Wine Gifts

The Life Of The Party With Sparkling Wines

October 12th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Sparkling wines and champagne are one of the most exciting forms of alcohol. Many happy and celebratory occasions are celebrated by opening a bottle of sparkling wine.

Parties, romantic occasions, promotions, new babies and many other holidays and celebration events are heralded by sparkling wine. This makes sparkling wine the beverage of choice for parties. Sparkling wine has a very fascinating history and how it is made is also quite interesting.

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Sparkling wines were actually created by accident. Supposedly, some monks from Champagne, France discovered the method because they incorrectly fermented some wine. When they uncorked it, the wine had that bubbly appearance and they thought it was spoiled.

It actually took years for champagne making to be recognized as a intentional process, rather than a mistake. The old way of making sparkling wine was through temperature changes. The wine was cooled below fermenting temperature before all the sugar turned into alcohol.

The wine was then reheated later on to the fermenting temperature, which created the carbon dioxide reaction that forms the sparkling bubbles. Real champagne wine only comes from Champagne, France and a group of localized wineries there. Any other winery that claims to make champagne is faulty unless they actually use grapes that are specifically from Champagne.

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The process of making sparkling wine has stayed pretty much the same throughout the years. The process has become modernized, but for the most part retains the spirit of the old ways. The first step in making champagne and sparkling wines is to pick the grapes over a period of time so that every grape is at its ripest.

Sometimes, different grapes from different vineyards are used to retain the best qualities of each variety. The grapes are then pressed and stored, usually in stainless steel barrels to ferment. This is done over a period of at least three weeks, until all the sugar is turned into alcohol.

The wine is then separated from the bits that sunk to the bottom of the barrels and is transferred to other barrels, sometimes wood, to ferment longer or is mixed in with older wines to retain a particular flavor.

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For the second fermentation, extra sugar and yeast is put in with the wine to make the bubbly texture. That is how sparkling wine is made! There are many different kinds of sparking wines and they are all made a little differently, but the basic process is the same.

The process of the creation of sparkling wines began long ago. Since then there have been so many different kinds created that it is impossible to mention them all. A wine club or a resourceful website can help you to discover more information about wines. Of course, the most important fact to remember is that Champagne, France is the only true origin of champagne.

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Preparing To Make Your Own Wine Making

October 7th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Everyone wants to make beer right? Afterall, “home brew” is just cool. But making your own wine: now THAT is “high society cool.” But you can’t just jump into wine making. Think of it as the next logical step after making your own beer.

Just like beer, don’t expect to get a perfect tasting wine on your first go-round. You’re going to have to take their time to perfect the recipe and aging process.

First and foremost in wine making, you gotta keep things clean and sterile. What this means is that your garage probably isn’t the best place to start up your little at-home winery. A quiet corner in the basement may be a better idea.

Patience is another must that you have to have. Good wine ain’t made in a week! There’s this little process called “fermentation” that can take months or years to get right. Don’t be tempted to take sips every other day either.

The actual art of making wine has been around since Bible times and before. The recipes and the styles of wine have changed but the process is just about the same as it always has been. You may find the recipes have different ingredients, temperature requirements, yeast, and fruits. (the best wines are fruit blends by the way)

All that really matters is that you are making your own stuff at home. Even if you screw it up, you will at least be one step closer to your goal of being “high society cool!” You may succeed or you may fail, but either way you will have enjoyed the experience.

You can find all the information and basics of wine making online and in other literature. Just like home brewed beer, there are plenty of starter kits available to help you make that red or white wine you have been dreaming about. Best of luck!

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