Age is just a number - unless you're wine!

by csk_azriel

How old do you feel?  Do you think you've improved with age or not? Well if you're a wino  wine, age could vastly improve the way you look, feel and taste. So let's take a look, shall we?

What types of wine have aging potential?

Red wines have a greater aging potential than whites,  because of the tannins (a bitter plant compound found in leaf, bud, stems, and roots).  Acidic white wines also have the potential to age well, because the acid mellows over time.

What happens during the aging process?

When wine ages the tannins mellow out (the bitterness fades), which also changes the color of the wine; red wines get paler, while white wines tend to get darker. The acidity lessens and the taste of the wine gets "softer."

Young Wines

According to British wine expert, Jancis Robinson, the majority of wine on the market should be consumed as "young" as possible.  Of course the average wino is not paying a lot of money for wine and wines that age well tend to be on the pricey side.  The bottom line is - all wines don't get better with age, I know it's heart breaking, but it's true. 

The Wine Curators has a lovely aging chart, so you won't have to think about it!  Click here to check it out. They also have wine software for purchase if you're fancy.

A Rosé by any other name....

To some Rosé is the ugly cousin of the standard red and white varieties, but I think that rosé has been given a bad rap.  How could one possibly resist the delightful beauty of it?  I'm sure you've seen it in stores all dressed up and pretty in pink.

Rosé is not red wine but not quite white either its blushing color leaves it somewhere in the middle. So what’s the difference between rosé and blush wines you ask?  Plenty.

Rosé wines are usually derived from red grapes, but the skins are removed before the color can leave its indelible impression. Blush on the other hand is procured in pretty much the same way; however, they are usually made with light skinned grapes and small amounts of red wine is later introduced, which provides it’s “blushing” tint.

In terms of appearance, rosé and blush are very similar. But once you have developed your tasting palate you will be able to tell the difference.  The most important thing is whether you like it or not. 

Zinfandel is probably the most popular blush wine. Ironically, it was made entirely by accident by Sutter Home Winery:

Corks - Put a plug in it!

Wine 101 by WhoWatches

Dom Perignon was more than just a monk and cellar master, he is also the guy who came up with the genius idea to put corks in wine bottles. Back in the 1600's wooden wine stoppers soaked in oil were used to plug wine bottles, of course they had a tendency to pop out, which posed a bit of a problem.  So old Dom decided to insert cone-shaped (conical) pieces of cork in the bottles instead.  Dom's little "aha" moment changed the wine industry forever. 


The very first cork factory opened in Spain in the mid 1700's. Currently Portugal dominates the corking market producting 52.5% of the corks in the industry every year, Spain is second with 29.5%. 

Cork Oak (Quercus suber ) start out as little acorns. Mature Cork Oaks are harvested once every 9-10 years, but the tree is not considered mature until its at least 25 years old and even then it's not until the third harvest that the cork is suitable for wine stopping. What's even more interesting is that Cork Oaks live about 200 years, producing as many as 18 useful harvests. Cork Oak is usually harvested during the spring or summer months (early May to late August). The cork is delicately removed from the tree in strips and then dried for 6 months or more, then they are boiled and and dried for an additional 3 weeks. After this process is complete the corks are cut, shaped, and washed.  The washing process is important to prevent potential bacterial growth. 

The reason why cork works so well with wine is that it expands naturally once it's inserted into the neck of the bottle, sealing in its contents. Bet you didn't think about all the effort it takes to deliver wine to your cellar.  It's not all about grapes! 
    
Here at the Wino house we've been collecting our corks.  Who knows what we'll do with them, maybe we'll have a cork crafting wine night or something - recycling at it's best!

Wine & Chocolate: Good for Your Noodle

If you're a wino with a sweet tooth, you might have just struck gold!  Scientists have recently divulged that red wine and dark chocolate (consumed in moderation) is good for the brain. When the two are consumed together it enhances the brains ability to complete complex tasks. 

It seems that polyphenols (natural antioxidants found in plants) increase brain activity, by relaxing blood vessels, making them wider and more open - which increases their capacity to function. What foods naturally contain polyphenols?  You guessed it...wine and chocolate!!!


The study didn't find any significant increase in the brains of younger people, simply because they are already functioning at optimal levels. But older people did show significant brain function improvement. The blood flow to the brain naturally decrease as we get older, so increasing the blood flow is a good thing. 

**A word to the wise: you don't need to consume very much red wine or chocolate to experience the benefits.  Moderation is key.**

Wine Fridges - keep it cool

Our dad gave us a wine fridge a little while ago and it's pretty handy.  It keeps the wine at an optimal temperature.  But do you need a wine fridge and if so what should you look for?

If you're a serious wino you might want to invest in a fridge.  Of course if you are really a serious wino, you might have a cellar! LOL  But seriously, if you are a regular wine drinker, a wine fridge might be a smart investment. You can always be sure that you've got a bottle chilled, in case of unexpected guests.

There are many varieties to choose from, but these are the most important things to look for:

• Price - your budget matters most.
• Storage capacity - how many bottles do you plan to store?  Be realistic, you don't want to find yourself buying another one in a few months.
• Energy - make sure you pay attention to the energy consumption.  You don't want to find yourself with a hefty electric bill.
• Features - You might find that many wine fridges are pretty snazzy...digital, thermal, quiet...

Ours is pretty modest, holds 12 bottles, digital temp display, and a handle on the door.  That's it, but it works for us.

I suggest you check out The Wine Enthusiast or Amazon to browse what they have to offer.  Of course you can always go to Target as well, you know the Red store always delivers.

What kind of wine glass should you use?

Wine glasses are pretty to look at and fun to drink out of, well actually you could drink wine out of a dixie cup and that would be okay too! But seriously, there is an etiquette to drinking wine. Certain glasses are designed to go with certain types of wine.  

Here’s a brief tutorial:

White Wine Glasses 

White wine glasses vary in shape, but usually have a medium to slightly wide mouth. Some wines require a bit of air, like Chardonnay, so you would want to use a wider mouth to allow more oxygen to enter the glass. Most of the major varieties of white wines don’t need to breathe as much, as a matter of fact a glass with a smaller mouth will do, you want to preserve the “crisp” flavor of the wine.

Red Wine Glasses

I’m sure you’ve noticed that red wine is usually served in wide mouth glasses.  Why you ask?  Because it needs to BREATHE!  Red wine absolutely requires oxidation in order to be enjoyed, without it the wine can be bitter and tannin laden. Red wine glasses often look like bowls with stems, wide open. 

Make sure you read the post on Wine Aerators.

Champagne Flutes

Champagne glasses are usually called flutes (because of the design).  Long, tall, and slender, they are designed to help preserve the “bubble” in Champagne and sparkling wines. When you’re drinking Champagne make sure you hold the flute by the stem, so that you don’t warm it up.  Believe me hot Champagne is not enjoyable.

Sherry Glasses

Sherry glasses are not just for sherry, but pretty much for any wine that has strong aromas. Usually these wines are on the sweet side (i.e. sherry or port).  

The next time you have a few winos' over for a drink, serve them right!

Wine Tasting Basics

In order to be a true Wino, you have to actually drink wine, right? Believe it or not there are some people who really don’t like wine, I know I could hardly believe it either.  The truth is, most people never take the time to discover what kind of wine they like.  It’s not a one wine fits all kind of deal.  Wine is an individually acquired taste.  With so much to choose from, you have to taste and sample wine in order to discover your personal affinity for this heavenly nectar. 

So how exactly does one taste wine, you ask?  Well I’ll tell you it’s about more than just taking a swig and swirling it around.  Wine tasting is not rocket science, but here’s what you should know:

Color

The color of wine changes as it ages. White wines get more colorful and reds lose color, with age. Some people are naturally drawn to deeper rich color, while others may not care one way or the other. Whatever your preference, what you see often determines how well you will like or dislike something. Young red wine might appear vibrantly purple or burgundy, while older whites may appear amber gold. 

Swirl

What’s with all the swirling?  When you swirl wine, it infuses it with oxygen, opening up the flavor and exposing the scent of the wine. Don’t worry we’ll get to the importance of smell later. Anyway, swirling the wine is like aerating it without an aerator. This will also give you another chance to check out the color and see the “legs” that drip down the side of the glass. 

Smell

What could your nose possibly have to do with taste?  Even though the tongue has over 10,000 taste buds at its disposal, it can still only identify: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami.  But the good old olfactory can distinguish more than 10,000 unique smells!  Holy cannoli! However, the average human can identify about 2,000 odors. Smell and taste are truly a match made in heaven.  Smell allows you to experience and identify complex flavors that the tongue could not decipher alone.  I said all that to say, smelling the wine will enhance your flavor experience.

Tasting

Now this part may seem simple enough, but there is an art to it.  See tasting wine is not just about ingesting it, it’s about experiencing the flavor and essence of the wine. If you just drink the wine, you’re not really tasting the wine.  You have to allow the wine to dance around in your mouth, to get up close and personal with all 10,000 of those taste buds!  

Take a moment to think about the look, smell, and taste of the wine.  Was it mellow or acidic? Full-bodied or flat? What would you like to eat with this wine? When you’ve really tasted wine, you’ll be able to answer these questions and more.

We’re on our way winos!  We’ll be wine experts in no time!  

Suggestions: Blind Wine Tasting Game, Wine tasting samplers from The Tasting Room.

Bottoms up!

Champagne vs Sparkling Wine: What’s the Difference?

Champagne is synonymous with celebrating, everybody wants to“Pop Champagne!”But can you pop Sparkling Wine instead? What exactly is the difference between champagne and sparkling wine?

Champagne is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier (which are both black grapes) and Chardonnay (white grapes); all are cultivated in the Champagne region of France. Since 1927, only these three grape varieties have been allowed in the production of Champagne.  Only wines that meet the strict regulations and standards that have been maintained for centuries, can be called Champagne. 

Sparkling Wine, although it’s made using the same process as Champagne (which we’ll explain later), is not Champagne.  The only real difference between the two is where the grapes come from.  Champagne grapes come from Champagne France and Sparkling Wine grapes come from everywhere else, it’s really that simple. Although, America did not honor the Champagne labeling rules until 2006 (because America did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles after World War I). Any Sparkling Wine produced in America after 2006 cannot be called Champagne...sorry America. 

So the next time someone asks you if you want Champagne or Sparkling Wine, know the difference. Both will fill you up, make you burp, and give you a hangover. It’s been said that the smaller the bubbles, the better the flavor. If your unsure, check out the price tag, if it’s cheap...it will probably taste like it.  Ultimately, it’s really just a matter of taste, preference, and your wallet. 


Bottoms up!