What Is a Good Fortified Wine?
Just like regular table wines, fortified wines come in a range of styles that you’ll want to explore. A good fortified wine delivers a complex flavor profile that can range from nutty and caramel to fruity and floral. Port, Sherry, and Madeira are three popular fortified wines, with unique styles, aging processes, and food pairings. […]
Beginner’s Wine Terminology Guide
Understanding wine terminology will help you pick wines you love. Wine terms cover structure, flavors, winemaking, and vineyard vocabulary. Here’s a quick wine terminology guide to get you started. Wine Tasting Terminology If you head out for an afternoon of wine tasting, or swirl and sip with enough wine lovers, you’ll start to pick up […]
Alcohol’s Influence on Wine Aging Potential
You’re right to think that alcohol has something to do with a wine’s aging potential. Wines with higher alcohol levels (+14%) can usually age longer than lower-alcohol wines (under 14%). Alcohol acts as a natural preservative and antioxidant in wine. Examples include Amarone, Port, Madeira, and Shiraz. Some lower-alcohol wines can also age, though, like […]
How Does Alcohol Affect Wine: Exploring Your Glass of Vino
Alcohol’s Role in Wine Key Points Alcohol acts as a solvent, extracting flavors from grape skins. Alcohol influences wine’s body, mouthfeel, and perceived sweetness. Excessive alcohol can overpower flavors and make the wine taste “hot.” Alcohol enhances the perception of sweetness, making the wine fruitier. Alcohol carries volatile aromatic compounds contributing to the wine’s bouquet. […]
How to Read a Wine Label: A Comprehensive Guide
If you’re new to the scene or just curious about wine, understanding how to read a wine label can unlock a wealth of information about the bottle in your hands. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the various elements you’ll find on a wine label so that you can use this information to buy […]
How Old Does Wine Have to Be to Be a Vintage?
One of the biggest challenges the wine industry has is its web of complicated terms. Like the term “vintage”, which has nothing to do with a wine’s age. This is unhelpful. A vintage wine isn’t a certain age. A “Vintage Wine” is a wine where the grapes used to make it all came from the […]
Easiest Appetizers for Wine Tasting: 14 Great Picks
If you’re in the habit of hosting last-minute wine tastings, or just not that into cooking, then you’ll want super easy appetizer options. The easiest appetizers for wine tastings are pre-packaged, shelf-stable, or easy to grab and go. Foods like popcorn, chips, cheese, olives, and even sushi are great appetizer options that complement wine tastings. […]
Port vs Sherry: Which Will You Pick?
If you’re wondering about the differences between Sherry and Port, then you’re in the right place! Port and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Port is sweet, full-bodied, with dark fruit, licorice, and leather. Sherry is dry or sweet, low acid, with citrus and nuts. Port is higher in alcohol […]
Port vs Madeira: What’s the Difference?
Fortified wines aren’t well understood, but two classics, Port vs Madeira, are worth your time. Madeira and Port share several similarities. They are both sweet, fortified Portuguese wines. Madeira has high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, citrus peel, and varnish. Port has tannin, with red and black fruit, licorice, and leather. Both wines […]
Madeira vs Sherry: What’s the Difference?
If we lived several centuries ago, we’d all know the difference between Sherry vs Madeira, two classic fortified wines. But today, Sherry and Madeira aren’t the go-to wines for most people. Madeira and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Madeira is sweet, high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, […]