All about wine

About Wine

When you find so much time for leisure and sun bathing spree, you would prefer to have wine as your energizing company. Wine is an intoxicating drink and is made from the grapes as a fermented juice. Wine is also prepared from other fruits. Since, grapes can ferment without the addition of sugar, Enzymes or nutrients they are most preferred to make wines. Nearly all the wines made in the world are prepared from the vitis vinifera, a species of the grape family. Almost 4,000 wine varieties are made from this species. Apple cider, pears, cherry, plum and berries are some of the fruits used to make wines. Wines are manufactured commercially as well as some fruit wine come as fermented home products. Alcohol content will be 12% in fruit wines and when they are equipped with brandy the content is increased to 20%. Wine becomes a good well known creature if it is used judiciously.

History of wine

Wine making and drinking has a long and past history. Experts agree that wine dates from 6000 BC. Wines were cultured in Egypt and in Mesopotamia. Greece, Spain, Mexico, Rome, and United States followed them. Spain played the important role in wine making process. Wine making and grape cultivation spread throughout the world. Wine became the valuable trade. The prosperous people enjoyed the winesand rulers tried to hide this treasure as a clandestine. As Christianity spread to the parts of the world, the monks developed the process by making good use of their time. Vineyard growth became the keystone because of the climate and soil in the recognized regions. The world's recognized wines were developed by France and it became the leader. From bible to ancient mythology, tales of intoxication by absorbing the fermented grapes flourished. Fossil evidence also traced the leftovers of the wine sediments. It also relieves that the ancient humans documented the bliss of this exciting liquid. Today a variety of vine is found growing all over the world due to the wide variety of climates. The vitis vinifera species is the primary species in making most of the wines. New routes have been established to the wine industry due to the varieties and vintages that come from all over the world. Due to the captivating history of the wine and profound interest in their wine France novices and connoisseurs like in searching the perfect taste of the wine. Certainly a wine is available for everyone in the world.

Popular Wine-Making Grapes

Although grapes come in great variety some of them are more popular. The winemakers as well as consumers prefer them the most than any other variety.Some of the popular wine making grapes include:
Chardonnay

This one belongs to the white grape family and helps to make the most famous wine in the world. Burgundy and champagne provinces of France act as the origin for this variety. In oak barrels it is usually aged.
Merlot

This red grape belongs to the cabernet sauvignon variety. Merlot is mixed with cabernet for flavor. Wine that is smooth, dry and rich in flavor is made by merlot. Since this grape is found to susceptible to fungus and other mold disease growing this needs little effort.
Pinotage

A red grape found in South Africa is a cross of pinot noir and cinsault grapes. Fruit flavorings are found in a large amount in the wines that made from pinotage.
Sangiovese

For Chianti and brunello di montalcino this grape is used in the Tuscany regions of northern Italy. Spicy and smooth textures are its special characteristic. It also has excellent acid level. Vintners of California are trying to grow this grape.
Shiraz or Syrah

It is also as syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia. This is a red grape variety. Sweet and riper wines are produced during warmer climates while spicier and peppery flavors are produced during cooler climates.
Zinfindel

California is the home for this red grape. Due to its delicious fruit flavor and spicy hues many wines are prepared form this grape.

Wine grape varieties

Grape, a juicy fruit found in variety of colors. Grape is used for eating, wine making and as a dry fruit. It is also used in jelly, vinegar, candy, seed extraction, seed oil and jam. Vitis vinifera and vitis labrusca regions act as the origin for the grapes. Wine making became the main reason for cultivating grapes. The major grape producing countries in the world are South America, Austria, Mexico and eastern countries. Thousands of grape varieties are grown all over the world; the wine grape varieties represent only a fraction of them. The color, size, phenolic distribution and acidity of grapes give each wine its own characteristic. More than 10,000 grape varieties exist, but only few are used for commercial purpose. For raisin production only three varieties are used and as table grapes less than one dozen are consumed. In wine production approximately 130 varieties are used. Chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon grape varieties are used by the wine experts since they think that the wine drinker's focus their attention only on that and other varieties are not known. Wine quality is affected by the factors such as soil, climate, viticulture and wine making techniques. When the grape variety is well suited to the soil and climatic structure the quality of wine is maximized. Wine types with distinct flavor are produced by many native grape varieties. White and red grapes are the major grape varieties. Varietal wines are wines that are made from single grape breed. But many wines combine numerous grape varieties. Chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon act as international varieties and are grown globally. To give different taste and color each type of wine uses different grape variety. Attributes such as color, size, skin thickness and acidity differ in all kinds of grapes. These attributes are influenced by the area in which the grapes are cultivated. To manufacture a high quality wine, a qualified winemaker knows how to merge and choose the grapes from many varieties.

The Wine grapes categories are: Red grapes

During the month of august to November the red grapes grow in plenty. These grapes are rich in vitamin c and have a sweet pulp. Pinot noir, syrah, nebbiolo and zinfandel are some of famous red grapes...more about red grapes
White Grapes

Grapes that are green, yellow, pink or brown in color are called white grapes. The world's famous white wine is the chardonnay, because of its gamut flavors and styles... more about white grapes

Types of wine

Wines can be classified primarily by the grape variety used to make the wine and the region where the grapes are grown. Wines classified on the basis of grape variety are called varietals and those classified on the basis of region are named by the region itself. There are different types of wines and wine styles. Basically wines can be classified into two general categories. They are white wineswhich are colorless and red wines which have the color intensity based on the soaking time. This is the information that most of us know. But wines can be classified by their taste also. The sweetness of the wine helps us to judge the wine by its taste. Classification of the wine according to the taste is as follows:

Dry wines Medium Wines Sweet wines

Apart from the classification of wine by taste the general types of wines are as follows.
Red wines

Red wines are color wines. Red wines are made from the red grape varieties. These wines get their color by allowing the skin of the grapes to get contact with the grape juice during the wine making process. Red wines are available in different varieties and taste. The most popular red wines are:

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Pinot Noir Zinfandel

White wines

White wines are generally colorless and they are made from the white grape varieties. Some of the white wines can be made from the red grapes. In such a case the skin of the grapes is not allowed to have any contact with the grape juice. The white wines generally range from dry to sweet wines. The most popular white wines are:

Chardonnay Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Gewurztraminer

Rose wines

Rose wines are also called as Blush wines. Rose wines are not true not truly red, instead they have enough of reddish tinge to make them differentiate from the white wines. Rose wines are prepared from the red grape varieties. The most popular rose wine variety is:

Zinfandel

Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines have a small amount of intense effervescences. Champagne is the most famous sparkling wine in many regions in the world. The famous sparkling wines are:

Rose Champagne Prosecco Sparkling Red Wine

Sweet Wine or Dessert Wines

Dessert wines are prepared from the residual sugar that is left in the finished wine. This gives the wine a very sweet taste. Dessert wines vary from off-dry to super, sticky sweet wines. The dessert wines are considered to be the sweetest wines. The famous dessert wines are:

Sweet white wines that include (Botrytis (Noble Rot), Ice Wine (Eiswein), Late Harvest Wine) Sweet red wines that include (Late Harvest Wines and Fortified Wines)

Fortified Wines

Fortified wines are those that are produced with a small addition of the grape spirit. Fortified wines generally include the dry and sweet styles. The famous fortified wines are:

Port wine Madeira Sherry

Table Wines

Tables wines are also called as "Dry Wines." This is the wine that is mostly produced in most the regions in the world. The famous table wines are:

Dry white wine Rose wine Dry red wine

White Wine And Its Types

White grapes are used to prepare most white wines. By letting the skin to soak along with the juice wines can get its color. Since this is the fact it is possible to make white wine from black grapes. This can be done by extracting the juice carefully and keeping the skin aside. The most famous white wine is champagne. It is prepared from the black grapes (pinot noir and pinot and meunier.

The amount of tannin is also reduced in the wine when the skin and stem is not allowed to soak in the juice. The mouth drying quality of tannin makes you feel the firmness of wine in your mouth. Sometimes the white wines are allowed to ferment or age in oak barrels. This process will impart some tannin to the wine but not as much tannin in the red wine. White wine can be extracted from black or white grapes, since all grape juice are colorless in the beginning. White wine flavor ranges from very dry to sweet and golden.
Grapes used to make white wine

Chardonnay Chenin Blanc Gewurtztraminer Muscat Pinot Gris Riesling Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Following are the famous white wines used all over the world:
Chardonnay

This wine can be described as sparkling or still wine. It can be served with fish and chicken dishes. It has a wide bodied and velvety citrus flavor. It has a buttery quality that resembles coconut, toast, toffee or vanilla when it is fermented in an oak barrel.
Gewurztraminer

This wine can be served along with the Asian food and sausages. It has allspice, lychee, peach and rose aroma with fruity flavor.
Muscat

This wine is prepared from Muscat grape which describes a family of grapes. This sweet wine can be enjoyed on its own without any pair and dishes. It has a musty and grapefruit aroma.
Riesling

These are fresh tasting wines and improve with age. They can be served along with chicken, fish and pork. This wine is very light and is an evocative of fresh apples.x
Sauvignon Blanc

These wines are often considered as versatile food wines. They can be served along with poultry. They have an herbal and fruity flavor but sometimes it is also smoky.

To see a complete list of white wine move on to the page List of White wines
Common White Wine Flavor Descriptions

Citrus Apple Pear Grapefruit Lemon Lime Pineapple Melon Butter Honey Floral Herb Earthy

Red Wine And Its Types

Red wines are produced from black, red or blue grapes. Red wine does not get its color from the juice. Red wine gets its color when the juice of the grapes is allowed to have contact with the grapes skin for a long time. Red wine does not get its color by simply soaking the skin; it also has a substance known as tannin. Tannin gives the red wines the density that is ahead of the other white wines. The mouth drying quality of tannin makes you feel the firmness of wine in your mouth. The firmness will be strong if the wine is young. The qualities of wine will become soft and mix harmoniously with the other factor of the wine as the time passes. This act as the main reason for the red wines to age better than whites. The grapes are fermented as a whole along with the skin and seeds. Red wines can be light or sweet, soft or refreshing. Though the color of red wines vary greatly their flavor does not differ much as white wine with their counterparts. The flavor of red wine tends to be deeper due to the presence of tannins. Since red wine has more complex flavor it has to be served at a warmer temperature.
Grapes used to make red wine

Cabernet Sauvignon Gamay Grenache Merlot Pinot Noir Sangiovese Syrah/Shiraz Tempranillo

Zinfandel
Following are the major red wine types:
Barbera

This wine is similar to merlot but it is not well known. This wine can be paired with any type of dishes that are prepared from tomato sauce. They have a taste similar to blackberry and plum fruit, with a glossy texture.
Cabernet Sauvignon

It is considered as one of the world's best wine. It is often paired with cabernet franc and merlot. It has a full bodied flavor. It can be served along with red meat.
Merlot

A good introduction to red wine and an easy to drink wine is the merlot wines. They have a rough and tannic flavor. This wine can be served along with any type of food.
Pinot Noir

Grapes used to prepare this wine are difficult to grow and it is rarely mixed with other varieties. Chicken, lamb and salmon can be served along with this wine. Pinot noir wines have a fragile taste and fresh fruity smell and plain notes.
Syrah or Shiraz

These wines match well with beef, steak, stew, and wild games. It has a fruity taste and fascinating tannins.
Zinfandel

The grape used to make this wine is considered to be world's most versatile grape. Wines prepared from this grape have heavy red color. The wine can be served along with tomato sauce, pizza or meat depending on its heaviness. It has a bracing berry and pepper flavor. To see a list of red wines move to the page Red wine list
Red Wine Flavor Descriptions

Cherry Plum Strawberry Blackberry Raspberry Currant Gooseberry Boysenberry Raisin Fig Pepper (white/black) Clove Cinnamon Coffee

Cocoa Mocha Tobacco Leather Licorice Toast Smoke Violet

Rose WInes

Rose wines are also called as Blush wines. Rose wines are not true not truly red, instead they have enough of reddish tinge to make them differentiate from the white wines. The color of the rose wines varies depending on the color of the grape variety used for making the grapes. Most of the times rose wines seem to have orange color then pink or purple. Rose wine can be produced in a number of ways. But most of the times the rose wines are prepared by crushing the red grapes as a result they are not able to get much color or tannin from the grapes. Rose wines are white in their character and flavor. Early days the rose wines were made by simply adding a bit of red wines with the white wines. The wine makers thought that this method will produce some interesting wines which posses the heart character of the red wines and the crispness of the white wines. Then slowly this practice has fallen down. Drinking rose wine in the hot weather give the feeling of crispness and lightness and is also very refreshing. So it is often referred as summer wines. Generally rose wines are simpler than the heavy white and red wines. The styles of rose wines vary generally. Rose wines from Europe are so dry while rose wines from the United States are sweet. The most popular rose wine is the White Zinfandel from California. Most of the rose wines are made from red grapes. The red grape varieties that are used in the preparation of the rose wines are:

Pinot Noir Syrah Grenache Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Tempranillo Sangiovese Zinfandel

These grape varieties are used either alone or is blend with the other in the preparation process. Generally the skin of the grapes is not allowed to have a detailed contact with the grape juice. The shorter the contact is the lighter the color will be. The flavors of rose wines are tend to more delicate compare the red wines.

Sparkling WInes

Sparkling wine is a delicious, invigorating wine that also be called as champagne, bubbly and shimmer wine. Sparkling wine contains large amount of carbon dioxide. This carbonated beverage is made in all parts of the world. The carbon dioxide makes the wine to fizz, bubble and to be effervescent. The grape varieties that are used in making sparkling wines are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chenin Blanc. Sparkling wines are produced mainly from the red grapes. The red wine grapes are pressed immediately after harvesting to get the white juice hence they are called as "White from Black". At the same time some sparkling wines can be produced from white wine grapes to get more delicate sparkling wines. These are called as "White from White". There are different types of sparkling wines produced all over the world. Sparkling wines are made from different wine making grapes with different production processes. But the characteristic of all the sparkling wines are common. Carbon dioxide that forms the bubbles in the sparkling wines is formed in the fermentation process itself. To make a sparkling wine there are more than one fermentation process. The wine makers all over the world will use their preferred production method. Champagne is the king of sparkling wine. It is a proper name given to sparkling wines produce in the Champagne region of France. Prosecco is the name of the sparkling wine that is prepared in Italy. Italy is well for making the sparkling wines and is generally served with the desserts. Sparkling wines have a delicate flavor and effervescence so in order to get the full characteristic of the wines they should be served chilled. So the sparkling wine should be served in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Generally sparkling wines are suitable for parties and functions. So it can be well paired with meat, fruit, cheese and sea food. For example meat like chicken, port tenderloin, flank steak, and turkey and fruits like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry, and cheese like brie, provolone, goat cheese, and cream cheese and sea food like scallops, halibut, lobster, and shrimps serve as good paring with the sparkling wines.
Semi-sparkling wines

Fully sparkling wines are sold between the 5 to 6 atmosphere pressures in the bottle. This pressure is three times more than the pressure found in the automobile tire. Sparkling wines are those that have the atmospheric pressure between 1 to 2.5. The amount of the atmospheric pressure in the bottle is determined by the amount of sugar added to the wine during the triage stage which comes at the beginning of the secondary fermentation.

Dessert WInes

Generally by definition a dessert wine is a wine that has high sugar content. The sugar content will be high then the normal table wines. A dessert wine has 3 to 28 percent residual sugar in them. Dessert wines are available in different types since they are made from differential grape varietals. Dessert wine is said to be potent, sweet and it is also full of flavor. The sweet flavor of the wine makes them as a compliment to the desserts. To raise the alcohol content in the wine extra spirits are added to it. In

comparison to the table wines the dessert wines are thicker, richer, and sweeter. In order to preserve the residual sugar content in the grapes they are picked late during the harvest time. Dessert wines come in small bottles and they can be served in tiny glasses. Generally an average pour will be 2 ounces. Dessert wines can be white and red in color. The white dessert wines are served chill while the red dessert wines are served at the room temperature. Dessert wines go well with the fresh bakery sweets and fruits. It is also advisable to serve heavier taste for the winter season and lighter taste for the summer season. Dessert wines come in different flavors like peach, almond, oak, and herbs. Combining the dessert wine with the creamy desserts will be a wonderful combination. As a rule the dessert wine should be sweeter than the desserts it is served with. Some of the famous dessert wines include:

Madeira Vermouth Marsala Sherry Cream Sherry Port

Dessert wines come in many styles and types. All are much sweeter than the habitual wines. Like the other wines in the world the dessert wines are also defined by the grape variety which is used to prepare it. It is also described by the region where it is grown and how it is produced. The best characteristic of the dessert wine are aromas, complex flavors, textures, and memorable finishes. What makes dessert wine sweet? Dessert wines of the past were often sweet because they are not fermented completely. The main reason for the sweetness of the dessert wine is the naturally occurring glucose and fructose in the grapes which will be increased if the grapes are allowed to ripen for a long time in the vineyard. France and Italy are the most famous producers of dessert wines.

Fortified WInes

Fortified wine is a wine to which the spirits of the distilled beverages like brandy are added. In order to increase the alcohol content of the wine the spirits are added before the fermentation process is complete. This kills the yeast leaving the residual sugar behind. The spirits change the profile of the flavor thus producing a very distinctive and unique wine. Thus the end product wine will have both the sweet and strong characteristic. Many varieties of the fortified wines are developed. The most common and famous fortified wines are Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsals and Vermouth. The famous regions for producing fortified wines are France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Most of the fortified wines have their name from where they are produced. And the wines with the regional name have different distinct style. Further the wines are classified according to the grade of the grapes used, fermenting process, etc. in certain cases the fortified wines are confined with the Appellation of Controlled origin, this means that only the wines that belong to the certain regions have can bear that name. Wine from other different regions can be

labeled only as being the "style". Port wine is also used as a dessert wine if the brandy is added to the fortified wine before the fermentation process beings. The resulting port wine is very sweet and rich. Adding, the spirit of brandy after the fermentation process results in a dry wine such as Vermouth. The flavor of the fortified wines varies depending on the aging process and the way it is handled. In rare occasions the fortified wines are used in mixed bar drinks. They are also used as cooking wines along with sherry. Contradiction to the traditional wine the fortified wines last longer after opening. Hence the fortified wines can be served in small amounts allowing the drinker to enjoy each sip of the wine. Food pairing with the fortified wine depends on the type of fortified wine you are choosing. Generally the fortified wines are known for their long standing contribution both as an aperitif and as a dessert wine. Desserts like cheeses, nuts, creamy desserts, chocolate, fruits torts go well with the fortified wines. Different varieties of fortified wines are:

Madeira wine Marsala wine Port wine Sherry Vermouth Vins doux naturels Low-end fortified wines

Table WInes

Wines that have a very low volume of alcohol content is said to be table wine. Generally to the wine terminology the table wine can take two different meanings one can be the wine style and the other is the quality level. Table wines are generally served along with food hence they get the name table wine. Table wines are the most famous and only wine that is found in the dinner table all over the world. Table wines are generally pretty and are within your means. It is easily reachable if your are at the right age to purchase alcohol. Different regions have different designs towards the table wine. United States design table wine as an ordinary wine that is neither a fortified wine not a sparkling wine. The European wine regulations view table wine as lower quality categories. Popular table wines are:

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Chardonnay Adams Apple Muscat Port Pinot Noir Kaskaskia Concord Double Decker Red Elderberry

How does wine get its color?

The most recognizable wine characteristic is the wine color. Wine color is also an element that affects the wine tasting since many heavy wines mostly have deeper color. Tastevin a shallow cup is an accessory that is used to judge the color of the wine. To test the color of the wine just pour the wine in the cup and can be examined under the dim light of a cellar. Wine color is also an important element in the classification of wine. The color of the wine mainly depends on the grape variety. This is because the color pigments are present in the grape of the skin and not in the juice. The color also depends on the vinification method and the amount of time during which the skin is allowed to have contact with the grape juice. The process of allowing the grape skin to have contact with the grape juice is called as maceration. Australian Rubired is a good example of mixing more varieties of grapes to get the required color. Red grape juice can also get the white color if they are quickly pressed and the grape juice is not allowed to have contact with the skin. The color also depends on the acid presence in the wine. The color of the wine is altered when the wine is allowed to aged. During the aging process due to different reaction between the molecules there rises a browning effect in the wine which turns the wine from red color to more tawny color. Wine color is also affected by the wooden barrel that is used for aging process. The stability of the wine color is increased by the presence of complex mixtures like anthocyanins with procyanidins.

Main colors of wine are:

Red White (light colored wine) Rose (pinkish in color) Yellow (or straw color Orange wine (white wine which has some time in contact with the skin)
Others:

Burgundy (color), a shade of purplish red Sangria (color), a color that resembles Sangra wine

Wine calories

Wine calories can make a difference in weight though it's in self-control or in large quantity. Drinking a few servings of wine daily, give you an increase in your pounds. So it is very important to note for the calories consumed by you whenever you take a glass of wine. The alcoholic content in wine varies from 10% to 14%. The calories will be in a high quantity, if the alcohol content is high. Depending on the company and the type of wine, the calories present in the wine vary accordingly. But on an average 100 calories is present in per four ounce of glass. Calories present in the red wine are more than the white wine. The number of wine calories in an average glass is about 80%; the term "glass" is comparable to 4 ounces and not 7-11 big gulps. Calories are present in alcohol and nearly 15% of alcohol is present in the wine. 85 calories are present in the 100g of wine with 12.2 alcohol content and 135 calories are present in 100g wine with 18.8 alcohol content. Wine contains more energy if it has more alcohol content. Sugar content in wine plays a very important role as alcohol. If the wine has high sugar content, more calories will present in it. In advance of burning fat, the calories in the wine are first digested by the body. In the body alcohol is first oxidized to replace some carbohydrates and fats. Especially people who are trying to loss weight face a lot of problem while taking alcohol, though they feel it relaxes them. To maintain that happy feeling they tend to drink more. This dehydrates your body and gets a hangover or headache the next morning and it is a loss of water to the brain cells. Another disadvantage is that drinking reduces your thinking ability to remember even you will not remember how much you are drinking. For good cardiovascular health a glass of wine per day is good. But every night drinking a bottle of wine is highly dangerous. If you need to drink, avoid the high alcohol drinks and avoid alcohol if you're on diet. Approximately 13% alcohols represent the wine varieties listed below. About 750 Ml or 25.42 Oz of liquid is present in a bottle of wine. Approximately 525 calories will be present in a bottle at 20 calories per ounce.

ITEM

RED WHITE REGULAR WINE WINE 5 BUD BEER 5 OZ OZ 12 OZ 147.5g 147.5g 356.4g 106 2.51 130.54 13.70 100 1.18 132.16 13.70 146 13.20 328.96 12.80

LIGHT DISTILLED DIET REG BUD DISTILLED 80 COLA COLA BEER 86 PROOF PROOF1.5 12 OZ 12 OZ 12 OZ 1.5 OZ 42g OZ 42g 415g 368 g 3354g 99 4.60 337.01 11.30 97 0 27.97 14.00 105 0.00 26084 15.10 8 1 413 0 136 35g 332g 0

Calories Carbohydrates Water Alcohol

The data in the above chart has been referred from the USDA website: nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Wine bottles

Bottles that are generally used to hold wines are called as wine bottles. In general all the wine glasses are made of glass. Wine bottles are designed taking extra care since some wines are fermented in the bottle while others are bottled only after the fermentation. Wine bottles are available in different shapes, sizes, and color. The normal and standard size of a wine bottle is 75cL. All the wine bottles are sealed with a cork but now a day the screw top cap is becoming famous. And lot of methods is also available to seal a bottle.

Shapes

France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain wine producers always choose their wine bottle shape as per the tradition that is most suitable for the wine.

Bordeaux wine bottles will have a straight side with high shouldered and is well defined with a punt. Burgundies and Rhone wine bottles are tall with sloping shoulders with smaller punt. Port and sherry wine bottles have a bulbous neck with straight sided body. Wines like Rhine, Mosel, and Alsace are stored in tall and narrow bottle which has no or little punt. Champagne and sparkling wines are stored in a bottle that has thick wall with prominent punt and sloping shoulder. Italian wines are stored in a bottle that looks like a round bottomed flask

Most of the Australasian, South African, and South American wine producers select the bottle shape that will be well associated with their wines. And other produces select idiosyncratic bottles to market their wines. The home wine producers choose the wine bottle that does not affect the taste of the wine.
Colors

All the types of wines have a certain color for their bottles. The traditional colors are:

Capsules

Red Bordeaux - dark green Light Bordeaux - light green Sweet white Bordeaux - clear Mosel - dark to medium green Rhine - amber Alsace - dark to medium green / amber

Most wine bottles are finished with a cork that act as a protective sleeve to the bottle and is called as a capsule. The capsules cover the top of the bottle. The capsules are made of lead to protect the cork from being gnawed by the rodents or infested with the cork weevil. Since the research said that lead contains traceable amount of toxins that would mix up with the wine it was replaced with the tin by 1990. Some times heat shrink plastic, aluminum sealing wax was also used. The capsules can be omitted completely in the modern days since modern stoppers are used.
Punts

Punt is also known as kick up it refers to the dimple at the bottom of the bottle. There is not a valid reason for this purpose. The most commonly heard explanations are as follows: This is a historical trace from the start of the era when the wine bottles were introduced. It was done to make the bottle less likely to tumble over the bottle. It collects most of the sediment deposits that are formed as a thick ring at the bottom of the glass and prevent them from entering into the glass when pouring the wine. Punt increases the strength of the wine bottle thus allowing it to hold high pressure in case of sparkling wine and champagne. In the manufacturing plants the punts hole the bottles in its place through the filling process. Punts accommodates well in the pourers thumb helping him to pour the wine more easily and with more stability.

Wine Glasses

Wine glasses are specially designed ones for drinking and tasting wines. It is a type of glass stemware. It is essential to select the right type of wine glass for different types of wines. This is very important since the shape and color of the glass can affect the taste of the wine. The wine glasses should be transparent and plain. The glass has three parts they are bowl, stem and foot. The wine glass should be made of glass and crystal. The wine glass should be carefully designed taking the key aspects of the wine to the tongue and nose. Choosing the right kind of wine glass is also important and in the same way holding the wine glass also is very important. The wine glass should be hold in the stem so that the temperature of the body does not affect the flavor of the wine in the glass. Holding the wine by the bowl will leave your fingerprints which can affect the visual appearance of the wine if examined for clarity and color.
Wine glass materials

Wine glass are made up of cut, fused, blown, crystal and lead glasses. Though wine glasses can be made from different glass materials glasses prepared from lead crystals are the best because of its high refractive index. And in general wine glasses should be made from the crystal clear and frosted glasses. Mostly colored glass should be avoided in preparing wine glasses since they might disturb seeing the wine color through the glass. Making wine glass with the lead crystals has many advantages. They are aesthetic have higher refractive index, change the effect of light passing to them, and they are also heavier.
Shapes

Wine glass shape is also an important factor that affects the flavor and taste of the wine. The shape of the glass depends on the type of wine they are used for. The best shape of the wine directs the wine directly to the best area in the mouth from the glass. In general the opening of the wine glass should not be wider than the widest part of the bowl. The shape of the bowl should be tulip in order to trap the aroma of the wine. The rim of the glass should be thin.
Sizes

The minimum size of the wine should have the capacity to hold at least four ounces. But the all purpose glass must be able to hold twice the amount. But in recent years the size of the wine glasses has increases to decrease the no of servings but the extra space in the wine allows the air space to trap the wine aroma.
Types of wine glasses

Like the shape and size of the glass the type of glass you are choosing to serve the wine is very important. Each type of wine has its ownwine glass in which it can be served. The different types of wine glasses are used to taste the wine with its excellent and actual aroma and flavor.

In general the wine glasses are classified into four types. They are:

White wine glasses - the glass should be shaped like a tulip Red wine glasses - the glass should be round with large bowl Sparkling wine glasses - the glass should be tall and thin Dessert wine glasses - the glass should be smaller directing to

the back of the mouth.

Besides these there are also other types of wine glasses in the modern world. They are:

Crystal wine glasses Stemless wine glasses Etched wine glasses.

More Wine Glasses

Other types of wine glasses

Besides these there are also other types of wine glasses in the modern world that are classified on the basis of their design. They are:

Crystal wine glasses Stemless wine glasses Etched wine glasses

Ice glasses

Crystal wine glass

Crystal wine glass is the commonly used wine glass and it has been in use for many years. These glasses are readily available in the market. And choosing the crystal wine glass does not require any importance in the maintenance and design of the class.

Etched wine glass

Etched wine glasses are intricately carved and come in different designs. The deep etching of the glass gives the ideal characteristic of the wine.

Stemless wine glass

As the name suggest stem that are present in the wine glasses are absent in this type. The design of this glass is round and is shaped like a tumbler. The bottom of the stemless wine glass is flat and is slightly thicker compared the other types of wine glasses.

Ice glass

Ice glass is a type of novel glass. The ice glass is made up of mold and is usually placed in a deep freezer. Ice glasses are mainly used to serve white wines and ice wines can also be served in this to make them taste better.

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Wine equipment

Wine making is an interesting hobby and a charming business at any level. It is a fermentation process that manufactures alcoholic drinks. Now-a-days many enthusiastic people are interested in making wine as their main business. They produce high quality wines that are comparable to commercial ones. This process is possible with the proper wine making kits. As a beginner in winemaking it is advisable to buy a winemaking starter kit that includes necessary equipments with directions, ingredients and a recipe. The winemaking kit can range from $52 to $76 depending on the wine you are going to prepare and whether it is a fruit or juice concentration.
The basic wine making equipments are listed below

Barrels & Spigots Carboy Accessories Crushers & Destemmers Fermentation Locks Fermentation Vessels Fermenter Tubs Filters & Pumps Presses

Siphons & Tubing Small Misc. Equipment Stoppers & Bungs Storage / Fermenter Tanks Straining Bags Testing Equipment Thermometer Hydrometer Corker Corks Empty Bottles Bottle Cleaner

Winemaking equipments helps you to start you own winery. If that is the case you need a lot of wine making suppliers from tanks, fermenters, presses, bottles and corks. Develop a budget and get a good idea about it. Barrels and destemmers are the winery equipments that come to mind when you start think of the winery, but bottlers, horse-connectors, tubs and trucks for the fields will not strike you immediately. Keep the following point in your mind when you prepare a budget for the winery.

Pressing and bottling machinery which is commercial winery equipment. Wine making equipment which are used and small batch ordering. Setting a cost estimation budget considering the cost of the equipments. Search for the wholesale winemaking equipments. You can also think of leasing, or buying small or used equipments.

Winemaking equipments are divided into two types. They are standard and deluxe wine making kits. Basic materials needed to start the winemaking process are included in this.
Standard Winemaking Equipment Kit

To make six gallons of wine this package is recommended. It includes all the basic equipments.
The kit comprises of:

Gallon primary fermenter Gallon better bottle fermenter Stick on thermometer Carboy stopper Carboy brush Bottle fitter and racking tube Hose clamp and siphon hose Sanitizer Plastic spoon(23 inch) Wine hydrometer

Deluxe Winemaking Equipment Kit

Two packages are available in deluxe winemaking equipment kit. One package is used for making red wine while the other is for white wine. It contains the primary equipments and a DVD video for instruction process. The equipment for making the both red and white wines is the same except they differ in the products used

for fermentation process.

The following components are available in the kit:

Primary gallon fermenter Gallon bottle carboy Bottle filler Hose clamp and siphon Wine hydrometer Racing tube Carboy stopper and brush Clean sanitizer Plastic spoon Twin lever Italian corker Bag of 30 corks 750 ml wine clear bottles Stick on thermometer Kit containing juices, additives and yeast Wine bottle labels Heat shrink capsules

To make your own wine these equipments are necessary. These are smaller and are portable and reasonably cheap. Choosing winemaking equipment is easy and cost worthy than buying the materials individually. To learn winemaking on your own use of these kits is a cheap and risk worthy way. The fulfilling taste and creativity of wine is enjoyed when it is prepared at the home. Wine enthusiasts enjoy and share the complete and original flavor and recipes of wine with home making equipments.

Wine storage

The quality of wine can be affected if it is not stored properly. As time goes the wine changes its color, aroma becomes stronger and then flavor acquires its own character. If not stored properly the wine will not realize its full potential, no matter how good or great its growing capability is. Some might think that cool spot in the garage and basement is ideal for wine storage but only some of these places have the wine storage capacity. Temperature around 13 deg c or 55 deg F is suitable for wine storage. This temperature is enough to prevent from temperature fluctuations and to keep the cork wet. 70% moisture is generally enough to keep the cork wet. Wines should be kept in a place free from light and vibration. Wines prepared now-a-days are meant to be consumed with in a year of purchase. They are smooth and are ready to drink as they reach their stable state. Today's wine is prepared for immediate consumption. Before the youth and freshness integral, most wines of the world are consumed when they are young. To attain their maturity better quality wines need 4 years of decaying period. But white wines within 2-3 years from the date of vintage are at their best level. This is because white wines need no time for maturing. As soon as champagne is brought out of the cell it can be consumed. Long term or short term storage period depends on the type of wine you tend to store. This wine storage is categorized into two, they are Conditions that affect wine and Wine coolers.

Conditions that affect wine storage

Wine storage is affected by many factors. Listed below are most important factors that affect the wine storage:
Temperature

To store the wine for a long period its temperature should be maintained properly. Wines stored for a week or months can also be affected by the temperature under which it is stored. Wines are stored in the temperature between 45 - 60 F; while the optimal temperature range is 50 to 55 F. wines are stored in caves where the underground temperature is 13C (55 F). 1. 2. 3. 4.
Vibration

Blush, rose and dry white wines are best at 46 deg - 57 deg F. Sparkling wines and champagne are best at 43 deg - 47 deg F. Light red wine work well at 55F. Deep red wines serve well at a temperature between 59 deg - 66 deg F.

Ensure that you store the wine bottle such that when you try to take a particular bottle you need not move others. Wine should remain in the stored place until it is opened. Make sure that there is no incessant vibration from other machinery or heavy traffic. Since vibration can disturb the symmetry and common growth of the wine. Storage locker should be built to allow proper air movement and to reduce vibration. Anti-vibration mats can be used to prevent vibration. To make proper air movement smart controllers can be used.
Humidity

Storage of wine becomes dangerous when appropriate humidity is used. The corks can dry out or crack and allow more air to flow inside the bottle when the humidity is maintained as low as possible. Molds will develop damaging the cork as well as the labels when the humidity is maintained at the high level. For most wines the humidity is maintained at 70% which is enough to keep the cork in flexible condition without drying out and dwindling. The corks will lose their elasticity and allow the air to enter the bottle if the humidity is insufficient. Molds start to grow inside the cabinet and labels get damage when the condition is too moist.
Darkness

Tannins in the wine are oxidized causing damage to the wine when UV rays reach them. Even dark colored bottles do not offer much shield from the UV rays. So, dark place is only suitable for wine storage. Incandescent or sodium vapor lamps can be used instead of fluorescent lighting.
Clean air

The environment that is free from smells and debris is essential for storing wine. To prevent from mildewed whiff good ventilation is needed. Wines get contaminated when unrelated smells enter through the cork. For the wines to mature, choose a proper wine rack which provides a clean environment.
Angle of Storage

To keep wine in contact with the cork at all times it should be place horizontally in the storage unit. When placed vertically, they develop deposits of sediment on the bottom.

Wine coolers

Wine coolers are used to store wine bottles and chill them to the right temperature. It is also called wine refrigerator. Regular refrigerator are suitable for storing wine. Since, it may be too cool or constant opening of the door cause a fluctuation in the wine temperature. Temperature that is essential for the integrity of the wine is maintained by the cooler. Along with the some refrigerator units the wine cabinets is fixed. Wine cooler maintains a temperature of about 55 to 58 F and about 60-70% humidity. Some cooler allow you to maintain different temperature for storing and chilling different varieties of wine. The wine lover can taste the wine at its appropriate temperature, thereby enhancing its texture and flavor if it is placed in the wine cooler.
The wine cooler is an equipment that may refer to:

1. Small table top used to chill a single bottle. These coolers are useful particularly in the warmer climates to serve the wine at the right serving temperature. These coolers are suitable for white, rose and sparkling wines. 2. Large ones in the refrigerator style used to store dozens of bottles. This model is used by the people who are accessible to the wine basement. These units allow the user to select the temperature suitable for the wine and even have options that manage two separate areas for different wines. Thermostat controls some of these units.

Wine selection

Wines are available in different flavors, colors, levels of dryness and in different mixture. They are used for cooking and to improve the flavor of meal or certain dish. Sparkling wines are used in celebratory events. With wide variety of wine, selection o f the best wine is little daunting? Price, preference and pairing are the important points to be noted in wine selection. To gain a winning wines always keep this three "P"s in mind whenever you visit your wine merchant.
Price

To select the right wine, the amount pay for it acts as a key determining factor. Those days are gone where a good bottle of wine is available from only $30. But in today's market the good variety are available from $15. So to experiment the wine you need not to waste a bundle of money. Plenty of suggestions can be given by a decent wine merchant in your stated price range.
Preference

What will you be having along the wine or with whom you are sharing, will be your preference in case of wine. So when you arrange for a happy get together hour, you should always prefer the safe red and white wines. For people who are not able to cope up with the heavy bodied or hearties wines, buy them the softer merlot or pinot noir. To experiment a new variety of wine talk to your merchant about the great wines you have tasted and ask for recommendations about the other variety. If you are a beginner then Riesling, gewrztraminer or Muscat dessert wine are highly recommendable.
Pairing

If you're planned to share your dinner, then the key ingredients should be taken into account. Will there be red or white meat? What type of herbs you will be using? Will there be spicy or fruit filled dishes? These questions play a key role in the selection of wine that you will pair with specific entrees. Lightly flavored meals will match well with white wines. Heavy meals are often complimented by both red and white wines. Pairing food and wine is 99% personal and 1% science.

Wine evaluation

How to evaluate a wine whether it is a special or ordinary wine? To the individual on the street it does not mean a matter, if the wine tastes good then it would be the special wine. But, the tasteful wine experts evaluate wine by their make, quality and vintage. The experts look in to the three basic elements like appearance, aroma and taste. These basic gives some basic knowledge about the evaluation of wine.
Appearance

Color and quality are the important factors that help to evaluate the different types of wine. Fine wines have certain properties that help the experts to evaluate the wine. On basis of color, the hue displayed by different types of wine is noted down by the experts. The color depends on the variety of grapes and ripeness during harvest. Fermentation process also affects the color. The amount of oxygen that comes into contact during bottling also affects the wine color. Young white wines appear in pale straw yellow to a rich amber color. White wines have golden hue color. White wines darken in color as they age. If browning appears in young whites, it means that they have been oxidized ahead of time which results in a poor quality. Red wines usually appear in the range of deep ruby red to a paler cherry color. More bright colored hue appears around the edges of the older red wines. As per red wines it should happen. The experts hold a half-full glass of wine against a white background for evaluation. They observe the clarity and color of the wine. The color should appear brilliant and rich than cloudy for finest wine, with appropriate color for its age and type.
Aroma

In finer quality wine evaluation smell plays a big factor. The wine smell usually attracts the drinker first before the taste. Wine smell helps the expert to judge the wine in a better way than their taste. To let the unstable essences to escape, the experts swirl the wine in a glass and evaluate it. Since the wine smell takes the smell of the fruits, spices, herbs and other substances, it helps a lot to test the quality of wine. That's why the characteristic pleasant smell of a wine is usually associated with the smell of fruit, herb, spices, etc, in order to provide identifiable comparisons.

Taste

The properties that are not provided by the appearance and smell are evaluated with the help of the taste. Qualities that make up the overall personality of the wine such as acidity, tartness, sweetness etc, are evaluated through taste. The balance that each wine imparts is the key factor that experts look for when it comes to taste. The experts check this by taking a sip of the wine and moving it back and forth inside the mouth before swallowing, giving the first idea of the wine taste.

Wine serving temperature

An old proverb says that white wine should be served chilled and red wines at room temperature. This might make sense but it should not be necessarily true. The temperature at which the wine is served affects the taste and flavor of the wines. The wine is more enjoyable and tasty if it is served at a right temperature. Wine served at the appropriate temperature brings out the flavor, structure, and aroma. Wine serving temperature differs from each wine by the type and their characteristic. Especially the body of the wine is affected when the wine is not served at an appropriate temperature. Most of the wines are ruined when they are not served at an appropriate temperature. Wines that are served too chill easily get warmed but a wine served too warm finds difficult in cooling quickly. So when you plan to serve wine by chilling it serve it little colder then you necessary. And wines that are served too warm tastes alcoholic and will not give a pleasure to drink.
Basic Temperatures

The basic temperature for serving the different types of wine are:

Red wines - 55F to 63F Lesser bodied red wines and full bodied white wines - 46F to 55F White wines that are less complex - 43F to 50F Ice and champagne wines - 43F to 46F

Here is the basic wine serving temperature chart for all types of wines:
Refrigerator temperature Dessert wines Chardonnay, Viognier Riesling 35F 43F 50F 46F

Beaujolais, Madeira Sauterne, Rose Chianti, Zinfandel Champagne Room Temperature

55F 46F 59F 46F 70F

Now let's see in detail the wine serving temperature and their effects on various types of wines:

Red wine serving temperature White wine serving temperature Sparkling wine serving temperature Dessert and fortified wine serving temperature

Wine tasting skill

Taste as much wine as possible on a regular basis to improve your wine tasting ability. The heightened sensory awareness of wine is highly personal. Factors such as wine temperature, ambient temperature, psychological and physical states contribute to wine's taste.
The following characteristic are generally evaluated during wine tasting:

Color

The color of the wine gives the indication of age and maturity of wine. Young white wines appear pale in color while golden or straw color is found on older wines. Young red wine appear dark and opaque purple while red brick or amber hue is found particularly at the rim of the glass in case of older red wine.
Aroma

Distinct aroma is found in wine varieties. Different wines have different smell but the best one will have the complex collection. Tasting the wine should not be sniffed. The aroma tells the flavor of the wine which is one of the important aspects of tasting the wine. The deep and long inhale tells the taster of the wine about its quality.
Taste

To judge the taste of the wine is to look at its structure: sugar, tannin, acid, alcohol content and concentration of flavors. These attributes should balance each other except for wines that are designed to be out of balance. Barolo and Rutherlen Muscat are the two well known examples.

Body

The viscosity, consistency, thickness and texture correspond to the term "body". The wine with these capacities has a higher alcohol or sugar content. Tannin also acts as a major component. The best way to figure out the taste of wine is to think of milk. Wine is differentiated into light, medium and full-bodied.
Aftertaste

The impression made by the wine after you drink the wine is aftertaste or finish. This attribute reveals a lot about the quality of the wine. The wine is said to be better if it has a longer finish. The hidden quality of the wine is revealed by the finish which is not even apparent on the nose.

Wine and food pairing

Pairing food with wine is an individual choice. The taste differs from one person to other. So the solution for this problem lies in one's own hand. Each one must able to decide within themselves which combination of wine will taste good with the variety of dishes. But this might be problem with wine drinkers who are just the beginners. Food and wine pairing is a vastly a personal and imprecise procedure. In this matter the old proverb that is "primarily pair red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry" will not hold good at all. And that too with today's multinational and delicately flavored dishes and the corresponding wide variety of dishes the proverb will not match significantly. First select your wine favor. More vineyard tours and wine tasting will help you to taste more wine of different sort and also helps you to choose the wine of your flavor. Then begin the wine pairing with the foods you like. Always pick a good wine you love and taste it with the food you enjoy the most you will not go wrong with the selection at all. A state of stability and synergy is attained when you pair food with your favorite wine. Make sure that the wine does not overwhelm the food and the food does not overwhelm the wine. Most wine drinkers taste different types of wines with food since the acids, sugars and tannins in the wine mix/interact with the food and give a different taste of sensation. Wine drunk by itself tastes different than wine with food, because wine acts on food similar to the way a spice does. Acids, tannins, and sugars in the wine interact with the food to provide different taste sensations. And the most important of all the things is that you do not have to stress about wine pairing with food. The best pairing occurs when the good wine is paired with good food and good c ompany.
Below are some of the guidelines that can be used to find the best food pair for the wines.

1. If you are having wine in a party do not match them unless or necessarily you are requested to do so. 2. If you are serving more that one wine for a meal then generally the lighter wines should be served first before the full-bodied ones. And sweet wines should be served first before the dry wines if you are serving a sweet flavored dish in the meal. 3. Always lighter wines with light food and full bodied wines with heavy meals. 4. You can easily pair wines with the full and more flavored dishes.

5. Make sure that you do not pair dishes that are sweeter than the wines. A point to be noted is that the bitter flavored foods will increase the percentage of bitterness and tannic elements in the wine. The bitterness in the wine will be decreased by the sourness and salt in the foods.

How to open a wine bottle

It is important that one should know that how to open a bottle of wine without hurting your hand with the corkscrew or drowning anyone in the fluid. The first step in opening the wine bottle is to screw off the cap with the help of the corkscrew then lobbing it to the trash. In case if you are fighting with cap or spigot then it means that you are opening a wine bottle. If you are going to remove the cork then it means that you are going to handle the cork and the metal wrapping around it. In ancient times the metal wrapping was made with the lead. Once when they found that lead kill man it has been switched to other alloys and now gasp and plastic are used. Whatever it may be you have to decapitate it. To decapitate it one can use a sharp knife or bottle openers. The bottle openers used mainly to open a wine bottle is called as waiters pull. With the help of knife the metal can be sliced below the protrusion which is at the top of the bottle neck. After removing the metal make sure that there is no metal left at the lip of the bottle. This is very important since when the metal touches the metal when you are pouring the wine in a glass the combination of wine and metal will oxidize the fluid. To remove the cork three major devices are used. The easiest is the winglever. The second one is the Waiters pull. And the third one is the dishonest butler.

Misconceptions

Since there is not single media that educate the people about the wine and with the increased consumption some unusual folklore have crept in.
The following are some of the myths often said about the wine

Screw cap bottle wines are cheap Sugariness and fruitiness are the same. Because of sulfur content in red wines you get head ache. For aging people white wine is not suitable. The cheapest wine is the cooking wine.

Wine And Your Heatlh

"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin "There are more old wine drinkers than old doctors." - German Proverb Drinking wine moderately that is having one or two glasses per day will actually do well for the health according to the medical history. Generally wine has been recommended by the physicians to treat iron deficiency anemia. The conventional use of wine along with the meals offer many benefits like helping in the digestion process, stimulating the nutrients take through the food and also reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing the level of cholesterol. Moderate drinking of wine also has the following benefits:

Lower the level of bad cholesterol Increase the level of good cholesterol Lower the blood pressure Increase in bone density Risk of having kidney stone is reduced Enhances the memory power

Though drinking wine has the above mentioned benefits we are still hearing about its bad effects. The negative may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are few researchers who think that alcohol is a cleanser or a disinfectant for killing the disease causing germs. Conversely do not be in an urgent to get any bottle of wine and expect to improve your health. Wine differs in their style and taste since they differ from region to region, grape variety and also in the production method. In the same way wine also differ in their phenol types and concentration. Resveratrol is present more in young wines then in the aged wines and more in red wines then in white wines. So it is always better to choose a young bottle of wine. During the fermentation process the sugar in the grape juice is converted into ethanol or alcohol. Apart from alcohol some other organic chemicals are got as a result of fermentation and these chemicals belong to phenol family. These are called as Flavonoids. These characteristic of the wine are responsible for the several characteristics of wine. The studies are well restricted to the point that the improvement by drinking wine is seen only when the alcohol consumption is moderate. Drinking wine moderately is determined to be the intake of wine about 25 grams of ethanol per day. This amount can be reached by drinking 1 or 2 drinks of 5 ounces of wine and beer and 1 ounces of liquor. The negative effects outweigh the positive effects when more of alcohol is consumed.
Here is how wine is good for health.

Good for the Heart

Building up of cholesterol in the arteries leads to the Coronary artery disease. The arteries are the main units that supply blood to the heart. So when these arteries are blocked heart does not get enough oxygen which results in the pain. Many study suggest that moderate consume of red wine will prevent from heart attack for the peoples at the age of 30 to 50. It has also been said that red wine will prevent from the additional heart attacks if a person had already suffered from one. The cholesterol that block the arteries are called the bad cholesterol. This bad cholesterol has been removed from the body by the high density lipo- proteins. So moderate consumption of wine produces a balance of these two. In addition wine has some anti coagulation effect which makes the blood clot to be rare.

Wine and Digestion

Wine helps in the production of flow and gastric juice which improves the digestion process by breaking down the food in the stomach quickly as well as effectively. For many after the age of 50 the body may not be able to produce enough hydrochloric acid that aids in digestion. So doctors suggest a glass or two wines along with their wine.

Wine Recipes

Wine recipes page allows you to make recipes with the use of your favorite wines. Here you will see a list of wine recipes both added by us and submitted by our visitors. Enjoy them all. Click here to list the list of wine recipes in all-about-wine database. Wine Recipes You are free to mail us, your wine recipes. They are most valuable to us for our improvements. Please mail to All About Wine Recipes

Wine Recipes

Here is a list of wine recpies. Each one with different taste and smell. Enjoy all!

Chicken parched in wine Red wine Jelly Prunes in Red Wine Champagne Punch Wine Butter Sauce Wine Sauce Cherries in Red wine Apple Batorade Drink Strawberry Zin Pineapple Cooler Funky Garlic Mulled Cider Chicken and Red Wine Sauce Baked Fish in Wine Sauce Wine-Oven Fried Fish

Wine Producing Countries

In both the northern and southern hemisphere the grapes are mostly grown between the latitudes of 30th and 50th degree. But some grapes grow beyond this latitude and minor amount of this grape is used to wine preparation. France, Spain, Italy, United States, and Argentina are the five largest producers of wine in the world in 2003.
The data is reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Wine production by country - 2007

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Country Italy France China United States Spain Argentina Chile South Africa Australia Brazil Germany Portugal Greece Romania Moldova Hungary Ukraine Austria Russia Bulgaria

Production (tones) 8,519,418 6,500,000 6,250,000 60,105,00 6,013,000 2,900,000 2,350,00 1,600,000 1,530,439 1,341,806 1,300,000 1,050,000 950,000 821,306 598,000 543,400 415,000 329,825 328,810 200,000

Wine Exporting Countries

The passionate that is just ruling the roost today is that the competition between the countries to see who leads the world with the most prominent penchant and which wineries are leading their region. Possibly the only way to examine this passionate is by country. The table below shows the worlds leading wine exporting countries and their market share in US dollars.
The data is reported by US department of agriculture.

Rank

Country

1000 tones

Market share (% of value in US $)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Italy France Spain Australia Chile United States Germany Argentina Portugal South Africa

1,793 1,462 1,337 762 472 369 316 302 286 272

18.0% 34.9% 8.7% 9.3% 4.3% 3.6% 3.5% 2% 3.0% 2.4%

Wine glossary --> A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Aftertaste

This is wine tasting term. Aftertaste is left on the palate after the wine is finished.
Acidity

Acidity gives the wine its body and structure. Adequate acidity gives the wine a energy and juiciness. Acidity is important for the aging of wines.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the product of sugar when it is fermented by yeast. Alcohol content in the wine gives the wine a body and texture.
Aroma

Aroma refers to the smell of the grapes as well as the wine.

Aeration

Aeration is the process of addition of calculated amount of oxygen to the wine to round and soften it.
Aging

The process of making the wine to attain its desirable state by storing it in barrels, tanks and bottles.
Alcoholic

If the wine contains a high alcohol then it is said to be alcoholic. This might cause burning sensation and is often called as hot.

Wine glossary --> A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Bacteria

A bacterium is an individual one cell organism used in combination along with yeast and molds to ferment the wines.
Barbera

A red grape grown in the Piedmont region.

Barrel

Barrel is vessel used for wine making and fermentation. Barrels are made up of using any one of the following cement, plastic, stainless steel and oak.
Barrel fermentation

Barrel fermentation is the process of fermenting wine in a casks or wood vats usually made of oak. This is done to make the wine to get a smoky aroma.
Balance

Balance is a wine tasting term. A wine is said to be balanced if it has a pleasant sounding combination of tannin, acidity, texture and flavor.
Basement

Basement is the lowest habitat of a building that is below the ground level and is used as a wine cellar.
Beef

The flesh of the steer, bull, ox and cow is called beef.

Berries

Like grape, berries are fleshy fruit with soft wall and thin skin.
Bitter

Bitter is a wine tasting term. It is a sensation got after a few sips of the wine. It is usually hard to experience this bitter feeling.
Blanc

Early declaration of France.

Bliss

Bliss means an extreme happiness, delight and joy enjoyed while sipping a glass of wine. Black grapes. Grapes with blue or reddish skin pigmentation are called black grapes. Black grapes are used for making red wines.

Black berry

Blackberry is a cumulative fruit from a bramble bush, genus rubus and belongs to the family Rosaceae.
Bordeaux

France important wine region. The red wines from this region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The white wines are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Bottle

A bottle is a small can or container that is used to store wine. The neck of the bottle is narrower than the body. The bottles are made up of glass since they are nonporous, strong and pleasing.
Body

Body refers to the weight and texture of the wine. The body can be a light bodied, full bodied and medium bodied.
Botrytis

Botrytis is a fungus that causes grapes to shrink and to become very concentrated. It is also called "noble rot"
Brandy

Brandy is an alcoholic liquid obtained from by the refinement of wine.

Brunello

Brunello is a type of wine that is made from sangiovese grape. They acquire the intense, character through the extended aging in oak barrel and this requires many years.
Browning

As red wine age the color of the wine change from ruby purple to dark, medium ruby or ruby with an amber edge or with a brown edge this is known as browning. When a wine is said to be browning then the wine is fully matured and nothing else can be done to make it better.
Buttery

Buttery is a small storeroom for storing foods and wines

Wine glossary --> A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet grapes which are thinner skin and have the early ripening capacity are used to produce wine that are called cabernet franc. Cabernet franc has lower acidity compared to cabernet sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon

This is one of the worlds most recognized grape that has sufficient tannins for making wines that needs to be aged. These grapes are grown in all the major wine producing countries.
Cabinet wine

Cabinet wine is a white wine type that is dry. This wine is produced from the fully matured grapes without the addition of extra sugar.
Calories

Wines get their calories from the alcohol content. A single glass of wine contains about 100-110 calories.
Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates enclose carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and also include sugar and

starches. They are important for muscle functioning and are the main source of energy.
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless and non combustible gas and is product of respiration and combustion. It is also known as carbonic acid gas. Carbon dioxide is produced commercially and is used in fire extinguishers and carbonated beverages like wine.
Carboy

Carboy is a container made up of plastic, glass and wood. The carboy is used for fermentation of beverages.
Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular fitness refers to the maximum volume of oxygen that the heart, lungs and organs of the body can consume.
Carignan

Carignan is semi classic grape that originated in Carinena and is used to making red wines.
Carmenere

This is a grape variety used to produce deep red wines and sometimes used for the blending purpose.
Cave

Cave is similar to wine cellar that is used to provide a cool location for wine storing and aging.
Cellar

Cellar is a storage place for wine.

Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling white wine made from the grape varities such as chardonnay and pinot.
Character

Character is term used to describe the wine with its idiosyncratic attributes generally associated with its body, aroma, taste, etc.
Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a green color grape and is used mostly used in making white wine.
Charming

Charming is a term used to describe a wine that is light and have an expression attitude and does not fulfill the first expectation.
Chateau Latour

Chateau latour is a French wine estate.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is white wine made from the grape variety that originated in the Loire valley. The grape variety is also called Chenin Blanc.
Cherry

Cherry is an aroma and flavor of the wine that are produced by the grapes like Merlot, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.
Chianti

Chianti is red table wine that is prepared from different varieties of grapes. This wine is most famous produced in northwest Italy.
Chilean wine

Chilean wine is good quality inexpensive wine made in the South American country of Chile. It is widely available in many brands

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Wine glossary --> A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Debris

Debris is standing apart fragment taken collectively from the wine after fragmentation.
Decadent

Wines that are made from layers of fruit with a huge bouquet and a plump and has a luxurious texture is said to be decadent.
Decaying

Decaying is a process of decaying the wine from the normal state to the state of excellence, prosperity and deteriorates. It is also said that wine is becoming inferior.
Delicate

Delicate the wine tasting term is used to describe wines that are light to medium bodied with good and clear flavors. In simple terms delicate means light fragrance, flavor and body.
Depth

Depth is used to describe a wine that has excellent concentration of aromas and flavors.
Dessert wine

Dessert wines are wines that have high sugar content and are served with dessert.
Destemmer

Destemmer is a crusher machine used to separate the grapes from their stems.
Diet

Diet is nothing but the synchronized selection of foods for either medical use or for weight loss.
Difference / different

The quality of being dissimilar, unlike, distinction etc.

Digested

The process of converting any food substance in to simple chemical compounds that can be easily absorbed and stimulated by the body.
Disadvantage

Disadvantage is nothing but telling the harmful effects of any thing.

Distilled

Distillation is the process for producing excellent brandy and it is the fundamental step

Dolcetto
Dolcetto is a black grape variety found in the Piedmont region in Italy and in some parts of France. As the name indicates the grape has pleasant almonds, licorice and red fruit Dozen is used to indicate a set of twelve things/objects. Example: dozen of wine or dozen of beer Person who drinks alcoholic drinks as a habit or someone who drink alcohol excessively are called as drinkers Dry is a wine tasting term. Used to describe wine that posses little or no sweetness. It can also be used to describe tannin or

Dozen

Drinkers Dry

Durif

mouth feel capacity of the wine Durif is a red grape variety that is a cross between syrah and prlourisn. It is used to make red wine and is found in the

Dwindling

region of Rhone valley Dwindling is wine that is used to describe a wine that is fading away i.e. wine that is decreasing in its strength and brightness

Edelvernatch Egon Muller Elasticity Enzymes

Edelvernatch is a red grape variety. It is also known as schiava. Egon Muller is a famous vineyard in Mosel. Elasticity is the tendency of the body to regain its original shape after being stretched or compresses. Enzymes are biomolecules that contains numerous proteins and functions as a catalyst for chemical reaction.

Equipment Ethyl
Equipments are nothing but the machines and tools used for making wine. Ethyl is a hydrocarbon radical resulting from ethane by the eliminating one hydrogen atom. It also acts as an intoxicating

Exciting

agent for fermentation and distillation process. When tasting wine the state of exciting is obtained if the wine is in its full potential state. The term exciting also mean that

Extraction

stirring and stimulating. The process of deriving something from another compound is called extraction. In wine the wine is extracted from the grape varieties.

Factors Fat
Factor is a term that is used to describe the things that effects the wine production, purchasing, wine quality, aging etc Wine is said to be fat when it is full and well balanced. But in US it is said that wine lacks in its acidity content Fermented is nothing but the state after fermentation i.e. a state of agitation development done by yeast Fermentation is the process of turning the grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. Yeast is used in the fermentation process

Fermented

Fermentation

Finish

to convert the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide Finish is a wine tasting term and is used to denote the taste of the wine left after drinking it Firmness is a wine tasting term and is felt at the back of the mouth. This taste says that wine is young and has aged well.

Firmness

Flavor Fleshy Floral

This sensation is caused by the tannins in the wine The flavor tells whether the wine has come from grapes or blackberries. It also shows the high alcohol content in the wine Fleshy describes the body and glycerol palate of the wine. It is the result of the alcohol that is highly extracted Floral describes the smell and taste of the wine Fluctuation is the rise and fall in the wine bottles or the shelf that contains the bottle is disturbed

Fluctuation

Fluorescent
Fluorescent is the light emitted when the radiation is exposed to some external sourc

FolleBlanche Fraction Fragile

Folle blanche also known as picpoule is one of the grape variety that are found in the regions of France Fraction is used to denote a part of the component of mixture that is separated Fragile is a wine tasting term that is used to describe the wine as weak, tenuous and delicate. Fragolino sparkling wine is a type of red wine that is made from the red grape variety. It is famous for its strawberry flavor.

Fragolino Sparkling Wine

French Champagne Fruity

French champagne is a type of sparkling wine that is made in Italy, US, Spain and in some parts of France. Fruity can be both tasting and smelling terms. When the food is used to have the taste or aroma as rich as fruit then it is

Fungus

said to be fruity. Fungus is large plant like organism group that includes mushrooms, mildews, yeast and molds. These organisms lack chlorophyll.

Gallons
Gallon is a vessel that has the volume capacity to four liters. It other words it is equal to eight pints.

Gamut Gewrztraminer Glass Grape

Gamut is the entire scale and range of the wine. This is a type of white grape variety used in making wine. The wine prepared from this grape is called gewrztraminer. Glass is a vessel that has narrow stem which is used for drinking wine. Grapes are small round fruit that has smooth skin and is juicy. Grapes come in three different colors, purple, red and green.

Gulp

Grapes are eaten as fruit and are also used to make wines. Gulp is the used to describe the eating or drinking habit. It means that drinking or eating anything in large mouths