Ken Finnigan

As touched upon in the preceding article, “Making White Wine, a Labour of Love” making wine is a very time consuming and difficult job. Timing must be perfect as does combinations of ingredients. The same goes for all other types of wine: red, rose and sparkling.

Rosé wine is a red wine that is made with the same methods of a white wine. The production is the same except that the skins are thrown in with the juice. Few winemakers prefer to make rosé wine by mixing some red wine into white wine, but this is not the popular method. When using the skins to make rosé wine most important thing is to only leave the skins in with the juice for a short period of time, long enough to give it that rose color and make it ever so slightly tannic.

Making red wine involves using the entire grape except for the stalks. The grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, but instead of filtering the skins from the juice the skins are transferred to open top tanks where they are continuously stirred so the flavor and color from the skins will become infused with the wine during fermentation. The wine is then filtered to remove the skins and put into barrels to age from six months up to two years before being bottled and sold.

Then you have sparkling wine or Champagne. Because of the Treaty of Madrid in 1891 and the Treaty of Versailles in, only wines from the French region of Champagne are allowed to be called as such, which is why everything else is referred to as sparkling wine. However it is important to note that the United States never ratified the treaty and therefore some wine makers today use the term Champagne on their bottles, only if the original place of origin is on the label as well to prevent confusion. The wines most commonly used are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. The first step is to have a “base wine” which is usually made from very acidic grapes giving it a horrible taste. The next step involves getting the bubbles into the wine.

There are three methods that can be used to get bubbles into wine, carbonation, transfer method and méthode champenoise. Carbonation, the same method used in soft drinks, is the cheapest. Carbon dioxide is pumped into a wine tank and then the wine is bottled under pressure to prevent the case from escaping. The transfer method is when a sweetened base has yeast added to it and is allowed to ferment a second time in an enclosed tank so the building carbon dioxide cannot escape. After fermentation, the wine is then clarified and re-sweetened if necessary before being bottled under pressure. This method is used to produce medium price range sparkling wine. The final method is méthode champenoise, which is when the wine has a second fermentation in the bottle. This method is used to produce the best quality wines.

Making wine is an art form. It takes knowledge, skill but most of all patience. The process of making wine from picking the grapes to bottling can be months or years, which is why winemakers are so passionate about their work. So the next time you pour yourself a glass, think about the voyage those little grapes have made.

About the Author:

Ken Finnigan is the CEO of Finest Wine Racks a website specializing in quality decorative wine racks and durable wine storage systems. Read more articles by: Ken Finnigan

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Jennifer Marie Jordan

I had a friend in college whose life’s goal was to move to France, don a beret, stomp on grapes, and make wine for a living. Though I tried to tell her that there was more to wine-making than purple feet, and that berets were so “Clinton Administration,” she ignored me and dreamt of grapes anyway. Though I did not share her winemaking aspirations and decided instead to dream of something much more realistic, like a marriage proposal from Brad Pitt, she did get me thinking about the process, and she got me thirsty for knowledge. This eventually led me to discover different types of wine require different recipes, with one of the most complex belonging to Port.

Prior to actually reading about making Port, I was under the impression that all it involved was people stepping on grapes in bare feet. Because of this, I often worried that I would be drinking Tinta Barroca, and find floating in my glass a human toenail or perhaps a foot corn. But, in truth, port-making is a lengthy, complicated process.

Port wine, also known as Vinho do Porto, Porto, or Porto wine, is a fortified wine that comes from the Douro Valley in the northern lands of Portugal. Produced in Portugal since the mid 15th Century, Port gained popularity in England after the Methuen Treaty of 1703. While this treaty did war-related things reserved for history books, in regards to wine it caused England to become an adopted family for Port, with Portugal being the biological parents.

There is no easy way to make Port: no kind comes in a packet with “just add water” instructions. Instead, the process initially involves picking grapes, smashing them, and then placing them in an automated tank where they are further chopped into tiny pieces. After remaining in this tank for nearly twenty-four hours, the grapes begin to ferment and their sugar climbs the food chain, turning into alcohol.

With Port wine, after fermentation begins, timing takes over. Once half of the grape’s sugar has been converted, fermentation must be stopped. In order to do this, the wine is mixed with clear brandy (a strong alcoholic spirit distilled from wine) containing a proof of 150. The alcohol in the brandy kills the yeast in the wine, causing fermentation to cease. The ending result is a sweet wine that is about 20 percent alcohol. It is typically served with desserts, cheese, and, of course, desserts made of cheese.

Though there are many styles of Port - White Port, Ruby Port, Young Tawny Port, Aged Tawny Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port, Vintage Port, Single Quinta Vintage Port, Crusted Port, and Garrafeira Port - most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away.

The best Ports to know, the ones to introduce yourself to before sending them down your esophagus, are the Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port, W. & J. Graham’s Tawny Port, Smith Woodhouse Vintage Character Port, Niepoort Vintage Port, Quinta do Infantado Single Quinta Vintage Port, and Adriano Ramos-Pinto Late Bottled Vintage Port.

As demonstrated, the process of making Port is not as simple as one might imagine; it involves a little more than simply visiting a vineyard, and being met with thousands of grapes shouting, “Pick me! Pick me!” And, it involves more than taking off your tennis shoes and having a smashing good time. After a careful, lengthy process, the smashing good time will follow.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

jenn@create-on.com

Kathy Howe

The Livermore Wine Country is located in San Francisco’s East Bay Area approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco. It includes wineries in Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol, and Castro Valley. This is one of the oldest wine regions in California. The first commercial grapes were planted in the 1840s by Robert Livermore.

If you have not experienced a California wine tour to the Livermore Valley, their wineries are sure to delight you with the quality and variety of their wines. This area has a delightful mixture of large and small wineries waiting for you to explore. Many are only open on weekends, but will make appointments for tasting during the week. Wine tasting is almost always complimentary.

Many of the Livermore wineries are located on or near Tesla Road, a main road south of the city that runs west to east. Driving along this road, be sure to stop at: Cedar Mountain Winery, a small winery well known for their wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon and Ports; Steven Kent, producer of world class Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; and Tesla Vintners, a community tasting room that pours wine from 6 small wineries including Fenestra, John Christopher Cellars, Little Valley, Red Skye, The Singing Winemaker, and Thomas Coyne. It’s convenient to be able to sample wines from many wineries at one stop. Tesla Vintners provides free tasting. If you’re lucky, you’ll visit on a day when live music is provided as well.

Mitchell Katz Winery, stands on the site where the Ruby Hill Winery was built in 1887 in the town of Pleasanton.Mitchell Katz built his winery here in 1998 using bricks and keystones from the original winery. Stop by and enjoy the beautiful facility and sample their many fine wines.

A small winery located in a wooded area in Castro Valley, Chouinard Vineyards is a fun winery to visit. On Sundays throughout the summer you can listen to San Francisco Bay Area artists performing for Chouinard’s “Music in the Vineyards” concert series. 2006 prices are $35 per carload. Chouinard Vineyards has many varietals to sample, including their gold medal winning Port. You won’t find a friendlier tasting room.

There are two fantastic places to eat in Livermore. Café Garre, located at Garre Winery on Tesla Road, makes a terrific lunch stop. Enjoy their fabulous Mediterranean cuisine featuring fresh local foods. There’s a selection of superb salads, sandwiches, and pastas that are sure to please. The Restaurant at Wente serves gourmet lunch and dinner in a casual but elegant atmosphere at Wente Winery’s Arroyo Road location. This award winning Livermore restaurant serves regional American dishes influenced by Italian, French, and California cuisines. The menu changes daily. The food always looks lovely and tastes delicious. When the weather is nice, dine on their outdoor terrace to view the rolling hills, colorful landscaping, and sycamore trees.

In addition to wine tasting, the Livermore Valley also offers challenging golf courses, unique wine country accommodations, hiking, and shopping. Experience the Livermore Wine Country for yourself.

About The Author

Kathy Howe and her husband, Steve, spend much of their free time tasting and enjoying wine. Their interest in wine is reflected in their Web Site, www.cheers2wine.com - a comprehensive guide to the California Wine Country.