Super Baby Album

Posts Tagged ‘chardonnay’

There are a number of points towards refining your taste for wine and enhancing your judgment as to what makes a good wine. One is that wine is made from fermented grape juice. You also should know the grape varieties wines are made from and the process of wine making itself.

There are many different kinds of wines, and the more commonly known ones – red, white, rose and champagne – are only a few of many. Wines are usually classified according to the grape varieties used to make them. One variety that is often used for red wine is the Barbera. This variety is grown mainly in Piedmont, Italy, but is quite adaptable to other regions, and is also grown on a limited scale in the United States. Barbera grapes have a high natural acidity and produce wines with a full-bodied fruity taste.

A Few Different Wine Varieties

There are many varieties of wine. Wine enthusiasts know about one variety that is widely grown in many parts of the world: Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety, grown primarily in Medoc, France, has found its way to California, Australia and other wine-making countries. Cabernet Sauvignon wines are considered by wine enthusiasts as among the best red wines in the world. They have a distinct aromatic flavor, and have hints of the taste of berries, olives, coffee, mint and herbs all blended together. Among the white varieties, the Chardonnay is easily the most popular, producing some of the world’s finest white wines. The types and varieties are overwhelming at times, but you soon become familiar with the wine values.

If a wine enthusiast is interested in going into wine production, even if only for personal consumption, then a basic understanding of the wine-making process is important. Wine making is really quite simple and is an age-old technology. It is not necessary to have sophisticated equipment to make wines.

To start you have to know what type of grapes to use and where they are grown, the right age for picking, and things like acidity and sugar levels. If you want a particular aromatic flavor, you should be able to tell which grapes will produce that kind of flavor. After the picking of the grapes, comes the pressing to extract the juices, and then the fermentation process.

The fermentation process is quite delicate. To stimulate the fermentation process, yeast is added to the juice. In simple terms, fermentation is the conversion of the sugar in the juice into alcohol. The success of the process, that is, your grape juice turning into good wine, has a lot to do with the kind of yeast you use, and the absence of any contaminants getting into the mixture during the entire process.

There is so much more to understanding the differences between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the knowledge to the types of wine available is a small start for the wine enthusiast.

Chardonnay grape is the most popular type of white wine, found all over the world.The flavor, taste, and aroma of it will though, depending on where it was made and what processing methods were used.  Chardonnay has a variety of different styles and flavors, and remains a major type of grape.Due to it’s popularity, this fine wine spread throughout Europe and another locations of the world like California and Australia.

As more and more wine makers discovered Chardonnay, the fine wine began to grow quite well in South Africa and other areas as well.  With it being a non aroma type wine, oak seems to work very well with it.  The richest and most complex are American and French Chardonnay, which are also among the most preferred white wines.  Even though it does suffer from fatigue, the flavor and richness of this wine will keep it loved by many for years to come.

Chardonnay originated from the Burgundy and Champagne area of France.  Although white Burgundy is a popular wine that is prepared with Aligote, a lesser known grape, the fact remains that white Burgundy can’t be made without the use of Chardonnay grape.  What this goes to show, is that Chardonnay grapes have more than a few uses.

In appearance, Chardonnay grapesare green in color with thin skins.  The grape is a result of the Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are extinct to this day.  Chardonnay on the other hand is still popular, fermented and aged using oak barrels that help to bring out the vanilla flavor the wine is well known for.  It can also be aged and fermented using bottles, although it won’t age quite as much as red wine.

Almost all Chardonnay wines are considered to be chilled, making them work extremely well with dishes that contain butter and cheeses.Also the wines have less acid content too, which makes them work well along with the seafood.  There are a lot of food that you can pair Chardonnay with, which is what makes it so popular.  A lot of fine restaurants serve it as well, especially Italian and seafood restaurants.

The Chardonnay grape can also be used in making Champagne and other types of sparkling wines.  Although Chardonnay wine is the most popular use, there are several other uses for the grape that lead to some truly fine wines.  Oak is often times used with the wine as well, which provides it with some great flavors as it ages.  Although it can be a bit on the expensive side, it still remains one of the most preferred types of wine.  You can find it at any wine or alcohol store – making it a great addition to your wine or drink collection.

Top Types of Wine

There are many types and varieties of wine available. For anyone wanting to try and match a great wine with a specific type of meal, then you can’t go wrong making your choice form one of the more popular varieties around.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can’t go wrong with a wine of the month club, they’re fun and you’re always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Often abbreviated to the less-than-lovely name ‘cab-sav’, the flavorful cabernet sauvignon is a classic French wine that is one of the most widely recognized red wine varieties.

This well rounded red goes wonderfully with steaks and roasted lamb as well as being delicious on its own.

Merlot

Merlot should ideally be a very soft red wine that is also quite rich without the high tannin levels of other reds. Whether on its own or blended with a great cab-sav, merlot is lovely served with chicken or can an excellent drinking red wine.

Shiraz

Also known as Syrah, Shiraz is a deep red colored, medium bodied wine whose flavor includes hints of black pepper and berries. This is one of the best wines to go with barbecue as well as many other meat dishes. Shiraz can be aged for a long time and improves well with age.

Shiraz was originally produced from grapes from the Middle Eastern countries although South Australia’s brilliant wine region is now said to produce some of the finest award-winning Shiraz wines in the world.

Served with peppery or mustard-based sauces on spicy, garnished meats, Shiraz is the perfect complimentary red wine.

Grenache

This soft wine has plum and black pepper flavors and is also a good partner for spicy foods. It is often seen in blends with Shiraz, especially those from France and Spain.

Pinot Noir

A light to medium bodies red, Pinot Noir has flavors of cherry and plum, along with violet-like flavors which become more prominent when this wine is properly aged.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a very ripe tasting white wine that can have a quite aggressive aroma as compared to other white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely white wine that is excellent with seafood and a great accompaniment to Japanese sushi, but is even better on its own as a drinking white wine.

Semillon

Very popular in France and Australia, this grape is less popular outside of those countries. Boasting a mild, honey and toast flavor, this wine is often seen in blends with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Riesling

This is a German wine which has found favor worldwide and is now grown in many different countries. This is a white wine with a pleasing green apple and lemon flavor which may be either dry or sweet. The dry varieties of Riesling are excellent paired with spicy foods.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.