Tag Archives: Wine
Choosing an American Wine
Choosing an American wine is something that you can easily do when you put some time and effort into it. Learning more about the origins American wine and where it comes from, will help you to get a better idea of the type of variety that you would like to choose. With over 300 years of history as well as production taking place in all fifty states, there is a lot to learn about American wines; more than you might imagine in fact.
American Wine Producers
The United States is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world with California being the State that produces the most. There are several native species of grapes that grow in America on more than 1,100,000 acres distributed across around 3,000 vineyards. There is at least one vineyard in every state.
The majority of wine production occurs on the West Coast in the states of California, Washington and Oregon. Other top wine producing states include Idaho, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.
Regulation
The regulation of American wines is controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. In order for a wine to be labelled with a County Appellation, 75% of the grapes must come from within that county. If grapes are from numerous counties then it must be labelled as a multi-county wine. This can vary from state to state. In California a County Appellation must be 100% of the grapes and in Texas it is 85%.
As far as having a year on the label, in the US 95% of the grapes in the wine must come from the specified year in order for that year to appear on the label. All labels must also list the alcohol percentage. A Varietal label requires 75% of the grapes to be varietals.
Choosing a Wine
Now that you know the specifics about where wine is grown and how it is labeled, you can actually begin to look at the wines from individual areas. It can help to have a bit of information about each region and what to expect from a wine from a specific region.
California is probably the leading producer of excellent wines in the country. The climate and land in California makes for the perfect growing conditions for outstanding grapes. California produces the Bordeaux grape variety that is used to produce the famous California Cabernet Sauvignon.
Zinfandel is another popular wine produced in the country. This is an affordable wine that is produced in many different varieties, from white to blush to red.
Choosing the best American wine comes down to a matter of taste. Price cannot always dictate what will taste the best to you. You have to get out there and try them out. One of the best ways to sample wines from all over the country is to go to wineries and do tastings in each region. This will give you a very good idea of what wines will appeal the most to you.
California White Wine – Chardonnay
One of the things I’ve learned already in this adventure of starting a wine club is that many people have tons of questions about grapes and different varietals of wine. In an effort to help educate people and answer some of these basic questions I’ve put together a few basics about some popular wines.
California Chardonnay:
The undisputed queen of the California White Wines, Chardonnay is a popular choice for many reasons.
Tasting Notes:
People generally describe Chardonnay as a crisp clean white wine. You’ll find small fig, citrus, tropical fruit or apple flavors in most bottles. More recently Chardonnay has started to be aged in oak barrels which gives the resulting wine a much deeper oak flavor which can be the strongest of all the flavors in the wine. One common thread with Chardonnay from all over the world, the balance of sugar and acid is outstanding and makes it an entirely drinkable wine for wine lovers and novices alike.
What Grape is It?
Genetic studies show that the grape is actually a cross between the Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes. California Chardonnay is typically grown in cool valleys because the fruit ripens so quickly that producers need to slow the process down in order to keep the alcohol content to a reasonable level.
History of the wine in California:
Although first planted in the 1800’s the grape was nearly forgotten during prohibition when farmers and wine makers were forced to take Chardonnay fields out and replace them with grapes with thicker skins so transport and concealment would be easier. A few patches in more rugged terrain survived, especially in the Santa Cruz mountains and the grape started a full scale comeback in the 1970’s. It is now the stable of the California white wine industry and the most popular white wine in the world.
Important Notes:
Chardonnay is generally thought of as one of the easiest wines to create. In fact many observers of the wine industry feel that any average winemaker can create an outstanding Chardonnay given the growing conditions within California’s cool valleys.
Pricing Structure:
Chardonnay under $ 8 or so per bottle will have some significant issues.
$ 8-$ 20 Typically good balance and complexity, but lacking in oak flavoring.
$ 20-$ 40 Great Chardonnays in this price range
$ 40+ Unless your palate and nose for wine is exceptional, you most likely will not be able to tell the difference between a $ 20 bottle scored at 92 points and a $ 80 bottle scored at 94 points by the major wine critics in the world.
To Sum It Up:
We don’t plan to offer Chardonnay through either of our initial two Uncorked Ventures wine clubs. Frankly you can find many good bottles of Chardonnay at lower price points that are readily available.
Vintage Guide
2007 92 D/H
2006 88 D
2005 94 D/H
2004 91 D
2003 90 D
2002 95 D
2001 96 D
2000 88 D
1999 89 D
1998 85 D
1997 93 D
1996 90 D
1995 91 D
1994 94 D
1993 90 D
1992 92 D
1991 94 D
1990 90 D
RATING:
95-100 Spectacular. Most producers made very good wines at all levels
90-94 Excellent. The best wines should be great. Consistency throughout the vintage.
85-89 Very Good. The best producers made top wines. Inconsistent thru the lower levels.
80-86 Good. Many producers made good wines with some inconsistency at the bottom.
75-79 Middling. Choose your producers carefully. Only the best may have made a top wine.
70-74 Below Average. Tough vintage to make good wines.
Under 70 A Poor vintage. Spend your money very carefully.
STATUS:
D=Drink
D/H=Drink or Hold
H=Hold
I hope this has helped you make an informed decision when buying a bottle of Chardonnay. Just remember, vintage is important with wine.
More Malbec Wine Articles
Wine and Health Guide
“Is wine good for you?” – perhaps one of the top 10 most regularly asked questions in our wine tasting events. It’s always interested me that this question is at the forefront of many wine drinker’s minds, and it’s clear this is linked to the increasing interest in what goes into wine, and how it is produced.
It’s regularly notedthat wines (particularly reds), when consumed in moderation help combat cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and even Alzheimers. Epidemiologists for instance have consistently shown that the moderate consumption of alcohol and wine helps lower cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Why? Well although alcohol is a toxic substance, in moderation amongst other things, it is an anticoagulant (which in turn prevents blood clots).
It’s not only alcohol however – phenolic compounds present in wine are also known to be beneficial. One of these, Resveratrol (seemingly the wonder compound) seems to have an extraordinary breadth of benefits, from attacking cancer cells, protecting the heart and brain from damage, reducing inflammation, and lowering the instances of diabetes. Resveratrol has even been credited with reducing age related illnesses. Interestingly, 100 times more resveratrol is absorbed by the mouth than by the stomach. Because of this, it’s recommended you sip wine, rather than knock it back.
On this point, it’s not just how much you drink, but how you drink that matters. A further study (in Italy) has shown that consuming wines with a meal significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.
THE FRENCH PARADOX
The perceived benefits of wine drinking are not new however. The well known French Paradox (essentially the observation that the French have a relatively low incidence of coronary disease, despite having a diet rich in fat) was first brought to light by an Irish doctor by the name of Samuel Black in 1819.
This phenomenon was revisited in 1991 on 60 Minutes, a CBS news program in USA, with the suggestion that red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac arrests. The follow-on? A 44% increase in red wine consumption, with US based wineries lobbying for the right to label their wines as “health foods.” The reaction from the American public was so great that wine brand Gallo had to put their Hearty Burgundy wine on allocation.
Inevitability, there have been dissenting voices, not least the statistics collected between 1990-2000 by The World Health Organisation who have shown coronary disease in the French may have been underestimated, and may be similar to those of neighbouring countries in Europe.
Despite all the research, as usual it’s all about moderation. Moderate drinkers have been defined by some as those who consume two 5 ounce glasses of wine a day, although sex, age, build, and general health all make generialisations risky. We know where the limits are – go overboard and all the adverse effects of excessive drinking are yours for the taking (liver disease, pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease..).
The future for wine and health? Well just last year in 2008, Philip Norrie, a Sydney based winemaker, created a wine with 100 times more resveratrol than standard wine. He calls it a “vascular pipe cleaner” – watch this space.
Find More Zinfandel Wine Articles
Making Homemade Wine
Making homemade wine is a tradition that many people still continue today. Many people assume that making wine is a difficult process and I am here to tell you that it is not. Making home brew is simple but it can be time consuming and once you start it is hard to stop and what was once a small hobby becomes more like an obsession.
There are definite tools of the trade and instructions you should follow in order to make your wine taste great and that is safe from bacteria or other harmful things that could stand in your way of great wine making. Also, you should realize that you are not stuck just making grape wine, you can use any fruit juice you wish and make any blend that sounds good to you! Creating the perfect blend of fruit and flavor can open up a whole new world for you in regards to wine.
To start making your own homemade wine you will need some basic tools. It is EXTREMELY important that you follow all sanitation guidelines for your tools during the wine making process. Harmful bacteria can quickly ruin a perfect batch of wine, not to mention make you sick, so be sure to be careful when handling and sanitizing all tools used during the process. Here is a list of tools you will need:
Turkey Baster
Old wine bottles (for final product, sterilized)
Siphon (vinyl tubing)
Sanitizer (bleach or other recommended alternatives)
A plastic water bottle or glass jug (unscratched on the inside)
Rubber stopper (#8 or #9)
Airlock (balloon, PVC pipe, or commercial airlock)
Stirrer small enough to fit through opening of bottle
Funnel
This is a basic list to make simple wine, but you can also make very complex wine with just these simple tools. There are many companies today that provide you with kits and that is perfectly fine, but you can also make your wine with the things you have laying around your house already. Either way, once you have your equipment you are ready to begin the fun part!
By this time you probably already know the flavor of wine you want to make and no matter what the flavor you will be needing the juice from the fruit or fruits you choose to use. You can get this juice from one of two ways. You can either buy the juice from the store making sure that it does not contain additives other than Vitamin C, or you can make your own juice from the raw fruit. You will need a few other ingredients such as sugar, yeast and possibly the following chemicals:
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium/Potassium Metabisulfite
Yeast Nutrient
Be careful of allergies when using any substances for your wine making endeavors. There are some substitutions that can be made so do your research!
Now find a recipe to follow and do that to the letter and you will soon be drinking your own special homemade wine. Many recipes can be found by doing a simple search on-line. Soon you will understand the basics and be able to make your own recipes!
Red Wine Diet – Can All Wines Help in Losing Weight?
Everybody enjoys a glass of red wine. It is one of life’s little indulgences, but sometimes, some studies tell us that they are not good for our health. In the 1990s, the idea of red wine as a way to lose weight and have a healthy heart and body has led many researchers into creating diets that include wine. Today, the red wine diet has gained the interests of so many people and has grown in popularity for several years now.
Is Wine Good For Our Body?
Wine may contain a little alcohol, but it also contains procyanidins. These types of flavanoids lower our cholesterol and keep our blood pressure at a minimum. It also helps to lose weight because it makes your tolerance for exercise increase so you can do more exercises and burn more body fat. Red wine also prevents certain diseases such as heart disease, dementia, and diabetes mellitus.
Are All Wines Good For Us?
Not all wines are healthy, especially if you choose the sweet ones. In this diet, the skill in choosing the right wine is needed. If you cannot tell if a wine has been processed too much or if it has been fermented for quite some time, then it will be hard for you to follow this diet. All you need to remember is that the good wines are usually those that come from Italy and France. Younger wines and those that are allowed to settle instead of being processed typically contain procyanidins.
With two to three glasses of wine a day, you are not only keeping your body healthy, but you are also enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Just be sure to choose the proper wine before starting this diet. And never expect instant results, because this is intended to be a lifelong diet. A glass of wine every night will make you feel fuller and healthier as you slowly reap its benefits.