Wine Types and Terms
Wine Types - Dry Wines to Rice Wine
DRY WINES: A wine that is not sweet or sweetened. (In other words all
or most of the natural sugar content has been converted to alcohol.) Serve with
or after a meal. People who have a tendency to develop low blood sugar after eating
sweets should stick to dry wines.
FORTIFIED WINES: Wines that have had their natural alcohol content increased
by the addition of a brandy. Serve with dessert or after dinner. Should be served
in small, narrow glasses.
HONEY WINE (MEAD): An ancient type of wine that was made from fermented honey
flavored with herbs. Serve with meals. The use of mea may predate that of the grape
wines.
LIGHT WINES: A wine that has a low alcoholic content. Serve with meals.
These wines have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity. A wine containing only 8%
alcohol is now being made in California.
MADEIRA: One
of the wines made on the island of Madeira which is located 500 miles southeast
of the coast of Portugal. (The wines range from light and dry to heavy and rich.)
Depending upon the type of wine, it may be served at various parts of the meal.
Madeira wines are the longest-lived (they keep for many years without deterioration)
of any of the wines. Purposely pre-oxidized (madeirized).
MAY WINE: A
light, white Rhine wine that is flavored with the herb woodruff. Serve chilled in
a punch bowl with pieces of fresh fruit floating on top. Good for serving at garden
parties or other outdoor types of receptions.
MOSELLE WINES: Light wines (the alcohol content is usually about 10% or
less) made in the valley of the Moselle River in Germany, which lies to the west
of the Rhine. Serve with lunch or dinner. The most renowned Moselle wine is Berkasteler
Doktor, because it is reputed to have cured an ailing archbishop. Primarily the
Riesling grape.
MULLED WINE: Heated, sweetened, spiced wine served in a cup. Serve during
the winter holidays. Drinking a cup of mulled wine is a quick way to warm up after
coming in from the cold.
MUSCATEL: A
sweet fortified wine made from Muscat grapes. Serve with dessert. Should be served
in small, narrow glasses.
PERRY (PEAR WINE): Light wine made from pear juice. Serve with meals. Among
the least expensive wines.
PINOT: Wine
made from Pinot grapes. Starting material for making champagne. Serve with meals.
California Pinot wines rival those of France.
PORT: The
type of fortified wine that originated in the town of Oporto in Portugal. Serve
with dessert or after dinner. Port wines are now made in countries other than Portugal.
Hence, the Epicurean consumer should check the label carefully. Tawny port is aged
longer than other port wines.
PULQUE: Fermented
juice of the agava plant that grows in Mexico and in southwestern U.S. Used to make
tequila, or used shortly after its preparation because it does not keep well. A
common drink in Mexico.
RED WINES: Wines produced from dark-colored grapes that are fermented
together with their skins (which contain most of the color pigments). Serve at meals
featuring beef or lamb dishes. Usually, red wines have a higher iron content than
lighter colored wines. Hence, they are the best for building up the blood of anemic
persons.
RESINATED (GREEK) WINES: Greek wines that contain a resin which imparts a pine-like
flavor. Best when served with mild-flavored main dishes made from fish, pork, or
poultry. Unresinated wines of hight quality are also made in Greece.
RICE WINE (SAKE): A Japanese wine made from fermented white rice. Served with
meals at Japanese restaurants. May be served hot. Although some people consider
sake to be a beer (because it is made from grain), it has an alcoholic content like
that of wines.
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