Drinking Wines

Hosting a wine tasting party is an elegant and delightful way to spend an evening with a few of your closest friends. It’s up to you as far as choosing what wines to serve. There are white wines, red wines and sparkling wines.

Entice your guest’s taste buds by going from lighter wines to fuller-bodied wines so as to not overwhelm the palate. Sparkling wines awaken the taste buds and are a great way to start the party off. Stock up on wine glasses with a large bowl shape. Serving red wine in bowl-shaped glasses helps to enhance the aroma and flavor of the wine. White wine is traditionally served in smaller, slightly curved glasses. This helps to hold the chill and emphasize the wine’s flavor and aroma. Bread or unsalted crackers served in between each wine helps to cleanse the palate. Fruit and cheese help to bring out the flavor, giving the guests the full experience of each wine. As each wine choice is poured, ask the guests to swirl the wine around on the inside edge of the glass.

As the wine comes into contact with the air it helps release the delicate and full flavors of the wine. Allow the guests to smell the bouquet and aroma of each wine; the smell of the wine adds to the taste. Guests can then sip the wine and swirl it around in their mouths to appreciate the full flavor. Guests have an option to discretely spit the wine out in a receptacle or to swallow.

Provide receptacles around the party so guests have the option. Then, each guest should eat a bit of food and sample the wine again. They may change the opinions that they formed from the initial taste. As a nice twist, ask guests to each bring a bottle of their favorite wine for everyone to sample.

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Sherry is a very English drink, despite its Spanish provenance. After a dip in popularity, sales are on the up again.

While reading the tavern bill of the loquacious and bawdy drunkard Sir John Falstaff in ‘Henry IV part 1′, Shakespeare’s Prince Hal lamented, O monstrous, but one halfpennyworth of bread to this intolerable deal of sack. In those days, the cost of two gallons of sack, or sherri (sic), was a mere 5s/8d.

Sherry, together with Port and Claret, are still seen as archetypical English wines. Claret sales are relatively stable at the present, and Port is making a steady recovery, although it is still mostly drunk at Christmas. But what of old sack?

Sherry comes from the region in southern Spain around the town of Jerez de la Frontera, originally named Xera by the earliest Phoenician settlers who brought vines with them in 1100BC.

Viciously fought over by successive invading Roman, Visigoth and Moorish armies, Jerez’s diverse cultural identity is amply displayed in its two millennia of documented winemaking. This tradition, including distillation into spirits for medical use, began to flourish in the 14th and 15th centuries with the first accurately recorded exports, or ’saca’s’ - the arabic derivation of Sack. However, it was not until the 1800s that both British and Dutch traders set their minds to exploiting the pale dry wines of Jerez, some even basing themselves in the town to create the household brands like Harvey, Croft Osborne and Williams and Humbert. The superior zone

Most Sherry - 97 per cent, in fact - is made using a somewhat ordinary white grape variety, the Palomino, a relative of the Riesling. The most favoured vine yards are located on soil to the north and west of Jerez, named the Superior Zone, being very rich in chalky calcium carbonate known as Albariza. The distinctive, almost white soil holds the early season rainfall, enabling the vines to flourish during the searing 40C heat of the summer growing season.

Once harvested, the delicately thin-skinned Palomino is gently squeezed using a pneumatic cushion press, so as not to include the skins, seeds or stems. From this initial pressing, the ‘yema’, comes around 80 per cent of the juice, which is used to make the lightest and most delicate Fino Sherry. The wine making process

To begin the winemaking process, a natural yeast, the ‘pie de cuba’, which occurs locally, is added to the juice. After 45 to 50 days, the juice has fermented into wine, but is not yet Sherry. An initial classification, taken after both rigorous scientific analysis and subjective tasting and perusal by expert winemakers, grades the wine as either a potential Fino, the finest, or as an Oloroso, the most fragrant. Finos are then fortified with grape spirit to 15 degrees of alcohol, whilst the Olorosos are strengthened to 18 degrees alcohol. Both are then put into casks. A year later, another analysis establishes which Finos are thought to have evolved more like an Oloroso, and these are then re-fortified to the higher alcohol level.

It is in the maturing system of ’solera y criadera’, that the true magic of Sherry really begins. After fortification, each year’s wine is placed on the top level, or ‘criadera’, of barrels in the maturing cellar (’bodega’). To facilitate this, around 30 per cent of the wine in the bottom layer of barrels, known as the ’solera’, is removed for bottling. The resulting space is then filled with wine from the next level up, and so on until the new year’s wine can be added to the top level, thereby refilling all the barrels. In this way, a perfect blending system is maintained, and constant quality and supply is balanced.

During this ageing and blending system, a thin layer of ‘flor’, a yeasty veil, covers the surface of the wine in each barrel. ‘Flor’ is peculiar to this region, and helps to impart the complex nutty aromas and clean, crisp bite that is synonymous with Fino Sherry.

Though Sherry fell in popularity after its heyday in the Sixties and Seventies, much is now being done to re-establish the clean, fruity, nutty Fino style as a serious competitor in the dry white wine market. With alcohol levels of some oak-aged Chardonnay and Semillon wines now reaching 14.5 per cent, the strength of Fino at 15 per cent is seen to be comparable. Freshly marketed in fashionably sleek, green glass bottles, with sharp informative labelling, Tio Pepe looks very similar to other crisp dry white wines on the off licence or supermarket shelf.

It is, however, in the compatibility with food that Fino Sherry comes into its own. It is time for UK wine drinkers to reclaim Sherry for our own. Whether it be a cool, clean glass of Fino with tapas, mixed with tonic water as a long refreshing lunchtime tipple, or even a glass of pure Pedro Ximinez to accompany a chocolate dessert, Sherry deserves to regain its prestigious mantle once again.

This article is currently published on http://www.Funkyfogey.com and provides the answers to October 2005 Wine Quiz Prize Draw.

Alcoholism can be given a lot of definitions and all of them stress the fact that there is a terrible disease that involves addiction to spirits. Apart from the physical dependence on alcohol, there are other psychological, genetic and social factors that may play a role in the development of alcoholism. Many social, economic and public health problems are determined by this very serious disease.

When alcoholism is concerned, symptoms include craving for alcohol, incapacity to have control over the use of alcohol, a greater tolerance to its effects, and withdrawal symptoms during the periods of abstinence. One should as well know that many alcoholics deny having a problem. In many cases intervention is necessary in order to persuade them to start treatment. Treatment in cases of alcoholism usually includes detoxification, counseling and psychotherapy, as well as treatment of associated medical problems, and different programmes for recovery and support.

Alcoholism involves physical and psychological addiction to the alcohol, and it often gets to a chronic, progressive form. There are situations in which it can become fatal, when alcohol consumption begins to interfere with your health, your social life or your occupational functioning. Alcoholics often continue to consume alcohol in huge quantities despite the multiple negative consequences of the disease. Nowadays, alcoholism is the most serious form of alcohol abuse. Alcoholism can be also defined in terms like having a problem with drinking. If one has a problem with drinking, that can result in health or social problems (drunk driving, for instance), but that doesn?t make one yet dependent on alcohol and it doesn?t mean one has fully lost control over using spirits - as in the case of alcoholism.

Dominic is the writer of this article. This article may be reproduced on websites subject to credit being given to the author, and a link to his website. If you would like more information go to http://www.alcoholismrelief.com

Rioja is Spain?s version of the Italian Chianti. It is the best-known and best-loved type of Spanish red wine, the one red wine type from Spain that has found a home for itself on wine lists and retail shelves everywhere in the world.

Rioja wine comes from the Rioja wine region of Northeastern Spain. Three subzones exist there and the climate and soil profile of each zone influences the quality and character of its grapes. Most Rioja wines are blends of grapes or wines from more than one subzone, although some bodegas (Spanish wineries) make their wine from only one area. The name of that area is rarely identified on the label of the wine.

Rioja is a blended wine not only in geography but also in its grape content. The grape most often associated with Rioja is Tempranillo which forms the base of most of the finest Rioja reds. The Tempranillo is also usually blended eith Grenache and up to two other locally grown grapes like Mazeulo or Graciano. Some Riojas are even made of almost entirely Grenache grapes.

Depending on which grapes the winery decides on and where the grapes came from, the style of red Rioja varies. Those wines with a high percentage of Grenache are usually higher in alcohol, less tannic and less fruity than those with less Grenache.

Rioja wines also vary considerably in the style according to how long they age at the winery in oak bottles and in bottles before they are released. Although you usually can?t know the exact grape and subzone(s) by studying the label of red Rioja, you can usually figure out the age-style of the wine.

The producers of red Rioja aren?t in agreement about how to make Riojas and this disagreement offers an array of tastes from just one region. At one extreme the wines are deeply colored and show concentrated fruit flavor and on the other side are wines that have lost their adolescent fruitiness in favor of complex, silky dimensions.

Red Rioja wine in its most classic manifestation is a medium-bodied, soft and mellow type of wine with only moderate levels of tannin. This wine has wonderful vanilla aroma and flavor that comes from the barrels in which the wine ages and, depending on how mature the wine is, it can have aged aromas and flavors of dried red fruits.

John Gibb is the owner of Wine guides For more information on wine check out www.Wines-Guidance.Info

Wine is a product made from fruits like grapes, berries etc by drying them and later fermenting them. When the grapes ferment the sugar in the grapes convert to alcohol. They are available in various colors and textures depending upon the elements present in them. For example, the wine exhibits a reddish color when the seeds and the skin of the grapes are present during the fermentation process. When it is fermented without any quantity of non-juicy parts they turn pinkish.

The three main categories in wine are fortified wine, sparkling wine or table wine. It is known as a fortified wine when a little brandy is added to enrich the alcoholic content. It is termed as still or sparkling depending upon the CO2 quantity. Table wine is available in a very natural form and is not like the other wine.

Grapes are usually the best ingredients used in the preparation of wine. There is an equal proportion of sugar and acid in them, which cannot be found in any other fruit. High temperature heat is required to dry away the grapes. You must have a thorough knowledge regarding the exact harvesting season. If the harvesting is delayed you may not be able to produce a good quality wine because the level of sugar increases and the acidic extent gets too low.

At the initial stage of processing, the grapes are crushed using a large cylindrical container that inflates the juicy part of the grapes in the large bags that are attached. They are then fermented by heating the juicy part. In the process of heating the yeast that is present helps converting the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Sometimes this solution requires fermentation for the second time due to malic acid present. When the malic acid breaks downs into lactic acid and carbon dioxide, it adds a new buttery flavor to the wine.

The next step carried out is to settle all the particles like yeast cells, or any other material flowing on the top layer. It is then filtered and all the sediments are gathered on the filter. Winery aging is the process where the wine is tightly packed in containers not allowing the air to enter in them for nearly several months and sometimes years. The wine is then transferred in small bottles and sold.

Bottling is done in such a way that it becomes easy to identify the various types of wine. Also colored bottles reduce the chances of damage, oxidation and many other risks.

After buying a wine product it is important to store it in a right place. Usually damp and cool places like underground cellars are more appropriate. There are some underlying principles regarding the storage of wine. It should be stored in a cellar at a temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature fluctuates it will harm the quality of wine. Humidity about 60 % is necessary to keep the cork moist. Low temperatures will slow the process. Wine should be kept away from external sources like light, vibration and strong odors, which are obviously the barriers to the formation of a good quality wine.

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There are a few varieties of wine that taste almost identical, yet have different names. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio, Sparkling Wine and Champagne and the newly popular Shiraz and Syrah are a few of these mystery names of wine. So what?s the difference between a Shiraz and a Syrah? Like most differences in wine names, the answer is Location Location Location.

Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape, but from different locations in the world. The name Shiraz is only used for the Syrah grapes grown in Australia. Every other Syrah is known as Syrah. (The Californians have adopted the Shiraz name for marketing purposes, but it is widely known that real Shiraz comes from the Aussies.)

Producers throughout the New World and Mediterranean Europe are planting new vineyards and nurturing old ones that have been forgotten in the past years while merlot and cabernets have been the wine of choice. What?s sparked this revitalization of grapes like shiraz/syrah? People are looking full-bodied, spicy wines and there is no better varietals than shiraz/syrah.

Syrah?s home is in the Rhone Valley in France where the berry fruit is dense, inky and more herbal, the acidity is higher and the aroma hints of fresh ground pepper. Syrah can gain complex leathery gamey flavors as it matures. Shiraz is grounded mainly in the Barossa Valley of Australia. The Australian Shiraz is from what?s thought to be from the greatest plantings of Shiraz in the world is found.

In the old vines Shiraz from Australia the grapes are riper, fuller and there is a rich, mouth-filling chocolaty character with a spicy element. The Shiraz wines are intense but more succulent and have a better longevity than it?s counterparts. Shiraz?s made in the southern part of Australia are known for their peppery taste, rarely found in any other wines.

Syrah/Shiraz doesn?t only make expensive, top of the line wines. In Australia where it has regained its position as the most planted red grape, it is responsible for masses of everyday, smooth, spicy, blackberry flavored reds. It is also blended very successfully with cabernet sauvignon at all quality levels and is made into a delicious, full bodied, ripe, spicy red wine.

So whether you?re drinking a Syrah or Shiraz, get ready for a bold, spicy, big red that is perfect on its own, or paired with aggressively prepared foods. Look for Syrahs from South Africa, Chile and Argentina in the coming years, there have been successful plantings in the past years and with the complexity of today?s Syrah?s these will be just as great.

John Gibb is the owner of Wine guides For more information on wine check out http://www.Wines-Guidance.Info

Bar accessories help to elevate the drinking experience. When hosting parties, sophistication is key. By having a wide range of accessories, all guests are satisfied. For the wine drinker in your life to the hard liquor lover, the variety of wine and bar accessories available will satisfy any drinker.

Wine accessories

Wine accessories include racks, cabinets, glasses and corkscrew. To class up your drinking experience, wine charms are also available. Also, a wide range of bar furniture is offered for wine drinkers. From hanging wine racks to pine wine racks and wrought iron styles - There are wine racks to fit any taste or decor.

Bar furniture

The overall look and feel of a bar is very important. The drinking atmosphere is very important to the overall success of the event. Bar furniture such as tables, chairs and bar stools are offered for every drinker?s style to match any themed decor.

From bar stools to tables that collapse and include cabinets within them, a wide range of bar furniture is offered to accommodate every drinker?s needs. Retailers offer different varieties such as wood and wrought iron styles to ensure that the customer?s needs are met, and the style accommodate one?s d?cor.

Shot glasses

Shot glasses are a necessary part of the home bar experience. Shot glasses are usually fairly cheap and are available in many different colors, sizes and printed designs. This wide range something to accommodate any personality. Shot glass gift sets are also a great idea for Christmas or other holidays.

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 wine information visit Killerwines.com

Red wine is definitely distinctively different than white wine. The universe of red wine is full of characters. From the delicate Pinots to the strong, bold Zinfandels, the red wine petulant swings back and forth over a wide range of colors and flavors.

There are many reasons why red wines are thought to be superior or more complex than their counterpart, white, but what makes a red wine red? There?s more than meets the eye. If the only difference between red wines and white wines were the color, wine drinkers wouldn?t care whether they drank one or the other. In reality, the differences between white and red wine are far more than skin deep.

Thousands of different types of grapes in the world quality as wine grapes. All these grapes fall into one of two categories, according to the color of their skins: white or black.

Red wines are red because they are made from so-called red grapes (the reality is that these grapes are either purple or black.) During the winemaking process the pigmentation of the grapes skin colors the grape juice- and consequently the wine from that juice. Only red grapes can make red wine.

In addition for being responsible for the color of red wines, red grapeskins contribute certain flavors and texture characteristics to red wines. Red wines not only look completely different from white wines, but they also taste very different.

One substance that red wines take from their grapeskins is tannin. Tannin is a substance that exists in the skins of red grapes. Tannin is usually classified as a bitter or dry flavor. If used incorrectly, the wine can taste harsh and astringent from the tannin. The presence of tannin is the single most important difference between red and white wines. Some reds are naturally lower in tannin than others, but no matter what, all reds do contain some level of tannin.

Tannin is also responsible for that feeling behind the jaw and that dry feeling that is often contributed to red wines. It is a slightly acquired taste, but after many tastings, wine enthusiasts come to love and look forward to the whole mouth experience that the tannins give wine drinkers.

Take the time to sample as many red wines as you can. There are endless possibilities of taste, color and complete wine experiences. And what better thing to explore than wine?

John Gibb is the owner of Wine guides For more information on wine check out http://www.Wines-Guidance.Info

Wine tasting is an assessment of a wine’s quality. It’s not just about taste but also covers aroma, color, the way it feels in one’s mouth and how long the wine persists in the mouth after tasting. Wine tasting is also one way to determine the maturity of the wine and whether it is suitable for aging or for immediate drinking. Its purpose it to discover the key facets of the wine in order to appreciate it better in every sense of the word.

Wine tasting also serves to compare a particular wine with others that fall into the same price range, region or vintage - its quality, whether it is typical of the region it was made in, whether it uses certain wine making techniques and if it has any faults. It may sound hard to believe, but practiced wine tasters can actually tell if a wine was made through oak fermentation or malolactic fermentation. Their taste buds and their noses are simply that well-developed.

In wine tasting, wine is often served blind, meaning that the taster should not see the wine’s label because he might be influenced by it and to ensure impartial judgment of the wine.

Wine should be served at temperatures of 16 and 18 degrees centigrade (60 and 64 degrees fahrenheit). It is at this temperature that the wine’s flavor and aroma is said to be most detectable. It is important that wines be served at the same temperature so that they can be judged using the same standards. The one exception is in the case of sparkling wine, which is usually served chilled mainly because sparkling wine does not taste well when it is warm.

Since wines do not taste alike, the order of tasting the wine is also important. For instance, heavy or sweet wine leaves a lingering taste that can affect the taste of succeeding lighter wines. There is actually a preferred order of tasting: sparkling wines; light whites, then heavy whites; roses; light reds; heavy reds; sweet wines.

So, the next time you see someone smelling his wine or just gently dabbing it on his tongue and lips, you have a better idea of what’s going on. In truth, it looks foreign and a little complicated, but anyone can be an accomplished wine taster with some practice. All you have to do is drink more wine. What could be easier?

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Cooking, Outdoor Living, and Health.

It?s only been within the past 30 years that American wineries have made since a large mark on the world. For hundreds of years it?s been the French and the Italians that have defined the world of wine, so how did America become a front runner? Here?s a brief history of the grape and it?s evolution in the United States.

Spanish missionaries planted the seeds for winemaking in 1779 in and area that is now known as California. At the time the land was still Mexico?s and the missionaries were bringing the seeds to the San Juan Capistrano Mission. A century later European immigrant farmers began to move to this area. These immigrants were mostly Italian, but there were also French, German and Hungarian farmers that had knowledge about the winemaking process. These farmers moved to California to produce wine. Since the French, Italians and Germans had a preference for red wine, most of the early American wines were red. Even the people who came to California during the gold rush stayed behind and found a different kind of fortune, the kind found on a vine.

Some of the vineyards that these farmers planted over 100 years ago are still in existence today. Many of the fine wine shops in California carry wines containing grapes from these vines. Those same wines are often award winning vintages. These wines are a major part of the United States wine family vine and are a must have for collectors.

Prohibition almost completely destroyed the wine growing and producing industry in the United States. After prohibition was overturned, the Depression and World Wars also put a damper on the production of wine. Without buyers, it was hard for producers to stay afloat. It wasn?t until the late 1970?s that winemaking started to become what it is in the US. Before the 1970?s there were very few producing wineries in the United States. 90% of them were based in California specializing in red wines, true to their predecessors.

Today there are thousands of wineries spread out around the United States. The states best known for wine production are California, Oregon, Washington and Michigan. The growth and popularity of wine in the past 30 years is amazing and shows no signs of slowing down. Many wine enthusiasts hope that it never does.

John Gibb is the owner of Wine guides For more information on wine check out www.Wines-Guidance.Info