A Wine Glossary: A list of words found at the end of a book that the author uses constantly, often just to impress readers. The author might not remember the meaning of these words themselves...so he puts them at the end where he can refer to them all the time.

 

Let's take a look at some of the commonly dropped wine terms in polite society, in random order:

 

Tannin: The bitter sensation mostly associated with red wine. Different grapes produce wines with different amount of tannins - Cabernet/Shiraz being the most to Gamay being the least. They seem harsh at first sip but, petit-à-petit, grow on you. Tannins leave a furry/velvety coat on the inside of our mouth which gives the effect of dryness. They also give red wine their structure and ageworthiness, and their ability to pair well with rich, high-protein dishes. Tea too has tannins. Talk of tannins in white/rosé wines is perfect at a table where one is discussing other things imaginary, like WMDs in Iraq.

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (0) >>

Whenever I get flak for my columns, it is mostly directed to my choice of titles, which are generally quite unimaginative, and cheesy. Apparently my titles make wine even more boring, something that was considered impossible even by the most cynical of critics!

But I have several reasons behind the title of this piece. Two reasons actually. Here’s the first one.

New Zealand has done what no other

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (1) >>

 

Would you know how to define a hard sell?  I don't, hence the question.

For me the words seem self explanatory; rainbows would be a hard sell in the land of the colour-blind. Whisky is a hard-sell in the land of free narcotics. Wine, on the other hand, is a hard sell, period. No conditions required. It’s just hard.

 

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (4) >>

Packaging matters, no matter what the industry.

 

Recently, in fact as recent as about five minutes before I started writing this, I received something about how wine packaging is undergoing change. South Africa has launched a new campaign about how their new light-weight bottles would help the economy, environment and the people of the world in general. The new bottles with screw-cap will weigh 350 grams, about 150 grams lighter than previous versions. Sure it doesn't sound as revolutionary and won't do for the wine industry what the bikini did to the gown-manufacturing industry, but every gram counts.

 

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (1) >>

 

I find it not so surprising that the word ‘vow' rhymes with ‘wow'. The minute you use the first one, others exclaim the second, and that is mostly because the word vow, by construct, seems wired to fail. In fact so linked are the two words that in both in the Indian and Iberian sub-continent and peninsula, even the pronunciation is almost the same and unless you were aware of the context the word was used in, you would never know which one it was. Luckily then, in these parts, you can interchange the two in usage and yet avoid quite the faux pas.

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (2) >>

 

So they say competition is a good thing. It brings out the best in us. Well, I don't believe so. Not always. Especially not when I’m losing. But that rarely happens. Like never. So I don't really know exactly what I’m complaining about.

 

Moving on then. ..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (1) >>

 

The last few weeks have been quite eventful, at least for me. I still haven’t managed to earn my Bentley but I work relentlessly, days on end, for that. Other things have however managed to keep my spirits alive and singing.

 

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (1) >>

First is an important position. You never forget the first time. First impressions are definitely lasting, if not the last. The first cut is the deepest. So, on that thought, the first drink is perhaps the most important of the evening.

 

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (1) >>

Magandeep Singh blogs for the Wine Society of India about his adventures in the world of wine:

 

Wine sense is, personally speaking, a very important wine term. It symbolises all that is really needed for enjoyment: the wine, and the sense. While a million people write about wine, dissecting it, turning it over and around, very few people actually take the time to enjoy it.

This is exactly why wine

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (0) >>

Most people tend to read the words on a wine label about as much as they read the articles in Playboy. This is not a good thing if you are, let’s say, not absolutely versed with human anatomy, or the insides of a wine bottle! It always helps to know your way around, so to say.

A wine label is like a synopsis of the wine, attached to the bottle. It is part ID card, part storyteller for the wine it represents. You can acquire data and much more from it. Here is how it goes.

..Read More >>

Posted in: Untagged  | Comment (10) >>