IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GRAPES

Do you love wine? But are not sure what kind of wine you like? Well, there are so many varieties of wine from sweet to the driest. My preferable taste is on the dry side and red. I know some wine drinkers, may think that wine is only made in the vineyards of California. But there are wine vineyards across the continental USA. When I was about 21 years old, I had my first drink of sweet wine, called Cherry Kijafa. This wine was delightful, and it made my head spin and I got drunk. When I woke up, I had the biggest, sweet wine hangover. That was the end of my sweet wine crusade. As I begin to work in the corporate world, I found out there were many varieties of wine, and I set out to see what wine I really could enjoy. When I ordered wine, waiters or waitress would tell me about their wine list. I began perusing and pretended I knew wine. I decided I would try the drier wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot. (Not all at the same time mind you.) To be on the safe side, I tried Merlot, and this wine was not too sweet or dry, it seemed just right, and I began ordering Merlot when I went out to dinner. I then discovered that Merlot could taste fruity, dry or between it depended on the brand of the wine. I noticed that I was a wine drinker and started trying a variety of dry wines. I discovered that there were different types of Cabernet Sauvignon wines and they were the wines I enjoyed. Some of them taste just right not to dry or tart. Other cabernet's had similar taste, but it depends upon the individual's taste buds. I wanted to know why some bottles of wine had indent on the bottom of the bottle. In my research, I found out that this is called a “punt”. The punt allows residue to settle down into a tight space on the bottom of the bottle. This prevents the residue from being released back into the wine. The punt also allows the bottle to stand upright and be more stable and prevents the wine bottle from falling over. The punt also adds more style to the design of the bottle. In my further research, I wanted to know why there are years posted on the bottles of wine. Well, the year represents when the grapes were picked. So, if you find a bottle of wine with 2010, that is the year the grapes were picked, and the label is placed on the wine for that year. There are other variations, but this is the standard way the years are put on the bottle. Ladies and Gents, I wanted to give a little education about the wines you care to drink. In addition, to provide an insight of wine and what you may or may not think overall about wine drinking and tasting. Before I leave you, let me recommend some good tasting wine for every palate whether sweet, sparkling, or dry. Here are a few you can enjoy, and that I highly recommend: Cabernet Sauvignon Jacob’s Creek. Sweet Red Beringer, Napa Valley Shiraz, Lambrusco (Red wine), Sutter Home Red and White Moscato, Zinfandel Rose and Blush, Brachetto Red, Sidewood Chardonnay, Sangiovese Red Wine, Cupcake Tawny Port (sweet), 14 Hands Riesling, Bordeaux Reds, and Maury Sauvignon Blanc.