Wine

If you haven't heard of wine, you may want to verify that you are indeed from the planet Earth. Humans literally figured out how to make wine before they learned how to communicate with written language. So, even if you find yourself rolling your eyes at all the 30-somethings who 'Rosè all day', you must be at least a little curious what all the hype is about. After all, people have been drinking wine for at least 9,000 years. Could that many people really be wrong? Check out this break-down of everything you need to know about wine, and find out which one is right for you.

What is Wine?

A delightful alcoholic beverage typically made from fermented grapes and yeast. There's some serious science involved, but different kinds of grapes and yeast produce different kinds of wine.

What Kind of Wines are there?
Red Wine
Red wine gets it bold coloring and flavors by utilizing more of the grape. Although the juice from most grapes is white or yellow, you can dye it red by extracting colors and flavors from the skin of the grape. Red wine is typically made from dark-colored grape varieties. Typical types of red wine include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec.
White Wine
Made from the pulp of the grapes, with no skin extraction. White wines are typically made from green or yellow grapes. Some popular varieties include Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon.
Rosè

A Rosè is the middle ground between red and white wines. It's created by allowing darker-colored grape skins to have contact with with the pulpy mixture during fermentation. This stains the drink, and leaves some flavor from the skin, but not as much as extracting it does. Making it darker than white wine, but lighter than red wine.

Fruit Wines

Although grape wine is the standard, there are some other fruits that make pretty decent wine too. Mostly apples and a variety of berries, fermented in much the same process as grapes. A fruit wine will typically be labeled by it's contents: Apple Wine, Elderberry Wine, Strawberry Wine, etc.

How do you drink wine?
To really get this wine thing right, you've got to do a little more than pour and enjoy.

Serve it at the proper temperature. Red wines are better at room temperature, whereas a white wine should be chilled.

Serve it in the right glass. Red wines need more room to breath, so a wider wine glass is preferred. White's do better without all that breathing space, so a taller flute style glass is best.

Hold your glass the right way. Be sure to hold it by the stem or the base, otherwise the body-heat from your hand will ruin that temperature you worked so hard to achieve.

Swirl, sniff, then sip your wine. Popular Food Pairings:
Chardonnays and other white wines pair well with seafood, and pasta's with rich creamy sauce. Next time you're enjoying some salmon or chicken Alfredo, chill yourself a bottle of white wine to optimize that flavor.
Rosè works particularly well with cheeses of any sort. Next time you serve an appetizer involving a cheese board, bust open a bottle of Rosè. You won't regret it.
Planning a hearty steak dinner? Best to bust out the red wine, then. A Cabernet or Bordeaux would be a great choice for any red meat entrée.
Feel free to mix it up on your dessert wines, but it's best to make sure that the wine you choose is at least as sweet, or sweeter, than the dessert itself.
Wines You've Got to Try:
Apothic Dark
A red wine blend. It's reasonably priced, deliciously sweet with undertones of coffee and chocolate. The perfect after dinner wine.
Chappellet Mountain Cuvee
One of Napa Valley's top Cabernet. You've got to try this Cabernet Sauvignon the next time you enjoy a steak or chop.
Santa Margherita
An extra dry blend of pear, melon, lemon, lime, and kiwi flavors. This Pinot Grigio comes straight from Italy, and is best served chilled.
Moet & Chandon
This Rosè has delightfully fresh aromas of strawberry and cream, paired with a lush mousse of bubbles. The perfect pairing for a decadent dark chocolate dessert.

Bitters