wine club

Wine country is undiscovered country for many people. Some people do not know what wine pairs nicely with what foods, or even what some good wines to try might be. This article is for those people to learn more about food wine. Here, you will get an overview about food-wine relations and what wines typically go with what foods. No longer do people have to be ignorant about their food and wine combinations.

The old rule that white wine is best with white meats and that red wine is best with red meats still stands today. Although things are a little more complicated now, it is still a good beginning rule. Another rule to follow in most cases for food wine is that each taste should be counteractive. What this means is that each taste of food or wine should completely mask the taste of the other. Food wines are supposed to enhance the food's taste by acting as a palate cleanser, making each bite of food taste as good as the first. And of course, it is vice versa for the wine flavor. If you can taste the flavor of the wine or food over the other item, then you probably are working with a bad match. It is harder to match food and wine now because so many different flavors of food get worked into a single dish. The best rule for these cases is that the body of the wine should match the food. Heavier foods get heavier wines and vice versa.

The main determination for food wine combinations is the balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness of both the food and wine. It is pretty easy to figure out what wine should go with what foods by considering the wine and food characteristics. If a sweet food is being served, pair it with a sweeter wine. For bitter foods, a more bitter wine is in order. The best way to determine the acidity of a food is to determine if it would go better with more acid added. For example, adding lemon to a fish means that a more acidic wine should be consumed. Some common white wines that are acidic are: Rieslings, most sparkling wines and white Bordeauxs. Acidic red wines include: Gamays, Pinot Noirs and Sangioveses. Sweet white wines include: White Zinfandels, other forms of Rieslings and Chenin Blancs. Sweet red wines can include: Port and Lambrusco. There are not many bitter white wines, but there are some bitter red wines. These can include, red Zinfandels, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons.

Now you know how to pair food wine with the appropriate foods. There are a lot of different wines and it is nearly impossible to know them all. However, if you want to learn more, then joining a wine club or doing extra research can be a great help. It will increase your wine knowledge by a great deal.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Learning the Basics Behind Food Wine For Better Cooking

• Michigan has 13,500 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• Most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.

• About 700 hectares are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth in wine grape production.

• Vineyard area has increased 24% since 1997.

• Michigan's 45 commercial wineries produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually, making the state 13th in wine production. By far the majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

• Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 600,000 visitors annually. Some of these wineries also have retail stores where it's possible to purchase anything from a wine cellar kit to a wine cooler refrigerator.

• Wine production and winery tourism annually contribute $75 million to the state's economy.

• Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• • Vinifera varieties — these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; 58% of Michigan's wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1998, 71% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.

• • Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) — these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; 39% of Michigan's wine grapes are hybrids.

• • Native varieties — actually close relatives of true native varieties. Usual names are Concord and Niagara. A Mere 3% of Michigan's wine is made from these varieties.

• Nearly all of Michigan's best quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the "lake effect" protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.

• Michigan has four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan's wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan's wine grapes are producedd. This area has a growing season of about 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Both are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

• Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of late August in the southwest and may extend into mid November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.

• Michigan wines win numerous medals at prestigious competitions year after year. More than 16% of the wines entered in the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition had already won Gold Medals in regional, national and international competitions. A list of winners is available upon request.

• Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).

• Michigan wines are typically "cool climate" – clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal character.
• Michigan Wines are very popular choices in the offerings of Wine Clubs
  where you set up a monthly subscription to order wine online

Next time you’re savoring your favorite Chardonnay, check the label. It just may not have originated in California!

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Wine & Grape Production in Michigan

So how do you choose a club? Are all clubs the same and are there important things you should look out for when choosing a membership. There are different things that can help you to choose the right one. Everything from cost to wine style will determine what club you choose.

The Cost Of Wine Club

While cost should not be the only thing that you think about when choosing a wine club it is important. If you are just starting to learn about wine it might be a good idea to start with an inexpensive membership. A wine tasting club that allows you to pay as little as $20 a month can still offer you some very decent wines to try.

More expensive wine clubs offers you to try varying ranges of wines and also they offer more bottles of wine each month. So settle on a price range that you are comfortable with and you are on your way to discovering great wines.

Choose Your Wine From Wine Club

There are different types of wine clubs that you can choose from and depending on your preferences you will probably go for a different club than your friends. You can join a wine club that only selects red or white wines. There are some clubs that will only showcase wines from California; others will choose wines from all over the world.

Some of clubs offers a selection of wines that are not commercially available, from small vineyards which are hard to come by otherwise. The choice is up to you and many of these memberships are extremely affordable.

Little Details For Choosing The Right Wine From Wine Club

Paying attention to little details can also help you to choose the right wine club. Long duration of membership of its member shows how excellent its customer service is. Be sure to check if shipping costs are included in your monthly membership fee or if it is counted as an extra. You might also have other benefits to joining a particular club so look around and find the right type of wine club for you.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

List Of Wine Clubs

Make sure your wine rack uses the most of your avaliable space. Wine must be kept in a specific environment for optimal flavor. Humidity helps the cork from drying out, and temperature helps the wine age correctly. Keep your wine away from direct sunlight above all else. That is a cardinal sin of wine storage. Keep the wine temperature from rising and falling more than necessary. Store the wine on its side so it keeps the cork moist. If you already have your wine cellar built, your job is 90% done.

A wine club membership gives you the ability to easily expand your wine stock as time goes by. As your number of bottles increases, so will your need for storage space. Wall-mounted wine racks are very nice. You can often store lots of wine in a small space. Reading of wine labels and finding different bottles is quick and easy as well. You can choose how elegant you want your wine rack to be. Bulk wine purchases often are offered at a steep discount. A money saving tip is to construct your own wine rack from a set of plans.

For a budget option consider building a wine rack at home. Lots of wine enthusiasts like to construct a wooden wine rack, it's also rewarding. You can find the wine rack plan on the internet and design it with most tools you'd find in your garage. Sometimes the cost of materials for a simple style racking system can be under ten bucks.

Likely the cheapest option is to build your rack with wood and bricks. Just put the bricks inbetween the planks, and you've got shelves, smaller pieces can be used as dividers. You make the call how expensive your wine racks will be. Making a budget wine rack is not overly difficult, and can be done without the aid of complicated tools. Check out our website for many more wine storage suggestions.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Free Wine Rack Plans

Top 10 Wine Gift Ideas

Are you trying to find some top gift ideas for wine lovers on your gift list? Keep reading, because I’ve put together a list of gifts which are sure to delight the oenophile in your life. Now of course, a personal vineyard is the ultimate gift for your favorite wine lovers; but if this is out of your budget, then these ideas may help you find a great gift for that special someone.

10 Great Gift Ideas For Wine Lovers

1. The best gift is still the personal vineyard. Now, this isn’t realistic for most of us – but you can buy a share in many vineyards! This is a very cool gift which any wine lover will be absolutely thrilled with. While it may not make the recipient into a wine tycoon, this is a very thoughtful gift.

2. Wine glasses. This is a gift which every wine lover will not only appreciate, but actually use; and they’ll think of you whenever they do. Look for large wineglasses which are made with quality craftsmanship – these will be attractive and your wine loving friends will adore them.

3. A cute and inexpensive gift is the royal purple “Instant Youth” bottle bag. You can fit the drawstring bag around an empty or full wine bottle and present it to one of your friends. The writing on the bag declares “Instant Youth just add wine”. This will get a chuckle from the recipient and if you toss in a selection from a particularly great year, it will be twice as appreciated.

4. Personalized labels. You can order a bottle of Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petite Syrah which comes with a personalized label. You can have this printed in any design you like – you can even have a photograph of your choice printed in the label!

5. One of the best wine gifts available is a wine box or basket. These are available in wood, wicker or even leather. These can be found in one bottle, two bottle or larger carrying capacities. Some of the higher end models include stoppers, corkscrews, napkins and glasses; these baskets are ideal for picnics and outdoor concerts.

6. If your wine lover enjoys games you can dazzle and delight them with a Wineopoly board game. The tokens used for the game include a wine glass, carafe, cheese, grapes and more. You can best your friends and become a grape champ as you challenge them with this game, and you really learn some cool facts about wine as you play.

7. Wine glass charms are practical, useful and oh, so elegant. There are many wine lovers who collect these and will love this thoughtful gift. A few companies will even let you custom order a set, which will give your present even more bling points.

8. A wine club membership – this is a sure fire hit with any wine lover. This is a great way to introduce them to a favored vineyard and memberships can be customized to suit even the most discerning palates.

9. Cookbooks with wine-related recipes also make great gifts for wine lovers. Food and wine were made to be together, after all. You could even create your own gift basket featuring one of these cookbooks, a god bottle of wine and any other additions you care to make – some assorted cheeses or napkins add a nice touch to this gift.

10. Novelty T-shirts featuring wine-related slogans will always be appreciated by wine lovers; how about:

• Get a Tan with your Tannins…pick your own grapes
• The Wine is Divine but it crushed the poor grapes
• Nectar of the gods…Produced by our soles
• Us Old Vines Have The Best Wines
• Wine is fruit….and they recommend 4 servings of fruit daily

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

10 Wine Gift Ideas

Reasons To Join A Wine Club

If you love to drink the “nectar of the gods” then joining a wine of the month club can provide you with more than just a few benefits. Many people are choosing wine as their hobby because it is considered slightly more refined than “kegger parties” or “making homemade lye soap”.

Joining a wine of the month club offers the opportunity to meet other enthusiasts and taste a lot of wines you may otherwise never have the chance to try.

More and more independent vineyards and bottlers are increasing their market share through self-promotion via wine clubs and mailings. If you are considering joining a wine club, I have listed the top 5 benefits for you to read. This way you are able to see that joining a wine club can bring much more to your table than just “a bottle of the good stuff”.

1. Your wine will arrive in an inconspicuous brown wrapper; perfect if you happen to have nosy neighbors.

• Wine clubs all deliver their goods in plain UPS brown boxes so the nosy folks in your neighborhood can’t keep count of how bottles of the living grape you are actually receiving. Now when others grouse about trying to get rid of that nearby ABC store, you won’t become quite as upset.

2. Impress your friends. People will be amazed at your wine collection, which will have some rare and unusual bottles – but you’ll know that you really didn’t spend a lot on your collection. You can tell friends that those bottles of small-bottling Petite Syrah in your cellar cost hundreds (they didn’t cost you hundreds, but they don’t have to know that).

3. Make Money….You can now stage your own wine tasting at home and hey, feel free to make a few bucks by charging a small fee for the food and drink served. You can use the money to buy a totally cool wine rack.

4. Saves Time and Effort…A wine club selection keeps your own shelves well stocked, and this beats the heck out of dashing to the nearest grocery to find a $5 bottle to serve unexpected dinner guests. Come to think of it, if they are that unexpected, they might deserve the $2.50 special at the end of the grocery shelves after all.

5. Ha-Ha Time….Wine club benefits include the ability to play dozens of new practical jokes…

• You will be the only one who knows the exact features and description of the wine in the bottle, so if you decide to challenge friends to a wine taste off…….hey, you’ll beat the experts. A really good wine connoisseur may know the aromas and flavors but he sure as heck will not know exactly when and where it was bottled…..only you will know that it is from McQuiqqleburry Lantern Vineyards….

• Trick wine snobs at dinner parties – refill some good bottles with cheap stuff you go ton closeout at the grocery store. Give these to the wine snobs at your next dinner party or tasting. Give everybody else the good stuff.

Chances are better than average that as your other guests rave about the great taste of the good wine, these folks will be raving right along with them. The most pretentious ones in the group will fall over their tongues trying to match the comments of others. If you can keep from rolling on the floor with laughter, it makes a really great moment to talk about later.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

5 Reasons To Join A Wine of The Month Club