Product Description
Create you own backyard winery! From breaking ground to savoring the finished product, Jeff Cox's From Vines to Wines is the most complete and up-to-date guide to growing flawless grapes and making extraordinary wine. Wine connoisseurs, gardeners, and home winemakers will find the latest techniques in this fully revised and updated edition. With thorough, illustrated instructions, you'll learn how to: -- Choose and prepare a vineyard site -- Construct sturdy and effective trellising systems -- Plant, prune, and harvest the perfect grapes for your climate -- Press, ferment, age and bottle your own wine -- Judge wine for clarity, color, aroma, body, and taste... More >>

From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine

Post from: Wine Articles

From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine

• All ingredients are 100% food grade OGM Free
• Step-by-Step instructions included
• Making Great Wines is as easy as 1,2,3

Product Description
4 week wine kit. great italian table wines .... More >>

Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.5-Pound Box

Post from: Wine Articles

Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.5-Pound Box

• All ingredients are 100% food grade OGM Free
• Step-by-Step instructions included
• Making Great Wines is as easy as 1,2,3

Product Description
4 week wine kit. great italian table wines .... More >>

Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Cabernet Merlot, 15.4-Pound Box

Post from: Wine Articles

Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Cabernet Merlot, 15.4-Pound Box

• Maynards Wine Gums 2 Pound 4 Ounce Resealable Bag
• Kidney, crown, diamond, circle and rectangle shapes
• Red and black are the joint favourites - they account for 80% of people's preferred choices
• wine flavors: Port, sherry, champagne, burgundy and claret
• There is no wine in Maynards Wine Gums

Product Description
Maynards Wine Gums, with their unique and distinctive flavours, were introduced in 1896 and have become a staple part of the UK confectionery market where they are today's leading fruit sweet.... More >>

Maynards Wine Gums 2 Pound 4 Ounce Resealable Bag

Post from: Wine Articles

Maynards Wine Gums 2 Pound 4 Ounce Resealable Bag

• Stylish 7-piece set includes the Vinturi red wine aerator, tower arm, tower base, no-splash grate, sediment filter, and travel pouch
• Wine aerator mixes wine with air to enhance flavor, bouquet, and finish of any red wine
• Curved acrylic 2-piece tower floats aerator, secures wine glass, and provides a dramatic presentation
• No-splash grate eliminates mess
• Easy to clean and dishwasher safe

Product Description
From vinturi, the deluxe aerator set includes the new vinturi tower and the sensational vinturi red wine aerator. The set has a two piece design which makes it easy to clean and easy to store (even though you'll want to keep this beautiful set out in full view). Tower features a stylish no-splash grate which eliminates mess. Vinturi has been a sensation because it works. Red wine needs to breathe to allow it to open up, release its intended aromas, and of course, make it taste better. Vinturi's patent pending design speeds up this process by instantly aerating with ease and convenience. Taste your wine the way the winemaker intended. It delivers recognizable improvements immediately: better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish. Perfect aeration in the time it takes to pour a glass! It couldn't be easier. Vinturi aerator sits on top of tower allowing for easy, hands-free operation. The glossy, clear acrylic is elegant and clean. But do note that th... More >>

Vinturi 6702 Deluxe 6-Piece Wine Aerator Set

Post from: Wine Articles

Vinturi 6702 Deluxe 6-Piece Wine Aerator Set

• Cordless electric bottle opener removes the cork in seconds
• Opens up to 30 bottles on a single charge; simple push-button operation
• Foil cutter for easily removing seals; comfortable soft-grip handle
• Sleek, sophisticated design; recharging base included
• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

Product Description
At the touch of a button, the Oster Wine Opener easily opens up to 30 bottles on a single charge. The stylish and ergonomically designed soft-grip handle will fit into the palm of your hand for a firm grip. Also includes a foil cutter to remove wine seals and a recharging base for convenience.... More >>

Oster 4207 Electric Wine-Bottle Opener

Post from: Wine Articles

Oster 4207 Electric Wine-Bottle Opener

• Wine com A Cut Above, 3 pound Gift Box
• Pack contains Beef Salami, Sonoma Cheese Spread, Gourmet Mustard, Sesame Crackers, Biscotti and Spicy Cocktail nuts and cheese knife

Product Description
Beef Salami, Sonoma Cheese Spread, Gourmet Mustard, Sesame Crackers, Biscotti and Spicy Cocktail nuts are all presented on a wooden cutting board with a handy cheese knife. The perfect gift for any occasion!... More >>

Wine.com A Cut Above, 3-Pound Gift Box

Post from: Wine Articles

Wine.com A Cut Above, 3-Pound Gift Box

• FLAVORS ARE ENHANCED - Wine tastes better, more flavorful and has better mouthfeel like an expensive wine further adding to your enjoyment.
• BETTER BOUQUET IN EVERY GLASS - You'll appreciate the subtle aromatic differences and the full aroma of the wine.
• SO EASY TO USE - Hold aerator over glass and pour wine through for instant aeration
• DISHWASHER SAFE - Made of acrylic
• SEDIMENT FILTER AND TRAVEL BAG INCLUDED

Product Description
WINE NEEDS TO BREATHE - Red wine which has been allowed to breathe tastes better. As wine breathes, it opens up, and releases its intended aromas and flavors. Traditionally, decanters were used to aerate wine. However, decanting can be time consuming, cumbersome, and inconvenient. Magic Decanter's design speeds up this process with ease and convenience. Perfect aeration can be achieved in the time it takes to pour a glass.

ALL THE TASTE WITH NONE OF THE WAIT Simply hold the Magic Decanter over a glass and pour wine through. Magic Decanter draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, allowing your wine to breathe instantly. You'll notice a better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish.

IT'S THAT FAST...IT'S THAT EASY

Note that the "Fold Line" extending from the aeration hole is a normal part of the manufacturing process. This is not a defect, but part of manufacturing.

Make sure you receive the PLUS version which i... More >>

Magic Decanter Red Wine Aerator PLUS - Includes Sediment Filter & Travel Bag

Post from: Wine Articles

Magic Decanter Red Wine Aerator PLUS – Includes Sediment Filter & Travel Bag

• ISBN13: 9781402237379
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Product Description
"Not to be missed."
-Lora Leigh, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Black Jack A fierce Highland laird ready to kill for king and country... When Torin McLeren discovers his neighbor's plot against his king, he takes their daughter as his prisoner, thereby stopping her father's plot from going forward. But that leaves him with a woman under his roof whom he can't ignore, and not just because she's his enemy's daughter... A woman who's as much trouble as she is temptation... Shannon McBoyd decides to use her captor to experience passion for the first time, and then to destroy him. But her plan goes awry because once she has lured Torin into her bed, she no longer wants to hurt the one man who seems to value and understand her... Even if her father will kill him-and her-when he discovers what they've done... "Deeply romantic, scintillating, and absolutely delicious."
-Sylvia Day, national bestselling author of The Stranger I Married "Mary Wine'... More >>

To Conquer a Highlander

Post from: Wine Articles

To Conquer a Highlander

• Easily and conveniently enhances the flavor, bouquet, and finish of any wine
• Patent-pending design speeds up breathing process by instantly aerating in the time it takes to pour a glass of wine
• Hold aerator over glass and pour wine through for instant aeration; mixes proper amount of air in right amount of time
• Made of acrylic, the aerator has a no-drip stand and a handy travel pouch
• Measures 6 inches high by 2 inches wide; safe to clean in the dishwasher

Product Description
Wine needs to breathe to allow it to open up, release its intended aromas, and of course, make it taste better. Vinturi's patent pending design speeds up this process by instantly aerating with ease and convenience. The perfect aeration in the time it takes to pour a glass of wine.... More >>

Vinturi 6700 Essential Wine Aerator for Red Wine

Post from: Wine Articles

Vinturi 6700 Essential Wine Aerator for Red Wine

• ISBN13: 9780758234674
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Product Description
Laird Keir McQuade is a newcomer to his title, and has much work before him to restore the McQuade honour. Finding a wife is an excellent start. He's duty-bound to go to court and swear homage to his king anyway, a perfect opportunity - were not court women trussed in stupid fashions and corrupted with false mannerisms. Of course, not every lady hides behind a powdered face...Helena Knyvett may be a daughter of the aristocracy, but in truth she is little but a pawn in her brother's ploys for power. Her smallest acts of defiance carry a heavy price. But one honourable man among a crowd of dandies could give her all she needs to change her fortunes - and set her free...Among the ruthless ambitions of England's powerful, love at first sight is a dangerous game. But the treachery, scandal, and treason that follow can unleash as much passion as it does adventure...... More >>

Bedding the Enemy

Post from: Wine Articles

Bedding the Enemy

Wines can be produced from any vegetable and fruits. But the most commonly used is grapes which are normally referred to as grape wine or simple wine. Wines fall into three basic categories – the white, rose and the red.

Wines contain sugar in them. The wines with less sugar content will be drier than those wines which have more sugar. If you have visited a wine store, then you will be able to remember that the bins are classified as numbers say 1, 2, 3 etc. The wine bin which has the highest number will contain the sweetest wines.

The normal wines contain alcohol anywhere between nine percent and twelve percent. But sherry, port as well as brandy contains alcohol at a minimum level of twenty percent.

The alcohols which are distilled are known b y the name of spirits. The alcohols like sherry, port and brandy are the distilled form of grape wines. But liqueurs are normally distilled forms of fruit wines. These types of distilled wines are used before meals. These may be or may not be accompanied with an appetizer.

Table wines are served surprisingly with the dinner. These types of wines have a dry nature which will complete the food which is served. The general rule for serving table wine is that:

1. if you are serving red meat, then serve only red wine and
2. if you are serving white meat, then serve only white wine.

But if you do not know which wine to serve, then you can opt for a rose wine.

The category of wine which can be served as dessert is the dessert wine like sauternes.

One can serve sweet wines or wines that are fortified, after the dinner.

Post from: Wine Articles

Categories Of Wines

• Pack of 6, 16-ounce bottle(96-ounce)
• No artificial preservatives
• Red wine flavor

Product Description
Kraft's Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is a tangy dressing with an explosion of red wine flavor. And in an easy-to-pour bottle, this delicious dressing adds tangy flavor to salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.... More >>

Kraft Seven Seas Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing and Marinade, 16-Ounce Bottles

Post from: Wine Articles

Kraft Seven Seas Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing and Marinade, 16-Ounce Bottles

Product Description
Cullen McJames will not have his honour sullied, certainly not by his clan's nemesis Laird Erik McQuade. So when McQuade tells the Court of Scotland that Cullen has stolen his daughter's virtue, Cullen steals the daughter instead. Since his brother wed a fetching lass, Cullen's been thinking he too needs a wife. A marriage could end the constant war between the clans. And looking on Bronwyn McQuade but once has put her in his dreams for a week...But Bronwyn won't go quietly. She won't be punished for what she did not do. Nor is she eager to live among the resentful veterans of McQuade wars. And however brave and beautiful a man Cullen may be, he has much to learn about a woman's fighting spirit. But as Bronwyn will discover, he has much to teach her as well...... More >>

In The Warrior's Bed

Post from: Wine Articles

In The Warrior’s Bed

It would be more difficult to control the temperature of the wine if one held the glass by the bowl because it is in direct contact with the wine. Also, holding the glass by the bowl will leave fingerprints, which can distort the visual appearance of the wine when examining the clarity and color of the wine. Last but not least, the proper sound when clinking glasses requires them to be held by the stem. The reduced surface area of the glass (in comparison to red wine glasses) means less air circulating around the glass and warming the wine. The smaller bowl of the glass means less contact between the hand and the glass, and so body heat does not transfer as easily to the wine.

White wine glasses are generally narrower, although not as narrow as champagne flutes, with somewhat straight or tulip-shaped sides. The narrowness of the white wine glass allows the chilled wine to retain its temperature. Top listed promotional wine glasses are Stem less White Wine Glass - 17 oz, Stem less Red Wine Glass - 16-1/2 oz, Libbey 8oz Nappa Country White Glass, 9oz. Sofia Twist Stem Wine Glass, 8oz. Napa Country Custom wine glass, 8oz Libbey Citation Wine / Beer Glass, 8oz Aficionado Wine Glass: BEL, 8.5oz Aficionado Wine: BEL, 8.5 oz. Vina Tall Wine Glass: BEL, 7oz Aficionado Wine Flute, 6.5oz Libbey Citation Tall Wine Glass, 6 oz. Vina Tall Wine Glass: BEL, 18oz Aficionado Globlet, 18.5 oz. Vina Tall Wine Glass: BEL, 18 1/4oz.Vina Diamond Balloon Wine Glass: BEL, 17oz. Cobalt Blue Stemless Wine Glass, 16.75oz Red Wine Glass, 12.5oz Citation Red Wine Glass, 12oz Aficionado Wine Glass, 10.25oz. Vina Tall Wine Glass, 10oz. Citation Wine Globlet Glass and more.

Wine glasses made of fused or cut glass will often interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as creating a rough, thick lip, from which it is not as pleasurable to drink. Blown glass results in a better vessel, with a thinner lip, and is usually acceptable for casual wine drinkers. High quality wine glasses are often made of lead crystal, which is not technically crystal, but is merely called it through convention. Lead crystal glasses' advantages are primarily aesthetic, having a higher index of refraction, thus changing the effect of light passing through them. They are also heavier. Using lead in the crystal matrix also offers several advantages in the material's workability during production. Wine glasses are generally not colored or frosted as this would impede the appreciation of its color. An exception to this rule is the hock glass. The hock glass has a small colored bowl, with a clear, frequently-twisted stem and base. Hock glasses often come in sets with the bowls of different colors.

To fulfill your needs, Print4Half.Com has launched several new wine glasses to supply to its dealers a real choice in different features and benefits, at different affordable price-points. We are inscribing the company name, logo and slogans on promotional products like hats will enhance the speed of flow of our products in the market. Familiar promotional items include bar accessories like wine & beer glasses, golf accessories, desk accessories, mouse pads, pens, mugs, t-shirts or key chains.

Post from: Wine Articles

Unique Wine Glasses | Quality Wine Opener, Vast Collection For Comfortable Use & Market Promotion

Wine storage is used by restaurateurs, wine connoisseurs, investors, and anyone who enjoys a good bottle of wine. Restaurants buy wine by the bulk and need wine storage for their wine surplus. Since most restaurants don't have storage space or proper wine storage facilities, restaurateurs use wine storage at a self storage business for wine preservation. Connoisseurs know how to appreciate a good bottle of wine. As experts, they feel the need to care for a good bottle of wine like a mechanic takes care of his car. To preserve the wine's bouquet and the wine's body, wine connoisseurs recommend wine storage. Everyone knows that wine gets better with age, so does the value of some wines. Wine investors know this. Also, they know how to protect their investment by using wine storage. Like baseball cards, if you don't preserve your wine collection well, it will lose its value. Wine storage is like sleeves for baseball cards. Lastly, you don't have to be a wine guru to use wine storage . Wine storage is available to anyone with a large or small wine collection. You might be planning a party and need wine storage as a temporary place to hold your wine bottles. In fact, a wine layperson can order wine and have it delivered to the wine storage business.

So what is the difference between wine storage and storing wine at home? Wine storage is designed specifically for wine. Each renters wine storage unit is individually locked in private vaults. Wine storage is climate controlled at 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 60 percent humidity and low light exposure. These are the perfect condition that any wine guru will recommend. Unlike Vodka and whisky, wine is a perishable good. There is insufficient alcohol in wine to keep it well preserved.

It's common knowledge, like birds fly, that wine gets better with age. But not all birds fly, and not all wine gets better with age; especially, if wine storage is not properly prepared. Also, like all living creatures, wine reaches a point maturity point; then it starts to deteriorate. But if you properly take care of your wine like the human body, it will last much longer. If you bought a bottle of Chteau La Mondotte Saint-Emilion 1996, you probably spent around $608. If you own a bottle of Dom. Romane Conti 1997 you spent over $1,540. That is a lot of money to spend for a quick buzz. But that's not the reason why you spent that much, is it? Protect your investment and use a wine storage unit near your.

Post from: Wine Articles

Wine Storage

This was the “million” dollar question looming over the minds of the producers we met at the Lisbon Wine show in November. We’ve had these folks on our mind and thought we’d focus on a few key marketing points that could help this important industry.

The New Playbook selling wine

{note: you can read the original article here}

The 6 Key Points:

First and foremost, two necessary ingredients must exist: You have to love what you do: making great wine. And second: You need to communicate and share the quality of your craft.

Since Portuguese wines have quality, uniqueness and diversity, they’re able to compete against many international brands, so quality is not the issue. Recognition however is another story, and this unfortunately comes down to lack of good marketing. So the real issue isn’t the product, but the right marketing and communication strategy for our new, highly informed and connected generation.

Once the first two ingredients are in place, here’s what’s next:

01: Understanding your ideal customer

02: A creative name

03: Label design

04: Website

05: Blogging

06: Adegga.com

1) Your Ideal Customer

First and foremost, consumers are looking for good wines to pair with food. Today, consumers are more sophisticated and informed than ever before, hence their food choices are more dynamic and experimental. So, small and lower priced wine producers need to throw out the old playbook – and assess the right market for their wine. A good example are the folks behind Wine That Loves

Producers need to decide what type of customer they want to appeal too, and who they don’t. What got my attention at the Lisbon Wine Fair was that 95% of the wines had the allure of a high-end snooty type (the likes of 100+ Euro bottles), yet a large percentage were very reasonable and wonderful. This clearly demonstrates few wines are marketed at younger drinkers who buy reasonably priced bottles, but buy often. So a strong market who is ready and looking to buy regularly, is over looked - for one that’s highly competitive, limited and already saturated.

As a wine enthusiast, with some wine-jargon, and a customer of “reasonably” priced bottles, I would use these words to describe wine in more modern terms: fun, sexy, spicy, fresh, adventurous … however at the fair, 99% of the wines communicated:

Serious, traditional, stuffy, snooty - from branding message to wine name and labeling. Few deviated from the “traditional” theme, but the few who did, definitely got noticed! So let’s be honest, not every wine is “serious, traditional and stuffy” and that’s ok — some wines should be wonderfully bold, fresh and new to appeal to a new customer. Communicating individual character in creative new ways is the path to the new wine drinkers lips, and the parting of the red wine seas of “serious” wines.

Here’s a solution: When marketing wine, producers should look at their ideal drinkers through personas, then make sure they communicate to the needs and wants of this group.

2) A Creative Name

Choosing the right name is a delicate science similar to producing the wine. The wrong name on a bottle could completely turn off the targeted customer.

Today’s customers tend to be more traveled and informed, yet less formal. We want to be surprised, delighted and have our pallet tickled with a creative edge and freshness, so naming and labeling a wine is vital to its marketability.

Here’s three examples:

1. Fat Bastard Wines

2. Dirty Laundry

3. Dancing Bull

Two key points when it comes to naming:

01: individual and unique

02: not overly difficult to pronounce.

3) Bottle design and story

Imagine standing in front of a shop, with endless rows of wine bottles and having to pick a wine for dinner. This is a nerve wracking experience for most people, so one of two things happens:

01: they pick up the same bottle they always do or

02: take a huge leap of faith and bet on something new.

Part of the goal in marketing a wine is seducing the customer. Since potential buyers can’t taste the wine, the bottle design and labeling needs to communicate cues of visual sensory to help attract a potential customer. If a customer isn’t seduced by the bottle, branding and label, then the sale is lost, and only hope is personal recommendations.

As cost is always a factor, we recommend a simple bottle with a creative, clean and beautifully designed label. This doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, see how a successful Portuguese producer turned his children’s art work into a wonderful wine label:

Wine Label

Key points to remember for bottle labeling & design:

01: Tell a story about the wine

02: Help solve the shopper’s problem by giving suggestions for food pairings

03: Don’t assume the customer knows how to pair wines with food

04: Label design should be fun, different and aimed at the ideal market group

4) Web Strategy

To date, Portuguese wines haven’t taken advantage of promoting themselves through the web. This is a mistake! The web is the key source of information for today’s culinary aware and those looking to learn more. This is an invaluable sales and marketing tool.

The good news - the web is here to stay, so wine producers can turn the web into their best friend and take advantage by quickly reaching millions of people…real people, who love to drink wine! It all starts with a dynamic website and visibility strategy that is loved by humans and respected by search engines.

5) Blogging

Blogging doubled Stormhoek sales in less than twelve months.

Blogging scares and intimidates many, but it shouldn’t. A smart producer has two options: become friendly with the wine blogging community, or start one himself, we actually recommend both. This is a fantastic way to get closer to customers first hand.

A well-designed blog can be an invaluable marketing tool:

01: Help build a community around your wine

02: Higher search engine rankings

03: Media & press exposure

04: Better brand recognition

05: Low cost

If you’re unsure about blogging and would like to know how to star a blog, or would like us to set one up for you, contact us. We also recommend, you read this article.

Here are examples of good Wine blogs:

01: Pinot Blogger

02: Stormhoek.com

6) Adegga.com

Adegga is a play on the word “adega” (only one “g”) which means cellar in Portuguese.

It is a place where friends come together to talk, share and learn about wine.

For Portuguese wine producers, here you have a captive audience of Portuguese wine drinkers and this would be an opportunity to get feedback about your wine, build a relationship with a group of influencers and naturally from this will come word of mouth. If your wine has all the ingredients in place, then naturally it will be talked about and people will carry that conversation offline at cafes, dinners, lunches and etc.

If you don’t know where to start, go to Adegga.com and get your wine’s listed for free.

If you’re serious about selling more wine nationally, across Europe or around the globe, then by all means get started on the above. And if you need our help, we will be more than happy to advise and help you with each step.

Post from: Wine Articles

Top 6 Marketing Tips for Selling More Wine

Do you generally stick to what you know?

When faced with rows and rows of unfamiliar wines in the local supermarket, do you find that you always end up sticking to what you know? If you do branch out, it’s likely to be because you are swayed by the nicest, most appealing label or because you’ve gone on someone else’s recommendations (which then leave you feeling flat when you discover that you don’t like the same wine as them!) So in your quest to buy new, exciting, great tasting wines for your dinner party or Sunday Lunch, you come away with your same old, trusted bottle of wine. Sound familiar?

Join a Wine Club:

But all of that could be put to an end if you join a wine club. Each month or quarter (depending on the wine club), the wine club will send you a selection of wines from around the world. Featuring a variety of whites, reds, rosé and maybe the odd sparkling or dessert wine, you get to try wines from different grapes, countries and styles. True, you probably won’t like them all but it’s a great way of tasting your way through a selection of new releases, customer favourites and award winning wines that you probably wouldn’t have previously dared chosen.

Discover What You Like:

In the same way that we all like different food, the key thing to remember about wine is that we all like different wines and no one can tell you what you will like. (Remember this next time you are in the wine shop!) So to get the most out of your wines, you need to work out what you like. To help you along the way, most wine clubs enclose detailed information in the wine club case about the wines, so that you can learn more about the grape, country and winemaker as you drink. Suggestions for food matches can also give you confidence next time you host a dinner party. It’s also worth rating your wine club wines as you taste them, as you can be sure that you’ll have forgotten how the first ones tasted by the time you finish the case! Even better is to choose a wine club that displays customer comments on its website. That way, you’ll have an idea of what to expect from your wine club wine before you taste it.

Wine Styles Can Help:

Some wine clubs, such as the Virgin Wines Discovery Wine Club, categorise wines by style, such as “Classic Chardonnay”, “Oaky Aussie Chardonnay”, “Huge Reds” and “Soft and Juicy” reds. This is great for newcomers to wine, as it is far more intuitive than the traditional country and grape based categories, plus it recognises that certain grape varieties like Chardonnay can vary significantly in taste. The real advantage of being a member of a wine club that categorises wines in this way, is that it opens wine drinkers up to a far wider range of wines than they might otherwise have come across. For example in the “Fragrant but Dry” category, wine drinkers will find Argentinean Torrontes as a great value alternative to a pricey French Muscat – a recommendation that you won’t get from a wine club or shop that focuses simply on grape or country.

Try a Tasting Course:

To help wine drinkers learn more about wine, some wine clubs offer tasting courses or events. Tasting wines back-to-back allows drinkers to really get a feel for how two different wines taste and, ultimately, it can help them decide what to buy more of in the future.

Risk Free Buying:

Still not convinced? Part of the fun of joining a wine club is tasting new wines and discovering new favourites but if you are worried about getting something you really don’t like and wouldn’t have chosen yourself, don’t worry. Many wine clubs offer a money back guarantee, so if you come across a wine that you really can’t stomach, they will refund your money.

Join Today:

Joining a wine club can really help you when it comes to learning about wine. Not only will you get to taste a variety of new wines and find out what you really like but also it will give you more confidence in choosing your wines. You’ll never need worry about picking out a bottle of wine for your next dinner party again! To find out about Virgin Wines’ Discovery Wine Club, visit Virgin Wines.

Post from: Wine Articles

How a Wine Club Can Help You

As a member of a quality wine club, you enjoy the benefits of having your own personal enologist and wine merchant to take you on a journey of wine discovery. The world of wine is brought right to your door at terrific prices. You experience great wines to which you otherwise would not have access.

As a member of a quality monthly wine club, enjoyment and pleasure can be had by a sensory excursion through the world’s vineyards, enjoying the results from the skills of superior vintners from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Washington State, Oregon, California, South America and all areas in between. Delicious fruits of the vineyards are delivered when you need them, with truly useful information on each wine.

Wine club members explore a new country’s wine every month with selections chosen by experts working for you in judging what is acceptable to their criteria, taking the guess work out of trying to find that exciting and new wine or winery. A wonderful and brilliant way to purchase and enjoy wine is with a quality monthly wine club.

A 90 PLUS POINT WINE CLUB is for people who do more than just drink wine. For people who "live" wine, this is the ideal type club for procuring allocated, ultra-premium, highly rated wine, often with exceptional cellaring potential, with samplings of the world's finest quality wines from well-known and yet-to-be-discovered vineyards.

A PLATINUM WINE CLUB is designed for seasoned wine aficionados, and gives an all-access pass to vineyards and wines not readily available from the classic regions as well as more recently discovered premium regions from around the globe. These wines are produced in limited quantities from boutique wineries (producing under 2,000-5,000 cases per year) and vineyards, including all the favorite varietals and lesser known varietals, often from grapes indigenous of a particular region.

Like real estate, it’s location, location, location, when it comes to grape quality and the West Coast is supreme!

A WEST COAST WINE CLUB allows you to sample wines from world renowned regions of California such as Monterey, Napa, and Sonoma. Also included in a West Coast Wine Club are offerings from Oregon's and Washington's Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley regions. Boutique wineries and limited production wines are sought out for awaiting members. Featured wines include but are not limited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc for Reds; Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling for Whites.

An INTERNATIONAL WINE CLUB takes your taste buds traveling across the globe to experience marvelous wines the rest of the world is offering, from Europe to Australia, from South Africa to South America and all foreign countries in between.

A SPARKLING WINE AND CHAMPAGNE CLUB gives you the opportunity to celebrate something every month. Many people commonly use the term "champagne" when referring to sparkling wines. However, Champagne is a specific type of French sparkling wine. Champagne comes from the Champagne region in France, where sparkling wine has been produced since the time of the Roman Empire, and where some of the best wine vintages in the world are still bottled. With a Sparkling Wine and Champagne Club from the elite wine producers you can look forward to French Champagne along with Italian Spumante, California Cuvee and Australian Sparkling Shiraz.

An ULTIMATE WINE CLUB offers ultra-premium, allocated, highly rated wines with cellaring potential that will impress as well as indulge and pamper your taste buds. A monthly wine club of this caliber must limit its membership due to product exclusivity and scarcity.

A CASE CLUB offers even larger savings and is perfect for the wine lover who just can’t decide, and makes an incredible gift or a great way to stock your own wine cellar with a wide range of wines from everyday drinkers to wine that can be cellared for decades.

A quality monthly wine club offers tremendous advantages and options.

Quality wine clubs include convenient monthly delivery direct to your home or office, and a wine notes subscription where you will find information on the featured wineries for the month, their wines, tasting notes, food pairings, recipes, and other wine related articles. Gift memberships should be available that include a custom gift announcement notifying the recipient of their membership plus any personal message you would like to add.

There should be no monthly minimums, and you should be able to cancel memberships to any club at any time before shipments. Discounts on case reorders of featured wines from the club should be available with exceptional customer service via phone or email.

A monthly wine club membership makes the absolute perfect gift for any wine lover.

All the research and due diligence has been done for you to make an informed decision, and is available for those who are interested at YourLoveOfWine

Post from: Wine Articles

When There are Quality Monthly Wine Clubs, are You Missing Out?

The truest form of wine is those made from the fruit called grapes, its juice is fermented and bottled with great care. In the world there are many types of grapes, however by far the highest quality wines are made from the European wine grape Vitis Vinifera. It has the delicate balance of flavors, sugar, aromas and other great qualities needed for a good wine are available in this type of grape. The grape is thought to have been found in the Caucasus region of Europe. The area is surrounded by the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains and is located in the modern nations of Georgia and the southern part of Russia. Vitis Vinifera has been cross bred with many hundreds of grape varieties, each suited to the geography of it location and produced to have its own distinct types of wine.

The art of viticulture (growing grapes) and the art of viniculture (growing grapes for wine) are many thousands of years old. In Mesopotamia, now modern day Iraq, which sits between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River were the very first civilizations in history to cultivate grapes and where viniculture was fist practiced, some thousands of years ago, In the Code of Hammurabi, is the earth’s first written law that contains the laws governing how wine should be made and sold over 4000 years ago.

We may never find out how the men learned how to make wine from grapes. The ancient Greeks have stories that tell us that Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and vegetation taught the ancient Greeks how to grow grapes and what process was needed to make wine. The Greeks became the first people in recorded history to plant vineyards for commercial use and to market those grapes to people of other countries over 3500 years ago.

Wine was a very popular drink for the ancient civilizations and was also held to be sacred as well. Wine was a part of many religious rituals and celebrations. The Greeks with their love of sea travel spread the news about growing grapes throughout the Mediterranean basin. They taught many other peoples the art of making wine, and how to grow grapes which is evident in the planted vineyards that showed up in lands from the Black Sea in the East to the East side of Spain in the west.

Wine drinkers of today would have been disappointed in the Greek wine of yesterday. The wine was stored in such a way that the flavor tasted more like turpentine than the wine of today, this is due in part to the fact that the storage vessel were lined with a resin substance that mixed into the wine to give it this awful taste. In addition to that, they flavor the wine with many different spices, herbs, flowers and even some perfumes; they also cut the wine with water before drinking it.

Then the Romans came along and borrowed some of the Greek culture for growing grapes when they conquered this civilization. Viticulture moved from the Greek to the Romans. When the Roman Empire expanded, viticulture expanded as well, vineyards were planted in many different areas all over Europe, in places that would later become France, Germany, Italy and England. The many vineyards under the Roman rule are still producing grapes for wine today.

Around 476 AD, the Romans fell at the feet of the German invaders. Europe settles a setback in political and scientific areas, with the institutions of learning stopping for a while. Viticulture survived the ravages of this problem because the Christian Religion picked up the making of wine, these early monks helped to preserve the method of wine making and even took over the vineyard that were necessary to practice them. The monks taught each other how to make homemade wine for sacraments and other religious reasons.

The renaissance in Europe along with the many travels of Columbus brought a revival of trade, science and as well as many other areas. The Europeans expanded to the New World, they took along wine making and by the 1500’s viticulture was introduced to the South Americans in Chile and in the 1800’s Spanish missionaries were growing grapes in California.

In North America, Leif Eriksson, stumbled upon the abundance of grape vines growing, on his voyage in 1000 AD, he called the area he found Vineland. Even though there were many grapes, they were not suitable for wine making. The species of grapes was called Vitis Lambusca, which thrives in New England all the way to Indiana and all the way down to Georgia. Good wine from these native grapes was almost impossible to make. The European wine would not grow on the soil and in the climate of North America, The viticulturalists from France went to Delaware to try and turn the Vitis Lambusca wine into good wine, they were unsuccessful.

A gentleman named John James Dufour was the one to have the first success in viticulture with these grapes in the 1800s. From the work that Dufour did, others took up his work and started the process of crossbreeding, nourishing and cultivating until they had the very first good grapes. From these efforts many different types of grapes emerged, places like Concord, Niagara, and Delaware were getting the American East their start in the wine industry. Ohio, New York and New Jersey developed even more important wine producing regions. About this time wines from California appeared, it was discovered that the European grapes could grow in these areas, because of the climate and the type of soil found there.

Then the bottom fell out of the European wine industry, with the introduction of the eastern American root louse, phylloxera, to the vineyards of Europe. The insect destroyed most of the European varieties in Europe, Australia and even in California. Almost all of the worlds stock of the Vitis vinifera was destroyed. However there were some American varieties that were unaffected by the parasite, and the European grape was saved by grafting the European variety of grapes with the American rootstocks. The European vineyards recovered from the disaster and were on the comeback all in the middle of the 19th century. 

Today wine is produced everywhere and is drunk by millions of people In North America the grapes are hybridized by crossing them with European and American varieties have completely changed how wine tastes and is produce throughout Eastern United States. This study of the history of wine is great for learning what made the wine that you drink or make tastes so good.

Post from: Wine Articles

How History Teaches Us How to Make Homemade Wine

Let's start with appearance, color, aroma and bouquet. Wine should not appear dull or murky. Nor, should it be cloudy. A clear wine should not be flashing with light reflections.When it comes to colors, white wine should have shades of yellow, gold or straw.Beaware of white wines with an amber tone, as this is an indicator ofoxidation. A Rose can be a true pink, although sometimes it is accented with deeper reds or oranges. Stay away from brown tints of amber or violet.The variety of grapes used determines the color of red wines.Cabernet and Merlot may be deep red. Younger wines typically have purple edges, while mature wines will have bronze accents.

The term aroma applies to younger wines. This is simple, what does the wine smell like? Typically, you'll detect fruit and grape odors. It may take some practice for you to detect subtle differences. As a wine matures, it develops a fragrance when it comes in contact with the air. This fragrance is called the wine's bouquet.

If your wine smells almost like vinegar, it ranks very low in volatile acidity. When you swish wine around in your mouth and it is refreshing, almost giving you a little "zing,"the total acidity is probably just right. A wine with a flat, almost "soapy" flavor is too low in acidity. Sharp, or sour tasting wines are generally too high in acidity.

Some wines are supposed to be sweet, other wines are supposed to be dry. If the wine you are evaluating has a sweetness to it when it should be dry, watch out! And of course, if the wine is dry when it should be sweet, be equally concerned. These are indicators that the wine's sugar content is unsatisfactory. The term "flavor" has to do with how well the taste and the aroma of the wine work together.

The "body" of a wine is probably the most subjective term used in evaluating wine. Words like "density," "richness,"fullness," etc. are all used to describe a wine's body. The type and age of the wine will largely influence the description of it's body. Light, dry wines will typically have a lighter body, while Burgundies and young Zinandels will be more full bodied. As some wines mature, they may transition from full bodied to softer bodied. The only way to determine what "body" means to you is to taste many wines.

Aftertaste is a term that describes the taste of the wine in your mouth after you swallow it. Quality, mature wines have a lingering, clean, smooth aftertaste. Young wines typically are high in acidity due to excess tannin, and can leave an undesirable aftertaste.
So, now you're equipped with some basic terminology used in evaluating wine. However, when all is said and "tasted", the key point in evaluating wine is simply whether or not you enjoyed it!

Post from: Wine Articles

Judging Wine Made Easy

Therefore, freezing the mead in small batches (2 liters to a gallon size at a time) at very cold temperatures (deep freeze) for several days in a row is recommended. Remember to leave a few inches in the freezing container for the water in the mead to expand as it's frozen. Once the mixture has been frozen for several days, remove and let thaw with a tight lid on the bottle to keep the wine from being infected with air born bacteria. Let the wine thaw completely and rack off the sediment (discussed below) and attach and air lock. Wait a few days and watch the pressure in the bottle by monitoring the water level in the air lock.

If pressure begins to build up in the container again it's a sign that fermentation has begun again and the batch needs to be frozen again. This may take several freezing rounds for some wines but is much faster than waiting a year for the fermentation to end naturally and has absolutely no effect on the flavor. In fact, freezing improves the flavor by helping to remove solid particles suspended in the mead from fermentation. Once the frozen mixture is thawed, the solid particles float to the bottom of the container where you can rack off sediment. Sediment suspended in mead is the #1 cause of bad / off wine flavor.

Beyond Fermentation
After fermentation the mixture is sanitized to kill all microbes, including yeast, and sweetened to taste or left as-is for an un-sweet or "dry" flavor. The wine is usually stored in a wooden cask/barrel to age. Aging wine is a fine art in itself apart from mixing the ingredients in the original recipe and controlling the fermentation process. It can also be done quite successfully by the hobbyist in a wine aging container known as a carboy, which is essentially a large water bottle that varies in capacity from one to ten gallons, or even larger. The wine will usually be filtered mechanically or siphoned from one container to another to remove any sediment that's collected as a result of the fermentation process. Bottling and further aging is usually the last step in the process.

Taking out the sediment - Racking
The mixture is allowed to ferment until either fermentation has ended or drastically slowed (the air-lock stops bubbling) and is then siphoned into a carboy (another container) and allowed to age and sit so the sediment created during the fermentation process can collect at the bottom of the container. The top wine is then siphoned into another container leaving the sediment behind. This process continues until no sediment collects on the bottom of the carboy. This siphoning process is known as "racking."

There is some debate as to whether leaving the sediment in the fermenting batch during primary and secondary fermentation will affect taste. Many brewers leave all sediment in the bottom of the batch of mead throughout the entire process with no ill effects on taste. However, the process of racking often stirs up the sediment to a small degree. Because of this it's recommended to rack the clear mead off the top of the sediment once the sediment level reaches ¼ to ½ inch in depth. Refer to the section below about "fining" the wine to force sediment to the bottom of the container.

Getting a clear product - Fining
Additional substances can be added to the wine at this point to capture any remaining particles suspended in the wine, forcing them to the bottom of the container for one final racking. The addition of additional substances to produce a clearer wine product is known as "clarifying" or "fining" the wine.

Two main products are popular for this among hobbyist wine makers today. The most effective is a clay known as Bentonite. The clay comes in granule form and must be mixed with boiling water. The mixture is then mixed with wine (chilled wine for best results). The clay has a naturally occurring negative ionic charge which bonds with particles / sediment suspended in the wine. The clay is heaver than the particles so it drags the sediment down to the bottom of the container so that the clear wine can be racked off the top. Once the mixture has been added to the wine, stir with a large spoon until the entire mixture becomes cloudy and let sit for at least 24 hours (48 recommended). The wine may be treated with bentonite as many times as needed without harming the quality or taste of the finished wine. Two to three treatments are usually required to get crystal clear wine, especially if fresh fruit was used as an ingredient.

Bentonite is most effective when wine is cooler than 70-75 degrees and the bentonite mixture is as close to boiling as possible. The temperature variation makes a dramatic difference in the effectiveness of the treatment and may mean the difference between one treatment and three or four being required. Bentonite is relatively inexpensive so it may be more practical to repeat treatments rather than chill a large container of wine.

The other popular fining agent for wine is Sparkloid which is used in much the same fashion as bentonite but with not quite the dramatic result. If bentonite is not available at your local brewing store then feel confident is using Sparkloid but you may want to increase the wait time to 6-10 days before racking and re-treating. Other traditional fining agents include eggshells, bulls blood and egg whites.

Bottled or aged for quality
The wine or mead is then usually sanitized one final time using a sanitizing chemical available at most home brew shops and then bottled in an appropriate container. The wine can be consumed immediately or allowed to age to improve flavor. Wine bottles with corks are preferred by most serious hobbyist brewers, as the corks will allow for a very slow oxidation of the wine over time, greatly improving the quality of the flavor and aroma.

What does aging a wine do?
The process of aging a wine is a slow chemical reaction in which the wine or mead is allowed to rest and slowly oxidize in a container. Wooden containers are often used for aging because the wine will take on the flavor and aroma of the wood. The wood allows for a slight amount of oxidation of the wine which can improve flavor. Oak is especially prized in the wine industry for this purpose. New wine can have a harsh and distinctly different flavor and aroma from wine that has been well aged.

Aging in Wood
Serious home brewers can also purchase wooden barrels or casks to age their wine but this is often reserved for individuals who can make a substantial $200+ investment in their hobby. Anyone else wanting the wood flavors from aging wine can obtain wood chips from a local brewing store and age the wine in the carboy with the chips to produce a flavor similar to that of aging wine in traditional wooden barrels at a fraction of the cost.

Mead or Wine
Wine is any sugar based fermented beverage. Mead is a specific variety of wine made from honey. Mead is a type of wine but no wine may wear the label of mead unless it's primary ingredient is honey.

Other Sources:

http://www.SimpleHomeBrewing.com
http://www.squidoo.com/easybeermaking
http://www.squidoo.com/honeymead

Post from: Wine Articles

How to make Mead (honey wine) at home – Part 4

Making wine is something that you can and should be doing. If you enjoy wines you’ll enjoy making them yourself. Accomplishing this process is one that will please anyone who has a bit of creative energy and anyone that wants to really experience the process. The first step of making wine is to get the flavor of the fruit from within the fruit into your wine. You can use grapes or many other types of fruit, depending on what you would like the wine to taste like.

To extract the flavor, most commonly, the fruit is pressed. Most fruits, besides that of a citrus fruit can be pitted (if necessary) and pressed. But, there are other ways to get the fruit from the wine as well. For example, another option would be to use cold maceration. To do this, the fruit is first crushed and chopped. Then it is added to its fermentation vessel and all of the ingredients from the recipe that will be used such as the sugar and waters will be added. It must then be set aside for eight hours. Once pectin enzyme has been added and mixed well, the wine must be refrigerated for up to two days, no less than one. When it is brought up to room temperature, more ingredients are added and stirred in before the yeast is added.

There are other ways that the fruit that you plan to use in your wine making can have the fruit’s flavor extracted including crushing, boiling, chopping and cutting. Pressing and even soaking the fruit can be used as well. When you select a method you will want to insure that your recipe is adjusted for that specific method. Some recipes are designed to work with a certain method of extraction to gain the type of flavor that is necessary.

Wine Making: Your First Fermentation

During the process of making wine, you will need to ferment the wine several times. With each step there is a need to examine the wine and to take the appropriate action. No matter what type of recipe you are using, the goal will be to find the best fermentation period. Once you have gotten the fruit’s flavor extracted from it, you can begin the first step of fermentation. During this step, you’ll add in additional ingredients to the fruit in order to create the flavor that you want and then ferment the mixture for three to ten days. The temperature for this fermentation step is important. Get it as close to 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit as possible.

During this step, you’ll need to add sulfites to the mixture in order to keep bacteria from growing in the wine. It will also help with oxidation. To do this, dissolve Campden tablets or use a powdered potassium metabisulfite.

Next, you’ll need to add in pectin enzymes which have several jobs. The most important is for it to remove the pectin that’s found in fruits so that it does not spoil the wine. In addition to that, it also helps to begin the process of breaking down the wine by destroying cell walls. This should be added to the base after eight hours of resting from the time of the sulfite being added.

The next consideration is for the acid that’s in the wine. It is important for the acid to be adjusted in such a way as will allow for the acid to be balanced depending on what the fruit needs. For example, some fruits are too acidy while others don’t have enough. Your recipe will help you with this.

In addition to these, the recipe that you have will tell you the right amount of water, nutrients, and finally yeast that you need. You’ll then need to place the mixture into the fermenting vessel to get started. During the first 3 days, there is a need for oxygen to be allowed in. Follow your recipes instructions for exacts.

Wine Making: Your Second Fermentation Cycle

Once you have allowed your wine to ferment for several days, it will be time to take the next step in its making. During this process, you’ll be adding in additional ingredients and to skim off the liquid from the pulp that remains. When you go through the wine making process, this second fermentation period will be critical. Ultimately, you’ll want that period to last at least several weeks and it should be done at a temperature that’s at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, ten degrees lower than it was.

First get rid of the solids that remain in the wine making. Pour it through a funnel, then, into the second fermentation vessel that you are using. Insure that the less are also placed into the second vessel. But, before you can do this, you may ask, how long should you wait? You should start the transfer into the secondary vessel after the fermentation process has slowed to some degree.

Now, after you have transferred the mixture to the secondary vessel, you’ll want to attach the appropriate air lock to the vessel. This is called a fermentation trap and it will fit to the mouth of the bottle you are using. It is important to keep as much of the air contact out of the transfer process as possible, which is no easy task. Your recipe may call for specific instructions on how to do this.

Now that you have moved it to the secondary vessel, it again needs time to ferment. While that fermentation will not be nearly as vigorous, it will still cause enough reaction to notice. You’ll want to set it in a room for at least several days, but it is better if it is a couple of weeks. Leave it alone as long as you can, or as your recipe directs.

Wine Making: The Sediments And Racking

Now that your wine is well on its way through the second fermentation, you’ll have the benefit of being able to sit back and wait. This step in the process is no doubt going to be a long one and you’ll be tempted to taste and make changes, but remember that the final flavor hasn’t been decided yet. At this point, your wine is in a secondary vessel and is fermenting. After several weeks, though, its time for you to give it some help.

You’ll need to siphon the wine off of the sediments that will regularly deposit in the wine. Every month or so during the few months, you’ll need to pay close attention to your wine’s color. By removing the lees or the sediment from the bottom of the wine, you are allowing for the impurities to come out and for nothing but the good stuff to be left inside.

To do this, you’ll want to use a siphon. Remember that you don’t want the air getting into the wine at this point. You should also use a clean and sanitary vessel for the movement. Once you have gotten the wine into the secondary container that it will sit in again, you’ll need to reattach the fermentation trap to the bottle’s neck. But, that’s not all.

Although it's tempting not to pay enough attention, you need to. Every thirty days, come back and look at the wine again. If there are deposits that are fresh at the bottle’s bottom, you’ll need to go through this step yet again. You may need to do this several times; you may only need to do this twice. The length of time that it takes will also determine how often you need to remove these sediments. This is a step that shouldn’t be avoided, though!

Wine Making: The Final Step

The process of wine making is one that does take a considerable amount of time, there’s no doubt about that. But, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth the wait because it very much so is. Once the wine has been racked or siphoned off to remove all of the sediment from it, it still needs at least three months to sit, if not longer to ferment. Now this time has gone by, its time to start thinking about bottling the wine. In order for the wine to be moved into its bottles, you do need to wait for the fermentation to stop and for the wine to become clear, which should happen on its own.

Once this happens, the next steps are easy. You’ll need to siphon off the wine from the vessel it has been fermenting in and place it into the wine bottles you’ll be using. Sterilization is important here and isn’t something that you should skip or forget about doing. Once this has been done, the bottles need to be corked and completely sealed to keep out an air.

Now, your wine is still not done and it will take a considerable amount more of time. Once the bottles are filled, place them upright for at least three days, but its better if it is five. This allows for the proper reaction to happen. After this period, you’ll be placing them on their sides to store them. Now, drop the fermentation temperature again. This time, go for 55 degrees. Your white wine needs to sit like this, mostly undisturbed for at least six months. Your red wines need a full year for improvement. If the wine isn’t what you want it to be, another year or even more can be necessary.

While you had to wait a long time, the resulting wine will be wonderful.

More help, info & tips about Wine Making, visit Wine And Spirits Inside Out

Post from: Wine Articles

The Steps to Making a Fine Wine For Your Enjoyment

For those of you, and you know who you are, who have collections of fine wine in your home, you are aware that you must store you wine properly in order to preserve the quality of your collection. It is far too easy to let a fabulous vintage turn to vinegar in no time at all.

For those of you who are just starting out, you need to know what you have to do in order to keep your bottled wine from spoiling. It is often said that ignorance is bliss, but ignore your collection of fine wine by standing the bottles straight on a shelf and you will soon see (and taste) how good wine is not supposed to taste.

For the novice wine collector, you are the individual who has a need to know that you have to preserve the cork in the wine bottle by placing the bottle on its side. This will keep the cork from drying out and breaking the seal to the precious wine inside.

You must also know that keeping wine at a cool temperature is a must. Temperatures too warm or too cook will damage your wine. The result is an embarrassing moment when you have friends over, you pop open a treasured vintage and a distasteful expression appears on their faces.

None of this will ever happen if you take good care of your wine collection. An easy way to take care of your vintage wine is to store your wine on a wall mounted wine rack. These wall mounted wine racks are easy to install. Depending on the amount of wine bottles in your collection, you have a variety of sizes, styles and features to make each and every wine bottle in your collection extremely happy to live a long and tasteful life.

So now let’s go over your options and you can see for yourself what type of wall mounted wine rack best fits into your wine collecting lifestyle.

I’m going to start with the Cioso wall-mounted wine bottle holder. This simple straight vertical bar wine bottle holder has eight rings integrated into the bar. There are, of course, enough rings to hold eight bottles of wine by inserting the bottle neck.

If you have a larger collection of vintage wine, then the Deluxe wine & glass wall wine r rack may be something that you may be interested in. This 3-tiered wrought iron wine rack has three shelves that hold 4 bottles per shelf. Also, the bottom of this rack is a wine glass holder that holds the wine glasses upside down by sliding the inverted glass base into the provided slots. Very decorative.

For my last example today, let’s take a look at the Series Twenty-Seven bottle wall mounted wine rack. You guessed it. This wall mounted unit holds 27 bottles of your prime vintage. Much like the Cioso wall-mounted wine bottle holder, this wall mounted rack boasts superior air flow, so all bottles will receive the proper temperature although they are stored three bottles side by side and nine rows tall. Perfect wall mounted unit for slightly larger wine collections.

If you are looking to store larger collections of wine, you might want to look into floor standing wine racks.

Wall mounted wine racks serve two purpose. They help keep your vintage wine from spoiling over time. They also can add a decorative charm to a kitchen or dining room. Those of you who have a passion for fine wine will want to have a wall mounted wine rack in order to show off your good taste.

Post from: Wine Articles

Wall Mounted Wine Rack – Show Off Your Vintage Proudly

In Australia, wine has become the new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. Moreover, Australia has developed an enviable reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the world over. Myshopping.com.au can help you make the right selection of wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on our website, you will find some of the most celebrated labels and award winning wines and you can make a selection based on reviews, price and supplier, regardless of why you want to purchase wine.

Wine

There are essentially three reasons that we can think of why you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social occasion, to give as a gift, or as an investment with a realisable future.

Buying wine to drink

Winemaker Greg Gallagher at the Charles Sturt University, South Australia, says judging a good wine is simple. "It starts with asking, 'do you like it?' " he says, "and finishes with 'did you like it?'" When you have a list of favourite wines, all you need to do is find them on Myshopping.com.au, and you will find out where it's sold for the best price.

But, because it's not always easy remembering the name, style and vintage of the wine you enjoy, it's a good idea to keep a record of wines you drink that you really like (and those that you'd prefer to avoid), for future reference.

When you're buying wine to drink, there are a number of considerations you might like to bear in mind, the first being: what is the occasion? It stands to reason that a wine for an intimate dinner with a partner might be a different choice than one for a footy night with the boys. Sharing a wine with someone is a lot more than simply sharing the drink. It's also sharing your taste, your values and your standards, so it pays to think carefully about the occasion and the company with whom you are sharing the wine.

A second consideration might be, what is accompanying the wine? Wine is often enjoyed with a meal, but you might like to consider also how the occasion (or meal) will develop. Matching the perfect wine with the perfect food and mood is an exhilarating experience, and is often at the heart of great memories.

You may also want to consider the ambience of the occasion. A wine for enjoying at an evening symphony concert will have a different character to that enjoyed at a beach picnic.

Buying wine as a gift

Wine makes an excellent gift for many reasons. It's an easy purchase; you can buy a wine to suit practically any budget. And it is a demonstration of your taste and standards, subtly imparted to someone whom you may care for.

However, as well as meeting your taste standards, you also need to choose a wine that will meet the tastes of the receiver. It pays to find out what sort of wine that person enjoys, and buy within that person's style or region preferences. A person who enjoys sweet white wines will appreciate a gift that matches that personality.

Buying wine as an investment

Some wines make a good investment because they are rare and have an established reputation causing them to appreciate in value. Possibly the most famous of these in Australia is Penfolds' Grange Hermitage, a Shiraz style Claret that has been made since 1951 (a bottle of that vintage now might set you back $50,000 or more if you can find one). Although young in terms of wine heritage, Australia has some notable wines that do and will appreciate in value.

A good investment wine is not necessarily a guarantee of a high quality drinking wine. The investment values are arrived at by reputation. A particular vintage may have enjoyed popularity for any number of reasons and become scarce because only a limited number of bottles were produced. What results is a collectors market and wine changes hands through auctions, private sales, estate dissolutions and wine club memberships.

What makes a good investment wine however, is the fact that you are able to sell the wine at some future date for a sum greater than what you paid. Therefore the condition of the wine-or more importantly, the bottle-is of paramount consideration. The provenance of an investment wine is important. Before buying, you need to establish its history of origin and previous ownership. Satisfied that the bottle is in good condition, once in your possession it needs to be cellared correctly in the absence of heat, light and movement. You should document your ownership and the conditions of its cellaring before selling it to a new buyer.

What makes good wine?

The winemaking process

The quality of a wine is affected by a wide variety of factors that occur in and as a result of the winemaking, cellaring and handling processes. One of the key factors is the terrain and climate, commonly referred to as a 'region', where the grapes are grown. Different conditions affect different varieties differently. A Shiraz style from McLaren Vale in South Australia, for example, is a heavier and darker wine than the same style from the Swan Valley in Western Australia, which tends to be lighter and more peppery. A Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley is more full-bodied than one from Margaret River.

While knowing which vines are best suited to a soil type and climate is one aspect, another is knowing when to pick the fruit for particular effect. The fruit's flavour at the time of picking is a major character of the residual flavours of the wine. After initial fermentation, some winemakers choose to ferment in oak, others not to. Using oak affects the reduction of tannins in the wine. Different types of oak-English, American, old-affect the flavour and character of the wine as it matures to its nominal alcohol level. It is in the barrel that a lot of transformations in flavours and character occur, and a great deal of skill is required to know exactly when to bottle the wine.

Different winemakers have different techniques and, while a good wine can't be made from bad grapes, it is largely the winemaker's skill that produces a good wine.

Taste

One of the ways we can tell the quality of wine as judged by its taste, is whether it has had successes in any of a number of wine shows held around the country. Experts from the wine industry judge wines on their quality and medal winners enjoy the benefits of being recognised and written about in the main media.

While not every medal winner is a wine that suits our taste, it is as a direct result of the shows and competitions that Australian wines have grown in popularity and quality. At Myshopping.com.au you can compare many award winning wines.

What's your taste?

Regions and style

When you are shopping for wine, one of the first questions to answer is whether you are choosing a red wine or a white wine. Once you have decided this, you can then start to narrow down the different styles. Begin with the question of whether you are seeking a dry wine or a sweet wine.

Styles of wine are named after the region from which the grape originated. In the popular dark reds you have the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot styles that tend to be drier wines. Lighter reds feature Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Rose styles and these tend toward sweeter wines.

Popular white wines include the Chablis, Riesling, Semillon, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay styles in dry wines, with Traminer Riesling, Moselle and late picked Verdelho in the sweeter styles. Aperitifs include sweet and dry sherry and Marsala. Dessert wines include Sauternes, Muscats and Ports.

Many wines are now presented as blended wines, a way to offer wider variety in taste and a way to use up less popular grapes and thereby minimise waste in the industry.

Australia has more than a dozen identified wine growing regions that produce distinctive wines of the main styles. The Barossa Valley in South Australia is possibly the most famous region with the richest heritage, and features many labels from subregions such as Claire Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and the Adelaide Hills. These regions produce some of the most spectacular Riesling wines, and Shiraz styles in the country. East of this region, near the border with Victoria lies the Coonawarra district (also known as Riverland), famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon. In Victoria lie the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular districts. The Goulbourn Valley lies on the border with New South Wales. The Hunter Valley in New South Wales produces some of Australia's finest wines, while in the West, Margaret River, t4he Swan Valley and the Plantagenet districts all produce fine wines.

Trends

Recent economic conditions and consecutive years of oversupply have changed much of Australia's wine market. There are many small boutique wineries whose products can be bought direct from the cellar door. Many of these wines are featured on Myshopping.com.au by style and region.

The wine industry is encouraging the buying of wines and cellaring them (storing them in a cool place) for a period of time and enjoying them at a later time. To cellar your wine, store it somewhere cool, dark, airy, and free from vibration and dampness. Temperature stability is the most important factor in preserving wine in the cellar. Storing wine in an environment where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons is better than in a room that varies with the day and night.

For long-term storage, the ideal cellar temperature is 18 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 60-75%. Warmer conditions accelerate the development of wines, which could mean a reduction in the pleasure of drinking them.

The second phenomenon to occur through oversupply is the introduction of cleanskins, a method of selling wine without a brand label. This is presented as being 'money saving' because of a reduction in marketing expense, however the real cost saving per bottle is around 3-5 cents (the cost of printing and applying a label).

Cleanskins enable a wine producer to present a lower cost bottle, but this is mostly achieved by not having to identify the origins of the grape, or the varietal blends that make up the wine. And while it is true that some cleanskins are eminently drinkable wines, evidence suggests that they are generally of a far poorer quality than branded label products. It is suggested that you taste the wine before purchasing any cleanskins.

Wine is a high fashion product, and wine trends emerge on a regular basis. The best way to follow these trends is to shop using Myshopping.com.au—comparing prices and suppliers, and following medal winning labels.

Post from: Wine Articles

A Guide to Buying Australian Wine

Acidity; All wines contain some level of acid. The acid level needs to be in a proper balance with the other components and fruits in the wine so that you should be able to taste the crispiness and liveliness of the wine. This acidity is also vital in the aging process of the wine.

Aftertaste; This is the impression of flavor that you will get once you have swallowed the wine. It is also called the “finish” of a wine.

Aroma; The smell of wines, especially that of young wines.

Aromatic; This is a term that this used for wines that have a distinct aroma, especially those with herbs and spices in them.

Astringent; This term is used when the tannin level in the wine dries out the mouth.

Austere; A somewhat hard tasting wine, where the character and fruitiness have been restrained.

Big; A full bodied powerful in aroma wine.

Bitter; This is usually considered as a fault bit it is also a characteristic of certain Italian wines.

Body; The weight and texture that is found in wines. You can describe a wine as light bodied or full bodied.

Bouquet; The intermingling of aromas that fine aged wines produce.

Breed; This is the term that is referred to as the bloodlines of the wine grapes. It is also used when noting the soil, the grapes and the techniques that are used to produce a good quality wine.

Chewy; This term is used to describe wines that have an unusual thick texture to the wine. It feels like you need to chew the wine before you swallow it.

Clean; Fresh wines that seem to have no defects. This term also refers to the aroma, appearance and flavor of the wines.

Complete; A mature wine that has a satisfying feel and a great aftertaste on the palette.

Complex; This is where you will find a combination of flavors and aroma elements in various types of wines.

Corked, corky; The wines smell like cork rather than wine. This is because it was bottled in correctly.

Deep; A wine that has many layers of taste that slowly reveals itself.

Delicate; A light fragrance, body and flavor in the wine.

Distinctive; An elegant and refined character in the wine that sets it apart.

Dry; There is a little amount of sugar in the wine.

Earthy; You can detect this in certain wines. The smell and flavor is bit like the earth or soil.

Elegant; A refined charactered wine. This is usually to describe a stylish and quality wine.

Extra dry; You can find this term on champagne bottles as they describe the wine.

Fat; A wine that is full of flavor and body.

Fine; A distinguished wine.

Flat; A wine that is lacking in liveliness. Also a wine with an insufficient amount of acid.

Flavor; Describing how the wine tastes.

Full; Describes a wine that has a rich body

Green; A tart wine that is made from unripe grapes. Also has a lack of fruit flavoring.

Grip; Firmness of structure and flavor.

Hard; Stiff and undeveloped.

Heady; High in alcohol and very full bodied.

Herbaceous; Aromas that are reminiscent of fresh grass or hay. It can also be a characteristic of some wines like Cabernets.

Honeyed; You will find a taste or smell that is like honey.

Intricate; The interweaving of subtle flavors and aromas within a wine.

Legs; The rivulets of wine that you see running down the sides of the glass after swirling or sipping the wine.

Length; The lingering aftertaste that you get from a wine.

Light; This refers to wines that are light in alcohol, weight and texture. The feeling that you get in the mouth when you drink the wine is also described as light.

Lively; A fresh wine that has vitality and crispness.

Mature; A fully developed, ready to drink wine.

Meaty; This is a wine that is firm in structure with a chewy, fruity taste.

Mellow; A smooth, soft wine that has no harsh characteristics.

Noble; Wines that have a great balance and a harmonious expression. The wines that are made from these types of grapes are considered as the finest wines in the world. You can find Merlot and Cabernet among this lot.

Nose; The smell that comes from the wine. You can get “good nose” or a “bad nose”. A term used to detect faults in the wine.

Nutty; A nutlike aroma that develops in some wines.

Oak, oaky; This is the flavor and aroma that comes from aging the wine in oak casks or barrels. The taste is a mixture of vanilla, spices, smokiness and cloves.

Open; You can get the full character from the wine.

Oxidized; Flat, stale wines. Wines that have a sherry like and flavor and aroma. The state where wines becomes spoiled due to exposure to air.

Petillant; A light sparkle that can be seen in the wines.

Rich; A full, opulent wine with good body and aroma.

Ripe; Mature, fully ripe fruit.

Robust; A powerful, full bodied and heady wine.

Sharp; Biting or acidic.

Smoky; The aroma and flavor that a wine can get from being aged in an oak barrel or casket.

Sparkling; This is used where there are bubbles that are detectedable in the wine.

Spicy; A wine that has the characteristics of spices like cloves, mint, pepper and cinnamon.

Structure; The way that a wine in made with regard to its proportions and composition.

Supple; A wine that is yielding in flavor and is ready to drink.

Sweet; This usually indicates the presence of grape sugar that have not been completely converted to alcohol.

Tannin; This is a natural substance that is found in the skins, stems and seeds of certain grapes. This substance is also a major component in the structure of red wines.

Tart; A sharp wine that is acceptable to drink if it is not acidic.

Thin; Lacking in body and flavor.

Tired; Where a wine is past its peak flavor development. Old.

Vanilla; You will get this scent from the aging process of oak caskets.

Velvety; Smooth and very rich in texture.

Vigorous; A wine with a firm, strong body and flavor and a lively fruitiness.

Vinegary; Having the smell of vinegar.

Watery; Thin and lacking in any flavor.

Weedy; You will get the flavors and aromas of grass or hay. This scent becomes unpleasant only in excessive amounts.

Weighty; Forceful, strong, full bodied and powerful – terms to describe wines.

Woody; The aroma that comes when wine has been over aged in barrels or casks.

Yeasty; A bread smell that can be sometimes found in wines that have gone through a secondary fermentation process like champagne. Can be appealing if it is not excessive.

Young; Simple fine wines that have yet to become mature. Still undeveloped.

Post from: Wine Articles

The Glossary of Wine Terms

For a home wine-connoisseur, you may need to take your wine glass selection very seriously. For those individuals that enjoy a variety of different types of wine, you may opt for an all-purpose wine glass. These are tulip shaped and hold approximately 8 to 12 ounces and are appropriate for most types of wine. There are, however, specific types of glasses that you may be interested in purchasing if you enjoy a particular type of wine on a regular basis. You do not necessarily need a special glass for each type of wine, but if you routinely enjoy a particular wine and you have the storage and budget, then you may be interested.

So what are the differences in white and red wine glasses? There are several differences and each affect the bouquet of the wine as well as help to maintain the appropriate temperature of the wine. And of course, white wines are best served out of glasses designed for white wines and red wines are best served out of glasses designed for red wines.

The white wine glass has a narrow mouth, which allows the wine to maintain its chilled temperature. The reduced surface area of the glass does not allow air to permeate the wine as much as it does in a wide mouthed red wine glass. The reduced amount of air means that the air will not warm the wine. The smaller bowl of the glass also means that there is less contact by the heat of the hand, which can also warm the wine.

Chardonnay glasses feature a narrow rim of glass that helps to direct the wine to the middle of the palate. This applies the fruit flavors and acidity. The longer bowl of the glass keeps the wine chilled and captures the aromas of the wine. This type of glass works well for Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, White Bordeaux and Burgundies, White Pinots and Viognier.

Sangiovese and Riesling glass feature a smaller bowl and even narrower rim. The smaller bowl is due to the fact that these wines are usually consumed in smaller quantities as dessert wines. The smaller and elongated bowl also allows the wine to stay chilled while you are enjoying your dessert. These glasses are also great for wines that are sweet and may be drunk in smaller amounts. This type of glass is also appropriate for Bardolino, Chianti, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Zinfandel. If you frequently enjoy white wines, you may enjoy an all-purpose glass that is designed for different white wines.

Red wine glasses are usually noted as having a large bowl and wide mouth. These glasses are similar to the Bordeaux and Burgundy wine glass. The Bordeaux wine glass is designed specifically for these red wines. They have a large and round bowl, which allows the wine to breathe, which brings out the different aromas that the wine has to offer. Allowing the red wine to sit in the glass will have a similar effect that decanting has on a wine. These glasses are tall and shoot the wine straight to the back of your mouth where most red wines will react with the back of the palate.

The Burgundy glass is also a good wine glass that is appropriate for reds and full-bodied wines. They have an even larger bowl than the Bordeaux glass and focuses the wine to be absorbed at the tip of your tongue. This allows the drinker to enjoy the sweetness of this wine. This glass is also appropriate for your Pinot Noir wines and is best for gathering the delicate bouquet of your red wine.

Red wine glasses also allow you to drink your red wines at room temperature. The larger bowl is designed to allow the wine to cool after it is exposed to the heat of your hand. If you enjoy red wine on a regular basis, you may be interested in buying a set of these glasses.

When purchasing wine glasses, you will want to look for clean and clear glasses. This will allow you to examine the wine and check its clarity and color. A clean glass is absolutely necessary for enjoying wines and after washing you will want to remove any soap residue that is left on the glass. Thin glasses are also the best, as a rolled rim will cause the wine to dribble into your mouth while a thin glass presents less obstruction between you and the wine. Stems are also necessary, as you do not want to hold the bowl of the glass. The glass should also have a tapered rim, which will keep the wine from spilling when you swirl. It will also help to capture the aroma of the wine.

Post from: Wine Articles

Types of Wine Glasses

Unraveling the Wine Ordering Mystery

Indeed, knowing how to order wine in a restaurant is an art. Knowing which wine goes with what dish is a great skill. If you have seen a wine menu or a wine list, you would know that ordering wine can be daunting especially if a restaurant offers a wide selection of wines. You can’t be blamed if you’d end up confused.

If you have no idea at all what to get, you should always seek assistance. It’s always better to admit ignorance then to commit mistake by pretending that you know what you are doing. Most restaurants offering haute cuisines have sommeliers to help out their customers. These are wine “experts” who would be willing to help you if you don’t know how to order wine in a restaurant.

Choosing the Perfect Wines

A good wine menu has all kinds of information about every wine listed. You would find the name, manufacturer, country of origin, wine description, vintage and meal suggestions. If you have guests, it is a good idea to get their wine preference. Courtesy dictates that you should let your guests choose their meal and wine combination. There are people who have particular taste for wines. Their choice may not suit a particular dish but let them enjoy their wine and meal.

However, if you are asked to order the food and the wine, it is good to know how to order wine in a restaurant. Red and white wines are perfect for main courses. When choosing a white wine or red wine, it is best to get a heavy white wine or a light red wine. Now, if you are not familiar with how a wine’s name is pronounced, it is best to leave it to the sommelier. Do not attempt to guess its pronunciation or you could end up embarrassing yourself.

Learning how to order wine in a restaurant does not end with learning how to match wines with meals. You should also learn how to choose the right wine that is within your budget. A good bottle of wine can cost you as much as $500 a bottle.

Going Through the Wine Serving Process

Usually, before a wine is served, you will have to go through the wine approval process. The sommelier will bring your wine to your table. If you don’t know what to do with the wine, you would likely just stare at it and nod your head. What you are expected to do, however, is to get the wine and check it. You need to check the label and see if you are being served the right wine. You should also check its content. You also need to check if the cork is intact, so you would know if you are being served a properly stored wine.

The server will then give you a wine sample. Do not just drink it. What you should do it to check the color of the wine. Vintage wine should look brown. This is the wine’s clarity. You should also check the smell and check for a vinegar-like or a rusty-like smell. If your wine smells like vinegar or rust, you should request for another bottle. Chances are your wine has undergone oxidation due to bad storage or cork problems. Now, if all these things are okay, you can then taste the wine. If the taste is up to your liking, you can then give your approval. The server will then bring out the wine and the rest of your meal. The whole wine approval process can take about half a minute or more depending on you.

Ordering wine can be intimidating if you don’t know what to get. It is best, therefore, that you learn how to order wine in a restaurant. Once you have learned this art, you will enjoy its benefits time and time again.

Post from: Wine Articles

Tips on How to Order Wine in a Restaurant

Among the most popular wine accessories are wine glasses, corkscrews, decanters, collars, stoppers and wine racks. By aiding in storing and serving wine, wine accessories can help the enthusiast enjoy their wine experience to the fullest. Some wine enthusiasts even boast of their own personalized wine bottles and customized accessories.

Moreover, wine charms made out of silver, gold and other materials can make any wine-drinking activity more pleasing to the eyes, leading to the perception of better enjoyment. The enjoyment of wine is sensory and starts from the sight of the drink through the transparent bottle or glass after it has been poured . Wine is similar to food in that your expectations are heightened when you see it well presented regardless of what it eventually tastes like. The type of glass is important. But for some the irresistible moment is hearing that popping off of the wine cork. A sound that is captured by the ear sending all sorts of messages to the brain - either of great joy or dread, depending on ones motivation or health.

There are many styles of wine glasses, each with their own charm and personalized appeal. While wine bottle openers have become somewhat obsolete, thanks to the growing popularity of screw-caps, having a wine bottle opener still adds an elegant touch to wine drinking. Wine bottle openers can range from traditional corkscrews, wine keys and screw-pull levers to more complicated wine bottle openers driven by carbon dioxide.

Wine decanters are glass containers used to serve wine. They maximize the wine's aeration by exposing the wine to more oxygen. This enhances the taste and bouquet of wine. It's also easier to pour wine from a decanter because wine is less likely to spill or dribble.

Wine collars are placed around the wine bottle's neck to absorb any spillage when the wine is poured. It's an important accessory for preventing wine stains on your clothes or table cloths.

Wine coolers are nice to have around because they can ensure that the wine is served at its proper temperature, especially for white, rose and sparkling wine. Highly fruity wines are usually served chilled whilst dry wines are served warm. The temperature helps regulate the amount of molecules allowed to escape into the air, to an extent. Especially at wine tastings, the correct temperature can help ensure the wine taster's olfactory senses remain unbiased. Small wine coolers can be placed right on your table top. If you have a large wine collection, you will be better served by large refrigerator units so you can keep your wine bottles chilled at various temperatures.

Finally, wine racks are used for storing wine bottles in a slightly slanted manner to ensure that the wine touches the cork so it doesn't dry up. Wine racks are usually accessories of serious wine enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs. They provide a neat way to utilize space when there are multiple bottles to store. With the right rack the life time of a bottle of wine can be prolonged as the cork will remain moist for longer and air would not get into the bottle easily.

If you want to save yourself from the hassles of having to store wine and buying racks or large refrigerator units, it's best to order your wine only as the need arises. Thanks to the Internet, ordering wine is no longer a hassle. 

Post from: Wine Articles

Wine Accessories Can Enhance Your Enjoyment of Wine

Supplies - All you really need is a good wine glass, some wine, and preferably some good company.

Glasses - Obviously if you are at a wine-tasting party or tasting the wares at a winery you won’t be bringing your own glass (or wine, for that!), but when you decide that it is time to get your own wine glasses first look for a clear glass (you definitely want to be able to see the color, especially as a beginner). Your glass should curve in a bit at the top so you can swirl it without spilling. Some companies try to sell glasses that are supposedly matched to certain wine types, but taste-tests have shown that people rarely prefer wine from it’s matching glass. Instead, a good hand blown crystal glass is often preferred.

Wines - There is way too much that could be said about different varieties of wines than this article could cover. Nevertheless, we’ll try to cover some basic categories of wines and distinct varietals that you might come across. The two main types of wine are red and white. Red wines are made from black grapes fermented with skins and pips. Red wine can be dry or sweet. Some of the more well known reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese. These names refer to the types of grapes which the wines are made from, and there are about 40 major types of grapes used for red wine. Wine regions have standards as to what percentage of a wine must be a single sort of grape to be classified by that grape used for its creation - in California it must be 75% while in Alsace it must be 100%. Many wines, however, are a combination of different varietals, the term which refers to a single grape wine. White wines can be made from either white or black grapes. There are over 50 major white grapes grown round the world, the three most important of which are Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. White wine is usually considered to be more refreshing than red wine. There are a number of other wine types. Pink wines include Blush types and Rose (pronounced row-zay). Blush originated in California and is usually made using Zinfandel grapes with the peels left in for a time and then removed. Rose, while in processing is actually an unfinished red, but in taste is refreshing like a white with some of the flavors of a red.

Sparkling wines and Champagne are sometimes produced by the same method, but only those made in the north of France are technically Champagne. Sparkling wines are created by adding yeast and sugar to table wine. The so called Methode Champenoise, also known as the Classic Method, is painstaking, and cheaper bubbly is usually mass-produced using a slightly different method. There are a few types of “desert wines”. Port starts a as a wine fermented from 40 or so types of grapes. The must is poured off after a short period of fermentation and then the young wine is re-barreled for a year or two before being bottled. Port usually requires 15-20 years of bottle aging and then it is a sweet, fortified wine often taken with cheese and nuts. Madeira is fortified with alcohol and then heated, either artificially or by storing in a hot attic. Originally, Madeira was created by being shipped - you know, back in the day when shipping meant in the hull of a ship - through the tropics, where it was heated. Sherry is a blended wine that is also fortified. Extra room is left in the barrel and a special yeast is addec. Fruit wines are fermented from any other fruit than grapes. Common fruits used include raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries. Fruit wines have a monster-sized taste, partly due to the large amount of fruit used to create them. They are usually fermented in cold conditions, which helps keep the natural fruit flavors (nobody likes rotten fruit…). Fruit wines are especially good with dessert and are sometimes used in sautéing or other cooking. Other supplies.

As for the company, if you’re in the United States, make sure everyone is over 21. Laws are getting tougher on people who supply underage kids with alcohol - so even if you are a parent, if you supply a minor with alcohol, you may be held responsible if they are hurt or hurt someone else. If you are hosting a wine-tasting party, there are a some more supplies that you will need to have. Be sure to have water available for people who get thirsty. Snacks are important. Provide snacks that either compliment the wines or cleanse the palette. Snacks also help insure that people won’t become intoxicated. There are a number of different types of tasting parties, some of which will be quite expensive, but which could also be as cheap as $15 per person. If you’re going to serve dinner, wait until after the tasting session.

Tasting Technique - Some of you out there might be asking, “What technique can there be to tasting something? Put it in your mouth and taste it!” First of all, you’re right. There are some wine snobs who will say that there isn’t much point in drinking some wines, and they’ll point to rating guides saying that you should drink wine with a certain rating to cultivate your taste for fine wines… Drink wine that you like, not what other people tell you that you ought to like. Hopefully this guide will help you decide what you like. However, if you are getting into wine-tasting I am guessing that you desire to learn more about one of the finer pleasures in life - if you’re drinking to get drunk, there are faster or cheaper ways to do it than wine-tasting. That said, there are three stages to wine-tasting: Look, smell, and taste.

Look - Pour yourself a small amount of wine, perhaps an inch or so. Hold your glass up to the light or against a white background and observe the color. Red wines can be lighter or pale reds, but they also range to brownish reds. White wines are usually greenish or brownish and typically gain color with age. The tint observed at the “rim” allows expert tasters to judge the age of the wine - a purplish rim might be a younger wine while older wine usually has an orange or brown rim tint. Swirl the wine and see what sort of body the wine has. Also called the “legs”, body refers to the viscosity. A more mature wine will have more body.

Smell - Swirl the wine and hold your glass to your nose. Some tasters prefer taking on deep whiff while others will take a small whiff for the impression followed by a deeper impression. Either way, pause to get a good impression of the smell before moving on to the actual tasting stage. The aroma, also called the “nose” or “bouquet”, should remind you of things that you might smell in nature. The smell usually correlates with the taste, and wines might smell fruity, or earthy, or woody, or spicy, or any number of combination of things. Try closing your eyes and imagining yourself someplace else - perhaps in the middle of an outdoor market. What is it that this wine’s smell makes you think you might be standing near? Most good wines have a pleasant flavor in both smell and taste, though some wines - even some good ones - don’t really have a nose at all.

Taste - Take a sip and swish it round your mouth - front to back and side to side, and you might even want to breath in a bit. While your taste buds aren’t really separated out on different areas of your tongue, swishing helps you utilize all of your taste buds. The initial taste may be a bit different than the overall impression you get after swishing, and another important aspect of taste is the aftertaste. In France they even have a rating system for aftertaste - if the aftertaste lasts for 1 second, it is given 1 caudalie 2 seconds is given 2 caudalie, and so on. Highly rated wines often leave the strongest and longest aftertaste. Balance is the key to the taste of a wine. The four main components to the taste of a wine are sweetness, acidity, tannin, and alcohol content. If the wine is unbalanced in one of these areas it will be noticeable. The sweetness will probably be the first thing that you notice about the taste - especially if it is particularly sweet or particularly bitter. To think about acidity, consider the difference between drinking milk, water, orange juice, and grapefruit juice. Acidity makes the wine taste crisp, but it is overly acidic it will have a bit too much of punch. Tannin can also be a bitter sort of a flavor and it comes from stalks and skins of red grapes. Tannin is present in strong black tea and are most notable in young wines. The tannin flavor tends to mellow as wine ages. Alcohol content will make the wine range from a sweet flavor to the fire taste that accompanies higher alcohol content. Another characteristic to consider when tasting a wine are to feel the body of the wine in your mouth. Is it more or less viscous? Think about the fruitiness of the wine and try to compare different wine flavors to different fruits. What is the overall impression of the wine? Do you like it initially or not? There are times when tasters will spit out the wine that they are tasting instead of swallowing. Typically this is only done when tasting a very large number wines, or if you happen to be a professional tester or are participating in a wine review of some sort, in which case, keeping a clear and level head may be important.

Note taking - I know none of us want to go back to high school, but taking notes is beneficial to all wine-lovers, not just professional tasters. Having a collection of notes on different types of wines can help you select a good wine at a restaurant, or bring a good wine home to have when you invite the boss over for dinner. There are some particular methods of note-taking for wine-tasting, and some websites or books offer questionnaires that can be used to evaluate wines. There are special terms that some wine-tasters use, but especially at first, simply writing down things that the wine flavor or aroma remind you of might be the best that you can do. Write down your reactions to the various stages of testing - look, smell, and taste. Recording your overall impression is important - if you don’t like a wine, you can try a different one the next time. Perhaps write down some foods that you think that particular wine would be good with, and then you can check back in your notes when deciding what to serve with a particular dinner.

Wine Etiquette - There are a few things that you ought to know before serving wine, and likewise there are also a few bits of etiquette that you would do well to know before attending a wine-tasting event.

Serving wine - The right temperature for serving wine varies from wine to wine, and different people prefer different wines at different temperatures. Generally, folks prefer red wines around 65 degrees F, white or Rose wines closer to 55 degrees, and Champagne or sparkling wines are generally preferred around a chill 45 degrees F. Each variety of wine tastes a little different at different temperatures. You might want to include in your notes what temperature you taste wines at. To chill the wine, fill a bucket with ice and cover the ice with water. Submerge the bottle in the bucket. To go from room temperature to the proper temperature, put red wine in for about 5 minutes, white wine for 10 minutes, and Champagne for 15 minutes. Some people (not wine snobs, usually) even toss an ice cube or two in a glass of wine to chill it quickly. Spend a minute learning how to pop the cork properly. Don’t bend it. Pour the cork out with a about an ounce of wine to remove any debris from the cork and to check the wine out. Some folks prefer to decant the wine to remove any other particles that have settled out of the wine. Keep in mind also that it is usually recommended to allow red wines to “breathe” for an hour or so before serving. Breathing the wine for two long, however, will cause the wine to taste dull and flat When pouring, don’t touch the bottle neck to the glass and hold the bottle around the body instead of the neck. You can hold a napkin below the neck to catch dripping if you prefer. Fill the glass to no more than two-thirds full, though preferably to only about half full. If there is leftover wine and you can’t convince anyone to finish it off, you can save what wine is left, but don’t just re-cork the bottle. Find a small container - small to the point where the wine might be overflowing from it (perhaps a small, 375 mL wine bottle). In fact, when you close the container, whether with a cork or a plug or a lid of some sort, there should be a little bit of spillover. Because the main issue with saving wine is keeping it away from oxygen, doing this will prevent oxidation from happening. Store this container in the refrigerator and it should keep for about a week without becoming to stale.

Cellars Wine Club is the Best

Post from: Wine Articles

An Informational Guide to Wine Tasting