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 You may see wording like oak aged or oak influenced on wine labels. In order to be guaranteed that oak barrels were used and not oak chip as is commonly used for less expensive wines, you must see the word “barrel” in the description. |
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Product Knowledge It can be said that tequila is a form of mezcal, though it can’t be said that a mezcal is a form of tequila. Both are derived from the agave plant that is indigenous to Mexico, but what are the key differences between the two? Let’s take a look. Tequila Mezcal General
Info There are three types of tequila:
Myths
As the name implies, Ice Wine is made from grapes that have been frozen. Healthy ripe grapes are left on the vines until the cold winter temperature freezes them, usually in December or January. A temperature of at least –8ºC/17.6ºF is required in the vineyard, so this harvest usually takes place during the night or in the early morning. Ice Wines contain high levels of sugar and acidity like wines made from noble rot, but the concentration of sweet juice is a direct result of the water in the grape freezing. When the frozen grapes are pressed, the frozen water crystals are left behind and only the concentrated sweet juice is extracted. This is made possible because the sweet juice has a lower freezing temperature than water. Ice Wines are extremely expensive due in part to certain risk factors to the producers, the harvesting method, low yields and demand. Leaving grapes on the vines for a prolonged period of time opens the door for potential loss. The constant attack from birds and other animals, as well as the potential loss due to rot has to be addressed by the vintner. Some vineyards drape their vines with expensive nylon filaments (nets) to prevent loss due to birds. In regards to the harvesting of the grapes, the cost is higher because it must be done by hand and not with the use of a mechanical harvester. Another factor is the low yields produced from each harvest. The juice extracted from frozen berries is a fraction of what the yield would be if they weren’t frozen. Lastly, there is a great demand on this product that is produced in such small quantities. Since it requires a specific climate to produce a natural ice wine, only the most northerly-located vineyards can produce it. This would include Canada and Germany. Eiswein, as it is called in Germany, is one of the six sub-categories of Qualitatswein mit Pradikat classification. Ice Wine or Eiswein have the potential to age for a long period of time provided they are stored in the proper conditions. It should be noted that there is a practice allowed in some countries to artificially replicate the natural conditions required to produce ice wine. Freshly picked grapes are placed into a cold room for freezing overnight then pressed immediately. Further to the freezing point of grape juice as mentioned above, it is dependent on the concentration of sugars. Any less ripened grapes will be frozen, allowing only the sweet juice of the ripened grapes to make up the wine. These wines lack the character of a naturally produced ice wine. Champagne - In order for a wine to be called champagne, it must be produced from the region of Champagne located in northern France. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are the grapes used to produce champagne. Champagne is produced through the Methode Champenoise or the Traditional Method. Adding yeast and sugar to a dry wine, which is then bottled, creates a second fermentation. It is through the process of fermentation that carbon dioxide is produced, which gives the sparkle. The second fermentation takes place within the bottle, leaving sediment. The removal process of the sediment takes place in two stages called remuage and degorgement. Remuage is the method used to move the sediment towards the neck of the bottle by turning and tilting the bottles gradually. Degorgement is the process of passing the neck of the bottle through a freezing solution, creating a small plug of ice. On removal of the cap, the pressure of the gas forces this block of ice holding the sediment out. The bottles can then be topped up with some cane sugar. The amount of cane sugar added depends on the degree of sweetness required in the final wine. By law, the total period of aging must be a minimum of fifteen months for non-vintage wines and a three-year minimum for vintage wines. Sparkling Wine – There are three methods used to produce the sparkle in the wine. They can be made anywhere in the world and use any number of unspecified grape varieties. Tank Method – second fermentation takes place in sealed pressurized tanks. The wine is then filtered from the sediment under pressure, receives some liqueur d’expedition (syrupy mixture of sugar and wine) and is bottled. The tank method is a faster, much less expensive method than bottle fermentation. The wine is handled in bulk, and the complicated remuage and degorgement processes are eliminated. Transfer Method – is very similar to the traditional method. The major difference is that – instead of the remuage and degorgement steps – the wine, after a second fermentation in the bottle, is transferred to a pressurized tank where it passes through a filtration system to remove sediment. Injection Method – is simply pumping carbon dioxide into a tank full of wine and bottling it under pressure so that the gas cannot escape. The bubbles produced in this method are large and fade almost at once, when the wine is poured. Portugal is responsible for producing one of today’s most famous fortified wines, that being port. Although port styled wines can be produced anywhere in the world, true port or “Porto” can only be produced in northern Portugal from grapes grown in the upper Douro Valley. In making port, natural fermentation is only allowed to take place for a short period of time, usually between 36 and 48 hours. Brandy consisting of approximately 77% alcohol is then added to kill the yeast before it has had a chance to convert all of the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The end result is a very sweet, rich wine with an alcohol level generally at 20%. Regardless of where ports are produced, they are basically made in two styles, wood-aged and bottle-aged. Wood-aging allows the majority of sediment created during aging time to drop out, while the remainder is often removed through light filtering. In contrast, bottle-aged Ports require decanting because of the heavy deposit created in the bottle. Although some time is spent in wood, Vintage Porto, Crusted Porto and Single Quinta Porto are bottle aged and require decanting prior to serving. Late-Bottled Vintage Porto (LBV), Tawny Porto, Colheita, Ruby Porto and White Porto seldom require decanting. Unlike bottle-aged Porto, wood-aged Porto is generally ready to be consumed when bottled. Many comments arise when the sweetness of a wine is discussed. Some of us may feel that the sugar rating on our bin labels do not best describe the amount of sugar in a particular wine. Contrary to some beliefs, the sugar rating is not subjective but rather scientific. The exact level of residual sugar in a wine is measured and provided to us from each supplier in a quantity of grams per litre. This level is then compared with a table to see where it lies to indicate the sugar code. The table is as follows (0 is the driest):
One’s impression of a wine’s sweetness is sometimes influenced by the grape variety used in a particular wine. This may occur when a wine is not properly balanced between acidity and sweetness, or if a wine borders on either end of the sugar scale, making it appear that it is off by one number. As well, a typical Riesling may seem sweeter than indicated due to its fruity taste. In contrast, a red tannic wine may seem drier than indicated due to the bitter, mouth-drying characteristics of tannins. Step-By-Step Instructions For A Wine Tasting STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
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