Wine In Provence

What does AVA mean in the Wine World?

2009-04-29T07:00:00.002+02:00

AVA= American Viticultural Area
An AVA is defined as "a delimited grape growing region, distinguished by geographical features, the boundaries of which have been recognized and defined"

Napa Valley was named an American Viticultural Area in 1983, making it the first AVA in California. Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Finger Lakes, Willamette Valley, and Columbia Valley are all AVA's. There are now more than 140 AVA's in the United States.

(The Rockpile AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Sonoma County, California, northwest of the town of Healdsburg. It was established in 2002. It is aptly named after its demanding landscape.)

State Wine Laws

2009-04-28T06:00:00.000+02:00

By state law, Oregon wines must contain 90% of whatever grape variety is named on the label (except for Oregon cabernet sauvignons, which must be 75% cabernet sauvignon). All California wines, by comparison, must consist of 75% of the grape named on the label.

The Quick Sip on Oregon

2009-04-27T07:00:00.000+02:00

*Oregon's specialty is Pinot Noir, a delicate and temperamental grape considered by many to make the most sensual red wine in the world.

*Pinot Gris is the up-and-coming Oregon white, a delicous wine that is immensely food compatile.

*Oregon's cool, marginal climate is a major factor in the elegance that characterizes its top wines.

L'Chaim- Kosher Wine

2009-04-26T07:00:00.000+02:00

Wine is central to the religious rites of Jews and especially to such profoundly important Jewish holidays as Passover. Historically in the United States, most of the wine used in Jewish ceremonies was made in New York State relatively near large urban centers of Jewish populations, including New York City. Much of this wine was, and continues to be, made in a very sweet style from native American varieties, particularly Concord grapes. Today the leading brands of sweet kosher wine are Manischewitz, Kedem, and Mogen David.

Central Coast Californian Wines

2009-04-25T06:00:00.000+02:00

Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande:
My cousin, Lindsey, and I got our Wine Industry Certificates from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2006. SLO is near the Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande. At 35 square miles and 67 square miles respectively, these two viticultural areas may be small, but they are chardonnay and pinot noir Edens. Both areas are close to the sea and profoundly influenced by its cool, damp breezes. The most well-known chardonnays are made in the Edna Valley Vineyars and Talley Vineyards. Also, the tiny Alban Vineyards makes one of the most sensual viogniers in California.

(Talley Vineyards tasting room)

(John Alban...winemaker of Alban Vineyards. The first American winery and vineyard established exclusively for Rhone varieties)

Spring Has Arrived in Provence!

2009-04-24T06:00:00.000+02:00

Low-alcohol wines are best in the summer, when food is delicate and the senses are heightened. Choose light refreshing white and roses, or even some light reds.

(this picture was taken from one of WineInProvence's recent spring tasting at a local B&B at the foot of Mount Saint Victoire)

Drinking Order

2009-04-23T06:00:00.000+02:00

Try to ascend in quality and flavor, but do consider what food you are serving if the wine is to accompany a meal.
*Serve cheap before expensive: a step back in quality is noticeable.
*Drink dry before sweet: sweet wines make dry taste very acidic.
*Light wines come before full-bodied: weighty and fortified wines will overpower a lighter wine.
*Young wines come before old.

Enjoying Wine with Food

2009-04-22T13:19:00.003+02:00

-Desserts: Sweets usually taste unpleasant with very dry wine. Dessert wines are the obvious choice, but some argue that they're best enjoyed alone. Just decide for yourself.

-Cheese: Flavorful hard cheeses need full rich wines. Sweet wine, especially Port, complements blue cheeses. Avoid heavy reds with soft cheeses. Very strong cheeses can overwhelm any wine.

-Fresh Fruit: Fruits that are high in acid can make wines taste metallic and thin. In general, drink sweet whites, especially botrytized, late-harvest, or sparkling.

-Fish Dishes: The sauce fish is cooked in or served with makes all the difference...Creamy sauces need high acidity and effervescence, so choose dry whites- although fish cooked in red wine will taste good with red wine. Oak-aged Chardonnay is a good match for smoked fish.

-Hot & Spicy: Ice-cold beer is a better match than wine for really spicy food. If you do want wine, though, sweetness sometimes proves a good contrast to spices...try a Gewurtztraminer.

-Hearty Fare: If you observe the golden rule on balance, a heavy meal must be teamed with an equally weighty red...a bull-bodied, tannic wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon is ideal.

-Dressed Salads: If there is lemon or vinegar in the dressing,wine should be acidic to balance it. Light, dry whites, more acidic than reds, suit salads...Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice.

-Made with Eggs: The effervescence of sparkling wine is the perfect foil to the soft texture of egg dishes, while a the same time not drowning out eggs' somewhat subtle flavor.

Tartaric acid evidence of ancient wine

2009-04-11T06:00:00.000+02:00

The University of Pennsylvania has found that the Chinese may have been fermenting alcoholic beverages and wine as early as 6000 B.C. This is due to evidence of tartaric acid that has been found on shards of Chinese pottery.

Tartaric acid is an organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants (ex: grapes, bananas). It is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to give it a sour taste, and it's used as an antioxidant. Salts of tartaric acid are known as tartrates. You may even have a bottle of this in your kitchen that you use to cook with!

Be careful not to confuse "Cream of tartar" with "Tartar sauce"..."Cream of Tartar" is the potassium salt of tartaric acid.

Tannin

2009-04-10T06:00:00.000+02:00

The seeds and skin of the grape contain tannins. Tannin is a bitter tasting substance that cause the “dry mouth” feeling associated with some red wines.
The Tanac grape is where the word "tannic" comes from.

Bag in Box

2009-04-09T07:00:00.000+02:00

Australia developed wine in a box in the ‘70s. The wine inside of the box is stored in a bladder that is not exposed to air. This means that the wine may last up to a few weeks compared to a few days.

Claret

2009-04-07T06:00:00.000+02:00

The British often call red Bordeaux claret. The word comes from the French clairet, which originally referred to a light red wine. Today, however, the top red Bordeaux are anything but light in color or in body.

The Other CIA

2009-04-06T06:00:00.004+02:00

One of the most remarkable of the Napa Valley's many architecturally stunning wineries is Greystone. Built in 1889, it is the largest stone winery in the world and was the first winery in California with electricity!

Greystone was originally a cooperative. It sat vacant during Prohibition and later changed ownership four times before becoming the Christian Brothers winery in 1950. In 1992 it was donated to The Culinary Institute of America, commonly referred to as the CIA and in 1995, after a 13-million-dollar renovation, became the school's West Coast center for culinary and wine education. The 30-acre campus, just north of the town of St. Helena, includes herb & vegetable gardens, a merlot vineyard, a restaurant, interactive classrooms, and teaching kitchens of unparalleled magnitude where chefs and food and wine experts from all over the world teach throughout the year.

The Culinary Institue of America
2555 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
(800)333-9242

The Curious Absence of Phylloxera

2009-04-05T06:00:00.001+02:00

As of the late 1990's, Chilean vineyards had never been victims of the lethal aphid phylloxera, which devastated most of the world's vineyards in the mid- and late nineteenth century. Although Chile's physical isolation, dry soil, and use of flood irrigation may have all helped to protect the country, phylloxera's absence is not fully understood. Some scientists speculate that it's only a matter of time before the pest finds a route in, despite the Chilean government's strict quarantine requirements for plant materials.

Anatomy of the Wine Bottle

2009-04-04T06:00:00.000+02:00

Capsule, or foil, made of tin or plastic.

Space between wine and cork is called ullage.

Slope or shoulder varies with bottle style.

Neck label is not always present.

Back label is optional, but often useful.

Style of front label varies regionally and from one producer to another.

Punt is most important for sparkling wine. (A punt- indentation at the base of some bottles- doesn't affect the wine, but indicates that it is expected to be laid down to age.)

Bottle size...although shapes differ, standard wine bottles all have a capacity of 750ml/75cl.

Investing in Wine

2009-04-03T07:00:00.001+02:00

The theory behind investing in wine is that its value increases as it matures. In practice, wine as an investment is risky, due to all of the variables involved. Still, knowledge, timing, and luck are all essential, so try to learn as much as possible to prevent costly mistakes. Remember that wine should always be drunk for enjoyment and appreciation.
*Think before bidding if you are new to wine and actions!

How long will wine stay fresh?

2009-04-02T06:00:00.003+02:00

Air acts on wine from the moment the bottle is opened, and although it will not spoil (oxidize) for several days, wine is at its best and freshest when it is first opened (with the exception of wines that are best to drink after some time being decanted). If you know you cannot finish a bottle of wine in one sitting, re-cork it as soon as possible.

White wines should be refrigerated and last around three days...reds can last three to four days, although both will taste a little flatter for having been open.

(try to use the completely airtight re-usable stoppers where you vacuum out the air from the bottles)

Water Treatment

2009-04-01T07:00:00.001+02:00

To minimize any unpleasant after-effects, have one large glass of water for every glass of wine that you drink.

What to ask when you buy wine...

2009-03-31T06:00:00.005+02:00

*What is the ideal age to drink it?
*Which grape variety is it made from
(if not shown on the label)?
*How long will the wine keep?
*Will it need to be decanted?
*Should it be chilled?
*Will the glass shape affect taste?
*What foods complement/detract from it-
or is it best drunk alone?

What is meant by "length"?

2009-03-30T06:00:00.000+02:00

Wines where the flavor lingers in the mouth after swallowing are called long, and this is considered to be a positive description: the intensity and persistence of flavor reflect the quality of the wine. The aroma and flavor continuing in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed is called its aftertaste: the quality and enjoyment of a wine's aftertaste, combined with how long it lingers, is described as its finish. The finish can sometimes give an indication of how a wine might age: poor wine invariably produces an unexciting end.

The Quick Sip on Turkey, India, and China

2009-03-29T20:57:00.006+02:00

Turkey...despite extremely large areas under vine, not much wine is made in this country where Islam- a religion that prohibits alcohol- dominates.

India...makes some decent sparkling wines using the Champagne method.

China...produces grape wine, but rice wine has long bee more popular. This is changing with outside influence.

What is noble rot?

2009-03-29T20:37:00.009+02:00

If conditions in fall are warm and humid enough, grapes left on the vine may be infected by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, or "noble rot". Botrytized grapes are shriveled and dehydrated, but their sweetness is concentrated. The best examples of very sweet dessert wines that are made from botrytized graped are produced in Bordeaux and Germany.

*Botrytized grapes make lusciousy sweet wines...most grape varieties affected by noble rot are Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Semillon, and Gewurztraminer.

In French the word "château" = winery

2009-03-24T06:00:00.005+01:00

Although “château” literally means castle in French, it may also be a mansion or a little house next to a vineyard that meets the requirements for winemaking with storage facilities on its property.

*Brian and I went tasting here with friends this past weekend. They have an AMAZING rosé wine.

Château Crémade in Palette, France

corkscrew vocabulary

2009-03-23T06:00:00.005+01:00

The auger, or curly metal part of a corkscrew, is sometimes called a worm.

Still wine/Table wine

2009-03-22T06:00:00.002+01:00

“Still wine” does not come from a still. The phrase refers to wine without bubbles, which includes what is also referred to as table wine.

Many different types of port

2009-03-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Here is a list of most (not all) of the different types of port:
-White Port
-Ruby Port
-Young Tawny Port
-Aged Tawny Port
-Vintage Character Port
-Late Bottled Vintage Port
-Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port
-Vintage Port

Most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away.

How is port made?

2009-03-20T06:00:00.002+01:00

In the production of port, the crushed wine grapes are fermented for about two days. Then the fermentation is halted by the addition of a neutral distilled spirit or brandy. This raises the alcohol level and retains some of the grapes’ natural sugar.

Mold in the vineyards

2009-03-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

Wine grapes are subject to mold when there’s too much moisture. Tight clustered Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir grapes are most susceptible to mold. The looser grape clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon allow for faster drying of moist grapes and thus make it less susceptible.

(example of a tight grape cluster)

Cloning in the Wine World

2009-03-18T06:00:00.003+01:00

Grapevines cannot reproduce reliably from seed. To cultivate a particular grape variety, grafting (a plant version of cloning) is used.

Chip-bud Grafting

T-bud Grafting

Wine Bars Buried in Pompeii

2009-03-17T09:47:00.002+01:00

When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava in A.D. 79, it also buried more than 200 wine bars.

What is the average cost of the grapes used to produce a $20 bottle of wine?

2009-03-17T09:40:00.003+01:00

$2.64

4 ways in which wine turns bad...

2009-03-14T16:04:00.006+01:00

1) Corked
2) Oxidized
3) Maderized
4) Refermented

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE ONLINE FOR EXPLAINATIONS- very helpful!
(just cut and paste)
http://nymag.com/restaurants/articles/wine/essentials/badwine.htm

Refermented wine anyone?

2009-03-13T17:43:00.003+01:00

Last night I hosted a wine pairing dinner at my house. The first red we had with the main course had gone bad. It tasted carbonated and the color was slightly off. People were wondering if the wine was corked, or if the bottle had been stored badly, etc. Here is the answer to last night's problem bottle.

Fine wine is a living thing, the product of controlled fermentation. Occasionally, some residual, dormant yeasts will wake up, and a wine will undergo a second fermentation after it has been released and shipped. This manifests itself as effervescence, or fizziness, on the tongue. Of course, this is desirable in champagne (which is purposely refermented in the bottle in order to create the bubbles), but never in fine still wine.

It's difficult to learn to identify these flaws just by reading about them. Only experience and time will give you the training you need to spot every defect. But if you think a bottle is bad, ask for confirmation. Don't be afraid -- at any reputable establishment the sommelier, waiter, wine cavist, will not take a rejected bottle personally (not that you should care if he or she does).

Taste-blind

2009-03-12T09:21:00.004+01:00

Taste has historically been one of the least understood sensory mechanisms. Misinterpretations of research conducted in the late 1800's, led to "tongue maps" that suggested that the basic tastes are sensed primarily by specific areas, such as the tip or center. Subsequent investigation proved that taste buds on the entire surface of the tongue can sense all of the various tastes.

(there are about 9,000 nerve receptors called buds on the average tongue)

Sensitivity to specific tastes varies considerably with individuals. It is possible in fact to be taste-blind. The test uses a chemical called phenylthiocarbamide, which tastes extremely bitter to some persons and quite bland to others. Some research has suggested that there is higher alcoholism incidence among the genetically taste-blind.

Shipwrecked

2009-03-11T23:05:00.003+01:00

The wreck of the Titanic holds one of the oldest wine cellars in the world and despite the depth and wreckage, the bottles are still intact.

The Quick Sip on Texas

2009-03-10T06:00:00.002+01:00

*Texas is one of the oldest wine regions in the United States.

*No one grape variety dominates, although chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are by both critics and wine-makers considered to be the leading grapes in the state.

*Texas' 34 wineries are scattered across thousands of miles with differing microclimates. (below is a picture of a tasting room in Driftwood, Texas)

Longest Cork Flight

2009-03-09T06:00:00.001+01:00

The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.

Top 5 of Bordeaux

2009-03-08T07:00:00.003+01:00

In Bordeaux, the French word "cru", or growth, is used to indicate a wine estate, vineyard, or chateau. Thus a Premier Cru, or First Growth, is a wine estate of the top (first) rank.

According to THE WINE BIBLE, by Karen MacNeil, among the Firth Growths, Margaux and Lafite-Rothschild are often the most elegant and subtle; Haut-Brion, the most earthy; and Mouton-Rothschild and Latour, the most powerful.

Enology...Oenology

2009-03-07T07:00:00.000+01:00

Enology (also spelled Oenology) is the science and study of wine making, differentiated from "viticulture", which is the study of grape growing.

How do you smell correctly?

2009-03-06T06:00:00.002+01:00

If you do not smell a wine or simply take a brief cursory whiff, very little information goes to the brain, and not surprisingly, you have trouble deciding what the wine tastes like.

You want to start by swirling the wine in the glass. Swirling aerates wine. As for actually sniffing the wine, nothing is achieved by holding your nose 2 inches above the glass and taking a polite whiff. You must get your nose (a big one is an asset) into the glass near the liquid. Then take a series of short quick sniffs.

Why not one long inhale? Imagine putting a grilled steak at one end of the room, and tying up a dog at the other. The dog wouldn't take one long deep breath, but instead, would sniff rapidly and repeatedly, to maximize the impression of the aroma. Since the nose fatigues quickly- in about six seconds- you must try to assess the aromas in the glass immediately. This requires considerable mental focus.

The smell of a wine may be called its nose, aroma, or bouquet. In Britain, smelling a wine is often referred to as "nosing it."

Twelve Truths Wine Pros Know

2009-03-05T07:00:00.001+01:00

1) A systematic approach to tasting is critical to understanding wine and being able to remember what you tasted.
2) Perceptions of wine can be skewed by outside influences as innocent as eating a bag of M&M's.
3) The first sip is not always reliable.
4) At least 80 percent of taste is smell.
5) Swirling the wine in the glass helps you smell and therefore taste it better.
6) You continue to smell a wine once it is in your mouth.
7) Light, medium, and full-bodied wines feel in the mouth like skim milk, whole milk, and half-and-half, respectively.
8) A full body is no guarantee of an intense flavor.
9) To get the total impact of flavor, you must hold the wine in your mouth for a few seconds.
10) The world's best wines all have long finishes.
11) White wines gets darker in color as they get older.
12) Red wines get lighter as they get older.

Wine Judging Competitions

2009-03-04T06:00:00.007+01:00

THEN...and NOW

All tastings are done blind. These days, we just cover up the bottles- judges are no longer blindfolded. Every uncorked bottle and glass poured are numbered accordingly so as not to get them confused. Depending on the size of the competition, it can be a nightmare for the people working the back, as you can imagine from this next picture.

The White Wine with Fish Rule

2009-03-03T06:00:00.001+01:00

The old rule "white wine with fish; red wine with meat" is based on matching body (the weight of the wine in the mouth) and color. The adage dates from the days when many white wines were light in body and whitish in color (like fish), and many red wines were weighty and, obviously, red (like meat). It is, however, the body and components of the wine- not its color- that are important in matching wine with food. Today many red wines, such as Oregon pinot noirs and nothern Italian merlots, are far lighter in body than, for example, barrel-fermented and barrel-aged California and Australian chardonnays. In the 1980's many of us realized this (or at leased sensed it unconsciously), abandoned the old rule, and began drinking red wine with fish and white wine with meat. By the mid-1980's top American steak houses were selling almost as much chardonnay as cabernet sauvignon.

Are these vineyards?

2009-03-02T10:19:00.003+01:00

Though Germany would seem like the last country to give its vineyards whimsical names, there are dozens of them. Here are the names of a few well-known vineyards.

-Eselshaut: Donkey hide
-Himmelreich: Kingdom of Heaven
-Kalb: Veal
-Schneckenhof: Home of the snails
-Katzenbeisser: The biter of cats
-Lump: Dope; idiot
-Nonnengarten: Nun's garden
-Saumagen: pig's stomach
-Spinnennetz: Spiderweb
-Sieben Jungfrauen: Seven virgins
-Ungeheur: Monster
-Zweifelberg: Place of doubt

What does the term Brix mean?

2009-02-28T06:00:00.003+01:00

Brix is the scale that winemakers use to measure the sugar level of grapes.

Alcohol Irony

2009-02-27T07:00:00.001+01:00

The word "Alcohol" is derived from the Arabic language (al kohl or alkuhl). Consider the fact that a large proportion of the Arabic population is forbidden from consuming alcohol for religious reasons.

The origin of "Honeymoon"

2009-02-26T07:00:00.008+01:00

In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all of the mead (a fermented honey beverage) that he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the “honey month,” or what we now call the “honeymoon.”
(can't help it- this is a picture from my recent wedding =)

Lead Crystal

2009-02-25T06:00:00.004+01:00

An English glassmaker named George Ravenscroft discovered in 1674 that adding lead oxide to molten glass made it softer and easier to work. As a result, lead crystal could be cut into elaborate designs. But even more important, lead made glass more durable and more brilliant.

In 1991 researchers at Columbia University found that wine and other acidic beverages left in lead crystal decanters for several months could absorb possibly dangerous amounts of lead. Subsequently, the FDA recommended against storing acidic foods and beverages for long periods of time in lead-glazed pottery or lead crystal decanters. The specific health hazards, however, are still not known. Since wine does not stay in a crystal glass long enough to leach lead from it, drinking wine from lead crystal glasses is considered safe.

Nelson Mandela

2009-02-24T06:00:00.003+01:00

Elected in 1994, Nelson Mandela was South Africa's first black president and the first to be elected with voter participation from all races. Mandela's release from prison in 1990, after more than twenty-seven years in confinement, signaled a new era in South African politics and paved the way for the lifting of trade sanctions and the importation of South African wine into the United States.

Sad but true

2009-02-23T06:00:00.007+01:00

In years with very bad weather, a top château in Sauternes may decide to make no sweet wine rather than lower its standards. Salvaged grapes will be sold to lesser châteaux, and the top château will take the enormous financial loss of having no product for the year. So, about twice a decade Château d'Yquem may choose not to make any sweet wine.

Beaujolais as dessert

2009-02-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

According to the famous French chef Paul Bocuse, one of the favorite traditional desserts of wine-growers in Beaujolais is freshly picked wild peaches sliced into a glass and topped with black currants drenched in cool Beaujolais.

The world's most exclusive pinot noir bash

2009-02-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Every July Oregon's Willamette Valley hosts one of the most prestigious pinot noir festivals in the world: the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Tickets are sold out within days of the event's announcement. Top pinot noir winemakers from Burgundy, Oregon, California, and elsewhere pour their wines for devout pinot noir lovers. The culmination is the Saturday night salmon dinner, when some of the world's most famous pinots are consumed with wild salmon cooked in a traditional Native American manner over open fires.

Nice legs

2009-02-20T06:00:00.005+01:00

The rivulets of wine that roll down the inside of the glass after a wine has been swirled are called legs in America and in Britain. The Spanish call them tears; the Germans, church windows. Some wine drinkers look for great legs, falsely believing that nicely shaped legs (and who knows what that means?) portend great flavor. In fact, legs are a complex phenomenon related to the rate at which liquids evaporate and the differences in surface tension between water and the wine's alcohol content. Legs have nothing to do with greatness.

*With wine, as with women, there is very little meaningful information one can deduce by looking at the legs.

Virginia Dare

2009-02-19T06:00:00.003+01:00

Thought to be the oldest branded wine in the United States (dating from circa 1835), Virginia Dare was named after the first child born of English parents in America. The wine was made from a grape called scuppernong, a native variety that is still grown in the South. This white Virginia Dare was originally called Minnehaha. There was also a red wine called Pocahontas.

Who produces wine in the United States?

2009-02-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Though it seems hard to believe, every state in the United States produces wine except three--Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. No state, however, makes a huge amount of wine except one: California alone produces more than 90 percent of the United States total.

Separating the great from the not so great

2009-02-17T06:00:00.002+01:00

More than any other country in the world, France loves to rate her vineyards and her wines. Several of the major French wine regions have their own powerful and often complex classification systems that rank vineyards and/or wine. Bordeaux alone has four separate regional classification systems. Though the classifications are controversial and the rankings are usually fiercely debated, no one in France, it seems, thinks of doing away with them.

Bottle Shock

2009-02-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

Much to the agony of winemakers, wines that have recently been bottled occasionally develop bottle shock--a temporary condition wherein the wine tastes lifeless, as though it has lost its aromas and flavors. Bottle shock can happen to any wine. It is thought to be the result of the agitation and, possibly, exposure to oxygen that happens during bottling.

Winemakers, of course, easily recognize this condition since they have also tasted the wine before it was bottled and therefore have a point of comparison. Wine drinkers, however, may misinterpret a bottle-shocked wine as one that's of poor quality. That said, to experience what a wine with bottle shock tastes like, you'd have to open it within a few days or perhaps a week of it having been bottled, since after the wine rests for a few weeks more, the bottle shock goes away and the wine tastes again as it originally did. Luckily, most wines for sale in shops and restaurants were bottled months if not years before, so the chances of encountering bottle shock are fairly slim.

The Quick Sip on Germany

2009-02-15T07:00:00.000+01:00

*Germany is considered one of the world's top producers of elegant white wines, the best of which have almost ravishing delicacy and clarity.

*The vineyards are at the northern-most extreme of where grapes can ripen.

*The majority of fine German wines are not sweet. The exceptions are the expensive late harvest dessert wines beerenauslesen and trockenbeerenauslesen, which are crafted to be sweet.

Topping Up Wine & Campagne

2009-02-14T07:00:00.000+01:00

The time to top up a wine is when there are about two sips left in the glass. If you top up more frequently, you never get to experience how the wine evolves in the glass. With Champagne, there's another menace- temperature. Just as the constant topping up of coffee means you never have a really hot cup, constantly topping up Champagne leaves you with a quasi-chilled glass of bubbly.

Top Ten Descriptors A Winemaker Hates To Hear

2009-02-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

10. Wet rodent
9. Labrador breath
8. Mace
7. Moist navel lint
6. '63 Chevy Nova exhaust
5. A men's room at a baseball park during a game
4. Mustard gas
3. Velveeta
2. Old running shoes
1. Old running shorts

-John Cunin, owner of the Cypress Club, San Francisco

A Braille Wine Label

2009-02-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

Chinese in the Vineyards

2009-02-11T06:00:00.001+01:00

In The University of California Book of California Wine, Jack Chen, writing about the contributions of the Chinese, notes that in the 1880s, Chinese made up 80 to 85 percent of the vineyard workers in California. For the prior decade, however, anti-Chinese sentiment had been building as the economy worsened and unemployment rose. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning further immigration. By the 1890s, Chinese who worked in vineyards were being taxed a punitive charge of $2.50 a month, and labor leaders had successfully forced several wineries to add the racist statement "Made with White Labor" to their bottles.

Warning: This Label is Misleading!

2009-02-10T07:00:00.003+01:00

"Contains Sulfites." With the initiation of that federally mandated warning label in 1988, wine drinkers began to worry. What were sulfites and why were they suddenly being put into wine? In the confusion that followed, wine was blamed for everything from headaches to rashes.

The facts were these: WINE HAS ALWAYS CONTAINED SULFITES. The compounds occur as a natural by-product of fermentation. Historically, winemakers have also added small, controlled amounts of sulfites to wine to prevent oxidation and spoilage.

Historically, the regulations on sulfites in wine have been stricter than those applied to salad bars (cut fruits and vegetables used to be routinely sprayed with large amounts of sulfites to keep them from wilting and turning brown).

In addition to wine, sulfites are found in beer, cocktail mixes, cookies, crackers, pizza crust, flour tortillas, pickles, relishes, salad drssings, olives, vinegar, sugar, shrimp, scallops, dried fruit, and fruit juice, among other foods and beverages.

A punt is something that we are familiar with from American football, but what is its meaning in the world of wine?

2009-02-09T07:00:00.001+01:00

The punt is the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle. Its initial function was to prevent the flat bottom of wine bottles from scraping tabletops. Some hold Champagne bottles by the punt while pouring- an awkward, inelegant, pop custom (no pun intended).

With which grape varietal is Pinot Noir usually blended?

2009-02-08T06:00:00.002+01:00

Pinot Noir is unusual in that it is most often not blended at all. (and as this label shows, Pinot Noir is the main red grape grown in the Burgundy, or Bourgogne, region of France)

One of the world's most expensive wines

2009-02-07T06:00:00.003+01:00

The famous Chateau Petrus in Pomerol makes the world’s most expensive Merlot, which sells for up to $2,500 or more. The vineyard only consists of 12 hectares (around 30 acres). This particular Merlot was actually one of the favorite wines at the White House during the Kennedy years.

Thanks again, Mr. Pasteur!

2009-02-06T07:00:00.001+01:00

Many people assume that when a wine oxidizes, it turns to vinegar. Actually, the wine takes on a nutty flavor. Thanks to pasteurization, wine very rarely turns to vinegar.

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was the great French scientist whose work has saved millions of lives. He made so many famous discoveries (ex: the rabies and anthrax vaccines, inoculation for smallpox, the 'Pasteurization' process) that he was able to build an institute in Paris for research, teaching, and treating diseases. Inaugurated in 1888, the Pasteur Institute ranks as one of the foremost research centers in the world.

Wine DNA

2009-02-05T07:00:00.001+01:00

Wine has so many organic chemical compounds it is considered more complex than blood serum.

What do winemakers use to 'fine' their wine?

2009-02-04T07:00:00.004+01:00

Egg whites, bull’s blood, and gelatin have all been used as fining agents to remove suspended particles from wine before bottling. Egg whites are still commonly used.

Who was blind?

2009-02-03T06:00:00.000+01:00

Dom Perignon (1638-1715), the Benedictine Abbey (at Hautvillers) cellar master who is generally credited with "inventing" the Champagne making process, was blind.

Presidents and their wine...

2009-02-02T10:41:00.006+01:00

-Thomas Jefferson bought over 20,000 bottles of European wine during his presidency, and he helped stock the wine cellars of the first five U.S. presidents. He was very partial to fine Bordeaux and Madeira. In fact, four Bordeaux First Growths he once owned are now involved in a law suit.

-Barack Obama, according to friends, is a founding member of the wine and cheese club.

-Richard Nixon was a Francophile when it came to wine, but he kept the labels covered with napkins to hide the fact that they weren’t produced in America.

How many varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide?

2009-02-01T06:00:00.002+01:00

10,000

A funeral for corks?

2009-01-31T06:00:00.000+01:00

Randall Grahm, the owner of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, California, had been having a lot of problems with cork. He was getting tainted bottles and felt that it was unacceptable.

So, he first tried plastic corks. Then he turned to screw caps and thought that they were the best solution. But he said, "If we're going to come out with this thing, we can't just limp into the market." His whole staff was telling him "Let's just try it out in Iowa or something." He laughed and said, "Look, that won't tell me anything. In fact, we've got to go nation-wide with this. And we have to come out with a bang. We have to create a lot of buzz." Since he was the owner of the company, he backed the company on this thing. He decided to turn 90% of his production over to screw caps. And he said, "Well, if we're going to come out big, let's hold a funeral for cork."

He rented a place in Grand Central Station and they got a hearse to bring out this casket. Inside of the casket was a dummy made entirely out of cork and his name was M. Thierry Bouchon (a multi-lingual pun).

Thierry Bouchon is a slight variation of the word for cork screw. But it's also a very legitimate French name. Thierry is a normal French name and Bouchon just means cork. He thought that was a wonderful name. Randall got one of the world's leading wine writers, Jancis Robinson, to come to the funeral and they had a wonderful time. She delivered a "eulogy for cork." They got a lot of publicity. Randall is to this day a great advocate of the screw cap makers.

What are the five major factors in producing fine wine?

2009-01-30T06:00:00.008+01:00

1. Geographic position

2. Soil type and condition

3. Weather (sun, rain, heat)

4. Quality of the grapes

5. Vinification... (the winemaking process)

History of Labels

2009-01-29T07:00:00.000+01:00

Labels were first put on wine bottles in the early 1770's, but it wasn't until the 1860's that suitable glues were developed to hold them on the bottles.

What is the French wine region of Bordeaux known for making?

2009-01-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

Until 1970, Bordeaux produced more white wine than red. Today red wine represents about 84% of the total crop. The major red grape varietals are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The white is Sauvignon Blanc.

What is the world's oldest bottle of wine?

2009-01-27T13:22:00.003+01:00

Unearthed during excavation for building a house in a vineyard near the town of Speyer, Germany, the bottle pictured below was inside one of two Roman stone sarcophaguses that were dug up. The bottle dates from approximately 325 A.D. and was found in 1867.

The greenish-yellow glass amphora has handles formed in the shape of dolphins. One of several bottles discovered, it is the only one with the contents still preserved.

The ancient liquid has much silty sediment. About two-thirds of the contents are a thicker, hazy mixture. This is most probably olive oil, which the Romans commonly used to "float" atop wine to preserve it from oxidation. Cork closures, although known to exist at the time, were quite uncommon. Their oil method of preservation was apparently effective enough to keep the wine from evaporation up to modern day.

The bottle is on permanent display, along with other wine antiquities, at the History Museum of the Pfalz, which is worth a virtual visit or an actual one, if traveling near the area of Speyer, Germany.

When was the first known reference to a specific wine vintage? ...and... How old was the wine being “reviewed”?

2009-01-27T13:12:00.005+01:00

~Roman Historian Pliny the Elder rated 121 B.C. as a vintage “of the highest excellence.”
~200 years old! Pliny the Elder wrote the history of the Roman Empire around 70 A.D.

What was the primary fruit crop in Napa Valley during the 1940's?

2009-01-26T22:51:00.003+01:00

Prunes.

It's the Law!

2009-01-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

1. Ohio state law prohibits getting a fish drunk.
2. In Fairbanks, Alaska, it's illegal to feed a moose any alcoholic beverage.
3. It's illegal to sit on any street curb in St. Louis, Missouri, and drink beer from a bucket.
4. The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a recipe for making beer that can be used at home.

"I detect the aroma of cat's pee in this wine."

2009-01-25T07:00:00.000+01:00

"Come again?"
"You know, pipi du chat."

Um, ok. Whatever you call it - cat's pee or the more sophisticated-sounding French version, pipi du chat - there's no getting around the fact that this is one unsettling way to describe something that you're about to drink. Yet, it's a descriptor often used to describe Sauvingnon Blanc. Oddly enough, it's a positive characteristic for a SB to have.

How many gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

2009-01-24T07:00:00.000+01:00

In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake and resultant fires that lasted three days destroyed most of the large wineries in the city. In addition, 30 million gallons of wine were lost.

Corking Tips

2009-01-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

1. Remove all of the foil first from the bottle top, and any wax sealing.
2. Make sure you screw it in absolutely straight, and that the screw is starting at the dead center of the cork.

How many grapes does it take to make your average bottle of wine?

2009-01-22T07:00:00.001+01:00

This answer can vary greatly depending on the vineyard and their winemaking process. As a general rule, many estimate that it takes about 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to produce one bottle of wine. That's over 600 berries!

2009-01-21T07:00:00.003+01:00

The average life span of a grapevine is 25 years,
but grapevines are capable of producing grapes
for 100 years or more.

Ever wondered why wine is different colors?

2009-01-20T06:00:00.006+01:00

*ALL GRAPE JUICE IS CLEAR IN COLOR*
Red wine is only red because the clear juice is left in contact with the red or purple grape skin until it achieves the degree of color that pleases the winemaker. With rose wines, one winemaker may prefer a pale rose and another might like their rose to be almost as dark as a red wine. The longer the skins are in the tank, the darker the color of the juice gets.

What country is the largest consumer of Port in the world?

2009-01-19T06:00:00.002+01:00

The United Kingdom is the largest consumer of Port. Most of the major Port lodges are owned by British companies. (Hilary's favorite port is Graham's Tawny Port- aged 20 years)

These pictures are from Hilary and her husband's trip to Porto, Portugal last year. You can see some of the different port lodges in the top picture- you walk from tasting room to tasting room along the hillside. The bottom picture is of the Douro river with Eiffel's bridge (yup, same guy who designed the Tower in Paris).

What is a magnum? What is a double magnum? What is an impériale?

2009-01-18T07:00:00.004+01:00

A magnum is a bottle of wine holding 1.5 liters, the equivalent of two standard-size bottles.

A double magnum holds 3 liters of wine, the equivalent of four standard bottles.

An impériale is a bottle of wine containing 6 liters, a quantity equal to eight standard-size wine bottles.

What do the words Côtes du Rhône indicate on a wine label?

2009-01-17T07:00:00.007+01:00

The words Côtes du Rhône (literally translated to 'Rhone Hills') identify any wine produced in France's Rhone Valley that is not entitled to more specific village designation. These wines- almost always red- are often great bargains, particularly in exceptional Rhone vintages. They are made to be consumed young.

Is Zinfandel ever blended with other varietals?

2009-01-15T16:00:00.001+01:00

Many bottles are 100% Zin, but it can be blended with other warm-weather grapes,
most successfully Petite Sirah.
(and no, I did not misspell Sirah...Sirah and Syrah are two different types of grapes =)

Which country produces the most wine in the world?

2009-01-15T06:00:00.003+01:00

Italy is the world's largest producer of wine. France is a close second.
Between them France and Italy are responsible for about 50% of the world's wine production.
*If California were a separate country, it would be the world's fourth-largest wine producer.

If you don't have a decanter, what can you use?

2009-01-14T06:10:00.000+01:00

I have used tupperware (without the lid), a flower vase, a sauce pan, etc. It is, of course, ideal to use an actual decanter, but when you can't find one, just look for something around your house that is clean, will give the wine exposure to air, and most importantly, something that can pour easily into a glass without spilling all over the place (for example, a bowl would not work very well).

Which wines should be decanted?

2009-01-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

Big, young wines; vintage port; and old wines with sediment should be decanted. Very old wines will often turn bad if left open more than one hour, so drink them right after decanting.

What is the origin of the custom of clinking glasses before tasting wine?

2009-01-13T07:05:00.002+01:00

It dates back to medieval times, when wine was one of the only drinks considered safe; milk spoiled and water was often polluted, but wine was reliable. To prove that the wine was good, the host would drink a glass first and then clink gasses with the guests as a show of confidence in the safely of the wine.

What is the best size for a glass of wine?

2009-01-12T06:00:00.002+01:00

Ten ounces is the best size. It allows for swirling and the development of the wine's bouquet. Always fill a wineglass halfway.

What is tannin? Does red wine have a higher level of tannin than white wine?

2009-01-11T07:00:00.002+01:00

Tannin is a natural compound found in wine. It comes from the skins, stems, and pips of the grapes, as well as from the wooden barrels used to age wine.
Red wine does have a higher level of tannin than white wine. This in part accounts for its ability to improve with age.
(what the heck is a grape pip?? "A grape seed extract that is a potent source of proanthocyanidins/pycnogenols and is a very powerful antioxidant")

On average, does red wine have more calories per glass than white wine?

2009-01-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

Not really. A standard five-ounce glass of red has about 110 calories, while a five-ounce glass of white contains about 105 calories-- although sweeter whites, such as Riesling, have more calories than dry table wine.

Who was Dom Pérignon?

2009-01-09T06:00:00.011+01:00

Pérignon was a Benedictine monk and cellar master in the abbey of Hautvillers near Épernay in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He is credited with discovering how to capture the bubbles during the champagne-making process, thereby allowing production of sparkling wine on a commercial scale.

What does the term "Mis en Bouteille au Château" on a French wine label tell the consumer about the wine?

2009-01-08T09:13:00.005+01:00

The term mis en bouteille au château indicates that the wine was made and bottled at the chateau with the chateau's own grapes. This term is found on bottles of the best wines from Bordeaux.

Can white wine be made from red grapes?

2009-01-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

Yes! The color of wine comes entirely from the grape skin. When the skins of red grapes are removed early in the winemaking process, their color does not affect the wine's appearance. For example, this New Year's Eve you might have been drinking champagne made from Pinot Noir grapes...however, the winemaker did not let the skins of the red Pinot Noir grapes have contact with the clear grape juice, hence your champage was not turned pink or red by the color pigments found in the skins.