Tag Archives: Champagne (wine)

Jul3

Wine 101 – Revisited

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The Gourmet Bachelor by Chad Carns

The Gourmet Bachelor by Chad Carns (Photo credit: somenametoforget)

Every once in a while I like to review notes I have jotted down, articles I’ve saved, passages in books I have highlighted etc. As I move forward with my blog, my hobby [lot’s of wine drinking!] and now career [I will sell wine today!],  I must remind myself to do so on a regular basis. It is amazing how easily one becomes focused on one aspect of the bigger picture and  forgets the details that may have crossed your path or got you to where you are today.

Writing this I just had a flashback to my college days of yore; cramming at the last-minute and soon afterwards forgetting everything I learned.  History will not repeat itself no matter that I probably have way fewer memory cells now compared to then 🙂

Wine 101 refers to one of my earlier posts; What I learned in wine class this week-Wine 101. In it I asked the question:  If a bad or turned wine with a cork closure is referred to as CORKED would a turned wine with a screw cap be classified as SCREWED?  I  also listed tidbits of information I found interesting or am purposely keeping as a reference for future use.

https://whineandcheersforwine.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/what-i-learned-in-wine-class-this-week-wine-101/

Here begins my next chapter and I look forward to coming across even more to share in the future.  ¡SALUD!

–Aroma is derived from the grape. Bouquet comes from fermentation, wood [oak], aging.

–Chardonnay and Riesling; white wines that can age.

–Chardonnay is a component of; Champagne, Burgundy and Chablis.

–Chianti; is Sangiovese blended with other indigenous varietals.

-Wine most sold in U.S.A. = White Zinfandel ARGH!

-When in doubt: Beaujolais goes with practically everything.

–Rosé wine is not sweet.

–Sauvignon Blanc is used in Sancere, Pouilly Fume’, and blended with Semillon for almost all white Bordeaux’s.

-Sweet Sauternes are mostly Semillon with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc.

-Most planted grape in California prior to Chardonnay; Chenin Blanc.

–Chenin Blanc = Vouvray. Also the leading white grape of South Africa.

–Viogner is one of the rarest french white grapes. Less than +/- 300 acres are planted in the grapes home; northern Rhone.

–Merlot often confused as Cabernet Sauvignon during blind tastings.  Merlot is the leading grape varietal produced in Bordeaux. Chateau Pétrus one of worlds most famous wine is 99% Merlot.

–Burgundy, except for Beaujolais is mostly made from Pinot Noir.

-The Gamay grape is the source of french wine Beaujolais.

–Syrah is usually part of the blend making Chateauneuf-de-Pape which can use up to 12-13 different varieties.

–Tempranillo grows in the Rioja region of Spain. In Portugal Tempranillo known as Tinto Roriz  is one of the grapes making up Port/Porto.

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Jan18

What I learned in wine class this week; WINE 101

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A box of corks

Image by hey mr glen via Flickr

The one question I decided not to ask in class:

So if a bad or turned wine with a cork closure is referred to as CORKED would a turned wine with a screw cap be classified as SCREWED? I guess this would unfortunately better describe the wine bottle owner….

Seriously though, there are always a lot of details when it comes to wine appreciation and even though it is easy to just skim over them lightly the more you scratch at the surface the more we get to learn. Below are my highlights from this weeks class.

STELVIN = screw top closures.

The majority of wine consumers drink white wine too cold and red wine too warm. RED wine should be served at 65-68F, WHITE wine between 48-53F [just above standard refrigerator temperature], CHAMPAGNE 40-45F.

80% of what we taste is attributed to our sense of smell.

What is BODY? Body is the weight of the wine on the palate. A good measuring trick would be the following scale: Light [skim milk], Medium [ 2% to whole milk], Full [whole to half & half].

White Wine Styles: CRISP unoaked, refreshing, higher in acidity. ELEGANT seamless balance of acidity with an oak component. OAKY lush, round, creamy, buttery and lower in acidity. SWEET usually fuller in body, lower in alcohol and acidity.

Red Wine Tanin Levels: EASY DRINKING no drying sensation, smooth. SOFT mostly aged wines, barely noticeable. RIPE not overpowering but definitely detectable, in balance with fruit intensity.  FIRM: drying sensation is apparent, most prevalent in higher end young wines.

 

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