Malolactic Fermentation

Chicken Breasts with Spinach, Leek and Saffron Sauce Paired with Freemark Abbey Napa Chardonnay 2010.

“Chardonnay paired with Chicken? Teach you that one at Sommelier school, did they?” Ok, so I won’t say that this is the most adventurous pairing the world has ever seen, but it’s one of only two (I believe) white meat and Chardonnay pairings that I’ve ever posted. As crazy as it sounds, we very rarely eat chicken in my house…chicken wings (of course) being the one BIG exception. It’s not that I don’t like chicken,…

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Pretentious Things to Say at a Wine Tasting, Should You Want to…

If you are a regular reader of this site, you probably already know that I don’t take myself too seriously. There is a fine-line though. I like to have fun with wine, but there is occasionally a little more serious side to it. The following is my list of Pretentious Things to Say at a Wine Tasting. This list isn’t hypothetical, these are ACTUAL comments I have heard at wine tastings (apart from the one…

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Malolactic Fermentation Explained

Malolactic Fermentation is a secondary fermentation in the winemaking process which converts harsh malic acid (think bitter green apples) into softer lactic acid (think cream). To use Chardonnay as an example; putting the wine through Malolactic Fermentation will convert a wine with tart Granny Smith apple acidity into a wine with softer, creamy and buttery flavors. The vast majority of red wines and a large number of whites go through Malolactic Fermentation  to enhance their…

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