Simple Wine Categories

To the uninitiated, the world of wine is certainly very intimidating. But this is why we’re here, to demystify and de-intimidate (if there is such a word; inventing words now, I see!) wine for you. For today, we will tackle wine categories.

When it comes to categorizing wine, you can go any which way. You can sort them by country, by grape, by carbonation, by whatever. But for the purposes of simplifying what wine is and in order to somewhat include everything, we categorize wine as follows:

· Table

· Dessert

· Beverage

· Sparkling

· Aromatized

Table Wine – table wines could still be classified as either Generic (a blend of different grapes, with no one grape dominating) and Varietal (made from a specific grape variety). These wines are not carbonated and contain roughly about 14% alcohol. Examples of table wines are Chablis and Chianti (generic table wine) and Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (varietal table wine).

Dessert Wine – contains no carbonation and are generally sweet, hence the “dessert” appellation. Examples of dessert wines are port, sherry, and Muscatel.

Beverage Wine – these types of wines are made from two or more fruit juices. They are also “still,” meaning they are not carbonated. Examples are peach chardonnays and strawberry zinfandels.

Sparkling Wine – perhaps you are familiar with sparkling wines, as they usually are brought out during celebrations and other special occasions. They are carbonated, giving them that bubbly, sparkling quality. Well-known examples of sparkling wine are champagne and cava.

Aromatized Wine – aromatized wines are herbalized and fortified with the addition of brandy or grape sugar to increase the alcohol content. Sweet and dry vermouth fall under this category.

Pairing Cheeses with Wine

Wine and cheeses are two things that go spectacularly well together. The secret into finding the best wine and cheese pair is actually tasting both wine and cheese and assessing their characteristics. Certain wines provide a perfect foil for certain cheeses, but actually tasting each wine and cheese in existence takes time even if you stick to the popular choices. But don’t fret, a lot of people have done the work beforehand.

Like all things, these wine and cheese pairings serve as a basic guide. Ultimately you will find that you prefer certain cheeses with another wine, and that is fine. But for starters, here’s a quick guide to which cheeses go with certain kinds of wine.

Pinot Noir

Best with: Edam cheese

Ardrahan cheese (an Irish cheese)

Riesling

Best with: Colby cheese

Cotija cheese (a semi-hard Mexican cheese)

Edam cheese

Gouda

Monterey Jack

Sauvignon Blanc

Best with: Derby (a hard English cheese)

Graddost (semi-hard Swedish cheese)

Neufchatel

Gruyere

Sonoma Jack

Asiago

Champagne

Best with: Brie

Colby cheese

Mild cheddar

Gouda

Cabernet

Best with: Danish Blue cheese

Camembert

Sharp cheddar

Merlot

Best with: Gruyere

Brie

Camembert

Gouda

Shiraz

Best with: Parmesan

Edam

Gouda

Roncal (hard Spanish cheese)

Dessert Wine

Best with: Crème fraiche

Mascarpone

Gewurtztraminer

Best with: Swiss

Camembert

Chevre

Boursin (soft French cheese)

Garrotxa (from Spain)

Know Your Glassware: Wine Glasses

Using the right wine glasses certainly add to the enjoyment of consuming wine. Having experienced drinking wine from ordinary glasses, it made the experience a little less special. Plus, I had this feeling that I was doing something wrong. Not to be a snob or anything – I mean ordinary glasses can do if the situation calls for it – but the right wine glass with the right type of wine is something that all wine lovers must know because the glass shape can influence how the wine is perceived (its aroma, flavors, etc).

The type of wine glass you choose depends on the type of wine you plan to consume.

Red Wine Glasses – glassware for red wine are typically more rounded, which enhances the oxidization and subtly alters the flavors and aroma of the wine. Oxidation agrees with red wine, as the flavors are smoothed out after being exposed to air. There are two styles of red wine glasses:

· Bordeaux glass – tall glassware with a wide bowl (this shape directs the wine to the back of the mouth); suitable for full-bodied wines such as Cabernet and Merlot

· Burgundy glass – broader and has a bigger bowl than a Bordeaux wine glass; this shape is for the accumulation of flavors and aromas of more delicate red wines such as Pinot Noirs and the shape directs the wine to the tip of the tongue.

White Wine Glasses – white wine glasses are more varied than their red wine counterparts, from the long and narrow champagne flutes, to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink chardonnay. More full bodied white wines are consumed using glasses with wider mouths to enhance oxidation while more delicate white wines are best consumed using glasses with smaller mouths. Champagne flutes, in particular, have really small mouths compared to most other wine glasses to keep the wine sparkling longer.

About Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is actually a variety of grape from which the sauvignon blanc wine we know and love is made from. This grape originated in the Burgundy region of France, more specifically the Loire Valley, and has become one of the most popular grapes for making wines all over the world. It is now grown in countries such as Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Sauvignon blanc wine is one of the best white wines in the whole world, and is one of the wines you should give a try when you’re new to wine drinking and appreciation.

Flavor Profile – Sauvignon blanc wine is thought to be a light- to medium-bodied wine, a bit acidic, and has a whole range of flavors to give you like herbal and citrus taste sensations. Very refreshing.

Sauvignon Blanc Pairings – This wine is certainly one of those wines that you can have with almost anything, but is particularly great with vegetable dishes, poultry, Thai food, fish, sushi, even salads with creamy dressings.

As for wine and cheese pairing, Sauvignon Blanc wine is perfect with Blue Castello, Bucheron, Sharp Cheddar, Derby, Graddost, Gruyere, Neufchatel, and Teleme to name a few.

Sweet Chocolate Wine

Chocolate wine sounds like one of those things that seem impossible to make, let alone exist. So it really came as a surprise to me that it actually has been around for a long time and has been given some sort of reincarnation by Heston Blumenthal, one of the most acclaimed chefs in the world (and three Michelin stars to prove it).

Honestly I still can’t wrap my head around it. Will it be like other sweet dessert wines? Will it be chocolate-y? How much is it? Certainly, if you really want a good chocolate wine, you have to start with first and foremost good wine, and then of course good chocolate. And how does one make chocolate wine?

Chocolate wine is actually served as a dessert, at least in Blumenthal’s restaurant, and it’s quite an unusual thing. In the olden days, chocolate wine is made by whisking port or claret with sugar and chocolate. Modern winemakers have tried their hand with making actual chocolate-laced wine with varied results. This is done by adding chocolate extract to various types of wine, including port and zinfandel. Sometimes fruit flavors are added for a truly unique sweet treat. Needless to say, these all fall under the category of sweet wines are consumed with or as dessert.

Making chocolate wine at home is relatively easy – at least the process is. The trick to making a truly delectable chocolate wine, as mentioned, is having great wine and chocolate to start with. You could also experiment with different chocolates and different wines, even some fruit, but it is really best to keep it simple and stick to a basic recipe.

Speaking of recipe, we have one here for you to try:

(Source: Times Online)

— Bring wine to boil. Set it alight and allow flame to burn off. Boil until liquid becomes syrupy and reduces to 150ml

— Grate or finely chop chocolate and put to one side. In a separate pan, bring milk slowly to the boil, pour it over the chocolate and stir

— Add reduced wine to the chocolate milk, heat and froth using a whisk or hand blender. Serve immediately

The Red and the White

Truth be told, it is almost impossible to have one select category from which you can include all the wine that is being created today. There exists many different categories that use different criteria to group and differentiate wines from another. Do you want it by color? By sweetness? Or do you want it by region (European wine, South American wine, Australian wine, etc)? The possible classifications are as numerous as the number of wines themselves, so for brevity we will stay with the two main wine categories – red and white – so that you can come out from this post with a working knowledge of wines and wine matching, especially if you are about to plan a meal and want to have wine on the menu.

Red Wine

· Glass – having the proper red wine glass will ensure that the properties of the wine will show through much better than in other glasses. A proper red wine glass has an oval- or egg-shaped bottom that narrows down at the top. It must accommodate around 10-22 ounces of liquid and must leave ample room for you to swirl your wine around the glass, thus exposing it to air (allowing it to “breathe”)

· Serving Temperature – it varies with the actual red wine variety but it is usually between 60-65 degrees F. Warmer than that and you will really taste the alcohol, colder than that and the wine will taste bitter.

· Wine Matching – foods that go with red wine are generally those that have bolder, more rounded flavors. Use the following guide as a general reference:

o Cabernet Sauvignon: duck, spicy beef, pate, rabbit, roasts, spicy poultry, cheddar, blue cheese, sausage, kidneys

o Pinot Noir: braised chicken, cold duck, rabbit, charcuterie, partridge, roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb, veal, truffles, Gruyeres

o Merlot: braised chicken, cold duck, roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb, veal, stew, liver, venison, meat casseroles

o Shiraz: braised chicken, chili, goose, meat stew, peppercorn steak, barbequed meat, spicy meats, garlic casserole, ratatouille

White Wine

· Glass – white wine is served in narrower, sometimes taller glasses in order to concentrate the aromas of such delicate white wines at the tapering part of the glass.

· Serving Temperature – typically colder than that of red wine, at around 45-50 degrees F. Of course there are differences depending on which type of white wine, so better consult with experts if you want exact serving temperatures.

· Wine Matching – more delicate flavors, such as those of fish and chicken, are classically the perfect match for white wine. Some varietals are suited to much stronger flavors also and have the body of red wine at times. Be guided by the reference below:

o Chardonnay: seafood with butter sauce, chicken, pasta with cream sauce, veal, turkey, ham, Emmenthal, Gruyeres, Port-Salut

o Riesling: mild cheese, clams, mussels, Asian dishes, sashimi, ham, pork, lobster Newberg, Tandoori chicken, Coquilles St Jacques

o Sauvignon Blanc: oysters, grilled or poached salmon, seafood salad, Irish stew, ham, chevre, goat cheese and strongly flavored cheeses, asparagus quiche

Gewurztraminer: spicy dishes, Thai food, curry, smoked salmon, pork and sauerkraut, Muenster, spiced/peppered cheeses, onion tart

A Wine Tasting at Home with Friends

For most people, they only get to go to wine tastings at certain special food and wine events or in vineyard tours. While these are perfect places to hold wine tastings, one wonders if bringing wine tastings closer to people especially if you have friends whom you want to introduce to the different nuances of wine or to new wines that you have encountered. But what to do if you can’t drag your friends over to vineyards or bring them to events? Why, hold a wine tasting in your home, of course.

Wine tasting works wonderfully well when you are introducing wine appreciation to people who want to start drinking wine or want to know more about it. It doesn’t even have to be particularly expensive since there are a lot of great-quality inexpensive wines. You can buy a sampling of these wines to introduce some close friends to the art of wine drinking and appreciation. You may want to choose the best wines from that low price point – and there are surprisingly great wines at unbelievable prices.

If you are already a wine drinker, you will already have the proper wine glasses to go with whatever wine you want to have a wine tasting for. Assuming you will only have a small group of friends over, your glassware will be enough. You will need to educate your visitors about the importance of using the right glass and stemware.

With regards to the actual wine tasting, there are three stages. First is its appearance. Characteristics such as color and clarity will have to be observed for both red and white wine varieties. What’s the color of the wine? For white wines, is it colorless, yellow, amber, etc? Is your red wine burgundy, purple, dark red, or almost brown? Assess the clarity by observing whether it is clear, cloudy, opaque, brilliant, etc.

Next comes the aroma of the wine. Before you taste the wine, you have to smell it first. Stick your nose down into your glass and inhale. Describe your first impressions. Is it woody or fruity? Sharp? Do you smell flowers or citrus? Different wines have different characteristics with regards to their aroma, and with practice you would be able to discern each more easily.

Finally, we now come to actually tasting the wine, but even this has three stages, namely: The attack, evolution, and finish.

The attack refers to your first impression upon the wine hitting your palate.

The evolution refers to the middle range phase, or mid-palate, and is the actual taste of the wine. In this stage you start to discern flavors — whether they are fruity, spicy, woody, etc. Do you taste herbs and flowers?

The finish is wine tasting’s final phase. In this stage you observe for the aftertaste or how long the flavor profile stays after you swallow it. You also assess the body of the wine, whether it is light-bodied like water, medium-bodied like milk, or even full-bodied like cream. This is called the mouth feel. You also want to observe for the last flavor impression and whether it lasts for a short or long time.

All these descriptions come together to become your overall impression and observation of a certain type of wine. You may want to write these observations down so you could come back to it later on. In time and with practice you’ll be able to compare different observations and describe different wines more easily based on the ones you have previously had.

Know Your Wine: Spanish Wines

Spain has had a long history of producing fine wines, dating back to the days of the Inquisition and perhaps farther beyond. The quality of Spanish wines is not to be dismissed. The beautiful Mediterranean weather and rich soil have been keys to the production of top-quality wine that the world continues to consume and enjoy.

Almost every village and region in Spain produces their own wine, but the best-known Spanish wines come from Rioja and Ribera del Duero (red wine), Penedes (reds and whites), Rueda (white wine), and from Catalonia (a fine, sparkling wine similar to champagne called cava). The Spanish colonization of the new world has helped introduce Spanish wines into different cultures.

Classification of Spanish Wines

Like in France, Spanish wines fall into certain classifications that will help inform the potential buyer about the kind of wine he is holding in his hand. These classifications are:

• Vino de Mesa (VdM) – Literally, “table wine.” They are made from unclassified vineyards or grapes that have been declassified through “illegal” blending. Some Spanish winemakers will intentionally declassify their wines so that they have greater flexibility in blending and winemaking methods.
• Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) – Literally, “earth wine.” This classification corresponds to the the larger comunidad autonóma geographical regions and will appear on the label with these broader geographical designations like Andalucia, Levante, and Castilla La Mancha.
• Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) - This level is similar to France’s Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) system and is considered a stepping stone towards DO status.
• Denominación de Origen (Denominació d’Origen in Catalan - DO)- This level is for the mainstream quality-wine regions which are regulated by the Consejo Regulador who is also responsible for marketing the wines of that DO. In 2005, nearly two thirds of the total vineyard area in Spain was within the boundaries a DO region.
• Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ - Denominació d’Origen Qualificada in Catalan)- This designation, which is similar to Italy’s Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation, is for regions with a track record of consistent quality and is meant to be a step above DO level. Rioja was the first region afforded this designation in 1991 and was followed by Priorat in 2003, and Ribera del Duero in 2008.

Labeling of Spanish Wines

By law, Spanish wines are required to indicate on their label the amount of aging the wine has received:

· Crianza red wines are aged for 2 years with at least 6 months in oak. Crianza whites and rosés must be aged for at least 1 year with at least 6 months in oak.

· Reserva red wines are aged for at least 3 years with at least 1 year in oak. Reserva whites and rosés must be aged for at least 2 years with at least 6 months in oak.

Gran Reserva wines typically appear in above average vintages with the red wines requiring at least 5 years ageing, 18 months of which in oak. Gran Reserva whites and rosés must be aged for at least 4 years with at least 6 months in oak.

What Goes with What: Wine and Food Pairing

This is a question that always leaves one wondering: What to pair with wine? And with that, what to pair with which wine?

What usually happens is you have a set menu in your head, food that you want to serve but you don’t know which one it goes with. This is what makes buying wine a problem. You are not alone in this dilemma; every day people are faced with this problem. Choosing the wrong wine with a particular food can be bad. It can make the perception of people to the food be different because of the reaction of the tannins with the different components of the food. Food can be bitter, or too sweet, or too salty and never right, flavors may clash, and so forth.

When choosing food and wine pairings, you have to take many things into consideration such as the type of food (is it fish, pork, beef, etc?) and what sauce goes with it (does it go in a broth? Does it have a cream sauce or tomato sauce?), even if the food is served warm or cold. Most established food and wine pairings feature typically Western fare; so what if you want to serve Asian or other ethnic food? What goes with it?

The rule of thumb is (and this is a safe rule to follow) to pair mild-flavored food with white wine and more full-bodied and stronger flavors with red wine. Pairing mild flavors with red wine tend to overpower and overwhelm the palate while pairing white wine with stronger flavored food might not make much of a difference and in some cases clash with it. However, the rules are much more relaxed these days and you can drink any wine you prefer with any dish you want to pair it with. There’s also what’s called contrasting pairing where you pair wine (for example, something sparkling and acidic) to something silky and rich (like foie gras, for example).

To truly, truly know what food to pair with wine, one must know a wine’s properties. For example, pairing wine with cheese has always been ideal because the fats and proteins in wine soften the perception of tannins (which can be bitter), thus making it taste sweeter and more fruity. Pairing a Beaujolais with a salad with tomatoes and dressing is also great because the tomatoes and dressing can cancel some of the tartness in the wine, enabling the fruit to shine through.

Other pairing principles have also come to light, in particular to that of pairing wine with regional cuisine such as Asian and Indian food. Instead of pairing the wine to the main ingredient, one must put into consideration many other things such as cooking method (steamed, braised, stir-fried?), the sauce (is it bean based, or curry based?), even the seasonings used as this can dictate the overall flavor of the dish. It is not at all odd to pair, for example, chicken curry with Pinot Gris.

A Quick Guide to Australian Wine

The classic wine-growing and exporting regions of Spain, Italy, and France have long had the monopoly when it comes to wines. Following not far behind on their heels, however, is Australia. Over recent years the Australian wine industry has grown to be the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world. Wine experts are united in thinking that Australian wine is truly here to stay.

Because of this, many wine drinkers (particularly those new to the practice) lean towards Australian wines to get their feet wet so to speak. Here is a quick guide:

Top Four

• Australia has four top grapes: Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot for its Reds; and Riesling and Chardonnay for its Whites. Australia is known for its Shiraz and Shiraz blends. If new to Australian wine, you may want to try Shiraz. It’s the quintessential Australian wine.
• Shiraz blends (primarily Shiraz-Cabernet) started the trend for blending Cabernets. These days, Cabernet-Merlot seem to be the top blend pick. Wine buffs say that Aussie Cabernet has more a more subtle character than its California relatives.
• Rieslings have been grown in Australia for over 180 years. The best Australian Rieslings come from Clare Valley and Eden Valley.
• Australian Chardonnays often display a more playful character than chardonnays from other places. Aussie vintners tend to experiment a bit more with their chardonnay, all with astonishing results.

Best Wine Regions

When buying Australian wine, you want to check the label to see which winemaking region of Australia that particular bottle was produced. Like any winemaking country, different regions have different specialties. The following are the best picks for Australian wine regions:

Chardonnay

• Margaret River
• Adelaide Hills
• Yarra Valley
• Mornington Peninsula
• Tasmania

Riesling

• Clare Valley
• Eden Valley
• Barossa
• Padthaway
• Riverland

Cabernet

• McLaren Vale
• Margaret River
• Murray Darling

Shiraz

• Barossa Valley
• Murray Darling
• Margaret River

Australian wine seems poised for greatness, especially with the high-ranking yet affordable wines they produce. That surely will get more fans and will allow Australian wine to flourish even more so than it’s doing today.

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