Grapevine Phrasebook

It is vine harvest time again! Cellars and producers are preparing to collect the grapes. And if you don’t have the availability to take the scissors, put your rubber boots on, wait for the dew to rise and fill your baskets with grapes - at least you can enjoy the unique taste of wine!

White, red, rose- what’s the difference?

White wine

White wine is produced from both red and white grapes. In fact, the reddish color is obtained from the contact between the tannin contained in the zippers of the grains and the seeds and the grape juice. Therefore, this contact is avoided in the production of white wine. Tannin gives a particularly bitter-tingling taste, and its lack makes the drink somewhat lighter. White wine typically contains up to 12.5% ​​alcohol. Wines up to this percentage are considered light, between 12.5 - 13.5% medium and over 13.5% heavy.

Red wine

Following the same logic, red wine is produced with tannin, meaning zippers are not separated. Unlike white wine, it is made only from red grape varieties. The presence of tannin, in addition to giving it the characteristic bitter taste, is also responsible for the aging of the wine, which makes red wine more durable than white. Tannin also helps in the absorption of meat, so red wine should be served with meat appetizers.

Rose

No, rose is not made by mixing white and red wine! However, production techniques are mixed. Rose is made from red varieties, leaving the zipper in the pot for only a few hours. As a rule, white wine and rose is served cold.

How to taste wine?

First step- visual evaluation

Hold the wine glass at the level of the eyes as you try to get light through it. If you are a beginner, another way is to lean the glass and place a white napkin behind it so you can appreciate the color. For white wines, transparency and gloss speak of high acidity. It makes the wines more fresh. If you can see it misting, then the acidity is lower. Do you find cooler or warmer tones? Greenish or orange? For red wines, a bright color usually means that they are ripe, brown that they are older, purple hues are a sign of young wines, and those aged in oak barrels have a golden hue.

Second step- aroma evaluation

The aroma evaluation is responsible for most of the wine analysis. You can feel a variety of "notes" as your sommelier will explain exactly what they are and what they are due to. Some connoisseurs define two groups: aroma and bouquet. Aroma is considered to be the smell of the grape zipper chemical compounds, and the bouquet can be fruity, floral, citrus and more.

Third step- taste evaluation

Have a drink and hold the wine briefly in your mouth. Is it sweet, sour or bitter? Try to judge by its consistency whether it is light, regular or heavy. Remember to drink water between the different wines.

Where to taste it?

Wines from Italy

If you want to taste wines from 5 Italian regions and get a menu to suit their tastes, La Bottega Monte, Sofia, is your place. Check out our offer here.

Prefer Bulgarian wines?

Then you can have a taste at Zagrei Winery, Parvomay. Take a tour of the winery and get acquainted with the entire production process from grape picking to bottling and labels. Choose your package here. 

The mystical Melnik wine

Wide Melnik Vine is the second most popular Bulgarian variety after the Mavrud and is only distributed in Bulgaria. The red wines of this variety are unmatched in quality. You can try them at Villa Melnik.  

See more

Check out our other various wine tasting suggestions here.