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Chardonnay
Chardonnay- [shar-dun-NAY]
About:
Chardonnay is a dry style white wine. The Chardonnay grape is the most widely planted white wine grape in the world. Many times chardonnay is aged in oak barrels for a period of time before bottling, which will soften the wine and impart an oaky, buttery flavor in the wine depending on how long it is aged and if the barrels are new oak or slightly used. Some producers make unoaked versions of the wine where the wine is stainless steel fermented or aged in older oak barrels which impart very little oak character making the wine have more crisp acidity. Some producers may also put Chardonnay through a process called malolactic fermentation, a process which converts the tart malic acid to lactic acid, making the wine softer.
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India Pale Ale/IPA
History:
In the early 1700’s troops and British citizens living in India as part of the colonial rule did not have access to good British ale and any attempts to ship the malt British ales to them resulted in spoilage, due to the extreme temperatures and rolling of the seas. A brewer discovered that a high dose of hops and increased alcohol content preserved his ales and during the long voyage to India.
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Cachaca
The following content provided by Leblon …
The ABCs of Brazil's National Spirit, Cachaça
What is Cachaca? How do you say it? How do you use it? And is it a Rum or not? As the fastest growing spirit in the United States, more and more Americans are discovering Cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil. Unique only to Brazil, Cachaça is pronounced ka-SHA-sa, with the emphasis on the ‘SHA.' Like Hefeweizen, Fahrvergnugen, and Pinot Grigio, Cachaça is a foreign word easy to mispronounce - at least initially. Cachaça's cocktail sidekick, the Caipirinha, is the national cocktail of Brazil (pronounced kai-pur-EEN-ya, with the emphasis on the third syllable).
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Malbec
Malbec – Red (MAHL-beck)
About:
Malbec is a red grape that tends to produce wines with an inky dark color. It is one of the grapes allowed in the production of Bordeaux wines of France but is used very little in those wines today. In France it is the main grape in the appellation of Cahors, where it is called Côt. Malbec has grown successfully in Argentina and makes up a large portion of the red wine produced in that area. The climate and soil in Argentina seem to bring out the best in the Malbec grape.
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Zinfandel
Some may be confused to learn that Zinfandel is a dry red wine. Many know Zinfandel as White Zinfandel, the pink sweet wine that some may have entered into the wine world drinking. White Zinfandel and Red Zinfandel actually come from the same grape. The Zinfandel grape is a red grape varietal. As with most red grape varietals, when pressed the juice comes out clear in color and then in order to develop color and tannin the juice is left in contact with the skins for a period of time. To make white zinfandel the skins are pulled early when the juice is a blush color and then goes through the wine making process and made in a way where it retains some of the grapes residual sugar making the wine sweet. Red Zinfandel (labeled just Zinfandel) is produced leaving the skin in contact with the juice longer giving it a darker red color and more dry taste.
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American India Pale Ale
American India pale ale (IPA)
History/About:
An American version of the English style India Pale Ale using all American ingredients: Yeast, malt, water.
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Sake Basics
Is it beer or wine?
Saké purists will say that saké is saké. It is not wine or beer. It is it’s own unique beverage and deserves it’s own identity. That is certainly true, but in a world that is trying to understand saké, it is not easy to be so definitive and may not be a good idea.
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Spanish Wine Laws and Terms
Spain is a member of the European Union and thus complies with their laws and standards. This means they divide wines into two major categories: table wines and quality wines.
The lower category of “table wines” include two categories:
Vino de mesa (literally meaning “table wines”)—The lower echelon of the wine classification system. This category is very important to Spain and accounts for about half of its production.
Vino de la tierra (country wines) – sourced within a single, fairly broad wine region (geographical indication “GI”), and must meet nominal alcohol and sensory standards.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon [cab-er-NAY SO-vin-yon]
About:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of Red wines and is one of the world’s most recognized red grape varieties and is grown in almost every wine producing country. The varietal does much better in warmer weather areas and not as good in areas with early winters. The grape is believed to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon originated in Bordeaux France. In this area Cabernet is many times blended with one or more of the approved grapes which are: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Many vintners around the world try to make wines in a Bordeaux style and blend a portion of these grapes into their Cabernet Sauvignon as well. Cabernet Sauvignon is also bottled as entirely Cabernet as well without blending other grapes. In Australia Cabernet is blended sometimes with Shiraz.
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Basics of Ales
Beer styles are divided into the two main groups of Ales and Lagers. While there are many differences between the two, the most important distinction is the flavor. Generally ales have more fruity, robust flavors than lagers while lagers can be more crisp and subtle. Ales are often referred to as being "top fermented" by the way they stay on top of the beer during primary fermentation and Lagers are referred to as "bottom fermented" because lager yeast tends to settle to the bottom and ferment.
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Beer Basics
Beer is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from malted grains – most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), and rice are widely used. Most beer is flavored with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavorings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. The basic ingredients of beer are water, malted barley, yeast and hops.
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American Pale Ale
American pale ale
History/About:
This style is basically the American version of an English pale ale using American hops, malt, yeast and water as the ingredients.
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Sauvignon Blanc
What is Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape varietal that is usually produced dry with a crisp acidity. Sauvignon blanc may have aromas of grass or hay (typical California style), grapefruit, green pepper, gooseberry (typical New Zealand style), minerality (French style and some South American styles), and sometimes even a little toast or smoke if it has been oak aged. Most Sauvignon blanc are all stainless steel fermented and never spend time in oak barrels. The wine should be served chilled.
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German Wine 101
The German wine regions are some of the most northerly in the world. The main wine-producing climate lies below the 50th parallel, which runs through the regions Rheingau and Mosel. Above this line the climate becomes less conducive to wine production, but there are still some vineyards above this line. Most of Germany’s vineyards are planted on slopes or steep hills topped by protective forests that check the wind, and almost always near a sun-reflecting river – primarily the Rhine and its tributaries.
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Riesling
Riesling (Reessling)
About:
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is indigenous to Germany and, because of its ability to withstand cold weather, is one of the few quality grapes that can be grown there and other regions with similarly marginal climates. The grape can make entirely different wines when grown in other areas of the world. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines.
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American Whiskey
American Whiskey consist of Bourbon whiskey, Tennessee Whiskey, Rye whiskey and American Blended whiskey.
Bourbon Whiskey – Bourbon received its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky, although bourbon can be distilled anywhere in the United States. Bourbon must have a mashbill (the grain formula) of at least 51% corn, with other grain spirit comprising the rest, distilled at less than 160 proof, and be produced in the United States. When bourbon is placed into barrels for aging, it must be at least 80 proof but not higher than 125 proof. Bourbon must be aged a minimum of two years in new, charred oak barrels, although most straight whiskeys are aged for at least four years. No blending or additives (except water to reduce to bottling proof) is allowed.
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Spanish Wine Varietals
Spain grows a large variety of grapes. Many Spanish wines label their wines using the region name and will not show the grape varietal. So we will give some of the prominent growing areas the following grapes are grown, in order for you learn what grapes could be in a bottle from that region. The following are some of the more prominent regional grapes found in Spanish wine.
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Rum 101
What is Rum and how is it made?
Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water. When sugar cane juice or other sugar-based liquids are allowed to rest, a natural process of fermentation occurs where sugars are converted by yeast into alcohols, at approximately the strength of wines. This sugar comes from the sugar cane and is fermented from one of the following raw materials: 1) Fresh Cane juice, which is fermented immediately after being crushed. This raw sugar cane liquid contains 18 – 24 percent sugar in solution. Rums made from fresh sugar cane juice include Cachacas from Brazil. 2) Molasses -- a by product of the crystalline sugar making process. Molasses is over 50% sugar and is used in most of the rums produced in the world. 3) Cane Syrup – also called sugar cane honey or sweet table-grade molasses. Cane syrup may contain more than 90% sugar.
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Types of Sparkling Wine
“Sparkling wine” is the term used to combine all types of Champagne like wines into one category. In general, people looking for a sparkling wine will automatically refer to this as Champagne. They will ask, “Where is the Champagne section?” Then freak out on the price when you take them to the French Champagne section. In order to legally be called Champagne, it has to come from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines outside of this region have various names. So, let’s look at some of the main options in the Sparkling wine category:
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Vermouth
Vermouth is a liquor made from fortified white wine, with a number of different herbs added for flavor. The word vermouth comes from the German word “wermuth”,(in German the “W” sounds like a “V”) which means wormwood. Wormwood was originally the primary ingredient in vermouth until it was found to be poisonous. Vermouth is made from a combination of herbs, spices, flowers, and seeds.
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Pinot Noir
PINOT NOIR (Red) [PEE-no NWA]
About:
Pinot Noir is a red grape varietal and is considered the classic grape of Burgundy France, however it is grown in areas all over the world. It is a difficult grape to grow and does best when grown in cooler, often fog prone regions. Pinot Noir is one of the varietals used to produce the great sparkling wines in Champagne France, as well as many other sparkling wines around the world. Pinot Noirs tend to be lighter in color and somewhat less tannic than most other red wines. Some can be a bit tannic when the vintner chooses to ferment the wine with some of its stems.
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German Wine Laws
Ripeness Categories:
German Wines are categorized by the degree of ripeness measured in natural grape sugar upon harvest. These ripeness categories are determined by the sugar content in the grapes, which is measured in degree Oechsle. The Oechsle requirements for the respective categories vary by growing region. Riper grapes have more sugar but more importantly more extract and flavor in the grape, hence a more expressive wine. The higher the ripeness of the grapes used for the wine, the higher up in the pyramid the wine will be categorized.
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Box Wine Benefits
For many years box wine had a bad image as being cheap and not good to drink. That seems to have changed in recent years with the creation of the premium 3L box category. Consumers are opening up to buying box wine more and more. In 2017 Black Box and Bota Box wines had sales of over six million 9 Liter cases each. These brands and other box wine producers are putting better quality wine in a box, and keeping the price very reasonable. Could box wine become the new house wine at your restaurant or bar? After reading the following benefits of box wine, you might consider it as an option.
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Tequila 101
Tequila is exclusively a product of Mexico, and principally from its state of Jalisco and a few small, designated regions of the states of Guanajuato, Tamalpais, Michoacan, and Nayarit. It is a spirit made from the Blue agave plant. The Blue Agave plant is a dramatically beautiful plant of blue coloring, similar in look to a giant aloe. It can reach a height of six feet and although it looks like a Cactus, it is in fact a member of the Lily family.
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Spanish Wine Regions
Wine is grown in many regions throughout Spain. For now we will just discuss some of the primary growing regions and the grape varietals they are known for.
Jumilla – Located in Southeast Spain. Primary grapes are Monastrell, Garnacha Tinta, and Cencibel (Tempranillo) for reds and Airén, Macabeo, Malvasia and Pedro Ximénez for white.