A good dinner without wine is like a fish without water. It is impossible for one to exist without the other. Wine is an essential element of many cultures. From sidewalk caf??s in France to restaurants on State St., people the world over share conversation over glasses of wine. Whether you are enjoying an expensive bottle from a good year or are sharing a box with your friends, wine can be a nice addition to a conversation.
Wine may appear intimidating--there seems to be so much to know about which kinds to buy and to which meals they compliment. But becoming a wine lover is easy and fun, according to Scott Strangberg, a wine salesman at Edison Liquor in Brookfield, Wis.
\The whole wine experience is great because it's all a matter of personal taste. You can try many different styles from various countries with out spending a lot of money,"" says Strangberg.
The qualities of wines vary depending on the variety and regions from which the grapes originate. Certain varieties do better in some regions because their growth depends on different environmental factors such as soil moisture and temperature. The smallest elements of a region can lead to huge variations in the quality and taste of the wine. When selecting a bottle it is helpful to know something about the region from which the wine originated.
You may think that creating the perfect chardonnay is a disastrous and disgusting process if you have ever seen the famous episode of ""I Love Lucy"" where Lucy and Ethel stomp around grape bins with their bare feet. However, making wine really only requires a few critical steps.
Crushing the grapes is the first step. White grapes are only used to make white wine while red grapes make a few different varieties. The color of the wine depends on the amount of pressing. The heavier the pressing, the redder the wine. Despite the variation in color between red and rose wines, they are both made from red grapes. The major difference is that there is a delay in the fermentation process before pressing. After pressing, the wine passes through a series of vats and is stored there until the end of the maturation process.
Wine is ready to enjoy after it has finished maturing and has been bottled. Chilled red wine loses its flavor and therefore should be served at room temperature. Red wines should be left open for about half an hour before serving. This allows the wine plenty of time to absorb oxygen. On the other hand, warm white wine does not taste good; thus should be served chilled.
Some may not care much about the wine making process, but it is important to know that not all wine is served in the same type of glass. While you may never be quizzed about the wine making process, you may have to pour a glass or two at some point.
There are a variety of different glasses, each of which is designed to enhance the wine's flavor. Different glasses also serve a labeling purpose. Champagne is typically served in long slender
glasses called flutes. Medium-sized wine glasses are used for serving white wines, while large oval glasses are used for reds. The glass should be filled half-way to allow enough room to swirl the wine.
Swirling and sniffing the aroma is the first step in the wine tasting process. Next, hold it up to the light to view the color. Take a taste and swirl it around your mouth. Note whether it tastes sweet, sour, bitter or salty. The better the wine, the better it will satisfy all four tastes. Lastly, breathe air in through your mouth and then out through your nose. This allows you to enjoy all the flavors of the wine.
So now that you know how wine is made and how it is best enjoyed, you may want to impress others with your knowledge. House parties get old after a while and the bars get a little expensive, so why not throw a wine party for a change?
Barrique's Wine Cave, 1831 Monroe St., is close to campus and a terrific place to get your party supplies. Their ""Wall of 100"" features 100 different wines all under $10. At that price, even college students won't go broke buying a bottle or two. Laura Galgano of Barrique's Wine Cave says ""There are a lot of divine wines that are inexpensive."" She says that there is not much difference between a $10 and a $30 bottle of wine. The noticeable differences in quality are not detectable except in higher price ranges. In fact, Galgano says that some people prefer $6 bottles to $20 bottles.
A bottle of wine is priced according to its level of quality. However, the price of real estate has played an increasingly large role in determining the prices you find on the labels. There are many excellent vineyards around the world. The vineyards that are just over the hill from of the famous regions with higher property values, often times produce just as good--if not better--and less expensive.
Barrique's Wine Cave features new wines every couple of weeks. Check out their website, http://www.bariqueswine.com, for their latest features. Know, though, that different regions are popular at different times.
""Currently, Spain and Portugal are the best regions to get wine from, especially those $10 bottles. And South America and Australia are always safe bets,"" Galgano said.
So be different and throw a wine party this weekend. Stop by Barrique's Wine Cave and sample a $3 glass of wine during its happy hour. There are plenty of places around campus to buy a bottle of wine if you can't make it over to Monroe Street--two good places to try are Riley's Wines of the World, 402 W. Gorham, and Regent Street Liquor, 916 Regent St. Cheers!
