Wine 983
How To Make Your Own Wine At Home
Is Home-made Wine Any Good? How do you make Your Own Wine?
Due to high costs and/or personal preference, for centuries people have been making their own wine at home with varying results. Some home wine-makers are true craftsmen and make wines that can easily rival the best of the best that’s on the market; others just want something cheap, simple to make and not too terrible tasting. To answer the question above, the only thing that can be said is “it depends”. It depends on the person making the wine, their goals, and it also depends on personal preference. It can range from barely drinkable to fantastic. Here we’ll have a look at one of the most basic methods of home winemaking, results, and what steps you can take to dramatically improve the quality of your wine.
“Jug and Balloon” wine making
This method is the most basic and it’s inexpensive. Wine experts will turn up their nose at this method, but if you’re not too fussy, it will be worth a try.
You’ll need a sterilized gallon (4-liter) plastic jug and a large balloon that’s been rinsed out (balloons sometimes have a thin coating of powder, so don’t forget this step).
Ingredients:
1 package (0.25 ounce) package of dry active yeast (the same type you use to bake bread)
4 cups of sugar
1 can of thawed fruit juice concentrate (use any flavor except citrus)
3 ½ quarts (3.3 litres) of cold water; use more or less if necessary
Before mixing any of the ingredients, use a sterilized needle to poke a miniscule hole in the tip of the balloon: this will allow gasses to escape while preventing any oxygen from getting in and ruining the flavor of the wine.
Mix the sugar, dry yeast and fruit juice concentrate together, and pour into the sterilized jug. Fill the jug with cold water, and then fit the balloon over the opening of the jug. Use a rubber band if necessary to secure the balloon in place.
Place the jug in a cool, dark place. In a day or so, you’ll notice the balloon starting to inflate; this is due to the sugar turning into alcohol. During this process, gasses are released. When the balloon has deflated back down to its original size, it means the wine is ready to drink. It usually takes about six weeks for this to occur.
Results: This recipe for home-made wine will give you a beverage that is quite high in alcohol content and taste, according to reviewers, can range from “unbearable” to “ok to sip”. The problem with this method of wine making is that the wine doesn’t get siphoned off from the resulting sediment at the end of the fermentation process; furthermore, if the balloon doesn’t have a small hole in it, the wine will develop an “off” taste. If the hole is too big, the resulting exposure to oxygen and other microbes in the air can make the wine taste musty. However, if you’re new to winemaking and want to try something simple before running out to buy expensive equipment, this might be a good method to try.
Also working in favor of this recipe is the fact that a degree of experimentation can be done; sugar can be reduced and proper wine yeast may be used to improve flavor.
Inexpensive improvements
According to home wine-makers with years of experience under their belts, the above process can be improved tremendously by two factors: siphoning after “primary fermentation” and “aging” in a sealed sterile container in a cold place for about a month.
When the balloon has deflated, it’s a sign that the primary fermentation is complete. With plastic tubing, siphon the wine; however be careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom. The sediment is the stuff that will make the wine taste bad. Make sure the new container is also sterile, and glass will work much better than plastic.
Tightly seal the new container once it’s been filled with the wine; no gasses will need to escape. Keep the wine in a dark cool place like a refrigerator, and let it sit for about a month. The taste will be comparable to that of an inexpensive commercial wine, but the alcohol content will still be higher.
Expensive improvements
For more professional results, it will cost more money. First of all, instead of using a fruit juice concentrate, fresh fruit can be used, but this fresh fruit will need to be processed by crushing, chopping, or boiling, depending on the variety used. This “must” will also need to be strained.
A wine kit including things like primary and secondary fermentation containers, 6 feet of food-grade tubing, thermometer, bung and airlock and straining bag can be purchased in a specialty shop, along with ingredients such as special wine yeast, campden tablets, acid blends, and pectic enzymes.
Many more steps are required to make professional-quality wine at home, and for this reason most wine drinkers simply prefer to buy a commercially available variety. In countries like Canada, there are businesses that cater to “home-made” wine makers; they have all the supplies, will mix your ingredients for you, store your wine while it ferments, and when the wine is ready, they may even siphon the wine into the secondary fermentation containers for you; some of these “U-Brew” companies will even bottle your wine so that all you have to do is pick it up when it’s ready.
The Final Verdict
Making basic wine at home with the jug and balloon method can bring mixed results. That being said, one of the best wines I’ve ever had was a home-made wine; the winemaker used a jug and balloon, fresh peaches picked at their ripest stage, very little sugar, and wine yeast. She siphoned the wine into big glass jugs, sealed them and let them age for several months in the cool basement of her home. The result was a wonderfully dry white wine that was crisp and had the aroma and flavor of dried apricots and snap peas.
The point of making wine at home is to experiment while keeping costs down. With a bit of practice, you’ll find a recipe and method that suits you and your tastes just fine.
Tweet It: #HomeWineMaking
Top 10 Champagnes for New Years
The Top Ten Champagnes to Ring in the New Year
New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching and the best drink to serve at your party is the classic wine that is used to celebrate special occasions: Champagne. Whether it’s the “true” Champagne from France or a delightful sparkling white wine from one of the other superior wine producing regions of the country, if you choose one of the bubblies from our list, your selection is likely to be a hit with all of your guests.
There are a few things to keep in mind when serving Champagne: it’s best served at about 460F or 7.50C and should be poured in tall flute shaped glasses so that it keeps as many of its delicious bubbles for as long as possible. Furthermore, it should be opened gently so that it keeps as much of its characteristic fizziness; popping the cork will make the beverage lose its bubbles. Finally, glasses should not be chilled; the subtle flavours will be eliminated if it gets too cold.
So, without any further ado, here are the Top Ten Champagnes for New Year’s Eve; we’ll start our list with sparkling white wines.
Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
Price: About $10 USD
Type and Country of Origin: Sparkling white wine, Spain
Character: Dry and crisp, with citrus flavors
Serve with: Alone as an apéritif or with appetizers and seafood.
Just because this sparkling wine is inexpensive doesn’t mean it’s cheap or of inferior quality; Freixenet is a real crowd pleaser that will make wine novices and experts alike very happy.
Cordoniu Cava Brut Anna de Cordoniu
Price: About $18 USD
Type and Country of Origin: Sparkling white wine, Spain
Character: Clean, “biscuity” flavor, with a very light sweet note, yet still dry. Fruity notes.
Serve with: Alone as an apéritif or with a sweet dessert.
As far as reviews go, if you’re looking for a nice inexpensive sparkling wine that’s superior in quality to others in the same price range, you cannot go wrong with a bottle of Cava Anna.
Henkell Trocken
Price: About $10 USD
Type and Country of Origin: Sparkling white wine, Germany
Character: Crisp, with light melon and apple notes
Serve with: Alone as an apéritif cocktail or as the toasting wine to be used at midnight
A classic German sparkler that’s popular in restaurants in Canada and the U.S. when milestone events are held, if you’re looking for something affordable yet special, Henkell Trocken is a solid choice.
Hillebrand Trius Brut
Price: About $20 USD
Type and Country of Origin: Sparkling white wine, Canada
Character: Fruity aroma reminiscent of citrus with a nice long finish
Serve with: Appetizers, especially seafood or alone as an apéritif
While most wine connoisseurs may think of Canada as a producer of the heavier, sweeter ice wines, this almost surprising entry in the Top Ten list proves that this northern wine producer can more than hold its own in the sparkling wine industry.
Jansz Premium Cuvee Brut
Price: About $30 USD
Type and Country of Origin: Sparkling white wine, Australia
Character: Dry, clean, with an intriguing complexity consisting of the merest hint of fig.
Serve with: Alone or as the wine to toast the New Year at midnight.
Australia is another country that is making surprisingly good sparkling white wines. Usually known for big reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, this southern hemisphere nation is giving traditional French Champagne some big competition.
And now, the French Champagnes. While they are more expensive, bottles of Champagne from the famous French wine producing region really do make special occasions even more memorable.
Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne Brut
Price: About $200 USD
Type: Champagne (white)
Character: Velvety, with hints of vanilla and exotic touches of ginger and coconut
Serve with: Food that is lighter in texture or as a sipping wine for the entire evening
In this case, price does reflect the quality; Krug Grande Cuvee Brut is perhaps THE all-round classic Champagne that is the preferred choice of wine experts. If you really want to splurge on New Year’s Eve, this is the beverage you want to serve to your guests.
Veuve Clicquot Brut
Price: About $60 USD
Type: Champagne (white)
Character: Nicely balanced and dry, with citrus and fruit notes and a delightfully unexpected soupçon of bread dough.
Serve with: Alone as a beverage before a meal, with seafood or with savory pastries.
While this drink is often served as an apéritif, there are those who claim that pairing Veuve Clicquot Brut with quiche or a pastry-based main course such as Salmon Wellington is simply divine.
Perrier Jouet Grand Brut
Price: About $50 USD
Type: Champagne (white)
Character: Golden straw color with a subtle taste and aroma of freshly cut apples; crisp on the finish.
Serve with: Alone as a sipping wine or as an accompaniment to main courses consisting of seafood or chicken.
If you want to keep your wine list simple for your New Year’s Party, then Perrier Jouet Grand Brut is the Champagne you’re looking for. Incredibly versatile, if can be an apéritif or can be paired with an incredible variety of appetizers and main courses.
Louis Roederer Brut Rose 1998
Price: About $65 USD
Type: Champagne (rosé)
Character: Flavors of plum, strawberries and cherries, very full bodied; deep golden salmon color and “biscuity” texture, lots of fine bubbles
Serve with: Salmon, lamb, veal, game, soft cheeses, and desserts featuring red fruit; can also be served as a crowd-pleasing sipping wine.
If you need a wine that will please a diverse crowd, this rosé Champagne, which is the only one on the Top Ten list, will certainly fit the bill. Like Perrier Jouet Grand Brut, it’s versatile and presents a lovely twist on the classic Champagne.
And the top Champagne to serve on New Year’s Eve…
Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon
Price: About $175 USD
Type: Champagne (white)
Character: Beautiful mineral flavors with hints of citrus; a long finish that connoisseurs describe as “toasty”
Serve with: Seafood, especially oysters or serve alone as an apéritif
If you’re going to go all out this New Year’s Eve with an exquisite meal consisting of the finest oysters and seafood delights, then you simply must have this classic French Champagne. The oldest brand of Champagne on the market, this is truly the beverage you need to drink in order to “taste the stars.”
Sake: Japan’s Rice Brew
Sake: Japan’s Rice Brew
Everybody loves Japanese food; sushi, sashimi and countless gastronomical delights are pleasing to the palate for people all over the world. However, when you read some magazines or internet articles, some “experts” will recommend pairing western-style wines with Japanese food. While I’ve always been of the opinion that you should drink whatever floats your boat, when it comes to Japanese food, you’re probably better off accompanying your meal with a nice crisp Japanese beer or better yet, have some Sake (pronounced SAH-kay).
Basically speaking, Sake is an alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented rice. In Japanese, sake actually refers to any kind of drink containing alcohol; when the term is used in English it actually refers to what the Japanese call nihonshu or “Japanese liquor”.
Some people think that Sake is rice wine; however, it is not made with a wine-making method, sake is made from a brewing process that is sort of like the process used for making beer. In beer brewing, the starches need to convert to sugar, and then the sugar converts to alcohol; when Sake is made, everything happens simultaneously. Sake usually has an alcohol content of about 15%, higher than that of both beer and wine.
Sake has been around for well over a thousand years; originally a government monopoly, temples and shrines began to brew their own Sake in the eleventh century. In the 1860’s, laws were introduced that allowed anybody who had the brewing know-how to open their own brewery, and as a result, some 30000 breweries opened, the best of which are still open and operating today.
While Sake consumption inside Japan has been steadily decreasing since the 1970’s due to competition from other alcoholic beverages such as beer, the brewed rice beverage has increased in popularity outside the country to such an extent that Sake breweries are popping up in other countries and are using traditional, pre World War II methods of brewing.
Taste and Flavor
Sake can vary greatly, from sweet to savory and can have an extraordinary number of flavor notes. The label on a bottle of Sake will indicate the content’s general flavor characteristics. Here are some of the terms to look for when you’re considering sampling Sake.
• Nihonshu-do refers to the sugar and acid content of the liquid. If the number next to this expression is a negative, it means that the Sake is sweeter or “heavier” than water; if the number is positive, it means the Sake is drier or “lighter” than water. +10 indicates a very dry Sake, while -10 indicates a very sweet one.
• San-do is an indicator of acid concentration, determined by titration, or quantitative chemical analysis. Sweeter Sakes generally have a higher amount of acid so that they do not seem “cloying”.
• Aminosan-do can indicate savoriness. A lower aminosan-do value will indicate that the Sake will be thinner; higher values indicate more viscosity and rounder flavors. A higher number will also indicate a taste of umami.
Flavor notes can include bananas, melons, apples, herbs, rice, spices, chocolates, dry grapes, sherry and caramel sauce.
Serving Sake
Contrary to popular belief outside of Japan, Sake is not always served hot; in fact, it’s a question of personal preference; the beverage can be served chilled, warmed, or at room temperature. It all depends on the drinker, the type of Sake, and the season. Hot Sake is usually for the winter-time, and good-quality sake is never heated. Heating is good for low-quality or old sake because the heat will mask inferior aromas and flavors.
Everyday Sake is usually taken in small cylindrical cups called choko. The Sake is usually kept in a sort of flask or thermos that is made from ceramic material which is called a tokkuri. For special occasions such as weddings or ceremonies, flat saucer-like cups called sakazuki are used, and now there are special footed glasses made for use with premium-quality Sake. Box-cups called masu are also traditionally used. At some finer Japanese restaurants, as a show of generosity, a server may put a small glass inside a masu, fill it with Sake, and allow the glass to overflow to the extent that the masu also gets filled with Sake. In some cases, a masu might be placed on a sakazuki and both will be filled the same way.
Sake is almost always served straight, but some cocktails such as the Saketini and the Tamagozake can be made and are quite good.
Saketini
1 martini glass, chilled
2 ½ oz gin
½ oz sake
1 martini olive
Pour the gin and sake in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice; stir for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into the martini glass and garnish with the olive.
Tamagozake
This cocktail has been referred to as “Japanese eggnog” and is a home remedy for a cold or flu.
1 mug containing about 200 ml of hot sake
1 raw egg
1 teaspoon sugar or honey (use more or less to taste)
Whisk the raw egg and honey or sugar together, then add the mixture to the sake, whisking it. The egg will become lightly cooked; do not put the egg mixture in boiling sake as this will only serve to scramble the egg.
Other uses
Sake is also consumed during religious ceremonies, especially during Shinto rituals of purification.
The next time you go out to a Japanese restaurant or even if you just want to try something a little bit different, try some Sake, and it could very well turn out to be one of your new favorite beverages.
Tweet It!: #Sake
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.
Tweet It!: #BaijiuWine
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.
Tweet It!: #MadeiraWine
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.