimes enjoy a dessert wine as an aperitif, but not everyone would. There are both red and white dessert wines. White dessert wines are generally served chilled, but not too cold. Red dessert wines are served only slightly chilled. Since dessert wines are intensely sweet, they are typically served in very small quantities (two ounces or less) and usually in an aperitif-style glass.

Port Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Sun, 11 Jul 1999 17:50:00 +0000

Port wine is a sweet, fortified wine, often thought of as a dessert wine. Port style wines are produced in several countries, but only wines from the Douro region of Portugal are labeled as “Porto”. The pretenders are often labeled as “Port” rather than “Porto”. Port wines are fortified with the addition of distilled spirits, often cognac, in order to boost their alcohol content. The higher alcohol content was originally needed to preserve the wine during sea voyages. The wine gets its name from the seaport city of Porto, the port from which much of it was originally exported. There are two primary categories of Port, vintage and non-vintage (or wood) Ports.

Vintage Ports are wines which are kept in wood barrels only very briefly and are then aged in the bottle. Vintage Ports must be bottled two years after the harvest. The words "Vintage Porto" must appear together on the label, in large print and on the same line. This designation distinguishes a vintage Port from those non-vintage Ports which also show a vintage date on their label. Vintage Ports are medium-to-full bodied, with an elegance and richness not found in non-vintage Port. As a rule vintage Ports need to be at least 10-15 years old before they are considered ready-to-drink.

Most Vintage Ports are blended. As with any blended wine, the goal of blending is to create a whole that is better than the sum of its parts. The character of Ports will vary from producer to producer; each Port house having a unique style that remains consistent throughout the entire range of product -- from Ruby through Tawny to their Vintage Port. Port houses only declare a vintage product in the best years. Only about 2% of Ports are vintage.

Non-vintage Ports are those that do not meet the requirements of a vintage Port. Non-vintage Ports include wines such as Ruby, Tawny and White Ports. Ruby Ports are generally the youngest Ports. The designation comes from the bright ruby-garnet color of these wines. Fruity with noticeable sweetness, these are sometimes served as an aperitif. or with fruity-sweet deserts. Bottle aging does not improve Ruby ports and they are considered ready-to-drink once bottled. While not improving in the bottle, Rubies will last reasonably well after opening.

Tawny Ports are older, lighter in both body and drier than Rubies. Again the designation comes from their amber color. Tawnies are usually produced by combining various older Port wines. There are two primary kinds of Tawnies, those with no statement of age and older Tawnies with a specific statement of age. The only age statements legally permitted are: 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-Year Old Port. Older Tawnies are drier, paler in color and exhibit a more elegant bouquet and subtle flavor than their younger brethren. They are also more expensive. Tawny Ports, like Rubies, do not improve in the bottle, but will last once open. Tawny Ports are typically served after dinner, either alone or with delicate, flavorful desserts.

As you might expect, White ports are made from white-wine rather than red-wine grapes. White ports come in two varieties, dry and sweet, and should be served cool or cold. White Ports are not very popular in the United States and you may have trouble finding one at a restaurant. If you do find one, the odds are the bar tender won’t know to serve it to you chilled. As with other non-vintage Ports, white Ports don’t improve with age, but will last after opening.

Serving Temperature

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Tue, 25 May 1999 14:54:00 +0000

The right temperature is very important to the full appreciation of any wine. The correct temperature for a given wine is warm enough to allow the aromatic compounds to develop the bouquet yet cold enough to balance the acidity and alcohol content. Both red and white wines that are too warm will taste harsh and unappealing. When too cold, there will be no aroma, and aroma is a major constituent of taste. The most common mistake is to serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. The concept of “room temperature” is misleading. Unless you live in an unheated chateau in France, the temperature of your room is probably warmer than that at which red wine should be served.

Style of Wine	Degrees Fahrenheit
Simple, crisp, dry white wines	40-45
Heavier white wines	50-55
Light red wines	50-55
Heavier red wines	60-65

These are round numbers. A few degrees one way or another are not significant. The above are serving temperatures and not storage temperatures. Wine should be stored from 5 to 10 degrees (depending on environment) below the serving temperature to adjust for temperature increase during service.

Serving Order

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Thu, 20 May 1999 14:58:00 +0000

When we serve (or drink) more than one kind of wine, the order in which we serve them is important. The first wine consumed will influence the taste of the second; the second will influence the taste of the third, etc. The object of the serving order is to minimize these effects. After drinking or eating something sweet (or sour, salty, etc.) the sensation of sweetness persists on our palate. If we drink a dry wine shortly after drinking a sweet wine, the contrast between the sweet taste lingering on our palate and the dry wine will result in the dry wine tasting sour. If we were to drink a white wine after a red wine the white wine will taste thin or flat because white wines do not present the same range of complex flavors or aromas as reds.

Here are three expressions of serving order. The one on the left is very simple and easy to remember. As long as your wine list is equally simple, this way of thinking about ordering the wine will suffice. The other two are progressively more complicated, but will enable you to deal with a more complicated selection of wines.

Serving Order
Simple	More Complete	Most Complete
Dry Before Sweet	Sparkling	Young before Old
White Before Red	Light White Wine	Light Before Full Bodied
	Heavy White Wine	Coolest before warmest
	Rose	Low to High Alcohol
	Light Red Wine	White to Red
	Heavy Red Wine	Dry to Sweet
	Sweet Wine

These rules may not handle every situation and in those cases the tastes of the server have to be applied.

Decanting

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Sat, 15 May 1999 15:20:00 +0000

Its becoming trendy to decant. You see it happening more and more often at restaurants. So what is decanting and why do it? Decanting is simply transferring wine from the bottle to another container and there are only a couple of reasons to do it.

Reasons to Decant
The most prevalent reason for decanting is to expose it to air (allow a wine to breath). For a young wine simply pouring the wine into the glass and swirling it is sufficient to bring out its aromatic qualities.

For an older wine this is usually not sufficient. Pouring the wine from the bottle down the inside of the decanter exposes a large percentage of the wine to air in a very brief amount of time. However, even when decanted in this manner, an old wine may need to rest in the decanter for 30 minutes to an hour (longer for very old wines) before it starts to release aromatics that create the all important aromas of the wine.

The second reason for decanting is to remove sediment or other debris from a bottle of wine. As red wine ages sediments form in the wine and fall to the bottom of the bottle. These sediments are extremely astringent and unpleasant and need to be removed before the wine can be consumed. Careful decanting can remove these sediments. Usually only old red wines benefit from decanting. However some newer red wines may be improved by decanting them. If you have a red wine that just doesn’t taste the way you think it should, try decanting it and letting it rest for an hour or so. In some cases this will dramatically improve the wine.

The Decanter

Decanting is not difficult if a little care is taken. The decanter should be large enough to hold about twice the amount of wine that you plan to put in it. This will allow the wine to come into contact with the greatest amount of air. Decanters usually have a broad base to create a large surface area for the wine, and a small neck to collect aromas that form and to facilitate pouring the wine. While necessary to the function of a decanter, this design also makes them very unwieldy when trying to pour the wine from the decanter into the glass. If you are going to purchase a decanter, look for one that is a good compromise between function and ease of use.

Plan Ahead

If your reason for decanting includes removing sediment, you need to plan ahead. The bottle to be decanted should be removed from the rack and stood upright for at least 24 hours before decanting. This is necessary to allow the sediments to settle in the very bottom of the bottle. Try not to disturb the wine too much when removing it from the rack so that the sediment is not mixed back into the wine. When you are ready to decant treat the wine very gingerly so that you don’t stir up the sediments that have now settled to the bottom of the bottle.

Transferring the Wine

Decanting should be done in a well lit area or in front of a good light source. Tradition says use a candle, but candles are messy and it really doesn’t matter what light source you use as long as it is a

good one. Now you are going to hold the decanter in one hand and the wine bottle in the other and, in front of the light source, you are going to slowly, very slowly pour the wine from the bottle into the decanter. Doing this in front of the light source enables you to see the wine pass through the neck of the bottle and into the decanter. You are watching for any sign of the sediment trying to come out with the wine.

If you decant very slowly, tipping the bottle only as much as necessary to move the wine from it into the decanter, the sediments will stay in the bottom of the bottle. You may have to sacrifice the last inch or so of wine because it will be heavily contaminated with the sediments. Don’t try to decant this last little bit or you will end up with sediment in the decanter and have undone all that you’ve done. And, by the time the sediment resettles, the wine will have been over exposed to air and will be much the worse for it. If you are unsure that you can accomplish this feat, then you can simply pour the wine through a fine filter to remove the sediments. This is very unglamorous, especially if you use a paper coffee filter, but works pretty well.

To make this juggling act even a bit more difficult, you should strive to tip the decanter toward the bottle when pouring so the wine runs down the inside of the decanter, rather than free-falling to the bottom. Pouring the wine down the inside of the decanter increases the wine’s exposure to air and shortens the amount of time it will need to rest before you can drink it. Now let the wine rest for 30 minutes to an hour and then enjoy.

Pouring Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Mon, 10 May 1999 15:37:00 +0000

Whether you’re serving wine at home or keeping your guests glasses full at a restaurant, you need to know how to pour a glass of wine. There are three “nots” to pouring: not splashing, not dripping, and not over filling.

Not Splashing
Hold the mouth of the bottle no more than and inch or so above the glass when pouring. Any higher and the wine will splash as it hits the bottom of the glass or the wine remaining in the glass.

Not Dripping
There is something of an art to pouring a glass of wine without dripping it on the table. It takes a bit of practice but it is worth the trouble. As you finish pouring you must simultaneously lift the neck of the bottle while twisting it clockwise about 1/4 turn or so. This will make that nasty little drip fall back into the bottle rather than on the table cloth.

Not Over Filling

For red wine between 4 and 6 ounces and for white wine between 3 and 4 ounces would constitute a full glass of wine. If you use a properly sized and proportioned glass, filling the glass to the point where the bowl begins to curve inward will provide just about this quantity of wine. Over filling the glass reduces the area in which the aromas concentrate, reduces the surface area of the wine exposed to the air and hinders the ability to swirl the wine without spillage.

Preserving Open Bottles

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Wed, 05 May 1999 15:42:00 +0000

How long will wine last once the bottle is open? There are many parameters that can be taken into consideration, but in most cases the answer is simple, not more than 3 or 4 days. As a rule of thumb, the more wine there is in the bottle, the longer it will last. If there is less than a couple of inches of wine in the bottle it won’t keep more than 12 to 24 hours. Once a bottle of wine is opened oxygen in the air starts a process that initially softens the flavors and opens up the wine. These are good things, but as this process continues over many hours and days the wine ultimately oxidizes and becomes undrinkable.

Removing air from the bottle is one way of getting the wine to last. There are a couple of methods available for removing air from an open wine bottle. One, a pump mechanism that doesn’t work that well, and the other a can of Nitrogen gas, that works pretty well. Cans of Nitrogen gas can usually be purchased at wine/liquor stores and are sold under various names. One of the originals is Private Preserve. The concept is simple, fill the bottle with Nitrogen that doen’t react with the wine, pushing out all of the air that does.

Refrigeration can also slow the chemical processes that cause wine to spoil. I find it works well enough, but if you do it with red wines you’ll need to remove them from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes prior to drinking. I don’t know about you, but I typically don’t plan an hour ahead when I want to finish a bottle of wine. If you choose to refrigerate your wine, be sure the bottle is well corked or the wine will smell and taste like your refrigerator.

Wine does not go bad all at once. It goes gradually over a period of days. When you taste the wine on the second day it won’t be completely spoiled but it will not be as pristine as it was the day before. At some point you will detect the spoilage in the nose and taste and that’s when to dispose of it. There is no mistaking the taste of wine spoiled by exposure to the air. The taste of burnt raisins is very distinctive.

Tasting Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Sat, 20 Mar 1999 16:58:00 +0000

There is a difference between drinking and tasting wine. Tasting wine involves taking time to observe and enjoy all of the many aspects that a glass of wine has to offer. Tasting wine involes carefully looking at the wine, consciously smelling the wine, and of course tasting and feeling, yes feeling the wine.

Look at the Wine
Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and observe the color of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass (it's helpful to have a white background - either paper, napkin or a white tablecloth). What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red, brick or even brownish? If it's a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, straw-like, light green, golden, amber or brown in appearance? Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will often have more orange tinges on the edges of color than younger red wines. Older white wines are darker, than younger white wines when comparing the same varietal at different ages.

Smell the Wine
Our sense of smell is critical to tasting a glass of wine. As much as 75% of what we perceive as taste, actually comes from our sense of smell. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, swirl your glass for a solid 10-12 seconds (this helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol and release more of its natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression. Stick your nose down into the glass and inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics. Swirl the wine and let the aromas mix and mingle, and sniff again.

Taste and Feel the Wine
Start with a small sip and let it roll around your mouth. There are three stages of taste: attack, evolution and the finish.

Attack: This is the initial impression that the wine makes on your palate. The Attack is comprised of four elements: alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These elements provide the initial sensations on the palate. Ideally these components will be well-balanced; one not being more prominent than the others. These elements contribute to what is called mouth feel; sensations coming mostly through our sense of touch rather than taste; sensations such as intensity and complexity, softness or firmness, lightness or heaviness, crispness or creaminess, sweetness or dryness.
Evolution: Also called the mid-palate or middle range phase, this is the wine’s secondary impression on the palate. In this phase you will discern the flavor profile of the wine. For red wine you may taste fruit – berry, plum, prune or fig; spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or smokiness. For a white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, or the taste may be more floral or consist of honey, butter, herbs or earthiness.
Finish: The wine's finish or aftertaste is what flavors persist after you swallow and for how long. Did it last several seconds? What was your last flavor impression? Did the taste persist, was it short-lived or was it gone immediately?

Describing Taste

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Mon, 15 Mar 1999 17:03:00 +0000

Taste is not all in your mouth. When we describe how something tastes we not only use terms having to do with our sense of taste, but also terms having to do with smell and how it feels in our mouth. If we were describing how maple syrup tastes we might say it tastes like burnt sugar or caramel (smell), is sweet (taste), and thick and syrupy (mouth feel). It really takes taste, smell and mouth feel to completely describe what we perceive as taste.

Taste: Our sense of taste is limited to five sensations: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and savory. Wine is neither salty nor savory so that just leaves sweet, sour and bitter. To describe combinations of these three sensations we use analogies to familiar things such as describing something as fruity or tasting like blackberries or cherries. Here are common terms used to describe how wine tastes.

Sweet, Sour, Bitter – basic taste sensations
Dry – the opposite of sweet
Fruity – tasting of fruit
Oaky – tasting like a Popsicle stick.
Spicy – earthy, tasting of herbs (not chilies)
Vegetal – tasting of vegetables
Jammy – tasting of berries
Finish - residual taste left in the mouth (after taste)

Smell: Most of what we perceive as taste is actually smell. Recall how unappetizing food was the last time you had a cold. While we perceive only five taste sensations, we can perceive thousands of odors. Of course we don’t talk about how wine smells; we talk about aroma, nose or bouquet. A wine’s nose can contain a surprising variety of smells and we use analogies to familiar odors such as berries, leather, licorice, grapefruit, peaches, etc. to describe it. We might also use some of the terms below.

Floral – smelling of flowers
Fruity – smelling of fruit
Earthy – smelling of dirt humus
Herbaceous/Grass/Green – smelling of grass or of green plant material
Vegetal – smelling of vegetables or plants
Yeasty – smelling of baking bread
Closed/Tight – not being as fragrant as expected
Open – The opposite of closed and tight

Feel: How food feels in our mouth (mouth feel) is an important characteristic of taste. Peanut butter would not “taste” the same if it was thin and watery. We sense that consistency, thick and creamy vs. thin and watery, via our sense of touch, how it feels in our mouth. Mouth-feel sensations are in six categories: irritating, heat, texture, weight, acidity and intensity. Common sensations are:

Peppery – as in black not chili pepper (irritating)
Astringent – tannic or puckering (irritating)
Buttery – creamy or smooth (texture)
Cloying – overly sweet (texture)
Full Bodied – dense (weight)
Thin/Watery – the opposite of full bodied (weight)
Acidic – tart, crisp (acidity)
Metallic – like aluminum foil in your mouth (acidity).
Intense/Big – concentrated flavors (intensity)

So if I described a Chardonnay as being dry and fruity (taste), full bodied and buttery (feel) and with aromas of ripe pears and honey (smell) you would have some idea of how it tasted. Write a description of two or three of your favorite wines. It will help you become familiar with the terminology and you can recite them to the wine steward the next time you need help finding similar wines on an unfamiliar wine list.

Holding the Glass

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Wed, 10 Mar 1999 17:08:00 +0000

There three ways to hold a wine glass; the wrong way, the right way and the wierd way. The wrong way is to hold the glass by the bowl. The serving temperature of wine is important. If wine is drunk much above 70 degrees the alcohol will have an unpleasant bite. If you hold the glass by the bowl you hand will heat the wine.

The right way to hold a wine glass is by the stem, a bit down from the bowl. The stem acts to insulate the bowl from the temperature of your hand, thus helping to preserve the serving temperature of the wine. Holding the glass by the stem also keeps your finger prints off of the bowl, which would otherwise distract from the visual appeal of the wine.

The wierd way (at least the most impractical way) to hold a wine glass is by the base (sometimes referred to as the “pinch” method). Pinching the base of the glass between your thumb and the side of your index finger certainly keeps you hand off of the bowl, but it also makes the wine difficult to drink and requires two hands to set the glass down. Not to mention it just looks pretentious. I’ve seen a lot of wine makers and vineyard owners hold their glass in this way, but I don’t understand why.

Legs

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Fri, 05 Mar 1999 17:16:00 +0000

What does it mean to say wine has “legs”? The phenomenon known as “legs” (also known as “tears”) manifests itself as a ring of clear liquid that appears near the top of a glass of wine after it is swirled. Droplets form from this ring of liquid and flow in rivulets back into the wine.

Try it for yourself. Fill a wine glass one quarter full and, holding it by the stem, gently move the glass in a circular motion so that the wine swirls up the sides. Now hold the glass up to the light and look for several streams of clear liquid running down the inside of the glass. The liquid may flow down in a fairly even sheet, or it may pull into more concentrated rivulets. These rivulets are what is referred to as the legs of the wine.

It is widely held that the presence and thickness of the legs relates to either the sweetness, viscosity or quality of the wine. None of these is correct. Legs form because of the alcohol content of the wine. The higher the alcohol content, the better legs a wine will have. The legs are produced by the effects of surface tension, adhesion and evaporation. The alcohol, because it has lower surface tension, crawls up the inside of the glass. As the alcohol evaporates, the water concentrates and surface tension pulls the remaining liquid together into droplets. These droplets running down the inside of the glass are the legs. This was first explained by James Thomson in an 1855 paper, “On certain curious Motions observable at the Surfaces of Wine and other Alcoholic Liquors”.

Because a wine’s body is affected by the alcohol content, there is some relationship between legs and body, but there are so many other factors involved that legs are not a reliable indicator of quality. That being the case, you might ask why wine connoisseurs still swirl their wine? Because swirling helps to release aroma molecules from the wine which in turn helps them to better smell and therefore to taste the wine. They also just like looking at the legs, even if they know they don’t mean anything!

Images from the Journal of Nature Science and Technology

Pairing Food With Wine

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Wed, 20 Jan 1999 17:29:00 +0000

Pairing wine with food can be very complicated or very simple. We’re going to take the simple approach (for a more complete look at pairing wine with food visit the Wine Pairing Guide). The first thing to know is that a good pairing of food and wine is one that you like. Maybe no one else likes Merlot with sauerkraut but if that combination works for you then it’s a good pairing. Beyond that, there are only two considerations in our simplified approach to pairing food and wine.

The first and most important consideration when pairing food with wine is the strength or mildness of the flavor of the food and the wine. In all cases, strong flavors must be paired with strong flavors and mild flavors must be paired with mild flavors. Ignoring this overriding principle will result in disappointing pairings. This is a fairly obvious, but often ignored maxim. Foods with delicate flavors like veal or filet of sole will be overwhelmed by a full-bodied red wine, just as lasagna will render a Pinot Grigio tasteless. When drinking wine with food, you want to be able to taste both the wine and the food, not one or the other. The second consideration is deciding whether you want the food to be complimentary or contrasting to the wine. For example, a hearty stew would compliment a full-bodied red wine, while the same full-bodied red wine would be contrasting to a simple meal of bread and cheese. Both are good pairings, but each is different in approach. What you do is up to you. The best advice I can give is to experiment without fear. You will be surprised what foods and wines work well together.

Simple Wine & Food (Meats) Pairing Chart
	Grilled or Broiled No Sauce	Savory Sauce	Cream/Butter Sauce	Heavy Tomato or BBQ Sauce
Beef & Other Red Meat	Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel Merlot	Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel Merlot	Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel Merlot	Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel Merlot
Veal, Pork & Other White Meat	Pinot Grigio Dry Riesling Chardonnay	Chianti Zinfandel Merlot Syrah	Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Zinfandel	Zinfandel Chianti
Ham & Other Cured Meat	Pinot Grigio Dry Riesling Chardonnay Pinot Noir	Pinot Noir Merlot Syrah	Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir	Zinfandel Chianti
Fish	Pinot Noir Dry Riesling Chardonnay	Chianti Merlot Syrah	Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Chardonnay	Zinfandel Chianti
Poultry & Foul	Pinot Noir Dry Riesling Chardonnay	Chianti Zinfandel Merlot Syrah	Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Chardonnay	Zinfandel Chianti
Game Birds	Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir	Chianti Zinfandel Merlot Syrah	Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Chardonnay	Zinfandel Chianti

We need to forget the old maxim that white wine is for fish and red wine is for red meat. Pairing has nothing to do with the color of the wine or the color of the food. Chicken may be a white meat, but chicken cacciatore, in a dark rich sauce, requires a full-bodied red wine. Pairing is not about the color of the wine or the color of the meat, it’s about the flavor characteristics of the wine and the preparation of the food. It’s taste, not color that matters. The chart below is a simplified (some might say over simplified) indicator of how to pair popular wine varieties with common foods. Note that it is the preparation of the food, in this case how it is sauced, rather than the food itself that determines which wine to choose.

Be sure to visit the Wine Pairing Guide for more complete information on pairing wine and food.

Restaurant Rituals

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Fri, 15 Jan 1999 19:38:00 +0000

One of the intimidating aspects of ordering a bottle of wine in a restaurant is the ritual surrounding the presentation and opening of the bottle. It is in fact not as big a deal as it appears. The ritual has only two purposes, ensuring the wine you ordered is the wine you got, and ensuring that the wine has not spoiled.

Ordering

Ask for the wine list. If you don’t see something you recognize as liking at a price you want to pay, ask the waiter for help. The waiter doesn’t know what you like, so you will have to say something like, “I’m looking for either a Merlot or soft Cabernet Sauvignon in the $15 to $20 range”. Or you might say “I’d like a crisp white wine under $20 that will go well with a Caesar salad”. With that kind of information the waiter should be able to make one or two suggestions. Make your selection either by name or by number. If in doubt, don’t be embarrassed to ask how to pronounce the name of the wine. Every wine you encounter offers a variety of learning opportunities, including how to pronounce the stuff on the label. The important thing is don’t be afraid to ask the waiter questions. He’s not going to embarass you, he wants to sell you a bottle of wine.

Presentation
The waiter presents the bottle. It is not uncommon for the waiter to have misunderstood your order and bring the wrong wine. Examine the label to verify the wine is what you selected. Check at least for the name of the maker, the variety and the vintage Pay particular attention to the vintage. Many restaurants do not routinely revise their wine lists and the vintage listed may not be the vintage on hand. Once you have verified the wine, just give a nod and say “that’s fine”.

Opening
The purpose of this part of the ritual is to look for signs that the cork may have allowed air to leak into the bottle. The waiter will open the bottle in front of you and hand you the cork. There is no need to smell it, that’s only done in the movies. Examine the condition of the cork. If it is crumbling air may have contaminated the wine. For red wine, also look for a thin streak of wine running from the bottom of the cork all the way to the top. This is the trail of the wine trying to escape. If wine has gotten out then air has gotten in. If either of these conditions has occurred point them out to the waiter and move on to tasting the wine.

Tasting
The purpose of tasting is not to determine whether or not you like the wine. The purpose of tasting is to verify that the wine has not spoiled. The waiter will pour a small amount into a glass. Hold the glass up by the stem and examine the wine. The wine should be clear and pristine in appearance. If it is cloudy or has a brownish or rust colored tinge it may be spoiled. Next, without swirling, put your nose in the glass and smell the wine. If the wine smells musty or like vinegar or burnt raisins it may be spoiled. Next, swirl the wine in the glass and smell it again looking for the same odors. Now taste the wine. Your purpose is to confirm what your nose has already told you, that the wine is or is not spoiled. If the wine tastes like vinegar, raisins or just nasty, tell the waiter that you think it is spoiled. He will then smell and taste the wine and if he concurs that the wine has spoiled he will replace it. In most cases even if he does not concur the wine will be replaced.

Serving
Even if you are not going to drink the wine immediately, ask the waiter to pour wine for everyone at the table. The wine needs to breath and it can do that best in a glass. The waiter should fill the glasses only to the point on the bowl where the glass begins to curve inward toward the mouth. The waiter should be attentive and return to your table to refill your glasses. If he does not, it is your job to keep your table’s glasses full.

History
It is interesting that much of the opening ritual originated to prevent dishonesty on the part of wine purveyors. Historically good wine was often expensive and it was not uncommon for innkeepers and other purveyors to attempt to serve cheap wine in the guise of expensive wine. The presentation of the bottle for inspection after ordering was to ensure another bottle of lesser value had not been substituted. Requiring the bottle be opened in front of you was to ensure the bottle ordered and examined was in fact the bottle opened. And the presentation of the cork was to ensure the label on the bottle was authentic. If the bottle was dishonestly labeled, the information on the cork, usually the maker, varietal and vintage, would not agree with that on the label.

Appropriate Wine-Storage Environment

noreply@blogger.com (wineknow) — Fri, 20 Nov 1998 19:47:00 +0000

Wine has traditionally been stored in caves and cellars because these venues provide stable, cool temperatures, darkness and humidity. These factors have become accepted as necessary to the long-term storage of wine. Short term storage conditions are less stringent but still important, especially temperature.

Long Term Storage

Temperature
Store wine at the optimal temperature of 55°F. Wine can be stored at colder temperatures (as long as it doesn’t freeze) but should not be stored at temperatures above 65°F. It is also important to maintain a consistent temperature. When temperatures vary markedly, the wine expands and contracts causing it to breathe through the cork. This has the potential to exposing the wine to outside air which causes oxidation.

Humidity
Store wine in 70% or higher humidity. High humidity storage conditions help to keep the cork moist. There is a school of thought that says that storing horizontal such that the wine covers the cork is all that is necessary, but studies have shown that wine stored in high humidity was preserved better than wine stored in low humidity.

Light
Store wine away from light. Prolonged exposure to light will cause significant damage. White wine being more sensitive to light than red. Most colored glass wine bottles provide some protection from UV light, but not enough to protect the wine over an extended period.

Vibration
Store wine away from vibration. Constant vibration prevents the sediment from settling in a red wine.

Position
Store wine on its side such that the cork is covered by the wine. This keeps the cork moist, preventing shrinkage and air intrusion.

Short Term Storage

Temperature
Store wine between 5 and 10 degrees cooler than serving temperature. Even short term exposure to temperatures above 80°F can damage the wine.

Humidity
Short term storage in low humidity conditions should not harm the wine.
Light
Wine should never be stored in direct sunlight. Short term exposure to indirect light should not be harmful.

Vibration
Since short term storage implies near-term consumption, the wine should be stored away from vibration which so the sediments will settle. Older red wines should be stored upright for 24 hours prior to consumption to allow the sediments to settle to the bottom of the bottle.

Position
In general it is preferable to store wine horizontally to keep the cork moist. However, short term upright storage should not harm the wine.