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: Zinfandel
Drink Wine Properly
Wine drinking is one of the favourite pastimes of many Australians. It is indeed a common sight to see an Australian family sitting together in the evening, with the kids playing in front of the fireplace while Mum and Dad enjoy a nice glass of wine. Most often it is red wine with some crackers and cheese. The regular wine drinker would swear by the fact that this, by far, is the most relaxing and enjoyable evening, and the subtle alcohol in the wine helps them relax more. In fact wine drinking, at all times of the day is fast gaining popularity the world over.
Wine is not a drink like beer that you pour into a glass and gulp or drink straight from the can. It is a very dignified drink that calls for manners and dignity while drinking. It also calls for some easy to follow procedures that should be remembered should you or a family member be very fond of drinking wine.
The first amongst these procedures is having the wine at the right temperature. The old adage of having chilled white wines and red wines at room temperature does not work anymore. Room temperatures can mean anything and having white wines chilled is wrong as well. The ideal temperature for having a white wine should be an approximate 11.7 degrees Fahrenheit while for a red wine is around 17 degrees Fahrenheit. It is said that old and matured white wines should be allowed a period of time before they are taken and should be taken out of the chiller at least 15 minutes prior to service. Specialised wine chillers are also available in the market, which cool the wine to precise temperatures.
Another thing to remember is that wine is not beer. It is not meant to be slugged and gulped. It is a dignified drink that is meant to be sipped slowly and enjoyed. You should spend time savouring the aroma that the wine exudes and the colour and texture of the wine itself. Enjoy the wine with every sip and use all your taste buds to taste and enjoy the Australian wine. One glass of Australian wine can last a very long time if it is leisurely sipped and slowly enjoyed.
Last but not the least; wine must be drunk in a special wine glass. It cannot be just poured into any glass or tumbler or be had from a pitcher, the way beer is enjoyed. Wine must be had in a specialised wine glass like the burgundy glass or the Bordeaux glass or such, that allows for the wine to be twirled around and champagne, yet another form of wine must be enjoyed in a champagne tulip, a glass that allows you to savour the colour of the champagne, relish the aroma, keep the bubbles in place and yet allow you to have an enjoyable drink!
Virginia Wine Festivals
Wine has become popular worldwide. It is taken in a relaxed mood whether at home or at a social gathering. Those who enjoy wine prefer to drink it at social places because they argue that this reduces boredom. They say that Virginia wine is so good and well concentrated that it should not be drunk in a hurry. In fact, one said that the longer you hold it in the glass the more pleasure you get, but others argue that taking a little excess for the road is not advisable.
For many, they get as many bottles as possible and put them on the back seat of their cars and drink while relaxing with the rest of their family members. Irrespective of the way it is drunk, Virginia wine remains the most difficult to understand, but the most enjoyable. In this respect, there are many festivals that go alongside this wine festival. The following is just a compilation of a few of them. The Yorktown wine festival is a longtime celebration that has been enjoyed for various reasons.
People who attended this celebration were treated with the beauty of the York River shoreline. When the day was perfectly clear towards the evening, whatever that was observed along the show line of this river was just another perfect color of wine and this must have contributed to onset of the celebrations.
Apart from wine, the celebrations were also accompanied by food and great music. On the occasion, visits would be made to historic sites since the Yorktown was also a historical site where Cornwallis had surrendered so the American revolution of the year 1781 could come to an end. There is a strong impact that is left in your life by attending small festivals such as the Yorktown festival. This is that tasters will be able to sample the wares from a distance and other remote wineries. Some of the wineries already featured on this festival include the San Soucy, Davis Valley and Rebec. This is one of the most interesting Virginia wine festivals.
The fermented grape juice is also produced in the Okanagan valley for top wines that even win both the national and international wine completions. The harvest of grapes therefore forms another celebration in Virginia. People simply come to exhibit their wealth and this is done every season. There are other categories of wine that are observed as festival celebrations.
The Okanagan spring wine festival is celebrated at the beginning of the grape growing season and it is accompanied by exquisite medley of wine and cuisine. It is a perfect celebration to any person who enjoys wine sipping with many gastronomic treats. The summer Virginia wine celebration is marked in August and comes with the opportunity of educating oneself about the different types of wine as the many varieties are displayed.
Mulled Wine
Glhwein
Glhwein is popular in German-speaking countries and the region of Alsace in France. It is the traditional beverage offered and drunk on Weihnachtsmrkten. It is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar. Fruit wines such as blueberry wine and cherry wine are rarely used instead of grape wine in Germany. Glhwein is drunk pure or “mit Schuss”, which means there is rum or liqueur added. The French name is vin chaud (hot wine).
The oldest Glhwein tankard is documented in the high noble German and first Riesling grower of the world, Count John IV. of Katzenelnbogen around 1420. This gold-plated lockable silver tankard imitating the traditional wine woven wooden can is called Welcome.
In Romania it is called vin fiert (“boiled wine”), and can be made using either red or white wine, sometimes adding peppercorn.
In Moldova the izvar is made from red wine with black pepper and honey.
In Italy, mulled wine is typical in the northern part of the country and is called vin brul.
In Latvia it is called karstvns (“hot wine”). When out of wine, it is prepared using grape (or currant) juice and Riga Black Balsam.
Glgg
Warm mulled pear juice, alcohol-free drink.
Glgg is the term for mulled wine in the Nordic countries (sometimes misspelled as glog or glug); in (Swedish and Icelandic: Glgg, Norwegian and Danish: Glgg, Finnish and Estonian: Glgi). Non-alcoholic glgg can be bought ready-made or prepared with fruit juices instead of wine. The main classic ingredients are (usually) red wine, sugar or syrup, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, and optionally also stronger spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy. In Sweden, glgg spice extract can be purchased at the chemist. To prepare glgg, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to 60-70 Celsius (140-158 Fahrenheit). The temperature should not be allowed to rise above 78.4 Celsius (173.12 Fahrenheit) in order to avoid evaporation of the alcohol. When preparing home-made glgg using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving. In Sweden ready-made wine glgg is normally sold ready to heat and serve and not in concentrate or extract form. Glgg is generally served with raisins, blanched almonds and gingerbread, and is a popular hot drink during the Christmas season.
All over Scandinavia ‘glgg parties’ are often held during the month before Christmas. In Sweden, ginger bread and lussebullar (also called lussekatter), a type of sweet bun with saffron and raisins, are typically served. It is also traditionally served at Julbord, the Christmas buffet. In Denmark, glgg parties typically include bleskiver sprinkled with powdered sugar and accompanied with strawberry marmalade. In Norway glgg parties with glgg and rice pudding (Norwegian: riskrem) are common. In such cases the word graut-/grtfest is more precise, taking the name from the rice pudding which is served as a course. Typically, the glgg is drunk before eating the rice pudding, which is often served with cold, red cordial (saus).
Glgg recipes vary widely; variations with white wine or sweet wines such as Madeira, or spirits such as brandy are also popular. Glgg can also be made alcohol-free by replacing the wine with fruit or berry juices (often blackcurrant) or by boiling the glgg for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Glgg is very similar in taste to modern Wassail or mulled cider.
British mulled wine
Cover of Mrs Beeton’s book
A traditional recipe can be found in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management at paragraph 1961 on page 929 to 930 of the revised edition dated 1869:
1961.-TO MULL WINE.
INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.
Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately cleaned, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose.
Navegado
Navegado is a kind of mulled wine typically from Chile it is also called Candola in Concepcin. The word navegado comes from the Spanish navegar meaning to navigate or sail. Navegado is heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves and sugar. Almonds and raisins are often added.
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mulled wine
Grog
Hypocras
Negus (drink)
References
^ http://www.graf-von-katzenelnbogen.de/ All about The History of the County of Katzenelnbogen and the First Riesling of the World
^ South of Sweden: Glgg parties exposed
vde
Alcoholic beverages
History and production
History of alcohol
History of alcohol History of beer History of Champagne History of wine History of French wine History of Rioja wine
Production
Brewing Distilling Winemaking
Alcoholic beverages
Fermented beverage
Beer (types) Wine (types) Cider (category) Mead (category) Rice wine (category) Other fermented beverages
Distilled beverage
Brandy (category) Gin (category) Liqueur (category) Rum (category) Tequila (category) Vodka (category) Whisky (category)
Fortified wine (category)
Madeira wine (category) Marsala wine Port wine Sherry (category) Vermouth (category)
Distilled beverages by ingredients
Grain
Barley: Irish whiskey Japanese whisky Scotch whisky Maize: Bourbon whiskey Corn whiskey Tennessee whiskey Rice: Awamori Rice baijiu Soju Rye: Rye whiskey Sorghum: Baijiu (Kaoliang)
Fruit
Apple: Applejack Calvados Cashew Apple: Fenny Coconut: Arrack Grape: Armagnac Brandy Cognac Pisco Plum: Slivovitz uic Pomace: Grappa Marc Orujo Tsikoudia Tsipouro Zivania Chacha Various/other fruit: Eau de vie Kirschwasser Palinka Rakia Schnaps
Other
Agave: Mezcal Tequila Sugarcane/molasses: Aguardiente Cachaa Clairin Guaro Rum Seco Herrerano Tharra Various cereals and potato: Akvavit Baijiu Canadian whisky Poitin Shch Vodka Whisky
Liqueurs and infused distilled beverages by ingredients
Almond: Amaretto Crme de Noyaux Anise: Absinthe Arak Ouzo Raki Pastis Sambuca Chocolate Cinnamon: Tentura Coconut: Malibu Coffee: Kahlua Tia Maria Egg: Advocaat Hazelnut: Frangelico Herbs: Aquavit Bndictine Brennivn Crme de menthe Metaxa Honey: Brenjger Drambuie Krupnik Juniper: Gin Jenever Orange: Campari Curaao Triple sec Star anise: Sassolino Sugarcane/molasses: Charanda Various/other fruit: Crme de banane Crme de cassis Limoncello Schnapps Sloe gin
Alcoholic beverages category Pub Bar Tavern Drink Portal Beer Portal Beer WikiProject Wine Portal Wine WikiProject Spirits WikiProject
Categories: Mixed drinks | Wine styles | Christmas food | Chilean alcoholic beveragesHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from December 2007 | All articles needing additional references
Stainless Wine Refrigerator
Many people make the mistake of thinking that by just keeping their wine in a normal kitchen refrigerator they will conserve quality and they wonder why other people rave on about having a wine refrigerator. As far as wine drinkers are concerned, though, red wine at normal kitchen refrigerator temperature becomes far too cold for drinking. So too with white wine; there’s a limit to how much this should be chilled also.
To get the very best out of your wine collection, always store the wine at the correct temperature. Letting the wine get too warm will affect the taste and overall quality. This is where the importance of choosing a wine bottle refrigerator comes into consideration and you think: How big a unit do I want? How many bottles will I be storing? How will it look on display? Do I want a wooden or a stainless wine refrigerator? How much will it cost?
Like most household appliances there are many different brands to choose from. People are aware of the leading manufacturers in the household goods category: LG, Westinghouse, Avanti, Whirlpool, Viking, Electrolux, etc. The brand name is not the main thing, though, as price will probably be a more determining factor when choosing a unit.
If you are considering a stainless wine refrigerator, you will most likely give a lot of consideration to a unit with dual zone temperature control. This set-up will allow you to store your prized bottles of red as well as your whites.
As a keen wine collector, I have never regretted purchasing a wine bottle refrigerator to keep my wine collection in pristine condition. I opted for a stainless wine refrigerator to blend in with my apartment surroundings.
Shop around before purchasing a wine refrigerator. Good discount prices are available if you are prepared to do diligent research. I purchased my unit online and have yet to find a better deal elsewhere.
The Vinotemp Wine Refrigerator that I purchased, for example, is one of the best brands on the market. It allows wine collectors to store their wines without having to resort to underground cellars. The unit has a well-lit interior, security lock, traditional thermoelectric cooling, and exterior LED display.
If you are wine collector, you want to be able to pull out a bottle of wine and have a good idea before having it with your meal that it will taste just right. If you are having friends over to your house to sample one of your favorite wines, you want an assurance of quality before opening a bottle. Only through storing your wines in a wine bottle refrigerator can you have such assurance.
Grape Wines
Diverse Drinks: Red vs. White Grape Wines
Grapes wines are known for their long record with human kind. From the ancient Greeks who wrote great epics centered about wine, to the wine-loving French that mysteriously never gain pounds even when their diet is full of saturated fat. And the list of the varieties of such wines is about as long as their history; with each kind of wine being in a class of its own.
But if you must simply divide the wine according to its purpose and taste, a choice between white wine and red wine would be the most appropriate difference between them.
While it may be an oversimplification to group all the grapes wines in the world into twocategories, most wines that come from grapes can be prepared in two ways: fermenting them with the skins, or without the skins. The former produces red wine, and the latter produces white wine.
Here is a quick breakdown of the two main differences between red wines and white wines.
Red wines are called red wines not because they are blue or black or orange or pink: it is because they are red. From deep hues of red to lighter color tone of red, all grapes wines that are dark and opaque are called red wines. This is because of the tannins in the grape skins that dyes the wine red, and gives red wine its unique color. Now take note that a few red wines may appear bluish or even blackish, but shine a light through them and you will see a shade of red there somewhere.
While red wine is called red, white wine is called white not because of its color, but its lack thereof. White grapes wines are fermented without the skin; only the pulp of the grapes is left to ferment in the vats. This causes the solution to be clear, as most grape pulp is clear and transparent. Without any skin to provide the tannins, the white wine then does not gain color: making it clear by nature.
Because of the presence of a high amount of tannins in the solution, red wines have a distinctly stronger and more complex taste; often to the disliking of newcomers to the wine scene. This heavy, strong taste makes red wine go well with foods that are equally strong and complex in nature. Beef, lamb, duck, sausages, and other meats are prime matches for red wines.
Conversely, the lack of tannins in white wines gives them a tangy, almost fruity flavor. This makes them easier to the palette, and goes well with foods that are light in flavor too. It helps you savor the taste without overpowering the taste buds, like what red wines tend to do. This makes white wines ideal for meals with chicken, seafood, turkey and other light foods.
Remember, there are many other types of grapes wines out there, and it would not do them justice to simply be grouped into these two very broad categories of red and white wine. Just learn to appreciate the flavor and texture of each wine, whether dark or transparvarietiesent, and you will eventually understand why this broad categorization simply will not be able to encompass all the wines out there in the world.