Wine Blogger

Music, Food, Red Wine and You

A romantic and musical dinner cuisine is never complete without rich and sparkling wine bottle. And it is all the more better, if it’s sipping with lustrous red wine. The fabulous red wine is very popular in Western and European countries. The rich red color comes from grape skin.

The heavenly taste of quality red wines increases with time, albeit you have to store it very carefully, to improve the taste. Usually red wine is made with red, purple or black grapes. The color quality depends on the fermentation procedure. Red wine is generally served in warm climatic condition, in a mild cooled form. Red wines are more costly than other kind of wines. Red wines are often classified according to its tannin nature and astringent taste.

The Art of Wine Tasting

People around the world thinks, to taste wine is a simple process and assume that it consists to just sip, swish and swallow. But, many are surprised to know that there’s actually more to wine tasting. We can say that to taste wine is an art in its own self. It’s mainly used to distinguish the taste of fine wines.

Firstly, if you wish to taste wine, then begin with swishing. Has it ever strike you, as to why tasters swish their wine around their mouths? They do it mainly to understand the taste. Your front and back areas of the tongue have taste buds and these actually help to recognize the taste of the wine. Hence, to get the correct taste from your wine, you are required to swish it around your mouth and permit your taste buds and sense of smell to bring out the distinguished and fine flavors in the wine.

How to Decant Wine

Decanting wine is the process of pouring the wine from its original bottle into another container. That could be any carafe, a fancy crystal decanter, or even a mason jar if you’re down-home country. But what is the purpose of this?

Far back in history, decanting wine was a method of pouring only the clear wine out, leaving the naturally-occurring sediment behind in the bottle. This was an issue because wine was sold unfiltered. You might still encounter the occasional unfiltered bottle, for instance in the case of full-body reds that are aged more than ten years, or in vintage ports that have some sediment as a natural side effect.

The second purpose, which remains relevant today, is to let the wine breathe. Now, too much oxygen is bad for wine; there’s a reason so much care is taken with sealing the bottle. But a little air exposure helps to soften and mellow the flavor. This is especially the case with high-tannin wines and heavy wines. Decanting doesn’t do as much for delicate reds like Pinot Noir, or zesty whites like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, but it does benefit fuller bodied reds and whites, especially those with oaky tones.

In short, you should consider decanting for: Cabernet Sauvignons, Zinfandels, Barolos, Bordeauxs, Chardonnays, and Shiraz. It serves much the same function as swirling the wine around in a glass does; it opens up the wine and allows it to attain its peak potential taste and nose.