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 »
Revealed Inside Story Of Wine Marketing: Wine Marketing Mistakes Brand – Red Wine Distribution, Wine
Why do many Red wine Dealers have the same feeling, hard to find Chinese wine sales. But you thought about the reasons for it?
People had learned to drink Beer When no one today would think of such a popular beer popular scenes can be compared, but still can not find this wine good things! Wine Wine Development, although from a high to low alcohol wine, liquor to wine was gradually changing, but over the past 10 years, the overall development of the domestic wine industry is not optimistic, wine from the mass consumer market has not really speak to some extent the establishment of wine Industry Dimensions of “blowout” era seems distant impossible. In my opinion, the reason why wine market trend of slow, slow development, the most fundamental reason lies in the majority of the marketing of wine brands into the Marketing Extreme errors.
First, do not pay attention to the cultivation of the consumer market:
Most manufacturers focus on raising brand awareness, but the cultivation of the consumer market is not enough! Overall, the wine brand in the high-end market concentration is relatively high, there Changyu Great Wall, Dynasty and a number of strong brands, but the relatively middle and low market, the brand was more messy, some fake it is and Society. Although wine drinking wine has become the mainstream consumer market variety, but still people still do not like to drink liquor at home, as wine consumption, more of our time is the dinner at the bar and some business premises to see the figure of wine, wine market consumption in the industry as a whole is not because we do not build more consumers of wine consumption habits, but why not set up such spending habits, it is because our businesses do not fundamentally foster market consumption . There were people laughing at us, like to drink wine like drinking water, do not understand culture, do not understand fashion! But you do not guide the consumer, consumers can buy from you so! We all know that wine contains many nutrients beneficial to human health, but they had to publicity, the public is aware of. Ball net ball of red wine experts: there are four aspects of the wine needs to spread to consumers and guidance: First, the wine product knowledge. It is understood that many consumers on what red wine, dry white is simply confused, and some companies claim that the use of what Cabernet Snake Pearl, plum Zhe, Riesling grape varieties like many people is confused. Second, the health of wine knowledge. Third, wine purchase, consumption and storage methods. Fourth, the wine culture of origin. Currently, most brands are also doing publicity, but basically to the dealer to advertise in, to allow more distributors to distribute their products, but they do a lot of consumers do? Very little!
2, has not addressed the situation to build their own brand culture:
Understanding of wine culture guide will be an effective way to attract more consumers, but we have to create their own culture of wine. Wine in a foreign country as the “Water for Life”, has been a natural Beverages The international mainstream, wine culture in the West, consumers pay more attention to wine characteristics and drinking their own style in the process of sight, smell, taste and other personalized inner feelings, while the Chinese are particular about the form of wine culture, moral, ritual, function. A successful wine brand must have their rich cultural heritage, to enter people’s table wine, it should be emphasized that their own cultural characteristics, if solely emphasizing Western wine culture was blindly pursuing the romantic style of wine, it is bound to our farther away from the civilian population of consumers, which would be very difficult to establish our popular consumer groups. Therefore, China’s wine brands not only have to pay attention to blending of Chinese and Western culture combined with the common people should also consider how the cultural life and spiritual needs of the combination. Suntime wine take the lead in the wine industry thrives on the Movement of civilians, it is gratifying to see what this could be enough for Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung is the spokesperson for the brand, this way instead of stretching the brand and the distance between ordinary people, because In the eyes of the old 100, Liang Zhang in pursuit of a romantic, falls far short of our actual needs. Today, many enterprises in the construction of the brand culture of wine, not everything possible to give your brand personality and characteristics, but trying to stick to foreign brands of light, the results did not, and also we are to achieve the popularization of wine consumption target very different!
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Kentucky Wine Making
Most people would never think of Kentucky as being a good source of wine. However, a winemaker named Jean Jacques Dufour in 1798 planted the first commercial vineyard in the small town of Nicholasville Kentucky and in 1860 Kentucky was known as the third largest producers of wine. Of course this all came to a grinding stop when prohibition hit.
Today with special agriculture business grants and other government incentives the winemaking industry in Kentucky has been revitalized. There are new vineyards popping up all over the place and now Kentucky has almost a thousand acres of grape planted ground with 50 registered wineries.
It is central Kentucky that boosts the most used soil for grape growing. Some say that the soil in the bluegrass is likened to that to the soils in France. Kentucky was once covered with sea water and thus it is rich in limestone from the deposits of the fossils of shell fish. Though the soil is good the climate is not.
Kentucky’s climate is considered to be in a moderate zone, the summers are warm and the winters are cool. The weather in Kentucky is highly influenced by the Gulf of Mexico and thus it gets an average of 50 inches of rain per year.
Alas, the weather is a changing! For the past ten years Kentucky has been in a moderate to severe drought and vineyards have to be hand watered to keep the vines from dying.
The weather in Kentucky changes quickly and they have had problems with spring frosts, ice storms and days of cold, all taking a toll on the grape crop. So why do people want to grow grapes in Kentucky? Well because when they do grow and the weather is good then the harvest is of great grapes and better wine.
One of the problems that Kentucky has faced is that the State does not have any guidance on what to grow, how to grow it or anything. People were simply guessing or going by what their gut told them. This was finally addressed in 2005 when the state hired a viticulturist and enologist.
There is a debate on varieties to plant in Kentucky and with the whole industry being quite new, there is lack of good history and data. Some want a certain variety others want a different one. The ones that follow along with the recommendations of the state will get grants and cost help. The ones that go there own way will have to do so on their own.
So what grapes are being grown in Kentucky?
Vidal Blanc
Chambourcin
Norton
Marechal Foch
Cayuga
No matter what grape is grown it is suggested that the vines be on grafted rootstock. Because of the abundance of disease and bugs in Kentucky it is practically unheard of to try and grow organically here. The hot muggy summers give rise to black rot, powdery and downy mildews, phomopsis leaf and cane spot disease. The insects they deal with are Japanese beetles, grape cane gall maker, grape berry moths and grape flea beetles. Then of course there are the animals such as, raccoon, possums and deer.
Grape growing in Kentucky is alive and well and anyone who takes on this task shows real commitment and passion for persevering through tough times and countless challenges. It is because of this character and the land that two can come together and bring to wine drinkers everywhere a great wine. So give Kentucky wine a chance, they just might surprise you!
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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.
California White Wine – Chardonnay
One of the things I’ve learned already in this adventure of starting a wine club is that many people have tons of questions about grapes and different varietals of wine. In an effort to help educate people and answer some of these basic questions I’ve put together a few basics about some popular wines.
California Chardonnay:
The undisputed queen of the California White Wines, Chardonnay is a popular choice for many reasons.
Tasting Notes:
People generally describe Chardonnay as a crisp clean white wine. You’ll find small fig, citrus, tropical fruit or apple flavors in most bottles. More recently Chardonnay has started to be aged in oak barrels which gives the resulting wine a much deeper oak flavor which can be the strongest of all the flavors in the wine. One common thread with Chardonnay from all over the world, the balance of sugar and acid is outstanding and makes it an entirely drinkable wine for wine lovers and novices alike.
What Grape is It?
Genetic studies show that the grape is actually a cross between the Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes. California Chardonnay is typically grown in cool valleys because the fruit ripens so quickly that producers need to slow the process down in order to keep the alcohol content to a reasonable level.
History of the wine in California:
Although first planted in the 1800’s the grape was nearly forgotten during prohibition when farmers and wine makers were forced to take Chardonnay fields out and replace them with grapes with thicker skins so transport and concealment would be easier. A few patches in more rugged terrain survived, especially in the Santa Cruz mountains and the grape started a full scale comeback in the 1970’s. It is now the stable of the California white wine industry and the most popular white wine in the world.
Important Notes:
Chardonnay is generally thought of as one of the easiest wines to create. In fact many observers of the wine industry feel that any average winemaker can create an outstanding Chardonnay given the growing conditions within California’s cool valleys.
Pricing Structure:
Chardonnay under $ 8 or so per bottle will have some significant issues.
$ 8-$ 20 Typically good balance and complexity, but lacking in oak flavoring.
$ 20-$ 40 Great Chardonnays in this price range
$ 40+ Unless your palate and nose for wine is exceptional, you most likely will not be able to tell the difference between a $ 20 bottle scored at 92 points and a $ 80 bottle scored at 94 points by the major wine critics in the world.
To Sum It Up:
We don’t plan to offer Chardonnay through either of our initial two Uncorked Ventures wine clubs. Frankly you can find many good bottles of Chardonnay at lower price points that are readily available.
Vintage Guide
2007 92 D/H
2006 88 D
2005 94 D/H
2004 91 D
2003 90 D
2002 95 D
2001 96 D
2000 88 D
1999 89 D
1998 85 D
1997 93 D
1996 90 D
1995 91 D
1994 94 D
1993 90 D
1992 92 D
1991 94 D
1990 90 D
RATING:
95-100 Spectacular. Most producers made very good wines at all levels
90-94 Excellent. The best wines should be great. Consistency throughout the vintage.
85-89 Very Good. The best producers made top wines. Inconsistent thru the lower levels.
80-86 Good. Many producers made good wines with some inconsistency at the bottom.
75-79 Middling. Choose your producers carefully. Only the best may have made a top wine.
70-74 Below Average. Tough vintage to make good wines.
Under 70 A Poor vintage. Spend your money very carefully.
STATUS:
D=Drink
D/H=Drink or Hold
H=Hold
I hope this has helped you make an informed decision when buying a bottle of Chardonnay. Just remember, vintage is important with wine.
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A Summer Red
As the summer continues my thoughts turn to wine that is more refreshing and not so brutal on the palette. This is the time to drink white wine right? I’m gonna be honest with you, I get bored by white wine after so long so usually half way through the summer I find myself turning to alternative reds that are easy to enjoy. Not simple and boring, easy to enjoy. Right now in Arkansas the mercury is rising so high it has reached a point of almost cartoonish proportions where the top of the thermometer is about to explode from all the undue stress caused by ridiculously high temperatures. Sitting on the back porch in a sea of my own sweat, sipping on a brutally rustic Barolo is not my idea of a fun time. One could liken it to drinking coffee in a sauna.
So what do you do when your getting beat by the heat AND you’re a red wine fanatic? Beaujolais. And I’m not talking about your grandmother’s Beaujolais. The stuff with the bright colors and possibly a caricature of a French man in a beret riding a bicycle on the label. I mean the real stuff, made by people who take this wine very seriously. Unfortunately, the grape that makes Beaujolais, Gamay, has gotten a bad rap for years. In 1395 the Duke of Burgundy Philippe the Bold banned it’s growth within the region so that the “more elegant” pinot noir could be grown. Over the years gamay was literally pushed so far south that it’s only technically still in the region of Burgundy, in an area known as Beaujolais.
Gamay Noir is the primary red grape of Beaujolais. It gets it’s origins from Pinot Noir and Gouais, an ancient white grape. It ripens two weeks sooner than pinot and is far easier to cultivate. Pinot is known to be an evil bitch of a grape to grow but gamy is very resilient. It is thought to have originally appeared around the town of Gamay which is just south of Beaune. Eventually it suffered the fate mentioned earlier and was pushed south by the unappreciative to where it’s now grown in a region that shares a climate more similar to the Rhone than the rest of Burgundy. It’s also been known to pop up in the Loire Valley as well. For years there was a wine known as Napa Gamay but thanks to DNA testing we now know that wine is actually made from Valdeguie, a grape that hails from the Languedoc-Roussillion region of France. As of 2007 it became illegal for Cali gamay to call itself that. Truth in marketing folks. Something I just learned though is that there are some growers in Oregon experimenting with gamay. Oregon being, to me anyway, the premier pinot region in the states with climates and soils similar to those of Burgundy, it makes for a pretty exciting prospect.
Back to the matter at hand though. Beaujolais is made up of four appellations: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Cru Beaujolais, and Beaujolais Blanc and Rose. To add to that we also have Beaujolais Nouveau. Nouveau isn’t the same as regular Beaujolais. The tradition of Nouveau began in the nineteenth century when wine makers would bottle their juice right after fermentation and send them down the Saone to be enjoyed in the bistros of Lyon to celebrate the year’s harvest. In 1937 the Beaujolais AOC was established and by it’s rules a Beaujolais could not be released before December 15. This was bad news for Nouveau which was typically ready by mid November. Georges Duboeuf, the Julio Gallo of France, was having none of that though and in the process of spreading this uninteresting wine throughout the world like a plague got the rules for Nouveau changed. All Nouveau is now released on the second Thursday in November to cries of “Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!” . Duboeuf pushed Nouveau into the states in the 80’s where it gained wild popularity among many people.
For our purposes we really only need to focus on two of the four appellations. Beaujolais-Villages and Cru Beaujolais. I consider these the more serious of the Beaujolais. Gamy by its nature is a fruit forward, easy on the palette type grape. Vintners of these two appellations tend to age their wines in oak for around six months to give it a little more character and structure. The process smoothes out the high acidity the wine can have while adding a light creaminess. This isn’t oaking in the American sense where everything is oaked for huge amounts of time in barriques that have been toasted so that everything which roles off that Napa assembly line tastes more butterier than Paula Dean’s mashed potatoes. This is more of a subtle oaking. The end product is a wine with a nice refreshing level of acidity which has a smooth creaminess on the tongue. Perfect for heat stroke inducing Arkansas summers.
The best thing about Beaujolais is that it should be consumed at around 57-61° Fahrenheit. One of my personal favorites is Roussy de Sales Chateau de la Chaize Brouilly. Brouilly is a Cru Beaujolais. One of my favorite things is sipping on this wine after it’s sat in the fridge for ten minutes and watch the sun call it a day, allowing a miniscule change in temperature to befall the land. The availability of Beaujolais varies from state to state or you may be one of the lucky ones who can have wine sent to your house so experiment. I stick to this wine because it’s really the only serious Beaujolais available in my state. You can’t go that wrong with Cru Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages and the best of the best is no more than $ 30 a bottle so I highly recommend it to cure Mid-Summer Hot Day Blues.