The Wine Shop and Tasting Bar: 55 NW Minnesota Avenue, Bend, Oregon, 97701, 541-389-2884

Grape skins contain pigment and tannin. Red wine is always fermented with the skins present unless you talk about Champagne or sparkling wines containing red varietals. Tannin forms the structure and backbone of a wine and also the natural preservation and aging potential. Not all varietals have the same amount of tannin in their skin. Cabernet Sauvignon is more tannic than Pinot Noir. Red wines are fermented at a temperature of 75 to 85 degrees farenheit to extract color and tannin from the skin.

The juice of all grapes, red and white, is almost colorless. The skins of grapes act as a sort of dye. The skins are quickly separated from the juice before the juice begins to ferment. Contact with the skin of a white grape will cause tannins and can make a white wine taste coarse. Skin contact can also cause a white wine to lose its subtle aromas and flavors. White wines are usually fermented in temperature controlled tanks at a temperature of 50 to 65 degrees farenheit (as opposed to 75 to 85 degrees farenheit for red wines). With white wines, the goal is not to extract color, but to preserve the freshness and delicacy of the fruit, which happens best in a slow, cool environment.

France produces more fine wine than any other country in the world. Like French food, French wine is the benchmark for excellence. France has the world's largest wine production ahead of Italy and the second-largest total vineyard area behind Spain. It is France that first introduced the word “terroir” and terroir is everything in French winemaking. Terroir is a group of vineyards/appellation that shares the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making knowledge which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.

In Italy drinking wine, like breathing and eating, is second nature. Italy ranks first in wine producing countries worldwide with all twelve regions producing wine. Italians consume more than 14.5 gallons of wine per person each year; they are third in the world in wine consumption. We bring to you the best selections of small, rural, and artisan made Italian wines that come from the incredible grapes grown in the countryside vineyards of Italy.

Today Spain has more then 146 acknowledged vine varieties, making Spain one of the most varied wine cultures in the world. The Garnacha grape is the most common red grape in Spain with Tempranillo the most popular. Spain has over 650,000 hectares of vines (1,606,184 acres). More than any other time in recent history, Spanish wines are truly being highly crafted. And Spain is setting the pace in Europe when it comes to wine and food. The energy of a growing number of visionary winemakers are making this happen.

Argentina ranks fifth in wine-producing countries worldwide. Argentinians drink an average of 10.4 gallons of wine per person each year; they are eighth in world wine consumption. The snowcapped Andes form a stunning backdrop for Argentina’s vineyards. They sit at 22,000 feet above sea level. The wine regions are in the west central part of the country and elevations range from 4,900 feet above sea level, making these vineyards some of the highest altitude in the world. Argentina’s most interesting wine is Malbec, a red wine that originated in France’s Bordeaux region, but is far more delicious in Argentina. Argentina in its modern state excels in international varieties such as chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Each of these grapes can produce very good wine, but the star is still Malbec.

Chile's natural boundaries (Pacific Ocean, Andes Mountain, Atacama Desert to the north and Antarctica to the south) has left it relatively isolated from other parts of the world and has served to be beneficial in keeping the phylloxera louse at bay, which means that the country's grapevines do not need to be grafted. Because of this many Chilean vineyards do not have to incur that added cost of planting. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The warm, bright, sunny days recall the Mediterranean. Chile makes the most consistently good wines from the South American continent. In particular, the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère are among the top varietals as well as Chardonnay.

Australia is one of the most dynamic and cutting edge wine industries in the world. The southern part of the country holds a majority of the vineyards. Australia is known for big, mouth filling white and red wines with many being of great value. The most well known grape varietal in Australia is Shiraz which constructs bold, concentrated blue and black berry flavored wine. Every style of wine is made in Australia; dry, sweet, still, sparkling and fortified. Sixty plus varietals are grown, but among the most important, are Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and the most popular, Shiraz.

New Zealand is a tiny growing region by world standards. It is comprised of two islands, the North island and the South island and their vineyards lie at the southern most point in the world. Because of the long narrowness of the islands no vineyard is more than 80 miles from the sea. The coolness, caused by the close proximity to water, allows the grapes to ripen evenly and gently over a long growing period. This leads to pure, elegant long lasting flavors. New Zealand’s claim to fame is the varietal Sauvignon Blanc. And they are like no other in the wine world. Racy, vibrantly intense with exotic flavors make this wine distinctly New Zealand. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also widely planted and usually quite elegant.

South Africa has a 300 year plus history of grape growing. All of the countries wine districts fan out from the port city of Cape Town, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by the Indian Ocean. Although vines have been growing and wine being produced for a few centuries, it wasnè t until the last 10-20 years that South African wine has made an impact with wine connoisseurs. The cooperatives, though still abound, have made way to many small high quality producers, whose goal is to make world class wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Chenin Blanc as well as Sauvignon Blanc are among the top wines produced. Chardonnay, Riesling and Shiraz are also highly regarded.

The United States is one of the most dynamic wine producing countries in the New World. American wine has been produced for over 300 years. Today, there are nearly 3,000 commercial vineyards in the United States and wine production is performed in all fifty states, with California leading the way followed by Washington State, Oregon and New York. Internationally, American wines are recognized as the equal of Old World wine powers like France and Italy, and the United States has more recently grown to one of the largest exporter of wine globally.

There are three aspects that go into tasting wine:

• Appearance
• Smell
• Taste

When assessing the appearance of a wine look for clarity, brightness, color of core to rim to determine varietal and age, concentration, gas evidence and viscosity.

The smell or bouquet of a wine is one of the most important of the three. First, look for flaws such as corkiness, oxidation or volatile acidity. Then assess the intensity of the wine, age, fruit aromas, non-fruit aromas like herbs, earthiness or minerality, and the presence or absence of wood.

Finally, the taste. Is the wine sweet or dry? Confirmation of what you assessed in the nose; the fruit and non fruit flavors, confirm the earthiness or minerality, confirm if wood was used in the aging process. Are there tannins present? Assess acidity. In another words, is the wine alive in the bottle or flabby. What is the level of alcohol low, medium or high? Finally, assess the finish and complexity of the wine.

Wine is decanted for two reasons:

• To remove wine from the sediment in an aged bottle.
• To allow the wine to "breathe" or take on oxygen to open up the flavors of the wine. Young full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting. When the wine comes in contact with oxygen, the aromas present in the wine are released.

When decanting a wine, turn the decanter on a 45 degree angle and gently pour the wine into the decanter. You are looking for sediment at the end so you don't want to forcefully pour it. A little wine, about an ounce, will be left over in the bottle.

As a bonus, the presentation of wine in a beautiful crystal decanter adds to the ambience of a beautifully set table and dinner party.

Champagne is the most popular sparkling wine. The Champagne Appellation has some of the strictest, most exacting standards for growing, producing and labeling of any area in all the wine world. Champagne and sparkling wines are made up of three varietals. Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay contributes finesse and elegance, pinot noir, body and texture; and pinot meunier, fruitiness and earthiness. Virtually in every region a sparkling wine is produced.

The dryness of sparkling wine is measured on the level of sugar in the wine. Extra Brut=very very dry: 0 to 0.6% sugar. Brut=very dry: less than 1.5% sugar. Extra Dry=Off-dry: 1.2 to 2% sugar. Sec=lightly sweet: 1.7 TO 3.5% sugar. Demi-Sec= Sweet: 3.3 to 5% sugar. Doux=quite sweet: more than 5% sugar.

Wine is used in cooking no matter what part of the world you live in. Wine for obvious reasons layers more in flavors and richness than water. Think of wine as an extra seasoning/ingredient when cooking. Wine, when included at the end of dishes, adds flavor not only to sauces but the final dish. Wine is used for one reason – so you can taste it in the dish.

One of the best wines for cooking is sauvignon blanc. It is usually moderately priced and has a fresh, light herbal quality that works well with most dishes. Remember, never use poor quality wine when cooking. If you would not drink it than it is not worthy of a slot in your recipe! Think bold wines with bold dishes. For example, a rich hearty stew deserves a bold, big bodied red. So when choosing a wine for cooking remember to match the wine’s flavors to the dishes flavors.

The long-standing rule of matching wine and food -- red wine with red meat and white wine with fish -- actually has a scientific explanation, according to two scientists working for the Mercian Corporation, a Japanese producer and marketer of wine.

The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that the small amounts of iron found in many red wines caused those who eat fish to have a strong, fishy aftertaste.

Researchers had wine tasters sample 36 red wines and 26 white wines while dining on scallops. The wines varied by country of origin, variety and vintage, but the samples that contained irons were consistently rated as having a fishy aftertaste.

When the scientists increased the amount of iron in a particular wine, the nastiness of the aftertaste increased. The reports of the bad aftertaste went away when a substance that binds to iron was added to the offending wines. Fish were then soaked in high-iron wine and several compounds related to the "fish" taste increased measurably.

Mesmerizingly luscious well made sweet wines offer depth, richness and finesse. Made in every wine country, the well made ones stand up to food as well as being a main course dessert wine. Sweet wines usually require longer growing, fermenting,and aging periods, which help make them rare and considerably more expensive than their main-course counterparts.

A delicious dessert wine can make a beautiful host or hostess gift and can be the hit of your dinner party. Dessert wines are a real treat and should be enjoyed at a cool drinking temperature. Some of the best producers of sweet wines are France, Germany, and Austria.

The traditionally held-to-be "proper" way to drink from a wine glass, especially when drinking white or otherwise chilled wine, is to grasp it by the stem. A common misconception is that the purpose of doing so is that the temperature of the wine may be affected by body heat when holding the glass. In actuality, body heat has no measurable effect on the wine's temperature. The surrounding air is actually the only factor that affects wine temperature in the glass. This misconception comes from watching wine drinkers examine the color and clarity of wine by holding it by the stem.

Wine glasses made of fused or cut glass will often interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as creating a rough, thick lip, from which it is not as pleasurable to drink. Blown glass results in a better vessel, with a thinner lip, and is usually acceptable for casual wine drinkers. High quality wine glasses are often made of lead crystal. Lead crystal glasses' advantages are primarily aesthetic, having a higher index of refraction, thus changing the effect of light passing through them. They are also heavier. Using lead in the crystal matrix also offers several advantages in the material's workability during production. Wine glasses are generally not colored or frosted as this would impede the appreciation of its colour. An exception to this rule is the hock glass.

The shape of the glass is also important, as it concentrates the flavor and aroma (or bouquet) to emphasize the varietal's characteristic. One common belief is that the shape of the glass directs the wine itself into the best area of the mouth from the varietal. Except to the wine connoisseur, wine glasses can be divided into three types: red wine glasses, white wine glasses, and champagne flutes. Wine tumblers (without stems) are also increasing in popularity.

• Glasses for red wine are characterized by their rounder, wider bowl, which increases the rate of oxidization. As oxygen from the air chemically interacts with the wine, flavor and aroma are subtly altered. This process of oxidization is generally more compatible with red wines, whose complex flavors are smoothed out after being exposed to air. Red wine glasses can have particular styles of their own, such as Bordeaux glass and Burgundy glass.
• White wine glasses vary enormously in size and shape, from the delicately tapered Champagne flute, to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used to accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. Wide mouthed glasses function similarly to red wine glasses discussed above, promoting rapid oxidization which alters the flavor of the wine. White wines which are best served slightly oxidized are generally full flavored wines, such as oaked chardonnay. For lighter, fresher styles of white wine, oxidization is less desirable as it is seen to mask the delicate nuances of the wine. To preserve a crisp, clean flavor, many white wine glasses will have a smaller mouth, which reduces surface area and in turn, the rate of oxidization. In the case of sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Asti Spumante, an even smaller mouth is used to keep the wine sparkling longer in the glass.
• Champagne flutes are characterised by a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl on top. The shape is designed to keep sparkling wine desirable during its consumption. The glass is designed to be held by the stem to help prevent the heat from the hand from warming the champagne. The bowl itself is designed in a manner to help retain the signature carbonation in the beverage. This is achieved by reducing the surface area at the opening of the bowl. Additionally the flute design adds to the aesthetic appeal of champagne, allowing the bubbles to travel further due to the narrow design, giving a far more pleasant visual appeal.
• A sherry glass is drinkware generally used for serving aromatic alcoholic beverages, such as sherry, port, aperitifs, and liqueurs, and layered shooters. An ISO-standard sized sherry glass is 120 millilitres (4.2 imp fl oz; 4.1 US fl oz). The copita, with its aroma-enhancing narrow taper, is a type of sherry glass.