French wine champagne bordeaux burgundy

Wine and glass

2009-03-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

The wine, according to his character needed a drink that meets their specifications.

The white wine from chardonnay require a glass with a rounded, large, and closing in order to keep the flavor.

Red wine from the pinot noir grape, wait for a glass round again, so that it can deliver more of its natural fruitiness.

In contrast, red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon lenses require higher and more tapered, to allow the wine to make it more approachable and can help to reveal a little more. Cabernet seemed at first very intimidated.

Each wine has its own personality, the extent of various forms of glass tends to widen.
The role of glass:

The glass, in addition to its aesthetic appeal is important, and this for several reasons. First, it allows the wine to reveal its finery.

Aromas speak more freely in large glasses and extensive than in small glasses, but narrow. La taille du verre, et son ouverture sont des éléments déterminants pour le vin. The size of the glass and openness are essential for the wine. Size is more important, better oxygenation. And, everyone knows the importance of ventilation to allow the fragrance to reveal himself.

The shape of glass, and its size determine the evolution and the reaction of wine at the tasting.

Some exemple:

Consider a white wine very dry, brittle, and Fluet. In a small glass, his nose will be discreet, little expression, but keep it lively in the mouth.

In a large glass, scents will be singing, evocative, and persistent. But after a few minutes of aeration, in such a glass, it may collapse, and losing what little he had consistency, fault oxygenation too brutal.

The example of a very old wine in Burgundy is speaking. A generic Bourgogne 1985, obviously very fragile, very mature, could be pushed into a glass tube too. The pinot noir is not a vine that supports easy oxidation.

In sum, the very large glasses can easily enable fine wines, with a solid backbone to reveal at best. The carafage is so little use, as long as the bottles were opened a little in advance to compensate for this act of ventilation. Especially since the big glasses allow a good oxygenation.

Large lenses are therefore oxygenation office, a wine carafe is to propose a double aeration, which could be harmful to the more fragile wines.

Some form of glass:

The Burgundy glass, rounded shape, it concentrates the flavors by allowing a relatively small ventilation due to a narrower open.The intense flavors and nature-friendly pinot noir performed very well in this form of glass.
The Bordeaux glass, more tapered, with a more open, allowing the wine to enjoy a beautiful oxygenation. Bordeaux are longer to open, acting as lords capricious. Sometimes rough tannins need time oxygenation in order to make them more comfortable.
Champagne glass, tapered to mirer the fireplace (the ascent of bubbles), it must not be overly sharpened, narrow, because we must not forget that the Champagne is primarily a wine.

Burgundy glass

However, I do not recommend cutting, very open, which batons Champagne in less time than it takes to say. Here is a perfect, tight at the base, expanding and having a slightly curved . The bubbles can be mirer and flavors flourish.

Champagne glass

Here INAO glass, glass absolute, the most universal, recognized by the famous Institut National des Appellations d'Origine, is everything. Il réunit tous les paramètres pour une dégustation de vins. It meets all the parameters for a wine tasting.

INAO glass

Conclusion:

Choosing glasses is not something anodine.La form, the opening of the glass, are determining factors in selecting your hardware. And your most venerable bottles will thank you. And I do not mean your guests, who will be surprised by so much knowledge on your part. Because drink a good wine in remarkable glasses, the discovery of a great wine, is a moment of pure delight.

Taste of cork

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Taste of cork:

Taste before serving to identify any deficiencies prohibitive - and then change the bottle or glass.
A frequent cause of referral of the wine is what we call here "flavors: an odor (rotten wood, de renfermé, dust), and taste like wet cardboard (even if the wine can be of First fruity and creamy). To identify the flavors, do not shake the glass. Even if you do not feel the cap, it alters the taste of wine.

This anomaly is not always detectable at the opening, but by the minute it masks a growing taste for wine. Therefore the restaurant I refer a bottle at the first suspicion.

If you have a doubt in you, take another glass. Rinse with clean water to remove any dust or detergent. Do not dry and Regout before placing the bottle aside.

Some people detect the flavors more than others. A survey of twenty tasters know that I gave about 4% of bottles are abnormal taste which should lead to open another bottle, and the greatest wines are no more reliable than others.

How to avoid wines "bouchonné"

Who are the leaders of flavors? In some cases, the flavors is due to the cap, while in others it comes from a tainted atmosphere contaminated the wine before its closure (chloroanisoles, TCA).

The wine may reduce the proportion of wine holder:

By purchasing caps and better separating the rooms where the wines of those storage materials.

For wine to drink in the year we can change the type of cap to synthetic closures or caps, screw or crown. (Many experiments are successful over two years).

Screw caps specially designed to allow the wine a good wine aging. Major producers are closing their bottles with such caps (but not for the French market).

Increasingly good wines are available in "Bag-in-Box" (also called "cubitainers). It is a pocket protected by a sealed carton. The advantages include: the absence of flavors and the maintenance of taste several weeks after opening (against a few hours for a bottle).

Therefore, the wine industry has a responsibility. If you want to meet under the "flavors, you can:

Buy other cuvées Avoid bottle corks think if you open them in the years following the first sale.

Please inform the winegrower that you buy more wine if it was less damaged.

Explain the problem and alternatives to your friends to share information.

lead in advance

2009-03-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Should lead in advance?

The answer is yes. Open a bottle in advance is used to escape unwanted odors (sulfur, volatile acidity). This is primarily used to oxygenate the wine aeration relaxes as a red-white (except the red with lots of new and oak tannins, as the Californian cabernets).

Simply lead is not used much since the surface aeration is tiny: the size of the neck. For the wine against a little fresh air if you pour a glass first.

Do not decant an old wine:

We should not necessarily leave an old aerated wine, decant it may lose its bouquet. After ten years, a wine continues to lose the structure. It should be handled with caution. Choose a quiet time to enjoy it: certainly not the end of a feast.

Finally a wine whose structure is faded so fragile that it may not support anything other than the direct payment of the bottle in a small glass. The day before, take the bottle gently in a cupboard in the kitchen or living room, let the vertical. Lead early in the twenty minutes before serving.

Carafe?

Many wines have a passage in a decanter.
Lead before arrival of tasters and pour yourself a glass bottom to decide on the action. This sampling also allows you to check if the wine is too old or stubbed.
If the dress is advanced (orange flare) and the small nose, the wine is too old: not a carafe. If the dress is sustained, low odor, the wine is young. It may be worth in the past carafe.

To do this, you attach a carafe, a large pitcher or a jug of water. Rinse well.
The temperature of the wine must be the conservation to avoid unwanted chemical reaction.
Do carafe into a glass and then taste it.

If the taste has improved, the wine requires oxygen, pay what you intend to drink.
The less you leave to rest, plus the aromas are preserved, for against, if you shake the decanter or transfer the wine several times, he eased accordingly.

Carafe makes it difficult to maintain the wine at the proper temperature. This is one reason why we must prepare well to the temperature of the wine.

Serving temperature

2009-03-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Serving temperature:

At what temperature to serve a bottle? Only a very large red can be enjoyed at the temperature of an apartment. In fact any wine loses its quality by heating over 20 ° C.Better serve slightly cold (slightly too hot) as the wine warms in the glass.

Serve the red light (fruits, vegetables) to 12 ° C, the glasses ar warming rapidly.In summer, serve chilled implies a passage through the refrigerator.

Reds tannins (eg Aquitaine or Italian Piedmont) love the area of 18 ° C, so the summer I do not go out (of the cave or a short stay in the fridge) before consumption.

Similarly, some white thrive at higher temperatures than others. I think of Burgundy, the Loire chenin grape alsace and large, I treat them like the red light. By against - like everyone else - I use the white light: cold but not frozen.

Cool down Wine:

So how quickly cool a bottle of wine? Put the bottle in a bucket of water with lots of ice. Water is rapidly melting the ice and the bottle is surrounded by ice water. Soon the wine is cold, and some labels stand out ...

A more dangerous and for the label and the wine would be to surround the bottle with a cloth soaked and put it in the freezer. Water freezes quickly and rapidly transfers the cold (because it is in contact with the bottle).

Feel free to refresh your memory before you open a bottle: This page will remain available on the site.

Aroma and taste of wine

2009-03-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Aroma and taste of wine :

I do not go by the chemistry of wine. We only talk perceptions essential taste: fruity, creamy, fresh, tannic.

The wine is the grape variety (cepage)
The grape variety is the vine and grapes. The wine is fermented grape mainly. If the taste of wine is varied to infinity, it is first that there are many varieties, grown in a myriad of situations and climates.

Aromas:

The aromas are the smells. It collects in the upper nose. They can climb glass or mouth (by retro-olfaction). They are therefore perceived before, during and after the presence of wine in the mouth.

The red wines are first and foremost aromas of red fruits. The white wines have aromas of fruit and vegetables. In winemaking, livestock in oak barrels adds hints of caramel or vanilla.

Smoothness and alcohol :

The red wine gives a feeling of creaminess in the mouth which is due to the presence of alcohol, sugar (natural or added), glycerol. This impression of fat or soft may be low and depends on the fermentation (is that all sugars have been converted?) And quality of wine (we prefer the smoothness).

Specifically substances sweet wine eventually either unfermented sugars, or body having one or more alcohol functions. Among these predominate (density) ethyl alcohol and glycerol.
Alcohol may also provide a feeling of fullness (in red) or width (in white).
When you drink wine, the back of the mouth feels a burning due to alcohol.

This fire has little to do with alcohol content of wine. It is not a sign of quality, rather it shows an imbalance of wine too many returns, too many chaptalization (addition of sucrose during the fermentation), and so on. That the burn can be overlooked is a sign of quality: they say that alcohol is integrated.

The oiliness and burning sensation have more to do with quality wine as the production region or grape variety. The opposite is true for the freshness and tannins.

Freshness :

A wine is more refreshing than it collects its acidity. This is not the title chemical acidity of wine but a sensation on the tongue.
In addition, a wine will be even less pleasant meals that offer low acidity (beware of Australian wines at the table). I book a round for wine as an aperitif.

From the viewpoint of freshness, we can describe the wine: nervous, lively, fresh, firm, frank, soft or round, soft or heavy. For a red wine research on classical balance franc.

Tannins :

It is said that a wine is tannic when he procures a sensation of roughness or drying on the tongue or palate. This is a similar perception that when you drink tea that has been brewed too long.Tannins induce the sensation in the mouth and bitterness.
Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds. Thanks to their ability to capture free radicals, some polyphenols are known for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It is found that the tannins in the grape skin of a young wine.

During the aging of wine polyphenols are recomposed, which explains the decrease in bitterness and the feeling of drying.
The winemaker can transmit tannins to the wine in several ways.

By the material means seeds, the skin of grapes and the stalk (ie the party that holds the wooded bays of grapes to the vine).
By breeding in oak barrels.
By contact with oak chips.
By the addition of tannins in the form of powder or tanning extracts (but not prohibited in France).

Keep your wine

2009-03-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Apogee and ability to care:

The climax of a wine and its ability to guard the two concepts are related, but not to be confused.
Both depend on:

The color of wine

The way in which it was prepared

Its formation (acidity, degree, anthocyanins, tannins),

The year (weather conditions)

And conditions of storage, only the latter are under the control of the amateur.

The two concepts are related because the more a wine can age, it requires more time to reach its peak.

Many people are disappointed when they drink young wine great care: flavors are poorly developed, and its hard tannins hit the palate.

These people are missing one basic fact: the wines of care and time to do we tell them that we must wait.

Many people tend to drink wine at the end of its theoretical capacity of aging, and disappointments are just as frequent.

The reason is simple: after reaching its peak, the wine begins to decline. A wine of great care is slowly declining, but he declined ...

Try to drink the wine as close as possible to its peak: delicate exercise, since the peak varies significantly from one wine to another in the same vintage, and wine of the same area saw its peak vary significantly from one year to another.

The climax of a wine can only be seen, and it was already too late. The best we can do is to taste the wine from time to time ...

Note however that the great wines of custody are fairly tolerant: their evolution is slow, it is easier to drink near their peak. On the other hand, these wines are followed closely, and we know quite well their behavior.

Also, for wines such as custody of the Great Castles of Bordeaux and the best Australian, we indicate in brackets the age range [minimum, maximum] in which they reach their peak, depending on the year. This will be done in the chapters dealing with these wines. In this chapter, we indicate the approximate average age at which each style of wine reached its apogee.

Storage Conditions:

The conditions necessary for the proper conservation of the wine are in order of importance:

Room temperature, which must be between 10 and 16 ° C. Que la température soit basse ou élevée dans cette fourchette n'a pas grande importance, encore que la température idéale soit 12°C. The temperature is low or high in this range is not important, although the ideal temperature is 12°C.What is important is to avoid temperature variations: not seasonally slow, but the daily changes. Better cave warm (but not exceeding 17 ° C) but the temperature is stable, that a cellar which went from 12 ° C at night to 16 ° C during the day, in a cellar, the wine gets tired quickly.

The humidity of the premises at least 70% below 60%, the caps and let dry air.

The lighting of the local wines (even more whites than the reds) are afraid of light. It acts as a catalyst for certain chemical reactions that break down dyes. Very actinic lights such as neon are the most harmful.The stained glass of the bottle ensures better conservation.
The lack of vibration in this regard, note that noise is a source of vibration.
The lack of odor (oil, fruits, etc.).. Odors are able to infiltrate through the cap ... The above conditions relate to the premises.

Regarding the bottle, they should obviously be lying in order to ensure cap moisture it needs to fulfill its role. NB: unlike the bottles of alcohol should remain standing, cat alcohol attacks the cork.

The cap:

For us in our cellar, the appearance of a bad taste is not always the fault of the cap: it absorbs odors, we must take care not to store wine or oil near the close of materials which ferment or decompose.

Also not to be repeated often enough, the cap can not properly play its role in heat and humidity conditions correct a temperature almost constant and at least 70% humidity.

Below 60%, the cap becomes dehydrated and loses its flexibility, increases the risk of having bottles couleuses serious defect which causes the rapid deterioration of the wine.

Notice to those who buy wine at the birth of their children to drink their marriage under ideal conditions of storage, the best little plugs only last about twenty years.

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, it is better to replace them every 15 years, capped by the same quality.

Bottling:

If you need to put wine in bottles, it can not reasonably be that of ordinary wine. However, do not forget the following basic precautions.

Choose a time and dry. March and September months are generally favorable.

Do not skimp on quality corks. You soak a dozen hours in fresh water added to wine in the bottle.
The wine should not fall to the bottom of the bottle, but sank against the wall.

Do not pull too quickly, too quick a draw wine saturates the air and fatigue. Leave as little air as possible in the bottle.

The wine must then rest for 2 to 3 months because it is his "bottle sickness".

Ability to care:

In general:

Primeur wines are not suitable beyond the spring.

There is little incentive to keep a table wine over a year because it did not improve with age; obvious exceptions: the "Super Tuscans" and other wine of high quality with no have no right to an appellation of origin (or who do not wish to be called at which they are entitled).

Beaujolais, the current white wines and rosé wines, most in their early youth, declines rapidly beyond 18 months.

Dry White, Small red: 3 years.

Ordinary white Burgundy: up to 3 or 4 years.

Good dry white wines of Bordeaux: Up to 4 or 5 years.

Burgundy red: 5 to 8 years (more for large raw).

Grand cru white Burgundy and Bordeaux, and Loire Chenin best: up to 10 years.

Great red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy: 15 to 25 years or more to the biggest in the best vintages.

Soft white, semillon, late harvest, straw wine, red wines: a frequently several decades. Of course, these are only general rules, and everyone can verify, on occasion, that the exceptions are numerous in the sense of a prolonged custody, so it should not apply when the we do not know the actual capacity of aging a wine, especially when you're in the presence of a poor vintage wine.

Or, when the storage conditions are not entirely satisfactory.
Always keeping in mind the previous comment, here is now a wine classification based on the average age of their peak.

Wines to drink in the year :

Beaujolais nouveau, and more generally all the wines first.

The pink.

White light and dry, more wine is light, the sooner it should be drinking.

And of course the sparkling light, whatever color.

White to drink before 3 years:

Muscadet,we know some Muscadet-able in exceptional vintages to age-15 to 20 years, but they are exceptions. The existence of exceptions does not invalidate the rule, and this can be done at about any wine, we do not repeat ...
Sauvignon (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé)
Most dry Alsace.
Burgundy appellations generic.
Champagne brut without years.
Dry White Graves .
New World Chardonnay.

Red drink before 3 years:

Corbières and Minervois
Touraine of generic names
Cotes-du-Rhone Villages
Beaujolais
The red light south-west
Almost all non-red Italian Riserva
Almost all red Spanish Rioja including because they are sold ready to drink.
Many Cabernet Sauvignon of the New World.

White to drink between 3 and 5 years:

The best dry Alsace
Dry Loire Chenin
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes (but beware, the words Vieilles Vignes offers little guarantee).
Quincy and Reuilly.
White Burgundy and Chablis.
Good white Graves Chateaux.
Sauternes small castles or small vintage.
Vintage Champagne.
QmP German and Auslesen.
Good Chardonnay of New World.

Red drink between 3 and 5 years:

Italian Riserva.
Spanish Reserva.
Good Cabernet Sauvignon New World.
New World Syrah.

White to drink between 5 and 8 years:

Premiers Crus and Grands Crus of Chablis and the Côte de Beaune.
Good vintages small Castles in Sauternes.
Vouvray good vintages.
Alsace Selection of Nobles grains.
Best vintage Champagne.
The best German Auslesen.

Red drink between 5 and 8 years:

Small vintages of Premiers Crus and Grands Crus of Burgundy.
Good vintages of generic names of Burgundy.
Côtes du Rhône: Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and so on.
Most of Crus of Bordeaux.
Small millesimes of Grands Crus from Médoc and from Graves.
good vintages of Barolo.
Super Tuscans.
Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva.
Great Cabernet Sauvignon New World.
Great New World Shiraz

Wines to wait more than 8 years:

Grands Crus and best vintages Sauterne.
Late Harvest Grands Crus of Alsace.
Premiers and Grands Crus of the best red vintages of Burgundy.
Best vintages of Grands Crus of red Bordeaux.
Best vintages of the Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
German wines the most concentrated (Beerenauslesen, Trockenbeerenauslesen).
Italian Passito, Recioto, Liquoroso, Vin Santo.
Yellow wine and "Vin de Paille" of Jura.
Vintage Porto.
Oloroso sherry.
Tokay australiens Semillon VT.
Genuine Tokay in Hungary.

Diseases of wine:

The vine has escaped the hail and frost, the grape has not undergone sagging, did not die of blight or chlorosis, did not suffer water stress, was not eaten by starlings or blackbirds, and has not been spoiled by the botrytis, the fermentation was accomplished without blocking ...

Does this mean that wine is saved? Not so fast!

Many other dangers threaten the wine bites acetic or lactic, running, bitter, fat, casses (white, blue, brown, or copper), madérisation, odors (mercaptans), undesirable tastes (filters, drum, d 'bitter almond, light, or cap) is a long list of threats to the wine.

The main-but not solely responsible: yeasts and bacteria. Some yeasts are close mellow wine in the bottle, others are increasing the acidity, and still others generate a "taste of a mouse" ...

Acetic acid bacteria are able to turn a good wine into vinegar (acetic bite). Or to drop the alcohol content while increasing the volatile acidity and causing a strong smell of vinegar (sign of the presence of ethyl acetate).

In 1994, the press reported the "fall inexpliquable alcohol found in some caves in California" ... However, the reason is known but unspeakable: poor hygiene!

Some lactic acid bacteria delicious residual sugar in the sweet wines, and produce acetic acid, lactic acid and carbon dioxide. It is the lactic bite, which affects insufficiently fermented sweet wines.

Others, attacking tartaric acid, malic and citric are beneficial during malolactic fermentation but annoying when that cause unwanted fermentation in the bottle; the incident may lead to runs (high volatile acidity, off-gas) or until the bitter (excess of glycerol).

Of course, thanks to advances in enology, these diseases are becoming increasingly rare, but remain ready to strike at the slightest inattention by the winemaker.

But yeasts and bacteria are not the only culprits of all accidents that may affect the wine. De nombreuses maladies sont dûes à des altérations physico-chimiques : Many diseases are due to alterations of physico-chemical .

Ferric break (or breaks white, or blue) resulting from an excess of iron,

Cupric breaks, resulting from an excess of copper salts.

Tastes because poor maintenance of equipment (taste filter, drum, or bitter almond).

Casse brown alteration of the color of young white wines subjected to excessive oxidation,
etc. etc..

When the wine is beyond all these dangers, a touch of lyricism is allowed really, good wine is a wonder!

Do not leave this section without reporting a false default: the white crystals that worry many fans, and some waiters are as ignorant of undissolved sugar (while firmly believing that it is sulfur), are reality of potassium bitartrate (commonly known as the gravel).

The bitartrate is present normally dissolved-in-all well made wine, it crystallizes in the cold.

His visible presence, not to worry, should reassure you, because it means that the winemaker has not made any special treatment to get rid of them, treatment that can not nothing but wine. Bitartrate crystalline, tasteless, is embarrassing for the view that, to not be bothered, just leave it in the bottle.

How to read a label

2009-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

How to read a label

This is to all decipher whether a label of wine, but the curious can learn to read between the lines ...

The compulsory

These are shown at the bottom of the label. Include the name and address of the bottler (winegrower, cooperative or dealer), right volume, and left the alcohol.

Characters included in the largest category of wine that had to do:

Table wine

Wine country

Appellation of origin hight quality delimited (AOVDQS)

Appellation of origin controled (AOC).

In the latter case, it is necessarily followed by the name of the region (Bordeaux, Burgundy ...) or the name of the town (Margaux, Meursault ...).

Good to Know

The vintage, which is the crop year (with a tolerance of 15% a year earlier) is not compulsory but almost always mentioned, except for gross non-vintage champagne from a blend of several harvests. However, it is forbidden for table wines.

The mark or domain are indicated, but the terms of Château Cru Clos or are restricted to appellations of origin.

The name of the grape (cepage) is prohibited in the case of AOC (but increasingly tolerated), except in Alsace, Savoie, Jura and the Loire, where it forms an integral part of the appellation of origin.

The words "bottled at the property or castle" indicates a wine vintner. In Champagne, the reference prior NM address is restricted to trading houses or major marks and the reference to RM harvesters manipulation (winemaker).

In some famous vineyards, there are rankings. The entry Filed in Bordeaux Grand Cru is attached to the properties, while in Burgundy and Alsace, it relates to land.

"Harvested by hand" is not necessarily a sign of quality. It is sometimes better to the harvesting machine in the event of adverse weather conditions. The term "sorted the grapes would be a sign of quality ...

"Matured in barrels", but in what drums? new or old, long or not? caution ...

A vineyard called "old vine" must have at least 40 years otherwise it should not be considered so.

Contains sulfites: recently, the tenants should indicate whether the wine contains sulfur. You should know that it has always been used in winemaking because it stabilizes the wine and minimum dose, the body tolerates very well.Therefore have no concerns when reading these words. (See article The use of sulfur in wine)

Behind the label

Where it exists, on the back of the bottle, it deserves your attention because it often reveals valuable information on the quality of wine grape varieties that compose it, the service temperature, the association with food and sometimes time custody.

Conservation of wine

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Conservation of wine and wine cellar :

Can we keep the wine at home? If you do not have a cellar, you should at least isolate the cylinders.
Some wines need not be retained.

A wine closet

Not a wine cabinet. Find a cupboard against a wall north. Stack it with your bottle or your boxes. Put a cover on it. In these conditions, you can keep each bottle a few months.
To keep some wines you can make a wine cellar, or buy a wine cabinet.

Build a wine cellar

If you want to build or install a wine cellar, here are the specifications. Good storage conditions for aging wines include: a dark, vibration-free (no subway) and not a fuel odor!

Most the basement is dry, most plugs will deteriorate quickly and pass the air, which will spoil the wine. Humidity rising long and often below 60% would pose risks to conservation than a decade. It is also said that it is better to replace the plugs every twelve years.

Shelves

Use shelves. They can lay the bottles horizontally so that the plugs do not deteriorate.
There can be too much moisture for the labels. The layout of the cave must avoid plywood or cardboard to be waterlogged.
The storage can be done in simple pipe clay courts. Alternatively, one can optimize the layout.

Storage temperature for wines

The temperature changes must be gradual. It is a priority. A temperature difference between day and night is particularly harmful. So the wine cellar should be insulated.
Good conservation requires a relative freshness. Basically, a red will perhaps been at 25 ° C (77 ° F) maximum, a dry white, perhaps not.
The conservation of red can take 5 years to 18 ° C maximum and 15 years at 15 ° C (60 ° F) maximum. The conservation of a natural wine or a dry white wine may last 5 years at 12 ° C maximum and 15 to 10 ° C (50 ° F) maximum. The softness is more tolerant.
At higher temperatures, you need luck. You can also equip a cooling unit, preferably an air conditioner that reject the heat outside.
How many bottles should you keep? Remember to buy the wine to suit your needs: balancing a wine cellar. Ask yourself how many times keep a wine.

Alsace

2009-03-19T12:31:00.001-07:00

ALSACE:

In Alsace, the grape that takes the spotlight, as the appellation of origin is almost always followed by the names of grape varieties. One can distinguish two groups of wines in Alsace: the varieties of base and noble varieties that give the wines of renown. Providing light and fresh wine, the grapes are the basic chasselas, which covers over 1% of the vineyard, Sylvaner, Pinot Klevner or assembly of pinot blanc and the auxerrois, which is now almost 21% of the vineyard, which owes its development to its earliness. The best-known grape varieties that have given their reputation for wines of Alsace are riesling, the oldest grape variety in Alsace, Muscat, a blend of muscat d'Alsace and Muscat Ottonel, or the tokay pinot gris, which places the legend origin in Hungary, gewurztraminer, aromatic form of the ancient Traminer and Pinot noir, the only red grape booked and rosés.
Main varietals:

-The sylvaner: Late likes it in deep, sandy limestone. It covers 14% of the vineyard. It produces wines fresh, light and fruity.

- The riesling (white): late variety that is adapted to sandy soils and silty clay. It occupies 23.3% of the vineyard and is very consistent in production. It provides lively and typical wines, with an aromatic finesse and a certain elegance.

- Muscat (white): it occupies more than 2.3% of the vineyards because of its irregular performance. It is a blend of muscat d'Alsace, which gives a good aromatic intensity and a high acidity, and Muscat Ottonel, which transmits its fine bouquet. Harmony gives two dry wines, fruity bouquet, which give the impression of eating grapes.

- Or Tokay Pinot Gris (white) is happy in the land tertiary limestone and volcanic slopes, it occupies 10% of the vineyard. It produces wines custody of rare power and softness.

- Gewurztraminer (white) variety suited to early marly soil, it has low productivity and sensitivity to climatic accidents. It represents 17.6% of the vineyard. It gives very expressive wine, full bodied and structured, with a bunch of great intensity.

- Pinot Noir (red): Late and adapted to sandy soils and limestone, it covers 8.7% of the vineyard. According to the fermentation, it produces wines fresh and fruity rosé or red.Les appellations : Designations: Alsace (complété du nom du cépage), Alsace (full name of the grape), Alsace Grand Cru (supplemented by the name of a place called; wine from varietals Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat or Tokay), Late Harvest and Selection de Grains Nobles (4 on the noble grape varieties).

Beaujolais

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BEAUJOLAIS:

Beaujolais wines are produced almost entirely from a single grape, the gamay noir, which covers 99% of the vineyard. It is particularly suited to acidic soils of high-Beaujolais, where the Beaujolais-Villages and raw. Vinified in a special way, in whole grapes, it produces wines rich fruity and floral aromas.

Designations: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and the crus of Beaujolais (Brouilly, Cotes de Brouilly, Chénas, Morgon, Julienas, Moulin-à-Vent, Saint-Amour, Regnie, Chiroubles and flowers)

Bordeaux

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BORDEAUX:

Bordeaux wines are wines petrol assembly. For the reds, the three dominant grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.They are complemented by the Petit Verdot and Malbec. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates in the Médoc and Graves, Merlot to Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. For whites, the most common variety is the semillon, from which the great Bordeaux wine. The other two main varieties are muscadelle and especially sauvignon, which produces dry and Bordeaux is part of the assembly for the sweet.

Main varietals:

- Red:

- Cabernet Sauvignon: it has a fairly late maturity. It represents 30% of the Bordeaux grape varieties (in red). It produces wines very colorful, very little alcohol and tannin. He took part in the assemblies of all the Bordeaux appellations but especially in the Médoc (Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Estèphe ...) and the Graves (Pessac-Léognan).

- The merlot, it is earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It covers 50% of the vineyard. It produces wines flexible, colored, alcohol and low acidity. It is present in all Bordeaux appellations and take part in the assembly of Pommerol up to 70%.

- Cabernet Franc: Merlot close to maturity. It occupies 15% of the vineyard. It gives very fine wines and moderately stained. Present in the assemblies of all Bordeaux, it has an important place in the Saint-Emilion, where it is blended with merlot jointly.

- White:

- Sauvignon: it represents 21% of the Bordeaux grape varieties (in white). It gives a very aromatic wine, musk and fresh. It mainly produces dry white wines from Bordeaux (between two seas).

- Semillon: it covers 60% of vineyards and produces wines elegant, race, alcohol and agreeing with the noble rot. It is present in all the white wines of Bordeaux, especially in sweet wines (Sauternes).

- The muscadelle: it is a fragile grape augmentees rarely exceeds 10% in the blends. Il donne des vins fins et délicats. It provides fine wines and delicate. It is present in all blends of white wines, dry or sweet.

Burgundy

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BURGUNDY:

The grape of Burgundy is a duality: the pinot noir for red wines, Chardonnay for white wines.

- The pinot noir: he likes the soil not too deep and exposed at an altitude of between 250 and 300 meters on land marly fairly calcareous, stony and well drained. It is susceptible to gray mold. It is mainly grown in the vineyards of the Côte de Nuits (Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny ...), Côte de Beaune (Corton, Pommard, Volnay ...) and Côte Chalonnaise (Mercurey, Givry). On large areas, it produces wines of custody powerful, colorful, rich and great aromatic complexity.

- The chardonnay is the most popular grape in the world because it sits in a wide variety of situations, but the land remains the favorite Burgundy, where he gives great dry white wines (Chablis, Meursault, Montrachet ...) . It is a vigorous vine and good fertility, but fears the cold, including spring frosts. It adapts to different soil types but prefers clay and limestone marl.The rest of the production of Burgundy is made from the gamay noir for red wines (pinot noir assembled to give the name and Macon Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains) and the aligoté for white wines (Burgundy Aligoté).

Champagne

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CHAMPAGNE:

Champagne is the fruit of three varieties, one white, chardonnay and two reds, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The chardonnay, planted mainly on the white side, gives a wine with gold-green shade, fine, long finish, nervous in his youth and flourished during the foam. Champagne only from chardonnay is called Blanc de blancs. Pinot noir, planted on the mountain of Reims and the region Ay, land mainly limestone, white wine provides quality care, a yellow color, a nose support, body and generosity. Pinot meunier planted on the valley of the Marne and the Aube, provides for its wines shimmering pink, round and fruity.

Jura

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JURA :

Jura wines come from several varieties: Poulsard or ploussard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir for reds, chardonnay or savagnin for whites. The Poulsard or ploussard is a grape variety unique to the Jura, including Arbois. It thrives on the land or marly clay. It has a quite irregular production and feared the late frosts. It provides fine wines, fruity and can age from 4 to 8 years. The keychain has a fairly mature late and prefers gravelly land and warm. It represents only 5% of the vineyard and is found mainly north of Arbois. He gave custody of hot wine, tannin and alcohol, contrary Poulsard. The savagnin is the only grape that produces the famous "yellow wine". It thrives on marls blue or gray shale, at Chateau-Chalon. Chardonnay covers 45% of the grape of the Jura and the pinot noir is used only in small proportion in blends. There are 4 names for the wines of the Jura: Côtes du Jura, Arbois, the star and Château-Chalon ( "yellow wine").

Loire

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LOIRE :

The variety of wines from the Loire is explained by differences in geological and climate, but also by the many different varieties planted in this region.There are three main groups of varieties, depending on their historical origin: Loire grape varieties, the grapes from the South West and the grapes from Burgundy.

- The grapes of the Loire: the oldest grape of the Loire chenin black or pineau d'Aunis Rosé giving typed and love but which is no longer only Anjou and Touraine. One of its derivatives, Pineau de la Loire or Chenin Blanc, is the great variety of Anjou and Touraine. It has matured quite late and likes on the grounds of Coteaux du Layon, to Savennieres in Saumur and Vouvray. Sauvignon is a grape from the Loire, it dominates in Touraine and is only allowed for the production of white wines of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Quincy, Menetou Salon and Reuilly.

- The grapes from the South-West: the cabernets of Bordeaux and Cahors côt. Cabernet Franc, named Brittany in the Loire gives red wines and fruity custody on limestone hills Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur-Champigny. It is also present in the region of Brissac in Anjou and valleys du Layon, which gives red wine AOC Anjou-Villages and Anjou-Villages Brissac, and rosé wines. The cost is mainly grown in the Touraine, and its white variety, the romorantin in Sologne, where he gives the AOC Cour-Cheverny.

-The grapes from Burgundy: Pinot Noir is the grape of red and rosé wines of Sancerre and is growing at the Center. Chardonnay is growing, especially for the preparation of the cream-de-Loire, Touraine and Anjou. We must also mention the melon de Bourgogne, forgotten in his hometown and found a land of welcome, in Nantes, where it was called muscadet.

Languedoc roussillon

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LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON:

This region presents a wide variety of wines and grape varieties of a more diversified. The main red varieties are Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Muscardin. The main white grape varieties are Grenache Blanc, the macabeu the carignan white, Clairette, Picpoul, Bourboulenc the mauzac and muscats. To view the varieties of this region, very heterogeneous, it is preferable to focus on major labels.

- Coteaux du Languedoc: it blends practice. The carignan planted on shale in the dry areas and gives wine colored and tannic, and Cinsault, which provides flexible and light wine (rosé and vegetables), cover 40% of the vineyard. All varietals Grenache, Lladoner, Mourvedre and Syrah is the same hand. Grenache quite erratic in performance, gives the wine a generous, round, fat and quite aromatic, while the shiraz, earlier, gives wines bodied and very colorful, like mourvèdre, which itself is quite late. The white wines are made from Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Clairette, bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Rolle, except those of La Clape, from single picpoul.

- Costières-de-Nîmes: the costières are among the vineyards of the Rhone valley, although depend administratively winegrowers in Languedoc-Roussillon.

- Faugères the carignan covers 40% of the vineyard. It is complemented by the traditional black grenache and cinsault, but also by the mourvèdre and especially syrah, with strong growth.
- Minervois: the dominant grape variety is Carignan, which is completed by Grenache planted on the Marne, cinsault on sandstone, and Mourvèdre and Syrah. Muscat is grown in Saint-Jean-de-Minervois. There is also a specific designation, Minervois-la-Livinière, resulting in 60% of grapes grenache, syrah and Mourvèdre.

- Corbières: prepared primarily from carignan (limited to 60%) and grenache noir, the implantation of Syrah and Mourvedre has allowed the wine to gain in finesse.

- Limoux: best known for its sparkling wine, Blanquette and Crémant. They are derived mainly from mauzac, 60% for cream and 90% for the blanquette, which gives the wine a taste of apple characteristic. It is complemented in the assembly by the Chenin, which brings the liveliness and fruitiness, and the chardonnay.

- Côtes du Roussillon Villages: whites are mainly from Grenache grapes macabeu and white, but also the malvasia du Roussillon, the marsanne of roussanne and vermentino. The carignan is dominant in the development of red and rosé but given the requirement to assemble at least three varieties, grow grenache noir, the Pelut Lladonner, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah.

- The natural sweet wines: These wines have the reputation of Roussillon are derived, following the designation of grenache blanc (Rivesaltes), Muscat à petits grains and Alexandria (Muscat from Rivesaltes) or grenache noir ( Banyuls and Maury). Grapes are the macabeu (Rivesaltes, Maury), the malvasia (Rivesaltes) and carignan (Maury).

Provence corse

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PROVENCE-CORSE:

In Provence, the main red grape varieties are Grenache, which gives structure and frame, the cinsault, subtle flavors, syrah, fine tannins, the mourvèdre, richness of polyphenols, the Tibouren, fruity, found on the granite lands of eastern Var, the gear and crazy black, planted on the gravel terraces of Nice. They are complemented by secondary grape varieties such as Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, the Castet, the calitor the counoise. The white grape varieties is around the rolle of the Ugni blanc, acid and rustic, the Clairette, making its finesse and very much in range of Grenache Blanc and Marsanne in Cassis. Grapes Bourboulenc secondary, late and high in alcohol, semillon and sauvignon and sparkling wine to Palette. The main appellations are Côtes de Provence, Bellet, Bandol, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, Les Baux de Provence, Cassis, Coteaux Varois and Palette.
In Corsica, the peculiarity is the existence and dominance of local grape varieties, and Niellucio sciacarello. They are dominant in the development of red wine from Ajaccio, the regional appellation Vin de Corse and naming Patrimonio (Niellucio 90%). The whites are mainly from vermentinu and Muscat Petits Grains (Muscat du Cap-Corse).

South west

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SOUTH WEST :

The region extends from the edge of the Massif Central to the Pyrenees and the variety of soils explains the diversity of grape varieties, as in all wine regions of southern France. The winemakers have kept many local grape varieties: Auxerrois in Cahors, iron Marcillac, len duras and the el in Gaillac, Fronton to Négrette, Abouriou in Marmande, manseng to Jurançon. This variety of grapes is the richness of the wines of South-West but the region also has varieties in common: Bordeaux trilogies in the basin of the Dordogne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot for the reds (Gaillac, Bergerac, Buzet), sauvignon, semillon and muscadelle for whites (Bergerac, Monbazillac), the tannat and both mansegs in the basin of the Adour (Jurançon, Madiran).

rhone valley

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RHONE VALLEY:

There are two main regions in the Rhone Valley: the Northern Rhone Valley in the north and the southern Rhone Valley in the south.

- Syrah is the red one the coast of northern Rhône: Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage. It produces wines typical, colorful and very aromatic.

- The main white wine grapes of the Northern Rhone Valley are Roussane and Marsanne, Viognier (Condrieu single grape variety). Grapes are the secondary Clairette, Muscat à petits grains and chardonnay. The designations are called Condrieu, St. Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Chateau Grillet, Clairette de Die and Saint Peray (sparkling).

- The southern Côtes du Rhône:

- The red is the dominant carignan, very rustic, supplemented grenache of, and giving alcohol wines flexible, syrah, cinsault of which brings finesse and fruitiness, the mourvèdre, producing wines full bodied and structured and the hazel dormouse.
The main appellations are Côtes du Rhône Villages, Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas.

- The whites of the southern Rhône Valley are from the Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette and bourboulenc of viognier. The appellations are Côtes du Rhône Villages and Chateau neuf du pape.
- Costières-de-Nîmes: the costières come from the assembly of Grenache noir (25% minimum) of cinsault (especially for the rosé) of carignan of Mourvedre and Syrah for red, white grenache, the clairette of marsanne and roussanne for the whites.

Vine

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Bordeaux vine

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Burgundy vine

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Champagne vine

Champagne grap

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