Barrels & Bottles Wine Blog
To contribute to this blog please send email to sales @ barrelsandbottles.co.uk
Temperature is probably the most crucial factor to appreciate any wine at its optimum best. Glass style & shape, food and environmental conditions all play a part but serve your wine at the wrong temperature and it just will not develop to its true potential.
Generally speaking white wine is served colder than red - there are exceptions of course and it can also be a matter of personal preference. Some love to serve Beaujolais straight from the fridge. It is much easier to bring a cold wine up to the correct drinking temperature (simply hold the bowl in your hand) than chill a warm bottle down. If you do need to rapidly chill a warm wine please do not be tempted to stick the bottle into the freezer - it is very easy to forget and you will end up with expensive alcoholic ice-pops!
To quickly chill a bottle of wine place into an ice bucket with lots of water and ice... the water quickens the thermal transfer than ice alone. A bucket is better equiped than the narrow coolers you often see in restaurant as they allow for a greater amount of ice and water to be used to chill the bottle.
Knowing when your wine is at the correct temperature is often a matter of experience. You can use a wine thermometer with the guide beneath or trust your own palate. A wine served too warm will often taste harsh and acidic. If served too cold a wine can taste dull and insipid. Be wary of restaurants serving overly cold wines as this can be an attempt to mask poor quality or even corked wines.
The following guidelines should provide the best starting points for your wines...
Young Whites : 10°-12° C
Mature Whites : 12°-14° C
Young and light Rosé : 10°-12° C
Mature and bodied Rosé : 12°-14° C
Nouveaux Reds : 10°-14° C
Young, light and slightly tannic Reds : 14°-16° C
Mature bodied Reds : 16°-18° C
Aged Reds : 18°-20° C
Sweet and aromatic Sparkling wines : 8° C
Charmat methode Sparkling wines : 8°-10° C
Champagne and vintage Sparkling : 8°-10° C
Sweet wines : 10°-18° C
Fortified wines : 10°-18° C
Each bottle of wine will have it's own characteristics and you have a unique palate so these guides are just that - guides. Experiment with the temperatures of your wines and you will soon build your own database of service temperatures for your favourite wines. It's a good an excuse as any to try more wines!
Generally speaking white wine is served colder than red - there are exceptions of course and it can also be a matter of personal preference. Some love to serve Beaujolais straight from the fridge. It is much easier to bring a cold wine up to the correct drinking temperature (simply hold the bowl in your hand) than chill a warm bottle down. If you do need to rapidly chill a warm wine please do not be tempted to stick the bottle into the freezer - it is very easy to forget and you will end up with expensive alcoholic ice-pops!
To quickly chill a bottle of wine place into an ice bucket with lots of water and ice... the water quickens the thermal transfer than ice alone. A bucket is better equiped than the narrow coolers you often see in restaurant as they allow for a greater amount of ice and water to be used to chill the bottle.
Knowing when your wine is at the correct temperature is often a matter of experience. You can use a wine thermometer with the guide beneath or trust your own palate. A wine served too warm will often taste harsh and acidic. If served too cold a wine can taste dull and insipid. Be wary of restaurants serving overly cold wines as this can be an attempt to mask poor quality or even corked wines.
Wine Temperature Guide
The following guidelines should provide the best starting points for your wines...
Young Whites : 10°-12° C
Mature Whites : 12°-14° C
Young and light Rosé : 10°-12° C
Mature and bodied Rosé : 12°-14° C
Nouveaux Reds : 10°-14° C
Young, light and slightly tannic Reds : 14°-16° C
Mature bodied Reds : 16°-18° C
Aged Reds : 18°-20° C
Sweet and aromatic Sparkling wines : 8° C
Charmat methode Sparkling wines : 8°-10° C
Champagne and vintage Sparkling : 8°-10° C
Sweet wines : 10°-18° C
Fortified wines : 10°-18° C
Each bottle of wine will have it's own characteristics and you have a unique palate so these guides are just that - guides. Experiment with the temperatures of your wines and you will soon build your own database of service temperatures for your favourite wines. It's a good an excuse as any to try more wines!
Labels: accessories
Extreme care should be taken when cleaning your delicate and precious wine glasses. Hand-washing is the best option to prevent machine scratching and breakages. Always wash a single glass at a time ensuring nothing else (such as cutlery) are in the washing bowl. Dishwashers are best avoided as residues from previous wash cycles can become very abrasive and will scratch glasses with ease.
Wherever possible a detergent is best avoided. Hot water is often enough to clean most glasses. For stubborn stains a mild detergent can be used but should be rinsed thoroughly with clean hot water several times to remove any taint and film on the glass. Any grease of film can be seen by holding the glass up to natural daylight and you will see greasy residue that will shimmer with blues and greens. If you see this then wash and rinse the glass again in only clean, hot water.
The water should be hot enough for the glasses to dry by themselves. The water should simply evapourate from the cleaned glass - drying should not be necessary and thereby avoids streaking. Ensure the glasses are totally dry before storing. Always clean your glasses again with hot water before using again to remove any dust accumulated whilst in storage.
Care should be taken to prevent the glass cracking by using very hot water in cold surroundings. The sudden change in temperature to a cold wine glass being placed into very hot water can often cause the glass to crack and break. I have personally broken a crystal decanter in this way!
Always try and carry a couple of spare glasses to your set as breakages are inevitable - especially at the more exuberant dinner parties. Finding replacement wine glasses at a later time may be difficult if the range has been discontinued.
Wherever possible a detergent is best avoided. Hot water is often enough to clean most glasses. For stubborn stains a mild detergent can be used but should be rinsed thoroughly with clean hot water several times to remove any taint and film on the glass. Any grease of film can be seen by holding the glass up to natural daylight and you will see greasy residue that will shimmer with blues and greens. If you see this then wash and rinse the glass again in only clean, hot water.
The water should be hot enough for the glasses to dry by themselves. The water should simply evapourate from the cleaned glass - drying should not be necessary and thereby avoids streaking. Ensure the glasses are totally dry before storing. Always clean your glasses again with hot water before using again to remove any dust accumulated whilst in storage.
Care should be taken to prevent the glass cracking by using very hot water in cold surroundings. The sudden change in temperature to a cold wine glass being placed into very hot water can often cause the glass to crack and break. I have personally broken a crystal decanter in this way!
Always try and carry a couple of spare glasses to your set as breakages are inevitable - especially at the more exuberant dinner parties. Finding replacement wine glasses at a later time may be difficult if the range has been discontinued.
Labels: accessories
It's enough to satisfy the desire of any chocoholic - a 3 foot high chocolate sculpture by our resident Master Chef Simon Lilley.
This amazing creation took 2 days to complete and showcases a wide range of techniques and styles used by the chocolatier. Check out our chocolate demonstrations at our sister website Cooking Expert for hands-on tuition in creating your own chocolates... you can even lick the spoons clean!
Labels: chocolate
Emilio Bouchon arrived from Bordeaux to Chile in 1892, a pioneer of Colchagua Valley and responsible for the planting of high quality vineyards. Some of the vines which still remain in production date back to 1912.
The building of the oldest and most traditional cellar of Colchagua Valley was underway. Grapes of excellent quality were produced for vinification in the cellar and sold on to other exporting companies. The second and third generations of the family, headed up respectively by Abel Bouchon and Jorge Silva (married to Maruja Bouchon), also left their marks.
As the years went by, both the vineyards and the cellar were divided between different family members some of whom sold on their shares.
In 1977, Mario Silva Cifuentes, who had married María Teresa Silva Bouchon, started working the land at Angostura and thus became the fourth generation of the family. Most of the sold off land and parts of the cellar were bought back and, with heart and soul, launched himself into his lifelong dream. New plantings were established and he himself produced wine to other exporting companies. He was widely considered innovative as well as visionary and was of course largely responsible for bringing the company back together again.
At the beginning of 1997, Mario Pablo Silva made a proposal to his father. It was that he transform his bulk business into a prestige bottling company for export, bearing the family's own brand. Mario Silva accepted his son's challenge and the transformation was underway. Casa Silva was created. Presently Mario Pablo's brothers, Francisco and Gonzalo, joined the project. The beginnings of a wonderful family team were forged. In a short space of time Viña Casa Silva has become widely recognised as one of the most significant producers of premium wine from Chile. It has won important national and international recognitions and over the last few years has been amongst the most highly awarded Chilean wineries.
The building of the oldest and most traditional cellar of Colchagua Valley was underway. Grapes of excellent quality were produced for vinification in the cellar and sold on to other exporting companies. The second and third generations of the family, headed up respectively by Abel Bouchon and Jorge Silva (married to Maruja Bouchon), also left their marks.
As the years went by, both the vineyards and the cellar were divided between different family members some of whom sold on their shares.
In 1977, Mario Silva Cifuentes, who had married María Teresa Silva Bouchon, started working the land at Angostura and thus became the fourth generation of the family. Most of the sold off land and parts of the cellar were bought back and, with heart and soul, launched himself into his lifelong dream. New plantings were established and he himself produced wine to other exporting companies. He was widely considered innovative as well as visionary and was of course largely responsible for bringing the company back together again.
At the beginning of 1997, Mario Pablo Silva made a proposal to his father. It was that he transform his bulk business into a prestige bottling company for export, bearing the family's own brand. Mario Silva accepted his son's challenge and the transformation was underway. Casa Silva was created. Presently Mario Pablo's brothers, Francisco and Gonzalo, joined the project. The beginnings of a wonderful family team were forged. In a short space of time Viña Casa Silva has become widely recognised as one of the most significant producers of premium wine from Chile. It has won important national and international recognitions and over the last few years has been amongst the most highly awarded Chilean wineries.
Many thanks to Steve Machell for his excellent detective work and information about our open topped bus.
KTF 591 was new to Morecambe and Heysham Corporation in September 1949. Chassis No 9612E4657.
Body was by Park Royal No B33410, seating 30/26.Reseated to 33/26 between 9/199 and 3/1960.
Converted to Open Top 3/1967 and carried advertisement panels for New Heysham Head.
Was transferred to Lancaster City Council 1/4/1974.
KTF 591 was new to Morecambe and Heysham Corporation in September 1949. Chassis No 9612E4657.
Body was by Park Royal No B33410, seating 30/26.Reseated to 33/26 between 9/199 and 3/1960.
Converted to Open Top 3/1967 and carried advertisement panels for New Heysham Head.
Was transferred to Lancaster City Council 1/4/1974.
Labels: bus
John Higgins
Barrels and Bottles
Unit 5b Broom Business Park, Bridge Way, Sheepbridge
Chesterfield
,
Derbyshire
,
S41 9QG
England
01246 453399
Home Page
