Blog about Growing your own Grapes and Making Great Wine - Part 6

Do You Know These Little Known Facts About Tuscany Wines?

Entertain with the Region’s Finest Wines

Wine can add a sophisticated touch to any party or dinner that you host. When entertaining, treat your guests to the smooth flavor of Italian wine, specifically Tuscany wine.

Italy produces more wine than any other country in the world, and some of the finest varieties hail from the Tuscany region. Wine has been produced in Tuscany for hundreds and hundreds of years. In recent decades Tuscan winemakers have put great effort into the quality of their products, resulting in the excellent Tuscany wine on the market today. Tuscany wine is enjoyed widely and is easy to find in restaurants and diners as well as stores.

Super Tuscan Wine

In the past few decades an unofficial category of Tuscany wine has arisen, given the name Super Tuscan. Wines created by making unconventional blends of different grape varieties fall under the Super Tuscan category.

Tuscany Wine Zones

Tuscany is divided into several wine zones. Three of the most important of these are Bolgheri, Chianti Classico and Montalcino.

What is Bolgheri Tuscany Wine?

The Bolgheri zone, located in the west of Tuscany, is the birthplace of Sassacaia and Tignanello, which began the Super-Tuscan trend. In recent decades Bolgheri wine has received much attention for the quality of its wines. Winemakers in the Bolgheri zone specialize in red Tuscany wine created by blending the grapes of Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Several different wines are produced using different combinations of these grapes.

What is Chianti Classico Tuscany Wine?

What more classic image of Tuscany wine is there than the straw basket covered bottle of Chianti resting on a checkered tablecloth in a cozy Italian restaurant? The Chianti Classico zone lies in central Tuscany. Red Sangiovese grapes are the primary ingredient of Chianti Classico, but they are generally blended with other grapes, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo. Chianti Classico is a full-bodied, bold wine that makes a good complement to well-seasoned food. Chianti Classico wine has come a long way from its inexpensive, straw bottled past and today there are some excellent wines produced in the region. You can still get the straw basket variety if you choose, however.

What is Montalcino Tuscany Wine?

The Montalcino zone is located in the Siena area of Tuscany. Montalcino is known for producing the Brunello di Montalcino variety of Tuscany wine. Brunello di Montalcino is a red wine made from the Sangiovese grape and normally aged for at least four years, two in oak barrels. Brunello di Montalcino goes well with steak, roasts and flavorful cheeses.

More Tuscany Wine

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a robust red wine that is also based on the Sangiovese grape and is similar to Brunello di Montalcino. Trebbiano is a traditional white Tuscany wine. Bianco di Pitigliano is produced in the southern Tuscan region of Pitigliano, and is a popular white Tuscany wine. Vernaccia di San Gimignano, made near Siena, is one of the best known Tuscany white wines.

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The Subtle Importance Of The Right Glassware

The right glassware is an integral part of the wine drinking experience. Its true that you can get wine in cans or cardboard cartons and there may come a time when we drink wine through straws.Hopefully that day is a very long way off, because that would ruin many excellent wines and put the corkscrew makers out of business!

Good glassware (not necessarily expensive glasses) is central to the enjoyment of a good wine.In fact, very expensive glassware is often not a sensible choice as the designs tend to have long stems and a high centre of gravity.A glass filled with wine is inherently unstable and there cant be anyone who drinks wine who hasn’t tipped over the odd glass during a conversation or meal.Wine glasses will break and theres nothing you can do about that, aside from buying glasses that are fairly sturdy and reasonably priced.

A good wine glass ideally it should be made of glass. It should be perfectly clear with no tints or opaque colours because apart from just holding the wine, decent glassware should also display it. The true deep colour of a wine can be a beautiful sight in a clear, clean glass just as a range of bottles can be impressive in a well constructed wine rack.A glass should also enhance and preserve the wine’s bouquet. Good wine glasses, no matter what price, are narrower at the top than at the bottom to concentrate the aromas of the wine. Experienced wine drinkers swirl the wine in the glass before taking the first sip to release more of its bouquet.

So if you plan to buy a wine gift this Christmas, any decent collection of glasses will do the trick. The only truly unacceptable wine glass is the one most associated with the high life in popular culture and the cinema – the saucer-like champagne glass – which is guaranteed to warm the wine and make it flat in record time. They are perfect for a shrimp cocktail starter, but otherwise for champagne and sparkling wines use a flute.

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Growing Vines Grapes – Secret Way To Juicy Grapes

For some people it seem so easy to produce high quality grapes that they are so willingly to share with the rest of the neighbourhood. Wouldn’t you have done the same just to show people how good you are at growing large grapes? But what are their secret to produce these high quality grapes that are so large and taste so great?

Well there are many things in the equation that decides the quality of the grapes. One deciding factor is the type of soil that the grape vine is planted in. Grape vines generally like poor soil that is well drained. Also, grape vines need a lot of sun and high temperature. Therefor you should plant the vines on slopes that are facing south. If you plant them on slopes or walls facing north then it would be a lot more difficult to produce grapes. But there is one thing that stands out more than anything else..

I’m about to share with you a secret when growing grapes that will help you to produce large amounts of tasty grapes year after year.

The number one factor that decides how much fruit you get and how tasty it’s going to be is the quality of your pruning.

If you know how to prune then you will also know how to get large and tasty grapes.

However, pruning is to some people very hard and it can be if you have no idea how to do it. Luckily I will tell you how to do it correctly.

Follow these step by step instructions and pruning won’t be a difficult task for you.

• You should only prune when the plant is in its dormant stage which occurs after the leaves drop. This is in the autumn and if you prune in this time then the plant won,t bleed and get damaged.  

• Heavy pruning will result in very high quality fruit, Very heavy pruning results in no fruit but a lot of vegetable growth. No pruning results in large amounts of low quality fruit or no fruit at all.  

• For wine you should leave 20 – 30 buds per grape vine. This will produce high quality grapes.  

• For juice and jelly you should leave 50 – 80 buds per vine. This will produce large amounts with medium quality fruit.  

• Cut back to the third bud each year. This might seem like a lot but the plant will grow back and it’s essential if you want to produce fruit year after year.  
• Canes that produced fruit this year wont produce fruit the next year so you have to cut those canes off.

Pruning is a lot more easier if you have the right training system. Here’s another great resource you should checkout when growing award winning grapes, click that link to find out more.

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Growing Grape Vines From Seeds

Don’t you just love to eat grapes in a sunny afternoon. To me they always seem to taste the best when you are lying in the shade after working hard.

You can grow your own grapes starting with just seeds that comes from grapes that you buy in the supermarket. But just so you know.. Traditionally grape vines comes from cuttings and not from seeds. Cuttings are a part of a plant that is already known to produce grapes. This part is treated with growth hormones in order to develop roots and to start growing. Getting a fruit from grape vines that comes from seeds are a bit more difficult but it can be done if you follow the correct steps.

After you have read this article you will know how to cultivate a grape vine from a seed in 5 simple steps. It’s an easy process so lets get started.

1. The first step is to extract the grape seeds from the berry and it’s pretty easy. Just slice the berries in half and extract the seeds on a paper towel. Let the seeds air dry for about a day.
 
2. The second step is to expose the seeds for a low temperature treatment called “Stratification”. To do this: simply place your seeds on a wet paper towel, or peat moss in the refrigerator for about 60 – 90 days. The temperature should be around 1 – 2 degrees Celsius, or 35 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. After the stratification it’s time to plant the seeds in small seed pots. Use a special seed growing soil that is low on nutrients. This will allow the plant to grow faster and stronger. 1 seed per pot and don’t plant the seeds to deep. About 1 cm, or half an inch is fine. Place the seed pots warm. 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) is required in order for the seeds to germinate. It should take about 1 – 2 weeks before the seeds have sprouted.

4. When the small sprouts have grown to about two inches (5 cm) then it’s time to replant them in a bigger pot. The bigger pot should have different soil which has more nutrition than the first soil.

5. You should let the plants grow indoors for about 12 months before you consider putting it outside. Under the 12-month period then be sure to water the plant and place it in warm temperature. If it grows big, then replant it to a bigger pot for more room.

When it’s time to plant the grape vine outside then I recommend you to get help because it’s very tricky and you have to get it exactly right. 1 mistake and you could be without grapes no matter how hard you try.

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A Taste Of Wine

Red Wine

The first operation performed on grapes after they are removed from their storage is to de-stem them, which is the process of removing the grape from the shoots to which they are attached.
As soon as all the grapes in the batch are de-stemmed, they are placed into the wine press where they are compressed into a paste which in turn releases the must (the juice of the fruit). The resulting paste (or pomace) and must combination then spend time together in a cask and it is the length of time that the mixture sits with the must in contact with the grape skin and pulp that determines the character of the finished wine.

When the winemaker determines the right amount of time has passed, the juice is drawn off and yeast added to begin the fermentation process with the remaining pomace, in many cases, being returned to the vineyard to be used as a fertilizer.

Once the colour and sugar content are correct the cask valve is opened and the first juice, which is the best quality wine, is then transferred into other containers where the fermentation process is finalized.

‘Pressed wines’, which are full of tannin, are made from the leftover solids. They have a strong colour and are generally mixed with the first juice in many different ways to create wines of different strengths and flavours.

When the fermentation process is complete, the wine is either bottled straight away, or left to age.

White Wine

When making white wine it is important not to damage the grapes, so they are poured into the receiving bins as quickly as possible. Once they are all in the receiving bin, the grapes are then transferred to the press where the must is separated from the skins and other solids.

At this stage the solids are disregarded and the remaining must is slightly refrigerated before being transferred into a stainless steel vat where it is allowed to ferment. Care is taken to maintain the temperature during fermenting which preserves the delicate aromas of the finished wine.

Once the fermentation process is complete, the resultant wine is decanted taking care to avoid the sediment which collects at the bottom of the vat. After decanting, the wine is bottled and ready to be sold, and is best drunk within two years.

Sweet Dessert Wines

Dessert wines are produced in one of two ways. In the first method, Botrytis Cinera, a fungus which grows very quickly, is used. This transforms the fruit and changes the colour and also alters the acid components and sugar levels. The second method is to interrupt the fermentation process by adding alcohol. This method creates a strong, sweet wine where the grape is the major flavour.

Grapes used for sweet wines are of the white Moscatel and Garnacha varieties which, along with the production process, leave the wine with a mushroom type smell as the bottle is opened.

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Wine Tasting – Understanding The Wines Of France

Are you baffled by the huge variety of French wines and completely lost when it comes to deciding which wine will best suit your needs?

Each of the eight wine producing regions of France specializes in producing wine of a particular type and flavor and this simple overview will hopefully make choosing French wines a little easier.

Burgundy

Burgundy wines are produced from the black Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes and from the white Chardonnay grape.

The Pinot Noir is probably one of the world’s oldest grape varieties and is notoriously difficult to grow. It does however produce some of our best wines which are full-bodied and rich and at the same time can be light, soft and velvety. Pinot noir wines often have an aroma of cherries accompanied by a spiciness that is reminiscent of cinnamon or mint.

The Chardonnay grape is a very popular grape which produces light, delicate dry wines with a distinctive but often difficult to describe aroma conjuring up a vision of apples, peaches or lemons.

Bordeaux

The wines of Bordeaux are based upon the related black Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, found particularly in the Medoc district of Bordeaux, and the black Merlot grape.

Cabernet Sauvignon wines improve greatly with age and are often amongst the world’s truly great wines. With age the distinctive blackcurrant aroma of wines from this grape develops overtones of cedar, violets and leather and the wines, which are characteristically deep in flavor, often become smooth and soft.

Wines made from the Merlot grape are very similar to those produced from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape but have a less distinctive aroma and flavor.

If it seems strange that white wines should be produced from black grapes then bear in mind that grape juice, whether from black or white grapes, is essentially colorless and it is the skin of the black grape that gives the wine its color.

Rhone

The grape varieties most often seen in the Rhone valley are the black Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes and the white Muscat grape.

Syrah grapes produce intense rich wines which are almost black in color and which have an aroma that is spicy in nature. The Rhone Syrah grape forms the base for many blended wines including the well known Chateauneuf du Pape

The Muscat grape gives rise to intense, sweet wines with a strong and easily recognized aroma. In addition, and unusual for a wine, wines from the Muscat really do taste of grapes.

Loire

The grapes of the Loire include the black Pinot Noir and the white Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes.

The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown all over the world today and it is very widely used for blending. In the case of the Loire however it is used to make a distinctive unblended dry white wine with a characteristic sharp and aggressive smell.

Pinot Gris wines often display a slightly floral and lightly lemon flavor and, depending upon the ripeness of the grape at harvesting, wines that are either light and tangy or rich, round and full bodied. Pinot Gris makes one of the few white wines that can be said to age well.

Alsace

Although the grapes of the Alsace are similar to those used in the Loire, growing conditions in this region tend to produce wines which bear the characteristics of many German rather that French wines.

The wines in this region are similar to Riesling and the sweeter German wines. Some rosé wines are also produced in Alsace.

Champagne

The main grapes of the Champagne region are the black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and the white Chardonnay.

The wines of the Champagne region can best be described as thin and tart and provide the perfect base for what many believe to be the world’s finest sparkling wine.

Beaujolais

Beaujolais wines are made from the black Gamay and white Chardonnay grapes.

The wines of this region are often light in nature, fresh tasting and with a somewhat fruity flavor. Many Beaujolais wines are also slightly fizzy in nature.

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Best Wine Storage Practices

So you have learnt a lot about health benefits of wine and want to try it out. Great! So, you are into the process of purchasing the best wine that’s available around. You have made an expensive investment and are happy to bring home the treasure. Now that you have brought your favorite wine home, you need to know about how to store it properly to make sure that you do not ruin it. Storage of wine is an important topic and one requires to know a lot about it in order to keep the wine in good and drinking conditions.

Are you aware that the major factors affecting storage of wine are present in the environment? Yes, it is true. You need to know about how you can actually store wine to retain its original quality and taste that made you fall for it at the first place.

Here are some of the factors you need to consider in order to store your wine in a perfect manner. Understand the factors given below and follow the instructions so that you don’t end up wasting your hard earned money.

a) Proper hygiene of the facility:

This is a vital factor that affects wine storage. It is very important to maintain the cleanliness of the place where the wine is stored. Never store wine in a poor ventilated place or a place full of grime or dirt. Poor ventilation transforms the taste of the wine and the dirt will spoil the label on the bottle. Thereby, affecting the overall resale value of the wine.

b) Lighting:

Light is known to have a great impact on the properties of wine. It can promote premature aging of wine. If wine is stored at a place where there is an access to a lot of light, it may ‘turn’ the wine.

c) Angle of the bottle:

Always store wine at a horizontal position against the upright one. This will not dry out the cork. In case, the wine comes into contact with the cork, it will not dry out. If you don’t store the wine bottle at a horizontal angle, the cork will dry up. This facilitates the air to come in contact with the wine earlier than it actually should and ruin it.

d) Vibration:

You should never store wine in a vibration free environment.

e) Humidity:

About 70 percent of humidity at a facility is acceptable for storing wine. Higher amount of humidity will destroy the label and lower amount of humidity will sped up the process of oxidation and end up in ruining the wine.

f) Temperature:

The optimum temperature to be maintained at a wine storage facility is between fifty and forty five degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperature than this will delay the nature aging process and higher temperature will speed up this process.

You should work towards maintaining a healthy balance between all the above mentioned factors. This will help in proper storage of wine. The taste will be maintained. Wine storage is an art and you need to learn it before you actually practice it.

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An Ideal Way To Taste Lots Of Wines

There is no better way to get to know a variety of wine than going to a wine tasting. It is a unique opportunity to taste wines, have an expert guide you through the tasting, give them points according to your own tastes, and then, by the end of the evening, have a great idea of the type of wine that is your favourite.

When you are at a wine tasting, you taste the wine with a group of people, sometimes familiar people, sometimes strangers, making it a great opportunity to get ideas from others. Other people will have tried different bottles of wine to you previously and will be happy to share their views on which wine goes with which type of food and how to keep wine at its best once the bottle has been opened.

Wine tastings happen regularly across the country and beyond. They are usually held in interesting locations in city centres, such as art galleries, museums, or other heritage buildings. They often have producers of wine in attendance as well as experts, to guide you through the evening and offer advice if needed.

In addition to wine on offer, canapés or hors d’oevres are often served as well, making for a great night out, discovering new tastes and hopefully finding a new wine to fall in love with.

Not only are wine tastings a great way to get to know a new wine, it is also a fantastic way to meet fellow wine lovers and who knows, by the end evening, you could have made a new friend or two.

Most wine tastings only last for a couple of hours – any longer and you would have forgotten the first wine that you have tried. It is a good idea to make sure you don’t drink too much too quickly, as you will be mixing different types of wine, and you don’t want to end up buying something you didn’t really like, or having a splitting headache in the morning.

Wine tastings are held all over the country, from Bristol to Durham, at Lancaster to Salisbury.

There is bound to be one close to you. In addition to wine tastings, some companies hold wine dinners, where you get to taste wine in conjunction with indulging in a great meal.

Wine tastings come in a couple of different formats. There is a more formal, intimate set-up, which could feature fine wines and more information on a smaller number of wines. There is also the less formal setting where you walk around tasting a larger variety of wines, but this lacks the intimacy and the expertise of the more formal gathering.

If you are interested in wine tastings, why not check out an independent online retailer where you will find more information on this service.

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Aging Wine

Wine is a complex substance. Open a bottle of it now, and it may taste fine. Open a bottle of the same wine several years from now, and the wine becomes something else entirely. Rough edges in the flavor will have smoothed out and the overall flavor of the wine will be more balanced and mellow.

Why age wine? Well, as stated above, the many components of the wine will mellow out over time, and bring a harmonious balance to the flavor of the wine. The tannins, present in red wine, bring a bitter and astringent flavor. Given time, the tannins help to age the wine. As wine ages, the tannins precipitate out of the wine, leaving a smoother and more mellow flavor. As the wine ages, the acids will lose a bit of their bite, allowing the fruit to come out more. As the components of the wine age, they also bring more complexity to the flavor. What you end up with after several years of proper aging is a complex and balanced wine.

What wines should be aged? There are certain guidelines as to what wines should and should not be aged, but they are simply guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Most wines from California are meant to be consumed immediately, and should not be aged. Most white wines should not be aged, as they have a lower amount of tannins than red wine. It is the tannins that are present in red wine that allow the wine to age well. There are a few white wines, however that will improve with a couple of years of aging. Most wines under $25 don’t need to be aged. Many French wines are meant to age and mature over several years. There are exceptions to these rules. Go into a wine shop, and ask which wines they would recommend for aging. They can recommend several good wines, along with some ideas of how long to age the wine.

How do I age wine? Proper storage is essential for a wine to age well. Cooler temperatures slow down the aging process, allowing time for the complexity of the wine to develop. The wine should be stored at a constant temperature of 50-60 degrees F. Fluctuating temperatures will cause the wine and the cork to expand and contract, loosening the cork, and exposing the wine to oxygen. The wine should be stored on it’s side, so that the wine is in contact with the cork, preventing it from drying out. The storage area should be dark, and have plenty of moisture to keep the cork from drying, which may loosen it, and subject the wine to oxidation.

Once you have a proper storage area for your wine, go to your local wine shop, and get their recommendations on a good aging wine. Buy a case of wine, and then open up one of the bottles when you get home and taste it. Put the rest of the bottles in storage, and start opening them after a couple of years, and note how the flavors and the complexity of the wine have changed. A new bottle of wine may be good, but a properly aged bottle is even better.

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All You Need To Know About Spirit Wines

Moderate wine consumption produces a better balance of these two. Additionally, wine has an anti coagulation effect which makes the blood less likely to clot.

The health benefits of drinking alcohol can’t be underrated. Mainly because of the evidence that it can greatly prove your health.

However, not all alcoholic beverages can provide healthful gains. Between wines and spirits, wines provide more healthful benefits compared to spirits.

Generally, spirits refer to purified or extracted alcohol. The process of distilling alcohol is usually done by heating a “fermented liquid.” The liquid is made to disperse in the air making it change from a liquid state to a gas or vapor, and then squeezed back into its liquified form. Learn the art of Wine Tasting.

Spirits are generally made from any natural material that can be “fermented” to produce alcohol. You could surmise that wine with a little percentage of alcohol can be transformed into spirits by increasing its alcohol content and decreasing its liquid substance.

Measurements

Since spirits are distilled forms of any organic substance including wines with the abundance of alcohol content, these particular types of beverages are measured and assessed depending on their alcohol content. Most countries that manufacture spirits use a particular means of measurement. The common way is to use the “Gay-Lussac system” or measuring the spirits according to “alcohol by volume” or ABV.

For example, a particular spirit that is classified as 60% ABV means that it has 60% alcohol. In the United States, spirits or any alcoholic beverage are classified in accordance to their alcohol content by using “proof of scale.” The “proof” of an alcoholic beverage, particularly spirits, has their ABVs doubled. For instance, if a spirit has a 30% ABV, it is classified as 60% proof.

Classifications

Spirits are, basically, classified according to the kind of fermenting material that is used in the process of fermentation and distillation.

To know more about the classification of spirits, here is a list that can help you out:

1. Brandy

This is a type of spirit that is made from “fermented” grape sap. The alcohol contents of brandy are generated from a meticulous distillation process of grape juices, mostly from wines.

2. Gin, Vodka, etc.

These spirits are generated from distilled beers that are naturally made from grains.

3. “Fortified wines”

These are special kinds of spirits made from a combination of “fermented wine” and extracted spirits, which are, more often than not brandy.

These are just a few of the many classifications of spirits. They may differ from the kinds of materials that they have originated from but they are all extracted and distilled to produce alcohol. That is why they are known as spirits.

Chemical and food experts have known for years that wine contains rich deposits of vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars that are often beneficial to good health. Wine is also rich in potassium and low in sodium. Red wines have more of these elements due to the juices longer contact with the grape skins. Red wines are also rich in Vitamin B which comes from the grape skins as well.

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