| A Summary!! Ok! So how? Let�s do a recap! 1) Tannin is the substance that gives red wines its distinctive color and taste. 2) Wines with moderate and high tannin levels are Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Wines with low tannin level are Merlot and Pinot Noir. 3) Cabs and Merlot are usually blended together to complement each other and enhance their tastes. Shiraz can also be blended together with Cabs to give a more full-bodied taste. 4) Wines of high tannin levels are usually expensive and are suitable for long storage so that they can mature to become better in the future. Low tannin wines can be drunk immediately and taste pleasant enough for everyday drinking. 5) Different wines and their levels of tannin complement various kinds of food to enhance the tastes of one another. |
| The Old and New Worlds After you have learnt the four major types of grapes that made up the majority of red wines, you are already better off than many who had never tasted or enjoyed red wines! In fact, you are now stepping into an exclusive world! However to know only these four major grapes are not enough. There are in fact plenty of classic red wines that are unique to wine-producing countries around the world. These wines are also among the best available in the world. In this section here, let me introduce you to the red wines of the �Old World� and the �New World�. The so-called �Old World� usually refers to the European countries such as France, Italy and Spain which have traditionally produced fine wines for a long time. They have a great tradition and possess centuries of experiences in wine-production. Their greatness in wines have been proven and known throughout history. On the other hand, the �New World� refers to the relatively new countries that have started to produce wines relatively recently, either in the recent decades or in the 20th century. These countries include US (California), Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. Although late in wine production, their wines are sometimes so good and so delicious that they have started to win the taste of wine-drinkers all over. Some of these wines can become new 'classics' that rival even those from the �Old World�. |
| Wine Labels... and the Mind-Boggling French Appellations Please take note that all wines are normally named from the types of grapes from which they are fermented. For example, wines labelled as 'Cabernet Sauvignon' are made from the exact grapes that derived its name. This is the most common form of labelling found on the wines of most countries. In France however, it is the regions and locations (ie. 'Appellation' in French) from which the wines originated from that are most frequently used as their labels. For a start, always look for the small print containing 'Appellation' and avoid the bigger labels. In the print, for example, 'Appellation Bordeaux Controllee' refers to wines that are made in the Bordeaux region, and so is the word 'Appellation Beaujolais Controllee' refers to wines made from the Beaujolais regions. General wines made in Burgandy are labelled as 'Appellation Bourgogne Controllee'. This is a first and foremost rule for selecting the type of French wines. But more often than not, many French wines are more localized and label their Appellations according to their local sub-regions and their village names. As a general guide, the more specific they are in their labelling, the better is the quality of the wine. In fact, with each upgrade in specification, the quality tends to increase by leaps and bounds. For example, the labelling of 'Appellation St Emilion Controllee' (St Emilion is a specific part of Bordeaux) suggests that the wine is of far more superior quality than wines labelled as simply 'Bordeaux', which is a general region. Also, you would expect wine with a 'Villages' tag behind the region of superior quality than those labelled with just a general region. These villages are singled out because they produce better wines than those of general background. Important tip: Look out for the word 'Appellation' in French Wines and you won't go too far wrong in your choice. Most importantly, AVOID all 'Vin de Tables' -- they are the lowest class of wines in France. 'Vin de Pays' are reasonable wines that are cheap and available for daily drinking, but they are still not as good as the 'Appellation' wines. Also, look out for the word 'Cru'. It usually suggests an extraordinarily fine wine that is being singled out from the rest. WARNING: These are NOT fool-proof methods for determining quality in the incredible wide range of French wines. In fact, French wines are so difficult to differentiate from one another that it would be quite a challenge to figure out all Appellations of various French wines. Even the experts don't have an easy time memorizing them. Nevertheless, knowing your French geography helps a lot in selecting the better wines!! Check out various wine books for more names of French regions and you would understand what I mean. |