Recently we have had a few people ask us some really great questions and we thought we would share the answers with you! Wine Time: 3 FAQ's
Recently we have had a few people ask us some really great questions and we thought we would share the answers with you! Q. What is Rose?
A. Rose is wine that has a pink colour. It also has both white and red wine characteristics. Rose is typically made from red grape varieties, but white grapes can be blended in. Wine gets its colour when the juice spends time in contact with the grape skins. Thus, white wines have no contact with the skins, Rose wines have some time the skins, giving it some red colours, and red wines have an extended amount of time (days), giving it darker red colours.
Rose is to be served chilled like a white wine and is a great way for white wine lovers to slowly learn to like and appreciate red wine. Rose is a light to medium bodied, fairly fragrant and aromatic wine that is great in the summer time. It is easy drinking, not very acidic or dry and some Rose's are even quite sweet, however, most are well balanced and great for everyday drinking. It is matched best with cheese and salads. A salad with fruit, like strawberries, mixed in with assorted greens, pine nuts and a light olive oil, lemon and vinegar dressing matches great!
Q. What is VQA?
A. VQA (standing for Vitners Quality Alliance) is a regulatory body, that shows you, the consumer that the wine you are buying is 100% grown, harvested, aged and bottled in Canada. Some Ontario wineries import grapes from different parts of the world and make the wine at the winery - this type of wine will not receive a VQA blessing, as the grapes are not grown in Canada. So if you truly want to support the Ontario Wine industry always look for VQA. For further reference see our writup on VQA vs Cellared in Canada.
Q. Why do you decant a wine?
A. It opens up, or aerates the wine. This means the wine is exposed to the air (oxygen), which runs through the wine to make it softer. Through chemical processes, it allows for a smoother wine and truly brings out the full character of the wine. You can also decant a wine to separate sediment from the wine. Sediment is the result of contact with the skins and the tannins of the grapes themselves - which is why you only decant red wine and not white. Through the aging process sediment materilizes in the bottle. If you drink the sediment, it won't harm you, however it is extremely bitter. You can decant almost any red wine, but don't decant Pinot Noir, Gamay/Beaujolais. They are lighter and soft reds already and will fall flat when exposed to too much oxygen.
If you have any questions, please email us and ask, we will do our best to answer!
Cheers!
Ange & Pax
