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We all associate sparkling wine and champagne with joyous celebrations. However, recently, many people have recognized that sparkling wine can provide a bargain accompaniment even for an everyday meal.

Making Sparkling Wine and Champagne

If you see the words ‘traditional method’ or ‘methode traditionelle’ on a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine, then it has been made using the methods originally developed in the Champagne region of France.

The first step in making sparkling wine is to create a base wine that is very acidic. Secondly, the base wine is put in a bottle with some extra yeast and sugar and sealed. A word of warning, if you are planning to make your own, the seal must be VERY strong as the build-up of carbon dioxide can be extremely powerful!

Finally, the bottle needs to be tipped forwards so that the sediment sinks into the neck of the bottle. In traditional champagne houses, the bottles are turned daily and tapped for a period of up to three months to remove the sediment. However, the more modern approach is to freeze the neck, release the sediment and then re-cork the bottle.

Champagne Uncovered

Only wines produced in the French region of Champagne are allowed to carry the label ‘champagne’. Therefore, we are seeing a lot of sparkling wine on our shelves that is of excellent quality. Not only must champagne be produced in the Champagne region, but it must also be made from the chardonnay, pinot noir or pinot meunier grape varieties. Even the bottling method is unique to the Champagne region.

A champagne label will tell you about the sweetness of the particular champagne. For example, rich or doux champagne is very sweet with over 50g of sugar per liter, demi sec has between 17 and 35g of sugar per liter, extra dry is a label used for champagne containing between 12 and 20g of sugar per liter, brut is dry champagne with less than 15g of sugar per liter and extra brut is very dry champagne with under 6g of sugar per liter.

If you want a very special bottle of champagne look for the words “tête de cuvée” on the bottle as this refers to a premium champagne which is normally made from a single harvest.

Choosing and Serving Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine or champagne is a popular choice for those trying to choose wine for non-wine drinkers. Champagne is known as the quality bubbly; good champagne is expensive and deservedly so. You’d be wise to avoid the cheaper end of the market as it will be at best a disappointment and at worst undrinkable.

For a cheaper alternative, often of similar quality, look for sparkling wines from areas such as Australia, New Zealand and California. France also produces some excellent sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne, for example, Saumur in the Loire Valley. Other worthy alternatives include the sparkling offerings from Italy, including the light Prosecco and the sweet Asti varieties. If you are looking for a very good value sparkling wine then consider Spanish cava. Whilst nowhere near the same quality as champagne it is a well-priced, drinkable alternative.

Sparkling wine and champagne should be served at 6 Degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit); therefore, an ice bucket is essential from the moment the bottle of sparkling wine leaves the refrigerator. A final word of caution, when you open a bottle of bubbly, there will be a large release of gas so make sure that the cork is controlled and not pointed at anyone!

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Thinking about white wine types, you may think for a long time. It is because there are more than one thousand varieties of white wine. Probably some of you have heard about these white wine but there can be a large no. of people who are not aware of these wines.

There is one more interesting fact about white wine types that they are not white at all like curd or milk. The color of the white wine types varies from pale yellow to amber, honey or gold. They are prepared from the skin of the grapes, grape juice and golden or yellowish colored grapes. The colors of the grape used in white wine types reflect the ripeness degree of the wine. As the time passes, the color of the wine turns darker yellow and thus tells about the age of wine.

Different White wine types

Sauvignon Blanc

It is one of the most popular white wines that is liked by majority of people. It is fruity and not strong like other white wines. During summer when you are feeling hot and you are looking for a cool and refreshing drink have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine smells like lemon, grassy, gooseberry and grapefruit. This wine is largely produced in California and New Zealand.

Chardonnay

When talking about white wine types Chardonnay is one of the most popular selling wines. It has a large and impressive variety of flavors ranging from oak overtones, buttered to the fruit flavors of pears , citrus , apple , and melon .Chardonnay is served with sea food , poultry dishes and heavy cream based dishes.

Pinot Gris / Grigio

A wine you can experiment with and suits your budget too. Flavors of this wine vary from melon, pear, and citrus to honey and smoky flavors. Served with light pastas and seafood it brings richness to your food.

Viognier

Loaded with floral aromas the wine smells like banana and peach. Just be little careful while consuming this wine because alcohol levels are little high.Viognier is paired with spicy food.

Riesling
For wine lovers and people who are ready to spend more on wine , Riesling is their obvious choice. It is produced in cooler climates. Most popular and most costly areas for this white wine are Germany, Alsace Region and certain region of France. It is served with Asian cuisine and spicy food.

Other white wine includes Semillon, Gewurztraminer, and Chenin Blanc etc.

White wine grapes are found in different parts of the world. The can be found in Austria, Germany, Italy and France. In United States, <a target=”_blank” href=”http://brewwineandblues.com/”>white wine </a>grapes are found in New York, Washington, Oregon and California. They are also grown in South Africa, New Zealand, Chile and Australia.

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Grenache noir is the world’s most widely planted grape used to make red wine, sometimes made into a stand-alone varietal, frequently as a rosé, but most often as a backbone of red blends.

Used as a component in some Northern Rhône reds, nearly exclusively for Rhône rosés and as the primary component in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. In spite of its fame coming from French wines, Spain is most likely this grape’s origin

Grenache is known by local names (alicante, carignane rousse) in the Mediterranean regions of France. Particularly important in the areas of the Languedoc and Rousillon, there are also variants with different colored berries: white grenache blanc, and pink grenache rose or grenache gris. Nearly three times as much grenache is planted in Spain as in France. The spanish know this grape and wine as garnacha or garnacha tinta, where it is the dominant red wine variety in Catalonia and prominent in Rioja. The grape is known in Italy as cannonau.

In the New World, Australia has extensive plantings of Grenache and has been very successful making full-bodied Grenache-dominated red blends. Until surpassed by plantings of merlot in the past decade, Grenache was the third most planted red variety in California after Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of this acreage is in the Central Valley and used to produce bulk rather than premium wine.

An abundant producer of fruit, grenache habitually will "alternate" a crop of 8 to 10 tons per acre one year and 14 to 16 tons the next. The vine is very sturdy and woody, lends itself well to head or spur pruning, and survives arid and drought conditions better than less vigorous vines. Cool and damp conditions can cause "deadarm" disease in grenache, however, and its compact and well-filled clusters are quite prone to rot. The grenache grape is relatively low in both pigment and malic acid, and oxidizes readily. Although some 100% varietal wines are produced from grenache, particularly in Spain’s Rioja and from some "other countries grenache is noted as a filler

On its own, grenache makes fleshy, heady, very fruity wines in their youth. They tend to age quickly, showing tawny colors and prone to oxidation or maderization after only a relatively short time in bottle. The general character and mouthfeel of Grenache wines are more distinctive and identifyable than any particular aromas or flavors.

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Wine is made from many different grape varieties. The Vitis vinifera is the predominant grape. This type of wine is known to people as the Chardonnay, Merlot, or the Pinot Noir. The areas of the world where these grapes are grown include regions like the Rhone Valley and Bordeaux.

Wines are not always made from the same species of grapes. They may be from the same vintage but of different species. When two species of grapes are crossed it is called a hybrid. The Concord grape is a hybrid grape coming from different species of grapes like the Vitis labrusca, Vitis rupestris, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis, riparia, and the Vitis rotundiafolia. These grapes are primarily grown in North America for general consumption. There are many foods made from these grapes which include things like jelly, jam, grape juice, and even sometimes wine.

Wine is generally classified depending on the different parts of the world. There are regulations that govern the way wine is classified. For example, in Europe wine is classified by the region it comes from. If it comes from Bordeaux or Chianti the wine is classified as this.

Countries that are not European do not classify their wines by the different regions the wine is produced. They classify the wine according to the type of grapes used to make the wine. Wines classified by the different grape types include the Merlot and the Pinot Noir.

Some regions of the world and wine valleys have recognized the classification regulations put to standard in Europe. Wine is being recognized more often by the locale rather than by the grape. Some wines recognized by the location of the vineyard and not by the grape variety include wines like Napa Valley, Australia, Willamette Valley, Barrosa Valley, and Marlborough.

There have been attempts by wine valley regions around the world that are non-European to classify wines by the quality of the wine. However, these attempts have failed and were short lived.

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Rice wine is a wine famously known as sake. This is a Japanese alcoholic beverage. Rice wine is made by fermenting naturally sweet grapes, in addition to other fruits. Rice starch is fermented to make rice wine. The fermentation turns the rice starch into sugars. This process is very similar to the process used to make beer except a mashing process takes place.

There are many different types of rice wine. These types include Tuak from Malaysia, Raksi from Tibet, Lihing from Sabah, and much more. Korea also makes an unfiltered rice wine that is known as snake wine.

Barley Wine

Barley wine originated in the 19th century. It actually came from the 18th century ales brewed in October and November. This is a terminology used but it is actually a beer. However, this is as strong as wine but often misconstrued as a wine because of the name.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir comes from the variety of species of grapes known as the Vitis vinifera. These grapes are primarily for red wine. The name is French and means ‘pine’ and ‘black’. This refers to the tightly clustered pine cone shaped, purple colored fruit. These grapes are most commonly known as coming from Burgundy France.

These grapes are difficult to cultivate but are known to produce the finest wines in the world. This wine is also considered to be one of the most romantic wines in the world also. Pinot wine tends to have a light to medium body with an aroma that might remind you of black cherries, raspberries, or currants. When the grapes are used young the wine is often much lighter than other red wines. Pinot Noir is also used with Chardonnay.

Many of the places around the world known for producing Pinot Noir include the United States, Italy, Australia, Austria, Moldova, new Zealand, Canada, England, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Spain. There are California wine regions in the United States known for producing Pinot Noir which include the Sonoma Coast, Monterey County, Carneros District of Napa and Sonoma, and San Luis Obispo County / Arroyo Grande Valley.

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Chardonnay is a white wine made from a green skinned variety of grapes. The flavors associated with a Chardonnay are terroir and oak. It is considered to be a neutral wine, light in flavor. Many of the places around the world known for producing Chardonnay include France, Burgundy, Champagne, North America, California, Australia, Italy, and the New World Wine Regions.

There are many types of Chardonnay from dry still wines and sweet late harvest wines. If a Chardonnay has not gone through a malolactic fermentation the wine will have an apple flavor. The harder the malic acid is when it is converted through fermentation it will have a more buttery flavor.

The oak is also charred to a certain degree which introduces a toastiness flavor. Many wine tasters mistake this flavor to the grapes but it is from the charring of the oak. Some of the flavors that Chardonnay can taste like due to the charring of the oak include coconut, cinnamon, cloves, spice, smoke, cream, caramel, and vanilla.

When Chardonnay is fermented it also affects the flavor of the wine. For instance, the colder the fermentation process is the more fruity the wine tastes. These flavors include mango and pineapple. Some wineries also use yeast that is specially cultivated which gives the wines an aromatic quality.

Chardonnay is the most difficult wine to recognize in a blind tasting because there is not a distinct universal trait or style that is directly applied to the wine. There are many different flavors, blends, and more. Not all Chardonnays have a smoky note to them either.

Merlot

Merlot is made primarily from the Vitis vinifera species. The many wines associated with a merlot include the Bouchet, Bouche, Petit-Bouchet, Petit-Cabernet, Petit-Vidure, Vidure and Sauvignon Rouge. The origin of the wine is from the Bordeaux grape. It is also thought to be produced from a mutated grape from Biturica. Merlot is a red wine. The word is French and means many kinds of thrushes.

Merlot is produced in France, Italy, California, Romania, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, South Africa, Croatia, Hungary, and more. The role of Merlot is to add body and softness. Some blends have a sweet taste and it is most commonly noted for the balanced acid levels.

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In order to appreciate wine, it’s essential to understand the characteristics different grapes offer and how those characteristics should be expressed in wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel are all red grapes, but as wines their personalities are quite different. Even when grown in different appellations and vinified using different techniques, a varietal wine always displays certain qualities, which are inherent in the grape’s personality. Muscat should always be spicy, Sauvignon Blanc a touch herbal. Zinfandel is zesty, with pepper and wild berry flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon is marked by plum, currant and black cherry flavors and firm tannins. Understanding what a grape should be as a wine is fundamental, and knowing what a grape can achieve at its greatest is the essence of fine-wine appreciation.

In Europe, the finest wines are known primarily by geographic appellation (although this is changing; witness the occasional French and Italian varietals). Elsewhere, however-as in America, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand-most wines are labeled by their varietal names; even, sometimes, by grape combinations (Cabernet-Shiraz, for example). To a large extent, this is because in the United States, the process of sorting out which grapes grow best in which appellations is ongoing and Americans were first introduced to fine wine by varietal name. In Europe, with a longer history for matching grape types to soil and climate, the research is more conclusive: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for instance, are the major grapes of Burgundy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot are the red grapes of Bordeaux. Syrah dominates northern Rhône reds. Barolo and Barbaresco are both made of Nebbiolo, but the different appellations produce different styles of wine. In Tuscany, Sangiovese provides the backbone of Chianti. A different clone of Sangiovese is used for Brunello di Montalcino.Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as the best ex[ression of the sangiovese grape grown on specific parcels of land.

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The undisputed king of red wines, Cabernet is a remarkably steady and consistent performer throughout much of the state. While it grows well in many appellations, in specific appellations it is capable of rendering wines of uncommon depth, richness, concentration and longevity. Bordeaux has used the grape since the 18th century, always blending it with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes a soupçon of Petite Verdot. The Bordeaux model is built around not only the desire to craft complex wines, but also the need to ensure that different grape varieties ripen at different intervals or to give a wine color, tannin or backbone.

Elsewhere in the world-and it is found almost everywhere in the world-Cabernet Sauvignon is as likely to be bottled on its own as in a blend. It mixes with Sangiovese in Tuscany, Syrah in Australia and Provence, and Merlot and Cabernet Franc in South Africa, but flies solo in some of Italy’s super-Tuscans. In the United States., it’s unlikely any region will surpass Napa Valley’s high-quality Cabernets and Cabernet blends. Through most of the grape’s history in California (which dates to the 1800s), the best Cabernets have been 100 percent Cabernet. Since the late 1970s, many vintners have turned to the Bordeaux model and blended smaller portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot into their Cabernets. The case for blending is still under review, but clearly there are successes. On the other hand, many U.S. producers are shifting back to higher percentages of Cabernet, having found that blending doesn’t add complexity and that Cabernet on its own has a stronger character.

At its best, unblended Cabernet produces wines of great intensity and depth of flavor. Its classic flavors are currant, plum, black cherry and spice. It can also be marked by herb, olive, mint, tobacco, cedar and anise, and ripe, jammy notes. In warmer areas, it can be supple and elegant; in cooler areas, it can be marked by pronounced vegetal, bell pepper, oregano and tar flavors (a late ripener, it can’t always be relied on in cool areas, which is why Germany, for example, has never succumbed to the lure). It can also be very tannic if that is a feature of the desired style. The best Cabernets start out dark purple-ruby in color, with firm acidity, a full body, great intensity, concentrated flavors and firm tannins.

Cabernet has an affinity for oak and usually spends 15 to 30 months in new or used French or American barrels, a process that, when properly executed imparts a woody, toasty cedar or vanilla flavor to the wine while slowly oxidizing it and softening the tannins. Microclimates are a major factor in the weight and intensity of the Cabernets. Winemakers also influence the style as they can extract high levels of tannin and heavily oak their wines.

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Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide

Wine in its simplest form is fermented grape juice. Then, why do they vary so much in price and taste? Have you ever found yourself in front of a bewildering amass of wine bottles at your local wine store trying to select the right one for a special occasion? So, how do you unravel some of the mystery behind it to make your holiday shopping easier?

 If you are an avid wine drinker, you could spend some time trying to understand wines. You could become the wine expert that everyone seeks advice from.  First, learn how to read the label on a bottle of wine. Typically, most French wines are not labeled by varietal i.e. Cabernet, Merlot etc., however, most of the new world wine is labeled by varietal. New world wines are produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe.

The new world includes Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Old world wine regions are Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Each one makes vastly different styles of wine even within their own borders. The term “old /new world” is used to describe general differences in cultivation and winemaking philosophies. In old world regions, tradition, the role of unique pieces of land, and the climate are more important versus in the new world, where science and the role of the winemaker are more often emphasized.

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, and is almost 80% red, and is a blend. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Typical top-quality Chateaux blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Merlot. This is typically referred to as the “Bordeaux Blend.”  Burgundy is one of France’s main wine producing areas. It is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, respectively. Beaujolais & Beaujolais Nouveau are red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. Beaujolais Nouveau is the most popular. It is fermented for just a few weeks. It is officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November. This is a heavy favorite, served at harvest celebrations and at Thanksgiving.

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Wine may have been with us for over 8,000 years, but France was the center of all things wine until roughly 40 years ago. France still produces excellent wines, but so do many other locations across the planet. You can experience them by sampling reds and whites from each and comparing the different offerings.

The French know wine and the world acknowledged as much. While you could find wines in other areas like Italy, nobody could challenge the quality of the wine in France. Well, at least that was the prevailing opinion until a certain blind tasting happened. The Judgment in Paris in the late 1970s showed that other regions, in this case California, could produce quality wines as well. Wine experts were unable to distinguish between French and California wines and actually gave their highest marks to a California vintage. The world of wine was forever to be changed.

The importing of wine vines and knowledge around the world led to an explosion of wine producing regions. Modern agricultural practices and mechanisms helped further the cause as well. Before you knew it, Argentina was producing wine that compared nicely to some of the better known regions. In fact, many countries were producing quality wine that had never done so before.

A fun thing to do is to gather the wine drinkers amongst your friends and family. Every week or month, hold a wine tasting party focused on wines from a particular region. Hand out wine journals so you can keep notes on the vintages so that comparisons can be made. Slowly, but surely, work your way across the world of wines. The goal isn’t so much to identify the “best” wines as it is to expose yourself to new and interesting variations.

What are the key wine regions in these modern times? Well, the standard bearers like France, Italy and California are still at the top of the heap. That being said, make sure to try wines from South Africa, Chile, Australia and Argentina as well. You just might discover a wine you can’t stop talking about!

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