Wine is Healthy!

Red vs White Wine Facts

• When consumed in moderation alcohol reduces bad cholesterol and increases the level of HDL (good) cholesterol.


• Alcohol assists in preventing blood clots.


• Wine contains antioxidants (the same as tea does) which inhibit the absorption of bad cholesterol and reduce damage by free radicals in the body which can cause degenerative diseases with red wine having a higher level than white on average.


• Those found in white wine (according to a 1995 study) showed the antioxidants found in white wine to be far healthier.


• An American study has found that drinking red wine can reduce free radicals by 15% and blood clotting by 10% whereas white wine drinkers had free radicals reduced by over double that of red wine at 34% and blood clotting ability by 20%.

...So if white wine is healthier than red, why is it that most of us have the belief that red is the healthiest of the two options...? Something to think about...

Wine Fact: Aromas and Flavours

Did you know...?
All wine enthusiasts will tell you that it is the aroma of the wine which is more important than the flavour.

Why?
Our tongues are only able to recognize 4 flavours, but our noses are able to recognize many thousands of different scents, so before necking the glass straight down, take a moment to breathe in the aromas of your wine and see which scents and therefore flavours are there.

What flavours can I expect?
With a white wine, flavours are often described as being citrus (and according citrus fruits), floral or aromatic whereas a red is complimented for its berries, earthy or woody flavours.

How should I describe a wine?
Describing wine can be done using fairly standard descriptions which we now see used for wines across the world, or by reflecting your own experiences in that of the wine's body and flavour. Wine may be a liquid which we all enjoy drinking but to describe wine well you need to be visual so that person hearing the description can relate that to their own description.
It is easy to say that a white wine is dry and fruity with a crisp finish, but if you are able to add to your description reflecting the hint of grapefruit and the buttery flavour as you swirl the golden liquid around your mouth, then you will automatically gain credibility in the eyes of those you have been speaking to or drinking with.

Final comment
Next time you have a glass of wine in your hand, take a moment to appreciate it. Wine has been produced and enjoyed for thousands of years to become the refined flavour that you are about to enjoy.
Cheers!

Choosing Champagne Glasses

Back in days of old, wine was drunk from goblets - wooden, metal, golden, whatever.
Nowadays as our vocabulary tells us, a GLASS of wine is the vessel of choice.

There are many wine glass options available, long stemmed, short necked, wide rimmed and not. So how do you choose the right glass? Does it really depend on the wine?

Wine is about enjoying the grape and its contrast in the flavour of the food it is accompanying. There are various reasons behind wine glass shapes and why they have been designed in that way, but ultimately if you are going to enjoy grape juice, then you need a glass which you like and which is comfortable to hold. If you don't like your wine glass, then you are not going to enjoy the wine as much as you would if you were more at home with your glass.

Champagne / Cava

Sparkling wines are served up in smaller sized glasses. The long stems are for holding the glass by so as to allow the wine to stay cool for longer. The smaller glass drinking is so that your bubbly does not lose its sparkle or chill. The bottle can stay chilled and so you can top up your glass, allowing your drink to remain in a perfectly chilled, sparkling condition until the wine gets drunk. The top of the glass is narrow allowing the gas to remain in the drink and those bubbles to go straight to your head, rather than up into the sky.

Some would suggest that a long straw in the bottle is an equally appropriate way to keep the bubbles from escaping and that the bottle will stay perfectly chilled if it is drunk directly from the ice bucket, but it's just not as practical an option as having a champagne glass!

Plastic flutes are an option for parties as they don't break easily and are lightweight, but they don't allow for full appreciation of the delicate aroma, flavour or bubbles. For a wedding celebration, crystal is a wonderful choice, as the extra clear material adds more sparkle to your golden glass in comparison to using the same glass made from glass.

Other points to note about champagne glasses are:
The long stem keeps odours away from the glass. If you store the glasses with the rim downwards, smells can be absorbed into the material and subsequently affect the flavour of your champers. By storing the glasses upright so that dirt does not enter their storage container, this risk is reduced.

Washing detergents can also effect how a champagne bubbles as small amounts of detergent will remain on the actual glass unless rinsed out thoroughly with water afterwards. If you invest in more expensive champagne glasses or you find a unique set, washing them by hand is always the best option to ensure that there is less chance of breakage and losing glasses from your set.

Different types of champagne may also affect your choice of glass style. Vintage champagnes tend to have more of an aroma and so require a glass with a slightly wider base to allow that aroma to be enjoyed as you drink. Bubblier champagnes or rather ones which have more active bubbles respond well to a narrower well which allow the bubbles more action.
For those who don't like the bubbles, a coupe glass is the best choice, a wide bowl top on a shorter stem, but if you're looking to impress, they are not an especially elegant looking option.

According to historic sources, sparkling wine has been enjoyed in both England and France since the mid 1600's. The bubbles in the French champagne were originally considered to be a fault during the fermentation. Little did they know at that time it would be the bubbles that are what make the wine so special.

Saturday night vino in Madrid

Despite washing it all down with a raspberry daiqiri and a large rum n coke, white wine seems to be increasing in my list of favourite drinks again.
Unlike other drinks it is mixing well on a night out, such as yesterday, and proving to be a nice mellow start to the evening. The biggest bonus is the lack of hangover today, meaning that I can be super efficient - well as much as I ever am.
Last Sunday night, which was purely dedicated to wine testing and barhopping was an exception to this, so my enthusiasm for testing different drops has not curbed, but more in fact made me realize that professional wine testers stick to a few flavours and don't drink it all down for a reason!

For those that missed my first entry in the now-ditched blog, I'm writing about my personal experiences with a bottle or two. I'm (hopefully) not favouring any one colour over any other - no racism in my wine drinking towards the colour of the grape juice!

All comments about different grapes, flavours and bottles of the world are very welcome. Personally, I expect to be focusing more on the Spanish varieties as living in Spain means that I get little access to trying out new flavours from around the world nowadays.

Favourite drops over the years would definitely include an Australian unwooded Chardonnay as my favourite white, a red Burgundy from France and the top rosé option has gone from the girls cheap drinking choice of an Italian Lambrusco to the Spanish Peñascal, probably from where my palate has gone from medium through to drier flavours.

I'm no expert in wine drinking. I used to be far better at the activity than I am nowadays, but living in one of the top wine producing countries in the world, means that I am perfectly placed to share my appreciation of the Spanish grapes with the world.