How Do You Select Wine From An Inch-Thick Wine List?

You are really excited to be out for an excellent meal. You are seated and they bring the menus; you start salivating at the prospects. The sommelier brings the wine list; uh oh! it's an inch thick at least! Does your heart sink? Or do think 'Oh wow, we're going to get some great wine!'? Below we give you some tips and techniques that we have learned over the years to turn this challenge into fun!
The starting point
The conventional wisdom is that you match the wine to the food that you are going to have but this is not much use in a restaurant for several reasons. First, you are likely to have to order at least some of your wine before you have decided what you want to eat unless you are going to drink cocktails or water for a while. Second, if you are going to have one of the set menus, or a tasting menu, or a variety of small plates there are going to be a whole range of tastes that matching the wine to the food is well-nigh impossible.
One option is, perhaps, to take the matched wine by the glass option but, being a wine lover first, I prefer to have the wine I want and let the food fit in (within reason of course). And if a couple of bottles of wine is too much then don't forget to look at the half bottles of wine section.
So you are now sitting with the wine list so the questions are how many bottles and how much do you want to pay? With this settled, the hunt begins.
Restaurant Location
The place we start is the location of the restaurant - is it in a wine producing area? If yes, then we will have a least one wine, if not all, from the area. We use this rule as it forces us to experiment with less well known wines and most times the wines are better value for money. In this fashion we first tasted Picpoul de Pinet, Torrontes, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viura and Menetou-Salon Sauvignons among others. This rule often narrows the wine list considerably. However, if you are in one of the capitals of the world this rule isn't very useful as most capitals aren't in a wine producing area; still wines from the country may also narrow the list. If you are looking to limit the amount you spend on wine, then looking at the New World section of the list often yields good wines at a reasonable cost.

What you like
Knowing your own tastes and those of your fellow diners helps narrow the range of possibilities and is also useful if you give up and ask the sommelier for help (see later). Or, if you are like us, the list of what you don't like might be shorter.
So the restaurant location and what you like will yield the sections of the wine list that you want to contemplate. If you are on a limited budget then you will quickly rule out a few more sections, for example, Burgundy Cotes de Nuits and Cotes de Beaune are often way over-priced in many restaurants outside the area.
Vintage, Vintage, Vintage
To us, the most important factor in ordering wine is the vintage. You have to know which vintages are worth buying. The Wine Society, for example, has a great vintage guide - see here It also indicates which vintages are ready for drinking or probably past it. We would not buy any vintage with less than a 7 score if we were going to spend a reasonable amount on the wine. On this basis the Wine Society guide says avoid 2011 for red Burgundy and 2009 for white, and avoid 2007, 2008 and 2013 in Bordeaux. 2013 is also to be avoided in the Southern Rhone and Rioja.
The Southern Hemisphere wine makers say that vintage does not matter but that is nonsense. Their weather may not be as extreme in its impact on grapes but they do have duff vintages and excellent vintages. For example, 2005 and 2009 were great vintages for South African reds. Look at the websites of merchants who specialise in the region for views on the vintages. Decanter magazine also has vintage ratings when it reviews a region.
The better vintages will cost more but generally not that much more relative to the increase in quality.
So now we know the wine region, the style of wine and the vintage, next comes the fun part. What is the best value for money wine?
The 'Gimmie'
The 'Gimmie', short for 'Please give me that one, no debate' is the wine that sommelier wants to get rid of. Michelin star restaurants don't do specials or sales so the indicator is price. It is the wine that, relative to others that you are considering, looks cheap. Not because it is off but because it is approaching the end of its life and there is too much in stock relative to sales. These wines are mostly at their best but, on occasion, can be off. The reaction of the sommelier when you suggest it is off can vary. Most times there is no argument, they bring another bottle but we have experienced the extremes.
At a one star restaurant in Cognac the sommelier gave us a wide berth, deliberately avoiding eye-contact or even walking past our table. Needless to say when the bill arrived we pointed to the almost full bottle and the undrunk wine in our glasses and refused to pay. They took it off the bill. That was the least we have drunk at dinner in all the wine trips we have done. How very silly of the sommelier!

The other extreme was at what was a three star restaurant in Joigny, La Cote Saint Jacques. We ordered a premier cru Chablis and it was off. The sommelier offered us another bottle or one from another maker; same vineyard, same vintage. We chose the latter. When we tasted it we saw the label and our hearts dropped - it was three times the price of the one we had refused. It was made by Domaine François Raveneau, one of the most admired Chablis producers. We sighed, admitted we had been suckered, and said let's enjoy the experience that we had always wanted to have! When the bill came we were charged the price of the wine we had ordered! Needless to say, every time we are anywhere near the area we always go back there.
There is not a 'Gimmie' on every wine list but most times there is more than one candidate. Playing 'spot the Gimmie' is great fun when everyone can get a good look at a wine list.
The sommelier
If all else fails or you want a choice made, then ask the sommelier. Sommeliers are not mind readers so when asking for suggestions tell him or her what you like and don't be shy to state your price range. It all helps to get a wine you will like and one that is within your budget. If you want the sommelier to choose between wines then also give him or her the basis for the decision. For example, if you would like an oaked Sauvignon Blanc ask which of your choices is oaked. If none are oaked but the sommelier has one, then he or she will suggest it.
A thick wine list can look daunting but we hope that we have given you some useful guidelines to narrow down the search area and to have some fun.

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Basic Wine Types

The process of wine making is exciting and easy. As we all know wine is made from grapes and the recipe has been developed over centuries. Sure, first grapes are harvested, placed in a container and squeezed. These methods have been developed over hundreds of years in the vineries making the whole process even more thrilling and highly technical.
The key point of the winemaking is the process of fermentation in order to produce alcohol- wine can ferment for three days or three years, depending on the style of wine the winemaker is trying to produce. A winemaker touch can greatly affect the wine taste same as wine barrels. Each container (oak, stainless or plastic) outcomes with different effects into the wine when stored into different canister.
Grapes are divided into two main categories - white and black, beside the fact that the white grapes are not entirely white skinned they can be green, yellow-green, gold or light-orange. Black grapes can also be characterized with a red or blue colour and are richer in antioxidants.
Types of Wine
Wines can be categorised into the six primary categories: white, red, rosé, sparkling, dessert and fortified wines.
White wines are generally made from white grapes and they contain no red pigmentation. Most popular white wines are Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Obviously red wines are made from red grapes and typically have more tannin and a higher content of alcohol. The primary difference between wine colours comes from tannins, which are more concentrated in the red grapes and transferred into the juice. Popular red wines include Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Rose wines are mid-point between black and white even they are made from red grapes. Rose wines don't fully turn into red colour because the grape skin has been removed so the red pigments are no more present to give a wine red pigmentation; instead they have enough of a reddish tinge to make them differentiate from the white wines. The best rose and most traditional Rose wine is Zinfandel.
Sparkling wines can be made from any variety of grapes. Their basic characteristic is the intense effervescences that come from the carbon dioxide bubble during the fermentation. Champagne is a type of sparkling wine named by a region in northeast France. By law, wines may only be called Champagne when they are made exclusively from grapes grown in the Champagne region and produced according to strict guidelines. Popular sparkling wines include Cava, Champagne, Crémant d'Alsace, Moscato d'Asti and Prosecco.
Sweet or Desert Wines are prepared with high sugar content, because the grapes are harvested very late when sugar levels are high or grapes are "drying" on straw so the concentration of sugar is very high. These are considered to be the sweetest.
Fortified wines are those who are produced with small concentration of wine juice. Instead they have Brandy or other spirits added during fermentation. The Brandy prematurely stops the fermentation process, leaving a high amount of sugar in the wine. Fortified wines are generally sweet such as dry late harvest Rieslings, Madeira, Port, Sherry and Sauternes. Those were originally designed to ensure the wine survived long voyages on 17th century ships.

10 Fundemental Wine Terminologies You Must Know To Taste, Appreciate, and Valuate Wine

These are some of the definitions that any wine investor or taster will have to be familiar with, and which I will do my best to explain in as detailed a manner as possible. Of course, nothing beats going for a wine-tasting course to get familiar with what these definitions truly means.
Terminology #1: Complexity
Complexity is created by several factors: well-merged flavors, the intensity, richness and depth of the combination of flavors, aroma characteristics, the focus, harmony and overall balance, and the finesse (the elegance and fineness of the wine, or sometimes, can also be referred to as the distinction of the beverage).
Terminology #2: Character
Character refers to the distinctive traits of the wine, it's positive and distinctive tastes, or other key attributes that distinguished the wine from other beverage.
Terminology #3: Personality
Personality refers to the character or style of the wine.
Terminology #4: Structure
Structure can consist of the fruitiness, acidity, alcohol and tannin of the wine, and any other components that creates the body of the beverage.
Terminology #5: Body of the wine
Body of the wine, in layman's term, refers to how the mouth feels when you are drinking the wine. It refers to the viscosity, richness or feeling of the wine in the mouth. It can also referred to as the texture and weight of the wine.
Wines can be broadly described as full-bodied, medium- bodies or light-bodied wines. Full-bodied wines are wines that created the fullness" of taste in the mouth. Similarly, light-bodied wines refer to wines that taste relatively lighter.
Terminology #6: Tannins
Tannins refer to the natural compounds/preservatives found in grape seeds, skins and stems, and are responsible for the bitter and astringent tastes in the beverage. It is more commonly found in younger red wines, and will soften as time passes, bringing out the best bouquet and balance of the beverage.
Terminology #7: Bouquet
Bouquet refers to the smell or fragrance that a mature wine will give off. It is the result of further fermentation over the years, and is usually described as more complex and richer than the aroma produced by younger wines. This complexity and richness are the assets characteristics that will cause an appreciation of value in these mature wines.
Terminology #8: Aroma
Aroma refers to the smell or fragrance of younger wines, while bouquet refers to the smell or fragrance of older ones. The terms or aroma and bouquet are not to be used interchangeably.
Terminology #9: Balance
Balance in wine terminology, refers to the harmony of the various elements, and tastes of the beverage. When a wine is described as well balanced, it means that the elements of the beverage are in perfect harmony, are rightly proportioned, and that none of these elements are over-powering, overwhelming or dominating the other elements. This is a vital characteristic in wine valuation, and will justify the price tag of the beverage.
Terminology #10: Elements of the wine
Elements of the wine simply refer to the components that make up the characteristics of the wine, such as its acidity, fruitiness, tannins and alcohol.
Conclusion
As you can see, understanding wine constitutes a far more complex process than understanding coke. These definitions are a must-know and will act as a starting point for the tasting, appreciation, and valuation of this godly beverage.

Reasons to Love Red Wine

Red wine is the purest and most loved liquor of the world. Red wine is preferred over other wines because of its various qualities that make it a cherished drink. It is rated very highly for being a health drink by some leading health bulletins. The alcohol content generally ranges between 12 to 15 %. The most common varieties of red wine are shiraz, pinot noir, merlot, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon.
It is made of dark grapes, it takes intense violet color initially but later it takes red brick color as it matures with time. Its production is a long tedious process but it could be understood in short. This red color comes from the skin of the grapes which consists of anthocyanin pigments which give rich texture, taste, besides colour that attracts all. Red wine is given treatment at the winery during fermentation. The process starts with selected grapes going through stainless steel crushers and later preservatives are added which help on timely fermenting as well as maintain good quality and texture to the drink. Yeast is added and later is goes through the cooling process and then the pressing, the second transformation through microbiological takes place. This is a very important process in wine making. Later it is kept to mature and the process is called racking and ageing. The older the wine is the better quality it would be. Then fining is done to rectify any faults in post production of the wine. Wine is filtered and finally bottling takes place. Bottling is generally done in glass bottles with cork stoppers which give it a classic look.
Consumption of wine depends on the menu being served with it. Red wine is always preferred with heavy red meat and roasted, roasted, cuisine whereas white wine is taken with light snacks like fish and poultry items. Red wine is the most loved liquor or drinks in this universe for various reasons. The foremost reason is that it is good for health if taken in a moderate quantity. It lowers the cholesterol and its consumption prevents heart ailments and some form of cancer as well. As grapes contain antioxidants which prevent oxidative damage to our body and act as a preventive measure in many types of cancer. In a recently published journal is stated that intake of red wine lowers the blood sugar level. In women, if taken in small quantity, it can prevent type 2 diabetes and it lowers sex hormonal levels and protect against breast cancer. Thus we can make out why it is so highly rated by everyone, as it takes care of our heart which is the most important part of our body. Today's life is full of stress and pressures and we take various measures to release stress including medicines which may have some side effects but your friend red wine can relieve stress and relax your nerves. Well if you catch a cold you do not have to take any specified medicine for it, just a regular glass of red wine will solve your problem. We do not have to think twice as it takes care of our health as a trusted doctor and friend.
Now on a lighter note, it is the most loved drink at dinner time, as it goes well with our cherished hot, spicy red meat. Intake of it with food helps in digestion of heavy food. Ladies are very particular of their looks and slim fit body and take some drastic measures to bring it back to shape. Many go for surgery, medication, yoga, aerobics, but for all this, we need time and guidance or it may backfire too. In such a case lovely ladies prefer to have an enjoyable glass of red wine and get rid of extra fat and toxins is their body.
We always want a true genuine friend in our life and red wine is our true companion and friend which gives us good health as well as gives us makes our dinner and life interesting and enjoyable. So "cheers" and enjoy our life.

Read my article on Red Wine and know the various reasons why it is loved so much my all.