Category: Merlot Wine

Kentucky Wine Making

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Most people would never think of Kentucky as being a good source of wine.  However, a winemaker named Jean Jacques Dufour in 1798 planted the first commercial vineyard in the small town of Nicholasville Kentucky and in 1860 Kentucky was known as the third largest producers of wine.  Of course this all came to a grinding stop when prohibition hit.

Today with special agriculture business grants and other government incentives the winemaking industry in Kentucky has been revitalized.  There are new vineyards popping up all over the place and now Kentucky has almost a thousand acres of grape planted ground with 50 registered wineries.

It is central Kentucky that boosts the most used soil for grape growing.  Some say that the soil in the bluegrass is likened to that to the soils in France. Kentucky was once covered with sea water and thus it is rich in limestone from the deposits of the fossils of shell fish.  Though the soil is good the climate is not.

Kentucky’s climate is considered to be in a moderate zone, the summers are warm and the winters are cool.  The weather in Kentucky is highly influenced by the Gulf of Mexico and thus it gets an average of 50 inches of rain per year.

Alas, the weather is a changing!  For the past ten years Kentucky has been in a moderate to severe drought and vineyards have to be hand watered to keep the vines from dying.

The weather in Kentucky changes quickly and they have had problems with spring frosts, ice storms and days of cold, all taking a toll on the grape crop.  So why do people want to grow grapes in Kentucky?  Well because when they do grow and the weather is good then the harvest is of great grapes and better wine.

One of the problems that Kentucky has faced is that the State does not have any guidance on what to grow, how to grow it or anything.  People were simply guessing or going by what their gut told them.  This was finally addressed in 2005 when the state hired a viticulturist and enologist.

There is a debate on varieties to plant in Kentucky and with the whole industry being quite new, there is lack of good history and data.  Some want a certain variety others want a different one. The ones that follow along with the recommendations of the state will get grants and cost help.  The ones that go there own way will have to do so on their own.

So what grapes are being grown in Kentucky?

Vidal Blanc
Chambourcin
Norton
Marechal Foch
Cayuga

No matter what grape is grown it is suggested that the vines be on grafted rootstock. Because of the abundance of disease and bugs in Kentucky it is practically unheard of to try and grow organically here.  The hot muggy summers give rise to black rot, powdery and downy mildews, phomopsis leaf and cane spot disease. The insects they deal with are Japanese beetles, grape cane gall maker, grape berry moths and grape flea beetles. Then of course there are the animals such as, raccoon, possums and deer. 

Grape growing in Kentucky is alive and well and anyone who takes on this task shows real commitment and passion for persevering through tough times and countless challenges. It is because of this character and the land that two can come together and bring to wine drinkers everywhere a great wine.  So give Kentucky wine a chance, they just might surprise you!

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South African Dessert Wines

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Dessert wines are, by definition, high in alcohol. This alcohol is made from the increased concentration of sugar in these wines and the two combine to define them. The ratio of water to sugar can be changed by actually adding sugar, unfermented grape juice or honey before fermentation or must afterward. Alternatively, wine makers may opt to remove water during production, increasing the concentration of sugar in the volume of wine. Drying the grapes into raisins and then using these to make the wine achieves this sweetened effect too, as does freezing some of the water out of the wine, making what is known as “ice wine”. Adding Botrytis cinerea desiccates the grapes and increases their sugar content, having a similar effect.
 
Certain grapes, such as the Muscat, are sweeter by their very nature. These and other varieties are made sweeter by being picked only once they are completely ripe and have their highest sugar levels. The more sun these grapes get, the sweeter they become, so wine farmers rely very much on a hot, sunny summer. To improve their grapes’ chances of maximum exposure, the farmer may choose to clip away any leaves casting a shadow on the grapes below them on the vine. This approach renders different versions of each wine every harvest, creating an unreliable (but always natural) product.  One of South Africa’s most famous Muscats was the Constantia of old, and this is likely to have been sweetened in this natural way.
 
When selecting a dessert wine, it is vital that the wine is sweeter than the dish it is accompanying. Chocolate has a bitter base taste and this does not match well with sweet dessert wines. Baked goods with nuts and honey are far more suitably enjoyed with a sugary and flavorsome wine. Sweet, ripe fruits are also fantastically set off by a good dessert wine. When a fortified or dessert wine is well made, though, it can be enjoyed as the perfect end to a hearty meal all on its own. It should be served slightly chilled if it is white, and at room temperature if it is a red wine.
 
The very sweet dessert wines are not matured for very long, whereas ports are aged for far longer periods. The aging process is largely determined by the size of the oak vats in which the wine is placed. The larger the vat, the longer its contents will take to mature.
 
While dessert wines may be regarded by some wine connoisseurs as being inferior or subordinate to their more ‘savory’ counterparts, they have earned acclaim over the years. Their rich, sugary body is offset by their syrupy texture and alcoholic warmth, a winning combination by even the most discerning of palate’s standards.

Wine Cabinets For Storing Your Bottled Wine

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Bottled wine is really sensitive to environmental factors and can spoil rapidly if not properly kept. White wines are especially sensitive to changing environmental conditions so you need to take proper care whenever stocking this kind of wine. For those who actually want to maintain the flavor and flawlessness of your own wines and permit them to mature carefully while acquiring sophistication, make sure you stow your wine bottles in a competently made wine cellar.

If you don’t possess a room or space obtainable for constructing a wine cellar, well then a chilled wine cupboard could protect your wines in a suitable atmosphere. Wine cupboards are fashioned particularly to help keep the appropriate heat range and dampness for holding wine.

There are plenty of forms and types of wine cupboards available today. Dependent upon your finances as well as your use, you can obtain a superior wine cabinet just for several hundred bucks. Naturally, this kind of wine cupboard will probably be small and will have capacity for not very many wine bottles.

The bigger the wine cupboard, the greater you will be charged. Having said that, in case you have a considerable selection of wine and you simply wouldn’t want your favorite wine to decline as a result of substandard safe-keeping, purchasing a sizeable volume cupboard that can easily contain every one of your bottles of wine can be viewed as a good buy. A large wine cabinet that enables anyone to incorporate, take away or alter a few shelves will provide you with extra freedom. When you need additional room, you’ll be able to simply include extra shelves and when your assortment of wine is reduced, it is possible to just take away the additional racks.

When choosing wine cabinets, it is advisable to pay close attention to the unique highlights of the wine cabinet. The look and tone ought to match with the rest of your furnishings and fittings. Coordinating the styles of your furniture, fixtures and home appliances can give your household an even more arranged and unified ambiance.

Nonetheless, it is very important look beyond the look and tone of the cupboard. Keep in mind that elegance ought to go with efficiency. You don’t actually want to purchase a wine cabinet exclusively for ornamental applications so be sure that you select your cabinet well and that also it is big enough for your personal wine collection.

Warmth will probably influence the quality of your bottled wines. Ensure that your cabinet has a temperature stabilizer. Remember that swift alterations in temperature will swiftly ruin your wine. To permit your wine to age gradually it ought to be kept between 10 and 15 degrees C (50 – 59 degrees F).

Moisture is every bit as essential as heat in saving wine effectively. Your wine cellar or wine cabinet ought to preserve a dampness of close to 70% to stop the wine bottle corks from shrinking and thus allow wine to escape from the bottles and allow air into the bottles.

Wine Tote Bag: Pack Your Wine In Style

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Wine Tote Bag is a special wine carrying case. The bag is a new invention and has got a huge response from public. It seems that wine lovers were simply waiting for such a bag, which could provide them the ease of carrying wine bottles of different shape, size and weight. The bag provides ample space for a bottle. Putting a bottle in a wine bag means keeping the wine in a watertight compartment where even air cant enter. The wine bag allows padding from outside. You can fill the padding space with fresh water and ice cubes so that the bottle remains at an appropriate temperature.

Being a favorite drink of millions of people, wine is served in almost every celebration. People transport wine in big and bulky cases which require a lot of water and ice to keep the bottles cool. Wine case is suitable for carrying huge amount of wine bottles but if you need just one-two or four wine bottles then the wine case simply doesnt work. This is where a wine bag comes. It is portable, comfortable and flexible and can accommodate as many as four large bottles.

Of late, wine has emerged as the one of the most preferred gift item. Today people feel pride in gifting wine bottles on Thanksgiving. But carrying a single bottle to distances discourages people from gifting wines. In addition, there is risk of breading the bottle or losing it taste. If you are planning to gift wine to one of your friends or family member then dont worry about the transportation. Wine Tote Bag will take care of your bottle. Purchase the wine that you want to gift and leave the rest to wine bag.

The Wine Tote Bag is designed to hold clumsy wine bottles easily. Bottles of any shape, size and weight can fit into this bag without creating any hassle. The bag keeps the wine at appropriate temperature with fresh water and ice padding. Once packed in the bag, a wine bottle can be preserved for any length of time. Keeping the wine in this bag is just like putting the wine bottle in refrigerator. The wine bags come in beautiful size and colors. You can choose a bag according to the wine you are going to gift. This is an added advantage of the wine bags. A simple wine duly packed in a wine bag is much valued than a costly wine without any packing.

Wine Making Recipe For Homemade Wines

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The equation to a successful home made wine is fifty percent strictly following the instructions and fifty percent involving a good wine making recipe. If you do not have one, and even if you follow the instructions down to the letter, chances are you end up with home made vinegar rather than wine. Among the most basic recipes around involve only five ingredients which are grapes, granulated sugar, Campden tablets, pectic enzyme and wine yeast.  

Grapes  

Have at least eight to ten gallons of grapes. Buy those really sweet varieties and seedless types for an easier process. Crush the grapes in batches to produce a consistent grape must. Place the must in really clean buckets or similar containers leaving at least a fourth of the container empty.  

Squeeze some of the must with cheesecloth to produce a cup of juice. With a hydrometer, the juice should have a specific gravity reading of less than 1.090. Properly covered, set aside the juice.  

Campden tablets  

With a cup of warm water, completely dissolve five Campden tablets. Stir the solution into the must with a wooden spoon. The tablets will be used to kill any present bacteria and prevent the must from getting contaminated in the future. Leave the bucket covered with cloth and wait for at least twelve hours before mixing in the next ingredient.  

Pectic enzyme  

Add four teaspoons of pectic enzyme to the must. Cover again and set aside for another twelve hours.

Wine yeast  

While waiting for the twelve hour period from adding the pectic enzyme, mix at least five milligrams of wine yeast to the juice earlier set aside. After the second twelve hours, mix in the yeast juice with the must. Stir the whole mixture two to three times a day keeping it covered in between. As with any wine making recipe, the fermentation process is the most crucial.  

Granulated sugar  

When the fermentation process is done, add sugar to taste and to reach a specific gravity reading of 1.090 after removing the non-wine particles and substances present.  

This wine making recipe allows you to switch the grapes to any fruit you wish to make your wine with and experiment with the amount of sugar to come up with the sweetness your wine would have.  

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