Glass Half Full

A-Z Wine Glossaries

rachelfalkner — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:02:50 +0000

My new guilty pleasure, the Wall Street Journal tasting column, puts out a yearly wine glossary, promoting new wine trends, labels and regions. To a novice like myself, the terms can seem strange, overwhelming and sometimes like another language entirely. Below are three separate “wine glossaries”. First, the one the Wall Street Journal tasting columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher so graciously provided me in their online video, second the key terms used in Wine for Dummies, and lastly, a personal glossary of wine terms that I have discovered relevant in the last few months.

Wall Street Journal- Tasting Column Glossary

Albariño- Signature white wine from Spain — sunny, peachy, floral and mouthwatering. Excellent Value.

Celebrity wines- Any celebrity, whether living or dead, , has his or her own wine label.

Dr. Vino. The world is awash in wine bloggers — and we figure the more people who read and write about wine the better — and one good example is drvino.com, which is well-written, well-researched.

Flights- several wines tasted against each other because of some common trait, such as Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. With a surge in wine bars around the world, flights have become increasingly popular.

Kabinett- lighter German Riesling.

Malbec. Argentina’s signature red. The “red wine of the moment”

Naked. Unoaked wines.

Organic- organic wines made from organic grapes have become increasingly popular and are improving in quality.

“Sideways.” The 2004 movie that boosted Pinot Noir and the Santa Barbara County wine industry and made Merlot sales drop drastically.

Tannat. Signature red of Uruguay, one example of the many interesting wines now fighting for shelf space from all over the world.

“Wine for Dummies” Glossary A-Z

Acidity- component of wine, consisting of tantric acid. Comprises approximately .5 to .7% of wine by volume.

Alcohol level- white wines have between 9 and 14 percent while red wines have around 12 to 14 percent.

Ample: wine that is full and expansive in your mouth.

Balance: interrelationship of a wine’s alcohol, residual sugar, acid and tannin.

Cedary- having aromas or flavors that resemble the smell of cedar wood.

Charry- aromas or flavors that suggest burnt or charred wood.

Compact: wine that is intense but not full.

Complex- multiplicity of aromas and flavors.

Cosecha- vintage in Spanish.

Fermentation- the sugar in grape juice is transformed into alcohol (juice is transformed into wine) through the action of yeast.

Fortified- wine that has alcohol added to it.

French oak- finest type of oak for aging most white wines.

Intense: in reference to wine’s aromas and flavors. Example of this is the smell of lemon in wine.

Lees: grape solids and dead yeast cells that precipitate to the bottom of the wine vessel after fermentation.

Maceration- process of soaking the skins of red grapes in their grape juice to leach the skins’ color, tannin and other substances into the juice.

Malolactic fermentation: natural conversion of harsh malic acid into milder lactic acid, which weakens the total acidity of the wine.

**optional process of white wine production.

Medium-dry- slightly sweet

Medium-sweet- sweeter than medium-dry but not fully sweet.

Minerally- aromas or flavors that suggest minerals.

*Chalk, iron, steel, etc.

New World: Winemaking countries of the world that are situated outside of Europe.

Oaky- characteristics derived from oak, such as toastiness, smokiness, vanilla, higher tannin level.

Second-label wine: a less-expensive second-wine made by a winery from grapes or wine not considered worthy of the winery’s primary label.

Soft: descriptor for wine whose alcohol and sugar dominate its acidity and tannin.

Structural components: wine’s alcohol, acid, tannin and sugar.

Terroir: French word. Growing conditions in a vineyard such as climate, soil, drainage, slope, altitude, topography and so on.

Thin- wine lacking substance.

Underbrush: aromas or flavors that suggest wet leaves, dampness and slight decay, a welcome not in many older reds.

Vintage: year in which wine’s grapes grew and were harvested.

Viticulture- activity of growing grapes.

Yeasts: one-cell microorganisms responsible for transforming grape juice into wine.

My Personal Wine Glossary

Anuva Vinos- A wine club, exporter of Argentine wine and a company that offers flights both in the United States and to tourists in Buenos Aires. They carry exclusive, artisan Argentine wine that you cannot find in U.S. stores. I have visited many vinotecas and wine bars in the Buenos Aires area and Anuva is the first I have found to offer wine tastings in both English and Spanish. Incredible wine selection, customer service and hospitality.

Durigutti- winemaker featured in Anuva’s wine club that I absolutely love. Started by two brothers who mixed the American new world concept and a European tradition to create a unique and well-received concept in their production of wine. The vineyard is located in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina.
Prosecco- I first tasted this wine during a trip to the Tuscany region of Italy. From the Veneto region of Italy, this bubbly is increasingly popular in the U.S. and elsewhere. Light, bubbly, fruity, I prefer this to Champagne any day.

Low Cost, Rich Taste

rachelfalkner — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:41:53 +0000

For online resources about wine (in video!), look no further than the Wall Street Journal. Tasting columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher offer three-minute video segments as well as articles regarding wine tastings, buying wine online and also feature up-and-coming wine regions.

A reoccurring favorite in these segments is Argentina. The Malbec, which originated France has now gained world recognition in Argentina. Malbec has captured the attention of the U.S. market and exports from Argentina to the U.S. have risen 8-fold. Wineries in the United States have started making Malbec as well, most notably in California and Virginia.

History of Argentine Wines:

Winemaking in Argentina has shifted from quantity to quality wines and is now one of the most exciting countries in the world for wine production. Argentina is the fifth-largest producer of wine in the world and is the largest producer of wine in South America.

Important Regions and Grapes:
Mendoza, the largest wine region in Argentina.
- Within Mendoza there are various wine districts such as Maipu, San Martin, Tupungato, and Lujan de Cuyo.
- San Juan- North of Mendoza, the second largest wine region. Famous for Torrontes, a light-bodied white wine that is indigenous to Galicia Spain.

Wine production in Argentina is proving to be so lucrative that many outside companies have invested in Argentine wines. From California, Kendall-Jackson; from Bordeaux, the Lurton Family and also the owners of Chateau Cheval Blanc(“Windows on the World Complete Wine Course Book”)

Champagne

rachelfalkner — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:54:09 +0000

“I only drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it-unless I’m thirsty.” Madame Lily Bollinger(Bollinger Champagne House)

A few facts about this beloved bubbly…

Champagne is only champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines produced in California or Italy are simply sparkling wines.
Three main grapes produce champagne. They are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The first two are black grapes, the latter is white.

Champagne has played a large role in our society for decades. Champagne helps mark important milestones in our lives; weddings, job promotions, holidays and for some people such as Mrs.Bollinger, lunchtime. Despite the ease in which this bubbly beverage is implemented in our finest moments, the creation and labeling is far more complicated than one would originally expect.

While reading “Windows on the World” and “Wine for Dummies”, I discovered the subtle intricacies that make champagne such a special part of our cultural gatherings.

A few things that make champagne special:

The number and diversity of the vineyards (there are over 300)
The cold, deep cellars where it is kept, many of which were built during Roman times.
The 300 years of experience the champenois(citizens of Champagne have in making this sparkling wine)

Things you may want to consider the next time you are buying champagne and are confused by terms such as “brut” and “doux”.

Sweetness categories of champagne are as follows:

Extra Brut- Totally Dry
Brut-Dry
Extra Dry- Medium
Sec-Slightly Sweet
Demi-sec-Fairly Sweet
Doux- Sweet

Alternatives:

If you are unwilling to pay the high cost of champagne, there are delicious alternatives. Italy, Spain and Argentina all offer world-renowned sparking wines. My personal favorite is from Argentina, the Hom Esupmante Sparkling White 2008. At nineteen dollars a bottle, this is an economical and equally delightful choice. ( https://www.anuvawines.com/wine-store/white-wine/sparkling-wine/)

Whether you are celebrating a new chapter of your life or simply indulging during the middle of the day, I hope this helps you appreciate your next bottle of champagne even more.

Until next time, cheers!

Wine for Wisdom- Interesting facts about vino

rachelfalkner — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:14:44 +0000

A few fun facts from the books “Wine for Dummies” and “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course”

Real Champagne only comes from one wine region in France, Champagne. All other bubbly wines are simply “sparkling wines” and in many ways it is considered to be disrespectful if a company outside of the Champagne region of France prints Champagne on their label.

-The wine world has changed drastically in the last thirty years. According to Kevin Zraly,author of bestselling wine book “Windows on the World, Complete Wine Course”, there are more than 4,000 wineries in the United States today. This is a huge jump from the mere 200 wineries that existed in the US in 1970.

-Costco is the largest retailer of wine in the United States.

Top Ten Producers of wine

France
Italy
United States
Spain
Argentina
Germany
South Africa
Australia
Chile
Portugal

Common misconception about wine: All wines get better with age.

Despite the often-used expression “people, like wines, get better with age” less than one percent of wines should be aged more than five years.

-White wines gain color as they age whereas red wines lose color as they age.

Toasting with wine actually began with the ancient Greeks, derived out of a fear that someone could have poisoned the wine; they would pour a small amount of wine for everyone. This could have made for a rather lively or deadly gathering.

The 18^th Amendment to the US Constitution, the National Prohibition Act, almost singlehandedly destroyed the wine industry in the United States.This lasted for thirteen years; during this time wine was only allowed to be used as a sacrament or for medicinal purchases.

California produces 90% of US wines.

Vineyards and Wineries are the second most popular California tourist destinations after Disneyland.

Lobby Wine Bar

rachelfalkner — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:03:20 +0000

After reading an article in the Wall Street Journal regarding wine bars in Buenos Aires, I decided that I would go to each one in order to learn more about Argentine wines and wine tasting. Wednesday night I went to Lobby Wine Bar, highly rated and recommended by the Wall Street Journal. Prior to leaving for Lobby, I called to make sure they would have room for my girlfriends and I and to inquire about a tasting, with explanation and paired with food.

The overall atmosphere at Lobby was nice, but surprisingly there were few people(during the time I was there) drinking wine or doing tastings. When speaking to our server about doing a tasting, he seemed a bit confused about the inquiry I was making. To make things simple, we finally decided to try three different bottles of Malbec. Disappointingly, there was no explanation of the wine when it was served and the only thing our server did have us do was look at the cork to make sure it was not green(this I have never done before).

The wines sold at Lobby Wine Bar are all at retail price, however, each come with a twelve peso-corking fee. Overall, my experience at Lobby Wine Bar was decent at best and left me with no incentive to go back. However, I do have two more wine bars and one more tasting on the agenda which I am hoping will be more informative and educational experiences!

Hasta Luego!Cheers!

rachelfalkner — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:55:21 +0000

While trying to recall the role that wine has played in my life, I had to look far back into my past, long before my days of college drinking began. I had to examine the way my life was prior to keg beer at football games, cheap McCormick’s vodka and Keystone Light. In college, quantity often trumps quality. Oddly enough, I found myself thinking of a place I haven’t thought about for a long time, the twelve very long years I spent at a Catholic School.

My first memory of wine took place in the Catholic Church during my first Holy Communion. During this “holy sacrament” you are invited to participate in the sharing of the body and blood of Christ. In this case, the blood of Christ was represented by cheap red wine, heavily diluted by water. As an eight year old my response to drinking this was “do I have to?” Years later, as I entered my twenties, wine became less of a sacrament or tradition and more of a trendy way to socialize and share moments with friends.

Despite the growing popularity of wine and the recent literature and information available on viticulture and vintages, wine began and flourished in the exact place I originally saw it myself, the church. Did you know that in the United States wine production in the West originally began with Spanish missionaries and the Catholic Church? According to Kevin Zraly, author of “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course”, the production of wine during this time was primarily used for sacramental purposes. Later, during Prohibition, the only vineyards allowed to stay open were those dedicated to the production of church wines.

As I’m beginning to realize, there’s so much more to learn about wine than how to uncork the bottle, although that’s also an important step. How am I supposed to know which wine to order with dinner? Is drinking red wine more sophisticated than white wine? Is Merlot as lame as the movie “Sideways” led many people to believe?

With this blog, I hope to explore the history, production and the reason for which wine continues to be a huge part of our culture and lifestyle.

Until next time, cheers!

Hello world!

rachelfalkner — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:20:46 +0000

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