Wine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest production of wine, made by fermenting grapes, took place in sites in Georgia and Iran, from as early as 6000 BC. Wine is considered as a wonderful luxury. A lot of people are not able to experience a one hundred-dollar bottle of wine. However, there are so many that offer wines of good quality so that there is no need for you to exhaust your resources on this so-called luxury. You simply need to know the insider tips on finding the best wine at the best price.
One way is through wine tastings, which are usually sponsored by wine or liquor stores. Free wine tastings usually offer only very few selections of wine to try. But then again, bigger stores will sponsor much bigger wine tasting events and will typically charge between five to ten dollars per person. Different wine samples are represented by wine specialists who can give you information or advice about which selections to choose.
Another place to go when looking for affordable wines is wine bars. When ordering in such places, keep in mind that if you double the price of your glass of wine, you will have more than paid for a bottle of it. Therefore, if you try something that costs less than five dollars per glass, then you know that it is definitely an affordable wine for you to buy for your wine collection at home.
You can also refer to ratings and reviews of wines to see which ones are most recommended and affordable. Moreover, you can ask to speak with a wine specialist in a particular wine store to see if he has any recommendations.
If you put these tips to work and do a little bit of research on affordable wines, then filling your wine shelves with great bargains wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Beer lovers all have different taste and brand preferences. The most well-known beers have a certain taste and quality to them that make them instantly recognizable to beer aficionados all over the world. However, there are tons of beer drinkers who feel that there is something missing from commercial brands of beer. The complaint made by many is that these beers are close to tasteless, sometimes comparable to water. Therefore, this is why those people become interested in brewing beer at home.
When brewing beer at home, it is quite possible to make beer that tastes very similar to the kinds sold on store’s shelves. But, you probably want a beer that has a different taste, and there is a large variety to choose from. If you use certain ingredients, there is an infinite amount of home brewed beer you can make. That doesn’t always mean that even though you can make a certain flavor that you should. Sometimes, a flavored brew can turn out to be disgusting. When you brew a flavored beer, use your imagination, but keep it under control.
Here’s an example. You can make a home brewed beer that has a caramel flavor. Yes, a caramel flavored brew could be quite delicious, but some people can take it a little too far. They study the recipe and decided that adding more caramel than is called for would be a good idea. When the beer has finished brewing, they take a sip and immediately spit it out because it taste like a caramel soup gone bad. There are powders that taste like caramel available for purchase that will not overwhelm your taste buds.
Using good judgment when making flavored home brew beer is imperative to success; that doesn’t mean that brewing beer at home can’t be a blast. There are so many options. You could brew a cheese beer, but the outcome would not be favorable. Or, you could add a certain ingredient to your beer, but the beer might not always taste like that ingredient. This is why an imitation flavoring works better more often than the ingredient itself.
In other words, even though you love caramel and you certainly love beer, making home brewed caramel beer could turn out to be one of the nastiest drinks you ever put to your lips. This is not meant to deter you from tweaking and experimenting. You should just concentrate on finding the right combination and strengths of flavors. Fruit is always a good flavor choice. However, just because fruit is organic, you should not put it into your beer unrefined. Instead, put in a fruit extract. No, you are not cheating the home brew beer process; you are trying to make a home brewed beer that tastes good. Even with all of the options available, make sure to brew within the limits.
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If you are like most wine collectors – or just those who like to have a glass of wine with their meals – the purchase of a is a good investment! Those folks who drink wine regularly know that wine tastes best when chilled to its appropriate temperature. Unfortunately, storing and chilling your wine collection in a home refrigerator is not a good idea because traditional refrigerators do not maintain proper temperature and humidity necessary for wine storage. Other options such as storage in a kitchen pantry or cabinet is not feasible since storage conditions can fluctuate which will cause the quality of the wine to deteriorate and cause spoilage. Another point to consider is that fine wine needs to be stored horizontally to keep the cork moist, and this is only possible with a special wine bottle refrigerator that allows this type of storage.
In case you’re a novice with wines and are looking to buy your first refrigerator, let’s review the ideal wine storage temperatures. The ideal temperature for storing and cooling wines is 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The best serving temperatures vary somewhat based upon the specific wine: champagne and sparkling wines 53-57 degrees F; light red wines 54-57 degrees F; rich red wine and full-bodied vintages 59-68 degrees F; light red 54-57 degrees F. When you are considering which refrigerator to purchase, make sure to take into account these temperatures and what type of wine you prefer in order to be able to select the best refrigerator for your needs.
Another important consideration when selecting a is humidity. To maintain the best taste, wine must be stored at humidity levels of around 70% RH. This humidity level will assure that the cork will not dry out and that oxygen will not penetrate the wine bottle and cause the wine to spoil. Wine refrigerators keep humidity constant, providing optimal storage conditions for your fine wines.
Last but not least, another factor you must consider when choosing your wine refrigerator is your budget. If your budget is limited, consider purchasing a (such as a compact 12-bottle fridge) which is the ideal way to get started if you have only a few bottles you want to store. There are many models to choose from which will provide you years of enjoyment. Of course, if your wine investment/hobby is more serious and your budget is less restrained, you can select a refrigerator that will easily store 200 or more bottles.
Buying a wine refrigerator to preserve your fine wines and champagnes is a wise investment. Everyone from the beginner wine enthusiast to the seasoned wine taster will benefit from ideal wine storage.
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We all associate sparkling wine and champagne with joyous celebrations. However, recently, many people have recognized that sparkling wine can provide a bargain accompaniment even for an everyday meal.
Making Sparkling Wine and Champagne
If you see the words ‘traditional method’ or ‘methode traditionelle’ on a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine, then it has been made using the methods originally developed in the Champagne region of France.
The first step in making sparkling wine is to create a base wine that is very acidic. Secondly, the base wine is put in a bottle with some extra yeast and sugar and sealed. A word of warning, if you are planning to make your own, the seal must be VERY strong as the build-up of carbon dioxide can be extremely powerful!
Finally, the bottle needs to be tipped forwards so that the sediment sinks into the neck of the bottle. In traditional champagne houses, the bottles are turned daily and tapped for a period of up to three months to remove the sediment. However, the more modern approach is to freeze the neck, release the sediment and then re-cork the bottle.
Champagne Uncovered
Only wines produced in the French region of Champagne are allowed to carry the label ‘champagne’. Therefore, we are seeing a lot of sparkling wine on our shelves that is of excellent quality. Not only must champagne be produced in the Champagne region, but it must also be made from the chardonnay, pinot noir or pinot meunier grape varieties. Even the bottling method is unique to the Champagne region.
A champagne label will tell you about the sweetness of the particular champagne. For example, rich or doux champagne is very sweet with over 50g of sugar per liter, demi sec has between 17 and 35g of sugar per liter, extra dry is a label used for champagne containing between 12 and 20g of sugar per liter, brut is dry champagne with less than 15g of sugar per liter and extra brut is very dry champagne with under 6g of sugar per liter.
If you want a very special bottle of champagne look for the words “tête de cuvée” on the bottle as this refers to a premium champagne which is normally made from a single harvest.
Choosing and Serving Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine or champagne is a popular choice for those trying to choose wine for non-wine drinkers. Champagne is known as the quality bubbly; good champagne is expensive and deservedly so. You’d be wise to avoid the cheaper end of the market as it will be at best a disappointment and at worst undrinkable.
For a cheaper alternative, often of similar quality, look for sparkling wines from areas such as Australia, New Zealand and California. France also produces some excellent sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne, for example, Saumur in the Loire Valley. Other worthy alternatives include the sparkling offerings from Italy, including the light Prosecco and the sweet Asti varieties. If you are looking for a very good value sparkling wine then consider Spanish cava. Whilst nowhere near the same quality as champagne it is a well-priced, drinkable alternative.
Sparkling wine and champagne should be served at 6 Degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit); therefore, an ice bucket is essential from the moment the bottle of sparkling wine leaves the refrigerator. A final word of caution, when you open a bottle of bubbly, there will be a large release of gas so make sure that the cork is controlled and not pointed at anyone!
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Grenache noir is the world’s most widely planted grape used to make red wine, sometimes made into a stand-alone varietal, frequently as a rosé, but most often as a backbone of red blends.
Used as a component in some Northern Rhône reds, nearly exclusively for Rhône rosés and as the primary component in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. In spite of its fame coming from French wines, Spain is most likely this grape’s origin
Grenache is known by local names (alicante, carignane rousse) in the Mediterranean regions of France. Particularly important in the areas of the Languedoc and Rousillon, there are also variants with different colored berries: white grenache blanc, and pink grenache rose or grenache gris. Nearly three times as much grenache is planted in Spain as in France. The spanish know this grape and wine as garnacha or garnacha tinta, where it is the dominant red wine variety in Catalonia and prominent in Rioja. The grape is known in Italy as cannonau.
In the New World, Australia has extensive plantings of Grenache and has been very successful making full-bodied Grenache-dominated red blends. Until surpassed by plantings of merlot in the past decade, Grenache was the third most planted red variety in California after Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of this acreage is in the Central Valley and used to produce bulk rather than premium wine.
An abundant producer of fruit, grenache habitually will "alternate" a crop of 8 to 10 tons per acre one year and 14 to 16 tons the next. The vine is very sturdy and woody, lends itself well to head or spur pruning, and survives arid and drought conditions better than less vigorous vines. Cool and damp conditions can cause "deadarm" disease in grenache, however, and its compact and well-filled clusters are quite prone to rot. The grenache grape is relatively low in both pigment and malic acid, and oxidizes readily. Although some 100% varietal wines are produced from grenache, particularly in Spain’s Rioja and from some "other countries grenache is noted as a filler
On its own, grenache makes fleshy, heady, very fruity wines in their youth. They tend to age quickly, showing tawny colors and prone to oxidation or maderization after only a relatively short time in bottle. The general character and mouthfeel of Grenache wines are more distinctive and identifyable than any particular aromas or flavors.
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There are many different uses of wine. It is not only for consumption as it is a beverage with significant value and considered sophisticated. Wine is significant to many different cuisines, religions, and it has many different health related benefits.
There are many different wines used for cooking purposes. Many deserts have wine in them, such as the Black Forest Cherry. Many people like to marinade meats in wine before grilling or baking in the oven.
Wine has many religious uses. Because wine induces a mind altering state, the Dionysus used it as a sacramental entheogen. It is an integral part of the Jewish laws, such as Kiddush. This is a blessing which sanctifies the Jewish holiday with wine.
The Christianity religion uses wine also during the Eucharist. The last supper shows Jesus Christ sitting with his disciples drinking a glass of wine and sharing bread. There are many denominations that believe in the Eucharist, including the Roman Catholics and the Protestants.
Islamic law forbids wine. Although Iran used to have a thriving wine industry it was abolished in 1979, due to the Islamic Revolution. Any type of alcohol is strictly forbidden.
There are also many health benefits of wine. Red wine contains a chemical called resveratrol. This chemical has cardio protective and chemo protective effects in studies of animals. Procyanidins are known to have heart benefits and they are most commonly found in red wines. Procyanidins suppress the process in the body that constricts the blood vessels.
Sulphites are contained in all wines due to the fermentation process. Some wines have more than others. Sulphites have been known to cause problems with people who have asthma.
Wine is known to be healthy to drink occasionally. If you drink one glass of wine a day it is considered to be healthy for your heart. Pregnant women are also okay to drink a small glass of wine each day. It is known to be a heart healer and healthy for the body because it provides a relaxing affect on the muscles and the brain.
Excessively drinking wine can lead to problems and cause health issues if it is on a constant basis. It is not advised to drink excessive amounts of wine due to the high alcohol content in most wines.
Scott Wells writes for where you can learn to just in time for the holiday season.
Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy, is a touchy variety. The best examples offer the classic black cherry, spice, raspberry and currant flavors, and an aroma that can resemble wilted roses, along with earth, tar, herb and cola notes. It can also be rather ordinary, light, simple, herbal, vegetal and occasionally weedy. It can even be downright funky, with pungent barnyard aromas. In fact, Pinot Noir is the most fickle of all grapes to grow: It reacts strongly to environmental changes such as heat and cold spells, and is notoriously fussy to work with once picked, since its thin skins are easily bruised and broken, setting the juice free. Even after fermentation, Pinot Noir can hide its weaknesses and strengths, making it a most difficult wine to evaluate out of barrel. In the bottle, too, it is often a chameleon, showing poorly one day, brilliantly the next.
The emphasis on cooler climates coincides with more rigorous clonal selection, eliminating those clones suited for sparkling wine, which have even thinner skins. These days there is also a greater understanding of and appreciation for different styles of Pinot Noir wine, even if there is less agreement about those styles-should it be rich, concentrated and loaded with flavor, or a wine of elegance, finesse and delicacy? Or can it, in classic Pinot Noir sense, be both? Even varietal character remains subject to debate. Pinot Noir can certainly be tannic, especially when it is fermented with some of its stems, a practice that many vintners around the world believe contributes to the wine’s backbone and longevity. Pinot Noir can also be long-lived, but predicting with any precision which wines or vintages will age is often the ultimate challenge in forecasting.
Pinot Noir is the classic grape of Burgundy and also of Champagne, where it is pressed immediately after picking in order to yield white juice. It is just about the only red grown in Alsace. In California, it excelled in the late 1980s and early 1990s and seems poised for further progress. Once producers stopped vinifying it as if it were Cabernet, planted vineyards in cooler climates and paid closer attention to tonnage, quality increased substantially. It’s fair to say that California and Oregon have a legitimate claim to producing world-class Pinot Noir.
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If you’re a fan of wine and live in Austin, Texas there is a lot for you to be happy about. The area is home to two excellent wine bars/restaurants, a unique wine store that offers tasting lessons and a yearly festival that lets locals experience all that wine country has to offer.
First on the list is the Uncorked Tasting room & Wine Bar. It’s located at 900 East 7th Street and is open 3 p.m. to midnight on week days and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. They offer a selection of 127 wines from 13 different countries, with something to suit all budgets. If you’re in the mood for sampling several different wines at once try the wine flights, which have a separate menu. These orders come with a sample of three different wines all with a card to help you identify which is which. This is a terrific way to become exposed to something new. They offer a full dinner menu with reasonably priced meals.
Vino Vino is another local spot that is passionate about wine. It offers a store, a wine bar and a restaurant. It’s located at 4119 Guadalupe Street just north of campus. The retail store is open on Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. and on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. The bar serves guests on Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant is open on Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. It’s a small venue but perfect for getting a glass of your favorite wine and a nice meal. When you shop at the retail store you should know that you can get 15% off two bottles or more so it’s a great time to stock up your at home wine cabinet.
For an education in wine, look no further than the Grapevine Market. Located at 7938 Great Northern Boulevard it features Grapevine University, weekend classes on wine tasting of all types. The folks at Grapevine Market love to share their passion for wine and for $10 per class, you’ll be able to become passionate about it too. The hour long wine tasting seminars are held on Saturdays and upcoming classes include Central Italy, Burgundy and Champagne and Sparkling Wine.
If traveling from winery to winery is more your speed, don’t miss out on the Texas Wine Trails. These special events are self guided tours through Texas Hill Country and includes 24 different wineries. The Texas Wine Month trail lasts all of October. Your ticket to the event entitles you to one to three free tastes of wine. Tickets are $35 per person and $60 per couple. You’ll also receive a recipe collection of the top dishes from the wineries once you visit 14 wineries, and you’re entered in a Texas Wine Month raffle.
As you can see, when it comes to wine, Austin is the place to be!
Joe Cline writes articles for . Other articles written by the author related to and can be found on the net.
Just like in any literary genre, the genre of wine writing varies greatly. The straight-forward wine and cocktail guides, sure, are still prominent. But they have been joined by wine writing that take off from various viewpoints: there are wine books for armchair scientists, historians, adventurers, academics, as well as those simply for the avid drinker.
The world of booze has never offered so many wonderful and different books to enjoy while, of course!, enjoying a nip as well. So keep your wine/cocktail guides at the ready, get those feet up on the ottoman, and enjoy some wine education in the comfort of a good read and glass of wine.
For those inclined towards history and are lovers of wine, there are several books of note:
Champagne: How the World’s Most Glorious Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times and Wine & War: The French, The Nazis, and The Battle for Frances Greatest Treasure by Donald and Petie Kladstrup. If you love war history and wine, both of these books are excellent choices. The Kladstrup’s have done thorough research and write in a style that never bores.
The Widow Cliquot by Tilar Mazzeo. Mazzeo from the outset of her book admits that there were few materials to work with when she undertook her endeavor, as the Widow’s story is mostly one that “lives in the shadowy half-life of oral folk legend.” Nonetheless, she is a more than impressive biographer, and Veuve Cliquot’s life – and all she accomplished – is nothing short of impressive.
Judgement of Paris by George Taber. California wines besting French Bordeaux? Mon dieu! Get the real true “Bottle Shock” story from the man who first broke it in 1976. Taber is the real deal – and unlike that botched movie starring Alan Rickman (who, it must be said, I adore) Judgement will keep you on the edge of your seat. Even if you do already know the ending.
Now for the scientists in the house:
To Cork or Not to Cork by George Taber. Yes, it’s true. I’m a fan. This guy is a tried and true reporter and in this fascinating book on cork vs. screw-cap (yes, that modifier “fascinating” is correctly placed), he takes a thorough look at the industry of bottling wines and what he finds may come as a surprise.
What the Nose Knows by Gilbert Avery. Not a wine book, exactly, but Avery – a sensory specialist who works at the Monell Institute in Philadelphia, has written an amazing book on that least used of all senses: smell. For those who like to appreciate their wine by first taking in a deep inhalation of its aromas, this is a must for you.
Lastly, for those who love good adventure stories and “meeting” interesting folks from around the world:
The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World From Parkerization. Ms. Feiring makes no bones about the wines she most loves – they are those that are all about terroir and cultivated and produced by traditional, oft-times, small time farmers from around the globe (mostly Europe, though). This is an especially entertaining read when it comes to Feiring’s rants on Robert Parker, and specifically those wine producers who seem to create wines specifically for his pallate (and a 90+ rating). Funny, clever, incisive, bold Alice.
Red, White, and Drunk All Over by Natalie McLean and Bacchus and Me by Jay McInerny. These two books make terrific companions as both McLean and McInerny travel the globe in search of more wine knowledge and more than one great sip. McLean’s curiosity is infectious while McInerny’s writings have never been better. Both books are sensuous in their descriptions of wines so be sure and have a favorite bottle nearby for when you start to salivate.
First Big Crush by Eric Arnold. Whereas our adventurer Arnold goes to New Zealand for a year to work at Allen Scott Winery and learns from field to vat to which way and that all there is to know about the winemaking industry. Oh, and did I mention he knows next to nothing when he starts out? Arnold’s book is bawdy, laugh-out-loud riotous at times, yet still manages to impart great knowledge of what it must be like to run a winery.
So what are you waiting for? Get thee to your local book/wine merchants, and get to it. That wonderful crisp weather is just begging you to stay inside. For extended reviews on most books mentioned here, please visit www.wineclass.net.
Jenny Park works at The Wine School of Philadelphia