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!