Overview To Sampling Wine
The fundamentals of tasting red wine are reasonably straightforward to find out. As soon as the basics are understood, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any kind of various other skill, More »
Red Wine Types
Red wine has a lot of different types, among which, the most popular include Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Moreover, More »
Category Archives: Merlot
aWine that Sparkles
Sparkling wine is well known for it’s tiny bubbles that race to the surface. Sparkling wine is one of the most exotic yet refreshing types of wine, providing memories and happiness once the cork is released into the air. For many years, this exotic wine has proven to be among the most popular types of wine for celebrations and special achievements.
By looking at sparkling wine, you’ll find it to be a complete mystery. When tasting the wine, friends and lovers choose to discuss the refreshing, nutty aroma. Even though this type of wine is very popular, it can be hard to describe. Although the taste and aroma can be right there, lingering in the air – it’s still something that is nearly impossible to find the words for.
When you first open a bottle of sparkling wine, the carbon dioxide aroma that instantly fills the air is an experience that you have to smell to believe. A true feast for all of your senses, sparkling wine can instantly put you at ease. Drinking this wine is a feast for your taste buds, bringing several different flavors to rest on your tongue at the same time.
Even though the nature of sparkling wine is really unknown, society as a whole as really accepted it. Although many don’t realize it, the crisp and delicate taste of this wine isn’t what made it what it is today. Similar to the shine and splendor of the finest diamonds, sparkling wine emits a truly elegant aura and romance that makes it easy to distinguish from other types of wine.
Sparkling wine was first discovered in France by Dom Perignon, who was a monk in the Champagne region. He actually stumbled upon this fine wine while performing his duties as a cellar master in the Benedictine Abbey. Dom would hide his discovery for many years, as the public didn’t really respond in the way that he had been hoping.
Although Dom Perignon’s sparkling wine wasn’t popular at first, it would grow and become more popular over the years. Once people in France and people around the world caught wind this amazing sparkling wine, they simply had to experience it for themselves. At this point, it didn’t take long for Dom Perignon to become a legend and one of the most important wine makers throughout the rich and cherished history of France.
The formula and techniques that Dom used to produce his sparkling wine eventually become known as the traditional way of making Champagne. The process is still used throughout the world today, producing some of the best sparkling wines. Even though sparkling wine is made in various locations, many agree that the best place is the Champagne region of France – which is where sparkling wine first began and was first introduced to the world.
These days, sparkling wine is an essential part of life, for celebrations and events. With most celebrations, sparkling wine is simply a must have. There are many manufacturers of the wine these days, although most prefer to have the original and still the best – Dom Perignon. No matter where the future of wine goes, sparkling wine will never die. It will always be the wine that sparks celebrations, and the wine that makes events come to life. From it’s truly unique and breathtaking taste to it’s amazing look and splendid aroma – sparkling wine has the appeal and the flavor to keep people celebrating and living life for years and years to come.
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Wine Making Recipe For Homemade Wines
The equation to a successful home made wine is fifty percent strictly following the instructions and fifty percent involving a good wine making recipe. If you do not have one, and even if you follow the instructions down to the letter, chances are you end up with home made vinegar rather than wine. Among the most basic recipes around involve only five ingredients which are grapes, granulated sugar, Campden tablets, pectic enzyme and wine yeast.
Grapes
Have at least eight to ten gallons of grapes. Buy those really sweet varieties and seedless types for an easier process. Crush the grapes in batches to produce a consistent grape must. Place the must in really clean buckets or similar containers leaving at least a fourth of the container empty.
Squeeze some of the must with cheesecloth to produce a cup of juice. With a hydrometer, the juice should have a specific gravity reading of less than 1.090. Properly covered, set aside the juice.
Campden tablets
With a cup of warm water, completely dissolve five Campden tablets. Stir the solution into the must with a wooden spoon. The tablets will be used to kill any present bacteria and prevent the must from getting contaminated in the future. Leave the bucket covered with cloth and wait for at least twelve hours before mixing in the next ingredient.
Pectic enzyme
Add four teaspoons of pectic enzyme to the must. Cover again and set aside for another twelve hours.
Wine yeast
While waiting for the twelve hour period from adding the pectic enzyme, mix at least five milligrams of wine yeast to the juice earlier set aside. After the second twelve hours, mix in the yeast juice with the must. Stir the whole mixture two to three times a day keeping it covered in between. As with any wine making recipe, the fermentation process is the most crucial.
Granulated sugar
When the fermentation process is done, add sugar to taste and to reach a specific gravity reading of 1.090 after removing the non-wine particles and substances present.
This wine making recipe allows you to switch the grapes to any fruit you wish to make your wine with and experiment with the amount of sugar to come up with the sweetness your wine would have.
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Wine Storage
Any oenophile, popularly known as a wine connoisseur, would tell you that one doesn’t really need to be a specialist in wines or even a wine-maker who has a basement wine storage cellar in order to appreciate fine wine. However, the truth remains that proper wine storage does have the ability to enhance the taste of the wine.
We all know that wines are perishable because of insufficient alcohol content. Certain wines are recommended to be aged so that they are able to achieve peak quality. However, most of us are unaware that wine storage has a great influence on how well the wine will age. The science behind aging the wines can go a long way in establishing the importance of proper wine storage. So, let’s take a look at what makes a fine wine storage that can lead to real fine wines!
One can’t really expect to store and age the wines by stashing them in the basement or stuffing them in a refrigerator and then hope for the best. Wine storage units have controlled environments specially created and maintained such that the wines age naturally and optimally. Good wine storage maintains the best combination of humidity, temperature and light so as to create the ideal conditions for storing wine.
Ideally, wine should be stored at a temperature of around 55’F to ensure proper rate of maturity. Proper humidity is also important to wine storage. A relative humidity of 60% to 70% is considered to be ideal for wine storage. Too high or low humidity in the wine storage environment can spoil the wine. Ultraviolet light can be harmful to wine and as such, good wine storage involves eliminating all natural light.
The above mentioned can be considered the general rules of thumb for proper wine storage. However, you must appreciate that wine storage requirements may have to be adjusted according to the type of wine being stored and its intended use. This is what people find the most difficult thing to do when using their own wine cellars or basements to store their wine.
Regulating the wine storage environment for different types of wine is easy to achieve at a professional wine storage company than in one’s cellar or basement. Most self-storage companies offer professional wine storage facilities that can take real good care of your precious wine. So, go ahead and chalk out the plans for your wine storage requirements.
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Holiday Turkey and Wine
This past Thanksgiving we were blessed to be invited to a dear friend’s house. This was the first time in years that we were just able to enjoy the feast and company of friends without the messy clean-up that comes with entertaining in our own home. I did not have to stuff the turkey or roll up my sleeves at the sink trying to get the baking pan clean. My joy was short lived when my wife made the Thanksgiving announcement that, “Everyone is invited to our house for a big December holiday feast”. There was a resounding cheer at the gathering from everyone at the table. Hands were raised and voices heard to say, “We will be there”. At the last count we had fifteen couples, my daughter, two grandkids and one obnoxious “grand-dog” called Bones.
When December rolled around, my wife started preparations immediately. First, we had to do spring cleaning in December, which included walls, furnace registers, base boards, floors, etc. The next step was the obligatory decorations that needed to be scattered around the house, including an ornate light display for the outside that had me untangling and hanging lights for days. I was sent to the Party Store to rent tables, chairs and huge serving platters for the food. My final assignment was to get “The Birds” and the wine to go with it. I was beginning to wish we had entertained at Thanksgiving.
Before I left to do the shopping, my wife told me, “Make sure you talk to someone at the wine store so you get the right wine to compliment the turkey”. I said, “Why didn’t you ask everyone to bring their own wine, instead of us risking that we wouldn’t buy their favorite?” My wife raised her voice at least one octave and replied, “We are doing the entertainment so it is our responsibility not theirs and besides I want everything to be just perfect”. I love my wife dearly and I have learned when it is best to just say, “Yes Dear”. Before I left, I hopped on the computer and did my research so I could portray to the wine store clerk how knowledgeable I was about pairing turkey with wine. I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the wine store.
The general consensus from the web research was for a lighter red (not over burdened with tannins) or several white wines that tended to be fruity and slightly sweeter. Another caution, that seems well advised, is during dinner stick with wines lower in alcohol content. Northhamptonwines.com stated, “Save the 15 percent alcohol ‘in your face Zins’ for after dinner when it is OK for folks to go to sleep.”
The top choices I found for red wine lovers were Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and Red Zinfandel. White wine enthusiasts might enjoy a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaujolais Nouveau or White Burgundy. If some of your guests have a sweet-tooth, then try White Zinfandel or Cranberry Wine. Save the desert wines for after the main meal when it is time to devour the pumpkin and pecan pie.
Not everyone is a wine drinker. I also ran across some advice for people for pairing turkey with beer and cocktails. The consensus was that a beer should be complex but not over bearing. A good choice might be pale ale from one of the smaller breweries. Another website suggested that for the cocktail drinkers, gin cocktails like an English Rose, Park Avenue or Verbena Martini would work.
I went to the wine store and made my selections with an air of “I know what I am doing”. When I arrived home my wife said, “What wine did you decide on?” I smiled and told her, “One of each, a total of 12 bottles”. She exclaimed, “We won’t be able to serve all that wine at dinner!” I responded, “I wouldn’t think of doing that. I am going to raffle off any that we don’t serve.” My wife grabbed her forehead and walked away stating, “What I am I going to do with you.” I let her have the final word and started preparing the raffle tickets.
I always maintain that there are a lot of people that will tell you what wine to pair with what food. In the end, as I always say, buy the wine you like, store wine properly in a wine refrigerator, serve it at the proper temperature and enjoy it immensely.
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Falanghina wine in Positano
When You book a nice apartment in Positano Apartment in Positano – Amalfi Coast, with us You’ll realize how beautiful and magic this town is.
The dream came true four decades ago, in ’62, and Ettore Sammarco speaks with emotion and pride. His family always made wine. Their farm is an ancient tradition. But like so many here in the South, selling bulk wine and say anonymously. Although it was very popular, but paid badly. So for years the goal of Hector was to bottle the wine, to treat him better and distributed to restaurants and wine shops are able to appreciate its quality. The large steel silos lay siege to the cellar, the last witness of what was the old company. Which, without prejudice to any more advanced technology, retains the character and structure of the past. Beginning with the family, he sees next to the boss Hector, the son Bart, both working on the production front, while Rosa Maria and Antonio, two daughters, following the administrative and commercial sector.The Doc Amalfi Coast in ’95 gave an extraordinary impetus to the wine production area. A consecration certainly deserved, even if the name of Ravello had a history when it comes to wines.
The guideline has avoided the risk that under this name were marketed mediocre wines with grapes and bastardized. The company under the label Selva delle Monache (the trademark) produces the Ravello Doc in its white, red and rosé.The soil is clay – and the volcanic system of animal husbandry in double Guyot, trellis and pergola. Beyond these common data, each wine has its own path. The white (60% Falanghina, Biancolella 40%) passes from the perfect ripeness of grapes at controlled temperature maceration and subsequent stay in steel for five months. The Ravello Red (40 Piedirosso%, 30% and 30% Aglianico Sciascinoso) has instead a prolonged contact with grape skins for a tannic, and after three months in stainless steel is aged for a year in French oak barrels.Also under the label Selva delle Monache, the Sammarco also produces a Ravello Rosso Riserva, made from Aglianico Piedirosso 70% and 30% is vinified with a short maceration on the skins with the must, then aged six months in steel. Bartolo Sammarco speaks with pride of Ravello Bianco, who does not hesitate to define rare. In fact it is produced only in the best years and about three thousand bottles. It’s the strict selection of grapes a result very happy (Broom 40% and Zita White Biancolella 20%). The grapes all come from the Vineyard Plains Cave, which enjoys a unique exhibition between sea and mountains. Hence the fruity bouquet and a hint of vanilla and toast.
The reference is again to the territory and effort that involves the care of the vineyard. They call it heroic viticulture, but on the Amalfi Coast is not known another type of farming. These terraces and pergolas these, and no one would know otherwise conceive.The Doc Ravello produced by Ettore Sammarco enjoy wide recognition. In the vortex of illustrious, that make Amalfi and its region the privileged refuge of the worlds of art, politics and entertainment, the Selva delle Monache took the bench. Schroeder from Zeffirelli to the great soloists and conductors’ s participating in the festival orchestra in Ravello, all these celebrated wines. And no one has given up a few bottles to take away.
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