| Advanced Appreciation of Red Wines |
| CONCLUSION A Seemingly Impossible Task (aka, You Need a Ph.D.!!) After you have bought and tasted the wines described by me, I think you may have considered yourself a �small expert� in red wines already! At least in Singapore that is. But even if you have really tasted ALL red wines in each and every form, the World of Wine is still FAR FAR FAR FAR from complete. They are in fact countless of other wines existing in all parts of the world that I have not described here. It is outright impossible to finish tasting them in even a decade of years, not to mention appreciating and comparing their tastes among different wines. The Impossible French Wines This is especially true of French wines, which offer such an uncountable variety of EACH type of wine that it would be a daunting and mind-boggling task just to recognize any of the thousands in existence. What�s more to taste them one by one and experience each of their unique taste. For easy understanding, I have only listed the 3 most common French wines that can be easily found on the shelf. However, the truth is there are in fact uncountable types of wines undescribable that can only be found in the country of France alone. Not only of the reds but the exquisite white wines as well. France is indeed the indisputable �home� of the wines. For a start, let me remind you that the different regions of France grow different varieties of grapes to produce different types of wines. The list is far from over in the three big regions (Bordeaux, Burgundy and Beaujolais) that I described. In these wine-producing regions, they are again subdivided into numerous areas, villages and communities where thousands of chateaux (winemakers) reside. There are in fact uncountable vineyards and chateaux big and small in existence, so many that not even the French themselves can easily name the wines they taste after these places. (Even a small backyard that grows grapes behind the shack can be called a chateau) Also, not only do these chateaux grow grapes from the major four that I mention (Cabs, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Shiraz), there are in fact numerous minor grapes that winemakers prefer blending into their wines to make them unique. So even if the wines are produced from the same grapes, they might taste different due to different blendings and production methods. But the most important factor in determining the quality of wine is the climatic and soil conditions from which the grapes are grown. Different chateaux are exposed to different climatic and varying soil conditions which is dependent on their geographical locations. Even the slightest deviations in soil and climatic conditions can lead to the extreme variation of tastes in the wine produced, even though the wine can be made from the exact same type of grapes. Worse still, if you count the different fermenting and storage methods preferred by each chateau in producing their own unique wines, you would have an almost unlimited list of wines in France alone. Indeed, the French have an exclusive word terroir (terr wahr) used to describe the total environment in which grapes grow, including all aspects of climate and soil. To attain good knowledge of French wine might take several years to learn, and what�s more, to master them. And what about all the other unique wines of the world?� Other Wines Lastly, I have not mentioned that I have ONLY introduced you to the world of red wines. How about the entire world of WHITE WINES that I have left out? I have still not covered the likes of Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and other famous white wines in my articles so far. The world of white wines is as big as (if not bigger than) that of the red wines. In fact, white wines are another kind of its own which takes a new bible to completely cover them. And what about beers, champagne and sparkling wines? What about the rose wines which are in between the two? And what about their pairings with various food too? There are still others who would like to go the extra mile by attempting to know special distilled white wines known as �Cognac� (the famous Martell VSOP is one of them). So now, how about that for the vast World of Wines and other alcoholic drinks for you? It is a challenge for a lifetime indeed to know all about wine!! It is even more challenging to be conferred the ultimate title of THE MASTER OF WINE and be recognized for it!! But at least you have taken a small step by knowing the least you could about the basics of red wines. Cya next time!! |
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| Mog wants to drink wine too!! Kupo!! |