If you’re like me, you like your wine…a lot, and you drink it after work, with a special meal, or for a particular occasion. You probably have a couple bottles on hand with one white in the fridge and a red in the pantry, unless you are a true wine enthusiast and have a full cellar stocked. That’s what I always did but I didn’t know one thing: how to properly store my wine.

There’s a lot of wine rules and standards that a bunch of wine enthusiast follow, but Ii was never one to follow them. I assumed that knowing the basics was all I needed to enjoy my wine just enough, without overdoing it. At first, I didn’t use a wine decanter or even gave a second thought to the type of crystal wine glasses I was using. This went for how I stored my wine as well. I decided to try something different, I stored my wine the right way and it made a huge difference in the taste of the wine.

Temperature: It does not matter what kind of wine you have, it should always be stored in a cool dry place! This is why people have wine cellars for optimal taste! While the best tempurature for wine varies slightly, 55 degrees is a good target.Any warmer than this temperature and you will definitly notice a difference in the taste of your wine. Moreover, make sure that the temperature is steady and not subject to fluctuation, as this will dramatically alter the contents of your wine bottle.

Light: Make sure if you want your wine to retain its original full flavor, that you store it in a place where not a lot of light can get at it. If a bottle of wine is in the light for extended periods of time, it will age the wine considerably, affecting its flavors.

Humidity: Another key consideration when it comes to optimal wine storage is making sure that the humidity levels are just right. It should be, on average, more humid than not in order to keep the wine corks from shrinking. A cork that has shrunk even a little bit will let in that much air, and the air will oxidize the wine-tampering with its taste. So, what should the average humidity be for wine storage? Between 65-75%. This is why damp basements and cellars can work so well for wine storage.

Sideways: This may seem a strange one to some, it did to me, but there has got to be a reason so many wine racks and cellars hold their wine bottles sideways instead of upright, right? Yes. It is because in order to ensure that the cork is protected from shrinking, it needs to stay moist. That said, the best way to keep the cork moist is to store your wine on it’s side.

Travel: When traveling with your wine, you know, to a party or to a BYOB resaurant be sure to use a wine bottle bag.This will protect your wine while boucing around during transport and hold the temerature as well.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Storing Your Wine for Optimal Taste

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to enjoy a bit of a boozy weekend in Dublin. My husband had been asked over by a supplier of the firm he works for.  Everything was going to be paid for and all we had to do was literally get on the plane.

We were met at the airport by our host and he swiftly whisked us off to his house so we could unpack.  You should have seen my face when I saw how big his house was – it was enormous.  He had everything you could ever imagine – a swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, gym and even a home cinema.

Waiting for us in his kitchen was some beautiful Australian wine, nicely chilled in a wine cooler and bottle openers all ready to go.

Our host was a real wine buff and has his own wine racks down in his cellar. He imports a lot of wine from Australia and was explaining that the cellar has to be kept at just the right temperature, which is quite difficult at times.  He was saying that if the conditions aren’t right, then lots of problems can occur.  An example he was telling us was that if the humidity is too high in the cellar then this makes the corks dry out and in turn would allow air to get into the bottle and oxidise the wine, which would be disastrous.

After we had finished our drinks we were off for a night in the Temple Bar area. It was absolutely fantastic and the Irish are so hospitable and friendly.  Nothing was too much trouble and they are such lovely people.  Hubby was in his element knocking back his pints of Guinness.  I think the next morning through he was wishing he hadn’t drunk quite so much.

We had a brilliant weekend and it is certainly something I would love to do again.  Next time we go though, I think perhaps we should lay off drinking quite so much alcohol!

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How Many Wine Racks Can You Fit In Your Cellar?

There are a number of points towards refining your taste for wine and enhancing your judgment as to what makes a good wine. Naturally, one being wine is made from fermented grape juice. You also should know the grape varieties wines are made from and the process of wine making itself.

There are many different kinds of wines, and the more commonly known ones – red, white, rose and champagne – are only a few of many. Wines are usually classified according to the grape varieties used to make them. One variety that is often used for red wine is the Barbera. Grown mainly in Piedmont, Italy, this variety is quite adaptable to other regions, and is also grown on a limited scale in the United States. Barbera grapes have a high natural acidity and produce wines with a full-bodied fruity taste.

Wine Varieties

There is a vast selection when choosing one of the many varieties of wine. Wine enthusiasts all know about one variety grown in many parts of the world, the Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown primarily in Medoc, France, this grape variety has found its way to California, Australia and other wine-making countries. Cabernet Sauvignon wines are considered by wine enthusiasts as among the best red wines in the world. They have a distinct aromatic flavor, and have hints of the taste of berries, olives, coffee, mint and herbs all blended together. One of the most popular white wine varieties and producing some of the world’s finest, is the Chardonnay. The types and varieties are overwhelming at times, but you soon become familiar with the wine values.

A basic understanding of the wine-making process is important to a wine enthusiast especially if he intends to go into wine production, if only for his personal use. Wine making is really quite simple and is an age-old technology. It is not necessary to have sophisticated equipment to make wines.

To start you have to know what type of grapes to use and where they are grown, the right age for picking, and things like acidity and sugar levels. If you are after a particular aromatic flavor, there are grapes that will produce that kind of flavor and you should be able to tell which ones. After the  picking comes the pressing to extract the juices, then fermentation.

Fermentation is quite a delicate process. It involves adding yeast to the juice in order to stimulate the fermentation process. In simple terms, fermentation is the conversion of the sugar in the juice into alcohol. The success of the process, that is, your grape juice turning into good wine, has a lot to do with the kind of yeast you use, and the absence of any contaminants getting into the mixture during the entire process.

There is so much more to knowing the difference between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the knowledge to the types of wine available is just the beginning for a wine enthusiast.

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Varieties of Wines and Becoming Familiar With Wine Values

Australia has long been considered a big player in the global wine industry and this has to a large extent been down to its ideal grape growing conditions. However, Fiji and New Zealand have also come onto the scene in recent years and has increased their market share largely as a result of their flexible wine producing policies.

In the news recently was the high-profile contentious issue of wine producers being able to mix together red and white wine, and call the end product rosé. Classically rosé has been made by removing the white juice mixture from the red grape skins at just the right time so that it doesn’t absorb so much of the colour. However, spurred on by the squeeze of the global recession on wine produces, a number of countries passed a law saying that producers could now sell blended wine (white will a dash of red) under the label of rosé.

Countries such as France, widely considered the finest wine producing country in the world, were not best pleased with this “mutilation” of rosé wine and did not agree for it to be sold in their country, or even be given as wine gifts. However, those countries that have not set such strict rules for themselves, such as those in Australasia and Eastern Europe have profited from their liberalism. A spokesman from the New Zealand alcohol authority defended his country’s move by stating that people are free to consume whichever wine they wish. They never market their blended rosé as wine made in the traditional way and the difference in pricing makes it quite obvious this is a different product entirely. The spokesman argued that if people can make milk chocolate in a thousand different ways, why can the same not be done for rosé?

Many of the Australasian countries have even embraced the full blending together of other wines as well.In Fiji for example you can buy Chenin Blanc mixed with Pinot Grigio and Tempranillo blended with Cabernet Franc. Mirroring the laid back approach of New Zealand, the Fijian wine makers suggest that wine is able to be blended just as easily and with the same success rate as whisky. They state that companies all over the world, and in particular Scotland, produce some very fine blended whiskies that not only often taste superior to single malts, but that are also able to sell at more modest prices. Next they will be telling us which tableware we must use when consuming the wine, stated one official.

The new blended wine has proved to be a real hit internally with the Fijian population, with producers selling around 120,000 bottles in 2008. This might not sound like the largest figure in the world, but when you consider that the population of the country is little over 800,000, you soon realise how popular it actually is. There are plans to start exporting this fully blended wine very soon and given the fact they are able to undercut many ‘single malt’ wine produces, they are almost certain to do well.

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Australasian Wine Producers Have More Freedom Than Anywhere Else

For millennia, wine has been made from only a couple of incredients.  They are juice from grapes and yeast.  Any fruit juice can be used, as a matter of fact, but grape juice is the most frequently used.
We tend to think of wine as a special treat, a gracious gift (as in a wine basket), a beverage of celebration or a drink to serve with a special meal.  For much of history, though, it was a drink of necessity due to the often poor standards of the available water.

How is wine made?

Yeast is the magical ingredient that turns grape juice into wine. Interestingly enough, there is actually wild yeast spores in the air and all that is really needed to make wine is an open container of grape juice and time. The result however, would probably not be the most palatable of beverages.

Yeast is a living organism.  In wine making, the yeast feeds off the sugars.  That process is called fermentation.  The action of fermentation converts the sugars in the juice into alcohol with a biproduct of carbon dioxide.  In contemporary times, special types of yeast have been cultured solely for their use in wine making.  The particular strain of the yeast, along with other factors, determines the flavor of the wine.

The wine is removed from the original container and placed into another container in order to mature before bottling.  The yeast stays in the original container.

How does wine get its color?

You probably know that there are green grapes and black grapes and different grapes are used to make different wines.  The color of the wine, however, does not directly reflect the color of the grape.  In fact, grape juice is largely clear no matter the color of the original grape.  The color of wine is determined by whether (and for how long) the skin is allowed to remain in the juice during the fermentation process.

What gives each wine its taste?

Many factors contribute to the eventual flavor of any wine.  They include the strain of yeast, the type of grape, the soil conditions, the weather during the growing season, the technique and temperature during fermentation and even the nature of the oak barrels in which the wine matures.

It is because of all of these variables that a wine drinker can always notice a flavor difference from one wine to the next.  This can make for an interesting hobby of never-ending discovery.

What is tannin?

All wines have tannin.  That is the component that provides that sort of drying feeling on the tongue.  It comes from the stems, seeds and skins, so red wines will have more tannin than will white wines.  That accounts for the different tactile feeling between reds and whites.

Because of the brevity of this description, this has been only a tiny overview of what there is to know about wine.  Hopefully, though, it has given you a few nuggets for your conversation at the next wine and cheese tasting that you attend.

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From Grape Juice to the Drink of the Gods

Professionals believe that wine tasting is a skill and not some exact science.  You see, when a person taste wine, his or her private decisions will affect how he or she perceives the taste of the wine.  According to studies, wine tasting involves the senses so the opinion of the person who tasted the wine is rather subjective.  Since the opinions of the members of a wine tasting circle may differ, the ratings a wine gets in one country may different from the ratings that it may get in another country.  Does this mean that wine tasting is an untrustworthy form of wine rating?  Well, not particularly, the difference in the opinion of the wine tasters do present some type of bewilderment at times but since many of us are called on to rank the wine, the opinion of the majority wins in the end.  If most of the wine tasters in a certain wine tasting circle claimed the wine is a 8 in the ten point scale, then that particular wine will be rated as a 8. 

The Beginnings of Wine Tasting

Tasting the quality of the wine is a particularly old tradition.  Way back in the olden times, people who are adept at testing the quality of the wine are called on to sample the wine before it is served to the king or the emperor.  The job of the wine taster is essentially extremely crucial.  Some kings and rulers are known to put to put to death the wine taster if the king doesn’t like the wine served on his table.  Since wine tasting is thought of as a very important job in the older times, a formal methodology of the making a sensory analysis of the quality and taste of the wine evolved in the 14th century.  During this time, a method of ascertaining the quality of the wine was first established. 

Since the 14th century, the art of making sensory of evaluation of the standard of the wine have developed.  {However ,} the basic principles of ascertaining the quality of the wine still remain.  In our modern times, wine tasters still abide by the 4 well established points of tasting wines namely the appearance of the wine, the smell or the fragrance of the wine when put in the glass, the taste of the wine when you drink it and the after taste of the wine.  The results of these stages or points of sensory analysis are mixed to come up with a more complex analysis of the flavour of the wine.

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The Art of Wine Tasting

Choosing a wine to go with a festive holiday meal can be a challenge. A bold, celebratory wine seems a good first pick – but it risks clashing with, or worse overshadowing, any of the delicious food prepared for the occasion. But too light or fruity, and the traditional holiday meats might make the wine seem bland in comparison. Furthermore, holidays are a time when families come together from all over town, the country, or even the world – and the bottle needs to be able to appeal to a diverse group of people. Here, therefore, are some ideas to get you started, along with some specific recommendations, so that the holiday bottle becomes a gift to share, not another source of stress.

Traditional Thanksgiving wines are many. A Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and earthy – a perfect pairing with a herb-encrusted turkey or herb-based stuffing dish. The warm, natural tastes of this particular wine could be the perfect complement. You might want to try the Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley, 2004 – these fruity, zingy wines have a great earthy taste. Or, incorporate the grass notes of the $15 Ferrari-Carano from Sonoma County, for a rosemary-based dish. Riesling is another option, good with spicy dishes. A recommendation here is the $18 Pikes Clare Valley Riesling.

The problem, of course, is that one wine for spicy sides and one for the main dish isn’t really ideal. This isn’t a traditional three-course meal, usually, but a family-style extravaganza. For red wines, which are typically heartier and more suited to these wintry months, Pinot Noir is both simple and tasty enough to go with practically everything. Simple, homey, and sure to please – the perfect family Thanksgiving combination. For the more adventurous, the Beaujolais Nouveau might be a good choice. This fruity wine goes wonderfully with turkey – and best of all, it’s perfectly seasonal; it’s always released on the third Thursday in November! For your dessert – if it’s pumpkin pie – bring out a cream sherry; they’re sweet enough to stand up to the spicy confidence of the pie.

For Christmas dinner, a new wine can be an inventive way of making a traditional Christmas meal seem more even more special. Try a Zinfandel, for example, with a succulent Christmas ham, or a Shiraz with turkey. You would probably be better off sticking with red wines, since it is winter.  With lighter meals – cold meats or hams – try the Chianti Classico 2001 Borgo Salcetino, an Italian wine that can be had for under $15. Its tannin taste complements the ham well. For a fat bird like goose or duck, the velvety Chassagne-Montmrachet Rouge, Blain-Gagnard, is a rich Burgundy that will enhance the meat’s richness. For a beef or lamb dish, try a Bordeaux (such as the 1998 Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estephe, just over $20, an elegant, decadent bottle). And, a nice port might be the perfect finish!

One more thing about holiday feasts and wine – you may receive a bottle of wine from a dinner guest, as a gift. You shouldn’t feel obligated to serve it at all, unless it really is a special wine that goes well, and that you want to share. Or, you could just save it for another occasion; it is a gift for you, after all. And, don’t forget to store your wine properly, in a wine fridge or wine cellar, so that you can enjoy it when you finally do uncork it, for that special occasion. Even a 12-bottle wine cooler will do, but you’ll likely find that you’ll fill that up very quickly, so take expansion into consideration. (You can find a nice wine cooler buyer’s guide at WineCoolerreviews.com.) In the meantime, enjoy your holiday meal with your friends and family, along with a choice selection of wine.

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Wines for the Holiday Season

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 “Pale plonk packs an acidic punch!” says the BBC, Well, it does and it doesn’t. It also depends on the types of wine grapes as to how acidic the wine is and how long the wine is held in the mouth, as to how much damage is done. People who taste wine are much more likely to suffer from rotting teeth than your normal wine drinker, this is because they hold the wine in their mouths longer. Loads of noise on twitter for the story on http://twitter.com/winewarecouk and http://twitter.com/thirstforwine.

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So what does White wine actually do to teeth?

It should be pointed out that the erosion of teeth by wine is the result of extensive wine use that would also lead to damaged liver and all sorts of other problems. The typical wine drinker who sips a glass of wine at dinner or with their evening meal should not be ‘scared off’ by the tooth decay headlines, remember 100 year old women in Italy swear that wine was the secret of their longevity.

White wine stains teeth:

I think that anyone who has drank a few glasses of Red would agree that, yes, it does. Has it ever crossed your mind how this is? “Red wine, unlike white, contains a highly-pigmented substance known as chromogen,” explained Dr. Wolff of New York University College says “The acids in wine create rough spots and grooves that enable chemicals in other beverages that cause staining, such as coffee and tea, to penetrate deeper into the tooth”.

Dr Wolff pointed out that all wine has the abilty to damage the tooths surface, red wine merely lets us know where that damage is.

Stop wine erosion on teeth?

1) Alkaline mouthwashes are highly recommended

2) Proper brushing of your teeth with a soft tooth brush is encouraged.

3) Food and drink go together very well, acid in your food and acid in the wine can both be combatted at once with your mouths natural mineralisation.

4) To help the remineralisation work, wait 30 mins after eating before brushing your teeth.

5) Cheese can also help as it contains calcium in a high concentration

I hope this is helped a little towards taking away the fear factor of White wine.

Think I need a drink after all that …

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

White wine rots your teeth

To complement a good dinner you need exquisite wine to go with it. When having a smart slap up meal the waiter would ask you what you would like to drink to which you would answer, “A bottle of your finest Nashik region sauvignon blanc wine or an original Maharastran Shiraz”. Like any good meal there are some essentials that you need, for example, glassware, an ice bucket to keep the wine cold (if it’s white) and ideally someone to pour it for you. Whilst all of these are most often associated with fine French or Italian cuisine, India are now making a move for the market.

The Indian wine industry is desperately trying to emulate the success of the sub-continents beer (Cobra) and food (Curry). However India’s oldest winery only dates back to early 1982 so the industry is still really in the starting phases. India as a nation are trying to increase their revenue stream as much as possible by broadening their own commerical potential. Exporting Indian wine as well as Indian beer and food will be a great move for India as a nation as this will un-doubtedly help their relation and profit prospects.

White wine and red wine go well with any meal and normally you would go for a wine that has been brewed and made in France or Italy for example, but Indian wine could change all of that. Sales have grown by 30% to 35% in India every year since 2002 and although only 2% of the population drinks wine, that still accounts for a staggering twenty million people. Last year alone the Indian wine market accounted for 1.two million cases of wine being sold, representing a doubling of domestic consumption in only just five years. Compared to global players in the wine industry – America last year produced 270 million cases – India remains a viticultural minnow but now producers believe they have spotted a receptive export for the globe and a massive avenue to make plenty of money.

For high qaulity crystal vases, wine glasses and whisky glasses, visit FC

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New Wine of India

The fruit wine making process is one which is quite complex but which can be understood rather easily, if you are willing.  Using a guide like the ultimate fruit winemaker’s guide will help you in your effort

Once you have all the equipment and a recipe book, you can begin your venture to making wine the best you have ever tasted. Home wine making allows you to try different flavor juices or fruits. You will find there are many different types of wines that you can make with a home wine making venture.

You might want a citrus wine favor. If so, you can use oranges, apples, grapefruit or gooseberry. If you want something a little less citrus flavored, you might try bananas, cherry, pear, peach, strawberry or grapes. There are people who use dandelions and rhubarb as well as watermelon and ginger root to make wine.

The next step in the wine making process involves fermentation. This is really where the magic is in the process and if left to its own devices, the must or juice will begin to ferment naturally within about eight hours, with the aid of wild yeasts in the air.  In clean wineries and vineyards however the fermentation process is quite different. Once fermentation begins, regardless of the chosen path, it will normally continue on until all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol and a dry wine is produced.

The second essential factor is to determine the available sugar in the juice and to make the required adjustments to the sugar level. A winemaking hydrometer is very useful to perform this job. It provides you all the required information regarding the sugar level in the juice including the current level of sugar, the potential of preparing alcohol and the required amount of sugar. There are actually a wide variety of sugars available in the market. You may become a little unsure which will be the best sugar for your wine.

Enjoy your wine as a professional wine taster. When the wine is ready to be opened, try a little taste before taking a few drinks. You want to savor the taste before making a judgment as to how it tastes. Your home wine making skills might have created a extraordinary bottle of wine. You might want to share some with friends to hear their opinions about the taste. A good wine maker always shares to find reviews. Once the reviews are in, you will know whether you have a great wine or maybe a best seller as well.

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Learning About the Wine Making Process