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It was 2:30 in the morning at the Wine Library Lounge and the last guests have bid their farewells.   Sam sat down on a small corner table to fill out the sales report.  With him was a half-empty bottle of 1979 Chateau Fonplegade, a lovely Grand Cru Classe from St. Emilion.  This one was from a collector’s series featuring Van Gogh’s “Route aux Cypress” on the label.   Earlier in one of the private rooms of the Wine Library Lounge a party of three had polished off three delicious Burgundy 1er Crus from vintages in the 70s.  Prudently, they decided to quit after finishing half of the fourth and last for the night.  The host was a compellingly elegant woman in a slender red business suit.  In a stylish gesture of generosity, she said to Sam. “Please remove the bottle at once before I force my guests to help me finish it.” 

Life as a sommelier is full of perks when the guests you serve have the style and the finesse.  Sam gets a kick out of serving guests who know how enjoy the game.   They get to enjoy the evening so much more than the others.

The Ch. Fonplegade was exactly the kind of company Sam needed after a hard-working evening.  Wine guys – sommeliers to students of the old school – are frequently regarded as necessary evils.  It is unfortunate but often true that a sommelier is perceived by customers as an obstacle to overcome because they can get what they want.  

1. C’mon, tell me one, please?”  She asked with the desperate charm of a whinchat.

Sam’s good side completely dominated the man tonight.  “There was this gentleman the other evening.  He came in very late with a lovely lady as his date.  He opened doors for her, removed her coat and pulled her chair – the works.  It’s the game – one of those things that make it fun to be a woman. He did it so well and she was soaking it up.  You can see it in her eyes trying to hide her adoration of the man.  Then I presented him with the wine menu.”  Sam paused for a sip.

“What?” She exploded grabbing his hands with a fierce squeeze.  Sam went on to explain.

There aren’t any logical explanations to why some customers feel intimidated about wine.  Dining out is a game.  Wine makes it more fun to play the game.  As a paying customer, you want to get the most out of your money.  That should include the full treatment which we don’t get if we don’t learn how to play the game.

• Selecting the playground
• Ordering the wine
• Inspecting a bottle
• Giving serving instructions
• Tasting and approving the wine
• Drinking and conversing
• Corkage, tipping and BYO etiquettes

Let’s look into these components one at a time.

The Ch. Fonplegade was exactly the kind of company Sam needed after a hard-working evening.  Wine guys – sommeliers to students of the old school – are frequently regarded as necessary evils.  It is unfortunate but often true that a sommelier is perceived by customers as an obstacle to overcome because they can get what they want.  

An eager young waitress sat down timidly in front of Sam.  Ordinarily she and her little dimple on her left cheek would have been woofed away.  Tonight, she even got a small glass of the wine.   She took that as a cue for permission to speak. 

“Sam, you’ve been a wine guy for a number of years.  I’m sure you have some stories cellared in that wisdom chest inside your head.   C’mon, tell me one, please?”  She asked with the desperate charm of a whinchat.

Sam’s good side completely dominated the man tonight.  “There was this gentleman the other evening.  He came in very late with a lovely lady as his date.  He opened doors for her, removed her coat and pulled her chair – the works.  It’s the game – one of those things that make it fun to be a woman. He did it so well and she was soaking it up.  You can see it in her eyes trying to hide her adoration of the man.  Then I presented him with the wine menu.”  Sam paused for a sip.

“Our suave Cary Grant froze into a bronze statue.  He just sat there forever staring at the menu without so much as a word or a hint that he was still breathing.    Now what could cause someone like that to stop dead on his tracks?”  Sam paused and looked into those big young shinny eyes. 

“What?” She exploded grabbing his hands with a fierce squeeze.  Sam went on to explain.

There aren’t any logical explanations to why some customers feel intimidated about wine.  Dining out is a game.  Wine makes it more fun to play the game.  As a paying customer, you want to get the most out of your money.  That should include the full treatment which we don’t get if we don’t learn how to play the game.

Learning the game is a lot simpler than most beginners might think.  But let’s get one hang-up out of the way right now.  You don’t need to learn French.   Whew!   And this game is definitely easier than singing or dancing. Every component of a little game is an opportunity for the player to have fun.  Once you know the game, they won’t be obstacles anymore.

• Selecting the playground
• Ordering the wine
• Inspecting a bottle
• Giving serving instructions
• Tasting and approving the wine
• Drinking and conversing
• Corkage, tipping and BYO etiquettes

Let’s look into these components one at a time.

Selecting the playground

1. Divers and skiers are just as zealous when it comes to choosing a venue to satisfy their thirst for thrills and discoveries.

Wine enthusiasts shouldn’t settle for anything less either.  The fun and thrill of dining out is to experience something that we don’t get at home.  If the wines served in a restaurant are stuff that you find in the neighborhood wine store, you have probably picked the wrong restaurant.  Good food can take you half way there at best.

A good restaurant always offers wines that are not readily available on retail.  They do so by investing in and maintaining a cellar to collect and age many bottles of the wine.

Reading the restaurant’s wine menu may not be as engaging as reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it shouldn’t feel like re-reading The Goblet of Fire (book 4 for those who is one generation behind) for the 18th time.   A great restaurant is obliged to offer a wine selection so wide and deep that it will keep you intrigued for endless return visits. 

Word of Advice

Make an extra effort when choosing a dining venue.  Not all are tuned in to the wine culture.  Call up ahead to ask.  If you stumble into a wrong one, don’t be shy to walk out.  There are better places for you to spend your money.   

Ordering your wine

Reading, for many of us is a pleasure best savored in privacy.  Reading a wine menu is a pleasure to wine lovers.  Poorly trained wine staff tends to crowd the scene with unwanted attention and worse, importunate suggestions.

Feel free to firmly fend off the “Would you like red or white?” and the “We have wine by the glass also.”  A simple “Please check back in 10 minutes” would do nicely.  Occasionally, that doesn’t work.  Then it calls for a “Please bring me some water chilled to 15 degrees.  Then add a twist of lime without the peel.”  This will buy you 10 minutes of private reading pleasure, I hope. 

Many restaurants are pressured by wine merchants to sell their wine.  That’s why we often get these lines from even the bus boys: “We highly recommend this great Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile” or “This Napa Valley Zinfandel is the most popular wine in town today.”

It is perfectly acceptable to ask questions about any wine on the menu, as long as your line of questioning leads to the deliverance of a verdict in the foreseeable future.

Advice to the prudent

Spend 5 minutes to browse the wine menu and get a general feel for what kinds of wines the venue has to offer.  Then turn to the food menu and decide what you will eat.  After that, let the sommelier return to discuss wine and food pairing before ordering your wine.

Inspecting a Bottle

The process of inspecting a bottle of wine serves an indispensable purpose – to allow the customer one last chance to change his mind before the restaurant puts the wine on the bill.

The procedure is simple and quite standard. 

Wine waiter:     presents you with a bottle of the wine that you ordered, showing you the label with a few words, not of praises, but of the pertinent details of the wine.  The words are to assert that the wine is indeed the one that you ordered. 

Guest:  examines the details of the wine mainly for purpose of authentication.  Things to look for are (1) name of the wine, (2) name of the producer/shipper in the case of wines from Burgundy and Rhone for example, and (3) vintage year.   You only have to nod your head to signify your approval, not of the wine but of the bottle only.

Wine waiter:     thanks you for your acceptance and asks you for permission to uncork the wine.

There.  No pain at all.  More to follow so please read on.

Advice to the novice

Giving Serving Instructions

This paragraph is optional.  Those readers taking the beginners’ course are welcome to jump to the next section.

Are you still here?  Welcome. 

Selecting a wine is just half of the ordering process.  Most people give up their basic rights of ordering the way they prefer their wine to be prepared and served.  Leaving it up to the sommelier is acceptable if you know them well.  Otherwise, go the extra yard and give specific instructions.

Here are the fundamental parameters to wine preparation and services on which you can base your instructions.

• Temperature at which you want the wine to be served
• Do you wish the wine to be kept in an ice bucket or a wine cooler?
• Decant, double decant or serve straight from the bottle
• Types of wine glasses you prefer
• Sequence of services when you order more than one bottle
• Help yourself or let the waiter do the pouring
• How much wine (e.g. less than half full) to pour into your glass

Any decent restaurant will be wiling and able to accommodate requests within those parameters.  If you are unlucky meet with stiff resistance on this front, it will only be poetic justice for you to walk out or at least, reject the wine.  Why should you pay for inadequate facilities and a complacent service attitude?

Advice to the discerning wine lover

Do not assume that your instructions are followed.  More often than not they are not.  Don’t be shy to complain or even threaten to reject the wine if your instructions are not followed.

Selecting the playground

Golfers travel around the world just to play courses that catch their fancy.   Divers and skiers are just as zealous when it comes to choosing a venue to satisfy their thirst for thrills and discoveries.

Wine enthusiasts shouldn’t settle for anything less either.  The fun and thrill of dining out is to experience something that we don’t get at home.  If the wines served in a restaurant are stuff that you find in the neighborhood wine store, you have probably picked the wrong restaurant.  Good food can take you half way there at best.

A good restaurant always offers wines that are not readily available on retail.  They do so by investing in and maintaining a cellar to collect and age many bottles of the wine.

Reading the restaurant’s wine menu may not be as engaging as reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it shouldn’t feel like re-reading The Goblet of Fire (book 4 for those who is one generation behind) for the 18th time.   A great restaurant is obliged to offer a wine selection so wide and deep that it will keep you intrigued for endless return visits. 

Word of Advice

Make an extra effort when choosing a dining venue.  Not all are tuned in to the wine culture.  Call up ahead to ask.  If you stumble into a wrong one, don’t be shy to walk out.  There are better places for you to spend your money.   

Ordering your wine

Reading, for many of us is a pleasure best savored in privacy.  Reading a wine menu is a pleasure to wine lovers.  Poorly trained wine staff tends to crowd the scene with unwanted attention and worse, importunate suggestions.

Feel free to firmly fend off the “Would you like red or white?” and the “We have wine by the glass also.”  A simple “Please check back in 10 minutes” would do nicely.  Occasionally, that doesn’t work.  Then it calls for a “Please bring me some water chilled to 15 degrees.  Then add a twist of lime without the peel.”  This will buy you 10 minutes of private reading pleasure, I hope. 

Many restaurants are pressured by wine merchants to sell their wine.  That’s why we often get these lines from even the bus boys: “We highly recommend this great Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile” or “This Napa Valley Zinfandel is the most popular wine in town today.” 

It is perfectly acceptable to ask questions about any wine on the menu, as long as your line of questioning leads to the deliverance of a verdict in the foreseeable future.

Advice to the prudent

Spend 5 minutes to browse the wine menu and get a general feel for what kinds of wines the venue has to offer.  Then turn to the food menu and decide what you will eat.  After that, let the sommelier return to discuss wine and food pairing before ordering your wine.

Inspecting a Bottle

The process of inspecting a bottle of wine serves an indispensable purpose – to allow the customer one last chance to change his mind before the restaurant puts the wine on the bill.

The procedure is simple and quite standard. 

Wine waiter:     presents you with a bottle of the wine that you ordered, showing you the label with a few words, not of praises, but of the pertinent details of the wine.  The words are to assert that the wine is indeed the one that you ordered. 

Guest:  examines the details of the wine mainly for purpose of authentication.  Things to look for are (1) name of the wine, (2) name of the producer/shipper in the case of wines from Burgundy and Rhone for example, and (3) vintage year.   You only have to nod your head to signify your approval, not of the wine but of the bottle only.

Wine waiter:     thanks you for your acceptance and asks you for permission to uncork the wine.

There.  No pain at all.  More to follow so please read on.

Advice to the novice

More frequently than we might think, waiters fail to bring you exactly the wine you ordered.  Ask for the wine list when the bottle is presented.  Compare what you see on the label to the data on the wine list to make sure what you see is indeed what you have ordered.  

Giving Serving Instructions

This paragraph is optional.  Those readers taking the beginners’ course are welcome to jump to the next section.

Are you still here?  Welcome. 

Selecting a wine is just half of the ordering process.  Most people give up their basic rights of ordering the way they prefer their wine to be prepared and served.  Leaving it up to the sommelier is acceptable if you know them well.  Otherwise, go the extra yard and give specific instructions.

Here are the fundamental parameters to wine preparation and services on which you can base your instructions.

• Temperature at which you want the wine to be served
• Do you wish the wine to be kept in an ice bucket or a wine cooler?
• Decant, double decant or serve straight from the bottle
• Types of wine glasses you prefer
• Sequence of services when you order more than one bottle
• Help yourself or let the waiter do the pouring
• How much wine (e.g. less than half full) to pour into your glass

Any decent restaurant will be wiling and able to accommodate requests within those parameters.  If you are unlucky meet with stiff resistance on this front, it will only be poetic justice for you to walk out or at least, reject the wine.  Why should you pay for inadequate facilities and a complacent service attitude?

Advice to the discerning wine lover

Do not assume that your instructions are followed.  More often than not they are not.  Don’t be shy to complain or even threaten to reject the wine if your instructions are not followed.

Tasting and approving the wine

Armed with your permission, the sommelier will proceed to uncork your bottle of wine.  This should be performed in your presence as a rule.  It shows that the bottle you approved is the same one that is being opened.

You are then given the right to taste and then decide to approve or reject the wine.   Here is the protocol.

Wine waiter:     asks for permission to uncork the wine.  He opens the bottle (see Giving Serving Instructions) and sets the cork down in front of you.

Guest:  Examine the cork or simply wave the waiter to pour the wine.  Some corks have a stamp of the wine’s name on it.  This will make it easier to authenticate the wine.   Most of us just skip this step but there are those who like to pick up the cork and smell it.   Don’t.

Wine waiter:     pours a little bit – about 1/10 of your glass – for your tasting. 

Guest:  examine the color, twirls the glass a bit and drinks the wine.  Now come crunch time.  You make the all important decision – to accept or to reject.   Let’s say you accept.  A nod would do. 

Wine waiter:     thanks you and asks you if he may be allowed to serve now or let the wine breathe for a while first.

Guest:  if you want it to be served, indicate to whom the wine should be served first, usually the guest of honor – your date, not the hunk seated at the adjacent table!

Wine will then be served as per your serving instructions.  In the absence of specific instructions, house rules prevail.  That’s pot luck.  It’s not too late to double back to the previous section on Giving Service Instructions now.

Under what circumstances can a guest reject a bottle of wine?

Bottom-line is you can say “take it away” if the wine is bad.  This means one of the following conditions applies:

.           Wine is in poor health – disgusting odor, color completely faded

.           Wine tastes like vinegar – wine is oxidized

.           Wine is a fake – not the kind you ordered.

You cannot reject a wine just because you don’t like it.

Drinking and Conversing

Drinking is a rather personal thing.  Some like to drink in large gulps between long intervals.  Others like to take tiny sips incessantly.  I know many who get the best of both worlds – large gulps in hardly detectable intervals.

Myths surrounding drinking are plenty and free.  Bash them.  Smoking is one of those.  Unless you are paid in high six figures for tasting wines as a profession, you puff away while consuming a simple New World merlot.  Food and wine pairing, on the other hand is serious business and should not be brushed off quite so quickly.  A wrong decision here can mean the difference between lust and disgust.

An integral part of wine appreciation is talking about the wine.  Sharing opinions and impressions about the stuff you drink is more than acceptable.  It is expected and notoriously fun.

Feel free to step into the shoes of a Robert Parker and plagiarize about body, concentration, extract, length and depth if you are in that mood.  Be more illusive if you like and whip up a soufflé of obscurities with words like character, distinction and finesse.  You can even stretch the imagination with phrases like “a gallantly pathetic effort”.  But would you go so far as one woman did?  “This wine attacks the palate like a gust of cold ocean breeze against a freshly shaven leg”.

It is perfectly acceptable and indeed a chic gesture to beckon the sommelier for an earful of your comments.  I have served wine in more than one occasion and I tell you that nothing gave me more pleasure than to listen to the comments of the guests.  The efforts made to articulate their ecstasies were most flattering.  Of course, I am a much better listener when offered a glass of the wine that caused all that excitement in the first place.

I remember one time when I was confronted by an attractive lady with a direct question.  “Denny, what are the qualities of a good wine?”  I could have answered that in two dozen ways involving a balanced mixture of bad poetry and overused jargons.  Instead, what came out of my mouth was a mere “Big and long”.  So much for poetry but that answer was exactly what was pictured in my mind.

Advice to the timid

Don’t hold back.  This is the time for the poet in you to surface.  Nothing you say can possibly be wrong, as long as you don’t break the golden rule – don’t short change yourself with anything not original.  You are the only connoisseur that matters.

Corkage, Tipping and BYO etiquettes

We’ve all been held hostage by a custom called “corkage” which of course means that restaurant has the right to charge you a fee for bringing in your own drinks (can also apply to food).  Is it fair?  Certainly, but only as long as it is a consistent policy and the restaurant has a wine collection robust enough to satisfy our appetites for discoveries.   Otherwise, they should quietly put up with bottles marching through their doors.

But let’s look at it from another angle.  If we dine out, why burden ourselves with unnecessary chores like bringing a bottle of wine?   Isn’t it more rewarding to hold the hand of your date rather than the neck of a cold hard bottle of Vega Sicilia?

BYO (Bring Your Own) etiquettes start and end with one basic rule.   If you have to bring wine into a restaurant, the bottle should be in one or two classes above those that the restaurant has to offer.  Don’t even think about bringing something that is readily available in retail shops.  Putting it in another way, your BYO wine should be something that would cause the sommelier to misbehave all evening long hoping to get a sip of your wine.

Tipping is a matter of style and character.  It transcends the basic obligation of rewarding the serving staff.  It touches on the realm of a self-expression of satisfaction, a sigh of relief that the best has just transpired. 

When in doubt tip profusely.  When you do that, don’t forget to let the establishment hear all your constructive complaints.   Nothing beats two-way communications even in a one-night relationship like this.

Advice to the frequent diners

Dining out is a just another form of shopping.  First rule of shopping – when in doubt, ask, ask and ask again.  One thing you shouldn’t do is to take a chance on anything that might ruin your evening.  The average person has less than 50 memorable evenings in a year.  Sadly more than half of them will turn out to be false alarms.  A few great evenings will make it into your hall of fame.  This might be one of them. 

So there you have it.

Wine appreciation is much, much more than satisfying our cravings for good fermented grape juice.   The interactions with the wait staff, the painful struggle to decide what to order for the night, the stories of mistakes and the occasional rare finds to share with wine friends are all part of the wine lifestyle. 

We make an effort to learn the game not because we play to win.  There are no scores in this game and there are no winners or losers.  But beware.  Don’t get to be too good at it.  You might just wake up one day and find yourself with a new hobby for life.

Sam finishes his 79 Ch. Fonplegade.  Big eyed waitress with a tiny dimple gets the empty bottle with a Van Gogh label to decorate her apartment.  Another day in the life of a sommelier fades away.  In the background, the song echoes “There before the grace of you, go I.”

Comments and questions can be sent directly to the author at this email address Wine@Yats-International.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/essential-wine-etiquettes-of-dining-out-1349143.html

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There are many different theme parties to choose from. You have your off the wall Halloween based themes like Jason’s Manor and the Adam’s Family, to your more typical pool party theme. Of all the theme parties there may only be one champion and in my book it is the Mexican fiesta.

Planning a Mexican party is much like planning any party. It all starts with creating a checklist. This you will use to make sure all your party goods are checked off the list. Write everything down. I mean everything. This includes, all the way down to the purchase of napkins and how much it costs. The reason for this is to keep yourself budget conscious and have an accurate table of all your party items. The last thing any host wants to do during their party is to have to tell their guests that they will have to run to the store real quick to pick up this and that. The checklist is the party planner’s tool for eliminating any such hassle.

The Mexican party is a great choice of theme. There is always much dancing to be had and everyone singing along to the music, when on many occasions they have no idea what it is they are singing. The Spanish language is a beautifully sounding dialect especially when put into song. So expect dancing, and even more so, encourage it. This will bring out the laughter, create memories and possibly even develop lasting relationships. There is something to be said about parties with dancing. It is like a party at a new and intense level of celebration. So it is important to make some room for your guests to dance. Turn the music up loud and let it slowly take over the room. If no one decides to dance, be the first, you certainly won’t be the last.

Besides the song and dance, the food and drink and the traditional Mexican dress there is plenty of other reasons to want to have a Mexican fiesta. Think of how your house would look with all the colors of Mexico hanging off your walls, curtains and draped on your tables. There is many different things you could add. If you wanted you could take up an interest in different types of cactuses and maybe red hot chili peppers. Or maybe even a few hanging piñatas that the kids would love to bash into tiny little bits to get at all that wonderful candy. You could easily turn your house into a Mexican fantasy world and do it relatively cheap. Even your menu could be done on the relative cheap side, and done quite well.

Think about planning a Mexican party not only for yourself, but for all your friends and family as well. They will love it. The history of America speaks for us all, even those just below the border. Our southern cousins certainly know how to party. The word fiesta is familiar and for good reason. It means day of rest, but somehow for many it really means time to party. For anyone who has never been to Mexico and doesn’t know it’s history Cinco De Mayo is a very popular holiday. It marks the day when Mexican forces overran the French on May 5, 1862. It is much like the Fourth of July. They both represent days to celebrate life, freedom and happiness.

A Mexican theme party is also a great way to showcase your hosting skills. There is much that goes into creating a successful party and this will be no different. The only thing different about your last party and this one is everyone will be dancing and singing. Is that reason enough to begin planning a Mexican party. I think so!

James Craven is a party planning expert with more than 20 years experience. For more great tips on planning a Mexican party, visit http://www.planningparty.net.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/why-planning-a-mexican-party-is-a-great-choice-of-themes-1331735.html

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide

Wine in its simplest form is fermented grape juice. Then, why do they vary so much in price and taste? Have you ever found yourself in front of a bewildering amass of wine bottles at your local wine store trying to select the right one for a special occasion? So, how do you unravel some of the mystery behind it to make your holiday shopping easier?

 If you are an avid wine drinker, you could spend some time trying to understand wines. You could become the wine expert that everyone seeks advice from.  First, learn how to read the label on a bottle of wine. Typically, most French wines are not labeled by varietal i.e. Cabernet, Merlot etc., however, most of the new world wine is labeled by varietal. New world wines are produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe.

The new world includes Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Old world wine regions are Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Each one makes vastly different styles of wine even within their own borders. The term “old /new world” is used to describe general differences in cultivation and winemaking philosophies. In old world regions, tradition, the role of unique pieces of land, and the climate are more important versus in the new world, where science and the role of the winemaker are more often emphasized.

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, and is almost 80% red, and is a blend. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Typical top-quality Chateaux blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Merlot. This is typically referred to as the “Bordeaux Blend.”  Burgundy is one of France’s main wine producing areas. It is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, respectively. Beaujolais & Beaujolais Nouveau are red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. Beaujolais Nouveau is the most popular. It is fermented for just a few weeks. It is officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November. This is a heavy favorite, served at harvest celebrations and at Thanksgiving.

Antoney Manipadam is a Certified Sommelier, pursuing the Master Sommelier Certification. He Owns and operates Lake Mary Cork&Olive;, the best wine store in Lake Mary, Florida. Website: http://www.corkandolivelakemary.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/sugar-yeast-alcohol-carbon-dioxide-1336236.html

What height should my chair be at? Should I really sleep with a pillow between my legs? Dr. Gregg D. Rubinstein, a chiropractor at 57th Street Chiropractic in New York City, answers the most common questions that chiropractors are asked.

What type of mattress do you advise people get?

I recommend getting as firm a mattress as you feel comfortable sleeping on. If I say get an ultra-firm mattress and you don’t feel comfortable on that and are having trouble sleeping, than that is not doing you any good at all. I do personally sleep on a Tempur-Pedic and I do endorse those to my patients, but I always tell them to try it before you buy it because if you are not comfortable than it won’t be of any help.

Do you recommend sleeping with a pillow between your legs?

I think that is very good if you are a side sleeper. It allows your hips to assume a more neutral posture, which I think is an excellent way to sleep.

Do you have a recommend sleeping position?

Sleeping on your back is best. Sleeping in a fetal position on your side is 2nd best. Sleeping on your stomach is no good because you need to turn your head almost 90 degrees.

Are there daytime tips for work you can share?

Ergonomics are important. You want to make sure when you are sitting that your feet are on the floor and that your work station is set up appropriately for you and your height. You should make sure that your keyboard is ergonomically set up and within reach and your chair height is proper with respect to your desk.

What is correct chair height?

It’s a system of ratios. Your arms should basically be at a 90-degree angle, resting on your chair. Your feet should be resting on the floor. If you are of shorter stature, perhaps a footrest under your desk might be better so you can rest your feet on that.

Are there some common activities that should be avoided?

It is different for each person. For some people, running can really stress their spine, and for some people, doing squats at the gym can really cause disc problems. It is different for everybody and that’s why everyone should get an assessment so they can find where their strengths and weaknesses are. Having good posture is important. If you have a kid and your kid is carrying a backpack to school, than that backpack should not exceed one-third of your child’s body weight. If you have a 50-pound kid and you put 20 pounds of books in that backpack, than that is going to trash his spine. There are so many little things. Avoid stress. Keep good posture. Sleep with proper posture. All of these are important pieces in the puzzle.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Dr. Gregg D. Rubinstein is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a Chiropractor or more Health and Medicine articles at Yodle Consumer Guide. Top Tips From a Chiropractor

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/top-tips-from-a-chiropractor-1324348.html

Oxygen is a vital, critical component to you, me and all human beings. Alas, the story is a bit different when it comes to wine. If wine is exposed to more than a small amount of oxygen, the results can be horrific. How so? Well, it might be better used for your fish and chips!

Timing is a big issue when it comes to wine. When you open a bottle of wine, you often want to let it breathe for a few minutes depending on the type of wine in question. Why? The exposure to oxygen will modify the taste of the wine in a manner that was planned for by the vintner at the winery. Take that same bottle of wine, however, and leave it uncorked and on the table for a couple of hours and what happens? The wine “goes bad” and tastes terrible. The reason has to do with the temperature probably getting to high and the impact oxygen exposure is having on the wine.

What is the problem with oxygen exposure? It has to do with a microbe called acetobacter. It is almost always present in wine. When exposed to oxygen, the microbe starts doing something interesting. It starts converting the ethyl alcohol in the wine into acetic acid through a multistep process. So, why is this a problem? Well, acetic acid is the main component of…vinegar! Yikes!

It takes more than a few hours for acetobacter to convert the ethyl alcohol in wine to a vinegar substance. Leaving a wine bottle open for a few hours isn’t a problem. Exposure to oxygen while the wine is being stored, however, is a different story. Even a tiny bit of oxygen leaking in through the cork can lead to a stored bottle of wine that is not wine, but vinegar. It happens all the time!

If you have are storing wine to let it age, you should take all possible steps to prevent oxygen from getting into the wine. The last thing you want to do is open a bottle after 10 years and get a whiff of vinegar!

Thomas Ajava writes for Nomad Journals – makers of leather wine journals that make great wine related gifts for any occasion including wine tasting parties.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/wine-oxygen-problems-1312733.html

To keep wine from becoming spoiled winemakers sometimes add preservatives. In fact, if preservatives are not added to wine it will only last six months to a year. Preservatives are added to keep wine from turning to vinegar and several types of preservatives are used in the winemaking process.

Two natural preservatives result from the grapes and the fermenting process – alcohol and tannins. These preservatives are excellent for extending the life of wine and kill off most organisms as very few can live in alcohol.

The most popular added preservative is sulphur dioxide. This is an anti-oxidant and a sterilizing agent that prevents organisms from growing in wine. It also prevents wine from turning into vinegar. This occurs by forming a barrier between oxygen and the wine, not allowing them to interact.

If the Romans Can Do It…

Sulphur has long been used as a preservative. In ancient times the Romans broke sulphur into small pieces and burned it before adding the pieces to wine. It also has a long history as a food preservative since the early 18th century.

White wines normally have more sulphur dioxide because they are sweeter. Sweet wines contain more sugar and ferment at a higher rate, resulting in a need for more sulphites.

Other common preservatives include 220 sodium dioxide, 220 sodium bisulphite, and 223 sodium meta- bisulphite. As with sulphur dioxide, these sulphites are regulated as to the amount that can be added to wine.

Why the Aging Process Needs Preserving

Preservatives added to wine depend on several factors. There are many things that can take place at the winery or during harvesting that lessen the amount of preservatives needed. For example, careful harvesting of grapes will keep them from being damaged. That is why some of the best vineyards pick grapes by hand.

It is very important to time the harvest process correctly. The time between the harvesting of the grapes and the time the grapes arrive at the winery is critical. Less of a time interval at this stage means less opportunity for bacteria growth and less need for pesticides.

Cooling processes are necessary. All wineries must have temperature sensitive cooling equipment in order to keep grapes at the proper temperature during the winemaking process. This is especially important when the grapes are being crushed.

Winemakers use a special filter to remove organisms from the wine. This filter acts as a screening device. The filtration system is used before the wine is boiled during the winemaking process.

Cleanliness is Next to…Great Wine!

A clean winery is important for preserving wine. Winemakers strive to keep their facilities as clean as possible in order to keep bacteria to a minimum. This keeps other harmful items from entering the wine at anytime during the winemaking process. Common logic says that the cleaner the winery, the less preservatives needed to keep harmful microbes at bay.

The cleanliness of winemaking facilities has lead to the theory that overall, cheaper wines have a higher sulphur count than higher quality wines. This is due to the clean conditions of high end wineries and the high expectations of their customers.

A preservative free wine does not exist. Many people are confused over terminology and feel that a wine must be preservative free in order to be organic. The preservatives added to wine have nothing to do with its organic status.

An organic wine is produced using harvesting methods that are eco-friendly. In addition, certain of the winemaking processes may also be eco-friendly but the adding of preservatives does not make a wine non-organic.

Do not concern yourself with the safety of sulphites in wine. The preservatives are not harmful and even allergies to sulphites are extremely rare. As mentioned before, no wine is entirely sulphite free. Even if sulphite is not added during the winemaking process the grapes themselves produce a small natural amount.

Discover new wines and learn about wine with our free wine lessons. Buy wine online at Buy Wine Online.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/what-preservatives-are-added-to-wine-1315459.html

The first thing you are going to see is the name of the winery. There really isn’t much to it other than the creativity of the winery when it came up with a name when it first started. That being said, watch out for names that are close to something that might also be seen as a bit of a misrepresentation.

The next information to be provided should be the vintage of the wine in question. The vintage is simply a reference to the year the grapes were grown. Ah, but this doesn’t mean that 100 percent of the wine in the bottle comes from grapes grown in the year indicated. A winery in an AVA region can have 5 percent filler grapes, while a lesser appellation can have up to 15 percent. That’s rather sizeable and suggests that AVA region wineries produce higher quality wines.

The next indication on the label should be the type of wine. A label might read “Chardonnay” for instance. As with the vintage, this does not mean 100 percent of the wine in the bottle is the indicated type. Varietal wines must have 75 of the type indicated, but the percentage drops with other wine variations.

The label may next indicate a specific vineyard. Importantly, you want to look for the actual word “vineyard”. Why? This indicates that at least 95 percent of the grapes used for the wine in the bottle came from the vineyard. Wines without vineyard on the label have no such requirement and can be severely mixed.

The final bit of information you may see on the label is “contains sulfites”. This is a government required warning that must be on the label if sulfites are indeed present. Sulfites are a byproduct of the wine production process. A very small number of people can be allergic to them, but massively so. Thus the reason for the warning.

Understanding how to read wine labels is important because it allows you to grasp what you are really buying. Only then can you really choose a wine that meets your preferences.

Thomas Ajava writes for NomadJournals.com – where you can buy wine journals that make great wine gifts.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/reading-wine-labels-1287023.html

Shopping online for wine gifts is growing in popularity. Consumers are shopping online for a number of potential reasons, including higher gas costs, time, and convenience. Some people who come home from work would rather order online that go out shopping. Also, stores in your area may not offer the wine gift set you are looking for, while online you can find a much wider selection.

Different Varieties To Choose From

As a consumer, you will have a wide variety of wines to select from. Some of the items included in a wine gift set may include wine bottles and accessories. Examples of accessories could include a bottle opener, wine pourer, wine stopper, utility knife combos, a corkscrew, among others. A wine collar is another potential accessory.

In addition to the number of wines and accessories you can buy, there are seemingly just as many companies or brands to buy from online and offline. However, the number of options can be overwhelming as a buyer. Ultimately, this means that regardless of your budget, personal tastes, and the recipient of the gift, you can surely find something that will fit what you’re looking for.

A great example of an excellent wine gift set is the Deluxe Red Wine Set. Packaged in this set is a Drip-Stop Ring, Metrokane Foil Cutter, and a Houdini Lever Corkscrew. A wine sealer that is wonderfully effective as well as a wine seal remover are also included. To add some decoration to your wine glasses, consider adding I.D Tags.

The Tuscan Trattoria Wine gift set is another outstanding gift that is also packaged with Sasso Banfi Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a truly excellent option if put together with Trombette colori pasta, pugliese pasta, and colander.

Of course, you are the only one that knows the recipient and what his or her likes are, as well as your own needs. Therefore, it is in your hands to put together the right combination of items in a wine gift set.

A wine accessory gift set should have in it special items that suit the needs of the wine lover you are giving it to. For instance, if you are aware that the recipient is going to cool their wines, then you could put some accessories in the wine set such as a wine bucket, ice bucket, a wine scepter, and a few very unique cool bags. The key is of course to know what the recipient would really value and appreciate.

The table is set , the food is almost ready but you are unsure what to serve with it and how you can be certain that you will impress your friends with the food, wine and atmosphere of your party.

There are loads of reasons why wine will impress your guests but the best way to make sure that you are serving the best wine to your friends is to do a bit of research to find out: what will go well with the types of food that you are serving; whether the wine should be served cold, chilled or at room temperature and to make sure that any wine that you buy is of a good quality.

A good quality wine will impress your friends or that someone special. But how do you know that it is a good quality wine? And how do you know that it is something that will suit you or your companions palate?

A great way to find out more about wines is to go to a wine tasting event. Many companies hold wine tasting events across the country and they are a great way to get to know wine in more detail. One tip to be aware of is that some companies only carry a small selection of wines – so make sure you go to an event held by an independent retailer, that way you can be sure that there will be a wide range of wines on offer and not just wine from a particular region or country. At a wine tasting there are three things to look out for: appearance, aroma and taste. It is best to taste wine during the daylight hours as this ensures that you can get a good look at the colour of the wine that you are drinking. Look out for clear, bright colours. Secondly, make sure you are not near anyone with gallons of perfume on – you want to be able to smell the wine, not Chanel No 5. Thirdly, don’t eat whilst tasting wine – the flavour of the food will taint the flavour of the wine that you are tasting, if you are really desperate for food, have some dry biscuits.

Another way to ensure that the wine that you serve is of a high quality is to buy a fine wine. This is a term used fo wines that have achieved status within the industry. They can be from on of the world’s finest producers or from a region which is well known for producing high quality grapes. The best way to get into buying this kind of wine is to seek the service of an expert. Many independent online wine retailers employ people who can give you this kind of help to ensure that the wine you buy really is of a high quality.

And one last thing that will definitely ensure that the wine you serve will delight your guests is to make sure you serve your wine at the right temperature. Nothing is worse than a warm white wine! In general a white wine needs an hour in the fridge before drinking and a red needs to be served at room temperature. If you have forgotten to chill your wine and need to do it in a hurry a bucket of ice and water will bring the temperature down.

See: www.wine-gift-basket-review.com – Is there anything that goes better than wine and cheese? That’s why giving them in a gift basket makes sense.