Descending Wine Course
50 Things You Need to Know About Wine by Kristen Wolfe-Bieler
Lesson 34: How to Tell if Wine Has Gone Bad
1) It's Corked. Wine with the faint aroma of mildew, or that tastes like water backed up in your basement, has been corked-infected by a bacteria- or mold-ridden cork. This is the most common defect in wine, and the taint can be subtle. When in doubt, ask your sommelier to taste it. 2) It's cooked. If it smells like port but it's not port, or if it has turned a brownish color, the wine has likely absorbed too much heat-which can happen if the bottle has been stored in a hot attic or kept next to a stovetop. 3) It's oxidized. Smell vinegar and see a brown tint? Chances are the wine has been ruined by exposure to oxygen. This may happen after a bottle has been open for as little as a day and has not been properly stored in the refrigerator or preserved with some sort of inert gas. One way to be sure you're not getting a corked bottle: Look for wines with screw-cap closures, which are appearing on more and more premium brands these days.
Lesson 35: Super Tuscans
Super Tuscans are outlaw wines first created in the early 1970s by a few producers who began using grapes that were not traditionally permitted in the Chianti region. Typically, they are a blend of Sangiovese (the primary grape used to make Chianti) and Cabernet Sauvignon. If you like Bourdeaux and California Cabernets, chances are you'll like Super Tuscans. You can recognize a Super Tuscan wine by the letters IGT on its label. Chianti will have DOC or DOCG on the label instead. Not all Super Tuscans cost upwards of $100. You can find ones for about $20 that go great with simple dishes like, say, meatballs, as well as other hearty fare such as steak, duck, and pasta with ragù.
Lesson 36: Port
Port is imitated all over the world, but the real deal comes only from Portugal. Port is a sweet fortified wine, meaning a neutral spirit is added, making it higher in alcohol than normal wine. There are several styles of port, but aged tawny and vintage are the most desirable. Tawny ports are the result of a blend of grapes from different vintages. There are ten-, twenty-, thirty-, and over-forty-year-old varieties—and you can drink them as soon as you buy them. You should serve them slightly chilled. Vintage ports are made only from grapes of a single vintage. They are the richest and heaviest style of port, and the most expensive. Look for the years 1963, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1985, and 1994. The years 1997 and 2000 are also good, but keep in mind that vintageport should ideally age at least ten years before drinking. Late-bottled vintage port (LBV) is a great value. It's made from a single vintage but doesn't need to be aged once it is bottled, so it's cheaper.
Lesson 37: Champagne
Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine made anywhere else in the world must have a different name. Though champagne is light colored, it is usually made from a bland of tow red grapes and one white. Blanc de blancs is champagne made entirely from Chardonnay. It is lighter, crisper, and better on its own as an aperitif. Blanc de noirs is champagne made from only red grapes with their skins removed, mostly Pinot Noir. It is softer and fuller-bodied. If you like dry champagne, look for Brut on the label. Extra dry means medium dry, sec means slightly sweet, and demi-sec means quite sweet. Drink demi-secs after a meal, with dessert. Nonvintage champagne has no year on the label. Wines from multiple harvests go into the blend, and bottles typically sell for $35 and under. Drink such champagne within five years of purchase. Vintage champagne is made only in exceptional years. It is aged longer and is much more expensive. Prestige cuvées like Dom Pérignon and Cristal are even pricier. Vintages to look for from Champagne: 1988, 1989, 19990, 1995 and 1996.
Lesson 38: Wine Tastes Better with Food
Here are five easy rules to prevent you from making a mess of your meal. 1) Match flavor intensity. Generally speaking, light-bodied wines (Pinot Noir and Gamay for reds, and Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc for whites) pair well with lighter foods, fuller-bodied wines (Shiraz) with richer, heartier dishes. 2) Spicy likes sweet or sparkling. Hot or spicy dishes—such as curries and Thai food—work well with sparkling wines or wines that have a hint of sweetness (Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, and off-dry Riesling). 3) Fried and fatty foods need acid. Thing like fries and pizza require wines high in acid, which cut through the fat. Choose Sauvignon Blanc for white or Chianti or Pinot Noir for red. 4) Red wine goes with hard cheese; white wine goes with soft cheese. And only sweeter, high-alcohol wines like port can stand up to truly pungent blue cheese like Gorgonzola and Stilton. 5) When in doubt, order Pinot Noir. It's one of the few red wines that work well with almost any dish, including fish and chicken.
Lesson 39: Vintage
In the wine world, there is much talk about vintage, the year in which the wine was made. However, for the vast majority of wines, vintage isn't all that important. Vintage matters for whites and rosés because it is an indicator of freshness; always drink them within one or two years of the vintage date. (White Burgundies, many German white wines, and some white wines from the northern Rhône are the only major exceptions.) Thanks to modern winemaking technology, vintage is largely irrelevant for wines under $10. Expensive wines, generally made in small quantities, are more sensitive to vintage variation. But great producers make excellent wines in challenging years, so the reputation of the winery is probably more important than the vintage. If you're in the market for a pricey European wine, including the whites mentioned above, just ask the restaurant wine director or the wine-shop salesman. They will be able to tell you what years to look out for.
Lesson 40: Storing Opened Wine
If you must store an unfinished bottle of wine, remember: 1) The key to keeping it from going bad is to minimize the amount of oxygen in the bottle. 2) An open bottle of wine in the fridge will keep for two to three days. 3) Corking wine when you aren't drinking it, using either the cork it came with or a store-bought wine stopper, helps keep it fresh. 4) Don't lay the wine on its side. This accelerates the oxidation process that destroys it. 5) Spraying inert gas canisters, such as Private Preserve, into a bottle keeps wine good for at least an extra week. 6) Red wines last longer than whites. The more full-bodied the wine, the slower it deteriorates. 7) Bad wine will not hurt you, but since you have only one liver to give to alcohol, drink the good stuff. Use weeks-old wine to make vinegar, risotto, and stews. Truly old wine belongs down the drain.
Lesson 41: Chianti
Chianti is a red wine from Tuscany produced in a region of the same name. It is made from the Sangiovese grape. Chianti is well-known in America because people associate it with the big, bad jugs found in Italian restaurants. Luckily, those are nearly obsolete, and modern Chianti is serious wine—some of the best in Italy. The Chianti region covers a large part of Tuscany. Look for the wines designated as Chianti Classico. This means they are from a small zone located between Florence and Siena, known for producing the best wines. You can tell a Chianti Classico by the black rooster on its label. When you see the word riserva, it means the wine was aged in wood casks for at least two years. Riservas are usually more expensive, but they also tend to be better. Chiantis are bone-dry wines with high acidity; they're best consumed with food (and are often hard to drink without it). They are, of course, great with Italian food, but they're also worth trying with cheeses, steak, and anything with a cream sauce. Chiantis are an excellent deal; there are countless outstanding ones for under $20.
Lesson 42: Shiraz and Syrah
Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. Shiraz is the Australian name for Syrah grape, which originated in France. Shiraz is the most cultivated grape variety in Australia, and the wine it produces is consistently high-quality and affordable. The warm climate there yields Shirazes that are powerful, ripe, high in alcohol, and packed with the flavors of jam, blackberries, and spice. Perfect for sipping on their own, Shirazes can be a challenge for pairing with food, as they tend to overwhelm many dishes, but their spicy qualities complement pizza, stews, barbecued meats, and Mexican food. The grape has a longer history in France's Northern Rhône region, where Syrah, as the French call it, is the primary variety. In Rhône's cooler climate, the Syrah grape produces wines that are dark, concentrated, and often smoky. These wines pair well with most meat dishes and with anything grilled. There are some stunning Syrahs coming from American producers: Bonny Doon, Qupé, Joseph Phelps, Cline, and Rosenblum, all from California; and Cayuse, Hogue, Columbia Crest, and McCrea, from Washington. Many predict Syrah may someday push aside Merlot to become the best-selling red wine in America.
Lesson 43: Sulfites
Sulfites (sulfur dioxide) occur naturally in wine, just as they do in other fermented foods, such as bread, cookies, and beer. Winemakers have been adding extra sulfites to wine for years to kill unwanted bacteria and to minimize oxidation. While sulfites are an integral part of winemaking, they can be overused, which ruins the flavor of the wine, creating a "matchstick" aroma. Advances in winemaking allow producers to use fewer sulfites today, and most premium wines average far less than the legal limit, nowhere near enough to make people sick and certainly not enough to cause a hangover. The FDA estimates that less than 1 percent of the U.S. population is sensitive to sulfites; these people should choose wines with lower levels. Poorly made wines usually contain the most sulfites of all. Sweet wines require more sulfites than dry wines, and white wines usually contain more than red wines. Although organic wines are allowed to contain added sulfites, they contain much less than most wines.
Lesson 44: Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc produces refreshing wines, perfect for pairing with food. Their dry, crisp character makes them an excellent match for warm weather. Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape. Almost all wines made from Sauvignon Blanc are very dry and light bodied (as opposed to many wines made from the richer, fuller-bodied Chardonnay grape). Many winemakers use stainless-steel tanks when producing Sauvignon Blanc, instead of the oak barrels typically used to hold Chardonnay. This technique complements the grape's natural aromas and flavors, which have been likened to grapefruits, melons, flowers, fresh herbs, and cut grass (though poorly made Sauvignon Blanc is compared to cat piss and unripe gooseberries). The grape originated in Bordeaux, but many believe its purest expression is found in the Loire Valley. It's also produced in California and, more recently, New Zealand
Lesson 45: German wines
Almost all German wines are white, but they are not all sweet. The best are made from the Riesling grape. Germany has a reputation as a producer of light, sickly-sweet wines (Blue Nun, anyone?). But since the early '90s, drier—and better—wines have become the prevalent style, making German wines some of the best-tasting and most underrated in the world. Because red grapes are difficult to grow in Germany's northern climate, about 80 percent of the country's wine is white. The best are Rieslings. Fruity and refreshing, these wines are particularly food-friendly; they pair well with German fare such as cream sauce and sausages, as well as with fish and spicier Asian cuisines. Their labels can be very complicated, though. To determine if a wine is dry, start by looking for the word trocken, which means "dry" (halbtrocken means "half-dry" or "medium-dry"). The best indicator of sweetness, however, is the percentage of alcohol printed on the label; the higher the alcohol, the sweeter the wine.
Lesson 46: Decanting
Decanting a wine entails pouring it from its bottle into another receptacle (a decanter) before drinking it, in order to release the wine's aromas and to eliminate any sediment that may be in the bottle. Decanting is required for older red wines and for some young red wines. Most wines do not need to be decanted. However, two groups taste better if they are. Decant fine red wines that are more than eight years old and certain young, high-quality dark reds—Barolos, California Cabernet Sauvignons, and expensive vintages from Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. To decant a young bottle, pour the wine into a wide-mouth decanter in a slow, steady stream. For an older wine, set the bottle upright for at least a day before serving; this will allow sediment to settle to the bottom. Hold a lit candle or shine a strong flashlight at the neck of the bottle as you pour; stop pouring when you see the dark particles begin to creep toward the opening, and leave the last inch or so of liquid and sediment behind.
Lesson 47: Temperature
White wines should be served at fifty-three to fifty-eight degrees, and red wines at sixty to sixty-five degrees. When whites are too cold, they are flavorless, and when red wines are too warm the aroma and taste of alcohol become unpleasantly prominent. We tend to drink our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm. The higher the quality of a white, the less cold it ought to be, so it can express its full range of flavors. A wine thermometer can determine whether a bottle is at its ideal temperature, but simply removing a white wine from the refrigerator twenty minutes prior to pouring will usually do the trick. Red wine is commonly thought to be best consumed at room temperature, but this is often above seventy degrees, at which point the alcohol overwhelms the wine. Restaurants frequently serve wines at the wrong temperature. Request that an ice-cold bottle of white be removed from its ice bucket, and wrap your hands around your glass to quickly warm the wine a few degrees. Ask for a bucket of ice to cool a tepid bottle of red.
Lesson 48: Burgundy
Burgundy produces the world's finest—and most expensive—white wines. They are among the only white wines that taste better as they age, and they are made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. One of France's most celebrated wine regions (second perhaps only to Bordeaux), Burgundy is as famous for its white wines as it is for its reds. Unlike most regions of France, Burgundy doesn't blend varietals: If the wine is white and it's from Burgundy, it's made from 100 percent Chardonnay. The Chardonnay grape originated here centuries ago, and wines made from the varietal in Burgundy are the best in the world—mainly because Burgundian winemakers encourage the natural expression of the grape. One of the only white wines that benefit from aging, Burgundy develops complexity and richness with time. Burgundy is divided into countless hard-to-remember smaller districts, so go by the reputation of the producer when purchasing.
Lesson 49: Zinfandels
Zinfandel is the one wine Americans make better than anyone else. Zinfandel comes in red and white, but the white should be avoided. Zinfandel is a red grape, but it is used to make both red and white wines (the reason white Zinfandels have a pinkish color). Most wine enthusiasts consider white Zinfandels, also known as blush wines, to be too sweet and diluted—more grape juice than wine. Most red Zinfandels have spicy overtones and go well with everything from Thanksgiving dinner to an outdoor barbecue. The Zinfandel grape is of European origin, but it was propagated in the United States and flourished in California after the gold rush of 1849. The grape was planted by European immigrants during this period, and the wine produced from it is the first and only varietal whose benchmark—the standard of how the wine is supposed to taste—was created in the United States.
Lesson 50: Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a region, not a grape. Most Bordeaux reds are made from a blend of grapes, chiefly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The French tend to name their wines after the regions in which they are produced, whereas Americans name their wines after the type of grape from which the wine is made. Bordeaux is a large region in southwest France famous for its rich, full-bodied reds. Bordeaux reds are typically made from a blend of five types of grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the biggies—if you can remember those, you are way ahead of the game. Some great vintage years for Bordeaux are 2000, 1996, 1995, 1990 and 1989.
RSS content feeds