1. 15 Months in the Making Finally is Here.Welcome to the Party
Wine Tasting Party 7/22/2016
15 Months in the Making Finally is Here.Welcome to the Party

2. Wine Types Many other types of wine Red, White, Sparkling, Port, …
Red being the most intrigue
Vintage (year)
Appellation (geographicallty defined region)
Long list of factors … No Two Bottles Taste The Same
Common questions
What kind of grapes?
How to read a label?
How to store wine?
How to select wine?
How to pair with food?

3. Wine Tasting Your Preference Your Mood Your Sense
Just like food tasting, a very personal matter

4. Wine Tasting
Sweetness
Fruit
Tannin
Acidity
Alcohol

5. Old World vs New World Old World
Europe, wine making for thousands of years
France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Greece, etc.
New World
Countries outside of continental Europe
USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, etc.
Huge difference: viticulture + winemaking philosophies

6. Grapes
Popular Ones:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz/Syrah
.... (too many to list)
Very Rare: 100% of a single grape type
California: single grape => 85%+
Labelled Grape on New World Wines
Sort of meaningless => grape blending/mixture of each label always a trade secret
Old World Wines don't have grape type on label

7. Winemaking An Art! winemaking is never a science
should not be a science – just like cooking, baking
skill passed from generation to generation
many Old World wineries are still family run, but deminishing
More business-oriented manufacturers target mass production while maintaining consistency

8. What Makes a Good Bottle of Wine?
Good Grapes
What makes grapes good?
Terrior
Literally “soil”
Wine Quality determined by winery, not “appellation”
All credits should go to the winemaker

9. Wine Pairing
“Red for meat, White for seafood” => Old textbook. Hardly anyone still follows
Meat usually pairs well with any red
Chinese, seafood or not, pairs well with red
Cheese, chips, salsa, olives… most savory snacks pair well with red (probably white)
Go with your own taste

10. A (very) short & simple answer:
How Wine is Made?
A (very) short & simple answer:
Grapes crushed (no skin nor stalk for white)
Add yeast to begin fermentaion (a few days to a few weeks)
After filtering, transfer to oak barrel for aging. Inexpensive wine aged in stainless steel tanks
Bottle, then package for market

11. Select Wine Long answer for a short question:
To pair with meal? Drink as beverage?
New World: tend to be more body and sweeter
Old World: tend to be less sweet and lighter in body

12. Select Wine Your preference, and budget
Higher price does NOT mean better quality!
Costco, BevMo, Trader Joes, and your local supermarkets are good starting point as prices are reasonable
Tried Trader Joe's “2-buck Chuck”?
Specialty wine shops offer more selections on artisan and imported brands

13. Storing Wine Aging usually improves smoothness
Tiny oxygen seeps through cork over time
Place wine bottles horizontally
Ideal temperature: 50F ~ 55F
Wines like to “live” in a dark, cool, and vibration-less place
A wine stroage refrigeration is probably the next thing
Inside a cool storage cabinet works quite as well
Aging: typically 5 ~ 10 years
Old World wines usually age longer than New World wines

14. Label Tells a lot about the wine inside Vintage
Applellation/Region (Origin)
Winery/Manufacturer
Product Description
Winemaker's notes
Grape type(s)
Pay some attention to
Art work
Seal
Packaging

15. Summary Try out more wine, from different wine regions
Do more reading & research afterward
Repeat the above cycle :-)