Norwich (PRWEB UK) 14 October 2011

1,500 wine lovers coming together to enjoy their favourite tipples, winemakers keen to show off their handiwork, and the Virgin Wines team on hand to offer advice and help customers buy wine. This was very much the story of the day at Virgin Wines biggest ever London wine tasting, which took place on Saturday.

It was the seventh year running that Virgin Wines has held its National Wine Tasting event in London. The Lawrence Hall at the Royal Horticultural Halls played host to the event, which saw more customers than ever before attend the annual wine tasting extravaganza.

When the doors opened at 11.30am, enthusiastic customers ? 1,500 in total ? were equipped with a tasting glass and invited to try their way through up to 250 wines from Virgin Wines? latest range. To help them get started, customers could ?Define their Style? to establish which styles of wine they preferred. Relevant tables were then presented around the room where customers could try, and discover, more delicious wines from each style category. But if that all sounded a little too much like hard work, customers could simply work their way around the room trying whichever wines took their fancy.

Winemakers and winery representatives from around the world attending the tasting were keen to chat to customers and show off their wines, while customers got the chance to meet the heroes responsible for making their favourite wines. The Virgin Wines? team were there on mass to ensure the day ran smoothly.

Tasting partners Waiter?s Friend, Gorvett and Stone, Godminster, Fudges, The Well Hung Meat Company and Domino?s spent time inviting customers to try their products, while wine glass company Riedel hosted two tutored tastings. The latter demonstrated how the shape of a wine glass matters when drinking wine and those attending took away a set of four wine glasses worth ?80.

By the end of the afternoon, the room was bursting with raucous conversation, wine glasses were filled with customers? favourite wines of the afternoon and bins were overflowing with empty bottles – all a sign of a successful seventh tasting.

Speaking after the event, Jay Wright, Managing Director at Virgin Wines said: ?Our London tasting is our flagship wine tasting and this year was our biggest and best yet with 1,500 customers attending. The vibe during the day was incredible and we hope that everyone had as much fun as we did. We can?t wait to come back again next year.?

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Not all the wines in the world are made the same. The first clue will come if you get your wine in a box, these varieties of wine are a lot like fruit cordial with a boost than a quality bottle of wine. Wines have a a range of tastes, depending on a range of key points

*  Where in the world the wine is found
*  The Vintage
* How the wine was stored.

Selecting a bottle of wine to have with your food depends on what type of meal you are having Typically fish and chicken is better served with a nice white wine. There are exceptions of course. If the chicken is prepared in a red wine, then going for a red wine to drink with the meal would be more appropriate. If you are going for a white wine, you can try a chardonnay for a smoother taste. Or if you prefer a sweet wine go for a Riesling.
When eating dark meats like beef, ribs or venison then a red wine should be drank. The flavour of the wine will complement the meat beautifully. Merlots tend to be a softer taste, where as Cabernets are heartier. A Bordeaux wine will give a super hearty glass of wine. Try a Shiraz for a wine which has a spicy kick.

The most important thing to be aware of when preparing a meal is that the wine and food should complement eachother. Try to avoid having the food or drink offending each other. If you would like to serve a few different wines at a meal, remember these important steps:

1) Serve dryer wines before sweeter ones.
2) Allow your diners to enjoy a lighter before a full bodies one such as a Bordeaux.
3) It’s a good idea to serve the highest alcohol content wines at the end of the meal, so that the food will absorb more the alcohol making your guests feel less tipsy

Your food and drink choices should be running like a piece of music . This is the reason behind most restaurants beginning with an amouse bouche then a first course and ending with a sweet course. The most sweet part of the meal. Follow this rule for your wine, and you will have a good time. Start off with a  wine to wake the taste buds up and then go up from there. Pudding can be served with a sweet wine or drink, however sweet wine is again an aquired taste.

Failing to plan is planning the fail! The essential step to hosting a sucessful dinner party is to have a trial run a week or so before. Trial your food and wine ideas with your partner or a close acquaintance to find out what works most sucessfully. When you have your dinner party, you can feel satisfied knowing that the food and wine matched well. Your aim should be to have your guests leave delighted and satisfied and be thinking about how well the night was – a great night out to remember.

Check out Top Wine UK for more information

Check out Top Wine UK

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Purchasing cheap wines glasses is an idea that attracts a great number of people that would like to enjoy a luxury item like this that will not end up costing them a lot of money. One of the biggest reasons that people like to purchase cheap wine glasses for use in their home is that they will reduce a lot of stress. While hosting special occasions in their home they will not need to worry about their glasses being broken as it would not cost an arm and a leg to replace.

There are a great number of people that do not have a big set of wine glasses. Deciding to purchase cheap wine glasses can end up saving you a huge amount of money. You can very easily purchase enough wine glasses (and maybe a few extra) for whatever kind of occasion that you might be hosting without going broke when you buy cheap wine glasses.

You should never think that using cheap wine glasses as a bad thing to do. There are a great variety of inexpensive wine glasses that are very high quality in appearance. As the host of your special event you should be more concerned about the quality of your wine then the type of glass you are serving it in.

When you are looking into purchasing cheap wine glasses you should keep several things in mind. You should first decide on your glass buying budget. Next you should find the best quality wine glass that fits within your set budget. You need to know exactly where you are planning on storing your wine glasses when they are not in use which will give you the best idea of how many glasses that you should purchase.

When you are not spending all of your money on top of the line wine glasses you are actually purchasing great materials to decorate your kitchen and dining room areas. You can even select different styles of wine glasses for different occasions. Your guests will enjoy the beautiful glasses that you are serving them wine in and many wonít even know that they are appreciating cheap wine glasses unless you tell them.

Special occasions no matter if you are enjoying then with family or close friends are events that should be memorable. Cheap wine glasses are a fantastic and inexpensive way to make a special occasion even more memorable without having to spend a ton of money.

Visit http://BuyCheapWineGlasses.com for more useful information how to find and buy Cheap Wine Glasses.

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CABERNET SAUVIGNON PAGE ( http://www.ancientpeaks.com/ )

Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines reflect our commitment to crafting fine wines from our estate Margarita Vineyard in the Paso Robles wine country. We endeavor to craft the best California wine possible from each vintage, showcasing the flavors of Margarita Vineyard and the larger excellence of Paso Robles wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in our estate Margarita Vineyard, where the varietal benefits from one of the longest growing seasons in the Paso Robles appellation. Here, eight miles northeast of the city of San Luis Obispo and just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, our California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes achieve full ripeness while maintaining exceptional balance and structure the defines the resulting Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The 2006 vintage has earned numerous positive wine reviews and was called a “great buy” by the Wine Spectator Online as one of their best wines under $20. Other Cabernet ratings include a “Good Value” designation from the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine.

Our Cabernet vineyards were first planted by Robert Mondavi, whose Cabernet Napa Valley is known as a benchmark cab wine. Our Cabernet wines are naturally different from the Cabernet Robert Mondavi, due to the unique location of our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. However, we are proud of their link to one of California’s pioneers of fine red wine.

We invite you to taste and buy Cabernet at our tasting room in Santa Margarita. We even have discount wines available during special events, and we offer vineyard tours on the first and third Saturdays of each month. You may also join a wine club—specifically, our A-List wine club. We focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, but our tasting room is also a great place to find a California wine gift, California wine map, Cabernet Sauvignon wines and even unusual wines such as Malbec and Petit Verdot.

More Information:
http://www.ancientpeaks.com/

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You have just finished a lovely meal, satisfying really, in a chic new restaurant that just opened in your area. As you begin to replay the evening’s delicacies in your mind you are suddenly interrupted. In front of you is placed the piece de resistance, a perfectly chilled, shimmering glass of Sauterne and a thinly sliced wafer of foie gras.

For many gourmets this single course would be the showstopper, the best of the entire evening. It perfectly embodies the play of sweet and savory that works so well with a dessert wine and a meat.

Dessert wines are an essential niche of the wine making industry but they are not as common as the reds, the whites, and the sparkling wines. And, they go by several different names. In England they are sometimes termed pudding wines and in Australia a dessert wine may be called a stickie.

A Wine By Any Other Name

As there is no single name for a dessert wine, there is no single definition for dessert wines. There are several differing theories on what is and is not a dessert wine depending on where you are in the world. England seems to have the most complicated rules for determining a dessert wine’s status.

To qualify a wine must be sweet but must not be a white fortified sherry drunk before a meal or a red fortified port or Madeira drunk after a meal. A dessert wine in England can only be consumed during the meal.

In the United States the terms are more understandable but more rigid. There is a legal definition for dessert wine which states that any wine with more than 14 percent alcohol by volume is a desert wine.

Dessert wines are known for their high levels of sugar and their sweet taste. There are several different
ways winemakers add sugar during the winemaking process. Some choose to harvest grapes with high sugar content so the sugar is added to the mix naturally. Others choose to add sweetness to their mixture after crushing but before fermentation.

Sussreserve

In Germany dessert wines are submitted to a unique process that is hundreds of years old called Sussreserve. After a wine has completely fermented, must or grape juice, is added. This adds a measure of sweetness to the mixture and lowers the final alcohol content.

There are several reasons for the success of Sussreserve. First and foremost it produces an excellent and smooth dessert wine. It also dilutes the wine to acceptable German standards, no more than 15 percent alcohol by volume. For the winemaker the fermenting process is less complicated because he does not have to stop the process before all the sugars are gone. The success of Sussreserve has made the technique popular in New Zealand and other parts of the world.

Fortified wines are created when the winemaker adds brandy before all the natural sugars in the grapes have fermentated. The vintner’s term for intermingling different wines is mutage. Fortified wines include sweet Sherries such as Pedro Ximenez and Bristol Cream.

A Perfect Pair

A general rule in world of wine and food is that the wine you drink must never be sweeter than the food you eat. This can sometimes be difficult depending on the pairings or tasting menu you are offered. And, there are times, such as with the foie gras and Sauternes that you will gladly throw tradition to the wind.

The perfect pairing, says traditional wine lore, is a juicy and ripe peach with any dessert wine. The soft flesh of the peach is both sweet and tart, and excellent foil for the sweetness of the dessert wine. In Italy a traditional dessert pairs bitter almond cookies with a classic dessert wine, Vin Santo. The cookies are served on a plate around the wine glass for dipping in the wine.

As with all wines it is important to choose your own favorites. Purchase several recommended bottles and try pairing them at home with different foods. Bon Appétit!

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

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Incoming search terms:

• 2012 new white dessert wine

With the number of wines coming from different regions of the world, Spain, France and Germany through to Australia, Chile and South Africa, it’s not surprising there are a lot of names that we struggle with. So when you’re trying to sort your Beaujolais from your Gewürztraminer, or your Chateauneuf-du-Pape from your Puligny-Montrachet our handy wine pronunciation guide is invaluable.

Wine (Pronunciation)

Amarone (Ah-ma-ROH-nay)
Amontillado (Ah-mone-tee-YAH-doe)
Barbaresco (Bar-bar-ESS-coh)
Barbera (Bar-BEAR-ah)
Barolo (Bar-OH-lo)
Beaujolais (Bo-jho-LAY)
Beaujolais Nouveau (Bo-jho-LAY New-VOH)
Beaujolais-Villages (Bo-jho-LAY Vih-lahzh)
Beaune (Bone)
Blanc de Blancs (BlahN du BlahN)
Bordeaux (Bore-DOH)
Bourgogne (Boor-GON-yeh)
Brunello Di Montalcino (Brew-NELL-oh dee Mon-tahl-CHEE-no)
Brut (Broot)
Burgundy (BURR-gun-dee)
Cabernet Franc (Cab-air-nay FrahN)
Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-air-nay So-veen-yawN)
Cave (Cahv)
Chablis (Sha-BLEE)
Champagne (Sham-pane)
Chardonnay (Shar-doe-NAY)
Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Shah-toe-nuff-duh pahp)
Chenin Blanc (Shay-naN BlaN)
Chianti (key-AHN-tee)
Chianti Classico (Key-AHN-tee Class-ee-ko)
Chianti Classico Riserva (Key-AHN-tee Class-ee-ko Re-ser-va)
Cinsaut/ Cinsault (SaN-so)
Colheita (Kohl-AY-ta)
Colombard (Cole-um-bar)
Cosecha (Koh-SAY-cha)
Côte Rôtie (Coat Row-tee)
Côte de Nuits (Coat duh Nwee)
Côtes-du-Rhône (Coat duh Rone)
Crianza (Cree-AHN-za)
Cru (Crew)
Cuvée (Coo-vay)
Demi-sec (Deh-mee-seck)
Dolcetto (Dohl-CHET-toh)
Eiswein (ICE-wine)
Fino (FEE-noh)
Fumé Blanc (FOO-may- BlahN)
Gamay (Gam-may)
Garnacha (Gar-NAH-cha)
Gewürztraminer (Geh-VERTZ-trah-mee-nur)
Grenache (Gren-AHSH)
Jerez (Hair-eth)
Kabinett (Kah-bee-NET)
Languedoc (Lahn-geh-dawk)
Loire (Lwahr)
Mâcon (Mah-coN)
Manzanilla (Mahn-than-NEE-ya)
Margaux (Mahr-goe)
Meritage (MARE-eh-tedge)
Merlot (Mer-low)
Meursault (Muhr-soe)
Montrachet (Mon-rah shay)
Musigny (Moo-see-nyee)
Nebbiolo (Nay-BYOH-low)
Pauillac (Paw-yack)
Petite Sirah (Peh-TEET Sih-RAH)
Piemonte (Pee-eh-MAWN-tay)
Pinot Blanc (Pee-noe BlahN)
Pinot Grigio (Pee-noe Gree-joe)
Pinot Gris (Pee-noe GREE)
Pinot Meunier (Pee-noe Mehr-n’yay)
Pinot Noir (Pee-noe Nwahr)
Pouilly-Fuissé (Poo-yee Fwee-SAY)
Pouilly-Fumé (Poo-yee Foo-MAY)
Puligny-Montrachet (Poo-lee-nyee mon-rah-shay)
Riesling (REES-ling)
Rioja (Ree-OH-ha)
Saint-Emilion (San’Tay-meel-yon)
Sancerre (Sahn-sair)
Sauternes (Saw-tairn)
Sangiovese (San-geeo-VEHS-eh)
Sauvignon Blanc (SO-vin-yon Blahnk)
Sémillon (Seh-mee-yohn)
Shiraz (SHEER-oz)
Soave (So-ah-vay)
Syrah (Sih-RAH)
Spätlese (SHPATE-lay-zuh)
Tempranillo (Temp-rah-NEE-yoh)
Trebbiano (Treb-bee-AH-no)
Trockenbeerenauslese (TROCK-en-BEHR-en-OWS-lay-zeh)
Valpolicella (Val-poh-lee-t’chell-ah)
Verdicchio (Vehr-dee-kee-oh)
Vinho Verde (Veen-yoh vair-day)
Viognier (Vi-ohn-yay)
Yquem (Ee-kem)
Zinfandel (ZIN-fun-dell)

So print this off and keep it handy, and the next time you order a bottle of wine, you won’t look like an wine idiot.

With over 5 years writing experience on the web Edward has recently been writing on his latest website at http://www.exfoliating.co.uk offering information and advice about exfoliating and associated products.

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Wines that are enjoyable to drink are those that are in balance with acidity, tannin and sweetness. Professional grape winemakers often have to make adjustments to their juices before and during the fermenting process in order to attain the balance they are desiring for the wine they are making.

Home winemakers that ferment the juice of low acid fruit such as pears, apricots and blueberries might end up with a wine that may taste good but lacks something to be wonderful. If the wine you’ve made has no or not enough tartness, acid blend might be the answer to improving it the next time. Often, juices that are low in acid do not ferment well, and the resulting wine may have a medicinal taste to it.

Most home winemaking supply shops will carry acid blend. Usually, these blends contain about 1 part citric acid, 2 parts malic acid, and 3 parts tartaric acid. Let’s have a closer look at each one of these:

Tartaric Acid

Tartaric acid is included in many sour tasting sweets and candies, and is found in fruit such as grapes and bananas. Along with malic acid, it is one of the major acids in grape wines and helps to lower the pH level which inhibits bacterial growth.

Malic Acid

Malic acid is found in apples, apricots, grapes, dark cherries and rhubarb. It provides the tart “green apple” type of sensation. In 1785, it was isolated from apple juice and a name proposed for it was acide malique – malique being derived from the Latin word malum which means ‘apple’. In some wines where there is too much malic acid present, winemakers will start a “malolactic fermentation” by adding lactic acid bacteria to the wine. This bacteria convert the malic acid to lactic acid.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is found in primarily in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, but is also in currants and raspberries. It helps to add fruitiness to the wine’s flavors. Because of this quality, some winemakers will routinely add citric acid to most of their wines, and often this acid is the only type used by them.

As you become more experienced in your home winemaking and more acquainted with the use of acids and their effects on fermentation and flavor, you may want to experiment with the different acids and vary the amounts you use. For now however, consider a general rule of thumb to add about 2 teaspoons (about 10 grams) of acid blend per gallon of wine you are making. Add a little more to wines using fruit that are especially low in acid content.

At the time of this writing, 1 pound (454 grams) of acid blend costs between five and seven dollars at home winemaking supply shops – so it is an inexpensive way of making your fruit wines just that much better!

You are invited to learn more about how to make wine at The Home Winery.

Why not also follow along with Ian’s daily blog of home winemaking activities.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/why-you-might-need-acid-blend-when-making-fruit-wines-1398428.html

From wine elves to classy pitchmen, American winemakers have tried just about everything to challenge the dominance of French vintners. And yet, with infamous labels like Ripple and Thunderbird, Yankee wines had long endured the reputation of being good for just one one thing—getting blitzed. So it must have seemed like a cruel joke in 1976 when a British wine merchant arranged The Paris Tasting, a one-of-its-kind competition that pitted mighty France versus lowly America in a blind taste test judged entirely by Gallic wine experts. But as viewers of the movie Bottle Shock and the documentary Mondovino can tell you, the unthinkable happened: America took home top honors for both red and white wine. The Paris Tasting made Mike Grgich an instant legend, but back then, even the maker of the winning white couldn’t believe he had won. “I said are you sure it’s me?” recalls Grgich. How could this American, an immigrant who fled communist Yugoslavia, shock the world? The French wanted to find out, so Jean-Noël Fourmeaux, an official government wine taster became a wine spy. He headed to California to discover how, in the span of a couple of decades, American winemakers progressed from Thunderbird to Grgich’s award-winning white. Fourmeaux encountered a freewheeling atmosphere of technological and cultural innovation—one that attracted the likes of Squire Fridell of Glen Lyon Vineyards, a winemaker who has his own reason for smiling at America’s emergence as a leader in wine …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Most of you who are familiar with wine know that a wine given a point score of 90 or higher means it is a wine of excellent quality. The good news is that a high point score doesn’t necessarily mean a higher price. There are some excellent 90+ point wines that sell for under $20. The really good news is that all these wines aren’t hard to find. Most liquor stores with a fair to decent selection are bound to have at least a couple of the wines listed below.

1. Monte Montepulciano D’abruzzo 2005 – 90 points Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – Full bodied, deep purple color (5% sangiovese in the blend). $15.99-$17.99.

2. 2004 Cicchitti Gran Reserva – 92 points Jay Miller The Wine Advocate – Another purple colored wine, thick and sweet. Fermented 12 months in French and American oak. $14.98-$19.99.

3. 2005 Les Verrieres De Montagnac Clos Des Soutyeres Coteaux Du – 90 points Wine Spectator – A very nice after dinner wine. Subtle hint of dark chocolate and espresso. $16.98-$19.99.

4. Bernhard Eifel Max E Riesling 2007 – A crisp, fruity riesling with just a pinch of sugar. Outstanding flavor. $12.98-$17.99

5. Chateau Pesquie Les Terrasses 2007 – 91 points Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – The last one on the list is an incredible bargain. This custom cuvee was made for importer Eric Solomon. It combines a 60 year- old Grenache with a 30 year-old Syrah, part aged in small barrels and in foudre and tank. The result is a wine reddish purple in color that delivers tremendous flavor and body. Combine with its low price this makes for an exceptional value. $9.98-$14.99.

Five great wines at a great price. Please give them a try and let me know what you think.

I’m Matt Kurtz and I enjoy writing about a variety of topics. Wine is one of my favorite topics. Please check out my blog Wonderful World of Wine for more great wine values and interesting wine facts.
I hope you enjoy my articles and find them informative. I welcome your comments and feedback. Thanks and have a great day!

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There is a mistaken belief that wines are made only from grapes. Of course, grapes do make a terrific wine and are an ideal fruit to ferment into a beverage that can age for years and improve its taste and aroma over time.  Even young wine made from grapes is enjoyed by many with its fruity flavors.

Although not all consider it a wine, technically speaking because it is fermented with yeast, mead is also a wine. Mead, which is made from honey, has been enjoyed for centuries, and some even claim that the origin of the word “honeymoon” has its roots in the mead beverage. It is said that when a couple were married, they were sent away to get to to know each other for a month along with many intoxicating bottles of mead.

Indeed, wine can be made from just about any organic material as long as it is not poisonous. Do you keep a garden and sometimes have far too many crops to store in the freezer?  Why not experiment with making wine out of that extra fruit or vegetables.

“Vegetables?” you ask.  Yes! In her book, “Making Wild Wines & Meads,” Pattie Vargas writes about a parsnip wine she entered in a competition: “The restaurant owner poured some parsnip wine, swirled it in his glass, held it in front of the candle to judge its clarity, held it beneath his nose, and looked once again before taking a timid sip. Then he turned to Pattie, tried a second sip, and said, ‘I think I’m in love.’”

Although non-grape wines will not usually taste anything at all like wines made from the juice of grapes, you can be pleasantly surprised with the results of wines from vegetables and other fruit. Did you have a massive potato crop this year?  Try some potato wine! Too many peaches in the tree?  Peach wine has delighted many a home winemaker and their guests.

If you do decide to try some wine from things growing in your own yard, be sure to keep in mind some cautions:

• Refrain from using vegetation that has had a lot of chemicals like insecticide sprayed on.
• Use professional wine yeast (it’s inexpensive – enough to make five gallons cost a dollar a packet) instead of just hoping the wild native yeast in your backyard will ferment your juice.
• Sanitize your equipment and use food grade plastic or glass to ferment and age your wine.
• Become familiar with some wine making basics to increase your chances of creating a wine that will delight yourself – and your guests

If you’re a bit hesitant about how a wine might turn out, you can always make several small one gallon batches instead of the larger five gallon size that most home winemakers that are using commercial kits, make.

You can find recipes for wines that have interesting ingredients such as parsnip, ginger, honey, blackcurrants and other fruit at this home winemaking site

Ian Hugh Scott has been making his own wine for years. As well as wines from commercially available kits, he has discovered the pleasures of experimenting with other ingredients such as black currants, strawberries, blueberries, and even ginger and parsnip! Follow along with Ian’s regular home winemaking activities

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/got-sour-grapes-try-fruit-and-vegetable-wines-1394270.html