Wines You’ll Love For Valentine’s Day

Being a wine connoisseur is a prerequisite to have a successful dinner on Valentine’s Day. This involves going beyond knowing the fermentation of wine grapes produces the most popular alcoholic drink.

First, wine grapes differ from table grapes in that they are smaller and sweeter as well as generally being very seedy.

Secondly, wine grapes differ according to the region’s climate, vines, and the ageing process resulting into thousands of types of wine.

Thirdly, wine can also be made from other fruits such as plums, apples, and cranberries just to name a few.

Types of Wines in Kenya

Each type of Wine is distinct because of the wine grape used. As such, a bottle of wine can be labelled as Single-Varietal which means that only one variety of grape has been used. Wine Blend, on the other hand, is a bottle of wine in which multiple grape types have been mixed up. This happens after the ageing process of the different single-variety wines is complete.

The variations in the ageing process gives each wine a distinct colour, aroma, sweetness, acidity, and also varying alcohol and tannin levels.

Here are a few things to know before selecting your favourite type of wine:

Red wines are fermented red grapes with skin and seeds
White wines are processed differently in the cellar usually with seedless white grapes or skinned red grapes
Red wines are usually aged in oak barrels whereas white wines in stainless steel vats
Orange wines are due to white grapes processed with skin and seed
Sparkling wine undergoes fermentation twice, the second one for making bubbles
Dry wines have a slightly higher alcohol level than the sweet wines
The grape used determines the aroma of the wine

The three popular types of aroma available on Jumia Mall are floral, herbal, and fruity.

How to Pair Wine With Food on Valentines Day

Though wine is popularly referred to by its colour and sweetness levels, it is important to choose the right wine to pair correctly with the food you are serving.

The most common Wines are:
Red dry wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon that are paired with red meats and firm cheeses
Sweet red wines like Zinfandel that go together with white meats and Asian Cuisine
White dry wine like Chardonnay goes well with seafood, dishes with cream and medium-firm cheeses
Sweet white wines like Muscat can be paired with Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian dishes as well as with fondue.

Check out the Valentine’s Day offers on wines as well as lots of discounts on Jumia’s social media pages with #jumialovesyou!

By Elizabeth Kiburu