Chapter 1: Wine is but sunshine, trapped in water.What is wine? So you are ready to learn now? Obviously since you are still reading this book. A wise choice on your behalf if I do say so myself. You are taking a step towards nobility and fitting in at those balls and foofoo events. With the varietals (varieties) of wine around the world let alone, the Empire, the confusion and overwhelming feel in regards to the subject of wine is easy to understand. So let's look at what exactly is wine?
Wine is fermented grape juice. That's it. End of story. You can stop reading now. No, no, kidding. Wine though is the conversion of sugars found in grape juice into alcohol. The active ingredient that makes that happen? Yeast is what makes it all happen. So now where does yeast come from you ask? Simple enough to answer... the skins of the grape have it. We as people of this land, are naturally meant to consume this beautiful beverage seeing all our ingredients are so readily available. The skin of the grapes hold natural fungus of yeast which converts the sugars of grape juice into the beverage so sought after by nobles and sluts alike.
Now what happens now is the wines are crushed and stored in large vats - either wooden or steel in construction. A lot of that depends on the individual vintner, or winemaker, and their particular methods. Of course some of this has to deal with what resources are readily available as well as the type of grape being harvested and the time required to age the wine. Many factors rest upon these and any vintner will know these if they are in the least amount of competence.
Krom says: Don't forget to keep your white wines chilled but not overly so as to dull the flavor.
Now one important aspect which is totally easy to understand... what types of wine are there? Simple!!! Red or White. That's it! Of course, some would argue that pink, blue or rose wines exists, but those are secondary hues and not a color in itself.
But what kind of wines are there? There are four specific types of wines. Wine can be a still meaning that it has no bubbles, a sparkling which means it has bubbles, a dessert which is a sweet-tasting wine, and fortified which has extra alcohol added.
White Wine at a glanceSo what is white wine? Best to simple state what it is not.... it is not red. Talk about a brilliant statement, but it is just that. White wine is merely wine without the red pigmentation that makes red wine, red. The red comes from the particular grape skins, making white wine not those types of grapes! White wine though is never white or clear, it is in fact found on a range of yellows to golds and sometimes even a pale green color. Popular white wines include Chardonnary, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio.
White wine is created by the juices of white grapes, which are not really white but can be green, green yellow, yellow, golden, or even pinkish yellow in color. It can also sometimes be created from the juice of red grapes, as long as the juice is used and no skins are mixed into the process as it will taint the batch creating the red coloration.
Krom says: White wines make great predinner drinks. It helps prepare the palette for the meals with it's dry and lightness quality.
Now in a comparison purpose, white wine is often described as less full bodied (body is the word vintners use to describe the flavor, richness, and depth). At the same time, they also have differing personalities I will call it for lack of better term. Some whites range from a soft (smooth taste)to a crisp (a little tart) taste or even a broad (flavor intensive) one.
Red Wine at a glanceAs mentioned prior, the noticable different between white wine and red wine is the color. Just as white wine isn't really white, red wine isn't necessarily red. It ranges from dark pink to ruby to purple to almost black white some off hues added in there like oranges and blues. To produce red wine, the vintners leaves the skins of red grapes during the fermentation process. The skins contain tannin which is a natural substance that makes red wine taste "firm" and creates that puckering sensation in the back of the mouth after the first swallow.
Krom says: Why do you pair cheese and wine together? Well soft cheeses counteracts the tannin of red wines. It creates a beautiful balance on the tongue.
The second difference is that red wines are more xomplex than whites. What is complex you ask? It merely means it has more tastes and flavors or acts differently in your mouth through sensations. More importantly, complexity of wine is something that individual vintner's create through different health of the grapes, the process in which it is being made, the acidic level, the time left to age, and what kind of vat it is being stored in.
Pink Wine at a glanceIn addition to the red adn white wines, there is technically a pink wine. Most formally, it is referred to as a rose wine but in general terms you will hear it referred to as a blush. Pink wines are usually crafted from red grapes. To make the wine pink, the vintner leaves the grape juice in contact with red skins for only a very short time, a few hours or days as compared to weeks for a deep red wine.
In some cases, pink wine is made by a combination or mixing of red and white grapes or merely blending of the wines are various stages of the winemaking process.
In general, pink wines are light bodied and somewhat sweet to taste. Many experts often dismiss rose wines, claiming they lack complexity of red wine and the personality of a good white wine. Of course, wine snobs also miss out on great things like sex because they are so goddamn picky.
Sparkling Wine at a glanceA sparkling wine is infused with bubbles from gases. The best way and most traditional way to achieve this required fermenting the wine twice. The first fermentation where yeast is added to turn the sugar into alcohol and the gas escaped through the oak barrel. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle where a bit of sugar and wine are added and the subsequent bubbles are trapped into the bottle. The result is sparkling wine rich in taste, with bubbles that infuse its very being.
Krom says: Sparkling wines and Champaignes need not be served only with celebrations. They go great with chicken, veal, and fish too.
Dessert Wine at a glanceDessert wines are rich in taste and intensely sweet. Most dessert wines are created by harvested grapes late in the season and are therefore that much sweeter. Why this is the case is because of a little fungus that attacks the grape late in season known as Noble Rot. It causes the water in grapes to evaporate which leaves a very sweet, intense flavor. Flavors range from honey to caramel to apricot to even peach.
Sauternes is the best known dessert wine. They serve as the benchmark for quality among sweet wines. Sauternes are rich and fruit-filled with an apricot, pineapple or peach flavor overlaid with a creamy quality.
Krom says:Pair a sweet dessert wine with other rich desserts. Be sure to serve with cantaloupe, peaches, and berries as well as other seasonal fruits. Be sure not to chill your dessert wines (unless they are white wine) due to it ruining the flavoring! Best served at room temperature.
Ice wine is a locally created dessert wine created when grapes are allowed to remain on the vine until winter temperatures freeze them. They are then pressed and the frozen water is left behind, creating a concentrated syrup with pure fruit flavors and sharp acidity.
Tokay is a sweet, white wine from the far eastern portions of the continent. They are created with botrytis affected grapes.
Late Harvest is a term coined for our Empire's wines that are used in sweet wines. Many are enhanced by botrytis as well.
Vin Santos is a sweet wine to the south made from bunches of grapes that are harvested, then allowed to hang from hooks in hot attics of the winery or straw mats until they shrivel and are then pressed. The result is a unique sweet wine with almond-like flavor.
Fortified Wine at a glanceThese wines are so named from the fact that they are fortified, or strengthened, with alcohol - usually being brandy. Fortified wines include Sherry, Port, Madeira, and Marsala. The flavor of these wines range along the spectrum from dry to sweet. Fortified wines are often used in cooking, adding a fabulous and distinct flavor to soups and sauces. Be careful though when using these wines for cooking, as they have very strong and intense flavors! If there is not a correct amount specified by the recipe, start by adding a tablespoon at a time and adjust the taste slowly.
Madeira is subjected to a long, complex heating process during maturation. It ranges in colors from pale gold to gold and can be dry to a very sweet flavor known as Rainwater.
Marsala is one of the more famous fortified wines. It has a rich flavor that can either be sweet or dry. This wine is often utilized in cooking of veal and chicken dishes.
Port is a favored drink to the Northlands near the mountainous shield wall. There are many types of port, but it is basically a sweet wine fortified with brandy. It creates a robust, sweet wine that is the perfect afterdinner drink.
Sherry is common throughout the region and ranges in colors and flavors. They tend to be light and rich in flavor. Used frequently in cooking dishes.