11:09 PM

April - Dutty Wine

Today's Dutty Wine Article

Wine labels - Peeling off the mystery

One of the most baffling subjects that confronts the budding wine enthusiast is the deciphering of the myriad of information contained on the bottle label, especially that contained on wine bottles from European countries. Once the basic rules are taken on board it becomes a lot simpler. Whereas most New World countries put details of the grape varieties on the front label, a lot of European regions do not, and as this is the most basic of information for taste purposes why is this the case?

European winemakers tend to put more emphasis on the place of origin. For instance, a Bordeaux red typically wont say 'Cabernet' or 'Merlot' on the front label, but instead have the name of the chateau where it was made, and usually the part of Bordeaux where it was made, for example Haut-Medoc. Similarly a Sancerre is totally Sauvignon Blanc, but an in depth analysis of the label will leave you none the wiser. For the French the important factor is that the wine comes from Sancerre in the Loire valley and for them it is inbred knowledge that white Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc.

Moving south to Spain, red Rioja declares itself as Rioja on the label, not Tempranillo the grape variety used, whilst in Italy most Tuscan reds have no information on the Sangiovese grape that is most widely used in these wines. Given this mish-mash of information it is no wonder that many of us head for that bottle with the label announcing it is a Chardonnay Viognier from the Ironstone Vineyard of California.

It is clear then that the Europeans believe the most important factor influencing a wine's character is the soil, climate and culture of the area where the grape is grown and this is particularly important to single-vineyard wines who make the most of capturing the essence of a particular area of land. So whereas a French winemaker will see his wine as reflecting the character of a particular region, a New World winemaker mad about grape varieties will consider that soil is just the growing medium in which the fruit grows, and that the grape variety and hard work in the winery are what really counts. Today these two opposing approaches to wine labelling are moving closer together with New World producers emphasising their regionality and its characteristics, whilst European, even the parochial French winemakers possibly prompted by the wholesalers and the supermarkets are labelling their wines more clearly.

About the Author

James Pendleton is a lover of the better things in life. For more information on wine visit Wine Capital

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Monday 04/21/08 - Wine Ratings

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Selecting the Right Ingredients for Home-Made Wine

Tips for choosing the best home-made wine ingredients:

Fruits must be ripe, but not over-ripe. A few shriveled grapes or black currants are unlikely to harm a brew. In the case of larger fruits such as plums, the doubtful ones should be taken out.

The choice of roots (beetroot, parsnips, etc.) for wine-making purposes should not be dismissed so readily. The best, (or even the only) roots suitable for wine-making are those that are old and shriveled. Parsnips that have been stored throughout the winter or left in the soil are at their best for our purpose in March, as are old potatoes purchased in June when the new ones are coming in. They are ideal if they are well shriveled and/or sprouting. (Be sure to break off the roots before using them.)

These old roots contain less starch than the fresher ones, and we do not want starch in wines because it slows down the clearing process. Besides this, when old roots are used, they flavor the wine less, and it is not in the least bit earthy.

It is a mistake to believe that using additional ingredients, (such as less water, or more sugar/yeast), than is indicated in the recipes, will produce a more potent wine. The strength of wine is decided by the volume of alcohol in which the yeast can live and continue to do its work, and not on the quantity of any ingredients. Too much sugar makes the wine far too sweet. More yeast makes no difference at all, simply because it cannot make more alcohol than it can live in. Age makes very little difference to the alcohol content of wines. Too many ingredients will produce a liquid of too high a specific gravity and a liquid containing too many solids per part of water, (in other words a liquid which is too thick) and this will take a very long time to clear.

Because of this, you should never use more ingredients than the recipe indicates.

About Straining:

Fine muslin is best for straining mixtures produced when making root wines. Tie one piece on the tub - allowing sufficient sag - and place a second piece over this.

This top piece containing the solids can be lifted off without letting them fall into the brew. Jelly bags or similar things made of suitable material are needed for fruit juices, as will be seen in the recipes.

About Sugar & Yeast:

You should always use white sugar, and make certain that all the sugar is dissolved before adding anything (like wheat or raisins) to the brew. If all the sugar is not dissolved, the yeast might not ferment properly & some of the sugar could settle in the form of syrup and be left in the lees when they are thrown away. As a result of this, the wine could turn out quite sharp. With a lot of other ingredients in the brew, it is quite impossible to tell whether all the sugar is dissolved or not.

Baker's yeast is all we need during this stage. This can be purchased at your local bakery. Yeast is added at the rate of one ounce per 1, 2 or 3 gallons.

Do not add the yeast too early...as a temperature well below boiling point will destroy the yeast organism and fermentation will not take place.

About the Author

James Wilson owns & operates www.e-homewinemaking.com, a site providing wine-making tips, tricks and techniques. If you're interested in making your own wine, visit www.e-homewinemaking.com today and sign up for the FREE wine-making mini-course!

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12:00 PM

April - Best Wine

A Best Wine Artilce for Your Viewing

Screwcaps For Wine ? Is It Bye-Bye To The Romance?

Maybe you?ve noticed screwcaps on more of the higher priced wines lately. The trend is continuing to grow and so is the debate of whether a screwcap or cork is better for wine. The industry has basically "agreed to disagree" as to whether wine bottled with a screwcap or a cork tastes better, ages better and has less of a tendency to spoil.

As more wineries consider using screwcaps instead of the traditional cork, one has to wonder how the public at large will accept the change in tradition. When the occasional wine drinker sees a $20 bottle of wine with a screwcap, will he move to the next bottle on the shelf because he conjuring thoughts in his mind of his college years and Boones Farm Apple Wine?

Corks hold tradition and romance for a bottle of wine. It's hard to imagine dining at a fine eating establishment and ordering a bottle of wine without expecting the waiter pull out his corkscrew. Watching him carefully cut the foil, masterfully twist the screw into the cork, and giving it a pull with a final, ever so slight, pop, is part of what we pay for when we order a bottle of wine. It's shear romance; it's a moment we hold in our memory of a nice dining experience.

Why would a winery want to change an age-old tradition that holds so much charm? Well, apparently the occurrence of wines being spoiled because of the cork is a fairly large problem. One report from the International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition, states that nearly one in 20 bottles, or 4.9% of the 11,033 bottles opened at that competition had spoiled or the flavor had been flattened because of the cork.

How is the cork responsible for the ruin of so much wine? Cork is a tree bark and when wine corks are manufactured, chlorine bleach is used for cleaning and brightening the color. When the bleach comes in contact with the natural molds that are present in the cork, a reaction occurs and a chemical called trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced. If this chemical comes in contact with the wine, it will cause it to taste like damp cardboard. When this happens the wine is then referred to as being "corked", and it is undrinkable.

Screwcaps have proven themselves to be a better alternative to cork. First developed in Australia, the brand name for screwcaps used for wine is Stelvin, so you will often hear them referred to as such. These caps are not the same as those used for food and drink; these caps are specially designed to protect fine wines from tainting for a period of time and to allow for aging. Basically the part of the cap that actually contacts the wine is made from a thin coating of Teflon film over pure tin, this gives the cap the capability to stay stable and flavor-neutral for a very long time.

There are some screwcap critics that say the Stelvin caps don't allow for proper "breathing" so the wine can age, however, this is a myth. If a cork is perfect and works the way it is supposed to work, it will not allow air into the bottle. Actually, oxygen is potentially harmful to the wine and very unnecessary for the aging process. To quote a leading Bordeaux authority Professor Pascal Rib?reau-Gayon in the ?Handbook of Enology?,

?reactions that take place in bottled wine do not require oxygen?.

And one more authority, Professor Emile Peynaud of Bordeaux says,

?it is the opposite of oxidation, a process of reduction, or asphyxia by which wine develops in the bottle?

So, as we watch a trend develop of vintners moving toward using screwcaps we, the wine-drinking public, are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that screwcaps have proven themselves. Because of the Stelvin, we consumers will be able to enjoy better preserved and better tasting wine in the years to come. Actually, instead of thinking about moving to the next bottle on the shelf because of the screwcap, we should be seeking out the wine that delights your palate regardless of whether it uses a screwcap or not.

About the Author: David-The Wine Gift Guy loves to drink wine. Read his experiences, reviews, and recommendations at The Wine Gift Guy. Comments at the site are encouraged, stop by & help David build a great big, snob-free, wine-loving community.

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