Month: June 2009

The Method by Which White Zinfandel is Produced

Posted by on June 30, 2009

White zinfandel is a desired wine for lots of people because of its fruit-filled nature and broad attraction. The wine is thought of as “white” and lots of folks feel that this is wrong because of its pink hue. However, this is the correct term for the product. It is not in fact a blush because the manner of creating the final creation is different in a white zin than in a blush wine.  Have you ever desired to sit back with a pleasant glass of wine after a difficult day of niche marketing?  If so, discover more about the cool taste of white zinfandel.

The zin grape is in fact red and it commonly makes a red wine as its final outcome. The makers of white zin modify the winemaking technique a trace in the course of formulating the pink-colored favorite among conventional wine drinkers. The outsides of the grape contain the tint. When the skins are left in during the fermentation process, the final result is a red-hued beverage.

The white zin is pink in hue because the skins are left in the fusion for a short amount of time then they are removed. Removing the outsides in the fermentation period results in a product that has a pink tone because only some of the element that has the hue (the outsides) are only there for a little amount of time. Once they are taken out, the hue is also. Only a bit of the red grape is noticeable in the final product.

This pink wine has turned into a preference among the mainstream but countless wine lovers in the know are a little turned off by the poor little white zin. Many wines are of better quality and flavor but these wines also need to be acquired to suit the palate. A small number of people love their very first glass of fine wine. White zin is a great bridge between the casual wine drinker and the well-versed wine fanatic.  For example, like getting a personal trainer certification is the first move to building a lucrative training company, so white zinfandel is the primary step to a life of wine admiration.

After the feel for a solid white zinfandel is gotten many advocate progressing to another palatable wine. Riesling is my first preference as it is very pleasing and smooth on the mouth. It is not entirely as sweet as a port wine or a white zinfandel but it provides a magnificent way to investigate more involved wines.  They are a good way to relax if you are stressed, for example by yeast infection symptoms.

Once you take on a taste for a good Riesling you might turn your nose up at the lowly white zinfandel but this would be a mistake. There are lots of magnificent wines formed via the particular technique. In reality white merlot has come on to the market. Pink is a tint for all times after all.

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Wine Tasting with Gary Vaynerchuk

Posted by on June 30, 2009

“Swish Your Wine like Mouthwash!”

Gary Vaynerchuk, host of the wildly successful daily online show Wine Library TV, which has some 60,000 viewers, with traffic that greatly exceeds industry Goliath, the Wine Spectator, came by the Beet.TV studios one night for some wine tasting basics.

Smelling the wine is key — as is swishing it like “mouthwash.” Well, the wines Gary brought over were certainly nothing like mouthwash. Gary really knows his wines and takes a very direct approach to sharing and teaching — there is not one bit of snobbery.

This young New Jersey wine merchant, who started his show a few years ago, has become a celebrity and is poised for stardom.  He has even been signed by the Hollywood power talent agency CAA. Not sure how his career will unfold. A big TV series, maybe “Top Sommelier?”

Here he turns on some folks to  some great Chianti, cabs and other nice things to rinse with.

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Musical Tribute to Wine: Def Leppard

Posted by on June 30, 2009

Me and My Wine

Quality maybe a little off, funniest Lep video ever!

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How to Store and Decanting Wine

Posted by on June 29, 2009

White Wines

 Having invested possibly hundreds of dollars in your latest bottle of vintage wine (ah well, we can but dream), the next important decision is region to store this prized possession? The main issue when it defining moment to storing wine is that it needs to be maintained at a cool temperature of between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Shoved under the bed won’t do.
 
 Many modern wines do not need to be aged over a great period of time; therefore extensive cellars are often unnecessary. Having said this, if you have the time, space and resource to excavate a cellar, your wine will surely benefit. A purpose built cellar is not normally an option for most households and so suitable alternatives must be explored.
 Ideal areas for storage include a corner of a garage, garden shed, an unused fireplace or a cupboard that is against an outside wall.
 Wherever you choose to store your wine, a few basic criteria are worth keeping in mind.
 Choose an area that is less likely to be subjected to fluctuating temperatures caused by household heating systems.
 Wines benefit from being kept in dark conditions. Although this is not always practical, wine should certainly be stored in an area that is not exposed it to direct sunlight.
 As a final point, always store your red wine bottles on their side. Corks are designed to be kept moist, so that they remain airtight and do not crumble when a corkscrew is inserted.
 Bear in mind that some wines do not benefit from being stored at all. If you have poor or no storage facilities available, consider purchasing wine that matures quickly such as most white wines or new technology reds or, possibly, a new Beaujolais.
 Move white wine as little as possible once it has been placed in storage, unless of course it is being moved into a glass!
 
 If you have a particularly special wine collection, it may be worth engaging a specialist company to store your wine for you. Good storage has been recognized as vital for many wines and as such, many companies now provide storage facilities. Of course, this does not fall in cheap and is best reserved for those amply special bottles or for those experts who are considering selling their wine on, at a future date.
 
 Decanting is a strange word to many fairies. Some do not order know what it means exactly. Taking the sophistication out of it, decanting literally means pouring the wine from the bottle to a special glass container. Uncommon is done in order to expose the wine to oxygen and enrich it.
 
 What is the meaning of this process? Do all wines benefit from decanting or not? The wine experts are not in agreement. Some say wine should be decanted in order to allow it to “breathe” and develop fully before consumption. Others claim decanting does not contribute to the quality of the wine.
 
 So who is right? Well, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Decanting does seem to benefit certain wines more captious others. Most red wines, except for the very aged and some white ones would definitely benefit from decanting 1-2 hours before serving. Young red wines, on the other hand, which are low in tannins, light and fruity, would not improve if allowed to oxidize. There are also wines specifically would actually suffer from decanting. Those are the aged reds. Their quality could worsen if allowed too much contact with air.

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Wine: A Quick Explanation

Posted by on June 29, 2009

What is wine?

Wine has been made for centuries from just a couple simple ingredients: yeast and grape juice. Actually, just about any fruit juice can be used, but by far the majority of all wine is made from the juice of the grape.

We tend to think of wine as a special treat, a gracious gift (as in a wine and cheese gift basket), a beverage of celebration or a drink to serve with a special meal. For much of history, though, it was a drink of necessity due to the often poor standards of the available water.

Since there are yeast spores in the air, wine could be made without effort simply by allowing grape juice to stay in an open container for an extended period of time. You probably wouldn’t find that so enjoyable, though.

Yeast is a living organism. In wine making, the yeast feeds off the sugars. That process is called fermentation. The action of fermentation converts the sugars in the juice into alcohol with a biproduct of carbon dioxide. In contemporary times, special types of yeast have been cultured solely for their use in wine making. The particular strain of the yeast, along with other factors, determines the flavor of the wine.

Once all of the fermentable sugars have been consumed, the yeast will fall to the bottom of the container. The wine is removed from the container, leaving the yeast, and is trasferred to another container to mature while waiting to be bottled.

How does wine get its color?

There are black grapes and green grapes and grapes of various gradations in between. Regardless of the color of the grape the juice is always clear, or nearly so. If the skins are left in the juice during fermentation, a red wine is the result. A white wine results when the skins are removed.

Even though there are very few ingredients, there are many things which influence the taste of wine. First of all, there are many varieties of grapes. Each grape variety will produce different flavors, aromas, and even textures. In addition, the soil and climate where the grapes are grown drastically affect these variables. Not only that, but the wine maker can control various things by the technique, temperature and yeast used during fermentation. Other variables such as fermenting or storing in oak barrels will also affect the taste.

Never fear, with all of these factors considered even the most avid wine drinker would ever be able to experience all of the different varieties of wine on the market today. Let the treasure hunting begin!

All wines have tannin. That is the component that provides that sort of drying feeling on the tongue. It comes from the stems, seeds and skins, so red wines will have more tannin than will white wines. That accounts for the different tactile feeling between reds and whites.

Clearly, this has been a quick overview of wine, but hopefully it has filled some of the voids in your understanding of this historic drink.

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