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Sweet Wines for Valentines
SWEET WINES FOR VALENTINES better than chocolates, more clever
than roses
Have you been around the Valentines block and back again bearing
the same, tired box of chocolates and dozen red roses?
Guys, have you bought so many little trinkets and baubles and
dinners out that they just don't mean anything anymore?
Ladies, have you given him every conceivable romantic version of
golf stuff, cute boxers, silk ties, and yourself all dolled up?
It's past time to do something different; something special that
you will both enjoy now and in the future, and that can be
loaded with so much more meaning. Something unique that tells
them you care, and that you took the time to think of something
different this year.
This Valentines, give a bottle of great sweet wine.
Not sweet wine like wine that is sweetish and cloying and kind
of awful. Not, say, a bottle of Blue Nun (not that there's
anything wrong with that). But a bottle of world-class dessert
wine, the finest of which are as rare as a yellow diamond and
can age for decades.
Don't know a thing about dessert wines? Don't panic. You
probably know more than you think, and even if you don't, you're
about to find out and it's going to be painless.
Most wine producing countries produce some version of dessert
wine, and each can be as different as the culture they come
from. Perhaps you have heard of the great Sauternes wines from
France? Port from Portugal? Tokaji from Hungary? Ice Wine from
Austria? These are but a few examples.
In general, dessert wines are created by using grapes that have
been left to hang on the vines until very late in the season
(which is why you will also see them called "late harvest
wines"). Depending upon the climate, these grapes are then
either harvested and laid out to air dry on straw or reed mats,
or they have been affected by the noble fungus "botrytis
cinerea" (aka "noble rot"), or they freeze and are harvested
while still frozen to create Ice Wine.
Straw or reed wines are usually made from grapes that are
healthy when harvested, and are then laid out to air dry on the
mats for at least three months. In Italy, these wines are called
Vin Santo. In Austria, they are called Strohwein or Schilfwein.
Because the grapes are healthy at harvest (that is, not affected
by the noble rot) they are a bit like an Ice Wine in their taste.
Wines made from grapes that have been affected by noble rot are
quite rare because it takes a very special set of climatic
conditions to produce them. It must be a warm summer, a mild
autumn, and there must be moisture in the form of mists or fog
that rolls over the vineyards from a nearby lake or river. For
the noble wines from France (Sauternes) and Germany, these
conditions do not occur every year. In Austria, there is an area
called the Burgenland region around the Neusiedler Lake that
creates nobly rotted grapes every year. These wines require
several pickings at harvest time, and in Germany and Austria
these different harvests produce wines that are different levels
of sweetness, the lesser being called Beerenauslese, and the
sweeter being called Trockenbeerenauslese. In Austria and
Hungary, there is then an even sweeter wine called Ausbruch,
which is so labor intensive and rare that a half bottle can cost
thousands of dollars. However, there are many Ausbruch wines
from the town of Rust (called Ruster Ausbruch) that are ranked
as among the best in the world and can be bought for between $30
and upwards for a half-bottle. Two producers of these Ruster
Ausbruch wines to look for are Wenzel and Feiler-Artinger. Great
producers of other noble sweet wines include Chateau d'Yquem and
Chateau Climens (both from France) and Kracher, Velich, and
Heiss (from Austria).
True Ice Wines are made when the grapes freeze on the vine, and
are harvested while still frozen. Some producers in countries
with less strict wine laws create "Ice Wines" by tossing the
grapes into a commercial freezer, but these are not seriously
considered to be world class. The best true Ice Wines come from
Germany, Austria (where they are called Eiswein) and Canada. A
particularly great Eiswein for Valentines day would be one made
from the Traminer grape, as it is known for having aromas of
roses and rosewood. A fine example would be the Heiss Eiswein
Traminer 2001, which is truly like having a bouquet of roses in
your wineglass.
The final thing that makes giving a great bottle of dessert wine
for Valentines a meaningful gift is the way that it speaks to
your future together. The best of these wines can be put away to
cellar for 10, 20, even 50 years. How wonderful to give your
beloved a half-case of six of these wines, one to enjoy right
away and the rest to open, say, one every ten years? What other
gift can keep on creating beautiful moments like this can? What
other gift says I love you and I will be there for you as we
travel through this life together? Not a bunch of flowers, which
may last a week if you're lucky. Not a piece of clothing or
anything of that ilk. And not a piece of jewelry, which may
last, but isn't something you keep enjoying together as time
goes by. This is the year to do something different. This is the
year of sweet wines for Valentines.
About the author:
Emily Schindler is a fine wine importer based in Los Angeles.
You can find more of her wine writing, as well as world-class
dessert wines, at http://www.winemonger.com
re
These differences where all of the California wine regions make the tours all fun and exciting. You will be able to enjoy glorious tasting wines in their own natural habitat. You will be able to tour the California wineries in person and you will have a ball.
It is easy to visit California wine country for yourself. There are tons of different places that you can stay at while you are checking out California wine. You can stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts or if you like things a little less personal there are also many hotels to stay at.
Purchasing California wine is even easier. You can buy California wine in almost any liquor store or cold beer and wine store. Most of this type of California wine will be the kind that you just buy and drink. If you are looking for California wine that you will be able to store and age for awhile yourself you should talk to a local wine merchant in your area. These wine merchants should be able to tell you everything that you need to know about California wine and get you some of the finest for your own collection.
For more information...
red wine
re
Labels: dsfg
Sweet Wines for Valentines
SWEET WINES FOR VALENTINES better than chocolates, more clever
than roses
Have you been around the Valentines block and back again bearing
the same, tired box of chocolates and dozen red roses?
Guys, have you bought so many little trinkets and baubles and
dinners out that they just don't mean anything anymore?
Ladies, have you given him every conceivable romantic version of
golf stuff, cute boxers, silk ties, and yourself all dolled up?
It's past time to do something different; something special that
you will both enjoy now and in the future, and that can be
loaded with so much more meaning. Something unique that tells
them you care, and that you took the time to think of something
different this year.
This Valentines, give a bottle of great sweet wine.
Not sweet wine like wine that is sweetish and cloying and kind
of awful. Not, say, a bottle of Blue Nun (not that there's
anything wrong with that). But a bottle of world-class dessert
wine, the finest of which are as rare as a yellow diamond and
can age for decades.
Don't know a thing about dessert wines? Don't panic. You
probably know more than you think, and even if you don't, you're
about to find out and it's going to be painless.
Most wine producing countries produce some version of dessert
wine, and each can be as different as the culture they come
from. Perhaps you have heard of the great Sauternes wines from
France? Port from Portugal? Tokaji from Hungary? Ice Wine from
Austria? These are but a few examples.
In general, dessert wines are created by using grapes that have
been left to hang on the vines until very late in the season
(which is why you will also see them called "late harvest
wines"). Depending upon the climate, these grapes are then
either harvested and laid out to air dry on straw or reed mats,
or they have been affected by the noble fungus "botrytis
cinerea" (aka "noble rot"), or they freeze and are harvested
while still frozen to create Ice Wine.
Straw or reed wines are usually made from grapes that are
healthy when harvested, and are then laid out to air dry on the
mats for at least three months. In Italy, these wines are called
Vin Santo. In Austria, they are called Strohwein or Schilfwein.
Because the grapes are healthy at harvest (that is, not affected
by the noble rot) they are a bit like an Ice Wine in their taste.
Wines made from grapes that have been affected by noble rot are
quite rare because it takes a very special set of climatic
conditions to produce them. It must be a warm summer, a mild
autumn, and there must be moisture in the form of mists or fog
that rolls over the vineyards from a nearby lake or river. For
the noble wines from France (Sauternes) and Germany, these
conditions do not occur every year. In Austria, there is an area
called the Burgenland region around the Neusiedler Lake that
creates nobly rotted grapes every year. These wines require
several pickings at harvest time, and in Germany and Austria
these different harvests produce wines that are different levels
of sweetness, the lesser being called Beerenauslese, and the
sweeter being called Trockenbeerenauslese. In Austria and
Hungary, there is then an even sweeter wine called Ausbruch,
which is so labor intensive and rare that a half bottle can cost
thousands of dollars. However, there are many Ausbruch wines
from the town of Rust (called Ruster Ausbruch) that are ranked
as among the best in the world and can be bought for between $30
and upwards for a half-bottle. Two producers of these Ruster
Ausbruch wines to look for are Wenzel and Feiler-Artinger. Great
producers of other noble sweet wines include Chateau d'Yquem and
Chateau Climens (both from France) and Kracher, Velich, and
Heiss (from Austria).
True Ice Wines are made when the grapes freeze on the vine, and
are harvested while still frozen. Some producers in countries
with less strict wine laws create "Ice Wines" by tossing the
grapes into a commercial freezer, but these are not seriously
considered to be world class. The best true Ice Wines come from
Germany, Austria (where they are called Eiswein) and Canada. A
particularly great Eiswein for Valentines day would be one made
from the Traminer grape, as it is known for having aromas of
roses and rosewood. A fine example would be the Heiss Eiswein
Traminer 2001, which is truly like having a bouquet of roses in
your wineglass.
The final thing that makes giving a great bottle of dessert wine
for Valentines a meaningful gift is the way that it speaks to
your future together. The best of these wines can be put away to
cellar for 10, 20, even 50 years. How wonderful to give your
beloved a half-case of six of these wines, one to enjoy right
away and the rest to open, say, one every ten years? What other
gift can keep on creating beautiful moments like this can? What
other gift says I love you and I will be there for you as we
travel through this life together? Not a bunch of flowers, which
may last a week if you're lucky. Not a piece of clothing or
anything of that ilk. And not a piece of jewelry, which may
last, but isn't something you keep enjoying together as time
goes by. This is the year to do something different. This is the
year of sweet wines for Valentines.
About the author:
Emily Schindler is a fine wine importer based in Los Angeles.
You can find more of her wine writing, as well as world-class
dessert wines, at http://www.winemonger.com
re
These differences where all of the California wine regions make the tours all fun and exciting. You will be able to enjoy glorious tasting wines in their own natural habitat. You will be able to tour the California wineries in person and you will have a ball.
It is easy to visit California wine country for yourself. There are tons of different places that you can stay at while you are checking out California wine. You can stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts or if you like things a little less personal there are also many hotels to stay at.
Purchasing California wine is even easier. You can buy California wine in almost any liquor store or cold beer and wine store. Most of this type of California wine will be the kind that you just buy and drink. If you are looking for California wine that you will be able to store and age for awhile yourself you should talk to a local wine merchant in your area. These wine merchants should be able to tell you everything that you need to know about California wine and get you some of the finest for your own collection.
For more information...
red wine
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The Wine Bible
The Wine Bible is like a lively course from an expert teacher, grounded deeply in the fundamentals and enriched with passionate opinions, asides, tips, anecdotes, definitions, glossaries, illustrations, maps, charts, and wine labels-everything, in fact, but the actual wine itself. Beginning with the basics of mastering wine-how to taste with focus and build a wine-tasting memory, understanding the subtle interplay of variety, vineyard, and vintner to demystifying the issue of vintages-it ...
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Labels: dsfg
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