Mastering the art of wine

1. I - INTRODUCTION: Hello and welcome to this Skillshare class. This class is aimed at people that are new to the world of wine. And once we expand the horizon in terms of knowledge and know-how, during the class we'll be going over a number of different things like different types of wine, how and where to buy wine to get the most out of your money. How to look at wine, smell wine, and how to taste wine. But he end of this class, you should have the necessary knowledge to further appreciate the world of wine and talk about it with other wine connoisseurs. So let us not wait around any longer. And let's get into talking about the different types of wine. 2. II - TYPES OF WINE: On the surface, the question of which types of winds exists seems like an easy one. But there is in fact a number of different factors that goes into determining the exact type of wine, like grapes. Permutation method. In Java free and more. This class is meant to serve as an introductory guide to wines. So while I will be going into quite a bit of detail in this class, There's also a lot more advanced knowledge that I'm leaving out. But let us start by talking about Old World wines versus a New World wines. These may or may not be concepts you've already heard of before, but indicates you haven't. The world of wine in terms of geography, is fundamentally spit between the new world and the old world. So to say. Old worldwide refers to the countries that are often considered to be where wind first appeared and developed into what we know today. So that would be Europe and into the Middle East. Old World wines come from countries like Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Lebanon, Israel, Romania, Hungary in Switzerland. There are many different characteristics often associated with a world-wide. The most important thing to remember is that none of them are requirements, nor things that will show up in all Old World wines. These are very broad characteristics. Probably the first and most important is a rich sense of tradition and historical heritage. One thing you will often see when buying Old World wines is that the bottles often look the same. Very conservative, noble, and often with a simple sketch of the winery on the bottle. Again, these are all used to associate the wine. Would the heritage behind it. In combination with this, old world countries, will often have strict guidelines and rules for how the wine is supposed to be made and which winds can be called by certain names. This is again to reinforce the idea that this is a historical wine that is being made in the same way for hundreds of years. And harking back to that sense of heritage. In terms of what types of wine you often get with Old World wines were talking about winds that are often on the lighter side with a lower alcohol percentage then New World wines. This again hearkens back to old European times when why would often be watered down? I was not meant to be a strong alcoholic drink. Moving over to the New World wines, these are winds from countries that did not initially make wine themselves, but who later, through discovery and trade, was introduced to wine and started producing it. New World wines comes from countries like the US. You see Lund, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and South Africa. The primary difference between the two is that all of these New World wines do not have that same sense of heritage, cultural history, and restrictions that the Old World wines have. This means that the New World wines can be bolder, stronger, and more experimental than the Old World wine. This is also exemplified in the wine bottles, which if you remember the old world bottles, these instead look a lot more modern, less formal, and generally more experimental in their design and look. In terms of the actual wine inside. Compared to the Old World wines. The New World wines are often stronger, bolder, higher in alcohol percentage, and more willing to experiment with unusual and more powerful flavors. Personally, I prefer the Old World wines to New World wines. That however, is not to say that your tastes won't be in the opposite direction. Each person has their own preferences and ideas of what makes for good. Why? I will say that in general, there tends to be a higher premium on the Old World wines. That on the New World, the historical aspect is definitely very interesting to a lot of people. Here I will briefly mentioned, but not really go into the concept of wine investing. This happens almost exclusively in Old World wines as legendary and very old wineries get all the attention. And that is what the long-term value is. So often these Old World wines will be more expensive. Now, moving on from the Old World and the New World, another way that we can differentiate between wines is it talking about their bodies, light body, medium body, and full body? This term is a reference to the mouth feel that different wines will give you. A light bodied wine is one that is typically under 12.5% in alcohol. It is light in the sense that the lower alcohol percentage makes the wine less strong in your mouth and also vanishes quicker than a heavier wine. A medium bodied wine is one that is typically between 12.55, 13% in alcohol. The alcohol percentage has been up the bit. And so these winds will give you a heavier mouthfeel and stick around for longer. A full bodied wine is one that is typically above 13.5% in alcohol. It is noticeably heavier than the other two, with the higher alcohol percentage giving it a lot more mouthfeel and making sure that it sticks around for longer. Wine is often enjoyed in the company of food. And so these ratings often go along with what food is considered to be ideal for eating with the wine. The idea is to create a sense of balance. So if you're eating a salad with maybe some white pieces of meat, that is probably what most people would consider a light meal with more subtle flavors. And so you don't want to pair that with a full bodied and heavy red wine that completely overtakes the dining experience. Instead, go for a lighter, medium bodied wine that can be enjoyed simultaneously and that won't overpower the food. Save the full bodied and heavy winds for large dining experiences involving red meat and such foods. Remembering these terminologies of light, medium and full are very important when it comes to picking the right wine for your dining experience. All right, so let us move on from different types of bodies and instead talk about Red, White, Rose, desert and sparkling wine. These are not all the types of wines they exists, but these are the most widely available. There can be many different aspects of the winemaking process that separates the different types of wines. And they're often more than one method for creating the same type of Y. So let us just go through the basics. Red wine is probably the first type of wine that most people will think of. The primary difference from other wines, like white or row, say that we'll have no color or leave very little. Is that when making red wine, you leave the grape skin in and use it in the fermentation process. The skin is of course also influencing the aroma and flavor. But the primary reason for leaving them in is to give the Y that beautiful deep red color. In addition, most red wines, and certainly the more expensive ones, are typically aged in oak barrels for anywhere between a few months and up to a couple of years. Just like whiskey and a number of other spirits. This is done in order to infuse the wine, but the subtle flavors and aromas of the wood. Moving on, white wine is probably the second most popular type of wine. Red wine isn't actually made with white grapes, but can also be made with either black or red grapes. Because the fermentation happens without the skins. Through later filtration, the wind will still end up white. White wine is often also aged, but instead of in an oak barrel, it often goes into one that is made of stainless steel. This is done because white wines are often meant to be less intense and more fruity in terms of the flavor and aroma. Putting the wine and an oak barrel, which adds that intense flavor we talked about with the red wine would not be suitable for most white wines. And so instead, they use stainless steel. Row. Say wine is a pink wine that is also often on the lighter side. This is achieved through a short fermentation process. There is, however, another way that it can also be made by simply blending red and white wine together. Dessert wine is a little more loose in terms of definition, but it always is quite sweet and clear with a hue of yellow color. The widest great for drinking with a sweet dessert, for example. And finally, we have sparkling wine. Champagne is probably the most famous example of a sparkling wine. But sparkling wine comes from a lot of other places then champagne, and is mostly enjoyed with lighter meals. Now, the final factor to talk about is the vintage of the wide. It is a misconception that aging is correlated with quality. In the wine world that people talk about what is called aging potential. Meaning what winds have the potential to improve through aging, and which should not be h. So the range from which a wine can and should be age ranges from not at all to around 50 years on the high-end. Also, as a beginner with a very limited palette range, distinguishing the subtle favorite changes that can come with aging. We'll be harder and so often we'll go on enjoyed. So don't feel any pressure to buy all the winds. In the end, all wines are made to be consumed immediately. And winds from the current or prior year can still be better than a 20 year-old bottle. 3. III - BUYING WINE: All right, so before we can start getting into the actual line, we need to get it from somewhere first. This will be a shorter chapter, but I just wanted to quickly go through some tips as a personal experience, when it comes to buying wine away, you can get the most value for your money, right? So obviously, where and how you can buy wine is very dependent on where you live. But if you live in a Western first-world country, you will likely be able to find it in two, maybe three places. A liquor store, perhaps one that specializes in wine, a grocery store. These almost always have a wine and liquor section. A third, maybe in a small corner store and kiosks. Although right off the bat, I would probably not recommend this option. Now, both the liquor store and the grocery store half their upsides. Because the liquor store is specialized to serve these products, they will often have a bigger selection and more interesting selection. Now, I do not have any scientific data to back me up on this next statement. But I often feel like the markup in an actual wine store is larger than what you'll see in a grocery store. Which would make sense to me in a business sense, you know, these are the only products that they're selling. Most cities that aren't really that huge, they won't be doing a ton of volume. And so the markup needs to be a certain level for the business owner to be able to pay the overhead cost of running the store. For these reasons, it is actually rare that I find myself going to a specialized wind store. Pretty much the only time I do this is for special occasions when I really want to find something out of the ordinary. And I don't mind paying slightly more for that experience. But most of the time I find myself going to a grocery store. Almost all of them, and especially the really large locations, will often have a pretty big wind section with lots of models to choose from. And since these stores sell a lot of other stuff and they do a lot of volume. I often find that the markup is smaller. Plus stores are often doing discounts or special offers that makes it even cheaper. The problem with the grocery stores is that often the quality of wine is lower overall, lots of consumers don't know good from bad. And so the grocery store sells a bunch of different things. This is where I would recommend an app like the vino. It is a free to download app on your phone and lets you scan bottles in the store to see their consumer ratings. Read more about the wine. Having some sort of rating app like this width, you will allow you to find the hidden gems that are both high-end quality and also cheap. And speaking of the vino, let me talk instead about the other great option. Buying online. The vino, in addition to its rating features, also allows you to buy wind through the app and have it sent to you often at very competitive prices. There is, of course also a sea of other applications and individual on my retailers that you can also buy from. Often, the only downside to buy online is the fact that getting the discount listed will often require you to buy a set of six bottles at the same time. Now, especially if you're new to wine, I think you should be drinking as many different wines as possible to widen your palette. But of course, if you find one wind you really like, this could work in your favor. In addition, there's, of course also some shipping costs that sends it be on the more expensive sides, since you aren't being send the small letter, you're being sent 61218 bottles of wine. However, if the discount you find is good enough, that may outweigh the shipping costs. And I just mentioned that as a beginner, you want to drink a lot of different wines. And if you look online or maybe even in a physical store, you will likely quickly be exposed to these pre-made pacts with six different winds inside that retailers want to sell to you. In general, I think you should stay away from these. The winds inside are often not good enough to the mantle. Higher price tag that these packs are often associated with. Again, handpicking individual bottles that you like is in my opinion, the best and also often cheapest strategy. Remember what we talked about in the previous chapter. Old World wines have a certain type of appearance and bottle. Look after that if that's what you want. And look after New World tables, if that is what you want. Read where the wind is from. And try wine from different countries. Try a light and try a medium and try a full bodied wide. Price, again, will vary a lot in terms of where you live. But where I live, which is a Western first-world country. Assuming you do your homework and you look around a bit for good deals, you should be able to find very good wines, like somewhere between a four to 4.2 rated winds on VV know, from somewhere around $10 a bottle. 4. IV - THE PROCESS OF DRINKING WINE: All right, so now you have your wine. You read on its label what the ideal temperature should be when drinking it. Cool it down, and then get it out and poured into the glass. The most natural thing at this point might seem to take your first sip of the wine. But prior to tasting, there's a number of other things you should do to get the most out of your wine. The first thing to do is to just look at the wide, really look at it to see its color and its consistency. Exactly what you should be looking for. It depends on which wide it is. So let's start by talking about the wet white. Looking at the color, the lighter it is, and the more it approaches a pink color, the lighter and less than is the wide should be on the opposite end. If the color is a lot darker, this is a much more dense wine. The kind of we talked about before that should go well with a large stake. But looking at the color of white wine, we're really looking for the color yellow. Almost all white wines will have a slight hue of yellow with lighter and fresher winds, having less of it, and coming close to being almost entirely clear. Now, aged white wines with stronger tastes and aromas will often have a more clear yellow color. What you can look for in both of these two wines and really all other types as well, is the phenomenon often referred to as curtains. When you swirl the ride around your glass, you can look at the sides of the glass with a wide used to be from the swirling. Depending on how much liquid is still hanging on the sides of the glass and how dense it seems. This relates to the winds alcohol content. High alcohol means a lot of curtains. A low alcohol means no curtains. And talking about swirling, there's really no right or wrong way to do it. The objective of swirling the wine is to bring oxygen into the wine, which will open it up and intensify the flavors and aromas and the glass. The next step is to smell the wide smell is extremely important to the overall experience. And smelling the wine prior to tasting will greatly enhance the taste as you can prepare the brain for which flavors to expect. When smelling, people will often hover the class around their nose, seemingly afraid of the wine. This is partially understandable as some wines, especially the ones that are higher in alcohol content, can sometimes be a bit harsh on the nose, but you really need to get your nose all the way in there. If you really want to be able to smell all of the nuances of the wine. As a beginner, this step probably won't be too exciting to begin with. When you haven't had the chance to smell a lot of wines, it can be very hard to tell what you're actually smelling the wine. But the only way to remedy this is to smell a lot of wine. With time, you will build up the ability to pick up on certain smells. Now, this is also the stage where you will have the first opportunity to find out whether or not the wine you have in your hand is corked or not. A wine being corked means that the court used to seal the wide shot, had a fungus or other bacteria inside of it when the wine was modeled. This is then developed inside the cork and has then come into contact with the wine inside the bottle, ruining it. A wind that is correct. It will lose a lot of it's smells and flavors and is often set to smell like wet cardboard. There's nothing dangerous about drinking corked wine, but the wine will not taste or smell like it is supposed to. And if this curse, for example, in a restaurant, you want to ask for a new wine. Alright, so that was everything we need to do prior to actually drinking the wine. So now that it's finally move on to tasting the wine itself. Now drinking the wine, despite having a lot of build up to this moment is not really that complicated. Bring the glass to your mouth and take a sip from the glass. Now, instead of swallowing the wind immediately, instead let the wind remain in your mouth for a bit. You can even swirl it around your mouth a bit if you'd like. All of this is done for the sake of extracting all of that flavor from the wind. Pay attention to the flavors you're tasting or sharp it is, what is the taste of alcohol, how dense is to taste and so on. And talk with people you're tasting with about your experience and compare your opinions. And that's really all there is to it. Just don't let the wind sit in the glass for too long as this will start to break down the aromas and flavors of the wine. When tasting. There is a few things that you can think about. First of all, you should of course, think about the taste itself, is it's salty, sour, sweet, bitter, maybe Smokey. All wines are made from grapes and so should inherently taste fruity. But how strong is that taste? Is the red berries, blueberries, maybe other more exotic food flavors. Maybe there's herbal flavors or white flowers, leaves, certain curves or spices. Aside from the taste itself, there's the texture which has a lot to do with the body of the wine, which we talked about earlier. Is it light in your mouth or is there a more intense mouthfeel? And lastly, there's the length of the wire. Is the mouthfeel and taste gone very quickly or do they stick around for longer? And how is the finish? Does the taste or feel change over time? All of this can add up to evaluating whether or not the wide feels balanced or not. A balanced wide will not have flavors that overpower others and feels maybe a bit one-dimensional if you taste it and it feels unbalanced, try to identify the problem. Is it to alcoholic, too sweet, maybe too acidic? And at this point, I will also introduce you to the term tannin. Tannins is the term used to describe a wide dryness or bitterness, which is often associated with wet lines. Heights hadn't levels means dry and better wine that really sticks around in your mouth with a low Tad. And Wien's having a lot less of that dry taste and feel, right? That is just about everything we need to cover in terms of the basics when it comes to drinking wine. 5. V - THE END: All right, This is the end of this class. If you made it all the way to the end, then thank you so much for watching my class. You should now have the fundamental knowledge required to fully experience the world of wine. For your class project, I want you to go out and purchase a wind that go through the process, like I explained in this class, upload a picture of the wind with the following information. The name of the wine, the vintage, the type of wine, your personal rating of the wind, what flavors and the Romans you extracted from it. All right, thank you all so much for watching. Goodbye.