Overview

The more you know about wine, the more you will appreciate it's phenomenon. In the wine business, knowledge is vital. Knowledge allows you to judge a wine by its taste, not its label. To rate vineyards by their current wines instead of their past reputations. To spot the up-and-coming stars before they become yesterday's news. At RolandPark.com we've made it our mission to demystify wine. In everything we do, we give you the tools and information to truly learn about the world's greatest wines. To us, it's just good business.

Popular Styles of Wine

Bordeaux or Merlot? There are so many different styles of wine, it can be difficult (and intimidating) to determine which one is right for you. The list below covers some of the most popular styles of wine and explains what makes each one of them unique. Read the descriptions to see which type appeals to you, then taste one to see what makes it so popular!

White

Chardonnay (Shar-doe-NAY)

"Top of the line" white - a dry, rich wine with a wide range of complex flavors. Usually oak-aged. A complement to chicken, seafood and cream sauces.

Sauvignon Blanc / Fumé Blanc (SO-veen-yon-BLAWNK) / (Foo-MAY-blawnk)

Ranges from grassy or herbaceous to citrus and grapefruit. Flavors are both dry and crisp. Great with grilled chicken and seafood.

Riesling (REES-ling)

Ranges from sweet to semi-dry and tends to be fairly light-bodied. Serve alone as a cocktail and with lighter dishes.

Gewurtzraminer (guh-VERTZ-tra-MEE-ner)

Ranges from delicately sweet, to semi-dry. Most typically spicy and medium-bodied. Complements Asian foods, light spicy dishes, poultry and smoked meats.

Pinot Grigio (Pee-noe Gree-joe)

A light-bodied white which is usually dry, crisp and refreshing. Well suited to fish dishes and all pastas.

Blush

White Zinfandel(wite ZIN-fan-dell)

Fresh and fruity. Light to medium bodied. Serve as a cocktail or complement to lighter dishes or luncheon fare.

Red

Pinot Noir (PEE-no-nwar)

Generally the lightest body of reds. Often earthy and spicy. Great with salmon, pasta salads, lighter cuts of meat and oilier poultry.

Merlot (mare-LOE)

Typically smoother and softer than Cabernet, but needs less aging before the flavors reach maximum richness. Shows well with meats (especially lamb) and barbecued salmon.

Cabernet Sauvignon (ca-ber-NAY so-veen-YON)

Ranges from medium- to full- bodied Aging brings out the best flavors of this dry, yet smooth wine has to offer. Serve with meats, pasta with red sauces and hearty foods.

Zinfandel (ZIN-fan-dell)

Varies in body from light to heavy. Typically a bit spicy. Serve with pizza, pasta and red meats.

Bordeaux(Bore-DOH)

One of the world's most famous wines, ranges from medium- to -full-bodied. Aging adds power and elegance. Complements beef dishes like roast beef or steak.

Chianti(Ki-AHN-tee)

A dry, medium-bodied red of predominantly Sangiovese grapes. Goes well with veal and pasta with red sauces.

Sparkling

Brut (BROOT)

Generally a cuvée (blend) of grapes, including Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Styles range from creamy and tasty to crisp and refreshing. Usually has a dry finish.

To the Top

Glossary of Wine Terms

A is for aroma and acidity. B is for balance and barrel fermented and body and bouquet - you get the idea. The simple glossary below offers definitions of the more common wine related words and phrases you may see on this site.

Acidity

Indicates the degree of tartness in the wine due to natural acids in the grape itself.

Age/Aged

White wines tend to turn from a greenish hue in young wines to a yellowish caste/tone to a gold/amber color as they age. Reds usually possess a purple tone when young, turning to a deep red - (Bordeaux wines) - or a brick red color - (Burgundy wines) - detectable at the surface edge in a wineglass as they age. Rose's should be pink with no tinge of yellow or orange.Cellar aged red wines at their peak will show a deep golden-orange color as it thins at the surface edge. If the wine color has deepened into a distinctly brown-orange tint at the edge it usually indicates a wine past its peak and declining.

Aroma

Refers to the smell of the wine as it relates to its varietal fruit character.

Barrel Fermented

Fermentation of the wine takes place in oak barrels instead of in stainless steel tanks, adding richness, complexity, and more oak character. Most commonly used for Chardonnay.

Balance

The right proportion of fruit, acid, tannin and varietal character. Harmonious.

Big

The overall flavor of a wine, white or red, that is full and rich. "Big" red wines are often tannic. "Big" white wines are generally high in alcohol and glycerin.

Body

The impression of fullness or "roundness" in the mouth.

Bouquet

The aromatic scent as expressed by the winemaking process; the combination of varietal fruit character with all the elements of aging wine.

Breathe

As in "allowing the wine to breath." When wine is poured into another container, such as a wineglass, the mixture of air with the wine seems to release pent-up aromas which then become more pronounced.

Buttery

Rich, oily texture. Usually used when describing Chardonnay.

Complex

Shows an integration of aroma and flavor, often with subtlety; one of the highest compliments to a wine.

Corked

The smell of the wine when it has been spoiled by a bad cork. Typically musty or wet-cardboard smell; relatively uncommon.

Dessert Wine

Can be a fortified wine such as Sherry where alcohol is added in the form of Brandy or neutral spirits. It is also used to refer to sweet or very sweet wines of any alcohol level customarily drunk with dessert or by themselves and, usually in small amounts.

Dry

Wine made deliberately to possess little or no sweetness. Usually contains less than 0.5% residual sugar.

Legs

Used when referring to the liquid rivulets that form on the inside of a wineglass after the wine is swirled in order to evaluate the alcohol concentration present. Usually the higher the alcohol content, the more impressive the rivulets appear because of reduced surface tension effects.

Malolactic

A second fermentation in which the malic (sour) acid is converted to lactic (softer) acid. Creates softer, silkier, more approachable wines.

Mature

Exhibits the benefits of aging where all the elements have come together.

Nose

The combination of aroma and bouquet of the wine.

Oaky

The smell and/or flavor associated with aging wine in small oak barrels. When properly integrated, a positive element.

Smooth

Soft, balanced.

Sulphur/Sulfites

A compound that forms naturally during fermentation. Winemakers traditionally supplement with minimal amounts to protect the fruit quality and prevent oxidation.

Sue Lie

Wine is aged on the spent yeast "lees" (cells) after fermentation, gaining added flavor and complexity.

Tannin

The natural components from grape skins and oak contact that make young wines lightly astringent and sometimes bitter. Tannin subsides as part of the aging process and contributes to the wine's complexity. It acts as a natural preservative, helping the development and, in the right proportion, balance of the wine. It is considered a fault when present in excess.

To the Top

Wine Appreciation

The more wine-savvy you are, the more you're likely to enjoy it. Here we offer a quick look at the basics.
Wine experts often use the following 100-point system to evaluate four major characteristics, or qualities, of wine. In assessing each quality, you employ different senses.

• Appearance - How does the wine look? Total points: 20
• Nose or Bouquet - How does the wine smell? This factor is probably most crucial for "memorizing" the wine. Total points: 20
• Palate - How does the wine taste and feel in your mouth? This category is obviously the most important as you decide whether or not you enjoy this wine. Total points: 50
• Exceptional Qualities - This is a catchall phrase for any unusual merits worth above and beyond Appearance, Nose and Palate. Here's where many tasters record their basic conclusions about the wine, or what they found most memorable. If a wine is an exceptionally good value, its numerical score shouldn't be affected -- but this is the place to make a note for future reference. Total points: 10

Remember that the judging of wine is, first and foremost, a subjective experience. However, using a numerical system -- in which the same four characteristic are always assessed in the same order -- gives you a consistent and meaningful base of reference as you build up a "memory bank" of wines. Thus your knowledge of wines is greatly expanded, while your appreciation and enjoyment are enhanced.
Here's what to look for in each of the qualities outlined above:

• Appearance -
  Clarity for Reds: Bright (or clear); lacks brightness; hazy; cloudy; heavy with sediment.
  Clarity for Whites: Brilliant; star-bright; then on down to dull, then finally cloudy.
  Depth for both types of wine goes from very light to opaque or deep.
  Color or hue for Reds: Purple; garnet; red; tile (or brick) red; brown-tinged, red-brown; mahogany.
  Note also the "legs" of wine -- that is, the beads that run down the inside of the glass when swirled. These are caused by the extract of glycerin and give you an indication of the body of the wine.
• Nose -
  Aroma: Either there is a distinctive scent or there is not -- hence wine gets one point on aroma, or none. Note the varietal character of the grape used. Is it fruity? (Plums, cherries, berries?) Also note if there is any wood aroma from the aging barrels: its scent will remind you of oak or vanilla. In describing aroma, use any analogy that fits.
  Examples are violets, underbrush, mushrooms, green olives, beet-root (in a pinot noir), black currants or blackberries (in a cabernet sauvignon), earthy, pungent cabbage (in a chardonnay).
• Bouquet - Check for these components
  • Condition: clean or unclean? (sulphurous? oxidization? mustiness?)
  • Development: immature or well-developed (ripe); closed ("dumb") or open and forthcoming; penetrating.
  • Quality: poor (limited); ordinary; good; fine or very pleasant; great (full, rich); magnificent (very full, complex, and highly pleasing.)
  • Additional descriptive terms: aromatic, perfumed, flowery, fresh, grassy herbaceous, wet, moldy.
• Palate - Body: The feel of the wine on your tongue and in your mouth. Does it have weight or does it feel thin and watery? Does it seem extra smooth or silky, even velvety? Is it so thick that if feels almost chewy? Is there any effervescence, or spritz?
• Flavor: Look for the four components of flavor:
  1. fruit, tasted up in the front of the tongue as sweetness
  2. acidity, detected along the upper edges of the tongue, gives wine life and zip
  3. tannin, detected in a small triangular area at back of the mouth or top of the throat, can seem overly bitter -- even mouth-puckering -- in a young red wine, but it mellows out with age
  4. alcohol can sometimes feel "hot", but should not be pronounced. If the wine seems lacking in flavor, say so in your notes. For white wines, describe the level of sweetness from bone-dry to dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet and sweet. Describe the flavor in any way that's meaningful to you. Use analogies. Descriptive terms might include green apples, plums, jammy, nutty, pineapples, spice-y (cinnamon, cardamom, curry, pepper, etc.), tart, bitter, piquant, zesty or tangy, baked or hot, meaty or fleshy, complex, metallic, flinty, smoky, creamy or buttery.
• Balance - If any flavor component overpowers the others, the overall balance of the wine is off and it loses points -- for instance, if it's too fruity or heavy with no acid and tannin to give it backbone. If so, the wine is "flabby" and should lose points. If there is so much tannin the fruit or flavor is lost, the result is an undesirable mouth-puckering astringency that should also cost points.
• Finish: The sensation as one swallows should be long and lingering with a pleasant aftertaste that hangs at the back of the mouth after swallowing. Note whether the aftertaste is an "echo" of flavors perceived earlier, or whether it has nuances of its own.
• Exceptional Characteristics - List here anything that adds to your enjoyment and appreciation of the wine, or that serves to make it memorable. Be poetic! Some terms used to sum up wines include luscious, sensuous, focused, manly or masculine (a big wine, aggressive, positive), feminine (a wine that is attractive, not heavy or severe, having a certain charm -- to some, the wines of Germany's Mosel River are "feminine"). Also note whether the wine has breeding, in other words, is it a noble and distinguished wine? Also look for finesse, that is, delicacy and grace, a certain balance shown in the making. Also important is the potential of the wine, that is, does it exhibit an ability to age further in the bottle and improve for many years to come? Note, too, whether the wine would marry well with various foods. In other words, is it a compatible wine?

To the Top

Storing Wines

Whether you are new or experienced wine enthusiast, where and how you choose to store or "cellar" your wine is of great importance. In order to have the best possible results with your wine, the following is recommended:

• Wines should be stored at a constant temperature. Avoid the stress of temperature changes. Excessive changes in temperature will adversely affect flavor, aroma and body. Store your wines at a temperature between 55 and 70 degrees, The cooler the temperature, the more gracefully the wine will age. White wines are much more sensitive to heat than reds and should never be allowed to get above 70 degrees.
• Keep wines in a humid place. The higher the humidity, the less likely the corks will dry out, allowing evaporation and oxygen to get into the bottle. Wines are best stored on their sides to keep the corks moist. Humidity of at least 50 percent is necessary, 70 to 75 percent is ideal.
• Keep wines in a dark place. Light, especially sunlight can be damaging to wine.
• Keep wines in a stable place. Avoid wine racks on top of the refrigerator or washer and dryer. The vibration from these appliances as well as the temperature are bound to stir up trouble in the wine.

Find a "cellar" in part of your basement, under a stairwell, or closet away from the furnace, hot water heater, water pipes, and other appliances. If you cannot afford a temperature controlled refrigerator-like cabinet, then there is nothing wrong with a dark closet in the back of the house next to an outside wall that is fairly constant in temperature and humidity. If you cannot find such a place, remember, most wines are meant to be consumed young. Drink and enjoy!!

To the Top

An introduction to sparkling wine and Champagne

Sparkling wine is the inclusive term for all carbonated wines. Only sparkling wines from the Champagne district should use the term Champagne.
Champagne is the northernmost famous wine district in France, and most other great sparkling wines are made in cool areas. Grapes for sparkling wines should be picked with slightly higher acid levels than grapes for still wines.
All true Champagnes and the best of the other sparkling wines are made in the "methode champagnoise" or "method traditional". In Spain the term Cava is restricted to sparkling wines from certain areas using this method.
The juice from the grapes is fermented into wine and blended into different lots. This wine and a precisely measured amount of sugar along with a little yeast are put into the same bottle that will be it's home until consumption. The second fermentation occurs in this bottle, turning wine into Champagne. You may see "Naturally fermented in THIS bottle" on the label of a Champagne method wine. "Naturally fermented in THE bottle" indicates the transfer method.
The sparkling wine is left to age, picking up flavors from the yeast, and allowing the carbon dioxide to dissolve into the wine. With sparkling wine the texture, (which is largely a result of how completely the bubbles are dissolved into the wine) is as important as the flavor.
As disgorgement nears, the bottles are regularly shaken, and reoriented slightly until they stand on their heads. The neck of the bottle is immersed in a very cold brine solution, freezing the collected sediment. The top is then released and the pressure of the wine blows out the frozen plug. Immediately the bottle is topped off with a "dosage" of wine and sugar or sometimes, Brandy.

Sweetness categories:

Brut Natural or Brut Integral

extremely dry - no sugar in the dosage

Brut

very dry

Extra Dry

dry

Sec

slightly sweet

Demi Sec

sweet

Doux

very sweet

To the Top

The Inevitable Fine Print: We have been careful to avoid errors, but we reserve the right to correct pricing errors published on these pages. Please let us know if you find any mistakes! All merchandise is subject to prior sales. Prices are subject to change if our costs change. Some items are available in limited quantities and purchases will be limited accordingly. We are not responsible for typographical errors involving price, vintage, et cetera.

Toll Free: 1-888-392-4832 Ext. 291.302.8232
email