Author: Rickie

Spanish Wines (Rioja Wines)

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Spain stands out as the third largest producer of wine after France and Italy. The Northeastern part of Spain that is the Rioja Region produces one of the best Spanish wines. This is divided into three geographical zones that happen to be Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, and Rioja Alavesa. Each zone has its own unique flavor of grapes. The climate and quality in the soil in each of these three subzones influences the category and also the character of its grapes. Rioja wine is made with a blend of grapes from different subzones. Tempranillo grapes are the commonest form of grapes which are made with Rioja wines.

This is what gives its distinguishable flavor.  Tempranillo grapes are combined with Grenache grapes or Mazeulo grapes. Grenache doesn’t have that fruity taste and its alcohol content is higher. Rioja Wines are available in three classifications and they are the Crianza, Reserva and the Gran Reserva. Crianza is probably the most affordable one and is viewed as table wine. What they typically do is age this for only a year inside the oak barrel and another year in the bottle. You could get this for five or ten US dollars. Now, let us talk about Reserva. This is aged at least one year inside the barrel and two years inside the bottle.  This will amount to around eleven to fifteen US dollars. Aging for the Gran Reserva is completed with all the wine staying in the barrel for two years then in the bottle for 3 years.

This generally is a bit pricey. Unfortunately the Gran Reserva is not offered every year. It is much better that you retain several bottles for special occasions. Rioja wine is often the Spanish version of the Italian Chianti. This sort of wine is best-known for its unique flavor. Now, the Rioja wine is considered one of the most well-liked wines in the world.

Wine Trivia

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Wine is probably the most storied and legendary beverage conceived by mankind, and its history goes back literally to Biblical times. This makes for some surprisingly fun trivia hunting; wine is the beverage that always has another surprise in store!

Wine’s first purpose was as a water purifier! A long time before modern methods for sanitizing water, primitive peoples developed one foolproof method for ensuring that water was safe to drink: they’d mix in the fermented juice from fruit and found the alcohol was sufficient to kill any harmful organisms.

The fermenting of beer and wine was one of the first applications of alchemy and hence chemistry, going as far back as the year 1000 B.C.

Wine has an important place in more than half of the world’s religions. Jewish practitioners say a blessing over wine on holidays, and Passover is observed with four cups of wine. Wine makes an appearance throughout Christianity, with even one of Jesus’ miracles being to turn water into wine. It is used in the Eucharist of both Catholic and Protestant religions. The ancient Greeks had the god Dionysus, the god of wine and with it, of both madness and ecstasy. Of the major world religions today, only the Islamic ones specifically forbid wine.

While we assume that glass bottles of wine is the preferred standard, glass bottles only came into use after the 18th century. Before this time, wine was traditionally stored and transported in bulk, usually in wooden barrels or clay casks. For individual-sized serving, it would be carried in a wineskin, usually made from leather and originally lined with resin to keep them from leaking.

The use of oak barrels is frequently touted as a contributor to the taste of wine. But actually, oak was originally used simply because oak wood was plentiful and widely used in the old world, as an all-purpose storage container. Oak wood has a tight grain which makes it leak-proof. Oak barrels also favor the aging of wine because they allow very controlled exposure to oxygen.

One of the reasons that so much fuss is made over the proper serving temperature of wine is that human taste-buds function differently at different temperatures. Sweeter tastes come through better at room temperature, while more savory tastes come through better at colder temperatures.

The world’s most influential wine critic is currently Robert J. Parker, Jr. The lawyer-turned-wine-snob is responsible for creating the 100-point wine rating system widely used today. It is said that a 100-point rating from him is enough to drive up the price of a wine. This effect has even given rise to the term “Parkerization” in the wine world, which is the tendency of many establishments to base their purchasing habits on what Parker’s review says this week.

Of the top wine-producing nations in the world, France still ranks number one at 5.3 million tonnes per year. Italy (4.7 tonnes) is second, Spain (3.6 tonnes) is third, and the United States (2.2 tonnes) is fourth. Australia is in sixth place, but very nearly tied with, of all countries, China! However Australia is the fourth largest exporter of wine and has the third largest market share.

The “French paradox” has it that the French have a diet rich in fatty foods, yet have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. It is the French paradox that led to the realization that wine, which the French consume in great quantities, is beneficial to the heart.

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What Kind of Wine is Pinot Noir?

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Pinot Noir [pee-no nwahr] wines are world famous and grown world-wide. It is both the name of a wine grape and the name of a red wine. And, it is a notoriously difficult grape to grow and wine to make. And, like all red wines, this wine has demonstrated health benefits when consumed in moderation. Also, Pinot has four times the compound resveratrol than other red wines-a compound shown to improve quality of life in laboratory animals.

The Places

Keep in mind that although most New World wine labels will list the grapes in the wine, many Old World wine labels only list the place. The most famous Old World place for Pinot Noir is the Burgundy region of France (in French: Bourgogne [boohr-go-ny]). But you’ll also find Pinot wines from Italy (where it’s called Pinot Nero [pee-no neh-(l)ro]) and Germany (where it’s called Spätburgunder [spayt-boo(r)-g(oo)n-deh(r)].

In the New World, you can find many of these wines from the USA, Chile, and New Zealand. Less common, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa produce fine wines from this grape as well. The Willamette Valley in Oregon produces world-class wines of this varietal. Its relatively cool climate and rolling hills mimic the terrior [the-hrwahr] (soil, geography, climate, etc.) of Burgundy allowing this finicky grape to fully mature and a cool region for the wine to properly ferment and age.

Perhaps because Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult wine to make, prices of the wine are sometimes quite high; especially from famous regions like Burgundy, France or Willamette Valley, Oregon. Look for value-priced wines from New Zealand and Chile. They make some great wines without the “great” (high) prices!

The Grape

Of all commercial wine grapes, this grape is the most susceptible to common wine grape diseases and maladies including frost, mold, and rot. It has a relatively thin skin making the berries vulnerable. This thin skin also affects the wine making process.

The grape vines are just as finicky as the grapes. They tend to be thin and are prone to mildew, mold, viruses and are susceptible to a variety of grape vine pests.

Due to the sensitivity of the Pinot Noir vine and grape, there are perhaps a thousand clone varieties worldwide. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, which only has about a dozen clone varieties, Pinot is one of the most diverse wine grapes in the world.

The Wine

As mentioned, the grape has a relatively thin skin. Since the color in red wine comes from the skins of the grape (the juice is lightly colored to almost clear), it can be difficult to achieve and keep the expected red color through the wine making process. Wine makers usually intensify the color by drawing off some of the juice after the grapes are crushed in order to increase the ratio of wine skins to juice during a process called maceration (soaking the juice with the skins, seeds, and stems). Wine makers must also pay close attention during fermentation and aging to avoid a loss of color before (and after) bottling.

Single varietal Pinot Noir wines (those not blended with other grape varietals) have several classic attributes:

A light red color 
Aromas and flavors of cherry or strawberry 
Often earthy aromas such as mushrooms or what is often called “barnyard” (in other words, it may stink!) 
Acidity that is well balanced by fruit flavors and light tannins in the best wines.

Like all wines, the aromas and flavors can vary significantly from vineyard to vineyard, wine maker to wine maker, and vintage to vintage.

Pairing With Food

Because Pinot Noir wines have lighter body with complex aromas and flavors, they best compliment foods that won’t overwhelm the wine. Grilled or broiled salmon, prime rib, lamb and duck are all great meat choices. Any mushroom dish works really well. But go lightly on the spices which may mask the delicate flavors.

Although the grapes are difficult to grow and the wine making process finicky, several regions of the world produce amazing Pinot Noir wines that are great with food or just with friends and conversation. Many also age well; ask a knowledgeable wine steward for an age-worthy wine before purchasing one for that purpose.

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The Short History of Malbec Wine Grapes

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Geography and History

Malbec wine is in popularity for last forty years.

The major cause is the name. It is known under many diverse names which Malbec wine is at France means too little. Oxford Companion for Wine lists few 400 synonyms for the Malbec so it should have been very popular at certain stage. But now it is known as the minor blending varieties.

Another nail at coffin for the French Malbec came along with disastrous frosts during 1956. This provided the perfect excuse for re-planting some fashionable & robust varieties. But it isn’t all bad as well. Malbec is a dominant red varietal at Cahors region.  Appellation Controlee systems for Cahors requires minimum content of seventy percent Malbec in wines created from an area.

Only historic reference to Malbec shows that it’s coming from surname of Hungarian peasant who 1st spread the variety all over France and further afield. During 1869 Professor Poet introduced the Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot cutting from Bordeaux till Argentina. In a warm & dry Southern American climate it flourish & soon thriving all over. Argentina & Chile. Ironically, Argentina ‘vine pull’ program at 1980’s left 11,000 acres of the Malbec in a ground. That is now back till 26,000 acres producing astonishing rich, complex, ink wines with smoother tannins & ripeness Europe may only dream about. In contrast, these 25 thousand acres with roughly 150 thousand acres of the Malbec in ground prior to ‘vine pull’ & you may better appreciate certain loss.

Chile appears to have escaped madness & it is now Chile’s 3rd most largely planted variety. On contrast Australia have just 1,230 acres of the Malbec in a ground at 2002 & that region has been lessening over the years.

1st mention of the Malbec in Australia arrives from 1901 where Himmelhoch establishes his own ‘Grodno’ vineyard in Liverpool nearby Sydney planted to Malbec and Shiraz.

As most famous grapes, Malbec moves under most different names however these are more commonly used when compared to others. In Bordeaux it is known as the Pessac or Cot, in French Alsace & Cahors regions it is called as Argentina, Auxerrois gives it a name of the Fer, Portugal refers that as Tinta Amarela & here at Australia we call it as Portugal Malbec.

Wine Characteristics

The major aromas from rich Malbec includes: cherry, plum, coffee, chocolate, raisins, leather & raspberry.

A key flavors which nice Malbec exhibits includes: plum, cherry, dried fruits, chocolate, and balsamic.

Aging at oak releases vanilla aromas & flavors.

What Foods Pair Well With Merlot Wine?

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When serving or ordering a dish, one of the details that people spend the most time worrying over is: What wine would go well with this food? Many novices to wine are afraid to experiment with wine and food combinations, thinking that ordering the “wrong” wine with their food would be a major restaurant gaffe. While certain wines certainly do go better with certain foods, there are few choices that could be considered downright wrong.

Matching Tastes

The key to matching a wine with your food is finding a wine that complements the flavors of the food. If when you taste a food you don’t think “Ah, (fill in the blank) wine would go very well with this”, do not fret. It takes experience with wine to get a feel for food and wine combinations. If you are a novice wine drinker, start by trying different types of wines and noting the flavors that you taste. These are the major hints to what foods would go best.

Another detail to consider is how strong the food is. Fish and dishes with cream sauces are generally considered to be light flavors, while steaks, stews, and other hearty dishes are strong flavors. Typically, white wines go better with light foods and red wines with stronger tasting foods. This is an oversimplification of the art of wine and food pairing, but it is a good initial rule of thumb to follow.

The Flavors of Merlot

When you taste a Merlot, see if you pick up on certain tastes. Merlot wine is typically described as being a strong red wine with a hint of spice, berry, and herbs in the smell and taste. These qualities are referred to as “tones”. Smell the wine and see what tones immediately come to mind for you. The tones will vary based on vineyard, year, and method of storage.

Because Merlot is a stronger wine with some spice, it goes well with steak and other meats such as pork, lamb, and duck. Stews are also a good choice, as are hearty pastas that use a tomato sauce base. Once you feel comfortable tasting the tones of Merlot, try branching out and pairing the wine with some of your own recipes that you feel would be a good match, or try pairing food with a different type of wine. There are many varieties of wine from vineyards all over the world, and experimenting with the infinite pairing possibilities can add joy and excitement to everyday cooking. Be brave, and enjoy!

For More Information

To learn more about wine and food pairings and new recipes to match with your wine selection, please visit the interactive, innovative cooking website CD Kitchen here.

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