Wine Mixed Drinks
June 20, 2008
What are some wine mixed drinks that I could possibly try out this weekend for a party I’m throwing? - Brandy in Tulsa, OK
Wine is definitely a versatile drink which can co-exist perfectly with other types of alcohol. Mixing wine with various other substances can sometimes lead to very interesting effects. This allows you to explore this ancient drink in depth which the gods Dionysus and Bacchus came to enlighten us all. Brandy, here are a few wine mixed drinks that will keep you staggering around all summer long.
Say you’re in a fiesty to mood to conquer all that is before you with your charm and charisma… here’s a wine mixed drink that will put you in control.
Champagne Napolean
.5 oz. Curacao
.5 oz. Grand Marnier
.5 oz. Maraschino liqueur
Your Favorite Champagne
Mix your ingredients together with ice in your favorite mixing glass. Now strain into a chilled champagne flute. Fill with cold champagne. Consume. You are now the defactor ruler of the party.
Every had one of those days were you just wanted to give the finger to the world? Try this wine mixed drink for a quick pick-me-up.
Weep No More
1.5 oz. Cognac
1.5 oz. Dubonnet
1.5 oz. Lime Juice
Several Dashes of Maraschino Liqueur
Again shake, shake, shake with ice and strain this happy mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Wala! You are now pure undeniable sunshine that will put an ultra-bright smile on everyone’s face that you meet.
What if after a day of relaxing by the pool you need a stiff drink to get you in the mood to party? Well you can’t get more stiff than this…
Bamboo Cocktail
2 oz. Dry Sherry
2 oz. Dry Vermouth
Several dashes of Angostura bitters
Ice
Stir these incredible ingredients together with ice in your handy mixing glass. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and you have exactly what you need to quench the summer heat and put you in the mood for pure, uninhibited fun. 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 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!!
Types of Wine Glasses
April 15, 2008
Wine Virgin, how many different types of wine glasses are there and do they really affect the taste like people say? - Phyla in San Jose, CA
Good question, there are about 6 types of wine glasses which are:
1. Champagne flute – A flute will hold six ounces and is roughly eight inches tall.
2. Champagne saucer – Short with a wide, shallow bowl.
3. Stemless wine glass – Basically the bastard child allowing for the choice of either red or white wines.
4. Bordeaux glass – Another bastard wine glass designed for both red and white wines.
5. White wine glass – Slightly taller than red wine glasses with a longer stem and narrower bowl.
6. Red wine glass – Much shorter stems along with wider bowls when compared to white wine glasses.
Keep in mind that there are almost as many different types of wine glasses available as there are wines. Unless you are an avid lush, you should stick with the main types listed above. No point in going crazy and seeking those rare and hard to find ones that will do nothing but suck your cash and leave you wondering if it was really worth the investment.
So does the type of wine glass really make that much of a difference in taste? Yes…. and most likely no. For those of the untrained palate, yes they exist… shhh!! They, you and more than likely I will not notice a difference. Yet for those who are in those rare circles of “taste” - to them and perhaps only them it is sacrilege to drink Pinot Noir in something other than a Pinot Noir glass. Oooo!!! Get the whip.
Look, save the money you would spend on those glasses and go out and buy a good bottle of your choice. Hell, do you think I would choose glass over my reason for existence?? Well do you??
Late Bottled Vintage
April 11, 2008
What is meant by saying a bottle is late bottled vintage? - Chandra in Seattle, WA
Late Bottled Vintage is the term given to wines that are left longer in a barrel than what had been planned for, due to a lack of demand. This practice has led to 2 distinct wines. From these 2 types, both of them are bottled between 4 to 6 years after the vintage. The key difference between them is that one is fined and filtered before it is bottled and the other one is not.
Basically, when a wine is filtered like this it can be consumed without having to be decanted first. Now as for the unfiltered wines, these definitely have to be decanted. Some wine lovers feel that the filtering process takes away from the character of the wine. One of the reasons this practice made sense was that late bottled vintage is similar to drinking a vintage port without having to wait 10 plus years before enjoying the bottle.
Kinda like getting your cake and eating it too so to speak and not having to feel all that wine guilt just because you want to indulge. But then again sometimes its good to be cautious. A lot of late bottled vintage wines are worthy of your time but a few, due to the filtering process and how they were crafted can be likened to drinking a shadow and will leave you with an unsatisfied craving for more. Cheers!!
Malolactic Fermentation
March 31, 2008
Can you tell me what malolactic fermentation is and what does it do? - Don in Gulfport, MS
Malolactic fermentation is a process where the tart malic acid is converted to a softer tasting lactic acid. Think of malic acid like the taste of green apples which is then converted into lactic acids, an example being the creamy, soft acids in milk. This process can occur at any time during or after the normal wine fermentation process.
It is generally thought to enhance the body and flavor and in turn produces soft and fuller wines. Many wine makers also feel that better a integration of the fruit and oak character is achieved if malolactic fermentation occurs during the time the wine is in barrel.
Yet, not all wines will benefit from this with Riesling being a perfect example. The best wines that get the most out of this process are full bodied dry whites and medium to full bodied dry reds. With these types of wines, malolactic fermentation is sometimes encouraged. The simple and practical reason being is that this process can spontaneously happen even after the wine has been bottled.
So Don, being curious as all wine virgins should be helps you to learn little bits of wine trivia here and there, making you appreciate how incredibly complex and time consuming creating a stable wine really is. Cheers!!
Wine Body
March 26, 2008
Hello over there Wine Virgin, I want some help with a wine tasting term. Wine body??? What is it???? I have a hard time understanding why they even call it that when all wines are basically flavored water with alcohol right? - Shooshoo in Amsterdam, NY.
My mouth is open at the sacrilege that my eyes have read… 4 quick sentences of wine hatred, all from a person named Shooshoo. Did your mother smoke and drink while she was pregnant? I’m not a wine snob, but what is wrong with you?
You know, it’s been a good half hour since I first read your question and I’m still pissed off. Fortunately for your sake, I had a couple bottles to spare and I’m indifferent enough now to answer the essence of your question for all the curious wine virgins out there.
So Shooshoo, are you ready to understand what this wine tasting term really means?
Wine body is used to allow the taster a means to discern the weight of the liquid and how it feels in their mouth. I’m sure your well acquainted with this process which is good for you so you don’t have to do the equivalent of mental gymnastics to grasp this concept. Franks and beans anyone?
Right now, “think” of the successive viscosity between skim milk, whole milk, and cream and apply it to the idea of wine body. Everyone is able to realize the difference of how these types of milk feel against the tongue and cheeks when you drink them. Something else to “think” about also is the higher the alcohol content, the more likely it will have a fuller body.
Consider it possible that if you have been drinking similar types of wine that they might just have a similar weight and feel to them. This in turn could lead you to the assumption that all wines are just “flavored water with alcohol” and no that one… the whole world over… has anyway of distinguishing them by using this supposedly, esoteric concept.
The quickest and simplest way I can suggest to experience wine body is to try different wines! So let’s broaden your scope a bit shall we?
1. Light body wine - Riesling
2. Medium body wine - Chardonnay
3. Full body wine - Cabernet Sauvignon
There, now do it. Go and get those wines, open all three of them and compare them side by side and you will understand exactly what I’m talking about and when you do…. feel ashamed, very ashamed… woe unto you Shooshoo, woe unto you!!!
Wine Varietal Chart
March 20, 2008
Hello Wine Virgin, would there be anyway possible that you could provide me with a quick wine varietal chart with different wine types listed? I would really appreciate it. Thank you Wine Virgin!! - Charla in Big Lake, AK
I have to say that I am impressed that you truly want to get to know your wines, so just for you Charla, I went and found this wine varietal chart so you can learn exactly what you need to pinpoint those hidden flavors. Cheers!!
|
White Wines |
Aromas and Flavors |
Body |
|
Sparkling Wine |
Apple, pear, yeast |
Medium |
|
Sauvignon |
Herbaceous, |
Light |
|
Chardonnay |
Pear, |
Medium |
|
Viognier |
Floral, |
Medium |
|
Pinot |
Crisp, |
Light |
|
Pinot |
Pear, |
Medium |
|
Chenin |
Peaches, |
Light |
|
Gewurztraminer |
Lychee |
Medium |
|
Riesling |
Apple, |
Light |
|
Red
|
Aromas and Flavors |
Body |
|
Pinot |
Strawberry, |
Light |
|
Merlot |
Blackberry, |
Medium |
|
Zinfandel |
Berries, |
Medium |
|
Cabernet |
Blueberries, |
Heavy |
|
Syrah |
peppery, |
Medium |
|
Blackberry, |
Heavy |
|
|
Sangiovese |
Cherry, |
Light |
|
Raspberry, casis, herbacious |
Medium |
|
|
Barbera |
Berries |
Medium |
Grape Powder
March 19, 2008
Is the grape powder on also where the wine yeast comes from? - Alana in Oceanside, CA
The grape powder is called bloom grape or bloom for short. You’ve probably noticed this before on soft fruits like blueberries and plums and such. It’s a waxy covering that protects fruit from moisture loss and certain types of diseases. The grape powder is flavorless and doesn’t have any effect on juice or wine.
Keep in mind also that some of it is dust as well. Until recently, many believed the white stuff was in part what caused yeast in wine which is responsible for the wine fermentation process. Make sure you wash them first before eating but then again, I’m sure that there are a few of you out there that like having adventures with tasting things au naturale. Cheers!!