Wine is nothing but a mixture of wild species of grapes, rice and different types of yeasts without the use of sugar, enzymes or any lactic acids. The word “wine” is a Latin word derived from indo-European countries.
Composition of wines: Wines consist of water to a large extent. In addition to this, wines also contain variety of acids such as lactic acids, ethyl acid, minerals such as iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, sulphates and vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin P.
There exist different types of wines according to the base product, two of which are listed below:
1) Fruit wine: ex-apple, berries
2) Vegetable wine: ex- wheat, barley
The production of wines was first found in places of Georgia and Iraq at around 6000 BC to 5000 BC. Traces of wines were also found in Greece, ancient Europe.
Cultivation of wines was started in North East areas at around 3000 BC. Cultivation of red and white wine, as we know them today, first started in Egypt, but wide-scale cultivation of wines began in Rome, which produced the best quality wine. They produced different flavors of wine.
Dry wine is one of the most popular types of wines. During fermentation, when sugar is converted into alcohol, the toxic alcohol kills the yeast and the resulting wine is called as dry wine. Wines are mainly produced from the grape species known as Vitis vinifera.
There exist different types of wines like red wine, white wine etc. They are distinguished on the amount of sugar used and the time required for fermentation.
A few types of wines are listed below:
1) Vintage wines: In order to produce a vintage wine it is a must that at least 95% of the volume of grapes used, are produced in a single year. They are mostly produced in USA.
2) Non vintage wines: They are produced from vintage wines itself. In these, at least 50% of the grapes used should have been produced in the same year.
3) Organic wines: Organic wines are produced from grapes without the use of fertilizers and pesticides. They do not contain any harmful material and are used to cure a number of diseases.
4) Red wines: They are produced from black grapes and are red in color. It prevents cancer and heart diseases because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
5) White wine: They are produced from white grapes; and they are pale yellow in color.
When alcohol is added in a wine it is called as fortified wine. Taste of wines depends on the drinker’s palate.
Vintage wines are costliest of all wines. They can cost thousands of dollars per bottle.
Some of the most expensive wines are Bordeaux and Cult wines.
Production:
France is the largest producer of wines. Italy is the second largest producer.
Italy is the largest exporter of wines.
Uses: Wine is the most popular beverage, and can also be used as a flavoring agent.
Wines also have a good effect on cardiovascular problems. Wines can also used for religious and ritual purposes.
Imani
Portugal may not be the first country you think of when you’re looking for new wines to sample. However, Portuguese wine production outdates many other countries; the Portuguese have been trading wine with the rest of the world since the early 18th century.
There are legends that tell of wine being produced in Portugal from as far back as 4000 years ago. Of course, the production was much different than it is today, but it is possible that Portugal has been producing wine since the time of the Phoenicians.
Distinctive and Exceptional
Nearly every wine drinker knows that the finest wines produced in Portugal have traditionally been port and Madeira, two fortified wines enjoyed all around the world. There is much more to the wines of Portugal, though, and every variety is as impressive as these well-known beverages.
Portugal has several different wine regions, each producing and using its own distinctive grape varieties. In fact, this is what makes Portuguese wine so unique among other wine-producing countries. The wines produced in Portugal are made from native grape species, and they are all distinctive to the area. There are government safeguards in place to ensure that all wine produced in Portugal is of the highest quality possible.
Many different types of wine come from Portugal, though not all of them are well-known in other parts of the world. Europe, especially England, is well acquainted with most of Portugal’s finest exports, but they have yet to gain the same popularity in the United States.
Alentejo Wine
The Alentejo region is in southern Portugal. The wines produced from the alentejo grapes are fruity, soft whites with a distinctive acidity. This is one of the most preferred wines for consumption within Portugal.
Bairrada Wine
The Regiao Demarcada da Bairrada produces white and red wines, but the most popular wine from this region is a sparkling white wine which is quite commonly found in Portuguese restaurants.
Colares Sand Wine
Near Lisbon, wine grapes are grown in sandy soil that is in short supply today due to the expansion of the city. Colares sand wine is produced in both red and white varieties, and has a distinctive fruity taste.
Dao Wine
The Regiao Demarcada do Dao is in northern Portugal, and it produces some very unique wines from several varieties of Portuguese grapes. These are widely thought to be the finest table wine produced in Portugal.
Moscatel Wine
Moscatel (Muscat in English) is one of the oldest varieties of Portuguese wine. It is a fortified wine that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years.
Port Wine
Port wines are fortified wines that can be enjoyed in either red or white varieties. This is one of the types of wine that made Portuguese wine known and loved around the world.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde is produced in northwest Portugal and does not go through an aging stage. It is the second most exported Portuguese wine, just after port.
Something for Everyone
As you can see by these brief descriptions, the wine of Portugal is varied and complex. You are sure to find a variety of Portuguese wine that agrees with you and your discerning palate.
Jewel
How To Choose The Right Wine Glasses?
Only a wine enthusiast can understand the importance of wine glass ware. The quality of glassware can greatly enhance the wine experience from bad to good or vice versa. Bowl, stem and foot are the three parts that make up a wine glass. You have to choose wisely, while purchasing a wine glass, as the shape and quality of the glass reflect upon the quality of the wine. It is widely believed that people give more attention to the glasses than to the wine. These days the wine glass has emerged as a status symbol, just like Rolls Royce is in the world of automobiles. Before using a wine glass, one must know the correct way of handling a glass. The wine glass is one of the most delicate pieces of stemware. As there are different kinds of wine, so are the proper ways of handling each of them when in a wine glass. The most common way of holding a wine glass is by its stem, which should be tucked in between the fingers. A wine glass in never held from the bowl (except with red wine) because when the bowl of the glass comes in contact with the skin, the body heat gets transferred to the wine and slowly erodes the aroma and the taste.
The materials of a wine glass are equally important, because they have an affect on the temperature of the wine almost instantaneously. Drinking from a wine glass made from fused or cut glass, isn’t a pleasurable experience. The reason being, that such types of glasses interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as create a rough thick lip (part of the glass where the wine is sipped from). However, glasses made from blown glass are widely accepted by casual wine drinkers, as its lip is slim and smooth. Another material used in the manufacturing of wine glasses is ‘Lead Glass.’ The result is a high quality wine glass, which is cherished by the elite of the wine drinking community.
Another factor that affects the quality of a wine glass is its shape. The shape of the wine glass preserves the wine’s aroma as well as its taste. The shape also helps position the glass in the most optimum way, so as to direct the flow of the wine in a suitable manner. Gulping or taking big sips from a glass of wine is considered atrocious. A very important part of a wine glass is the ’stem’. When holding a wine glass, its always the stem of the glass that should come in contact with the hands. This prevents warming of the wine due to body heat. The stem also prevents smothering of the bowl with fingerprints, thus keeping the texture of the bowl intact.
In all, there are three types of wine glasses:
Red Wine Glasses: The characteristics of a red wine glass are its round shape and a wider bowl. In case of the red wine, a person can hold the glass by its bowl, because the red wine is always served at room temperature. Therefore, there is no risk of the wine getting spoiled.
White Wine Glasses: These glasses are a bit narrower than the red wine glasses, so as to retain the wine’s temperature. They also have a slightly straightened sides.
Champagne Flutes: Commonly known as champagne glasses, they are very slim in size and have a long stem with tall narrow bowl at the top. Champagne is often sparkly (due to the presence of carbon-di-oxide) in appearance and in order to preserve this characteristic and prevent it from dissipating they have tall, narrow bowl. These types of glasses or flutes are used on special occasions only, like weddings, award ceremonies and black tie events.
Always remember, wine glasses are equally importantly as the wine they serve. It’s an intricate ballet of style, taste and panache. A wine glass has the capability to change the entire experience of wine tasting. An impeccable wine has to be served in an exquisite wine glass.
This article has been written by an expert at Greatest Wine Glass (http://www.greatestwineglass.com/). Greatest Wine Glasses are known for their customised wine glasses. Check out their introductory offer online at http://www.greatestwineglass.com/.
Amari
Wine has been around for thousands of years, and has been produced through the simple fermentation of grapes. Many adults like to drink wine with their dinner, as not only does it have an enjoyable taste, the fact that there is alcohol present makes wine a relaxing and fun beverage. Wine enthusiasts who want to collect and specialize in wines must amass a vast amount of knowledge. In fact, there are even adult education classes that focus solely on wine, and even include wine tasting.
The grape is not the only fruit that can be used to make wine. Other fruits, such as apples, can be fermented to produce wine. When a fruit besides the grape is utilizing, that fruit’s name is usually implemented in to the title of the wine. For example, if wine was created from an apple, it would be called apple wine. Wine without a preceding descriptor is assumed to be grape wine, as that is the most common type.
While many people avoid alcohol because of its detrimental health effects, research has revealed that the moderate consumption of alcohol can yield several health benefits. The most beneficial form of alcohol has been found to be red wine. This is because red grapes are packed with antioxidants, and those stick around during the transformation from grapes to wine. The primary benefit of regular red wine consumption is cardiovascular protection. This means a lower risk of stroke and heart attack. Antioxidants improve cardio health by decreasing bad cholesterol, increasing good cholesterol, and reducing blood clotting (which is the ultimate reason that heart attacks and strokes occur).
Wine contains a special antioxidant called resveratrol, which has incredible, positive health effects. It has anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties, and has even been shown to extend the lives of certain species. Resveratrol also facilitates nerve production. Due to the chemical’s properties, it has been theorized that the antioxidant is effective in preventing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
If you are purely interested in health, then you should choose a red wine with the most antioxidants. The less sweet the wine, the more antioxidants it has, so that is the type of wine you should secure. Avoid white wine altogether, as while it does have some benefits, they pail in comparison to that of red wine.
Wine is a somewhat expensive commodity, which has led many people to begin brewing their own wine. The process of creating homemade wine is fun, not as expensive as one would think, and the final product can be as high a quality as the best wine on the market. You can find plenty of guides on exactly how to create wine on the Internet, but make sure to invest time in to identifying the best one. Not many materials are needed for this activity.
All you need is a large bucket, a hydrometer, a few wine-enhancing chemicals, an air tight mechanism, and of course either grapes or grape juice. There are vineyards that will sell fresh grapes and grape juice, and although taking this route is the most expensive, the final expenses still fall short of the cost of buying pre-bottled wine.
Whether you choose to make your own wine or buy it, it is important to store the product in a wine rack. A wine rack maintains the wine at a forty five degree angle, which is necessary to keep the seal strong and effective.
Christiana
To pour the perfect glass of wine you must take several steps:
Temperature Of The Wine:
The temperature at which a wine is served makes an immense impact on its taste. Serving wine while cool will mask some imperfections which is good for younger or cheaper wines. However, a warmer wine temperature allows a more full expression of the wine’s characteristics which is favourable when serving an an older or more expensive wine.
A bottle of wine will cool at about 2 °C (4 °F) for every ten minutes in the fridge, and it will warm at about this same rate when removed and left at room temperature. Obviously, the temperature of the room will affect the speed with which the wine warms up. If you need to chill a bottle of wine quickly, 35 minutes in the freezer will do the trick. Just don’t forget to take the bottle out!
Decanting The Wine:
Decanting is pouring wine into a container before serving. Decanting is typically only required with older wines or Ports, which contain sediment that can add bitterness to the wine.
Wine decanters may improve the flavor of older red wines.
Younger wines also benefit from the aeration that decanting provides. Of course, a wine decanter may also be used simply for aesthetic reasons.
Before decanting a wine that contains sediment, allow the bottle to rest upright allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom. Then slowly pour the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle angled so that no sediment makes its way into the decanter. The wine may be poured through cheesecloth to assist in filtering out any unwanted particles. Decanting wine should be done out of sight of any guests.
Pouring The Wine:
Still wines should be poured towards the center of the glass, while sparkling wines should be poured against the side, like a beer, so that unwanted bubbles do not show up.
To control drips, one can twist the bottle slightly while tilting it upright. When pouring wine, glass should be filled no more than two-thirds. This will allow guests to swirl the wine and smell the bouquet. A glass can always be refilled if desired. Of course, serve wine to the women and older guests first, then the men and end with your own glass.
Type Of Wine Glasses:
As important as serving temperature is the type of glass in which wines are served. The shape of a wine glass can affect the taste of the wine, and for this reason different types of wine are served in specific glasses. The three main types of wine glasses are as follows:
White wine glasses : shaped like a tulip
Red wine glasses : rounded with large bowl
Sparkling wine flutes : tall and thin
A suitable all-purpose wine glass should hold about ten ounces and be transparent to allow the taster to examine the color of the wine as well as its body Moreover, it should have a slight curve in at the top to hold in the bouquet. While an all-purpose wine glass is fine for serving a red wine, be sure not to serve a white wine in a red wine glass.
To find out more on Wine Grapes and Vineyards, just visit http://www.wineinfonet.com
With the vast selection of quality wines in Portugal, how can a small or lesser-known wine brand stand out from the pack, be visible and increase sales?
This was the “million” dollar question looming over the minds of the producers we met at the Lisbon Wine show in November. We’ve had these folks on our mind and thought we’d focus on a few key marketing points that could help this important industry.
The New Playbook selling wine
{note: you can read the original article here}
The 6 Key Points:
First and foremost, two necessary ingredients must exist: You have to love what you do: making great wine. And second: You need to communicate and share the quality of your craft.
Since Portuguese wines have quality, uniqueness and diversity, they’re able to compete against many international brands, so quality is not the issue. Recognition however is another story, and this unfortunately comes down to lack of good marketing. So the real issue isn’t the product, but the right marketing and communication strategy for our new, highly informed and connected generation.
Once the first two ingredients are in place, here’s what’s next:
01: Understanding your ideal customer
02: A creative name
03: Label design
04: Website
05: Blogging
06: Adegga.com
1) Your Ideal Customer
First and foremost, consumers are looking for good wines to pair with food. Today, consumers are more sophisticated and informed than ever before, hence their food choices are more dynamic and experimental. So, small and lower priced wine producers need to throw out the old playbook – and assess the right market for their wine. A good example are the folks behind Wine That Loves
Producers need to decide what type of customer they want to appeal too, and who they don’t. What got my attention at the Lisbon Wine Fair was that 95% of the wines had the allure of a high-end snooty type (the likes of 100+ Euro bottles), yet a large percentage were very reasonable and wonderful. This clearly demonstrates few wines are marketed at younger drinkers who buy reasonably priced bottles, but buy often. So a strong market who is ready and looking to buy regularly, is over looked - for one that’s highly competitive, limited and already saturated.
As a wine enthusiast, with some wine-jargon, and a customer of “reasonably” priced bottles, I would use these words to describe wine in more modern terms: fun, sexy, spicy, fresh, adventurous … however at the fair, 99% of the wines communicated:
Serious, traditional, stuffy, snooty - from branding message to wine name and labeling. Few deviated from the “traditional” theme, but the few who did, definitely got noticed! So let’s be honest, not every wine is “serious, traditional and stuffy” and that’s ok — some wines should be wonderfully bold, fresh and new to appeal to a new customer. Communicating individual character in creative new ways is the path to the new wine drinkers lips, and the parting of the red wine seas of “serious” wines.
Here’s a solution: When marketing wine, producers should look at their ideal drinkers through personas, then make sure they communicate to the needs and wants of this group.
2) A Creative Name
Choosing the right name is a delicate science similar to producing the wine. The wrong name on a bottle could completely turn off the targeted customer.
Today’s customers tend to be more traveled and informed, yet less formal. We want to be surprised, delighted and have our pallet tickled with a creative edge and freshness, so naming and labeling a wine is vital to its marketability.
Here’s three examples:
1. Fat Bastard Wines
2. Dirty Laundry
3. Dancing Bull
Two key points when it comes to naming:
01: individual and unique
02: not overly difficult to pronounce.
3) Bottle design and story
Imagine standing in front of a shop, with endless rows of wine bottles and having to pick a wine for dinner. This is a nerve wracking experience for most people, so one of two things happens:
01: they pick up the same bottle they always do or
02: take a huge leap of faith and bet on something new.
Part of the goal in marketing a wine is seducing the customer. Since potential buyers can’t taste the wine, the bottle design and labeling needs to communicate cues of visual sensory to help attract a potential customer. If a customer isn’t seduced by the bottle, branding and label, then the sale is lost, and only hope is personal recommendations.
As cost is always a factor, we recommend a simple bottle with a creative, clean and beautifully designed label. This doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, see how a successful Portuguese producer turned his children’s art work into a wonderful wine label:
Wine Label
Key points to remember for bottle labeling & design:
01: Tell a story about the wine
02: Help solve the shopper’s problem by giving suggestions for food pairings
03: Don’t assume the customer knows how to pair wines with food
04: Label design should be fun, different and aimed at the ideal market group
4) Web Strategy
To date, Portuguese wines haven’t taken advantage of promoting themselves through the web. This is a mistake! The web is the key source of information for today’s culinary aware and those looking to learn more. This is an invaluable sales and marketing tool.
The good news - the web is here to stay, so wine producers can turn the web into their best friend and take advantage by quickly reaching millions of people…real people, who love to drink wine! It all starts with a dynamic website and visibility strategy that is loved by humans and respected by search engines.
5) Blogging
Blogging doubled Stormhoek sales in less than twelve months.
Blogging scares and intimidates many, but it shouldn’t. A smart producer has two options: become friendly with the wine blogging community, or start one himself, we actually recommend both. This is a fantastic way to get closer to customers first hand.
A well-designed blog can be an invaluable marketing tool:
01: Help build a community around your wine
02: Higher search engine rankings
03: Media & press exposure
04: Better brand recognition
05: Low cost
If you’re unsure about blogging and would like to know how to star a blog, or would like us to set one up for you, contact us. We also recommend, you read this article.
Here are examples of good Wine blogs:
01: Pinot Blogger
02: Stormhoek.com
6) Adegga.com
Adegga is a play on the word “adega” (only one “g”) which means cellar in Portuguese.
It is a place where friends come together to talk, share and learn about wine.
For Portuguese wine producers, here you have a captive audience of Portuguese wine drinkers and this would be an opportunity to get feedback about your wine, build a relationship with a group of influencers and naturally from this will come word of mouth. If your wine has all the ingredients in place, then naturally it will be talked about and people will carry that conversation offline at cafes, dinners, lunches and etc.
If you don’t know where to start, go to Adegga.com and get your wine’s listed for free.
If you’re serious about selling more wine nationally, across Europe or around the globe, then by all means get started on the above. And if you need our help, we will be more than happy to advise and help you with each step.
Raquel
Only a wine enthusiast can understand the importance of wine glass ware. The quality of glassware can greatly enhance the wine experience from bad to good or vice versa. Bowl, stem and foot are the three parts that make up a wine glass. You have to choose wisely, while purchasing a wine glass, as the shape and quality of the glass reflect upon the quality of the wine. It is widely believed that people give more attention to the glasses than to the wine. These days the wine glass has emerged as a status symbol, just like Rolls Royce is in the world of automobiles. Before using a wine glass, one must know the correct way of handling a glass. The wine glass is one of the most delicate pieces of stemware. As there are different kinds of wine, so are the proper ways of handling each of them when in a wine glass. The most common way of holding a wine glass is by its stem, which should be tucked in between the fingers. A wine glass in never held from the bowl (except with red wine) because when the bowl of the glass comes in contact with the skin, the body heat gets transferred to the wine and slowly erodes the aroma and the taste.
The materials of a wine glass are equally important, because they have an affect on the temperature of the wine almost instantaneously. Drinking from a wine glass made from fused or cut glass, isn’t a pleasurable experience. The reason being, that such types of glasses interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as create a rough thick lip (part of the glass where the wine is sipped from). However, glasses made from blown glass are widely accepted by casual wine drinkers, as its lip is slim and smooth. Another material used in the manufacturing of wine glasses is ‘Lead Glass.’ The result is a high quality wine glass, which is cherished by the elite of the wine drinking community.
Another factor that affects the quality of a wine glass is its shape. The shape of the wine glass preserves the wine’s aroma as well as its taste. The shape also helps position the glass in the most optimum way, so as to direct the flow of the wine in a suitable manner. Gulping or taking big sips from a glass of wine is considered atrocious. A very important part of a wine glass is the ’stem’. When holding a wine glass, its always the stem of the glass that should come in contact with the hands. This prevents warming of the wine due to body heat. The stem also prevents smothering of the bowl with fingerprints, thus keeping the texture of the bowl intact.
In all, there are three types of wine glasses:
Red Wine Glasses: The characteristics of a red wine glass are its round shape and a wider bowl. In case of the red wine, a person can hold the glass by its bowl, because the red wine is always served at room temperature. Therefore, there is no risk of the wine getting spoiled.
White Wine Glasses: These glasses are a bit narrower than the red wine glasses, so as to retain the wine’s temperature. They also have a slightly straightened sides.
Champagne Flutes: Commonly known as champagne glasses, they are very slim in size and have a long stem with tall narrow bowl at the top. Champagne is often sparkly (due to the presence of carbon-di-oxide) in appearance and in order to preserve this characteristic and prevent it from dissipating they have tall, narrow bowl. These types of glasses or flutes are used on special occasions only, like weddings, award ceremonies and black tie events.
Always remember, wine glasses are equally importantly as the wine they serve. It’s an intricate ballet of style, taste and panache. A wine glass has the capability to change the entire experience of wine tasting. An impeccable wine has to be served in an exquisite wine glass.
Felicia
