Thursday 31 December 2015

# BURGUNDIAN WINE GRAPES MAIN REGIONS

Wednesday 30 December 2015

WHAT IS BURGUNDY FAMOUS FOR?

Monday 28 December 2015

France’s UNESCO Sites: Why Should Wine Investors Care? – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

France’s UNESCO Sites: Why Should Wine Investors Care?

• Fine Wine Blog • UNESCO Bordeaux • UNESCO Burgundy • UNESCO Champagne • UNESCO Sites

The World Heritage designation is directed by UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations and the manager of its UNESCO sites. This status is awarded to areas of cultural and natural significance that are of crucial value to worldwide history.
The official UNESCO site designation increases international interest in any site, and has the potential to increase tourism while also possibly helping the area earn funding for preservation.

UNESCO Sites In France

France is home to over 41 UNESCO sites on the World Heritage List, four of which are wine-making regions. Saint Emilion and Port of the Moon are both located within the Bordeaux region, while the regions of Champagne and part of Burgundy have only recently been granted the award.
The recognition is greatly deserved by all of the awarded regions, and will help them better preserve for posterity. Additional effects such as increased tourism and a heightened interest toward the UNESCO regions’ wines result in increased value over time – which should be of interest to any wine enthusiast who considers investing.

1. UNESCO Site: Bordeaux

Bordeaux has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Port of the Moon (Bordeaux’s port city) and also Saint Emilion, a village in the true heart of the Bordeaux area.
The Port of the Moon is a historic city with amazing architecture from the age of the enlightenment. This city has more historically protected buildings than any other city in France except for Paris. It is recognized for its history spanning over 2000 years of cultural exchange and commerce, including as a capital city for world famous wine production.
Saint Emilion – the second UNESCO site in Bordeaux – is a small, pretty village in the center of the wine region. It is home to world class wine, excellent wineries, and beautiful architecture. It also boasts over 2000 years of history, with an important focus on world-class fine wine.

2. UNESCO Site: Burgundy

One of the most recently designated UNESCO sites, the wine-making region of Burgundy, was recognized for its grape cultivation and production.
The Climats (vineyards) on the side of the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune (south of the city of Dijon) are the areas specifically recognized for preservation and recognition.
UNESCO states that "the site is an outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production developed since the High Middle Ages.” A great example of a world-class wine region with a long history of innovation, Burgundy is a worthy addition to the world’s officially designated UNESCO sites.

3. UNESCO Site: Champagne

Along with Burgundy, the region of Champagne (where our favourite bubbly is produced) was very recently announced as a World Heritage Site.
Its innovative production method was developed in the early 17th century and industrialized throughout the 19th century – a strong reason for UNESCO to recognize its cultural and historical significance.
The area includes production locations, cellars, champagne houses, and the vineyards of the Hautvilliers, Ay, Mareuil-sur-Ay, Saint-Nicaise Hill, the Avenue de Champagne, and Fort Chabrol.
UNESCO’s official designation of Champagne as a new UNESCO site states “the property bears clear testimony to the development of a very specialized artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise” – one that has come to be known and loved worldwide, we might add.

Investment Value of the UNESCO Status

Tourism in the UNESCO designated wine regions is expected to grow, as interest in World Heritage sites strengthens worldwide. Heightened attention (and free advertising) toward the regions is also likely to increase demand for their wines, which would naturally result in the appreciation of the tangible asset.
This may create an excellent opportunity for savvy wine investors. If you’re looking for high quality wine from these regions, the best place to look is our online wine shop – where a wide selection of the world’s finest is a few clicks away from arriving at your doorstep.
If you need help making the most informed decision when investing in Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Champagne, the skilled wine experts of Moncharm would be happy to assist. Please feel free to write us a quick message or give us a call for any queries you may have, and we will respond promptly.
Image source: Montaplex

Monday 21 December 2015

Wine Serving Temperature: Store & Serve Fine Wine Like A Pro – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Serving Temperature: Store & Serve Fine Wine Like A Pro

July 30, 2015 • Fine Wine Blog • Wine Serving • Wine Storage • Wine Temperature

The temperature of your wine is extremely important for your final tasting experience. By keeping track of your wine's temperature during both storage and serving, you’ll ensure you enjoy that highly acclaimed label at its very best.

Wine Temperatures: Storage & Serving

An incorrect wine storage temperature can damage the wine irreparably. Storing the wine at a stable, ideal temperature (10-16C for reds, and a bit lower for whites) preserves its flavour and taste and will allow it to later be served at an optimal serving temperature.
The wine’s serving temperature affects its aromas, flavour, and taste at the moment of serving. A wine that is served too warm will taste alcoholic, while a wine that is served too cold will lose its flavour.
A properly stored wine also needs to be served at the best temperature for its characteristics, which will usually be different to its storage temperature.
In general a low quality wine is best served a bit cooler than average, while high quality fine wines such as those in our online wine shop are best served a bit warmer.
But what is the best wine serving temperature for the bottle you’re looking at right now? It will depend on the wine’s characteristics, and we discuss the ideal wine serving temperatures for each type of wine below.

Red Wine Serving Temperature

Rich red wines should be served a little cool, most usually between 17-21C. A good example is this Château Le Petit Cheval, 2010 as well as other high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines. The high tannins of these wines do best and mellow at the warmer temperature.
Light red wines (such as Pinot Noir and Zinfandel) should be served cool, most usually between 12-17C. Light, fruity weds can be served cooler to be more refreshing, or a bit warmer to enhance the flavours.
To achieve the ideal temperature of light reds, it is suggested that the wine be placed in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes or less before serving.

White Wine Serving Temperature

White wines should be served refrigerator-cooled, from 7-14C. A good example is this Chateau d'Yquem, 2006 as well as other Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay wines. The lighter and zestier the white wine, the further on the cool end it should be served.
Oaked wines should be served a bit warmer. Full-bodied white wines should be served warmer to take advantage of their complexity and aroma range. Depending on the desired temperature, the wine should be placed in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Champagne Serving Temperature

Sparkling wines such as Champagne should be served ice cold, from 5-10C. A good example is this Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon, 2002 along with other Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava sparkling wines.
The chilling keeps bubbles fine and deliberate instead of frothy. To achieve this temperature, the champagne should be placed in the freezer for no more than 1 hour.

Last Minute Miracles

For urgent cases where you have less than an hour to prepare a wine that is not at the desired temperature, a few tips can save the day. The most important general rule is that if a wine tastes too alcoholic, it should be cooled. If there is not enough flavour, it should be warmed.
If a wine is too warm and needs to be cooled, it can be immersed in a bath of ice and cold water. A red wine should be submerged for 10 minutes, a white for approximately 20 minutes, and a bubbly for 30 minutes or up until serving.
If a wine is too cold, it can be decanted into a warmed container, or immersed for a brief moment in warm water. Take care not to heat the wine directly, as this can destroy it.
When serving your wine it is better to start with a temperature a bit lower than desired, as the wine will always be easier to warm up in the glass when a hand cups it, as opposed to the hard task of further cooling it down.

No Wine to Cool Down?

Take a moment to check out our online wine shop, where a range of the world’s best fine wines is literally at your fingertips – be it for serving, collection, or even investment.
If you have any other wine-related questions, our experts are here to help. Just write us a short message or give us a call – our team always responds promptly, and will be happy to help!
Image source: Steven

Saturday 19 December 2015

5 Regions Wine Investors Should Look At. #2 Is Essential to a Strong P – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

5 Regions Wine Investors Should Look At. #2 Is Essential to a Strong Portfolio

Bordeaux Wine • Famous Wine Regions • Fine Wine Blog • Wine Investment

Less than 0.1% of the wine produced in the world is regarded as “investment grade.” In general, the most popular and sought after wines for investment are top Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy – but there are several other regions on the rise that informed wine investors should keep an eye on.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is rising in collectability, and certain fine wines from Rhone Valley and Tuscany are proven portfolio additions as well.
Like with any and all investments, information is what gives you the edge in achieving good ROI. With that in mind, we’ve put together this list of the best wine investment regions to give you a gateway into the world of wine investment.
With additional research and resulting informed decisions, wine from any of these 5 top wine regions can be turned profitable.

1. Burgundy

Some of the best and most popular wines around the world today, the best Burgundies of both red and white varietals fetch some of the highest prices at wine auctions.
Regularly dominating the Top 50 Most Expensive Wines (as seen here), Grand Cru and other Burgundy wines have high ROI to offer if purchased at opportune times.
The best Burgundies are made in the smallest quantities, and are quickly grabbed by smart investors, as they are sure to reappear on the market later at skyrocketing prices due to scarcity.

2. Bordeaux

Over 90% of all investment grade wine is produced in Bordeaux – making it a key, crucial component region to any wine investment portfolio.
Many traditional portfolios focus only on red Bordeaux from the best vintages, as they have a well-established secondary market and unsurpassable reputations for quality, consistency, and cellaring.
For example, the 2000 vintage of Bordeaux (see this Cheval Blanc, 2000) has seen some bottles quickly increase 4 and 5 fold in value, which was virtually unheard of previously in wine investment.
Bordeaux is the most traditional wine investment region, and offers the most security on future trading in wine, as there are known and consistent markets for it. Any proper portfolio will prioritize key vintages and vineyards of Bordeaux – of which you can read more about in this article on Moncharm.

3. Rhone Valley

While Burgundy and Bordeaux may generally outshine the other regions for investment wine in popularity, Rhone Valley does offer a few strong prospects that can reach the same prices.
Recommended wines from Napa that you should keep an eye on are the “La-La” wines: La Landonne, La Mouline, and La Turque. You can read more about various vintages from these Rhone wines, as well as other investment-grade wines from Rhone, in this article on Moncharm.

4. Tuscany

While Tuscan classics such as Brunellos and Vino Nobiles are sometimes included in wine portfolios, the top investment wines from the region that we recommend keeping an eye on are without a doubt the Super Tuscans.
Sassicaia, Solaia and Tignanello are some of the most popular and distinguished investment-grade wines to come out of Italy – and for good reason, given their past performance. You can read our full article and input on these Tuscan wines (as well as others from Italy), in this Moncharm article.

5. Napa Valley

While many of the New World regions offer expensive and top quality wine, very few have proven themselves as investment quality – one of which is the USA’s California.
Napa Valley is the shining star in investment wine here. While investment wines from Napa Valley are not traded as frequently in secondary markets as are French investment wines, they have still managed to prove they are a solid investment.
Two good examples of Napa investment-grade wines are this Screaming Eagle, 2011 and this Opus One, 2009. Apart from other vintages of these wines, you should also keep an eye on other top quality Cabernet Sauvignons.
You can find more about this region, as well as Champagne and Bordeaux, in this Moncharm article.

Win £500.00 Worth Of Wine From Top Investment Regions

If you’re a wine collector or investor – or, simply, if you’d like a chance to start your journey in wine collecting for free – we’d like to invite you to enter our monthly prize draw right now.
This gives you a monthly chance to win a case worth £500.00 of wine from some of the world’s top investment regions – including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhone Valley, and Tuscany.
Did we mention that this is a free-to-enter giveaway? No strings attached – click here and enter now!

Creating A Strong Portfolio

Conventional wine investment wisdom suggests that a strong portfolio must contain a strong base of key vintages of Bordeaux, along with an optional selection of wines from the other regions that present potential – which we have discussed above.
If you have any other wine investment questions or queries, or if you’d simply like the input of a wine expert, please feel free to write us a short message here or give us a call at any time. Our team always responds promptly, and will be happy to help!
Image source: Neal

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Wednesday 9 December 2015

Wine Acidity: A Guide to An Essential Wine Characteristic – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Acidity: A Guide to An Essential Wine Characteristic

• Fine Wine Blog • Wine Acidity • Wine Guide • Wine Tasting

Wine acidity is a confusing concept for many, and the taste of acidity is frequently mistaken for tannins or alcohol. But the acid in wine plays an important role.
From a functional perspective, acidity is crucial for the preservation of wine. Proper wine acidity prevents spoilage of the wine and inhibits microorganism growth – while an acidity level too low will ruin the wine quickly as it will go bad.
The acidity of your wine is also important from an enjoyment perspective, providing balance and zest. We discuss in greater detail in this quick guide to wine acidity.

What Does Acidity Taste Like In Wine?

For an easy generalization, wines with higher acidity feel lighter or “zestier,” while wines with less acidity feel heavier or “richer.” Acidity can be recognized as a tingling sensation at the sides of the tongue, or a bumpy feeling on the rough of the tongue, with a prominence of saliva in the mouth.
Wine lacking acidity tastes flat and boring, while wine with too much acidity is too tart and sour. Acidity and sweetness in an ideal wine should correctly be used to balance each other.
Proper acidity proportions can enhance a wine’s refreshing qualities, and can complement paired foods exquisitely. This is achieved incredibly well in highly regarded fine wines such as those from these wine investment regions.

Types Of Acid In Wine

Four types of acid are found most commonly in grapes and in wine. The presence of a fifth type of acid (acetic acid or vinegar) should be found only in tiny amounts in good wines, because in large amounts it indicates a wine flaw – a common occurrence in cheap table wine. Acetic acid is undesirable and volatile.
Tartaric and malic acid are the most common acids in wine, and are created in grapes as they mature on the vine, with acidity decreasing as the grapes continue to mature. In general, wines from cooler years and areas tend to have higher acidity and lower sugar.
Warm climate grapes tend to have lower acid and higher sugar. Colder climates’ acidity is preserved better as compared to warm climates (thus presenting a higher level in the wine), because warmth and sunlight cause grapes to both mature and lose acidity faster.

Measuring Wine Acidity: TA & pH

TA (or total acidity) is measured under the assumption that a wine’s acid is all tartaric, and measures the percentage of acid in the wine. Total acidity is recorded as grams per 100 mL of wine. The general range is between 0.4% and 1.3%, with a most desirable range between 0.6% and 0.7%.
Wine that tastes too tart and sour would rate near 1.0%, while wine that tastes flat and boring is near 0.4%. An average red table wine is about 0.6%, with the average white wine just slightly higher.
An exception is very sweet white dessert wines, which may have acidity above 1%. This is considered very high, but necessary to balance the high sugar.
pH, on the other hand, measures active acidity. It is a logarithmic measure of wine acidity, meaning that a pH of 4 translates in 10 times more acidity than a pH of 5. The lower the pH number, the higher the acidity. If a pH is too high, microorganisms may grow in the wine.
Most wines are between the pH levels of 3.3 and 3.7.
To learn how you can find the acidity measurements of your wine, we recommend reading our recent article on wine tech sheets.

Understanding Your Fine Wine

The enjoyability of your wine drinking experience is often times dependent on your knowledge of it. It is this knowledge that helps you choose the right wine for your palate, and keep choosing right wines in the future. This is why we bring you weekly articles and guides here on our blog!
We hope understanding wine acidity will help you better understand your wine, and we recommend checking out our online wine shop for a collection of some of the world’s best fine wines from the most popular wine making regions – all just a button away from arriving at your doorstep.
For any other fine wine related questions or queries – or if you’re interested in fine wine investment or collecting – please feel free to contact our experts at any time. We always respond promptly, and will be glad to help!
Image source: Brent Hofacker

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