Saturday, July 17, 2010

a taste of wine

Red Wine

The first operation performed on grapes after they are removed from their storage is to de-stem them, which is the process of removing the grape from the shoots to which they are attached.
As soon as all the grapes in the batch are de-stemmed, they are placed into the wine press where they are compressed into a paste which in turn releases the must (the juice of the fruit). The resulting paste (or pomace) and must combination then spend time together in a cask and it is the length of time that the mixture sits with the must in contact with the grape skin and pulp that determines the character of the finished wine.

When the winemaker determines the right amount of time has passed, the juice is drawn off and yeast added to begin the fermentation process with the remaining pomace, in many cases, being returned to the vineyard to be used as a fertilizer.

Once the colour and sugar content are correct the cask valve is opened and the first juice, which is the best quality wine, is then transferred into other containers where the fermentation process is finalized.

‘Pressed wines’, which are full of tannin, are made from the leftover solids. They have a strong colour and are generally mixed with the first juice in many different ways to create wines of different strengths and flavours.

When the fermentation process is complete, the wine is either bottled straight away, or left to age.

White Wine

When making white wine it is important not to damage the grapes, so they are poured into the receiving bins as quickly as possible. Once they are all in the receiving bin, the grapes are then transferred to the press where the must is separated from the skins and other solids.

At this stage the solids are disregarded and the remaining must is slightly refrigerated before being transferred into a stainless steel vat where it is allowed to ferment. Care is taken to maintain the temperature during fermenting which preserves the delicate aromas of the finished wine.

Once the fermentation process is complete, the resultant wine is decanted taking care to avoid the sediment which collects at the bottom of the vat. After decanting, the wine is bottled and ready to be sold, and is best drunk within two years.

Sweet Dessert Wines

Dessert wines are produced in one of two ways. In the first method, Botrytis Cinera, a fungus which grows very quickly, is used. This transforms the fruit and changes the colour and also alters the acid components and sugar levels. The second method is to interrupt the fermentation process by adding alcohol. This method creates a strong, sweet wine where the grape is the major flavour.

Grapes used for sweet wines are of the white Moscatel and Garnacha varieties which, along with the production process, leave the wine with a mushroom type smell as the bottle is opened.

7 Tips To Get Rid Of A Wine Hangover

How about teaming up your favorite meal with the best of wine this weekend? It sounds a great idea but don’t you think you may overindulge? Well, you may not mind this but what about the hangover you have to face, the other morning. How about spending you entire Sunday afternoon sitting inside the bathroom, with one hand on your forehead and the other on your stomach? Scary isn’t it?

Hey, hold on! I am not trying to scare the life out of you. I am just showing you the real picture of a hangover that you may require to face the following day after you have overindulged in your favorite wine.

This sounds really bad but don’t worry, there are many tips you can follow in order to get rid of a wine hangover. All you need to do is to follow the instructions given below:

a) Water, water and water:

Water is the key to get over the wine hangover. Drink plenty of water. Alcohol has a tendency to dehydrate your body. This is the main reason that most people end up having a lot of liquids in the form of plain water, lemon water, coffee and black tea without having pee for a single time. If you want to stay away from the temptation of overindulging in wine, the best way is to have a glass of water for each glass of wine you desire to have. Wine is a great source of water, but the presence of water tends to produce adverse effects on the body. Hence, it is necessary to keep hydrating your body with water.

b) Binge in:

Sounds great! Believe me, it really works. Eat your favorite meal or some snacks an hour before a drink. This will save you from getting involved into overindulge and the hangover. The meal or snack should include bread or pasta.

c) No prescription drugs:

So you want to save money! It’s a good idea but you should not save money via mixing your glass of wine with prescription drugs for more effects. This will only damage your body. Drink less if you really want to save money.

d) Milk:

Drink a glass of milk prior to consuming wine. This will provide a protection coat to your stomach and helps you absorb the alcohol in the wine.

e) No salt:

Salt will prove dangerous as it tends to maximize the process of dehydration. You should stay away from salt when having margarita...

f) An aspirin:

An aspirin will help you to remove headache. Avoid taking ibuprofen or paracetamol. These medicines usually have adverse effects on the body especially after the consumption of wine.

g) Avoid dark drinks:

The major hangover you experience may be due to combining red wine with whiskey. You should mix whiskey with soda or water. Avoid mixing it with cola and tonic.

Hangover is due to over indulgence in wine. Try to stay away from it. Follow the instructions mentioned above you would feel better after a wine party with your friends.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

About Cold Duck

The Holidays are quickly approaching as we speak. For many people, myself included, memories of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Years Eves past cross their minds. Some of those memories are of a certain sparkling wine, called Cold Duck. As the old familiar songs play in the background, the winter chill whips though us and nearby homes are illuminated in their bright, colorful holiday glory, some of us will look back fondly on this beverage, remembering it from many special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and New Years Eve. You may even remember with nostalgia, the commercials from the 1970's, of a happy couple toasting the holidays with a glass of Cold Duck, with a cheerful Christmas carol playing in the background.

You might think that Cold Duck sounds more like a dinner recipe than a beverage. Or, you may cringe at the thought of a bottle of Cold Duck , since it is one of the cheapest wines on the market, at only a few dollars per bottle. Cold Duck doesn't carry the same sophistication as some of the other sparkling wines on the market, such as Dom Perignon or other champagnes. But Cold Duck was at one time one of the best selling and most popular sparkling wines in the United States. Cold Duck is still readily available at your local grocery store for only a few dollars a bottle. Compare that to the hefty price of a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne, which can be well over $100 a bottle.

Cold Duck originated in Germany, where it can be traced to the common practice in Bavaria of mixing cold, sparkling Burgundy with bottles of previously opened Champagne. This mixture was knows as kalte ende (cold end). This custom kept the opened bottles of champagne from being wasted, and it also provided people with a tasty beverage at the same time. Over time, the name became transliteraeed to kalte ente, which translates to cold duck. In 1937, the owner of the Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, Harold Borgman, invented his own beverage based on this Bavarian custom.

Cold duck experienced a sizable surge of popularity in the early 1970s, being a very popular wine for parties and gatherings. With it's soft concord grape base, Cold Duck is mixed with a combination of sweet red and white wines. The original American Cold Duck combined one part of a California red wine with two parts of a New York sparkling wine. This exact recipe varies today. One of the best known brands of Cold Duck is André, from the E&J Gallo Winery, which uses Concord grapes for their recipe. In 1971, only four short years after André Cold Duck was introduced to the public, the E&J Gallo Winery was selling two million cases of the wine every year. Like many white wines and sparkling wines, and unlike most red wines, Cold duck is best served chilled. It goes great with party hors d'ouvres, like cheese and crackers or olives in a pastry crust.