Tag: Wine

Red Wine – The Taste of Romance

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What is the first thing that people notice about red wine?  The color of course!  It is the rich red color.  Did you know that red wine is produced from grapes that are not only red but purple and blue as well?  The many different varietals of red wine give it names like “dark red, light red, almost black, maroon, deep violet, and burgundy”.  That list could expand to include many more descriptors, but most of all we love the romance and taste of reds.  It has become a part of our culture to see people in the movies in intimate settings drinking red wine.  In part, this is due to its color, the color that represents love, but also for the rich bold flavor that reminds us of love and romance.

Popular reds are Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet.  The list could continue for another few sentences, but the important thing to remember is that each wine will be made from a different grape or many different varietals of grapes.  Knowing what grape can be grown in what region depends on the longitude line the region falls on.  Many grapes that made Italy famous are also grown in places like Michigan in the United States.  The longitude line will dictate the climate in which a grape can be grown.  If where you live falls on or near the same line that a famous grape growing region does, you too can grown the same varietals and maybe become famous yourself.

Pairing food with wine is an important part of the whole experience.  Red wine is versatile, but there are some definite rules to follow.  Rule number one should always be, if you like the taste of the wine, then drink it.  Apart from that there are some other guidelines that can be followed to make the experience the best one possible.  For instance, reds should never be paired with mild cheeses.  Mild cheeses are always great with white wines.  Strong cheese on the other hand is perfect for red wine and can be paired with just about any red available.  In fact many cheese spreads are mixed with Port or Merlot which is to die for.  Pastas with cream sauces and seafood will never pair well with red wine.  Pasta with red sauce however will taste lovely with a nice red like Zinfandel or Merlot.  Unfortunately Asian food is another pairing you shouldn’t make with reds.  Poultry should only be paired with Beaujolais and pork with only Pinot Noir or Beaujolais.  The good news is that beef was made for pairing with reds and you should feel free to pair almost any red with beef except for Port or Beaujolais.  It is the robustness and full flavor that makes red pairing with red meat so perfect.  Surprisingly, chocolate is a perfect companion for Port, Cabernet or Merlot.

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Storing your Wine

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Wine consumption has become more and more popular over the years. As they say older the wine the better it tastes, storing and preserving wine properly is very essential.

Storing a wine in a right way can lead to euphoria while in a wrong way can lead to depression. Drinking wine from a bottle while has been poorly stored can be a letdown. Poorly stored wine can taste like vinegar.

Factors to consider while storing a wine bottle are humidity, temperature, lighting, the cleanliness of your storage area and the angle at which the bottle is kept on the rack. The temperature is one of the most important factors and you should maintain around 50 degrees at all times. Avoid sudden temperature changes and if any change in temperature occurs make sure it happens slowly. The wine should be ok as long as the temperature does not rise too much and if the temperature fluctuates slowly.

To maintain proper humidity is also very important. Try to maintain 70% of humidity and its ok if it goes above or below this level by 10%. In high humidity the label can easily rot and affect the value of the wine. On the other hand if the humidity is too low it could shrink the cork and bring air into the wine which can completely ruin the wine.

Light causes wine to age prematurely so make sure you store your wine bottle out of light. It’s best to store wine in a dark location. Also if the wine stays in contact with the cork it doesn’t dry out. If wine doesn’t stay in contact with the cork then the cork could dry out and let air into the wine bottle. Keeping wine bottle at the right angle so that the wine is always in contact with the cork is important.

To maintain the quality of your wine it is very important to consider all the above mentioned factors while storing it. Take proper care while storing your wine and you are sure to enjoy it for several years. It is not a difficult task but just needs a little more care and attention.

 

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17 things About Wine

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You might think you like wine, sipping the occasional glass of fruity Pinot in glorious sunshine or cuddling up with a bottle of cabernet Shiraz on a cold winter night, but how much do you actually know about the tasty tipple we all so regularly indulge in.you like wine, sipping the occasional glass of fruity Pinot in glorious sunshine or cuddling up with a bottle of cabernet Shiraz on a cold winter night, but how much do you actually know about the tasty tipple we all so regularly indulge in. Finish the test and see that you can answer all of wine questions below. Then use them on your friends and show off how knowledgeable you are.

1. When did winemaking begin? The Mesopotamians were credited with producing the first wines in 6000 B.C.

2. Where was the world’s oldest bottle of wine was found? Germany.

3. How much wine is in a bottle? Generally a bottle of wine measures the liquid in milliliters, with 750 ml being the standard amount in most bottles (or about 25 fluid ounces).

4. How many grapes does it take to make your average bottle of wine? It takes about 2 ½ pounds (about eight bunches) of grapes to make a bottle of wine.

5. How many gallons of wine are produced from one acre of grapevines? About 800.

6. How many varieties of wine grapes exist in the world today? Over 10,000.

7. How many grapevines generally make up an acre? 400.

8. How many acres of vines are there in the World? Wine grapes are the single most widely planted fruit crop. There are 20 million acres of grapes planted worldwide.

9. What is wine made up of? Wine Composition: 86% water, 11.2% alcohol, 2.8% other. Over 250 compounds have been identified in “other”. That is why wine making is an art and not a science.

10. How many calories are in a four ounce glass of red wine Approximately 85.

11. Approximately how many bubbles are in a bottle of Champagne? 49 Million.

12. When was the corkscrew designed? Mid-1800’s.

13. How far can a champagne cork travel? The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches.

14. How much pressure is there in a champagne bottle? The pressure in a champagne bottle is typically between 70 and 90 pounds per square inch. That’s two to three times the pressure in your car’s tyre, about the same as in a double-decker bus’ tyre.

15. Why does a wine bottle have an indentation in the bottom? The purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle is to strengthen the structure of the bottle.

16. Does wine turn to vinegar with age? No, old wine almost never turns to vinegar. It spoils by oxidation.

17. How much wine does the biggest wine bottle hold? Nebuchadnezzar is the largest wine bottle and holds 15 litres or 120 glasses of wine.

 

Plastic Wine Glass

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Though the idea about plastic wine glass would make a lot of wine connoisseur cringe, it contains their place in lots of kitchens. A plastic wine glass makes a perfect drinking vessel for the majority of any beverage. You could of course drink champagne or even wine from plastic or else acrylic goblets, though the experience might not be clam as swanky as in case you are sipping as of fine crystal. The cause wine & champagne are consumed as of glasses made a sure way is to transport out the complex aromas & flavors contained within. Obviously with other beverages it is really not the concern so plastic must be fine to utilize.

The thought of plastic wine glass in general is distant from an appealing single to any grave drinker of wine. Persons who consider themselves as wine connoisseurs might ridicule at the thought of drinking wine away of a plastic elements, as this is the far cry as of the crystal & other materials they favor for their own. This is more preferred wine glass are said to improve the experience of consumption a fine wine. This way that the beam reflects off the goblet will often improve the color & richness of wine being taken in. They also inform that the equanimity of the actual glass or crystal itself can too have an impact at the wine’s flavor, giving it as smoother & more sophisticated flavor.

Yet, there is an exact place in this earth for plastic goblets that is why they are accessible for sale. Many populaces choose to go along with plastic, & we’ll get onto the reasons abruptly. Not only could wine be consumed along with plastic wine glass, but other beverages could easily be used along with these also. Whether it is wine, champagne, or else even teas, sodas, juices, or water, plastic wine glass are very diverse at the terms of how this can be used. It is a far weep from the exclusive character of crystal & other goblets.

After that there are others who will utilize goblets to serving certain kinds of foodstuffs inside them. Perhaps you’ve been to the restaurant serving dessert which gave you the mousse, pudding, or else even a cake otherwise ice cream inside the plastic wine glass. This would be close to impossible to provide in a gemstone goblet, which would approximately be sure to smash under any type of direct pressure practical by silverware.

Another advantage of plastic wine glass is the detail that they come at many different colors & even sizes. Unlike additional glasses that are somewhat unbending & similar in look, you can locate red plastic wine glasses, green plastic wine glasses, & many other dissimilar colors & designs. Just regarding anything is available in case you take the occasion to look around.

As of here, it is up to you for finding your plastic wine glasses. There are many obtainable online, & what you finish up getting really based upon the personal tastes.

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Red Wine – Can it Lower Your Blood Pressure?

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The French Paradox, the fact that the French eat a diet high in saturated fat but have a low incidence of coronary artery diseases, has been known for a long time. The French diet should normally increase the incidence of coronary artery diseases, not lower it. The suggested explanation for the paradox has been the high consumption of red wine in France.

While alcohol normally increases your blood pressure, red wine has been proved to contain substances that lower the risk of heart diseases. As an additional bonus, red wine also contains substances that slow down ageing process. When the French Paradox was reported in the US back in 1991, the sales of red wine increased by almost 45 percent. White wine is produced in a different way and does not have the same positive health effects as its red colleague.

So how much is a healthy daily consumption of wine? Medical experts give a wide range of answers. Some don’t believe that red wine has any positive effect at all. But most research seems to confirm that one glass of wine a day can be good. Some push it towards two glasses, at least for men. The larger you are the more you can drink, smaller people are generally recommended to stick to one glass wine a day or less.

No medical expert recommends non-drinkers to start drinking red wine for health reasons. If you are drinking wine, it should be for pleasure. But it can be nice to known that in moderate quantities red wines can have some positive health effects as a bonus.

It’s worth remembering that while the French have a lower incidence of coronary artery disease they also have one of the highest rates of cirrhosis of the liver in the world. The latter is often caused by excessive drinking of alcohol. So once again, drink and enjoy your wine in moderation.

If you suffer from hypertension, trying more traditional remedies such as relaxation, physical activity and slow breathing, is a safer way of reducing your blood pressure.

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