Uncorked Ventures Blog
Famous California White Wines
California is a quintessential place for growing some of the best grapes in the US. Here we are going to talk about some of the famous white wines that California is famous for.
Chardonnay
The California Chardonnay can be best described as fruit forward with light hints of minerals and a toasty finish. The Chardonnay is the State’s most widely planted grape and is known for its spectrum of flavors that match the variety on the California terroir.
Chenin Blanc
You can enjoy Chenin Blanc with chicken in coconut curry or sliced ripe pears. Whichever way you try it, the Chenin Blanc is nothing if not versatile as compared to other off dry whites. The white wine is known for its crisp and refreshing taste which goes well with a number of food combinations.
Pinot Gris
The pinot Gris offers the crisp taste of citrus flavors that the California state is so famous for. The Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio as it’s called goes perfect with light meals like pasta or noodles with shrimp.
Riesling
The California Riesling foes well with Thai spring rolls or bacon on rustic country bread. Its floral aromas of the Napa Valley gives it flavors of pears, apples with hints of honey.
Moscato
Try the delicious and sparkling Moscato with vanilla custard or a rich cheesecake. The Moscato’s tangy taste goes well with dark chocolate torte as well and is even great for an afternoon sip with its late harvest, full-bodies taste.
Mar 22, 2015 at 1:43 PM
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Be the first to comment on this postHow Dessert Wines Are Made
Dessert wines have become more popular over the recent years. This is especially true with people that do not usually partake in drinking wine. However, because of its sweetness they are more willing to give it a try. What classifies a dessert is its sugar content. These wines have higher sugar levels than that of red or white wines.
There are a number of methods that wineries may use to make a dessert wine. Regardless of the method that they use, the process of making sweet wines could possibly begin with a late harvest. A late harvest means that the fruit was gathered later in the harvest season. By allowing the fruit to over ripen it produces a higher sugar ratio in wine. Along with the high sugar comes a higher alcohol volume as well. This process can be used alone or in conjunction with another method.
One of the most popular methods for creating dessert wines is to stop the fermentation process. When the fermentation process is stopped early it prevents the yeast from turning all of the natural sugars into alcohol. Thus allowing the wine to maintain a higher residual sugar content, resulting in sweet wine.
There a number of ways in which the fermentation process can be stopped. One of which is called fortification. When using this method the fermentation process is stopped by adding liquor, usually brandy, to the wine. Another technique is called cold stabilization. If this method is used the batch is refrigerated to stop fermentation. The last manner in which the fermentation process can be stopped is to sue sulfur dioxide. This method is called chemical stabilization. Though chemical stabilization is an effective way to stop fermentation, it is not recommended as a first option. When using this process it is possible that the sulfur dioxide will interfere with the natural aroma of the wine. (Editor: We've shipped a dessert wine previously in our Explorations Wine Club as well as our Special Selections Wine Club, even though we don't do it often)
Another way to achieve a sweet wine is to use Noble Rot also known as Botrytis. (See Our Explanation of Noble Rot Here) Noble Rot is a mod that develops in the vineyards on the grapes. It creates small cracks along the grapes skin. As a result it attacks the grapes water content. While this can be distressing to a vineyard that is trying to produce a merlot, it is welcomed with open arms to those that are looking to make a sweet wine. By dehydrating the grapes, noble rot leaves behind only the solid material. By using these grapes wineries produce wines with much higher sugar content.
Wineries go to great lengths to ensure that their wines are of the highest quality possible. They take even more care in creating their dessert wines. The processes that are used and the time that it takes to develop the sugars for a dessert wine are taken with great care. While you sip on your next glass of Moscato or perhaps a glass of bubbly Champagne, take a moment to think about the process the winery took to provide you with this subtle pleasure.
As always we hope you'll consider joining one of our wine clubs today!
Corks, Corks, Corks
The purpose of adding a closure to something is to prevent it from spilling and to preserve its contents. There is a plethora of ways in which to close something. There is not one right or one wrong way. Wine bottle adhere to these same standards. When it comes to these fancy bottles, we as a society have gotten use to seeing them with a cork at the top. That little piece of spongy, wood like texture has captivated our minds and has us fixated on its presence. The infamous “pop” as you unplug the cork brings a smile upon ones face like a kid in a candy store. You know that you just opened something magnificent and your palate is patiently waiting.
Change is something that can be hard to accept. Even though it may be for the right reasons, it may affect our perception of an object. When wineries started introducing the screw cap on their bottles, many consumers turned their cheek and looked upon them as unacceptable. The common perception of a screw cap wine bottle is that it is inferior to its predecessor, the cork. (Editor: We don't discriminate based on the closure for any of our wine clubs, but we do realize that if people are going to age wines from either our Special Selections Wine Club, or our Reserve Wine Club that cork is likely a preferable choice for the vast majority of our customers)
Corks have been around for well over 300 years as a means to stopping wine bottles. So it’s easy to understand the resistance to change. They are made by using the bark of a Quercus Suber or better known as the cork oak. These trees are harvested about every 9 years and are not harmed during the harvesting process. (Editor's Note: Cork is also 100% renewable and recyclable, as you might expect since the cork can be harvested from trees, without cutting the tree down, in fact some of the cork trees in Portugal, which is the largest supplier of natural cork, can be many hundred of years old)
This material is exceptionally durable to be so lightweight. It is flexible and extremely resistant to the penetration of moisture or air. Knowing these key components makes it easy to understand why corks have been the material of choice for so long.
However, there is one major flaw to using a rock. Corked wine is the result of a contaminated cork leaking into the wine. The contamination comes from TCA, which is a chemical compound that is often referred to as cork taint. TCA may have contaminated the cork during the production process. When this happens the wine will have an unpleasant odor.
Minor disadvantages include wrestling with the cork to remove it from the bottle. Only to have it break on you at the last minute. Now you have tiny pieces of cork floating in your glass that you may need to spoon out before sipping.
Screw cap wine bottles are becoming more of the norm in the recent years. Well known wineries have begun investing in these closures. Whether the bottle is stopped with a cork of with a screw cap it still performs the same job. It’s also easier to open the wine bottle with a screw cap. (Editor: I've talked about my thoughts on corks vs screw caps in the past as well)
There is still much hesitation for all producers to convert over to using a screw cap because of the consumer’s opinions of them being cheap wines. As better known wineries convert to using the screw cap societies opinions will change. They will see the benefit of being able to easily open a wine bottle. Get ready to clean out those kitchen drawers and remove those corkscrews.
Sediment in Wine
We all love the ability to age a good red wine. As with anything that ages, the longer it sits the more prone it becomes to developing certain unflattering attributes. Red wine, as appealing and beautiful as it may be, provides us with a perfect example. If you are a serious wine collector, you may be more familiar with this than most.
When you reach for a bottle that you’ve been holding onto for almost a decade, you happily brush off the little bit of dust that may have collected on the bottle. You then uncork the wine and inhale the fresh aromas. However, when you go to serve it, you notice that it has a little bit of a jelly like substance floating around.
Wine that has been sitting for many years, closer to a minimum of ten years, may have begun to form sediment. We know sediment as a matter that forms within a liquid, because of the force of gravity the sediment settles at the bottom. The sediment that forms in many aged wines is no different.
Sediment is a natural formation in wine. It is comprised of the settlement from the tannins and other solid matter in wine. There are at least two distinct forms of sediment that can develop within a bottle of wine.
The most obvious from that you may see is the sediment that resembles pulp. It can easily be seen by holding an aged wine bottle up to the light. If you have stored your wine bottle properly, which is on its side, then the sediment would most likely be found on the side of the bottle. If your bottle has been stored up right, you will see that the matter has settled at the bottom of your bottle.
Another form of sediment that you may encounter is tiny crystals, called tartrate. Tartrate is formed when potassium and tartaric acid unite. As a result of the combination a solid is created in the form of crystals.
Sediment is not harmful to you in any way. Its prime downfall is that it is not appealing to the eyes. Even the tartrate crystals, as gorgeous as crystals can be, are unflattering when seen floating or adhered to the rim of your wine glass. Even more can be said of the pulp sediment. The thick matter sitting in a glass can easily unsettle a stomach.
If you do find sediment in your wine, do not discard the wine. It is still a great bottle of wine, it just has a few unflattering qualities that need to be removed. Before serving the wine take care to remove as much of the sediment as possible. You may even need to aerate the wine before serving. If by chance you are not able to remove it all and a few straggling pieces of sediment remain, do not be alarmed. The sediment itself may taste a bit bitter, but it shouldn’t ruin the complete taste of the wine. (Editor: I had a member in our Reserve Wine Club tell me that he opened one of the first bottles we ever shipped, from Alpha Omega Winery in Napa Valley, here's me stirring the lees at Alpha Omega, the other day, some sediment needed to be removed from the top of the bottle, but other than that, perfect. As always I hope you'll consider a wine club membership with us!).
Letting Wine Breathe
It’s so easy o just pour a glass of wine directly from the bottle into our glasses. Yet, in our haste we may be forgetting to do o ne crucial element. Running off of our excitement to try the newest acquisition we aren’t allowing the wine enough time to breathe.
As simple as it may sound, breathing can be a key factor in the taste of a wine. Breathing is beneficial to all life, why shouldn’t we allow wine the same opportunity. While the simple act of pouring the wine from the bottle into a wine glass does help to aerate the wine, it may not be adequate enough. Allowing it to sit in the glass for a brief minute or two with a few gentle swirls will surely help to give the wine life.
Aerating a single serving is easy, but what about if you were serving a crowd? Is it fair to make your guests sit and wait? Perhaps, they do not know about the advantages of letting a wine breathe, and they are just eager to take a sip. By doing so, they will miss out on what could possibly be the truest taste of the wine.
The best way to allow a bottle of wine to breathe is to use a decanter. By decanting the wine you are giving the entire bottle the vital introduction to air that it needs. There is still much speculation as to whether the use of a decanter actually benefits the wines taste and if it is really necessary. However, if you have ever poured a glass of wine and taken a sip immediately and then sipped on the glass slowly for about 20 minutes or so, you would notice the difference in the taste of the wine. (Editor: I also find that guests find it interesting when they see the wine in the decanter when they first show up for dinner, there's always a ton of questions about why that's already out etc. The heavier the wine, Cabernet for example, especially if it is younger, benefits greatly from some time in the air. I know a few of our Reserve Wine Club members age quite a bit of what they receive)
Using a decanter is simple. You just simply pour the wine into the decanter. Then allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. Swirling the wine in the decanter will help the wine an oxygen mix a little faster. If you have the time and are not pressed on serving the wine immediately, allow it to sit as long as possible. Depending upon the type of wine that you are serving the decanting time needed will vary.
Not only is the use of a decanter beneficial for the taste of the wine, but it also helps to add a subtle hint of sophistication to even the simplest dinner party. Allowing your guests to see the wine being poured from a decanter will be a little more appealing to their eyes than seeing it poured from the original bottle. Decanters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. So it is easy to choose one that will suit your lifestyle. When choosing a decanter try to find one that may not have a lot of indentions and swirls. If the decanter does have a lot of grooves, cleaning it can become a pain. While the more intricately made decanters look pretty, they are a hassle when it’s time to clean them. (Editor, a high end decanter makes a great gift for a wine lover and yes, cleaning them generally isn't fun….soap and water for a day are about your best bet)
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