ask a sommelier
I love big fruity Australian Shiraz but I would like to try something new . Is there a particular country or grape variety that I should try next to ease me into uncharted territory ? There are so many choices out there and I don ’ t want something too far from what I know I like .
— Betty Anne Aitken Dear Betty Anne ,
I completely understand how you feel . It can be so overwhelming to walk the aisles of the wine store and stare at the labels of all these wines that you don ’ t know . If you are going to lay down your dollars for a bottle of wine , you want to know that you will enjoy it . Given your current preference , I think there are some good basic rules to follow .
First , stay in the New World ( anywhere but Europe ) and stick to warm climate wines that will have softer tannins . Depending on how far you are willing to stray , there are a few options . From there , if you want to keep very close to your comfort zone , you could stay in Australia but try some of the blends . Just adding a second varietal , like a Cabernet blended with Shiraz , might be enough of a change to start .
If you want to stray a little further , I would recommend starting in California . Check out some of the Zinfandel-based blends , which have big fruit qualities and deliver that great punch that Aussie Shiraz can give you . Another option would be Argentinean Malbec . These wines are rich and fruit-forward with gentle tannins that don ’ t dry out your mouth . And remember , your local wine expert is around to help . We are always looking for a good excuse to talk wine !
— Saralyn Mehta
Once I open a bottle of sparkling wine , will it keep its fizzy sparkle ? If so , how long ?
— Brenda LeBeau
Dear Brenda ,
Depending on conditions , those wonderful bubbles in sparkling wine and Champagne might last a few days , or even longer . At worst , a modest bubbly will be mostly flat by morning — or five minutes after someone shakes the bottle and lets it fly . Here ’ s why .
First , the quality of the wine matters . The best sparkling wines are made by the Champagne method , from the region in France where it was perfected . It starts with a quality base wine ; bubbles are produced by adding a bit of sugar and yeast , creating a second fermentation ( and carbon dioxide gas ). The gas dissolves in the liquid , and the sediment created is eventually removed . This all happens in the same bottle that you ultimately purchase . Bubbles can also be created in a large , closed tank , or ( I shudder to add ) by forcing gas into the wine soda-pop style . Generally speaking , the finer the wine , the longer-lasting the bubbles .
How much wine is left in the bottle also matters . If there is a large amount still in the bottle , the bubbles will last longer than if there is a small amount . In other words , the more air present for gas to escape into , the faster it escapes .
A few things help to slow down that escaping gas . Champagne stoppers push a tiny bit of air into the bottle , and hold it , saving the wine better than a bit of plastic wrap would do . Inert gas preservers ( which Banville & Jones sells , and I buy ) also help to keep the wine fresh . Placing the bottle upright on the refrigerator or wine cooler shelf ( rather than the fridge door that moves every time someone goes in for a snack ) also helps .
— Sylvia Jansen
Is there a difference between a Rosé and White Zinfandel ?
— O . F . Clark
Dear O . F .,
The longer a wine sits on its red skins during the winemaking process , the deeper the red hue of the final product . Both Rosés and White Zinfandels get their pale pink colour from the skins of red grapes .
Technically , all wines of this colour are considered Rosés , but due to the branding machine that was the 1980s , most people put White Zinfandel , or blush , in a category of its own because of different production styles . Rosés are normally fermented until dryness , meaning a lot of the sugar is gone in the final product ; when producing a blush ( White Zinfandel ), fermentation is halted early , leaving behind some ( and sometimes lots ) of sugar . Rosés are nuanced and delicate , and produced in small lots ; blush wines are made to taste consistently the same and are made by the tanker-load ! One large producer makes more White Zin than Canada ’ s total wine production !
Rosés are a great summer drink for red wine lovers who are dying for something cooler , and White Zin has made amazing marketing strides , getting more people interested and drinking wine . If you haven ’ t tried Rosés , I think you are missing a really fun part of the wine world . From Australia ’ s nearly red Rosés , to Spain ’ s Garnacha Rosé , there is so much to explore !
— Mike Muirhead
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