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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Savory Red: Finding The Best Red Wine For Beginners

Savory Red: Finding The Best Red Wine For Beginners: "If you want to find the best red wine for beginners you might want to first understand how red wine gets its color. During the fermentation ..."

Finding The Best Red Wine For Beginners

If you want to find the best red wine for beginners you might want to first understand how red wine gets its color. During the fermentation process the skins of the wine grape are left in contact with the extracted juice. The skins contain pigment which dyes the juice red to the wine maker’s specifications and which type of red wine is being made.

Knowing which red wine you want depends entirely on your tastes. Aromas could help you decide which is the right red wine for you. And the best and easiest way to find out is to go to some red wine tastings. Go to as many as you can. Over time you will develop a taste for red wine and know exactly what appeals to you. Some classic descriptors include cherry, leather, chocolate, blackberry, licorice, mocha, cigar box, currant, fig, pepper, plum, raisin, smoke, toast and earth.

A secret to understanding red wine for beginners is knowing the importance of the red wine glass. The purpose of the red wine glass is to help the wine aerate. For this a large bulbous red wine glass is the best choice. Red wines are best enjoyed when the glass holds between ten and twenty ounces. The reason a bulbous glass works best is so you can swirl the wine and open up the aromas and flavors.

The best temperature to serve red wine varies with each varietal but for the most part red wine should be served at room temperature. This does not mean literally the temperature of the room you are in when you open the bottle but enough so that the barest chill is on it. Too cold and you will lose the flavors, too warm and all you will taste is the alcohol in the wine. The best temperature to serve your red wine generally speaking is between 50F-68F. Light-bodied reds are better at the low end of that spectrum while the medium to heavier red wines do well in the mid range and your sweet red wine should be served at the higher temperatures.

Speaking of body, a red wine is largely identified by its body type. When referring to light-bodied red wines it means the red wine has a light mouthfeel and easy tannin structure. Mouthfeel is simply the weight of the wine in your mouth. Liken it to the weight of milk and skim milk where light-bodied would feel watery like skim milk. Light-bodied red wines are less intense in flavor and are better for paring wine and food. They are also best for immediate consumption as they won’t age well.

A medium-bodied red wine will be somewhere in the middle of course. Merlot is a good middle of the road red wine and makes for the best red wine for beginners as it is easiest to drink by itself. A good medium-bodied red wine that goes well with food would be Chianti, an Italian red wine.

Full-bodied red wines have high tannin levels and are often higher in alcohol content. Going back to mouthfeel, full-bodied red wines would stick to your mouth much like the effect of whole milk. Tannins are what give you that chalky mouthfeel when you sip a heavy red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon. The heavier the red the more tannins it is likely to have. Heavy reds can be paired with food but are easiest to drink by themselves.
There are several types of red wine available from all over the world. If you take my advice and go to as many free wine tastings as possible, eventually you will be able to determine exactly what your favorite type of red wine is. There is really no such thing as the best red wine for beginners. It’s all in what you like best.

Article  & Image Source:http://bestlifeopportunity.com/finding-the-best-red-wine-for-beginners.html

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Savory Red: Red Wine Uruguayan Tannat-A Guide to this Fine Win...

Savory Red: Red Wine Uruguayan Tannat-A Guide to this Fine Win...: "Tannat red wine produces wine tasting notes of red fruits and spices with an intense cherry red color and purplish tint. Why the Uruguayan ..."

Savory Red: How Wine Making StartedAuthor: Everette Hoover It...

Savory Red: How Wine Making StartedAuthor:

Everette Hoover
It...
: "How Wine Making StartedAuthor: Everette HooverIt is unknown how wine making with grapes actually started, but fermented beverages have been..."

How Wine Making Started

Author:

Everette Hoover

It is unknown how wine making with grapes actually started, but fermented beverages have been produced by early cultures out of fruits, grains and honey. It is likely that the way to make wine was stumbled upon after the discovery that grapes could be fermented in a similar way. At first, only wild grapes would have been used to develop the earliest grape wines, as cultivated grapes were virtually unknown then. The wine probably had less alcohol due to the fact that wild grapes did not have as much sugar as cultivated grapes.

The Romance between Wine Making and Early Cultures

The early Egyptians were the ones who started the making wine, using their stone tablets and tombs to record each grape harvest. Great importance was given to the production of wine and its consumption was a big part of any social event. The Egyptians loved wine so much that they imported the vine cuttings of grapes for cultivation and pharaohs were entombed with bottles of wine for their journey to the underworld.

Although wine making was first practiced by the Egyptians, other cultures also had a hand in it. Poets and historians from ancient Greece extolled the qualities of wine, which became a beverage meant solely for members of the upper class. When the Roman Empire was in power, wine eventually became a common vintage when it was mass produced in many European countries.

Wine Making And Monks

With the increase in monasteries by the church in the days of the Dark Ages, monks perfected the art of wine production. They were responsible for the development of some of Europe\'s best vineyards and wines. During Shakespeare\'s time, wine had become an important addition to the daily meal.

During the time of Shakespeare, people were avid drinkers of wine and often talked about the qualities and defects enthusiastically. They soon developed an appreciation for wine\'s various flavours, which helped to shape the art and culture of that period. The old practice of making wine had started to become more modern by the end of the Shakespearean era.

The Future Of Wine Making

Mass wine making started as a result of more grapes being cultivated, as well as the development of better ways of wine storage. These improvements resulted in grapes being consistently supplied and an increased interest in the making of wine. The development of narrow topped and better sealed wine containers made it easier to store and transport wine, starting a lucrative trade. This marked the future of wine making.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-wine-making-started-4283286.html

About the Author

Hi, my name is Everette Hoover from the UK and I like to write articles and blog constantly.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Red Wine Uruguayan Tannat-A Guide to this Fine Wine, Its Benefits and Secrets

Tannat red wine produces wine tasting notes of red fruits and spices with an intense cherry red color and purplish tint.

Why the Uruguayan Tannat is different to the French Tannat wine?

The wine making process in Uruguay changed when the Tannat wine grape was introduced at the end of 19th century from Madiran, France since this type of wine was carefully developed and improved till today. Nowadays, Uruguay is the only wine Country of the world that produces important quantities of Tannat wine grapes.
In the natural process of the red wine maturing a micro-oxygenation technique is a complement to soften Tannat red wines with special results. The micro-oxygenation introduces oxygen into the wine, in a controlled way, giving a balance in the tannins of the Tannat red wines. The result is a varietal Uruguayan Tannat red wine with its own personality, softer than the French Tannat wine.
Uruguayan Tannat fine wine by itself or blended with other red wines like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz allows fine wines where the Tannat contributes with its robust style, body and richness of tannins.
The benefits of drinking red wine for the health are well known but they are increased, in an important way, with the Tannat red wines. If you drink with moderation a Tannat red wine you obtain, derived from the Tannat grapes, a high concentration of tannins and polyphenols that help to protect your heart health and blood vessels.
For a wine enthusiast, a food and wine pairing of a Tannat wine bottle is ideal with grilled and broiled red meats, lamb, chicken, and roast duck. In the wine and cheese area, the Tannat wine charm goes with strong and well matured cheeses.

As a general tasting note, Tannat red wine is best paired with strongly flavored dishes.

 Article Source:www.getwineonline.net
Image Source: www.winedrop.co.uk