by Lorri | Mar 23, 2011 | UnCorked
If you want to know about a product before purchasing, it seems simple enough, just read the label.
At least it should seem simple considering many of us have become adept at deciphering labels of every other product on the retail shelf, checking calorie, fat and fiber content and ingredients. But when it comes to wine, particularly when you just want to know how the wine will taste, it isn’t that simple.
The required information on the label really doesn’t give us much useful information other than alcohol content, size of the bottle (which is rather obvious) and the importer’s address, which is helpful only if you intend to send them a letter. So where does it leave the consumer as we search out the actual taste of a wine?
Front labels generally contain strictly regulated, straightforward information (even the size of the type is regulated) and include the country of origin, grape variety, the name of the winery and alcohol content.
To learn more, take a quick look at the back label. In addition to the required government warnings about wine consumption during pregnancy, machinery use and overall health, you may be surprised how many producers are genuinely interested in telling you a little more. It can vary from background about the vineyard, vintage conditions to even food pairing advice. Look for labels that describe the level of sweetness and flavors inside the bottle.
But if you come across a bottle that doesn’t contain any of this information, there are clues to taste.
First, familiarize yourself with a few key grapes and regions.
Grapes, like apples and oranges, excel in certain growing regions of the world. It’s not often you see oranges growing in Maine, the same is true for cabernet sauvignon in Germany. Put to memory a few of the benchmark regions such as New Zealand sauvignon blanc, California zinfandel, Bordeaux and Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, Italian pinot grigio, Burgundy pinot noir and German Riesling.
If you’re seeking sweet or dry wines, there are clues here, too. Other than dessert wines, ports, sauternes, sherry and a few others, most table wines are dry. If you are looking for slightly sweet wines look for German Rieslings, American white zinfandel and some French gewurztraminers.
So armed with a little knowledge, buying a bottle doesn’t have to be a game of taste roulette.
by Lorri | Mar 16, 2011 | UnCorked
Sangiovese (san-joh-VAYzeh) is one of the world’s illustrious and most enduring grapes. It achieves its greatness in the soils of Italy, where it has been known for centuries as the Blood of Jove (Jupiter).
If you are not familiar with this grape, you are not alone. One reason could be because of the confusing European practice of naming wines not for the grape from which it is made, but from the area where it is produced — in this case, the Chianti region of Tuscany.
When most people think of Chianti they have visions of the raffia-covered bottle that used to sit on almost every Italian restaurant table in the world. Made to be a bulk inexpensive wine, these light, thin, austere and astringent wines usually ranged somewhere between mediocre and dreadful.
For many years the grape was grown either haphazardly in random vineyards or for a large-scale production with cooperatives.
Today many Italian producers have placed emphasis on growing Sangiovese with care, making it at its best brilliantly concentrated with spiced plum, black cherry and an integrated spicy mellowness. Simply said — a beautiful wine.
THE VALUES
- 2007 Cecchi Bonizio Sangiovese, Italy (about $14 retail)
- 2009 Bolla Chianti, Italy (about $12 retail)
- 2009 Rocca Chianti Rubizzo Sangiovese, Italy (about $18 retail)
- 2009 Bella Sera Chianti, Italy (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGES
- 2008 Da Vinci Chianti Riserva, Italy (about $30 retail)
- 2008 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy (about $23 retail)
- 2008 Santa Margherita Chianti, Italy (about $42 retail)
- 2005 Castello D’Albola Chianti Classico, Italy (about $26 retail)
by Lorri | Mar 2, 2011 | UnCorked
I am always looking for interesting ideas for Uncorked and this past week my inspiration light bulb came while watching the Discovery channel show MythBusters with my children. It had me thinking of the many questions surrounding the mounds of contradictory advice in the wine world. As with many myths, some are handed down from experts, some are tradition, and sadly, most are woven in by pseudo experts. So MythBuster style, here are some wine myths and my take on whether they are confirmed, plausible or busted.
Wines should be served in distinct glassware.
Wine professionals will often taste hundreds of wines side by side. During my humble 10 years on judging panels, my “tasting” glass continues to be the International Standards Organization (ISO) glass. The glass was developed to strict specifications to provide the best presentation for the wine in terms of wine surface to air ratio, among other things.
At most events we use a single glass through whites, reds, ports and sweets. For most, it is the detergent used for washing the glass that is more distracting than the traces of the previous wines. That being said, professional tasters are not having an experience of drinking wine over a lovely meal where the rows of glasses for several courses offer a picture-perfect dining encounter. Master of wine and author Jancis Robinson says, “The practicalities of having a set of the perfect glasses for each wine type defeat me and my cupboard space. The main thing is have a clear glass that is as thick as possible with a bowl on the stem that goes in towards the rim so that you can swirl to release aromas without losing either wine or vapor.”
- Plausible, in the sense that a wine glass will offer more enjoyment than say, a paper cup.
You must always smell the cork when the waiter hands it to you in order to determine the wine’s quality.
The purpose of the waiter offering the cork is so the consumer can check to see if the cork is broken or if there is mold present. The cork’s smell does not indicate the quality of the wine or if it has been tainted by the cork. The only way of confirming if the wine is clean is by tasting.
Wine should be decanted before it is served.
Professor Emile Peynaud (1912-2004), noted scientist, taster and teacher, argued that oxygen coming in contact with a sound wine does more harm than good. His theory was that the longer the wine was aerated during decanting the more diffuse its aromas and less marked its sensory attributes. He advised to only decant wines with sediment and only just before serving. This theory is easily proved in fragile, fully developed 20- to 30-year-old wines. Many of these wines are so delicate they can only withstand minutes in a glass before giving in to the negative impact of aeration, which is oxidation.
- Busted, with the exception of wines with sediment.
The quality of a wine can be judged by the “legs” or “tears.”
The “legs” or “tears” are the viscous streams that run down the inside of the glass. If you swirl the glass, the “legs” are more noticeable. More pronounced legs do not indicate quality, only a higher amount of alcohol.
You should age all red wines.
By no means does every wine improve with age. As much as 98 percent of still wines (those excluding sparkling and fortified) are produced to be consumed within a few years. Confusion around this myth is why many people are sadly disappointed when they open saved bottles only to find that the wine has turned to vinegar.
by Lorri | Feb 23, 2011 | UnCorked
Every fine wine region has its own terroir — climate, soil type, topography — and it is believed these unique conditions give wines their distinct characteristics and styles.
Examples of terroir include Bordeaux’s Garonne River with its gravel and clay soils or Burgundy’s Jurassic limestone nestled in with a perfect sun exposure. California’s Monterey County has also joined this terroir club with a few geological wonders.
Beneath Monterey Bay is an enormous submarine canyon 60 miles long and two miles wide. Compared in size and depth to the Grand Canyon, the underwater canyon is sometimes called the “Blue Grand Canyon.” This canyon provides a unique climate pathway connecting the sea to the wine-growing regions of Monterey, bringing cool maritime influences with fog and wind.
The impact of the canyon is seen through a visual representation called “The Thermal Rainbow,” another term trademarked by the growing region for its diverse attributes. During the morning Monterey County is cool, about 55 degrees and mainly covered by a thick marine layer. As the sun rises the valley warms, burning off the fog and slowly heating the air. This heat forces warm air to rise and create a low-pressure effect. Cool air from the ocean is drawn and funneled through the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountain ranges. This air flow acts as a natural airconditioning system resulting in a range of temperatures from the north to the south and allowing for slow, gentle ripening of the grapes.
Vineyards are planted specif ically within The Thermal Rainbow, with cool-climate loving pinot noir and chardonnay found mainly in the north and sunloving cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and Rhone varieties flourishing in the south.
For more information or to plan a trip to this beautiful wine region visit their website at montereywines.org.
THE VALUES
- 2008 Chalone Vineyards Chardonnay, California (about $18 retail)
- 2008 The Hess Collection Monterey Chardonnay, California (about $18 retail)
- 2008 Wente Vineyards Merlot, California (about $19 retail)
THE SPLURGES
- 2008 J. Lohr Vineyards Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, California (about $23 retail)
- 2008 Morgan Winery Monterey County Pinot Noir, California (about $47 retail)
- 2007 Heller Estate Chardonnay, California (about $34 retail)
by Lorri | Feb 16, 2011 | UnCorked
Some consumers are seeking sweet wines, which only seems natural considering most of us love anything sweet. But somewhere along the way sweet wines were dubbed with an unsophisticated and inferior image. Truly appreciating sweet wines requires an understanding of the distinct differences in the styles.
Most sweet wines get their sweetness from added sugar or a natural viticulture process.
The sugar can come from sweet reserve juice, grape must (fresh-squeezed juice along with pulp, skin and seeds) or grape concentrate. These are added to the wine after it has been fermented. These wines are generally more simple styles and less expensive.
Mother nature also has a hand in creating utterly luscious sweet wines. French Sauternes gains its sweetness without the addition of sugars but from grapes in the vineyard. The region’s unique climate encourages a fungus known as botrytis rot, which “attacks” the grapes and causes them to shrivel and rot, concentrating the sugars.
Sweet ice wines occur only when mother nature decides to wave her magic wand over the vineyard with ripe grapes hanging late, waiting for the optimum temperature of 21 degrees to concentrate the sugars, acids and flavors. These sweet wines have no sugar added but involve painstaking and expensive processes resulting in an expected higher price tag.
What makes a wine taste sweet is based on the amount of residual sugar in it, ranging from 0 to 100 grams per liter. Following are a few examples of how to navigate retail stores for wines ranging from dry to very sweet.
VERY DRY | Cabernet, Chianti, Shiraz, Syrah, Brut Champagne
THE VALUE
- 2007 Piccini Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2007 Gloria Ferrer Brut Sparkling Wine, California (about $28 retail)
OFF DRY | Warm-climate Chardonnay, German “trocken,” French “sec”
THE VALUE
- 2008 Franken Silvaner Spatlese Riesling, Germany (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2008 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, California (about $68 retail)
MEDIUM | German Rieslings or “auslese,” Spanish “dulce” and French “doux”
THE VALUE
- 2009 Vertikal Blue Auslese Riesling, Germany (about $18 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2007 Rudi Wiest V Buhl “Jazz” Riesling, Germany (about $24 retail)
SWEET | Hungarian Tokaji, Late Harvest Rieslings, Port, Sherry
THE VALUE
- 2008 Polka Dot Sweet Rielsing, Germany (about $13 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2007 Tokaji Aszu 4 Puttonyos, Hungary (about $40 retail)
VERY SWEET | Icewine, Sauternes, German Beerenauslese, Amarone, French Moelleux, Italy Dolce
THE VALUE
- 2003 Chateau d’ Armajan Sauternes, France (about $30 retail, 375 ml)
THE SPLURGE
- 2006 Jackson Triggs Riesling Icewine, Canada (about $53 retail, 375 ml)
by Lorri | Feb 9, 2011 | UnCorked
There was a time when it was said that chocolate and wine shouldn’t be consumed together.
Pairing these two romantic treats was avoided because chocolate, like cabbage, raw asparagus and vinegar, has a reputation for misbehaving when wine is involved. But today, with a better understanding of the kinds of chocolate and its components, successful pairings are possible.
What supposedly made the two incompatible was not the chocolate at all, but the sugar, fat and flavorings in it. Considering many chocolate desserts also contain lots of sugar, fruit, dairy or even ice, the dilemma was compounded.
If the wine and chocolate are not compatible, many times a slight sour note will develop on the palate. Overoaked or extremely dry red wine will likely rob the chocolate of sweetness and the wine of its fruitiness, resulting in an unpleasant, dry, dusty flavor.
For the ideal chocolate and wine match, select chocolates with a cocoa content of at least 75 percent.
Light-bodied wines match best with mild-flavored chocolate, and full-bodied wines are best served with darker, more robust chocolate.
If in doubt, the general rule is the wine should be at least as sweet — if not sweeter — than the chocolate.
White chocolate: Framboise or moscato
THE VALUE
- 2009 Martin Weyrich Moscato Allegro, California (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Marco Negri Moscato d’ Asti, Italy (about $22 retail)
Light-bodied milk chocolate: Framboise, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon
THE VALUE
- 2008 Mark West Central Coast Pinot Noir, California (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2008 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon (about $22 retail)
Medium-bodied milk or semisweet chocolate: cabernet sauvignon, port, merlot or syrah
THE VALUE
- 2009 Cupcake Central Coast Merlot, California (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- NV Sandeman 10 year Tawny Port, Portugal (about $40 retail)
Full-bodied bittersweet or dark chocolate: cabernet sauvignon or port
THE VALUE
- NV Cowie Wine Cellars Robert’s Port, Arkansas (about $19 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2006 Robert Mondavi Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, California (about $50 retail)
