|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 10 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
The taste that lingers The festival season has quietly come to a close. Besides celebrating with newly adorned clothes, food and drink the habit of serving Wine mainly during Christmas has become a long past custom here at home. Today Wine has become an integral part at a variety of functions totally disconnected with any festivities Christmas or otherwise. by Prasad Abu Bakr Speaking to Daily News was one of Sri Lanka's foremost wine tasters Nishadha Periyapperuma in view of enlightening our readers with some little known facts connected to this enchanting drink that has fast become ultra-popular among party goers.
Periyapperuma who has followed a course on American Wine at the University of Davis in California USA, has also obtained a diploma in Viticulture and Oenology from Regency Institute for Advanced Wine Studies in Adelaide, Australia and followed orientation programmes in France, Germany, USA and New Zealand with regard to the subject of Wine. He is the visiting Lecturer for advanced Wine studies at the Ceylon Hotel School and The School of Tourism besides being the Principal Lecturer for the E & J Gallo Wine Appreciation programme and Sommeliers competition held annually. Periyapperuma is presently attached to York Hotel Management Services Limited as its Director Operations. The history of wine runs back before our knowledge of it. It emerges with civilisation itself from the East. The evidence from tablets, papyri and tombs can - and does fill volumes. Man, as he is known for his working and worrying background emerges from ancient Greek history with the support of a Jug of Wine. There has been much speculation about the quality of Roman wine. It apparently had extraordinary powers of keeping, which in itself suggests that it was good. The great vintages were discussed and even drunk for longer periods than seemed possible; the famous Opimian - from the year of consulship of Opimius, 121 BC - was being drunk even when it was 125 years old.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage obtained from fermentation of freshly gathered grapes. When the grape sugars are exposed to yeast the fermentation begins. As a result a beverage is produced containing ethyl alcohol and it is called wine. The Carbon Dioxide gas that is produced during fermentation, if retained using many technical methods makes the wine that is produced frizzy and is termed as a sparkling wine. If the gas is released during the bottling process the still table wine is produced. Table wine which is a natural product obtained purely by fermentation in contrast to fortified wines create a twist and its alcohol levels can sore up to between 18% to 25% owing to being fortified with grape brandy or other spirits, in comparison to the otherwise low levels of alcohol found in a neutral table wine which is between 8% to 14%. Table wines are divided into two categories; still wines and sparkling wines as mentioned earlier. Still wines contain no Carbon Dioxide and can be divided into further categories according to its colour (white, red and rose), presence of residue sugar (very dry, dry, semi-dry, medium sweet, sweet and very sweet) also (light, medium and full bodied). Wines are also described as fruity, tannic or astringent, herbaceous, oak, chemical, acidic etc... A light bodied wine is very much low in alcohol, lighter in colour and high in acid. They are very fruity and has a simplified taste. These wines are best consumed at an early stage of its bottling and best served with light meals such as starters and canapes, in comparison a lighter bodied red wine is heavier owing to the presence of tannin in it. A full bodied wine is high in alcohol, has more colour intensity notwithstanding wether it's red or white and has a low content of acid. The popular term Champagne refers to a sparkling wine produced in the district of Champagne in Southern France using a technique called Methode Champanoise. Any other sparkling wine produced outside the district of Champagne are not entitled to be called Champagne. Sekt is the name used to identify sparkling wines produced in Germany and the sweet tasting sparkling wines made in Italy is called Spumante. Some of the Champagnes available here in the local market can be found under these labels Moet et Chandon, Lanson Black Label, Louis Roederer, Dom Perignon and Charles Heidsieck in addition to a variety of others. Among the sparkling wines available here the popular brands are Hekell Trocken (Germany), Asti Spumante (Italy), Cava (Spain), Taltarni (Australia), Domain Chandon (USA). What we termed as Fortified Wines on the other hand earlier in this article can also be divided into two categories; Aperitif Wines and Dessert Wines. As the name suggests Aperitif Wines are generally drunk before a meal which helps in stimulating an appetite whereas Dessert Wines are drunk after a meal and helps the digestive process. Dry Sherries such as Tio Pepe, Amontillados and Dry Vermouths such as Cinzano Dry, Martini Dry and Aromatized Wines as Dubonnet and Campari all come under Aperitif Wines while Dessert Wines are Sweet Sherries such as Bristol Cream, Olorosso Sherry, Tawny, Ruby and Port Wines. What are the types of wines that will make a perfect companion to what you are eating? Most people enjoy a glass of wine along with their main meal, specially at functions but what most people do not know is that a perfect combination is created if one has a knowledge of the type of wine that will enhance the flavour of the dish that has been ordered or served. Any of the wine groups listed below could have extracted almost indefinitely drawing on the world's wine list. Salads which come as an opening meal is best accompanied by a dry white wine. One must make sure that the Salad dressing does not contain Vinegar so it is best to dress the salad itself with some wine or a splash of Lemon juice instead of various dressings that will invariably contain Vinegar as it's base. Seer and Prawns are best with fine dry to medium white wines while lobster or crab can be combined with a Vintage Champagne or a fine white Burgundy. Tuna fish goes with all White, Red or Rose of fairly medium character. Meat and poultry if barbecued will match a Chianti or Shiraz, if roasted a variety of Red wine can partner the dish. A beef stew is best with Californian or Australian Pinot Noir [available locally]. Chicken and Turkey will highlight its taste virtually with any wine, including your very best bottles of dry or medium white and finest old reds. But all in all wine is best tasted with Cheeses. It is not amazing to see who functions especially to promote these two ingredients together, a common site in Europe. Strong Blue Cheeses are the most popular, heavy-weight, sweet dessert fortified such as vintage port makes a traditional partnership with these types of cheeses. Medium-weight, dry white sparkling is also preferred. The sharpness of the wine counterbalances the sweet acidity of the cheese. Soft cheeses such as Camembert is best with a variety low in Tannin, young red such as Beaujolais, medium-sweet white or red Pinot Noir makes ideal matching, vivid fruity types can be best avoided with Camembert. Hard cheeses as Cheddar calls for a heavy, dry fortified such as sherry or a sweet white one as the Californian late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, these heightens the interplay of sweet and sharp flavours, finally we come to the Cream Cheeses which includes cottage cheese and other fresh cheeses. Neutral dry white or fruity dry white are the easiest to match as these cheeses are really too acid to be combined with a variety of wines. Coming to a close it is worth taking note that the last 100 years has seen a revolution within the international wine industry. Industrialist involved in wine-making has derived a variety of methods to create suitable wines that can appeal to a wider wine consuming audience, this has opened a number of options to the wine maker to create complex palate tastes to widen sales of the beverage. It is questioned weather these methods can tempt wine-makers to lower standards of the best wines by increasing volume at the expense of quality. It is noted that there is a insidious trend towards making neutral, safe wine without character, to please every taste. This pattern has been evolving during the last 25 years. It is best to drink un-blended individual wines with all their local character intact, the most enthralling thing about wine is its endless variety that have appeared in the market over the years to suite every taste. This trend can well continue into the future without hindering its good quality and its reputation as the bottle that leaves a lingering taste and brings in that good cheer. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
With the expansion of the Greek Empire, starting a thousand years
before Christ is when wine first met the countries it was to make its real
home, Italy and France. But the move of most consequence for history that
the Romans made with their wines was to take them to Gaul. By the time
they withdrew from what is now France in the fifth century they had laid
the foundations for almost all the greatest vineyards of the modern world.
