More About Wine Wine Making, Wine Testing, and Expensive wines
Like a coquettish damsel that reveals only her long-lashed eyes behind a scented fan, a bottle of wine is a teasing, pleasant drink. A look at the information on the label – the type of grape, its vintage date, perhaps the château from where it was conceived – can give the drinker an idea of what the drink has to offer. However, one never really knows until he or she pops the cork and pours the drink into a glass. It may be a translucent ribbon of ruby or a velvety stream of golden white. One may also enjoy the rosiness of blush wine or the bubbles that float in champagne. These different types and colours of wine, created through varied fermentation processes, are produced by the artists of the vine all over France, Germany, Italy, Australia, USA, Chile and other wine-producing countries.A look into different vines and châteaux may be a pleasure that few get to enjoy. However, through the articles and pictures in this site, we offer you, our reader, a glimpse of what goes on inside these wine-producing estates. Let us explore the seven different grape varieties that are held in the highest regard by the international wine-making community.
Wine tasting party
A combination of two, three or more of these grapes makes up the prestigious Bordeaux Blend, named as such because its component fruits are native to the Bordeaux region of France. The world’s most expensive wines – to which we dedicate an entire section in this site – are comprised of these grape varieties. Indeed, here in this site is a wealth of information enough to help you hold a wine tasting party. What makes a drink deserving of its price, though? What distinguishes the bottles of the elite from those that are stocked in grocery shelves? There are many ways to tell. Creative use of the senses of sight, smell and taste will help you tell the age, component and quality of a wine. Truly, a whiff of the drink’s aroma can even lead the trained nose to distinguish the different types of wood barrels used in the wine making process – be it young oak, old cherry or any other type of wood.As you read through this site, you will also discover all the subtle nuances and distinct odours that different blends exude: earthy notes, berries, chocolate, honey, cinnamon, butter, tobacco or even a smell that somehow resembles pencil shavings. In young wines, these may come strong and rush into your senses at once, like a passionate young virgin all innocent and excited.
Pairing food and wine
Mature wines, like mature women, take it more slowly, certainly. They offer one flavour, one aroma at a time, tickling your tongue and nose, spiking your curiosity – and when you finally swallow, the best of all wines leaves a distinct after-taste that lasts for one glorious minute or more. This is the point when the drinker decides to pour himself another glass. This is also the way he will decide how to go about pairing food and wine, for different blends may be best taken with cheese, crackers, bread or fruit. Such wine drinking ritual, dear reader, may seem grand and tedious to the unaccustomed drinker. However, if you desire to be a connoisseur or to relish each bottle with utmost pleasure, then we invite you to read on. Find out why wine has captured so many enthusiasts throughout centuries. Discover why drinking wine is likened to the process of courtship, and embark on a victorious love affair to find the blend that is perfect for your palate.
