Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 3/3)

WINE LESSON #9: WHAT IS PORT?
Unlike dry red or white wines, Port is a versatile product with numerous styles

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Let me explain.

To refresh our memory, the fermentation process converts sugar in grape juice into alcohol to form wine. For dry wine almost all the sugar is converted.

What if we stopped the fermentation half-way? This would mean two things: (1) there is sugar left unfermented and (2) not the full strength of alcohol is achieved. We’ll we have achieved the sweetness.

Now we need to achieve the desired level of alcohol strength. We are an exact ratio of spirit — grape brandy usually — to make the solution precisely say 20%ABV. Viola! We have Port – a complex wine with a great balance of sweetness and alcohol strength.

Some names to look for in Port are: DOW, GRAHAM, COCKBURN, TAYLOR, DIEZ, SMITH WOODHOUSE, SANDEMAN, FEIST and BARROS.

But the greatest name of all, the nobility among Port producers if you will, is Portugal’s national pride — QUINTA DO NOVAL.

Their vintage port made from the indigenous grape variety called Touriga Nacional — specified in label — commands an extraordinary high price but despite that all bottles are zapped up immediately upon release.
Although some connoisseurs recommend serving Port at 20°C, many find it more pleasant at room temperature 15°C in tropical climates.

What do we eat with Port? Blue cheese, medium-spicy Asian food, heavy reduction sauces, dark bitter chocolate come to mind instantly.

The all-time classic pairing is a English Blue Stilton cheese with a glass of genuine Vintage Port.

Life is not long enough to say no to something so perfect, do you agree?

Source: Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 3/3)

Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 2/3)

WINE LESSON #9: WHAT IS PORT? (Part 2/3)
Unlike dry red or white wines, Port is a versatile product with numerous styles

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Colheita Vintage Port
It is not often that we come across a Colheita but when you see one, it is almost always a super-value buy. Colheita is a Tawny Port made from a single vintage which is stated in the label. It ages for at least 7 years in barrel giving it depth, complexity, that attractive nutty flavor and flavors of dried fruit.

Most Colheita’s are zapped up once they hit the wine shelves because it is perhaps the closest thing to the KING of Port — The Vintage Port — at probably half the cost.

Vintage Port
Well, well, well, this is what PORT is all about, the top of the line, ultimate luxury but alas almost always expensive Vintage Port. To start with, producers don’t make Vintage Port every year. As a matter of fact, they “declare” — term used in the trade to mean announcing that a Vintage Port will be made for this year — a Vintage about 3-5 years in a decade.

That decision is based on how great the vintage is. Vintage Port accounts of about 1% of Port made so it hardly makes or breaks a producer’s financial disposition either way. A lousy Vintage Port can seriously damage a producer’s reputation.

Vintage Port is made from one single vintage year and only the best grapes are chosen. It is bottled after 2-3 years in barrel, unfiltered of course and is expected to improve with bottle ageing for many years, a century even, for the best vintages such as 1955, 1963, 1977 for example.

Many argue that Vintage Ports are one of the finest wines in the world. After a sip of these, one might be at a lost for words to disagree. We can always expect a thick sediment in Vintage Port and so decanting is absolutely required.

Single Quinta Port
Now that we know how sensitive a decision to “declare a vintage” is, for lesser-quality vintages, producers may opt to produce a “Single Quinta Port”. It is practically the same as a Vintage Port but it comes from a single vineyard.

But the mere admission that it is not “Vintage Port” means two things: (1) it is less expensive and (2) its quality is not up to the standard of Vintage Port. Along with Colheita’s, Single-Quinta’s can be excellent value for your money. Always decant a vintage port.

Now before we end this week’s lesson on Port, let’s quickly explain how Port gets its sweetness. Except for really bad Ports where cheating takes place, there is no sugar added to make the wine sweet. Instead, the sweetness comes from the (red) base wine.

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Source: Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 2/3)

Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 1/3)

WINE LESSON #9: WHAT IS PORT? (PART 1/3)
Unlike dry red or white wines, Port is a versatile product with numerous styles

PORT is a fortified wine. That means spirit is added to a base wine to fortify the alcoholic strength to a designated level, which in the case of Port, is 20% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) or about 18% in some Australian versions.

It is difficult to pinpoint when Port was “invented” but it is pretty sure to be around since the 17th century. The best Port in the world comes from Portugal but the countries that drink the most Port are France and Britain.

Unlike dry red or white wines, Port is such a versatile product that there are numerous styles. Each style can easily be a stand-alone product complete with its own purpose, appeal and characteristics.

Here are some of the more popular styles that you are likely to encounter frequently.

Ruby Port
This is “entry level” port which we can buy for about p300 and up to p1000 for a ‘Premium’ Ruby. Cheaper versions tend to be a bit harsh, often used in cooking — port reduction sauce for example — or drunk with strong-flavored food and moderately spicy Asian cuisine. Ruby Port is aged in wooden barrels for up to three years and they are ready to drink when bottled.

Tawny Port
The range of quality in Tawny is staggering. True Tawny usually has on its label the number of years it was aged in barrel before bottling. This can be 10 to 40. Long ageing in barrels gives this Port a red-brown color — hence the name Tawny — as well as a dry nutty flavor and raisin notes.

Steer clear of exceptionally cheap Tawny Port even if they show the matured red-brown color. Most of these cheap Tawny Ports are made by adding a little White Port to a basic Ruby to achieve the color that would allow it to pass for a Tawny. We get the color but not the attractive flavor or barrel-aged Tawny Port.

White Port
White Port is made from a variety of white grapes like Arinto, Gouveio, Malvasia etc. It comes in dry or sweet versions, both best served slightly chilled and often enjoyed as an aperitif. A serious dry white port can benefit from a few years of ageing.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
LBV is the most popular style because of its consistently good quality and reasonable price tag. It is a superb introduction to first-class Port. Unlike Tawny and Ruby, LBV is made from a single harvest and a Vintage Year appears on the label.

It is aged in barrel from 4 to 6 years giving it more complexity than a Premium Ruby. Before you serve an LBV, check if it is “filtered” or “un-filtered”. If it is unfiltered, you should expect a considerable amount of sediments in the bottle. Decanting is strongly urged.

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Source: Wine Lesson #9: What Is Port Wine And When Do You Drink It? (Part 1/3)

Wine Lesson #10: What Is Sangiovese Wine? (Part 2/2)

WINE LESSON #10: The Truth About Sangiovese Wine (Part 2/2)
Sangiovese wines reign supreme in many tasting tables even in the face of formidable adversaries like Lafite, Richebourg, Grange and Vega Sicilia

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THERE is a good reason why it is difficult to find cheap Sangiovese.

Unlike Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah/Shiraz, Sangiovese is not a very spectacular varietal. It is a lot easier to make an enjoyable Cab or Merlot.

A mediocre Sangiovese has little or no personality to speak of, light-weight in all respect and all too forgettable.

Cheap Sangiovese is invariably, to be quite honest, plonk.

In contrast, many low-price Merlots and Cabs are quite enjoyable and sometimes quite interesting.

But up in the heavy-weight arenas, Sangiovese wines reign supreme in many tasting tables even in the face of formidable adversaries like Lafite, Richebourg, Grange and Vega Sicilia.
Fans of Sangiovese will seek out these great Sangiovese labels: Tignanello, Biondi-Santi and Gaja. From the new-world, there are some stunning albeit different renditions.

Try to get your hands on a “Peter’s Vineyard” bottling from Long Meadow Ranch or a Napa blend from Turnbull.

On the more affordable end of the price range, try Italy’s household name, Ruffino and from the new world a pretty good Sangiovese from Napa’s Kuleto Estates.

Don’t forget Australia’s Yarra Valley. A cadre of wine makers is starting to fool around with this varietal and some of the stuff that come out of there are not that bad, especially for those who are able to keep the alcohol level under 14%.

For cheese lovers, the recommended choices are all from Italy, namely Boschetto al Tartufo, a soft cheese with New-World Sangiovese, Grana Padano for the hearty and firmer Brunello and the popular Mozzarella Bufala with the friendly Chianti but a Provolone, Pecorino or Pecorino Romano would do fine with any good Sangiovese wine.

Next lesson: A Few Facts About Decanting

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Source: Wine Lesson #10: What Is Sangiovese Wine? (Part 2/2)

Wine Lesson #10: What Is Sangiovese Wine? (Part 1/2)

WINE LESSON #10: The Truth About Sangiovese Wine (Part 1/2)
This well-balanced wine is just about perfect for all sorts of home-made Italian food. The classic pairing is wild boar with a matured Brunello/Chianti — or grilled zucchini with extra virgin olive oil, bruschetta, carpaccio and pizza with tomato sauces

SANGIOVESE [SAHN-gee-o-VAY-zee], the diplomat of wine grapes — we’ll get to that in a minute — has done much to bring Italian (red) wine to stardom in the international arena.

Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti (to a lesser extent perhaps), for example, are two of the most sought-after wines in the world. Italians are not the only one besotted with Sangiovese. Wine enthusiasts in the US and all over the world seem to ingratiate themselves with this stuff.

Back in Tuscany, the new classification of Chianti Classico, which has succeeded in restoring lost faith and much needed respect for this classical rendition of Sangiovese blends, has raised the bar for the percentage of Sangiovese in the blend to 90%.

When Baron Ricasoli invented Chianti just before the turn of the 20th century, the assemblage was 70% Sangiovese with the filler made up of equal parts of a red and a white varietal.

Well, times have changed.

Modern-day wine buyers want more purity of grape varietals, preferring to select wines by the name of the grape — Sangiovese in this case — rather than the type of blend or a terroir.

Today, Chianti Classico is one of the cachets of premium Italian wines.

This diplomat of wine grape maintains a middle-of-the-road position on all important oenological issues. Its color is not too dark and not to light. So are its flavors and aromas. They are not too assertive, not to weak and its low tannins always mild and agreeable.

No wonder it always wins many votes among frequent diners even the fastidious lot, ordering a reliable bottle for dinner especially in Italian restaurants.

Insipid is one quality that Sangiovese is not. It has a relative high natural acidity that is always delivered fresh. This results in a wine that is robust and vigorous, almost never flat or dull.

Combine that with a generous amount of fruit flavors on good vintages, we have ourselves a well-balanced wine that is just about perfect for all sorts of home-made Italian food.

The classic pairing, as professed by the Tuscans, is wild boar with a matured Brunello/Chianti. Other pairings that are highly recommended include grilled zucchini with extra virgin olive oil, bruschetta, carpaccio and pizza with tomato sauces.

Back on the farms, viticulturists have learnt from generations of experience that Sangiovese loves hot and dry climates. That pretty much describes the climate of Tuscany, coincidentally.

A quick study of the grape quickly reveals that its skin is rather thin. That means it is susceptible to rot, so humidity that usually exists in high elevation is unwelcome. It also takes a long time to ripen and that means trouble if it was planted in a place prone to late-Autumn rains, like Bordeaux for example.

No such climatic threats await its arrival to California. Today there are many fine Sangiovese wines coming out of California and their prices seem to tell us how confident producers are about their wines.

Part 2: Why it’s difficult to find cheap Sangiovese

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Source: Wine Lesson #10: What Is Sangiovese Wine? (Part 1/2)

Wine Lesson #12: When To Order Viognier Wine (Part 1/2)

WINE LESSON #12: VIOGNIER WHITE WINE IS PERFECT WITH ASIAN FOOD (PART 1/2)
Viognier is always a full-bodied white wine with a finish that lingers on for quite a while, and for these qualities, it is well-suited for stir-fry dishes, spicy Asian-flavoured dishes, and coconut milk in sauces

VIOGNIER, pronounced vee-oh-NYAY, is a white wine grape not very well known outside the French wine region Rhône, although wine enthusiasts have long fallen in love with the full-bodied voluptuous white wine from Condrieu and Hermitage.

For a bottle of those, many willingly part with US$100 without batting an eyelash. And then there is this very rare wine called Château Grillet, the tiniest appellation comprising of just one property.

Viognier is one of the few white grapes that are frequently added to red wine for a softer and suppler mouth-feel.

It makes man-size white wine with intense fruit flavors, stunning aromas and extraordinarily high levels of alcohol, though often too high for its own good.

Advent of fusion cuisine led to its discovery, which later won the approval of the quaffing public. Its size allows this dry white wine to stand up to spicy Asian-flavoured dishes. Later on the same people would find out that Viognier pairs very well with cheese also and that helped to fuel its ascent to stardom in the New Worlds.

Viognier is almost always an expensive proposition for a number of reasons.

First of all, the yield of the grapes is low. To make matters worse it is highly susceptible to (vine) diseases. As a matter of fact, it was on the road to vanishing completely by the mid-80s. A crop of Viognier is as expensive as premium Cabernet Sauvignon, which is always the most expensive grape to purchase.

This grape flourishes in warmer climates with a long growing season. It doesn’t pack much acidity, though. Its high sugar levels encourage producers to consider it for sweet dessert wines.

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Source: Wine Lesson #12: When To Order Viognier Wine (Part 1/2)

Lesson #13: Why Do People Get Wine Hangover?

LESSON #13: WHY DO PEOPLE GET WINE HANGOVER? IF YOU think alcohol bingeing is the only cause for waking up with a giant headache, think again.

If you sometimes get a headache the morning
after drinking wine — something similar to
hangover — it’s time you know a few more things about wines.

Tannins, the stuff that contains phenolic flavenoids that provide the anti-oxidant benefits to make you live healthily forever and ever, is the same stuff that can cause you to suffer from migraines.

Red wines would taste flabby without tannins. Unlike a hangover, this one doesn’t go away. Instead it accumulates over time as you consume more and more tannins making you even more susceptible to tannin-driven headaches.

To reduce tannin accumulation, drink older wines.

Tannins in wines “resolve” themselves with age inside a bottle, forming sediments that drop to the bottom. You can separate the sediments from the juice by decanting or simply avoiding them when pouring into a glass.

Most red wines start to throw sediments from 5 years old and continue to do for a few more years. Sticking to wines above 8-10 years old and you need worry no more.

Another culprit is the histamines which dilate blood vessels in the brain. Antihistamine drugs won’t do much to protect you but choosing the right kind of wines to drink does.

Red wines usually have a higher histamine level than whites. The ones that have the highest levels are the red wines with low acidity. Acidity in wine is mainly a result of cold weather. Heat produces sugar while cold produces acidity.

Wines from warmer regions like a lot of new-world wines for example tend to be full-bodied, high in alcohol (from high sugar levels), plenty of ripe flavors but often low in acidity. The combination of high alcohol and low acidity can mean trouble to the more sensitive populace.

So what are some of the wines with more acidity? White wine. But for reds, try Italian wines from Piedmont and Tuscany regions, France’s Burgundy, Bordeaux and northern Rhone. Believe it or not, the sweet wines from Sauternes have very high level of acidity!

So there you have it, and once again, please remember to drink less, drink better!

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Source: Lesson #13: Why Do People Get Wine Hangover?

Wine Lesson No 8: Everything About Chardonnay (Part 1/2)

Everything About Chardonnay
How it’s become responsible for the greatest names in white wine
CHARDONNAY is the most important white (wine) grape.

It is responsible for the greatest names in white wine, such as Meursault, Chablis, Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and Pouilly-Fuissè.

These white wines of Burgundy are made entirely from Chardonnay. They are capable of extensive ageing and continue to improve inside the bottle for many years. Some of the great vintages are awesome even at 50 years old.

Chardonnay also plays a crucial role in the greatest Champagnes in the world.

The usual Brut Champagne contains three kinds of grapes namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Some excellent Champagnes are made entirely from Chardonnay and these bear the name “Blanc de Blancs” on the label, the most notable is from the legendary producer, Salon.

France is not the only country that succeeded in exploiting the versatility of Chardonnay. California, Australia, South Africa, Chile and Italy have jumped on the band wagon to produce excellent Chardonnay varietal wines.

Chardonnay is quite easy to grow and its yield is good. It is planted almost everywhere in the world.

However the grapes are small, thin-skinned and fragile so harvesting must be gentle and that means a bit more in labor cost.

What makes Chardonnay the king of white grapes is the fact that no matter where it is grown, at the optimal point of ripeness it always manages to achieve uncanny balance between sugar and acidity.

However, sloppy growers can ruin that by waiting beyond the point of optimal ripeness to harvest. Chardonnay grapes will lose acidity rapidly and the resulting wines lack vigor and taste dull and flat.

Chardonnay grape is high in extract, which means there is a lot of flavorful stuff to squeeze out of each grape.

Given enough hang-time it produces good acid levels, something that is crucial to white wine.

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Source: Wine Lesson No 8: Everything About Chardonnay (Part 1/2)

Wine Lesson #4: The Beauty And Taste Of Pinot Noir (Part 2/2)

LESSON #4: THE BEAUTY AND TASTE OF PINOT NOIR (PART 2/2)

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So why is Pinot Noir so difficult to deal with?

For starters, the grape’s exceptionally thin skin provide little defense against rot and other diseases. Then its unstable genetic qualities often result in offspring bearing fruit that is nothing like the parents’. It loves cold climates but it leafs early in the season exposing itself to the threat of (Spring) frosts.

Pinot also attracts the wrong sorts of company – sharpshooter leafhopper for example which carries the dangerous Pierce’s disease that can destroy hectares of a vineyard.

Even when the struggles in the vineyards are over and the harvest brings in some good ripe grapes, treachery still lurks. Packed with 18 amino acids, Pinot Noir tends to ferment in violent fashion, boiling over for no reason at all.

A quick and hot fermentation doesn’t provide enough time for color and phenolics to be transferred (extracted) from the thin skins to the juice.

There are many more hazards – prone to acetification for example, which turns wine into vinegar – too many to mention, but I’m sure you get the general idea by now.

A good bottle of Pinot Noir is really a rare combination of good climate, very good luck and mastery in wine making.

All we need now is some lucky bloke who sits on a cheap plot of land on a south-facing slope in the golden strip of Burgundy called Cote d’Or who is either myopic enough or has the insane tenacity to stick to growing Pinots and make great red wines, then we have a prayer of a chance to buy good Pinot Noir for less than US$50 a bottle.

Of course, we have to keep Robert Parker from learning about his existence, and that takes more than luck and tenacity.

And would you believe it – Pinot Noir is the most “healthy” of wine, offering 3 to 10 times more resveratrol than Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other reds, especially if it comes from harsh climates like Burgundy?

You’ll have to excuse me now. My bottle of Chambolle-Musigny is properly aired for me to take a sip out of the decanter. Talk to you later!

Next lesson: Champagne and Sparkling wine

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Source: Wine Lesson #4: The Beauty And Taste Of Pinot Noir (Part 2/2)

Wine Lesson #4: The Beauty And Taste Of Pinot Noir (Part 1/2)

LESSON #4: THE BEAUTY AND TASTE OF PINOT NOIR (PART 1/2)
DEEP within Ground Zero of Pinot Noir territory, in a region known as Burgundy, wine producers coined a phrase “heartbreak grape” for the Pinot Noir grape.

Wine makers have tried their luck planting this notoriously fastidious grape in Australia, New Zealand, Oregon, Italy and other regions.

All ended up enjoying the same turmoil and frustration. So why didn’t everybody simply throw up their hands in disgust saying “the hell with it” and went on to plant something else instead?

Get yourself a bottle of great Burgundy – a rare find to be sure – and there will be no need for words to answer this question.

It starts with the nose. The aromas of a great Pinot Noir – be it a Volnay or a Bonnes Mares for example -deliver the most complex bouquet second to none with notes of black cherry, strawberry then a myriad of spices starting with cinnamon and mint, followed by food aromas of tomato and mushroom.

But it is really what happens on the palate that gets everyone smitten.

The wine is inundated with “impossible” combinations: rich but not heavy, full-bodied but elegant, vigorous but not acidic or tart, tannic but not astringent and intense but delicate.

The clincher is still to come. It is impossible to forget the velvety texture of a matured Pinot Noir, a mouth-feel that we can’t experience with any other varietal, not even the great Cabernet Sauvignon.

Those are the reasons why perfectly sane and rational men put up with the agony of heartbreaks and the frustration of defeats for a whole lifetime.

Remember that an average wine maker gets to make about 35 to 45 vintages in his lifetime. With Pinot Noir, it is conceivable that a wine maker gets no more than one or two winners in his entire wine-making lifetime!

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Source: Wine Lesson #4: The Beauty And Taste Of Pinot Noir (Part 1/2)