A Deutsche Welle video: Ralf Mattern builds wooden barrels. He's one of the last of his kind in Germany but his work is more popular than ever. More and more young vintners are ordering their barrels from him. They know that high-quality wine matures better in barrels made of oak rather than steel.
Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts
Moscato Wine
Muscat grape
The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world.
The breadth and number of varieties of muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.
Muscat wines
Moscato (or Muscat) tends to be a popular white wine among new wine lovers. It also enjoys a following with seasoned wine enthusiasts who enjoy a lighter-styled wine.
Moscato is known for its perfume-like fragrance, light-body, semi-sparkling, spritzy character (frizzante), lower alcohol content (5-8% abv) and fruit-forward palate profile with a welcoming sweet factor. The wine's color is straw yellow.
Muscat grapes are one of the major varieties grown for table wine.
Muscat grapes are used to make a variety of sweet dessert wines in various parts of the world. Typically, these are fortified wines.
References:
Moscato Wine - About.com http://buff.ly/UXwdCq
Muscat (grape) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://buff.ly/Yb2X1i
Moscato - Barefoot Wine & Bubbly http://buff.ly/UXwogW
The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world.
The breadth and number of varieties of muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.
Muscat wines
Moscato (or Muscat) tends to be a popular white wine among new wine lovers. It also enjoys a following with seasoned wine enthusiasts who enjoy a lighter-styled wine.
Moscato is known for its perfume-like fragrance, light-body, semi-sparkling, spritzy character (frizzante), lower alcohol content (5-8% abv) and fruit-forward palate profile with a welcoming sweet factor. The wine's color is straw yellow.
Muscat grapes are one of the major varieties grown for table wine.
Muscat grapes are used to make a variety of sweet dessert wines in various parts of the world. Typically, these are fortified wines.
References:
Moscato Wine - About.com http://buff.ly/UXwdCq
Muscat (grape) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://buff.ly/Yb2X1i
Moscato - Barefoot Wine & Bubbly http://buff.ly/UXwogW
The French wines explained by Rick Steves
From Chicago Tribune:
Terroir is a French concept. Terroir is "somewhere-ness," a combination of the macro- and micro-climate, soil, geology and culture. The French don't call a wine by the grape's name - 2 wines can be made of the same grape but be of different character because of their terroir.
Grapevines are creepers, with roots going through the topsoil and into the geology layers deep down, commonly 150 feet. A vintner can influence the topsoil but he cannot change the deep geology layers. This gives the wine a distinct character. The French do not allow irrigation, thus forcing the grapes to search deep for water.
There are 2 kinds of wine in the world: that of big growers and that of little growers. Big business works better for wine in places such as Argentina and Australia (where 3 companies dominate the wine industry). Most French wine still is made by thousands of small, independent vintners.
The French are not enthusiastic about the oaky taste of American wine. "I don't like oak shaping my wine", said one French vintner.
Because of global climate change and higher temperature, the grapes become sweet many days before the tannin level is ready (they used to "mature" at the same time). The average wine was 11% alcohol in the past; now it's 13% because of the higher sugar content.
References:
Put a cork in intimidation over French wine. Rick Steves, Tribune Media, 02/2011.
Terroir is a French concept. Terroir is "somewhere-ness," a combination of the macro- and micro-climate, soil, geology and culture. The French don't call a wine by the grape's name - 2 wines can be made of the same grape but be of different character because of their terroir.
Grapevines are creepers, with roots going through the topsoil and into the geology layers deep down, commonly 150 feet. A vintner can influence the topsoil but he cannot change the deep geology layers. This gives the wine a distinct character. The French do not allow irrigation, thus forcing the grapes to search deep for water.
There are 2 kinds of wine in the world: that of big growers and that of little growers. Big business works better for wine in places such as Argentina and Australia (where 3 companies dominate the wine industry). Most French wine still is made by thousands of small, independent vintners.
The French are not enthusiastic about the oaky taste of American wine. "I don't like oak shaping my wine", said one French vintner.
Because of global climate change and higher temperature, the grapes become sweet many days before the tannin level is ready (they used to "mature" at the same time). The average wine was 11% alcohol in the past; now it's 13% because of the higher sugar content.
References:
Put a cork in intimidation over French wine. Rick Steves, Tribune Media, 02/2011.
Chianti wines
From Chicago Tribune:
"Italian wines still make me nervous, with all of the country's regions and subregions; the plethora of hard-to-pronounce grape names; inconsistent labeling, with some wines named for the region, others for the grape.
"Chianti can reflect the essence of Tuscan wine". Chianti is a region in central Tuscany, roughly from Florence to Siena. Chianti Classico is an area in the central part of the Chianti region; its wines are generally considered to be superior.
To be called Chianti, the wine has to be a blend of grapes with at least 75 percent sangiovese. Traditionally, other indigenous grapes were blended with the sangiovese.
References:
The essence of Tuscany. Chicago Tribune, 10/2010.
"Italian wines still make me nervous, with all of the country's regions and subregions; the plethora of hard-to-pronounce grape names; inconsistent labeling, with some wines named for the region, others for the grape.
"Chianti can reflect the essence of Tuscan wine". Chianti is a region in central Tuscany, roughly from Florence to Siena. Chianti Classico is an area in the central part of the Chianti region; its wines are generally considered to be superior.
To be called Chianti, the wine has to be a blend of grapes with at least 75 percent sangiovese. Traditionally, other indigenous grapes were blended with the sangiovese.
References:
The essence of Tuscany. Chicago Tribune, 10/2010.
California's Bargain Wine Boom in San Joaquin Valley - TIME Video
As consumers shift away from expensive Napa Valley wines, business is booming for small winemakers in nearby San Joaquin Valley. TIME magazine, 2010.
Video: How To Select Italian Wine
Video: How To Pick an Italian Wine.
Howcast | July 09, 2010 | Now that you have the perfect wine, these simple steps will have you pouring like a sommelier: How To Pour Wine.
Making of Wine - Infographic Video
The Conception of Wine - Infographic from Tiago Cabaco on Vimeo.
A designer explains the basics behind making wine. Link via Flowing Data.Documentary: Wine for the Confused
Available on Netflix as of March 2010:
Wine for the Confused is a documentary hosted by John Cleese of Monty Python fame. It is a light-hearted introduction to wine for novices.
Cleese guides viewers through the basics of wine types and grape varieties, wine making, wine tasting and terminology, buying and storing wines, through direct narrative and interviews with wine makers and wine sellers. The film includes visits to wineries in California.
The film concludes with a large group conducting a blind wine tasting. One of the tasting results was the fact that most tasters could not distinguish between red wine and white wine. Another was that most tasters rated an inexpensive wine equal in taste to an expensive prestige wine, and both of these out scored the rest of the mid-priced and high-priced wines in the blind test.
Wine for the Confused. YouTube.
Wine for the Confused. Hulu.
References:
Wine for the Confused. Wikipedia.
Wine for the Confused is a documentary hosted by John Cleese of Monty Python fame. It is a light-hearted introduction to wine for novices.
Cleese guides viewers through the basics of wine types and grape varieties, wine making, wine tasting and terminology, buying and storing wines, through direct narrative and interviews with wine makers and wine sellers. The film includes visits to wineries in California.
The film concludes with a large group conducting a blind wine tasting. One of the tasting results was the fact that most tasters could not distinguish between red wine and white wine. Another was that most tasters rated an inexpensive wine equal in taste to an expensive prestige wine, and both of these out scored the rest of the mid-priced and high-priced wines in the blind test.
Wine for the Confused. YouTube.
Wine for the Confused. Hulu.
References:
Wine for the Confused. Wikipedia.
Films: Mondovino
Mondovino (Italian: World of Wine) is a 2004 documentary film on the impact of globalization on the world's different wine regions written and directed by American film maker Jonathan Nossiter.
It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and a César Award.
The film explores the impact of globalization on the various wine-producing regions, and the influence of critics like Robert Parker and consultants like Michel Rolland in defining an international style. It pits the ambitions of large, multinational wine producers, in particular Robert Mondavi, against the small, single estate wineries who have traditionally boasted wines with individual character driven by their terroir.
The film gave Nossiter a chance to utilize his knowledge as a trained sommelier as well as an opportunity to visit some of the great wine regions of the world.
Mondovino was filmed with a hand held Sony digital camcorder over the course of 4 years for a budget around $400,000. Over 500 hours of original film was shot at locations in 7 countries on 3 continents in 5 languages (French, Italian, Spanish, English and Portuguese).
The film was shot entirely in single camera, about 60% of the time operated by Nossiter with the camera on his hip while he is conversing with the subject. The cinematography does frequently employ "intense" zooms, sometimes right up to the subject's eyeballs, which Nossiter explains as a necessary means to keep the handheld camera in focus.
The film was edited down to 2 hrs 15 minutes after the screening.
References:
Mondovino. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondovino
Jonathan Nossiter, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Nossiter
Robert M. Parker, Jr. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Parker,_Jr.
Michel Rolland. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Rolland
Related:
It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and a César Award.
The film explores the impact of globalization on the various wine-producing regions, and the influence of critics like Robert Parker and consultants like Michel Rolland in defining an international style. It pits the ambitions of large, multinational wine producers, in particular Robert Mondavi, against the small, single estate wineries who have traditionally boasted wines with individual character driven by their terroir.
The film gave Nossiter a chance to utilize his knowledge as a trained sommelier as well as an opportunity to visit some of the great wine regions of the world.
Mondovino was filmed with a hand held Sony digital camcorder over the course of 4 years for a budget around $400,000. Over 500 hours of original film was shot at locations in 7 countries on 3 continents in 5 languages (French, Italian, Spanish, English and Portuguese).
The film was shot entirely in single camera, about 60% of the time operated by Nossiter with the camera on his hip while he is conversing with the subject. The cinematography does frequently employ "intense" zooms, sometimes right up to the subject's eyeballs, which Nossiter explains as a necessary means to keep the handheld camera in focus.
The film was edited down to 2 hrs 15 minutes after the screening.
References:
Mondovino. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondovino
Jonathan Nossiter, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Nossiter
Robert M. Parker, Jr. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Parker,_Jr.
Michel Rolland. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Rolland
Related:
Wine: La Vieille Ferme at Costco
Château de Beaucastel
Jean Pierre Perrin established La Vieille Ferme over 35 years ago to produce an inexpensive Rhône wine to sell by direct mail in France. He used the same grape varieties planted at the family's Château de Beaucastel. The result was an immediate success in France.
Perrin is fifth generation owner of one of the greatest domaines in Chateauneuf du Pape - Chateau de Beaucastel. Beaucastel has been producing some of the world's greatest wines since early in the 20th century (but its lineage goes back to the 16th century).
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux
Initially, Jean Pierre made only Côtes du Rhône, but steeply rising grape prices in 1976 caused him to switch to Côtes du Ventoux. La Vieille Ferme was introduced to the United States in 1970.
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge (red wine) is a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 15% Cinsault. The wine is 1.5 L, 13.5% alc., $10.99 at Costco.
The southern slopes of the Mont Ventoux (1912 metres/ 5736 feet) are 25 km/40 miles to the east of the town of Orange. The vineyards lie around the towns of Mazan, Moimoiron, Villes sur Auzon, Puymeras and Saint-Didier, where the average height above sea level is 300 metres/1000 feet.
The soil varies according to altitude but consists for the most part of deposits left around the base of the chalky Mont Ventoux by the seas of the Tertiary period. Red Mediterranean soils blend with chalk debris and round stones.
The grapes are lightly crushed and fermented in cement vats of 150 and 300 hectolitres. The fermentation is classic and extended. The wine is kept in both vats and large oak barrels for ten months, then bottled in July.
Grenache
Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. Grenache is the dominant variety in most Southern Rhône wines, especially in Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it is typically over 80% of the blend. In Australia it is typically blended in "GSM" blends with Syrah and Mourvèdre
Syrah or Shiraz
Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines.
Carignan
Carignan is a red wine grape that originated in Cariñena, Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, and much of the New World. Along with Aramon, it considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake. The wine lake refers to the continuing supply surplus of wine (supply glut) produced in the European Union.
Cinsault
Cinsault (pronounced "san-so") is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco. It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache and Carignane to add softness and bouquet. The vine is very drought resistant, it can produce heavy crops with large cylindrical bunches of black grapes with fairly thick skins.
References:
La Vieille Ferme. Wine.com.
What to do, what to do... Grapes & Greens.
La Vieille Ferme Red 2006 AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Related:
Jean Pierre Perrin established La Vieille Ferme over 35 years ago to produce an inexpensive Rhône wine to sell by direct mail in France. He used the same grape varieties planted at the family's Château de Beaucastel. The result was an immediate success in France.
Perrin is fifth generation owner of one of the greatest domaines in Chateauneuf du Pape - Chateau de Beaucastel. Beaucastel has been producing some of the world's greatest wines since early in the 20th century (but its lineage goes back to the 16th century).
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux
Initially, Jean Pierre made only Côtes du Rhône, but steeply rising grape prices in 1976 caused him to switch to Côtes du Ventoux. La Vieille Ferme was introduced to the United States in 1970.
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge (red wine) is a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 15% Cinsault. The wine is 1.5 L, 13.5% alc., $10.99 at Costco.
The southern slopes of the Mont Ventoux (1912 metres/ 5736 feet) are 25 km/40 miles to the east of the town of Orange. The vineyards lie around the towns of Mazan, Moimoiron, Villes sur Auzon, Puymeras and Saint-Didier, where the average height above sea level is 300 metres/1000 feet.
The soil varies according to altitude but consists for the most part of deposits left around the base of the chalky Mont Ventoux by the seas of the Tertiary period. Red Mediterranean soils blend with chalk debris and round stones.
The grapes are lightly crushed and fermented in cement vats of 150 and 300 hectolitres. The fermentation is classic and extended. The wine is kept in both vats and large oak barrels for ten months, then bottled in July.
Grenache
Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. Grenache is the dominant variety in most Southern Rhône wines, especially in Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it is typically over 80% of the blend. In Australia it is typically blended in "GSM" blends with Syrah and Mourvèdre
Syrah or Shiraz
Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines.
Carignan
Carignan is a red wine grape that originated in Cariñena, Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, and much of the New World. Along with Aramon, it considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake. The wine lake refers to the continuing supply surplus of wine (supply glut) produced in the European Union.
Cinsault
Cinsault (pronounced "san-so") is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco. It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache and Carignane to add softness and bouquet. The vine is very drought resistant, it can produce heavy crops with large cylindrical bunches of black grapes with fairly thick skins.
References:
La Vieille Ferme. Wine.com.
What to do, what to do... Grapes & Greens.
La Vieille Ferme Red 2006 AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Related:
High-volume "Two Buck Chuck"winery looks like oil refinery on Google Maps satellite images
From The New Yorker:
"It also irritates Franzia when people describe Bronco’s facility, with its 452 stainless-steel storage tanks–including 6 liquid oxygen tanks that once held fuel for intercontinental ballistic missiles and are now being used to make champagne – as being reminiscent of an oil refinery."
Judge for yourself from the Google Maps satellite view below:
View Larger Map
From CNN:
"In 2002, Franzia persuaded Trader Joe's to sell a low-end label called Charles Shaw (after the winemaker who sold the tony label to Franzia, and dubbed Two Buck Chuck by consumers) that waged war on domestic wines in the $4 to $10 range - and was named best chardonnay in a blind taste test at July's California State Fair over far pricier competition.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that the two biggest things that have happened to the wine industry in the last 10 years are the movie Sideways and Two Buck Chuck," says Gary Vaynerchuk."
The Bronco Wine Company maintains over 50 brands of wine.
References:
Fred Franzia and American wine under $10. Dr. Vino.
7-Eleven convenience store chain is getting into the value wine business, releasing two low-priced proprietary wines. MSNBC.
Fred Franzia and Two Buck Chuck. The New Yorker.
Two Buck Chuck takes a bite out of Napa. CNN.
Why You Should Be Drinking Cheap Wine - Slate Magazine, 2011.
Charles Shaw wine. Wikipedia.
Bronco Wine Company. Wikipedia.
"It also irritates Franzia when people describe Bronco’s facility, with its 452 stainless-steel storage tanks–including 6 liquid oxygen tanks that once held fuel for intercontinental ballistic missiles and are now being used to make champagne – as being reminiscent of an oil refinery."
Judge for yourself from the Google Maps satellite view below:
View Larger Map
From CNN:
"In 2002, Franzia persuaded Trader Joe's to sell a low-end label called Charles Shaw (after the winemaker who sold the tony label to Franzia, and dubbed Two Buck Chuck by consumers) that waged war on domestic wines in the $4 to $10 range - and was named best chardonnay in a blind taste test at July's California State Fair over far pricier competition.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that the two biggest things that have happened to the wine industry in the last 10 years are the movie Sideways and Two Buck Chuck," says Gary Vaynerchuk."
The Bronco Wine Company maintains over 50 brands of wine.
References:
Fred Franzia and American wine under $10. Dr. Vino.
7-Eleven convenience store chain is getting into the value wine business, releasing two low-priced proprietary wines. MSNBC.
Fred Franzia and Two Buck Chuck. The New Yorker.
Two Buck Chuck takes a bite out of Napa. CNN.
Why You Should Be Drinking Cheap Wine - Slate Magazine, 2011.
Charles Shaw wine. Wikipedia.
Bronco Wine Company. Wikipedia.
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