Kinds of WineShatbhi Basu, Mixologist and beverage Consultant explains, “The most common and known wine among the lot is still wine”. I will say they are great wines. They are better called table wines. These are best for everyday usage and true value for money. Still wine can be further classified into white, rose and red wines. Another set of wines ‘sparkling wines’. They include champagne and wines form other regions of France and the rest of the world some are Fortified.
Wines, to which additional alcohol is added to incease shelf life. Among fortified wines are “aromatized wines”, flavoured with herbs, spices and other aromatics. An example woukd be Vermouth wine”. Among women the most popular wine is Rose(pronounced as ‘rosary’). It is called so because of its colour and also romantic association.
Testing a Wine
For getting the best taste of win, it is suggested to go for the three sip method, the first sip introduces the win, the second sip wakes the palate of the mouth and third confirms and negates the taste!
1. to begin with pour one-third glass of wine. Look at the colour and check the clarity of wine.
2. now do what a connoisseur would do. swirl the wine in glass gently to bring out the aroma of wine
3. the next step is ‘nosing’. Nose to see what is familiar to you and what the wine is displaying about itself. Inhale the wine and breathe in the scent and aroma released by the wine. Generally people encounter fruity, spicy, honey, melon, peach or grass fragrance.
4. after nosing, taste the wine ( taking in a little air always helps), see if your palate relates to what your nose had told you. It is good to take a small sip and swirl it in your mouth. So it leaves taste on various points of the points of the palate. Now you can confirm the wine “dry’ or ‘sweet’.
A tip for beginners
For a new convert, wine can be very intimidating. But rather than being intimidating or pretentious, it should be something you enjoy for your personal taste. “beginners should always drink with a friend who knows little more than you and who loves wine. If you are beginning with drinking sparkling. White or rose wine prefer it to be cold ( 4-10 deg c) an red wine cool to a ( 12-18 deg c). the younger the wine, the cooler you should drink”, suggests Shatbhi.
Reading the label
“if you could familiarize your-self with the wine countries. Their important regions and grape varieties, the labels will tell you more. The modern or new world labels are pretty simple and almost every-thing is in English”, reveals shatbhi.
The keys to look for are-
1. the brand or vineyard of winemaker’s name
2. the grape variety
3. the area/country
4. the year
5. estate bottle
6. tasting note on the wine (usually on back label)
Is wine healthy?
Most people appreciate wine for its delicious taste. There are so many different types of wines, each pairing with certain combinations of food. But how does wine benefit your health? First, wine like any other item ingested, should be taken in moderation. If overdone, it can surely harm your body. The key is moderation. Besides, wine especially, red wine is known for helping fight heart disease, cancer and warding of alzheimers. Wine is general helps in extending life.
Wine also works a a relaxing agent. It has a calming influence and for thousands of years wine has been used as a relaxant. If each dinner is accompanied by a glass of wine, it helps the body relax an unwind. It helps assist the mental transition between work ad relaxation.
What are the perfect glasses for wine?
“for still wines – mid sized wine glass with a generous bowl which is long and tapering inwards ( Bordeaux tulip) are best. These glasses will work for all types of wines. As for sparkling wines a nice slim tulip or flute shape glasses are preferable”, avers Shatbhi.
Wine is available in immense varieties. If you have loads of money, you could live a lifetime without having the same combination twice. There is lot to explore in the wine world. What are you waiting for? Dive in and start tasting!
