Complete Wine Guide

Many people do not realise that wine has been enjoyed all over the world for many centuries. Wine is made from the fermentation of fruit. Fermentation is the name given to the process of using yeast to break down sugar into alcohol.Wines are generally classed by the year in which they were made, this is known as the vintage. A wines flavour improves over time, thus older vintages are preferred but are usually more expensive. Certain vintages can be extremely popular and can be very pricey.

Although wines can be made from almost any fruit they are often made from grapes. Which wine comes from white varieties (ie green grapes), red wine from red varieties and rosé wines from red varieties but the skin is removed in the wine making process.

Many wines are named after the region where they originate from (eg Bordeaux, Burgundy). Often in various regions certain types of grape are chosen as they are more suited to that climate, the types of grape used dictate the flavour. Looking at wine bottles you will often see the names of the grapes used. By knowing the types used you can get an idea of what the wine will taste like. The following list shows some of the more popular varieties:

• Cabernet Sauvignon - Probably the most red grape wine, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes produce wines that have a full and strong flavour. The wines usually have a high tannin content. Tannin is an astringant which has a bitter taste, it’s found in tea (think of the flavour/texture tea leaves in your mouth). Due to its hight tannin content, Cabernet Sauvignon is often mixed with other grape varieties such as shiraz or merlot.
• Merlot - Another popular red grape wine with a medium tannin content. Merlot wines are characterised by there flavours which have a hint berry about them.
• Shiraz - Characterised by its spicy taste, Shiraz is a full bodied red wine. Many wine experts think that the Shiraz wine is better after it has had time to age (allowing the spicy flavour calms down somewhat).
• Pinotage - A red wine with a very fruity taste, this wine can be drunk when it is young (usually more fruity) or when it is older (more of a mellow taste).
• Chardonnay - A popular white wine which is characterised by its vanilla like taste. The Chardonnay is one of the grape varieties used in Champagne.
• Sauvignon Blanc - A refreshing white wine with a flavour that is said to have traces of gooseberry and passion fruit. This wine is grown all over the world with France, USA, New Zealand and Australian varieties being very popular.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive wine guide, more of a quick introduction about the types of wines that are out there. If you are interested then there are many books on this topic, do some reading up and impress any guests with your wine knowledge!

I suggest trying some of the various wines above to see what you think. Comparing the same varieties of wine but from different countries is also an interesting experiment, and a good excuse to have a glass of wine now and again ;o) I have found that wine in the UK can be quite expensive, ordering bottles from the internet has saved me money. I recommend keeping your eyes open for various on-line deals that are available.

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