ChelseasDownTown

The source of the grapes.
Vintage wine is made with grapes that are all grown or mostly all grown in the same year. The reason for this is that grapes harvested in different years will have different tastes. Using grapes from one year helps to ensure the consistency of the taste.

The aging process.
Vintage wine is carefully aged to the point where the flavors are perfect. The aging process allows the flavors to develop. With vintage wines the aging process is carefully monitored and the wine is carefully handled to ensure proper aging and storage for the perfect final taste.

The bottling process.
Vintage wines are bottled in a single batch. Bottling can alter the taste so when wines are bottled together the tastes are going to be consistent and similar.

Regulation specifications.
In the US there are specific regulations about what wines can be labeled vintage. This helps consumers to ensure that they are getting true vintage wine. In order for a wine to be labeled vintage and with the country of origin 95% of the grapes used in the wine must come from the same year. Without the country of origin on the label, the wine must contain 85% of grapes harvested in the same year.

Regional characteristics.
Grapes from different regions taste different. The different growing conditions produce grapes that have different flavors and that directly relates to the taste of the wine from that region. With vintage wines the grapes all come from the same region. This helps to ensure a pure flavor. In fact, vintage wines are often characterized by the region so this is an important aspect.

Apples are sometimes difficult to crush but several answers have been found to this problem. Perhaps the easiest way is to wash apples in a solution of sulfite approximately 100 ppm, in order to remove dust, leaves and grass at the same time that kill unwanted micro-organisms. Then drain excess water, pack apples in polythene bags and place them in a freezer for 48 hours. When thawed they should be flexible enough to crush with your hands.

If a freezer is not readily available, place the apples washed - just once - in a transparent plastic bag and press with a wooden mallet, roll or steak hammer. At each bagful is crushed, the contents of a fall in water containing sulfite and citric acid to prevent oxidation.

A third method is to place apples on a farm in polyethylene or wooden bin and memory with a 10 cm. (4 inches) cube of wood at the end of a broomstick.

Another way is to liquidise, and yet another is simply cut each apple into about 16 pieces. Hash crude is not recommended, unless we know with certainty that the metal, whose chopper is made, does not react to acidic.

The apples must still be fermented over batter. If you lack a bin big enough for that purpose, a thick, a large polythene bag in a box containing May be used very effectively. The neck can be gathered and fastened with a rubber band or a wire tie - not so well, of course, that carbon dioxide can not escape.
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Well for some of you it is getting to that time of the year, there begins to be a chill in the air. . and some mulled wine is sounding great around a fire. . (ok, yea I am in Florida and that doesn’t happen until maybe Jan or Feb, but I am originally a mid-westerner) so here are a couple of my favorite recipes for mulled wine

Mulling spices from store if sugar is in delete sugar in the raw

Magnum of zinfandel (or 2 standard bottles of zinfandel) you can use Merlot also

1 cup sugar in the raw

Peel from 1/2 an orange

Put mulling spices in a cheesecloth bag or if you have teabags you can fill that are large use that and drop in a saucepan with a quarter of the wine. Add the sugar and orange peel. Simmer to blend flavors, about 6 minutes. Once heated, add the remaining wine and return to a simmer. Remove spice bag and orange peel and serve.

If transporting in a thermos, heat thermos up with hot water to get it warm for 1 minute. Pour water out and fill with mulled wine. If serving right at home place in heat proof glasses (wine ones usually will crack)

2 bottles dry red wine

4 ounces port or brandy

12 whole cloves 4 cinnamon sticks or store bought mulling spices (I prefer)1 large orange, zested

Serving suggestion: Garnish with cinnamon sticks or freshly ground nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Do not allow mixture to boil. Heat for 20 minutes and serve in a large, heat resistant punch bowl.

If you like fine Italian wine and food, consider the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy. May you find a negotiation, and I hope you will enjoy this fact-filled wine education tour.

The Aosta Valley is a small corner of Italy from north-west of the border of France and Switzerland. This valley is surrounded by high mountains, including Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc. This was probably the last region of Italy to be populated because it was covered with ice until relatively recently. Over time, it was occupied by the Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Franks and the Lombards. It is bilingual, french and Italian. The Aosta Valley is by far the smallest region of Italy with a population of only 120 miles.

Farming is not particularly important, except for livestock. It is important forestry and some industries, including hydropower. The region is one of the richest in Italy, with a highly developed tourism sector.

This region has not a single capital. The largest city of Aosta, with a population of approximately 35 miles. It was a Roman garrison more than two thousand years, and is the best example of urban Roman Italy. Among the Aosta Valley attractions are the remains of a Roman amphitheater said to hold 20000 spectators. Among other attractions, medieval fortresses and churches, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.

The Aosta Valley devotes only fifteen hundred acres of vines, and ranks 20th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is approximately six hundred thousand gallons, giving it a 20th place. About 90% of the production of red or pink wine (only a little pink), leaving approximately 10% for whites. The region produces only one wine DOC, which is divided into 23 categories. DOC means Denominazione di Origine Controllata, May be translated as Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. Nearly 23% of this region bears the DOC wine. The Aosta Valley is home to nearly three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with a little more red than white varieties. Read the rest of this entry »

We interrupt our series on wines of Italy twenty regions to present a topic very timely, Vino Novello, Italy version of the new wine. Once a year, from early November, Italy releases Vino Novello, to the delight of many, and the eternal disappointment of many others. We describe New Wine, especially in the Italian version, then taste samples available locally. Will you be happy or disappointed by the 2006 offer? After reading this article, rush to your favorite wine shop and wine sample. Whether you are happy or not, you will be pleased.

What exactly is the new wine (vino novello Italy, new wine, often Beaujolais nouveau in France)? Vin new is the first of Culture, published in early November. The exact date depends on the country. In 2006, Italy has authorized the sale of Vino Novello on November 6, beating France, the main market player of the new wine, by 10 days.

New wines are produced by a special method, carbonic maceration, in which all the grapes ferment in stainless steel vats, often reach a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees centigrade (77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). This process takes approximately 5 to 20 days, May and be followed by crushing the grapes, then subjected to traditional fermentation for a few days. The exact procedure varies from one to another winemaker, but the wine that it is virtually free of tannin. The absence of tannins implies a short-lived. If you do not drink the wine immediately, most people finish the season of Easter.

New wines are usually red or purple. They tend to be fruity, tasting of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, banana and freshly pressed grapes, depending on the variety of grapes used, method of production, and the area where the grapes are grown. Critics talk about bubble gum, lollipops, nail polish, and jello. Many believe that the taste of new wine grape juice with alcohol. One thing is certain, if you do not like a new wine, not to keep away from trying again in two years. It will not improve with time.
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