To the casual observer, wine might appear to be a relatively straight forward beverage to create. But now that I am wanting to plant a few vines the whole process is becoming mind-boggling; aside from the winery, just the simple task of planting a few vines is a series of complex considerations. Obviously, I am not purporting that my earlier wine making hobby efforts produced a quality wine; far from it. But I have concluded, just any grape juice, even in the hands of an accomplished winemaker, does not bring forth a quality wine. So, what makes a great juice?

I am reminded of an adage: Great wine starts in the vineyard. “The phrase is not meant literally but implies that you can’t make great wine if the raw material isn’t up to scratch (sic). This is certainly true and in the past two decades wineries have been putting a huge amount of effort into their vineyards in a bid to improve their fruit quality, trialing new methods from green harvesting to fancy irrigation systems,” writes Rebecca Gibbs, Editor at Wine-Searcher.

There are indications that wines are being elevated starting in the vineyard. Just look at the amount of money being spent on new varietals, clones, new plantings, research into disease tolerant vines, and better soil chemistry/research. Even major universities are expending significant resources on research efforts that are improving the attributes/characteristics of wine grapes. For example, the University of Arkansas, under the direction of Dr. John Clark has a great wine grape program and has been awarded patents on brand new varietals. I am only pointing out that there is significant research, even in areas not known for being a bastion of wines. Of course, the recognized big players in wine research are: UC-Davis, Fresno State, Penn State, Cornell, Oregon, and Minnesota Universities.

There are many universities in the U.S. that have major programs underway to develop new clones, growing techniques and varietals that address specific needs of vineyard owners relative to improving plant and fruit quality. Such programs are bringing forward vastly improved fruit that make quality wines. The focus on grape/vine research is to improve the viticulture characteristics that address the ever-changing needs of the wine industry (and ultimately the consumer). With wineries in all 50 states, thus dictating differing needs of these geographically disparate wine centers, there is constant need for new ways to improve wine, starting in the vineyard. Such words as cloning, rootstock, breeding, and hybrids encourage wine lovers to think a little deeper about their wines.

Consider this, a vineyard owner/winery owner may need new vines with distinct characteristics. For example: improved cluster size, higher yields, different fruit chemistry, color of the juice, phenolics, a specific aroma profile, drought and wet climate resistance, more disease tolerant, etc. Obviously, this is a challenge that only relates to vineyard operations. In an earlier article I mentioned that there is an ongoing research program with the Catena Winery in Mendoza, Argentina and UC-Davis to develop new clones (and maybe varietals) that grow quality grapes in high and arid soils and climatic conditions. Again, you need good fruit for good wine.

Probably the most recognized grape varietal for wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, a varietal from France that came about by an act of nature. There are references to this grape that goes back to the 17th century. It is a “cross” between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. This varietal is planted basically worldwide and has some very admirable character for winemakers; it is hearty, great color and nice aromas. (By-the-way, the ancestry of the Cabernet Sauvignon was validated by UC-Davis in 1997. “UC- Davis scientists John Bowers and Carole Meredith solved the mystery using DNA fingerprinting technology that proved that Cabernet Sauvignon was the progeny of a surprising spontaneous crossing of the Bordeaux cultivars, Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc,” as reported in Foundation Plant Services 2008.)

With pollination happening in nature, even the Cabernet Sauvignon goes through mutational changes constantly. This would result in new clones coming about. Some have said there are 29 Cabernet Sauvignon clones.

Yes, we know vineyards select the vines they plant based upon a number of considerations, some were noted previously. In reality a vineyard manager, confronted with the need to plant new wines is confronted with a plethora of options for the vine specifications they will take to their vine nursery. The considerations run the gambit. For example, what are the soil conditions and what varietal will grow best? Climate trends can impact varietal selection and the clone type for that varietal. Then the vineyard manager must select a rootstock. And the list goes on. Sufficed to say: soil, climate, disease resistant, yields, colors and aromas of a grape can all be overruled by considerations dictated by the market place; what the consumer wants to buy. Sometimes the useful life of a vine (vines can produce for approximately 75 years) is never achieved because of considerations outside of human control.

So, when you are driving through vineyards in Sonoma or Napa on the way to a wine tasting, let’s explore the options that go into producing a high-quality fruit that will make high quality wines. All vineyards are not created equal. Today we know that the wine consumer is paying considerably more for quality wines. Ultimately, the vineyard owner will select a vine that will produce fruit that a winery will buy, that will also meet their specifications. After all, there are more than 10,000 varieties in the world. Of course, there are probably only a thousand or so used for wine and there are thousands of clones within varietals.

The selection of a vine for a vineyard is not a task to be taken lightly. At $4.60 a vine and assuming 2,000 vines per acre, it is easy to see that the financial commitment is extraordinary; not to mention that the owner is looking at 3 years to get a first harvest. After labor costs, irrigation preparations and material costs, it is easy to expect to spend $40,000 to $50,000 an acre to get first fruit.

A new trend in wine marketing is to brand a wine based upon the AVA (American Viticulture Area) of origin of the fruit made into wine. Therefore, by definition, each AVA designated by the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) is based upon a series of provable and researched differentiators that makes that area of land different than a plot at may be adjoining. Some of the issues discussed in an application for an AVA are: soil composition, past weather (rain, temps and snow) trends, aspects of climate (winds, sun exposure, etc.), altitude/elevation, and specific boundaries of the AVA. There are 240 AVA’s in the U.S. and 139 are in California; each AVA will impact what vines selected for planting-varietal, their clone, and rootstock.

Starting with Rootstock

Rootstock is basically an independent root system for which a grape varietal is grafted onto. That graft will eventually produce the fruit of a specific varietal. Like varietals and their clones, there are many varieties of rootstock. Rootstock is selected by the vineyard management that will produce the fruit, and is selected based upon the rootstock’s disease resistance, ability to acclimate to terroir; it’s important to choose the right rootstock for conditions in specific vineyards. Remember the earlier discussions about AVA’s, well now we can appreciate the importance of the rootstock onto which the grafting (scion) is placed.

France is very regulated when it comes to rootstock and clones. They recognize, for sale through the ENTAV-INRA 32 different rootstocks and over 1,200 clones of varietals. All these rootstocks are cataloged and monitored by the government. In the U.S. there is no reliable numbers on rootstock varieties; probably because there are so many different wine growing regions that require differing rootstock to sustain grape production. However, to add some proportionality, Sunridge Nurseries in Northern California, offers 31 different rootstocks. They also offer 160 clones of varietals they sell to vineyards; 14 clones pertain to their Cabernet Sauvignon plats.

In the U.S. we really do not know the number of clones, as an aggregated number, but Mark Chien at Penn State University states that there are “hundreds of clones for just the Pinot Noir varietal.” But, Chien’s basic interest is rootstock and he implies that that is the foundation of a successful vineyard production. “the first duty of a rootstock is to be phylloxera resistant.” (Phylloxera is a mite that devastated must of the vineyards in the 1880’s and still can.)

Finally, I believe the rootstock, with the varietal vine it produces, has a great influence on the vines health, grape aroma’s, taste of the grape and color of the finished wine. As Mark Chien points out, rootstocks offer the following characteristics:

· Protection against soil-borne pests and diseases

· Tolerance form environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, wet soil, etc.

· Influences vine vigor and size and even size of clusters

· Fruit ripening

· Ability to propagate

Remember, ultimately the selection of the rootstock and the clone will ultimately set the quality of the wine and ultimately the resulting price.

Onto Varietals/Clones

Sometimes a vineyard owner and his customers like a specific varietal because it has specific characteristics they like. For a myriad of reasons, maybe they have a need to more plantings of that varietal/clone.

Cloning gives that vineyard owner/manager the capability of taking a piece from a mother vine they like and by grafting it onto a rootstock they can nearly duplicate the properties inherent in the mother vine. Another option is to take a cutting (piece off the mother vine) and using basic rooting techniques, get the cutting to develop its own roots and then plant that cloned piece after it has developed rudimentary roots.

Hartmann, et al., 1990 defines a “Clone” as a genetically uniform group of vines derived originally from a single plant by asexual propagation (cuttings, grafting, etc.).

Clones are desirable as they offer some slight alterations to the characteristics of a varietal. Such changes might produce variation such as ripening patterns, cluster sizes, and maybe even yields. In 1995 the ENTAV-INRA in France noted there were 29 Cabernet Sauvignon clones. ENTAV-INRA is a trademarked organization under the French government that certifies clones. They also ensure the DNA purity of a rootstock. Yes, grapevines do have DNA traces.

Cloning is another reason why the same varietal may possess different characteristics in a wine. Now maybe we can appreciate the somewhat sudden interest in the impact terroir, rootstock, and clones have on the wines we like and buy. By visiting wineries and tasting many wines and talking to the winemakers we can have a little more meaningful discussion to explore a wines pedigree when we find a wine we truly like.

Here is quick example about what can happen when people don’t understand rootstock, clones and varietals as they relate to soil, climate and terroir. There are stories in the industry of people wanting to get into the wine business without paying much attention to the characteristics of the clone they selected to plant. In one wine region, a Chardonnay was planted that was not acclimated well to wet and cool climate. Yes, they soon realized the error of their ways and did recover by changing the clone type of the Chardonnay they planted. Clones make a difference and that is why there are so many of them in each varietal. Simply stated, vineyard owners must consider hundred of options before they can intelligently select on rootstock, varietals and clones.

What about Cross-breeding?

A few years ago, I had the fortune of meeting Dr. John Clark who spent an inordinate amount of time with me to give me an elementary education on breeding grapevines. He is recognized around the world as a breeder/developer of new varietal grapes to help the wine industry in the Midwest get new wine grapevines that work well in that specific wine growing region; remember every state has a wine industry of some size

Cross-breeding is taking one variety of grape and using the pollen from that grape vine to pollenate the flowers of another varietal (within the same species-vitis vinefera-which is the most common wine grape species). Then taking the seeds from resulting grape cluster and growing them. Over time the result will be a new varietal with very distinct characteristics; so different in fact that the new plant can be patented and taken to market by nurseries.

Cross-breeding is the process that the researcher hopes will turn out to be a desirable grape varietal.

Like in most endeavors, to the casual observer the true complexities involved can be overlooked. Wine is one of those endeavors. Visiting a winery and seeing big tanks and barrels and hoses and bottling lines on display do not really define what has gone on before winery activities comes into play. The activities in the vineyard are complex, backbreaking, fraught with a myriad of potential catastrophes and requires an ability to understand and work symbiotically with Mother Nature.

Quality wine starts on continues in the vineyard.

The past few weeks have included buzz-worthy info on coffee, wine, weed and health. The three stimulants can be addictive, enjoy a robust retail market (weed in limited states) and may have health benefits. My clients and readers of this blog know my mantra- "There is no one thing that is all good or all bad and moderation is the key." Though the research on the three is still a work in progress, the following is a brief overview of how they can impact your health.

COFFEE

According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, 54 percent of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee daily and 65 percent of these drinkers are consuming the coffee during breakfast hours. The key component associated with coffee consumption is caffeine. Coffee is a stimulant that can improve mood, increase energy and cognitive function. When coffee is consumed, caffeine is absorbed in the bloodstream, and travels to the brain where it blocks a neurotransmitter. This blocked neurotransmitter leads to a stimulant effect, thus people may feel more alert, energetic and positive, with improved cognitive functions.

WINE

I'm a wine enthusiast and I enjoy drinking wine in moderation. US per capita consumption of wine is approximately 3 gallons, much less than in other countries. Wine does have benefits for heart health, reduced risk of cancer and long-term depression. Red wine is high in antioxidants which are linked to heart health and reduced blood pressure. One of the antioxidants that has been touted recently is resveratrol. Although resveratrol is still being studied, this antioxidant in red wine is thought to protect blood vessels, reduce LDL (Bad) cholesterol and prevent blood clots.

White wine also has positive effects on heart health as a result of the antioxidants found in the wine grapes. There has also been early research which links drinking two to three glasses of champagne a week to the prevention of brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Now a glass of bubbly is always a good thing, however, note this research continues in search of definitive proof.

WEED

Still considered taboo in many circles, weed, aka marijuana, may also have health benefits. One-fifth of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal. The label medical marijuana refers to the use of the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has NOT approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However the FDA has approved the scientific study of chemicals in the plant called cannabinoids , which have led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form.

To date research by the National Institutes of Health has focused on two cannabinoids-THC and CBD. CBD is a cannabinoid that does not create a "high." Findings indicate that THC can stimulate appetite and reduce nausea which can be beneficial to patients undergoing chemotherapy. Researchers continue their work and are conducting preclinical and clinical trials with marijuana and its extracts to treat symptoms of illness and conditions of diseases that affect the immune system including HIV / AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), pain, inflammation and seizures.

This post is a brief overview of trending topics on coffee, wine and weed. These subjects will continue to be of interest and the upcoming California Wine and Weed Symposium will certainly be a catalyst for more conversation.

Take Away: There may be undiscovered health benefits with coffee, wine and weed in the future, however my caveat is to make wise choices and moderation is essential.

As wine has become more popular in the United States and growing steadily every day, there has been an increase also in the making of wine for personal consumption.

Wine making supplies have become readily available and producing wine at home allows the wine lovers to be able to stock their wine racks and cellars with their own product. Of course there have been many a bad drop of red and white wine made at home but as the hobby has now more followers, the recipes, supplies, equipment and utensils are much improved.

The winemaking kits have helped the process of making wine at home easier and so more and more are taking up this fascinating pastime. There is quite a band of people indulging in homemade wine making and exchanging recipes and tips to improve their batches. How we like our wine is a very personal thing. What one person likes another may think is not worth drinking. The wine making kits for homemade wine making help to keep the results of a batch more consistent and so more people will enjoy the same wine.

Using Homemade Wine To Create Your Family Tradition If you have started your own homemade wine making then why not start your very own family traditions by making a special wine for those family celebrations. Think of how it will be when you have a special wine for an anniversary, birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the birth of a child. There are many times when your family and friends will appreciate your wine. Preparing your vintage can be timed for these special occasions as you will know exactly when to bottle and when the wine will be ready to be opened because the homemade wine making kit will have all the instructions you need.

With a wine making kit you get the juice concentrate and so you can prepare the exact type of wine that is preferred for each occasion. There are wine label kits so you can label your wine too with your own brand.

Your Appreciation Of Wine Making Will Deepen

As with most things, the more you learn about a subject the more you appreciate the complexities of that subject. This applies to wine making too. Homemade wine making will allow you to learn about the process of making wine and why it is a lifelong passion of the professional wine maker.

When you do purchase a bottle of wine from the local bottle shop, no longer will you just select that bottle you are used to, you will read labels more carefully and understand more when it says about the peppery, fruity, robust, rounded, soft and many other descriptions of the wine. No more will you just pick the bottle from the shelf, pay for it, take it home and drink it. You will be a wine expert and will compare those bought wines with your own and you may be surprised at how much you prefer your own vintage.

You Will Also Reap The Financial Benefits

The wine connoisseurs will have you believe that the best wines are the most expensive but this is not always the case as a few ‘masked tests’ have revealed. But generally speaking the more expensive the wine, the better the taste. That doesn’t mean to say that your homemade wine making cannot produce some excellent tasting wines. Your initial outlay for your homemade wine making kit will cost you a few dollars, but once set up you only need to purchase the ingredients to make new batches.

A wine making kit contains the following

Complete Winemaking Equipment Kit Includes primary fermenter with cover, and glass secondary fermenter, hydrometer, stopper and fermentation lock, carboy handle,

Autosiphon and siphon tubing, bottlefiller, sterilizer, brushes, corker, corks and reference book.

Recommended additional equipment not included, Stirring spoon and degasser.This kit comes in three, five or six gallon sizes.

The Ingredients Kit

This kit includes all basic ingredients needed for Fruitwine, or conventional winemaking. Consists of Acid Testing Kit, Yeast, Acid Blend, Yeast Nutrient, Campden Tablets, Bentonite, Pectic Enzyme and Tannin.

Complete Winemaking Equipment Kit and the Winemaking Ingredients Kit will cost you between $120 and $140, so that would be your initial outlay and the ingredients kit will cost approximately less that $20. So your outlay for the next batches will be around the $20.

So you can see over a relatively short period of time you will be in front financially. Homemade wine making, more that just a hobby, something you will get passionate about and really enjoy doing. Your friends and family will really appreciate your passion too. It is a wonderful learning experience homemade wine making.

HomeMade Wine Making

The traditional drink of the UK used to be beer, but now more and more people are drinking wine, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA). A poll recently commissioned by the WSTA showed than ow 60% of the UK’s adults are wine drinkers and wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage. On average it is estimated that there are more than 30 million regular wine drinkers across the country. In the 25 – 34-year-old bracket,it is their favourite drink.

Consumers prefer white wine and sparkling wines such as Prosecco are growing in popularity. This must be good news for British vineyards. The main grape varieties grown in the UK are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Did you know that there are more than 400 vineyards in England and just over 20 in Wales? The climate in Scotland isn’t conducive to grape growing. The USA tops the wine consumers’ polls, followed by France, Italy, Germany and China, with the UK coming in sixth place.

In the US, at least, 20% of people are going out to eat more than they did in the past, and they are spending more on average than they did in the past. A survey has shown that 24% of diners are spending more on wine than they did in previous years.

In the US, wine drinkers spent 4.4% more on wine bought in stores than they did in 2016. Beer sale are falling, but spirits are still popular. Wine drinkers have resisted price increases on their favourite brands, and wine producers have realised that it’s easier to bring a new, more expensive, wine onto the market than to raise the price of well-established wines.

When it is served by the glass in restaurants, more people will buy it, a survey showed. The bottles with screw tops are ideal for pouring it by the glass, and, it seems, that sommeliers are quite happy to serve wine from them. Rather than have a cork stuffed back in a bottle, a screw cap bottle which holds a glass of wine, ensures the it is fresh and not turning to vinegar.

Diners want their wine to complement their food, which is also good news for sommeliers. They are unlikely to be out of a job just yet! The US Wine Market Council conducted a survey which showed that 64% of regular wine drinkers are more likely to order wine with Italian meals. 56% of respondents said that they usually order wine in a steakhouse. Diners tend to choose refreshing wines, such as sparkling ones and light reds. Of course, these also go well with food.

In the US, at least, wine drinkers are buying more wine in cans than they did a year ago. Cans can be consumed in public places, such as beaches, where glass bottles aren’t allowed. However, wine in a can is not very popular in the UK (at least, not yet).

The wine market is changing with the times, so who knows what will be popular next year?

There is a renewed interest in the wine-making procedures of the ancient Romans. Historians in Italy have been studying Roman texts dating back at least 2,000 years in order to discover how the ancient Romans made their wine. They cultivated their vines without the use of modern pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers (apart from natural ones, of course). So basically, Roman wine was organic.

These historians are using ancient tools such as the 'stork', which was basically a wooden cross with a lead weight on a piece of twine, which they used to find out if holes dug for planting vines were of the optimal depth.They used wood from brooms and strips of cane instead of twine or string to tie their vines to poles.

Roman wine was stored in terracotta pots or amphorae, rather than in barrels, as it is today. These terracotta pots were buried in the ground, up to their necks, and lined with beeswax to ensure that they are impermeable. They were left open to encourage fermentation. Later they were sealed with resin or clay.

The modern historians use unusual grape varieties, such as Nerello Mascalese, Visparola, Racinedda and Muscatedda, and produce seven red wines and one white. Their vineyard is situated in Sicily, close to Catania. The Roman poet, Virgil, and Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, are the sources they draw on for their viticulture methods. Columella was a Roman soldier before he turned to wine production. He was the foremost Roman writer of texts on agriculture. Before writing his twelve-volume tome on agriculture, he was a tribune in Syria in the first century AD.

It seems that many of the ancient Roman farming methods were still in use in Italy up until the end of the Second World War in 1945. The tools used up until that date were also similar to those used in the Roman Empire. Now, of course, chemicals are used in wine-making and wine production has been mechanized.

Roman wine could be bitter, so it tended to be flavored with honey. The cheaper wine, minus honey, was for the peasants, while the smoother wine (with honey) was for the aristocrats. Of course, in Britain, mead was the alcoholic drink that was sweetened with honey.

From archaeological evidence, we know that honey mead was drunk on the Asian continent between 6500 and 7000 BC Ancient Greeks thought that mead was the drink of the gods. Why not try some and see if you agree?

Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style

What is Bordeaux wine?

Bordeaux (“Bore-doe”) refers to a wine from Bordeaux, France. Over 90% of Bordeaux wines are red wines made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec

Bordeaux is one of France’s most important wine-producing regions. The Dutch drained the marshes of the Medoc in the 17th century. The climate is as humid as it was when the land was covered in marshes instead of vineyards, leading to a variety of problems, such as rot and mildew

Red Bordeaux Primary Flavors: Black Currant, Plum, Graphite, Cedar, Violet.

Bordeaux reds are medium to full bodied with bold aromas of black currant and plums. Depending on the region where the Bordeaux wine is from, fruit flavors range from more tart fruit to sweeter ripe fruit.

As with the reds, white Bordeaux wines are usually blends of Sémillion and a smaller proportion of Sauvignon blanc. Other permitted grape varieties are Sauvignon gris, Ugni blanc, Colombard, Merlot blanc, Ondenc and Mauzac.

Here’s what to know about serving this wine:

Best served just slightly below room temperature (around 65 °F / 18 °C).

It’s always a great idea to decant red Bordeaux wines.

Store Bordeaux and all your red wines below 65 °F / 18 °C.

A decent vintage and solid producer (around $25+) will easily age for 15 years.

Pairing Food with Bordeaux Wine

Meat:

Black Pepper Steak, Roast Pork, Filet Mignon, Beef Brisket, Buffalo Burgers, Chicken Liver, Pot Roast, Venison, Duck, Goose, Dark Meat Turkey

Cheese:

Basque Cheeses, Swiss Cheese, White Cheddar, Provolone, Pepper Jack

Herb/Spice:

Black Pepper, White Pepper, Oregano, Rosemary, Mustard Seed, Cumin, Coriander Seed

Vegetable:

Roast Potatoes, Lentils, Mushrooms, Onion, Green Onion, Green Bean Casserole, Chestnut

Climate and geography

The major reason for the success of wine making in the Bordeaux region is an excellent environment for growing vines.

In Bordeaux the concept of terroir plays a role in wine production with the top estates aiming to make terroir driven wines that reflect the place they are from, often from grapes collected from a single vineyard. Remember that the right bank is dominated by Merlot and the left bank is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon.

Buying Bordeaux

Buying Bordeaux can be an intimidating experience. French wine labels steer clear of grapes and focus on geography.

Bordeaux has ruled the world of wine for three centuries and it will continue to influence consumer trends and the future of wines for years to come.

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot Noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black.

These grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler climates, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France.

It is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The grape’s tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several hazards involving rot. At young stages, wines made from Pinot tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. As the wine ages, they have the potential to develop more vegetative and “barnyard” aromas that can contribute to the different flavors of the wine.

This red wine grape variety’s home is France’s Burgundy region.

The broad range of bouquets, flavors, textures and impressions that these beautiful grapes can produce sometimes confuses tasters. The wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma of black or red cherry, raspberry and currant and many other fine small pinot noir and black berry fruits.

The wine’s color when young is often compared to that of garnet, frequently being much lighter than that of other red wines.

The Pinot grape is also used in the production of Champagne and is planted in most of the world’s wine growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines. It is grown for dry table wines is generally lower-yielding than many other varieties.

This wines are pale in color, translucent and their flavors are very clean. The grape itself is weak, suffering from a variety of diseases and its genetics make it highly susceptible to mutation.

Flavors

FRUIT: Cranberry, Cherry, Raspberry

OTHER: vanilla, clove, licorice, mushroom, wet leaves, tobacco, cola, quality red wine.

Food Pairings For Pinot Noir.

Pinot noir is one of the most versatile red wines to match with food and a great option in a restaurant when one is eating meat and the other fish.

There are ingredients that will pair with practically any pinot noir such as duck and mushrooms and others, like salmon or tuna. This wine should be served cool or chilled:

Light, fresh pinots

Good pairings:, ham and other cold meats. Classic French dishes with light creamy sauces such as rabbit or kidneys with a mustard sauce. Goat cheese. Grilled asparagus. Spring vegetables such as peas

Food pairings: Dishes with a touch of spice, duck, grilled quail, pulled pork, seared salmon and tuna. Barbecues. Dishes that include cherries or figs.

Silky, elegant pinots

Paired With: Roast chicken, Pigeon, Rack of lamb, served pink. Rare fillet steak.. Beef Wellington. Roast pork with herbs and fennel. Chicken or turkey sausages. Dishes with wild mushrooms. Mushroom risotto. Roast or grilled lobster

Rich, full-bodied pinots

Good pairings: lamb, grilled steak, venison. Dishes like duck, roast goose. Glazed ham, Roast turkey, Brie and similar cheeses and Milder blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola.

Wine is a social drink which should be enjoyed in the company of friends and .. food.

The right combination between food and wine is a source of ultimate bliss for every connoisseur. Both wine and food can benefit from the right pairing. The right wine can accentuate unexpected gastronomical aspects of food and vice versa, wine can shine in a new light when accompanied by the right dish. In order to savor the splendor of such combinations, one does not need to frequent expensive restaurants and buy overpriced wines. Rather, when combining food and wine it is one’s intuition and curiosity that are of paramount importance.

Most rules for agreeable food – wine combinations date back to the 19th century and are made by French cooks who travel around Europe showing other nations the French savoir-vivre. It is since then that we know that champagne goes well with oysters, white wine – with seafood, and red wine – with game and red meats. Those rules, however, have been broken many times throughout the years because the nature of certain dishes and the rich wine variety available allow for a much freer interpretation. For example, some red meats could be made more enjoyable by stronger white wines.

A more practical approach for combining wine with food is to avoid any possible dissonance between them. For example, an exceptional wine stands out much better when accompanied by a not so sophisticated dish that will bring out the wine’s superb qualities instead of fighting with it. Certain wines and foods have “found” each other over the years and represent especially suitable combinations. Generally those are the regional wines and foods. Almost all local dishes go best with the wines from their regions.

Some tips for making good food – wine choices:

Try to balance the weight of both, i.e. heavy dishes and those with a strong taste, such as game and red meat should be enjoyed with an equally heavy wine. In most cases those are red wines but some full-bodied whites could be an equally suitable alternative.

Dry wines could develop a very unpleasant sour or even bitter taste if served with desserts. Generally deserts are served with wines that are at least comparably sweet, if not sweeter.

Wines with high acidity go best with heavy, rich in fat dishes. This is because the high fat content negates the impact of the acid.

High-tannin wines should be combined with foods rich in proteins. The proteins combine with the tannins, thus diminishing the tannin taste. Wines made from grape varieties that contain a lot of tannins, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are an excellent match for red meats and other protein-rich foods. On the other hand, high-tannin wines acquire an unpleasant metallic taste if combined with fish and other seafood. Or they could have an extremely bitter taste when combined with salty dishes.

So finally… which wine? You could have in mind the rules above when making your selection but don’t be blinded by them and never take things for granted. Even when you are convinced that you have found the perfect wine for a certain dish, a small change, such as a bad yield, a change in the production technology, or other, could disappoint you. So have an open mind and be ready to experiment. Needless to say, a lot of times the results would be a bit strange but that’s what will make the whole experience interesting!!

Zinfandel, also known as Primitivo,is grown in Apulia, Italy. It is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. The grape found its way to the United States in the 19th century, where it became known by variations of the name “Zinfandel”, a name which is probably of Austrian origin.

Despite its popularity in California, Zinfandel is thought to have originated in Croatia. Recent research determined that Primitivo, a grape long grown in Southern Italy to produce full-bodied and fruity red wines, is actually Zinfandel.

The grapes typically produce a robust red wine. The grape’s high sugar content can be fermented into levels of alcohol exceeding 15 percent.

Red Zinfandel wines have been criticized for being too alcoholic, although modern wine making techniques have helped make them more enjoyable.

The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruit flavors like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas.

Zinfandel is a classic wine of California

The red Zinfandel grape does will in warm climate regions. When fully ripe, Zinfandel grapes contain high amounts of sugar, which can be completely fermented to create a dry and fairly high-alcohol wine.

Zinfandel wine made in the traditional fashion may be unoaked and easy-drinking, or oak-aged and full bodied. Older versions can be particularly intense and rich. Expect flavors of black fruits and spice in all. The full flavors and bit of sweetness make Zinfandel a great match for grilled and barbecued meats.

Pairing Zinfandel with food!

Zinfandel wine is best when paired with anything from the meat aisle, from barbeque pork ribs, leg of lamb and more.

Pork

Beef and Lamb

Italian sausage

Spare ribs

POULTRY

A lighter Zinfandel wine is a nice choice for poultry and game fowl

Turkey

Duck

Quail

Pheasant

Chicken

PASTA

A Full Flavored Zinfandel wine pairs best with tomato-based dishes while lighter Zinfandels make an excellent wine pairing for creamy pastas.

Lasagna

Spaghetti

SEAFOOD & FISH

Pair Zinfandel with seafood stews and soups or grilled fish.

Tuna

OTHERS

Enjoy Zinfandel with bold, hearty soups, as well as your favorite kind of pizza!

Beef Stew

Chili

Pizza

HERBS

Black Pepper, Basil, Thyme, Italian Parsley, Bay Leaf, Fennel

CHEESE

Parmesan, Aged Cheddar, Aged Gouda, Asiago, Dry Jack

Whenever you are spending a cosy evening with your family accompanied by a glass of the finest wine, don’t you ever wish to visit the place that produces such marvels? Well, almost all of us have it on our bucket list to be a part of wine tours that allow visitors to taste their creations freshly prepared and bottled. It is an adventure for several especially for those who love to pay such frequent visits and enjoy the authentic flavours of nature.

Most wineries are known to keep their doors open to the common people where they serve freshly prepared wines that are graded according to the quality of the grapes and its manufacturing process. Being a part of a wine tour is not just an enriching experience, you are likely to receive a lot from every trip that you make in all aspects right from having an experience in watching how they make the wines that we drink and how it actually tastes when it is freshly prepared. While you make yourself a part of such tours, here are a few tips that could make the trip worthwhile.

Always opt for prior reservations

Not all wineries are known to be welcoming people over to their premises randomly. They often appreciate prior reservations that include the details of the number of people arriving and the time that they intend to stay there. This allows them to make necessary arrangements and accordingly welcome the guests over. There are times when they want you to specifically mention your itinerary that would enable them to arrange for an extra workforce to attend to your needs.

Hold the glass well

Experts often advise people intending to be a part of wine tours to hold the glass well before they taste it. When they serve you freshly prepared wine, it is likely to be in the room temperature, and it would taste best as when aerated well. Holding the glass at the stem and swirling it would aerate it well. Holding it at the base would transfer heat from the hand which may not give you the right flavour.

Wear cool clothes

As you are likely to stay outdoors most of the time visiting the vineyard and checking on the grapes that are to move in for wine production, it is best advised for you to wear breezy clothes that aren’t dark coloured. This would allow you to manage to stay outdoors for long. Even if you are addicted to using deodorants and perfumes, ensure that it isn’t strong on the nose as you may not be able to taste the wine with the fragrance overpowering your sense of taste.

Purchase moderately

If you intend to take home a few bottles of the wine that you have just tasted, you could consider making moderate purchases. Keep in mind the process in which you would be taking the bottles along with you in a way not to break them while on your way. If you have visited a different country and are a part of the tours, you could ask the authorities to deliver them to your address and ensure that it would reach you safely when you get back home.