I once read an article about Yinta Restaurant, which is one of the most famous top restaurants in Paris. This restaurant on the other side of Notre Dame de Paris is famous not only for its exquisite dishes, but also for its 300,000 bottles of wine kiln. The article said: "People and wine have a deep fate. Wine appears in every major event in the history of human exploration, whether it is about love, war, joy or courage, violence or mediation. Wine praises heroes and wine praises God. "
Acquaintance wine
Every time I drink a glass of wine as noble as ruby or as clear as amber, I will definitely ask, what kind of talent and spiritual wisdom is needed to achieve this fascinating perfection?
It must be the right person, the right time and the right place, and all the coincidences are there. From a grape to a cup of nectar, it is actually a peerless romance. For people who plant, brew and appreciate wine, in the complicated procedures related to wine, every procedure such as measuring plant spacing, removing stalks, breaking skin, adding sugar, soaking skin and fermenting is saturated with their love for wine. These people devote themselves wholeheartedly to it, putting their spirit, preferences and understanding of life into it. Isn't this love?
Some people say that the birth of a perfect glass of wine needs the most suitable geographical location: 30 to 52 degrees north latitude and 0/5 to 42 degrees south latitude;
The most suitable climate and sunshine: too little sunshine will be sour, too much will be too sweet;
The most suitable soil: sandy and barren land;
Optimum humidity: where you can see the river, you can make good wine;
Finally, and most importantly, it is human mind, temperament, pursuit and dream.
Wine is a kind of wine made from grapes. As for its origin, the exact age can no longer be verified, but it is speculated that wine was brewed in Central Asia around 3000-6000 BC. Today, wine has not only developed into a profound knowledge, but also become an indicator of culture and quality of life.
The most famous wine producers in the world are France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States and other countries. Where grapes are planted, only temperate regions north and south of the equator are suitable for planting. There are thousands of kinds of grapes in the world, but only more than 50 kinds can be used to make wine. Mainly divided into white grapes and red grapes.
The most popular white grape varieties are: Chardonnay, the king of white grapes, with rich juice flavor, delicate quality and unique oak barrel flavor, producing the best white wine in the world; Gray Pi Nuo, mainly planted in northern Italy; Sauvignon Blanc, with a fresh smell, comes from California instead of oak from Europe, and its "white grape sparkling wine" is very popular; After Riesling, white grapes often taste like pears or cantaloupes, and Riesling wine in Germany enjoys a high reputation all over the world. In addition, there are high-quality varieties such as dalamina and Bai.
The most popular red grape varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Red King, with small particles, thick and hard skin, mellow taste and dark color, which become more delicate and elegant with the passage of time, and the famous Bordeaux red wine is brewed from it; Mohr, which originated in France, is the best "supporting role" in Cabernet Sauvignon, because its wine is soft, delicate, layered and storable. Black Pi Nuo is native to Burgundy, France, which requires high climate, and its output is small and unstable. It is one of the oldest known varieties. The aroma of the wine brewed by this method showed many changes, with red fruit as the main aroma at first, and rich and rich aromas such as animal aroma and truffle aroma after aging. The delicate taste and sweet and long aftertaste of wine are its charm; Known as the most expensive wine in the world, Merlot is mainly made from Merlot grapes. This variety originated in Bordeaux, France, and grapefruit is its famous wine town. The wine brewed with this kind of wine has soft quality, high alcohol content and low acidity, which can set off the rich fruity aroma and round and smooth taste of the wine.
There are many ways to classify wine, which can be divided into table wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine and aperitif according to their functions. We usually refer to table wine, and its alcohol content is generally 9% to 14%. According to color, it can be divided into red, white and pink. Sparkling wine doesn't just refer to champagne, because the regulations in different countries are different. Sparkling wine from America is better than champagne. The alcohol content of fortified wine is usually 17% to 2 1%. Bordeaux, Sherry, Masala White and Madeira are fortified wines, which are usually drunk after meals. Aperitif wine can be said to be red and white wine with fragrant herbs or spices, most of which have unique aroma and different colors, such as absinthe and Lilly wine. According to acidity and sugar content, it can be divided into dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines. In addition, wines can be classified according to standards such as grade, carbon dioxide content and packaging, and so on.
To understand wine, it is very important to read the label. The wine label is like an ID card of wine, which contains a lot of relevant information. Reading the label of a bottle of wine is equivalent to having a basic understanding of its background without its flavor.
The contents of wine labels in different wine producing areas are different, but basically there are items such as producing area, grape variety, year, bottling place and classification. The more accurate the label of origin, the better the quality. In some countries, vineyards, villages and regions even mark the wine labels in detail to ensure the quality of the wine. Sometimes both the grape variety and the origin name appear on the label, so the quality of wine can be inferred from the grape variety. In addition, the vintage of wine is also very important, which not only represents the vintage of a bottle of wine, but also is the basis of good or bad quality, because the vintage refers to the harvest year of grapes, and the maturity of grapes in different years will be different, and the quality of vintage harvest will also affect the life of wine. Bottling is divided into producing area bottling and wine merchant bottling. Bottled wines of origin usually have good quality assurance, because wine farmers will take special care and care of their fine wines. But this does not mean that the bottling of wine merchants must be inferior products, as long as the wine merchants with good reputation will also have good products. As for the grading method, each country and even the producing areas have different grading methods, which are quite complicated and professional.
In addition, there will be information such as alcohol content, sweetness, verification number, wine seal, trademark, and excellent commodity certificate. On the wine label, the wine labels of various countries are more or less national, so we can get a glimpse of its birthplace from the label design. In France, there are even schools that specially design wine labels to train professional designers.
Xiangyue wine
Wine has its own language, and only by understanding the meaning of these languages can we really understand wine.
New wine refers to wine brewed from grapes harvested in the same year. Although drinking once every other year will not become an "old wine", the longer the time, the fruity and fresh fragrance emphasized by the new wine will gradually disappear. It is usually recommended to taste new wine within three months after leaving the factory. Don't let new wines "age", they won't last.
Ice wine delayed the harvest of grapes. When the temperature is below -7℃, the grapes are kept on the branches for a certain time, frozen, then harvested and squeezed, and the grape juice is used to brew wine.
Grape fruit was infected with Botrytis cinerea in the post-ripening stage of noble wine, which caused obvious changes in fruit composition. Wine made from this grape.
Tannic acid is an acidic substance with astringency and an important part of wine taste.
Words describing wine generally refer to the smell of wine, while aroma is the smell of new wine that has not been fermented. Mellow is used to describe rich aging, and other commonly used words to describe smell are "light", "medium" and "strong". Closed fragrance refers to the faint fragrance that has not been brewed. Vanilla flavor refers to the unique vanilla flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon or Black Pi Nuo.
The components of harmonious wine are coordinated with each other, and the sweet and sour taste and aroma complement each other and have a long aftertaste.
Strength is a structural framework based on alcohol content, acidity and tannin of wine.
Exquisite and elegant, like Audrey Hepburn's innocence and amorous feelings, beyond words. Usually used to describe fine classic wines such as Lafayette Rothschild manor wine, Yikun manor wine, Burgundy wine and Latash wine.
A faint bottle of wine loses its smell after being bottled for a period of time. Usually it will recover automatically after a few months.
Hanging a glass of wine is a pleasing phenomenon for wine lovers to shake the glass and hang it on the wall and slide down. Swirl patiently and let the wine evaporate slowly.
The wine tasting tongue is rolled into the mouth and gently stirred. As Wu said, "At first it is soft, then it is deep and long, then it is lingering, then it is blurred, and finally it is dizzy. Then everything turns around, and I don't know what is going on in heaven and earth, but it always dances outside the nebula." A good wine will bring people such a feeling of confusion and elegance.
Enotria The ancient Greeks called Italy Enotria, which is the hometown of wine. This name still lives up to its name today, because every region to which Italy belongs produces its own wine. Wine is the cultural essence that truly connects this land.
Thin wine comes to wine festival. France and wine seem to have a natural connection and have become symbols of each other in the long years. Every year on the third Thursday of June 165438+ 10, you can always find "LeBeaujolaisNouveauestarrivé!" (Thin wine is coming, new wine is coming! ) Billboards, as well as waiters carrying trays, have become an annual event in the catering industry all over the world to bring thin wine with beautiful wine labels to the market.
Love wine
◆ Drinking method
Choosing the right occasion, keeping the right wine temperature, choosing the right wine glass and matching certain dishes can give full play to the characteristics of wine and enjoy the fun of drinking.
Red wine: room temperature 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. After opening the bottle, wait 15 to 30 minutes to sober up, and then pour the wine until it is round, soft and easy to eat. Ideal with meat, onions and cheese. Suitable for wide-mouth upright thick cups.
Liquor: room temperature 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, cool in the ice bucket before opening the bottle. The amount of wine poured should not exceed half the capacity of the cup, so it should be served with seafood. Suitable for tulip goblets.
Brandy: Distilled liquor, mainly wine. The amount of wine poured should not exceed one-fifth of the capacity of the cup. When drinking, hold the bottom of the glass with your palm, so that the temperature of your palm will gradually increase, and shake the glass at any time, so that the aroma will be easy to gather at the mouth of the glass, and taste it while smelling it, which can help digestion and promote blood circulation. Suitable for round cups and low-leg cups.
Wine is a good wine bred by time. Tasting wine means tasting its fragrance. It is a sensory aesthetics that integrates vision, smell and taste. If you don't know how to taste wine at present, you will not only disappoint the wine, but also lose its elegance.
Seeing its color, smelling its fragrance and tasting its taste are the trilogy of wine tasting.
The first step in wine tasting is to observe the color of the wine. One is to appreciate its rippling and charming color, and the other is to judge the freshness of wine according to its color. Pour the half-full wine into the cup, hold the bottom of the cup with your thumb and forefinger and observe the color. Be careful not to touch the cup body, so as not to leave fingerprints and affect the color judgment. The ideal situation for color viewing is in the sun. If it is indoors, it is appropriate to use ordinary light bulbs. First, tilt the cup forward and look at the liquid level from the side of the cup to observe the transparency and clarity. The liquid level of good wine should be shiny and transparent. At this time, you can also gently shake the glass and observe the "tears" formed when the wine slides down the abdominal wall of the glass. The slower the tears flow, the stronger the wine, that is, the higher the alcohol or sugar content. Then, with white napkins, tablecloths or walls as the background, different kinds of wines have different colors, from pink to black and purple, while white wines have colorless, water white, lemon yellow, dark gold or wheat flavor.
The second step of tasting wine is to smell its aroma. First, send the glass to the nose at an inclined angle, smell the aroma of the wine at rest, then gently shake the glass in a small circle, then send the glass to the nose again and take a deep breath. This time, I smelled all kinds of intoxicating smells of wine after shaking and heating. The aroma of wine varies with different producing areas, grape varieties and brewing methods.
Finally, it's time to taste wine. Take a sip and put it in your mouth, then stir it with your tongue a few times to make the wine fully contact with the tongue surface and let the taste spread slowly in your mouth. Then open your lips slightly and take a breath to let the wine fill the whole nasal cavity. At this time, hold your breath a little, and then spit out the gas from your nose. At this time, you will feel the wine filling the whole nasal cavity. Finally, let the wine slide down your throat and taste the remaining rhyme. You can judge the alcohol concentration and sweetness of wine by tasting it. If the tip of the tongue doesn't feel any exciting or unpleasant taste, it is a good wine. And a good glass of wine should be evenly mixed with acidity, sweetness (alcohol) and tannin strength to have a sense of balance.
◆ Side dishes
"Red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat" is the most basic common sense of wine side dishes. But there are exceptions to everything. Here are some special cases and taboos for everyone. Mix soft shark's fin and delicious abalone with soft tannins and full-bodied red wine, and the taste is wonderful; Shrimp is more suitable for red wine, but lobster and sea cucumber must be accompanied by white wine; Avoid adding vinegar to dishes. If sour taste is needed, lemonade can be used instead. Wine should be accompanied by sweets, and sweet cheese is a good choice, except chocolate; It is best not to use wine with spicy food, but to use spicy or fruity wine; The yellow wine in aristocratic wine is similar to that in China, so it is more appropriate to drink it when eating crabs. In short, strong dishes are accompanied by strong wine; Light dishes should be accompanied by light wine, so as not to spoil the light taste, and let the tastes of dishes and wine set off each other instead of covering each other up.
◆ Table manners
1, order first, and then order wine according to the needs of the dish.
2. Before opening the bottle, let the guests look at the wine label, confirm the type and year, and then see if there are any traces of wine leakage at the seal of the bottle cap and whether the wine label is clean.
3. Open the bottle and cork, let the guests see if the cork is wet (if it is put upside down correctly, it will be wet, otherwise it is likely to deteriorate), smell the cork, or try to drink it to further confirm the quality of the wine.
4. Officially pour the wine after confirmation. Guests can put the cups on the table. If they don't want a refill, they can gently shake the rim of the cup or cover it with their hands. Wipe off the oil stains on the corners of your mouth with a napkin before drinking, so as not to be unsightly and affect the feeling of wine fragrance.
Toast usually chooses between main course and beet. Hold the cup at eye level, look at each other, and at least take a sip as a sign.
6. Wine varieties, in the order of light before heavy, sweet before dry, white before red; Quality follows the law that the more you drink, the higher your grade. Ordinary wine is served first, and the most advanced wine is served last. When changing wine, be sure to change another cup.
7. China's wine ceremony generally follows international practice, and the order of pouring wine is guests, hosts, guests and other personnel. In the family banquet, the elders come before the younger generation; Guests come first, then hosts. However, in the international public service order, women are absolutely dominant. Persuade wine should be handled as appropriate.
Every bottle of wine has its own appearance, like people, which is worth cherishing, and those unique wines will eventually become distant legends. The integrity and taste of wine lies in its "life is worse than death", because it is rare, so it is precious; Because of its uniqueness, it is aloof and lofty, not kitsch, and will not go with the flow. People who love wine must be extraordinary.
A bottle of wine that can make people feel moved and daydream will definitely come from a religious, unique and sometimes maverick winemaker. It is precisely because they brew wine with sincerity and enthusiasm that they have created peerless wines that can be called fine works of art for the world.