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[Reference] [Wine
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As a French major I feel it is time for me to learn a bit about wine. Inspired by Sid Goldstein's The Wine Lover's Cookbook I have embarked on my own training regime. I have started out with French Scout's page in an effort to learn about the different types of wine. I will be consulting with family and friends who are familiar with wine and also will be looking for a course. So here goes, Step One: Learn about the types of wine. Lee 7/16/12
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“May you never want for wine, nor for a friend to help drink it” My inspiration for learning about wines is reading Sid Goldstein's books. |
'Major types of white wines.Chardonnay, gewürztraminer, moscato are white grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area. Any below variety can give dry white wine or sweet white wine. Some varieties can be made bubbly or still. If only one variety (chardonnay, gewürztraminer) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer). Varietal wines primarily show the fruit: how the wines tastes much depends on the grape variety. Chardonnay Chardonnay was the most popular white grape through the 1990's. It can
be made sparkling or still. Districts: chardonnay makes the principle white wine of Burgundy (Bourgogne, France), where it originated. Chardonnay is versatile and is grown with success in most viticultural areas under a variety of climatic conditions. Yet it only amounts to 2 percent of the world vine areas. Total chardonnay vines cover more than 160,000 hectares (400,000 acres). The biggest states were in 2005: U.S.A.: California: 44,509 ha; Oregon and Washington state: 3,200 ha Typical taste of the different types of chardonnay: voluptuous. Chardonnay wines are often wider-bodied (and more velvety) than other types of dry whites, with rich citrus (lemon, grapefruit) flavors. Fermenting in new oak barrels adds a buttery tone (vanilla, toast, coconut, toffee). Tasting a USD 20 Californian Chardonnay should give citrus fruit flavors, hints of melon, vanilla, some toasty character and some creaminess. Burgundy whites can taste very different. Sauvignon blanc Food pairings: a versatile food wine for seafood, poultry, and salads. Semillon(Say-mee-yaw) Food pairings: Semillon goes with fish but there are many
better matches. Serve dry Semillon with clams, mussels, or pasta salad. Moscato(Mos-cato) The moscato variety belongs to the muscat family of grapes
- and so do moscatel and muscat ottonel. Pinot grigio or pinot grisFood pairings: versatile. Gewürztraminer (Gah-vurtz-tra-meener) A very aromatic variety. Riesling (pron Rees-ling) Major types of red winesSyrah, cabernet, zinfandel are red grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area. If only one variety (merlot, cabernet sauvignon) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). Varietal wines primarily show the fruit: how the wines tastes much depends on the grape variety. Syrah (or Shiraz) (Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Syrah and shiraz are two names for the same variety.
Europe vintners only use the name syrah.
Sources:
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Food and Wine Pairing Chart
Source: Wined In http://www.winedin.com/referencechart.php
accessed July 23, 2012 |
Red wines can be divided into four styles: [fruity] [earthy] [smooth] [bold] [white wine styles OUTSIDE]
| [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Pairing] [Wine] Fruity red wines
Fruity wines are mostly from California, but they can also be produced in Oregon. Keep in mind, though, that there are Pinot Noirs from Oregon, Washington, and Northern California that are not fruity wines. These wines are from colder climates and are more acidic with more earthy flavors and darker fruit. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] Earthy red wines
Earthy wines express aromas of cherry, berry, earth and even sometimes barnyard. Typical flavor profiles for earthy wine can vary from red cherries to dark fruit. Other flavors typical of earthy wines include herbaceous, dried fruit, and smoke. Earthy wines are produced in the French regions of Burgundy and Rhone. Earthy Pinot Noirs are also produced in Washington, Oregon, and New Zealand. Many earthy wines, particularly those from Côte d Nuits and Côte du Beaune in Burgundy, can age for decades. In fact, some of the wines from these regions need the age to produce an enjoyable wine. Earthy wines are particularly food friendly. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Pairing] [Wine] Smooth red winesSmooth wines are the largest category of red wine. Smooth wines are medium-full to full bodied wines, and they offer the much of the complexity found in bold wines without all the extras. Smooth wines have less acid than earthy wines and slightly more alcohol, starting around 13.5% alcohol. The range of aromas offered by smooth wines is huge. Most of the berry smells in smooth wines are dark, including blackberry, dark cherry, and blue berry. Other aromas associated with smooth wines include pepper, cigar box, and vanilla. The taste of smooth wines follows their aroma profile with plenty of berry, cherry, and dried fruit. Smooth wines occupy the area in the wine taste map that bridges the gap between earthy wines and bold wines, offering plenty of flavors without all the tannin and alcohol of most bold wines. Smooth wines are also a little more acidic than bold wines, giving them an advantage when it comes to paring with food. Smooth wines are made from dozens of different grapes including Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Malbec. The wines are produced in all major wine producing areas including France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and America. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] Bold red wines
The most common grape used to make bold wines is Cabernet Sauvignon, but Syrah and Zinfandel can also be used to make some really big wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec or Petite Verdot. Grenache and/or Merlot is sometimes blended with Syrah to make some bold wines from Australia. Whatever the grapes, the unifying characteristic of bold wines is the shear size and complexity of the wine. Bold wines are highly extracted wines with deep, dark color, frequently opaque. The extraction process also pulls lots of tannins from the grape skins into the wine, giving the bold wine more body and texture, and well, more tannins. The aroma profile for bold wines depends somewhat on the primary grape that is used. For Cabernet Sauvignons and their blends, common smells are cassis, blackberry, vanilla (from the oak), spice and cigar box/smoke/tobacco. The aroma profile for bold wines derived by Syrah is similar, but with a greater emphasis on spice and black pepper. In the mouth, all of these big wines bring loads of dark fruit, licorice and chewy tannins. Bold wines come from warm/hot climates, and therefore have plenty of sugar to convert to alcohol. The % alcohol for these wines can range from 13.5% to almost 17% alcohol! Examples of bold wines include American and Australian Cabernets and Cabernet blends, some Australian Shirazs, American Syrahs and a small fraction of American Zinfandels.
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Wine 101 Menu - all outside links
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| White wines can be divided into four styles: [crisp] [sleek] [soft] [rich] [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] [Wine Books] [Lee's Recipes] Crisp white wines
The aromas of crisp wines include green apple, lemon, citrus, and honey. Common flavors include green apples, grape fruit, lemon, lime and citrus. The % alcohol for crisp wines is typically 12.5% or less. Common descriptions of crisp wines include refreshing and light. Examples of crisp wines include Rieslings from France, Germany and New Zealand; unoaked Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, Sancerre France, and Washington State; and Pinot Gris from New Zealand and the Pinot region of Italy. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] Sleek white wines
Typically, sleek wines are made from either Sauvignon Blanc, Rieslings, Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. They are rarely treated with oak, but if a sleek wine is oaked, the oak will be French, perhaps air dried before being used. Sleek wines maybe treated with malolactic fermentation. The aromas from sleek wines include apple, pear, and peach. Some may also express minerals or wet rocks. The flavor profile for sleek wines includes red apples, pears, and spice. Examples of sleek wines include un-oaked Chardonnays (Chablis), new world Rieslings, Pinot Gris from New Zealand, and some Pinot Grigios from Italy. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] Soft white wines
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes are use to make most soft wines. Soft Sauvignon Blancs are treated with oak and are typically subject to malolactic fermentation. This wine making technique turns maleic (think tart green apple) into lactic acid (think subdued red apple), softening the wine and adding body. Examples of soft wines made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes include Pouilly-Fume from France, as well as most Californian Sauvignon Blancs and “Fume Blancs”. Soft wines made from Chardonnay grapes include the classic example of Pouilly Fuisse from France. [Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine Lovers Cookbook] [Wine] Rich white wines
Several grapes can be used to make rich wine. Chardonnay is the by far the most common, but the Viognier grape and the Chenin Blanc grape (in France) also make some very full-bodied wines. Rich wines are always treated with oak, either as a part of the fermentation process, aging process, or both. They also undergo malolactic fermentation, producing rich, often buttery texture and flavors. Some rich wines are aged on their lees, which are the yeast and other biological stuff left over after fermentation. This treatment produces a flavor most often associated with white wines from Burgundy in France. Examples of rich wines include Californian and Australian Chardonnays (those treated with wood), Grand and Premier Cru wines from Chablis, and wines from the Cote d’ Or and Cote de Beaune in France.
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[Red Wine Styles] [White Wine Styles] [Wine] [Wine Books] [Lee's Recipes]Wine Aroma Chart
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Sources: all from Wine Enabler.com located in Austin, Texas
Wine Pairing [Wine]
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General Principles Rule I - Red Wine with Red Meat, White Wine With White Rule II - Don't Sweat the Exceptions Rule III - The Rule of Complements: Match Likes with Likes Rule IV - The Rule of Contrasts: Opposites Attract The Bottom Line - Drink What you Like! Threre are a number of more specific examples and discussions below. These should point you down the right road, although for answers to more specific questions, you can email Robin Garr. Appetizers and SaladsVinegar is the natural enemy of wine, so it's wise to push back your wine glass when you're digging into the salad bowl. Appetizers, on the other hand, may run the entire gamut. Consider the primary ingredient of the appetizers and apply the general principles listed on this page. Or go the festive route and open your evening with Champagne! Steaks, Roast Beef and LambHearty red meats like beef and lamb absolutely require dry red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux), Pinot Noir (Burgundy) and the Syrah-based red Rhone wines are the classics, and naturally the equivalents from the U.S., Australia, South America and South Africa work as well. The big reds from Tuscany and the Piemonte in Italy -- Barolo, Brunello, Chianti -- make great marriages with red meats and even wild game, as do the very inky and robust American reds like Petite Sirah and Charbono. Seafood and FishFish, at the other extreme, almost always demands a white wine, preferably a dry and crisp white. I love Sauvignon Blanc (from California or Down Under, or the Bordeaux and Loire whites from France) with all white-fleshed fish and seafood. Sancerre and Muscadet from the Loire are exceptionally suited to oysters, perhaps because shellfish are an important part of the local cuisine and the wine evolved to match. Pinot Gris, whether it's a dry, crisp version from Oregon or Alsace or the similar Pinot Grigio from Italy, also makes an excellent match with seafood and fish. You can even get away with the right combination of red wine and fish! Keep the wine fruity and non-tannic (Beaujolais or a California or Oregon Pinot Noir), and it will sit up and play music with oily, full-flavored fish like mackerel or bluefish; a Central Coast Pinot will even work very nicely indeed with grilled salmon or tuna. Be conscious, though, that very light, delicate fish like sole rarely work well with red wine; and tannic, astringent reds like young Cabernets don't show their best with fish, often bringing out an unpleasant metallic or tangy taste in both the wine and the fish. Similar principles apply to seafood: mussels, being dark and rich, go very well with reds, but lobster and scallops are really too "white." Your choice of sauce or accompaniment may also be influential. Bouillabaise, cioppino, and other fish stews with tomatoes and lots of herbs call out for a Chianti or similar warm, Mediterranean-style red (and this is also the best way I know of to help shrimp marry with a red wine. If you add cheese to the equation, it may even bring up a lighter white fish to meet a red. The 'other white meats:' Poultry, pork and vealFollowing the "white wine with white meat" rule again, whites -- particularly richer whites like most Chardonnays and Pinot Blanc, go well with lighter meats like chicken, veal and pork. As an "in-between" category, though, this one gets interesting. Although chicken is a "white" meat, grilled or roasted chicken is great with a red, especially a fruity red like Zinfandel or Merlot. Veal and pork suggest a fine, rich White Burgundy (Chardonnay), but they'll go with any white or even with a light red like Beaujolais from France or Dolcetto from Italy. Turkey and HamTurkey is challenging because it has light and dark meat, and its meat has an oily quality that's not always friendly to dry wines. I call my solution "the cranberry sauce principle." Cranberry sauce goes well with turkey because it's both fruity and tart; so choose a wine with similar characteristics -- Beaujolais or Zinfandel if you want a red, or Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Chenin Blanc if you're inclined to a white. Ham is challenging because it's so salty and strong-flavored. Robin's choices are fruity, quenching wines: a Beaujolais, Zinfandel or a lighter-styled Pinot Noir. Fiery fare: Some like it hotWine doesn't make a very good accompaniment for curries, Thai food and other hot-and-spicy dishes. The alcohol in still wines interacts with the otherwise pleasant fire of curries to create an unpleasant burning sensation. It is best to choose instead either a good beer or, as the people of those cultures do, cold drinks, often dairy-based, such as the Indian yoghurt lassi or the sweet, cream-topped Thai iced coffee. If you're absolutely set on wine with fiery fare, then choose a modest sparkling wine. The carbonation seems to work reasonably well to ameliorate spicy heat, and Champagne-type wines go well with foods of all sorts. As a final alternative, if you must have a still table wine, choose one that's fruity and not overly tannic or acidic: A Beaujolais, for example, or an American Zinfandel or Australian Shiraz. Ethnic CuisineMatch the food of a country with the wine of a country, picking Italian vino with Italian cocina, French vin with French cuisine. It makes simple sense that the people of wine-making countries evolve their foods and wines to go well together, so why second-guess tradition? But what about foods from countries that don't make wine? Dry table wines in the European and American tradition go surprisingly well with non-Occidental foods, subject to the limits imposed by hot-and-spicy fare. Simply focus on a wine to match the primary meat, poultry or seafood ingredient, then consider whether the sauce or accompaniments would alter the equation. For some examples, see Robin Garr's online article on matching wine and Chinese fare outside link opens in separate window. Vegetarian DishesVegetarian entrees are a little harder to match with wine, but think in terms of saving heartier fare like bean dishes, enchiladas, etc., for red wines, and using the lighter whites with dishes based on green vegetables. For more detailed information on wine and vegetarian fare, see Robin Garr's online article, Red Wine and Beans? outside link opens in separate window. The Cheese TrayFor a serious session of analytical wine-and-cheese tasting, Robin likes to have a good array of cheeses and a selection of wines, tasting across the lines to compare and contrast the different ways they go together. But generally speaking, Robin proposes the following broad categories for seeking the ideal marriage between a specific wine and a particular cheese:
DessertSweet wines are generally better sipped by themselves and not with food. There are a few traditional matches, including foie gras with Sauternes and other great dessert wines; Stilton (or other fine blue cheese) and walnuts with Port; and a creamy, not-too-sweet creme brulée with a fine dessert wine. But it's best to have the dessert wine be the dessert rather than serving it with dessert, or save the dessert wine for contemplative sipping after the meal has ended. Box WinesWine reviewer, Robin Garr regularly finds decent or good wines under $15 a bottle. He reviewed Black Box wine as being decent wine, not just decent for a box wine. He recommended it for people who want a glass of wine with regular dinners but can't finish a bottle before it starts to turn. Black Box also fits the general standard that smaller boxes of wine are usually better.
Black Box has earned 28 gold medals in wine competitions nationwide, yet still costs 40% less than comparable* bottled wines. Black Box has a rich range of reds, from a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and complex Malbec to our easy-drinking Merlot, vibrant Shiraz and velvety Sweet Red. Black Box white wines offer a succulent Pinot Grigio, a refreshing Chardonnay, a vivid Sauvignon Blanc, an aromatic Riesling and a luscious Moscato. To find vendors, call 888 659-7900 Black Box superb grapes are harvested from world-class appellations, including California’s storied wine country and the acclaimed vineyards of Argentina and New Zealand. Through a meticulous, traditional winemaking process, Black Box Wines are crafted to be food-friendly and fruit-forward, all without the expense and fuss of bottled wines.
Shelf Life Unopened Black Box Wines Source: Wine Lovers' Page: The Happy Marriage of Food and Wine by Robin Garr 1999 http://www.wine-lovers-page.com/matching.shtml accessed July 26, 2012 |
eileen November 9, 2011
last updated
July 26, 2012
Most
fruity wines are from the New World,
are light-to-medium bodied, and most are made from Pinot
Noir grapes. You will often hear these wines described as fruit-forward,
the alcohol level can be 14% alcohol or more. Fruity
wines come from warm weather climates that produce grapes
with relatively high levels of sugar and low levels of acid and tannins.
They are definitely a “love it or leave it” kind of wine. 
Earthy
wines are generally made using Pinot Noir, Grenache,
and/or Syrah. Earthy wines are medium to medium-full
bodied, with more acid than you will find in
other red wines. The alcohol level for these wines is typically a little
bit lower than fruity wines, averaging around 13% alcohol.
Bold
wines are the biggest wines of the red wine
world. These full bodied, often over-the-top wines, are
mostly the product of the New World (California and Australia),
but there are bold wines being produced in all winemaking regions.
Crisp
wines are white or rose wines with a light to medium
body. They are light in color and have plenty
of acid, which makes your mouth water. 
Sleek
white wines have less acid and more body than
crisp wines. In other words, sleek wines are medium bodied
wines that (literally) won’t make your mouth water. 
Soft
white wines are medium bodied wines with a mellow
palate, and a slightly richer texture than sleek wines.
Rich wines are the biggest white wines. All rich wines are full bodied, and they have the highest % alcohol for white wines. (Some rich wines can have 14% alcohol or more.) They are all very big in the mouth and have a long finish, but after that comparison there are more differences in aroma and taste in rich wines than most people can imagine. 
