How Wine is Produced

Wine is a regular inclusion in fancy dinners, in lavish parties, or given as gifts or favors such as wine wedding favors during such lovely occasions. It is fascinating how ordinary grapes can turn into such an exquisite drink that only gets better with aging.

The process starts by carefully selecting the grapes that will be used for the wine. The grape has to be right for picking and has to be moved from this process to the next in a timely manner so the grapes will stay fresh. Some vineyards use machines to harvest the grapes so that the task can be finished faster. Because everything in the planting process was controlled, they know which ones to harvest even without checking them manually one by one.

Before the grapes have a chance to spoil, the fresh grapes are now de-stemmed and crushed. An accidental inclusion of the stem in the wine-making process can spoil the end results because the stem can add a pungent taste to the liquid. After all the stems have been removed, the grapes are now crushed to extract its juices. Yeast is now added to the liquid to start the fermentation process. Yeast converts the juices to alcohol and carbon dioxide, giving the wine its distinctive aroma and taste.

After fermentation, it will take years for the wines to age. Ageing is done by placing the wines in a stainless steel barrel or for some, in oak barrels, and they are kept in a controlled environment for years. The proper ageing years should be kept and the wine must be monitored because keeping them shorter or longer than the time required will produce either a simple grape juice or vinegar in extreme cases. Next, filtering is done as well to ensure that the wine will remain clear and free from any sediment that may form.

When the wine has undergone all these steps, the wine is now ready to be bottled. The empty air space in a bottle should actually be free from air because the presence of air can affect the taste and quality of the wine. Proper care during transit is needed as well especially for bottles that are capped with corks because smell and taste may penetrate and thus affect the wine.

The wine is now available to be sold in markets and to be enjoyed the world over. There are only some countries that produce wines extensively and wine distributors make sure that wine is readily supplied to every market possible.

Suggestions When Cooking Seafood with White Wine

Cooking can be as simple or as elaborate and complex as you want it to be. For most chefs, adding wine can mean that this is a very special dish and this ingredient can definitely make the dish have a very distinctive taste. Wine, when enjoyed as a beverage, can complement the dish and cleanse the palette at the same time. In cooking, the alcohol content in the wine is heated. Thus, the flavors are released into the dish and the right choice of wine can mean that the flavor of the wine can be absorbed by the meat.

One must be careful though with the amount of wine that will be added in the dish. Too little can have very little effect as well and may not be enough to achieve the desired taste, while too much can overpower the taste of the dish and may in turn make the dish taste too strong.

White wine is best enjoyed with seafood. Whether during eating or combining it in the dish or while cooking, white wine can bring out the taste, texture, and flavors of the fish. It can complement the saltiness of fish and the wine will not overpower the flavor of the dish (as compared to red wine).

For soups recipes with seafood and tomatoes, you can use Rose and other wine variants in this category. But specifically for shrimps, whether boiled in soups, grilled, or sauteed, Dry Fino Sherry will be the best wine to use. This dry wine will really bring out the sweetness and the saltiness of the shrimp. When working with a seafood stew, it is best if you use Pinot Noir in the dish, while you can use Albarino for lighter seafood dishes and sushi dishes that use fish. For seafood cocktail, most chefs would recommend the use of Pinot Blanc, and they would recommend Chablis or Champagne for oysters.

Wine can definitely raise your meals to a whole new level. Wine can indeed be enjoyed in so many ways. You can mix it in your dishes, make it your beverage while dining, or even give them out as gifts or wine wedding favors to symbolize a very romantic and elegant occasion. Next time you’re cooking fish, try out a recipe that calls for white wine, get the right white wine, and you will definitely be cooking up some more.