The Best Way To Select A Top Quality Wine

The Best Way To Select A Top Quality Wine
Author: Donald Saunders

Clearly the selection of a specific type, year and brand of wine is a question of personal taste. But, putting to one side the matter of price, there are a few general guidelines about which most wine drinkers are in agreement.

Happily the growth in the number of of vineyards throughout the world and of wine-related Internet sites means that purchasing wine is quite simple today. A person in Georgia or Berlin can buy a New Zealand Syrah not stocked by a local wine merchant as easily as anyone in Tauranga.

Setting to one side the subject of pairing wine with food, do you prefer a red wine or a white wine? Many wine drinkers think that Madeira is too heavy while others feel that a German Riesling is much too dry. Many readily available wines are intended to be drunk a relatively short time after they are purchased, but those people who want to drink only the best wine will need to be patient. A Cabernet Sauvignon would without doubt be much better after it has matured.

A cool climate Chardonnay, like those that are produced in Canada, will appeal to drinkers who enjoy a young wine with prominent acidity and also to individuals who want to experience it's nutty and honeyed flovor which comes from aging.

It may also be helpful to describe wines by their class. Class 1 wines, which are sometimes labeled 'Light Wine' or 'Red Table Wine' will have an alcohol content of between 7% and 14% by volume. Wines in Class 7, on the other hand, will have an alcohol content of not less than 15% when calculated by volume. These wines have usually had Brandy added to then and might be flavored with herbs with wines with the greatest concentration being known as 'fortified'.

Study the label for a declaration of the amount of sulfites in a wine. Sulphur is normally added during the winemaking process to stop the growth of unwanted organisms, but some producers introduce more than many drinkers would wish. Sulphur dioxide is also often sprayed onto the grapes themselves to reduce pests and may leach into the skin. A few people are sensitive to sulphur and could experience an allergic reaction. Concentrations of lower than 10 parts per million are generally fine for most people.

If you are sampling a wine you should begin by cooling it to the correct temperature of approximately 52F (11C) for whites and 65F (18C) in the case of red wine and use a thin rimmed glass which is free from dust.

Pour out no more than about 1/3 of a glass and pick up your glass by the stem to keep fingerprints away from the rim and to avoid warming the bowl.

Look for a clear color by viewing a wine against a white background with a wine such as a Pinot Noir displaying a light ruby color and a Cabernet Sauvignon being a darker violet color. Wines that are produced from grapes grown during hot summers and dry falls will be darker in color than wines produced during a cool summer and wet fall.

The final step is to spin the wine gently around so that it coats the bowl of the glass and let your nose take in its aroma before tasting the wine.

Article Source: http://www.myarticlepub.com - Free Reprint Articles

Visit GreatWineTastings.com to learn about such things as French wines and to find a stunning wine gift basket