Jan 29, 2002 02:18 AM
23829 Views
(Updated Jun 25, 2005 11:28 PM)
The people of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learnt to cultivate the olive and the vine – Thucydides, Greek Historian, 5th century BC(from one of the websites on wine- I do not remember the link)
History of wine is as old as European Civilization. Today wine is manufactured from France to cool Hunter Valley of Australia.
There are four major types but too many varieties. Tasting wine is an art and I will try to share my little knowledge with all of you. There are three steps to follow to evaluate wine - LOOK, SMELL, and TASTE.
LOOK - One can tell about a wine just by studying its appearance. For example, white wine is not actually white. Colour varies from Green to Yellow to Brown. More colour is sign of more flavor and age. However, brown indicates spoiled one. Red wine are not just red, they range from pale red to deep brown red. Usually red wine attains lighter colour as they age. Aging spoils most of the white wine but Red wine improves by aging.
SMELL - Swirl wine in a half filled glass. Smell the aroma, also known as Bouquet or Nose.
TASTE - Most important is balance between sweetness and acidity. Taste varies from individual to individual. Most of the German wines are acidic unlike products of France and Italy.
Leg - is one more indicator. Good Leg indicates a thicker body and higher alcohol content and to some extent sweetness level.
There are many causes of ill-tasting wine. Some of the causes are not related to wine at all. Certain wines just do not go with certain food. Strong spicy food, very salted fish, salad with too much of pepper can make almost any wine taste bad. An aged, heavy cabernet sauvignon might flatten out during a party on a beach on a sunny day.
The major causes of wine gone bad are due to Cork Taint and Oxidation.
To me, most important characteristic of a wine are Bouquet and Taste (sweetness level). Only very reputed brands maintain consistency in quality. I like vermouth. Vermouth is a white wine flavored with herbs. Some wines are also flavored with fruit juice. I prefer vermouth to serve alone or before a meal.
I do not prefer CHANTILLI - RED CABERNET SAUVIGNON because I am a Vermouth lover. It is sharp in the start, then quite okay. This is a good-bodied red wine made from grapes specially grown in India similar to that of Bordeaux region of France. Grapes of Bordeaux claimed to be the best grape for wine manufacturing. Frankly, this rich vintage wines matured in special French Oak casks is the best red wine produced in India and lovers of Red Wine will surly like it. So I do not hesitate to recommend it to Red wine Lovers.
Manufactured in India by Chateau Indage, one of India's foremost wine manufacturers. Chateau Indage is a venture of Shamrao Chougule. Chougule started their grape plantations at Narayangaon near Nasik in Maharashtra. May be after two years they introduced their first wine. Nashik is famous for many others variety of grapes.
According to their web site, originally developed under expert technical assistance from the renowned French Wine Producer Piper-Heidsieck. Indage exports Chantilli in many European countries. Indage also produce other varieties of wine and seems to be the biggest manufacturer in India.
Chantilli goes well with Cheese and baked fish. Ofcourse, someone may like to have spicy bites. But according to me spicy bites will spoil the taste of good wine. Choice is yours.
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Wine and Medicine –
The antioxidants in wine linked to the prevention of heart disease and cancer.
It is better to be within limit - maximum 90 ml a day.
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Updated on 21/11/2002
