9478 Alcohol content

I think that you are right, the 11,5% should be the original alcohol content without additions, the extra 1,5% is added to reach a 13% alcohol content, which put the wine in a different category. I think....

The 1.5% are potential alcohol, i.e. non-fermented residual sugar. So actual alcohol will be 11.5, but if it was fermented to dryness it would be 13. It should probabibly say amabile somewhere as well, which is the medium-dry version of Orvieto.

We have been enjoying a Trebbiano D'Abruzzo from Marramiero in Rosciano, it is 14,5% vol, which is very strong for a white but it is absolutely delicious.

Here is a link to their website if you are interested.

[url=http://www.marramiero.it/inglese/azienda_storia.html]Marramiero Vini[/url]

Some good explanations about alcohol content in wine which may be helpful:

[url=http://www.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/965]Alcohol In Wine[/url]

By the way, 14,5% vol for a white is very very strong. It may taste almost like a fortified wine, something like a sherry or "manzanilla".

[quote=Heiko;88843]The 1.5% are potential alcohol, i.e. non-fermented residual sugar. So actual alcohol will be 11.5, but if it was fermented to dryness it would be 13. It should probabibly say amabile somewhere as well, which is the medium-dry version of Orvieto.[/quote]Thanks. That makes sense.

[quote=Gala Placidia;88846]
By the way, 14,5% vol for a white is very very strong. It may taste almost like a fortified wine, something like a sherry or "manzanilla".[/quote]

I know it is very strong for a white wine but it does not taste anything like a fortified wine or sherry, it is a delicious golden colour and tastes like nectar.

It is not cheap but then for a special occasion t is wonderful with most pasta dishes.

If you would like to try it I think they sell on line. I'm sure once you have tasted it you will agree.:smile:

Thank you again, Nielo. I am going to Italy next week and I will definitely taste it as I am surprised by your comments, I always thought that a white with a high alcohol content should be quite close in flavour to the dry fortified wines produced in the South of Spain. As you say, worth a try then to add "culture" to our palates. I guess that combined with "tagliatelle al salmone" it must be superb:

[url=http://ricettefacili.blogspot.com/2007/05/tagliatelle-al-salmone.html]Ricette facili e gustose: Tagliatelle al salmone[/url]

[quote=Gala Placidia;88875] I always thought that a white with a high alcohol content should be quite close in flavour to the dry fortified wines produced in the South of Spain.
[url=http://ricettefacili.blogspot.com/2007/05/tagliatelle-al-salmone.html]Ricette facili e gustose: Tagliatelle al salmone[/url][/quote]

Sherry and the like is made completely differently from simply strong table wines. Without going into great technical detail, Sherry is deliberately oxidized, which results in the characteristic nutty flavour you find in all Sherry and also in the likes of Madeira. High alcohol content in table wine is discernable in a warmth on the palate, possibly a slight sweetness (alcohol is converted sugar) or even a slight burning sensation on the back of the throat. However nutty, oxidized flavours in a table wine a generally considered a fault.

I was skimming an article about Marsala recently, and it said that in the C18th this normal wine was 'discovered' by one Mr Whittaker, (produced near the city of Marsala in Sicily). He thought it was so delicious that he would export it to England, and in order to keep it in good condition on the long sea journey he fortified it by adding extra alcohol.

Same would go for sherry I suppose - another British invention (or concoction). I hope the article was reliable, I'm not an expert in these matters!

These are the Spanish wines I had in mind which could taste in a similar way. They are different from ordinary sherry, which is a blend. Both "Fino" and "Manzanilla" are both Spanish favourites but I do not think that they are popular in Britain. Anyway, here is an explanation much better than the one I could try to give you:

[url=http://basicjuice.blogs.com/basicjuice/2005/03/odd_grape_week__2.html]Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation: Odd Grape Week: Manzanilla Sherry[/url]

Anyway, they are pale in colour, not the deep golden colour described by Nielo.
I think that we should make an effort to try this very special Italian wine, which sounds great. ... In small quantities, though, as I think that the effect of the higher alcohol content will be powerful.

[I]Altare 2005
Marramiero
DOC Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - 75 cl

11.51€ excl. VAT

Luminous golden yellow color with an abundance and intensity of flavors ranging from a core of citrus fruits, topical essences and notes of spices from he aging in barrels. Well integrated flavors reach a fine equilibrium, a full body with finishes which stretches and lingers to fully enjoy the unique characteristics of Trebbiano D'Abruzzo.

Trebbiano 100% [/I]

This is the description from a website which sells the wine on line. We bought ours straight from the vineyard at €11 a bottle.

We were introduced to this wine by another Cantina which was selling boxes of nine assorted Abruzzo wines, they were all excellent and it was a good way to try what is available from the region. The Trebbiano stood out not because of it's high alcohol content but because of it's wonderful full bodied flavour.

An excellent white is "Vernaccia" from San Gimignano. Three different varieties, so it caters for many different tastes and dishes. More information here:
[url=http://www.seetuscany.com/food/vernac.htm]Vernaccia di San Gimignano[/url]

And another source of interesting whites is the Cinque Terre region in Liguria. More information on:

[url=http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011497.htm]Le Cinque Terre[/url]

I don't normally like white wine much but I buy occasionally a wine from the Veneto region which is lovely. I'll check the name later. It's not Soave.

We buy a Marche Trebbiano from the local Coal at about 5e for 5 litres, its about 12%, bottle it up and then its 1e back when we return the flagon, as you can see mine is not a sophisticated palate, but actually it makes a very good, and cheap everyday drink. And its very popular with eveyone I know. So worth a try, I honesty could not taste the difference from an 18e bottle we drank in some overpriced place in Fermo.
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Some of those local wines which are not heavily commercialised are excellent value for money. You find that sometimes you are paying a lot for labels, etc. For everyday they can be great. You buy special bottles for special occasions.

rose tinted glasses off for a moment ... my local sigma supermarket changed a wee while back to a new brand (can't remember its name yet, I'm very resistant to change). Average price of a bottle of wine has dropped from about €5 to €1.5. At first I thought this was great, they have a huge variety (local & national) and I would finally discover these fab €1/litre easy drinking wines that everyone raves about.

Well, I just tried the first of two reds I bought to test out the theory - a barbera @ €2.25. I managed the first glass down by straining it in small doses through some nice sundried tomatoes, but after that I gave up and tipped it ... vile, undrinkable cr@p unfortunately. Lets see how the primitivo salento that's lurking in the shopping bag goes down - if I can summon up the willpower to tackle it in the interests of science :wideeyed: Better sort out some more pomodori secchi to aid the experiment!

Usually, the cheaper bottles from the supermarkets are undrinkable, under any circumstances... even eating some cheese and pepper straws with them to hide the "flavour". Best bargains are obtained from local producers and they are usually sold in 5 litre containers or similar.... sometimes you have to bring your own containers. It is a question of finding a good local producer... and they do exist.

[quote=pigro;88929]. Average price of a bottle of wine has dropped from about €5 to €1.5. ![/quote]

That's expensive :winki: The local Lidl had cartons of wine for 50 cents. No I don't have the guts to try it :no::laughs::no:

[quote=Gala Placidia;88888]An excellent white is "Vernaccia" from San Gimignano. Three different varieties, so it caters for many different tastes and dishes. More information here:
[URL="http://www.seetuscany.com/food/vernac.htm"]Vernaccia di San Gimignano[/URL][/quote]You can buy a Sorbetto alla Vernaccia in Sergio's wonderful gelateria in Piazza della Cisterna (just near the tourist office). You might think a wine gelato is an odd concept, but it works really well.

[quote=Steve Graham;88936]You can buy a Sorbetto alla Vernaccia in Sergio's wonderful gelateria in Piazza della Cisterna (just near the tourist office). You might think a wine gelato is an odd concept, but it works really well.[/quote]

Champagne sorbet is delicious and very refreshing, so I think that the Vernaccia gelato should work really well. Thanks again for the tip.

It is a British invention. The same goes for Madeira. It was picked up on the long ship journeys around the Cape to India as balast and of course refreshment for the sailors. Hence the modern method of twice heating it copying it's journey twice over the equator. Brandy was invented by the Dutch, who distilled the wine, so it would take less bulk on the ships. Once transported to Holland it was watered back down to 'normal' strength. Many drinks have been invented inadvertantly like this.

Alright, so it's lowering the tone a bit, but can you get ginger beer in Italy? Just eaten a delicious Delia cheat recipe using (among other things) rhubarb + ginger beer. I'd love to make it for my Italian neighbour. Will I have to bring ginger beer from England?
Talking recipes - can you get guiness in Italy?
ciao
pam

It is quite possible you can get those, depending on the area where you are.... Esselunga, Conad and Leclerc supermarkets sell British products; however, I am talking about Tuscany.....

Actually it looks really easy to make ginger beer at home, just google for the recipe, then the only thing you might need to bring out from the UK is the dried yeast. I am going to give it a try as I love ginger, you need the root variety which you can buy near to us, but not sure if it is readily available throughout Italy, someone else might be able to help on that one.
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[quote=alma;88959]Alright, so it's lowering the tone a bit, but can you get ginger beer in Italy? Just eaten a delicious Delia cheat recipe using (among other things) rhubarb + ginger beer. I'd love to make it for my Italian neighbour. Will I have to bring ginger beer from England?
Talking recipes - can you get guiness in Italy?
ciao
pam[/quote]

Alma there are Irish pubs in Italy and Ryanair ..... so I would definitely think so. You could try contacting the Guiness company to find out - [url]http://www.guinness.com/gb_en/BottomNav/LeftNav/contactus[/url]

I have seen Guinness available in Iper supermarket In Citta San Angelo so I suspect it is not too hard to find. I can't say I have ever seen ginger beer but then again I haven't been looking.

Is there an actual UK brand of Ginger Beer that I can Google???

Ah Seems it's quite a trendy drink for ladies. Shine scoops ginger beer brand -
[url=http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/article/780173/Shine-scoops-ginger-beer-brand/]Shine scoops ginger beer brand - PRWeek UK[/url]

Does Ginger Beer have any alcohol content?

I read as high as 11% but can be made to be lower, J.

Or if you make it yourself, and then put it in the fridge to stop fermentation, it has none, or a tiny trace only.
A