| For many of us wine is something of a
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| | widely planted grape and probably
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| mystery and when we are buying wine it
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| | originates from Spain. As well as often
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| comes down to a simple choice between red
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| | being used to produce ros wines, it is
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| and white and what our local supermarket
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| | also commonly used as a base for many
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| has available in its "special offer" bin.
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| | blended wines including such well known
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| But wine really isn't such a mystery at
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| | names as Chateauneuf du Pape and Cotes du
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| all and, in this area at least, a little
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| | Rhne.
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| knowledge can get you a very long way.
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| | Blush wine.
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| The starting point is to understand the
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| | Blush wine is sometimes referred to as
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| different types of wine available and
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| | California's version of ros wine and is
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| here we can divide wines into five main
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| | produced in much the same way as ros
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| groups.
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| | wine. In this case however the grape most
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| Red Wine.
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| | often used is the Zinfandal grape which
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| Red wine is fermented from what many
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| | produces a slightly sweet pink wine which
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| people would refer to as red grapes but
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| | also shows a somewhat blue color. The
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| which are in fact more correctly named
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| | Zinfandal grape originates in Croatia but
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| black grapes. In the case of red wine the
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| | has been grown widely in the US for more
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| grapes are used whole for fermentation,
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| | than 150 years now and is considered
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| that is to say complete with skin and
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| | indigenous to California.
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| pips, and it is the skin which gives the
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| | White wine.
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| wine its red color.
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| | Believe it or not white wine can be made
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| There are a wide variety of black grapes
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| | from either white or black grapes, as the
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| available each with its own distinctive
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| | juice from either grape is colorless and
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| flavor which is derived principally from
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| | it is only the skin of the black grape
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| the soil and climate in the region where
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| | that gives red wine its color.
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| the grapes are grown. This, together with
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| | The flavors available across the range of
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| the winemaker's art of mixing, allows us
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| | white wines vary tremendously according
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| to enjoy a range of red wines from the
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| | to the grape used, the winemaker's art
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| deep blackcurrant color of the
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| | and the degree to which different juices
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| full-bodied and intensely flavored wines
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| | are blended to create the finished wine.
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| produced from the Cabernet Sauvignon
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| | Dry white wines often come from grapes
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| grape to the lighter cherry and raspberry
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| | such as Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc while
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| taste gained from the Pinot Noir grape.
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| | richer fruit-flavored wines are more
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| Ros wine.
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| | likely to be based upon the Chardonnay
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| Ros wines are again produced from black
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| | grape.
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| grapes but, in this case, the juice is
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| | Sparkling wines.
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| separated off part way through the
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| | Sparkling wines, of which Champagne is
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| fermentation process and at the point at
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| | clearly the best known example, are based
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| which the winemaker determines that the
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| | upon a dry white wine. Here the wine is
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| juice contains sufficient color to give
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| | bottled and a solution of sugar and yeast
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| the finished wine the pink color that he
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| | is added before the bottle is sealed. The
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| is looking for.
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| | sugar and yeast solution causes a
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| Once again the flavor of the finished
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| | secondary fermentation and sealing the
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| wine depends very much on the grape used
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| | bottles at the start of this process
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| for fermentation and some of the finest
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| | traps the gas produced by this
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| ros wines are produced from the Grenache
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| | fermentation within the wine to give it
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| grape. Often thought of as a French
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| | its sparkle when the bottle is opened.
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| grape, Grenache noir is the world's most
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