French wine history, like many other regions, began with an influx of trade ships and the migration of wine growers. Records reflect early imports into Gaul (France) by 600 B.C. However, interest was slow to develop, due in part to Italy’s resentment of competition. Monastery-run vineyards persevered and a revival began around 1200 A.D. Interim years experienced development of many familiar areas, including the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The first sparkling beverage also found its place here in Champagne.

Early attempts to establish European grape varieties in America met with no success. No one knew why areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts were so inhospitable. On the other hand, Pacific regions appeared to be more habitable. Under Church auspices, monks provided their expertise in wine growing. California’s Mission San Diego became the first established U.S. vineyard in 1769. Led by Father Junipero Serra, this was the starting point for a rise in wine’s popularity.

As others sought to expand their own vineyards, new European varieties continued to arrive. The wine market was small, however, as the popular masses had other taste preferences, particularly beer and whiskey. Advancement continued with ups and downs, including devastation from black rot and other disease. A century later, while Europe was losing its crops to the American-introduced louse, Phylloxera, another type of destruction was looming locally.

Prohibition began its rise in the early part of the Nineteenth century. early laws prohibited sales of alcohol on Sunday in Indiana. Over the next few decades, a frenzy to go “dry” escalated, culminating with a full-scale ban in 1917 on production and sales.

Hobbyists and bootleggers found ways around Prohibition, while some vineyards carried on with production for sacramental purposes. The majority of production, however, died. By the 1933 National Repeal, the blooming wine industry was almost nonexistent.

A revival in table wines returned in the 1960s. Over the next two decades, a fondness for so-called “jug” wines declined in favor of tastes considered more pleasing to the palate. Today, Americans are still searching for “healthful” benefits as well as a perfect match for their meals.

California continues to reign as king of wine production, but every state can now boast of at least one vineyard.

Source: www.tasting-wine.com

Wines are of many types. Red wine is a type of wine which is extracted from red, dark purple or blue colored grapes. This wine is red in color. Red wine is produced by fermenting grape juice. The red color of the wine is due to the tannins present in the wine which is a chemical compound. Red wine is stronger than white wine. Red wine is the most popular wine compared to other wines and is produced all over the world. There are almost 50 varieties of red wines like Australian Shiraz, Syrah, Chianti, Bordeaux, Sauvignon, etc.

Red wine comes in different flavors some of which are listed here:

Cherry, Plum, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currant, Raisin, Fig, Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon, Coffee, Cocoa, Mocha, Tobacco, Leather, etc.

Types of red wine

The type of Red wine depends on the area in which it is produced and the type of grape used for extracting the wine.

Syrah:

Syrah, also called as ‘Shiraz’, is mostly served with meat, beef or pastas. They are mostly dark colored wines. Syrah is widely cultivated in the regions of France, Australia, and California. One of the main ingredients of ‘syrah’ is ‘aroma’ which is very good for health.

Merlot:

Merlot, a red wine, is known for its light color and soft taste. It can be served with any kind of food. It is a very light drink and is not strong at all. ‘Merlot’ is cultivated in countries like Romania, Chile, Washington, Italy and Australia. They are also present in herbal and medicinal form.

Cabernet sauvignon:

Cabernet sauvignon is produced from oak. This red wine is beneficial in preventing cardiovascular problems and also cancer because of its medicinal properties.

Pinot noir:

Pinot noir is rarely found because it is difficult to grow. This red wine plant is cultivated in countries like New Zealand, USA, Oregon and many other valleys.

This red wine is best suited with meat and lamb.

Zinfandel:

Zinfandel is the native wine of California because it is produced only in California. This is very hot and spicy in taste and goes well with meat, pizzas, and pastas.

Sangiovese:

Sangiovese goes well with Italian dishes and is available in valley areas.

Barbera: Barbera is available only in USA.

Wine and Health

Consumption of wine to a limited extent may be beneficial to one’s health. It removes bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol while reducing blood clotting, which is used to prevent a number of heart diseases and leukemia, because it acts as an antioxidant. They are used to prevent Parkinson’s disease because of presence of ‘resveratrol’ in the wine. Red wine contains higher amount of flavonoids which is very useful. Melatonin present in red wine is used to cure a number of skin diseases. Over consumption of wine may lead to many health problems like:

1) Red wine headache (RWD) – It is a disease caused due to excessive consumption of red wine, which may further lead to nausea.

2) Consumption of red wine is hazardous during pregnancy. It also increases the chances of breast cancer.

3) Brain migraines

4) Diabetes

Hence, moderation is highly recommended for the consumption of red wine.

There are some basic rules that will help you get the right combination of foods paired with wines. Yes, there are wines that will improve the quality of your dining experience when the right combination of food is pair appropriately with the right choice in wine. When you get it right, the right combination can make your meal immensely enjoyable while the wrong combination can ruin your dinning experience. However, the number one rule for choosing the right wine and food pairing is to choose the wine that you prefer.

These four questions will help you choose the right wine.

When you are considering which wine to order for your meal, keep in mind the following four questions.

(1) What is the main dish? Is it fish, chicken or beef?

(2) How will it be cooked? Will it be grilled, baked, lightly fried, or pan-fried?

(3) Is the main dish accompanied by a sauce and if so, what kind of sauce and what are its flavors?

(4) Will there be any side dishes and how will their flavors impact your wine choice? There are many different types of wine choices available today, so the basic wine rules may not always apply, but generally speaking these rules remain for the most part, still accurate for helping you make the right wine choice: white wines with poultry and fish, and red wines with beef.

When choosing your wines “think wine power”.

Generally speaking, red wines will work best with dishes that are rich, heavy and have a big flavor. When choosing a beef dish, you should consider the powerful strength of beef and choose a wine that has equal power. This rule also is effective for dishes that are served in rich, thick, heavy, full-of-herbs types of sauces. The reason why red wines and beef goes well together is that red wines contains tannins which mixes with proteins, allowing the flavors to blend well together. White wines do not contain tannins and therefore generally do not work well with red meats.

White wines works best with light foods, such as chicken, turkey or fish. Color and the aromatic smells of the flavors influence taste buds and wines that are lighter, such as white wines, will complement the meal and not overpower the flavors of the foods. Even in light types of foods, the type of sauce that is paired with the dish can influence the taste of the wine with the food. This changes the definition of light, and now that dish might be better paired with a red wine or Rose or a wine that has a bit more spice.

You need more than one wine, with a multiple course meal.

When you are having a multiple course meal, you should have more than one wine choice. To make one wine work for an multiple course meal would be difficult because of the multiple of flavors. If possible, choose a wine that is appropriate for the appetizer or first course, and then change the wine for the main dish, and then change the wine again for the dessert choice.

Start off with a lighter wine (usually white, or light tasting wines) and then move to the more full-bodied types of wine (red wines and burgundy’s) and then move to the dessert wines (ports & muscats.) Wines that have low acid can often be overwhelmed even with foods that are light in taste. Acidic wines that you would not drink alone can be quite wonderful when paired with the right food choice. The following examples of going from light to more full-bodied wines are: White Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewrztraminer and Chardonnay. In the red wines, go from the lighter tasting red wines to red wines that are more full-bodied: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

You can’t go wrong, when you choose a wine that you know you like.

The four questions guideline will help you to pair the right wine with your meal selection. Until you feel comfortable in making those wine choices for yourself, ask your server to suggest a wine for you. Be sure and tell them the type of wine you prefer, so they can keep that in mind before coming up with their recommendations. They should be able to provide you with three to four appropriate wine recommendations in varying price ranges that should work well with your meal. If you get a bottle or a glass of wine that you don’t like, then feel comfortable in sending it back and requesting a new bottle or a new wine pour. Of all the wines rules to follow when it comes to wine and food pairing, the number one rule to remember, is to always choose the wine that you like.

There is a great deal to know about wine besides the difference between red and white. Wine can be a very enjoyable experience as long as you pick, store and serve it correctly. The ability to pair wine with food correctly is a great skill and can really make an impression on a date or at a dinner party. The two most popular types of wine, red and white, pair with very different foods and are distinct in flavor. White wines are made with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Full bodied red wines are made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes; while lighter red wines are made with Merlot grapes.

Some of the types of red wines available are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet, Chianti and Merlot. Red wines are better when they are aged. Most red wine is not sold until it has been in the bottle for at least two years. These wines benefit from being allowed to breathe for at least a half an hour before being served and should be served just below room temperature. You should pour them into a decanter to allow more surface to air contact. If this is not possible then only filling your wine glass half full will allow the wine to breath. While pairing wine with food is all about personal taste, red wines traditionally go well with heavier foods. Try them with beef, lamb, pork and pastas.

Popular white wines include Chablis, Chardonnay and Riesling. White wine does not benefit from aging and also does not need to breathe. You can serve it right from the bottle and it is best served chilled. White wines go well with lighter food. Serve them with fish and poultry. They also accompany strong cheeses and deserts well.

When you are pairing wine and cheese, white wine is the place to start. Red wines are harder to match with cheese. Light red wines can be paired well with goat cheeses, but there are not many other good combinations. White wine can be paired with just about any type of cheese and it should be left up to your individual taste. Many people believe that light cheese and light wine should go together, but many others believe the opposite is true and that the opposites will balance each other out.

The pairing of wine and cheese is all about enjoyment. These two edibles are meant to be savored. What one person enjoys another may be completely turned off by. If you are having a party and you want to serve wine and cheese, there are some great foods that you can include to round out your party fare. Dark chocolate or deserts made with it are a natural addition to wine and cheese. If you want to make party trays, you can fill them with fruits, nuts and olives to compliment your cheeses. Olives and feta cheese are a wonderful pairing and will go well with a red wine. Throw in a tray of baklava and you have a Mediterranean feast to delight your guests with.

What is the etiquette of matching red and white wine with particular foods?

I have been told white wines with white meat / fish and red wines with red meat. But why?

Matching Food with Wine – the etiquette?

I found the whole purpose was to pair wine to a meal in order to ‘compliment’ the tastes between the food and the wine. That is why white wines are usually served with lighter meals, such as chicken or fish because they are normally of lighter taste. And red wines, normally being stronger in flavour, go well with stronger tasting / heavier foods such as red meat.

It is also believed that the acids in white wine enhance the flavour of fish whereas in contrast to red wine which can react with fish oil to cause an unpleasant metallic taste.

However some experts suggest that the introduction of this etiquette became about because of the immature wine industry. Now days, we have so much choice of different types of white and red wines because of the types of grapes grown and the different bottle vintages

– thus it is now believed that it’s a matter of personal preference

Pairing Wines

Nowdays, it is believed that you should pair wines with people, and not food. What is meant by this is, that if you like a wine – drink it, regardless of whether its a red or a white wine and what your consuming with it. If you are really concerned about pairing then there are many sites which can provide a susinct summary of what wines goes with particular foods. Just search of ‘paring wines’.

Definition of a good wine

The definition of a good wine is one that you enjoy. Do not let others dictate taste to you!

(Charles Kandutsch, 2003)

Enjoy

There is not one bit of Italy that is incapable of growing grapes. Italy is the 2nd largest wine producing country in the world, just below France. Italy’s geographical characteristics make it ideal to grow every type of grape that the world has to offer. The fact that Italy is so long, wine growing can be grown from the Alps right down to the south end, within sight of Africa. Because Italy is a peninsula country with a long shore line on each side of the country, this creates costal climate growing wine regions. Also because Italy is full of high mountains, and hills, it provides many different altitudes, and types of soils and climate for all types of grape growing.

Italy hosts some of the oldest wine producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers began producing wine in Italy before the Romans began developing there own more organised vineyards. When the Romans began making there vineyards they established a larger scale production and storage technique. Italy today is estimated to produce one-fifth of the worlds wine production.

Italian Red Wine

Italy’s red wine is some of the best red wine in the world. Italian red wine is generally full bodied and very dominant. This wine is the perfect to compliment Italy’s rich and wonderful food. In Italy over 60% of its wine grown and produced is red wine. Popular red wines from Italy are:-
Barolo
Chianti
Barbaresco
Bardolino
Brunello di Montalcino

Italian White Wine

Italy’s white wines are less popular than their neighbouring red wine companion. Italy’s white wines are less powerful than the red wines they tend to be more crisp, soft and acidic. These wines are also great with food, and Italy’s white wine is said to accompany food without overpower it. Italy’s white wine which is made from the worlds popular white wine grapes tends to be of a different taste. These wines tend to be richer when grown in Italy’s soils. Popular white wines from Italy are:-
Pinot Grigio
Soave
Gavi
Orvieto
Verdicchio
Arneis
Italian Chardonnay
Asti

Viognier is a very common and ancient white grape that used to be fairly common. Now it is a rare white grape and the wine made from it is usually quite expensive (but also quite good!).

This wine grape probably originated centuries ago in Damatia. Roman history says it was brought to history in 281 A.D. by the Empower Probus. Many people believe that it is named after the city of Vienne which was a military outpost for the Romans. It also sounds like the Roman phrase that means “the road to Hell.”

This might allude to the intoxicating effects of drinking the wine or it might be a reference to the fact that this grape is quite hard to grow. In fact due to a lack of attendance to the vineyards during World War II the Voignier grape vine almost became extinct, along with other grapes, such as Tocai.

This grape is now grown only exclusively in the Northern Rhone area which grows mostly red wine grapes. There is a low production every year of only 1900 liters of wine. This is because it is vulnerable to powdery yields. The timing of the picking of the grape must be very precise. When picked too late in the season the grape can produce a thick oily wine without any pleasurable aroma. It is a very fussy grape that prefers the Mediterranean climate.

Another factor that affects the quality of the wine is the age of the grape plant. The vines don’t produce great wine until they are least fifteen years old. In the Rhone area of France vines exist that are over seventy years old. Ideally this grape will produce a wine that is thirteen percent alcohol. The best wine will have a deep yellow color. It prefers warm environments and long growing season.

Even though it does not take to every climate it has migrated successfully to California and Virginal in the United States. Virginia’s Monticello wine growing region is perfect for growing this type of grape. The grape is also grown in South Africa, New Zealand, and Japan.

In France, Viognier is grown as a single grape variety on the west bank of the Rhône River. This particular grape is also frequently blended with other varietal wines such as Roussanne, Grenache, Rolle and Marsanne. To make Beaujolais the wine can contain up to twenty percent of Viognier instead of five percent. One reason that Viogniers are added to wine blends is because it helps stabilize the red pigments in the wines so that the wine stays red.

Plantings of these vines have really grown in North America since the eighties. The California coast produces over two thousand acres of this grape. It can also be found in Colorado, New York, Washington and Virgina as well as the Niagara region and British Columbia province in Canada. It is also grown as a varietal grape in Chilean Argentina.

This grape is big in Australia and added to many Shiraz blends. Famous areas that grow the Viognier plantings include Murray River, Rutherglen, Nagambie Lakes, Cangerrie and Tenter.

The Viognier is prized because it is a floral wine. It must be consumed young as it does not age well. It becomes flat and scentless if aged. Don’t drink Viognier single varieties that are more than three years old. This wine is predominately very dry although dessert wines are also sometimes created by it.

This is quite an oily wine if it is made from the juice of the skins so some producers of this wine make sure the skins are removed. To increase its alkalinity it is sometimes stirred using a process called batonnage. This strongly perfumed wine pairs well with spicy cuisines like Thai and Chinese. It also matches well with sushi and strong French cheeses.

Dessert wines are created from Viognier grapes that are picked in October or early November. The grape is fragile so the grapes are shaken off the vine to avoid bruising while harvesting. Many wine experts say that this wine peaks at one year of age.

The Chardonnay grape is an eminent white wine growing all around the world. This is the most popular white wine. The taste and flavours of Chardonnay are depending upon the origin location and processing methods. It yields a variety of flavours and styles. It is the major grape type in Champagne along with Pinot Noir. Due to its versatile flavours and styles, it expanded like a bush fire in Europe and in other parts of the world such as California, Australia and New Zealand.

As the wine makers paid attention in Chardonnay, it grew well in Chile and South Africa. As it is non-aromatic type, it is compatible with oak. French and American Chardonnay are the richest and complex whites. Although it has fatigue, but its wonderful flavours, richness will keep it popular for a long time.

The original recognition of Chardonnay comes from its boom in the Burgundy and Champagne area of France. Although it is labelled that White Burgundy is made from a less known grape Aligote, but the fact is White Burgundy can’t be prepared without Chardonnay grape.

Chardonnay grapes are green-skinned and very thin skinned. According to the genetic science, it is the resultant of cross between Pinot and the Croatian Gouais Blanc grape. Although these two species are extinct, but Chardonnay is still popular.

Chardonnay grapes are generally fermented and aged in oak barrels, which yields the vanilla flavours in the wines. Chardonnay can also be fermented and aged in bottles, but it will not age as long as red wines.

As the Chardonnay wines are generally considered chilled, it clicks very well with chicken preparations and dishes with a lots of butter or cheeses. Chardonnay wines usually have less acid so it can match with seafood.

In America it is made by the malolactic fermentation with some oak. If it is fermented without oak, a soft wine will be produced with some mineral flavours. If it is aged with oak then the resultant wines will have caramel, vanilla and butter flavours with a blend of Smokey aroma.

Chardonnay is also used to make Champagne; the example of 100% Chardonnay Champagne is Blanc de Blanc. Furthermore, Chardonnay can be used to make some sparkling wines.

Chardonnay is now eighth-ranked in world chart of grape cultivation with estimated planting areas of 140,000 hectares. It is planted mostly in Australia, Italy, France and America. Its popularity has caused a repercussion from some wine lovers, who do not like any wine but Chardonnay. This causes the monopoly of Chardonnay in the wine market.