News and Reviews

The Beginner’s Bluff – More than just Red and White!

“I only need it for cooking so a bottle of plonk will do.” No, no and furthermore no! You should not cook with the cheapest wine you can find as the wine evaporates and its flavour condenses. Spend a few more Euro on the bottle and your food will thank you!

May I recommend the RESERVE wine?

Did you know that the word “Reserve” on a bottle only has true meaning for Spanish and Italian wines? “Reserva” and “Riserva” respectively are a regulated term controlled by law in these countries. In other countries, the term may be just a marketing ploy.

Recession?

According to the latest CSO report, the annual per capita wine consumption in Ireland is 23 bottles (clearly, they haven’t included me in the survey…ahem). In Ireland, women indulged in the greater volume share – 57pc to men’s 43pc.

It’s a twist off cap?

No it’s not. The correct terminology for a screw capped wine is a “Stelvin enclosure”. Doesn’t that sound better?

Organic wine, sure whats the difference?

In the EU “producers are currently permitted to use a range of additives to change the flavour, appearance and smell of the drink without listing them on the label”. In organic wine it is made the way the Romans made it…with grapes. Orgies are optional.

Red or white?

Well red and white wines start the same. Interestingly, it is not the case that red wines come from red grapes and white from white. Red wines are red because their skin is left on and fermentation extracts colour from this. White wines have their skins removed.

A vintage age?

Fine red wines go lighter with age and fine white wines go darker.

Wine Waste?

What about acquiring a “wine waist” in the same way that people acquire a “beer belly”? Well wine isn’t as calorific as you think. A standard glass of dry red or white wine contains around 85 calories a take-away burger has about 650.

Corkage?

Make sure you lie your wine bottles on their side when in storage. Keeping the wine on its side keeps the wine in contact with the cork, thereby preventing the cork from drying, shrinking, and letting in air.

Lets just get the house wine?

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world while Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red.

You should either buy the house wine or spend quite a bit more. Restaurateurs buy the house wine in bulk and so they get a great discount on it. Therefore there’s no point in buying a wine that’s only a few euro more than the house wine. Get the house or go wild!

French wine has a very complex quality classification system, in its simplest terms (or at least in terms that makes you look like a wine expert looking at the next wine menu.) The lowest classification is VDT, “Vin de Table” or every day table wine (45%). Next up is the VDP, “Vin de Pays” (25%) or wine of the country, which is wine produced in zone larger that its application. Second prize goes to AOVDQS, “Appellation d’Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure” or wines of higher quality as a loose translation. First prize is award to AOC, “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” or regulated wines of origin. Watch out for the labels and the corresponding price tags.

Chablis situated in Burgundy built its reputation on a unique expression of the Chardonnay grape. The levels of quality are divided into crus (growth place). “Grand Cru” (1%) is considered the highest quality, followed by “Premiers Cru” (11%), “Chablis” label which is village wine (23%) and finally sub-village appellations (65%) including Petit Chablis.

Spanish wine has quality levels too. There are strict laws about labelling which usually refer to the ageing of the wine. Starting with “vino joven” or young wine, we move to the 2 year aged “Crianza“, and then to the “Reserva” which is aged for at least 3 years. The top wine is the “Gran Reserva” with a minimum of 5 years aging.

Italian Wine is a bit simpler. Starting with the low end Vdt “Vino Da Tavola” or table wine produced anywhere in Italy. Next up is IGT “Indicazione di Geografica Tipica” or wines grown in a specific region. DOC or “Denominazione di Origine Controllata” is where the fine wines begin (this is similar to the French AOC). Finally, there is the wine you will be ordering when someone else is paying which is DOCG or “Denominazione di OrigineControllata e Garantita” which represents some of the finest vineyards Italy has to offer.

Remember that if all else fails you can simply say “I respect your opinion, but international wine critic Robert M. Parker Junior says differently, and quite frankly I agree Now pass me that fine VDT Chardonnay Stelvin enclosure wine I brought with me and enough of your nonsense.”

By Darren Grant – Proprietor of the Organic Supermarket and Oenophile

Posted by

admin

Comments

Comments (2)