Posts Tagged ‘red wine’
A Breath Of Fresh Air, Why You Should Decant
November 28th, 2009 | Author: admin
This year Christmas came early for me when my fiancée gave me my Christmas presents early. As I sat opening my many attractively wrapped packages, the one that excited me and intrigued me the most was an attractive glass wine decanter. Even though I am an avid drinker of red wine, it has never occurred to me in all my years that I should ever use one. Usually I would just set an open bottle of red wine on the counter for a little while before finally drinking it. However, after having used a wine decanter for the first time, I have decided that I will never go back to the old ways again!
A decanter is a vessel, usually made out of glass or lead crystal which is used to separate sediment from another vessel of liquid, for example red wine. In this process, the sediment is left in a small amount of liquid in the original vessel, and the “clear” liquid remains in the decanter. Decanting red wine, however, serves another purpose along with separation of the wine from the sediment and that is to oxygenate the wine.
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Posted in A Beginners’ Guide To Enjoying Red Wine
November 24th, 2009 | Author: admin
The world of red wines is a heady, rich and wonderful world filled with everything from the nuanced subtlety of a gentle South African Merlot to the peppery richness of Sangre de Toro, “Blood of the Bull” from Spain. In general, many of the “rules” of wine drinking have been cast aside in today’s world, making it more accessible to every person, and with the increased demand supply has soared, allowing for inexpensive and very delicious wine available to all.
Still, there are many who feel that the world of wine loving is not as yet open to them. With so many wines to choose among, where do you begin? How do you properly enjoy a red or white and with what meals would they be best?
Let’s look at some very basic tips to maximizing your exploration of red wines.
Don’t spend a ton of money on a bottle of wine. Leave that for later, once you’ve begun to explore beyond the brands and varietals that you like. There are so many wonderful and delicious wines that are available for somewhere between $5 and $8 a bottle, that you really should not need to drop $20 or $30 for a bottle of wine…at least not yet.
Don’t buy local, yet. Often, your local wine store is stocked with bottles from the local vineyard (if there is one). These can be wonderful, or they can be vinegar. It really can be something of a crap shoot. So, unless you live in the Napa valley, or some other area that is renown for its wine-making efforts, stick with something that is nationally or internationally distributed.
Stick with a varietal, for now. In other words, pick a wine that is primarily made from one type of grape, i.e. a Shiraz, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. Try to avoid blended reds to begin with, though they can be quite delicious. By learning the flavors of the varietal grapes, you’ll better understand what it is about the blend that you like. Avoid flavored wines or coolers that you can get at your local convenience store. These are little more than non-bubbly soda pop with alcohol in them and can lead to a nasty headache as they are hastily made from the least pure ingredients.
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