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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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Wine does not only come with accessories. It comes, more importantly, with food. A drinking party will not be complete without food. Or, to correct the sentence, a drinking party will not be complete without pairing it with the right food. Without the food fit for your drink, the party will surely be ruined because the visitors will not be able to enjoy the drink. So, try to know the secrets in correct wine and food pairing.

•    Foods that are rich in spices require full-flavored wines.
•    High-acid wines are better paired with acidic foods.
•    The key in wine and food matching is balance. Do not allow the taste of one overpowers the taste of another. Foods rich in texture match rich and full-bodied wines.
•    Red wines are a great match to pasta with red sauce, and red meats.
•    Because garlic and vinegar, and other overpowering spices do not go with any wine, make sure that the foods you will serve are not too intense with these components.
•    Those pasta and seafood with cream sauce should not be paired with red wines.
•    Adding salt to food is useful in softening the bitterness and sharp taste of some wines.
•    Foods that are sour and with a great amount of acidity, when paired with wine, will not taste as such; but, will rather have rich flavor.
•    Foods that are sweet, when matched with wine, will taste bitter. This goes also with flavorful foods.
•    Spicy food will produce exaggerated bitterness in wine. But, adding salty or sourness to the food will counter this result.
•    Foods that are bitter will decrease the wine’s sweetness; it will also enable the wine to become more alcoholic.
•    Savory food will improve the sweetness of the wine.
•    Asparagus is a vegetable that is known to have a very strong flavor; thus, ‘killing’ the taste of the wine. So, do not attempt to serve food with this vegetable or else, your wine will be nothing. But, if you still insist, steam then grill the asparagus; thereby, reducing the grassy taste.
•    Salad with vinaigrette dressing dulls the flavor of the wine.
•    The higher the alcohol content of the wine, the higher the possibility of decreasing the palatability of the food.
•    If you have old wines, do not match it with foods that have delicate flavors.
•    Desserts that are sweet must be less sweet than the wine.
•    To make sure of a happy drink, if you have more than kind of wine, you ought to have more than one meal.

Your food and wine should match. It is not enough that you have both. You have to be sure that when these foods and wines are served, they satisfy the taste buds of the people attending your party. This way, you will be able to bid good bye to visitors that have happy faces because they enjoy both your food and your wine.

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The  Trials and Tribulations of Australian Wine Game

There is little doubt that the Australian wine-grower has had a tough time of it lately. If it`s not climate change playing havoc with the ripening cycles and rain fall averages, it`s the strength of the Aussie dollar relative to the US dollar – totally devastating the export value of the average bottle of good old Barossa shiraz…

There is however another aspect to the trials and tribulations of the industry which is becoming more and more apparent – brand Australia is no longer the coolest kid on the wine block with the groovy sneakers and matching i-phone.

There was a time not too long ago when the UK supermarkets were bulging with good value Australian reds that were  being consumed in near-alarming amounts along with the weekend take-away Chicken Tikka dinners and Coronation Street episodes so beloved by the average British household.

At the time, it was cool to rag the French and Bulgarians for lousy low-end wines and every visiting Australian winemaker was treated like Mick Jagger on a come-back tour every time they touched down at Heathrow.

These days, it`s the Chileans and Argentineans who have elbowed their ways into the hearts and minds of most UK and US wine shoppers, and it`s hurting back home in a big way.

It has to be said that the average bottle of South American wine is cheaper to produce by a country mile than most Australian wines. They are also producing new and exciting varietals such as Malbec and Carmenere (like Shiraz but mostly sweeter and denser). With most trends the cycle highs and lows are always extreme, and currently my antipodean hackles are being raised by the amount of negative international  press we are getting in the global marketplace. Some of the bad press is justified as it is fair to say that the impact of Robert Parker`s preference for certain styles of wines have moulded a lot of Australian winemaker’s product – only to be left high and dry as the global consumer is nudged toward alternate countries styles and varietals.

As  Victoria`s Secret Super-Model Heidi Klum is famous for saying  of fashion “One Minute You are In and the Next Minute you are Out…”

There are green grass-shoots of hope amongst all of this.

Firstly it has forced  a lot of producers  to take a look at what they produce and how they produce it. Regions are being examined a lot more closely to understand exactly what varietals work best in a specific place – so Riesling out of Clare, Shiraz out of Barossa and so on. This is a good thing and can only result in more carefully considered wines which have the best chance of showing what they can do best.

The next thing is that it has started to produce interesting and hereto unknown varietals out of Australia, like Spanish sourced Savagnin or also called Traminer  (a style like Sauvignon Blanc) – which really gives the South Island of New Zealand a run for its money with Sauvignon Blanc. Heathcote  is producing some pretty sexy Tempranillo and I tasted a 100% Mouvedre from Coonawarra the other day which would make angels weep.

Winemakers are also travelling more  – making wines in different countries and learning more about consumer styles and trends. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Two Hands winemaker Matt Wenk last month – in Singapore to meet, greet  and drink with expats at a recent Austcham event.  What was brought home to me in a big way was his commitment to the notion that a winery was at its best if  drawing grapes from multiple regions and making the most of the chosen varietals – the experts call this Regional Differentiation. I reckon it is here to stay and will be the foundation of the rebirth of the Australian wine industry in years to come.

I manage an online wine e-tail portal in Singapore – servicing most of South East Asia. Our specialty is New World Wines into Singapore, Hong Kong and China. www.wineexchangeasia.com

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Not all the wines in the world are made the same. The first clue will come if you get your wine in a box, these varieties of wine are a lot like fruit cordial with a boost than a quality bottle of wine. Wines have a a range of tastes, depending on a range of key points

*  Where in the world the wine is found
*  The Vintage
* How the wine was stored.

Selecting a bottle of wine to have with your food depends on what type of meal you are having Typically fish and chicken is better served with a nice white wine. There are exceptions of course. If the chicken is prepared in a red wine, then going for a red wine to drink with the meal would be more appropriate. If you are going for a white wine, you can try a chardonnay for a smoother taste. Or if you prefer a sweet wine go for a Riesling.
When eating dark meats like beef, ribs or venison then a red wine should be drank. The flavour of the wine will complement the meat beautifully. Merlots tend to be a softer taste, where as Cabernets are heartier. A Bordeaux wine will give a super hearty glass of wine. Try a Shiraz for a wine which has a spicy kick.

The most important thing to be aware of when preparing a meal is that the wine and food should complement eachother. Try to avoid having the food or drink offending each other. If you would like to serve a few different wines at a meal, remember these important steps:

1) Serve dryer wines before sweeter ones.
2) Allow your diners to enjoy a lighter before a full bodies one such as a Bordeaux.
3) It’s a good idea to serve the highest alcohol content wines at the end of the meal, so that the food will absorb more the alcohol making your guests feel less tipsy

Your food and drink choices should be running like a piece of music . This is the reason behind most restaurants beginning with an amouse bouche then a first course and ending with a sweet course. The most sweet part of the meal. Follow this rule for your wine, and you will have a good time. Start off with a  wine to wake the taste buds up and then go up from there. Pudding can be served with a sweet wine or drink, however sweet wine is again an aquired taste.

Failing to plan is planning the fail! The essential step to hosting a sucessful dinner party is to have a trial run a week or so before. Trial your food and wine ideas with your partner or a close acquaintance to find out what works most sucessfully. When you have your dinner party, you can feel satisfied knowing that the food and wine matched well. Your aim should be to have your guests leave delighted and satisfied and be thinking about how well the night was – a great night out to remember.

Check out Top Wine UK for more information

Check out Top Wine UK

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