Threasholds to Components

If you’re not experiencing the exact same thing in wine as your fellow tasters when it comes to certain components, there’s a good reason for it. Our sensitivity to components such as sweet, sour and bitter differ drastically from person to person. For instance, you may find a red wine extremely tannic while your buddy doesn’t. Maybe you have a higher tolerance to the sour component or acid in wine than your neighbour. It’s all about thresholds. After a while of tasting wine with others and comparing notes, you start to recognize how your palate differs from others according to your individual sensitivity to these components. Once realized, you can compensate for them to a certain degree.

Types of Producers

When it comes to winemaking, there are different types of producers. First of all, there are negociants. These are companies that either buy grapes, half-fermented juice or finished wine from somebody, finish it off, bottle and market it under their own names. Sometimes negociants actually own vineyards themselves. Next would be co-operatives. Here individual growers belong to an organization that might take an individual’s grapes or wine or a blend of several and sell the finished wine under the co-op’s name. The best quality grower is a domaine. Here a single entity grows the grapes, makes the wine, bottles and market’s it under their name. Now you know.

Wine with Fried Foods

We all know that too much fried food is not good for us, but every now and then, it’s nice to indulge. Not just any wine will work. Because this method of cooking leaves an oily slick on the palate, you’ll require wine with good acidity or the sour component to clean it off. So foods like calamari, fish and chips, pan-fired veal scalopene, etc, will be nicely counterbalanced by white grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, red grapes like Gamay, Pinot Noir and Zweigelt, and styles like Vinho Verde from Portugal or Chablis from France. Even with good acidity, oaky versions are not usually recommended. You want squeaky clean wines that can cut through the oiliness of these dishes. Bon apetit!