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The Process of Manufacturing Wine

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Wine Delivery Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , October 24th, 2009 @ 2:57 am
Nicholas Tan asked:

Wine, which is a drink we all know and love, is produced from fruits such as grapes and berries by drying and then fermenting them.  Once the fruits ferment, the sugar within the fruit will turn into alcohol.  The wine will display a different color, taste, and aroma depending on the type of fruit that it was made from. 

Wine is divided into three main categories – fortified, sparkling, and table.  Wine is known as fortified when a bit of brandy is added into it to enrich the alcohol.  Wine is deemed as sparkling when it has the right level of C02.  Table wine, the third category, is wine in it’s natural form – which is different from any other type of wine.

Normally, grapes are the preferred ingredients for making wine.  They contain an equal amount of acid and sugar, which can’t be found in any other type of fruit.  When drying the grapes, a high amount of heat is needed.  To use grapes with wine though, you need to know the exact harvest season.  If you don’t pick the grapes during the right time, your wine will suffer due to the level of increases in sugar and a lack of acidic extent.

During the beginning stages of wine making, the grapes or other fruit is crushed by a large cylindrical container that will deflate the juicy parts of the fruit into large bags that are attached to the machine.  Next, the juicy part of the fruit is fermented through the use of heat.  During this part of the process, present yeast will help to convert the sugar into alcohol.  Once the sugars start to break down into alcohol, the wine will get a buttery flavor.

Next, is the settling.  Settling involves the yeast cells or any other type of material flowing near the top of the wine.  Once it is at the top, it is then filtered with all sediments being gathered on the filter.  Aging is next, which is where the wine is tightly packed away in special contains that won’t allow any contact with air for months – sometimes even years.  Once the wine has been aged, it is transferred into smaller bottlers then shipped out and sold.

When the wine is bottled, it is done in a way that makes it easy to distinguish the several types of wine.  Colored bottles are preferred, as they will greatly reduce the risk of oxidation, damage, and several other possible risks.  The bottles are also labeled according to their manufacturer and brand as well, which makes it easy for you to select the wine you are interested in.

Once you have bought a bottle fo wine, you should always make sure you store it in the right place.  The most appropriate places to store wine is the basement, underground cellars, or anywhere else that is damp and cool.  No matter where you store your wine at, you should always make sure that temperature stays around 55 degrees F. 

Never store the wine in an area where the temperature fluctuates, as it can harm the wine.  A humidity level of around 60% is also important, in order to keep the cork moist.  If the temperature is too low, it can also harm the wine.  When you buy your wine, you should always make sure that you store it in the right location.  Wine that is properly stored and taken care of can be truly amazing once you drink it – making it more than worth the time and effort.

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The Evolution Of the California Wine Industry

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Wine Delivery Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , October 15th, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
Kris Koonar asked:

The association of the California style of wine with deep flavors, forward fruits, high alcohol and a hint of oak, is a thing of the past. However, its a common belief that America witnessed an increase in the revenue of the wine industry, in recent times. The U.S. and Canada were previously accused of favoring beer and spirits over wine, till the magical effects of wine were discovered by the present generation. The burgeoning California wine industry has an origin, prior to the Prohibition in the 1920s. Over 140 wineries had sprouted all over the Napa Valley alone, in 1889.

The Spanish government banned wine grape cultivation in Mexico after the wine industry started competing with Spanish imports, in the late 16th century. The effects of the prohibition were evident in Mexico till the 20th century. The California missions, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, needed wine on a regular basis. Fr. Junipero Serra at the Mission San Diego de Alcala planted the first vineyard of California in 1769. Fr. Serra brought the Mission grape to California, supposedly from cuttings brought from South America. Though, initially this grape was not considered to be ideal as a table wine, by the mid nineteenth century over 4,000 acres were cultivated around the missions.

Immediately after the Santa Cruz Mission, in 1804, vineyards were planted throughout California. Owing to the deforestation by the lumber industry, vineyards sprouted up on the Santa Cruz Mountains in the following years. Padre Jose Altimira planted several thousand grape vines at the northernmost mission, twenty years after that. Los Angeles had its first European table grape varietals plantation cultivated by Jean-Louis Vignes, in 1833. Richard Henry Dana discussed the wine of early California in his historic account of life on the California coast, in 1934. George Calvert Yount planted the first vineyard in Napa Valley, in 1836.

In the mid nineteenth century, most of the table wines consumed in California were Portuguese imports. Portuguese red wine, cooked in the sun on sailing ships and inadvertently oxidized, was made palatable by sweetening them. This led to the commercialization of Madeira wines, one of the most preferred wines in America. Till date, whenever wines take on a tinge of brown because of being old or due to poor cellaring, they are said to be maderized.

However, consumerism has played a significant role in determining the quality, quantity and even the process involved in wine making. The English designed a rating system for French wines in the eighteenth century and also created Sherry and Madeira. Consumerism steered the California wine industry and later the market determined that the wines should be a little sweet and smooth on the palate. In addition, the market demanded that the acid level should be low. Thus, owing to these requirements, the wine industry had to turn grapes used for making table wines for processing several base wines.

Unlike cheese lovers, wine lovers have better options, as they can find good wines in the supermarkets, provided they know which ones to choose. The market is the most powerful factor that determines not only which varietals will sink or swim, but also which ones will thrive.

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How is Wine Produced

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Wine Delivery Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , September 29th, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
Jerry Shannon asked:

Wine, which is a drink we all know and love, is produced from fruits such as grapes and berries by drying and then fermenting them. Once the fruits ferment, the sugar within the fruit will turn into alcohol. The wine will display a different color, taste, and aroma depending on the type of fruit that it was made from. 

Wine is divided into three main categories – fortified, sparkling, and table. Wine is known as fortified when a bit of brandy is added into it to enrich the alcohol. Wine is deemed as sparkling when it has the right level of C02. Table wine, the third category, is wine in it’s natural form – which is different from any other type of wine.

Normally, grapes are the preferred ingredients for making wine. They contain an equal amount of acid and sugar, which can’t be found in any other type of fruit. When drying the grapes, a high amount of heat is needed. To use grapes with wine though, you need to know the exact harvest season. If you don’t pick the grapes during the right time, your wine will suffer due to the level of increases in sugar and a lack of acidic extent.

During the beginning stages of wine making, the grapes or other fruit is crushed by a large cylindrical container that will deflate the juicy parts of the fruit into large bags that are attached to the machine. Next, the juicy part of the fruit is fermented through the use of heat. During this part of the process, present yeast will help to convert the sugar into alcohol. Once the sugars start to break down into alcohol, the wine will get a buttery flavor.

Next, is the settling. Settling involves the yeast cells or any other type of material flowing near the top of the wine. Once it is at the top, it is then filtered with all sediments being gathered on the filter. Aging is next, which is where the wine is tightly packed away in special contains that won’t allow any contact with air for months – sometimes even years. Once the wine has been aged, it is transferred into smaller bottlers then shipped out and sold.

When the wine is bottled, it is done in a way that makes it easy to distinguish the several types of wine. Colored bottles are preferred, as they will greatly reduce the risk of oxidation, damage, and several other possible risks. The bottles are also labeled according to their manufacturer and brand as well, which makes it easy for you to select the wine you are interested in.

Once you have bought a bottle fo wine, you should always make sure you store it in the right place. The most appropriate places to store wine is the basement, underground cellars, or anywhere else that is damp and cool. No matter where you store your wine at, you should always make sure that temperature stays around 55 degrees F. 

Never store the wine in an area where the temperature fluctuates, as it can harm the wine. A humidity level of around 60% is also important, in order to keep the cork moist. If the temperature is too low, it can also harm the wine. When you buy your wine, you should always make sure that you store it in the right location. Wine that is properly stored and taken care of can be truly amazing once you drink it – making it more than worth the time and effort.

Wine Equipment

Beginners Guide to the Numerous Types of Wines

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Wines And Spirits Tagged with , , , July 2nd, 2009 @ 10:55 am
Korbin Newlyn asked:

Throughout history wine has been very popular. In many different places throughout the world there have been many types of wines created over the years. Some of the most well liked wines are the white wine, red wine, the table wine, as well as the sparkling wine and the cooking wine.

Within these various wine groups there are also are sub types to them. Nevertheless, because these different elements are so numerous and varied to mention and may simply confuse the beginner; we will go into the four most popular kinds of wines.

The White and Red Wines

In terms of the popularity of wines, the red wine as well as the white wine are constantly on the top of the rankings. Numerous individuals throughout the world enjoy drinking these kinds of wines during as well as after having dinner. In the majority of European nations, it is very common for the people there to drink red and white wines. As a matter of fact, numerous Europeans would not think of their meal as complete if they don’t have a glass of wine.

The question often arises of; what determines a wines color? The answer is quite simple; the absence or the presence of the skin on the grapes determines a wines color. To produce white wine the skin of the grape is removed prior to extracting the juice.

On the other hand, the production of red wine happens by allowing the red skin or the grapes to come into contact with the juice while the fermentation process is happening. Because the majority of the flavor is concentrated on it’s skin, it is typical for red wine to have a stronger flavor in comparison to white wine.

Because white wine has a flavor that is light it usually goes well with meals that are subtly flavored as well as meals that are light. In contrast red wine is more ideally suited for meals with a stronger flavor.

The Sparkling Wine

An additional type of wine that is popular is the sparkling wine. Sparkling wines have a higher level of carbon dioxide which is manifested in it’s bubbly consistency. There are some wines that  have much lesser amounts of carbon dioxide which is in direct contrast to sparkling wines that are purposely injected with carbon dioxide during the process of fermentation to give it a fizzing effect when consumed.

Numerous people refer to the sparkling wine as champagne style wines. Because this kind of wine fizzle is very much like there champagne counterpart, numerous people choose to use this kind of wine in place of champagne during times of celebrations.

The Table Wine

Another kind of wine is the table wine which has become very popular over the years. In this type of wine there is a greater content of alcohol compared to other kinds of wines. In the USA, the level of alcohol content of table wine if just within the 8.5% and the 14.5% content range. However, in the regions of Europe, table wines typically contain more than 14% alcohol.

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Categories Of Wines

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Wines And Spirits Tagged with , , , February 4th, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
sreejith asked:

Don’t you know the different categories of wines available? Don’t lose your heart when we are there.

Wines can be produced from any vegetable and fruits. But the most commonly used is grapes which are normally referred to as grape wine or simple wine. Wines fall into three basic categories – the white, rose and the red.

Wines contain sugar in them. The wines with less sugar content will be drier than those wines which have more sugar. If you have visited a wine store, then you will be able to remember that the bins are classified as numbers say 1, 2, 3 etc. The wine bin which has the highest number will contain the sweetest wines.

The normal wines contain alcohol anywhere between nine percent and twelve percent. But sherry, port as well as brandy contains alcohol at a minimum level of twenty percent.

The alcohols which are distilled are known b y the name of spirits. The alcohols like sherry, port and brandy are the distilled form of grape wines. But liqueurs are normally distilled forms of fruit wines. These types of distilled wines are used before meals. These may be or may not be accompanied with an appetizer.

Table wines are served surprisingly with the dinner. These types of wines have a dry nature which will complete the food which is served. The general rule for serving table wine is that:

1. if you are serving red meat, then serve only red wine and

2. if you are serving white meat, then serve only white wine.

But if you do not know which wine to serve, then you can opt for a rose wine.

The category of wine which can be served as dessert is the dessert wine like sauternes.

One can serve sweet wines or wines that are fortified, after the dinner.

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I Love German Wine and Food – a Mittlerhein Reisling

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Home And Family Tagged with , , , January 12th, 2008 @ 11:44 am
Levi Reiss asked:

If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider the Mittelrhein region of southwestern Germany. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local Riesling Kabinett.

The Mittelrhein is castle country. It starts out just south of the former West German capital of Bonn and then follows the Rhein River for about 60 miles (100 kilometers). The area was named a World Cultural Heritage site in 2002. It contains some of Germany’s steepest vineyards, in effect some of the steepest vineyards in the world. This is a problem; the shortage of farm workers who are willing to break their backs on these slopes is probably the major reason that Mittelrhein vineyard acreage has shrunk almost by half in the last forty years. This region now ranks 11th out of the 13 German wine regions for vineyard area and 12th for total wine production. About three quarters of its wine is Riesling, quite a good sign. In fact, after the Rheingau region, the Mittelrhein has the highest percentage of Riesling in Germany. Less than 2% of Mittelrhein wine is low-quality table wine, almost 60% medium-quality QbA wine, and almost 40% higher-quality QmP wine. The yield per acre is also one of the lowest in Germany, which is also a good sign.

Koblenz, population slightly over one hundred thousand, is a real river town. It is situated on both banks of the Rhine River and on the Moselle River. The rivers’ meeting point is known as the Deutsches Eck (German Corner). Besides these two magnificent rivers there are three mountain ranges and a third river, the Lahn nearby. The name Koblenz means confluence or merging rivers.

Koblenz recently celebrated its two-thousandth anniversary. During the Middle Ages Koblenz took advantage of its strategic location to control both Rhine and Mosel trade. Most of the city is situated on the west bank of the Rhine. On the east bank, facing the city, is Festung Ehrenbreitstein, Europe’s largest fortress after Gibraltar. This fortress sits on a mountain four hundred feet above the river. It’s hardly surprising that the site has been fortified for more than three thousand years. We are happy that Festung Ehrenbreitstein was not destroyed as it passed from one country to another during many wars. It now hosts a youth hostel and a museum.

In the old town make sure to see the Pfaffendorfer Bridge, the Weindorf, a wine village constructed in the 1920s for a giant German wine exhibition, the Rheinanlagen (Rhein Gardens), a 6 mile (10 kilometer) river promenade, and the mid-Ninth Century St. Kastor Kirche (St. Castor Church) which, shortly after its foundation, hosted talks for the Treaty of Verdun that divided Charlemagne’s empire into present-day Germany and France. The Schaengel is a famous statue of a boy who spits water.

Before we review the Mittelrhein wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are some suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Hinkelsdreck (Chicken Liver Pate). For your second course enjoy Wildschwein Sauerbraten (Wild Boar Sauerbraten-Marinated Meat). As a dessert indulge yourself with Feigenmus (Fig Puree).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Toni Jost Riesling Kabinett 2004 9.5% alcohol about $20

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. From the little-known-in-our-market Mittelrhein region comes this superb Riesling. There is pronounced varietal character here with special emphasis on peach, apricot and floral notes (particularly lilac). It is off-dry with very good fruit notes surrounded by crisp acid tones. Light- to medium-bodied, this long-finishing wine would be an excellent match for Thai spicy noodle dishes, crab legs or scallops in a saffron cream sauce.

My first tasting included a commercial chicken pot pie perked up by a spicy Jalapeno-based salsa. The wine was quite acidic and lemony with some taste of apple as well. The wine was very flavorful; a little bit went a long way. Frankly this Riesling was too good for such a pedestrian meal. Dessert was a slice of top of the line chocolate mousse cake that suffered somewhat by being too sweet. The cake was too sweet for the wine. I had the feeling that the wine and the cake were fighting. In the end the wine emerged as the winner; it was only a little injured.

My next trial involved a home made barbecued chicken marinated in a sweet and sour Thai sauce. The side dish was a specialty of the local supermarket, roasted potatoes cooked in chicken fat, reheated in foil on the barbecue. Yummy. To complete the meal I barbecued Portabello mushrooms and slices of red pepper. The whole meal was a great match for the Reisling. The wine was light (but far from weak), refreshing, and pleasantly acidic. I loved the meat’s grease – I removed most but not all of the skin. And I loved the way the wine cut the meat’s grease. The Riesling’s fruit intensified when matched with the sweet barbecued red pepper. I tasted a lot of apple and lemon.

The final meal consisted of an omelet with tasty local Asiago cheese, green and black Greek olives, and grape tomatoes. The wine had a gossamer quality and an excellent balance of acidity, sugar, and fruit, mostly lemon. That was the wine. It overwhelmed the omelet, which essentially added nothing to the mix in spite of the relatively strong cheese. Not surprisingly the wine did better with the acidic grape tomatoes than with the salty olives. As is my policy, I never blame the wine for an unorthodox food pairing that just doesn’t make it. I finished the meal with a high-quality but oversweet chocolate ice-cream bar. The sugar weakened the wine and made it taste sour. But I waited a few minutes and finished the final sips without any food. And this wine was as good as it had ever been.

I paired this wine with two imported cheeses, a German Edam and a French Camembert. The Edam was soft and buttery. In its presence the Riesling was pleasantly acidic with a lot of fruit. The French Camembert was probably past its prime. At the first sip, the Riesling seemed a bit weaker than in previous tastings, but later on the wine managed to hold its own.

Final verdict. I am really a fan of this wine and plan to buy it again. However, I won’t want to waste its power and delicacy on pairing it with the wrong foods.

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I Love German Wine and Food – a Riesling From the Mosel

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Home And Family Tagged with , , , May 21st, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
Levi Reiss asked:

If you hankering for fine German wine and food, why not consider the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border of Luxembourg? While I can’t guarantee that you’ll find a bargain, I know you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Riesling tasted with several meals and paired with imported cheeses.

The Mosel Valley has long been considered one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. This region, formerly known as Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in honor of its three rivers, is proud of its Riesling wine. Some of the greatest Rieslings in Germany and in fact in the entire world come from the Mosel Valley. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of flint. Mosel vineyard slopes are among the steepest in the wine-producing world, sometimes attaining 70 degrees. The soil is so precious that every spring local workers lug pails of soil up these slopes. This arduous activity temporarily reverses the effect of the rains that wash the soil down every winter.

Mosel is fifth among the thirteen German wine regions with respect to both vineyard acreage and total wine production. Slightly more than three quarters of the wine produced here is QbA and somewhat less than one quarter is higher quality QmP wine. Only one percent is table wine. More than half of all Mosel wine is Riesling. The German hybrid Mueller-Thurgau represents about 20% of the wine production. In third place is the historic variety Elbing that dates back to Roman times and is the major grape variety in the neighboring country of Luxembourg. Only about 2% of Mosel wine is red.

Basically the Mosel Valley runs from Koblenz not far from Germany’s former capital Bonn to the city of Trier that sits very close to the border. These two cities are linked by the Mosel Weinstrasse (Mosel Wine Road) which is about 140 miles (224 kilometers) long on the eastern side of the river and somewhat less on the western side. Of course, you could take the autobahn to get between Koblenz and Trier at breakneck speed. If you do, you’ll miss the interesting little towns and vineyards along the way.

Bernkastel-Kues is a town of about eight thousand that sits astride the Mosel River with Bernkastel on the east bank and Kues on the west bank. Bernkastel is about seven hundred years old but the area itself was first inhabited thousands of years ago. Bernkastel’s medieval town square is lovely with numerous half-timbered houses, some of which were built in the Fifteenth Century. St. Michaelsbrunnen (St. Michael’s Fountain) is right on the square and other historic fountains are nearby. Make sure to see the ruins of Burgruine Landshut (Castle of Landshut) for an excellent view of the city and surrounding vineyards. The first weekend of September marks the annual Weinfest der Mittelmosel (Wine Festival of the Middle Moselle River Valley) that includes a festive procession and a great fireworks display.

Bernkastel is home to the Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard producing one of Germany’s most expensive wines. According to popular legend a Fourteenth Century Archbishop of Trier was too sick to be helped by traditional medicine. He tasted some of the local wine, recovered, and said, “The best doctor grows in this vineyard in Bernkastel.” Due to questionable changes in German wine laws wine bottles labeled Bernkasteler Doctor may now be made by thirteen producers instead of three as previously. Let the buyer beware.

Kues was home to the Fifteenth Century theologian and philosopher Nikolaus Casanus, founder of the St.-Nikolaus-Hospital that operates a wine estate and the Mosel-Weinmuseum (Mosel Wine Museum). The museum’s library is open for tours and its wine cellar is open for tastings. Several local winemakers hold Tage der offenen Weinkeller (Open wine cellar days) in which they present and sell their wine in their own wine cellars.

Before we review the Mosel wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are some suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Gaensestopfleher (Foie Gras). For your second course enjoy Entenbrust an Brombeerjus (Duck ****** in Blackberry Juice). And for dessert indulge yourself with Schokoladencreme (Chocolate Mousse).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed St. Urbans-Hof Riesling Kabinett 2005 8.6% alcohol about $20.00

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. The 2005 Piesporter Goldtroepfchen Riesling Kabinett – still manages to show true Kabinett delicacy on the palate, which Weis attributes in part to earlier harvest and frankly in part to this site’s compatibility with higher yields. Skin contact and minimal clarification in the cellar help compensate for any danger of dilution. (Lower-yielding parcels nowadays must result in Spaetlese or Auslese.) Pineapple, grapefruit, black currant, and Golden Delicious apple dominate the proceedings, suffused with an aura of smoky, crushed stone, and mouthwatering acidity. This is once again a ‘little’ Mosel archetype and a terrific value … And now for the review.

Before the meal I thought to taste this wine on its own. It was delicately acidic and palate cleansing with light bubbles. Then I started with sweet and sour purchased barbecued chicken wings. The wine was fine with light acidity. Now I was ready to begin, so to speak. My initial pairing involved a commercial barbecued chicken leg with the paprika-coated skin, potatoes roasted in chicken fat, and some disappointing pickle slices. The wine’s fruit intensified to meet the chicken’s fat. This Riesling was quite round when dealing with the melt-in-your-mouth potatoes.

The next meal was an omelet with a local Provolone cheese and Turkish salad. The wine was round, thick, and pleasantly sweet. The word feathery came to mind. It sort of floated especially after the Turkish salad. Then I savored a high-quality, chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bar. The wine retained its acidity; it was almost a good match.

The final meal was more of a snack. I ate some packaged Texas corn fritters with generous dollops of 14% sour cream. The wine was bold, sweet, and pleasantly acidic but frankly wasted on such plebian fare. I did finish the bottle with home made barbecued chicken to which the wine did honor. Even though the barbecue sauce wasn’t sweet the combination was excellent.

The initial cheese pairing was with a Dutch Edam that was nutty, a bit fatty, and somewhat sour. The Riesling’s sweetness seemed to step up a notch and it displayed tingling acidity. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a wine and cheese pairing this much. Then I went to a mild-tasting Italian Friulano. The wine was acidic with sugar in the background.

Final verdict. This Riesling is a winner. I wouldn’t hesitate to pair it with a top of the line German poultry dish, the kind that you pay big bucks for over there. At 8.9% this is one of the least alcoholic wines that I have tasted in a long, long time. And you know what, I didn’t miss it a bit.

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