Archive for May, 2010

A golden grape, Semillon tends to ripen earlier in the year than other grape varieties.  This may make it seem like a risky grape considering the lingering threat of frost or the possibility of spring rain.  However, it is a strong grape that can withstand such events.

You can expect a full flavored wine with plenty of fantastic aromas from the Semillon.  Winemakers often blend the Semillon with other varieties.  A particular favorite is Sauvignon Blanc.  While you can find this type of wine in many different places on the globe (such as Australia!), it is most popular in the Bordeaux region of France to craft delectable white wines.

When coupled with Sauvignon Blanc, it makes for a wonderful base when it comes to making sweet wines.  If not, a dry wine can easily find its way to your table.  Whatever the winemaker decides, Semillon allows them to choose how long it ages as it has the ability to do so for quite some time.

Next time you find yourself looking for a good bottle, why not give the product of this little grape a try?

Northeast of the bustling City of Melbourne lies the Beechworth Region, located in the Victoria area of Australia.  After gold was discovered, settlements quickly followed and so did the development of wineries.

Since then, Beechworth has seen ups and downs in the amount of wine created and sold.  The altitude has a definite impact on the climate and can range widely.  Large amounts of rainfall occur higher up while heat can fluctuate.  Irrigation is also important considering certain locations where underground water is scarce.

There are only a handful of wineries in the Beechworth area and each one may make a single or several types of wine.  The main wines produced in the region are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Gamay.  Certain wines have proved slightly more difficult to produce – such s the Pinot Noir and Gamay – but wineries located at the right altitudes and with the best climates have been able to produce quality bottles.

Let’s face it – many of us have busy lives.  There seems to be no slowing down except when we focus on our hobbies or seek out a vacation.  But even a vacation can be hectic: things to do and things to see.

This is why visiting a vineyard can be such an escape.  Vineyards can help ease your stress level and remind you of different times.  With the land stretching out before you, lush with green vines with clutches of grapes dangling from them, you can breathe the fresh air and feel relaxed.  Even if you can’t escape to Italy or France, visiting a vineyard in your own backyard can give you a sense that you have.  You can kick back, enjoy wine, and pretend for just a while that you are somewhere else.

Most people don’t think of stress release and full relaxation when they think of visiting a vineyard.  They assume they will be touring the place, tasting wine all day long and forced to interact with people they don’t know.  Not so.  If you want a relaxing day on your own or with someone special, you can always ask to have just that.  Explore the vineyards around you to see which one will bring you peace of mind and give you a moment’s rest.

Wine bars have become highly popular when it comes to simply hanging out and enjoying friends, food, and of course, a fine glass of wine.  From casual to highly chic, a wine bar has plenty to offer no matter what the occasion might be.

Big cities have a wide variety of wine bars to choose from.  Now, wine bars are inventing new ways to entertain customers.  Tasting rooms are expanding to include not just wines, but also cheese, beers, and other products or combinations.  Walking into a wine bar, you may smell the rich scent of coffee as well as see a large selection of wines to choose from.

Even lighting and interior décor can show off what sort of wine bar you have found.  Many wine bars opt for a relaxed and inviting atmosphere with comfortable seating and a restaurant-like appeal.  Others have looked toward different styles, such as outdoor French piazzas or cozy areas in small places.  Hip wine bars use rich lighting and specific color schemes to enhance their overall design.

Research your area and the different wine bars available before choosing your venue so you and your friends can have the best experience possible while enjoying your favorite glass of wine.

Down in Queensland, there is a lovely stretch of land by the name of the South Burnett Region.  The vines here date back to the early 1900s and you will discover that the grapes grown in the area are not just for winemaking, but also for simply eating and enjoying.  With a sub-tropical climate, the grapes get to enjoy plenty of rain and a nice, warm atmosphere.  The soil varies, giving winemakers a chance to plant a diverse number of grape varieties.

There are only a handful of vineyards in this region, but that doesn’t stop them from making a nice amount of wine that people can enjoy at the table.  Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon carry with them a wide range of flavors from sweet berries to spicy and peppery.  You will find a structure and complexity in South Burnett wines that you can easily appreciate and won’t find elsewhere due to their location and surrounding areas offering additional flavors.  The South Burnett land and soil impart a little something extra to these Australian wines that make them unique.

These days everyone has decided to go green.  But what about your love of wine?  You want to help the environment, but you don’t want to give up your favorite Sauvignon Blanc.

There is no reason why you should.  Organic wines are slowly but surely gaining a foothold.  It may seem like wines are organic by default (the idea of pesticides all over the grapes is an unpleasant thought), but you cannot always be sure.  Organic wineries or companies using certified, organically grown grapes, try to maintain an overall environmental standard, as well as perform other actions that give them an eco-friendly bottle.

It can be a bit confusing for consumers though.  To be sure the wine you choose is organic, look for a USDA Organic Seal.  That means it is made from organically grown grapes and also will provide information on who the certifying agency is, as well as having no addition of sulfites to the wine.

If you are interested in organic wine, always look for the right labels before making a final choice.

You can’t have a great bottle of wine without the vineyard to make it.  Of course, you can’t have a vineyard without the grape vine.  And if you intend to enjoy wine to its fullest, you may easily appreciate the knowledge of how it came to be.  So just how does one start up a vineyard?

Once the future vineyard owner chooses the land for its climate, sunlight, soil, and other important factors, seeds are planted in carefully formed rows that allow for proper irrigation and room for workers to thread through.  Support is also offered for the vines to grow on as they get larger.

The simple fact of a vineyard is that it can take many seasons and many times of trial and error to find a quality grape that produces a good bottle of wine.  Luckily for many growers, there are so many varieties of grape out there, it is relatively simple to find grapes willing and able to grow in soil that is light and sandy or that may be thick clay.

Starting and maintaining a vineyard takes time, money, and a lot of patience and know-how.  But for those who love wine, the wait and the reward is well worth it.  Salud to all the winemakers of the world.

Clare Valley is an area that is a small slice of wine heaven in South Australia.  This region has been developing wine since 1852; the old buildings still standing in the fields act as a testament to the winemaking culture of the area.

However, despite its long history of winemaking, even today the bottles that come from Clare Valley are in limited quantities.  But these wines have a strong flavor with equally strong structure.  Grapes can ripen slowly due to cool breezes and locations related to altitude.  Low humidity and a winter-spring dominant climate also play a vital role in how wine is produced here.

Dozens and dozens of wineries make their homes here and you can find a wide variety of wines to choose from.  Riesling is the most prominent wine of the region and can include delectable elements such as passionfruit and lime with an overall toasty character.  Other wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grenache are also created in Clare Valley with wineries unafraid to perform a few experiments here and there to provide delicious, flavorful wines.

The age old question.  What cheese do I serve with which wine?

Right off the bat, I have a great suggestion – No boxed wine!  The chemical additives make it a terrible choice and the headaches are excruciating.

But wine and cheese go together for a variety of reason.

1) Both are products of fermentation where the wine is fermented grape juice and the cheese is fermented milk.

2) You can tell the area they come from just from the taste.  The wine contains the taste of the roots from the grapevines and the cheese from the milk of the cows carries the subtilties of the area where the cows live.

Not all wines go with cheese. Many cheeses have strong flavors and therefore cannot be combined with any type of wine.

Sauvignon Blanc is a wonderful wine to compliment cheese but don't rule out  light and fruity wines which go with white cheeses.  

Fatty cheeses tend to go best with rich wines and salty cheese with sweet wines.

When having wine and cheese, select a wide variety to find the combination that suits your palate.

For years people have turned to wines, white and red alike, to add additional flavor to their dishes.  From a splash to several cups, a delicious wine can make or break an entire dinner.  In the case of white wine, flavors are added into the food as well as helping bring out some of the natural herbs, spices, and other ingredients involved.

So what happens when you put together a recipe with white wine?  Many people believe that once the wine is tossed into the mix, the alcohol evaporates, leaving behind the rest of the wine and all its flavorful glory.  However, studies actually show that 85% of the alcohol actually remains once added and then removed.  It is true, though, that the longer the wine remains over the heat, the more alcohol will simmer away.  After one hour, only 25% of the alcohol remains.

As always, remember to avoid cooking wines.  These types of “wines” are made of a very cheap base wine and then had all manner of salts and food dyes added to it.  If you can’t conceive of doing that to a good bottle of wine, why would you bother cooking with it?