Posted on Jun 06, 2009 by Steven Spurrier
Blog: Steven Spurrier
My last communication was on The Importance of Comparative Tastings, telling the story of a tasting I organised in Paris in 1976 that compared (blind, of course) California Chardonnays against top white Burgundies and California Cabernet Sauvignons against the finest chateaux from Bordeaux. This tasting, where a California wine was judged top in both categories, became
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Posted in: Wine Education, New World Wines | Comment (1) >>
Posted on Apr 01, 2009 by Steven Spurrier
Blog: Steven Spurrier
Last time we looked at the principal white grape varieties - grapes that were once identified with specific regions in the traditional vineyards of Europe, but are now seen in wine-producing regions all around the world.
This time, it's the turn of the reds. It's worth noting that, with very rare exceptions, the pulp of a vitis vinifera grape is colourless. If you squeeze the grape, the juice is clear, because it is the skin of the grape that contains the pigmentation. By macerating the skins with the pressed juice before, during and after fermentation (the process which transforms the grape's sugar into alcohol), that gives the colour. All red grapes can be used to make a rosé wine, the pink colour coming from a very short maceration period. The skin of the grape also contains the tannins, which, along with the fruit, allow red wines to age.
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Posted in: Wine Education, Red Wine | Comment (1) >>
Posted on Mar 16, 2009 by Steven Spurrier
Blog: Steven SpurrierAlmost all wines today are produced by a type of vine known as vitis vinifera, which has been refined and developed over the centuries for the production of grapes for wine, rather than for the table. Different families of vines have evolved that carry specific names and these are known as grape varieties, or “varietals”. Wine from a single grape variety are called “varietal
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Posted in: Wine Education, Grapes | Comment (0) >>
Posted on Jan 22, 2009 by Steven Spurrier
Blog: Steven Spurrier
Burgundy – the 2007 vintageEach year in January, the UK wine trade holds a series of tastings of the last but one vintage in Burgundy . Over two weeks, literally thousands of wines are tasted by the trade and Press and much of the wine is sold at that time. The most exciting vintage in recent years was far and away 2005, but the 2006s were well received, especially the
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Posted in: Wines, Wine Education, Wine Awareness, Wine, White Wine, Red Wine, Old World Wines, French Wine | Comment (1) >>
Posted on Aug 21, 2008 by Steven Spurrier
Time and again, alcohol and wine have been miserably confused with each other as one and the same thing. Reflecting upon the literally poor public awareness about wine in general and wine appreciation/ wine tasting in particular, wine lovers have been led to take up the cause solemnly and venture into joining hands together, to unfold the best of colors, aromas and tastes of wines to the world.
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Posted in: Wine Education | Comment (1) >>
Posted on Aug 21, 2008 by Steven Spurrier
Wine , a popular alcoholic drink across the world, is generally made from fermentation of grape juice. The drink has played an important role in religion throughout history. Used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist and Kiddush, the drink is popular in European regions of Greece and Rome since 6000 BC. In fact the Greek God Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus is said to have represented Wine. Though the name ‘Wine’ is derived from Latin word ‘Vinum’, it is indeed surprising to know that Archaeological evidences suggest the origin of Wine(s) to Iran in 6,000 BC.
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Posted in: Wine Education | Comment (3) >>
