All About Wine And Its Goodness!

The strangle hold of winter over out small country continues to promote rain, short days and bitter cold, but with every passing day we get one step closer to spring and the myriad of opportunities the conflict between the seasons brings, in this time I like to look forward to the lighter evenings and warmer days and prepare for the coming months. There is nothing more perfect in this world than sitting down to an evening meal of partridge with your favourite glass of wine, Im sure I am not the only person in the world who enjoys such simple pleasures, even better, a tipple kept in a wine cooler and in the run up to such frivolous activities a sturdy wine rack to store the bottle in.

One of my preferred wines for the spring months has to be a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, it presents itself as such a crisp and dry wine and is has such wonderful characteristics that really do compliment the season perfectly, with herbaceous and grassy over tones and a colour variety ranging from a light straw to a pale brass reflecting the season perfectly. Sauvignon Blanc is grown in many of the worlds wine producing regions, the characteristics of the wine are preserved no matter what region of the world the wine is produced, in France the wine is most famously grown in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. In California, Sauvignon Blanc is a popular wine manufactured and is commonly referred to as Fume Blanc, the Californian variant retains its crisp and dry attributes but adds a hint of oak to the overall composition as a nod to the production presses employed in Bordeaux.

With the January sales still going strong why not indulge in some new wine glasses to accompany your new favourite spring drink, there really is no reason not to. Remember to choose the correct wine glass for the type of wine you buy with different styles for red wine, white wine, sparkling wine and dessert wine all having different design characteristics. An alternative solution is to opt for a wine tumbler, these types of glass are by no means a traditional option or favoured with the wine elite but they are becoming more and more popular, if this method of serving wine is becoming accepted, please do remember that the use of shot glasses for wine, it’s not big and it’s not cleaver.

The shape and size of glass from which you drink a wine is often not something people are concerned about. The taste remains the same right? Well, it is becoming increasingly popular to have a number of sets of glasses especially for different types of wine.The grandfather of Mr Riedel (The well known wine glass brand) was the pioneer of the different shaped wine glasses and was the first to produce special designs for different wines.Since then lots of people have joined this train of thought and expressed a noticeable difference in wine taste. One of the most passionate being Shaun Green, a buyer for K & L Wine Merchants in San Francisco who says “It really does make a difference”.  Riedel now have over 40 different types of wine glass but if you can’t afford, or haven’t got space for these glasses in a wine cabinetwhich ones are vital to own?

Red Wine glasses – You really need a big-bowled smooth and basic glass for the drinking of red wine. This allows you to swirl the wine in the glass and release it’s flavours. The nose is also easily let into the body of the glass which maximises the ability to inhale the sweet aromas

White Wine glasses– The smaller-bowled glass with a higher rim is needed for drinking white wine. This prevents any of the precious aroma from lifting over the edge of the glass and keeps the flavours tightly wrapped up before they enter the mouth.

Champagne Flutes – The long thin iconic flute shape of the Champagne glass is needed to drink this luxury product. The narrow circumference stops any of the powerful aromas from overpowering the sinuses whilst drinking and the long body preserves the bubbles best.

All other wines basically fit into these three categories and the three styles of wine glasses will compliment each one well. So if you don’t own any at home, hurry up and buy some.

If you think of a picnic, what thoughts come into your head? Is it being in the country and what is going to affect your senses? Is it the thought of tucking in to the fruits of your labour and eating the food? Or is it the thought that when you have settled down in your chosen location, you are going to reward yourself with a glass of wine? The truth should be a little of most of these. Not only will you be healthy by being outside of your house. You food is likely to be prepared by yourself at home, and be fresh and healthy.

So what wine should be the perfect accompanyment to the picnic? This, to me, is a matter of taste and whether you have sufficient means at your disposal to keep a white wine nice and cool. If this is not possible, go for a simple red like a Fitou or a Chianti. This red always goes down nicely with a little bit of strong cheese. My wife is Spanish, so we are never short of some tasty Manchego, which is similar to strong Cheddar. With a good bottle of wine, should be some decent wine glasses. Is it a good idea to be taking glassware along with you to use on the picnic? It is heavy to carry, and usually gets broken. I like to take plastic glasses with me, which are durable and light. The trade off is that there can often be a slight loss of taste. What appeals to me is the different shapes for different types of wine. A red wine glass is normally large and volumous, allowing the flavours to be inhaled. A white wine glass tends to be typically smaller as the flavours are generally more subtle.

Whatever you choose, just make sure that you find somewhere where you can relax and forget the pressures of your everyday lifestyle.