Wondering Through the World of Wine

Oh, those confusing wine labels! For me, one of the biggest difficulties I had when I first started my exploration into wine, and I have to admit sometimes even now, was understanding everything listed on a wine label. Each wine region has their own set of rules, regulations, and designs, so continuity is not on the side of the consumer. What I have personally discovered is the more and more wine you drink from a particular region, the more and more you begin to understand what that wine bottle is telling you. Practice does make perfect after all. Living in Colorado, and taking advantage of the numerous wineries throughout the state, I feel like I have developed a firm grasp on the information on these wines and their labels.                What my Colorado wine drinking legwork has taught me is there are three basic labels for this area. A label with a grape variety or wine name, followed by a vintage and region, m...

To chill or not to chill? Isn’t that always the question. Determining the correct temperature to serve wine can be a difficult task, and it can make or break a vino experience. I almost cast aside what ended up being a delicious bottle the other day because of a chilling situation. Thankfully, a little patience, which I don’t usually have, and experimentation saved me from making a big mistake.                According to the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, the correct temperature for the various wine styles are as follows: sweet wines should be well chilled at 43 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, sparkling wines between 43 and 50, light to medium bodied whites and all rosés 45 to 50, full bodied whites 50 to 55, light bodied reds 55 to 64, and medium and full-bodied reds between 59 and 64 degrees. However, personal taste is always to be taken into consideration, as a trip to New Mexico taught me when I visited a winery t...