Reading wine labels is what we’ll be looking at in this part of our wine 101 guide…

If you buy wine, knowing how to read a wine label is a useful skill to have. Finding out what (and what not) to look for will help you buy wines that meet your perfectly your preferences. So, lets look at each aspect of a wine label individually.

The first thing to look for is the vintage, or the year the wine was produced; most wines are meant to be drunk immediately, so choose a bottle from a recent year. This particularly applies if youre looking for a fresh, lively, fruity wine at a reasonable price. Of course, there are some vintages of certain wines that are well known, but these tend to be pricey; research these wines online or in specialty magazines to learn about them before you buy.

Secondly, the geography; there are lots of famous regions and vineyards around the world (too many to list here) so this can be a bit of a lottery and unless you do prior research. However, a good rule of thumb is to choose a wine which label state a specific vineyard or town rather than a region. The reasoning being that lesser wine producers will often try to cash in on the reputation of famous wine producing regions, even though their grapes were grown in agriculturally poor areas of that region.

Thirdly, the alcohol content; it’s recommended that you look for one at around 14% or less.You may think that the higher the alcohol content, the more value you’ll get from it, but wines with higher levels of alcohol than that tend to be unbalanced and, if drinking for pleasure rather than to get drunk, wont be very enjoyable.

Finally, you should look for small details that indicate high quality: the date the grapes were picked, whether the wine was made at the vineyard (estate bottled), and vineyard contact information. Details such as these add to a wines authenticity and indicate that the wine producer cares about and has faith in their product.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

How To Read Wine Labels

Hosting a wine tasting party is not really hard as you think. In fact, it is one of the easiest parties to handle. Firstly, you need to decide on a certain theme so that planning will be a lot easier on your part.

In this article, you will find out about the six popular themes that you can use for wine tasting parties.

1. Horizontal Party

In this kind of party, you will only focus on one variety of wine. you can easily get Chenin Blanc (2003) plus you will get it all from different wineries. You should visit multiple producers and vineyards.

You can get wine from only one specific region or you can mix them all up with that of other regions.

2. Vertical Party

In a vertical wine party, you will choose only one variety of wine but from different years or vintages. You also need to choose only one producer of the wine. In a vertical tasting wine parties, you will be familiar with the producer’s and various composition and its style.

A typical example is featuring the wine from Keyes Vineyard from 2002 to 2004. By tasting the same wine from different years, the guests can taste the dramatic changes in just a span of a year.

3. Priceless Party

In this themed party, you can purchase different wines in various price ranges. Your objective here is to let your guests identify the difference between wines of different prices.  You can get $10 wines or much pricier wines. It’s really up to you to choose the wines.

4. Price Point Party

You will need to choose wines that belong to the same price range. The decision is yours – you can purchase different wines under $20 or under $40; or even more than $100. It all depends on your budget. The important thing is, the baseline price is always considered when purchasing the wines.

5. Big Eight

The four wines should be from the white wine category while the other four should be from the red wine category. Guests have different preferences when it comes to wine. Some prefer red wine over white wine, and vice versa. With selecting a Big Eight wine theme party, you will get opportunity to have top four wines from each category. For example, for the red winecategory you can purchase Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the white wine, you can get the Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio.

6. Blind Wine Party

As the name suggests, you need to remove the labels of the wines before the guests arrive. If you want, you can also put the wine in wine bags. In a blind wine party, guests can’t choose their particular wine because the wines are not labeled.

Make sure that you cover the names of wines so that the guests will be more intrigued. In a way, you will be able to catch the fancy of your guests.

Those are the six themes that you can use next time you decide to host a wine tasting party. You and your guests will surely have fun at the party. Choose a theme that bests suit according to your budget thus you can have fun too.

Happy wine tasting to you and your guests; also, don’t forget to jot down your guests’ wine preferences so that you will know what to serve next time.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Six Popular Themes For Wine Tasting Parties