Tag: Wine

Reading the wine label

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When talking about wine labeling, you will find that it might different in each country. This makes manufacturers have to confirm the laws of the countries where the wine is produced and the wine will be sold. You will find that the newer labels will help you to find the details about the wine. You will also find that some labels are difficult to read.

Related to the wine label, there are several smart tips that you can follow to read the label. By being able to read the label in it, you will be able to serve it well. Thus, you will be able to enjoy it in the event that you have.

The appellation and grape variety
This is the first term that you should understand in the wine label that you might find. Grape variety means the type of grape that is used to produce it, while the appellation indicates the place where the grapes were grown. You will find that the wines that are made in South America, North America, Africa, Australia put the grape variety on the label such as the wine was made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Burgundy, Loire region and Burgundy are appellation of wines in France. You will find that wines from this country have the appellation of origin on the label. Thus, you should know the kinds of grape that grow in those regions in order to determine the flavor of wine that you want.

Class of wine
This indicates the type of the wine for example, it will be labeled as “class one” if it is table wine and “class two” if it is sparkling wine. You will also find that there are other types of wine such as aperitif, citrus, fruit and imitation wines. However, you will find that the most common one is the table wine. Sometimes, this also refers as “light wine”.

Alcohol content
This is another thing that you might find in the wine label. This indicates the sweetness of the wine. In this matter, the wine that contains less than 11% alcohol will tend to be sweeter. Meanwhile, the higher percentage of the alcohol in the wine will make it drier.

Vintage
The vintage shows the year when the grapes used to produce the wine were harvested. This is important for you to know the best time to drink the wine. This is because there are some wines that are best to be drunk after some times. It is also important to know the vintage of the wine if it is produced in the fluctuating weather area.

Those are some things that you should know for reading the wine label. You will find that there are many other terms that you can find on the label that will tell you the flavor of the wine itself. Therefore, you should read the label in order to get the wine that you want.

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Wine Bottle Holders

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Wine Bottle Holders are a fantastic gift idea for anyone who loves their wine. Our great selection has such a variety of themes and designs you are sure to find something for the wine lover in your life. Brilliant for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Valentines or even as a thank you gift, these are a great gift idea that anyone would love to receive.

The wine bottle holders in this range include a whole host of animals and characters. We have dog wine bottle holders and cat wine bottle holders for pet lovers, as well as many other themed wine bottle holders for shopping addicts, party girls, motorbike fans and foodies amongst others and they are all made from 100% recyclable metal. Wine Bottle Holders make a great centrepiece for a dinner party. Why not give one to your host instead of the usual box of chocolates it will certainly be a talking point. And it is something your host can keep and use time and time again. These wine bottle holders are each a little work of art bringing something fun and eye catching to the dining table. And theyre useful too as the wine bottle is placed in the holder, those annoying drips of wine (especially red wine!) no longer get onto your tablecloth or wood staining and ruining them.

Wine Bottle Holders even look great out in the kitchen and are an ideal place to store open bottles of wine which do not need to be refrigerated. However it is always important to ensure that unopened bottles of wine are stored at their correct temperature and in their best environment. This ensures that the wine maintains its character and taste. Because each wine is different, it is best to find out the recommended storage for that particular grape so you get the best out of it, especially if you have a really good bottle of wine.

If youre picnicking then a wine bottle holder is a must. Safely tuck your bottle of wine into its holder as you lay out your food and you wont have to worry about finding a non bumpy bit of ground on which to store your bottle. If you are on a romantic picnic with the girl of your dreams the last thing you want to be worrying about is spilled wine and shell be very impressed with your organisation skills too! If your picnic is on the beach then using your wine bottle holder is even better. Keeping your bottle safely stored in its holder means you wont knock it into the sand or stones. And you can guarantee that even if the wind is blowing everything around when you eat outside at least you know your bottle of wine will be safely secured in place. Dining al fresco was never so easy!

Wine accessories such as these wine bottle holders make excellent gift ideas for wine lovers. Why not give a bottle of their favourite wine with the holder. It is a gift that can be used time and time again. For the full set why not also add a wine bottle stopper so all their wine drinking needs are catered for.

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Semillon – An Adaptable Wine in Oz

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Semillon is an underrated wine that has hidden its light under a bushel for so long. The Semillon grape variety is grown mainly in France and Australia but can be found in numerous other wine growing countries all over the world, especially Chile. The beauty about Semillon is that it has a chameleon-like character and adapts to its surroundings like no other vine. This is what makes it so interesting.

Rather than producing similar style wines from country to country, Semillons from most of them are fairly ordinary most of the time, but very occasionally a stunning wine is produced. This is a breath of fresh air as we have been used to drinking say a Chardonnay from one part of the world tasting identical to one from another part. This is dull for the consumer but is regarded ‘safe’ by the producers, but what we need is to find totally individual wines in small volumes, and this is where Semillon comes in.

In France, particularly the Bordeaux region, the variety is primarily used for blending with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle to produce the Bordeaux white wines. Semillon is used to make the classic dessert wines of Sauternes where the grapes are left on the vine long after they have ripened and allowed to rot. With high autumnal temperatures this fungus induced ‘noble rot’ occurs as the grapes become infected with the Botrytis cinerea fungus. This fungus consumes the water content of the grape which in turn concentrates the sugar within the fruit. The rot is not always ‘noble’, in bad years of poor weather botrytis can actually destroy the fruit completely.

Semillon accounts for around 80% of the blend (the other 20% is Sauvignon Blanc) in the worlds most exclusive sweet wine from Château d’Yquem. The reputation of the the château relies totally on the Semillon grape getting this noble rot, so here is an example of how a producer has worked with nature to achieve something very individual and special in their wines.

In Australia in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney the variety is also known as ‘Hunter River Riesling’. However, when the grapes are picked early with low natural sugars and therefore low potential alcohols, these Hunter Valley Semillons are fairly neutral, acidic wines. But with several years maturation in the bottle they undergo an amazing change by gaining character and body as well as developing an interesting honeyed toasty flavour. This maturation gives the wine the impression of ‘oak aged’, but Hunter Valley Semillon is never matured in oak.

A few facts about Semillon:

Sparsely cropped Semillon, when fully ripe and reared in not too hot a country, produces a wine that is high in extract and alcohol, but reasonably low in acidity and aroma.
Semillon in conjunction with Sauvignon Blanc displays its best as in the case with the top Sauternes properties.
Will it keep? Australia’s best Hunter Valley Semillons should last for 10 years or more easily.
When young it is often lemony and responds well to oak ageing attaining a rich slightly ‘waxy’ flavour, as well as a deep golden colour with hints of orange.
Over-production has been responsible for much of the thin, characterless, lower priced Semillons of the past.

What food accompanies Semillon best? A citrousy slightly acidic wine would complement a light chicken korma very well or fish cakes with tartare sauce and even a lovely rice pudding would go well with it.

So instead of sticking with the usual commercial wines try hunting down the more individual ones and you will be rewarded with a host of new flavours and characters.

Wine Glasses Gifts

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Wine Glasses Gifts such as Hand Painted Wine Glasses by Mo Mo Panache are a fantastic gift idea to give for any occasion. This beautiful range of glasses are all hand painted meaning no two are exactly alike. Featuring a variety of stylish and colourful designs, these stunning glasses will make your wine taste even better! Let’s face it, anyone who likes wine would love their own special glass to drink out of. These beautiful glasses are like a little work of art – a great addition to any table. With such a gorgeous selection to choose from there is something to suit any taste and any dining table. Hand painted wine glasses look fantastic at a dinner party and are a great talking point too. If you have several different glasses from the collection, not only will they look visually stunning and really liven up the look of your table, but each of your guests will have their own unique glass. So why not match the glass to their personalities. With glasses in the range named Bliss, Glow and Diva you can have fun seeing which suits each of your friends. The Bride To Be Wine Glass is a very popular choice and one of our best sellers. This glass is a fantastic gift idea to give on a hen night. Not only does it give the bride to be her own special glass to drink from that night but she can keep it to use again in the future and will always be reminded of her fun final night of freedom. This hand painted wine glass can also be given to the Bride to Be on the morning of her wedding as she and her bridesmaids have a little drink to calm their nerves before the big day. This glass is presented in a beautiful gold and white gift box and contains a white bow for you to put on yourself before you give the gift. It really makes a stunning gift that any bride will love. Birthday Wine Glasses, Bride to Be Wine Glasses and Thank You Wine Glasses (amongtst others) are a quirky and original gift idea which make an ideal presnet whatever the occasion. The range includes glasses designed for specific occasions such as 21 Forever and Happy Birthday but there are more general ones like the Congratulations glass which can be given at the birth of a new baby, for passing exams, getting a new job or announcing an engagement. The ‘Fab Mum’ hand painted wine glass is the perfect present for Mothers Day but would be lovely to give any time of the year just to let your Mum know how much she means to you. A great Valentines Day gift is the My Special Moments Love You hand painted wine glass which is decorated with lots of little red love hearts and comes in a beautiful red and white spotted gift box. The Mo Mo Panache Love Wine Glass is another lovely Valentines gift idea – the decoration around the glass is of 4 large red hearts with gold detail. The perfect way to say ‘I love you’! Each wine glass gift comes with a pretty charm which sits around the stem at the base of the glass. Each charm features a little message related to the theme of the glass and these are removable. The perfect gift for the wine lover in your life!

A Portuguese Wine Journey

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Portugal is known for many things, its great beaches, fantastic golf facilities and year round sunshine being just the icing on the cake for one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. One of the things that Portugal is renowned for is its many wine producing regions that create some of the finest tasting wines. If you go into any supermarket you are bound to see several bottles of Portuguese wines from across the country, whether you prefer red, white or rose there is bound to be something to please your palate! If you are a wine buff or just fancy an excuse to explore this fascinating country, a wine tour is a great way to impress your friends at the next dinner party.

One of the things that make Portuguese wines so special is that many of the small vineyards are populated with grapes that are unique to Portugal. Many locals believe that in order to really get a taste for the country it is necessary to sample some of the wines, which is handy for those about to embark on a wine tasting tour! The first stop on any Portuguese wine holiday is Dao which produces some of Portugal’s best red wines. Situated in the north of central Portugal below the stunning Douro River, Dao is one of the most spectacular places that you will visit on your wine journey.

On the opposite side of the wine spectrum are the delicious Vinho Verde white wines that come out of the northwest of the country. The name of the wine literally translates into ‘green wine’ which refers to the fact that the grapes grow in a picturesque green valley along the coastline. From green to brown, the Barraida vineyards are the next stop on the wine tour and take visitors into an area steeped in controversy.

Back in the 18th century Barraida was deemed unsuitable for lawful port production due to an adulteration scandal. The vineyards were ripped out however centuries later they are back to their best and produce many dark, fruity wines. The word ‘Barraida’ literally means ‘clay’ which is connected to the brown soil that dominates the area. Port lovers will appreciate the final stop on this Portuguese wine journey, Douro is known by many to be the ‘Port Country’ and is responsible for some of the richest ports in the world.

If the thought of sampling just a selection of these wines has you reaching for the corkscrew, make sure you take advantage of this fantastic holiday opportunity. Never has a holiday in the sun tasted so good!

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