The Cyprus Wine Blog: September 2010

Over its 8,000 year-long history, wine has evolved as an essential beverage that accompanies and enhances a wide range of European and Mediterranean-style cuisines, from the simple and traditional to the most sophisticated and complex. Ernest Hemingway, in his book “A Moveable Feast” based on his memoirs from Paris , writes:

“In Europe , we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness, wellbeing and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism, nor a sign of sophistication, nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and – to me – as necessary.”

In recent years, trends in wine production, consumption, drinking patterns, socio-cultural factors, economic and political changes, have significantly influenced drinking cultures and their associated lifestyles. The way people select, serve and drink wine is constantly changing and different cultures acquire quite different ideas about the function of wine.

As a traditional cultural symbol of European living, the role of wine has evolved and changed from an important source of nutrition to a cultural companion to food and hospitality associated with a healthy lifestyle. However, in a number of countries, wine is no longer seen as necessarily a drink to be served with food, but rather a no-food wine. In some areas, sweet wine is served before a meal. Others use still dry wine before a meal as an aperitif, sometimes accompanied by an appetizer. In some regions, it is customary to open sparking wine at the beginning as well as at the end of a meal. In other regions, a glass of chilled wine has become a refreshment beverage and an acceptable alternative to a beer. So nowadays, Europeans in some regions see wine as a drink that belongs exclusively in the dining room. At the other end of the evolutionary scale, the custom is to drink first and eat second. Most wine cultures around the globe lie somewhere between these two extremes.

An increasing proportion of wine of all sorts, including even quite elegant red wine, is drunk without food, or without any solid matter more substantial than a bowl of nuts or potato chips. Wine experts believe that over the last two decades, consumers have turned from occasional wine drinkers into wine enthusiasts. They are not only drinking wine with meals, but are also drinking wine alone or as a cocktail, without accompanying food. Purists may complain about the apparent sweetness of so many wines made today, but for many newcomers to wine, it is this sweetness and smoothness that makes the wines so easy to drink on their own.

Mass production and middle-of-the-road popularity has also brought forth an amazing array of wines – bringing to the market a new sense of variety, affordability, and creativity that only free enterprise, competition and contemporary marketing can provide. The vast majority of these wines are sold in bulk at supermarkets. This is not to say that these wines are bad or not worth drinking. There are fashions in wine, just like in everything else. Mass produced wines aim at pleasing a wide variety of tastes. Many people would not give wine a second chance unless they are offered a soft, sweet wine that is low in acidity and easy to sip. The word “smooth” is important. It has become a sort of euphemism for sweet and soft, or low in tannin. And it is smooth reds that are the obvious no-food candidates, drunk in many bars today, slightly chilled. The very visible trend towards reds from a number of countries with their much higher alcohol content and softer, riper tannins is surely partly a consequence of these changing drinking habits.

It does not need an in-depth investigation to predict that demand for softer, sweeter reds will continue to grow, at least in the medium term. Consequently, wine producers everywhere seek to create the sort of fruit-driven styles that appeal most to no-food wine drinkers. This has huge implications for the style of wines that are likely to be most in demand.

Wines may be classified by vinification methods. These include classifications such as red or white wine, sparkling, semi-sparkling or still, fortified and dessert wines. Whether it is red or white, wine is a beverage that tastes great by itself or with a meal. Drunk on its own, wine tastes different to when it accompanies a meal, because wine acts on food in a similar manner to the way a spice does. Acids, tannins and sugars in the wine interact with the food to provide different taste sensations.

An aperitif is an alcoholic drink that is usually served to stimulate the appetite before a meal, contrasting with a digestive (digestif), which is served after meals. An aperitif is more than just an icebreaker – it is a welcome to your guests and an appetite stimulant which can enhance your celebration or wine tasting party. Generally speaking, the aperitif is light in body, fresh, lively and often served cool. It should be refreshing, not too serious or overpowering. Your goal is to enliven the palate, not restrict it! You want a drink that guests can sip easily while talking and greeting other guests. In general, you do not want something really heavy which will overwhelm the palate.

It’s only in recent times that the notion of wine as a cocktail, consumed on its own without reference to food, has become socially acceptable. Wine is definitely a versatile drink which can co-exist perfectly with other types of alcohol. Mixing wine with various other substances can sometimes lead to very interesting effects.

For summer receptions or parties, welcoming guests with cocktails in long glasses works very well. Any cocktail can be also an aperitif. Beyond just adding fruit flavours and acidic components, the use of wine can add all types of complexity to a drink. The addition of wine in mixed drinks not only lowers the alcohol level but also adds a little sweetness and can bring a rich, layered flavour to the cocktail. In fact, creating a balanced cocktail could be compared to blending a wine.

Choosing the right type and style of wine can be a key to creating a cocktail that works. The presence of wine in the cocktails is not immediately recognizable because it tastes like an indescribable fruit. Here are a few simple wine cocktails which demonstrate the flexibility of wine.

* Cranberry juice mixed with an equal amount of white (still or sparkling) wine is very refreshing.

* Kir is a popular cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up by white (still or sparkling) wine.

* Sangria is a Spanish traditional cocktail made simply by mixing a bottle of red wine, two shots of brandy, and cut-up fresh fruit. Serve over ice.

* Coke mixed with a big, fat red wine is a simple-to-make cocktail, extremely pleasant and refreshing on a hot day.

* Kir Bourgogne : This Burgundy version of a Kir is made with crème de cassis (a blackcurrant flavoured liqueur) and red wine instead of white.

When selecting wine for a reception, most couples choose one white and one red. Guests tend to choose their wine and stick with it throughout the celebration. If you decide to serve a variety of wines during a reception, it would be good to follow a few guidelines. Serve the fresher, lighter wines first – these are usually the whites. Serving whites first, then moving to younger, followed by older reds is a wonderful way to orchestrate the wine service at a dinner. However, there are no rules – you can serve whatever you like to drink or you think your guests will like. It can also vary, depending on the season. For example, while a cool, crisp wine might be a perfect opener on a hot summer afternoon, but in the middle of winter, it might not be ideal.

White wine is also perfect for starting off a social evening, and it is ideal for toasts and special occasions. Most people enjoy a glass of chilled, white wine. However, the more common toasting wine for celebrations, weddings and anniversaries is of course the more stylish choice of French Champaign or any other similar sparkling wine.

If you’re serving wine without food, then you have far more options for the serving order. Although it may sound strange to think of just serving several wines without eating, this is what you will encounter if you attended any sort of wine tasting party. The only food you’ll be offered will be plain so as to clear the palette, like bread or basic cheeses.

A rosé wine is the classic aperitif in many Mediterranean regions, particularly France , and is also highly recommended served chilled on its own for hot summer afternoons or evenings. It can be romantic, joyous and fun and is a great match to many simple appetizers.

Fortified wines are generally consumed alone, often served as aperitifs, and/or offered at the end of a meal instead of a brandy or a liqueur. These are wines to be slowly sipped while discussing the finesse and the quality of the product during relaxing and calm moments.

Wine offers more thrilling complexity than any other beverage – intricate layering of aromas, more diversity of flavour, more spirit. Which means wine is absolutely the most perfect match for the complex, varied dishes available in the international cuisine of our times. An exciting wine and food match can elevate a great meal to an unforgettable one.

The old rule about white wine with fish and red wine with meat made perfect sense in the days when white wines were mostly light and fruity and red wines were mostly tannic and weighty. A critical factor in our changing taste for wine is undoubtedly the revolution in the sort of food we eat. The old rules don’t take into consideration the complexity of today’s multi-ethnic and subtly flavoured foods and the corresponding wide range of wines from around the world that are now conveniently available to almost everyone. Delicate red wines may go beautifully with classic French, Italian and European cuisine, but it is often out of its depth with the sort of sweet and spicy dishes that are increasingly popular worldwide.

Consequently, the choice of simply red or white is no longer valid. There’s considerable room for experimentation and expression of your own personality in pairing food and wine. The best pairing is good food, good wine and good company. So the first rule of thumb is to make sure the food is good and the wine is, too. Even if the match is not perfect, you will still enjoy what you’re drinking. After all, wine and food generally work well together – there are only a limited number of combinations which really should be avoided.

Time of year, weather and the nature of the function, will help to determine which wine to choose. Red wines are distinct from whites in two main ways: tannins and flavours. Tannin is a chemical compound derived from the skin of the grape. Tannin is what makes your mouth pucker and feel dry when you first drink a full-bodied red wine. Basically, light-bodied or soft red wines have low tannin, medium bodied reds have moderate tannin, and full-bodied reds have a lot of tannin. White and red wines share many common flavours; both can be spicy, buttery, leathery, earthy or floral. But the apple, pear and citrus flavours in many white wines seldom show up in reds, and the currant, cherry and stone fruit flavours of red grapes usually do not appear in whites. In the wine-and-food matching game, these flavour differences become mere subtleties.

The secret to matching wine and food is balance. So long as a wine balances its sugar with enough natural acidity, a match can work. There is a simple way to make successful wine and food pairings, requiring only that you consider the weight of both the wine and the food when making a decision about what to pour with what you’ll be serving and eating. In plain terms, this means that wine and food sharing broadly similar proportions and characteristics tend to go well together.

Like human beings, wines come in all dimensions. To match them with food, it’s useful to know where they fit in a spectrum, with the lightest wines at one end and fuller-bodied wines toward the other end. Match delicate tastes with delicate wines; moderately flavoured food with unassertive, medium-bodied wines; strong wines with food that has plenty of personality and so on. Rich heavyweight foods, like game, roast meats and red meat casseroles, need a full-bodied wine. Powerful red wines are often the favoured choice, although it is the body of the wine which is the most important consideration rather than its colour or flavour. Always remember the contribution of the sauce. A rich creamy sauce will need a wine of sufficient body to match the food and flavours that will complement the smooth, creamy, buttery taste.

Consequently, you can make better wine choices by focusing on a wine’s weight. If you balance the wine with the food by choosing one that will seem about the same weight as the food, you raise the odds dramatically that the match will succeed. Lighter wines will balance nicely against chicken salad, salmon, grilled cheese and white sauce. A very dry wine (Riesling or Xynisteri) is perfect when teamed with veal, shrimps, cream sauces and turkey. You should avoid spicy foods with white wines. Merlot is perfectly matched with grilled meats such as barbecued red meat and chicken. A dish like pork or lasagne is best paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Of course there are always exceptions to any rule. You can serve whatever you like to drink or you think your guests will like. It can also vary depending on the season. An afternoon garden party would lend itself well to a chilled, crisp, white or refreshing rosé, whereas a robust red might be more suitable for an evening meal in mid winter. Rosé wines can be drunk at room temperature with pleasure, but for most palates they work best served chilled. A perfectly chilled glass of white wine refreshes the parts that red wine can’t at this time of year. Certain styles work better as summer drinks, and others as winter drinks.

Most people probably don’t think much about the proper serving order for wines, but serving or drinking wine in the right order can make a big difference. Serving or drinking wines in the wrong order can negatively affect both the taste of the wines as well as the taste of the food, so paying attention to which wines are served when can enhance the meal, helping everyone enjoy both their wine and their food all the more.

Some people may only drink a single wine over the course of a meal, but it’s not uncommon to have a couple of different wines served with different courses of the meal. You should always have both white and red wine on hand. In general, foods go from lighter and simpler (appetizers) to heavier and more complex (main course) and finally to the sweet dessert. Wines should follow a progression as well. If you pair well with the foods, then they will naturally follow this progression. But in general we start with lighter white wines or sparkling wines, move to more full bodied whites, on to lighter red wines, to fuller bodied reds and end with a sweet dessert wine (if you are serving one). You can end the evening with higher-quality, higher-alcohol port, sherry, and after-dinner (digestif) wines – assuming anyone is still standing by this point, of course.

All wines are best served at their correct temperature, as they will be able to breathe and create the perfect mix of aromas that will delight the senses and impress your guests. Serving the wine at the correct temperature may be a difference of whether the wine will be ideal to drink for maximum aroma and taste, and may make or break a charming dinner experience for you and your guests. Normally a bottle of wine could take up to three hours before it is appropriately chilled in the refrigerator. A great way to chill your wine to perfection fast and easily is to place your bottle into a bucket filled with ice and a sprinkling of salt. Push the wine into the depths of the ice to quickly chill the bottle.

Food and wine pairing is a highly subjective and inexact process. There’s considerable room for experimentation and expression of your own personality in pairing food and wine. The goal is synergy and balance. The wine shouldn’t overpower the food, nor should the food overpower the wine. A good match will bring out the nuances and enhance the flavours and unique characteristics of both the food and the wine. With a little information, a lot of enthusiasm and a propensity to explore and experiment, you will find many wine and food combinations that greatly enhance your dining experience.

Wine News and Information

■ In recent years, Hong Kong has become an important centre for fine-wine auctions. A considerable quantity of fine-wine that would once have stayed in the US and moved between American cellars can now be found in Asia, particularly Hong Kong and mainland China . But many of the fine-wine brokers, traders and merchants who cluster around London and represent a considerable proportion of the world’s fine-wine activity will have nothing to do with wine bought in the US and Asia. Gary Boom, who founded Bordeaux Index in London in 1997, explained that stock that has been across the oceans and back has too many risks attached.

Simon Staples of Berry Bros & Rudd is in a similar position. “I really would not buy for myself a case of anything older than 2001 from anyone unless I know where it’s been. There have been far too many experiences of badly stored older wine compared to perfect stock. Provenance and good storage are the key issues, rather than the blanket ‘ France = good’ and ‘anywhere else = bad’. We would not, for example, buy wine that has been stored next to a hot kitchen in the south of France , but we would buy wine that has been stored in a cold cellar in Sweden or Denmark .”

Chris Davies of fine-wine traders Turville Valley Wines has even come across wines whose back labels had been deliberately removed because they cited a US importer. But since these back labels also carried the information on volume and alcoholic strength that is mandatory in the EU, the wine was thus rendered unsaleable in Europe . It should be noted however that many of these brokers, traders and merchants, including Bordeaux Index, now have an outpost in Hong Kong .

■ Members of the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research have submitted a detailed review of the draft recently circulated by the United States Department of Agriculture for proposed new US Dietary Guidelines for 2010. In general, Forum members were very pleased with the alcohol recommendations in the proposal, finding them interesting, balanced, and accurate. Many commented that, rather than just focusing on warnings against heavy drinking, the new Guidelines appear to take into account the large amount of recent epidemiologic and experimental data that support many potential beneficial health effects of moderate drinking.

Among specific recommendations from the Forum were the following:

* A stronger statement is needed of the effects of light-to-moderate drinking on total mortality, in that recent prospective studies show a considerably lower of risk of death for moderate drinkers.

* Additional emphasis is needed on the reduced risk of developing diabetes for moderate drinkers, and the much lower risk of cardiovascular disease among diabetics who consume some alcohol.

* Further information should be presented on the consistent scientific data showing that women who drink moderately are at reduced, not increased, risk of weight gain in adult life.

Monolithos Monthly News

A bottle of wine is the elegant result of a very laborious, time-consuming and sometimes messy process for our family winery, especially during the period mid-August to the end of October. During these few weeks, the two most crucial steps in the wine production, namely harvesting and fermentation, are completed. After the tank fermentation, the wine will be racked off the lees (the remaining post-fermentation solids) into another tank. Here the wine will stay until ready to be blended, aged, filtered and finally bottled.

Currently, all 2009 wines are available in limited quantities for tasting and purchasing. If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to call him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. We thank you for your continued support, and would leave you with the words of Robert Mondavi, "Harvests of Joy," Autobiography

"Wine has been a part of civilized life for some seven thousand years. It is the only beverage that feeds the body, soul and spirit of man and at the same time stimulates the mind."