Category Archives: Wine

Find Your Perfect Wine

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Finding the perfect bottle of wine is definitely not an easy task. There are so many things that need to be factored into consideration, in order to be sure that you have chosen the right bottle of wine for the right occasion. If you are not a natural wine connoisseur, then you may find yourself panicking at the mere thought of buying a bottle of wine. However, you do not need to be an expert at all. As long as you know the basics, then you should have no trouble, when it comes to finding your perfect wine. Here are a few things for you to consider.

The Food That You Are Serving

What a lot of people don’t realise is that certain wines don’t go with certain foods. For example, if you have purchased something light and refreshing, like Pinot Grigio, and you are serving red meats then you are heading for disaster. Because of examples like this, it is important that you do your research before buying your wine. Alternatively, you could speak to your local wine dealer. Tell them what meals you are serving, and they will be happy to suggest wines that complement the food.

Find the Best Value

Good wines don’t always come cheap. However, there are many ways that you can find the best value for the wine that you are looking for. The simple fact is that most wine dealers are in fierce competition with each other, so they will all be trying to grab your attention. One thing that you can do, if you want to find the best value for money for your favourite wine, is to take a look online. There are a number of websites that are able to offer fantastic value for money, when it comes to fine wine.

Pick Your Favourite Style of Wine

When it comes to buying fine wine, one of the most common mistakes that people make is going for famous brand names, or wines that come from specific regions. When you go to your local wine dealer, talk to the staff. Tell them about the type of wine that you enjoy. By doing this, they will be able to suggest a number of similar wines that you may enjoy. By doing this, you are not only broadening your horizons, but you may also be able to find a wine that offers better value for money than your existing favourite.

Finding your perfect wine can be a lengthy process, but it is definitely worth it. The great thing is that there are so many different wines to choose from. Everybody has different tastes, and whilst one wine may revolt you, you may find another perfectly enjoyable. Take the time to explore the different types of wines that are available to you, and see which tastes you enjoy. Try something different every week until you find your perfect wine. Once you have found it, you will not look back.

Shall We Pinot Noir?

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Pinot Noir is one of the most familiar names in the wine industry, even for casual sippers, since Pinot Noir based wines are among the most popular. Actually, some say it’s the wine of love and passion, so it has even been described in words such as: “the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic” (Joel Fleischman).

But what is the secret behind the poetry? It all starts with a black grape clustered into a shape close to that of a pine cone, thus the name Pinot (the French word for pine) Noir (the French word for black). An important trait of this grape is the thin skin, which makes it more prone to rot and fungal infections, but it’s also responsible for certain particularities in the body, colour and acidity of the wine. This grape is somewhat harder to cultivate compared to other varieties (partially because of the thin skin issues), but for those who manage to be successful it’s definitely worth it.

Of course, the first region that comes to mind when thinking about this grape is Burgundy (France), but it has spread a lot around the world, provided it is a slightly cooler and drier region. So today Pinot Noir is harvested in: Australia, Austria (a dry red sometimes called Blauburgunder), Canada, U.K. (mostly for sparkling wines), Germany (the most cultivated red grape in the region, also known as Spätburgunder), Italy (Pinot Nero), New Zealand (although with a troubled history, it is now an important grape for the region, a grape that turns into a more fruity Pinot Noir), U.S.A, and naturally in France.

Pinot Noir based wines tend to be light or medium bodied, have a lighter colour than most reds, a lower level of tannins and their aromas are usually associated with berries (blackberry, currant, raspberry), but in certain conditions they can have more intense fruity aromas or even wood-flavoured notes.

When it comes to food pairings, you have a pretty wide variety of choices: shellfish, salmon, grilled chicken/turkey, duck, goose, pheasant, rabbit, pork, lamb, veal, beef, pasta/risotto, mushrooms or even creamy cheeses. However, it’s really not the best companion for sweet courses, whether they’re desserts or dishes with sweet sauces.

As far as we’re concerned, we’re also big fans of Pinot Noir, but we didn’t get caught in its popularity and randomly purchased any Pinot Noir in sight. No, we made a harsh selection and only brought the best of these wines in our shop.

Californian Wines

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Californian wines are becoming more and more popular and the truth is that this American state would be the world’s 4th largest wine producer if California was a separate country.

Compared to the European culture, pretty much everything American has a fairly new history, so wine has only been produced in California since the 18th century. But since those times when wine was exclusively made for religious purposes a lot has happened: a massive rise during The Gold Rush, a dramatic fall caused by a phylloxera epidemic, uncertain times during the Prohibition and finally a tipping point in 1976, thanks to a blind tasting event in Paris, which publicly confirmed the great qualities of these wines, comparable to the French ones.

But what makes Californian wines so special? Well, climate is definitely a plus, starting with the specifics of the coast and going further into the mainland, but all in all they don’t lack any of the important factors like: sunshine, warm winters, reasonable amounts of precipitation and occasional cool currents. And if great climatic conditions were not enough, Californian soils are also very diverse and each one (whether it’s sand, loam, clay, seabed soil, granite, gravel or even volcanic ash) puts its mark on the wine’s minerality.

Surely, with this great diversity you can expect to grow both red wine grapes (Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel) and white wine grapes (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier).

All of these varieties grow in 6 main regions: the North Coast (Lake County, Los Carneros, Mendocino County, Sonoma County and the famous Napa Valley which, by the way, was the home of the first commercial winery in California back in 1859), the Central Coast (Livermore Valley, Monterey County, Paso Robles, San Benito County, San Francisco Bay, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, and Santa Cruz Mountains), Sierra Foothills (Amador County, Calaveras County, El Dorado County, Nevada County, Placer County), Inland Valleys (Lodi and the Delta, Madera County, Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley), Southern California (Cucamonga Valley, Los Angeles Area, San Diego County, Temecula Valley) and the Far North California. However, the appellations are defined by the actual boundaries of the regions or the American Viticultural Areas (recognized growing regions, also known by the acronym AVA). But whether you’re interested in larger regions or a smaller AVA, it’s a fact that more than 21 million people visit the Californian Wine Country every year and a whole lot more people enjoy drinking the wine.

What do you think about Californian wines? What’s your favourite?

How Much Do You Know About Merlot?

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It’s probably one of the most widely known terms in the wine field. Everybody’s heard about Merlot, but how much have you passed the “heard about” stage?

Let’s start the story with the very important mention of the fact that Merlot is a grape (a dark-blue coloured grape to be more precise) and its colour is probably what named it in the first place, since it shares similarity with the Old French word for the young merle (blackbird). Well that and the fact that these birds seem to be extremely fond of these grapes.

It’s also important to remember that it’s used as a blending grape, but also for varietal wines and it has been so for a very long time, probably even before its first mention from 1784, somewhere in the Libournais region of France. Currently, Merlot is still sharing a strong bond with France, considering that this country is home to about 2/3 of the world’s total plantings (approximately 115,000 hectares in 2004). However, it is also grown in: Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, USA (California, Washington or Long Island), Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa.

As for genetics, it seems that Merlot is a successor of Cabernet Franc and a “brother” to Cabernet Sauvignon (and there’s a bit of sibling rivalry, because where the “brothers” grow together, Merlot is usually cultivated in the slightly cooler region, otherwise ripening too early). But whatever they inherited from whom, it’s a fact that Merlot is characterized by loose bunches of large berries, a blue/black hue, somewhat thin skins (thus less tannins), a low level of malic acid and a pretty high level of sugar.

And if you’re asking how it got so popular, know that it probably had a lot to do with its name. It’s obviously fairly easy to pronounce even for non-French speakers. But it was not only about this somewhat superficial aspect. It’s also about the wine itself – it blends with great ease adding body and softness and as a varietal wine it’s velvety, soft and fruity (mostly plum flavoured, but also cassis, blackberry, black cherry, red cherry, blueberry or mulberry). Of course, its aroma is not only about fruit, but also floral (eucalyptus, sage, oregano or mint) and earthy (bell pepper, mushrooms, tobacco or leather). And aging it in oak for considerable amounts of time will help distinguish lovely caramel/chocolate/coffee/smoke notes.

Now that you know a little bit more about it, you can enjoy a fine glass of Merlot and appreciate it in a different manner. Keep in mind that it pairs well with grilled meats, shellfish, mushroom courses, but it’s not a good match for blue cheeses or spicy foods.

 

The DEFs of Wine Tasting

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On our last article we talked about the most basic notions in wine and food pairing: complementarity and contrast, and we promised we’ll continue with the actual characteristics of wines that bind or divide the match: acidity, sweetness, bitterness and the alcohol level.

Acidity is a key factor in pairing wines and food, because on a physiological level it affects our ability to perceive flavours. Remember that acidic wines tend to go great with acidic foods (for example, those where lemon or vinegar is used) or with fatty, oily, salty or rich dishes, but they’re very unlikely to go well with creamy sauces.

Sweetness is the combined result of the initial fruits’ sugar and the fermentation process. The general rule is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert it accompanies, and yes, sweet wines are usually associated with desserts. But they can also go well with foods that have a certain sweetness (for example a sweet sauce), they balance spiciness and they can also contrast with certain salty foods.

Bitterness is linked to tannins, caused when the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes enter the wine creation process. Bitter wines are a wonderful match for foods rich in protein (meats, especially red, fatty or not) and they really help cleanse the palate. Fish oils, spicy foods and sweet dishes should not be your first options when you’re considering tannins, and also keep in mind that bitterness in foods and bitterness in wines combine.

Alcohol is linked to the wine’s weight and body, in the sense that the less alcohol, the less weight a wine has and that means less texture and density. Usually, wines with higher alcohol levels are good matches for salty and spicy dishes.

But there are other factors to consider and the most important one is probably your own taste. Since we all have different perceptions over reality (taste included), we’re all likely to make (at least) slightly different choices when it comes to wine and food pairing. And then there are those matches so famous that they’ve almost become clichés – for example, Chablis and oysters. Basically, the choice is yours and you should feel free to experiment over time.  While you’re exploring, try to taste the wine and the food separately, think about each part’s specific flavours and characteristics and only then taste them both and try to figure out what works and what doesn’t.