Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

Perhaps a Moscato?

Friday, September 11, 2009
posted by Frank Stevens 3:40 AM

Perhaps a Moscato?

Wine is one of those items that has an incredible diversity of variations. Aside from just red and white, wine is made from dozens and dozens of kinds of grapes, each with their own distinct flavors. Even the process used to make the wine can make the flavors from two different wines made from the same kinds of grapes taste very different. Experts will tell you that you can actually taste the difference between the years in which a wine grape was grown and the soil of the vineyard. While the ability to taste many of these very subtle differences may be beyond the palates of most wine drinkers, there are a number of different flavors and classes of wine that provide an enjoyable experience for almost anyone.

One way to begin to learn about the different flavor possibilities of wines is to read about them. Rather than attempting to try every different type of wine, relying upon the written reports of an expert can give you a starting point for your own experimentation. A well-written wine book will tell you about the different varieties of grapes and what flavors can be expected from each. It will also talk about the class of each wine. Is it dry? Is it a sweet desert wine? What foods compliment its flavors and vice versa?

Once you have a basic understanding of various wines, there is no substitute for the next step – actually tasting them. Different people have different preferences and no book can tell you what you will like and what you won’t like, but it certainly gives you a place to start.

Many people find a new wine to enjoy at tasting party events. A wine tasting event is a gathering in which a number of different wines are sampled in small quantities by the guests. Each one is discussed both before and after tasting, and often a range of hors d’ oeuvres are provided to compliment the complex flavors of each wine. While most people think of cheese and perhaps crackers as an accompaniment to wine, some complex red wines are best served with rich and complex flavors like roast beef. Advance reading can help in this area, too.

Most people are familiar with some of the classic and popular wine flavors to some extent. They may have tried a cabernet sauvignon or a chablis, but many make the mistake of classifying all reds and all whites under the flavors they remember from that one. It is only when they finally find a wine that is outside of their previous experience that they start looking for more flavors. For many it is the discovery of the sweet wines, perhaps a moscato, that shakes up their taste buds.

Whatever your previous experience, if you’re interested in discovering new wines, then a little basic research followed by a program of tasting and is the way to go.