Wine

Wine

I've decided to create this page as a guide for people who want to know more about the world of wine. After working for 5 years in a wine shop, and having an Advanced Certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Any questions feel free to hey or mail me merchelo

Grape Varietals

Major

Chardonnay

Expanded from it's Burgundian roots and planted almost world wide, it is fantastic in areas of chalky soils, in massive yields the wine tends to lose some of its character. Best when aged in wood, which gives it a round buttery flavour.

Gewurtztraminer

A native of northern Italy, but now most commonly found in Alsace, France, a grape which produces spicy wines with hints of exotic fruits. Now grown mostly in Australia, New Zealand, California, and also in eastern Europe.

Muscat

There are different types of muscat grown throughout the world, but commonly the wine produced comes in a fortified or sparkling form. Tends to be sweeter than normal, and is susceptible to mildew which can give low yields but fantastic wine.

Riesling

Another varietal which is gorwn all around the world, but produces it's best work in Germany. The wines have high acidity with a peachy/petrolly aroma. Can have varing levels of residual sugar in the wine, but the more the alcohol in the riesling, the less the sweetness, and vice versa. Australian Rieslings tend to be dry and crisp.

Sauvignon Blanc

A classic varitel planted widely in Bordeaux, Loire Valley, and the New World. Generally used to produce wines with marked acidity, either with or without oak againg. Can be used by master winemakers to produce some of the most fantastic and saught after wines. Gennerally not as Dry as Chardonnay and not sweet, a real thirst quencher of a grape.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Produced mainly in Bordeaux, Chile, Australia, and California. Produces a full bodied wine if correctly made, and can be very tannic (fuzzy feeling on the tongue), normally black berry tastes, but has been known to be chocolately on occasions. One of the most used grapes on the market, can come in all shapes and sizes, from a jug form from California, to a very refined St. Emillion from Bordeaux.

Grenache

Spain is where this grape mainly resides and the Rhone region in France, but has known to travel to places like Australia, as well as Argentina. The main ingredient in most Rose wines, but also used to make those great meaty powerful wines like Chateauneuf Du Pape and Rioja wines. Not as tannic as Cabernet Sauvignon, but if made correctly, and aged properly, can create a wine which is moresome.

Merlot

Second Grape of Bordeaux, and has become fashionable in the US, and Chile. Grown in great yield in New Zealand, this wine has a much softer touch than that of Cabernet Sauvignon, and has a beatifully soft fruitiness to it as well as low tannin. Some of the best "easy drinking" wine can be found from this grape.

Pinot Noir

The Red King of Burgandy, and the sweet sweet son of New Zealand. This grape produces small yields of great tasting wine if grown correctly. The taste is rather lighter than that of a merlot, very light bodied in the most delecate of New Zealands Pinots. In Burgundy, you pay for what you get when it comes to red wine. Cheap Burgundy tends to be very light on flavour and texture, while the more expensive, well looked after wines are nothing short of perfection when it comes to Pinot Noir.

Syrah/Shiraz

Australia, home of the best shiraz's on the planet. Don't let the name of syrah put you off, they are exactly the same thing, just some people like to call it syrah. Can be full bodied and full of flavour when grown in the right sort of area's. A lovely heavy deeply fruited wine with small hints of red berry fruits, and even from the more wetter parts of OZ, can give a jammy/tarty flavour to it.

Zinfandel

The Slut of California. Personnaly i dislike this grape, mainly because it is treated with the most upmost disrespect by the Americans. On it's day it can be some of the most fantastic wine made, but it's very hard to find those wines in Ireland. Main contributer to the "got any ernie & julio rose?" problem which Ireland has. Stoped at it's prime to produce a wine with high residual sugar to get the "yung wans" intoxicated. Best of this wine can be found from private labels from California, but also be on the lookout for it in OZ and NZ

Champagne & Sparkling

Dom Perignon lol Cristal 4 mai homies