The champagne

The champagne is an effervescent french wine inherent of the Champagne region situated in the Nord-East of the France.  

It's important to know that the elaboration of the champagne incluse certains specificities:

- The harvest is done manually to not damage the grape
- Pressing is performed on traditional presses
- The assembly must marry different grapes and vintages of different years
- The champagne must be created following a double fermentation ( first of all in tank and the second time in a cylinder)
- The champagne must be a effervescent wine kept under pressure by a mushroom-shaped plug. 
- Champagne must comes from a official bran. 

Mushroom-shaped plug

The champagne is made out of three grapes : 

- The pinot noir is used to make strong wines with low acidity.

- The pinot meunier is a grape variety that make the wine fruity with low acidity. When it assembled with the other grape to make champagne, it brings suppleness and coherence.

- The chardonnay brings finesse and freshness during the blend.

Vineyard in Champagne

You can fin different types of champagne in the world that decompose in six categories: 

- The champagne brut, extra-brut, dry or semi-dry which designates wines with more or less proportion of liqueurs. 

- Blanc de Blancs which designates some champagnes exclusively makes with chardonnay white grapes.

- Blanc de Noirs designates champagnes exclusively makes with pinot noir and/or pinot meunier. 

- Grand Cru or Premier Cru mention champagne make from classed vineyard. (100% of the vineyard for the first mention and 90% to 99% of the vineyard to the second mention).

- Millesimé means that the champagne is from a single year. 

- The champagne rosé

Otherwise, the champagne became a luxury product and celebration beverage consuming in special occasion. This wine is famous around the world because of its protected appellation. 

We say that a quality champagne owns "Nonaggressive fine bubbles that rise in continuous column". 

Champagne with fine bubbles

You can taste the champagne with flute glasses (picture below) during the aperitif or the dessert. 

Champagne with foie gras

The rosé

The rosé is characterized by its pink or red color. In addition to the must's fermentation required for every wines, the rosé needs a controlled maceration of the black grapes. At the difference of the other wines, the grape juice is macerate during a short period (few hours or one day). 

Contrary to what the legends says, the rosé is not the mixture between the white wine and the red wine. It demand a lot of expertises to make it. Today, we number three types of rosé: 

- The rosé made by maceration is made from a black grape harvest placed in tank 24h before the beggining of the fermentation. This method allow to liberate the pulp, the grape skin, the pips and the grapejuice. Durinf this short vatting period, the pigments and the aromas contained in the grape tint the juice to make the rosé colour. 

- The pressing rosé is made from the direct pressing of the grape after the harvest. This technique brings to the wine a lighter robe like salmon coulour. 

- The rosé de Saignée is obtained from the harvest placed in tank as the rosé made by maceration but destined to make some red wine. After few hours of maceration, the winemakers liberate some coloured juice to make some wine besides. 

The experts used a swatch of nine colours to identified the rosé; 

- Currant
- Raspberry
- Rosewood
- Pink marble
- Meat
- Salmon
- Onion skin
- Brick 
- Coral

The different colours of the rosé

We use a lot of wines grape to create a rosé. By regions, there are:

- The cabernet sauvignon is one of the grape variety used to make some rosé. Its very common in the South East of the France, in Provence. This grape variety bring a tannic and strong structure of the wine.

- The syrah is one tof the most currant grape variety used to make some rosé. Its utilisation in the elaboration of rosé allow to product some strong and coloured wines. With the time, the wines derived of the syrah grape variety develop aromas of vanilla, havana and red fruits. 


This wine is considered as a friendly, fresh and light drink. During a long time, it was exclusively tasted during aperitif because this product was not considered like a wine. However this product has earned its place in the world of wine and today it accompany meals of meat and fish. 

Rosé and aperitif

Fish soup and rosé

The white wine

The white wine is obtained by the fermentation of the must of non colored grap pulp. This type of wine is processed to maintain its final yellow color. There are a variety types of white wine due to the large amount of types of winemaking. Some exemples:

- The Chardonnay is the most famous white grape variety in the world.  Its situated in Bourgogne due to the geologic and climatic wealth. All the greatest white wines as the Chablis, the Pouilly-Fuissé or the Montrachet use this grape because its allow to bring to light the subtilities of the native terroir. The Chardonnay is use in France, Spain, Italy, America, South Africa and Australia.

- The Sauvignon is also globaly known in the world of wine. Its situated in the South West of the France, in the region of Bordeaux. This grape variety is generally aromatic and acid. We use it to make some different white wine in France as the Pouilly Fumé, the Sancerre and the Saint-Bris. You can find it around the world in New Zeland, in South Africa, in Italy and of course in France.

- The Muscat product some aromatic wine that expresse the flavor of the fresh grape. It use to the elaboration of different wine as the Alsace Muscat, Muscat of the South East of the France or more some rosé muscat called "Moscato" in Italy. The Muscat is largely farmed in the North of the Spain,in Italy and in France. 

White grape variety

We can decomposed the white wine in two categories, the dry white wine and the sweet white wine.

The first one is the most common wine to flavor. It's generally acidic and more or less aromatic. This wine is characterized by a complete fermentation of the must.
The second white wine is sweet because of the interruption of the fermentation of the must. This technique avoids the total transformation of the sugars in alcohol.

The white wine is used as an aperitif drink or more to accompany some food (starters, dishes, and desserts). It recommanded to consume it with seafood like oysters, shellfish or fishes.

Fishe

Oyster

Seafood

Otherwise, this product is eather used for the creation of dishes. Its acidity allow to balance the fat foodstuffs and to tenderize certain meets and fishes. The white wine take part in the realization of sauces and marinades.
Some examples:

The Sauerkraut

The Béarnaise sauce

The cheese fondue

                                                                     Molds in the white wine

The red wine

Red wine is one of three types of wine existing. It's obtained by the fermentation of the must of black grapes, pome and cob (the frame of a bunch of grapes). The red wine production is global, in fact, you can taste a wine comes from each continent as Europe, Borth Amercia, South Amercia, Africa and Australia.

We call "grapes" the different variety of grape and grapevine. There are more that one thousand grape in the world that resulted of naturel mutations. Depending of the region, you can find this kind of grape for the red wine: 

- The cabernet sauvignon come from the Medoc in France. It's a resistant grape that can be adapted at different terroir. Today it is grown all around the world, especially in the South West of the France, in the North of the Spain, in Amercia, in South Africa and in Australia. 

- The malbec is a french grape that can be found principaly in the South West of the France but also in Argentina and in Chili. The Malbec product some velvety and concentrated wine with a higher alcohol containt. 

- The Pinot noir is grape that you can find in the region of Bourgogne in France. It allow to product some exceptional wines world recognized for their taste and their tannins. This grape is use around the world  in particular in France, in Italia, in Spain and in America. 

- The merlot is the second grape of the South West of the France. Its charateristics is that it is harvested earlier that the other grapes. The merlot product some coloured, round and supple wines. 

Red grape variety

Indeed, it exists a lot of criteria that determined how choose a red wine. According to your preference or your expectations (red wine fruity, light, strong, tannic, spicy..), the native region and its price, you have a large choice facing you ! 

Otherwise, on each bottle of wine is posted the classification (AOC zone), the natives regions (Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Languedoc..), the grapes, the cru or more the millesime that can help you to make your choice. 

From a culinary perspective, red wine is used either for tasting or to accompany food. Depending on its taste and fragrance, it is perfectly suited to certain types of food. Generally, red wine accompanied well the red meats, cold cuts and cheeses.

Meat and red wine

In parallel, somes red wines are used in the creation of starters, dishes, desserts or sauces. Its proprieties allow it to perfect dishes. Here some examples:

The beef bourguignon

A stew

The fruits wine

                                                             Vigneronne sauce

Lately, there is a byproduct of the red wine, the red wine vinegar which play an important role in the kitchen. 

Casillero Del Diablo

Hello guys, 

This week I propose you this chilean wine, "Casillero Del Diablo". From its quality and price, this product is quite interesting to discover. 

To begin, a bit a history. 

This wine comes from the chilean company " Concha y Toro", producer and exporter founded in 1863 by Don Melchor de Concha y Toro. The production started in 1863 followed by the first wineyard planting in the valley of Maipo. 

(Picture below)

This valley is special for two reasons: 

- Its strategic location close to Santiago and Valparaiso

- Its topography allows the company to produce a lot of grapes at different altitudes

This enterprise owns wineyard in the principal producted chilean valley and in Argentina. 

One of its most famous wine is the "Casillero Del Diablo" decomposed in: 

Three red wines: the cabernet sauvignon, the carménère, the merlot

Two white wines: the chardonnay, the sauvignon blanc

One rosé: the syrah

The name of this wine means "Locker of the devil" in spanish and it report a urban legend. 

" Along time ago, a ship set sail from bordeaux, France. In a age when the vast, empty ocean and silent soaring seabirds...

Were the only witnesses to the precious wines the trip the carried... 

And this is touching land where their grapes turned into a mysterious wine in time that would become a magical legend.

Wines were kept under lock and key. Although they mysteriously kept disappearing from the cellar. So, more that a hundred years ago he divised a plan to put an end to the thefts...

He spreads a rumor that the devil lived in his cellar.

They say the rumor spread like wild fire. Many claimed to have seen the devil with their own eyes, and before long everyone trembled with fear.

No one was ever able to confirm the existence of his cellar's guardian....

Now The Legend lives on."

You can find this wine in different supermarket in Glasgow as: Tesco , Waitrose and Sainsbury for an abordable price ranging from 6£ to 8£.

My opinion about this wine (Casillero Del Diablo "Merlot"):

This wine is deep purple in colour with a rich nose of ripe blackcurrant, a delicate notes of mocha with aroma of eucalyptus. A palate of fleshy tannin and a refreshing acidity. You can flavor this wine with any type of meat (lamb, beef, veal...)

Enjoy

Who am I ?

Hello, I am a french student and wine lover in Glasgow, and as so, I would like to make you discover through this blog the world of wine and its degustation. This is why, every week, I will present you some bottles of wine, their history and my opinion about them.

I hope that this blog will help you enjoy better wines and appreciate moments of pleasure.

Enjoy