requiem.net.au - Wine

Wine Lesson 2 - Chardonnay

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:20:08 +1000

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.

Wine Lesson 1 - The Basics

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:25:11 +1000

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.

Wine Course

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:06:09 +1000

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

requiem.net.au - Wine

Wine Lesson 2 - Chardonnay

Introduction

The New Wine World

Wine Lesson 1 - The Basics

Introduction

Colour

Aroma and Wine Glasses

Wine Course

Wine Courses

Contents