We’ve started to experiment with pairing wine with food in combinations that aren’t intuitive. recently, I tried wine with Buffalo Wings to great success. this week, I decided to make some pulled pork, and made a quick run to the wine store to see what might work with it. when people think pulled pork, they often associate it with beer. I hoped to defy traditional thinking around this common dish. first, the recipe:
Asian Pulled Pork
2 tbsp dried Star Anise
2 Fresh Jalepeno peppers, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a spice grinder, mix and grind the spices thoroughly. Coat both sides of the pork shoulder with the spice mixture, then place it in the crock pot. Cook on low heat until tender. this will take between 4-6 hours. Serve on thick sliced bread. Serve with a warm beet salad, the recipe of which is provided here.
Warm Beet Salad
4 small Beets, sliced thin
1 tbsp Scallions, sliced
Lettuce – any variety
In a saut pan, melt the butter, then add the beets, scallions, and lemon juice. Saut until beets are tender. Drain off the juice, then add the beets to a bed of lettuce. Any mixed greens will do. top with goat (or any other very soft) cheese. the goat cheese can be warmed just prior to adding to to the salad. this is a simple salad that can be enjoyed with many meals, as well as alone during hot months. Bon appetit
We paired this with a Sancerre from France. this particular one was a crisp white with hints of flowers, minerality, and spices. the Sancerre region produces Sauvignon Blanc wine, so when you purchase a white Sancerre, you’re getting a Sauvignon Blanc grape 100% of the time. the minerality of this wine went well with the natural earthy flavors of the beets. Combined, the wine really brings out the spice in the pork, and the floral notes popped against the smell of the seasonings, especially the anise. the flavors of the wine were strong enough to make a good pairing with the dinner, which was a fun discovery, considering that pulled pork is not usually paired with this sort of French wine–even if other spicy foods are. Sauvignon Blanc is a good standby for spicy asian dishes.
Wine Pairing: Sauvignion Blanc and Pulled Pork With Beet Salad
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Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 21, 2007
For meat lovers, a good steak is what fine dining is all about. The right combination of flavor and texture can send diners into a blissful state and have them returning to the same restaurant time and again to experience their favorite meal.
Today, that perfect cut of beef is harder to find than ever before because the process by which beef is aged has changed dramatically. For decades the time-honored tradition of dry-aging beef was the standard. However, about 25 years ago wet-aging, a different process that allows meat to age in its own juices while in vacuum-sealed bags began to take its place. While wet-aging does not damage the beef in any way, it does not create the same unique flavor and texture a cut of dry-aged beef can.
Fortunately for beef enthusiasts, there are still a few restaurants around the country that offer dry-aged beef. The Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn, NY, Gallagher's Steak House in New York, New York and Las Vegas, Nevada, and Vines Grille & Wine Bar in Orlando, Florida are three of the few remaining restaurants that can still boast dry aged-beef on their menus.
Though it is a more costly process, these restaurants have chosen to keep the dry-aging tradition alive because of its ability to produce extremely tender beef with a distinctive, memorable taste and a buttery, tender texture.
The dry-aging process begins in a custom-designed dry-aged cooler. The beef is stored in this cooler where a complex process incorporating a delicate balance of time, temperature, air circulation, and humidity takes place. Over time, as the beef ages openly exposed to the elements inside the cooler, the beef's enzymes break down and tenderize the meat, giving it a unique flavor. The extra time and intricate process ensures superlative flavor and maximum tenderness.
“The quality of dry-aged beef far exceeds that of wet-aged beef. Just ask any of our customers,” said Dimitri Karabinis, of Vines Grille & Wine Bar. “It's been around for centuries, but in more recent times, places have resorted to the wet-aging technique because their margins are higher and it's easier to accomplish. However, a select few upscale restaurants are still doing it,” Karabinis said.
Vines Grille & Wine Bar
7563 West Sand Lake Road
Orland, FL
407-351-1227
http://www.vinesgrille.com
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I know an accomplished woman winemaker in Napa Valley who has consistently turned out 90+ point wines over the past couple of years. She has been with several wineries and has developed an understanding of what can impact the taste and aromas of wine. For example, some factors that impact the wine are: terroir, varietals, barrels, tannins, fermentation techniques, individual palates, and the list goes on. Here is one of the secrets; many 90+ point wines are blends.
To get award winning wines, or at least the wines that a majority of wine drinkers like or even love, requires blending. Once a winery has the wine ready to bottle then starts the delicate balance of blending to get the desired wine texture, structure, tannins, alcohol, oak and aromas. Remember, a winemaker can play with 25% of a wine in the process of blending yet keeping the varietal name intact -Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. If a winemaker wants to stress a varietal and a particular AVA then 85% of that wine must come from grapes from that AVA only and 15% can come from other AVA’s for blending. However, the winemaker still has the 25% for blending to keep the AVA varietal on the label.
So what is the purpose of blending? there are many reasons: to enhance the aromas, improve tannin effect to your taste, to address alcohol levels (abv), balance the acidity and maybe you desire a certain visual color to your wine. Maybe you are going to address several of the above categories simultaneously. just remember, there are many tools out there to help in achieving a desired effect through blending; more or less alcohol, changing pH, etc. also, there are varietals that are preferred for some blending purposes-Grenache and Chablis is two that come to mind as well as Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. with more than 2,000 varietals the choices are numerous.
The real fun for is using a wine blending exercise to achieve a memorable result; it can be an experience that will last a lifetime. Small corporate groups meeting off-site in wine country can have an experience not available anywhere else made possible with the help of renowned winemakers. Once the off-site team has agreed upon a satisfactory blend, why not blend a whole barrel with a private label as a remarkable gift to employees, vendors or customers?
OK, let’s blend some wine. make it a red.
First, each participant needs to prepare for the fun and come prepared with answers to the following:
-Define what characteristics you like in your ideal red wine. the definitions have no purely right or wrong answer. think about aroma, alcohol levels, tannins, acidity and color. I love the deep purple.
-Is the wine to be targeted at a food pairing option or is it an evening sipping wine? Even baseball teams are now serving wine to sip during the ball game.
-Is there a varietal preference?
-What is the target price for a bottle of your new personalized blended wine?
Get the individual inputs to the winery/winemaker in advance and let him or her compile the comments into a formal approach that achieves the desired results of the majority. In the case of small corporate groups managed by meeting planner this step in the process would be done for you.
Rules of the Road. the winemaker already knows the rules and will keep you on the straight and narrow.
-Blend with good wines within the same vintage. bad wine isn’t even good for cooking.
-Be specific on objectives and understand the relativity of the readings of the results as you proceed.
-Blend in small batches.
-Keep very good blending notes. this is kind of a high school Science Lab 101.
-Keep your palate neutral between tastings.
-Your goal is not to create a whole new wine but to improve upon the base/anchor wine.
If a company is planning a small, off-site team building meeting and wants a group activity that is unique, consider wine blending in wine country. Here are some advantages to having wine blending part of an off-site meeting in wine country.
-With over 1,000 wineries and many more winemakers in Sonoma and Napa Valley’s there are some outstanding winemakers to lead the wine blending exercise.
-The facilities are ideally suited to host events like this.
-Everyone can participate and their opinions are important.
-Spouses and significant others can be brought into the activity and made equally welcomed.
-Wine blending is scalable: Do you want one bottle or 125 bottles of the finished product.
-The results of a successful wine blending offers immediate gratification.
-The fruits of the labor can be a great corporate branding tool when using personalized labels.
-Wine blending seminars/workshops can last for 2-3 hours and the resultant blended wine can cost approximately $15-$20 per bottle.
Wine Country Offers So Many Opportunities For Unique Luxury Off-Site Management Meetings
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Nov 11
16
Fine French Wine
Fine wine can also be referred to as vintage wine. Vintage wines are made from the grapes from single year’s harvest and are dated consequently. Many countries all over the world allow a vintage wine bottle to include some portion of wine that is not from the labeled vintage. Australia, New Zealand, and countries belonging to the European Union require 85% same years content for vintage-dated wine. in countries such as Chile and South Africa, the requirement is only 75% whereas in the United States the requirement is 95%.
More often than not, these vintage French wines often taste better as they mature, which is a primary reason why these are quite coveted by wine lovers and enthusiasts all over the world. A lot of care and precautions are taken when vintage wines are being made. The best qualities of grapes are used in their making. Vintage French wines are often quite expensive and priced higher than non vintage wines. Non vintage wines are those wines which is a mixture of wine from one or two years.
Vintage wines are generally made in one batch so that every bottle of wine has the same taste. However, due to changing climactic conditions and other environmental factors, wine bottles from the same batch may have diametrically opposite tastes and flavors.
Even within the category of vintage wines, those wines which are made from superior producers and regions, will demand a higher price than others which are of average quality and don’t come from a reputed region or vineyard. some vintage wines such as the White Zinfandel, don’t age very well, which is a reason why they are meant for instant consumption and fail to fetch a very high price.
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Erotic author, Julieta Hyde, gives her readers a true glimpse into her worldly past and how she came to be the woman she is.
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The Rhone River splashes through a Garden of Eden. Along its banks, orchards explode with ripe fruit. Cattle graze in open pastures. Forests teem with game. And vineyards from Lyon to Avignon give birth to incredibly diverse wines. Such resources, and history predating the Greeks, make the Rhone Valley a food lover’s paradise.
THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF FRANCE
The Rhone River rushes into Lyon from 8,000 feet high in the Swiss Alps. It meets the northern Saone River and cuts hard, due South toward the Mediterranean Sea. Lyon’s rich history of home cooking and famous chefs makes it France’s culinary capital. Masters such as Paul Bocuse nurture the city’s 16 Michelin-starred restaurants, and local Bouchons Lyonnais dish up the town’s best down-to-earth, traditional cuisine.
Bouchons are small, convivial restaurants specializing in Lyon’s hearty, handmade cuisine. This isn’t high dining; it’s typical, home-cooked, family-style, stick-to-your-ribs fare. About 20 bouchons earn the annual ‘authentic’ certification from the Association de Defense des Bouchons Lyonnais, but many restaurants use the term. Regular patrons return for rustic, robust, absolutely scrumptious meals of petit sale (ham and lentils), quenelles (fish dumplings), or more daring dishes such as andouillette (offal sausage).
Exquisite cheeses come from the pastures south of Lyon as well. St. Felicien and St. Marcellin are rich, creamy, cow’s milk delights that ooze when you cut into them. Bouchons serve Cervelle de Canuts: chives, shallots, and spices creamed into fresh, yogurt-like fromage blanc.
RHONE WINES
French journalist Leon Daudet said, “There are three rivers in Lyon: the Rhone, the Saone, and the Beaujolais”. But many choose to wash down this fare with fruity Cotes du Rhone.
The broad Cotes du Rhone appellation covers the entire Rhone Valley. These wines are simple, fruity, and deliver excellent value. A step up in quality, Cotes du Rhone-Villages’ tighter quality controls deliver more concentrated, elegant wines. But look to smaller appellations, usually named after a town, for top quality.
RHONE SEPTENTRIONAL (Northern Rhone)
These smaller appellations start about 20 miles south of Lyon, near the ancient Roman town of Vienne. Most renowned are Cote Rotie and Hermitage; fine wines that compete with Burgundy and Bordeaux for prestige. From mostly Syrah (Cote Rotie allows some Viognier), they reach incredible length and finesse, flourishing black fruit and floral aromas. St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage are better priced Syrahs, but seldom reach the same heights.
These zones produce some white too, but the star, white-only denominations are Condrieu and Chateau Grillet. Made of 100% Viognier, these rare wines rank among France’s best whites. The north may enjoy more fame, but some 95% of the Rhone’s wine comes from the south.
RHONE MERIDIONAL (Southern Rhone)
The vineyards hug the Rhone closely until Valence, where they almost vanish. When they pick up again south of Montelimar, they stretch farther from the river and gain a more Provenal flair. The grape varieties expand as well: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the South’s top appellation, allows up to 13 red grapes in the blend.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, (New Castle of the Pope) got its name from the Avignon Popes. In 1309, French Pope Clement V moved his court to Avignon. Seven Popes reigned from here until 1377, when Gregory XI moved his retinue back to Rome. The French Popes encouraged the vineyards and built a summer palace northeast of Avignon, in the town of Chateauneuf-Calcernier. Renamed Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the 19th century, the town is surrounded by rocky vineyards that produce full, spicy, deep red wines. Of the 13 red grapes permitted, most producers use four: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Cinsault.
Gigondas and Vacqueyras are neighboring wines that use similar blends. Gigondas is often more rustic than Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but the better producers make excellent wines. Vacqueyras resembles the best Cotes du Rhone-Villages.
Although 95% of the Rhone’s wines are red, France’s most prized roses come from the south. Just north of Avignon, across the Rhone to the west, Tavel and Lirac produce crisp, dry roses from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.
SOUTHERN COOKING
Provence and southern Rhone cuisine reflect the Mediterranean sun. Garden vegetables, olives, herbs, and garlic are the base for many a mouth-watering dish in the south of France. Daube Provencale is a hearty stew, often with beef from the free-range, black bulls of the Camargue; the marshy plain south of Arles. While Marseille is famous for Bouillabaisse, throughout the south you find Soupe de Poisson, a velvety fish soup served with garlic-spread croutons and spicy mayonnaise-like rouille.
Exploring the length of the Rhone, you experience 3000 years of history and a vast array of culinary treats.
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Are you a wine snob? perhaps you’ve always wanted to be but never really had the time or the knowledge to know where to begin? no matter where you fall on your wine sensibilities, there is an easier way of getting the best French or Rhone wine to celebrate most any occasion. From the biggest get-togethers to the small intimate moments with the ones you love, taking advantage of specialist wine merchants and the knowledge they have will have you well on your way to enjoying the best wines the way they were meant to be. here are four express benefits of using a wine merchant for your food and beverage needs:
Matching the perfect French wine to ideal food selections: French or Rhone wine are classy beverages for most any occasion, but they go specifically well with certain foods. Based on taste and texture, the robust flavor of a crisp wine comes out even stronger when matched to the appropriate food combination. But if you are a novice, it can be hard to tell, and you don’t want to doom the experience before you’ve even had the chance to know how best to experience it. That’s where a quality specialist wine merchant comes in handy. through their expertise and recommendations, you can avoid the trial and error and find a combination that brings out the best in both components.
Sampling new Rhone wine and French selections with convenience: One of the drawbacks or benefits – depending on your point of view and expertise – is that there are many different kinds of French or Rhone wine out there for you to sample. however, doing so can get quite expensive, and it’s not beneficial unless you know what you are getting is a quality selection. Seeking the expertise of quality specialist French wine merchants means that you can often find opportunities to sample new selections with ease and convenience through carefully selected assortments that are made ready for delivery, so you can take advantage from virtually anywhere in the world.
Relying on the experts to hone your French wine tastes and sensibilities: it takes knowledge, care, and respect to enjoy French wine or Rhone wine the way they were intended. it is recommended that if you are new to the game, you rely on the experts you will find through specialist French wine merchants to guide you in developing your tastes and sensibilities. it could keep you from many unpleasant wine-tasting experiences down the road
Staying on top of news, reviews, deals and offers: Nowadays many specialist French wine merchants keep frequently updated blogs that provide you with the latest in news, reviews, advice, deals, and offers. if you are serious about your wine hobby, you will want to follow along, see what they have to say, and before you know it, your own tastes will start to benefit.
Whether it’s French wine or Rhone wine that has caught your attention, start the new year off right by listening to the experts – specialist French wine merchants, who know how best to appreciate the flavor and the experience.
Four Benefits of Using Specialist French Wine Merchants For Your Food and Beverage Needs
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16
Staging Master Bedrooms
You may think that, by the time they’ve reached the master bedroom, potential buyers have already made the buying decision. of course, by the time the potential buyers get to the master bedroom, they’ve seen a lot of the house. But that doesn’t mean this room isn’t important or won’t make a difference in the purchase decision. And the reason is simple…we are all looking for a sanctuary. Sure, the comfort of the living/family room is important. you want your buyers to picture themselves spending quiet evenings at home with their families. Or entertaining during the holidays. But you also want them to picture a space where they can go when they need quiet time. Like somewhere to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a long day. Or to read while enjoying a cup of tea when there’s a noisy football game on the family room television. And that room can definitely be the master bedroom.
To stage the master bedroom effectively, think of a bed and breakfast. Remember how the bed looks when you first open the door? It’s usually positioned opposite the door so it’s the first thing you see. And it’s dressed in beautiful linens that invite you to come in and rest a while. There’s also a small sitting area – or at the very least a comfy chair. Just the place to enjoy the first cup of coffee in the morning, or that glass of wine in the evening.
That’s the vision you want to create in the master bedroom of a house on the market. The bed and the bedding should be pretty but not overwhelming – just inviting. Put a cozy comforter and a few fluffy pillows (don’t overdo it)on the bed. Find room for an upholstered chair, if possible. Add a throw to it for maximum effect. Place lamps on either side of the bed and turn them on. if there is a window, open the curtains to let in the light and the view (unless it’s bad). if the floors aren’t carpeted, add an area rug that’s large enough to fit under the bed and extend on each side. (Smaller rugs will break up the space, making the room feel smaller than it is.) Declutter bedside tables, leaving only a vase with a single stem or perhaps a candle.
A beautiful master bedroom will help buyers forget other possible concerns about the house. Make sure yours is a knock-out
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Nov 11
16
What Makes Wine Dry?
Once I was asked to assist at a wine tasting. Since I was well known as a red wine expert I was asked what red wines I would like to introduce. I chose the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chianti variety. The primary reason for these choices is it easy to feel the different levels of dryness each of these wonderful wines have. The dryness of the wines comes from the amount of tannic acid found within the wine and this will be explained in just a bit.
For a brief overview of the three wines selected for the tasting we will start with the Chianti. The grapes used in making a Chianti wine is the sangiovese. This is an excellent grape which has a thin skin and is very low in tannins. This wine has a medium body which can easily be seen by swirling the wine in a glass and seeing the light coating the wine leaves on the glass upon stopping the swirling action. Upon sniffing and tasting this wine one should be able to pick up on a fresh berry or plum flavor.
The Merlot wine is made from a blend of several varieties of grapes and is primarily made in the Merlot region of Italy. The body of this wine is classified as being light and here the swirling action leaves a very slight sheen on the side of the glass. Here when you sniff and taste the wine you should be able to pick out a blackberry, plum, or herbal flavors. Due to the thin skin this wine has very low tannins.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is the mother of all red wines. This wine is known for its full body and deep flavors of mint, eucalyptus, and green bell peppers. The body of a Cabernet Sauvignon is very full, meaning that when performing the swirl the wine it will completely cover the side of the glass and will slowly return to the bottom. This wine is also well known for the high amount of tannic acid contained within.
Now you have read about the different taste that can be recognize within each wine. It is important to know that nothing is ever added to the wine other than yeast to aid in the fermentation process. These flavors occur naturally during this process. Each of these wines will also have a degree of oak in its taste. The Cabernet Sauvignon has the most oaky flavor of the three. Here the oak taste comes from the oak barrels that the wine is fermented in.
Now you have seen the term tannic acid and are probably curious as to what it means. Tannic acid comes from the tannins found within the skin of the grapes. Red wines get their color from the skins, therefore it is easy to see that the grapes used in making these wines have a very dark and colorful texture. As the tannins are fermented they become acidic and form what is commonly known as tannic acid. It is the amount of this acid that causes wines to become dry.
Dryness has noting to do with the wetness of the wine. It refers to the feeling left in the mouth after the wine is swallowed. Because of the tannic acid the mouth is unable to create fresh saliva and therefore your mouth feels dry. Because of this, most people who enjoy red wines either with a meal or standing alone, a glass of water is usually close by. By taking a sip of water the mouth is allowed to create saliva and the dry effect is removed.
One benefit of tannic acid is the fact that the acid actually cleanses the palate. So if you are enjoying a meal that is fatty, drinking a full body red wine allows you to taste the same flavors from bite to bite. I chose the three red wines for the wine tasting and presented them in the same order as I have in this writing. The dryness of the Chianti and Merlot are very similar while the dryness of the Cabernet Sauvignon is more extreme. By tasting the wines in this order most if not all in attendance quickly learned what is meant by a wine being dry. I would recommend you do the same. By learning about the various qualities of red wines will only enable you to fully understand and appreciate their individual value. Take your time, taste as many types of wine as you can, decide on the wines that you truly enjoy, and then do just that—enjoy your wine.
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Low alcohol wines used to be frowned at by most wine drinkers, especially wine snobs, but now, is a low alcohol wine a trendy alternative? The answer has to be yes, for several reasons. The sudden increase in interest in wines with a lower alcohol by volume (abv.) has perhaps been brought on by global warming as well as a few other factors.
I hear you say, how come? Well in the last 15 years some wines have increased by between 2% to 3% abv. which means that a red wine that may have been 13% abv. is now coming out at around 15% abv. this is a massive increase due to warmer weather enabling higher natural sugar levels. If these sugars are totally converted into alcohol to produce a bone dry wine then a blockbuster awaits – one or two glasses and you’re on the floor
To counteract very high sugar production, vineyards are producing grapes in high altitude, cool climate vinegrowing areas such as New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. Producers in Germany are also providing popular low alcohol versions of Rieslings to enable light summer white wine drinking styles to be made.
What about the health benefits?
It is well known that there are benefits to health from drinking wine in moderation, especially red wine. these benefits include:
- The ability to lower cholesterol within the body reducing the risk of having blood clots.
- Being a source of antioxidants, which are responsible for cleansing most of the human system.
- Lower alcohol intake means fewer calories ingested – ideal for weight-watchers.
It should be noted that to make use of these wine benefits, a healthy lifestyle must be maintained.
However, while there are these proven health benefits, it is often overlooked that alcohol is not one of them. Alcohol impairs the liver and nervous system, and burdens the body with unnecessary calories which can lead to depression. it is these calories that can be avoided by consuming low alcohol wines.
Is there a future for low alcohol wine?
Most people would be happy to drink lower alcohol wines from certain varieties so long as they tasted the same as regular wines. The white wines would not be so full and flabby as with higher alcohols, but more crisp and delicate with attractive, light fruity citrous flavours.
Cool climate winegrowing is a way forward to producing fruit with less sugar and more acid, resulting in fresh, racy wines – ideal for summer drinking or as an accompaniment to fish, chicken and spicy foods. a red wine with 11.5% abv. would not appear so heavy as its 14% or 15% counterpart, but would be just as flavoursome and drinkable without that knockout punch
Be sensible, drink wisely.
Over the years the size of the average wine glass has got bigger in order to accommodate keen customers – and sell more wine Drinking a large glass of a high alcohol wine can be the same as consuming perhaps three glasses of a low alcohol wine. not good for your health, let alone your pocket.
Maybe now a low alcohol wine really is a trendy alternative as well as being better for your health. By cutting down on the alcohol, you would be reducing your calorie intake quite dramatically, so why not give it a go.
Low Alcohol Wine – A Trendy Alternative?
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Nov 11
15
Make Dandelion Wine
Apply the old saying of “if you’ve got lemons, make lemonade” to your lawn. Instead of cursing the weeds, make dandelion wine. You can make it for less than $20, store it for years, and it is an exceptional hostess gift. The only shortcoming of dandelion wine is that you will have to be patient — good dandelion wine is aged for at least a year, though it can be drunk as young as 6 months.
The day you are going to make the wine, pick your dandelions between mid morning and noon. Do not pick dandelions anywhere that has been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. You only need the flowers — the stems and leaves can be thrown away. When you have about 3 quarts of flowers, find a comfortable spot and begin pulling the petals off the flowers. You will only be using the petals (the core green part of the flower will make the wine taste bitter, which is the #1 reason most wine drinkers turn up their nose at dandelion wine), and you will need 2 quarts of them.
Boil one gallon of water (the purest water you can get is best). Put the washed dandelion petals in a large bowl and then pour the boiling water over them. Some people also add a handful or two of rose petals, or a pinch of cloves. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let it sit for 48 hours. Then pour the contents back into a pot and boil.
Add the peelings of four medium sized oranges (some recipes use half lemons and half oranges), making sure that the peelings have none of the white inside — you want to use only the thinnest surface of the oranges. Using the white part of the peelings will make for bitter wine. Boil for 10 minutes. Strain this mixture into a large container, then add 2.5 to 3 pounds granulated white sugar. Add 2.5 pounds if you like dry wine, and the full 3 pounds if you prefer sweet wine. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, and then let it cool.
When your wine-to-be is cool, add the juice of the four oranges, yeast and yeast nutrient. Stir a few times, then pour into your wine bottles or whatever large container you are going to ferment the wine in. Dandelion wine has a reputation of lacking body, so many recipes add up to a pound of golden raisins at this step to increase the body of the finished wine. You can also add golden figs or dried apricots, but you can skip adding anything at all if you don’t want to. Do seal the containers properly and then sit back and wait until the wine has completely fermented.
Rack the wine and bottle it after it has “fallen clear”. This usually takes about three weeks, but every batch is different. Do not rack your dandelion wine until it has fallen clear. Rack it a second time after no more lees (clumps of solids in the wine) have formed for 60 days. Then let it age at least six months, though you’ll have much nicer wine if you can wait a year.
Dandelion wine is best served icy cold on a hot summer afternoon. It works well with salads, pastas and baked fish. It can also be made into a sparkling wine.
Related Reading:
The Little Black Book of WineThe Little Black Book of Wine: A Simple Guide to the World of Wine serves up everything you need to know about wine, minus the pretense. Demystifies lingo and lore and teaches how to serve, preserve, store, and evaluate wines.Covers wine terms, developing your wine sense, types of grapes, and wines of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. It's a mini tour guide to wine country and beyond!
Related Reading:
The Little Black Book of WineThe Little Black Book of Wine: A Simple Guide to the World of Wine serves up everything you need to know about wine, minus the pretense. Demystifies l... Read More >
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