Vinothek
For Outstanding German Wines in Australia
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A Myth and a Mistake, both at the same time
- red wine should be drunk at room temperature -
The rule, or advice, that red wine should be drunk at room temperature, originated long ago in Europe. In those days of no central heating, and when most of the year indoors could be expected to be around 17 deg. or 18 deg. Celsius, that was good advice, and good reds were generally drunk around this temperature. There are some exceptions with particular red wines, but that was a good general rule. No red wine was drunk warmer.
These days, it would be hard to find many room temperatures below the typical average of 22 deg. Celsius. In an Australian summer, air conditioning is most often set between 22 deg. and 25 deg.; and, if there is no air conditioning, everyone just hates to think about the climb into the 30s, and even the 40s are not unknown. But at and above 22 deg., red wines taste rather sweet and alcoholic.
A wine, which is served too cold remains closed in on itself, and it develops neither its optimal nose, nor palate. Red wine in general is best served between 15 deg.and 18 deg. Celsius. There are, however, some exceptions. A French Beaujolais, for example, as also a Schwarzriesling, or a Trollinger, to name others, need even a couple more degrees taken off them, before they reach their best drinking position. White wines, of course, usually command an even greater cooling requirement, but even then, there are some few exceptions, which demand a rather warmer temperature than the normal.
Mistake - Spätlese wines always have to be sweet
The term Spätlese is simply a grade of Qualitätswein (quality wine), Under the German wine law, only fully ripe grapes, which have been left to mature on the wine for a later harvest can be used for a wine called Spätlese. But whether sweet or dry wines should be made out of these grapes is not addressed. That remains the decision of the wine maker.
Thus, a dry Spätlese is certainly no exception to the rule. Indeed, much more so is it a given. Indeed, to say that those who like dry wines should avoid Spätlese and Auslese wines, is largely quite incorrect. Admittedly, looking at the whole production there are, in fact, probably more sweeter wines than dry in the Spätlese and Auslese class, but very often, the dry wines from these grades of grapes are the wine maker's great pride and joy.
1921 was the vintage of that century - particularly on the Moselle. Between 1925 and 1927, our of every 85 'tuns' of wine, 81 were fermented out - which means dry. Only 4 out of the 85 'tuns' showed a residual sugar value of between 35 gm/l and 76 gm/L. This residual sugar, which remained from the fermentation, produced some magnificent dessert wines.
Myth - You Should Drink Beer Before Wine, and Never Drink Beer After Wine
This fairy tale has been around for many generations in Europe. The reality is that it is not the order in which these two beverages are drunk, but rather the quantity.
Possibly the adage came about in an age when beer was the drink of the poorer masses. They could not afford the more expensive wine, and those who could did not want to destroy he taste of the wine with the drink of the pooper people. However, the fact is that, irrespective of which order in one choses to drink them, both can cause headache, depending on the quantity consumed.
How bad the hangover is also has nothing to do with the drinking order. It is all a question of quantity, simply because alcohol is alcohol, no matter what one is drinking. What is interesting, however, is that the more one changes the sort of alcohol being drunk, the more one drinks. If you start with one sort of alcoholic drink, and stay with it, then, with every mouthful. the thirst for that drink begins to diminish. You begin to drink more slowly, until finally, you have had enough. - even if it was what you most prefer to drink.
However, once you change the drink, there is a new taste in the game. Suddenly, a new stimulus has arrived; and one begins, once again, to drink more, more quickly. Of course, that has an effect on the hangover. So, one should avoid wildly mixing one’s drinks like a bad, dog’s breakfast.
German beer is a pure foodstuff, brewed in accordance with the (now Federal) German Beer Purity Law of 1516 (Reinheitsgebot). German wines are also of the highest standard, without additives, as are all the wines carried by Vinothek. Nonetheless, prudence according to each individual’s, admittedly greatly varying, limits regarding alcohol, should always be observed.
- red wine should be drunk at room temperature -
The rule, or advice, that red wine should be drunk at room temperature, originated long ago in Europe. In those days of no central heating, and when most of the year indoors could be expected to be around 17 deg. or 18 deg. Celsius, that was good advice, and good reds were generally drunk around this temperature. There are some exceptions with particular red wines, but that was a good general rule. No red wine was drunk warmer.
These days, it would be hard to find many room temperatures below the typical average of 22 deg. Celsius. In an Australian summer, air conditioning is most often set between 22 deg. and 25 deg.; and, if there is no air conditioning, everyone just hates to think about the climb into the 30s, and even the 40s are not unknown. But at and above 22 deg., red wines taste rather sweet and alcoholic.
A wine, which is served too cold remains closed in on itself, and it develops neither its optimal nose, nor palate. Red wine in general is best served between 15 deg.and 18 deg. Celsius. There are, however, some exceptions. A French Beaujolais, for example, as also a Schwarzriesling, or a Trollinger, to name others, need even a couple more degrees taken off them, before they reach their best drinking position. White wines, of course, usually command an even greater cooling requirement, but even then, there are some few exceptions, which demand a rather warmer temperature than the normal.
Mistake - Spätlese wines always have to be sweet
The term Spätlese is simply a grade of Qualitätswein (quality wine), Under the German wine law, only fully ripe grapes, which have been left to mature on the wine for a later harvest can be used for a wine called Spätlese. But whether sweet or dry wines should be made out of these grapes is not addressed. That remains the decision of the wine maker.
Thus, a dry Spätlese is certainly no exception to the rule. Indeed, much more so is it a given. Indeed, to say that those who like dry wines should avoid Spätlese and Auslese wines, is largely quite incorrect. Admittedly, looking at the whole production there are, in fact, probably more sweeter wines than dry in the Spätlese and Auslese class, but very often, the dry wines from these grades of grapes are the wine maker's great pride and joy.
1921 was the vintage of that century - particularly on the Moselle. Between 1925 and 1927, our of every 85 'tuns' of wine, 81 were fermented out - which means dry. Only 4 out of the 85 'tuns' showed a residual sugar value of between 35 gm/l and 76 gm/L. This residual sugar, which remained from the fermentation, produced some magnificent dessert wines.
Myth - You Should Drink Beer Before Wine, and Never Drink Beer After Wine
This fairy tale has been around for many generations in Europe. The reality is that it is not the order in which these two beverages are drunk, but rather the quantity.
Possibly the adage came about in an age when beer was the drink of the poorer masses. They could not afford the more expensive wine, and those who could did not want to destroy he taste of the wine with the drink of the pooper people. However, the fact is that, irrespective of which order in one choses to drink them, both can cause headache, depending on the quantity consumed.
How bad the hangover is also has nothing to do with the drinking order. It is all a question of quantity, simply because alcohol is alcohol, no matter what one is drinking. What is interesting, however, is that the more one changes the sort of alcohol being drunk, the more one drinks. If you start with one sort of alcoholic drink, and stay with it, then, with every mouthful. the thirst for that drink begins to diminish. You begin to drink more slowly, until finally, you have had enough. - even if it was what you most prefer to drink.
However, once you change the drink, there is a new taste in the game. Suddenly, a new stimulus has arrived; and one begins, once again, to drink more, more quickly. Of course, that has an effect on the hangover. So, one should avoid wildly mixing one’s drinks like a bad, dog’s breakfast.
German beer is a pure foodstuff, brewed in accordance with the (now Federal) German Beer Purity Law of 1516 (Reinheitsgebot). German wines are also of the highest standard, without additives, as are all the wines carried by Vinothek. Nonetheless, prudence according to each individual’s, admittedly greatly varying, limits regarding alcohol, should always be observed.
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