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Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented grape juice. The type of grape, vintage and winemaking process defines the taste experience. However, drinking wine is more than simply consuming an alcoholic beverage; it is an enjoyable experience. Our wine guide aims at enhancing your experience by helping you understand the basics of wine, terms that help you understand various wine styles and how to taste them.
Wine is mostly made with grapes and wine grapes (latin name Vitis Vinifera) are smaller, sweeter, have thick skins and contain seeds. For commercial production, there are over 1,300 wine grape varieties but only about 100 of these varieties make up 75% of the world’s vineyards. These grape varieties are planted by wine producers across the world. Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted wine grape in the world. However, other important red wine grape varieties are Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir and white grape varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio.
All wines can be arranged into five basic groups. Within each group there are hundreds of different grape varieties and winemaking styles.
Red wines range from light to bold and are still wine made with black grapes. Some of the important red wine grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Grenache and Pinot Noir.
In white wines, the flavors range from light to rich and are still wine produced from white and occasionally black grapes. Some of the important white wine grape varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio.
Rosé is a still wine from black grapes produced by removing the skins before they taint the wine deep red. Rosé is also made by blending white and red wine together. Both dry and sweet styles of rosé are popular.
Sparkling wine can be red, white or rosé and ranges from lean and dry, to rich and sweet. The winemaking style involves a secondary fermentation that makes bubbles
Mostly, dessert wines taste sweet, but many dry, fortified wines exist, such as dry Sherry. The winemaking style involves fortifying wine with spirits.
Five Main Types of Wine
The wine guide takes you through the process of tasting wines.
At room temperature or a touch below. You can put your reds in the fridge for a few minutes before opening as the wine tastes better.
For whites with roundness and richness, it’s helpful to let them warm up in the glass as you drink. Do not over chill as it will affect the taste.
Chill the rosé wine between 30 minutes and three hours. Do not over chill as it will affect the taste and bouquet.
Store it in a cool, dry place. 30 minutes before serving, you should put the Champagne or Sparkling wine into an ice bucket or in the fridge. A flute is a must for making sure the Champagne or Sparkling wine stays as bubbly as possible.
Wine Bottle Opener
There are different types of wine bottles and most have corks or screw caps. The Champagne or Sparkling wine bottles have cork with a cage and therefore, needs to be opened in a different way than a still wine bottle.
The wine bottles have corks or screw caps. A Screw Cap is simple, you open it as a regular bottle. For Corked bottles:
The bottle of Champagne or Sparkling wine should be appropriately chilled, or else the pressure inside the bottle will cause the cork to release very quickly.
It depends on the type of wine and storage conditions. For any wine the taste changes subtly after the first day, as the wine oxidizes. The “spoiled” wine is essentially vinegar, so it is not harmful. Therefore, storage conditions are critical to the taste experience of various wines.
The overall fruit character of the wine will diminish and become less vibrant.
The more tannin and acidity the red wine has, the longer it tends to last after opening. Therefore, a light red with very little tannin won’t last open as long as a powerful red.
The overall fruit character of the wine will diminish and become less vibrant.
Champagne or Sparkling wines lose their carbonation quickly after opening. The lasting of these wines also depends on the winemaking method.
The sweeter the dessert wine, the longer it will last open.
Mulled wine is also known as spiced wine. It is usually made with red wine along various mulling spices, sometimes raisins. Traditional drink during winters, especially around Christmas.
It is served hot and warm and has both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
The aromas released by the spices when heated, makes mulled wine delicious. These aromas only come out when the wine is hot adding deeper flavor to the wine.
If you drink cold mulled wine, you will not get the subtle aromas and flavors and the taste experience will not be the same.
The wine will have lost its fruit flavors, taken on nutty notes and the color will have started to turn brown. It's not harmful, but it won't taste good. Even if the wine has turned to vinegar, it would be unpleasant to drink, but not dangerous.
Wine has a super-simple definition, yet it is an extraordinarily complex category of alcoholic beverage that encompasses several varietals, an endless number of terroirs (areas where a given wine was produced) and a vast lexicon full of terms. Through this wine guide, our attempt has been to acquaint you to the elementary level of the wine concept.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
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