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Why Does The Age Matter With Wines?

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, age doesn’t matter with all wines. Some wine is meant to be consumed while young. This includes most white wines and some light red wines. Cabernet and port are two types of wine that can be improved significantly through the aging process. Picnic wines such as beaujolais and pinot noir are meant specifically to be drank while young.

Ancient Greece is where the practice of allowing fine wines to age began. Wine producers in those times noticed that the older red wines often tasted better. Wines made in that part of the world at that time were rich in tannins, which is a substance produced by grapes. A general rule of thumb is that the more tannins a wine contains, the more the aging process will improve it. Wines wines containing a great deal of tannins are often too harsh to drink when young.

Although few things are better than a properly aged red wine, it is possible for a wine to age too much. If the wine has turned an amber, brownish color, it may be too late to drink it. The only real way to tell is to give it a taste.

Learn What Separates Wine Whites From One Another

admin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

White wines are made from colorless grapes or the juice, not the skin, of red grapes. There are several different types of white wines with different aromas, flavors, and robustness. Most white wines are best served chilled and are generally more refreshing than red wines.

One type of popular white wine that is grown all over the world is chardonnay. Chardonnay tends to have a velvety taste with undercurrents of citrus or vanilla. Rieslings are lighter than chardonnay and are a staple dry white wine that can be paired with Asian cuisine. Pinot grigio is a crisp, dry white wine that can be paired with several different foods, including fish, seafood, and chicken.

A unique white wine is gewrztraminer. This highly aromatic wine is mostly produced in the Alsace region of Germany and is best consumed as a sipping wine because of its heavy flavor. Moscato wines have a very distinct fruity taste because they are produced from only Muscat grapes. This sweet wine is excellent on its own or paired with desserts.

It is relatively easy for consumers to purchase high quality white wines for under 10, depending upon the brand and type of wine. Wine tastings are a fun way for novices to discover what types of wines they enjoy.

Understand The Differences Between Red Wines

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

To the wine novice, it may appear that there are two types of wine; red and white. To the wine connoisseur, however, there are too many types of wine to count and there is no conceivable way to classify wines as simply red or white. Red wine is a favorite wine of many, but many have no idea what the differences are between their favorite wines. Some of the most common and well known types of red are cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir.
Of the three, cabernet is going to be the most full-bodied red with distinct flavors of cassis, black cherry and herbs. Of the three red wines types being discussed, cabernet sauvignon is the driest and is best paired with a very tender red meat such as a filet or a sirloin.

Merlot tastes much like plum, strawberry and cherry. It is very sweet and is not a very dry red wine. Merlot is good with lighter fares such as pork. For red wine drinkers, it is the sweetest and least dry of the bunch.

Pinot Noir is a perfect compromise to a merlot and a cabernet with flavors of pale cherry and plum. It is medium-bodied with a slight dryness and a lot of flavor.

Red Or White? What Goes Best With Dinner

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Many people often live by the rule that a certain color wine should be paired with certain dinners. While this is a widely accepted thought, it is not a requirement. However, many people choose to live by this rule and select their dinner wines based on their main dish. Typically, the rule is that red meat should be paired with red wine and that white meat, poultry and fish should be paired with white wines; this rule is broken for certain dishes, though.

However, this rule goes even further because specific reds and whites are recommended for certain dishes. Knowledge of the basic recommendations can make pairing the correct wine with dinner easy for anyone, even a wine novice. A filet mignon should be paired with a cabernet sauvignon. Roasted chicken is best paired with a Riesling while chicken marsala and smoked salmon is best with a pinot noir. Grilled salmon goes best with chardonnay. Caviar and oysters work well with champagne and shrimp and lobster work best with a chardonnay. Spaghetti is a pasta dish that is best when paired with a sangiovese, as is risotto. Pesto and fettuccini alfredo should be paired with a chardonnay. However, any wine you like can be paired with anything you enjoy.

Learn The Basics Of Wine Etiquette

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Although many beginning wine drinkers feel that wine etiquette is complicated and mysterious, only a few basic rules apply to tasting rooms and to wine tasting events. Once the novice wine taster understands these rules and puts them into practice, he or she will be at home in any tasting room in the world.

Most importantly, each wine that is being tasted should be respected. That means that facial expressions or verbal statements expressing displeasure with the wine are both considered to be very bad manners. Discretion is always advised in the tasting room, particularly in those of small vineyards, where the tasting room staff may very well include the same people who actually made the wines.

Whether or not to use the spit buckets provided by the tasting room staff is a matter of individual preference. Some people who are tasting many different wines prefer to do so because it cleans the palate. Others prefer to use them because they are driving and do not wish to become intoxicated. Others take advantage of the many wine tasting tours available, and simply relax and enjoy themselves.

Wine tasting is a fun activity and there is no reason why anyone should be nervous about trying it.