Biggest Wine Country

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay

Visit Texas Hills Area

Many of us have danced the Texas Two-step.  I found another Texas tradition, the Texas Two-sip.  The Texas Two-sip is a challenging, blind taste test of a collection of in state and out of state wines.  The goal is to use your taste buds to find the best.  There are special rules and forms to fill out, but no specific rules on what food you can eat.  Sounds like a party to me.  The only caution I have is I did not find out the rule when you get to take your blindfold off.  Be careful where you step.

When I was in the military traveling home on leave, I had car trouble in Fredericksburg.  The people took me in, fed me and housed me, while the resident mechanic repaired my heap.  When I was getting ready to leave, they gave me the gift of a thank you for my service and covered all my bills.  Because of the wine growing there, I now have another reason to take a pause there.  Look out Highway 290 here we come.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, June 2010

For a time our son lived in Anacortes, Washington.  A summer not long ago, my wife and I traveled up Interstate 5 along the west coast to visit him.  The scenery along I-5 was like looking at a collection of mail home postcards.  Once we hit the Oregon State line, another common thread of notoriety was the vast number of wineries and vineyards we saw along the way.  We decided to slow our trip and spend time exploring and learning more about Oregon Wine Country. 

We learned that there are currently over 400 wineries and 875 vineyards in the state.  Planted acreage is over 19,000 acres, which makes the average vineyard about 20 to 25 acres.  Oregon wine growers are mostly small, family-owned operations by people with a deep love for and an enduring responsibility to care for the land.  Many of these small producers make 5,000 cases of wine or less.   What they lack in production they gain in quality by their careful attention to details.  Oregon is currently ranked third in the U.S. with regard to the number of wineries.  Oregon wine sales in 2008 were nearly 1.75 million cases and production today is approaching 2.0 million cases. 

Many of the Oregon wine grapes, especially the cool-zone grown varieties, exhibit high levels of a potent antioxidant derived from grape skins called resveratrol.  Antioxidants have been known to have positive effects on one’s health.  Wine drinking in moderation, according to recent studies, exhibited health benefits of improved heart health and decreased incident of illness.  About 65 percent of the grapes cultivated are of the red varieties, while 35 percent are of the white. 

 The top five wine varieties are cultivated on about 85 percent of the total planted acreage of 19,300 acres.  Pinot noir is the most cultivated variety on nearly 59 percent of the total planted acreage.  Pinot gris is cultivated on about 14 percent of the acreage; Chardonnay on about 5 percent; Reisling on about 4 percent and Cabernet Sauvignon on about 3 percent.  Other wine varieties you could often in counter include Syrah, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Cabernet France, Zinfandel, Sauvignon blanc and Pinot blanc.  With close to 70 different varieties known to be cultivated, it is reasonable to assume you will easily find one to fit your taste. 

If you are considering a tour of Oregon Wine Country, plan to go in October or November.  During this time of year, you will be able to experience a collaboration of wine makers, cheese makers, brew masters, chefs, growers and producers.  The annual celebration is called Oregon Bounty, a unique Oregon event.  This unique event could very well provide you with some tips to making your next wine tasting party a favorite with your friends.  Remember to enjoy your wine to the greatest extent by storing it and serving it at just the right temperature. 

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, April-2010

Our family gathers at least twice a year for a big sit-down dinner together.  Last Thanksgiving, it was my wife’s and my turn to feed the clan, which added to 39 hungry individuals.  By subtracting the kids and the beer drinkers, my task was to gather enough wine glasses for about 29 adults.  After pulling our glass serving collection out of the cupboard, I counted 11-white wine, 7-red wine, 5-brandy snifter, 3-champagne and 2-pilsner beer glasses for a total of 28 glasses.  The last person lucked out and received a small water glass to enjoy the wine.  It is common for many of us in this situation to bring out a hybrid collection of glassware when we entertain large numbers.

When choosing wine glasses, WineDoctor.com has four basic rules to consider.  Rule #1 is the glass should be plain and clear.  Rule #2 is that the glass should be of sufficient size to allow pouring a good measure and at the same time allow room for the “swirling” process to release the aromas.  Select a glass that has a stem for holding is Rule #3.  The stem allows holding your wine glass without transferring heat to the bowl of the glass and consequently your wine. The final rule is that good wine glasses have a taper at the top, which is smaller than the bowl of the glass.  This serves to concentrate the aromas towards the nose.

Some glassware companies have designed glassware for every kind of wine one might purchase.  If one were to purchase their complete line of wine glasses for each individual wine, the next project we would undertake is remodeling of our glass storage cabinetry.  Many website wine aficionados state we can get by quite well by selecting four basic designs for our wine glassware collection.  Get different glassware designs to enjoy red, white, sparkling and dessert wines.  The glassware you select should be thin as thick glasses are thought to affect the taste of the wine, making it more difficult to properly lip the glass for sipping.

A red wine glass should have a bowl fuller and rounder and with a larger opening than other wine glasses.  The bowl of the glass should be wider than the opening of the glass.  Red wines have complex aromas and flavors that this shape of glasses enhances when the wine contacts with more air.  A white wine glass should be more “u” shaped, which allows aromas to easily release.  For sparkling wines, get an upright narrow glass also called a “flute” glass.  The narrowness of this glass helps retain the carbonation and capture the flavor.  The dessert wines should be served in a smaller glass to direct the wine to the back of the mouth.  These wines also contain higher alcohol content making a smaller serving wise.  Pour only enough wine to fill the glass to the widest part of the bowl.

Correctly, caring and cleaning your stemware is the last concern for being ready for drinking your favorite vintage.  Some say wash the glasses only using hot water and others say washing with detergent is okay as long as it is unscented (e.g., no lemon added).  If detergent is used, stemware should be thoroughly rinsed.  Once rinsed allow the glasses to drip dry in an inverted position.  After drying, use a soft cloth to polish them and remove residual water spots.  Store them upright in a cupboard ready of use.

After taking a strong chiding from my clan on my hybrid wine stemware, I have since upped my collection.  I can now accommodate up to 30 people with the proper glass for their respective wine choices.  I did not nor will you have to spend a fortune to be prepared.  Now let us enjoy our wine in the best possible stemware and do not forget wine enjoyment starts by correctly storing your wine before use.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers