Overview To Sampling Wine
The fundamentals of tasting red wine are reasonably straightforward to find out. As soon as the basics are understood, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any kind of various other skill, More »
Red Wine Types
Red wine has a lot of different types, among which, the most popular include Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Moreover, More »
Category Archives: Zinfandel
Wine Glasses Gifts
Wine Glasses Gifts such as Hand Painted Wine Glasses by Mo Mo Panache are a fantastic gift idea to give for any occasion. This beautiful range of glasses are all hand painted meaning no two are exactly alike. Featuring a variety of stylish and colourful designs, these stunning glasses will make your wine taste even better! Let’s face it, anyone who likes wine would love their own special glass to drink out of. These beautiful glasses are like a little work of art – a great addition to any table. With such a gorgeous selection to choose from there is something to suit any taste and any dining table. Hand painted wine glasses look fantastic at a dinner party and are a great talking point too. If you have several different glasses from the collection, not only will they look visually stunning and really liven up the look of your table, but each of your guests will have their own unique glass. So why not match the glass to their personalities. With glasses in the range named Bliss, Glow and Diva you can have fun seeing which suits each of your friends. The Bride To Be Wine Glass is a very popular choice and one of our best sellers. This glass is a fantastic gift idea to give on a hen night. Not only does it give the bride to be her own special glass to drink from that night but she can keep it to use again in the future and will always be reminded of her fun final night of freedom. This hand painted wine glass can also be given to the Bride to Be on the morning of her wedding as she and her bridesmaids have a little drink to calm their nerves before the big day. This glass is presented in a beautiful gold and white gift box and contains a white bow for you to put on yourself before you give the gift. It really makes a stunning gift that any bride will love. Birthday Wine Glasses, Bride to Be Wine Glasses and Thank You Wine Glasses (amongtst others) are a quirky and original gift idea which make an ideal presnet whatever the occasion. The range includes glasses designed for specific occasions such as 21 Forever and Happy Birthday but there are more general ones like the Congratulations glass which can be given at the birth of a new baby, for passing exams, getting a new job or announcing an engagement. The ‘Fab Mum’ hand painted wine glass is the perfect present for Mothers Day but would be lovely to give any time of the year just to let your Mum know how much she means to you. A great Valentines Day gift is the My Special Moments Love You hand painted wine glass which is decorated with lots of little red love hearts and comes in a beautiful red and white spotted gift box. The Mo Mo Panache Love Wine Glass is another lovely Valentines gift idea – the decoration around the glass is of 4 large red hearts with gold detail. The perfect way to say ‘I love you’! Each wine glass gift comes with a pretty charm which sits around the stem at the base of the glass. Each charm features a little message related to the theme of the glass and these are removable. The perfect gift for the wine lover in your life!
Storing Wine Cheaply
If you enjoy wine chances are you have a few bottles at home waiting to be opened. The more bottles you have the longer some of them will sit unopened. There are ways to preserve your wine to ensure that they last longer but that can come along with a hefty price tag. You may be able to find wine storage places in your town but that can become pricey and inconvenient if you want a bottle of wine and didn’t plan it in advance. Wine storage locations are more for a wine collector with expensive bottles of wine that will only be drunk on certain occasions. The best solution for the wine lover who wants to preserve their wine on a budget would be purchasing a wine cooler or wine fridge.
Wine coolers come in all different sizes and prices. The best thing to do is determine how many bottles you will need to store because that will determine the size of the wine fridge you will need to buy. Once you determine the size you need to determine what your price range is and try to find one within that price range. If you are having a tough time finding a fridge in your price range you will need to look at discounted wine fridges or even refurbished products. You can also wait until the items go on sale or even clearance. You should also browse online sites for good deals. eBay will almost always have decently price wine fridges, as well as Amazon.
Once you find the perfect fridge within your price range there is no other cost involved, other the electricity it takes to power your wine cooler. Once you may the initial purchase you will be able to store your wine for as long as the wine fridge last, which hopefully is for many years to come.
A good temperature to store your wine would be around 60 degree Fahrenheit. Some may argue that 55 degrees is a better temperature, but I have found I am able to get better tasting red wine from a storage temperature of 60 degrees. With red wine 55 seems too cold, but it may be a good temperature for white wine.
All in all the cheapest way to store your wine safely is in a wine fridge or wine cooler. It is a one time purchase and if you keep your eye out for a good deal you can pick up one for a very reasonable price.
Growing Wine Grapes
While growing wine grapes, the basic thing to remember is that each grape variety is unique in its own way with its own distinct flavor and characteristics. Grapes from the Vitis vinifera family are the most commonly used variety of grapes used for wine making. Usually this variety is found in Europe but there are varieties that are abundant in North America as well. The Vitis Labrusca is another popular variety and is commonly found in eastern parts of United States and Canada.
Success in growing wine grapes largely depends on suitable climatic conditions and the variety of vine you choose. These are the most important factors in growing wine grapes which ultimately decide the quality of grapes. Extreme climatic conditions may destroy the whole crop and it cannot be imagined how destructive it can be. Under ideal conditions such a variety should be chosen which ripens during the cooler temperatures instead of summers.
Though soil condition is important for any type of vineyard, they can still be manipulated by adding fertilizers and minerals. The most important thing is to provide necessary mineral content to the roots. You need to test the soil and see if it is free of toxic mineral content. Irrigation channels can be provided so as to make sure that that there is enough soil moisture level.
However, climatic conditions cannot be changed and the only way you can probably provide somewhat better climatic condition is by application of greenhouse transplant. So make sure that the fruit varieties you choose have a proven track record of growing properly in the climatic zone you wish and desire to grow your wine grapes. This will help you greatly in improving your chances of an excellent harvest of grape wine.
It may so happen that you don’t have an alternative. However, in case you are successful in choosing your area for growing wine grapes, care should be taken to avoid such areas where there are very low winter and spring temperatures. Moreover you should also avoid such areas where there is frequent or excessive change in temperatures or there are early frost fall.
Avoid Vine Direction Disasters
Since frost plays a very destructive role in growing wine grapes, you should see to it that you don’t choose lowlands for cultivation since these are the areas where frost hits the hardest. Usually frost settles in these areas first and remains there for a long time. For growing grape wines it is better to choose slopes facing south as there is a bit more sunshine. In areas of high rainfall slopes facing east are better as the rising sun dries the slopes faster. This helps in reducing diseases caused due to accumulation of moisture.
Three crucial factors are to be kept in mind while speaking about climate:
The climate of the region: this includes humidity and temperature range.
The climate of the site: includes drainage and slope.
The climate of grape vine: includes environment within a specified area like a cluster and canopy.
The place you choose should have a long growing season so that vines properly mature. It means that there should be enough sunlight while the fruit ripens because sunlight is most essential while the fruit ripens.
Though it may seem as if there are a number of things to consider, be assured that the plant needs your attention not just once. After they are put in the ground the grape plants only need pruning from time to time. You should be able to find out the right place for growing wine grapes. Though it may take some time, but once you have found it, half the task is done. The next step is to choose a grape variety that suites that particular climatic condition. You can also ask for expert guidance from experienced grape and vineyard growers which would take you to the path of success.
Choosing an American Wine
Choosing an American wine is something that you can easily do when you put some time and effort into it. Learning more about the origins American wine and where it comes from, will help you to get a better idea of the type of variety that you would like to choose. With over 300 years of history as well as production taking place in all fifty states, there is a lot to learn about American wines; more than you might imagine in fact.
American Wine Producers
The United States is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world with California being the State that produces the most. There are several native species of grapes that grow in America on more than 1,100,000 acres distributed across around 3,000 vineyards. There is at least one vineyard in every state.
The majority of wine production occurs on the West Coast in the states of California, Washington and Oregon. Other top wine producing states include Idaho, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.
Regulation
The regulation of American wines is controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. In order for a wine to be labelled with a County Appellation, 75% of the grapes must come from within that county. If grapes are from numerous counties then it must be labelled as a multi-county wine. This can vary from state to state. In California a County Appellation must be 100% of the grapes and in Texas it is 85%.
As far as having a year on the label, in the US 95% of the grapes in the wine must come from the specified year in order for that year to appear on the label. All labels must also list the alcohol percentage. A Varietal label requires 75% of the grapes to be varietals.
Choosing a Wine
Now that you know the specifics about where wine is grown and how it is labeled, you can actually begin to look at the wines from individual areas. It can help to have a bit of information about each region and what to expect from a wine from a specific region.
California is probably the leading producer of excellent wines in the country. The climate and land in California makes for the perfect growing conditions for outstanding grapes. California produces the Bordeaux grape variety that is used to produce the famous California Cabernet Sauvignon.
Zinfandel is another popular wine produced in the country. This is an affordable wine that is produced in many different varieties, from white to blush to red.
Choosing the best American wine comes down to a matter of taste. Price cannot always dictate what will taste the best to you. You have to get out there and try them out. One of the best ways to sample wines from all over the country is to go to wineries and do tastings in each region. This will give you a very good idea of what wines will appeal the most to you.
Wine and Health Guide
“Is wine good for you?” – perhaps one of the top 10 most regularly asked questions in our wine tasting events. It’s always interested me that this question is at the forefront of many wine drinker’s minds, and it’s clear this is linked to the increasing interest in what goes into wine, and how it is produced.
It’s regularly notedthat wines (particularly reds), when consumed in moderation help combat cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and even Alzheimers. Epidemiologists for instance have consistently shown that the moderate consumption of alcohol and wine helps lower cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Why? Well although alcohol is a toxic substance, in moderation amongst other things, it is an anticoagulant (which in turn prevents blood clots).
It’s not only alcohol however – phenolic compounds present in wine are also known to be beneficial. One of these, Resveratrol (seemingly the wonder compound) seems to have an extraordinary breadth of benefits, from attacking cancer cells, protecting the heart and brain from damage, reducing inflammation, and lowering the instances of diabetes. Resveratrol has even been credited with reducing age related illnesses. Interestingly, 100 times more resveratrol is absorbed by the mouth than by the stomach. Because of this, it’s recommended you sip wine, rather than knock it back.
On this point, it’s not just how much you drink, but how you drink that matters. A further study (in Italy) has shown that consuming wines with a meal significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.
THE FRENCH PARADOX
The perceived benefits of wine drinking are not new however. The well known French Paradox (essentially the observation that the French have a relatively low incidence of coronary disease, despite having a diet rich in fat) was first brought to light by an Irish doctor by the name of Samuel Black in 1819.
This phenomenon was revisited in 1991 on 60 Minutes, a CBS news program in USA, with the suggestion that red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac arrests. The follow-on? A 44% increase in red wine consumption, with US based wineries lobbying for the right to label their wines as “health foods.” The reaction from the American public was so great that wine brand Gallo had to put their Hearty Burgundy wine on allocation.
Inevitability, there have been dissenting voices, not least the statistics collected between 1990-2000 by The World Health Organisation who have shown coronary disease in the French may have been underestimated, and may be similar to those of neighbouring countries in Europe.
Despite all the research, as usual it’s all about moderation. Moderate drinkers have been defined by some as those who consume two 5 ounce glasses of wine a day, although sex, age, build, and general health all make generialisations risky. We know where the limits are – go overboard and all the adverse effects of excessive drinking are yours for the taking (liver disease, pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease..).
The future for wine and health? Well just last year in 2008, Philip Norrie, a Sydney based winemaker, created a wine with 100 times more resveratrol than standard wine. He calls it a “vascular pipe cleaner” – watch this space.
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