Wine Storage Tips - The Right Way
May 22, 2008
Any wine storage tips? I bought a case of what hopefully will turn in a great batch and I want to make sure my investment is safe. Do you know what I could do for proper wine preservation? Thanks a whole lot! - Dana in Meridian, MS
Here are wine storage tips for all the lovers of wine who are keen on keeping a few bottles around for that special moment. Follow these easy guidelines for wine preservation and it won’t let you down.
Now, make sure you store your wine horizontally. Allow the wine lay on it’s on side which lets the cork keep in moisture while at the same time serves a dual purpose of letting the sediment to settle down at the bottom of the bottle.
For wine preservation, its absolutely important to keep your wine out of direct sunlight. If a bottle is exposed to light, the end result could lead to a loss of the aromas and flavors. As for other wine storage tips, one of the key things to understand about wine is that you need to keep the temperature in between 55 to 65ºF. If the temperature of the wine fluctuates or if it is stored at a higher temperature, the wine will age much faster.
Wide fluctuations in temperature will make the cork to expand and contract. This will let air into the bottle and the wine will become oxidized under these conditions. Another thing to keep in mind is the proper humidity levels. For wine preservation, having too high a level of humidity can lead to the over all deterioration of the wine labels whereas a low level of humidity can make the cork shrink which again will oxidize the wine or even worse lead to a condition called corked wine.
So there you go, easy huh? If you follow these simple wine storage tips you can make sure that your investment is kept safe and secure so when you are ready to enjoy that perfect bottle you aren’t faced with any surprises. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Techniques
May 20, 2008
Share some wine tasting techniques with me please, I’m having trouble being able to really pick out the certain flavors of a wine. Much thanks Wine Virgin!! - Stacy in Summerville, SC
Wine tasting techniques? Never quite heard it put that way before Stacy but I will definitely show you some very simple wine tasting advice to develop your taste buds so you can enjoy all the flavors and aroma that wine can offer. First off, don’t be too worried in the beginning if you are having trouble developing your ability to taste. Some wines can have very subtle characteristics that the typical wine virgin might not be aware of.
Something that you can do for starters is go read my post real quick on how to cleanse your palate. This puts your nose and tongue at neutral place to start off at. When you are about to taste wine, always make sure you do this simple process first before you continue. Now have a notebook ready as well so you can jot down some wine tasting notes for refernce in the future to help you better discern between the all different types of wine. Here are 3 simple wine tasting tips to help you get your feet wet.
Really look at your wine. Sounds simple enough huh? Fill the bottom of your glass with wine and hold it up to the light. Take into account the color of it and if it appears clear or cloudy. Every wine will have a variation in its tint and slowly you will be able to tell the difference in similar wines based of their color.
Take a whiff. Seriously, the majority of our taste really comes through the nose and in order to taste a wine properly you really have to smell it first. Now hold the glass by it’s stem and swirl the wine around. This helps to release the flavor of it. Swirling the wine will actually fill the glass with the wine’s aroma. Now after you have finished swirling the wine, take another smell.
After this, you should be able to note a difference. How does the wine smell to you after doing this? Do this a few times and see if you can notice any changes. Now heres the fun part, take a small sip and taste it. Swish the wine around gently in your mouth. If aren’t really able to pick up those subtle flavors, don’t fret. This first taste prepares your mouth for the full pleasure of the wine.
After you’ve prepared your mouth, take your time with the second taste and allow yourself to begin to savor the wine. Again, swish it wash around in your mouth so you can enjoy the full flavor of it and here are some more wine tasting tips.
You need to inhale the scent through your nose as you continue to take sips. This allows you to get an idea of all the different flavors after you have become familiar with this process and have begun to compare different wines. With practice you will develop the ability to pick out wines from the wine tasting advice given above and with enough time you’ll get to enjoy the rich complexities of any bottle that you desire. Cheers!!
Passito Wine - Appassimento and Recioto
May 19, 2008
Could you tell me what appassimento, recioto and passito stand for? I recall that passito of them is a type of wine but I’m confused about how they are all related. Thank you!! - Shelly in Toronto, Canada
You are correct! Passito wines are a full flavored and very complex bodied wines made from partially withered grapes. This is where you get the term appassimento. Now, for this production technique, appassimento means either leaving the grapes to raisin on the vine or picking and then drying them on mats of straw or reed, bamboo racks, or strung in bunches under the rafters and can lead to either a very sweet wine or a dry wine depending on the process.
Here is where a lot of wine virgins get this confused… passito is a type of wine. So after the grapes go through the appassimento process they are termed as passito. The other side of this is recioto which is a sub-category of passtio. This type of wine is classified as a passito wine from the Veneto in Northeastern Italy.
Also, some common types of recioto that you will find are Recioto della Valpolicella which is a sweet red wine along with Recioto di Soave which is a gorgeous sweet white wine. So what are you waiting for? Go track down a few bottles of recioto and try it for yourself! Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Tips - Wine Vocabulary
May 8, 2008
Can you give me some wine tasting tips to increase my vocabulary? I want to be able to put words to what I taste when drinking a good bottle. What common wine terms are used to describe wine in a consistent manner? - Janice in Flagstaff, AZ
Developing a broad wine vocabulary of what wine tastes like makes it possible to communicate the tastes and smells that we experience when tipping back a few glasses. Here is a quick break down of the wine terminology that relates to the most common flavors you will find.
Floral - Geranium, Violet, Rose, Orange Blossom
Spicy - Licorice, Anise, Black Pepper, Cloves
Fruity - Citrus,Berry, Tree Fruit, Dried Fruit
Vegetative - Fresh, Canned/Cooked, Nutty
Caramelized - Honey, Butterscotch, Butter
Woody - Vanilla, Cedar, Oak, Smoky
Earthy - Moldy Cork, Musty, Mildew, Mushroom, Dusty
Having the ability to put actual wine terms to what you taste can give you a lot of confidence when you’re at a wine tasting event or out to dinner with that special love interest. Remember though that sometimes just sitting back and enjoying the flavors of the wine as it wanders it’s way around your tongue are the best moments to enjoy in silence. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Notes
April 23, 2008
Wine Virgin, I’m very new to all this but I want to know what wine tasting notes are and what’s the purpose behind them? - Pam in Salem, OR
The reason why wine tasting notes are taken to begin with is so that a person who attends a wine tasting event can comment on the particular style and flavor of a wine. There is a vernacular all it’s own that is based around wine tasting terms and here is a brief overview of what I mean.
Wine tasting notes are categorized into 3 separate events. When utilizing these agreed upon perceptions, a rough guide can be made that will communicate the characteristics of a particular wine.
- Color - Clarity of the wine when the contents are viewed in light
- Smell - Known as the “wine nose“. Also, another helpful tool to pinpoint the smell is with something called a
wine aroma wheel
- Taste - How it is perceived in by the “mouth” or “palate”, followed by the “finish”
After years of being a lover of wine, I have found that my wine tasting notes create something similar to an index. From this I’m able to have reference a wine that reminds me of previous bottle that I have enjoyed before. Also, taking these types of notes can really help you refine your senses and leads to an overall richer experience because you are able to pinpoint all of those subtle flavors and aromas. Cheers!!
Do Your Wine Legs Have Body?
April 8, 2008
I notice sometimes that there are streaks of wine that flow back down into the glass after I take a sip. I’ve heard of this referred to as wine legs and I wanted to know what makes them. - Heather in Albany, GA
Ahhh… more wine trivia. Wine legs are something that any casual drinker has probably seen at one point or another and this term also goes by the name wine tears as the wonderful French call it. The principal behind why this happens is based upon the Marangoni effect. In simple terms this states that alcohol evaporates faster than water. The alcohol moves up the side of the glass as it evaporates, but since there is a film of water on top, it is pushed up in an arch.
As the ethanol evaporates, gravity takes over and the surface tension that is pulling the wine up is broken and the water runs back down into the glass in rivulets, hence the term. Some think that the more wine legs/wine tears the better the wine. Not necessarily so, to be straight forward, wine legs really won’t tell you that much when judging a wine based on appearance.
Although ethanol, which is the primary type of alcohol in wine is a major contributor to the “body” of a wine, having a bottle that has a high alcohol content does not guarantee a fullness or texture. Also, this phenomenon is usually seen in wines above 12% alcohol.
Regardless if this is a point of debate about a measure of quality for some people, it is definitely something interesting to look at, especially after you’ve had a few glasses. Believe it or not I have had some very curious conversations after I’ve made the comment to the person sitting next to me that they have great legs.
Cooking with Wine
April 3, 2008
Hi Wine Virgin, I’m planning a dinner and I’ll be cooking with wine. Does the type of wine varietal and quality really matter that much or can I choose something off the shelf and go with it? - Marlene in Burbank, CA
Marlene, simply put, when cooking with wine… it will definitely have an impact on the taste, along with your guests willingness to make the leap of faith and eat what you prepare. When selecting a wine to cook with, unless a recipe calls for it, use a dry wine and not a sweet one.
More often than not, white wine goes with fish, chicken and pork dishes. Where cooking with red wine fits nicely with beef. However, don’t be afraid to experiment. Cooking with white wine provides a wide range of opportunities to go after and doesn’t limit you.
When planning to cook with wine, it’s important to know beforehand what items you want to have a heightened flavor. Say for instance, adding a young wine with high acidity to a dish that is a bit on the mellow side to balance it out. Typically, I add a splash of wine to the meal that I know I will drink with the dinner itself. But this isn’t necessary. Also, since you’re cooking the wine, the wine varietal isn’t a big deal.
Select a good wine to cook with but not a wine that you wouldn’t want to drink and don’t use a wine that you would want to enjoy just by itself either. Definitely, do not use one that has been sitting in the fridge for a while and out of wine guilt, you feel like putting it to use.
Hey, I understand with being a lush myself how hard it can be to pour unused wine down the drain but still… don’t use an old oxidized bottle to prepare a meal with. Believe me, you will see that polite but “I really don’t want to eat this” look on their faces as the end up picking it over like a two year old brat.
Wine Vintage Date
March 25, 2008
Two questions for you Wine Virgin. Why don’t some bottles have a wine vintage date and what is a wine vintage chart used for? Thank you, thank you. - Nikolas in Bangor, ME
You’re welcome, welcome. Have you already had a few while getting ready for an interesting Tuesday night up there in Bangor? Hmmm… well Nikolas, some bottles won’t have a wine vintage date on them because they are actually made with wines that are from different years. As a result these are known as non vintage.
Now to satisfy… your curiosity about what exactly a wine vintage chart is, here’s the answer. A wine vintage chart will show the particular ratings for every year in a certain wine region. But do you think that ratings on a chart could sum up the qualities of certain wines? No way, but they are used to assess a vintage’s reputation.
These charts are however, used in such a way as to get a broad context for determining the characteristics of wines produced in region. They can also be referred to when there is a question as to when one should either let the wine age or to enjoy it while there is still time to do so.
Keep in mind that many who are involved in the production of wine in a certain region will try in subtle ways to slant the charts in their favor, that a wine vintage is unusually great and should be added to a persons collection immediately. It’s never fun getting one pulled over on you so be a wee bit cautious and remember that a wine vintage charts are a guideline to consider and not the rule of thumb. Cheers!!
Mulled Wine Recipe
March 17, 2008
Whats a good mulled wine recipe? I saw your post you had done a while back about making wine at home and you got me thinking and by the way is mulled wine the same as glogg?Thank you much!!! - Kass in Richmond, VA
Absolutely, here is a perfect mulled wine recipe that will put a smile on your face and give you something interesting for your tongue to enjoy. For this mulled wine recipe you will need a lot of sugar. The reason being is that it helps to soften the tang of flavor wine gets when it’s heated. White sugar, brown sugar, any sugar is good sugar along with honey for a sweetener. Use about a cup or so per 750ml bottle of wine and move up or down depending on taste.
To make mulled wine, you have your choice of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon which are the most common ingredients but you can also use ginger, allspice, peppercorns, vanilla beans, star anise, cardamom and juniper. Begin with an 8th of a teaspoon of each spice you will be using per bottle and again per your taste use more or less. If you have access to whole or fresh spices it will taste even better.
Don’t use a terribly fine wine for this endeavor but a good Zinfandel or Shiraz will do because these are fruity and will make a great base to start with. Heat the wine slowly… slowly here, don’t get to excited to taste something new and interesting and be careful to keep it from boiling. If it does boil it won’t be as flavorful. Pay careful attention to it and just barely let it simmer for about 20 minutes so the the spices can become incorporated into the wine. Let it cool and when you’re ready, strain and serve.
The history of this strange brew goes back to medieval times and this concoction was known by the names of Ypocras or Hipocris, which was derived from the physician Hippocrates. Since this wine was heated, it was a bit more sanitary than normal drinking water at that time and through the long winters it was assumed that this contributed to a persons overall health.
As for glogg it’s basically just mulled wine however, these crazy Swedes like to put raisins and almonds in it and glogg has even a lot more sugar along with a higher alcohol content. Interesting huh? Hey, you have to keep toasty up there in the winter… and the more alcohol the better.
As you will discover when you make mulled wine, these are very broad guidelines to follow. Feel free to experiment, sometimes that’s the best thing to do. You now not only have a recipe for homemade wine but also have a recipe for mulled wine that can turn an ordinary bottle into something that is definitely easy to drink. Maybe even too easy, so don’t get hammered, but then again you might see some leprechauns. Happy St. Patty’ Day!
Lead in Wine?
March 17, 2008
Is lead in wine something I should really consider or is it just media hype and paranoia? - Justin in Rochester, MN
One concern has been with very expensive decanters that are made from crystal that some of these do contain a tiny amount of lead because it makes the glass very clear. Research has shown that if you use these types of crystal to store wine or liquor over a long period of months that the alcohol may leach a discernible amount of lead into the contents.
However, the amounts are marginal. But you have to consider that since lead can cause brain damage, it is definitely worth being cautious. Talk about being a hardcore wino, so much that you are willing to risk brain damage to get your kicks. Now if you are still willing to use a crystal decanter I highly advise that you use it only for the evening and from there pour the remainder back into the bottle.
DO NOT use these for long term storage of wine unless you have a fond desire of drooling on yourself while clapping your hands…