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Penedès wine region

By wineandsparkle on July 19, 2011 in , ,

If you are planning a trip to Catalonia and enjoy wines just as much as I do you may want to consider a visit to Penedès wine region. Located close to Barcelona (less than an hour drive), Penedès is famous for its production of Cava. Penedès covers 95% of the Spanish Cava production, a sparkling wine produced following the traditional method of champagne production.

Strict rules guarantee that Cava production is only of the highest quality, defining the areas where it can be produced and the grapes that can be used (these being Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel.lo).

Penedes wine region

Although Cava production is very important for Penedès wine region, this is not the only wine produced in the region. Grapes such as Grenache, Macabeo, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay are grown in Penedès, along with many others, and used for the production of, both red and white, wines.

Penedès is one of the best known DO (Denominación de orígen) in Spain. Vilafranca del Penedès and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia are the best known cities in this wine region. Some of the wine producers in this region are known internationally they work under names such as Miguel Torres, one of the leading Spanish wine companies, or Jean Leon, along with the Cava companies like Freixenet and Codorniu with wine cellars dating back to the 19th century.

If travelling to Barcelona you wish to visit Penedès, you can easily book a tour in one of the main wine cellars. If you are looking for a visit to a small producer, this is also a good region to make contact with independent wine producers as there are hundreds registered in this wine region, they also produce high quality wines but in smaller quantities.

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How to read a wine label?

By wineandsparkle on June 27, 2011 in

Have you felt awkward trying to figure out if a new wine you are buying would be nice just by reading at its label? Well, most of us do… unless you are a specialist on wines that is… Here go some tips to be able to read and understand a wine label.

All wines must be labelled and includes some information about the wine. Most wines include two labels, the one in front is mostly designed to attract our attention as we walk on the shop… the one placed on the back of the bottle should give us some more information about the wine.

It’s helpful to read labels carefully as they may give you some interesting tips regarding the type of food that pairs well with a certain wine or even acidity and other more technical values.

Also in the label you should be able to see the level of alcohol, type of wine and country of origin. If the wine comes from a denomination of origin, this also will be included in the label, along with the name of the producer, name of the wine and the bottle contents.

I found a very useful graph for reading American labels in eu.dummies.com

US wine label

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What’s a vintage wine?

By wineandsparkle on June 21, 2011 in

When you read in a wine label that certain wine is named vintage, this means that wine is made of grapes that have been harvested in a single year. If that year was especially good for wine production, then we have a good vintage and that adds value to the final product.

Vintage wine cork

Usually a vintage is used only for wine produced in very good years; we have got example Port wine where they declare vintage Port only to the wine produced on specific years. Vintage is a concept that is usually associated to high quality wines but the truth is that a really good wine doesn’t need to be a vintage wine and vice versa.

Although a vintage wine is supposed to be made of grapes harvested in a single year, most countries (including these in the European Union) allow a small amount of grapes grown other years to be added to the wine. In the European Union this percentage is 15%.

Some years are extremely good due to specific climate characteristics and other factors, these vintages acquire a high reputation and the wine bottles will have consequently higher prices.

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Priorat wine region

By wineandsparkle on June 20, 2011 in , ,

Priorat is maybe one of the most prestigious wine regions in Catalonia and Spain. This wine region, labelled under the Denominacion de Origen Calificada, DOC, according to the Spanish law, produces some of the finest red wines of Spain, sometimes found also among the most expensive!

This small wine region is settled in a National park, close to the Mediterranean Sea in the northeast of Spain. The most common grape in Pirorat is a deep red Grenacha grape followed by Cariñera. Nowadays also some international grape types like Syrah, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are grown in Priorat. Traditional wines from Priorat are made of 100% Grenacha grapes or a blend of Grenacha and Cariñera, however more grape types and modern techniques have been introduced in the latest decades to Priorat wine production.

Priorat wine region (image taken from Wikipedia)

Even thought red wines are the best known produced in Priorat, there are also some white wine varieties produced in this region. They are usually high quality white wines, aged on oak barrels   and made exclusively of the following grapes: Grenache Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez and Chenin.

The combination of great techniques for wine production and a unique soil condition, known as Llicorella, give Priorat wines a name among the highest quality wines worldwide. A visit to Priorat worth doing both for the exquisite wine tasting experience on its cellars and for the magnificent landscape and climate of the region.

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Sake, rice wine

By wineandsparkle on June 10, 2011 in

Sake, sometimes known in English as rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage typical from Japan. This drink is made out of rice and has over 50 varieties in the market. Although some call it wine rice, others consider it to be closer to beers as its fermentation process is closer to the later.

The Sake production process is quicker than that of wine; usually it takes only one month for the fermentation to complete. Afterwards, Sake doesn’t benefit from ageing and should be drunk almost immediately after purchase.

sake

A special kind of rice, shuzo kotekimai (sake rice), is used for Sake production; this rice is larger and stronger than others and not appropriate for normal consumption. There are up to 80 different types of sake rice in Japan.

Being half way between wine and beer, Sake production resembles more beer production as it is brewed and alcohol is not naturally present in rice. However, Sake brewing process differs from that of brewing beer. On the other hand, the wide variety of types of Sake depending on the rice type puts this drink closer to wine.

Taste in Sake can vary from sweet to dry and some of the flavours found in a glass of sake can have fruity notes that remind of apples, bananas, or melons. Also some herbs, spices and floral aromas can be tasted. Some Sake even remind of sherry wine, or caramel sauce.

Unlike wine or beer, Sake can be served either chilled, at room temperature or heated depending on the preferences of the drinker and the time of the year. However, it is said that warmed Sake will lose part of the aromas and it’s not recommended with high quality Sake.

Quick facts about Sake:

- Over 1500 breweries produce Sake worldwide.
- Sake is a good pair for Asian food, fish, light flavoured sauces or appetizers.
- Sake, like wine, is closely related to some religious ceremonies.
- An average bottle of Sake contains 13-18% of alcohol.
- Sake is usually served in small cups known as choko and poured there from ceramic flasks, not regular bottles.

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Argentinean wines

By wineandsparkle on June 7, 2011 in , ,

Wine is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Argentina and among wines, reds are the favourites but it’s just a normal conclusion when considering that red meat is one of the countries specialities in gastronomy.

Being the 5th wine producer in the world, Argentinean wines find its roots in Spain. The first vines were cultivated in Argentina during the Spanish colonization. As it happened in many other New World wine producers, Argentina’s wine production was mainly focused in quantity until the end of the twentieth century, then, with a willingness to export their wines, wineries started focusing their efforts on quality rather than quantity.

WineBarrel

So, inthe 1990s Argentinean wines started being exported to other countries and the country is currently among the largest wine exporters in South America. The most important wine regions in Argentine are located in Mendoza (also a very touristic destination and producing up to 60% of total wine production in the country), San Juan and La Rioja, Salta, Catamarca or Río Negro.

As varied as the immigrant groups that arrived to Argentina are the types of grapes grown in the country, French Malbec, Italian Bonarda, Torrontés from Spain, etc. Some of the international popular grapes in Argentina are Syarh, Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.

The main wine regions of Argentina are located in the west with a semi-arid and desert like climate. Mendoza is the main wine producing area in Argentina followed by San Juan. La Rioja region was one of the first were wine was produced in Aregntina by the Sapnish missionaries, known nowadays for the aromatic Moscatel they produce. Other regions are found in the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta, Cafayate region and some wine regions located in Patagionia, where the sparkling wine industry has developed.

Pedro Giménez grape is the most popular in Argentina, mainly grown in Mendoza and San Juan region. This grape is similar, but not the same, as Pedro Ximénez grapes planted in Spain.  Torrontés Riojano is the second most planted grape in Argentina followed by Muscat of Alexandria, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc among others.

Although there are over 1,500 wineries in Argentina, two main companies produce up to 40% of the wine alone, these are Bodegas Esmeralda and Peñaflor.

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Classic Sangria recipe

By wineandsparkle on June 4, 2011 in

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
1.5 cups rum
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (750 millilitre) bottle dry red wine
1 (250 millilitre) cup orange juice

1- Slice the fruit, lemon, lime and orange and put all in a glass jar. Add the sugar and the rum into the fruit and chill in the refrigerator at least for two hours. Some say that it should stay at least a day to macerate and develop the flavours.

2- Just before serving add the orange juice and the red wine (choose a young red wine for Sangria making) and stir. Taste the Sagria and add more sugar if needed.

3- Add some ice cubes and enjoy the refreshing Spanish punch on a hot summer day!

If you prefer it other fruits can also be used to prepare Sangria, this is just the classic recipe but other variations may use pineapple, apple or honey instead of sugar.

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Dessert wines

By wineandsparkle on May 20, 2011 in

There are certain wines that are especially made to be enjoyed during dessert. What are their main characteristics? Basically they are think, full flavoured, sweet wines that complement perfectly a sweet temptation.

dessert

Dessert wines tend to be also richer than other wines and have more residual sugars. They should be served chilled and in small portions.

The aroma of a dessert wine will remind of fruits such as peach and dried fruits like almond, and with some oak or herbs background. This is why it is said they match perfectly with peach and some pastries and dried fruits.

Examples of wines that work well with desserts are fortified wines such as Port or Sherry, Madeira, Cream Sherry or Marsala.

Port wine Messias

A common characteristic of most dessert wines is their higher level of alcohol and sugar compared to other wines. Sugars and alcohol can be added during the process of wine making but there are certain grape types more indicated for dessert wines for their levels of sugar such as Muscat, Ortega and Huxelrebe.

As a general rule when serving dessert wines, it is said that a dessert wine should always be sweeter that the food it accompanies. Remember so serve dessert wines slightly chilled but not too cold.

Dessert wines are best enjoyed with fruit, dried fruit or bakery sweets, and if drank alone they can be the best way to end a delicious meal.

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Etsy inspiration on wine

By wineandsparkle on May 19, 2011 in

I found this image online today and I couldn’t help it… it’s just so true! The quote and the design they are both gorgeous… it can be purchased at Etsy.

life_too_shortHave a lovely day! xx

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Australian Wines

By wineandsparkle on May 18, 2011 in ,

Australia, one of the New World’s wine producers is now the fourth largest wine exporter worldwide. This success is due to the growing quality of their wines during the last years.

Most Australian wines are often characterised by a fruity flavour that makes them very suitable for new wine drinkers. Traditionally, white wines were best sold in Australia, having 80% of the market share on 1986.

Towards the end of the 20th century Ausrtalian wine production opened its market to the production of high quality red wines making a change in local attitude towards reds. Nowadays, white wines have 60% of the market while the other 40% has been taken by an increasing production of red wines.

Australia

Grape varieties grown in Australia include Shyraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir in reds and Chardonnay, Sémillon, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc in whites.

Australia has over 50 wine regions although most of the wine production in the country is found in South Australia region. The most famous regions of the country are Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra and Padhaway.

When visiting Australia it’s worth to take a tour and visit some vineyards. If you are staying in Sidney visit the Hunter Valley, less than half a day’s drive, for a magnificent wine tasting experience in an unforgettable setting. From Adelaide you can visit Barossa Valley. There are even some vineyards in the island of Tasmania!

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