Special occasions deserve special wines.
Princeton Packet
What better way to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and a brand new year than with a premium sparkling wine from a New Jersey vineyard? Imagine savoring a fine port after a holiday dinner or sharing spiced wines with friends during the cool winter months. There are many New Jersey sparkling wines, ports and spiced wines to choose from for holiday occasions.
Sparkling wines are really white (or pink) wines that are given a second fermentation with yeast and sugar. This results in a little more alcohol and a lot more carbon dioxide. Not only does this produce the bubbles that everyone associates with sparkling wines, it also produces the complex flavors that are characteristic of these wines.
The best known sparkling wine is Champagne, which is named after a wine-producing region of France. Here, the second fermentation occurs after the wine has been bottled. Only sparkling wines fermented in the bottle and produced in this region can be called "Champagne."
Sparkling wines should be served well chilled so that the carbonization will last longer and feel smoother. While most people reserve sparkling wines for toasts, the dryer sparkling wines often contain a high proportion of Chardonnay and can be served with seafood or poultry. Salty foods also go well with sparkling wines, which is why the French serve Parmesan cheese with Champagne. Caviar, soups, egg dishes, cheeses and even fruit – most notably strawberries – go well with sparkling wines.
Port wine is a fortified wine, which means alcohol (grape brandy) has been added to the wine. In making port, the brandy is added before fermentation is complete, which results in a sweet wine because the extra alcohol stops the yeast from converting the sugars. It also boosts the alcohol level 18 to 20 percent.
Port, the only red fortified wine, originated in Portugal. Like other sweet wines, port improves with age in the bottle (often for several decades). Port is usually enjoyed after dinner and is an excellent compliment to salty cheeses. It is also used for cooking.
Spiced wines, which are wines with natural flavors added (usually cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg or allspice), are very popular during the cooler winter months. Warm the wine in a crock pot, sauce pan or microwave (but do not bring to a boil or you will lose the alcohol) and serve it in a mug with a slice of orange as a garnish or with a stick of cinnamon. You might also want to add a stick of cinnamon when you warm the wine to add some spice to your home.
You can also make your own spiced wine. Unionville Vineyards has a recipe that changes their Hunter’s Gold Apple wine into a spiced wine by adding two cinnamon sticks, three cloves and two tablespoons of sugar to one bottle of wine. Simply heat until the sugar dissolves. The longer and slower the wine simmers, the more the flavors develop.
With the holidays fast approaching, now is the time to visit New Jersey wineries. For a complete list of wineries where New Jersey’s specialty wines can be sampled and purchased, visit the Garden State Wine Growers Association’s Web site at www.newjerseywines.com
The Garden State Wine Growers Association is a non profit organization created by the owners of New Jersey vineyards. Currently, 17 wineries take advantage of the fertile soil and moderating winds from the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean to produce award-winning wines.
For more information on visiting New Jersey Wineries, call the New Jersey Wine Line at (800) 524-0043 and request the New Jersey Wine Country brochure.