Wines for Summer
June 13, 2008
What are good wines for summer or is there such a thing? I’ve heard of Glogg in the winter that those crazy Scandinavians drink so is there a wine that is mainly produced for the summer months? - Kerner in Salt Lake City, UT
Ahhh wines for summer, yes Kerner there is such a correspondence between Glogg that is produced for the winter and consumed by those interesting people in higher longitudes and wines that were created for enjoyment in those balmy, Indian summer months.
For the constantly changing moods of summer, the following wines will serve you best. These are Riesling, Syrah, dry rose, Pinot Noir along with sparkling wines in general. Of course these will taste their best chilled for all the roses, bubblies and whites or slightly chilled for Syrah and Pinot Noir. On top of that, these choices will fit perfectly for that unexpected guest or for when you’re out on the grill cooking.
Sparkling wine is excellent for this because the fizz adds an interesting tang on the tongue and pairs great with fatty, salty foods. Do yourself a favor and get these wonderful wines for summer and enjoy the heat with a glass in hand and put that smile on your face while listening to Summer Wine by Nancy Sinatra. Cheers!!
Join a Wine Club
May 30, 2008
Do you suggest I join a wine club? I really don’t have friends or family that are into drinking that much but I’m curious to learn and explore. Thanks for your help. - Linda in Boulder, CO
I highly recommend that you do join a wine club. Being curious is good but only if you satisfy it. For wine virgins, a wine club is a great place to hang out and meet like minded people that will happily take you into the fold and teach you everything you want to know. Also, one of the key benefits here is that you will be able to find out which wines are for you and weed out the others that aren’t.
Its the perfect way to find new wines on a consistent basis rather than having to go through a hit or miss, especially when your dropping good money for a bottle. Depending on how the wine club is set up, either every month or quarter the wine club will get together to where you get the chance to experience a selection of wines from all over the world. These can be whites, reds, rosé and maybe the odd sparkling or dessert wine.
This also will open you up to different wine varietals. Again though, you might not like all of them but this is a great way of wine tasting which provides a chance to enjoy some you’ve probably would have never found otherwise.So do it, simply do it Linda you might surprise yourself with how much you really, really enjoy it. 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!!
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??
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.
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 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!!
Botrytized Wine
March 18, 2008
What is botrytized wine? - Lana in Las Cruces, NM
Botrytized wine comes from Botrytis. This is a fungus that is found in humid enviroments and attacks the skins of grapes. The fungus causes them to shrivel and can kill the grapes but it can also lead to what is also known as noble rot.
If given the right conditions, the dehydration concentrates the sugars and can add a variety of flavors. The process that creates botrytized wine leads to a different texture and produces very sweet, white wines that have a unique style and flavor all of their own. See how something seemingly bad like the loss of an entire wine crop can be saved with a little ingenuity?
Think about how dedicated to wine you really must be if you are willing to drink something that has been molding on the vine for a while? The winos of old have set an example for us all. Enjoy!!
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!