Wine Lesson Wednesday- A Weekly Feature

With all of today's "drama" with the husband I was starting to think I wasn't going to get this weeks lesson posted. But he's fine, so why not..... and while I'm at it I may just need to have a bottle or two..... just kidding...... sort of :0)

I know is last weeks lesson I said I would be talking about a wine from France and South Africa, but I thought I would change things up at bit and talk about accessories instead.

Wine Glasses:

Do you need to use the proper wine glass for each and every style of wine you drink? No , not really. Does it help with the flavor of the wine, yes it does, but the wine police isn't going to come arrest you for drinking wine in a plastic cup is you choose to do so. Some of my favorite glasses are these, but I'm equally happy to drink out of these. There's just about as many styles and brands of glasses out there as there is wines. What you really need to look for when buying them, is how it feels in your hand, making sure the lip of the bowl is flat and not round, and the size of the bowl ...... the bigger the better in my book. 

Decanters: 

Are they needed? Again not really, but they do help with the flavor of red wines. Pouring red wine into a decanter ( known as decanting) adds air to the wine which in turns "boosts" the flavor experience. For the most bang for your buck I highly recommend buying a system like this one, where you not only get the decanter but glasses to match.

Openers:

My all time favorite opener would have to be this one. So much so that if the house was burning down I would run back to get it..... OK maybe I wouldn't do that but I still love it all the same. For on the go opening ( friends parties, picnics, etc) I use one like this . It's compact design makes it east to tuck into even the smallest of bags. 

Some other accessories you may want to have around would be..... a wine chiller, wine decanting funnel , wine bottle collar, wine pump, bottle stoppers, a cellar, a wine thermometer  and a glass brush. 

Until our next lesson.... Salute ! 

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Wine Lesson Wednesday- A Weekly Feature

Before I start this weeks lesson I thought I would tell you about what could be an interesting way to enjoy wine. While reading the Feb./March issue of Fine Cooking Magazine Great Finds section, I came across a company called Mercer's Dairy where they take their premium ice cream and blend it with wines from some of the oldest vineyards in America. So if your looking for a different way to enjoy your "glass" of wine you may want to check them out. 

Now for this weeks lesson.

  Last week I covered both German and Austrian wines, as well as some of the many grapes used to produce them. For this weeks lesson I will be talking about 2 wines I have discovered from the region. 

Molitor ( Karl Molitor Wine Estate ) 

Riesling - Rheingau, Germany - 2007 *

Karl Molitor inherited the estate from his father in 1971 and runs the winery with his eldest son Klaus. With a degree in winemaking, Klaus brings a modern perspective to the estate. The winery is very much a family affair with the extended family members doing most of the work from pruning the vines to bottling. 

This wonderful Riesling has a velvety texture with notes of apricots, kumquat, and tangerine zest. 

George Albrecht Schneider

Dornfelder- Rheinhessen, Germany- 2006 *

The George Albrecht Schneider estate has been in the Schneider family for seven generations, with three generations still hard at work producing excellent wines. The Dornfelder grape is a hybrid created in 1955 and named after an 18TH century German finance minister who was a friend to the wine industry. 

This wine reminds me of a cross between a Pinot Noir and a Sangivoese , although it's heritage is from just about every German red grape grown. It has a spicy floral flavor with hints of boysenberry, loganberry , as well as raspberry. kirsch cherry liquor and a tiny bit of menthol.

* As of today I am unable to find any online wine sellers that sell either of these wines. If your interested in trying either , you may want to inquire with your local wine seller to see if they can import some for you. Ours was given to us by a business associate of my husband who lives in the area.

Next week I will be covering A Pinot Blanc from France and a Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot from South Africa. Until then Salute! 

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