By Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, former winery owner, author and frequent speaker on wine.  He currently teaches wine classes throughout the United States.

Decanting your wine. What is it? Is it even necessary?

Well here’s the answers to these age old questions.

Decanting wine is simply pouring you wine into another container with the idea of letting your wine aerate or mix with oxygen. The idea is that “letting the wine breath’ will enhance your flavor.

Do this work? Does this do any good at all? Well that’s find out.

Like most traditions, they are based of fact or information that was relevant long ago.

You must realize that wine unlike anything else, maybe besides baseball, is steeped in the past with tradition.

I think most people still want to perceive a certain romantic aspect to wine.

But winemaking, like most industries has modernized. Small local family owned wineries might still use some of the more traditional techniques in making their wines, but they are a minority.

What this really means is that something that was necessary to do to wine a hundred years ago, in most cases is not necessary today.

Long ago, most wines weren’t filtered, meaning that small remaining bits of yeast from the fermentation process would over time settle in the bottom of the bottle.

They have no taste or don’t hurt the wine in any way, but they simply don’t look very appealing. So the low tech answer was to simply pour the wine into another container and leave the small amount of sediment in the bottle. Problem solved.

My guess is that some cleaver marketing type turned this negative into a positive by saying that because they decanted, their wine was better.

When in reality they were just distracting people from the sediment. I mean really, who wants to look at wine cooties? I don’t. I’ll bet you don’t either!

In modern winemaking, this sediment is filtered out before bottling. So except in rare cases, when it’s the winemakers choice not to filter, you’ll never see sediment in the bottom of modern wine bottles.

So what about decanting to let the wine breath.

Before winemaking was modernized, many wines were aged in caves and sometimes the corks could pick up aromas.

The reason you let the wine breath was to dispel any of those unwanted aromas. Most bottles didn’t have the plastic bottle caps we use today.

Today, most wines are stored in climate controlled warehouses and capped with a plastic cork cover. In addition to just looking nicer, the plastic bottle cap helps keep the cork and bottle free from outside aromas.

So short of the theatrics of decanting wine, which I must admit can be fun, I’m not a big fan of decanting.

But with that said, it certainly doesn’t hurt the wine and if you enjoy doing it or like entertaining your guests by the process, by all means keep on decanting.

Some of my winemaker friends might disagree with my opinion here and that’s OK.

I would agree that wines that are very expensive and have been made in more traditional ways could benefit from decanting, but the typical wines that we buy for Tuesday night dinner probably won’t.

So whether you choose to decant or not is up to you. But at least you now know the reasons behind you choice.

To learn more about wine click here

By Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, former winery owner, author and frequent speaker on wine.  He currently teaches wine classes throughout the United States.

Congratulations on choosing to take a course in wine.  Many people want to learn about and enjoy wine but never take action.

Learning about wine can be very easy or very hard.  To be successful, I think you need to define your expectations.

Do you want to go to the extreme of learning how to make wine or be employed in the wine industry? If so, take a look at more traditional wine schools.  Most major cities will have some sort of community college program or in some cases a private for profit business that teaches this type of information.

These classes can be over a several week period and can cost thousands of dollars.

But for most people who simple want to learn more about wine or not feel left out when their spouse or friends are drinking wine, there are many, many options for you.

Wine shops and wine bars seem to be everywhere lately. Many of them offer weekly or monthly classes aimed at a variety of different topics. Take a look in your local paper for offerings or simply contact your local spot and see if they offer classes.

Prices can range from about $25 to $75 per class and up depending on the class and location.

The next option is to consider taking an online wine course.  The technology is now available to watch video tutorials on your own computer at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home, as many times as you like.

Because the class can be recorded and show repeatedly, many times these types of classes will not only be much cheaper, but include much more information as well.

Classes like these can range from about $50 to $199

My video wine course is called the Really Fun Wine Course. It contains 45 fun and informative videos that combine 4 of my most popular classes. To check it out, click here.

Regardless of which option you choose, you should expect to leave the course in the very least, knowledgeable in wine word pronunciation, an understanding of wine varieties, how to taste wine, how to pair wine and food, and how to purchase wine.

Remember in all of these classes the goal is to learn enough about wine so you don’t feel left out or like you’re the only one in the room who doesn’t know anything about wine.

Once you go through these classes you should ultimately enjoy your wine even more.

One thing to look out for.  Be leary of teachers who are wine snobs. Personal pet peeve here, but here in the 21st century I don’t see any need for anybody who “knows wine” to look down on anybody else who doesn’t. If you can’t tell, I’m not a big fan of wine snobs.

Well, I hope that helps get you started on the road of wine.

If you would like to learn more about wine click here.

By Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, former winery owner, author and frequent speaker on wine.  He currently teaches wine classes throughout the United States.

How to shop for wine sounds pretty easy doesn’t it.  It is and certainly doesn’t have to be hard, but people seem to make it much harder than it needs to be.

There are many ways to buy wine.  Whether it be the wine shop or supermarket, wine superstore or even the winery itself, the principles are pretty much the same.

OK, here’s what to expect.

In years past almost all wine stores were laid out by the region.

Meaning every store had a French section, an Italian section, a Germany Section and so on.

You would find different varieties mixed together within that countries section.

I never quite understood that because we typically shop for a certain variety, not necessary the country.  I do understand that model is based on the European model and since that’s how they do it, it made sense in the early days of American wine to copy that.

But as wine has grown and evolved here, wine merchants finally started to figure out that consumers wanted to compare pinots, not countries.

So most modern wine stores will have their wines laid out by variety.

Once you’re there standing in the aisle looking at the bottles how do you know if you’re buying the right wine?

The real answer is to know what you like and then be able to describe your tastes to the wine staff. And since you have taken this course, you should have no trouble doing just that.

In a good shop, they will be more than happy to help you.

No person in any shop has tasted every one of the wines of course, but they still will know the characteristics of wines you are considering.

I’m a big believer of buying wine from a small wine shop or directly from the winery.

Yes, you might pay a little bit more, but a helpful, knowledgeable staff will make up for it many times over. Wine is not a commodity like tube socks that you buy at Wal-Mart.

There are so many subtle differences in wine that you get what you pay for.

To me buying the wine is as much of the experience as tasting it.  As a former winery owner, I’m obviously biased, but I think buying wine directly from the winery is as good as it gets.

You not only get to taste samples for a nominal amount or sometimes even free, but in most cases you can talk to the staff or even the winemaker and get their take on how and why they make their wine a certain way.

It’s like meeting the author at a book signing. You always value those books more.

Buying wine online can be a viable option.  As time goes on buying wine online continues to become easier and in many cases even cheaper.

If you find a certain brand and variety you like, and know you want that particular wine, take a look online. Keep in mind that each state determines if wine can be shipped into their state.

At the time of this article there are only about 40 states that allow wine to be shipped into their state.  So check first before ordering.

Someone 21 or over must sign for the package as well.  The best way around this is to have your wine shipped to a business address.

So next time you’re shopping for wine consider these tips and I’ll bet you bring home a really great bottle of wine!

If you would like to learn more about wine click here.

By Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, former winery owner, author and frequent speaker on wine.  He currently teaches wine classes throughout the United States.

As you travel down the wine road, most people will like white wines before they like reds.  Some will never like whites and that’s OK.

But most people will like both white and red and will choose based on the food, their mood or the occasion.

To better understand white wines, let’s first talk about the color. The difference between white and red wines is if the skins are used in fermentation.

Squeeze any grape and the juice is clear.

White wine is fermented only with the juice and the skins are discarded. With red wines, the skins are used in fermentation and the pigments in the skins are what give red wine its color.

For pink wines like white zinfandel, the skins are left in for just a little bit and then taken out, giving the wine its pink color.

Then why are some wines almost clear like pinot Grigio and some wines like chardonnay almost gold. Three reasons.

One, certain grape varieties are naturally darker than others.

Two, the winemakers process may lighten or darken the final wine

And three, as a white wine gets older, it usually turns a little darker.

Next, lets talk about taste. Lets break out some wine words.

Full body – White wines are typically a little less in body that reds. Because tannins are in the grape skins and most whites are Unoaked, white wines feel a little lighter on the tongue than reds.

Acidity- White wines typically DO have more acidity than reds. When someone says a wine is crisp, they mean they can taste the acidity. For a comparison, soft drinks use carbonation to create the same taste of acidity.

Although acidity doesn’t sound pleasant, it’s actually what gives white wine its “punch or bite” without this acidity, white wines would have more of a flat taste.

Much like a soft drink that has been left in the refrigerator too long.

A wine that doesn’t have enough acidity would be considered “flabby”

I know how that feels….

A white wine with acidity is great for bland tasting foods.

It brings out the flavor. The reason you put lemon on your seafood is that the acidity of the lemon acts like salt and brings out the flavor.

The acidity in wine does the same thing. That’s one reason why white wine and seafood or poultry are such a great match.

Lastly, lets talk about some of the typical flavors and aromas of white wines.

One of the most common flavors is citrus. Many people will smell aromas of grapefruit or oranges. Green apple and pear flavors are also extremely common.

OK, now that you know some common characteristics of white wines, lets look at specific varieties here.

You could taste any brand you like, but since your are just sampling, the small 187 ml sample bottles may be all you need and you might actually save a few bucks, as well.

By: Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, author and frequent speaker on wine.  He teaches wine classes throughout the United States.

Remember, for most people it takes a while to develop your taste for red wine and most people like white before they like red. So if you try red now and don’t like it, that OK.

Try again in a few months. It’s amazing how your tastes will change even in a short time.

All right, red wines. 

Color…

Red wines range from light burgundy to almost a dark purple. If you recall from a previous article, we mentioned that the skins are what give red wine its color.

Some grapes, like cabernet sauvignon, have a very thick skin and thus more pigments to make the wine darker.

Pinot Noir on the other hand is usually a very light colored wine because it has very thin skin.

All you need to know is that color is caused by the grape skin.

As wines age, most wines will also darken slightly.

The body.  Red wines have much more body or feel heavier on the tongue that white wines.  In part because they naturally have a little more sugar than white wines, which when fermented leads to a higher alcohol percentage than white wines.

Since alcohol is more dense that water, it feel heavier than white wines.

Red wines also tend to be stored in oak. Oak has tannins and some are transferred to the wine making it feel heavier than unoaked wine.

BTW, if you sometimes think you taste vanilla, its because oak naturally imparts a vanilla taste to the wine.

If you taste a smoky, BBQ type flavor, the wine was probably stored in a toasted oak barrel. The winemaker has a tremendous amount of ways to make their wines.

That’s why you sometimes like a variety and sometimes you don’t. You’re responding to the winemaker’s style.

The flavors.  Some common flavors in red wines are plums, cherries, black currants and various other berries and maybe even something fun like licorice.

As you start sampling red wines, you could taste any brand you like, but since your are just sampling, the small 187 ml sample bottles may be all you need and you might actually save a few bucks, as well.

Enjoy!

If you would like to learn more about wine click here.

By Mark Adams

Wine labels can be very simple or very complicated, depending on the winery or country of origin. At first glance there seems to be quite a bit of information.

But it’s really pretty basic if you know what to look for. Let’s take a look at and American Wine Label.

1. Winery name. Don’t think I need to explain that one…

2. Alcohol Percentage Most wines will range from about 9-14%

3. Variety 75% of the wine must be made from that grape

4. Location Also called the appellation. Where the grapes were grown

5. Estate Bottled This means at least 95% of the grapes come from one vineyard

6. Vintage The year the grapes were harvested

7. Reserve This typically means the wine has been on oak for a period of time

8. Winemaker Select Not an official designation, but usually a blend of different wines

9. Back of the label. Usually some information from the winemaker that they feel is relevant. Maybe a history of the wine.

10. The Government label That’s the part that says you shouldn’t drive tractor while drunk and pregnant.

Now lets compare the European Wine Label

1. Winery name. Usually will say Chateau de …. if French. Chateau means house in French. In other words, the winery name

2. Alcohol Percentage. Reads the same way as American.

3. Location Heres where things are very different. The US uses the grape name, in Europe they use the location where the grape was grown. Since they usually only plant on or two varieties in each region, you can usually determine what the variety is if you know your regions. We will touch on this at length in the USA vs European wine video

4. Vintage Same as above

5. Cru and Grand Cru

6. Back of Label. If you are looking at an imported bottle in the US, it has to have the same government warnings as US wines. If you are in Europe you will find the government label to be far less specific, even if they have one at all

So next time you’re at the wine shop compare two bottles and see the differences.

If you would like to learn more about wine click here

By:  Mark  Adams

Every time I open a bottle of Champagne, I can’t help but think of the movie “The Christmas Story”.

BTW, if you haven’t seen it, it’s a great movie and I put it in my top 10 of all time funniest movies.

But anyway, in the movie all the young boy and main character “Ralphie” wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun.

But much to his disappointment everyone from his teacher to the mall Santa to his parents constantly tell him that if he gets the BB gun all he will do is “shoot your eye out”.

Well, I guess I’ll give the ending away if you haven’t seen it, but his father gives in and gets him the gun and guess what, the first thing he does is almost shoot is eye out.

OK, sounds harsh, but it’s a comedy and its really funny. OK, how does that relate to Champagne?

Here’s how and remember you can “shoot your eye out”.

We’ve all seen on TV or been at a party where someone opens a bottle of champagne and the cork goes flying through the room. It’s actually kind of funny if it doesn’t hit anyone or break anything.

OK, it’s even funnier if it hits somebody as long as they don’t get hurt. But in reality the cork is a flying projectile that can cause serious damage or even “shoot your eye out”.

But don’t fear, there is a better and much safer way…

Step 1:

Chill the Champagne.

Unlike traditional white wines that are best at about 55 degrees, our friend champagne is actually best at about 45 degrees.

It not only tastes best at 45 degrees, but the colder temperature also keeps the carbon dioxide from expanding as much so there is not as much pressure in the bottle.

Step 2:

Remove the wiring:

Put the bottle on a flat surface. Place your hand firmly over the cork. Keeping you hand on the cork, untwist the metal wiring with your other hand.

Step 3:

Tilt the bottle to 45 degrees.

Keeping your hand over the cork, pick the bottle up and tilt it to 45 degrees. By tilting the bottle the pressure will not be as much.

OK, I’m not a scientist and I can’t tell you why that works, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So that information has to be good…

Step 4:

Twist the bottle:

Still keeping your hand firmly on the cork, use the other hand to twist the bottle (not the cork) until the cork comes out.

If you have been successful, the cork will gently pop out and very little if any champagne will spew out.

Opening a bottle this way is not very dramatic, but you will you be safe and more importantly, you won’t lose any wine!

On the other hand is you really want to be dramatic and see the wine spew all over you or you have aspirations of being in a baseball clubhouse after the world series then by all means, shake the bottle, open it and have at it!

If you would like to learn more tips on wine, click this link or the video below

By:  Mark Adams

Mark is a professional winemaker, former winery owner, an author and frequent speaker on wine.

As a kid who didn’t want to skip the brussel sprouts and go right to dessert? Well, now that you’re an adult, you don’t have to eat them…You can have dessert first!

Strange concept, huh, dessert first? Well it sounds great on paper, but it’s even better in real life. Lets talk first about dessert wines. What are they and when and how should you drink them? Answer…early and often.

These wines are exactly what you think they are, wines that are thick and sweet and replace your traditional food desserts.

Actually you don’t have to replace the traditional desserts, I say why not have both? But if you have a sweet tooth, this type of wines is for you.

Think for a moment of how we eat a meal. Usually we start off with something light like an appetizer, then something heavier as the main meal and then finish with something sweet, like chocolate or cake or ice cream.

In Europe, they do exactly that. On a recent trip to Italy, I noticed they eat an appetizer, an antipasta or pasta before the meal, then the main meal, then salad or a cheese plate and then usually a dessert wine.

We should drink wine the same way. The appetizer wine is actually called an aperitif, then your main wine and of course the wine. Pretty simple when you think about it, huh?

Enough of the soap box stuff, let’s talk turkey. Dessert wines come from grapes that are left on the vine well past the traditional growing season so as much sugar as possible is created in the grape.

Then only the best grapes are picked by hand. These grapes literally go through the ringer. They are pressed multiple times to release all of their flavors and then and only then are they bottled.

Usually you will see this style of wine in half bottles (375ml) because a little goes a long way. The wine is thick, sweet and strong.

Sauternes

These wines have evolved through the years. Early on you had various European varieties that were sweet but the most popular variety was Sauternes from the Sauternes region in southern France.

As we learned earlier, in Europe they use the region to name the wine, not the variety. So you may be ahead of me here and are asking yourself what variety do they use?

Kudos if you were thinking that BTW. Well, my eager wine expert in training, several different types of grapes can be used but the main grape is called Semillon.

Simply use your best attempt at a French accent and you will be able to pronounce this grape…If you can’t pronounce it, don’t worry, nobody else can either.

If you’ve never had this wine, think of the old Alka Seltzer commercial that said. Try it…you’ll like it!

To learn more, click the video image below.