CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "The Wine Connoisseur"

The Wine Connoisseur

by -
0 1372
Photo from Pixabay

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Over the years there have been many myths and misconceptions about alcoholic beverages that have been carried from one generation to the next. Some are based on fiction, or false or mistaken beliefs that have never been debunked. 

Some popular myths are:

Myth: Prohibition (1920-1933) “prohibited” drinking alcoholic beverages.

Fact: Prohibition forbid the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation of alcoholic beverages. It did not prohibit drinking alcoholic beverages.

————————————————-

Myth: “London Dry Gin” is a dry gin made in London, England.

Fact: It is a generic name for gin lacking sweetness first made in the early 1830s. London dry gins, originally produced only in or near London, are now produced all over the world with the term having little meaning.

————————————————

Myth: Tequila is made from cactus.

Fact: Tequila is made from agave, a plant having stiff, often-spiny leaves, and prickly, needle-like thorns, resembling cactus.

————————————————

Myth: Tequila has a worm in the bottle.

Fact: The worm is not found in bottles of tequila, only in some bottles of mezcal; a marketing gimmick dating to the 1940s.

————————————————

Myth: All the whiskey in a bottle of 12-year-old Scotch whisky is 12 years old.

Fact: The age stated on the label of a bottle of Scotch whisky identifies the age of the youngest Scotch in the blend.

————————————————

Myth: The longer a whiskey ages in a bottle, the better or smoother it becomes.

Fact: Aging only takes place in wooden barrels; when removed, the product ceases to age or improve. A bottle of 15-year-old Scotch whisky purchased 10 years ago, is still 15 years old.

————————————————

Myth: The quality of whiskey can be determined by its color. The darker the color, the richer tasting the spirit.

Fact: Some whiskies are light amber or brown colored, while others have a rich mahogany color because of aging or by adding caramel coloring.

————————————————

Myth: Sour mash is a type of whiskey from Tennessee.

Fact: It is a distillers’ term for a fermentation process used to make Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey and not a type of whiskey. Whiskies made by this process are not sour.

————————————————

Myth: Bourbon whiskey can only be made in Kentucky.

Fact: Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States and its territories.

————————————————

Myth: Martinis should be stirred, not shaken, which will bruise the vodka.

Fact: Vodka is a very stable distilled spirit and shaking it will not “bruise” it.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

by -
0 2418
Photo from Pixabay

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Historically, liqueur is derived from the Latin word liquefacere and means to dissolve or melt, a fitting term since the process of making liqueurs involves dissolving selected ingredients in a distilled spirit. The term cordial is derived from the Latin word cor or cordis, meaning heart, and was formerly used only for those liqueurs that were thought to have a tonic or stimulating quality because of the medicinal components of their flavorings.

Liqueur and cordial are recognized globally as interchangeable terms for the same product. In the U.S. they are always mentioned together in federal and state laws and regulations. Although liqueur is generally accepted as the European name and cordial as the American, there are many exceptions. For brevity, liqueur will be used in place of the redundant term cordial.

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage made by mixing or redistilling any type of spirits with herbs, seeds, barks, roots, plants, fruit, flowers, fruit stones, peels, juices, or other natural flavoring materials, and containing not less than 2.5 percent sugar. Most liqueurs contain large percentages (up to 35 percent) of a sweetening agent. There is no minimum or maximum alcohol level mandated by federal regulations; most liqueurs are between 34 to 60-proof, while others are as high as 100 or more proof.

All liqueurs are initially colorless; harmless artificial (and natural) colorants are added, along with sugar, before bottling.

Crème is a French term applied to liqueurs, which refers to sweetness and not to dairy creams. Supposedly, the word crème comes from crème de la crème or “the best.” Crème describes most liqueurs made from one primary flavor. Some examples are Crème de Cacao and Crème de Menthe.

Cream liqueurs are mixtures of dairy cream and whiskey, rum, brandy, or neutral spirits (mostly from Ireland and Scotland, among many countries), usually beige-colored with an alcohol content between 17 and 20 percent. These are best enjoyed chilled from the refrigerator or over ice. After opening, they should be refrigerated and consumed within six months.

Frappe
Photo from Pixabay

Liqueurs can be served at room temperature, chilled from the refrigerator or over ice. A liqueur poured over crushed or shaved ice is called a frappé. Liqueurs are also suitable as “long drinks” (with seltzer) and in cocktails and can be used in cooking. Glasses used for liqueurs should contain 4 to 6 ounces.

Most liqueurs are served after dinner because of their high sugar levels. Liqueurs are also natural digestives because they contain many bitter botanicals.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

by -
0 1551
Stilton cheese. Stock photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Stilton is a world-famous blue cheese made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, in England, from pasteurized cow’s milk.

This particular blue cheese was first mentioned in print about 1727, when novelist Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) wrote about Stilton, a town famous for cheese. Interestingly, Stilton was never made in the town of Stilton, although it was sold there from the Bell Inn to coach travelers. Cooper Thornhill, the landlord of the Bell Inn, was married to the daughter of Elizabeth Scarbrow who was famous for her cheesemaking and when their daughter married Mr. Paulet of Wymondham, the cheese became known as Stilton.

The characteristic blue veins in Stilton come from the addition of Penicillium roqueforti (blue mold spores), which is added at the beginning of the cheesemaking process. After a few weeks, the cheese is pierced at random points with stainless steel needles to allow air to enter the cheese. The Penicillium roqueforti, which has been dormant, then grows and forms the blue veins.

There is a lesser-known white Stilton cheese (without mold) which is mild and semisoft with a crumbly texture. This cheese is sometimes made with the addition of fruit such as apricots, cranberries, dates, oranges, and wild blueberries.

Stilton is wheel-shaped, has a wrinkled yellow-brown exterior and a richly beautiful interior, streaked like marble, with greenish-blue veins of irregular patterns. It has a piquant, salty, and slightly nutty flavor with a pungent aftertaste.

I enjoy serving this cheese with fruit including bananas, figs, melon, oranges, pears, plums, and tangerines as well as a bowl of mixed nuts including brazil nuts, chestnuts, filberts, hazelnuts, and walnuts. 

Stilton is a great blue cheese to pair with many wines including (Reds): Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Zinfandel. (Whites): Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling. Other wines to seek out are sweet styles of Madeira, Marsala, and Sherry. In addition, try semisweet to sweet wines including vermouth (both red and white). I also enjoy it with brandies and some fruit brandies.

And one more thing … Stilton is excellent for crumbling over salads or as a dessert cheese, served with port or other sweet wines such as Sauternes, Barsac, or Monbazillac. Be sure to let the cheese come to room temperature before enjoying.

Along with France’s Roquefort and Italy’s Gorgonzola, Stilton is reputed to be one of the world’s finest examples of blue or “blue-veined” cheeses.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

by -
0 2109
Brandy. Photo from Pixabay

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Armagnac is a brandy distilled from wine and is often confused with its close cousin, Cognac. However, Armagnac’s taste is fuller and richer and is described as less “burning” and more mellow. Armagnac comes from the Gascony region in southwest France, 150 miles southeast of Bordeaux and 100 miles south of Cognac.

Armagnac has been distilled in Gascony since 1411, making it the world’s oldest brandy. In the mid-1600s the Dutch first exported it, and the aging of brandy in wooden barrels seems to have been practiced since 1730. In 1936 the Armagnac region was divided into three appellations: Haut-Armagnac, Bas-Armagnac, and Armagnac-Ténarèze. The best quality Armagnac comes from the Bas-Armagnac appellation, which produces over 55 percent of the region’s brandy.

Armagnac is produced principally from Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Baco Blanc grapes. The wine is distilled to produce a colorless brandy with a powerful bouquet and flavor described as “firewater.” Approximately 95 percent of the brandy undergoes only one distillation.

Armagnac is aged in black, tannic-rich, 400-liter oak barrels from the Monlezun forest of France in the Bas-Armagnac. However, wood from Limousin, Allier, and Tronçais forests are being used because Monlezun forests have dwindled.

After aging, the brandies of different appellations and ages are blended. Following blending, the strength of the Armagnac is reduced to 40 or 43 percent alcohol by distilled water. This is followed by adding caramel for color “adjustment” if needed. Armagnac is then kept in large barrels for additional months to allow for the curing or “marrying” of the blend.

Legislation states that a vintage date on the label of a bottle of Armagnac indicates year of harvest, not year of distillation.

Label designations

• VS or three-star. Minimum three years old

• VSOP or Napoléon. Minimum four years old

• XO or Hors d’Age. Minimum 10 years old

• XO Premium. Minimum 20 years old

• Vintage. Minimum 10 years old

Taste

Depending on the type and age, Armagnac can have aromas and flavors of flowers, caramel, toffee, cinnamon, coconut, hazelnuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit (apricot, orange, peach, plum, prune, raspberry), maple syrup, roses, spices, violets, and vanilla.

Serving Armagnac

Armagnac has traditionally been regarded as an after-dinner drink, but in some countries, it is served before or with a meal. Purists prefer to enjoy the older, finer Armagnac unmixed. Armagnac should be served in short tulip-shaped glasses tall enough to allow a reasonable aroma to build, yet small enough to be cradled in one’s hand.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

Prev1...456Page 6 of 6
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©