• Sauvignon Blanc- crisp and dry Click
here to view wine glossary
• Chardonnay- dry, full bodied and weighty and often
oaked Click
here to view wine glossary
• Semillon- fullbodied and often blended with Sauvignon
Blanc
• Reisling- perfumed, sometimes sweet and ages well
The difference between
Champagne and Sparkling Wine
Champagne is a sparkling white wine generally made from the
Chardonnay grape. It is made in the Champagne region of France
and, under international agreement, is the only sparkling
wine in the world that can use the name Champagne. Other countries
can make sparkling wines from identical varieties and identical
methodology, but must call them sparkling wines. Needless
to say, the most famous brand names are French champagnes
and are commonly regarded as the best in the world.
Because of their reputation
and time consuming manufacture, brand name champagnes are
expensive so for a cheaper version of sparkling wines, you
can look for a good brand name from the New World manufacturers,
which will quite often be better quality and more enjoyable
than the cheaper French champagnes.
• Cabernet Sauvignon- medium to full bodied, well rounded
and high in tannins Click
here to view wine glossary
• Syrah or Shiraz- intense and complex, sweet and fruit
flavoured Click
here to view wine glossary
• Merlot- medium bodied and softer style to Shiraz and
Cabernet, high in alcohol Click
here to view wine glossary
• Pinot Noir- pale and light with very fruity nose.
Used in Burgundies
• Grenache- sweet, spicy and alcoholic, often used in
blending
Labels
Labels come in many different designs, with as many variations
in what information they contain.
There are some mandatory items
on labels and these are governed by the country where the
wine is produced and also the country where the wine is sold.
Generally
speaking the label contains some of the following ;
• Brand name eg Boomerang Corner
• Region eg Margaret River
• Grape type eg Cabernet Sauvignon
• Vintage eg 2002
• Name of Producer eg The Down South Wine Company
• Alcohol content eg 13.5%
• Net contents eg 750ml
• Added Preservative eg Sulfites or 220
• Name and address of the producer
• Tasting notes
• EU quality level eg a registered place name “
Appellation Controlee”
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