Raise Your Glass - A marriage made in heaven - Red Blends

What makes a great wine and how can we tell if it's actually good? The process of tasting wine could be considered part science, part art, but most importantly, part fun.

Each time you try a new wine, here are a few things to consider beyond the immediate impact on your taste buds which generates that sensation of "I Like".

Colour

The colour is always important and gives such a great story of the wine both in reds and whites. To get a real sense of its vibrant colour, hold your glass against a white background; a white table cloth or napkin will work just fine. Different grapes give different colours, so make your observations.

Give it a swirl

Have you ever wondered why the experts swirl their glasses? Swirling allows oxygen into the wine, in order to really open its aromas. These beautiful aromas are what makes each wine so distinct. Hold your nose to the glass and inhale deeply. Allow the scent of your wine to overcome you like your favourite perfume or cologne. Scientists say the average person can identify more than 2,000 unique scents. This helps us to identify key characteristics of the wine. Many times you may read the descriptions on the bottle and it will say it may smell like a fruit or have hints of chocolate etc. Take a few whiffs and see if you can identify them. The aroma or bouquet really adds to the overall enjoyment and more important, its pairing.

Taste

What do you get from that first sip? Sweetness? Acidity? Bitterness? Each wine will be very different, but your taste buds will immediately tell you if it's something you may like or not. I think the aftertaste is equally important. What resonates with you after you have taken that sip? Does it sit on your tongue or simply fades away.

After you have looked at the colour, swirled, and taken that first sip, savour it. What was your overall impression? Is it something that you want more of? If it is, enjoy that glass or bottle with your friends. I think that always makes everything better.

World-renowned winemaker Robert Mondavi once said, "I want to make wines that harmonise with food - wines that almost hug your tongue with gentleness." Wine blends offer intricate complexity in aroma and flavour more so than a single varietal (type of grape). It is the combination of two or more grapes, to produce something completely new. Blends allow winemakers to change some of the inherent qualities of one particular grape, resulting in some pretty amazing award-winning wines.

Playing the ultimate match maker, blends are versatile with most foods, making it a great addition to any table.

These are a couple of blends I truly enjoy: Menage Trios, Apothic Red, Rare Red, Kendall Jackson Vinters Blend, Hanh Estates Red Blend, Cupcake Red Velvet and there are a plethora of others. Try one, even those not in this list, and let me know what you think.

Mixing Blends

What I enjoy most about blends, is not only do they go well with most foods or is, it also makes great cocktails. My absolute favourite being a sangria and a mimosa. I have a simple sangria recipe that only takes a few minutes to prepare. A sangria is a blend of fruits and wine. Nothing is set in stone, and you can doctor it to make your own version.

I am not an expert, merely a wine enthusiast sharing my thoughts and experiences. Feel free to share your own experiences at wineenthusiastja@gmail.com.

If you plan on entertaining, this may work really well for you.

1-2 bottles of Carlo Rossi. (It makes a great and fairly cheap base wine)

1 bottle Red Blend (choose your favourite, this will add depth and flavour)

2 cups of orange juice

Fresh fruits and lots of it-peaches, apples, orange slices, grapes, berries of any kind and as many as you want. If that fresh fruit isn't available, believe it or not, the fruit cocktail in the can will work just fine too.

And finally, a little soda water to give it a little fizz.

Let this sit for a couple hours and serve over ice.

There is also a sangria mix in the supermarket if you don't wish to be adventurous and try this on your own.

A mimosa is sparkling wine and orange juice. I personally prefer using a prosseco to make mine, and can be a great addition to a very decedent breakfast or a great cocktail starter at any function.

Try these this holiday and let me know what you think.

Mimosa