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Hi-Tech Winemaking

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Making wine migPinot Noir Grapes.2585ht be an old-fashioned tradition, but it’s all about the perfect chemistry, and the latest technology is helping vinters refine their process. Researchers at New Zealand’s Auckland University are developing sensors that could aid in winemakers getting the best wine possible as soon as they pick the grapes.

Auckland’s researchers have created carbon electrodes that can measure the amount of antioxidants, such as sulfur dioxide, in grapes. Snooth reports that these sensors could mean a more precise process “in which winemakers can constantly tweak antioxidant levels so their wines reach their full, expressive flavors.”

One of the researchers, Dr. Paul Kilmartin, says this technology would help ensure that grape oxidation is controlled right away.

Read more at Snooth

Saving Wine

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I know leftover wine is a foreign concept, but if you do have some left and you aren’t sure just how long you’ll have to drink it, The Savory has a handy guide detailing the length of time you have before wine is undrinkable.

According to The Savory, heavy red wines can last up to five days after opening the bottle. Light red wines last for about three days. Heavy white wines like chardonnay will last a bit longer than light-bodied white wines. Champagne and other sparkling wines need to be drunk within four hours of popping the cork. The higher the alcohol content in the wine, the longer you have before you really don’t want to drink it.

The Savory: How Long Will That Wine Last?
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How to Make Your Own Wine Label

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Part of the fun of making your own wine is getting to personalize the wine bottles. But if you’re anything like me and your talent lies more in drinking wine than graphic design, Wine Folly has some great tips on making your own wine labels.

Wine Folly suggests mimicking commercial brand labels. Don’t copy them, but use them as inspiration. Think about the classic designs or the newer, cheeky wine labels. You might go for something old fashioned or modern. Don’t forget the basic information all wine labels should have:  the name and date of the wine, the “brand,” the actual variety or blend of the wine, and credit to the actual winery, wine and vintage.

Wine Folly: Tips on Designing Your Own Custom Wine Labels

Don’t Fear the Sulfites

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I know several people who won’t drink wine “because of the sulfites.” One friend says the sulfites trigger her asthma. Another friend is convinced that’s what gives her a headache after a night of drinking.

Maybe it’s because many wine labels say “Contains Sulfites” like a warning, but many people have the mistaken idea that sulfites are bad for you, says Will Lyons of the Wall Street Journal. Lyons writes that some of the safest foods — and ones that won’t get you drunk, like apricots — have even higher levels of sulfites than wines.

Sulfites in wine are sulfur compounds added as preservatives. They help keep wine from oxidizing and turning into vinegar.

Those bad reactions some people may have after drinking wine, such as runny noses or headaches, are probably due to other factors. However, a tiny population of people can have allergic reactions to sulfites, especially asthmatics. So, my friend is probably not off base for passing on the wine.

What does it mean when a wine is “Reserve”?

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Sounds like it’s the good and fancy stuff, right? Not exactly, says Anthony Giglio of Details magazine.

When a wine has ‘Reserve” on the label, it might mean that the wine has been aged a specific amount of time depending on the regulations of the wine region. Many wineries added the term to the label if they had produced cheaper wines. However, nowadays “Reserve” is usually just a marketing ploy.

Giglio explains that only Old World, or European, wine regions regulate what can go on wine bottles. New World regions such as the United States, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa do not have systems for those rules and regulations.

Says Giglio: The term is so misused on American bottles that most of the wine critics and sommeliers ignore it unless we know that the producer has a sense of integrity.

 

Details: Ask the Wine Guy: Does “Reserve” Really Signify a Superior Wine Bottle?

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Ordering Wine

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So, what’s your strategy for ordering wine when you go out to eat? Do you pick the cheapest bottle on the menu, or do you aim to impress with the most expensive?

Choose neither of those options, says sommelier Gerald Morgan, Jr. of Simplified Wine. Morgan advises picking the second cheapest wine on the menu. The next cheapest wine is often the best value — it costs the restaurant at least twice as much as the cheapest bottle.

Also consider choosing a wine from a good region. Morgan suggests Argentina, Chile and Washington state. Although, we would add a Finger Lakes wine to that list.

Pick the Second Cheapest Wine at a Restaurant for the Best Value –Lifehacker

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