While it wasn’t until the excavation of the Areni-1 winery in Armenia (2007-2010) that we found the earliest evidence of wine production which dates to 4100 BC, the actual true date of the invention of wine has yet to be pinpointed as of yet. There is evidence reaching…
The Invention of Wine
It’s National Sangria Day!
A (brief) history of modern day sangria: The desirable beverage’s history stretches far back into the tomes of history, most likely in the Greek or Roman times to a wine-based beverage by the name of Hippocras. It was often times served warm and could be the origin of…
Mulled Wine Time!
Mulled Wine (Glögi, Glühwein) is a warm, spiced wine beverage thought to date back to Greek or Roman times called Hippocras. In modern times the beverage goes back to the Scandinavian Glögi, a spiced liquor that was used to warm messengers and travelers in the cold winter months…
Residual Sugar in Wine
When you hear Residual Sugar in wine what do you think of? You may have heard the terms Bone Dry, Dry, Off-Dry, Sweet, and Very Sweet as descriptions for wines before. But what does it mean? In the wine world, sweetness is graded based upon grams per liter…
Cabernet Franc
Happy Cabernet Franc Day! And it couldn’t be at a better time of the year. Nothing sounds better than cozying up by the fireplace with a delicious glass of Cab Franc to help keep you warm. Cabernet Franc in the new world has an association with big heavy…
Whole Cluster Fermentation
Whole cluster (or bunch) fermentation is the process by which everything goes into the fermentation process. Skins, seeds, stems, you name it. The invention of the de-stemmer revolutionized wine, but could you imagine Burgundian winemakers in the 1800s hand picking each berry to get all the stems off? …
What is Maceration?
Maceration is the process where the skins and juice hang out together after the crushing of wine grapes, and flavor compounds, tannins, and color compounds are leached into the must (juice). Generally speaking (there are always exceptions to the rules) red wines macerate until fermentation is complete. Sometimes…
What is Inoculation?
To inoculate a wine is to add an active yeast culture to the must (juice) to activate fermentation. Winemakers choose certain known strains of yeasts to achieve desired results. You may have heard the term ‘native yeasts’ used in the wine world at some point on your journey. …
Happy Thanksgiving!
But what to pair with dinner tonight? Here is our handy guide to assist all palates and people. Sparkling Wine: What holiday celebration is complete without some bubbles? Furthermore, sparkling wines and Champagnes are wonderfully food friendly wines, hence their inclusion on every wine list in every restaurant. …
