About Wine and Wine Tasting by Maria Scillieri
Wine is as old as history and a source of pleasure and lasting interest. Learning about wine is as much about gaining experience as it is about gaining knowledge. It is about sensation, feeling, the occasion, the accompanying food and the company. A never ending source of fascination, wine appreciation is gained through the use of senses.
Wine is fermented grape juice. The best quality being produced mostly in latitudes 30-50 degrees north and south of the equator. The grape, which has developed on the vine for about 100 days after flowering, is made up of skin, stalk, pips and pulp. The inside skin of the grape contains the coloring matter. The stalks provide the tannic acid which gives body and qualities to the wine.The pips impart tannic acid and oils to the wine. The pulp provides the grape juice and contains water, sugar and acids.
Several factors influence the quality of wine such as the soil, climate, microclimate, the terrior, and grape variety, to name a few. In some years, everything in the vineyards and cellars combines well to produce a wine of excellence. In other years, there can be great disappointments brought on by excess of climatic condiitons, sun, rain, snow and sometimes hail.The wine grower can never be confident, but must always be vigilant. There are so many styles of wine. Red, white, rose, blush, sparkling, organic, and fortified are a couple of popular styles. Grape varities are grown all over the world. Some of the more popular varities known to the public are cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and shiraz.
One of the primary reasons wine tastings are held are to educate the public of the many types of wines and varietals. Tastings are the sensory evaluation of wine which incorporate sight, smell and touch. This process of identifying aromas aids in the appraisal, acceptance or rejection of wine. Wine and food harmony aid in the compatibility of flavors and textures. The taste of the drink is detected in different parts of the mouth, but most essentially on the tongue. Sweetness is detected at the tip and center, acidity on the upper edges, saltiness onthe sides and tip and bitterness at the back. All of these tools aid in understanding and appreciating wine.
Maria Scillieri is the Sommelier at The Brick House in Wyckoff, NJ. She has been making wine with her family since 1970. Her experience in wine was fostered with a love of travel throughout the United States and Europe visiting many of those countries vineyards. Her formal education followed with a completion of study. The Brick House offers themed wine tasting dinner events with wines from all over the world in their elegant wine cellar and ballroom complete with an educational component offer guests an experience of wine appreciation.
Please check the website for upcoming events: www.TheBrickHouse.com or call 201.848.1211.