Category — Wine

I must admit, that for many of us, walking into a store to buy a bottle of wine can be a little like visiting a foreign country and not knowing the language. If you’re buying wine for yourself that’s probably not a big deal, although it might be nice to be somewhat knowledgeable so that you’re more likely to buy something you will enjoy. However, if you are buying a bottle of wine as a gift, then being able to interpret information on the label becomes a bit more important. But, first things, first.

Your first consideration should probably be where you will be shopping. If you live in a state where alcohol sales are controlled or restricted, your options may be limited. I happen to live in Pennsylvania where consumers are only permitted to purchase packaged wine and alcohol from state-operated Wine and Spirits Stores or a privately owned Pennsylvania Winery. You may, of course, travel out of state to purchase a limited amount of alcoholic beverages, but these purchases are subject to an 18% state tax. (However, I can’t say that I know anyone who has traveled [Read more →]

The history of wine consumption in America has been frought with starts, stops, and inconsistencies. The American population has always had a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Historic prohibitionist attitudes amongst much of the American population have blurred the line between moderate wine consumption and detrimental alcoholism. As a result, regular, moderate consumption of wine by the American public continues to face ideological and legal impediments.

The History of Wine Consumption [Read more →]

We think of California’s Napa Valley as one of the great wine centers of the world, but its other great boast is food. The Valley lies in the midst of some of the world’s most creative farmers and livestock growers, surrounded by an ocean of fish and the world’s most abundant variety of fruits, nuts, vegetables, artisan meats and rare foodstocks. In the restaurants and markets of the Valley, all this bounty arrives every [Read more →]

This article treats one of the world’s most successful marketing campaigns – the French red wine that arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, Beaujolais Nouveau. At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday in November, this wine is released for sale. Talk about market share, in the next 24 hours over one million cases will be sold. During the coming year, consumers all over the world will buy more than 65 million bottles. There will be about 4 million bottles exported to the United States, and 7 million to Japan and to Germany. About seven hundred thousand bottles will be exported to Italy, which makes a similar wine, Vino Novello, reviewed in our article I Love Italian Wine and Food – Vino Novello (New Wine).

What is exactly is new wine, whether Beaujolais Nouveau, Vino Novello, or some other, similar product? New wine is the first of the harvest, released in early November. The exact date depends on the country. New wines are produced by a special method, [Read more →]

Often times people will describe their taste in wine, and when they describe their ideal white wine, they will say “I like Chardonnay”. Of course, there are a growing number of wine drinkers that are saying “ABC” or “Anything But Chardonnay” a backlash to the prevalence of the wine, but that is another matter. This very commonly used grape is used broadly across California, France and Australia, but while it may be similar in being grown, what comes to consumers in the bottle is often different than they might expect.

California Chardonnay is what most Americans think of when they describe their taste in the wine. California Chardonnay is commonly (but not always) described as creamy, buttery, oaky, with vanilla and honey notes. The main reason for this is really in the fermentation process. The secondary fermentation process is called [Read more →]

For the average wine consumer, there is a plethora of intimidation associated with wine buying. This is a feeling that is most often associated with not understanding wine labels. New world wines tend to make it easier – wines bottled in Australia, South America and the United States are often more direct in their presentation of the type of wine and the name of the vineyard. On the other hand, old world wine labels like those from France, Italy, Spain and Germany carry with them loads of classifications, harvest-types, town names, vineyard titles and producer idiosyncrasies – all in a foreign language. While these labels embody the wonderfully classic aesthetic associated with a good looking wine label, [Read more →]

Attending a wine tasting has become quite a popular event. It is a wonderful way to try new wines without the expense of buying many bottles that you are not familiar with. It also affords you the opportunity of learning to distinguish between the many different flavors. Most important you can learn more in one tasting then you would on your own after trying numerous bottles. In this article I would like to highlight for you some of the pointers you should take away from a wine tasting.

First, find a wine tasting that you can attend and purchase your ticket. Get there early so you can get a seat that you can see and hear clearly. It is important that you have had a decent meal before you attend. You don’t want to be tasting wine on an empty stomach. There will be cheese and crackers served in between wines to enhance the flavor of [Read more →]

Wine Tasting Etiquette

As wine tasting is considered to be a very sophisticated practice there is a specific etiquette you have to follow. This etiquette should remain the same whether you are at a vineyard, a wine tasting private party, or in a restaurant.

When you have a wine tasting party you should only invite the amount of people that you can fit comfortably in the room you want to have your party. A crowd may be intimidating. You do not want any of your guests to feel like they are being rushed when they are pouring a glass or tasting the wine.

Always be sure to have bottled water on hand when you are having a wine tasting. This allows your guests to rinse their mouths out between tasting different wines. If you have just tasted a very heavy wine you must have water ready for the guests. If you do not then their next tasting may be tainted due to the heaviness lingering in their mouths. In addition, water is good because guests will get thirsty and they need to drink something other than the wine.

When you have a wine tasting it is important to provide foods for your guests. However, you also want to be sure to have food on hand that will not change the way the wine tastes in any way. The best snacks to have on hand include unflavored things like bread or unsalted crackers.

Decanting

Some people practice decanting [Read more →]