Archive for the 'Wine Wisdoms' Category

The term “Meritage” is a combining of the words Medoc and Heritage. It refers to American (mostly California) wines that are a blend of Bordeaux grape varieties, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, for red wine. To use the term on a wine label, wineries must license it from the Meritage Association and adhere to guidelines such as: it must be produced in quantities not exceeding 25,000 cases in a vintage and it must be one of the two most expensive wines that a winery produces. Before the term was coined many wineries created their own proprietary names for their meritage style wines and many of those names still remain. Some of the more famous names are; Dominus, Insignia, Opus One, Cask 23, Cain 5, and Rubicon.

Find top Meritage wines at WineExpress.com

Cook with quality wine. It seems logical that one would use a cheap wine for a recipe- what a waste, right? Not so. Of course you don’t want to use a first growth Bordeaux to make a reduction, but it is never a good idea to use a cheap wine when you cook either. If you don’t want to drink it, why would you want your food to be slowly simmered in it? Go with a decent, mid-range wine. Typically dryer, less aromatic wines are better for cooking. Chardonnay is always a safe bet for white wine because it’s the least aromatic grape and is typically dry. If your recipe calls for red wine, Cabernet is a good choice. When your meal is ready, serve it with a similar wine to what you used in the dish otherwise you risk a clash of flavors. Keep it simple.

For more information on Wine and Food pairing, consult our newly released Wine Enthusiast Wine & Food Pairings Cookbook.

Unlike Burgundy where grape varieties are never blended (100% Pinot Noir or 100% Chardonnay), Bordeaux wines are almost always blends. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot are blended in Red Bordeaux, and Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion are blended in White Bordeaux.

Find Bordeaux and Burgundy Glassware at WineEnthusiast.com

Find Top Rated Bordeaux and Burgundy at WineEnthusiast.com/magazine

 

In an effort to bring you more exciting wine information on a regular basis, we are introducing a new feature here on the Winston’s Wisdoms blog: Wine Wisdoms. Drawing on Wine Enthusiast Companies’ expertise, we will be featuring frequent mini-posts that answer some of our customers’ most common wine questions. Anything from: how to taste wine in a restaurant, useful wine terms, and the various classifications of Bordeaux will be tackled in our Wine Wisdoms. Follow these tips and you’ll be an expert on all things wine, in no time! Stay tuned…