The Wine Bottle

Many people with even just a basic understanding of wine know that there are certain “rules” about what is and is not proper when it comes to your menu and your choice of red or white, specifically, red meat means red wine, and everything else means white. But what’s the real difference between these two choices, and how can you tell which is going to be best for your particular menu?

It’s important to remember that wine is just a beverage made when you ferment grapes or other fruits; the fermentation process is when sugars are converted to alcohol. When you make beer, the natural starches in the barley or other grains is much like sugar, and this is what converts to alcohol during that fermentation. Many people assume that any type of wine is just made from grapes, but there are many fruits that can be used, including apples, bananas, strawberries, elderberries, blackberries, and so on.

Wines are named after the fruit they are made from, and when they are made from grapes, it is the type of grape it is made from. For example, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Merlot are all types of grapes. If not named after the grapes, they are named after the area they are grown in, such as Bordeaux, Rioja, Chianti, or Cotnari.

You may not think that there is much difference then between red or white wine; since it’s all grapes, why go so far so as to even make rules about what foods to serve it with? However, think about the difference between coffee and tea. Typically you think of coffee as a “heavier” beverage and tea as something lighter. Coffee has a much more pungent flavor and is typically stronger than tea. You can also compare cola with lemon-lime soda; cola is a heavier drink while the lemon-lime soda is crisper and lighter. In the same way, red wine is typically “heavier” than white, and usually has a much stronger flavor. It is usually more pungent in taste. White wines are usually crisper, lighter, and have a fruitier flavor.

The main reason that certain wines are recommended with certain foods is that you never want the food to interfere with its flavor, and vice versa. You also want something that’s strong enough to complement the flavors of the food as well. For example, people rarely have tea with chocolate; the strong flavor of the coffee is a better fit for the sweetness of the chocolate. Of course, recommendations for wine are not hard and fast rules, and there’s no reason you can’t mix things up and stick with the flavor that you prefer regardless of what you’re eating. Try a few different combinations and see what makes your palate the happiest.

Before you even consider the incredible lexicon of taste and aroma descriptors, wine classification has an amazing array of categories and potential confusions. If you’re lucky enough to be a connoisseur attempting to buy wine online, the plethora of tweakable searches aren’t intimidating in the slightest. But for the rest of us, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. And to think: the websites are actually making it all a lot easier for us!. And behind the shift in classification that complicates it all, are the emerging ‘new world’ wines of the Americas and Australasia.

The change in question is the increasing emphasis on the grape type a wine is derived from, rather than the region in which it is grown. The Chablis, white Burgundies and Champagnes of the world are still internationally recognised, but the fact is that Chardonnay wine is staking its claim with ever more ferocity. We do not yet associate certain new regions with certain wine types, even though their reputations are growing daily.

The world’s vineyards are no longer as restricted as they once were, perhaps as a consequence of climate change, or simply the success of the industry. ‘Terroir’ is the term we usually used to describe the geography, geology and climate in which a grape grows best. Whilst certain grape types have seemed to thrive almost regardless of these factors, ‘terroir’ is a term that still has worthwhile currency. Even with the broadest strokes of these resilient grapes, there is a subtle hint of soil, weather and treatment carried into the wine. A Chardonnay grown and produced in Chablis will have quite a different taste to one grown in California.

This all makes certain particularly fussy grapes highly prized by wine-lovers. Nebbiolo wine comes from an associated grape type that is almost exclusive to the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. Even in this region, the grape is in barely 3% of the crops being produced. Whilst the difficulty of Nebbiolo fermentation is certainly behind its minority status, the specific terroir it requires has few matches globally. This pushes prices higher, and keeps derivatives like the delicious Barolo highly sought after.

Wine drinkers here and abroad have had a long love affair with  Chardonnay. The Australian wine industry as a whole essentially invented the today’s Chardonnay with its bold, oaky consistency – and it was mostly Aussie wine drinkers who have been its biggest fans.

In recent times white wine tastes appear to be changing, with a move away from Chardy’s heavier styles. Australians wine wine preferences appear changing where consumers are taking to Sauvignon Blanc (65% of wine drinkers in July 2010) compared to Chardonnay (64%). With the a survey of only 1,000 monthly wine drinkers, they could easily change positions in the next Vinitrac survey in October. The not so great news for Chardonnay, is this may only be a temporary situation and more of an indication of a trend that is long term in nature.

Only as far back as 2007, 81% of Aussies consumed Chardonnay (based on the last 6 months). While only a year later in 2008, there was a sharp drop in wine sales to 76%, and lower still in 2009 to 69% in 2009, and is currently 64%. While at the same time, Sauvignon Blanc has seen continuous growth of about 59% in 2007 and currently at 65%. Chardonnay’s decline has not only benefited Sauvignon Blanc but also some niche wine varieties such as include Pinot Grigio (up from 18% to 24%) and Viognier (up from 8% to 13%).

This is of very little shock to the owners of Australian wine brands, where the the market has seen big sales growth in sales of Sauvignon Blanc, mostly from New Zealand, and has been a significant consumption trend since 2008. A key market insight from these findings may have more to do with Australian consumer’s rejection of the old faithful, oaky Chardy as opposed to the growing popularity for Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay grape is the most popular type of white wine, found all over the world. The flavor, taste, and aroma of it will though, depending on where it was made and what processing methods were used. Chardonnay has a variety of different styles and flavors, and remains a major type of grape. As a result of it’s popularity, this fine wine spread throughout Europe and other locations of the world. As more and more wine makers discovered Chardonnay, the fine wine began to grow quite well in South Africa and other areas as well. With it being a non aroma type wine, oak seems to work very well with it. The richest and most complex are American and French Chardonnay, which are also among the most preferred white wines.

Chardonnay originated from the Burgundy and Champagne area of France. Although white Burgundy is a popular wine that is prepared with Aligote, a lesser known grape, the fact remains that white Burgundy can’t be made without the use of Chardonnay grape. What this goes to show, is that Chardonnay grapes have more than a few uses. In appearance, Chardonnay grapes are green in color with thin skins. The grape is a result of the Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are extinct to this day. Chardonnay on the other hand is still popular, fermented and aged using oak barrels that help to bring out the vanilla flavor the wine is well known for. Almost all Chardonnay wines are considered to be chilled, making them work extremely well with dishes that contain butter and cheeses. The wines also have less acid content as well, which makes them work well with seafood as well.

The Chardonnay grape can also be used in making Champagne and other types of sparkling wines. Although Chardonnay wine is the most popular use, there are several other uses for the grape that lead to some truly fine wines. You can find it at any wine or alcohol store – making it a great addition to your wine or drink collection, said the author who’s a lawyer in Auckland. He used to own a shop trading in baby clothes and cosmetics.

If you're trying to pick the best wine of the month club, you may be absolutely overwhelmed by all the choices out there. From the California Wine Club to The International Wine of the Month Club to so many others that operate locally and online, a wine lover can easily be distracted by all the choices and feel tempted to throw in the towel and just go back to purchasing wine one bottle at a time.

But before you give up on a membership to a great wine of the month club, let us help you decide on what to look for and how to separate the good from the bad when it comes to clubs.

First, find out how long the club has been in business. There's nothing to say that a new club won't do a great job in choosing your monthly wine, but it's usually best to entrust your membership with someone that has been doing this for some time. There are many wine of the month clubs that have been around for ten years or more and these are the clubs that you probably want to stick with.

Also, what are you looking for in a wine of the month club? Do you have a particular preference when it comes to wines such as red or white and would you like to be able to make your own choice in this regard or will you like anything that the club will send your way? Some wine clubs allow you to enter some of your preferences while others simply choose what they feel is best and may just split their choices between red and white, or whatever they feel is best that particular month. How many bottles of wine are delivered per month? Can you opt to a lesser or higher numbers per month or are you limited to a specific numbers by the wine club?

Ask how the wine of the month club makes their options. Far too many simply choose closeout options or mass produced wines. Obviously they are just choosing whatever is cheapest and aren't giving much thought as to how the wine will actually taste. Some other wine clubs personally hand-select each and every month's selection, and this means you'll be getting a higher quality wine every month.

Check out the past selections of the clubs. Look up these selections in a separate guide and see how they are rated. If you can find them in other guides and they are highly recommended then you know that this wine club is making their choices on flavor and quality. If you cannot find an outside review of any of their choices, it may be a warning sign.

And you'll want to see about their policies to opt out of the club. If you join and don't like the first few choices, then what? If you find a wine of the month club that allows you to opt out after a few months then you know your choice will be much safer. You never want to join any wine club that forces you to join for a long period of time. If they do then it is usually because most of their members are not satisfied with the service, price or selections of wines that have been delivered.

It is probably a rare wine drinker that walks into a fancy restaurant and tells the wine steward, “Bring me some of your finest Turkish wines.” The country of Turkey is not typically known as being a producer of fine wines and isn't always given the respect and regard that it deserves because of its wine production. However, once you start to learn a little bit about wines from Turkey, you may find that indeed it would be good if your favorite restaurant began serving this choice!

Interestingly enough, wine drinking was actually banned in Turkey for some 500 years during the rule of the Ottoman empire, but fortunately for us today wines from Turkey have made quite a comeback and are being rediscovered by wine connoisseurs around the world. Also, because the country is now looking to be more competitive economically, wine growers are realizing the importance of producing a product that is palatable to a worldwide audience. What makes them so high-quality?

The Climate of Turkey

One of the reasons that Turkish wines are so high quality is because of the climate of the country. Their warm and dry Mediterranean summers and mild winters make for some of the best grape harvests there are. Even inland away from the Mediterranean, there are pockets of wine producing regions, some more successful in grape growing and harvesting than others.

Grapes Grown in Turkey

There are actually some 1,000 different grapes that are grown in Turkey, but the vast majority of them are used for fruit or raisins. Only about 40 types of grapes are made into Turkish wines. However, these grapes include many local types, including Bogazkere, Kalecik Karasi, Karasakiz, ?alkarasi, and ?k¼zg¶z¼ for the red variety, Emir, Narince and Sultaniye for white wines. With the fourth-largest vineyard area in the world, but with such a small percentage of those grapes for wine growth, it is no wonder that the few wines they produce need to be of the best quality.

Looking Forward to the Future

Despite the one-time ban on wines from Turkey due to religious taboo, they are now becoming more competitive on the worldwide market and because Turkey is looking to compete on a global scale both economically and culturally, the future can only hold good things for their winemakers. While they may have some catching up to do when it comes to being competitive with their nearby countries, it's likely that Turkey will appreciate the natural gift they have of a beautiful climate that is perfect for grape growing and winemaking. Certainly the future holds only good things for those who love and appreciate Turkish wines.

If there is one thing that Russia can offer to the world, it is a long and rich history full of excitement, political intrigue, colorful culture, and a people with an indomitable spirit. All of these elements can be found in even the quickest lesson about the history of wines from Russia.

First off, remember that there is a difference between Russia and the Soviet Union, a fact that many people from outside of that area often forget, thinking that they're the same thing. In reality, the regulation of the making of Russian wines has had its own ups and downs, following the history of Russia's being a part of the Soviet Union. During the time of the Soviet Union, wines from Russia were often bottled and packaged under strict supervision of the government, causing many vineyard owners to send their product to other areas of the country for bottling. This of course would interrupt the wine's natural fermentation process; many wine connoisseurs know that a true winemaker looks over his product from the planting of the grapes until the filled bottles are sent away for others to enjoy. There is no part of the winemaking process that is less important than another, and for a vineyard owner to have to send his product to someone else to bottle was just a slap in the face for many!

After the end of the Soviet era, this meant that many who produced Russian wines were without bottling equipment and the like. Also, because supplies were so difficult to get, many winemakers made their product from imported concentrates and juices, and the end result was by far some of the most inferior wine that anyone could ever taste, if they could even be called wines!

However, today Russian wines are enjoying a newfound popularity. As merchants are becoming more readily established, vineyard owners are once again finding their crops to be plentiful and bottling facilities readily available. Also, because of the tough economic times in years past, many of the wines from Russia are made without chemical and pesticides. As the growers could not afford these things, they learned how to care for their crops without them. There are also virtually no chemicals or enzymes used in the fermentation or bottling process either; from start to finish, these wines are pretty much tended and harvested without any outside interference. This means that many who are searching for true organic wines may find the answer to their situation in these fine Russian wines; by circumstance or by choice, they are typically some of the most natural, purest wines available in the world.

Whether as a gift to someone else or as a gift to yourself, wine goblets can be a beautiful addition to any bar set. For those who are true wine lovers, these beautiful glasses can even add to the enjoyment of a good wine as a nicely cut piece of glass can catch the light and make it dance off the wine itself. But if you're shopping for wine goblets you may notice that there are several different types of goblets and wine glasses; since no one wants to commit a faux pas and drink wine from the wrong glass, how can you be sure you're making the right choice?

First, keep in mind that wine goblets are often smaller than water goblets or glasses. If you're looking at complementary glasses on a table the goblets used for wine will be the smaller of the two. Remembering this will cut down on those embarrassing mistakes of filling the wrong glass with the wrong beverage!

Once you realize which is the proper glass, then choosing the pattern, design, and even material is just a matter of personal taste. Most restaurants will have mass produced, plain glasses for the wine, but for your own home you may want to invest a bit of money in a design for wine goblets that you really like and that really go well with your dishes and table setting. Cut crystal is a beautiful choice as the crystal is one of the best reflectors of light, and a beautiful design can really help the light dance around the glass and the wine itself. Crystal is still a very popular option when it comes to glasses of any style and is valued for its looks and its durability as well. But if you want something very unique, you can find goblets of virtually any material and design.

For example, many centuries ago before glass was a popular option, wine goblets were made of a pottery material or of wood. Since there were no automated machines at that time these items were made by hand. When silver and pewter became popular materials then all eating utensils began to be shaped from these; silversmiths realized that they could treat the silver as an artist's canvas and hand carve designs right into the cups themselves.

Today you can still purchase handmade and unique items. While wood is not the most popular option, silver or pewter goblets can be a beautiful addition to any table. They also make beautiful wedding gifts! Many designs also have a crystal cup wrapped in a silver or pewter base or foot, which is a beautiful combination of materials. You can also get glass wine goblets of various colors, and cobalt blue is a favorite choice for many.

The internet has become a great place to start your search for your goblets. Not only will you find great bargains but also you will be able to see pictures of the different types of materials use and designs available. You can find some very inexpensive varieties or if you entertain at home a lot perhaps the more expensive varieties will be of more to your taste. Once you realize what a wide variety of options you have for wine goblets then your biggest problem may be just choosing which one you love best!

Did you know that Spain is the third largest producer of wine in the world, just behind France and Italy? There's a reason for its popularity, as Spanish wines are typically considered some of the best in the world. Just why is that; what is the secret to this country being able to produce such wonderful wines and in such quantities, especially considering just how tiny of a country it is in the first place?

The Climate of Spain

Wine lovers know that climate plays a large role in the success of grape growing, and if you can't grow good grapes, you can't produce a good wine no matter what you do to the juice. All the sugars and additives in the world won't compensate for a poor quality grape. And the climate of this region is no doubt a large factor in why wines from Spain are some of the best in the world. Because of its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Spain's climate is typically warm and dry, which is perfect for growing grapes that are the foundation for excellent wines.

The History of Spanish wines

Most people believe that winemaking originated with the Romans, and because of their conquests and open trade routes with so many areas of this region, it is believed that Spanish winemaking dates back to the time of the Romans, usually the first century B.C. Because of this, wines from Spain have a long history of being produced so of course the Spanish have had centuries to perfect their techniques. For some foreigners, they felt that the wines were aged for too long and that the alcoholic content overpowered the actual taste of the wines, but in recent years many Spanish vineyards have adjusted their production methods so as to become more competitive in the world market.

Most Popular of Spanish Wines

While it took some time for all wines from Spain to be recognized on the world market, there has for centuries been a demand for sherry, a popular type of wine that has always been a favorite of British merchants. The demand for sherry traveled all the way to what is referred to as the new world, or the North American continent, during the time of Columbus. Sherry is produced in the southern region of Spain, and is produced by a technique that mixes different vintages of wine. Newer wines are moved through barrels of aged wines in order to produce a deeper and richer flavor.

Today, wines from Spain are just as competitive and appreciated as wines from any other region, including Italy and France. They are often some of the highest ranking in world competitions and wine Olympics. So if you're looking for something new and exciting by way of wines, give Spanish wines a try!

If you're unsure of the meaning, winter wines are those that are preferred during the cold winter months and that will help take the nip out of the air, giving you a toasty warm feeling all over. These are wines that are considered full-body and lush, as opposed to the light and refreshing wines you would enjoy during the summer months. If you're a wine lover, you understand the appeal of the wines of winter, and find that they're easily preferred over the standard winter beverages of hot cocoa or tea. Sure, those are all well and good, but how do they taste with a fine selection of cheese and olives?

When considering your options, you would probably prefer an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or an earthy Chateauneuf-du-Pape. These are both complex wines with a hearty aroma and reassuring body. Neither needs to be very expensive, as they are both typically very fine choices regardless of vintage or name brand.

Reisling is another fine choice when it comes to winter wines. While still crisp and fruity as you would expect from a summer choice, it is intense with a typically rounded finish – perfect for those late winter lunches when you've slept in decided to spend all day inside. While still served slightly chilled, it's a perfect match for seafood or shellfish, or for when you want to just nibble some cheese in front of the fire.

Consider a good port as another choice when it comes to hearty wines. Aging these in wines in oak barrels means adding distilled grape spirits, often cognac, in order to boost the alcohol content. White port is also a good choice, and is served cold or slightly chilled; these range from dry to very sweet. Port is such a popular choice when it comes to winter wines that there are actually rules of etiquette that once surrounded its serving; typically the bottle is passed “port to port,” meaning that the host pours a glass for the person to their right and then passes the bottle to their left; this is repeated until the bottle makes its way around the table. Of course, if it's just the two of you, it may be a good idea to be a bit more modest about this practice and save some for later!

Burgundy wines are also fine choices for winter, as they are typically the heaviest or most full-bodied wines there are. If you're looking to stay away from chilled wines and want something to keep you warm that's not too sweet but still full of flavor, burgundies are probably your best choice.

Winter wines are good options for the cold months when you're looking to try something new and want to get away from the overly fruity and sweet wines of summer. When you're stuck indoors and are looking for ways to keep yourself warm, you should definitely give your wine tasting some renewed attention with any of these options.