Drinking Wines

The French wine industry, as well as the rest of Europe is in a bit of a spin. Over production, together with a drop in consumption, has lead to millions of litres of French wine and others, being turned into alcohol or vinegar and vines being grubbed up.

Not only that, but we are being flooded by wine from the USA, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand plus the stuff from the new EU members from the Eastern Bloc. If that is not enough, India is starting to expand it’s small but long established wineries.

It has been said that the French wine producers have, to some extent, brought this problem on themselves as they were resistant to change when it came to marketing their wine, preferring to remain with their traditional labels on the bottles which featured the appellation and vineyard, rather than promoting the grapes used.

This new method has been used to great effect by the rest of the world, aided and abetted by the supermarket chains, where the knowledge of the products they are selling is pretty sketchy on the shop floor.

Although the new producers are making some very good vintage type wine, so good that they are beating the French at their own game, their first concern is for a product that is consistent from year to year and so there are vast swathes of vines being used. That is the problem, the whole magic and mystery of wine making and drinking is being sanitised for supermarket profits by the big multinational companies.

Just as the artisan butchers, bakers and the rest have been marginalised by the stack’em up and sell’em cheap, so the winemakers are going, some might say have already gone, the same way. Just look along any supermarket shelf and you will see rows of Cabinet Sauvignon, Cabernet Merlot, Chardonay etc., coming from the USA, Australia, Chile, Roumania, et al., and a couple of the most well known areas such as Bordeaux, Rioja, Frascati, Chianti, Etc..

Even the large off-licence chains are playing the same game because they are staffed by low paid workers whose knowledge of wine is woefully thin.

The only place to go is to specialist wine shops but the trouble there is that they will be concentrating on the pricier end of the market, that said, they may have some interesting wine that won’t break the bank, although it probably won’t be as cheap as the supermarket. What you loose in the financial swings you more than make up on the knowledge roundabout. In the main, these people are passionate about wine and will be able to give you expert advice. If you become a regular customer, you should get invited to wine tasting sessions, which is the best way to understand the differences in the wide variety of grapes and winemaking.

There is always the internet where buying wine is a click away and there are many different wines available often with tasting notes and personal revues. The latter is the key to buying on line although somewhat time consuming. Check through the reviews and see who is posting reviews and if they are good or bad. You will need a degree of faith as you cannot be sure that it is not the proprietors’ brother or wife writing the review. Start with the cheapest wine and get a selection covering a few people, then when the wine arrives do a tasting and see how much you agree or disagree with the review. Don’t forget to make notes as you will need to refer back at a later date. Don’t just take one wine as a comparison, but rather use a selection so that you can build a profile of those reviewers that you can trust and whose taste in wine matches yours. Then you will be able to buy on line with a reasonable certainty that if you buy the same wines, you will not be disappointed.

The absolutely best way to buy French wine, or indeed any wine, is to get in a car and drive around the countryside looking at the little vineyards and tasting here and there. Take some large flagons, at least 5 or 10 litre capacity because some of those smaller places sell only to the locals who bring there own containers.

The joy of finding a great little French wine from a farm house tucked away out of sight, talking to ‘Le Patron’ about how it was made, what the year had been like etc is one of the best you can get.

Ian Richards webmaster of yourpower2be.com, on line webzine . You will find beauty tips, health information, familly budget and finance, shopping to die for, make up, holidays and travel, recipes, information on pets and gardening, weddings, and a whole lot more. http://www.yourpower2be.com

Wine is an alcoholic drink made through the fermentation of juices obtained from grapes, honey, flowers and malt or grain. Most countries manufacture wine products for local and global export; some even making a respected and well-trusted brand name in the wine-making industry.

Wine and its Origins

Ever since man learned to make certain wine from grapes, the use of wine has long been woven into the fabric of human life for daily use or on special occasions.

The first discovery made with regards to the existence of wine was during the Neolithic Period (8500-4000 BC), when archaeologists found that the yellowish residue of a jar unearthed at the site of Hajji Firuz Tepe in Iran had previously contained wine. Another proof is the said beverage had existed way back during the Biblical times; it is used in Bibles and Scriptures with variations like yayin (Hebrew), which means ?to boil up? or ?to be in ferment?; oinos (Greek); and vinun (Latin).

Wines are mainly distinguished by their color, flavor, aroma and alcoholic content. They can be deep red, white or rose depending on the juice concentration and length of time the concoction was allowed to ferment. Although for most connoisseurs, they can tell which country the drink came from because the wine tastes of the place where the grapes were cultivated.

French red wines have become very popular in quality and use; in particular they go well with red meat such as beef, roasts, lamb and duck, veal and more. But its popularity can be attributed mainly on the controversies surrounding it ? made by experts who discovered that consuming red wine in moderation is good for the heart. Red wines are known to contain anti-oxidants that help prevent damage to the arteries by eliminating the formation of fatty lesions and blood clots, lower blood pressure, cholesterol and stroke.

French Wine provides detailed information on French Wine, French Wine Gifts, French White Wines, French Red Wines and more. French Wine is affiliated with Italian Red Wines.

French wine is made in a special way that other countries just cannot seem to match. There is extra care put into a French wine and this thoughtful consideration adds something special to every single French wine on the market today.

When making French wine the winemakers crush the grapes as soon as they get to the cellar. This allows for the most flavor to be gotten from each grape assuring that the French wine will have loads of flavor to thrill every palate like yours. Once all of the French wine grapes have been crushed the must is sent through the fermentation tanks to ferment, as they should. This is a necessary part of the French wine making in that if this step is not done there can be no alcohol in the wine, it would simply be grape juice.

The grapes used in the making of French wine have their own natural sugars and yeasts and other important chemicals. During the fermentation process the French wine grapes undergo a change in their chemical balances. It is this chemical change that makes the French wine special.

During the entire French wine making process those making the wine need to keep the temperature at a steady 25 to 30 degrees Celsius if they want to the French wine grapes to ferment as they should. There must also be the proper ventilation in place to keep the French wine processing smoothly.

The next step in the making of classic French wine is the maceration process. It is in this step that the French wine gets its color. The color itself of all French wine comes from the peels of the grapes and their own natural tannin. It is in this stage of the French wine development that the body of the wine comes into being. The amount of time that the French wine spends in this maceration will vary depending upon which kind of French wine is being made. Some French wines will need more time while others less. In some cases this process can go on for several weeks when making good French wine.

Only after the last stage of French wine are the solids taken out of the wine. This is known as the raking process. More than one French wine can come out of each process simply because the pulp that is taken can be squeezed to get pressed wine or it can be left and known as free run French wine.

What was started as an online store, has turned into a growing collection of internet resources on subjects ranging from Network Marketing, Investing, Health, Travel and Wine. Visit http://www.mjesales.com for our store or http://www.mjesales.com/articles.htm for more articles. For instant access to over 20 free ebooks, visit our free ebook page now! This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Many people are intimidated by the task of selecting wine in a fine restaurant. This article is intended to provide a simple guide that will enable anyone to feel confident enough to choose a wine that will impress their dinner guests. The focus is on French and Italian wines.

While there are no set rules for pairing wine with food, generally a full-bodied red wine should accompany rich and seasoned food. White wines are better suited for lighter fare.

These are some of my personal favorite wine and food pairings for French and Italian wines:

Beef = Amarone,
Cheese = Beaujolais,
Chicken = Chardonnay,
Cold Meats = Tavel,
Chile = Grumello,
Chinese Food = Soave,
Clams and Oysters = Champagne,
Duck = Pouilly-Fume,
Fish = Muscadet,
Ham = Pinot Grigio,
Lamb = Saint-Emilion,
Ossco Bucco = Barbaresco,
Pate = Saint-Veran,
Pheasant = Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,
Pork = Pouilly-Fuisse,
Red Sauce = Chianti,
White Sauce = Pinot Grigio,
Sauerbraten = Riesling,
Shell Fish = Gavi,
Steak = Gattinara,
Stew = Barolo,
Veal = Soave, and
Venison = Pomerol

In the end, it is really a matter of personal preference and what suits your palate. If your restaurant does not have these particular recommendations in their wine cellar, you can always ask the sommelier to recommend something comparable.

These suggestions should enable you to at least buy or order to the proper wine to accompany dinner. Of course, there is a lot more to know about ordering wine, wine tasting, wine production, and wine conversation.

Please feel free to email me at sales@thewinebook.com with questions on French or Italian wine. You may also visit my website at www.thewinebook.com for more information.

Angelo Cataldo is an avid wine collector with over 20 years experience in Italian and French wines. He has also travelled extensively in the wine producuing regions of Italy and France.

For those interested in learning more, Mr. Cataldo’s book, The Wine Book, is the perfect beginners wine guide: short, easy to read, and small enough to take with you. In addition to food wine pairing examples, it includes wine descriptions you can use in conversation or at wine tasting parties, wine tasting tips, and information on Italian and French wine regions and production. The Wine Book is small enough to carry to a restaurant and refer to discreetly.

The Wine Book also includes checklists for tasting notes. This has made it a favorite give-away for wine tastings and events. Fine New Jersey Restaurants, such as Aldo’s, The Brickhouse, and Pane and Vino have provided it to their customers for just that purpose.

If the heat-wave plaguing the country right now is getting to you, we have the perfect wine to quench your palate. We can?t think of a more perfect, quaffable wine to beat the heat than a Sancerre. Sauvignon Blanc, the white grape varietal used to make Sancerres, reveals fresh and inviting aromas of citrus fruits laced with floral and mineral notes.

La Garenne from Domaine Girard is one of our favorite Sancerres and is exceptionally crisp and refreshing. This delicious wine is bright and reveals flinty-stone notes as well as subtle hints of lime. The grapes come from the ?La Garenne? vineyard located on a steep slope with very rocky limestone soil; the nature of this region?s soil enhances the flinty characteristics as well as mineral and green notes typical of many French Sauvignon Blancs.

The 2004 vintage received 90 points from the Wine Spectator and while the 2005 vintage has not yet been rated, we think the wine is another hit from Domaine Girard. We recommend pairing this wine with seafood, cheese, or simply as a refreshing white wine to sip on a hot summer day.

Visit us at http://www.englewoodwinemerchants.com/ to view our selection of fine wines, or call us at 201-568-8820.

Englewood Wine Merchants is a fine wine and spirits retailer located in Englewood, New Jersey. We ship within the United States.

After the conclusion of the 2006 World Cup, with Italy edging the French team in a 5-3 shootout, those rooting for France could probably have used some very good alcohol to numb their emotions. Luckily for the French, they needn’t look far; some of the best wine is right under their noses.

Alsace, a region of France, is known for producing the greatest of white wines. Historically part of the Holy Roman Empire, the 17th century saw Alsace gradually put under French rule, eventually becoming a province of France, ripping up German ownership papers in the process.

Located 300 miles east of Paris, adjacent to Germany and Switzerland and loitering on the bank of the Rhine, Alsace is one of France’s 26 wine regions.

Sunny, dry, and protectively shielded by the Vosges Mountains, Alsace maintains a very storybook quality. With white cottages and brown trim, flower boxes in windowsills, and people uttering cheery hellos while they sweep front porches, the only thing Alsace is missing is seven singing dwarfs. It is like a town manufactured purely for happiness, a town that makes visitors want to yodel.

The winemakers of Alsace, with most producers making between 20 and 30 different kinds of wine, believe that two things determine outcome: the grape that is picked and the ground it is grown on. The ground, because of the variety of soils - clay, limestone, granite, sandstone - can cause vast amounts of variety.

Almost solely devoted to manufacturing white wine, the grapes of Alsace are picked accordingly. Some of the more important grapes are Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Pinot Blanc. The Pinot Noir, not grown very often, is the lone red grape, dangling on vines and singing the lyrics to All By Myself for anyone who will listen.

The Riesling grape is renown as being the most prestigious of Alsace, producing very dry, broad, and full-spectrum flavors that lean towards gunflint (mmm?gunflint) and steel, with peaches, plums and lime thrown in.

Though white wines are sometimes thought of as dainty, mellow wines, the white wines of Alsace are dry, powerful, bold, and dramatic. Not containing the kind of drama portrayed on a soap opera, with one wine bottle sleeping with the other wine bottle’s husband, these wines are just dramatic enough to let you know you’re drinking something good.

Like most wine regions, Alsace contains a few oddities, a few facts people can use to impress their friends. For instance, all wine in Alsace, by law, must be bottled in long, tapered bottles called Flutes d’Alsace. Another quirk involves asparagus, and several restaurants that only serve the long, stem-like veggies from April to June, believing it belongs with a glass of dry Muscat.

The best Alsace wines to try are all of them. But, if you find yourself limited, the most favored ones are the Gewurztraminer, the Muscat, the Pinot Blanc, the Pinot Gris, the Riesling, and the Cremant d’Alsace. So, raise your glass, and drink away?then sing their praises from the Eiffel Tower.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Having trouble looking for the best gift for a certain celebration? French wines are a very good choice. French wines as gifts are very much appreciated by almost everyone, since French wines are considered to be the best of all wines.

Simply put a bottle of French wine of your choice in a wicker basket, add a few ribbons and some fabulous treats such as chocolate covered nuts and fruits. These gift baskets are perfect for all kinds of occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, and a gift to your boss on a Christmas gift. Giving out wine gifts is certain to leave a lasting impression on whomever you gave them to. Since French wines are considered highly by many, anyone who receives a Gift basket if French wine from you will surely remember.

But buying a good wine gift may prove to be a complicated task. Here are some pointers as to make things easier for you:

Set a price range. This is probably the biggest yet simplest issue when you choose to give out wine gifts. Base your budget on the occasion at hand. Is it for a formal occasion or just a casual get together of friends and family? If you’re giving a wine gift for a special occasion, expect to pay a little bit more for a much more suitable and rarer vintage.

Next thing to remember in choosing the right wine is to find out what kind of wine the recipient likes. To maintain the surprise, try to remember recent parties that both you and the recipient had attended. From there you can base what kind of wine he or she likes.

A very good tip when giving out wine gifts is that instead of giving one bottle, why no two?

French Wine provides detailed information on French Wine, French Wine Gifts, French White Wines, French Red Wines and more. French Wine is affiliated with Italian Red Wines.

Whenever wine is the subject, we often think of where it was popularized. Study their names ? from the Champagne to the tongue twisting name Beaujolais up to the very romantic names — Bordeaux and Burgundy. Where do you think wines were popularized — France, of course.

Wine, in the old times of France, was made by the peasants for their own consumption. This explains why the French produce and sell some of the best wine vintages in the world. Unlike New World wines that label their products as to what grape variants they’ve used, Old World French wine is labeled with the location where it was made. By doing so, the French have inadvertently added a romantic note when buying their wine.

Many wine enthusiasts consider French wine as their drink of choice. Most buy different kinds of French wine, so that they may experience and compare differences on tastes, aroma and the wines texture.

With thirteen different regions having thousands of wine producing vineyards, wine enthusiasts are able to enjoy an almost limitless choice of quality French wines. It is said that France has the perfect geographical location for growing grapes, having the perfect soil conditions, and being in close proximity to bodies of water. Add this with the best climate — a combination of cold winds and a relentless sun, the grapes produced under these conditions are very full bodied with very rich taste.

The availability of French wines range from the most common wine that can be found in retail locations to the more rare variants, which can only be bought by special orders. It is suggested that if you’re looking for a rare vintage of French wine, try browsing through the Internet.

Although New World wines may prove to use the same methods and ingredients in making wine, and may produce wines that may taste like those made in France, many will say that this doesn?t matter, and nothing will ever match the romance given out by French wines.

French Wine provides detailed information on French Wine, French Wine Gifts, French White Wines, French Red Wines and more. French Wine is affiliated with Italian Red Wines.

Viticulture is no new thing in this country. Grape vines were first planted by the Romans, for they regarded wine an essential item in their legionaries? rations. The Domesday Book recorded twelve vineyards in Somerset alone. But, a decline began in 1152 because the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Acquitaine brought Bordeaux to the English Crown as a dowry. This resulted in the availability of more and cheaper imported wine ??.. a situation not dissimilar to that facing English wine producers today!

Most wine production continued in the monasteries, and virtually ceased after the Dissolution. Some grapes were still grown, and small quantities of wine produced. This, however, was mainly by individuals, for personal consumption or purely local sale. For many years, English wine alternated, for most people, between an amusing novelty and a joke.

A slow revival began about the early 1980s. By 1997, over 400 vineyards had been established in England and Wales, producing 0.2% of the wine bought in Britain.

The growers have had an uphill struggle against prejudices against British wine. Indeed, it’s only five years ago since I met Stephen Brooksbank at the Bath and West Show, and tried his Bagborough Medium Dry.

I liked what I tried, and recently visited the Bagborough vineyard and winery to find out more, during the grape harvest, when there would be something happening to photograph. Stephen told me they usually picked the grapes around mid-October, but the actual timing depended upon the sugar levels, which, in turn depended upon the weather.

A late Spring frost would kill off the young vine shoots, I learnt. They would be replaced, but would not generate sufficient sugar before winter set in. Contrary to popular belief, though, you don?t need a Mediterranean summer to grow the best grapes. Just the average Southern English summer sun will do it ??.. providing you don?t have a late frost.

Any kind of soil will do, as long as it?s well-drained. A south-facing slope is ideal, and this is the situation at the North Wootton vineyard, near Shepton Mallet, where I drove one sunny October afternoon, to meet George Martin and his gang of grape-pickers.

The first thing I noticed was the complete absence of anything mechanical. Picking grapes properly still calls for the human eye and touch, which no machine can come anywhere near. I noticed that the pickers were wearing surgical gloves. Wouldn?t gardening gloves be better, I asked.

George explained that a thick glove would take away the tactile sense necessary to handle the grapes properly. For the same reason, he said, the pickers were paid a daily rate. Piece-work wasn?t on; it would lead to the fruit being mishandled and damaged, or possibly being left on the vine.

Picking a grape to taste demonstrated the reason for the care. If these grapes were offered for the table in the supermarket, I?d reject them straight away, for being over-ripe. The slightest pressure produces juice, and every drop spilt on the way to the winery is a drop less wine in the Spring.

?We?ll just finish these few rows? said George ?then we?ll go down to Bagborough to pick. The rest of the grapes here aren?t quite ready yet?. I asked how they decided that, with a romantic vision of an elderly, vastly experienced gentleman doing the ?taste test?.. I was told, however, that, although you can get a rough idea by tasting the grapes, Stephen would do a simple chemical test, which would measure the sugar level with considerably more accuracy.

I was told that Stephen Brooksbank doesn?t own the land at North Wooton, but he does own the vines. It?s similar to the traditional ?m?tayage? of France ? readers of ?A Year in Provence? may recall that Peter Mayle had such an arrangement with his neighbour, Faustin.

Presently, Stephen arrived with a pick-up truck and trailer, to carry the crates of grapes to Bagborough. I followed, to see what happened next. Of course, I wasn?t expecting Bagborough to be a castle on a hill-side, looking down a valley, planted with vines as far as the eye could see. Not in Somerset, anyway. But, the house and the winery were built in the same pleasant, mellow stone as my imaginary castle. Would the wine taste any different if it was made on an anonymous trading estate? Probably not ??? but something would be missing.

A long, trough-like hopper on wheels, hitched to a tractor stood in the yard. Into this, the grapes were loaded, and were chopped up by a screw-like rotary blade, driven by the tractor?s power take-off, at the bottom of the hopper.

The arrangement was on wheels so that it could be driven up to the vineyard, and the grapes loaded directly into it. That way, there?s no loss of juice in the trailer, as there is when they are transported from vineyards further afield. The trailer is then driven down to the winery, and the chopped-up contents pumped into the pressing machine.

There went another illusion. No sturdy, barefoot peasant girls to hike up their skirts, and jump into the pressing vat to trample the grapes! The Public Health people probably wouldn?t like it, and the machine does a far more efficient job, anyway.

The grape juice is pumped into vats to begin a long process of filtering and fermenting. It?s going to be five to six months before we see any wine. But, they did have several bottles from previous years to hand, and offered me a taste.

They have the courage to put Bagborough Medium Dry into a clear glass bottle. The colour brings visions of many things English ? sunlight on a newly thatched roof, even the stone of Bagborough itself. But, this is only one of the wines they produce. The most noted is ?Leveret?, a sparkling wine made ?using the traditional champagne method?.

In fact, they could call it ?champagne? ? if they wanted a lifetime of grief from a whole slew of French lawyers!

And, that?s not all. Anyone who has a small vineyard, but no winery, could bring their grapes to Bagborough, and have their wine made for them.

Now, there?s an idea! I wonder if our local Council has any south-facing allotments available?

Cell phone use overseas. In 99% of the world the local cellular service standard is called GSM. We use this in the states as well. When combined with a SIM CARD (which usually goes under the battery of the phone) the phone is able to communicate and the SIM CARD also holds the telephone number and memory for pre-paid credit. Rates can be extremely low using this system. For example in 99% of all SIM CARDS incoming calls are free and calls to the states can cost a trifle. Such as, from the UK to the USA 7 cents/minute, from Israel 22 cents, from Australia 27 cents. Yes, USA Dollar cents! There are today even prepaid service providers in the USA offering rates of 10 cents per minute to call anywhere in the US to any type of phone. No contracts, no credit card checks, no bills. Pre-paid always means no minimums no contracts, no obligations. You only pay for the calls made. You’ll need an unlocked GSM tri-band or quadband UNLOCKED phone. You can buy factory unlocked phones and sim cards for more than 170 or the 193 countries on earth from htt://http://www.planetomni.com Tel. # 800-514-2984

Wine is made of mixed chemical substances that come from fruits. The aroma and tastes of wines depend on the fruits, or specifically, grapes that are used to make them.

The color of white wines is more of a golden hew, rather than what its name implies. But as it ages, its color also changes. From a beautiful golden color, which has the distinct fruit taste, to a magnificent amber color that acquires the taste of amber and honey.

Have you ever heard of Chardonnay or Burgundies? They are by far the most popular choices of white wine in constant demand at the market. White wine is available for every occasion and taste. So far, French Chardonnay takes top place when white wines are being compared.

But the label as most famous of all white wines goes to Champagne. Many would not believe so, but Champagne too is truly a wine, a white wine to be exact. Champagne is made from a mixture of grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier or Pinot Nior. Champagne was first introduced by the French as a lighter alternative to red wine. Champagne is more commonly known as a sparkling wine.

The best way to truly appreciate French white wine is by lightly chilling it for at least 30 minutes. Different people have different ways of appreciating white wine. Most prefer drinking it over dinner with poultry or fish. Some prefer using a chilled glass, while some just pop a bottle and drink it straight up. There is no right way in enjoying white wine, its there to satisfy and excite anyone?s taste buds.

French Wine provides detailed information on French Wine, French Wine Gifts, French White Wines, French Red Wines and more. French Wine is affiliated with Italian Red Wines.