Drinking Wines

The wine regions of Austria are divided into 4 areas, called Lower Austria, Styria, Burgenland, and Vienna. Each of these regions is then further divided, for a total of 19 designated wine growing areas. To roughly get your bearings, Lower Austria encompasses the wine growing areas north and west of Vienna, with Burgenland south and east of Vienna and Styria south and west of Burgenland.

Vienna is the only national capital in the world with an economically significant wine industry within its city limits. Some 400 wine growers work the 1730 acres, producing a range of wines from great to merely drinkable, the latter being enjoyed mixed with sparkling mineral water and called G?Spritzr, which is bought in the jolly wine-gardens known as Heurige. In fact, almost all of the wine produced in the vineyards of Vienna is used to slake the thirst of the Viennese, with only very small amounts being exported. This Heurige culture dates back to the time of Charlemagne, but was officially recognized in 1784 by Emperor Josef II. Today there are about 180 licensed Heurige in Vienna, and there is nothing quite as enjoyable as a summer afternoon spent outside at a long Heurige table, drinking the local wine and tasting the local foods.

The oldest Viennese vineyards are officially documented in 1132, but the winegrowing tradition began in Vienna with the Celts, when the city was a village called Vidunia whose people planted vines on the slopes of what are now known as the Vienna Woods. A more systematic viticulture came with the Roman Empire, when the village was a military port called Vindobona. By the middle ages, vineyards were planted in every part of the city, and the winemaking culture was so important that when the Turks laid siege to the city, the Viennese held them off bravely until the Turks began burning the vineyards. That was too much to bear. They surrendered.

The region is divided roughly into two areas: the Bisamberg to the Northeast, with its loam and gravel loess, and the Kahlenberg in the northwest, with its shell limestone. It is widely accepted that the best vineyards are in the Kahlenberg, and the best of those is the Nussberg, which is planted predominantly with Riesling and Gr?ner Veltliner. The important wine districts of Vienna include Heiligenstadt (of which Nussberg is a part), Sievering, Neustift am Walde, and Grinzing. The wine districts of Bisamberg are called Stammersdorf, Strebersdorf, and Jedlersdorf.

The main grape variety grown in Vienna is Gr?ner Veltliner, but one can find Riesling, Neuburger, Traminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon and a few other varietals planted as well. The best wines come from the wineries Wieninger, Winzerhof, Zahel, Christ, and Weingut der Stadt Wien Cobenzl. Wieninger?s vineyards include the famous Nussberg, so a good bet would be to seek out his Gr?ner Veltliner Nussberg (2000 is a good vintage) and his Nussberg Alte Reben, which is a cuvee of a few different varietals. While it may be difficult to find these wines in your local shop, a search online will produce a few different places to purchase the great wines of Austria.

Emily Schindler is a wine importer with the Schindler Weissman Company, based in Los Angeles. To read more of her wine writing, or to find great wines from Austria, visit http://www.winemonger.com

Few wine lovers are lucky enough to possess perfect purpose built, cavernous, subterranean cellars. Many of us have imperfect storage arrangements for our wine, but it is important to understand how to protect wine from damaging conditions so that we can make the most of the wine storage facilities available. Wine storage conditions dont need to be perfect, but the finer the wine and the longer you intend to store it for, the nearer to perfect they have to be.

There is a lot of variety in the way in which different wines will react to adverse conditions. Red wines tend to be more robust with white wines being more delicate. There is also variation between the grape varieties, with grapes like cabernet sauvignon being considerably more resilient than pinot noir. The aim in this article is to give you an overview of the factors to consider and the options available for storing your wine.

1)Temprature

Temprature along with light is responsible for doing the most damage to wine. The ideal wine cellar temperature is between 7-13 degrees C. At the higher end of the scale wines will mature faster. The key though is a constant temperature. If all other factors are optimum then it can be ok to store your wine at much higher temperatures (eg room temperature) as long as its a constant temperature.

If you dont have a cellar in your house then think about using north facing walls, under the stairs, a well insulated garage or coal hole. Keep a thermometer in your storage area so you can check for a consistent temperature.

2)Light

Natural and artificial light will do a lot of damage to wine. If your wine storage area isn’t dark like a cellar or under stairs cupboard then this is a very easy to overcome problem. Try and block of the area with a curtain or cover the wine with a blanket.

3)Humidity

Relative humidity for wine storage should be at least 55% with the ideal range being 70-75%. The role of humidity in wine storage is slightly controversial, although lack of it is believed to aid oxidation of the wine.

4)Movement

Wine really doesnt enjoy too much movement. If you ever need to transport your wine or if its just been delivered from your merchant then its important to give the wine a few days rest. If you happen to live in a house that gets shook by heavy traffic, trains or planes, then try and store your wine in an area that is least affected.

5)Horizontal

There is a plethora of wine racks available to buy. This is an important purchase as wine should always be stored on its side. Storing wine on its side keeps it in contact with the cork thus preventing the cork from drying out and letting air in.

Buying and renting cellar space

The five points we have just covered are your main considerations when choosing where to store your wine. If you have the money, it is possible to purchase a wine storage cabinet. These temperature and humidity controlled cabinets resemble fridges, but will give you absolute perfect storage conditions. Another alternative would be to install a spiral cellar. Many companies now sell and install these if you have the available space and money. For those wine lovers that are buying the finest wines to lay down for many years it may be worth considering renting cellar space from a reputable wine merchant. This will be costly, but money well spent to protect your investment.

David Roberts has been a wine lover for many years and as well as working in for a large wine merchant has also set up http://www.wineknowledgeonline.com

For many of us summer time means cooking on the grill. Human beings are hard-wired to get satisfaction from the combination of flame and food and summer is the perfect season to scratch that itch.

When you bring the kitchen outside, do not forget the wine cellar. Scientists figure that we can experience about 150 different flavor sensations. Wine made from grapes can trigger almost all of them, more than any other single food or beverage. What that means is that by adding any number of the wines of the world to the grilling menu you can turn an enjoyable experience into a memorable one?a little something you will appreciate in the middle of February.

You do not need an elaborate wine cooling system for outdoor dining but you do need to keep wine out of the sun, and if possible, try to keep it at wine-cellar-cool, around 55 degrees F.

Matching wine with food is more of an art than a science but there are some reliable guidelines that you can use to narrow your focus.

Heavy dishes, foods you chew hard with strong tastes, match up with full-bodied wines. Full-bodied usually means the reds but whites like Italian Malvasia and oaked California Chardonnay can also fill the bill.

Sweet dishes require sweet wines. This is really more of a rule than a guideline. Even an excellent dry wine paired with a sweet dish can create a sour or bitter taste.

Fatty dishes usually pair well with wines high in acidity like the Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs and most sparkling wine.

Protein-rich dishes often match-up well with high tannin wines. The big reds are the usually the choice here with the Cabernets and Syrah at the top of the list. High tannin wines usually do not pair well with fish and other seafood or with salty dishes.

Here are a few wine-grill combinations that food editors have found particularly alluring.

Shrimp skewers: Shrimp marinated in olive oil, lime juice, onion, garlic and rosemary, skewered and briefly grilled. Wine: Pinot Grigio: light and crisp and fruity, with mild flavors of citrus and peaches.

Chicken legs: Marinated in oil and hot pepper sauce. Wine: Shiraz: soft and rich, with red berry flavors and the sweetness to go with the spice

Barbecued ribs: Grilled slowly and indirectly for hours, slathered with spicy, tomato-and-molasses-based sauce in the final minutes so it doesn’t burn. Wine: Syrah: Zingy, rich and spicy, with black plum flavors and the sweetness to match the ribs.

Pork chops: Butterfly them so they’ll cook through, marinate in oil and sage, and grill.. Wine: Riesling: soft and lightly sweet, with golden apple and peach flavors and a little hint of citrus.

New York strip steak: Marinate in garlic, olive oil and rosemary, crust it on the outside, red in the middle. For an extra special treat place the meat directly on white-hot charcoal. Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon: Big oak, big black cherry fruit, big tannins; a real steak wine.

Salmon: Marinate in soy sauce and a hint of oil, brush with maple syrup just before the grill. Wine: Grenache, Mourvdre, Syrah, Zinfandel: hugely rich and fruity, with moderate tannin.

Turkey breast with grilled vegetable chutney: Marinate breast in oil and Cajun spices. For the chutney, slice up onions, eggplant, and red and green bell peppers, marinate in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, grill briefly and chunk up into chutney. Wine: Chardonnay: a nice hint of oak to go with the grilling flavors.

Peaches, pears, pineapples, bananas: Brush them with a hint of oil. The caramelization produces a memorable flavor. Wine: M?nage a Trois Ros?: Lots of strawberry and light cherry flavors, just sweet enough to match the grilled fruit. Also makes a great basket picnic wine.

Peter Sabrage is South Florida gray-beard who enjoys the heck out of tasting, reading, and writing about food and wine. Peter contributes to Home-Winemaker.com

It comes as no news to anyone that the American people love their animals. What did come as a surprise to me is that we also love animals on our wine labels. Yes, a study released earlier this year by ACNielsen confirms that wine labels with animal images are becoming increasingly popular in this country.

I felt compelled to do my own research on this topic so one evening I stopped by my local liquor store to check out the wine selection. Sure enough I was greeted with a veritable zoo of animals on labels. There were Dancing Bulls, Leaping Horses, Black Swans, Little Penguins, Kangaroos, even a hippopotamus courtesy of Fat Bastard Wines (which is French would you believe). This very informal research confirmed that there seems to be a much larger selection of wines with animal labels than ever before.

Critter Labels Rule

In the wine industry these animal labels are affectionately known as critter labels, and the trend began back in 2001 with the introduction of the Yellow Tail brand of wines into this country from Australia. Pictured on the label is what looks like a kangaroo (but which is in fact supposed to be the yellow-footed rock wallaby). These wines had labels that looked striking, were priced very reasonably and they tasted great ? so they became a runaway success. So much so that they spawned an entire new category of wine.

The ACNielsen study has some hard data confirming the popularity of this new wine category. In the past three years there have been 438 new Table Wine brands that have been successfully introduced in the American market (those wines that sold more than $20,000 annually). Of these 438 new brands 77 of them featured an animal on their label, around 18 percent. Combined with existing critter label wines, sales reached $600 million in 2005 out of a total of just over $4 billion, based on ACNielsen sales data from supermarket point of sale purchases.

Critter-labeled wines are on the rise, quickly gaining share in the table wine category, said Danny Brager, vice president of ACNielsen’s Beverage Alcohol team. The sales generated by new brands featuring a critter outperform other new table wines by more than two to one. That’s right, taken across the board new critter-labeled wines have proven in the marketplace to be more popular.

While placing a critter on a label doesn’t guarantee success, it is important that wine makers realize that there is a segment of consumers who don’t want to have to take wine too seriously, said Brager. Not only are they willing to have fun with wine, they may just feel ?good’ about an animal label presentation. With hundreds of new wine brands being introduced each year, wine makers realize that they need to stand out from the crowd if they are to make an impression. The easiest and most cost effective way to stand out is with an attention grabbing label on your bottle. The wine industry has also realized that there is an increasingly large segment of consumers who are attracted by fun labels. They want to buy a non-pretentious wine and they don’t want to pay a fortune. These are the people who walk into a liquor store and supermarket and have no idea what they are going to buy ? they decide by looking at the labels.

Chasing the Yellow Tail

The Yellow Tail wine phenomenon is the perfect example of this. From Casella Wines, a small family-owned winery in New South Wales, Australia, Yellow Tail went from zero to the number one imported wine in the US in just two years. The first year the Casella brothers expected to sell 25,000 cases of wine here, they ended up selling 200,000 cases. That was back in 2001. In 2005 they sold 8 million cases of wine. Yellow Tail Shiraz is now the #1 selling red wine in America (not just imports but ALL red wine). In the crowded and highly competitive US wine market with over 6,500 wine brands, Yellow Tail has become the #1 wine brand, and it took just five years.

Now, I realize that Yellow Tail’s success is not just because of their label. They have a great product that is reasonably priced ? the Shiraz is just $6.99 ? and they have a very loyal base of repeat customers. But could they have become #1 without their unique label? I don’t think so. One of the biggest barriers they faced was getting people to try the wine in the first place. With what looks like a brightly colored kangaroo on the label on a black background, it is a visually striking label. It was able to break through the clutter at the retail store with this label.

Perhaps the biggest indication of the success of Yellow Tail is the number of copycats it has spawned. Penfolds, Australia’s leading winery, was obviously disappointed in missing out on this opportunity, so they responded with the launch of the Little Penguin brand of wines. There is now a deluge of animal themed wines, so much so that ACNielsen is tracking their sales now. Despite all this new competition Yellow Tail remains the most successful wine brand in terms of total sales.

Labels are a Powerful Tool

While the wine business is somewhat unique there are lessons here that can be applied to any industry. One lesson is that with a high impact label you can make inroads even in a conservative and image conscious industry such as the wine industry. Your label should be working hard for your product. It should be informational, be a sales and marketing piece, carry any necessary regulatory information, and at the same time be eye catching. If you are selling your products at a retail store, then your label needs to perform well in all these areas for your product to compete with other more established brands.

Your label is your sales tool. The success of Yellow Tail wines demonstrates that in any competitive industry a good label can help bring success. Of course, it doesn’t have to feature a critter, but a visually appealing and eye catching label will always help sales.

Copyright (c) 2006 Peter Renton

Peter Renton is the founder of Lightning Labels, Inc. the leaders in digital label printing and custom labels. He writes regularly about the label printing and packaging industry on his blog at http://blog.lightninglabels.com

To prevent wine bottles from being broken and to store wine in a cool, dark place you need wine storage racks. Storage racks allow you to organize your wine collection and keep it safe and sound. Wine racks also make it possible to display a great collection of wine bottles to others.

There are many kinds of wine storage racks available on market. You have to see how many bottles you need to store at a time and then choose a rack accordingly. You can even have a wine rack made especially for you, with your own customizations regarding color, size and dimensions. If you want to build a wine cellar in your house, then you can hire professional people to build custom-made wine racks for the cellar. These kinds of racks usually take up an entire wall and allow a large amount of wine to be stored in them.

Many wine storage racks have enough space to hold cases of wine as well as individual bottles. Some wine racks offer individual shelves and bin shelves designed to hold only one bottle at a time. This way you don’t need to sift through bottle after bottle to look for the one you need.

There are online wine rack stores that allow you to browse through numerous wonderful-looking storage racks and decide for the one that best suits your needs. Most designer racks are made of either metal or wood. While purchasing online you will also come across special discount offers and other bonuses. You will be able to classify wine racks according to their material, height, width and shape. Decide your budget and buy beautiful wine racks for your great wine collection!

Anyone with a true taste for wine would like to add new brands to his or her collection every now and then, and for that matter there should be a wine rack in the house for storing wine. Storing wine in a safe place like a rack also helps to keep it out of the reach of children and the wine bottles are less likely to be mishandled or broken. There are many kinds of wine racks available out there; you just have to select the one that suits your needs.

There are hanging racks, wall racks and floor racks to choose from. Many wine racks will require you to put the different parts together and make it ready to hang. Wine racks are categorized into wooden and metallic racks.

The wooden ones are usually made of maple with the visual appeal and beauty it holds, in addition to the strength it provides. Wooden racks are more likely to withstand the temperature and humidity levels.

Make sure that the rack you have chosen will allow plenty of space between bottles to ensure air circulation. That will also help to protect the corks from drying out. Wine racks will allow you to arrange the bottles in some definite order. That way you will be able to search for some particular bottles whenever you need them.

There are many online stores that offer beautiful and long-lasting wine racks of many types and colors to let you select the one that appeals to you. Many of these websites offer free shipping and handling. You can even have some expert come to your house and build a customized wine rack for you.

George Wood is a successful webmaster of many popular sites including christmas and rugs site. If you want to read more about wine, click over to George wine site.

For a very long time, cork was the preferred method to seal a bottle of wine. There has been much debate over the past few years as to what the best method is for sealing off a bottle, cork, plastic cork or screw caps.

Current estimates predict that roughly 6 percent of all wine bottled with a traditional cork will fall victim to TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole), a bacteria that thrives in cork. Some of you might have even had a spoilt bottle of wine and not really noticed it. Even a very small amount of TCA in a bottle of wine can ruin it. Most become aware of TCA in quantities as small as 5 parts per trillion. When TCA is present in quantities high enough to be evident to a person, it comes across as ‘musty’ aromas and flavors. TCA in wine is not toxic, but the taste and aromas can be quite unsettling.

Another issue that seems to have people leaning away from traditional cork is the fact that cork can dry out and allow air to oxidize a bottle of wine. This can happen if a bottle is not stored correctly. Storing a bottle of wine on its side helps a cork remain moist and a moist cork expands better to seal the inside of the bottle. A dry cork shrinks allowing air to enter spoiling the wine.

Plastic corks have been created to help combat the problems being seen with real cork. Plastic does eliminate the problem of TCA, but plastic corks can have leaky seals which cause oxidation. Personally I have never had a problem with a leaky plastic cork, but it does happen. Another problem with plastic is that they can be very difficult to remove from a bottle compared to cork. Though this is not as detrimental as having a bottle of wine ruined with TCA, it can be very frustrating if you were looking forward to a lovely glass of Chardonnay and the plastic cork won?t budge.

In an almost last ditch attempt at preventing wine from spoiling, some wine makers have resorted to screw caps for their bottles of wine. Not nearly as romantic as the popping sound a corked bottle makes, screw caps nonetheless are very effective in preventing wine from spoiling. Most Australian wines are no longer made with cork and have opted for this screw cap method because it?s better at maintaining the taste of wine in the way the wine maker intended.

Screw cap bottles of wine are becoming more and more popular, and yes, while they are not as aesthetically pleasing and continue to hold the connotation of a cheap bottle of wine, a greater number of higher quality wines are opting for the screw cap to prevent spoilage. So the next time you are served a bottle of wine with a screw cap, think twice before brushing it off as a cheap wine.

Finest Wine Racks is a major supplier of a variety of wine racks including wood wine racks, wrought iron wine racks, counter top wine racks, free standing wine racks, hanging wine racks, and wine rack kits.

Ken Finnigan - CEO
Finest Wine Racks

Latium is located in the central western part of Italy on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It includes the Apennines mountains, fertile foothills and valleys. There are four groups of ancient volcanoes, each with crater lakes. This area was once the center of the world, and remains an international center of art, politics, religion, and trade. Its population is 5.2 million, making it the third most populous region of Italy.

Latium, also called Lazio, was settled by Indo-European tribes during the 2nd millennium B. C. Later it became Etruscran. When the Etruscans were driven out by the Romans, the area became impoverished and remained so for centuries.

Food abounds, you name it and it?s probably grown in the region. The region?s most special vegetable is the artichoke. It may surprise you to learn that Latium is a center of kiwi production. It is also known for seafood, fish, and shark. Meat raised here includes beef, lamb, pork, and veal. The regions most famous cheese is Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo. According to the popular local legend, Julius Caesar sent Marc Anthony to Egypt, where he fell in love with Cleopatra and this cheese. He sent water buffalo back home and local residents have been enjoying this Mozzarella ever since. Whether or not this legend is true, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese has been popular for centuries. Latium once produced Falernian, which was considered the best wine in the Classical World.

Latium?s major city is Rome, the capital of Italy. As the Italian writer Silvio Negro said, ?Roma, non basta una vita,? Rome, a lifetime is not enough. Ancient Rome was a center of wine production and of amprhorae, clay wine jugs. The area still produces wine. A short Internet search revealed an 18th Century villa for rent 35 minutes from the heart of Rome, surrounded by 30 acres of vineyards and olive groves.

Latium devotes three hundred thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 7th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 78 million gallons, also giving it a 7th place. About 16% of the wine production is red or ros?, leaving 84% for white. The region produces 25 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only 6.5% of Latium wine carries the DOC designation. Latium is home to three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, and. Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are subvarieties of Trebbiano, the yellow Trebbiano Giallo, the green Trebbiano Verde, and Trebbiano Toscano.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. and Merlot. The best known strictly Italian red variety is Cesane. Also popular is Sangiovese, an Italian grape now found elsewhere including in California.

Before we reviewing the Latium wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Spaghetti with Cream, Pancetta (Italian bacon), and Egg. Then try Luccio Brodettato alla Romana, Pike in an Egg-Lemon Sauce. For dessert indulge yourself with Pizza di Polenta e Ricotta, not a pizza, but Sweet Polenta Ricotta Cake.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Tenuta Gasperini? Vigneti VillaFranca ?Castelli Romani Rosso DOC 2002 13.5% alcohol about $13

This wine was produced about 20 kilometers south of Rome. It is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano, two popular Italian red varieties. I found it a bit acidic and relatively tasteless at first. I tried it with kube also called kibbe, a Middle-Eastern specialty, balls of ground rice filled with ground meat. They were cooked overnight with potatoes in a somewhat spicy tomato sauce. The wine tasted a bit of cherries and tobacco. In a meal of chicken burgers and zucchini in a bland tomato and onion sauce, the tobacco taste was stronger than previously. The marketing materials for this wine mentioned raspberry, plum jam, leather, sweet spice, and tomato leaf. When looking for them I found plum jam and leather, but not the other elements. The distributor recommends this wine with baked pasta or veal medallions in a red wine sauce. Maybe.

Pecorino Toscano is a sheep?s milk cheese made in Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. It is also produced in Latium. Soft Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. This cheese is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. I tried this wine with sliced soft Pecorino Toscano on toast with a somewhat spicy Moroccan tomato and pimento based dip. The flavors blended well, and the wine wasn?t thin. However, in the final analysis I would not buy this wine again. It seems overpriced and cannot compete with many other wines that I have tasted in this series.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery had its first commercial wine release in 1997, however its vineyards were planted earlier in 1993. Since then, the winery has received widespread accolades for its wines, particularly its red vintages, resulting annually in sold-out inventory.

The Burrowing Owl winery site is perched on a hillside on an eastern bench of the South Okanagan. The fortress-like building is difficult to miss from a distance, and is now even more imposing with the recent addition of a 10-room guesthouse, which features a sizeable outdoor swimming pool and breakfast room. The guesthouse is scheduled to open for the beginning of harvest season.

Burrowing Owl features a four-star restaurant, The Sonora Room, offering full lunch and dinner service as well as lighter fare. The winery recently hired Executive Chef Glenn Monk, whose cuisine will highlight the area?s produce while including an international flare.

The winery?s wrap-around patio has beautiful views of the valley, and is a lovely setting for lunch or dinner. Be sure to make reservations in advance for dinner, as evenings tend to be busy during the summer season. (1-250-498-6202 for reservations).

Wines:

Burrowing Owl?s vineyard location enjoys long afternoon sun exposure, creating a great setting for the development of rich flavours. Former winemaker Bill Dyer (now at Church and State Wines of Victoria) crafted some excellent wines from the vineyard?s grapes and thus far the winery has continued this standard.

Burrowing Owl has a focus on the production of red wines, specifically Bordeaux varieties. Wines can sell out quickly, particularly Merlot and Meritage, so it is advisable to contact the winery in advance. Visiting the winery is the best way to acquire wines.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery currently produces:

2004 Chardonnay
2004 Merlot
2004 Pinot Noir
2004 Syrah
2005 Pinot Gris
2004 Cabernet Franc
2004 Meritage (Not yet available)
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Not yet available)

Notes on Tastings:

During Summer months and the Fall harvest, Burrowing Owl can be very busy, and lineups should be expected despite an ample tasting bar. A new wine shop and tasting bar will open in early June. Tastings are by donation ($2.00) to the Burrowing Owl Recovery Society.

Last Word:

Burrowing Owl is a worthwhile stop on your wine tour route, however, be prepared for considerable crowds in the summer season, especially in the afternoon. They are currently in the process of building a new Guest House and tasting room which should be open in late summer.

Published by Tim Martiniuk and Carolyn Coles, founders of the Okanagan Wine Guide. http://www.okanaganwineguide.com/burrowingowl.html

Metal wine racks are all the rage. A metal wine rack allows the individual wine collector distinction in style unlike the traditional wooden racks. Every wine lover should strongly consider having a metal wine rack to properly display their favorite varietals.

Metal wine racks are for displaying and serving favorite wines. Although they can be used for wine bottle storage, metal wine racks are — generally speaking — not as adaptable or space saving as wood wine racks — although there are certainly exceptions to this rule.

Metal wine racks are functional, but better serve as a unique component to any entertaining event. Since many metal racks that hold wine are artistic in design, they make great conversation pieces and are a sheer pleasure to look at. Thus, many metal wine racks are kept on the counter or displayed prominently around the home or business.

Because wine racks metal — especially steel — is so malleable, it is often twisted into sculptures or designs unobtainable by traditional wood wine racks. These designs are then forged at high heats so the wine racks metal is almost indestructible. It requires minimal cleaning — just soap and water usually does the trick — and can be polished or dulled depending on owners? desires.

Unlike wood wine racks, metal wine racks are not sold in matrix shapes. Twists, curves, and spirals are abundant in metal wine racks. Metal wine racks generally hold fewer wine bottles than their wood counterpart, and because of their weight, they require a solid surface to stand on.

Metal wine racks are often designed with rack and other components in mind. Many come with an attached table or shelf to hold glasses. Another great reason to buy a metal wine rack versus a wood wine rack is the availability of space. Metal wine racks can often sit right on your bar counter or kitchen counter and not only hold three or four bottles in the space it would take to have one, but add elegance and style to your d?cor.

Whether you are looking for a wine rack for your home or business, a metal wine rack is often the best choice. Metal wine racks are available in a plethora of shapes, and capacities. From a single bottle holder in the shape of an animal to a seventeen bottle wine tree, metal wine racks are pleasing to both the eye and the pocketbook.

View the most interesting metal wine racks we have discovered by visiting: http://www.wine-racks-selection-guide.com

Wrought iron wine racks are made to last. It takes skilled artisans to design and replicate these metal wine racks. It is important when purchasing wrought iron wineracks that you buy one that is preassembled. This will ensure that the wine rack is properly braced and welded in place.

Many larger dealers that supply decorative wine racks made from iron offer free shipping, because the cost for these wine racks are significantly higher. Wrought iron wine racks are available at a myriad of web sites and stores, thus by shopping around, you can save by purchasing from a company that offers free or discounted shipping.

Decorative wine racks add a sense of style to an otherwise useful item. Many homes do not have the room for a separate wine cellar, and the wrought iron or decorative wine rack is their solution. Because they are stylish, wrought iron wine racks are kept in the open. They act as a display for the bottle and reflect the distinct taste of the host.

Wrought iron wine racks are more durable and easier to clean than traditional wooden wine racks. Simply use mild soap and warm water to clean up any spillage or dust. Iron wine racks will maintain their original luster or finish for many years. They are also usually are mobile, meaning they are not secured or fastened to the counters or wall but because of their weight, they are very stable, and do not topple over easily, giving you peace of mind that your wine display is not going to come crashing to the floor if you bump into it.

In short, the artisans who created decorative wine racks made from wrought iron used the racks own weight and mathematical equations to create a very stable, balanced wine rack without the need for extra hardware.

Decorative wine racks can be used for a number of events. They are great for the everyday dinner, or to properly store several bottles of wine for the next social event. Small wine racks, the ones that hold one or two bottles, are great if placed in the center of tables at reunions, weddings, and other large events. By having the wine tastefully available at each table, the guests are able to fill their glasses at leisure, instead of waiting for the wait staff, which never seem to be around.

View wrought iron wine racks and other decorative wine racks at our resource http://www.wine-racks-selection-guide.com