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

Sauvignon Blanc wine is crisp, high in acidity and light- to medium-bodied, and Sauvignon Blanc wine is recognizable for its grassy, herbaceous flavor and aroma. When grown in warmer climates the flavors are more fruity, melon-like. The grape is important in California, New Zealand and Northeastern Italy, but it really shines in France’s Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions.

There it is used prodigiously as a blending grape and is responsible for the stand-alone varietals Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Though not as rich and complex as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile grape, one that grows well in a number of places, responds well to oak or a lack thereof, and can be drunk young or aged several years. As well, Sauvignon Blanc can make for some fabulous late-harvest offerings.

The most salient characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc wine is its distinctive, penetrating aroma, which can evoke scents of grapefruit, lime, green melon, gooseberry, passion fruit, freshly mown grass, and bell pepper. Grown in cooler climates and in fertile soils promoting excessive vine growth, herbaceous smells and flavors can dominate the character of Sauvignon Blanc wine, while in warmer regions, the melon, citrus and passion fruit aromas and flavors emerge.

Sauvignon Blanc Wine Tip:

Sauvignon Blanc wine’s acidic taste works in your favor, with oily-based dishes such as salads, and is perfect with lobster, oysters, scallops or in fact any type of fish. Sauvignon Blanc wine is also known as Fume Blanc.

Wine Ratings – Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

Sauvignon Blanc wine is crisp, high in acidity and light- to medium-bodied, and Sauvignon Blanc wine is recognizable for its grassy, herbaceous flavor and aroma. When grown in warmer climates the flavors are more fruity, melon-like. The grape is important in California, New Zealand and Northeastern Italy, but it really shines in France’s Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions.

There it is used prodigiously as a blending grape and is responsible for the stand-alone varietals Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Though not as rich and complex as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile grape, one that grows well in a number of places, responds well to oak or a lack thereof, and can be drunk young or aged several years. As well, Sauvignon Blanc can make for some fabulous late-harvest offerings.

The most salient characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc wine is its distinctive, penetrating aroma, which can evoke scents of grapefruit, lime, green melon, gooseberry, passion fruit, freshly mown grass, and bell pepper. Grown in cooler climates and in fertile soils promoting excessive vine growth, herbaceous smells and flavors can dominate the character of Sauvignon Blanc wine, while in warmer regions, the melon, citrus and passion fruit aromas and flavors emerge.

Sauvignon Blanc Wine Tip:

Sauvignon Blanc wine’s acidic taste works in your favor, with oily-based dishes such as salads, and is perfect with lobster, oysters, scallops or in fact any type of fish. Sauvignon Blanc wine is also known as Fume Blanc.

Wine Ratings – Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

Wine tasting is a technique that takes some practice and skill to master. Obviously, wine tasting is the most important activity that goes along with writing a wine review and scoring a wine.

Wine tasting starts with simply looking at the wine. You should look at the wine by pouring it into a clear glass and holding it in front of a white background. This allows you to observe its full color without any background effects. Color differences can be very subtle, and can indicate many aspects of the wine. For example, colors in white wines give different flavors, or might indicate age. You could also tilt the glass to observe the color of the wine’s rim. In wine tasting, a purple color in the rim could indicate a young wine, while brown could mean a mature wine.

We now know that most of a taste actually comes from our sense of smell. Thus, after observing the wine’s color, during a wine tasting you should smell the wine’s bouquet or nose. This helps identify subtle tastes that your tongue won’t recognize. Then, take a sip of the wine and swish the wine around in your mouth. It was first thought that only certain taste buds on the tongue were able to detect certain tastes like sweetness or bitterness.

We now know this is not true, so swishing the wine in a wine tasting allows all of your taste buds to experience the flavor. While you’re tasting it, you should be able to develop a first impression, or what tastes are most apparent from the wine. Next, take a breath with the wine in your mouth to get an idea of the texture of the wine — light, rich, smooth, or harsh. Last, you can either spit out the wine or swallow it, and get an idea for the wine’s aftertaste.

Find wine, bar and alcohol accessories online at WineandBarAccessories.net: whether you’re hosting a dinner party or a wine tasting event, there are a variety of wine and bar accessories any good host should have on hand. From wine racks to cabinets and glasses and corkscrews, a variety of items exist for the wine lovers and hard liquor drinkers in your life. For more on information on fine wines of the world visit Killerwines.com

The Carignane grape variety is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. It’s popularity stems from the high crop yeilds that it produces as well as the characteristics that it can bring to a wine. Wine made from Carignane usually has red-fruit characteristics, deep violet and purple color, strong tannin structure and high levels of alcohol content. It is sometimes peppery like Syrah. These characteristics have made it very popular as a blending agent in the vast quantities of local table wines (jug wines) that are consumed around the world. It often provides the ‘backbone’ of these wines and is blended with other grape varieties that bring additonal flavor characteristics.

Carignane is thought to have originated in northern Spain and grows well in a ‘Mediterranean’ climate. As a result, it is widely grown in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea including France, Italy, Spain, and Algeria. Carignane is the most widely planted grape in France. It has also found a home in almost every other wine producing country around the world.

Carignane Wine Tip:

The Carignane wines are generally dry and range from medium to full-bodied. They have lots of life to them, are recommended with fuller-bodied foods and are best served at cool room or cellar temperature. Carignane grapes produce more red wine than any other grape variety.

Wine Ratings – Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

Nobody likes to look like an amateur when doing anything and wine tasting is no exception. By simply following a few guidelines you can look as if you have been to dozens of wine tastings even if you don?t know a cabernet sauvignon from a pinot noir. Chances are that no one is going to come up and ask you to be a head judge!

The first step to tasting wine is a visual one, fill the wine glass to no more than half full at most, one third is better. Secondly, hold the wine glass by the stem so as not to influence the taste by heating it with the heat from your hand and also so that you are able to better see the wine. Observe the intensity of the color as well as how transparent the wine is. When observing the intensity you should look at it from above.

Now comes the fun part, swirl the wine in the glass to prepare it for tasting. The wine will leave small traces inside the glass, the more alcohol the more traces it will leave. Next, observe the color which shows the variety of grape that the wine comes from. Generally speaking you will find a cabernet sauvignon is usually violet to dark while pinot noir is more of a ruby color.

The color of a wine is also determined by the conditions of the climate during the season of growing and harvesting that the grapes went through. For example a very hot summer combined with a dry fall will produce full ripe grapes with a very dark color while a cooler summer and wet fall will give more undeveloped grapes which are much lighter. The type of wine making process has a lot to do with the color as well; red wine is fermented with the skin and the longer the process the darker the wine ends up.

The age of a wine also tells its color. When a wine is young it is full of coloring agents that make it denser and rich looking and as time goes by these agents are affected by chemical reactions that result in sediment being formed at the bottom and the color lightens up. When you see a wine with a lot of sediment at the bottom you can usually assume that it is older and has been aging for quite awhile.

So there you have it a basic overview of wine tasting that will at least give you some semblance of knowing what you are doing, so enjoy!

Gregg Hall is a consultant for online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. Find out about personalized wine bottles at http://www.winebottlespersonalized.com

Merlot wine is a rich, soft wine with the flavor of blackberries, beloved because it is seldom harsh and not as acidic as a Cabernet Sauvignon with which it is often blended. Merlot wine has the added advantage of being rich and supple but only moderately tannic and, therefore, wonderfully drinkable from early on.

The Merlot grape is larger and thinner skinned than the Cabernet grape. It has an opulent texture that goes admirably with h’ordeuves or as a dinner drink. Similar to the soft Algerian wines of the Pied Noirs, Merlot wine is used to round out and add complexity to Cabernets.

in today’s world, Merlot wine is a premium varietal in its own right. Merlot wine is a round sensual wine that does not need the same care in aging. So Merlot wine can be a splendidly pragmatic and commendable choice for many occasions.

Merlot wine is so popular due to the fact that it is softer, fruitier, and earlier-maturing than cabernet sauvignon, yet displays many of the same aromas and flavors ? black cherry, currant, cedar, and green olive ? along with mint, tobacco and tea-leaf tones.

The most critically acclaimed Merlot wines are dark, rich and strong. Aromas include scents of plums, black cherry, toffee, chocolate, violets, orange and tea.

Merlot Wine Tip:

Merlot wine is a good accompaniment to simply prepared beef and lamb dishes.

Wine Ratings – Wine ratings, wine and winery related information for the enjoyment of fine wines.

You?ve heard of them, but you?ve never thought about having a wine tasting party of your own. Then again, maybe you have thought about it, but changed your mind because you were afraid that everyone would come just to taste all the wines and go home a little on the inebriated side. You can remove those thoughts from your mind because the purpose of a wine tasting party is to do just that: taste it!

Your wine tasting party can consist of red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, or a combination of all three. You can serve unsalted bread or crackers with water in order for your guests to cleanse the taste of the wine before tasting another. You may also choose some light appetizers that will complement your personal wine theme. Spice it up a little if you like with a little light humor. It is a party, after all, and does not need to be stuffy just because the theme is wine tasting rather than just fun and games.

For your wine tasting experience, you do not want to drink the wine as you would if you were seated at the dinner table with a nice meal. For wine tasting, you want to first take the glass and hold it up to the light or against a white background. It should be clear with a brilliant color. While holding the stem of the glass and keeping the base on the table, gently swirl the wine in the glass. Doing this allows the wine to mix with the surrounding air, which releases it aroma into the air. While you inhale deeply, take in the fragrance of the wine. In most cases, a wine that smells good will taste good. To taste it, you want to sip it and roll it in your mouth to savor all of the flavors, while taking the time to pick the very essence of its aroma, flavor, and delicacies. Make note of every little thing including whether it tastes fruity, bitter, sour, or some other combination. Your host or hostess should have little booklets for you to write down information about each wine that you taste.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Party Games to help complete your event.

California produces more wine than any other state in the US. California vineyards are collectively trending towards growing more red grapes, and thus producing more red wine varieties. This means that white wines from California will be slightly harder to find as time goes on. However, the demand for elegant white wines of California will probably never diminish, so they are likely to stay on your store shelves for many years to come.

Wines of California come from varietals of white grapes. The most widely planted varietal that produces elegant white wines of California is chardonnay. This varietal grows well in coastal regions and is appealing because of its fruity flavors. The trend of chardonnay growers has been to produce a more delicate chardonnay to improve sales of the wine. French Colombard varietal is most common in inexpensive wines. Sauvignon blanc is another type of varietal that is known for its tartness. Some connoisseurs say that this varietal has a grassy or herbaceous taste.

California white wines can also be table wines. A cheap table wine known as chenin blanc is grown mostly in the flat, expansive Central Valley. Chenin blanc is also produced on the coast to vintners who want to expand their selection of varietals. This wine has a delicate taste that some would describe as refreshing. One of the most elegant white wines of California is pinot gris, also known as pinot grigio.

This wine has a fruitier taste and is considered very flavorful. Sparkling wines produced in California use similar techniques to those used in the Champagne region of France. Perfect growing conditions for these wines exist in the cooler areas of California. These wines use pinot noir and chardonnay grape varietals in their manufacture.

Find wine, bar and alcohol accessories online at WineandBarAccessories.net: whether you’re hosting a dinner party or a wine tasting event, there are a variety of wine and bar accessories any good host should have on hand. From wine racks to cabinets and glasses and corkscrews, a variety of items exist for the wine lovers and hard liquor drinkers in your life. For more on information on fine wines of the world visit Killerwines.com

Wine is commonly produced all over the world on properties we refer to as wineries. In addition to wine production, in order to finish the production processes, larger wineries may also include areas such as: warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, expansion tanks, tank farms.

The grapes which are used in wine production at these wineries can come from vineyards owned by the wineries themselves, or it can be made from grapes that are bought and imported from other vineyards around the world. As wineries are becoming popular attractions for tourists, many different types of wine tours are now offered by many wineries around the world.

Wine touring often includes experiencing the actual production of wine, however, they are often revolved around tasting the wine, as well. To allow everyone to participate in this aspect of touring, many different types of wine tours are being made available. These types of tours most generally include personal guides for the tours, as well as vary with their modes of transportation. Some of the various tours with different modes of transportation include:

• hot air balloon tours
• limousine balloon tours
• bike wine tours
• hiking tours
• bus tours
• train wine tours

With wineries becoming such popular tourist attractions, just about any type of wine touring is now available.

Custom touring plans are often offered by wineries. These type of tours are where a personal guide will go over various touring options with you, and help you to determine which type of tour would best fit the needs of your individual group. These guides will often suggest an itinerary, and revise it any way you may want it to be revised.

Touring options are nearly endless! Your winery tour can include a picnic to gourmet meals, and are great for company picnics! Whether you have a small group of two, medium sized groups of less than 15, or a large group of 15 plus, a wine tour could be the perfect experience. From romantic balloon tours to luxurious limousine touring, a wine tour can be an unforgettable experience for all!

About the author:
Fabien Ponson invites you to read some more articles about wine tours and regions on the website Wine Region Tour.