Tannin in Red Wine

If you like red wine, I’m sure you’re familiar with tannin. That’s the bitter, puckery sensation experienced on the gums when sipping. Tannin in red wine comes from their skins because they’re utilized in the winemaking. White wine doesn’t use the skins so it contains very little if any. Oak barrels can also provide some wood tannin but they are not as aggressive. One of the main reasons red wine is aged after purchase is too soften these grape tannins making them more palatable. However, sensitivity to tannins varies from person to person. What you find tannic, another may not. So the next time you taste a red wine with someone else, compare notes and see where your tannin sensitivity lies.

Sabring Champagne

I’m sure at some point you’ve seen in the movies or on TV someone sabring the top off a bottle of bubbly with a sword. Let me explain how this came about. Back in Napoleonic times, victorious, French soldiers returning from battle picked none other than Champagne to celebrate with and quench their thirst. But boys being boys, instead of opening the bottles properly, they simply whipped out their sabres and lopted the tops off. Impetuous devils! Today, this dramatic procedure, with some alterations, is sometimes performed for pomp and ceremony. A word of advice though…don’t try this at home. If not done properly you could seriously hurt yourself, someone else or end up with shards of glass in your sparkles.

Riesling – The Versatile Alternative

What’s the most versatile white grape variety in the world? That would be Riesling, of course. With its crisp, aromatic, peachy, floral, citrus character, it never sees oak so what you get out of the vineyard goes into the glass. From bone dry to sweet, still to sparkling, and even Icewine, there is no other grape variety that has so many faces and matches food superbly. Dry versions make great aperitifs and work well with fish, seafood, poultry and mild cheeses. Medium-dry styles compliment goose, spicy dishes, soufflés and exotic fare. Medium-sweet offerings mesh with strong cheeses, paté and fruit-based desserts and Icewine, dessert by itself, is divine with most rich, decadent goodies. Check out Riesling for a nice change of pace. Enjoy!

Bottle Variation

It’s the hope of every winemaker that all bottles in a case of the same wine taste equally good. However, this is often not so. Some bottles may be excellent, some good, others not quite up to snuff and the odd one even “off”. This is called “bottle variation” and can result from being bottled at different times, on a different bottling line, from a different batch or maybe stored in a different place at the winery. Any of these extraneous conditions can influence the wine and affect its perfection. As a rule, wines from better producers show less bottle variation. So the next time you order a case of wine and discover that not all bottles in that case taste exactly the same, you’ll have a pretty good idea why. Cheers!

Care for Your Glassware

Like wine, the care and storing of your glassware is extremely important. A dirty, smelly, hot or cold glass can ruin the best of wines. Try not to use detergent when cleaning glasses. Use only extremely hot water, perhaps utilizing rubber gloves. Don’t turn them upside down on a towel or paper to dry as this traps funky aromas within. Don’t chill or heat stemware before use as this will affect the wine poured into them. Never hang glasses upside down directly above a food prep area as cooking smells will get trapped inside. Finally, don’t store your stemware around cleaning products, chemicals or other aromatic foods. Remember, a clean, room temperature glass is a happy glass.

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The Hangover

Where there’s wine, there’s hangovers. I’m sure most of us have experienced this – the furry sandpaper tongue, endless drum solo in the head, queazy stomach, slitted light-sensitive eyes, and foggy thoughts. Not a lot of fun! As for remedies, there are no magic solutions. Everything from “hair of the dog” to downing concoctions with raw eggs and other unusual ingredients don’t work. Although eating the morning after seems impossible, food helps replace lost nutrients and speeds up metabolism, Yogurt and milk soothe the belly and water hydrates helping flush toxins from the liver and kidneys. So until science creates an anti-hangover pill, the only practical solution is to not overindulge. Sip responsibly!

Warm Weather Sipping

The BBQ is all fired up and I can smell those burgers sizzling? The key to warm weather sipping is simplicity. No need for complex, delicate or aged wines here! What you want are young, fruity, fresh, robust wines with little, if any oak. For whites, try varieties like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc or styles like Verdicchio, Frascati and Soave. For reds, check out Gamay, Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Baco Noir and Zweigelt or styles like Beaujolais or Valpolicella. Even rosé makes a nice change of pace and most are made to be consumed young. Finally, serve all wine a little cooler than normal, try to avoid using plastic glasses, drink responsibly and enjoy.