Archive for the ‘About Wine’ Category

When dining out or at a wine tasting party, you may wonder what kinds of food will make a good match for the wine you have chosen to drink. Food and wine pairings have been a common dilemma for many people; however, it is not difficult once you know the basics of it. Here are a few things to consider when you are hosting a dinner party or another event that calls for the combination of food and wine.

Good food and wine pairings often depend on the person that is tasting them. There are no strict rules as far as food and wine combinations. However, be aware that there would be a contradiction if the palate does not compliment the aroma of the beverage. One of the things that should be considered are the interactions of the flavors themselves. With these interactions, you will have the opportunity to detect the 4 distinct flavors sweet, sour, bitter and salty. You will also have the opportunity to experience the two thundered aromas that are depicted by the nose. When you pair food with wine, you will discover that some foods may either contradict or complement each other.

Another thing to consider is the food that is to be served. Light dishes, such as stir fry, chicken, fish and salads generally compliment white wines, while heavier meals, such as steak and potatoes or pasta dishes such as spaghetti usually compliment red wines. The acidity of the food should also be taken into consideration because the characteristics of the food’s acidity with wines that share the same acidity. Lean foods, such as turkey, will work well with drier wines such as a Gray Riesling.

Pairing food with wine is a tasty and wonderful experience that will be beneficial for you to remember. Therefore it is important that you take note on the relationship between the different foods and wines for future reference.

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Are you new to the world of wine and wine tasting? Have you been invited to a wine tasting event and you don’t know what to expect? Being at a wine tasting event is truly a unique, educational and wonderful experience that you may find enjoyable. Here are a few tips to help you with your first event.

When you attend a wine tasting party, be sure that you do not wear strong smelling perfumes, aftershave or colognes because they will strongly affect the taste of the wine as well as overwhelm the overall smell of it. Strong perfumes and other body scents will also affect other attendees experience. It is also important that you do not smoke, consume mints or chew gum because that will affect the way you taste the wine.

While at the wine tastingevent, you may find that they serve bottled water at room temperature. This water is used to rinse the taste buds in order to prepare them for the next wine tasting. Cold water may shock the taste buds, which will effect the overall taste of the wine. Crackers and bread that are unflavored or unsalted are also served to help cleanse the palate and prepare it for the next wine tasting.

When the wine is served, be sure to hold the glass by it’s stem. The purpose of holding it by the stem is to keep it from heating from the warmth of your hand. The temperature of the wine will also affect it’s taste.

Now that we have the pre tasting tips, here comes the fun part; the actual wine tasting. During this part of the event, you will explore the color, the smell and the taste.

Wine Tasting Tips

The first thing that you will observe is the color. With a white table cloth on the table, you will notice that the white wines
may have a yellow, green or brownish color. Red wines have different shades of red to them and it is known that the lighter the color of the red wine, the older it is. The color will also indicate not only the age, but the taste as well. While observing it’s color, be sure that you slightly tilt the glass of wine and take notice of the rim color. If the rim is purplish, it is an indicator of a young wine; if it is brownish in color, it is an indicator of an older wine.

The next thing to observe when tasting wine is the smell. To get the proper smell of the wine, be sure to swirl it around in the glass to expose the wine to the air and to release it’s flavor. After you swirl the wine, position your nose and inhale through it deeply.

Last, but certainly not least, you taste the wine. It is important that you do not gulp the wine down but instead, take small sips and roll the wine around in your tongue. In the actual taste of the wine, there are three things you need to be aware of; the first impression, the taste of it and the aftertaste.

Now that you know what to expect at a wine tasting event, you can be more confident and can enjoy the whole event from start to end.

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About Chardonnay

The most popular white wine grape that is found around the world is the Chardonnay grape. It is a green skinned variety of grape that is believed to originate in the Burgundy wine region of France but has since spread throughout the world. It is often seen as a rite of passsage into the international wine market when new and developing wine regions grow Chardonnay. The flavor, as well as the aroma will often depend on where the wine is made as well as the processing methods used. Chardonnay is a versatile grape and remains a major type to this day. Chardonnay grape is used to make white Burgundy along with a lesser known grape known as Aligote. White Burgundy is also another popular wine.

Chardonnay grapes are very neutral. Many of the flavors that are associated with it are influenced by oak, as well as terroir. French and American Chardonnay are among the most preferred white wines as well as the richest and most complex ones. In the United States, some very fine Chardonnay wines come from the Napa Valley in California, and the Columbia Valley in Washington.

The grapes are very malleable, reflecting the terroir, the characteristics of the climate, soil, and other factors that go into growing the grapes. Because of this, a Columbia Valley Chardonnay will be different than one from France. Even within a small viticultural area, the differences between grapes grown in one vineyard and another may be very noticeable.

The grapes ripen early, which can cause some issues. These grapes, since they develop early can be easily damaged by springtime frost. In some regions, the vines are pruned just before they flower, which delays the flowering for up to two weeks. Because of the grapes ripening early, they thrive in regions with a short growing season. Upon ripening, the chardonnay grapes will quickly lose their acidity, making harvesting time crucial.

Chardonnay grapes are a result of the extinct Croatian Blanc and Pinot grape and is aged using oak barrels. These barrels bring out the vanilla flavor that the wine is known for. Bottles can also be used to age and ferment the wine but it will not age as well as red wine under the same circumstance.

Chardonnay is best served chilled and has the potential to be served with a diverse spectrum of verious food types due to it’s wide range of syles. A Chardonnay from Washington state tend to pair well with tomato based dishes as well as dished using sweet onion due to the wine maintaining more acidity in it’s character. Earthy dishes, such as mushroom soup or aged cheese, pair very well with an older and a more mellow Chardonnay. Chardonnay is most commonly paired with chicken, turkey and other white meats.

Other than making white Burgandy, Chardonnay grapes are also used for making Champagne as well as other types of sparkling wines. Remaining as one of the most widely-planted grape varieties, Chardonnay has over 400,000 acres worldwide. Chardonnay can also be found in any wine or alcohol store and can make a great addition to any meal.

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Cold Duck

The Holidays are once again upon us again and for so many of us, the memories of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Years cross our minds. As the old familiar songs play in the background, the winter chill whips though us and nearby homes are illuminated in their holiday glory, some of us may even remember a certain spirit from the past called Cold Duck. You might look back on it fondly as we remember our parents buying it for occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, and New Years. Perhaps you may even remember the old commercials from the 1970s of a couple toasting to the holidays with a glass of Cold Duck as a cheerful carol plays in the background.

However, some people might think that the name Cold Duck sounds more like a recipe for a main dish than a beverage. Some might even cringe at the thought of the wine due to the fact that it is one of the cheapest wines and it may not carry the same sophisticated taste as some of the other wines on the market. It was once the best-selling sparkling wine in America and it is still available today for only a few dollars at you local grocery store.

History Of Cold Duck

Cold Duck is a beverage that originated in Germany where it is traced back to the Bavarian practice of mixing cold sparkling Burgundy with various bottles of previously opened Champagne. This mixture, called kalte ende (“cold end”), kept the Champagne from being wasted and provided the people with a tasty beverage at the same time. Over time, the name ende transliterated to ente (“duck”). Harold Borgman, owner of Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, based his invention of the beverage on this custom in 1937.

Cold Duck experienced brief popularity in the early 1970s in parties and became known as classic party bubbles. With it’s soft concord grape base, it is blended with sweet combination of red and white wines. The original American Cold Duck combined one part of Californian red wine with two parts of New York sparkling wine even though exact recipe now varies today. Among the most well known brands of Cold Duck is André from the E. & J. Gallo Winery, which uses Concord grapes to make their version of the beverage. The winery was selling two million cases of it a year in 1971; four years after the winery introduced their version to the public. Unlike most red wines and like white wines and Champagne, Cold duck is best when served chilled and goes great with other party hors d’ouvres such as green olives baked in pie crust or cheese and crackers.

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