Popular Wine Brands
Sutter Home, Kendall-Jackson, Kenwood Vinyards, Robert Mondavi, Korbel, Mariposa, St. Francis, Pine Ridge, Barefoot, Glenn Ellen, J Lohr, Beringer, Gallo, Smith & Hook, Chateau Ste Michelle, Columia Crest, Blackstone, Artesa, Byron, Buehler, Turning Leaf.
Sutter Home, Kendall-Jackson, Kenwood Vinyards, Robert Mondavi, Korbel, Mariposa, St. Francis, Pine Ridge, Barefoot, Glenn Ellen, J Lohr, Beringer, Gallo, Smith & Hook, Chateau Ste Michelle, Columia Crest, Blackstone, Artesa, Byron, Buehler, Turning Leaf.
Different Kind Of Wine
Before you begin to add wine to your parties, you may want to learn about your choices. There are several different kinds of wine out there; it can most definitley lead to uncertainty. The way that wines are named can also be confusing. Hopefully this information will provide for a better understanding of the huge array of wine.
Sometimes wines are named for the area in which they are produced. (i.e. - Champagne, Pouilly Fuisse), others are named for the grapes from which they are made (i.e.- Chardonnay, Merlot.) Some are named for distant, better known production areas which produce wines that are least slightly similar (i.e. - Chablis, Burgundy or Champagne produced in the United States) and finally, there are wines that have 'made up' brand names applied to them (i.e. - Mateus, Blue Nun.) The decision to name a wine in a certain way is influenced by local laws or traditions and also marketing forces.
Reigonal Wines: In countries (mostly European) that have a long history of wine production, regulations have been developed that require certain varieties of grapes, viviculture practices and winemaking to be applied to wines from individual regions. These laws are based on centuries of experience with different grapes and methods and a resulting knowledge of what works best for that particular location. Most of the better French, Italian and Portuguese wines fall into this category. Examples of a few Regional names include: Bordeaux, Chablis, Chianti, Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Champagne.
Varietal Wines: These wines are named for the grape variety from which they are produced, Almost every country now allows wines to be labeled this way although knowledge of local laws is beneficial because variations do exist. In California, only 75% of a particular grape is required for a wine to be labeled with that varietal name. In France, a wine designated with a grape varietal name must contain 100% of that particular variety. In general, 'new world' countries are more likely to label their better and best wines with varietal names while 'old world' countries use varietal naming to name their every day table wines. Some exaples of varietal names are: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Pinos Gris and Sangiovese.
Generic Wines: This particular category of wines is more common in the United States than in most other countries and is almost non-existent in European countries. THese are wines that have no content or origin requirements that are named for distant and famous wine producing regions. If an American winery produced a sparkling wine, it was labeled as a 'Champagne' even though true Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France. Similarly, if a wine was white and dry, it might be labeled 'Chablis' even though it bore little resemblence to a true French Chablis. Some examples of generic names include: Chablis, Burgundy, Champagne, Sherry and Port. In the United States and any other countries that allow generic naming, consumers become easily confused and often fail to appreciate the true quality of the real regions whose names are used to market inexpensive and inferior wines.
Wine Storage
If you have even a very modest number of wines that you don't intend to drink within a month or so, you probably should think about how you are storing these wines, be it a wine rack or a wine cellar, so you are not dissapointed when it comes time to open them.
The primary threats to your wine are heat, vibration, and light. heat will tend to cook your wines and make them age much more quickly. Wide fluctuations in temperature (+ / -10 to 15 degrees) can also rapidly ravage a wine. Vibration does basically the same thing since it also introduces energy into the wine. And light, being yet another form of energy, can initiate certain breakdown reactions in the wine that lead to undesirable consequences.
The operative concept in maintaining the quality and lifespan of wine, then, is to minimize the amount of energy you introduce ito the wine. That's the concept behind wine cellars and the caves used by some wineries to age their wines. They are dark, quiet, and maintain a consistently cool climate. What this means is that you have to find a place in your house that is not subject to alot of vibration, that stays fairly cool (i.e. below 70 degrees) and the temperature does not fluctuate greatly, and that does not have alot of bright light.
The last thing you want is to discover that your precious wine collection has been ruined just because of bad storage. It is also important to keep your bottles on their side, so to keep the cork wet. These are all minor and easy precautions, but are definitley worth every effort of consideration.
Wine Making
Sometimes wines are named for the area in which they are produced. (i.e. - Champagne, Pouilly Fuisse), others are named for the grapes from which they are made (i.e.- Chardonnay, Merlot.) Some are named for distant, better known production areas which produce wines that are least slightly similar (i.e. - Chablis, Burgundy or Champagne produced in the United States) and finally, there are wines that have 'made up' brand names applied to them (i.e. - Mateus, Blue Nun.) The decision to name a wine in a certain way is influenced by local laws or traditions and also marketing forces.
Reigonal Wines: In countries (mostly European) that have a long history of wine production, regulations have been developed that require certain varieties of grapes, viviculture practices and winemaking to be applied to wines from individual regions. These laws are based on centuries of experience with different grapes and methods and a resulting knowledge of what works best for that particular location. Most of the better French, Italian and Portuguese wines fall into this category. Examples of a few Regional names include: Bordeaux, Chablis, Chianti, Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Champagne.Varietal Wines: These wines are named for the grape variety from which they are produced, Almost every country now allows wines to be labeled this way although knowledge of local laws is beneficial because variations do exist. In California, only 75% of a particular grape is required for a wine to be labeled with that varietal name. In France, a wine designated with a grape varietal name must contain 100% of that particular variety. In general, 'new world' countries are more likely to label their better and best wines with varietal names while 'old world' countries use varietal naming to name their every day table wines. Some exaples of varietal names are: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Pinos Gris and Sangiovese.
Generic Wines: This particular category of wines is more common in the United States than in most other countries and is almost non-existent in European countries. THese are wines that have no content or origin requirements that are named for distant and famous wine producing regions. If an American winery produced a sparkling wine, it was labeled as a 'Champagne' even though true Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France. Similarly, if a wine was white and dry, it might be labeled 'Chablis' even though it bore little resemblence to a true French Chablis. Some examples of generic names include: Chablis, Burgundy, Champagne, Sherry and Port. In the United States and any other countries that allow generic naming, consumers become easily confused and often fail to appreciate the true quality of the real regions whose names are used to market inexpensive and inferior wines.
If you have even a very modest number of wines that you don't intend to drink within a month or so, you probably should think about how you are storing these wines, be it a wine rack or a wine cellar, so you are not dissapointed when it comes time to open them.
The primary threats to your wine are heat, vibration, and light. heat will tend to cook your wines and make them age much more quickly. Wide fluctuations in temperature (+ / -10 to 15 degrees) can also rapidly ravage a wine. Vibration does basically the same thing since it also introduces energy into the wine. And light, being yet another form of energy, can initiate certain breakdown reactions in the wine that lead to undesirable consequences.
The operative concept in maintaining the quality and lifespan of wine, then, is to minimize the amount of energy you introduce ito the wine. That's the concept behind wine cellars and the caves used by some wineries to age their wines. They are dark, quiet, and maintain a consistently cool climate. What this means is that you have to find a place in your house that is not subject to alot of vibration, that stays fairly cool (i.e. below 70 degrees) and the temperature does not fluctuate greatly, and that does not have alot of bright light.
The last thing you want is to discover that your precious wine collection has been ruined just because of bad storage. It is also important to keep your bottles on their side, so to keep the cork wet. These are all minor and easy precautions, but are definitley worth every effort of consideration.
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material. Mead is a wine that is made with honey being the primary ingredient after water.
Winemaking can be divided into two general categories: still wine production (without carbonation) and sparkling wine production (with carbonation).
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