Types of Wine « Easy Guide to Food And Drinks

October 31, 2010

The Wine Cellar

Filed under: Wine Spirits — Tags: Types of Wine, wine, wine cellar, wine storage — CakeAuthor @ 8:46 pm

For many, a relationship with wine can often be short lived while others have the patience, the space and inclination to explore cellaring wine.

A wine cellar does not have to be a complicated process, a closet that meets the recommended conditions described below will do. Here’s a brief guideline in the physical elements to consider if building a cellar.

Temperature and humidity: Between 10 C and 14 C a wine evolves at an ideal rhythm. If it it too cold, a wine will ages slowly, any warmer than this and the maturity can come too quickly. However, consistency is more important than a particular temperature. Consider first the north side or the side of the basement that is entirely underground. Ideally, the humidity should be between 60 and 70 per cent. A humidity control feature is most important with a that refrigerated wine cabinets.

Light: White wines in particular can be very sensitive in direct light. The best cellar should be contained in complete darkness or even shadow. Turning on the light to find a bottle isn’t a problem, but you shouldn’t leave it on for several days. In no situation should neon lights be used in your wine cellar. If you are using a cabinet with glass doors, you need to ensure they are UV resistant.

Air quality: Storing wine in areas which are exposed to strong odours is to be avoided e.g. root cellar, heating oil etc. These odours will quickly transfer to the wine. {In general, the area where you store your wine should be well ventilated proposed area for your cellar really needs to have good ventilation}.

Vibration: On the chemical level, wine ages by the creation of long chains of molecules. This process is disrupted by any sudden movement, so avoid handling your bottles roughly or unnecessarily and don’t put your cellar under the stairs or near the compressor, furnace or washer. Make sure that refrigerated wine cabinets have a mechanism to isolate the wine from the compressor vibrations.

Bottle position: Most wines should be lying down to ensure permanent contact of the liquid with the cork, keeping the seal completely tight. Certain types of wine can be stored standing up: ports and sherries (where a composite closure of plastic-natural cork is used); wines with screw cap closures.

Comments (0)

February 9, 2010

Varieties of Wines and Becoming Familiar With Wine Values

Filed under: Wine Spirits — Tags: Champagne, chardonnay, red wine, Types of Wine, White Wine, wine, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Types, Wine Values, wine varieties — CakeAuthor @ 9:18 pm

There are a few points you should know to enhance your judgment as to what makes a good wine and its taste. Naturally, one being wine is made from fermented grape juice. You also should know the grape varieties wines are made from and the process of wine making itself.

There are many different kinds of wines, and the more commonly known ones - red, white, rose and champagne - are only a few of many. Wines are usually classified according to the grape varieties they are made from. One grape variety, the Barbera, is often used for red wine. This variety is grown mainly in Piedmont, Italy, but is quite adaptable to other regions, and is also grown on a limited scale in the United States. Barbera grapes produce wines with a full-bodied fruity taste as they have a high natural acidity.

A Few Varieties of Wine

There are many varieties of wine. Wine enthusiasts know about one variety that is widely grown in many parts of the world: Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety, grown primarily in Medoc, France, has found its way to California, Australia and other wine-making countries. Cabernet Sauvignon wines are considered by wine enthusiasts as among the best red wines in the world. They have a distinct aromatic flavor, and have hints of the taste of berries, olives, coffee, mint and herbs all blended together. Among the white varieties, the Chardonnay is easily the most popular, producing some of the world’s finest white wines. The types and varieties are overwhelming at times, but you soon become familiar with the wine values.

A basic understanding of the wine-making process is important to a wine enthusiast especially if he intends to go into wine production, if only for his personal use. Wine making is really quite simple and is an age-old technology. One does not need very sophisticated equipment in order to make wines.

First you have to know what type of grapes to use, where they are grown, the right age for picking, and things like acidity and sugar levels. If you are after a particular aromatic flavor, there are grapes that will produce that kind of flavor and you should be able to tell which ones. After the picking of the grapes, comes the pressing to extract the juices, and then the fermentation process.

Fermentation is quite a delicate process. It involves adding yeast to the juice in order to stimulate the fermentation process. In simple terms, fermentation is the conversion of the sugar in the juice into alcohol. The success of the process, that is, your grape juice turning into good wine, has a lot to do with the kind of yeast you use, and the absence of any contaminants getting into the mixture during the entire process.

There is so much more to knowing the difference between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the knowledge to the types of wine available is a small start for the wine enthusiast.

Comments (0)