Wine Start 50

Vino Joven:

Vino Joven: One of Spain's quality categories; green or young wine meant to be drunk as soon as it is bottled.

Velvety:

Velvety: Having rich flavor and a silky, sumptuous texture.

Veraison:

Veraison: Occurs in late summer or early fall, when grapes start to lose their green color and take on mature hues, which can range from greenish yellow to red to almost black, depending on the variety.

Vin de Table:

Vin de Table: France's lowest level of wine classification, meaning "table wine." There are no limits on vineyard yields for wines labeled vin de table, and they do not require a vintage date.

Vin de garde:

Vin de garde: "Garde" is from the French "to keep." Vin de garde refers to a wine that is meant for aging.

Viniculture:

Viniculture: The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.

Vinted By:

Vinted By: Largely meaningless phrase that means the winery purchased the wine in bulk from another winery and bottled it.

Viscous:

Viscous: Describes full-bodied, thick, rich wines.

Viticulture:

Viticulture: The cultivation, science and study of grapes.

Vino de la Mesa:

Vino de la Mesa: Spain's quality category equivalent to table wine; mass quantities of ordinary wines are produced at this level. As in Italy, some of the country's most expensive wines made outside the DO/DOCa regulations are sold at this level.

Take the Pairing Quiz!

1.What wines pair with asparagus? a.Sauvignon Blanc b.Sancerre c.Gruner Veltliner d.Wiener Gemischter Satz e.All of the above 2.Riesling is commonly paired with which cuisine? a.French b.Thai c.Texas BBQ d.Classic Steakhouse 3.Champagne goes best with which dish? a.Burnt Ends b.Chocolate Cake c.Chorizo Chili d.Fried chicken 4.Should you pair red wine with fish? a.Yes, who cares b.No, gross c.Sure, though light bodied, fruity reds work best Get the Wine Enthusiast skill for Amazon Alexa andpair like a pro. Tell your Amazon Echo device to addWine Enthusiast today! Answers:1. e. All of the above2. b. Thai3. d. Fried chicken4. c. Sure, though light bodied, fruity reds work best.

The History of Sparkling Wine Includes Accidental Science and Exceptional Champagne

As you raise a glass of bubbly to toast the new year (or an average Tuesday), take a moment to drink in the centuries of culture and innovation in your glass. In the Beginning Blanquette de Limoux, from Languedoc, shows up in writings from as early as 1531 by the monks of Saint-Hilaire. "Mauzac is the main grape of Blanquette de Limoux," says Jason Wilson, a drinks writer and historian whose books include Godforsaken Grapes. "[It] has these really unique apple-peel aromas and flavors." Blanquette de Limoux was first made using the ancestral method, or méthode ancestrale, where fermentation is stopped early, and wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle. The technique might have been a happy accident, with winter weather halting fermentation, and then yeast waking up as temperatures climbed. (Now, Blanquette de Limoux is made using the traditional method for sparkling wine production, and Blanquette de Limoux Méthode Ancestrale is a separate designation.) Napoléon I in Epernay, 1807/Photo courtesy of Moët & Chandon Champagne Rising Wine production started here in the 17th century, when a monk named Dom Pierre Pérignon planted vines. He's also credited with having observed the sparkling wines of Limoux and bringing the style to Champagne, but he died in 1715, before any commercial production began. Ruinart, the oldest established Champagne house, was founded in 1729, and documents show it began shipping bubbly in 1764. The style gained in popularity among French and English nobility. In 1745, Moët & Chandon became the first purveyor to a European royal court, at the court of King Louis XV. Veuve Clicquot was then founded in 1772. Among other things, Madame Clicquot invented the riddling process to remove yeast after secondary fermentation, creating the traditional method or méthode Champenoise. Wine cellar in Trento/Photo courtesy of Trentodoc Meanwhile in Italy Prosecco's history is almost as long as Champagne's, with the first written record dating back to 1754. Vinified in the col fondo, or "with sediment," style, same as the ancestral method, this wine from the Veneto was made from the native Glera grape. "For years, Prosecco was understood as the name of the grape," Wilson says. "But as the demand for Prosecco exploded worldwide in the 2000s, the Prosecco producers in northern Italy wanted to protect their wine... So they found a village in Friuli called Prosecco, and redrew the DOC [to include it]." The invention of the Charmat method in 1895 made Prosecco much more affordable to produce. This technique dictates wines undergo secondary fermentation in a pressurized tank, and then get filtered and bottled under pressure. In Franciacorta, meanwhile, producers began making traditional-method sparkling wines modeled after Champagne, picking up on the premium end. Cava harvest/Photo courtesy of Cava DO Spain Gets in on the Action In 1872, a winemaker named Josep Raventós Fatjó decided to try his hand at traditional-method bubbles. He used Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes native to Penedès, in Catalonia, where his family had been making wine under the Codorníu label since 1497. Legend has it that he was so pleased with the results, he immediately called for a cave (cava) to be dug, so he could produce more, and Cava became the name of the regional designation. Cava has always been made using the traditional method, but higher quantity production and a shorter required time for secondary fermentation led to much lower prices than Champagne. The California Exception Sparkling wines have been produced in the Golden State since the 1860s, with the exception of the Prohibition era. Use of the name "Champagne," on the labels of bottlings produced here has been the topic of many international trade agreements, and was finally banned for good in 2005. A handful of historic winemakers, however, had been grandfathered in and are allowed to continue making California Champagne. Let's Talk About Sekt, Baby The Modern Era Sparkling wine continues to grow and evolve. In France, the crémant designation came into effect in 1975, so producers from some other regions could denote their traditional-method sparklers. Italy also saw increased production in the 1970s, when the Ferrari family started making top-quality, traditional-method sparkling wine in the Alpine region of Trento, which has unified to form Trentodoc. South Africa has a rich history of producing traditional-method sparkling wines. French Huguenots introduced the technique, and the designation Méthode Cap Classique, or MCC, was adopted in 1992. More recently, English fizz and German sekt have made inroads in international markets, and American pét-nats are bubbling over. With almost 500 years of history behind it in total, the style's future is nothing less than sparkling.

How to Order Wine in a Restaurant: 14 Alternatives to Panicking

At first glance, a restaurant's wine list may seem like a humbling experience. But fear not, there are ways to decipher this puzzle. The easy answer? Ask a sommelier. The days of the intimidating, dismissive sommelier are long past. If you know your preferences and price range, the restaurant staff should be able to take good care of you. However, many restaurants don't have floor sommeliers or other wine staff working every shift. Smaller (and chain) restaurants often have lists that are managed off-site. They sometimes opt to educate servers in lieu of sommeliers, which can be hit or miss. Maybe your pride, or anxiety, makes you reluctant to engage a sommelier, or you just need to find the best option at an Olive Garden. Follow this cheat sheet to crack any wine list: Check out the wine list online before you go. Many good restaurants post wine lists (or "sample" lists that change frequently) on their web sites. Study early and impress your friends with your quick decision-making, so you can spend more time drinking and less time reading. Note: Wines are often listed in ascending order from lightest to heaviest. "Glasses often havethe highest markup." With a huge list, utilize the table of contents or index. Susanne Lerescu, who oversees more than 6,000 labels at Restaurant Latour in Hamburg, New Jersey, says an index "quickly tells the range of wines and the restaurant's strengths, and you might get inspired from there, instead of getting lost in one category." Having long lists available on tablets, she says, isn't a gimmick. "It can allow you to sort and cross-reference by country, region and subregion, grape variety, [and] even price." Look for a "Sommelier's List." Larger lists may have a much shorter "sommelier's list," designed to highlight the expert's favorites, and be a mini cheat sheet built into the menu. "These lists can be full of value wines, interesting wines, personal favorites and older wines in a peak drinking window," says Lerescu. Getty Glass vs. bottle? A great glass list is a godsend if you seek variety, or when your party can't agree on one wine. However, glasses often have the highest markups, can be chosen haphazardly and some restaurants may not store these wines well. Approach "quartinos" with skepticism. A third of a 750ml bottle, it's either a nice compromise between a glass and bottle, or a sneaky upsell. Keep in mind when with larger groups, there are only four glasses to a bottle. How Long Can a Bottle of Wine Stay Open? Don't fret about pairing. Dining out, you're likely to enjoy multiple courses, each with multiple ingredients, for each member of your dinner party. Steak can be stellar with a Cab, but is it served with a rich garlic butter, vinegary gastrique or pungent Béarnaise? Don't stress about it, but if you must... ...Some wines work across a wide range of dishes. These "go with everything" wines tend to have higher acidity and moderate alcohol levels. For whites, these wines include Riesling, Albariño, Vinho Verde, Grüner Veltliner, and unoaked Chardonnay like village-level Chablis. For reds, Pinot Noir is a good fallback. Italian reds, especially Barbera d'Alba or d'Asti, Valpolicella Rosso, and Chianti are a safe choice. If your party is divided between red and white, there's always rosé. And though Champagne always goes with everything, if you're on a budget, try Cava or crémant. WHAT TO DO (AND NOT) WHEN THE WINE COMES Presenting the bottle isn't just a formality. Servers may bring a different vintage, or the wine may have been listed incorrectly. You're sampling the wine to see if it's corked (it will smell like wet newspaper/cardboard) or otherwise faulty, not if you like it (glass pours being an exception). Such faults are more likely evident by smell than taste. Faulty wines are rare, but it's more common for diners to miss these characteristics. In restaurants, reds are often served too warm, and whites too cold. Don't hesitate to ask them to further chill a wine, or to let it sit at room temperature for a while before pouring. If they're topping your wine off too quickly, ask them to slow down. Lesser-known wines (usually) mean greater value. Unfamiliar grapes or regions can bring high quality and a sense of discovery at a fair price. Most restaurants offer wines based on customer expectation, so these other gems are on the list because someone fell in love with them. Try something from Portugal, South Africa, Greece or Virginia. Also look for grapes like Sylvaner, Blaufränkisch, Mencía, Grignolino, Hárslevelü or other lesser-known names. And yet... ... Don't count out established regions in your quest for value. Regions with famed and pricey wines often also have terrific, less-heralded offerings. Examples include white Bordeaux, or Pinot Noir from Germany or Australia's Adelaide Hills. There are always "value regions" within the well-known wine countries: Alsace and Languedoc-Roussillon in France; Puglia, Campania and Sardinia in Italy. And look for your favorite varieties in less-obvious places. Robert Smith, who juggles more than 4,000 labels as wine director at three locations of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Texas, says "you'll usually spend less on great examples of Bordeaux varieties [like Cabernet and Merlot] from Washington State than from Napa. Washington wines have a freshness and balance to them, and the reds age very well." Remember that value and price are very different things. A great Cornas can be a terrific value, while there are cheaper wines best avoided. The wine with the least markup might be a lousy value, while an older wine that's no longer in stores and carefully cellared for years may be the best value in town. Don't be a slave to vintages. Smith says that some "challenging" vintages in major regions may produce wines that are less powerful, but can be terrific and food-friendly. "The wines from these cooler or challenging vintages usually have higher natural acidity and lower pH levels that allow them to often age more gracefully and longer than the riper, higher-scoring vintages," he says. Skip the second-cheapest bottle. Everyone does that, so that's often where you'll find a bottle the restaurant is trying to get rid of. However, many wine directors take pride in the quality of their "cheapest" bottle, and markup can shrink as you move to higher price points. Be aware of markup. Markup, usually around three times wholesale price, varies by restaurant. It encompasses state laws and taxes, operating costs and other factors. However, if you find a great restaurant with minimal markup, sing it from the rooftops. How to Pronounce Tongue-Twisting Wines (Agiorgitiko Included) Know what you like, and be honest with yourself. Grapes, regions and wine styles go in and out of fashion. It doesn't mean they suit your palate or that one type is "better" than another. Having a clear idea of what you like puts you ahead of the vast majority of diners. Order the Agiorgitiko. "Don't worry about mispronouncing a wine," says Smith. "Never let that discourage you from ordering something you are interested in!"

Festive tasting notes decoded: Brussels sprout in your wine?Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/advice/understand-tasting-notes-decoded-344920/#irr4q2aXRrjFyCqO.99

Back for a festive edition, get to grips with the some of the more obscure tasting notes used by wine experts, with graphics from Decanter's design team. This week - Brussels sprout... image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/08/LauraSeal.jpg Laura SealDecember 9, 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/12/Brussels-sprout_1300X860-920x609.jpg Credit: Kevin Pruitt / Decanter Christmas Highlights Wine advice How to understand tasting notes: Quick links: FruityFloralSpicyHerb & VegetalEarthyMineralOak, Lees & AgeingFermentation ADVERTISING Brussels Sprout image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/12/Brussels-sprout_110X358.jpg Love them or loathe them, Brussels sprouts undoubtedly deserve a place on the Christmas lunch table. Their name - often misspelt on festive menus - refers to their association with Belgium, where the first recorded mention of the sprouts was found dating back to 1587. Fans of Brussels sprouts savour its sweet, faintly nutty aroma and taste, which can be complemented by butter and bacon or pancetta, as well as roasting to caramelise their natural sugars. They're also celebrated for their health benefits - packing plenty of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. Some sources claim Captain Cook served them to his crew to prevent scurvy because they contain more vitamin C than oranges. But if they're so full of good stuff, why have they got such a bad reputation on the school dinner tray? This is where we find the scientific link to wine tasting notes: sulphur. Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables, belonging to Brassicaceae family of mustards and cabbages. Like their cabbage cousins, Brussels sprouts are rich in sulphur compounds, which are released when they are broken down by heat. This is why overcooked sprouts give off sulphurous odours, recognisable as the rotten egg smell. In red or white still wines, this distinctive aroma is the calling card of reduction, which is caused by restricting oxygen levels during winemaking. Reduction forms sulphur-containing compounds called mercaptans, also known as thiols. In higher concentrations mercaptans can create pungent over-boiled Brussels sprout aromas, as well as notes like rotten eggs, garlic, burnt rubber or struck matches. In the worst cases, the wine can be rendered undrinkable if it's too distorted by reductive aromas and this is when it becomes a fault. However the reductive odour, though strong when the bottle is opened and the wine is first poured, often dissipates or 'blows off' after a few minutes, revealing well-preserved primary aromas. In this way, reduction can be used an effective tool in the winery. By limiting the wine's exposure to oxygen, winemakers can naturally preserve the fresh and fruity notes expressed by the grape variety. Far from being a fault, reductive wine characteristics are associated with some of the top Burgundy domaines. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's 'La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole' 1990 vintage was noted by Clive Coates MW for its 'touch of reduction', which 'quickly blew away' to reveal 'marvellous fruit', and was scored 100/100 points. Its worth mentioning that the presence of sulphur compounds in wine is not solely the result of reduction. Dimethyl sulphide (DMS) is naturally present in almost all wines and sulphur dioxide (SO2) is used as a preservative by most producers, found under the name 'sulfites'. As with many of the more curious tasting notes, the effect of sulphurous Brussels sprout or cabbagey aromas in wine depends on concentration and balance. They can lend complexity in low levels and provide a foil for fresh fruit notes. In excess, they can tip over into your worst olfactory memories of the greyish Brussels at Christmas school dinners. Sources:Encyclopedia Britannica | ETS Laboratories Christmas Tree image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/christmas-tree_110X358-002.gif Whether it's a traditional Norway spruce or a silvery Nordmann fir, Christmas trees bring their own quiet magic to the festive period. These conifers are notorious for shedding their needles all over the carpet, but they do smell delicious when crushed underfoot. In their natural habitat, Christmas trees use this odour for more practical purposes. Conifer tree sap contains aromatic compounds called terpenes - one of the main components of turpentine, a paint stripper made from distilled pine resin. When the tree is damaged, resin covers the exposed area and strong-smelling terpenes act as a deterrent against forest herbivores and fungi. This is why freshly cut Christmas trees often exude more fragrance than potted ones. Terpenes are found in grape vines too, as mentioned in Chris Mercer's article exploring the science behind white wine grape varieties. A study from published Foods journal in 2018 found that Torrontés and Muscat varietals contain higher concentrations of smaller forms of terpenes called monoterpenes that 'contribute to fruity and floral aromas', said Mercer. Over 50 terpenic compounds have been identified in grapes and wine, according to UC Davis, and they come in many forms and fragrances. Rotundone is well-known for its black pepper aroma, typically associated with Rhône Syrah wines, while limonene appears in citrussy white wines such as Albariño and Riesling. In a recent ThoughtCo article from science writer, Anne Marie Helmenstine PhD, she lists common Christmas tree monoterpenes as pinene (a sharp, woody fragrance), limonene, myrcene (a hoppy, herbal smell), camphene (related to camphor) and α-phellandrene (responsible for minty or citrussy aromas). These Christmas tree terpenes can be grouped into three key aroma profiles: woody, herbal and citrus. You can find Christmas tree notes in wines that combine these profiles, as well those made from grape varieties that share monoterpenes with aromatic conifers like Balsam firs, cedar or pine trees. Look for wines with 'balsamic' in their tasting notes as this indicates aromas of balsam, which is a resin extracted from conifer trees. These wines are generally complex, earthy and full-bodied reds, such as Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône 2010 - scored 98/100 points by Matt Walls, who praised its 'balsamic and forest floor notes'. Oak ageing can also give a wine notes of resin and spiced wood reminiscent of Christmas trees, especially when these aromas combine with camphor, menthol or eucalyptus notes. Australian Shiraz wines are well known for their strong spicy oak and herbal character, particularly those from southern regions like Barossa Valley and Coonawarra. Penfolds, Bin 128 Shiraz 2017 has 'distinctively spicy, minty aromas' with 'a strong hit of cinnamon and camphor spice derived from 25% new French oak and the cool climate', according to Anthony Rose. Spiced wood, citrus and herbal Christmas tree notes can be found in white wines, too. Particularly in grape varieties with a strong aromatic profile, such as Torrentés, Riesling or Gewürtztraminer, as well as oaky styles of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. SEE: Peter Jakob Kühn, Oestricher Doosberg Riesling, Grosses Gewächs 2016 | Hugel, Grossi Laüe Gewurztraminer, Alsace 2010 | David & Nadia, Plat'bos, Swartland 2018 Sources: US National Christmas Tree Association | ThoughtCo.com | UC Davis Fruity image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/06/Apricot.jpg Apricot Apricot is in the same spectrum as other stone fruits, such as peach, indicating a certain ripeness in the grapes, and used to describe white wines - although not as ripe as in hot climate wines, where the fruit descriptors become tropical, like pineapple and mango. Apricot is often associated with the grape Viognier, along with peach and blossom, found in the Rhône and increasingly in the New World. Richer Albariño, from North West Spain, is another fine white which regularly gets described as having an apricot nose. Apricot is also an aroma often found in sweet wines like Sauternes and Tokaji, and fortified wines, like in Tawny Port; in either fresh or dried forms, the latter being sweeter and more intense. Dried apricot is not just restricted to sweeter wines though, and is found in dry wines too, like Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, Les Dix Arpents 2014. SEE: Disznókő, Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2006 | Zull, Weinviertel, Grüner Veltliner Klassik, 2016 | Château Coutet, Barsac, Bordeaux, France 2011 | Château Lamothe, Sauternes, 2eme Cru Classé, 2013 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/06/banana.jpg Banana Ever caught the whiff of bananas when opening, sniffing or drinking wine? If you have, it could be for the following scientific reasons — please note there are almost certainly no actual bananas involved. One possible cause is the winemaking process carbonic maceration, commonly used in the production of Beaujolais wines, made from the Gamay grape. In this process, the grapes are sealed in a vessel filled with carbon dioxide prior to regular fermentation, which gives Beaujolais wines their distinctive juicy or subtly tropical flavours. The chemical compound behind banana's aroma is mainly isoamyl acetate, an ester that's also found in pears and bubblegum — another signature Beaujolais scent. It can occur in red or white wines as a natural by-product of carbonic maceration, or from the yeasts in regular fermentation. Interestingly, the same compound is released by the honey bees from their sting to alert fellow bees to danger. Banana's flavour profile is among the tropical fruits — notes like pineapple, passionfruit and lychees. Aside from Beaujolais, you can look for it in South African Pinotage. Or from aromatic white wines, especially those fermented at cooler temperatures, including Albariños like Martin Codax 2011 or Coto Redondo, Liñar de Vides 2011 both from the Spanish region of Rías Biaxas in Galicia. In other white wines, ripe banana notes are associated with richer fruit flavours and sweet blossom aromas. Such as Haridimos Hatzidakis, Assyrtiko, Santorini 2012 or aged whites like Colonnara, Cuprese, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 1991. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/Bergamot.jpg Bergamot Bergamots are citrus fruits that are commonly shaped like yellow or green dwarf pears with dimpled skins, but they are in fact a variety of bitter orange. Although edible, bergamots are rarely eaten fresh due to their intensely acidic and tart-tasting flesh, which is more palatable in marmalade or juice form. The incredibly aromatic essential oils in bergamots' skins makes them very popular in perfumes and it's also an important ingredient in Earl Grey tea. When it comes to wine tasting notes, bergamot is a useful citrus fruit descriptor for certain dry white wines, as it expresses a flavour or aroma that is more bitter than oranges but sweeter than lemons. Examples could include aromatic German Riesling wines, such as Dreissigacker, Bechtheimer Geyersberg, Rheinhessen 2014, noted for its 'powerful nose of bergamot and leaf tea' followed by floral flavours of rose and geranium. Or French Muscadet wines from the Loire Valley like the 96-point Pierre-Luc Bouchaud, Pont Caffino, Loire 2014, exuding complex aromas of 'golden pair skin and subtle struck match' alongside orange blossom and bergamot. Red wines with vibrant acidity could also express bergamot notes, such as Pinot Noirs like Bisquertt, La Joya Gran Reserva 2014 from Chile's Leyda Valley and Portuguese red blends from Douro Valley like Symington, Altano Organic 2015. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/Black-olive.jpg Black olive The colour of olives is generally related to how ripe they are: green olives are harvested before the olive has ripened, and black olives have been left to undergo ripening. During the course of ripening, polyphenol (aka tannin) levels drop. As a result, the astringency of the green olive relaxes into a more gentle and earthy tasting black olive. In wine tasting notes, black olive might be used to describe the earthy and subtly bitter edge found in some red wines. Syrah is a classic example, where black olive may be found alongside black fruit and black pepper notes. SEE: Wind Gap, Sonoma Coast, Syrah, California 2012 | Domaine Les Bruyères, David Reynaud, Crozes-Hermitage 2015 Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from cooler vintages might display black olive, as they are generally more savoury and less fruit-forward. For example, the Cabernet dominant blend of Opus One, Oakville, Napa Valley 2009. The primary flavours and aromas of Pinot Noir can also develop via ageing into earthy and vegetal flavours that might come under the black olive profile. For example Kutch Wines, McDougall Ranch, Sonoma Coast, California 2009 — where black olive blends with spice and forest floor flavours. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/10/Blackberry.jpg Blackberry Blackberries are soft, black-coloured fruit, commonly found wild in English hedgerows during summer months. They can be eaten fresh, cooked in puddings or made into jam. In the wine lexicon, blackberry belongs in the black fruit category, alongside similarly sweet and tart soft fruits, such as blackcurrants, blueberries and black plums. As you might guess from their appearance, blackberries are closely related to raspberries, although the latter is considered more tart in taste and less firm in texture. Leafy or brambly blackberry flavours might be used to describe a tannic, full-bodied red wine style that hasn't yet fully matured. Prominent blackberry with leafy notes could also hint that the grapes didn't fully ripen before they were harvested. SEE: Zanoni Pietro, Zovo, Amarone della Valpolicella 2011 On the other end of the spectrum, jammy blackberry notes describe the rich ripeness associated with fruit preserves, when heat and sugar are added to intensify flavours. If you see blackberry paired with words like cooked, stewed, jam or dried, it might be describing red wines with developed fruit flavours from controlled oxidation, a common feature of bottle-ageing. This could apply to classic Bordeaux or Rioja blends and Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, where blackberry primary fruit flavours can intertwine with oak influences like vanilla, cedar and chocolate. SEE: Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux 2012 | Contador, Rioja 2014 | Ridge Vineyards, Estate Cabernet, Santa Cruz Mountains 2008 As a typical black fruit flavour, blackberry notes are ubiquitous in red wine tasting notes — from Touriga Nacional wines from Portugal, to Nero d'Avola from Sicily. SEE: Aldi, Zom Reserva, Douro 2015 | Donnafugata, Sherazade, Sicily 2015 Look for them in certain Syrah wines from Barossa Valley and northern Rhône to compare how they interact with characteristic gamey, spicy, tarry or smokey notes to create complexity. SEE: Penfolds, RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2015 | Delas, St-Joseph Rhône 2010 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/05/Bramble.png Bramble The official definition of bramble is a wild bush with thorns, usually genetically related to the rose family. As a wine tasting note, bramble generally refers to the most commonplace example: blackberry bushes, which can be cultivated for their fruit or found growing wild in hedgerows. Consequently, bramble is found in the black fruit category of the wine lexicon, alongside blackcurrant, blackberry itself, black cherry and black plum. Much like the term hedgerow (see below), bramble encompasses an overall sense of different natural flavour components. For this reason bramble makes for a very useful wine descriptor, because it can express conjoined black fruit, as well as herbaceous or even blossom notes. The choice to describe a wine as having 'bramble' notes, rather than simply 'blackberry' ones, could mean that the wine has a black fruit character plus an overtone of leafiness. In this way it can indicate desirable or undesirable characteristics, depending on the wine style. For example, in the case of a youthful cool climate Pinot Noir, such as Wakefield Estate, Fourth Dimension Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills 2016, a 'spicy, almost tangy, red fruit and bramble character' is appropriate to the style that the winemaker is seeks to achieve. Or, Hahn, Lodi, Boneshaker Zinfandel 2014, where the herbaceous-fruity bramble note marries rosemary and menthol with the rich kirsch and chocolate. Other tasting notes might specify that it's the fruity element of bramble that's most prominent in the wine, such as Bodega Norton, Lote Negro, Mendoza 2015 - displaying 'inky bramble fruit' with plums and oak spice. Or in the powerful black fruit flavour profile of Nebbiolo wines such as Fontanafredda, Langhe Nebbiolo, Ebbio, Piedmont 2015, where a 'nose of hedgerow fruit leaps out of the glass, with berry and bramble flavours'. However, 'green' or 'leafy' aromas in some wines can also indicate underripe grapes. image: https://www.decanter.com/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png Candied fruit Candying is a preservation technique that involves coating any given piece of fruit, nut or ginger in a sugary glaze, sealing the fresh flavours inside for longer. In this way candied fruit retains more of its original fresh fruit flavours than dried fruit or jams, although they also become saturated with sweetness. The effect of intense fruitiness encased in sweetness makes candied fruit a useful tasting descriptor for a range of wines that present this flavour combination. Candied fruit flavours are perhaps found most prominently in fortified wines like tawny Port, where it often manifests as candied citrus, as in Messias, 20 Year Old Tawny and Marks & Spencer, 10 Year Old Tawny Port. You might find candied stone and tropical fruit flavours and aromas in sweet white wines like those of Sauternes, such as Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2013 and Château Rabaud-Promis' Promesse de Rabaud-Promis 2015. Subtle notes of candied citrus peel can also be found in the complex flavour profile of certain red Burgundy wines, such as Louis Latour, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru 2016 and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti Grand Cru 2014. Some Brut Champagnes - although dry by definition - can still have hints of candied fruits. In the best examples these flavours are balanced by fresh acidity, to prevent any cloying sweetness. For example Krug 2004 is able to encompass 'candied fruits, gingerbread, white chocolate, caramel and marzipan' while remaining light, fresh and dry — resulting in a Decanter score of 97/100. ALSO: Bollinger, RD 2004 | Moutard Père & Fils, Brut 1992 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/cassis.jpg Cassis As a tasting note, cassis refers to ripe and concentrated blackcurrant flavours or aromas. It's often used to describe rich and full-bodied red wines, such as mature Bordeaux wines, or those made from earthy southern Italian varieties such as Nero d'Avola, Aglianico and Primitivo. The blackcurrant flavour profile belongs to a broader 'black fruit' category. Within that category, it's more aligned with the tartness of blueberries, and not with the sweetness of dark plum and blackberry flavours. The term can cover different forms of intense blackcurrant fruit flavours, from a large helping of blackcurrant jam, to a handful of the fresh berries. The tasting term is not to be confused with the wine region of Cassis in Provence, which is renowned for rosé wines that generally express red fruit rather than black fruit notes, and white wines of a mineral and citrus character. To fully comprehend the flavour, why not try the blackcurrant liqueur crème de cassis. This also goes well in a 'Kir Royale' cocktail — made by pouring a small measure into a flute and topping up with Champagne. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/06/cherry-wine-taste.jpg Cherry Cherries have a distinctive fruit character, often replicated artificially for confectionery and liqueurs. When it comes to wine tasting notes, it's important to distinguish between different cherry forms and flavours. For starters, there are both sweet and sour cherries — think of the difference between maraschino and morello cherries. Red cherries are seen as part of the red fruit flavour profile, and black cherries are included in the black fruit category. In both of these, cherries might be seen as not so sweet or tart as the berries, yet more concentrated than fleshy plums, for example. In Decanter's How to read wine tasting notes, the general character of cherry is defined as, 'firm, vibrant fruit with a touch of acidity and none of the sweetness of, say, blackcurrants'. Wines that can carry notes of tart cherries include northern Italian reds, such Piedmont's Barolo and Barbaresco wines made from the Nebbiolo grape. Red cherry notes can be found in some Tuscan Sangiovese wines from Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti. SEE: Giovanni Rosso, Barolo, La Serra, Piedmont, Italy, 2014 | Pio Cesare, Barbaresco, Piedmont 2013 | Bottega, Il Vino dei Poeti, Brunello di Montalcino 2010 | Monteraponi, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2014 Young Pinot Noir wines can encompass a range of cherry flavours from red to black, particularly those of New Zealand, where some of the best examples combine cherry with hints of jam or strawberry to offset earthy notes. Perhaps the wine most associated with cherries is Beaujolais, a red wine made from the Gamay grape. Cherry notes in these wines are usually the product of carbonic maceration, a process in which whole grapes are sealed in a vessel filled with carbon dioxide prior to regular fermentation. This helps to preserve the naturally juicy and fruity character of Gamay. SEE: Domaine Georges Descombes, Morgon, Beaujolais 2015 | Domaine de la Voûte des Crozes, Côte de Brouilly, Beaujolais 2015 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/05/Citrus1.jpg Citrus As a tasting note, citrus is defined by high acidity and fresh fruit flavour; characteristics that can be found in many white wines. Although wine may not reach the acidity level of, say, lemonade, it can have a strong acidic structure that recalls sharpness of fresh lemon, lime or grapefruit on the nose and palate. It may also be found alongside notes like 'mineral' or 'steely', because certain high acidity wines can feel almost hard-edged in the mouth, lacking in sweet fruit flavours. Accompanying notes of more sour fruits, like green apples or pears, are relatively common. In wine, citrus is categorised as a primary aroma, because it relates to the flavour of the grapes themselves as opposed to winemaking or ageing processes. Examples of citrussy wines can include young dry whites like Vermentino, Verdejo, Albariño and Sauvignon Blanc. SEE: Uvaggio, Vermentino, Lodi, California 2013 | Beronia, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain 2016 | Eidosela, Albariño, Rias Baixas, Galicia, 2011 | Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2016 | Domaine Guyot, Les Loges, Pouilly-Fumé, Loire 2015 Note: citrus can sometimes be detected as citrus peel or zest, which might suggest a more pithy and intensely aromatic character than citrus juices. This is because the pungent odour of citrus fruits comes from the chemical compound limonene, which is located in the peel. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/05/coconut.jpg Coconut First things first, it's important not to confuse the flavour profile of coconuts with nuts. Coconuts are not nuts, they are drupes (stone fruits). Their distinctive flavour and aroma is distinct from either fruits or nuts, and can be found in products like coconut milk or oil, as well as the desiccated coconut you might have eaten in a Bounty bar. In wine, coconut generally manifests itself on the nose as a kind of dulled sweetness, which doesn't pique the senses in the same way as sweet fruit or honey flavours. Instead it is more heavily aromatic, which is why it's categorised among the 'kernels' such as almond, coffee and chocolate. Notes of coconut can come from esters, which are the chemical compounds behind many aromas. Specifically lactones, which are responsible for the peculiar sweet aromas associated with coconuts. Beverley Blanning MW goes one step further in her exploration of oak aromas: 'beta-methyl-gamma-octa-lactone - that's coconut aroma to you and me'. Coconut is one of the key aromas that distinguishes oaked wines, and it's usually counted as a tertiary aroma because it's related to the ageing process. Oak flavours can come from contact with wood chips, staves or barrels. Coconut is strongly evoked by American oak, along with vanilla notes. Wines with coconut notes can include oaky red Riojas with some years behind them, like La Rioja Alta, 904 Gran Reserva 2007 and Bodegas Muriel, Reserva 2008. As well as big Cabernet-dominated Australian reds like Wolf Blass' Black Label wines, aged for many months in American Oak. SEE: Wolf Blass, Black Label 1979 | Wolf Blass, Black Label 1974 | Wolf Blass Wines, Black Label 1992 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/02/Cooked-Fruit.jpg Cooked Fruit A 'cooked wine' can be considered a fault. It can refer to a bottle that has been exposed to extreme heat. This can occur during shipping and is evident to the consumer as the cork can protrude and the wine quality will be greatly diminished. However, when a person refers to 'cooked fruit' when tasting, this means that the grapes have had too much hang-time on the vine or too much sun exposure and are in fact overripe or even sunburned. This leads to a wine that has lower total acidity, which will make it taste less fresh; it will usually have jammy characters. This jamminess can be coupled with a higher level of alcohol, which can create a flabby mouthfeel. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/04/Cranberry.jpg Cranberry Cranberries are small and round red berries, which grow in clusters on low-lying evergreen shrubs. When fresh, the sweetness of cranberries is largely overwhelmed by their acidity, so they're usually cooked and sweetened into sauce, jam or juice form. Their sweet and tart flavour profile makes them a useful wine descriptor, and cranberries are found in the wine lexicon as part of the red fruit category. On the sweet to tart red fruit spectrum, cranberries probably sit between raspberries and redcurrants. You can look for cranberry notes in red wines with high acidity, like some young Pinot Noir wines from cool climates. For example, Fortnum & Mason, Axel Neiss, Spätburgunder 2014, from Germany's Pfalz region, has a nose filled with 'bitter cherry and cranberry' followed by tart fruit on the palate. Elsewhere, Soter Vineyards, Planet Oregon Pinot Noir 2015, from the US appellation of Oregon, has a 'vibrant acidity' and 'coats the mouth in flavours of red strawberry, cherry and cranberry'. As well as unoaked Pinot Noir styles such as Zinck, Portrait Pinot Noir 2015 from Alsace, expressing 'fresh cranberry and cherry fruit with velvety tannins'. In her article Sancerre: The French Pinot Noir you should be drinking, Decanter's Tina Gellie outlines how the 'bigger day-night temperature differences' in the Loire give rise to more 'crunchy raspberry- and cranberry-style' Pinot Noirs, compared to those from Burgundy. SEE: Domaine Vacheron, Belle Dame, Loire 2010 Younger Grenache wines can also have relatively high acidity and tart red fruit flavours, such as cranberry. For example, Momento, Grenache 2015, from Swartland is noted for its 'fresh acidity with tart cherry and cranberry fruit'. Willunga 100, Grenache 2014, from South Australia's McLaren Vale, displays 'juicy cranberry, cherry and raspberry on the palate'. A slightly more unusual style — also from South Australia — Alpha Box & Dice, Enigma, Adelaide Hills 2015 is a wine made from the high-acid Italian Barbera grape — resulting in tarry characters with a 'cranberry-laced acidity which runs through the centre'. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/02/Fig.jpg Fig Figs are said to be some of the first fruits to be cultivated by humans; they have origins in Turkey, India, as well as many Mediterranean countries. Genetically, figs are related to the mulberry family, and they grow on trees or bushes. They're favoured for their smooth, syrupy fruit flavour and pulpy texture. Although often enjoyed fresh, figs are easily dried out into a chewier, sweeter form — as the fruit sugars become concentrated after the water content is decreased. It is in this form that they feature in the wine lexicon, alongside other dried fruits like dates, prunes and raisins. Due to their earthy and richly sweet flavour profile, dried fig notes are primarily found in full-bodied reds and fortified wines. This could include Portuguese red blends like Herdade de Malhadinha Nova, Matilde, Alentejano 2013 and JP Ramos, Alentejo, Marquês de Borba, Alentejo 2014 — both combining fig notes with spicy undertones. Or Primitivo wines from southern Italy, like Masseria Metrano, Primitivo, Salento, Puglia 2014, where fig mixes coffee and bitter herb aromas. Among fortified wines, you can look for fig notes in Tawny Ports, as well as mature Madeiras, such as HM Borges, 20 Year Old, Verdelho. Or Pedro Ximénez sherries like Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla, Antique Pedro Ximénez NV. In her article What is premature oxidation? Jane Anson identifies fig as a possible precursor to a wine becoming oxidised: 'In red wines, the warning signs come with prune, fig and other dried fruit aromas - these are positively sought in specific types of wines such as Amarone or Port, but would be a likely indication in a young dry red that the wine will not age as it should.' However, she warns that sensitive grapes with dried fruit flavours, like fig, are at more risk than more robust varieties: 'Some styles of dry reds - such as still Douro reds and some Languedoc wines - naturally have dried fruit aromas when young, and are made from grapes with high natural acidity and resistance to heat. But the danger comes with other grape varieties that are more susceptible to fluctuations in temperature.' Sources: britannica.com, decanter.com image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/12/Gooseberries-e1515170730252.jpg Gooseberries A traditional fruit of the English garden or hedgerow, hairy-skinned gooseberries are prized in baked desserts for their fresh and tart flavours. Genetically they're related to currants, although they are at the most sour-tasting end of the spectrum. They are most commonly green-coloured, although strains of red, yellow and pink gooseberries do exist. In the wine lexicon they belong in the 'green fruit' category, alongside green apple, pear and grape. These are generally less sweet than red, black or stone fruits, displaying a primarily tart character instead. Gooseberries are typically found in aromatic white wines, as their tart taste and slightly floral or tangy scent makes them a useful descriptor. Sauvignon Blancs may have gooseberry notes, particularly those made in cool climate regions like Marlborough in New Zealand or France's Loire Valley. SEE: Auntsfield, Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Valleys, Marlborough 2016 | Asda, Sancerre, Loire 2016 See Oz Clarke's description of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, when it first found its way onto the market in the 1980s: 'No previous wine had shocked, thrilled and entranced the world before with such brash, unexpected flavours of gooseberries, passion fruit and lime or crunchy green asparagus spears ... an entirely new, brilliantly successful wine style that the rest of the world has been trying to copy since.' Sauvignon Blanc to change your mind Another common, if strange-sounding, description of the smell of Sauvignon Blanc is 'cat's pee on a gooseberry bush' — denoting the austere urine or petrol-like aromas intermingling with the green fruit tartness of gooseberries. Gooseberry notes do not generally emanate from the grapes themselves, instead they are the result of yeast action during fermentation. Benjamin Lewin MW explains the science: 'The gooseberry and passion fruit aromas of Sauvignon Blanc come from sulphur-containing compounds that are released during fermentation from non-odiferous precursors in the grape.' Yeasts: do you know what's flavouring your wine? Alternatively, you can look for gooseberry notes in wines made from the Bacchus grape, a Riesling-Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau hybrid. Bacchus wines are sometimes likened to Sauvignon Blanc for their fresh, green character and high acidity. SEE: Sixteen Ridges, Bacchus, England 2015 | Chapel Down, Bacchus, Kent 2015 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/07/Green-Apple.jpg Green apple Green apples are generally thought to be more tart and less sweet than their red or yellow counterparts. To test this, try biting into a granny smith followed by a gala or golden delicious apple. You should notice your mouth water more with the green apple, as you produce more saliva in response to the higher acid content. Specifically, malic acid which is derived from the latin word for apple, 'malum'. Wine also contains malic acid, which can give the impression of green apple flavours and aromas in your glass. Wines that are high in malic acid have more pronounced green apple notes, these include cool climate dry whites such as Chablis wines, as well as Riesling and Grüner Veltliner from Germany or Austria. In these wines, green apple might be found alongside other green fruits with a similar flavour profile, such as gooseberry or pear, as well as mineral or metallic notes. SEE: Domaine Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin, Valmur Grand, Chablis 2015 | Weinhof Waldschütz, Riesling Classic, Kamptal 2015 | Eschenhof Holzer, Wagram Grüner Veltliner, Wagram 2015 The effect of malic acid is not always desirable, particularly in some red wines and Chardonnays. It can be processed using malolactic fermentation, when bacteria break down the tart malic acid into lactic acid — the same substance that's found in dairy products. This might be used in Chardonnay wines to bring out more buttery flavours and give a more rounded creamy mouthfeel. Sources: The Persistent Observer's Guide to Wine: How to Enjoy the Best and Skip the Rest by J. P. Bary | Decanter.com image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/03/Honey.jpg Honey The main defining factors of honey are its sweetness and its viscosity. Therefore as a tasting note it's often applied to dessert wines, which are more syrupy in taste and density than other wines. As honey is made from floral nectar, it has rich and heady aromatic properties that make it a suitable descriptor for late harvest wines. These can include wines made from grapes left to dry out on the vine, or developed by the onset of noble rot (botrytis cinerea) — giving the wines a concentrated aroma and a taste that's reminiscent of honey. It's often found alongside stone fruit and dried fruit notes, most notable in sweet wines from Sauternes. Other examples include Tokaji wines from Hungary, and German Rieslings belonging to the Auslese, Spätlese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese classifications. Honey is also aligned with complex notes like tobacco and hay as a sign of a wine's maturity, for honey has a multilayered sweetness that incorporates fructose and floral flavours. Additionally, aged sweet white wines can recall honey in their appearance, as their hues darken over time. Like honey, dessert wines such as Sauternes or Tokaji wines can range from the palest yellow to tawny bronze, depending on the vintage. What happens as wine ages? As a tasting note, it's generally understood that the wine contains no actual honey. However, there is evidence that honey was originally used by the Romans to fortify wines, in a process that later came to be known as chaptalisation, when sugar is added to the grapes prior to fermentation. It's also not to be confused with 'honey wine', which is actually mead and is made from fermented honey instead of grapes. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/02/Jammy.jpg Jammy The term jammy is usually applied to red wines low in acidity but high in alcohol, such as Californian Zinfandel or Australian Shiraz. It describes ripened or cooked fruit, in which the pungency and sweetness is intensified compared to fresh fruit flavours. Jammy is associated with red fruits like strawberries and raspberries, as well as darker fruits such as blackcurrants and blackberries — essentially fruits you can imagine making into jam. As a fault, it can express poor growing conditions in which the vines are overexposed to heat and sunlight. This causes the grapes to ripen too quickly, and the resultant wines can develop a cloying jamminess with a flabby mouthfeel. Wine writer Robert Haynes-Peterson notes that Pinot Noir wines are most at risk, as these thin-skinned grapes are 'intolerant of high temperatures which results in jammy, rather than fruit-driven, wines'. Read more However, some people see jamminess as adding an enjoyably complex and concentrated fruitiness to wines; Matetic's EQ Syrah from the San Antonio Valley was praised by Decanter's James Button for its 'multi-layered jammy and savoury elements'. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/01/juniper-berries.jpg Juniper berries Gin lovers will know the importance of juniper berries in relation to spirits, but they can also be a useful wine tasting note. Despite their name and appearance, juniper berries are actually the fleshy seed cones of a conifer shrub. How to taste gin like a professional They are far more bitter and peppery than actual berries and are rarely consumed fresh. Instead juniper berries are usually dried and used as a savoury spice, or a gin botanical. In the wine lexicon, the juniper flavour is found in the 'botanicals and herbs' category alongside lemongrass, as well as savoury herbs like sage and basil. You can look for juniper notes with a similar flavour profile to this category; that is, with a bitter herb and peppery spice character. This might include full-bodied red Syrah wines, like Peay Vineyards, Les Titans Syrah 2011 and Arnot-Roberts, Clary Ranch Syrah 2012, both from California's Sonoma Coast AVA. Juniper might feature in the complex aromas of Nebbiolo wines from Piedmont, including Gaja, Sorì Tildin, Barbaresco 2013, where it mingles with typical notes of black cherry and mint. As well as some of the bold and aromatic red wines from Portugal's Douro Valley, such as Quinta do Vale Meao, Meandro 2011, where it melds with garrigue and black fruit. A more unusual example might be Ao Yun's full-bodied Bordeaux blend from southern China's Yunnan province. Decanter's John Stimpfig noted the 'juniper, pepper and cumin' elements to the 2013 vintage. SEE: Ao Yun, China 2013 Aside from red wines, you might find juniper notes in some cool-climate dry whites, like Torrontés from the high-altitude terroirs of Salta in Argentina. SEE: Bodega El Porvenir, Torrontés, Salta 2015 And even sparkling wine - Furleigh, Estate's Blanc de Blancs 2009, made in Dorset, noted for its rich stone fruit character with 'a flash of juniper bitterness'. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/05/kirsch-1.jpg Kirsch Kirsch, pronounced 'kee-ersh', is a dry cherry brandy from Germany - where it's full name is 'kirschwasser', meaning 'cherry water'. It's traditionally made using morello cherries, which are fermented whole including their stones, giving the resultant spirit a bitter almond edge. In the wine lexicon, kirsch is placed in the dried or cooked fruit category, as it corresponds to the concentrated fruit characteristics found among descriptors like jammy, stewed fruit and raisin. Kirsch's flavour profile of distilled cherry fruit flavours, plus a hint of bitter almond, makes it a useful descriptor for many dry red wines. You can look for kirsch characteristics in rich full-bodied reds such as Syrah wines from France's Rhône Valley, where it can compliment savoury notes like herbs, smoke, earth and pepper. New world Syrah, commonly called Shiraz, can express kirsch-like flavours too, such as examples from South Africa and Australia - although here it tends to meld with stronger hints of sweet spices. Other reds with a kirsch character could include fruit-forward Malbec wines from Argentina, which often mix kirsch with dark fruit and floral notes. SEE: Fable Mountain Vineyards, Syrah, Tulbagh 2011 | De Bortoli, Yarra Valley, Estate Grown Shiraz, 2013 | 55 Malbec, La Consulta, Tomal Vineyard, Teho, 2011 Dry red wines from northern Italy, made from Nebbiolo, Sangiovese or Barbera grapes, can also all display a bold cherry character that can sometimes express itself as a kirsch note. Similarly, the powerful dark fruit profile of some Bordeaux blends can manifest itself in cassis and kirsch-like flavours. SEE: Cascina Val del Prete, Roero Riserva, Piedmont 2013 | Château de Fieuzal, Graves, Pessac-Léognan 2015 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/08/Kiwi-fruit.jpg Kiwi fruit Kiwi fruit is also known as a Chinese gooseberry; despite its connotations with New Zealand, it originates from China. However, aside from their sour, fruity flavour and green flesh, kiwis have little in common with gooseberries. Kiwis grow on vines, contain black seeds and have a fuzzy brown skin. Kiwi is found in the tropical fruit category of the wine tasting lexicon, alongside pineapple, passion fruit and mango. However a kiwi's flavours are generally less intensely sweet and pungent than most tropical fruit notes, having more in common with the tarter varieties of melon and lychee. Wines that might display kiwi notes are mostly dry, fruit-forward whites with prominent acidity. Chenin Blanc wines often fit this description. These could be of the Loire Valley variety, such as Le Pas St-Martin, La Pierre Frite, Saumur 2015 - praised for its subtle blend of lime, kiwi, quince and green plum flavours. South African Chenins can also have kiwi character, like Ken Forrester Wines, Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2015, noted for its stone fruit and kiwi flavours, as well as complex vinyl and cassis leaf undertones. You might also find hints of kiwi in various unoaked white wine styles, such as Volpe Pasini, Pinot Bianco, Colli Orientali del Friuli 2013 from northern Italy and Alpha Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Amyntaio in Macedonia. Both of these wines were vinified in stainless steel to preserve their fresh fruit flavours. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/08/Loganberry-1.jpg Loganberry Loganberries are a hybrid formed of blackberries and raspberries, and they have shades of both in their look and taste. Originating in California in the 1880s, loganberries have become a popular addition to berry desserts and preserves across the US, UK and Australia. The fruit is a deep claret colour when ripe, meaning that it technically belongs to the red fruit category of the wine lexicon, alongside its parent fruit, raspberry. In wine tasting notes, loganberry is used to describe red fruit flavours that aren't as tart as raspberry and cranberry, whilst not reaching the sweetness levels of, say, strawberry. Possessing elements of both sweet and sour red fruit flavours, loganberry can be a useful tasting note for wines that have similar characteristics. These are generally dry red wines with a strong red fruit flavour profile combined with medium to high acidity, creating both sweet and tart elements. Many dry reds fit this description, including French greats from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. For example, our tasters have found loganberry notes in Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2015, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's La Tâche 2015 and Clos St-Jean, La Combe des Fous 2016. Syrah/Shiraz wines can also display loganberry flavours, such as Rolf Binder's Heysen Shiraz 2013 from Barossa Valley, in which the tart element of loganberry balances denser notes of blackberry jam. Further south, Obsidian Reserve Syrah 2013 from New Zealand's Waiheke Island was praised by our expert panel for its aromatic blend of loganberry, cinnamon, mint and bay leaf. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/12/Lychee-1-e1513352008995.jpg Lychee With their spiky red exteriors and translucent white flesh, lychees are one of the more exotic fruit varieties in the wine lexicon. They're defined by a mildly sweet fruit flavour, with an edge of tartness and a floral aroma. Their large central seed makes lychees look similar to stone fruits, but when it comes to wine they are classed among the tropical fruit flavours — joining mango, banana, passion fruit and pineapple. Lychee notes are typically found in white wines, often those with subtle fruit flavours and spicy or floral characteristics. A classic example is Gewürztraminer wine, described by Thierry Meyer, DWWA Regional Chair for Alsace, in Gewurztraminer to change your mind: 'It smells of ginger and cinnamon, fragrant rose petals and pot pourri with a dusting of Turkish Delight and tastes of deliciously exotic lychees and mango.' These wines are commonly made in cool climate regions like Alsace and Alto Adige in northern Europe, as well as Marlborough in New Zealand. SEE: Lidl, Gewürztraminer Vieilles Vignes, Alsace 2016 | Gewürztraminer, Alto Adige, Trentino-Alto Adige 2014 | Yealands Estate, Gewürztraminer, Awatere Valley, Marlborough 2010 Other aromatic white wines with lychee notes could include Sauvignon Blancs, such as Massey Dacta, Marlborough 2015, which combines minerality with tropical fruits. As well as Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Soave wines from northern Italy, Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Torrontés from the lofty heights of Salta. SEE: Cantina Tramin, Unterebner Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige 2014 | Sommariva, Brut, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene NV | Bolla, Retro, Soave Classico, Veneto 2011 | Bodega Colomé, Colome Torrontes, Calchaqui Valley 2015 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/09/Marmalade-1.jpg Marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made of citrus peel that's been boiled with sugar, although the original Portuguese variety is made from quinces. As with other preserves, like jam, the flavours in marmalade are sweeter and more concentrated versions of the fresh fruit it's made from. Wines that display these intense, sweet flavours with a bitter citrus edge are commonly fortified reds, such as Port or Madeira wines, or white dessert wines like those from Sauternes or Constantia. These wines develop complex flavour profiles as they mature; fresh fruit notes evolve and intertwine with other influences like oak. For example, long-aged wines like Delaforce's Curious & Ancient 20 Year Old Tawny Port can express notes of fig, spice, coffee, cocoa, leather, spice, as well as marmalade. Madeira wines are also made to age for decades. Blandy's Bual 1969 spent 40 years in a cask before bottling, for example. The result is a nuanced wine with flavours starting with hazelnut and woodsmoke on the nose and progressing to marmalade on the palate. In these wines marmalade flavours are often accompanied by dried fruit notes, which express a similar sense of developed and sweetened fruitiness. In Sauternes wines, like Château d'Yquem 2015, marmalade characteristics might be caused by the onset of botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, which concentrates fruit flavours and sugars by dehydrating the grapes on the vine. Constantia, located just outside Cape Town, is famous for its sweet white wines made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan. This aromatic grape variety can develop zesty and slightly bitter notes reminiscent of marmalade, alongside zingy ginger or Turkish delight. SEE: Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance 2014 Marmalade is not solely confined to sweet wines and can appear in the tasting notes of certain aromatic dry white wines. For example, Palmetto's Riesling 2017 from Eden Valley or Vincent Pinard's Flores Sauvignon Blanc 2015 from Sancerre — both of these wines combine hints of marmalade with delicate floral notes. For something more unusual try an orange, or skin contact, wine, like Gravner, Ribolla, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2007, described as having a 'marmalade-like quality of bittersweetness'. image: https://www.decanter.com/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png Melon Although there are many different types of melon - watermelon, canteloupes, crenshaw, hami to name a few - when talking about melon flavours in wine, we're generally talking about those associated with the honeydew melon. Do not confuse this with the French grape that makes Muscadet wines, Melon de Bourgogne, which actually has very little to do with melon fruit. In the wine tasting lexicon, Melon is found among other tropical fruits like pineapple, lychee and mango. The flavour profile of ripe melon is generally fruity, refreshing and sweet, although its sugar content is not normally as high as that of pineapple. Rosé wines can be a good place to look for melon flavours and aromas. This is particularly true for wines from Provence, like Domaine Gavoty 2013, as well as some 'provençal-style' Californian rosés, such as Picayune Cellars, Rosé, Mendocino County 2016 or Arnot-Roberts, Clear Lake Rosé, Lake County 2016. Melon can also be evoked by rosé Champagnes, made from varying ratios of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Including De Castelnau, Rosé Champagne NV, where fruity melon is balanced by floral beeswax notes. Elsewhere, you might also find melon notes in full-bodied white wines from warm climates, such as Chardonnay from Californian regions like Napa Valley and Sonoma County. As well as in some Italian white wines like premium Pinot Grigio, or fruit-forward Prosecco wines. SEE: Truchard, Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley, California 2014 | Ronco del Gelso, Sot lis Rivis, Isonzo 2012 | Masottina Extra Dry, Rive di Ogliano, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2010 Source: Decanter.com image: https://www.decanter.com/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png Orange Oranges are a species of citrus fruit which branch into many varieties, whether it be your lunchbox satsuma or a red-fleshed blood orange. Despite its many forms, all orange varieties share a similar citrus character that's less acidic than lemon, lime or grapefruit and more fresh, fruity or tangy instead. The same chemical molecule is behind the aroma of lemons and oranges, known as limonene. But it exists in two slightly altered forms and interacts with our nasal receptors differently, resulting in the two distinctive fruit scents. Wine tasting notes might be more specific by naming which part of the orange fruit correctly describes the flavour or aroma found in a wine. For example, a wine could have notes or orange peel or zest, which indicates a more pungent orange aroma, because limonene is concentrated in essential oils given off by glands in the rind. This means that when you peel or grate the skin of an orange you release a stronger and more bitter odour than that of its flesh. Wines with orange zest or peel notes are generally dry white wines with mineral, green fruit or floral characteristics. These can include Fiano wines from Campania in southern Italy, Riesling from Australia's Clare Valley, or Californian Chardonnays — where orange zest notes might be intermingled with tropical fruit flavours. SEE: Pierluigi Zampaglione, Don Chisciotte Fiano, Campania 2011 | Wakefield Estate, The Exquisite Collection Riesling, Clare Valley 2016 | Fess Parker, Ashley's Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills 2014 You may also see the tasting term 'orange blossom', referring to a very different tasting profile to orange fruits. Orange blossom is typified by a fresh white flower aroma, with a gentle bitter edge. You can look for orange blossom notes in white Burgundies such as Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet Le Clavoillon 1er Cru 2015 or Greek white Assyrtiko wines like Ktima Pavlidis, Emphasis Assyrtiko Drama PGI 2013. Do not confuse orange descriptors in wine tasting notes with orange wines, which are made using white wine grapes which are macerated in their skins, giving them an amber hue. In this case term 'orange' is in reference to their colour and does not prescribe orangey flavours or aromas. Sources: Citrus: A History by Pierre Laszlo | Decanter.com image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/06/papaya-1.jpg Papaya Papaya, or pawpaws, are seeded fruits that come in sizes ranging from pear shaped to almost spherical. They have green flesh that turns a rich ochre yellow or orange when ripe. In the lexicon of wine tasting descriptors papaya belongs in the tropical fruit category, alongside notes like passion fruit, mango and pineapple. These descriptors capture the pungent and sweet fruity character found in some wines, often whites made from aromatic varieties with a ripe, fruit-forward flavour profile. For example a South Australian Riesling like Two Hands, The Boy, Eden Valley 2014, expresses 'ripe and soft papaya flavours' that are pleasantly counterbalanced by its vibrant acidity. Similarly, a Viognier wine like Elephant Hill, Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay 2010 might layer 'luscious stone fruit, papaya and apricot aromas' upon a strong backbone of acidity. Other examples could include Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, such as Château Bauduc 2016, or South African Chenin Blancs like Spice Route, Swartland 2015 and David & Nadia Sadie, Hoë-Steen 2015. Tropical fruit flavours like papaya can also develop in wines made from late-harvest grapes that have been affected by noble rot, such as sweet wines from Sauternes or Tokaji. SEE: Château de Myrat, Barsac 2ème Cru Classé 2014 | Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes 1er Cru Classé 2017 Oaky or leesy flavours can sometimes give the impression of a tropical fruit tang. These flavours can arise from wines that have been either fermented or aged in oak, rested 'sur lie' (on their lees) or from bâtonnage (stirring the lees). This could apply to some Chardonnays from Burgundy, like Olivier Merlin, Sur la Roche, Pouilly-Fuissé 2016 and Domaine Sangouard-Guyot, Au Brûlé, St-Véran 2016. It can also apply to some of the more complex premium Champagnes, including Krug, Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition NV and Louis Roederer, Cristal 2000. image: https://www.decanter.com/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png Passion fruit Passion fruits are recognisable by their purple or yellow hard casing, which can be cut open to reveal the vivid yellow pulp and green seeds within. They are related to the berry family, which also includes grapes. They thrive in tropical climates and grow on vines; passion fruit plantations don't look too dissimilar to wine vineyards, with the plants commonly trellised in lines. Passion fruits are favoured in desserts and confectionery for their powerful fruity flavour, which is predominantly sweet with a slight sour tang. This flavour profile can emanate from wines too, and passion fruit is included in the wine lexicon in the 'tropical fruit' category, alongside notes like lychee, melon and pineapple. You can look for passion fruit notes in aromatic dry white wines, with high acidity. For example New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is known for its ability to produce an array of pungent fruit flavours, including guava, passion fruit and mango — as well as equally strong flavours in the vegetal department, like cut grass and asparagus. SEE: Opawa, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2016 | Harrods, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2015 | Tinpot Hut, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2016 You can find similar examples of this herbaceous and tropical fruit hybridity in Sauvignon Blancs from South America too: Cono Sur's Reserva Especial 2014 from Chile boasts 'intense mango, passion fruit and fresh herbs'. Or Trapiche's Costa & Pampa Sauvignon Blanc 2016 from Argentina, noted for its heady mix of 'cut grass and passion fruit' aromas. Aromatic Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer wines from Italy's Alto Adige region are capable of displaying ripe tropical fruit notes, such as passion fruit, alongside floral and citrus characteristics. Certain South African Chenin Blancs, also have passion fruit flavours to match tangy acidity. SEE: Cantina Tramin, Unterebner Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige 2014 | Baron Widmann, Gewürztraminer, Alto Adige 2013 | Swartland Winery, Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, Swartland, 2015 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/05/pineapple.jpg Pineapple As you're probably aware pineapple is a tropical fruit, with sweet and juicy pungent flesh. It's this sweet pungency that's reflected in some wine aromas, though no actual pineapple is present. There is such a thing as wine made from pineapples instead of grapes, but we won't get into that here. As a tasting note, pineapple is aligned with other sweet-smelling exotic fruits like melon, banana, guava, mango and passionfruit. Its flavour profile is sweeter than the citrus fruits, but it has a freshness that distinguishes it from stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches. You can find pineapple notes ripe white wines, such as a Riesling like Tongue in Groove Waipara Valley, New Zealand 2013. Or you might find it in more traditional late-harvest examples, especially from cool regions like Mosel in Germany. It's generally ascribed to the influences of Botrytis Cinerea, or Noble Rot. Science: How noble rot influences wine flavour As a thin-skinned grape, Riesling is particularly susceptible to Noble Rot — a fungus that pierces the skin of grapes and lowers the water content, whilst maintaining sugar levels. Botrytis is able to invoke fruity notes because of chemical compounds like fureanol, which is also found in very ripe pineapples. Look for its pineapple influence in sweet wines from Sauternes too, such as Château Suduiraut 2013. Some oaky and ripe New World Chardonnays may also exude aromas of pineapple, as they tend to have a more exotic fruit profile, along with hints of sweet spices and a higher alcohol content. Typical examples are Californian Chardonnays, such as Fess Parker, Ashley's Chardonnay, Santa Barbara 2014 and Y Rousseau, Milady Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2012. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/09/plum.jpg Plum It's often hard to define a single position for plum in the tasting note lexicon, because it can appear to span stone fruit, red fruit and black fruit categories, depending on the variety and its level of freshness and ripeness. It is commonly associated with Merlot wines, particularly in their younger years, and may denote a fleshy character to the wine. You will often find plum in tasting notes for fruit-driven varietal wines dominated by black fruits, including Cabernet Sauvignon — but not exclusively. Sometimes tasting notes might specify 'black plum' or 'dark plum', denoting richer and sweeter flavours, as might be seen red wines from Douro, made with Portuguese varieties like Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. SEE: Sainsbury's, Taste the Difference Douro 2015 | Casa Ferreirinha, Callabriga, Douro 2014 You can find plum flavours and aromas in other varieties, too, such as Syrah and Grenache blends, like Domaine de la Cadenette, Costières de Nîmes, Rhône 2015 and La Cabane Reserve, Grenache & Syrah, Pays d'Oc 2015. In Barbera and also some Nebbiolo wines from Piedmont, ripe red plum notes can be intensified by influences of sour cherry. SEE: Ciabot Berton, Fisetta, Barbera d'Alba 2011 | Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno, Cannubi, Barolo 2009 You may also come across 'plum jam' in tasting notes, referring to plums which have been heated with added sugar, creating more intensely sweet, complex flavours. In powerful Sangiovese wines like Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino 2010 and Il Marroneto, Madonna delle Grazie, Brunello di Montalcino 2010, plum jam notes may combine with flavours of spice. Source: Decanter.com image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/Pomegranate.jpg Pomegranate Pomegranates can be recognised by their hard shiny exteriors, coloured red or yellow, which can be split open to reveal bright ruby-like seeds. They're said to originate from the Middle East, but today their juicy seeds are found in drinks and sweet or savoury dishes around the world. The tart taste of pomegranate seeds might be compared to that of sour cherries or cranberries, and it's a useful descriptor for wines with similar flavour profile. Pomegranate flavours can sometimes be expressed by fuller-bodied rosé wines, when their red fruit character is combined with high acidity. For example, Domaine des Tourelles, Rosé 2015 from Lebanon is made from a punchy blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Tempranillo, resulting in 'heaps of wild strawberries and red berries' plus 'an extra dimension of pomegranate-like acidity'. Spanish rosés, or rosados, often display these characteristics too, such as Pyrene, Rosado 2016 from Somontano - a blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that has 'pleasingly tart pomegranate and strawberry fruit', as well as 'zippy grapefruit acidity'. The robust acidic backbone and prominent fruit flavours of this style of rosé can make for great summer barbecue pairings. In her selection of great rosé wines with food, Fiona Beckett highlights Charles Melton, Rose of Virginia 2015, a Grenache rosé from Barossa Valley, for its 'perfumed cherry and pomegranate fruit' — a good match for lamb. Rosés aside, you can also look for pomegranate notes in red wines with vibrant acidity and a ripe red fruit flavour profile. This could include Cinsault reds, like Tenute Rubino, Lamo Ottavianello 2015, made in Puglia, noted for its strong aromas of 'red cherry and pomegranate fruit'. Or fruit-forward Carignan wines from California, such as Lioco, Sativa Carignan 2013, expressing 'mouth-watering tastes of rosehip and pomegranate'. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/10/Prune.jpg Prune Prunes are dried plums of any variety, typically blackish purple in appearance. Despite their shrivelled and wrinkly appearance, prunes are favoured in for their rich, sweet and juicy fruit flavours - making them a popular ingredient in jams, juices and Middle Eastern tagines. In the wine lexicon prunes are found in the dried and cooked fruit category, as they share common flavour characteristics with raisins, dates and fruit preserves. These descriptors have more concentrated sweet fruity flavours compared to fresh fruits, as sugars become concentrated through the processes of drying or cooking. You can look for prune flavours and aromas in many medium to full bodied red wines with concentrated fruit flavours, typically those that have spent some time in oak. For example fruit-forward, verging on jammy, Italian wines made from Sangiovese and Barbera grapes: Vignamaggio, Chianti, Classico Gran Selezione 2011, Poggio Ridente, San Sebastiano, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2014. Or rich Syrah and Grenache wines from warmer French regions like Languedoc-Rousillon or southern Rhône. Tasting notes for these wines often contain clusters of multiple red, black, fresh, baked and dried fruit descriptors. Laurent Miquel, Larmes des Fées, St-Chinian 2014 was praised for its 'sweet plum and prune scents and exciting, generously fruity plum, blackcurrant and damson flavours'. Other examples could include Argentinean Malbec wines, such as Gauchezco, Oro, Paraje Altamira 2013, which combines liquorice and prune notes. In her guide on how to taste en primeur wines Jane Anson said 'fig and prune flavours can mean the fruit is slightly overripe' in new vintages of Bordeaux wines. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2017/08/tnd-raisin.jpg Raisin It might seem natural enough to find flavours of raisin in your wine, given that they're really just dried out grapes. Indeed some wines are made from desiccated grapes, like Amarone wines from Valpolicella (where grapes are dried for 100 days or more), or sweet wines such as passito or vin santo styles. In these examples grapes are simply air dried by being laid out on racks in well-ventilated spaces, or hung from the raft

Great roast beef and wine pairings for Christmas Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/christmas-beef-wine-pairing-tips-351001/#24hwX7OJ8zbdjgKO.99

Beef is a haven for red wine, whether you're going for Japanese Wagyu, Chateaubriand steak or a delicious roast topside from your local butcher. Here are some styles of wine to try... image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/06/James-Button.jpg James ButtonDecember 10, 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/12/Roast-beef-Christmas-920x609.jpg Credit: Cultura Creative (RF) / Alamy Stock Photo Christmas Food and wine pairing Highlights Beef and wine: Styles to try this Christmas Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache or 'GSM' blends Malbec Merlot Sangiovese Syrah Search Decanter wine reviews to find the perfect bottle A superb roast beef can come in many shapes and sizes, but it makes a great, hearty alternative to turkey. And you'll be spoilt for choice, because there are so many different cuts. ADVERTISING It is fairly easy to match with red wine without too much effort, although more precise pairings depend on three key points: cut, cooking time and accompaniments. White wine lovers should not despair, however, as Matthieu Longuère MS argues here. Cut Leaner cuts, such as sirloin, fillet, silverside and topside, can lack the richness of flavour that comes from marbling. Yet they make up for this with a tender texture, and so the best wines to reach for are medium-bodied reds that don't overpower the flavour. Strong acidity will help to cut through the texture of the meat. You could head to the Sangiovese kingdom of Brunello di Montalcino here, with a bit of bottle age. Fattier cuts of beef, such as rump, fore rib and shin, have a deeper flavour than leaner cuts. This is classic Cabernet Sauvignon territory and well integrated wines will have tannins to help dissolve the fats, acidity to lift the dish and lots of black fruit flavours that can stand up to the richness of the meat. Cooking time Think about matching the intensity of the wine to how you prefer your beef to be cooked; albeit that is sometimes easier said than done if every family member has a particular preference. For those who enjoy beer at the rarer end of the spectrum, a rich, juicy wine will work well. You could opt for a Grenache-based wine or a Syrah/Shiraz-Grenache blend here; the southern Rhône and South Australia being the immediate go-to options. Languedoc-Roussillon has some excellent-value options in the 'GSM' arena - wine-speak for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre - and you could look to the Terrasses du Larzac or Pic-St-Loup for wines with plenty of fruit and a lovely ripe and balanced character that will match the succulence and tenderness of rare meat. A juicy Malbec from Argentina - or one of the more modern styles from France's Cahors area - could also be a fantastic match here. Decanter World Wine Awards judge Patricio Tapia previously suggested looking towards Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley for a fresher style of Argentinian Malbec to drink with steak. For medium to well-done beef, consider red wines that have more of a savoury character and spicy flavours to reflect the additional roasting time, as well as a bigger structure to match the firmer texture of the meat. You can slightly up the tannin and oak level, here, but remember that integration and balance is everything. Accompaniments and sauces Christmas normally involves a broad mix of flavours at the dinner table, all competing for your attention. That's why wines with freshness and acidity are prized here. That said, many of the classic sauces with beef hold pretty strong flavour themselves. Whether you are serving mustard, horseradish, blue cheese or peppercorn sauce, then it's worth considering a bolder, riper red that won't be put off by those strong flavours. A red wine sauce or jus demands a red with ripe, sweet fruit, while a traditional gravy has more savoury elements to it. This article was originally published in 2018. Editing in December 2019 by Chris Mercer. Wine suggestions for beef this Christmas: image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/corison-napa-valley-2012-581736772f6f6.png Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2012 + Add to My Wines |Buy Now$116.00 image: https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/assets/img/vivino_powered.jpg Closed but nicely focused blackberry and mineral nose. On the palate, though, there is plenty of drama, with genuine concentration and grip. The balance of fruit, tannin and acid is spot-on. Points89 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/bodega-colom-altitude-blend-malbec-salta-argentina-2017-5db2f6e18eb54.jpeg Bodega Colomé, Altitude Blend Malbec, Salta, Argentina, 2017 + Add to My Wines Despite the 14.5% alcohol and the intense blend of Malbec, Tannat and Cabernet Franc, this red is well balanced and retains a sense of freshness. Dark chocolate-infused fruits are lifted by typical Malbec violet notes. The tannins give structure to the richness, while the red-fruited acidity washes away any heaviness. Points90 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/chteau-capion-le-chemin-des-garennes-2016-5b1a5768952b1.jpeg Château Capion, Le Chemin des Garennes Rouge, Terrasses du + Add to My Wines Complex and confident yet reined-in, with loganberry and summer pudding aromas.The palate is agreeably ripe, round and lush, with fine balancing acidity. Long and poised, with ageing potential. Points93 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/aldi-cairanne-2017-5bbc7d652dc4c.jpeg Aldi, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2017 + Add to My Wines A Grenache-dominant blend that showcases deep, meaty, plush bramble fruit on the nose and full-bodied palate. It has good balance, with peppery spice and a lovely herbal lift, alongside firm, structured tannins. A fine buy at the price, and a great match for shepherd's pie or beef stew. Points89 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/noon-eclipse-mclaren-vale-2015-5a6eec92cdf75.jpeg Noon, Eclipse, McLaren Vale, South Australia, 2016 + Add to My Wines This vintage of Eclipse blends Grenache together with 8% Graciano and 5% Shiraz. It's a translucent red in colour, with pastel-shaded black fruits in a softly savoury frame; lifted and refined. There's impressive purity and poise on the palate, too, with earthy, deep flavours in a cleanly hewn, frank, savoury... Points94 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/pigmentum-malbec-aoc-cahors-georges-vigouroux-9e8-5d93395cc2ce7.gif Georges Vigouroux, Pigmentum Malbec, Cahors, France, 2018 + Add to My Wines Supermarket shelves are stacked with Argentinian Malbec, so it's nice to see one from the French home of the grape. With its vibrant colour true to its name, this is a crowd-pleasing, unoaked Malbec, packed with ripe blue and purple berries, lifted violet notes, fresh acidity and sappy fruit tannins.... Points91 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/chteau-quintus-le-dragon-de-quintus-st-milion-grand-cru-2015-5dde7336c1d8d.jpeg Château Quintus, Le Dragon de Quintus, St-Émilion Grand Cru, 2015 + Add to My Wines This is pure and creamy with cherry and red fruit notes. It's round and juicy on the palate. There is better integration of oak and the wine is more defined with better length and depth [than in earlier years]. Points89 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/kilikanoon-killermans-run-shiraz-clare-valley-2014-59391f38bc3a2.jpeg Kilikanoon, Killerman's Run Shiraz, Clare Valley, 2014 + Add to My Wines Ballsy, evocative mint-and-blackberry aromas peek through underneath a sweet peppery veneer. This is a classic Clare Valley style full of blueberries and purity, with alcohol protruding slightly on the finish. Points91 image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/chteau-montrose-st-estphe-2me-cru-class-bordeaux-1998-593822c775cb9.jpeg Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, 2ème Cru Classé, 2005 + Add to My Wines |Buy Now$235.00 image: https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/assets/img/vivino_powered.jpg Deep florality and wonderful black fruit. Surprisingly smooth and silky at first then the classic firmness becomes plain towards the finish. It has more natural... image: https://decanter-prod-aws1-timeincuk-net.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media/images/la-magia-brunello-di-montalcino-2013-5ab3c720b1ab4.jpeg La Magia, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2013 + Add to My Wines The Schwarz family were originally from Alto Adige, but migrated to Montalcino and purchased the La Magia estate almost 40 years ago. Third-generation Fabian Schwarz... Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/christmas-beef-wine-pairing-tips-351001/#24hwX7OJ8zbdjgKO.99

Should White Wines Ever Be Decanted?

Decanting is a hot topic. Opinions buzz about when, what and how to decant. But nearly all that chatter centers around red wines. Is it ever appropriate to decant white, or even sparkling, wines? "Most consumers shy away from decanting white wines," says Cameron Cronin, service and beverage director at Homewood Restaurant in Dallas. "But in my experience, it can greatly enhance your drinking experience." Like red wines, few white wines need to be decanted. However, if a young, complex white wine is a bit too tight, or the temperature isn't quite right, a decanter can coax the best out of a bottling. Sommeliers shared their advice on when it might be appropriate to decant a white or sparkling wine, how to do so without harming the wine and which regions and styles are worth consideration. Getty Why decant white wines? There are no definitive rules about when to decant white wines. Everyone has a different preference, though there are a few common situations in which someone might want to decant. "Generally, I decant a white wine for the same reasons you'd decant a red," says Andrea Morris, beverage director for Intersect by Lexus-NYC and Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 honoree. "Primarily, to help a tightly wound wine open up and to try to get any 'off' aromas to blow off." Many sommeliers decant wines that are overly reductive, meaning made with limited exposure to oxygen. When a wine is produced or stored in the absence of oxygen, it can have a sulfurous aroma, like a struck matchstick. Though some may enjoy these notes, letting the sulfur evaporate will often allow fruit and floral tones to emerge. When white wines are vinified as skin-contact wines, decanting may improve them for the same reason as many red wines. "Skin-contact wines benefit by softening their tannins," says Cronin. "Yes, white wines can have tannin." Young wines that don't reveal their true character straight out of the bottle can also benefit from being decanted. "With younger wines which have not had time to develop, especially wines that seem a little linear and backward, decanting can give them a little rounder profile," says Gregory Stokes, manager/sommelier at Veritas Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. However, wines meant to be enjoyed when fresh and fruity won't benefit from increased oxygen, he says. Although white wines don't have the kind of sediment typical of reds, another form of sediment may be present in bottles of unfiltered white wines aged on the lees. Also, wines that are not cold-stabilized will often contain tartrates, tiny crystals that coat the bottom of the cork or float in the bottle. "They are completely harmless, but not particularly pleasant to drink, so I always decant them off of the wine," says Stokes. But there's a practical reason to decant a white wine: temperature. "By decanting a white wine, you can more easily manipulate the temperature," says Morris. To warm up a frigid wine, pour it into a room-temperature decanter. The air exposure will speed the warming process. Similarly, most decanters will chill wines more quickly, as their glass is thinner usually than a wine bottle. How Long Can a Bottle of Wine Stay Open? How to decant white wines The good news about decanting white wines is that it's simpler to do than red wines. Since most white wines don't contain sediment, it's tough to ruin a white wine by decanting. "When I'm decanting a white, it's usually to open it up quickly, so I'll do a pretty quick, vigorous decant," says Morris. And while it's fine to decant into a vessel of any size, smaller decanters are generally better for white wines. "I find that smaller-format decanters work best for white wines, as you don't need a higher surface area-to-volume ratio since the simple act of decanting usually lets the wine 'breathe' sufficiently," says Cronin, who likes to use a one-liter Pyrex Erlenmeyer flask. Stokes says that smaller decanters can fit nicely into an ice bucket for chilling, but their thinner glass can crack more easily. While it's fine to decant into a vessel of any size, smaller decanters are generally better for white wines. Cronin recommends decanting white wine 5-15 minutes prior to serving, as they might lose their freshness and vibrancy if left for hours. While it's rare to "kill" a wine by leaving it in a decanter too long, take extra care with older vintages. "Older wines can often benefit the most from decanting, but they can also be the most fragile," says Stokes. "There is a point at which an older white wine is at its peak in the glass, and it can drop off pretty quickly afterwards." Decanting oxidative white wines isn't recommended, either. "If the wine is already showing some signs of oxidation with little freshness, decanting would cause that white to go the wrong way and become even more oxidized," says Jack Mason, Master Sommelier at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston. Skin-Contact White Wines, a.k.a. Orange Wine for Beginners Should you decant sparkling wine? To decant sparkling wines may be even more controversial than white wines, even among professionals. "I love bubbles, so decanting a sparkling wine feels counterintuitive," says Morris. Exposure to oxygen dissipates the effervescence of a sparkling wine. However, decanting will have a large effect on older vintages. "The process accelerates the evaporation of [carbon dioxide]," says Cronin. "The older sparkling wine gets, the more likely that it will have already lost a perceivable amount of gas in the solution as well." But the idea isn't as crazy as it might seem. "Traditionally, Champagne was always decanted," says Stokes. "Prior to the invention of remuage by the house of Veuve Clicquot in 1816, all Champagnes were cloudy with the yeast from the second fermentation in bottle. So traditionally, you would decant the wine to leave as much of the yeast in the bottle as possible." Some sommeliers and winemakers embrace the idea to decant Champagne. The famed grower-producer Anselme Selosse recommends decanting his sought-after Champagnes. "I usually offer to decant wines that show high levels of reduction, like Cédric Bouchard or Ruinart, or to help soften the bubbles of a younger tête de cuvée," says Mason. Champagnes built for long-term aging are often vinified with slightly higher bottle pressure to maintain those bubbles over time, says Mason. "Decanting not only helps give the wine some oxygen, but also can help break up the bubbles, creating a more pleasurable drinking experience." Decanting is also an efficient way to serve very large-format Champagne bottles, like a nine-liter Salmanazar. To decant Champagne, pour the wine down the side of the decanter gently to avoid having the bubbles overflow. Getty Commonly decanted white wine styles and regions Since decanting can help white wines blow off undesirable aromas, it can be advantageous to keep an eye out for wines that tend to be reductive. Screw caps can be good indicators, as they can create an oxygen-deficient environment for aging. Dry Furmints from Hungary and Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Riesling may be worth decanting. There are many white Burgundies vinified in reductive environments, and increasingly, producers from around the world make reductive styles of Chardonnay as well. "They can be so tightly wound and sometimes reductive, depending on producer, so I find a quick decant can help the fruit and minerality come forward," says Morris. Northern Rhône white wines and some Trebbianos from Abruzzo may also have qualities that could benefit from decanting. Older wines from certain regions are also likely candidates. Scott Turnbull, a sommelier at the The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, has decanted white Rioja and found that it improved the wine. Morris says a decant may help old German Riesling, which can be a little funky. Stokes attributes this to vinification practices for these wines. "German winemakers tend to use heavy doses of sulfur to prevent their sweet wines from refermenting in the bottle," he says. Nea Berglund, winemaker for Château Carsin and Charivari Wines in Bordeaux, says people should consider a decant for white Bordeaux as well. "I often decant older vintages of white Bordeaux, but not the recent years," she says. Berglund says that older white Bordeaux wines are more expressive at warmer temperatures. She recommends decanting the wine and let it warm up at room temperature for a half-hour before enjoying.

Learn the Five S's of Wine Tasting

Don't be intimidated by all of those fancy wine descriptors or the swishing and swooshing sounds that the pros make while they taste. To evaluate wine, it all comes down to the "five S's." Evaluating the wine's visual qualities / Illustration by Ryan McAmis See. Similar to a psychic who gazes into a crystal ball, inspecting wine in the glass can help predict much of what's to come on the nose and palate. The color, depth and intensity of a wine can offer a glimpse into its age, concentration, body and overall style. Hint: white wines gain color as they age, while red wines lose color. It's all in the wrist / Illustration by Ryan McAmis Swirl. Swirling is integral to aerate the wine and allow oxygen to "open it up." This seductive art reveals a wine's complexities, and it will raise intensity in most young, opulent bottlings as well as those aged beauties. Better yet, when done properly, it will wow and potentially hypnotize those around you. Technique that's right on the nose / Illustration by Ryan McAmis Sniff/Smell. Don't be afraid to shove your entire nose right into the glass. Wines with medium to pronounced intensity shouldn't need such a deep dive, but others may be a little bashful at first. In these cases, revert back to Step No. 2 and swirl some more. Aroma is usually where you hear all those cool, eccentric wine terms like "cat pee," "wet dog" and "grilled watermelon." A matter of good taste / Illustration by Ryan McAmis Sip. It takes a while to actually taste a wine during the examination process, but it's often well worth the wait. Plus, all the prior steps should impart a pretty good idea of how the wine should come across on the palate. When pros taste wine, you may notice some pretty off-putting and downright disgusting sounds, but there are reasons for it. The swishing, swooshing and gulping ensures that the wine hits all parts of the tongue and mouth. Thus, the taster can gauge sweetness, acidity, bitterness, tannins and identify the overall mouthfeel. Sucking in air allows for further aeration on the palate, and it helps volatile components be sensed by the olfactory system to tap in to all the characteristics of the wine. How to Taste Wine Like a Pro Here, you look for primary characteristics (fruit, floral and spice), secondary characteristics (oak and fermentation-related flavors) and tertiary character (those that result from bottle aging, like mushroom, tobacco and nuttiness), depending on the age of the wine. Don't forget to enjoy / Illustration by Ryan McAmis Savor. Here's where the finish comes into play. You want to savor the final essence of a wine. Here, you not only look for length, but balance of fruit, acidity, tannin and texture. When a wine leaves you with an overwhelming desire for another sip, you know you've found a winner. Final tip If a young wine has a far superior finish than its taste on the palate, it probably needs a bit of aeration or even a little more time in the cellar.

Wines to pair with duck and goose for Christmas Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/christmas-duck-goose-wine-pairing-347368/#PJOU17YYEKbavlLq.99

Duck and Pinot Noir is a classic combination, but which other wines should you drink? See our guide below, which also includes options for those serving up goose at the Christmas dinner table. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/02/Chris-Mercer-Square-135x135.jpg Chris MercerDecember 4, 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/12/roast-goose-alamy-BJN7GB.jpg Roast goose is making a comeback on the Christmas dinner table. Credit: Bon Appetit / Alamy Christmas Food and wine pairing Highlights Wines to pair with Christmas duck and goose: Pinot Noir Mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape Fuller styles of Beaujolais, such as Morgon Cru Barbera Nebbiolo Rosé Champagne Chardonnay with some oak ageing White Bordeaux Chenin Blanc Off-dry Riesling Search all Decanter wine reviews here A great quality roast Christmas duck or goose is going to give you a richer, fattier meat on the festive dinner table compared to turkey. ADVERTISING Goose is actually the traditional English bird for Christmas dinner, while duck can offer heaps of flavour without overwhelming a smaller gathering around the table. Both give you plenty of scope to experiment when it comes to wines. But remember that a Christmas dinner spread is often packed full of flavours, so good acidity is to be cherished and bold tannins might overpower the meal. Red wines with duck and goose Most medium-bodied reds with a good concentration of red fruits and relatively high acidity should work well here. This is heartland Pinot Noir territory. We can't list them all here, but you'll find good value examples from lesser known parts of Burgundy, such as Rully, as well as Mornington Peninsula in Australia, Central Otago in New Zealand plus Oregon in the US and higher, cooler vineyards in California - such as those in Anderson Valley or Santa Rita Hills. South of Burgundy, you could also try bolder styles of Beaujolais from some some of the 10 cru areas, such as Morgon, for example. Head across to Piedmont for other styles to consider, such as Barbera d'Asti, with its bright red fruit and high acidity. For a bit more weight, consider Nebbiolo - either with a bit of bottle age in its Barolo form or a fresher style of Langhe Nebbiolo. That wild cherry fruit associated with Sangiovese could be a winner with the duck, while Matthieu Longuère MS also recommended a young Mencia from Spain's Galicia region. Rosé wines If you go decide to go for a rosé, pick something with bolder, juicy fruit flavours. The delicacy of a Provence rosé could be overpowered here. Some fuller-bodied rosé Champagnes can work brilliantly, offering concentrated red fruit and creamy complexity while bringing lift to the dish. And who's going to turn down vintage rosé Champagne at lunchtime? White wines It sounds a little clichéd, but a white wine with high acidity will help the wine to cut through the fattiness of the meat. That said, you also need a white wine with a bit of complexity to stand up the richer flavour of either the duck or the goose, versus turkey. This could include a bit of oak or lees ageing, as long as it's well integrated with the fruit. This could be a white Burgundy with some bottle age or a Chardonnay from California or Australia with a relatively restrained amount of oak. Alternatively, embrace the Chenin Blanc renaissance. For something a bit difference, an off-dry style of Riesling has the slight sweetness balanced by a backbone of acidity that could match the richness of the duck. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/christmas-duck-goose-wine-pairing-347368/#PJOU17YYEKbavlLq.99

Five Regions Where Wine, Olive Oil and Vinegar Coincide

From an agricultural perspective, it makes sense that many of the world's most venerable wine regions also make top-quality olive oil and vinegar. Some of the greatest vinegars derive from grape must, and producers often treat vinegar and oil with the same respect for terroir and process as fine wine. Here are five regions that produce excellent wine, olive oil and vinegar. Abruzzo/Getty Abruzzo, Italy Due east of Rome, Abruzzo hugs a half-moon stretch of the sparkling Adriatic Sea. From the Apennine Mountains to the coast, much of the green interior has been preserved as national parks and nature reserves. The rest of Abruzzo gives way to oil and wine production. Three key oil Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP) include Aprutino Pescarese, Colline Teatine and Pretuziano delle Colline Teramane. Two of the best farms for single-varietal oils are Frantoio Hermes and Tommaso Masciantonio. For finishing dishes with a touch of citrus, Agrumato bottles a bright extra-virgin olive oil pressed with lemons. The wines of Abruzzo rely on the red grape Montepulciano and the white grape Trebbiano, which in turn become the base for vino cotto, or mosto cotto. It is derived from a 2,000-year-old process that reduces pressed grapes in a copper pot over a wood-fired flame. The resulting sauce, sweet and thick like maple syrup, might be left as a sweetener or aged in barrels to transform into a tangy, raisin-flavored vinegar. Using Champagne to Elevate Your Chocolate Experience Cádiz, Spain The sunny, dry Spanish appellation of Cádiz produces delicious foods and beverages. Wine lovers know the region's fortified wine legacy of the Sherry triangle, tucked between the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Based on Palomino, Pedro Ximénez or Muscat of Alexandria grapes, styles range from salty, dry Manzanillas to full-bodied, nutty Olorosos. Olive trees benefit from the arid conditions. Alma de Jerez presses small, green Arbequina olives into fruity, golden-green oils. In the mountainous Denominación de Origen (DO) of Sierra de Cádiz, the Lechín olive variety thrives. Like wine and oil, Sherry vinegar (vinagre de Jerez) has a DO to safeguard authenticity and quality. Producers age vinegar in oak anywhere from six months to 20 years and employ the solera system used for wine. Sherry vinegar has nuanced, complex flavors of nuts, dried fruits and umami, which lend fabulous complexity to sauces and stews. Many wine producers bottle vinegar, like Valdespino and Bodegas Gutiérrez Colosía. Bodegas Alvear, technically from Montilla-Moriles, specializes in dry and sweet Pedro Ximénez-based vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar Barrels/Getty Emilia-Romagna, Italy Wedged between Milan, Venice and Florence, Emilia-Romagna has long earned esteem for its food culture. From Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto to stuffed tortellini, residents benefit from the abundance of local wine, olive oil and vinegar. Two olive oils have a DOP: Colline di Romagna, which accounts for half the region's production, and Brisighella, the first Italian oil DOP. The regional olives impart fruity, herbal aromas that range from cut grass and almonds to artichokes. Arguably, the world's most famous vinegar comes from Modena. Regulated like fine wine, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP demands a particular production in a specific region with Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes, specialized barrels and at least 12 years of aging. Prices for exceptional examples from the Affinato (old) or Extravecchio (extra old) classifications can top $200. Expect gorgeous, deep flavors of raspberry, cherry and fig. Getty Languedoc-Roussillon, France Olive oil and wine go hand-in-hand in Southwest France's Mediterranean climate. Picholine, Négrette and Noirette olives are found in oil blends sold at weekend markets, served as snacks and ground into tapenade spreads. Olives are integral to the local economy and diet, as production dates 6,000 years. The wines span a range of styles from burly, spiced reds to crisp whites and fortified dessert wines. In the coastal town of Banyuls-sur-Mer, winemakers produce the Grenache-based fortified wine Banyuls, which has been made since the 13th century. The region's local vinegar is known for extended oak aging as well as spice cake and nut flavors. Photo courtesy of B.R. Cohn Sonoma County, California Drive past the Chardonnay and Cabernet vineyards of Sonoma, and you'll spy the twisted, telltale trunks and silvery oblong leaves of olive trees. California turned savvy to its potential for olive oil in 1992, when the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) was founded. The COOC Taste Panel, created in 1998, certifies about 400 olive oils a year, though olive farming in the state extends more than two centuries. Today, estate-grown, small-batch producers work with Spanish and Italian olive varieties. Dry Creek Olive Oil Company at Trattore Farms boasts an old stone mill from Italy to crush fruit from reclaimed groves. Trattore's pomegranate and raspberry vinegars taste of sun-soaked California produce. The Olive Press is billed as Sonoma's first olive mill and is located inside Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Figone cultivates 45-year-old Mission and Manzanilla olive trees, producing a range of single varietal, blended and flavored oils. The family's Italian heritage is even more evident due to its portfolio of aged dark and white balsamic vinegars. B.R. Cohn and Jordan wineries bottle fresh, spicy oils, while McEvoy Ranch adds a Pinot Noir vinegar as well as ODE skincare line to its portfolio. DaVero Farms & Winery does all three with a biodynamic touch. Try DaVero's bright and buttery estate Meyer lemon olive oil.

How Anyone Can Become a Sommelier

If you've ever gotten fed up with your job and thought, "I wish I could quit and just taste wine and tell people what to drink all day," this one's for you. The idea of becoming a sommelier is romantic to many, even if you've watched the documentary Somm series and know how hard it is to become a certified master. But whether you want to make the leap to professional wine taster or just expand your knowledge, many of the same tricks and tips that pros use can help you on your journey, and not all involve expensive wine classes. Before you immerse yourself in the world of wine, it's important to know how the process works. The Court of Master Sommeliers, established as one of the foremost bodies for the profession, conducts four levels of tests: introductory sommelier, certified sommelier, advanced sommelier and master sommelier. Only 269 professionals have earned the Level Four distinction since the Court's inception in 1969. Some sommeliers pass the first level (a two-day process with required education, followed by the examination) and stop there. Tests become more intense as levels increase. The Level Two certified sommelier examination involves a blind tasting, a written theory test and a live service demonstration of knowledge and tasks for the judges like flawlessly opening and pouring a bottle of wine. Levels Three and Four are amplified versions of that test. They go into far greater depth on grape varieties and overall wine knowledge, as well as other spirits and cigars. Sounds a bit overwhelming, right? The good news is, there are many ways to learn about wine that don't involve a huge financial investment. You can make progress before ever taking an introductory sommelier course and open yourself to a new world of wine appreciation (though maybe don't quit your day job, just yet). Here's how. Getty Get a job in the restaurant industry. "The best way to learn about wine is from inside the industry," says Dylan Melvin, a Level One sommelier and beverage director at Foxtrot Market, an all-day café company with eight locations between Chicago and Dallas. If you have zero restaurant experience, don't expect your first job to be a fancy one. Even working as a cellar rat, where duties might entail sweeping the floor and running food, can pay off. You might get the chance to assist the restaurant sommelier on the floor, for example. "If you work hard and make your intentions known, things can certainly happen," says Melvin. Malek Amrani, a New York City-based advanced sommelier and founder/CEO of The Vice Wine, echoes that sentiment. He started in restaurants at age 17 and worked his way up to beverage director, where he would eventually taste 30 to 40 wines a day. "Most restaurants want their staff to know what the wine tastes like," says Amrani. "The more knowledge they have, the easier they will sell, so traditionally, restaurants will have you taste wine." Buy a case of wine a week. To learn about wine, you need to buy, taste and be willing to spit a lot of it, says Amrani. He recommends finding a local wine shop and tell the owner your goals. "You might say, 'Hey, for the next three months, I'm picking up this hobby and I'm really serious about it. I really want to learn about wine, would you be able to suggest what to buy, and why?' " he says. Most wine shops will help, and you can provide a price cap to stay within your budget while tasting a wide variety of wines. Getty Hit the books. The Court of Master Sommeliers offers courses throughout the country, but you don't need to spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on these experiences as a newbie. Amrani says to start at the beginning with a Wine 101-type book that covers its history and why we taste what we taste in wine, like Wine Folly's The Essential Guide to Wine ($25). When you're ready to move on to the next level, graduate to Jancis Robinson's The Oxford Companion to Wine ($30). Rachel Candelaria, an certified sommelier at the Michelin-starred The Village Pub in Woodside, California, recommends a subscription to the online learning tool, GuildSomm. For $100 a year, it grants you access to the information you need to study for the tests. You can also start your education for free with Wine Enthusiast's Wine Basics section, which features new wine lessons every Tuesday. Getty Form local study groups. If you know of other people interested to learn about wine, form a weekly study group, says Candelaria, who started her own group in the San Francisco area. "We choose a [wine] region and each come up with a set of questions so we can see how others word them," she says. "It also ends up being a good way to ask peers questions. They end up being friends you'll stay with for a lifetime in the industry." If your network doesn't live in the same city, Candelaria suggests trying a Skype study group. What are the Most Asked Questions in a Wine Shop? Make friends at a wine bar. Wine bars are great spots to taste a wide variety of offerings, as they typically have more by-the-glass options than a traditional bar. Tell the bartender you're trying to learn about wine by tasting it, not just drinking it. See if they'd be open to letting you taste a certain number of wines per week for a pre-arranged flight fee. "I think most [wine bars] would welcome this because for people who sell wine, that's their passion," says Amrani. "We go to sleep thinking of wine and wake up thinking of wine." Getty Follow wine vendors in your city. Once you find some good wine shops, wine bars, vendors and/or people in the industry that you respect, do a little detective work on their websites and social media channels, says Melvin. Sign up for their newsletters and subscribe to their updates. From there, you can find ways to participate in wine tastings that could otherwise cost a lot of money, get invited to wine dinners with suppliers or producers, and investigate wine events in your area that could be learning opportunities. "Getting face time with experts in the field is second to none," adds Melvin. Getty Travel to wine regions. This may not be for beginners, as it can be harder on the wallet than other options. However, if you're serious about becoming a sommelier, a trip to wine-producing regions in California, France, Spain, Chile and Argentina can be a huge eye-opener, says Amrani. "When you see the grapes and see the vines, your knowledge starts increasing very quickly," he says. "You start asking questions you never thought to ask before." A visit to France before the first two sommelier exam levels isn't necessary, says Melvin, but it's fundamental to understanding winemaking. From a practical standpoint, France makes up about half of the Court of Master Sommelier's written test, he says. Getty Volunteer at a conference. One of the best learning experiences can be as a volunteer at a major wine conference like TEXSOM, one of the largest such events in the country, says Candelaria. "It's not glamorous at all," she says. "You're polishing more glassware than you ever thought possible, setting up classrooms and hauling bottles around to seminars, but you get to talk with wine professionals and taste wines from around the world." A week or so in the trenches, covered in wine stains, can also help you build up your network and maybe even some lifelong friends. No matter how far you progress in your wine knowledge or what level of certification you reach, remember that the wine business is all about hospitality. "[We] want to take care of our guests and find them a wine at any price point that they will enjoy," says Candelaria. As you build your network in the wine community, mentor others as you've been mentored. "When you remember how hard it was, you do it for other people," says Candelaria.

How is Sake made - Ask Decanter Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/how-to-make-sake-ask-decanter-427637/#WzLTY88mQGsvtMTL.99

It's much more complicated and time-consuming to make Sake than wine, says Slyvia Wu, who offers a step-by-step guide to exactly how Japanese rice wine is produced... image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/08/SylviaWu.jpg Sylvia WuNovember 15, 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Sake-Unsplash-920x609.gif Sake bottles Credit: Photo by Zaji Kanamajina on Unsplash Ask Decanter Highlights Japanese rice wine is gaining popularity in the west as consumers discover its delicate charms and wonderful ability to pair with all manner of foods. We find out how is Sake made, how important is the quality of the rice and water to the process, and does it ferment in the same way as wine? The rice Different from our everyday cooking rice, the most important virtue of Sake rice lies in a bigger white heart ('心白'). If you put a grain of Sake rice in front of a black background and look carefully, you can see the white starch at its heart, and the transparent protein and fat on the outside. ADVERTISING The outside of the rice, when cooked, gives us the rich aromas and mouthfeel. But if used in Sake production, this part of the rice tends to slow down fermentation and bring in additional flavours, which are not always desirable. Therefore, Sake producers have to mill the rice down first. The rate of the milling is measured with a percentage called 'Semai Buai (精米歩合)', which indicates the ratio of the rice left after milling. The lower the percentage, the finer the material is and the more water-absorbent it becomes. Labelling terms 'Ginjyo (吟醸)' and 'Dai Ginjyo (大吟醸)' indicate that after milling, the Sake rice is left with less than 60% and 50% respectively. Extreme examples of Dai Ginjyo include the 'Komyo (光明, Light)' Junmai Daiginjyo from Tate no Kawa (楯の川), which is milled down to just 1%. However, the milling rate is not always an indicator of quality. Some producers believe that those extra flavours derived from the outer layers of the rice are part of the unique characters to a specific Shuzo (Sake winery). They may choose to keep as much as 80% of the rice after milling. Yamada Nishiki (山田錦) and Miyama Nishiki (美山錦) are among the best Sake rice varieties; producers can select several varieties, even some cooking rice to make up a complex recipe. The water Water, of course, is another essential ingredient in Sake production. It can bring significant impact to the flavour profiles of Sake, as the minerals and chemicals contained in the water may affect the performance of the microbes during fermentation. Therefore each Shuzo needs to choose its water source carefully. Fermentation The alcoholic fermentation process of winemaking is rather straight-forward; all you need to do is wait for the yeast to convert sugar - which naturally exists in grape juice - into alcohol. For beer, that process is more complex, as you need to firstly convert the starch in barley into sugar through malting and mashing, before you can kick start the fermentation via yeast. Generally speaking, the process is still linear. When it comes to Sake, the processes of converting rice starch into sugar, and sugar into alcohol operate simultaneously. Allowing various exceptions, the most common production process for still Sake is as follows. Steam; Producers first soak the grounded rice in water, then steam it to make it soft. Koji; Then they take part of the rice to spread 'Koji' fungus, which can release enzyme that converts starch into sugar. This part of rice is called 'Koji Kome (麹米)'. Mother of alcohol; Next, they take part of this Koji-infected rice, and add more steamed rice and water, plus some lactic acid bacteria, creating the perfect habitat for yeasts to breed. When this part of the rice is populated by an enormous amount of yeasts, now we have 'Shubo (酒母, the mother of alcohol)'. Fermentation; It's time to properly launch the fermentation. Shubo is dumped into a bigger vessel, where more steamed rice, Koji-infected rice and water are added in, little by little, in three to four stages across three weeks to a month. It's worth noting that the fermentation of Sake is conducted under a much lower temperature than wine - only 6 to 15 degree C - so that as the Koji bacteria gradually releases sugar, the yeast slowly feeds on it. That combined with limited added water means higher alcohol level (sometimes above 20% abv) in the freshly pressed Sake. As a comparison, in most cases wine yeasts can only naturally reach around 15% abv, before they die from the alcohol they have created. Before pressing, producers can choose to add a small percentage of alcohol to further refine the flavours, especially to release the lifted floral, vinous aromas. 'Junmai (純米 pure rice)' is a labelling term used to describe Sakes without added alcohol. These Sakes tend to have richer aromas and more pronounced savoury, umami notes. Read more about Sake classifications from Anthony Rose's beginner's guide... 'Treat with fire' and storage After pressing (timing is crucial!), the 'Genshu (原酒, original Sake)' is usually filtered to remove any undesirable colour and tastes. Different from wine, Sake is still 'alive' at this stage, and it turns sour rather quickly in room temperature. This is due to a type of lactic acid bacteria called 'Hiochi (火落ち, falling into fire)', which breeds fast in the alcoholic and slightly acidic environment of raw Sake. To resolve this problem, producers need to pasteurise the Sake. This is known as 'Hiire (火入れor treat with fire); it is pasteurised twice with hot water in order to kill the bacteria. The first treatment happens right after filtration. Then the raw Sake is aged for six months to a year to round out the flavour before adjustment and bottling. Now it goes through a second pasteurisation. At this stage, Sake becomes much sturdier and can be stored in room temperature. However, stability comes with a cost - the fresh and glorious aromas of raw Sake may well be lost in the sanitising heat. Thankfully, there are also ways to preserve the freshness. For instance, 'Nama (生, raw)' Sake are bottled without any heat treatment; consequentially, they need to be stored at 0 degrees Celsius to keep the bacteria at bay. Producers may choose to perform Hiire only once; if you see 'Nama Zume (生詰, bottled raw)' on the label, that means the Sake has been pasteurised only once before aging. 'Nama Chozo (生貯蔵, stored raw)', on the other hand, indicates that the treatment happened only after bottling. Although these two styles are more stable than Nama Sake, it is still advisable to store them in fridge to retain their youthful and generous aromas. Sake styles to know: Daiginjo - Super premium, fragrant sake with minimum 50% polishing ratio and a very small amount of distilled alcohol added to enhance flavour and aroma. Often best served chilled. Ginjo - Premium fragrant sake with minimum 40% polishing ratio, similar to daiginjo. Honjozo - Light, mildly fragrant premium sake polished to a minimum of 70% with a small amount of distilled alcohol added to extract aroma and flavour. Junmai - Sake made with nothing other than rice, water, yeast and koji with no minimum polishing ratio. When appended to daiginjo and ginjo, no alcohol has been added. Broadly speaking, Daiginjo and Ginjo, with their beguiling fruity and floral fragrances, tend to be popular as chilled drinks while Honjozo and Junmai can often offer a broader range of value and versatility, especially when drunk with food, and can be served at a wider range of temperatures. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/how-to-make-sake-ask-decanter-427637/#WzLTY88mQGsvtMTL.99

Three Quick Tips to Chill Wine Fast

Let's get this out of the way: There's no magic way to chill your wine to proper serving temperature in a matter of minutes. With that said, if you forgot to put a bottle in the fridge before guests arrive, there are legitimate ways to increase the rate at which wine cools down. After endless hours of testing and examination, here are what rendered the best overall results. Ice and saltwater in a bucket This is the best and safest solution to chill your wine fast. Place your bottle(s) in a metal bucket, or even a large stockpot. Leave some space between bottles if you want to cool down multiple wines. Fill the bucket with ice until it's about half way up the bottles. Next, add four tablespoons of salt to one gallon of water, stir and pour the mixture up to the bottlenecks, but don't fully submerge the bottles. Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which can save precious time in getting those white wines chilled down to proper serving temps. *Additional Tip: Give it a stir. The more the ice water circulates, the quicker that wine will chill. The Do's and Don'ts of Chilling Wine Getty Wrap it and freeze it Popping a bottle in the freezer is the way many wine drinkers chill a bottle down fast, mostly because it works. However, there's a way to speed this process up. Grab a few paper towels or cheesecloth and run them under cold water. Wrap the wet towels around your bottle before you place it in the freezer. It will reduce the time it takes to chill the wine. Just be sure to tell Alexa to set a timer for 15 minutes. If you forget and leave the bottle in for too long, you could come back to a bottle with a cork popped out or possibly broken, and certainly one messy freezer. StockFood / Kröger & Gross On the rocks A by-the-glass solution is arctic rocks, or granite chilling stones. Just pull a few out of your freezer and drop them carefully into your glass. They'll take the wine temperature down in one minute or less. They also won't dilute your wine like ice would, or potentially impart outside flavors like the frozen grape method. Once the wine is at your desired temperature, remove the rocks with a spoon. Then, enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of your favorite pour.

Finding the Perfect Time to Open Aged Wine

Recently, I had the pleasure of sampling a current vintage 100-point super Tuscan with a group of colleagues to celebrate a special occasion. While this iconic wine was extremely complex, focused and intense, it wasn't really "drinking well." Granted, it needed time to open up and perhaps a side of beef to pair with, but the consensus was that it wasn't the earth-shattering experience the group had anticipated. The following Sunday, I dug deep in my cellar to find a 1989 Clos des Jacobins Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that received a 90-point score in 1999. It had been stored properly for the last two decades, so I figured this was a perfect time to open it up. I seemed to have caught it in its peak stage when it wasn't just drinking well, it was drinking perfectly. It was slightly muted at first, but when it came to life, it displayed intense dried red fruit, fig, raisin, smoked chestnuts, tobacco leaf and forest floor on the nose and palate. The acidity was still kicking, and the tannins were supple and polished. Luckily enough, my pops and I seemed to have caught it in its peak stage when it wasn't just drinking well, it was drinking perfectly. As I sipped, I reminisced about that vintage of 1989, my sophomore year in high school. Visions of shredding away on my Gibson Les Paul came to mind, as well as the early stages of my high school golf career, summers working at camp and figuring out how to attract the opposite sex without making a complete fool of myself. My pops and I agreed that spending a quiet afternoon over a perfectly aged bottle of Bordeaux was exactly what we needed. It wasn't that the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru was necessarily a better wine than the young super Tuscan. In that moment, however, it was drinking better in its life cycle. But also, with its sophistication and wisdom, it opened a gateway for a little nostalgia and a walk down memory lane as only a perfectly aged bottle of wine can do.

14 Rules for Visiting a Tasting Room

Recently, a friend of mine who just started to get into wine asked me about tasting room etiquette. Is it mandatory to buy bottles? It is appropriate to tip? How does she ask for "the good stuff"? I quickly realized that while the tasting room experience is commonplace for those of us who've lived in wine country for years and visit wineries often, it remains foreign territory for millions of non-industry Americans. When answering my friend, I also realized that some of my advice may actually be out of date, especially since many tasting rooms now function as de facto wine bars. So, should you tip? I wasn't sure, nor had I been tracking whether the rules I've been following for about 15 years still have any validity. Were things getting more relaxed with the millennial crowd? Should we be spitting? Can I finally wear perfume? To find out, I tapped three experts for tasting room how-to tips: • Hugh Margerum, who is the brother of winemaker Doug Margerum and runs a handful of tasting rooms in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara; • Larry Schaffer, whose Tercero Winery tasting room in Los Olivos is in the middle of Santa Ynez Valley wine country and who frequently runs tastings all over Southern California; • and Andrew Jones, whose Field Recordings tasting room in the "Tin City" urban winemaking collective in southern Paso Robles caters to a creative and often millennial crowd. Here's what they had to say. Don't wear fragrance. There go my cologne dreams! Seems obvious, but scents can ruin the tasting experience for everyone within nose-shot. Be open-minded: Drop pre-conceived preferences. "Maybe you've never tasted a rosé you've liked, but go ahead and try what is being offered," says Margerum. "I have folks say that they do not like sweet wines at all, but my 'dryish' Gewürztraminer turns out to be their favorite of the wines poured!" adds Schaffer. Don't flex too much wine knowledge. I usually refrain from talking too technically in a tasting room because it seems like I'm showing off. And often the tasting room staff, who tend to be entry-level employees, don't know as much as you'd think. "It's fun for me personally to deal with folks who know a lot about wine—I love the tête-à-tête," says Schaffer. "But for the average tasting room employee, it probably isn't that much fun." But no matter who's working, know-it-alls are no fun. "We get this a lot with older patrons that don't get us or our concept," said Jones. Adds Margerum, "We are there to showcase what we do and welcome all levels of expertise and knowledge." Don't pretend to be in the industry. "Industry" truly means those working to make a living within the wine trade, so don't fake it just to get a discount or special treatment, even if you are truly passionate. "We seriously have home winemakers come in with fold 'n' tear business cards they made at home and ask for discounts," says Jones. How to Order Wine in a Restaurant: 14 Alternatives to Panicking And if you are industry, act like it. "If you are industry, and it's a busy Saturday, don't ask for special treatment when we have a full bar," says Jones. Go ahead and swallow. There's no need to spit. "It's not all about education," Jones says. "It's okay to drink a little and have some fun." But spit if you're visiting a lot of tasting rooms, "moderate your intake," Margerum says. "The bane of tasting rooms are drunk tasters." And dump, too. "It is not rude to pour out wines, even ones that you like," says Schaffer. "'Spit' and 'Dump' are four letter words that should not be." Don't ask for the "good stuff." Definitely don't, but it's okay to inquire whether there are any library or reserve wines open beyond the advertised flight. Just realize that special requests should increase your pressure to purchase wine. Linger, but meaningfully. Both Schaffer and Margerum happily allow people to retry wines if they are considering a purchase, so long as patrons aren't getting drunk or disrupting the experience for others. Jones thinks lingering is more the fault of the winery than the taster. "If you format things right, it isn't an issue," he says. Do buy wine. "Some tasting rooms have a specific policy about waiving the tasting fee when a particular amount of wine is purchased," says Margerum. "For others it's a judgment call." Jones usually waves the $10 fee with a two-bottle purchase, but understands not purchasing if you have to fly home. Schaffer waives the tasting fee with three bottles, but "sometimes less depending upon the circumstance." But don't haggle. Jones can't stand "patrons who try and work it like it's a car deal. It's just wine. I don't get how people haggle, always wanting extra deals." Tips? Depends. Jones doesn't take tips. "It's a tasting room, not a bar," he says. But Margerum and Schaffer are both open to tipping. Who still breaks the rules? It's not the millennials. "We find that it's the older patrons that violate the rules more than the young ones," said Jones. "The younger tasters are usually more appreciative and considerate."

Go Back to (Wine) School With These 7 Lessons

Sending the kids back to school can trigger many feelings, and one of those might be a thirst...for knowledge. So while the kids are away, why not enroll yourself in wine school? The best part is you don't have to leave home—or put down your glass—to learn something new. Here are seven lessons guaranteed to help you on your journey towards expanding your knowledge about wine. Decoding Professional Wine Reviews Wonder what it really means when you hear a wine described as zesty, jammy, crisp, bright, spicy or floral? Get straight answers from a Master of Wine. Throwing a Blind Wine Tasting Party Stocked up on paper lunch bags now that the kids are back in school? Keep a few for yourself and learn how to throw an informative and entertaining wine tasting party. Get themes based on regions, styles and varieties plus what food to have on hand to help cleanse your palate. Origins of Wine Who actually invented wine and where does it come from? Go on a trip to the headwaters of the Tigris River to begin your investigation. Your guide: "The Indiana Jones of Alcohol." Sparkling Wine Seminar Prosecco, Cava, Crémant and Champagne. How are they made and what makes them distinct? Peruse the sparkling wine glossary, learn serving tips and how to choose a bottle that's right for you. A Global Tour of Malbec From its beginnings in Cahors, to enormous popularity in Mendoza and now a rising star status in Washington State, what is it about this grape that inspires so much of the world? Mastering The Restaurant Wine List Rule 1: Don't panic! Remain calm and follow our 14 tips to make sure your meal, and the wine that comes with it, are both a perfect match—even if the restaurant doesn't have a sommelier or wine staff. Tasting Room Road Trip Now that you've read these 6 articles, it's time to head to a winery. Wondering how to navigate the tasting room? Your professors are three tasting room pros, who let you know the do's and don'ts of winery visits.

Tank Method:

Tank Method: Also known as charmat, a less expensive method for making sparkling wine. The tank method is used to produce bulk quantities of inexpensive sparkling wines. The second fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank, rather than in a bottle, decreasing lees contact and producing larger, coarser bubbles. The wine is filtered under pressure and bottled. Wines made this way cannot be labeled méthode Champenoise.

Tanky

Tanky: Describes dull, dank qualities that show up in wines aged too long in tanks.

Tannic:

Tannic: Used to describe a wine high in tannins or with a rough mouthfeel.

Tart:

Tart: Sharp-tasting because of acidity. Occasionally used as a synonym for acidic.

Tastevin:

Tastevin: A shallow saucer still used by some sommeliers and wine merchants to taste wine. Originally used by winemakers and wine merchants in dimly-lit cellars, the shiny, dimpled surfaces were helpful in evaluating appearance since they reflect the small amount of light.

Temperature of Fermentation:

Temperature of Fermentation: As yeasts convert grape sugars into alcohol, they also produce heat. Excessively high temperatures can kill the yeasts and make the wine's fruit flavors seem stewed or dull, whereas cooler temperatures maintain the freshness of the fruit. Just the right amount of warmth can contribute a richer, rounder mouthfeel.

Tenuta:

Tenuta: Italian term for Estate.

Terroir:

Terroir: A term describing the interaction of soil, climate, topography and grape variety in a specific site, imprinting the wine and making each wine from a specific site distinct. Derived from the French word for earth, "terre."

Tertiary (flavors or aromas):

Tertiary (flavors or aromas): Refer to all non-fruit descriptors in a wine.

Moët Hennessy Buys Control of Luxury Rosé Leader Château d'Esclans

The French luxury giant LVMH adds Whispering Angel and Sacha Lichine's other high-end rosés SARA MATTHEWS Château d'Esclans has played a major role in the rosé revolution. Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of French luxury titan LVMH, has made a big bet on pink, purchasing a 55 percent controlling stake in luxury Provence rosé winery Château d'Esclans, known for its hugely successful Whispering Angel brand. Château d'Esclans will join Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Krug, Mercier, Chandon, Newton, Terrazas de los Andes, Cloudy Bay, Cape Mentelle, Numanthia, Ao Yun and fellow Provence producer Château du Galoupet in the Moët Hennessy wine portfolio.

How to Throw a Blind Wine Tasting Party at Home 1of4 On the Menu

The flights you pour should guide the snacks you serve, but finger foods are the order of the day. Avoid anything very hot, cold or The flights you pour should guide the snacks you serve, but finger foods are the order of the day. Avoid anything very hot, cold or aromatic. Use this as a guide: Something starchy: Bread or crackers are a must. Their blandness cleans everyone's palate, and they're filling, to stave off drunkenness. Something cheesy: Why? Its creaminess is a good foil for acidity in wines. If your wines are lighter and brighter, go for mild cheeses like triple-crèmes and fresh chèvres. Big, bold reds can stand up to funky cheeses, like those that are aged, blues and stinky, bloomy-rind cheeses. Something meaty: The fattiness of meat can work with wine in two ways: either tame tannins or contrast acidity. Pâtés and rillettes are a good match for bubbles, while cured meats like salumi or prosciutto can go with more powerful wines. Something fresh: Have sliced fruit or a crudité platter to add brightness and a bit of texture. It's also fun to take bites of different fruits or vegetables and then take sips and see how wine's taste differs with assorted food. Something special: Most of this menu is about cutting up food and arranging it on platters, but it's nice to have one element that you actually made special for the occasion. Some suggestions include crostini, flatbreads, blini and flavored nuts or popcorn. What We Talk About When We Talk About Wine The following prompts will guide your guests through tasting. How does it look? Note the wine's color, clarity, opacity and viscosity. Hold the glass up to the light and at a 45-degree angle against a white backdrop. How does it smell? Encourage guests to stick their noses in the glass right away, and then again after swirling, to see what aromas present themselves as the wine opens up. How does it taste? Advise tasters to take a sip of wine and swirl it around a bit. They can also try to suck in some air in through their teeth (this is called trilling). Guests should note how the wine feels in their mouths; how long the flavor remains after spitting or swallowing; flavor notes that present themselves upfront, midpalate and on the finish; and the balance or harmony of tannins and acidity. Set the Scene The ambiance of a tasting is a bit different than your typical party. Here are some do's and don'ts to guide you. Do have a well-lit space, so people can see what's in their glasses and take legible notes. Don't burn scented candles or incense, or cook fragrant foods while guests are tasting. You want the smell to be as neutral as possible. Don't play loud music. Quiet, mellow background tunes are fine, but you don't want to distract people. Do provide comfortable seating. One of the nice things about a home tasting is that guests can sit on couches or easy chairs. Comfortable dining chairs are a good option, too. Don't make guests sit in a crowded space. Tasters should to be able to reach and swirl all of their glasses without bumping into anyone else's. Do keep the tasting on track. When you're with friends, it's easy to get sidetracked. A little of that is fine—this is a party, after all. However, it's your job as host to steer things back to the flight at hand. Pressure's Off With these themed parties, your guests are in charge of the wine. If providing the wine for a tasting in addition to food and space feels like a burden, have guests bring the bottles. Here are two ways to guide their picks. Throw a vintage party: Pick a year, and have everyone bring a bottle from that vintage, regardless of variety or location. Make it a variety party: Choose a specific variety, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, and have guests bring a bottle of their choice. Vertical Limit If you've done winery-hosted tastings, you may have had a vertical flight, where the same bottling is sampled from multiple years. This is a great way to see what changes based on conditions. It's also a hard thing to pull off if you rely on your local wine shop, so we haven't included one here. If you have access to back vintages, by all means, set up your own vertical. The rest of these tips will still work.

What Are Grape Clones?

The term "grape clone" might bring to mind images of scientists hunched over petri dishes, but grape growers have selected and propagated their best vines for centuries. A grape clone is a cutting taken from an existing grape vine that's grafted onto rootstock. The vine is chosen due to specific traits a grower wants to reproduce like increased disease resistance or fruit quality. Because this cutting came directly from another vine rather than the result of two plants crossbreeding, the cutting is genetically identical to its "mother vine." "A lot of people think we're doing a GMO thing, but it's actually more of a field selection," says Marta Kraftzeck, winemaker for Scheid Family Wines in Monterey County, California. "Somebody was strolling through the vineyard one day and thought, 'Wow, this vine looks really different than this other vine, so I'm going to try and reproduce it.' " The Truth Behind Your Favorite Wines Why do winemakers use grape clones? "It's expensive to plant grapes, whether it's here or anywhere else in the East or the West," says Alice Wise, an extension agent at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County in Long Island, New York. "It takes at least several years, sometimes longer, [for a vine to mature] so you really can't afford to waste your time and money on something that doesn't perform well." "If I'm talking about what clones someone might plant, my first question is, 'Where is the wine going?' " says Nick Hoskins, director of viticulture at Riversun, a plant and grapevine nursery in Gisborne, New Zealand. "A $20 or a $50 bottle makes a big difference. I would also have a mix of clones because they perform differently in different years. You want to give yourself the best chance you can to make a good wine each year." According to Wes Hagen, winemaker for J. Wilkes Wines in Santa Barbara, California, clones can be temperature sensitive, which makes some more suitable for certain climates. Hagen says that some clones are known for deep color, while others have better disease resistance. He also pays attention to the density of a vine's foliage, which affects ripening and yield size, and can impact quality. And, of course, the final wine has to taste good. Once a grafted vine matures, factors like weather, farming practices and soil type, among others, can influence the final outcome of the wine. It's may be better to think of clones in terms of tendencies rather than guarantees. "You have to plant something, and you have to engage with the clonal system to plant a commercial vineyard," says Hagen. "I'm not saying [the] clone doesn't matter, but it is a cog in an incredibly complicated system." "You can make all the claims you want about a clone giving you structure or spice, but it's still going to react to your site climate, your farming practices, use of pesticides, herbicides [and] fungicides, whether you irrigate or not, the development of the root system, how deep the roots go, your choice of rootstock. All of these things," says Peter Neptune MS, founder of the Neptune School of Wine in Orange County, California. Grafted vines at Riversun's nursery/Photo by Strike Photography Where do vineyards get their clones? Confusion about the word "clone" is why Nancy Sweet, historian for Foundation Plant Services (FPS) at University of California, Davis, says she and her colleagues refer to different clones as "selections." FPS is one of the main avenues that grape growers in the U.S. can import clones from outside of the country. Scientists test and treat the cuttings for diseases before they're released to growers. This process can take years. Each clone that comes through FPS is given a reference number, like Chardonnay clone FPS 04. American researchers began to look for new grape clones during the mid-20th century to diversify U.S. vineyards, and cuttings were imported by FPS from all over the world. Other organizations also catalog clonal selections, like the French governmental research collective that licenses only domestic selections under the trademark ENTAV-INRA. Similar clones can have more than one number if they were brought into the U.S. prior to the creation of ENTAV-INRA. An example is Pinot Noir clone FPS 38, which is reportedly the French clone 459. However, this is unproven because it was imported before ENTAV-INRA existed. Thus, it isn't certified by the French government. Rootstock vines ready for harvest at Riversun/Image by Strike Photography What are some popular grape clones? There are different clones available for just about every grape variety. Three of the most planted varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. With thousands of clones available, many factors affect what gets planted in a vineyard. The Wente clone is the most well-known Chardonnay clone in California because Wente Vineyards in Livermore was one of just two commercially viable Chardonnay vineyards to survive Prohibition. Many vine cuttings have been taken from it over the years. There are multiple separate clonal lines that can be traced back to it that include FPS 04, FPS 17 and FPS 67. Prior to being acquired by FPS, the Wente clone was known for a high percentage of undersized, underripe berries in each cluster. When FPS received some Wente cuttings in the 1960s, scientists eliminated its viruses, and the healthy clonal selection became referred to as clone 4. When the viruses were removed, it also curbed the tendency toward undersized berries. Today, the clone is known for late-ripening, heavy grape clusters that lead to high yields while still producing reliably good-tasting wine. In the 1980s, winemakers in Oregon sought clones that would succeed in their vineyards, so they imported a group of French Chardonnay and Pinot Noir cuttings that came to be known as the Dijon clones. These are now widely planted throughout the U.S. Two common Chardonnay clones are 76 and 96, and three of the most common Pinot Noir Dijon clones are 667, 777 and 115. In general, the Dijon clones are known for smaller berries, earlier ripening and very expressive aromatics. How Computers are Being Used to Hack Grapes The DNA of grape vines change as they grow in different environments. In particular, Pinot Noir is prone to mutations. Several famous Pinot Noir clones have been brought to the U.S., like the Pommard clone from Burgundy, known for structured tannins and intense color, and the Wädenswil clone from Switzerland, which offers large clusters and refreshing acidity. Both clones have multiple selections available from FPS and required different amounts of virus treatment. Others were submitted from existing California sites, like the elegant Swan clone (FPS 97) and the rich Mount Eden clone (FPS 37), both named for their source vineyards. There are also several different common Cabernet Sauvignon clones used in the U.S. FPS 07 and FPS 08, which were cut in 1965 from different parts of the same vine in the Concannon Vineyard in Livermore, California, are thought to have originated in Bordeaux. They're known to make quality wine at high yields and have been widely planted in California since the 1970s. The French clone 337 (also known as FPS 47) is also popular because it typically produces small berries with a balanced tannin and acid structure for aging. With fluctuating temperatures and erratic weather patterns, clones may play a significant role to address these changes. "One of the interesting things for the future is finding the clones that do better in different regions and climates," says Dave Nagengast, vice president of winemaking at Scheid Family Wines. "As it's getting warmer, [change is] moving rapidly, but not overnight. We just have to adjust." "Will Pinot Noir adapt to warmer climate conditions?" asks Neptune. "That's going to be concurrent with whatever root stock we've chosen because rootstocks are generally chosen to adapt to the temperature of the soil, the soil's water retaining capability, etc. The plant scientist is going to be on the lookout for mutations that are heat-resistant, drought-resistant and disease-resistant." Regardless, clonal selection is just one tool that a winemaker can use, so it's important to maintain perspective. "It's just fermented grape juice, and if you just want a nice drink, you don't have to think about this stuff," says Hagen. "It's taken me 25 years in the wine business to understand how complicated clones are."

Thin:

Thin: Lacking body and depth.

Thiols:

Thiols: See Mercaptans.

Third-Growth:

Third-Growth: See Classified Growth.

Tinny:

Tinny: Metallic tasting.

Tête de cuvée:

Tête de cuvée: In Champagne, this refers to the top of the range of a specific house or grower's wines. Notable examples: Louis Roederer's Cristal and Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon.

Ullage:

Ullage: Refers to the small air space in a wine bottle or barrel. Excessive air in the bottle increases the speed of oxidation.

Umami:

Umami: Although there is no direct English translation, umami is essentially the fifth taste. Discovered and noted by Chinese gourmets more than 1,200 years ago, the concept is fairly new to western scientists and gourmets alike. Mushrooms, consommés, long-cooked meats, cured meats, shrimp, dried tomatoes and soy sauce all contain umami. This taste tends to bring out tannins or the oaky character in wines.

Varietal:

Varietal: Refers to a wine labeled with a single grape variety. Used predominantly in the United States and Australia, the term "varietal" denotes a wine named after and made from a single grape variety. For example, "The popular varietal is served in many restaurants" and "The herbal aromas of this Sauvignon Blanc are varietally correct." For varietal bottling, a minimum of 75 percent of that wine must be made from the designated grape variety. The term is frequently misused in reference to a grape variety itself.

Variety:

Variety: A variety refers to the grape itself, whereas the term varietal refers to the wine made from that grape variety. For example, "Chardonnay is an early-ripening variety."

Vintner-grown:

Vintner-grown: Means wine from a winery-owned vineyard situated outside the winery's delimited viticultural area.

Vintner:

Vintner: Translates as wine merchant, but generally indicates a wine producer/or winery proprietor.

Why a Wine's Alcohol-by-Volume is Lying to You

When you purchase a bottle of wine, there's no doubt that you've noticed certain things on the label, like the producer, appellation and a Surgeon General's warning. One thing required to be on a label (sort of) is the percent of alcohol by volume, or abv. You might be surprised, however, to learn the alcohol percentage listed is often not entirely true. The truth is that the alcohol percentage on a wine label is more to serve the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) than it is to serve you, the consumer. Here's why. The TTB regulates what's mandatory, permissible and forbidden on wine labels. For alcohol percentages, wineries are allowed a certain amount of variance from what is listed. For a wine with 14% abv or below, for example, the actual alcohol content can differ by as much as 1.5% from what's on the label, though it cannot exceed 14%. For a wine above 14% abv, a 1% variance is allowed. So, for example, a bottle of wine listed at 12.5% alcohol could actually be anywhere between 11% and 14%. Why the variance? Wineries need to submit labels to the TTB for approval in advance to ensure the label complies with the law. These approvals take time, and the final alcohol level of a wine might not be established at the time of submission. Until recently, there was a considerable financial incentive for wineries to fudge the numbers—list the wine at a lower alcohol level, pay less in taxes. Additionally, for minor label changes, like the vintage, wineries don't need to seek a new approval, as long as the alcohol level is within the allowed variance. To label a red wine at, say, 14.5% abv means a winery doesn't need to submit a new label, and the wine can be anywhere from 14.1% alcohol all the way up to 15.5%. This is why 14.5% and 13.5% are, by far, the most common numbers you'll see for red wines from the U.S., as they straddle that 14% break point. Wineries are also allowed to put ranges for alcohol levels or just use certain designations, like Red Table Wine, that need to be within a certain specified alcohol range. Why is 14% the magic number? Historically, wines at 14% abv and below were taxed at a lower rate than those above 14%. Changes in wine laws in 2017 made wines up to 16% taxed at the same level, but the variances did not change. For this reason, until recently, there was a considerable financial incentive for wineries to fudge the numbers. List the wine at a lower alcohol level, pay less in taxes. It's one of the reasons that alcohol levels could be even less accurate than the allowed variance. Some wineries also believe there's a stigma associated with higher-alcohol wines. While some may favor "hedonistic" styles of wines higher in alcohol, many winemakers, sommeliers and consumers rebelled against this style. The fear has been that if a winemaker were to show a wine to a sommelier labeled at 15.4% alcohol, there would be less chance that the wine would be tasted, let alone placed on a wine list over a bottling labeled 14.4%. Supporting this idea, a 2015 study found a tendency to underreport levels for higher-alcohol wines toward a "desired" percentage, stating that it might be "advantageous for marketing the wine." Should You Smell the Cork When Opening Wine? Always. A final incentive for wineries to not take the stated alcohol level too seriously is that oversight is light. There are more than 10,000 wineries in the U.S. that make tens of thousands of wines. Only a miniscule fraction of them can be checked. How small? In 2016, the last year data was reported to the public, the TTB Alcohol Beverage Sampling Program checked a grand total of 118 wines. This means that, historically, a winery could pay less in taxes, have a better chance to land on store shelves and restaurant lists, and likely no one would be the wiser that the stated alcohol wasn't truthful. Except, of course, for the wine lover at home who wakes up the next morning with a headache, wondering what the hell happened. Getty Critic versus consumer Maybe, this could all make some sense from a regulatory point of view. But I find the current approach to alcohol labeling lacking. As a critic, I couldn't care less what the alcohol level is as long as the wine is in balance, whether it's 13% alcohol or 16%. Moreover, at Wine Enthusiast, all wines are reviewed in blind tastings, so any concern that wines listed with a higher alcohol percentage might affect a review is unwarranted. Off the clock, however, I care a good bit more about the alcohol percentage. If a wine is labeled at, say, 15%, I know I can expect it will be riper in style than it will be at 13.5%. Maybe that style is what I'm in the mood for some evening. Maybe it's not. Wouldn't it be great if the alcohol level could provide something of a guide to wine style? As a consumer, when I drink a wine that's say, 14% alcohol, I know I can drink a bit more than I can at 16% without feeling the aftereffects. When I see bar menus list the percentage of alcohol in a beer, I sometimes use that information and elect for a lower-alcohol beer as my second pint. Finally, I believe it sets a bad precedent to put something on a wine label that simply isn't accurate. What's the point of listing alcohol percentages if they aren't reflective of what's in the bottle? Information on wine labels should be useful to consumers. If it isn't, who exactly is it useful to? So, what's the solution? I would like to see wines labeled within at least a half-percent of their actual level. Why a half-percent? It's a compromise. There will always need to be some permissible variance to allow for labeling delays and for a wine to fully finish. Additionally, not having to resubmit labels for approval every year is a big deal. A half-percent isn't perfect, but it's a lot more accurate than what's currently allowed. It also aligns with standards in the European Union. Yes, this change would make things a little harder for wineries. They would have to be more careful when they measure alcohol levels. Wineries might also have to submit more labels to the TTB for approval, which could result in delays. But right now, the alcohol percentage on a wine bottle serves no one other than the government. Isn't it time that listed alcohol percentages began to serve wine drinkers?

Where Does Wine Really Come From?

When you think of wine, most likely what comes to mind are powerhouse regions like Bordeaux, Napa or Champagne. Or, grapes like Pinot Noir, Malbec, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. But a growing group of winemakers in the Middle East, Western Asia and Eastern Europe are eager to remind they represent the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, and that they're making wines like nowhere else on earth. At a recent event hosted by Smithsonian Associates in Washington, DC, winemakers and wine historians examined who could in fact claim to be the original creators of wine. While it's hard to pinpoint where the first fermented grape beverage was made, researchers traced the origins of domesticated grapes to an area around the headwaters of the Tigris River in Turkey. Dr. Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, has traveled the region extensively looking for an answer. Inside the first known winery, "Areni-1," in Armenia, where the oldest evidence to date of wine presses and fermentation vessels were found, along with early vinifera seeds / Photo courtesy Gregory Areshian, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Known as "The Indiana Jones of Alcohol," McGovern found what he believes to be the grapes that form the basis of modern winemaking. Wild grapevines, like many plants, come in male and female varieties. They require pollination between plants in order to bear fruit. But near the churning headwaters of the Tigris, McGovern and Dr. José Vouillamoz, a Swiss grape geneticist, found a natural mutation—hermaphroditic vines that could self-pollinate and had stronger fruit yields. They believe these plants were used to propagate the earliest domesticated grapevines. These became the basis of the wine we drink today. Trade spread these early wines along the Mediterranean into Greece, Italy, France and other modern wine-producing regions. Evidence shows that it wasn't until 600 B.C. or so that the Etruscans shipped their first wine in amphorae containers to France. So what happened? Winemaking was a prominent part of life and culture in this part of the world for millennia. However, we don't speak of regions like Kakheti in Georgia, Central Anatolia in Turkey, or the Bekka Valley in Lebanon with the reverence we do about Bordeaux. If the rise of interest in natural wines and offbeat winemaking techniques are any indication, maybe you'll soon see Georgia and Lebanon featured as prominently as Bordeaux on wine lists. Each region had a variety of individual factors that lead to a slowing down of the wine scene. In Turkey, the historic Ottoman Empire's ban on alcohol led to a culture with strict alcohol restrictions compared to their Western neighbors, and 83 percent of Turks today still call themselves teetotalers. In Lebanon, a civil war lasting from 1975 to 1990 made working the fields extremely dangerous, and devastated many historic vineyards, a number of which have only been replanted recently. According to Lado Uzunashvili, an oenologist and founder of Mukado wines in the Kakheti region of Georgia, the Soviet era was largely to blame for his country's fine wine decline, as well as that of neighboring Armenia. "The Soviets emphasized quantity over quality," says Uzunashvili. The landscape of Mukado Wines in Kakheti, Georgia / Photo courtesy Mukado When the Iron Curtain descended, effectively separating the wine scene of Georgia and Armenia from their counterparts in Western Europe, foreign exports and a focus on quality winemaking from the two countries deteriorated in kind. The Soviet government dictated new production quotas and stymied innovation. In effect, during the decades that California's wine scene began to boom and Western European vintners were perfecting techniques and their ability to distribute their wines at scale, the original titans of the wine world were forced into hibernation. Pulling back the curtain Looking to the future, producers want to highlight wines made from unique native grapes that have been underutilized in better-known winemaking regions. Rkatsiteli is so ingrained in the region's culture that local religious lore contends it was the first vine planted by Noah after the biblical flood. Saperavi, for example, is a source of national pride in Georgia. It's one of the few teinturier grapes—meaning its flesh and skin are both red—used in single-varietal production. It accounts for the vast majority of the nation's red-wine production, but is rarely seen outside the area other than isolated plantings around New York's Finger Lakes region. Rkatsiteli, an acidic white variety, was the most widely planted winegrape in the Soviet Union until 1985, when Mikhail Gorbachev began incentivizing farmers to uproot their vineyards in a nationwide effort to curb alcoholism. According to Vouillamoz, DNA analysis shows Rkatsiteli is one of the closest cultivated grapes to the original wild varieties found by he and McGovern. No genetic "parent" grape has yet been discovered by researchers. Rkatsiteli is so ingrained in the region's culture that local religious lore contends it was the first vine planted by Noah after the biblical flood. Georgian Qvevri fully buried / Photo courtesy Wines of Georgia Georgian wine is also known for its unique use of local amphorae pots for fermentation and aging, called qvevri. The primary difference from other traditional amphorae styles is that the qvevri are buried, allowing for more consistent temperature control. In Armenia, high-elevation vines yield fascinating bottlings from local varieties like Voskehat, known as "the Queen of Armenian grapes." With its honey and apricot notes, the grape lends itself to the country's signature sweet wines, though producers like Highland Cellars make noteworthy dry 100-percent Voskehat bottlings. Area winemakers are also trying to drum up foreign interest in local red varieties like Sireni. It's little known outside Armenia, but the grape is being used by producers like Kataro to create quality dry red bottlings. Meanwhile, Yacoubian-Hobbs, a venture spearheaded by brothers Vahe and Viken Yacoubian in partnership with winemaker Paul Hobbs, is taking its wine to new heights with their high-altitude plantings, tending to vines growing approximately 5000 feet above sea level. Yacoubian-Hobbs focuses on native grapes, making a single-variety wine from Areni—a late-ripening red variety that thrives in difficult, rocky regions—as well as a white blend composed of Voskehat, Khatuni, Qrdi and Garan Demak. The Historical Cradles of Wine Vahe Keushguerian, managing director for Semina Consulting, notes that only about 10 percent of Armenian vines are grafted, as the region escaped the phylloxera epidemic that nearly wiped out European wine production. In Lebanon, 15 years of civil war stalled the progress of one of the world's oldest wine-producing areas. Despite this, Château Musar in the Bekaa Valley, established in 1930, has produced quality wines for decades. Musar specializes in wines intended for extensive aging, as current vintages of its red and white offerings are from 2007 and 2006, respectively. Chateau Musar's wine shop in the 1933 on the Avenue des Francais in Beirut / Photo courtesy Chateau Musar Turkey has also seen a resurgence in its seven wine-growing regions with 600-1,200 indigenous varieties of vinifera grapes (only about 60 are being cultivated commercially). Vineyards survived centuries of Ottoman rule and a ban on alcohol as they created other culinary uses for their grapes. European varieties like Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling have been cultivated in the country in recent years. However, producers like Kavaklidere, the oldest winery in the country, have staked much of their reputation on local grapes like the white Narince grape and the Kalecik Karasi red grape, which was brought back from the brink of extinction. Is the wine world ready for an old, new world order? Most winemakers from these historic regions believe their biggest obstacle for overseas success is a lack of recognition in Western markets. Producers have tried to raise awareness of these wines to persuade hesitant consumers and importers. Are casual wine drinkers ready to try something different? If the rise of interest in natural wines and offbeat winemaking techniques are any indication, maybe you'll soon see Georgia and Lebanon featured as prominently as Bordeaux on wine lists. And even if the rest of the world isn't ready yet, these wine regions have proven their patience. After all, they've been here since the beginning.

Aerator vs Decanter: Which is Better?

While the premise behind aerating and decanting wine is quite similar, there are some notable differences between the two. The goal of both is to aerate the wine—that is, to increase its exposure to oxygen. When you expand the surface area of the wine, you increase how much of it is contact with air. This allows the wine to more quickly develop intense aromas and flavors. But the process isn't guaranteed magic. Aerating a basic Pinot Grigio will not turn it into a perfectly aged Montrachet. The process of aeration, or limited oxidation, simply allows the potential complexities and nuances of a wine to emerge a bit faster. vinOair Wine Aerator So, what's the difference between aerating and decanting? Let's start with aerators. Typically, these are small devices that are either placed in or on the bottle or held by hand. Some variations introduce air into the device that the wine travels through, while others disperse the pour through various spouts. However, all serve to increase the wine's exposure to air while it's poured. These low-profile aerators are ideal for young, opulent and tannic reds that may be a bit muted (closed) immediately upon opening a bottle, or whose tannins can overpower the balance of the wine. One of the main functions of aeration is to soften tannins, which allows the fruit and acid to shine through. Just about every wine will benefit from a bit of aeration. Quick Wine Tip Aerator: Use on young wines, particularly big, bold and tannic reds. Decanter: Use on older wines and more delicate bottlings. However, most aerators won't address sediment found in some wine. As a refresher, sediment is the grainy buildup of solids in wine that often derives from fermentation and leftover yeast (lees). For most young wines, sediment is a non-issue, but it's often present in older bottles. Sediment can also clog some aerators. This can affect the flow of wine and potentially create a messy and unfortunate overflow situation. Getty Therefore, a decanter is usually the preferred method to aerate older wines from the cellar. When poured slowly and properly, most of the wine's sediment can be kept in the bottle. This is why many sommeliers use a candle or flashlight to illuminate the glass while pouring, so they can stop pouring once the sediment reaches the neck. This way, you're sure to only be sipping on fine wine and not choking on grainy, solid sediment. The art of decanting wine is a time-honored tradition. To watch the ritual of an aged Burgundy as it falls mesmerizingly into a beautifully crafted crystal decanter adds to its enjoyment. When Should You Decant Wine? So, to recap, the rule of thumb is simple. For young, big, bold and tannic wines, an aerator will do the trick. But for older, more delicate and fragile selections, grab a decanter and proceed with caution, as those wines may need a little extra care. Pro tip: For young wines that need as much oxygen as they can get, double up and aerate the wine right into the decanter. Trust us, it really works.

At What Temperature Does Wine Spoil?

Wine can be a delicate, fragile thing. Exposing a bottle to higher temperatures for an extended period of time will affect its integrity and potentially "cook" the wine. But exactly how hot is too hot? And how long is too long before your wine turns to vinegar? Let's explore how temperature affects wine. So, you've picked up a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir on an unusually warm Saturday. After you watch the kids' soccer games and wait in a particularly long line at the grocery store, you realize that your wine has been sitting in a hot car approaching 80˚F for a good 4-5 hours. Or maybe you left a bottle out on the counter during winter while the heat was blasting. Is the wine spoiled? Did you just turn that beautiful bottle of Pinot into an expensive bottle of vinegar? The answer is, well, possibly. There are many factors involved in wine spoilage, and no definitive temperature will make a wine go bad. But wine is best stored between 53-57˚F when intended for aging, and temperatures can range from the mid-40s to mid-60s for service, depending on the wine. Once you creep past 70˚F, wine falls into the danger zone, and is in peril of irreparable damage. Be wary if it's kept in temperatures above 75˚F for more than a few days. Above 80˚F, that wine is at risk with each passing hour. Does that mean that a bottle left out in your 72˚F living room for a week is going to spoil? Probably not, but it may expedite the aging process, which becomes accelerated by exposing wine to higher temperatures. So, if a wine lives in an environment that's too warm for too long, it will race through its peak right into decline, instead of developing gracefully. In addition to temperature and time, a key factor is the wine itself. Better-made wines tend to withstand extreme temperatures and other adverse conditions better than cheap wines, while still maintaining their character. Higher fruit concentration, acids and tannins not only give wine balance and depth, but they can protect it from the elements while in the bottle. What's the Right Temperature for Champagne? It Depends. For example, I found a 1995 Sagrantino di Montefalco at a friend's house that he had stored in his kitchen wine rack above the refrigerator, of all places. While it showed a bit more age than it should have, the bottle was still quite enjoyable. However, I have also had more recent vintages of lighter Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc at restaurants where it was obvious that they were stored in in too warm conditions and had clearly passed their prime. One telltale sign that high temperatures have begun to affect your wine is when the cork starts to bulge out of the bottle. On top of the molecular reaction that causes this to happen, it also means the wine has probably been exposed to additional oxygen. That will certainly affect the quality. One telltale sign that high temperatures have begun to affect your wine is when the cork starts to bulge out of the bottle. However, just because a bottle is a little warm doesn't necessarily mean it has turned. If a wine is meant to age for several years and has been left out in a warm room for a few months, it may just have aged more quickly, allowing lucky wine-lovers to catch it at its peak early. The risk of this "technique" to speed up aging is that rather than a wine's peak drinking window lasting a year or more, it may only be at its best for a few weeks before it begins to deteriorate. The lesson? Be careful with your storage temperatures. Wine is a living, breathing thing that evolves every day in the bottle. Be wary if it's kept in temperatures above 75˚F for more than a few days. Above 80˚F, that wine is at risk with each passing hour. When in doubt, you are better off putting your wine in a regular refrigerator, rather than leaving it out in the open. A refrigerator's colder temperature will halt the aging process, but will also prevent the wine from spoiling. But you probably want to remove it after about 6 months as to not dry out the cork. However, the best solution is a wine refrigerator or cellar made specifically to protect all that fabulous wine you hope to enjoy.

How Red Wine is Made

Wineries make red wine today much the same way they did 6,000 years ago in Greece and Persia. Dark-colored grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented, stirred and separated from the skins by a press. Voila! Red wine. Better containers, presses and cellars have increased quality and efficiency of red wine production many times over, but it's still essentially a simple process. Red wine production requires no cooking or ingredients besides grapes, yeast and, usually, sulfur dioxide as a preservative. Red wine is made on the skins Red wine is made like white wine, but with one major difference. Generally, it ferments with the grape skins and juice combined in a tank or vat. White wines are pressed before fermentation, separating the juice from the skins. The skin contact in red wine production allows color, flavor and textural compounds to be integrated into the juice, while the yeast converts sugar to alcohol. The skins contain most of the good stuff that gives red wine its color, while the pulp mostly provides the juice. Infographic by Eric DeFreitas Harvesting red-wine grapes and the crush Red wine grapes are ready to harvest in late summer to early fall, several weeks after the initial green color of the grapes has turned to dark red or blue-black, a period called veraison. Vineyard crews cut the grape bunches or clusters from the vines. That's either done by hand or a self-propelled machine that shakes or slaps the grapes off their stems and collects the individual berries and juice. Delivered to the winery, winemakers can also sort out mildewed grapes, unwanted raisins, leaves and debris. Clusters then go through a destemmer/crusher that removes the whole grape berries from the stems and may squeeze them slightly to get the juice flowing. Any juice created at these stages prior to pressing is known as free run. Machine-harvested grapes are already ready to ferment. Routinely, many add a measured dose of sulfur dioxide at this stage, and also later, to kill unwanted microbes and minimize oxidation. How White Wine is Made Red wine fermentation and pressing The combined juice, skins and seeds is known as must. Some winemakers cool the must for a day or two, a process called cold soaking, to extract color and flavor compounds from the skins before any alcohol is created. After this, some winemakers add commercial yeast to begin fermentation while others let the native yeast that clings to the grapes or exists in the cellar's atmosphere start the fermentation. Either way, yeast cells come to life in the sweet solution and begin to convert the sugar into alcohol, heat and carbon dioxide. A cap of skins forms atop the must. This cap needs to be blended back into the juice at least once per day but often more during the fermentation process to keep it moist. This process releases carbon dioxide, allows oxygen uptake, speeds extraction from the skins and manages the heat, which can exceed 100ºF if not monitored. Winemakers stir the must or wet the cap by different methods. The juice can be pumped over the cap, the cap can be punched down, or the juice can be drawn off the solids and used to re-soak them (rack-and-return). Winemakers transfer the must into wine presses, which separate the skins and seeds from the wine and squeezes the skins to coax out what is known as pressed wine. How hard to press the must is a key winemaking decision. Too hard, and it brings out harsh tannins. Too soft, it might leave the wine lighter in color and texture. Getty Red wines typically mature in oak barrels Almost all red wines need to age before being bottled and sold. The process can take from a few months to a few years in big tanks, but oak barrels and vats are preferred for high-quality, traditional-style red wines. Usually, malolactic fermentation occurs during maturation, a process that converts the wine's tart malic acid to softer lactic acid. It can occur naturally, however the winemaker can also encourage it by adding a malolactic culture. Winemakers use barrels to impart aromas, flavors and texture to the wine. New barrels give more intense spicy aromas and enhanced flavors, while neutral vessels like barrels that were used previously or containers made from concrete or clay, are valued mostly to smooth a wine's texture. French oak barrels are about twice as expensive than American barrels, and they're thought to lend a more complex and subtle array of spices. American white oak barrels are favored for many wines, however, for their generous vanilla and coconut nuances. Red wine is clarified during the maturation period by racking, fining and filtering. Sediments like dead yeast cells and tiny bits of grape skins settle out of red wine while it ages. These form a mucky layer at the bottom of barrels and tanks. Racking is the process of pumping or siphoning the now-clear wine off the sediment, which can be discarded. Winemakers may adjust red wines that taste too tannic or appear hazy with a process called fining that utilizes the binding abilities of egg whites, isinglass or bentonite clay. These agents gather unwanted substances and then fall to the bottom of the tank or barrel. Blending is an important step to make red wine. The winemaker can add complexity and perfect balance by blending together wine from different barrels and tanks. Getty Filtration and bottling When a red wine is mature enough to be bottled, many winemakers choose to filter it first. A coarse filtration removes extra sediment. A sterile filtration removes virtually all remaining yeast as well as microbes that might later spoil the wine. A final adjustment of sulfur dioxide is often made just before a wine is bottled. This is the process that's changed the most since ancient times, when gourds, goatskins and clay jars were the most advanced packaging materials. Oxygen is removed from the empty bottles before they're filled with wine, corked and labeled. Today's winemakers have many more options, techniques and technologies than their ancient predecessors. But the object is still the same: to take sweet grapes and allow yeast to transform them into an enjoyable red wine.

The Dos and Don'ts of Wine Labels

Wineries may spend unholy sums on marketing their products, or none at all, sometimes to equal benefit. But it's amazing how few wineries, whether large, medium or boutique, nail it with the most important billboard for their brand: Their wine labels. Whether you scan a retail shelf, wine app or website, the design of a label jumps out at you and makes a quick impression, but not always a good one. Even after having closely examined roughly a quarter-million labels over the years, I still get gobsmacked by the poor quality of all-too-many labels. In an earlier essay, I noted important label design guidelines that wineries should consider. Your label should not look cheesy. It should be readable, not feature things like dark type on a black background. Also, labels with technical information should be accurate and communicate something of value to the consumer, not just a bunch of boilerplate blather. What Makes a Good Wine Label? For a consumer, labels with poor color choices, careless spelling, generic text, illegible fonts and the like will almost always leave a negative impression. But besides the immediate visual impression, much can be gleaned from its actual content—if you know what to pay attention to. Certain basic data, like names of grape varieties, must be pre-approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Varietal labeling is a good start to tell consumers what's in the bottle. But when wines are labeled by region rather than grape, as across much of Europe, it's unlikely that any varietal information will be provided. The customer must know what regional regulations may apply to tell what's in the bottle. For blended wines with proprietary names, the grapes used are anybody's guess, unless the winery chooses to list that information. Some generic categories also conceal more than they reveal. For example, wines labeled "rosé" can be made from a single grape, or a mix of both red and white grapes. They can be tinted pink by adding a little red wine to white, or by leaving the wine on the grape skins for a short period of time. The more clarity that a label conveys, the more certainty that a particular wine may suit your palate. The TTB requires that the percentage of alcohol by volume (abv) must be shown on the label. Unfortunately, it's often in tiny, unreadable type, and legally can fall within a broad range. A wine that claims 12.5% abv, for example, can be as low as 11% or as high as 14%. That's little help when determining if a wine is dry or sweet, underripe or perhaps on the hot side. Of more value is the American Viticultural Area (AVA) for domestic wines, or the appellation listed on imported bottlings. These range from overly broad (California, Bordeaux) to tightly defined (The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater). The tighter, the better to zero in on what's in the bottle. Often though, the broader designations can point to decent, inexpensive wines. Good "Oregon Pinot Noir" can be found for $15, whereas good "Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir" is likely to cost three or four times as much. Certain other basics—vintage, producer, importer or distributor—can provide an overview of a given wine. If you like a particular producer, it makes sense to see what else they make. For imported wines, there are any number of individuals and companies that are specialists. Those that specialize in specific regions curate those wines much as a museum director dedicates an art show to a specific painter, period or style. Pay attention to the importer's name on a wine you like, as it can guide you to other wines you've not yet discovered. There are wine labels that are beautiful, distinctive, accurate and filled with useful information about such things as blends, vineyards, fermentation practices and barrel management. Scores from trusted reviewers can be quite valuable, when quoted along with full tasting notes. By and large, however, you'll need to be a bit of a detective. Compile clues as to a wine's character and quality. Know what words on a label matter, and which you can forget. Here are common words and phrases that serve no useful purpose on a wine label and should be ignored. Getty Bad wine label terms Handcrafted. This is essentially meaningless. Every wine is handcrafted, to some degree. And I have yet to see a wine label that proudly proclaims it's "machine crafted." Reserve. This word, along with such phrases as "barrel select" and "winemaker's selection," imply quality. But outside of select designations in countries like Spain and Italy, it really offers no specifics and is entirely unregulated in the U.S. I've had dreadful "reserve" wines selling for $10 or less that made me wonder what the non-reserve wines were like. Noble. Often found in winery descriptions of their grapes. This simply feeds the notion that wine-speak is pretentious. As a broad category, some grapes like Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon may be considered "noble grapes." But, while grapes from a particular vineyard may be good, they are not noble. It's fruit, for Pete's sake. Bold. Wineries frequently trumpet their wines' bold flavors. Again, this is meaningless. Have you ever seen a winery speak about timid flavors? Finest. All superlatives like "only the best," "select," and such are hot air and a waste of precious label space. World-class. Who decides what is or isn't world-class? There is no legal definition. Award-winning. There are hundreds of wine competitions. Some wineries put all their marketing dollars into entering them, as they know that they will certainly bring home some medals. It's standard practice for these "competitions" to demand a very high percentage of winners from the judges. And the best wineries almost never enter. Any tasting room with walls covered in medals from unknown competitions probably doesn't have much else to brag about. Dream. The aspirational side of the wine business leads many family-owned wineries to describe their dream of making wine. That may be true but says nothing about the quality of the wine. Passion. Much like pursuing a dream, being passionate about owning a winery is a personal decision. That may be admirable, but it speaks to the owner, rather than the customer. Good wine label qualities to look for Here are seven things that you should look for on a wine label. The basics are clear. Grape variety, vintage, AVA/appellation and alcohol content are required by law. Be sure they are easily found. Defined terms. If you use unregulated words and phrases like "reserve," "barrel selection" or "old vine," the label should explain exactly what it means and why it matters. Technical information. A good back label design can hold a lot of valuable information on the grape(s), blend, fermentation practices, cellaring and chemistry of a wine. Feed the geeks who love data! Green certification. Clearly displayed icons for green farming and eco-friendly packaging can be a great benefit. It's even better if the label, or the winery's website, explain what those icons mean. Vineyard sources. Producers shouldn't hide behind the notion that vineyard information is proprietary. Unless a winery is making vast quantities of wine from dozens of growers, stating the vineyard the grapes came from can be a fantastic tool for wine lovers looking to learn more. The winemaker. Winemakers are the celebrities in this business, just like chefs in the restaurant world. Name your winemaker and any valuable information like their previous training or experience. Correct spelling. It's Riesling, not Reisling. Terroir, not terrior. Chehalem, not Chahalem. These mistakes happen more often than you think. They can make the winery look careless at best, ignorant at worst, and neither quality bodes well for the wine behind the label.

Your Guide to Becoming an Expert on Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine, fizz, bubbly: call it what you will, but its effervescence spells joy and celebration. These tiny bubbles make all the difference, but how do they get there? How different sparkling wines are made can help you choose the right wine for the right occasion. First things first: bubbles form when carbon dioxide gas dissolved in wine is released. Most sparkling wine bottles are thus under pressure, which explains the traditional spago (thread) closure for slightly sparkling Prosecco, and the wire muselet for fully sparkling wine. Both keep the cork in place. Pressure is also why sparkling wine bottles are heavier and thicker than traditional wine bottles and have a deep punt in their bottom. Fully sparkling wine has up to six atmospheres of pressure, so bottles need to be structurally sound and sturdy. As the bottle is opened, that pressure releases and the wine begins to sparkle. So how does carbon dioxide get into wine? Broadly speaking, there are three ways. The first way is to add it, like in soda. The second method is to trap carbon dioxide from the wine's initial fermentation. The final way is to put finished wine, known as base wine, through a second fermentation and trap the resulting carbon dioxide. This can happen either in a tank or bottle, and it's the way most sparkling wine is made. But let's discuss the first two methods. Each bubble (there are approximately one million bubbles in each glass of a traditional-method sparkler) acts like a magnifying glass for flavor. Adding carbon dioxide creates the least persistent effervescence, as the wines are just slightly fizzy. A special closure is not necessary. It's also possible to make a fizzy wine by trapping carbon dioxide from the first alcoholic fermentation. Usually, such carbon dioxide is allowed to escape, but a pressurized tank traps the gas at a desired point to create a fizzy wine. Depending on when this process is halted, there can be residual sweetness in the wine. It's then filtered to prevent further ferment and bottled under pressure, which preserves natural sweetness and fruity flavor. The resulting fizz is lively and frothy. This is how Asti Spumante is made. Trapping carbon dioxide inside a bottle is known as méthode ancestrale, where a wine with residual sweetness is bottled and continues to ferment until all sugar is consumed. Trendy pétillants naturels, or pét nats, are made in this manner. Riddling racks at Raventós i Blanc / Photo via Facebook But now on to getting bubbles into wine via second fermentation. There's a huge distinction between secondary fermentation in tank, known as Charmat method, and secondary fermentation in bottle, known as traditional method, méthode traditionnelle or metodo classico. Both create sparkling wine, but they produce different character and virtues. Both of these methods start out with still, dry base wine, to which an exact amount of both sugar and yeast is added which will induce the second fermentation. At its worst, the Charmat method merely jazzes up mediocre base wine by adding sparkle and a heavy dollop of sweetness that sits on the wine like too much makeup. For the Charmat method, a base wine that's augmented with sugar and yeast is put into a pressurized tank where the second fermentation takes place. The carbon dioxide is trapped, and the dead yeast cells sink to the bottom. While these dead yeast cells (known as lees) add a degree of flavor, there's little interaction between lees and wine. The resulting bubbles are bigger and frothier, and the flavors are far less complex. After a few months on lees, the wine is filtered and bottled under pressure. This method is easier, cheaper and faster than the traditional method. The base wine's primary varietal flavors remain and are accentuated by the lively, frothy foam. This is how most Prosecco is made, where the floral, fruity notes of the Glera grape take center stage. Stefano Ferrante, chief winemaker at Prosecco Zonin1821 says, "This way, we can obtain freshness and aroma without the excessive structure and secondary aromas given by yeast contact." At its best, the Charmat method makes fresh, lively wines that express varietal character and fruitiness with their sparkle. At its worst, it merely jazzes up mediocre base wine by adding sparkle and a heavy dollop of sweetness that sits on the wine like too much makeup. Sparkling Wine Facts • In 2016, the region of Champagne shipped more than 306 million bottles worldwide, 21.8 million of those to the U.S. It 's estimated there were 1.47 billion bottles of Champagne in current stock, aging and maturing during 2016. • The annual production of Cava is estimated at around 265 million gallons, or 1.3 billion bottles, while Prosecco totals 450 million bottles. By comparison, New Zealand produced a mere 283.4 million bottles of wine total, sparkling and still. • It's the Germans who drink most sparkling wine. Their consumption of nearly one gallon per person is the highest in the world. For the traditional method, a base wine with added sugar and yeast is bottled and sealed, usually with a crown (bottle) cap. Fermentation then takes place inside the bottle, and the resulting carbon dioxide is dissolved in the wine. Here, the dead yeast cells of the second fermentation add flavor and texture to the now sparkling wine as they disintegrate, a process known as autolysis. The longer the wine stays on the lees, the bubbles will be finer, the foam (or mousse) will be creamier and the flavors will be more intense. These flavors and aromas are often likened to bread, brioche, biscuit or oatmeal. When the wines are ready to be shipped, sometimes after years of lees aging, the bottle is gradually turned and tilted to move the yeast sediment into the neck of the bottle. This is known as riddling. Once all the sediment is in the neck of the bottle, it's frozen and opened to eject the frozen sediment under pressure. The bottle is then topped up, resealed immediately with a cork and secured with a wire muselet, a process called disgorgement. Champagne, Crémant, Cava and the world's finest sparkling wines are made this way. It's the most sophisticated and labor-intensive way to create fizz. At the topping-up stage of disgorgement some sugar dissolved in still wine can be added to balance the naturally high acidity of most of these wines. This is known as dosage. Dosage levels like brut, extra dry or demi-sec are strictly governed and are always stated on the bottle. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are grapes particularly suited to this treatment, but world-class sparkling wine is not restricted to them. An ideal base wine is high in acidity, low in alcohol and exquisitely pure. Each bubble (there are approximately one million bubbles in each glass of a traditional-method sparkler) acts like a magnifying glass for flavor. Traditional-method sparklers are amongst the world's most complex and compelling wines, and their prices are justified, given their years of aging. Both time and autolysis create unique secondary and tertiary flavors. Sparkling wine caps for cages to secure the cork / Photo by Carsten ten Brink via flickr How to Choose Sparkling Wine If you like fruity varietal flavors enlivened by vigorous fizz, well-made wines from the Charmat method will provide lots of pleasure. They make ideal apéritifs, are great for mixing and provide uncomplicated, affordable refreshment. Italy has a wealth of indigenous grapes that are made into delicious sparkling wines by this method. If you like more complex flavors, try a traditional-method sparkling wine that spent one to two years on its lees. Some primary fruit notes will still shine, backed by subtle autolytic notes. These wines are classic apéritifs and also pair with light and subtle cooking. With a higher dosage, demi-sec sparkling wines make stunning matches for medium-sweet desserts. Which is the Best Glass for Sparkling Wine? If you like bright freshness, try Champagne, Trentodoc or a sparkler from coastal California. If you like softer acidity, try Franciacorta. World-class fizz is also made in South Africa, England, Tasmania and Patagonia. If you like very complex wines, try any vintage-dated, traditional-method sparkling wine. Their rich, multidimensional flavors make great food matches, even with meat dishes. Professionals serve them in sparkling wine tulips or Burgundy-style glasses to showcase the full spectrum of their layered aromas. The Right Temperature for Sparkling Wine Sparkling wine should always be well chilled. Bottles not cold enough will just foam upon opening, a waste of wine. Ideal serving temperatures are between 40-45°F. For more complex vintage wines, 47-50°F is best. How to Open a Bottle of Sparkling Wine Remove the foil, place hand firmly on the top of the cork, pull down the threads or unscrew the wire muselet, do not remove the muselet. Then, hold the bottle in one hand, while keeping your other hand firmly on the cork. Turn the bottle carefully with one hand as you hold on to the cork to ease it out slowly and gently. Sparkling wine cage and cap art / Photo and art by Meg Lauber via flickr Sparkling Wine Glossary Assemblage The blend of grape varieties in the base wine. Blanc de Blancs Sparkling wine made from white wine grape varieties only. Blanc de Noirs Sparkling wine made from red grape varieties (with clear juice). Levels of Dosage • Brut Nature/Brut Zéro: No addition of dosage, but can contain up to 3g/l of natural residual sugar. Some bottle also say also called Non-Dosé or Pas Dosé or zero dosage • Extra Brut: 0-6g/l • Brut: 0-15g/l • Extra-Sec/Extra-Dry: 12-20g/l sugar • Dry/Sec: 17-35g/l sugar • Demi-Sec: 33-50g/l sugar • Doux: Above 50g/l sugar Dosage The addition of sugar at disgorgement that balances a sparkling wine or creates a certain style. Some sparkling wines have a dosage in the form of sweet wine or even brandy in place of sugar. Classic sparklers like Champagne have very high acidity, so a small amount of dosage doesn't act as a sweetener, but a flavor enhancer. Espumoso Spanish term for sparkling wine. Frizzante Italian term for semi-sparkling wine, from 1 to 2.5 bar pressure. Mousse French term for the foam of a sparkling wine. NV or MV Nonvintage or multivintage; a sparkling wine that contains base wines from more than one year. Reserve Wine Base wines kept, sometimes for years, to add character and richness to a blend before second fermentation. Sekt German term for sparkling wine, used in Germany and Austria. It covers everything from fizzy plonk to world-class wine. Spumante Italian term for fully sparkling wine, with a minimum 3 bar pressure. Vintage Sparkling wine made from base wine/s from one vintage only. The vintage must be stated.

TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole):

TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole): A chemical compound that can give wine a musty, dirty, bitter, chalky character often described as moldy newspapers or damp cardboard. TCA can be formed in many ways; most consumers associate it with "corky" bottles, because corks are particularly susceptible to contamination by the compound. One common catalyst is chlorine, a widespread cleaning agent, coming into contact with plant phenols (which are found in cork and wood) and mold.

What's the difference between Syrah and Shiraz? Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/syrah-shiraz-difference-51740/#4lxCCwcxghjaKRZf.99

Syrah and Shiraz wines come from the same grape variety but the use of both names has its historical roots in two powerhouses of production - France's Rhône Valley and Australia. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/02/Chris-Mercer-Square-135x135.jpg Chris MercerNovember 18, 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2010/08/syrah-shiraz-alamy-min-920x608.jpg You say Syrah, I say Shiraz... Credit: Michael Tercha/ Chicago Tribune/ Alamy Live News Ask Decanter Highlights Key points Syrah and Shiraz are simply two names for the same grape variety. Traditional Australian Shiraz would be seen as more full-bodied, ripe and concentrated, while a classic 'old world' Syrah from the Northern Rhône might combine dense fruit with a more restrained character and floral aromas. In reality, it is not possible to make such a clear-cut distinction and Syrah / Shiraz wines from other countries and regions have a growing reputation, too. If you're sufficiently into wine to covet or buy a bottle of Penfolds Grange, then you may know that its rockstar reputation is built on the same grape variety that makes red Hermitage such a vaunted name of the northern Rhône. ADVERTISING But it's not immediately obvious that Syrah and Shiraz are two words for the same grape variety. Decanter.com reported in 2002 that UK supermarket Sainsbury's lost sales when it was forced to change Shiraz to Syrah on wine labels. For the record, this grape variety's parents have been traced to little-known Dureza, believed to be local to the Rhône-Alpes region of France, and Mondeuse Blanche. A landmark study in 2006 found that Syrah / Shiraz was also a distant relative of Pinot Noir, which surprised researchers at the time. Syrah first arrived in Australia in the 19th Century and it has evolved in its Shiraz form to be an emblem of the country's wine industry. More than just a name? Some winemakers would argue that, stylistically speaking, Shiraz and Syrah are not the same. Syrah might be used to denote a more restrained 'old world' style of wine, for instance. But be warned; there are no rules to govern this distinction and such a crude demarcation cannot be so easily drawn. Core varietal characteristics associated with Syrah /Shiraz wines include black fruits, medium to high tannins and black and white pepper spice with some herbaceous aromas. A traditional Shiraz from South Australia would be considered bolder, with riper and more concentrated fruit, perhaps with earthy and dark chocolate notes plus some extra spiciness from the use of new oak. One might also expect higher alcohol levels, given the hotter climate. Syrah wines from the northern Rhône can also have a robust structure with dense dark fruit, but one might classically expect a leaner, more austere character alongside greater prominence for floral aromas and black or white pepper. However, you'll probably know by now that the wine world loves to defy sweeping generalisations. You can find Syrah / Shiraz wines in both southern France and Australia that place greater emphasis on luscious, plummy fruit and are subsequently more approachable at a younger age. Likewise, you'll find Syrah and Shiraz-labelled wines that are more structured and built to last. A trend towards Shiraz from cooler regions of Australia and a shift towards a lighter touch in the cellar mean that the classic description above can often appear out-dated. And on the steep slopes of the northern Rhône, Côte Rôtie is associated with more floral elegance, while Hermitage has a reputation for greater intensity. Use of oak varies between producers, too. Today, Shiraz / Syrah is one of the world's most planted grape varieties, and you'll find great examples in California - thanks in part to the so-called Rhône rangers - as well as in Chile, South Africa and New Zealand's Hawke's Bay. As ever, it's always beneficial to think about the producer's winemaking style and the origin of the fruit, if you've time Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/syrah-shiraz-difference-51740/#4lxCCwcxghjaKRZf.99

Transfer Method:

Transfer Method: Technique for making sparkling wine in which, after the second fermentation in the bottle and a short period of sur lie aging (but before riddling), the wine is transferred—with sediment—to a pressurized tank. The wine is then filtered under pressure and bottled. With the enormous savings in labor and time, the wines are slightly less intense and less creamy than those produced using the more time-consuming and expensive méthode Champenoise.

Trellising:

Trellising: The process of tying up the annual green growth of vines on wires; a vine naturally wants to sprawl, but trellising organizes the new shoots, to expose more leaves and grape bunches to the sun and encourage air circulation to prevent rot.

Trie:

Trie: French term for sorting and harvesting the best botrytized grapes for dessert wines. In Sauternes, Barsac and other regions where sweet dessert wines are made, pickers will often make multiple tries, or passes, through the vineyard, harvesting only grapes that have been properly afflicted with the sugar-concentrating fungus Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot.

Trocken:

Trocken: German term for dry, describing a wine with little or no residual sugar.

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA): German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes. Trockenbeerenauslese means literally "dry berry selection." This very sweet dessert wine is made from individually selected shriveled grapes that have the highest sugar levels with flavors concentrated further by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. Trockenbeerenauslesen rank among the greatest sweet wines in the world.

How to Throw a Blind Wine Tasting Party at Home

It's a given that entertaining should involve wine. Maybe there's a special bottle that you've planned your menu around, or perhaps some easy-drinking wine to serve as a backdrop for conversation. But if you want to make wine the guest of honor, why not host a blind tasting? This structured set up allows guests to geek out about what's in their glasses. Here's how the wine tasting works: Everyone tastes through a flight of mystery wines, one at a time. Guests are encouraged to discuss each wine as they go. If your guests are relatively knowledgeable, they can make educated guesses about the identity of each pour, which can add a competitive element. If it's the first blind tasting for most attendees, it's fine to keep talk to things like appearance, aroma and structure. At the end of the tasting, reveal the bottles and further the discussion. The following pages will illustrate how to set up your tasting party, which includes a few bites to savor and flights to serve. Your Guide to Starting the Perfect Home Bar Tools of the Trade Here are the ingredients you need to get your party started. Just add wine. Bottle Bags These ensure that labels and producers don't sway tasters. Paper bags are fine; just number them to keep track of what's what. If you plan to throw blind tastings often, you might want to invest in a set of number- or letter-embroidered cloth bags. Glasses Everyone should have a fresh glass for each wine. They don't have to match, but ideally, serve reds in red glasses and whites in white glasses. Spittoons At a house party, people might want to finish each pour, and that's fine. But you should have large, opaque vessels and smaller personal ones for those who want to spit. Quality Control Before guests arrive, ensure that your wines are at the appropriate temperature (41˚-45˚F for sparkling; 45˚-55˚ for whites; 56˚-65˚F for reds). Also, taste each one to make sure they're not tainted, damaged, cooked or corked. Paper and Pens (or Pencils) These allow tasters to take notes. If you want to be really organized, you can print out numbered sheets. However, small notebooks or index cards will do just fine. A Fact Sheet When you do the big reveal about which wines have been tasted, you'll also want to provide a little information, like the geography/soils of the vineyards, what the wine is aged in and for how long. Water Pitcher and Glasses You want to keep guests hydrated. Food If your guests are not spitting, you want something in their stomachs to absorb all that wine.

Tannins:

Tannins: The mouth-puckering polyphenols, most prominent in red wines, that are derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels. Tannins are an important component of a wine's structure and texture, and act as a natural preservative that help wine age and develop.

Tartrates:

Tartrates: Harmless crystals resembling shards of glass that may form during fermentation or bottle aging (often on the cork) as tartaric acid naturally present in wine precipitates out of solution. Components of tartaric acid, including potassium bitartrate and cream of tartar, are less soluble in alcoholic solutions than in grape juice and solidify at cooler temperatures (such as those found in a refrigerator); can be avoided in finished wines through cold stabilization. Decanting and careful pouring can prevent transferring the crystals from the bottle into the glass.

Toasted Barrels:

Toasted Barrels: As a barrel is being constructed, but before the heads at either end are added, the cooper (barrel maker) chars the inside edges of the staves. This final treatment imparts aromas of vanilla, spice and smoke to the wood and then the wine. Char levels include light, medium and heavy toast. Winemakers order barrels with their favorite levels of toast to influence their wine styles.

Toasty:

Toasty: Describes a flavor derived from the oak barrels in which wines are aged. Also, a character that sometimes develops in sparkling wines.

Torréfaction:

Torréfaction: Wines exhibiting torréfaction show a roasted aroma or flavor, not unlike roasted coffee beans. Torréfaction is literally the process by which coffee, cocoa and other beans are roasted.

Traditional Method:

Traditional Method: See Méthode Traditionnelle.

Vieille Vigne:

Vieille Vigne: French term for Old Vine.

Vendange Tardive:

Vendange Tardive: Dessert wine classification used primarily in France's Alsace region. Vendanges Tardives, or "late harvest," sweet wines are made from grapes left to dehydrate on the vine before harvest; the category indicates a level of sweetness below that of Sélection de Grains Nobles.

Vendange:

Vendange: French term for harvest.

Vendimia:

Vendimia: Spanish term for Harvest. Can also be used as a word for Vintage.

Vegetal:

Vegetal: Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscent of plants and vegetables. In Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of this vegetal quality is said to be part of varietal character. But when the vegetal element takes over, or when it shows up in wines in which it does not belong, those wines are considered flawed. Wine scientists have been able to identify the chemical constituent that makes wines smell like asparagus and bell peppers.

Viticultural Area:

Viticultural Area: Defines a legal grape-growing area distinguished by geographical features, climate, soil, elevation, history and other definable boundaries. Rules vary widely from region to region, and change often. Just for one example, in the United States, a wine must be 85 percent from grapes grown within the viticultural area to carry the appellation name.

Vitis Aestivalis:

Vitis Aestivalis: A hardy grape native to North America, hybrids of Vitis aestivalis are sometimes used for winemaking, the most prominent of which is the Norton grape.

A Quick Guide to Amphora-Aged Wine

Wine aged in clay, or amphora, has grown in popularity in recent years. But this technique is far from new. In fact, the practice originated in what is now modern-day Georgia, around 6,000 years ago. Clay pots have long been used in other Old-World regions. For example, in Alentejo, Portugal, it's believed that amphorae, or talhas as they're known in the country, have been used for more than 2,000 years. However, Dr. Patrick McGovern, science director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, thinks the practice in Portugal may date back 1,000 years earlier than historians previously believed. Amphorae have been experiencing a renaissance across the globe and can now be seen in places like the United States and Australia. Amphorae by any other name Portugal: Talha Italy: Anfore, orci or giare Georgia: Quevri Spain: Tinaja What are the benefits of aging wine in clay? Clay can be thought of as a middle ground between steel and oak. Stainless steel allows for an oxygen-free environment and doesn't impart any flavors into the wine. Oak, on the other hand, allows for ample oxygen to reach the juice, and the wood's tannins can also affect the aromas and flavors of the wine. Like oak, clay is porous, so it does allow for some oxygen giving the wine a deep and rich texture, but like steel it's a neutral material that won't impart any additional flavors. From New- and Old-World wine regions alike, here are some amphora-aged wines you will want to seek out.

Q: I've been reading a lot about smoke-tainted grapes and wine. Are there any potential health risks to consuming wine made from smoke-tainted grapes?—Albert S., Detroit

A: Smoke taint sounds bad, right? But let's first address the question of what exactly "smoke taint" is (and is not). When wood burns, aroma compounds called volatile phenols are released, and these can permeate the skins of grapes and bond with the sugars inside; when those grapes are crushed and fermented, the acidity in the wine can release those phenols, causing the wine to smell like a campfire or, worse, taste like an ashtray. But smoke-tainted grapes are not actually covered in tarry smoke residue (unlike the formerly white ceiling tiles at the OTB). So while smoking is very bad, smoke-tainted grapes actually aren't. At least, they're not bad for you. "There are no health concerns related to the compounds that cause smoke taint," says Dr. Anita Oberholster of the viticulture and enology department at U.C. Davis. "They are naturally present in grapes, and additional amounts are extracted into wines when barrel aged in toasted barrels. During a smoke event the concentrations of these compounds in the grape are just elevated to the point that they overpower the resulting wine, making it excessively smoky."—MaryAnn Worobiec

How to Throw a Blind Wine Tasting Party at Home 3of4 Different Variety and Region, Same Style

Do you like sparkling wine? Rosé? Sparkling rosé? Plan your tasting around a style and experience the variety within the category. "Sparkling wines are produced in many prominent or exciting regions, using different techniques as well as a range of grapes or blends," says Buzzeo. "This is a fun and easy way to offer an underlying theme while tasting around the globe." Here, we're doing a sparkling flight. Bottle List Antech 2014 Emotion Rosé (Crémant de Limoux); $19 Korbel NV Brut (California); $14 Mionetto NV Il (Prosecco); $13 Parxet 2014 Cuvée 21 Made With Organic Grapes (Cava); $15 Yellow Tail NV Bubbles (Australia); $10 Lemon-Pepper Cheese Fricos Recipe These lacy crisps couldn't be easier to make, and they combine the cheese and cracker into one bite. The nuttiness of a hard, aged cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano provides an appealing richness that the bubbles will cut right through. To make them, combine 1 cup grated hard, aged cheese, like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, aged Gouda or a mix with ½ tablespoon finely grated lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Place tablespoon-sized mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in 350˚F oven until flat and golden, about 5 minutes.

What is smoke taint in wine?

Smoke taint in wine doesn't compare to the immediate danger that wildfires pose to lives and homes, as well as vineyards, but its potential to cause problems in the cellar has increasingly become a talking point. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/02/Chris-Mercer-Square-135x135.jpg Chris MercerNovember 2, 2019 For Premium Readers image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Chateau-Lafleur-vertical-620x410.jpg Anson: Why Château Lafleur 'doesn't play by the usual rules of Bordeaux' image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Coup-de-foudre-wines-620x410.gif Coup de Foudre - striking Napa wines image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/10/Christmas-markets-620x410.gif Best Christmas market cities for wine lovers image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Hospices-de-Beaune-1-620x410.jpg Christie's Hospices de Beaune tasting: 2015 & 2016 Latest Wine News image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Catalogues-620x413.jpg Photo highlights: Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2019 image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/macron-xi-wine-GettyImages-1180030671-min-620x410.jpg Macron offers Xi Jinping rare Romanée-Conti wine over dinner image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/09/smoke-taint-alamy-KDPWAA-min-920x609.jpg Smoke from fires burning by vineyards near to Santa Rosa in 2017. Ninety percent of California's grapes had been picked in 2017 by the time fires began. Credit: US Army / Alamy Ask Decanter Highlights Smoke taint in wine at-a-glance Smoke taint is considered relatively rare and will not automatically affect wineries and vineyards near to a fire. Wind direction and how long smoke lingers in an area are key factors. Unharvested grapes that have been through the colour change or ripening process - known as veraison - are most at risk, but it can be hard to spot problems before fermentation. Smoke taint aromas in wine include: plastic or chemical smell medicinal aromas wet cigar or ash aromas It is not harmful to health in the wine itself, according to current research, although smoke can of course pose air quality risks for vineyard workers. Full article Some observers have questioned whether large wildfires are the 'new normal' for California, as firefighters battled to save lives and property by containing several blazes across the state, including the Kincade fire in northern Sonoma County. While the safety of people, communities and property are naturally paramount, outbreaks of large wildfires in recent years have seen the potential issues posed by smoke taint become a bigger topic within California wine. UC Davis said in 2018 that it was researching better ways to mitigate the effects of smoke taint, following the devastating wildfires of 2017. That is not to say, of course, that recent California wine vintages have been ruined by smoke taint. It is a big place and while a few producers have reported issues for the 2017 wines, many have not had any problems. Nor is California the only at-risk wine region. What are the risk factors? 'While the physical loss of vines is an obvious consequence of a fire, smoke taint can also be an issue and can have a negative effect on the wine,' said Michael Hill Smith MW, responding to a Decanter reader's question in 2016 about Australian wildfires. 'Compounds in the smoke can be absorbed through the grape skin, particularly if the fire occurs close to harvest,' said Hill Smith, now co-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards. A key factor is therefore whether or not grapes have been harvested, as well as the length of time that vines are exposed to smoke. California's Wine Institute said that 90% of grapes had been harvested prior to the fires of 2017, for example, while Sonoma County Vintners said last week that a 'vast majority of grapes' had been picked before the Kincade Fire started. Smoke taint risks are also lower if grapes have not yet started ripening process - including colour change - known as veraison. The process Burning wood releases volatile phenols that can be absorbed by grapes and which then bind to molecules in the grape in a process known as glycosylation. Problems can then occur later in the cellar. 'Although the compounds do not contribute to grape aroma in the glycosylated form, the free volatile phenols can be released throughout winemaking and wine ageing to produce undesirable "smoke tainted" wines,' said a team of mostly-UC Davis researchers in a new study published this month. Writing in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, they sought to measure the release of 31 different 'phenolic glycosides' during the winemaking process, finding that the first half of fermentation appeared to be the most critical period. Tasting smoke taint in wine The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) found more than 50 compounds linked to smoke taint in wine in a 2009 study. It quoted winemakers describing overly smoked aroma in the wines, or that some contaminated wines were like 'licking an ashtray'. Other key aromas linked to smoke taint issues include medicinal / sticking plaster, chemical and wet cigar flavours. Quality control A winemaker can ferment a small batch of grapes to see whether smoke has contaminated them. If grapes do show signs of smoke taint, winemakers may choose not to pick that section of vineyard. Grape samples can also be submitted for chemical analysis, according to AWRI. Several studies have sought to identify the main compounds responsible, with 'guiacol' named as a lead protaganist by researchers in a 2019 article in the South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture. However, it needed accomplices - namely other phenols - to cause smoke taint aromas, they said. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/fire-smoke-wine-329891/#utZp5hHPKTx1BC4L.99

Tartaric Acid

Tartaric Acid: The principal acid in grapes and wine; contributes to taste and stabilizes color. Unlike malic acid, tartaric acid does not decline as grapes ripen. Tartaric acid can precipitate out of solution in bottled wine to form harmless tartrate crystals resembling shards of glass.

Wine with Christmas turkey - Food pairingRead more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/wine-with-christmas-turkey-food-matching-285778/#BjpSExALBppbwiHf.99

Tannin is the enemy and acidity is your friend when it comes to Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. Here's our guide to choosing a good bottle, plus links to wines reviewed by our experts. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/07/Harry-fawkes-1.jpg Harry FawkesOctober 31, 2019 For Premium Readers image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Chateau-Lafleur-vertical-620x410.jpg Anson: Why Château Lafleur 'doesn't play by the usual rules of Bordeaux' image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Coup-de-foudre-wines-620x410.gif Coup de Foudre - striking Napa wines image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/10/Christmas-markets-620x410.gif Best Christmas market cities for wine lovers image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Hospices-de-Beaune-1-620x410.jpg Christie's Hospices de Beaune tasting: 2015 & 2016 Latest Wine News image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/macron-xi-wine-GettyImages-1180030671-min-620x410.jpg Macron offers Xi Jinping rare Romanée-Conti wine over dinner image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/10/24_Decanter-Hugh-Jancis_May19_3356-credit-Catharine-Lowe-620x410.gif 'My most memorable wines': Jancis Robinson MW and Hugh Johnson image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/11/wine-and-turkey-920x609.gif Credit: Christiann Koepke / Unsplash Christmas Food and wine pairing Highlights Classic suggestions for wine with Christmas turkey: Full bodied, oaked white wines, such as white Burgundy or California Chardonnay Mature Bordeaux, Rioja or Chianti Classico Beaujolais Red Burgundy and Pinot Noir in general Key things to remember: Too much tannin will overpower the meat and your taste buds, but remember that tannins soften over time in well-made wines. Acidity can help to balance the range of flavours on the Christmas dinner table. Search our wine reviews database It's several centuries since the humble turkey began usurping peacock and goose to be the mainstay of Christmas dinner in the UK, as well at Thanksgiving in the US. King Henry VIII is believed to have been an early adopter in 16th Century England. New challengers including steak and meat-free options, of course, but turkey is still the classic choice. Here is what you need to know about matching wine with turkey. Remember that turkey is not a powerful meat Turkey is a white meat and has a low fat content, which is why it can dry out if not cooked carefully. So, your wine matches should ideally be either a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red, with low or medium tannin and relatively high acidity. Click on the turkey and wine pairing graphic below to see a full-size version image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/12/turkey-with-wine.jpg Tips on matching Christmas turkey with wine. Credit: Annabelle Sing / Decanter Let's talk about tannins Fine tannins are great in a balanced wine with some bottle age, but too much mouth-coating tannin could also ruin all those hours you've spent slaving away in the kitchen. There is likely to be a dearth of fat on the plate in general, leaving little to soften tannins in a big, bold, young wine. This can accentuate the harsh feeling of tannins in the mouth, eclipsing other flavours, while the saltiness of the turkey can also make tannins taste more bitter. It may seem strange that classic Christmas wine choices include those with relatively high tannin levels, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends from Bordeaux. But, this is where bottle age comes into play, because tannins will soften and integrate over time in the best wines. Embrace acidity A Christmas dinner table is full of flavours and complexity. Cranberry, bacon, parsnips, stuffing and Brussels sprouts are just some of the dishes vying for attention. A wine with medium or high levels of acidity should be able to cope better with these myriad flavours. Red wine with turkey There are naturally a range of options and we provide some recommendations below with the sizeable caveat that personal taste is important, not to mention the tastes of family and friends; no one wants a Christmas dinner mutiny. Pinot Noir Pinot Noir from more muscular Burgundy crus such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Pommard stack up exceptionally well; and if you can stretch to the Grand Cru of Chambertin then even better. Lighter, more elegant Burgundian areas, such as Volnay, may be overpowered by all those accompaniments, so be careful. Pinot from slightly cooler areas of the US and Australia are also worth considering; think Sonoma or Santa Barbara County in California, and Mornington Peninsula or Yarra Valley in Victoria. Beaujolais Cru Gamay is often underrated and it's easy to also make the mistake of thinking that all Gamay wines are lightweight. Not so, especially in those 10 Beaujolais Crus known for making wines with more power and depth, such as Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent. Mature red wines If you're not a huge Pinot fan then consider mature reds, or at least those with a few years of bottle age. Aged Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon is obviously in a completely different universe to what we've just talked about; big tannins, big acidity and lots of luscious dark fruit. Merlot, too, carries significant weight in its classic Bordeaux Right Bank form. Yet the delicately poised balance of fruit, acidity and integrated tannins can work excellently at the Christmas dinner table, particularly if some of those tertiary aromas from a few years of bottle age have started to develop around the edges. Remember the earlier point about tannins softening over time. Jane Anson recently picked out wines from Bordeaux vintages that are ready to drink now. Other classic reds from the bolder end of the spectrum would be Chianti Classico or Barolo. Mature Rioja Be wary of too much oak, but some mature Rioja would work well, too. Naturally medium-bodied and full of red fruits, Rioja is also relatively friendly to your wallet versus wines from other renowned regions. White wine with turkey Chardonnay Sometimes ignored at Christmas lunch, a full-bodied Chardonnay can be an enchanting accompaniment to your turkey, especially with traditional sides such as bread sauce. Oaky richness gives sweet spice notes, while creamy lactic acid really helps out with a meat that can sometimes be on the dry side. Good Chardonnays, in general, are found in the same geographical areas as good Pinot Noir. White Burgundy from the Côte de Beaune will work well at almost all levels; upgrade where you can to something like a Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru or a Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. The high levels of minerality and acidity in these wines help to cleanse the palate, allowing you to wade through all the trimmings effortlessly. Other wonderful examples can be found in Victoria, Sonoma and New Zealand. The Kumeu River Chardonnays from near Auckland are extraordinary wines and are capable of offering fantastic value for money. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/food/wine-with-christmas-turkey-food-matching-285778/#BjpSExALBppbwiHf.99

Tight:

Tight: Describes a wine's structure, concentration and body, as in a "tightly wound" wine. Closed or compact are similar terms.

Tirage:

Tirage: See Liqueur de Tirage.

Tired:

Tired: Describes wines that are limp, feeble or lackluster.

What are the best wines for spicy food? Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/advice/what-s-the-wine-style-for-spicy-foods-51397/#WBTOyiJFrOziR1kA.99

Too much alcohol and chilli can set your palate on fire, but there are plenty of wines that match well with all sorts of spicy foods if you know where to look. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/02/Chris-Mercer-Square-135x135.jpg Chris MercerOctober 11, 2019 For Premium Readers image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Napa-Valley-Cabernet-620x410.jpg Anson: A masterclass in Napa Valley Cabernets image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2018/09/Feudo-Croce_03-620x410.png Top Puglia restaurants and accommodation image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Chablis-620x410.jpg Chablis 2018: Full vintage report plus top scoring wines image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/Chablis-Premiere-Cru-Alamy-620x410.jpg A Decanter guide to Chablis Premier Cru Latest Wine News image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/05/wine-cellar-biljana-martinic-1311746-unsplash-min-1-620x410.jpg Thieves steal £65k of wine from billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's luxury hotel image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/11/abramovich-GettyImages-963208372-min-620x410.jpg Roman Abramovich linked to new Russian wine investments image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2010/08/spcies-paolo-bendandi-VVe3zOZM88E-unsplash-min-920x609.jpg Think about the aromatic profile of the spices, as well as the heat... Credit: Photo by Paolo Bendandi on Unsplash Ask Decanter Highlights A few styles to consider when matching wines with spicy food: Off-dry Riesling or rosé Grenache and Syrah/Shiraz blends Champagne California Chardonnay Sparkling Shiraz Ripe Pinot Noir with more aromatic dishes Search our expert reviews to find a wine to try There is a key choice to make before you start. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING Chilli thrill-seekers could meet the heat head-on with a 'spice booster' wine, as master sommelier Matthieu Longuère MS once phrased it in an article for Decanter.com. Those less excited by the Scoville heat scale may want a wine that mellows out the dish, without compromising the flavour of course. Off-dry white wines, such as Riesling, are often touted as a good match for spicy foods, because the slight sweetness can help to reduce the heat. Bold and fruity reds, such as Grenache and Syrah / Shiraz blends, or California Chardonnay with a dose of new oak spice are both options for those seeking bolder styles to pair with curry, according to Longuère, of the Le Cordon Bleu London. Andrés Rangel, assistant head sommelier at Indian restaurant Gymkhana in London, said off-dry aromatic wines and sparkling wines with a creamy mousse were 'safe' options for spicy food pairings, particularly if you want to contain the heat. But it's not always that simple, with such a variety of spicy dishes on offer. 'The most effective way to match wine and spicy food is balancing weight by weight, and contrasting flavours,' said Rangel, who recently won the Sud de France Sommelier of the Year competition. 'For example, in Indian food, we find rich and fatty dishes, made with cream or yoghurt. So we need wines with enough body to support those dishes and at the same time ripe fruit flavours to create a pleasant contrast with the spices.' White wines and rosé Anne Krebiehl MW, expert contributor to Decanter Premium and wine lecturer, said, 'For me, off-dry wines only work if there is also an element of sweetness in the spicy food. '[For example], there usually is palm sugar in Thai dishes along with lemongrass and mild chilli heat. Here, an off-dry, light-bodied Riesling - but not sweet - would be perfect, just to echo that nuance of sweetness. 'Look out for the term 'feinherb' (off-dry) on the label and aim for anywhere between 11-13% abv.' Fuller-bodied rosé wines can also stand up well to spice, wrote food and wine expert Fiona Beckett in an article for Decanter magazine in 2017. 'Rosés from the New World tend to be riper and sweeter than their European counterparts, and this is not necessarily an off-putting quality when they are paired with spicy food,' she said. Champagne and sparkling wines Sparkling wines can work with seafood dishes that carry just hint of heat, she added. 'I love to drink fizz and find that a rather creamy and really mature Champagne goes well with chili-accented dishes; like soft-shell crab or squid fried in a cayenne-spiced batter.' Red wines Krebiehl highlighted that spicy can also mean aromatic. 'I am a big fan of Chinese five spice, with its warm redolence of clove and cinnamon. Rounder, gutsier Pinot Noirs that border on plummy fruitiness work well here, but so does sparkling Shiraz.' Rangel suggested that it can be fun to think about matching wines to specific, strong aromas in the dish. 'Some of the herbs and spices used [in Indian cooking], such as cardamom, ginger, pepper, clove and coriander, are present in the flavour and aromatic profile of wine, he said. Those looking for a pairing with bolder wines could use this principle. Referencing his recent triumph in the Sud de France competition, Rangel gave the pairing of Gymkhana's Wild Muntjac Biryani - containing wild deer plus cardamom, turmeric, chilli, saffron, mint and coriander - with Domaine de la Grange des Pères Rouge from Languedoc-Roussillon. The Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon blend makes for a rich full bodied wine with floral notes, spices and liquorice, he said. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/learn/advice/what-s-the-wine-style-for-spicy-foods-51397/#WBTOyiJFrOziR1kA.99

Vigneron:

Vigneron: French term for grapegrower or winemaker.

How to Throw a Blind Wine Tasting Party at Home 4of4 Same Region, Same Variety

This one really lets you drill down and get geeky. Here, you can explore subregions, or even single vineyards, of types of wines you know you like. The suggested flight allows you to compare producers within the same vineyard. "It allows tasters to really focus on the individual expressions and what makes each bottling unique, as well as to better discern your own personal preference," says Buzzeo. "Solid options include a flight of Cornas from Northern Rhône, Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand, Napa Cabernet Sauvignons from various subregions, or a study in Chablis." Here, we're going with Riesling from the Himmelreich ("heaven") vineyard in Graach, on Germany's Mosel River. Bottle List Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (Mosel); $20 Dr. Leimbrock 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Feinherb (Mosel); $19 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (Mosel); $23 Joh. Jos. Prüm 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (Mosel); $30 Max Ferd. Richter 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (Mosel); $22 Lavender-Ricotta Crostini Recipe A little sweet, a bit floral and delicate overall, these will reset palates between sips of the acidic wines. They can be an appetizer, dessert or snack, so serve them at any point. Slice 1 baguette and lightly toast under broiler. Mix 1 cup ricotta with ¼ teaspoon very finely crushed dried lavender. Spread 1 tablespoon of this mixture on each piece of baguette. Drizzle ½ teaspoon honey over each crostini. Top with a sprinkle of salt, preferably a colored one like black volcanic.

Vertical tasting:

Vertical tasting: A tasting spanning multiple vintages of a single category of wine, usually a specific cuvée from one producer.

Vin de Pays:

Vin de Pays: French quality classification meaning "country wine"; it is one level above vin de table.

Vine Spacing:

Vine Spacing: The distance between vines in a vineyard; can vary from about three feet to eight feet. Generally, tighter spacing increases the competition between vines, producing fewer, more flavorful grapes.

Vine Training:

Vine Training: The process of shaping the vine's permanent wood. In cool regions, vines trained low absorb more heat reflected off the ground, which helps ripen the fruit. In warmer regions, vines are trained higher so they don't absorb reflections.

Vinification:

Vinification: Loosely synonymous with "winemaking," the act of creating wine from grapes, beginning with the crushing of grapes at harvest and ending when the fermented juice is barreled.

Vinify:

Vinify: The act of Vinification, or creating wine from grapes.

Vino da Tavola:

Vino da Tavola: Italy's quality category equivalent to table wine; mass quantities of ordinary wines are produced at this level. Some of the country's most expensive wines made outside the DOC/DOCG regulations are sold at this level, such as super Tuscans.

Vino de Pago

Vino de Pago: The highest classification of wine in Spain, requiring that wines be made entirely from estate-grown grapes in addition to the requirements of the Denominatión de Origen Calificada (D.O.Ca.) classification.

Vino de la Tierra:

Vino de la Tierra: One of Spain's quality categories; wines produced in a specific region; an average level of quality.

Vinous:

Vinous: Literally means "winelike" and is usually applied to dull wines lacking in distinct varietal character.

Vintage:

Vintage: Indicates the year in which the grapes were grown. For vintage dated wines made in the United States, 95 percent of a wine must come from grapes that were grown and picked in the stated calendar year. In the southern hemisphere where the grapes may grow in the year preceeding a February through March harvest, the vintage date refers to the year of harvest. Also refers to the time of year in which the harvest takes place.

How to Throw a Blind Wine Tasting Party at Home 2of4 Same Region, Different Varieties

We know certain regions for certain grapes (looking at you, Napa Cab), so it's fun to try other offerings from a favorite place. "Many wine-producing regions are actually suitable to working with a variety of wine grapes, especially in the New World," says Lauren Buzzeo, Wine Enthusiast's tasting director, who also selected the flights. "Using a region—or even country—as a tasting theme, guests are able to better immerse themselves in the wide range of offerings that any given area has to offer, emphasizing the point that, more often than not, it's hard to pigeonhole a country based on a small set of samplings." This flight is reds from South Africa's Western Cape, but for this type of tasting, you can mix reds and whites. Bottle List Balance 2015 Shiraz; $11 Indaba 2015 Merlot; $12 Ken Forrester 2014 Petit Cabernet Sauvignon; $12 Nederburg 2014 The Brew Master Red Blend; $20 Spier 2015 Pinotage; $9 Rosemary Roasted Almonds Recipe Crunchy, salty and glossy, it's really the herbs that make these nuts special. This is a rich-enough snack to stand up to these reds. Feel free to substitute hazelnuts or pecans, or do a mix, but avoid nuts that are already salted. Heat the oven to 375˚F. In a bowl or on a baking sheet, toss 2 cups almonds with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and ½ teaspoon crunchy or flaky sea salt like Maldon. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and arrange 3 sprigs fresh rosemary among nuts. Bake 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until they're darkened. Scrape some rosemary leaves off stems and add to nuts for serving.