Ingredient(s) in Wines ( you thought it was grape juice)

Ingredients in Wines

Apparently information on what is actually in wine is difficult to obtain. Wineries are reluctant to list what they put in wine. Eric Asimov in the NY Times has written an interesting article on the subject.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/dining/the-big-question-whats-in-wine.html?_r=0 It seems that we might be uncomfortable if we know what goes into what we drink. Sulphites are necessary to preserve wine. Wines without sulphites are unstable and may not taste too good when you open them. However there are lots of other things that go into wine.

 Asimov makes a very good point. If we are interested in what goes into our food, shouldn't we be interested in what is in our wine. I for one, care a great deal about the food I eat but have never really examined what is in wine. If a wine critic likes a wine, I may try it. However I have no idea of what is in the wine and as Asimov points out, we may be quite surprised as to what is in wine.

Yeast is one issue. Some yeast are naturally occurring and others are added to the wine. Lettie Teague at the WSJ has a very interesting article on natural wines and yeasts. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324436104578579650208883968.html

Organic is a designation that never impresses me regarding food. With wine I have never really paid much attention. However organic wines are available and if organic is relevant to you, then by all means buy them. Your selection might not be that large.

People tell me that they can't drink white wines or red wines or a type of wine. It could be because of sulphites but check this out. Someone told me that since dried fruit has lots of sulphites; if you can eat dried fruit then sulphites are not your issue. Not sure if this is valid. Some like sweet wine; some like dry wines; some like fruity wines. For whatever the reason, there is so much wine available, just find a wine that you like and that agrees with you and stick with it. 

I find that the alcohol content of wine to be factor in my enjoyment of wine. Hotter climates and better growing techniques create grapes with more sugar. More sugar creates higher alcohol content. The difference can be large. Champagnes can be around 12%; Cavas around 11%; some German Rieslings around 8% and at the other end of the spectrum -- California cabernet sauvignons can be 15-16% and so can wines from Spain, Australia and Rhone wines from France.

Interestingly there is a process that takes alcohol out of wine. Again this is not noted on a label. A wine that has too much alcohol that is not integrated in to the wine can taste "hot". Alcohol is not obvious in all high alcohol wines although the effects can be. Zinfandels can be very high in alcohols and I feel the impact.

As summer wanes, it can be a great time for food in the Northeast. Apples and pears are in season. We still get tomatoes and corn. I made some pesto last week from my basil. Pesto has basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil and garlic and is pureed in a food processor. On pasta it is great. It has also been a good year for peaches, nectarines and plums in NJ. I even had a great NJ honeydew this year.

I am looking forward to France. We want to eat at good French restaurants but not the over the top crazy places. Michelin 1 star no 3 star. What we really crave is a good croissant. A few websites that I have been checking are http://parisbymouth.com/ and http://patriciawells.com/. Patricia Wells is a long time food writer who lives in France. Any other sites would be appreciated.

The biggest problem with eating in France is understanding the menus. Today's menus are so precious that it is very difficult to find translations for the terms. I am looking for a good app that will help but so far no luck.

Recent Wines

Lots of wines to comment upon.

2003 Château Belle-Vue (Haut-Médoc) Red Bordeaux Blend	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/21/2013 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit) This bottle was VG. Nice bouquet, excellent finish with good fruit, balance and complexity. Wine tasted fresh not 10 years old. Comment (28 views)
	2010 Domaine Bertagna Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguettes Pinot Noir more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/20/2013 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit) Very nice Burgundy, soft, light with fruit, tannin and nice balance; fruitier than alot of Burgundies but never grapey; drank at a restaurant and my friends also enjoyed; $54 at restaurant was not a bad price; have not seen in a store; Comment (38 views)
	2012 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Borsao Grenache Blend, Grenache more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/19/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit) The one and only best buy- Borsao strikes again in 12. Good body, nice color and good balance of fruit and acid. Comment (42 views)
	2012 Foucher Lebrun Sancerre Blanc Le Mont Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/19/2013 - I wrote: 88 points (Edit) Good basic Sancerre. Enjoyed. Fruit, acid and balance. Good value from a reliable importer Polaner. Comment (42 views)
	2011 Gillardi Dolcetto di Dogliani Cursalet more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/14/2013 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit) Good wine, nice fruit, structure and balance; not too fruity and bottle drank well with veal parmesan. Would drink again but it is not widely distributed. Comment (47 views)
	2010 Château Petit-Freylon Cuvée Sarah Bordeaux Contrôlée Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/13/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit) Good solid Bordeaux from a great vintage; wine has some terroir and went well with pizza. Enjoyed. The price makes it an enormous bargain. Comment (109 views)
	2008 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Numanthia Tempranillo more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/15/2013 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit) Liked this wine alot. Good structure and flavor, nice mouthfeel, It went well with steak, but it just was much better and different than I expected, not too heavy and not overwhelmingly one thing of another; just a good balance wine that should develop nicely over time. Comment (211 views)
	2010 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena Alta Mendoza more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/10/2013 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit) Excellent Malbec; not a fan of Malbec's but this wine has converted me, light, fruity with structure and tannin, a pleasure to drink; also a crowd pleaser; Only negative is that it is expensive. Comment (52 views)
	2006 Château Branaire-Ducru St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/15/2013 - I wrote: 88 points (Edit) Wine did not show much fruit and nothing special about the wine; drank with some other supposedly top wines and this wine did not show us anything. Not sure if this wine will continue to positively evolve. Drink up. Comment (366 views)
	2009 Château Gloria St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/11/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit) We have tasted a number of 09 Bordeaux's and this one was OK, nothing special. Maybe we had a bad hair day but the tannins overwhelmed and balance was off. Gave it a chance over a 3 hour period, but not much development; Maybe WA score is over the top or maybe we like cheaper Bordeaux's. Comment (767 views)
	2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/11/2013 - I wrote: 88 points (Edit) Maybe we had a bad day but this wine was light and did not have great flavor; I love Riojas, Barolos and Burgundy's but this wine just did not strike us as anything special; only the WA review said it was special; maybe the Emperor has no clothes; color was very light, not much mouthfeel; maybe we were too impatient with the wine. Comment (1,011 views)
	2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/11/2013 - I like this wine: 95 points (Edit) Beautiful wine. Drank with several Bordeaux's and a supposedly great Rioja and this wine was outstanding. Balanced; great mouthfeel, nice color, good fruit and tannins with structure. If price is irrelevant, this is a very consistent and excellent wine. 1 person found this helpful / Comment (787 views)
	2010 Fulcrum Pinot Noir Brosseau Chalone more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/7/2013 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit) This is a really good wine; good fruit, balance, some spiciness; great mouth feel and just a very good example of a Cali PN that is not over the top fruit wise; wish I had more of this. A Wine Library special that they were right on. Not sure what more one wants from a PN. 1 person found this helpful / Comment (164 views)
	2011 Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Nalys Red Rhone Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/5/2013 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit) Somewhat unbalanced and drinks a little hot but as we drank it the wine improved and was OK; decent fruit and nice acidity; mostly Grenache; mouth feel was not great as wine tasted thin; maybe more time will help but I won't try to find out. Comment (251 views)
	2009 La Carraia Sangiovese Umbria IGT more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/4/2013 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit) Good solid sangiovese. Good value; nice fruit and decent balance. Comment (204 views)
	NV Gruet Winery Brut Blanc de Noirs New Mexico Champagne Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/2/2013 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit) Good sparkler; nice fruit and good acid but not overwhelming; nice color and good bubbles; enjoyed the bottle; I like blanc de noirs. 1 person found this helpful / Comment (378 views)
	NV Vins El Cep Cava Kila Brut White Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/2/2013 - I like this wine: 85 points (Edit) Decent cava. Comment (58 views)
	2006 Tenute Costa Due Corti Barolo Nebbiolo	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/2/2013 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit) Solid Barolo. Balanced but nothing stood out. A nice bottle of wine. Actually drank with grilled lobster and pasta with pesto. Why not. Comment (124 views)
	2012 Luc Pirlet Pinot Noir Vin de Pays d'Oc les Barriques Reserve	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/4/2013 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit) A nice wine but not a typical PN flavorwise. Earthy and balanced but nothing stands out. Comment (40 views)
	2009 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Chardonnay more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/31/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit) Decent wine but more fruit than a typical Chablis; enjoyed the bottle with clam sauce and oysters; maybe the age has lessened the acid; enjoyed the bottle. Comment (155 views)
	2008 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay Estate Grown	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 9/1/2013 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit) Excellent mature chardonnay with acid, fruit, slight honey and beautiful balance. I find Chalone wines age nicely. Drank with scallops, risotto and eggplant. Comment (168 views)
	2010 Christine Nadalie Clos La Bohème Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/31/2013 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit) Interesting wine. 60% cab 40% merlot; a somewhat unusual tasting Bordeaux; very tart flavor that did not moderate as we drank it; wine may need alot of time; WA reviews seem to reference a different wine; have 2 more bottles to try; wine went well with steak but just did not evolve as we drank and the tartness continued; Comment (65 views)
	2010 Château Fleur La Mothe Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/24/2013 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit) An excellent 10 Bordeaux; good balance; nice fruit; wine has room to develop, drank well from beginning to end; drank with filet mignon; great value; 60/40 blend of merlot and cab. Comment (213 views)
	2007 Deumayen Malbec Trez Reserva Mendoza more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/23/2013 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit) Good malbec; wood was on the edge of overpowering but never did, a bit heavy but all in all enjoyable wine. Drank with pork chops; not much nose but good fruit. Comment (71 views)
	2010 Poderi Foglia Taburno Concabianco Galluccio Falanghina	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/23/2013 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit) I like this wine. Decent fruit and acid but a somewhat different grape variety.Drank with salmon and pasta. Somewhere between a French Chardonnay and a NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Not fruity but no minerally. Comment (85 views)
	NV Pommery Champagne Brut Royal Champagne Blend	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/16/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points Good solid Champagne. Good acid and flavor with adequate bubbles. Good value. Comment (697 views)
	2011 Pazos de Lusco Rías Baixas zios Albariño more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/23/2013 - I wrote: 86 points  OK Albarino. Not impressed. Not balanced and not enough fruit even for an Albarino. Comment (95 views)
	2010 JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/23/2013 - I like this wine: 89 points A VG French white. I have found that some of 2010 white Burgundies have that little extra in flavor. This wine was balanced with nice fruit and acid. Somewhat complex and modest in its alcohol content. Enjoyed the wine. Will drink again. Comment (176 views)
	2011 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir Oregon	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment     8/23/2013 - I don't like this wine: 79 points This appears to be another story of bottle discrepancy. Look at the notes and comments. There is about 140,000 cases of this wine and how can they all be the same. I wonder how the WS can give this a 90. I hope they would revisit their review. The wine had no flavor, no mouth feel and the color was typical Oregon. I waited an hour and tried again and tried again the next day. The wine I tasted was an insult to Oregon PN's. BTW i love Oregon PN's. I have another bottle to try. Comment (1,180 views)
	2010 Château Poitevin Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend	Options Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/23/2013 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit) At first the wine was quite funky on the nose. It opened up and it tasted OK but with a depth of flavor that was somewhat unusual. Ultimately the wine was decent with some complexity but i never was completely satisfied with the wine. I have another bottle to try. Don't think that I would buy again. Comment (382 views)
	2005 Tenimenti Ricci Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/17/2013 - I wrote: 89 points (Edit) Mixed feelings; good fruit but needs more wood or tannins; high alcohol but not noticeable except how you feel; drank with loin veal chops; we finished the bottle easily but I never loved the wine; I have another bottle to try again; would not cellar for much longer. Comment (285 views)
	NV Scharffenberger Brut Excellence Mendocino County Champagne Blend more	Options Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/16/2013 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit) VG sparkling wine. Medium bodied with fine bubbles. Very balanced with nice fruit and acid. Would drink again. Drank with grilled lobster. Comment (193 views)
	2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Champagne Blend more	Options Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/10/2013 - I like this wine: 95 points (Edit) Wonderful wine. Complex with a terrific finish. Bubbles exploding in the glass - fun to watch. A big Champagne with a ton of flavor. Is it worth the price??? Loved the wine. I have a feeling that it will be better but much different in another 10 years. As it is the wine is 11 years old and tastes fresh. Comment (4,605 views)
	2010 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/13/2013 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit) Drank a restaurant for $31 a bottle. The started out disjointed -wood - grapes. However it slowly came together and was enjoyable. Drank with an Asian chicken salad and pizza. Not sure I would drink again. Comment (820 views)
	2008 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène Dundee Hills more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/10/2013 - I like this wine: 94 points (Edit) Wine is drinking very nicely at this time. Excellent balance, wine tastes light but with intense flavor; bottle just seemed to disappear; love this wine. Spicy, fruit, and acid beautifully combined. Drank with rack of loin lamb chops. Comment (960 views)
	2010 Espelt Garnacha Empordà Old Vines more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/9/2013 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit) Good wine. At this stage it needs more acid as the fruit predominates. Still enjoy the wine. Drink up. Comment (873 views)
	2003 Jade Mountain Syrah Paras Vineyard Mt. Veeder more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/7/2013 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit) Still drinking good possibly fading slightly. Nice nose, good balance of fruit and acid with good spiciness. A mature wine that is great with barbecue of Chinese food. 1 person found this helpful / Comment (172 views)
	2012 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition Rosé Dundee Hills more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 8/7/2013 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit) Solid rose with good balance;not a light wine, enjoyed. Comment (136 views)
	2011 Pico Maccario Barbera d'Asti Lavignone more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/30/2013 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit) Somewhat disappointing; grapey with not enough balance; tasted tired after the first glass, a touch sweet which became annoying; Comment (664 views)
	NV Kirkland Signature Champagne Brut De Bruyne - Janisson Champagne Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/2/2013 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit) Generic Champagne, OK flavor but no real finish, wine was missing something; good value but we would rather drink a cava. Comment (146 views)
	2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena Alta Mendoza more	Options Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/30/2013 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit) Really enjoyed this wine; not a Malbec fan but this wine was very good, not overpowering but it drank easily; good fruit, balance and acid, Would drink again. Comment (658 views)
	2010 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/16/2013 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit) Started out slowly,not a big wine, good balance and drank well as we progressed thru the bottle; probably needs more time but we enjoyed the wine as it presents now. Nice fruit but as with a great wine balance reigned supreme. Comment (2,464 views)
	2010 Château Petit-Freylon Cuvée Sarah Bordeaux Contrôlée Red Bordeaux Blend more	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/30/2013 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit) Good basic Bordeaux;nice nose, good mouth feel, fruit gently comes through; great value. Comment (557 views)
	2007 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Blanc Estate Grown	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/27/2013 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit) This bottle was VG. Fruit, acid and the touch of sweetness or honey. The wine has come together so that the oak is no longer overly apparent. A typical Chalone wine. They age well. It is my last bottle. Oh well. Comment (206 views)
	2004 Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Mayor de Ondarre Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/26/2013 - I wrote: 89 points (Edit) Good wine but a bit on the heavy side. Probably at its peak. I agree with previous comments that it could have more acid or zip. Nice fruit and the bouquet is perfumed. Drink up. Note the WS review. Wine description has not held up with time. Comment (543 views)
	2012 Bayten Sauvignon Blanc Constantia	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/25/2013 - I wrote: 91 points (Edit) Good sauvignon blanc from South Africa. Good fruit and acid. Similar to a NZ SB but not as fruity with a bit more complexity. Enjoyed the bottle with salmon. Would drink again. Good value. Comment (126 views)
	2010 Herencia Altes Garnatxa Blanca Terra Alta	Publish to Other Sites Post a Comment 7/5/2013 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit) VG wine. Enjoyed. Complex flavor, not a typical white but not weird. Would drink again. Medium bodied.

The Fall is the time when new plays and movies are announced for the coming months. Every year they sound great and months  down the road its -- where was all of the good stuff. It seems that it takes more than the  pedigree of the actors and directors to produce a great play or movie.

Enjoy!