Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is typically made from fermented grape juice, and different grape varieties produce different types of wines. When talking about wine, the first question that always arises is as old as wine itself. Do you fancy a white or red wine? Rest assured, there is no wrong answer here. Simply state your preference, and you’re already on your way to enjoy a delicious glass of wine. Now, let’s look at where your favourite wine is coming from.

Wine has been produced for thousands of years and every country, every region, and every vineyard has its characteristics. Climate, terroir, grape variety, and winemaker all play an essential role when crafting exclusive wine.

Famous Italian wine regions include Tuscany, Puglia, and Piedmont. In France, quality wines from Provence, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Loire Valley are well-known, and probably the most popular Spanish wine region is Rioja. For the United States, California takes the top spot because the Golden State produces about 90 per cent of the US wines alone.

white wines include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, and Riesling. These wines are made from white-skinned grapes that don’t contact the grape juice in the production process. Therefore, colours can range from a pale near colourless yellow to dark yellows. Usually, white wines are more refreshing and crisper in taste than red wines, and also the acidity levels are higher. Tannins are barely existent in white wines because white wines are produced in stainless steel tanks.

In contrast, red wines are made from black-skinned grapes. Within the production process, the skin and the juice have contact, which gives the red wine its rich red colour. Red wines are typically richer and bolder in flavour compared to white wines. They also offer tannins to the palette as red wine is often aged in oak barrels. Popular red wines include Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir.

Of course, there are other options available if you don’t want to drink the same red and white wine repeatedly. Besides, special occasions ask for certain wines. Choose a sparkling wine or champagne if you have something to celebrate. Pick a fortified or dessert wine if you are about to relish a delicious dessert. And if you want to experience the freshness of a white and the fruits of a red, get yourself a rose wine.

We literally offer hundreds of different wines across all wine categories and guarantee to offer them for the lowest rate online available. The reason for that is that we don’t set the prices but look for the lowest prices that are out there and simply match them. If you happen to find a product that we stock somewhere else at a cheaper rate, let us know so that we can adjust and sell the beverage at the same price tag to you.

When joining Bottle Stop, you can also enter your beverage preferences. We can curate a list of wine, beer, and spirits that might also fit your taste with that preference. We also have a vast selection of beers and spirits that include rum, gin, whiskey, liqueur, tequila, vodka, and many more from all over the world. Whatever you fancy, we have a bottle of that waiting for you.

Our delivery service operates Australia-wide from Perth at the West Coast, along the Southern shores from Adelaide to Melbourne and Sydney, and up the East Coast via the Gold Coast to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast so you don’t have to leave the house.

How to drink wine?

Drinking wine is more than just consuming. It should be a wonderful experience. If you are treating yourself to different wines a night, make sure to start with white and make your way towards red wine. Although there are different types of wine, a few steps are always the same for drinking the tasty liquid.

First, think of the reason you need your wine for. You will intuitively know whether you need the wine to cook a sauce, pair it with food, or drink it by itself. From there, choose your wine according to the characteristics you need. Decide whether you want a light-bodied or full-bodied, dry or sweet, crisp or soft, red or white wine.

Once you have decided on the wine, pour around 30 ml into your wine glass to taste the chosen wine. Swirl the wine around in your glass by holding the glass at the stem. Doing so exposes the wine in your glass to more air which opens up the aromas. From there, it’s time to smell the various aromas that can be fruity, spicy, as well as floral. Repeat this process a few times so you can entirely experience each scent the wine contains. After that, have a small sip and hold the wine in the centre of your tongue. From there, notice the finish after swallowing.

When pairing your food with wine, balancing out wine and dish is key. The best way is to choose your wine according to your dinner plans. Full-bodied red wines pair well with red meat such as lamb and beef. For Australian game like kangaroo you best choose a spicy red wine. White wines typically accompany fish, seafood, and white meat. Spicy dishes should be paired with sweeter white wines that offset the spiciness.

Serving snacks before or after dinner as well as dessert needs matching and complementing wine and food too. Hard cheeses work very well with full-bodied red wines and soft cheeses pair well with dry white wines. Try out serving a dry rosé with cheese because rosé wine has the refreshing acidity of a white and red wine’s fruitiness. Sparkling wines are perfect for salty snacks because the acids clean your palette after every sip. For dessert, a sweet wine that is sweeter as the dessert is always a good choice.

Another aspect that is important for drinking wine is the ideal serving temperature. The proper temperature ensures that you get the most out of the underlying flavours in your wine. Serve white, rose, and sparkling wines around a temperature of 7 and 10 degrees Celsius. Heavier whites and lighter reds are best between 13 and 15 degrees. Ultimately, red wine’s serving temperature should be between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.

When serving wine, be sure to pick the right glassware. Red wine is served best in a wine glass with a large, round bowl and a big opening so the red wine can breathe. Breathing means that the wine must oxidise to enhance its flavour profile. Pick a smaller, narrower u-shaped wine glass with a tapered mouth for white or sparkling wine because both don’t need to breathe as much as red wines do. The flavours will concentrate, making the flavours last longer.

Holding your wine glass the right way is also essential if you don’t want to undo your efforts to bring the wine to its ideal drinking temperature. For that reason, always make sure to hold your glass at the stem and not to place it in your hand. In doing so, you avoid your wine taking up your hand’s heat and changing its profile.

Does wine make you fat?

Wine is a product made from fermented grape juice and, therefore, most of the calories come from the alcohol the wine contains. Dry wines usually contain less sugar which in turn means fewer calories. Although wine doesn’t have many calories per serving, it is the amount you can drink that makes the calories add up. Drinking a bottle of wine on your own on a stressful day can easily add 500 or more extra calories to your daily intake.

Having said this, consuming more calories than you burn makes you gain weight. Alcohol-related calories are referred to as empty calories because they don’t have any nutritional value to your body. Besides, your body will use these empty calories first and stores carbs and fat as fat.

In summary, one can say that the occasional glass of wine doesn’t make you fat. Instead, it is the regular excess drinking of wine that leads to calorie overconsumption, contributing to weight gain.

How to store wine?

Storing wine the right way helps this natural product not to spoil. Natural opponents of wine are light, heat, vibration, and changes in humidity. This is true for every wine, not just one type. Some wine can be stored for many years, and the aromas, flavours, and complexity will even get better the longer they age. In contrast, some wines are produced in a way that needs quick consumption after bottling.

The best place to store a bottle of wine is in a wine cellar that maintains temperature and humidity through a climate control system. If you don’t have a wine cellar, a small wine refrigerator might be a suitable option. Although they aren’t perfect for aging bottles, they support chilling the wine to the ideal drinking temperature. The proper temperature for storing wine is around 13 degrees. Also, avoid storing below 0 and above 20 degrees.

A wine bottle that has a cork should always be stored horizontally in a wine rack. This will keep the cork moist and help for long-term storage. Horizontal storing is perfect if you have just a small space available for many bottles of wine. Once the bottle is opened though, it will last 3 to 5 days. Recork it quickly after pouring to extend its shelf life. If you can’t recork for any reason, take a rubber wine stopper or vacuum pump to seal the bottle tightly.