Let’s face it: as wine lovers, we have to deal with countless “wine wankers,” those who enjoy pretension with their wine. Wine wankers are the worst of all wankers and can actually drive us away from taking pleasure in wine. Loose End Wines’ mission is to offer hand crafted, premium wines… without premium price tags to wine drinkers who focus on quality, desire wines made by real people passionate about winemaking and seek unique wine experiences but steer clear of the “wine wanker” community. Believe it or not, we are in the wine business for fun and drink (and sometimes chug) our wine as we do our beer.
Without getting too far into the “nitty gritty” of winemaking and wine evaluation, we hope to provide you with a base of wine knowledge to assist you in making educated purchasing decisions and judgments. Before reading on, take note of the most important, least emphasized aspect of wine education
… WINE IS SUBJECTIVE! There is no right or wrong answer to what makes a wine “good” or “bad” to your palate.
Read through the following, use it as a reference and enjoy the challenge of exploring new wines and developing your own perceptions!
What is wine?
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of unmodified grape juice. Although other fruits can also be fermented, the resultant "wines" are normally named after the fruit (for example, apple wine) and are generically known as "fruit wine" (1).
What makes one wine different from another?
Differences in wine can be attributed to many factors, including the following. Please note that this is only a brief overview. As you know, for every rule, there are many exceptions!
1. Grape Varietal
Wine is usually made from one or more grape varietals of the European species, "Vitis vinifera" (1). White grape varietals are used to make white table wine and red grape varietals are used to make red and rose table wine. Both red and white grape varietals can be used to make sparkling wine, dessert wine and fortified wine.
Each grape varietal produces a certain style of wine, ranging in body from light to heavy and showing characteristics typical of its variety. The most common grape varietals, listed from lightest to heaviest with their typical varietal characteristics, include:
White Grape Varietals (2)
Riesling... Ranges from bone dry to very sweet. Typical Riesling characteristics include fruity and floral, as well as honey and musky.
Sauvignon Blanc/Fume Blanc... Grassy & herbaceous flavors and aromas mark this light- to medium-bodied wine.
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris... Produces wines that are soft and perfumed with more color than most other white wines.
Semillon... Interesting citrus and herb notes often with a lemony edge.
Chardonnay... Tropical fruit flavours typify this varietal. Often shows hints of apple, pear, vanilla, melon, butter and hazelnut.
Red Grape Varietals (2)
Pinot Noir... Strawberry is the dominant fruit flavour. Soft and light bodied, Pinot Noir can produce intensely perfumed wines.
Grenache... Produces fruity, spicy, medium-bodied wines. Sometimes associated with candy flavours.
Mouvedre/Mataro/Monastrell... A pleasing wine of medium-weight with spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins.
Merlot... Herbs, green olive, cherry and chocolate. Softer and lighter and with finer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon... Currant, plum, black cherry and spice, Produces full-bodied wines with great depth.
Shiraz/Syrah... The biggest, boldest of all red varietals, Shiraz/Syrah produces rich berry fruit wines with a full mouthfeel.
2. Classification
The taste of a wine depends not only on the grape species or varietal blend, but also on the ground and climate (known as terroir) where it is cultivated. Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin. Regulations govern the classification and sale of wine in various regions of the world (1). Each winegrowing region abides by its own set of rules, which outline grape varietal usage, aging requirements and labeling regulations. These regulations help to differenciate quality levels within growing regions.
3. Vintage
A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such (1). Vintage conditions can greatly affect wine quality and style year to year.
4. Winemaking
Often, winemakers develop a style of winemaking that they strive to maintain across all of their wines and vintages. A winemaker's style can result from their vineyard practices, techniques employed in the winery, oak usage (or lack thereof) and pre-release aging decisions, to name a few.
5. Bottle Age
As a wine ages, it undergoes many changes whilst in bottle. Its colour, aroma, taste profile, finish and overall personality can alter a great deal throughout time. Both red and white wines tend to turn darker and take on browner hues over time. Depending on whether a wine was made to consume young or age, it can either taste dull (past its prime) or incredibly complex and beautiful (drunk during its prime) (3).
6. Wine Flaws or Faults
Wine flaws or faults can be attributed to growing conditions, winemaker manipulation, chemical imbalances, storage conditions and cork variations, to name a few. Depending on the problem at hand, a wine can taste volatile, sherry-like, musty, stale, unusually yeasty, overly acidic or chemical. To read more about wine flaws or faults, check out this web site (4).
What should I consider when tasting wine?
As mentioned earlier, always keep in mind that wine judgement is completely subjective. That being said, there are key elements of which to take note and evaluate when tasting wine, including the following. For each of the elements listed, make a mental and/or physical note of the characteristics you detect. Specifics to evaluate follow each element
...
Colour... Colour, clarity, depth and liveliness
Nose... Fruit, herb, flower, spice, wood and earth flavours
Taste... Flavours, sweetness, acidity, body, structure, intensity and complexity
Finish... Length and lasting taste
Flaws... Chemical, vinegar and mouldy flavours
Where can I learn more?
We hope that this information provides a base from which to expand your wine education. For further exploration, check out the following resources.
- Wikipedia.com
- Wines.com
- Bcawa.ca
- Wineaustralia.com
- Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation
- Contact us