Wine By Nine

Toronto, Canada has an entire convention devoted to Wine and Cheese, now going on for more than 20 years. But perhaps one shouldn’t get too excited, since the pairing goes back at least 4,000 years.

Both products are made from living substances and improve with age, both are a product of fermentation, the process by which yeast cells introduce chemical changes and both reflect their terroir. ‘Terroir’ refers to the combination of soil, climate and region from which the product comes.

Traditionalists suggest that the wine and cheese be paired according to region or strength, thus preventing one from overpowering the other. Part of the reason is the tannin levels. Red wines, fermented with the skins, have a higher concentration than white and this affects the pairing characteristics. The protein and fat in cheese helps coat the palate, reducing the harshness of excess tannin.

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Wine, like anything else, will always change over time. The trick is to control the rate and types to produce desirable changes and avoid harmful ones. The variables needing to be controlled are air, temperature, light, vibration and humidity.

Nothing spoils good wine faster than too much air — it causes wine to age rapidly, oxidizing and losing freshness. Before long you have vinegar. Fortunately it’s not necessary to build a vacuum chamber, glass is impermeable to air for centuries and a good cork will keep air exchange to a minimum for years.

Still, there’s some air in the bottle to begin with — this is good, since it’s essential to a proper aging process — and corks can go bad. Keeping wine bottles stored horizontally helps keep corks moist, preventing cracking or shrinking that admits air.

Storing wine at around 70 percent humidity is important to keep corks properly moistened — too low humidity dries them out, but higher humidity encourages growth of mold and mildew which injures racks, casks and spoils cork tops.

Even more importantly, proper temperature keeps corks from shrinking when too cold and wine from aging too quickly when too warm. In a cellar of 25 percent whites, 75 percent reds, 45-55F (7C-13C) is preferred. Some areas are blessed with natural conditions in this range, but most will need some kind of refrigeration unit. For smaller collections, wine cabinets can be purchased.

Almost as important as the actual temperature is the rate of change. A ten degree change over a season is harmless, but frequent and rapid changes can severely damage wine, even when stored within the desired range.

Not surprisingly, the higher the storage temperature the faster a wine will age. Conversely, colder storage temperatures slow the aging process. Adjust for the type of wine stored.

Along with controlling temperature and humidity, light exposure should be kept to a minimum. Though modern bottles have good UV filters, some can still penetrate — leading to a condition called ‘light struck’, which shows up as an unpleasant aroma. Incandescent bulbs produce less ultra violet light than fluorescents, so the former are preferable.

Vibration interferes with aging, stirs up sediments and in extreme cases can cause racks to deteriorate faster. Try to avoid moving bottles until ready to be served.

Bottle size plays a small part, since a larger bottle has a smaller ratio of air to wine. Purchase or use larger bottles when possible. Once a bottle has been opened transfer the leftover wine to a smaller bottle if the remainder isn’t consumed within a few days.

As far back as 450 BC, physicians have recommended wine to combat fever, disinfect wounds and provide nutritional supplements. But Greek science also taught that the stars moved on heavenly spheres, so one has to be careful. Has anything been learned since?

Fortunately, many studies since have provided ample evidence of the truth of Hippocrates early observations. Since the 1970s many studies have concluded that moderate intake of red wine does indeed have salutary health effects, though the exact reasons are still debated.

Red wine consumption helps prevent coronary disease and possibly some forms of cancer due to a class of compounds known as catechins (flavanoids). Like resveratrol, which aids grapes in fighting fungal infections, they act as anti-oxidants and anti-coagulants. Free radicals, i.e. ionized oxygen atoms in the blood, are known to cause cellular damage. Anti-oxidants remove free radicals.

Other studies suggest that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ kind) and discourage LDL (the ‘bad’ kind) from forming. Along with cholesterol regulation, most of the pathogens that threaten humans are inhibited or killed by the acids and ethanol in wine. Not surprising, then, that until the mid-18th century wine was safer than water for daily consumption in Western countries.

A recent study in the American Journal of Physiology indicates that resveratrol also inhibits the formation of a protein that reduces the heart’s pumping efficiency during stress.

According to a American Journal of Gastroenterology study in 2003, moderate wine consumption decreases the risk of peptic ulcers, possibly by ridding the body of the bacteria which causes them.

Even diabetes occurrence may be reduced by moderate (one or two drinks per day) alcohol imbibing, says a 14-year Harvard School of Public Health study of 100,000 women. The study concluded they had a 58% lower likelihood of developing that disease. The exceptions are pre-menopausal women with a family history of breast cancer. Those are recommended to consume no alcohol.

Of course, as with anything one consumes, there are risks. Many wines contain sulfites to which a small percentage of the population is sensitive. And wine, though absent fat and cholesterol, does contain sugars and small quantities of sodium — and, of course, alcohol. It doesn’t take much to become too much.

Anyone with digestive tract disorders, liver disease or kidney problems — along with a slew of other ailments — would not be doing themselves any favors by drinking wine.

Then there are the well known effects of excessive intake, such as hangovers and, in the long run, liver damage. And, pairing wine with drugs, even normally beneficial ones such as aspirin or acetaminophen, is a recipe for disaster, clearly.

Unclear now about the pros and cons of wine consumption with regard to health? Good. Don’t rely on one article or source of information — read lots of studies and take it all with a grain of salt. Then you can feel good about taking it with a glass of wine.

Even though many just assume that wine tasting is sipping, swishing, and swallowing – many are amazed to find that it’s actually a bit more.  Wine tasting is more of an art, an art that is used to distinguish the taste of fine wines.  Wine can be a tasty and refreshing drink – if the bottle was stored correctly and aged properly.

Wine tasting begins with the swishing.  The reason why wine tasters swish the wine around in their mouths is to get the taste.  Both the front and the back areas of the tongue contain taste buds, although neither one has any distinct sensation in taste.  Taste buds can detect food and liquid that is bitter, salty or sweet, without a problem.  To get the proper taste from wine however, you need to swish it around in your mouth and allow your taste buds and sense of smell to bring out the unique and fine flavors in the wine.

When you have a cold however, the wine can taste very different.  When tasting your wine, your sense of smell has a major impact on the taste.  What many fail to realize, is that over 75% of our taste is due to our sense of smell.  When we have a cold, our sense of smell is affected.  Therefore, when eating or tasting wine with a cold, the taste will appear different.  Wine tasters all over the world will tell you that tasting wine is more about a sense of smell than the actual taste buds.

The art of wine tasting is indeed an art.  Wine tasters do however, follow some general guidelines and rules that judge how great a wine is.  These techniques can help you bring the most out of your wine, providing you follow them and know how to bring out the taste.

The first thing to do with wine is to look.  With wine, you can tell quite a bit about it by looking at it.  You should always start by pouring the wine into a clear glass, then taking a few minutes to look at the color.  As far as the color goes, white whines aren’t white, but actually yellow, green, or brown.  Red wines on the other hand are normally a pale red or dark brown color.  Red wine gets better with age, while white whines get more stale with age.

Next, is the smell of the wine, which you should do in two steps.  You should start with a brief smell to get a general idea of the wine, then take a deep, long smell.  This deeper smell should allow you take the flavor of the wine in.  The more experienced wine tasters prefer to sit back a bit and think about the smell before they actually taste the wine. 

Last but not least, is to taste the wine.  To properly taste the wine, you should first take a sip, swish it around in your mouth, and then swallow.  Once you swish the wine around in your mouth, you’ll bring out the rich and bold flavors of the wine.  After swallowing, you’ll be able to distinguish the after taste of the wine, and the overall flavor.

Once you have looked at the wine, smelled it, and finally tasted it, you’ll be able to evaluate the wine from a taster’s standpoint.  This is the easiest way to determine the quality of the wine, and whether or not it has been properly stored and aged.  As with all things in life – the more you taste wine – the better you will get at distinguishing the unique flavors.

For virtually any occasion, such as special moments and holidays, wine makes a great gift.  From informal meetings to wedding celebrations and bashes, wine is a gift that is truly hard to beat. There are several different gifts you can get that relate to wine.  No matter who it may be that you are giving the gift to – wine is something that is truly appreciated – a gift from the heart.

Among the several gifts of wine that you can give, is personalized wine.  There are several companies that offer personalized wine and champagne gifts, complete with custom made designs and labels.  For corporate events and parties, a personalized wine gift is an ideal way to showcase your gratitude and give a gift that truly shows how much you care.

If you prefer, there are also ways that you can create your own personalized gift.  First of all, you’ll need to select a wine label from one of the numerous custom wines available.  Next, you will need to personalize your text by adding your own messages and ideas.  Last, you’ll need to select a container or wrapper that is best appropriate for your gift of wine.  You should be as creative as possible, as it will help to make your wine gift to have a bit more impact.

Another great wine related gift that you can give are corkscrews.  Corkscrews make for a truly great gift, allowing you to open wine bottles with the corks intact.  Wine lovers who want to open a bottle of wine every now and then, and keep the cork in great shape will truly appreciate the gift of a corkscrew.  Corkscrews are also used in restaurants as well, as they can easily remove even the toughest of corks. 

Another great gift that relates to wine is the pocket vineyard, which is an electronic device that contains a wine glossary, vintage wine charts, and even suggestions and ideas for pairing wine with food.  The pocket vineyard is a great gift for anyone who likes wine, as it allows them to learn more about wine in general and make better choices overall when it comes to wine.

You can find many other wine gifts to give as well.  If you look on the Internet, you can find all different types of wine gifts that you can give to virtually anyone.  You can also find great gifts in local stores as well, many of which are available at great prices.  If you aren’t sure about what to get someone, you can always ask.  Although there are many different gifts that you can give for a variety of occasions, few gifts have the impact of wine.  If you choose – you can always give the gift of wine – a bottle that is sure to please anyone.