Contents
1. What is your rating system?We here at Fermented Reviews use the A-F system, like grade school. Some use stars, others points (the 100 points scale from the Wine Spectator being the best known.) The rating is at best a guide. I've tasted (and so has Silenus) 91 point wines and didn't really like them. In the end, it's your opinion of a wine, not what someone else says about a wine that determines if you'll drink it. Wine reviews are at best only a guide. [ Top of Page ] 2. Does the type of cork matter?Not so much. There are three types currently in general use, metal cap, synthetic (plastic) and natural cork. All three will keep a wine in a bottle. Metal capped wine is destined to be drunk relatively soon, within a year, synthetic corks sometime after a year and natural cork tend to be for wine that could be put up for a long period of time. This site probably won't report on too many of those. Metal capped and synthetic corks try to reduce a "corked" wine, one that went bad because of the cork itself. [ Top of Page ] 3. Is wine fattening?Wine typically has between 70 and 100 calories per four ounce glass, depending on the alcohol (7 grams per ounce) and residual sugars/carbohydrates (about 4 grams per ounce) content. It won't take too many glasses for the calories to add up and your subsequent scheduling of some treadmill time to burn those calories off. [ Top of Page ] 4. Is wine good for my heart?Red wine contains resveratrol in varying amounts. It's a heart healthy, but you'll have to drink at least a couple of glasses for some effect to occur. There's been more than one study in France about drinking red wine that seems to point to this benefit. Several other studies have indicated that in general humans benefit from daily ingestion of an ounce or two (based upon weight) of any form of alcohol. We just like ours to be wine. [ Top of Page ] 5. What's Vintage mean?The vintage on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made. The characteristics of a particular vintage year are determined by the weather conditions and resulting grape crop for that year. If a wine contains a blend of wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache for example) they both would have to be from the same vintage year. [ Top of Page ] 6. Are Sulfites (Sulfides) something to worry about?Sulfites are a term used to describe sulfur dioxide and other sulfur derivatives. Sulfites are found in all wines as they are a natural product of fermentation. Sulfur dioxide is used in wine making to prevent oxidation, kill bacteria and wild yeasts, and encourage quick and clean fermentation. The U.S. government requires wine labels to include "Contains Sulfites" to alert those who may be allergic to sulfites. Approximately 1% of the population is allergic to sulfites. Unfortunately sulfites are reported to be the only food additive that is know to kill people. Fortunately it is rare for someone to have that extreme an allergic reaction. [ Top of Page ] 7. Can you get a headache (hangover) from wine?Well, if you drink too much, sure! I've had many a hangover and so has Silenus. Really, did we need that third bottle? Part of the hangover comes from getting dehydrated, which will give you get a headache regardless of alcohol. Anything with enough alcohol will tend to dehydrate you, so drink other fluids when imbibing. The other problem might be histamines, which are found in the skins of grapes, which can give some people headaches if they are sensitive to them. Red wines contain more histamines than white wine because red wine has spent more time in contact with grape skins. If your sensitive, drink whites or sparkling wines. Drink Roses' at your own risk. [ Top of Page ] 8. What's a "Corked" wine?A wine that has been affected by the cork that causes a "moldy" smell or taste to the wine. Some have likened it to smelling a "wet dog." Its cause is a chemical called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) and it doesn't take much to make a bottle of wine go bad. [ Top of Page ] 9. Can some wines turn your tongue black?There seems to be some confusion about this. Some attribute it to "cheap" red wines (this site prefers the term "value priced" BTW), others to various types of reds (Shiraz and Cabs in particular), some seem to think it's an additive in cheap wine although no details seem to be forthcoming, and still others seem to think it's red wines from a particular region, (Australia, they're dissing you again.) The best answer seems to be just the fact your drinking red wine. The red skins used in it's production are going to stain your tongue and lips with some people, perhaps, being more susceptible than others, or it could be the sheer number of glasses of wine you've had, (consider a 12 step program -- to drink more.) If you are really worried about a black or violet tongue consider whites, especially if your are on a date. [ Top of Page ] 10. Why do you review cheap wines?We here at Fermented Reviews like the term "value priced" or "budget conscious". Really most of us, unless you're Jack Welch (who won't pay for any wine under $100, according to a recent interview), or a Wall Street poo bah, just don't have the money to buy for example a $45 Shiraz that, while tasted fantastic, we just couldn't justify the price. You might consider such a wine if it's a special occasion. But most people seem to prefer to pay between $5 and $15. So we review such wines. Hopefully to find the diamonds in the group from what might be the Zircons. And let me tell you, that's a lot of wine to drink. [ Top of Page ] 11. What does "Our Rating" mean?We don't follow "Wine Specator". We want to review wines that give us value for the money. That's what this rating indicates. The value is essentially the grade divided by the cost (as in dollars) for the wine. This is to give you some idea of what the wine might be worth. A number greater than 100 might be worth you attention, a number under 50, perhaps not. If you don't consider price, consider just the grade, if you DO consider price, consider the "Our Rating" number. [ Top of Page ] |
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