Like I said, WINE TIME
Difference between Old and New World Wines
Old World is tripartite: land, wine maker, grape varietal
New World is fruit forward, the test of fruit is key (In the New World, fruit can get riper)
Fast Facts
• All color from wine comes from skin (it’s illegal to add color)
o Can't make red wine from white grapes and white wine from red grapes
• Illegal to chaptelize (add sugar) to wine
• Oxygen is the enemy of wine until wine is served. Other enemies include heat and light
• Change in temperature is worse than a constant high temperature
• Most wine is meant to be consumed in 1-3 years, red 1-5
• Most wine is kept/served too warm
• Keeping wine cold, retard aging
• Some grape varietals lend themselves to aging: they have high sugar (which lead to high alcohol) and/or high acid BUT Zin doesn’t age well because alcohol too high (can do 1-5)
• Worse day in Napa is better than the best day in France
• More wine is made in Central CA than anywhere else (x4)
Vocabulary
• Ullage: space between bottom of cork to top of liquid (or from bottom of abny other closure). The space is not air.
Question to leave you with: is there a place where you should not hold the wine glass?
Old World is tripartite: land, wine maker, grape varietal
New World is fruit forward, the test of fruit is key (In the New World, fruit can get riper)
Fast Facts
• All color from wine comes from skin (it’s illegal to add color)
o Can't make red wine from white grapes and white wine from red grapes
• Illegal to chaptelize (add sugar) to wine
• Oxygen is the enemy of wine until wine is served. Other enemies include heat and light
• Change in temperature is worse than a constant high temperature
• Most wine is meant to be consumed in 1-3 years, red 1-5
• Most wine is kept/served too warm
• Keeping wine cold, retard aging
• Some grape varietals lend themselves to aging: they have high sugar (which lead to high alcohol) and/or high acid BUT Zin doesn’t age well because alcohol too high (can do 1-5)
• Worse day in Napa is better than the best day in France
• More wine is made in Central CA than anywhere else (x4)
Vocabulary
• Ullage: space between bottom of cork to top of liquid (or from bottom of abny other closure). The space is not air.
Question to leave you with: is there a place where you should not hold the wine glass?
posted by Nic at 11:44 PM
8 Comments:
To answer your question: In 99% of the cases you should NOT hold the glass by the bowl of the glass. Heat from your hand will heat up the wine which is NOT good. You should hold by the steam or the base. However, I believe it is permissible to hold port by the bowl of the glass, but because you want to pass a little heat -- but I may be thinking brandy in which it is never hold by the bowl of the glass.
The Queen Rocks! And, she is sooo right. You should hold the glass by the stem.
actually it is legal to add surgar to wine in some states.
We lived in wine country for 5 years and my DH sold sugar to wineries.
One day while a winemaker was buying pounds and pounds of sugar, DH asked him what it was for. The wine maker said for wine and DH brought up the fact that adding suagr was illegal in CA. The winemaker's face got all red and said that it was for their Oregon wine.
Dh is a "winer" as I call him. He goes to tastings, winemaker dinner ect.....If I had as much money invested in my yarn stash as he does in his celler......we'd need a whole huse just for yarn!
Oh and yes, never hold the wine glass by the bowl. It will heat the wine distorting the taste. Always hold by the stem
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I agree with the above posters - never hold the wine glass by the bowl - always hold the stem.
I went to Napa and Sonoma last year and had the best time! I loved tasting the different wines and I learned so much about everything while I was there.
One of the most interesting things I learned was about the cork. When a waiter hands you cork in a restaurant - you aren't supposed to smell it - you're supposed to squeeze it.
A bottle that has been stored properly (on it's side) will have a cork that is soft and pliable. If the bottle was not stored correctly - the cork may be brittle or hard.
I always laugh when I see people smelling the cork now! (because I always used to do that!)
I definitely agree with the others- I always hold my wine glass by the stem or base. The only time I've ever held wine by the bowl has been if it was a red, and it was a little too cool and I didn't want to wait to taste it! I really dislike red wine when it's cold.
Unfortunately my husband and I really love wine, and have about 6 cases on hand at all times. I get torn on whether to spend the extra 40$ on a nice Zinfandel (red), or some more yarn. Tough choice, but the Zin usually wins out because we can both enjoy that.
I've been to Niagara-on-the-lake in Ontario many times to visit the wineries, which are really impressive- especially thier icewine, reislings and Cab. Franc. We honeymooned there and brought back 4 cases! I also love the NYS wineries, especially in the fingerlakes. If ever in NY in mid July, the Finger Lakes Wine Festival is a MUST! It's at Watkins Glen raceway, and they have camping there so you don't have to drive.
What, what, what??? Boy do I feel dumb.....I'm a "cork sniffer"! Wow....who knew? Thanks Javagem! I'll never "sniff" a cork again.
Oh....speaking of corks....I've noticed that some of the wines I like have now gone to "screw tops". Does anyone know anything about that? (One of the Australian Shiraz's that I like is now "screw top"....weird).
Jenn, There are some where adding sugar is intregal to the process I want to say the sparkling wines but I can't remember. You know some of the facts kind of leave me because I am drinking.
We just did Oregon wines yesterday. It was mostly Pinot Noir's which is evidently what OR is known for.
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