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If you are looking for a Christmas wine gift you want to choose a high quality wine if you want to make a good impression. Buying a “cheap” wine, in quality not necessarily price, can not only leave a bad impression but could even affect the recipient health wise. Likewise, make sure you know that price of wine does not equal taste or quality. It is important not to give a wine that you are not familiar with. Do your research and become familiar with different brands and varieties so you will know where to find the highest quality wine.

You need to know that wine types are not processed by one manufacturer. There may be several wine manufacturers for that particular type of wine. If you have read or been told that a particular type of wine is best be careful. They may not have gotten that manufacturer you are choosing. What do you do then? Simple, buy the wine you are considering and you be the judge. Determine for yourself if this particular wine is worthy of being given as your gift. Remember the rules above about price and the risk of giving a wine that you have not tried. Learning about wines and the best wine manufacturers will soon qualify you as the “go to person” when it comes to giving wine gifts.

Knowing What Wine to Give as a Christmas Gift

Knowing what wine to give as a Christmas gift is not something that should be taken too lightly. If it all possible try to find out what meals are being served by the person receiving your wine gift. If you can get that information just stay with the basic rules- white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. Yet, if chicken is being served at the meal then a fruity red wine goes best. If fish is the main course then a red wine is better than red. If lobster is the treat then a sweet white wine is best. While no hard and fast rules apply it is usually impressive to you wine recipient that you know the difference. If you just don’t know what type of meal is being served then going with a fruity white or red wine is a good choice. If you are attending the Christmas or Holiday dinner as a guest always remember to chill the gift wine before you go. It will show your host you thought ahead that maybe they will serve your wine. It also gives you a good chance to be invite back to their home next year.

Article written by Street Smart Marketing

www.Gift-Alley.com

The advent of wine refrigerators has been a welcome innovation. Most of us simply don’t have space, nor can we afford a walk in, built in cellar. Happily, we can now access these handy storage systems  at virtually any size or price. If you have made the move to join a wine club, then one of these appliances will be needed to properly store your monthly deliveries.

It’s no secret that we’ve all grown in our appreciation of  wines these days.  No matter if you’re a dedicated Red Wine enthusiast, or simply enjoy a chilled White Wine on a hot day, the days of  Baby Duck & other utterly gross boxed wines are long gone.

Nowadays just about everyone has a  supply of their favorites on hand in their homes, but therein lies a problem, just where do you store that precious liquid.

Many people that enjoy both Red & Whites will look for a “dual zone” wine refrigerator, where each zone can be individually temperature controlled, or on occasion it makes sense to simply purchase two units.

Like most things you get what you pay for. The more expensive units will  be better insulated, have special treated glass panels which help maintain a constant temperature, as well as better control humidity levels. These can be particularly important if your appliance is stored in an area with fluctuating temperatures, maybe a garage for example.

If you’re planning on having your unit within the home, the décor of the wine refrigerator will be something you’ll need to consider. Many models are actually like fine pieces of furniture, with embossed glass panels, decorative woods, & subdued backlighting.

Wine enjoyment is a social experience, and it’s especially nice to have your collection appropriately displayed, and thus  a center of conversation with your friends.

Size matters! If you’re just starting to be purchasing & storing wines good advice would be to buy a wine refrigerator larger than you had initially thought necessary. However if you dwell in an apartment where there is not an abundance of space, there are may “apartment sized” units available, from “Counter Top”, to “Under the Counter” models.

Do you imbibe in a wine from a variety of countries? Enjoy some Champagne? Then you’ll appreciate getting a unit that boasts adjustable shelving, as a lot of these come in non standard sized bottles.

Much more for much less?  If the words “some assembly required” doesn’t scare you, then consider purchasing a unit that requires a little assembly. Often the savings you’ll reap by doing this will enable you to afford a much larger unit than you would have otherwise. Often you can store up to 500 bottles in perfect conditions and in a quite inexpensive way.

Are you a proud collector? Need optimum storage & temperature control for anywhere from 1000 – 2500 bottles?  Then a modular wine rooms may be what you should contemplate. These rooms are, prepackaged, relatively simple to assemble, and best of all, due to them arriving in pieces, can be assembled in a room, that you would never be able to fit a ready assembled unit into.

Now that you’ve an idea of what your needs are we highly recommend you visit the Wine Enthusiast, our choice for a huge variety of  wine refrigerators , with every conceivable make, model and price range.

Cheers!

We don’t often think of Michigan as a wine producing State do we, but look at the facts:

• 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!

If you're serious about your wines you have probably joined a wine club. If you are a wine club member you can be assured you will have frequent wine spills, and the following information will be valuable for you

Nothing strikes fear and dread into the heart of any spot-fearing individual than a red wine stain. This classic spot has ruined more than one garment. It has been the cause of dread for homeowners who own light-colored carpeting and it has left many smiles dingy-purple.

Not every wine stain is red. You may find yourself wondering how to get rid of a white wine stain as well. The first step is to pour a generous amount of cold water on the affected area. This task needs to be done as quickly as possible. These types of spills usually occur during a special occasion like a party and you may feel a bit rude, but it is crucial to get that cold water to the wine spot as soon as you possibly can in order to assure that it will be removed promptly.

If the white stain is on clothing or other material that can be turned inside out, pour the water from the back of the area instead of the front. Of course, this approach can’t be used on most rugs so pouring from the top is the primary option for these materials. However, a blouse should be turned inside out when looking at the area.

The second step in the white wine stain removal process is to rub the fabric with laundry detergent. After applying the laundry detergent, let the fabric stand for at least five to ten minutes. Dish detergent will work very well with this, too. If you are looking at a white wine stain on a rug, it is best to use a carpet spot cleaner. These can be found at your local grocery shop in little time but it is always a good idea to keep some on hand for just such an emergency.

If the wine stain is still visible then let the fabric soak in cold water for at least thirty minutes. This can be quite inconvenient but it is a must if you want to save the garment. Wash the fabric as you normally would after the soak but be sure to look for the wine stain before putting the garment into the dryer. When the spot is still visible, try a laundry stain remover and rewash the item.

Your rug may need to be professionally cleaned if the white wine stain is still prevalent after a few hours. This professional cleaning should be arranged asap to assure that the white wine stain will be removed completely.