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How Should I Store My Wine?

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There is nothing better than finding a wine that you love- especially one that you can picture yourself enjoying for the foreseeable future. There is nothing worse, however, than opening a bottle of vino you’ve been looking forward to and realizing the colors are muddied, the aromas are foul, and the taste is sharp and sour, like vinegar. The wine you were treasuring is now spoiled for good!

From the moment your new bottles of wine cross your threshold, how you store them plays a critical role in preserving their colors, aromas, flavors, and even lifespan. Follow these three easy steps for storage in order to preserve the wine’s integrity and extend the length of their drinkability. 

1. Store corked bottles horizontally. 

Bottles of wine are sealed via one of the following seven methods: 

1. Agglomerate corks 

2. Champagne corks 

3. Regular corks 

4. Synthetic corks 

5. Screw caps 

6. Vino-Lok (glass or plastic)

7. Zork

Numbers 4-7 are terrific because they never dry out, change shape, or loosen their seal. As a result, if your bottles are sealed by-way-of numbers 4-7, it does not matter whether they are stored standing vertically or lying down horizontally.

If your wine is sealed with numbers 1, 2, or 3, it is critical that you store the bottle lying down. Storing the cork horizontally allows the liquid to touch the cork, keeping it hydrated. Keeping the cork wet is imperative, as allowing it to dry out weakens the seal on the bottle and allows the introduction of oxygen, which will prematurely oxidize the wine. This will change the color, aroma, and taste profile of the wine, turning it into something which you may no longer enjoy.

2. Try to maintain consistent temperature and humidity.

According to Masterclass, maintaining an appropriate temperature is one of the most critical factors in properly storing a bottle of wine. The ideal temperature varies from wine to wine, but the recommended range stretches from no lower than 25F to no higher than 68F. Anything below and the wine will freeze, and anything above this range may destroy chemical compounds and accelerate the aging process. 

Inconsistent humidity also has the potential to negatively affect your wine. Low humidity levels (anything lower than 60 percent) may cause the cork to dry out. As previously mentioned, this can introduce unwanted oxygen into the vessel. High humidity levels (anything above 68 percent) may cause the labels to warp and peel. While this does not chemically affect the wine, peeling labels are less visually pleasing and make it more difficult to sell, if that is something you are interested in in the future. 

3. Find a storage place out of direct sunlight.

No matter the length of time you plan on storing your wine, you should always avoid placing it in direct sunlight. The sun’s UV rays excite the wine’s B2 and B5 Vitamins, which then react to naturally occurring amino acids. What results are sulfuric compounds, which absolutely stink! In a green bottle, this process can occur within 18 hours, and it only takes 3 hours for wine to damage in a clear bottle.

Please note, these tips are merely suggestions to help you prolong the lifespan of your wine. If you are looking for the most fool-proof method of storage, invest in a quality wine fridge. For additional. more detailed guidelines, we recommend contacting your wines’ crafters for their expert opinion. 

What Glasses Should I Serve My Wine In?

All Natural Wines, Blog, Dessert Wines, Eiswein, German Wine Specialists, German Wines, No Headache Wines, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine

Just as there seem to be an infinite number of varietals of wine, all of which have their own distinct characteristics, there too seem to be just as many types of glasses. This week, we’re answering the question, what kind of glasses should you use when serving red, white, and sparkling wine.

(Photo: Novitech/Shutterstock)

Red Wine: Red wines are typically served in glasses that have larger bowls. These larger glasses mean the wine has a greater amount of surface area which comes into contact with the air. As a result, the wine is able to breathe, or “open up,” which facilitates flavor development. Larger glasses also encourage the drinker to smell their wine. This is important for enjoyment, as the senses taste and smell are closely linked.

White Wine: White wine is usually served in comparatively smaller glasses, which feature U-shaped bowls. Their unique shape and smaller openings decrease the wine’s surface area, which better preserves its cooler temperature for a longer amount of time. The glass’s smaller opening, according to food.com, also channels the wine’s more subtle aromas more directly to the drinker’s nose.

Sparkling Wine: Sparkling wines are best suited for flutes with narrow, thin bowls. By minimizing the wine’s surface area and exposure to oxygen, the flute helps to preserve the fizz and channel its flavors into the mouth instead of up to the nose.

Dessert Wine: Dessert wines are traditionally served in sippers or glasses characterized by their smaller, more compact shape. This helps to accentuate the aromas and flavors of the wine as well. It also reinforces the fact that these types of wines are intended to be enjoyed in smaller quantities, due to their rarity.

What about glasses with stems versus those without stems? This is primarily up to preference, though in general, though by holding the stem instead of the bowl, you can avoid transmitting your hand’s natural heat through the glass and preserve the wine’s cooler temperature.

If aeration prior to enjoyment, yet without having to wait, is something that is important to you, we also recommend looking into self-aerating glasses. Glasses with internal cells that funnel the wine into the larger bowl, or micro cuts which, during a swirl, help to agitate the wine and expose more of it to oxygen, minimize an otherwise sometimes tedious process of decanting and aeration.

At the end of the day, which glass you drink you wine in comes down to personal preference, though if you want to get the most out of your wine drinking experience we would recommend making sure that you have a larger glass to enjoy red wines, and a smaller one to enjoy white wines with.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Because red and white wines Lastly, if you enjoy reds and whites and want to optimize your enjoyment of both, it is recommended that you purchase two sets of glasses.

Which glass do I serve which wine in?
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/guide/580/types-of-wine-glasses.html
How to Select the Right Wine Glass
The 4 Basic Types of Wine Glasses
https://patch.com/us/dealtown/these-self-aerating-wine-glasses-are-our-new-obsession

What Are Wine Diamonds?

All Natural Wines, Blog, German Wines, No Headache Wines, Red Wine, White Wine

Imagine: 

You open a bottle of wine and pour yourself a glass, enjoying the occasion for a celebration. You swirl the contents of your glass appreciatively, and- there! At the bottom of the glass, something glitters. You look at the bottom of the cork and find… diamonds. Wine diamonds.

Wine diamonds are naturally occurring and in fact, harmless. They are made from potassium acid tartrate, a potassium salt commonly found in fruits—especially grapes—and can form in your wine during cold storage. 

Image from https://sorrynowine.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/cork_tartrates.jpg

As it turns out, wine diamonds signify quality wine. The longer grapes are left to mature on the vine (which is a precursor for crafting a quality wine,) the more acid builds and accumulates, forming the starter of the diamonds. 

The presence of wine diamonds is also a suggestion of the wine’s production process. Many manufactured wines go through “cold stabilization.” This is when the wine is intentionally cooled and left at a low temperature for an extended period of time, after which inclusions are removed. The appearance of wine diamonds in your bottle means your wine’s production process did not include this stage. This is a good thing, because it means it was “crafted” with less manipulation.

Why do manufacturers do this? Years of retail business and millions of bottles distributed, manufacturers and distributors received many bottles back from retail stores and had to credit (goodwill) for those bottles, consumers brought back or refused to enjoy a bottle because of the presence of wine diamonds. Many retail store clerks not knowing what it is or unable to explain are afraid of losing a customer or the customer is always right, prematurely offering exchanges or credits, which are passed on to the distributor and they to the manufacturer. A big accounting and customer service nightmare. 

We believe in transparency and education. KingFrosch fans know for years if they open a bottle and find a wine diamond, they know that this is how we roll, all natural and we are doing it right, all the time.

So, if you find wine diamonds in your next bottle, consider yourself rich in both quality and experience!

https://www.winc.com/blog/wine-diamonds
https://vintnerscellarbedford.ca/wine-diamonds
https://www.burntbridgecellars.com/wine-blog/2016/5/11/ask-the-winemaker-what-are-wine-diamonds
https://www.winc.com/blog/wine-diamonds
https://vintnerscellarbedford.ca/wine-diamonds
https://www.burntbridgecellars.com/wine-blog/2016/5/11/ask-the-winemaker-what-are-wine-diamonds

What Makes Wine Age Well?

All Natural Wines, Blog, Eiswein, German Wines, No Headache Wines, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, ,

Cheese, balsamic vinegar, and wine are examples of just a few items in a human’s diet that get better with age. 

We have to ask, though, what makes wine age well?

First, it’s important to note that because of the production process, all wine is aged to a certain extent. While certain red wines progress through the fermentation stage for years, white wines typically do not need as much time before they are bottled and sold. 

So, how can you determine which wines will age well?

One way to determine this, according to Binwise, is to pay attention to the wine’s sugar content. The higher the sugar content, the better wine will do with time. Ports and dessert wines tend to have much higher sugar levels and can age well for up to 100 years!

Higher levels of acidity can also help a wine age better and last longer. The longer a wine ages, the more it loses its acidity and “flattens,” so starting with higher levels will help it last for the long haul. 

After the wine is bottled, certain chemical reactions occur through aging and result in the formation of phenolic compounds. Tannins, the most popular for these compounds, alter the character of the wine, including mouth feel, flavor profile, color, and aroma. Wines with higher levels of tannins that are also well-balanced will smooth out over time. 

In non-fortified wines, alcohol levels can cause the wine to turn vinegary at a much faster rate. In general, the lower the alcohol level (13.5% or below) in non-fortified wines will age the best, while an ABV percentage of 17-20% in fortified wines will last the longest.

If you’re looking for varietals to age in a collection, we recommend the following from King Frosch:

Specialty Wines:

Reds:

Whites: 

We would like to note, King Frosch wines age in their bottles. While our red wines mature, our whites may change in color and flavor as time passes. As a result, we recommend our white wines be enjoyed within one to two years.

Drunk, In Love, Or Both?

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Happy Valentines Day, everyone! We’ve all heard the saying “drunk in love,” and if you’ve ever experienced love or light drunkenness (tipsiness), you might be able to draw some similarities between the two feelings. Both make you feel blissful, rather invincible, euphoric and when the effects wear off, sad. As it turns out, a study published in a 2015 edition of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews explores the effects of both oxytocin (also known as the love hormone,) and alcohol on the brain. What resulted were nearly identical results!

Oxytocin is released during skin to skin contact, and is why physical contact with someone else feels good. Alcohol has similar effects, but instead of natural production by the body, it is the product of sugar, fermenting yeast, and starches. Both of these compounds cause lowered inhibitions and help people take that “leap of faith,” also known as “Dutch courage.” 

So, we hope you enjoy your Valentines Day and maybe even experience a bit of that “drunk in love feeling,” whichever way you choose to achieve it! (Enjoy responsibly!)

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Valentines Day Special

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What Is Icewine? The nectar of the goddess!

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Icewine, or Eiswein, is a particularly special type of wine because it is produced under specific conditions. Though there are several variations to the origin story of icewine, they all claim that the first instance of this delicious dessert beverage was found in Germany. According to one story, an annual frost in the late 1700s struck early, before the winemaker could harvest his crop. Despite his fears of a lost year, he pressed the frozen grapes and fermented the juice. What resulted was a smaller, but sweeter yield. Many wine lovers enjoy the full-bodied, rich flavor of ice wine. To fully appreciate it, try placing less than 1/4 ounce under your tongue, letting it sit there for about 10 seconds to adjust to your body temperature. Then, swallow it slowly. This will enhance the experience and allow you to savor its complexity, earning it the well-deserved title of “nectar of the goddess.”

Today, modern ice wine production is more scientifically controlled than it was in the 18th century. Grapes are left on the vines until the temperature drops to between -10 and -12 degrees Celsius. Once this temperature is reached, the grapes are harvested and pressed, typically overnight. Because the grapes are frozen, most of the yield is water, but a small portion—around 15%—is a highly concentrated, sweet, and flavorful juice. However, some producers take shortcuts by freezing the grapes in a freezer and labeling it as ice wine, which isn’t the traditional method or KingFrosch wines. How can you tell the difference? Given that only about 15% of the grapes are converted into ice wine, those precious drops don’t come cheap. It’s a fair assumption that any ice wine priced under $39 likely comes from grapes frozen in a freezer, not grown and harvested naturally at the proper temperatures. They might have sugar added too.

Typical flavors you can expect from icewines are rich, tropical fruits including lychee, papaya, and pineapple. We recommend serving your icewine chilled, either alone as a dessert, or drizzled over pound cake, ice cream, or fruit with whipped cream! (BTW icewine can last over 30 plus years if properly stored!)

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#17 D Diamond Series Silvaner Ice Wine (Eiswein)

#171 Gewürztraminer Ice wine (extremely rare)

#181 Diamond Series Riesling Icewine (rare)

#182 Icewine (rare)

#183 Silvaner Icewine (rare)

#194 Diamond Series Chardonnay Icewine

References

Hancock. (2021). Everything you need to know about icewine. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/10/everything-you-need-to-know-about-icewine/

Ice Wine, You’re So Fine (A Detailed Guide) | Wine Folly. (2021). Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/ice-wine-youre-so-fine/

The 2020 Wrap Up

All Natural Wines, Blog, Eiswein, German Wine Specialists, German Wines, Red Wine, Riesling, Sweet Red Wines, ,

Now that 2020 is behind us (and we have 2020 vision!) it’s time for a year-end wrap up.

Overall, the 2020 vintage produced a very high quality throughout Germany. The country experienced a warm and sunny spring, but a frost in mid-May, which unfortunately resulted in damage and yield loss in some regions.

The main grape harvest began at the end of August, which is approximately 8 to 10 days earlier than average. Good weather continued throughout the summer into September. According to the German Wine Institute, “the red varieties in particular benefited from the warm weather… [and] will get even better as they further ripen in the cellar.” The vintage was crowned on November 30th with a successful harvest of frozen grapes for ice wine.

In total, the harvest volume of 2020 is two percent lower than the 10-year average due to the aforementioned frost. The pricing is also rather stable without including the impacted regions.

Prost und zum Wohl!

What Is Spätburgunder? Hint: Think Pinot!

All Natural Wines, Blog, German Wines

What Is Pinot Noir?

We’ve all heard of Pinot Noir, but what exactly do these fancy words mean? Pinot Noir is derived from the French terms Pinot for pine and Noir for black. It’s actually one of the oldest grape varieties in the world- its history related to winemaking dates back to the first century AD. Pinot refers to the cone-like shape of the grapes’ clusters, which grow tightly together in pinecone-like shapes. Due to it’s tight growth structure and thin skin, the Pinot Noir grape is actually rather difficult to grow as it is more susceptible to rot1. 

What Is Spätburgunder?

In Germany, they call Pinot Noir Spätburgunder (spät meaning late ripening, and burgunder referring to Burgundy). Though it was first documented in the 14th century, there is evidence that the varietal has been in Germany as early as the 4th century2. Due to Germany’s climate, the traditional Spätburgunder is typically lighter in color, body, and tannins, than its counterparts2. However, due to climate change, Germany’s summers are getting hotter and lately, Germany has been producing bigger and bolder Pinot than ever before. 

How do you pair Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder?

Pinot Noir is considered one of the most food-friendly red wines because of its higher acid profile and bright, sheer tasting flavors3. So, if you’re pondering which bottle of wine to take when visiting friends, hosting a dinner gathering, or just unsure which wine will go best with dinner, we recommend a Pinot!


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#400 Spätburgunder Classic, Dry

#475 12 Month Barrel Aged

#499 Barrique Reserve:

  1.  Why is it so difficult to grow Pinot Noir grapes?. (2020). Retrieved 28 November 2020, from https://www.winespectator.com/articles/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-grow-pinot-noir-grapes-47336

2. Spätburgunder. (2020). Retrieved 28 November 2020, from     https://www.germanwines.de/knowledge/grape-varieties/red-grapes/spaetburgunder/

  1. Winetraveler, L. (2020). What Are Some of the Best Pinot Noir Food Pairings?. Retrieved 28 November 2020, from https://www.winetraveler.com/wine-pairing/best-pinot-noir-food-pairing/

What Is Gewürztraminer Wine?

All Natural Wines, Blog, , ,

Origin and History

The Gewürztraminer grape is one of 18 classic noble grapes. It is a mutation of either the traminer grape from the village of Tramin in South Tyrol, or the savagnin, the parent grape of sauvignon blanc. Sources are a bit fuzzy on this point, but what we do know is that it is one of the oldest grapes in the wine world. The grape is white with pink skins and is commonly grown in Alsace, a region on the border of France and Germany.2 Because it needs a cool climate in order to develop aromas and the vine is particularly susceptible to disease, Gewürztraminer is difficult to grow. Scientists have even attempted to cross the grape with other varietals to strengthen it, but none have been successful thus far.3

Flavors

Gewürztraminer gets its name from the term Gewürz, which in German means “herb.” The wine is famous for its traditionally high alcohol content and strong, tropical aromas including lychee, pineapple, melon, ginger, rose petals, and even smoke.

Pairings

When pairing the wine with foods, you can try a wide variety of cuisines and flavors, from sweet, to spicy, to salty because of its low acidity and sweet or off-dry taste.2 This means that these wines are perfect for just about any occasion, from brunch to your Thanksgiving dinner!

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

1 Gewurztraminer Wine. (2020). Retrieved 21 November 2020, from https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-187-gewurztraminer

2 Meyer, T. (2020). What Gewurztraminer tastes like: Wines to change your mind. Retrieved 21 November 2020, from https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews-tastings/what-is-gewurztraminer-like-300561/

3 Suckling, J. (2020). Gewürztraminer Wine: History, Tasting Notes, and Pairings. Retrieved 21 November 2020, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gewurztramine-wine-history-tasting-notes-and-pairings#what-is-gewrztraminer

4 Gewürztraminer Wine Guide. (2020). Retrieved 21 November 2020, from https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/gewurztraminer-wine-guide/

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#610 Gewürztraminer, Dry

#611 Gewürztraminer, Semi Dry

#612 Gewürztraminer Semi Sweet

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Chances Are, You’re Drinking Your Wine At The Wrong Temperature

All Natural Wines, Blog, German Wine Specialists, German Wines, New Wines, No Headache Wines, , , ,

We’ve all heard the old adage that we should drink red wines at room temperature, while drinking white wines chilled. 

Why do we drink different wines at different temperatures?

Why is that? Chemistry! Red wines, especially those that are bigger and bolder, have tannins that provide nuance to flavor. If a red wine is chilled, the flavor may lose some of the lighter, more enjoyable nuances. Conversely, white wines have higher acidity, which, at warmer temperatures, can introduce unwanted tasting “noise.” By chilling the white wines, the flavor profile tightens, effectively muting some of that noise so that we may better enjoy the lighter, fruitier elements1 of the beverage. 

What are these recommended temperatures?

But what is “room temperature,” and what is “chilled”? Many wine experts share the opinion that Americans actually drink their red wine too warm, and their white wines too cold. Part of this issue stems from the fact that “room temperature” in Europe really means cellar temperature, which tends to be around 55F to 65F. Room temperature in the United States, however, is approximately 72F 2 . Furthermore, refrigerators typically chill food to 37F, but experts state that white wine should be enjoyed between 45F and 50F1.  This means that red wine is typically drunk 7 to 17 degrees warmer than intended, while white wine is drunk 8 to 13 degrees colder than what is recommended.

How do we reach the recommended temperatures?

So, how should we get wine to its intended temperature? Like many things, good planning plays an important role. If you have red wine at room temperature, just place it in the fridge about 45 minutes before you plan on enjoying it. If you have white wine at room temperature, place it in the fridge about two hours before you wish to drink it. You can also keep both red and white wine in the refrigerator, and then take the red out about half an hour before you wish to enjoy it3, and take the white out approximately 15 minutes before enjoyment. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the wine, the longer it should be in the fridge, and the heavier the wine, the shorter amount of time it needs to be chilled. 

As always, recommendations are purely guidelines. Wine is for your enjoyment, so feel free to experiment with temperatures and stick with your own personal preference!

1 The Do’s and Don’ts of Chilling Wine. (2020). Retrieved 15 November 2020, from https://www.winemag.com/2018/08/13/chill-wine/

2 Helmenstine, A. (2020). What Is Room Temperature?. Retrieved 15 November 2020, from https://sciencenotes.org/what-is-room-temperature/

3  Schultz, E. (2020). PSA: Your Red Wine Is Probably Way Too Warm. Retrieved 15 November 2020, from https://www.bonappetit.com/story/red-wine-temperature-cooler-than-you-think

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