Wine Advice and Guidance

Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions. If you can’t find

what you are looking for? Please contact us.

What does Vintage mean?

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made.

What rules are there to knowing which vintages are better for which wine region?

The characteristics of a particular vintage are determined by the quality of that year’s grape crop.

Vintages are more important when collecting expensive wines, especially those designed to be aged and in growing regions where a less then satisfactory growing season is not compensated for using innovative wine making technology or practices.

What is a corked wine?

Cork taint is a broad term referring to a set of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine, especially spoilage that can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening. Though modern studies have shown that other factors can also be responsible for taint – including wooden barrels, storage conditions and the transportation of corks and wine – the cork is normally considered to be responsible, and a wine found to be tainted on opening is said to be “corked”.

The chief cause of cork taint is the presence of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) in the wine. Corked wine containing TCA has a characteristic odor, variously described as resembling a moldy newspaper, wet dog, or damp basement. In almost all cases of corked wine the wine’s native aromas are reduced significantly, and a very tainted wine is completely undrinkable (though harmless). While the human threshold for detecting TCA is measured in the single-digit parts per trillion, this can vary by several orders of magnitude depending on an individual’s sensitivity. Detection is also complicated by the olfactory system’s particularly quick habituation to TCA, making the smell less obvious on each subsequent sniff.

Why do we find wines now with Screwcaps?

Its use as an alternative wine closure is gaining increasing support as an alternative to cork for sealing wine bottles. Traditionally associated in the US with extremely inexpensive jug wines or even “skid row” wines, the screwcap is making a comeback due to concern about premature (or sporadic) oxidation and cork taint. Screwcaps have a much lower failure rate than cork, and in theory will allow a wine to reach the customer in perfect condition, with a minimum of bottle variation. Cork, of course, has a centuries-old tradition behind it, and there are also concerns about the impact of screwcaps on the aging of those few wines that require decades to be at their best. Some argue that the slow increase of oxygen plays a vital role in aging a wine, while others argue that this amount is almost zero in a sound cork and that any admitted oxygen is harmful. Various studies are underway, although one data point is that producers in Champagne have aged their wines under crown cap for quite some time with no apparent outcry. This is a debate that will take quite a while to settle. Even though most wine is consumed within a year of production, it may be advantageous to use screwcaps due to the relatively high incidence of cork taint

Why are some wines white, some red and some pink?

White wines are generally made with yellow or green skins. Red wines get their colour from being fermented in contact with the skin of dark grapes. Rose gets its pink colour by either a short contact time with the skins of dark coloured grapes before fermentation.

What are sulfites?

Sulfite is a term used to describe sulphur dioxide and other sulphur derivatives. Sufites are found in all wines as they are a natural product of fermentation. Sulfur dioxide is used in wines making to prevent oxidation, kill bacteria and wild yeast, and encourage quick and clean fermentation

Is Wine fattening?

There is approximately 80-100 calories in a 4 ounce glass of wine. Lighter wines tend to have few calories than heavier wines. Also some wines are higher in carbohydrates than others due to their residual sugar.
A dry Sauvignon Blanc may have 2 grams of Carbohydrates where as a sweet wine could have up to 12 grams. Wine is fat free and has no cholesterol.

Why do some wines give you a headache?

Histamines are found in the skins of grapes. If you are sensitive to histamines this can cause some people headaches. Red wine will affect histamine sensitive wine drinker more than white wine because red wine has spent more time in contact with grape skins.

Is drinking red wine good for you?

The scientific community and governmental health circles say that moderate consumption is associated with a number of positive health outcomes

Drinking Wine – temperature

It is best to drink wine at 1 or 2 degrees below room temperature, if you serve it a little below room temperature, you will get the benefits of the vaporizing effect which is as cool wine warms, vapours rise off the wines, your sense of smell is a very big part of what things taste like so releasing those vapours is very important

Some hints to getting the temperature right.

Red Wines: 14- 16 degrees centigrade

Rose and complex white wines: 10-12 degrees centigrade

White wines(less complex): 8-10 degrees centigrade

Sweet White wines, Champagne: 6-8 degrees centigrade