Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Barolo Wine




Barolo is an Italian red wine produced in the Piedmont region and considered Italy's best wine. It comes from the Nebbiolo grape variety and is commonly described as one that exudes an aroma very similar to rose and tar. The wine turns into a deep rust red color as it goes through the aging process. 

Barolo wine used to contain large amounts of tannin making it difficult to ferment and age the wine. It used to take more than 10 years to ferment and get the wine ready for consumption due to the large tannin content.

To respond to the demands of the times, wine producers decided to shorten the period of fermentation process to a maximum of 10 days and placed the wine to age in small barrels called "barriques" in French.

The shortened fermentation time produced wines that are milder, fruitier and what the "traditionalists' describe as 'tasting more like new oak than wine'.

Barolo is classified as a Denominazione di origine controllata wine or "Controlled designation of origin" wine. This label is assigned to Italian food products especially to wines and cheeses for quality assurance.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

What Makes Wine Exciting to Drink?



The acid content in wine provides an exhilirating organoleptic experience to wine drinkers. The characteristic tartness, crispness, and bitter taste is what makes the wine very appealing and makes you go back for more. 

Cool regions produce grapes with higher acidity while warm regions produce grapes that are lower in acid content.

Tartaric acid and malic acid account for 70 to 90% of all organic acids found in grape berries and leaves.
  • Tartaric acid is one of the major types of acid that helps make the chemical content of the wine stable under changing conditions and has a significant influence on the finished wine's color, taste and distinct flavor. This acid is present in tamarind, bananas and grapes. It imparts the sour taste to wine in combination with other types of acids. The level of acidity of tartaric acid does not vary a lot as the berries mature.
  • Malic acid is another important acid that imparts sour taste to wine. It is present in all types of berries and fruits but is historically associated with green apples. The level of acidity of malic acid varies a lot as the berries mature and ripen.