We are wine nerds who wish to share with you the joy of wine tasting.
Each wine tells a different story - it all originated from
the soil, the sunlight, the geography of the land...all of which the
winemakers call "terroir", or the vines that survive decades of history,
or the beautiful chateaux where the passion of excellent wine making is
passed generation to generation. By knowing more about wine, you'd
realize it's much, much more than the stimulation of taste buds when
tasting a wine.
Our mission is simple - allow you to love wine a bit more everyday.
- by providing our expertise in the wine industry
- by streamlining our operations and cost, and thus getting you great prices
- by being here 24/7 to give you ideas to step further into the fascinating world of wine (wine tasting events, wine recommendations, even wine trips in France!)
2012年2月28日 星期二
Understanding Wine Label
1. Name of the Chateau
2. Vintage
3. Classification
4. Quality category - AOC in this case
5. % of alcohol content
6. Volume
7. Names and address of bottler
First Look
- Color: from the color alone, you could get a hue of wine age, grape type, type of wine.
- Wine Age: Older wines usually have an increasing "tawny" color.
- Grape type: e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon wines will be dark purple and more opaque. Pinot Noir wines tend to be lighter with less depth of color and a lighter hue.
- Type of wine: color from red wine is from the grape skin. Orange/ pink in color may indicate the wine is a rosé.
- Intensity/ Opacity: The wine color's depth or opacity is a measure of how dark it is. More opaque wine could imply a heavier body.
- Clarity: Wines should be generally clear. Though, many great wines are unfiltered to avoid destroying the originality of the wine when it was first made. In that case, slight haze is acceptable.
- Viscosity: "Legs" - The legs are a measure of the viscosity of the liquid in your wine glass. The more viscous, the more pronounced legs. Sugar concentration is one of the several things that can influence the wine legs. The more sugar, the more viscous. Therefore, sweeter wines such as dessert wines will always have much more pronounced legs. Another thing that increases the viscosity of wine is the alcohol content. Alcohol is more viscous than water so wines with more alcohol will have more legs. Please note though more legs does not imply a better wine quality.
Sample of wine color standards - All copyright reserved by Winefan TM - pls refer to the Winefan TM for a full spectrum of colors.
2012年2月20日 星期一
L'Art de la Degustation
"There are two types of wine tasting. Technical tasting is the business of wine professionals who for technical or commercial purposes must asses a product's qualities. Hedonistic tasting, open to all, simply aims at a better knowledge of wine for increased pleasure" - FICOFI
To taste a wine is to submit it to an examination of the senses, to analyse and assess it. There are certain rules to be respected:
- Pour the liquid into a glass which has a base, is uncolored, and curves in slightly at the top in order to trap the aromas
- Fill the glass one-third full to enable the wine to develop its nose
- Hold the glass by the base in order to swirl the wine easily and thus release its bouquet
SIGHT:
- Hold the glass against a white background for a better appreciation of its color and appearance
- Tilt the glass outwards a little, still holding it by its base, to judge its intensity
- The tilting of the glass causes the wine to shed 'tears' or 'legs' which shows the wine's viscosity and its sugar/alcohol balance
Common words:
- pale/ medium/ intense/ lemon/ gold/ salmon/ ruby/ garnet/ tawny
SMELL:
- First nosing without swirling
- Second nosing with swirling/ airing
Common words:
- floral/ green fruit/ citrus fruit/ stone fruit/ tropical fruit/ red fruit/ black fruit/ dried fruit
- spice/ vegetable/ herbal/ pungent spice
- oak/ yeast/ leather/ mineral/ earth
TASTE:
- The attack: often pleasant, sweet
- The middle mouth: development on the palate
- The finish: perception of bitterness
- The aftertaste: undesirable
- The length: sign of a great wine
- Sip a small quantity of wine
- Breathe in a little air through half open lips
- Perceive the wine by breathing out through your nose. You will discover the first taste impression in the mouth
- With closed lips, turn the wine around in the mouth in order to impregnate the oral cavity and the tongue; all the taste buds must be used
- Chew the wine in such a way as to appreciate its texture, body and fullness
- Finally swallow it whilst remain concentrated
To taste a wine is to submit it to an examination of the senses, to analyse and assess it. There are certain rules to be respected:
- Pour the liquid into a glass which has a base, is uncolored, and curves in slightly at the top in order to trap the aromas
- Fill the glass one-third full to enable the wine to develop its nose
- Hold the glass by the base in order to swirl the wine easily and thus release its bouquet
SIGHT:
- Hold the glass against a white background for a better appreciation of its color and appearance
- Tilt the glass outwards a little, still holding it by its base, to judge its intensity
- The tilting of the glass causes the wine to shed 'tears' or 'legs' which shows the wine's viscosity and its sugar/alcohol balance
Common words:
- pale/ medium/ intense/ lemon/ gold/ salmon/ ruby/ garnet/ tawny
SMELL:
- First nosing without swirling
- Second nosing with swirling/ airing
Common words:
- floral/ green fruit/ citrus fruit/ stone fruit/ tropical fruit/ red fruit/ black fruit/ dried fruit
- spice/ vegetable/ herbal/ pungent spice
- oak/ yeast/ leather/ mineral/ earth
TASTE:
- The attack: often pleasant, sweet
- The middle mouth: development on the palate
- The finish: perception of bitterness
- The aftertaste: undesirable
- The length: sign of a great wine
- Sip a small quantity of wine
- Breathe in a little air through half open lips
- Perceive the wine by breathing out through your nose. You will discover the first taste impression in the mouth
- With closed lips, turn the wine around in the mouth in order to impregnate the oral cavity and the tongue; all the taste buds must be used
- Chew the wine in such a way as to appreciate its texture, body and fullness
- Finally swallow it whilst remain concentrated
Wines All Over France
Bordeaux is the classic, moderate-climate region for wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It also uses Sauvignon Blanc in its dry and sweet white wines.
The main form of branding for premium quality Bordeaux is the chateau. Names of merchant houses are sometimes used, but this is mainly for large volume inexpensives wines. A chateau names does not necessarily refer to a grand building. It indicates that the wine has been made from a defined piece of land, rather than being assembled from bought-in wines, or made from bought-in grapes or juice. Over time, chateaux can sell or buy land, so the exact plots associated with the chateau name can change. The term Grand Vin is often used to indicate the main wine made by the chateau. Within the Medoc chateaux, the best are classified as Grand Cru Classe. Cru Bourgeois indicates good quality. Other parts of Bordeaux have similar label terms for their best chateaux. Cru Classe in Graves, and Grand Cru Classes in Saint Emillion.
Burgundy is the classic, moderate-to-cool climate region for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wines from the wider Burgundy region are labelled as Bourgogne AC. The best wines come from the Cote d'Or. These wines are generally labelled with the name of the village and the grape variety is rarely mentioned within a village. The very best vineyards have their own ACs and are designated Grand Cru.
Beaujolais has moderate climate. Light and medium bodied red wines are produced here from the Gamay grape variety. These are usually unoaked and have medium or high acidity, low tannin levels and pronounced ref fruit aromas, sometimes with a hint of spice. They are best consumed while young and fruity, through a few wines from Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC can improve with bottle age.
Within the Beaujolais Villages AC, there are ten villages, known as the Beaujolais Crus, which produce the best quality wines from the Beaujolais region. They label their red wines with the names of the village, rather than the region. The most commonly seen ones are Fleurie AC, Brouilly AC, Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC.
The main form of branding for premium quality Bordeaux is the chateau. Names of merchant houses are sometimes used, but this is mainly for large volume inexpensives wines. A chateau names does not necessarily refer to a grand building. It indicates that the wine has been made from a defined piece of land, rather than being assembled from bought-in wines, or made from bought-in grapes or juice. Over time, chateaux can sell or buy land, so the exact plots associated with the chateau name can change. The term Grand Vin is often used to indicate the main wine made by the chateau. Within the Medoc chateaux, the best are classified as Grand Cru Classe. Cru Bourgeois indicates good quality. Other parts of Bordeaux have similar label terms for their best chateaux. Cru Classe in Graves, and Grand Cru Classes in Saint Emillion.
Burgundy is the classic, moderate-to-cool climate region for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wines from the wider Burgundy region are labelled as Bourgogne AC. The best wines come from the Cote d'Or. These wines are generally labelled with the name of the village and the grape variety is rarely mentioned within a village. The very best vineyards have their own ACs and are designated Grand Cru.
Beaujolais has moderate climate. Light and medium bodied red wines are produced here from the Gamay grape variety. These are usually unoaked and have medium or high acidity, low tannin levels and pronounced ref fruit aromas, sometimes with a hint of spice. They are best consumed while young and fruity, through a few wines from Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC can improve with bottle age.
Within the Beaujolais Villages AC, there are ten villages, known as the Beaujolais Crus, which produce the best quality wines from the Beaujolais region. They label their red wines with the names of the village, rather than the region. The most commonly seen ones are Fleurie AC, Brouilly AC, Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC.
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