We’ll get to that, but first, let’s take a road less traveled by – knowing where wine came from and how it came to be can help you choose the perfect one for your special occasion.
From grapes to wines
Due to the natural chemical balance, grapes ferment without any added sugar, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients. The yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and transforms it to ethanol and carbon dioxide. A different selection of grapes and strains of yeasts produces different types of wine. The celebrated variance result from the different interactions between the biochemical development of the fruit, reactions involved in fermentation, the location and subsequent appellation, along with human intervention in the overall procedure.
Getting a bit historical
Wine has been produced for over thousands of years. The earliest evidence of wine to date was found from Armenia with the 6,100-year-old Areni-1 winery, which is considered by far to be the earliest known winery.
The earliest form of grape-based fermented beverage, however, was found in northern China, where archaeologists discovered 9,000-year-old jars. Wine had reached the Balkans and it was consumed and celebrated during the ancient Greece times. It has been patronized for its intoxicating effects throughout history and the psychoactive effects are evident at normal serving sizes.
Wine’s rich variety
There are also other types of wine, which include rice wine and innumerable fruit wines, of which some of the well-known are pomegranate wine, apple wine, and elderberry wine. Now, we all know that wine is one of the best intoxicating beverage, which is a great companion in any known life occasions that we have but the question is which type of wine do we pick for certain occasions?
With all the type of wines that have been produced and are available in the market, how do we choose the one that will be suitable as companions for all the upcoming occasions that we have?
Choosing the best wine for special occasions
Markuz Stolz, a professional wine blogger suggests that instead of picking up champagne for New year’s eve, sparkling wine would be a good choice for the occasion, like the ones made from Debina (Zitsa), Moschofilero (Mantinia), or Xinomavro (Amyndeo). These bottles are specially made using traditional methods.
As we get to our 30’s or so, most often than not, Christenings and Weddings are the most repeated occasions that we may encounter, in an average of 2 events of each type within a year that happens in a normal person’s life. Markuz suggests that Christenings should be held during the spring and summer months, and take place late morning or early afternoon. Dry and crisp Greek rosé wines are a fine pick.
For wedding occasions, he suggests that picking wines that are classified as “Mainstream” is the best pick to go for. He also mentioned that Roditis, which compliments most palates, with its high fruity level.
For the red though, the blogger’s pick would be an unoaked red Agiorgitiko: It is a perfect food combination for many dishes, and is a real crowd favorite. Now of course we can’t take Christmas away do we? Markuz’s advice is to just treat yourself to some really top wines like the specials on wines from Advintage, and explore at least a grape variety that you isn’t known to you yet.
