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: Red Wine
Easy Red Wine Stain Removal Technique
Like most people, you may have had the experience of having a red or rose wine spill on your rug, clothes, or table covers. This is not good because leaving it on the fabric for too long results in a stain that can be hard to remove. Here is an easy red wine stain removal method that works.
First thing you need to do is blot the spot right away (make sure not to press into it) with a napkin, paper towel, or a dry white cloth and try to take out as much of the wine as possible.
If the stain is on your carpet, mix one teaspoon of natural dish soap (Dawn is a good brand to use) with a cup of hydrogen peroxide and pour it over the stained part and leave it to soak for a few minutes. Then watch the red wine fade away. After, you can rinse any residue with water, blot with a dry cloth or paper towel, and put some salt on the spot (salt helps remove moisture). Allow to dry few hours or all night and then vacuum the spot.
Red wine stain removal methods on fabric such as your clothing or tablecloth are a little different. First, run cold water through the back side of the stain. Some people say that pouring white wine over the stain will help remove it. I have never tried this one myself, though, but it seems a bit odd to me that a solution to red wine stain removal would be to add more wine. Of course, you can try it, then let me know if it works.
Still, if running water through the opposite end of the stain does not help remove it, then do the following: Combine 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and a little bit of dish soap in a spray bottle and apply the solution on the area. It is better that you wash your clothes immediately, so that the peroxide doesn’t have time to settle and bleach your clothing.
You can use this method of red wine stain removal on coffee and tea stains as well.
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What Makes New Zealand Red Wine So Good?
There are many factors which make New Zealand red wine so good including the fact that the wine regions are those that are mostly located at free draining valleys. Valleys such as Martinborough, Wairau and Hawke’s Bay, with a few exceptions such as Kawarau Gorge.
The most predominant deposits of alluvial are sandstone also called grey wacke. This material can be found in most parts of New Zealand. This alluvial nature of soil is imperative and wine growers have noticed this which is whey this often mentioned on labels such as Gimblett Gravels. This area was once a river bed teaming with all sorts of marine life which a very stone filled soil. Today the stones act a as a way to lower the fertility of the area as to lower the water table it also is a heat source for the cool wind that blows though the area. This combined with other factors creates what is called a meso climate.
In addition to growing conditions there is also a diversity of the growing methods used to produce New Zealand red wine. There is the one concept of traditional growing where there is a vineyard and grapes are grown in the land surrounding the place where wine is produced usually owned by a family which has it own wine making culture and equipment along with their own storage methods. The other is what is called the European model. This is where AOC village wine making is done at a production facility which is centralized. Also fruit is often grown on contract for wine makes and its nothing new when it comes to New Zealand wine making industry. Both of these wine making cultures have been in existence since the late 1960s.
Many wine makers originally started out as contract growers. Also many of today’s small producers started out using fruit grown on contract for them. Many of the good wine producers often use contract fruit so some how supplement the variety of fruit as well as the wine they market, many use fruits from various geographical regions. So its not uncommon to see a wine producer in Auckland who is marketing a “Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc” or you see a Marlborough wine producer who is marketing a Gisborne Chardonnay.
New Zealand Red wine is made from a bled of a varietals Merlot, Cabernet Franc, etc or even Hawkes Bay. There are also many wines which are made from Syrah now this is either done solely or it’s a blend. Even Mostepulciano, Sangiovese and Tempranillo is used.
New Zealand red wine is considered one of the best in the world. This is owing to the fact that many wine producers are using a variety of methods to produce wine so you get a taste of various manufacturing and growing methods. Contract growing in combination with various fledgling wine production businesses mean that wine is cheaper than other types of wine as well as of a high quality.
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Red Wine – The Taste of Romance
What is the first thing that people notice about red wine? The color of course! It is the rich red color. Did you know that red wine is produced from grapes that are not only red but purple and blue as well? The many different varietals of red wine give it names like “dark red, light red, almost black, maroon, deep violet, and burgundy”. That list could expand to include many more descriptors, but most of all we love the romance and taste of reds. It has become a part of our culture to see people in the movies in intimate settings drinking red wine. In part, this is due to its color, the color that represents love, but also for the rich bold flavor that reminds us of love and romance.
Popular reds are Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet. The list could continue for another few sentences, but the important thing to remember is that each wine will be made from a different grape or many different varietals of grapes. Knowing what grape can be grown in what region depends on the longitude line the region falls on. Many grapes that made Italy famous are also grown in places like Michigan in the United States. The longitude line will dictate the climate in which a grape can be grown. If where you live falls on or near the same line that a famous grape growing region does, you too can grown the same varietals and maybe become famous yourself.
Pairing food with wine is an important part of the whole experience. Red wine is versatile, but there are some definite rules to follow. Rule number one should always be, if you like the taste of the wine, then drink it. Apart from that there are some other guidelines that can be followed to make the experience the best one possible. For instance, reds should never be paired with mild cheeses. Mild cheeses are always great with white wines. Strong cheese on the other hand is perfect for red wine and can be paired with just about any red available. In fact many cheese spreads are mixed with Port or Merlot which is to die for. Pastas with cream sauces and seafood will never pair well with red wine. Pasta with red sauce however will taste lovely with a nice red like Zinfandel or Merlot. Unfortunately Asian food is another pairing you shouldn’t make with reds. Poultry should only be paired with Beaujolais and pork with only Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. The good news is that beef was made for pairing with reds and you should feel free to pair almost any red with beef except for Port or Beaujolais. It is the robustness and full flavor that makes red pairing with red meat so perfect. Surprisingly, chocolate is a perfect companion for Port, Cabernet or Merlot.
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Red Wine – Can it Lower Your Blood Pressure?
The French Paradox, the fact that the French eat a diet high in saturated fat but have a low incidence of coronary artery diseases, has been known for a long time. The French diet should normally increase the incidence of coronary artery diseases, not lower it. The suggested explanation for the paradox has been the high consumption of red wine in France.
While alcohol normally increases your blood pressure, red wine has been proved to contain substances that lower the risk of heart diseases. As an additional bonus, red wine also contains substances that slow down ageing process. When the French Paradox was reported in the US back in 1991, the sales of red wine increased by almost 45 percent. White wine is produced in a different way and does not have the same positive health effects as its red colleague.
So how much is a healthy daily consumption of wine? Medical experts give a wide range of answers. Some don’t believe that red wine has any positive effect at all. But most research seems to confirm that one glass of wine a day can be good. Some push it towards two glasses, at least for men. The larger you are the more you can drink, smaller people are generally recommended to stick to one glass wine a day or less.
No medical expert recommends non-drinkers to start drinking red wine for health reasons. If you are drinking wine, it should be for pleasure. But it can be nice to known that in moderate quantities red wines can have some positive health effects as a bonus.
It’s worth remembering that while the French have a lower incidence of coronary artery disease they also have one of the highest rates of cirrhosis of the liver in the world. The latter is often caused by excessive drinking of alcohol. So once again, drink and enjoy your wine in moderation.
If you suffer from hypertension, trying more traditional remedies such as relaxation, physical activity and slow breathing, is a safer way of reducing your blood pressure.
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Resveratrol and Red Wine Grape Extract Safety
When polyphenols including Resveratrol, Quercetin, and red wine grape extracts are concentrated into a daily tablet equivalent to over 100 Bottles of red wine (400 – 1000 mg) or more, there is one immediate question, is it safe?
Indeed, scientists who study these nutraceutical supplements have and are continuing to use similar scientific research techniques to those used in the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate their potential health benefits and safety.
In 2002, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences commissioned a report entitled, “Trans-resveratrol Review of Toxicological Literature.” A review of more than 200 referenced scientific studies were included, and the report stated that there were no reported adverse effects from Resveratrol on humans.
Animal studies have used the human-equivalent of over 1,000 mg (10 mg/kg of bodyweight) of Resveratrol, and have shown no toxic effects. Massive dosage studies were also performed on animals. “The no observed adverse affect level (NOAEL) was 300 mg/kg/day,” which would be a human dosage of 30,000 mg or 10 – 100 times the maximum concentrations contained in human high-concentration oral nutraceutical dosages.
Human studies also confirm the safety of Resveratrol in highly concentrated forms. Studies including those at Marywood University, University of Leicester (UK) and University of Michigan, etc. all found no significant side effects and no evidence of toxicity.
Personally, members of our company have taken 2,000 mg of Resveratrol and red wine grape extracts for extended periods with no side effects.
Many nutraceutical manufacturing plants are certified by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), TGA (Australia’s FDA Certification), NSF, USP (US Pharmacopia), etc. (be sure to check company’s websites for such information).
According to Dr. Joseph Maroon, in his recent book, The Longevity Factor, How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life (page 198) “Having seen both a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant and a dietary supplement facility I am assured that the manufacturing standards are virtually identical.”
High quality Resveratrol supplements have been on the market since the year 2000, and numerous patients, companies and doctors have reported their safety.
NOTE: Of course, any side-effects experienced as a result of taking Resveratrol, Quercetin, red wine grape extracts, or any other nutraceutical supplements should be reported to the manufacturer, and to your doctor.
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