Wines are of three kinds, Sparkling Wines, Fortified Wines and Still Wines Wine should not be drunk the moment it is opened. It should be ideally tasted 5 minutes after it is opened.

1. 25
Wines

2. • Wines are fermented juice of fresh grapes
• Their popularity is increasing.
• Wine bars have also become popular
• Red wine is known to be excellent for the body and to
ward off heart diseases
• It is not uncommon for wines to be served at business
meetings

3. There are three kinds of wines
• Sparkling Wines
• Still Wines
• Fortified Wines

4. Sparkling Wines
• There are commonly called “Champagne” although it is
only the sparkling wines that are made in the
Champagne district of France that are permitted to be
called “Champagne”
• All other sparkling wines are stated to be made in the
“methode champenosie”
• In this process the wine (after it is made) undergoes a
secondary fermentation in the bottle where the gas
trapped dissolves in the wine and when opened , the gas
is released in the form of bubbles

5. Still wines
• These can be white, red or rose.
• The wine can be dry, medium or sweet
• White wines can be made from both red and
white grapes
– White wine produced from white grapes is called
Blanc do Blancs
– White wine produced from red grapes is called Blanc
do Noirs

6. • When black grape skin is kept in fermentation
tanks, the juice absorbs the red pigment and
turns it into red wine
• If the grape skin is kept for a short time then a
pink or rose wine emerges
• Dry and medium dry terms are used to describe
the relative sweetness of wine
• A dry wine is one that is not sweet

7. Fortified Wines
• Fortified wines are the result of fermenting very
ripe grapes
• Then strengthening the wine at a decisive point
in the fermentation process with addition of
grape brandy distilled from the same grapes
• Sherry and port are prime examples

8. Vintage Wines
• A vintage is a one year’s harvest
• It does not mean very old wine
• By a combination of weather conditions, the grape
quality of a particular year may turn out to be particularly
good.
• Wine made from the grapes of that year are called
vintage
• Vintage wine also means there is no blending of a
previous year’s wine

9. Aromatized Wines
• Aromatized wines are also called aperitif
or flavoured wines
• These are infused with herbs, barks, roots
and other flavouring
• Vermouth and Dubonnet are two such
wines

10. Young & Old wines
• An old wine is one that has been aged to mature
for a long period to develop its complex
characteristics and aroma
• Red wines are stored for much as 15-20 years
• The only exception is Beaujolais which is drunk
when it is fresh, crisp and fruity

11. Grape Varieties
• The two types of wines that are mostly drunk are white
and red wine
• White wines are lighter and more frivolous
• Red wines are heavier
• Over the years red wines fade in colour from purple to
ruby to brick red and finally deep red.
• White wines gradually darken in colour to yellow and
pale gold

12. White wines
Wines from the following grapes are as follows:
1. Chardonnay – sweet wine. A very popular
white wine
2. Chennin Blanc – Good acidity level, thin skin
and high natural sugar
3. Muscat – dry wine
4. Sauvignon Blanc – aromatic dry wine
5. Semillon – Dry and sweet wine
6. Ugni Blanc – fruity taste
7. Pinon Blanc – Tastes appley, buttery, fresh
and leafy

13. Red Wine
1. Cabernet Sauvigon: rich in colour, aroma and
depth
2. Gamay: Wine to be drunk fresh
3. Merlot: nicely coloured wines, rich and soft in
fruit
4. Pinot Meunier : fruity appeal
5. Pinot Noir: Rich velvety and smooth wines
6. Cabernet Franc :rich wine
7. Shiraz : heavy tasty wine. Suitable with Indian
food

14. Wine glasses

15. What to look for in a wine glass
• The glass should be clear so that the colour of the wine
can be examined and appreciated
• The glass should have a long stem so that the
temperature of the hand does not affect the temperature
of the wine
• The glass should be of reasonable size so that it fills
good quantity of wine
• The top of the glass should funnel inwards so that the
wine stays inside when moved around in the glass

16. Tasting wines
• Wine should not be drunk as soon as the bottle is opened
• One should taste it ideally 5 minutes after it is opened
• The first thing that should be seen is that the cork should be
wet
• If the cork is dry then the wine has turned stale
• Never smell the cork
• Smelling of wine helps ascertain the aroma and flavour of the
wine

17. • The funnel of the glass should turn inwards
• The wine glass should be held by the stem
• Wine is smelt with one or two deep whiffs
• Old wine smells less fruity but more intricate and
subtle
• These mature elusive smells are known as bouquet

18. Serving of Wine
The logical progression of wine serving is
1. White before red
2. Young before old
3. Dry before sweet
However this depends on the food and the
occasion

19. WINES
• Wine should be enjoyed at the right temperature
• White 6 to 8 degrees c
• Rose 10 to 12 degrees c
• Red 14 to 16 degrees c
• Wine is drunk before food and as an accompaniment to food
• White or light wine does not go well with Indian food
• Red wines does not go well with sea food
• Light wines go well with food that are lightly cooked

20. Course by course
• Hors d’oeurves • Crisp, dry and light, fruity
• Soup • Dry for light soups, Madeira for thick
soups, dry white for medium bodied
soups
• Pate • Light red
• Seafood • Crisp, dry white
• White meats • Light fruity red or medium/dry white
• Red Meats • Red
• Orinetal Spicy • Dry white or fruity rose
• Pasta • Light fruity Red
• Vegetarian • Soft or light reds and rose
• Desserts • Wines with equal sweetness
• Cheese • Fruity red for soft cheese, dry fruity
white for medium, red for hard cheese

21. Storing left over wines
• Wine can be consumed the next day if it is kept
sealed
• Wine can be stored in the fridge for about 2 days
• Use vaccumisers to create an empty space
above the wine and protects it from oxidization

22. Storing wines
• Wines should be stored with bottles lying down on their
sides to keep the cork always moist.
• If the bottle is kept upright, the cork will shrink and dry
out – resulting in the wine being unable to breathe
• The perfect storage temperature for wine is between 5C
to 18C
• Wine should ideally be kept in darkness.
• Unopened bottles should not be stored in the fridge for
more than 4 days before consuming it

23. Corked wines
A defiled wine is called corked wine. Their
characteristics are:
– A vinegary taste that burns the throat
– A brown tinge in a white wine or deep brown
in a red
– The cork smells of sherry
– A musty, moldy or decaying taste
– No redeeming aroma
– Cloudiness or murkiness

24. Cloudy Wine
• Cloudy red wine can suggest that there may be
something wrong or it could be that the sediment
in the bottom of the bottle has been disturbed
• If there are doubts of the quality of the wine, ask
the wine waiter to taste it
• If it is bad the wine will be replaced