For any wine aficionado, curating their own wine collection can be a special experience. But beyond carefully selecting and buying your wines, storing them in a suitable environment plays a huge part in elevating your wine drinking experience. So while you revel in the thrill of your impeccable wine collection, have you made arrangements to …
Grapes are arguably one of the most versatile of fruits — have them as table grapes that go with anything, process them to make raisins, use grape oil, make grape jam or grape juice, or better still, ferment them to make wine. However, the process of growing them successfully involves a lot of work that …
Must-See! If you are a wine aficionado, or simply enjoy sipping wine, you have to visit these wine museums. Ranging from state-of-the-art, to picturesque and eccentric, these obscure foundations guarantee to take you on an amazing journey to underground caves, magnificent castles, and centuries-old manors as they celebrate their wine heritage. Keep reading to discover …
Considered one of the most prestigious winemaking countries, France has a long history of producing wine. To ensure that the produced wine is of high quality, France developed a set of standards against which local wines are measured. The French classification system corresponds to the European Union’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and Protected Geographical …
Ampelography in botany is the field concerned with the classification and identification of grapevines. For the most part, ampelography has been done by comparing the color and the shape of the grapevine its leaves, and grapes. However, in recent years, DNA fingerprinting has revolutionized the study of vines. A grapevine is not singular but a …
It is commonly believed that California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma are the best names in America for wines. However, in recent years, many other viticultural areas have risen in prominence. The healthy rivalry between regions has not only given rise to the production of world-class wines but also aided the development of everything needed for …
Wine shatter is the term used for the phenomenon where a grape cluster does not reach maturity. Also known as coulure in French, wine shatter is caused by unfavorable climatic conditions. For example, if during pollination, the climatic conditions of a vineyard are too cloudy, cold, rainy, or the temperature is constantly high, coulure will …
If you’ve been concerned about whether drinking wine is a healthy choice, you can lay your worries to rest. Numerous studies have established the health benefits of drinking wine in moderate amounts. Wine is not only heart-healthy, but it also offers many diverse health benefits that you may not even be aware of. An alcoholic …
Once the second alcoholic fermentation is complete, the Champagne yeast dies, forming sediment of lees in the bottle. Then, over a period of months, these dead yeast cells start to break down, releasing chemical compounds into the wine, a process known as yeast autolysis. These contribute to the characteristic flavor of the Champagne, giving biscuit …
Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) is an insect pest native to North America. Regrettably, the main Eurasian grapevine Vitis vinifera species is unable to defend itself against it. Consequently, it caused widespread destruction to the vineyards of Europe when it was accidentally introduced in the 19th Century. Phylloxera has a complex life cycle, taking different forms throughout …
