Archive for February, 2010

Wine enthusiasts need no introduction to white wines, reds, and sparkling wines.  However, the “orange” wine is an up and coming form that is slowly but surely gaining in popularity.

These orange wines are slightly altered white wines.  These are created when the grapes are left with the grape skins for a much longer period of time than the typical white wine is when made.  Normally, only a few hours, or at most a day, of contact with the skins is permitted with a white wine.  Orange wines can be left with them for as long as several months.  The result gives them a higher resistance to oxygen, which in turn gives them the ability to stay fresher longer.

In addition, the flavor changes.  Instead of the various white wine flavors, they can be a bit more powerful, include stronger aromas, and have textures that can range from gritty to surprisingly appealing.  While some may reject these wines outright, a good wine lover will do well to try them.  After all, if wine is like art, then it will forever be constantly evolving.

Wine and all its properties have always been a source of fascination with man.  It has also proven to be a source of inspiration and interesting writings.  Ancient philosophers, medics, and historians often had something to say when it came to wines.  Concerning Mediterranean people, the Greek historian Thucydides wrote that they “emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the oil and the vine.”

Plato, the philosopher, argued about the ages of drinking.  He stated that it should begin at 18, and then wine should be taken in moderation until the ages of 31.  However, once a man reached 40, Plato believed there should be no limit so as to help with the “crabbiness of old age.”

Even Egypt had a rich history of wine and mystery around it – only pharaohs were allowed to store wine until it matured because such a practice was considered alchemy.

Wines and religion have had an interesting, intertwined relationship for centuries.  Many churches and monasteries during the Middle Ages – and often earlier – derived much of their income through the creation of wine.  Two of the most prolific winemakers were the Cistercians and Benedictines.  It is said that members from these two orders actually tasted the soil to find out how it differed from location to location.

Orthodox Jews can drink wine as well, but it must be kosher in order for them to do so.  This means that the wine cannot be touched at any time by someone who is a non-observant Jew or a “Gentile.”  This means from the grapevine to the bottle, wine can only be handled by certain members of the religion, and it must also contain only kosher ingredients.

The prophet Mohammed affected the way wine was handled in the Arabian areas; after his death, wine was banned from the majority of countries that listened to him.

People often look down on box wine as cheap and unappealing.  However, box wine actually has a few benefits that some may not have considered.  Food & Wine Magazine recently gave box wine a bit of applause for one simple fact: freshness.

Because box wine comes in a bag instead of a bottle, when it is poured, virtually no oxygen gets into the bag.  Though the outside packaging is a box, the box is only used to house the bag, which is created to collapse as the wine is emptied out of it.  Without any oxygen reaching the wine, the wine is able to stay fresher, longer.  Box wine also does not have to be cheap and without texture.  Most wines are, in fact, made ready to drink right away instead of being aged.  Box wines are also great for get-togethers.  You can purchase certain wines that come in attractive wooden boxes instead of cardboard or other forms.  For example, you can buy 3 liters of 2008 Domaine le Garrigton Côtes-du-Rhône for around $40, a meaty red straight from the Rhône Valley.

Wine has a place in history that stretches back into time until the B.C. ages.  Over time, different cultures have since placed various restrictions upon wine and the people who sold it as well as drank it.  From Rome to the Vikings, wines have stretched across the globe and have always been the drink of choice for many important people.  History has since revealed some of the interesting and occasionally strange laws surrounding wine.

The Code of Hammurabi was created around 1800 B.C. in Babylon and decreed that fraudulent wine sellers should be drowned for their lies.

In Early Rome, women were forbidden to drink wine.  In 194 B.C., a record of a divorce was found with wine drinking by the wife as the reason.

During prohibition in the United States, severe believers in the movement wanted to edit texts from schools and colleges so that wine would not be mentioned.

In 1988, Le Donne del Vino was started by a group of women in Italy to promote their role in the wine industry.

Though many people are only familiar with the wine that they can find in the store, bottles are actually available in some various, and interesting, sizes.  Several of these sizes are not likely to be purchased by the average person, but wine bottles can get rather large and are still in use today.  Here are eight of the most well-known bottle sizes.

Standard – Holds 0.75 liters and is the most common bottle size; the type typically purchased.

Magnum – Holds 1.5 liters and can hold two standard bottles of wine.

Jeroboam – Holds 3 liters of wine or four standard bottles.

Rehoboam – A much bigger bottle, holding 4.5 liters, or six standard bottles of wine.

Methuselah – Holds 6 liters or eight standard bottles.

Salmanazar – Taking it’s name from a Biblical Assyrian king, it holds 9 liters, which is the same as twelve standard bottles.

Balthazar – Named after one of the Wise Men from early Christian folklore, it holds 12 liters, or sixteen standard bottles of wine.

Nebuchadnezzar – The larges at 15 liters, or twenty standard bottles.

Wine bottles were not always closed up with corks.  In fact, for centuries corks did not exist.  Corks were not invented until the late 17^th century.  This is why old paintings and artifacts from before that time will show wine bottles that have a very different shape from what we are used to today.

Wine bottles were originally bulbous and relatively short.  They sat upright at all times.  After the cork was invented and eventually used in stopping up bottles, wine makers realized its benefits.  Eventually, bottle shapes began to change, transforming into the longer, more slender version we are currently familiar with.  Wines were then laid down in order to age, which also gave makers more room and the ability to stack bottles safely on top of one another in cool cellars.  Also, by keeping the bottles on their sides, the wine could keep the cork moist, thus preventing it from drying out and allowing air to seep in.

For centuries, cheese and wine have been paired together.  We talked a bit in the last post about how to work with wine and cheese, but we’d like to take that one step further. Before you make any decisions, you have to take a little time to find out which cheese works best with certain wines. Don’t be afraid to do some taste testing to find out what you prefer. Here are some ideas that might help.

Asiago – A hard cheese that comes predominantly from Italy.  It works best with a quality Bardolino.

Blue Cheese – Though this cheese can take a taster some time to get used to, when coupled together with the right foods and wines, it can create some interesting flavors.  The regions blue cheese is made in can vary (as can the cheese itself), and it works best with Sherry, a Tawny Port, or Madeira.

Brie – The quintessential cheese wine from France.  Indulge with Merlot, a Sweet Sherry, or Champagne.

Feta – A soft cheese from Greece, pour a glass of Beaujolais with it.

Gorgonzola – Another Italian cheese, its softness pairs well with good Bordeaux.

Muenster – Put this soft French cheese with Zinfandel or Beaujolais.

Swiss – A straight U.S. cheese, match it with Gewürztraminer.

Knowing what type of wine goes well with a certain cheese has become quite the art, with wine enthusiasts always searching for more perfect pairings all the time.  However, research has shown that, depending upon the cheese, wine flavors can be overwhelmed with stronger cheese flavors.  Bernice Madrigal-Galan and Hildegarde Heymann of UC Davis have published an article in New Scientist stating that even some of the best wines can be suppressed in flavor when taken with cheese.

During their research, they found that the taste of the cheese suppressed berry and oak flavors the most, along with sourness and astringency.  Wines with a buttery tone, however, were actually enhanced by the cheese, which make Chardonnay and Bourgeron good candidates for tasting with cheese.

When you intend to eat cheese with wine, tasting the wine first is the best choice so you can get the full flavor before any cheese flavors overwhelm it.  Strong cheese is more effective as suppressing wine, which makes mild cheese a better choice.  Despite this, if you are willing to forgo certain flavors in wine, you can still enjoy a good wine and cheese party.

Muscat grapes are white and have some interesting ranges.  Typically the wines they create are spicy and/or floral and while the majority of wines available do not actually taste like the grapes they are made of – or grapes at all, for that matter – Muscats do.  This makes them easy to identify during tastings.

Once Muscats have been harvested and transformed into their bottled form, they can be very dry and winningly fresh, or they can sit at the other end of the spectrum as syrupy and sweet.  Because of their range and sweet hints, Muscat wines are most often served with desserts, particularly puddings and various chocolate delicacies.

Muscat is widely grown in Portugal and Spain, but is also grown in certain areas of Italy and France, and as a minor variety in California.  There are many different varieties of the Muscat as well, from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains to Orange Muscat.