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Since 26 Oct 2006
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Steven R. Livingstone
2004-05-04

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Wine

Wine Lesson 2 - Chardonnay

Steven @ Tue, 2006-04-11 12:20

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the second instalment of the requiem wine series. In this lesson we'll focusing on the white wine Chardonnay, and how it has become the de facto standard. We'll also be taking a look how Australia has firmly placed its stamp on the world Chardonnay market.

 

 The New Wine World

When people think of wine, they picture idyllic vineyards, frost-covered chateaus in the remote French mountains. While France is still capable of producing the finest wine in the world, it is now far from the largest seller/producer of wine.

Prior to the mid 20th century, wine could only be grown and brewed in the cold climates of northern Europe. With the advent of refrigeration, wine brewing/production was opened up to a host of new regions. While wine production requires near-zero temperatures for brewing, the growing of wine grapes does not. Because of this, regions such as Australia have shot to prominence in the wine world, with consistently good grape vintages, resulting from consistently good weather.

Filed under: Wine
Wine Lesson 1 - The Basics

Steven @ Thu, 2006-03-30 23:25

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the first instalment of the requiem wine series. The majority of this information was sourced from Janice Robinson BBC wine course series. Like the series, the information contained in each episode focuses on a specific aspect of wine. So as not to overload the reader/listener on the first lesson, other wine-related information is spread across the other nine lessons. I hope you enjoy this wine series.

 

Colour 

One of the best ways to tell the age of a wine is through its colour. Essentially, the browner a wine, the older, be it a red or a white wine. The colour will range between dark purple (young) to pale brick orange/red (old).

  • Very dark red can indicate the wine is made from young grapes, or very ripe grapes. By ripe, we refer to a combination of age and picking time. The larger the sugar content, the riper the grape. Why sugar is important can be found in Lesson 3.
  • The colour is also effected by the skin of the grapes (see wine stomping). Thick-skinned grapes, when stomped, add a lot of red colour to the wine.
By holding a glass of wine on its side up to the light, or against a white tablecloth, the colour at the edge of the wine indicates its age. The more orange/brick tinge, the older; the bluer, the younger.

For more information on colour, I refer you to this Loire Valley page (includes images).

 

Aroma and Wine Glasses

Wine should always been drank from a long-stemmed wine glass. Hold the glass by the stem, so as not to affect the temperature of the wine in the glass.

Filed under: Wine
Wine Course

Steven @ Thu, 2006-03-30 23:06

Wine Courses

 Contents
 Lesson 1 Basics such as Colour, Smell, How to drink, Tannin etc
 Lesson 2 Chardonnay and new wine world - History, regions, How it's made, Wine Barrels, How it tastes, How to spot good Chardonnay
 Lesson 3 Cabernet Sauvignon (as above) & Wine Cellaring
 Lesson 4 Sauvignon Blanc (as above)
 Lesson 5 Shiraz/Syrah (as above)
 Lesson 6 Riesling (as above), How to Serve Wine (temperature etc), Wine Sweetness, Corked Wine
 Lesson 7 Pinot Noir (as above)
 Lesson 8 Merlot (as above)
 Lesson 9 Champagne (as above), Grape types, Wine gas
 Lesson 10 International Grape Varieties

 

Filed under: Wine
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