Red Wine is a general term for wine, and does not necessarily refer to red wine specifically. There are many ways to classify red wine. In terms of finished product color, it can be divided into three categories: red wine, white wine and pink wine. Red wine can be subdivided into dry red wine, semi-dry red wine, semi-sweet red wine and sweet red wine, while white wine can be subdivided into dry white wine, semi-dry white wine, semi-sweet white wine and sweet white wine.

The composition of red wine is quite complex. It is a fruit wine brewed through natural fermentation. It contains the most grape juice, accounting for more than 80%, followed by alcohol which is naturally fermented from the sugar in the grapes. Generally, Between 10% and 30%, there are more than 1,000 substances remaining, of which more than 300 are more important. Other important components of red wine include wine acid, fruitiness, minerals and tannins. Although the proportion of these substances is not high, they are decisive factors in the quality of wine. High-quality and delicious red wines are because they can present a balance of organizational structure, giving people endless enjoyment in taste.

How to drink red wine?

1. Open and change the bottle of red wine half an hour before drinking to allow for moderate oxidation so that its aroma can be released; if it is a red wine with a high age and sediment, Can be replaced immediately.

2. Red wine should be drunk purely. If mixed with Sprite, Coke, etc., its own unique aroma and proper taste will be changed and destroyed.

3. Pour red wine generally less than half a cup, not too much; the temperature of the wine is generally adjusted to 12-20°C;

4. When drinking red wine, shake it appropriately and pass Shaking will release esters, ethers and acetaldehyde, and combine with oxygen to produce aroma in the wine;

5. Dry white wine is rich in organic acids and can be consumed with various seafood. It can not only relieve the smell, but also And it can make the taste of seafood more delicious; dry red wine contains certain phenolic substances, which can relieve the greasiness of meat and make the taste of dishes richer. Therefore, it will be obtained when paired with braised pork, steak, chicken, duck and other meat dishes. Better enjoyment.

How to store red wine?

1. Red wine can be sealed in a sealed carton and placed in a cool, ventilated place away from sunlight. Be careful not to place it near items with odor. nearby.

2. The red wine should be placed upside down so that the wine is in contact with the cork to prevent it from deteriorating.

3. The ideal temperature for storing wine is 10-14℃, and the humidity is preferably maintained at 70-75%. Do not store red wine in the refrigerator as this will affect the quality of the wine.

4. To store wine that has been opened but not finished, the ideal method is to drain the air out of the bottle first and then cork it. This way it can be stored for about a week.

Introduction to wine levels:

French law divides French wine into 4 levels:

1. Legally produced area wine AOC

2 . Excellent regional table wine VDQS

3. Regional table wine VIN DE PAYS

4. Daily table wine VIN DE TABLE

AOC means "original" in French. "Origin controlled naming", the wine bottle label is marked as Appellation + production area name + Controllee.

The grape varieties, planting quantity, brewing process, alcohol content, etc. in the area of ??origin must be certified by experts. It can only be brewed with grapes grown in the place of origin and must not be blended with grape juice from other places. AOC level wine, subdivision level: the smaller the origin indicated in the production area name, the better the quality of the wine.

AOC levels from high to low:

Vineyard level (Cru AOC): such as Appellation+Chateau Lascombes Castle+Controlee

Village level (Village AOC ): such as Appellation+MARGAUX village+Controlee

Regional AOC: such as Appellation+Bordeaux region+Controlee

Vineyard level (Cru AOC) subdivision level (from High to low level):

First-class winery AOC: such as Premier Grand Cru (first-class winery)

High-quality winery AOC: such as Grand Cru Classe (high-quality winery)

Intermediate winery AOC: such as Cru Bourgeois (intermediate winery)

Warm reminder

The French red wine grade classification has been changed, the details are as follows:

VDT becomes VDF

VDP becomes IGP

AOC becomes AOP

Spanish red wine grades

Spanish wines have 5 levels:

DOC (Denomination de Origen Calificada), high-quality legal production area wine;

DO (Denomination de Origen), legal production area wine;

VDLT (Vino de La Tierra), approximately equivalent to French VDP;

VC (Vino Comarcal) and VDM (Vino de Messa) are the lowest level wines in Spain, approximately equivalent to French VDT.

What is ice wine?

Icewine is a sweet wine. It is a wine made from grapes that are naturally frozen on the vines when the temperature is low.

Ice wine, the abbreviation of ice wine, was first born in Franconia, Germany in 1794. It was discovered at that time that the sugar and flavor of grapes were concentrated after the freezing and thawing process of grapes left on the vine until the first big frost. After more than two hundred years of development, ice wine has become the best wine, and real ice wine can only be produced in Germany, Austria, Canada, and France. The development of ice wine in China has become the brightest star in the ice wine industry under the influence of the general environment. The Niagara region in Ontario, Canada is currently the most famous ice wine producing region in the world.

VQA (Canadian Vintners Quality Alliance) defines icewine as: wine made from grapes that are naturally frozen on the vines below 8°C. The grapes are pressed when they are frozen solid, and a small amount of concentrated grape juice flows out. This grape juice is slowly fermented and bottled a few months later. During the pressing process, the outside temperature must be kept below minus 8°C. In Germany, Eiswein

How to identify it?

Ice wine has high sweetness, wonderful acidity and balanced deliciousness. It can be drunk alone or deliciously paired with fresh fruit, fresh cheese, peach cheesecake, unsweetened fruit pie or cake. Ice wine should be refrigerated at a temperature of 4℃-10℃ before serving, and placed in an ice bucket for fifteen minutes to freeze before drinking. Before tasting wine, avoid eating spicy, mint-flavored and chocolate-flavored dishes. Wait ten minutes after opening the bottle to allow the long-sealed ice wine to fully integrate with the air before pouring it into a cup. The mellow and unique aroma of ice wine lies in its soothing effect. Therefore, when drinking ice wine, you must drink it carefully and slowly. You cannot drink it all in one go like other wines. Instead, you should first pour the wine into a glass and slowly observe its color, and then pour it into the glass. The wine glass rotates slowly and steadily in an arc, allowing the wine to be more exposed to the air, inhaling the aroma of the wine, and then sipping the wine to savor its taste.

Specifically, there are three steps to tasting ice wine:

First look: first look at the purity and color of the ice wine, and judge the concentration and age of the ice wine; shake the glass gently, and The wine mark left on the wall of the wine glass can tell the alcohol content and sugar content of the ice wine. Second smell: Smell before shaking the glass, and then shake it slowly to ensure that the aroma is gradually released.

Three tastes: Aftertaste the rich and unique taste and aroma of the ice wine, and evaluate the alcohol content, sugar content, acidity content and balance of various ingredients of the ice wine through the sense of taste; once the ice wine is in your mouth, move your cheeks, tongue and take a deep breath, so that the ice wine can easily The active ingredients are distributed in the mouth and passed to the nose through the throat, allowing various sense organs to enjoy the beauty of ice wine.

Ice liquor is golden in color, cool in quality, and refreshing in taste. It should be drunk cold. The specific temperature depends on the quality of the wine. About 4-10°C is more suitable. Too low a temperature will affect the evaporation of the aroma of the wine. .

Ice red wine is burgundy in color, with mellow quality and timeless taste. It is suitable for drinking at room temperature, generally between 12-18℃; the older the ice wine, the higher the temperature is suitable.

How to drink

Ice wine is best used with desserts. The fragrant ice wine is best enjoyed alone. It can be enjoyed as a drink during lunch or after a meal. Ice wine is usually quite strong. It is best not to drink too much at one time, and the amount of each cup should not be too much. The ideal drinking temperature of ice wine is 14 degrees Celsius. Some people think that the wine temperature of about minus 7 degrees Celsius is the most appropriate, which can reduce the sweetness of ice wine. , not too cold, enough to exude a charming wine aroma. After the fresh ice wine is opened, it will not lose its flavor immediately like ordinary wine, and it can be kept for more than a week if you can't finish it. You can seal the cork and put it back in the refrigerator.

Pairing with ice wine

Turkey is of course the top choice. Gingerbread and pudding as desserts are also traditional customs in Europe and the United States. However, traditional Christmas ingredients such as turkey have been Purchasing restrictions, more urban white-collar workers are flexible in choosing and matching freely. A black pepper sirloin steak, served with a sunny-side-up egg and Italian butterfly powder. Dessert is vanilla ice cream. Finally, it is paired with a bottle of ice wine that adds to the festive atmosphere. The generous and personalized Western food combination is indeed more creative and enjoyable. Fresh. As the best emotional prop for the holidays, a good Christmas wine is the most indispensable. With the evolution of tradition, more and more modern white-collar workers have begun to choose to use rarer ice wine to accompany their annual Christmas dinner. Ice wine can be paired with almost any dish. However, in the West, people are still accustomed to pairing ice wine with desserts. Blueberry cheese and foie gras are its best matches. Refrigerate at 4℃-10℃ before serving, and freeze in an ice bucket for fifteen minutes before drinking. If you add fresh fruits, chocolate, etc. to taste, the taste will be even more wonderful and mellow.

Five major wineries in France:

Chateau Lafite Rothschild,

Chateau Haut-Brion,

Chateau Latour,

Chateau Margaux,

Chateau Mouton Rothschild