A Nice Spread of Wines

Interesting to see the spread of countries where our wines come from.  Its good to know the biggest slice comes from Australia (44%) with a nice spread from Italy, France and New Zealand. Germany, Spain and Argentina with some from "Other". I wonder where that is? 

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But Where Do I Start?

Okay, you’ve just landed in Grapes and Lager and you’ve got no idea where to start. You are a bit reticent to go and buy 12 bottles of wine you’ve never heard about.

But then again, Grapes and Lager are offering a good discount for your first purchase.

And you are the sort of person that will try new things. When a new restaurant opens, you inevitably go along and try it out. Or a new dish or new wine at an old favorite restaurant. You like to go to new, untried places on holiday and experience new cultures and new food experiences. So why not do the same with wine?

And besides, with Grapes and Lager's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee you are not taking a risk that you may not like the wine you choose – Grapes and Lager are taking all the risk for you.

 

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The Art and Science of Decanting



Why decant wine? A lot of people think its sole purpose is  to artfully separate the wine from any sediment that may have formed.

But there is also another reason to decant wine and this is to do with science.


 
And that is that decanting wine allows smelly trace components, known as thiols, to oxidize to form compounds (disulfides), which have an aroma that is much more difficult for humans to detect. These thiols will be removed or destroyed by the oxidation process after being exposed for one hour.

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The Shape of Things

Why do people seem to harp on about wine glasses and their shape?

Because it makes quite a difference – something good restaurants with their mix of glasses have known for a while.

Starting with Champagne and Sparkling Wine, we all pretty well know it needs to be drunk from tall skinny flutes. And the reason we do this is to maintain those wonderful bubbles as well as the more delicate aromas that sparkling wines have. The flute’s narrow diameter is important in promoting the perception of fresh and delicate aromas. 

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Screwcap or Cork?

Louis Pasteur once described oxygen as “the enemy of wine”.

The problem with cork is oxidation; where the cork simply hasn’t done its job of keeping the air out. A bad cork combined with variations in storage temperatures means the contraction and expansion of the wine will draw oxygen through into the wine. The most damaging temperature changes are those recorded daily, although seasonal changes can also damage the wine.

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