For this new post I’ve chosen to focus on how to choose the correct Wine glass. Whether you are about to drink a light body white wine or a strong full body red wine, you should be aware about the best type of glass to use:

- If you choose to drink red wine, a larger glass will allow the wine to aerate and release the flavor and aromas

- If you choose to drink a white wine, then thinner smaller glasses are preferred. White wines are intended to be drink chilled. The narrow bowl at the bottom allows the wine to stay cooler longer. Make sure you held the glass by the stem to prevent heat transfer.

- If you are drinking sparkling wine, a champagne flute is the best choice. The flute is a thin, taller shaped glass an the narrow top helps to prevent the bubbles from escaping.

Have a look at the following video from WinetastersTV and you will get further tips on how to choose the correct wine glass.

Mulled wine is very easy to do as you will discover on the following video. Whatever spice you choose to had in the wine, make sure you do not boil the wine as you will burn off the alcohol.

Enjoy making your own mulled wine!

The Harvest

Harvesting or picking is certainly the first step in the actual wine making process. Without fruit there would be no wine, and no fruit other than grapes can produce annually a reliable amount of sugar to yield sufficient alcohol to preserve the resulting beverage, nor have other fruits the requisite acids, esters and tannins to make natural, stable wine on a consistent basis. In order to make fine wine, grapes must be harvested at the precise time, preferably when physiologically ripe. A combination of science and old-fashioned tasting usually go into determining when to harvest, with consultants, winemakers, vineyard managers, and proprietors all having their say. Harvesting can be done mechanically or by hand. However, many estates prefer to hand harvest, as mechanical harvesters can often be too tough on the grapes and the vineyard. Once the grapes arrive at the winery, reputable winemakers will sort the grape bunches, culling out rotten or under ripe fruit before crushing.

Crushing and Pressing

Crushing the whole clusters of fresh ripe grapes is traditionally the next step in the wine making process. Today, mechanical crushers perform the time-honored tradition of stomping or trodding the grapes into what is commonly referred to as must.  Mechanical pressing has improved the quality and longevity of wine, while reducing the winemaker’s need for preservatives. Having said all this, it is important to note that not all wine begins life in a crusher. Sometimes, winemakers choose to allow fermentation to begin inside uncrushed whole grape clusters, allowing the natural weight of the grapes and the onset of fermentation to burst the skins of the grapes before pressing the uncrushed clusters.

Up until crushing and pressing the steps for making white wine and red wine are essentially the same. However, if a winemaker is to make white wine, he or she will quickly press the must after crushing in order to separate the juice from the skins, seeds, and solids. By doing so unwanted color (which comes from the skin of the grape, not the juice) and tannins cannot leach into the white wine. Essentially, white wine is allowed very little skin contact, while red wine is left in contact with its skins to garner color, flavor, and additional tannins during fermentation, which of course is the next step.

Fermentation

Fermentation is the magic at play in the making of wine. If left to its own devices must or juice will begin fermenting naturally within 6-12 hours with the aid of wild yeasts in the air. In very clean, well-established wineries and vineyards this natural fermentation is a welcome phenomena. However, for a variety of reasons, many winemakers prefer to intervene at this stage by inoculating the natural must. This means they will kill the wild and sometimes unpredictable natural yeasts and then introduce a strain of yeast of personal choosing in order to more readily predict the end result. Regardless of the chosen path, once fermentation begins, it normally continues until all of the sugar is converted to alcohol and a dry wine is produced. Fermentation can require anywhere from ten days to a month or more. The resulting level of alcohol in a wine will vary from one local to the next, due to the total sugar content of the must. An alcohol level of 10% in cool climates versus a high of 15% in warmer areas is considered normal. Sweet wine is produced when the fermentation process stops before all of the sugar has been converted into alcohol. This is usually a conscious, intentional decision on the part of the winemaker.

Clarification

Once fermentation is completed, the clarification process begins. Winemakers have the option of racking or siphoning their wines from one tank or barrel to the next in the hope of leaving the precipitates and solids called pomace in the bottom of the fermenting tank. Filtering and fining may also be done at this stage. Filtration can be done with everything from a course filter that catches only large solids to a sterile filter pad that strips wine of all life. Fining occurs when substances are added to a wine to clarify them. Often, winemakers will add egg whites, clay, or other compounds to wine that will help precipitate dead yeast cells and other solids out of a wine. These substances adhere to the unwanted solids and force them to the bottom of the tank. The clarified wine is then racked into another vessel, where it is ready for bottling or further aging.

Aging and Bottling

The final stage of the wine making process involves the aging and bottling of wine. After clarification, the winemaker has the choice of bottling a wine immediately, which is the case for Beaujolais Nouveau, or he or she can give a wine additional aging as in the case of Grand Cru Bordeaux and great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Further aging can be done in bottle, stainless steel or ceramic tanks, large wooden ovals, or small barrels, commonly called barriques. The choices and techniques employed in this final stage of the process are nearly endless, as are the end results. However, the common result in all cases is wine. Enjoy!

Do you want to taste wine like a Pro?
Well have a look at the following video from Wine Spectator that I found on the net.
You will discover 4 basic steps:

1 – See
2 – Sniff
3 – Seep
4 – Summarize

This video is just 3minutes long but you will get all you need to know
Enjoy practicing your new skill !

Today I would like to start a series of Food and Wines pairing. I would love you guys help me by posting great combination of Food and Wine that I will make accessible to all.
When you wish to consider a wine and food pairing, it is best to pick a wine that balances the natural flavors of the food. Spicy, flavorful food should be paired with a spicy, flavorful wine. On the other hand, a mild, neutral dish should be paired with a mild, neutral wine. Makes sense right?

Here is a nice video I found on the net. It gives you good basic tips for pairing food and wine.

More coming soon. Enjoy!

Research and ask around
You would be surprised how many of your neighbors, co-workers, or friends have recommendations on local vineyards that host wine tastings. Ask around and do your research about the local wine regions. Many times, there will be vineyards that come highly recommended due to the atmosphere of their tasting room or the quality of their wine during certain times of year. Also, there will be some vineyards that are not recommended by your friends, or that have certain times of the year that should be avoided. The appropriate research will go a long way to ensure your experience is a good one.

Book a Hotel & Transportation
Since you’ll be tasting wine, and may end up drinking more than you had intended, be sure to book a hotel in the wine region and even arrange for transportation to and from the vineyards. Many wine regions have shuttles that will take you to several vineyards or at least from your hotel to the closest vineyard. There is no need to go wine tasting and then try to drive a long distance back home. Be safe!

Going on a wine tasting tour is a great way to learn a lot about the wine in your area and is also a good way to learn about wine tasting etiquette and how to choose the wines that you will like. Enjoy your tasting!

Next, if you swirl the wine around, it will release the aroma by allowing more oxygen into the wine and allow you to smell it better. Note how slowly the wine runs back down the side of the glass. Wines that have a higher viscosity, or are thicker, tend to have more alcohol. Now you can take a sniff of the wine by holding your nose a few inches from the glass and then let your nose go into the glass. What does it smell like?

Now you can take a sip, but don’t swallow it right away. Let it roll around in your mouth so all of your taste buds are exposed to it. You will be able to taste all of the different tastes. Take a breath in with your lips pursed. Now take another sip, but kind of slurp it so that you get some air in with it. Take note of any aftertaste when you swallow and how long it takes to go away.

Bottle of Red, Bottle of White
If you are unsure what type of wine your gift recipient will enjoy, pick both a red and white bottle. If you are having trouble making a selection, see the sales person at your local wine shop or grocery store. They will direct you towards wines that are in season and tell you about wines from different regions of the world. Relying on an expert to point you in the right direction will surely lead you to the perfect bottles.

Accessorize
You can also include wine accessories in your basket. For example, find a fun wine opener, wine glass charms, cute cocktail napkins, a wine journal, and even a wine coaster or cooling sleeve. At most wine shops, there are lots of wine-themed accessories and gifts to include. Buy some decorated wine glasses to include, or even a wine pourer or decorative cork or corkscrew. There are lots of ways to fill up the basket with useful accessories.

As you can see, a wine basket is the perfect gift for a hostess for a party or to give a wine lover on his or her birthday or anniversary. There are lots of options when deciding what to include in a basket, and asking a wine shop sales person is a good start. Happy shopping!

Wine tasting events are typically the primary event of a wine club. They are usually themed so that everyone can bring complementary snacks that go with the flavor of the wine. It’s essential to bring something to write with to the meetings as you will want to write down what wines catch your interest. In the bigger clubs, you will have tried hundreds of kinds by the end of the night and you’ll want to remember your favorites.

It is also possible sign up for a wine club through the Internet. They will typically send you a bottle a month with information about that particularly type and what others think of it. This is a great way to broaden your horizon to seek out new flavors. You can also save money this way as companies typically offer discounts if you subscribe to their service.

Wine clubs are a great way to take a hobby to the next level. Discussing wine will give you something to ponder about until the next meeting so you can expand your knowledge and fall even farther into one of your favorite hobbies.

I had a neighbor that used to make Dandelion wine each year so that’s thats what we’re making
1 package dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 quarts dandelion blossoms
4 quarts water
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped orange peel
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped lemon peel
6 cups sugar
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside.
Wash the dandelion blossoms. Put them in water with orange, lemon and lime juices. Add the cloves, ginger, orange and lemon peel, and sugar. Bring to a boil, continue to boil for an hour. Strain through filter paper. Cool. While still warm, stir in the yeast.

Let stand overnight, pour into bottles. Allow uncorked bottles to set in a dark place for three weeks. Then cork and store bottles in a cool place.