Wine 1020
Baijiu: China’s White Wine
Baijiu: China’s “White Wine”
My first trip to China was an eye-opening one. One of my friends there asked me if I wanted to try some white wine, and because I absolutely love all types of wine, I enthusiastically said yes, anticipating a taste of a nice crisp fruity white wine.
What I got was totally unexpected and shocking even. My friend poured me a tiny glass of a crystal clear liquid that came out of a bottle that looked more like a vodka bottle than a wine bottle. “Bottoms up” she said, and down the hatch the “wine” went.
I coughed. I spluttered. I wheezed. Not because it was bad; au contraire – it would have been rather pleasant if I had been told that what I was consuming was actually a hard, distilled liquor that wasn’t wine at all. I later learned that the “buzz” I was feeling after only one sip was due to the beverage’s 60% alcohol by volume content. Sheesh! I’d never had such strong “wine” in my life!
What I had been given that day back in 2003 was what the Chinese call Baijiu and translate to “white wine”. Baijiu is actually a distilled liquor produced with sorghum; it can also be made with glutinous rice, wheat, barley, millet or even Job’s Tears. It is clear, and from its appearance it can be confused with other clear liquors such as vodka, gin, or unaged rum. However, the ABV is usually higher and is 40%-60%, meaning it can pack quite a punch.
Baijiu has been produced in China for at least 5000 years and still plays a very important role in modern culture. Important occasions are celebrated with alcohol; when a new home is purchased, when a marriage takes place, when a new business starts, or even if a child gets accepted into a prestigious school, friends will be invited over to partake in a baijiu drinking session. We could almost say that baijiu in China is used in the same way that champagne is used Western countries to celebrate big occasions.
How to Drink Baijiu
Baijiu is incredibly strong in the alcohol department and it is also very strong when it comes to aroma and flavor. Drinking it in the right way will make a difference; it will be much more enjoyable.
Baijiu is usually served at room temperature or warm in order to enjoy the fragrances. The liquor is then poured into very small porcelain cups or small glasses. Baijiu can be sold in sets that contain a ceramic bottle of the beverage and matching drinking cups; sometimes a small heater is also included in the set. Baijiu is usually consumed while eating food, but it can be taken on its own as well.
Baijiu is not a liquor that is easy to mix into cocktails due to its strong character; many bartenders in the business have attempted to invent several recipes with mixers that could highlight or complement the flavors of the Chinese “white wine”, but have failed. Baijiu is best when it’s just taken straight.
Baijiu ranges in price from a few cents for liquid in a baggie-type container to several thousand dollars for types that have been aged for many years. Well-known brands include Maotai jiu, Gaoliang jiu, and Erguotou.
Baijiu Classification
Baijiu is generally categorized according to its fragrance. Here are the main types.
Sauce Fragrance: This type has a very bold smell which to an untrained western palate is like barnyard, solvent, and ammonia. Described by some as a cross between stinky tofu and Italian grappa, to connoisseurs it is considered very delicious and the best accompaniment to foods that are pickled and preserved. Maotai is one of the most popular “sauce fragrance” baijius in China.
Thick Fragrance: Also called Heavy Fragrance, these are sweet tasting, unctuous and rather mellow with an aroma that is gentle yet lingering. Wuliangye from Yibin is a thick fragrance baijiu.
Light Fragrance: This type of baijiu has a clean mouthfeel, and is more delicate, light, and dry in nature while still being mellow. Ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate provide the characteristic flavors of this version, and if one is interested in trying a light fragrance baijiu, the one to try is Fen jiu from Shanxi.
Rice Fragrance: These baijius, and the name implies, are made from rice. Clean and only slightly aromatic, a good brand to try is San Hua jiu from Guilin.
Honey Fragrance: Subtle in taste and sweet, this type of “white wine” has a honey-like aroma.
Layered Fragrance: This category contains baijiu that has a combination of Sauce, Heavy, and Light fragrances, and liquors classified as “layered “ can vary wildly in their mouthfeel, dryness, and fragrance. Xifeng jiu is a good example of a Layered Fragrance type of baijiu.
Types of Baijiu
After classification into one of the above fragrance categories, there are basically two types of Baijiu: unflavored and flavored. Here we will only deal with some of the subcategories of the unflavored types.
Fen jiu is the oldest type of baijiu that is still on the market. It is made from sorghum and has an ABV of up to 65%.
Erguotou is one of the least expensive versions on the market and is popular in China’s northeast. It is frequently associated with Beijing and is a favorite with blue-collar workers.
Maotai In production for over 200 years, Maotai won a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Maotai was also served to U.S. President Richard Nixon during his visit to China.
Luzhou Laojiao The most popular “white wine” in the country, with a production history extending over 400 years. Experts say its unique flavor is due to the type of clay that is present in the soil.
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What is Madeira Wine?
What is Madeira Wine?
Madeira wine isn’t something that we really hear too much about nowadays, and when it is mentioned, we think that it sounds rather quaint; we can almost imagine a scene straight out of Edgar Allan Poe. While Madeira wine may not be on everyone’s Top Ten Wines list, it is a wine that has been around for centuries and is definitely worth trying. Here’s a look at another one of Portugal’s fine alcoholic beverages.
Madeira is produced on the Portuguese islands of Madeira, which are located about 400 km north of the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. Madeira wine is a classic fortified wine, meaning that it has a distilled spirit added to it to boost its alcohol content. Madeira can range from dry wine taken as an aperitif to sweet wine that works well as a digestif to be taken along with a dessert. Cooking versions of the wine are very inexpensive and can be flavored with salt and pepper.
A little bit of history
The islands of Madeira have a long wine-making history; the islands were used as a port of call from the late 1400s, and in order for the wine produced in the area to survive long trips at sea, grape spirit was added to act as a kind of preserving agent. During the voyage at sea, the wine with the added spirit would be subject to violent movement and to extremes of temperature; the winemakers of Madeira learned that this changed the flavor and characteristics of the wine. They found that unsold stores of their wines which had gone around the world actually tasted better after exposure to heat and oxidization. Therefore, present-day Madeira, in order to get the optimum flavor and characteristics, is heated to 600 C (1400 F) for a prolonged period of time and exposed to oxidization. Because of this, Madeira wine is very robust and will remain good to drink even if it has been opened for a long while.
Most Madeira or Madère wines, in accordance with EU regulations, are only made in the Madeira Islands. However, some small producers in the United States and Crimea produce fortified wines that they label as Madeira or Madera.
The golden age of Madeira wine was the 18th century, and the largest consumer of the wine was the United States. Madeira wine was used to toast the country’s Declaration of Independence, and was said to be a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
Due to plant diseases in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Madeira production slowed almost to a halt and the only Madeira wines being produced were those of poor quality and were used more for cooking than for drinking. However, in the past 50 years, the noble grape varieties Sercial, Verdelho and Bual and Malvasia were replanted and good Madeira wines are again being produced. Benelux countries are the main consumers now, but markets for Japan and the U.S. are becoming stronger.
The process
Grape growing on the islands is a costly endeavor; it is labor intensive due to steep slopes and the need to keep the vines elevated to prevent different types of plant diseases. Picking cannot be mechanized due to the extensive terracing that is needed to grow wine grapes; everything needs to be done by hand.
Malvasia and Bual grapes make the sweetest wines, with Verdelho and Sercial grapes making the driest. Other varieties used are the robust Tinta Negra Mole and Complexa. The grapes are then picked, crushed, pressed, and finally fermented in stainless steel vats or casks made of oak. Bual and Malvasia grapes are almost always fermented with their skins in order to balance out the sweetness of the wine. The grapes used for dry wines have their skins removed before fermentation. According to the amount of sweetness desired, neutral grape distilled spirit will be added to halt the fermentation process; the earlier the spirit goes in, the sweeter the wine will be. Producers of cheap Madeira destined to be sold as cooking wine will let the wine ferment until it is totally dry and will only add spirit later to prevent alcohol loss due to evaporation.
The aging process: Estufagem
The aging process which is totally unique in the winemaking world is called estufagem, and it entails heating the wine up to 1400 F. There are three different methods; cuba de calor or heated tanks in which the wine is held for 90 days for the cheapest Madeira wine; armazem de calor which is like a heated room in which the tanks are held for six months up to a year, and the most expensive of the Madeira wines are heated and aged in a canteiro, or rooms where casks are left to age in rooms warmed by the sun with no artificial source of heat. The aging in a canteiro can last between 20 to 100 years.
But what do Madeira wines taste like?
All Madeira wines are characterized by a very mellow flavor, and have the same color as a tawny port. The four major styles or types of Madeira are named after the grape variety used.
Malvasia is the sweetest of the Madeira wines. Also known as Malmsey, fermentation is stopped early in the process and the wine is dark, rich in texture with a taste similar to coffee and caramel. Malvasia has high acidity levels, so while the wine is sweet, it is not cloyingly so. It is usually taken as a dessert wine.
Bual is not quite as sweet as Malvasia, but it is also dark in color, has a medium rich texture, and presents raisin flavors.
Verdelho is less sweet and is drier than Bual, has high acidity, and has smoky notes that connoisseurs enjoy.
Sercial is fermented until it is nearly dry, and is the driest of the Madeira wines. High-toned colors are combined with almond flavors and high acidity. Sercial is usually taken as an aperitif as it is very dry.
Reserve Madeira wines have been aged for five years, Special Reserve ten years, Extra Reserve 15 years, Colheita or Harvest are wines from a single vintage but aged for less time than a true Vintage, and Vintage or Frasqueira wines have been aged for at least twenty years.
There are other specialist types of Madeira wines available on the market, but for now, any one of the varieties we have described above will be an absolute delight to try.
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Port Wine: Something Different And Sophisticated
Looking For Something Different And Sophisticated?
Try Port Wine
Trying new wines is always fun; there are fabulous red wines like Shiraz, Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot that are always lovely to drink, and there are some great white wines like Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Vinho Verde that are the perfect accompaniment for creamy and spicy dishes. Rosé wines are an absolute delight any time of the year.
But what do you do when you get a little bit bored of drinking wine? Beer might not be your thing, and cocktails may be a little too “fluffy” for your liking, and maybe you think that after-dinner liqueurs aren’t right for you. So what should you try to expand your knowledge of alcoholic beverages?
Well, the solution may be to look to the past and see what your grandparents would have after a nice fancy meal with friends. Drinks that we may think of as bit stodgy and old-fashioned are making a big comeback and many people are enjoying these drinks again. Fortified wines are becoming popular on fine restaurant and bar menus; Sherry, Madeira and that old staple, Port wine, are all basking in the limelight. If you’ve never tried a fortified wine before, then Port wine will probably be a great wine to start with. Here is everything you need to know about one of Portugal’s most famous products.
Port wine or Porto, which is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley of Portugal, is a fortified wine. Fortified wine is a wine to which brandy or another distilled beverage has been added. Usually it is a sweet red wine that is served after a meal as a dessert or along with a dessert. Although most of the varieties on the market are sweet, it can also be dry or semi-dry. Furthermore, there are white ports available on the market that are also very good and make for a nice change.
Port-style wines are also produced in other countries; however, only bottles from Portugal are labeled with the words “Dão”, “Oporto”, “Porto”, and “Vinho do Porto”. Port-style wines from elsewhere will only be labeled as “Port” wine.
Port wine is made from grapes that are only grown and processed in the demarcated Douro river region. In order to stop fermentation at the appropriate time to keep the sweetness level high, a spirit called aguardente is added; it must be noted here that that aguardente is not brandy; it is a neutral grape spirit. The spirit bears no resemblance to commercial brandy at all. The wine is then put into barrels and aged in cellars, which are called caves. The wine, after aging, was then brought to the mouth of the Douro River, the city of Porto. From here, the wine was exported, and the wine was named after the seaport city.
The Douro river region is the oldest regulated and demarcated wine region in the world; the microclimate on the hillsides makes the area perfect for the cultivation of grape, almonds, and olives. Some of the most picturesque areas along the Douro River also happen to be the most productive: São João da Pesqueira and Pinhão feature farms that cling to incredibly steep slopes that seem to drop off into the river. A favorite spot for many tourists who visit the area is the small city of Régua which is very beautiful.
There are more than one hundred varieties of grapes that are allowed to be used in the production of port wine; however, most producers stick to the five most common ones, which are Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (also known in Spain as Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional. The most desirable of the five grapes is the Touriga Nacional, but it is very hard to cultivate and produces small yields. White ports are made with Donzelinho Branco, Esgana-Cão, Folgasão, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho. The most expensive Port wines come from the Quinta do Noval area.
Common Types of Port Wine
Ruby Port is the least expensive port wine on the market. The wine is usually stored in stainless steel tanks before bottling in order for it to keep its characteristic deep red color. It doesn’t improve with age.
Tawny Port is Port wine that has been aged in wooden barrels in order to oxidize and evaporate somewhat. The flavor mellows, and the color changes to a golden brown. Tawny Port is characterized by a nutty, sweet taste; in sweet or medium-dry versions Tawny Port is usually consumed as a dessert wine. If the age of the wine is not indicated on the label, the wine has been aged for two years in the wooden barrels.
Crusted Port For those who can’t afford a Vintage Port (which are the most expensive), a Crusted Port is of higher quality than a Tawny Port and is will give an aficionado a good idea of what a vintage will taste like. A blend of various vintages, the wine is bottled unfiltered and sealed with a cork that is driven. It must be decanted before drinking. Crusted Port improves with age, and the date on the label refers to the date the wine was bottled, not the date of the harvest. This version of Port wine must be aged in the bottle for three years before it is allowed to be sold. It can be consumed immediately after purchase if one so desires because most sellers will let the bottles age in their shop cellars for an additional amount of time before selling.
Vintage Port This style of Port is made entirely with grapes of a single declared vintage year; Vintage ports only account for 2 percent of all Port wine production in Portugal. Vintage however, is not declared every year in the Douro Region and every port house declares their own vintages. Some port houses will declare every year except for disastrous years as vintage, while the more conventional houses will generally only declare 3 vintages every ten years. Vintage Port wines must be aged for at least 2 and a half years in wooden barrels; the wine must further be aged for a minimum of ten years in the bottle. The most expensive Vintage Port wines need to be aged for at least 40 years.
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The Triumphant Return of Sherry
The Triumphant Return of Sherry
While some people who are involved in the alcoholic beverage industry may think that Sherry is a drink that has become somewhat old fashioned, a sort of “grandpa’s drink”, the truth of the matter is that the younger generation is rediscovering just how pleasurable a nice glass of Sherry can be either before a meal or as an accompaniment to other foodstuffs. Sherry may not be on most people’s radar just yet, however, as more and more restaurant and bar patrons get tired of the same old wine, beer, and cocktails, Sherry is a type of alcohol that we will surely see on the menus of finer establishments and in the liquor cabinets of connoisseurs in the years to come.
Many of us may have some vague recollection of what sherry is; perhaps we’ve even had a sip of it once or twice in our lives at some special occasion with the older generation. However, since it’s been a long time and most bartenders unfortunately can’t tell us much about the fortified wine, here is a little bit of a “Sherry primer”.
Sherry is a wine that is fortified and is made of white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, in southern Spain. A fortified wine is a normal wine that has had a spirit such as brandy added to it at some time in the fermentation process in order to increase its alcohol by volume content. Sherry can range from dry to sweet, from light to dark in color, from fresh to aged.
Light styles of dry Sherry are very similar to white wine and are made with the Palomino grape; Manzanilla and Fino are two types of lighter wines. Darker, heavier versions that are left to age in barrels and oxidize are also made with Palomino grapes and include Amontillado and Oloroso Sherry. Very sweet dessert wines are made with Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel grapes mixed with Palomino sherries.
Interestingly enough, the name “Sherry” is actually an Anglicization of Xeres, the alternative name for Jerez. In former times, the fortified wine which came from Jerez de la Frontera was known as “sack” which came from the word “saca” in Spanish, which means extraction. Under European law, “Sherry” has protected designation of origin status; because of this, all wine that has “Sherry” on its label must come from a region known as “the Sherry Triangle”. This triangle consists of El Puerto de Santa Maria, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Jerez de la Frontera, and all three locations are found in Cádiz province. The official denomination of origin is Denominación de orígen Jerez-Xeres-Sherry.
Production
As far as production is concerned, Sherry is basically made in the same way wine is, however, once fermentation is complete, the base wine is fortified with grape spirit to boost the alcohol content. Manzanilla and Fino wines must have an alcohol content of 15.5 percent if there are to be aged; while aging, a layer of a yeast-like substance called flor will develop and protect the wine from oxidization while it is aging in the barrel. Oloroso wines much have an alcohol content of 17 percent in order to be deemed as good for aging; Oloroso sherries will oxidize to a degree because flor does not develop, and the Sherry will become darker in color.
Sherries are initially dry, unlike their Port wine counterparts; this is because the spirit is added after fermentation, and any sugar will be added later. With Port wine, in order for it to stay sweet, spirit is added halfway during the fermentation process.
Sherry wines are blended with a variety of wines from different years, a process called solera and for that reason there cannot be anything considered a “vintage” sherry. What makes Sherry different from other fortified wines is that there is the possibility that an incredibly old wine may have been used, and for this reason some wine experts and true connoisseurs will state that Sherry is undervalued and underappreciated in the wider wine industry.
A Brief History of Sherry
Sherry has a long history. When distillation was introduced to the region around the year 711, winemakers and distillers found that their products combined to be a wonderful drink. Production had been established in the area for five centuries when Alfonse X of Castile took over the area, however it was after this reconquest that export of Sherry began in earnest.
Sherry was considered incredibly important for centuries, and was so important that when Magellan sailed around the world, the sherry he carried on board had cost him more than his entire weapons inventory. Sherry became very popular in Britain after Francis Drake sacked Cádiz in 1587; among the spoils were almost three thousand barrels of the fortified wine that he brought with him on the trip home.
Varieties of Sherry
Fino is the driest and palest variety of Sherry. It is aged in barrels with flor yeast and is unoxidized.
Manzanilla is a very light style of Fino and is made in the Sanlúcar de Barrameda area.
Manzanilla Pasada is a Manzanilla that is aged and partially oxidized, with a nutty flavour.
Amontillado is a Sherry that is aged under flor but is afterwards exposed to oxygen. It is darker than Fino but lighter in color than an Oloroso. Sometimes Amontillado will be sweetened; however, once sweetened it can no longer be labeled as Amontillado.
Oloroso is a darker and richer wine that has been aged for longer than a Fino or Amontillado. When Oloroso has been sweetened, it can only be sold as “Cream Sherry” and producers are not allowed to label it with the words “Oloroso”.
Jerez Dulce or Sweet Sherries are produced by fermenting dried Pedro Ximénez grapes or dried Moscatel grapes. The resulting wine is sweet and dark brown or black in color.
Sherry may not be the most fashionable drink now, but it’s only a question of time before it will get rediscovered; it is a sure thing that shortly it will make a triumphant return.
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Canada’s Ice Wine
Canada’s Ice Wine
A special type of wine that is gaining in popularity worldwide but is still relatively unknown is a very special dessert wine that is called ice wine and is made from healthy grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. Unlike standard dessert wines made with grapes that contain a degree of rot, grapes used in ice wine production are free of disease and the resulting wine is high in acidity and “clean” while being sweet and slightly syrupy in consistency.
Critics and the general public are very fond of the beverage; however, most wine producing nations on the planet cannot produce true ice wine because it simply doesn’t get cold enough; the only two countries which experience the correct temperatures are Canada and at times, Germany.
Ice Wine: Around Since Roman Times, but Rare
Ice wine has been around for a long time, with the Romans rumored to have known the technique, and mentions of Eiswein being made in the 1500s and 1600s. However, it wasn’t until the 1970’s that ice wine began to be produced on a proper commercial scale after a good technique was discovered. Even though better technology has permitted ice-wine production on a larger scale in places like Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia in Canada, production can still be incredibly risky, and frozen grapes must be harvested within hours of achieving the correct temperature (-80C), meaning a large workforce must be mobilized within minutes, sometimes in the middle of the night. The grapes also have to be processed while they are still frozen in order for the sweeter, more concentrated juices to come out. If the grapes thaw, the entire endeavor can be ruined.
This is one of the reasons why ice wine is so expensive; it’s just incredibly expensive to produce, and on average a small 375 ml bottle will cost up to three times more than a 750ml bottle of fine regular wine. However, for the flavor experience, it’s a price many ice wine fans are happy to pay.
The Process
The main varietal used in Canadian ice wines is Vidal, and according to Canada’s Vintner’s Quality Alliance (VQA) the term ice wine can only be applied for wines made with grapes that have frozen while still on the vine; dessert wines made from grapes that have been flash frozen in a processing facility are usually called ice-box wines. Ice wines, because of their very high amounts of sugar, also take much longer than normal wines to ferment; fermentation of the frozen grapes can take as long as several months and special yeast must be used.
There are sparkling ice wines available on the market as well; incredibly rare, it has only been on the market since the late 1990’s and is produced using the charmat method. For now, the only winery that offers sparkling ice wine is Inniskillin in the Canadian province of Ontario.
While Vidal is the most popular ice wine varietal, ice wine makers in Canada, and to some extent in the U.S. have been experimental with other types. German ice wines usually use Riesling grapes, and another common type is Cabernet Franc. Experimental grapes being tested at present are Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Noir and even Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the color of ice wine only ranges from amber to rose; a truly deep colored red ice wine is an impossibility because the grape skins do not get the chance to steep as they do with unfrozen grapes in the “must” process.
Taste and Aroma
As far as flavor is concerned, ice wine has become far more popular than dessert wine as a beverage because it is very sweet yet very refreshing due to its high acidity. Ice wine is described as being medium to full-bodied and has a long finish that lingers. Unlike fresh, young regular wines such as Beaujolais, ice wine is not simple or naïve in any way; aromas can include things like caramel, pears, apples, peaches, figs, dried apricots, honey or citrus, and some white varietals have a bouquet reminiscent of lychee, pineapple and mango. The flavors are fruit forward, but are deep and linger nicely.
German ice wines tend to have a relatively low alcohol content, being comparable to that of a strong beer at 6%. Canadian ice wines, due to somewhat consistent harvests and larger must weights, have a higher content, like that of regular table wine, which can range from 8% to 13%. In Canada, if the must weight is insufficient for the strict guidelines of ice wine production, the resulting wine can be sold as a “special select late harvest” or a “select late harvest” and will be sold for a fraction of the price of ice wine. If a person wishes to try something similar to an ice wine but cannot afford it, a special select late harvest will be a satisfactory substitute, but will not have all the depth of an ice wine.
To Age or not to Age?
Depending on your personal tastes, ice wine can be aged or it can be consumed immediately after purchase. Some critics will argue that if the wine is aged, it will lose its characteristic complex fruitiness and will turn a more amber color; however others state that aging will bring about new flavors and aromas, adding yet another layer to the ice wine’s flavor profile.
Ice wines sold commercially are newcomers in the wine game; and although they are expensive, it is worth the money to buy a good bottle from your local wine shop. Ask the shop owner or employees for their recommendation and chances are you’ll start adding ice wines to your home wine collection.
Beaujolais Nouveaux: Is It All Marketing Hype?
Beaujolais Nouveaux: Is It All Marketing Hype?
It is almost that time of year again where French wine producers will be in a frantic rush to get their bottles of Beaujolais Nouveaux out to the markets on time amid frenzied promotions and fanfare. However, is this wine deserving of such hype?
Beaujolais Nouveaux is a red wine made from Gamay grapes in the French region of Beaujolais; French wines tend to be named after the region where they are from rather than the grape varietal used. It is a vin de primeur which means it is a young wine that is unaged and is only fermented for a few short weeks before it is released on the market the third Thursday of November every year. This Thursday is called Beaujolais Nouveaux day, and is subject to a massive amount of marketing.
This year, Beaujolais Nouveaux Day will be on November 15th. According to French laws, the wine may only be released for public consumption after 12:01 on the third Thursday of November. Because this is a wine that must be consumed as fresh as possible, meaning that to appreciate its young flavors fully, the wine cannot age and the sooner a person can drink it after its release, the better. Flavors of Beaujolais nouveaux wines have been described as very fruity, light on tannins, and refreshing.
The release of Beaujolais serves two purposes; one is to provide a nice, naïve wine for people who don’t really like heavier, aged red wines, and the second purpose is to work as a sort of indicator of what the grape harvest and wine vintage for the year will be like. Beaujolais changes year after year, due to climatic conditions; a poor Beaujolais Nouveaux could very well mean that other wines made with the year’s grapes could also be somewhat poor. This is one of the reasons why it is so eagerly awaited; it offers a sneak peek into the mysteries of wine making.
Critics of Beaujolais Nouveaux are those who enjoy aged wines, and compare drinking the fresh, young wine to eating cookie dough. Those who don’t enjoy Beaujolais Nouveaux claim the taste is far too simple and immature; however, these same people will in fact say that after a Beaujolais has aged for a year or two, the complexity that develops makes for a much more drinkable wine.
The history of Beaujolais wine is very interesting. In France, Beaujolais has always made a vin de l’année or a yearly wine to celebrate the end of the harvest. However, up until the Second World War, the wine that was produced was only meant for local, small scale consumption. The Beaujolais AOC was established in 1937, and stated then that officially, the wine could only be released for sale after December 15 of the harvest year. In 1951, the rules were changed so that wine could be sold four weeks earlier, and the name Beaujolais Nouveaux was born.
Wine marketers saw a lot of potential for the sales of Beaujolais Nouveaux: Georges Duboeuf saw it as a way to move astounding amounts of ordinary wine at a good price for producers and as a way to increase cash flow within a few short weeks of a harvest. The idea of a race to get the very first bottles of the vintage to Paris was born, and the race to get the Beaujolais Nouveaux to the French Capital became a larger and larger media event as each year went by. By the time the 1970’s rolled around, the race was attracted massive amounts of media attention, and the races spread to other parts of the world in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The catchphrase “ Le Beaujolais nouveaux est arrivé!” (The new Beaujolais has arrived!” was replaced in 2005 with “It’s Beaujolais Nouveaux Time”.
In the United States, Beaujolais Nouveaux has become a wine associated with Thanksgiving, an event which takes place around one week after the wine has been released and is consumed in the same spirit of celebrating the end of the year’s harvest.
Some of the marketing gimmicks used on Beaujolais Nouveaux day include delivery via hot-air balloon, delivery via the now-defunct Concorde transatlantic jet, and delivery by elephants. Some say that the event is more about the fanfare and less about the wine because in reality, the wine is the cheapest one on the market and even the biggest fan of Beaujolais Nouveaux will admit it is a simple wine that doesn’t have much to offer other than fruitiness and a bit of alcohol content.
Is Beaujolais Nouveaux all about the hype? Yes, it is, but it also lets the people who are true wine lovers get an idea of what the year’s harvest will be like and what superior, aged wines made with the same vintage will be like. But when it comes down to it, the Beaujolais Nouveaux wine is actually the perfect wine to serve at a family dinner or celebration; light on the tannin content and high on the fruity flavors, even people who are beer drinkers will like having something to their tastes that’s a bit special and a little bit fancy.
If you aren’t a wine drinker and are looking for a wine to bring to your Thanksgiving Day family dinner, then by all means, listen to the hype and get a bottle of any Beaujolais Nouveaux; it will actually go very nicely with all of the traditional dishes and sides, like turkey and stuffing, candied yams, mashed creamed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
As the saying goes, Beaujolais Nouveaux is what it is; a simple wine that was originally meant to be drunk at the end of the year’s harvest in a spirit of celebration. It’s not the best wine in the world, but as many wine aficionados will state: “It’s better than just drinking plain water!”
Red Wine, White Wine, and Rose Wine Discussed
Red Wine, White Wine, and Rose Wine:
All You Need to Know about the Basics
Wines are a little bit confusing; although everybody basically knows the difference between red wine, white wine and rose wines, a lot of other terms that are bandied about in the wine industry or are used on wine bottle labels can be confusing. What does Shiraz mean? What does table wine mean? Here is a beginner lesson in what all those confusing terms mean.
Wine 101
As mentioned before, wines are generally divided up into three groups: red wine, white wine, and rose wine. White wines and rose wines are usually served chilled, while red wines are served at room temperature or slightly below in order for their full bouquet to be appreciated.
Wine grapes vs. supermarket grapes
All wines sold in shops are made from grapes unless otherwise stated on the bottle. However, the grapes used in wine production are not the same as grapes that are sold in supermarkets to eat as food; on a sweetness scale of one to ten, supermarket grapes are about a 7.5, while grapes used in winemaking are about a 12.
Blended wines and table wines
Different varieties of grape make different types of wine that have completely different flavors, textures, and colors. The type, species or subspecies of grape that is used to make wine is called a varietal. Inexpensive wines generally use several different types of varietal; although many of these mixed varietal wines are good, they are considered to be of lower quality than single varietal wines or wines that are a blend of only two varietals. You can easily identify a wine that is made from many different kinds of grapes; the label will only say that the contents of the bottle are “white wine” “red wine” or “rose wine”. The label will not contain the names of any grape varietal. These wines are also called table wines or will have the French term “vin ordinaire” or ordinary wine. The wines may also be described as sweet, medium, or dry, with dry meaning the wine is not sweet in any way.
Varietals: Reds
Now this is where things get a bit more complicated. Wines can further be categorized according to the type of grape that was used in the wine’s production. For example, a wine bottle which contains the word “Shiraz” or the word “Malbec” means the wine inside was made almost exclusively with Shiraz grapes or with Malbec grapes. Each type of grape will make a wine that tastes subtly different. Here are a few of the most common red wine varietals and their main characteristics:
Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon A deeply colored wine that is high in tannins. Tastes of black fruit such as blackcurrant, vegetables such as bell peppers and can be high in acidity. Other tastes or flavors that may be present are black cherry, chocolate, vanilla and oak. The oak flavour is due to the oak barrels in which it may be aged. Cabernet Sauvignon wines pair well with beef, stews, steaks, strong cheeses and dark chocolate.
Merlot Merlot usually has a fuller body than Cabernet Sauvignon, but has a softer flavour and a medium tannin level. Tastes of red fruit such as strawberries; and wines that are made with super-ripe grapes will taste like fruitcake and chocolate. Food pairings include pork tenderloin, hamburgers, lamb, and hard cheeses.
Shiraz (Syrah) Deeply colored with medium to high tannin levels, this wine has a flavor that is reminiscent of blackberry, black pepper, warm spices and to some extent, chocolate and oak. Shiraz pairs very well with steak, grilled lamb, beef fondue, BBQ ribs, pork chops and hard cheese.
White Wines
White wines also come in varietals, and here are three of the most common:
Chardonnay A very delicate wine that is slightly fruity in flavour, and depending on the region where it is grown, is can taste of green apples, pear, citrus fruit, or tropical fruit. Chardonnay can also be oaky and buttery in character, and has high natural acidity. Food pairings include seafood, grilled vegetables, soft, creamy cheeses, asparagus and chicken.
Sauvignon Blanc A crisp, dry white wine of medium to high acidity that has flavors that make one think of gooseberries and green fruit. Sauvignon Blanc is a nice wine to have on its own, but it also goes well with marinated chicken, oysters, Swiss cheese and Cobb salad.
Riesling A wine that is slightly sweeter but can vary between sweet to dry. Tastes include green fruit, citrus, stone fruit, honey, mango and pineapple. Most Rieslings have high acidity, and pair well with trout, curries, and desserts such as pumpkin pie.
Rose Wines
Pronounced “ro-ZAY”, these are basically wines made with red varietals in which the grape skins were removed after a short while, resulting in a wine with slightly lighter characteristics and a pink color. Rose wines are always served chilled. Varietals used for making Rose, Rosado, Rosato or “blush” wines as they are also known, are Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Zinfandel or the Italian Sangiovese varietal.
Rose wines can range from very sweet to bone dry, with the European versions being the driest on the market. If a person has never tried wine before, rose wines are usually the perfect introduction as they are a bit lighter in tannins, which take some getting used to. Rose wines are also incredibly versatile when it comes to food pairings; because they have both the characteristics of white and red wines, they will go well with almost any meal.
How to Use a Waiter’s Corkscrew
Don’t Rely on Gimmicky Wine Openers,
Learn to Use a Waiter’s Corkscrew
Having a glass of wine and experimenting with different varietals is one of life’s biggest pleasures. However, one thing that is no fun at all is bringing a fabulous bottle of wine to a friend’s house and not having a way to open it. Almost every house hold will have a ridiculous device to open wine: a needle and air pump system to remove a wine cork, a Swiss army type contraption that consists of a plain screw-type piece of metal that has no leverage system requiring superhuman strength to yank out once inserted, or worse, a corkscrew with two arms that one presses down once the corkscrew bit has been twisted in.
A great bottle of wine – or even a cheap bottle of wine- can get ruined by nasty bits of cork floating around in it caused by inferior cork removing devices. The simplest solution to opening a bottle of wine is to use the old-fashioned waiter’s corkscrew; a fairly straightforward gadget that usually only costs a few dollars.
A waiter’s corkscrew, when folded, looks almost like a pocket knife. At one end there will be a small folding knife, the other end will contain a fold-out lever, and in the middle will be a fold-out corkscrew. Some models may have a bottle opener attached, and the so-called “Spanish waiter’s corkscrew” will have a hinged double lever which makes the entire process even easier. The Spanish waiter’s corkscrew will usually be more expensive, with solid, robust models starting around $20.
Presenting the wine
If you are working as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant, NEVER open a bottle of wine until the client has seen you bring the wine to the table and present it to the person who ordered it. This is to ensure that the correct wine has been brought out; you need to hold the bottle in such a way that the client can clearly see the label. Once the bottle has been approved, then the opening ritual may occur.
The opening of the bottle
If you have never opened a bottle of wine before, set the bottle down on a stable surface, like the table. Do not try to open the bottle holding it aloft in your hands until you’ve got some experience.
First, unfold the knife, and use it to cut off the foil around the top of the cork. Run it all the way around, and then remove the small circle of foil. Some bottles also have foil that is easy to pull open, just look for the little tab.
Second, fold the knife back in, and unfold the lever and the corkscrew bit.
Third, insert the corkscrew bit directly in the middle of the exposed cork while holding the bottle firmly with one hand. Twist it in while pressing downwards, and insert the cork all the way in. However, be careful that the corkscrew does not come out of the bottom of the cork; this can cause bits of cork to get dropped into the wine. If this occurs in a restaurant setting, the customer has every right to refuse to pay for the wine. Wine with cork chunks in it is known in the industry as being “corked” as is considered undrinkable (it tastes awful).
Fourth, after ensuring the corkscrew is in as far as it can go without breaking the bottom of the cork, bend the lever down so that the notched bit sits on the top edge of the bottle. This will act as an anchor when you pull out the cork with the corkscrew.
Fifth, with one hand holding the bottle and keeping the edge of the lever on the bottle edge, push or pull up the other end or handle of the device; this will lift out the cork relatively easily. Be careful at this point; if the cork looks like it is going to break in half, simply twist the corkscrew in a little bit more and lift the handle again.
Cork details in a restaurant or bar setting
At this point, the cork will be out of the bottle and the wine will be ready to pour; however, if you are in a setting where you are serving wine to a customer, remove the cork from the corkscrew by twisting it off and put the cork down in front of the person who ordered the wine. The customer at this point will test is the wine is “good” by touching the end of the cork that was closest to the wine; it should be wet. A cork that is dry at both ends means that some evaporation has occurred inside the bottle and the wine may have turned into vinegar. If the client complains that the cork is dry, he or she is under no obligation to pay for the bottle as the contents are possibly ruined. Smelling a cork usually doesn’t indicate much; it will generally only smell of wet cork material. Once the cork has been touched and it is wet at one end, the wine can be poured and enjoyed.
Opening a bottle of wine with a waiter’s corkscrew sounds a little complicated, but once it’s been attempted a few times it becomes second nature and easy. Don’t waste your money on other “easy methods”; the classic waiter’s corkscrew has been around for decades, possibly centuries and is by far the best device for opening wine on the market today.
Discuss! #WaitersCorkscrew
How to Find Great Wines for Under $15
How to Find Great Wines for Under $15
The wine world is full of snobbery and some so-called “experts” will exclaim that good wines under $15 dollars don’t exist, and are always ready to ridicule the tastes and preferences of people who may not know much about wines. This is the part about wine education that can be very intimidating to some people. However, a beginner need not fear; learning about wines can be a lot of fun once the misplaced elitism is taken away. As many sommeliers and multi-starred chefs will say, the best wine is the wine that YOU like. And this is how you find which wines work best for you, at a price you can more than afford.
The best way to get to learn about wine and build up an idea of what you like and don’t like is to throw a party. That’s right. Instead of paying mega-bucks to go to a wine-tasting hosted by a shop or alcohol outlet, invite all of your friends over and have your own wine tasting. You and your friends don’t need any previous knowledge about wine for the event to work; in fact, in some cases it works better if people don’t have any preconceived notions about wine tastings.
In order to try the most wines possible at the event, each guest should bring along one bottle. The only rule is that the bottle of wine MUST cost under $15 or $10 if you and your friends are on a tight budget. If you or your friends have difficulty deciding on a wine when you’re in the shop, just ask an employee to help you; they usually know which wines are half-way decent. Just let the employee know you’re on a budget, and keep in mind that at this point, it doesn’t matter if the wine chosen is red or white; the name of the game is just trying new things.
Before your party guests arrive, make sure that you have a few snacks; have some sliced fruit, some sliced vegetables, some cheeses, cold-cuts and crackers and maybe some chips in nice bowls. Along with the nibbles, make sure that there is at least one sheet of paper and a pen or pencil for each guest to write with. Also make sure that you have a corkscrew and know how to use it so that you won’t be stuck trying to remove a wine cork with a butter knife or some other inappropriate instrument. Now you are all set for your wine tasting.
If 10 people show up to the wine tasting party, there will be 11 wines including your chosen bottle to sample from. The rules are simple; everybody tastes the same wine at the same time. Everybody writes down the name of the wine on their paper, and after tasting they must answer the question “Would you spend 15 bucks on this?” If a person answers “maybe”, it counts as a “no”; remember, we’re looking for wines that are great, not mediocre or passable.
Guests can eat snacks the entire time, and encourage everyone to write down any observations about the wine that they may have, such as foods they think may go well with the wine, any outstanding characteristics, or what they think may make the wine taste so yummy. Some of the wines are going to be terrific; other wines are going to be absolute splonk. The great thing is that you and your guests will have the opportunity to sample as many wines as there are guests, you’ll be able to express your feelings about the wines served without the fear of being ridiculed by the infamous wine snobs, and you’ll be experiencing a new learning experience with your friends in a fun, relaxed environment.
This was how I started to build up my wine knowledge base, and I am very proud to say that I know a heck of a lot about wines, and I have never had to pay to go to a “wine tasting”. Some of my friends in the bartending industry took wine tasting courses that cost them up to $250 a session; all they got to try were 3 red wines, 2 white wines and had to sit through a lot of lectures on how to “taste” good wine. Furthermore, they weren’t allowed to really form their own opinion; they were basically told that the wines they were drinking were “good”. The result of their wine drinking courses was that none of them actually like wine at all now and have the idea that wine needs to be incredibly expensive to be enjoyable. Simply not true.
At your wine party, you will find that some people will absolutely love a wine that others will feel neutral about or will thoroughly hate. Wine, like everything else in life, is subjective; what’s awesome for you may be quite gross for someone else. However, the point of the wine-tasting party is to start building your wine knowledge and discover what tastes good to you without spending a fortune and wasting your precious time. As I mentioned earlier, I got my start at a wine tasting party back in 1998 where the maximum price per bottle was $8; and now, many years later, two of the wines I had at that party are still my all-time favourites, even though I’ve been very privileged to have bottles of wine that cost in the neighborhood of several hundred dollars.
Enjoy your wine party, and never forget that nobody can tell you what to like: the best wine on the market is always the one that YOU happen to like best!
What Makes A Perfect Glass of Shiraz?
What Makes A Perfect Glass of Shiraz?
One of the loveliest red wines on the market is the delightfully deep-tasting Syrah which has a very long history in the French region of Avignon but is grown in many other wine-producing regions of the world including Australia, where it is known as Shiraz.
The dark skinned Syrah grape produces wines that are powerful in nature, and in 2004 Syrah was the seventh most grown variety of grape in the world. Shiraz wines are very popular, and their popularity is actually increasing year by year as more people make the switch from beer to wine. The Shiraz/Syrah grape should not be confused with the Petite Sirah grape, a more recent variety that is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin and came into existence in the 1880’s.
DNA testing conducted in the late 1990s proved that Syrah grapes originated in the Rhône area of France and is the offspring of two very obscure grapes that are not grown in any significant amounts and have almost disappeared. While some have hypothesized that Shiraz grapes come from Shiraz in Iran or Syracuse, the scientific evidence firmly demonstrates a French origin.
Shiraz/Syrah is also known by a large number of synonyms, including Antourenein Noir, Balsamina, Candive, Entournerein, Hignin Noir, Marsanne Noir, Sirac, Sira, Schiras, Syrac, Sereine and Serine. All the names represent the exact same grape.
Syrah wines became famous after the era of Crusades, when powerful, excellent quality wines were being produced at Hermitage, a hill with a chapel behind the village of Tain L’Hermitage in Rhône. These Hermitage wines were well reputed and sought-after for centuries, but interest died down in the first half the 1900s. By this time, Hermitage Syrah wine was either adulterated with other wines, or was used to improve wines from other regions. Fortunately for wine lovers, Shiraz made a comeback and is now an incredibly popular wine produced in many areas, especially Australia.
However, now that the history lesson is over, what makes for a great glass of Shiraz? Well, due to the high amounts of tannins and the complex flavours, the first requisite for making an everyday Shiraz an outstanding one is that the wine should be aged, with critics claiming that the perfect amount of time for a Shiraz to be kept aside is several years, with exceptional wines being aged for 15.
To appreciate the complexities and full flavours of a good Syrah, the wine must also be at the correct temperature; too cold and it will taste flat, too warm and it will taste soupy. The recommended temperature for Shiraz is actually higher than that for all other wines: Syrah should be served when it is at 180 C or 650 F. “Room temperature” is far too vague, and because most North Americans keep their homes at a toasty 210 or 220 C, the wine needs to be chilled to cool down a few degrees.
The second most important factor when searching for the perfect Shiraz is to decide which style is preferred: bottles labelled Syrah contain wines that usually tend be made in the classic Rhône style, meaning an elegant, restrained fruit taste component, and have strong tannin and smoke-flavoured components. Shiraz wines, which are mostly produced in Australia and Canada, are made from grapes that are riper. This gives the wine a very fruity, peppery character with less tannins and less smoky tendencies. Australian wines can give the impression that they are sweet due to the fruit-forward taste and are can be consumed when very young. The wine critic therefore, oh the quest to find the perfect glass of Syrah, must decide which characteristics he or she wishes to experience. However, no matter where the Syrah wine comes from, all experts agree that a perfect Shiraz must have some degree of pepperiness; if this is absent, one can safely say the Shiraz is of very mediocre quality.
The third most important factor when hunting down the perfect glass of Shiraz is, surprisingly, the glass itself. “Big Red” wines like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are wines that have tremendous depth and are strong; they need proper stemware and a champagne flute or an old coffee mug can totally ruin the experience. Shiraz needs to be poured into a larger wine glass with a somewhat extended bowl so that the wine can come into some contact with oxygen and “breathe” in order to release its full potential. Special Shiraz wine glasses are available at most department stores, and the money should be spent in order to have the opportunity to experience the “nose” or “bouquet” of the wine. Using white wine glasses, which are quite small in comparison, will not allow you to do this and the experience will only be half as good.
Shiraz wine is popular with wine drinkers everywhere for good reason; it’s a powerhouse of a wine and pairs beautifully with meat dishes, steaks, and barbequed food. Some beautiful examples of Syrah and Shiraz that a fine wine enthusiast should try come from Australia’s Barossa Valley, France’s Hermitage region, Argentina’s wine growing areas, and strangely enough, the Parras region in Mexico.
The perfect Syrah can be found with ease; in fact, by paying attention to details such as serving temperature, preferred style of wine, age of the wine and the glass that it’s served in, a wine aficionado can be assured that almost any Shiraz wine can easily become absolutely perfect.