We’ve seen it on menus, heard it across the grapevine and seen the pictures on social media. Cheese and wine have known to be great friends and is a true blue French classic. But did you know that not all cheese goes well with a particular wine? Different cheeses pair with different wines, so here are some insights of the different categories:

1) Soft cheeses with a natural rind - Example: Camembert, Brie

Depending on the degrees of maturity, it goes well with quite a few wines. Young cheese is still pretty dry and hard so it goes well with light whites like Chenin Blanc or a dry Riesling. With some age, the cheese becomes stronger with a more ‘runny’ texture, and goes well with light to medium body reds, like Pinot Noir.

2) Soft cheeses with a washed rind – Example: Reblochon, Munster, Epoisses

With a washed rind, the small molding doesn’t develop and the cheese has a rich flavor that gets stronger with age, especially with the Epoisses cheese. Pair this with a richer red wine like Chianti, Sancerre or a young Bordeaux.

3) Goat Cheese – Example: Crottin de Chavignol, St Marcellin

Goat cheeses are usually very soft and delicate, developing great flavors with some ageing – I love them with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

4) Pressed Cheeses – Example: Emmental, Comte

Most of those cheeses comes from the Alps Mountains, and develop superb nutty aromas with age. I especially love them with a rich Chardonnay or try a Beaujolais if you prefer reds.

5) Pressed and Cooked Cheese – Example: Gruyere, Tomme de Savoie

Those are fairly similar than the pressed cheese, just that they are cooked for an hour after the pressing. These cheeses are usually denser with more intense flavors, so go with something a tad richer, like a Cotes du Rhone, white or red.

6) Bleu Cheese – Example: Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert

When it comes to bleu cheese, there’s no halfway path; you either love it or hate it! I think Bleu cheese is an acquired taste and it helps if you grew up eating it as that’s the best way to be acquainted with its exquisite taste. Aged in humid, underground caves that help develop the soft molding, this cheese is a classic match that might seem a bit bizzare. Believe it or not, this goes well with a with a sweet wines like Ste Croix du Mont, Muscat or even Port.

If you are having a nice cheese platter, it would be pretty tough to have a bottle for each individual cheese. The best thing to do would be to pick a wine that appeals to your personal palette, be it red or white. Just make sure that it’s not too strong of a taste that overwhelms your spread. Bon Appetit’!

     The rule of thumb when it comes to food and wine pairing is white wines with fish and red wines with meat. But, I don’t always follow this exactly as I like to match wines with people first and food second.

    How does that work? Well, if you don’t like white and only drink red, then I’m not going to demand you have your fish with a glass of wine you won’t enjoy. Likewise, if you’re having steak, I’m not going to have you drink a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon if you’re not a Pinot Noir fan. You can always find a wine suitable for both your food and your tasting palette. Food pairing is not necessarily fixed and can be interchanged to ensure you enjoy your meal, wine and the pair.

    Rich white wines like Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Rousanne or Marsanne can go very well with white meats. While light reds like Gamay or Pinot Noir when served slightly chilled can go very well with fish dishes. 

    If you’re having a dinner party and need to pair your food with wine for a variety of guest, then it’s best to go with common wines like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. Popular wines are easier with large crowds and you can use the rule of thumb unless you know the preference of your guest. For recommendations, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Wine Talk MalaysiaWine Talk Malaysia so we can recommend some from our great selection. 

     Ordering wines in a restaurant can sometimes be tricky. Selecting a good wine is a sure-fire way to impress someone on a special occasion, say, a business dinner or a date! Unfortunately not many places in Malaysia have trained staff to help you choose a proper wine to complement your meal. That is if they even have a decent wine list to begin with.Fret not! Here a few handy tricks you can use to select a more than decent wine:

• House wines are relatively inexpensive wines and usually the simplest wines. Though they can be marked-up to be higher than the rest.  Skip these and choose from the main wine list. Try the bottles that are second or third on the price list. Those are often the wines that the owner/sommelier likes to drink.

• Stick with popular varieties that people are likely to know of. For instance, ordering a Sauvignon Blanc or a Shiraz is a safe bet but better to go safe than ordering the weirdest wine on the menu (I do that, but only when I know the people I will be enjoying the wine with).

•  The “Tasting Ceremony” with the waiter is to ensure that there is nothing wrong with the wine. You do not have to describe it!  If he gives you the cork, smell it and note if there is a weird scent (acid, damp). If you smell nothing, there should not be a problem. The best is if it smells of fruits.  When the wine is served in your glass, smell it again to detect for bad scents (acid, bitter, rotten fruits). If it smells very fruity, there’s a big chance the wine is good.  Just taste it to confirm, and you & your guest can enjoy the wine now!

      Differentiating sweet wines from fortified wines can be a bit of a tough one when you’re standing in the wine section of a supermarket, feeling overwhelmed by the rows and rows of bottles. The labeling system on bottles is not always systematic but some may indicate the method used to produce the wine be it fortified, botrytis or others.

    One way to differentiate this would be by the alcohol percentage. Fortified wines generally have higher alcohol content than classic sweet wines. As mentioned in Part 1, Port wine is a fine example of fortified wine and it contains up to 10% – 20% of alcohol while regular sweet wines maintain a range of about 8% to 14% of alcohol.

    Sweet red wines are usually very rich and sweet, while whites are very light to rich.  The alcohol level can give you clue but the color of the wine is your best indicator. The rule of thumb is that the darker the color, the bolder the wine.  If you’re looking to match your dishes with your wines, it’s best to go by color. Rich chocolate or black fruity desserts match well with Ports and other red wines while fruit-based desserts or simple cakes pair well with lighter colored wines. In terms of local food, the richness and spice of Asian meals go well with sweeter wines as the acidity and chilies (as long as it’s not too spicy) cuts through the sweetness. For an extra flair, try a classic French match by pairing Sauternes wine with Foie Gras (goose or duck liver ‘pâté’)!

Fun Fact: Ice Wine (Eiswein) is also sweet!

   Icewine, or Eiswein in German, is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been left on the vine into the winter and frozen while still on the vine. It’s a German wine but is popularly produced in Canada due to the consistent cold temperatures. For optimal production, the grapes are left on the vines at least until January instead of September (normal harvest) and are harvested at nighttime at a minimum temperature of -5 degrees. The grapes have to be pressed while still frozen by which it would have lost 80 – 90% of its water content, producing a wine concentrate that is extracted from the fruit. The process of making this wine is very difficult and delicate and the production can easily be lost within just a few hours. Due to the time and effort that goes into the making of this wine, it can be rather costly.

Many often confuse sweet wines and fortified wines, assuming they’re the same thing when they’re really not. Fortified wine falls under the sweet wine category but is made using very different techniques. If sweet wines are something you enjoy, then it would be great to know the difference and identity the ones you enjoy the best.

      Classic sweet wines are made from grapes that have a high concentration of sugar and possibly ‘attacked’ by botrytis in which a certain percentage of sugar stays in the wine through the fermentation process.  The fermentation of wine is caused by the yeast that eats away at the sugar, transforming it into alcohol. However, if there is too much sugar, the yeast simply stops working when the alcohol reaches about 13% in volume, leaving what is known as residual sugar which can go from a few grams to about 400 grams of sugar in one liter.  

There are quite a variety of classic sweet wines, the common ones include the exceptional ‘botrytised’ wines from the Bordeaux region, hailing from the villages of Sauternes (usually fairly expensive) or Ste Croix du Mont (great value), made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (Australia produces some great ones too).  Some grapes have more potential for sugar, so Muscat, Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer make outstanding sweet wines. Wines labelled as Moscato are usually semi-sweet and very light.

German Rieslings are also known for their sweet wines with a range that goes from light and off-dry to rich and lusciously sweet.  The problem here is that it is sometimes hard to figure out if the bottle you’re looking at is too sweet. A little tip on how to distinguish this would be to look at the alcohol percentage. Generally, 12% is what you find in dry, white wines and 10% will be off-dry and slightly sweet while those that go lower than 8% will be much sweeter.  

On the other hand, fortified wines are made using a less natural method. Founded in the Douro region of Portugal (renowned for their Port) where British merchants who were based there were making ‘classic’ wines to ship back home. Unfortunately, uncontrollable factors like the duration and condition of shipping didn’t support the wines well during long travels. The merchants then decided to improve the wine by fortifying’ it by simply adding spirits to the sweet grape juice. This introduced the alcohol and kept the sugar content but prevented the fermentation process. This little ‘trick’ then became a trademark for the wines from the region and worked its way around the world, creating what we now know as fortified wines.   

      The range of fortified wines is fair with the most popular being Port wine. Douro in Portugal is the birthplace of this specific wine but Australia has a great track record of producing some pretty outstanding fortified red wines as well. These used to be called Port as well but due to its link with the province, they had to change it. Other common fortified wines include Madeira (Portugal), Sherry (Spain), Marsala (Italy), Maury & Banyuls (France), but many of the latter are pretty hard to come by in Malaysia.

To check out our range of sweet wines, click here

Stay tuned for our next post on spotting the difference when shopping for wine!

       Unlike a trained sommelier or someone who has gain knowledge about wine and wine drinking, going to fancy events where wines are served can be a bit of an awkward situation. There you are with a glass in your hand, taking swings of divine wine while the Sir over there is swirling his wine and sticking his nose in the glass. Wait, what?

    Learning the right way to drink wine can change the experience completely as wine is delicate, aromatic and has its own character.  Gain your wine confidence and drink like a pro with these top tips from our sommelier, David.

1. Hold the wine glass by the stem, not by the bowl. In my years of serving wines, I’ve probably seen hundreds of people holding a wine glass by the bowl. It’s not wrong per se but doing this exposes the wine to your fingers’ temperature. It’s best is to hold a wine glass by its stem as it reduces the exposure of your wine to heat and it ups your wine appearance.  Classy and elegant.
2. Swirl the wine in your glass but be careful not to spill. Swirling allows the wine to release aromas so just give your glass a gentle swirl. After you’ve done this a few times, you’ll get the hang of wine glass swirling and you will be able to enjoy your wine better.
3. Sniff the wine. Learning to appreciate wine aromas is learning how to appreciate the character of the wine. So don’t be afraid to put your nose in the glass and take a sniff. If you’re with friends, don’t worry if they smell something you don’t. Wine aromas can be completely subjective allowing one person gto get the scent of flowers and another, fruits. The important thing here is whether you like the aromas or not.
4. Look at the color of the wine. The color of your wine can tell you a lot of things about what you’re drinking or tasting. Some white wines might be lighter than others and some red wines can be very dark while types like Pinot Noir might have lighter red color than Merlot and Shiraz.  The color of your wine can tell you a lot about what you’re tasting and smelling.
5. Sip the wine. Take note: SIP not gulp. Sipping gives you a better chance to appreciate the taste. If you are willing to expand your tasting skills, you can explore inhaling air through your mouth while the wine is inside. This can be tricky but perfecting this skill can give you a significant difference in appreciating wine.
6. Take note of the aftertaste. This is where you’ll notice if a wine has strong or light tannins. Tannins are most commonly present in red wine and are the textural element that makes wine taste dry. Observe your tongue when you taste red wine and take note of the ‘dry’ feeling or taste when you swallow wine. Some grapes have higher tannins while some have lower.
7. Swirl, sniff then sip again. This will allow you to rediscover the aromas and the taste for another time.
8. Be familiar with basic wine terms. Looking and sounding like pro needs a bit of research.Some people might talk to you about nose, legs, fermentation, vintage, corked wine, acidity and other terms. Take a few minutes to read about some wine terms before you attend a gathering where wine will be served. If you’re armed with some wine knowledge, you’ll relate to what people are talking about and maybe even add some comments that will help your wine rep and help you understand wine better.

                              

      The best way to learn more about wines is to keep trying different types, varietals and brands. Wine Talk has a special service where wine enthusiasts can discover more wines that will be personally handpicked by our sommelier. All you would need to do is join the Wine Club which has no membership or joining fees and receive 6 or 12 bottles of wines every month or bi-monthly at a flat rate. It’s a convenient way to enjoy wines and you don’t have to worry about picking the wines because our in-house sommelier, David will handpick them based on your personal preference. Our Wine Club guarantees best price and customer satisfaction, so if you’re not happy with the wine you've received, let us know and we’ll change it for you. Cool, eh? To know more and subscribe to our Wine Club, click here. 

Ah, the wines of Bordeaux! A common sight in stores and wine boutiques, Bordeaux wine is a popular choice but isn’t always understood. Starting with the basics, Bordeaux is pronounced bore-doh and is a port city in southwestern France. It’s been known that vines have been growing in Bordeaux for over two thousand years, probably having started their roots before the Romans in year 56 or well, before J.C!

The thing about Bordeaux is that unlike many of the other French wine regions, the wine business in Bordeaux was developed by merchants, rather than simply coming directly from the wineries. At the beginning of the second millennium, the Bordeaux region was under English domination and hundreds of boats loaded with barrels of ‘Claret’ were leaving yearly for England. The ‘Claret’ was a light red wine which Englishmen loved; the word is still used to refer to Red Bordeaux. By the 14th century, half of the wine production was boarded on ships mainly to England.

Bordeaux is probably the most well-known wine region in France. It counts for one third of the quality French wine (AOC, crus bourgeois, Crus Classés), and host about 7,000 ‘Chateaux’, not all of those being fancy proper castles, but it must represent an estate which produces wines solely with estate-grown grapes.  Wines bottled using more generic names are mostly made from grapes coming from across the region, generally purchased for growers. The region is spread out across different appellations, depending of the location of the vineyards.  The higher the classification is, the higher the requirements are (volume of grapes produces per hectares, work in vineyards, etc). 

Here’s a quick lesson based on regions and grapes to fatten up your wine knowledge palette. Are you ready? Let’s go!

First, there’s Bordeaux. Bordeaux AOC wines can come from anywhere within the Bordeaux wine region, which covers most of the Gironde department. The quality of both red and white wine depends very much on the wine makers talent and on the quality of the grapes. This means that the quality goes from very disappointing wines to excellent bargain chateaux.

Then comes Bordeaux Superieur. The Bordeaux Supérieur appellation grows on the same part within the larger area which has similar characteristics than classic Bordeaux, but has better soil quality and tends to offer wines better quality wine which ages better..

Are you still with me? Moving on there are the Sub-region appellation. These appellations represent a great introduction to the area, showcasing the different characteristics of each zone, due to different soil types. They produce wines that are more affordable than say, villages wines. Some examples of these would be Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers.

And finally, Villages Appellations. These are the most covered wines, with drastic restrictions on volume, winemaking and ageing methods.  The wines would be much more complex than regular Bordeaux, and have very good ageing potential – the more premium ones would actually require 10-15 years of ageing before reaching a good enjoyment level. Examples of villages appellations are St Julien, Margaux, Pauillac, St Estèphe, Listrac, Moulis (all in Medoc); Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes (Graves); Pomerol, St Emilion, Bourg (Right-bank);  Loupiac, Cadillac (Entre-Deux-Mers)

Now let’s take a look at grapes!

Red wines: There are 6 varietals which are allowed within the region, with the top 2 being the most popularly planted and used, creating a classic Bordeaux blend. These 6 are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Carmenère & Petit Verdot. Due to soil specificity, the left banks are dominated by Cabernets, while the right banks have a majority of Merlot.

White wines: Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon are the large dominants for both ‘classic’ and sweet wines but there are a handful of others that are allowed within the region. These are Sauvignon gris, Ugni blanc, Colombard, Merlot blanc, Ondenc and Mauzac.

My recommendations? Check out the following wines:

• White Bordeaux: Cheval Quancard 'Cuvee Clemence' Entre-Deux-Mers
• Sweet Bordeaux: Chateau Les Arroucats, St Croix Du Mont
• Bordeaux Superieur: Chateau De Terrefort-Quancard
• St Estephe: Chateau Bel-Air Ortet
• Lussac St Emilion: Chateau Moulin de Lussac
• St Emilion Grand Cru: Chateau Franc-Pipeau

Well, technically, yes.But like most things personalized, it depends on individual taste and preferences. I often organize tastings where we taste two wines from the same region/grape varietal, but of different pricing (RM60 vs RM150) without knowing which is which. It may surprise you  but most people actually prefer the cheaper one!

Cost variation results from many aspects: origin of the grapes, volume of the production, care given during the growing period as well as the wine making methods.  Wines on the ‘cheaper’ side are made from younger vines that produce a fair volume of grapes which are harvested by machine, and made in stainless steel tanks, all in order to offer a fruit-forward wine that is fresh, aromatic and easy-to-drink.

Premium wines are made from older vines that produce fewer grapes, but they are rich and bursting with flavours.  After a hand-harvest (passing a few times to pick only the vines at perfect maturity), the fermentation will happen over a few weeks in order to extract the maximum tannins and potential from the wines.  At that time, it is often transferred into oak barrels for ageing for a period of anywhere from a few months to a few years.  The barrel is a natural living environment (while stainless steel is an inert one) where the wines will develop and concentrate its tannins and aromas.  These procedures result in a wine that will be deep, intense and full-bodied. However it will also need some time to settle in the bottle before arriving at optimum enjoyment level.  This can take anywhere from a couple of years to a couple of decades!

Thanks to tine, effort and materials used to craft these wines, they often come at a higher price; but it may require a certain trained palate to understand them at the fullest.  I would recommend that you try wines from different range of prices, as the more expensive ones may not be your ideal glass of wine. 

Many of us have been there. You're at a dinner party with a great bottle of wine. But you forgot the corkscrew... There's no reason you have to suffer through a wine-less dinner.

The shoe method went viral sometime ago but there are other ways to get your bottle open without getting dirt from under your shoe onto your wall.

Check out FoodBeast's video guide above on how to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Pretty genius though some of them seem kinda hard to do.

The final method, however, is kind of a terrible idea unless you want to get glass in your eye or at best, ruin your lovely wine.

Do you know of any other tried and tested way to uncork your bottle of wine without a corkscrew? Leave and a comment and let us know!

Tannin is a French wine term, actually coming from an old German word (Tanna, which means oak or fir tree).  It is a natural biomolecule contained in grapes, as well as in tree barks, leaves, roots or seeds.  It has been used for centuries by tanners to process animal skins into leather.

Grape's tannins are contained in the skin and seeds. During the fermentation period of red wines, the grape juice is left in contact with the skin to extract color and phenolic components which will bring astringency and acidity to the wine, which will help in the ageing of the wines.

Wineof ‘entry-level’ prices (below RM55) are made with grapes from young vines, producing a fair volume. The tannin content of these wines will not be very high – so they can and should be enjoyed early as they won’t evolve with time.  On the other side, more premium reds come from old vines, giving low volume of grapes, but that are rich with tannins.  The extracting of those tannings will take longer. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, which will concentrate the tannins even more, so they would need time to settle in the bottle and arrive at a more ‘friendly’ level. This can go from a few months to over a decade, depending on the wine (usually the more expensive it is, the more it has been in contact with oak, and the longer it will require).

Some grapes varietals naturally have a higher content of tannins than others (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz compared to Pinot Noir), so they would easily have a fuller body.  Tannins are also what gives you dark teeth if you have a few glasses! Technically, white wine does not have tannins, as the grapes are pressed directly, without maceration time.  

Tannins are one of the components that contribute to a wine's body. More on that here. If you like full bodied wines, check out these wines. 

Last week, we covered what Botrytis actually is and how this fungus helps create grapes that are perfect for sweet wines. Now let's talk about how these wines are actually made.

As explained in last week's Wine 101, the fungus helps create an environment that allows the grapes to shrivel and concentrate its sugar content. During the fermentation of these grapes, there is so much sugar that the yeast cannot ‘eat’ all the sugar, and gets ‘killed’ by the alcohol when it reaches a certain point, hence giving you a sweet wine with a fair amount of alcohol.

 It also adds flavor components to the wine, which characteristic aromas of honey, beeswax or ginger. The color will usually be a deep shiny gold and offer luscious, addictive aromas, very easily recognizable. Because of the dehydration and the sensitivity of the grapes at that time (you can lose all your production if it rains a few days before harvest), the price of these wines can sometime go quite high. This is why it often comes in a half bottle. It seems cheaper, but also, it is hard to drink many glasses of these sweet wines.

Mostly white grapes are used, with a few having a certain affinity for the fungus: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscadelle. The best ones you would find come from the Bordeaux region, especially from the villages around Sauternes, beside the Garonne River like our new arrival. It’s a stunner! You can also find great ones from Alsace in France, Germany (for Spätlese level and above), Hungary (and its famous Tokaji wines), or also Australia, which has a long history with sweet wines.

Botrytis wines can be drunk as a pre-dinner drink or with dessert. A little tip for matching sweet wines and desserts: always go with the same color for both – meaning that you should try to pair fruit-based desserts with yellow wines like botrytis wines, and pair chocolate desserts with red sweet wines, like Port or Maury. Meanwhile, the best pairing to goes with a Noble wine? Go French and try this match made in heaven with Foie Gras!

So with centuries of practice, winemakers have managed to turn around this pesky situation to their advantage, managing to create liquid gold from hideous, moldy, ugly-looking shriveled grapes!

Botrytis Cinerea (also known as Noble Rot) is a fungus which can affect many plants and fruits (strawberries, for example, are very sensitive to it). However, it is predominantly ‘used’ in winemaking. Winemakers dread seeing this disease appear in their vineyards, but have learned how to turn it around and use it, on specific occasions, to create marvelous wines. If winemakers spot it in their vineyards which they do not want to use for sweet wines, it will trigger the beginning of the harvest as soon as possible, to limit the effect.

Botrytis Cinerea needs specific environmental conditions to grow in a vineyard. It usually starts developing from early September through October, when the weather has cooled down. The ‘best’ (or worst if you do not want to see it on vineyard) conditions for its development will include cool nights and morning, which bring fog that will deposit a very thin layer of water on the grapes. This is followed by hot sunny days, which will allow the fungus – naturally present in the atmosphere at that time of the year - to develop.

If the weather stays too humid in day time, the fungus will turn into ‘Grey Rot’, which develops very differently, and the grapes won’t be able to be used. The effect caused by the Botrytis Cinerea? It attacks bunches, creating a cover of mold, which actually dehydrates the grapes causing them to shrivel up. By removing the water, it concentrates the sugar contents, which results in intense, viscous and syrupy wines.

So yes, it is indeed a fungus that helps make these lovely sweet wines though not added to it. In the next Wine 101, I'll talk more about the how the wines are made and their flavors as well as food pairing suggestions!

‘Blanc de Blancs’ (White of White) and ‘Blanc de Noirs’ (White of Black) are French terms, used mostly to describe sparkling wines, but you may find it occasionally used for some regular wines.

These terms represent the type of grapes used to make the wines. ‘Blanc de Blancs’ are ‘classic’ white grapes with ‘white’ skins and ‘white’ juice (they are called so even if colors go from yellow to green. It's a simpler way to term them). Champagnes, for example, that are made solely with Chardonnay grapes.

On the other hand, ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Champagnes are made from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier mostly). They are produced using grapes with black skins, but white juices! So after harvest, the grapes are directly pressed, extracting the ‘white’ juice. To obtain classic red Pinot Noir, the juices and skins will be macerated together for the color to be extracted from the skins. This is why Pinot Noirs are very often lighter in colour compared to other red grapes (Cabernet, Shiraz), which have a darker colour and more tannins.

Classic Champagnes are a blend of both ‘white’ and ‘black’ grapes, to create a balance of aromas and a recognizable style. Meanwhile, Grand Cru Villages and areas have different soil types, and some are solely planted with a single type of grape. Wines from the Côtes de Blancs sub-region for example with Grand Cru villages like Avize, Cramant or Oger would be made solely from Chardonnay, and would offer fresh, crisp, lighter Champagnes. Wines coming from the Vallée de La Marne sub-region like Ambonnay Grand Crus would be done mostly from black grapes, offering fuller bodied Champagnes. Some white wines are made from 100% Pinot Noir, but they are very hard to come by, as production is very sparse with only a handful of wineries making it rather than ‘classic’ red wines, which would sell more easily.

Check out our range of Champagnes and see if you identify the blancs from the noirs!

I often hear this misconception that red wines should be served at room temperature. Yes, they are the best at ‘room-temperature’, but do note that this is a ‘Westerner’ term. The room temperature in France is not exactly the same than that in Malaysia!

To be specific,the term is used to advice wine drinkers to bring a wine up to room temperature, for serving and not for storing. Let me give you a personal example: back home in France at my parents place, the wines are stored in the garage, in a dark corner. Not the most optimal place but we don’t have a wine fridge. However in my region it rarely gets as hot as it does here. There people complain of it being ‘very hot’ at 25 degrees! In winter (outside temperature will be around 3 to 8 degrees), the bottles are stored at about 10 degrees in the garage.

If we want to open one (or 6!) for dinner, we have to bring it inside a few hours before dinner, to bring it ‘up’ to room-temperature, for better enjoyment. In fact, I would usually open the bottle, and leave it close to ( but not directly in front) of the fireplace to slowly ‘wake’ it up.

Similarly, here in Malaysia, it is recommended that you serve white wines around 8 to 12 degrees and reds at 16 to 20 degrees (which is well below the Malaysian room temperature of 23 to 26 degrees. Too cold and the aromas will be numbed. Too warm (as I often encounter here unfortunately) and the wines won’t be at its optimal enjoyment level. It might be too acidic or the alcohol might be too ‘aggressive’.

For red wines, if you don’t have a wine fridge, I would recommend that you put the bottle in the fridge a couple of hours – it may be a tad too cold when you first take it out. However it will quickly increase and arrive at a perfect temperature of enjoyment! If you really like your wines and want to be sure they are at the perfect temperature, I would highly recommend that you to invest in a good wine storage unit, it is worth it.

 Take a look at Wine Talk's selection of wine cabinets designed in Denmark by Vintec. Oh and we're giving away a bottle of Moët for every cabinet purchased this month so you can officiate your new wine cabinet with quality bubbly!

Champagne has a great reputation mostly due to the high-quality and strong characteristic of its wines. Creating Champagne includes techniques, which are actually forbidden in other parts of France, in order to have the AOC classification. For example blending wines from different vintages, or mixing red and white wines to create Rosé Champagnes.

One other specificity of the region – and of other wines using the similar méthode Traditionelle is the DOSAGE. To understand how this works, you have to go back to the roots of how Champagne is made.

In short, once grapes are harvested, a regular wine is made, with a lower alcohol level (8-10%). Then, this wine is blended in Reserve wines from the previous years, in order to create the trademark flavors of the Champagne House (except for Vintage wines, which have to come from a single year, and is done only if the quality is exceptional).

At this point, a bit of sugar and yeast are added into the wine, which will bring about the 2nd fermentation in the bottle, creating the bubbles! After a minimum of 15 months, the bottle can be moved to the next process, the ‘Remuage’ (Riddling). The bottle neck is inserted in a wooden rack, and progressively lifted and turned daily to bring up all the sediments to the top of the neck across a period of 4 to 6 weeks.

Then, the cork (actually a simple metal cap) is removed, either as it is or after being dipped into liquid nitrogen (to freeze the sediments). The pressure within the bottle will naturally expel these sediments. 

Here, the ‘liquide de dosage’ is added, to create a balance to the wine. It is usually made with Reserve wine, which has added sugar. Depending on the amount of sugar, the classification will be different:

BRUT ZERO: No sugar added
EXTRA-BRUT: less than 6 grams of sugar per liter
BRUT: less than 15 grams of sugar per liter
EXTRA-DRY: 12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter
DRY: 17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter
DEMI-SEC: 33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter
DOUX: more than 50 grams of sugar per liter

If you love champagnes, you can enjoy Moët & Chandon at only RM190 (usually RM268). Or for a more premium option, try Pol Roger Brut Vintage at RM351. Dom Perignons are at RM552 (usual RM588) at www.winetalk.com.my

You may be familiar with the term BYO or BYOB – it stands for Bring Your Own Beverage. It started in the 70’s in the US and Australia, where it is still very popular and accepted.

Down Under, many dining outlets actually do not have liquor licenses, but they allow customers to bring their own, and some will even advertise it on a sign board.  In the US, BYO laws really depend on the state, with some like Colorado simply forbidding it.

Meanwhile, the restaurants that do have a license and accept BYO will charge you a corkage fee if you do bring a bottle. This to cover to cost of glass rental, service, and yes – making up for the money they would have earned if you bought an actual bottle there.

 In Europe, it is fairly uncommon, even if it is allowed. To be sure that the restaurant accepts BYO, it is better to call ahead to inquire. I have to tell you that you won’t receive the most friendliest welcome if you just show up at a restaurant in France with a bottle.

 In Malaysia, it is fairly acceptable in a lot of places. Many restaurants that don’t want to stock up wines actually do not charge corkage fees, but you often end up with small, cheap wine glasses. Others will charge a corkage fee, but the staff will take care of the service and give you much nicer glasses (normally!).

So here are a few tips when you want to bring your bottle to a restaurant:

 • Plan ahead!
Call beforehand to check if they accept BYO and ask if there is a corkage fee so you're not surprised when you get there (I have seen corkage charges anywhere between RM25 and RM100 in KL)

• Bring something nice!
I agree that some restaurants abuse the mark-up on their wines a bit, and serve some wines which aren’t the nicest at a fierce price – but if you bring your own wines at that price range plus corkage, you will have a better experience!

For example, if a restaurant charges say, RM50 a bottle for corkage you can bring a lovely bottle of Monte Da Peceguina or one of our new Chinons and you'll only end spending RM150 or less on a really good bottle as opposed to their cheapest wine for the same price.

• Get to know the team!
If you are familiar with the team (owner/manager/waiters), it will be easier for you to bring your bottle in the future. Have them try your wines if you have a special bottle, and you will definitely make a friend!

The term, 'Claret' is derived from the French word ‘Clair’, which translates to ‘clear’. So we are talking about a light colored, pale wine. 500 years ago, when the British started to settle in Bordeaux for the wine trade, the wines were of a much lighter color, when wines were not extracted as much and as dark in color as wine nowadays.

The term ‘Claret’ was first used in the 15th Century, and is now still used to describe a ‘light and fruity, easy to drink’ red wine. However, the original term of ‘Clairet’ is also used in Bordeaux, but for Rose wines made from the traditional red grapes.

Now, the term ‘Claret’ is sometimes used worldwide; it is used to describe a light and fresh red wine, made from the classic Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère). These would be fairly cheap, while on the other side of the spectrum, premium reds made from these same blends can be called ‘Meritage’

To get technical with the terms, it would actually be incorrect to use the term 'Halal' and 'Wine'together. This is because, technically speaking, wine must be made from fermented fruit juices, whereas, for the drink to be considered Halal, the fermentation process is forbidden.

Halal Wines are actually superior grape juices. They are made from high quality wine grapes - wines cannot be made from just any grape varietal. Only 30 - 40% of all grape types are suitable for wine-making and used in the production of superior grape juices. This juices are not fermented, allowing them to be certified Halal.

Not all non-alcoholic wines are certified Halal, however. These Non-Alcoholic wines are made using wines which go through the regular fermentation process. The alcohol is then removed using a reverse osmosis process. This is where the liquid is chilled down to a very low temperature and passed through filters. However, only 99.5% of the alcohol content can be removed using this method. Therefore, non-alcoholic wines made this way cannot be certified Halal.

Why drink non-alcoholic wines you ask? Well, you will still benefit from the good effects of wine, like anti-oxidants and resveratrol, which help prevent heart disease and lower cholesterol but without the bad side-effects of alcohol.

Check out our current halal wine promo where you can buy 3 bottles and get another 3 absolutely FREE! Try them and taste the difference compared to your regular grape juice.

Last week we took at look at understanding what is meant by a wine's body. You can try the milk experiment I mentioned inPart 1 to understand the concept better!

This week, let's take a look at the factors that influence the body of a wine

The wine ‘body’ represents the level of richness and intensity of the wine. Many factors can influence the body:

Grapes Varietal
Some grapes have naturally more concentration than others, like Shiraz compare to Pinot Noir

Provenance
The climate has a strong influence on the concentration of the wine. Grapes growing in warmer regions will get more sun, so containing more sugar, which in turn leads to a higher alcohol content and richer tannins. Red wines from Australia or Spain, for example, will definitely be fuller than wines coming from Germany

Winemaking methods
The winemaking methods will also influence the concentration of the wine, during the fermentation process and ageing methods. During fermentation, the longer the contact with the skin, the more tannins are extracted. Wines aged in oak barrels will be more concentrated than the ones aged in stainless steel.

Body is usually qualified as light, medium, or full. Light bodied wines will usually have a lighter color and fairly low alcohol level (12-13%), while full bodied wines will have a much darker, deeper color, and alcohol level of over 13,5% to 15%+. Light bodied red wines (Pinot Noir, Gamay), as they have lower tannins contents, are better enjoyed slightly chilled, around 15-16 degrees. Richer wines will be best enjoyed around 17-20 degrees.

What exactly is the ‘body’ of a wine? I'm sure by now you've come across the terms light, medium and full bodied. However, I still have a lot of people asking me what exactly do these terms mean.

To put simply the body of a wine is influenced by its alcohol content, tannin concentration and grape types used as well as certain wine-making methods used.

To really understand the difference between ‘bodies’ let’s try a quick experiment it with something similar, like milk  for example!

You’ll need a cup each of skim milk, 2% milk, whole milk and heavy cream for this experiment. Try the milks from ascending order of richness beginning with skim and ending with the heavy cream. You will feel the difference in texture and how the milk coats your mouth from light to heavy! The skim milk will disappear quickly from your mouth whereas the cream will create a coat on your tongue.

That’s exactly how wine is! A wine with a heavier body will leave a sense of richness in your mouth. Now you know!

Organizing a wedding can be a stressful time for most people. Choosing wines for a wedding can add to that stress as it can be tricky! What you usually like to drink may not be what the rest of your guests prefer – let alone be within your budget!

Here are a few tips on how to choose the perfect wines for the day:

Wines for pre-dinner cocktails: 
Bubbly wines are very popular for any celebration, especially weddings! Champagnes are the most famous of them all, but they are fairly expensive and may take up a big chunk of your budget. As an alternative you can go with a very nice Cava (from Spain) or Prosecco (Italy). Their quality can be very similar. In fact, the only difference is that they are half the price.
Alternatively, Rosé wines are a great way to start a party, and save the bubblies which are great for desserts or the after-party.

Selecting the mix:
Do not over-complicate things; choose one wine of each type (white, reds) for the dinner. It's not necessary to try and match every single dish with different wines.

Selecting your dinner’s wines:
Try to find wines which will please a wide range of people, without being too generic. Unless you are willing to spend some time explaining the wines to your guests, it may not be advisable to choose something too ‘geeky’ with unknown grapes varietals. Instead stick to more ‘classic’ types like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay for whites, and Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon for reds.

Working with a Budget:
This will most likely be the most important part of your final wine selection decision! Wines in Malaysia are not very cheap, and weddings are already a costly affair. However, you shouldn’t choose your wines solely on whether they are the cheapest! You can most certainly find bottles around RM30 in Malaysia, but these are the cheapest, mass-produced wines in the market, and the quality is a fair gamble, that also comes along with a tougher side-effect (cheaper wines use more preservatives like Sulfur, which causes faster hangovers!).

If your budget is RM40-45, choose a wine from the New World (Australia, Chile) which usually offers easy-drinking good value wines in that range – easier than French for example. If your budget is RM50-70 per bottle, you have a wide range to choose from! Between a nice South African, a rich Aussie Shiraz, a smooth Argentinean Malbec or a stylish French, you can pick your favorites without too much risk. You can serve more premium wines, but I don’t believe it is necessary as many people will actually prefer a more ‘simple’ wine than something overly complex!

How much to order: 
This is always a tricky question. A safe bet would be 1 bottle for 2-3 people, but there are some variables. You should ask yourself a few questions:

• At what time will my event start and how long will it last? The longer the cocktail/dinner/party, the more wines you will need 
• What other alcohol are you serving? – If you also offer beers and spirits, you may need less wines 
• How many people from your party actually drink wines? Maybe you do not need to include everyone in your total. However, it is better to have a little extra wine than not enough – ordering 1 or 2 cases on top of your estimated number will prevent any eventuality. And you can have some of your ‘wedding wines’ to enjoy for the next few months! 

Ultimately it is most important that you and your guest have a good time, good food, and good wines! Plan for your wines a few weeks before the big day as it is an easy box to tick on your do-list!

Let us help you pick out your wines!
All you have to do is fill in this form (even if you don't have most of your details figured out), and one of our wedding wine experts  will be in contact with you to have a chat!

Source

A bottle of good wine always makes a good gift for a special occasion or dinner parties. But you can always jazz your gift up a little more by gift wrapping or decorating them! Here are some interesting ways to decorate and present your wine gifts!

1. Use a tea towel with an interesting pattern and tie it up with ribbon.  Your friend will now also have a tea towel he or she can use to serve the wine too!

Source

 2.  Cut off the sleeve from an old sweater and sew up one end for a pretty, upcycled solution!

Source

3. Make your own tags with a message on a card and some ribbons. Or cut a hole at the top to fit the top of the bottle through.

Source

Source

4. Make your own wine labels to wrap around the bottle!

Source

5. Keep it simple and just use a paint pen to write a personal message on the bottle itself!

Source

There are, of course, many ways to present your wine. If you know of other ways to decorate a bottle of wine, share them in the comments below! 

Ultimately, the content of the bottle is the most important! Feel free to talk to us if you need help picking out a wine gift for someone. We can also gift wrap it and deliver it on your behalf!

Tucked away in the corner of the Cantabrian Mountains in the north, and following the Ebro River, La Rioja is one of the most majestic wine regions in Spain, if not in the world. In a place where time seems to have forgotten long ago, the traditions are still very strong and deeply rooted in the soil and vines which produce some of the most splendid Spanish wines.

La Rioja got its name from the Oja River (Rio Oja)which crosses the area and is divided into 3 sub-regions, each which different characteristics: Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta. Vines have been present in the region for centuries, dating back to the Phoenicians. The earliest traces in writing mentioning La Rioja wines date back to 873. La Rioja is the first of the only two regions to be classified as as Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa), the highest ranking in the country, by the Denominación de Origen (Spanish Wine Council); the other being Priorat.

85% of the wines produced in the region are red (Tinto). The remaining is spread between white (Bianco), Rose (Rosado), and a small amount of sweet wines, which are slowly coming back into fashion, after decades of abandonment. Traditional Spanish grapes are of course highly dominant, but a small proportion of ‘International’ grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) can be tolerated in the blends. For the white wines, the king of the region is the Viura (also called Macabeo), and can be blended with Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca. The Viura offers good acidity, fresh fruits and aromas, while the Malvasia adds some fragrance and Garnacha Blanca givies body and structure to the wine.

As for the Rosados (rosé) and red wines, Tempranillo rules in the region, but it is generally blended with some other varietals like Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Tempranillo (which needs to make up a minimum of 60% of the blend) brings the main flavors and tannins for the ageing; Garnacha brings color and body while Mazuelo and Graciano add complementary flavors and aromas. The blending in the region is an art itself. Due to the historic presence of ‘International’ varietals, some Bodegas are allowed to use them in their blends, but in a limited amount.

 Traditionally, many wineries aged their wines for a long period of time in old barrels, which created classic wines with delicate colours, slightly oxidized flavors of caramel, coffee and roasted nuts. Nowadays, some Bodegas tend to age their wines for a shorter amount of time, offering more fruity flavours and tannins. Also, a much higher percentage of new oak barrels are used, making the wines richer and more concentrated. The region, while adapting to the modern markets and demands, will continue to keep close to its own roots and tradition. The Bodegas, dominated by family-owned domains, will continue to work closely with local grape growers and cooperatives, in order to keep the ancestral history going, and to continue to produce the most stunning, delicate and long-living wines from this country.