Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A Guide To Fine Wine

By Anita Hale


Let's take a look at the very basic principles of wine. Firstly, wine is made from gapes. You will often see these grapes referred to as noble grapes. It is possible to find these grapes growing all over the world. However the most famous white grapes are undoubtedly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Grigio. The most famous red grapes are Merlot, Shiraz, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Even thought wine is produced all around the world, it can be divided into two categories: Old world and New World Wine. New World wine comes from countries like Australia, America, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. These countries only have a recent history of wine production. This is in contrast to the traditional Old World wine countries. Old World refers to countries like Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Romania. All fo these countries have been making wine for centuries.

There are many difficult to understand laws regarding Old World Wines that set out parameters for how and where grapes should be grown. These are associated with the European framework of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). It also involves what is known as the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). However, there are specific governing bodies working within each country. For instance, the French system works in conjunction with the Appellation d'Origine Contrle (AOC) and Vin de Pays. In Spain, wine-makers must adhere to guidelines monitored by the Denominacin de Origen (DO) and the Vino de la Tierra (VDLT). These same rules are overseen by Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita) (DOC/DOCG) and the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) in Italy.

In France there are many regions that are famed for their wine. Bordeaux is arguably the most celebrated of these. It is largely famed for its red wines. These are referred to as Claret. Bordeaux has a classification system that separates the top Chateau into five stages. Other famous regions include Burgundy and Loire. Burgundy is known for its highly favoured Chablis. Loire is closely associated with producing quality Sancerre. In addition, the Alsace region is also highly celebrated for its specialised wines.

If we turn our attention to New World wines we can see that the United States offers some truly exceptional examples. California is the main wine-producing region here. Napa and Sonoma Valley grow quality Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, both Mondavi and E&J Gallo are becoming popular.

Australia is frequently championed for their New World wines. Even though Jacob's Creek is the most popular brand, there are plenty of other wine-making regions. In South Australia the Barossa Valley and Mclaren Vale are known for producing Shiraz. In new South Wales you can find some top-notch Semillon. This is produced in the Hunter Valley.

New Zealand has also staked a claim to producing some of the finest new world wines. It is mainly known for its fresh-tasting Sauvignon Blanc. This is primarily grown in the Marlborough region.

Argentina is becoming prolific at producing some fantastic red wines. These come from the region of Mendoza. The grapes here are grown at a very high altitude. This helps to give the wine a very distinctive taste.

Chile is now developing some very fine wines. It has many valleys that run parallel to the Andes. This lends itself to growing grapes for wine-making. Some famous regions include the Casablanca Valley and Maipo.




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Healthy fruit juice , Home beer making , Beer , Alcohol , Coffee beans 2012