SHOULD WE REALLY USE A PROPER GLASS TO DRINK WINE?

coming soon…

xx

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WHY YOU SMELL THE WINE BEFORE YOU DRINK IT?

It was a windy afternoon when few of my friends and I had our late lunch at one of the well-known restaurant and bars in town. The atmosphere was great with semi-romantic lightning , the food was tasty and served in beautiful plating skill, the wine was matched to the tapas we ordered. Everything was almost perfect, just..not to mention the staff’s not so friendly attitude.

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So, we were chatting while enjoying our food and wine until one of my friends looks quite confused and smiled, then finally he said “what are you smelling? Seems like you spent most of your time keep on smelling”. And yes he was right, I enjoy the aroma indeed.

However, what are the other reasons make me smell the wine? Is that weird when you smell your beverage? Well, often you saw people look at the wine, swirl it and before they drink it, they smell the wine. So, is anything special with the aroma? (YES)

Swirl is a technique use to release the aroma of the wine so that we are able to enjoy and appreciate the wine better. And by smelling the wine, we actually prepare our brain for the wine we are about to taste. i.e. Try to hold your nose and eat a slice of mango. When you are chewing, release your nose and you will actually notice that the mango tastes better when you have your smell sense.

Obviously, the aroma and the taste won’t be exactly the same, just like how you enjoy a cup of tea. The tea’s main aroma may be lavender, yet it won’t be exactly like you chew a real lavender flower. Cause if you realize, you will actually found other aromas like a mint scent, some citrusy, etc, also the level of tannins and acidity that make a balanced cup of tea.

When you smell a wine, try to stick your nose nearer to the glass, close your eyes and breathe in deep. Do not care what people say, cause that will be a lot more aroma to notice when you smell it this way. Whatever you smell, remember there are no wrong answers. Meaning, everyone has a different memory of aroma. In fact, those aromas you mentioned are scents that you have smelled previously or smelled often.

I always enjoy my every second identifying the nose of a wine, how about you?

xx

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IS WINE MADE ONLY FROM GRAPES?

Happened to be in a situation where one of my acquaintances asked me, “Have you ever taste wine made from strawberry before? I thought wine is made only from grapes, but I was wrong! It can be made from any fruits I guess. What do you think?”.

Hmm, have you ever heard this before or perhaps you, yourself are curious about the answer? Good news! Now you do not have to wonder anymore!

So! Wine can only be made from grapes. If made from any other fruits, it should be called fruit-wine. To clarify a bit, a wine that is made from strawberry can’t be called simply “wine”. Instead, it should be called “Strawberry wine”. The same case goes to any other fruits made into wine beside grape. Wine produced from other fruits will carry that fruit’s name as a modifier (blueberry wine, pomegranate wine, etc). Simple as that huh?

But anyway, grapes are fruit as well (why it’s not called “grape wine”?).

An interesting question right? Few reasons why most of the wines in the world are derived from fermented grapes is due to the balanced natural chemical, compare to other fruits that mostly lacks either a high amount of fermentable sugars, relatively low acidity or yeast nutrients needed to maintain the fermentation to make wine.

Even not all grapes are suitable to be made into a balance, good wine. Most of the grapes used are from Vitis Vinifera species, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot etc.

Well, so do you prefer Wine or Fruit-Wine?

xx

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USING CORKS & SCREW CAPS IN WINE BOTTLE?

I overheard this statement few weeks ago when I was visiting one of the wine stores. There was a couple who came not long after I came in, they seemed like looking for a bottle of wine to bring perhaps to an event or gathering (no idea).

So, apparently the lady is attracted to a bottle of new world wine, which from my observation has a unique and beautiful label design indeed. She even compliments it by saying “I love this one, it’s simple and beautiful! What do you think?” While the guy replied “I think it will be better if we take this one (holding a bottle of Italian red wine). Are you sure you want to buy the one with SCREW CAP? This one is better, trust me”

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So I was standing on the other side, wondering. “What’s wrong with SCREW CAP?” Well, about the wine…it depends on your taste & preference, but SCREW CAP is innocent here, right?

I have no idea what kind of “nightmare” that guy had with SCREW CAP, but it doesn’t tell that the wine is bad. Fyi, it has been used in wine since the late 1950s and it is actually a perfect seal (by not allowing oxygen to enter the bottle)!

Besides, SCREW CAP is no longer considered as the one for cheap or low-class wine. That image has changed when almost all of Australian and New Zealanders winemaker use SCREW CAP for their wines, high-end bottle is no exception.

CORK is indeed has been a classic choice for wine bottles yet it doesn’t indicate it’s better. Yes or no, you can be both right or wrong!

Moral of the story: Don’t judge a wine by it’s label or how it’s sealed.

xx

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WHY IS ICE WINE SO EXPENSIVE?

Discuss types of wines with my friends previously, and one of my friends said “I love Ice Wine! That’s the best wine I’ve ever had! But it’s always so pricey compared to others!”

Well, What makes ICE WINE so damn expensive? The size is lesser than other wines yet the price is more beyond others. Hmm, you actually got what you pay for.

It’s expensive not without a reason. So, is it because it is so delicious? Bang! The answer is not that simple, though.

ICE WINE is produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The purpose is to freeze the water, except the sugar and other dissolved solids, to make a concentrated grape must to be press, from the frozen grapes into wine! It requires so much effort and large enough people to pick the whole crop within few hours at the winter’s night, which is super duper cold! Besides, each frozen grape creates just one drop of ICE WINE. Can you imagine that?

Unlike other dessert wines, ICE WINE should not be affected by Botrytis Cinerea or so called Noble Rot.  So, extra attention and care will be needed as well! Besides, if you noticed, ICE WINE has a refreshing and extremely sweetness with balance high acidity which makes it so special!

Well, is it still expensive after you know the scene behind the story? You decide!;)

xx

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WHICH ONE IS THE BEST WINE???

Frankly, I have been asked this question like countless of times. And what I can answer all this time is…it depends on individuals. C’mon!

Yes, it’s true! The fact is…everyone has different preferences and a different palate. Am I right? Do you love sweet wine? Fine!… Your friend prefer dry wine rather than sweet wine? Well, fine too! Enjoy them together over some good foods!

Do you love sweet wine? Fine! Your friend prefer dry wine rather than sweet wine? Well, fine too! Enjoy them together over some good foods!

There is no answer to the question anyway. Every wine is beautiful in their own way. There is no such statement as “the best wine” as every year, all around the world keep on producing fantastic, lovely, delicious wine! So…my suggestion is, keep on exploring until you find the wine that you fancy and can’t get enough of! Cheers!

I have found my favorite yet still exploring. Well, who knows I will meet a tall, gentle and handsome bottle of wine tomorrow? Cheers again!

xx

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WINE IMPROVES HEALTH (?)

I often met people who said, “Drink wine won’t harm your health, as long as you drink it moderately”. Yes, not too much! 

“How come? It contains alcohol! Alcohol won’t bring you any benefit, it is like an addiction! It’s better for you to stay away from it” … Well, it might sound dramatic but I do hear it a few times.

Ps: If you are interested, keep reading!

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I believe most of you ever heard that wine is good for your heart. So, apparently studies have shown that the moderate alcohol intake able to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer and stroke. And one of the biggest potential benefits is the decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease.

The alcohol and antioxidant like so called resveratrol, flavonoils, and polyphenols have been proven to increase the levels of good cholesterol and even prevent artery damage.

However, you need to know that alcohol increases blood pressure as well, so a generalization cannot be made that a moderate amount of alcohol is beneficial for every individual.

Well, so it depends on yourself. The benefits occur only in certain doses and in certain individuals. There are many factors that need to consider such as age, gender, weight, medical history and stress level, etc.

These are the simple recommended safe limits of alcohol consumption:

• Men : not more than 2 glasses/ day
• Women : not more than 1 glass/ day

Another interesting fact is the greatest benefits occur when we consume wine with meals! Why? Well…consuming wine with food slows down its absorption, which is actually healthier for the liver, kidneys, heart and nervous system.

So, drink wisely…live longer…and enjoy more fine wines! hahaha…Cheers!

xx

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WINE GRAPES & TABLE GRAPES

Wine Grapes

Table Grapes

I noticed that a lot of people wondering whether the wine that they are drinking is sourced from the usual grapes that they could find easily at a grocery store, or…oh well, is it true? really?

Basically, the grapes that we bought in grocery store looks more attractive. What I mean by attractive is it’s bigger in size, has thinner skins and thicker pulp (to give you the burst and pop sensation when you eat them just like when you eat cherry tomato). It is also seedless, less sugar and less in acidity compared to WINE GRAPES.

WINE GRAPES, on the other hand smaller in size yet higher in juice content and sweeter. It has thicker skins and big hard seeds compared to TABLE GRAPES. Yes since it is grown in a way to make a wine that is balance in terms of tannin, acidity, sweetness, alcohol, etc.

i.e. WINE GRAPES are so much sweeter than TABLE GRAPES since the sugar content is necessary for fermentation purpose.

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So, are you on team WINE GRAPES or team TABLE GRAPES?

I love both!

xx