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I recently got interested in upstanding the ins and outs of wine after my brother gave me some bottles of cabernet sauvignon from Lewelling Vineyards. My Great Great Great Grandfather John Lewelling started the vineyard in 1865. It was a highly rated wine and I figured I ought to learn how to treat it right. So I started updating a wine page I created in 2009.
A cousin Kathy from the other side of my family who worked for Joseph Phelps, one of the top wineries in California, for 30 years says this about understanding wine,
"As you probably know, most anything to do with wine is both an art and a science, and you can spend a lifetime studying it and never reach the end of what there is to learn"
The best wine I've ever had was Joseph Phelps Insignia, which Kathy shared with a Sierra Club Group in 2000.
It was wine of the year in 2002 and goes for $300-$400 per bottle in 2023.
I graduated from the University of California at Davis and always kicked myself for not taking "Introduction to Viticulture and Enology" from the top grape growing and wine making research department in the country.
Wine Types:
Red: USA |
France |
Italy |
Australia |
S. America |
S. Africa |
Spain
White: USA |
France |
Germany |
Italy |
New Zealand
Common Wines at PLCB Wine and Spirits Stores | ||||
USA RED | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE * | |
Cabernet Sauvignon | Medium to full-bodied. Can have great concentration and depth. Tend to be tannic in their youth. | Dry | Room (59-64 Degrees) | |
Merlot | Medium to fairly full-bodied. Lighter, softer tannins than cabernets, more accessible when young. Similar aromas and flavors, can be herbaceous. | Dry | Room | |
Pinot Noir | Generally light to medium-bodied. Known for their elegance rather than power. At their best, aromatic with a touch of spice. | Dry | Room | |
Syrah/Shiraz | Medium to full-bodied. Can be tannic with earthy, spicy and dark fruit flavors and aromas. | Dry | Room | |
Zinfandel | A grape almost unique to California. Varies greatly according to winemaker's style...from light to heavy-bodied, from tannic and concentrated to easy drinking and fruity, and from table wines to dessert wines. | Dry | Room Back to Top | |
FRANCE RED | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Beaujolais | Light-bodied. Made from Gamay grapes. Preferred for its fruity aroma and taste. Should be drunk young. | Dry | Slightly Chilled (50-55 Degrees) | |
Bordeaux | Medium to full-bodied. Made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Astringent in youth, can have great complexity and life. Ages well. | Dry | Room | |
Burgundy | Made from the Pinot Noir grape. Medium to full-bodied with an aromatic bouquet and earthy flavors. | Dry | Room | |
Rhone | Some of the most robust of the French wines. Very full-bodied, tannic, intense and fruity. Tend to have a purplish cast when young. Made primarily from Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah blends. | Dry | Room | |
ITALY RED | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Bardolino | Dry, pale, light-bodied Veronese reds. A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Fruity and fresh. Should be drunk young. | Dry | Room | |
Barolo | Dry, very robust, heavy-bodied and tannic wines that need to be aged in order to soften out. Made from the Nebbiolo grape. One of the greatest of the Italian reds. | Dry | Room | |
Chianti | Dry medium to full-bodied. Fruity and slightly acidic. Made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. Riserva level receives three years of aging. | Dry | Room | |
Lambrusco | Dry, light, slightly effervescent, soft and fruity. | Semi-dry | Room to slightly chilled | |
Primitivo | Italian grape related to American Zinfandel. Medium-bodied with plum flavors. | Dry | Room | |
Valpolicella | Veronese red. Modern blends employ mostly Corvina and Rondinella. Light and fruity with a slight bitterness. A touch heavier-bodied than Bardolino. Should be consumed young. | Dry | Room | |
AUSTRALIA RED | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Shiraz | Light to full-bodied. Often blended with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. Those from Barossa can be very robust and tannic. | Dry |
Room
| |
S. AMERICA RED |
DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Carménère | Single varietal wine from Chile. Medium-bodied with pretty red fruit and a sweet spiciness. | Dry | Room | |
Malbec | Argentina's signature grape. Medium to full-bodied with dark fruit, tobacco and earthy notes. | Dry |
Room
| |
S. AFRICA RED |
DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Pinotage | South Africa's signature variety. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Can be light to medium-bodied, and is generally fruity and acidic. | Dry |
Room to slightly chilled
| |
SPAIN RED |
DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Garnacha | Medium to full-bodied with wild berry, leather and earth flavors. | Dry | Room | |
Tempranillo | Medium to full-bodied, these wines can also have a pronounced acidity. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and tobacco. | Dry |
Room
| |
USA WHITE |
DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Chardonnay | This grape produces wine with an apple aroma. Light to medium in body. Often a wine of depth and character. | Dry | Chilled (43-50 degrees, slightly warmer for more complex wines.) | |
Chenin Blanc | Light, fruity. Produced in both a dry and semi-dry style. Crisp, clean, and simple. | Semi-dry | Chilled | |
Sauvignon Blanc | Slightly grassy aroma. Light to medium body. Usually some degree of complexity. | Dry | Chilled | |
Riesling | This grape produces distinctive fruity, delicate wines. Peachy or apricot aroma. Late harvest styles tend to have honey-like character. | Semi-dry to sweet | Chilled | |
Gewurztraminer | Light to medium-bodied with spicy notes and delicate fruit flavors. "GewŸrz" means spice in German. | Semi-dry to sweet |
Chilled
| |
FRANCE WHITE | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Alsace | Light to medium-bodied fruit filled whites made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. | Semi-dry to dry | Chilled | |
Bordeaux | Light-bodied pleasant and soft. Tend to have a slightly herbal aroma and light flavors. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle are the allowed grapes. | Dry | Chilled | |
Burgundy | Chardonnay-based, medium-bodied, complex and longer lived than most whites. Considered by many to be the world's finest whites. | Dry | Chilled | |
Champagne | Light to medium-bodied sparkling wines made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. | Dry | Chilled | |
Loire | This region covers a variety of light to medium-bodied wines. From very dry Melon and Sauvignon Blanc-based wines to off-dry Chenin Blanc-based wines. | Dry to semi-dry | Chilled | |
GERMANY WHITE | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Mosel | Light, flowery, delicate. Among the world's finest when made from the Riesling grape. May have a slight spritz when young. | Semi-dry to sweet | Chilled | |
Rhine | A touch fuller-bodied, broader and softer than Mosels. Those made from Riesling can have great character and complexity, especially in the late-harvest levels. | Semi-dry to sweet | Chilled | |
ITALY WHITE |
DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Frascati | Lightest in color and body of all Italian wines. Very delicate, soft and smooth. Produced from Malvasia, Trebbiano and other light grapes. | Dry | Chilled | |
Orvieto | Produced from Trebbiano, Verdello, Grechetto and Malvasia grapes. Made in two styles: Abboccato(semi-sweet) and Secco(dry). Fruity, light and neutral in aroma. | Dry to semi-dry | Chilled | |
Moscato d'Asti | Slightly sparkling light-bodied wines featuring soft fruit flavors and aromas. Aperitif or dessert wine. | Semi-dry | Chilled | |
Pinot Grigio | Light-bodied with floral aromas. Fruity, yet dry with a crisp finish. Produced in many regions. | Dry | Chilled | |
Soave | Produced from Garganega and Trebbiano grapes. Light fragrance and light in body. Best are labeled "Classico." | Semi-dry | Chilled | |
Trebbiano | Straw yellow, light-bodied with a faint aroma. Rather neutral taste with a hint of bitter almond. Produced in many regions. | Dry |
Chilled
|
|
NEW ZEALAND WHITE | DESCRIPTION | TASTE | SERVING TEMPERATURE | |
Sauvignon Blanc | Light to medium-bodied, epitomized by tropical fruit flavors and bold, grassy notes. | Dry | Chilled |
There are 3 basic things affecting Quality:
Wines From Predictable Climates: Regions with consistent, sunny, grape-growing weather conditions show the least amount of vintage variation year in and year out. Wines from many warm weather regions including Central Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Australia, California and Southern Italy, tend to produce wines with a more consistent style year in and out.
Wine Appreciation: Connoisseurship or snobbery? | World of Fine Wine in 2023 says
"The popular press has seen a surge of recent articles detailing how easily wine experts are fooled and connoisseurs misled. "
My cousin who worked for Joseph Phelps, one of the top wineries in California, for 30 years says this about "wine experts",
"The *real* wine geeks are the sommeliers who can taste a wine blind, identify the varietal, know what winery it came from, and often even the specific vineyard if it wasn't a blend and is from a top producer. You might want to add to your website the requirements for becoming a professional sommelier, just for fun and to show how high the bar goes. There aren't very many who pass the test. I just looked it up and it said "There are 273 professionals worldwide who have received the title of Master Sommelier since it was established in 1969." That's quite an elite club!"
Wine Ratings:
Wine Spectator
Classic Wines
Top 100 Wine sites
Links:
See also Wine Glasses
Wine Storage
Wine, Wine Gifts | Wine.com
www.wine-searcher.com
Wine Spectator
eRobertParker.com: A Glossary of Wine Terms
vinology.com: Wine Phrase Glossary and Definitions
The Elements of Wine Tasting | WineCare.com
Wine 101: A Sensory User's Manual