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 factor is that the wine is made from fermented grape juice. But you should know a few other things, such as the grape varieties wines are made from and the process of wine making itself.

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

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.

First you have to know what type of grapes to use, 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 comes the pressing to extract the juices, then fermentation.

Fermentation is quite a delicate process. It involves adding yeast to the juice in order to stimulate the fermentation process. 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.

There are a great number of different wines available – many more than you may have even imagined. If you’d like to find out more about how to match up different wines with your food, then a good place to start is with some of the more popular wine varieties before you start to explore more esoteric grapes.

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 is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

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.

Native to Iran (it is named after the Iranian city of Siraz), this grape is produced extensively in Australia, which makes some of the best Shiraz in the world as well as in France.

Shiraz holds up to strongly flavored sauces, making it a good choice for barbecued meats and spicy dishes.

Grenache

Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the most popular white wines, being made into a wine in its own right and being a major component of most white blends. These wines tend to have notes of melon and lemon and are generally aged in oak for anywhere up to 3 years. Chardonnay goes well with flavorful fish such as salmon and tuna.  Chardonnay is easily one of the most popular white wines anywhere. Traditionally these wonderfully melon flavored wines are allowed to mature in oak barrels for up to 3 years. Chardonnay is ideal served along with salmon.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a tart, assertively flavored wine with lemon and gooseberry notes. This is a great wine for seafood or on its own, well chilled.

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

Riesling was original a German wine that is now made successfully in many countries around the world. Rieslings are classically fruity and can be either sweet or dry, which makes them an ideal compliment to many spicier cuisines.

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

Wine drinkers here and abroad have had a long love affair with  Chardonnay. The Australian wine industry as a whole essentially invented the today’s Chardonnay with its bold, oaky consistency – and it was mostly Aussie wine drinkers who have been its biggest fans.

Recently, our preferences for white wines does seem to be shifting away from Chardonnay’s oaky taste. For the first time, Australians appear to be drinking Sauvignon Blanc (65% of wine drinkers in July 2010) compared with Chardonnay (64%). Note, this report surveys 1,000 wine drinkers in a month and could result in these wines switching positions when the October 2010 Vinitrac survey is conducted. The not so great news for Chardonnay, is this may only be a temporary situation and more of an indication of a trend that is long term in nature.

Back in 2007, 81% of Australians drank Chardonnay within the past 6 months. While only a year later in 2008, there was a sharp drop in wine sales to 76%, and lower still in 2009 to 69% in 2009, and is currently 64%. During the same period, Sauvignon Blanc has seen steady growth, from about 59% growth in 2007 up to 65% at present. Chardonnay’s decline has not only benefited Sauvignon Blanc but also some niche wine varieties such as include Pinot Grigio (up from 18% to 24%) and Viognier (up from 8% to 13%).

This is of very little shock to the owners of Australian wine brands, where the the market has seen big sales growth in sales of Sauvignon Blanc, mostly from New Zealand, and has been a significant consumption trend since 2008. A key market insight from these findings may have more to do with Australian consumer’s rejection of the old faithful, oaky Chardy as opposed to the growing popularity for Sauvignon Blanc.