Category: Merlot Wine

Wines Of Niagara

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Niagara Wines – there’s an appellation that just doesn’t roll off your tongue. Some wine growing regions are instantly recognizable even to the most casual of wine drinkers…. places like Napa, Bordeaux, Montepulciano… but Niagara?

Why not? Grapes are grown all over the world now… anywhere they can find the right microclimate and the proper grapes to grow there.

The Niagara wine region actually sprawls across the Ontario and New York border making it a two country wine region. There are over sixty wineries in this area, and the number is growing.

The majority of wineries are in Canada. If you want to visit and taste on both sides of the border, remember that you now have to show your passport even when driving across the border between Canada and the United States.

The Niagara Wine Trail represents some of the wineries. It is well organized with maps and special events at the participating wineries.

The wineries in this region will tell you that the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario create a unique microclimate. One of the wines that they are most famous for is Ice Wine…. that makes a certain amount of sense doesn’t it? It gets cold there in the winter. They have a similar latitude to Bordeaux and Montepulciano, but it’s the microclimate that lets them make this liquid gold.

Ice Wine (or Eiswein borrowing from German) is a dessert wine made from grapes frozen while still on the vine. Some late harvest wines just hang on the vine forever increasing the sugar content…. In good years when the frost comes at the right time, they produce small quantities of great Ice Wine.

But Ice Wine isn’t all they make. Expect to taste wines made of all the usual suspects from Rieslings and Chardonnays to Merlots and Pinot Noirs. Plus some local varietals and natives like Catawba and Frontenac, and oh yes, even occasionally from Niagara grapes.

There are tasting fees at most of the wineries… generally between two to five Canadian dollars. If you plan to taste at more than a couple of wineries you might want to consider a “Vino Visa Passport” from the Niagara Wine Trail wineries…. that might save you money. It’s good from one year of purchase. It gets you free tastings at some wineries, discounts at others, and even some discounts at hotels and restaurants.

Whenever you are wine tasting, if you are driving yourself, remember to have a designated driver or taste responsibly.

The beauty of the Niagara Wine Trail is that you’re in the country, but not far from other tourist destinations. Niagara Falls is only minutes away from many of the wineries. You can stay at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a well-preserved town with Victorian architecture that’s worth a visit in its own right. You’re only about an hour and a half from Toronto and half an hour from Buffalo.

So if you’re visiting Toronto or Niagara Falls, treat yourself, and do a little wine tasting…. if you never knew about this wine region before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Virginia Wine Festivals

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Wine has become popular worldwide. It is taken in a relaxed mood whether at home or at a social gathering. Those who enjoy wine prefer to drink it at social places because they argue that this reduces boredom. They say that Virginia wine is so good and well concentrated that it should not be drunk in a hurry. In fact, one said that the longer you hold it in the glass the more pleasure you get, but others argue that taking a little excess for the road is not advisable.
For many, they get as many bottles as possible and put them on the back seat of their cars and drink while relaxing with the rest of their family members. Irrespective of the way it is drunk, Virginia wine remains the most difficult to understand, but the most enjoyable. In this respect, there are many festivals that go alongside this wine festival. The following is just a compilation of a few of them. The Yorktown wine festival is a longtime celebration that has been enjoyed for various reasons.
People who attended this celebration were treated with the beauty of the York River shoreline. When the day was perfectly clear towards the evening, whatever that was observed along the show line of this river was just another perfect color of wine and this must have contributed to onset of the celebrations.
Apart from wine, the celebrations were also accompanied by food and great music. On the occasion, visits would be made to historic sites since the Yorktown was also a historical site where Cornwallis had surrendered so the American revolution of the year 1781 could come to an end. There is a strong impact that is left in your life by attending small festivals such as the Yorktown festival. This is that tasters will be able to sample the wares from a distance and other remote wineries. Some of the wineries already featured on this festival include the San Soucy, Davis Valley and Rebec. This is one of the most interesting Virginia wine festivals.
The fermented grape juice is also produced in the Okanagan valley for top wines that even win both the national and international wine completions. The harvest of grapes therefore forms another celebration in Virginia. People simply come to exhibit their wealth and this is done every season. There are other categories of wine that are observed as festival celebrations.
The Okanagan spring wine festival is celebrated at the beginning of the grape growing season and it is accompanied by exquisite medley of wine and cuisine. It is a perfect celebration to any person who enjoys wine sipping with many gastronomic treats. The summer Virginia wine celebration is marked in August and comes with the opportunity of educating oneself about the different types of wine as the many varieties are displayed.

Mulled Wine

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Glhwein

Glhwein is popular in German-speaking countries and the region of Alsace in France. It is the traditional beverage offered and drunk on Weihnachtsmrkten. It is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar. Fruit wines such as blueberry wine and cherry wine are rarely used instead of grape wine in Germany. Glhwein is drunk pure or “mit Schuss”, which means there is rum or liqueur added. The French name is vin chaud (hot wine).

The oldest Glhwein tankard is documented in the high noble German and first Riesling grower of the world, Count John IV. of Katzenelnbogen around 1420. This gold-plated lockable silver tankard imitating the traditional wine woven wooden can is called Welcome.

In Romania it is called vin fiert (“boiled wine”), and can be made using either red or white wine, sometimes adding peppercorn.

In Moldova the izvar is made from red wine with black pepper and honey.

In Italy, mulled wine is typical in the northern part of the country and is called vin brul.

In Latvia it is called karstvns (“hot wine”). When out of wine, it is prepared using grape (or currant) juice and Riga Black Balsam.

Glgg

Warm mulled pear juice, alcohol-free drink.

Glgg is the term for mulled wine in the Nordic countries (sometimes misspelled as glog or glug); in (Swedish and Icelandic: Glgg, Norwegian and Danish: Glgg, Finnish and Estonian: Glgi). Non-alcoholic glgg can be bought ready-made or prepared with fruit juices instead of wine. The main classic ingredients are (usually) red wine, sugar or syrup, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, and optionally also stronger spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy. In Sweden, glgg spice extract can be purchased at the chemist. To prepare glgg, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to 60-70 Celsius (140-158 Fahrenheit). The temperature should not be allowed to rise above 78.4 Celsius (173.12 Fahrenheit) in order to avoid evaporation of the alcohol. When preparing home-made glgg using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving. In Sweden ready-made wine glgg is normally sold ready to heat and serve and not in concentrate or extract form. Glgg is generally served with raisins, blanched almonds and gingerbread, and is a popular hot drink during the Christmas season.

All over Scandinavia ‘glgg parties’ are often held during the month before Christmas. In Sweden, ginger bread and lussebullar (also called lussekatter), a type of sweet bun with saffron and raisins, are typically served. It is also traditionally served at Julbord, the Christmas buffet. In Denmark, glgg parties typically include bleskiver sprinkled with powdered sugar and accompanied with strawberry marmalade. In Norway glgg parties with glgg and rice pudding (Norwegian: riskrem) are common. In such cases the word graut-/grtfest is more precise, taking the name from the rice pudding which is served as a course. Typically, the glgg is drunk before eating the rice pudding, which is often served with cold, red cordial (saus).

Glgg recipes vary widely; variations with white wine or sweet wines such as Madeira, or spirits such as brandy are also popular. Glgg can also be made alcohol-free by replacing the wine with fruit or berry juices (often blackcurrant) or by boiling the glgg for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Glgg is very similar in taste to modern Wassail or mulled cider.

British mulled wine

Cover of Mrs Beeton’s book

A traditional recipe can be found in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management at paragraph 1961 on page 929 to 930 of the revised edition dated 1869:

1961.-TO MULL WINE.

INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.

Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately cleaned, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose.

Navegado

Navegado is a kind of mulled wine typically from Chile it is also called Candola in Concepcin. The word navegado comes from the Spanish navegar meaning to navigate or sail. Navegado is heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves and sugar. Almonds and raisins are often added.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mulled wine

Grog

Hypocras

Negus (drink)

References

^ http://www.graf-von-katzenelnbogen.de/ All about The History of the County of Katzenelnbogen and the First Riesling of the World

^ South of Sweden: Glgg parties exposed

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The Local Wine Merchant Could Improve Your Home Dining Experience

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We’ve all been told that a good wine can enhance the flavour of a meal, yet a lot of us don’t know which type of wine goes well with which meal. Your local wine merchant can help you select different wines for different meals, but for now this is a quick and easy guide that lets you distinguish between when you need a white Chardonnay and when a red Merlot is required.

Different types of wine will have different levels of tannins; this is a compound that, in wine, usually comes from the skin or the seed of the grapes. It’s particularly potent in red wines as the skins and seeds are soaked and sometimes fermented along with the flesh of the grape in order to give the wine its colour. These tannins play a part in deciding which wines go best with which food as they can clash with other flavours in the meal.

If you remember nothing else in this article, remember this; the general rule of thumb is that white wine goes with white meats and red wines go best with red meats. Although, certain ways that food is prepared can alter the wine you should have. If you’re eating Chinese food, a slightly sweet or off-dry pink wine, but you should remember to not overdo the plum and hoi sin sauces as too much of these can kill the flavour of the wine and make it tasteless.

In the summer time, it seems that it’s almost law for everybody to have at least one barbeque; whether you just stick with the traditional burgers and sausages or go a bit more extravagant with grilled king prawns, it’s recommended that you have wines that are fruity and rich, so something like a white Zinfandel would work well, or possibly a Sauvignon Blanc if you’ll be having seafood.

Indian foods and curries require wines with more body to really allow you to pick up on all the different spices and flavours; a red Merlot will work particularly well here. Other Middle Eastern dishes such as Vietnamese should be eaten with very cold and fruity pink wines such as Gewurtztraminer. Although, the suitable wine may alter depending on how spicy your meal is.

South western food, such as Mexican dishes, should typically be eaten with a fruity wine like a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc or possibly a slightly spicy Zinfandel. If it’s south western sea food then sparkling wines work well. Bear in mind though that eating a lot of chillies will clash with a high tannin wine so you should avoid Merlots and Cabernets.

This is not a definitive list of the type of wine you should drink with your meals, and your local wine merchant will be able to let you try the wines to see which one you would prefer to go with your meal. Remember, that while wine is a pleasant drink to have with a meal, it is also alcoholic and you should always drink responsibly.

Related Merlot Wine Articles

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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